Chapter 63: Hexi Affairs: Only Tubo Matters

Niu Xianke was still so humble, at least he appeared that way. As a Minister of Works, his household had only a few servants, and he dared not use the gifts bestowed by Li Longji; everything was sealed away.

A conspicuous seal was pasted on the door of the family storeroom. Reaching this level as an official, one can only say that serving as a local official in Hexi would be more comfortable.

Fang Chongyong led Wang Zhongsi to visit Niu Xianke's residence, and could not believe it was the home of a Minister of the Six Ministries.

The furnishings were simple, with only a few attendants.

According to the unspoken rules of the Tang bureaucracy, a Minister of the Six Ministries' residence should start with at least fifty slaves and servants, and could reach up to four hundred.

Within this range, it would be accepted by public opinion, with no one ridiculing it.

If fewer, historians would label it "poor and vulgar," inviting mockery; of course, if one possessed great literary talent and was famous in Chang'an, it could be overlooked.

For example, someone like He Zhizhang, who had few servants yet held a high position, would be regarded as akin to the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove."

Conversely, having many servants would be condemned as greedy and extravagant, like Wang Hong, a lackey under Li Linfu during the Tianbao era; the histories say his household had countless attendants, and his mansion resembled a palace.

Obviously, Niu Xianke's stinginess did not earn a good reputation among Chang'an's elite circles.

"My humble abode is simple; please, both of you, have a seat."

Niu Xianke invited Fang Chongyong and his party to sit in the study, pouring each of the two a cup of "Winter Drink"—a broth boiled from ginger and various herbs that can dispel cold, yet is quite plain.

Fang Chongyong took a sip; it was extremely pungent, the taste was indeed not good, and he struggled to hold it back from spitting.

"Regarding the Tang brocade, we still must thank Lord Fang; although the Hexi soldiers ultimately did not receive these gifts, the reputation of the Tang brocade has already spread. In the future, white silk from Liangzhou will be transported to Chang'an, woven into Tang brocade, and then exported back to the Western Regions, which can benefit the people of Liangzhou."

Niu Xianke solemnly performed a bow to Fang Chongyong.

Although he had arrived in Chang'an, his heart remained in Hexi. After entering the central administration, Niu Xianke could not fully exert his abilities, and the idle, non‑productive atmosphere within the Six Ministries made him feel very uneasy.

With the spread of the Fang Sute brocade, the Hexi Corridor—where those close to the water get the first moon—became the region that benefited the most. Though Fang Chongyong had his own selfish motives, this undertaking was a boon to the nation and the people, especially the folk of Hexi.

Niu Xianke was well aware of these rights and wrongs. Otherwise, as a Minister of Works, he would not have cats and dogs knocking on his door for visits.

"General Wang wishes to go to Hexi to make a name for himself, does he?"

Niu Xianke smiled and looked at Wang Zhongsi, asking, his purpose was already obvious. It wasn't that Niu Xianke didn't know Wang Zhongsi; the two had interacted in Hexi years ago, though not frequently.

"Indeed so."

Wang Zhongsi modestly nodded.

Indeed, he had stayed in Hexi for several years, but compared with Niu Xianke, his knowledge of Hexi affairs could be called "ignorant."

Since he was "ignorant," he needed to consult "professionals," so Wang Zhongsi strongly approved Fang Chongyong's plan. Preparing more now means that once they reach Liangzhou, they won't suffer a loss.

"As for Hexi affairs, only Tubo matters; everything else is not worth mentioning."

Niu Xianke sighed.

Wang Zhongsi's expression changed slightly; his father Wang Haibin had been killed by Tubo people. Since he entered the army, the enemies he faced had all been Tubo.

When Wang Zhongsi was young, he spent three years in Hexi and was known for his daring and fighting spirit. Yet his study of the Tubo was rather one‑sided and not deep.

"How does the Tubo army compare with the Tang army?"

Fang Chongyong asked curiously.

Songtsen Gampo sent the envoy Lu Dong to Tang, bringing Emperor Taizong a precious goose‑shaped golden wine vessel; the goose was cast in gold, stood seven chi tall, and could hold three hu of wine inside.

Niu Xianke said softly, not answering Fang Chongyong's question directly.

Songtsen Gampo was a Tubo leader from a hundred years ago, and the gifted wine vessel shattered Fang Chongyong's illusion. He had previously thought that Princess Wencheng had brought Tang craftsmen who fattened the Tubo, enabling them to master advanced smelting techniques.

But hearing Niu Xianke say that, it seemed not to be the case.

"Tubo spears are slender and longer than those of the Han, their bows and arrows are weak while their armor is sturdy; people all wield swords, they do not fight, they walk carrying swords. With the Uduo as aid, they move freely forward and back.

And the Tubo's armaments are far from weak."

Niu Xianke explained to Fang Chongyong.

"What is an Uduo?"

Fang Chongyong encountered an unfamiliar term.

"Uduo is also called Eduo.

It is made by twisting Tubo yak hair into coarse yarn, then weaving it into a hair braid.

The braid's upper end has a three‑inch loop; when used, the loop is placed on the middle finger, and a palm‑sized oval 'Uti' is woven in the middle to hold stones or earth, with a woolen whip tip at the end.

This item can be used militarily and also serves as a tool for herders to drive cattle and sheep.

To drive cattle or sheep, one pinches the two ends of the Uduo, places stones or earth in the Uti, lifts and swings the whip, then releases one end; the stones fly dozens to one or two hundred zhang away, causing the livestock to change direction.

Herders wield the Uduo with great skill; some can hit targets over a hundred zhang away with perfect accuracy, so the Uduo is used not only to drive livestock but also to chase away beasts.

As for Tubo elite soldiers, within dozens of zhang they can shoot a bird's eye, never missing.

Niu Xianke patiently explained to Fang Chongyong, without any airs of a high official.

The Uduo was the most despised weapon in battles between the Tang and Tubo, without equal. Stone projectiles are kinetic weapons; being hit hurts greatly, and armor offers no protection. If Tang soldiers' limbs were struck by stones thrown from an Uduo, they often suffered fractures and lost combat ability.

Thus, battles between the Tang and Tubo were truly perilous, far from the ancient claim that "one Han defeats five Hu." Worse still, Uduo material is easy to obtain, and the stones flung by centrifugal force are extremely powerful, usable by men, women, and children alike.

Wang Zhongsi also sighed, saying:

"The Uduo is one thing, but Tubo nobles all wear full armor. This type of mail covers the entire body, leaving only the eyes exposed. Whether besieging a city or charging, they are razor‑sharp and fear no bows or crossbows.

Tubo weaponry forms its own system, not modeled after our Tang regulations, and all are self‑made; they must not be underestimated."

"This cavalry is unbeatable!"

【34】 Fang Chongyong originally thought Tubo would be similar to nomadic peoples like the Turkic or Xiongnu, but it turned out to be entirely different.

Fang Chongyong originally thought Tubo would be similar to the Tujue, Xiongnu and other nomadic peoples, but he never expected it to be completely different.

Tubo armaments are indeed so sharp!

"Tubo technology, though influenced by our Tang, mainly originates from Persia and the Great Arab lands west of the Western Regions."

Thinking of the Tubo's strength, Niu Xianke couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

At this time the Tubo Empire had roughly ten million people, while the Tang had about sixty million. In sheer numbers, the Tang held an absolute advantage.

However, whether the Western Regions, Longyou, or Jiannan, the border areas with Tubo have limited population capacity. The Tang's sixty million are not all deployed along the front against Tubo!

Thus, in certain local sectors, Tubo's geographical advantage puts it in the initiative, even an absolute strategic initiative.

The ones who initiated campaigns were often not the Great Tang but the Tibetans.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau's winters were bitterly harsh and hard to endure. So the Tibetans were also accustomed to launching wars in autumn, treating it as spending winter in a warmer region.

Niu Xianke and Wang Zhongsi gave Fang Chongyong a general introduction to the situation in Tibet, and between the two of them talking back and forth, they filled in this picture that had been missing from his impression.

"The most deadly thing is that Liangzhou City, the foundation of the Hexi Corridor, is within the Tibetans' attack range. The Tibetan army at Xincheng, a key border town of Tibet, can set out from there through the Qilian Mountain pass and directly attack Liangzhou City—it's merely a stone's throw away.

If Liangzhou City falls, then the Great Tang's connection to the Western Regions will be severed, and the Anxi Protectorate and the Beiting Protectorate will also lose their ties to the heartland."

Wang Zhongsi told Fang Chongyong concisely and pointedly where the crux of this war lay.

To the Great Tang, Liangzhou City was a place of even greater importance than Youzhou City. If Liangzhou City fell, then the Great Tang's entire strategy for managing the Western Regions would collapse completely. The Tibetans' claws lay in wait not far from Liangzhou City—how could this not be a grave cause for concern?

As long as the Great Tang had even a sliver of strength to spare, it would do everything possible to ensure Liangzhou City did not fall.

Seeing Fang Chongyong's face tense with alarm, Wang Zhongsi laughed heartily, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "The Tibetans are strong, but we are not weak either. Liangzhou City has the Chishui Army, the Great Tang's foremost strong army, with thirty-two thousand combat soldiers under its command."

The overall strength of the military town aside, a single army having thirty-two thousand men was indeed unique in the Great Tang—describing it as the 'foremost strong army' was no exaggeration.

One should note that the Modou Army where Cui Qianyou had previously served had in reality only several thousand soldiers.

"Yes, the grandeur of the Chishui Army has been unmatched since the Great Tang's founding. An ordinary military town has only several thousand soldiers, and the smaller ones even just a thousand. The Chishui Army was established in the second year of the Wude era, named after the Chishui at Chishui Town in Liangzhou, and has a history of a hundred years to this day.

The troops under its command are also the most numerous among the Great Tang's armies, and are replenished to full strength every year.

By contrast, the Dadou Army, which similarly garrisons the nearby Dadouba Valley, has only seven thousand five hundred soldiers, and is frequently understrength. Because the Turks have weakened, the Baiting Army northwest of Liangzhou City has even fewer troops."

Niu Xianke also offered an explanation.

Dadouba Valley, also called 'Dadouba Valley' or 'Dadou Valley,' was located at the Biandukou Pass at the border of Gansu and Qinghai provinces, southeast of Minle County in Gansu in Fang Chongyong's previous life. Since ancient times, it had been a shortcut from the Gansu Hexi Corridor to Huangzhong in Qinghai.

When the Tibetans advanced into the Hexi Corridor, they first had to pass through Dadouba Valley. The Great Tang established the Dadou Army here to guard against Tibet, under the jurisdiction of the Hexi Military Command.

Northwest of Liangzhou lay Baiting Sea (the lake district in the north of Minqin County, Wuwei City, Gansu Province), where the Great Tang established the Baiting Army to guard against the Turks, also under the jurisdiction of the Hexi Military Command.

And the Chishui Army was the only strategic mobile force in the Hexi Corridor without a specific garrison duty—its mission was to attack and counterattack. It conserved its strength in peacetime, serving as the final link in the Great Tang's frontier 'mobile defense' strategy.

The Hexi Corridor's defense against Tibet consisted of establishing military towns at key points, each garrisoned by a single army or even a single garrison post, with the Chishui Army responsible for defensive counterattacks when the battle reached a stalemate.

What Fang Chongyong did not know was that historically, after the An Lushan Rebellion, the Chishui Army was ordered east into the Guanlong region, and was among the first elite forces to arrive. After the Tang main army (newly recruited soldiers) was wiped out at the Battle of Tongguan, a troop vacuum appeared in Guanlong.

Before the western armies finished regrouping at Lingwu, for an entire year, the Chishui Army—a single legion—held off the entire rebel army (eight thousand Yiluohe cavalry claiming to be a hundred thousand, plus over a hundred thousand Hebei regular rebel troops) all the way until the final decisive battle at Xiangji Temple.

After all, it was a founding merit army of the Great Tang, with exceptionally formidable combat power.

And now, the Chishui Army was the vital defensive force responsible for severing the link between the Turks to the north and the Tibetans to the south, and every last one of its soldiers was fierce and battle-hardened.

They had to be battle-hardened—their families were all in the Hexi Corridor, and they had already been farming military colonies like the militia system. If they did not fight to the death, they would lose everything and not even have a place to stand on.

"The Tibetans pursue a strategy of feeding war with war, and their targets are not limited to our Great Tang. Their generals do not cherish their soldiers—it is commonplace for tens of thousands to be lost in a single battle.

Against the Tibetans, one cannot judge solely by kill counts, and that is the most troublesome part. Tibetans are generally short-lived, embracing death and casting life aside, seeking only momentary glory."

Wang Zhongsi sighed. In his past military career, he had grown accustomed to partings and deaths. The Tibetans' fierce fearlessness of death and their cruel, ruthless decisiveness that treated human life as worthless left a deep impression on him.

Five Tibetan lives for one Tang life—many Tibetan nobles were willing to make that gamble. But would Great Tang frontier generals dare to gamble?

No one dared to take up that question, and neither did Wang Zhongsi.

In fact, because the high-altitude living conditions were so harsh, Tibetans from the Tsenpo down to slaves generally had shorter lifespans than their corresponding classes in the Great Tang. The renowned Songtsen Gampo lived to only thirty-four. In Tibetan history, the number of Tsenpos who died young and in their prime was beyond counting.

If this was true of the nobles, then the serfs at the bottom need not be mentioned at all.

Born like summer flowers, dying like autumn leaves—perhaps this was the true portrait of a Tibetan's life.

"Let us speak of Hexi's affairs instead. The matter of Tibet is something for the court ministers to worry about."

Niu Xianke smiled warmly, the wrinkles on his old face all scrunched together.

"Minister Niu speaks truly."

Wang Zhongsi gave a slight nod.

Tibet, this enemy... in his understanding, was one that the Great Tang could not destroy. The so-called frontier defense was, in many cases, merely doing the best one could.

"Among the five prefectures of Hexi, only Liangzhou and Ganzhou can be self-sufficient in provisions. The other three prefectures all rely on supplies from these two. Therefore, the Hexi Corridor must never be cut off by the Tibetans.

If you are going to Hexi, you must by all means station yourselves permanently in Liangzhou to prepare for contingencies."

"The Doulu Army at Shazhou (Dunhuang), the Moli Army at Guazhou, the Yumen Army at Suzhou, and the Jiankang Army at Ganzhou—none are main forces under the Hexi Military Command. The four armies combined are not equal to the Chishui Army. If at all possible, try not to serve in these four armies; the risk is extremely great."

"Hexi is easy to attack and hard to defend. If you stubbornly defend one place, then not even that one place can be held. Only by repelling the enemy beyond Hexi is the best strategy."

Niu Xianke spoke point by point, and Fang Chongyong even took out a brush and noted them down one by one.

And so it continued until the drum signaling the curfew sounded, and only then did he and Wang Zhongsi reluctantly take their leave of the residence of the Minister of Works.

On the way home, Wang Zhongsi appeared deep in thought, then suddenly asked, "Do you have time tomorrow? Let's go out of Chang'an for some fun, and I'll teach you a few skills to save your life."

"Eh?"

Fang Chongyong was taken aback, completely unprepared for Wang Zhongsi to pull such a move.