Chapter 24: The Roar of the Dragon (II)

“The man you killed was a Göktürk, right…”
Li Kuo felt a slight tremor in his throat as he let out a soft sigh.
From the stories Li An had told, Li Kuo had already guessed the outcome. Li An had a personal vendetta against the Göktürks for the murder of his mother, so he would surely not miss such a perfect opportunity for revenge.
Li An’s expression suddenly turned fierce as he sneered, “That’s right. When I learned I was going to kill a Göktürk bastard, all fear vanished from my heart. I was avenging myself! Haha, I was avenging myself!”
Though he felt some sympathy for Li An’s plight, the young man did not agree with all of his actions and words. Although the Göktürks, like the Turks, were nomadic tribes of the steppes, in the young man’s eyes, they were more gentle in nature compared to the Turks. Living in the Altai region, they rarely took the initiative to fight over grazing lands, and unless it came to a matter of principle, they wouldn’t engage in violent conflicts.
Perhaps those Göktürks who raided Li An’s family were indeed a band of criminals…
But in Li An’s eyes, the Göktürks were mortal enemies, snakes hiding their fangs. They not only stole wealth but also took lives. They killed his relatives and extinguished every spark of hope in his heart. They were demons, utterly wicked demons, unforgivable venomous snakes!
“That man was a minor chief of a Göktürk tribe. He was deeply hated by the locals for frequently plundering the areas around Yiwu. Later, they were defeated by a general during a raid and captured and brought to the main camp… I walked over step by step, holding my sword, looking into his desperate eyes, and without hesitation, swung my sword down… Carrying that thief’s head, I went to report to the general. He smiled, patted my head, and praised my courage.”
Waving his hands, Li An continued, “That thief-chieftain still had some prestige among the Göktürks. His people felt they had suffered a great humiliation, so they sent people to demand an explanation from the general. Without hesitation, the general led a thousand elite cavalrymen to fight them. Of course, the Anxi army emerged victorious, and from then on, the Göktürks never dared to harass the area around Yiwu again.”
As he spoke, a smile tugged at Li An’s lips. At least in the four towns of Anxi, they could proudly claim to be Tang people, and those who identified as Tang could enjoy the admiring looks from others. What was the duty of a military general? Wasn’t it to protect every inch of the land and its people? If a military general couldn’t protect his own people, what was the point of his existence?

What is the purpose of a nation? Isn’t it to protect its people? If a nation doesn’t even have the ability to protect its own people, what’s the point of its existence?
A sense of trust can replace many things that cannot be expressed in words.
“Is that general Fumeng Lingcha?”
Based on timeline analysis, Li Kuo had already figured out who this person was. Fumeng Lingcha became the military governor of the Four Garrison Towns in the third year of the Tianbao era and had just resigned recently. By that calculation, about ten years ago, he must have been the governor of Yiwu.
“How do you know?”
Li An was clearly surprised. He hadn’t revealed his adoptive father’s name at all—how could he know?
“Among the generals in our Tang Dynasty’s border regions, only General Fumeng Lingcha seems to hate the Göktürks so much,” Li Kuo said with a light smile, explaining why. Fumeng Lingcha was well-known for being protective of his own people. In the past, other ethnic groups had fought with the Göktürks over grazing lands, so both personally and professionally, he would never treat them kindly.
In fact, before Fumeng Lingcha resigned, the main nomadic force in the Anxi region was likely the Turkic people. These Western Turks were brave and warlike, and the emperor supported them to resist the advancing Arabs. But good times didn’t last long. These Turks became divided into two factions over tribal power and gradually declined due to internal strife.
“Yes, if it weren’t for the Turks’ decline and internal conflicts, how would General Gao have thought of supporting the Göktürks!”
Li An was clearly dissatisfied with Gao Xianzhi’s decision. Setting aside his personal grudges with the Göktürks, that tribe was also like a cunning fox. Though they appeared docile, they were actually fierce and warlike at heart. In other words, which Turkic-speaking nomadic people are known for having good tempers?
“There’s nothing we can do. The Four Garrison Towns are vast but sparsely populated. If we don’t support a nomadic tribe, how can we resist the increasingly powerful Arabs?”
Li Kuo shook his head and smiled helplessly.
To be honest, the military strength of the Four Garrison Towns was severely insufficient. Gao Xianzhi only had about 40,000 to 50,000 troops at his disposal. This number was not even comparable to those of the Longyou Army or the Fanyang Army, let alone the Shuofang Army, which had fewer troops but was still far stronger than those in Anxi.
“The Arabs have always been eyeing our Four Garrison Towns. They weren’t satisfied with supporting the Huang clan of Turks to take control of Suoye City; they even tried to bring the entire Western Regions under their rule. I heard that Arab soldiers worship Islam, and they fight to spread their faith, bringing Allah’s blessings to every corner of the world.”

Li An’s emotions gradually stabilized, and he began to analyze the situation around the Four Towns of Anxi for the young man. In his eyes, the threat posed by the Arabs to the Four Towns of Anxi far exceeded that of the Uyghurs, Turkic tribes, and Göktürks. Even the Tibetans were not as fierce and fanatical as the Arabs; religion could indeed drive people mad. And the combat effectiveness of such fanatical soldiers was unimaginable!
“These Arabs are especially skilled in cavalry warfare. Wherever their cavalry sweeps through, nothing but ruins remains.”
After all, Li An had served in Anxi for many years and had some understanding of the Arabs through various channels. The Arabs possessed strict military discipline, with orders being the sole guide for their actions.
“Are the Arabs’ cavalry really that strong? I only know that the northern deserts and Liaodong are rich in warhorses. Could their cavalry be even more formidable than the Turks’?”
Li Kuo became interested and started talking with Li An. He was soon heading to Shule to take up a position, where he would inevitably deal with the Arabs. Although war between the two countries was not imminent, more knowledge meant greater confidence.
“General Li, you may not be aware of this, but the combat style of the Arab cavalry differs greatly from that of those nomadic tribes. Nomadic cavalry often use a three-pronged attack strategy, relying on speed and momentum to win. But the Arabs place more emphasis on battle formation, launching attacks in organized units. What’s most terrifying is that the strength of the Arab empire is no less than that of our Tang Dynasty, and their armor is extremely luxurious, making them even more difficult to deal with than the Turks!”
Li An’s words made sense. Whether the Tang people admitted it or not, a major reason why the northern nomadic tribes kept losing to the Tang Dynasty was their inferiority in weapons and armor. With the same number of cavalry, those with better equipment were clearly more likely to win. Moreover, the Tang Dynasty had a powerful weapon against cavalry—the Moadao formation! Once the Moadao warriors formed a formation, even the bravest nomadic warriors would tremble in fear.
But the Arabs were different. They had better armor and a fierce will. Most importantly, their financial resources allowed them to sustain a protracted war against the Tang Dynasty. Thus, even with the Moadao warriors as a trump card, the Tang Dynasty wasn’t entirely sure it could defeat them.
“What’s even more troublesome is the indecision of these barbarian states in the Western Regions!”
Li An shook his head. “In the Central Plains of our Tang Dynasty, none of these countries is as large as Zhongzhou, yet in the Western Regions, they hold significant influence. When the Arabs attack, they turn to them; when our Tang heavenly army arrives, they immediately weep and chant the name of the Heavenly Khan.”
“How shameless they are!”

Li Kuo waved his fist angrily. In the young man’s eyes, even weak city-states and foreign kingdoms had their own dignity. If they collapsed at the slightest wind, they would likely gain favor with no side.

“They’ve long lost their backbone! Those rulers might have dined with you at the same table, only to secretly send their confidants to inform the Arabs, offering them a human head as a gift.”

Li An smiled bitterly. “But it’s not really their fault. People strive to survive better. Dependence is sometimes just a helpless choice; only by enduring can one hope for a chance to turn things around.”

“The Huang clan of the Turkic people openly rebelled against our Tang Dynasty, so His Majesty supported the Hei clan to seize Suiye Valley. Of course, this was a last resort. His Majesty originally relied on the Turkic people to counter the Arabs, but they degenerated into worthless scum…”

Li An clearly held deep prejudices against the Turkic people. These folks not only wasted His Majesty’s efforts but also caused internal strife, giving the advancing Arabs an opportunity!

“The region of Shule is very close to Baganha and the Eastern Cao Kingdom!”

Li An’s eyes suddenly lit up as he gave Li Kuo detailed guidance. “Though these foreign kingdoms are opportunistic, they still have their own principles. For example, Baganha and the Eastern and Western Cao Kingdoms lean toward our Tang Dynasty, while the ruler of the Shi Kingdom is a Zoroastrian. The ruler of Ningyuan is famously timid and rarely takes a clear stance…”

Li An spoke slowly, but each word was clear and loud. Such knowledge couldn’t be found in books, nor could it be easily understood by a young man. He was still young and couldn’t see through or grasp some political matters. But he was constantly growing and gaining experience. After all, young people need trials and hardships to mature. What he lacked now was perhaps experience, and experience could only be gained through facing challenges firsthand!

One day, the fledgling eagle will spread its wings and soar through the sky filled with clouds. By then, the only one it can rely on will be itself!

Before Li Kuo’s eyes appeared a magnificent city, surrounded by vast, fertile grasslands. The grass there was green, the flowers fragrant, and people seemed less corrupt than those in Chang’an…

Note 1: During the Kaiyuan and Tianbao periods, the Göktürks were mainly distributed in the Jinshan region (Altai Mountains). After the An Lushan Rebellion, under the pressure of the Uyghurs, they migrated westward to the Ili River and Suiye River basins.

Note 2: A branch of the Western Turks. They were supported by the Tang Dynasty to dominate the Western Regions, with over 200,000 warriors at their peak.