Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 191

If they had not been discovered in the mountains and plateaus, then after descending the mountain, a sudden and fierce charge might have been launched, and the barbarian army might not have even had time to close the gates of Pinggao before they could take the city in one fell swoop...

Mang Re said the only thing to worry about was that, "Although the garrison at Pinggao is small, I've heard that Han Quanyi is a valiant general personally promoted by the Tang emperor from the imperial guards. If I cannot take him down in one fell swoop, the Tang army will surely surround him from all sides. The Tang army from the east is slow to arrive and not a concern, but the Tang army from the west is swift. I must have Da Lun capture Huining Pass as soon as possible and threaten Huining City so that the Tang army from the west cannot come to Pinggao's aid. The lives of my five thousand elite soldiers are actually in Da Lun's hands."

Ma Chongying patted Mang Re on the shoulder: "I will not fail you, and you will not fail me either. If I can achieve this great feat, I will be appointed as the military governor of the five eastern provinces, or even as the prime minister!"

After Ma Chongying came to power, he not only reformed the internal administration and invaded Tang territory, but also carried out a series of reforms to the government structure, basically imitating the Tang system. Locally, he established military towns of various sizes in newly acquired or annexed territories, appointing them as military governors. In the northeast, there were five major towns: Yemaochuan, Shanzhou, Hezhou, Liangzhou, and Guazhou—Mang Re was the military governor of Yemaochuan.

Because Ma Chongying had set his main offensive targets at Anxi and Beiting, he hoped to have a general commanding the aforementioned five military garrisons, giving him full authority over the war against the Central Plains dynasty. If he could successfully capture Huizhou, and even Yuanzhou, he could ensure that the Tang army would not dare to attack for three to five years. The so-called "military governors of the five eastern border regions" could then be appointed, and Ma Chongying could be relieved of his heavy responsibilities and focus solely on the north.

This was naturally a crucial position with significant military and political power, coveted by many Tibetan nobles, including San Shang. However, Ma Chongying favored Mangre alone – this was one of the reasons why he entrusted the important task of the surprise attack to Mangre, hoping that he could achieve great success.

Furthermore, the Tibetan central government system was originally very primitive, with a noble council headed by "Three Ministers and One Councilor" who presided over all responsibilities. The "One Councilor," according to Tang custom, could be called a prime minister or a grand prime minister. Due to the power struggles and repeated games of power among various parties, Ma Chongying suggested establishing a Council of State Affairs, similar to that of the Tang Dynasty, and appointing several co-prime ministers as prime ministers. This made the original noble council more bureaucratic, and its number and division of powers gradually became fixed.

As Ma Chongying's confidant and even a promising young talent capable of succeeding him, Ma Chongying not only wanted to hand over nearly 100,000 troops from the five eastern routes to him, but also planned to bring him into the newly established Council of State Affairs to become his powerful ally—to counter the "Three Shangs".

The two parted ways, and Ma Chongying led his army into the narrow valley. In order to catch the enemy off guard, he marched very fast, and in less than four days, the vanguard reached the front of Huining Pass and launched a fierce attack.

When the news reached Huining City, Bai Xiaode, the military governor of Anxi and Beiting, was greatly surprised. He said to his attendants, "The court thought that the barbarian bandits would attack Shuofang this autumn, but they have unexpectedly come to invade Huining Prefecture... Is this a feint, or do they really intend to enter Huining?"

According to intelligence reports, the Tibetan army stretched as far as the eye could see, numbering at least ten thousand, and was quite elite, suspected to be the main force of the Tibetan army—yet there were only four hundred or so defenders inside Huining Pass. The generals all declared that the outcome of the battle at Shuofang was none of their concern, but if Huining Pass fell, the gates to Huizhou would be wide open, and their army would be in grave danger…

Huizhou actually consists of two counties: Huining and Wulan in the north. If the barbarian army captures Huining Pass, there will be no more obstacles ahead, and they can go straight to the walls of Huining. How confident are we in being able to hold it?

All the generals said, “In previous years, every autumn when we were preparing for defense, the court would send a part of the Jingyuan Army westward to help defend Huining Pass. But this year, due to a misjudgment, the court thought that the main force of the barbarian rebels would attack Shuofang, so it did not gather enough troops for autumn defense. The Jingyuan Army alone is defending the passes within the town and is already stretched thin. I'm afraid it will be unable to send reinforcements to Huining Prefecture. Regardless of whether this force is the main force of the barbarian rebels, the commander must immediately report that it is the main force and request the court to send reinforcements urgently.”

Bai Xiaode agreed wholeheartedly, so he urgently reported to Chang'an and the two towns of Jingyuan and Fengxiang—that once the central government has made a plan and ordered the mobilization of troops, it may be too late to help in this urgent situation. He hoped that the two nearby towns could spare some troops to lend a hand to his brother in advance. At the same time, he ordered martial law to be declared in Huining City, prepared food and supplies, and first assigned five hundred elite soldiers to Gao Tinghui to go south to rescue Huining Pass.

But by the time Gao Tinghui rushed to Huining Pass, the defeat was already irreversible...

Ma Chongying launched a relentless attack day and night, almost disregarding casualties. In just four days, the defending army suffered nearly half its losses, and with their arrows nearly exhausted, they were on the verge of collapse. Gao Tinghui led his fresh troops straight to the pass, barely managing to force the advancing barbarian soldiers back down. Upon inquiring about the situation, he couldn't help but sigh, "We can't hold on any longer!"

Forced to find an opening, he withdrew his troops and fled north in disarray. The barbarian army rushed into Guanzhong and, without rest, immediately gave chase. Gao Tinghui was forced to lead his troops to block the pursuers in the narrow valleys. A fierce battle raged for an entire day, and most of the three hundred Tang soldiers who covered the rear were killed in action. Gao Tinghui himself was also seriously wounded and was barely managed to be rescued by his personal guards.

Immediately, the barbarian army surged forward and surrounded Huining City.

Meanwhile, urgent news of the fall of Huining Pass reached the city. The generals were terrified and advised Bai Xiaode to abandon the city and retreat north to Wulan, or perhaps via Hechi to Yuanzhou. Bai Xiaode exclaimed, “Even though Huining is a barren prefecture, it still has over three thousand households. And though the city is small, it has over six thousand people. How can we bear to abandon it all at once and hand the people over to the barbarian invaders?! Moreover, our Anxi and Beiting forces were originally elite troops of the western route, invincible in destroying the Turks and defending against the western barbarians. Now, having returned east, we have suffered several defeats, and our prestige has been completely lost. If we flee at the first sign of trouble, how can we ever face the Emperor again?!”

"Don't think that your homeland is in Anxi and Beiting. This Huizhou is just a temporary residence. It's not a pity to abandon it. Although I am from Kucha, your ancestral homes are mostly in the east! Moreover, if we lose Huizhou, no matter how vast the world is, we will have nowhere to stand..."

"Therefore, how can we not defend this city and fight bravely against the enemy? Even if we die, we will not have failed the lives of a fine man! Moreover, I believe that the court will not allow Huizhou to fall—if Huizhou falls, Jingyuan and Fengxiang will also be in danger—and will definitely send reinforcements."

After repeatedly boosting morale, we finally agreed to hold out in Huining City for half a month. If the city fell during that time, we would perish together without regret. If there was still no news of reinforcements after fifteen days, I would lead my men to break out and retreat to another place.

Bai Xiaode, a veteran general with extensive experience dealing with the Tibetans, now faced a desperate situation. He rallied the city's soldiers and civilians to defend the city. The Tibetan army launched a fierce attack for three days without any sign of breaching the walls. Ma Chongying, however, was unconcerned. He knew that once his army reached the city walls, Huining would be nothing more than a dead pawn, destined to fall sooner or later. Therefore, he temporarily halted the attack, strengthened the siege fortifications, and simultaneously dispatched a contingent of troops eastward to plunder the salt workers and goods of Hechi, while also gathering intelligence on the movements of Yuanzhou.

If Mang Re can successfully capture Ping, even if he cannot capture Pinggao City for the time being, Ma Chongying can leave half of his troops to monitor Huining City and go to support it personally.

The news of the attack on Huining Pass first reached Jingyuan. Han Quanyi, the deputy military governor who was stationed in Pinggao, was greatly alarmed upon hearing the news and urgently invited Duan Xiushi, the prefect of Yuanzhou, to come and discuss the matter.

Duan Xiushi, courtesy name Chenggong, was a native of Guzang, later moving to Qianyang in Longzhou. He was once recommended to take the Mingjing examination, but he said, "Searching for phrases and sentences is not enough to achieve merit," and voluntarily gave it up. He then joined the army, successively serving under the Anxi military governors Fu Menglingcha, Gao Xianzhi, and Feng Changqing, accumulating merits to become a judge and then a military commander. During the An Lushan Rebellion, he assisted Li Siye, Li Feiyuanli, and Bai Xiaode, and was eventually recommended by Bai Xiaode to serve as the prefect of Yuanzhou.

Because he was also a soldier, and from Anxi, and a former subordinate of Bai Xiaode, Han Quanyi specifically sought him out for discussion. Upon meeting, he first established the situation—

"Today, the commander-in-chief, following imperial orders, has led a large force to defend the passes of Muxia, Liupan, Longshan, and Zhisheng, controlling the Liupan Mountains and blocking the barbarians of Longyou. Only two thousand weak soldiers remain to defend Pinggao. Who would have thought that the barbarian bandits would actually invade Huining? If Huizhou falls, the road between Xiaoguan and Pinggao will be cut off, and I will not be able to send a single soldier to its aid..."

Duan Xiushi asked him, "In previous years, when we were preparing for the autumn defense, we usually left 40% of our troops in Pinggao City. Why is it that this year we have only managed to leave 10%?"

Han Quanyi sighed, “In previous years, soldiers from Binning, Fufang, or Tongguan would come to our aid, but this year I, Jingyuan, am left to bear the burden alone… The court believes that the barbarian bandits will not attack Longzuo, but will instead invade Shuofang, but the military commander does not believe it, so he personally led a large force to the front…”

As a general who came from the Imperial Guard, Han Quanyi naturally leaned towards the court's prediction—not because of the actual situation, but because the emperor had overestimated it—but he couldn't dissuade the military governor Ma Lin. Ma Lin believed that the art of war was to feign weakness while feigning strength, and vice versa. Guo Ziyi and Li Ji both predicted that if the barbarian rebels didn't send troops eastward this autumn, that would be fine, but once they did, they would definitely direct their main force towards Shuofang. What if the enemy took advantage of Tang's judgment and deliberately went against it?

Because no one can guarantee that the imperial court's plans won't be leaked in advance...

Therefore, he personally led the main force to the passes in the southwest, which basically left Pinggao City empty.

Upon hearing this, Duan Xiushi, not wanting to criticize Ma Lin, asked, "Could you please ask the commander to return quickly?" Han Quanyi replied, "I have already sent someone to summon him, but whether the commander will return, how many troops he will bring, and when he will arrive are all uncertain. Moreover, I estimate he will not have the strength to rescue Huizhou. Besides, how can we know that the barbarian bandits are not feigning an attack on Huining, but that their main force is still heading towards the passes of Liupan Mountain?"

Duan Xiushi pondered for a moment, then suggested, "There is an army stationed in Baiquan that could go to rescue Huizhou—but only if the deputy commander intervenes can their troops be mobilized..."

What kind of troops were he referring to? It turned out that Li Ji had suggested transferring some of the Northern Imperial Guards to various garrisons in Guanzhong. This would allow them to monitor the local garrisons, alleviate the food shortage in Chang'an, and also give them some experience during the autumn harvest, preventing them from becoming complacent and idle in Chang'an. Li Shi reported this to Li Yu, who approved it. The first batch of four Imperial Guard units were deployed, stationed at Baiquan in Jingyuan, Qiyang in Fengxiang, Sanshui in Binning, and Sanchuan in Fufang.

The Imperial Guard stationed at Baiquan belonged to the Shence Right Army, consisting of 1,500 men and 300 warhorses, and was commanded by Xing Junya, who came from Pinglu Town. However, the Imperial Guard was not under the jurisdiction of Jingyuan Town, and any mobilization required an imperial decree. Of course, in case of an emergency, it could be handled more leniently, but that would require Han Quanyi, who also came from the Imperial Guard, to persuade Xing Junya.

Han Quanyi nodded upon hearing this and said, "What you say makes a lot of sense, Lord Duan. I will head to Baiquan now. I will rely on you for all matters in Pinggao City."

The second to receive the urgent report from Huizhou was Fengxiang Town. Gao Sheng, the military governor and prefect of Fengxiang, was an incompetent military commander and naturally remained seated in his military headquarters. This year, for autumn defense, he had dispatched his deputy, Zang Xirang, with troops to block the passes of Dazhen. Zang Xirang had set up his frontline command post in Qianyuan County, the seat of Longzhou Prefecture. When he received the urgent report, he was receiving Li Sheng, the deputy military governor of Binning.

Li Sheng was ordered to lead his troops to Dazhen Pass. If he could confirm that the Tibetan rebels would not attack, he would then launch a surprise attack on Longyou, hoping to contain the Tibetan army that was attacking elsewhere—at the time, it was believed to be Shuofang. However, when Zang Xirang heard that the Binning army was coming, he went out of the city to meet them, and was stunned when he saw them.

Because this Li Liangqi only brought a thousand cavalrymen with him.

Chapter Seventeen, Will the Thieves Arrive?

After receiving an imperial edict, Li Baoyu, the military governor of Binning, ordered Li Sheng to lead 5,000 troops westward to attack the Tubo, but Li Sheng politely declined.

Li Sheng said, "If we fight by force, five thousand are not enough; if we win by strategy, five thousand are too many." In the end, he only selected one thousand elite cavalrymen and set off westward at full speed, arriving at Qianyuan on that very day.

Immediately, Zang Xirang received an urgent report that the Tibetan army was advancing towards Huining Pass. He judged that "Huizhou is the shield of Yuanzhou, and Yuanzhou is the hub between the north and south. It is reasonable for the Tibetans to attack Huizhou first, with the intention of advancing towards Yuanzhou. However, in previous years, when we were preparing for the autumn defense, we always sent troops from Jingyuan to help defend Huizhou. This year, we did not send troops, but the Tibetans came instead... This must be because the court's plan has been discovered by the Tibetan spies."

Li Sheng asked him, "Zang Jun is adjacent to Huizhou. Do you know whether the Anxi and Beiting military camps are capable of fighting?"

Zang Xirang shook his head: "After Li Feigong's violent death, Bai Xiaode dared not strictly enforce military orders, but instead treated his subordinates with leniency, leading to a lack of discipline among the troops. In addition, the court did not provide relief... I heard that in Huizhou, they frequently engaged in looting, behaving like bandits. Moreover, recently, barbarian bandits have been harassing Anxi and Beiting, and the troops in the army are mostly former soldiers from the two garrisons, which has made them even more resentful, and Bai Xiaode is even less willing to organize them. Such a force would be unusable even with an army of ten thousand, let alone only five or six thousand men. I heard that Ma Zhenxi has repeatedly petitioned to concurrently govern Huizhou, but the court has not allowed it..."

Ma Lin, the military governor of Jingyuan, also held the empty title of military governor of Anxi (Zhenxi). Therefore, he felt that it was only natural to place the Anxi and Beiting military camps under his command and to merge Huizhou into Jingyuan Town. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, the Tang court refused to agree.

"Especially Huizhou is bordered by the Yellow River to the west and north, and only Huining Pass to the south. Although the land is vast, the population is sparse and there are few cities. Once the barbarian bandits breach Huining Pass, they will be able to reach Hechi to the west, which will surely threaten Yuanzhou. However, my Fengxiang army is far away and cannot come to our aid. I wonder what the situation is like in Jingyuan..."

Li Sheng asked him, "In your opinion, how many days can Huizhou be held?"

Zang Xirang shook his head: "It's impossible to know... Although the army in the field is not capable of fighting, Bai Xiaode is a veteran general who has fought countless battles. Moreover, the information in the urgent report is vague, and we don't know how many barbarian bandits have come." As he spoke, he fixed his gaze on Li Sheng's face.

Li Sheng smiled and said, "Does Lord Zang mean for me to go and rescue Huizhou?" He paused, his smile fading, and said seriously, "If we take the main road from Liupan Mountain, our cavalry can indeed reach Pinggao in four days at high speed. However, if we go north, it will take another two days to reach Huizhou... If the enemy has not yet captured Huining Pass, then so be it. But if the pass has already fallen and the enemy advances to the walls of Huining, won't they divide their forces and advance eastward to oppose us? My force consists of only a thousand cavalry. If we encounter a large enemy army on the road, I fear we will not survive."

"Therefore, let's entrust the aid from Huizhou to Ma Zhenxi. They are nearby while we are far away. How can distant water quench a fire nearby?"

Zang Xirang nodded: "Very well, then Mr. Li shall stay here and help me guard Dazhen Pass. I suspect that the barbarian troops are heading towards Huizhou, but that may not be true. They may still come to attack Dazhen Pass and other passes."

Li Sheng frowned, pondered for a moment, and slowly asked, "Have you heard any alarms at the pass recently?"

"Not yet."

Li Sheng slowly said, "If the enemy attacks Dazhen Pass, it would be a good thing. I'm afraid their real intention is to take Huizhou. If that happens, our army will be stuck defending Longzuo and will be controlled by the enemy..." Then he slapped his thigh and said, "Why don't I break out of Dazhen Pass and take Shanggui and Xiangwu along the main road to cut off the enemy's retreat!"

Zang Xirang was somewhat surprised upon hearing this and hurriedly reminded him, "If the barbarian bandits truly intend to attack Dazhen Pass and encounter you head-on, how can you possibly achieve victory with only a thousand cavalry?"

Li Sheng smiled and said, "If the barbarian bandits really attack Dazhen Pass, they will not be able to guard against our westward advance. We can be prepared against the unprepared, and with our warhorses, we can easily return. We can also warn Lord Zang in advance."

You want me to go and rescue Huizhou, but I'm worried that I'll fall into the enemy's trap—because they will definitely be on guard—but if we send troops out of Dazhen Pass and catch the enemy off guard, I will have the confidence to advance and retreat at will.

Zang Xirang tried to dissuade him, but Li Sheng was of similar rank and status, and more importantly, he was a favorite general of the emperor who came from the Imperial Guard... Helpless, he had no choice but to open the pass and let him go west, but reminded Li Sheng that if he encountered the main force of the barbarian bandits, he should retreat as soon as possible and not be reckless.

Li Sheng laughed and said, "Don't worry, I am not Li Shuofang."

----------

"Achoo!" Li Ji suddenly felt an itch in his nose and sneezed. Yuan Jing'an beside him hurriedly said, "The weather is getting colder, Commander, please take care of yourself." Li Ji smiled and shook his head: "It's nothing... I'm afraid someone is thinking of me—most likely Ma Chongying!"

At this point, reminded by Wei Gao, he had already anticipated Ma Chongying's plan. So he left all the infantry to slowly head west towards Feng'an Army. The army still pretended to fly their own flags and warned that they could stop when they were a day's journey from Feng'an Army. Then, as Wei Gao said, they went to reinforce each unit. He himself led almost all of the cavalry south along the Wei Ru River to save Yuanzhou.

The cavalry advanced swiftly, covering seventy or eighty li a day, and arrived at Xiaoguan County in two days. The Xiaoguan garrison commander, upon hearing the news, was astonished and dared not open the city gates. He simply stood atop the city wall and inquired, "May I ask why Commander Li has crossed the border to this place?"

Li Ji said, "Having learned that the barbarian rebels intended to attack Huizhou and then move towards Yuanzhou, we came to their aid ahead of time..." The garrison commander shook his head: "This humble general has not received any such news..."

Li Ji stood at the foot of the city wall and glared at the crowd: "I was supposed to come to the rescue first, but if the barbarian rebels are captured and then move into Pingyuan to take advantage of the terrain, then my arrival will be of no use!"

The defending general clasped his hands and said, "Without the commander's order, this humble general dares not open the city gates..."

Li Ji cracked his whip: "Who asked you to open the city gates? I originally intended to bypass the city..." Anyway, you can't stop me—"Only light troops have come from afar, and we are short of grain and grass. Let's take some out first as a loan, and we will return it to Ma Zhenxi in the future."

The garrison commander said with a wry smile, "There isn't much grain stored in Xiaoguan County either..."

Li Ji shouted angrily, interrupting the other party: "The autumn grain should have been stored in the granary. How can you say there is no grain? If you supply some grain and fodder now, you will be credited with the greatest merit when we defeat the barbarians and report to the court. If you refuse to supply grain and cause the army to be defeated and lose territory, the responsibility will be on your shoulders. That's all I have to say. I will only stay under the city for one night. Whether you give me grain or not, whether you live or die, is up to you!"

They then set up camp against the walls of Xiaoguan. The garrison commander stared intently from the city tower until the Shuofang army's camp was fully erected and they began to build stoves and cook, before finally descending from the city walls.

Then, patiently, he stayed up all night, and before dawn the next morning, he hurriedly climbed the city wall to look out into the distance.

The garrison commander was indeed a meticulous man. He finally determined that the Shuofang army consisted of only four or five thousand cavalrymen, and they carried no supplies. Even if all the horses were loaded with rations and supplies, it would only last for ten days at most—hedges take up much more space than rations—would they dare to rebel with such meager provisions and launch a surprise attack on Pinggao City?

It seems there was no malice intended; and the garrison commander dared not offend Li Ji. So, before the Shuofang cavalry could pack up and set off, he opened the side gate and brought out several hundred bushels of grain and several thousand bundles of hay—enough for the troops to eat for three to five more days.

Li Ji immediately detained all the laborers and carts transporting the grain, and had Ma Meng supervise them and follow behind. To dispel the suspicions of the Xiaoguan garrison commander, he even wrote a promissory note and gave it to the grain clerk to take back to the city. Then he bypassed Xiaoguan and continued south.

From Xiaoguan to Pinggao, a distance of over two hundred li, if they disregarded the grain carts behind them and continued at their previous speed, they could arrive in three days. However, after traveling a short distance, Li Ji ordered them to slow down, reducing their speed to less than ten li per hour—only slightly faster than the infantry.

He then summoned Wei Gao and rode alongside him, asking him, "There has been no alarm from Xiaoguan. Does Chengwu still hold the same view as before?" You predicted that the Tibetan army was feigning an attack on Shuofang while actually launching a surprise attack on Huining Pass, attempting to use Huizhou to attack Yuanzhou and cut off this north-south thoroughfare—has your opinion changed now?

Wei Gao, still on horseback, bowed and said, "Judging from the situation near Feng'an Army, it is certain that the barbarian rebels have launched a feint attack on our Shuofang. Their main force will surely proceed from the southern route, either to capture Huizhou or to attack the passes of Liupanshan. Although the court has not yet mobilized a large number of troops in Guanzhong to defend against the autumn harvest, it has still ordered the Jingyuan Army to guard the passes of the northern route and the Fengxiang Army to guard the passes of the southern route. Even if the barbarian rebels bring 100,000 troops, they may not be defeated within ten days or a month, and..."

After a slight hesitation, he continued, "Even if the passes are lost, our army is too far away to reach them, and we can only rely on the court's command. However, if the barbarian bandits invade Huizhou and then move on to Yuanzhou, the court's negligence in defense may lead to a great disaster, but our Shuofang army can still come to the rescue in time."

Military conflicts are unpredictable and ever-changing, so Wei Gao dared not speak definitively. Especially since any trouble would likely occur in another town's territory, he couldn't possibly have sufficient detailed intelligence beforehand to analyze and predict the situation; he could only guess. Therefore, he meticulously analyzed and reported his thoughts to Li Ji in detail.

As Li Ji listened, he nodded slightly—he was growing increasingly fond of this young man in his early twenties. Although he wasn't as brave as Chen Lizhen, his thinking was meticulous, and he often had unique insights into military strategy. His mind also seemed to work faster than his colleagues. That's why he had specifically summoned Wei Gao to discuss things, to sort out some of his still-developing ideas—

“Chengwu’s words make sense, but upon careful consideration, I have observed the route. If the main force of the barbarian bandits does indeed invade Huizhou, even if the Anxi and Beiting expeditionary forces collapse at the first contact, it will take three to five days to travel from Huining Pass to the walls of Huining City. From Huining eastward to Hechi, it will take another three to five days, and then another five days to Yuanzhou… In half a month, surely no beacon fires will be lit anywhere? If the Jingyuan army hears the alarm, even if they are unable to rescue Huizhou, they will surely divide their forces to block the old Shimen Pass…”

Shimen Pass is located northwest of Pinggao City, on the north bank of a tributary of the Hulu River, at the foot of Mount Xumi. It is situated on the main road connecting the two prefectures and is a strategically important location. However, although the pass was established during the Sui Dynasty, it was gradually abandoned after the Tang Dynasty because it was unlikely to encounter any enemy. Only a few dozen soldiers were left to guard against thieves and search merchants traveling along the Silk Road.

"Even if Shimen Pass is abandoned, if the Jingyuan Army can arrive three to five days earlier and make some repairs, it will be enough to stop the barbarian army. After that, the troops from various towns in Guanzhong will gradually gather. Then, even if the barbarian army gets Huizhou, it will be difficult for them to take Yuanzhou and cut off the north-south route! Ma Chongying actually sent tens of thousands of Qiang and Hu people to invade our Shuofang, spending such a huge amount of money, just to take Huizhou. Isn't the cost a bit too high?"

Wei Gao asked, puzzled, "Does the commander think that the main force of the barbarian bandits is still heading towards Liupan Mountain, and will not attack Huining Pass?"

Li Ji shook his head and said, "I have a feeling that Ma Chongying will definitely attack Huizhou this autumn, and also plot to seize Yuanzhou, in order to completely sever my direct connection with the imperial court!"

Wei Gao asked in bewilderment, “If the commander-in-chief’s judgment is correct, it will be easy for the barbarian bandits to reunite, but difficult to obtain peace, unless…” He stopped midway through his sentence, then suddenly frowned and fell silent.

Li Ji smiled slightly: "Chengwu has also thought of that." He then pointed forward with his whip: "Unless the barbarian bandits take a different route and send a surprise force to cross the mountains and bypass Shimen Pass to directly attack Pinggao! In that case, the Jingyuan Army will only be able to defend the Liupan Pass and Shimen Pass, leaving Pinggao vulnerable and likely to be captured. Even if Pinggao holds firm, the barbarian bandits will attack Shimen Pass from both the east and west, and the Jingyuan Army will undoubtedly be defeated!"

"Where will the thief come from?"

Li Ji shook his head: "I don't know either. The area below the plateau is crisscrossed with ditches and canals, and there are bound to be small paths. Moreover, it's probably much easier to travel than when Deng Ai secretly crossed Yinping in the past—I estimate it's south of Shimen Pass and north of Pinggao County." He paused, then continued: "However, we just passed Xiaoguan Pass, and there was no alarm at the pass. Perhaps the enemy's forces haven't yet reached Huining Pass, or perhaps the report from Huizhou hasn't reached Yuanzhou yet... Or perhaps we've all misjudged, and the barbarian bandits are actually attacking somewhere else..."

At this point, he habitually raised an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders: "If I rush to Pinggao now and do not see the enemy, the Jingyuan army will be suspicious and urge me to return. Should my army return or not? If we do not return, I fear that treacherous officials in the court will say that I am pretending to reinforce, but actually intend to attack our friendly forces, or even commit a crime against the emperor!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Gao couldn't help but shudder.

In truth, Li Ji thought to himself, "There are plenty of mediocre officials in the court right now, and probably not many treacherous ones who would dare to slander me. Besides, Yang Wan has joined the Secretariat and the Chancellery, and the old gentleman is familiar with me; he'll surely put in a good word for me. The problem is that Li Yu is inherently suspicious, and if this leaves a grudge in his mind, it will be detrimental to my future development."

So he continued, “If I return, I fear I will encounter danger on Pinggao. That is why I have slowed down and am proceeding slowly, hoping that the thieves will come. If I am so slow and the thieves do not come, then most likely nothing will happen.”

Wei Gao cautioned, "In that case, I fear we might run out of supplies."

Li Ji smiled and said, "That's why I specifically requested a few extra days' worth of grain at Xiaoguan Pass as a precaution. Besides, are we supposed to starve to death in Tang territory? At worst, we can just plunder the surrounding area..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Gao was slightly startled, because he knew that Commander Li had always abhorred the army's unauthorized seizure of civilian grain and other such matters. During daily training, he had repeatedly emphasized and instructed the troops, saying many times, "The army is there to protect the country and its people, and must never act like bandits."

Fortunately, Li Ji had something to say next: "It's just a pretense. Ma Zhenxi is still a kind man. How could he not be willing to part with some travel expenses to see us off? Even if he impeaches us later, I can just return the money to him."

Wei Gao breathed a sigh of relief, then clasped his hands and said, "In that case, Commander, please proceed slowly. I dare to request to lead ten riders ahead to scout whether the enemy is coming." Li Ji agreed.

They traveled for another two days, covering no more than forty li each day, when suddenly Wei Gao turned back, bringing with him a man who claimed to be Duan Xiushi, the prefect of Yuanzhou…

Chapter 18, Crickets in Autumn

Duan Xiushi had just seen Han Quanyi off and was heading to Baiquan to persuade the Northern Army stationed there when he received a messenger from Xiaoguan that 5,000 elite cavalry from Shuofang were rushing in, claiming that they had predicted that the prefecture would be attacked by bandits and had come to its rescue...

Duan Xiushi was taken aback. His first thought was: Li Ji is going to fight Jingyuan to the death!

In recent years, it has been common for regional warlords to be arrogant and to have conflicts and even fights with each other. In particular, Li Ji has a criminal record. He killed Zhou Zhiguang. It was said that it was not a secret decree of the emperor, but Li Ji's own arbitrary decision. Although it may just be a rumor, he later took advantage of the defeat of Wu Shun's army to privately imprison the military governor Qin Rui and annex Qinghe. There are real witnesses to that!

But then he thought again, Li Ji had fought alongside General Ma of this town against rebels and barbarian bandits. Ma Lin usually spoke highly of him, and the two had no enmity, nor any friction between the two towns... Could it be that Li Ji was plotting to raise an army to invade the capital?

Shuofang is a thousand miles from Chang'an. Even if Li Ji harbored rebellious intentions—rumored to be dissatisfied with the Emperor's actions, yet a close friend of the Crown Prince—and led the entire Shuofang army south, he would first need to secure the passage through the Guanzhong region. How could he so easily reach the capital? Moreover, the report from Xiaoguan only indicated five thousand cavalry. Unless Li Ji had already gained the understanding of the towns along the way, and even if they were willing to send troops to assist him in a joint rebellion…

Han Quanyi's daily words and actions did not seem to indicate that he was secretly colluding with others, but Ma Lin... why did he insist on disregarding the court's prediction and plans, sending all the main forces out to guard the pass, leaving only two thousand weak soldiers in Pinggao City? Wasn't this tantamount to opening the way for Li Ji?

Duan Xiushi was getting a bit carried away; the more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, and cold sweat broke out on his back, soaking his clothes. The Shuofang army was always elite and strong, and Li Ji had a reputation for bravery. If he really brought five thousand cavalry to the city, the small number of defending troops wouldn't be able to stop him! Unless Han Quanyi could quickly bring over the Imperial Guards stationed in Baiquan.

He paced around the room for a long time before clenching his fist and saying bitterly, "Fine, if there is indeed disaster, only I can go and perhaps avert it!" So he arranged the city's defenses, rode off on his horse, and went to meet Li Ji.

They happened to run into Wei Gao, who was out scouting military intelligence, and led Duan Xiushi to Li Ji's horse.

Duan Xiushi dismounted and bowed, first announcing his name. Li Ji, seated on his horse, looked down at the man and said with a smile, "I have heard of you, sir. When Li Zhongyong (Li Siye, posthumously known as Zhongyong) died in service to the king, you used your own wealth to support his funeral. The army all called you a righteous man—is that so?"

Duan Xiushi replied, "I dare not claim it as righteousness, it is merely a matter of personal courtesy." He then went straight to the point and asked, "I heard that the barbarian bandits have invaded Shuofang. Since Commander Li is not in Shuofang to defend against the bandits, he has personally surrendered to our territory. I wonder what he demands? If it is anything from our prefecture, we will gladly offer it to him and beg Commander Li to return."

Li Ji raised his eyebrows: "You must have received Xiao Guan's report and come to welcome me. Didn't Xiao Guan relay what I said? There is no need for you to come here. I am only afraid that the barbarian bandits will attack Yuanzhou and that Ma Zhenxi will not be aware of it. Therefore, I have come to help defend it."

Duan Xiushi said, "There is no alarm in Yuanzhou, and there is no sign of any barbarian bandits at the Liupan Passes..."

Li Ji frowned: "Then what about the direction of Huizhou? Haven't the barbarian bandits invaded Huining Pass?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Xiushi was greatly surprised: "The news of the bandits being encountered at Huining Pass only reached our prefecture a few days ago. Commander Li is in the north, how did he know about it?!"