Chapter 17: How Can You Say You Have No Robe?

In the valley, beside the stream, the oil lamps in the Uyghur tents glimmered like scattered stars. Geduo, as one of the bandit leaders the Guiyi Army governor's office most wanted to exterminate, had some real ability — he had escaped the governor's office's mobile patrol troops' manhunts several times.

These Uyghur tents, though pitched along the stream in a long snake-like line, were few at both ends and many in the middle.

The middle tents housed Geduo and his trusted horse-bandits. The tents there were arranged in a circle, with stones simply stacked around the perimeter. Armored men patrolled at all times — not to mention Qi Xihu's men, even the outer Uyghurs would be questioned if they approached.

How many able-bodied men followed Geduo into the valley?

Even Qi Xihu was not entirely clear on this.

But what was certain was that there were no fewer than one hundred, and of these one hundred, no fewer than forty could be called warriors.

Of those forty, according to the intelligence Qi Xihu had gathered, at least twenty were veteran horse-bandits with armor.

Though most of the armor was nothing impressive — there were hardly even a few sets of lamellar armor — the very fact of having armor itself represented fighting strength, because only men who lived year-round by the blade would go to such lengths to get themselves a suit of armor.

Although Zhang Zhao's martial skills were good, and he had a set of industrial steel armor from a later age — the two modern steel plates on his chest could be called impervious to blade and spear in this era — he still could not kill a hundred men alone; he was not some tireless NPC.

Therefore, Sha Gou'er was a crucial point. Zhang Zhao needed him to lead him into the Uyghurs' central camp, ideally directly before Geduo. Only by striking Geduo down in a thunderbolt, terrifying the Uyghurs, and with Qi Xihu leading men in support from outside, would it be possible to smash these Uyghur horse-bandits.

"Lady Sanniang, Xihu, arm me!"

In the main hall, Zhang Zhong and Yin Yaozi also entered. The two pressed Sha Gou'er down to kneel on the ground.

Shan Niang, meanwhile, brought a basin of water and was using hemp cloth to wash the blood from Zhang Zhao's body. That set of dark-gold mingguang armor lay on the square stool beside her.

The blood on Cao Sanniang's face had also been wiped clean. She had returned to that poised, graceful mature-woman manner, though Zhang Zhao would never again think of her as the kind of woman from a later age who could be frightened to tears by mice or cockroaches. This tigress killed without blinking.

Qi Xihu on the left, Cao Sanniang on the right — the two helped Zhang Zhao put on the mingguang armor piece by piece.

Donning armor was a rather cumbersome affair; without help one simply could not put it on. That was why heavy infantry in ancient times were generally assigned one or two auxiliary soldiers, and why armor was not worn before battle formally began.

Zhang Zhao's armor counted as light, yet it still weighed close to fifty jin. A man who had not worn and trained in it long-term would struggle even to walk.

Cao Sanniang stood before Zhang Zhao, rose on tiptoe to place the phoenix-wing helmet on his head, then took the vajra face-guard from Shan Niang's hands and fitted it onto Zhang Zhao.

Tang mingguang armor was already armor of extremely high aesthetic appeal, and Zhang Zhao's set was purely a product of later-age industry. In terms of quality — whether the steel plate material or the dyeing of the plate colors — it far surpassed anything of the same era. Combined with Zhang Zhao's tall frame, tiger's back and bear's waist, wearing it made him look all the more imposing.

"Is this not the Grand Protector reborn?" After helping Zhang Zhao into his armor, Qi Xihu dropped directly to one knee, utterly reverent.

Behind him, Zhang Zhong and Yin Yaozi were likewise too moved to contain themselves. Zhang Zhao's appearance was extremely similar to the statue of the Grand Protector enshrined in the cave temple. In Gua-Sha, although seventy years had passed, the three words "Zhang Yichao" still represented hope.

How can you say you have no robe? I will share my war-coat with you. The king raises the army; I ready my dagger-axe and spear. I share your foe!

How can you say you have no robe? I will share my undershirt with you. The king raises the army; I ready my spear and halberd. I rise together with you!

How can you say you have no robe? I will share my lower garment with you. The king raises the army; I ready my armor and weapons. I march together with you!

As the slap-slap of hands striking sword scabbards sounded, Qi Xihu rose. He, old Zhang Zhong, and Yin Yaozi stood together, their faces solemn and grave, softly humming "No Robe" from the Airs of Qin.

This was the war-song of the old Qin people, and also the war-song of the Great Tang's Guanzhong garrison militia. Zhang Zhao suddenly felt tears in his eyes, and he too began to sing softly. Though there were only four of them, a soaring battle-spirit suddenly filled the entire main hall.

"Your servant Shan Niang sends my young lord to war!" The bean-sprout-like Shan Niang knelt on both knees before Zhang Zhao, pressing her forehead to the ground.

Cao Sanniang slowly straightened. A glistening light flashed through her peach-blossom eyes, which seemed able to speak, and she too slowly knelt to the ground.

"When the Grand Protector raised his arm and called, the barbarians bound their own hands, the six commanderies returned to allegiance, his heroic bearing magnificent — surely it was just like this?

The Grand Protector was nearing fifty, the age of knowing Heaven's will, when he raised troops, yet he still shook the realm with his fame, sheltered his descendants, and became a hero for ten thousand generations.

Now the young lord, not yet twenty, already has the valor of Qingji. Given time, he will surely restore the six commanderies of Hexi once more, his name preserved in the annals of history!

I, a woman of the Cao clan of Qiao Commandery, daughter of Yuanzhong, Military Governor's Law Officer of the Guiyi Army, send my young lord to war!"

Zhang Zhao knew why they said this. Although the Grand Protector's divine manifestation had for the moment steadied people's hearts, even counting Qi Xihu's able-bodied young men, there were only thirty or so. Those who could be called warriors — or even those who had a good blade — numbered fewer than ten, and apart from Qi Xihu, not one had a suit of armor.

So on this night's venture, in truth all their hopes rested on Zhang Zhao. If he succeeded, the crisis would resolve itself; if he failed, the several dozen able-bodied men in the stronghold would certainly not keep their lives.

This was no ordinary battle. Even at the Great Tang's peak, one Han was worth ten barbarians, but Zhang Zhao's mission was to face over a hundred Uyghurs alone. That was why the few people in the main hall used the grand rite by which the people of Guanzhong sent a young lord to war, to bow to Zhang Zhao.

"Sha Gou'er, do you dare lead the way?" Fully armed, Zhang Zhao walked straight up to Sha Gou'er. Before this, Cao Sanniang had already promised him a two-courtyard residence in Suoyang City in Guazhou plus fifty strings of silver cash, temporarily placating him.

"Young lord, are you truly the Grand Protector reincarnated?" Sha Gou'er did not answer Zhang Zhao's question, but instead raised his head to look at Zhang Zhao, seemingly hoping to get a definite answer from his mouth.

Zhang Zhao understood: in Sha Gou'er's eyes, Zhang Zhao was simply going to his death. Only if the Grand Protector had truly manifested was there any chance of victory. Thinking of this, Zhang Zhao laid his cavalry lance across Sha Gou'er's shoulder.

"At this point, don't ask me — ask yourself. Do you want to marry a lovely wife and raise children in a two-courtyard house in Guazhou City? Or are you willing to go with Geduo into the Qilian Mountains to suffer that cold wind and freezing rain?

Those Kucha people cannot even feed themselves. You, a man of Gaochang — I fear there would not even be snow for you to eat! If you truly do not wish to go, I will send you on your way right here."

The cruel reality was laid before Sha Gou'er. Originally he had counted on living freely with Geduo in the territory of Shazhou, but now that Zhang Zhao would not cooperate, all they had left was the option of grabbing what they could and fleeing.

But for the Kucha Uyghurs, they would simply go back where they came from — the loss was not great, and they might even turn a small profit.

Sha Gou'er was entirely different. Thinking of the Qilian Mountains' heavy snow and bitter cold, he could not help but shiver.

"I am willing to follow the young lord."

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