Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 211

It was only natural for Lao Jing to place these exiled prisoners on the front lines, but unfortunately, he refused Bai Yu's suggestion to leave his own troops behind to oversee the battle, and instead sent Bai Shijiang (a military officer) up there as well. As a result, Bai Yu hated Li Ziyi even more.

Bai Yu was indeed a valiant general of the old Shuofang Army. Although he wasn't as brave as Chen Lizhen or Hou Zhongzhuang, he had been away from battle for a long time and was fearless in the face of the enemy, treating arrow wounds like mosquito bites. Even if his head were to fall off, he would only leave a small scar. The problem was that his own rear guard, the Third Battalion, was temporarily under the command of General Yuan Jing'an and was currently engaged in fierce fighting against the barbarians on the eastern front. He only had four hundred "exiled soldiers" left with him… Bai Yu didn't like Li Ziyi and the others and had no confidence in their fighting ability. Leading such a force into battle would most likely mean certain death, and a meaningless one at that…

He naturally knew that these prisoners had little chance of escape and might be willing to fight to the death—if he were the one branded "criminal soldier" on his forehead, he would never be able to hold his head high, and would rather die on the battlefield with the barbarian invaders—but ultimately, most of them came from places like Shangzhou, not the brave warriors of Shuofang or Hexi, and lacked battle training, so they were simply not trustworthy. If it were the Guanzhong men he knew, even if they were all prisoners, Bai Yu wouldn't feel so uncertain.

Therefore, even though he was in a dangerous situation, he could only pretend to encourage Li Ziyi outwardly, patting him on the shoulder and saying, "Since you are confident in your strength, you should live up to the Grand Commandant's expectations and fight bravely against the enemy. I am right behind you. If you dare to be cowardly and flee, you will not be tolerated by military law!"

Li Ziyi grinned: "General, just wait to collect our bodies. But before we are buried, please remember the Grand Commandant's promise to remove the tattoos from our faces."

More than four hundred tattooed prisoners, all determined to die, lined up behind the palisade, waiting for the barbarian army to approach before brandishing their swords and spears and fighting fiercely. At first, they were able to hold back the enemy's momentum with their sheer courage, but ultimately, they were outnumbered. Although the barbarian army was also limited by the small battlefield and could not be fully deployed, they still outnumbered the prisoners by more than twice, and were layered behind them, so for every one they lost, two more would take their place... The prisoners gradually began to falter.

Especially since no reinforcements from the Baoying army came—mainly because Lao Jing intended for these prisoners to fight to the death, so as to buy his own men more time to rest—their initial fearless spirit dissipated, their formation crumbled, and some even retreated instinctively after being wounded.

Bai Yu personally wielded a large sword, leading a dozen or so personal guards to oversee the battle from behind. Anyone who dared to retreat more than a step was dealt with without mercy; he would rush forward and strike them on the back of the head with a sword, shouting, "Those who retreat will die, and their spiked faces will be buried on the ground!"

Hearing the shouts, Li Ziyi caught a glimpse of his comrades being executed by military law, and his heart trembled. He thought to himself, "I never imagined I would die here today..."

He himself was not injured, because he remained hidden behind the fence, wielding his longsword like a spear to stab and pierce the approaching barbarian soldiers. His companions were arranged relatively densely around him—of course, in a single line with almost no depth—so he was not in danger of being attacked from both sides. He was fighting head-on with long weapons, which made him quite safe.

This is actually the basic usage of the Mo Dao (陌刀) battle formation. Generally, hundreds of Mo Dao soldiers are arranged in several rows, in a tight formation, advancing like a wall. They mainly rely on thrusting rather than slashing, and even when they slash, the amplitude is not very large. This is to avoid being approached by close-combat weapons. Compared with spear formations, the tactical movements of the Mo Dao team are relatively more complex. If they encounter enemy infantry, they use thrusting. If they encounter enemy cavalry, in addition to thrusting, they can also try to use the blade to move laterally in a small area to cut the horse's legs.

Only when the enemy formation wavers and becomes slightly disorganized will the Mo Dao formation obey orders and instantly disperse, allowing their weapons to unleash their full power and perform their primary function of slashing and hacking. This is because at this point, the enemy will be powerless to retaliate and will not be afraid of being attacked by close-quarters combat, which could then strike directly at their vulnerable chest and abdomen.

Li Ziyi thought to himself, "The enemy in front of me is several times larger than our army. They can't possibly be easily thrown into disarray. How long can I keep poking and prodding like this? When all my comrades on both sides have perished, or have merely retreated and left me alone, if I don't slash, I'll be attacked from both sides. If I do slash, I'll easily expose my weaknesses, and then I'm doomed!"

Although I had long been prepared to die, this death is far too silent and unnoticed... I've already fallen to such a miserable state, should even my death be shameful and embarrassing?

Unable to contain himself, he let out a loud shout, kicked open the fence that the barbarian soldiers had just shattered, and leaped out...

Chapter 59, The Hexi Military Forces

In an instant, Li Ziyi's mind flashed back to his nearly forty years of tumultuous life, and the more he thought about it, the more depressed he became. Seeing that the barbarian bandits had already smashed through most of the fence, and many of them had already wedged themselves into the Tang army's formation, and more and more of his comrades were moving backward... He felt that he was going to die anyway, so he might as well die a more dignified death.

Then he shouted, "A true man will die rather than die behind the stockade!" He kicked open the fence in front of him, which had been shattered by the barbarian soldiers, and leaped out. At the same time, he raised his longsword high and, with all his might, slashed it down diagonally.

Facing him was a spearman from the barbarian army, wielding a foot spear, not the long spear used for flanking maneuvers, only about ten feet long, slightly longer than a Mo Dao (a type of long-handled broadsword). He had originally been exchanging thrusts with Li Ziyi, using the cover of the axemen beside him as they moved forward to cleave the fence. Just as he thrust his spear forward, Li Ziyi's blade deflected it. Fearing the spear shaft would break, he hesitated to exert his full strength and immediately retreated, intending to twist his waist and generate power again. If Li Ziyi had charged out at the exact moment he thrust forward, he would surely have been stabbed through the heart. But just as his weapon recoiled, a roar erupted, followed by a flash of light that pierced his eyes…

The incident happened so suddenly that the barbarian soldier was caught off guard and lost his composure. He was a beat too slow and was struck hard by Li Ziyi's knife, which hit him squarely on the shoulder and then cut him in two at the waist!

Seeing this horrific scene, and with their faces splattered with blood, the barbarian soldiers on the left and right trembled in horror. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Li Ziyi quickly changed his move, swinging his longsword horizontally and splitting open the upper abdomens of three barbarian soldiers, their intestines spilling out.

Having landed two blows, Li Ziyi had only one thought in his mind: "It's exhilarating, I'd rather die without regret!" He disregarded any defense, took a big step forward, and brandished his Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword), unleashing a barrage of offensive moves, as if he were surrounded by a dozen elite guards who could help him block bullets or even take blows at any moment.

Li Ziyi was the first to jump over the fence, but not the only one.

The Shangzhou Army was no weak force. Originally, they followed Lai Zhen, the military governor, observer, and administrator of the ten prefectures of Shannan East Circuit. They first quelled the rebellions of Zhang Weijin and Cao Jie, then attacked Lushan and Ruzhou, and defeated the rebel army under Shi Siming. Later, they joined Li Qijun, the defense commissioner of Jinshang. Li Zhenyi was only so-so in terms of military skills, but he had served as a judge under Feng Changqing and was well-versed in the methods of training troops. When Li Ji campaigned in Luoyang and Hebei, his main force, besides Zhang Xun's old troops such as Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun, consisted of several thousand elite soldiers lent by Li Qijun. Afterwards, in order to defend against the barbarian bandits, the Shangzhou Army would often be ordered to go north to assist in the autumn defense.

Therefore, although most of the tattooed prisoners were mid- to low-ranking officers and soldiers, and their troop deployment skills might not be perfect, their combat experience was quite rich. In fact, most people did not know Li Ziyi at first—firstly, Li Ziyi had not been in the Shangzhou army for long, and secondly, he was just a minor squad leader—it wasn't until they reached Beiliu Liangzhou, a journey of a thousand miles, when Li Ziyi actually tried to escape and was almost beheaded by the imperial guards who were holding him, that everyone noticed this fellow countryman from another place who spoke with a strong Hebei accent.

Li Ziyi twice spoke to Li Ji with his neck stiffened. Although the first time was probably a plea for mercy out of fear of death, it still impressed these former generals of Shangzhou with his courage. They looked at him with new respect and, having suffered the same fate, joined his army. They implicitly followed Li Ziyi's lead—they couldn't possibly listen to Bai Yu. Now, seeing Li Ziyi shout and charge out, many of the prisoners who had begun to tremble and hesitated felt as if they had been struck by a thunderbolt.

That's right. There's a 99% chance we'll die today. A man can't choose his life, but he has the chance to choose his death. Can't he at least die a glorious death?

Behind me lie my comrades, who have been disciplined by military law, and at my feet roll my severely wounded comrades, who are surely beyond saving. So, on which line should I die to be honorable? Or rather, to die without regret?

Since most of the fences had already been smashed by the barbarian bandits and there was no cover ahead, what was the point of establishing this battle line?

Li Ziyi took the lead, and many prisoners echoed his call, brandishing their weapons and charging straight at the barbarian army. Among the barbarian soldiers were many veterans, experienced and knowing that in the moments before victory, when the enemy's fate hung in the balance, they might either collapse and flee, or they might charge forward to their deaths. Those who were fearless were the most difficult to resist. Therefore, they hesitated slightly, deliberately exposing the less experienced recruits to their ranks.

Thus, the prisoners' spontaneous charge immediately felled and stabbed dozens of barbarian soldiers who were unable to stop them and whose fighting skills were slightly inferior. Then, instinctively, they all gathered around Li Ziyi from both sides, like an arrow, and charged straight into the depths of the barbarian formation.

It was as if they were gambling, seeing who could die the furthest away.

Seeing this from behind, Bai Yu became anxious and repeatedly stamped his feet, shouting, "Come back! Come back to me! Anyone who disrupts the formation will be executed!"

In the midst of the fierce fighting, the battlefield was extremely noisy, and the prisoners who charged out couldn't hear Bai Yu's shouts at all. Of course, even if they did hear them, they wouldn't care—"If you have the guts, come and face my military law!"

Old Jing, seeing this from behind, couldn't help but shout, "Damn it, the opportunity has come!" He immediately drew his sword, urged his soldiers to follow behind the prisoners, and charged fiercely towards the barbarian formation to launch a counterattack.

Outnumbered and with inadequate fortifications, simply holding out is futile. Generally, the defenders must find a suitable opportunity—for example, when the enemy formation is slightly disorganized, or when the connection between two offensives is not tight enough—to launch a counterattack, disrupting the enemy's rhythm, weakening their momentum, and boosting their own morale. Previously, Lao Jing dared not attack because the battlefield was narrow, the barbarian army was too numerous, and their formation was too tight, leaving no openings. But now, with Li Ziyi and the other prisoners charging so desperately, the barbarian formation has wavered slightly. Lao Jing thinks that if he doesn't act now, he may never have another chance.

Moreover, the enemy has already crossed the trenches, and the fences have been basically destroyed. How am I supposed to defend?

Old Jing personally led his soldiers in a swift counterattack. Caught off guard, the Tibetans' offensive rhythm was disrupted, and a significant gap was quickly torn open. Right in the center of the gap was Li Ziyi, wielding his long-handled broadsword, hacking and slashing at whatever was in front of him, men or horses alike. Seeing the situation was dire, Qin Mingsi hastily ordered a retreat in the central ranks, both to protect himself and to re-form the battle lines. Then the vanguard retreated further, quickly disengaging from contact with the Tang army to allow for more arrow fire.

His command was originally fine, and this was the right action to take in response to the sudden change in the situation. However, before the central formation was even complete, the vanguard had already collapsed. Many Tibetan soldiers abandoned their weapons and fled with their heads in their hands. Moreover, the Tang army closely pursued them from behind, not giving the Tibetan army any chance to break away and launch a distant attack.

Qin Mingsi had no choice but to order his troops to hold their ground and flee from both flanks. Anyone who dared to break formation was to be executed on the spot. At the same time, he ordered his archers to prepare to riddle the charging Tang army with arrows at any moment.

However, at that very moment, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw the central army's banner wave slightly and back, and Qin Mingsi was greatly alarmed.

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When Lao Jing sought help, Li Ji was not completely without troops except for the more than four hundred "exiled soldiers." He still had two hundred elite cavalrymen at his disposal.

Because this battle has only lasted for less than two hours, I can't possibly throw out all my mobile forces, can I? Now that you, Lao Jing, have asked for help, if I send out all my elite troops, what will I do when the front is breached and Wei Gao comes to request reinforcements? Should I send the unreliable "exiled soldiers," or should I, the Grand Commandant, personally go to their rescue? Even if defeat is inevitable, I will lead these last elite troops in a suicidal charge into the enemy lines. It's better than immediately being surrounded by barbarian bandits in the center, being hacked at with spears, swords, axes, and arrows. That would be a more heroic death.

Moreover, a strong mobile force, if used properly, still has a chance to turn the tide of battle.

Therefore, although he was in charge of the front lines, he actually entrusted the heavy responsibility of commanding the front lines to his subordinate general, Yuan Jing'an. In a sense, Yuan Jing'an could be considered Li Ji's disciple, as his battle tactics and martial arts were all taught by Li Ji. As for the methods of commanding troops and the art of warfare, he also frequently received personal instruction from Li Ji. Although Yuan Jing'an was not as experienced as Jing Jiang, and far less capable than Wei Gao, his subordinate troops were well-equipped, and with Grand Commandant Li overseeing things from behind, he was able to barely maintain the battle line.

As soon as Li Ziyi charged outwards, Lao Jing followed immediately. Because the Tang army was small in number and the Tang camp occupied a small area, the movement on the northern front could be seen from afar on the eastern front. The enemy troops on the front wavered slightly as a result. Seeing this, Li Ji immediately stretched out his right hand, and his personal guard understood and handed him a lance. Then Li Ji shouted, "All cavalry, follow me! Let's trample the enemy formation!"

He moved swiftly, and before Gao Ying, Yan Zhuang, and other advisors could stop him, he led two hundred elite cavalrymen out of the palisade and charged straight at the enemy formation.

As the guards of the military commander, their equipment was naturally the best in the army. In order to win people's hearts, Li Ji did not overly increase the provisions for the guards. Unlike many other regional commanderies, where guards were required to have meat every three days while ordinary soldiers often drank porridge every day, the guards were provided with good guns, swords, armor, and horses. No one would be dissatisfied or dare to utter dissenting words.

Everyone was scrambling to get into the elite guards. Although the pay might not be much better, the equipment was excellent, they looked impressive, and being with the Grand Commandant meant they were safer.

These two hundred riders were all riding fine horses traded from the Uyghurs. Every one of them wore a helmet and chainmail. In terms of the weight of their armor, they were not as heavy as Chen Lizhen's elite cavalry, but their actual protective ability was probably three times stronger. They were all wearing red-lacquered lances and followed behind Li Ji in a wedge-shaped charge formation. They charged out from the side of Yuan Jing'an and the others and went straight into the enemy formation.

Wherever they went, the waves crashed and the first two rows of heavily armored barbarian soldiers, who were specifically there to break through enemy lines, collapsed on the spot. Normally, heavily armored infantry fighting in formation was a nightmare for cavalry, who dared not easily step on them. But when they were fighting fiercely in front of the palisade, the heavily armored infantry could not possibly be arranged too neatly. They were pierced by lances and kicked down by horses' hooves, and a large number of them fell down in an instant.

Simply using a lance to pierce heavy armor cannot sustain the momentum for long. Even if the spearhead is not damaged, the hand holding the spear will be shaken so badly that it will be difficult to exert force again. Moreover, if the piercing is too shallow, it will be difficult to penetrate the armor and flesh, and if the piercing is too deep, it may get stuck between the armor plates or ribs, and it will be difficult to pull it out for a while...

After trampling down three or four rows of barbarian soldiers, most Tang cavalrymen, except for a few like Li Ji who were skilled with heavy spears and strong men, were forced to abandon their lances and draw swords from their waists. However, these were not the standard-issue horizontal swords of the army, but rather curved swords newly forged by craftsmen like Lao Huang at Li Ji's behest.

Li Ji knew that cavalry swords in later generations were mostly curved blades, while straight swords and sabers gradually disappeared from the battlefield. He had been pondering why this was the case. Straight swords could be used for both slashing and thrusting, theoretically making them more convenient than curved swords, and they had been used in the Central Plains for nearly a thousand years. However, after forging several curved swords and comparing them, he discovered that curved swords were easier to use for leverage when slashing and breaking armor, easier to sheathe, and less prone to breakage than straight swords—there was indeed a reason for this.

Therefore, several hundred curved swords with a relatively small curvature were first forged for their own soldiers to practice and test. In those days, not only the Tang dynasty, but also most neighboring countries used straight swords—for example, the Uyghurs and Tibetans—only a few Western Region nomadic tribes were said to be accustomed to using curved swords. Thus, when the curved swords appeared, the Tibetan soldiers were all astonished, and soon discovered that using ordinary methods to counter straight swords was not very effective in blocking their attacks…

Actually, the curved blades aren't difficult to deal with, but they are still a challenge to my past experience and a test of my usual fighting methods.

Especially after breaking through several rows of heavily armored infantry, the Tibetan soldiers following behind, whether cavalry or infantry, were mostly lightly armed. The Tang cavalry, aided by their powerful horses, could easily pierce through the leather armor and tear through the flesh with a slight swipe of their curved swords. In just over a hundred paces, the number of Tibetan casualties was greater than in the previous hour. As a result, the troops were thrown into disarray, their morale plummeted, and they began to collapse.

Shang Jiexi was eager to capture Tang's fortress, and his central banner was too close to the enemy. As a result, he was caught off guard and Li Ji, wielding a spear in his left hand and a mace in his right, broke through the enemy's defenses and was about to kill him. Shang Jiexi panicked and hastily retreated, causing the banner to be slightly delayed.

Even a mere dozen steps of movement further demoralized the troops. Not only did the eastern route nearly collapse, but the northern route, led by Qinmingsi, also retreated as a result. Even the southern route, which had not suffered any counterattacks, was forced to halt its fierce attack on the Tang camp and retreat into formation.

In fact, Li Ji not only saw the enemy's banner retreat, but he could also see and hear the enemy general in brocade robes under the banner—most likely Shang Jiexi. However, he also found that he could no longer make any progress.

Upon discovering that Dalun was in danger, the various Tibetan tribes rushed to his aid. However, their numbers were overwhelming, while Li Ji only led two hundred cavalry. If they turned back now, they could still retreat safely. If they went any further, or even if they were only delayed for a moment, they would be surrounded. Once the enemy infantry and cavalry had surrounded them in layers, their warhorses would be unable to gallop freely and would be forced to fight on horseback, or even dismount and fight on foot. Their advantage would be completely wiped out, and the only outcome would be total annihilation.

Li Ji was confident that with the equipment and combat skills of his two hundred cavalrymen, each one could kill at least ten, and that two hundred men could take down more than two thousand barbarian soldiers. But what would be the point? There were tens of thousands of barbarian soldiers; even two thousand wouldn't be enough to cripple them.

If he were still in his former position in Longyou, he would have risked his life to continue forward, gambling on that less than one in ten chance of catching up with Shang Jiexi and beheading him. But now he was the Grand Commandant and Military Governor of Hexi, his status equal to Shang's—in fact, Li Ji believed that the Grand Commandant of the Tang Dynasty was far more valuable than the Tubo Grand Commandant—so mutual destruction might not be worthwhile, and there was no guarantee that they would even perish together…

Chapter Sixty, Asura Demon

Li Ji worried that if he killed Shang Jiexi in battle, the Tibetan army would surely collapse. However, if he were simultaneously trapped among the enemy and the Tang army also collapsed, it would be impossible to inflict significant casualties on the enemy during the pursuit. After regrouping the remaining forces, the Tibetan army would still have the strength to fight. As for the Tang Dynasty, if he died, even if they could still hold the area east of Suzhou, who would be able to defend Liangzhou? Li Ji felt that even if Li Yu sent Guo Ziyi, it would be difficult to open up the Hexi Corridor in a short time to rescue Anxi and Beiting…

Because of insufficient funds and provisions, his death would surely shatter the merchants' desire to open up the Silk Road, and no one would be willing to invest in this cause in the future. Moreover, the national treasury alone would not be enough to support it. Besides, if Li Yu had money, he would certainly first plan to completely restore Longyou.

How many more years can Anxi and Beiting hold out?

Therefore, Li Ji promptly withdrew his troops and returned to his own camp—after all, it wasn't like he was doomed to die just by holding out; as long as he held out for a few more days, reinforcements would arrive.

On the north side, Lao Jing's thoughts were similar to Li Ji's. He had no expectation of completely defeating the Tibetan army with this counterattack, or even just killing the Tibetan general who was gradually drifting further and further away from him. Seeing that the momentum of the charge was waning and the Tibetan army was about to regain its footing, he immediately ordered: "Men, retreat to camp!"

The order was given, but Li Ziyi, who was at the forefront, still refused to stop. Covered in blood, he wielded his longsword like a wheel, causing the barbarian soldiers to flee as if they had encountered a demon. Old Jing pointed at Li Ziyi ahead and ordered his guards, "Bring that bastard back! Don't let him charge any further!"

The guards understood, and three of them immediately stepped forward. Two grabbed Li Ziyi's shoulders from the left and right, while the third grabbed his waist from behind, thus forcibly dragging him back.

They were all seasoned veterans, experienced and knew that on the battlefield, people often went berserk, blinded by rage, brandishing their weapons with bloodshot eyes, ignoring orders and even capable of attacking their own comrades without hesitation. If Li Ziyi were wielding ordinary swords or spears, it would be one thing, but now he held a long, sharp broadsword. If he truly went berserk and disregarded friend and foe, one slash from him would be too much for us to handle!

Therefore, without saying a word, assuming that the other party had lost his mind, he simply dragged him back.

Upon returning to the camp, Li Ziyi had already tossed his longsword somewhere, but his eyes were still bloodshot, and he was panting heavily. He twisted his waist and shrugged his shoulders, struggling incessantly. The three guards dared not let go, but simply held him firmly in place. Old Jing approached, met Li Ziyi's gaze, and demanded, "Do you still recognize me?"

Li Ziyi paused for a moment before asking, "General Jing, are we all dead?"

Old Jing immediately slapped him hard across the face, making a crisp "smack," and shouted, "Do you know what pain is?!"

Li Ziyi replied blankly, "I don't feel much."

Old Jing swung his hand back and slapped him hard across the right cheek again, still asking, "Do you feel pain?!"

"Hiss..." Li Ziyi grimaced and gasped, "It feels a little painful..."

Old Jing said, "Alright, let him go." He then patted Li Ziyi on the shoulder: "Kid, you did well. I told you beforehand, if you live today, I will live too, and you can join my ranks as a member of the Baoying Army—go down and bandage your wounds and rest."

Li Ziyi hurriedly asked, "Then, is it possible to erase the tattoos on the foreheads of criminals?"

Old Jing curled his lip: "Let's wait until the barbarian bandits retreat before we talk about it."

It was nearly dusk. The Tibetan forces, having suffered a two-pronged counterattack from the Tang army, had lost momentum and morale. They needed to expend considerable effort to reorganize before they could launch another fierce attack—so it was estimated that they would not be coming again today. The Tang army was thus able to catch their breath and begin rebuilding their camps and constructing new defensive lines.

Those who were seriously wounded went down to bandage their wounds, while those who were exhausted went down to rest. Li Ziyi was covered in blood and completely exhausted, and needed the help of his comrades to remove his armor. In fact, his leather armor and even his inner clothes were completely torn. However, after he was stripped naked, everyone gathered around and marveled at his appearance.

Because this guy's entire body only had old scars and almost no new wounds, except for a few shallow bloodstains on his unprotected arms and legs. It was unclear whether they were from sharp weapons or were accidentally grazed by enemy armor during hand-to-hand combat...

Some people said, "Is Old Li possessed by some kind of demon?"

Some people say, "They must be afraid of Old Li's Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword), so much so that even Yama, the King of Hell, wouldn't dare send his officials to arrest him!"

Of the more than four hundred prisoners, nearly half were killed in this battle, and fewer than two hundred were still fit to fight. They all abandoned their commander, Bai Yu, and crowded around Li Ziyi, praising his bravery and courage while pleading—"We weren't weak either! We fought our way through mountains of knives and forests of spears before retreating. Since you've earned General Jing's favor, could you perhaps intercede for us and have our crimes pardoned?"

However, without them even needing to mention it, Lao Jing summoned Bai Yu and said to him, "General Bai, you can report back to the Grand Commandant that the northern front is secure and we have fulfilled our mission." Bai Yu clasped his hands in greeting, about to summon his subordinates, but Lao Jing glared at him and said, "Why aren't you leaving yet?!"

Bai Yu immediately understood that General Jing wanted him to report to the Grand Commandant alone and take the opportunity to seize his "exiled soldier" title!

But he was at a loss and dared not contradict him. After all, Jing Jiang's rank was higher than his, and he was an old acquaintance of the Grand Commandant, enjoying great favor. Moreover, this Baoying Army was temporarily borrowed by the Grand Commandant. As a dignified imperial guard of the Northern Army, whose duty was to guard the army, it had not only gone into battle but also suffered casualties. If the number of soldiers could not be replenished, how could the Grand Commandant explain this to the supervising officer and the court? If Old Jing were to speak up, let alone asking for "exile to the army," even asking the Grand Commandant's personal guards to fill the vacancies would most likely not be rejected...

Not long after Bai Yu left, Li Ziyi led the remaining tattooed prisoners to thank General Jing. Old Jing casually asked, "If you are returned, how do you plan to erase the tattoos on your foreheads?"

Li Ziyi clasped his hands and replied, "I heard that the Grand Commandant has ordered all his troops to wear black turbans, which is an imitation of the 'Crow Soldiers' of the former General Geshu. This is a crime... I request that the tattoos be painted in the shape of crows."

Old Jing grinned: "I'm afraid it's not a good omen."

Li Ziyi said, "The greatest good fortune is if those who fight can instill fear in the barbarian bandits."

Old Jing agreed. He saw that these prisoners were brave enough, and even the few cowards among them had already been disciplined by Bai Yu on the battlefield. The rest were all usable, so he recruited them into his ranks. As a general of the Imperial Guard, even Li Ji couldn't interfere with his internal affairs. Whether Li Ziyi and the others could be exiled or their tattoos could be erased, there was no need to ask Li Ji now. General Jing could decide it with a single word.

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The Tang army repaired their camp defenses overnight, not afraid of being seen by the Tibetans. They openly lit bonfires, carried torches, dug trenches, built fortifications, and erected wooden palisades.

The barbarian army, with its low morale, dared not attack at night. Shang Jiexi ordered his men to set up camp and rest, and said with a smile to his men, "The Tang people have been building fortifications all night, exhausting their soldiers. Let's see how much strength they have left to defend against us after dawn."

Unexpectedly, Li Ji ordered his soldiers to be divided into several shifts to take turns repairing the fortifications and resting. Because of his skillful command and proper arrangements, when the Tibetan army looked at the fortifications again at dawn the next day, they found that the Tang fortifications were no less than twice as strong as the day before, which could completely make up for the soldiers' lack of rest.

Ultimately, setting up camp yesterday was far too hasty. Although there was an existing fortress at the pontoon bridgehead, only a few hundred men were originally stationed there. With six thousand arriving all at once, it was impossible for them all to squeeze in. They had to dig trenches and build earthen ramparts on the outside. However, the Tibetan army arrived in less than half a day. Even the last few palisades were hastily tied together by Tang soldiers who were trembling with fear as they watched the Tibetan army surge towards them. Their quality was questionable.

But after a night of work, the camp is much more complete—this is true of many things; going from zero to one is the most laborious, while going from one to two or three is much simpler.

As for the Tibetan army, having come from afar yesterday, their hasty offensive, while revealing many weaknesses, could be compensated for by sheer numbers. Their earlier retreat, the back-and-forth marches, and the standoff at Jinchang City had fueled their fighting spirit, leading to a fierce and valiant advance. However, as the saying goes, "the first drumbeat loses its momentum, the second weakens, and the third exhausts it." Yesterday's setback at the Tang camp, coupled with a counterattack and heavy casualties, inevitably impacted morale, a situation that cannot be recovered from overnight.

Thus, the battle the following day was less intense than the previous day. The barbarian army repeatedly approached the Tang camp but was driven back each time. The Tang army, utilizing their fortifications, seemed to have some strength left. Shang Jiexi, however, could only frown deeply, inspecting the various camps to boost morale while hoping that the Tang army would run out of arrows quickly…

The defenders mainly relied on their powerful bows and crossbows. If the enemy were allowed to cross the multiple trenches and approach the palisades and fortifications, and engage in close combat, even if the Tang army was strong, it would be difficult to gain a decisive advantage—at most, one would fight two, which the Tibetans could easily afford.

However, Li Ji's army still had ample supplies for the time being. Especially since the Ming River was right behind them, he had rebuilt the Yumen Army beforehand and left a troop of soldiers at its old fortress to guard the supply route and also serve as a supply base. Since Shang Jiexi led the main army back and stationed it east of Jinchang County, subsequent grain and supplies dared not be transported west across the Ming River and were all piled up in the Yumen Army to supply the west bank.

If the Tang army numbered over ten thousand, or if the time dragged on, such transportation would not be sufficient; however, the weapons and arrows needed for only a few thousand people a day could be barely supplied by ferrying them across on leather rafts.

However, the Yumen army requested permission to cross to the east bank to rescue the Grand Commandant, but Li Ji rejected this request. Li Ji ordered them to hold their positions and simultaneously dispatched scouts to patrol the upstream and downstream routes for a day, to guard against the barbarian army crossing by another route to attack their rear. Sure enough, Shang Jiexi hastily made some rafts and ordered several thousand men to travel north for half a day to find a suitable place to cross the Ming River. As a result, they were met with a barrage of fire from the Tang army on the east bank, causing the first batch of dozens of rafts to sink completely, and all of the more than one hundred barbarian soldiers on board to become food for the fish and shrimp—if there were any fish and shrimp in the Ming River.

Meanwhile, Fifth Ran, who was in charge of repairing the pontoon bridge, was so busy that he hadn't slept for two days straight, and his lips were covered in blisters. With the cooperation of the Tang army on the east bank, the pontoon bridge was finally rebuilt on the afternoon of the third day. Gao Ying and others then advised Li Ji to return to the east bank of the Ming River, but Li Ji shook his head and said, "The barbarian bandits are closing in, and we cannot return now. Even if we cross quickly at night, it will be difficult to establish a fortification by dawn. If the barbarian bandits pursue us relentlessly, our army will surely be routed."

Yan Zhuang advised, "Generals Jing and Wei can remain here to defend the area. It is not advisable for the Grand Commandant to stay in such a dangerous place. It would be better for him to lead a portion of his troops across the river first."

Li Ji smiled and said, "With me here, all the troops are willing to fight to the death. If we leave, I'm afraid the defending general will find it difficult to withstand such a strong enemy." The situation has now basically stabilized, and he still hopes to hold onto the Ming River, waiting for Nan Jiyun to lead the main force to attack the Tibetan army from both the east and west. If they abandon the west bank now, even if the Tibetan army cannot cross the pontoon bridge to attack the east bank, what if they burn the pontoon bridge down? At that time, Nan Jiyun will come from afar with insufficient troops, and he may not be able to defeat Shang Jiexi, while he can only watch helplessly from the east bank. That would be incredibly frustrating.

"However, Mr. Yan and Gong Chu can cross the sea to the east first."

Gao Ying refused to leave, so Li Ji had no choice but to order Yan Zhuang to lead most of the civil officials and staff, and to carry hundreds of wounded soldiers across the Ming River. At the same time, he transferred two hundred fresh troops from the east bank to reinforce the front line.

Shang Jiexi grew increasingly anxious as he failed to capture the Tang camp for several days. Qin Mingsi reminded him, "The army cannot be allowed to remain here for long. If the Tang troops who went to attack Shazhou return and attack our rear, we will be in grave danger."

Shang Jiexi nodded and said, "I have the same concern." He then ordered Qin Mingsi to lead 5,000 troops to the west for ten miles to dig trenches and build fortifications to block the Tang army from coming to their aid.

But he hadn't expected the Tang army to arrive so quickly; just three days later, he received an urgent report from Jinchang. Shang Jiexi stamped his foot and said, "This must be because Li Ji knew reinforcements were coming, and that's why he returned east to lure us in!"

In Li Ji's estimation, the reinforcements were already more than half a day late. This was because after he withdrew eastward, the news reached Jinchang City. Shang Jiexi, fearing it was a trick, ordered a force to go south to attack the previous Tang camp. That force then garrisoned the empty fortress. The Tang fortress was built almost directly in the road. Although Nan Jiyun was anxious to return east, he dared not detour and was forced to launch a fierce attack.