Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Then Chen Fu smiled wryly: "Of course, if the Grand Commandant had arrived any later, he might not have been able to see his old friend again... We might all have followed Iron Hammer to the Yellow Springs."

Li Ji comforted him, saying, "I am here today because I will never allow the barbarian traitors to set foot in Beiting again! In the next five or ten years, I will still drink grape wine with you, Old Chen, and order the barbarians to come and present us with local specialties!"

The preservation of Xizhou was entirely due to Yuan Guangting, the governor of Yizhou. With two routes leading west from Yiwu—north to Tingzhou and south to Xizhou—Xizhou was the most prosperous area in Beiting, and how could the Tibetan bandits not covet it? It was entirely thanks to Yuan Guangting's steadfast defense of Yiwu that the Tibetans dared not penetrate deep into Yizhou despite repeated incursions; at most, they only reached the vicinity of Puchang City in the west of the prefecture.

After bidding farewell to Chen Fu, Li Ji set off again, arriving near Zhang Sancheng garrison five days later. Li Yuanzhong personally came out of his camp twenty li to greet him. This was an old acquaintance, but previously he held a higher position than Li Ji, and now the roles were reversed, making the meeting somewhat awkward. Fortunately, Li Ji treated him with equal courtesy and was very warm, which somewhat dispelled Li Yuanzhong's concerns.

When Li Ji inquired about the situation at the front, Li Yuanzhong frowned and shook his head, saying, "The situation is not very optimistic..."

When he received the report that Zhang Sancheng's garrison had been attacked, he was unaware that Li Ji had already advanced his troops into Guazhou. He only heard from the south that the Tibetan army had just arrived at Xingxing Gorge and, for some unknown reason, turned back... If he had not returned with his troops, Li Yuanzhong would never have dared to leave Jinman City to attack Zhang Sancheng's garrison.

Even though the barbarian army had temporarily retreated, he dared not be complacent in the slightest. Because he did not know Li Ji's movements, he could not determine why the barbarian bandits had retreated, and even suspected that there might be some trickery involved—for example, crossing the Gobi Desert to attack Xizhou first. Of course, with Jian Dao's contact at the beginning of the year, Li Yuanzhong could imagine that the Hexi army might be surging in, but before any good news came, he could not completely relax. Therefore, he left half of his troops in the town and led only three thousand elite troops to Zhangsan City.

In truth, Zhang Sancheng was located west of Xizhou, no longer within the jurisdiction of the Beiting military governor. However, this area was crucial, connecting the two towns of Anxi and Beiting, so Li Yuanzhong dared not neglect its rescue. Most importantly, with Zhang Sancheng attacked and the supply lines cut off, Anxi would have to take a long detour to contact Beiting. Even with a fast messenger, it would take over a month. Li Yuanzhong was unsure whether Guo Xin had launched an attack, or what the battle situation was like.

Can he just sit idly by and let Guo Xin solve the problem himself?

Li Yuanzhong and Li Ji rode side by side to the Tang camp, pointing out the terrain and explaining the battle situation along the way.

The Tianshan Mountains are divided into eastern and western sections. The eastern section divides the two prefectures of Xi and Ting from north to south. Yizhou crosses the easternmost section of the Tianshan Mountains, specifically the Zheluo Manshan Mountains. Li Ji's journey from Tingzhou to Yizhou is the connecting point between the eastern and western sections of the Tianshan Mountains. Not far south of Tianshan County lies the easternmost section of the western Tianshan Mountains, where a high peak called Yinshan rises. Zhang Sancheng is located southwest of Yinshan, with the peak to the north and Dunhongpu (Bosten Lake) to the south, making it an extremely strategic location.

Therefore, when the Tang Dynasty was managing the Western Regions, it established a garrison here, with 300 infantrymen stationed there on a daily basis. However, after the establishment of the two garrisons of Anxi and Beiting, which then turned their backs to defend against the barbarians, they inevitably neglected this important connecting point, which was then easily seized by Ma Chongying.

The attack on Zhangsancheng's defenses by crossing the vast desert was indeed a risky move, but also a brilliant one. Neither Guo Xin nor Li Yuanzhong were prepared for it. Even if they had taken some precautions, they still had to defend against the Tibetan army, and their forces were already stretched thin, making it impossible to station a large force there.

Zhang Sancheng's defenses were thus captured in one fell swoop by the barbarian army. From here, going east around Yinshan Mountain and north to Tianshan County is actually quite a distance, but west to Yanqi Town is only a little over a hundred li, a distance that a light cavalry could reach in a day. From this, Li Yuanzhong deduced that Guo Xin could not possibly stand idly by and was perhaps leading his troops in a fierce attack from the west.

However, Zhang Sancheng's defenses were built in a strategic location, with no roads leading north or south, and narrow roads running east or west. Even two hundred men could not be stationed in front of the fortress. As for Guo Xin's situation, it was still unknown. At least Li Yuanzhong had attacked for seven days and suffered heavy losses, but he not only could not cross the city's defenses, he also could not find out how many barbarians were inside the city.

It's just a guess. The fact that they could travel hundreds of miles across the vast desert to attack meant it couldn't possibly be a large army; it must have been just a small force.

Li Ji told him, "According to my intelligence, the enemy leader is Ma Chongying, whose elite troops number more than a thousand but less than two thousand."

Li Yuanzhong said with a wry smile, "If there are two thousand barbarian soldiers inside, unless I have more than ten thousand troops, and we attack in shifts regardless of casualties, it will be difficult to break through..."

When Li Ji arrived at the Tang army camp and personally surveyed the terrain, he finally understood why the battle was so difficult.

The terrain was treacherous, needless to say. The key issue was that the troops Li Yuanzhong led, supposedly the elite of Beiting, were actually poorly equipped and of mediocre quality. Furthermore, due to the narrow terrain, they couldn't use large machinery, so they could only rely on sheer numbers. It's said that after seven days of continuous attacks, no fewer than five hundred men had been killed or seriously wounded—nearly 20% of the entire army! Morale was low, making further fighting impossible. Li Yuanzhong had no choice but to halt the attack and send men to Xizhou to recruit fresh troops.

If Li Ji hadn't come, Chen Fu would probably have had to send one or two thousand men to try and force his way through this fortified position. However, the equipment and quality of the Tianshan army might not be superior to the Hanhai army of Tingzhou…

Even Li Ji, after surveying the terrain, couldn't help but sigh, "If my Vanguard Army were here, this fortress would be easy to capture." The implication was that he was now helpless against the enemy.

Because Li Ji's force this time mainly consisted of his personal guards, including light and heavy cavalry, but lacked the elite Vanguard Army's heavy infantry, skilled in siege warfare and siege tactics. Besides, using cavalry to fight to the death at a fortified position would be a waste.

Li Yuanzhong smiled slightly and said, "Originally, this fortification was like a thorn in our side, a nail in our eye. But now that the Grand Commandant has arrived, there is nothing to worry about. Just order men to set up fortifications along the way, block and monitor the enemy. When their food supplies run out, they will naturally collapse." Zhang Sancheng hadn't stockpiled much food to begin with—because even Anxi didn't have enough to eat—and you, Ma Chongying, have come from afar, how much could you possibly have brought? I don't believe that by next spring, you will still be well-fed and have the strength to fight.

But he paused, then frowned: "Only Anxi is unaware of this situation. If we rush into an attack, we will surely lose our men's lives needlessly..."

Li Ji immediately had an idea: "Let's erect my great banner in a conspicuous place!"

He certainly wasn't trying to intimidate the Tibetan army with his own formidable reputation, but rather—that my arrival here means Shangjiexi has been defeated, that Beiting is as stable as Mount Tai, so what's the point of you still standing here defiantly? Without any reinforcements, this is an isolated army facing certain death, and I believe the morale of the Tibetans must have plummeted.

So he raised the great banner, and then Li Ji turned his horse around and said to Li Yuanzhong, "Let's wait three days and then try to attack their fortification again—General Li, let's go back to camp and have some wine."

But to his surprise, the next day when he got up, a soldier presented him with a letter on an arrow, saying that Ma Chongying invited Grand Commandant Li to speak at the city gate.

Li Ji laughed loudly and said, "Does Ma Chongying know he has no way out, so he must be asking to surrender?"

Donning armor and mounting his horse, he led his personal guards and soldiers to Zhang San's city gate, stopping the reins just outside the range of arrows. Soon, a small crack opened in the gate, and a general rode out.

Li Ji had seen Ma Chongying many times on the battlefield, but this was the first time he had come this close. He carefully examined the man and saw that this Tibetan leader had a large face, like the ordinary people on the plateau, with broad cheeks, a large nose, sparse eyebrows, narrow eyes, and reddish-brown skin. Just as he was about to call out to him, Ma Chongying did not stop, but instead took the reins and walked closer and closer.

Li Ji couldn't help but laugh loudly, "You have quite the nerve, aren't you afraid of being captured by me?"

If you take two more steps forward, I can catch you with one charge. Even if there are arrows hidden on the city wall, they won't save your life. It's true, you've forgotten how good I am after not fighting me for a few years.

Ma Chongying smiled slightly and replied, "Why is Grand Commandant Li in such a hurry? Let me finish speaking, and then you may capture or kill me as you see fit." As he spoke, he slowly walked forward until his horse was facing Li Ji.

Li Ji was somewhat puzzled by the other party's intentions, so he waved his hand, indicating: Please speak.

Ma Chongying stared at Li Ji, his thin lips moving as if he were about to speak, but he remained silent for a long time. The expression on his face clearly showed that he had a lot to say, but he didn't know where to begin...

With great difficulty, he finally spoke: "Since Grand Commandant Li has arrived here, it is clear that our army has suffered a great defeat. May I ask if you could recount the details?"

Li Ji had no need to deceive the other party, and in fact, he wanted to take this opportunity to completely dispel Ma Chongying's stubborn resistance. So he smiled nonchalantly and said, "Your country's great opinion is that of Shang Jiexi? I ​​sent out troops early. Shang Jiexi had only passed Yumen Pass when I took Guazhou and crossed the Ming River straight to Shazhou..."

Ma Chongying's expression changed slightly: "How about the 'Mang Re Mei Long Qi Xi Bi'?"

Knowing they could not escape, they have already surrendered.

Ma Chongying sighed deeply: "He has already been defeated by Grand Commandant Li twice. He must be too ashamed to return to his hometown to see his elders... But I wonder how many troops Grand Commandant Li used and how he managed to defeat Mang Re Mei Long Qi Xi Bi?"

Chapter Sixty-Three, Three Laughable Points

Li Ji recounted the events of the battles fought in Su and Gua prefectures to Ma Chongying. Ma Chongying sighed, "Looking back and forth, hesitating to stay or leave, he was destined for defeat..."

He paused, then continued, "However, his eventual decision to cut his losses and flee west to Shazhou was a wise one." He looked at Li Ji and said, "In that case, our army did not suffer a major defeat, but only a minor setback."

Li Ji smiled: "It is indeed a pity. However, although it was a minor setback, Guazhou is now entirely in our hands. Our main force is defending Changle, with deep trenches and high walls, making it as impregnable as a fortress. Even if a hundred thousand barbarian troops came, we would have nothing to fear. Moreover, Shangjiexi has just suffered a defeat, and morale is low. At least for this year, there is no reason for them to launch another attack." He pointed at Ma Chongying: "You are already isolated here, and trapped in a deadly situation. Don't you realize that?"

Ma Chongying smiled and said, "If I didn't know, I wouldn't have invited Grand Commandant Li to speak at the city gate."

After a brief silence, he asked Li Ji, "Does Grand Commandant Li know why I have repeatedly invaded Tang territory, attacked Longyou and Hexi, and plotted against Anxi and Beiting?"

Li Ji sneered: "It's nothing more than greed." Perhaps it's greed for land, perhaps for people, perhaps for power, perhaps for fame, it's nothing more than these few things.

Ma Chongying shook his head and said, "Grand Commandant Li, you are underestimating me too much. I am devoted to the country, and although I am stationed in the Tibetan and Tang regions, my heart is the same as yours..."

Li Ji interrupted him without any politeness: "Who cares what you think? I only know that the Tibetan army expands its territory and seizes land, which pleases the Zanpu (Tibetan king), and the noble chieftains are happy to enslave the Tang people. Isn't this 'greed'?!"

These words left Ma Chongying speechless. After a long pause, he smiled bitterly and said, "Your Excellency is once again criticizing my Zanpu. How could ordinary people possibly fathom the ambitions of my Zanpu? However, what you said about my esteemed chieftain is not wrong—if they were not greedy for the Tang family's land, wealth, and people, and could consider the long-term interests of the nation like I do, they would naturally devote all their efforts to conquering Anxi and Beiting. In that case, we might not have had the battles of gaining Longyou and then attacking Dazhen Pass in the past few years..."

Li Ji still sneered: "If you want to consider the long-term future of Tibet, you should guard the borders and form an alliance with our Tang. We need not dwell on the many wars between our two countries over the past century, but when you were in power, your troops marched down the Western Sea and advanced into Menggu and Chiling, which was somewhat justifiable. But your invasion of Longyou and Hexi, and your plot to seize Anxi and Beiting, were nothing short of suicide. As a result, endless warfare has led to many Tibetan men dying on the borders, and their children suffering hunger and poverty within the country. If this continues, even if our Tang cannot recover the lost territories, Tibet will inevitably become increasingly impoverished and weak. How can it possibly survive a hundred years from now?!"

Ma Chongying sighed, “Your Excellency should know that I admire the Tang Dynasty, hence my Tang name. After taking power, my original intention was only to recover lost territories and advance to the Menggu and Chiling line, where I could then make peace with the Tang. Unfortunately, the Tang family was in turmoil, and the western troops were transferred eastward, leaving Anxi and Beiting vulnerable and undefended…”

"Does this make you eager to hunt?"

Ma Chongying shook his head: "No. What I think might be dismissed as sophistry by Grand Commandant Li, but since we've come this far, why not listen?"

"You said."

"Since ancient times, there has never been a country that did not expand. If a country does not expand, it will inevitably shrink inward, and once it is taken advantage of, it will perish in no time. Thus, the Tubo (Tibetan) people rose from the Yak tribe and fought for several generations, eventually occupying five Ru and sixty-one Dongdai, completely controlling the plateau, and becoming powerful for a time. However, the height and strength of a person have their limits, and the strength of a country also has its limits. After several battles with Tang during the reign of Qizong Nongzan, it was known that the momentum of eastward expansion had come to an end. Therefore, it was forced to sue for an alliance and welcome the princess, forming a nephew-uncle relationship with Tang."

"The subsequent three generations of the Tang dynasty, Mangsong Mangtsen, Chidu Songtsen, and Chide Zutsen, sometimes fought and sometimes made peace with the Tang. This was either due to the unwise actions of the Tsangpo or the greed of the noble chieftains. In my opinion, it was of no benefit. The Tang dynasty is like the sun in the sky; anyone who dares to touch it will surely be burned to a crisp. Why not form an alliance, allowing envoys to come and go and merchants to trade, so that the two sides can complement each other and remain nephews and uncles forever?"

"Naturally, Tibet was powerful and, to eliminate internal strife, would inevitably maintain its military presence abroad. Since it could not challenge the Tang Dynasty in the east, it would naturally turn westward to take over, thus acquiring Xiangxiong, Mayang, and Greater and Lesser Bolu. However, beyond the Pamir Mountains to the west lay the Abbasid Caliphate, also a powerful nation, which Tibet could not defeat. Therefore, it sought to request the Tang Dynasty to send troops to attack from both sides, hoping to share the territory in the future. Unfortunately, Gao Xianzhi suffered a narrow defeat at Talas, and soon after, the An Lushan Rebellion broke out..."

Li Ji frowned and asked, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Ma Chongying countered, "I wonder if Grand Commandant Li is aware of the Celestial Religion?"

Li Ji nodded: "I know a little bit about it."

Ma Chongying said, “That would be for the best. After our tribe crossed the Pamir Mountains and fought against the Abbasids, we realized that the Abbasids’ strength was entirely due to Islam. This religion values ​​strength above all else, inciting its followers to believe that they should wield scriptures in one hand and swords in the other, and kill any non-believers! Since the Tang Dynasty was defeated by Talas, the Abbasids have intended to invade Anxi from the east. Their religion has taken the lead, and many of the Khwarazmian, Mughal, and Karluk peoples have become believers. If Islam gains control of Anxi, then Beiting, and then our tribe, wouldn’t that be a cause for concern?”

Li Ji sneered, "Since we know that the Abbasid Caliphate became powerful because of its religion, why doesn't Tibet follow suit?"

Ma Chongying said solemnly, "What are you saying? That religion relies solely on its strength to disturb the world and sow discord among people's hearts. I respect my ancestors and worship Buddha, how can I listen to the words of those heretics? In my opinion, what the Tianfang religion teaches is the demonic path! It is Mara who wants the world to kill each other and turn the human realm into a hellish realm, so he created this religion! The former Persia was destroyed by the Abbasid Caliphate, and its thousand-year-old scriptures were reduced to ashes, and the teachings of our ancestors were turned into rotten soil. I could not bear to see Tibet follow the same path as Persia, so I sent troops to the Western Regions to protect the Tang Dynasty."

He paused, then explained, "Most officials and commoners in both Tibet and Tang are Buddhists. Even though the Tang emperor claimed to be a descendant of the Daoist patriarch, he did not reject Buddhism. In the past, when Princess Wencheng and Princess Jincheng visited Tibet, they brought Tang dynasty scriptures, which the Zanpu (Tibetan king) worshipped and officials and commoners used with reverence. From then on, although Tibet and Tang were two separate countries, they were essentially one. Surely Your Excellency does not wish for Tibet to one day convert to Islam and adopt the rituals of the Abbasid Caliphate? Moreover, if Tibet were to also become a heretic, and its territory were close to that of Tang, the next target would inevitably be the Tang family!"

“If the Tang family can secure the Western Regions, our Tibetans will not dare to invade the north; since they cannot, I will try to defend them—not for my own selfish reasons, but for the sake of Tibet a hundred years from now, for the sake of the glorious China, for the sake of its institutions not being destroyed, and for the sake of Tibet submitting to it, which would be an honor.”

As he spoke, he bowed deeply to Li Ji from horseback: "I earnestly request that Grand Commandant Li consider my words, perhaps you will gain some insight."

Li Ji thought to himself, "So that's how it is. This Ma Chongying is quite remarkable; he has a long-term vision... But unfortunately, your eyesight is flawed, and you've completely misjudged him."

Then he pointed his whip at Ma Chongying and said, "What you say is utterly ridiculous!"

Ma Chongying smiled wryly, thinking to himself, "I knew you wouldn't believe me. You're still young and haven't had any contact with the Arabs or the Islamists, so you're blinded by your own limited perspective." He then asked aloud, "Does Grand Commandant Li not believe me? What's so laughable about what I've said?"

Li Ji curled his lip and slowly said, "Let's take your words as true, and not as sophistry. In my opinion, there are three laughable points."

"consult."

"The first ridiculous point: You also know that a country's territory has its limits, but you do not know that the westernmost point of our Tang Dynasty is the Pamir Mountains. That is why Gao Xianzhi suffered a defeat at Talas. His defeat was due to his long journey to foreign lands and his greed for the ultimate goal, not because our Tang Dynasty was insufficient to resist the Abbasid Caliphate. Moreover, although the Abbasid Caliphate is powerful and has swallowed up Persia, its borders have also reached their limit as far as Uzbekistan. It is impossible for it to cross the Pamir Mountains again to attack Anxi. Therefore, after Talas, the Abbasid Caliphate sent our Tang Dynasty to pay tribute and make peace many times."

"Moreover, the Abbasids' ambitions lie in the west. After Abbas deposed the White Caliph and established the Black Caliphate with its capital in Kufa, Mansur established Baghdad, a city nearly ten thousand miles away from the Pamir Mountains, roughly the same distance as the road from Chang'an to the Pamir Mountains. Therefore, the Pamir Mountains separate the east and west, and our Tang Dynasty cannot cross the mountains to attack the Abbasids, nor can the Abbasids move further east."

These words left Ma Chongying speechless—"Damn, Li Ji seems to know more about the Abbasid Caliphate than I do! Is he based on real information or just making it up on the spot?"

Li Ji continued, “Both our Tang Dynasty and the Abbasid Caliphate are great nations with tens of millions of households, while Tibet has only a million households. After encompassing the plateau, its territory extends to the extremes in all directions. Although the Abbasid Caliphate is currently focused on the west and neglecting the east, and is neglecting the defense of Persia, Tibet cannot take advantage of this weakness to attack Yuezhi, Tiaozhi, Gandhara, and other places. If they do go, they may succeed temporarily, but in the end they will lose soldiers and generals, just like in our Tang Dynasty’s Longyou and Hexi regions—do not say I did not warn you.”

Ma Chongying lowered his head and remained silent.

"The second ridiculous point: You know that the doctrine of Islam is to wield both sword and scripture, vowing to kill all non-believers in the world. But just as I often say 'kill all the barbarians,' it is merely empty talk and cannot be put into practice. Therefore, when the Abbasid Caliphate conquered Persia, it did not massacre all the followers of Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism. In fact, it allowed the inhabitants to still believe and spread the religion, only requiring the non-believers to pay a few more percent of the household tax. The intention was to induce the natives to voluntarily convert to Islam in order to obtain food and clothing and to seek a peaceful life."

"This is what we mean by 'beyond our power,' when the direct path is unfeasible, so we try to find a roundabout way. If you truly wish to resist the Abbasids and reject their teachings, then you can have the Zanpu (Tibetan king) submit a memorial to Chang'an, clearly stating the dangers and awakening our Tang emperor. If the Abbasids do indeed cross the Pamir Mountains to invade Anxi and Beiting, and our Tang is unable to resist, then since we have allied with Tibet and the Uyghurs, wouldn't we seek reinforcements from them? If Tibet is willing to treat us sincerely, why would it needlessly start a war, causing the soldiers of Tang and Tibet to shed blood and the people to suffer poverty and hardship?"

"The Arabs and the Mughal people know how to outwit their enemies, but you rely solely on force. Tell me: who is truly the demonic one, and who was sent by Mara to wreak havoc on the world? Moreover, the Tang and Tibetan wars are incessant, and both are weakening. Doesn't this give the Western barbarians an opportunity to take advantage of you?!"

Cold sweat was clearly visible on Ma Chongying's forehead.

"The third ridiculous point: You, sir, do not consider your own virtue and strength, actually believing that Tibet, with its million households, can contend with China, with its ten million households. Now that I have recovered Hexi and come to Beiting, it is clear that your so-called grand ambitions are nothing but a mirage. Since this is the case, instead of deeply regretting your past actions and surrendering, you continue to ramble on and on, still boasting of yourself as a wise man with foresight. Isn't that laughable?!"

Li Ji concluded with these three laughable points: "With these three laughable points, it is clear that what you have said is nothing more than donning armor and wielding weapons, yet shouting and fighting at a windmill... at a place where there is no opponent, calling yourself a martyr, but in reality, you are nothing more than a madman who has lost his mind!"

Ma Chongying's dark brown face turned even redder, and his narrow eyes widened as if his pupils were about to bulge out of their sockets. Li Ji thought to himself, if what you just said is true, then this sudden rebuke is tantamount to denying your ambitions and efforts over the past ten years, or even your entire life, and it is tantamount to denying your life—come on, spit out some blood so I can have some fun.

Unexpectedly, Ma Chongying glared at him angrily for a long time, but finally closed his eyes and sighed, "What Grand Commandant Li said seems to make some sense..." But he immediately retorted, "The so-called three laughable things are: first, that the Abbasid Caliphate is no longer able to cross the Pamir Mountains to invade the east, perhaps that is true, but the spread of the Islamic religion to the east is getting closer and closer, and it has already crossed the Pamir Mountains."

"Secondly, it is said that our tribe should assist the Tang in defending the Western Regions, rather than taking them by force. In fact, that is also my original intention. However, affairs of state are not so simple. If we cannot obtain land and manpower, how could our chieftains be willing to send troops for the Tang? Moreover, the Tang will most likely seek help from the Uyghurs, not from Tibet—when the An Lushan Rebellion was raging, our country offered to send troops to aid us, but the Tang emperor refused, only offering a large amount of wealth to beg the Uyghurs, which is clear evidence. If Anxi and Beiting are in trouble, the Tang will also seek help from the Uyghurs. However, the Uyghurs are not trustworthy and will surely take the opportunity to annex our territory, or at least station troops there. In that case, not only will it be difficult to defend against the eastward invasion of the Western barbarians, but it will also become a threat to our tribe. We must be wary of this..."

Li Ji interjected, "Trust between nations naturally stems from long-standing friendships. If Tang had encountered trouble after Songtsen Gampo welcomed Princess Wencheng, why wouldn't it have sought help from Tibet? This is all your own doing, so why blame Tang?!"

Ma Chongying didn't retort, but continued, "As for the third point mentioned by Grand Commandant Li... Now that the Tang family has recovered and is capable of defending the Western Regions, our tribe should naturally change course and no longer cross the Qilian Mountains to the north..."

Li Ji interrupted again, rudely: "With Tang troops in the Western Regions, the Uyghurs cannot easily move south. If there were no Tang troops in the Western Regions, the Uyghurs would definitely come to fight with Tibet, and the tragic situation of endless wars would soon be seen again. Don't you consider that with Tibet's capabilities, is it possible for them to launch a full-scale attack on the grasslands and deserts? Is a long-term war really beneficial to Tibet?"

He then sneered, "Indeed, having acquired the land will solidify your power. And since we are going to war with the Hui, we must raise a large army, which will further secure your authority. You will be second only to the Zanpu, and your wealth and status will be unmatched. As for the ordinary Tibetan people, they are like cattle, sheep, dogs, and horses. Even if they lie dead in ditches or freeze and starve to death, they will naturally not concern you, a nobleman!"

Ma Chongying's left hand, which was holding the reins, trembled slightly. He then shook his head and said, "Grand Commandant Li has his considerations, and I have my plans. You overestimate the strength of the Uyghurs. In reality, they are nothing more than some barbarian bandits. Since things have come to this, it will be of no benefit for me to hold onto Zhangsan City any longer. I humbly request that you grant me two requests, and then there will be no need for further fighting and the loss of soldiers. I will hand over this city to you without hesitation."

Li Ji almost blurted out, "No!" But then he thought again. If he could decisively defeat the main force of the Tibetan army at Guazhou, crippling their power and rendering them unable to wage war for three to five years, then so be it. But now, tens of thousands of elite troops were still in Shang Jiexi's hands. Ma Chongying would never surrender unconditionally here. Although I could eventually starve you to death, it would consume a considerable amount of food and fodder, and I might also lose many Tang soldiers... Well, to avoid casualties, I'll listen to your conditions first.

Chapter Sixty-Four: Two Tigers Fighting

Ma Chongying proposed that he would hand over Zhang Sancheng's garrison if Li Ji agreed to two conditions; otherwise—

"Grand Commandant Li, do not think that you can take my life by drawing your sword and probing forward. There are nearly two thousand of my men in the city, all of whom are brave warriors of our tribe, each of them willing to die for the Zanpu. Even without me, they will still hold Zhangsan City and make it difficult for the Tang army to cross. Now that you have arrived, the Beiting army may temporarily cease its offensive and build fortifications to defend themselves. But what about the Anxi army? Let me tell you the truth, Guo Xin has personally led a large army to attack Zhangsan City for more than half a month, and no less than two or three thousand soldiers have died or been wounded at the walls. Do you think that their soldiers have not died enough?"

Helpless, Li Ji had no choice but to ask, "What are your conditions? Tell me first."