Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 58

Qilibuzang worried that not only would it be difficult to hold out for long, but if the Tang army received reinforcements and turned the defense into an offense, the possibility of defeat would increase day by day given the current state of his army.

Left with no other choice, they turned their attention to the northern route as if by sheer luck.

On the very day that Li Ji returned to the east of the gorge, Qilibuzang dispatched three hundred cavalrymen to cross the Huangshui River from a place out of sight of the Tang army—a place five miles west of the gorge, where the river was wide, shallow and slow-flowing, and there was also a small island in the middle of the Huangshui River—and then circled eastward to launch a surprise attack on the gorge.

—Perhaps the Tang army made a mistake and didn't deploy too many troops in the northern route. If our army can break through smoothly and outflank them, we have no fear of defeating the Tang army.

Li Ji indeed didn't leave many soldiers on the northern route, only fifty men per unit. This wasn't due to his confusion or negligence—after all, this arrangement had been approved by Li Yuanzhong—but rather because the roads within the gorge were narrow, and leaving more men wouldn't have been of much use. Thus, the barbarian cavalry successfully broke into the gorge, but after traveling only a short distance, they could only pass one horse at a time, forming a long, snaking line, before being met with a barrage of crossbow fire from the Tang army…

The Tang army piled up stones along the road, and the archers were arranged in tiers according to their range. In one volley, the first three barbarian cavalrymen and their horses were riddled with arrows. The barbarian cavalry immediately fell into chaos. The former retreated hastily, while the latter, not knowing what was happening, still tried to follow. In the blink of an eye, four more corpses lay on the ground.

Forced to report back to Qilibuzang, he said that the northern route was impassable unless they used ten times the number of infantrymen, each carrying large shields, to try and cross. But how could Qilibuzang dare to send five or six hundred infantrymen, whose morale was extremely low and difficult to recover, to attack the northern route? He was afraid that as soon as he divided his forces, the Tang army would break through the fortifications and attack from the front.

Moreover, unless we break through the Tang forces in the north in one go, if we delay for another two or three quarters of an hour, who knows if the Tang people will send reinforcements?

They could only temporarily abandon their delusions and send out only a hundred infantrymen to the northern exit to set up camp and build fortifications to prevent the Tang people from making their way out.

He sent men back to the main camp almost daily to urge reinforcements, but the result was always the same: "Wait a few more days." The siege of Shancheng was at a critical juncture. The Tibetans had concentrated their elite troops on the west side of the city, launching daily attacks. They had finally made greater progress than on the first day; most of the moat in front of the city had been filled in, and the west gate had been burned down. The Tang army could only block it with bricks, stones, and carts. They even managed to climb the city walls twice, though they were quickly driven down, and those who fell were almost certainly killed. This showed that with sufficient troops and proper command, Shancheng was not invincible.

At this critical juncture, not only did Shang Zanmo not approve of attacking Xiaoxia in the first place, but even if he changed his mind, Ma Chongying and Shang Xidongzan would not be willing to divide their troops to aid Qilibuzang.

Qilibuzang had no other choice but to defend the camp strictly and patrol the camp every day to encourage the soldiers, hoping to boost their morale.

For the next two days, the Tang cavalry stopped coming out to shout and harass them, and Qilibuzang already had a bad feeling. Two days later, at dawn, before the drums of war had even sounded in the army, he woke up automatically due to a long-standing habit. He wrapped himself in his robes and stepped out of his tent, when suddenly he felt the ground beneath his feet tremble slightly…

Qilibuzang sensed something was wrong and was about to go to the camp gate to check when a guard ran up to report: "The Tang people have come out of the camp and formed ranks!"

Qilibuzang was taken aback—could it be that the enemy had received reinforcements? He hurriedly ordered the drums and horns to be beaten and all the soldiers to be mobilized in advance. The infantry did not need to leave the camp, but only needed to stay at their posts. The cavalry were to quickly form ranks so that they could flank the Tang soldiers who were about to attack from the left and right.

While the Tibetan army was hastily preparing, the Tang army had already completed its formation, with infantry in the center and cavalry on the left and right, slowly pressing forward.

According to common sense in warfare, if the Tibetans were capable of fighting, they should have deployed their troops and formed ranks; if they were unwilling to fight, even if they had strictly defended their trenches, fortifications, and palisades, they could have sent their cavalry out first to slow the enemy's advance and attempt to disrupt their formation. Unfortunately, battles usually took place at dawn, but today the Tang army rose early in the dark and launched their attack before daybreak. As a result, most of the Tibetan cavalry had only just donned their armor and mounted their saddles and were unable to organize themselves before the Tang army approached.

Then we can only adopt a purely defensive posture for now, and wait until the Tang army is exhausted before sending out the cavalry.

Qilibuzang had barely donned his armor when the Tang army was already within range of the Tibetan camp. At the sound of a drum, both infantry and cavalry suddenly accelerated, and both sides unleashed a rapid barrage of arrows. After only three rounds, they clashed.

These past few days, the barbarian army had stopped attacking the Tang fortress and had devoted considerable effort to fortifying their own camp. The camp was fortified with layers of deer antlers, trenches, and earthen ramparts—though not as high as the Tang fortresses—as well as palisades. However, Li Ji, who frequently led cavalry to harass them, had seen all these preparations. Therefore, this time, he was well-prepared and quickly moved the deer antlers, crossed the trenches, and reached the ramparts and palisades.

As a result, the main method of fighting was archery, but the fighting turned into sword and spear combat.

The key point is that when the Tang army charged forward, they all shouted the name "Li Erlang", which caused many of the Tibetan soldiers who were already terrified to become weak-kneed and their fighting power to drop sharply. However, when Qilibuzang mounted his horse and looked around, he could not see the figure of "Li Erlang" anywhere. Where was he hiding?

If Li Ji were to appear in person on the battlefield, the morale of the barbarian army would likely plummet, but at the same time, Qilibuzang felt a sense of unease. His inability to find Li Ji anywhere made him uneasy, suspecting the enemy was plotting something.

That guy wouldn't suddenly appear out of nowhere I can't predict, and come straight for me, trying to make me the next Qiangba Luobu, would he?!

Just as I was filled with fear, I suddenly received a message: "A Tang army broke through the northern route, trampled our camp, and is heading east!"

Upon hearing this, Qilibuzang was terrified—"This must be Li Erlang, trying to cut off my escape route!"

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On that day, Li Ji knelt down, clutching Li Tan's sleeve, earnestly pleading with him. He didn't expect to change Li Tan's mind with just a few words; he only hoped to offset his previous boasts and make Li Tan calmly listen to his analysis of the battle situation.

Unexpectedly, when Li Tan heard him say the words "the soldiers are won over, the people praise him, his fame resounds throughout the world, and his name will be remembered in history," his body trembled slightly, and then his expression gradually softened. After Li Ji finished speaking, Li Tan turned around, stretched out his arms to help him up, and then waved his hand to signal the bystanders to leave the tent.

Once they were alone in the military tent, Li Tan pulled Li Ji to sit down behind the desk, then patted Li Ji's thigh, leaned closer, and whispered, "There is something I cannot hide from you, Chief Guard."

"Please enlighten me, Your Highness."

Li Tan's expression was solemn as he slowly said, "We have just received a secret report—Shi Siming has rebelled again!"

After fleeing Luoyang, An Qingxu hurriedly crossed the Yellow River northward and entered Xiangzhou—also known as Yecheng, a famous city since the Han and Wei dynasties. Rebel armies from all directions gradually joined him, and he gained more than 60,000 men, which calmed his mind somewhat. However, Shi Siming, who was left to guard Fanyang, refused to send troops to help him and even refused to send a single envoy. This made An Qingxu suspect that he had ulterior motives. He ordered Ashina Chengqing, An Shouzhong, and Li Lijie to lead 5,000 cavalrymen northward under the pretense of conscripting soldiers, but in reality, they were assessing the situation and looking for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

Shi Siming personally led tens of thousands of troops to welcome them, feigning a banquet in their honor. During the banquet, he used a wine cup as a signal to capture three generals and disperse their troops. Immediately afterwards, he presented a letter of surrender to the Tang court, expressing his willingness to offer up his thirteen prefectures and thirteen thousand soldiers to assist the Tang in conquering Yan.

Just before Li Bi left, he proposed to persuade Shi Siming to surrender in order to cut off An Qingxu's arm. Li Heng was overjoyed when he received the letter and immediately approved it. He also conferred the title of Prince of Guiyi on Shi Siming and appointed him as the military governor of Fanyang.

After receiving his title, Shi Siming immediately executed An Shouzhong and Li Lijie, presenting their heads to Chang'an—only Ashina Chengqing, an old friend of his, was spared. He then mustered his troops and marched south, spreading the Tang court's decree everywhere, and successively persuaded many cities to surrender, except for Xiangzhou, which remained under An Qingxu's control.

The Tang court therefore issued another imperial edict, bestowing upon Shi Siming the title of Military Governor of Hebei.

However, the proposal to recruit Shi Siming faced considerable opposition within the Tang court from the outset. Zhang Hao secretly submitted a memorial to Li Heng, stating, "Shi Siming is a wicked and treacherous man who usurped the throne through rebellion. His army is strong, and the people will follow; his power will be diminished, and they will desert him. This villain is unpredictable and no different from a beast. He can be captured by cunning, but not by righteousness. I humbly request that you not grant him authority." But Li Heng, eager to quell the rebellion, not only approved the proposal but also granted him the title of military governor of two towns. However, amidst the remonstrances of his ministers, he became suspicious and plotted to seize Shi Siming's military power…

"You can discard someone after they've served their purpose, but you should at least wait until they're no longer useful. An Qingxu hasn't even been pacified yet, what's the rush?!"

So, following Li Guangbi's plan, Wu Chengen was sent north to serve as the deputy military governor of Fanyang. He was instructed to divide and weaken Shi Siming's forces and find an opportunity to kill Shi Siming. Wu Chengen's father, Wu Zhiyi, had been Shi Siming's former superior, and the two were close friends. It was assumed that Shi Siming would not suspect him. However, Shi Siming was cunning by nature, and how could he not be wary? He saw through Wu Chengen's scheme and executed Wu Chengen and his son, along with more than two hundred of their followers—including Ashina Chengqing, who had been inadvertently implicated—and once again raised the banner of rebellion.

Staff officer Geng Renzhi tried to persuade Shi Siming not to change his mind, but Shi Siming, disregarding their more than thirty years of friendship, personally smashed Geng Renzhi's head with a stick...

Li Tan informed Li Ji of this news today, and Li Ji was shocked, blurting out, "If Shi Siming truly has an army of 130,000, I'm afraid Fanyang and Hebei will be difficult to pacify!" Li Tan smiled bitterly, "What's even more worrying is that he might join forces with An Qingxu again, in which case I really don't have a good outlook on the war in Hebei..."

Another important reason why Li Tan was pessimistic about this battle was that Li Heng, having listened to someone's slander, completely abandoned the military campaign and instead ordered Guo Ziyi, the military governor of Shuofang, Li Guangbi, the military governor of Hedong, Wang Sili, the military governor of Guannei, Lu Jiong, the military governor of Huaixi, Xu Shuji, the military governor of Huapu, Zhang Xun, the military governor of Zhengcai, Li Siye, the military governor of Beiting, Cui Guangyuan, the military governor of Weizhou, Ji Guangchen, the military governor of Jingnan, and Dong Qin, the military commissioner of Pinglu, to advance on An Qingxu from different directions.

There were eleven military governors (or military commanders), but no marshal was appointed; only the eunuch Yu Chaoen served as the military supervisor for each region. Theoretically, Guo Ziyi would naturally be the highest-ranking, most senior, and most prestigious, but in the army, he didn't have a clear superior-subordinate relationship with the other nine, so he might not have been able to command them effectively…

Upon hearing the explanation, Li Ji was speechless—he was truly speechless at the emperor's blunder. Then Li Tan slowly said, "I fear the war in Hebei will end in defeat. Even if we don't lose, we certainly won't be able to quell the rebellion next year. With the rebellion unquenched and the Western Army not returning, even if we manage to repel the barbarians this year, they will return next year, and we will ultimately be powerless to stop them..."

Li Ji frowned and asked, "Does Your Highness intend to resign?"

Li Tan shook his head and said, "I made boastful remarks in front of the sage before my journey. If I cannot win, how can I resign and return to Chang'an in less than a year? I still have some shame!"

"Therefore, after much deliberation, only one plan remains..."

"Your Highness, please enlighten me."

Li Tan stared intently at Li Ji, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. He then spoke slowly and deliberately, but without hesitation: "Only by going all out and severely defeating the barbarian bandits can we secure Longyou and prevent them from launching another full-scale invasion! As Changwei just said, since I don't have to die, what reason is there not to spend a fortune?"

Given Li Tan's status, it was impossible for him to actually go to the front lines unless he courted death. Even if the army was defeated, or even if the entire Longyou region fell, he could still safely escape back to Chang'an. Therefore, this gamble of his wasn't about betting his entire fortune or life; he was simply going all in with the money he had in his pocket. Even if he lost it all, he would still return home in luxury. At most, his family would refuse to let him gamble again.

The problem is, even if we win this bet, we might not have the chance to go to a casino again in the future—so what's there to be afraid of?!

/♂

Chapter Twenty: Loyal Souls Protect the Nation

In fact, Li Tan had long harbored a gambler's mentality, so he secretly discussed with Li Ji how to deal a heavy blow to the barbarian bandits.

—It's not that I'm unwilling to send reinforcements to the front lines, but I'm afraid the troops are not very skilled and it would be of no use to send them. Changwei, do you have any brilliant ideas for me?

After repeated discussions, Li Tan selected two thousand infantrymen under his command to secretly cross the small gorge from the south to reinforce Li Yuanzhong. Li Ji, on the other hand, led the remaining five hundred Shence soldiers, equipped with warhorses, and set off from the north under cover of night—leaving only five hundred men to guard Li Tan and remain in the east of the gorge to await reports from the front.

The main reason was the lack of cavalry at the front. Even if they could defeat the enemy in front of them, they would probably not be able to catch up and would be unable to inflict maximum damage. After all, "it is better to cut off one finger than to injure ten fingers of the enemy." However, cavalry could not travel the southern route and could only slowly move westward from the northern route. Therefore, they simply split up, with cavalry in the north and infantry in the south.

The fact that the Tibetan army had built fortifications at the northern pass of the gorge could not be kept secret from the Tang people—in fact, there was no need to hide it, as Li Ji had already been mentally prepared. So, he first abandoned his mount at his own fortification, then led several dozen strong men, removing their armor and helmets, armed only with short weapons, each gagged, and under the cover of starlight and the dim light of night, quietly sneaked to the Tibetan fortifications. With a loud shout, "Li Erlang is here!" he charged straight in. Caught off guard and hearing of Li Ji's name, the hundred Tibetan soldiers scattered instantly. Li Ji then led his cavalry out of the gorge, directly attacking the Tibetan army's rear.

The specific time for the operation had, of course, been communicated to Li Yuanzhong long ago, and he had made preparations in advance. As soon as Li Ji emerged from the small gorge, fires were lit in the northern camp to signal the start of the attack. Li Yuanzhong immediately ordered: "Open the gates, spread out the barracks, and form ranks. At daybreak, we will attack the barbarian bandits and strive to annihilate them in one fell swoop!"

Li Tan made up his mind to take a gamble, while Li Yuanzhong, a fierce general in the army, always had a stronger gambling instinct than his superior. He knew this was a golden opportunity. If they could defeat the enemy, the pressure on Shancheng would be greatly reduced. If they failed, he believed the commander would not send reinforcements. Therefore, he concentrated all his forces, and even the five hundred men on the cliff were lowered down by ropes. Except for Yi Tiechui leading a few wounded soldiers to guard the camp, everyone else was sent down.

Even with the addition of two thousand new infantrymen, the Tang army's strength was still only half that of the enemy. However, their morale was high and everyone was brave. Under Li Yuanzhong's skillful command, they quickly broke through the barbarian fortifications and trenches and began close combat.

In terms of hand-to-hand combat, the Tang army was already superior—because their weapons were relatively better—Li Yuanzhong sent Mo Dao soldiers to mingle among the spearmen, to desperately cut through the fence and attempt to rush up the ramparts.

The Mo Dao was a uniquely shaped long-handled sword, as heavy as a spear, but with a blade twice the size. Besides its thrusting capabilities like a spear, it could also slash. Originally, it was a powerful weapon used in formations to counter cavalry. Later generations often mythologized the Mo Dao—mainly because no actual artifacts survived, allowing for boundless imagination based on limited written records—but if this weapon was truly indestructible, why wasn't it a primary weapon of the Tang army, and why is there no surviving example?

In fact, the Mo Dao itself is not much different from the Heng Dao or Zhang Dao, except that it can be connected to a long handle. Therefore, in daily storage, the blade and handle are often separated. In addition, the wooden handle is easy to decay, so naturally no complete cultural relics can be left.

Li Yuanzhong utilized the long handle of his Mo Dao (陌刀) and its slashing ability to destroy the palisades outside the barbarian camp with great success. In the blink of an eye, several breaches were cleaved in the wooden palisades, allowing spearmen and sword-and-shield soldiers to swarm in. Seeing this, Qilibuzang had no choice but to order some of his well-equipped cavalry to dismount and join the melee—the infantry's fighting ability was simply too poor, and their morale was low; before long, many had abandoned their weapons and fled.

He was just about to send the remaining cavalry out from the left and right flanks to harass the Tang army and relieve pressure on the front when he suddenly received a report that a Tang army force had already broken through the fortifications blocking the valley entrance on the north route and was rushing eastward. Qilibuzang was shocked and blurted out, "That must be Li Erlang!"

No wonder we couldn't find the thief anywhere; it turns out they used their trump card here!

Qilibuzang hesitated for only a moment before turning his horse around and fleeing in disarray.

He had considered the situation clearly. Morale was low, and even with fortifications, it would be difficult to repel the Tang army's fierce attack. Even deploying cavalry on both flanks would only slightly salvage the situation. If he was a step too slow, Li Ji could lead his troops to the camp and launch a pincer attack from the east and west, potentially encircling and annihilating his army.

By then, I'm afraid I won't be able to leave even if I wanted to!

The battle is lost, and I can't blame myself entirely—who told the main camp to refuse to send reinforcements? Since that's the case, what's the point of me fighting to the death here? I might as well cut my losses and leave the battlefield as soon as possible. With the thousand or so cavalrymen protecting me, I should be able to escape alive.

With Qilibuzang gone, the Tibetan army immediately collapsed, and the Tang army successfully stormed into the camp, with no fewer than a thousand surrendering without weapons. Unfortunately, these were mostly infantrymen, essentially Tibetan serfs, while the semi-professional cavalry scattered in all directions. Chen Fu led the Tang cavalry in a fierce pursuit, but ultimately, his own forces were too few, and the casualties were limited.

Meanwhile, Qilibuzang had fled more than five miles in one breath when he suddenly heard the sound of galloping hooves. A group of Tang cavalry charged straight at him from the flank. This was naturally Li Ji. The place where he crossed the Huangshui River was the same as the place where the Tibetan cavalry attacked the northern route the day before, because it was the most convenient place for cavalry to cross the river nearby.

Seeing that the Tang cavalry were outnumbered and the pursuers had not yet caught up, Qilibuzang pointed with his whip from his horse and said, "Is there anyone who dares to fight? If you can capture or kill Li Erlang, the Grand Council has offered a great reward!"

However, after calling out three times, only a few people responded.

The Tibetan army naturally had its share of brave warriors. If the two armies were to clash head-on, many would be eager to charge forward and challenge Li Ji, hoping to seize any chance of wealth and power. The problem was, this was a defeated battle. The main camp had been abandoned, and the commander had fled in disarray. How many men would still have the courage to fight that "Li Erlang"?

In the blink of an eye, the Tang cavalry were upon them. Only a few Tibetan riders led the charge, but before they could even get close to Li Ji, the Tang cavalry fired arrows, and they were all shot off their horses.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Qilibuzang immediately lashed a lieutenant beside him with his whip and shouted, "Go and stop the Tang people!" Then he pulled on the reins and galloped away in a southerly direction, fleeing for his life.

But in that brief delay, Li Ji had already spotted the barbarian general amidst the thousands of troops. He immediately shouted, "Shoot the men, shoot the horses; capture the king to capture the thief!" and led five hundred Shence cavalrymen straight over, quickly scattering the demoralized and disorganized barbarian cavalry.

Li Ji killed three enemies in quick succession, then spurred his horse to pursue Qilibuzang. Twenty miles passed in the blink of an eye, and before him stood only Qilibuzang, alone on horseback—

Warriors can be brave or cowardly, and horses can be slow or sluggish. Qilibuzang's guards either fell behind or were shot dead by Tang cavalry.

As for the Tang people, Li Ji glanced around briefly and saw that his nearest comrades were still a mile behind him...

Since he had led his cavalry out, he naturally chose the most magnificent steed. With virtually no enemy in front of him, his warhorse almost never slowed down and naturally charged to the front. However, after about twenty li, both Qilibuzang in front and Li Ji behind gradually slowed down, their warhorses panting heavily, already nearing their limit.

After running a little further, not only was Shancheng in sight, but the Tibetan army camp set up to the east of the city was also getting closer and closer. Qilibuzang felt a little more at ease, and then lashed the horse's rump hard again—as long as I could escape back to the camp, I didn't care if I killed this beast.

Li Ji, trailing behind, grew anxious and hurriedly drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and fired a fierce shot at the barbarian general in front of him—unfortunately, the distance was too great, and with the horse galloping at high speed, it was difficult to aim accurately, and the arrow missed by two feet. Relying on his strength, Li Ji fired three more arrows in the blink of an eye, but apart from one arrow hitting the horse's rump, which actually spurred the barbarian horse to run even faster, he achieved nothing.

At this moment, the Tibetan cavalry sent out from the eastern Tibetan camp, who had been lingering nearby, also gathered around. Qilibuzang hurriedly shouted, "Li Erlang is behind us. If we can capture and kill him, the Grand Council will surely reward us handsomely!" So dozens of riders brandished their spears and swords and rushed straight towards Li Ji.

Although Li Ji was frustrated, he dared not take any more risks. He had no choice but to raise his sword and spear and change the direction of his charge. He first steered his horse slightly to the side and charged at the northernmost barbarian rider. With a swift movement of his spear, he pierced the barbarian's chest and knocked him off his horse.

But then a spear thrust came from the side. Li Ji parried, and as their weapons clashed, his opponent, unable to withstand his immense strength, dropped the spear and was forced to lie prone on his saddle, galloping away. This brief delay allowed the remaining barbarian cavalry to circle around, some continuing westward to intercept the Tang cavalry following behind, while the four bravest riders surrounded Li Ji. Then, four longswords slashed down from different directions.

Li Ji used his right hand to parry one enemy with his sword and his left hand to parry two more with his spear. The only enemy he could face head-on was the blade. He twisted his neck, tilted his helmet to one side, and narrowly deflected the blade, causing a few sparks to fly from the metal beast-shaped shoulder guard.

The headbutt was merely a matter of using the force to deflect the impact, but the three blows from his hands were mostly hard collisions, equivalent to three burly men simultaneously exerting force on Li Ji from above. Li Ji himself could withstand it, but his warhorse had been galloping for quite some time and was exhausted. How could it possibly endure it? It immediately let out a mournful neigh, its four hooves buckled, and it collapsed to the ground.

Li Ji thought to himself, "What a fine horse! It didn't throw me off with a single lurch..." The horse fell slowly, giving him a chance to escape from the stirrups. He immediately swerved to the side. Before he could even regain his footing, a hoof the size of a bowl came hurtling towards his chest. Li Ji blocked it with his spear, taking a slight step back, but then another hoof struck him from the side, hitting him squarely in the groin. At the same time, three long swords came crashing down on his head with a gust of wind...

In that life-or-death moment, Li Ji suddenly unleashed an unprecedented agility. He rolled on the ground, and although he was in a sorry state, he narrowly avoided being trampled by horses and slashed by swords, escaping the encirclement. However, as soon as he leaped to his feet, another spear thrust towards his chest.

Li Ji had lost his lance during his roll, leaving him only with his broadsword. Instead of parrying, he relied on his superior martial arts skills, employing the same tactic he had used before: slightly shifting his body, he reached out his left hand and grabbed the lance shaft, then forcefully snatched it away—

They failed to seize it.

It wasn't that the barbarian cavalry were stronger than Li Ji, but the enemy was a fresh force, while Li Ji had been fighting for a long time and was inevitably sore and weak. Moreover, just as he was exerting his strength, another arrow was shot from the side, forcing him to let go and stagger backward to dodge.

Li Ji thought to himself, "No wonder people say 'one horse is worth ten paces.' When on horseback, one can unleash twelve times the power of ten, while when I'm off the horse, I can't even use half of my skills..."

Fortunately, his entourage finally arrived one after another, which slightly drove away some of the barbarian cavalry and protected Li Ji in the center. Immediately, a knight jumped down and handed the reins to Li Ji: "Second Brother, mount your horse."

Li Ji asked, "And what about you?"

The other party smiled and said, "What is my life worth? On horseback, I can only fight two at a time, but Erlang, once you're on horseback, you can fight ten at a time! Please, Erlang, quickly mount your horse and kill the thieves."

Li Ji had no time for pleasantries. He nodded to the Tang soldier, then mounted his horse. Looking around, he saw dozens of corpses lying within a dozen or so feet, half barbarians and half Tang soldiers. He shouted, "Li Erlang is here! Lead your men to kill the traitors!"

The Tang cavalry responded with a resounding shout, their morale soaring. The Tibetans, on the other hand, were terrified, some even showing signs of fear and retreating slightly. However, before Li Ji could unleash his fury under the cover of his comrades, horns sounded from the Tibetan camp opposite, and the gates burst open, countless banners pouring out…

Upon seeing this, the Tang soldiers all paled.

Ultimately, we only had a hundred or so riders on our side—Li Ji's five hundred Shence Army soldiers weren't all cavalry. Although the Western Army was elite, and almost everyone could ride a horse, most of them lacked the skill to keep up if they weren't professional cavalry. The Tibetan cavalry gradually gathering opposite us, though slightly inferior, were enough to hold us back and prevent our escape. If the main force of the Tibetan army arrived to launch a counterattack, would we even have a chance of survival?

Li Ji gritted his teeth and said, "You all retreat, I'll cover your retreat!"

However, no one was willing to back down.

Many Tang cavalrymen, while fighting the enemy, shouted, "Second Brother, retreat first and go get reinforcements to avenge us!"

The Tibetan army rapidly approached; a glance revealed no fewer than two or three thousand cavalry, and twice that number of infantry. Li Ji secretly regretted his actions—but not his pursuit of the enemy too far, making it difficult for his main force to keep up. He felt deeply that if he had remained in the rear, he would have been better off not being on the battlefield. But since he was now facing the enemy, his emotions were stirred by the atmosphere, and as long as he died a worthy death, what was there to fear?

He immediately let out a bitter laugh: "These barbarian thieves really think highly of me, sending ten thousand men to oppose my hundred cavalry." He raised his head to the sky and roared: "Today, if I die here with you, my loyal souls will forever guard the territory of our Tang Dynasty!"

Ignoring his exhaustion and the pain in his groin from being kicked by the horse, he spurred his horse forward, raised his sword, and severed the neck of a barbarian rider, sending his head flying like a ball.

Upon seeing this, the barbarian cavalry were all greatly alarmed and retreated in disarray.

The human spine is very hard, and it is impossible to sever the head in one blow unless the bone joint is hit. Moreover, the horizontal sword used by Li Ji is extremely narrow and long, and is not suitable for powerful slashing. However, when a person is in a state of near despair and has the determination to die, the amazing power that bursts out is terrifying even to Li Ji himself.

From afar, the sound of drums thundered from Shancheng. Immediately, many hidden gates on the city walls opened, and countless armored cavalrymen filed out, their men like divine generals and their horses like heavenly dragons…

/♂

Chapter Twenty-One: A Long March In