Chapter 135: The

"Governor Fang, the border troops inside Luo City suffered heavy casualties in the previous siege. Even if we were to dispatch forces, we could probably muster at most two thousand men."

"I don't know how many men can be drawn from this small city. If we are to strike out of Shazhou, we cannot do without cavalry, and having fewer troops is even worse."

"Guo Ziyi frowned slightly and said, though not outright, it was clear he was reluctant to lead troops to campaign in Gua Prefecture."

"Everyone understood Fang Chongyong's point: troops from Shazhou would attack west‑to‑east, while Wang Zhongsi would lead forces from Gan Prefecture east‑to‑west, a pincer that would prevent the Tufan from supporting each other."

"It could very well break the enemy in a single stroke!"

"However, Fang Chongyong's proposal sounds appealing, yet it overlooks a problem easily missed on the battlefield."

"Victory and casualties are two interrelated yet not identical topics."

"Even in a total victory, some soldier or even a commander in the army may not survive."

"Conversely, in a crushing defeat, some soldier or commander may not necessarily die."

"The Great Tang's war against Tufan and whether the present generals can return safely to Shazhou are completely separate issues!"

"No one wants to be a stepping stone for another's merit—sacrificing oneself, drawing Tufan attention, then dying and becoming the so‑called 'friendly force.'"

"If Wang Zhongsi, as Hexi Military Governor, personally ordered it, the local border commander of Shazhou would have to obey, otherwise it would be rebellion. But now that this issue was raised by Fang Chongyong, the Shazhou Prefect, everyone feels hesitant."

"From whose standpoint is Fang Chongyong raising this issue?"

"Is it the local gentry of Shazhou, the Doulu border garrison, or perhaps his future father‑in‑law Wang Zhongsi?"

"In the previous battle, whether at the small city or at Luo City, the defenders earned merit enough to indulge themselves. Since they already have those achievements, why launch another attack? If they fail, not only would the prior merit be wasted, but Shazhou, which had just shifted from danger to safety, would become precarious."

"Anyone has their own thoughts and will weigh personal interests. A forced melon isn't sweet; compelling commanders by orders to lead troops will not yield good results."

"\"Gentlemen, Shazhou cannot survive on its own; it relies entirely on supplies from the Central Plains. Now the Tufan have cut off the trade routes, also cutting off Shazhou's lifeline."

"Future Western Frontier Hu merchants will no longer come to Shazhou, and supplies from Guanzhong won't reach Shazhou either; we may not even make it through this year. Better to strike while the newly defeated Tufan army is still weak, our own supplies are not scarce, and the troops' morale is high—take the initiative to leave Shazhou, seeking life through death."

"If we miss this window, the court's forces cannot retake Gua Prefecture and Su Prefecture; what will we do when winter comes?"

"Fang Chongyong urged earnestly."

"He recalled that the histories of his previous life seemed to lack this battle, just as they later recorded Yang Yuhuan becoming Consort Yang, and now Yang Yuhuan has already perished."

"Everything differs from the impressions in his memory, making Fang Chongyong constantly tread on thin ice."

"Who can say Wang Zhongsi can lift the sieges of Gua and Su Prefectures in the short term? The terrain of the Hexi Corridor is like a throat; a small force can block the crucial routes."

"The Tufan advantage is that they can at any time descend from the southern plateau and attack the Hexi Corridor. The Tang army, however, cannot climb the mountains to strike back; the initiative on this battlefield is one‑way."

"The Tufan will certainly withdraw from the Hexi Corridor; the question is when and how."

"\"Although the Governor's argument is sound, even if we are willing, the young men under our command are unwilling to fight again. \""

"One of the Doulu army's ten generals couldn't help but interject."

"He said something blunt."

"Convincing oneself to die, even persuading one's whole family to die together, in a feudal age where lives were treated like grass, was often not difficult."

"However, persuading one's subordinates to die together is not so easy, especially when no immediate life‑or‑death threat exists. The low‑rank foot soldiers, how could they grasp the grand principles Fang Chongyong espouses?"

"\"You make valid points. Then, everyone, go back and think it over; if you have any ideas, discuss them with me privately. Let's disperse for now. \""

"Fang Chongyong helplessly waved his sleeve; his face remained calm, yet the frustration inside was indescribable."

"After the other generals departed, Guo Ziyi stayed behind alone and joined Fang Chongyong in the magistrate's rear‑yard study, where the two discussed confidential matters."

"Seated, Guo Ziyi said anxiously:"

"\"The three armies are exhausted and need recuperation; now is not the time to dispatch troops. Yet Shazhou is depleting its resources; I propose seeking aid from the Anxi Protector‑General and borrowing troops. With an additional ten thousand fresh soldiers, a counter‑attack on the Tufan would be effortless."

"Earlier, the crowd made it inconvenient to speak, but I actually think the Governor's plan is quite feasible; the Tufan army faces the main Hexi forces, with at least several tens of thousands elite troops immobile."

"My only worry is the Tufan force besieging Luo City; they are exceptionally brave. Their commander is masterful in tactics. Even after we mobilized virtually all of Luo City's strength, we are still left scrambling on both flanks."

"If this force returns to Gua Prefecture and joins the Tufan main army, we fear that…"

"Guo Ziyi did not continue, but the meaning was clear: the Tufan commander besieging Luo City is a master, likely hard to deal with, and the reinforcement to Gua Prefecture will also be difficult to handle."

"Having served in the army for over twenty years, Guo Ziyi knows well the saying 'an army is easy to obtain; a commander is hard to find.' The same troops under different leaders can differ vastly in combat power."

"\"Who is this person? Lun Qinling has been dead for decades. \""

"Fang Chongyong asked with a puzzled expression."

"During the Wu Zhou period, the name Lun Qinling was three characters that could not be uttered within the Great Tang army. Countless Tang generals became mere background to this Tufan general; even Xue Rengui met his defeat at Da Feichuan."

"From its founding to its collapse, this man was undeniably the foremost Tufan general."

"Yet this fearsome Tufan general, who once terrified the Tang, could not escape the fate of political intrigue; he was falsely accused of treason and slain by the Tufan Zhanpu. His scheming was no different from that of Central Plains dynasties."

"This move set back Tufan's frontier‑war strategy by thirty years, comparable to Liu Yilong of the Liu Song dynasty destroying the Great Wall by killing Tan Daoji, and directly presented a 'grand gift' to the later emperor Ji Ge."

"No wonder Tufan is called the Tang's 'relative'; to fight the Tang on equal terms, they sometimes have to cripple themselves, giving the Tang time to recover."

"Things the Tang soldiers could only dream of achieving were easily done by the Tufan themselves. A famous general whose achievements alarm the ruler often meets this fate, timelessly."

"Later, the Lun Qinling family defected to the Great Tang and defended its borders, perfectly illustrating that a ruler's interests do not equal the state's, and can even conflict."

"It was this major event that gave Ji Ge the confidence to wage war on Tufan. Ji Ge's belief that he was 'mandated by Heaven' stemmed from the favorable external conditions that emerged within ten years before and after his accession."

"Fang Chongyong, who had studied Tufan extensively, could not possibly be unaware of who Lun Qinling was."

"\"What Lun Qinling? I don't know the commander's name, but unexpectedly I discovered something that piqued my curiosity."

"It was seized from that Tufan unit—more than one piece—and today I bring one to the Governor to open his eyes."

"Guo Ziyi smiled faintly, pulled a small flag from his robe."

"Fang Chongyong's pupils suddenly contracted; this thing is rarely seen among Tufan troops!"

"He carefully took the flag, examined it in his hand, then let out a soft sigh, finally understanding why the Tufan army besieging Luo City ignored the so‑called 'friendly forces' when they died."

"The flag bore a Bon emblem commonly seen in the religion. Yet it differed from the 'Wan Zi Yuan' Bon symbol he had seen in his past life; the design was simpler, composed of solid red, blue, yellow squares."

"The Bon 'Wan Zi Yuan' he had seen in Tibet in his past life was a later hybrid borrowed after Bon merged with Buddhism—a compromise reached through competition, a gradual unification of aesthetic details."

"The appearance of a Bon flag among the Tufan troops indicates that the commander is a staunch Bon supporter. Meanwhile, the Tufan army besieging the small city openly backs the Tufan Buddhist cause."

"Thus, the enemy's refusal to aid the dying is easy to understand. The internal Tufan struggle between Buddhism and Bon has become heated, spilling onto the battlefield."

"If the governor launches an attack, the odds of victory might be greater than expected; the Tufan troops are not united, there are internal factions, sectarian disputes, which are probably only one aspect."

"Now the problem lies only in persuading the officers and soldiers to support it; once that is solved, I think we can try this battle."

Guo Ziyi analyzed the situation and offered very sensible advice.

"Understood. In fact, the quality of troops matters more than quantity; I think five thousand cavalry are sufficient. If we have too many soldiers and horses, the logistics can't keep up. Our surprise attack on Gua Prefecture succeeded; we just need to cut off the Tufan's supply routes."

"As long as the Tufan withdraw, the front will inevitably loosen. We strike quickly and retreat, then return to Shazhou to hold it; in fact, we don't need to fight the Tufan head‑on."

Fang Chongyong sighed and said,

Seeing Guo Ziyi's hesitant expression, he added,

"It means when the enemy advances we retreat, when they camp we harass, when they tire we strike, when they retreat we pursue. We draw the Tufan forces to the western line of Gua Prefecture and prevent them from reinforcing Su Prefecture."

"The governor's plan is excellent; I will consider it carefully. Wang Jiedushi is a fellow townsman, so when he goes out to battle, I naturally cannot refuse."

"With military duties on my shoulders, I will first return to Luocheng and reinforce its defenses."

Guo Ziyi nodded slightly, bowed, and took his leave. He felt that Fang Chongyong's strategy had some basis and was not a blind attack. Yet war is not a one‑person affair; getting so many people to work together is never easy.

"Let's see what this Governor Fang can do."

"As the leader of the Guest Troops, some words are not appropriate for him to speak."

…

For three consecutive days, Fang Chongyong racked his brain for strategies to rally the people, devising several dubious schemes.

Scheme one: forge a batch of counterfeit coins, identical on both sides, then toss them before the army for divination; inevitably they will all land the same side up. The ordinary soldiers will think they have divine power and become invincible.

Of course, the drawback is obvious: once the ruse is exposed (which is almost certain), the blow to morale and to Fang Chongyong's prestige will be devastating. Moreover, most of the army's commanders are experienced and well‑informed, so such a petty trick is hard to conceal from them.

Scheme two: wait for a cloudy day, gather the troops for drills, and proclaim, "When clouds appear on the battlefield and white rabbits dance, victory is assured." Seeing clouds form the shape of a rabbit is taken as a sign of invincibility; this is a "folk legend" among the Tang army and carries some credibility.

The drawback is the same as forging counterfeit coins. Though the ancients were superstitious, they were not fools; such tricks can only serve as auxiliary morale boosters. Invoking divine protection may lift spirits, but using it as a justification for deployment is childish.

Scheme three: fulfill previous rewards in advance, which can boost morale, but may backfire—soldiers who have already received their gifts may refuse to go into battle.

"Ahhhhhhh! So annoying!"

Fang Chongyong, his eyes blood‑red, paced the magistrate's study, pulling at his hair like a raging beast, his heart aflame yet clueless.

Anaye leaned against the study door, arms crossed, watching the frantic Fang Chongyong, and sighed helplessly, asking, "Ever since you earned the nickname Qilin Son, everything seems to go awry. I wonder if your virtue is unfit for your position, causing these misfortunes?"

"You…"

Fang Chongyong was about to curse, but recalled that since he met Anaye she had always cared for him devotedly, so there was no need to yell at her.

So he helplessly waved his hand and said,

"People seek peace of mind, usually focusing only on immediate tranquility, never foreseeing the looming raging waves that cannot be avoided."

"You are a healer yourself; aren't you aware that an untreated minor illness can become a serious one?"

"As long as the Tufan remain, Shazhou will never have true peace."

He shook his head, sighed, his heart suppressed, wishing he could rope the Doulu troops' necks and pull them out to fight!

"Truth often lies in the hands of a few; the majority see only a short distance, caring solely for immediate gain, limited by their own insight, which is understandable."

"Trying to persuade an army unwilling to campaign, risking it for the 'greater whole', is worthwhile and necessary, yet also a dilemma."

"You should eat properly now; worrying about these trivialities is of no use. Don't you often say that the Great Tang is not yours? Brother Ji isn't in a hurry, so why are you?"

Anaye's words struck Fang Chongyong mercilessly.

"Indeed, I'm not Brother Ji; why am I in a hurry?"

Fang Chongyong slumped weakly at the desk, gesturing to Anaye, "Come over, give your old man a good shoulder massage!"

After a moment, just as Fang Chongyong was enjoying Anaye's professional massage, humming with pleasure, a noisy cheer erupted outside the study! Though the sound was distant, it continued unabated!

"Governor! Governor! Good news!"

"Reinforcements have arrived! Reinforcements have arrived!"

Zhang Guangsheng ran all the way into the study, shouting at Fang Chongyong, caring little for rank or propriety!

"Reinforcements?"

Fang Chongyong was startled, then sprang to his feet. The Hexi Corridor is blocked by the Tufan; what reinforcements could there be? Even the local gentry's troops refuse to march!

"Exactly, reinforcements! Moreover, they pursued the Tufan for hundreds of li, capturing countless spoils!"

Zhang Guangsheng's expression was like that of a man in the desert who, on the brink of death from thirst, suddenly tasted sweet spring water!

"Let's go, take me to see!"

Fang Chongyong instantly revived, and followed Zhang Guangsheng, striding out of the study.

What Fang Chongyong could not see was Anaye's gaze, deep and dim, finally turning into a long sigh.

(End of chapter)