Chapter 308: Return to the Alliance

While Li Qing’an was engaged in negotiations with King Qing and Mansur in Kucha, the allied forces’ campaign against the Uyghurs in the north also reached a critical stage. Cui Qianyou divided his troops into two groups. One group, composed mainly of Tang troops, Tongluo troops, and Shatuo troops, advanced northward to attack the Uyghur palace located in the Jian River basin south of Tanman Mountain. The other group, led by the Geluo troops, remained south of Jinshan to prevent the Uyghur main force from attacking their undefended stronghold.

The Uyghur palace in the Jian River basin served as their base in the western part of the northern desert and was also a key logistics center. Large quantities of cattle, wool, and furs plundered from the Xiaghas each year were stored there. The Uyghurs had nearly 5,000 troops stationed there, under the command of General Didu, the Uyghur left commander.

In the morning, the Tang troops appeared on the grassland about 25 li west of the Uyghur palace. Trumpets sounded, banners fluttered, and the vast sea of troops resembled a huge black carpet covering the green grassland.

Cui Qianyou slowly reined in his horse and squinted at the dark castle faintly visible in the distance. The Uyghur palace was actually an earthen fortress with walls less than 20 feet high, built mainly to defend against wolf attacks. In the northern desert grasslands, the Uyghurs had few enemies and never considered the threat of cavalry. But today, with the joint attack by three tribes from the grasslands, it was something they hadn’t anticipated.

At that moment, a scout on horseback rushed over and reported to Cui Qianyou, “General, the Xiaghas’ army is already 20 li away.”

“How many are there?”

“20,000 cavalry!”

Abudina and Zhuxiaguduzhi were both pleased and worried. While the arrival of the Xiaghas strengthened their forces, it also meant they would have to share the spoils, reducing their territory further.

Cui Qianyou remained calm, looking into the distance through the curtain. When he saw a dark line appearing in the distance, he immediately ordered, “All troops, prepare for battle! Do not slacken!”

His order surprised everyone, but Abudina and Zhuxiaguduzhi, being experienced generals, quickly understood that it was too early to determine whether the Xiaghas were friends or enemies, and caution was necessary. They immediately ordered their troops to be on high alert.

Then, a deep trumpet sound came from afar. More than 20,000 Xiaghas cavalry appeared 5 li away. They slowly stopped their horses, and one group of cavalry rushed toward them.

The Xiagas, also known as the Jiankun in the Han Dynasty, lived west of the Taman Mountains. They claimed to be descendants of the Han general Li Ling. Not belonging to the Turkic lineage, they were part of the Caucasian race, the ancestors of today’s Kyrgyz and Kirghiz people. The Xiagas were tall in stature, with many having red hair and green eyes, and led a loose, communal lifestyle.

After the Uyghurs replaced the Turks as the rulers of the steppes, the Xiagas were also conquered by them. Although they were not exterminated, they were forced to pay hundreds of thousands of cattle and sheep to the Uyghurs each year, suffering severe exploitation. Several uprisings against them were brutally suppressed by the Uyghurs. It was not until later, as the Xiagas gradually grew stronger, that the Uyghurs were finally destroyed by them.

The chief of the Xiagas was named Wujieros, a strong man in his forties. His father and two brothers had died at the hands of the Uyghurs, and his wife and sister had been taken away by them. Wujieros harbored deep hatred toward the Uyghurs, but due to his inferior strength, he could only endure and obey. When the Gelaoguo, Tongluo, and Shatuo tribes joined forces under the leadership of the Tang army to attack the Uyghurs, Wujieros saw a glimmer of hope. However, when Cui Qianyou sent someone to summon him, he hesitated, as his responsibility to his people prevented him from acting rashly. It was not until the Tang army advanced toward the Uyghur palace that Wujieros resolved to join the alliance against the Uyghurs. He personally led 23,000 Xiagas warriors to join the allied forces at the front line.

From a distance, Wujieros saw that the allied forces were well-organized and on high alert, realizing they did not trust him fully. He sent his son Sudaro to pay his respects.

A group of 200 Xiagas cavalry rushed forward. Leading them, Sudaro shouted from afar, “We seek to see General Cui!”

A squad of Tang soldiers stepped forward to guide them into the ranks. After passing through the dense troops, Sudaro was brought before Cui Qianyou.

“This is our General Cui!” Sudaro quickly stepped forward to greet him. “I am Sudaro, prince of the Xiagas. My father sends his regards to General Cui. We, the Xiagas, have sent 22,000 soldiers and are willing to follow General Cui’s commands!”

He spoke in Turkic. Cui Qianyou, having learned some Turkic during his years in Anxi, roughly understood his meaning. At that moment, Zhu Ya Guduzi beside him whispered in Chinese, “General Cui, he is Sudaro, the only son of the Xiagas’ chief.”

Implying that the Xiagas could be trusted, Cui Qianyou nodded and said, “Let your father lead his troops to join us!”

Sudaro took out a large horn and blew it loudly. The sound of the horn cut through the sky, and the Xiagas cavalry in the distance set off, rushing like a torrent toward the main force.

Over twenty thousand cavalry joined the main forces of the allied army. Wujieros stepped forward and bowed, saying, “General Cui, the Xiaghas are ready to follow your orders!”
“Good! Pass my command—let all troops march toward the Khagan’s palace.”
Tens of thousands of soldiers set off, marching in a mighty force toward the Khagan’s palace. About twenty li away from it, Cui Qianyou suddenly ordered them to slow down. He waved at Abudina, who immediately stepped forward and asked, “Does General Cui have any instructions?”
Cui Qianyou whispered a few words in his ear. Abudina nodded, then waved his hand, leading over twenty thousand Tulu cavalry southward at full speed.
Inside the Khagan’s palace, chaos reigned. Thousands of Uyghur herders were frantically transporting supplies, loading bundles of high-quality sheepskin and cattle hides onto carts. It was no easy task to carry away the wealth accumulated over a decade in that earthen fortress. Uyghur General Zuo Sha shouted in desperation, “Hurry! Faster!”
He kept looking back westward. The enemy forces hadn’t appeared at the edge of the grassland yet, which gave him some relief, so he urged the herders to move faster.
The sudden attack by the Geluo and other allied forces caught him off guard. He knew his five thousand troops couldn’t withstand the combined forces, and the Khagan’s palace was doomed. To atone before the khan, he had to carry away at least some of the supplies.
Just then, someone on the walls shouted, “General Zuo Sha, the enemy has arrived!”
Di De was shocked. He turned quickly westward and saw a dark line emerging at the edge of the grassland, getting closer and closer. Flags fluttered, filled with a murderous intent, as thousands of horses charged toward the palace.
There was no time left. Di De immediately ordered, “Retreat!”
Thousands of simple carts, escorted by five thousand cavalry, rushed out of the city gates and fled eastward. After traveling about ten li, Di De looked back and saw cavalry flooding into the palace. Shouts could be heard in the distance as they fought over the loot. Di De felt heartbroken. He had wanted to set it all on fire, but he also couldn’t bear to do so. In that moment, years of accumulation and Uyghur’s logistical base in the western desert were lost.
At that point, a large river blocked their path ahead. The cart convoy suddenly started shouting. Di De rushed over to check and saw that the bridge over the river had been destroyed. Thousands of carts were stuck by the riverbank, unable to move forward. He realized something was wrong. Just then, the ground began to tremble slightly. The cavalry pointed southward and screamed in terror, “The enemy! The enemy is coming!”

In the distance, about three li away, a cavalry force of tens of thousands was charging toward them along the riverbank. Di De recognized them as the Tongluo cavalry. At that moment, the rear troops also began to shout. The enemy forces who had just taken control of the palace were chasing after them from two directions in the northwest. Di De was terrified—unable to advance or retreat, with all exits blocked, they were trapped in a siege.

By then, thousands of herders driving carts had abandoned their carts and scattered in all directions to save their lives. Some herders who could swim jumped into the river and struggled to swim to the other shore. In his despair, Di De calmed down. He slowly drew his sword and, pointing at the north where the enemy forces were relatively weaker, shouted, “Those who want to live, charge north to break through the siege!”

Five thousand cavalrymen, with a single cry, drew their swords and charged north in a desperate battle…

At the end of April, Cui Qianyou led his troops to defeat the Uyghur palace, intercepting and annihilating the five thousand Uyghur troops stationed there. He killed the Uyghur general Di De and seized all of the Uyghurs’ wealth in the western desert. He then set fire to the palace but did not advance further east. Instead, he turned south to join forces with the Gelaolu tribe. According to Li Qingan’s latest strategy, the time to completely destroy the Uyghurs was not yet ripe; pressuring them without attacking was the best strategy.

To completely cut off the Uyghurs’ supply lines from the west, Cui Qianyou ordered dozens of hundred-man units to hunt down scattered herders across the grasslands, killing everyone they encountered.

The Tang, Gelaolu, Tongluo, Shatuo, and Xiaghas formed an anti-Uyghur alliance, pushing their defensive line eastward from Jinshan by more than two thousand li, occupying vast areas of the grasslands…

In the Uyghur tent, one unfavorable news after another nearly drove Khan Geler crazy. When news reached him that the Uyghur palace had been burned down by the enemy, Khan Geler could no longer bear it, and his fury erupted.

He roared in his tent, shattering all the utensils and slashing everything with his sword.

“Abus! Zhuyaguduzhi! Attempting to assassinate Heishan! I’ll cut you to pieces! I’ll send your women to every tent in the grasslands!”

His roars echoed through the tent, and his guards and maids fled in terror.

“And the Tang army too!”

Khan Geler suddenly turned around, pointing his sword at the south and shouting, “What brotherly bonds? What ‘tooth pain when lip is lost’? All nonsense! Li Longji, how will you explain this to me?”

“Someone!”

He threw his sword heavily on the ground, calming himself down slightly, then said to Ci Xianghelumodagan, who came in upon hearing the news, “Go to Chang’an and demand an explanation from the Tang court. Their Beiting army attacked me—demand an explanation from them! Otherwise, I’ll trample Heishan Mountain!”