Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 210

However, if they did not attack Yumen Pass or Jinchang City, Shang Jiexi might not be willing to return with his troops. Therefore, they discussed making a show of advancing westward to take Shazhou. Originally, Wei Gao volunteered to build a fortification south of Jinchang City to be the first to meet the enemy army, but Li Ji shook his head and laughed, "I should stay here personally to boost morale and hold the line."

It was impossible to leave too many troops under the walls of Jinchang, otherwise Shang Jiexi wouldn't have taken the bait. Although the main Tang army hadn't directly attacked Dunhuang, but was lying in wait on the border of Gua and Sha prefectures, the return journey was still fifty or sixty li, which would take two days at a normal marching speed. So, could the troops left under the walls of Jinchang hold out for two days?

The generals all felt it was quite dangerous and advised the Grand Commandant not to put himself in such a perilous situation. Li Ji, however, smiled and said, "If the fortifications fall first, even if the main force returns, there will be no way to defeat the barbarian invaders. We must break through the siege and return to Suzhou. But in this way, the Northern Court can have a year more of respite..."

At this point, he couldn't help but frown slightly, thinking that it might not be a good thing for Beiting to have another year. He hadn't expected the situation with Li Yuanzhong to be so bad until Jian Dao returned and reported in detail that Beiting was short of troops and supplies. Without external assistance, it would be difficult for them to recover, and they would probably become weaker year by year.

However, I still have a chance to defend Suzhou, which is a step forward compared to last year.

After a pause, he continued, "Only when I am under the walls of Jinchang can I command the troops to fight to the death. Moreover, I firmly believe that the Tang family's methods of establishing camps and building fortifications are beyond the reach of any barbarian bandit!"

He had previously fought against the Tibetan army in Longyou and was quite experienced. He knew that the Tibetans were not very good at fortifications—mainly because they lacked technology and relied almost entirely on manpower to build fortifications. In contrast, China's millennia-long accumulation of experience since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods had made its fortification and camp-building techniques unparalleled. Therefore, rather than clashing with the Tibetan army on the plains, it would be better to set up fortifications first and lure the enemy to attack.

Therefore, he ordered Nan Jiyun to lead the main force in a feigned westward advance, while Li Ji himself led 6,000 soldiers to work tirelessly for days to build fortifications south of Jinchang. Meanwhile, Shang Jiexi led his army south from Yumen Pass to Jinchang, repelling several guerrilla and raiding Hu armies along the way, and successfully reached his destination, establishing a camp east of the city. Shang Ximo then respectfully welcomed Shang Jiexi into the city and gave him a detailed account of the situation of the Tang army opposite.

About ten miles south of Jinchang County, there is a mountain called Jieshan, also known as Jieshan. It stretches for nearly three hundred miles in a northeast-southwest direction, directly connecting to the Mingsha Mountain south of Dunhuang City. The main road comes from the south foot of Jinshan and Dudeng Mountain, passes south of Jinchang, and goes north of Jieshan. The Tang army set up camp and built fortifications on the north side of the road to protect the transport route.

Shang Jiexi asked, "Is Tang Lei finished?"

Shang Ximo smiled bitterly and said, "This humble general did not know... Every day when I look out from the city wall, I still see teams carrying earth and stones, but their fortifications... If it were our barbarian territory, it would probably take a month to complete, while the Tang people have already built one as solid as an iron barrel..."

Shang Jiexi, still unconvinced, personally climbed the city wall to survey the scene. He then led his troops out of the city to approach the Tang fortress for further observation. There, on the plain, stretching four or five li east to west and dozens of zhang deep, lay a dense network of crisscrossing trenches. Behind these trenches rose high ramparts, which appeared to be not entirely made of earth, but rather a mixture of wood and stone. He observed them repeatedly, and couldn't help but gasp in astonishment—

"The Tang people's art of fortification is truly astonishing. Although the fortifications are not high, their sheer force can withstand tens of thousands of troops! If we rashly attack, not only will we fail to conquer them, but we may also suffer a defeat. What should we do?"

My original plan was that if the Tang fortifications were not yet complete, or not very strong—which was quite possible given the Tibetan construction speed—I would immediately launch a full-scale attack from all sides, hoping to buy time before the enemy's main force returned to reinforce, and annihilate this Tang army first. However, the Tang fortifications are so formidable. The ten thousand men they displayed must be a feint, but surely there must be four or five thousand of them. I'll find it difficult to take them down in three to five days. What should I do?

Author's note: I'm experiencing writer's block... and I have to go out tomorrow night, so I'll be taking a break from updating. I'm very sorry!

Chapter 57, West Bank of the Underworld

Li Ji set up camp and built fortifications between Jinchang County and Jieshan Mountain, urging his soldiers day and night, and even personally participating in the labor, striving to dig the trenches deep enough and build the walls high enough to prepare for the upcoming battle.

Because there are no natural barriers nearby, and if they were to build a fortified camp on Jieshan Mountain, it would be too far from Jinchang to monitor the enemy or control the road. Moreover, Jieshan Mountain is not very high, and the southern slope is gentle, so the enemy can easily outflank them from behind, making it no different from setting up a camp on flat ground. Therefore, they went to great lengths to make the camp here airtight and leave no gaps for the enemy to exploit, so that they could hold off the main force of the Tibetan army for two or three days.

The most experienced in planning fortifications in his army was the young Wei Gao (Wei Chengwu). In addition, Gao Ying, Yan Zhuang, and others also provided some suggestions. Li Ji even ordered people to quarry stone from Jie Mountain, mix it with soil, and build fortifications. Quarrying stone was originally not easy, but fortunately, he estimated that Shang Ximo's isolated city would be difficult to defend and he would not dare to go out to fight, and Shang Jiexi would not be able to return for at least four or five days; in addition, gunpowder was also used to burn down the mountain rocks.

In those days, gunpowder had insufficient combustion power and even weaker explosive force. Despite Li Ji's guidance and repeated experiments and improvements by Jia Huai, Lao Huang, and others, the results were not significant—at least Li Ji himself was not satisfied. However, although they could not carve through mountains and walls, they could still manage to burn down some fragments of rock.

Two days ago, many soldiers who had allied with the Hu army were attacked and reported back to the main camp. Li Ji then knew that Shang Jiexi had returned. So, on the one hand, he ordered some soldiers to continue moving earth and stones to build the camp, striving for perfection, while on the other hand, he allowed the elite soldiers to rest well in preparation for the upcoming great battle. However, seeing that tens of thousands of barbarian troops had already set up camp east of Jinchang City, stretching for more than ten miles, they waited and waited but no attack came...

Li Ji was somewhat put on the spot.

He needed the Tibetan army to begin their assault on the fortifications before he could summon his main force, hidden two days' journey to the west, to return and reinforce them. Otherwise, all this hard work would be meaningless, and he would still have to engage the Tibetan army in a direct battle on the plains. Although he had strong fortifications to rely on, the Tibetans also had Jinchang City. Their geographical advantages were almost equal, so the enemy outnumbered him, making victory extremely difficult.

But why didn't Shang Jiexi attack? Li Ji couldn't figure it out, but Yan Zhuang hit the nail on the head—"The barbarian bandits are not good at attacking fortified positions, so our fortifications are too strong. I'm afraid they won't dare to come."

Li Ji smiled wryly and said, "Then what should we do? Demolish the fortifications temporarily to lure the enemy in? That strategic intention would be far too obvious; even a fool could see it. Just wait here and wait? My supply lines are long, and although I've tried my best to stockpile a considerable amount of grain at the old fortifications at Yumen, this camp, and Chang Le City to the west, time is ultimately too short; it's barely enough for a month's supply. Besides, since the main Tibetan force has already returned and is camped east of Jin Chang City, I dare not transport any more grain and supplies to the enemy's front lines..."

"How long do you think the bandits' food will last?"

This intelligence is practically impossible to obtain, and it's difficult to make a judgment out of thin air. Logically speaking, Shang Jiexi leading 50,000 troops north to directly attack Yiwu would take at least fifteen days. Transporting supplies across the hundreds of miles of Gobi Desert is difficult, so he would certainly have carried fifteen days' worth of provisions with him, rather than relying on a later, gradual advance. Furthermore, military campaigns are not one-shot deals; risks must be considered. What if the attack on Yiwu is delayed? Surely, there should be a surplus of food. Therefore, it can be estimated that the minimum amount of supplies the Tibetan army carries is at least enough for a month's meals.

And this doesn't even include the reserves within Jinchang City—the Tibetan army's provisions were mainly supplied by Shazhou, but it was impossible for them to be shipped all the way from Dunhuang every time; some supplies must have already been delivered to Jinchang City.

In conclusion, the enemy should have more food supplies than us. Even if the main force of the Tang army really takes Dunhuang and takes all the remaining food, it may not be much better than the Tibetan army.

This prolonged stalemate is not in my best interest.

Moreover, Shang Jiexi may not dare to launch a full-scale attack on Tanglei for the time being, but he may still take other measures. What if he leaves a portion of his forces here and moves the main force east to attack Suzhou? If we cannot hold him back as soon as possible, this dangerous situation could occur at any time!

Li Ji was so frustrated—if only he hadn't built the fortifications so solidly…

After much deliberation, they finally came to a helpless conclusion: "The only option now is to flee!"

Staying here will be of no benefit. It would be better to abandon the fortified position and retreat to the east bank of the Dark River. If Shang Jiexi continues to remain stationary and wastes time here, then I will have no choice but to recall the main force in the west and continue to confront them. However, in this way, my rear will be secured, and food and supplies can be transported up continuously.

Of course, the Tibetan army could continue to transport supplies from Shazhou or even the plateau, which would only give Beiting a year's delay.

There are two other possibilities: First, Shang Jiexi might lead his troops to pursue Li Ji, in which case the main Tang army would return from the west, allowing for a pincer attack on the Tibetan army. Second, Shang Jiexi might head west to relieve Shazhou, in which case Li Ji could cross the Ming River again and advance westward, achieving the same pincer effect. However, such maneuvering, requiring constant adaptation to each move, could also lead to the Tang army defeating the Tibetans piecemeal if not handled carefully…

Wei Gao pleaded guilty, saying, "It was my suggestion to divide our troops and launch a feigned attack on Shazhou, and to set up camp under the walls of Jinchang. This led to our current predicament, and I humbly request the Grand Commandant to punish me." Li Ji shook his head, "It's not about military matters; it's that I was somewhat afraid of the barbarian invaders and fortified our camp too much..."

In truth, Li Ji wasn't afraid of the barbarians, but in his eagerness to minimize casualties among his own men, he inevitably made a moment of rash decisions, which ironically frightened the enemy into not daring to attack. If the Northern Court could hold out for a while, Li Ji's actions would have barely achieved this year's strategic objective. However, delaying things by a year or two might not necessarily be a good thing for the Northern Court…

Therefore, after repeated planning and comparison of various countermeasures, the only solution that could be put forward was to temporarily retreat eastward and cross the Ming River. However, Yan Zhuang pointed out: "It is difficult to keep the enemy in the dark when we are moving in front of them. If we continue to pursue them and attack us while we are crossing the river, the situation will be dangerous. Grand Commandant, please think it over carefully."

Old Jing suggested, "Why not divide the troops again? The Grand Commandant can lead the main force eastward, while I will lead a smaller force to hide in the camp. If the barbarian bandits do not pursue us, that's fine. But if they dare to pursue the Grand Commandant, I will attack them from behind to protect him as he safely crosses the Ming River."

Li Ji shook his head: "The barbarian bandits are numerous, while our army numbers only six thousand. How can we divide them up? If the bandits split their forces to attack our camp, we will both face a dangerous situation. It is better to act as a unified force at this time."

He then smiled arrogantly: "At worst, we can fight with our backs to the river, and defeat the enemy's ten-fold force on the plains—do you think I'm afraid of them?!" That's what he said, but he really didn't have much confidence in facing 50,000 enemies with only 6,000, especially since his most elite cavalry and vanguard troops were still lying in ambush in the west.

Li Ji decided to sneak out of the camp that very night and set up camp on the west bank of the Ming River to observe the movements of the barbarian army. If they did not pursue them, he would cross the Ming River without hesitation. If they did pursue him, he could try to resist them with his newly established camp, which was far inferior to his current location.

However, what they did not expect was that as they marched through the night and were just approaching the west bank of the Ming River at dawn, they suddenly saw a great fire in the distance—the floating bridge over the water had been burned down!

It turned out that Shang Jiexi did not dare to confront the Tang army's stronghold for the time being, but he was also unwilling to confront the enemy here for a long time. He naturally considered attacking Suzhou to cut off the Tang army's rear. So he asked Shang Ximo if he knew whether the Tang people had set up fortifications on both sides of the Ming River. Shang Ximo said: "The Tang people have built pontoon bridges on the water. There are fortifications at both ends of the bridge, and soldiers are stationed there."

Shang Jiexi frowned: "How can a pontoon bridge be built on the Nether River?!"

The Tibetans' bridge-building technology was very primitive. It wasn't until they invaded Tang territory and fought repeatedly with the Tang people that they learned about pontoon bridges. But normally, building a pontoon bridge requires first collecting boats, laying them across the water, and then laying planks on top. The problem was that since the beginning of time, no boats had ever crossed the Ming River.

To cross the Netherworld, sheepskin rafts have always been used. Can those things be used to build bridges? Are they sturdy?

It was naturally not very sturdy, but in order to ensure the smooth flow of supplies, the Tang army still wove a giant rope, connecting the two banks of the Ming River, with wooden boxes below and floating planks above, barely managing to build a bridge. If it were truly a sturdy and wide pontoon bridge like the so-called three great pontoon bridges in the world—Heyang Bridge, Taiyang Bridge, and Pujin Bridge—Li Ji would not have had to worry about being attacked by the barbarian army while crossing, and the entire army could have crossed in less than an hour.

Shang Jie secretly dispatched a cavalry force to the Ming River to attack the Tang fortress and attempt to seize the pontoon bridge. The Tang army guarding the bridge numbered only a few hundred, and seeing that they could not resist, they simply set the bridge on fire—a normal measure when in danger, which unexpectedly put Li Ji in a dilemma.

Li Ji had no choice but to launch a charge, repelling the barbarian cavalry. He then set up camp at the old fortifications, repairing the fortifications while attempting to rebuild the pontoon bridge.

Then, Shang Jiexi personally led a large army to charge in...

Li Ji asked Fifth Ran, the staff member in charge of bridge construction, "Is it possible to repair the pontoon bridge tonight?"

Fifth Ran, a native of Chang'an, was the cousin of Fifth Qi—almost grandfather and grandson in age. Because Fifth Qi had been demoted, leaving him with no further opportunities for advancement, he recently joined Li Ji's staff through the introduction of his classmate Gao Ying. This fellow was short and stocky, with a dark complexion and unattractive appearance, but he could compose a few mediocre poems, had a rudimentary understanding of the Nine Classics and Six Arts, had studied the *Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art*, and had even read a few military books… If one disregarded his individual abilities, he was a rare all-rounder.

Well, in other words, you know a little bit about everything, but you can't really excel at anything.

Li Ji ordered Wu Ran to repair the pontoon bridge, hoping it could be completed that evening. Under the cover of darkness, his army would have a chance to withdraw most of its forces across the Ming River and then establish a defensive position on the water. However, Wu Ran smiled bitterly and spread his hands: "Let alone tonight, even tomorrow night or the night after, I'm afraid it will be difficult..."

The main problem was that the Tang army west of the Ming River lacked the necessary materials for building a bridge—the most crucial being the pontoon boxes, which had to be large enough wooden boxes; rattan boxes and bamboo baskets were useless. Meanwhile, the Tang army east of the Ming River lacked sufficient manpower. Moreover, without a pontoon bridge, they could only cross the river by raft, and it often took half a day to transmit a single order.

Li Ji shook his head: "If the pontoon bridge cannot be repaired by the evening of the day after tomorrow... then there's no need to rush..."

When he left the camp under Jinchang City, he sent a fast horse westward to inform Nan Jiyun to return. He estimated that the main force would arrive in three days at most. At that time, they would attack the barbarian army from the east and west. Even if they did not win, they would not suffer a major defeat. With tens of thousands of troops in hand, there would be no need to rush to cross the Ming River to the east.

But first I have to hold out for three days before I can succeed.

Li Ji was a little unsure. Firstly, the camp here was newly set up, and its defensive capabilities were vastly inferior to those of the fortifications under Jin Chang City. It would not be of much help in defense. Secondly, being positioned with their backs to the river might also affect morale. However, when the time came, panic was useless. He ordered someone to shoot an arrow into the enemy army's formation, requesting to speak with Shang Jiexi on the front lines.

Gao Ying advised, "Grand Commandant, you must not reveal that you are in the army, otherwise the barbarian bandits may attack you."

Li Ji laughed and said, "Even if I am not in the army, the barbarian bandits will seize this opportunity and fear that my army will return to reinforce them. Wouldn't they launch a sudden attack? Let's talk to Shang Jiexi for a few minutes and buy some time."

Unexpectedly, Shang Jiexi completely ignored him and judged from the letter that Li Ji was indeed among the Tang army in front of him. He was overjoyed and ordered the three armies to advance with all their might and launch a fierce attack on the Tang camp.

The 50,000-strong barbarian army surrounded them from all sides. The Tang camp fired their powerful bows and crossbows in unison, but could not stop their advance. Soon, except for the side backed by the Mingshui pontoon bridge, fierce hand-to-hand combat broke out on the other three sides.

Li Ji defended the front, ordered Wei Gao to defend the south flank and Jing Jiang to defend the north flank. After a short battle, Old Jing was the first to be unable to hold out...

The key was that Lao Jing's troops were originally the Baoying Imperial Guard, ordered to protect Jiao Xiwang on his way to Liangzhou. They were not part of the Hexi Jiedushi system, but rather under the direct jurisdiction of the Hexi Military Supervisory Office. Li Ji had spent a full three thousand strings of cash to borrow Lao Jing and most of this force from Jiao Xiwang. Therefore, all the Hexi soldiers wore black headscarves, except for Lao Jing's men who wore red headscarves, making them extremely conspicuous among the thousands of horses and soldiers. Shang Jiexi saw them from afar and said, "These must be Li Ji's personal guards; we should attack them immediately!"

Therefore, he ordered General Qinmingsi to lead his elite troops to attack the north of the Tang camp. They crossed two trenches, overturned the barricades, and went straight to the front of the camp.

Old Jing was forced to ask Li Ji for help. Li Ji smiled bitterly and said, "I have already sent half of my elite troops up there. Where would I find any spare soldiers for him?" Then he glared at him and said, "Tell General Jing that he can die first and wait for me on the road to the Yellow Springs. At most, I will join him in the afterlife!"

Before the words were even finished, a man behind him shouted, "Since the situation is so critical, why doesn't the Grand Commandant use us?!"

Li Ji turned around and saw that it was Li Ziyi.

Yan Zhuang rebuked from the side, "You number only a few hundred, and your equipment is subpar. Going there would be of no use! Besides, the superior hasn't even spoken yet, so what right do you have to speak?!"

Li Ziyi said, "Although the army's supplies are not very sufficient, surely we can still produce a few hundred good weapons? Your superior is timid, so I am requesting permission and earnestly asking the Grand Commandant for your approval."

Bai Yu, the general in charge of the "Exiled Army," glanced coldly at Li Ziyi, thinking to himself, "This country bumpkin, I'll kill you sooner or later!"

Li Ziyi continued to plead, "Everyone in the army fears death, but we are not! If the barbarian bandits break into our camp, even death will not atone for our sins. With these tattoos on our faces, we will be ashamed to face our ancestors in the afterlife. But if we advance to kill the barbarians for the Grand Commandant, the tattoos will not be washed away. When the Grand Commandant burns a proclamation, we will surely be at peace in the afterlife..."

Li Jiwei pursed his lips slightly: "What if I also die here?"

Li Ziyi clasped his hands and said, "Then even if we are punished in the underworld for clearing the way for the Grand Commandant, we will still fear his virtue and dare not come to arrest us!"

Chapter 58, The First Battle of the Criminal Army

On the banks of the Ming River, north of the Tang camp, the stockade had been breached in several places by the barbarian soldiers. The Tang army could only block the breach with their own bodies. Even Lao Jing personally took up his sword and went into battle, with a shield in his left hand and a knife in his right, chasing and killing the barbarian enemies until his battle robe was stained with blood.

The barbarian army suffered a setback and retreated slightly, allowing Lao Jing to catch his breath and have his guards bandage the wounds on his forearms and calves. In fact, he had also been hit by two arrows and a knife, but fearing that the barbarian bandits would soon launch another fierce attack, he dared not remove his armor, enduring the pain and letting the blood flow freely.

Fortunately, based on his years of fighting experience, those injuries were not vital and not very serious. He should be able to grit his teeth and bear it.

Looking around, he saw that nearly ten percent of his soldiers had been lost, and most of the rest were wounded, with many soldiers and officers displaying a hint of despair in their eyes. Old Jing then asked his men, "Since I wasn't protecting the supervising officer in Guzang City and leading you to the front lines, do you resent me?"

Both sides said, "A man should fight on the front lines and die without regret. How dare we blame the general?"

Even the slow-witted Lao Jing could tell that what he said wasn't really a firm statement, but rather that no one wanted to back down in public.

He chuckled and said, "Fortunately, this isn't the first battle after our expedition, nor is it our first since entering the town. Thinking back to when we first went to Hexi, my thighs were twice as thick as they are today, my waist was full of flab, and my arms were as thin as sticks… Having been in the capital for so long, all I did was patrol the streets, looking for shops to beg for money; I was so idle I was practically rotting away. If we had encountered those barbarian bandits then, I'm afraid I would have been beheaded in no time…"

He then glared at us: "If you are all like this, so cowardly, how can you protect the Emperor, defend the capital, and safeguard the nation?! That's why the outer garrisons look down on our Imperial Guards, saying that even a fierce tiger entering the Northern Garrison would be raised like a sick fox, eating the Emperor's salary and receiving the Emperor's favor, living in luxury but without the strength to fight. If we break through the Northern Fortress first for the enemy, the outer garrisons' ridicule will be confirmed! But if you can defend the Northern Fortress with me and not lose it, even if you die, your families, whether in Chang'an, Guzang, or another prefecture, will all receive honor—if the Emperor hears that the first Imperial Guards have fought fiercely against the barbarian invaders and perished, he will surely open the Imperial Treasury to provide us with generous compensation."

"Everyone lives to be a hundred years old and will eventually die, but if one's family receives kindness and care and has no worries about food and clothing, is there any reason to cherish one's life?!"

Everyone said, "We are willing to die with the general and make the name of our Baoying Army famous!" But some people muttered, "The barbarian bandits are powerful and their attack is urgent. We are really outnumbered... If we can get a few hundred reinforcements, we can kill a few more barbarian bandits. We will die without regret."

Old Jing said, "Wait a moment, the Grand Commandant will surely send reinforcements."

But he was soon assigned to the "exile" position...

In Hexi Town, few people liked these tattooed prisoners, especially the Northern Imperial Guards, who habitually looked down on ordinary foreign troops, let alone people like Li Ziyi. Even Lao Jing was quite dissatisfied, asking Bai Yu, who had led the troops, "Is there really no one else in the Central Army to send?"

Bai Yu was a sergeant in the Third Battalion of the Rear Guard, and he was also in charge of these four hundred tattooed prisoners. He wasn't very happy about it, but a general's dignity depended on how many soldiers he commanded, even if they were criminals or even good-for-nothings. More was always better than less. At first, he only drove the prisoners to do odd jobs and hard labor. It was Li Ji who discovered this during one of his patrols and gave him a severe scolding.

Li Ji said, "Aren't the auxiliary soldiers I gave you enough? Although these guys are prisoners, they still have the foundation of soldiers. If they eat their fill for a few more days, their strength will hopefully recover. Right now, my Hexi garrison is short of troops, and we have finally managed to have this extra battalion. When we launch the western expedition, they will also have a chance to fight. Do you plan to lead a bunch of auxiliary soldiers to meet the enemy? The rations I gave you are doubled. If you cut corners or mistreat the prisoners, I will punish you severely! If you use these prisoners as forced laborers again, I will also punish you severely—I don't lack forced laborers, I lack soldiers."

Therefore, Bai Yu treated Li Ziyi and the others somewhat better, arranging for them to train every now and then, though mostly they were just used as punching bags by his own soldiers...

Therefore, all the exiled soldiers were hostile to Bai Yu. Otherwise, Li Ziyi would not have shouted at Li Ji from behind, bypassing his superior. He was not an ignorant common soldier; he had once been on par with Bai Yu, so he couldn't possibly be unaware of such taboos in officialdom.

Old Jing then asked if there was anyone else in the central army, and why these scoundrels had been sent. Bai Yu should have looked ashamed, but fortunately, he had already prepared his explanation before coming. He tugged at Jing Jiang's sleeve, turned his face away, and whispered, "We are indeed stretched thin on all sides. The Grand Commandant is worried that if the camp is breached by the enemy, these prisoners might surrender to the barbarians. It's better to send them here first and let them die. General Jing, you can order them to go first. Anyone who dares to retreat should be executed on the spot without hesitation."

Old Jing glanced sideways at Bai Yu: "So General Bai personally led them to fight in the front?"

Bai Yu stammered, "I will assist General Jing in enforcing the law..."

Old Jing sneered, then turned to examine Li Ziyi and the others. These prisoners were usually dressed in filthy clothes, without armor or sharp weapons, only wielding maces—Bai Yu didn't trust them, and Li Ji didn't intend to treat them with the same treatment and equipment as regular soldiers—their only distinguishing feature was their black headscarves, making them indistinguishable from other troops. But now, however, they were all given leather armor to cover their bodies, and their weapons had been replaced with better ones. Their spirits and morale had suddenly intensified, and they no longer resembled a group of laborers.

—After all, they were all soldiers, and the majority were from the Shangzhou army during the turmoil. Those who managed to escape the imperial guards' execution, be escorted to Chang'an to be presented as prisoners, and then be exiled far away were at least captains with extensive battlefield experience.

Old Jing glanced at Li Ziyi out of the corner of his eye and was surprised to see that Li Ziyi was holding a long, thick broadsword. He pointed at it and asked, "You can actually wield such a sharp weapon?"

Li Ziyi smiled and said, "I did study it for a few days."

He did indeed learn the Mo Dao (陌刀) for a few days, mainly because he was physically strong and powerful enough to qualify for the Mo Dao squad. However, at the time he was in the rebel army under Xue Song, and the An-Shi rebels were conscripting men everywhere, causing their numbers to expand rapidly—as for the quality of the soldiers, that was another matter—so Li Ziyi was promoted to officer after only a few days of learning the Mo Dao, and thus he forgot about this skill.

While the Mo Dao (陌刀) is incredibly powerful, it also has many openings when wielded, requiring formation in battle. Therefore, if one isn't a Mo Dao commander, is there any point in using it? Spears and broadswords are far more convenient and offer better self-protection in the chaos of battle. That's why generals who wield the Mo Dao have always been extremely rare; in the past, only Li Siye, and now only Gao Chongwen, are wielders.

Since Li Ji had allowed the "exiled soldiers" to go into battle, he certainly couldn't let them go forward in plain clothes, wielding clubs—that would truly be sending them to their deaths, not to provide reinforcements. So he brought out the remaining armor and weapons, one set of armor for each person, and the weapons were left for them to choose from. Li Ziyi then discovered more than a dozen long-handled swords, immediately picked one up, and carried it horizontally as he went.

Before battle, most soldiers carried their Mo Dao (陌刀) on their shoulders. Because of its weight, Li Ziyi deliberately carried it by hand the whole way, wanting to show off his strength and martial prowess. Sure enough, this caught Lao Jing's attention, but at the same time, Lao Jing scolded him: "Do you think you are General Gao? You all lack training in formation, and now your equipment is even more unequal. If you are the only one using the Mo Dao, it is tantamount to courting death!"

Why did Gao Chongwen dare to wield the Mo Dao (陌刀)? Because he was a military general, always surrounded by personal guards who could cover any openings in his defense. But you're just a common soldier; if you can't sheath your sword in time and the enemy takes advantage, who will risk their life to save you? Isn't that just courting death?

Li Ziyi smiled slightly, casually swung his Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword), twirled it, and said to Lao Jing, "We are destined to die today, so I will use this sword. Perhaps I can kill a few more barbarian bandits. Moreover, with one slash, heads will be severed and arms will be shattered, which will be more satisfying."

Old Jing stared at his face for a moment, then slightly curled his lip: "Alright, if you return alive today, I will report to the Grand Commandant and recruit you into my ranks, adding you to the Baoying Army!" He paused, then added, "Of course, I must also survive..."

Before the words were finished, a soldier shouted, "The barbarian bandits are coming again!"

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The Tibetan general Qinmingsi was in charge of the fierce attack on the northern side of the Tang camp by the Tibetan army.

The Tang army's nighttime withdrawal, as expected, could not escape the Tibetan reconnaissance. However, in the dead of night, Shang Jiexi dared not pursue them for the time being—this was not a matter of sending a few thousand cavalry to attack the Tang fortress on the west bank of the Ming River. For tens of thousands of troops to move in the dark would make it difficult to maintain formation and mutual support, making them extremely vulnerable to being broken by a few elite troops. In particular, he couldn't understand why Li Ji had abandoned the fortified position and retreated eastward, fearing it was a trap. Therefore, he could only grit his teeth and hold out until the first light of dawn before finally mustering his troops.

They marched swiftly, and by the time they reached the vicinity of the Ming River and encountered the Tang army, the sun was already high in the sky. Shang Jiexi, fearing that Li Ji would once again retreat under cover of night, set up camp, rested briefly, and then launched a full-scale offensive. Soon after, he mistakenly believed that the troops guarding the northern fortress were elite Tang soldiers and Li Ji's personal guards, and sent Qin Mingsi to take command, determined to break into the Tang camp before nightfall and achieve victory.

The Tibetan army, numbering tens of thousands, had come from afar, and their strength was inevitably somewhat lacking, and their ranks were somewhat scattered. This led to Chin Mingsi fighting fiercely for nearly an hour, almost breaking through the palisades and entering the fortified camp, but ultimately being driven back by Lao Jing. If the Tibetan army had been better prepared, they could have used more than five times their strength to launch successive attacks, giving the Tang people no chance to breathe; but now, after retreating, they could only reorganize their troops and launch another fierce attack.

They didn't give the Tang army much time to rest, but it was enough to bandage their wounds, drag away some corpses, and even have a drink of water and some dry rations.

The Tibetan army quickly pressed forward again, first sending their cavalry to gallop across the front of the Tang camp, exchanging fire with the Tang troops. Although they couldn't gain much of an advantage, this allowed them to cover their infantry and get closer to the Tang camp before launching their attack. Only when the two sides were no more than forty or fifty paces apart did Qinmingsi order the flags to be waved and the bugles and drums to be sounded. The first rank of Tibetan soldiers, clad in heavy armor and wielding sharp blades, suddenly accelerated and charged straight towards the still-unrepaired palisade outside the Tang camp.

At this time, those guarding the outermost edge of the fence were naturally the "exiled soldiers" led by Bai Yu.