Chapter 145: Something Big Is Coming

Boom-boom war drums sounded, and the city gate of Lower Artush boomed open. Out first came company after company of light cavalry in leather armor, lances in hand and six-dou horse bows on their backs, spreading out to both sides — they were going to cut off Zhang Zhao and his men's retreat.

Right behind them came countless iron cavalry in every kind of lamellar, chain, and mail armor, and leather armor with embedded iron plates — among them even several hundred fully armored riders with horse armor as well.

They carried lances, with short axes and iron hammers hanging from their saddles, and the bows on their backs, judging by their long limbs, were heavy bows made specially for heavy cavalry.

After these heavy cavalry rode out of the city, they did not charge in a mob straight at the already-formed Fengtian Army, but began assembling by command banners and recognition flags. The armored riders also dismounted and began leading their warhorses back and forth at a slow walk, letting the horses warm up.

Meanwhile, large numbers of light cavalry, almost entirely unarmored, galloped back and forth on horseback, churning the battlefield into a sky full of dust and deliberately creating the impression of a vast host of thousands upon thousands of horses.

They even formed groups of one or two hundred and made probing charges from several hundred meters away, howling and shrieking as they came, constantly intimidating the spearmen in front of the stacked formation and instantly transmitting the tension into the Fengtian Army.

Clang! Zhang Zhao kicked over a pile of chests in the middle of the stacked formation, and gold and silver coins of every kind clattered and rolled all over the ground.

There were silver coins of the Samanid dynasty, gold court coins of the Karakhanids, and even quite a few gold and silver coins of the Sassanian Persians from over a hundred years ago — all looted from the royal palace in Shule.

Now, struck by the morning sunlight, they glittered everywhere, and the eyes of the Three Teachings sworn followers, the Shenji Unit, and even the Khotan palace guards around them were all drawn to these treasures.

"Shanzhu'er! Tell the men behind you — how much did you gain this time from breaking Shule?"

Zhang Zhao galloped back and forth through the formation on his white horse, lightly tapping the shaft of his long lance against an armored soldier of the Hanshan Unit as he called out.

Shanzhu did not mean a domestic pig but a wild boar, and Shanzhu'er lived up to his name: dark brown skin, short and stocky, but extremely brawny. With that big belly and thick limbs, he looked like trouble at a glance, and among the armored soldiers of the Hanshan Unit he had quite a reputation for courage.

"Reporting to the Commandery Duke! Shanzhu'er this time seized two young Uyghur girls, twenty gold coins, and as for silver coins I didn't count them — two big chests full anyway. Also two fine horses and five donkeys!"

Shanzhu'er shouted with a face full of smiles. He had originally been a horse archer in the Shouchang Army of Shazhou, a poor wretch who couldn't save a few coins all year long, let alone dream of a wife.

But after following Zhang Zhao for just over a year, he had looted — uh! no! — he had acquired two young wives and saved up property worth over a hundred strings of cash.

In the Fengtian Army he was not even a fire leader, but once he went home, he was a master. If he wanted meat, he ate meat; if he wanted white flour, he ate white flour. His two wives waited on him like an immortal, so he regarded Zhang Zhao as dearer than his own parents.

"Ma Shacai! You speak too — what did you, you dog, get out of it?" Zhang Zhao tapped his lance shaft toward another armored soldier of the Hanshan Unit.

Ma Shacai was a tall, brawny fellow, originally a fierce bandit of the Qilian Mountains. Long-armed and a fine archer who could shoot from either side, with superb horsemanship, coming and going like the wind, he had been the best mounted archer in Ge Duo's horse-bandit gang apart from Bai Congxin. After following Zhang Zhao, he became a squad leader in the Youyi Army and had won countless rewards for his merits.

"Reporting to the Commandery Duke, Shacai also seized two young girls this time, but Shacai doesn't want them. I want to follow the Commandery Duke back to the Central Plains. Don't forget, Commandery Duke, you said you would get Shacai a delicate young lady from one of the Five Surnames and Seven Great Clans."

"As for gold and silver — I, Ma Shacai, have never cared for such vulgar things. Since following the Commandery Duke I've never lacked for them anyway. When they're gone, I'll just come get more from you! When they're gone, I'll just come get more from you! Haha!"

"You son of a bitch, your standards aren't low! Five Surnames and Seven Great Clans — I haven't even married one myself!" Zhang Zhao laughed heartily, and the soldiers around him laughed along.

"But since I promised you, I'll certainly make it happen. You, Ma Shacai, have roamed Anxi and won countless battle honors — you're worthy of a delicate young lady from the Five Surnames and Seven Great Clans.

Don't worry, once we return to the Great Tang, you can marry whichever family's daughter you want. If anyone dares say no, I'll bring the Divine Fire Thunder and blast their front gate open!"

The soldiers around him burst into laughter again. Amid the laughter, Zhang Zhao came before a strong bowman of the Khotan palace guards. Zhang Zhao knew this fellow — from the first battle beneath the walls of Shule, he had fought alongside the armored soldiers of the Hanshan Unit.

"Pomosuoduo, how about you? What did you gain in Shule?"

Pomosuoduo puffed out his chest. "Pomosuoduo did not go seize any young girls, but in the Karakhanid royal palace, I found my Baiyu'er.

My Baiyu'er is the most beautiful flower of Yarkand. Three years ago, the Karakhanids carried her off. I thought I would never see her again, but I never expected the Buddha — no! I never expected the Commandery Duke to bring us together again. I seized two chests of silver coins, and once the battle is over, I can be with Baiyu'er forever!"

As he spoke, this tall Khotan palace guard's eyes were shining. For more than ten years, the Karakhanids, relying on their coming and going like the wind, had tormented the Khotan people around Yarkand terribly. This was a pitiful man whose betrothed had been carried off.

"Then remember this! As long as you fight bravely and kill the enemy, I will personally officiate your wedding and buy you a big courtyard house in Yarkand!"

Zhang Zhao lightly tapped the lamellar armor on Pomosuoduo's chest, then tossed out a gold coin.

"Consider this an early wedding gift from me!"

"Zhenwu Aluohuan, did the Great Merciful Father grant you any gains after the fall of Shule?"

Aluohuan was the common term for Manichaean clergy. Zhenwu Aluohuan had the standard Uyghur features, and now served as one of the Three Teachings sworn followers, acting as a bowman in Zhang Zhao's stacked formation. He pressed his hands into the shape of a flame and bowed toward Zhang Zhao.

"The black-turbaned ones killed my parents and bewitched my brothers. In Shule, I found the brutes of those years and sent them one by one down to the fiery hell, and even my own unrepentant brother I sent into the fiery hell as well!

Zhenwu wants no young girls and no gold or silver, because it is the Great Merciful Father who guides me, who has me follow the Commandery Duke, so that all people may be spared the ravages of the black turbans!"

These words were well spoken. Zhang Zhao immediately seized the moment, reined in his horse on the spot, and with a thud drove the long lance in his hand into the ground.

"Zhenwu Aluohuan speaks truly. All of you have suffered terribly at the hands of the black-turbaned Karakhanids. They have killed your kin and seized your gold, silver, and treasures.

Even I, a son of Tang from Shazhou, cannot bear to watch such misery. I'll tell you the truth plainly — I have no deep grudge against Satuq. If I truly wanted to leave, I could go far away and let that bastard cut you all down one by one!

But! I, Zhang Erlang, did not do that. It is because Satuq is cruel by nature and the black turbans are like ravenous wolves. I cannot stand by and watch good people be bullied, so I have brought you here to take revenge. Tell me — if even an outsider like me will not retreat, can you retreat?"

"We cannot! We cannot!"

"We will not retreat even in death!"

The Three Teachings believers, the Shenji Unit, and the Khotan palace guards in the formation all roared in unison.

Indeed, Zhang Zhao could have left, because on the surface this war had nothing to do with him. Zhang Zhao and the armored soldiers of the Hanshan Unit were helping them take revenge. If Zhang Zhao did not retreat, how could they have the face to retreat?

"Moreover! I must also tell you — even if you wanted to retreat now, you could not!

Because after the fall of Shule, every one of you has killed the parents and brothers of the Karakhanids across the way, and seized their wives, concubines, sisters, and children. They surely hate you enough to grind your bones to ash and scatter them to the wind.

This is Lower Artush, at least ninety li from Shule. No one can run ninety li under cavalry pursuit without being caught!

Fight to the death with me, and you may yet live. Flee in rout, and death is certain!"

"Rest assured, Commandery Duke! Even if the Khotan palace guard army fights to the last man, we will never retreat!" Liu Zaisheng put on his helmet and roared.

"The men of the Shenji Unit will not retreat either, because we want revenge!" Master Zhitong, his great bald head shining and his face flushed red, shouted loudly.

"Young lord! We believers of the Three Teachings will certainly not run! Because we have already run enough — we ran until we lost our parents, ran until we lost our children. Now we want to fight a great battle like men!" Monk Huitong held his horn crossbow, his face utterly serious.

"Good!" Zhang Zhao shouted, and spurred his horse back to the place in the middle of the stacked formation where the gold and silver were piled. He leaped from his horse and kicked over several more chests, and more gold and silver coins clinked and clattered out.

"It seems you all have guts! You're all men! Then I will stand with you here and fight the Karakhanids to the death!

Do you see this gold and silver? For every half shichen you hold, I will give you one chest. If you can hold for more than five shichen, all of it is yours.

And don't fear dying in battle — I will distribute first to the fallen, and make sure it reaches your families. For those without families, I will choose a clever orphan to inherit for you, so that year after year, at every festival, you will receive offerings!

But!"

As he spoke, Zhang Zhao's face turned fierce, and he suddenly drew the hengdao saber at his waist.

"If any son of a bitch dares to break formation and flee without orders, I will not only cut you down on the spot — when I return to Shule, I will also execute your entire family! One man commits the crime; the whole family is beheaded!"

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