Chapter 94: Tang Autumn Defense Order

Zhang Shougui had never dealt with Li Linfu at the central administration before, but he had heard some things about this Tang right prime minister.

For example, his style is domineering, his demeanor is yin‑soft and cunning, and he hides a dagger behind a smile.

Nevertheless, Li Linfu's reputation abroad is that most people say he is still a prime minister who gets things done.

The deeds he accomplished rank among the most, if not the most, of all prime ministers of the Kaiyuan era, and calling him a "capable minister" is not an exaggeration.

Yet upon seeing him today, Zhang Shougui felt the rumors were indeed somewhat inaccurate!

Recruiting thirty thousand soldiers in Hexi—does this right prime minister even grasp the concept? That's thirty thousand people, not thirty thousand pigs!

Zhang Shougui was already cursing inwardly, but held his tongue out of respect for Li Longji's face.

"Your Majesty, the Hexi region bears a burden far beyond the capital area. Especially Liangzhou, which not only supplies a huge number of troops but also performs many labors unrecorded in the central ledgers.

Recruiting five thousand new men in Hexi is already the limit; if we conscript thirty thousand, it will inevitably affect agriculture and administration everywhere!"

Zhang Shougui said earnestly.

Zhang Shougui once served as a military envoy in the Jiankang army of Ganzhou, so he knows the Hexi Corridor's military affairs well. That is one reason why Ji Ge wanted him to double as Minister of War.

Hexi, especially Liangzhou, has countless complicated matters that cannot be summed up in a few words; it is far from something that can be solved by smooth talk alone.

"Liangzhou has a populace of over a million; could it really fail to muster even thirty thousand able youths?"

Li Longji heard Zhang Shougui's words and was momentarily puzzled.

But that's Liangzhou!

The registered permanent residents, including naturalized Hu people, already exceed a million; counting the transient population pushes the number well beyond a million.

Just within Liangzhou City itself there are several hundred thousand people.

What Ji Ge didn't know is that in Liangzhou there exists a class of residents called "travelers."

They do not permanently reside in Liangzhou and own no land there, yet they are regulars at Liangzhou's long‑haul inns, traveling between Chang'an and Liangzhou City.

Their origins may be bankrupt Western Region small merchants, retired veterans who lost their lands, or respectable youths from Guanzhong seeking a living in Hexi. They all end up as part‑time day laborers and carriage drivers, occasionally selling small goods as a "distinctive demographic."

The primary targets of the recruitment are precisely these people!

Because they own no land and thus do not affect local agriculture, they become the foremost recruitment candidates.

Indeed, the recruitment is a form of conscription, compulsory in nature; especially in Hexi border towns, a single official decree can force even a double‑leg‑less man like Li the Medical Officer, Anaye's adoptive father, to serve, turning his clinic into a battlefield infirmary—let alone the landless "travelers."

Yet the travelers may appear idle, but in reality they are the key personnel responsible for trans‑shipping goods between Guanzhong and Liangzhou!

They drive and chase carriages, feed livestock, haul cargo, and keep the entire transport line running smoothly.

During the Wu Zhou period, official freight between border towns and Chang'an was handled by the state's relay‑station system. At that time, the Western Region's troops were not stationed in the tens of thousands as they are now, and the demand for transport and logistics was far less terrifying.

Yet even so, since the middle of the Kaiyuan era, the Tang central treasury has been unable to shoulder such massive expenses, and the deficit has rapidly widened as the rivalry with Tufan intensifies.

Consequently, local supplies are dispatched through a tiered trans‑shipment system, issued step by step, and Chang'an no longer sends a single carriage to handle freight.

Liangzhou, however, is the sole trans‑shipment hub between the Western Regions and Chang'an. With its highly developed animal husbandry, Liangzhou dispatches caravans daily to Chang'an, while caravans from the Western Regions carry Liangzhou's stockpiles to their final destinations.

Each region is responsible for its own logistical supply transport.

Simply put, the total freight consumption has not materially decreased, but the trans‑shipment costs have been shifted from the center to the regions, making Tang's fiscal accounts look better on paper.

Within this system, the travelers' role is crucial, because they drive for free and receive no subsidies along the way!

The only advantage is that during freight they can proportionally "sneak in private goods"; if they lack capital, they can obtain low‑interest loans from the authorities, and ultimately sell Chang'an's goods in the Hexi Corridor to offset their expenses.

If Liangzhou raises troops, it is certain that the entire Western Region's logistics network will be thrown into chaos!

Without having served as an official in the Hexi Corridor itself, one could never know so many details or understand the stakes involved.

"Your Majesty, Liangzhou is the foundation of the Western Regions and must not be moved lightly."

Zhang Shougui pleaded earnestly.

Ji Ge seemed to calm down from his fury; it's only a minor Turkic matter, and Liangzhou still has the elite Red Water Army, so it shouldn't descend into an unmanageable chaos in such a short time.

"Except for Liangzhou, the other four Hexi prefectures shall conscript twenty thousand able youths. Activate the Autumn Defense Order and transfer troops from the northern frontier to Liangzhou!"

Li Longji said gravely to Li Linfu.

Autumn Defense Order!

Now not only was Zhang Shougui unsettled, but Li Linfu also looked genuinely surprised, unable to hide the astonishment on his face.

The Autumn Defense Order was crafted specifically for the powerful Tufan, brought out after Tang border troops repeatedly suffered defeats at Tufan's hands in the late Wu Zhou, and it was not Ji Ge's invention.

It is not a simple decree but a collective term for a series of highly targeted temporary border‑defense policies…

It involves recruitment, military garrisons, troop training and dispatch, large‑scale relocation of border troops across different defense zones, and other complex matters; while idle it causes little trouble, once activated it drastically affects the livelihoods of border towns.

Since the Kaiyuan era, the number of times the Autumn Defense Order has been invoked is countable on one hand.

Just from its name, one can tell that the Tang must be relatively weak to need a "defense" order; if the Tang were strong on the frontier, it would never have to invoke the Autumn Defense Order.

In Fang Chongyong's past life, after the Anshi Rebellion, Tufan launched an absolute offensive against the Tang, prompting the Tang to use the Autumn Defense Order frequently; even the troops of the three northern frontier towns participated, and when they could not defend themselves, they enlisted allied Uighur forces as well.

In the end, the once‑prosperous Longyou and the northern frontier were reduced to scorched‑earth, becoming impoverished and weak.

This shows how severely the Autumn Defense Order damages frontier economies!

"Your Majesty, the Turkic are already fragmented, riddled with internal strife, so there is no urgency to employ the Autumn Defense Order."

Li Linfu crossed his arms, bowed, and suggested.

He wanted to cause trouble on the side, but doing things properly comes first.

Hearing this, Li Longji shook his head, waved his hand lightly and said, "Go ahead, no need for more words. I, Ge Nu, am not versed in military affairs; think carefully about future military matters before speaking."

Zhang Shougui and Li Linfu could only step back helplessly, preparing to issue the edict to deploy troops in Hexi.

"Urgent military report! Urgent military report! Urgent military report!"

At that moment, a hoarse, desperate shout came from afar.

A courier soldier rushed into the Purple Palace, bearing three flags on his back, each marked with the character "Urgent."

This is a Tang characteristic: urgent military reports can be sent directly to the emperor without bureaucratic formalities.

Gao Lishi stepped forward to hand the battle report to Li Longji; Ji Ge didn't even glance at it, walked up, lifted the courier, and asked, "What's the urgent military report?"

The Baye Gu Tribe was attacked by the Turkic; Youzhou Military Governor Fang Youde led five thousand troops north to garrison at Qikou and also recruited thirty thousand Khitan and Xi soldiers as support. It was Shuo Fang Military Governor Wei Guangcheng who transmitted this report and impeached Youzhou Military Governor Fang Youde for moving troops across the defensive zone.

The military situation is urgent; please, holy one, make a decision.

Stunned!

Not only Li Longji, but also Li Linfu and Zhang Shougui, didn't expect that the so‑called urgent military news was actually this; they thought something had happened in Hexi!

The Turkic attack on the Baye Gu Tribe, which borders the Khitan and Shiwei that are under Tang's suzerainty, has always had an indecisive stance.

In plain terms, their style is that of a top‑class "scumbag woman".

When the Turkic are strong, they attack the Tang under the banner of the "Turkic Tribes", becoming the first firewall of the Turkic royal court and the first door‑kicking cavalry when they invade the Tang.

When the Turkic are weak, they flip back to the Tang side, serving as a warning rope when the Turkic attack, and drawing a clear line from them.

The Baye Gu Tribe borders the Tang; to the east is Shiwei, to the south are the Khitan and the Tang Youzhou Military Governorate.

In the fourth year of the Kaiyuan era, the Tang pulled this "green‑tea b***" onto its side, and to this day the other side has not rebelled again. Now the Baye Gu Tribe is being attacked by the Turkic… just as Turkic troops invade Hexi; isn't the timing a bit too coincidental?

Do the Turkic think the forces in Hexi are too saturated, so they must disperse their troops?

It seems like a divided‑and‑conquer approach, but that's not how it's played, right?

Moreover, Qikou is located not far southwest of the former Erliankhot City of Fang Chongyong, just north of the Hetao Region. That area is the Shuo Fang Military Governor's defensive zone, clearly written in Ministry of War documents!

Even if Fang Youde's deployment to the Baye Gu Tribe is a normal border response, he shouldn't have garrisoned at Qikou! That place is meant for a sudden strike against the Turkic camp, not for breaking a siege!

The Youzhou border troops' actions are not a little strange!

"Is Fang Youde planning to rebel? Who gave him that nerve!"

Ji Ge, angry, smashed the military report onto the ground, yet his hand, still outstretched, seemed to freeze mid‑air as if he'd thought of something.

His anger came fast and left fast.

"Everyone, stand down."

Ji Ge waved his hand and said, lowering his head into thought.

Recalling every battle of Tang border towns since the Kaiyuan era, Ji Ge finally understood where these places lie and what the factions' stances are. Wei Guangcheng's report contains many inaccuracies; one cannot trust his one‑sided words.

Ji Ge suddenly thought that the culprit this time must be the "evil one who complains first"—the gate‑dog who only knows how to sleep, Shuo Fang Military Governor Wei Guangcheng, rather than the Youzhou Military Governor Fang Youde who merely tossed a frisbee a little farther.

A more active gate‑dog is far better than a dead dog that only sleeps. Fang Youde's problem is merely that he handled what the Shuo Fang Military Governor should have done.

…

Night fell, and Fang Chongyong, pretending to patrol on the tower of Baiting Fort, was in the worst mood. The feeling now was no different from when he first arrived in Hexi, standing on a hillside blowing cold wind all night.

Xin Yunjing has already led troops to ambush near the granary, waiting to spring a trap on the Turkic.

Fang Chongyong is nominally a Deputy Military Commander, but he cannot move a single soldier here, or rather, no one truly treats him as a commander.

The time for the attack is just a hair away, yet Fang Chongyong hasn't even seen a trace of the Turkic!

"Do you know, in Liangzhou there is a Hu girl named Green Pearl, only thirteen, sold to a middle‑aged woman for just fifteen bolts of cloth.

If you get captured by the Turkic, I'll ransom you back with thirty bolts of cloth."

To liven the mood, Fang Chongyong forced a smile and said to Ana Ye,

he just wanted the other side to retort him.

"Nothing to worry about; the Chishui Army is just a stone's throw away, my lord, you need not fear."

Ana Ye, unusually gentle this time, grasped Fang Chongyong's hand and felt it chillingly cold, her palm drenched in cold sweat.

The feeling is all an act!

Ana Ye thought silently, amused.

In fact, locals of Hexi are accustomed to border wars; Gua Prefecture in the Five Prefectures of Hexi was once breached by the Tubo, not long ago.

Campaigns, injuries, returning home, labor, then campaigning again… these are part of, even the entirety of, life for these border townspeople.

Tonight Ana Ye isn't scared at all; the only one who is, is Fang Chongyong, who came from Chang'an and has never seen much of the world, a low‑ranking official.

"My lord, it's cold and windy here; shall we go back to sleep?"

Beside them, Fang Laique yawned and asked.

This time, Fang Dafu, clad in leather armor, didn't rebuke him; instead, with a relaxed expression, he said to Fang Chongyong, "Young lord, you may return to sleep; tonight should be uneventful."

"Uneventful?"

Fang Chongyong was startled; he and Xin Yunjing had expected a night raid by the Turkic! Fang Dafu actually said there was nothing?

"Before a great battle, the atmosphere isn't like this."

Fang Dafu sighed, as if recalling past events.

While they were speaking, they saw the nearest shoreline, where towering flames shot up, visible even from far away!

Fang Chongyong stared in horror at the distant change, his heart a mix of emotions.

The military treatise explains everything clearly—what to do in each situation—but when the moment arrives, the feeling is entirely different, like being clumsy and frantic, ending up accomplishing nothing!

"It should be the Chishui Army coming to break the siege."

Fang Dafu sighed.

Fang Chongyong gave a slight nod without asking further, for speaking would reveal his low intelligence.

The nearest formidable border force to Baiting Sea is the Chishui Army, with 33,000 registered soldiers and 13,000 registered horses. Even if they don't lift the siege on Baiting Fort, they will spare no effort to retake the Baiting Sea horse ranch and drive the Turkic north of Baiting Sea.

Understanding these matters requires no special skill or profound learning.

Baiting Fort has been under siege for four days; if Wang Zhongsi were to break the siege immediately, it shouldn't take this long. Thus we can confirm that the Chishui Army's raid is not a hasty sortie but a well‑prepared strategic counterattack.

The Tang's "mobile defense" system in Liangzhou now shows its worth. This system tightly integrates with the sand‑bar terrain, using point‑control of area—a classic defensive method. It appears modest but possesses great strategic depth.

The system that can handle the Tubo also easily handles the waning Turkic.

As expected, while pondering, Fang Chongyong saw another shoreline of Baiting Sea also ablaze with raging fire!

"The Turkic are about to flee."

Fang Dafu, expression unchanged, pointed north and said.

How... could one know?

Fang Chongyong asked doubtfully.

Seeing more, you'll know; there's nothing strange about it. These matters, young master, you will understand later.

Hearing Fang Dafu say that, Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and let out a long sigh.

Having learned much in West River, yet it felt as if I had learned nothing, always being in the state of having eaten five buns but still lacking half a bun to be full.

This made him feel like a useless good-for-nothing, only capable of coming up with crooked ideas.

(End of chapter)