Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 49

Li Shi appeared innocent and carefree, seemingly oblivious to the discord between his father and uncles. He was already close to Li Tan, so he squeezed to the front of the group of uncles to offer a grand salute, reciting prayers and showering them with compliments. Li Tan, holding Li Shi's hand, seemed reluctant to part, and nag, asking, "Shi'er, when are you going to have your coming-of-age ceremony? Has His Highness the Crown Prince chosen a future wife for you?"

Li Ji followed behind, observing coldly, thinking to himself, "I hope that even if this facade of kindness and filial piety isn't entirely genuine, it's mostly real. I especially hope that five or ten years from now, you can still be holding hands and chatting like this, laughing and talking happily..."

They escorted him all the way to the pavilion ten miles west of the city. Li Tan earnestly urged his brothers to return, then mounted his horse and led his army on the road. But Li Shi suddenly darted out from the crowd and ran directly in front of Li Ji's horse.

Li Ji hurriedly tried to dismount, but Li Shi reached out to support him, saying, "Changwei, you are a great benefactor who saved my mother. Why do you always bow so formally?" Li Ji whispered, "Your Highness, constantly mentioning past favors doesn't necessarily reflect sincerity. Instead, it makes me feel ashamed..."

Li Shi said he understood and didn't mention it again. Then, holding the reins with one hand and clinging to Li Ji's thigh with the other, he leaned closer and looked up to ask, "Changwei, who knows when we'll see each other again—don't you have anything to say to me?"

Their eyes met, and Li Ji immediately realized—Li Shi definitely didn't want him to leave a message for him, but rather for him to leave a message for Li Yu, essentially a final pledge of loyalty to his former master before penetrating deep into enemy territory… Well, theoretically speaking, Li Tan's forces weren't in the enemy camp, but Li Yu also hoped to receive Li Ji's promise once again:

I paved the way for you—if I opposed it, you wouldn't even have a chance to join Li Tan's staff—you're actually one of my men, just temporarily lent to my brother's command, so don't forget your roots. Think about it, Mr. Changyuan has always spared no effort in protecting me; he's long since decided I'm the best candidate for the future emperor. How could you, Changwei, go against Mr. Changyuan's wishes?

Moreover, ever since writing "Strategies for Defending Against the Barbarians," Li Ji knew he could no longer pretend to be a reckless person—he could continue to pretend to be a roughneck, since his writing was indeed not very good—both Li Yu and Li Tan understood that he actually possessed some profound knowledge. So, if he were to say a few words that were neither profound nor insightful, Li Shi would not be satisfied, and if he relayed the words back to Li Yu, Li Yu would surely become suspicious.

The royal family is really having a tough time getting involved in this mess...

So he leaned slightly forward on his horse, got close to Li Shi's ear, and whispered:

"A message to the Crown Prince: If one cannot even manage one's own family, how can one bring peace to the world? It is easy to deal with the overbearing servants outside, but the arrogant and unruly servants inside are difficult to manage. However, if they do not win the favor of their mistress, would the servants still dare to act recklessly?"

He then straightened up, smiled, and patted Li Shi's arm.

Li Shi replied, "I've got it." Only then did he release the reins and loosen his grip, letting Li Ji leave.

Not far along, Yang Yan approached and asked, "Changwei, what were you talking about with the Prince of Guangping just now?" Li Ji shook his head: "Nothing much. In the past, when I went to Chengfu, I would play games with the Prince of Guangping for amusement. I taught him some tricks."

Yang Yan's face clearly showed his disbelief, but he didn't press the matter. He could only snort coldly and urge his horse away.

However, when they stayed overnight that evening, Li Ji made a special trip to see Li Tan, asking him to dismiss everyone, and then recounted without any concealment what he had said to Li Shi during the day.

"Since you seem to be on Li Yu's side, I can't hide these things from you. Yang Yan, relying on his intelligence and favor, actually came to ask me about it. Of course, I can't tell him; I'm sure he'll turn around and complain to you about my treachery. Even if Yang Yan doesn't say anything, you couldn't possibly not know that I was whispering with Li Shi in the ranks, even though you were in the front. If I don't tell you the truth, you'll definitely feel resentful."

Moreover, I believe that Li Yu, after hearing Li Shi's retelling, will surely understand the meaning of my words. So, Li Tan, do you understand or not?

Upon hearing Li Ji's words, Li Tan immediately smiled and said, "Changwei, tell me the truth, was this a teaching from Mr. Changyuan, or was it part of your own plan?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Good, you understand now," and replied, "It's just some shallow knowledge from a country bumpkin. My elder brother is in Jiangnan, how could he possibly know?"

The "outer servants," "inner slaves," and "mistress" mentioned by Li Ji actually refer to Cui Yuan, Li Fuguo, and Empress Zhang. Li Bi was aware of the three's collusion; however, after returning to the capital, they stirred up such a storm that Li Changyuan, not being a prophet, certainly could not have foreseen it.

Li Ji was offering advice to Li Yu on how to break up this "iron triangle" that was harming the country and disrupting the government. The first step was to target Cui Yuan.

At that time, the Council of State Affairs was sparsely populated. Fang Guan, Pei Mian, Li Lin, Wei Jiansu, and others had all been dismissed from their posts as prime ministers, and Cui Huan and Zhang Hao had been banished from the capital. Only the old and still-living Chamberlain Miao Jinqing and the utterly unreputable Vice Minister of the Chancellery Wang Yu remained. How could they possibly contend with Cui Yuan? The Council of State Affairs thus became a one-man show, and Cui Yuan's pronouncements were essentially just reading from Li Fuguo's orders...

The Tang Dynasty had always had a system of multiple prime ministers, with the Council of State Affairs having a fixed number of six or seven people. This three-horse carriage system could not last long. In addition, Cui Yuan, as prime minister, lacked the virtues of a prime minister and even neglected the duties of a prime minister. All officials hated him to the bone. Therefore, as long as Li Yu took advantage of the situation, he could first help a few capable ministers to become prime ministers, and then try to remove Cui Yuan from power. It should not be difficult.

However, even if Cui Yuan falls from power, Li Fuguo's power may not be significantly weakened—after all, he can still draft edicts on behalf of the emperor—at most, he will just have to engage in a few more verbal battles with the outer court. To bring down Li Fuguo, it is necessary to sow discord between him and Empress Zhang, and the opportunity lies with Li Yu.

Having served Li Heng for a long time, Li Fuguo was well aware of Li Yu's abilities and personality. Moreover, at least on the surface, there seemed to be no discord between him and Li Yu. In other words, Li Fuguo was confident that even if Li Heng died and Li Yu ascended the throne, he could still manipulate the new emperor and remain extremely powerful.

However, if Empress Zhang's wishes were fulfilled, and Li Yu was overthrown and Li Zhao was made crown prince, Li Fuguo would likely be in a predicament. Firstly, Li Zhao was still young; who knew what his personality and abilities would be like as he grew up? Secondly, he would have to rebuild his relationship with Li Zhao, spending considerable time and effort to understand his intentions, and even then, success was not guaranteed. Thirdly, Empress Zhang was extremely power-hungry and might one day rule from behind the curtain, even emulating Empress Wu Zetian. Whether Li Fuguo would still have a place in the palace at that time was uncertain…

Therefore, conflicts were bound to arise between Li Fuguo and Empress Zhang over whether the succession would be changed. If this was handled well, there was an opportunity to get rid of Li Fuguo. Hence the saying, "If the mistress does not have the favor of her, would the eunuch dare to act recklessly?"

As for Empress Zhang... forget it. As long as Li Heng doesn't die, I doubt anyone can do anything about her.

Li Ji used these words to remind Li Yu through Li Shi. When he relayed the same words to Li Tan, Li Tan nodded repeatedly and said, "Changwei, I have read your 'Strategy for Defending Against the Barbarians,' and it is truly insightful. This time, on the western expedition, we will still have to rely on you for military matters!"

(End of Volume Two, "Autumn Grasses Cover the Steps Over Tianjin")

Chapter 1: The Crisis in Longyou

With a whoosh, the arrow pierced the air, and the last Tibetan scout was struck in the back by the arrow, rolling off his horse without a sound.

Then came the clatter of hooves as over a hundred Tang cavalrymen roared in. Two soldiers at the forefront dismounted; one stepped on the corpse of a Tibetan soldier and pulled an arrow from its back, while the other drew his sword and severed the head. The two then presented the bloodied arrow and the severed head to their superior for inspection.

Among this group of Tang cavalry, only three stood out with their distinctive attire. Their armor was exquisite, gleaming in the sun, and each helmet was adorned with a large red tassel, clearly indicating they were military commanders. The three riders approached side by side. The one on the left, who appeared more mature, glanced at the corpse and immediately gave a thumbs-up: "Excellent archery!"

He paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Changwei, you've now graduated."

The general in the center, with a round face and bushy beard, holding a horse bow, was none other than Li Ji, Li Changwei, the Assistant Magistrate of Shimen County in Lizhou and concurrently the Military Governor and Inspector of Longyou and Hexi Towns.

Li Ji bent down slightly, took the arrow from his companion, and seeing that the arrowhead was not badly damaged, wiped it clean on his companion's clothes on the right and put it into Hu Lu.

The companion seemed somewhat displeased: "Why are you wiping blood off me?"

Li Ji laughed and said, "Anyway, Iron Hammer, you're already covered in blood, so a little more won't make a difference."

He then waved his hand, ordering the soldiers to collect the severed heads, and turned to look at Chen Fu on his left: "My archery skills were originally taught to me by you, Old Chen. Whether I have graduated or not is up to you." However, as he weighed the bow in his hand, he couldn't help but frown slightly: "It's still too soft... I should have brought out the strong bow that General Pugu gave me."

Chen Fu shook his head and said, "That bow weighs nearly six jin (approximately 300 grams). How can it be drawn smoothly on horseback? The bow's strength exceeds the arm's strength, making it difficult to aim accurately. Before you left, didn't you order a five-jin bow in Shanzhou? However, such a powerful bow cannot be made overnight. It requires making the frame, inserting the pins, attaching the corner pieces, and adding the reinforcing steel... It takes at least one year, and at most three to five years..."

"Three to five years?" Upon hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but click his tongue. "If it's three to five years later, we might have already driven the barbarian bandits to the Western Sea and be able to graze our horses in the Southern Mountains."

Seeing the unconvinced looks on Chen Fu and Yi Tiechui's faces, Li Ji thought to himself: You don't believe me? Actually, I don't believe it either...

The Tibetan invasion of the western border has been a long-standing problem. Even during the height of the Tang Dynasty, when Wang Zhongsi and Geshu Han led two large armies, it took them several years to advance the battle line from Menggu and Chiling to the edge of the Western Sea. Now, the western border is devastated, and the garrison is less than half of what it used to be.

However, would either Li Heng or Li Yu allow Li Tan to remain in the position of military governor of the two towns for three to five years? Once Li Tan resigns and returns to the capital, what are the chances that I will still be stranded on the front lines?

Three to five years to produce one bow... I really can't wait that long.

He had previously only learned of the capture of several military towns in Longyou by Tibetan troops from Li Mi and Chen Fu, among others. Li Mi's main focus was on the eastern front, planning the suppression of the An clan's rebellion, and he hadn't conducted in-depth research on the situation on the western front. As lower-ranking officers, Chen Fu and the others had even less access to concrete information; their accounts were all hearsay. It wasn't until after he accompanied Li Tan out of the town that intelligence from various sources gathered at the headquarters. Li Ji reviewed the information along the way and realized the situation was far worse than he had initially anticipated…

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During the Tang Dynasty, the Longyou and Hexi garrisons originally housed tens of thousands of troops and established thirty to forty military towns and outposts of varying sizes. In particular, the Longyou garrison commanded twelve prefectures, with the four prefectures of Shan, Kuo, He, and Tao serving as its front lines. The main military towns were located within these four prefectures, as well as the area west of Menggu and Chiling, including Xihai and Dafeichuan. The Longyou military governor was stationed in the prefecture of the same name, Shan.

However, due to internal strife, most of the main force of the Longxi Army was transferred east to defend the emperor. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Tubo (Tibetan) forces, under the command of General Ma Chongying, launched a large-scale invasion. The border garrisons were mostly populated by the elderly and weak, and the position of Jiedushi (military governor) of Longyou was vacant. Furthermore, the acting Jiedushi judge, Gao Sheng, was not a capable commander. As a result, the Tubo army easily captured more than ten places.

When Li Tan arrived in Shancheng, Gao Sheng, who had been promoted to Deputy Military Governor of Longyou, led his former staff to pay him a visit and explained the current situation in more detail. According to their report, the area west of Menggu and Chiling was no longer under Tang control, and even the Zhenwei and Tiancheng armies guarding the borders of Kuo and He prefectures had been reduced to ashes. However, the Tibetan army did not penetrate deep into the southern Kuo and He prefectures; their main attack was still focused on Shancheng, where they successively entered and captured the Weirong, Xuanwei, and Zhenwu (Shibaocheng) armies, as well as Dingrong City. It is believed that their true objective was the strategic pass of Heyuan Army.

Shanzhou is located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where the land is relatively barren. The only truly valuable part is the Huangshui River Valley. From Anrenjun and Suirongcheng east of Chiling to Jincheng, the capital of Lanzhou, the Huangshui River carves a deep, secluded valley between the mountains to the north and south, serving as the only passageway suitable for large armies. Occasionally, tributaries join the valley, creating a long, narrow strip of fertile land on both banks, ideal for agricultural production.

To be honest, if the Huangshui River Valley did not produce anything, the garrison's food supplies would all have to be imported from Guanzhong, which even a powerful dynasty like Tang could not afford.

Among them, the largest fertile land and good farmland along the Huangshui River is located in Shancheng, more than 100 miles northwest of Shanzhou. It was rebuilt as Heyuan Army during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang. As for Li Ji, he was more familiar with Shancheng's old name from the Han and Wei dynasties, which was Xiping.

However, given that the agricultural area near Shancheng is so vast, the largest in the prefecture, its geographical location must be extremely important. So why was the Longyou Jiedushi's residence not located in Shancheng, but instead moved to Shanzhou? This is because Shancheng is not a good place to defend; its location is like a crossroads.

Two tributaries of the Huangshui River converge near Shancheng, which has carved out a large area of ​​fertile farmland. Because of this, Shancheng is accessible by road in all four directions: east to Chiling, west to Shanzhou, north to Haomen River, and south to the Yellow River.

Gao Sheng pointed to the map and explained the situation to Li Tan. Each of the fallen military towns on the map was circled in vermilion, which invisibly transformed into two arrows pointing north and south, directly towards Shancheng and Heyuan Army.

Therefore, the Tibetan army temporarily abandoned the cities of Anrenjun, Suirongcheng, and Linfancheng, located west of Shancheng in the Huangshui River Valley, but instead captured Weirong and Xuanwei armies in the north and Dingrongcheng and Shibaocheng in the southwest, threatening the garrison of Suihe. Their intentions are self-evident.

Li Tan pondered for a long time, then rubbed his temples before asking, "How do you all teach me to deal with the enemy's situation?"

Gao Sheng and others suggested simply abandoning Shancheng—and the military towns of Anren and further west—and consolidating the main force to the vicinity of Shanzhou.

"Your Highness, please look. Although it is said that one can go directly to Jincheng by following the Huangshui River, there are three dangerous passes between Shancheng and Shanzhou, with two peaks flanking the narrow road—the locals call them the Small Gorge, the Great Gorge, and the Old Crow Gorge. It is precisely because of these natural barriers, which make the area easy to defend and difficult to attack, that the previous dynasties did not set up the military governor's garrison in Shancheng, but in Shanzhou."

"Our garrison in Longyou has a fixed strength of 75,000 men and 100,600 warhorses. Even if the barbarian bandits were to mobilize the entire nation's army, they would only number a little over 100,000, which would be sufficient to defend against them. However, over the past few years, our main force has been gradually transferred eastward, and now, even according to the records, we have only 30,000 men and 40,000 horses remaining..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "You specifically emphasized the words 'on the ledgers,' which means that there must be some shortfalls or even fraudulent payments in various armies. The actual number probably doesn't even reach 30,000..."

The Tibetans don't even need to send their entire country to invade. Just half of their troops, 60,000 or 70,000, will be enough to make it difficult for us to resist!

Gao Sheng continued, "With such a disparity in numbers, even if the entire army were to converge on Shancheng, it would likely be unable to hold out if the barbarian bandits attacked from three sides. Once the main force is wiped out, the bandits could advance down the Huangshui River, directly attacking Lanzhou and even Weizhou. The situation in Longxi would inevitably be completely ruined, and Xijing Fengxiang would also be in grave danger. Therefore, the only option is to abandon Shancheng, concentrate our forces in Shanzhou, and rely on the natural defenses of the Xiao, Da, and Laoya Gorges to gradually weaken the bandits. Perhaps then we could have a chance of victory. As long as Shanzhou remains intact, the bandits will naturally have no way to penetrate deeper."

Li Tan pressed his hand on the map, pondered for a long time, and did not immediately decide on a strategy. After leaving the office, he called Yang Yan and Li Ji to his side and asked them, "What do you two think of what Vice Envoy Gao said during the day?" He paused, then said, "You are my trusted confidants, so there is no need for pretense. You can speak frankly."

Yang Yan, also known as Yang Gongnan, originally entered the military headquarters because of Li Yu's prestigious reputation. However, after working with Li Tan for several months, he was persuaded and directly appointed as the judge of the Longyou Military Governor's Office. In fact, Li Tan was temporarily too busy to deal with Hexi, focusing his main energy on Longyou. Although he held the position of Longyou Military Governor, he did not appoint a deputy governor in charge, but instead delegated all authority to Yang Yan. To put it bluntly, Yang Gongnan was now the top person in charge of military supplies and logistics in the Longyou army. Even the military advisors of the military governor's office, such as the warehouse and the armory, although they were old comrades in the army, had to obey his orders.

Because in Li Tan's mind, how could he quickly take control of the entire Longyou army after being parachuted in from afar? Of course, he had to seize control of the finances first. Besides, Yang Yan was indeed exceptionally talented in financial matters; Li Tan had already witnessed this when Yang Yan was still in the marshal's mansion.

Therefore, Yang Yan originally invited Li Tan to serve as the chief secretary—equivalent to the first secretary of the military governor—but Li Tan said: “Nowadays, it is easy to find scholars, but someone like Gongnan, who can be entrusted with matters of finance and grain, ‘adjusting taxes to replenish military supplies’ so that we can have ‘enough food and enough soldiers,’ is hard to find.” Then he smiled and said: “In my opinion, in the world today, only Wu Yugui (Wu Qi) and Liu Shi’an (Liu Yan) can perhaps compete with Gongnan.”

Li Tan specifically quoted two sentences from "The Biography of Zhuge Liang in the Records of the Three Kingdoms"—"Adjust their taxes to replenish the army's supplies" and "Sufficient food and soldiers"—to persuade Yang Yan. Yang Gongnan was flattered and gladly accepted the order.

When Li Tan inquired about military strategy, Yang Yan glanced at Li Ji before bowing and replying, "Your Highness, I have been reviewing official documents and sorting out the military supplies in Longyou these past few days. If the accounts are accurate, there will be enough for two years. However, we have not yet had time to check the treasury, and I am afraid that the actual amount in the warehouse may not be entirely consistent with the figures in the accounts..."

Chapter Two: Cooking Without Rice

Li Tan consulted Yang Yan and Li Ji for advice. Yang Yan, who was in charge of military supplies and logistics, naturally focused on provisions and pay. According to his report, the current stock of military supplies in Longyou seemed sufficient for two years' use.

"However, as Vice Envoy Gao said, the total number of troops gathered in Longyou is only about 30,000. Even if we abandon the Baishui and Anren armies in the west, we still need to leave troops to defend the Weisheng, Ningbian, Jishi and Ningsai armies in Kuozhou, the Zhenxi Army and Pingyi Shouzhuo in Hezhou, and the Shence Army and Momen Army in Taozhou. Are we to abandon them all to the barbarian bandits? In that case, Your Highness can probably only mobilize about 20,000 troops to defend Shanzhou."

"Your Highness's desire to use 20,000 troops to resist five to ten times the number of barbarian bandits, protect the entire Longyou region, and even potentially have to march north to reinforce Hexi in the future, is nothing short of a pipe dream. Therefore, recruiting new brave men, and even conscripting civilians into the army, must be put on the agenda as soon as possible. I am not knowledgeable in military affairs, but I believe that without 50,000 troops, it would be difficult to hold Shanzhou for two years. However, if we obtain 50,000 troops, how much grain and fodder would be needed? The surplus in the granaries is truly insufficient."

"In particular, most of the border garrisons have fallen, and the number of people who have fled west to Shanzhou is probably no less than 30,000. However, there is little arable land near Shanzhou, so they have no land to cultivate and no work to do. They can only rely on the government for relief; if they are not given relief, they may rebel..."

Upon hearing this, Li Tan nodded repeatedly: "Gongnan means that the land near Shancheng is fertile and can be used by the whole prefecture or even the whole circuit, so it is not convenient to abandon it lightly, right?"

Yang Yan spread his hands: "Unless all military supplies are to be sourced from Guanzhong in the future, the country has just mobilized a large army in Luoyang. I was already struggling to raise funds for the army when I was in the General's Office. Where would we find any extra money or grain to transport west? I don't understand military affairs, and I don't know if Shancheng can be defended. I only know that it is not advisable to abandon it lightly—especially with the autumn harvest approaching. If the grain cannot be delivered to the General's Office and is instead abandoned to the barbarians, I'm afraid the enemy's power will be even stronger, and it will be difficult to resist them!"

Upon hearing this, Li Tan felt a deep headache coming on, so he turned back to Li Ji and looked at him questioningly.

Li Ji thought to himself that Yang Yan was really good at talking. He kept saying "Yan doesn't understand military affairs," so although he strongly argued that Shancheng should not be abandoned easily, if Li Tan followed his advice and they lost the battle, it would not be Yang Gongnan's fault... I have not yet actually witnessed this man's ability to strategize, but I have already learned how to shirk responsibility.

But Li Ji himself was at a loss. Not to mention that he was used to talking about war on paper and had no experience in actually planning strategies and commanding battles—his only real experience in actual combat was chasing a traitorous general at night—even if he really had the talent of Sun Tzu and the wisdom of Zhuge Liang, what tricks could he play under the premise of insufficient troops and food? Even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice!

Li Ji had already considered Yang Yan's concerns. Indeed, if, as Gao Sheng and others suggested, they abandoned Shancheng and retreated to Shanzhou, even if it wasn't a case of drinking poison to quench thirst, it would be like cutting off their own arm—losing the most important agricultural area within the prefecture would only weaken the Longyou army further, leaving them with no chance of turning the tide. But what if they didn't abandon Shancheng? If the Tibetan army launched a full-scale attack, they would most likely still be unable to defend it, and the losses they would suffer would be even greater…

Two paths lie before him: one is to abandon his weapons and retreat, the other is to cower and defend against a powerful enemy. Either way, he will die sooner or later... So how is Li Ji supposed to answer Li Tan's question?

So he had no choice but to change the subject for the time being: "I don't think Vice Envoy Gao seems to be the kind of person who can command troops, serve as His Highness's vanguard, and quell the rebellion..."

Li Tan shook his head and smiled bitterly, “He’s just a scholar. He was originally a judge in Longyou, in charge of the affairs of the military headquarters, and was highly trusted by Geshu Han. When Geshu returned east, he appointed him as the garrison commander. In fact, he knows nothing about military strategy and is as ignorant as a commoner. If the Emperor was worried that I could not immediately take command of the Longyou army, he should have promoted this man to the rank of Sima (military commander) instead of keeping him as an assistant. I don’t know why he appointed him as the deputy envoy…”

The right and left arms of a military governor are usually the deputy military governor and the military commander. The former is a military officer who holds military power, while the latter, although named a commander, has long since become a civil officer who is mainly responsible for coordination and management within the government.

Therefore, Li Tancai believed that Gao Sheng had no combat experience. He might be barely qualified to be a military commander, but to directly promote him to deputy military governor was like forcing a duck onto a shelf.

Upon hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but think to himself: The court deliberately appointed you, a seasoned fool, as deputy envoy, probably to prevent you from "immediately taking command of the Longyou army," who knows...

Then Li Tan said, "I also requested that Gao Shi or Yan Wu be appointed as deputy envoys, but the Emperor refused..." He then snorted coldly, "Perhaps it was Li Fuguo who refused! He wanted to invite your uncle Zhenyi (Li Qiyun) to join his staff as an assistant, but he said that he had been in Anxi for a long time and was not familiar with the affairs of Longyou, so he politely declined..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Yes, Li Qiyun is now serving as the Palace Attendant Censor, which means he has embarked on a smooth road to promotion. How could he possibly abandon his important court post and come to the western frontier to suffer?" Although he despised Li Qiyun's selfishness, he could not be too harsh on him.

After this brief interruption, Li Ji finally figured out how to answer the question and tried to steer the battle in a slightly better direction. So he clasped his hands in a gesture of respect towards Li Tan and said:

"Judge Yang is quite right. I also believe that Shancheng should not be abandoned lightly—at least not just because of Vice Envoy Gao's words. If Vice Envoy Gao thought Shancheng was indefensible, as the garrison commander, he could have retreated to Shanzhou long ago. Why did he refuse to abandon the western armies earlier, allowing the barbarian bandits to break through one by one, leaving soldiers dead and people displaced?"

Upon hearing this, Li Tan and Yang Yan exchanged a glance, both secretly resenting Gao Sheng.

Li Ji continued, “Your Highness has just arrived. If you abandon Shancheng and lose half of the prefecture, even if the court does not punish you, it will be difficult to unite the people of Longyou and fight the enemy together. I have examined the maps and know that the key to Longyou lies in Shanzhou, and the key to Shanzhou lies in Shancheng. If we lose Shancheng, our troops will be exhausted, and it will not be possible to recover in three to five years…”

The implication is, do you have three to five years? If you can't make a name for yourself in Longyou and establish merit before you leave, then what are you doing here? Just to create an adversary for Li Yu and lull Empress Zhang into a false sense of security? I know you; you have high aspirations and aren't so complacent and unambitious.

"However, maps are ultimately inaccurate. To know whether Shancheng is as indefensible as Vice Envoy Gao said, and whether there is still room for maneuver, we must conduct an on-site investigation. Your Highness can remain in Shanzhou, check the troop numbers, plan the treasury, appease the refugees, and recruit brave men. Li Ji requests permission to go to Shancheng on Your Highness's behalf to see if the mountains and rivers are rugged and to assess the strength of the city. We can then decide on a strategy after we return and report back."

Upon hearing this, Li Tan was quite gratified: "It is good that Changwei is willing to share my worries. Whether to abandon or defend, we must not listen to Gao Sheng's one-sided words, but should conduct an on-site investigation—how many men should Changwei take with him?"

Li Ji said that he was just going to check the situation and would not be directly confronting the Tibetan army, so he did not need to send too many troops. He suggested that Chen Fu's cavalry brigade be sent to him.

His current official position in the shogunate is that of a patrol officer, ranking below judges and investigators, but without any actual command. Generally, patrol officers and military attachés, although of low rank, are considered confidants of the military governor and are often given temporary assignments and short-term duties. Therefore, sending Li Ji to the front lines for patrols and reconnaissance is perfectly legitimate.

The key issue was that Li Tan wanted to obtain firsthand information about Shancheng, but the military governor himself neither had the time nor the need to go; if he appointed a former staff member, Li Tan wouldn't trust the report; and if he sent Yang Yan… in case they encountered the enemy, Yang Gongnan was incapable of fighting, so he would most likely perish. Therefore, Li Ji was the most suitable candidate—which is why he volunteered for the order.

However, Li Tan's arrival was entirely unfamiliar with the Longyou army, and it would be a long and arduous process to integrate and take control of them. By the time he had painstakingly integrated them, the Tibetan troops might already be at his doorstep. Therefore, he earnestly requested that some of the Shence Army stationed in Shancheng be dispatched to accompany him.

This was a very reasonable request. It was impossible to expect a prince and the military governor of two towns to simply take a few guards from his palace to Longyou, where foreign invaders were rampant. Moreover, the guards of the sixteen princes' residences were all imperial guards, and the princes they were surrounded were all completely isolated. Furthermore, the guards of the Southern and Northern Garrisons in the capital could not spare many men. Therefore, even if Li Fuguo had no reason to object, he agreed to transfer a thousand men from the Shence Army to serve as the personal guards of the military governors of the two towns.

Li Tan requested the deployment of the Shence Army for two reasons: first, these were idle soldiers stationed between the capital and Luoyang, with no immediate combat duties; second, the Shence Army also originated from Longyou, and he could use these thousand men to cultivate relationships and quickly gain control of the Longyou military. For this very reason, Li Ji could not ask Li Tan to send troops stationed in Longyou—because he distrusted them—nor could he request the deployment of a large portion of the Shence Army; therefore, he only requested the troops under Chen Fu's command.

Chen Fu is currently a junior officer in the Imperial Guard, a position equivalent to a deputy commander of eight hundred men. However, in the Shence Army, he is merely a brigade commander of a hundred men—this is unavoidable, as since the Zhide era, rewards and honors have been excessively bestowed, with both civil and military officials often holding high ranks but low positions. Yi Tiechui is his second-in-command. Li Ji has a close relationship with Chen and Yi, and given that their troops are all cavalry, their swift movement makes it convenient for him to quickly make a trip to Shancheng and then hurriedly return.

With the autumn harvest approaching, it's estimated that Tibet will launch another attack around the time of the harvest. Time is of the essence.

Thus, Li Ji arrived in Shanzhou and, barely having time to rest, immediately set off again, continuing his westward journey. Along the way, he passed the so-called "Three Gorges," which were indeed treacherous and difficult for a large army to traverse. When discussing the place names with Chen and Yi, he asked, "The locals don't know how to name the Great Gorge and the Small Gorge; it's normal. But where did the name 'Old Crow Gorge' come from? I haven't seen many crows flying by."

Yi Tiechui looked completely bewildered, unable to explain himself. Chen Fu, however, knew a thing or two, and said, "This is not a name given by the locals, but rather by the barbarian bandits. There are two explanations: one is that it means 'end of the valley' in the barbarian language, similar to 'crow' in the Shanzhou dialect; the other is that when General Geshu was stationed in Shanzhou, his personal guards all wore black armor, rode black horses, and carried black flags, and were invincible. The barbarians were terrified and called them 'Crow Soldiers.' So the Crow Soldiers would often emerge from this gorge, hence the name Crow Gorge."

Li Ji nodded slightly and said, "I see." In fact, he was thinking to himself, "Is this some kind of 'Great Wall of Desperation' for the Central Plains to defend against the barbarians? Why would they need to station a 'Black Crow' here?" However, even if a Great Wall of Desperation were to be built, it should at least be along the Menggu and Chiling line, and it shouldn't isolate the ancient city of Xiping, which has existed since the Han and Wei dynasties.

The journey of over a hundred li was completed in a little over a day. Along the way, Li Ji frequently consulted the map, comparing it with the mountains and rivers, making corrections with charcoal sticks, and adding annotations. Even military maps of that era were crudely drawn. Unfortunately, Li Ji had not studied mapmaking in his previous life, and even if he had, he probably wouldn't have had the time or manpower to take measurements. He could only continue to make do with what he had.

Upon arriving at Shancheng, the garrison commander welcomed them in.

The official administrative division of Shancheng was Heyuan Army. Its commander had long since been ordered to return east to defend the capital, leaving only a battalion commander named Hu Hao, also a scholar. He repeatedly claimed that his ancestral home was in Linjing County, Jingzhou, and that he was a descendant of Hu Fen, a general of the Western Jin Dynasty…

Li Ji inquired about the situation in Shancheng from Hu Hao. Hu Hao said that the Heyuan Army originally had 14,000 soldiers, 650 horses, and 30,000 civilians, but now only he and another battalion remain, and even that number is less than 1,000. Even the civilians have shrunk by nearly half... This is because although the Tubo army has not yet officially launched an attack on Shancheng, after breaking through the Xuanwei Army in the north last winter, cavalrymen frequently raided and looted outside the city, causing the northern farmland to be trampled, most of the civilians to be captured, and a small number to escape into the city.

However, many soldiers and civilians from the fallen armies also fled to Shancheng. Hu Hao kept all the soldiers behind, but fearing that the civilians would be difficult to manage, he drove them all eastward to Shanzhou to find food. Now there are 20,000 civilians and 4,000 soldiers in and around the city, but warhorses are especially scarce, with less than 100.

Therefore, it was said that "due to a shortage of horses, when the barbarian bandits came to harass us, I could only defend the city and dared not go out to drive them away... I have also repeatedly written to Vice Commander Gao to request that he provide better horses, but alas, there has been no response..."

The implication was that while it wasn't out of cowardice to rescue so many civilians, there simply weren't enough warhorses to catch up with the barbarian bandits, and even if there were, it was unlikely to be a victory. With almost exclusively infantry, they were only capable of defending the city, not engaging in direct combat.

Li Ji then asked him, "I see that the city's defenses are quite solid. I wonder how long you can hold out if the barbarian bandits launch a large-scale attack, without expecting any reinforcements?"

Hu Hao thought for a moment, then smiled bitterly, "If the barbarian bandits come in large numbers..." Even if it's only four or five thousand men—"This humble general can still hold the city—the city's provisions are enough for half a year; if ten thousand come, I estimate the people can help defend it, and we can hold out for three months. However, the barbarian bandits have already captured Xuanwei and Zhenwu armies, and the western cities of Suirong and Linfan will certainly not be able to hold out. They will inevitably launch a three-pronged attack on Shancheng, and the number they bring will probably be considerable..."