Chapter 29: The Border Tribes (IV)

The wolf smoke rose, and the beacon fires flared.
Qingshi Fort was easily captured by the Tang army through stratagems, and all the defenders inside were slain. Under the orders of Major Li Kuo, everyone stripped off the Tibetan warriors’ leather armor and put it on themselves. The armor of each Tibetan tribe was different, and since they planned to launch a surprise attack on the defenders of Fusi City, they had to dress completely like Tibetans from head to toe.

Major Li Kuo of the Tongwu Camp sat upright on a Hu-style stool in the stone chamber, discussing the next steps with his trusted subordinates.
“According to the plan, we need to lure the Tibetan defenders in Fusi City out to come to their aid. But are we sure we can wipe them out completely?”
Li Kuo pointed at the black dots on the map, expressing his concerns.
With his six hundred Tang soldiers and clever use of the terrain, it wasn’t difficult to defeat the Tibetan reinforcements. But if they failed to annihilate them all and some managed to escape back to Fusi City to report, all his previous efforts would be in vain.
“What’s the difficulty? We can set traps in front of the city gates and trap them all. Then, with just a feathered arrow each, we can turn them into hedgehogs!”
Zhang Yanji said, shrugging his shoulders.
Li Kuo frowned slightly. “That method is indeed good, but I doubt we’ll have enough time to set up the traps.”
Dou Qing laughed. “Actually, we don’t even need traps. Just scatter some iron thorns in front of the fort, and those barbarians will fall off their horses. By then, they’ll be nothing but prey for us. After all, no matter how fast a man runs, can he beat a horse?”
Li Kuo nodded. “That works. Brother Dou, please take care of arranging this.”
Dou Qing clasped his fists and declared loudly, “I shall obey the order! I’ll make sure those Tibetans fall flat on their faces!”
“Hahaha!”
Inside the stone chamber, the Tang generals burst into laughter.
Li Kuo pressed his palm downward to signal them to quiet down slightly. “However, this plan alone isn’t foolproof. I noticed some bushes outside Qingshi Fort. If we send troops to hide there, we might get some unexpected results.”
Li Sheng nodded in approval. “If this plan succeeds, it could deal a heavy blow to the Tibetan army. But it will require someone to act as a decoy to lure the Tibetan reinforcements past the bushes.”
“Is there anyone willing to lure the enemy into a trap?”
Li Kuo looked around and raised his eyebrows.
“I’ll go and deal with those bastards!”
Pu Dachui patted his chest, full of enthusiasm.

A group of about a thousand men appeared on the dirt road from Fusi City to Qingshi Fort. All of them wore bright chain mail and carried Tibetan scimitars; one man per horse, they charged with fierce determination toward the western side of the road.

The leader of this group was Meng Chai’e, the deputy commander of Fusi City. Although his troops were nominally part of the Tibetan army in Datong Valley and were equipped with standard Tibetan military gear, the soldiers were actually Tuoguhun people. Though the Tuoguhun were hardy and diligent, they lacked the combat prowess of the Tibetans. Therefore, despite commanding a large force, he still felt uneasy.

Meng Chai’e wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked up at the sky. They had seen the beacon fires at Qingshi Fort in the afternoon. After brief discussion with the city commander, everyone agreed that troops should be sent to reinforce it. Qingshi Fort was an important stronghold connecting Datong Valley and Fusi City, holding great military significance. If it fell, Fusi City would be threatened from behind, with a dagger poised to strike at any moment!

In the end, the city commander ordered him to lead a thousand elite cavalry out of the city to provide aid, while leaving five hundred soldiers behind to guard against emergencies. Nearly an hour had passed since they left the city. In the distance to the west, the beacon fires on Qingshi Fort’s walls were still burning, but much dimmer. Given that the garrison there was not large and the fires were fading, it seemed they were on the verge of collapse.

Meng Chai’e dared not delay. He cleared his throat and declared, “Pass my order: the entire army must advance at full speed and reach Qingshi Fort before nightfall!”

The thousand Tuoguhun cavalry riders raised clouds of dust as they rushed toward Qingshi Fort.

At the same time, the Tang army from Tongwu Camp, under the leadership of Colonel Li Kuo, was busy preparing the battlefield.

The path hundred steps in front of the city gates was covered with iron thorns, one every five steps—exactly the distance a warhorse would cover. Following instructions from Commander Zhou Wucui, they spread layers of fine soil over them and carefully removed any footprints in the vicinity. It was already dusk, and the Tibetans, eager to rescue their allies, would surely not notice these deadly “poisonous snakes” beneath their feet.

Two hundred Tang archers were hidden in the bushes beside the city. All were skilled marksmen capable of killing enemies with the fewest arrows. At fifty steps distance, no living being could survive under the onslaught of the Tang army’s arrows.

In addition, the colonel arranged for two hundred strong soldiers to lie in ambush on the city walls. If the Tubo barbarians forced their way through the jungle defense line and tried to flee north, the soldiers on the walls would instantly shoot them to pieces.
The most difficult task was assigned to Pu Da Chui. He had to lead fifty soldiers disguised as Tubo troops to the plain in front of Qingshi Fort to “request reinforcements” from the Tubo forces. This was the most crucial step of the plan. Whether the Tubo reinforcements could be lured to the jungle and whether the Tang army could effectively kill them depended entirely on the success of the deception.
As for the remaining 150 cavalrymen, they hid behind the earthen mound to the north of Qingshi Fort, ready to charge out at any moment to slaughter the remaining Tubo cavalry.
“Do you regret following me?”
Li Kuo tightened the reins and sighed softly. Since joining the army and going beyond the borders, Zhang Yanji, this young man from a noble family, seemed like a different person—always surrounded by sand and wind. Could he endure such hardship and loneliness? Would he blame himself for his stubbornness and recklessness?
“As long as there’s Brother Kuo, there’s Zhang Yanji. You can’t get rid of me,” Zhang Yanji replied, lifting his head.
Hearing this, Li Kuo felt warmth in his heart. People all pursue fame and fortune. Over these days, he had seen too much betrayal and lies, but the friendship between him and this young man from the Zhang family remained as pure and clear as Kunlun jade. (Note 2)……
Note 1: Iron thistles: A type of military obstacle in ancient China, made of iron spikes. It had four protruding spikes, several inches long, with one spike pointing upward whenever it touched the ground. In ancient wars, iron thistles were scattered on the ground to slow down the enemy’s progress.
The “Liu Tao·Hu Tao” records: “On narrow paths, spread iron thistles, with spikes four inches high and eight inches wide.”
Note 2: Kunlun Mountain: Ancient people regarded Kunlun Mountain as the “ancestor of China’s dragon veins” due to its towering height and steepness. It served as a natural barrier between ancient China and the west and was considered the edge of the world by the ancient Chinese. The perpetual snow on Kunlun Mountain also led to white being associated with the west in ancient China. Moreover, Kunlun produced fine jade, as proven by the poem: “When Kunlun jade shatters, the phoenix cries.” The jade from Kunlun Mountain was of excellent quality.