Chapter 650: The Battle of Shangdang (12)

Five thousand Yan soldiers charged like a tide, their momentum awe-inspiring. The drumbeats within their ranks echoed like thunder, instantly boosting the morale of the already struggling Yan troops. They roared loudly, forgetting the scorching sun above and the suffocating heat.

The main Yan army was about seven li away from the Tang camp. But after advancing five li, their speed gradually slowed. With two li left to the Tang camps, they could clearly see the defenses inside—dense rows of Tang archers and crossbowmen, numbering at least ten thousand.

In the front were the crossbowmen, kneeling on the ground, holding their weapons and aiming coldly at the Yan soldiers. Behind them were the archers, drawing their bows with arrows nocked but not released. Such a dense array of archers and crossbowmen filled the attacking Yan forces with fear. Their commander, Niu Jieting, realized they could not advance any further. This was merely a feint—no real attack. If it were a real assault, not a single one of his five thousand men would survive.

“Advance slowly!” Niu Jieting shouted, waving his battle axe.

The five thousand infantry were spear- and shield-bearing soldiers. They raised their large shields and marched forward step by step. According to Yan experience, the Tang army’s most powerful crossbow arrows had a range of three hundred steps, but their lethal range was around one hundred and fifty steps. Thus, Niu Jieting wanted the Tang army to shoot arrows without harming his soldiers. He couldn’t let them get within 150 steps, so instead, he ordered them to shout insults from about 180 steps away, forcing the Tang army to engage.

The five thousand spear- and shield-bearing soldiers were divided into five groups of a thousand each, stretching their line as they advanced slowly under the thundering drumbeats. Carefully, they entered a range of 200 steps when the Tang army fired its first round of arrows. Arrows rained down like a storm, forming a net in the air and showering down on the Yan infantry.

The Yan infantry roared and raised their shields simultaneously. A loud “clacking” sound filled the air as shields collided. Most arrows hit the shields, but since they were from weak crossbows, their force was minimal. Many arrows failed to even pierce the shields and bounced back to the ground.

No one in the Yan army was killed or injured in the first round of arrows. Soon, the second round arrived…

Li Qing’an sat on a high platform, watching the Yan army’s feinting maneuvers hundreds of steps away. A faint smile appeared on his lips. Although Li Guiren was cunning, his generals were not smart enough, prone to falling into fixed mindsets. Did the Tang army refuse to fight mean they would stay behind closed doors?

“Pass my order: Have the third guard cavalry charge out through the side gates and annihilate these five thousand infantry!”

On the platform, the standard-bearer used signal flags to convey Li Qing’an’s orders…
Li Guiren, seven li away, had been watching the platform the whole time. In fact, such a huge platform that resembled a monstrous beast would surely catch anyone’s attention. Just as Li Qing’an could faintly see him, he could also make out some details on the platform.
A man was sitting on the platform. Although Li Guiren’s eyesight wasn’t as good as Li Qing’an’s, and he couldn’t clearly see the man’s appearance or attire, he could still guess something about him.
The man was sitting on a chair, which was the custom of the Western Regions’ barbarians. If it were a high-ranking official from the imperial court, he would likely be sitting on a couch. Behind him stood seven or eight guards. Apart from Li Qing’an, it couldn’t be anyone else on that platform.
Li Guiren wasn’t concerned about how his infantry would attack the Tang camp; he was only interested in Li Qing’an’s actions. After the Tang army fired two rounds of arrows, he suddenly saw the flags on the platform begin to wave. Though he couldn’t understand the Tang army’s signal language, he could guess that something must have changed. In an instant, he realized what was happening and shouted, “Order the troops to withdraw, quickly!”
The loud drums of attack in the army suddenly turned into the sound of gongs signaling retreat, but it was already too late. Two cavalry units, each consisting of five thousand men, rushed out from both sides of the Tang camp. Wielding their swords, they moved like lightning and tides, their thunderous horse hooves terrifying everyone present.
The five thousand Yan army infantry were utterly terrified. Without waiting for Niu Jieting’s order, they turned and fled. The five thousand Yan soldiers scattered in disarray, but they couldn’t retreat further than a li before being trapped. Each Yan soldier was terrified, and chaos reigned everywhere.
The ten thousand Tang cavalry rode swift horses from Dayuan. The two cavalry units, one on each side, moved like iron clamps, quickly overtaking the Yan army. As the clamps closed, they cut off their escape route.
He Lou Yurun, the commander of the army, issued an order to massacre them: “Kill them all, not a single one left!”
The ten thousand cavalry let out a roar. Their horses galloped wildly as the cavalry swung their spears and swords, charging into the ranks of the Yan infantry. The advantage of cavalry lay not only in their mobility but also in their strength in individual combat. In an instant, heads rolled and blood flowed like rivers. Swords severed heads, and spears pierced chests. Infantrymen were knocked over by horses, their bones broken and muscles torn under the iron hooves, with cries of pain filling the land.
Niu Jieting’s eyes turned red with urgency. He shouted, “Form a square formation and charge out!”
But his voice was too faint, drowned out by the Tang army’s shouts, the thunderous sound of horse hooves, and the soldiers’ agonized screams…

The Yan army was forced to retreat in disarray. When they reached the edge of the Tang camp, arrows were suddenly fired from all sides, knocking down the more than a thousand Yan infantry soldiers who were in chaos, with cries of pain echoing across the Tang camp. Pressured by cavalry at the front and mercilessly attacked by archers at the back, the trapped Yan army had no way out. Niu Jieting was desperate. Seeing that there were not many Tang cavalry in the northwest corner, he gritted his teeth and shouted, “Follow me!” The more than a thousand infantry soldiers around him followed him toward the northwest corner. It all hinged on this last attempt to break through… The sudden change happened in the blink of an eye. Before the main Yan forces could react, five thousand of their infantry soldiers were already surrounded and slaughtered. The Yan soldiers in the main force, who had been shouting and making noise moments before, suddenly fell silent, each one stunned, staring blankly as the Tang army mercilessly killed their own troops. Under such immense pressure, Li Guiren could hardly stay calm. He immediately ordered, “Send the Yiluohe troops to reinforce them!” To boost morale, he spared no effort in sending his finest cavalry. Ten thousand Yiluohe cavalry charged forward. Though they numbered only ten thousand, their momentum was as fierce as that of tens of thousands. Even Li Qingan on the high platform couldn’t help but nod in approval. No wonder Wei Boyu’s army had been defeated by these cavalry—they were truly formidable, truly deserving of being called An Lushan’s elite force. Li Qingan immediately ordered, “Retreat to the camp!” “Dang! Dang! Dang!” The bells signaling retreat rang out. The Anxi army obeyed orders without hesitation. The Tang cavalry left the battlefield quickly from both sides, rescuing their wounded comrades and carrying away the bodies of those who had died. They withdrew like retreating tide, leaving behind only scattered limbs and the pained groans of the Yan soldiers. Of the five thousand Yan infantry soldiers, only about five hundred remained standing, all of them injured, including the commander Niu Jieting, who had been shot three times and was lying on his horse, barely alive. The Yiluohe cavalry rushed in to rescue the last remnants of the army, but they didn’t dare approach the Tang camp either. They came like a gust of wind and left just as quickly. Within 150 steps of the Tang camp lay over a hundred wounded Yan soldiers, groaning in pain. Seeing that the cavalry ignored them, they tried to crawl back to their positions. At that moment, Zhao Chongjie, the commander of the archers, waved his hand, and hundreds of thick, long arrows were shot out, tracing parabolic paths in the air before piercing all the wounded soldiers on the ground. Silence fell over the Tang camp. A wind blew, carrying the pungent smell of blood.

On the high platform, Li Qing’an watched as the 10,000 Yeluo River cavalry returned. Suddenly, he issued an order: “Order Li Fei Yuanli, He Lou Yurun, and Zhao Chongjin to each lead 10,000 cavalry; Zhao Chongjie to lead 10,000 crossbow cavalry; and Li Siyeh to lead 8,000 halberd troops—go into battle!”
…
Inside the Yan army’s main formation, the Yeluo River cavalry returned, bringing back only a few hundred survivors. This outcome disheartened everyone in the Yan army.
Li Guiren was also extremely frustrated. They had intended to launch a feint attack, but in the end, their army was nearly wiped out. Though they seemed to be the ones attacking, in reality, all the initiative was in the Tang army’s hands.
“I, Niu Jieting, take responsibility before the general!”
Niu Jieting was helped up by several soldiers. Covered in blood, he pushed them away and knelt on the ground.
Li Guiren stared at him for a long time. Suddenly, he let out a long sigh and ordered his subordinates, “Pass my order—retreat…” He didn’t finish his sentence. Soon, the drums in the Tang army’s camp began to thunder loudly. Several large groups of Tang troops appeared on both sides of the camp—nearly 50,000 men in total.
The sudden change in the Tang army’s camp left the Yan soldiers at a loss. After waiting almost all morning without fighting, it was time to go back for lunch, yet the Tang army had emerged.
Li Guiren’s face turned pale instantly. Li Qing’an had launched an attack at this moment. His soldiers were exhausted and hungry, and their morale was low after the defeat of their infantry. Yet Li Qing’an seized this opportunity—this man was truly ruthless.
He looked up at the high platform and saw that Li Qing’an, who had been sitting there, had now stood up and was looking in their direction. Li Guiren seemed to see the triumphant smile on his face, and his fists clenched involuntarily.
“General, perhaps we should retreat too and refrain from fighting,” one of the generals suggested quietly behind him.
“It’s too late to retreat now.”
Li Guiren gritted his teeth and said, “Since we’ve come this far, let’s fight to the death!”
…
Although Li Guiren lost 5,000 infantrymen, he still had 75,000 soldiers, along with three highly combat-effective cavalry units. Additionally, although Cai Xide’s army was disorganized, their combat strength was not weak. Of course, if the Tang army used Thunderous Bombs, they could easily defeat the Yan army.

But at the pre-battle meeting, Li Siyeh firmly opposed using the Thunderous Bomb. His reason was simple: if they relied on it to defeat the Yan army, their victory would not be honorable. Li Siyeh’s opposition received unanimous support from the generals present. The Anxi Army’s status as the best in the land was not achieved through the Thunderous Bomb but through fierce battles. If they won this battle using it, how could they prove to the world that the Anxi cavalry was superior to the Youzhou cavalry?

Although Li Qing’an understood that Li Siyeh had ulterior motives—since Li Guangbi had achieved the miracle of defeating 30,000 enemies with just 2,000 men using the Thunderous Bomb—using it in this battle would mean Li Siyeh could never surpass Li Guangbi.

Li Qing’an saw through Li Siyeh’s thoughts. He simply smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing to use the Thunderous Bomb. Instead, he said, “It depends on the situation.” What Li Qing’an wanted was an absolute victory, not momentary vanity. If it wasn’t necessary, he would satisfy everyone’s vanity, but if the situation turned unfavorable, he would without hesitation use his trump card. For this reason, Li Qing’an had specially brought ten Thunderbolt Chariots and 150 Thunderous Bombs from Anxi.

The prelude to the great battle was slowly unfolding. The battlefield was a plain about five li long between two large camps, ideal for cavalry combat.

The combat tactics in the Central Plains differed slightly from those in the Western Regions. Often, it wasn’t about both armies engaging in a chaotic melee until one side was utterly defeated—strength and numbers alone didn’t determine victory. Instead, battles in the Central Plains emphasized strategy, like a back-and-forth challenge where each side posed a problem for the other to solve. Hence, there was talk of consecutive wins or losses in such battles.

It wasn’t like during the Three Kingdoms period, when victory came from one-on-one duels between warriors. If one warrior was defeated, his soldiers would also flee in disarray, turning battle into a mere game. In battles between armies in the Central Plains, formation and coordination among different military units were far more important.

Historically, Li Guiren had arranged his 8,000 Reiluo River cavalry in a single-file snake formation along the Wei River. The Tang army attacked the “snake’s body” but ended up trapped between its head and tail, suffering a crushing defeat. Soon after, Guo Ziyi used crossbows to break Li Guiren’s formation, leading to the enemy army’s rout. Li Guiren eventually escaped by swimming across the river.

Generally, neither side would commit their entire army to battle. If one side lost a fight, they would retreat several miles to regroup before fighting again. If they suffered consecutive defeats, their morale would plummet, leading to total collapse.

This is the rule of battle for the Central Plains armies. Li Guiren is a man who adheres to conventions, and he too plans to use this tactics against the Tang army. But Li Guiren failed to realize that the army he faced was not the real Tang army, but rather the Anxi Frontier Army. All its commanders, including the main commander Li Qingan, had spent years fighting against the Turkic tribes, Arabs, and Tibetans. Their combat mindset and strategies were completely different from those of the Central Plains armies. They had no intention of engaging in multiple battles with the Yan army; instead, they aimed to annihilate them in a single battle. Li Guiren sent his general Zhang Zhongzhi to lead the first assault. Zhang Zhongzhi commanded 20,000 troops, including 10,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry. While in Dezhou, he had conducted simple formation drills with the Xi people’s army. Zhang Zhongzhi arranged these 20,000 troops into a single-file snake formation, stretching about seven li from north to south across the path of the Tang army. Seeing this from a high platform, Li Qingan was somewhat surprised. Having fought for so many years, it was the first time he had seen the enemy use such a formation—something usually seen only in novels. Xi Yuanqing stepped forward and smiled, saying, “This single-file snake formation works on the same principle as fighting a snake: one must strike at its vital point, which is usually the enemy’s command center. But in this formation, the vital point isn’t within the ranks. General, please look!” Xi Yuanqing pointed to Luosong Peak in the distance. Only then did Li Qingan notice that there was also a flagpole on Luosong Peak, with signal flags used for command. From his position, it seemed a bit far away, but from the battlefield, it wasn’t far at all and could be seen clearly. Xi Yuanqing shook his head slightly and said, “Precisely because the vital point isn’t within the ranks, this snake formation is difficult to break.” Li Qingan sneered and said, “Li Guiren wants me to follow the rules—battle one-on-one. Why should I? Who says this formation can’t be broken? Watch how I break it.” He immediately ordered, “Pass my command: Zhao Chongjin, attack the head of the snake!” Signal flags were raised, and a cavalry unit from the Tang army charged forward. This was Zhao Chongjin’s fourth guard unit of 10,000 cavalry. Xi Yuanqing’s expression immediately turned serious. Zhao Chongjin and he had been comrades in Jiannan for a long time. He wasn’t optimistic about Li Qingan attacking the head of the snake, as that would leave the tail to strike, resulting in a pincer attack and putting Zhao Chongjin in a difficult situation. His worry showed on his face. Li Qingan glanced at him and sneered. It seemed this Xi Yuanqing, having spent too much time in the Central Plains, had been deeply influenced by their ways. Who said battles had to be one-on-one?

Zhao Chongji’s 10,000 cavalry swept in like a whirlwind, acting like a fierce and powerful iron fist that struck straight at the enemy’s formation. In an instant, they charged into the enemy’s serpentine array. As expected, the enemy troops at the tail of the serpent quickly surged forward, like a giant snake—once it touched them, it would wrap around the Tang army layer by layer.

Xi Yuanqing let out an “Ah!” as he watched the battlefield anxiously. Li Qingan snorted and ordered, “Zhao Chongji’s troops shall attack; He Lou Yurun’s troops shall assist!”

Xi Yuanqing suddenly understood that Li Qingan’s strategy was essentially three against one—just as one person is entangled by a snake while the other two attack with knives and stones. Though it somewhat violated the rules, it was still a way to break through the serpentine formation.

Li Qingan glanced at him again and said indifferently, “Killing with a stick is killing; killing with a sword is killing. As long as the enemy is killed, why care about the method?”

Xi Yuanqing’s face turned red. He bowed and said, “I’ve learned something from you!”

“That’s good. You can lead 3,000 troops to circle behind Luosong Peak and set fire to the enemy camp. Any problems?”

This was no longer a matter of principle but whether he would obey military orders. Could he possibly negotiate with his commander?

Xi Yuanqing was well aware of this. He immediately bowed and said, “I will obey the orders!”

He hurried to the stairs and descended from the platform.

……

The serpentine formation had already begun to unravel. As the enemy troops at the tail surged forward, they were blocked by Zhao Chongji’s crossbow cavalry and He Lou Yurun’s cavalry. Zhao Chongji’s troops used the “Rhinoceros Moon-Gazing Crossbow,” which was fast, powerful, and highly effective at piercing armor. From a distance of a hundred paces, about 10,000 crossbowmen launched a surprise attack. Their arrows rained down like a storm, catching the Yan troops by surprise. Soldiers screamed as they were hit by arrows, and their horses reared up and fell, knocking down thousands of Yan troops, causing heavy casualties.

The mud on the battlefield had dried under the sun, leaving only dust swirling in the air. He Lou Yurun’s 10,000 troops charged in like thunder, breaking through the middle of the formation and scattering it completely.

Li Guiren trembled with anger. He never expected the Tang army to be so disregardful of rules. What was the point of such a formation? Seeing the serpentine formation in chaos and disarray, he became desperate and immediately ordered, “Ashina Congli shall go to assist!”

The order was given, and 10,000 Yeluohe cavalry along with 10,000 Youzhou cavalry, led by General Ashina Congli, charged at the Tang army’s crossbow cavalry. Li Fei Yuanli’s cavalry also launched an attack, and the 10,000 Tang cavalry they led intercepted the 10,000 Youzhou cavalry, leading to a fierce battle between the two sides.

Yet the 10,000 Yeluohe cavalry ignored Li Fei Yuanli’s troops. They charged from an oblique angle straight at the crossbow cavalry. Equipped with the fastest warhorses of the Yan army, the strongest armor, and the sharpest sabers, General Ashina Congli was full of confidence that he could swiftly defeat the Tang army’s crossbow cavalry.

But these finest cavalry of the Yan army never expected that the 8,000 Moadao troops led by Li Siyeh had been waiting for them for a long time. Li Qingan sent Li Siyeh’s Moadao troops into battle precisely to deal with these most formidable cavalry of the Yan army, rumored to be the best in the world.

Once upon a time, the Anxi Moadao troops and the Youzhou Iron Cavalry had become legends within the Tang army. Many had wondered what would happen if these two forces clashed head-on, but no one truly believed it could happen. One was in the northwest, the other in the northeast, thousands of miles apart, yet both belonging to the same empire—it seemed impossible. Yet today, it was happening in reality.

On the high platform, Li Qingan’s gaze also sparkled with excitement. This was the battle he had long awaited. He watched intently as the Moadao troops faced off against the Yeluohe cavalry. The outcome of this battle between the two forces would determine the final result of today’s conflict.

The 10,000 Yeluohe cavalry were like a razor-sharp spear—their warhorses galloping at lightning speed, capable of piercing, tearing apart, and sweeping through everything. Arrogant for a long time, they believed no army in the world could match them.

With an overwhelming momentum, they charged at the 8,000 Moadao troops, determined to carve a path of blood with their hooves.

The 8,000 Moadao troops were also the elite of Anxi. Each was over eight feet tall, tall and robust, clad in heavy armor, wielding three-zhang-long Moadao swords. They quickly formed a large square formation, with the Moadao troops facing forward on all sides, resembling a three-headed, six-armed deity.

With the steadiness of Mount Tai, they stepped forward one by one to confront the fierce Yeluohe cavalry. If the Yeluohe cavalry were the sharpest spears in the world, then they were the strongest shields.

The Moadao swords gleamed in their hands, and every soldier’s eyes burned with unwavering determination. Just as waves roar violently, they were the rocks—unshakable, determined to tear the waves to pieces.

Li Siyeh was in the first line of the Mo Dao Army, positioned right in the center. His towering height of ten feet made him stand like a god, and he was the backbone of the Mo Dao Army. As long as he was there, the army’s ferocity would be invincible.

As they drew closer, the cavalry rushed like a gust of wind, their sharp vanguard gradually forming a cone. A dull roar, as if the earth itself were tearing apart, echoed as massive waves crashed against towering rocks. A murderous aura filled the air. The Mo Dao Army was torn open with a gap five feet wide and two feet deep, nearly torn apart. Dozens of heavily armored soldiers were crushed to pieces, their armor shattered and twisted into knots. At the same time, over a hundred cavalrymen and their horses were smashed to pulp by the immense force, with some horses and soldiers even thrown into the air, tumbling dozens of feet before crashing down.

The gap in the Mo Dao Army’s defensive wall was quickly filled. Li Siyeh roared loudly and swung his powerful Mo Dao sword, splitting a Xianbei cavalryman in two, both man and horse. Blood gushed forth. He then flipped the sword upward, splitting another cavalryman from waist to shoulder. With a swift swing, three more cavalrymen, unable to dodge, had their skulls crushed, their brains spilling across the ground.

With just three strokes of his sword, Li Siyeh killed five cavalrymen. The dozens of soldiers around him became emboldened, shouting loudly as they swung their swords, sending limbs flying. In no time, over two hundred cavalrymen died at their hands.

The Mo Dao sword was originally invented by the Han army to combat Turkic cavalry and appeared as early as the early Tang Dynasty. However, due to its high cost, it gradually disappeared from the inland areas. Since Anxi had long been engaged in battles against barbarian cavalry, the Mo Dao Army continued to exist. Moreover, the local population of Anxi had Scythian and Aryan bloodlines, resulting in generally tall individuals, providing a rich pool of candidates for Mo Dao soldiers. This is why the Anxi Mo Dao Army gradually became famous throughout the land.

During the An Lushan Rebellion, when An Lushan’s army seemed poised to sweep through Guanzhong, it was Li Siyeh, who had come from Anxi, leading the fearless Mo Dao Army that slaughtered the rebels, turning the tide of battle in just one engagement.

Today, these eight thousand soldiers of the Mo Dao Army once again shone brightly in the Battle of Shangdang. After more than two hours, the area in front of their formation was a sea of corpses. Half of the Yeluo River cavalry had been killed or wounded, and the Khitan cavalry trying to encircle them also suffered thousands of casualties. Yet the Mo Dao Army had lost only slightly over four hundred soldiers. No matter how fierce the Youzhou cavalry were, they could not match the might of the Anxi Mo Dao Army.

The brutal slaughter continued. The Yiluohe cavalry refused to accept defeat. They kept searching for weak points in the Mo Dao army to launch fierce attacks, but only more deaths and failures resulted.
…
By now, the entire battlefield was in chaos. The commands of both sides’ banners had lost their meaning, and the long snake formation had long since disintegrated. Thirty thousand Tang cavalry and eight thousand Mo Dao soldiers were fighting head-on against seventy thousand Yan soldiers. Meanwhile, Zhao Chongjie’s ten thousand crossbow cavalry had broken up into smaller groups, operating in squads of a hundred to hunt down the Yan soldiers from the periphery. They did not engage the Yan forces directly. When the Yan soldiers pursued them, they immediately retreated; when the Yan soldiers let them go, they returned again.
Zhao Chongjie rode like the wind, his arrows never missing target, each one claiming a life. Hundreds of Tang crossbow cavalry followed him, shooting at the enemy from the outside. Suddenly, they reached the southwest corner of the Mo Dao army. There, they saw a group of Yiluohe cavalry fleeing in panic—about three hundred men. The Tang crossbow cavalry became extremely excited and unleashed a torrent of arrows, mercilessly killing those soldiers.
Among the Yiluohe cavalry was a general—Ah Shi Na Congli, their commander. Seeing that the Yan army was on the verge of defeat, he planned to flee back and discuss withdrawing with Li Guiren. Unexpectedly, he ran into Zhao Chongjie and his crossbow cavalry.
Seeing his men die under the arrows, Ah Shi Na Congli flew into a rage and charged at the Tang crossbow cavalry with his sword.
“Head! That seems to be the commander of the Yiluohe cavalry.”
Deputy general Su Yu suddenly recognized Ah Shi Na Congli and shouted excitedly, “Should we capture him alive?”
Zhao Chongjie glared at him coldly and said, “Do you want to be beaten with a hundred military sticks?”
Su Yu was too scared to speak. Li Qingan had issued a strict order the previous night: “Those who capture prisoners alive will be beaten with a hundred military sticks!”
This was their policy of not accepting surrender from the Yan army.
Seeing Ah Shi Na Congli fighting desperately like a cornered beast, Zhao Chongjie roared, “Shoot him to death with random arrows!”
Hundreds of Tang arrows were fired at once. Ah Shi Na Congli screamed in agony as he fell from his horse, his body riddled like a porcupine.
…
The battle had lasted from noon until dusk. The balance of victory was gradually tilting in favor of the Tang army. Li Guiren was burning with anger. He realized that even without the Thunderous Lightning weapons, the Tang army was far stronger than theirs. Especially that terrifying Mo Dao army—against it, any army would be easily defeated. Even the Yan army’s finest, the Yiluohe cavalry, had been nearly wiped out by it.

Although the Yan army’s defeat was inevitable, Li Guiren showed no intention of retreating. He had only one belief: to fight to the death, even if it meant leaving only one soldier left, even if he himself died on the battlefield. In fact, he knew full well that he had nowhere to retreat. The Tang army had surrounded him from all sides, and their supplies were exhausted—there was no food left for the night. Rather than be trapped and annihilated by the Tang army, it was better to die fighting on the battlefield.

“General, should we withdraw quickly? If we don’t, we’ll collapse!”
One of the generals pleaded in a crying voice, “Retreating now is our only hope…”

Before he could finish speaking, his head was severed by Li Guiren’s sword.

“Beat the drums!” Li Guiren ordered sharply. “Boost the morale of our troops! Those who kill a Tang soldier will be rewarded with 100 taels of gold!”

The long-dormant sound of the battle drums rang out again, but it failed to boost the Yan army’s morale. Everyone knew they were doomed. They were not facing ordinary Tang soldiers but the Anxi Army, forged through countless battles.

At that moment, the flag on the mountain top changed, but no one noticed—except Li Qing’an. They realized that three thousand cavalry led by Xi Yuanqing had arrived from behind. Li Qing’an admired Xi Yuanqing’s patience for waiting two hours before launching an attack and choosing the perfect moment. This was no coincidence—it was Xi Yuanqing’s judgment of the situation. No wonder Gao Xianzhi said he could be made the governor of Jiannan; he truly had the talent of a great general.

“Pass my orders!” Li Qing’an also gave orders. “Keep three thousand soldiers with the halberds to defend the camp. The rest must prepare to charge out together!”

He still had 30,000 soldiers left, who would deliver the final—and most devastating—blow to the Yan army.

……

“Mistake! A stray shot!” Someone in the Yan army shouted, pointing at the camp. At first, Li Guiren thought it was the sunset reflecting on the camp. But when he saw clearly, he was shocked—the camp was engulfed in flames, and soon thick smoke rose as the fire spread skyward.

“Bad news! The Tang army is attacking from the east!”
Yan soldiers screamed, and chaos spread among them. The Yan army began to collapse, starting with Zhang Zhongzhi’s forces in the north. Zhang Zhongzhi’s three thousand soldiers were the first to leave the battlefield and flee northeast. A domino effect set in, and An Taiqing also led five thousand cavalry southward. At that moment, the 30,000 fresh troops from the Tang camp charged out. In an instant, the Yan army was defeated, with tens of thousands of soldiers trampling each other in their panic as they scattered in all directions.

“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!”

The war drums of the Tang army shook the heavens and earth—drums of pursuit, orders to annihilate the enemy completely. The Tang soldiers roared in fury as their army closed in from behind, slaughtering the Yan troops until rivers of blood flowed and corpses piled up everywhere. The Yan soldiers knelt and begged for their lives through surrender, but Li Qing’an had already issued orders before the battle that no surrender would be accepted from these beastly soldiers. Surrender meant merciless slaughter. As these brutal soldiers massacred Han civilians and humiliated Han women, their fate of death was already sealed.

“Those who capture prisoners shall be punished with a hundred lashes; heads will determine merit!” This was the order Li Qing’an gave to his entire army last night.

……

“General, run away quickly!”

Dozens of personal guards desperately held onto Li Guiren’s warhorse’s reins, but he refused to flee at all. He kept shouting at the retreating Yan soldiers, “Don’t run! We still have a chance!”

Unfortunately, no one paid him any attention. The defeated army scattered his guards. Li Guiren tried to calm his frightened horse. Just then, he suddenly sensed something. Turning around, he saw a glint of light. Before he could react, he felt a sharp pain between his eyebrows, and his vision darkened. In the moment he lost sight, he saw a Tang general wearing a golden helmet, standing coldly dozens of steps away, holding a large black bow.

“Li Qing’an!” That was his last thought as he felt an iron arrow in his forehead.

……

The merciless slaughter continued for two days and two nights. In the territory of Luzhou, the 80,000 Yan soldiers had nowhere to go—no escape route above or below, no chance of capture. The Battle of Luosongling was considered the cruelest and bloodiest battle since the mid-Tang Dynasty. Over 81,000 of the 82,000 Yan soldiers were killed, with not a single prisoner taken. The Yan general Li Guiren was killed by Li Qing’an’s arrow, General Ashina Congli died under the arrows of crossbow cavalry, and General Niu Jieting perished in the chaos of the battle.

But there were those who were lucky. Zhang Zhongzhi led more than twenty personal guards across the Jiang River by swimming and fled to the northeast of Hedong. Another Yan general, An Taiqing, also led hundreds of personal guards southward and hid in the mountains. Later, most of his soldiers died from disease and starvation. An Taiqing, alone and disguised as a farmer, managed to escape back to Hebei through Baixing half a year later and rejoined An Lushan’s camp.

The crushing defeat in the Battle of Shangdang ended An Lushan and Shi Siming’s hopes of leaving Hebei. Until their final destruction, their armies never managed to set foot in Hedong again.

Five days later, the Tang army buried all the corpses. Li Qing’an appointed Han Zhiming, the governor of Qinzhou, as the governor of Luzhou, ordering him to recruit displaced people to rebuild their homes. He also appointed General Xi Yuanqing as the commander of Luzhe, assigning him 20,000 troops to guard Luzhou and Zezhou, while he personally led 50,000 troops toward Taiyuan.