Chapter 90: The Secret to Growth Lies in Learning

Arriving at Chiwu Town, Fang Chongyong met the busy Wang Zhongsi.

In his impression, those high‑ranking officers in the army, when they had nothing to do, would be brandishing big swords.

But this time, upon seeing Wang Zhongsi, he discovered his own father‑in‑law, who was… reading documents.

At this moment, in the main hall of the Chi Shui Army Office, a few people dressed as monks were translating the Tubo script on the desk into Chinese.

They finished translating one sheet, and Wang Zhongsi read one sheet; the whole hall turned into a "copying room", so quiet that a pin dropping could be heard.

"Just take a look, if you like."

Wang Zhongsi never took his eyes off the paper in his hand and said casually to Fang Chongyong.

As for Doctor Li in the wheelchair, he was not permitted to enter and was waiting outside the office for an audience.

"This is…"

Fang Chongyong hesitated for a moment, picked up a sheet and examined it, and soon grasped its crucial points.

"When soldiers bravely defeat the enemy and the facts are verified, the commander must promptly grant rewards."

"If officers or commanders flee on the battlefield, the supervising officer must risk death to pursue. If captured, the brave act's reward is granted immediately according to the law."

"If trapped by the enemy, a messenger is sent to the camp for reinforcements; any commander who receives the message but fails to send aid will be punished."

……

These are clearly one military law after another, written in a slightly odd style that mirrors the Great Tang statutes in a strikingly similar way.

Fang Chongyong read with a head full of fog and asked in confusion, "Is this a translated military law? Could it be a Tubo command?"

"Exactly. Earlier, Cui Jiedushi defeated a Tubo detachment and captured a complete set of Tubo military law. The monks who can translate it into Chinese have now been found and are translating these laws now."

"Knowing the enemy and oneself ensures a hundred battles without peril."

Wang Zhongsi laughed heartily, seeming to be in a good mood.

The Tubo people have had a written language for over a hundred years, and even further back can be traced to several hundred years ago.

According to legend, Tubo emperor Songzan Ganbu, realizing that Tubo needed its own script to develop the economy, sent the minister Tu Mi Sang Bu Zha and fifteen others to Tianzhu (India) to study and take masters.

After returning to Tibet, they modeled the Sanskrit "Lanzha script", combined it with Tibetan phonology to create a regular Tibetan typeface, and also based on the "Urdu style" created a Tibetan cursive script.

This became the basis of the Tubo script, which after a hundred years of development has become a self‑contained system.

But some say that Songzan Ganbu's role was merely organizing, and Tubo's written history is much older.

Regardless, this Tubo military law shows that the Tubo army's discipline is strict and rewards and punishments are clear.

It also demonstrates that their domestic political and military institutions have become a self‑contained system, not merely the marauding barbarians outsiders imagine.

It further proves that the Tubo army can contend with the Great Tang in Hexi Longyou, not by chance nor solely by sheer manpower and bloodlust!

The Tubo army can match the Tang forces on the battlefield, being top‑tier peers, far surpassing the Turkic, Khitan and other nomadic peoples previously beaten by the Great Tang.

Niu Xianke's remark, "In Hexi, only the Tubo matters," is indeed a fair assessment!

"Read more; the Tubo military law also has many merits. As the saying goes, foreign stone can polish jade—more learning never hurts."

Wang Zhongsi set the paper down, arranged the scattered sheets on the desk in order, handed them to Fang Chongyong, and continued, "I know you have business; wait a moment. I still have military affairs to handle, we can talk tonight, no rush."

After speaking, he walked straight out of the hall, leaving Fang Chongyong alone to read the Tubo army's military law.

It is not the number of soldiers that matters, but their quality; it is not bravery that defines a commander, but strategy.

Wang Zhongsi's thinking was clear: instead of mindlessly training physical strength, it is better to seize the opportunity and study the "laws" within military strategy.

Without rules to bind people, they are like a herd of beasts. The heavily armed Qiu Ba, if not restrained by military law, would have terrifying destructive power—one can guess that just by thinking of it.

Understanding the Tubo military law is a way to grasp the Tubo army's combat mindset. In the flourishing Tang era, only foreign peoples could challenge opponents; the Tang border troops could not; anyone who provoked had to be killed, including the Tubo.

Thus, what Wang Zhongsi now has Fang Chongyong do is to desperately learn survival techniques!

"Continue reading."

Fang Chongyong sighed to himself, his mood a bit heavy. The shadow of the Tubo loomed over the Hexi lands, offering no respite even for a moment.

Soon, Fang Chongyong saw provisions that differed greatly from the Great Tang's military law!

"The construction of castles and the establishment of Nangxia must be reported to royal members and completed according to the prescribed schedule."

"If the deadline is missed, the Nangxia official is punished."

"In the Nangxia area, large numbers of military horses and other livestock are gathered. No major illnesses have appeared, but minor infections have spread, causing larger disease symptoms; we will investigate the cause and will dismantle Nangxia."

"If the war situation is tense and the enemy approaches, and it is judged that they cannot be repelled, the livestock managed by Nangxia must be driven away and protected without damage; decisions about whether crops or houses should be burned or preserved must be consulted before acting."

Such military laws mention the organization 'Nangxia', which, in Fang Chongyong's view, appears to be a comprehensive logistics body in the Tubo army responsible for building camps and castles during war, managing assets and livestock, including spoils of war.

According to Fang Chongyong, the Great Tang's local administrations have no comparable agency, nor does its military. This can be said to be a uniquely Tubo organizational method for war.

Seeing this, Fang Chongyong instantly felt the trip was not in vain!

The Tubo's engineer corps handles logistics, which means there are dedicated combat troops.

This is markedly different from the rumor that Tubo people charge into battle en masse, with men, women, children, and entire tribes all joining the fight.

In other words, the Tubo's level of military professionalization is not far behind the Great Tang, and in some aspects even better suited to battlefield realities, far surpassing the Turks, Uyghurs, Khitans and other steppe peoples.

Fang Chongyong began to immerse himself, reading these translated Tubo military laws, and the more he read, the colder his spine felt.

"In wartime, soldiers readying horses mount to the sound of conch horns or drums. During daytime combat, herders must tether warhorses within the camp, placing them behind the troops. At night, the horses may be untied but not released."

"If a night ambush is suspected, follow the Ru Ben decree: choose a rugged spot according to terrain and hold it, deploying scouts and foot sentries. Warhorses are also tied with ankle ropes. Patrolling soldiers must carry shields, hold bows and arrows, and wear armor—this is the preparation for battle."

"When camping and arranging formations at night, if the terrain is spacious, the warhorses must be corralled inside the camp for readiness. If the terrain is narrow, set up two or three staggered defensive lines. At night, build earth mounds spaced two arrow lengths apart, erect wooden palisades atop them, and seize strong positions."

One provision after another, each character struck Fang Chongyong's heart, making him dare not be careless or miss a single word.

These orders already cover distinguishing retreat behavior on the battlefield and its rewards and punishments, the hierarchy of penalties and rewards, night‑camp defense regulations, sentinel scouting systems, warhorse management, and more!

Some provisions could even serve as military strategy themselves. Many are things Fang Chongyong has never heard or seen, utterly unimaginable!

Everything is in there! Nothing is omitted, only the unthinkable is missing!

In Fang Chongyong's mind, the words "terrifying as this" suddenly surged and lingered.

Peering into a cave to glimpse a leopard reveals a spot; the Tubo's meticulously crafted military law ensures that every action on the battlefield has a legal basis.

How could such an army be easy to deal with!

This was an enhanced version of bandits with strict organization and orderly action!

The sky gradually darkened, and soldiers in the hall had already lit torches. Only after a long time did Fang Chongyong stretch, reluctantly setting down the translated draft of the military laws drawn up by the Tibetans.

Hexi was too vast, the Western Regions were too vast, Tibet was too powerful, and the strength of an individual was far too insignificant!

All grandiose words and haughty spirit had been extinguished by this military law, which embodied the essence of the Tibetan military system.

Just then, Fang Chongyong saw that Wang Zhongsi had already led Military Physician Li inside. Seeing Fang Chongyong's expression, he knew the other man must have gained quite a few new insights from it.

"Do not be arrogant, but do not belittle yourself either. Let's go eat something together, then we'll talk in detail in the study."

Wang Zhongsi said to Fang Chongyong with a calm expression.

"Understood, Father-in-law."

Fang Chongyong bowed respectfully.

"Within the Chishui Army, you should still address me as Military Commissioner Wang. After all, you are now the Vice Military Commissioner of the Baiting Army as well."

Wang Zhongsi rarely teased Fang Chongyong with a remark.

"The Tibetans are powerful as this, so I, the Baiting Army Military Commissioner who does nothing, truly serve with trepidation, as if walking on thin ice."

Fang Chongyong smiled bitterly in helplessness.

"As long as you understand, let's go."

Wang Zhongsi was clearly very satisfied with Fang Chongyong's humility. He walked over and patted his shoulder. Fang Chongyong pushed Military Physician Li's wheelchair, ignoring the physician's flustered astonishment, his face filled with alarm. Fang Chongyong brought him to the study of Wang Zhongsi's residence.

……

The food in the army truly could not be called good. Having grown accustomed to eating Anaye's cooking every day, Fang Chongyong ate this meal in doubt of life itself, finding it hard to imagine how those soldiers day after day actually got by.

However, since Wang Zhongsi said nothing, he could not very well open his mouth to jest either. After hastily finishing the meal, Military Physician Li, at Fang Chongyong's signal, took out the clay pot containing the hemostatic packs and handed it to Wang Zhongsi.

"Sealed with sealing wax."

Wang Zhongsi picked it up and examined it, nodding with satisfaction.

As the Military Commissioner of an army, he certainly would not be completely ignorant of the things required for logistics. From Fang Chongyong's introduction, he learned that the things inside this clay pot were actually all standard supplies in the army.

Before every battle, the Tang army's quartermasters would purchase medicinal supplies locally, and immediately boil linen strips in water and pack them in boxes for standby use.

The thing before him now was novel in two respects.

The first was that it could be prepared in advance and stored long-term for military supply.

The second was that the medicinal materials inside, even after semi-carbonization, still retained residual medicinal efficacy, making the hemostatic effect even better!

A small object with a great effect, and moreover there was not the slightest difficulty in mass-producing it, and it could be promoted throughout the Hexi region and even all the frontier garrisons of the Great Tang!

"This thing is excellent, it is rare that you put such thought into it!"

Wang Zhongsi looked at Fang Chongyong with gratification and praised him. Regarding this future son-in-law, he was one hundred percent satisfied!

"It is merely a trivial matter. Relying on this alone, one still cannot defeat the Tibetans."

Fang Chongyong said embarrassedly. Originally he had still harbored some desire to show off, but after seeing the Tibetans' military law, he no longer dared to flaunt his treasure before Wang Zhongsi.

To tell the truth, relying on this thing indeed could not defeat the Tibetans. One could only say it was better than nothing.

"Eh, what kind of talk is that. Victory is accumulated bit by bit. For example, when you recently volunteered to write letters home for the soldiers in the army, I now see morale running high throughout the Chishui Army. The role you played is by no means something dispensable.

Writing letters home was one small step, and this hemostatic pot is another small step. Because of your contributions, our Hexi frontier army advances step by step, accumulating the momentum of victory into the fruits of victory—how could that be useless?"

Wang Zhongsi laughed heartily.

"Father-in-law, could you lend me this Tibetan military law to make a copy? I wish to study and research it."

Fang Chongyong requested with exceptional sincerity.

"No matter, take it. I have already read it anyway and know what it is about."

Wang Zhongsi said with great magnanimity.

The Tibetans' military law was a "dimensional strike" against Fang Chongyong, because militarily he was merely a layman with a bit of cleverness. But Wang Zhongsi was a general who had fought wars for years, and naturally knew where the pros and cons of many military laws lay.

The Tibetans' military law was not bad, but rather too detailed, too harsh. When it came to execution, it would likely not be as ideal as imagined.

Furthermore, complex military laws required a certain level of literacy to execute. The Tibetans' illiteracy rate was far higher than the Great Tang's. Even in everyday life, Wang Zhongsi felt that the Tang army's military laws often needed to be "flexibly executed," let alone the Tibetans'.

He had originally wanted to point this out explicitly, but he always felt that letting Fang Chongyong figure it out himself would better inspire his capacity for independent thinking.

"Any complex military law is useless if the men below cannot effectively execute it.

The combat strength of the various Tibetan tribes is not the same. You can judge from their banners which of the Tibetans' Five Rus and Sixty-One Dongdai a body of troops belongs to.

Troops from different divisions with different banners have different combat strengths, and their degree of compliance with military law also differs.

You can slowly learn these things in the future when there is opportunity."

Wang Zhongsi exhorted earnestly.

"Thank you, Father-in-law. I will certainly think it over carefully."

Fang Chongyong crossed his hands in a bow.

"Go. It is not good to spend the night in the military camp. I will send men to escort you back to Liangzhou City."

Wang Zhongsi was a decisive man, and with a wave of his hand he saw the guests off.

"Father-in-law... the Tibetans have lost New City, and will not let the matter rest. The waterways within Tibetan territory are underdeveloped, making river transport impossible, so they may still need time to muster their troops. Yet once they have marshaled their forces, the Hexi front will surely see stormy seas!

I beg Father-in-law to make preparations early!"

Fang Chongyong said with deep concern.

He did not understand the specifics of marching and fighting, but the geographical overview, the strategic situation between nations, and the gains and losses and front-line deployments of past engagements between the Tang army and the Tibetan army—Fang Chongyong had now all come to understand.

Judging from the current situation, the Tibetans seemed to be saving up for a major move, and it was highly likely they would launch a full-scale invasion of Hexi and Longyou at the onset of winter.

If successful, they would seize cities and territory; if defeated, they would reduce their population. And conveniently, they would spend the harsh winter in Hexi and Longyou, which were warmer, lower in elevation, and more suitable for survival.

This move had many advantages. Fang Chongyong felt that if even he could think of it, it was impossible the Tibetans could not!

"Stay in Liangzhou City for the winter, and don't go running about all over the place. These are matters for the frontier armies to consider; it is not yet your place to worry about them."

Wang Zhongsi waved his hand; he certainly knew the Tibetans' movements, but there was no need to tell Fang Chongyong everything in detail.

Life and death are fated, wealth and honor come from heaven; we are all men who lick blood from the blade's edge—what safety can there be? On the battlefield, each should rely on their own ability, competing in skill and luck!

"Go on, you still have plenty of time to make your mark and establish a career!"

Wang Zhongsi laughed heartily, he slapped Fang Chongyong's shoulder hard, making the latter stagger, flustered as he cupped his fists in farewell.

The latest findings from historical journal literature—no need to thank me.

(End of chapter)