Chapter 637: Different Strategies

The wind blew fiercely at night, accompanied by heavy rain. After five days of forced march, Li Qing’an’s 30,000 cavalry soldiers traveled a thousand miles before finally reaching the city gate.

Flames illuminated the area inside and outside the city gate. In front of the camp, nearly ten thousand soldiers stood in neat formation, clad in armor, armed with spears and swords, holding torches in one hand—forming a formidable array that resembled a sea of fire. The light from the flames illuminated their faces. In front of the military formation, Li Siyue led dozens of generals to welcome Li Qing’an’s arrival.

“Your humble servant, Li Siyue, pays respects to the great general!”

Led by Li Siyue, dozens of generals knelt on one knee and saluted Li Qing’an. On horseback, Li Qing’an returned the greeting with a fist bow, saying, “Generals, you’ve worked hard. Please rise!”

Li Qing’an dismounted and, surrounded by the generals, entered the camp at the city gate. Instead of resting in his tent, he braved the rain to go to the gate and gaze across at Qinshui.

On the opposite bank lay Li Guiren’s army camp. In the darkness of the night, nothing could be seen, but every hundred steps there was a light from a watchtower. Li Qing’an silently counted them—twenty-four in total. From the number of watchtowers, he could estimate the size of the camp, which covered an area of over twenty square miles, indicating at least a hundred thousand soldiers.

“Great general, can’t you see much in the darkness?” Li Siyue asked softly.

“No!” Li Qing’an shook his head and said firmly, “I can see a lot.”

He pointed at the watchtowers and said, “From these watchtowers, we can see how strict Li Guiren is in commanding his troops. Look at the distance between the watchtowers—I estimated there are eight of them, each spaced about a hundred steps apart, with almost no error. And look at the torches on each tower—there are three torches on each. In the rain, they might go out or burn out, but the number of torches remains constant, indicating that the enemy soldiers are not sleeping but staying vigilant. From these details, it’s clear that although Li Guiren allows his soldiers to act violently, he is meticulous in camp management. He is a formidable opponent who must not be underestimated.”

Li Qing’an’s words left Li Siyue deeply impressed. He nodded and said, “Your great general’s observation skills are beyond mine.”

Li Qing’an smiled and added, “Back then, when we observed the Muslim army across the Amu Darya River, I already admired your keen observation skills. Why do they seem to have declined now?”

Li Siyue remained silent. Wei Boyu interjected, “In his early years, General Li took the lead in every battle, charging forward and suffering many injuries. He didn’t notice it when he was young, but now those old injuries greatly affect his health, including his eyesight. General Li can no longer see clearly across the river…”

Before Wei Boyu could finish speaking, Li Siyeh sharply rebuked, “Do not be rude in front of the Great General!”
Frightened, Wei Boyu fell silent and dared not say more. Li Qingan, however, was moved and asked, “How could this happen? Why didn’t you ever mention it?”
Li Siyeh remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, “I am only in my forties. To withdraw from the battlefield like this really makes me feel unwilling!”
Li Qingan patted his shoulder and said, “We have fought side by side since the Battle of Boliu. It’s been over a decade—what is there not to talk about? In fact, I’m just like you. I was injured in the shoulder during the Battle of Khwarezm. To this day, I can no longer draw a seven-stone bow. But that’s fine. A true man doesn’t necessarily have to fight on the battlefield; governing the world is also a great achievement. After this battle, you should return to Hezhong to serve as the governor there. I will also appoint you as Minister of War, so you can return in glory.”
Li Siyeh nodded silently, deeply moved. Then Li Qingan asked Wei Boyu, “When you retreated, you were ambushed by the enemy. What exactly happened?”
Wei Boyu stepped forward and bowed, “It was my fault. Please punish me, Great General!”
“I’m not here to punish you. I’m just asking about what happened at that time.”
Wei Boyu sighed and said, “It was my carelessness. I sent out three scouting teams, but before the other two returned, I ordered the troops to cross the Nie River. Halfway across, we were ambushed by the enemy cavalry. Five thousand cavalrymen fought desperately, but due to their strength, we couldn’t hold back and were defeated. Nearly two thousand of our men died, and the remaining three thousand or so fled to the northern counties before they could cross the river and escape.”
Li Siyeh added, “From a few captured prisoners, we learned that these ten thousand enemy cavalry were the most formidable Yeluohe cavalry among the Yan forces.”
Li Qingan nodded and asked, “How many of our men managed to escape in the end?”
“Reporting to the Great General, there were five thousand two hundred men on the east bank of the river. In the end, three thousand four hundred managed to escape, including nine hundred wounded and one thousand eight hundred dead.”
At this, Wei Boyu gritted his teeth and said, “Li Guiren’s troops refused to take prisoners. Besides those who died in battle, there were over six hundred wounded who were all killed by them!”
Li Qingan’s eyes blazed with anger. After a long while, he slowly said to everyone, “Li Guiren not only slaughtered my wounded soldiers but also killed over a hundred thousand people in Hedong. I hereby order that this army also be spared no one—kill them all!”
All the generals bowed together and said, “We will obey the order!”

Li Qing’an turned and headed toward the city. After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped, turned back, and gazed at the enemy camp in the distance. A question arose in his mind.
“General Li, the enemy should have an army of 180,000 men. Why does the size of their camp seem like only 100,000? Is there something strange going on?”
Li Siyeh hurriedly reported, “I was just about to bring this up with the general. It’s strange—Li Huaixian’s troops, who arrived first, did not join forces with Li Guiren’s troops, while Cai Xide’s troops, who arrived later, did camp together with Li Guiren’s army.”
“Where are Li Huaixian’s troops now?”
“Li Huaixian’s 80,000 troops are currently camped 40 li to the northeast. The scouts I sent found no communication between the two sides.”
At this point, Li Siyeh lowered his voice and said, “At first, the two armies were only 40 li apart. But for some reason, Li Huaixian suddenly withdrew his troops to Licheng County. Since then, there has been no further contact between them. I suspect there is a conflict between Li Huaixian and Li Guiren, so they are fighting on their own.”
“Is that so?”
Li Qing’an turned to Wei Qingping, an advisor beside him, and asked, “What is the relationship between Li Huaixian and Li Guiren?”
Wei Qingping thought for a moment before answering, “Li Huaixian and Shi Siming are enemies, while Li Guiren is very close to Shi Siming. Three years ago, when Li Huaixian’s daughter got married, Li Guiren became drunk at the wedding, cursed the groom as a ‘Han dog,’ and attacked him, breaking his right arm. This led to a feud between Li Huaixian and Li Guiren. It was only after An Lushan intervened that they stopped fighting. Last November, Li Huaixian sent 80,000 stones of grain to Tian Chengsi in Wei Bo, but the grain was stolen by Li Guiren along the way. There’s still no explanation for this. Therefore, I believe that Li Guiren and Li Huaixian not only belong to different factions but also have a very poor personal relationship.”
Everyone was amazed at how detailed Li Qing’an’s intelligence was. Li Qing’an said to them, “I’ve always told you that to win every battle, one must know both oneself and the enemy. Intelligence is the top priority for the Anxi army. Knowing the enemy doesn’t just mean understanding their troop numbers or whether they have enough weapons and food—it also includes the habits and preferences of their commanders, as well as the relationships between enemy generals. For example, just now General Li suspected a conflict between Li Huaixian and Li Guiren. If there’s no evidence, it’s just a suspicion, or it might even be a deception created by the enemy to make us think they’re at odds. Only by thoroughly understanding their past can we make correct judgments. In the future, you will all have the chance to lead troops. I hope you remember what I’ve said today: the more thorough the intelligence, the better the decisions. Intelligence determines victory, and details determine success or failure.”

Everyone was fully convinced and bowed in respect together, saying, “We will keep the General’s teachings firmly in mind!”
Especially Wei Boyu, though he came from Anxi, he didn’t know much about Li Qing’an. It was only today that he understood Li Qing’an’s outstanding qualities, and he felt immense admiration for him.
“Alright!” Li Qing’an said with a smile to everyone, “The troops I brought are also extremely tired. Everyone should get some good rest tonight. Tomorrow morning, we’ll discuss our strategies again.”
Li Qing’an’s personal arrival boosted the morale of the Anxi army. That same night, Li Guangbi’s 70,000-strong army also arrived in the area around Changping Pass. He received orders from Li Qing’an not to join forces at the city gate but to station his troops on the border of Luzhou, ready to act at any time.
An Lushan’s army was not idle either. That same night, An Qingxu personally led 10,000 troops, carrying 200,000 dan of grain, to Luzhou.
…
In Youzhou, at the Prince of Yan’s palace, An Lushan had just received intelligence from Hedong. Due to his extreme obesity, his eyesight was deteriorating rapidly; reading and viewing texts became difficult, so he relied on a literate guard to read things to him.
“Your Highness, the Prince of Yan, I, Li Guiren, am urgently reporting. Since the commander appointed me as the commander of the southern front in Hedong, I have been working tirelessly day and night, consumed by the desire to destroy the Anxi army and relieve Your Highness of some of the burden. Fearing that I might not be strong enough, Your Highness also ordered the troops from the northern front to come south to provide support. Your Highness’s concern for me fills me with gratitude. I am only willing to die to repay your kindness. However, Li Huaixian from the northern army harbors resentment and refuses to follow my orders. He operates independently, which causes great concern for me and General Cai. If our troops fail to coordinate and the enemy takes advantage, we will be in great danger! I earnestly beg Your Highness to reprimand Li Huaixian or order him to return north, and to assign another general. I, Li Guiren, bow in submission.”
An Lushan’s face darkened as he said, “Read Li Huaixian’s letter again.”

The guard opened another letter and read, “Your servant Li Huaixian reports to His Highness, the King of Yan, that Li Guiren is cruel and tyrannical. Across vast areas, people in Luzhou have surrendered to him, but Li Guiren refuses to accept them, slaughtering everyone in the city, raping women and girls. His crimes are too numerous to describe. The people of Shangdang City, in extreme terror, begged for mercy, yet Li Guiren ordered his troops to kill them. Within one night, corpses covered hundreds of miles; the mountains and rivers turned red, the rivers stopped flowing, and the roads became impassable. No one in the world is more cruel than him. I believe that since the King of Yan aspires to rule the world, there must be rules—those who follow me will prosper, while those who oppose me will perish. Yet Li Guiren slaughters all who surrender without sparing a soul. I think this destroys the hopes of all people and harms the King of Yan’s great cause. I have also heard that Li Guiren obtained fine horses from Anxi and gave them to his relatives, leaving none for the Yan army. Within three years, the iron cavalry of Youzhou will no longer be dominant in Hebei, causing severe harm. This man does not prioritize the King of Yan’s cause but only his own interests. Keeping him would be a great threat to the Yan army. I urge Your Highness to take away his military power and exile him to the wilderness.”

One accused the other of disobeying military orders, while the other criticized him for ignoring the overall situation. An Lushan felt a sharp pain in his head. For a long time, this had been exactly the effect he desired—his subordinates despising each other and having conflicts among them. Even the two major factions within the Yan army were created by him, allowing him to mediate and maintain balance, thereby controlling the generals under him.

But today, although the effect was even better than before, An Lushan did not want it to happen. He hoped the two could unite sincerely to defeat the Anxi army. Unfortunately, his subordinates were not dough that he could shape at will. The seeds of conflict he had sown finally bore evil fruit today.

“Help me up!”

An Lushan struggled to stand, and two guards quickly supported him from both sides. Yet it was still not enough—An Lushan was too fat to stand on his own. Li Zhuer, the small-sized personal attendant, crawled under his belly and used his head to press against An Lushan’s stomach, helping to maintain his balance so he wouldn’t roll away like a ball.

“Good boy, keep pushing!”

With great effort, An Lushan finally stood up. He gasped for breath with every step and needed some time to gradually return to normal.

Li Zhuer was small in stature. His daily task was to take care of An Lushan’s lower body. When An Lushan stood, he would crouch below, using his back to support An Lushan’s large belly. During sexual encounters, since he couldn’t stand in front, he would push An Lushan from behind, with a woman’s plump buttocks taking over the role of supporting his belly.

In the past, after getting up, An Lushan would first walk around the room to do some warm-up exercises before his legs gradually regained strength enough to support his hefty body. But today, An Lushan had no mood for such exercises and went straight to the sand table.
“My lord, it’s right here!” The guard who had been reading documents pointed to the road west of Luzhou.
An Lushan nodded. “This is Liangma Zhai. I’ve been there before; it should be a bit further ahead.”
He pointed with a wooden stick at the Qinshui route. “This is Qinshui. I remember the city gate was right by Qinshui, with a rather dilapidated wall. But it wouldn’t make a good battlefield…”
An Lushan muttered to himself for a while before suddenly becoming annoyed. “Why can’t we block the Tang army from crossing Qinshui?”
No one dared to speak. Though An Lushan was fat, he wasn’t forgiving. Speaking out when he was angry could get one beheaded.
“You pig!”
“I’m here!” Li Zhurou hurried over. “What orders do you have, my lord?”
“I’m asking you—whose orders does Li Huaixian follow?”
Li Zhurou smiled sycophantically. “Of course, Li Huaixian follows your orders, my lord.”
“And besides me?”
Li Zhurou scratched the back of his head and thought for a moment. “Besides you, it must be the crown prince.”
“You mean Qingxu?”
“Yes! I heard that Li Huaixian has a good relationship with the crown prince. He might listen to him to some extent!”
An Lushan slapped his forehead, realizing he had been foolish. Isn’t An Qingxu in Hedong? Just send him to Luzhou as the commander, and that should solve it!
With that thought, he quickly ordered, “Pass my command: An Qingxu shall lead 10,000 troops south immediately and serve as the supreme commander of the southern front!”
An Lushan had finally found a way to resolve the conflict between Li Huaixian and Li Guiren. He felt quite relieved. Then, feeling drowsy, he yawned and said to Li Zhurou, “Zhurou, I need to take a nap. Help me into my room.”
“Sure!”
Li Zhurou and several guards helped An Lushan into his bedroom.
…