Chapter 663: The Camp at Ba Shang

Five days later, Li Guangbi led an army of 50,000 troops to Chang’an. Instead of entering the city, they camped at Ba Shang, waiting for Li Qing’an to inspect the forces before marching southward through the Ziwu Valley toward Hanzhong.

By then, Hanzhong already had 100,000 troops. Adding Li Guangbi’s 50,000 elite soldiers, the total force amounted to 150,000. The Southern Tang had 300,000 troops, almost twice that of the Northern Tang. Yet Li Qing’an wasn’t worried at all. Outnumbered enemies had always been Li Guangbi’s strength. Moreover, his 50,000 elite soldiers were seasoned veterans from Anxi, battle-hardened warriors. With just these elite troops, Li Qing’an believed they could sweep through Jiannan.

With the army stationed at Ba Shang, Li Qing’an arrived at the camp early in the morning. Ba Shang had long been a military stronghold—Zhou Yafu of the Western Han Dynasty once camped here, and Emperor Wen of Han came to reward his troops, allowing him to truly experience what a true general was like.

Li Guangbi did not camp in existing fortifications, as it was his habit. He believed the soft soil and climate of the Central Plains would weaken the ferocity of troops from the Western Regions. Therefore, no matter where he camped, he ensured his soldiers maintained the discipline of desert troops. They built fences, pitched tents, and slept on carpets. During wartime, they never removed their armor and kept their weapons within arm’s reach. Each tent had soldiers on duty. This strict camp discipline had endured to this day. It was precisely such strict military discipline that allowed him to defeat 30,000 Yan troops with just 3,000 cavalry at Xiangzhou, earning him fame throughout the land.

Li Guangbi’s camp was located on a open high ground. Li Qing’an led 3,000 elite guards at full speed. From afar, they could see the orderly camp fences and tall watchtowers.

At that moment, a rocket was fired from one of the watchtowers, exploding in the air. This was a way to ask who they were. Although Li Guangbi’s camp had already received reports from scouts that their general was arriving, camp rules demanded that they follow protocol, even when it came to those who were supposed to be allies.

Immediately, one of Li Qing’an’s guard cavalrymen shot a rocket, which soared into the sky and exploded—this was their response to the camp. Only the Anxi troops possessed such rockets.

The camp gates opened wide, and Li Guangbi led dozens of generals out to greet them. They stood in a line, all wearing helmets and armor, their eyes filled with anticipation and excitement.

At the front stood two generals. The taller, darker-skinned one was Li Guangbi himself, wearing a silver helmet with fiery red plumes fluttering in the wind, giving him a majestic appearance. Half a step behind him was his deputy, Tian Qianzhen, also wearing a silver helmet but with white plumes. Everyone stood solemnly, waiting for Li Qing’an’s arrival.

After a moment, the sound of horse hooves came like dull thunder, growing louder and closer, as if the heavens were splitting open, before suddenly disappearing, leaving only the sound of over a hundred warhorses galloping. A hundred cavalrymen had already surrounded Li Qing’an and brought him to the front of the camp. With a few thuds of hooves, Li Qing’an brought his warhorse to a stop.

Li Guangbi immediately led all the generals to kneel on one knee before Li Qing’an. “Your humble servant, Li Guangbi, along with the generals of Longyou, comes to pay respects to the Supreme General!”

“Pay respects to the Supreme General!”

Li Qing’an was now referred to as the Supreme General in the army. This was because, a few days earlier, the imperial court officially issued an order praising the soldiers of the three armies. Among them, Li Guangbi, Li Siyeh, and Feng Changqing were promoted to the rank of Grand General of the Army, second in rank. Li Guangbi was appointed as Tutor to the Crown Prince, Li Siyeh as Deputy Tutor to the Crown Prince, and Feng Changqing as Guardian to the Crown Prince.

Others such as Li Fei Yuanli, He Lou Yurun, Li Sheng, Li Fei Shouyu, Duan Xiushi, Cui Qianyou, and Lei Wanchun were also promoted to the rank of Champion General. Thus, there was more than just Li Qing’an as a Grand General in the Anxi Army.

However, in terms of title, there was only one Grand General in the Anxi Army. Li Qing’an found this inappropriate and requested that the entire army refer to him as the Supreme General, as he was already the Supreme General of Tiance. Everyone agreed to his suggestion and began calling him the Supreme General, sending messages to military camps everywhere via carrier pigeons.

Li Qing’an dismounted and helped Li Guangbi up, smiling and saying, “I thought General Guangbi would arrive the day before yesterday. Why did it take two days later?”

Li Guangbi replied with shame, “I passed through Luoyang, and one of my warhorses died. I feared it might be horse plague, so I stopped to inspect the horses for two days, which is why I arrived late. Please forgive me, Supreme General.”

Li Qing’an nodded. “On the battlefield, one must prioritize the fight over the horses. During troop movements, one must take care of the horses first and then focus on the battle. General Guangbi handled things properly; there is no fault to punish!”

Grateful, Li Guangbi quickly bowed and said, “Thank you, Supreme General. Please allow me to show you around the camp.”

“Good! We can discuss it in detail once we’re inside.”

Seeing that everyone was nervous, Li Qing’an waved his hand with a smile. “Everyone, relax. There’s no need to be so tense. I’m not a military disciplinarian; I won’t investigate your pasts.”

Li Qing’an’s amiable and humorous demeanor immediately eased everyone’s tension. They walked toward the camp, chatting and laughing. Li Qing’an slowed down and said to Tian Qianzhen with a smile, “Congratulations on having a son.”

Tian Qianzhen’s wife had given birth to a son in Chang’an last month. But due to her weak health, she nearly died from exhaustion after childbirth. Fortunately, Princess Du Gu Mingyue of the Zhao Kingdom ordered that a thousand-year-old ginseng be rushed to her side, which helped stabilize her condition. Tian Qianzhen had already received word from home, and his gratitude was beyond words.

He immediately wanted to kneel down to express his gratitude, but Li Qing’an held him back and said calmly, “As the commander-in-chief of the Anxi forces, I lead my troops in fierce battles at the front lines and have no time to attend to matters behind. If the princess turns a blind eye to her sister’s troubles, she is not a qualified princess. This is her duty—there’s no need for you to worry about it.”
Tian Qianzhen nodded silently. He said in a solemn voice, “Thank you, General, for your heartfelt words. I can only repay you by risking my life in battle!”
Li Qing’an patted his shoulder. “Let’s go! We’ll discuss military matters together.”
……
The generals entered the large tent and instinctively lined up along its sides. According to the rules of the Anxi army, officers above the rank of Middle General could observe, but only generals and above had the right to speak.
In the center of the tent lay a huge sand table, a map of Hanzhong and Bashu, which had been created two years earlier but only now found practical use.
This southern expedition was led by General Xi Yuanqing, who had spent many years in Shu and knew the terrain and combat tactics there very well. He picked up a wooden stick and pointed at Nanzheng, saying, “Hanzhong is already under our control, which reduces the difficulties of this southern campaign by at least half. The real challenge in attacking Bashu isn’t fighting but marching. Li Bai once wrote in a poem: ‘The road to Shu is hard; it’s hard to reach even the sky!’”
Li Qing’an interrupted him with a smile, “I don’t think it’s that difficult!”
Li Guangbi understood Li Qing’an’s intention—this was the time to boost morale, and the soldiers shouldn’t be discouraged by the challenges first. So he said to Xi Yuanqing, “Most of Li Bai’s poems are exaggerated. Don’t use poetry; just describe the situation as it is.”
“Understood!”
Xi Yuanqing continued, “There are three routes to enter Shu from Hanzhong. The first is the Jinniu Road, the main route into Shu. It’s relatively flat and suitable for horseback travel, but it’s blocked by natural barriers like the Jianmen Pass.
The second is the Micang Road, which requires crossing the Micang Mountains. It’s extremely difficult, and most people avoid it.
The third is the Litchi Road, which goes through the Bashan Mountains to Xuanhan County in Tongzhou. This road was greatly improved during the Tianbao era. It was used to deliver litchis to Yang Guifei. To keep the litchis fresh, they had to be transported by horse, so this route is best suited for cavalry. It’s just farther from Chengdu.”
Li Qing’an glanced at Li Guangbi, knowing he must have already studied the situation thoroughly and even formulated a battle plan. With a slight smile, he said, “General Guangbi, please share your battle plan.”

Li Guangbi did not delay. He took the wooden pole from Xi Yuanqing and said, “In fact, I’ve already talked to many soldiers from Bashu. The Jiannan Army is no longer what it was under Gao Xianzhi—its morale is low, its discipline is poor, and it’s far from being a match for us. As General Xi just demonstrated, the key lies in the Shu Road. Once we cross it, the fall of Southern Tang will be only a matter of time. For this southern campaign, I plan to combine conventional and unconventional tactics: the main force will take the Jinniu Road to attack Jianmen Pass, while a surprise force will take the Litchi Road to attack Chengdu from another direction. This way, the Jiannan Army will be unable to defend both fronts, and its combat strength will collapse rapidly. This is my rough plan. I’ll lead the main force along the Jinniu Road, while Tian Qianzhen will lead 10,000 cavalry along the Litchi Road. What do you think, General?”
Li Qingan pondered for a moment before saying, “The general direction is correct. You can combine conventional and unconventional tactics, but you need to address some details. Especially, don’t forget our Anxi Army’s key to victory—comprehensive and thorough intelligence.”
Li Guangbi bowed and said, “I’ll keep that in mind!”
……
All the generals left, leaving only a few core officers in the tent. Then Li Qingan shared his thoughts: The best strategy is to strike at strategy.
“I mentioned the importance of intelligence earlier, but perhaps you didn’t fully understand what I meant. Of course, it’s normal if you didn’t. What I mean is to make full use of Southern Tang’s internal strife. The best strategy is to strike at strategy, thereby capturing Southern Tang with minimal casualties.”
Li Qingan’s words made Li Guangbi realize something. He quickly asked, “General, do you mean Southern Tang is already in chaos?”
Li Qingan nodded slowly. “I’ve received confirmed information that a rift has arisen between Li Hen and Crown Prince Li Xi. Li Hen wants to make his other son, Prince Peng Li Ji, the crown prince and depose the current one. But the crown prince’s faction has strong connections within Southern Tang, especially support from the military. So in this power struggle between father and son, someone will surely be hurt. In this campaign to conquer Southern Tang, you’re only on the main battlefield. In reality, there’s also a second battlefield.”
Li Qingan turned to Tian Qianzhen and smiled slightly. “General Tian, do you understand what I mean?”
“General, you mean the Intelligence Department, right?”
“That’s right!”

Li Qing’an said to everyone again, “The predecessor of the Intelligence Bureau was the Han-Tang Society, which I’m sure you’ve all heard of. As early as a hundred years ago, the Han-Tang Society had established a strong presence in Bashu. Our Intelligence Bureau infiltrated the Southern Tang government even before Li Longji entered Shu. Just as the Southern Tang could win over our officials, we too have won over a group of theirs. Some of them are even more deeply embedded than you can imagine. So when I decided to attack the Southern Tang, I already ordered the people from the Intelligence Bureau to take action. Thus, this war against the Southern Tang actually involves two fronts: one is your direct attack, and the other is the second front within the Southern Tang, handled by the Intelligence Bureau.”

At that point, Li Qing’an took out a document and handed it to Li Guangbi. “This is a list of the Southern Tang’s key intelligence agents. It’s top-secret. Since I’ve appointed you as the commander, the people from the Chengdu Intelligence Bureau will contact you directly, which will facilitate coordination between you.”

Li Guangbi took the list and nodded silently. “I understand!”

Li Qing’an patted his shoulder and pointed at the soldiers on guard outside the tent. “These soldiers are all veteran fighters who have fought countless battles in Anxi and later in the Central Plains. As commanders, we must do our best to save their lives so they can return home in glory and reunite with their families. So for this battle, my requirement of you isn’t to defeat the Southern Tang outright, but rather to capture Chengdu with minimal casualties…”

That afternoon, Li Guangbi set out, leading an army of 50,000 troops around Chang’an toward the Ziwu Road.