Chapter 44: Raising the Banner (1)

After arranging for Special Envoy Zhang Hun and his party, Ge Shuhan returned straight to the inner hall of his residence. Sitting cross-legged on the Hu bed, his anger still simmered, deep lines forming on his furrowed brows.
“How can this be? How utterly unreasonable!”
Furious, Ge Shuhan threw a jade cup, which shattered into pieces with a crisp sound.
He wasn’t unreasonable—yet the imperial court kept forcing him into a decisive battle without considering the possible consequences. Warfare required careful planning; rushing ahead for glory was disastrous. The Battle of Hehuang was a critical struggle for both nations’ fates, and every strategic point mattered immensely—how could they not be extremely cautious? Across the vast Chiling Mountains, only by capturing Shibao City could they proceed to cross them and seize Dafei Chuan and Jiuqu. But Shibao City was built atop steep cliffs, towering into the clouds—easy to defend but hard to attack. Could it really be taken so easily?
Without sufficient supplies and proper troop deployment, even an army of 150,000 surrounding Shibao City would be helpless!
“Commander, may I offer my advice?” Gao Shi said after a moment of thought.
“Da Fu, speak!” Ge Shuhan replied, his tone tinged with irritation.
Gao Shi smiled and said, “Actually, attacking Shibao City quickly might be for the best.”
“Oh?” Ge Shuhan became interested. “What’s your insight, Da Fu?”
Gao Shi stroked his beard and said, “As long as Shibao City remains in the hands of the Tibetans, supplies from Fusi City can keep flowing to Chiling. Even if we stockpile three months’ worth of food, how can we outlast them? Besides, Chiling has a harsh climate with early winters. By September or October, it will likely be snowing.”
Ge Shuhan nodded. “You’re right. That’s exactly what I’m worried about. That’s why I’ve set the battle date for April—to avoid the deadly cold of Chiling.”
“So, attacking Shibao City swiftly is the best strategy. The longer we delay, the worse it gets. Moreover, didn’t the commander build a city called Shenwei City in the northeast of Qinghai?”
A glint appeared in Ge Shuhan’s eyes as he praised, “Da Fu is truly my Xun Wenru, my Zhang Zifang. With you by my side, I’m stronger than an entire army!”
As he reflected, a bodyguard entered the hall and reported, “Reporting to the commander—Lieutenant Li has returned!”
“Bring him in at once!”
Ge Shuhan thought to himself: Whether we can strike a devastating blow at the Tibetans depends on this man’s actions.

Before long, Li Kuo, led by his personal guards, entered the main hall of the military headquarters. The young man stepped forward a few paces and knelt on one knee, saying, “Your humble servant, Li Kuo, pays his respects to Commander Ge Shu!” Ge Shu Han smiled and helped Li Kuo up, saying, “General Li, you’ve worked hard. How about joining the banquet I’ve prepared tonight as a welcome for you?” Li Kuo nodded and replied, “Thank you for your kindness, Commander.” Ge Shu Han was very satisfied. Although the young man was a bit young, his behavior was sensible and admirable. With proper guidance, he would surely become someone great in the future. “I wonder what useful information General Li has gathered this time by leading his scouts across the Chilin Mountains and into Tibet’s heartland?” Ge Shu Han cleared his throat before finally speaking up. “This time, I went to the west bank of Qinghai and brought good news for you, Commander!” But then the young man changed his tone and smiled, saying, “The Tibetans obtain most of their supplies for their troops stationed around the Chilin Mountains from Fusi City. After analyzing the terrain, I used a strategy to capture Fusi City and burned all 500,000 dan of grain stored there!” Ge Shu Han was shocked and exclaimed, “What? You burned all the grain in Fusi City?” “Exactly!” Ge Shu Han was overjoyed and slapped his thigh, saying, “Heaven truly helps me! I was worried that the Tibetans would use their supply advantage to delay things indefinitely. Now, General Li has solved my problem. If every man in my Tang Dynasty were like General Li, recovering Jiuqu and Dafeichuan would be just a matter of time!” Li Kuo’s cheeks turned red with embarrassment as he clasped his fists and said, “Commander, you flatter me too much.” Ge Shu Han waved his hand and said, “I, Ge Shu Han, am an honest man who hates playing word games. Rewards for merit and punishments for faults—this is the military code of my Tang Dynasty. Well, I’ll record your achievements for now. After the Battle of Hehuang, I’ll personally submit a petition on your behalf!” The gloom of recent days vanished, and Ge Shu Han was overjoyed. “Seventh Brother, you’ve truly done great service this time! The Commander treats you as his own son!” Gao Shi stroked his beard in admiration. At first, he thought Li Kuo was a cautious and capable general; now it seemed he also had quick wits and could assess situations from a strategic perspective—truly rare. “Uncle Gao, if you keep saying this, I’ll really feel too proud to bear it,” Li Kuo said, still retaining a youthful mindset. Pleased by the praise, he quickly shook his head to sober up. “With Gao Daifu in literature and Li Seventh Brother in military affairs, I, Ge Shu Han, will surely eliminate this century-old threat to the Tang Dynasty!” Ge Shu Han clenched his fist and slammed it hard on the table, speaking each word clearly.

In an alley of Xuanjia Street, more than a dozen men clad in black cloaks moved about, with a striking shade of pure white among them. They pushed and shoved aside others but never stopped in their progress. The vendor whose fruit cake stall had been knocked over muttered a few curses before losing interest; he picked up the fallen cakes, wiped them clean, and started calling out again. “Cakes for sale! Crispy and delicious cakes!” This area, located on the quieter side of the bustling Guiren Street, was quite peaceful. Aside from a few shops with tea and wine banners, there were hardly any pedestrians. The group stopped in front of a teahouse called “Keranju”. The man in black at the head stepped forward and spoke with the waiter. Before long, he nodded and led the middle-aged man in white inside the shop. The group sat down at a round table by the window. The middle-aged man nodded at the black-clothed guard, who understood immediately, stood up, and shouted at the waiter, “Go and ask Lord Gao to come here right away!” The waiter replied affirmatively and rushed upstairs. After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a young man dressed in a dark red pleated robe came down the staircase. He was around thirty, with fair skin and a smooth face without a beard. He smiled as he approached the man in white. “Lord Song, why didn’t you let me know you were coming? I’m sorry for arriving so late.” The black-clothed guard sneered, “I didn’t expect the renowned General of Guerrillas, nephew of the Governor of Anxi, Gao Xiuyan, to be afraid. I thought you wouldn’t even fear a sage.” Gao Xiuyan looked displeased. Judging by his attire, this man was at most a low-ranking officer, yet he dared speak to him in such a manner. If it weren’t for his master Song Hun’s sake, he would have ordered his guards to cripple him on the spot! “Why don’t you invite General Gao to sit down? What are you waiting for?” Song Hun said calmly, staring at Gao Xiuyan with a smile. “Hmph!” The man in black waved his sleeve and snapped angrily. Gao Xiuyan received a loud slap and his face twisted in anger. After reluctantly sitting down, he tried to reconcile the situation, saying, “It’s not that I intended to neglect Lord Song. But since Lord Song is a special envoy with imperial favor, he should first go to the governor’s residence to deliver the decree. If I were to go there rashly at that time, it would be bad for both me and Lord Song.” Song Hun tapped his fingers and said, “General Gao is right. I have no intention of blaming you. We’re all working for Prime Minister Li; we need to work together.” He deliberately emphasized the name “Prime Minister Li” to remind Gao Xiuyan that everything he had came from Li Linfu’s promotion and favor.

Gao Xiuyan smiled teasingly, “What are you saying, Lord Song? How could I forget the kindness shown to me by Prime Minister Li? It’s just that the wars at the border have been intense lately, leaving me no time to pay him a visit.”
Song Hun took out a letter from his sleeve and placed it on the table.
“Prime Minister Li asked me to deliver this letter to you. He also hopes you won’t disappoint him.”
Gao Xiuyan frowned. The letter was sealed with wax, so its contents were unknown to anyone. What puzzled him even more was why Li Linfu, that old fox, would ask him to do something at a time when battles were raging in Longyou. The more he thought about it, the curioser he became, as if an itch inside him drove him mad. Yet out of courtesy, he couldn’t open it right there.
Slowly picking up the letter, he carefully placed it in a compartment of his sleeve. Gao Xiuyan poured a cup of wine for Song Hun and said, “I was trained by Prime Minister Li himself. How could a disciple forget his master’s kindness, no matter how successful he becomes? Rest assured, Lord Song. Even if Prime Minister Li asked me to kill my own parents right now, I, Gao, wouldn’t say a word!”
Song Hun frowned. This Gao Xiuyan had all the airs of a military ruffian—none of the demeanor of a noble family. Prime Minister Li must have misjudged him by assigning him this task.
“Lord Song might as well stay longer on this trip. Who knows? You might even manage to kill a few barbarians and earn some military merit!”
Gao Xiuyan downed his cup in one gulp and laughed heartily.
“I’d rather not join in that chaos. I’m good only at writing. If it comes to defending the country, it’s still people like General Gao who are the pillars of the nation.”
Song Hun waved his hand, politely declining Gao Xiuyan’s offer.
“Don’t say that those without military skills lack courage. Throughout history, it’s always been scholars who have achieved great things.”
He, Song Hun, wasn’t some brute who made a living by fighting; he also despised the bloody trade of trading lives for fame.
Looking back at history, since the Pre-Qin and Han dynasties, those who truly sought to benefit the world relied on distinguished officials! (Note 1)……
Note 1: This is Song Hun’s view, as well as that of most scholars, but not mine. I’ve always believed that a country’s strength depends on a powerful military force. Without a strong national defense, how can there be a stable environment for development?