Chapter 648: The Shangdang Campaign (10)

The net was gradually tightening.
While the Yan army was making intense preparations, the Tang army camp was also in a race against time to get ready for battle. At the first hour of the night, Li Qing’an finally received the official surrender letter sent by Li Huaixian, along with Li Guiren’s battle plan.
In front of the sand table, Li Qing’an and senior generals like Li Siyue were finalizing the battle strategy.
“That’s Luosong Village!”
Li Qing’an pointed with a wooden stick at a small elevation on the sand table, surrounded by flat land, and said with a smile, “This hill is indeed prominent, and the surrounding area is ideal for a battlefield. Li Guiren chose this spot as the meeting point—clearly, he has some skill in warfare. We can’t take him lightly.”
“How far is Luosong Village?” Li Siyue asked a military advisor in a grave tone.
“General, Luosong Village is located right at the center of Liangmazhai and Shangdang County. It’s about sixty li from Liangmazhai and sixty-five li from Shangdang County.”
“Hmm!”
Li Siyue nodded and said to Li Qing’an, “General, time is running out!”
“That’s true. Time is extremely tight, which means we must complete our preparations by tomorrow noon.”
At that moment, Li Feiyuanli, who had remained silent until then, spoke up, “Why not wait for them to finish setting up first, then strike at them from behind?”
Before Li Qing’an could respond, Li Siyue spoke on his behalf, “Under normal circumstances, that would be the right approach. But right now, the Yan army is unstable, and anything could happen. We can’t be too passive.”
“But if we take action now, won’t it alert them and accelerate internal divisions?” Li Feiyuanli insisted on his view.
“No need to argue anymore.”
Li Qing’an waved his hand to stop their debate. “I’ve thought about all these issues. Old Li isn’t wrong—if we act too rashly, it might indeed alert them. But if we stay idle and they start fighting among themselves after gathering forces, it will be too late for us to act. So we need to know when to act and when not to.”
Li Qing’an pointed with his wooden stick at a river in the north. “This river is the Jiangshui River. It runs across the route northward, and the best place to cross it is this town.”
He then pointed at a town by the river. “This town is Huobi Town. There’s a wooden bridge right next to it. If the Yan army retreats northward, they’re very likely to use this route. So first, we need to send an army to block their path northward.”
Li Qing’an glanced at the dozen or so generals present. “Who among you is willing to take on this task?”

No one spoke. Everyone understood that it was unlikely for the Yan army to retreat north; stationing troops there would be equivalent to standing by idly and missing the chance to earn merits in this major battle.
“Why, none of you want to go? Do you want me to appoint someone?” Li Qing’an still wore a kind smile, but his gaze turned somewhat stern.
“General Wei Boyu, you should go!” Li Siyeh spoke up, breaking the deadlock.
Wei Boyu had no choice but to step forward, kneel on one knee, and say, “Your humble servant, Wei Boyu, is willing to lead the troops there.”
“Good!”
Li Qing’an nodded. “I’ll give you 20,000 troops. You’ll station them in two places—one in Huobi Town and the other in Jiangyin Town. The two towns are forty li apart. Whether or not the Yan army moves north, as long as you hold these two towns until the end, I’ll recognize your merit.”
Wei Boyu was overjoyed. “Your humble servant will obey the orders!”
“Set out now. Lead the Ninth and Tenth Guards to Jiangshui before dawn tomorrow to ensure defense.”
“Yes!”
Just as Wei Boyu stood up to leave, Li Qing’an called him back. “Wait!”
Wei Boyu stopped and bowed, ready to listen.
Li Qing’an pondered for a moment before saying, “It’s possible that Li Huaixian’s troops will come to surrender to you. If they do, immediately withdraw your troops to the north bank, destroy all the bridges, and burn the boats used to cross the river…”
“No!” Li Qing’an corrected again. “Don’t wait until they arrive to destroy them. As soon as you reach Jiangshui, evacuate the people from both towns to the north bank, destroy the bridges, and sink all the boats. When Li Huaixian’s men arrive, he can convey my orders to have them station themselves on the south bank and wait for the battle to end. This is a matter of great importance—you must not let them cross the river. If they defy the orders and cross, treat it as a declaration of war!”
“Your humble servant understands!”
Wei Boyu bowed and left in haste.
Li Siyeh frowned and said, “Li Huaixian wouldn’t go that far!”
“People’s hearts are unpredictable; it’s better to be cautious.”
Li Qing’an went back to the sand table and carefully studied the distance from Changping Pass to Shangdang. Then he ordered, “Send a pigeon message to Li Guangbi immediately. Tell him to proceed according to the original plan, but the troops heading to Shangdang should set out two hours later.”
This order shocked all the generals present. Li Guangbi’s original plan was to divide his troops into two groups: one to attack Changzi County to block the Yan army’s escape route southward, and the other to attack north of Shangdang County to prevent the Yan army from fleeing eastward. The troops sent to Shangdang County were crucial, as they determined whether the Yan army’s most important retreat route, Fukou Pass, could be blocked. If this group delayed by two hours, it might give the Yan army a chance to escape.

Li Siye also grew impatient and asked, “General, why delay by two hours?”
Seeing everyone’s doubtful looks, Li Qing’an knew it was time to tell them some things, so he smiled slightly and said, “I can be honest with you all. If I really wanted to suppress An Lushan’s rebellion, after the battle of Xiangzhou last winter, Li Guangbi’s army could have taken control of southern Hebei. I could then order Siye’s army and Guo Ziyi’s army to take the Jingxing route, while Lei Wanchun’s army took the Feihu route. By then, An Lushan would have run out of forage, and many of his warhorses would die of starvation. We could have completely defeated him by spring. But I didn’t do that. Do you know why?”
Silence filled the tent. Many thought of politics—was this their lord’s political goal?
Li Qing’an shook his head. “It’s not what you think. I’m not acting for personal gain. There’s information you might not know: Shi Siming borrowed 30,000 cavalrymen from the Turkic Pugu tribe, while An Lushan borrowed 50,000 Khitan soldiers along with a large number of cattle and sheep. What do you think of these two pieces of news?”
Li Qing’an’s explanation was suggestive. The men in the tent were all battle-hardened generals, highly sensitive to such military movements. Li Siye was the first to understand.
“General, are you saying we should let An Lushan and Shi Siming fight each other, then draw in the Turks and Khitans one after another?”
Whispers spread throughout the tent. Li Qing’an waved his hand to silence them and continued, “My initial idea was to create a situation where the various military governors in Hebei fought among themselves. But I didn’t expect Shi Siming and An Lushan to use their influence to borrow troops from the Turks and Khitans respectively. That led me to think: why not use this situation to provoke war between the Uyghurs and Khitans, then watch them fight each other? Once they’ve fought enough, we can strike and eliminate these two major threats once and for all.”
Only then did everyone realize what he meant. They nodded in silence. It was like gambling—whether it was the Turks or the Khitans, they had already invested a large number of troops. No matter what, they wouldn’t give up easily and would keep sending more troops until they were completely exhausted.
However, Li Qing’an’s bold plan was beyond their imagination. At that moment, Li Fei Yuanli suddenly asked, “What about the people of Hebei?”

This is also a sensitive issue. Li Qing’an interjected, “After several major migrations and the ravages of war, less than 20% of the population remains in Hebei, mainly concentrated in Youzhou and Weibo areas. Youzhou is An Lushan’s stronghold, while Weibo is Tian Chengsi’s territory. I think these two places are relatively stable. After this battle, I will control the eight passes of the Taihang Mountains and encourage the people of Hebei to flee. In Webo, I will send the naval forces from the south to the Yellow River to assist the people of Hebei in crossing southward. With these efforts, at least half of them can escape. As for those who refuse to leave, there’s nothing I can do.”

He then changed the subject and said to everyone, “I’ve said everything that needed to be said. The reason I ordered Li Guangbi to delay sending troops to Shangdang by two hours was actually to let An Qingxu’s army flee back to Hebei and strengthen An Lushan’s forces, so that he and Shi Siming could be evenly matched.”

……

An Qingxu’s army was supposed to set out at the proper time in the morning, around 10 a.m., while Li Guiren and Li Huaixian’s armies had already left before dawn. An Qingxu, along with his advisor Gao Shang and several hundred bodyguards, first arrived at Li Guiren’s camp. It was already deserted; only a few hundred soldiers remained to guard the camp that once housed 80,000 troops. The large tents had been removed, and the campsite was in complete chaos, resembling a vast garbage dump stretching as far as the eye could see.

All kinds of items that couldn’t be taken were piled up carelessly on the ground—furniture, cabinets, clothes, shoes, copper coins, pottery jars, and water containers. These Khitans and Xi people were as greedy as locusts; wherever they went, they killed and looted everything, taking all the valuables for themselves before discarding what they couldn’t carry.

The most tragic were the women. A large number of women were captured and raped day and night. Now that they were useless and became a burden, they were killed rather than released. No one knew how many Han women they had killed the previous night. All their crimes were buried under the yellow soil, with bloodstains everywhere on the ground.

An Qingxu wasn’t a good person either, but even he was shocked by the scene before him. Gao Shang rode up behind him and, looking at this horrifying sight, couldn’t help but sigh, “Heaven may bring misfortune, but one must not cause it. Those who bring misfortune upon themselves deserve to die. It seems Li Qing’an is determined to wipe out Li Guiren’s forces completely.”

“Sir, when shall we leave?”

Gao Shang glanced at the sky. “Let’s wait a bit longer for news from the Tang army. I think we’ll hear something by noon.”

An Qingxu nodded and turned his horse toward the grain depot, which was located in the rear camp—the only area still equipped with large tents, protected by camp fences. There were over fifty large tents, each filled with grain, totaling 120,000 dan. In addition, Li Guiren had taken away 30,000 dan with his troops, enough to sustain the Yan army for two months. There were also piles of forage as high as small mountains.

An Qingxu only had 10,000 soldiers, so it was clearly impractical to transport all this grain to the front lines. Li Guiren also hoped to use this grain to keep him there.

Looking at the grain, An Qingxu was deeply tempted to take it with him. He knew that food would be the most scarce resource in Hebei in the future—most of the farmers there had been killed or fled. Who would farm the land then? Although Youzhou still had some stored grain, it would eventually run out, leading to a food crisis. The only options would be to seek grain from the Khitans, the Sumu Mohe, or the Silla…

An Qingxu felt it necessary to organize an expedition to conquer Silla, ensuring a steady supply of supplies and food. He must propose this idea to his father.

Just as he was deep in thought, a cavalry rider rushed toward him from afar, shouting, “Young prince!”

An Qingxu and Gao Shang immediately stopped their horses. The rider arrived in a hurry and reported, “Reporting to the young prince and the military advisor—Li Guangbi has already sent troops. One army of about 30,000 has occupied Changzi County, while another army of 40,000 has just set out and is heading toward Shangdang County.”

An Qingxu and Gao Shang were shocked. They exchanged a glance—this was the news they had been waiting for.

Gao Shang said immediately, “Hurry! We must withdraw now at once.”

“What about… the 150,000 dan of grain?”

Gao Shang was anxious. “Young prince, what time is it? We can’t worry about grain now! If we don’t leave now, it will be too late!”

The two turned their horses and rushed back to their camp. An hour later, An Qingxu led his 10,000 soldiers out of Shangdang County and headed toward Fukou Pass. In Lucheng County, they joined forces with Yin Ziqi’s 40,000 troops who had arrived earlier. The combined force of 50,000 soldiers left Hedong Road and returned to Hebei Road via Fukou Pass.

…

Luosong Village was a very small village in Luzhou, so small that it was hardly visible on a map, with only twenty or thirty households. But it was notable for the Luosong Peak behind it, which resembled a woman’s breast, hence the locals also called it Breast Peak. Standing 20 to 30 zhang tall, it jutted out alone over the plains for miles around.

The people of Luosong Village had long fled, leaving the village as the Yan army’s command post. Li Guiren’s 80,000 troops, Cai Xide’s 80,000 troops, and Li Huaixian’s 70,000 troops—a total of 150,000 soldiers—surrounded Luosong Peak like a giant circle.

By the time Li Guiren learned of An Qingxu’s unauthorized withdrawal, it was already evening. The news filled him with shock and anger, yet he dared not show it. He ordered the news to be kept secret within the camp and sent someone to summon Cai Xide for an urgent military meeting.

Inside the large tent, Li Guiren sat cross-legged on a low couch, with a battle sword and a cup of wine in front of him. His nickname was “Human Bear,” but now he could no longer stand. Yet he still retained the ferocity of a beast, his eyes emitting a sinister gaze that chilled everyone to the bone.

Footsteps were heard outside, and Cai Xide’s voice came from outside the tent, “General Li, continuing this battle is pointless.”

Cai Xide hurried in and was stunned to see Li Guiren sitting there in such a strange manner. “General Li, what’s going on?”

Li Guiren replied coldly, “Have you heard anything from Shi Siming?”

Cai Xide’s heart skipped a beat. How did he know? Pretending to be clueless, Cai Xide said with a fake smile, “What are you talking about? I don’t understand. What does Shi Siming have to do with this?”

“Can’t you understand?”

Li Guiren snorted coldly, took a sip of wine, and narrowed his eyes. “Do you really think I’m an idiot who knows nothing? Li Huaixian has selfish motives—don’t you have any?”

Fearing for his life, Cai Xide shouted angrily, “Li Guiren, what do you mean? He’s already backing down!”

“You can’t escape!”

Li Guiren smashed the wine cup on the ground with a loud crash. Dozens of armed men rushed out from behind the tent, grabbed Cai Xide without hesitation, and began chopping at him. With no place to hide, Cai Xide was killed on the spot inside the tent, his head severed as well.

Li Guiren sneered triumphantly, “Do you think I don’t know what you’re thinking? You’re too naive.”

He shook his head and immediately ordered, “Declare it as a joint order from me and General Cai Xide. Send orders for all officers above the rank of lieutenant to come to the tent immediately for a meeting.”

……

The bloody slaughter didn’t take place in the enemy camp but inside the Yan army’s tent. Fourteen officers who refused to obey orders were killed on the spot, their heads hanging along the edge of the tent.

“We have 150,000 troops, while the Tang army only has 80,000 to face us. If you lack confidence even in this battle, then go back home and hold your children!”

Li Guiren sat at the table, his tone filled with excitement. “I assure you, as long as we defeat Li Qing’an, millions of Han people in the Hedong region will become your easy prey—kill them as you wish. All the gold and silver, all the beautiful women—take as much as you want. I, Li Guiren, am a man of my word. I will make everyone who fights against me extremely wealthy and allow you to indulge in women to your heart’s content. This is my promise—remember it!”
Li Guiren understood what his subordinates needed and desired. He used the simplest language to inspire these officers. Gradually, the officers were also swept up by his enthusiasm, and they began to believe in his rhetoric. In everyone’s mind appeared the scene they had long dreamed of: the Han people’s gold, silver, and wealth at their disposal, their silk and fabrics for them to take, their beautiful women for them to abuse, and a large group of Han slaves kneeling at their feet. They could eat the finest delicacies, live in imperial palaces—everything would become reality.
Their eyes reddened, and they began to roar. The desires of beasts grew endlessly in each of their hearts.
Li Guiren smiled triumphantly. Who said killing generals before battle is inauspicious? The Han people might have such taboos, but the barbarians don’t. Barbarians only care about profit. Give them enough incentives and temptations, and they’ll even sell their own lives for you. If the generals below are like this, how much more so is he, Li Guiren.
……
Before the battle, Li Guiren killed Cai Xide and seized his 50,000-strong army. The news was kept strictly secret, and Li Huaixian’s camp was unaware of it.
Although Li Huaixian’s 70,000 troops arrived at Luosong Peak at the agreed time to join Li Guiren’s forces, the two camps were not connected. Li Huaixian’s troops were stationed in the north, about two li away from Li Guiren’s army, and there was little interaction between them; communication relied on messengers.
Although Li Guiren invited Li Huaixian to his camp several times, Li Huaixian refused to come, as he was highly wary of him.
By now, Li Huaixian also knew about An Qingxu’s withdrawal, which was within his expectations. If An Qingxu were willing to fight against Li Guiren, that would be strange.
Since An Qingxu had fled, Li Huaixian was waiting for his own opportunity. He had two options: leave before the battle or switch sides during it.

After much consideration, Li Huaixian decided to choose the first option. Turning sides mid-battle carried too great a risk; even slight miscommunication could lead to heavy losses. Therefore, close coordination with the Tang army was necessary in advance. Yet, Li Qingan had not sent anyone to coordinate with him yet, indicating that he too disapproved of turning sides.

Li Huaixian paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his back. Everything remained in its state before setting up camp, ready to leave at any moment. Not only him but also the soldiers were in high alert to prevent a surprise attack by the Tang army.

Now, Li Huaixian was waiting for the perfect moment to leave. Night deepened, and it was already the first watch. He went to a watchtower in the camp and gazed into the distance. Two li to the south lay Li Guiren’s army camp, shrouded in darkness and utterly silent. But Li Huaixian knew that Li Guiren’s army was equally on high alert, especially with the observation tower on Luosong Peak, which could see even farther.

Ten li to the west was the Tang army camp. The Tang troops had arrived as well; faint lights could be seen, and from time to time, shadows could be seen moving near the camp—those were the Tang soldiers’ sentries.

Li Huaixian looked up at the sky. It was overcast and gloomy, as if rain was coming. Suddenly, a raindrop landed on his face. He was startled and immediately raised his hand; several raindrops hit his palm. They weren’t drizzle but large drops.

“General, it’s raining!” one of his bodyguards whispered. Li Huaixian grew excited. Heaven was helping him—the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

“Pass my order: the entire army is to prepare to set out!” He hurried toward the watchtower and then toward his own camp. The rain finally began to fall—heavy drops pouring down, striking the ground with a pitter-patter sound and creating splashes of rain. The air began to carry the smell of wet soil.

In the distance, the sound of rain grew louder, like a large brush scrubbing against dry ground…

The rain intensified. The white curtain of rain acted like a natural veil. Two li away, Li Guiren’s camp and the prominent Luosong Peak were completely swallowed by the thick rain fog.

Li Huaixian’s northern camp began to empty. Groups of soldiers rushed out of the camp under the heavy rain, heading swiftly north, forming a massive stream of people. They were invisible even dozens of steps away. Hidden by the heavy rain, Li Huaixian’s camp gradually turned into an empty one.