Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Of course, these were all infantrymen. It was easy to ambush the enemy by taking advantage of the terrain of the village, but it would be much more difficult to withdraw safely under the noses of the barbarian cavalry. Therefore, Li Ji was ordered to lead the cavalry to provide support from the center.

So, Qiangba Luobu led three thousand barbarian cavalry to attack Xiaoxia. Due to the terrain, they were forced to split into more than a dozen small teams. Many teams, upon seeing a village, instinctively wanted to plunder it. Even after several failed attempts, managing to pick up hardly any eggs, they still refused to give up when they encountered another village. As a result, their discipline became increasingly lax, and they finally stepped into an ambush set by the Tang army.

The Tang army first let the Tibetan troops into the village, then emerged from the rooftops, drawing their bows and firing rapidly, or suddenly leaped out from narrow passages, thrusting their spears and catching the enemy off guard. Furthermore, the village's houses were poorly planned, and the roads were winding and circuitous. The Tibetans, unfamiliar with the area, often clustered in the narrow passages, making even turning their horses around difficult. As a result, they suffered heavy casualties and were forced to retreat from the village in disarray.

Then, some unlucky ones ran right into the Tang cavalry led by Li Ji.

Li Ji galloped between the three pre-arranged ambush points, engaging in fierce combat on horseback. Amidst arrows and sword strikes, he personally killed no fewer than ten Tibetan cavalrymen. The remaining soldiers, terrified, dared not form ranks and fled in disarray. Li Ji thought to himself, "These Tibetan barbarians are quite brave, but their organization is rather lacking..."

It's not entirely the fault of those barbarian cavalry. Firstly, the troops led by Qiangba Luobu were not top-tier elites. Secondly, they were caught off guard and attacked without any warning, and there was no general to command them. Li Ji always aimed at the most conspicuous armor and pounced on it first. How could they possibly rally their troops or muster the will to resist?

Among the defeated soldiers fleeing to the rear, they encountered Qiangba Luobu near a village and hurriedly shouted, "The Tang people are prepared! Our army has been attacked!" Qiangba Luobu was greatly surprised and hurriedly ordered them to dismount and come over to explain to him how many Tang people there were and how they were attacked.

The defeated soldiers knelt and reported what had happened. Qiangba Luobu reacted quickly, immediately ordering, "Sound the horn and gather the entire army." Regardless of the terrain, everyone should gather around him. Then, glancing at the nearby village, he felt a slight chill and hurriedly mounted his horse, intending to get a little further away from the village.

But before he could even get his stirrups firmly in place, he suddenly saw a troop of Tang cavalry chasing after the defeated soldiers, galloping straight towards him.

At this moment, Qiangba Luobu was surrounded by fewer than five hundred cavalrymen, some resting outside the village, some plundering inside; some dismounting to adjust their saddles, some just mounting their horses after their commander; some hesitant and considering retreat, others urging their horses forward to rescue their comrades—the situation was chaotic. However, the Tang cavalry arrived in an instant—Li Ji had already familiarized himself with the surrounding terrain, and even though he mostly traveled along ridges, he was still faster than the Tibetans—the vanguard was none other than Li Ji, Li Changwei, wielding a long spear and a sword, and immediately locked his sights on Qiangba Luobu.

—This guy has the most magnificent armor, and he's surrounded by a lot of flags. He must be a big fish!

This Qiangba Luobu was originally a confidant of Da Shang Xi Dongzan and was known as a brave warrior in Tibet. Apart from being greedy, lustful, arrogant, careless, rude, and a sycophant who bullied his superiors, he didn't have any major flaws. If it were an unknown general, he would have turned his horse and fled in such a dangerous situation. But Qiangba Luobu was different. Seeing the enemy general's bravery, he used a spear in his left hand and a sword in his right hand to cut down two of his guards right in front of him. Then, the spear was thrust towards his chest, but he was not afraid at all. Instead, his blood boiled and his fighting spirit surged.

However, with the bow on his shoulder, the sword at his waist, and the spear carried by his personal guards, there was no time to defend himself or even retaliate. Qiangba Luobu, in a flash, roared, "Well done!" He aimed at the incoming spear, forcefully clasped his hands together, and firmly grasped the shaft.

He intended to use his arms to forcefully push the enemy's spear back, but unexpectedly, the moment his hands grasped the spear shaft, he felt a tremendous force surge towards him, like a massive wave crashing against an unstable reef. Qiangba Luobu knew something was wrong; he hadn't expected this Tang general to possess such formidable strength. He quickly twisted his wrists, trying to use the momentum to deflect the spear shaft to the side, but it was already too late—

Li Ji's spear struck Qiangba Luobu squarely in the chest, easily piercing through the iron ornaments and leather armor, then penetrating the flesh until it hit the spine, only then pausing slightly—however, to onlookers, it appeared as if Qiangba Luobu had actively grabbed the Tang general's spear and stabbed it into his own chest… Using the horse's momentum, Li Ji directly slammed Qiangba Luobu's massive body off the saddle. Li Ji habitually flicked his wrist, but the corpse did not fall—presumably the spear tip was stuck in the spine. He had no choice but to temporarily abandon the spear, using his right hand to wield his sword and force back several barbarian cavalrymen who rushed to his aid.

Another "decapitation strike" was launched, a surprise attack on the enemy general. However, unlike before, Li Ji's 400-odd cavalry was not much smaller than the Tibetans in front of them, resulting in a fierce battle. The Tibetan army completely collapsed, and they couldn't even retrieve the body of Qiangba Luobu.

With the enemy scattered, Li Ji finally reined in his horse and caught his breath. His men, stepping on Qiangba Luobu's belly, struggled to pull out his lances, wiped away the blood and grime, and returned them to Li Ji, also beheading the enemy general. Li Ji casually asked, "Who understands Tibetan? Did this fellow just scream to beg for mercy?" All the Tang cavalry shook their heads, saying, "We don't understand—who would bother imitating barbarians?"

Li Ji patiently explained, "The saying goes, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' If you can understand the language of the barbarians, it will be of great benefit in battle..." Before he finished speaking, another group of barbarian cavalry appeared in the distance.

It turned out that the hundreds of riders who had rushed to join the attack upon hearing the bugle call were unaware that their commander had already perished. Li Ji immediately gave the order: "Raise that bastard's head high to frighten the enemy!" He then spurred his horse forward, spear in his left hand and sword in his right, and once again charged ahead at full speed...

----------

When news of Qiangba Luobu's death reached the army, Shang Xidongzan was furious and wanted to lead his elite troops straight to the east of the city to fight the Tang army. Ma Chongying grabbed his reins and advised him, "Qiangba Luobu was arrogant and careless, relying on his own bravery. I... I repeatedly warned him, but he didn't listen, hence this defeat. Now that the Tang army has already set up defenses in Xiaoxia, I shouldn't rush into dangerous territory. Let's first surround Shancheng on all sides, and then I'll accompany you to observe the Tang fortifications."

So they dispatched troops and set up camp five miles east of Shancheng. Before the camp was fully built, Ma Chongying and Shang Xidongzan led five thousand cavalry and infantry, with flags flying high and ranks in perfect order, and slowly advanced to the west entrance of Xiaoxia Gorge.

But by the time they arrived, it was already dusk. It was clear that they couldn't fight that day, and they probably wouldn't even have time to find out the size of the Tang army and the strength of their fortifications. Ma Chongying had no choice but to stop and set up camp when he could see the Tang banners in the distance, which were still more than three miles away.

As the saying goes, "Do not rely on the enemy's inability to attack, but rely on the fact that we have something that cannot be attacked." When the enemy's situation is unclear, it is best to first establish a strong defense.

Meanwhile, Li Ji and his men had already withdrawn their troops and returned to camp. In this battle, they had killed over a hundred barbarian soldiers, including Qiangba Luobu, and there were even three heads that looked like generals. Li Yuanzhong ordered his men to clean them and identify them, but unfortunately, since they were not very famous barbarian generals, no one recognized them... Li Ji couldn't help but feel frustrated, saying, "I thought it was a big fish, but it turned out to be a shrimp or a toad."

At dusk, a scout reported that the barbarian rebels had set up camp east of Shancheng and were marching in with four or five thousand troops, displaying the banners of Da Lun and Da Shang. Li Yuanzhong smiled at Li Ji and said, "Although no one recognizes them, they must be some unknown generals. Otherwise, how could they have forced Da Lun and Da Shang to come out?"

Li Ji immediately puffed out his chest and volunteered, saying, "As dusk approaches, if the barbarian bandits dare to attack under cover of night, I humbly request to lead the cavalry to outflank them, break through the encirclement, and directly behead Ma Chongying. Then the crisis in Longyou will surely be resolved!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanzhong immediately raised his eyebrows and rebuked, "Step back! How dare you speak such nonsense!"

/♂

Chapter Twelve, The Ape's Ability to Speak

Li Ji, having had his fill of the "decapitation operation," wanted to launch a surprise attack on the front line with 5,000 barbarian troops to assassinate Ma Chongying, but was instead met with a stern rebuke from Li Yuanzhong.

But after yelling, Li Yuanzhong realized his attitude was wrong—this man was, after all, a trusted confidant of the military commander; he could only be won over, not treated like a subordinate, shouting and scolding him. So he quickly softened his tone and tried to reason with Li Ji:

"When I was young, I was just as brave as you, only wanting to take the head of the general in the midst of a thousand troops. Only when I grew older did I understand the principle that 'those who are good at swimming drown, and those who are good at riding fall.' If the bravery of a single general could crush the enemy and break through their defenses, then the barbarian bandits would have been wiped out long ago. In the past, General Geshu was able to fight a fierce tiger. Who among the barbarians could match him? Moreover, with the bravery of Li Sikong (Li Guangbi), he could have fought Shi Siming one-on-one on the battlefield and determined who would rule the country... no, determined whether the rebellion in Guandong could be quelled."

"Your two victories in slaying enemy generals were undoubtedly due to your unparalleled skill in mounted combat, but it was also because the enemy forces were few in number, the attack was sudden, and the generals' personal guards were not very tight, which allowed you to succeed by sheer luck. Speaking of mounted combat, you often praise Nan Ba, but with Nan Ba's bravery, how did he nearly perish in Suiyang? Now that Ma Chongying has arrived, as a high-ranking official of Tibet, he will surely be heavily guarded. How easy is it to get close enough to him and behead him? Moreover, the scouts just reported that the enemy's formation is very well-organized..."

"In the past, Guan Yu, a valiant warrior, was able to slay Yan Liang amidst ten thousand troops, but we have never heard of him beheading Yuan Shao!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Actually, Yuan Shao almost got beheaded in the Battle of Jieqiao; and Sun Shiwan, who was forced up a hill by Zhang Liao, was just one step away from dying like his father and brother..." Of course, he also understood that Li Yuanzhong's advice was very reasonable. Taking risks is one thing, but not a third time, and "decapitation operations" are not always successful.

Previously, when facing the enemy formation, he would spot weaknesses and act almost instinctively, spurring his horse to chase down the enemy general – a move that had a certain element of chance. Now, without even seeing the enemy's formation, merely hearing the name "Ma Chongying" and immediately proposing a direct charge is far too reckless and foolish. If they wait until the battle is in full swing, and Ma Chongying's figure is exposed, creating an opportunity, even if he doesn't volunteer, wouldn't Li Yuanzhong order a surprise attack?

Judging from his acceptance of his own defensive strategy and his decision to advance and set up an ambush, it's clear that General Li was actually quite reckless.

I've been reckless enough these past few years. Even though Li Bi reminded me, and I've repeatedly warned myself not to act first and think later—being able to adapt to changing circumstances is one thing, but making it a routine and acting solely on instinct is another—how come I've fallen back into my old ways? The battle hasn't even officially started yet, and I'm already thinking about killing the enemy commander. Even if it's not courting death, it's still wishful thinking.

So he quickly bowed and apologized to Li Yuanzhong, saying, "This humble general is foolish and ignorant, and the general's teachings are correct—I will obey the general's orders completely."

Li Yuanzhong smiled and said, "It's good that you're willing to obey orders. Lead a hundred cavalrymen out of the camp to scout the enemy's formation. If they attack, do not linger in battle; retreat immediately and report back to me." He paused, still not entirely at ease, and added, "Finding prey is naturally a cause for celebration, but if you see a pack of tigers and leopards and still refuse to retreat, you are a fool, not a warrior. Remember this, remember this!"

Li Ji obeyed the order and led his troops to scout the enemy's formation. Naturally, Tibetan scouts also rushed out to drive them away. The two sides exchanged a volley of arrows, and seeing no opening, Li Ji retreated back to his camp. He reported to Li Yuanzhong, "The enemy has set up their formation three li away from us; it seems they dare not attack tonight."

Li Yuanzhong asked, "How many men are there? Is the camp completely intact?"

Li Ji reported back: "About four or five thousand, mostly cavalry; the camp is not yet fully built, but it seems to be very carefully constructed."

Li Yuanzhong nodded: "If not for that, Ma Chongying wouldn't be considered a famous general among the barbarians." He then sighed: "If I had the chance, I would also like to take his head. Then the barbarians would be thrown into chaos, and they wouldn't dare to harass the border for three to five years..."

He turned his head to the side and instructed Li Ji again: "Do not go out without my order!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "I was just confused for a moment and said something too much, and you keep nagging me... Am I really that unreliable to you?" He could only retreat meekly.

Nothing was said that night. The next morning, Ma Chongying and Shang Xidongzan, surrounded by soldiers, went out of the camp to see the Tang fortress. Looking into the distance, they saw that south of the Huangshui River, the camp stretched for several miles, with flags fluttering and smoke rising from the chimneys... Shang Xidongzan couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "It seems to number no less than ten thousand... We should retreat for now."

Ma Chongying shook his head and smiled slightly, "This is a feint."

He then explained that if the Tang army numbered in the tens of thousands, there was no need to leave so many men to garrison Xiaoxia. The main force could advance into Shancheng to assist in the defense, or set up a pincer movement around the city. Moreover, the enemy's fortifications were already complete, and our army had only just arrived. Last night, we couldn't estimate the enemy's numbers, but the Tang people were mostly aware of our army's strength, yet they dared not attack…

This means their numbers are definitely fewer than our five thousand cavalry.

Upon hearing this, Shang Xidongzan's courage grew, and he said, "In that case, we can send more soldiers from below the city to take Xiaoxia first."

Even if it's just a bluff, the camp is so large, there can't possibly only be a few hundred men, right? If there were only a few hundred, they would definitely be staying at the east entrance of the gorge. Even the bravest warriors wouldn't dare to come to the west entrance to defend it.

Besides, with only a few hundred men, it's difficult to support Shancheng. Why would you deliberately put yourself in a deadly situation?

If the Tang army has a thousand men and is defending their fortified position, even though we have five times that number, most of them are cavalry, so it may not be easy to break through. It would be safer to add some infantry and then directly attack their fortified position.

Ma Chongying replied, “My five thousand cavalry are enough to stop the Tang people and prevent them from reinforcing Shancheng. We can set up an camp here to keep watch. Why bother attacking? If we take Shancheng, the enemy here will naturally retreat.”

Shang Xidongzan held the opposite opinion: "If we can defeat the enemy at Xiaoxia and completely cut off Shancheng's retreat, Guo Xin may have no choice but to surrender."

Ma Chongying said, "I think Guo Xin is very determined to defend the city. Even if his retreat is cut off, he may not be willing to surrender... If we send reinforcements to attack Xiaoxia first, the siege will be weakened, and Guo Xin may take advantage of the situation..."

Shang Xidong shook his head again: "I have already surrounded the area. Guo Xin can only hold the position. How dare he go out to fight? My army has more than 70,000 men. Even if we send 10,000 to attack Xiaoxia, our forces at the four gates will still be stronger than Guo Xin's. What is there to be afraid of?" He pointed forward with his whip: "Moreover, at this moment, the Tang army may only have a few thousand men. Who knows if Shanzhou will send reinforcements one after another? It is probably not very reliable to only send 5,000 troops to monitor them."

Upon hearing this, Ma Chongying couldn't help but feel a little tempted.

According to intelligence gathered by spies, the Tang army in the entire Longyou region currently numbers no more than 30,000. Even if they were all gathered in Shancheng, he was confident of victory—at worst, he could just send reinforcements from the plateau. Moreover, this would leave the other prefectures vulnerable, allowing the Tibetans to explore other avenues of attack and giving them more leeway in their military operations.

The reason why out of a total of 30,000 troops, less than 10,000 were deployed to Shanzhou and its surrounding areas was twofold: firstly, they needed to be stationed in various cities, and secondly, they feared that if they suffered a defeat, they would have no strength left to defend Shanzhou. Therefore, Ma Chongying estimated that the Xiaoxia troops currently supporting Shanzhou numbered at most 4,000.

However, the Tang people's indomitable spirit greatly exceeded his expectations—he couldn't judge them by last year's standards; a new commander would inevitably bring a fresh perspective—and judging from Shancheng's strong defenses and Guo Xin's unwavering resolve, he estimated that a single battle was unlikely. If the conflict dragged on, who knew if Li Tan wouldn't hastily recruit troops, or seek reinforcements from other prefectures or even other routes, gradually piling up at Xiaoxia?

If Ma Chongying were confident that he could take Shancheng within a month, then he could temporarily ignore the troops in Xiaoxia and send only 5,000 cavalry to monitor and block them. That would be enough. The problem is that he is not confident now... so perhaps Xi Dongzan's plan is the right way?

Just as they were hesitating, the Tang wall suddenly opened, and a hundred horsemen charged out like lightning.

This must be Li Ji!

----------

Li Ji did not act without orders. Seeing that a barbarian general had come to inspect the camp, he ran to Li Yuanzhong and asked, "This humble general is going out of the camp..."

Li Yuanzhong was in a real bind. All his spittle and breath last night had been wasted! He should have just sent him back to Shanzhou! Just as he was about to reprimand him, Li Ji added with a smile, "General, please don't misunderstand. This humble general didn't intend to take Ma Chongying's head..."

He then pointed into the distance and said, "I reckon the one who went forward must be Ma Chongying, but he is surrounded by elite armored cavalry. Even if all my cavalry were to go out, we might not be able to break through the encirclement. Moreover, if he sees that the situation is not good, he can retreat to the barbarian camp at any time. How can we have the opportunity to behead him?"

Li Yuanzhong asked, "If that's the case, why are you going out?"

Li Ji asked seriously, "General, do you intend for the barbarian bandits to attack Xiaoxia, or do you intend to leave only a few thousand cavalry to monitor and block me, while the main force attacks Shancheng?"

Li Yuanzhong answered without hesitation: "Of course we hope they will come to attack Xiaoxia."

While Xiaoxia is indeed outnumbered and lacks any fortified cities, making it more vulnerable to fall than Shancheng, what's the point of staying at the western entrance of Xiaoxia if Shancheng falls? If we can tie down a sufficient number of barbarian troops on the Xiaoxia battlefield, the pressure on Shancheng will be alleviated, and Guo Xin's promise to defend the city for three months will likely be fulfilled.

Moreover, Li Yuanzhong understands Guo Xin. Once the barbarian army diverts troops to attack Xiaoxia, creating an opening, General Guo will surely seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack. However, if the situation is reversed—the main barbarian force besieges the city, sending only a few thousand soldiers to block the western entrance of Xiaoxia—then our cavalry is too few, making defense more advantageous than offense. We truly lack the ability to break through head-on or outflank the enemy to support Shancheng…

So Li Ji's question can be understood from another angle as follows: Are you willing to be strong and make General Guo weak, or even willing to die first to leave a way out for General Guo and the soldiers and civilians of Shancheng, or is it the exact opposite?

If someone else had been guarding Shancheng, Li Yuanzhong's answer might have been different; but he and Guo Xin had fought side by side for many years and were close friends, so his answer would definitely be: "If my death can save Brother Guo's life, then I'd rather die!"

Furthermore, the main target of the Tibetans is still Shancheng. They can't possibly leave the city empty and let them all rush to Xiaoxia. If that were the case, Guo Xin would dare to cut off their rear and attack Lhasa in one fell swoop! It's hard to say how many Tibetan troops we can tie down here, and we may not necessarily face certain death.

Upon hearing Li Yuanzhong's reply, Li Ji smiled and said, "In that case, I request permission to leave the ramparts and go—to stir up trouble."

After receiving Li Yuanzhong's approval, Li Ji led a hundred cavalrymen out of the camp and rode straight to within two arrow-lengths of the Tibetan army before stopping. The Tibetan army was on high alert and ready for battle—if the Tang army came in large numbers, they would have to quickly escort Da Lun and Da Shang back to camp. Since the number of Tang soldiers was so small, although there was nothing to fear, they were afraid of some trickery. It was better not to engage in battle for the time being and to observe the situation.

A Tang soldier appeared at the forefront, his general holding a long spear high in his right hand, the tip of which bore a human head. As he drew nearer, the general finally reined in his horse and shouted, "Yesterday I killed a barbarian bandit, but I don't know his name, so I can't report my victory. Does anyone here recognize him? Come and identify him, what his name is, what his rank is!"

The barbarians were all astonished—this guy has such a loud voice! Ma Chongying understood Tang language, so he immediately relayed it to Shang Xidongzan and ordered a general to go forward and "go see whose head it is, and whether you can recognize it."

The general, holding his weapon and on high alert, slowly rode closer. A quick glance from afar caused his face to turn pale. He then turned back and reported, "It's Qiangba Luobu!"

Hearing the Tang general shout again, "Judging from this situation, you must recognize him. This thief looks like one of your plateau warriors, yet he can't even last a round before my horse—well, he's rough-skinned and red-faced, a wild man like an ape, only able to roam the plateau, supporting an ape king and calling himself some kind of Zanpu; when he was hungry, he came down the mountain, and when he saw me, a Chinese, he could only stick out his buttocks and expose his neck, waiting for me to chop him down! Yesterday I killed no less than a hundred apes, it was so easy, so pleasant!"

Shang Xidong, having received a translator's reply—which Ma Chongying refused to relay—was so enraged that his three spirits leaped wildly, his beard bristling. He slapped the saddle and shouted, "You scoundrel! You've gone too far!" He pointed and demanded, "Who will kill this scoundrel and avenge Qiangba Luobu!"

Ma Chongying hurriedly stopped him, saying, "Wait! Since this scoundrel dared to come and hurl us such insults, he must have some skill. If we lose another general because of this, it will only dampen our morale..." After all, Qiangba Luobu was no weakling. Yesterday, he heard from the defeated soldiers that although they were attacked almost without warning, they probably didn't even use a tenth of their full strength, and they were indeed knocked down with a single spear thrust. Do we have any soldiers among our ranks who are significantly stronger than Qiangba Luobu? No, we don't think so...

"Why bother with a mere commoner who only knows how to talk big?"

Shang Xidong thought to himself, "You don't care? Qiangba Luobu isn't one of your men..." Still feeling indignant, one of his generals pleaded, "This scoundrel is spouting nonsense and has deeply insulted our country. How can we ignore him? I know a little about Tang language and am willing to go forward and, with just a few words, make him retreat in shame."

Upon hearing this, Shang Xidongzan exclaimed, "That's great!" and immediately ordered, "Go and drive that Tang traitor away... If you can make him feel ashamed and voluntarily return Qiangba Luobu's head, that would be the best, and you will be credited with the greatest merit."

The Tibetan general stepped forward as ordered—he had no choice, his voice wasn't loud enough, so he needed to be closer for both sides to hear him clearly—pointing his halberd at Li Ji, he roared, "You ignorant rat, how dare you compare my Zanpu to a beast! Yet your Tang dynasty has twice married princesses to my Zanpu, does that mean the Tang emperor is also a beast?!"

Li Ji curled his lip: "Oh ho, so she can speak human language. Too bad, 'Apes can talk, but they're still beasts.'" Then he said seriously: "The country is just choosing two distant relatives to raise beasts. You actually took it seriously... The one who married into the Uyghurs is the real princess. The previous ones were all fakes. What's there to be happy about?"

He silently prayed: I'm sorry to those two. Now that our motherland is in trouble, you must understand that you have suffered some verbal abuse.

His words drifted far to the west, and Ma Chongying, upon hearing that he dared to insult Princess Jincheng, was enraged. He spurred his horse forward...

/♂

Chapter Thirteen, Foul Language