Chapter 518: The Tubo Chess Game (Part 2)

The Tubo army rushed out in full force to defend Lhasa City—18,000 men, their last remaining forces. These were the troops left behind by the Tubo king, mostly old, weak, and disabled soldiers; the elite warriors had been taken away by the king.

Not only the Tubo king but also all his ministers never expected that the Tang army would come from India, crossing the great snow-capped mountains. A hundred years earlier, a Tang envoy had used 1,000 Tubo soldiers to travel to India, and a hundred years later, a Tang army of nearly 10,000 men returned from India. History played a cruel joke on the Tubo people.

The commander of the Tubo army was Shang Chen Shi. He eventually reached an agreement with Nang Dongzan: whether the Tang army wanted war or peace, they had to fight them. Otherwise, they could neither account to the king nor to the Tubo people.

Nang Dongzan also handed over his 5,000 soldiers to Shang Chen Shi. If the Tang army was defeated in this battle, they would become heroes of Tubo. If they lost, even if Tubo perished, they would have no regrets.

Shang Chen Shi urged his soldiers to march quickly. He still held a sliver of hope—that the Tang army’s combat effectiveness would be greatly reduced on the plateau. Although his soldiers were old and weak, fighting on the plateau, they might even be inferior to such troops.

It was this glimmer of hope that inspired Shang Chen Shi’s courage and motivated the Tubo army to charge forward and confront the invading Tang forces.

A cavalry scout rushed over at full speed, shouting from afar, “General Feng, urgent military news!”

The scout’s cry alerted all the soldiers. Those who were resting stood up immediately. Feng Changqing strode forward and asked loudly, “What news?”

“Report to you, General. A Tubo army of about 20,000 men is already 20 li away and is about to arrive here.”

“What’s their strength?”

“Half cavalry and half infantry, mostly old and weak soldiers. Many don’t even have armor.”

Feng Changqing nodded. He mounted his horse and ordered, “Get ready for battle!”

“Uuuu~”

A deep horn sound resounded across the plain. Instantly, horns throughout the army sounded in succession, like a symphony. The powerful sounds of the Anxi horns were like storms in the plains and thunder in the mountains.

Eight thousand Tang soldiers mounted their horses. Feng Changqing swung his battle sword and shouted, “Set off!”

His warhorse leaped forward. Behind him, the flag fluttered in the wind as the horses galloped across the green fields. He Yan Si, the commander of the left army, rode swiftly, his white mane flying over his helmet as he led his troops forward like surging waves heading toward the shore.

“Charge! Take Lhasa!”
Excited shouts echoed through the troops, their faces filled with eagerness and excitement for battle. The innate fervor for war burned like flames in their blood.
In moments, they rushed out of the rugged hills and into a vast plain. Their pace gradually slowed. In the distance, a massive army appeared on the other side of the plain. This plain was an ideal battlefield—thick grasslands and a flat surface, perfect for clashes between the two sides.
The Tibetan army also saw the Tang forces and stopped advancing. The two armies stood about three li apart, facing each other. At that moment, a second scout rushed over from an oblique direction and knelt before Feng Changqing, saying, “General Feng, the enemy force is indeed around 20,000 soldiers, with no reinforcements coming.”
“What’s their combat strength?” Feng Changqing asked again to confirm.
“More than half of these Tibetan soldiers are old or weak. Their armor is incomplete, and less than half have warhorses.”
After two confirmations, Feng Changqing finally believed his judgment—that this was a weak Tibetan force. That’s why they had hesitated to fight until they were forced to do so once they reached Lhasa. It seemed the Tibetan stronghold was largely empty, with all its troops taken away by the Tibetan king. Thinking this, a determined look flashed in Feng Changqing’s eyes. He rushed out of the ranks, raised his sword high, and shouted, “The moment that decides our fate has arrived. We have no way to retreat. If we win this battle, we will become heroes of the Tang Dynasty. Eight thousand soldiers of Anxi, let the Tibetans tremble under our hooves and swords! Victory belongs to us!”
“Victory belongs to us!”
Eight thousand Tang soldiers roared in fury, their shouts echoing across the plain.
“Kill!”
Feng Changqing swung his sword, and the eight thousand Tang cavalry charged like a flood breaking its banks, or like a tornado sweeping across the plain, with an unstoppable momentum toward the Tibetan forces.
“Charge!”
He Yanxi’s roar was like thunder. He swung his great sword, leading the charge on his mighty Bactrian horse, which ran swiftly as if flying. The two thousand soldiers behind him fought bravely, their shouts shaking the sky. They were like sharp spears, thrusting straight at the Tibetan army.
Shang Chenshi didn’t expect the Tang forces to launch a fierce attack right away. He inwardly groaned. He had planned to wear down the Tang forces through a protracted battle and leverage the Tibetan soldiers’ advantage in the highlands. But the Tang forces weren’t fooled—they clearly wanted to end the battle quickly.
Shang Chenshi had no time to think further. The Tang cavalry was already just one li away. He immediately ordered, “Prepare the bows and arrows!”

Two thousand archers stepped forward, drawing their bows and aiming at the advancing Tang army’s vanguard, waiting for them to come within range.
“Cavalry archers!” He Yanshi shouted. All his men raised their crossbows and crouched on their horses.
“Fire!” The Tang army rushed to within 120 steps of killing range. Two thousand arrows were shot forth. They immediately hung up their crossbows, grabbed round shields to protect the front of their horses, crouched behind the horse’s necks, and held spears in their other hands—all in one smooth, efficient motion, demonstrating the Tang army’s high level of training.
Two thousand arrows soared toward the Tibetan archers. The range of the Tang army’s crossbows far exceeded that of the Tibetans. Before the Tibetans could reach their range, the Tang arrows had already arrived.
The Tibetan archers were caught off guard. A barrage of powerful arrows struck their ranks, causing screams as many soldiers were hit and fell to the ground, killing or wounding hundreds in an instant.
The sudden attack disrupted the Tibetan archers’ formation. Frightened, they retreated, some searching for shields and forgetting their duties. Shang Chenshi grew furious, waving his sword and shouting, “Fire! Fire!”
At that moment, some Tibetan soldiers finally realized they should have shot arrows, but it was too late. The massive Tang army had already reached 60 steps away, the sound of hooves thundering, the ground shaking. The intense visual impact and the overwhelming killing intent of nearly ten thousand cavalry terrified everyone, making their legs tremble. The entire Tibetan army began to retreat.
“Hold on! Form a spear formation!” Shang Chenshi shouted hoarsely.
The front-line Tibetan soldiers hesitantly raised their spears, many screaming in fear. Just then, the Tang army rushed in like a storm, breaking into the Tibetan ranks. Their fierce momentum and strength sent the Tibetans tumbling. Tang cavalry swung their swords, blood splashing, heads rolling to the ground. Cries and groans filled the air as spears carved a bloody path through the dense ranks of Tibetans. The brutal Tang cavalry surged like a storm, trampling, crushing, and overcoming everything in their path.
The Tibetan soldiers could not resist and fled to the sides. The formation of 20,000 men began to collapse…
Feng Changqing was indeed a renowned general of the mid-Tang dynasty. He assessed the situation quickly, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of both the Tang and Tibetan armies. The Tang army had tall horses, strong cavalry, and high morale, making them ideal for charging, but they were only half the size of the Tibetans and suffered from breathing difficulties on the plateau, which weakened their strength—these were their disadvantages.

Most of the Tubo army consisted of old and weak soldiers. Their warhorses were small, and they mostly used long swords with few long weapons, making it difficult for them to match the Tang army in fierce battles. However, their advantage was their larger troop numbers and adaptability to high-altitude combat, allowing them to sustain prolonged battles.

Feng Changqing quickly made a decision to charge into the enemy ranks and end the battle in the bloodiest and fastest way possible. Before sending troops, he had prepared a detailed battle plan. Their goal was to strike at the Tubo army’s central commander. Feng Changqing knew that the Tubo commander usually positioned himself in the northeast corner of the army to better command battles, and indeed, that was the case today—the Tubo commander’s flag was in the northeast corner, creating highly favorable conditions for the Tang army to encircle and isolate the central commander.

He Yanxi, the general in charge of the left wing, served as the main force for the attack, acting like a sharp knife that severed the connection between the Tubo central army and the other units. Jiang Zaixing, the general in charge of the right wing, led 2,000 cavalry to encircle from the north. Together with He Yanxi’s forces, they formed a sharp pair of scissors, squeezing the Tubo central army. Meanwhile, Feng Changqing personally led 4,000 cavalry to resist the Tubo army’s attacks from behind.

He Yanxi’s troops, like a thunderbolt piercing through a forest, successfully broke through the Tubo army’s formation. Like a highly agile venomous snake, they turned their formation and charged straight toward the commander’s flag just 100 steps away. He Yanxi swung his great sword, slashing left and right, killing countless enemies as he moved closer and closer to the Tubo commander’s flag.

At this point, the Tubo army was in complete chaos. Soldiers scattered in all directions, their formation disorganized. Many soldiers didn’t know what to do and simply ran toward the denser crowds.

Shang Chenshi was merely a civil official. He failed to see Feng Changqing’s tactics and continued to shout frantically, “Don’t panic! Return to your units!”

Just then, chaos erupted to his north as soldiers cried, “The Tang army is attacking!” Only then did Shang Chenshi realize that another Tang army force was encircling them from the north, advancing like a fierce tiger, unstoppable. Panicked, he turned to look south, where another Tang army force was charging from the south, getting closer and closer—less than 60 steps away. His central army numbered less than 4,000, insufficient to withstand attacks from both sides.

Meanwhile, the large group of soldiers to his south was overwhelmed by the other Tang cavalry force, too busy to deal with his situation. Shang Chenshi was shocked. He finally understood the Tang army’s plan: to eliminate him first.

Panic-stricken and sweating profusely, he urgently ordered a few soldiers, “Go quickly and ask General De Rang to send reinforcements! Hurry!”

Several soldiers rushed southward. By then, He Yansi had already noticed this middle-aged Tibetan officer. Although the officer was dressed like an ordinary soldier, He Yansi keenly deduced that he was the commander of the Tibetan army. Seeing him send soldiers for reinforcements only strengthened He Yansi’s belief. He quietly drew an arrow and, under the cover of the soldiers, quickly found an opening. He nocked the arrow and aimed at the Tibetan officer.

As soon as the string was released, the arrow flew like a meteor—powerful and silent. It passed over the top of the warhorse’s head and pierced Shang Chen’s chest. Shang Chen let out a muffled groan and pressed his hand to his chest. His warhorse, frightened, raised its hind legs and struggled desperately in the air. He Yansi’s second arrow struck, piercing the warhorse’s skull. The horse let out a pained cry and collapsed to the ground. Shang Chen, now off his horse, was crushed beneath it and seemed doomed.

The death of the commander caused chaos among the troops. Jiang Zaixing, the commander of the right wing, rushed to the battle flag. He spurred his horse forward and pierced the flag bearer’s chest with his spear. Then he drew his sword and cut down the flagpole, causing the Tibetan army’s flag to fall.

With the commander killed and the flag fallen, the exhausted and demoralized troops lost all will to fight. They began to think of their families and didn’t want to die on the battlefield. The central army collapsed first.

Like an avalanche, the retreat of the central army triggered the collapse of the rest of the Tibetan forces. Fear swept over them as they fell one after another, while angry horse hooves rushed over them. The vast plains were filled with fleeing Tibetan soldiers.

Feng Changqing ordered a full-scale pursuit and massacre. The Tang army pursued relentlessly, leaving the Tibetan army in a sea of blood and corpses. The rays of victory shone upon the land, and the silhouette of the Potala Palace could be clearly seen in the sunlight from afar.

……

On March 28th, the second year of Zhenzhi, as the last Tibetan forces guarding Lhasa were defeated by the Anxi Expeditionary Army and Great Lord Shang Chen was killed, the fate of Tibet was sealed.

That afternoon, Feng Changqing, the commander of the Tang army, led his forces to the outskirts of Lhasa. By then, Lhasa had no soldiers left. The people were terrified, with no way to escape. Every household closed its doors. Great Lord Nang Dongzan had no choice but to lead officials such as Jisang Jiagong, Chisang Yala, and Dazan Tunsu to surrender the city.

Inside the main camp, Feng Changqing discussed with several generals how to deal with the aftermath of the Tubo forces. Feng Changqing said to them, “Although we have defeated the last of the Tubo armies, it doesn’t mean we can relax our vigilance or indulge in pleasure. The tribal strength of the Tubo people remains formidable, and we cannot eliminate them in the short term. They could launch a counterattack at any time. I’m not sure we can hold Lhasa for long. Once the Tubo king returns, or Ma Chongying returns, we’ll face fierce battles. Therefore, I urge the soldiers to maintain high morale, enforce strict discipline—no one is allowed to leave the camp without permission. We can’t be as reckless as before. As for rewards, I will give generous rewards from the Tubo warehouses, and I’ll record everyone’s military achievements. Have you all understood?”
“I understand, General!”
At that moment, He Yanshi asked, “General, what should be our top priority?”
Feng Changqing replied, “Our top priority is to weaken the Tubo people as much as possible before their king returns—plunder their wealth, destroy their workshops and ironworks, execute the Tubo nobles who rebelled against the Tang, and establish pro-Tang forces. In short, we don’t have much time. We must weaken the Tubo forces as quickly as possible so that they won’t be able to attack the Tang for a hundred years. This is the general’s orders, and we must obey them.”
Everyone nodded. Then, Jiang Zaixing suggested, “General Feng, I heard there are many Han slave laborers near Lhasa. They suffer under oppression. Why not take this opportunity to liberate them? They will surely be grateful. We can then recruit Han soldiers from among them, thus strengthening our forces.”
“That’s a good idea!”
Feng Changqing smiled happily. “I only wanted to liberate the Han slave laborers; I hadn’t thought of recruiting soldiers from them. This is indeed a good plan.”
At that moment, a bodyguard reported from outside the tent, “General Feng, the Tubo high priest has brought officials to surrender.”
Feng Changqing stood up and said, “Well, it’s time for us to reap the rewards.”
……
In the Tang army’s main tent, a surrender ceremony was held. Nang Dongzan presented Feng Changqing with the golden sword and crown that symbolized the Tubo king.
Kneeling on the ground, tears in his eyes, he pleaded, “With the heavenly troops of the Great Tang here, Tubo can only bow and look up. We beg the heavenly troops to cease fighting. Tubo is willing to worship the Great Tang as its sovereign for generations to come.”
At that moment, the old abbot Mozang Zhi, who had come from Jiapu Temple, also stepped forward and pleaded, “Tubo no longer has the strength to resist. We surrender to the Great Tang. I beg the general to show mercy and spare the Tubo people. I am willing to recite prayers for the general for 81 days to grant him an immortal body.”

Feng Changqing sat on his majestic chair and said coldly, “The Tang army need not massacre the civilians, but I refuse to accept a surrender without concrete actions. Within three days, all Tibetan nobles from Luoshe City must gather at my camp. At the same time, all Tibetan provisions must be handed over to the Tang army. All captured Han people, regardless of age or gender, must be released and brought to my camp. Additionally, all swords, armor, and weapons belonging to the Tibetans must be surrendered; those who hide them will have their entire families executed!”

The next day, over a hundred Tibetan nobles were brought to the Tang army’s camp. These nobles, including Chisong Dezan’s three brothers, were taken to Dunhuang under the pretext of sending them to Anxi as hostages. However, the Tang army killed them all along the way.

The more than forty thousand Han slaves returned by the Tibetans were all released by Feng Changqing, who granted them freedom. The Han slaves wept bitterly, kneeling on the ground in gratitude for the Tang army’s rescue. Feng Changqing comforted them with kind words, giving them cattle, sheep, and houses to stay in Tibet temporarily. He also selected nine thousand strong men from among the slaves to form a new Tang army, equipping them with Tibetan armor and weapons. Thus, the Tang army had over sixteen thousand troops in Tibetan territory, firmly controlling Luoshe City and its surrounding areas.

Yet Feng Changqing knew it was not yet the time to abolish the chieftainship system. Only after the Tang army strengthened its forces in Tibet and fully controlled it could the chieftainship system be officially abolished and Buddhism established as the state religion. He then appointed Nangdongzan’s two-year-old grandson, Nangnidzan, as the new chieftain of Tibet, no longer recognizing Chisong Dezan, who was far away in Turfan.

At that time, no one knew that Chisong Dezan had already died in Turfan, and a major war there was imminent.