Chapter 77: The Wind Comes Urgent!

"I don't know… what kind of poem I should write, and on what theme?"

Fang Chongyong cupped his hands and asked Cui Xiyi, who sat in the seat of honor.

Composing a poem requires a theme; it cannot be done without one. At a night banquet like this, the theme was generally "the moon."

This kind of topic was the easiest to write on, but so many famous poems had been written on it by predecessors that it was actually hard to put brush to paper.

"Since it is a night banquet, the theme is of course the moon."

Xiao Jiong said with a look of contempt.

Though his tone was arrogant, what he said made perfect sense.

Only, Cui Xiyi did not want to agree to it so readily. Xiao Jiong's arrival in Liangzhou was clearly to "crash the gathering." Or rather, he was preparing to replace him in the near future. Therefore, it would have been truly strange if Cui Xiyi felt happy about it.

There was an inconspicuous but major problem behind all this!

Cui Xiyi had only taken up the post of Hexi Jiedushi last year, and according to the general practice of the Tang officialdom, the Hexi Jiedushi's term was four years.

Why was there already a trend of his being replaced in his second year in office?

There must be some unusual reason behind this.

Cui Xiyi pondered in silence, and the atmosphere at the banquet gradually grew awkward and heavy.

Just then, a messenger in leather armor rushed hastily into the banquet, cupped his hands to Cui Xiyi, and shouted loudly: "Jiedushi! The Tibetan army is urgently attacking Dadouba Valley! Military Commissioner Kang is currently leading the elite soldiers of the Dadou Army in battle against the Tibetan forces."

These words shocked everyone present!

Dadouba Valley was a vital passageway two hundred li west of Liangzhou City. It was a corridor through the Qilian Mountains, not narrow in width, and a necessary route from Qinghai into the Hexi Corridor.

The "Zizhi Tongjian" records: In the fifth year of the Daye era of Sui (609 CE), Emperor Yang returned east from Zhangye (present-day Zhangye, Gansu). Passing through Dadouba Valley, the mountain road was narrow and treacherous; they filed out in single file, with wind and snow obscuring the sky… the majority of soldiers froze to death, and nine or ten out of ten horses and donkeys perished.

To guard against the Tibetans breaking through Dadouba Valley to attack Liangzhou, the Great Tang specifically established the Dadou Garrison there, later upgrading it to the Dadou Army, and continuously increased its troop strength. It now had a standing force of seven thousand five hundred men and three hundred warhorses.

"Dismiss the banquet. Those holding military commissions, follow me to muster the troops!"

Cui Xiyi rose to his feet and hurried out toward the Huamen Tower. Almost at the same moment, most of the people at the banquet rose hastily and left with Cui Xiyi, leaving behind only those like Fang Chongyong who were there to make up the numbers, or the civil clerks of the Jiedushi's office.

This scene unfolded so abruptly that Fang Chongyong had not even understood what had happened before it was already completely over. The remaining nobodies also began to rise and leave, the tables covered with unfinished leftovers and cold dishes.

The tall stools, soft cushions, and large and small tables left at the banquet were all topsy-turvy and in disarray due to the haste of the guests' departure, as if the place had been robbed.

"The Tibetans' fearsome reputation is truly extraordinary."

Fang Chongyong also stood up and could not help muttering to himself with emotion.

At a night banquet of Liangzhou Jiedushi's officials, upon hearing that the Tibetans were attacking Dadouba Valley, they rose and left without needing any mobilization. If something similar happened in Chang'an, it would be unimaginable.

Chang'an was already permeated with the cloying scent of song and dance and peace. The people there seemed to believe that no army could ever fight its way into Chang'an.

He walked to the wooden railing at the edge of the third floor of Huamen Tower, raised his head to look at the bright moon hanging in the sky, and felt a jumble of emotions in his heart.

"This is Liangzhou, where prosperity and warfare intertwine.

Fine grape wine in a luminous cup, just as I was about to drink, the pipa on horseback urged me on;

Drunk, I lie on the battlefield—laugh not, for since ancient times, how many who went to war ever returned?"

Fang Chongyong recited the poem as he slowly walked downstairs. The moment he came out, he saw Fang Dafu looking worried, pacing back and forth in extreme anxiety.

"Young Master, the troops and horses of Liangzhou City are being frequently deployed—something big must have happened!"

As soon as he saw Fang Chongyong come out, Fang Dafu could not help asking.

He had served in the army in his day and was not a man without experience. Just now, a cavalry unit of no fewer than a thousand men had ridden out of the city gate near Huamen Tower and vanished without a trace.

Liangzhou's speed of response to an invasion was so fast that Fang Chongyong could hardly believe it. He just did not know what movements there were at the Chishui Army garrison twenty li away. The Tibetans didn't come early or late, but chose exactly this moment—truly knew how to pick their timing.

"The Tibetans have launched a surprise attack on Dadouba Valley."

Fang Chongyong said in a low voice.

Hearing this, Fang Dafu breathed a sigh of relief and said: "That's not so bad then. That place is over two hundred li from Liangzhou City."

"Yes, over two hundred li…"

Fang Chongyong sighed softly, with no look of ease on his face.

He knew roughly where Dadouba Valley was, but without having surveyed it in person, he did not know what the terrain was like. One thing was certain, though: if the Tibetan army broke through Dadouba Valley, they could wreak havoc across the Hexi Corridor!

For instance, two months before he, Young Master Fang, came to Liangzhou, the Tibetan army had fought their way through Dadouba Valley and pressed all the way to the walls of Liangzhou City, fighting a decisive battle against the main force of the Chishui Army.

This kind of maneuver, at first glance, seemed rather baffling.

Because strategically speaking, these Tibetan forces were practically delivering themselves as fodder. This was something Fang Chongyong could not understand—he could not fathom the Tibetan mode of thinking.

Yet Niu Xianke had told him that the strength of Tibet, since the Qin and Han dynasties, had no equal among the surrounding barbarian peoples.

Simply put, although the Xiongnu of old, and later the Xianbei and the Tujie and others, seemed formidable, compared to the elite Tibetan troops, those people were nothing.

In the several capabilities needed to wage war—such as mobilization capacity, recovery ability, and execution—Tibet was top-tier in every respect.

Although Tibet was a neighboring minority that began rising in the early Tang, their mindset and cultural mentality were those of a "central empire." This was a singular case in all of ancient Chinese history, with no parallel.

In other words, nomadic peoples like the Tujie might dream of one day entering Chang'an to become masters of the world and receive audiences from all directions. This was also one of the reasons why a great many nomadic peoples pledged allegiance to the Great Tang, and why foreign generals could be accepted in large numbers.

The spirit of the Great Tang was "we are the center, and all under heaven are one family." The surrounding peoples were subjects of the center, receiving titles and commissions from the central court—this had already formed a cultural mentality.

Tujie, Goguryeo, Khitan, Xi, Tiele, Sogdians—no matter who, all clearly understood that they were "barbarians," vassals paying tribute to the Great Tang.

But Tibet was different; they did not consider themselves "barbarians."

The Tibetan nobility generally believed that Tibet was a central empire situated atop the mountains (the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau), one that should be paid court to by surrounding peoples, not the other way around.

In other words, the Tibetans were very interested in plundering Chang'an, yet in their hearts they disdained the Great Tang's Chang'an as nothing much, lacking the "weakling mentality" of the surrounding steppe peoples.

They believed that all the good things in the world should be transported to Lhasa (Lhasa, Tibet) and piled up there. The places that should be conquered included but were not limited to the Great Tang, Tianzhu, and the Abbasid Caliphate of West Asia. They should not abase themselves and serve great powers like the Great Tang as subjects.

This arrogance, almost to the point of being unable to communicate, was the spiritual pillar of Tibet's universal militarism, and also the internal driving force behind the fact that since its rise, there was scarcely a day when Tibet was not expanding.

The Tibetans' reckless passage through Dadouba Valley to attack Liangzhou—these Tibetan troops might indeed be delivering themselves as fodder. But the Tibetan army must have some scheme, and the place they were scheming for might very well catch people off guard.

It might not even be in Hexi!

The Great Tang had suffered losses at the hands of Tibet too many times. If they did not account for the Tibetans' habit of concentrating superior forces to fight annihilation battles and their disregard for human life, they would ultimately pay a bitter price.

Fang Chongyong recalled what Niu Xianke had told him, and his heart could not help but tighten. He had a persistent feeling that the Tibetan army had other designs—fighting vigorously in Hexi, yet not necessarily coming for Hexi.

Niu Xianke said the Tibetan main offensive direction could only be Longyou.

In Hexi, it is mostly "attack as defense", preventing the Red Water army from moving south to flank and engage the Tibetan army fighting the Tang army in Longyou. Their strategic goal has a sequence; they are not just randomly throwing punches.

As for tens of thousands dying in Hexi, according to Tibetan custom, they probably don't care much about it.

Outside the Flower Gate Tower, Fang Chongyong suddenly felt as if the Tibetans were walking the Red Water army like a dog.

Each time the Tibetan army rushed over, the Hexi Red Water army had to sprint two hundred li to Da Dou Ba Gu for a decisive battle.

When the Red Water army grew weary of killing, the Tibetans retreated from Da Dou Ba Gu, leaving many corpses on the ground. This wave of attack ended.

On the surface it seems the Tibetans suffered losses. Yet if the Red Water army, a strategically superior force, moved south to Longyou and attacked the Tibetan army from the northern flank to encircle them, what would the final outcome be?

It might create a great victory that significantly alters the strategic landscape.

After all, the official records list the Red Water army as having 13,000 cavalry! In reality it is even more!

This elite force, constantly harassed by the Tibetans, had to stay stationed in Hexi, unable to move. Moreover, the Hexi Jiedushi could not ignore local defense and dispatch the Red Water army to fight in Longyou.

Because the Hexi Jiedushi and the Longyou Jiedushi are of equal rank!

Could the Tibetan strategy be a bit smarter?

A terrifying thought flashed through Fang Chongyong's mind.

He realized that, when the Tang army fought the Tibetans to the death, they did not hold the strategic initiative, even though their resources were boundlessly abundant.

"Young master, the curfew has begun. Just now Cui Jiedushi sent people to escort us to that annex we visited last time to rest."

Fang Dafu, seeing Fang Chongyong staring blankly, approached silently and said.

"Understood, go ahead."

Fang Chongyong gave a slight nod, a bit dejected.

He wanted to contribute to the Tang army and had thought a lot beforehand. Yet when the moment arrived, it was always so urgent and cramped, and he couldn't help at all.

Seeming to read his mood, Fang Dafu smiled: "Young master, there are still many days ahead. There will be plenty of opportunities later."

"Indeed, there will be plenty of opportunities."

Fang Chongyong sighed.

……

Da Dou Ba Gu stretches from the Gorge Mouth in the north to Ebo Ridge in the south, extending fifty li. An existing Han‑era road runs through it; at its narrowest only two people can walk side by side, yet the overall area is considerable.

Tonight, under a sparse moon and stars, the hills of Da Dou Ba Gu were dotted with torches. The Tang army erected wooden palisades at the key points, while the Tibetan army faced them with heavily armored infantry that only exposed their eyes.

Although well prepared, the Tang soldiers of Da Dou could not stop the Tibetans from gradually seeping from the south side of the palisade to the north. The ground was covered with dried blood, which in the torchlight looked like black oil oozing from the earth.

The Tibetans' tactics were not sophisticated; the frontmost wave consisted of vanguards wielding square tower shields, essentially expendables. By the time they charged to the wooden palisade the Tang had set at the bottleneck, they were almost entirely wiped out.

The second wave was mainly iron‑clad troops formed by minor Tibetan nobles, who were the main assault force.

Each of these iron‑clad soldiers wore chainmail made of iron leaf plates strung together, exposing only their eyes, unafraid of the Tang swords, spears, bows, and crossbows.

These iron leaf plates were expertly forged by Tibetan craftsmen using Western Region methods; the billets were very thick. Each plate was hammered down to less than one‑third of its original thickness. The armor was sturdy and durable, yet considerably lighter than armor of comparable protection.

Often a single Tibetan heavy infantry charging forward could carve a gap a few men wide in the Tang line.

As for bows and arrows, the Tibetans considered them "dark" weapons; in their view only stone‑throwing slings were "bright" weapons! They did not like to start a battle with archery, which varied by region; the core Tibetan area on the Qinghai‑Tibet Plateau was like this.

Soon, the Tang troops on the other side of the palisade could no longer hold back the Tibetans' ferocious assault; deserters appeared and the line collapsed rapidly.

The Tibetan heavy infantry pushed through the palisade, swarming forward. They had not expected the Da Dou army to be so weak today. Of course, another possibility is that after the previous battle at Liangzhou City, the Da Dou army had already been battered, and after that bloody fight they could not even hold the line.

The Tibetans surged into the Da Dou Ba Gu pass like a tide; in the darkness they were already familiar with the terrain.

Here the south side is wide and the north side narrow; beyond the bottleneck lies the Hexi Corridor. Later we could cause a stir in Shazhou (Dunhuang) or in Liangzhou.

Here, heavy infantry is unbeatable. The hills are numerous, and the flat ground in the middle is a narrow strip, leaving cavalry unable to maneuver.

At that moment, a Tibetan minor noble clad in heavy armor incredulously discovered that a long, massive sword had pierced his body! He was like a piece of meat on a skewer, "pierced" by the blade!

"Colonel Li Siyie of the Anxi army, Zhaowu, is here; the Strange Sword Squad advance to strike the enemy!"

A roar echoed through the valley; countless torches lit up behind Li Siyie, and the hills on both sides did the same. Soon, jars emitting the smell of burning oil were hurled from the hills, landing precisely at the spot where the Tibetan forces had gathered.

The terrain shifted from broad to narrow, blocking the attack route, and a retreat ensued… A large portion of them will likely die in the ensuing pursuit.

The blaze spread, the Tibetan army fled in terror, trampling each other endlessly. Their exquisite chainmail offered no resistance to the raging fire; one after another, the Tibetan minor nobles fell into the flames, and the valley reeked with a nauseating meaty odor.

On a higher hill nearby, Cui Qianyou, one of the ten generals of the Da Dou army, bowed to a Tang general of Sogdian descent and said: "Commander Kang, fortunate to fulfill the mission without disgrace, you have led the Tibetans into this dead end. Now the Da Dou army can annihilate them without needing other reinforcements."

The officer hearing his report was Commander Kang Taihe, one of the Nine Surnames of Zhaowu, deeply rooted in Liangzhou and having served as a palace guard in Chang'an for over a decade, trusted by Li Longji.

"Those are no big deal; I will claim credit for you."

"Returning commander, this battle relied entirely on the Anxi army's Strange Sword Squad for support; I dare not take credit," Cui Qianyou said modestly.

His past experiences taught him that capable people need a backing to rise swiftly; without a patronage, it's impossible. When the surrounding officers' factions are unclear, keeping a low profile is not a bad thing.

Facing the thousand‑mile thorny border situation between Tibet and the Great Tang, the Tibetans have tactics, and the Tang also have clever methods. The Tang army employs "mounted infantry, thousand‑mile mobility", anticipating the Tibetans' direction of movement to concentrate superior forces and annihilate a portion of the Tibetan army.

However, such actions are ordered directly by the central Tang authority, bypassing the Jiedushi; for instance, this time Cui Xiyi was not notified in advance.

Kang Taihe stroked his beard and laughed heartily.

After this battle, he will return to Chang'an to take his palace rotation and enjoy leisure. The days of licking blood from blades have lasted decades and are enough; before leaving, he intends to recommend Cui Qianyou as deputy commander of the Da Dou army. Of course, a promotion is impossible, since the Da Dou army is a 7,500‑person first‑grade unit, not like the White Pavilion army where commanders can be assigned arbitrarily.

"Thank you, Commander Kang," Cui Qianyou bowed deeply to him.

"Eh, it's nothing, all done for the sage's sake."

Kang Taihe chuckled, and as the two spoke, the battle in the valley below was already drawing to a close.

(End of chapter)