Chapter 66: Shattering the Blade (5)

Leaving Huangyang Valley, climbing Sanling Mountain, and crossing Dachuan Marsh, the 30,000 Tang troops, led by the White Wolf tribe warriors, gradually made their way out of the vast Dafeichuan region.
They rode night and day for 800 li, their speed beyond even the reach of gales.
Ever since Chief Suta of the White Wolf tribe reached a secret agreement with Gao Xiuyan, the commander of the Tang forces in Longyou, they abandoned their comfortable beds and mounted their hard saddle horses, racing southeast.
What kind of benefit could make people give up delicious cheese and fruits, as well as intoxicating wines? No one could figure out what was in that agreement that could make the Nagi tribe of the White Wolf tribe willing to devote their entire force to assist them?
“Huh!”
Zhang Yanji exhaled a puff of breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
The scorching sun in the sky was truly annoying. Its intense rays fell on the gravelly ground, turning the stones as hot as boiled eggs. The weather in this high-altitude grassland was truly peculiar—the cold winds at night seeped into your neck, while at noon it could roast you alive!
Since setting out early in the morning, the soldiers hadn’t had a hot meal yet, leaving them trembling with hunger and anxiety. Add to this the oppressive heat, how could it not make people angry?
“Brother Kuo, at this pace, we should reach the river mouth by tonight. Since we’re all still hungry, why not ask Commander Gao first and camp for a while? After all, General Geshu only asked us to reach Jiuqu City by the 10th of June—there’s no need to rush so much, right?”
Zhang Yanji rubbed his aching back and muttered softly.
Li Kuo tightened the reins and slowed down his horse, waiting for Zhang Yanji to catch up.
“That won’t do. Our purpose in crossing Qinghai is to launch a surprise attack on Jiuqu City. If it’s a surprise attack, speed is crucial. If we take three days to travel and rest two days, by the time we reach the Tibetans’ territory, it will be too late.”
Li Kuo shook his head with a wry smile.
“If it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t. I was just saying.”
Zhang Yanji spread his hands, looking aggrieved. “Ugh, my stomach is growling again. Brother, it seems I have to ask you to endure this for now—let’s eat some roasted flatbreads first.”
“General Li, General Li!”
Chief Suta spurred his horse forward. “There’s abandoned cow dung ahead—fresh cow dung!”
Li Kuo was overjoyed. Fresh cow dung meant there must be large herds in the vicinity. The allied forces had traveled hundreds of miles without seeing a soul, and morale was low. Such news would be very helpful in boosting morale.

“It must be Hekou City!”
Chief Suta stroked his beard gently and smiled, saying, “I vaguely remember there are three mound-like hills in front of Hekou City, connected one after another. We’ve already climbed over two of them; the third is right before us.”
“Mm.”
The young man nodded in agreement. Looking into the distance, he indeed saw a curved blue ridge stretching as far as the eye could see.
“Thank you, Chief. If not for your guidance, we might have encountered countless Tibetan scouts along the way!”
The young man held the reins and bowed to Chief Suta from afar, expressing his sincere gratitude.
Since leaving the Dafei River Valley, guided by the warriors of the White Wolf tribe, they had taken routes along waterways and through small paths. Although it took more effort, they didn’t encounter a single Tibetan scout. Since time allowed, it didn’t matter to travel a bit further—after all, their goal was to learn from Sun Bin’s strategy of besieging Wei to rescue Zhao, rather than simply capturing cities.
In his view, secrecy in marching was more important than anything else.
As the military arts often say, when leading troops into battle, one must avoid what the enemy expects and strike where they’re unprepared. Those who can travel thousands of miles without fatigue do so by moving through uninhabited areas, remaining almost invisible.
Invisibility and silence enable one to control the fate of the enemy. If they could force the Tibetans along the Chiling Line to send reinforcements, the Tang Dynasty would have won most of this battle in the River Huan region!
Chief Suta waved his hand and laughed, saying, “General Li, you’re joking again. The arrival of the heavenly army in the Dafei River Valley is an honor for the Naji tribe. The descendants of the Grey Wolves should serve as guides, leading the Tang army to the sacred battlefield. For friends, we’ll offer our finest cheese and wine; for enemies, we’ll resolutely wield our curved swords. Fighting alongside the Tang army is a honor for the warriors of the White Wolf tribe.”
Chief Suta narrowed his eyes, waiting for Li Kuo’s reaction. His words were half true and half false. Honestly, he had more goodwill toward the Tang Dynasty than toward Tibet. However, a small tribe like theirs had no right to speak of friendship. Caught between the two great powers of Tibet and the Tang Dynasty, such nomadic tribes usually chose to align with the stronger side—swaying with the wind, falling with it. Though it was shameful, it was also inevitable. Since the Tang Dynasty and Tibet were fighting over territory and prestige, the Naji tribe had to defend their own grasslands, didn’t they?
If not for Yi Suo’s death, he might have sided with Tibet. After all, the Tibetans had ruled the Jiuqu and Dafei River Valley for a long time, and their rulers’ position was not easily shaken. But Yi Suo’s death deeply stirred his once numb heart. In life, if one didn’t even have the desire to achieve something, wasn’t that a miserable existence?

More importantly, this assassination incident caused subtle divisions among the clan into several factions. Several forces were secretly competing for the position of future clan leader, fighting fiercely and causing great headaches. Although Yi Suo was not accepted by the clan members, he still held the status of the clan leader’s son, so those others did not dare to be too overbearing. His death brought great distress to him. He needed to show sufficient strength and courage to intimidate these wolves, and now he had a perfect opportunity before him.
Prosperity brings rise; failure brings ruin.
Though it was cruel, Suta felt as if his pulse, which had stagnated for many years, began to beat again, and his blood, cold for over a decade, started to boil! Thirty thousand elite Tang cavalry crossed Qinghai and headed straight for Dafei Chuan without encountering any effective resistance, which clearly showed the weakness of Tubo’s rear forces. With the guidance of his own clan members, sneaking up on Jiuqu City silently was no longer an impossible task.
“My Tang Dynasty regards all tribes in the four seas as one family!”
Li Kuo proudly raised his head and said, “Since Chief Suta is willing to cooperate with the Tang army, he is considered one of us Tang people and should be under the protection of our great Tang Dynasty. After this is accomplished, I will request Marshal Geshu to ask the emperor to appoint you as the Khan of Yanxi, governing the grasslands around Hekou Jiuqu.”
Hearing this, Suta was overjoyed and quickly said, “Suta is willing to serve the Tang Dynasty and the Heavenly Khan with all his might!”
Although he and Gao Xiuyan had already reached a clear agreement on the division of the lands around Jiuqu and Hekou during their secret discussions, receiving official recognition from the Tang emperor would bring him even greater joy.
It wasn’t that Suta was vain or seeking fame for its own sake. It was because this title carried too much meaning and significance.
Khan of Yanxi… Yanxi! Yanxi, Yanxi!
This showed that the Tang emperor was not satisfied with merely capturing Shibao City, nor even with controlling Jiuqu and Dafei Chuan!
The great Heavenly Khan wanted to expand the territory of the Tang Empire to the farthest west, aiming to achieve feats as remarkable as those of his great-grandfather!
The Tang emperor was nearing the end of his life and naturally hoped to see all nations pay homage during his lifetime. Any tribe that dared to obstruct his plans, no matter how powerful, would tremble in fear under the might of the Tang cavalry and beg for mercy. Even a powerful nation like Tubo, with over two hundred thousand archers, shuddered in fear before the wrath of the Tang emperor and sacrificed all its strength.
Ultimately, it was a matter of pride.
The Tang emperor would never allow any unruly tribes to exist around his realm, nor would he tolerate any tribe daring to challenge his authority. Even if it meant sacrificing the nation’s wealth, he would fight this battle!
“Hiss!”

Chieftain Suta exhaled a cold breath. Having understood the situation, he was glad at his choice. If he had been constrained by Tubo’s power and reported the whereabouts of the 30,000 Tang troops to the Tubo defenders, he would have received only a few thousand heads of cattle and sheep as reward, while offending the entire Tang court in the process!
The lives of those 30,000 Tang troops might mean nothing in the eyes of the Tang emperor, but they provided an excellent pretext for launching an army. The Tang dynasty was wealthy and strong, with its people valuing martial prowess. At the emperor’s command, countless would respond. By then, hundreds of thousands of Tang troops would cross the Chilin Mountains to avenge their comrades—wouldn’t he then become a scapegoat orchestrated by the Tubo?
If one bucket of honey ruined the whole pool of milk, Chieftain Suta would truly have nowhere to complain.
Fortunately, he had chosen the right path—it was a matter concerning the lives and fortunes of nearly ten thousand people in his clan.
Sometimes, the morale and determination of the warring sides alone determine the outcome of a battle.
All he wanted was a gesture from the Tang people, a promise. As long as the Tang emperor still desired to expand his territory, Chieftain Yanshi would not have to worry about losing his position!
“Dad, Dad!”
Aina’s voice, clear as a silver bell, came from behind. Chieftain Suta turned and saw his beloved daughter, her cheeks as smooth and beautiful as polished jade, smiling at him with bright eyes.
“Sigh!” Chieftain Suta felt warmth in his heart, filled with emotion. Though he had lost Isuo, he still had Aina by his side.
Heaven was most fair—often, after a great fire on the grasslands, fertile soil remained. If he only complained about the fire’s cruelty while ignoring the fertile land, wouldn’t that be self-inflicted suffering?
“Dad, look at you! I don’t know what you’re thinking about. The boundary stone of Hekou City is right ahead!”
Aina pouted, pretending to be displeased.
On the fertile grasslands of Hekou, a group of dark cavalry rushed by, scattering birds in flight. (Note 2) “Brother, you ride your fine horse to war, while I herd sheep on the grasslands. I’ll prepare fresh horse milk for you to taste when you return; brother, you fight bravely with your curved sword, while I gaze into the distance with my sheepwhip. I’ll steam yogurt for you to enjoy when you come back…”
Aina sang softly, occasionally glancing at Li Kuo.
“This child…”
Chieftain Suta smiled bitterly. “It’s good. If the two of them can truly be married, it would be a great joy for the White Wolf tribe.”
Looking around, the vast grasslands stretched as far as the eye could see—would this fertile land soon become the pasture of the Najie tribe?…
Note 1: Hekou: present-day Maduo, Qinghai.

Note 2: The Tang Book’s account of Tubo states that the areas around the river mouth and Jiuqu are suitable for livestock farming.