Chapter Seventeen: The Passionate Barbarians

Before night fell completely, the soldiers and merchants began constructing defensive fortifications. The campsite chosen by Li Qing’an was strategically advantageous—steep cliffs surrounded a crescent-shaped valley. Though the valley was filled with huge stalactites and stone pillars, its entrances were narrow, only five zhang wide. By securing these entrances, they could effectively defend against attacks by the Turkic horsemen.

The Tang soldiers had extensive experience dealing with Turkic horsemen. They moved massive boulders weighing hundreds of jin to use as barriers and set up three lines of obstacles. Several soldiers also scattered several large bags of thorny plants within a three-mile radius—a clever tactic against cavalry. These thorny plants consisted of iron balls the size of walnuts, each with four long spikes; when scattered, at least one spike would always point upward.

Together, they dug three deep ditches filled with sharpened wooden stakes, which were cut from a poplar forest not far away. In just two hours, the Tang army’s defenses were completed. By then, night had fully settled, with stars hidden beneath a thin layer of mist. The moon was not yet full, casting a cold, bright light that spread across the sky like pale blue water.

Two soldiers climbed to the top of the hill to stand guard, while the rest checked their weapons. For dealing with nomadic tribes, bows and arrows were crucial. Since Li Qing’an had come prepared, the Tang army was exceptionally well-equipped. Instead of ordinary bows and arrows, they used crossbows—powerful weapons with a range of 160 steps. Each soldier carried five pots of arrows, with thirty arrows per pot. Thus, over a hundred Tang soldiers had more than 15,000 arrows. This was sufficient to deal with small groups of Turkic horsemen, but it might be insufficient if a large army of them attacked.

Since last spring and summer, small groups of Turkic horsemen had occasionally invaded the territory to cause trouble. At the beginning of October, more than a thousand of them moved south from Suiye, invading Tang territory. After being defeated by General Gao Xianzhi, they disappeared for a winter. Half a month ago, soldiers at Sulou Beacon Fort spotted another group of over a thousand Turkic horsemen, indicating their return. A few days earlier, Li Qing’an had already detected their presence and sent two men back to Kucha to report to Gao Xianzhi.

At that moment, Li Qing’an stood on a high rock, gazing into the darkness, searching for signs of the Turkic horsemen.

“Has General Li found anything?”

At some point, Shiju Lan appeared behind Li Qing’an.

“I sense a murderous intent. The Turkic horsemen in the darkness are charging at us like a wolf pack.”

Li Qing’an’s voice was dreamily deep, and his gaze seemed to pierce through the thick darkness in the night. He turned to look at her. “Are you scared?”
“A little!” Shi Julan lowered her head.
“Uncle Sarda said that decades ago, the Turkic tribes ravaged our homeland like wolves, killing men and seizing women and children. The blood of the Sogdians dyed the Pearl River red. Yesterday morning, I saw their horror with my own eyes.”
Shi Julan bit her lip. She raised her head to look at Li Qing’an, her bright eyes filled with anticipation for him.
Li Qing’an gently embraced her and whispered in her ear, “As long as I’m here, I’ll protect you. I’ll never allow the Turkic tribes to wreak havoc on the land of the Tang Dynasty.”
Shi Julan gazed at him fixatedly. The silver moonlight illuminated her porcelain-like face, making her sapphire-like eyes appear hazy, as if covered by a veil.
“The one who taught me Chinese was Princess Heyi from the Tang Dynasty, who was married to the kingdom of Ningyuan. At that time, the Shi Kingdom and Ningyuan had a good relationship. I often went to Ningyuan to see her. She told me that the Tang Dynasty was the homeland of the Heavenly Khan, the most prosperous and powerful country in the world, with elegant poetry, exquisite porcelain, and silk. But only today do I realize that what makes the Tang Dynasty most admirable is its inclusive spirit. I can sense this magnanimity in you.”
Shi Julan lowered her head again, a hint of youthful shyness flashing in her beautiful eyes. She whispered, “You didn’t look down on me just because I’m a barbarian. The day you shot that villain dead with an arrow, I knew you really cared about me and had been protecting me in secret.”
“Of course. How could I let bandits harm such a beautiful girl?”
Li Qing’an gently lifted her chin and looked at her tenderly. Finally, he couldn’t resist bending down to kiss her smooth forehead.
“General Li!” Shi Julan was so moved she almost cried. She tightly hugged his waist. “If we’re really going to die, I’d rather die with you.”
Li Qing’an said nothing. Instead, he held her affectionately in his arms. In his embrace, this delicate girl trembled like a little bird facing disaster, which was heart-wrenching.
After what seemed like a long time, Uncle Sarda’s anxious voice came from afar, “Julan, where are you?”
“Uncle Sarda is looking for me. I’ll go first,” Shi Julan said softly.
“Go! Don’t be afraid. Go to sleep peacefully. We’ll set off again when it gets light.”

Shi Julan nodded, turned, and ran toward the campsite. After a few steps, she stopped again, turned back, and said to Li Qing’an with deep affection, “General Li, I don’t want to die. I want to hold your hand as we welcome the dawn.” With that, she ran away at full speed, her figure disappearing into the darkness. Li Qing’an gazed into the distance again, his resolute face as calm as granite.

Just then, a loud arrow was shot from the top of the mountain, emitting a shrill whine. Li Qing’an abruptly stared into the darkness, his pupils narrowing to slits, as he gradually tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.

……

In the darkness, the Turki Shih cavalry, like a pack of wolves, charged toward the valley. The loud sound of their hooves shattered the silence of the night. There were as many as three thousand of them—this was a group of the Huang clan Turki Shih living in the southern part of Suiye River. Since last summer, they had repeatedly invaded the borders of the Tang Dynasty, capturing cattle, sheep, and people, causing unrest in the Bahuang area. The king of Gumo sent people to ask the Anxi military governor, Fu Menglingcha, for help.

Fu Menglingcha generously agreed to eradicate this group of Turki Shih and entrusted Gao Xianzhi with full responsibility for the task. However, heavy snows in winter blocked the roads, forcing the Turki Shih to retreat to Suiye. But as spring arrived, they once again entered Tang territory to plunder.

“Charge into the valley! Kill everyone except camels, wealth, and women!”

At the leader Duluo Xian’s loud shout, the Turki Shih cavalry rushed into the valley like a storm. But soon they encountered trouble—many of their warhorses stepped on thorns on the ground, neighed in pain, and fell, throwing their riders off heavily. Cries of pain filled the air.

The sudden setback forced the Turki Shih to slow down. Cursing under their breath, they carefully made their way through the thorny desert.

In the valley, the Tang army was already on high alert. Eighty soldiers held their bows drawn, guarding the entrance to the valley, while others climbed up the steep rocky cliffs on both sides, ready to shoot at the Turki Shih from the flanks.

“Don’t worry! The Turki Shih are not good at offensive or defensive battles. Let them taste the power of our Tang arrows tonight!” Li Qing’an loudly encouraged his soldiers’ morale.

“Stay calm and follow my arrows!”

Within a year, Li Qing’an had earned the title of the best archer in Anxi. His archery skills were extraordinary—he never missed a shot, and most of his targets died on the first strike. During his year-long military service in the Western Regions, countless Turki Shih had died at the hands of his arrows.

The moonlight was bright, allowing clear visibility of the rocks and desert within 200 steps. Clusters of dark figures surged toward them. Huge boulders and thorny bushes hindered their ability to ride, forcing the Turki Shih warriors to abandon their advantage on horseback and attack like infantry. They had no shields but carried bows and arrows, as well as weapons of various lengths. Most wore leather armor; some were strong, some tall, all with fierce expressions and eyes filled with desire for wealth and women. The black tide of warriors rushed over the stone formations toward the valley entrance, shooting arrows as they ran. The arrows whistled through the air and clanged against the massive rocks serving as cover for the Tang army. Li Qing’an’s long bow was drawn to full length, its shaft engraved with his nickname: “Blood Arrow of Ling Mountain.” Under the moonlight, the wolf-toothed arrowhead gleamed like the grim smile of death. The arrow was shot out like lightning—thud!—penetrating the eye of a Turki Shih centurion, passing through his skull. The centurion screamed and was pinned firmly to the ground. Li Qing’an’s arrow was a military order; Tang soldiers immediately fired their crossbows. Arrows rained down, killing more than thirty of the leading Turki Shih warriors, who cried out in pain. Yet the suddenly attacked enemies did not weaken their assault. More Turki Shih warriors rushed forward, shooting arrows and shouting. At that moment, a Tang soldier was hit in the head by an arrow and fell dead with a scream, but another quickly took his place. A second wave of arrows was fired. The Turki Shih warriors’ leather armor could not withstand the Tang army’s powerful piercing arrows, and another thirty or so were killed. This time, the Turki Shih warriors were terrified. The hundreds behind them shouted and turned to flee, with those who were slower dying under the Tang arrows. The battlefield fell silent in an instant.