Chapter 424: The Night Wind Was Fierce

"Sigh, you said you'd take me to Jiangnan this time, to see little bridges over flowing streams, birdsong and fragrant flowers.

To see what it means when 'at sunrise, river blossoms outshine fire.'

And this is the result? Aren't we running off to the desert again?

I've been looking at this lousy scenery of deserts, gobi, and grasslands for over ten years!"

Inside a crude stone house in Feng'an City, Anaye complained incessantly while kneading Fang Chongyong's shoulders.

Seeing that Fang Chongyong did not answer, she pressed further: "I still haven't seen that 'Yangzhou slender horse' you mentioned. How slender are they? I'd truly never heard of such a thing before."

"Sigh, stop talking about all that nonsense. I'm helpless too."

Fang Chongyong sighed and said.

Some women couldn't remember a single serious matter, yet they remembered clearly every joke a man casually tossed out.

They even brooded over it endlessly.

"That's right, you're the Sage's brick — wherever he needs you, that's where he moves you.

Hmph, I think when the Sage gets fed up and wants to end it all someday, he'll have to bash his head against you, that brick.

That dog of an emperor — how come no one's chopped him down yet?"

Anaye went into full rant mode, complaining nonstop about how Brother Ji behaved inhumanely.

That's your uncle! Is that something you can say?

Fang Chongyong waved his hand with a bitter smile, too lazy to bicker with the little woman. If these words got out, it would cost them dearly.

"How about it — now that I'm a Commandery Prince, you have status too. You're no longer considered a concubine. I haven't treated you badly, have I?"

Fang Chongyong stroked Anaye's rough little hands and asked.

"Status, yes, there's a little bit of prestige. But there are also more tramps around you!

Can your body even keep up?"

Anaye said with a hint of jealousy, clearly displeased but powerless to do anything about it.

Just as she had a gift for medicine, some women were naturally seductive in bed, driving men wild. That flirtatiousness that came from the bones was something others couldn't imitate no matter how they tried.

Anaye lacked a bit of "talent" in this regard, just as she could never quite master the Sogdian Whirl dance.

"Shh!"

Fang Chongyong suddenly made a gesture to keep silent, and Anaye immediately shut her mouth.

Outside the stone house, the faint sound of hoofbeats drifted in.

"Stay here and don't run around!"

Fang Chongyong gave an instruction, rose abruptly, grabbed the Gale Phantom Blade hanging on the wall, and left without the slightest hesitation.

Watching his retreating figure, Anaye couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Relieved yet helpless.

Men — their charm lay in sweeping across the battlefield, awe-inspiring and formidable.

But going into battle frequently also made it easy to fall in combat.

Anaye both wanted to see Fang Chongyong in his awe-inspiring glory and feared he might get himself killed in a moment of carelessness.

Atop the walls of Feng'an City, Xin Yunjing ordered with a grave expression that three lanterns be hung on the gate tower — this was the military command signal to converge on the fort and rely on its defenses. When the various camps outside the city saw the lanterns, they would voluntarily close in on the fort.

"What's the situation?"

Fang Chongyong hurried to the city wall and pointed at the distant fires as he asked.

"The Uyghurs have pressed in with a large force, but have not yet launched an attack."

Xin Yunjing said in a low voice.

This situation could be said to be expected, only the timing had been moved up significantly.

"The Uyghur Yabgu couldn't have assembled two hundred thousand cavalry to besiege the city in such a short time. At most, there should be no more than several tens of thousands across from us — the main forces of the Uyghur Royal Tent."

Fang Chongyong pointed at the endless torches in the distance and said.

"Jiedushi, given the current situation, how should we respond?"

Xin Yunjing asked in puzzlement.

In truth, he had already made certain defensive deployments for the Feng'an City garrison. A large army sallying forth might not defeat tens of thousands of Uyghur cavalry, but if the Uyghurs attacked the city, Xin Yunjing would bet his chest on it — even twice as many Uyghurs couldn't take the fort.

As long as they held through tonight, then tomorrow the Uyghurs had better watch out!

"I, the Jiedushi, will now lead the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army to attack. You just hold the city."

Fang Chongyong said with a slight frown, pondering the Uyghurs' intentions in his heart.

To his surprise, these words frightened Xin Yunjing!

"Jiedushi, how can this be done? What if..."

Xin Yunjing hesitated, not daring to say more.

Brother, you're really my brother — when there's trouble, you truly step up!

But recklessness shouldn't go this far!

Xin Yunjing didn't even know how to persuade him. He was both moved and terrified.

"The Uyghurs came in a surprise attack, so their preparations must be insufficient. Only by catching them off guard and striking successfully in one blow can we establish an advantage.

Look at them riding back and forth along the Yellow River — does that look like they're about to attack?"

Fang Chongyong pointed at the distant torches and asked.

Xin Yunjing was taken aback — he hadn't considered that. Thinking it over, he felt Fang Chongyong's words made sense.

On the battlefield, what seemed like a reckless move was sometimes bold yet careful. And sometimes a moment's timidity could plunge an entire army into a desperate situation.

How to act, in truth, had no absolute standard — it all came down to the commanding general's own judgment.

Simply put, if you were in this line of work, you'd better not be afraid of betting your life!

The Huihe don't even want to fight; they are merely staging a demonstration, using feints and setting up deceptive formations.

Have you ever taken part in a steppe people's encirclement hunt?

Finding a flaw and driving away the prey are necessary preparations before striking; the moment you act, the net is already being drawn.

They discovered that the Fengan army's defenses were tight, so they wouldn't even charge the camp, let alone assault the city.

The Huihe have not yet prepared to break with the Great Tang completely; they are probing the reality.

Fang Chongyong said with ironclad certainty.

The Huihe are very cunning; they are testing the Shuo Fang army's attitude and strength!

At this moment, if we don't dispatch troops, it would hit the Huihe right in the heart of their plan.

Huihe Yehu said to his subordinates: "Look, the Great Tang is no different."

This will lessen the nine Tiele clans' awe of the Great Tang, and it does not rule out more people joining the Huihe ranks in the future.

Next, Huihe Yehu will mobilize more people to cause trouble in order to gain greater political and economic benefits; this is the principle that "seeking peace through compromise leads to peace's demise."

If you don't want an endless deadlock with the Huihe, the other side will instead press further, eventually leading to failed crisis management and an unbounded expansion of the war.

At that time, everyone would have no retreat, only the path of extermination remains.

Only by striking forcefully without showing fear can war be used to stop war. This is the principle that "seeking peace through struggle preserves peace."

Fang Chongyong understood Xin Yunjing's ulterior motives clearly; it was only because the other side had no malice that he didn't expose them.

Xin Yunjing reassigned Fang Chongyong as the Shuo Fang Military Governor, treating him as his biggest bargaining chip for a comeback; naturally, he worries that Fang Chongyong's rashness might jeopardize the overall situation.

Honestly, Xin Yunjing is now more concerned about Fang Chongyong's safety than Fang Chongyong himself.

However, Fang Chongyong thinks that if the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army cannot strike forcefully, how could he discipline the Shuo Fang army's haughty soldiers and fierce generals?

He wants to assert authority in the Hetao region! That inevitably requires a heavy blow against the Huihe.

While the Huihe are still probing and have not yet resolved to a decisive battle, the main force suddenly charges out—this is the tactic of "attacking the unprepared with surprise."

It appears extremely risky, yet in reality it is as steady as Mount Tai!

"My mind is made up; no need to say more."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand at Xin Yunjing.

Then he turned his head to He Changqi behind him and said, "Later your unit will lead the charge, strike the Huihe cavalry hard—do you dare or not?"

"How could I not dare?"

He Changqi pounded his chest and shouted.

"Set out, let's do it!"

Fang Chongyong drew his Swift Wind Illusion Blade, pointed at the distant Huihe cavalry's torches, and roared loudly!

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Behind He Changqi, a group of Yinqiang Xiaojie Army close‑combat troops shouted, clearly high‑spirited, howling for battle!

Fang Chongyong never withholds rewards; to grant them merit, he even dared a mutiny at Xiangji Temple.

So what if the Huihe come? It's all about delivering military merit and heads.

Merit brings reward, with clear distinction between reward and punishment; this battle is half won. The remaining half depends on whether commanders and soldiers are willing to risk their lives.

Seeing this, Xin Yunjing couldn't help but feel moved.

Fang Chongyong's method of commanding troops is truly like an arm's command; once he orders a horse out, it goes out, and the entire army, from top to bottom, leaves no room for ambiguity.

The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army truly lives up to its reputation, daring to mutiny in the Chang'an uprising.

Their momentum is extraordinary.

Xin Yunjing couldn't help recalling the time when Fang Chongyong used a single fish talisman to make himself kneel and sing of conquest. He feels Fang Chongyong's current achievements are far from accidental.

Many people are brilliant in youth but may not be great when grown.

But there are also some who are fierce in youth and become even fiercer as they grow!

These people are like a bright moon hanging in the night sky, making it impossible not to notice them!

…

In the deep night, a wooden gate of the wooden palisade outside Fengan City was kicked open with a clang!

Such incidents also occurred elsewhere.

The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army fielded three thousand cavalry, divided into six units, each launching from one of the six wooden gates surrounding Fengan City, five hundred men per unit.

He Changqi, Wang Nande, Che Guangqian, Guan Chongsi, Duan Xiushi, and Fang Chongyong himself each led a team, exiting in single file.

Like a flood of dragons emerging from the sea, sharp and unstoppable!

The Huihe cavalry that engaged them had never expected the Tang forces to abandon defense and charge directly; they had no such contingency plan and were utterly bewildered.

Because the Huihe had already known from prior reconnaissance that Xin Yunjing had tightly fortified Fengan City.

That clearly was to guard against a Huihe cavalry surprise attack on the city.

Ask how, then, they would take the initiative to strike? There were tens of thousands of Huihe cavalry outside the city!

On the battlefield, by the moment the troops meet, the outcome is often already decided. What determines victory or defeat is usually the prior preparation.

Whether mobilization is sufficient, morale high, supplies ample, and intelligence accurate.

The moment combat begins, it's like a gambler at the table waiting to turn the final card.

Perhaps there is uncertainty, but often the commanding generals of both sides already press on with grit, and the outcome is not up to them.

He Changqi led his men in a charge as solid as iron, and his Changsuo swung once could kill a man. However, the all‑cavalry formation left the numerous Huihe unable to organize any defense, forcing them to engage the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army in a head‑on clash without preparation!

Every Huihe cavalryman held a torch, making them like live targets in the open. The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, carrying no flammable material, resembled assassins in the dark, using their lean ranks to weave among the Huihe cavalry.

After cutting through a wave, they turned their horses and kept charging toward the areas dense with torches.

The Huihe Yehu Guli Peiluo, whose Ruyi abacus clacked loudly, hadn't even figured out what was happening before his close‑combat troops swarmed him and fled westward.

The Huihe, stunned by the chaotic club blows, resorted to their favorite tactic: a panicked retreat!

They spurred their horses into a wild gallop, caring nothing for formation or unit structure, all riding toward the west—that was the direction they had come from!

This was how it was with the all-cavalry forces of the steppe peoples: when suddenly ambushed, if the command ability was insufficient, or on-site conditions made effective command impossible, the cavalry could easily be scattered and cut down by the enemy.

At that point, whether your side had tens of thousands or over a hundred thousand men, it could not be salvaged. Infantry could form up in formation to protect themselves—this was one rare advantage of infantry forces.

As for cavalry, especially the steppe cavalry who knew no distinction between nomads and soldiers, fleeing was their forte; their organizational strength was very weak.

After their unit structure was shattered, the Uighur cavalry fled in disarray. He Changqi and the others pursued for half a shichen, and seeing that all the heads they could collect had been collected, while the rest were truly impossible to catch, they had no choice but to pull back their troops and return to the city.

Returning to Feng'an City to tally their numbers, they found over twenty men missing, and Che Guangqian was nowhere to be seen.

Fang Chongyong could not help but sigh with emotion.

Little Che was usually quite sharp in handling matters—who would have thought he'd fall in such an easy, nearly one-sided ambush.

Sure enough, on the battlefield, no one could speak of life or death with certainty. A great victory did not mean one would survive.

According to He Changqi's account, many of the Uighurs were on horseback, not even knowing whether to grab a torch or a weapon to resist—when they took the blows, they were all stunned senseless!

They almost never faced the enemy head-on; they were all skewered from the side, or even from behind, by Masuo!

In this kind of situation, what mattered was whose troops were more elite; having more men was instead a burden.

Fang Chongyong split the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, which already held an absolute disadvantage in numbers, into small units, dividing them into six squads to strike from ambush—this instead became the decisive factor of the battle.

The Uighurs had no idea where the Tang army's main force was; in their constant running they were constantly killed, until finally they lost all unit structure and became like headless flies scurrying about—many were even knocked off their horses by their own people!

The generals all felt sorry for Che Guangqian.

Yet when dawn broke the next day, Che Guangqian, covered in blood, actually returned with over a dozen men!

Not only did he return, he also brought back several captives, one of whom, judging by his attire, seemed to be of no ordinary status.

"Jiedushi, last night your humble general saw a man being protected by a group of Uighur cavalry, guarded very tightly. So I quietly trailed them the whole way, then suddenly struck and captured him. The other Uighur captives all say he is called Guli Peiluo, the Uighur Yehu."

Che Guangqian took all the credit, putting on a tone as if he did not care in the least.

He was clearly showing off.

Xin Yunjing, He Changqi, Wang Nande, and the others present all drew in a sharp breath!

That was the Uighur Yehu—not some Tom, Dick, or Harry!

Never mind how casually Che Guangqian made it sound; the hardships and dangers involved could be guessed without needing to think too hard.

With the Uighur Yehu captured, how could the other Uighur cavalry let it go? Che Guangqian and his men must have fought a bloody battle to break free—returning was no easy feat.

For some reason, Guli Peiluo had already fallen into unconsciousness at this point. Che Guangqian kicked one of the Uighur captives and asked, "Is this your Yehu?"

Seeing that this captive had no reaction, Xin Yunjing translated into Turkic.

The man's face indeed showed terror as he nodded, pointing at Guli Peiluo and rattling off a long string of Turkic.

Judging by his expression and demeanor, it could only be the Uighur Yehu, without a doubt.

"Take him away!"

Fang Chongyong suppressed the excitement in his heart and, with a calm expression, waved his hand and spoke.

Now there was hope for resolving the conflict between the Uighurs and the Great Tang.

"Jiedushi, th-this-this... incredible!"

Xin Yunjing was so excited he could barely string words together, giving Che Guangqian a thumbs up!

"In this battle, Che Guangqian earns the foremost merit. Do any of you object?"

Fang Chongyong looked around at the assembled generals and asked.

"We are convinced, body and soul!"

The generals immediately clasped their fists in salute toward Che Guangqian.

There was nothing to say about it—capturing the enemy chieftain in a single battle, if that was not foremost merit, who in the future would be willing to fight bravely?

"So this weathered old man is the Uighur Yehu—how does he look so aged?"

Fang Chongyong folded his arms, deep in thought.

"Jiedushi, the Uighur Yehu is no longer young. He was already a tribal chieftain at the start of the Kaiyuan era—a ruthless hero who fought his way up step by step."

Che Guangqian leaned in and said in a low voice.

"Pfft, I thought he'd be tough, but he's nothing special."

He Changqi beside them said dismissively.

Actually, Fang Chongyong felt the same way, but as someone holding the rank of Jiedushi, maintaining his dignity, it was not fitting for him to say such arrogant words.

"Once this Uighur Yehu wakes up, we'll have a good talk with him. Once this misunderstanding is cleared up, the Hetao region can return to peace."

Fang Chongyong sighed; obtaining the key to resolving the crisis so easily was something he had not anticipated either.

"Jiedushi, the brothers are all hoping to go to Lianghuai and Jiangnan to raid the estates of the rich. Those wealthy households who lack all conscience—the brothers want to carry out justice on Heaven's behalf.

The sooner we finish with the Shuofang Army business, the sooner we can pull out."

Che Guangqian suggested in a low voice.

"True enough. Staying here isn't much good either."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said.

(End of this chapter)