Chapter 133: On the Eve of the Great Battle

In a conference room in the headquarters of the Lingyou Military Governorate in Shanzhou, the air was thick with heat. Dozens of generals participating in the Hehuang Campaign gathered together to listen to Ge Shuhan, the commander of the campaign and Military Governor of Lingyou, deliver the latest orders from the imperial court.
“The Emperor has issued strict orders: if we fail to capture Shibao City within three months, my head will be hung under the Mingde Gate in Chang’an. Similarly, if we fail to take Shibao City, all of you present will become my accomplices in death. I will execute you all before the court does.”
Ge Shuhan glanced coldly at the twenty-four generals present. These generals came from five different military systems—Lingyou, Shuofang, Hexi, Anxi—and one from the Chang’an Garrison, Dong Yanguang. Over the past six months, Ge Shuhan had tried to unite them, aiming to forge them into a cohesive fighting force. But reality proved him wrong—he lacked the authority to control these generals, who still had their own agendas. The loss of Shenwei Fort was the best example: Abu Si’s Shuofang cavalry was only a hundred miles away. When the distress signals from Shenwei Fort were sent, they remained inactive until the fort fell, only then did they slowly mobilize. Their excuse was simple—they hadn’t been told they had an obligation to rescue Shenwei Fort. This incident filled Ge Shuhan with anger but also made him realize he couldn’t unite these five different armies unless he replaced all of them with his own men, but the court hadn’t given him that power.
Ge Shuhan knew well that the Emperor giving him three months didn’t mean he could leisurely attack Shibao City two months later. A small setback at that point could turn the tide of the war irreversibly. With three months given, he could only afford to work with one month.
“That’s all for my opening remarks. If you have any objections, speak now. I’ll be deploying the troops shortly. If you still refuse to cooperate, I’m sorry—then get out of Lingyou!”
Ge Shuhan spoke fiercely. The conference room fell silent. Abu Si gently stroked his short beard, his eyes showing a hint of disdain. Weren’t Ge Shuhan’s words aimed at him? Was it because he hadn’t intervened in the Battle of Shenwei City? Who did he think he was—Wang Zhongsì? Hmph!
“General Abu Si, do you have any objections?” Ge Shuhan glanced at him and asked coldly.
“No! What objections could I have? Commander Ge Shuhan, go ahead and issue your orders. But please take into account that my cavalry isn’t suited for mountain warfare.”

Abu Si meant to tell Geshu Han that he would not participate in the assault on Shibu City. Geshu Han sneered and said, “General Abu Si, the assault on Shibu City will be carried out by the forces from Longyou, Hexi, and Anxi. Your cavalry has other tasks to perform.”
“Very well, then give your orders, Commander Geshu Han! I’m listening.”
While Geshu Han and Abu Si were arguing, Li Siye quietly said to Li Qing’an, “Seventh Brother, why doesn’t Commander Geshu Han mention at all your great victory on Longju Island? Isn’t there any recognition from the court?”
“I don’t know either. Perhaps the court wants to give recognition all at once!”
Li Qing’an’s mind wasn’t on recognition. Instead, he was thinking about today’s military meeting—Geshu Han was finally planning to launch an attack on Shibu City. But Li Qing’an believed the timing was not right. First, it was winter, with heavy snows on Chiling, which favored defense over offense—a lesson he had learned dearly while defending Yinglong City. Second, the various armies had never conducted joint exercises; would they be able to coordinate effectively without proper preparation? Moreover, Abu Si was even challenging Geshu Han! Third was logistics—both the Tang army and the Tubo army were short of supplies. If they could delay the battle until February of the following year, it would make the attack easier, and internal strife might arise among the Tubo forces. Fighting now would only play into the Tubo people’s hands.
Though he thought this way, Li Qing’an didn’t say much. Geshu Han could have thought of these points too, but pressure from the court forced him to start the war earlier. Finally, Geshu Han began making arrangements. He first said to Abu Si, “General Abu Si, your task with the 30,000 troops from Shuofang is to suppress Shenwei City, preventing the Tubo forces on Chiling from retreating to support Shibu City. If possible, capture Shenwei City!”
Abu Si snorted, neither agreeing nor declining, merely indicating he understood. Geshu Han glanced at him and asked again, “General Abu Si, did you hear my orders clearly?”
“I heard them clearly. It’s just to keep the Tubo forces on Chiling occupied on the northern front, right? No problem, I can do it.”
“Very well. If you fail in the battle for Shibu City, I’ll hold you accountable!”
Geshu Han snorted heavily again, then turned to another troublesome figure, Dong Yanguang, and said, “General Dong, the next important task falls to you.”

Dong Yanguang was the General of the Left Guard. Last year, because Wang Zhongsi refused to attack Shibao City, Li Longji sent him to take charge of the attack, but it failed. Dong Yanguang then shifted the blame onto Wang Zhongsi, resulting in Wang’s dismissal and demotion. After Ge Shuhan became the governor of Longyou, Dong Yanguang did not return to Chang’an but was instead appointed as the governor of Shanzhou and deputy governor of Longyou to assist Ge Shuhan in attacking Tubo. In this Battle of Hehuang, he was even appointed as a deputy commander, becoming the second-in-command. Ge Shuhan’s frustration with Dong Yanguang stemmed not from having him as a deputy but from the fact that after failing to capture Shibao City with 30,000 troops from Longyou, Dong had not handed over command but instead retained control over those troops as governor of Shanzhou. The imperial court also seemed to approve of this. As a new governor, Ge Shuhan could do little about it. Due to his previous failure at Shibao City, Dong remained silent throughout the Battle of Hehuang, offering no opinions on any major military matters.

Tall and thin with fair skin, Dong Yanguang was in his forties. Among the group of generals with dark, rough skin, he stood out. When he heard Ge Shuhan assigning him a task, he replied indifferently, “Commander, please go ahead!”

Ge Shuhan pondered for a moment. He wanted Dong Yanguang to be responsible for blocking Tubo’s reinforcements from Dafeichuan, but he was still unsure. Could Dong handle such an important task? Yet Ge Shuhan understood that Dong was a favorite of Li Longji. If it weren’t for his previous failure at Shibao City, Dong would have been the governor of Longyou instead of him. By appointing Dong as a deputy commander in this battle, Ge Shuhan hoped he would achieve great success to make up for that failure. So Dong had to be given a key role. But sending him to attack Shibao City again worried Ge Shuhan. After much consideration, he decided to have Dong block Tubo’s main forces from Dafeichuan.

“General Dong, your task is to lure General Abusi’s heavy troops at Chiling behind Shenwei City, then lead your 30,000 troops along with the 30,000 troops from Hexi around Chiling to intercept Tubo’s reinforcements from Dafeichuan.”

“Wait a moment!”

Dong Yanguang rushed to ask, “Commander, are you asking me to block Tubo’s main forces?”

“That’s right. I don’t expect you to hold them off for long—just three days. If you succeed, I will recognize your contribution as equal to mine in the battle of Shibao City.”

Dong Yanguang became interested. Just three days to claim credit—this was worth considering. After thinking for a while, he said, “Very well! I will follow the commander’s orders.”

The Shuofang Army, the Hexi Army, and Dong Yanguang’s forces all had assigned tasks. The remaining force to launch a frontal attack on Shibao City would be the main body of his Longyou Army. At this moment, Ge Shuhan’s gaze shifted to Li Qing’an and Li Siye—these two were representatives of the Anxi Army and the only forces under his command that were easy to direct. Ge Shuhan smiled and said, “Siye’s Mo Dao Army is a fierce force for siege warfare; they will join me in the frontal attack this time. As for General Qing’an…”
Ge Shuhan pointed to the mountains behind Chiling and said, “General Qing’an’s task is to coordinate with the main force’s frontal attack by launching a surprise attack from behind Shibao City.”
Li Siye and Li Qing’an exchanged a glance. Li Siye hurriedly said, “Commander, the mountains behind Chiling are heavily guarded by the Tubo army. Our Anxi Army is small in number and weak in leadership—how can we attack Shibao City from behind? Please reconsider, Commander.”
Before Li Qing’an could speak, Ge Shuhan waved his hand and laughed, “Siye, don’t worry. I’m not asking General Qing’an to capture Shibao City outright. My intention is for him to launch a feint attack from behind to draw the Tubo army’s attention. General Qing’an has scouts under his command, who are fully capable of handling this task. Besides, by then, the Tubo forces at Chiling will be drawn to the area around Shenwei City, while the Tubo forces in Dafei Chuan will be intercepted by General Dong Yanguang. In fact, General Qing’an’s task is quite easy. This is my way of showing consideration for the Anxi Army—so please don’t refuse.”
After saying this, Ge Shuhan glanced at Li Qing’an. He didn’t dare to punish the Shuofang Army or the Hexi Army. If the Anxi Army refused to obey again, he would use Li Qing’an to assert his authority. Li Qing’an pulled Li Siye aside, stood up, and bowed, saying, “I shall follow orders!”
Ge Shuhan laughed loudly, “Good! A true man should act with such decisiveness!”
Once the laughter subsided, he scanned the crowd and said slowly, “I will arrange the timing for each army to deploy in detail, but the deadline to capture Shibao City is set—by the first day of the first month in the eighth year of Tianbao, it must be taken!”
……
After the meeting, Ge Shuhan ordered someone to bring Li Qing’an to his study.
“Your humble servant greets Commander Ge Shuhan!” As soon as Li Qing’an entered the room, he knelt down and paid military respect to Ge Shuhan.
“Hehe! Seventh Brother, there’s no need for formalities.”
Ge Shuhan quickly helped him up with a smile, invited him to sit, and ordered his personal guards to serve him a cup of tea.
“Seventh Brother, regarding the great victory on Longju Island last time, the imperial court failed to reward you in a timely manner. Do you have any complaints?”
“I have no complaints.”
Ge Shuhan smiled and added, “In fact, I’ve already reported your achievements to the imperial court. As for the surprise attack on Fusi City and the burning of the military provisions, I also reported those incidents promptly, and the emperor has already given his approval.”
With that, he took out an imperial edict forwarded by the Ministry of War and handed it to Li Qing’an, “Take a look first!”

Li Qing’an opened the jute imperial edict issued by the Secretariat and took a look. The edict clearly acknowledged his contributions: the surprise attack on Fusi City and setting fire to the Tibetan army’s provisions; the decisive victory at Longju Island, which boosted the morale of the Tang army. All these were great achievements, and he would be rewarded once the battles in Hehuang were over.

Ge Shu Han sighed and said, “The reason I didn’t immediately ask the court to reward you is that the military factions are complex. As you saw just now, Abu Si and Dong Yanguang are both unruly men. If I reward you first, they will resist. Yesterday, that Abu Si even came to me complaining that he saved Yang Jinghui and deserved a reward. I told him that Li Qing’an had made even greater contributions yet still hadn’t received any reward, and only then did he shut up. Sigh! As the commander-in-chief of the Hehuang campaign, overseeing over a hundred thousand troops, everyone thought this battle was certain to be won. Only I knew it would be difficult—internal strife alone can hold you back.”

Li Qing’an pondered for a moment and said, “Commander, don’t worry. I have no complaints. I just think that even if you transfer Abu Si’s and Dong Yanguang’s troops and assign them important tasks, it doesn’t guarantee they’ll cooperate with the main force, especially Dong Yanguang’s troops. Can they really hold off the main Tibetan army?”

“I’m aware of that. I don’t expect them to engage in a direct fight with the Tibetans. As long as they pose a threat, it can distract the Tibetan forces and prevent them from seeing my true intentions. Once I capture Shibao City, Chiling will be in my hands.”

At this, Ge Shu Han stared into Li Qing’an’s eyes and said, “And your attack on Shibao City from behind is the key to the entire campaign. Shibao City can only hold a thousand people—it’s not scary. What’s scary are its continuous reinforcements. So you must hold off those reinforcements to relieve pressure on my frontal attack. Qilang, two days—if you can delay the Tibetan army for just two days, you’ll be the greatest hero of this Hehuang campaign. If you fail, it means the entire campaign will fail. Do you understand?”

A squad of cavalry raced across the desolate highland meadows. In the distance lay the snow-capped Chiling Mountains, bathed in the twilight glow that cast a blood-red hue over the ridges, creating an atmosphere of desolation. Further west stretched the vast waters of Qinghai Lake, where it seemed as though raging fires were burning on the ice fields. Li Qingan slowly reined in his warhorse, gazing at the dim red sunset in the distance. The words of Ge Shu Han still echoed in his mind: “Two days—if you can hold off the Tubo army for just two days, you will be the greatest hero of this Battle of Hehuang. If you fail, it means the failure of the entire campaign. Do you understand?” The sunset illuminated his sharply defined face, and his eyes seemed to burn with flames—reflecting the responsibility and determination of a soldier.

In the cold of December, with ice and frost covering the land, true men fear not death and dare to face it alongside their lord.

Li Qingan whipped his warhorse fiercely and charged toward the endless ice fields of Qinghai Lake.

……

Starting from December 15th, the Tang army’s war machine began to move. Thirty thousand troops led by Abu Si, along with sixty thousand Tang soldiers under Dong Yanguang, totaling ninety thousand warriors, set off simultaneously toward Xihai Commandery, hundreds of miles away.

It had just snowed heavily. On the vast grasslands covered in mud and snowwater, food carts covered with oilcloth, wagons loaded with wheat straw and dry grass, and huge supply sleds moved forward shakily and creakingly. Snowflakes drifted in the sky. It was the coldest season in Hehuang—thick layers of snow covered the highland meadows and frozen ravines, while the distant foothills of Datong Mountain appeared as blurred silhouettes.

The Tang army advanced northwestward through the mud and heavy snow, accompanied by shouts and curses, along with the crack of whips and the creaking of wheels. Their momentum was like a tidal wave. From time to time, exhausted or dead animals could be seen lying along the sides of the column, and occasionally a wagon with its wheels in the air.

Sometimes a squad of cavalry would charge into the crowd, causing soldiers to shout and curse, while their horses stood on their feet, neighing incessantly. A wagon loaded with supplies might roll down a slope, pulling those on it along.

Ahead, amid the torrent of vehicles, soldiers marched in long queues, struggling through the slippery mud. Among them were wagons carrying weapons such as swords, spears, bows, and crossbows. Guards lay on top of the wagons. People kept running out of the column and hiding in the bushes or crouching down.

Two li parallel to the army lay the Huang River, its surface frozen over with thick ice. Thousands of laborers from Longyou struggled to pull huge supply sleds, singing deep, rhythmic, and resonant songs.

The supply sleds were loaded with various heavy siege engines, unfinished trebuchets, siege towers, and a large number of tents and food supplies—stretching for miles, with no end in sight. There were also terrifying ballistae, siege hammers, and barrels of kerosene, all guarded by heavily armed troops. Their destination was Qinghai, 300 miles away, and their marching speed was extremely slow; they had already been on the road for five full days. A cavalry unit raced past them, splashing mud mixed with snow; several soldiers couldn’t dodge in time and ended up covered in mud and water. “Damn you!” Before his words faded, there was a sharp crack, and another blood-red whip mark appeared on his muddy face. A horse rushed past him, creating a gust of wind. “Are you blind? How dare you curse General Abus?” Abus, with a dark expression, spurred his horse forward, passing through rows of Tang soldiers. Ahead lay a bare forest, tightly guarded so that soldiers were not allowed to enter. Inside the forest, Dong Yanguang was resting with his dozen or so civil officials and advisors. “I am Abus of Shuofang. I want to see General Dong.” Abus was originally the leader of the Tiele tribe among the Nine Clans of the Turks, serving under the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. His tribe was large and powerful. During the reign of Khagan Usumish, he was appointed as the western yehu, second only to the khagan in status. After the fall of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate and Usumish’s death at the hands of a coalition of the Basmilids, Uyghurs, and Göktürks, he led his tribe to join the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Li Longji granted him the title of King Fengxin and gave him a Han name, Li Xianzhong, settling his tribe in the Henan region under the jurisdiction of the Shuofang military governor. The only Tang general Abus respected was the former Shuofang military governor, Wang Zhongsì. After Wang was unjustly removed from his position, Abus developed resentment toward the court. Now, as he was sent to participate in the Hehuang campaign to assist Geshu Han in attacking Shibao City, he felt even more that the court was using this as an opportunity to weaken him. His troops were mostly cavalry—how could they possibly take part in a siege? Due to this distrust, he had been unenthusiastic about fighting since the war began. When the Tibetan army attacked Shenwei City, he stationed his troops a hundred miles away. Even when he saw the distress signals from Shenwei City, he refused to go rescue them and only came to support the remaining Tang troops later. This incident led to conflicts with Geshu Han, whom he already disdained. After a while, Dong Yanguang rode out of the forest, bowed, and said with a smile, “General Abus, why are you still behind me?” Abus dismounted and said with a smile, “General Dong, I’d like to talk to you for a few words. Is now a good time?”

Dong Yanguang gave him a deep look and waved his hand toward the woods. “General Abus, please!”
The two entered the woods and sat down on two large rocks. A bodyguard brought them two cups of hot tea. Abus took a sip; the warmth spread through his chest, dispelling the chill in his abdomen. He smiled and said, “General Dong, with such a large-scale march, do you think the Tubo army will be aware of it?”
“If Shenwei City is under Tang control, they won’t know. But now, they must have already received intelligence.”
Abus nodded and said, “That’s why I want to remind General Dong to be careful of being ambushed by the Tubo forces.”
Dong Yanguang was stunned for a moment before suddenly understanding Abus’s implied meaning.
“Are you saying that Geshu Han wants to use me as a bait?”
Abus smiled coldly. “I didn’t say that. General Dong, you can think about it yourself. But one thing is certain: Geshu Han deliberately lured us away so that we wouldn’t be involved in the battle for Shibao City.”
Dong Yanguang lowered his head, lost in thought.