Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 59

Guo Xin's defense of Shancheng is not particularly arduous at the moment.

He had been following his uncle Guo Ziyi into battle even before he was as tall as a cartwheel. Over the course of more than twenty years, he had fought in no fewer than a hundred battles, and had contended with the barbarian bandits on the plains many times over. He had a wealth of experience in battle. In addition, although there were fewer than ten thousand soldiers in Shancheng, there were a considerable number of civilians. Although Guo Xin arranged for them to retreat in succession as soon as he entered Shancheng, less than a third of them were willing to leave.

From septuagenarians to young children and even women, they all said, "Our ancestors' graves are all here. How can we bear to abandon them? If the officials are unwilling to defend Shancheng and return, then so be it. But since they want to fight the barbarian bandits, we, their sons and daughters, are here. If we are to die, we will die together!"

"Even if I can't take up arms to kill the bandits, it would be good to carry arrows and stones for the young men, boil water and cook meals..."

Upon seeing this, Guo Xin's eyes reddened. He then organized all the people in the city to patrol the streets and alleys, search for spies, transport food and supplies, cook and boil water, and care for the wounded. He governed them all with military law, turning the entire city of Shan into a large military camp.

With high morale and the soldiers and civilians fighting bravely, Guo Xin was confident that he could hold out for three months as planned.

But what if the barbarian rebels still refused to retreat three months later...? He had no idea. He could only constantly recall the name of Zhang Xun—"According to Li Ji, when General Zhang was in Suiyang, he defended against 200,000 rebels with only a few thousand old and weak men, and held out for a full year. Although I, Guo, am not as capable as General Zhang, I humbly hope that Heaven will protect us, so that even if the soldiers and civilians of this city die, they will die a worthy death, and three times the number of barbarian rebels will be buried with us!"

The Tibetan army's encirclement from all sides was within Guo Xin's expectations; he was still able to hold his own against the Tibetans by focusing his attack on the west side of the city. However, a purely defensive strategy would not only result in being passively attacked but also prevent the inflicting significant casualties on the enemy—although many enemy soldiers were killed during the siege, once the city fell, it would become a one-sided massacre, and it was simply impossible for every Tang soldier to be killed along with three Tibetan soldiers. Therefore, he specially organized a thousand well-equipped cavalrymen, who did not go up the city walls to assist in the defense but instead lay in ambush in the city every day, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

This is also a common practice in defending cities. A truly fortified city does not rely on city gates for entry and exit—because the enemy will definitely pay attention to the city gates—but instead sets up multiple hidden doors in the city walls, so that mobile forces can sneak out at any time. Even if they cannot trample the attacking camp, they can still disrupt the rhythm of the siege.

Moreover, after launching rockets and firebombs in the initial battle, destroying many of the enemy's siege weapons, the Tibetans learned their lesson and began covering them with wet mud to make it difficult for the defenders to set fires. At this point, elite cavalry had to rush out from nearby hidden gates to disperse the Tibetan troops protecting the siege weapons and destroy them directly.

There were multiple hidden doors, and they were very narrow and easy to block, making them impossible for the Tibetans to defend against.

However, so far, they have not yet had the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the barbarian camp. It is as if Guo Xin has this trump card, but has not yet fully unleashed it.

Guo Xin's only worry was about Xiaoxia. He didn't think he could hold out for three months. By then, the Tang camp in Xiaoxia would still be intact and able to support the retreat of the soldiers and civilians in the city. He feared that Shancheng would not fall, but Xiaoxia would be abandoned, or even that the barbarian rebels would break through to the east and threaten Shanzhou. In that case, his defense of Shancheng would become a complete joke.

Therefore, he deliberately showed some weakness on the city wall, letting a few Tibetan soldiers climb up, to lure the enemy with a little sweetness, so that Ma Chongying would not see that Shancheng was difficult to capture and send his main force to attack Xiaoxia first.

Beacon fires burned day and night in Shancheng to send messages to the rear, and the same was true for Xiaoxia. However, the distance was too great, and the overcast skies of the past few days made it impossible to see clearly—was Xiaoxia still in Li Yuanzhong's hands? How many troops did the Tubo send to attack Xiaoxia? The lack of certainty made Guo Xin restless and unable to eat or sleep.

However, just as dawn broke that day, a soldier reported: "We have just seen the beacon fires. General Li is going to use all his strength to break through the enemy camp on the front and come to rescue Shancheng!"

Guo Xin was naturally taken aback upon hearing this: "You all saw the beacon fires at Xiaoxia?" He looked up at the sky, but something was wrong; the thick clouds hadn't dispersed yet... And had Li Yuanzhong received reinforcements from the military governor, daring to break out of the camp to aid Shancheng?

The soldiers reported: "It's not a beacon fire in the small gorge, but a beacon fire on the main road."

From Shancheng to Xiaoxia, a distance of over thirty li, theoretically, a beacon tower should be placed every twenty li at higher elevations and every ten li on the plains. Beyond that distance, communication would be difficult. Therefore, there were originally several beacon towers along the Huangbei Road, but they were abandoned when the Tibetan army circled around to the east of the city and advanced towards Xiaoxia.

However, after Li Ji emerged from the small gorge and before crossing the Huangshui River, he specifically dispatched ten riders to retrieve the beacon tower, light the signal fire, and send a message to Shancheng.

Guo Xin climbed the city wall and saw that the beacon fires were real. Although he suspected it was a trick by the barbarian bandits, he still moved most of his cavalry to the west of the city, ready to support the reinforcements from Xiaoxia at any time.

As dawn broke, the barbarian army in the west of the city began to organize its attacking forces, ready to launch a fierce assault at any moment. Guo Xin, mindful of the situation in the east, temporarily entrusted the defense of the west city to Hu Hao—although Hu Hao's abilities were limited, as long as he followed his established methods, he shouldn't cause any major trouble—while he himself remained on the east city wall, keeping watch.

Not long after, a guard came to report: "The enemy formation is complete, and they are about to attack the city."

Guo Xin waved his hand: "Report back to me after you've engaged in battle."

A short while later, the guards reported again: "The barbarian bandits are fiercely attacking the city gate, but our army is more than capable of defending it."

"It is said that General Hu should not underestimate the enemy, should not fight recklessly, and should follow the established methods I have taught him in the past."

After some time, "The barbarian bandits have already erected siege ladders, and the city walls are under heavy pressure. General Hu requests permission to dispatch cavalry out of the city to destroy the enemy's weapons!"

Guo Xin sighed softly, "The enemy already knows about the secret gate in the west of the city. I'm afraid even if we send cavalry to help, we might not be able to get out..." After hesitating for a moment, still not quite at ease, he said, "Tell General Hu to be careful in defense. I will go to the west of the city to take charge."

At the same time, the barbarian camp in the east of the city opened its gates, and barbarian troops poured out, preparing to attack the city—clearly to tie down the defending forces and create an opportunity for the west side of the city. Guo Xin couldn't help but give a few more instructions to the general guarding the east side of the city before he was about to leave the city when suddenly a soldier pointed into the distance and shouted, "It's my Tang banner!"

Guo Xin darted back in one stride, gripped the city wall, and looked into the distance. He saw more than a hundred riders approaching in the distance, the lead rider leading the way for about a mile, chasing after a barbarian general.

Guo Xin excitedly slapped the city wall: "General Li must have defeated the enemy at Xiaoxia!"

But why are there so few people? Could it be that both sides have really killed everyone, with one side only having a hundred cavalry left and the other side having only a commander without troops? That can't be... After all, Guo Xin had been fighting on the battlefield for a long time, and he immediately judged that this must be cavalry chasing the enemy, while the infantry were still cleaning up the battlefield behind them.

But you've gone way too far! The barbarian camp is just ahead. Why don't you stop now? Who is this guy? Is he so eager to make a name for himself that he's been blinded by the barbarian general's reward?

Immediately, the patrolling barbarian cavalry from all directions gathered around, letting the barbarian general go, and surrounding the leading Tang cavalry. Before long, the Tang cavalry arrived one after another, and the barbarian cavalry also gathered in greater numbers. They brandished their swords and spears, clashing back and forth, and it was truly a fierce battle.

Guo Xin stood on the ramparts, his palms sweating with anxiety, but he couldn't help at all... There were still tens of thousands of Tibetan soldiers stationed below the city, and some of them were about to attack. He was already too busy defending the city to send troops out to support or reinforce it. He could only sigh that this Tang cavalry was very brave, and they all seemed to have red headscarves wrapped around their heads, making them quite conspicuous from a distance. They must be the elite of the Shence Army, but they were tired from their long journey and might not be a match for the growing number of Tibetan cavalry.

What a waste of such a fine young man!

Just as I was about to turn my head away, unable to bear to look any longer—I should go to the west of the city to command the attack and defense—my gaze swept back to the barbarian camp. There, countless cavalry and infantry surged out, charging towards the hundred riders in a chaotic, disorganized manner.

The Tibetans must be crazy. Why would they send thousands of troops when they could only face a hundred cavalrymen?

Guo Xin knew that the barbarian camp east of the city had a garrison of about ten thousand troops, but only about a thousand were sent out to attack the city on a daily basis. The rest spent their days digging trenches and building fortifications, preparing for a prolonged siege. He had once led his troops out at night to launch a surprise attack on the barbarian camp in that direction, hoping to break the encirclement, but the enemy's defenses were quite strong, and he could not succeed.

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?"