Chapter 301: Who

These past two days the Tufan have been attacking Shibao City without regard for casualties, as well as Dingrong City opposite the hill where Shibao stands, day and night. They also engaged the reinforcing Tang troops on the wide hillside, with very intense fighting.

Such a ferocious offensive even gave Wang Zhongsi some trouble, so he had to use the Tianwei Army, which had not fought before and was a reserve force, as the main force, drawing still‑able soldiers from other Lonyou armies that needed rest. He formed a fresh contingent to buy time against the Tufan at Shibao City.

There is nothing noteworthy about this battle; both sides rely on brute force, hoping that sheer strength will overcome skill.

The Tufan fight on the hillside, with Dingrong City to the west, Shibao City to the east, and the Tang reinforcement troops to the south, thus being attacked from three sides and in a very unfavorable position. Yet even in such a dire state the Tufan fight to the death, their combat will very stubborn.

After two days the Tufan suffered heavy losses, leaving many corpses on the broad battlefield. Although the Tang forces won a small victory, it left Jiedushi Wang Zhongsi of Lonyou puzzled.

What is the point of the Tufan's war of attrition?

Just after night fell, Wang Zhongsi patrolled the wooden stockade of Anrong City and found nothing unusual, so he felt a little at ease. After returning to his command tent, he saw a messenger from the Chishui army arrive to pay his respects; the messenger delivered a handwritten letter from the Chishui army envoy Guo Ziyi, then withdrew from the tent.

"The Hexi troops have seized Wei Yuan, no wonder the Tufan's northern offensive has slowed; the balance has already shifted!"

After reading the letter, Wang Zhongsi placed the paper on the desk, his forehead wrinkles relaxed slightly, and he tapped the tabletop with his index finger. Guo Ziyi was very cautious and did not inform Fang Chongyong of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's flanking advance, fearing that too many eyes would cause the news to leak.

In Wang Zhongsi's view, the Hexi troops seizing Wei Yuan seemed unexpected but was actually foreseeable. This also explains why Hexi sent no troops to Shanzhou, instead keeping them as a reserve force for the 'Antenna Baby'.

Because that tactic offers too low a cost‑performance ratio for Hexi, and grain and fodder supply also become a problem.

Now that the Chishui army occupies Wei Yuan, the Tufan's northern reinforcement in Shanzhou is cut off, leaving them surrounded on two sides. Their only escape route is the Black Forest River Valley road northwest of Datong, leading to the northern part of Qinghai Lake, that is, the area northwest of Huangyuan County adjacent to the former Anxi army's garrison in the Tufan defense sector.

The difficulty of this route lies in climbing from a low altitude up to the Qinghai Lake plateau, and traversing mountain passes; for an army the logistical pressure is enormous.

It's not as if the whole force could withdraw instantly.

Wang Zhongsi easily deduced from this crucial news that the Tufan's northern detachment in Shanzhou was essentially destroyed. Now it is not those men who will attack the Wei Yuan garrison, but they must worry about being wiped out by the Tang army in one blow!

Geographically, the Datong area is now encircled on three sides by the Tang army, essentially in a state of constant danger.

Of course, seizing this valley that the Tang and Tufan have contested repeatedly is not unusual; the issue is whether the organized Tufan field army can be retained.

Eliminating the enemy's living forces is more important than occupying land.

Moreover, once the northern line threat is removed, the Lonyou Tang forces can press forward on all fronts, contesting the Tufan at Shibao City without having to leave troops to guard a rear route.

Should we act now, or… wait until the Tufan's southern offensive eases before moving?

In the torchlight, Wang Zhongsi's expression shifted unpredictably, looking very conflicted. Li Guangbi performed well on the front line, executing tactics decisively, and the Tang army clearly held the advantage.

To eliminate the rear‑ward worry, only Li Guangbi can lead the Tianwei Army back to the Wei Yuan garrison; after the forces unite, they can concentrate troops northward to attack the Tufan in Datong and remove this annoying nail!

However, moving Li Guangbi and the Tianwei Army away would again tighten the manpower at the Shibao City front, a strategic risk Wang Zhongsi must consider.

If Shibao City is lost, even occupying Wei Yuan and Datong would not compensate for the strategic loss.

From a detail and tactical standpoint, Shibao City is worth nothing; holding it does not give the Tang army a tactical edge, but maintaining it wastes considerable manpower and material.

Strategically, however, Shibao City is the key to entering the Tufan plateau. If the Tang army loses this key, the Tufan will be in an invincible position, losing battles outside and simply returning home to recover.

Thus, no matter what the Tang think, the Tufan are resolutely determined to retake Shibao City.

Retaking one's own gate key—how could that resolve be anything but firm?

"Still not workable, stability first."

Wang Zhongsi let out a long sigh and placed Guo Ziyi's letter directly under the oil lamp to burn it. No evidence left; as long as Guo Ziyi does not blab later, we can pretend nothing happened.

Shibao City must not be lost! The rest can be delayed!

Now there is no other choice!

Thinking this, Wang Zhongsi made up his mind.

"Someone, come."

Wang Zhongsi called out, and a personal guard stepped forward, saluting with crossed arms and asking, "Jiedushi, what orders?"

"Take my command staff, send a messenger to Ge Shuhan, have him dispatch scouts to probe the Tufan movements in the Datong region. Let him judge the situation himself.

If the Tufan retreat, we can test an attack."

Wang Zhongsi thought for a moment and said he had not made a decision, but he granted his subordinate command authority.

No one could find a flaw.

"Here, I will go."

The guard took Wang Zhongsi's command staff and left.

"How unsatisfied."

Wang Zhongsi could not help but sigh; because Lonyou's troop strength is insufficient, they have constantly been shoring up one side with the other, and the battle situation is perilously precarious.

He feels like a martial hero surrounded by a mob, dodging and scrambling in a mess.

Indeed, Hexi and Lonyou are one entity; whenever a major battle is fought, the two towns must cooperate, moving defensively along the vast front and supporting each other.

Let Lonyou hold the front while Hexi's elite strike back; this way the offense and defense are both smooth.

One person handling two towns seems unavoidable.

Recalling Fang Chongyong's earlier suggestion of a 'dual‑northwest‑towns plan', Wang Zhongsi realized the other was not speaking idle words.

It could be said to be rather foresighted.

……

Following the Qihan Trench all the way, one reaches a very narrow pass later called the 'Qihan Gorge'.

Passing through this gorge to the Shatang River, then turning south along the mountain road, the road's altitude continuously drops. The scenery and vegetation here are already much like those of the Hehuang Valley.

In fact, the Datong area, like Huangyuan County, is part of the outer rim of the Hehuang Valley, only divided by local mountain ranges. Here, whether altitude, climate, hydrology, or vegetation, everything is essentially cut from the same mold.

Marching onward, Fang Chongyong felt as if luck had struck him, because the area northwest of Datong where defenses could be set up had virtually no Tufan garrison! Those troops must trust the Tufan defenders in the Wei Yuan area greatly.

The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army marched south along the gorge where the Shatang River lies, arriving at an unnamed great lake that blocked their path.

Now Fang Chongyong ordered the troops to halt for repairs, uncertain whether to continue forward.

Actually they could continue south; on the lake's west shore there is a mountain path marked by footprints, seemingly frequented by people and animals.

Fang Chongyong's main concern was that, according to the guide, beyond this stretch there would truly be no mountains, rivers, or lakes to serve as defensive positions!

Behind the lake is the last gorge in the northwest of Datong; beyond that lies a plain where farmland and pasture are everywhere. In other words, they would lose their concealment and, if they met Tufan, would have to fight outright.

They arrived with fewer than three thousand men, and after a battle with the Tufan Imperial Guard they lost two or three hundred; whether to press on tests the commander's strategic skill.

It's not unusual to mess up a favorable situation with a single mistake.

Fang Chongyong ordered the troops of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army to set up camp on the north shore of the lake, then sent out scouts to scout the surrounding routes, quickly gathering information on the Tubo forces' deployments.

The next day, after eating a bit of dry flatbread for breakfast, Fang Chongyong strolled along the lakeshore to clear his mind, pondering what to do next.

One cannot deny that the scenery here is exceptionally beautiful: blue sky, verdant grass, azure lake, and white stones.

Fang Chongyong sat on a large rock, picked up a charcoal pencil, and, following the guide's description, began to sketch a simple map; the more he drew, the more he frowned.

The Datong region is a contested tug-of-war zone between the Tubo and Tang armies, lacking any official Tang map; even the finance officers of the Hexi Army only know the rough terrain here, unable to describe specifics.

The terrain here mainly consists of low-relief slopes and hills combined with strip-like plains, making it very suitable for cavalry combat, and of course it also tests the command ability of cavalry leaders.

Whether setting an ambush or engaging in a meeting battle, one can play many tricks—the terrain is quite complex. Because the hills are not like the towering mountains previously crossed, which are impassable; Fang Chongyong even doubts that one could ride a horse up these hills.

Looking from high to low, these small hills could actually be terraced fields. Only because Longyou has suffered years of war, the population is sparse, and there is no manpower to develop them.

Although Fang Chongyong's troops can be considered the Tang's elite forces with top-notch equipment, and they had previously scored a complete victory over a Tubo imperial guard unit, morale is high!

Yet he still dare not be careless.

A commander leading troops can be arrogant, careless, play with fire a thousand or ten thousand times and still win each time.

But lose once, and it's game over—no chance to reload.

All previous victories can be wiped out in one loss!

Fang Chongyong dares not leave the chance of victory to the enemy's decision, nor will he place all his hopes on the enemy's stupidity.

Soon after, He Changqi returned with several scouts and reported their findings to Fang Chongyong.

"Jiedushi, to the due west of the unnamed large lake we are at, there is a fairly wide valley passage; beyond it lies the core area of the Datong region. The Tubo have built a wooden fort here, stationing large amounts of supplies and troops, numbering absolutely no less than ten thousand."

One of the scouts reported to Fang Chongyong.

"And you? What do you say?"

Fang Chongyong asked another scout of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army.

"Reporting to the Jiedushi, if we follow the Shatangchuan River southward, we can reach a Tubo pasture area. They have only set up a camp there, with about one or two thousand people, not a large force. They seem to be warning the Tang troops at Longyouzheng about a flanking attack on Datong."

"Further south lies the garrison of the HeYuan Army."

This scout said, panting.

"Jiedushi, we now face another big-or-small choice; what do you think we should do?"

He Changqi asked helplessly.

Going south, we could easily wipe out this Tubo detachment—after all, it's only one or two thousand men—capture large numbers of cattle and sheep, and then join forces with the Longyou border troops, securing our safety!

Earn a minor merit, then withdraw intact; this is a conservative victory plan.

It amounts to taking all the achievements we've earned so far and leaving as spectators!

If we advance west, we will directly confront the main Tubo force in the Datong region.

If we can win, that would naturally be good—we could destroy the Tubo's northern main force, and the southern detachment of one or two thousand Tubo troops would be heavily encircled by the Tang army and unable to escape.

Moreover, it could strategically shift the situation—how many thousands or tens of thousands could we gain by winning?

This is absolutely the optimal solution for the next step of operations.

The premise is that we must be able to win!

Put simply, it's "I want it all"!

The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army aims to be the most impressive unit in this Longyou battle!

But what if we lose?

If we lose, we'll not only give up all our previous gains, but likely lose our lives in Datong as well.

Is it really worth it?

He Changqi feels that their troop has been winning nonstop since departure, accumulating more and more merits! Frankly, this operation could easily wipe out the Tubo detachment, then withdraw triumphantly and just watch from the sidelines.

The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army has already stood out enough this time; after the battle, they'll likely be marked by the Tubo side, so why risk it again?

"Jiedushi, we've already gained enough this time; we can be a bit more conservative..."

He Changqi made his suggestion cautiously.

"Only children make choices; an adult's answer is 'I want it all'!"

"This is the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's battle to make its name—advance, no retreat!"

"As Jiedushi, I have one saying: in literature there is no first, in martial arts no second; whoever cowers is a dog!"

"Pass the order down: prepare now, depart in one hour, and the entire army will head to the western canyon mouth."

"After eating dry rations there, we will pass through the canyon and launch a surprise attack on the Tubo camp!"

Fang Chongyong issued the order in a deep voice.

The mindset of being content with modest wealth must not be allowed!

The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army must seize this opportunity to establish its prestige!

"What does 'gained enough' mean! For a fierce, wolf-like soldier, the demand for merit is like Han Xin assigning troops—more is always better!"

One can never gain enough!

"Move, move! If we win the next wave, your wives, houses, and sons will be plenty!"

"Armor and bows are all brought; the Tubo forces over there are fully equipped!"

"Unnecessary things stay here; I, the Jiedushi, will notify Commissioner Guo to take care of them."

"If we lose, there's no retreat— not winning means death! If we win, there will be gold-inlaid jade and beauties like jade!"

"No one is allowed to coward; whoever cowers is a dog!"

Fang Chongyong grabbed a metal horn and kept shouting in the camp to rally the troops.

(End of chapter)