Chapter 298: I'm Waiting for the CD, What Are You Waiting For?

Wei Source region is essentially a small basin; in Fang Chongyong's previous life it was also called the "Gate Source Basin".

This place can become a Fengshui treasure land for the Tibetans because, besides its flat terrain that differs from the surrounding mountains, an important reason is that the main channel of the Huang River tributary Huangshui—the Da Tong River—flows through here, eroding fertile land suitable for agriculture and pastoralism.

In other words, the waters of the Da Tong River eventually merge with other rivers, then pass through the army garrison at Huangyuan County, and finally Huangshui joins other rivers to form the Yellow River, which flows through Lanzhou.

The Da Tong River (also called the Haomen River) drops more than six hundred meters from source to mouth, with its greatest elevation difference exceeding eight hundred meters; its total length is just over five hundred kilometers, so the massive drop makes the current extremely fast and its transport capacity very strong.

The Da Tong River not only flows swiftly but is one to three meters deep, giving it canal‑transport potential, which condemns it to be notable in the upper Yellow River region.

The fact is exactly that.

Although traveling by boat downstream the Da Tong River is very dangerous, transporting timber and grain remains quite convenient.

In fact, Wei Source can be one of the Tibetans' three major logistical bases, relying on the few water routes on the Qinghai‑Tibet Plateau; much of the Tibetan state's heavy equipment is shipped via the Da Tong River to the Wei Source area, then distributed elsewhere.

This is far more efficient than cattle and horses hauling goods across the plateau!

When Fang Chongyong led the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army cavalry to rampage through Wei Source, they were shocked by the terrifyingly large amount of supplies stockpiled by the Tibetans there!

However, a large stockpile does not mean a strong defense.

Because of its strategic importance, the Wei Source area originally housed a Tibetan Imperial Guard, a very strong force that was the main body of Enlanda Zhalu Gong's headquarters and also came from Wei Ru's Tuodai Dongdai.

This unit has long been active on the front line of the Tibetan confrontation with the Tang's western army, and Fang Chongyong is not unfamiliar with this unit designation.

Otherwise, how did he come to know Enlanda Zhalu Gong?

Yet strangely, after easily flattening the third‑rate Tibetan logistical "Nangxia", Fang Chongyong interrogated prisoners and learned that Enlanda Zhalu Gong had already moved all his direct troops away, and the prisoners did not know where that army had gone!

All they knew was that the army took the southern marching grain road toward Da Tong City!

After all, the logistical Nangxia and Enlanda Zhalu Gong's Imperial Guard have no subordinate relationship; the latter need not report military dispatches to the former.

Frankly, the logistics soldiers in the Nangxia are the grandchildren, while Zhalu Gong's direct troops are the grandfathers! Had it not been for this coincidence, Fang Chongyong would have needed a hard fight to seize Wei Source with three thousand Yinqiang Xiaojie Army.

Fang Chongyong had a guide fluent in Tibetan act as translator, interrogated many Tibetan prisoners, even employing the Great Memory Restoration Technique.

The fragments the Tibetan prisoners recounted, though disjointed, all proved that the Tibetan main force had indeed left Wei Source early.

The information was so low‑key that few inside the Nangxia even knew.

What was odd about Zhalu Gong's army?

Fang Chongyong could not figure it out.

Being able to leave the defense zone unnoticed must be for a larger scheme, right?

From Fang Chongyong's understanding of Enlanda Zhalu Gong, this fox‑like schemer is hard to deal with; his direct troops were moved, and in Tibetan political ecology a Dongdai's chief commander is also a local great landlord, meaning this army likely consists of Zhalu Gong's confidants and hometown men!

"Fang Jiedushi, this Wei Source has gathered so much grain, shall we set it ablaze?"

"Burn it all heartily, then report the victory to the court in Liangzhou!"

He Changqi approached Fang Chongyong, who was patrolling the Nangxia, and asked, his tone light. This time we cut straight through to Wei Source, the resistance encountered was negligible, and we even picked up a great merit—simply delightful.

The so‑called Nangxia is actually a crude but huge temporary camp, with many military tents and wooden sheds.

Inside it store many supplies and spoils—grain, firewood, weapons, and so on. Its biggest difference from the Tang granary depots is that it can graze and raise livestock.

Moreover, a Nangxia can raise a large number of grazing livestock, sometimes tens of thousands! It is a logistical model the Tibetans devised to meet large‑scale war against Tang.

Because the Tibetan soldiers attached to the Nangxia were weak in resistance, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army did not massacre. Those Tibetan slaves who voluntarily surrendered were released, allowed to flee south into the Da Tong region.

"If we burn these grains, what will we eat?"

Fang Chongyong looked at He Changqi as if he were a fool.

"Uh, aren't the grains coming from Ebo Ridge?"

He Changqi was taken aback, having not thought of this batch.

They carried seven days of dry rations, the supplies were light on horse backs; otherwise how could Fang Chongyong be so daring? If the battle went poorly, there would be no return.

"First, send someone to Ebo Ridge to notify Guo Ziyi, have him bring ten thousand Chishui troops to Liangzhou for emergency; there's a big matter to handle!"

Fang Chongyong was too lazy to waste words with He Changqi, and with a solemn face gave the order.

"What about the second?"

He Changqi scratched his round head and asked, "One leads to two, this is a very ordinary matter."

"Second, have Liu Gong lead the Dadu Army to seize that Tibetan Dongdai west of Qilian grassland! If they cannot be seized, have them bring their heads!"

Fang Chongyong's tone was grim, with no hint of joking.

"Jiedushi, they're all busy; does that mean we should base ourselves in Wei Source and strike everywhere?"

He Changqi thought of a terrifying possibility: Fang Chongyong seemed to be playing a big move.

On the battlefield, why usually set fire to the enemy's granary after attacking it? Not just take it away?

In fact, taking the enemy's grain appears to weaken them and strengthen oneself, but that is not the case.

Because the process of transporting grain itself puts your own troops in danger. Even if the transport succeeds, moving enemy grain ignores your own troops' safety—unacceptable.

If you cannot obtain it, destroy it; this line of thought makes burning enemy grain one of the fast lanes of war.

And Fang Chongyong now chooses not to burn the Tibetan grain in Wei Source, which can only show his grand designs.

"Why should we burn the grain the Tibetans sent us?

The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army is here waiting for the Tibetans to seize back the grain, stay on guard.

This Jiedushi does not believe in evil; even after the Tibetans abandon a grain base, they can remain as steady as Mount Tai!

Fang Chongyong chuckled coldly.

To rescue Longyou Town, the best method is to cut off the Tibetan grain routes.

If we want to go further, we should lure the Tibetan army to reinforce Wei Source.

If we can do both, it would be perfect. Fang Chongyong now wants Guo Ziyi to bring the Chishui troops over to wait for the Tibetan main force.

Of course, if the Tibetans do not come and think Wei Source irrelevant, Fang Chongyong will simply settle, and this time just open new lands for Tang.

If the Tibetans abandon it, Tang will surely incorporate Wei Source and Qilian grassland, station permanent troops, and thereby change the frontier situation between Tang and Tibet. If that happens, the Tibetans will suffer a massive loss, their capital nearly gone.

He believes such a scenario is extremely unlikely; the Tibetans will not leave Wei Source unattended, nor will they settle peacefully.

At that moment, a messenger dressed in Chishui Army garb rode toward Fang Chongyong.

When he drew near, he hastily dismounted, walked over, and with a salute said, "Jiedushi Fang, Military Envoy Guo has returned to Liangzhou and is dispatching ten thousand Chishui troops to Wei Yuan to aid the Jiedushi. The matter is urgent, so I ask for your forgiveness. After this battle, the envoy will apologize in person."

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong and He Changqi were both startled!

Guo Ziyi's battlefield intuition is remarkably sharp! He even anticipated Fang's deployment in advance!

Earlier, Fang had left Guo Ziyi at Ebao Ridge, waiting for Liu Gong to arrive with the Great Dou Army to take over the territory, because only Guo could keep Liu in check; he never intended for Guo to do anything else.

But Guo Ziyi was clearly unwilling to remain a mascot; his desire to earn merit was urgent!

Taking over a city is just a matter of telling his own troops, after all it isn't his own garrison! For Guo, this arrangement was nothing but idle idleness, wasting his time.

Since the capture of Ebao Ridge, Guo had sensed, from subtle clues, that the Tubo's strategic deployment was suspicious. The fighting in Hexi could very well shift from a small skirmish to a large‑scale battle, from a detachment to the main force!

Fang's initial deployment was ill‑suited to the new situation; specifically, he sent too few troops, so reinforcement was inevitable.

In fact, Guo's scheme was clear; privately moving troops carried little risk, only violating the "official" orders on paper.

Just imagine.

If Fang fails to capture Wei Yuan, reinforcements could lend him a hand, and even if the Chishui Army cannot help, they can cover the retreat of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army.

If Fang successfully takes Wei Yuan—as Guo may have expected—then sending reinforcements to expand the victory becomes unavoidable!

One must not let a shortage of troops delay the plucking of the peach.

As for the possible food shortage from moving a large army, that is a war risk Guo must bear himself. If the army runs out of provisions, just hold him accountable.

How can one achieve merit without risk? It's simply a matter of whether the reward justifies the gamble and whether the risk is controllable.

Guo's plan may seem rogue, but it stems from battlefield instinct—bold yet meticulous.

"Understood. Go back and report to General Guo, tell him to swiftly bring troops to Wei Yuan for defense, guard the supplies, and worry about nothing else."

Fang waved his hand and said,

Only then did he snap back to reality: he was in the flourishing Tang, surrounded by a legion of divine allies! In an ordinary scenario, as long as the situation opens up, a legion of divine allies can carry him to victory!

If it were the late Ming period, it would be over! Even a tailwind scenario could be turned into a dead end.

"Jiedushi Fang, this military envoy Guo is usually meek and avoids the spotlight, but he does have some skill when it counts."

After the Chishui messenger left, He Changqi muttered softly,

Everyone earns their keep on the battlefield; whether someone has skill, insiders can sense it instinctively. Guo Ziyi's foresight ranks him as a top‑tier commander among the Tang forces.

"The truly formidable aren't the ones who act arrogant every day, unless they're deliberately putting on a show."

Fang said with a pointed tone,

Hearing this, He Changqi's face turned awkward as he defended, "Jiedushi Fang, you know me—I just obey. You have me run errands; I dare not do menial work. You…"

"Enough, enough, no more chatter. Go now and tell the lads to check the Tubo's storehouses for any spiked palisades or wooden fences.

If none are found, have them build some quickly, and send men to the banks of the nearby Datong River to look for rafts."

Fang said impatiently, his mind a tangled mess; the Tubo situation was off‑kilter, beyond expectations, surely deceptive.

"Understood, I'll see to it at once!"

He Changqi saluted and withdrew.

…

It was the most agonizing night; Fang feared the Tubo might break out from the southern marching pass of Wei Yuan. He stationed a thousand men in ambush at the valley mouth and kept personal watch.

Unfortunately, the night passed with no Tubo response.

Of course, there was some reaction: that evening, Liu Gong arrived at Wei Yuan with three thousand Great Dou troops as reinforcement, bringing a captive—the Thousand Commander of the Eastern Dai of the Tubo army from the west!

According to Liu, that unit learned of the battle as soon as Wei Yuan was attacked.

What puzzled Fang was that the Tubo's Thousand Commander acted as if nothing had happened, merely warning his troops to stay vigilant and not act rashly.

In short, he pretended he hadn't seen anything.

Fang ordered Liu Gong's son, Liu Peng, to bring the Tubo captive forward.

To his surprise, after a brief interrogation he discovered the man was a Tang native! His ancestor was none other than Xu Shiji! He himself had changed the Li surname granted by Li Tang to his original family name Xu, calling himself Xu Qubing!

After Xu Shiji's descendants rebelled against Empress Wu and failed, the whole clan was slaughtered. The surviving members fled to Tubo, where they were employed, and one even rose to become a Thousand Commander of Eastern Dai!

Fang clicked his tongue in amazement and asked, "I, the Jiedushi, am waiting for a CD. What are you waiting for?"

Xu Qubing was taken aback, not understanding what a "CD" was.

Seeing his confusion, Fang smiled and explained, "I'm asking why you didn't strike the Wei Yuan valley then. Had you rescued in time, it would have left me scrambling for a while."

"I am a Han; I fled to Tubo because Li Tang forced me into a corner. As for the Tubo treasury being burned, what does that concern me, a Han? I merely reside in Tubo, I am not a Tubo person."

That descendant of Xu Shiji gave Fang an answer that could not be judged.

Indeed, the interior of Tubo is quite abstract!

Fang couldn't help but marvel at his good luck; he hadn't chosen the wrong direction back then.

"Someone, release this brave man, let him go. Wherever he wishes to go, we'll pretend we didn't see him."

Fang waved magnanimously and said,

(End of Chapter)