Chapter 155: The Gu Family's Banner Stands Unbroken—The Türks Shall Not Pass Shuofang!

The news kept spreading.

The Gu family's reputation clearly still carried some weight.

Faced with Jieli Khan's arbitrary rule, the weakest tribes quickly sent people to deliver word to Gu Yu.

Including the scouts Gu Yu had posted in all four directions, who also brought back intelligence.

—The situation was changing in an instant!

In truth, after everything that had happened, Gu Yi could now see through Gu Yu's arrangement this time.

He dared to swagger and throw out such harsh words.

It was to provoke Jieli Khan, forcing him to advance along the very path Gu Yu had laid out for him.

Given that it was already certain Jieli Khan would come to attack—

This move was to seize the terrain advantage for the Great Tang.

Beyond that, it was to overawe with sheer presence.

Not the Great Tang's presence.

But the Gu family's!

Gu Yu's target was not merely Jieli Khan himself, but the other tribes within the Türks.

This was the inevitable nature of any major power.

Where there are supporters, there are bound to be opponents.

Although Jieli Khan could presently crush all of this beneath his unmatched prestige—

The moment he seized even the slightest opening, that undercurrent of opposition would only swell!

That was exactly Gu Yu's aim!

Its core—remained a war of hearts!

Anyone else attempting this would likely not pull it off so easily.

But the Gu family was, after all, different.

Gu Yu dared to speak as the head of the Gu clan precisely to reawaken in these foreign tribes that old terror they once felt before Gu Chen.

This—was the most critical point of all!

For Gu Yu—

The crux of this battle was to win the very first fight, which was why he had made so many preparations in advance!

Shuofang Great Camp.

Though it was his first time on a battlefield, Gu Yu showed not the slightest panic, controlling everything from within the camp.

At the same time, he kept releasing messages under the name of "Head of the Gu Clan."

Their content—

Was still the endless legends about the Gu family that once circulated among the foreign tribes, along with numerous pronouncements of doom upon Jieli Khan.

"Invade the Gu family southward, and the Golden Wolf shall fall."

"He who scorns the blood of the Grey Wolf Chaser of the Sun shall surely incur Heaven's wrath."

"."

One omen after another emerged, spreading through those small tribes and permeating the entire Türk army.

Gu Yu's grasp of the human heart was clearly far beyond ordinary.

He knew full well that the fear buried in men's hearts is gradually reborn as memory after memory is stirred awake.

Even if Jieli Khan could keep the surface under control, so what?

Even Li Shimin cannot control the hearts of men.

Let alone him?

Those brazen declarations were the traps Gu Yu had laid for Jieli Khan—forcing him to keep advancing, letting anger slowly rob him of reason.

Things, as expected, did not unfold beyond Gu Yu's predictions.

The Türk army, when all was said and done, was merely a coalition of the various tribes.

The problem of such a coalition being impossible to fully control was unavoidable.

And compared to the Nine Provinces—

The various Türk tribes' devotion to omens and superstitions was even more astonishing.

Before the great battle had even begun, all manner of omens and superstitions had thoroughly spread through the entire Türk army, growing wilder with every retelling.

To say nothing of the lowest-ranking Türk cavalry.

Even some tribal chieftains were somewhat affected; some once more tried to counsel Jieli Khan to withdraw his forces, but without exception were met with his rebuke:

"If we flee the Gu family as we would a wolf, who on the steppe will still fear my Golden Wolf banner!"

This was the terrifying part of Gu Yu.

From the moment Jieli Khan set his troops in motion, he was forced to march down the very road Gu Yu had designed for him.

The moment he showed even a hint of fear—

His prestige throughout the entire Türk realm would suffer a severe blow.

Jieli Khan was no fool.

In truth, by now he had already sensed a vague unease; the fear his warriors harbored toward those legends of the Gu family was something he had not anticipated.

But how could he withdraw?

If he returned empty-handed today, the offensive and defensive positions of the Great Tang and the Türks would be completely reversed.

When the time came and they faced another shortage of resources, his very seat as Khan would be threatened!

He had no path of retreat whatsoever!

To suppress the ominous rumors spreading through the army, Jieli Khan had no choice but to swing the hunting blade in his hand, intending to crush all dissent with violence.

Besides that—he also promised rich rewards.

Whoever breaches Shuofang first;

Shall be rewarded with five thousand head of cattle and sheep, and a thousand slaves!

Under these various measures, although the influence of those rumors still lingered in people's hearts, at least on the surface no one dared to oppose Jieli Khan any longer.

But what good was that?

How could someone like Gu Yi possibly fail to foresee all this?

He was not Gu Chen—how could mere rumors be enough to make him look down upon enemies on all sides?

This battle was destined to be fought.

Wu De, ninth year, end of the seventh month;

After suppressing all manner of dissent, the great Turkic army finally arrived at Shuozhou.

The moment they once more set foot upon this land—

That emotion unique to invaders swiftly rose within the hearts of every Turkic soldier.

Invasion—

Could bring people far too much excitement.

Whether it was the grain and fodder, or the slaves and women, every scene from the past flashed through their minds once more as they set foot upon this land again.

And as they recalled all this, even the influence of the Gu clan's prophecy faded somewhat.

—Greed has always been a sin rooted deep within humanity, impossible to shake off.

Jieli Khan naturally noticed the change in the army's morale, and was overjoyed.

He would not let slip this opportunity.

He immediately ordered men to lead twenty thousand troops in a swift assault on Shuozhou!

The great battle began.

Facing the wildly surging Turkic army, the Shuozhou defenders were in utter panic, giving off the very feeling of a rout without a fight.

Upon hearing this news, even Jieli Khan was somewhat dumbfounded.

Inside the command tent.

The expressions of all present were utterly Serious.

If it were anyone else, they naturally would not have felt this way.

But the one in Shuofang now is the Gu clan patriarch—how could things be so simple?

"Great Khan, could there be a trap in this?" Zhishi Sili stared intently at Jieli Khan and said earnestly.

At these words, everyone present could not help but nod.

"There must be a trap. Among my tribe there once circulated legends of the Gu clan from years past—the people of the Gu clan are all treacherous and cunning, extremely adept at sowing discord among us. They must be playing a trick now!"

"Exactly! How could the bloodline of the Grey Wolf Sun-Chaser be so feeble?"

"Great Khan must not be fooled—let us retreat!"

"."

Everyone spoke one after another, their eyes filled with vigilance.

Too easy!

A rout without a fight could absolutely never occur in a place guarded by a son of the Gu clan!

Listening to the crowd, Jieli Khan's brow furrowed tighter and tighter.

How could he fail to sense something was off?

But how could he retreat!

Moreover, Jieli Khan thought far more deeply than they did—he was now considering whether this might be deliberately put on by Gu Yi.

The aim being to force their retreat?

The Great Tang court had already developed internal problems, and he was well aware that the main force of the Tang army was not in Shuofang either; under Gu Yi's command there were only a few ten-thousand troops.

Under such circumstances—

It was not impossible that Gu Yi was deliberately feigning weakness to make them wary.

In his mind, Jieli Khan kept recalling the contents of those military treatises, as well as the legends of the Gu clan.

The more he thought, the more possible it seemed.

There was one very obvious detail in how the sons of the Gu clan commanded troops: every soldier under them was utterly united in heart, all possessed the resolve to face death!

By all reason—

Such a situation of rout without a fight was absolutely impossible.

Since it had now appeared, there was definitely something fishy!

Thinking of this, Jieli Khan simply waved his hand, directly silencing the voices of the crowd.

Under the Serious gazes of all present—

Jieli Khan drew a deep breath and slowly spoke: "What if this is precisely the Gu Shizi's trickery?"

The atmosphere within the tent changed abruptly.

The corner of Jieli Khan's mouth lifted slightly, revealing a hint of a disdainful smile: "The Great Tang court is in turmoil now, its elites are not in the north—what means could he possibly have to block this Khan's hundreds of thousands of mighty lions?"

"It must be—"

"That he has no choice but to resort to such trickery!"

The more Jieli Khan spoke, the more confident he grew; by the end he even stood up directly, his face full of confident smiles: "This Khan understands now!"

"No wonder the Gu clan prophecy has spread so swiftly these past days."

"No wonder the Gu Clan Head showed not the slightest humility befitting a man of the Nine Provinces, spouting one arrogant remark after another."

"He — was deliberately trying to make us feel wary."

"Worried that he might use some cunning stratagem to force us to withdraw our troops outright."

"If we wait until the Great Tang court sends reinforcements and all their elites arrive, we will have missed this heaven-sent opportunity!"

— It all clicked!

It completely clicked!

After saying these words, Jieli Khan felt that every doubt in his heart had been solved at once.

All of this was Gu Yu's stratagem.

It was meant to force them to withdraw.

The expressions of the others at this moment grew increasingly complex, all of them deep in thought over the words Jieli Khan had just spoken.

They could not help but admit that Jieli Khan's analysis was correct.

All of this could be strung together.

And it also fit perfectly with the mind-attack tactics that generations of Gu Clan scions had always been adept at using — defeating the enemy without a single blow.

But even so, unease still lingered in their hearts.

What if they were wrong?

However, Jieli Khan was unwilling to care about their thoughts at this moment. Perhaps it was because things had gone too smoothly for him over the years, but Jieli Khan was also deeply proud of his own abilities.

The Nine Provinces were his blood bag.

It had always been so over the years.

As for this so-called Gu Clan, what could they possibly do?

Since the rise of the Gu Clan to this day.

In these several hundred years, how many scions of the Gu Clan could match the original Gu Chen, who struck down every power in his path until they all bowed their heads?

How could such a person possibly appear so easily?

"Relay my orders!"

Jieli Khan did not hesitate in the slightest; his gaze suddenly turned sharp: "Attack Shuozhou immediately!"

Seeing that the others still looked somewhat hesitant.

His tone suddenly shifted, "Could it be that you don't want the grain and slaves of the Central Plains anymore?"

The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere changed abruptly.

Many people's eyes instantly lit up, and they all nodded.

Profit is a drug that makes men lose their reason.

When there is enough profit to be had, any thought in the face of it will be swiftly extinguished.

The great battle erupted suddenly.

As the Turkic army officially struck the march of their advance, the entire garrison of Shuozhou had no will to resist whatsoever, and one after another chose to abandon the city and flee.

Perhaps they truly believed in their own judgment, or perhaps they wished to establish an undying prestige among the Turks by conquering the Gu Clan;

Under such circumstances.

Jieli Khan did not hesitate in the slightest, and immediately led his troops in pursuit!

Ambition grows with every shift in the situation.

At this point, Jieli Khan was no exception; seeing through the Gu Clan's stratagem had indeed made him far, far more confident.

He had even already imagined that after conquering the Gu Clan, he would march straight on Chang'an and take all of Guanzhong, and by then be able to occupy the entire Central Plains.

But all such fantasies must, in the end, face reality.

As the Turkic army pursued into the Sanggan River Canyon.

As the first cavalryman fell into the trap Gu Yu had long prepared for them.

The situation changed in an instant!

The Tang army, long prepared to meet the enemy, swiftly surrounded the entire canyon.

Accompanied by arrows and rolling stones, dense as rain.

The entire canyon, in that moment, instantly became a meat grinder; the wails of agony echoed through the canyon and reverberated across the heavens.

— Utter chaos!

The sudden turn of events instantly threw the twenty thousand pursuing Turkic troops into complete disarray. Compounded by their warhorses' instinct to flee once wounded, the traps Gu Yu had long prepared now came into play.

This was the first battlefield Gu Yu had chosen!

Everything done before was to lure the Turkic soldiers into the trap.

His grasp of the human heart had been extraordinary since childhood, let alone now that he had reached this age.

Gu Yu was certain that Jieli Khan would absolutely not give up this opportunity, nor would he give up conquering the Gu Clan!

And the Sanggan River Canyon;

Was the only terrain that could restrain the Turkic cavalry!

Crimson banners snapped and rolled between the cliff walls, the characters "Tang" and "Gu" shining against each other, like two blades suspended in the heavens.

Gu Yan, clad in dark armor, stood atop the perilous cliff, the corpse-strewn valley floor beneath his feet.

He gazed at the bloodstained riverbank, his sword-brows slightly furrowed, then suddenly raised his hand to summon a messenger. The biting mountain wind swept past his tightly pressed thin lips, and his words, heavy with finality, carried a chill: "A descendant of the Gu Clan, Gu Yan, stands here —"

"So long as this banner does not fall, the Turks shall not pass beyond Shuofang for ten years!"

"Those who pass Shuofang —"

"Die!"

As the messengers roared in unison, the wave of sound exploded like thunder.

The echoes reverberated back and forth through the steep canyon, shaking loose gravel tumbling down from the cliff edges.

Beneath a blood-red setting sun.

Those deafening blasts truly sounded like divine punishment, chastising these Turkic cavalry who dared to offend the face of the gods.

Panic;

Agony;

Fear of death;

Within the canyon, countless men and horses fell one after another. Though in the end, when Jieli Khan led his army to arrive, he finally broke through the canyon's defenders and allowed the remnants to withdraw.

But nearly ten thousand men in total had also fallen within this canyon.

This sudden, crushing defeat utterly shattered Jieli Khan's illusions.

It likewise jolted the others awake.

The most crucial point was—

Afterwards they discovered that even in the abandoned Shuozhou City, Gu Yu had left nothing for them at all.

Let alone any grain, gold, silver, or treasure.

Not even any Han men to be enslaved or women to vent their lust upon.

An unprecedented panic instantly rose within the Turkic ranks, and along with it came those prophecies concerning the Gu clan—stronger this time even than before.

The various prophecies had already reached a point beyond Jieli Khan's control.

Especially since Gu Yu had also had a stone tablet carved at the Sanggan River Canyon, inscribed in both the tongues of the Nine Provinces and the Turkic peoples: "The Gu clan slaughtered wolves here!"

The wolf was the totem of the Turkic peoples!

This move undoubtedly caused even more panic.

For a time, voices calling for retreat rose once more among the Turkic forces.

But how could Jieli Khan retreat?

Before, perhaps he still could—he simply was unwilling to give up his own face.

But now, having gained nothing at all and lost so many men, if he were to withdraw just like this, his so-called position as Turkic Khan would truly be at an end!

He had to fight!

At the very least, he needed some gain!

Shuofang.

The Tang army's great camp.

"Jieli will not retreat." Gu Yu regarded the gathered Gu clan juniors with a calm expression and instructed: "On the battlefield, victory and profit are not everything. You must remember that the hearts of men are likewise a key factor."

Just like the usual Gu clan patriarch, he did his utmost to instruct the gathered family juniors.

He not only explained why Jieli Khan could not possibly withdraw his army.

He also explained why Jieli Khan had fallen into the trap, and thus arrived at this day.

All the juniors listened with great attentiveness.

Gu Yu's expression remained calm, showing no joy or sorrow from this great victory. After finishing, he instructed: "Submit a memorial to the court."

"Say that the Turkic suddenly led their army to invade."

"Although Quan'er repelled the enemy and slew over ten thousand, he died in battle at the Sanggan River Canyon."

The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere within the camp instantly grew heavy.

The joy on Gu Yan and the others' faces likewise vanished in an instant, replaced entirely by grief.

Although they all understood.

Once Gu Quan had made that choice, he was already dead.

This was merely the burial place Gu Yu had chosen for him.

But when the moment truly arrived, the grief in their hearts was still unavoidable.

Wasn't Gu Quan's doing this also for the sake of the family?

Gu Yu perceived the unspeakable emotions in the crowd, waved his hand once more, and urged: "Go, go, make the preparations. I still need to go meet Jieli."

"Father!"

Hearing this, Gu Yan's eyes sharpened and he immediately spoke: "Our army has just achieved a great victory, morale is at its peak, whereas the Turkic hearts are in turmoil. Why don't we seize this chance to counterattack the Turkic?"

"When the time comes—"

"We can also win greater merit for elder brother."

He wished to fight once more for Gu Quan, and likewise did not wish to let this opportunity slip.

"Hearts in turmoil?" Gu Yu directly shook his head: "When they are truly driven into a corner, these people will cast aside everything."

"When the time comes—"

"Have you considered how the Nine Provinces and the Great Tang would fare?"

As he spoke, his tone paused briefly, and he sighed softly: "The heart for advancement is something all men possess, but the difficulty lies in how to control it."

"This is indeed a moment of opportunity."

"Yet the realm today is weary and exhausted, the court and countryside not yet at peace."

"If any mishap were to occur, my Gu clan would become sinners of the Nine Provinces. Have you considered these things?"

His tone was very calm, yet it still struck straight at the hearts of the crowd.

The Nine Provinces truly could not afford another war now.

Once the fires of war were lit, the repercussions would spread across the entire Nine Provinces in an instant.

How long had it been since the Great Tang had just unified the realm?

The palace coup had only just ended.

If war were to break out again at a time like this, and turmoil were to appear once more within the Nine Provinces, then everything would develop in a direction from which there could be no recovery.

Did he himself not also harbor a heart for accomplishing great deeds?

But it was precisely that one saying—

Everyone has a heart for advancement, but the difficulty lies in how to keep that heart in check.

The great war between the Great Tang and the Turks is not for today.

Everyone fell silent in an instant.

By now, the name "Gu" had become both a convenience and a burden for the clan's younger generation.

For the sake of the clan, they could not act wilfully, nor could they run mad.

In truth, they all understood this point.

If not for Gu Quan, they would not have felt such unwillingness in their hearts.

And who would not wish to win a few more honors for Gu Quan?

Seeing that no one still made a move, Gu Yu gently shook his head, and finally had no choice but to pick up paper and brush himself.

He laid out the circumstances of this battle to the court;

the detailed state of the war and his proposals.

Afterwards, he wrote even more in this memorial—many of the words he had once spoken to Li Shimin.

Its content was the ambition to accomplish great deeds, and restraint; speaking of those matters concerning "one's original aspiration" that the two of them had once discussed in years past.

And was this not also his own final destination?

Although Gu Yu's body had not yet reached its absolute limit, he had long since entered the years of a candle guttering in the wind.

Holding back the foreign enemy for the Nine Provinces was also the end he had chosen for himself, and the last thing he could do for the entire clan.

In truth, there were still many things Gu Yi had been unable to see through.

Why Gu Yu had insisted throughout this battle on emphasizing his identity as the head of the Gu clan.

He meant to thoroughly bind the Gu clan's fortunes to the rise and fall of the Nine Provinces.

At the same time—to make the name of the Gu clan ring out once more across the Nine Provinces.

The memorial set out toward Chang'an.

And at the same time, Gu Yu had not ceased his moves against the Turks.

He was still continuing to spread various prophecies.

Only this time it was different from before; among the rumors spread this time were also children's songs from within the various Turkic tribes.

As well as sayings such as "Why do the sons of the grassland not return home!"—all manner of rumors about home.

The morale of the Turkic army was greatly shaken!

In truth, by this stage, even Jieli Khan had no heart left to keep fighting.

But for the sake of his dignity as Khan, he had no choice but to suppress every emotion and continue leading his troops forward.

This time, compared with his previous headlong charges, he was clearly far more cautious.

Yet Gu Yu had no further intention of targeting them either.

There was no ambush of any kind.

The entire Turkic army thus finally crossed the Sanggan River gorge, heading straight for Suofang.

But just at this moment—

News from Gu Yu finally arrived once more: he wished to meet Jieli Khan in person.

Upon hearing that the head of the Gu clan wished to meet the Khan in person—

the entire Turkic camp was stirred.

Jieli Khan himself was startled.

No matter how much he pretended not to care, those childhood legends rose up in his mind at this moment.

He had no choice but to go and meet him.

And he could not lose face for the Turkic Khan either!

The place where the two sides met was just outside the Sanggan River gorge, not far from either Suofang or the main Turkic camp.

Gu Yu brought no guards.

Only Gu Yan and a group of Gu clan juniors.

And on the contrary—

Jieli Khan had indeed brought quite a few trusted men.

When he saw Gu Yu, his whole body gave an involuntary shudder, and especially the strands of white hair on Gu Yu's head kept pricking at his thoughts.

In the legends—

the Grey Wolf Sun-Chaser was a man of snow-white hair, yet his valor was undiminished, and none could stand against him.

That was precisely the feeling Gu Yu now gave him.

But as the Turkic Khan, Jieli Khan would not simply lose face like that; he spoke first: "I never thought that in this Khan's life, he would meet two men of the Gu clan."

"When this Khan met the Great Tang's Qin Wang in years past, there was also a son of the Gu clan accompanying him."

"You—"

"Are you truly not afraid that this Khan will simply cut you down, and while the Tang army's morale is in chaos, take Chang'an by storm?"

He was merely steeling his own courage!

Gu Yu said no superfluous words, merely waved his hand.

Gu Yan behind him immediately took the cue and let out several shouts, and at once clouds of dust rose up not far away.

"The Khan may guess for himself—just how many more preparations I still have." Gu Yu said calmly.

Seeing this, Jilie Khan's brow furrowed instantly, his eyes brimming with anger: "Are you threatening me?"

"No—"

Gu Yu shook his head directly and said calmly: "I have come today to persuade the Khan to withdraw his troops."

"Hmm?" Jilie Khan frowned.

Gu Yu paid no heed to his reaction and continued: "Withdrawing will not only spare your people from casualties, but also ensure the continuation of mutual trade."

"."

He recited the ancient alliance between Li Shimin and Jilie Khan.

In truth, Gu Yu was simply offering Jilie Khan a face-saving exit—a way to retreat without losing dignity, nothing more.

And Jilie Khan had no choice.

Though outwardly he must maintain his dominance.

But when Gu Yu mentioned he would return the grain they had lost in the previous battle,

Jilie Khan's own commanders, who had already wished to withdraw, naturally began urging him to accept.

And Jilie Khan, of course, took the opportunity to yield, agreeing immediately.

Both sides departed.

Gu Yu watched the retreating backs of Jilie Khan's party, his expression as still as water.

In contrast, Gu Yan and the others glared with icy fury, fingers unconsciously gripping the hilts of their swords, their inner rage unmistakable.

As Gu Yu turned, he caught their expressions and let out a faint laugh: "Still resentful?"

He placed a hand on Gu Yan's shoulder, his thumb tracing the patterns on the armor, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains stained gray by twilight: "Then remember this fury—hold it tight."

"What remains unfinished today—"

He released his hand, his fingers behind his back lightly tapping the jade pendant at his waist, his voice heavy with aged sorrow: "will one day rest upon your shoulders."

Wind swept sand and gravel across their armored faces.

Yet Gu Yu's words seemed etched into every soul's blood and bone, hardening each gaze into unwavering resolve.

The next day—

The Turkic army finally withdrew.

Chang'an.

The eight-hundred-li urgent battle report arrived at once.

Upon hearing of the Turkic southward advance,

The entire Tang court ignited instantly.

Unprecedented panic seized every heart—they had already developed a flicker of fear toward the Turks.

But then came the news of the great victory at Sanggan River Gorge and Gu Quan's death.

Regardless of what the ministers truly thought, at least outwardly, each one was stunned, ecstatic, then silent.

Who did not know the relationship between Gu Quan and Li Shimin?

Though the Gu clan had not aided Li Shimin, neither had they aided Li Jiancheng—how could that bond simply vanish?

Instantly, someone in court proposed granting Gu Quan a posthumous title.

Li Shimin did not refuse.

But beyond that, he directly reinstated the Tang's exclusive title of "Marquis Champion" upon the Gu clan.

He specifically declared its rank equal to that of "Founding Duke."

This stirred debate in court, yet the ministers did not strongly resist.

Not merely because of Li Shimin's current power,

But also because of the Gu clan.

The "Marquis Champion" had become inseparable from the Gu clan.

But Gu Quan would never accept this—let alone allow Li Shimin to bestow a posthumous title upon him.

At least in his own heart,

He felt he did not deserve a posthumous title.

Yet Li Shimin's resolve was firm; his burning gaze locked onto Gu Quan: "Don't forget—you're still alive!"

"Remember this—"

"As long as you draw breath, you will fight beside me in the future!"

"I will not allow your name to be buried in the annals."

"At least here—"

"Your merit equals that of the ancient Marquis Zhongwu and Marquis Wencheng!"

——————

In the autumn of the ninth year of Wu De, Jilie Khan, hearing of turmoil within the Tang court, secretly allied with various tribes and led a hundred thousand men to breach the northern frontier, advancing southward with banners blotting out the sky, declaring his intent to seize Chang'an directly.

Grand Tutor Gu Yu, descendant of the Julu Gu clan, long versed in border affairs, discerned the plot and commanded the Shuofang Army to resist.

Gu Yu first dispatched elite assassins disguised as foreign merchants to infiltrate the enemy camp, spreading the prophecy: "The snows of Yin Mountain turn red; the Golden Wolf's head falls."

Upon hearing this, the Turkic tribes grew suspicious and fearful.

At the time, General Gu Quan, Gu Yu's eldest son, lay in wait with five thousand elite armored troops within the Sanggan River Gorge.

The Turkic vanguard advanced recklessly; Quan waited until half had crossed, then unleashed volleys of arrows and stones, severing their passage and slaughtering them—nine thousand heads fell, the river ran red with blood, corpses choked the channel.

Enemy reinforcements arrived in force; Quan held the high ground and fought to the death, from dawn until dusk, arrows spent, swords broken, still wielding short weapons in close combat—until he perished in the gorge, aged thirty-six.

Emperor Taizong heard the news and fell silent for a long while, then issued an edict: "Quan, with a lone force, held the enemy at the pass—his loyalty and valor pierced gold and stone; what ancient hero could surpass him?"

Posthumous title: Wu Lie.

Marquis Biao Champion and his younger brother Gu Yan.

The Turks, awed by the Gu clan's fame, led their troops north in retreat and dared not again covet Shuofang."

— *Old Book of Tang*, Biography of Gu Quan

(End of chapter)