Chapter 293: One Fish, Two Bites

Jiedushi, what is this…

The brothers Wu Cheng'en and Wu Chengci, known by the elegant nickname "Yuanmen Er Long", looked at Fang Chongyong with puzzled faces, their expressions bewildered, recalling where they had previously seen him.

Shazhou's Cishi Fang?

Wu Chengci suddenly recalled that after the victory over Tufan, they went to Liangzhou City to receive rewards, and seemed to have seen Fang Chongyong at a banquet.

But back then he was young, his body appeared much more frail than now, and his stature was much shorter!

"Haha, thanks to you remembering those old days, the two Pinglu Vanguards, I've long admired you."

Fang Chongyong warmly shook hands with each of them and said.

"Fang Jiedushi!"

Wu Cheng'en and Wu Chengci immediately knelt and kowtowed, their voices and tears mingling. How they had arrived over these years, one could not know without asking.

As for why the two refused to leave the camp and retire home in seclusion?

Because the Wu clan of Liangzhou is a local aristocratic family; if they retired home, wouldn't that confirm the rumor of "family treason"?

Then the family would have to be deemed rebellious, even if they hadn't rebelled!

Only by the two continuing to serve in the army as ordinary soldiers, willingly taking beatings, can they demonstrate that the Wu family has no ulterior motives.

This is also the main reason why, in Fang Chongyong's past‑life history, after An Lushan's rebellion, Ji Ge also eliminated An Sisun.

Rebellions usually involve the whole family marching, and it's safer to be beheaded; even if there are wrongful killings, one can't worry about that.

Who would let An Sisun's uncle marry a second wife who already has a son (that is An Lushan)!

The same logic applies to Yuanmen Er Long.

"You are to set out immediately against Tufan; you two will be the vanguard.

If you achieve the first merit in this battle, this Jiedushi will promote you to Pinglu Vanguard!

If you fall in this battle, this Jiedushi will erect a monument for you!

A true man, wrapped in horsehide, dies where he belongs; how delightful!"

Fang Chongyong again helped Yuanmen Er Long to his feet, shouted loudly, deliberately so that all the commanders in the Jiedushi's tent could hear!

"I, your humble servant, will never disappoint the Jiedushi's great expectations!"

Wu Cheng'en and Wu Chengci knelt on the ground, kowtowing like pounding garlic, clanking loudly.

"He Laohu, give the two Pinglu Vanguards a hearty serving!

Today we only have pickled vegetables with boiled tofu; you two make do with that for now.

After we crush Tufan, the bold and generous men will drink big bowls of wine together, feast on large cuts of meat! Live merrily!"

Fang Chongyong pointed at the gurgling big pot, laughed heartily, and said brightly.

"Please!"

He Changqi placed several pieces of tofu into two plates, walked over to hand them to Yuanmen Er Long, then quietly stepped aside.

Yuanmen Er Long didn't think, grabbed the tofu with his hands, wolfed it down, feeling the tofu in the plate was salty, fragrant, silky, and exquisitely delicious!

"Yuanmen Er Long, you have dined in the same pot with so many generals of the Hexi army.

When in battle, just charge straight ahead; no need to worry about anyone sharing your credit."

Fang Chongyong personally took the plates the two had finished, encouraging them.

This scene was witnessed by everyone in the Jiedushi's tent; some looked on with admiration, others with puzzlement. Some seemed to see the once‑legendary Guo Zhiyun of Longyou, while others remained expressionless, as if nothing had occurred.

……

"Wang Zhongsi, what is this you're eating! Does this Longyou Jiedushi still intend to continue!"

"Ge Nu! What do you say I should do now!"

"Should we just watch Tufan troops besiege and pillage within our Tang realm?"

In the study of Qinzhengwubenlou inside Xingqing Palace, the Tang Emperor Li Longji flung a frontline battle report straight onto Right Prime Minister Li Linfu's face!

Tufan fielded 400,000 troops, splitting into three columns to attack the Longyou Jiedushi's defensive zone, with the main thrust on Shibao City.

After analyzing the military situation, Wang Zhongsi chose to concentrate forces to hold the line at Shibao City, barely preserving Shan Zhou.

The other two columns, Tufan forces surged like a breaking bamboo, bullying the outnumbered Tang troops, achieving considerable advances.

One Tufan column captured Diebu (Diebu County, Gansu); the Jishi troops garrisoned there were defeated and retreated to Dangzhou's Huaidao County (Zhouqu, Qinghai).

Another Tufan column forcefully attacked Taozhou (Lingtan County, Gansu), where the 7,000‑strong Mo Men army was stationed; the two sides fought a three‑day bloody battle beneath Wulu Mountain, corpses strewn everywhere, and finally the Mo Men army withdrew to Minzhou (Min County, Gansu).

The Tufan army pursued relentlessly and attacked Minzhou again.

The remnants of the Mo Men army merged with the few border troops of Minzhou, rested briefly, then instead of defending the city, they moved proactively to the Longma Mountain area at the border of Minzhou and Weizhou, where they dealt a crushing blow to the Tufan pursuers, beheading five thousand.

The Tufan army, after taking a heavy blow, had to retreat back to Min County's seat, Minle County. Meanwhile, the Mo Men army continued to fortify and establish camps around Longma Mountain, blocking the Tufan advance on Weizhou.

Both sides faced off near Longma Mountain, with the western part of Weizhou in a precarious situation.

The eastern Weizhou districts of Longxi County and Xiangwu County are gateways to Guanzhong; this Tufan detachment's sudden thrust truly scared Ji Ge into a shiver.

Although the Tufan army is at the end of its strength, and the roads ahead are rugged, requiring mountain crossing and unable to support large‑scale logistics, this time the Tufan forces have nevertheless penetrated deep into Tang's interior, breaching the Longyou Jiedushi's defensive zone.

In theory, if every soldier of this Tufan column were fearless to death and the Tang were to lose the upcoming decisive battle, this detachment would already have the capacity to march into Guanzhong and take a carefree stroll through Chang'an!

Having been taken down three prefectures by the Tufan and with Weizhou in alarm, Ji Ge was incensed.

Fortunately Wang Zhongsi held Shibao City; otherwise he might have been immediately dismissed and investigated by Ji Ge!

Moreover, Li Linfu's deficiency in military affairs was magnified infinitely this time. Facing the Longyou front's setbacks, Ji Ge blasted him with a barrage of accusations, leaving Li Linfu unable to utter a single word of defense.

Did Wang Zhongsi's deployment have any problems?

Actually it was just standard, nothing particularly problematic.

In Longyou, the Tang army already suffers from disadvantages of terrain and divided forces. The Tufan can move freely across the Qinghai‑Tibet Plateau, striking wherever they wish, while the Longyou Jiedushi's defensive zone is naturally split into three by the mountains!

Li Linfu placed his hand on his heart and asked himself, even if he were in Shan Zhou, he could change little. Diebu, Taozhou, and Minzhou are all lower prefectures of Tang, riddled with poverty, with few border households.

The Tang army's heavy deployment is merely to block the Tufan from entering the route into Guanzhong.

Even though these three marginal places are of little value, the living conditions are far better than the Qinghai‑Tibet Plateau where the Tufan live, so the Tufan army's fighting morale is high. Every year after autumn, the Tufan need to spend winter in low‑altitude, warm and humid areas.

Combat and invasion are hard necessities for their survival.

So the fact that Longyou Town suffers a loss in this clash is just routine border‑town fighting. Ji is angry solely because of that "I'm the best under heaven" mindset.

But regarding military matters, not understanding is simply not understanding; pretending to know will make the blame hard to shift when something goes wrong!

As the veteran Li Linfu, how could he possibly out‑stubborn Ji?

He crossed his arms and saluted Ji, speaking slowly:

"The former Shence Army Grand General Fang Youde was valiant, skilled in battle, repeatedly achieved great feats, and earned the Saint's trust.

Now the Saint has appointed him Military Governor of the Xuanwu Army, sending an edict to dispatch him to Bianzhou, which still sits on my desk unissued.

Originally I intended to wait until after the Saint's birthday this year before sending General Fang to Bianzhou, so he could celebrate the Saint's birthday in Chang'an.

Now we can move it forward, letting General Fang, in the name of Xuanwu Town, lead the Shence Army to Weizhou, repel the Tufan, and then proceed to Bianzhou for his appointment."

Li Linfu, who knows nothing of military affairs, nevertheless understands Ji's mind well.

These days Ji only wants a stable and prosperous world. If prosperity cannot be achieved, then stability must be preserved without turmoil.

The Tufan have reached Weizhou, making Ji, who is stationed in Chang'an, feel uneasy, and that is why the Tang Emperor becomes outraged!

As for why the Hexi troops aren't mobilized, it's because… in this era there are no airborne forces, nor can tunnels be dug deep in the mountains. The Hexi soldiers cannot traverse hundreds of kilometers without mountain roads, and the mountains rise above two thousand meters in altitude!

Hexi troops can only barely support Shanzhou, unable to aid the southernmost parts of the Longyou Military Governor's jurisdiction—Diezhou, Taozhou, and Minzhou—which is precisely the Tufan's tactical cunning. They know where the Tang forces are strongest, so even if they are fearless, they will not send troops uselessly when no gain is expected.

"That works, then."

Ji sighed helplessly; no matter which emperor, they always lament the shortage of men when needed. These two Tufan detachments happen to pin down the upper limit of strength against the Tang, their aim being to force Wang Zhongsi to move troops southward and weaken the defenses of Shibao City.

Wang Zhongsi also saw the Tufan's intention, so he concentrated most of his main force on the Shanzhou front and did not fall for it. The other two routes each have a Longyou Town army—one of four thousand men, the other seven thousand—and they cannot support each other.

Trying to push back a Tufan force measured in ten‑thousands is as hard as scaling heaven!

Now the Tang forces only lack a fresh contingent to revitalize the situation.

Of course, this unit cannot be from the Hexi border troops; they must come either from Guanzhong or from Jiannan.

Jiannan garrisons are few, and the mountain paths are treacherously rugged, clearly unable to carry out orders to support Longyou. Thus the Shence Army's westward campaign into Longnan is merely a "non‑choice", with no real option at all.

"The matter of the paper money must be advanced; don't wait for my birthday any longer. Raising troops costs money, and now is the time to issue the paper money."

Ji said in a deep voice to Li Linfu, no longer wishing to discuss war‑related topics with him.

Anyway, Fang Youde hasn't left Chang'an yet; after Li Linfu leaves Xingqing Palace, just give him a greeting.

"Your Majesty, the paper‑money matter is already being handled. Now the continuous rain has lasted over a month; this year Guanzhong may suffer a great flood, should we implement the Seedling Law…"

Li Linfu asked with a troubled expression.

In a year of great flood, there will inevitably be a poor harvest. If that happens, many peasant farmers will go bankrupt this year.

Originally the so‑called 'Seedling Law' should have been further studied and piloted in a grain‑rich prefecture. But given the current situation, bankrupt peasant farmers in Guanzhong are expected to appear in successive waves this year.

In the Great Tang, the prime ministership was originally a 'drum‑passing‑the‑flower' game. A prime minister served roughly four years; as long as no issues arose, they earned a good reputation. But Li Linfu could not play that game, because he had been the Right Prime Minister for many years and would continue, always being the last stick in the drum‑passing.

Rather than waiting for a disaster to bring up the Seedling Law and offer low‑interest paper‑money loans to rescue peasant farmers, it is better to raise it now before the paper money is even issued, appearing to have foresight.

If Ji nods, any future mishap will not be his responsibility!

If Ji rejects it, then after a major incident, Li Linfu can bring up the seedling loan again, achieving twice the effect with half the effort!

We won at mahjong!

"Of course we should grant the seedling loans!

"Servant, servant, do I really need to remind you of this? You should have been ready long ago!"

Ji scolded with a displeased face! It seemed he saw through the other's petty thought!

"The Saint's admonition is noted; I will have Liu Yan's side speed up, issue the paper money early, and advance the rollout of the Seedling Law."

Li Linfu said with a smile, his brows lowered and eyes compliant.

"Go ahead! Matters of military funding must not be delayed.

Before the Shence Army sets out, rewards must be ample! Provisions and arms must be prepared!

This time I will have the Tufan suffer as many deaths as they come, not a single one may escape!"

Ji said viciously, his expression like a street‑side chess player who just lost, an impotent, raging old man.

Ji actually doesn't care about the border and imperial guard soldiers—whether they live well or are happy. But he fears Weizhou falling to the Tufan, opening the Guanzhong gateway; that would be a huge problem!

Bai Juyi wrote "Today the frontier defense is at Fengxiang" because after the An‑Shi Rebellion the Great Tang's vitality was severely weakened and could not stop the Tufan.

If soon after Li Bai writes something like "Today the frontier defense is at Fengxiang", Ji's face would truly not hold.

"I will certainly see to it," the humble minister said.

Li Linfu, his expression unchanged, bowed and turned to leave the study. Upon emerging, he realized his entire back was drenched with cold sweat.

In fact, during the Kaiyuan era the Tang army made an even bigger blunder, with several Military Governors being ambushed. At that time Ji remained indifferent, confident he could fully control the situation and would not be outwitted by the Tufan.

Now Ji has become irritable and restless. The Tufan's attack on Weizhou makes his heart race.

Is he truly afraid of the Tufan? Li Linfu silently asked himself a question he never dared to contemplate.

……

"The entrance to Dadou Valley is the garrison of the Dadou Army.

The exit of Dadou Valley is Ebao Ridge! On Ebao Ridge the Tufan have built a fortress, stationing heavy troops inside.

Once we capture Ebao Ridge, we will have the high ground and can strike the Tufan's grazing lands."

On a tattered map, Fang Chongyong picked up a charcoal pencil, drew a circle on a hill‑shaped spot, and said to the generals beside him.

That statement was actually not wrong—in fact, it was perfectly correct, a classic piece of 'accurate nonsense.'

The key to defeating the Tufan in this battle lies at Ebao Ridge; everyone present knows this, even without looking at the map.

The Tufan's logistical base, also the target Fang Chongyong's forces are preparing to assault, is a high‑plateau valley where the Tufan have wooden forts but no city walls.

Ebao Ridge sits high, the valley lies low beside a river; there is both arable land and pasture, allowing grain cultivation and grazing simultaneously, supplying the Tufan army with abundant food, fodder, and transport supplies.

This area is a bit higher in elevation than the area where the Da Dou army is, but lower than the narrow mountain road of Da Dou Ba Valley.

If the Tang army attacks here, the marching route will consist of three adjacent zones: "lowest‑highest‑higher". In short, crossing the mountain is hard, but once over the mountain it becomes easy.

Ebo Ridge lies at the mountain summit! It also blocks the exit of Da Dou Ba Valley! Beyond Ebo Ridge is a flat plain!

Whether Ebo Ridge is the decisive factor of the battle needs no elaboration; the key is how the Tang army will capture Ebo Ridge, which is heavily defended by Tibetan troops!

All the generals stared at Fang Chongyong in silence.

"No need to worry, this Jiedushi already has a plan to defeat the enemy.

Today, ensure the soldiers are well fed and hydrated, and give them seven days of dry provisions.

Tomorrow at dawn, we will set out for Ebo Ridge!

Tonight is busy, and there are still preparations to make, so disperse."

Fang Chongyong seems to deliberately withhold the key to breaking the stalemate from the others, in order to prevent the news from leaking.

In his view, this battle hinges on swift action. To defeat the Tibetans requires no prolonged engagement; a single night is enough to decide the outcome!

(End of chapter)