Chapter 1102: The Army Arrives at Shandan

"Duke Ying, the troops are ready, provisions and weapons are sufficient, and arrows are already on the strings—why are we still holding our forces back, drawing the bow without loosing?" Meeting Guo Rong face to face, Wang Yansheng asked directly.

Looking at Wang Yansheng and the other generals, a smile appeared on Guo Rong's increasingly aged face, calm and composed yet carrying a hint of paternal affection. He said, "No rush! Have some tea first. The court has entrusted us with matters of war—this is of great consequence, and we cannot afford to act rashly and jeopardize the campaign! As for the westward advance, we've waited all these years—why be impatient over this one moment!"

In his early years, whether in temperament or in conduct, Guo Rong had often been impetuous and aggressive. Now, as he grew older, he had become increasingly steady, much like the heavy, composed bearing he had always shown outwardly.

"Duke Ying certainly knows how to keep his composure!" Before Guo Rong, Wang Yansheng was generally able to rein in his arrogance. Thus, after a sigh of admiration, he continued, "However, it's been nearly two months since the imperial edict was issued. If we delay any longer, I fear complications may arise."

Seeing that Guo Rong remained unmoved, Wang Yansheng said, "It's not that we're being impatient. With the great army assembled here, word has already spread. After all this time, the Uyghurs have likely caught on—they won't really be fooled by our talk of merely passing through their territory. According to reports from our scouts and spies, Shandan city has already tightened its defenses, concentrating troops and controlling entry and exit. They're clearly on guard. If we wait any longer, we may truly miss our opportunity!"

"Moreover, the various units and troops have been assembled in Liangzhou for some time now, drilling and organizing. At this season, from soldiers to laborers, many long for their fields at home—their will to fight is not high to begin with. Add to that their doubts about this distant expedition, and morale is hardly stable. If we drag things out further, I fear morale will slide even more. If the generals lack fighting spirit and the soldiers lack heart for battle, then no matter how complete our preparations, it may not work to our advantage in combat."

After hearing this speech, Guo Rong noticed Wang Yansheng's rough yet resolute face and couldn't help but smile, saying in a tone of admiration, "Guanglie, you have remarkable insight—you've truly made me see you in a new light!"

Wang Yansheng's words were reasoned and well-founded, clearly not born of mere impatience or eagerness for merit. His judgments of the situation, of military morale, and of fighting spirit were all accurate—such capability was not something the Wang Yansheng of earlier years had possessed.

Facing Guo Rong's praise, Wang Yansheng's taut expression relaxed somewhat. He clasped his hands and said, "Just some shallow views, offered for Your Grace's consideration. I humbly ask Duke Ying to think it over!"

"What do the rest of you think?" Guo Rong looked toward Guo Jin, Kang Zaiyu, and the other generals who had come along.

Among the remaining men, Guo Jin held the highest military rank and seniority, so he spoke up directly: "In this general's view, we can march now! Regardless of the situation with the Guiyi Army, we must take action—we can't let the Uyghurs fully catch on!"

"May I ask Duke Ying—do you already have a plan? If so, I beg you to share it, to reassure the hearts of the officers and men!" Kang Zaiyu, who had distinguished himself in the northern campaign, thought for a moment and then took the initiative to ask.

Facing the generals' requests, Guo Rong finally spoke slowly: "The issue of morale and fighting spirit stems only from the mid- and lower-ranking officers and soldiers not knowing the true objective of this expedition, which gives rise to doubt. As long as we make our intentions clear when the time comes, hearts will be settled.

"As for the Uyghurs—whether they've noticed or not, whether they're prepared or not, it doesn't hinder our westward advance. Below Hexi, the land is still too small; all they can rely on are a few city walls. However, if they merely rely on their strongholds, that would be no different from sitting and waiting for death as far as we're concerned.

"Would you gentlemen prefer the Uyghurs to hole up in their cities, or would you rather tangle with them out in the open field?"

These were all seasoned veterans with rich combat experience. Hearing Guo Rong's exposition, their eyes lit up, worry turning to joy. Wang Yansheng clapped his hands in approval, but then quickly furrowed his brow: "However, Shandan city is very sturdy—I fear breaking it won't be easy!"

"As long as we've trapped them inside, are you afraid we can't take the city?" From the side, Guo Jin said confidently, "Not to underestimate the enemy, but when it comes to siege warfare, the Uyghurs aren't worthy to contend with the Han army!"

Guo Rong's considerations were exactly this—defeating the Uyghurs and recovering Gansu was well within the Great Han's military strength and capability, with no problem whatsoever. But the effect Guo Rong wanted to achieve was to completely subjugate them, leaving as little lingering trouble as possible.

The Uyghurs were, after all, a nomadic people. If they were defeated but not routed—if they abandoned Hexi and migrated southwest to avoid disaster—then even if Gansu were recovered, a loose end would remain, and the matter could not be settled once and for all.

Therefore, in Guo Rong's view, recovering Gansu was merely the basic objective; how to conquer and control the Uyghurs was the ultimate goal.

After a round of discussion, the generals' surging battle lust was temporarily placated. However, after Wang Yansheng and the others withdrew, Guo Rong couldn't help but furrow his brow again. He paced about the hall—his steps not exactly hurried, but his heart was clearly not as calm as his outward appearance suggested.

All schemes could not be one-sided wishful thinking; much depended on the Uyghurs' reaction. Guo Rong also worried that things might slip out of control, that some accident might occur. Especially with the Uyghurs already on their guard—perhaps it truly was time to move the troops.

Guo Rong's momentary hesitation quickly hardened into resolve. What solidified his decision to march was a Liangzhou subordinate official named Li Su. This man had been sent to the Uyghur khan's court to negotiate the matter of passage, which had consumed considerable time. Li Su had not failed his mission and had returned to report.

As for the court's stated intention of sending troops to the Western Regions to rescue Gaochang—it would obviously be impossible for the Ganzhou Uyghurs to harbor not a shred of suspicion. And their greatest concern was precisely this: if they let the army pass through their territory, what if the Han army had designs on them?

However, to refuse outright—the Uyghurs didn't have the nerve for that, after all, over the past two years the two sides had seen growing friction and intensifying conflict along the Hexi Corridor. Yet despite the discord, they had never openly broken relations, maintaining friendly exchanges on the surface.

As for truly turning against the Great Han court, they didn't have the courage for that either. Therefore, with a mindset of wavering anxiety and looking before and after, they dragged the matter out.

During the negotiations, on one hand they conscripted their tribesmen to reinforce Shandan and strengthen its defenses; on the other, they secretly sent people to probe the situation in Liangzhou. When they learned that the Han army was massing troops and preparing for a distant expedition to the Western Regions, the time left for them to make a decision grew even shorter.

They wanted to refuse, yet feared that doing so would anger the court and provoke a direct attack on Gansu... even though the Great Han court's target this time was precisely them.

After dragging things out for a long while, once the Uyghur ruler and ministers felt that Shandan was sufficiently secure, they finally relented. They gave Li Su their answer: they were willing to grant passage, but would only allow five thousand troops through...

Guo Rong could not have been more satisfied with this result, so he immediately assembled his generals and arranged for the dispatch of troops. Once he actually got moving, Guo Rong's style was swift and decisive. Guo Jin led five thousand regular infantry and cavalry as the vanguard, striking out first with Shandan city as his direct target, while Guo Rong himself commanded the central army and baggage train, advancing behind.

Wang Yansheng had originally wanted to contend for the vanguard position—he had been pent up for years—but Guo Rong refused him, keeping him in the central army on the grounds of assisting in commanding the main force.

What followed went very smoothly. Guo Jin led five thousand infantry and cavalry out from Liangzhou, charging straight for Shandan city. The Uyghur troops and tribesmen along the way, though wary, seemed to have received orders in advance—indeed, they offered no harassment whatsoever.

Thus, Guo Jin led his army in a long, unimpeded advance, successfully pressing close to the Uyghur khan's seat at Shandan city. Shandan was located in the central region of the Hexi Corridor, a key town on the Silk Road and the eastern gateway to Ganzhou. Nestled against mountains and rivers, it had been chosen by the Ganzhou Uyghurs as the seat of their khanate, and they had poured enormous manpower and resources into its construction and expansion.

As a long-established stronghold built up over several generations, the Uyghurs would not easily abandon it—the saying that men die for wealth applies to all. Therefore, Guo Rong's worry that the Ganzhou Uyghurs might flee if outmatched was unnecessary; things had not yet reached that point. And basically, once Shandan was taken, the Ganzhou Uyghurs would be essentially pacified.

Between Liangzhou and Shandan was a distance of just over three hundred li. Guo Jin did not press forward recklessly but maintained a steady pace, advancing at a rate of seventy li per day. Before departure, Guo Rong had no other instructions—only one admonition: be cautious above all, and never be negligent. Guo Jin kept this firmly in mind.

Thus, after five days of travel, on the eleventh day of the third month in the second year of Kaibao of the Great Han, the Han army arrived before Shandan city. It had been more than half a century since a Central Plains army had last come to this land, bearing the banner of the Han, setting foot once more upon their ancestral soil.