Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

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It would be better to quickly return to the east entrance and guard it strictly.

Li Ji nearly put himself in a deadly situation in order to support Shancheng. Sun Tzu said, "Throw them into a place of certain death, and they will live; trap them in a place of certain death, and they will survive." However, Li Ji interpreted this as referring to military posture rather than strategic maneuvering, reminding his generals: Even if we are trapped in a desperate situation, we have hope of survival; even if the enemy is trapped, we must not be negligent…

Therefore, in military campaigns, it is absolutely impossible to put oneself in a deadly situation without having a backup plan and to hope for a "future successor"—Han Xin had a plan to change the flag, so he beheaded Chen Yu; Ma Su abandoned the water and went up the mountain, thus losing Jieting.

Therefore, Li Ji entrusted the construction of the camp to Yi Tiechui, while he himself lingered on the Huangshui River, planning an escape route. The gorge was over six miles long, and both the southern and northern routes were narrow and difficult to traverse. Not only would it be difficult for the enemy to break through, but even if the Tang army suffered a defeat or had to make a strategic retreat, it would not be easy for them to retreat. However, if the entire army were to perish here, no matter how difficult the road was, with no obstacles ahead, wouldn't the barbarian bandits be able to pass through without any trouble?

However, the road was too narrow to cut through the mountains; the Huangshui River was too turbulent to launch boats. In the end, Li Ji had to take a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, he buried nails and tied ropes to the cliffs of the southern route so that the soldiers could climb the ropes, which would be faster and less dangerous. On the other hand, he collected sheepskins, gourds, and other materials to build rafts for launching—those things were not easy to capsize and were unlikely to be smashed by the rapids like wooden boats.

However, it's not easy to manufacture a large number of qualified sheepskin rafts; most of them end up only being used as life preservers...

Li Ji estimated that if something unexpected happened, it would be impossible to withdraw the entire army. If four or five hundred men could escape, they might be able to rebuild their defenses at the eastern entrance of the small gorge, leaving enough time to request reinforcements from Shanzhou.

Once the plan was finalized, a letter was written to Guo Xin to inform him. The next day, Guo Xin replied, first informing him of the current situation.

According to the news Guo Xin had just received, Suihe Garrison had finally fallen to the Tibetan army after holding out for three days. The southern Tibetan army numbered no less than ten thousand. The northern Tibetan army also numbered around ten thousand, and cavalry had already passed through Xuanwei Army, crossed Tulou Mountain, and invaded the outskirts of Shancheng. Guo Xin initially feigned weakness, refusing to come out of the city to meet the enemy. Only after the Tibetan cavalry brazenly approached the city did he suddenly lead his cavalry in a charge, achieving a minor victory, beheading over a hundred, and greatly boosting the morale of the soldiers and civilians within the city.

The main force of the Tibetan army should still be coming from the west along the main road. It is said that they have already captured Suirong City and advanced to the walls of Linfan City. Guo Xin estimates that Linfan City cannot be held for more than a few days. At the latest, ten days later, the three Tibetan armies will meet in the western suburbs of Shancheng.

So these days, he's been busy mobilizing the army and civilians to harvest the wheat south of the city—whether it's ripe or not, the unripe wheat can at least be used to feed horses or as firewood, and it can't be left for the Tibetans.

Guo Xin largely approved of Li Ji's deployment at the Xiaoxia Gorge entrance. In his letter, he wrote: "I had only heard your words before, but had not personally inspected the area, and was unaware of the Xiaoxia Gorge's perilous nature, which was beyond my expectations... How could tens of thousands of soldiers from Shancheng possibly retreat smoothly across the Xiaoxia Gorge before the enemy? Unless Yu the Great were here, he could drive away bears and open the mountains..."

"Therefore, I will hold Shancheng firmly and wait for the barbarian bandits to run out of food and retreat before gradually withdrawing. If the barbarian bandits do not leave, Shancheng will not fall. If it falls, I will surely die with the city and the soldiers! You need not worry too much about Shancheng. If you can defend the west of the gorge, then defend it. If you cannot defend it, then retreat to the east of the gorge. The key is to preserve our strength so that we can make a move later."

"However, if the commander can continuously reinforce the troops, the number of troops at the gorge will not be several thousand, but tens of thousands. Then the barbarian bandits will not dare to attack Shancheng with all their might, and it will not be difficult to defend it."

At the end of the letter, it seems that a sentence was added just before it was sealed: "I have just received news that the Northern Barbarian General is Shang Zanmo, the Southern Barbarian General is Shang Xidongzan, and the Barbarian General in the front is indeed Ma Chongying!"

Chapter 10, The First Collision

Langda Zhalugong, a great scholar and general of the Tubo Kingdom (Dazha was translated as Xinuoluo or Xinuo in Tang Dynasty, hence the name Lunxinuo), whose Chinese name was Ma Chongying.

Although he orchestrated the invasion of Tang territory during the Zhide era, not only ravaging Longyou but also joining forces with Nanzhao to plunder western Sichuan, Ma Chongying never actually regarded the Tang Dynasty as an enemy of Tibet. In his youth, he admired the culture of the Central Plains, studied Chinese classics, and repeatedly submitted memorials to the Zanpu Chidai Danzhu, saying that only by living in harmony with the Tang Dynasty could Tibet achieve long-term peace and stability.

From the time of Songtsen Gampo onwards, two opposing groups gradually formed within Tibet: the traditional Bon religion and the emerging aristocracy who had successively accepted Buddhist beliefs brought from the Central Plains by Princess Wencheng and Princess Jincheng, or from Nepal by Princess Bhrikuti. Among them, Ma Chongying was both a pioneer of the Tang faction and received a name from Princess Jincheng, thus becoming an important leader of the Buddhist group.

Furthermore, after Chidai Danzhu was assassinated, Ma Chongying supported Saxilong Lazan, also known as Trisong Detsen, to succeed him. He then falsely accused the main murderer of being instigated by Bon believers, thus launching a bloody purge within Tibet.

So why did he repeatedly launch military campaigns to harass Tang territory? This was because Ma Chongying astutely realized that although the Tang Dynasty appeared strong on the surface, it was actually on a downward spiral. While it could barely survive in the Central Plains, it feared it could not hold onto the Western Regions for long. A terrifying force was about to sweep in from the west, ravaging the Buddhist world and even invading Tibet. Currently, only Tibet could shoulder the responsibility of supporting the Buddhist kingdoms of the Western Regions and repelling the enemy west of the Pamir Mountains.

This is both a war to protect the nation and a war to protect the faith!

However, expecting the Tang Dynasty to voluntarily withdraw from the Western Regions, or to grant the new Zanpu (Tibetan king) the privilege of allowing Tibetan troops into the Four Garrisons of Anxi, was utterly a pipe dream. During the Tianbao era, Tang generals arbitrarily initiated border conflicts, seizing land on the shores of the Western Sea, leading to a significant rise in anti-Tang factions within Tibet. Taking advantage of this public opinion, and the opportunity presented by An Lushan's rebellion, Ma Chongying plotted to cut off Longyou (the region south of the Great Wall), blocking the Tang army east of Fengxiang, thus paving the way for Tibet to become the ruler of the Western Regions.

The Battle of Talas in the tenth year of the Tianbao era made Ma Chongying realize that a crisis was approaching step by step, and he began to plan accordingly. It has been eight years since then.

Ma Chongying was indeed more farsighted than most people of that era, but he was still limited by the backward level of transportation and communication, which unwittingly led him onto a difficult and arduous path that brought him no real benefit. In fact, the Battle of Talas not only proved that the Tang Dynasty's territory had reached its limit and could not be expanded any further, but also heralded the end of the eastward expansion of the Islamic world.

Just one year before the Battle of Talas, the Abbasid Caliphate (the Black Caliphate) officially rose to power through the Battle of the Taj River, replacing the Umayyad Caliphate (the White Caliphate) in ruling most of the Islamic world. This power, which originated in Khorasan, thus formally shifted its center of influence westward. Five years after the Battle of Talas, Abu Muslim, the Abbasid Caliphate's first general and governor of Khorasan, was executed, and the Khorasan region gradually weakened until it fragmented—no longer posing much of a threat to the Western Regions.

Historically, the Tibetan Empire did indeed occupy the Western Regions for a time, but its excessive territory and numerous wars ultimately brought about the downfall of this rapidly rising plateau kingdom. Islamic forces could only attempt to expand eastward again after the fragmentation and collapse of the Tibetan Empire…

Of course, Ma Chongying was unaware of this, and even Li Ji, who had lived two lives, couldn't have considered things so far ahead. Although Li Ji had majored in Chinese history in his previous life and had some knowledge of world history, he knew that the Abbasid Caliphate's main focus was on the Eastern Roman Empire and the Umayyad Caliphate, and that it wouldn't expand its influence further east. But... in his original timeline, there was no Battle of Talas. Who knows if this disturbance would affect the historical process of Central Asia and even West Asia?

Besides, he couldn't possibly have realized that Ma Chongying's desire to take the Western Regions was to prevent the eastward invasion of Islam... If he had known, he would have patted the other on the shoulder and said, "Brother, you're overthinking it."

The spread of religion is not entirely influenced by national military power. Who knows, after Tibet conquers the Western Regions, it might switch from Buddhism to Islam? As for territorial expansion, even if the Abbasid Caliphate is on the rise, it is impossible for it to cross the Pamir Mountains in a short period of time.

Thus, Ma Chongying's grand ambitions and Li Ji's naive desires unexpectedly collided.

Ma Chongying's original plan was to gradually pressure the Tang Dynasty to abandon Shancheng, after which the Tibetan army would launch a full-scale attack on Shanzhou. To this end, he repeatedly sent people to infiltrate Tang territory to spread rumors and even bribed Gao Sheng to persuade him to withdraw his troops. However, Gao Sheng was weak and incompetent, only knowing how to adhere to the strategy of non-interference, neither fighting nor making peace, neither defending nor retreating—which at least spared his own death.

—I'm just staying behind. You want me to give up the city and land? My shoulders are weak, I can't bear this responsibility. If you want Shancheng, then come and take it yourself.

Upon hearing of An Lushan's death and the Tang Dynasty's recapture of the two capitals, Ma Chongying was no longer willing to wait. He devised a three-pronged strategy to attack Shancheng, aiming for a swift victory and then advancing towards Shanzhou. If the Tang Dynasty suffered heavy losses defending Shancheng, they might be forced to abandon Shanzhou as well, thus achieving his first strategic objective. If the Tang Dynasty held Shanzhou, he could seize the opportunity to annex Kuozhou to the south and advance north towards Liangzhou, severely damaging the Hexi army and directly severing the connection between Liangzhou and Gansu.

Therefore, the objective of this autumn's war was not merely to capture Shancheng; a large army was required for any chance of success. Thus, Shang Jiexi was left to garrison Luoxie, while Ma Chongying, along with two other high-ranking officials—Shang Xidongzan and Shang Zanmo—joined forces, with a main force of 30,000 and auxiliary troops of 50,000, marching in a mighty army towards Shancheng.

The initial stages of the battle went relatively smoothly, until news came that Guo Xin had been replaced as the garrison commander of Shancheng. Guo Xin had been stationed in Hexi for a long time, and the Tibetans had dealt with him before. Ma Chongying might not have thought much of this Tang general, but he concluded from this that the Tang people would not be willing to withdraw voluntarily.

It seems the main battle will take place beneath the walls of Shancheng.

"When I first heard that the Tang emperor had sent his son, the Prince of Qi, to guard Longyou, I thought he was just a spoiled brat and not worth mentioning. Who would have thought he would be so brave as to fight?"

General Qilibuzang comforted Ma Chongying, saying, "Since he is a spoiled brat and does not know the might of our army, it is understandable that he dares not easily abandon the territory. As long as we successfully capture Shancheng and kill many Tang people to show our might, he will naturally be timid, and it may be much easier to advance into Shanzhou."

Ma Chongying reminded him, "The Tang emperor originally conquered the world on horseback. Emperor Taizong was so brave and extraordinary, almost like a god. Who knows if his descendants will not produce another martial man? Even before the Tang emperor ascended the throne, he could ride a spirited horse and defeat our Tibetan warriors on the polo field. He only became muddleheaded in his old age and trusted the barbarians... In short, we must not underestimate the enemy and must follow the strategy and advance steadily."

The western border of the Tang Dynasty was originally dotted with military garrisons. The Longyou Circuit alone had over 70,000 troops, the vast majority of whom were stationed in several western prefectures for mutual support. However, after the main force was transferred east to defend the capital, these garrisons were barely able to defend themselves, let alone coordinate attacks, and were thus captured one by one by the Tibetan Empire. Especially the armies and cities captured last year; Ma Chongying had meticulously planned his strategy, ostensibly omitting some areas from the main force, but in reality severing many communication lines, rendering the remaining garrisons virtually defenseless.

Therefore, they attacked again this autumn, besieging Suihe Shouzhuo, Suirong City, Linfan City, and other places. They originally thought it would be exceptionally easy and that they could smoothly advance to Shancheng. However, the battle reports from various places were not optimistic. Although the aforementioned cities had only held out for a maximum of four days, the Tang army's resistance was extremely tenacious, quite different from last year.

According to Ma Chongying's analysis and the information obtained from interrogating prisoners, last year's defeats were due to a hasty attack, while this autumn the Tang army was well-prepared. More importantly, last year, despite urgent reports of the attack, Shanzhou's response was slow; not only did they refuse to send reinforcements—and of course, they couldn't—but they also refused to give a clear answer on whether to defend or retreat. This year is different. Guo Xin, without even arriving in Shancheng, ordered the evacuation of the people from the three locations to Shancheng and Dahua. He also did not issue orders for the soldiers to hold their ground, but only to adapt to the situation and try to slow down the Tibetan army's advance.

With their parents, wives, and children gone, and no longer burdened by worries, the warriors of Longyou were truly inspired. Even before the Tibetan army arrived, most of them were determined to die with the city. As a result, although the Tibetan army captured three cities after fierce fighting, their losses were actually greater than those of the Tang army.

Ma Chongying's lofty ambitions were thus clouded by a dark cloud, and he sensed that this battle would not be as easy as his subordinates had imagined...

When they finally broke through the enemy's defenses, the three armies arrived at Shancheng one after another—Ma Chongying was the last to arrive—he rode out to inspect the city's defenses and couldn't help but sigh, "This is truly a formidable city. If it weren't for the fact that it is located in the plains and has no strategic terrain, I'm afraid even hundreds of thousands of troops would have had a hard time breaking through it."

After returning to camp, he discussed with his generals that it would be better to send an envoy into the city to persuade Guo Xin to recognize the situation and abandon the city and retreat. "We can allow him to withdraw all the soldiers and civilians in the city, but leave the treasury to our army."

However, this proposal was opposed by Shang Xidongzan, Shang Zanmo and others. Shang Xidongzan said: "This year's military expedition is indeed intended to sever Longyou so that I can devote all my strength to the four towns of Anxi. But with nearly 100,000 troops, if we gain nothing but take an empty city, I'm afraid it will be a loss."

"Although the Great Treatise says that the Tang people can leave their treasury supplies and wealth to our army, I fear that their treasury is not very full. I arrived two days earlier and have already surveyed the area south of the city. Most of the crops have been harvested, and the remaining stalks are not yet ripe. If we bring all the harvest into Shancheng, our army may benefit from it. However, since it is not yet ripe, it can only be used as horse feed and firewood. I am afraid that the grain in the city is enough to feed tens of thousands of Tang people for a few months, but it cannot compensate for the expenses incurred by my 100,000-strong army in traveling thousands of miles from Lhasa to here."

"If we can capture this city and take more than 10,000 Tang people as prisoners, and distribute them among the various tribes, everyone will be happy and morale will be high. If we only get an empty city and a little food, it will be difficult to win over the people, and the battles afterward will not be so easy."

Ma Chongying, after all, had only recently assumed the position of Grand Chancellor, and his prestige was insufficient to command the entire Tibetan Empire—especially the three Grand Masters. Even his grand strategy of splitting Longyou and conquering the Western Regions was influenced by the prevailing anti-Tang sentiment within the country; otherwise, he simply couldn't have mobilized such a large army. Therefore, he dared not disobey the generals' wishes, and merely said:

"I see that Shancheng is very well-defended, and Guo Xin is a capable general. When I went to Suirong and Linfan, I saw that the Tang people were very determined to resist. So if we launch a strong attack on Shancheng, we will suffer heavy losses and it would be even more of a loss than a gain. If you have any good ideas, please teach me."

Shang Xidong laughed and said, "There are only established methods in warfare, not any brilliant strategies. Relying on intelligence and acting rashly will only make us vulnerable to the enemy." He then ordered someone to unfold a map and pointed to it, saying to his generals, "According to our spies, the garrison in Shancheng numbers only seven thousand, and they are short of warhorses. They will certainly not dare to engage us in open battle and can only defend the city. Although Guo Xin is a famous general from Hexi, he is new to Longyou and unfamiliar with the local people and the land. His ability to control his troops must be lacking."

"The reason they refuse to withdraw is that they are hoping for reinforcements from the direction of Shanzhou. Our army will advance from the north and south, reach the east of the city, surround Shanzhou on all sides, and then choose a place to attack with all our might. I believe Guo Xin will not be able to defend it. Do you think that with nearly 100,000 troops, we can't take down a few thousand people? Do you think we are barbarians who don't know how to attack cities?"

Having no other options, Ma Chongying temporarily agreed to their request. He then dispatched his general Qilibuzang with 5,000 cavalry to attempt a surprise attack from the south of the city towards the east.

However, Qilibuzang returned empty-handed after only half a day.

It turned out that Guo Xin had already ordered his soldiers to temporarily form a semicircle outside the north and south city gates using carts and deer antlers, about half a mile from the city. Upon hearing the alarm—with both sides only about three miles from the mountain walls, and the city walls providing a high vantage point, how could the Tang people possibly miss the Tibetan army's movements?—he ordered archers to leave the city and ambush inside the encirclement, unleashing a barrage of powerful bows and crossbows, while also sending several hundred elite cavalry to harass and outflank them. Qilibuzang wanted to charge directly through using his fast horse, but feared being cut off by the Tang soldiers and pursued from behind; he wanted to attack the Tang encirclement, but suffered repeated defeats, and ultimately had no choice but to retreat in frustration.

Ma Chongying didn't blame him, saying, "It's just a test of the enemy's strength, I know that."

So the main army stationed itself west of the city, not in a hurry to attack, but instead ordered 10,000 cavalry and infantry to slowly advance in the north and south respectively. After two days of fierce attacks, the Tang siege was finally broken, and the Tang soldiers all retreated back into the city. Then, the army set up camps south and north of the city, relying on the mountains to monitor the Tang army's movements and block their exit routes. Then, another general, Qiangba Luobu, was ordered to lead 3,000 cavalry to attack east of the city—

"You can go straight to the west of the small gorge and see if the Tang people are defending it. If they are not, you can set up a battle formation at the gorge entrance to cut off the enemy's retreat; if they are, do not attack rashly, and wait for me to come and see."

Qiangba Luobu accepted the order and set off, heading straight for Xiaoxia from the south of the city. This was because the terrain on the south bank of the Huangshui River was relatively open, which was advantageous for cavalry to maneuver.

Although the area was open, apart from a small path along the riverbank, it was crisscrossed with fields. The recently harvested wheat stalks were still over half a foot long, sharp as arrows, forcing the Tibetan cavalry to disperse and proceed along the rows of ridges—mainly because they were still far from the gorge and their guard was low. With only ten li left to go, Qiangba Luobu rested near a village, waiting for news from the scouts ahead. Soon after, a horse galloped up, and the rider, panting, reported:

"The Tang army is prepared; our troops have been attacked!"

Chapter Eleven, Shrimp and Toad

Li Yuanzhong arrived at the western entrance of Xiaoxia Gorge on the eve of the convergence of the three Tibetan armies. Knowing the urgency of the military situation, he rode at full speed from Kuozhou, taking a detour, without even entering Shanzhou City—since the deployment was already finalized, there was no need to report back to the military commander.

Li Ji led Li Yuanzhong on a tour of the camp and explained his strategy in detail. Li Yuanzhong stroked his beard and remained silent until Li Ji finished speaking, at which point he nodded slightly and said, "For the time being, this is the only way."

He then bowed to Li Ji and said, "Thank you for your arrangements, Inspector Li. I will be able to escort you back to Shanzhou tomorrow morning."

According to the original plan, a troop was to lie in ambush at Xiaoxia, guarding the farmland between Xiaoxia and Daxia, and providing support to Shancheng at any time, either for defense or retreat. This task was supposed to be Li Yuanzhong's responsibility. However, because the barbarian bandits arrived too quickly, and Li Yuanzhong was still in Kuozhou, he couldn't arrive in time, which might delay military operations. Therefore, Li Tan sent Li Ji to lead troops here ahead. Now that Li Yuanzhong has arrived, Li Ji can hand over the defense duties and return to Shanzhou alone.

However, Li Ji said with a wry smile, "I didn't set up my troops on the east side of the gorge, but instead stationed them on the west side. This is a dead end..."

Li Yuanzhong patted him on the shoulder: "I understand. In order to support Shancheng, we have no choice but to do so."

But Li Ji continued, "If I were to put thousands of brave soldiers to death, and then return to Shancheng to sit comfortably, wouldn't I be condemned as a coward and a shameless scoundrel?!"

Li Yuanzhong frowned: "Inspector Li means..."

Li Ji bowed and clasped his hands, saying, "The commander ordered me to lead the troops here, but did not say that I would return immediately after handing over the troops to the general. In that case, I humbly request to lead the cavalry under the general's command and fight alongside the brave soldiers against the enemy. I hope the general will grant my request."

Li Yuanzhong frowned and scratched his beard: "This... I'm afraid it's not good... not very convenient..."

Li Ji understood his meaning; he was worried that Li Yuanzhong might not be able to control himself. After all, although Li Ji held a low rank, he was a civil official and a confidant of the military governor. If he disobeyed orders, would Li Yuanzhong dare to punish him according to military law? In the army, orders should be strictly obeyed. If there was such a person or such a unit that refused to strictly follow orders, how could the battle be fought?

With a flick of his sleeve, Li Ji knelt before Li Yuanzhong, bowing his head and saying, "Now that I am under your command, General, I shall obey your orders. If I, Li Ji, ever disobey your orders, General, you may personally take your sword and execute me to uphold military law! I am determined to defend myself against the enemy and am very willing to obey your orders. I earnestly request that you grant my request."

Li Yuanzhong quickly pulled him up, forcing a smile as he said, "Inspector Li, why bother..."

"Since I am under your command, General, you may call me by my given name, Li Ji."

He genuinely wanted to stay and fight; he couldn't possibly return to the rear of Shanzhou without even seeing the Tibetans. As for Li Yuanzhong, he was indeed lacking such a general—he had heard of some of Li Ji's exploits and knew that this young man had once captured Tian Qianzhen alive on the battlefield, so his martial prowess must be considerable—and hoped that Li Ji could stay and assist him. Therefore, he asked seriously:

“If I were to order Li Xun… Li Ji, you would deploy your cavalry on the flanks of the formation. When the barbarian bandits, with their thousands of horses and troops, launch a fierce attack on our fortifications and are about to breach them, at that moment, without my command, you would be unable to move even when arrows are at your eyelashes—would you comply?”

Li Ji answered without hesitation: "Without orders from the general, I will not move even if it means death!"

Of course, he knew that Li Yuanzhong was describing an extreme situation, merely to hear a promise from his own side—did Li Yuanzhong's subordinates have absolutely no initiative? If you are surrounded and the command system fails, am I supposed to stand still and wait for the barbarian bandits to kill all the infantry before attacking the cavalry? That's absurd!

Li Yuanzhong asked, "Are you willing to establish military orders?"

"He wrote it down on the spot and handed it to the general."

With Li Ji's handwritten letter, Li Yuanzhong could explain himself to Li Tan if anything happened. That's why Li Ji was kept on and given more than 400 cavalrymen to train properly.