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The Xu Zhen vented her frustrations with a satisfying tirade, leaving Luo Hongyi nearly fainting from anger. Cui Yuqing realized that continuing to argue would only make things worse and would only embarrass them further. Amidst the laughter of others, he helped Luo Hongyi escape in a fluster.
Wang Wukui had never liked Luo Hongyi, and upon hearing the Xu Zhen expose his shameful actions, he felt a surge of anger. When the Xu Zhen attributed the deaths of thirty soldiers to Luo Hongyi, he understood that she did not truly intend to blame him. Therefore, he quickly pleaded with her.
"Chief Steward, I know that I have not managed my men properly, leading to their laxity and causing this disaster. However, now that the Western Turkic wolves are encroaching and disturbing the people, the situation is urgent. I hope the General can temporarily set this aside and allow me to redeem myself. Once we have repelled the Western Turkic barbarians, I will certainly accept my punishment!"
Upon hearing Wang Wukui's words, many captains and even Imperial Guards began to plead for leniency, hoping for a chance to redeem themselves. Seeing that the timing was right, the Xu Zhen decided not to press Wang Wukui any further and spoke up.
"Hmph, since you all wish to redeem yourselves, I will give you an opportunity. I have already investigated and found out that tomorrow a group of Western Turkic tribal forces will gather here. Moreover, in the coming days, more enemy chieftains will come to surrender. If you can intercept these tribal forces and delay the gathering of the Helu Army until reinforcements arrive, not only will you be exempt from punishment, but I will also record your great achievement!"
Wang Wukui and the others were overjoyed at her words. Many Imperial Guards were thrilled that Colonel Murong Xiao was spared from disaster and cheered loudly, instantly lifting their spirits.
The Xu Zhen had managed to kill five hundred enemy reinforcements with just three hundred guards while capturing three hundred alive, demonstrating how poor the enemy's quality was. With nearly ten thousand Imperial Guards at their disposal, could they really not match the Xu Zhen's three hundred guards?
The morale of the Tang Imperial Guards was significantly boosted by the Xu Zhen's efforts. She had successfully established her authority and made these people genuinely respect her!
Everyone hurriedly cleaned up the bodies on the ground and respectfully reinforced the camp for the Delegation, not daring to offend in any way.
The Xu Zhen nodded in satisfaction but then heard Zhou Cang laughing heartily. She curiously asked, "Big Black Man, what are you laughing at?"
Zhou Cang puffed out his chest and replied in a booming voice, "I laughed at how our Lord just scolded that dog magistrate; it was truly hilarious! Hahaha!"
The Xu Zhen said, "...Come here, ladies; let me tell you a story about a little lamb jumping into a river..."
Seeing Zhou Cang's silly demeanor and delayed reaction made everyone laugh uncontrollably despite their appearances. As they gathered around to listen to the Xu Zhen's serious tone, even Ero perked up her ears.
"Once upon a time, several little animals were on a boat that was overloaded. They decided that each little animal would tell a joke; everyone had to laugh to stay on board; otherwise, they would be thrown off. The little lamb told one joke that made all the animals laugh except for the little pig. So the lamb was thrown off. When it was time for the little rabbit to tell a joke, none of the animals laughed except for the little pig. Everyone asked why it was so funny? The pig replied that the lamb's joke was just too funny..."
Zhang Suling and Gem have always been mischievous and lively. They quickly came over, laughing heartily, while Li Mingda blinked in confusion, clearly taken aback. However, Li Wushuang covered her mouth and laughed, and even Caesar couldn't help but smile.
Ero let out a somewhat malicious hum, while Zhou Cang scratched the back of his head, feeling increasingly perplexed. Once everyone had dispersed, he muttered to himself, "The Lord is just full of tricks; even when scolding me, Zhou Cang, he has to tell a joke. Hmph!"
Despite saying this, Zhou Cang couldn't help but mock himself a little before heading off with Ero to manage the Guards and War Elephants. Xu Zhen summoned Wang Wukui into her tent and handed him all the military intelligence she had gathered with Old Black over the past few days.
Xu Zhen also drew a map of enemy positions from memory, depicting all the checkpoints and troop placements of the Helu Tribe along the way. With her strong drawing skills, the map was clear and easy to understand.
Only after Xu Zhen handed such an important piece of information to Wang Wukui did he finally understand. From the very beginning, Xu Zhen had never intended to punish him; she had already recognized his leadership abilities!
This precious military intelligence map was something even the most elite scouts might struggle to create. Just based on this map alone, one could earn military merit. Yet Xu Zhen entrusted it to Wang Wukui, which made him admire her humility immensely—he was truly in awe.
By evening, the rain had stopped. Wang Wukui made arrangements for many Soldiers to prepare for departure early the next morning to sweep away the Helu Tribe's reinforcements.
As they say, knowing shame leads to courage. The Imperial Guards were completely devoted to Wang Wukui, who was determined to turn his achievements into atonement. On the first day, he ambushed a large tribe of a thousand people, beheading hundreds and capturing over three hundred individuals along with more than two thousand livestock and several heavy carts—truly a bountiful harvest!
Having tasted success, the Imperial Guards were eager to try their hand at more. They split into several Cavalry teams and engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Helu Tribe according to Xu Zhen's tactics.
The tribes that came to ally with the Helu Tribe were not overly encumbered by families but still needed supplies like food and livestock. This made their forces cumbersome and slow-moving. When troops from Tingzhou Prefecture arrived like sudden rainstorms and left like fierce winds after plundering, they would take a bite out of larger tribes while notifying other Cavalry teams about smaller ones to collectively consume them.
As a result, within half a month, Wang Wukui had already taken down nearly ten tribes of various sizes, filling Tingzhou's main camp with captives and livestock!
Although these victories did not decisively change the course of events, they significantly delayed the Helu Tribe's troop mobilization and served as a diversionary tactic that made the Helu Tribe's army hesitant to launch an attack on Jinman. Instead, they had to divert forces to welcome other tribes gathering together.
More importantly, these victories greatly boosted the morale of the Imperial Guards and made them deeply respect Xu Zhenxin. The cohesion within their ranks became exceptionally strong—something that could not be compared with before.
Wang Wukui truly proved to be an outstanding soldier. While he enjoyed the sweet rewards of his efforts, he was also inspired to pay more attention to the role of scouts. He dispatched a large number of scouts to form a timely intelligence network, constantly keeping track of the movements of the Helu Tribe. It could be said that every move of the enemy was under his control.
If it weren't for the insufficient troops in Tingzhou Prefecture, they could have easily taken back the lost counties of Golden Ridge and Pulei in one go!
While the military camp was bustling with activity, with the Recorder of Military Affairs busy recording military achievements every day and morale soaring, everyone was eager to prove themselves and increasingly admired Xu Zhen.
However, within the Prefectural Office, the atmosphere was grim. Luo Hongyi, after being harshly reprimanded by Xu Zhen, was filled with indignation. Yet, recalling the implied threats from Xu Zhen made him genuinely worried, leading him to fall ill with a chill and stay in bed!
Cui Yuqing shook his head and sighed at Luo Hongyi's state, feeling a sense of helplessness. Unable to bear Luo Hongyi's constant lamentations, he decided to take the initiative and expose Xu Zhen's indiscriminate killing of soldiers to establish authority. He mobilized the bureaucratic power of the Cui Clan to launch a frenzied impeachment against Xu Zhen!
However, this time, the bureaucratic group seemed to achieve little. After Li Zhi took office, civil governance was abundant while military prowess was lacking. Ashina Helu's antics allowed Li Zhi to gain military merit; he was determined to fight and win decisively, naturally ignoring these impeachment documents.
Back during Taizong's reign, Xu Zhen had been continuously impeached by officials. The impeachment documents could wrap around the Earth twice. Li Zhi certainly understood that "a tall tree catches the wind."
He knew Xu Zhen's capabilities all too well. Fortunately, she remained loyal to Li Tang; otherwise, if it came down to it, she would have been the first on Li Zhi's list.
Since he decided to reinstate Xu Zhen, Li Zhi would not retract her military position due to bureaucratic impeachment. These officials were already tasked with impeaching others; if they went a day without doing so, they would feel embarrassed to greet others. Li Zhi had no time to concern himself with such matters.
Cui Yuqing and Luo Hongyi were anxious as they waited for any movement from Chang'an; this Territorial Governor was truly exhausted and bedridden.
At this critical moment, Liang Jianfang and Qibi Helix's thirty thousand troops finally arrived, while fifty thousand cavalry from the Uyghurs also advanced southward, pressing towards the Helu Army's encampment!
Qibi Helix had an old friendship with Xu Zhen. He had heard in Chang'an about how she had turned Tuguhun upside down; her legendary feats as a divine being and national advisor had spread far and wide, even making Li Zhi laugh heartily upon hearing them.
Now reunited with Xu Zhen, Qibi Helix served as Chief of Military Operations while she held the position of Deputy General of the Marching Army. The two could once again fight side by side, bringing them great joy.
On their way, they received military reports stating that the Helu Tribe had captured Golden Ridge and Pulei County, killing three thousand and advancing towards Tingzhou's administrative center, Jinman City.
It was only upon arrival that they learned that the Xu Zhen, tasked with defense, had not only avoided disaster but had turned the situation around by taking the initiative. She launched direct attacks, ambushing many reinforcements from the Helu Tribe, successfully delaying them for a month and buying precious time for Qibi Helix and Liang Jianfang to march.
After Wei Chi Jing De retired, Liang Jianfang succeeded him as the Left General of Martial Affairs. Although this military strongman is not well-documented in Historical Records and lacks fame, he is indeed a capable general.
This veteran general has been leading troops since the Year of Martial Virtue and has remained active until now. He has participated in nearly every major battle, quietly earning military achievements while maintaining a low profile regarding promotions—truly a person who operates in the shadows.
His aloof character prevents him from seeking connections with military elites or forming factions, and he does not engage with court ministers. This very nature has allowed him to maintain closer ties with foreign generals like Qibi Helix.
This marks the third large-scale military expedition to the Western Regions after the Tang Dynasty's destruction of Gaochang and Kucha. As autumn and winter approach, failing to achieve victory quickly could lead to significant disadvantages due to the cold weather.
Drawing from Taizong's experiences during his campaigns against Liao, Qibi Helix and Liang Jianfang did not engage in excessive pleasantries with Xu Zhen but got straight to the point. The Xu Zhen ordered Wang Wukui to present all gathered military intelligence from the past month. Upon reviewing it, Qibi Helix and Liang Jianfang were overjoyed, dividing their forces to simultaneously attack Golden Ridge and Pulei County. In just three days, they regained lost territories, boosting troop morale significantly!
Meanwhile, fifty thousand Uyghur cavalry were approaching the Western Regions, directly facing Ashina Helu's main forces. The Helu Army had no choice but to retreat from Tang Territory.
Seizing the momentum, Qibi Helix and Liang Jianfang set their sights on the Chuyue Tribe, which had recently allied with the Helu Tribe!
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