Chapter 86: Chasing the Sun (1)

As the sun rose and shadows faded, Kuafu wished to race against it, so he pursued it into a secluded valley. (Note 1) Sometimes, under certain circumstances, we have no choice.
To act when it is right is the mark of a wise man; to act when it is wrong is the hallmark of a hero.
Li Kuo clenched the black sword in his hand, looking back at the wailing Tibetan cavalry in the rocky gully.
What good are twenty thousand elite soldiers? What good are three thousand armored riders? My ethnicity determines my stance. Even if Kuafu chases the sun, I will fight with every last ounce of my strength. For I carry the blood of the Tang Dynasty!
The mighty China, the glorious Tang Dynasty—how could it bow before a foreign tribe? We Tang people won’t seek trouble, but we will never allow any barbarians to oppress our kin!
Looking up, the dark gray sky was gradually turning pale at the edges, with faint crimson light breaking through the thick clouds and illuminating the young man’s face.
Li Kuo smiled bitterly. His few thousand men had already fought the Tibetans all night. He had forgotten time, exhaustion, and pain. Battle could sharpen one’s senses, but the price for that clarity was often unbearable.
“Fire another arrow at them.”
With a cold remark, Li Kuo mounted his horse. Their goal was merely to hold off the pursuing Tibetans and exhaust their light cavalry as much as possible. Since their purpose was achieved, there was no need for further entanglement.
“Yes!”
Zhang Yanji clasped his fists and rushed toward the gully.
Without further words, the veteran soldiers drew their crossbows from their waists and fired arrows at the Tibetans still struggling in the deep gully.
“Ugh!”
“Ugh!”
The Tibetans, whose faces were purple from pain, were pierced in the throat by the arrows. With a few beastly groans, they stopped struggling. Their internal organs were already torn apart; there was no chance of survival. Firing another arrow at them was the least they could do. If anyone was to blame, it was them for being born into such a fate.
“Retreat!”
Zhang Yanji gave a nod and issued the order. Though the rocky gully delayed the Tibetans for now, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t find other narrow paths to escape. The sooner they joined Wang Xiaochun and the others, the sooner they could be out of danger.
Apart from the rocky gully, that hill was the only exit. If the Tibetans wanted to leave this valley, they would have to head there.
But did Brother Kuo really entrust such an important task to that kid? Was he gambling? Would the Tibetans really fall for it?…

Five li outside Suishi Gou, on a small, nameless hillock, nearly a thousand Tang soldiers were stationed in dense groups. From a distance, they didn’t seem different from ordinary soldiers, but upon closer inspection, their frames appeared thinner and their skin darker than that of other Tang soldiers.
This army consisted of the Xiongwu and Zhenwu battalions, formed from descendants of the Tang people. Since they had just joined the Longyou army, Gao Xiuyan classified them as reserve troops—usually tasked only with carrying supplies and cooking, without having to fight in battles. In fact, they had volunteered to join this campaign themselves. Everyone desperately needed a battle, a victory, to prove themselves. Although their comrades were polite to them, they could sense a hint of disdain and suspicion in their eyes.
Since they shared the same origins, why not trust them? Was it simply because they were born in Tubo?
If the Han people became barbarians when they went among barbarians, then by that logic, hundreds of thousands of Tang people in the old Hehuang region would all be considered barbarians?
No! They wanted to prove through action that they were not cowards and worthy of the name “Tang.”
Yet the outcome disappointed them greatly. Although the commander assigned them tasks as usual, it was obvious what the implication was. Why not send them to the front lines? Why could they only do menial tasks like waving flags and shouting slogans?
They refused to accept it. For the first time, they disobeyed the commander’s orders!
If the Tubo people were going to pass through this plain, then they would let them come—there were archers and stones ready to greet them!
“How come it’s already this late, and those Tubo brutes still haven’t arrived?”
Wang Xiaochun glanced at the sky and frowned.
“I guess they must be scared of the commander and keep looking back every few steps,” Er Gouzi said, chewing his lip as he walked over. As the senior among the Tang descendants, he had been appointed as a lieutenant in the Zhenwu battalion, ranking only below Wang Xiaochun.
“That’s great—now we have some leisure time too!”
Wang Xiaochun glared at Er Gouzi angrily, his words laced with hostility.
He didn’t want to see a bunch of scared Tubo soldiers, only to use their heads to prove his own loyalty!
“Lieutenant, there seems to be an army ahead!”
A thin Tang soldier stood up from the plain and shouted. By his appearance, he was probably only sixteen or seventeen, and his thin frame made him seem even weaker.
“How many? Cavalry or infantry?”
Wang Xiaochun raised an eyebrow and asked.
“I can’t say for sure, but I guess there’s at least a thousand cavalry, and tens of thousands of infantry.”

After a pause, the lean Tang soldier hurriedly added, “This is just an estimate. If it doesn’t match reality, you can’t punish me under military law!”
Wang Xiaochun laughed and slapped him on the head, saying, “Who doesn’t know that you, little monkey, have an uncanny hearing? You can hear almost everything within five miles!”
The Tang soldier, called Little Monkey, rubbed the back of his head and said, “I’m just leaving myself a backdoor, so you won’t hold it against me later!”
“Heh, you little brat.”
“Stop joking and get things arranged quickly.”
Er Gouzi stepped forward at the right moment, coughing softly.
Wang Xiaochun lost his smile, his gaze turning cold. “Hmm, then let’s make sure those Tubo barbarians never return!”
At the head of the army, Governor Jiuqu, Eszang, was filled with mixed emotions. Ever since fleeing Jiuqu City, everyone had been living in fear of an ambush. Despite all their precautions, once they entered Shuanglong Valley, they were still played around by the Tang invaders. After several battles, seven or eight thousand soldiers had died, and over three thousand were injured. If this continued, not to mention anything else, their resources would be completely exhausted!
With a clear numerical advantage, why were they so constrained? He heard the enemy’s commander was just a half-grown boy who hadn’t even come of age. His own illustrious reputation, Eszang’s, was about to be ruined by a mere kid.
Although he still had over ten thousand soldiers, he dared not be careless anymore. Judging by the Tangs’ actions, they weren’t satisfied with just resisting him—they aimed to wipe out these twenty thousand troops in one go.
What an audacious ambition!
Eszang sighed inwardly. Now that the King was also in the army, they were a target. Under normal circumstances, he might have dared to take risks in battle. But with the king present, he wouldn’t risk the king’s safety, no matter what.
That’s why he decided to take a detour through this mountain pass to exit the valley. Once they rounded this corner, they’d be out of the valley and no longer have to worry about hidden Tang soldiers. The Tubo warriors were the bravest and strongest fighters in the world; they feared no nation in a head-on battle!
“Governor, the King wants you to come over!”
A bodyguard walked up and announced loudly.
“Hmm, I know.”
Eszang nodded and turned his horse toward the king’s golden carriage.
Deep in the Tubo army, King Chide Zuan sat in a golden carriage. He disliked riding horses, so he had this luxurious carriage made so he could carry it wherever he went.
Eight of the strongest and bravest Tubo warriors carried the carriage, stepping carefully, afraid of disturbing the king’s thoughts.

Chidezuzan’s face turned ashen with anger; successive defeats had filled him with fury and shame. How could Esang be so useless, being manipulated by a mere boy? He had given him 20,000 troops, yet things turned out like this?
“Cough!”
“Cough!”
Fueled by anger, Chidezuzan even coughed up blood.
“Your Majesty, Governor Esang has arrived.”
In front of the imperial carriage, a pale-faced attendant spoke softly with his head bowed.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with a thin cloth, Chidezuzan shook his head and said, “Call him here.”
“Get off the carriage! Get off now!”
The attendant hurriedly waved the white cloth, giving orders.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! I am guilty! I have failed to live up to your high expectations!”
Esang rushed to the front of the carriage and knelt down, pounding his head desperately.
Chidezuzan sneered inwardly—such acting was only good enough to deceive children. Though he disdained him, Chidezuzan still got up and helped Esang to his feet, saying, “Governor, why say such things? I bear no ill will toward you. I’ve just been wondering why our 20,000 warriors were defeated by less than 5,000 Tang soldiers.”
Esang’s face turned red with shame as he bit his lip and said, “It was my fault for mishandling things earlier; I underestimated the Tangs’ tactics. This time, I’ve sent many scouts, so such mistakes won’t happen again.”
But Nangxiedazan, the Tibetan chancellor, scoffed, “I doubt it. The Tangs are so cunning—how can you be sure they won’t emerge from those mountain crevices?”
Seeing that it was Nangxiedazan, Esang grew furious. He glared at him fiercely before bowing to Chidezuzan and saying, “Though I’m unskilled, I still have the strength to protect my lord. Unlike some who only engage in despicable, hidden schemes!”
Note 1: From “The Classic of Mountains and Seas · Beyond the Seas to the North”: “Kuafu overestimated his strength, trying to chase the sun’s shadow to the edge of a valley. Thirsty, he sought water in the rivers He and Wei. When those were insufficient, he planned to go north to drink from a great marsh. Before he could reach it, he died of thirst.”