Chapter 639: The Battle of Shangdang (1)

Perhaps realizing the arrival of Tang reinforcements, the Yan army began to retreat eastward overnight. In the darkness, Li Qing’an and dozens of generals stood on the city walls of the capital, observing the movements of the enemy forces across the river. One by one, the lights on the watchtowers went out, plunging the other side into darkness. At that moment, a homing pigeon flew over from the enemy side, carrying a message sent by their scouts.
“General, the latest intelligence!”
An officer handed a scroll of pigeon mail to Li Qing’an. Two bodyguards quickly raised torches. Li Qing’an unfolded the scroll and said to everyone, “This is a message from the scouts at Liangmazhai. Li Huaixian’s army has already retreated there.”
Li Siyeh frowned and said, “I heard An Qingxu has joined their forces. He must have replaced Li Guiren as the commander—only he can coordinate Li Huaixian’s withdrawal.”
“Are you worried they’ll cooperate again?” Li Qing’an asked with a smile.
Li Siyeh nodded. “I am indeed a bit concerned. An Lushan must also be aware of the conflict between Li Huaixian and Li Guiren, which is why he sent An Qingxu as the commander. With An Qingxu mediating, the conflict between the two Lis might disappear.”
Li Qing’an shook his head smilingly. “Even if An Qingxu arrives, it won’t help. At most, they’ll only appear to reconcile. Retreating or marching might be fine, but once it comes to matters of mutual interest, such as fierce battles, their conflict will become obvious. This isn’t just a conflict between them—it involves their respective interests, which are irreconcilable. I’m convinced of that.”
“Perhaps! You think differently from us, General. Maybe you see things more clearly.”
Li Qing’an smiled again and said, “Tomorrow morning, let’s go check out Li Guiren’s camp. We’ll likely gain more insights.”
……
Dawn approached. Scouts from the enemy side reported that all Yan soldiers had retreated from Liangmazhai and were heading toward Shangdang. Liangmazhai was about eighty li east of Qinshui, in a strategically advantageous location suitable for both defense and attack. The Yan army’s withdrawal from Liangmazhai meant they were indeed retreating to Luzhou. Li Qing’an immediately ordered the Northern Tang army to cross the river.
Within two hours, the Northern Tang army’s engineering unit built two floating bridges over the Qinshui River. The main force quickly crossed the river. Li Qing’an appointed General Li Feiyuanli as the vanguard, leading 10,000 cavalry, with orders to capture Liangmazhai within half a day. Li Feiyuanli immediately accepted the order and led his 10,000 cavalry in a mighty charge toward Liangmazhai.

Li Qing’an and Li Siyue went to Li Guiren’s camp. It seemed Li Guiren had also realized that Li Qing’an would come to inspect his camp, so he left it spotless, leaving no valuable information behind. Yet this very fact showed how meticulous Li Guiren was.

Seeing Li Qing’an’s bodyguards measuring the distances between the watchtowers, Li Siyue stepped forward with a smile and said, “This is how the general’s attention to detail determines success or failure.”

Li Qing’an also stepped forward and smiled, saying, “Although Li Guiren thought he had erased all traces—demolishing the stoves and filling in the wells—I can still obtain a lot of useful information from these watchtowers.”

Li Siyue asked curiously, “I would like to hear the details.”

Li Qing’an smiled and asked his bodyguards, “How many have we measured?”

“Reporting to the general, we have measured five so far.”

“That’s enough. Give me the measurement results.”

One of the bodyguard officers handed Li Qing’an a measuring board. The board was square, with over a dozen sheets of paper attached, each containing standard forms—some of which were designed by Li Qing’an himself for measuring enemy watchtowers. There were also dozens of other forms for camps, grain stores, sheep and horse pens, etc. After the specialized surveyors finished measuring, they handed the forms to the staff camp for analysis and summary, ultimately yielding accurate information.

Li Qing’an had not yet implemented this method in Anxi; he started using it only after entering the Central Plains, so this was the first time Li Siyue had seen it.

After checking the data, Li Qing’an smiled at Li Siyue and said, “As I guessed, the distance between every two watchtowers is exactly 100 steps, with no deviation. Although the watchtowers have been demolished and their heights are unknown, we can still find some clues.”

Li Qing’an walked up to one of the watchtowers. The loose soil on its surface had been cleared, revealing four dark hole openings. Pointing at them, he said to Li Siyue, “These hole openings can also reveal many secrets. First, the distance between the four piles is exactly eight feet, very precise. This is the same for all five watchtowers. Second, the depth of the holes—my bodyguards have measured them—each is 12 feet deep. All 20 hole openings in the five watchtowers are the same, with only minor differences of a few inches, which can be ignored. What does this indicate? Has General Li figured it out?”

After pondering for a moment, Li Siyue said, “Li Guiren didn’t need to deliberately measure the hole depth. This shows that the length of all his foundation piles is the same, and there are scales on the piles, which explains such precision.”

Li Siyeh was also shocked by his own deductions. He exclaimed, “Does this Li Guiren even have set standards for such things? It’s utterly incredible.”
Li Qing’an shook his head and said, “It is from these details that I can infer Li Guiren’s combat style. This man fights by strict rules, following a well-planned strategy to the letter—almost rigidly so. He isn’t good at using surprise tactics. His strength lies in his well-trained army, which will make them a formidable opponent in battle. The area south of the main camp must be Cai Xide’s forces, which are clearly much more chaotic, lacking discipline in every aspect. They were even careless enough not to burn all their intelligence documents when retreating, forming a stark contrast to Li Guiren’s army. This shows that Cai Xide’s forces are disorganized and the weakest of the three armies. We need to observe their troop distribution. If possible, we might as well take down Cai Xide’s forces first.”
Li Siyeh was deeply impressed. In his view, Li Guiren had erased all traces, leaving nothing to be gained. Yet he never expected Li Qing’an to be able to deduce so much useful information from the details of a single watchtower, with such logical reasoning and strong persuasiveness. He couldn’t help but exclaim, “As long as I’m with the great general, I learn something new every time. I am deeply taught.”
At that moment, a group of scout cavalry rushed over from afar and stopped in front of Li Qing’an. They dismounted one after another, and the leading officer knelt and bowed to Li Qing’an, saying, “Reporting to the great general, we have new intelligence!”
“Speak!”
“We’ve discovered an army of the Yan forces stationed in Changzi County, about 200 li to the southeast, numbering around five thousand men.”
After a brief thought, Li Qing’an understood. Changzi County was located between Changping Pass and Shangdang, but not on the main route. This must mean the enemy had already detected Li Guangbi’s army arriving at Changping Pass, so they stationed troops there. If Li Guangbi’s army engaged in a battle for Shangdang, these troops in Changzi County would pose a serious threat to Li Guangbi’s rear supply lines.
Li Siyeh also realized the danger posed by this army, so he clasped his fists and volunteered, “Great general, let me go and eliminate the Yan forces in Changzi County!”
“Good idea. Let’s fight a battle first to test the enemy’s strength!”
……

Changzi County is located about forty li southwest of Shangdang, on the north bank of the Zhuozhang River. The terrain here is higher in the west and lower in the east, gradually transitioning from hilly areas to plains. The county town of Changzi is not large, with around two thousand ordinary households living there. When Li Guiren’s troops massacred the people of Shangdang County, almost all the tens of thousands of people in Changzi County fled. By the time Li Guiren’s general Ashina Congli led ten thousand cavalry to Changzi County, the town had become an empty city, with only over seventy elders who preferred to die rather than leave their homeland.

Currently, there are 5,300 Yan troops stationed in Changzi County, mostly Khitans, under the command of the Khitan noble Yelü Chongguang. As Li Qingan speculated, Li Guiren stationed 5,000 troops in Changzi County precisely to counter Li Guangbi’s army.

Like other counties in Hedong, Changzi County had fallen into disrepair due to a century of peace and lack of warfare, becoming extremely dilapidated. Its city walls were incapable of defending against a large army and served only as a formality.

Since Changzi County is close to Shangdang, Li Siyue’s attack could be considered a surprise assault. In the dead of night, eight thousand cavalry rushed through the hills and valleys. Gradually, the terrain became flatter, and ahead lay a bright river—the Zhuozhang River. After traveling for a day and night, the cavalry had already passed Mount Fajiu and were only twenty li away from Changzi County. The Northern Tang cavalry then slowed down.

They stopped in a dense forest, resting as quickly as possible while waiting for news from scouts. Li Siyue stood under a large tree, his gaze fixed on the east.

Although this was just a small battle, it was his first engagement in suppressing An Lushan’s rebellion, making it extremely significant to him. Li Siyue was filled with determination; he wanted to prove his strength through a real battle.

“They’re coming!”
His deputy general, Wei Boyu, spotted them. Under the moonlight, several cavalry were rushing toward them. Moments later, a few scouts arrived at the dense forest. One of them dismounted and reported to Li Siyue, “General, the enemy force of about five thousand has split into two groups. One half is stationed in a large camp outside the northern city, while the other half is inside the city. So far, they show no signs of activity and have not detected us.”

“How is the defense of the city?”

“General, the city walls are two zhang high but in very poor condition. There is a moat, but the moat around the eastern city is only one zhang wide. Moreover, the eastern city gate is under repair, with no drawbridge, so it can be broken down directly.”

“Good! Send more scouts.”
At Li Siyue’s command, several cavalry turned their horses and headed east again.

At this moment, Li Siye convened a brief meeting. Dozens of officers above the rank of company commander gathered around him. Li Siye said in a solemn voice, “Today is the first time we fight directly against the Yan army. With more of us than them, victory is inevitable. The key is how we achieve it. According to the general’s orders, Li Guiren’s troops will not accept surrender. Therefore, I demand that we annihilate the enemy completely and claim credit through their heads. The time limit is one hour. After one hour, whether we have wiped out all the enemies or not, we must return. Those who disobey and linger in battle will be executed!”
The officers bowed together and replied, “As ordered!”
Li Siye waved his hand and ordered, “Alright, set off now. Do not delay. With the force of thunder, destroy the enemy camps outside the city first!”
Eight thousand cavalry set off in groups, rushing along the Zhuo Zhang River toward Changzi County.
…
The military camp outside the north city of Changzi County was extremely quiet. It was still before the fourth watch, the time when soldiers slept deepest. The entire camp was in darkness, with only a few large lanterns lit in front of the camp gates, swaying in the wind. Dozens of sentries patrolled back and forth. Although Changzi County was located in a relatively safe area, the troops still did not dare to be careless. Eight watchtowers were erected around the camp, and together with the sentries on the city walls, the defense was very thorough.
The wind was strong at night, howling shrilly in the sky. Suddenly, a sentinel on one of the watchtowers seemed to hear something and started shouting loudly. At the same time as he shouted, a huge fire burst out on the beacon tower on the city wall, its flames shooting into the night sky.
“Dang! Dang! Dang!”
Sharp bell sounds rang simultaneously from four watchtowers in the west. The sentries detected the enemy almost at the same time. Then the ground beneath their feet began to tremble slightly, and the sound of horse hooves, like distant thunder, came from afar. The entire camp was alarmed. Two thousand five hundred Khitan soldiers rushed out of their tents shouting, many of them bare-chested and holding long spears.
The eight thousand cavalry rushed forward like thunder, sweeping toward the enemy camp with overwhelming force. Hundreds of Khitan archers had barely reached the camp fences when the Tang army was already within a hundred paces. A deluge of arrows was fired at the camp fences. Hundreds of Khitan archers were caught off guard and fell to the ground after being hit. The remaining hundred or so realized the situation was dire and turned to flee.
The Tang cavalry had reached within thirty paces and quickly spread out on both sides of the camp fences. Hundreds of ropes were thrown around the fences, securing them. The cavalry pulled hard together, and amidst shouts, the camp fences collapsed. Gaps dozens of feet wide appeared on both the north and south sides.

Eight thousand cavalry, like a surging tide, leaped over the ditches and rushed into the Khitan army’s camp. Li Siye raised his battle axe high and roared, “Kill them! Leave none alive!”
The Northern Tang army roared in fury, swinging their axes and stabbing with their spears. Heads rolled everywhere, and blood flowed like rivers. The cavalry trampled the tents, drawing bows and shooting arrows. The running Khitans screamed as they were hit in the back and fell to the ground, only to have their heads cut off and taken away by the pursuing Tang cavalry.
The sheep and horse pens inside the camp were seized by the Tang army first, leaving the Khitans without horses to ride and forcing them to run on foot for their lives. The Tang soldiers, fearless and fierce, pursued the barefoot Khitan soldiers in all directions.
At this moment, the Tang cavalry showed no mercy at all. Each of them became an incarnation of death. Many Khitan soldiers knelt and raised their hands in surrender, but the warhorses leaped over them, and the cold blades sliced off the heads of those begging for mercy…
On the city walls, the Khitan commander Yelü Chongguang paced anxiously. In the darkness, he couldn’t see how many Tang soldiers were approaching, so he dared not open the city gates to send reinforcements. Instead, he lit the beacon fires on all four sides of the city walls. The flames shot into the sky, sending a distress signal to Shangdang, over forty li away. The distance from Shangdang County to here was flat terrain, and reinforcements could arrive in at most an hour.
Just then, a soldier rushed over to report, “General, the Tang army has started attacking the East City!”
Yelü Chongguang’s heart sank like it had fallen into an ice cave. In less than twenty minutes, the Tang army had already begun attacking the city, which meant that all his troops outside the city had been annihilated. It seemed the Tang army numbered at least ten thousand soldiers.
Yelü Chongguang was well aware of the weaknesses in the defense of the East City. The moat, neglected for years, had become extremely narrow—only ten feet wide—enough for warhorses to leap over. The drawbridge was also rotten and broken, allowing the Tang army to use wooden planks to ram the city walls.
Yelü Chongguang shouted frantically, “Order all soldiers to defend the East City! Shoot arrows! Move boulders to block the gates. Under no circumstances let the Tang army enter the city!”
Nearly three thousand soldiers inside the city rushed to the East Gate from all directions. Outside the gate, the Tang army stretched as far as the eye could see. Temporary planks had been laid across the moat, and hundreds of Tang soldiers were carrying a huge ramming beam toward the gate. Besides these soldiers, hundreds more held giant shields on either side, completely covering the ramming beam. It resembled a massive centipede, slowly moving toward the city gate.
“Fire!”

Arrows rained down from the city walls, and stones and boulders fell like hail. Arrows had little effect, but the huge stones were hard to withstand. The first dozen or so Tang soldiers were hit and collapsed in agony. The “centipede-like warriors” began to retreat slowly once again.

In this way, when the city walls stopped throwing stones and boulders, the attacking Tang troops advanced, but when the defenses were too dense, they were forced to retreat, resulting in a seesaw battle. By then, over a thousand Khitan soldiers had brought hundreds of massive stones and blocked the East Gate tightly.

Just as Yelü Chongguang let out a sigh of relief, a thunderous crashing sound echoed across the entire county. “Boom!” The dilapidated city walls shook, and the watchtower on the north wall collapsed due to years of neglect. All the soldiers turned pale with fear, looking around nervously, unsure of where the massive crash came from.

Yelü Chongguang’s face turned ashen. Though he didn’t know where the crash originated, he understood one thing: the Tang army’s attack on the East Gate was a decoy.

“General!” A soldier rushed over, too nervous to speak clearly. Pointing behind him, he shouted, “The Tang army… the Tang army!”

Yelü Chongguang grabbed his clothes and snapped, “Speak quickly! Where are the Tang troops?”

“At… at the North Gate!”

Yelü Chongguang was stunned. Another thunderous crash sounded, and the ground beneath him shook violently. He lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground. Amidst the muffled noise, there was clearly the sound of a city gate breaking—the inner city had been breached.

He closed his eyes in pain. It was over; his entire army would be destroyed.

The North Gate was now wide open, and the Tang troops rushed into the city like a flood breaking its banks. Only Wei Boyu’s furious shouts could be heard: “Kill them all! Leave none alive! Reward those who bring heads!”

…

An hour later, Yelü Chongguang’s head was cut off by Wei Boyu himself. An hour had passed, and all the Yan troops in Changzi County had been annihilated. The Tang army suffered fewer than three hundred casualties. The main force turned and rushed westward, carrying over five thousand Khitan heads, disappearing in the dawn light in no time. Meanwhile, the ten-thousand reinforcements arriving from Shangdang were still ten miles away from Changzi County.