Chapter 316: The Battle Against Tubo (Part 1)

Sabize is a plateau lake located between the Altun Mountains and the Kunlun Mountains, surrounded by vast high-altitude meadows. In the distance, continuous mountain ranges are covered in snow. The climate here is warm, with abundant fresh water, flat plains covered in thick grasslands, and towering mountains that block cold winds from sweeping southward. For the Tubo people who lived on the plateau all year round, this place was an excellent pastureland.

On the maps of the Tang Dynasty, the Kunlun Mountains marked the boundary between Tang and Tubo. Therefore, this basin grassland nestled between the two mountain ranges should have been Tang territory, under the jurisdiction of Shazhou. In reality, however, since the Tang army recaptured Anxi during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, this basin had never been reclaimed. The Tubo people stationed heavy troops here. Decades passed, and the focus of Tang-Tubo conflicts remained in the east, with both sides generally living in peace in Anxi. As a result, the Tang Dynasty accepted the Tubo people’s occupation of this basin.

But with the Tang army’s decisive victory at Shibao City on the eastern front, Tang’s strategic advantage gradually shifted in its favor. On the Longyou battlefield, Geshu Han advanced steadily southward, occupying the Dafei River basin and Qinghai region and pushing toward the Jiuku area. On the Jiannan battlefield, Gao Xianzhi defeated the Tubo-Nanzhao allied forces, driving the Tubo forces out of Nanzhao and recapturing lands such as Song, Dang, Gong, and Ya that had been occupied by the Tubo. Meanwhile, major victories on the western front against the Boli tribes drove the Tubo forces out of Khotan. Coupled with the young age of the Tubo king and power struggles among several influential ministers, Tubo faced its worst crisis in a century.

It was this strategic advantage that prompted the Tang Dynasty to launch another campaign against Tubo. In the east, they aimed to capture Jiuku and Baihai; in the west, they sought to reclaim the Sabize basin, which the Tubo people had occupied for nearly fifty years, driving them completely back south of the Kunlun Mountains.

June was the hottest season of the year. In various parts of Anxi, the heat was unbearable, but in the Sabize basin, the climate was mild like autumn, with a slight chill in the early mornings and evenings. That morning, a thick layer of mist covered the plateau, with white vapor filling the vast forests. Occasionally, herds of antelopes would leap out of the dense primeval forests and gather by the Qiemo River to drink water. This place was about a hundred li away from Sabize and rarely visited by humans.

At that moment, intense hoofbeats came from afar, startling the herds of antelopes and deer drinking by the river. Frightened, they rushed into the primeval forests and peeked curiously at the distance from the forest edges.

A group of cavalry rushed forward at lightning speed—nearly a hundred scout riders from the Tang army, each equipped with two horses. Leading them was Qin Haiyang. He had divided 300 scouts into five groups to explore various areas, with his group being the largest, tasked with searching along the Qiemo River for traces of the Tibetans.

The previous evening, they had spotted a group of Tibetan sentries. Judging from the horse hoofprints, there were probably between fifteen and twenty of them. They had followed their trail here and lost sight of the Tibetan sentries.

Qin Haiyang held back his warhorse and looked around through the curtain. In the distance lay vast green highland grasslands, with grasses spreading out in layers, and dense forests stretching as far as the eye could see. The shimmering Qiemo River flowed like a jade belt through the forests. The plains were eerily quiet, with no signs of anyone.

Qin Haiyang was currently the highest-ranking officer in the Anxi Scout Army. He had extensive experience as a scout. Logically, since the river flowed through the forests on both banks, an enemy ambush was likely hidden in the forests. But Qin Haiyang thought further. From the distance between the river and the forests, he deduced that an ordinary ambush wouldn’t pose much threat to the Tang army—the distance from the riverbank to the forests was about a hundred steps, and the range of Tibetan bows was insufficient. The only concern was if the Tibetans used Tang army crossbows, in which case there would still be some danger.

After pondering for a moment, Qin Haiyang said to his two subordinates, “Go and check. Be careful!”

The two subordinates replied and rode forward along the river. When they reached the edge of the forest, they glanced inside for a while, then both drew their bows and shot arrows deep into the forest. The arrows they used were whistling arrows, also made with gunpowder. Due to the low oxygen levels on the plateau, gunpowder combustion and explosion were greatly affected, but these whistling arrows were not affected by the limited amount of gunpowder. After being shot, they emitted a sharp whistling sound, serving to startle animals and reveal their presence—making them effective scouting tools for the scout army.

Two sharp whistling sounds were heard, but neither birds took flight from the forest nor herds of antelopes or deer rushed out in panic. Instead, faint cries of warhorses could be heard. Soon after, a dozen Tibetan cavalry rushed out of the forest in haste and fled downstream along the river.

“Eighteen cavalry!” Qin Haiyang immediately ordered, “Charge! Don’t let a single one escape.”

Two hundred warhorses rushed forward like thunder striking the earth, all galloping along the riverbank. The Tang army’s scouts rode pure Arabian horses that had undergone long-term training on the plateau and could already adapt to its climate. Though they couldn’t cover long distances on the plateau, short sprints posed no problem. More importantly, they were extremely fast, as if riding on clouds. In contrast, the Tubo warriors’ horses were generally smaller, capable of withstanding the cold on the plateau and traveling long distances, but not fast. Moments later, the Tubo cavalry was gradually caught up by the Tang army.

The Tang army formed a crescent shape, gradually closing in from both sides. When only fifty steps remained, they launched arrows. A hundred arrows flew from all directions at the Tubo cavalry. The Tubo warriors’ double-layer chainmail couldn’t withstand the Tang army’s specially crafted, slender arrows that could pierce armor. Worse still, their horses had nowhere to hide. In an instant, chaos ensued as men and horses tumbled. Most of the eighteen Tubo sentries were killed, with only five still galloping. But they couldn’t evade the Tang army’s intense cavalry attacks. In a flash, the last five were also knocked down. The Tubo warriors were fiercely determined; despite being wounded, they got up, drew their long swords, and fought desperately against the Tang army.

“Kill them!” Qin Haiyang shouted fiercely. He spurred his horse forward, slashing with his sword, sending blood flying. A Tubo soldier who tried to stab his horse had his neck severed, and his head rolled more than ten feet away. The Tang army was utterly merciless—with swords and arrows, seventeen of the eighteen Tubo sentries were killed, leaving only one alive to be interrogated about military matters.

Soon, the survivors gradually provided some information. This Tubo patrol had gone to Bopian Town to investigate the Tang army’s situation and was returning after spotting their scouts. Currently, there were about twenty thousand Tubo troops in the Sabize Basin, along with tens of thousands of herders serving as support. This was mostly information the Tang army already knew. Yet Qin Haiyang gained something new: the Tubo patrol going to Bopian Town to investigate was unprecedented, likely indicating they had heard rumors.

Another piece of information caught Qin Haiyang’s attention. Three days earlier, about six thousand Tubo troops and thirty thousand herders left Sabize and headed west for unknown reasons.

If the Tubo army had discovered Feng Changqing’s forces, it would be an emergency situation. In that case, they wouldn’t bring sheep or herders but would rush there immediately to intercept. Since they brought sheep for supplies, their daily progress would be only a few dozen miles. This wasn’t pursuit—it probably wasn’t aimed at the Tang army. Then where were they going? Could it be to Xiaobolü?

Qin Haiyang pondered for a moment. Whether the Tubo army was heading to Greater or Lesser Bolor or not, they were likely to encounter Feng Changqing’s forces, and this information needed to be taken seriously. He immediately divided his troops into three groups: one to return and report to Li Qing’an, another to continue eastward to investigate the situation in the Sabi Ze Basin, while he led twenty scouts southwestward.

…

By the time Qin Haiyang detected some traces of the Tubo army, the Tang forces in Dunhuang had already assembled. There were 30,000 troops from the Anxi region and 4,000 from the Doulu army stationed in Shazhou. The Doulu army was one of the eight armies in Hexi, with a strength of 4,000 men, half Han and half non-Han. It had never been fully manned, nor had it ever lacked soldiers. Like all border troops, it appeared fully staffed in the imperial records, allowing the court to allocate rations and pay to them annually. In reality, however, the Doulu army consisted of only about 2,000 men. The non-Han cavalry were unwilling to serve in the army long-term; they needed to herd livestock and stay with their families. Thus, driven by self-interest, they were mostly nominally part of the army but actually absent. Their rations often ended up in the hands of officers. With the emperor far away, no one investigated them, and even if they did, nothing could be proven. By then, the cavalry would have returned, which explained why bandits often mixed in with military forces.

But the sudden arrival of the Anxi army shattered this chaotic system. Wang Shan, the governor of Shazhou, failed to recall the cavalry in time, exposing his corruption. He was beaten with 100 military whips by Li Qing’an and sent to the capital, where Li Qing’an reported his embezzlement of tens of thousands of guan in rations. Wang Shan committed suicide in prison shortly after being sent away. The entire Doulu army was incorporated into the Anxi forces. Li Qing’an then appointed Shi Binggui, a general who had risen from the ranks of his personal guards, as the commander of the Qing King’s guards, leading 3,000 troops to station in Shazhou permanently.

After settling matters in Shazhou, the Anxi army turned southwest again and set off in great numbers along the northern foothills of the Altun Mountains. That evening, after marching day and night for three days, the massive army finally reached Qitun City, one of the four cities north of the Altun Mountains. Exhausted, they camped there.

Thick rows of tents stretched outward in layers, forming a giant spiral. Without any fortifications, nearly a thousand sentries were deployed over dozens of miles. At the center of this giant spiral were various military supplies, with the main command tent right in the middle.

After dinner, night fell quietly, with stars scattered across the sky, stretching across the vast and mysterious universe, making one feel the brevity of time and the insignificance of life. Under this brilliant starlight, the Tang army camp was silent, its lights dim; the exhausted soldiers had all fallen into deep sleep, except for the central command tent, where the lights still shone brightly.

The scouts sent back by Qin Haiyang had just arrived and were reporting to Li Qing’an on the situation of the Tubo army as discovered by their scouts.

“We found Tubo sentries about eighty li south of Boxian Town. They also spotted us. After two days of pursuit, we caught up with this patrol a hundred li away from Sabize and wiped them out. From the prisoners, we learned that about six thousand Tubo soldiers left Sabize three days ago and headed southwest, bringing with them thirty thousand herders and a large number of sheep. General Qin estimates their marching speed is not fast, but they are likely to encounter General Feng’s forces. General Qin has already set out in pursuit toward the southwest.”

As Li Qing’an listened to the report, he marked things on the map. He hadn’t had time to create a sand table model of Tubo, which left him slightly disappointed. On the map, Sabize was located in a basin spanning hundreds of li, surrounded by the Altun Mountains and the Kunlun Mountains. To the south lay Tubo’s Qiangtang, which is the famous Hoh Xil Mountains in later times. Several major mountain ranges ran east-west, forming vast canyons between them.

Li Qing’an knew that the battle in the east against Tubo had already begun—Geshu Han had launched a campaign to seize the Jiuqu region. If the Tubo army in Sabize received word and rushed to reinforce them, they would likely head east into the Qaidam Basin and move straight to provide support. But instead, the Tubo army was heading west—a circuitous route was even less likely. If they went east after bypassing the Kunlun Mountains, they would be thousands of li away. If it wasn’t to support the east, then where were they going?

If it was to attack the Greater and Lesser Bule, six thousand troops seemed a bit few. Moreover, attacking the Greater and Lesser Bule was a strategic national policy related to Tubo’s higher-ups. Of course, since Tubo was at a strategic disadvantage in the east, it was possible for them to expand westward, conquer the Greater and Lesser Bule, and open the way to Khotan and India. But in any case, such a major military operation would never suddenly originate from Sabize.

If it wasn’t to the Greater and Lesser Bule, then where? At that moment, Li Qing’an’s gaze turned to Anxi Yutian. A bold idea popped into his mind—could it be that they were planning to attack Yutian or Kucha?

This thought startled Li Qing’an himself—would the Tubo army attack Anxi? It was a hypothesis he found hard to confront. In other words, if it were him, Li Qing’an, would he attack Anxi? The answer was yes; he would definitely go. This was the most difficult aspect of fighting on two fronts: with his homeland left undefended. He had mobilized 50,000 troops for the campaign against Tubo, while in Beiting, the Geluo, Tongluo, and Shatuo tribes, along with at least 40,000 Hu troops, were fighting against the Uyghurs. There were also 9,000 Han troops in Beiting. Nearly half of his army was involved in these two battles. Although there were still over 10,000 troops in Anxi, they were scattered and unable to be quickly assembled. Only 2,000 troops were defending Kucha, and Shule had slightly more, around 5,000. Other major military towns like Yanqi, Yutian, and Bahuan City each had only 1,000 troops. Even the local Hu troops had been drawn away for logistical support; otherwise, their combat strength would be too weak to withstand an attack.

Li Qing’an suddenly realized the severity of the situation. These Hu troops were likely to launch a surprise attack on Anxi’s hinterland. The so-called herders accompanying the army were merely a decoy, indicating that the Tubo commander had already realized that the Tang army was about to attack Sabize. This Tubo commander was indeed extraordinary.

Thinking of this, Li Qing’an immediately summoned a young general named Zhang Yongqing, who also came from his personal guard and had risen to the rank of lieutenant general through merit.

“If the Tubo army launches a surprise attack on Anxi’s hinterland, they will surely pass through Yutian, where there are 1,000 troops stationed. But that’s not enough. You must quickly send 3,000 Bahuan cavalry there, bringing plenty of bows and arrows. Together with the 1,000 troops in Yutian, that makes 4,000 troops under your full command. You must defend Anxi’s southern gateway at all costs, staying vigilant day and night—no slackness allowed!”

Zhang Yongqing took the order arrow and replied with a bow, “I will surely defend Yutian to the death and never let the Tubo army succeed!”

A moment later, sounds of troops being mobilized came from outside the tent. The sound of horse hooves echoed like thunder. Under Zhang Yongqing’s leadership, 3,000 Bahuan cavalry set off westward toward Yutian. Li Qing’an stood at the entrance of the tent, watching them go. The journey to Yutian took at least ten days. Would they arrive in time?

At the very same time Li Qing’an was worried about the safety of Yutian, the Tibetan commander under Sabize was also deeply concerned about the fate of Tibet. This commander was one of Tibet’s most powerful figures—General Shangxi Dongzan. After the Tibetan king was killed by Li Qing’an in Shibao City, Tibet’s strength declined significantly. This was mainly due to the young age of the new king, who was only eleven years old, as well as the poor relations between Grand Minister Nangxie Dazan and the regent Dazha Lugong, which led to chaotic governance within Tibet. Last year, a conspiracy rebellion led by ministers Ba Jisang Dongzan and Lang Misu broke out. Although the rebellion was suppressed, many people were involved, including Shangxi Dongzan.

Shangxi Dongzan and Lang Misu were close friends. After Lang Misu’s death, Nangxie Dazan, who still resented Shangxi Dongzan, took the opportunity to attack him, accusing him of secretly supporting the rebellion. Eventually, due to lack of evidence, Shangxi Dongzan was not convicted but was exiled to the western regions far from the power center to serve as governor of Qiangtang, in charge of Sabize’s 20,000 Tibetan troops.

Shangxi Dongzan was indeed a renowned general of Tibet. After the Tang army suffered several setbacks in attacking the Jiuqu region last year, he predicted that the Tang would likely launch a campaign in the west to prevent Sabize’s Tibetan troops from coming to their aid. He submitted several petitions to the king asking for more troops for Sabize, but they were rejected by Nangxie Dazan as suspicious. Despite lacking reinforcements, Shangxi Dongzan took proactive measures. He sent out many scouts to gather information about the Tang army. Seven days ago, one of his scouts ventured deep into Anxi and heard from merchants that the Tang army showed signs of a large-scale advance eastward. Realizing that the Tang were preparing to attack Sabize, Shangxi Dongzan prepared two plans: first, he ordered General Jiazha Sangji to lead 6,000 Tibetan troops to Yutian in a detour, aiming to use the opportunity of Anxi’s vulnerability to force the Tang army to retreat by attacking their supply lines. If he could defeat the Tang army, he might even take advantage of the situation to conquer Anxi.

Of course, Shangxi Dongzan knew this possibility was slim. He had heard from Dazha Lugong about Li Qing’an’s prowess and clearly remembered that during the Battle of Shibao City, his younger brother Shangxi Dezan had died from Li Qing’an’s arrows in Fusi City.

So, Shangxi Dongzan prepared a second plan as well. He ordered 30,000 herders to drive one million cattle and sheep to Lake Ulan Ula in the south. If Sabize could not hold out, he would retreat to Lake Ulan Ula. The 30,000 herders and 6,000 Tibetan cavalry set out on the same day, giving the Tang scouts the illusion that the Tibetan army was marching together with herders.

In the afternoon, Shangxi Dongzan suddenly received reports from scouts that about 30,000 Tang troops had left Boxian Town and were moving along the Qiemo River toward Sabize. Shangxi Dongzan knew that war was about to break out.