Chapter 60: Dawn (IV)

These barbarian heads were all stepping stones for Qi San to become a marquis and prime minister, to gain fame and glory!
It’s their fault for being born into the Hezhong Hu family; it’s their fault for siding with the wrong side, willing to serve as accomplices to the tyrants!
“Pick off their heads! Pick them off! Chen Dong, let’s see who can kill more!”
Qi San was blinded by rage. Seeing his friend beside him, he shouted recklessly.
“Sure! I’ve already slain thirteen. You better step up! The loser will have to treat the whole camp to drinks when we return to Kucha!”
The one who replied was a general of medium height with a beard. He had just pulled his spear out of a barbarian’s back when he heard Qi San’s challenge. Ordinary killings no longer brought any pleasure; he needed to find some fun to keep fighting. After all, there were still nearly a hundred thousand heads waiting to be cut down.
“Agreed! The loser will treat the whole camp to drinks—I keep my word!”
Qi San spurred his horse fiercely and charged into the heart of the barbarian coalition without hesitation. Chen Dong wasn’t to be outdone either; he spurred his horse forward, raising a cloud of yellow dust.
The heavy cavalry of the Tang army in Anxi pierced like a sharp blade into the heart of the barbarian coalition, creating an ideal fighting environment for the light-armed infantry in chariots at the back!
They were all well-trained soldiers. Before the chariots could stabilize, they jumped down and quickly formed a square formation.
“Advance!”
The orders from the officers were brief and forceful, sounding very pleasing to the ear.
Some held heavy swords with sturdy handles, while others gripped silver-tipped spears, advancing in unison. Step by step, they squeezed the space of the barbarian coalition, driving the enemy soldiers toward the side near the Tang army’s central force, like herding sheep.
“Slay!”
At the command, countless heavy swords swung down, cutting the terrified barbarians to pieces.
“Pierce!”
The spearmen charged, like silver dragons emerging from the sea, forming a lotus flower— a bloody lotus, more vibrant than any other!
“Rotate!”
The Tang army’s formation shifted slightly, forming a subtle arc that connected with the cavalry on both flanks, encircling the barbarian coalition.
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
Any barbarian who blocked the Tang army’s advance must be killed. Any accomplice to the tyrants must be slain!
The Tang infantry and cavalry worked in perfect harmony, using just ten thousand troops to drive back nearly a hundred thousand barbarian soldiers, forcing them into constant retreat…
“General Qi Yad, the brothers can’t hold on anymore! They can’t hold on!”

Jie Erxi, the lord of Baishui City, stumbled over to Qiyad’s side and cried out in despair. Some time ago, Gao Xianzhi sent secret envoys to Baishui City to seek a secret alliance with him. After careful consideration, he concluded that the Tang forces in Anxi had little chance of winning. To gain the trust of the Arabs, he immediately executed all the Tang messengers and ordered their heads sent to Talas City as a sign of loyalty. But since this had happened, it would surely arouse suspicion. Although Qiyad said nothing openly, his attitude toward him became noticeably colder. To regain the Arabs’ trust this time, he went all out, bringing out all 5,000 armored soldiers from Baishui City as the vanguard of the allied forces. He had thought the Arabs would easily crush the Tang forces and wouldn’t even send these miscellaneous troops into battle. Yet, these Tang cavalry chose to target them first, bullying these vassal troops. Worse still, his own loyal troops were at the forefront of the allied forces, and after several rounds of attacks by the Tang forces, three-tenths of them had already been killed. If the Tang cavalry continued to attack like this for a few more rounds, his few remaining armored soldiers would be slaughtered. By then, even if the Arabs restored their trust in him, what good would that be? He would lose control of Baishui City, and the surrounding lands might be annexed by those powerful barbarian states! Damn it, he must not let such a thing happen! “How could we not stop them? The Anxi cavalry are advancing alone, driven only by their bravery. In less than two hours, they’ll be exhausted. Once they’re weakened, we can easily crush the Tang cavalry!” Qiyad smirked coldly. How could he not understand the lord of Baishui City’s thoughts? Honestly, such a weakling didn’t seem like someone who would dare form a secret alliance with the Anxi army. But since Gao Xianzhi had turned against him, he would play along with his plan. After all, these barbarians all had their own ulterior motives, and he needed to use this as an opportunity to teach them a lesson—using this lord of Baishui City as a scapegoat! “But, General Qiyad… I, we…” Jie Erxi gritted his teeth before finally sighing deeply. How could he bring himself to say it? Pull back his troops and send in soldiers from other countries? It had been his own initiative to send his troops to the front line. How could he have the face to ask Qiyad for mercy now?

Moreover, the coalition of barbarian tribes was already a unified force; such actions by oneself would surely provoke resentment from other nations. Even if the Persians remained silent, it would be enough for the rulers of those barbarian tribes to throw just one obstacle to deal a heavy blow to oneself. One was clearly suffering in silence, unable to voice one’s grievances!
“Jiě’ěr Yì, could it be that you truly conspired with the Tang people to conserve your strength and support them?”
Seeing that Jiě’ěr Yì still refused to give up, Qiyad raised an eyebrow and demanded, “If that’s indeed the case…”
Unaware that Qiyad was bringing up this matter again, Jiě’ěr Yì didn’t wait for him to finish before the lord of Baishui City knelt down and rushed to say, “It’s a mistake! A grave mistake! General Qiyad, I am utterly loyal to the Abbasid Empire and to His Majesty the Caliph. It’s not that I refuse to fight—these Tang invaders are too cunning. An army of tens of thousands is beyond the strength of my warriors to resist!”
Seeing this, Qiyad didn’t want to press too hard and instead helped Jiě’ěr Yì up, saying, “It seems this general has misunderstood you. Very well, I’ll order your troops to withdraw and let the army of the Shi State take their place!”
“Thank you, General Qiyad! Thank you so much!”
Overjoyed at these words, Jiě’ěr Yì bowed repeatedly, saying, “With that, the Tang army will surely be defeated. The Shi State is the strongest military force among the states in the River Region. After suffering heavy losses, the Tang people are exhausted and utterly unable to advance any further!”
“Hmm!”
Qiyad nodded. Although Jiě’ěr Yì’s words seemed intended to clear his name, they did hold some truth. As the Abbasids’ most trusted barbarian state in the River Region, the Shi State enjoyed many special privileges, including tax reductions and tactical exchanges. Governor Abu Muslim even sold a batch of Abbasid military equipment to the Shi State, which greatly strengthened their military power.
Arrogant Tang people, today is the day of your downfall!…