Chapter 159: The Gu Family Banner Does Not Fall, the Turks Cannot Pass Shuofang!

The news continued to spread.

The reputation of the Gu family clearly still held some weight.

Regarding the autocracy of Jieli Khan, those tribes with the weakest strength quickly sent men to deliver news to Gu Yu.

This included the scouts Gu Yu had arranged in all four directions, who also brought back intelligence.

——The situation changed in an instant!

In truth, after experiencing so much, the current Gu Yi could already discern Gu Yu's arrangements this time.

He dared to release such harsh words with such bravado.

It was precisely to enrage Jieli Khan, forcing him to proceed along the path he had laid out for him.

Under the circumstance where it was already certain that Jieli Khan would invade.

This move was to contend for the geographical advantage for the Great Tang.

Beyond that, it was to suppress others with prestige.

It was not the prestige of the Great Tang.

It was the Gu family!

Gu Yu's goal was not just aimed at Jieli Khan, but at the other tribes within the Turkic people.

This is the inevitability of any faction.

Where there is support, there is destined to be opposition.

Although Jieli Khan could currently rely on his incomparable prestige to suppress all of this.

But as long as he could seize a sliver of opportunity, this heart of opposition would grow increasingly strong!

This was where Gu Yu's goal lay!

Its core—remained the attacking of the heart!

If anyone else were to do this, I fear it would not have been completed so easily.

But the Gu family was ultimately different.

Gu Yu dared to speak as the head of the Gu family, wanting to once again awaken the fear these foreign tribes felt in the past when facing Gu Chen.

This was the most critical part!

For Gu Yu.

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

The Shuofang Camp.

Although it was his first time arriving on the battlefield, Gu Yu still did not have the slightest panic, controlling everything from within the main camp.

At the same time, he continued to release news in the name of the "Head of the Gu Family."

Its content—

Remained the endless rumors about the Gu family from the foreign tribes of the past, and also included many pronouncements regarding Jieli Khan.

"The Gu family invades the south, the Golden Wolf falls."

"Those who slight the bloodline of the Azure Wolf chasing the sun shall surely receive Heaven's punishment."

"."

Various prophecies emerged one after another, spreading throughout the entire Turkic army through those small tribes.

Gu Yu's grasp of the human heart was clearly also different from ordinary people.

He was very clear that the fear within the human heart would gradually generate as memories were awakened one by one.

Although Jieli Khan could control the surface, what of it?

Even Li Shimin could not control the human heart.

How much less could he?

Those arrogant remarks were the traps Gu Yu left for Jieli Khan, forcing him to continue advancing, letting him gradually lose his reason due to anger.

Things indeed did not exceed Gu Yu's expectations.

The Turkic army, to put it bluntly, was a coalition of various tribes.

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

And compared to the Nine Provinces;

The concern for prophecy and superstition among the various Turkic tribes was even more astonishing.

Even before the great battle had begun, various prophecies and superstitions had completely spread throughout the entire Turkic army, and the more they were passed on, the more outrageous they became.

Never mind those lowest-level Turkic cavalrymen.

Even some tribal leaders were slightly influenced, and some even tried to persuade Jieli Khan again, wanting him to withdraw his troops, but without exception, they all suffered Jieli Khan's scolding:

"If we avoid the Gu family as if fearing wolves, who in the grasslands will still fear my Golden Wolf Banner!"

This was the terrifying aspect of Gu Yu.

From the moment Jieli Khan mobilized his troops, he had to advance along the path Gu Yu had designed for him.

As long as he showed a hint of fear.

Then his prestige within the entire Turkic people would be severely affected.

Jieli Khan was not a fool.

In fact, by now, he had already faintly sensed a trace of unease; the fear the soldiers of the various tribes had for those rumors about the Gu family was something he had not anticipated.

But how could he withdraw his troops?

As long as he returned empty-handed today, the offensive and defensive momentum between the Great Tang and the Turks would completely shift.

At that time, as long as he faced a shortage of resources again, his position as Khan would be threatened!

He had no way out!

In order to suppress the prophecies permeating the army, Jieli Khan had to brandish the hunting blade in his hand, intending to use violence to suppress everyone's dissent.

Besides this—he also promised heavy rewards.

Whoever breaks Shuofang first;

Shall be rewarded with five thousand cattle and sheep, and one thousand slaves!

Under these various means, although the influence caused by these prophecies still remained in people's hearts, at least on the surface, no one dared to oppose Jieli Khan anymore.

But what could that do?

How could someone like Gu Yu not think of these things?

He was not Gu Chen; how could he rely solely on prophecies to despise enemies from all directions?

This battle was destined to be fought.

The ninth year of Wude, the end of the seventh month;

After suppressing various criticisms, the Turkic army finally arrived at Shuozhou.

When they stepped onto this land once again.

That emotion unique to invaders quickly rose in the hearts of all the Turkic soldiers.

Invasion—

Could bring people too much excitement.

Whether it was the grain and fodder, or the slaves and women, scenes from the past flashed through their minds once again as they stepped onto this land.

And when they recalled all of this, even the influence brought by the Gu family's prophecies faded a little.

——Greed has always been an inescapable root of evil for humanity.

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

He would certainly not give up this opportunity.

He immediately ordered a force to lead twenty thousand troops to attack Shuozhou urgently!

The great battle began.

Facing the surging Turkic army, the Shuozhou garrison appeared incomparably panicked, even giving the feeling of collapsing without a fight.

When hearing this news, even Jieli Khan was a bit stunned.

Inside the camp.

Everyone's expressions were incomparably grave.

If it were someone else, they naturally would not have this feeling.

But the one in Shuofang now was the head of the Gu family; how could it be so simple?

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

Once these words were spoken, everyone present could not help but nod involuntarily.

"There must be a trick. In my tribe, legends about the Gu family from the past were passed down. The people of the Gu family are all treacherous and cunning, extremely good at sowing discord in our relationships. Now they are definitely playing a trick!"

"Correct! How could the bloodline of the Azure Wolf chasing the sun be so pathetic?"

"Great Khan must not be fooled, let us withdraw our troops!"

"."

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

It was too easy!

Something like collapsing without a fight could absolutely not happen in a place guarded by the descendants of the Gu family!

Listening to everyone's words, Jieli Khan's brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

How could he not sense the abnormality?

But how could he withdraw!

Moreover, Jieli Khan was thinking far more than they were; he was now considering whether this was something Gu Yu was intentionally putting on display?

Was the goal simply to force them to retreat?

Problems had already emerged within the Tang imperial court, and he was well aware that the main force of the Tang Army was not in Shuofang, and that Gu Yu had only a few tens of thousands of troops under his command.

Under these circumstances.

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

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

The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was possible.

There was a very distinct detail about the troops commanded by the descendants of the Gu clan: their soldiers were always incredibly united, all possessing the will to face death!

Logically speaking—

It was absolutely impossible for the current situation of collapsing without a fight to occur.

Since it had already occurred, then there was definitely something fishy!

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

Under the solemn gazes of the crowd.

Jieli Khan took a deep breath and spoke slowly: "What if this is just a treacherous plot by that Gu clan descendant?"

The atmosphere inside the tent changed abruptly.

The corners of Jieli Khan's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a look of disdain: "With the current changes within the Tang imperial court and their elite forces not in Shuo, what means does he have to block my hundreds of thousands of lions?"

"I reckon—"

"He can only rely on such treacherous plots!"

The more Jieli Khan spoke, the more confident he became; in the end, he stood up directly, his face full of a confident smile: "I understand now!"

"No wonder the prophecies regarding the Gu clan have been spreading so rapidly these days."

"No wonder that head of the Gu clan lacked the slightest bit of the humility of the people of the Nine Provinces, and spoke so many arrogant words one after another."

"He—he just wants to make us wary."

"Worried that he is using a treacherous plot, forcing us to retreat."

"If the Tang imperial court recovers and all their elite forces arrive, we will have missed this heaven-sent opportunity!"

—It all makes sense!

It makes perfect sense!

After saying these words, Jieli Khan felt as if all the questions in his heart had been resolved.

All of this was Gu Yu's treacherous plot.

It was just to force them to withdraw their troops.

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

They had to admit that Jieli Khan's analysis was correct.

Everything could be connected.

And it was very consistent with the psychological warfare that generations of Gu clan descendants were always good at using—to defeat the enemy without a fight.

But even so, they still felt uneasy in their hearts.

What if they were wrong?

However, Jieli Khan was not willing to care about their thoughts at this moment; perhaps because things had gone too smoothly for him over these years, Jieli Khan was also very arrogant about his own abilities.

The Nine Provinces was his blood bag.

For these years, it had always been so.

As for what the so-called Gu clan could do?

Since the rise of the Gu clan until now.

In hundreds of years, how many Gu clan descendants could be like Gu Chen back then, forcing every power they reached to bow their heads?

How could such a person appear so easily?

"Pass the order!"

Jieli Khan did not hesitate at all, his gaze suddenly turning sharp: "Attack Shuozhou immediately!"

Seeing that the crowd still looked somewhat hesitant.

He suddenly changed his tone: "Could it be that you do not want the grain and slaves of the Central Plains?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere changed abruptly.

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

Profit is a drug that makes people lose their minds.

When there is enough profit, any thoughts will be quickly extinguished when faced with it.

The great battle erupted.

As the Turkic army officially sounded the pace of the attack, the entire garrison of Shuozhou had no desire to resist and chose to abandon the city and flee one after another.

Perhaps they truly believed in their own judgment, or perhaps they wanted to establish an immortal prestige within the Turks by conquering the Gu clan;

Under these circumstances.

Jieli Khan did not have a shred of hesitation and immediately led his troops in pursuit!

Ambition grows with the changes in the situation.

At this point, Jieli Khan was the same; seeing through Gu Yu's treacherous plot had indeed made him far too confident.

He had even imagined that after conquering the Gu clan, he would directly attack Changancheng and take the entire Guanzhong, and then he would be able to occupy the entire Central Plains.

But all fantasies must eventually 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 instantly!

The Tang Army, having long been prepared to meet the enemy, quickly surrounded the entire canyon.

Accompanied by arrows as dense as rain and rolling stones.

The entire canyon instantly turned into a meat grinder at this moment, and the sounds of wailing echoed throughout the sky through the resonance formed by the canyon.

—Total chaos!

The sudden change instantly threw the twenty thousand Turkic troops who had come in pursuit into complete disarray; coupled with the instinctive flight of their horses after being injured, the traps Gu Yu had long prepared also took effect at this time.

This was the first battlefield Gu Yu had chosen!

Everything done previously was to lure the Turkic troops into the trap.

His judgment of human nature had been incredibly transcendent since childhood, let alone now that he had reached this age.

Gu Yu was certain that Jieli Khan would never give up this opportunity, nor would he give up on conquering the Gu clan!

And the Sanggan River Canyon;

Was the only terrain that could restrict the Turkic cavalry!

Red banners fluttered in the wind against the cliff walls, the characters for "Tang" and "Gu" reflecting each other, like two sharp blades suspended in the firmament.

Gu Yan stood atop the dangerous cliff clad in black armor, with the valley floor littered with corpses beneath his feet.

He looked at the blood-stained riverbank, his sword-like brows slightly furrowed, and suddenly raised his hand to summon a messenger; the biting mountain wind brushed past his tightly pursed thin lips, and his resolute words were wrapped in chill: "Gu clan descendant Gu Yan is here—"

"As long as this flag does not fall, the Turks shall not cross Shuofang for ten years!"

"Those who cross Shuofang—"

"Die!"

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

The echo reverberated back and forth in the steep canyon, shaking the gravel on the cliff edge until it fell with a rustle.

Under the blood-red setting sun.

These deafening sounds were truly like divine punishment, punishing these Turkic cavalrymen who dared to offend the divine countenance.

Panic;

Pain;

Fear of death;

Countless men and horses fell one after another within this canyon; although in the end, as Jieli Khan led his army to arrive, they finally broke through the canyon's defenders and let the remnants retreat.

But there were still nearly ten thousand people who fell within this canyon.

A sudden, crushing defeat had completely shattered Jieli Khan's fantasies.

It also brought the others back to their senses.

The most critical point was—

Subsequently, they discovered that even in the abandoned Shuozhou city, Gu Yu had left them nothing.

Never mind grain, gold, or silver treasures.

There were not even men to be used as slaves or women to be used for venting.

Unprecedented panic instantly rose within the Turkic ranks, followed by those prophecies regarding the Gu clan, which were even more intense this time than the last.

Various prophecies had reached a point where Jieli Khan could no longer control them.

Especially since Gu Yu had also had someone carve a stone tablet at the Sanggan River Canyon, using both the scripts of the Nine Provinces and the Turks to carve: "The Gu clan slaughtered the wolves here!"

The wolf was the totem of the Turks!

This act undoubtedly caused more people to panic.

For a time, the voices calling for a retreat rose once again among the Turks.

But how could Jieli Khan retreat?

Perhaps he could have before, but he was unwilling to abandon his pride.

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

He must fight!

At the very least, he must have something to show for it!

Shuofang.

Tang Army camp.

"Jieli will not retreat," Gu Yu said, looking calmly at the gathered Gu Shizi and instructing them: "On the battlefield, victory and profit are not everything; you must remember that the hearts of men are also a key factor."

He was just like the usual head of the Gu family, doing his utmost to teach the family's descendants.

He not only explained why it was impossible for Jieli Khan to withdraw his troops.

He also included why Jieli Khan had been deceived and thus ended up where he was today.

All the descendants listened very attentively.

Gu Yu’s expression was calm, showing neither sorrow nor joy despite the great victory, and after he finished speaking, he gave instructions: "Submit a memorial to the imperial court."

"Say that the Turks suddenly led an army to invade."

"Although Gu Quan repelled the enemy and beheaded over ten thousand, he died in battle at the Sanggan River Gorge."

Once these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the camp instantly became heavy.

The joy on the faces of Gu Yan and the others vanished instantly, replaced 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 this moment truly arrived, the grief in their hearts was still unavoidable.

How could Gu Quan doing this not be for the sake of the family?

Gu Yu saw the unspeakable emotions of the group and waved his hand again, urging: "Go, go, prepare yourselves; I still have to go and see Jieli."

"Father!"

Hearing this, Gu Yan’s eyes sharpened, and he immediately said: "Our army has just won a great victory, and morale is high, while the Turks are in turmoil; why don't we take this opportunity to counterattack the Turks?"

"At that time..."

"We can also win more merit for our elder brother."

He wanted to fight for Gu Quan once more, and he also did not want to let this opportunity slip by.

"Turmoil in their hearts?" Gu Yu shook his head directly: "When truly forced into a desperate situation, these people will always abandon everything."

"At that time..."

"Have you ever thought about what would happen to the Nine Provinces and the Great Tang?"

As he spoke, his tone paused slightly, and he sighed softly: "Everyone has a desire for progress, but the difficulty lies in how to control it."

"This is indeed a strategic opportunity."

"However, the world today is exhausted, and the court and the public are not yet at peace."

"If any mistake occurs, my Gu family will become sinners of the Nine Provinces; have you considered this?"

His tone was very calm, yet it struck directly at the hearts of those present.

The Nine Provinces truly could not afford to fight anymore.

Once the war began, the resulting impact would instantly spread across the entire Nine Provinces.

How long had it been since the Great Tang unified the world?

The palace coup had just ended.

If war were to break out again at such a time, and if chaos were to arise once more within the Nine Provinces, then everything would head toward an irreversible direction.

How could he not have the desire to achieve great things in his own heart?

But it was that very saying—

Everyone has a desire for progress, but the difficulty lies in how to control this desire.

The great battle between the Great Tang and the Turks was not for today.

Everyone fell silent instantly.

By now, the name "Gu family" provided convenience to the family's descendants, but it was also a burden.

For the sake of the family, they could not be willful, nor could they go mad.

In fact, they all understood this point.

If it weren't for Gu Quan, they would not be so unwilling in their hearts.

Who wouldn't want to win more titles for Gu Quan?

Seeing that everyone still made no move, Gu Yu shook his head lightly and finally had to pick up the brush and paper himself.

He explained the situation of this battle to the imperial court;

The detailed battle situation and his arguments.

Afterward, he wrote much in this memorial to Li Shimin.

The content was about the ambition to achieve great things and the need for restraint, speaking of the questions about "original intent" that he and Li Shimin had discussed in the past.

How could this not be his own end?

Although Gu Yu’s body had not yet reached its limit, he had long since reached the age of a candle in the wind.

Guarding against foreign enemies for the Nine Provinces was the end he chose for himself, and it was also the last thing he could do for the entire family.

In fact, Gu Yi still failed to see many things.

Why Gu Yu kept emphasizing his status as the head of the Gu family throughout this battle.

He wanted to completely cement the bond between the Gu family and the rise and fall of the Nine Provinces.

At the same time—he also wanted to make the name of the Gu family resound throughout the Nine Provinces once again.

The memorial headed toward Changancheng.

At the same time, Gu Yu did not stop his targeting of the Turks.

He continued to spread various prophecies.

Only this time it was different from before; the rumors spread this time also included nursery rhymes from various Turkic tribes.

And other rumors about their hometowns, such as "Why don't the men of the grasslands return home!"

The Turkic morale was greatly shaken!

In fact, by this point, even Jieli Khan no longer had any desire to continue fighting.

But for the sake of his dignity as Khan, he had to suppress all his emotions and continue to lead the army forward.

This time, compared to his previous reckless charging, he was clearly much more cautious.

However, Gu Yu had no intention of continuing to target them.

There were no ambushes.

The entire Turkic army finally crossed the Sanggan River Gorge and headed straight for Shuofang.

But just at this moment—

News from Gu Yu finally arrived; he wanted to meet Jieli Khan in person.

When they heard that the head of the Gu family wanted to meet the Khan in person.

The entire Turkic camp was alarmed.

Jieli Khan was also shocked.

No matter how indifferent he acted, those rumors from his childhood surfaced at this time.

He had no choice but to meet him.

And he could not lose the face of the Turkic Khan!

The place where the two sides met was not far outside the Sanggan River Gorge, not very far from either Shuofang or the Turkic camp.

Gu Yu did not bring any guards.

Only Gu Yan and a group of Gu Shizi.

And conversely—

Jieli Khan did bring quite a few confidants.

When he saw Gu Yu, his whole body trembled inexplicably, especially the strands of Bai Fa on Gu Yu’s head, which constantly stimulated his thoughts.

According to the rumors—

The one who chases the sun, the Pale Wolf, had a full head of Bai Fa, yet his bravery remained undiminished, and no one could defeat him.

That was the feeling Gu Yu gave him now.

However, as the Turkic Khan, Jieli Khan would not lose face like this, so he spoke first: "I never thought that in this life, I would actually meet two people from the Gu family."

"I remember when I met the Prince of Qin of the Great Tang in the past, there was also a Gu Shizi accompanying him."

"You..."

"Are you really not afraid that I will kill you directly and take Changancheng while the Tang Army is in chaos?"

He was doing this to bolster his own courage!

Gu Yu did not say any nonsense; he just waved his hand directly.

Gu Yan, who was behind him, immediately received the signal and shouted a few times; suddenly, clouds of dust rose in the distance.

"The Khan can guess... how many more preparations I have," Gu Yu said indifferently.

Seeing this, the Jieli Khan immediately furrowed his brows, and anger inevitably rose in his eyes, "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?" The Jieli Khan frowned.

Gu Yu paid no mind to his reaction and continued, "If the Khan withdraws his troops, not only can he avoid casualties among his tribesmen, but he can also ensure that the mutual trade between both sides continues."

"."

He spoke of the alliance treaty established between Li Shimin and the Jieli Khan in the past.

In truth, Gu Yu was simply giving the Jieli Khan a way out, a way for him to withdraw his troops safely, nothing more.

And the Jieli Khan had no other choice.

Although on the surface, he still had to maintain a position of strength.

But when Gu Yu said he was willing to return the grain and fodder they had lost in that previous battle.

The chieftains under the Jieli Khan, who had long since intended to retreat, naturally began to persuade the Jieli Khan.

And the Jieli Khan naturally took the opportunity to step down and agreed to the matter directly.

Both sides departed.

Gu Yu gazed at the backs of the Jieli Khan and his party, his expression as calm as water.

Conversely, Gu Yan and the others had cold glints in their eyes, their fingertips unconsciously gripping the hilts of their swords, clearly unable to hide the indignation in their hearts.

When Gu Yu turned around, he caught the expressions of the group and suddenly chuckled, "Are you feeling unreconciled?"

He raised his hand to press on Gu Yan's shoulder, his fingertips rubbing the patterns on the other's armor, his gaze cast toward the distant mountains dyed gray by the twilight: "Then remember this bloodthirst firmly."

"The unfinished business of today..."

He released his hand, his fingertips tapping lightly against the jade pendant at his waist as they rested behind his back, his voice carrying a sense of weary melancholy, "One day, it will fall upon your shoulders."

The wind swept gravel across everyone's faceplates.

Yet Gu Yu's words seemed to be carved into everyone's bones and blood, making everyone's eyes grow increasingly firm.

Just the next day—

The Turkic army finally retreated.

Changancheng.

The eight-hundred-li urgent battle report was naturally sent back at the first opportunity.

Upon hearing that the Turks had moved south.

The entire Tang court was instantly ignited.

Unprecedented panic instantly appeared in everyone's hearts; clearly, they already held a trace of fear toward the Turks.

But following that came the news of the great victory at the Sanggan River Gorge and the death of Gu Quan in battle.

Regardless of the thoughts in the minds of the court officials, at the very least on the surface, every one of them was extremely shocked, ecstatic, and finally silent.

And who did not know of the relationship between Gu Quan and Li Shimin?

Although the Gu Shizi had not helped Li Shimin, they had not helped Li Jiancheng either; how could this relationship just be severed?

In the court, someone immediately brought up the matter of bestowing a posthumous title upon Gu Quan.

Li Shimin did not refuse this matter.

However, beyond this, he directly re-bestowed the "Champion Marquis" title, unique to the Tang, upon the Gu Shizi.

And he specifically pointed out that its rank was equal to that of the "Founding Dukes."

This matter stirred up a round of discussion in the court, though the officials were not overly resistant.

This was not only because of Li Shimin's current power.

It was also because of the Gu Shizi.

The "Champion Marquis" and the Gu Shizi seemed to have become bound together.

But Gu Quan naturally would not agree to this matter; let alone the Champion Marquis, he did not even want Li Shimin to establish a posthumous title for him.

At least in his heart.

He felt that he was not yet worthy of a posthumous title.

But Li Shimin's attitude was extremely firm, his burning gaze fixed tightly on Gu Quan: "Don't forget, you are still alive!"

"You must remember—"

"As long as you are still breathing, then in the future, you will contend alongside me!"

"I will never allow you to be buried in the historical records."

"At least here with me—"

"Your merits are no less than those of the Marquis of Zhongwu, the Marquis of Wencheng, and the others of the past!"

——————

"In the seventh month of autumn in the ninth year of Wude, the Turkic Jieli Khan heard of changes in the Tang court, secretly united the various tribes, and led a force of one hundred thousand to strike at the borders and invade the south; their banners covered the fields, and they declared they would take Changancheng directly.

Grand Tutor Gu Yu, a descendant of the Julu Gu Shizi, was well-versed in border affairs; he perceived their plot and supervised the Shuofang Army to resist them.

Gu Yu first sent death-defying men disguised as merchant Hu to sneak into the enemy camp and spread the prophecy: 'The Yinshan snow is red, the Golden Wolf's head falls.'

The Turkic tribesmen heard this and were all suspicious and fearful.

At the time, General Gu Quan, the eldest son of Gu Yu, ambushed five thousand elite armored troops at the Sanggan River Gorge.

The Turkic vanguard advanced lightly; Gu Quan waited until they were halfway across, then unleashed crossbows and stones together, cutting off the flow and intercepting them, beheading over nine thousand, the enemy's blood staining the river, and corpses clogging the riverbed.

The enemy reinforcements arrived in great numbers; Gu Quan held the dangerous terrain and fought to the death, from dawn until dusk, until his arrows were exhausted and his sword broken, yet he still held short weapons to engage in battle, finally dying in the gorge at the age of thirty-six.

The Taizong heard this and remained silent for a long time, then issued an edict: 'Gu Quan held the enemy at the dangerous pass with a lone army; his loyalty and courage pierced metal and stone; even the martyrs of old could not surpass this!'

He was posthumously titled Wulie.

He bestowed the title of Champion Marquis upon him and his younger brother Gu Yan.

The Turks were awed by the prestige of the Gu Shizi and subsequently led their troops to flee north, not daring to peer at Shuofang again."

—"Book of Tang: Biography of Gu Quan"

(End of this chapter)