Chapter 176: Hidden in the Deep Valley

The night was deep, with a crescent moon hanging in the dark blue sky, casting a faint silver glow over the vast grasslands. About twenty li southeast of Bazayetu City, a military camp stood alone on the grassland—this was the Tianshan Army Camp. The soldiers, exhausted after a day of marching, had gone to bed early, leaving the camp in silence, except for the soldiers patrolling the watchtowers at each corner. Suddenly, a sentinel rushed to the watchtower, staring anxiously into the distance. He saw it—a dark line appearing on the grassland, moving swiftly toward them under the moonlight.

“Damn it! Are all the scouts dead?”

The sentinel cursed loudly and quickly struck the alarm bell with his hammer, producing a loud clang. At the same time, an alarm sounded from another watchtower. The shrill ringing echoed through the camp, waking the soldiers from their sleep. Chaos ensued. The main commander, Zhao Tingyu, had not returned from Dazhai. Only the deputy commander, Lu Xiangyang, rushed out of his tent in disarray, shouting, “What’s going on? Has the enemy attacked?”

But no one knew. Amid the chaos, a sentinel on a watchtower suddenly shouted, “It’s not the enemy—it’s one of our own.”

As the shout spread, the camp gradually calmed down. It was one of their own, not the enemy. Many Tang soldiers gathered at the camp gate to look. A few hundred steps away, a cavalry unit was forming a fan shape and slowly encircling the camp. Their flags were clearly visible under the moonlight—Tang Army’s Red Dragon Flag.

At that moment, a dozen cavalrymen rushed over and shouted at the gate, “General Li Qingan orders all officers above the rank of squad leader to gather outside for an urgent announcement.”

Deputy commander Lu Xiangyang rushed out and demanded angrily, “My general is still at Dazhai. Where is he now?”

“Who are you?”

“I am Lu Xiangyang, deputy commander of the Tianshan Army.”

The cavalrymen ignored him and continued shouting, “General Li, the military governor, orders all officers above the rank of squad leader to gather outside immediately, or they will be considered rebels!”

Dozens of officers hiding behind the gate stepped out in terror upon hearing “considered rebels.” Lu Xiangyang flew into a rage, drew his sword, and shouted, “Who told you to come out? Go back all of you!”

The dozen cavalrymen exchanged glances, spurred their horses forward, and simultaneously pierced Lu Xiangyang’s chest with three long spears. Lu Xiangyang stared in disbelief at the spears in his chest before falling to the ground dead.

Another officer rushed forward and shouted at the officers, “Zhao Tingyu tried to assassinate the supervisor and rebel—do you want to follow in his footsteps?”

The officers of the Tianshan Army finally came out one after another. Nearly a hundred officers stood in the open area, waiting anxiously for their fate. Thousands of Tang Army soldiers surrounded them tightly, preventing anyone from escaping. Without the restraint of officers in the camp, two thousand soldiers crowded in front of the camp gate, whispering among themselves. Everyone understood that the Tianshan Army was about to change hands. Compared to the officers’ worry, the soldiers were filled with anticipation.

At that moment, hundreds of cavalry surrounded Li Qing’an, the military governor, as he emerged from the ranks, followed by the military supervisor Wang Tingfang. Li Qing’an slowly reined in his warhorse, glanced at the officers of the Tianshan Army, and said, “Zhao Tingyu, the governor of Xizhou, defied military orders, took the military supervisor hostage, and seriously violated military law. He has already been executed!”

A wave of gasps erupted among the officers. Shock was evident in everyone’s eyes, and many showed a hint of grief and anger before lowering their heads.

“I know many of you were Zhao Tingyu’s loyal subordinates, his trusted men. But the Tang Army enforces strict discipline, and no one is above the law!”

Li Qing’an’s voice was extremely stern. With a cold expression, he met each person’s gaze and said word by word, “Now that Zhao Tingyu has been executed, a new governor will be appointed by the imperial court. I will temporarily act as the commander of the Tianshan Army. Given the lax military discipline in the Tianshan Army, I have decided that all officers above the rank of deputy commander must study military regulations for three months. After that, they will be reassigned. For now, the brigade commanders and unit leaders may return to the camp and assemble their troops.”

The brigade commanders and unit leaders felt relieved and rushed back to the camp to organize their troops. Only a dozen dejected lieutenants and deputy commanders remained in the open area. Li Qing’an gave a signal, and a group of cavalry stepped forward to take them away.

At that moment, the gates of the barracks swung wide open, and groups of soldiers stepped out, unarmed. Two thousand soldiers lined up neatly in ten squads in the open field. Li Qing’an mounted his horse and stepped forward, declaring loudly, “I, Li Qing’an, have been appointed by the Emperor to command the Beiting Army. Whether it’s the Hanhai Army, the Tianshan Army, or the Yiwu Army, I treat them all equally. I myself rose from a humble soldier to where I am today, and I deeply understand the hardships of soldiers. Here, I establish four new military rules. First, starting today, no Beiting Army officer shall keep soldiers’ money or belongings. During battles, these items shall be temporarily held by the military accountant, who will issue receipts and return them to the soldiers after the battle. If a soldier dies in battle, the items shall be given to their designated family members. Second, the Beiting Army will improve food supplies by setting uniform standards, and soldiers will be assigned to form inspection teams to check the food conditions in various units. Third, the military leave for the Beiting Army will be changed from three years and one month to one year and one month, and family members will be allowed to visit. Fourth, a military discipline inspection department will be established to inspect troops across the region. Soldiers may submit complaints to this department, which will be directly accountable to me. These four rules will take effect immediately upon issuance.”

With each rule announced by Li Qing’an, the soldiers cheered. Not only the Tianshan Army but also the Hanhai Army cheered and applauded. His four new rules addressed the long-standing problems in the army. For instance, it was an unwritten rule that officers kept soldiers’ belongings. Many officers tortured soldiers to death to seize their property, and shortages or losses were common.

The cheers echoed through the night. With these four new rules, Li Qing’an completely won over the hearts of the Tianshan Army. The former governor, Zhao Tingyu, had vanished from their minds entirely.

…

Early the next morning, Han Zhi, the governor of Yiwu, arrived at the camp. He knew all about what had happened to the Tianshan Army the previous night. It wasn’t until last night that he realized the attack on the Göktürks was merely a tactic by Li Qing’an to seize power. The conflict between the Shatuo and Göktürks was likely also orchestrated by him. Since the Battle of Yumen, the Shatuo had become Li Qing’an’s pawns, step by step, with everything falling into place. Since Li Qing’an had no authority to dismiss them, he staged the war against the Göktürks and dealt with them according to military law, making everything seem legitimate.

Han Zhi was filled with fear. He knew that Zhao Tingyu had been killed the previous day, and it was his turn next. Han Zhi not only saw Li Qingan’s methods and his determination to eliminate rivals but also the emperor’s support for Li Qingan. Without Zhao Tingyu as a cover to muddy the waters, what reason did he have to confront Li Qingan?

The biggest difference between Han Zhi and Zhao Tingyu was that Han Zhi had no backing—nothing like the Prince Qing’s palace affairs; he had no concerns at all.

Han Zhi arrived at the camp, took off his upper garment, knelt bare-chested in front of the camp gate to confess his faults. Moments later, Li Qingan stepped out of the camp quickly, helped him up, and said, “General Han, you must not do this.”

“I was foolish for a moment, unaware of military rules, and thus seized military power for myself. Please punish me as you see fit.”

Li Qingan helped him up, ordered his guards to bring a garment, and personally draped it over him, smiling and saying, “It’s fortunate this is the grasslands; otherwise, General Han, would you have to resort to Lian Po’s tactics?”

The two exchanged smiles, and Li Qingan put his arm around Han Zhi’s shoulders as they walked back to the camp.

“Do you have any opinions on the four new rules I’ve issued, General Han?”

“You truly come from humble origins and understand the hardships of soldiers well. But aren’t you afraid of offending the officers?”

“In doing things, it’s inevitable to offend someone. Soldiers can be promoted to officers, but it’s hard for officers to be demoted to soldiers. What do you think?”

“Hehe! What you say makes some sense. But there are rules above and countermeasures below. Your plan still needs further refinement.”

“I know. First, we need to reassure our men and boost their morale so we can defeat the Gehu in one battle.”

……

The elders’ meeting of the Gelaolu brought new variables, with results beyond Heishan’s expectations. Most of the tribal elders supported the eldest prince’s plan: to seek help from the Uyghurs, force the Tang army to retreat south, and then destroy the Shatuo tribe.

Although Heishan himself disagreed with this plan, to secure a position for his second son, Si Han, he ultimately agreed to seek help from the Uyghurs to confront the Tang army.

At the same time as the Tang army from Beiting entered Gelaolu’s territory, 10,000 cavalry from the Banyegu tribe of the Uyghurs crossed Jinshan Mountain and entered Gelaolu’s territory as well. Meanwhile, 20,000 Gelaolu cavalry began to gather, and 30,000 Hu cavalry converged east of Xuanchi, ready to settle matters once and for all with the Tang army from Beiting.

This was a battle of moderate scale, much like the conflicts between Anxi and Tubo, Fanyang and Khitans, or Jiannan and Nanzhao. It was also crucial to the Tang Dynasty’s policy of expanding westward. The Tang Dynasty was determined to restore the Suoye military garrison, while the Göktürks had equally ambitious plans for Suoye Valley. As for the third party, the Uyghurs, they were cunning wolves, waiting for an opportunity to swallow up both the Göktürks and Beiting without hesitation if possible.

But for Li Qing’an, this battle was not merely about thwarting the Göktürks’ ambitions toward Suoye. His vision stretched further—he had his eyes set on the vast lands of the Yibopai Sea region, later known as Lake Balkhash. By seizing control of that area, he would stand atop Central Asia, and the Göktürks would be the biggest obstacle in his path.

On the first day of the fifth month, after several days of rest, the vanguard of the Tang army reached the heartland of the Göktürks, in the upper reaches of the Dolos River—what is today’s Irtysh River. This area was a transition zone between mountains and grasslands, featuring low hills and dense forests, with the darkGold Mountains Mountains in the distance.

The vanguard consisted of a thousand cavalrymen, made up of 700 Tang cavalry and 300 Shatuo cavalry. Their commanders were Nan Jiyun and another Shatuo general named Zhu Xia Shengyi. “Zhu Xia” was the ethnic name of the Shatuo people, which was also a homophone for “Chuyue.” The Shatuo were actually the Chuyue Turks, so “Zhu Xia” became a surname for the Shatuo nobility.

Zhu Xia Shengyi was the nephew of Shatuo Yehuguduzhi. Around thirty years old, he was tall and strong, one of the famous warriors among the Shatuo. His 300 cavalrymen were all hunters who had long operated in theGold Mountains Mountains, each with extensive experience in tracking wild animals. Their task was to locate the main forces of the Göktürks.

Zhu Xia Shengyi knew a little Chinese but not very well, so much of his communication with Nan Jiyun relied on gestures.

“General Nan, if we follow the river, we can reach a large body of water,” Zhu Xia Shengyi gestured to make Nan Jiyun understand that he meant a large lake, the core area of the Göktürks: Xuanchi Lake.

Nan Jiyun understood what he meant and smiled. “The Göktürks aren’t sheep that will let us wander into their pen. I reckon we’ll encounter their main forces halfway there.”

Zhu Xia Shengyi waved his sword in a slashing motion. “Does General Nan mean we should fight the Göktürks?”

“Not necessarily. If they’re few, we fight; if they’re many, we retreat.”

As soon as he finished speaking, several Shatuo men rushed over from ahead. Pointing at the mountains in the distance, they spoke excitedly in Turkic.

“What are they saying?” Nan Jiyun couldn’t understand the Turkic language.
Zhu Xia Shengyi also became excited and stammered, “They say they found many, many Göktürks in the mountains—seems to be all women and children.”
Since Nan Jiyun couldn’t issue orders, the excited Shatuo warriors quickly spurred their horses and rushed toward the mountains.
“General, go quickly! If we wait any longer, they’ll be gone.” Zhu Xia Shengyi spurred his horse and followed after them.
In moments, aside from the Tang army, the Shatuo cavalry had vanished without a trace. Nan Jiyun couldn’t call them back, so he waved at the Tang soldiers, “Follow me! Be alert for enemy ambushes and act according to my orders!”
The Tang soldiers turned their horses and rushed up a hill, following the Shatuo’s trail northward. They first reached the upstream area and found a shallow bay where they crossed the river. After riding another thirty miles, they got closer to the massive mountains. Ahead lay a wide valley, as if carved by a giant sword, forming a deep gorge about two li wide. The surrounding area was covered with dense forests of tall trees, whose shadows covered the valley entrance, blocking the sunlight and making the place rather gloomy. A cool breeze blew, and several streams flowed out of the valley, converging into a small river that headed south toward the Doros River.
“General, there’s blood in the water!”
One of the Tang soldiers noticed blood in the stream. Nan Jiyun immediately looked up at the valley entrance, feeling a sense of foreboding—it was highly likely the Shatuo had fallen into an ambush.
“Charge in!”
At Nan Jiyun’s command, the water splashed as seven hundred Tang cavalry rushed into the valley. The valley was extremely deep; it took them three miles before they heard fighting sounds ahead. After rounding a bend, the valley suddenly widened, revealing a gruesome scene: everywhere were Shatuo corpses, with severed limbs and rivers of blood. Most of the bodies were pierced with arrows, indicating they had been ambushed.
Not far away, hundreds of cavalry were engaged in fierce combat. Zhu Xia Shengyi, with two arrows in his body, was fighting bravely with his sword. He was surrounded by a dozen Göktürks. Of the three hundred Shatuo cavalry, only half remained, and the Göktürks numbered no more than two or three hundred—their successful ambush gave them the upper hand.
The Göktürks fought like mad tigers, desperately trying to stop the Shatuo from entering the valley. “Kill them!”

Nan Jiyun let out a loud shout, and the Tang army’s cavalry charged forward. Arrows rained down like a storm, spears were swung, and swords were slashed. The Tang army was extremely formidable—well-trained and equipped with top-notch weapons: powerful bows, sharp spears, cutting swords, and sturdy Mingguang armor. In contrast, the Göktürks were far inferior in equipment; most of them had no armor, their weapons were crude, and their bows were homemade. Usually they were herders, but in times of war they became soldiers.

Yet this group of Göktürks was relatively well-equipped. They all wore uniform leather armor, with identical clothing, resembling the guards of some noble.

The Tang army’s onslaught instantly reversed the course of battle. The more than 200 Göktürks could not withstand the fierce assault. Within moments, most of them were killed. The remaining dozen or so fought their way back while retreating, only to be engulfed by the Tang army’s relentless arrow rain.

The valley finally fell silent. The flat area, about ten acres in size, was covered with corpses lying everywhere. The dozen or so Göktürks who were still alive and injured had their heads cut off by the vengeful Shatuo warriors, with final screams echoing through the valley.

The remaining Shatuo warriors rushed into the valley with all their might.

Zhu Xia Shengyi was hit by two arrows, neither of which struck vital areas. Though exhausted, he still followed his subordinates into the valley. The Tang army also sped up to follow.

The valley was much deeper than expected, becoming wider as they went, like a utopia. They rushed to a pass, and suddenly the view cleared—the valley stretched for miles, with open terrain and a lake in the center, surrounded by dense trees. On several open areas by the lake stood hundreds of tents, most of high quality, with a few brightly colored tents among them—tents reserved for Sogdian nobles.

Nan Jiyun suddenly understood. No wonder those Shatuo warriors were so excited—they had indeed sharp eyesight, having discovered the home of Göktürk nobles.

He looked up. All around were steep cliffs. It seemed the Shatuo hunters had spotted the Göktürks hidden in the deep valley from above.

At this point, he had no time to think further. The Shatuo warriors rushed into the nearest camp like a pack of wolves, beginning to rape and plunder. Women’s screams, children’s cries, the shouts and screams of the elderly—these sounds echoed throughout the valley.

Nan Jiyun roared in anger, “Stop them! Do not kill women and children indiscriminately!”

The Tang army charged into the camp. With their superior numbers, they quickly halted the Shatuo warriors’ slaughter. Dozens of Shatuo cavalry tried to rush into another camp but were blocked by over 200 Tang soldiers with spears.

“Our general ordered that no private looting be allowed!”

The Shatuo people immediately became noisy. Zhu Xia Shengyi was furious; he swung his sword and shouted, “Why are we risking our lives? Isn’t it just to seize women and wealth?” No sooner had he finished speaking than an arrow whizzed past his face and nailed itself into a tree, leaving Zhu Xia Shengyi speechless. Nan Jiyun slowly stepped forward with his bow in hand and said, “If I save your lives, you must obey me.” With a wave of his hand, he ordered his men, “Drive everyone out of the camp, pack up the wealth, and anyone who resists, regardless of gender, must be killed.” Then he said to the resentful Shatuo people, “The Tang army enforces strict discipline—no indiscriminate killing of innocents, and no raping of women. All wealth and people must be taken back to the camp. How they will be dealt with will be decided according to Tang law. What belongs to you will be rewarded by my master. My master has said that anyone who violates military law, whether from the Tang army or the Shatuo, must be killed without exception.” A translator repeated these words loudly in Turkic. Zhu Xia Shengyi didn’t dare offend the Tang army. Seeing that robbery was hopeless, he sat down dejectedly and ordered someone to bandage his wound. The Shatuo people also lost their spirit, looking listlessly as the Tang army seized wealth and captured women. They didn’t understand what military discipline meant; in their eyes, the Tang army was keeping everything for itself, leaving them out. “General, come quickly!” A soldier ran up to Nan Jiyun and whispered something in his ear. Nan Jiyun was surprised and followed him into the largest tent. Inside, it was splendid, covered with expensive carpets and filled with various gold artifacts. Dozens of gorgeous young women crouched in a corner in terror, guarded by several Tang soldiers. Another woman, equally gorgeous, was brought in; it was clear she was Han. She knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, begging, “Please spare us, sir.” “You’re Han?” Nan Jiyun glanced at her and asked. His words brought back painful memories for the woman, who shed tears and said, “I’m a Han woman from Yizhou. Three years ago, I was captured by the Göktürks and chosen by the crown prince as one of his concubines.” “The crown prince?” Nan Jiyun was stunned. “Do you mean Murad?” “Yes, it’s him. This is his tribe, and we are all his women.” The woman timidly glanced at one of the Persian women and said, “That Sogdian woman is his main wife.” “General Nan, come and see these chests,” a soldier said, pointing to the back tent. Suddenly, Murad’s main wife, the daughter of a wealthy Sogdian merchant, screamed and rushed forward desperately, using her long nails to attack the soldier who had discovered the chests.

A Tang soldier slapped her, knocking her to the ground. Several women quickly pulled her back, but she struggled desperately, cried loudly, tore apart her clothes, and sat there half-naked, kicking and thrashing as if trying to kill herself.
The woman’s strange behavior piqued Nan Jiyun’s interest even more. He strode to the back tent, where twenty large chests, covered in iron sheets and locked, were stacked.
“Click!” With a single slash of his sword, he broke open one of the chests and slowly opened it. A dazzling glow filled the air, and everyone gasped in astonishment. The chest was filled with neatly arranged gold bars, each weighing at least two or three pounds.
“General, it’s the same here!” A soldier opened another chest, which also contained gold.
“Here too!”
The chests were mostly filled with gold—a vast fortune, the result of years of plundering Luoduo, now captured by the Tang army.
“General Nan, what should we do?”
Nan Jiyun pondered for a moment before saying in a low voice, “Have the soldiers carry this gold with them. Don’t let the Shatuo people know about it for now.”