Chapter 56: Mountains and Seas (9)

“The Commander has returned! The Commander has returned!”
Tang Bing, the sentry at Lu Chai’s front, shouted loudly upon seeing Li Kuo riding swiftly on Qingfeng.
Unbeknownst to the young man himself, his exploits, exaggerated and embellished, had spread widely among the troops in Longyou. Whether they were veterans with over a decade of service or new recruits, everyone praised his bravery.
Whether it was his daring use of the Moadao formation and Fire Horse formation to defeat the Tubo army in the Battle of the Great Wall Fortress, or his ingenious ruse of disguising himself as a Tubo cavalryman to seize Fusi City on the west bank of Qinghai, the young man had firmly become the war god in everyone’s hearts.
Yet Li Kuo had no intention of pondering the soldiers’ thoughts. He simply leaped off his horse and strode toward the camp.
Soldiers immediately took Qingfeng to the temporary stable to feed it for the night. These troops, who had never been to battle, looked at Li Kuo with envy and admiration.
Who said great generals must come from noble families? Who said the young cannot become lords or prime ministers?
Hadn’t Commander Li, at just seventeen years old, wielded his sword to achieve extraordinary feats for the Tang Dynasty?
In this world, one must forge their own path!
Gao Xiuyan’s command tent was located in the center of the plain. Guided by a personal attendant, Li Kuo arrived at the tent easily. Lifting the curtain made of white fabric, he stepped inside.
An oil lamp burned inside the tent. The military commander Gao Xiuyan was discussing something with his third brother, Li Zigu, along with two of his trusted officers.
Hearing the noise, Gao Xiuyan turned around. Seeing Li Kuo enter, he waved him over and said, “Commander Li, come here and talk.”
Li Kuo, sensing the seriousness in his tone, paused slightly, bowed, and stepped beside Gao Xiuyan.
“Commander Li, I heard you issued an order to kill all captives without exception?”
A dark line appeared on Gao Xiuyan’s forehead, and his voice carried clear displeasure.
Li Kuo’s heart sank. This was what he had feared. He had just annihilated the Tubo army, yet someone had already reported it to Gao Xiuyan. Could it be that he had spies among his own men?
Though thinking this, the young man did not dare show any disrespect toward Gao Xiuyan.
“Reporting to Commander Gao, these barbarians killed so many of our comrades and fellow villagers—they deserve to die!”
“Nonsense!”
Gao Xiuyan was so angry that his beard trembled as he pointed at Li Kuo’s nose. “How am I supposed to describe you? As a commander of the Tang Dynasty, don’t you even know the military rules? The Tang Dynasty does not execute surrendered soldiers. How am I supposed to explain your recklessness to the imperial court?”

Seeing his hostile attitude, Li Kuo’s anger surged instantly.
“Didn’t General Gao order me not to let a single barbarian go? These Tibetans all have legs—what if some manage to escape in the chaos? Won’t General Gao hold me accountable?”
Gao Xiuyan, furious, laughed and said, “Good, very good. You think you can act as you please now that you’ve grown too bold, right? Can’t you even tie up prisoners? You have five thousand elite cavalry—how could a few hundred prisoners slip away right under your nose?”
“I only know that dead men won’t escape. I only know I won’t let a single Tibetan barbarian go to Jiuqu City to report back!” the young man retorted stubbornly.
Seeing the tension between the two growing, Li Zigu quickly stepped forward to mediate, “General Gao, in my opinion, Qi Lang had no choice. With so many soldiers under him, it’s inevitable that some will defy orders. The Tibetans are violent by nature—killing them is better; otherwise, keeping them will only bring trouble.”
But Gao Xiuyan wouldn’t listen to any advice. Waving his hand, he said, “Zigu, don’t plead for him. Otherwise, I’ll punish you first for prioritizing personal interests over duty. As a battalion commander, if he can’t even control his own men, he doesn’t deserve to be a commander at all!”
Seeing Gao Xiuyan’s defiance, the young man straightened his back and said, “One must take responsibility for their own actions. If it was my order, why shift the blame to the soldiers? I know that on the battlefield, there’s no room for hesitation or pity!”
Gao Xiuyan snapped, “They’ve surrendered—they’re now prisoners of our Tang army. What right do you have to kill them? Who gave you the audacity? If word gets out, where will our Tang Dynasty’s reputation as a nation of benevolence and righteousness go? And where will the title of Emperor of All Under Heaven stand?”
Li Kuo shook his head angrily. “Just because they captured and slaughtered tens of thousands of our people in Longyou, just because they killed countless of our Tang soldiers—has General Gao forgotten our national hatred?”
“Dare you!”
Gao Xiuyan raised his hand to strike. After a moment’s hesitation, he still struck out in impatience. There was no need to give outsiders an excuse at this critical moment. He would have plenty of opportunities to deal with this arrogant young man properly.
Gao Xiuyan glanced at Li Zigu and snorted.
“I won’t argue with you on this. Even if they’re to be executed, it must be approved by General Geshu and the Emperor. You’re overstepping your authority. No matter how reasonable it seems, it’s still unjust.”

Li Kuo was filled with disappointment. Shaking his head, he said, “Does General Gao really think that everything in this world must be measured by reason and law? Does he believe that simply putting down one’s sword makes one a Buddha? If so, then no matter how many people of the Tang Dynasty the Tubo people have slaughtered, as long as they put down their swords afterward, they can be forgiven? All I know is that their swords are stained with the blood of Tang people. I only know that those who kill must die, and blood must be repaid with blood. I am avenging my fellow villagers—what is wrong with that? Heaven watches what people do. Don’t you feel guilty, General Gao?”
With that, the young man swept away, leaving Gao Xiuyan standing there in stunned silence.
Li Kuo was utterly disappointed. Was this the Tang Dynasty he had once taken pride in? Was this the Tang general he had admired so much? As a child, he often heard his third brother say that the Tang Dynasty was an army of benevolence and righteousness, admired by all nations. So this was the source of that admiration? How many souls of Tang soldiers lay buried beneath it?
There was a time when he took pride in being a Tang soldier and was proud to become a Tang general. But why, once one reaches a high position, can they kick out the most precious emotions from their hearts and trample them underfoot? Why, even after trampling them, are they not satisfied and want to crush them completely?
Are those so-called virtues of benevolence and righteousness, along with the title of Heavenly Khan, more precious than the vast lands of the Tang Dynasty? In the eyes of these nobles and officials, are the lives of the people in the Thirteen Prefectures of Longyou so worthless, less than even ants?
Gazing eastward at the mountains and rivers, tears fall like rain; the brave warriors sing sad songs as they face difficult paths.
Our Tang men brave the sand and stones, fighting bravely on the front lines—for whom are they fighting to seize the world? Our Chinese sons endure severe pain, defending our homeland at the borders—into whose hands will it fall?
Those obsessed with love are like those holding torches.
A bitter smile crossed the young man’s face.
It turns out that the beautiful lands formed from the bones of thousands in Longyou are not even as valuable as a barbarian’s shout of “Long live Your Majesty!”