Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 134

Although he was originally a soul transmigrated into this world, he still habitually sat with his legs hanging down, rather than the "formal sitting" popular in those days, that is, kneeling with bent knees. However, at least among the scholar class, sitting formally was considered proper, while sitting with legs hanging down or even sitting with legs spread apart was considered impolite and disrespectful—although trousers had long had a crotch, so even sitting with legs spread apart wouldn't expose anything—Li Ji couldn't be too unconventional.

Kneeling is particularly uncomfortable due to the low floor height, while sitting with legs hanging down is uncomfortable due to the high floor height. Since the habit of sitting upright is prevalent, the furniture and even the ceiling height of many houses in this era are relatively low. Li Ji could certainly have a few sets of seats made for later generations, allowing him to sit with his legs hanging down in private and upright when meeting people, but the height of the tables and desks would also have to be adjusted accordingly. He couldn't very well change the table every time he received guests…

Therefore, the furnishings in homes, especially in military units, remained unchanged and were not easily altered. The only difference was the addition of one or two folding stools or folding benches—similar to folding stools or folding chairs in later times—to make it easier for people to stretch their legs.

Of course, since this was the main tent, not a sleeping tent, it was unlikely that he, the Defense Commissioner of the Four Provinces, would be the only one inside. At least two civil advisors—Yin Shen and Han Hui—would most likely be seated beside him. Fortunately, they were all trusted guests, so formalities could be relaxed. As long as Li Ji made it clear beforehand that he sometimes stretched his legs while sitting to loosen his muscles and asked for their forgiveness, they wouldn't dare to openly rebuke him for being rude and then storm off…

After Li Ji sat down, he picked up his teacup again and took small sips. Yin Shen seized the opportunity to report, "A scout from Luoyang has sent word that Shi Chaoyi is indeed determined to fight..."

"Do you know what he was thinking? He didn't retreat to defend the city, nor did he defend Heyang."

"It is said that Ashina Chengqing advised: 'If Tang sends only Han troops, we should fight them with all our strength; if they come with the Uyghurs, their strength may be unstoppable, so we should retreat to Heyang to avoid them.' However, Chaoyi did not listen."

Li Ji curled his lip: "They are reluctant to give up Luoyang City, and they are confident that they can defeat the government army in open battle, right?" He then put down his teacup, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as if he were deep in thought.

Han Hui asked, "Is there a hidden worry about the defense? Is it because the enemy forces are too numerous?"

Even with Ma Lin's reinforcements, the Tang army numbered only 60,000 to 70,000, while the rebel army in front of them was more than twice that number.

Li Ji replied, "I regard Shi Chaoyi as a child and his 100,000 rebel troops as mere weeds. The decisive battle is imminent. As long as Deputy Commander Pugu performs normally and does not issue any rash orders, the rebels will surely be defeated. Since the rebels have suffered a defeat at the gates of Luoyang, Shi Chaoyi will not dare to defend the city any longer and will have no choice but to retreat to Zhengzhou and Bianzhou..."

At this point, he suddenly clicked his tongue and asked, "But what will happen after the armies enter Luoyang?"

Neither Yin Shen nor Han Hui understood what he meant, so they could only listen with their hands clasped in respect.

Li Ji sighed and explained, "When the army is on the march, my soldiers refuse to heed my repeated orders and often plunder everywhere..." He turned to look at Han Hui—"Was the military discipline this lax when Li Shangzhou (Li Qijun) led the army?"

Han Hui replied, “Li Shangzhou is very strict with his subordinates, forbidding his soldiers from bullying commoners or disturbing the countryside. However… it cannot be said that there are absolutely no violations of discipline. Moreover, most of the soldiers under the current defense force are from Xiangyang, whose discipline has always been lax. The defense force only restrained them for less than a month before leading them north to Shanzhou, and a few days later, they traveled east to this place…”

Yin Shen interjected, "Actually, our troops in Shannan East Circuit are quite disciplined compared to other armies, displaying the grandeur of a royal army. The troops in Shuofang, Shanguo, and Zhenxi, especially the Uyghur troops, loot and kill civilians daily, and their generals are largely unwilling to restrain them." He then comforted Li Ji, saying, "According to historical records, the so-called 'not committing the slightest offense' is merely an exaggeration. Soldiers are ignorant and greedy; how can we investigate every minor transgression? If that's the case, how can we expect them to fight to the death in battle?"

Li Ji waved his hand: "The Uyghur soldiers are one thing, they are barbarians, naturally they will not take our Tang people seriously; but those whom the government troops robbed and killed were people of the same country, going back ten generations, they may not be without kinship, how can they be so heartless? Moreover, the so-called 'not taking a single hair' may not be an exaggeration. I believe that in a thousand years, there will always be a true king's army..."

Han Hui cupped his hands and said, "Defending against the heart of loving others is in accordance with the words of the sages, and I admire it. However, the newly appointed generals and soldiers should not be harshly criticized, lest their morale waver, which would be detrimental to the great battle."

Li Ji nodded slightly: "I know." Then he let out another long sigh.

He certainly didn't want to see his soldiers running rampant, looting everywhere—what difference would there be between government troops and bandits then?! But that was the reality, especially with other units setting a bad example, forcing him to turn a blind eye for the time being. After all, he had only commanded the army for less than a month; he had to use a combination of kindness and severity, and couldn't immediately resort to harsh laws, otherwise it might trigger a mutiny…

However, if things continue like this, what will happen after Luoyang is recaptured...?

Han Hui was very clever. Following Li Ji's train of thought, he immediately understood: "Is the defense because they are afraid that after the recapture of Tokyo, the various armies will engage in rampant looting?"

Li Ji nodded and said, "When we recaptured Luoyang, I was in the city when the Uyghur army entered first, intending to abduct all the women of the city to the grasslands... It was only after much persuasion that I convinced the elders of Luoyang to offer gold and silk as ransom and spare the lives of those women. However, countless families were ruined, their wealth was lost, and their relatives were killed as a result—I really cannot bear to see such a tragedy repeat itself!"

Yin Shen frowned and said, "Then we can only advise the deputy commander to restrain the various armies..."

Li Ji shook his head with a wry smile: "I've already spoken to the deputy commander, but he doesn't seem to care at all... Besides, even the deputy commander probably can't control the Shuofang warriors under his command, let alone the Shaanxi-Guo and Zhenxi armies..." He didn't mention the Uyghur soldiers because he felt that his deterrent power over the Uyghurs might be even greater than that of the Shuofang army.

Yin Shen hurriedly advised, "You must not let your compassion lead you into conflict with the other armies!" He paused, then added, "Then we must send a fast horse to request the marshal's order, but I wonder if you can persuade him..."

He also knew that Li Shi was only a nominal commander. Although as a prince, he had a certain degree of control over the army, but—regardless of whether it was effective, would he be willing to give the order? Would he worry about incurring the emperor's wrath and alienating the army?

Ultimately, Yin Shen had been in Chang'an for a long time and had handled many secret matters for Li Ji, so he was relatively sensitive to political matters.

However, Yin Shen's words provided Li Ji with a completely new perspective. He stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, then instructed Han Hui, "Lord Han, please write me a letter..."

----------

Two days later, at dawn, the Tang army finally launched a fierce attack on the enemy at Hengshui.

Forty thousand rebel troops were encamped for several miles, fortifying themselves with palisades. Pugu Huai'en first ordered his son Pugu Yang and Di De to lead cavalry to sneak out from the northeast of the rebel camp, while he himself led the Shuofang army to attack from the front. With a pincer attack from both sides, they broke through the palisades and entered before noon.

Upon hearing the news, Shi Chaoyi immediately ordered Ashina Chengqing to lead a large army out of Zhaojue Temple to rush to the rescue.

This was exactly what Pugu Huai'en wanted.

Because Zhaojue Temple was a famous temple in Luoxi, located on the eastern slope of Zhaojue Ridge, facing north, with four courtyards and three halls, covering an area of ​​100 acres, it could easily be fortified and difficult to attack with just a little reinforcement. Shi Chaoyi was stationed inside Zhaojue Temple, with 100,000 troops deployed along Zhaojue Ridge, making him a very tough nut to crack for the Tang army. Only by driving his main force out of the mountains and temples, and luring them to the plains near Hengshui, could they be easily defeated.

So he sent a message to Li Ji and Ma Lin: "Stop the enemy's advance, and do not let them escape. Wait until we break through the enemy at Hengshui, then we will attack from both sides." At the same time, he ordered the Shaanxi-Guo Army and the Tonghua Army on the left flank to join the Hengshui battlefield.

Li Ji and Ma Lin's forces, numbering nearly 20,000, were already on high alert. The two had met once before the battle and devised a strategy: "If the enemy comes quickly, I will feign a retreat of three li and then engage them in combat; if they come slowly, I will strike them directly!"

As a result, the scouts reported that the bandits were approaching slowly.

Ashina Chengqing was not confident about this battle—he had always opposed going out of the city to fight the Tang-Hehe allied forces—although he was ordered by Shi Chaoyi, he preferred to be unable to provide timely assistance, which led to the defeat of the Hengshan troops, rather than rush to their aid. As a result, he clashed with the main force of the Tang army on the plains.

He knew very well that although his army numbered 100,000, it was short of food and supplies and its morale was low. In particular, the number of warhorses supplied by the Hebei region had been decreasing in recent months, resulting in fewer than 2,000 riders. But he heard that 5,000 elite Uyghur cavalry were coming south. If they were to meet them face to face, they would surely be defeated!

Fortunately, the Uyghur cavalry were still attacking Hengshan's formation, so Ashina Chengqing deployed his strong defensive formation and slowly advanced northwest. His plan was that if the Hengshan forces could hold out until our troops arrived, he could use the strong defensive formation to overwhelm the Uyghur cavalry; if the Hengshan forces did not survive until then, with his strong defensive formation, the Uyghur cavalry would be helpless, and he could slowly retreat back to Zhaojue Temple.

Li Ji and Ma Lin had considered this situation, which is why they planned that if Ashina Chengqing rushed to Hengshan, the troops of Shannan East Road and Zhenxi should feign defeat to lure the enemy and make the rebel army's formation even more chaotic. However, Ashina Chengqing deployed a strong formation and advanced slowly... There was no other way but to take the initiative to launch a fierce attack, try to restrain the enemy army and prevent them from retreating, and wait for the battle of Hengshan to end.

Ma Lin was from Fufeng (Fengxiang) and claimed to be a descendant of Ma Yuan, the General Who Subdued the Waves of the Han Dynasty. However, Li Ji maliciously speculated that it was more likely that he was a member of Ma Teng's faction who had not been killed by Cao Cao and was a survivor. He came from a military family and joined the army in the Anxi Protectorate, which is why the court entrusted him with the command of the Zhenxi Army.

— Zhenxi is the same as Anxi, which was renamed after the four towns of Kucha, Yanqi, Shule and Yutian under its jurisdiction.

Ma Lin had once gone to Fengxiang to defend the emperor and protect Li Heng. When the two capitals were first recovered, he led a hundred cavalrymen to defeat a rebel army of five thousand in Weinan. Later, he served under Li Guangbi and fought against the rebels in Heyang. Therefore, although he did not have a deep relationship with Li Ji, they were old acquaintances, and he had long admired Li Ji's bravery.

Ma Lin simply looked down on the troops of Shannan East Circuit—the elite soldiers of Zhenxi had fiercely defended against the Uyghurs for decades, and after coming east to defend the emperor, they had repeatedly clashed with rebel forces. Although only two or three thousand remained, the rest were reinforcements from Huaixi, and they still retained a certain arrogance. In contrast, the Jingxiang region had never produced any strong and capable troops to begin with, and in recent years, all that had been heard of was their rebellion and unrest. Could such troops, if sent to the front lines, possibly win a battle?

Although Li Ji's forces were not entirely composed of Xiangyang soldiers, but also included the old Luoyang garrison led by Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun, which was based on soldiers from Yongqiu and Suiyang and mainly composed of recruits from other prefectures and counties in Henan, Ma Lin deliberately ignored them...

Therefore, Li Ji was informed: "I will charge into the enemy lines first. If I am unable to win, Li, the defender, may retreat towards Hengshui to seek reinforcements from Lord Pugu..."

Chapter Three: Remnants of the Turks

The Zhenxi Army was arrogant and fierce, so it was understandable that Ma Lin volunteered to lead the charge. However, instead of saying, "If I fail, Li Shufang, you take over," he ordered Li Ji to retreat towards Hengshan and seek reinforcements from Pugu Huai'en…

Upon hearing the order from the Zhenxi Army, Li Ji stroked his beard and smiled, glancing around and saying, "Zhenxi Ma looks down on us quite a bit."

Before Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun could respond, Liang Chongyi jumped up: "Damn these Western barbarians! I request permission to attack their ranks and take the heads of the Turkic remnants to present to our defenders!"

Ashina was originally a Turkic royal family. Although Ashina Chengqing was born a Tang person, his non-Han bloodline could not be washed away. Therefore, Liang Chongyi cursed him as a "Turkic descendant".

Li Ji smiled and waved his hand: "We are all comrades, why call them 'Western barbarians'? Since Ma Zhenxi invited us, let him go."

It was inconvenient for him to compete with Ma Lin. Firstly, he didn't have much confidence in his Xiangyang troops. Secondly, Ma Lin's position was above Li Ji's, so the fact that Ma Lin was willing to speak to him in a consultative tone instead of giving orders directly was already quite polite. He couldn't refuse this courtesy.

Li Ji then relayed to his subordinates: "The Zhenxi Army underestimates us, so I will not confront them for the time being. However, if they cannot win, should we really retreat to Hengshan? Those who do not wish to retreat, shout my name in unison so that I may know."

This was also a tactic of provoking. The order was given only moments before shouts of "Li Erlang!" rang out from each formation. Li Ji nodded: "The morale is good." He instructed the scouts: "Observe the movements at the front carefully and report back to me promptly; do not delay."

Originally, it was thought that with ten thousand men attacking an enemy ten times their size, and the enemy having deployed a strong formation, Ma Lin would likely find it difficult to achieve anything—it would be quite an achievement if he could fight for a while longer and not be quickly defeated. Unexpectedly, before the battle had even begun, a report came from the front: "Commander Ma led his troops to repeatedly attack the enemy's formation, but the formation was too strong to penetrate. Commander Ma then shouted: 'Today is urgent, how can we not fight to the death?!' He took the lead, spurring his horse into the formation and charging into the midst of the ten thousand troops."

Li Ji was quite surprised to hear this and hurriedly called to his subordinates: "General Ma is a top general of the country, yet he can disregard his own life and death. Are we just going to sit and watch?" He was afraid that Ma Lin would steal all the credit, so he quickly urged his troops forward to join the battle.

Upon arrival, they saw that the Zhenxi Army, led by Ma Lin, had driven deep into the enemy ranks like a steel nail. However, from a distance, Ma Lin's banner seemed frozen in place, still some distance from Ashina Chengqing's great banner, seemingly unable to advance any further. Meanwhile, the enemy, relying on their superior numbers, gradually closed in from both flanks, seemingly intending to cut off the Zhenxi Army from the middle and thus encircle Ma Lin.

Li Ji thought to himself, "Thank goodness. If I had been a step later, Ma Lin might have really failed."

So he ordered Lei Wanchun and Liang Chongyi to lead the left and right wings of the army to reinforce the Zhenxi Army, block the enemy's flanks and avoid being surrounded; he himself nodded to Nan Jiyun: "Brother Nan, please help me with the rear guard. Let me, Li, take the credit for breaking the formation."

Nan Jiyun smiled and said, "Second Brother is now a general of ten thousand troops, so please don't be reckless—but if you insist on going, then go ahead!"

Li Ji laughed heartily and led Chen Ruo's two hundred cavalrymen straight into the rebel army's ranks.

In a decisive battle on the plains, the power of cavalry can be fully unleashed. Although it is inconvenient for cavalry to break through a strong infantry formation head-on, hasn't the Zhenxi Army already torn open a gap? At this critical juncture, wouldn't it be a great pity not to send out our only two hundred cavalry?

Although Li Ji was the commander-in-chief of the Shannan East Route Army, he should have been in charge of the overall situation and should not have personally led the charge. However, the art of war lies in the mind and adapting to the situation, so there was no reason for him to be stationed in the central command. Besides, even Ma Lin had already charged in; what reason did Li Erlang have to be cautious?

He immediately shouldered his double maces and wielded his lance, spurred his horse forward, parted the Zhenxi Army, and charged straight into the rebel ranks. He also ordered his two hundred cavalrymen to shout in unison: "Li Erlang, who has captured Tian Qianzhen, Gao Tinghui, and Yu Wenjing alive, has arrived!"

Li Ji was a powerful figure in Longyou, defending the capital and holding the imperial gates. However, given the communication capabilities of that era, the rebel soldiers might not have heard of him. Even if they had heard a word or two, the distance between them made it difficult for them to have any deep impression of him. Therefore, he did not mention any of these matters, only saying that he had captured three rebel generals: Tian Qianzhen, Gao Tinghui, and Yu Wenjing.

Tian Qianzhen was originally a general under An Lushan. Now, Tian Chengsi, the military governor of Suiyang who is deeply trusted by Shi Chaoyi, is his nephew. Gao Tinghui and Yu Wenjing are under Shi Siming. Although their ranks are not high, they are known as "enemies of ten thousand men". Even the rebel soldiers who have only recently been recruited could not possibly not have heard of any of these three.

Only in this way can one make a name for oneself and intimidate the thieves!

As expected, after three shouts, the enemy was terrified and instinctively retreated. One of the rebel generals, trying to bolster morale, charged at Li Ji with his spear, only to be easily pierced through the heart by Li Ji with a single thrust. The rebel army's frontal formation thus became even more scattered.

Therefore, Li Ji approached Ma Lin almost effortlessly.

At this moment, Ma Lin, under the protection of over a hundred soldiers, was engaged in fierce combat with a traitorous general. The two wielded their spears, circling and fighting on horseback, the outcome uncertain. In truth, given Ma Zhenxi's martial arts skills, he shouldn't have taken the enemy general seriously. However, he was surrounded, with the rebel army closing in layer upon layer, threatening to cut off his retreat at any moment. Nearly half of his soldiers had already perished, causing Ma Lin to become anxious and unable to fully utilize his abilities.

He's hesitating, wondering if he should back down a little.

With Ashina Chengqing's banner so close, only half an arrow's distance away, if he couldn't charge straight to the rebel leader and retreat even slightly, a comeback would be as difficult as ascending to heaven—a golden opportunity was too good to pass up. However, even a spent arrow cannot pierce silk. He had led the charge recklessly, disregarding life and death, and his strength was waning. If he didn't withdraw soon and were surrounded by the rebels, death would be his only fate…

Could you give it a little more effort? Maybe if you put in a little more effort, you'll win!

As he hesitated, he suddenly heard the sound of hooves behind him, followed by a loud shout: "General Ma, I'm here to help you!" Immediately, a huge lance thrust in from the side, striking the traitorous general facing Ma Lin squarely in the ribs, sending the thief flying into the air!

Ma Lin secretly praised, "What great strength!" Without turning around, he knew who had come. He thought to himself that although the Jingxiang troops were not good at fighting, Li Changwei himself was famous for breaking through enemy lines and capturing generals. He should have discussed with the deputy commander about transferring him to be the vanguard... Hmm, he guessed Li Ji would definitely not agree.

He then pointed his lance forward and shouted, "Go and kill the remnants of the Turks!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "You also call Ashina Chengqing a 'Turkic descendant'? Racial discrimination is wrong..." He immediately agreed, squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, and rammed forward again.

But he immediately felt immense pressure. His earlier ease in the fight was due to Ma Lin's leading the charge; now, having taken the baton, he faced the elite rebel troops protecting their commander and banner, and he knew the task was difficult. He had barely leaped forward when a hail of arrows rained down upon him…

Li Ji thought to himself that Ashina Chengqing was really desperate. Now, our army only has a few hundred cavalrymen wedged into the enemy formation, engaged in close combat, and all mixed up in one place. You are firing arrows over such a wide area, without any regard for friend or foe. Are you planning to destroy us all? He immediately spread out his lance and parried left and right. The arrows could not penetrate within three feet of him and were all shattered.

However, a few arrows did hit the horse. Fortunately, Li Ji was a general, and his warhorse was equipped with quite good gear, including a face shield, breastplate, and neck guard. Although it was made of leather and not inlaid with iron in order not to hinder maneuverability, it was enough to protect against stray arrows that were thrown from a distance.

Thus the horse continued its momentum, charging forward relentlessly.

Li Ji thought to himself, "Ma Lin has charged into the enemy formation. Has he gone a hundred paces? Probably close to two hundred. So, how could I not make it through the remaining thirty or forty paces? Never mind, I'll charge! I'll die in front of Ashina Chengqing's horse, and splatter him with flesh and blood!"

Unexpectedly, he didn't even need to charge thirty or forty paces; after just twenty, Ashina Chengqing succumbed to the psychological pressure. The key was Li Ji's bravery, and his elite troops were all highly skilled, many having crawled out of the corpse piles of Suiyang, showing no fear of death—when people fight desperately, the masses naturally flee. Ashina Chengqing, seeing this from afar, felt a chill and asked his men, "Who is that enemy general who will cross Ma Lin and charge at me first?"

The left and right reports: "Li Erlang, who claims to have captured Tian Qianzhen alive."

Although Gao Tinghui and Yu Wenjing were valiant generals under Shi Siming, Ashina Chengqing didn't take them seriously—their rank and status were far inferior. However, Tian Qianzhen had fought alongside him to protect Lushan, and Ashina Chengqing knew him to be one of the top generals in the Yan army, skilled in both literature and military arts. Such a fine general had unfortunately fallen into the hands of the Tang people, and it was said that he had even surrendered… Ashina Chengqing had felt deeply regretful about this in the past, and felt that—with the death of the old emperor, the Yan dynasty had indeed declined, and each subsequent generation was inferior to the last…

Hearing that Tian Qian had been captured by the general before him, he was so terrified that he turned his horse around and fled without even calling for his soldiers.

Ashina Chengqing fled, and his elite guards followed suit, easing the pressure on Li Ji. With a few leaps, their warhorses quickly closed in on the banner.

The commander's banner was extremely tall, with a flagpole as thick as a child's arm, which was too heavy for an ordinary person to lift. Since ancient times, those who could carry the banner alone were among the best warriors in the army. Therefore, it was usually placed on a cart and pulled by horses. Although the horses did not need to be unloaded when the banner arrived at the destination, it still needed to be secured with stakes to prevent it from shifting.

Because the banner is the symbol of the commander-in-chief, attracting the attention of the entire army, if the horses are startled and the banner and chariot move forward, it may be mistaken for the commander-in-chief giving an order to attack. If it does, that's fine; but if it retreats even slightly, it may dampen the morale and be thought that the central army is under attack and will be defeated. What should be done then?

Thus, Ashina Chengqing turned his horse around and fled in haste, which was very convenient, but moving the chariot and pulling the banner was much more troublesome. When Li Ji arrived, the chariot had just been moved and the chariot had not yet turned 180 degrees when Li Ji immediately drew a "Green Lotus Four-Sided Mace" from his back and snapped the banner pole in half with a "crack"—

The rebel banner collapsed with a crash, bringing this fierce battle to a close.

With the banner fallen, the rebel army's formation crumbled, and they fled in panic, none daring to attack the Tang forces again. Li Ji finally breathed a sigh of relief, shaking his shoulders. "Thankfully," he thought, "I still have some strength left," he thought, turning back to call to Chen Ruo—

Unexpectedly, his subordinates reported: "General Chen has been hit by three arrows and two spears, and his injuries are very serious..."

Li Ji then noticed that of the two hundred cavalrymen he had led out, only a hundred remained... During the last few dozen steps of the charge, most of the enemies attacking from the left and right were dealt with by Chen Ruo and the others. The pressure they faced was no less than that of Li Ji, but in terms of martial arts and armor protection, they were far inferior to Li Ji, so it was inevitable that they suffered heavy casualties.

To be honest, if the commander hadn't been charging forward headlong, and hadn't been so close to the enemy's main camp, as if the dawn was just around the corner, these two hundred cavalrymen would have collapsed long ago.

Seeing this, Li Ji couldn't help but feel a little sad. A line of poetry he had read in his previous life came to mind: "Please don't talk about being enfeoffed as a marquis, for the success of one general is built on the bones of ten thousand."

But then his spirits lifted again—if I could carve out a hundred or two hundred years of peace, this poem might not be seen in this world again, who knows!

He immediately ordered: "Take Chen Ruoyu back to the rear and treat him well—go to Hengshan and tell the deputy commander that the Turkic remnants have fled and whether the deputy commander has returned."

The soldier received the order and spurred his horse to gallop away. By the time he arrived at Hengshan, the Tang army's victory was already assured, and they were finishing off several thousand desperate rebel soldiers. When Pugu Huai'en received the report, he was shocked. After briefly inquiring about the situation, he ordered, "Summon Pugu Yang."

Before long, Pugu Yang spurred his horse and came over, asking, "Father, what brings you here?"

Pugu Huaien said, "Li Ji sent someone to inform us that Ashina Chengqing has been defeated..." He was unwilling to mention "Turkic remnants," because Pugu was one of the Nine Tribes of Tiele, originally a subordinate tribe of the Turks—"Are you asking us whether we should go or not?"

Pugu Yang was also greatly shocked upon hearing this, and then exclaimed in astonishment, "Second Brother is so unreasonable! He was ordered to restrain the rebels, how could he have been defeated and driven away? This time, the greatest credit belongs to Second Brother..."

The shouts grew softer and softer—after all, he had a good relationship with Li Ji, and if Ma Lin had relayed those words, the young marshal would probably have lost his temper on the spot, and might even have gone to fight the Zhenxi Army.

Pugu Huaien said, “Do not delay any longer. Hurry up and go with Di De. If you cannot take Ashina Chengqing’s head, I will see you outside Zhaojue Temple tomorrow. If you are even a step late, you will be executed without mercy!”

Pugu Yang accepted the order and soon joined forces with the Uyghur troops led by Di De. Several thousand elite cavalrymen rushed southeast. They met up with Li Ji and Ma Lin at dusk. At this time, the Tang army pursued the rebels, killing and capturing several thousand, and advanced to Shiliuyuan. Ashina Chengqing gathered the defeated soldiers and lined up to wait.

Pugu Yang asked, "Second Brother, Ma Zhenxi, why don't we fight again?"

Ma Lin said, "After fighting for half a day, we are exhausted and the horses are tired. It is getting late. We should withdraw and fight again tomorrow."

Pugu Yang asked, "Father has ordered that we meet tomorrow outside Zhaojue Temple—how far is it from here?" Ma Lin replied, "No more than twenty li." Emperor De laughed heartily, "In that case, the sun has not yet set; we can fight a little longer." He then looked at Li Ji, "Will you come along, Second Brother?"

Li Jizheng had just dismounted and was resting on a large rock when he heard this and jumped up: "Let's go together, let's go together!" He immediately selected more than 300 soldiers who still had fighting strength and the will to fight—including the three generals Nan Jiyun, Lei Wanchun, and Liang Chongyi—and rearranged their formation.

Not to be outdone, Ma Lin also hurriedly mustered his troops. Meanwhile, Pugu Yang, Di De, and the others, having come from afar, were also quite exhausted. They rested their horses for a while, fed them some hay, and then joined forces, surging straight towards the rebel camp.

Chapter Four, In Front of Huian Gate

In the Battle of Shiliuyuan, the rebel army's formation was incomplete and still quite scattered. Then, they saw countless cavalry charging out from the opposite side, among which were Uyghur banners...

The Uyghur cavalry was the strongest in the world. Even the main force of the Tang army, which once roamed north and south and crossed the Pamir Mountains, would not dare to directly confront them without a strong defensive formation. How much less would the rebel army, which was mostly demoralized after a recent defeat? It should be noted that among Shi Chaoyi's army of about 100,000 men, less than one in a hundred were veterans who had fought alongside An Lushan and Shi Siming in the repeated battles against the Khitan, Xi and other northeastern tribes. Most of them were refugees forcibly recruited from Henan and Hebei to fill the ranks. How could they dare to fight against the Uyghur army?

They collapsed at the first contact, and the Tang-He allied forces pursued them for seven or eight miles before stopping when it got dark.

As they set up camp for the night, Li Ji came to check on Chen Ruo. The young man was incredibly unlucky; he had been struck by three arrows and two gunshots, one of which had pierced his ribs, leaving a four-inch-deep wound. Even in later times, let alone with the poor medical standards of that era, it wouldn't be so easy to save him. When Li Ji arrived, Chen Ruo was on his deathbed. Li Ji couldn't help but hold Chen Ruo's hand, tears streaming down his face.