Chapter 134: The Battle of the Stone Fortress (Part 1)

Chili Ridge is located on the east side of Qinghai and has always been a strategic pass on the ancient Tang-Tibet Road. Named for its red mountains, it served as a forward post and barrier for the Central Plains dynasties since the Han, Wei, Jin, and Sui dynasties. During the Tang Dynasty, its status as the boundary between Tang and Tibet made it even more strategically important.

Chili Ridge is higher in the west and lower in the east. While the western part is high but relatively flat, the eastern part is steep and rugged, acting like a massive barrier across the Tang-Tibet Road. For centuries, it has been a stronghold for Tibetans invading the Tang Dynasty.

This battle between the 300,000-strong armies of Tang and Tibet involved the core interests of both nations. Troops were mobilized starting in June, and after half a year of confrontation, the battle at Chili Ridge reached its critical moment.

Inside the Tibetan camp in Dafei River Valley, an army of over ten thousand Tibetan elite guards marched in grand procession. At the center of the group, eight hundred Tibetan strongmen carried a huge wooden palanquin. On top of the palanquin was a white woolen tent that could accommodate nearly a hundred people. In front of the tent stood eighteen tall warriors. Among them sat a Tibetan noble in his fifties, dressed in a long-sleeved, wide-collared white robe with a high-quality lambskin collar. His hair was tied into braids with silk, and a straight red headscarf wrapped around his golden crown. A sword inlaid with gems hung at his waist. He was the Tibetan king, Trisong Detsen.

The Battle of Hehuang was also a battle crucial to Tibet’s fate. Tibet mobilized its entire nation to face this conflict. From beginning to end, Trisong Detsen kept an eye on the progress of the battle. But after Haixi’s Fusi City was captured by the Tang forces, he began to worry. Could Dazhalugong truly defend Chili Ridge for him?

Soon after, Dazhalugong captured Shenwei City but suffered a crushing defeat on Longju Island. These two contrasting reports finally made Trisong Detsen uneasy. He ordered an inspection of Dafei River Valley and went to the front lines to oversee the battle personally.

Ten miles away from the Tibetan camp, Dazhalugong led thirty thousand Tibetan troops to greet their king. A low, deep horn sound echoed through the icy landscape. Trisong Detsen stood up and waved, saying, “May the gods protect Tibet! May the gods protect my army!”

“May the gods protect the king! King! King!”

The thirty thousand Tibetan troops knelt down, calling out to their king with great momentum. The wooden palanquin was slowly lowered. Dazhalugong stepped forward and knelt, saying, “Your servant, Dazhalugong, pays his respects to the king!”

Trisong Detsen quickly stepped forward to help him up and said with a smile, “General Dazhalugong, I have been following the battle between Tang and Tibet and have come here to reward your troops.”

“I dare not. Please, Your Majesty, go to the camp; I will report the battle situation to you.”
“Good! I was just eager to hear it.”
Tens of thousands surrounded the Tibetan king’s palanquin as it marched grandly toward the Dafei River camp.
Inside the large camp tent, dozens of Tibetan warriors stood in two rows, with Dazhalugong respectfully describing the details of the two battles to Chidezuzan.
Compared to the great victory at Shenwei City, Chidezuzan was more concerned about the disastrous defeat at Longju Island. When he heard that it was the Qinghai Dragon King who had caused the Tibetan army’s defeat, his brows furrowed deeply. How could that be? The Qinghai Dragon King appearing from the Tang army’s fortress left him somewhat skeptical.
Dazhalugong said, “When I first heard Lunzangqi’s report, I didn’t believe it either. I thought it was an excuse to cover up his failure. But later, I asked over a hundred soldiers, and everyone described the same thing—the green dragon indeed circled in the sky and sent thunder, causing heavy casualties among our soldiers. Thousands witnessed it; it cannot be a lie.”
Chidezuzan pondered for a moment before asking, “What is the name of the Tang general guarding Longju Island?”
“I investigated later and heard it’s a general from Anxi named Li Qing’an. I suspect he’s the one who attacked Fusi City. I saw with my own eyes our supply ships in his hands.”
“Li Qing’an!”
Chidezuzan repeated the name twice in silence. A deep hatred flashed in his eyes as he gritted his teeth and said, “I know him. He’s the greatest archer of Anxi. He killed my princess in the abyss of Xiaobo Li. What a cruel coincidence!”
Dazhalugong was also stunned. After a long while, he said, “Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will capture this Tang general alive and deliver him to you.”
……
Late at night, everything west of Chiling was utterly silent. All living things seemed to be in hibernation. The cold wind blew like knives against the rocks, passing through the cracks and emitting a ghostly, shrill howl that was terrifying. At that moment, two figures appeared in a valley of Chiling. They moved swiftly and skillfully—two Tang army scouts. There were five such groups, each with two members, sent by Li Qing’an to investigate the distribution of the Tibetan army in Chiling.
Both of them were experienced scouts from the Anxi army, highly skilled at protecting themselves and ensuring they wouldn’t be detected by Tibetan sentries.
They were now at halfway up the mountain, searching for the Tibetan troops’ camp. They had already spotted Tibetan sentries, so there must be Tibetan troops in the vicinity.
“Lao Liu, look over there!” One of the scouts suddenly noticed several white objects in a valley.

“It’s tents!” another Tang soldier exclaimed in delight.
“Shh! Be quiet. Let’s go take a look.”
The two of them crouched and quickly climbed up the mountain. The back side of Chilin wasn’t as steep as the front; there were many valleys that made climbing easier, but only up to the middle of the mountain. Reaching the summit was just as perilous.
Slowly, they reached above the valley and looked down. Everything was clearly visible. They gasped in shock—tents were packed tightly together, filling the entire valley.
“I counted them. There are 295 tents in total.”
Based on their experience, each tent housed twenty people. Adding the tents used for storing food, there were at least fifty thousand troops stationed in that valley. They looked up at the summit. In the darkness, a mountain path wound its way to the top, where a huge black peak stood like a yak perched on the summit—that was the Stone Castle City, guarding the pass to Chilin.
“That’s it!”
The two Tang soldiers marked the location of the Tubo troops on the map under the faint moonlight, then slowly climbed down the cliff and disappeared into the deep darkness.
……
December 24th, Yinglong City. Li Qing’an officially handed over the defense of Yinglong City to General Wang Nande, who had come to take his place.
On the ice fields of Longju Island, three thousand Tang soldiers were ready to set off. Among them were the Anxi scouts who had fought in the Battle of Xiaobolü, the Jiangdu troops brought from Yangzhou, Han slave soldiers rescued from Haixi, and another 1,500 elite soldiers from Longyou provided by Geshu Han. In the middle of the troops were dozens of petite soldiers, each wearing a red band on their left arm, marking them as special.
At the back were over five hundred plateau horses, carrying six days’ worth of rations, water, and large quantities of arrows for the three thousand soldiers. There were also dozens of heavy sleds loaded with oil drums, gunpowder containers, and other military supplies.
The cold wind was so fierce that it seemed to freeze the air itself. The three thousand soldiers stood quietly in the wind, waiting for the final order to set off. Li Qing’an mounted his horse and took one last look at Yinglong City, standing alone on the vast ice field. He felt an indescribable sense of loss. Would there still be any remnants of that castle on an island in Qinghai Lake after a thousand years?
“Set off!”
With a wave of his hand, Li Qing’an ordered the troops to move. In the darkness, groups of Tang soldiers set off, like three long black dragons, marching grandly toward Chilin.
……

In the Dafeichuan military camp, Dazhalugong received urgent intelligence sent from Shenwei City: a hundred-thousand-strong Tang army had appeared on the north route of Chiling. This sudden news made Dazhalugong’s nerves tighten sharply. He never expected the Tang army to launch an attack in such a cold season. The situation was extremely urgent, and the defenders of Shenweibao sent three urgent messages requesting support.

But Dazhalugong remained unmoved. Years of military experience taught him that it was crucial to stay calm in such emergencies. The Tang army launching an attack at this critical moment surely had deeper motives behind it.

With his hands behind his back, Dazhalugong paced back and forth inside the tent. There were only two possible strategies for the Tang army: one was to attack from the north, bypassing Chiling so as not to have to scale Shibao City; the other was to feint an attack from the north to lure his troops away while actually attacking Shibao City. Both strategies were possible. Dazhalugong narrowed his eyes, staring at the tent roof. If he were Geshu Han, which strategy would he choose?

“The Zanpu has arrived!”

A soldier’s shout came from outside the tent. Dazhalugong was instantly pulled out of his thoughts. The tent curtain was lifted, and Zanpu Chidezuzan and Prime Minister Shang Jieshi entered one after another.

Shang Jieshi had arrived at the Dafeichuan military camp a day later than the Zanpu because he had been inspecting Fusi City. As the deputy governor in charge of overall support for this Tang-Tibet war, his role was on par with Dazhalugong’s—one responsible for frontline combat, the other for logistical support. Yet within Tibet, Shang Jieshi was the prime minister, second only to the Zanpu and above everyone else. Dazhalugong could not compare to him. The two had never gotten along. After Fusi City was captured by the Tang army, it was his accusations that led to Dazhalugong’s removal from his position as vice prime minister. His presence here accompanying the Zanpu on an inspection clearly carried hostile intentions.

Dazhalugong did not dare neglect him and quickly knelt down. “Your servant pays respects to the Zanpu!”

Chidezuzan had been there for three days and planned to return to Lhasa the next day. Unexpectedly, just as he was preparing to leave, he received news of the Tang army’s massive attack. He could sit still no longer.

“General Dazhalugong, I heard that the Tang army has launched an attack. Is it true?”

Chidezuzan’s tone was displeased. It should be him asking, not Dazhalugong reporting to him first. How dare this Dazhalugong neglect him so much?

Cold sweat streamed down Dazhalugong’s back. He could tell the Zanpu’s dissatisfaction and hurriedly said, “Zanpu, your servant also just received the news. The Tang army indeed has launched an attack.”

Shang Jiexi snorted coldly and said, “Even outsiders like me and the Zanpu already know about this. Could General Dazhalugong have just heard about it now?” He emphasized the word “outsiders” deliberately to remind Chidezuzan that Dazhalugong had no intention of reporting to him at all. Shang Jiexi’s blatant provocation enraged Dazhalugong, who, overwhelmed by old and new grievances, could no longer control his fury. Kneeling before Chidezuzan, he said resentfully, “I failed to report to the Zanpu in a timely manner because I needed time to think of strategies, but some people consider this a grave betrayal. If the Zanpu also believes I am unfit for this responsibility, then please relieve me of my position as commander of the front army. I am willing to go herding sheep in the grasslands.” A hint of annoyance flashed in Chidezuzan’s eyes. How dare Dazhalugong threaten him? Suppressing his anger, he smiled and helped Dazhalugong up. “With a great enemy at the gates, General, please don’t act like this. The prime minister is also eager to discuss military matters. The front army should still be led by you; I am merely offering some suggestions.” With that, he walked over to the map and pointed at the location of Shenwei City, asking, “I heard that the Tang army, numbering 100,000, is pressing on Shenwei City. How many troops do we have inside Shenwei City?” Dazhalugong sighed inwardly. With the Zanpu involved in military affairs, how could it be just a matter of suggestions? Reluctantly, he replied, “There are 5,000 troops stationed in Shenwei City. But Shenwei City was built by the Tang army. It is surrounded by mountains on the west, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack, while the east is flat, making it easy to attack. With the Tang army’s massive forces approaching, it will be hard to defend Shenwei City.” Chidezuzan pondered for a moment before asking, “Does the general think the Tang army is only here to attack Shenwei City?” “I believe there are two possibilities for the Tang army. Either they want to open up a route through the northern passes, bypassing Chiling, or they are feigning an attack on the north to draw our forces away, while their real goal is to attack Shibao City.” “Then which possibility does the general think is more likely?” Dazhalugong frowned deeply. In fact, both were possible. If their goal was merely to seize Chiling, then attacking Shibao City would be more likely. But if the Tang army intended to attack the Great Fei River region, then attacking via the northern passes would be even easier. The key was that he didn’t know the Tang army’s strategic plans. Yet the Zanpu’s question forced him to answer. Gritting his teeth, he said, “I think the possibility of attacking Shibao City is a bit higher.” “I, on the other hand, believe that the Tang army has gathered such a large force in Hehuang after months of preparation. It’s unlikely they just want to take Shibao City. Their strategic goal is to conquer the Great Fei River region, seize the nine bends of the Yellow River, and take control of our food-producing areas.”

Shang Jiexi stepped forward slowly, casting a disdainful glance at Dazhalugong. He said, “General Dazhalugong, the Tang Dynasty has labeled this campaign as the Hehuang Campaign. This means they are not only focused on capturing key passes and fortresses. Since they have won the Battle of Xiaobolü and gained an advantage on the western front, they can now concentrate all their efforts on the eastern front in Helong. Given the Tang emperor’s ambition, he will never be satisfied with just a small city like Shibao. Since he ascended the throne in the second year of Kaiyuan, he has been striving to expand deeper into Tubo. Now that he is approaching old age and has only a few more years to live, he certainly doesn’t want to go to his grave with regrets. That’s why he has mobilized 150,000 troops from Shuofang, Hexi, Longyou, and Anxi, deploying the entire nation’s strength for this major battle. Could he really just want to capture Shibao so simply? If it were just for that, what’s the point of building Shenwei City and Yinglong City? Dazhalugong, as a general, you may be able to analyze the Tang army’s strategic intentions through intelligence, but you don’t understand court politics, so you can’t fathom their true plans. Yet, by looking at the Tang army’s military deployments over the years, one can deduce their real intentions. If I’m not mistaken, a large force of Tang troops must have already bypassed the northern route of Chiling and is marching toward Dafeichuan.”

As soon as Shang Jiexi finished speaking, there was suddenly the sound of hurried footsteps outside the tent. A messenger shouted from outside, “Reporting to the general! A large Tang army of about 80,000 troops has crossed the northern route of Chiling and is marching boldly toward Dafeichuan!”

Chidezuzan gave Shang Jiexi an approving look before turning coldly to Dazhalugong and saying, “General Dazhalugong, what should we do next? I suppose I don’t need to remind you!”

Under the pressure from the Tubo king, Dazhalugong had no choice but to change his military deployment. He immediately ordered 30,000 Tubo troops stationed in the middle section of Chiling to reinforce Shenwei City, and sent another 20,000 Tubo troops from Datong Valley eastward to assist in defending Shenwei City while cutting off the Tang army’s retreat. He himself led 80,000 troops northward to confront the main Tang forces invading Dafeichuan.

After making these strategic arrangements, aside from leaving 10,000 troops to guard the Dafeichuan camp, only 5,000 Tubo troops were stationed behind Shibao City in the area west of Chiling. These were the reinforcements for Shibao City, led by General Lunzangqi.

There are two sections of the journey from Longju Island to the back mountains of Chiling: one is walking on the ice in Qinghai, and the other is crossing ashore to march through the highland foothills. The section on the ice goes relatively smoothly, as Tubo scouts generally do not appear there but patrol along the back of Chiling.

After landing at night, Li Qingan’s three thousand troops quickly bypassed the Tubo army’s patrol routes and advanced like a sharp knife, plunging deep into Chiling.

On the evening of December 26th, Li Qingan’s three thousand Tang troops arrived at a mountain pass called Langya Jiao. It was less than ten miles from where the Tubo army was stationed behind Shibao City, and they could reach it by crossing a ridge.

Along the way, they passed several key Tubo military positions, each originally occupied by thousands of Tubo soldiers, but now all were deserted. Even here at Langya Jiao, once a military stronghold, not a single Tubo soldier was in sight, indicating that Ge Shuhan’s strategy to divert troops had succeeded—the Tubo army’s main force had been sent to the northern line of Chiling.

After several days of rapid marching, the Tang troops were exhausted and sat on the ground to rest and regain their strength. Wrapped in thick military blankets and drinking strong liquor, they whispered among themselves.

Under a rock, five soldiers from the Jiangdu Camp huddled together like groundhogs, using each other’s body heat to stay warm.

“Damn it, this hellish place is freezing you to death! I remember around this time last year, I was lying in my wife’s warm bed, drinking Jiangdu Pear Blossom wine and discussing with her whether to have another child. But now… Ugh! I really don’t know what got into me to come here and fight!”

Another veteran glanced at him and laughed, “Lin San, why didn’t you regret counting money? Tell me, how much have you made since joining the training camp?”

“And how much have you gotten?”

“You tell me first, then I’ll tell you.”

“Okay! I have records here.”

Lin San took out a small notebook from his pocket, which contained a few scribbled lines. Smiling, he said, “Here’s the record: I made it into the top ten archers during training and was rewarded with twenty strings of coins; I got five gold hairpins after fighting at Duliang Mountain, and fifty strings of coins as settlement money after going to Anxi. That’s it.”

Suddenly, he scratched his head and said, “That’s not right! I remember there were also eight strings of coins from the training camp for rice—why wasn’t that recorded? Damn it, what a terrible memory I have!”

Lin San put away the notebook and nudged the veteran with his arm. “Sun Mazi, it’s your turn to talk.”

Sun Mazi chuckled and said, “How much I got? I forgot!”

“You bastard! How dare you trick me!”

Lin San turned over and threw the veteran to the ground, shouting mockingly, “You don’t have to say anything. Then you have to tell me how you and your wife usually show affection.”
“Shh! Be quiet!” an officer shouted softly in the distance.
At that moment, two scouts rushed over quickly from beyond the mountain ridge, bringing the latest news.