Chapter 27: The Border Tribes (II)

“It’s the Tang army!”
Cui Hua was overjoyed and rushed toward the Tang troops with all her might. With every step she took, her ankle burned with pain. Yet she gritted her teeth and kept running—toward the hope of survival, toward the chance for revenge! She wanted to avenge her murdered husband and children, and to settle the scores for her fellow villagers and friends who had lost their lives!
“Tang invaders! It’s the Tang invaders!”
The Tuuguhun supervisor dropped his whip and sprinted toward the western valley. But after just a few steps, he felt a sharp pain in his back and let out a cry of agony.
On a green horse in the distance, a young man in black-gray armor adjusted the string of his bow before slinging it back over his shoulder.
“Kill all the supervisors—leave none alive.”
The young man waved his hand, issuing orders, his cold eyes filled with hatred. These Tuuguhun people were acting as accomplices to the invaders; they deserved to die!
“Save me! Please save me!”
By the time Cui Hua reached the black-armored youth’s horse, she was exhausted and collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain.
“Hmm, General, this Tibetan woman can speak Chinese!”
A middle-aged man who appeared to be an officer beside the armored youth frowned and said solemnly.
“I’m not Tibetan. I’m Tang.”
Fearing he wouldn’t believe her, Cui Hua bit her lip and said bitterly, “I was originally a farmer living in Linzhao. The Tibetans captured me and brought me here. They killed my husband and son and burned down my home. I… I have nothing left.”
At these words, Cui Hua could no longer hold back her emotions, and tears streamed down her face.
“What? You’re Tang? How many others like you were captured by the Tibetans?”
The armored general raised his head and asked sternly.
“General, there are about twenty other women who were captured with me. We’re all honest farmwomen. Those Tibetan brutes aren’t human—they…”
Cui Hua choked up and could say no more.
“Damn those bastards!”
Pu Da Chui understood what Cui Hua meant. He clenched his fists and cursed angrily.
The armored general waved his hand, signaling for Cui Hua to come over. “My name is Li Kuo. I’m the commander of this Tang army. Since we’ve arrived here, we won’t abandon you. But this mission is extremely dangerous. Are you willing to take the risk and join us?”
Hearing that Li Kuo intended to take them in, Cui Hua was overjoyed. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she said, “I’m willing. Staying here is worse than death for my sisters. Even if there’s just a sliver of hope, we must leave!”
“Very well. Go gather your sisters. Today, those with grievances will get their revenge!”

“Revenge!”
An eager soldier shouted angrily, his eyes red with fury.
“Revenge! Revenge!”
More and more soldiers joined in, their fighting spirit fully ignited.
Pu Da Chui clenched his fist and said, “General, none of these Tibetans are good people. Just kill them all—no survivors!”
Li Kuo frowned slightly, his cheeks twitching, before finally saying grimly, “Kill them!”
Pu Da Chui waved his hammer and declared, “As ordered by the commander, every Tibetan, man, woman, old or young, must be killed—no one left alive! We’re here to save our own people and reclaim what belongs to us!”
Six hundred Tang soldiers surged like arrows into the Tibetan camp, stirring up clouds of yellow sand.
“Tang invaders! It’s the Tang invaders!”
The tribal chief rushed out of his tent and saw hundreds of Tang light cavalry charging toward him. He shouted loudly in Tibetan. But since all the strong men of the tribe had gone to war, who would respond to fight?
Before he could finish speaking, he felt a chill on his neck—his head had been severed. Before dying, he faintly saw the attackers wearing black helmets and armor, their swords gleaming in the sky.
After a fierce battle in the Tibetan camp, over 250 Tibetans were killed. Heads rolled everywhere, blood flowed like rivers. After the six hundred riders swept through, only a few unextinguished bonfires remained…
Hatred is like a seed; once it takes root and sprouts, it grows wildly out of control, beyond human reason. To these Tang soldiers, their actions were justified—blood for blood was an unchanging truth.
When night fell completely, Li Kuo and his men returned to their base deep in the forests of Fusi City.
Luminous bonfires illuminated the night sky, and the newly gathered dry wood crackled in the flames, sounding like the whimpers of bones being roasted. Li Kuo sat beside a mound of earth, gazing at the pitch-black, silent night sky as he planned his next move.
In the Tibetan camp, they found the military armor they needed most. Tibet practiced a policy of universal conscription, with almost every adult man joining the army in times of war. While the strong men of the tribe were away fighting, some old leather armor remained, solving the Tang soldiers’ problem of clothing and armor.
But would the Tibetan defenders really be deceived? Would the defenders in Fusi City really be lured out after capturing Qing Shi Fort? Could they successfully burn down the Tibetan granaries after wiping out all the defenders? A series of questions weighed heavily on the young man, but he couldn’t back down—and wouldn’t. From the moment he volunteered to cross the Aiyi Chiling Mountains to serve as a scout on the west bank of Qinghai, he had never intended to retreat even half a step.

This is a promise—a promise to those who died tragically at Great Wall Fort; it is a responsibility, the responsibility of a man of the Tang Dynasty to protect his homeland.
“Dou Qing, have you investigated thoroughly? Are these women truly Tang citizens from Longyou?”
Li Kuo raised his head and asked loudly.
“General, they are indeed from Longyou. Before joining the army, I was also a farmer in the Kuozhou area; their accent remains unchanged!”
Dou Qing scratched his head and said cheerfully. Meeting fellow villagers in a foreign, barbaric land was more delightful than anything else, especially since they had also obtained some Tibetan armor, which greatly increased their chances of capturing Green Stone Fort.
“Hmm. They are all people who have suffered. Order all soldiers not to mistreat them; those who violate this order will be dealt with according to military law!”
The young man raised his voice to give a reminder.
“I shall obey the order!”
Dou Qing replied with a fist bow.
“Is there no problem with that Thangchub?”
Li Kuo looked westward and sighed. Tibetans were known for their bravery and fearlessness, especially as soldiers. If that Thangchub pretended to surrender but turned against them at a critical moment, both he and his six hundred men would be doomed.
“Hmph. I thought he was a real man, but turns out he’s just a coward who can’t stand up for himself. I just scared him a bit, and now he agrees to everything.”
Speaking of that Thangchub, Dou Qing sneered disdainfully. Those who willingly surrendered were mostly cowards who feared death—Tibetans no exception!
“Let’s hope so.”
The young man gazed into the distance thoughtfully, smiling bitterly.
“Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. In the end, when it comes to fighting, we still rely on our own brothers!”
Note 1: Xiangdang: In Shaanxi dialect, it refers to fellow villagers. From “Yizhou Shu·Guanren”: “Between ruler and subject, one observes loyalty and kindness; among fellow villagers, one observes honesty and trustworthiness.” From “Han Shu·Sima Qian’s Biography”: “I suffered this misfortune because of my words, and now I am laughed at by my fellow villagers, disgracing my ancestors.”