Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

When the Tibetan army actually arrived, the people were naturally terrified. Although most were still willing to help the government troops defend the city to the death, a small number planned to flee and even spread a sense of defeat within the city. Guo Xin, on the pretext of being Tibetan spies, arrested and killed more than a dozen people. He had also mentioned this matter in his report to Li Tan.

After witnessing firsthand the deaths of acquaintances who helped defend the city, seeing the bodies of government soldiers being carried back one after another, or hearing the cries of the wounded, the direct impact of this experience would likely cause many civilians to lose heart and change their minds. The reason they didn't flee was that the barbarian invaders were still outside the city and probably couldn't go far. If the retreat route were clear, many residents would surely want to help the elderly and children and head east.

This is precisely why, even though Li Yuanzhong had captured the eastern fortress and the barbarian army had not retreated, Guo Xin still dared not relax the city's restrictions and open the east gate wide.

When Li Ji first met the old man in the city, he had already considered this problem. He felt that he could use the false news of the return of the barbarian bandits to frighten most of the residents into abandoning the city and moving east—the common people are the easiest to fool.

In those days, education was poorly developed, and most people were illiterate and ignorant. Even if they committed evil, they could only "steal a hook" and not "steal the country." Even if they had virtues, to put it nicely, they would always be described as "simple and unpretentious." As for the few cultured people, and even court officials, in the eyes of the time traveler Li Ji, their knowledge and experience were nothing special.

To put it bluntly, in Li Ji's eyes, the vast majority of people he encountered on a daily basis were stupid and ignorant.

However, this does not mean that Li Ji was arrogant and dared to regard the common people as ants. He had heard two interconnected sentences in his previous life and deeply agreed with them—the first sentence: "In this world, ninety-nine percent of the people are fools."

The second sentence: "But history is driven forward by the foolish masses; heroes and great men are merely the flagpoles they erect."

Xunzi once said, "The ruler is the boat, and the common people are the water; water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it." Anyone can look down on the power of a single drop of water, but if these drops of water gather into streams, lakes, rivers, and oceans, who would dare to underestimate them? Humans are all born from water and follow its flow; going with it leads to progress, while going against it inevitably leads to ruin.

Therefore, Lao Tzu also said: "Water benefits all things without striving, and dwells in places that others disdain..." "Nothing in the world is more yielding and weak than water, yet nothing can overcome it in attacking the hard and strong!" The Chinese people are the same; they have always been gentle and compliant, good at coping with adversity. As long as there is a small ditch for them to barely flow, they will not cause harm. But if you block them everywhere and do not give them a way to live, and force the people to their limits, the water will overflow the channels, and then all the rivers will converge, and even the most powerful dynasty can be washed away in an instant!

Of course, to get back to the point, even if the popular sway does indeed drive historical progress, this is only the general trend. When it comes to the gains and losses of a specific city or region, Li Ji believes it mainly depends on our officials and soldiers. If persuasion fails, then guidance will do; if guidance fails, a little deception is also a viable strategy—as long as the purpose is for their benefit.

Hu Hao certainly didn't understand the deeper meaning behind Li Ji's words, but he could still understand that Li Ji still advocated abandoning Shancheng, and he couldn't help but feel a little sad.

His request not to abandon Shancheng was not truly based on the people's pleas, but rather on his own self-interest...

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Having gained Long, Yet Still Wanting Shu

Hu Hao would tell everyone he met that his ancestral home was in Linjing County, Jingzhou, and that he was a descendant of Hu Fen, a general of the Western Jin Dynasty... In fact, he himself might not even believe this.

However, he was indeed not a native of Shanzhou. He had been stationed in Shancheng since joining the army, and after more than ten years of cultivation, his influence in the city had become deeply entrenched, making him a local tyrant. Especially after the main force from Longyou came to the east to reinforce Shancheng, Hu Hao effectively became the garrison commander of Shancheng. In addition, there was no commander in the county, and the magistrate, lieutenant, and registrar had shallow foundations. They all followed Hu's orders in everything. This local emperor in the far reaches of the land was quite comfortable.

If he were to abandon Shancheng, it would be tantamount to destroying his foundation. With Hu Hao's character, achievements, and especially his abilities, could he still act so arrogantly in another place? As long as he remained in Shancheng, even if Guo Xin or Li Ji were above him, they would still need him, the local bigwig, to ensure the smooth operation of military and political affairs. He could still live a life of luxury and hold real power. Even if he couldn't act recklessly—he didn't have such extravagant hopes—his comfortable and leisurely life wouldn't change much.

Now that the barbarian bandits have retreated, shouldn't we earnestly request the commander to retract our previous proposal and not abandon Shancheng?

He assumed that most of the generals would agree to his proposal, especially Li Ji. Who would be willing to give up a city they had fought so hard to defend? Especially since everyone was drunk, and they were all soldiers—even Li Ji, judging from Hu Hao's behavior, seemed more like a warrior—they would likely be arrogant and excited in their victory, and would probably join in the clamor to demand a permanent garrison in Shancheng…

Before Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong could even make a clear statement, Li Ji suddenly stepped in to block their way.

Moreover, Li Ji immediately questioned Hu Hao loudly: "Does Lord Hu think that now that the barbarian bandits have left, they will not return?"

Hu Hao stammered, "I reckon the barbarian bandits won't dare to come this winter or next spring... We can still discuss this further."

"If it doesn't come this winter and next spring, what about next autumn? If, like this year, we are forced to harvest all the wheat in the fields ahead of schedule, what will we use to supply the soldiers and the people and defend against the barbarian invaders?"

"As long as everyone is of one mind and fights hard... with Generals Guo and Li in command, and Inspector Li's reputation for prestige awe-inspiring, if we can repel the barbarians this year, who knows if we can't next year?" Hu Hao also understood that Li Ji's words were unsolvable, and that food supplies were indeed a major problem, so he deliberately glossed over it.

Li Ji thought to himself, "So you think material things don't matter, and you can win battles just by relying on spirit? 'The bolder the people, the more the land will produce,' right? How ridiculous!" Just as he was about to retort, Yi Tiechui shouted from behind, "Exactly! We've already gathered over 20,000 men, and after spending half a year building fortifications and strengthening the city's defenses, we might just be able to defeat the barbarian bandits again at Shancheng!"

Li Ji sighed inwardly—I'm just pretending to be reckless, but Tie Chui is truly reckless, he doesn't even think before he speaks… Look at Old Chen, he's not as confident as you, and he even dares to speak up for Hu Hao. Just as he was about to retort, Guo Xin asked from above, "Has everyone enjoyed today's banquet?"

"The lowest-ranking servants have all had their fill of food and drink."

Guo Xin agreed, “Let’s cancel the banquet. I need to discuss the matter of Shancheng with you all!”

So he removed the food table and dishes, and Guo Xin spread out a map of Longyou Road on the floor, beckoning the generals to gather around. Then he slowly said:

“I know that you gentlemen have driven out the barbarian invaders and saved Shancheng, and you will not be willing to abandon it lightly—and I am no different. Therefore, before the banquet, I pondered repeatedly whether Shancheng could be defended for long. Now I will tell you my thoughts and concerns. With many people, there will surely be more wisdom. If you have any good ideas, I hope you will tell me frankly.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Li Yuanzhong, who slowly nodded, as if to say: I haven't thought about this issue in depth yet. Brother Guo, you go first, and I'll listen.

Guo Xin pointed to the map: "Initially, the plan for this battle was for me to garrison Shancheng, with less than 10,000 soldiers. As long as Xiaoxia is not lost, the rear route remains open, and morale is maintained, we can hold out for about three months to thwart the enemy's advance. Then, the military governor will send General Li to provide support, and I will find an opportunity to abandon the city and retreat eastward. We will then establish a second line of defense at Xiaoxia, ensuring that the enemy cannot threaten Shanzhou and will have to retreat when their supplies run out."

"However, after the formal engagement, I realized that I had underestimated the enemy's strength... In the past, when defending against the barbarians in Hexi, I mostly encountered weak armies. I thought that one Tang soldier could defeat three barbarian bandits, and with strong cities as a backup, I would not be afraid even if tens of thousands of troops came. However, the elite troops under 'San Shang Yi Lun' are no less powerful than our army. In addition, Ma Chongying is cunning and can build siege weapons such as battering rams and siege ladders. It is not easy for less than 10,000 people to fight against 100,000.

"Fortunately, General Li lured some of the barbarian bandits to Xiaoxia, easing the pressure on Shancheng..." As he spoke, he turned his head and smiled slightly at Li Yuanzhong.

Li Yuanzhong said, "This is all thanks to Changwei... It was his foul language, such as 'Apes can talk, but they are still beasts,' that made Ma Chongying so angry that, fearing damage to the morale of the army, he had no choice but to divide his troops to launch a fierce attack on my Xiaoxia."

Li Ji's act of "stirring up hatred" on the battlefield was something that all the generals present, even those who hadn't witnessed it firsthand, had heard about, and they all laughed together—in good spirits, of course—which lightened the atmosphere in the room.

Li Ji bowed his head and clasped his hands in greeting to the crowd, indicating that he dared not take credit for the victory. He then asked Guo Xin, "General Guo, do you think that if the commander had not reinforced Xiaoxia, Shancheng would not have been able to hold out for three months?"

The credit belongs to everyone; what does it matter if I just quip my words? Let's not go off-topic and continue listening to Guo Xin's analysis.

Guo Xin nodded and said, "That's right. Fortunately, the commander sent reinforcements in time, which enabled General Li to defeat the enemy at Xiaoxia, and then Inspector Li bravely captured Donglei. Only then did I have the confidence to hold out for three months."

At this point, he raised his head and looked at Yi Tiechui: "If what Lord Yi just said is true, if the barbarian bandits come again next autumn, they will still number over 100,000 and will still be led by Ma Chongying. Their strength will be greater than before, but not by much. Currently, there are over 20,000 troops inside and outside Shancheng. If we train more able-bodied men in the city, we can reach 30,000. With these 30,000 men, can I defend the city again?"

He straightened his neck and puffed out his chest: "I declare to you all—I can!"

Hu Hao, Yi Tiechui, and the others perked up upon hearing this. Li Ji was about to speak when Guo Xin waved his hand, signaling him to calm down, then smiled wryly and said, "However, there is a dilemma. If it can be resolved, Shancheng will be safe; otherwise..."

Li Yuanzhong asked, "What are the two difficulties? Please explain, Brother Guo."

"The first difficulty, as Inspector Li said, is the lack of food and fodder."

This great battle, which lasted for more than two months, had already depleted the government's supplies. Since the autumn harvest was harvested early, most of it could only be used as firewood and fodder. It would be difficult to supply the city's soldiers and civilians until next autumn. How could they possibly deal with another invasion by the barbarian invaders?

If the large tracts of land outside the city were still arable, that would be fine. However, even if the barbarian bandits dared not launch a major attack for nearly a year, they could still send out scouts to harass them at any time. Moreover, since places like Linfan City and Suihe Shouzhuo have fallen, they will not only harass the north of the city. So how can the common people cultivate their land?

Hu Hao asked, "Could we ask the commander to supply some provisions?"

Li Yuanzhong shook his head: "If Shanzhou had sufficient supplies, why would we have relied on the wheat from Shancheng and been ordered to defend it?"

Everyone remained silent. Hu Hao, feeling helpless, asked, "What is the second difficulty?"

Guo Xin smiled wryly and said, "The second difficulty is... Shancheng may not be able to garrison 20,000 troops for long!"

Originally, based on the direction of the Tibetan army's invasion last year and their intentions, Li Tan determined that their next move would be to capture Shancheng. That's why he entrusted most of the available troops to Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong to defend the city to the death. However, now that the Tibetans have left, they might return next year, and no one can say for sure where they will attack. How could they possibly leave all the border prefectures empty and only defend Shancheng?

“Look at this,” Guo Xin said, pointing to the map. “Ma Chongying, as the ruler of Tibet, personally led tens of thousands of troops, but suffered heavy losses at the gates of Shancheng and was forced to lift the siege. Do you think he would be content with that? I suspect that even if he retreats, he will most likely turn around and attack Yaowu’s army…”

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's eyelids twitched slightly, and he hurriedly asked, "Is there any chance of saving him?"

Li Yuanzhong sighed softly and replied, "The Yaowu Army is already isolated on the border, cut off by roads, and ultimately beyond saving..."

Guo Xin said, “If the Yaowu Army is still here, it can still restrain the barbarian rebels and prevent them from easily advancing south... If it falls, the barbarian rebels will have many more ways to invade. First, they can go out of the Dadouba Valley, circle around the north of the Daxue Mountain, and launch a surprise attack on the Chishui Army, threatening Guzang; second, after defeating the Weirong Army, they can go south along the Haowei River and outflank Shanzhou; third, they can go down the river, pass through Jintian, Weisheng, Ningbian, and the old fortress of Jishi, and head towards Dahua and Kuozhou; fourth, they can go through the Tao River and attack the Shence and Momen armies…”

Chen Fu and Yi Tiechui both changed color upon hearing this—the Shence Army was their hometown!

Li Ji interjected, "West of the Shence Army lies the former territory of the Tuyuhun. Could they send envoys to make contact and prevent it from being used by the Tibetans? As for the two routes to the north, one goes through the Dadouba Valley, and the other passes through the Weirong Army. The roads are treacherous and long, so the Tibetan bandits might not dare to come..."

Guo Xin nodded to him: "Inspector Li is right, however... if we are unprepared, the barbarian bandits will surely come! Moreover, they might even abandon Longyou and march towards Hexi." He looked around at everyone and slowly said: "Therefore, the troops gathered in Shancheng must be divided and deployed to various routes. In Shancheng, maintaining ten thousand men will be the limit. If we take the two rebels, Ma Chongying, with our ten thousand men, I have no confidence, nor can I expect the commander to send General Li with troops to reinforce us in time..."

Li Ji couldn't help but sigh: "I have to be on guard at all times, but the enemy can come along one path. My strength is weak, and it will be even weaker if we split up. The enemy is strong, and it will be even stronger if we gather together... making it even harder to resist..." Who said that defensive battles are easier than offensive battles? Unless you know in advance where the enemy will come from.

Hu Hao was still struggling: "There are still more than half a year left. I can try to recapture some military towns... or even build new military towns and block all roads so that the barbarian bandits will not be able to cross... The mountains and rivers of Longyou are very dangerous. Often, one man can hold the pass against ten thousand!"

The Longyou Road stretches from Longdi in the east to Chiling in the west, extending deep into the plateau, and its terrain is indeed quite treacherous. During the century-long war between the Tang Dynasty and the Tubo Kingdom, more than twenty military towns and garrisons were established along the Longyou Road. A few of these were forward bases, while most were strategic strongholds, serving purely defensive functions, thus creating a deeply fortified position.

However complex the terrain and how densely packed the passes, they still need to be defended to be effective. Previously, the army in Longyou numbered nearly 100,000—originally planned for 75,000, but after crossing Menggu and Chiling and advancing to the vicinity of Xihai, the number of military garrisons increased, and the military strength also expanded—in addition to those stationed in various locations, they could still gather around 50,000 mobile troops, ready to engage the barbarian invaders in a decisive battle. Now, however, the main force has been transferred eastward, and the garrison is already insufficient; where can they possibly muster any reinforcements?

Why did so many military towns fall instantly when the Tibetans invaded last year? Firstly, there was a shortage of garrison troops; secondly, Gao Sheng was incompetent and dared not send reinforcements… But most importantly, even if the officers and soldiers left behind were willing to fight, they still needed troops to fight. No matter how strategically important the location of each military town, or how desperately the defenders fought, without external support, they would eventually fall.

So when Hu Hao said something like, "I can try to recapture some military towns... or even build new military towns and block all roads," it was easy to say, but difficult to actually carry out. He lacked both manpower and resources. Li Ji didn't even bother to refute his nonsense.

However, some people took Hu Hao's words to heart—Li Yuanzhong pointed at the map, thinking as he spoke: "As General Guo said, let's set aside Hexi for now and just talk about Longyou. To prevent the enemy from coming along the Haowei River, we must restore the Weirong Army; if they come along the river, we must consolidate Dahua; if they go via the Tao River, the Shence and Momen armies can support each other and protect Taozhou, so the problem isn't too big... The key is that if we want to take Longyou and threaten the capital region, the closest route is still the Shancheng and Shanzhou Lintao Army route..."

"If we advance slightly and block the key points around Shancheng, the 10,000 troops stationed in the city can provide reinforcements at any time, and there may be no danger."

Li Yuanzhong meant that the Tibetan army could indeed attack from multiple directions, but given the current situation, the most likely scenario was to take the central route and attack Shancheng. Unfortunately, Shancheng was surrounded by plains, making it easy to besiege and difficult to defend with few troops. So, if they could build fortifications near the mountains, wouldn't it be less necessary to deploy too many troops there?

Upon hearing this, the generals' spirits lifted—after all, none of them were willing to abandon Shancheng, which they had fought so hard to defend. If they were confident they could continue to hold it, that would be best—so they followed Li Yuanzhong's lead, pointing out the terrain and offering their suggestions. Li Ji was among them. Although he felt it was unreliable and very risky, since there was plenty of time, they should consider all possibilities and discuss all the plans. As the saying goes, "He who calculates more wins, he who calculates less loses, and what about him who calculates nothing at all?"

The meeting lasted until late at night. Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong, after considering various opinions, finally concluded that Shancheng might not necessarily need to be abandoned.

So he wrote a detailed plan and, along with the official report of victory, gave it to Li Ji to take back to Shanzhou and report to Li Tan. Li Ji himself had reservations about this final decision, but ultimately his military experience was still limited, and he couldn't possibly argue with the scholars and officials to persuade everyone, especially Li Yuanzhong, who was very interested in and confident about stationing himself in Shanzhou. Li Ji couldn't very well refuse him.

The next morning, he got up and rode back to Shanzhou at full speed to pay his respects to Li Tan. Li Tan had already received the news of the victory—the Tibetan army had just retreated, and Guo Xin had immediately sent someone to report it. However, the battlefield was still being cleaned up, and Li Ji and others had not yet returned from their retreat, so the report was not detailed enough, and the list of meritorious soldiers could not be compiled. He was overjoyed and excited until he met Li Ji, and his excitement had not subsided.

Under my command—though remotely—I managed to hold Shancheng with a small force against a large one, so the barbarian bandits are truly nothing to fear!

Therefore, upon seeing Li Ji, before even unfolding the report for a closer look, he earnestly asked, "Now that the barbarian bandits have retreated, can Shancheng not be abandoned?"

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Planting Beans and Wheat

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Li Ji explained in detail the plan that the generals of Shancheng had discussed to Li Tan.

Shanzhou was the center of Longyou Circuit, and Lintao Army was the residence of the Longyou Military Governor. However, in terms of geographical location, Shancheng was actually more important.

From north to south, five major rivers flow from west to east into the Longyou region: the Haowei River, the Huangshui River, the Heshui River, the Taoshui River, and the Qiangshui River. Among the mountains, the river valleys are relatively fertile, and the roads are slightly easier to traverse. The Qiangshui River flows through Diezhou, and the Taoshui River through Taozhou. These two areas are relatively barren; even if the Tibetan army were to invade, they would not be able to plunder many people or supplies. Moreover, the roads are winding and difficult to travel, so it is unlikely that they would advance through these areas—at least not as the main force.

As for Li Ji's personal opinion, he still adhered to his views in "The Strategy of Defending Against the Tibetans". He believed that the main direction of Tibetan expansion was to the north, and the land they coveted was in the Western Regions. The reason they attacked Longyou was only to cut off the Hexi Corridor and make it difficult for the Tang army to provide large-scale reinforcements to the northwest. Therefore, if they advanced eastward along the Tao and Qiang rivers, it would be completely contrary to achieving this strategic goal - Ma Chongying would definitely not do it.

Of course, we also had to guard against a small number of barbarian troops passing through here and heading east, in order to confuse or contain the Tang army, so the border garrisons could not be completely evacuated.

Therefore, if Ma Chongying were to invade again next year, the most likely scenario would be that he would head east along the Haowei River, Huangshui River, and Heshui River. The Huangshui River is located in the middle of these three routes, and there is a valley near Shancheng that connects to the Haowei River in the north and the Heshui River in the south, making it a crucial transportation hub in Longyou. If Shancheng is held, the Tibetan army will find it difficult to penetrate deeper; however, if Shancheng is abandoned and retreats to Xiaoxia, both the northern and southern routes will be perilous.

Therefore, from a strategic perspective, Shancheng must be defended, but the question is, can it be defended? And how should it be defended?

The generals of Shancheng suggested taking advantage of the retreat of the barbarian army to retake Linfan City to the west, Xuanwei Army to the north, and Suihe Garrison to the south, thus weakening the interior while strengthening the exterior. These three locations are all strategically important; if they could be retaken, each could be garrisoned with over a thousand troops, along with ample provisions and supplies, enough to hold off the barbarian army for over a month. While Shancheng should not be abandoned, it was unnecessary to leave a large force there; instead, a strong mobile force should be organized in Shanzhou to provide timely support to the front lines.

Upon hearing this, Li Tan was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, "Then can Linfan, Xuanwei, and Suihe be restored?"

Li Ji replied, "Generals Guo and Li are planning this matter, and it is expected that it will not be difficult to recapture Linfan City. If Xuanwei Army cannot recapture it, then we will build a new fortress on Tulou Mountain; if Suihe Garrison cannot recapture it, then we will build a new fortress in the mountains to its north. Although it is not easy to coordinate with the Haowei River and the Yellow River, it can still ensure that Shancheng is not lost in an instant."

Li Tan slammed his hand on the table: "That's excellent, let's proceed as you all have proposed."

Li Ji hurriedly said, "Wait a minute—the generals of Shancheng are quite confident, but they are ignorant of the affairs of Guandong..."

Li Heng abolished the military campaign and ordered all the provinces to attack An Qingxu, appointing only a eunuch as the military supervisor. Both Li Ji and Li Tan felt this was unreliable and were not optimistic about the war in Guandong. However, to avoid undermining morale, they kept the matter secret and did not inform the generals in Shancheng. As a result, the generals believed that by the autumn of the following year at the latest, the troops from Guanzhong who had been on the eastern expedition would be able to return to their posts one after another. With just one or two more men, not only Shancheng, but the entire Longyou Province would be safe.

Li Ji, however, dared not be so optimistic. He reminded Li Tan, "If the barbarian bandits come again and the war in Guandong has not ended, and not a single horse can return to the garrison, then even if it is as the generals have discussed, how many mobile troops will the commander-in-chief be able to send out at that time? Moreover, where will the food for the front line come from?"

"It would have been better to discuss it as before: abandon Shancheng, relocate the people to Shanzhou, and divide the troops to guard various towns. That would have been a more prudent approach."

Li Tan smiled and said, "A report has arrived from Guandong..."

Just last month, Guo Ziyi led his troops across the river from Xingyuan, advanced to Huojia, and decisively defeated the rebel general An Taiqing, beheading four thousand and capturing five hundred. An Taiqing fled to Weizhou—Li Ji's hometown—whereupon Zhang Xun and Lu Jiong crossed the river north from Yangwu, and Ji Guangchen and Cui Guangyuan crossed the river north from Suanzao, joining Guo Ziyi and Li Siye, and entering Weizhou territory. An Qingxu mobilized all 70,000 troops from Xiangzhou to the rescue, personally commanding the central army, while Cui Qianyou commanded the upper army and Tian Chengsi commanded the lower army.

Guo Ziyi ordered 3,000 skilled archers to lie in ambush within the fortified camp. He himself went out to fight the rebels, feigning a retreat. An Qingxu pursued them, but as soon as he reached the camp, the ambush was sprung, and arrows rained down. Guo Ziyi also turned to fight, and Zhang Xun and Ji Guangchen attacked from both sides, resulting in a crushing defeat for the rebels. Guo Ziyi captured An Qingxu's younger brother, An Qinghe, alive, and executed him in front of his army. Taking advantage of the victory, he attacked and captured Weizhou, and pursued the enemy all the way to Xiangzhou…