Chapter 136: The Battle of Stone Fortress (Part 2)

On the front mountains, Geshu Han’s army failed in its surprise attack. Geshu Han had analyzed in detail the patterns of previous battles at Stone Fortress City. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, the fortress stood over a thousand feet high, with a summit covering 150 mu. It normally housed 600 soldiers, but could accommodate up to 1,000 during battles—this was the maximum number of soldiers it could hold.

Geshu Han had taken all this into account. 1,000 wasn’t a large force, and the Tubo army would also suffer casualties. As long as Li Qing’an could block their reinforcements, the Tubo army’s numbers would keep declining. With his 60,000 elite troops and the countless valuable strategies passed down from predecessors, he was confident he could capture Stone Fortress City within four hours.

Yet, Geshu Han overlooked one critical factor—he failed to consider the impact of the weather. He had forgotten that it was a season when even water turned to ice. Like at Yinglong Fortress, the Tubo army had poured large amounts of water onto the mountain paths, turning them into ice walls that made climbing extremely difficult. It was the screams of several Tang soldiers falling off the cliffs that alerted the Tubo army.

Above Stone Fortress City, boulders and rolling logs rained down like stones. Nearly 2,000 Tang soldiers had managed to climb within less than 300 steps of the fortress, but the incoming boulders shredded them, sending them tumbling down the cliffs in bloody heaps. The screams were incessant. Trapped on the narrow paths with nowhere to hide, many Tang soldiers turned to flee. In the chaos, countless more slipped off the cliffs. In just moments, 2,000 of the Tang vanguard soldiers died at the foot of the cliffs, with only over 30 managing to escape.

A soldier rushed to Gao Xiuyan and cried, “General Gao, the mountain paths are covered in ice—there’s no way to climb up! Lieutenant Yang and all his men have died!”

Gao Xiuyan sat heavily on a large rock, staring blankly at the ground. He had only 5,000 vanguard soldiers, and already 40% of them were lost at the start. Could this battle even continue?

After a long pause, he sighed and stood up. “Prepare a horse. I must report to the commander-in-chief!”

Geshu Han’s expression had turned extremely dark. He had suffered a defeat in his first battle, not even managing to touch a single Tubo soldier. How dare Gao Xiuyan still come to report to him?

Suppressing his anger, Geshu Han said coldly to Gao Xiuyan, “You were involved in Dong Yanguang’s attack on Stone Fortress City, where many unnecessary deaths occurred. You could have avoided that. I’ll add another 10,000 soldiers to your force. If you still can’t capture it, don’t blame me for being merciless!”

Gao Xiuyan lowered his head timidly and said, “Commander-in-chief, it’s already dawn. We definitely won’t be able to capture it by noon. I beg you for another half day—I will surely take Stone Fortress City.”

“No!” Ge Shuhan refused firmly. “Li Qing’an only has three thousand troops. It’s already difficult for him to hold out until noon—how could he possibly hold on until night?”
At that moment, one of Ge Shuhan’s advisors suggested, “General, although Li Qing’an has few troops, the main force of the Tubo army is tied up by Dong Yanguang. So their reinforcements won’t be many—maybe ten thousand at most. As long as he makes use of the terrain, he should be able to hold out until night.”
Ge Shuhan pondered for a while before nodding and saying to Gao Xiuyan, “Very well! By tonight, if you and Zhang Shouyu still can’t capture Shibao City, I’ll take your heads. Go!”
Gao Xiuyan fled in terror. Ge Shuhan stared at the towering mountains of Chiling, filled with concern—could Li Qing’an really hold off the Tubo army’s reinforcements?
…
Night had passed, and the sky was overcast. West of Chiling, the main force of eighty thousand Tubo troops had arrived at the foot of the mountains. Now, it wasn’t Dazhalugong who was in charge of the overall operation, but the Tubo king, Chizudezan. Dazhalugong had become a mere general who carried out orders; his suggestion to launch an immediate attack was not adopted by Chizudezan.
The Tubo army did not rush into attack but set up camps at the foot of Chiling. Eighty thousand troops, thousands of tents—so dense that they stretched as far as the eye could see.
Standing in front of the main tent, Dazhalugong gazed at the dark rocks with mixed feelings. Smoke still rose from Shibao City in the distance. He sighed deeply. Last night, when Li Qing’an’s surprise troops deserved attention, the king had dismissed them as just a few thousand men, insignificant, insisting on heading north to confront the Tang army’s main force.
But now, when Li Qing’an’s small force shouldn’t be underestimated and a quick victory was needed, the king insisted on a cautious approach, saying they had to prevent a surprise attack by Li Qing’an.
Dazhalugong couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Li Qing’an had at most three thousand men. Even if he launched a surprise attack, it would be like throwing eggs at a wall against eighty thousand soldiers. Could three thousand Tang troops really defeat eighty thousand and force them to flee in disarray?
Dazhalugong was extremely upset. If the king wasn’t eager to attack, wasn’t that giving Li Qing’an time to prepare? If it were him, he would send five thousand vanguard troops to strike first, denying Li Qing’an any chance to recover.
This king! Clearly ignorant of warfare, yet insisting on taking control of everything.
At that moment, a guard rushed over and said, “General, the king asks you to go to the main tent immediately to discuss military matters.”
Dazhalugong sighed softly. What was there to discuss? Since he wouldn’t listen to him, what was the point of being called?
“I understand. I’ll go right away!”
…

Inside the magnificent tent, Chizudezan was listening to General Lunzangqi’s report. The Tang army had discovered a highly powerful thunder weapon—the same kind found on Longju Island.
“Zanpu, the sound of that thunder weapon is deafening. When it falls from the sky, flames burst forth instantly, and black smoke billows. Anyone who gets too close is reduced to dust. It’s terrifying. I have no idea what it is, but once it explodes, it fills the soldiers with fear and disunity. Zanpu, even my shouts couldn’t stop them; almost half of the five thousand soldiers died from trampling each other!”
“Half of them died from trampling? You’re exaggerating!”
Dazhalugong left the tent with a gloomy expression, sneering, “Let me ask you—since the Tang army has already reached your vicinity, why didn’t you detect them in time? I repeatedly ordered that you not sleep without armor and not camp all in one place in the valley. Why didn’t you follow those orders? Now five thousand soldiers are dead, and you blame it on trampling. Good, you bear no responsibility at all!”
“Dazhalugong, the Zanpu is asking questions—do not be rude!”
Shangjieyi shouted angrily, interrupting Dazhalugong’s accusations. Chizudezan waved his hand and said calmly, “This is not the time to assign blame. What’s more important is that Lunzangqi has brought us crucial information—the Tang army has developed a new type of weapon, even more powerful than their gunpowder. Dazhalugong, that’s what matters.”
Dazhalugong dared not say anything more. He glared resentfully at Lunzangqi and bowed, “Your servant dares not speak. Please give orders, Zanpu.”
“Hmm! I called you here to discuss how to scale the mountain at the lowest cost possible to support the soldiers in Shibao City. You’re skilled in warfare—speak up!”
Dazhalugong sighed inwardly. There would be no way to minimize losses now. He said, “Zanpu, my suggestion is to send a large army to overwhelm the Tang forces with numbers. Even if there are casualties, the Tang army will have few chances left. Please consider this.”
At that moment, Lunzangqi, who was kneeling on the ground, spoke up, “Zanpu, the mountain paths are narrow and cannot accommodate a large army at once. We can only fight in waves.”
Chizudezan nodded. “Then tell me, how many troops can we send at most?”
“At most five thousand troops.”
“Very well! You’ll lead the first wave, and I’ll personally support you.”
Chizudezan stood up, not even glancing at Dazhalugong, and ordered loudly, “Pass my order—launch the attack on the mountain!”
The drums of attack suddenly rang out in the Tubo camp.
……

The hesitation of the Tibetan army gave Li Qing’an time to prepare for battle. The Tang army was currently located in the middle section of Chiling. The mountains in this area rose in layers like steps, with steep slopes, but there was a gentle slope every two or three hundred zhang, providing a respite for the attackers and allowing for a methodical advance. This also gave the Tang army the opportunity to establish a multi-layered defense system with several lines of defense.

Therefore, Li Qing’an quickly devised a comprehensive defense plan, setting up three lines of defense. The first line was located about 500 zhang from the foot of the mountain in Luchun Gou, named so because two huge rocks resembled deer lips. The terrain there was fractured, with a deep gully stretching half a li behind them.

Three thousand Tang soldiers were busy building defensive fortifications. They brought in stones of various sizes from the nearby area to construct a trench a li long.

No one spoke; everyone was weighed down by anxiety. It was unheard of for three thousand Tang soldiers to resist an attack from nearly a hundred thousand Tibetan soldiers, and the outcome was obvious—death awaited them, with the only difference being how they would die.

“Everyone, put down the stones and listen to me!” This was General Li Qing’an giving his pre-battle speech. Every soldier put down their tasks and gathered around, silently watching their commander.

Li Qing’an slowly scanned each soldier’s face, looking into their eyes. In every pair of eyes he saw was a determination to die, filled with a desolate heroism. He took a deep breath and continued, “I promise you that for every soldier who dies, I will send their ashes back to their hometowns. If I die, please bury my ashes at the pass of Anxi Boda Ling, my fellow soldiers. But we must not give up on death easily. We still have a chance. Once the Tang army captures Shibao City, that will be our moment of victory. Now, everyone check their equipment and prepare to face the Tibetans’ first attack.”

As soon as he finished speaking, loud drumbeats came from the foot of the mountain, followed by the deep sound of the Tibetan long horns. Li Qing’an turned abruptly and saw the vast Tibetan army gathering, like a huge black ribbon stretching across the grassland.

Amidst the Tibetan army, Li Qing’an suddenly spotted a huge wooden palanquin carried by hundreds of people. On the palanquin was an oval white tent, surrounded by fluttering flags, with a huge golden umbrella at the front.

Li Qing’an was utterly astonished. That golden umbrella was a symbol of the Tubo king—was the Tubo king also in the army? With the sound of attacking drums, the first wave of the Tubo army launched its assault. A sea of soldiers surged forward; they quickly narrowed their formation and climbed up the mountain along a five-zhang-wide shallow ditch. Clad in blue chainmail, some carried spears while others held swords and shields. Their fierce faces were filled with excitement and desire. Lun Zang shouted among the troops, “The Tang army has only three thousand men! Charge and seize the glory!” The Tubo soldiers climbed even more bravely, howling as they rushed toward the Tang positions. Getting closer, when they were still seven hundred steps away, groups of Tubo soldiers burst out of the trumpet-shaped pass. From there, the slope became gentler, and the soldiers spread out over dozens of zhang wide. With a shout, the Tubo army accelerated its pace. Just then, a bell rang from the Tang positions, and a hundred Tang soldiers simultaneously pushed boulders, causing three huge rocks, each weighing thousands of jin, to roll down the slope and crash onto the dense ranks of Tubo soldiers. The Tubo soldiers at the front turned to flee in panic, but the boulders crashed down with a roar, accompanied by screams and cracking sounds. Many Tubo soldiers were crushed to pieces, their blood staining the rocks, which rolled among the crowd, filling the air with wails. The Tubo soldiers desperately tried to dodge to the sides, with many being pushed off the cliff and falling down. The three boulders killed a thousand men, but the Tubo army was still vast in number. Once the boulders passed, thousands of Tubo soldiers leaped up and continued charging at the Tang positions, shooting arrows as they climbed. Rocks from the Tang army rained down like hail, and arrows flew like a dense downpour—thus beginning a fierce battle of resistance. At the foot of the mountain, the Tubo king, Chizudezan, watched the battlefield from afar. The Tang army was using rocks and arrows for defense—there was no thunder as rumored, indicating that they lacked enough arrows and thunder weapons. A smug smile appeared on Chizudezan’s face. He immediately ordered, “Send another ten thousand soldiers to attack. Also, announce to all troops that whoever captures Li Qing’an of the Tang army will be promoted three ranks, rewarded with hundred thousand sheep, and a thousand slaves.” The rewards promised by the Tubo king himself drove the Tubo army wild. The slopes were filled with dense ranks of fearless Tubo soldiers, charging upward like a black tide—no retreat allowed. Either death or breaking through the enemy lines.

The Tang army’s arrows flew like locusts, swift as torrential rain. Their sharp, new type of armor-piercing arrows penetrated the Tubo soldiers’ chainmail, and the poison on their tips took effect rapidly in the rapidly circulating blood, causing many soldiers carrying arrows to collapse to the ground.

The Tubo army launched its first wave of attack with 15,000 troops. An entire slope turned nearly black as they charged over their own corpses and blood, like fearless beasts, screaming and howling as they rushed upward without hesitation.

The Tubo troops 100 paces away began shooting arrows, which formed a net in the air. The Tang army started suffering casualties. One Tang soldier was hit in the throat and rolled down the slope, while another who was trying to throw a rock was struck in the head by an arrow. He cried out in agony as he rolled into enemy ranks, only to be torn to pieces instantly.

Li Qing’an bit his lip tightly as he observed the battle. The Tubo army had reached 80 paces away. Despite heavy losses, they showed no sign of retreating. The Tubo troops closest to the Tang army’s position on the north side were now less than 40 paces away.

Bai Yuanguang rushed up to Li Qing’an and shouted, “Fire the gunpowder bombs quickly! If we don’t, we won’t be able to retreat!”

Li Qing’an’s lips were bleeding, but he firmly shook his head. “No!”

Nearly a thousand Tubo troops on the north front finally broke into the Tang army’s position. Li Fei Yuanli roared, “Brothers, kill them!”

He swung his great sword and charged into the enemy ranks, slashing wildly like a mad tiger. More than 400 Tang soldiers also rushed in like a storm, and in an instant, heads rolled, blood splattered, and cries of agony filled the air…

At that moment, the Tubo heavy troops on the central front and those on the southern front were both less than 30 paces away from the Tang army’s positions. A violent, bloody atmosphere overwhelmed them.

Li Qing’an finally gave the order, “Light the fire!”

Several rockets were fired at a distance of 20 paces. With a loud boom, a fierce fire erupted on the 30-zhang-wide slope. The flames spread rapidly, engulfing an area of 150 paces in an instant. More than 3,000 Tubo soldiers were packed tightly in this sea of fire. The area in front of the Tang army instantly became a hell on earth. Countless people screamed in agony in the flames, their cries of despair unbearable to witness.

Li Qing’an sighed softly and ordered, “Retreat to the second line of defense!”

…

It was this brutal, hellish fire that finally forced the Tubo army to retreat. The first attack lasted nearly two hours, ending with over 6,000 Tubo soldiers killed, while the Tang army also suffered over 300 casualties, most of whom died in close combat with the Tubo forces.

The battlefield fell temporarily quiet. In a small valley, over twenty female guards were busy at work. Skilled in their tasks, they disinfected and stopped the bleeding of more than a hundred Tang soldiers, carefully removing arrows from their bones with knives. With their feminine tenderness and words of comfort, they encouraged the wounded to stay strong.

Li Fei Yuanli had been struck by three knives and two arrows. His ring finger and little finger on his left hand had been severed. Shi Sanniang was busy bandaging his wounds. The pain from the disinfectant made his face contort, yet he still couldn’t help but be his usual self.

“Sanniang, I’ve lost my fingers. Do you think I’ll still be able to feel women in the future?”

“How could you not feel? You can just use your right hand.”

“Hehe! Sanniang, can you touch me? Let me feel it. Or touch me once, just like last time by the sea, so I can have one last pleasure before dying.”

Shi Sanniang’s face turned red. Reluctantly, she reached in and roughly rubbed him, then snapped, “Is this good enough?”

Li Fei Yuanli let out a long sigh, his face showing an intoxicated expression as he grinned and said, “To die beneath a pomegranate skirt—even as a ghost, one remains romantic.”

“You won’t die. Stop acting like a lustful bull. Be obedient! Stop thinking nonsense.”

After bandaging his wounds, Shi Sanniang smiled and tapped his forehead before going to attend to other wounded soldiers.

Li Fei Yuanli’s eyes shifted, and he called out to Miao Cui’er, “Cui’er, can you come here for a moment? I’m dying. I want to say a few words to you before I go.”

……

In the only tent in the valley, Li Qing’an and Li Fei Shouyu carefully assembled a sand table depicting the terrain of Qinghai region—Qinghai, Longju Island, Datong Mountain, Chiling, and so on. The land was made of clay, covered with rice flour to simulate snow-capped mountains. There were also military camps and beacon towers, some even with kerosene, all made extremely realistically. The sand table was about ten feet long and five feet wide, with an iron base and a wooden core. It could be split into four parts for easy carrying and reassembled when needed, secured with iron clasps.

“Qilang, is this okay?”

“I’m not sure either, but we have to give it a try. I think the Tubo people will be interested in it.”

“That’s true. The Tubo people have surely never seen such a map before.”

Li Qing’an fastened the last iron clasp. He stood up, glanced at the sky outside, and suddenly frowned, asking, “What time is it now?”

One of his guards reported, “General, it’s fifteen minutes before noon.”

Li Qingan stepped out of the tent at a quick pace and looked toward the stone fortress city in the distance. Smoke still rose from the fortress, indicating it was still in the hands of the Tibetans. He shook his head slightly. They had planned to capture the fortress at noon, but it seemed that was no longer possible. Just then, the drums of the Tibetan attackers at the foot of the mountain sounded loudly once again.