Chapter 178: A Prolonged Battle Against the Göktürks

Sand and dust filled the air. The strong winds in the grasslands in May swept in the sand from the southern deserts, covering people’s faces and bodies. The resistance of the sandstorm and internal hesitation slowed down the Göktürks’ advance.

Moucihei Shan was deeply troubled. He didn’t want to fight this battle, but he had no choice. The Tang army’s decisive advance left him with no alternative. Moreover, the smaller size of the Tang forces gave him a glimmer of hope—if he could defeat them, he might have leverage to negotiate with them.

“Speed up! Order all units to prepare for battle.”

Moucihei Shan issued the order to prepare for combat. The Göktürks rallied their spirits and accelerated their pace toward the south. The united forces of the Uyghurs and Göktürks split into two groups—the Uyghurs to the east and the Göktürks to the west. The two armies marched side by side, a massive force of 30,000 soldiers that covered the grasslands like a huge carpet.

At that moment, several warhorses rushed from afar. On them were skilled Tang scouts. A few riders stopped at a distance of one li, one of them spurring his horse forward until he was 200 steps away from the Uyghur army. Then he changed direction and galloped sideways. He drew his bow, shot an arrow with a letter attached far into the Uyghur ranks, and shouted, “My lord has a message for General Ashina.”

After shouting, he turned his horse and rushed back to join the others, then headed south.

A Uyghur soldier ran over to pick up the letter. It was clearly written in Turkic: “For General Ashina’s personal use.”

The Uyghur soldier handed the letter to their chieftain Ashina. Ashina opened it skeptically and was shocked. The letter was from Li Qing’an, the Tang army’s commander. It read: “Half a month ago, Pei Luodagan, the palace supervisor, was sent by the Uyghur khan to my camp to discuss dividing the Göktürks with me. I agreed. Why then have the Uyghurs broken their promise and allied with the Göktürks to fight against us? If you truly seek the greater good, turn against them on the battlefield and join me in attacking the Uyghurs to fulfill their desire to unify the Turks. This is a matter of great importance. I urge you to reconsider. I am willing to retreat ten li to show my sincerity.”

Ashina was in turmoil. He knew Pei Luodagan had gone to the Tang camp, but he didn’t know if an agreement had been reached. If, as the Tang commander claimed, an agreement had been made, then allying with the Göktürks would ruin everything. But if no agreement had been reached, the Tang army’s formal letter left him confused.

“Chieftain, the Göktürks are coming!”

One of his subordinates shouted. More than a hundred cavalrymen, led by Moucihei Shan, were rushing toward them. Ashina was startled and quickly hid the letter.

Mouci Heishan’s expression turned grave as he rushed forward and asked, “General Ashina, I heard the Tang army’s commander sent a letter. What did it say?”
“Damn it!”
A thought flashed through Ashina’s mind like lightning, “He’s fallen for a trap.”
He hurriedly explained, “It’s nothing. The Tang commander’s just talking nonsense.”
“Is that so?” Mouci Heishan glanced at him coldly and said, “Then can I take a look at the letter?”
Not giving him the letter would only make things worse. With no choice, Ashina took out the letter and handed it to Mouci Heishan, repeatedly emphasizing, “This is the Tang commander trying to sow discord between our two armies. We must not believe it.”
“Has Peiluodagan been to the Tang camp?”
“Well… I’m not very sure. The Tang people are cunning—this isn’t new to us.”
Mouci Heishan already understood. If Peiluodagan hadn’t been to the Tang camp, how could Li Qing’an know about the Uyghur khan’s palace? What a bunch of hypocrites—the so-called aid was a lie; their real aim was to undermine the Göktürks. Filled with anger, he kept a calm expression and said, “It could indeed be a trick by the Tang army. We must not fall for it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a scout rushed over and reported, “Reporting to the chief chieftain—the Tang army has withdrawn southward.”
Mouci Heishan could no longer contain his anger. With a deep grunt, he said, “General Ashina, how do you explain this?”
Ashina was sweating profusely and said urgently, “This is exactly the Tang army’s trick to cause strife between our two forces. Chief Heishan, you must not believe it.”
Mouci Heishan sneered, “Whether it’s true or not will become clear in battle.”
With that, he turned his horse and rushed back to his own army. Ashina stared at his retreating figure, gritting his teeth and saying, “If you’re too stubborn, I’ll just ally with the Tang army for real.”
…
When the enemy was still six li away, Li Qing’an ordered a ten-li retreat. Though it was risky, it was nothing compared to the potential gains.
The Tang army slowly retreated, covering only two li before the alarm bells in the command tower rang, signaling that the enemy was now five li away. Li Qing’an immediately ordered a halt to the retreat, and all troops prepared for battle.
Archer units held their positions as a hundred crossbows creaked to life. These crossbows were wound by oxen on both ends, with iron baskets tied to the strings holding twenty arrows each, allowing twenty arrows to be fired at once—extremely powerful. Cavalry raised their lances, restraining their rearing horses. Three thousand Shatuo warriors drew their swords. Wearing the standard Tang army helmets, leather armor, and swords, they looked even more ferocious.

The supply wagons formed a circle, and the infantry battalion inside it had changed. Two thousand spearmen stood outside, arranged in a phalanx, holding spears in one hand and shields in the other. At the center of the phalanx, one thousand spearmen temporarily switched to archers, forming three concentric circles. Under the cover of the supply wagons and spearmen, they created a radial striking surface—this was the coordination between spearmen and archers from close and long range.

Li Qing’an and his three hundred personal guards were also within the concentric circles. Five small catapults appeared in the circle. The guards took out two black iron boxes—these were his trump card weapons: gunpowder. Yet Li Qing’an wasn’t very keen on using them in this battle; he wanted to see for himself the strength of the Beiting Army.

By now, he could already see it—a dark line appeared at the end of the grassland. The Gehe and Uyghur allied forces had finally arrived. He couldn’t help but sneer. What effect would his letter have? His heart was filled with anticipation.

“Drumbeat!”

The huge leather drums boomed, “Dong! Dong!” These were the drums to boost military morale, to raise the soldiers’ spirits. Li Qing’an rode out, raising his sword and shouting loudly, “Brave warriors of the Beiting Army! It’s time for us to achieve glory and build a legacy! Let’s prove with our swords that the Tang Dynasty is the true master of Beiting! For each enemy killed, one mu of land and ten strings of coins as reward!”

His loud voice carried on the wind, reaching every soldier’s ears. The morale of the Tang army soared, and their desire to fight surged within them.

The Göktürk and Uyghur cavalry suddenly accelerated from three li away. The sound of horse hooves pounded the ground like thunder. With shouts and cries, thirty thousand cavalry charged in overwhelming numbers, still divided clearly—Uyghurs on the east and Göktürks on the west.

Five hundred paces away, the Tang army’s crossbows took action first. One hundred crossbows fired simultaneously, sending two thousand arrows whizzing toward the Göktürk camp. The impact was devastating. The leading Göktürk soldiers fell off their horses in droves, cries of pain filling the air. Arrows pierced the bodies of the cavalry, causing their horses to scream, fall, and get trapped. In an instant, four or five hundred Göktürk soldiers were knocked off their horses. Then the second round of crossbow fire came—closer this time, with even greater force. One arrow pierced the bodies of two cavalrymen at once, blood and flesh flying, cries of agony echoing.

After three rounds of crossbow fire, over two thousand Göktürk soldiers were killed, their fighting spirit dampened, and their offensive momentum no longer as fierce as before. By now, the Gehe and Uyghur allied forces had reached two hundred paces away. Their excited screams and fierce faces could be seen clearly. The crossbow carts retreated slightly, and the archers stepped forward. Three thousand bows were raised high, their cold arrowheads aimed at the overwhelming enemy force, ready to fire at any moment.

Li Qing’an focused as the Hu troops charged forward like surging waves. His expression remained as calm as ever, but a barely perceptible hint of pride flashed in his eyes. He saw that neither the Göktürks nor the Uyghurs had deployed their entire forces—about eight thousand Göktürks remained stationary in the northwest, while several thousand Uyghurs in the northeast also failed to attack. They had only committed slightly over half of their troops.

This was different from the Turks, who always threw their entire force into battle, using the devastating power of their cavalry to gain the upper hand. Li Qing’an knew this wasn’t because they had invented a new tactic, but rather because his letter had taken effect. The Göktürks and Uyghurs no longer trusted each other. To be precise, it wasn’t his letter that did the trick, but rather the Uyghurs’ own ambitions being exposed.

“Beat the drums! Archers, fire!”

At Li Qing’an’s command, the drums roared loudly. The intense drumbeats urged the Tang army to shoot. Three thousand archers were arranged in nine rows, firing in threes. With a “whoosh!” sound, a thousand arrows soared through the air, forming a dense arrow net that shot swiftly toward the Göktürks and Uyghurs. In an instant, the arrow rain turned into a swarm of tiny black dots, flying into the cavalry formations of the Göktürks and Uyghurs.

Like rain hitting dry leaves, a large number of the Hu cavalry were instantly knocked down. Their skulls were pierced, and they fell from their horses mid-gallop. Cries of pain filled the air.

Most of the Göktürks wore crude leather armor made of cowhide, had no helmets, and their shields were merely wooden. Their shields and armor couldn’t withstand the powerful Tang arrows. Their only hope was their skilled riding skills, allowing them to dodge the arrows. But their formations were too dense; even if they missed targets, their horses could hardly avoid the arrow rain. Nearly half of them were injured when their horses fell.

The Tang army’s arrow rain continued wave after wave. The three thousand archers coordinated seamlessly, firing six rounds in just 150 steps—18,000 arrows in total.

The Han people’s bows and arrows had always been the best weapon against nomadic tribes. Under the onslaught of 18,000 arrows, the combined forces of the Göktürks and Uyghurs suffered nearly half their losses. The ground was covered with wounded horses and dead Hu soldiers. As the horses galloped, many were trampled to death. By the time they reached 50 steps away, less than eight thousand remained.

The drums sounded again. The Shatuo, who had lurked like fierce beasts beside the arrows, charged forward. With their nomadic brutality and the advanced equipment of the Tang army, they became even more formidable. Like a flood breaking through its dam, they swept toward the combined forces of the Göktürks and Uyghurs with unstoppable momentum.

With a loud “Boom!”, two massive waves of soldiers collided, heads rolling to the ground, flesh flying everywhere, and severed limbs scattered in all directions—as a brutal battle ensued.
The Tang army constantly changed the rhythms of their command drums and flags. As the black command flag was waved, the archers quickly retreated behind the infantry camps, mounted their horses, drew bows, and nocked arrows. In the blink of an eye, they turned into cavalry archers. To the sound of the fierce drums, they charged forward in a V-formation, firing at the enemy from both flanks.
Li Qing’an watched coldly as the two groups of Hu soldiers at the rear moved. Seeing that the Göktürk cavalry reinforcements had no intention of attacking for now, he immediately ordered, “The main cavalry, charge!”
The red command flag was waved, and the thunderous drums sounded. The cavalry commander, Li Fei Yuanli, roared, “Kill!”
The 7,000 Tang soldiers surged forward like a mighty river, waving their spears and flashing their swords. Like a giant iron fist, they struck hard at the morale-boosted Hu cavalry, scattering the Göktürk and Uyghur cavalry in an instant.
The Tang army’s superior equipment and well-trained soldiers were fully displayed at this moment. The 7,000 Tang cavalry were organized into battalions of 500, regiments of 100, squads of 50, and groups of 10. They fought in coordination, supporting each other. When one soldier engaged the enemy in close combat with his sword, spears would immediately pierce from the sides to kill the enemy, before switching targets.
In contrast, the Göktürk cavalry mostly fought independently, without coordination, relying solely on brute force against the Tang army. But against the Tang army’s tightly organized formations, their brute force was ineffective. Thus, despite similar numbers, the Göktürk soldiers often found themselves fighting one against many. Coupled with the attacks from the Tang cavalry archers on both flanks, the Göktürk soldiers were slaughtered, leaving corpses everywhere and rivers of blood.
“Lord, have you noticed? It seems the Uyghurs aren’t giving their all.”
General Han Zhi suddenly realized something. Amidst the fierce battle, the Uyghur cavalry was clearly conserving their strength. They hid behind the Göktürk soldiers, and when the Tang army surrounded them, they retreated immediately, refusing to fight to the death.
Li Qing’an had already noticed this. With a calm smile, he said, “This battle will end with the Uyghurs retreating.”
……
On the other side of the battlefield, Luo Duo was furious. He couldn’t understand why his father had deployed only half of his troops. Initially, they had a numerical advantage, but now the two armies were evenly matched. Moreover, the Tang army’s archers could eliminate half of their forces, and their equipment far surpassed that of the Göktürk. How could they possibly win?
Anxiously, he shouted, “Father, let’s charge with the entire army! Otherwise, we’re doomed to defeat!”

Mouci Heishan was extremely anxious, but he dared not send his troops into battle. From time to time, he glanced toward Ashina. It had been agreed that both the Gelaoglu and Uyghurs would send their entire armies, but Ashina only sent forty thousand troops, holding back some forces. He hoped the Uyghurs would truly come to help him by sending their troops to the battlefield, so that his reinforcements could join as well, but the Uyghurs remained unmoved.

At that moment, a warhorse rushed over quickly—it was the soldier who had gone to invite the Uyghurs to battle returning. Mouci Heishan asked urgently, “How is it? Will the Uyghurs launch an attack at the same time as me?”

“Chieftain, Ashina says they have done their best. If the battle turns unfavorable, they will withdraw.”

“What!”

Mouci Heishan’s vision went dark; he almost fell off his horse. Several soldiers quickly helped him up. He stared blankly at the battlefield ahead, his mind in complete chaos. If he sent those ten thousand troops in now, would the Uyghurs attack from behind? But if he didn’t send reinforcements, his front troops would surely collapse.

Just then, the sound of retreat horns suddenly came from the Uyghur army—a deep, resonant horn sound echoing in the wind. The Uyghur troops on the battlefield immediately turned their horses and retreated northeast. As the Uyghurs fled, the remaining Gelaoglu troops could no longer hold on and followed in their footsteps. In an instant, the Gelaoglu army collapsed.

The Gelaoglu troops scattered like wild ghosts, while the Tang army pursued them relentlessly. Seeing the situation turn bad, Mouci Heishan turned his horse and fled northwest, while the Uyghurs fled northeast.

At that moment, intense drumbeats came from the command tower. The attacking red flags pointed at the Uyghur army. The cavalry commander, Li Fei Yuanli, waved his great sword and shouted loudly, “Kill all the Uyghurs!”

The Tang cavalry ignored the Gelaoglu troops and focused their forces on attacking the Uyghurs. The Uyghurs were utterly defeated. The Tang army pursued them for over thirty miles, leaving the battlefield covered in blood and corpses. Ashina managed to escape by sheer luck, retreating north of Jinshan with less than a thousand remaining troops.

The Tang army reorganized and continued marching toward Xuanchi two days later. By the afternoon of the fourth day, they were less than fifty miles away from Xuanchi.

“Qilang, why did you spare the Gelaoglu troops?” Li Fei Shouyu asked in confusion.

Li Qing’an smiled and asked back, “In your eyes, are the Gelaoglu people wolves or dogs?”

Li Fei Shouyu laughed. “I used to think the Gelaoglu people were very strong, but today I realized they are far inferior to the Tibetans—utterly weak, nothing but common dogs.”

“Since that’s the case, wouldn’t it be good to leave this local dog here to show us the northern gate? That way we can set out westward to Suiye with peace of mind.”
Han Zhi beside him also smiled. “This time, the Uyghurs will end up losing nothing and suffering instead. The Göktürks will never trust them again.”
Li Qing’an also smiled and said, “The Göktürks aren’t fools. To be subordinates to the Tang Dynasty but slaves to the Uyghurs— they must know which is better.”
At that moment, a group of scouts rushed over from afar and bowed to Li Qing’an, saying, “General, the Göktürk chief who attempted to assassinate Heishan and over 200 nobles are just five li ahead. They come to apologize to you!”
“He reacts quite quickly!”
Li Qing’an let out a soft hum, then turned around and ordered, “The main army, set up camp right here!”
The Tang army began to set up camp. Fifteen minutes later, a group of people came from afar—men and women all with bare chests. It was the Göktürk chief who attempted to assassinate Heishan, along with his wife, children, and elders, coming to apologize to the Tang army.
They knelt in front of the Tang army camp and said in unison, “These barbarian slaves beg for forgiveness from the Celestial Empire!”
Li Qing’an, accompanied by a group of civil and military officials, stepped out of the main camp. The chief who attempted to assassinate Heishan crawled a few steps forward and lay prostrate at Li Qing’an’s feet, pleading, “I overestimated my strength and offended the might of the Celestial Empire’s army. I am willing to die to beg for the Celestial Empire’s mercy for the Göktürks.”
“There’s no need for the chief to die, but since the Göktürks have defied the Celestial Empire and resorted to force, they must pay a price.”
“We are willing to offer 300,000 sheep, 30,000 horses, and give up the Jinshan pasture.”
Li Qing’an shook his head. “That’s not enough!”
The chief who attempted to assassinate Heishan hurriedly said, “Please speak kindly, General. Whatever we can afford, we will surely give.”
“The Beiting General will build five castles from Yibop Sea to south of Tutan Ridge. But we lack manpower. I demand that the Göktürks provide 30,000 laborers to help us build the castles.”
The chief who attempted to assassinate Heishan sighed secretly. If the Tang Dynasty built military cities south of Tutan Ridge, it meant the Göktürks’ actual control line would shift northward, leaving them no chance to seize Suiye again.
But he had no choice but to agree. “The Göktürks will obey!”