Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

But now, as the thousands march west, poised to attack the city, they suddenly hear an alarm behind them, causing them to panic and hesitate. Meanwhile, several thousand others rush eastward to wipe out no more than a hundred Tang cavalrymen... How many elite soldiers are left in that camp? Such a golden opportunity, how can we not seize it?

Guo Xin immediately ordered: "Open all the hidden doors, send out all the cavalry, and launch a surprise attack on the barbarian stronghold!"

At the sound of drums from the city walls, eight or nine hundred Tang cavalrymen emerged from several hidden gates in single file. In the blink of an eye, they scattered the thousand or so Tibetan soldiers who were still hesitating about whether to continue their siege preparations, and then marched straight towards the Tibetan camp. The Tibetan cavalry and infantry who were charging toward Li Ji heard the alarm from the main camp and all looked back. Some hurriedly turned back, while others hesitated, and chaos ensued.

Ultimately, they were all driven by greed for Ma Chongying's generous reward and were instigated by Qilibuzang to fight. But protecting the camp was their most basic duty. Even if they went forward and took "Li Erlang's" head, if the camp was lost, could their merits and demerits offset each other?

Besides, "Li Erlang" only has one head, and it's not certain that he'll fall into our hands. But if the main camp falls, all the key generals will be executed.

Even the barbarian cavalry, who were locked in battle with Li Ji and his men, began to waver. Li Ji seized the opportunity to kill several men and gather all the Tang cavalry together. He then asked, "Should we retreat or support General Guo and attack the barbarian stronghold?"

His subordinates all said, "We will obey Erlang's orders!"

"You are all exhausted from the long battle, do you still have the strength?"

"If Erlang has the strength, then we have the strength!"

Li Ji couldn't help but burst into laughter. Although his arms were still a little sore and his hips were still aching, it felt as if a surge of heat rose from his dantian and instantly spread throughout his limbs and bones. This feeling was just like when he was lifting weights in his previous life and was feeling great. How could he stop halfway? This was the key point for building muscle, and he should—add more weight! Add more weight!

He leaned slightly forward, pulled a lance from the enemy's corpse, gripped it tightly, and roared, "Li Er of Jingzhao, today I will be the first to enter the enemy's camp!" He raised the lance in his left hand, brandished his sword in his right, and charged straight at the enemy in front of him.

Upon seeing this, the barbarian cavalry were all terrified—they thought that less than a hundred men could charge into our camp? The rumors were indeed true; this Li Erlang was like a god! Without thinking, they immediately led their horses and retreated.

The hundred Tang cavalrymen led by Li Ji automatically formed a wedge shape, that is, an equilateral triangle, with Li Ji at the apex, the tip of the triangle. They not only successfully passed through the Tibetan patrol cavalry, but also directly cut into the thousands of Tibetan soldiers who had just left the camp.

Spears pierced and swords slashed, causing the barbarian bandits to flee in terror. To use a later metaphor, it was like a red-hot knife cutting into butter—it seemed effortless, melting away at the touch. This was mainly because no one had expected the enemy to charge, especially since many had already turned to retreat to their camp, only to be wounded in the back and fall. Behind Li Ji, Tang cavalry, those on either side wielding spears and swords, relentlessly pursued and slaughtered the barbarian troops, while those in the center drew their bows and fired arrows, assisting their commander in clearing obstacles.

However, the enemy army was ultimately numerous, especially in the central area where Li Ji had broken through. The enemy's lines were tens of feet thick, and even if they were all made of wooden stakes, hacking at them one by one would exhaust a rider. Before long, Li Ji's newly acquired mount could no longer withstand the strain. Not only did it slow down, but it also sustained several wounds, blood flowing down its hooves. As for Li Ji, his left-hand lance had long been lost, and he had to forcibly seize an enemy infantry spear. His right-hand saber was riddled with nicks and eventually broke in two with a snap when it clashed with the enemy's weapon.

Li Ji simply abandoned his broken sword, grabbed his spear with both hands, thrust it into the ground, and then, like a wild goose, soared into the air, leaping more than two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) before plunging directly into the barbarian camp—because the camp gate was still open.

He thought to himself, "I've been wanting to try pole vaulting for a long time, and I never thought I'd have the chance after time travel."

The human brain has a limited number of processing threads, especially when fully focused on one thing, often neglecting the surrounding environment and suppressing other emotions. For example, in Li Ji's past life, when he went to the gym, friends would often wink at him with ill intent and ask, "Are you there to look at pretty girls?" Li Ji would immediately retort, "When you're focused on gaining weight and building muscle, how can you have the energy to look at anything else?! Last time a pretty girl came into the internet cafe, weren't you in such a hurry to fight that you didn't even bother to talk to her?"

Therefore, Li Ji fought fiercely for a long time, and at this moment he really couldn't think about life or death. There were only barbarian bandits in front of him, and he only wanted to fight. As long as he had a bit of strength left, he would continue to fight! Hmm, it seems that my endurance has increased dramatically. It lasted much longer than the day he fought in the Imperial Palace in Luoyang.

Perhaps it's because I have not just a little girl behind me, but nearly a hundred comrades!

Li Ji kicked out in mid-air, sending a barbarian general flying before he even landed. After landing, he released his right hand and grabbed the neck of a short barbarian soldier next to him. Weighing him, he simply abandoned his spear, grabbed the man's belt with his left hand, raised him above his head, and then swung the grown man around like a club.

Hmm, the spear and gun I used before weren't heavy enough and didn't feel powerful enough. This thing is much more handy.

He continued to shout wildly, "Li Erlang has already broken through the enemy camp!"

Not only his men following closely behind, but even the Tang cavalry on the other side, upon hearing the shouts, naturally gained even higher morale and fought with greater ferocity. Many even abandoned their horses and fought on foot, breaking through the palisades and rushing into the camp. Guo Xin, seeing this from the city wall, though speechless, still managed to order: "Open the gates! Infantry, follow and charge out!"

The morale of the Tibetan army plummeted beyond its limit. One soldier fled, which quickly triggered a mass exodus of soldiers. Before long, they were completely overwhelmed by the Tang army from both sides and converged in one place.

/♂

Chapter Twenty-Two, Its Melody Resides in Tang Dynasty

The news of the defeat at Xiaoxia and the attack on the eastern part of the city reached Ma Chongying's ears almost simultaneously. He hurriedly ordered troops from the north and south camps to rush to the rescue. However, news soon came that the eastern camp had been breached, and the Tang army, in its pursuit, had scattered the reinforcements, forcing them to retreat to their fortified camps...

Ma Chongying was speechless. The situation was unclear, and he didn't know if the Tang army had received a large amount of reinforcements. Therefore, he dared not attack Shancheng again and was forced to sound the horn to withdraw his troops. He also fortified the western camp of the city and sent more cavalry to scout out the situation.

According to the reports, the Tang army in Xiaoxia did indeed receive reinforcements—however, when Qilibuzang apologized, he deliberately exaggerated the enemy's numbers, saying, "The enemy has no less than 15,000... and possibly even 20,000." The implication was that the enemy had more troops than theirs, so it was normal to suffer a defeat and should not be blamed.

These at least 15,000 Tang soldiers not only launched a surprise attack under cover of night, defeating Qilibuzang after a fierce battle, but "Li Erlang" also led elite cavalry out of the gorge beforehand, ambushing Qilibuzang halfway through, resulting in the near annihilation of his entire army, leaving him to escape alone. Then, riding the momentum of their victory, the Tang army launched a fierce attack on the eastern camp, and Guo Xin also seized the opportunity to break out, creating a coordinated attack from within and without…

Compared to his old rivals Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong, the military reports from all sides mentioned "Li Erlang" far more often—more than the two combined. Ma Chongying couldn't help but grit his teeth in hatred, his eyes blazing with fury.

By the afternoon, the Tibetan army had stabilized its position somewhat, but the Tang army had also captured the eastern camp and was working hard to repair it. In fact, it was mainly the cavalry of Xiaoxia (including Chen Fu's troops) and some civilians that Guo Xin had temporarily transferred from the city. Li Yuanzhong left half of his troops to clean up the battlefield and personally led half of his infantry to come, and they were still on their way.

After this battle, the Tibetan army's morale plummeted, while the defenders were roused and captured a considerable amount of supplies and equipment. The eastern fortress, now under Tang control and interdependent with the city walls, would be extremely difficult for the Tibetan army to retake and restore the siege – certainly not a task that could be accomplished today.

But if we wait until tomorrow, or even the day after, I believe that with the engineering skills of the Tang people, they will be able to build the fortifications even more solidly...

Enraged, Ma Chongying personally killed three defeated generals, but spared Qilibuzang's life—after all, he was his beloved general, and he couldn't bear to lose him—before discussing the matter with Shang Xidongzan and Shang Zanmo. The two Shangs were also at a loss, and Shang Zanmo even took the opportunity to blame Shang Xidongzan, saying, "It's all because you insisted on attacking Xiaoxia..."

Shang Xidong said, "If you had done as I suggested earlier and sent more troops to attack Xiaoxia, we wouldn't be in this situation today!"

Finally, having no other choice, they could only say, "Perhaps we can do as the Grand Master said the other day, send an envoy into the city, and allow Guo Xin to lead the army and civilians to retreat..."

Ma Chongying smiled bitterly and said, "If you had listened to me when we first came, there might have been a chance. Now that we have suffered a setback, I believe Guo Xin will not obey..." He paused and said, "Now there are only three options: one is to retreat here, the second is to station troops and hold out for a long time, and the third is to devote all our strength to attacking the fortress in the east of the city."

No one is willing to retreat. If we focus all our efforts on attacking Donglei, given the current morale, we may not be able to take it. Even if we do, the losses will be heavy, and we won't have the strength to attack the city again. Moreover, if we can't block the small gorge, the Tang people might send reinforcements to break through. Therefore, a prolonged stalemate is not a good strategy.

After all, the Tang territory was vast, more than three times the size of Tibet, and its population was more than twenty times that of Tibet! If the war in the east went smoothly, they might send back a group of Western troops first.

Now, the military governor of Longyou is the son of the Tang emperor. If the son asks for help, the father will most likely give him whatever he can, even if it means scraping the bottom of the pot.

Left with no other option, Ma Chongying finally suggested: "The only solution is to sue for peace, to lull the Tang emperor into a false sense of security and prevent him from sending reinforcements to Longyou..."

It was common for Tibet and Tang to engage in both fighting and negotiation. For example, at the beginning of An Lushan's rebellion, Tibet sent envoys to Chang'an, suing for peace and proposing military assistance in suppressing the rebellion—a request that Li Longji (Emperor Xuanzong) flatly refused. In the first year of the Zhide era, Tibet again sought peace. Li Heng, busy plotting to recapture the two capitals, immediately agreed and ordered his prime ministers Guo Ziyi, Xiao Hua, and Pei Zunqing to swear a blood oath with the envoys. However, before the blood was even dry, Tibetan troops captured the military towns of Shenwei and Dingrong, threatening Shancheng…

Guo Ziyi had advised Li Heng that the barbarian bandits were not to be trusted and that even if peace was made, they would still invade. He suggested that they should take a tougher stance to show that they still had the strength to look westward, but Li Heng did not listen.

Therefore, seeing the difficulty in attacking Shancheng, Ma Chongying once again resorted to his tactic of feigning peace talks. He suggested sending envoys to Chang'an, partly to gather intelligence on the war situation in Guandong, and partly to lull the Tang court into a false sense of security, making Li Heng believe that the barbarian army was already considering retreat and would not be willing to send a large-scale reinforcement to Longyou. Then, during this time, they could force their way into the city, gradually rebuild their strength and morale, and await the opportunity for a decisive battle.

As for the envoy, Qilibuzang was chosen. Ma Chongying ordered him to venture into dangerous territory to atone for his crimes—because the war had progressed to this point, and no one could predict whether the Tang people would kill the envoy.

The following day, Qilibuzang arrived at the city walls and expressed his desire for peace talks. Guo Xin ordered his men to lower a bamboo basket and bring him into the city. When asked his purpose, Qilibuzang said:

"The Tang and Tibetan families originally had a nephew-uncle alliance, but this time the fault actually lies with the Tang."

Guo Xin raised his eyebrows: "It was clearly you who broke the alliance and invaded my land, how can you say that the blame lies with my Tang Dynasty? You are truly turning black into white!"

Qilibuzang smiled and replied, “Tang has three faults: First, it seized my stone fortress without cause and invaded my Western Sea; second, my Zanpu requested military assistance from Tang to suppress the rebellion, but the Tang emperor refused and instead recalled the He troops—how can they favor one over the other? Third, they harbored my traitorous minister, Supixinuoluo…”

Guo Xin flew into a rage and slammed his fist on the table: "Utter nonsense!"

Whether it was attacking Shibao or taking in Xinuoluo, those were all things that happened before the blood oath ceremony in Lingwu during the first year of the Zhide era. Why didn't you mention it then, but bring it up now and say it was our dynasty's fault? As for summoning the Uyghurs for aid instead of the Tibetans... I swear, not asking you for troops is your reason for launching an attack? As the saying goes, "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext!"

However, Guo Xin was too lazy to argue with him, and instead asked, "So what do you intend to do today?"

Qilibuzang said, "My Zanpu, mindful of generations of friendship, hopes to end the war and renew our old alliance. Although Tang has its faults, the Battle of Shibao was originally the work of Geshu Han, who sowed discord between the two rulers. Now that Geshu has already surrendered to the enemy, there is no need to discuss it further..." The main point is that my family has already recaptured Shibao, so this matter ends here.

"...We only hope that the Tang Emperor will return the traitor Xinuoluo and offer some land as compensation, then our army will cease operations immediately."

Guo Xin was furious and immediately ordered, "These barbarian thieves are so rude! Take them out and behead them!"

The guards on both sides rushed forward, bound Qilibuzang, and dragged him out of the hall. Qilibuzang shouted, "In a conflict between two nations, envoys are not to be killed! Even if I were to be killed, it should be by order of the Tang Emperor. How dare you, General, act on your own?!"

Guo Xin thought about it and realized it made sense. Since it was a peace negotiation between two countries, not between two armies, whether or not to agree was not something he could decide unilaterally. Even the military governor couldn't possibly suppress this matter without reporting it to Chang'an. He immediately sneered, ordered Qilibuzang to be brought back, and pointed his halberd, shouting, "Take your head and send it to Shanzhou for the military governor to decide your fate!"

He then released him from his bonds and sent troops to escort him to the east of the city, where he was handed over to Li Yuanzhong. Li Yuanzhong was furious when he heard the purpose of the visit and looked around, saying, "Why didn't Brother Guo kill this scoundrel?" Chen Fu reminded him, "It would be better to report this matter to the commander for a decision."

Li Yuanzhong said, "Alright then—take him to Shanzhou..."

Qilibuzang, having caught his breath, asked, "Your army has a Li Erlang, whose bravery is admirable. I wonder if I may have the honor of meeting him?" He glanced around at Li Yuanzhong, but it seemed there wasn't anyone here who resembled him...

So where did Li Ji go? He was recuperating from his injuries.

Yesterday's fierce battle, though he penetrated deep into enemy territory and won the first merit, left him exhausted and weak. He gritted his teeth and endured until Li Yuanzhong arrived at night. After handing over the military orders, Li Ji suddenly collapsed, completely drained of strength. Li Yuanzhong immediately ordered that Inspector Li be helped down and given proper treatment and care.

Li Ji was mainly exhausted; he would recover naturally with rest. As for the dozen or so minor injuries he sustained, they weren't serious. Only the spot on his groin where he had been kicked by a horse's hoof was a large, bruised area. He estimated that if it weren't for his strong bones and the layers of armor and lining protecting him, his hip bone might have been shattered…

So when Qilibuzang asked about Li Ji, he was still unable to get up. Li Yuanzhong then lied to him, saying, "Li Erlang is out patrolling the camp. You may see him soon." He ordered the barbarian generals to temporarily detain him, while he himself came to check on Li Ji's injuries.

When Li Ji heard that the barbarian bandits had sent someone to sue for peace, he immediately laughed and said, "The bandits are afraid of me." But then his expression turned serious, and he reminded Li Yuanzhong, "This may be a delaying tactic. If we think the barbarian bandits are about to retreat and do not take precautions, we will surely fall into their trap."

Li Yuanzhong nodded and said, "I know. However... the barbarian bandits are currently powerless to attack us, and we still have few troops. We can only defend the city and cannot drive them out completely. The bandits want to recover, and our army also needs to rest. I expect there will be no major battle within ten days."

So he asked Li Ji, "Can you still ride a horse? Would you be willing to escort the barbarian envoy to see the military governor?"

Li Ji had indeed made the greatest contribution, but after hearing about the fierce battle under the city walls yesterday, Li Yuanzhong couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat—this kid was too fierce, but also too reckless. Keeping him by my side, who knows what might happen to him one day? I wouldn't be able to explain it to the commander-in-chief. Since the situation had improved somewhat, it would be better to send him back to the commander-in-chief.

Li Ji also wanted to return to Li Tan's side to report the battle situation in detail and discuss the next course of action—but if he remained on the front lines, he could only obey Li Yuanzhong's orders and could offer no advice on the overall situation. Mainly, he estimated that there wouldn't be any more major battles in the short term, and just staying here and fighting the Tibetans would be rather boring.

He smiled and said, "General, please allow me to rest for another day."

The next morning, Li Ji dressed neatly and looked refreshed—though his hip was still aching, he could barely bear it—and went to see Qi Libu Zang, saying, "I am Li Erlang!"

Qilibuzang was startled and hurriedly stood up, but Li Ji pressed down on his shoulder, causing the Tibetan general to bend over slightly and unable to straighten up. Li Ji then asked with a smile, "Are you the Tibetan general I chased the other day? Your horse is quite good, it runs very fast."

Although Qilibuzang was almost scared out of his wits by Li Ji, he was not an insignificant general after all. Considering his status and mission, he forced a smile and replied, "General, you are brave, but you are also reckless. Who knows if I deliberately lured you to the fortress?"

Li Ji laughed loudly: "So what if you try to lure me? Taking your fortress will be as easy as taking something out of a bag for me!" He increased the pressure on his hand and slapped Qi Libu Cang, who clenched his teeth and bent over even more: "By the way, I am not a general, but a civil official—even if I, a mere civil official, come here, I can still kill you all without leaving a single piece of armor behind."

Qilibuzang was even more shocked. Li Jixuan said, "Pack your things first, and I'll take you to see the commander."

So he personally led a hundred cavalrymen to escort Qilibuzang eastward via the northern route. When they passed through a small gorge, Li Ji specifically ordered that Qilibuzang's eyes be blindfolded, and that he be led by the reins. Qilibuzang objected, saying, "This is not the proper way to receive an envoy, Second Brother. Besides, my army already knows what arrangements you have made in the gorge, so why send me to spy on you?"

Li Ji sneered, "Our army's deployment is truly beyond your expectations, barbarians."

—Actually, there was no arrangement at all; it was just deception.

As for Li Tan, he was no longer at the eastern entrance of the small gorge. Firstly, the autumn grain between the large and small gorges had already been harvested, so there was no need for the military commander to personally oversee the operation; secondly, with the news of victory from the front lines, he breathed a sigh of relief—even if the battle was ultimately lost, the enemy's encirclement had been broken, and both Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong should be able to withdraw.

Thirdly, upon hearing that the Tibetans had sent envoys to sue for peace, Li Tan, mindful of his status, naturally decided to receive them at the military governor's office in Shanzhou.

Li Ji returned to Shanzhou and led Qilibuzang to pay respects to Li Tan. Qilibuzang repeated the same story, and Li Tan, barely suppressing his anger, asked him, "If you want our Tang Dynasty to compensate with land, where do you want it?"

Qilibuzang said, "Our army can retreat slightly, and the two sides will still use Menggu and Chiling as the boundary. However, for the northern border, we hope that Qilian Garrison and Jiankang Army will be used as compensation."

Li Tan was so angry that he laughed instead.

Qilian Garrison, located north of the Qilian Mountains, flanks and protects the Silk Road. Abandoning Qilian Garrison would be tantamount to opening the gates and allowing the Tibetan army to leave the plateau. As for Jiankang Garrison, it is one of the eight major military garrisons in Hexi Corridor, bordering Ganzhou to the east, Kongtong Mountain to the west, Qilian Garrison to the south, and the Zhangye River and Helishan Mountains to the north, controlling the narrowest section of the main road in the Hexi Corridor. If the Tibetans were to enter Jiankang Garrison, they could cut off Hexi Corridor in half, naturally severing the route to the Western Regions.

Your plans are a bit too ambitious!

Li Tan immediately sneered, "So my Tang Dynasty has three songs, and you are all innocent? Since that's the case, why should I hesitate to add one more?" He ordered his men to be dragged out and hacked to pieces!

Qilibuzang shouted that the envoy should not be executed, but Li Tan replied, "I am acting on the Emperor's orders, carrying the imperial insignia to the west. Can't I even kill a barbarian traitor?!" Qilibuzang thought to himself, "This is bad. Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong might not dare to kill me, but this man is, after all, the Tang Emperor's own son. Would the father care if his son killed someone?" He hurriedly added, "Our Tubo (Tibetan) region also has its faults..."

Li Tan waved his hand, signaling the guards to release Qilibuzang temporarily, and asked him, "Where are you all?"

"The conflict between the two countries is truly instigated by villains. In the Tang Dynasty, it was Geshu Han, and in our Tibet, there is also Zanpu Zhong..."

Li Tan slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "What Zanpu Bell? What does Nanzhao have to do with your Tubo?!"

"I misspoke... I meant that the Zanpu was instigated by Geluofeng, which is why he started a war with his maternal uncle's family..."

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Grand Banquet

Nanzhao was originally one of the six Zhao (tribes) in the southwest region. The other five Zhao were allied with the Tang Dynasty, but Nanzhao was the only one that submitted to the Tang. As a result, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang bestowed upon Nanzhao's ruler, Piluoge, the title of King of Yunnan and the name Meng Guiyi. With the support of the Tang Dynasty, Piluoge eventually annexed the other five Zhao and formally established his own kingdom.

However, due to the oppression of Xianyu Zhongtong, the military governor of Jiannan, and Zhang Qiantuo, the prefect of Yunnan, the conflict between the Tang and Zhao dynasties deepened, eventually leading to Geluofeng, the son of Piluoge, raising an army, conquering Yunnan, and killing Zhang Qiantuo. Xianyu Zhongtong led troops to suppress the rebellion, but Geluofeng's pleas for peace were refused. He then fortified the capital city of Dahe, inflicting heavy losses on the Tang army.