Chapter 707: Arrows Destroy the Uyghurs

Within the Yin Mountains, the sound of war drums roared like thunder. The Uyghur army surged forward like a raging tide, their vast cavalry forming a massive carpet that covered the entire pass. With their warhorses galloping and a murderous aura filling the air, 15,000 Uyghur cavalry launched their assault.

At the northern pass, 10,000 Tang army infantry with crossbows and 6,000 cavalry archers were already in position. The infantry formed three ranks, while the cavalry formed two. 16,000 crossbows were raised, their arrows aimed coldly at the charging Uyghur cavalry.

The Uyghur cavalry grew closer, now within 100 paces. Their shouts echoed through the Yin Mountain valley, and their fierce faces could be clearly seen. The cavalry held their battle swords high. The momentum of the 15,000 cavalry was astonishing—seemingly making the entire Yin Mountain tremble…

Among the Tang army, commander He Lou Yurun remained expressionless. In his eyes, these Uyghur cavalry were nothing but dead men walking. His voice rang out in the wind: “Prepare to fire—fire!”

“Boom! Boom! Boom!” The drums beat loudly as the first wave of 6,000 arrows was released. Like swarms of locusts, they formed a dense arrow net that instantly flew toward the enemy. The powerful arrows caused the Uyghur cavalry to fall off their horses, with riders thrown aside and then trampled under the heavy hooves, halting their advance…

But another wave of 6,000 arrows followed… Then 3,000 arrows… And yet another 6,000 arrows. The Tang army fired in three waves, repeating the process. The Uyghur cavalry struggled to move forward amid the relentless storm of arrows, suffering heavy casualties. Blood mist filled the air. Their advance remained confined between 100 and 50 paces—they could not break through that life-and-death line of 50 paces.

Dead horses and Uyghur soldiers piled up along that 50-pace line, forming a 20-foot-wide barrier of corpses. In fact, it was difficult even for the Uyghur troops behind to cross this barrier.

Three miles away, tens of thousands of Uyghur cavalry watched as their own army tried to break through. The overwhelming arrow barrage from the Tang army terrified them. Khan Gele was devastated to see that more than half of his vanguard had been killed or wounded. But he had no choice. He had just received news that his stronghold, Han’er, had been captured by the Tang, Tongluo, and Shatuo forces. This filled him with anger and desperation. The Tang might show mercy, but the Tongluo and Shatuo were his mortal enemies. He could imagine the tragic fate of his people, driving him mad with frustration.

“Add another 20,000 troops. Order Shi Chaoyi to break through the Tang army’s blockade no matter what by today. If he fails again, have him bring his head here!” Khan Gele made up his mind. Another 20,000 Uyghur cavalry charged everywhere. He wanted to launch a full-scale attack, but he was also afraid of losing his entire army. Caught in indecision, he was extremely conflicted inside.

Apart from 16,000 archers, the Tang army also had 50,000 cavalry archers ready one li away, under the command of Li Sheng. Li Qingan had handed over all command of the interception to him. Li Sheng divided his 150,000 troops into three groups, monitoring and blocking the Uyghur forces day and night, denying them any chance.

At this moment, Li Sheng also noticed the Uyghurs sending more troops. With a command, “Add another 15,000 cavalry archers!” Immediately, three groups of Tang cavalry rushed forward to confront them. Thus, the Tang archers exceeded 30,000—an incredibly powerful force, the largest number of archers deployed by the Tang in Anxi’s history. The archer troops and spear soldiers had always been the Tang’s most formidable forces against nomadic tribes, especially the army of 10,000 archers, which was a nightmare for the grassland cavalry.

The Tang army’s well-trained discipline was fully demonstrated at this moment. Under the command of their banners, the 30,000 archers quickly changed formations, merging together to form a new three-tiered shooting formation in a very short time—stronger this time, with 10,000 arrows fired in each round.

The more than 20,000 Uyghur cavalry were like a fierce wind sweeping through the mountains, charging at the Tang camp with thunderous hooves, their momentum terrifying. Yet the 30,000 Tang cavalry remained as steady as Mount Tai. All 30,000 cavalry archers raised their bows in unison, coldly aiming at the surging Uyghur cavalry…

“Fire!”

The drums roared, and thousands of arrows were shot simultaneously. The powerful arrows, like a storm summoned by death, instantly swept through the dense Uyghur cavalry. Cries of pain, neighing of horses, and fallen warriors—each round of 30,000 arrows hitting the Uyghur forces was like autumn wind and rain sweeping away leaves. After a fierce onslaught, nearly 30% of the Uyghur cavalry were killed or wounded.

One of the Uyghur generals commanding this breakout was Shi Chaoyi. Khan Gele hated him deeply, blaming him for everything. If not for him seeking help, the Uyghurs would not have faced destruction. Shi Chaoyi was forced to take charge personally as the commander of the assault, essentially the leader of the suicide squad.

After the first disastrous attempt, he narrowly escaped death, though his horse was shot down. He survived, but when 20,000 more troops charged in the second round, he once again became the vanguard.

Shi Chaoyi felt he had no way out; all he wished for was death. Waving his battle axe and shouting loudly, he said, “Charge! Break through with a path of blood!” At that moment, the Tang army’s second wave of 30,000 arrows was fired again, sweeping across the grasslands like a swarm of locusts and plunging into the Uyghur cavalry. This time, Shi Chaoyi was not blessed by luck—he was struck by three arrows at once. With a scream, he fell from his horse; one arrow pierced his heart, killing him on the spot.

Kere Khan, who was on the high ridge, witnessed Shi Chaoyi’s death with his own eyes. He felt no pity for him, but seeing his elite Uyghur warriors killed in large numbers by the Tang arrows made his heart bleed. Charging further would only lead to the destruction of his entire army. With no other options, Kere Khan painfully gave up on the breakout attempt and ordered, “All troops, retreat to the camp!” This was already his seventh failed breakout attempt, with over 50,000 casualties in total. Even if he sent all his troops forward, it wouldn’t work—the Tang army also had 50,000 soldiers waiting just one li away. More troops meant even more deaths.

At his command, the remaining 16,000 Uyghur cavalry retreated like a tide, and soon the entire army withdrew to the camp. The battlefield was left covered in corpses and wounded soldiers groaning in pain, with blood staining the grasslands. Seeing the Uyghur cavalry retreat, Li Sheng ordered, “Except for those with minor injuries who can be captured, all severely wounded must be killed!”

…

The Tang army’s camp was located five li away from the battlefield, at the foot of a gentle slope on the northern side of the Yin Mountains. Although the camp still lacked fortifications, this time they built three seven-foot-high earthen walls within one li of the camp. Each wall stretched about five li long, designed to defend against the Uyghur cavalry’s attacks.

The Tang army’s camp, housing 150,000 soldiers, stretched for miles. They had trapped the Uyghur main force inside the Yin Mountains for a full month, repelling six of their breakout attempts and successfully confining them there. Li Qing’an wasn’t in a hurry. He wanted to completely encircle and starve this Uyghur force. He needed time for Cui Qianyou. He had received news from Cui Qianyou that the Tang-Hu allied forces were sweeping through the grasslands, gathering the remaining Uyghur and Turkic tribes and driving them all to Hanerduo Bali City. Hundreds of thousands of people had already gathered there, and victory was within reach.

It was now early June, and the weather was growing hotter, signaling that the time to return to the capital was approaching.

The northwest corner of the camp was a special area—the Tang army’s field hospital, composed of over 500 tents. It was the only part of the camp surrounded by barriers. Within the camp, there were 1,000 female soldiers who had received rigorous medical training and were tasked with saving the wounded soldiers from both the Tang and Uyghur forces.

Li Qing’an’s unit had few wounded soldiers; most of them resulted from the battle against Shi Siming, with over a thousand casualties. Most of these wounded came from Li Guangbi’s troops, who had engaged in fierce battles with the Turkic cavalry at Jiujiuquan, resulting in more than 2,000 deaths and over 5,000 injuries. All of these wounded were now brought to Li Qing’an’s main camp for treatment.

The 1,000 female soldiers were led by General Gao Wu. She arrived slightly later with her troops but just in time for the battle against Shi Siming.

The main tent was bustling. Most of the Tang army’s wounded had stable conditions and were waiting patiently in the camp to recover. Meanwhile, those being treated these days were the Uyghur soldiers with minor injuries. After being healed, they would become laborers in the Tang dynasty’s mines.

In the largest tent, nearly a hundred people lay injured, having just been brought in. Their pained groans filled the air, but none resisted. The translators had told them that this was to save their lives. As prisoners of the Tang army, they could at least keep their lives. Almost all of the Uyghur soldiers obediently accepted treatment.

Most of their injuries were from arrows. The female soldiers skillfully removed the arrows, excised rotten flesh, stopped the bleeding, disinfected the wounds, and bandaged them. They had also learned some basic Turkic to tell the soldiers that their lives were saved and that they should rest quietly while recovering. This made the Uyghur soldiers extremely grateful to them.

Gao Wu wore silver lamellar armor and, accompanied by three female soldiers, inspected each camp. She was the highest-ranking general in the field hospital. No one, not even Li Qing’an if he were injured and brought here for treatment, could disregard her orders.

After Li Qing’an’s battle at Luzhou, Gao Wu went to Taiyuan. She stayed there for over half a year, recruiting 1,000 female soldiers and training them. She also studied medicine diligently alongside them. On this northern expedition, Gao Wu led these 1,000 female soldiers with her.

During this time, Gao Wu’s heart was extremely calm. She had spent almost a whole year thinking about it. Although Li Qing’an was willing to marry her, she ultimately decided not to enter the palace. She did not want to lose her freedom; she preferred the freedom of galloping unrestrained across the grasslands rather than being trapped in the palace, losing her freedom, and spending her life in misery or getting involved in palace intrigues. That was not the life she wanted. Though Li Qing’an was the only man she had ever loved, he was not everything to her. Freedom was her greatest pursuit. She was already 25 years old. Ten years of trials and setbacks, along with the realizations and losses after being accepted by Li Qing’an, finally led her to find her own path in life.

She would not marry anyone else. She would spend her entire life as a female soldier, training batch after batch of female soldiers for the Tang Dynasty. She hoped to remain a free bird forever.

“General Gao, the supreme general is here, waiting for you outside.”

A female soldier reported at the door. Almost all the female soldiers knew about Gao Wu’s relationship with Prince Zhao. It was not surprising that Prince Zhao was seeking out their general.

“I know!”
Gao Wu smiled and turned to head outside the camp.

She had already told Li Qing’an of her decision. She had thought he would be furious and scold her, but to her surprise, he supported her decision. This relieved her, yet she also felt an indescribable sense of loss. Did Li Qing’an not care about her?

But in the end, she understood that Li Qing’an didn’t not care about her—he understood her and respected all her decisions.

Li Qing’an did not enter the war hospital but waited at the camp gate, watching Gao Wu walk quickly toward him. Her slender figure reminded Li Qing’an of her as she was ten years ago—the young woman from Anxi who roamed freely across the land with a bow and arrows. He remembered her shooting through his black leopard skin with an arrow, her care when he was drunk, and that mirror she had given him during the expedition to Xiao Bo Li. He didn’t even know where it was now.

Li Qing’an hadn’t expected Gao Wu to ultimately choose freedom, but he understood. Once inside the Tang palace, it was like entering an endless sea. She belonged to the vast sky and the boundless grasslands. She was a free bird in the sky and a horse galloping across the grasslands. She was free. The high walls and strict rules of the Daming Palace did not belong to her. The rigid and solemn palace would strangle her. Yet he still had one concern.

“Seventh Brother!”

Gao Wu walked over cheerfully, her face full of smiles, a stark contrast to her serious demeanor when inspecting the barracks earlier. If her female guards saw her now, they would be utterly surprised—their general could also be so youthful and lively.

Li Qing’an gave a bitter smile. “In the vast army of the Tang Dynasty, I doubt there’s anyone else who calls me Qi Lang but you.”

“What, won’t you call me that? Or do you want me to call you General like everyone else?”

Gao Wu looked at Li Qing’an with a half-smile. Her doubts had been completely dispelled; she was no longer obsessed over a past romance. It was a moment of enlightenment, and Li Qing’an’s impending coronation was the key to that realization. It turned out Li Qing’an was no longer the former General Li of Anxi—he would become the emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

But what she liked wasn’t the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, but the unmatched archer and cheerful Li Qi Lang.

“If you like to call me that, go ahead!”

Li Qing’an smiled slightly. “Come with me for a walk. I want to go to the front lines.”

“Sure! Wait a moment.”

Gao Wu hurried back to the tent. Moments later, she rode out on horseback, clad in fine silver armor, wearing a silver helmet, with a sword at her waist and tall boots, looking valiant and spirited. Li Qing’an couldn’t help but exclaim, “What a heroic female general!”

“Let’s go!”

Li Qing’an spurred his warhorse, and the two left the camp through the north, heading toward the battlefield where the Uyghur army was being fought.

“Qi Lang, when will this battle end?” Gao Wu gradually slowed her horse.

“Soon! I don’t want to prolong it either.”

Li Qing’an suddenly glanced at her strangely. “Why do you ask?”

Gao Wu sighed softly. “I had a dream last night. In it, my father was alone on the Tibetan Plateau, with no one to rely on. If the battle ends, I want to go see him.”

Li Qing’an remained silent. They rode side by side. Gao Wu glanced at him and asked in a low voice, “Don’t you want me to go?”

“How could I stop you from seeing your father?”

Li Qing’an shook his head and sighed. “I understand now. Life isn’t always as we wish. I told you before—if you’re willing to marry me, I’ll cherish you for life. But it’s up to you to decide. If you come with me, you must endure the lonely life in the palace, with no way back.”

“Do… you want me to enter the palace?” Gao Wu asked tentatively again.

“I do!”

Li Qing’an gazed at her deeply. “I will take care of you for life. I don’t want you to wander alone out there. Though it’s free, you’re still human, and everyone wants a place to belong.”
Gao Wu felt her nose sting. She bit her lip and asked softly, “What if one day I’m tired out there? Can I come home?”
Li Qing’an remained silent. He should have replied that Daming Palace would always be open to her, but he was conflicted. He wanted Gao Wu to choose a free life, yet he didn’t want her to wander alone out there. Unable to answer her question, he sighed lightly. “You should know the answer.”
“But I want you to tell me yourself!” Gao Wu insisted stubbornly.
Li Qing’an nodded. “As long as you wish, you can come back anytime.”
Just then, shouts from a guard came from afar. “General!”
A guard rushed over at full speed. “General, please return to the camp immediately. Someone wants to see you.”
“Who is it?”
The guard whispered something in his ear. Li Qing’an froze for a moment before urgently saying to Gao Wu, “Lady Wu, let’s go back! I have important matters to attend to.”
Gao Wu felt sad. She said softly, “Go ahead! I want to walk alone for a while.”
Li Qing’an gave her a deep look, turned his horse around, and rushed back to the camp.
Gao Wu watched Li Qing’an’s figure fade into the distance. Finally, her eyes reddened, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Qilang, why do you insist on becoming emperor?”
……
Li Qing’an returned to the camp like a gust of wind. He demanded sternly, “Where is he?”
The guards led several Turkic officers forward. The leading general was Pugu Yao, who knelt down. “Worthy sinner Pugu Yao, pays respects to the general!”
Pugu Yao was at his wits’ end. After annihilating the Shatuo tribe, they headed east to Kedun City, where they captured tens of thousands of sheep and obtained food supplies. Their army prepared to return with their families to Juyan Lake. Unexpectedly, they heard news that Shi Siming and Pugulei’s entire army had been destroyed, and their families captured by the Tang army. Chaos erupted in Pugu Yao’s army. Many soldiers clamored to surrender to the Tang and find their wives and children.
After repeated discussions, they finally decided to surrender to the Tang. The one at the greatest risk was Pugu Yao. He had once shot and killed Li Siyeh with an arrow. If he surrendered to the Tang, he would likely be torn to pieces immediately. He had to take a gamble, risking his life.

Li Qing’an didn’t help him up but gave him a cold glance. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you and use your head to sacrifice to General Li Siye?”
Pugu Yao replied loudly, “May I ask, General, did I enter the camp and assassinate General Li Siye, or did I harm him with despicable means? In battle between two armies, it’s either you die or I live—how could there be any talk of revenge? If revenge is desired, he himself has killed countless people; how could he expect others to avenge him? Of course, you may kill me. I came for the Pugu tribe’s warriors; I fear death not. I only ask that the General spare their lives.”
Li Qing’an nodded. “Surrender is acceptable, but you must accept assimilation by the Tang Dynasty. Are you willing?”
“Willing!” Pugu Yao replied in resignation. After long deliberation, although assimilation was unpleasant, the soldiers were determined to find their wives and children, so they no longer cared.
Li Qing’an stared at him for a long time before slowly saying, “Very well! I’ll give you a choice. I can spare your life, appoint you as the governor of Shuozhou, and settle your Pugu tribe in Henan Province to farm. But you also have another choice: if you hand over his head so I can give an explanation to the Anxi Army, in return, I’ll allow your tribe to go to Hexi to herd cattle for my Tang Dynasty. You may choose one of these two options.”
Pugu Yao trembled. He slowly stood up and looked at Li Qing’an. “Will the General keep his word?”
Li Qing’an smiled arrogantly. “I am the governor of Anxi, a supreme general of the Tang Dynasty, the Prince of Zhao, and in the future, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty—Tian Ke Khan. Do you think I would break my word for a mere Pugu tribe?”
“Good!”
Pugu Yao stood up, turned to the chiefs who had come with him, and said, “His Highness the Prince of Zhao has agreed to let us continue our herding life. Go back and tell everyone to surrender!”
“The prince cannot do that!” the chiefs cried out.
Pugu Yao drew his long sword and laughed loudly at the sky. “To die alone in exchange for the safety of my entire Pugu tribe—what a worthwhile trade!”
He thrust the sword into his own chest and slowly collapsed to the ground, dead. Several members of his tribe knelt before him, weeping over his body. Li Qing’an sighed silently and ordered his attendants, “Bury him with the honors befitting a prince!”
He then said to the Pugu chiefs, “Go and bring them here! Since I’ve given my word, I won’t go back on it. I’ll return your family members to you, and you may go to Ganzhou and Suzhou to herd cattle.”
The Pugu chiefs kowtowed to Li Qing’an several times through tears, thanking him before leaving.

Three days later, 20,000 cavalrymen of the Pugu tribe and Shi Siming’s remaining 10,000 troops officially surrendered to the Tang forces. Li Qing’an seized their weapons and ordered them to be taken to Shuozhou to reunite with their families. Immediately thereafter, Li Qing’an issued orders for a full-scale attack on the Uyghur forces. Two days later at noon, 300,000 Tang troops from both the northern and southern sides of the Yin Mountains launched the final battle. By then, the Uyghur army had only 50,000 soldiers left, with low morale and severely shaken confidence. Under the fierce assault of 300,000 Tang troops, the Uyghurs were utterly defeated; countless of them were killed, and the remaining 20,000 were captured. The Uyghur Khan committed suicide in despair. Thus, the last 100,000 of the Uyghur army was completely annihilated.

……

On the vast grasslands, a massive group composed of 600,000 herders from various Uyghur tribes set off on their long journey south. Women and children rode in carriages, while men rode horses alongside them. Their entire possessions were carried in the carriages. They bid farewell to the grasslands and headed toward the distant heartland of China. In the distance, Hanluerba Li was engulfed in thick smoke as a huge fire completely destroyed this grassland city.

300,000 Tang troops escorted these 600,000 herders, along with millions of cattle and sheep as spoils of war, as well as countless sheepskins and other grassland goods, on their triumphant return to the Tang dynasty.

It was June of the third year of the Qingping era. Three months later, the Tang court issued an order to relocate 100,000 Han civilian families from Henan, Guannei, Hedong, and Guanzhong to settle on the grasslands south of the Yin Mountains. Each family was granted three hectares of land as permanent property, along with 30 years of tax exemption. The following year, the tax exemption policy was expanded further. The court issued an order to develop the border regions, designating Bohai Road, Moman, Anxi, and Hezhong as the four border areas. Any Han civilians willing to move to these areas were offered ample land and housing, along with lifetime tax exemption for three generations, sparking another wave of settlement efforts in the Tang dynasty.