Chapter 705: Surrounding the Uyghurs

“Captain, can we find them?”
On the vast grasslands, ten cavalrymen raced side by side at full speed. One of them asked loudly.
“Anyway… we must try our best!” The wind was so strong that the captain’s voice was intermittent. “They’re… a hundred thousand strong—our target is huge!”
This was a Tang army scouting party tasked with locating the main force of the Uyghurs. The Uyghur army of a hundred thousand had marched south from Han’erbuli, but now they had suddenly disappeared, vanishing like mist across the grasslands. After several days with no trace of them, Li Qing’an sent dozens of scouting teams out to search the vast expanse like casting a net.
This team was responsible for searching the southern foothills of the eastern Yin Mountains, with a search area of hundreds of miles. After two days of searching, they were now approaching the southern foothills of the Yin Mountains.
“Let’s find a place to rest!”
They had been riding nonstop for three hours and were quite tired. They slowed down their horses and looked around for a spot to rest. In the distance lay rugged mountains with steep slopes and dense forests at their bases.
“Let’s rest in the woods. Maybe we can shoot some deer for dinner!”
Captain Qi pointed to a forest to the north. The team immediately perked up and rushed toward it. On the grasslands, distances often seemed shorter than they actually were. This forest was still ten miles away. When they were two or three miles from it, the leading captain suddenly waved his hand. “Wait!”
The team immediately stopped their horses. “Look!” Captain Qi pointed to the distance. “What’s that?”
They looked in the direction he indicated and saw two small black dots approaching from afar. “It seems to be cavalry too!”
“Hide in the woods!”
Captain Qi spurred his horse and led his men to hide at the edge of the forest. They quickly took shelter in the nearest woods. It took some time before the two black dots got closer. They could now see that they were two Uyghur cavalrymen, likely on patrol. They were rushing toward them, and judging by their speed, they wouldn’t stay around.
“Shoot the horses!”
Captain Qi ordered immediately. The other nine men raised their crossbows and aimed at the two horses. The cavalry were getting closer, now only thirty steps away, yet they hadn’t noticed anyone there. In fact, they had been careless—when the Tang scouts rushed into the woods earlier, it had startled a flock of birds, but they hadn’t noticed. Perhaps they thought no army could exist in this area.
“Fire!”

The team leader gave a low command, and ten poisoned crossbows were shot simultaneously, all hitting two warhorses. The horses reared up and neighed loudly before collapsing to the ground, flinging the two Uyghur cavalrymen more than ten feet away. Terrified, they scrambled to their feet and ran, but the Tang army scouts rushed forward like a gust of wind, pressing their spears against their throats. The two Uyghur soldiers dared not move again and obediently raised their hands.

“Take them into the forest!”

A few soldiers stepped forward, searched them, tied their hands behind their backs, and pushed them into the forest. Soon, under the Tang army’s interrogation, the two Uyghur soldiers confessed, to the shock of the Tang scouts—the Uyghur main force was less than twenty li away.

The team leader gave a signal, and several soldiers swiftly killed the Uyghur cavalrymen, hiding their bodies along with those of their horses. Then they rushed forward through the forest.

Soon, they found a large mountain valley surrounded by dense forests that stretched for miles—the very place from which the two cavalrymen had emerged.

They entered the forest and followed the valley inward. The Yin Mountains were a hundred li wide, with numerous grasslands in between, capable of hiding an entire army of a million. Without searching inside the mountains, it would be impossible to find them.

After traveling about ten li, the Tang soldiers sensed the presence of Uyghur sentries ahead. They stopped moving and hid in the forest until nightfall. Then, the team leader, along with another soldier, continued to explore along the edge of the cliff. Without horses, the two of them dodged through the cracks in the cliff, bypassing several Uyghur sentries, until they reached a low hill.

They climbed onto a large rock and looked across the hill. They were stunned to see a vast grassland filled with glowing flames, so numerous they resembled stars in the sky. Those were the Uyghur bonfires, and under their light, endless rows of dark tents stretched as far as the eye could see.

The team leader was overjoyed—they had found the Uyghur main force. He suppressed his excitement, pulled his soldier aside, and the two quietly returned the same way, being extremely careful not to alert the Uyghur sentries, lest all their efforts be wasted.

They returned to the forest, left the valley, and went back to the forest where they had ambushed the Uyghur sentries. There, they set up a small tent to conceal the candlelight. Inside, the team leader carefully drew a map, marking the location of the Uyghur main force in the Yin Mountains with great precision.

Once the ink dried, he placed it in a small bamboo tube and handed it to his subordinate. “Send it back!”

The soldier took the bamboo tube, removed the eagle cage from the horse—inside was a messenger eagle—and tied the bamboo tube to the eagle’s leg. He opened the cage and gave a sharp command, “Go!”
The eagle shot up from the cage, soaring into the sky. With a clear cry, it flapped its wings and flew westward.
“Commander, what should we do then?”
Commander Qi looked at the dark mountains and smiled. “Naturally, we’ll keep an eye on the Uyghurs!”
……
After annihilating Shi Siming’s army, Li Qing’an led his forces back to Heicheng. At the same time, the Tang army captured nearly twenty members of the Puguo tribe. Li Qing’an ordered Xin Yunjing, the military advisor, to take these Turkic herders to Jiujiuquan, where they would join the people of the Tulu and Sigie tribes captured by Li Guangbi—over four hundred thousand Turkic people who had submitted to the Tang dynasty.
These ordinary herders were to be sent to Hedong for temporary residence. Once the campaign against the Uyghurs was over, all the grassland herders would be registered as Tang citizens and assigned to various mines to settle down, farming and weaving, thus becoming ordinary citizens of the Tang dynasty.
But what concerned Li Qing’an most was the whereabouts of Uyghur Khan Gele. It was already late April, and they had been in the grasslands for almost a month. The main force of the Uyghurs still hadn’t shown up, as if they had suddenly disappeared altogether, leaving Li Qing’an deeply puzzled. Of course, they hadn’t disappeared—they must be hiding. But where could they hide?
Inside the tent, Li Qing’an stood in front of the sand table, staring at the Yin Mountains for a long time. He believed the main force of the Uyghurs must still be near the Yin Mountains. Yet, with the mountains stretching over two thousand li in length and over a hundred li in width, it was difficult for him to locate their hiding place.
One thing was certain: Khan Gele would no longer think of attacking the Tang dynasty. Perhaps he had never intended to do so in the first place. He had merely used the pretext of attacking the Tang dynasty to conquer Shi Siming and the Turkic tribes who had submitted. His hesitation in this campaign showed that he lacked the confidence to attack the Tang dynasty.
The Uyghurs marching south and the Tang army marching north were merely a coincidence. Whether the Uyghurs intended to attack the Tang dynasty or not, Li Qing’an decided to take advantage of the opportunity to eliminate Shi Siming and completely eradicate the threat in the north.
After pondering this, Li Qing’an suddenly asked Li Sheng beside him, “How’s the situation with Li Baozhen? Any news from the Shiwéi tribe?”
Li Sheng had just entered the tent to report on the situation in Bohai to Li Qing’an. Since Li Qing’an was deep in thought, he didn’t disturb him. Li Sheng immediately replied, “Li Baozhen just sent word that the Shiwéi have surrendered and are willing to adopt Han culture and become farmers in the Bohai state.”
“Has that tribe I specifically instructed about, the Shiwéi Mongol tribe, moved to the Central Plains according to my plan?”

“Yes! More than ten thousand members of the Mengwu Shiwei tribe were scattered and relocated to Silla, Henan, and Hebei, where they lived among the Han people and Silla natives. This process is still in progress.”
Li Sheng was somewhat puzzled. The Mengwu Shiwei tribe was just a small subgroup within the Shiwei tribes, little-known to most. Why did Li Qingan attach such importance to it?
Just as he was wondering, footsteps were heard approaching from outside. A bodyguard reported loudly, “Reporting to the general, reporting to Deputy General Li—our scouts have located the main force of the Uyghur army! A message has been delivered!”
Li Qingan and Li Sheng were overjoyed. Li Qingan immediately ordered, “Bring in the message quickly!”
A moment later, a bodyguard brought in an eagle messenger tube and handed it to Li Qingan. He took out a piece of silk paper from the tube—it turned out to be a map. He unrolled it, and Li Sheng moved the candle closer. Under the candlelight, the map appeared to be very detailed.
“We’re here!”
Li Qingan pointed to a black triangle marker. His finger then moved eastward, stopping at a black dot inside the Yinshan Mountains. That was where the main force of the Uyghur army was located.
“Hmph! They’re actually inside the Yinshan Mountains, six hundred li away. No wonder I couldn’t find them.”
Li Qingan snorted coldly. “It seems they still don’t know about the fall of Han’erduo Bali.”
“I don’t quite understand. Why does Khan Gele keep hiding in the Yinshan Mountains?” Li Sheng asked, frowning.
“That’s because you’ve been fighting the Tibetans all along, so you don’t understand the Turks,” Li Qingan explained with a smile. “After the Turks split up, there were many tribes, each forming its own faction. Although the Uyghurs are powerful, they’re just one of them. With so many tribes, they engage in deceit, exploitation, and conflict among themselves. Just like Shi Siming, who hid in the Yinshan Mountains, hoping to wait for us to defeat the Uyghurs before taking control of the steppes. The Uyghurs are the same. Initially, they rushed to send troops to subdue Shi Siming and other Turkic tribes. But once they realized we were moving in, they delayed coming and refused to return, hiding in the Yinshan Mountains waiting for us to go there first, so they could then emerge and plunder the captured Turkic people. I guess that’s their plan.”
“Isn’t he afraid that his stronghold will be attacked again, just like last time?” Li Sheng still couldn’t see through it.

“It’s simple! Because he doesn’t know that I was originally planning to send troops north to attack the Uyghurs. He thinks I’m temporarily deploying troops to defend against his southern advance. With Tongluo in the west and the Beiting army too late to arrive, there are only over ten thousand Shatuo people by the Juyan Lake—something he’s not afraid of. If he knew I had already started mobilizing troops from Beiting and Tongluo since winter, I doubt he’d dare leave even eight li from Han’erduo.”
After years of dealing with him, Li Qing’an had seen through Gele Khan’s inferiority complex and darkness. He was like a greedy and timid dog, hiding in the Yinshan Mountains waiting for scraps. But now, he himself had become the target of hunting.
At this moment, Li Sheng carefully examined the sand table and suggested to Li Qing’an, “General, I have a plan that could annihilate the Uyghur army.”
“Speak!” Li Qing’an still admired Li Sheng’s tactics greatly.
Li Sheng pointed with a wooden stick at Jiujiu Liquan and said, “General, have you noticed? The Uyghur army is actually hiding very close to General Li Guangbi’s camp—only over four hundred li away. Perhaps, as you said, they still intend to devour the captured Turkic herders. If General Li Guangbi withdraws his troops now, leaving hundreds of thousands of Turkic men and women at Jiujiu Liquan as bait, I think even if the Uyghurs don’t rush to devour the bait right away, they’ll still watch covetously, waiting for an opportunity…”
“And then?”
Li Qing’an was very interested in Li Sheng’s suggestion. Li Sheng was absolutely right—the Uyghurs were as suspicious and greedy as prairie wolves; they wouldn’t leave easily when they saw prey, nor would they strike rashly.
“And then…”
Li Sheng pointed with his stick at Nuozhen Shuicheng. “Then we quickly cross the Yinshan Mountains from here and cut off their retreat from behind. At that time, General Li Guangbi’s army can press forward again, and our three hundred thousand troops can trap the Uyghurs to death in the Yinshan Mountains.”
“Brilliant! This plan is excellent!”
Li Qing’an clapped in approval. Li Sheng truly was a great general—after hearing his analysis of the Uyghurs’ psychology, he could draw broader conclusions. Truly impressive.
“Let’s follow your plan. Go and organize the troops right away. I’ll write to Li Guangbi!”
…
Li Qing’an adopted Li Sheng’s suggestion, and the Tang army set in motion. That very night, 150,000 Tang soldiers set off immediately, leaving behind a huge empty camp and 5,000 horses to deceive the Uyghur scouts.

Five days later, the massive army crossed the Yinshan Mountains and turned eastward. While Li Qing’an led his forces northward, Li Guangbi also received orders from Li Qing’an: he was to leave 300,000 Turkic women, children, and the elderly at Jiujiuquan, while he himself would lead 150,000 troops to escort over 100,000 Turkic men and youths southward. The 300,000 Turkic women and children were to be used as bait to lure the Uyghurs, leaving less than 10,000 troops to guard the area.

The core of Li Sheng’s strategy was to keep the Uyghurs inside the Yinshan Mountains so they wouldn’t leave, thereby buying time for the Tang army to encircle them. As Li Qing’an understood the Turks, the Uyghurs were also a branch of the Turks; they worshipped wolves, whose greatest traits were suspicion and patience. Once they spotted prey, they wouldn’t give up easily but would wait patiently for an opportunity, carefully observing whether it was safe before launching a lightning-fast attack.

These wolf-like traits were vividly reflected in the Uyghurs. In the Uyghur camp, Khan Gele had already learned that the Tang army had withdrawn from Jiujiuquan and was heading south. There were still hundreds of thousands of Turkic women, children, and the elderly who hadn’t had time to evacuate, along with less than 10,000 Tang troops remaining.

On the surface, it seemed the Tang army was evacuating some Turks first. Why evacuate the men and youths instead of the women and children? It was likely a tactic by the Tang army to prevent trouble among the Turks by using the women and children as hostages to force the men and youths to follow orders and head south. This was a common practice of the Anxi army; they had done the same with the Tibetans by separating women and children, forcing Tibetan men to work in mines for them.

Was it the same this time?

Khan Gele was filled with doubts. He felt the Tang army shouldn’t leave people behind on the grasslands so easily—there might be a conspiracy. Yet, hundreds of thousands of women and children posed a strong temptation to him. Women and children were a huge lure for any grassland tribe, representing population growth. Amidst these doubts and concerns, he was also driven by the desire to seize these people. His purpose in leading his army southward was to eliminate Shi Siming and those Turks who had submitted to the Tang Dynasty. There was no hope left for Shi Siming, but he was determined not to give up on these Turks.

He hesitated, observing the situation while sending wave after wave of Uyghur scouts to Jiujiuquan and its surroundings—just as wolf packs sent scouts to investigate prey. Meanwhile, another Tang army unit near Heicheng had been resting and reorganizing itself after destroying Shi Siming’s forces, showing no signs of moving north.

The Uyghur army waited for an opportunity amidst suspicion and great temptation, unaware that they had already become prey for the Tang forces. Nearly ten more days passed, and Gelle Khan could no longer hold back. He led an army of 100,000 men away from the Yin Mountains, preparing to march south to Nine-Ninety Springs in order to capture hundreds of thousands of Turkic women and children—the prize they coveted so much. Then came news that both frustrating and shocking: another army of over 100,000 Tang soldiers had returned, moving at great speed toward them. Gelle Khan was filled with regret and anger. Due to his hesitation, he lost a tremendous opportunity. If he had acted decisively to march south and seize captives, he would now be on his way back to Hanerdu Balir. He had missed his chance. Realizing there was no hope left, as he returned to his camp preparing to cross the Yin Mountains back to Hanerdu Balir, even more terrifying news arrived, nearly stopping his heart: another army of over 100,000 Tang soldiers had blocked the northern exit. He finally realized he had been deceived. Desperate to break through southward, he found that Li Guangbi’s army of 150,000 men had already caught up to him, with another army of over 100,000 blocking the southern side of the Yin Mountains. From north and south, 300,000 Tang soldiers surrounded the 100,000-strong Turkic force in a canyon in the Yin Mountains that was over a hundred li long and twenty li wide.