Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 90

Li Ji, watching from the city wall, was dumbfounded—Holy crap, is this even possible?! Just then, he heard Pugu Huai'en laugh beside him: "The deputy commander and I are both Hu... we are from herdsman backgrounds and know horses very well. These little tricks are actually commonly used by us on the grasslands—look, Changwei, aren't there some good horses here? I'll go ask the deputy commander for more."

Li Ji felt a little dizzy and blurted out, "Aren't these male horses castrated?"

Warhorses were primarily stallions, firstly because they were generally larger and stronger than mares, and secondly because they didn't suffer from the problem of being forced to retire due to unplanned pregnancies—for example, the mares in Heyang City were mostly kept to carry military supplies and rarely used for combat. However, stallions in heat are very aggressive and almost impossible to control, posing a significant threat on the battlefield.

Therefore, the military horses of later generations were mainly geldings—once they were castrated, they were at peace and free from worries.

Li Ji knew that the Longyou army had many geldings, including the fine steed he had ridden from Longyou. So he couldn't understand why so many of the rebel army's warhorses were capable of drooling over mares; why weren't they castrated?

Pugu Huai'en said, "Horses in the north are mostly not gelded, especially such fine steeds; it would be a pity to geld them..."

Li Jicai realized that the technique, or rather the custom, of gelding horses was not yet widespread in all aspects at that time. As for these fine northern stallions, their owners certainly wanted to keep them for breeding and were reluctant to geld them... The key was that with years of war, not only had many soldiers died, but warhorses had also suffered heavy casualties, so those that remained were even less likely to be castrated.

Li Guangbi understood this point, which is why he used this ingenious technique to acquire more than a thousand fine horses in one fell swoop.

Li Ji couldn't help but laugh and said, "Shi Siming has lost so many fine horses, he must be crying his heart out, right?" Pugu Huai'en glanced at him and said, "Victory is nothing to be happy about, defeat is nothing to be sad about - given Shi Siming's nature, he will surely seek revenge - Changwei must not be careless."

As expected, Shi Siming's revenge came swiftly. He gathered hundreds of warships upstream, with fire ships in front, attempting to burn down the pontoon bridge. Li Guangbi, however, took out hundreds of long poles he had prepared beforehand, bound huge logs to their roots, and inserted iron forks into their tops to repel the fire ships. In this way, the fire ships could not approach the pontoon bridge and were all burned and scuttled.

Li Guangbi then set up makeshift artillery pieces on the pontoon bridge, destroying most of the rebel warships.

The key issue is that Shi Siming doesn't have any large ships. If he were coming from downstream, that would be fine, but upstream of the Heyang Bridge, how much territory does he actually occupy? If he were to build ships on the spot, wouldn't he be afraid of being wiped out by Zhang Xun's troops? The so-called hundreds of warships are actually mostly simple civilian boats that have been modified. Each boat can carry at most twenty or thirty people, so how much combat power can they have?

Upon seeing this from the city walls, Li Ji felt relieved—Li Guangbi was indeed a skilled strategist. With 20,000 men holding off 100,000, as long as supplies were plentiful, holding the position shouldn't be a problem. I had been considering staying a few more days if the situation didn't improve significantly after a month, but it seems that's unnecessary now.

In truth, among the vast army, his presence or absence wouldn't make a difference. He was simply worried and preferred to risk his life fighting here rather than return to Chang'an. He just waited anxiously for news from afar...

Immediately, Pugu Huai'en came to deliver the order, saying that he had obtained three hundred fine horses, all of which were given to him—"The deputy commander has ordered that you follow him to guard Yeshui Ferry."

Yeshui Ferry is located west of Heyang Bridge, south of Heqing City. Heqing and Heyang, one on the left and one on the right, guard Heyang Bridge, only Heqing City is slightly farther away. During the day, Li Guangbi defended the bridge against the enemy and noticed that the rebels intended to take the opportunity to survey the upstream waters. He worried that they would attack Yeshui Ferry and then directly seize Heqing City. If Heqing fell, the supply lines from the east of the river would be cut off.

Therefore, Li Guangbi personally led a contingent of troops—including Li Ji—to guard Yeshuidu. Of course, as the commander-in-chief, he could not stay away for long. So, after resting for half a day at Yeshuidu and strengthening the fortifications, he left his subordinate Yong Xihao to guard the area and returned to Heyang City.

He said to Yong Xihao, "There are many people on the south bank. If the bandit Shi sees my flag, he may send a fierce general to rob me. I will go back now and leave you here. Be careful and do not lose it."

Yong Xihao asked, "Since it is said that a fierce general was sent to abduct the deputy commander, it is most likely Gao Tinghui... I am afraid that I cannot withstand him, what should I do?" Li Guangbi smiled and pointed at Li Ji: "If we leave Li Erlang here, what is there to fear from Gao Tinghui?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "You really think highly of me... Of the three 'warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men,' I've already fought two of them, and I consider my skills to be roughly equal. I've heard that Gao Tinghui is ranked above Li Riyue and Yu Wenjing, so this opponent might not be so easy to deal with."

Of course, Li Ji was not a cowardly person, and he was even more pleased to face a strong opponent. He immediately crossed his arms and obeyed the order: "If Gao Tinghui does not come, fine. But if he does come, I will take his head and present it to you!"

However, Li Guangbi's boast was unfounded. After Li Guangbi left, Li Ji hurriedly asked Yong Xihao, "Who exactly is Gao Tinghui? What weapons does he wield?" He thought to himself, "Of the three 'warriors capable of defeating ten thousand men,' I've already defeated two in a row, but I haven't been able to capture a single one. Yu Wenjing escaped, and Li Riyue, if not for Lei Wanchun's surprise attack, would certainly have fled without a trace. I'm not afraid of this Gao Tinghui, but capturing him alive or killing him on the spot seems unlikely..."

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Chapter Twenty-Six: Soldiers Follow Their Generals

Just as Li Guangbi had predicted, when Shi Siming heard that his banner had appeared at Yeshuidu, he immediately summoned the fierce general Gao Tinghui and ordered, "Li Guangbi is good at defending cities, but now he has abandoned his stronghold and fled to the wilderness. He will surely be captured by me! You shall lead five hundred iron cavalry and cross the river to the north overnight to take Li Guangbi's head for me—if you fail, do not return empty-handed!"

Gao Tinghui accepted the order and left, crossing the river overnight. By the next morning, he had reached the front of Yongxihao's stronghold. Suddenly, a drum sounded, the stronghold gates swung open, and a general, spear in hand and mace in hand, rode out on horseback, leading his troops straight at them.

Gao Tinghui shouted, "Who are you? Is Minister Li here? Please invite Minister Li to speak with us."

The general opposite shouted, "I am Li Ji! I defeated Yu Wenjing and killed Li Riyue. You scoundrel, you can pass through my gate first, then you can seek out the Minister of Works!" He thrust his spear straight at Li Ji's chest.

Gao Tinghui was slightly taken aback. He naturally knew about Li Ji's defeat of Yu Wenjing, but as for Li Riyue—he only knew that he had died in battle. Could it be that he was also killed by this Li Ji? He couldn't help but feel a surge of anger in his chest, and he was also extremely excited to see the enemy. He immediately shouted, "What kind of pig or dog are you? Wait until I take your head to avenge my brother Li!" He brandished his long spear and quickly parried the attack.

Li Ji thought to himself, "Another one who wields a spear... I must find an opportunity to learn spear skills from Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun. Especially when they wield that big spear, how majestic and intimidating it is!" The two weapons clashed, and both sides secretly cheered.

Li Ji thought to himself, "This guy's strength is even greater than Yu Wenjing's. He truly deserves to be called the chief of the 'Ten Thousand Warriors.' If his moves are more refined than Li Riyue's, then he can rival Nan Jiyun. Fortunately, I haven't been idle these past few years. I've been honing my skills every day. Back then, I couldn't defeat Nan Jiyun outside Suiyang City, but that might not be the case now—I'll use you to sharpen my edge again!"

Gao Tinghui thought to himself: "He is indeed a brave and valiant general, which is why he was able to defeat Brother Yu and harm my Brother Li... But as long as we can defeat this man, the Tang army will surely be terrified. In addition, his camp is not very strong. I am fully confident that I can capture Li Guangbi! At that time, I will help the Emperor of Great Yan seize the world, and we will be able to become dukes and marquises for generations, ruling over the mountains and rivers!"

The two generals clashed on horseback. Li Ji, understanding the situation, knew that if he had a 50-60% chance of winning, he would personally kill the enemy general and would never allow his men to rush up to help. Otherwise, what about the five hundred elite cavalry behind Gao Tinghui? Their men and horses were generally larger and stronger than his own Shence Army troops. If they all charged at him, he would definitely not be able to withstand them.

They exchanged six or seven blows in an instant. Taking advantage of the moment when the two horses passed each other, Li Ji suddenly leaped forward a distance, then turned his horse around, raised his hand and shouted, "Stop!"

Gao Tinghui, not understanding why, said, "If you are afraid, then quickly dismount and surrender. I will not hold a grudge and can recommend you to the Emperor to succeed Brother Li Xian."

Li Ji laughed and said, "You are nothing but a brave man. How could I, a fine man, be compared to you? Did you come here specifically to kidnap Minister Li? To tell you the truth, Minister Li has already left!"

Gao Tinghui was shocked: "When did they leave?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of horses' hooves was heard, and a scout of men galloped out from behind the camp, heading east. Li Ji feigned alarm and shouted, "Why did they leave so soon?!" He gritted his teeth and thrust his spear at Gao Tinghui again.

Gao Tinghui couldn't care less about Li Ji at this moment, because Shi Siming had said beforehand: if you can't defeat Li Guangbi, then don't come back! He immediately turned his horse around and led his cavalry eastward in pursuit.

Li Ji led his troops in hot pursuit, and his Shence Army soldiers grabbed their bows and unleashed a barrage of arrows, causing the rebel riders to fall from their horses one after another. Li Ji, in particular, was almost unerring in his accuracy, killing three men with just three arrows.

Gao Tinghui didn't look back, but kept chasing. The distance to Heyang Bridge was nearly thirty li, and he was confident that with his fine steed, he would catch up with Li Guangbi in no time!

While pondering this, he put away his lance, took out his bow, nocked a heavy arrow, and aimed forward—but which one was Li Guangbi?

Suddenly, the horse stumbled, throwing Gao Tinghui off the horse headfirst, leaving him dazed and disoriented...

In fact, Li Guangbi had left quietly last night. Afterwards, Li Ji had been pondering how to capture or kill Gao Tinghui. The previous two prey had both escaped, but this one could not be let go in person—boy, I've decided to take your head!

Defeating the enemy might not be difficult, but taking their head in a one-on-one duel on the battlefield is much more challenging. The enemy is on horseback, after all, and even if defeated, there are plenty of opportunities to escape. Besides, the enemy generals and soldiers wouldn't just stand by and watch without coming to their aid, would they?

It's a pity that Lei Wanchun went back to Luoyang. Otherwise, if I had ambushed him nearby and waited for my victory, he could have suddenly attacked and killed Gao Tinghui just like he killed Li Riyue!

Thinking of this, Li Ji suddenly had a flash of inspiration—I just want Gao Tinghui's head, who cares if I killed him with my own hands? Why do I have to think about winning a one-on-one fight?

Gao Tinghui's arrival must be a surprise attack on Li Guangbi. Using Li Guangbi as a decoy will surely lure him into an ambush!

So he ordered Lao Jing to lead a troop of soldiers, pretending to flee east from the camp, to lure Gao Tinghui into pursuit. He secretly set up tripwires in the tall grass, just in time to wait for that scoundrel to catch up.

Having carefully surveyed the terrain and planned the route beforehand, Gao Tinghui, in his haste to pursue Li Guangbi, naturally lowered his guard and stepped into the trap. Immediately, Lao Jing turned back to attack, and Li Ji pursued from behind, encircling and attacking from both sides, completely surrounding the five hundred elite rebel cavalry.

By this time, Gao Tinghui had been rescued by his men and mounted on his horse. He had also killed the Tang soldiers who had tripped him with the ropes. However, the battle formation was in disarray, with hundreds of men crammed together. Tang cavalry were flanking him from the outside, raining down arrows. It seemed that defeat was inevitable... Gao Tinghui couldn't help but shout, "Li Ji, tell the truth, where is Minister Li?!"

Li Ji replied with a smile, "Sikong knew you were coming, so he returned to Heyang last night!"

Gao Tinghui asked again, "How many troops are left?"

Li Ji casually doubled the number: "Three thousand people."

Gao Tinghui couldn't help but sigh, and then shouted, "Stop! I am willing to surrender."

He wasn't without a chance to break through. Even if all three thousand Tang soldiers were sent, Gao Tinghui was confident that with his horse and spear, he could break through the encirclement—of course, with Li Ji present, the chances of survival were slim, but it wasn't entirely hopeless. However, how could he return? Shi Siming had already stated that if he couldn't capture Li Guangbi, he wouldn't be able to return. Given this, why not surrender?

Gao Tinghui's willingness to surrender came as a great surprise to Li Ji. Only after hearing Shi Siming's words did he sneer and say, "You are actually willing to support such a delusional person."

I thought Shi Siming was something special, but just from hearing him give Gao Tinghui that order, I knew he was a petty thief who couldn't truly unite people! Admittedly, provocation can be very effective on the battlefield, especially against a fierce general like Gao Tinghui, but didn't you expect Li Guangbi to leave first? You think you've got everything planned out, huh? You're being a bit too self-important.

At the very least, you should have said, "If Guangbi were here and you still couldn't get it, there's no need to return empty-handed." You're shifting the blame for your own mistakes onto your subordinates, don't you know that? This guy is just as cunning as Li Heng, only in a different direction... Indeed, the earth is round.

Li Ji then escorted Gao Tinghui back to Heyang. Respecting the brave warriors, he was quite polite to Gao Tinghui, not binding him but merely confiscating his armor and weapons. As the two rode side by side, Li Ji asked, "Shi Siming is arrogant and stubborn; why do you serve him?"

Gao Tinghui said with a wry smile, "This is unavoidable..."

He was from Hengzhou. He enlisted as a young man and joined the Fanyang Army, which was nearby. After several transfers, he was assigned to Shi Siming's command.

When An Lushan controlled the three towns of Fanyang, Pinglu, and Hedong, he was adept at using trade between Hu merchants and nomadic tribes to further exploit the people and accumulate immense wealth. He used most of it to reward his soldiers, gradually turning the troops of the three towns into his own private army rather than the regular army of the imperial court. In fact, all the military governors of the three towns had similar tendencies, but An Lushan went the furthest.

Therefore, lower-ranking military officers like Gao Tinghui only cared about their commanders. Since the emperor was far away, who would think of the court or the emperor? Then, when An Lushan rebelled, his subordinates were largely driven by herd mentality. Soldiers followed their generals, and generals followed their commanders; obeying superiors was the only safe course of action. Those who dared disobey were mostly killed by An Lushan, either first or later. Furthermore, the rebellion's initial rapid advance inevitably led people to suspect the Tang dynasty was ending and the rise of the Great Yan was in accordance with Heaven's will. Most officers and soldiers simply didn't have any inclination towards the Tang dynasty.

This is what the feudal system is all about. Although there was no real division of land and enfeoffment, the Zhou Dynasty still said, "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king." How many people really took it seriously? In politics, power was divided among officials at all levels. In the military, troops were divided among generals at all levels. Especially for military men like Gao Tinghui, who were not well-educated, they only cared about their superiors and had no regard for the court.

Because what I eat and use are all rewards from my superiors, not the salary from the imperial court—this is undoubtedly a major drawback of the border garrison system. The garrison commander appoints his own staff, and even recruits his own soldiers and raises his own military funds. Most of his subordinates and officers only have assignments and do not have formal official positions in the imperial court, thus opening the door for soldiers to be owned by their generals.

Shi Siming had always treated Gao Tinghui and others well, which was why they were willing to serve him. It was purely a matter of mutual benefit, and they had no ideals or beliefs whatsoever. If Shi Siming's orders hadn't been so unreasonable, leaving Gao Tinghui with no way out, he might have actually dared to fight to the death to repay Shi Siming's kindness—after all, in war, people always die. He had been mentally prepared for this since the first day he stepped onto the battlefield.

However, dying for one's lord is one thing; one can imagine that Emperor Shi might even feel sorrow and shed a tear for one's sake, and then one would die without regret. But Shi Siming has issued a treacherous order. It's easy to see that if one fights and escapes, one will surely face execution upon returning; if one dies, Shi Siming will only be furious at failing to capture Li Guangbi, without feeling any regret or guilt. So, is there any point in risking my life?

After listening to Gao Tinghui's explanation, Li Ji couldn't help but nod in agreement—in this era and under these circumstances, it was only natural. He then asked Gao Tinghui, "You are skilled with the spear. If I don't use any tricks and fight you head-on, I might not be your match. I wonder if you would be willing to teach me a thing or two?"

Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun are both in the Luoyang Palace. The person who is currently the closest to study is Gao Tinghui. Thinking of this, Li Ji couldn't help but feel secretly pleased: I was just regretting that this guy surrendered voluntarily and I couldn't behead him. Theoretically, it wouldn't count as my merit in capturing a general, but there are advantages to him not dying.

Gao Tinghui hurriedly said, "Lord Li is too modest. Your strength is astonishing and your martial arts are unparalleled. Even if we were to fight head-on with spears, I would not have much of a chance of winning. Let's see if Lord Li will pardon me when we go to see him this time. If I can join the Tang army and become Lord Li's comrade, I will teach you everything I know without reservation."

The two talked about martial arts and the war along the way, and got along quite well. At dusk, they arrived at the Heyang Bridge camp. When Li Guangbi heard that Gao Tinghui had surrendered, he was overjoyed and exclaimed, "In one day, I have gained two great generals. This is a sign that Heaven is blessing our Tang Dynasty and that the traitor Shi will be destroyed!"

He said he had "gained two great generals in succession." One was Gao Tinghui, but who was the other? Li Ji asked Pugu Huai'en and found out that he was referring to Dong Qin.

In fact, Dong Qin's background was somewhat similar to Gao Tinghui's. He was from Ji County and joined the Fanyang Army at a young age. He served under the military governors Xue Chuyu, Zhang Shougui, and An Lushan. He was more senior than Gao Tinghui and rose through the ranks to become a high-ranking general, a general of equal rank, and the vanguard commander of the Pinglu Army.

Comparatively, senior generals tend to have stronger individual opinions and stances, possess a certain degree of autonomy, and are less easily swept away by the tides of the times, nor are they easily overwhelmed.

After An Lushan's uprising, the Tang Dynasty sent Lü Zhihui to lead the Pinglu army. However, Lü Zhihui was quickly lured into surrendering by Han Chaoyang, a messenger sent by An Lushan. Dong Qin then conspired with his colleagues, including Liu Kenu, the Pinglu military commissioner, to assassinate Lü Zhihui and re-establish the Tang Dynasty. Afterwards, he proclaimed himself the military commissioner of Pinglu and supported Liu Kenu as the military governor of Pinglu. The Tang Dynasty bestowed upon Liu Kenu the name Liu Zhengchen.

Afterwards, Dong Qin followed Liu Zhengchen in fighting against the rebels in the Northeast, experiencing numerous battles and achieving many victories. Only after Liu Zhengchen was defeated by Shi Siming was Dong Qin forced to lead three thousand remaining soldiers on reed rafts to the sea, fighting in Hebei and Shandong. He was then appointed Prefect of Dezhou by the Tang court. After Shi Siming briefly surrendered to the Tang, Dong Qin was ordered to continue south, joining forces with Zhang Hao and others to recover the prefectures and counties of Henan. He was then reassigned as Prefect of Puzhou.

Therefore, Dong Qin had previously been clearly aligned with the Tang Dynasty, but his submission to Shi Siming this time was entirely out of necessity—with Xu Shuji's surrender, Puzhou became a dead city, and even if Dong Qin wanted to emulate Zhang Xun in defending Suiyang, it would not help the overall situation at all.

So, just last night, Li Guangbi hurriedly returned to Heyang Bridge from Yeshuidu. Before he could even sit down properly, he received a report that Dong Qin had led his 500 men, broke through the fence, and stormed out of the rebel camp to surrender.

Dong Qin's visit not only provided Li Guangbi with detailed information about the rebel army's plans and operations, but also brought back good news. Afterwards, when Pugu Huai'en told Li Ji about this, his first words were: "There's no worry on the Huai River!"

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Chapter Twenty-Seven: Fratricide

Human beings are diverse and varied. Even among mid-level officers and valiant warriors, there are many like Gao Tinghui, who completely follow the crowd and have virtually no personal opinions, but there are also a few clear-headed individuals who stand firm on their principles.

For example, Tian Shengong.

Tian Shenggong was originally a subordinate of Xu Shuji, but he surrendered to Shi Siming. Shi Siming was not very at ease with Xu Shuji—probably because the guy had such a bad reputation that neither the Tang nor the Yan sides liked him—although he appointed him as the Grand Chancellor and left him to guard Bianzhou, he divided the Bianhua Army in two, with the majority of the army led by Liang Pu, Liu Congjian, Tian Shenggong and others, to follow his beloved general Nan Dexin to seize Jianghuai.

However, upon reaching the Huai River, Tian Shenggong revealed his true colors, first attacking and killing Nan Dexin, then annexing the troops of Liu Congjian and others, and turning towards Shandong to cut off Shi Siming's rear.

Dong Qin reported this information to Li Guangbi, and Pugu Huai'en said to Li Ji: "Tian Shengong has only a few thousand soldiers and no reinforcements. Shi Ze has sent Jing Gang and others to guard Yunzhou. He may not be able to take it. However, the fact that Jianghuai is now safe and sound is itself a great achievement."

Even Li Ji, upon hearing this news, couldn't help but exclaim, "Is this what the people want?"

In truth, he didn't believe in human nature. Back in Chang'an, among the bureaucrats, all he saw was self-interest. Now, after a heart-to-heart talk with Gao Tinghui, he realized that in these times, most people had no real "direction," following anyone given a piece of meat, essentially no different from pigs or dogs. However, although the Tang Dynasty was unreliable, its lingering influence remained, and it had a well-established system that made it easy for ambitious individuals to climb the ranks. This might not be the case for the rebels.

For example, when Shi Siming treated Gao Tinghui, did he ever follow any rules? He didn't even show any affection. Therefore, it's understandable that so many people defected and then surrendered again, fleeing the rebel camp.

Li Guangbi naturally treated Dong Qin and Gao Tinghui well, and submitted a memorial to Chang'an requesting official positions and rewards for them. About half a month later, an envoy detoured from Hedong to Heyang and presented them with generous rewards.

First, Dong Qin was given the name Li Zhongchen, appointed as Grand Master of the Palace and Director of the Palace Guard, and given the title of Military Governor of Shaanxi and Shence armies. He was also granted the title of Duke of Longxi.

Secondly, Gao Tinghui was awarded the title of Right General of the Martial Guard.

Gao Tinghui was originally in the rebel army, holding the rank of Wutai Prefecture Guoyi Duwei—the highest rank of Wutai Prefecture Guoyi is a lower fifth-rank official—now he has been demoted to the Tang Dynasty and appointed as Right Wuwei Dajiangjun, directly rising to the third rank, which is equivalent to being promoted from lieutenant colonel to lieutenant general!

Although he understood the implication of "spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones," Li Ji couldn't help but feel somewhat resentful... "My achievements are considerable, aren't they? How come I'm still stuck around the seventh rank? Even if civil officials are more valuable and harder to promote than military officials, this pace is far too slow. Is it really true that 'if you want an official position, commit murder and arson and then accept amnesty'?"

But upon further reflection, there wasn't much that could be done. Ultimately, in the court's eyes, An Lushan and Shi Siming were the real threats. The remoteness of Longyou meant that any merit earned there couldn't be compared to that on the eastern battlefield; that was the past. As for this time assisting in the defense of Heyang, he was essentially sneaking out to earn some extra credit, so it wasn't convenient to openly mention it to Chang'an…

Li Ji thought to himself, "Why did I have to be a Lei Feng? Of course, I'll suffer first and get promoted later."

Over the course of more than half a month, Shi Siming launched several fierce attacks on the Tang camp in Heyang, but was defeated by Li Baoyu (An Chongzhang), the Right General of the Feathered Forest Army and Military Governor of Zheng and Chen; Li Feiyuanli, the Imperial Censor and Military Governor of Zhenxi and Beiting; and Pugu Huai'en. Li Ji, under Pugu Huai'en's command, participated in the final fierce battle.

At that time, Shi Siming personally led the main force to attack the southern fortress of Heyang, and sent his general An Taiqing to attack the northern fortress. Li Guangbi climbed the fortress and looked around. Seeing that the enemy was numerous but disorganized, he boasted, "I will surely defeat them for you gentlemen before noon."

But to everyone's surprise, the battle lasted the entire morning. Despite An Taiqing's skillful command, the Tang army could not gain the upper hand. Li Guangbi then summoned his generals and asked, "Where is the enemy's formation most fortified?" Everyone replied, "The northwest corner." Li Guangbi immediately dispatched his beloved general Hao Tingyu to attack the northwest. He then asked, "Where is the next fortified?" The answer was, "The southeast corner." So he sent his subordinate general Lun Weizhen to take it.

Li Guangbi then commanded his generals: "All of you should observe my banner before engaging in battle. When the banner waves slowly, you may choose to advance or retreat as you see fit; if the banner waves rapidly three times to the ground, then all troops will advance simultaneously, with no retreat allowed. Anyone who retreats will be executed!" He then inserted a small knife into his boot and said, "The battlefield is perilous. I am one of the three highest officials of the state, and I cannot die at the hands of the enemy. If the battle goes against us and you die before the enemy, I will commit suicide here, so that none of you may die alone!"

Hao Tingyu and Lun Weizhen accepted the order and departed, while Pugu Huai'en took the lead on the main battlefield. Pugu Huai'en had a son, Pugu Yang, who held the official position of Kaifu Yitong Sansi, and he and Li Ji each led a cavalry unit to support the infantry on the left and right. At that time, the Tang army numbered less than 10,000, while the opposing rebel army outnumbered them three to one. If they had held their fortifications firmly, they should have been able to hold out. The problem was that Shi Siming was launching a fierce attack on the southern fortress, so Li Guangbi hoped to quickly defeat the enemy in the north in order to relieve the siege of the southern fortress. In addition, seeing that the enemy's formation was disorganized, he decided to lead his troops out into the open field for battle.

Unfortunately, An Taiqing was also a veteran of the rebel army, not a fool. His previous nonchalant demeanor was entirely a facade, his aim being to lure Li Guangbi out. Because, generally speaking, despite Li Guangbi's fierce, barbarian appearance and constant calls for battle, his most famous victories were all in defending cities and fortresses. That's why Shi Siming had previously said, "Li Guangbi is skilled at defending cities, but now he has abandoned his fortified positions and fled to the wilderness; he will surely be captured by us..." An Taiqing also didn't want to directly confront the Tang forces.

Li Guangbi underestimated the enemy and boasted, "I will surely defeat them by midday," only to be dealt a heavy blow by the rebels.

In truth, as the commander-in-chief, he could deny it at any time, but the army had already been deployed outside the fortress, and retreating back to the fortress would not be an easy task. In addition, the southern fortress was also under heavy attack by the enemy... So this Minister Li was really anxious, and even prepared to commit suicide after defeat.

The only option now is to rely on high morale, a desperate fight, and skillful command to achieve victory against overwhelming odds. Only by defeating An Taiqing head-on can we relieve the crisis at the northern base and even the southern base.

This wasn't the first time Li Ji had faced a massive army, but it was different from his previous experience defending against the Tibetans in Longyou. Firstly, the Tibetan army's discipline and organization were incomparable to the rebel soldiers who had once served under the Tang army. Secondly, he had previously adopted an offensive strategy, while the Tibetan army had been defensive—the Battle of Xiaoxia was relatively small and could be disregarded—but now he saw a large contingent of infantrymen advancing like a forest of spears, and any cavalry charge would be certain death. The psychological impact was undoubtedly much stronger.

In such a large-scale battle on the plains, Li Ji and Pugu Yang, leading the cavalry, could only serve to protect the flanks of the infantry. They dared not directly charge into the enemy's fortified positions, and could only engage in guerrilla warfare and archery. In fact, he had received similar missions in Xiaoxia, but at that time there were fortified positions to rely on, and they could retreat at any time. Now, however, it was pure open field battle, and Li Guangbi had given the order that those who retreated would die!

While the commander-in-chief's banner is currently only swaying gently, without being shaken violently to the ground, allowing generals to advance or retreat as needed, Li Guangbi is still outside the fort. You can't retreat behind him, let alone into the fort.

Fortunately, Li Ji's Shence Army was also an elite force from Longxi, with most soldiers skilled in archery and horsemanship. As long as they didn't rush into a direct confrontation with the infantry phalanx, they shouldn't be defeated. Since the cavalry was far too few, the outcome depended entirely on the infantry.

Of the 20,000 troops Li Guangbi commanded in Heyang, 90% were infantry, with only 3,000 horses, nearly half of which were mares and foals used as pack animals. Although he had previously lured the rebels away with 1,000 fine horses, he was forced to disperse his forces because cavalry was needed on various battlefields, so each cavalry unit was less than a battalion (500 men).

For example, when Li Guangbi sent Hao Tingyu to attack the northwest corner of the enemy's formation, Hao Tingyu requested 500 cavalry, but Li Guangbi only gave him 300. When he ordered Lun Weizhen to attack the southeast corner of the enemy's formation, Lun Weizhen also requested 300 cavalry, but Li Guangbi only gave him 200. Specifically, in the front lines of Pugu Huai'en's army, Li Ji and Pugu Yang each led only 300 or 400 cavalry, which was absolutely impossible to play a key role against thousands or tens of thousands of enemy troops.

They could only desperately protect their infantry formation to prevent enemy cavalry from flanking them from the left and right. If the infantry won, causing chaos or a retreat in the enemy ranks, the cavalry could seize the opportunity to charge and potentially expand their gains; if the infantry were defeated, the cavalry would have to cover the rear, and would most likely face a perilous situation with little chance of survival. The outcome depended solely on the direct confrontation between the infantry.

Li Ji gave half of his cavalry to Lao Jing, and the two generals took turns advancing and retreating, firing at the enemy formation. Cui Qi also pretended to receive a lance and a saber, but she basically didn't know how to use them... As for a riding bow, she had never learned how to use it.

The most valued items by the state have always been armor and bows and crossbows. While the private manufacture and possession of almost all weapons are permitted, or at least tacitly allowed, of all other weapons, the manufacture and possession of armor and powerful bows and crossbows are strictly prohibited and severely punished. Therefore, ordinary people might possess at most one or two short and weak hunting bows—the situation is different for nomadic tribes under the empire's jurisdiction—and as for江湖豪客 (jianghu heroes/martial arts heroes), archery is certainly not a required skill.

—It's one thing if you carry a bow and hunt in your own hometown, but to travel across provinces and wander around everywhere? Are you looking for death?

Therefore, while Cui Qi might be able to fake a few moves with a lance and a sword, she was completely incapable of using a horse archery. Li Ji had given her some pointers before the battle to help her defend herself, but being able to draw a bow and shoot an arrow is one thing, and hitting the target is another entirely.

While Cui Qi was skilled with flying swords, they were primarily thrown in a straight line, and their maximum range was no more than twenty paces. War bows, even relatively short cavalry bows, had a minimum firing range of thirty paces, and beyond twenty paces, they mostly had to be launched by glide rather than fired horizontally, otherwise they wouldn't withstand gravity. In short, archery was a completely new subject for Cui Qi, and it was not something he could master in just a few days.