Chapter 427: One Arrow Repels One Hundred Thousand Troops

In deep autumn, the air already carries a hint of cold. Wrapped in a blanket on the corridor of the Fragrant Calyx Radiant Tower, Ji Ge began to miss the Huaqing Palace, where all seasons feel like spring except summer.

In the cold season, lying in a hot spring and dozing off—what a pleasure that is.

Ji Ge didn't know whether it was age or the encroachment of that mysterious strange disease, but he felt this year's deep autumn unusually cold.

He sensed a faint terror of death.

"Saint…"

Seeing Gao Lishi stride quickly up from below and, in a few steps, appear before him, Ji Ge frowned slightly and asked, "Did something happen? In the northern frontier? Can the northern frontier army not defeat the Huigu?"

He examined the memorial in his hand repeatedly, not missing a single character. While admiring Yan Zhenqing's brilliant prose, Ji Ge also lamented the fickleness of worldly affairs.

Fang Chongyong, still trembling with lingering fear, forced a dry laugh and said he wouldn't claim that his arrow just now was intentional, only that it happened to hit by luck.

"Return to set up defenses; we have already fallen out with the Huigu. From now on it's life and death."

"How can you finish a discussion in an instant and then draw a bow to shoot? That's no respect for martial virtue!"

Seeing the Huigu frozen in astonishment—a once‑in‑a‑lifetime chance—Fang Chongyong instantly drew his Swift‑Wind Illusion Blade and shouted at the Huigu cavalry, "Soldiers, follow this Jiedushi to slay the enemy!"

He had never intended to fight the Tang army to the death!

The elite guards of the Yazhang surged forward, securing the bewildered Gele Khan on his horse before bolting away!

The grand mobilization for prosecution, like a clown, fled in a flash.

As a result, the Great Tang also lost its 'masterful bearing'.

He Changqi, leading his elite guards forward, gave Fang Chongyong a thumbs‑up and praised him.

On the south bank of the Yellow River, only three thousand Yinqiang Xiaojie Army troops arrayed on the floating bridge, confronting them.

"How about this?"

They knew Fang Chongyong was resourceful, but performing archery was a first for him.

In reality, beyond Hetao lies only vast stretches of poor pasture, long‑term lacking reliable water, surviving solely on rain.

Recently the court had no major incidents, or at least Ji Ge thought there were none. So the only matter left was the Huigu issue in the northern frontier.

Their previous arrogant aura felt like having their throats squeezed, suffocating them!

"Speak, I'm listening."

"The unruly Huigu Yehu, having taken my old fist this time, should settle down; I claim Lingzhou and will confer a new Huigu Yehu as a warning!"

Ji Ge, with an incredulous expression, retorted.

The problem this time was that Fang Chongyong's arrow drove the struck horse into a frenzy, throwing the Huigu Khan from his mount.

The Hetao region often gives the illusion of absurd vastness; steppe tribes tend to wander far and then return to cause trouble.

Gao Lishi's words were indeed seasoned and steady, one reason why he has remained unshaken beside Ji Ge for years.

His vigor is far less than before; handling state affairs now consumes great patience. Expect less of him for other matters.

"It's about the northern frontier; a mix of joy and worry, that's all."

Many people don't grasp the mystery; they think Fang Chongyong is divinely aided, invincibly strong!

Indeed, the imperial tour of Hetao will once again raise the Tang's prestige!

Yet an arrow shot from the opposite riverbank, heavy and forceful, struck both rider and horse, pinning them to the ground at the far end of the floating bridge!

A gust of cold wind blew, and Ji Ge wrapped his blanket tighter.

Ji Ge's scheming mind whirred, and he instantly devised a way to pick the peaches.

The Huigu won't speak of propriety or honor; only swords and blades are tools for debate!

The Huigu camp fell eerily silent; everyone was stunned, even Gele Khan's guards hadn't expected Fang Chongyong's move.

"Magnificent! Magnificent!"

Honestly, Ji Ge isn't keen on war. The central treasury is already strained; another conflict would only deepen the deficit.

Gao Lishi's expression was tangled, unsure how to speak. After all, the matters in Fang Chongyong's memorial were too fantastical.

"Heh, if the tiger doesn't show its might, you think I'm a sick cat!"

He Changqi leaned in and whispered.

But Gao Lishi had no duty to worry about the frontier soldiers; even if he truly didn't understand, he could still pretend to be clueless.

"Draft the edict; I don't wish to say more."

"I am the son of Gu Li Pei Luo, Huigu Gele Khan; I request the northern frontier Jiedushi to come for a discussion!"

Ji Ge asked in a deep voice.

Moreover, these pastures are interspersed with countless desert badlands where almost no grass grows.

Gao Lishi said calmly.

Huh?

Ji Ge stared in bewilderment at Gao Lishi and asked, "What on earth is happening? How did the Huigu Yehu die after being captured?"

In other words, this newly appointed Huigu Khan must later receive a Tang investiture to maintain his internal legitimacy.

Outside Lingzhou, on the north bank of the Yellow River, countless cavalry formed a line before the floating bridge. They were the elite Huigu forces, and also included many troops of the other nine Tiele clans.

The display seemed massive—well over a hundred thousand.

But often war does not bend to an emperor's will. If the nation must fight, it must.

Gele Khan drew the dagger at his waist and pointed at Fang Chongyong, demanding an answer. The Huigu likewise wanted no idle talk; even though they knew Gu Li Pei Luo's corpse bore no wounds and did not appear poisoned, perhaps a sudden illness had struck, causing a sudden death.

He could not believe such an absurd thing could happen.

When it finally stopped, it lay motionless on the ground. Whether it had died from the fall or merely fainted was unknown.

With their own commander knocked off his horse and unconscious, and the tribal army cobbled together, what's the point of fighting this battle!

The Huigu cavalry had a pre‑plan; if the Tang troops fought with high morale, they would immediately retreat three li and continue to observe the situation.

What is 'national dignity'? What does it mean to lose the saint's face? Such ambiguous terms are ultimately defined by Ji Ge himself.

"So the Uighur Yehhu died so inexplicably. We originally won the battle and had the moral high ground, but now we are at a disadvantage?"

Ji Ge could no longer ignore the cold; he stood up at once and paced back and forth in the corridor, weighing how to handle the matter.

We should just follow Fang Guozhong's suggestion in the memorial.

Gao Lishi, of course, also knew this, so he bowed and took his leave.

Fang Chongyong felt that the situation in the Hetao region had become rather dangerous; the Uighur forces were still strong, and complacency could not be afforded.

Gao Lishi answered earnestly, "Uighur Sage, that is indeed the case; we are now at a moral disadvantage."

"Is that true?"

A series of murmurs rose within the ranks.

He does possess genuine administrative skill; he hasn't risen solely by flattering Ji Ge.

Thousands of soldiers and civilians from Lingzhou witnessed it, and the news has already spread like wildfire.

A rider from the Uighur cavalry broke away, rode through the spear shaft stuck in the ground, reached the floating bridge, and shouted toward the opposite bank of the Yellow River.

The territory is vast, making early warning convenient; it's merely an illusion held by some court officials.

Sure enough, the Northern Frontier troops remain as before: if they can ignore reason, they will, preferring to answer with fists and shirking words.

"Ah, it's been ages since I've been to Lingzhou. Should I make a trip there?"

Fang Chongyong, without hesitation, drew an arrow from the quiver hanging on his saddle, nocked it, and shot. The arrow sped toward Gele Khan like a falling star.

Ji Ge stared at the yellow fallen leaves in the courtyard below the corridor, expressionless, and said.

Upon hearing that, Ji Ge suddenly became energized!

Gao Lishi lowered his brows and replied, "Indeed."

Gao Lishi handed the memorial to Ji Ge and obediently stepped aside.

"You want an explanation, right? This is the Jiedushi's explanation!"

The horse's forehead is not actually its most vulnerable spot; a hard bone shields the brain, so ordinary arrows rarely kill a horse there.

Fang Chongyong rode his horse, head slightly raised, shouting loudly. Only two bodyguards followed him.

At least it must appear that way to outsiders!

Gao Lishi asked hesitantly.

In the end, whatever he says is what it is, and it makes one's blood pressure surge to the temples.

"Jiedushi, the Uighurs are as timid as mice, unable to strike back; I think they pose no concern."

The drawback is that the floating bridge takes time; otherwise, these men would have to leave some elite cavalry to hold back the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, allowing the others to escape—otherwise it could turn into a disastrous defeat.

"Yehhu" is a Tang‑granted official title for the Uighurs, while "Khan" is a self‑bestowed Uighur title not officially recognized by the Tang.

The drawback is that the bed crossbow is somewhat cumbersome to move.

Ji Ge said it offhand.

The steppe people can flee there, but long‑term survival is truly impossible.

However, if a Uighur Yehhu is captured and dies at the hands of Tang troops, forcing the Tang army into a bitter clash with the Uighurs, that would be a different story.

The manner of death is extremely terrifying!

These are the dedicated bolts for the bed crossbow, the shafts cut from a long spear in two, with an iron tip fitted to the front.

"Sage, saying it that way is fine. Yet the people of the border towns are coarse; might they not grasp the Sage's intent?"

Send the order: no pursuit needed, sound the golden signal and withdraw!

I think, with Lingzhou now under the threat of war, the Sage should refrain from going there, lest the Imperial carriage be disturbed.

"Yes. Sage, Fang Guozhong and Yan Zhenqing jointly submitted a memorial stating that the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army dealt a heavy blow to the Uighur cavalry at Feng'an City, captured the enemy chieftain, and the Uighur Yehhu Guli Peiluo. This is a cause for celebration."

Thus, the nine Tiele surnames, including the Uighurs, even though they are widely scattered, mostly operate near the north bank of the Yellow River in the Hetao region.

Gao Lishi earnestly urged Ji Ge not to go to Lingzhou and court death.

"What do you think?"

They simply have no intention of debating right and wrong with the Uighurs.

Similar situations are actually not uncommon among steppe tribes.

This thing's combat power is overwhelmingly fierce! No matter what armor you wear, it will take you down in an instant.

Well, he really doesn't understand why Ji Ge said that.

It's only early autumn; why is it so cold?

…

Otherwise, he would not be a leader recognized by the Tang court and could be eliminated by subordinates at any time!

This has been a popular practice since the Kaiyuan era.

In fact, hitting the side of the horse's head can be a one‑shot kill.

The matter can be big or small; the key is how the Uighurs respond. If they refuse to settle peacefully, then we must deal with them as the Tang once dealt with the Tujishi, striking decisively.

Autumn winds howl, vegetation withers; the Yellow River roars, its sound like thunder.

Capture the Uighur Yehhu, reprimand him, then strip his title and return him, appoint a new one—that is called "the grandeur of a great nation."

His order was decisive, but the Uighurs acted even more decisively.

The horse, wounded by an arrow, throbbed with pain and ran wildly as if maddened. Gele Khan, caught off guard, was thrown from his mount and rolled on the ground many times.

"The memorial is here; please review it, Sage."

Gao Lishi immediately gave a wry smile and said:

"Sage, the memorial also mentions that Guli Peiluo, in full view of everyone, suddenly fell gravely ill and died on the spot."

However, what actually happened is one thing; how to exploit it to achieve our aims is another.

He was very confident, believing his unrefined archery could hit Gele Khan—a task as hard as scaling the heavens!

Ji Ge wearily waved his hand and said.

Gao Lishi cautiously suggested.

«The Northern Frontier Army unjustly killed the Uyghur Protector General; this is a major matter, we need an explanation. Otherwise, the Uyghur iron cavalry will trample flat Spirit Prefecture. »

Originally it was a great thing, but because a minor flaw appeared at a critical moment, it has now come to a point that is difficult to resolve.

«Speak quickly if you have something to say, this Jiedushi is very busy! »

Fang Chongyong waved his hand at the generals and said, gazing at the distant grassland. He was not as relaxed in his heart as he appeared.

Regardless, in the end we have lost righteousness, lost the bearing of a great nation.

He shouted three times in succession, and only then did Fang Chongyong spur his horse forward, standing an arrow's distance away, confronting the newly appointed Uyghur Khagan.

«Since the Uyghurs want war, we can only fight them to the bitter end, until they are subdued! »

«Jiedushi! That arrow just now was shot well! Jiedushi, one arrow repelled ten thousand Uyghur cavalry! »

«This move is not for anything else; what we want is an arrogant and domineering attitude, not putting the Uyghur people in our eyes. »

It is not far from the core defensive zone of the Northern Frontier Army.

«Whether the Uyghur Protector General lives or dies, we cannot possibly retreat before the Uyghurs. Since we have made a mistake, we can only double down on it; there is no other way. »

«It looks as if the Uyghurs are about to seize Spirit Prefecture at any moment! »

«However, a true warrior never needs to rely on numbers to bolster his courage. Right now, who feels more guilty in their heart truly needs to be said! »

At that moment, a Uyghur cavalryman stepped forward, intending to ride his horse across the floating bridge.

Issue an edict to Fang Guozhong, ordering him to guard the River Bend well.

«Regardless, do not lose the dignity of the state, do not lose My face. »

However, Fang Chongyong had no idea that his lightning-fast arrow, which he did not even expect to hit, would actually score a direct headshot!

It was not the head of Ge Le Khagan that was blown apart, but rather an arrow struck the horse's head of his mount, blowing apart the horse's head.

Seeing this, the Uyghur cavalry, who had been eager to move, almost in unison retreated a few steps backward.

«Sage, the oath stele over in Spirit Prefecture was erected by Your Majesty personally; it can be said to match the achievements of Emperor Taizong of old. »

It is obviously much thinner.

«Listening to you say that, it seems to be the case. »

Fang Chongyong sighed, but kept shaking his head.

(End of chapter)