Chapter 30: Detection of Enemy Activity

In Shule, a supply convoy that had traveled from afar slowly entered the city gates under the strict protection of the Tang army. Nearly a thousand carts stretched as far as the eye could see, accompanied by 10,000 Tang infantry and cavalry—the largest troop deployment to date. Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng were also among them. He had officially ordered the deployment a month earlier, and after more than 20 days of travel, the main force of the Anxi Army finally arrived in Shule.

It was still early May, yet the midday sun already burned fiercely, evaporating all moisture. The trees drooped listlessly, struggling to withstand the scorching heat. Yet Gao Xianzhi stood upright, his expression stern and gaze sharp as he observed everything inside the city. The gates were heavily guarded; everyone entering or leaving underwent thorough searches and identity checks, with non-residents being controlled.

Every five steps there was a sentry post, every ten steps a watchtower. Teams of Tang soldiers marched down the streets, their footsteps rhythmic and menacing. All empty houses were requisitioned as warehouses for supplies, and horses and livestock were taken by the military. All able-bodied men in the city were hired by the army to work as laborers transporting supplies.

Shops were closed, and daily necessities were rationed. Foreign merchants were barred from entering to prevent spies from infiltrating. Every household kept its doors shut, with all clutter cleared from the entrances. The streets were empty, not even cats or dogs having a place to hide.

Everything was arranged in perfect order, so much so that even the most demanding Gao Xianzhi could find no faults. He couldn’t help but secretly admire Feng Changqing’s ability. Thorough preparation was crucial for winning wars, and Gao Xianzhi never fought unprepared.

“Your humble servant, Feng Changqing, pays his respects to the commander!”

At the gates, Feng Changqing had been waiting for a long time. He had traveled light and arrived in Shule ahead of schedule. Gao Xianzhi nodded. “General Feng, you’ve worked hard.”

He glanced behind him. He Chongjin, the governor of Shule, quickly bowed. “I pay my respects to the commander.”

“Hmm! Has Li Qing’an set out?”

Feng Changqing replied promptly, “Li Qing’an’s scouting unit set out ten days ago.”

“Good! Pass my orders: rest for three days, then march toward Xiaobolue.”

……

The sword’s edge is sharp as a thorn; the light shines brightly. The iron cavalry chases the fierce enemies; the golden harnesses are used to subdue the cunning Qiang. In the high autumn months of August and September, the desert lands are hit by early frost. True men fear not death, ready to fight bravely for their lord…

In early June, the Western Regions entered midsummer, with the scorching sun baking the land—this was the most difficult time of the year. But west of the Pamir Mountains, about a thousand miles away in the Terlemchan region, one could still see a world of ice and snow. At first glance, the snow-capped Hindu Kush range stretched endlessly, with large, dark boulders jutting out on both sides of the river, resembling ferocious monsters in the dim light. The land beneath the boulders, uncovered by ice and snow, appeared barren and desolate, devoid of any greenery or sign of life.

The blood-red sun gradually set, and night was about to fall. Blue shadows covered the snowy valleys and slopes, but the peaks reaching into the clouds turned a magnificent amethyst color under the last rays of sunlight, shining like dazzling flowers in the sky.

During the flood season in Terlemchan, glacial meltwater caused the water levels to rise sharply, making the currents rapid, as if a jade belt wrapped around the snow-capped valleys.

In the distance by the river, a group of small black dots could be seen moving slowly. Perhaps because the reference objects were so huge, as if we had descended thousands of feet, these small dots suddenly appeared larger—they were actually an army, a Tang army of about five hundred men.

Both their horses and soldiers were extremely emaciated, their faces showing unmistakable exhaustion. Their eyes stared blankly ahead, and their feet moved instinctively and mechanically. Despite their extreme fatigue, the Tang army flags still stood upright, fluttering in the night wind.

They were the scouts from the Anxi Army, who set out from Shule, crossed the Geluo Mountains, then headed south across the Pamir Mountains. After getting a brief rest in the Pamir region, they turned southwest toward the Bomi River valley, bypassing the Outer A’laishan of the Shiniguo kingdom and entering the Terlemchan valley.

They spent almost a month on the road—thirty full days—to cover just over five hundred miles, illustrating the difficulty of their journey.

The Terlemchan valley is a vast canyon nearly a thousand miles long, which is today’s Wakhan Corridor. The Terlemchan River flows through this canyon, serving as the most convenient route from Turfan to Anxi. It holds great strategic importance. However, since the eastern entrance to the Terlemchan valley was guarded by strong Tibetan forces, to avoid alerting them, the Tang army took a detour through the Shiniguo kingdom to enter the valley.

At that moment, a horse galloped along the riverbank. On it was Li Fei Shouyu, the deputy scout commander. He was the younger brother of Li Fei Yuanli but looked nothing like the rough-looking Li Fei Yuanli—handsome, tall, and skilled with a crossbow. He too seemed exhausted, but he still mustered his strength to shout into the distance, “General Li! General Li!”

The sound traveled against the wind, sounding particularly faint in the vast canyon. Bai Yuanguang called out three times before Li Qing’an finally heard him. He raised a hand, and the team stopped. Compared to two months ago, Li Qing’an had completely changed—intense ultraviolet rays had made his skin rough and dark, and he had become emaciated, with red veins visible in his sleep-deprived eyes.

Li Qing’an’s task was to scout the distribution of the Tubo troops in the Teler Manchuan area to pave the way for the main Tang forces.

“General!” Li Fei Shouyu ran over, out of breath. “Jialan City is just twenty li to the east. Let’s wait for news from the scouts!”

Li Qing’an looked around. The valley was wide, flanked by steep cliffs. Even if boulders rolled down from the cliffs, they wouldn’t harm them, so there was no possibility of an ambush.

“Everyone, rest here!” Li Qing’an ordered immediately. His voice was low but unyielding, and the orders were passed on one after another. The soldiers were exhausted and threw down their weapons. They sat down on the still-warm stones. Some opened their water bottles, drank water, and ate their rations, while others fell asleep right away.

Li Qing’an sat on a rock, using a dagger to trim his already grown beard. Men in the Tang Dynasty usually grew beards after reaching adulthood; a bare chin might make one mistaken for an eunuch.

“Qilang, drink some water.”

Li Fei Shouyu handed him a water bottle. The two had been rivals in polo matches, and due to Li Fei Yuanli, they had become good friends. Li Qing’an took the bottle, drank a few sips, and then bit into some hard bread.

Li Qing’an saw Li Fei Shouyu take out a painting from his bosom and gaze at it intently. Curious, he leaned in. In the faint snowlight, he saw a young girl in a peony-colored dress, about fifteen or sixteen years old, holding a pipa—graceful and beautiful.

“She’s a pipa player I met last spring when I went to Chang’an for a polo match. Her name is Qian Niang. We fell in love, and she promised to wait for me for three years. I wonder if I’ll be able to see her again.”

Li Fei Shouyu carefully put the painting back in his bosom and sighed. “Next year will be the third year. She should be eighteen now. I wonder if she’s married.”

“Hehe! You Li Fei brothers are both passionate people!”

“I’m different from that scoundrel.”

Li Fei Shouyu hugged his knees and gazed up at the snow-capped peaks glowing with golden light, his face filled with longing for a beautiful woman. “Though I am a Hu person, I long deeply for Chang’an in the Tang Dynasty. I swear I must marry a Han woman. Qian Niang is gentle and beautiful—she is the wife I’ve always dreamed of.”
“You’ve made me want to marry her too,” Li Qing’an said, feeling a similar longing. He had never seen a woman from Chang’an before!
“We’ll go to Chang’an again at the end of the year. Starting next year, the Tang Dynasty’s annual polo tournament will begin again. Our Anxi Army came in third last time.”
At that, Li Fei Shouyu smiled slightly and said, “Seventh Brother, you’re a rising polo expert from last year—you’ll also be going to Chang’an to compete.”
Li Qing’an stroked his stiff beard and laughed. “To be honest, I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time.”
Just then, the sound of hurried horse hooves came from afar. A cavalry rider rushed over. All the soldiers stood up—they knew something had happened at the front lines.
“General!”
The cavalry rider dismounted, knelt on one knee, and handed over a message. “He Yanming has news from Jialan City.”
Li Qing’an opened the message and read it carefully. His eyes narrowed as he realized that Jialan City had as many as eight hundred Tubo soldiers.
There was no time to lose. He immediately stood up and shouted, “Get ready! March on Jialan City!”
…
Jialan City was the capital of King Jialan, the brother of the King of Humin. It was also known as Chifotang City. Located in the most strategic part of the Teli Manchuan Valley—less than two li wide but stretching for over ten li—it served as a transportation hub in the valley, with three routes: the North Valley Road, the Humin Road, and the Chifotang Road. All three routes led to Lianyun Fort, with the Chifotang Road even reaching Niedu City, the capital of Xiaobuli.
Jialan City had thousands of residents, most of whom lived along the river. The city was centered around the palace, which was built on a high cliff. The entire palace was constructed from huge stones, with only a narrow path leading up to it, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.
At night, the howling wind swept through the long canyon, creating an eerie silence that was frightening.
Just then, several dark figures rushed toward a corner of the canyon. After passing around a boulder the size of a small mountain, hundreds of people were hidden behind it.
“General, the map is ready.”
“Set up a tent!”
A small tent appeared immediately beneath the boulder. A faint light shone from it before disappearing again.
Inside the tent, the light was dim. Li Qing’an stared at the hand-drawn map before him, while He Yanming stood beside him, looking anxious.

The map was drawn in great detail, even including the number of troops stationed there. He had bought it from a merchant for a silver ingot, fearing he might get a fake.
Li Qing’an was concerned about the path leading through the palace. The map showed only a narrow path atop a cliff, difficult to traverse, unsuitable for large groups.
He Yanming hesitated for a moment before quietly reminding him, “General, the Tubo army’s camp is still over twenty li away from Jialan City, near the Red Buddha Temple.”
Li Qing’an pondered for a while before asking, “Is the Tubo army’s camp in such a strategically difficult location?”
“No, it’s quite spacious there; the gorge is about ten li wide.”
“That makes things easier.”
He blew out the torch with a ‘whoosh!’ and smiled at He Yanming, “You lead twenty men to head toward the palace at dawn. Don’t attack—just feign strength, as if you’re going to welcome the bride.”
He then said to Li Fei Shouyu, “I assume the Tubo army will send someone to Lianyun Fort to send news. You lead fifty men to lay an ambush ahead and intercept those messengers.”
……