Chapter 46: Mercy (7)

Early the next morning, the new recruits of the Shence Army had already gathered in the training ground. After a day of hard work, the makeshift “fortress” was now complete. Guo Shu Han, the military governor of Hexi, sat proudly on the command platform, ready to inspect the results.
His personal guard cast a questioning glance at their commander. Seeing the governor nod silently, the guard cleared his throat and said, “The commander orders that we proceed with the drills as planned!”
Zhang Shouyu patted Li Kuo’s arm and nodded slightly. This live drill took the form of a siege battle, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of a army’s combat strength and execution ability. According to the assignment, Li Kuo’s Zhuque Regiment was on the attacking side, while the Qinglong Regiment, composed mainly of former palace guards, served as the defending side. Perhaps considering that the attackers were mostly inexperienced recruits, Zhang Shouyu, the deputy commander, spoke with the Zhuque Regiment’s officer and temporarily took over his position to direct the battle himself!
“Leader Zhang is mighty!”
“The Zhuque Regiment will surely win!”
The recruits’ faces were filled with bright smiles; with this battle-hardened officer from the Hexi Army by their side, they felt certain they could capture the seemingly “easy-to-conquer” fortress before them.
“Stop shouting! Save your strength for the attack later!”
Zhang Shouyu’s beard trembled in anger as he sharply interrupted the noise. He didn’t understand why the commander had set the ratio of attackers to defenders at such a high level—three to one! Even the most experienced general would find it difficult to take down a strong fortress with only triple the number of soldiers. Zhang Shouyu looked up at the fortress built overnight and sighed bitterly. Since the commander placed so much emphasis on siege tactics, it seemed the emperor truly intended to attack Tubo. Yet, knowing that sieges were a bottleneck in warfare, why make things difficult for these young recruits? The commander was too hasty. Though he thought this way, Zhang Shouyu would not question his commander’s decision. He was a soldier, and a soldier’s duty was to obey—no matter whether the commander’s decision was right or wrong, he had no right to question it.
“Commander of the second regiment, Wu Hai, report for orders!”
Zhang Shouyu steadied himself and began assigning combat tasks.
“Here I am, sir!”
A handsome man with a strong jaw and fierce appearance stepped forward in response.
“Take your men and attack from the front. Spare no effort—use whatever means necessary to keep the defenders occupied north of the city.”
“Understood!”
Wu Hai bowed, took the command flag, and turned to leave.
“Commander of the second regiment, Tao Cheng, report for orders!”
Zhang Shouyu tapped his fingers, squinting at a small earthen slope on the west side of the “fortress.”
“Please give your orders, general!”

Tao Cheng replied in a deep voice.
“Take the men of the Second Brigade to the small slope to the west and set up a flanking path, leading straight to the west wall. If there aren’t enough sacks, go and urge the enlistment officers for more. You don’t need to worry about the front-line battle. Just set up the flanking path properly so we can charge straight through.”
Zhang Shouyu spoke in one breath, staring intently at the flag fluttering in the wind atop the fortress.
Tao Cheng was clearly also a veteran trained by Zhang Shouyu; he understood immediately and gladly took orders.
As for the three brigades, Zhang Shouyu hesitated for a moment. Since the supreme commander wanted to fully integrate the Shence Army into the Hexi Army, many low-ranking officers from the original Hexi Army were assigned to the Shence Army as lieutenants and brigade commanders after its reorganization. But due to Secretary Gao’s strong recommendation, the only brigade commander of the Zhuque Regiment’s Third Brigade was this young man, Li Kuo. Zhang Shouyu was not unfamiliar with this young man; his calm and decisive demeanor on the polo field had left a deep impression on him. However, fighting in the new army was different from polo—one mistake could lead to the entire army’s defeat. After thinking for a while, Zhang Shouyu decided to give the young man a chance.
“Brigade Commander Li Kuo, at your orders!”
“Your subordinate!”
The young man bowed to the lieutenant and stood waiting aside.
“Lead your men to run around the city wall—don’t stop!”
Lieutenant Zhang’s orders were concise and firm.
“Huh?”
The young man was stunned; he really didn’t understand why he was asked to do such a pointless task when the attacking forces were already insufficient. Could it be that Chief Zhang didn’t trust his abilities?
“Keep running until you see Tao Cheng and his men set up the flanking path from the west and launch their first attack,” Zhang Shouyu said slowly, staring intently into the young man’s eyes. He wanted to determine whether this man had the ability to command troops. If he couldn’t understand such straightforward instructions, then even at the risk of offending Secretary Gao, he would have to plead with the supreme commander not to let him lead an army alone in battle.
“General, do you want my unit to quietly climb over the south side of the city wall when Brother Tao Cheng launches the attack from the west?” the young man asked tentatively, sensing something in the other man’s eyes.
A smile finally appeared on Zhang Shouyu’s tense face. This kid was talented—he hadn’t disappointed him!
“Yes, that’s exactly it. We lack troops and can’t afford to besiege the city; we must rely on clever tactics.” (Note 1)
“Understood!”
Li Kuo saluted and left.
Zhang Shouyu watched the young man’s retreating figure with great satisfaction.

Since it was a live combat drill, there could be no strict adherence to the identities of the two sides. There were plenty of siege ladders and weapons for the attackers, as well as arrows and “boiling oil” for the defenders. However, these arrows had their tips removed and were made of wooden shafts coated with flour; the “boiling oil” was actually red dye purchased in bulk from the Western Market by the military officer in charge. General Geshu Han personally set the rules: being hit by three arrows or having three white marks on one’s body meant death in battle. Soldiers hit by the “boiling oil” had to immediately jump down from the ladders no matter where they were. Careful preparations had been made, with thick layers of furs laid at the base of the city wall, ensuring that even those falling from a height of nearly twenty feet would not suffer serious injuries. As for the weapons, they were made from brambles collected from the Southern Mountains, coated with flour to create the standard Tang Dynasty weapons—swords. Following the same rules as for the arrows, those with three scratches on their bodies were declared “dead in battle” and could not fight further. After the battle, regardless of the outcome, the commanders of both sides had to report the number of “dead” soldiers to the general for analysis.

“Wu, wu-wu, wu…”

The mournful sound of the horns had already begun. Li Kuo briefly explained the tactics to his trusted subordinates—Zhang Yanji, Zhou Wucui, Dou Qing, Pu Dachui—and then ran around the city wall with them. Since it was a siege battle, a “fierce” outcome was inevitable from the first moment the horns sounded.

Wu Hai’s brigade was the main force in this siege, so it was equipped with the most “military gear.” Clearly experienced in combat, Wu Hai did not order his soldiers to charge headlong in a bid to overwhelm the enemy with numbers. Instead, he divided his hundred men into three groups. The first group provided fire support, the second group used shields to protect the vital parts of their comrades’ bodies. The third group was the actual assault force—they each carried a siege ladder and, under the cover of their comrades, had to reach the city gates as quickly as possible. Only then did the fierce battle truly begin.

For some reason, Li Kuo felt his blood boiling at that moment. Previously, hearing the sounds of horns and drums had only made him feel solemn, but it was not until today that he truly understood why Gao Shi wrote such magnificent and poignant lines: “The horns startle those in light sleep as the camp awakens; the generals already brandish their swords at the front lines.” Only veterans who had shed blood could appreciate such beauty.

“Wu, wu-wu, wu…”

What does the sound of the horns signify? A rift between the rulers of the two nations? Countless displaced poor people? Or perhaps just a territory outlined in charcoal on the maps of the Tang Dynasty and other countries? The young man had no time to ponder these matters; he couldn’t stop. Deputy Commander Zhang said, “We must wait until Brother Tao Cheng attacks the west wall before launching our final assault…”

“Woo, woo-woo, woo…”

The horns sounded again, and brigade commander Wu Hai gave the order to attack. A group of soldiers drew their two-and-a-half-stone heavy bows to full tension and shot arrows upward into the sky. Instantly, a net of arrows rained down on the defenders on the city walls.

Under the cover of this arrow storm, the soldiers from Group Two and Group Three launched their attack. Most of them were young nobles who had never seen blood before. They had only found it amusing when their brigade commander explained the tactics of siege warfare and hadn’t taken it seriously. To them, it was merely a game arranged by their commander to boost everyone’s enthusiasm for training.

By the time the arrows reached the city walls, most of their force had been lost, but the defenders still didn’t dare slack off and used their shields to deflect the arrows. This brief lapse allowed Wu Hai’s soldiers to advance more than twenty steps—now they were only thirty steps away from the city gates. Once they could climb the ladders, storm the battlements, and leave a few white marks on the defenders, they would capture the fortress! With this in mind, the new recruits broke formation to move faster, rushing like arrows toward the heart of the fortress.

“Ah!”

A few arrows hit Ren Fan, a soldier from Brigade One. He glanced down and counted—four white marks! Before he could understand what was happening, he “died” bravely. Helplessly turning around, he ran back toward his brigade commander’s flag, his face filled with shame.

More and more arrows were shot down by the defenders, wave after wave. More “casualties” occurred among Group Two and Group Three. Many new recruits, unwilling to give up, “sacrificed” themselves bravely and continued to charge forward. Halfway there, they felt a tight grip around their necks—turning around, they saw it was Ming Fa, the military officer. Panicked, the recruits surrendered and were dragged away from the battlefield like chicks by the burly officer.

“They’re too hasty!” said Li Kuo, who had run to the east side of the city, upon seeing such a tragic scene.

Note 1: Ten to one in terms of numbers: Military strategy states that when the attacker’s forces are ten times those of the defender, they should surround them.