Chapter 128: Not That Simple

Bang!

A huge stone crashed into the courtyard where Fang Chongyong lives, kicking up a cloud of dust.

This is already the fifth giant stone to fall within the government office grounds! A big hole has been smashed into the ceiling of Fang Chongyong's bedroom.

Since the first day's siege went poorly, the Tibetan forces have been besieging the small city without assault, and as their logistics troops arrived and they used timber and stone sourced from Shouchang County, the Tibetans built seventeen spectacular stone‑throwing machines outside the city.

The Tibetans named them "Throwing Tower"!

Its main structure consists of a massive horizontal axle mounted on a wooden frame, with a resilient long wooden rod passing through the axle's center; one end of the rod is attached to a leather pouch made of leather and dozens of ropes, into which stones can be loaded.

When operated, dozens of people pull in unison according to command, using the lever principle to hurl the stones from the leather pouch into the city.

In the government office study, Ana Ye calmly brews tea for Fang Chongyong, as if the huge stone that fell in the courtyard could never have landed in the study.

"The Tibetans know we're hard to deal with and that a siege costs many lives. So now they're using this method to intimidate us, hoping we'll submit."

Fang Chongyong said this while sipping his tea, nearly spitting it out.

Ana Ye grew up in an average family and doesn't bother with the fine details that nobles cherish; the tea she brews truly isn't as tasty as the one made by Zheng Shuqing's maid.

No wonder the Tang add salt to their tea; this brewing technique is unrefined, and without a pinch of salt it just doesn't taste good.

"Now that we know this, why don't you, my lord, move to a safer place? Those damned Tibetans are targeting the government office right now!"

Ana Ye said irritably.

After hearing Fang Chongyong describe the fate of women reduced to Tibetan slaves, she no longer harbored any good thoughts toward the Tibetans.

"If I hide, the city will fall into chaos. Because I'm still handling affairs in the government office, the city's great families, the common folk, and the Hu merchants all know I haven't abandoned this city.

So before I die, they won't be persuaded to surrender to the Tibetans!"

Fang Chongyong pointed to the stack of surrender letters on the desk and said.

Of course, he said that to comfort Ana Ye; in reality the Tibetans are malicious and have grand designs. Such a convoluted, brain‑teasing matter need not be explained to her.

The terms the Tibetan army now offers are indeed generous.

They allow the city's residents to relocate to Longyou, and the Tibetan troops along the Hexi Corridor won't attack; they only want the city itself.

Lately, each time they present a condition, the offered benefits get slightly better, as if they've calculated that Fang Chongyong will inevitably agree.

It's obvious: the Tibetans are strategic in warfare, understanding the principle of winning hearts. Since the Tang army in the small city has already shown "united‑front value," they'll employ a two‑pronged strategy rather than brute force.

Fang Chongyong has long seen through such petty tricks, and merely placates the clueless Qiu Ba.

If the Tibetans truly wanted to let them off, that would be fine, but Fang Chongyong believes their goal isn't "united front" at all.

Suddenly, Fang Dafu rushed in, his face troubled, and said to Fang Chongyong, "My lord, just as you suspected, the Tibetans' real target is the entrance to the city's wells!"

"That's natural."

Fang Chongyong said calmly.

The Tibetan military code explicitly states that in combat with the enemy, destroying their water sources and supply routes comes first. Achieving this earns a Tiger Flag commendation! Rewards for field and household servants are countless.

The Tibetans' scheming needs no further explanation.

The well is an ancient Chinese invention designed for drought‑prone desert regions. Communities dig many vertical wells, seal the tops with stone and clay, build small huts to block sunlight, and cut a side door for users to fetch water.

Wells are not isolated; each well serves as a node, with underground channels dug to link them together.

Thus in the Western Regions, all the wells within a single city are connected by underground canals, forming an artificial "underground river."

The Tibetans, using a map supplied by a prior spy, aim to block the well entrances with stones, preferably destroying them.

If every well entrance in the city is sealed, Dunhuang's small city will inevitably face a water shortage.

Without water, even a haunted city can't be defended; the inhabitants will simply die of thirst.

Even if nothing else, it will shake the defenders' morale! That's winning hearts!

Since the Tibetans began hurling stones, Fang Chongyong has doubted their true aim—whether it's merely intimidation. Their continual urging of surrender and improving surrender terms further reveal hidden motives.

The large‑scale siege hasn't begun; the Tibetans have no need to feign weakness—everything is a covert stratagem.

On the first day the Tibetans started stone‑throwing, Fang Chongyong drafted a topographic map of the city and that same day marked and tallied every stone they hurled.

He discovered the stones' trajectories weren't random; their impact points clustered near the entrances of wells throughout the city.

For example, the Tibetans bombarding the government office makes sense—they might aim to win without fighting, even to kill the provincial inspector and leave the place leaderless.

But throwing stones into the homes of local great families seems illogical.

The only explanation is that a local magnate like Zhang has a well in his house!

These people should have been the Tibetans' targets to win over. Attacking the office but not the great families allows divide‑and‑conquer, striking each separately.

That's the essence of strategy!

Moreover, without knowing the city's specifics, how could they be sure that officials would stay inside the office? If they weren't, wouldn't that waste resources?

Thus the Tibetans' stone‑throwing target is likely the well near the kitchen inside the office, not the various officials.

If that well collapses, Fang Chongyong will have to fetch water elsewhere, fulfilling part of the Tibetans' goal.

If every well in the city collapses, the Tibetans' objective is fully achieved.

Since the city has no more than ten wells, the Tibetan plot doesn't seem reckless; its chance of success is real and considerable. Perhaps there are Tibetan spies inside the city guiding them.

The Tibetans never intended to accept Fang Chongyong's surrender. Their scheme is a classic "open the road while secretly cutting the supply"—aiming to cut off Shazhou's water source without anyone noticing!

"My lord, it's not enough to know what the Tibetans intend; we must find a way to stop them. Today one well has been destroyed and the whole structure collapsed. Whether it can be used after clearing it remains uncertain."

Fang Dafu lowered his voice and said.

The Tibetans' target is the well; such a thing can't be hidden. Once the city's people learn of it, morale will shift—perhaps exactly what the Tibetans hope to see.

As the name suggests, the small city is indeed far smaller than Luocheng. The Tibetans, using the Throwing Tower, are equally seasoned. Even without perfect aim, their accuracy is reliable. With every well entrance in the city blocked or collapsed, Fang Chongyong sees it only as a matter of time.

In Dunhuang, annual evaporation can exceed 2,000 milliliters, so urging locals to store water at home is pointless—it will simply evaporate. The Tibetans camp outside the city by Ganquan Spring, where water is plentiful; they can stay there for months in Shazhou without issue before the dry season arrives.

"The well itself won't be destroyed; only the hut above it is ruined or the entrance is blocked. When the Tibetans strike, we'll repair!"

"Whatever the Tibetans smash, we'll fix. I'll lead a team to handle it myself!"

Fang Chongyong said resolutely, with no hint of yielding or surrender.

Fang Dafu's expression shifted slightly, and he immediately nodded, saying:

"Very good. If the young lord can achieve this, it will at least hold for two months. The local troops of Shazhou total just over ten thousand, and they have been split into two, each garrisoning a city. A blind counterattack would only hit the Tufan's sweet spot."

The Tufan army came from afar, bringing little provisions. This year Shazhou's harvest was destroyed, so they cannot reap much benefit. I suppose…

Before Fang Dafu could finish speaking, Zhang Guangsheng hurried in, and with a bow to Fang Chongyong said, "Lord, Wang Jun has urgent military news; please be sure to come to the city tower."

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong had to set aside his current matters and head to the small town's city wall.

……

"What are these Tufan doing?"

From the city wall, Fang Chongyong looked toward the distant irrigation canal where locals were watering wheat seedlings in the fields and asked. They were being supervised by the Tufan, laboring hard.

Because the war broke out suddenly, many civilians living outside the city were captured by the Tufan. Yet the Tufan did not make them suicide squads nor kill them indiscriminately; instead they organized the farmers to work the fields.

From an invader's perspective, this situation is rather unusual!

"The Tufan are showing us that they are determined to take Shazhou, so they won't delay the farming season and are binding themselves like cocoons."

Wang Silie said in a deep voice, his face troubled.

Shazhou's climate is unique; irrigation is essential. If you fail to water during the needed season, the whole year's harvest is lost. The Tufan actually tend to Shazhou's farming calendar, gathering the captured Shazhou people to work the fields outside the city.

That scene truly moved people.

When autumn harvest comes, they will reap the wheat and millet as military rations, which should sustain them for a few more months; besieging the city until next spring would be no pressure at all!

As long as a stable water source can be secured.

"General Wang, what is your good strategy to break the enemy?"

Fang Chongyong asked in a low voice.

The Tufan are adept at using momentum and tactics; war is not just brute force and they are not to be underestimated. Though they are not assaulting the city now, their psychological offensive never ceases!

The principle of subduing an army without fighting is not understood only by the Han.

"If we launch a sudden raid out of the city, it would hit the Tufan's sweet spot, which is unacceptable."

"The city's stored grain currently suffices for a year; better to watch and wait…"

Wang Silie had not finished when Fang Chongyong raised his hand to cut him off, his tone cold as he retorted, "But the fodder in the city—white thorn and Chinese willow for fire—won't last that long, will it?"

Hearing that, Wang Silie was startled, and his expression darkened.

Shazhou's situation is worse than the cities over in the Central Plains.

Because here they use desert shrubs, not fire‑resistant wood, for cooking fires.

"I have already calculated that if we don't gather all the civilians' household stores, Shazhou will run out of firewood in less than a month. Food will still exist, but only raw; cooked meals are out of the question."

"From now on, the whole city will eat communal stew; every household's fodder must be turned in, collected for fire, and used to make dry wheat cakes that store easily."

"Rations will be distributed daily. I have already ordered people to handle this."

Fang Chongyong's composure greatly surprised Wang Silie.

"Lord, actually you could return to the Central Plains without hindrance; there's no need to go this far."

Wang Silie pulled Fang Chongyong aside and muttered softly.

The Tufan have little interest in killing senior Great Tang generals. In principle, the Great Tang princess married into Tufan, making the two sides 'relatives.' The senior Tang generals captured after the disastrous Battle of Dafeichuan were later mostly ransomed back by Great Tang.

Given Fang Chongyong's status, striking a peaceful negotiation with the Tufan and leaving Shazhou would not be a great hassle.

The Tufan would not trouble a ten‑year‑old child; doing so would tarnish the Zampu's (the Tufan king's) prestige, which is unnecessary.

"General Wang, can't you see this is the Tufan's encirclement‑and‑relief tactic?"

Fang Chongyong asked with a helpless expression.

Given the current situation, can he just walk away and be done with it?

Now Wang Silie had nothing to say but a slight nod. He had to admit he had underestimated this Fang official.

The world‑renowned Fang Jiedushi—could his son be a fool? That's impossible!

Obviously, deducing the Tufan's encirclement‑and‑relief doesn't require great cunning; a senior officer with a bit of military knowledge could infer it.

Of course, a child in his teens managing to say that is still quite remarkable.

After probing the siege, the Tufan chose to surround Shazhou without attacking, actually preparing an ambush for the Tang forces, hoping that within the narrow Hexi Corridor they could engage the Tang in a decisive clash of heavy infantry against cavalry!

The Tufan field heavy infantry while the Tang deploy cavalry; it appears the sides have swapped roles, but it actually matches each nation's circumstances.

Although the Tufan breed horses, their cavalry is merely average, far inferior to the Turks, and repeatedly criticized by Great Tang border generals, especially their mounted archery, which ranks lowest among neighboring peoples. When Wang Xuan Ce once sought Tufan troops to crush the kingdom of Tianzhu, he only borrowed heavy infantry, not cavalry.

Because borrowed cavalry would be of little use.

The Tufan heavy infantry wear thick armor, unstoppable, usually drawn from minor Tufan nobles, with high morale. Even Tang generals speak of them with dread.

In the Shazhou showdown, open terrain does not favor the Tufan. Only by choosing the decisive battle in the width‑limited Hexi Corridor, which severely restricts cavalry maneuver, does it become most advantageous for the Tufan.

Rescuing the besieged enemy is a core principle of strategy! Their choice of encirclement‑and‑relief is therefore unsurprising!

Fang Chongyong, in his darker speculation, guessed that the Tufan aim to annihilate the main Tang force in the Hexi region in one battle, then march east, capture Liangzhou, and thereafter hold it awaiting reinforcements, allowing Tufan troops from home to pour continuously into Liangzhou.

For western places like Shazhou, they will encircle without attacking; surrender is best. If they must fight, there's no need for a full assault—just wear down the city's troops and civilians.

If the encirclement‑and‑relief plan fails to bring reinforcements, they will simply storm the remaining two cities of Shazhou; the Tufan's calculations are loud.

"General Wang, the Tufan are pouring in like a collapsed nest; this battle will not end quickly. Binding troops together, sharing the same boat, is the truth. The more days we hold out, the greater our chance of victory."

Fang Chongyong sighed.

Seeing that Wang Silie seemed somewhat unconvinced, he added another sentence:

"The Tufan's siege engines number at least a dozen types. So far they have only used ladders and thrown towers, and there are many more they haven't tried yet."

A gust of hot wind blew, causing Wang Silie to shiver, a bead of sweat the size of a bean rolling down his forehead.

(End of Chapter)