Chapter 296: The Mounted Man's Majestic Might

Riding a horse, he left Ebao Ridge; to the south stretched a lush grassland. The Ebo River, which springs from Ebo Ridge, winds east through the green grass like a clear jade belt. This river is one of Ebao Ridge's main water sources and was the primary reason the Great Han built a city there in ancient times.

Fang Chongyong rode on horseback, with about a thousand cavalry behind him.

He Changqi and Guan Chongsi each led another two columns of cavalry, about a thousand each, to join the attack and sweep the Tibetan herders and scouts on the southern outskirts of Ebo Ridge.

This road heads southeast to the famous Qilian Great Grassland, the main grazing land of Tuyuhun in ancient times.

Further southeast, following the valley, after a short pass lies the farming area at the edge of Weiyuan! This is one of the three main supply bases prepared for the standoff between the Tibetan army and the Great Tang, of great strategic importance.

Even if the Tibetan people's resolve is great, they cannot leave a single soldier behind; a fierce battle is inevitable.

Riding the horse, Fang Chongyong felt his butt bobbing, just like when he was making love with a beautiful, charming woman, his body moving with the horse's rhythm, as if rocking on waves.

Both sharp and weary!

If conquering women in bed could conquer the world, that would be great.

What a simple rule: just work out hard. If you're handsome and lively, you can do whatever you want. Why doesn't such a world exist?

On the horse, Fang Chongyong's thoughts wandered. In the Eastern Jin perhaps nobles could live out their days through entertainment, but in the flourishing Tang such a rule clearly does not suit an "official's son" like him.

In an age abundant with martial virtue, killing and being killed were commonplace. Only the blade in one's hand could carve a future! To be born a human in the Great Tang is to hone the skill of killing; otherwise you are merely a lowly dog.

Of course, this skill is not limited to learning how to swing a sword at people. Those who think that are only fit to be a front‑line warrior.

Leading troops, commanding, winning hearts, extracting money, even soothing the people and developing production—all serve martial virtue. It's like a sword that needs a blade, but also a hilt and scabbard. A sword with only a good blade cannot go far nor last long.

The Tibetans, having blades but no scabbards, after a peak of reckless militarism fell into a thousand‑year collapse.

While his mind was full of chaotic thoughts, Fang Chongyong suddenly saw at the edge of his view a logistics convoy, mules pulling flatbed carts across the grass.

He shouted to the nearby Yuanmen Er Long, "Help the Jiedushi look, what flag does that convoy bear?"

Fang Chongyong saw faintly that the convoy had colorful flags, but couldn't discern the designs. Colorful flags alone reveal nothing; even the Tang army uses them on occasion.

"Jiedushi! This is the Tibetan Xiangxiong Ru's Wind‑Horse Flag! Usually only Tibetan Nangxia have it!"

Yuanmen Er Long's Wu Cheng'en shouted at Fang Chongyong; he had served twenty years in the Hexi army and was intimately familiar with Tibetan banners.

Songtsen Gampo's administrative reform of Tibet, integrating politics and military, was the so‑called "Five Ru and Sixty‑One Dongdai". Typically one Ru contains ten Dongdai. However, after Songtsen Gampo conquered the Xiangxiong region, he did not establish a Xiangxiong Ru.

Why did the Tibetans not establish a Xiangxiong Ru?

Because Xiangxiong is said to have, in ancient times, dominated the southwest of the Qinghai‑Tibet Plateau, with a peak population estimated over ten million!

At that time the plateau's climate was warm and moist; Xiangxiong's location in Tibet's Ali region consisted of vast grasslands and forests, with pleasant weather. In other words, Xiangxiong once fostered a civilization of relatively high level and splendid culture.

Thus the Tibetans deeply feared it, and Xiangxiong's culture in turn profoundly influenced Tibetan culture, also being the birthplace of the Bön religion. This is another example of the conquered culture infiltrating the conqueror.

Since they have already shattered Xiangxiong's political system by force, the Tibetans naturally do not wish Xiangxiong to exist as a complete political entity.

Although the Tibetan state does not have a Xiangxiong Ru, the Tang army habitually groups the ten Dongdai over there as a "Xiangxiong Ru" for distinction. These people are usually conscripted by the Tibetan Imperial Guard to the front lines against the Great Tang as peripheral cannon fodder, often performing logistical transport duties.

The Dongdai of Xiangxiong have always been the "Nangxia" big households within the Tibetan army, bearing logistical tasks. The western Tang border troops, upon seeing the Wind‑Horse Flag, also recognized it as a Tibetan logistical unit.

After the Qinling campaign, the Tibetans also began military professionalization; combat was no longer only the young and strong at the front, while the old, weak, women and children handled rear supply. The three major supply bases were thus established. Deploying Dongdai from Xiangxiong and Su Bi Ru for logistics and peripheral reconnaissance became routine in the Tibetan army.

Yuanmen Er Long, who had fought for twenty years in the Hexi, relayed this to Fang Chongyong. As the slow‑moving convoy drew nearer, Fang Chongyong saw clearly that they were all adorned with colorful flags, none bearing any design.

Nima, no wonder it's hard to see!

Fang Chongyong muttered to himself, having previously thought his vision was blurred from over‑indulging with a woman.

"Sound the horn, signal with flags. Let the brothers charge to scatter the Tibetan convoy, let them flee! Leave the logistics in place, and have Liu Gong send men to 'lick the pack'."

Fang Chongyong ordered Wu Cheng'en.

"Lick the pack?"

Wu Cheng'en was startled, not understanding what that meant.

"It means… transport supplies to Ebao Ridge."

Fang Chongyong explained expressionlessly.

"Understood!"

Wu Cheng'en shouted, then drew a horn from his chest and blew it!

Woooooo!

The bleak horn sounded, and the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army soldiers, who had been impatiently waiting to charge and slay, surged like unbridled horses across the grass, galloping toward the Tibetan logistical convoy.

While sprinting, they drew horse bows and shot arrows. One after another the Wind‑Horse Flags were cut down; the third‑rate Tibetan soldiers from Xiangxiong, lacking any will to resist, abandoned the convoy and fled, faster than rabbits!

What was expected to be a fierce battle turned into a one‑sided cavalry charge and slaughter. Fortunately these were counted as victories, and the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army soldiers made no petty complaints.

Fang Chongyong sat with his legs straddling the saddle, feet on the stirrups, riding alone in the distance with arms raised, coldly watching the one‑sided slaughter, curiosity stirring within him.

Where, then, is the main Tibetan force? The logistical bases can't be devoid of the main Tibetan troops, can they?

He guessed that the garrison on Ebao Ridge must be a second‑tier Tibetan unit from the Su Bi district tasked with guard duties, whose attire and equipment resembled the Qiang, with weak combat will, likely from Su Bi's Sun Bo Ru.

The current logistics convoy, however, comes from Xiangxiong's logistical troops, a third‑tier unit in the Tibetan army, who flee at the sight of Tang cavalry.

Why were the Wei Ru troops, belonging to the Tibetan royal and consort families and famed for great debates, not seen?

Fang Chongyong had once learned from his cheap Tibetan "brother‑in‑arms" Enlan Dazalu Gong that the person came from a noble Tibetan family north of Luoxie City, belonging to the royal guard household of Wei Ru.

He was from the Tuodai Dongdai of Wei Ru, the core of the Tibetan Imperial Guard.

Thus, Zalu Gong had thoroughly suppressed the Sun Bo Ru rebellion in Su Bi district. For the Wei Ru Tibetans, the Sun Bo Ru people were not necessarily closer than the Tang.

The Great Tang's Princess of Jin City even married a Tibetan Zhanpu! Who wouldn't make such connections!

Tibetan Xiangxiong, Su Bi, Sen Bo, and Tuyuhun (added later) are called the Inner Four Clans; their nobles are not native Tibetans, ranking second or third among Tibetan aristocracy.

Soon, the battle ended, the outcome unsurprising.

Fang Chongyong rode his horse forward to assess the situation; a battle of this scale and intensity didn't require his encouragement, let alone him leading the charge on horseback. The ground was littered with many corpses, almost all Tibetan, not a single one armored.

The flatbed carts were loaded with grain and fodder in burlap sacks, bundles of dry firewood and hay tied with rope, and some dairy products—nothing particularly valuable.

"Jiedushi Fang, I have just interrogated the captives; they were delivering grain and firewood to the garrison on Ebao Ridge. Their Nangxia belong to the Guke Dongdai of Xiangxiong district, neighboring Su Bi Ru, and they were all conscripted slave soldiers mobilized by the Zhanpu. They have been marching for two months!"

Wu Cheng'en, with a strange expression, said to Fang Chongyong: This Tibetan mobilization is a nationwide conscription; not just the neighboring Tang regions' cannon fodder, they have mobilized many people, and their aim is no small matter!

Wu Cheng'en, his face looking odd, said to Fang Chongyong: "This Tufan wave is a nationwide mobilization; it isn't merely the Great Tang's neighboring districts' cannon fodder that's been mobilized—quite a few people have come over, and their scheme is far from small!"

"Understood, prepare to attack Wei Yuan."

Fang Chongyong's expression was calm as he waved his hand, but he was already preoccupied with the matter he had told Guo Ziyi.

The senior Tufan commanders indeed knew the Great Tang's military deployment like the back of their hand! At least they had a two‑month head start!

If the deployment had proceeded normally, Fang Chongyong should by now have led the elite Hexi Army into the Western Regions, perhaps already reaching Kucha.

It was precisely because of Pei Kuan's assassination that Fang Chongyong was forced to return to Chang'an, losing more than a month in the round trip.

The facts are clear: relying solely on the armies of Tufan and the bordering regions of the Great Tang, they could not at all match the border troops under the two military governors of Hexi and Longyou simultaneously. The mountain roads inside Tufan are far slower than the official post roads the Tang have built, so moving troops takes far more time.

This battle was likely pre‑planned, but the Tufans did not anticipate the sudden incident within the Great Tang.

This time, it was the first occasion Fang Chongyong worried whether Wang Zhongsi could hold his ground!

Tufan's current push on Shibao City is determined to succeed!

"Go, keep heading southeast; we'll meet He Changqi and the others at Lion Mouth."

Fang Chongyong gave a brief order to Wu Cheng'en.

……

Six hours later, in the Lion Mouth valley east of Wei Yuan, the three thousand cavalry of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army finally converged there.

He Changqi and Guan Chongsi each brought Fang Chongyong one good and one bad piece of news.

The good news He Changqi reported: south of Ebao Ridge has been cleared, with hardly any Tufan troops left, only scattered scouts. Those scouts were either killed or captured, yielding some information. In short, there are no ambushes west of Wei Yuan; we can march straight toward Wei Yuan.

The bad news Guan Chongsi delivered: from the prisoners they learned that in the Qilian region west of Ebao Ridge, a Tufan Dongdai is grazing there, the troop size unknown, perhaps a few thousand at most.

Thus the dilemma before Fang Chongyong is whether the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, with fewer than three thousand cavalry, should continue east to strike the Tufan logistics base, or first turn west to crush the Tufan detachment.

If they choose to turn back west, the threat can be eliminated, but they must retrace their steps and forfeit the attack opportunity that is already within reach.

After cutting through the Qilian area (Qilian County, Qinghai Province), then turning back to attack Wei Yuan, even a fool among the Tufan commanders would have to retreat, right?

If they keep moving east, those threats disappear, but as long as the Tufan forces in Qilian block Lion Mouth, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army will be trapped at Wei Yuan, sandwiched from east and west; the outcome is not worth fantasizing about.

It would inevitably be a life‑or‑death battle.

Of course, they could split their forces, but that would likely yield no victory on either side. The thought flashed through his mind and was dismissed by Fang Chongyong.

The situation is like finding a wallet on the road: either keep it oneself as if nothing happened, or hand it over to the police as if nothing happened.

One must never choose to both keep the money and give part to the police; that would create a problem, a big problem.

Fang Chongyong stepped away from the crowd, sat by a small fire, watching the blazing campfire while repeatedly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

War is like that; it will never wait for you to have everything ready, letting the enemy lie on the bed in the posture you imagined, naked and at your disposal!

On the battlefield, crises arise frequently, often unexpectedly and terrifyingly.

Continue east? Or turn back west?

That is probably the decisive factor of this battle, Fang Chongyong thought to himself.

He suddenly recalled An Lushan's recent Fire‑worship divination at Fengling Post that threatened his very life!

He feared An Lushan felt the same way back then as he does now.

Choosing wrongly could very well mean death.

Because the person involved lacks any courage to guess, they simply hand the choice over to vague deities and luck.

How tragic; if a person cannot even trust themselves, how can they trust luck?

"Fang Jiedushi, the horses have been fed; should we now advance under cover of night? The prisoners say the main Tufan force at Wei Yuan is moving south, and a delay could cause trouble."

He Changqi approached Fang Chongyong cautiously, lowering his voice to suggest. He was still unaware of the Tufan detachment west of Ebao Ridge.

"You're right; a delay could cause trouble."

Fang Chongyong stood, drew his Swift‑Wind Illusion Blade, and shouted to the surrounding generals, raising the blade to the sky: "All commanders, obey! Mount your horses, set out; tonight we will cut through Wei Yuan, advance without retreat!"

"Fang Jiedushi, the Qilian region west of Ebao Ridge…"

Guan Chongsi wore a worried expression and dared not speak the news aloud; it was extracted from interrogating the prisoners. Charging Wei Yuan is indeed exhilarating, but being caught in a Tufan ambush would be far from ideal!

"This time we gamble big."

"If we win, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army will be deified; if we lose, we will thunderously continue our revelry in the underworld!"

"From the Spring Terrace we will summon our old troops, ten‑thousand banners to slay Yanluo."

"A true man acts on impulse, fearing neither life nor death—how delightful!"

Fang Chongyong sheathed the Swift‑Wind Illusion Blade, patted Guan Chongsi on the shoulder, and walked toward his warhorse.

"Let's go, not scared of a bird!"

He Changqi gave Guan Chongsi a hard pat on the back and said.

Then he hurried to Fang Chongyong's side, calmly urged his horse: "Jiedushi, rest assured, this He Tiger is not called that for nothing; I will charge at the front later, not letting those Tufan troops harm you a single hair. After this battle, the world will know the might of our Yinqiang Xiaojie Army."

"You really need to bring a dog's head with that line."

Fang Chongyong sighed helplessly and teased.

"What dog head?"

He Changqi was startled, but saw Fang Chongyong already flipping onto his horse, his figure towering in the firelight.

(End of Chapter)