Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 65

Of course, since it was King Qi who borrowed it, would the Prince of Dunhuang dare to jump up and fuss afterwards?

Chapter Thirty-Two: Snow White and Beauty

Li Ji stayed at the Uyghur camp for only two nights before taking his leave with a reply from Princess Ningguo and the new banner of "Uyghur Yabghu" Li Chengcai. Dunmohedagan sent men to escort them all the way to the vicinity of Tang territory before turning back.

However, the Mengwu Shiwei tribe they had encountered on the way there was nowhere to be seen. They guessed that they had already moved away to another place in search of water and grass—or perhaps they were trying to avoid Li Ji.

They traveled day and night, changing horses and galloping at breakneck speed, reaching an even faster pace than on the way there. By the time they returned to Shanzhou, it was already early November—the round trip, covering over three thousand li, had taken only a little over half a month. If reinforcements had been called in, with the rumbling of carts and the neighing of horses, achieving even half that speed would have been considered quite good.

During their nightly rest stops along the way, Li Ji, having nothing to do, would learn the Uyghur language from Ma Meng. He always felt that he might have to deal with the Uyghurs again in the future, and having a basic understanding of their language would be very beneficial. However, after listening to Ma Meng's explanation, he learned that the so-called Uyghur language, like the official language of the Tang Dynasty, was merely the language of the Yaoluoge tribe. Even among the Tiele tribes of the same origin, the pronunciation and vocabulary often differed greatly.

Not to mention that the Uyghurs now dominate the grasslands and deserts, with many tribes under their command, including the Kyrgyz, Guligan, Dubo, and some conquered Mongol Shiwei and Karluks, etc. For the genuine Uyghurs, they all speak a foreign language. However, under normal circumstances, since they belong to the Khan, there will always be a few people in each tribe—mostly tribal chiefs or noble chiefs—who can speak a simple Uyghur language.

Specifically, among the tribes that frequently traded with the Tang Dynasty, those who could speak the Tang language outnumbered those who could speak the Uyghur language.

This young man, Ma Meng, was not only fluent in Uyghur, but also had a basic understanding of three or five other languages ​​spoken on the grasslands. Coupled with his quick wit, he could be considered a rare talent in international affairs. Li Ji thus probed, "Would you be willing to return to Longyou with me?" Li Ji replied, "I will certainly recommend you to the military governor and give you a position, so you will no longer be a common soldier."

Ma Meng was overjoyed and immediately kowtowed, saying, "My future depends entirely on Inspector Li's assistance."

So, eleven riders went there and twelve returned. As soon as they entered Shanzhou, Li Ji hurriedly went to see Li Tan, presented Princess Ningguo's reply, and reported in detail his experiences on the way—including his encounter with Emperor De and Crown Prince Yehu, which he naturally did not conceal.

Li Tan said, "I have received your previous letter, but Crown Prince Yehu still refuses to show himself..."

It is said that Emperor De delivered Li Ji's letter to Shanzhou a few days ago. When Li Tan asked him where the Crown Prince of Yehu was, he refused to reveal the information—because he had not yet received Li Tan's promise and was afraid of being betrayed. As for whether or not to take in the Crown Prince of Yehu, Li Tan was still hesitant and could not make a decision yet.

Just then, Li Ji returned, and Li Tan asked him, "As you said, is the Uyghur's official statement, both internally and externally, that the Crown Prince of Yabghu has already passed away?"

Li Ji nodded and said, "That's right."

"Then they will come to my Longyou..." Since Emperor De has already entered Shanzhou, the Crown Prince of Yehu is probably not far away, most likely hiding somewhere outside the city—"As far as we know, only you and I..."

Li Ji said, "If Emperor De had recalled Abochuo in time and had not gone to Chang'an, the court probably would not have known about this matter."

Li Tan nodded: "Dide has reported that they did indeed catch up with Apochuo at the Great Zhen Pass... Therefore, the Uyghurs most likely wouldn't have secretly sent an envoy to Chang'an to ask the court for assistance in pursuing the Crown Prince Yabghu..."

Li Ji agreed with this conjecture: "This is ultimately an internal dispute. Unless it is discovered that the Crown Prince of Yabghu has entered our Tang Dynasty, the valiant Khan will not expose his own shame. Moreover, if the Khan has taken such action, it will certainly not be kept from the Prime Minister Dunmohedagan, who has goodwill towards our Tang Dynasty and the Crown Prince of Yabghu, and would not fail to inform me."

Li Tan stroked his beard and pondered, "Since that's the case, and no one else knows, what harm is there in me keeping this jade?" Whether or not to use the Crown Prince Yehu, and how to use him, can be studied later depending on the situation. I'll hide this treasure for now. Even if I don't find a good opportunity in the future, or even if it might backfire, I can quietly kill it then. What's wrong with that?

Li Ji suggested, "The Crown Prince of Yabghu can be hidden, and must be hidden. As for Di De, even if we accept him, it won't be a big problem. Di De is indeed a fierce general of the Uyghurs, and he is useful at this time—but I don't know how the battle of Shancheng is going?"

From Shanzhou to Chang'an is over a thousand li. Theoretically, Qilibuzang wouldn't have been able to ride as fast as Li Ji on his northward journey. Even if he returned after meeting the emperor in Chang'an, it would be impossible for him to return to Longyou immediately. Since the Tibetans sent him to Chang'an to sue for peace, it would be impossible for them to launch another military campaign before the envoy's return.

However, theory and practice may not always align. Qilibuzang may have only just arrived in Chang'an, while Ma Chongying and his troops, under the walls of Shancheng, felt their morale gradually recovering and launched another fierce attack seven days prior. First, they attacked from both sides, attempting to capture the eastern fortress defended by Li Yuanzhong. Guo Xin dispatched troops to support them, successfully forcing the barbarian army to retreat. But unexpectedly, Ma Chongying's attack was a feint; the assault on the fortress was a pretext for a surprise attack on the city. He then moved his main force to the south of the city, launching a fierce attack when Guo Xin was caught off guard.

Generals Guo and Li expended considerable effort to repel the barbarian army, but when they sent a report to Shanzhou on the battle situation, their tone was not particularly cheerful—Li Tan guessed that the casualty ratio was probably not good.

Ma Chongying's attempt to seize the city failed, so he simply divided his troops to monitor the eastern fortress, focusing his main efforts on attacking the city. According to Guo Xin's report, given the current intensity of the enemy's offensive, he could hold out for another half a month without any problem; if it lasted longer, the outcome would be uncertain.

Therefore, Li Tan calculated the distance every day, eagerly awaiting Li Ji's return. However, it wasn't until two days ago, when Emperor De arrived in Shanzhou, that he realized—damn, the wrong map had ruined me! So the Uyghur headquarters was really that far away… No wonder the Uyghur troops were so slow to arrive when I requested reinforcements before; I was even annoyed that they weren't truly sincere in their help, but it turns out I was wrong…

While anxiously discussing with Yang Yan whether to send reinforcements to rescue Shancheng, Yang Yan smiled bitterly and said, "Even if all the troops in Longyou are mobilized, they are still no match for the number of the barbarian rebels. Reinforcing them slowly like this will only prolong the war and not only will it not benefit the overall situation, but it will also waste money and supplies. Rather than doing that, it is better to make a decisive move..."

Yang Yan had already made all the preparations to abandon Shancheng. He had gritted his teeth and endured it before because he was afraid of being laughed at by Gao Sheng and his men. Now that most of the staff of the shogunate had resigned, Gao Sheng was a commander without troops. Let him laugh if he wants. I am hiding under the wing of the military governor, so what do I have to be afraid of?

Li Tan was still hesitant—"the last leg of a journey is the hardest," and the feeling of not being able to finish a good journey was truly unbearable. He had long considered abandoning Shancheng, but that would have to wait until after the Tibetans withdrew. If he retreated in front of the enemy, either his army would be defeated or his people would be killed; there was no way to achieve both.

Unexpectedly, Li Ji's return brought up a new possibility—

"Your Highness can summon Dide and promise to take in and hide the Crown Prince of Yabghu, but Dide and others must remain in the headquarters to serve as a reward or as hostages. Dide was then appointed general, and the soldiers were ordered to change their armor and disguise themselves as Uyghur soldiers. The banners of the King of Dunhuang as Yabghu were then prominently displayed, and they were to march out of Shancheng to intimidate the barbarian bandits. It would be best if they could scare the bandits away, but even if they could not, it would not harm the overall situation."

Li Tan was overjoyed upon hearing this: "This plan is feasible, and Changwei, your scheme is thorough and has greatly pleased me!" He then told Li Ji to go and rest, and that he hoped Li Ji would join Emperor De in a day or two to set out to aid Shancheng. Li Ji took his leave, but upon reaching the door, he turned back and whispered to Li Tan, "Does Yang Gongnan know about the matter of the Crown Prince of Yehu?"

Li Tan replied, "This matter has not yet been discussed with Gongnan."

Li Ji hurriedly said, "Your Highness, you can simply say that the Uyghurs are in turmoil and that the Emperor has come to join you. Even if you are talking to Gongnan, please do not reveal the whereabouts of the Crown Prince of Yehu. The fewer people who know, the better the secrecy will be, and even if something happens in the future, it will not implicate Gongnan."

"I understand, Changwei, please rest assured."

Winter had already arrived, and the climate on the plateau was even colder; it wasn't quite freezing, but it was close. Li Ji returned home, and Qingluan greeted him, both pleased and worried—worried that Li Ji had returned today.

"The warehouse clerk has just sent over a frozen leg of lamb, which has not yet thawed. Young master, you will probably have to wait a while."

Li Ji initially thought Yang Qing was being sensible and flattering him, but upon further inquiry, he learned that this was simply a perk for all officials in the shogunate—of course, the fact that he was given a leg of lamb, rather than some other boneless cut, meant that Yang Qing at least didn't harbor any resentment or seek revenge.

Is lamb leg difficult to digest?

Qingluan smiled and replied, "It's not that difficult. First, apply some salt, then place it in warm water. It will dissolve in about fifteen minutes. However, whether you steam or boil it, it takes more than a short time to make the meat tender."

Li Ji thought for a moment and said there was no need for that; let's try a different way of eating today. He then ordered Qingluan to prepare some ingredients—roasted sesame seeds, sesame oil, dried chive blossoms, fermented soybeans, as well as scallions, ginger, and garlic.

Qingluan went to prepare, while Li Ji went into the kitchen himself, grabbed a leg of lamb, sharpened his knife, and sliced ​​it thinly while it was still frozen. He was strong and skilled with a knife; although he had never practiced such delicate knife work before, he succeeded after a few tries. How was it considered successful? The frozen lamb slices naturally curled up, which meant they were thin enough.

Qingluan returned from the official treasury and the market, only to find Li Ji had already sliced ​​two large platters full of mutton rolls. She couldn't help but ask, "Sliced ​​so thinly, are you going to grill it?" In those days, there was already a method similar to teppanyaki, where meat or vegetables were grilled on a hot stone or iron plate. Li Ji smiled and shook his head, "You'll know in a moment."

The mutton was easy to cut, but the seasoning was difficult to make. With Qingluan's help, Li Ji first finely ground roasted sesame seeds into powder in a mortar, then slowly poured in sesame oil, sprinkled some salt, and mixed it into a paste. The key was that although oil pressing technology existed in those days, it was too expensive due to the backward technology, so it was not commonly used in daily diet. Since sesame oil was not commonly used, sesame paste naturally had to be made by oneself.

According to the way it was eaten in old Beijing, the main condiment was sesame paste, with the addition of chive blossoms, fermented bean curd, and chili oil. The problem is that the sesame paste of later times is not pure sesame paste; it contains a certain amount of peanut butter, but those peanuts... probably still grew naturally in the jungles of the Americas.

Moreover, in this world, there are only dried chive blossoms, not pickled ones, and Li Ji had never researched how to pickle them—even if he had, there wouldn't be enough time, so he could only use dried chive blossoms as a substitute. Fermented bean curd did exist, called "shuru," which is said to have originated in the Northern Wei Dynasty, but even today, most southerners cannot accept it. Finally, naturally, there were no chili peppers.

The spiciness of these days mainly comes from dogwood, but Li Ji couldn't get used to it—just like the spiciness of garlic and chili peppers, they taste completely different in the mouth, and dogwood is the same, its spiciness is completely wrong.

Made do with what little they had, they prepared two simple bowls of sauce, then lit a fire in the courtyard, set up a clay pot, poured in water, and added scallions, ginger, and garlic. Once it boiled, they added the mutton rolls. Li Ji first swished a roll, picked it up with chopsticks, dipped it in the sauce, and put it in his mouth. He squinted his eyes, chewing carefully, savoring the flavor—hmm, the sauce was a bit lacking, but the meat was excellent, rich, smooth, and tender without being dry. "I should have thought of this a long time ago! How come it's been two whole years since I transmigrated, and I've only just had the chance to try making it?"

How can one be so lazy when it comes to satisfying one's appetite?! As the saying goes, "If you're not enthusiastic about eating, there's definitely something wrong with you!"

Only after swallowing the meat did he raise his eyes, only to see Qingluan standing beside him, staring intently at him with a curious expression. Li Ji pointed with his chopsticks: "Sit down, you should try some too." Qingluan lowered her head and said, "In front of my lord, where is there a place for a servant?"

Li Ji laughed and said, "A concubine is also a wife. How can husband and wife not eat together? Please sit down, please sit down. Try my way of eating. Do you like it? This meat is put into the pot, not boiled, not scalded. It is called 'scalding'. It cannot be scalded for too long. Eat it as soon as it changes color, otherwise it will become tough."

He personally handed a pair of chopsticks to Qingluan and asked her to sit down beside him. Only then did Qingluan try cooking a roll of meat in the broth, dip it in the sauce, and eat it. Her eyes immediately lit up: "So fresh... I've never tasted anything like this before."

Li Ji laughed and said, "Today was rushed. If we use broth as a base... oh, the words 'fish' and 'lamb' together mean 'fresh.' Fish broth would be best; it would be truly fragrant and the freshness would attract even the gods. We could also add mushrooms, tofu, white... vegetables to the broth to soak up the mutton's flavor..."

Oh, I really want to eat mutton and cabbage soup... It's a pity that there's no cabbage these days. Maybe there is, but it's not called cabbage, and the quality is too poor. When I become successful in the future, should I buy a few acres of land and hire some old farmers to cultivate high-quality vegetables and fruits for me?

Bah! Look at you, so useless! A few acres of land are not enough. Just my official land allocation as an eighth-rank civil official should theoretically be 250 acres!

Just as he was sighing, something suddenly floated into the pot and vanished instantly. Li Ji was startled and looked up to see that the jade dragon in the sky had finished its battle, its scales flying, and snow was falling in a flurry...

This snow is wonderful! The barbarian invaders have come from afar, and their supply lines may not be smooth. I hope the snow will fall heavily to completely thwart their ambition to attack the city.

Qingluan quickly said, "Let's move back inside to eat."

Li Ji shook his head: "Tell the old soldier to bring an umbrella... stand here and cover the earthenware pot. Also, get a set of bowls and chopsticks so he can eat with us."

Qingluan accepted the order and went to call the old soldier. Li Ji watched her gracefully leave. Her beauty against the white snow was truly a beautiful sight. How could he miss it?

Chapter Thirty-Three: Pathological Psychology

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The heavy snow fell all night, and within Shanzhou city, the snow was ankle-deep. Near Shanzhou, the snowfall was slightly lighter, but it still caused considerable trouble for the attacking Tibetan army.

Guo Xin had already taken advantage of the cold weather by splashing water on the city walls, which froze into ice to hinder the barbarian army's ascent. Now, with heavy snow covering the fields and making progress difficult, the short distance of about two miles from the barbarian camp to the city walls would take almost twice as long. In other words, the attackers would have even longer to endure a hail of arrows from the walls as they struggled forward.

Ma Chongying was forced to temporarily halt his fierce attack on Shancheng. On the one hand, he reorganized his troops and boosted morale, and on the other hand, he waited for the weather to clear and the snow to melt.

However, it was the dead of winter, and even under the scorching sun, the snow did not melt easily. Instead, it would thaw slightly during the day and then refreeze at night, making the roads even more difficult to travel.

Shang Zanmo then advised Ma Chongying: "Why not retreat and come back next spring..."

He said that the Longyou region was originally a stronghold of the Tang family, with abundant grain and fodder. It would be extremely difficult for us to find an opening to launch a counterattack. Fortunately, the Tang family was in turmoil and transferred most of its troops and a large amount of grain and supplies away. However, the Tang people's determination to hold their ground remained strong, and we could not expect to win in one battle.

Last year, the capture of several military towns has broken through most of the defense system in Longyou. In recent years, it has also forced the Tang people to harvest the wheat near Shancheng ahead of schedule, making them even weaker. Even if this expedition fails to capture Shancheng, it will not be a fruitless effort. In addition, the freezing weather and heavy snowfall make the siege difficult. This is the will of Heaven, not human planning. Your reason for ordering a retreat as soon as possible, preserving your strength and conserving resources for a future campaign, is justified and can be explained to the Zanpu.

If we continue to linger, we will ultimately achieve nothing, wasting our resources and making it difficult to launch a major offensive next spring. This would be a losing proposition. We urge you to think carefully.

However, Shangxi Dongzan disagreed, saying, "While the snowfall may hinder our attack on the city, it may not necessarily benefit the Tang people's defense..." Guo Xin was also affected by the snow, making it inconvenient to send out cavalry to launch a counterattack, which would disrupt our siege rhythm—"Shancheng is merely clinging to life; at most, it will fall in another month. If we plan properly, we might even be able to break through the small gorge and threaten Shanzhou. If we retreat now, our efforts will be in vain, and how will we answer when the Zanpu questions us?"

He then turned his attention to Shangzanmo: "Do not think that the Zanpu is young and dare to deceive him—I believe that the Zanpu's talent and ambition are no less than those of Songtsen Gampo!"

Shang Zanmo angrily retorted, "Who said we wanted to deceive the Zanpu?! Military campaigns are difficult these days; does the Zanpu think he can simply stop the snow from falling from the sky? I'm speaking for the sake of the nation, not for my own honor or disgrace!"

The two Shangs argued incessantly, leaving Ma Chongying unable to make a decision. Strategically, he leaned towards Shang Zanmo's opinion; however, considering his personal political future, even if the large-scale invasion of Tang was successful, the meager gains would not satisfy the appetites of powerful chieftains and nobles, and his power would likely be diminished... If he lost his title of Grand Master, he would find it difficult to guide the people forward again—and as far as the three Shangs were concerned, none of them could be considered capable of governing the country!

Therefore, the final decision was made: "We will rest our troops under Shancheng for a few more days to await the return of Qilibuzang."

Shang Zanmo said, "We originally sent Qilibuzang to Tang to sue for peace, but before he returned, our army attacked Shancheng again. Wouldn't the Tang people be angry with Qilibuzang and execute him? How could he possibly return?"

Ma Chongying shook his head and said, "Although we have requested peace, it has not yet been achieved. What good is war then? If the Tang people wanted to kill Qilibuzang, they would have done so long ago, instead of waiting for our army to attack Shancheng again. Moreover, even if he were killed, the Tang people would surely inform us, showing that the peace talks have failed and the blame lies with us. Since there is no news, why not wait a few more days..."

"I want to know how the war in Guandong is going, and whether the Tang people can recover and reinforce Longyou."

Thus, the troops were temporarily restrained and defended, and several more days passed. Five days later, as Ma Chongying was sitting in his tent, a soldier came to report: "The enemy from the east of the city has suddenly attacked and is assaulting our southern fortifications..."

Ma Chongying didn't take it seriously: "Order the southern fortress to hold out to the death, and send troops from the northern fortress to the east of the city to force the Tang people to retreat."

Shang Xidong suggested, "We might as well attack Shancheng again to prevent Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong from joining forces and plotting against our southern fortress." Ma Chongying nodded and was about to give the order when another report arrived: "Uyghur flags have been spotted among the Tang army!"

Both Yi Lun and Er Shang were shocked upon hearing this: "Could it be that the Uyghurs have sent troops to aid Tang?" They had considered this possibility before, but the two regions were far apart. Even if the Uyghurs came at their request, they wouldn't arrive so quickly. Unless… Li Tan had already begged the Uyghurs for help before our army even approached Shancheng…

He's quite good at planning ahead.

Ma Chongying hurriedly asked, "Whose banner is the Uyghur...?"

The messenger, who rode swiftly from Nanlei to deliver the message, replied: "The blue banner adorned with eagle feathers belongs to a certain Yabghu."

How many Uyghur soldiers are there?

"Mixed among the Tang people, their numbers are too numerous to count, but probably no less than a thousand horsemen!"

Shang Zanmo shook his head and said, "With the Yehu personally arriving, his troops number far more than a thousand cavalry..."

The Uyghurs have over a hundred tribes and a hundred thousand soldiers, currently divided among four Yabghu (chieftains). On the Tibetan side, no one takes the fifth Yabghu, Li Chengcai, seriously. Even excluding the elite troops guarding their own camps and the difficult-to-gather troops from remote tribes, each Yabghu commands twenty thousand men. Not all twenty thousand can be deployed, and a long expedition requires even more elite troops, but at least one-fifth can be brought—just like when the Yabghu prince aided the Tang Dynasty, selecting four thousand elite cavalry.

Therefore, with the banner of the Yabghu appearing at the front, the Uyghur reinforcements must number more than a thousand... Shang Zanmo raised his hand to the sky and said, "Heaven help us! I thought the heavy snow a few days ago was to help the Tang Dynasty, but it turns out it was to help our Tubo. The Uyghur cavalry will surely be weakened in the snow, otherwise they will probably have a hard time!"

The Tibetans and Uyghurs had fought each other before. During the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, the Tibetans plotted to conquer the Western Regions. They first formed a marriage alliance with the Turgesh, then supported the usurper Ferghana, and finally launched a formal northward campaign, conquering Little Bolu. Gao Xianzhi led an army on a distant expedition to Little Bolu, defeating a Tibetan army of 100,000 and capturing the King of Little Bolu and the Tibetan princess. At that time, the Uyghurs also sent troops to assist them, and on the battlefield, they beheaded many Tibetans.

Therefore, the Tibetans held the Uyghur army in high regard, believing their horses were inferior to the Uyghurs', and that their cavalry would be no match for the Uyghur cavalry in a one-on-one fight. Furthermore, although the Uyghur army had marched a long distance, since they dared to accept the Tang's request, they must have sent their elite troops; and since they dared to meet the Tang's attack, they must have rested sufficiently, making them a fresh force. On the plains, cavalry reigns supreme, and the addition of several thousand elite Uyghur cavalry would be enough to have a significant impact on the battle.

Ma Chongying immediately looked at Shang Zanmo: "Please, Grand Shang, deploy troops to attack the city and contain Guo Xin. I will personally go to Nanlei to check on the Uyghur army's situation!" Shang Xidongzan immediately stood up: "I will go too!"

----------

In reality, the so-called Uyghur reinforcements numbered far fewer than several thousand, perhaps even less than a thousand, and consisted of only two men.

These two men were none other than the exiled general, Dide, and Apochuk, son of Chebi Shitu Tunfa Peiluo Teqin. It is said that a dozen or so riders escorted the Crown Prince of Yabghu out of hiding, but most of them still served the Crown Prince. Only Dide and Apochuk were willing to accept Li Tan's request to offer themselves as compensation for being taken in, and also as hostages.

The armor of the Uyghurs was very Central Asian in style—mainly influenced by the Turks—and was different from that of the Tang army. However, that was only for the elite of their own tribe. Because there were many tribes under their jurisdiction and the social structure was complex, many warriors also used the Tang armor they were given, or simply wore leather hats and fur coats.

If that's the case, then it's easy to fake it.

Shanzhou was, after all, the residence of the military governor of Longyou, so it wouldn't be difficult to find a thousand sets of fur coats or leather armor with a less pronounced Central Plains style from the warehouse. The key was the flags; one Yehu flag was not enough. So Yang Yan summoned all the embroiderers and craftsmen in the city, and under Di De's guidance, they made two hundred Uyghur war flags in a single day.

They then loaded these supplies onto wagons, mixed them with grain wagons, and, under the protection of Li Ji and others, transported them via the Huangbei Avenue to Li Yuanzhong's army.

Since Li Yuanzhong broke out of the small gorge and captured the eastern fortress of the Fan army, communication between Shancheng and Shanzhou has been smooth. In recent days, he has been receiving various supplies and equipment to replenish his supplies, including warhorses that Li Tan and Yang Yan have collected from various places. Each prefecture and city needs to leave troops for defense, but horses are not very useful. It would be best to send them all to the front line. This is enough to form a cavalry force of more than a thousand men.

Most of those impersonating Uyghur cavalry were generals from the Shence Army, and more than half of them were actually capable of riding swiftly and fighting enemy horses. The commander of this cavalry was, of course, Li Ji, while Di De and Abo Chuo were merely decoys at the forefront.

Li Yuanzhong dispatched 3,000 infantrymen, mixed with 1,000 Uyghur cavalry, to attack the Tibetan army's fortifications south of Shancheng. The Tibetan general was greatly alarmed upon seeing the Uyghur banners and dared not engage in battle, instead maintaining a tight defense and sending a messenger to urgently inform the commander in the west of the city.

The Tang army halted and regrouped two arrow-lengths from the enemy's fortifications. Emperor De said to Li Ji, "Now that our Yabghu's banner has arrived, we are not afraid the barbarians will not be terrified. However, since they have fortifications to rely on, they may not retreat easily. We will probably need to fight them first. But the snow makes travel difficult, and we fear our cavalry will only be able to unleash half its full power. What should we do?"

Li Ji nodded: "Your Tang language is becoming more and more fluent." Then he raised his eyebrows: "Then I will lead the infantry forward first, while the cavalry provide cover with arrows."

Li Yuanzhong had experience fighting in the snow, so without Li Ji's reminder, he prepared a lot of dry grass to wrap around the shoes of the infantry or to tie to the hooves of the warhorses. This did not help much in terms of pulling one's legs in the snow, but it could prevent slipping to some extent. Outside the barbarian camp, cavalry often came and went to patrol, so most of the snow had long been trampled down and turned into ice, so preventing slipping was the most important thing.

Li Ji dismounted, ordered someone to hand him a large shield, which he held diagonally in front of him to protect himself. Then he shouted, "Li Erlang has summoned the Uyghur Yehuzha with ten thousand cavalry!" He then called to his infantry and charged forward.

Infantry shields were generally quite long, strapped to the arm, reaching from the eyebrows to the knees, and were made of wood covered with leather. There were also even larger shields, up to five feet long, which soldiers could completely conceal themselves behind by simply bending their knees and tucking their necks in. These were often used to protect fortifications in conjunction with vehicles—if infantrymen carried them, they would be too wide and heavy, hindering movement.

However, Li Ji used only this large shield, which he carried on his left arm, yet he still moved with incredible speed. Most of the arrows raining down from the enemy camp were blocked by the shield. If any missed, he could deflect them with his sword or the spears of the foot soldiers beside him. He covered the distance of two arrows in the blink of an eye, and by the time Li Ji leaped over the trench and approached the camp gate, the cavalry behind him had only just closed in on the enemy lines and hadn't even had time to fire arrows to provide cover.

Emperor De couldn't help but exclaim, "Li Ji is indeed an unparalleled warrior. Even among the Uyghurs, I'm afraid he has no equal!"

He was not the commander of the cavalry. The thousand cavalrymen were divided into two teams, still led by Chen Fu and Yi Tiechui, and Ma Meng, whom Li Ji had recruited from Hexi, was also among them.

Jia Huai claimed he wasn't good at riding horses and refused to disguise himself as a Uyghur cavalryman. He thought Li Ji, leading the cavalry, would definitely charge towards the barbarian bandits first, and he would be safer mixed among the infantry. Who would have thought that Li Ji would switch to infantry and advance ahead? Jia Huai had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow behind.

He was skilled with a staff, which was not a standard weapon in the army—staffs are not easy to kill people—but since he had to go into battle, he took a spear from the armory. It was slightly longer and heavier than the staff he was used to, with a four-sided iron head at one end and spikes on the head, which was specifically designed to break through armor.