Chapter 43: Assault on the Fortresses (IV)

A year ago, this treacherous path would have driven Li Kuo crazy with worry, but thanks to his previous experiences in Hezhong, he no longer had to fear taking the wrong path and ending up in a valley. Even so, the army’s progress wasn’t as rapid as Li Kuo had hoped. Although the Arabs hadn’t stationed many troops in this area, it was clear from the people of these vassal city-states that they harbored hostility.
Did they hate him? Why would they hate him? He had freed them from Arab slavery and allowed the Tang troops in Anxi to relieve them of heavy taxes and endless corvée labor. All they had to do was pledge allegiance to the Emperor of Tang and fulfill their duties as subjects of a vassal state. Had all his efforts and sacrifices only earned him the curses and resentment of these ungrateful people? Was it worth it?
Of course, they wouldn’t rise up in rebellion or hinder the Tang troops, but Li Kuo still felt uneasy. What if the Tang forces were defeated? Could these usually docile barbarians pick up hoes and knives and turn against them? Their eyes were filled with hatred—what were they hating?
Li Kuo kept pondering this question. Was it simply because Gao Shuai ordered them to pledge allegiance to Tang? Yet the Tang troops in Anxi had preserved their culture and their writing! Compared to the cultural invasion by the Arabs, hadn’t they been kind enough?
Every time he thought of those barbarians’ resentful and gloomy eyes, Li Kuo couldn’t help but shudder. He must not give them any chance to rise up in rebellion—under no circumstances!
“Qilang, let’s rest in the valley ahead,” Zhou Wucui said, riding up and pointing to a small river not far away. The soldiers had been traveling day and night for two days and two nights, and it had been almost three days since they last ate hot food. Even the most determined warriors couldn’t endure drinking cold water and eating roasted flatbreads all day long. In other words, even if they managed to hold on, by the time they reached Talas, they might not have the strength to fight the Arabs anymore.
“Yes, Commander. Even if we’re in a hurry, it shouldn’t be like this. If we keep going like this, not only will the soldiers be exhausted, but even our horses won’t hold out,” Dou Qing added, seizing the opportunity to speak up. In his view, the army’s rapid pace had already exceeded its limits, and without a short rest, trouble might arise.

“Well, then let’s set up camp briefly in the valley ahead. Have everyone fetch water and start cooking—it’s time to give them a warm meal today.”
Li Kuo nodded and ordered, “Have Yu Cheng take some men to the other side of the river to check things out. This area might already be in turmoil.”
Li Kuo’s concerns were justified. Although this place was still some distance from Julan City, it fell under the control of the Tianfang Sect. Though his troops were elite, it was better to be cautious.
“Okay, I’ll go tell him right away!”
Dou Qing nodded and turned his horse away.
Li Kuo had no memory of this small river. He guessed it must have formed due to the approaching flood season. With a gentle push, he lightly jumped off his horse.
The young man crouched by the river, scooped up some clean water, and splashed it on his face. A long-lost sense of freshness instantly filled his body.
Looking at the young man in the clear river water, Li Kuo couldn’t help but smile bitterly. After going through so much, he seemed to have changed, yet also remained the same. If he had changed, it was that he had become more resolute and calm. If he hadn’t changed, it was probably his conscience that remained unchanged.
Suddenly, another familiar face appeared beside the young man in the river, followed by a pebble thrown in, creating ripples.
“Yan Ji, sit down!”
Li Kuo turned back with a smile and patted the grassy muddy ground. It was midsummer, and the scorching sun could literally cook a person alive. Having found such a shaded spot by the river, they surely needed to rest properly.
“Damn this unfair sky!”
Zhang Yan Ji sat down beside Li Kuo, clapped his hands, and said, “We’ve been looking gloomy since we arrived, and the temperature now is high enough to cook a raw egg! If we keep going like this, we’ll all turn into dried meat before reaching Talas.”
“Gao Shuai and the others might be fighting against the Arabs in such weather!”
Li Kuo picked up a stone and threw it into the river. It traced a high arc before perfectly landing in the center of the stream.
“The sooner we arrive, the better their chances of winning!”
Li Kuo ordered his guards to bring a map on a sheepskin scroll. He slowly unrolled it on the grass and weighted the corners with stones.

Li Kuo took the charcoal pencil from his bodyguard and drew a circle around Kulan City, then said, “Kulan City is surrounded by mountains on three sides, so any large-scale army can only advance from the south. If the governor of Khorasan wants to relieve the siege at Talas, he will surely take the route south of Kulan City. If my guess is correct, the defenders of Kulan City have already turned traitor!”
“He dares!”
Zhang Yanji was furious. He slapped his thigh and stood up, ready to leave. “A mere small city’s defenders are so treacherous! Brother Kuo, give me two thousand armored soldiers, and I’ll lead them to destroy this wretched fortress!”
“Don’t rush!”
Li Kuo waved his hand helplessly. “This is just a guess, but the possibility of Kulan City turning against us is very high. It’s best if we bypass Kulan City and move south along the old course of the Pearl River.”
“Hmm, that works too!”
The Pearl River originally flowed through Bakhtria, but its old course led to Talas. Advancing from the south would not only avoid attracting the enemy’s scouts but also speed up our progress. After all, marching along the wide old riverbed is much easier than through the tangled jungles and valleys.
“Wait!”
Zhang Yanji seemed to suddenly remember something. He slapped his head and said, “If we go this way, we’ll run into…”
Though he didn’t finish his sentence, Li Kuo knew exactly what he meant.
“Are you worried that the defender of Kuixi City will come out to fight us?”
Li Kuo smiled slightly and tapped the route they had to take emphatically. “Since we’re making such a big show by bypassing through the south, we’ll surely pass by Kuixi City. But if you were the defender of Kuixi City, would you dare to risk everything and bring out all your soldiers after seeing so many Tang troops?”
“I? How could I be afraid? It’s just a small city like Kuixi!”
Zhang Yanji puffed out his chest and emphasized, “But the lord of Kuixi City is known to be reckless. If he launches a full-scale attack and delays our army’s progress, it will be a huge loss.”
Zhang Yanji was not wrong. Ever since Abu Muslim married his daughter to the lord of Kuixi City, that barbarian chieftain had devoted himself entirely to the Abbasids. In the barbarian kingdoms of the Western Regions, imitation was rampant. Since even the city lord had wholeheartedly sided with the Abbasids, his soldiers naturally followed suit. What was most terrifying was that the soldiers of Kuixi City were extremely fearless in battle. During battles, they often left their vital areas exposed so they could devote more energy to fighting the enemy.

As the saying goes, the weak fear the strong, the strong fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear those who dare to die. Although Zhang Yanji wasn’t a coward, there was no need to fight head-on against those who were willing to die, right?
Li Kuo shook his head with a bitter smile and said, “If you were the lord of Kuixi City and determined to stop me, would you choose to do it at your own city gates or—here?”
Li Kuo’s right hand moved swiftly upward, finally stopping at a valley about a hundred li away from Kuixi City.
“Oh, so Brother Kuo had already planned this. Haha, good. They definitely won’t launch an attack to block us at Kuixi City!”
Li Kuo was right. Throughout the Pearl River basin, only the lord of Kuixi City could pose a slight threat to the Tang forces in Anxi. As a lackey of the Arabs, the lord of Kuixi City would never sit idly by and let them pass by unimpeded. But since there was a plain outside Kuixi City and he had cavalry, even if he mobilized five thousand armored soldiers to block them, it wouldn’t give him any advantage. Thus, the only possible place for an ambush was that valley a hundred li away.
“But, Brother Kuo, what if the lord of Kuixi City really sets an ambush in that valley a hundred li away? After all, if we want to go to Talas, we must pass through this valley!”
Hearing this, Li Kuo smiled coldly and said, “If they can set an ambush, can’t we?”
Zhang Yanji was completely confused by Li Kuo’s words. He had only heard of defenders setting ambushes; he had never heard of an army on the move setting one as well. What was Brother Kuo up to?
Seeing his astonished expression, Li Kuo found it amusing. “Alright, stop guessing. Look here!”
He pointed to a small river just a few li away from that unnamed valley and drew a circle with charcoal.
“This small river must be a tributary of the Pearl River. It happens to flow right by that unnamed valley. If the lord of Kuixi City wants to set an ambush to stop us, he’ll surely send soldiers there in advance to prepare it. We just need to send people upstream to scatter something there. By the time we pass by, those barbarian soldiers probably won’t have the strength to fight us anymore.”