Chapter 50: Mountains and Seas (III)

Five thousand cavalry, led by Colonel Li Kuo, charged into the camp with a roar, like towering waves. Pu Da Chui held up the Tang army’s flag for Li Kuo, standing guard closely by his commander.
“Order the men to work in groups of two hundred and search every tent and storage room thoroughly,” Li Kuo commanded, holding the reins in one hand.
“Charge in and search carefully!” Dou Qing drew his sword from his waist and led two hundred soldiers from the Bronze Warriors Camp to enter one of the camps first. The entire training ground was empty, with many swords and bows scattered on the ground. There wasn’t a single Tibetan in the row of lightly built wooden and thatched huts near the mountain pass.
“Go in and search!” Dou Qing waved his hand, giving the order.
The soldiers cautiously entered the rooms, holding their shields high and moving slowly. They were seasoned veterans with great experience. The enemy often hid in unexpected places, and by taking advantage of the terrain, they could kill you with just one arrow. Thus, it was crucial to always protect vital areas with shields.
There were many scattered rice grains on the floor, indicating that the Tibetans had left not long ago.
“General Dou, we found many pots used for cooking rice with water in the kitchen—they were just extinguished!” A platoon leader reported to Dou Qing, bowing.
“How long have the fires been out?” Dou Qing asked, turning around.
The platoon leader scratched his head and said, “The cow dung hasn’t even cooled down yet; it can’t be more than an hour.” (Note 1)
Dou Qing nodded. “Tell everyone not to drink the water here—be careful of enemy poison. Search every bed to see if we can find any clues.”
Having experienced many battles, Dou Qing understood the importance of deception deeply, showing the qualities of an experienced commander.
The soldiers agreed and entered the huts to search thoroughly. Thanks to their large numbers, the Tang army finished searching the entire camp in less than the time it takes to burn incense. They found no Tibetans in the huts, but they did discover many wooden boxes, military equipment, and other supplies left behind—clearly, the Tibetans had fled in great haste.
Dou Qing frowned and after thinking for a moment, ordered, “Have everyone stay where they are.”
He left the hut and went straight to Li Kuo. “Colonel, we found no Tibetans in this camp. It seems they left not long ago.”
Li Kuo nodded and sighed. “Most of the soldiers in the other camps reported the same thing. It seems they already know our whereabouts.”

“General, how about we set up camp here first? It’s already dusk; it’s better to spend the night here than in the wilderness,” Dou Qing suggested in a low voice.
Li Kuo shook his head. “I still need to ask General Gao for his opinion. Speed is crucial. If we send light cavalry after them now, we might still be able to catch up. After all, our mission is of great importance—we must not let the Tibetans return to Jiuqu City to report!”
“What’s there to fear? We have as many as 30,000 troops. Even if the Tibetans recall all the defenders from the Jiuqu City area, there will only be about 20,000. As long as we work together, we should be able to capture the city,” Zhang Yanji retorted angrily, not wanting to boost others’ morale and undermine his own authority.
“After all, the cities built by the Tibetans aren’t as sturdy as those in our Tang Dynasty’s Central Plains. They’re mostly made of mud and cow dung, and just a few rounds from a catapult will tear them to pieces!” Zhou Wucui shook his head. “Fools, nothing but fools. Do you think the Tibetans only use low-quality materials like cow dung and clay? How many people have they captured from Guanlong, and how many of them are Han craftsmen? Do you think they haven’t learned how to build strong cities?”
Li Kuo sighed. “Jiuqu City is located near Shao Shi Mountain and is built of bluestone—extremely sturdy. I’m afraid brute force won’t work.”
As they debated, Gao Xiuyan entered the camp under the protection of his personal guards.
“Salute, General Gao!” The generals all bowed and paid military respect to him.
He waved his hand and asked directly, “So, Lieutenant Li, have you found any clues?”
Li Kuo saluted and replied, “General, it seems the Tibetans left not long ago. Should we pursue them?”
Gao Xiuyan tapped his fingers, pondering the situation for a long time before deciding to pursue them. If the Tibetans got word and summoned the defenders from Datong Valley and Dafei River to surround them, his 30,000 cavalry might be trapped! Even if it wasn’t for the overall strategy of the Battle of Hehuang, he still had to think of himself.
Just as he was about to give orders, there was a ‘ping’ sound, and Xianyu Yucheng stumbled out of a barracks on the west side. Usually so calm and composed, he rashly rushed in front of Li Kuo, trembling as he said, “People, it’s all people.”
Gao Xiuyan immediately frowned, thinking that Li Kuo was so careless—there were Tibetan soldiers hiding in the barracks, yet he hadn’t noticed.
He smiled slightly and asked, “How many Tibetans are in the barracks? Have they given up resisting and agreed to surrender?”

Xianyu Yucheng then noticed Gao Xiuyan was also there. With a thud, he knelt on the ground, sobbing, “General, they’re not alive! It’s all heads—heads of people. They’re Tang people, Tang people…” At these words, it seemed he saw again the scene of heads rolling around; his stomach churned violently, and the fried cakes he had eaten at noon came back up along with tears and snot. Seeing his state, everyone realized something terrible had happened and hurriedly followed Gao Xiuyan toward the barracks in the west. But with a soft creak, the unlatched wooden door swung open, releasing a foul stench of rotting corpses. Flies swarmed, maggots writhed, making people want to vomit. Inside the large barracks, there were over a hundred heads, all with eyes wide open, staring straight at the door. Some new recruits were so terrified they hugged each other and cried, while those inexperienced in battle even vomited their stomach contents from the shock. “They’re Tang people! They’re Tang citizens!” Seeing this, Lin Feng stepped forward, wiping his tears. “They must be Tang slaves captured by the Tubo from Guanlong. Knowing our army was approaching, the Tubo saw these slaves as a burden, so they killed them all. The Tubo don’t keep useless slaves; if a slave falls ill, its master will cut off its head as a military achievement!” At these words, everyone’s faces turned pale—these were Tang people, their own kin and fellow villagers! “These damned Tubo bastards!” Pu Dachui cried, shaking his fist in anger. “Kill all those Tubo beasts! Slay them!” “Revenge! Revenge!” “Aveng our fellow villagers!” Most of the soldiers here came from Longyou region; these brutally killed Tang people might well be uncles from neighboring villages or childhood playmates. With so many heads laid before them and so much bloodshed etched in their minds, how could they let it go? “I swear I won’t rest until this vengeance is taken!” Li Kuo was now completely consumed by grief and fury. He would make those who committed such heinous crimes pay! Blood debts must be paid in blood… Nearly five thousand light cavalry rushed swiftly through the mountains under Li Kuo’s leadership. Even in the pitch darkness, they dared not light torches. For as soon as a flame appeared, they would be reminded of the gruesome sight of heads everywhere, the stench of burning corpses, and those eyes wide with rage…

Flames blazed as they burned the stupa built from human heads, yet they could not extinguish the hatred planted in their hearts; boiling oil surged as they destroyed the city walls constructed from corpses, yet it could not erase the humiliation inflicted upon them. (Note 1) To catch up with the Tubo army as quickly as possible, everyone rode their war horses all night along the muddy, uneven paths eastward. Apart from swallowing flatbreads with cold water while on their mounts, they hadn’t eaten anything; since morning, they hadn’t closed their eyes at all. Yet not a single one of the more than 5,000 Tang soldiers complained. They were determined to avenge their fellow villagers and reclaim their lost dignity!

“Lord, there’s fire!”
Dou Qing pointed out the flickering flames visible at the entrance of the mountain pass ahead.

“It’s the Tubo people! Only they would camp in such a pass!”
Lin Feng added sharply. The Tubo people were highly devout to gods and Buddhas, believing that camping in mountain passes brought them closer to nature and granted blessings from Shambhala.

“Brothers, charge in! Avenge our fellow villagers!”
Li Kuo drew his black sword from his waist and spoke coldly.

Thousands of Tang soldiers rushed forward, driven by their hatred for their country and family, breaking through the wooden gates set up by the Tubo people at the pass and heading toward their hastily built, crooked tents.

The Tubo people never expected the Tang soldiers to pursue them overnight. They hadn’t scattered iron thorns in front of their camp, nor set up horse traps covered with grass and dust at the pass, and even their wooden fences were merely crooked symbols. (Note 3) In the end, they underestimated the Tang soldiers’ hatred and the Tang people’s dignity!

Most of those Tubo soldiers were asleep and never expected the Tang soldiers to appear out of nowhere. They quickly pulled up their pants and tried to flee. But how could they outrun cavalry? After just a few rounds of fighting, nearly 500 Tubo soldiers were killed by the Tang forces, with limbs scattered everywhere.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack! The Tang invaders are here! Get up, you bastards! Grab your spears and fight back!”
A Tubo centurion threw on his coat and roared hoarsely.

Note 1: Cow dung was the main dye used by the Tubo people. It had been used as fuel for boiling tea and cooking in the plateau pastoral areas for a thousand years. For the vast number of farmers and herders living in the snowy highlands, cow dung remains the best fuel to this day. Coal is difficult to transport, roads are long, gas is impractical, and solar and wind energy are unstable. Cow dung, which can be obtained locally and is low-carbon and environmentally friendly, is the most precious resource for pastoralists.

Note 2: Refers to the practice of building stupas from human heads and city walls from corpses—a form of almost primitive display of military strength.

Note 3: Volume 152 of the Tang Tongdian records that the horse-trapping pits are five feet long, one foot wide, and three feet deep. They contain deer-horn spears and bamboo sticks. The pits are arranged in a shape resembling the character “”Ya” (Chinese character)” connected together, looking like hooks and locks. They are covered with grass and fine dust, and are set up in military cities, camps, and strategic locations.