Chapter 138: Dog Yanei

When Fang Chongyong arrived in Shazhou it was winter, dry and cold, but not as uncomfortable as summer; at least it didn't make his lungs feel as if they were burning.

Yet now the scorching wind whirls the yellow sand, causing bouts of suffocation, as if a rope were tightening around one's neck.

At this moment, to the left of the column are hill after hill of sand and rock, layered and endless, while to the right stretches a vast desert, the view filled with endless yellow sand.

This is the "Sand Sea" between Guazhou and Shazhou, and Shazhou got its name from it.

"Lord Fang, Changle County, formerly Ming'an County, was named for its proximity to the Ming River (Shule River)."

"Now the grass under our feet is growing thicker, indicating we are gradually approaching the Ming River; the Tubo's Nangxia should be near."

Cui Qianyou pointed his riding whip at the specks of green amid the sand ahead and said.

These desert‑specific drought‑tolerant plants—such as sand jujube, suo suo shrub (a herbaceous plant), sand willow, and so on—have extensive root systems, usually exceeding three meters.

Such hardy herbaceous plants often appear at a distance from the desert oasis; they survive tenaciously, scattered sparsely here and there, never forming large patches.

Occasionally they serve as "signposts" in the desert; their scattered presence indicates the oasis is not far off.

At that moment, a cavalryman riding a camel galloped from afar—it was the Tang scout dispatched earlier.

Fang Chongyong's surrounding commanders exchanged knowing smiles; now friend‑or‑foe identification was easy—anyone not riding a camel was essentially an enemy.

"Lord! The Tubo's Nangxia is five li ahead, situated on the bank of the Ming River, where a wooden fort is being built. Many horses, cattle and sheep are drinking at the river!"

The Tubo apparently have not noticed our arrival.

Perhaps the Tubo think Shazhou's forces are insufficient, or they are not yet concerned with Guazhou, or they are engaged with Tang troops on the front line, bearing heavy military pressure and cannot presently redeploy troops to defend their stronghold.

Hence their defenses are very lax.

Facilities like Nangxia resemble military organizational structures, somewhat akin to Fang Chongyong's former logistics department, except the personnel are old and weak and are shouldered by a single Tubo Dong Dai, resembling a "contract‑responsibility system."

Once tasked with a "Nangxia," the Dong Dai thousand‑household who serves as "Nangxia Chief" must obey the logistics supply orders issued by the Zanpu, covering numerous duties including constructing camps, none of which may be omitted.

Yet the Nangxia Chief also bears responsibility for safeguarding spoils; clearly the profits are substantial, so all Tubo divisions vie for the Nangxia post.

A Tubo military regulation seems to confirm this: if the Zanpu is displeased with a Dong Dai, he will strip that person of future eligibility to serve as Nangxia chief.

This is the Tubo's distinctive logistics system, for which Great Tang has no counterpart.

Of course, Nangxia, like Great Tang's logistics troops, must never encounter enemy regular forces; a contact would be disastrous.

Fang Chongyong looked around and saw Cui Qianyou and the others with excited expressions, hands resting on the hilts of their horizontal swords, as if they could draw and strike at any moment.

He couldn't help but feel his heart pounding wildly.

"Lord, take it easy later, just follow the main force; be careful not to fall beneath a camel. Camels are easier to ride than horses and aren't fast, so it should be fine."

Cui Qianyou gave the order, then led a vanguard of a thousand cavalry to speed toward the front. The Tubo's Nangxia had no permanent structures—just a collection of tents and the foundations of a half‑built wooden fort.

In the morning, Tubo people near the Nangxia herded their sheep to nearby pastures, fully free‑range. The sheep gradually spread out: some grazed the grass along the Ming River banks, some licked the salty alkaline sand, and some contentedly bleated.

By now it was nearing noon, and the grazing sheep were about half‑full. The Tubo handlers of the Nangxia drove them to the riverbank, where the sheep rushed to drink.

The sheep serve as military provisions and assets; any that survive the battle are distributed as spoils, so managing these livestock is a primary duty of the Nangxia.

Interestingly, the sheep knelt at the riverbank, stretching their necks to sip water, their beards submerged and ignored; some ewes stood at a gap in the bank, drinking while bleating for their lambs, urging them to the water as well.

The nearby Tubo onlookers burst into hearty laughter, their faces showing simple smiles, much like the hospitable herders of the steppe; they were completely unaware that danger had arrived.

Suddenly, the rumble of the ground alerted the Tubo, but before they could fetch bows, a whistling white‑clad death god thrust a spear through their chests, blood splattering the white robe and leaving a striking blood‑stain.

The Tubo who slipped through fled toward the tents, unaware that Guo Ziyi had already led a thousand Tang cavalry straight for them. Those Tubo were merely jumping from one big pit into another.

Fang Chongyong sat on a camel, now motionless, while a cacophony of noisy clamor swirled around his ears.

The wailing cries, excited roars, and the sound of weapons striking flesh blended together into a dirge from hell.

At this moment, Fang Chongyong no longer felt the nausea and discomfort of his first battle.

Even when he saw a Tang soldier decapitate a Tubo with a horizontal sword, his heart remained unmoved.

Of course, Fang Chongyong could not sense the soldiers' excitement.

Killing is killing, merely a means, not an end. On the battlefield, the Qiu Ba either kill or are killed—that is their fate. Such matters are not worthy of sympathy nor pride.

"If we can curb the invasion, it matters not how many casualties we inflict."

Fang Chongyong let out a light sigh, saying so, yet did nothing.

While strategizing behind the scenes, he conceived grand schemes, even envisioning the decisive factor in the Tang–Tubo conflict, but on the battlefield he could not kill, not even a single ordinary Tubo foot‑soldier.

The one‑sided slaughter saw the white‑clad death gods rampaging, and the half‑built wooden fort whose foundation had just been laid quickly erupted in fierce flames. As for the tents housing the Tubo Nangxia personnel, the Tang troops took nothing, leaving them untouched.

To prevent unforeseen trouble, before departure Fang Chongyong issued a strict edict: anyone who takes loot shall have both hands cut off before being sentenced!

Consequently, as the fighting continued, even though the Tubo seized a considerable amount of cloth and piled it together, the Tang soldiers ignored it entirely, taking not a single piece. Without desire they remain steadfast; once taken, morale would spiral out of control.

This is extremely dangerous for a force operating deep behind enemy lines!

Fang Chongyong has ordered a rapid return to Shazhou, dispatching a logistics convoy to transport the supplies back at maximum speed, and the goods will not be reported for merit but will be fully retained.

Do not ask where these items end up; the answer is that the Tang army burned them all in a single blaze.

An hour later, the unilateral slaughter ended, and Tubo corpses littered the ground, causing Fang Chongyong to furrow his brow.

The situation in Guazhou is extremely troubling!

The Tubo's main force truly isn't in Guazhou, at least not in Changle County. The so‑called Nangxia personnel are merely Tubo serfs and laborers, with hardly any even bearing weapons.

Let alone any combat capability.

Fang Chongyong suddenly felt that the pressure facing his future father‑in‑law Wang Zhongsi might be especially great! The Tubo's main force has likely all moved eastward to resist the Tang advance.

Deploying troops is a dynamic process, the so‑called "divide and converge, unrestricted tactics." The Tubo first attacked Shazhou and Guazhou, but that doesn't mean they foolishly hold the two places waiting for the Tang to exterminate them.

In fact, the Tubo seek opportunities to break through the Hexi Corridor, then hold Liangzhou before planning elsewhere—this is the mature strategy.

Realizing this, Fang Chongyong ordered Xin Yunjing to lead troops on guard, settle the camels, then switch to the warhorses inside the Tubo camp, after which he summoned the senior officers for a meeting to discuss major matters.

"The Tubo's weak defenses are beyond expectation; what do you all think?"

Squatting beneath a poplar tree, the commanders formed a circle, listening to Fang Chongyong's briefing, each furrowing his brow.

In fact, as Fang Chongyong said, this situation is indeed a bit unexpected. The Tubo left not even a guard unit, which is unbelievable—unless some unforeseen major event is occurring!

"Could it be that the Tubo learned the army at Shazhou failed, so they went all‑in and are now fiercely attacking Ganzhou?"

Guo Ziyi suddenly put forward a terrifying viewpoint.

The Guo army envoy said that the Tibetans knew the matter was untenable and wanted to, before the Tang forces in Shazhou could react, concentrate troops to launch a direct assault on Ganzhou, driving the Tang main force back to Liangzhou.

Ganzhou has abundant grain and lush watergrass, with vast pastures. Not to mention the Shan Dan horse pasture, and it is not far from Dadou Bagu, enough to establish a foothold there for future plans.

Cui Qianyou said thoughtfully, the more he thought, the more frightened he felt.

Since it is a one‑shot gamble, there is no need to wait for reinforcements or supplies; just confront the Tang army head‑on. Then, while morale is steady and spirits high, attack instead of defend to open a front in Ganzhou, and the whole game will come alive.

If we hold Suzhou and wait for the Tang army to attack, being encircled from both sides is only a matter of time. No commander with a brain would sit and wait for death.

It should be noted that Shazhou indeed has few troops left, but the Western Regions still have tens of thousands of soldiers from the Anxi Protectorate and the Beiting Protectorate. Although these forces are far and redeployment takes time, they can eventually arrive.

By then, the Tibetan army will be like a mouse in a bamboo tube—blocked on the left and right—gradually squeezed into the narrow Hexi Corridor until finally trapped to death!

"Lord Fang, what should we do? We have already made considerable gains, breaking the Tibetans' supply route. If we continue eastward, the outcome would be uncertain…"

Wang Sili asked, raising a question that everyone wanted to know but felt embarrassed to bring up.

A hundred birds in the forest are not as good as one bird in the hand; now the Tang army in Shazhou not only broke the siege with its own strength but also counter‑attacked Guaizhou, destroying the Tibetan logistical base, which has had a hugely positive impact on the battle.

That must be considered a great achievement, right?

Now we should halt, return to Shazhou to recuperate, reorganize the troops, and conveniently take the Tibetans' cattle, sheep, and horses with us—doesn't that sound profitable?

Pressing eastward carries virtually limitless risk! Not only are we unaware of the Tibetan troop distribution and strength, but we also risk having all our previous merits wiped out, or even becoming criminals, just to gamble on a "possibility."

Advance or retreat? This question is truly difficult!

Fang Chongyong suddenly felt like he was playing a "Millionaire from the Slums" quiz game. If he chooses to answer, a win yields ten times the prize but a loss leaves him penniless and all prior effort wasted; if he refuses to answer, he can settle for modest wealth and walk away with the "Coward's Prize."

Be the hero… or be the "coward"?

"In this battle, is there any risk of defeat on the Liangzhou side?"

Fang Chongyong frowned and asked.

Hearing this, Guo Ziyi laughed heartily:

"Defeat is certainly impossible; it only depends on how great the losses are and how tortuous the process becomes. I estimate that fifty to sixty thousand troops in Hexi are in Liangzhou; I heard even the Jiankang army has withdrawn to Liangzhou on standby. Even if forces are insufficient, the Longyou region can dispatch forty or fifty thousand men to Hexi for the decisive battle."

The generals all nodded in agreement; Guo Ziyi's words matched their expectations closely.

"If that's the case… then we shall withdraw back to Shazhou."

Fang Chongyong said indifferently.

Huh?

Guo Ziyi, Cui Qianyou and the others were stunned; they had been waiting for Fang Chongyong to boost morale and then charge toward Guaizhou Prefecture City, Jinchang County! How could they turn back to Shazhou at such a critical moment!

"If we return to Shazhou, what about the supplies and equipment…?"

Wang Sili asked, puzzled.

"We will burn all the treasure, grain and fodder in one blaze, take the horses with us, and since the sheep are hard to transport, we will slaughter them all.

Leave nothing for the Tibetans."

Fang Chongyong, with a cold expression, ordered.

Is this a bit rash? Weren't we just saying we'd send people to retrieve the supplies?

"Lord Fang, why don't we try attacking Guaizhou?"

The generals pleaded together.

"I think the Liangzhou troops can deal with the Tibetans; we need not worry further.

You all are born of father and raised by mother; your brains aren't chives that keep growing after being cut.

Now that we have won outright, we should seize the moment and withdraw.

Anyone who disagrees can stay; everyone else must go with us."

This battle intuitively felt wrong to him; even if the Tibetans' guard was lax, it was impossible that they couldn't even scrape together a single defending force.

Intuitively, this battle feels off; even if the Tibetans are lax in defense, they wouldn't be unable to muster a single defending unit.

There must be deception!

Fang Chongyong felt that the Great Tang was not his private property. Since his future father-in-law Wang Zhongsi had ample resources at his disposal, then it was enough to trust him—no need to stake his life on the line. He would never admit that he was afraid of fighting the Tibetan army in close combat!

Fang Chongyong felt that the Great Tang was not his private property. Since his future father‑in‑law Wang Zhongsi has ample resources, he can trust him; there is no need to keep his head on his belt. He would never admit that he is afraid of fighting the Tibetan army hand‑to‑hand.

The Shazhou prefect is replaced every four years, and the longest tenure is only seven years. I am a wandering official; isn't it better to keep a carefree life? Even if I vie for military merit, in the end I will be "randomly assigned" by those in Chang'an.

Fang Chongyong took it in stride—when it was time to be a coward, one absolutely had to be a coward!

Fang Chongyong looked carefree; when it's time to be cowardly, one must be cowardly!

"Burn the supplies, retreat! After the battle, you must report this to the Hexi Military Governorate; do as you wish, and I won't block any petition to the court, but for now you must follow my orders."

Pointing at the nearby Tibetan camp, Fang Chongyong said forcefully, "Burn it all, leave nothing behind."

"Understood!"

Before long, the outskirts of Changle County turned into a sea of fire. The piled-up military rations blazed furiously, and the bolts of silk all turned to ash. Flocks of goats and sheep were slaughtered, horses were led away by Tang soldiers, and almost nothing of value or use was left behind.

In a short while, the outskirts of Changle County turned into a sea of flames; stacked military rations ignited in a raging fire, silk turned to ash. Flocks of goats and sheep were slaughtered, horses were led away by Tang soldiers, and virtually nothing of value remained.

The Tang army of Shazhou swirled like a white vortex, whipping through the outskirts of Changle County before sweeping onward.

Their style was exceedingly graceful.

Activating double monthly tickets the day after tomorrow will trigger an explosive update.

【115】 (End of chapter)