Chapter 19: Beacon Fires (5)

Bags filled with sand, stones, and soil were thrown by the Tibetan soldiers into the moat. It turned out that these four thousand elite soldiers had not wasted a moment—they had been gathering gravel to fill the moat! (Note 1) Although Great Wall Fort did not have a wide moat like the large cities in the Central Plains, it still had a moat four to five zhang wide for defense. The moat was filled with water drawn from mountain streams, making it impossible for the Tibetan soldiers to cross by force. But now they were filling it up bag by bag, leveling it out. Once the Tibetans crossed the moat, they would not need to struggle to attack the city walls—they could simply storm the gates.

Dian Wu Xi felt a sharp headache but could think of no effective solution for the time being. Tie Ren Xi Nuo Luo had previously divided his troops to attack the city in order to deplete their defensive resources, with the gates of Great Wall Fort being the real target of this highland fox. By now, the Tang army’s stones and logs were exhausted, leaving them unable to stop the Tibetans’ plans.

“Xi Mo Cha, lower the drawbridge! Take three hundred men with me and charge out to fight them to the death!”

Dian Wu Xi gritted his teeth and ordered sharply, “If we can’t stop the Tibetans from filling the moat, once they cross it and lose their tactical advantage, Great Wall Fort will never be able to hold out until sunrise under the siege of so many Tibetan barbarians.”

“My lord, think carefully! There are three to four thousand Tibetan barbarians outside the moat. If we charge out, aren’t we just seeking death?”

Xi Mo Cha, the deputy general, was horrified and hurriedly advised against it.

“Yes, my lord! There must be another way. The Tibetans won’t be able to break through anytime soon. If all else fails, we can always escape through the back gate.”

Qian Zhong didn’t want to die along with a madman and repeatedly objected.

“Nonsense! I receive a salary from the Tang court, so I must die fighting for it. Even if there are three to four thousand Tibetans, or even thirty to forty thousand, what does that matter? I’ll charge out—lose one, lose one; lose two, lose a pair. Better to die fighting and use up our last arrow than to hand over the city to the Tibetans. If they want to enter Great Wall Fort, they’ll have to step over my corpse!”

Dian Wu Xi was shocked by Qian Zhong’s discouraging words and cursed loudly.

“But, but as the old saying goes, as long as the green mountains remain, there will always be firewood. If we escape, we can still continue to serve the court, right?”

Qian Zhong stubbornly pursed his lips, weighing the pros and cons.

“Shut up! If you dare to undermine morale here again, I’ll execute you first to use you as a sacrifice for the flag!”

Dian Wu Xi glared at Qian Zhong as a warning.

Qian felt a chill in his neck and instinctively stepped back a few steps.
“Let’s go!”
Dian Wuxi snapped an order and led the way downstairs.
“Brother Dian, wait! Let your humble brother speak first!”
Seeing Dian Wuxi about to rush out to fight impulsively, Li Kuo hurried over under the protection of several bodyguards.
Dian Wuxi raised his eyebrows, thinking, Could it be that this kid also wants to persuade me to flee? Already growing impatient, he said, “Brother Dian, please listen closely!”
Li Kuo waved for Dian Wuxi to come closer.
“All we need to do is this, and then this…”
Hearing this, Dian Wuxi’s frozen expression gradually softened into a smile. Clapping his hands, he laughed loudly, “Younger brother Kuo, you’re truly a genius! If this plan works, the Tubo barbarians will surely suffer a crushing defeat! I’ll definitely report to the imperial court and claim credit for you!”
Li Kuo smiled cheerfully, “Let’s win this battle first—the real show has just begun!”
“Hahaha!”
The two looked at each other for a long time, both laughing heartily.

After over an hour, under the personal command of their commander, Tie Ren Xino Luo, the Tubo army had gradually filled in the moat. What puzzled Tie Ren Xino Luo was that, aside from a few stray arrows, his troops faced little effective resistance from the Tang army. Although the lack of defensive weapons on the Tang side was within his expectations, their passive defense still left him confused. In war, deception is key—could the Tang army have some hidden strategy?

Seeming to sense his commander’s concerns, the commander of the central army, Luo Dezan, clasped his fists and said to Tie Ren Xino Luo, “Commander, in my opinion, the Tang invaders are terrified and ready to defend the castle to the death.”
But Tie Ren Xino Luo shook his head. As a seasoned warrior, his intuition told him there was something unusual here.
“The Tangs aren’t that simple. Look, they’re hardly wasting any arrows on our soldiers filling in the moat. I believe there must be some huge conspiracy behind this.”
Though he said this, he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong. With things having come to this point, there was no turning back. The only option now was to respond to their moves.
“Order the entire army to cross the horse paths and launch a full-scale attack. The seventh and eighth infantry units must storm the city walls and capture them, while the rest should use battering rams to break down the gates of the Great Wall Fortress.”
Tie Ren Xino Luo sighed and finally issued the order for a total assault. He only hoped he was overthinking things—these were his last reserves.
“Commander orders: the entire army shall attack through the horse paths!”
“Kill all the Tang invaders! Kill all the Tang traitors!”

The Tubo barbarians kept shouting loudly, as if they could plant their Tubo flags on the battlements of the Great Wall Fortress any moment and receive blessings from Shambhala. The dark masses of Tubo light cavalry charged forward along the paths made of sand and stones, and soon the area below the Great Wall Fortress was filled with their fierce riders. These were Tubo’s finest warriors, dedicated to fulfilling the noblest and most sacred mission.

“Uuu, uuuu…”

The mournful sound of horns rang out again. The well-trained Tubo light cavalry dismounted and formed two large formations.

Lozang nodded in satisfaction. He had great confidence in this cavalry force he had personally trained. This eastern expedition was an opportunity for him to become a noble and prime minister through this battle!

“Seventh and Eighth Thousand Men Teams, set up light ladders on the fortress walls and capture the battlements within two hours!”

Lozang issued the orders without hesitation. He trusted the combat strength of these elite troops. After being worn down by the combined forces of the Qiang and Tuyuhun, the Tang army was already exhausted. Fighting an exhausted army with elite forces, he saw no doubt in this battle’s outcome.

“Ninth and Tenth Thousand Men Teams, use battering rams to attack the city gates directly!”

Lozang then made the most appropriate deployment. He wanted to win in the most perfect way, forcing the Tang invaders to admit defeat completely.

As soon as he gave the orders, the Tubo soldiers of the Seventh and Eighth Thousand Men Teams rushed excitedly toward the fortress walls. They swiftly set up the light ladders on the battlements and climbed up eagerly.

Compared to steep mountain cliffs, the less than thirty-foot-high fortress walls were extremely easy to climb. The Tubo soldiers easily scaled the ladders, casually deflecting a few stray arrows. The commander was right—the Tang invaders were at their wits’ end, with no strength left! No matter how strong the fortress or how well-equipped it was, they were just the last straw that would break them. The first to break through the walls would be rewarded with ten thousand sheep and a hundred beautiful women. At the thought of such generous rewards, each Tubo soldier’s eyes gleamed as they quickened their pace.

“Haha, the Tang army is nothing but a bunch of docile sheep who have given up resisting. Then let me use your heads to achieve nobility!” thought a Tubo centurion, pleased to see the Tang army’s resistance weakening, with hardly any boulders or boiling oil being thrown anymore.

“Charge forward! Beat the Tang invaders! Shambhala is blessing us! For the Zanpu, for the women—forward!”

He could already see the battlements and the terrified expressions of the Tang invaders behind them. Turning around, he shouted loudly at his comrades below.

I am the first to break through the city walls! Not wanting others to take the credit, the centurion leaped onto the city wall. As soon as he looked up to assess the situation, the smile on his face vanished instantly. Instead of a group of weak and exhausted Tang invaders, he saw over a hundred fierce warriors armed with long knives! The centurion turned to flee, but Pu Da Chui didn’t give him a chance—his heavy hammer struck his back. “Ah!” The centurion let out a scream before dying on the spot. Pu Da Chui waved his hand and ordered his men to drag away the corpses of the Tibetan barbarians. “It’s about to rain heavily!” Pu Da Chui said, touching the raindrops falling on his face. “Then let’s fight to the best of our ability!” Li Kuo laughed heartily, filled with enthusiasm. Isn’t that reason enough to be happy? The Divine Strategy Army and the garrison soldiers held a night banquet at the Great Wall Fortress, with everything ready—just waiting for the Tibetan barbarians to arrive. Note 1: Moat: Here it refers to a defensive ditch similar to a moat. Since the Great Wall Fortress was relatively small, it lacked a moat, but a ditch was still essential.