Chapter 136: Enlan Dazalu Gong

Ha ha, ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha ha!

At the government office entrance, Fang Chongyong watched the dust‑covered yet full‑of‑spirit Cui Qianyou laugh uproariously, laughing until tears welled up!

He racked his brain for three days for a way to break the deadlock, but to no avail;

Yet he didn't expect a sudden stroke of luck—a single move broke the deadlock!

"Sir, I have shattered the Tibetan Imperial Guard unit led by Enlan Dazalu Gong, and have come to report the achievement to you on behalf of the soldiers!"

Cui Qianyou clasped his fists and saluted Fang Chongyong.

His journey, to tell the whole story, spanned seven or eight hundred li of marching back and forth; he couldn't possibly recount it before the government office in front of a crowd, could he?

Moreover, along the way he gathered a lot of intelligence that needed to be told to Fang Chongyong in private.

"Come, follow me into the main hall of the office."

Fang Chongyong kindly grasped Cui Qianyou's forearm, turned his head and said to the waiting Zhang Guangsheng, "Go fetch the senior general of the Shazhou border troops and the local gentry representatives to the office for urgent discussions; hurry and return!"

"Got it! I'm on it!"

Zhang Guangsheng said excitedly, knowing in his heart that a real chance to make a name for himself had arrived.

Inside the main hall, Fang Chongyong noticed the black‑brown dried bloodstains on Cui Qianyou's bright armor and couldn't help a sigh of lament, shaking his head without speaking.

"Lord Fang, this expedition with my thousand elite cavalry was fraught with danger, but divine protection allowed us to escape."

Cui Qianyou also felt a flood of emotions.

His thousand cavalry were the elite of the Wei‑Rong army, battle‑hardened veterans who survived the siege of the new Tibetan city, far tougher than the local Doulu troops of Shazhou.

This time, Wang Zhongsi stationed Cui Qianyou's unit in Changle County on the Guazhou‑Shazhou border to support Fang Chongyong's retreat; in reality it was a somewhat self‑serving appointment. Wang Zhongsi's order was that when Shazhou was besieged, Cui Qianyou should open a breach and rescue Fang Chongyong.

Of course, Wang Zhongsi did not ignore the danger Shazhou faced, but he also did not anticipate the Tibetans would marshal the whole nation to assault the western section of the Hexi Corridor. Meanwhile, the main Tang forces remained in the eastern section! So when Guazhou's Jinchang was taken by the Tibetan army, Cui Qianyou, after scouting the enemy, chose not to rush to rescue but quietly withdrew to Ziting Town at the southernmost tip of neighboring Shazhou.

This place had originally been a Tang outpost by Ganquan River, a good position, but it was abandoned and the fort dismantled by the Tibetans over a decade ago.

Using it as a temporary base, Cui Qianyou sent scouts to survey Shazhou and discovered that Shazhou was under siege, both cities surrounded and unable to support each other.

After carefully analyzing the enemy, Cui Qianyou felt that sending his thousand cavalry on a long expedition to Shazhou would not achieve a decisive effect. So he lingered in Ziting Town, only to encounter a Tibetan logistics convoy!

After letting the first logistics convoy pass, Cui Qianyou led his cavalry to sweep the Tibetan rear along Ganquan River, striking and fleeing, usually burning the supplies after looting what they could.

He firmly believed that as long as they kept harassing the Tibetan supply routes, lifting the siege of Shazhou was only a matter of time. Though his troops were elite, their numbers were few, so he had to use them wisely.

Unexpectedly, a few days earlier they had captured a huge fish.

A mixed infantry‑cavalry unit was retreating along Ganquan River toward the southern highlands, trying to return to Tibet! Seeing their lax defense, Cui Qianyou wasted no time and charged, scattering them.

The Tibetan force apparently did not expect to meet Tang troops to the south; they had been guarding against Shazhou's border forces. After withdrawing west of Luocheng, they made a big detour south, trudging through the desert for several days, suffering heavy non‑combat losses.

When they, exhausted, reached the Ganquan Riverbank to water their horses, Cui Qianyou's long‑planned ambush struck, instantly bewildering the unsuspecting Tibetans.

Those who fell into the raging river drowned in countless numbers; in the end only about a hundred cavalry rode south, the rest perished on the battlefield.

Some were killed on the spot, some drowned, others died of thirst while wandering the desert!

"This army belongs directly to the Zhanpu Imperial Guard, commanded by Enlan Dazalu Gong. Prisoners say he is adept at warfare, brave and fierce, once leading his troops to a great victory over the Huihe!"

"My troops happened to defeat him; it was sheer luck—under different circumstances it might not have happened."

Cui Qianyou said modestly.

In fact, he used his already limited cavalry with great flexibility, extracting maximum mobility—a remarkable feat. Moreover, his keen observation and thoughtful restraint, refusing to engage when ill‑timed, showed his discipline.

His style was like a lone hunting wolf, patiently waiting for opportunity.

It was a classic case of strength plus favorable fortune, and Fang Chongyong found nothing odd about it.

"Enlan Dazalu Gong fled in haste, so we captured many secret documents... I'll deliver them to your study later tonight."

Seeing Wang Sili already at the hall entrance, Cui Qianyou quickly fell silent, pretended nothing had happened and sat properly.

After all the generals assembled, Fang Chongyong introduced, "This is the Wei‑Rong General Cui, whose cavalry shattered the retreating Tibetan army that had besieged Luocheng; only a handful survived."

"General Cui, to record the merit and provide testimony for the other generals, please recount the battle in detail."

Fang Chongyong said warmly, giving Cui Qianyou a chance to show off.

That fierce Tibetan force was defeated?

The Doulu generals couldn't help but discuss, even Guo Ziyi looked incredulous. They were the ones most qualified to judge whether that Tibetan force could be beaten.

At the very least, they were on par with the elite Tang border troops—perhaps even superior!

"General Cui, please speak, and be as detailed as possible."

Guo Ziyi bowed and said.

Fang Chongyong handed Zhang Guangsheng a branch, and Cui Qianyou drew a simple map on the ground, sketching his march route while explaining the campaign and battles.

When he finished, not only Zhang Quan, the local gentry representative, but even the Doulu generals were left gaping.

Cui Qianyou's cavalry had barely been rested, constantly on the move; they only survived because they found a riverside spot, otherwise the horses would have died of thirst.

Cui Qianyou truly employed his cavalry as cavalry, not as mounted infantry. No wonder the Tibetans were outmatched.

When the exhausted bowmen retreated, they were hit from behind with a blunt weapon—obviously they couldn't win.

Changing the commander wouldn't help.

That blunt strike seemed simple but wasn't; it required reverse‑engineering the process, judging enemy strength, assessing one's own forces—testing the commander's mind and skill.

A different commander, a slight slip could doom the whole army.

Compared with those who gnawed their teeth defending the city against the Tibetans, Cui Qianyou fought a clean victory. It's like the five pies the Tang troops in Luocheng ate without feeling full; the outsider ate the remaining half, got satisfied, and took the Tibetans down.

You might call it luck, but it's not just that. Cui Qianyou led his troops hundreds of li away from the garrison, even leaving Guazhou—something few would dare.

Everyone present felt one sentiment: they must not be denied!

Opportunities only favor the prepared!

"Now the enemy situation is clear; because General Cui fought bloodily, the Tibetan forces in Guazhou have lost a major reinforcement."

"I now resolve to dispatch all forces to Guazhou; who opposes? Step forward now."

Fang Chongyong looked around and asked the assembled crowd.

Cui Qianyou has only a thousand cavalry, and they can utterly crush the Tibetan Zanpu's direct guard army! If the generals of Shazhou still dare not lead troops into battle, they will become nothing but a backdrop for the victor!

The three armies may have their commander seized, but a common man cannot have his will taken away.

At this very moment, who still has the nerve to say they dare not campaign to Guazhou!

Whoever is cowardly is a dog!

Seeing no one object, Fang Chongyong continued:

"Three days from now, we will officially muster troops for the campaign. Everyone, return and make preparations; if you have good ideas, you may come to me privately, and I will not convene you all for discussion. Disperse now."

"Cui, as the military envoy, will take the credit; after the battle, I will report it to the Hexi Military Governorate."

Fang Chongyong handled matters efficiently, and in a few words settled the subsequent arrangements.

Hearing this, Cui Qianyou's eyebrows instantly lifted with joy, and his lingering anxiety instantly eased.

By the Kaiyuan era, the "honorary official" system established since early Tang had become utterly unattractive to the hill folk. Relying on meritorious service to obtain various honorary official titles and then advancing in officialdom with them had once been a key upward path for the lower classes.

However now, that path has been completely blocked!

The hill folk who possess only honorary official titles are no different from others. Nowadays they no longer value those titles. They fight bravely not for office, but merely to earn rations as soldiers.

The only reward they pursue is the material prize that comes with battlefield merit. Unfortunately, the court has no fixed provisions for these!

The system of granting honorary official titles is fixed, but monetary and material rewards are flexible—more or less with a single sentence, and even meritorious deeds may go unrewarded, which is not unusual.

Thus, the popular practice in border towns now is the "merit reporting system."

That is, the participating military chief officer, whose rank is above that of a military envoy, reports battlefield merit up through the Military Governorate, after which the military governor reviews it and forwards it to the court. Naturally, reductions at each level are inevitable.

The military governor may also issue a bounty first, and the subordinate units can claim the reward upon completion.

Regardless of the method, the military chief officer here wields great authority and can use it to settle scores with generals he has offended in daily life.

Of course, to win his subordinates' support, the military chief officer must also bargain with the central court for greater rewards.

As the regional inspector of Shazhou, Fang Chongyong is the top military chief officer here; since Shazhou is presently in a "lost contact" state with the court and lacks Wang Zhongsi's authorization, he can only act according to the default rules. This is the main reason all the generals are willing to sit and hear him speak and discuss military affairs.

Fang Chongyong's such guarantee to Cui Qianyou clearly shows an intention to win him over. With the merit from this battle, Cui Qianyou could completely turn his fortunes around and secure a place in the Hexi military circles.

…

After everyone left, Cui Qianyou had his subordinates bring a large chest into the office study, and once the two were seated they began a private discussion.

"The biggest gain this time is this."

Cui Qianyou rummaged through the chest, eventually pulling out a parchment bearing a Tibetan military order, a long block of Tibetan script whose content was unknown. Of course, this posed no problem for Fang Chongyong, as Shazhou is home to countless monks versed in Tibetan script.

"I have already questioned the captives; this is a Tibetan Zanpu decree ordering Enlan Dazalu Gong to lead troops to Guazhou to protect the Nangxia near Chang Le County on Guazhou's western side.

However, for reasons unknown, he disobeyed the order and privately led his troops back into Tibetan territory. I privately suspect that Enlan Dazalu Gong deemed the battle unwinnable and sought to preserve his strength."

Cui Qianyou handed this Tibetan military order to Fang Chongyong, saying:

The so‑called Nangxia is a Tibetan logistical organization that also handles the construction of camps and forts, but its operation differs entirely from that of Great Tang. The Tibetan Zanpu's order for Enlan Dazalu Gong to protect the newly established Nangxia within Guazhou clearly shows great confidence in that army.

So why would Enlan Dazalu Gong defy the Zanpu's decree and attempt to retreat into Tibetan lands to preserve his forces?

Naturally, seeing the battle as unwinnable, he wanted to keep his own loyal troops to deal with the Tibetan nobles who support Buddhism! However, Cui Qianyou does not know this link; it is merely Fang Chongyong's speculation.

"Next, we are not acting blindly; we will use this order as a guide, leading troops to strike the Tibetan logistical base near Chang Le County. Once we destroy the Tibetan supply lines, the units confronting the Tang main force at the front will inevitably retreat into Tibetan territory, turning it into a pursuit battle."

Fang Chongyong carefully stored the crucial order, his expression solemn as he said:

"Indeed, exactly so. Therefore, in this battle I intend to be the vanguard, with Shazhou's local troops as support; we need to muster five thousand elite cavalry to charge Chang Le County."

"Although it is not a guaranteed success, the risk of failure is minimal. Since even the supply routes for reinforcement must draw troops from Shazhou, the Tibetan forces have already reached their limit."

"Guazhou will be left empty and unable to withstand attack."

Cui Qianyou also set aside his smile and spoke earnestly:

"Understood. In three days, we will gather the troops, and I will join the main army in the campaign to Guazhou."

Fang Chongyong gave a slight nod, clearly agreeing with Cui Qianyou's view.

Upon hearing this outrageous proposal, Cui Qianyou did not object but instead praised, "The magistrate is no longer the same as before; you have truly grasped the way of a commander. Given time, you will surely become renowned throughout the world."

"Please don't flatter me; I originally learned military strategy from you."

Fang Chongyong forced a wry smile.

"That isn't learning, merely mutual sparring. Now the magistrate is truly the border town inspector, and no one will regard you as a child any longer."

Cui Qianyou couldn't help but sigh wistfully.

The child who was clueless about military affairs back in Chang'an, after two years of training in Hexi, now truly grasps the urgency of 'great responsibilities being placed upon one's shoulders.' The basics of strategy are easy to understand, but this self‑awareness of duty is rare.

The 'furry youngster' before me, whose growth is still unshaped, will likely surpass his father's achievements in the future!

(End of chapter)