Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

When Li Tan heard that Jia Huai had brought Li Ji back, he hurriedly ordered him to be summoned. Li Ji immediately said, "I didn't expect Your Highness to come to Xiaoxia as well."

Li Tan smiled and explained, "I've come to supervise the farmers' wheat harvest; this is something Yang Gongnan has been thinking about." He paused, then continued, "This year the weather is alright. Although it's been overcast for days, it hasn't rained, so the harvest should be successful. But if the sun doesn't come out for a few more days, the grain won't be able to be dried, and we'll have to steam it whole, husk and all, to use as military rations..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "That must be so gritty... Luckily, someone at my level shouldn't have to eat that stuff unless absolutely necessary."

So, without waiting for Li Tan to ask, he gave a detailed report on the battle in Xiaxi. However, he did not exaggerate his own bravery in climbing the ramparts and forcing back the barbarian bandits. He was a little embarrassed to praise himself, and besides, he figured that Li Yuanzhong had already written it all down in the battle report, so there was no need to boast about his achievements in person.

Li Tan nodded and said, "I know that you, Changwei, have made great contributions in this battle..." But he immediately reminded him, "You must not be arrogant because of your merits. To personally wield a sword and spear and charge into battle to kill the enemy is the work of a common man. I hope that in the future you will be able to command thousands of troops and defeat the enemy with ease, so as not to fail as the younger brother of Master Changyuan."

Li Ji bowed respectfully to receive the instruction, and then hurriedly asked, "General Li submitted a report the other day requesting additional troops and generals. I wonder if Your Highness has granted this request?"

Li Tan frowned slightly: "Unfortunately, the troops in Shanzhou are almost all gone..."

When Li Ji left, there were still over six thousand soldiers in Shanzhou, which wasn't a small number. Furthermore, Li Tan had recently ordered the recruitment of new soldiers and had also transferred troops from Jincheng, Guangwu, and Didao in the rear, bringing the city's strength to over ten thousand. However, aside from the five hundred Shence Army soldiers who served as his personal guards, the rest were either new recruits or old and weak, inevitably reducing their combat effectiveness.

Therefore, although Li Tan secretly resolved to gamble everything, he did not dare to send reinforcements to the front lines immediately, hoping to train the new recruits for another ten days or half a month before making a decision. In addition to supervising the farmers' harvest, his purpose in coming to Xiaoxia was also to personally train the soldiers.

Li Ji advised Li Tan, "The situation at the front is constantly changing. We must advance when necessary to seize the opportunity. The barbarian army at the western entrance of Xiaoxia is now terrified and dares not attack. With just one or two thousand more troops, General Li is confident that we can completely defeat them. If the enemy collapses, we can advance to support Shancheng. If the barbarian rebels divide their forces to defend, Shancheng will become impregnable. If we delay for several days, even if Shancheng is not lost, the rebels will reinforce Xiaoxia. In that case, we can only defend, and the choice of advance or retreat will be entirely in the enemy's hands..."

Li Tan pondered for a long time before asking, "Is it possible to reverse the tide of battle at Xiaoxia with only a thousand soldiers?"

Li Ji hesitated for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "I'm afraid we'll need a thousand Shence Army soldiers..."

Li Yuanzhong estimated that with another three thousand men, he would have a chance of winning against Qilibuzang. Li Ji was worried that this number would frighten Li Tan, so he lowered his expectations and only said one or two thousand. Unexpectedly, Li Tan insisted on confirming his statement... Li Ji almost raised his hand to slap himself. I should have just told the truth. Why did you have to play such petty tricks?

Li Tan curled his lip: "Of the thousand divine strategies, I've already given you five hundred. How can I possibly have enough by my side?"

Li Ji blushed and said, "If it's new recruits, I'm afraid we'll need three thousand..."

Li Tan sneered, "Do you think I'm going to hand over all three thousand soldiers to you and return to Shanzhou alone?"

He had originally intended to retort to Li Ji, but Li Ji replied without hesitation, "If we can defeat the enemy, does Your Highness, alone, dare to invite any invaders? If we cannot defeat the enemy, what are the chances of victory for Your Highness in defending Shanzhou?"

Don't think you're so great just because you served as a military strategist for a few days. Do you have enough experience in commanding troops in battle, breaking through enemy lines, and defending fortified positions? If Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong both fall, are you confident you can hold Xiaoxia and Shanzhou on your own? What's the use of keeping troops around you?

The key issue is the complex terrain and narrow roads. Are they really not afraid that the Tibetan army will launch a large-scale flanking maneuver to launch a surprise attack on Shanzhou? Therefore, in Li Ji's opinion, it wouldn't matter if Shanzhou were left undefended.

Li Tan was furious and shouted, "If you can defeat the enemy, that would be good. But if you can't, and the enemy crosses the small gorge and heads towards Shanzhou, I will have no soldiers by my side—are you trying to kill me?!"

Li Ji retorted, "I once saved Your Highness, how could I possibly harm Your Highness!"

Upon hearing this, Li Tan became even angrier.

Li Ji once told Li Shi, "I have been kind to you, but you don't need to constantly mention it, otherwise it will seem as if I owe you something—this is the saying, 'A small favor is appreciated, but a large favor breeds resentment.' Conversely, if Li Ji frequently brought up past favors, Li Shi would certainly feel even more uncomfortable." Li Tan was similar; when nothing happened and he was calm, he would naturally appreciate Li Ji's kindness, even saying things like, "My life was saved by him, and I will repay him with my life someday." However, if their opinions clashed, and Li Ji brought up the life-saving favor again, Li Tan was more likely to become angry and resentful.

What do you mean? Are you trying to blackmail me? You saved me back then just to repay a debt of gratitude, and now, after only a few days, you're already planning to get your revenge?!

However, with many guards and Jia Huai around, and under their watchful eyes, Li Tan couldn't very well openly confront Li Ji and berate him—that would make him seem so uncultured. Therefore, the anger that flashed in his eyes quickly disappeared, and he flicked his sleeve: "The guards have been fighting for a long time and are tired. Go and rest."

As he spoke, he stood up, ready to leave. Li Ji panicked—he knew that he had spoken rashly and that what he said was inappropriate. He was afraid that Li Tan, in a fit of anger, would not only refuse to send reinforcements to the west entrance of Xiaoxia, but might even keep him there—so he quickly darted forward and grabbed Li Tan's sleeve.

Li Tan frowned and stared wide-eyed, saying, "What do you mean, Changwei? You once kidnapped Xu Shuji to save Suiyang, are you going to use the same trick again?!"

Li Ji immediately knelt heavily on the ground with a "thud," raised his head, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I am guilty and have offended you. Please, Your Majesty, hear me out one more time."

"you say!"

"Your Highness is of noble birth and should reside peacefully in the capital. There is no need for you to come to the western frontier to brave arrows and stones. Your presence here relieves the worries of your father and brothers, protects the common people from danger, and safeguards the nation. Thus, you are worthy of being a descendant of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong. Since ancient times, war has been fraught with peril, and there is no situation where victory is assured. However, if Your Highness suffers a defeat, you can still return to Chang'an and live a carefree life as a prince. Why would your life be in danger? If you can win this battle, naturally the soldiers will be loyal, the people will praise you, your fame will resound throughout the world, and your name will be etched in history!"

"With such a retreat, there are no worries about the rear; advancing may even lead to success. Wouldn't Your Highness be willing? Ji's words are certainly for the sake of the soldiers and the country, but in fact, they are also for Your Highness's sake. I earnestly hope that Your Highness will not let this excellent opportunity slip away because of my crudeness and rudeness. Opportunities are fleeting and will not come again—Your Highness, please think it over!"

Chapter Nineteen, Dark Clouds Gather

The Huangshui River Valley is a long and narrow basin carved out by the Huangshui River through the mountains. Among them, the Xiaoxia, Daxia and Laoyaxia are the most precipitous, with narrow roads along the banks that make it difficult for large armies to pass.

Taking Xiaoxia Gorge as an example, at its eastern entrance, the Huangshui River makes a significant bend, fragmenting the basin and causing it to overflow and nourish the land, making the nearby fields extremely fertile. At its western entrance, for more than thirty li to Shancheng, the south bank is wide while the north bank is narrow. Most of the fields and villages are on the south bank, but because the north bank is shorter, it has been transformed into a much wider road over the centuries.

In other words, the main road is north of the Huangshui River, but there are only narrow paths to the south. Even in the narrow gorges, the northern road is barely passable by carriages and horses, while in many places on the southern road, only one person can pass sideways.

Because the south bank is relatively wider after exiting the gorge, making it easier to set up camp, Li Ji focused his defenses on the south side of the Huangshui River, while the north side appeared undefended. Of course, Qilibuzang didn't think the Tang people would be so foolish as to deliberately leave the northern route open to allow the Tibetan army to find an opening and advance eastward.

However, his assault south of the Huangshui River failed, forcing him to retreat. The main camp couldn't send reinforcements for the time being. For several days, the Tang traitor Li Erlang frequently led his cavalry out to hurl insults and challenge them, his foul language incessant. Before the fierce battle, such humiliation would have been enough to ignite the Tibetan soldiers' fighting spirit, but after their defeat, everyone feared Li Erlang. The harsher the insults, the lower their morale plummeted…

Qilibuzang had no choice but to send out fresh cavalry to drive away the Tang cavalry. However, Li Erlang was not only brave but also cunning, and his cavalry were all elite. They moved like the wind, making it impossible for the barbarian cavalry to catch up. He would either fight back with powerful arrows or charge into the enemy lines with his spear and then escape, killing one or two barbarian cavalrymen each day. Although the number of casualties was small, they were ultimately outnumbered and unable to kill the enemy. A single misstep could lead to their own death, causing the morale of the barbarian cavalry to decline day by day.

Qilibuzang worried that not only would it be difficult to hold out for long, but if the Tang army received reinforcements and turned the defense into an offense, the possibility of defeat would increase day by day given the current state of his army.

Left with no other choice, they turned their attention to the northern route as if by sheer luck.

On the very day that Li Ji returned to the east of the gorge, Qilibuzang dispatched three hundred cavalrymen to cross the Huangshui River from a place out of sight of the Tang army—a place five miles west of the gorge, where the river was wide, shallow and slow-flowing, and there was also a small island in the middle of the Huangshui River—and then circled eastward to launch a surprise attack on the gorge.

—Perhaps the Tang army made a mistake and didn't deploy too many troops in the northern route. If our army can break through smoothly and outflank them, we have no fear of defeating the Tang army.

Li Ji indeed didn't leave many soldiers on the northern route, only fifty men per unit. This wasn't due to his confusion or negligence—after all, this arrangement had been approved by Li Yuanzhong—but rather because the roads within the gorge were narrow, and leaving more men wouldn't have been of much use. Thus, the barbarian cavalry successfully broke into the gorge, but after traveling only a short distance, they could only pass one horse at a time, forming a long, snaking line, before being met with a barrage of crossbow fire from the Tang army…

The Tang army piled up stones along the road, and the archers were arranged in tiers according to their range. In one volley, the first three barbarian cavalrymen and their horses were riddled with arrows. The barbarian cavalry immediately fell into chaos. The former retreated hastily, while the latter, not knowing what was happening, still tried to follow. In the blink of an eye, four more corpses lay on the ground.

Forced to report back to Qilibuzang, he said that the northern route was impassable unless they used ten times the number of infantrymen, each carrying large shields, to try and cross. But how could Qilibuzang dare to send five or six hundred infantrymen, whose morale was extremely low and difficult to recover, to attack the northern route? He was afraid that as soon as he divided his forces, the Tang army would break through the fortifications and attack from the front.

Moreover, unless we break through the Tang forces in the north in one go, if we delay for another two or three quarters of an hour, who knows if the Tang people will send reinforcements?

They could only temporarily abandon their delusions and send out only a hundred infantrymen to the northern exit to set up camp and build fortifications to prevent the Tang people from making their way out.

He sent men back to the main camp almost daily to urge reinforcements, but the result was always the same: "Wait a few more days." The siege of Shancheng was at a critical juncture. The Tibetans had concentrated their elite troops on the west side of the city, launching daily attacks. They had finally made greater progress than on the first day; most of the moat in front of the city had been filled in, and the west gate had been burned down. The Tang army could only block it with bricks, stones, and carts. They even managed to climb the city walls twice, though they were quickly driven down, and those who fell were almost certainly killed. This showed that with sufficient troops and proper command, Shancheng was not invincible.

At this critical juncture, not only did Shang Zanmo not approve of attacking Xiaoxia in the first place, but even if he changed his mind, Ma Chongying and Shang Xidongzan would not be willing to divide their troops to aid Qilibuzang.

Qilibuzang had no other choice but to defend the camp strictly and patrol the camp every day to encourage the soldiers, hoping to boost their morale.

For the next two days, the Tang cavalry stopped coming out to shout and harass them, and Qilibuzang already had a bad feeling. Two days later, at dawn, before the drums of war had even sounded in the army, he woke up automatically due to a long-standing habit. He wrapped himself in his robes and stepped out of his tent, when suddenly he felt the ground beneath his feet tremble slightly…

Qilibuzang sensed something was wrong and was about to go to the camp gate to check when a guard ran up to report: "The Tang people have come out of the camp and formed ranks!"

Qilibuzang was taken aback—could it be that the enemy had received reinforcements? He hurriedly ordered the drums and horns to be beaten and all the soldiers to be mobilized in advance. The infantry did not need to leave the camp, but only needed to stay at their posts. The cavalry were to quickly form ranks so that they could flank the Tang soldiers who were about to attack from the left and right.

While the Tibetan army was hastily preparing, the Tang army had already completed its formation, with infantry in the center and cavalry on the left and right, slowly pressing forward.

According to common sense in warfare, if the Tibetans were capable of fighting, they should have deployed their troops and formed ranks; if they were unwilling to fight, even if they had strictly defended their trenches, fortifications, and palisades, they could have sent their cavalry out first to slow the enemy's advance and attempt to disrupt their formation. Unfortunately, battles usually took place at dawn, but today the Tang army rose early in the dark and launched their attack before daybreak. As a result, most of the Tibetan cavalry had only just donned their armor and mounted their saddles and were unable to organize themselves before the Tang army approached.

Then we can only adopt a purely defensive posture for now, and wait until the Tang army is exhausted before sending out the cavalry.

Qilibuzang had barely donned his armor when the Tang army was already within range of the Tibetan camp. At the sound of a drum, both infantry and cavalry suddenly accelerated, and both sides unleashed a rapid barrage of arrows. After only three rounds, they clashed.

These past few days, the barbarian army had stopped attacking the Tang fortress and had devoted considerable effort to fortifying their own camp. The camp was fortified with layers of deer antlers, trenches, and earthen ramparts—though not as high as the Tang fortresses—as well as palisades. However, Li Ji, who frequently led cavalry to harass them, had seen all these preparations. Therefore, this time, he was well-prepared and quickly moved the deer antlers, crossed the trenches, and reached the ramparts and palisades.

As a result, the main method of fighting was archery, but the fighting turned into sword and spear combat.

The key point is that when the Tang army charged forward, they all shouted the name "Li Erlang", which caused many of the Tibetan soldiers who were already terrified to become weak-kneed and their fighting power to drop sharply. However, when Qilibuzang mounted his horse and looked around, he could not see the figure of "Li Erlang" anywhere. Where was he hiding?

If Li Ji were to appear in person on the battlefield, the morale of the barbarian army would likely plummet, but at the same time, Qilibuzang felt a sense of unease. His inability to find Li Ji anywhere made him uneasy, suspecting the enemy was plotting something.

That guy wouldn't suddenly appear out of nowhere I can't predict, and come straight for me, trying to make me the next Qiangba Luobu, would he?!

Just as I was filled with fear, I suddenly received a message: "A Tang army broke through the northern route, trampled our camp, and is heading east!"

Upon hearing this, Qilibuzang was terrified—"This must be Li Erlang, trying to cut off my escape route!"

----------

On that day, Li Ji knelt down, clutching Li Tan's sleeve, earnestly pleading with him. He didn't expect to change Li Tan's mind with just a few words; he only hoped to offset his previous boasts and make Li Tan calmly listen to his analysis of the battle situation.

Unexpectedly, when Li Tan heard him say the words "the soldiers are won over, the people praise him, his fame resounds throughout the world, and his name will be remembered in history," his body trembled slightly, and then his expression gradually softened. After Li Ji finished speaking, Li Tan turned around, stretched out his arms to help him up, and then waved his hand to signal the bystanders to leave the tent.

Once they were alone in the military tent, Li Tan pulled Li Ji to sit down behind the desk, then patted Li Ji's thigh, leaned closer, and whispered, "There is something I cannot hide from you, Chief Guard."

"Please enlighten me, Your Highness."

Li Tan's expression was solemn as he slowly said, "We have just received a secret report—Shi Siming has rebelled again!"

After fleeing Luoyang, An Qingxu hurriedly crossed the Yellow River northward and entered Xiangzhou—also known as Yecheng, a famous city since the Han and Wei dynasties. Rebel armies from all directions gradually joined him, and he gained more than 60,000 men, which calmed his mind somewhat. However, Shi Siming, who was left to guard Fanyang, refused to send troops to help him and even refused to send a single envoy. This made An Qingxu suspect that he had ulterior motives. He ordered Ashina Chengqing, An Shouzhong, and Li Lijie to lead 5,000 cavalrymen northward under the pretense of conscripting soldiers, but in reality, they were assessing the situation and looking for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

Shi Siming personally led tens of thousands of troops to welcome them, feigning a banquet in their honor. During the banquet, he used a wine cup as a signal to capture three generals and disperse their troops. Immediately afterwards, he presented a letter of surrender to the Tang court, expressing his willingness to offer up his thirteen prefectures and thirteen thousand soldiers to assist the Tang in conquering Yan.

Just before Li Bi left, he proposed to persuade Shi Siming to surrender in order to cut off An Qingxu's arm. Li Heng was overjoyed when he received the letter and immediately approved it. He also conferred the title of Prince of Guiyi on Shi Siming and appointed him as the military governor of Fanyang.

After receiving his title, Shi Siming immediately executed An Shouzhong and Li Lijie, presenting their heads to Chang'an—only Ashina Chengqing, an old friend of his, was spared. He then mustered his troops and marched south, spreading the Tang court's decree everywhere, and successively persuaded many cities to surrender, except for Xiangzhou, which remained under An Qingxu's control.

The Tang court therefore issued another imperial edict, bestowing upon Shi Siming the title of Military Governor of Hebei.

However, the proposal to recruit Shi Siming faced considerable opposition within the Tang court from the outset. Zhang Hao secretly submitted a memorial to Li Heng, stating, "Shi Siming is a wicked and treacherous man who usurped the throne through rebellion. His army is strong, and the people will follow; his power will be diminished, and they will desert him. This villain is unpredictable and no different from a beast. He can be captured by cunning, but not by righteousness. I humbly request that you not grant him authority." But Li Heng, eager to quell the rebellion, not only approved the proposal but also granted him the title of military governor of two towns. However, amidst the remonstrances of his ministers, he became suspicious and plotted to seize Shi Siming's military power…

"You can discard someone after they've served their purpose, but you should at least wait until they're no longer useful. An Qingxu hasn't even been pacified yet, what's the rush?!"

So, following Li Guangbi's plan, Wu Chengen was sent north to serve as the deputy military governor of Fanyang. He was instructed to divide and weaken Shi Siming's forces and find an opportunity to kill Shi Siming. Wu Chengen's father, Wu Zhiyi, had been Shi Siming's former superior, and the two were close friends. It was assumed that Shi Siming would not suspect him. However, Shi Siming was cunning by nature, and how could he not be wary? He saw through Wu Chengen's scheme and executed Wu Chengen and his son, along with more than two hundred of their followers—including Ashina Chengqing, who had been inadvertently implicated—and once again raised the banner of rebellion.

Staff officer Geng Renzhi tried to persuade Shi Siming not to change his mind, but Shi Siming, disregarding their more than thirty years of friendship, personally smashed Geng Renzhi's head with a stick...

Li Tan informed Li Ji of this news today, and Li Ji was shocked, blurting out, "If Shi Siming truly has an army of 130,000, I'm afraid Fanyang and Hebei will be difficult to pacify!" Li Tan smiled bitterly, "What's even more worrying is that he might join forces with An Qingxu again, in which case I really don't have a good outlook on the war in Hebei..."

Another important reason why Li Tan was pessimistic about this battle was that Li Heng, having listened to someone's slander, completely abandoned the military campaign and instead ordered Guo Ziyi, the military governor of Shuofang, Li Guangbi, the military governor of Hedong, Wang Sili, the military governor of Guannei, Lu Jiong, the military governor of Huaixi, Xu Shuji, the military governor of Huapu, Zhang Xun, the military governor of Zhengcai, Li Siye, the military governor of Beiting, Cui Guangyuan, the military governor of Weizhou, Ji Guangchen, the military governor of Jingnan, and Dong Qin, the military commissioner of Pinglu, to advance on An Qingxu from different directions.

There were eleven military governors (or military commanders), but no marshal was appointed; only the eunuch Yu Chaoen served as the military supervisor for each region. Theoretically, Guo Ziyi would naturally be the highest-ranking, most senior, and most prestigious, but in the army, he didn't have a clear superior-subordinate relationship with the other nine, so he might not have been able to command them effectively…

Upon hearing the explanation, Li Ji was speechless—he was truly speechless at the emperor's blunder. Then Li Tan slowly said, "I fear the war in Hebei will end in defeat. Even if we don't lose, we certainly won't be able to quell the rebellion next year. With the rebellion unquenched and the Western Army not returning, even if we manage to repel the barbarians this year, they will return next year, and we will ultimately be powerless to stop them..."

Li Ji frowned and asked, "Does Your Highness intend to resign?"

Li Tan shook his head and said, "I made boastful remarks in front of the sage before my journey. If I cannot win, how can I resign and return to Chang'an in less than a year? I still have some shame!"

"Therefore, after much deliberation, only one plan remains..."

"Your Highness, please enlighten me."

Li Tan stared intently at Li Ji, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. He then spoke slowly and deliberately, but without hesitation: "Only by going all out and severely defeating the barbarian bandits can we secure Longyou and prevent them from launching another full-scale invasion! As Changwei just said, since I don't have to die, what reason is there not to spend a fortune?"

Given Li Tan's status, it was impossible for him to actually go to the front lines unless he courted death. Even if the army was defeated, or even if the entire Longyou region fell, he could still safely escape back to Chang'an. Therefore, this gamble of his wasn't about betting his entire fortune or life; he was simply going all in with the money he had in his pocket. Even if he lost it all, he would still return home in luxury. At most, his family would refuse to let him gamble again.

The problem is, even if we win this bet, we might not have the chance to go to a casino again in the future—so what's there to be afraid of?!

/♂

Chapter Twenty: Loyal Souls Protect the Nation

In fact, Li Tan had long harbored a gambler's mentality, so he secretly discussed with Li Ji how to deal a heavy blow to the barbarian bandits.

—It's not that I'm unwilling to send reinforcements to the front lines, but I'm afraid the troops are not very skilled and it would be of no use to send them. Changwei, do you have any brilliant ideas for me?

After repeated discussions, Li Tan selected two thousand infantrymen under his command to secretly cross the small gorge from the south to reinforce Li Yuanzhong. Li Ji, on the other hand, led the remaining five hundred Shence soldiers, equipped with warhorses, and set off from the north under cover of night—leaving only five hundred men to guard Li Tan and remain in the east of the gorge to await reports from the front.