Chapter 521: The Night of the Full Moon (Part 2)

Outside A Huan City, on a bare hill about ten li away from Shang Jiasu’s army camp, a huge tent had been set up—this was the so-called central tent mentioned by Shang Jiasu. In other words, neither side was within the other’s camp. In the darkness, the area around the giant tent was empty, with only a few soldiers on guard. Yet upon closer inspection, one could notice that the soil around the hill was somewhat unusual, as if it had just been reshaped, but most people wouldn’t pay attention to such details.

Two soldiers sent by Shang Xidongzan had already surveyed the surroundings. Shang Jiasu brought only a hundred of his personal troops to discuss the details of cooperation—these people posed no threat to Shang Xidongzan.

Although Shang Xidongzan had once gone alone to Lan City to negotiate with Shang Jiasu, times had changed. Back then, they only discussed cooperation without any intention of conquering each other. But now, their partnership had reached a critical moment, and anything could happen.

Night was the best cover for evil. Shang Jiasu had taken the lead. Standing beside the large tent, he gazed into the darkness of A Huan City, his eyes filled with murderous intent. Then his gaze shifted to the northeast, where Shang Xidongzan’s camp was located, less than ten li away. If he could kill Shang Xidongzan, he could seize control of his army.

Not far away, two of Shang Xidongzan’s personal guards stood watch, carefully observing the surroundings, especially Shang Jiasu’s camp. They kept an eye on every move there, ready to alert Shang Xidongzan at the slightest sign of unusual troop movements.

A cold smile appeared on Shang Jiasu’s face. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced behind the hill and suddenly noticed a pile of fresh soil shifting slightly. Annoyed, he gave his guards a signal. Understanding, they slowly walked over and stepped on the moving pile of soil.

At that moment, a glow of fire appeared in the distance. A group of over a hundred people, led by Shang Xidongzan, was approaching. Shang Jiasu’s heart pounded. One of his guards rushed back and whispered in his ear, “It’s Shang Xidongzan—103 people in total.”

“Good! Launch the attack as he enters the tent.”

Shang Jiasu slowly retreated into the tent. Taking advantage of the guards’ distraction, he quickly exited through another small door and ran down the hill along a path. As an owl hooted, the pile of soil on the hill began to move quietly, and several gleaming swords emerged from it.

In a pitch-black forest two li away, the 2,000 elite soldiers arranged by Shang Jiasu were ready to strike at any moment.
……
Outside Ahuan City lay a vast forest, like a green silk scarf tightly surrounding the city. About two li away from Shang Jiasu’s camp, there was another forest as well. The forest was dead silent, filled with an almost imperceptible aura of murderous intent. Deep within the forest, a group of about 500 “Tibetan cavalry” lay in wait, patiently awaiting the right moment to act.
These 500 men were actually Tang soldiers in disguise, wearing Tibetan armor. They would strike at the critical moment. This group belonged to the First Scout Battalion of the Anxi Army—the very battalion from which Li Qingan came—and was considered the most elite force in the Anxi Army. Every soldier was highly skilled in combat, capable of hitting targets from a hundred paces away. If the scout army was the special forces of the Tang army, then the First Scout Battalion was the elite among special forces. Even their warhorses seemed to possess human intelligence, remaining completely silent throughout the mission without uttering a sound.
The general leading this scout battalion on this mission was Lieutenant General Qin Haiyang. This legendary veteran scout in the Anxi Army had become one of Li Qingan’s most trusted generals. He was tasked with carrying out important special missions, such as tonight’s operation, which was crucial to the outcome of the entire Toharistan campaign. Li Qingan wouldn’t take any chances, so he not only sent the most elite First Scout Battalion but also this experienced veteran scout.
Qin Haiyang and the First Scout Battalion did not disappoint Li Qingan. Although Shang Xidongzan had deployed scouts east of Ahuan City after his supplies were stolen, the First Scout Battalion moved in such a stealthy manner that they evaded all surveillance and successfully reached the outskirts of Ahuan City, slipping into the forest.
They had already hidden in another forest 20 li away the previous night, patiently waiting for Shang Jiasu’s army to move north. At dusk, they received the latest intelligence: Shang Jiasu’s 80,000-strong army had arrived at the foot of Ahuan City, camped just three li away from them.
At that moment, a shadow rushed in from outside the forest and reported to Qin Haiyang, “General Qin, some people have come out of the city—about a hundred of them—carrying torches and heading toward the high ground.”
The moment was approaching. Qin Haiyang waved his hand and ordered in a low voice, “Set off!”
The 500 scouts moved swiftly, leading their warhorses as they silently headed out of the forest.
……

At the very moment the Tang army’s scouts set out toward the forest, at the southern part of A Huan City, an army of 40,000 men also quietly left the city. Shang Xi Dongzan wore black chainmail, and like all the soldiers, he had a white cloth tied around his right arm as a mark to distinguish themselves from Shang Jia Su’s troops. He carried a long spear, his target clear—the high ridge where Shang Jia Su was located.

Shang Xi Dongzan did not intend to launch a surprise attack on the enemy’s camp but rather to intercept Shang Jia Su on his triumphant return. By capturing Shang Jia Su, he could force him to submit and obey his commands. Though it was risky, to seize control of the 80,000-strong army, Shang Xi Dongzan had to take this risk no matter what.

If he failed, the two Tibetan armies would be completely divided, placing a heavy burden on Shang Xi Dongzan. With internal troubles and external threats, he was exhausted. He no longer had time to focus on the Tang army; instead, he devoted all his energy and attention to capturing Shang Jia Su’s forces. Tomorrow was the full moon night—he only had tonight.

Shang Xi Dongzan led his army out of the city but did not rush forward. He stared at the enemy’s camp several miles to the southeast, where lights flickered and silhouettes could be seen moving inside. His gaze then shifted to the high ridge to the southwest. There, he seemed to see a group carrying torches heading toward the ridge—those were his decoys.

Shang Xi Dongzan grew nervous, his eyes fixed intently on the ridge…

On the high ridge, “Shang Xi Dongzan” had approached the giant tent. An officer stepped forward and said, “General Shang Xi Dongzan, everything is ready. Our general is waiting inside the tent. Please come in!”

“Mm! I understand.”

“Shang Xi Dongzan” replied in a deep voice, dismounted, and strode quickly toward the tent, his hundred-plus personal guards following closely behind. As they reached the tent entrance, another owl call came from the ridge—this time the second time. Piles of shallow soil were lifted from the ground behind the ridge, revealing a wooden board beneath, and beneath that, deep pits. Inside each pit sat three or five Tibetan soldiers armed with sharp blades. They leaped out of the pits, and soon a sea of soldiers filled the slope—over a thousand of them, their swords gleaming ominously in the darkness.

“Who are you?”

Someone had spotted them and shouted, “Commander, there’s an issue!”

‘Shangxi Dongzan’ was shocked; his steps to enter the tent stopped. At that moment, cries of battle echoed everywhere as over a thousand Tibetan soldiers rushed at him from all directions, shouting, “Kill him! Kill Shangxi Dongzan!”
Shangxi Dongzan’s personal guards were caught off guard, with more than twenty of them killed in an instant. As enemy troops surged in from all sides, the remaining guards fought desperately to protect Shangxi Dongzan and break through to the lower hill.
A mile away, Shang Jiasu watched the battle on the hill coldly, a triumphant smile on his face. He hadn’t expected it to be so easy; his two thousand elite troops hidden in ambush seemed almost useless.
The two thousand elite troops hidden in the forest several miles away slowly emerged. Having received no order from Shang Jiasu to attack, they felt an inexplicable sense of disappointment, as if they had punched into air.
The cries of battle on the hill grew fainter until they finally ceased. Shangxi Dongzan failed to descend from the hill and was swallowed up by his own troops. Moments later, the sound of horse hooves could be heard as dozens of men rushed over. An officer held up a head high, shouting triumphantly, “General! It’s Shangxi Dongzan’s head! We succeeded!”
“Well done!”
Shang Jiasu shouted excitedly. He turned to look at A Huan City, whose rooftops remained dark, as if what happened on the hill had no effect on them.
Shang Jiasu was stunned—how could it be so quiet? Remembering how easily they had succeeded on the hill, a sense of foreboding arose in him. He quickly took the head, and several of his guards brought torches closer. The man indeed resembled Shangxi Dongzan, but he was much younger.
“Bad!”
Shang Jiasu realized he had fallen for a trap. He shouted, “Return to the camp immediately!”
He turned his horse and rushed back to his camp, with his subordinates and two thousand cavalry following closely behind.
But after traveling less than a few miles, screams suddenly came from his left flank. Shang Jiasu turned and saw a massive army emerging from the darkness of the night. It was almost a surprise attack—this army numbered tens of thousands, like a tidal wave that instantly surrounded Shang Jiasu’s troops. Cries of battle and screams filled the air.
Shang Jiasu’s face turned pale with fear. He realized this was Shangxi Dongzan’s main force, who had seen through his plan and been waiting here all along. Panicked, he finally ordered his men, “Return to the camp immediately and ask for help!”
“General, we’re surrounded! We can’t get out.”

Shang Jiasu knew he was at a critical moment of life and death. In desperation, he cursed loudly, “Bastards! Charge out—if we wait any longer, it will be too late!”
Hundreds of personal guards formed a shock team to break through, but the three thousand of them were surrounded by forty thousand enemies, with no way to escape. Shang Xidongzan waved his spear and laughed triumphantly, “Shang Jiasu, do you think you’re smart? You’re actually the stupidest fool. Go die!”
He glanced eastward—Shang Jiasu’s camp was just ten miles away, but the camp wouldn’t know what was happening here, as all the messengers Shang Jiasu had placed along the way had been killed by him.
Shang Xidongzan shouted loudly, “Whoever captures Shang Jiasu’s head will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold, a hundred precious pearls, and a promotion of three ranks!”
The Tibetan army charged bravely forward. Shang Jiasu and his troops grew fewer and fewer, and gradually, it became clear that defeat was inevitable…
Shang Jiasu’s camp was also in chaos. Hundreds of Tibetan cavalry rode around the camp like a revolving carousel, shooting arrows at high speed toward the camp fences. Their archery was incredibly precise—each volley caused many soldiers to fall. In just a short time, ten volleys of arrows killed and wounded thousands of people. The soldiers were too scared to approach the fences anymore. Soon, the cavalry reached near the camp gates. They lit flaming arrows, which rose into the night sky and flew in parabolas toward the camp. Many tents in the north were set on fire, and flames erupted in the northwest corner of the camp, with hundreds of tents burning. Chaos reigned inside the camp.
A few battalion commanders, seeing that the enemy numbered only a few hundred and had thrown their own camp into chaos, became furious and shouted, “Chase them! Slay them all!”
The Tibetan camp opened up, and tens of thousands of Tibetan soldiers rushed out like ants leaving their nest, charging at those few hundred men. Qin Haiyang drew his bow and shot an arrow that knocked down a leading Tibetan battalion commander. He laughed triumphantly and said, “Let’s go!”
The five hundred cavalry turned their horses and galloped westward. The Tang army’s scout units used the best Arabian warhorses, which were extremely fast, moving like clouds and mist. The short-legged horses of the Tibetans could never catch up to them.
But the Tang army was clearly luring the enemy. They didn’t run very fast, keeping an eighty- or ninety-step distance from the Tibetan army. The range of Tibetan bows was about seventy steps. By staying at this distance, they made it seem like they were just a little behind. The twenty thousand Tibetan soldiers pursued relentlessly for seven or eight miles until they reached a hillside, where they suddenly spotted the battle in the distance.

Tens of thousands of troops were seen besieging another army, with cries of battle echoing through the air and screams of pain filling the surroundings. The Tibetan forces pursuing the Tang army were stunned. The commander leading the pursuit was the first to react, “Bad news! The general is trapped!” At that moment, he couldn’t afford to pursue those few hundred men any longer. He immediately sent people back for reinforcements and, with a loud shout, led his troops toward Shangxi Dongzan’s army. In the darkness of the night, the two Tibetan factions engaged in fierce fighting over control of Toharistan. As reinforcements from both sides arrived, 140,000 Tibetan troops clashed in a chaotic battle outside Ahuancheng, without distinguishing friend from foe. The sounds of battle filled the night sky, drums thundered, corpses piled up, and blood flowed like rivers. The entire city of Ahuancheng was plunged into unprecedented disaster…

…

As dawn approached, 60,000 troops of the Tang army appeared 20 li east of Ahuancheng. It was the night of a full moon, but sadly, Shangxi Dongzan would not see it. The area was covered with rolling hills and dense forests that blocked the view, hiding the city of Ahuancheng. Li Qing’an rode up a gentle hill and squinted in the direction of Ahuancheng. From there, he could faintly see the city’s walls. Black smoke rose from above the city—unknown was the outcome of the conflict between the two Tibetan armies. He turned to his personal guard and asked, “Is there any news from General Helou?” Helou Yurun led 20,000 troops to block any possible retreat of the Tibetan forces from the south side of Ahuancheng. The guard rushed to the scouts and returned shortly with news: “General, Helou Yurun reports that the Tibetan forces have not retreated southward.” At that moment, a guard pointed ahead and shouted, “General, look! General Qin and his men have returned!” A cavalry unit of 500 men rushed out of the forest, high in morale, and galloped toward them. Qin Haiyang rode up the hill, dismounted, and knelt to salute Li Qing’an, saying, “General, I have returned safely and am here to report to you!” “How many of your men were injured?” “General, only three were lightly injured. There were no serious injuries, and no deaths.” “Good. What about those two Tibetan armies? Did they fight among themselves?”

“Our plan was extremely successful. Both Shangxi Dongzan and Shang Jiasu wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to unite their forces and swallow up the other side. Each of them schemed for their own gain, but Shangxi Dongzan was one step ahead. Shang Jiasu was almost killed, but it was we who guided his troops to come and save him. They fought until the fifth watch of the night. Shangxi Dongzan, unable to hold on, retreated into the city, and Shang Jiasu’s army also rushed into the city. As of now, they are still fighting inside the city, and the situation remains unclear.”

Li Qing’an nodded. The internal strife among the Tibetans was within his expectations. In fact, as early as the battle of Qiemo, the seeds of today’s hatred had been sown between those two. Perhaps they wouldn’t fight each other directly but would go their separate ways. It was only through his clever arrangements that these seeds turned into kindling, igniting their hatred ahead of time.

Li Qing’an immediately ordered, “Pass my command: the entire army must advance at full speed and attack Ahuan City. At the same time, send orders to Helou Yurun—his 20,000 troops must stop the defeated Tibetan army. If the main force of the Tibetans escapes, I’ll take his head.”

He spurred his horse back to the army. The Tang army’s 30,000 cavalry led the way, followed by 300 heavy war chariots pulled by 24 warhorses each, with 30 archers on board. Ten of these chariots were particularly special, painted entirely in fiery red; they were called Thunder and Lightning Chariots by the Tang army. Behind them were another 20,000 cavalry, closely following the chariots. The massive Tang army marched triumphantly toward Ahuan City.

……

By this time, Ahuan City had become a hell on earth. Outside the city, corpses lay everywhere, and rivers of blood had stained large areas of land red. More than half of the Tibetan army had died in mutual slaughter. They were blinded by rage, with only one thought in everyone’s mind: “Kill the other side!”

The battle had shifted inside the city. Of Shangxi Dongzan’s 60,000 troops, less than 20,000 remained, while Shang Jiasu’s army still had nearly half of its original strength, around 40,000 men. Shang Jiasu’s forces clearly held the upper hand.

At this point, all the people of Ahuan City were drawn into the war. Nearly 100,000 civilians were driven out of their homes by both sides to serve as human shields. Every street and alley was filled with fierce fighting, and the city was littered with dead soldiers and civilians.

The largest battle took place in the square in front of the palace. Shangxi Dongzan led nearly 9,000 men to defend using the palace’s structures, while Shang Jiasu led nearly 30,000 men to launch repeated fierce attacks on the palace, sending tens of thousands of civilians to charge in front of him.

The square was filled with cries and screams, the groans of those still alive lying in pools of blood, severed limbs, and heads scattered everywhere, with corpses piled up like mountains. Shang Jiasu was now blinded by rage. Despite Shang Xidongzan’s repeated requests for a truce, he refused to agree. He was determined to turn Shang Xidongzan into minced meat to satisfy his hatred. Shang Xidongzan had shot an arrow into his back, nearly killing him.

At that moment, he held in his hand an arrow engraved with Shang Xidongzan’s name and shouted hoarsely, “Whoever kills Shang Xidongzan and beheads him will be rewarded with five thousand taels of gold, ten thousand sheep, and appointed as a commander of ten thousand men!”

With such a huge reward, brave men emerged. His army launched another frenzied attack, storming the palace from all directions. At the main entrance, about ten thousand civilians were forced by the Tubo army to charge into the palace. Desperate cries and screams filled the air. Shang Xidongzan showed no mercy, killing every civilian who rushed in. Four piles of corpses, seven or eight zhang high, had already accumulated in front of the palace.

“Shang Jiasu, please listen to me! We can’t keep killing each other. I’ll give you the position of governor of Turfan, all the food, and I’ll leave Turfan!”

Shang Xidongzan’s voice was hoarse, but his pleas only made Shang Jiasu shout even more wildly, “Kill him! Boil him into soup and give everyone a bowl!”

Just then, a cavalryman rushed over, almost falling off his horse, and stumbled to Shang Jiasu, shouting, “General, something terrible has happened! The main force of the Tang army is already five li away from Ahuancheng!”

“Ah!”

Shang Jiasu was stunned. The arrow in his hand clattered to the ground. The main force of the Tang army had arrived—Li Qing’an had come. His mind went blank. At that moment, several commanders rushed to him and shouted, “General, we must withdraw immediately! The soldiers have fought all night and are exhausted. If we don’t leave now, we’ll be completely destroyed!”

Only then did Shang Jiasu wake up from his delirium. He screamed, “Retreat quickly! Order the entire army to retreat southward, fast!”

The tide of war turned. The Tubo soldiers stopped fighting. The news of the approaching main force of the Tang army spread instantly throughout the city. This news shattered the already exhausted Tubo soldiers. Many of them realized then that their real enemy had arrived. Tubo soldiers from all directions rushed toward the southern city, like a receding tide. Now, they no longer cared about each other; they rushed forward in a frenzy, trampling one another. Countless people were pushed down and crushed to death or suffocated. They had only one thought: “Escape! Escape southward!”

Shangxi Dongzan was stunned, not knowing how much time had passed. Gradually, he came to his senses and looked around. Most of the soldiers beside him had fled, leaving only three or four hundred personal guards.
He murmured, “What have I done? What have we all done?”
With a shrill cry, he shouted to the sky, “What have we done? We didn’t die at the hands of the Tang army, but at the hands of our own people! Heaven! Today is the full moon night!”
Shangxi Dongzan had gone mad. Pain had driven him insane. He kept shouting, then suddenly turned the hilt of his sword and stabbed it into his own chest. The sword pierced through his chest, and his screams ceased abruptly as he slowly collapsed.
……
Tens of thousands of Tubo troops outside the southern city had no chance of escaping. Li Qing’an’s main force of sixty thousand Tang soldiers had blocked their retreat, and five hundred scouts closed the city gates from behind. With no way out, the Tubo army fell victim to the Tang army’s brutal slaughter.
Three hundred war chariots charged through the chaotic Tubo ranks. Each warhorse was clad in heavy armor, moving at lightning speed. Countless Tubo soldiers were knocked over by the chariots or trampled to death by the horses. Arrows rained down from both sides of the chariots, killing many Tubo soldiers wherever they passed. Fifty thousand Tang cavalry were even more merciless, encircling and killing Tubo soldiers in groups. Everywhere, there was chaos as people fled for their lives.
Although the Tubo army tried to resist, they no longer had the strength to fight. Most of them didn’t even have the energy to run. Like flocks of lambs, they were completely trapped in the Tang army’s slaughter.
The Battle of Tohara in the second year of Zhenzhi ended with an unimaginable outcome. A total of two hundred and thirty thousand Tubo troops were annihilated by the Anxi army in Qiemo and Tohara. Tohara became the final grave of the Tubo army, with one hundred and eighty thousand soldiers, including the Tubo king, perishing entirely.
Ambition and recklessness utterly destroyed the Tubo kingdom.
Volume 13: The Second Front