Chapter 55: Mountains and Seas (8)

In the past battles along the Great Wall, valor was highly praised.
Yellow dust has covered ages past and present; bones lie scattered among the weeds.
Staring at the over 200 Tang army corpses spread before him, Li Kuo could not calm his turbulent emotions for a long time.
Who said cavalry battles hinge on numbers? Who claimed the Tibetan cavalry had completely lost their fighting spirit? Before death, all people from any race or cultural background are equally humble and powerless. When despair turned into anger, the Tibetan cavalry raised their curved swords to deal a heavy blow to the Tang army; when helplessness turned into hatred, anything that stood in their way was seen as an enemy.
Although his own cavalry had completely stopped and killed the more than 100 Tibetan cavalry trying to break through, what did that matter? He had paid the price with over 200 of his men. These men might have been chatting and joking moments before, only to become cold corpses moments later.
“Brother Kuo, I’m sorry to you!”
Zhang Yanji wiped the blood from his cheek and lowered his head.
Li Kuo shook his head and sighed, “I don’t blame you. It was my failure to account for the explosive strength of the Tibetan cavalry. It’s me who is sorry for the over 200 comrades who died.”
This was the most tragic battle the young man had experienced since leading troops alone. Though he had wiped out 3,000 Tibetan cavalry, he had also lost more than 500 of his own men. It was not until then, with the cold night wind, that the young man fully regained his senses.
The previous battles had been too smooth—either by outwitting the enemy or setting traps. Winning through several clever strategies made him gradually look down on the Tibetan soldiers, thinking they were nothing but uncivilized brutes with strong limbs but simple minds. Victory came too easily, so easily that he even became complacent.
War is an art of deception—this saying is indeed true. Yet, in a battle between two armies, strength is what truly matters. Without strong strength as a foundation, any scheme or trickery will seem as ridiculous as a clown’s act.
Take this cavalry battle as an example. Faced with the strong will to survive of the Tibetans, the 500 Tang cavalry, despite their numerical advantage, couldn’t gain any real advantage. While momentum is important in horse battles, what matters most is a person’s will!
“Brother Kuo, I want to take my comrades’ ashes back to Shanzhou,” Zhang Yanji said through tears, his eyes red. In this horse battle, his tactics had failed miserably, allowing the numerically inferior Tibetan cavalry to create gaps and turn the situation into a fight where fewer outnumbered more. He felt guilty toward his dead comrades, and the only thing he could do now was to properly collect their ashes and take them back to his hometown.

“Well, burn the bodies of those comrades we can identify. After all, they are Tang people, and their loyal bones must not be buried in a foreign land.”
Li Kuo nodded in agreement with Zhang Yanji’s suggestion.
“Colonel, sir!”
Dou Qing, seeing Li Kuo standing on the plain, rushed over out of breath.
“What’s the matter, Old Dou? Take your time to explain.”
Li Kuo turned around and said softly, “General Gao has arrived. He wants to see you!”
Dou Qing’s face was filled with worry, looking extremely uneasy.
Li Kuo frowned and asked, “Where is he? Did he say why he wants to see me?”
“The army has set up camp ten miles away. I asked around for a long time, but even the messenger cavalry didn’t know anything. But it seems like he’s up to no good. You’d better be careful.”
Dou Qing shook his head and sighed. “I understand. I’ll go right away.”
Li Kuo threw his black sword to Dou Qing, mounted his horse, and rushed westward.
By then, General Gao Xiuyan had already led the Tang troops to a plain ten miles away from the Tibetan temporary camp.
Upon receiving orders, the Tang soldiers laid down their baggage and set up tents. In front of the temporarily built camp gates, deer fences and barriers were placed, and the soldiers carefully fixed wooden posts in the ground. (Note 1) According to General Gao, one must be cautious at every step during marching. Although this might seem tedious, it ensures everyone can sleep soundly. If Tibetan cavalry attacked, they would suffer heavy losses right at the camp gates.
Fires were lit throughout the camp, and the soldiers gathered in groups to warm their hands.
“I say, Erzhu, isn’t this like a rat teasing a cat—looking for trouble for no reason? We were doing fine in Jinshu Valley. I don’t know what got into General Gao’s head, but he ordered us to march here to suffer in this desolate place.”
A Tang soldier with a melon-shaped face and triangular eyes chewed on a flatbread while cursing.
“Shh!”
Erzhu put his index finger to his lips and whispered, “Are you trying to die? I still want to live a few more years. Discussing the commander privately is a capital offense!”
“Look at your lack of ambition!”
The man with triangular eyes sneered in contempt.
“Yeah, who’s wrong? At least in the Tibetan camp, we could sleep soundly. Here, we have to be careful of wild animals in the mountains. The howls in the valleys are terrifying.”
An old soldier in his thirties with a square face agreed wholeheartedly.

Most of these soldiers, like most Tang soldiers, had never seen the horrific sight of the stupas in the barracks, so they naturally had no idea what had happened in Golden Rat Valley. If they knew that their camp was piled with heads like mountains and corpses like walls, they would surely refuse to stay there even if it meant dying of cold in the wilderness.

“I heard that General Gao intends to wipe out all the fleeing Tibetan soldiers,” said Triangle-Eye in a hushed, mysterious tone.

“Ah, then how can we catch up? The Tibetans have been fleeing for almost half a day. Moving at this slow pace, we’ll probably just end up following in their footsteps,” exclaimed Second Pillar in shock. So they had marched all night just to catch up with the Tibetan cavalry. But wasn’t this speed ridiculously slow?

“Maybe you’re only fit to be a common soldier. General Gao comes from a military family—he certainly understands such tactics. He’s already sent Lieutenant Li Kuo with five thousand light cavalry to pursue them. We’re just advancing camp by camp to support them.”

Triangle-Eye’s face showed pride as he gave Second Pillar another glance.

“Who knows? Maybe the lieutenant-general has already wiped out those barbarians and is on his way back to report his achievements,” he said, gazing at the dark dirt road in the distance. In his eyes, the Tang army was always invincible, a heavenly force revered by all peoples. Since defeating the Turks in the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, the Tang Dynasty had never suffered a defeat. (Note 2) Our mighty China, the glorious Tang Dynasty, is renowned for its virtue and unparalleled military prowess.

Wiping out three thousand Tibetan barbarians with just five thousand light cavalry was nothing but a piece of cake, right?

Note 1: A movable obstacle used in ancient battles, made of wooden frames with spear tips inserted through crossbars, pointing outward. Placed at strategic points, it was mainly used to defend against cavalry attacks, hence the name “barrier spear.” As cited in “Tongdian·Military Affairs V” from “Weigong’s Military Strategies·Attack and Defense Equipment”: “The barrier spear uses a two-foot-long wooden frame, adjustable in length, with crossholes for reinforcement. At ten feet long with sharp ends, it can block city gates, alleys, and key routes, preventing people and horses from passing.”

Note 2: Triangle-Eye’s view reflected that of many Tang soldiers. Although the Tang army was at a disadvantage in battles against the Tibetans, due to the strong propaganda from the Tang dynasty, many soldiers still believed they were invincible. This is why men in the Tang dynasty were eager to join the army—partly to defend their country, but more because they thought gaining military honors was as easy as reaching into a bag.