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墨書 Inktalez
Second Year of Yonghui
In November, the weather had turned very cold. Qibi Helix and Liang Jianfang's army drove the Helu Tribe out of Tingzhou, pursuing them with great momentum.
Ashina Helu was not overestimating himself; he commanded an army of one hundred thousand and coveted the Tang Dynasty's border. His ambitions were considerable. If it had been another Tang general, perhaps they would not have been able to expel him so quickly, but unfortunately, this time it was Qibi Helix who was sent.
This general also hailed from the Turkic people and was well-versed in the combat style and tactics of foreign armies. Under his and Liang Jianfang's command, the Tang Army pressed forward relentlessly, while the Helu Army retreated like a receding tide.
Ashina Helu sat in the Central Army Tent, gazing at the light snow outside while drinking heavily. A beautiful young girl, bare-skinned, warmed his large foot in her lap. When news of another defeat reached him, Ashina Helu kicked the girl away.
He smashed his wine cup and cursed loudly, yet he found himself powerless to change the situation, collapsing helplessly onto a Snow Leopard Pelt.
"Come! Order the Chuyue Tribe to occupy Lao Mountain (now known as the Azerbogdo Mountains) and wait for an opportunity to ambush the Tang army's rear!"
After the messenger left the Central Army Tent, Ashina Helu had to start contemplating the direction of this battle. Since he dispatched troops in July and captured two counties in Tingzhou, achieving an initial victory, his army had faced continuous setbacks.
First, various tribes that came to gather were ambushed by a mysterious legion of War Elephants, suffering greatly. Then this guerrilla tactic seemed to spread; soldiers from Tingzhou Prefecture lay in wait everywhere, scaring those small tribes into not daring to come and ally with Ashina Helu.
Eventually, he learned that the War Elephants were under the command of the Tang Dynasty's General of the Guard and Grand Minister Xu Zhen, and among them was also the renowned Tubo Vajra Guardian Army!
After enduring for a month, only a fraction of the tribal forces that had gathered remained. Just then, the Tang Dynasty Army arrived in Tingzhou with unstoppable force, swiftly reclaiming Tingzhou. Ashina Helu could only withdraw his forces but found that retreating led to further retreat until he was quickly pushed back into the heart of the Western Regions.
Once orders reached the Chuyue Tribe, Zhu Xie Gu Zhu of Chuyue Tribe was also deeply worried.
The Chuyue Tribe was an offshoot outside of the Turkic Ten Clans Tribe. Because their territory included vast deserts (now known as the Gurbantünggüt Desert), they were referred to as the Sakha People.
Due to their relatively barren land, they could only graze along the Tarim Basin. The Sakha People preferred to attach themselves to larger tribes for survival; this was their way of life.
As early as the Seventh Year of Zhenguan, the leader of Chuyue Tribe had accompanied Ashina from Western Turkic to Chang'an to meet Taizong and later allied with Yibiduoluk Khan from Western Turkic.
In the sixteenth year of Zhenguan, Yipiduolu attacked the Tang Dynasty's Yizhou, and the Chuyue Tribe joined the battle, besieging the Tianshan Army alongside the Chumi Department. Later, Sili's city was captured by Guo Xiaoke of the Anxi Protectorate.
By the twenty-second year of Zhenguan, Ashina Helu surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, and Zhu Xie Que Si Jin of the Chuyue Tribe also became a vassal of the Tang Dynasty.
Now that Ashina Helu has rebelled, the Sakha People of the Chuyue Tribe have begun to follow Ashina Helu again. Truly, they are a double-edged sword of a fickle tribe!
Although they are an indecisive parasitic tribe, thanks to their ability to navigate both sides over the years, the Chuyue Tribe has indeed grown stronger. This time, they dispatched thirty thousand troops, overshadowing even the auxiliary forces of the Ten Clans Tribe and gaining Ashina Helu's favor.
Zhu Xie Gu Zhu mobilized such a large army merely to show Ashina Helu his sincerity and determination. At this moment, receiving military orders to ambush the Tang army's rear, Zhu Xie Gu Zhu couldn't help but worry.
These troops are the foundation of the Chuyue Tribe. If they were to strike against a rock with an egg and be counterattacked by the Tang Heavenly Army, their tribe's strong men would dwindle, leading to a rapid decline. At that point, they would be unable to resist being swallowed by other tribes!
However, Zhu Xie Gu Zhu is a person who aims for great things, possessing long-term vision and cunning schemes; otherwise, he wouldn't risk mobilizing an army to follow Ashina Helu in rebelling against the Tang.
After much hesitation, he finally summoned Shepi Qijin and Shatuo Nasu among others to discuss ambushing the Tang army's rear.
They occupied the natural fortress of Lao Mountain and didn't need to worry about being wiped out in one go. The question was how many people to send to ambush the Tang army's rear.
Shepi Qijin had visited Chang'an several times and had served as an envoy there for tribute. He admired Tang's prosperity greatly. After returning to his tribe, he attempted agriculture and animal husbandry in the Chuyue Tribe but ultimately failed due to geographical limitations, becoming a laughingstock of the tribe.
Upon hearing Zhu Xie Gu Zhu's plan to ambush the Tang rear forces, he hurriedly stood up in opposition, claiming it was an act of striking an egg against a rock—absolutely unfeasible!
Zhu Xie Gu Zhu was also reluctant to risk his tribe’s troops; however, seeing Shatuo Nasu’s horrified and helpless expression made him furious. He decided to personally lead ten thousand men to ambush five thousand Tang reinforcements led by Bowmoon Dao Military Commander and Right Valiant General Gao Deyi!
Shatuo Nasu sighed deeply in despair, which only further provoked Zhu Xie Gu Zhu. That night, despite light snow falling, this leader of the Chuyue Tribe led ten thousand soldiers down from Lao Mountain. Unexpectedly, Gao Deyi was caught completely off guard and was indeed struck hard; if not for the well-trained Tang Imperial Guards, it might have resulted in total annihilation!
Zhu Xie Gu Zhu returned triumphantly to Lao Mountain with eight hundred captured Tang soldiers, striking a blow to Shatuo Nasu's pride. The other Sili also mocked Shatuo Nasu, who was left feeling ashamed and chose to retreat with his followers, no longer participating in military discussions.
After the victory, Ashina Helu was overjoyed; this was his first major victory since capturing Tingzhou. Not only did it boost the morale of his troops, but it also demoralized the Tang army by capturing their soldiers. He ordered a large shipment of supplies to reward the soldiers of the Chuyue Tribe.
The people of the Chuyue Tribe tasted success and became excited, frequently launching attacks that left the Tang Army in a state of panic. Qibi Helix and Liang Jianfang were furious and directed their anger towards Lao Mountain.
However, Lao Mountain was difficult to breach, and as the weather grew colder, Ashi Na Helu seized the opportunity to counterattack. The Tang Army found themselves in a dire situation, unable to support each other.
Luo Hongyi and Cui Yuqing sensed an opportunity and advised Chief of Military Operations Liang Jianfang to send envoys to Lao Mountain to negotiate for the exchange of prisoners of war while also gathering intelligence on the terrain and enemy defenses.
After discussing with Qibi Helix, Liang Jianfang agreed and appointed his trusted aide, Captain Guoyi Dan Daohui, as an envoy to negotiate with the Chuyue Tribe regarding the exchange of prisoners.
With consecutive victories, Zhu Xie Gu Zhu gained favor with Ashi Na Helu. Seeing the Tang Army humbled, he became arrogant and made unreasonable demands, only to be met with a harsh reprimand from Dan Daohui. In a fit of rage, this leader of the Chuyue Tribe executed Dan Daohui.
As a close confidant of Liang Jianfang, the news of Dan Daohui's death reached him through his guards. Furious at the arrogance displayed by Zhu Xie Gu Zhu, he launched an immediate military response. Both sides engaged in fierce combat for a day and night, resulting in casualties on both sides before retreating.
Following this setback, morale within the Tang Camp plummeted. Recognizing that the time was ripe for action, Luo Hongyi and Cui Yuqing once again advised.
“Commander, the reason for Dan Daohui's execution was not merely due to arrogance from Zhu Xie Gu Zhu, but rather because of Dan Daohui's lack of persuasive power. General Xu Zhen, who has held out in Tingzhou for over a month, has effectively gathered intelligence on enemy movements. As the National Master of Tubo, he commands respect among the tribes; we should send General Xu to persuade them. Even if we cannot win them over completely, requesting several hundred prisoners from such a prominent figure should not be too difficult.”
Upon hearing this, both Qibi Helix and Liang Jianfang realized that for the tribes, the title of National Master of Tubo held significant weight. However, since Xu Zhen was an old acquaintance of Qibi Helix, there were concerns about her safety during this critical moment; any misstep could lead to complications with the Sovereign.
Nevertheless, Liang Jianfang held a differing opinion and urged Qibi Helix. He argued that because she was about to be called upon for service, it was essential for her to demonstrate achievements that would impress the court. Only then could she be officially reinstated by the Sovereign. With both armies at a stalemate and temperatures dropping further, delaying action would only bring harm to Tang. If they failed to capture Lao Mountain, they would face even fiercer counterattacks from Ashi Na Helu, leading potentially to disastrous defeat.
Understanding that there was merit in what Liang Jianfang said, Qibi Helix, who was not lacking in wisdom, sought out personal counsel from Xu Zhen. Given her higher rank than him, it was appropriate for him to take initiative in this matter.
Xu Zhen was aware that this was the counterattack from Luo Hongyi and Cui Yuqing, but the military situation was indeed urgent. Moreover, he had not been idle these days; what the Tang Soldier scouts could not accomplish, he secretly had the Tibetan Guards do, and the results were significant, boosting his confidence. After pondering for a moment, he agreed.
Upon learning that Xu Zhen was willing to act as an envoy, Luo Hongyi and Cui Yuqing sneered repeatedly, feeling secretly pleased. Liang Jianfang admired Xu Zhen for her understanding of the greater good and her broad-mindedness even more.
In light of past events, Xu Zhen feared that the women would suffer harassment and harm again, and worried about repeating the mistakes of Dan Daohui. Therefore, she kept Zhou Cang, Zuo An, and others behind, only bringing along Old Black and Ero. Before long, they approached the camp of the Chuyue Tribe at the foot of Lao Mountain, waving a white flag.
Amidst the wind and snow, the tents of the Chuyue Tribe stretched for several miles, with a solemn military presence that truly elevated their morale, giving them a sense of being a battle-hardened legion.
Seeing this situation, Xu Zhen became even more convinced that it was right for her to be the envoy. Otherwise, if they delayed further, morale would decline relative to their opponents, making it difficult to manage.
Upon hearing that the Tang Army had sent someone again, Zhu Xie Gu Zhu was overjoyed. He thought that the Tang Army had indeed frightened his Chuyue Tribe. Now sending envoys again was another great achievement; even the reputation of Ashi Na Helu's Ten Clans Tribe could not compare to that of his own tribe. From now on, it would be the rise of the Chuyue Tribe!
As snow swirled around them, Xu Zhen, dressed in a Crimson Holy Robe, resembled a dark red flame in the icy wilderness. Old Black hunched over with his hands clasped together like a frail old servant, while Ero, still **ing half-naked with bronze skin adorned with dark red Shura tattoos, stood out strikingly!
The people of the Chuyue Tribe might not recognize Xu Zhen's face, but her Crimson Holy Robe immediately reminded them of the legendary figure who could bring people back to life. Seeing Ero, known as the Vajra of Subduing Demons, confirmed her identity!
When news spread that the National Master of Tubo, a divine child of Zoroastrianism, and the godly figure walking among mortals— Xu Zhen —had arrived, crowds gathered wherever she went. Although she was an envoy from an enemy army, many from the Chuyue Tribe still bowed to her!
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