Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 774: The General’s Flag Will Never Fall

In mid-August, Dazha Lugong led his troops out of Chencang County and headed east to Wugong County. The seat of Wugong County was a large city, and the people in the city and even the local Guanzhong Tianlong clan were mobilized by people sent by the court to defend the city.

In order to fight against the Tibetans, Fang Zhongyong formulated the so-called "using a point to lead the whole, defending without fighting" strategy. The Guanzhong people who were unable to evacuate to Chang'an in time were concentrated in the county town. The local Guanzhong Tianlong people and their servants were allowed to lead the defense of the city.

As long as the Tibetans don't attack the city, these people don't have to do anything. Once the Tibetans divide their forces to attack the city, they just need to stay there for an hour and then send out smoke signals to ask for help. The Silver Spear Xiejie Army will send out cavalry to raid the Tibetan siege team, and then run away after the attack!
In this way, if Dazalugong's army besieged the city, it would inevitably slow down its progress.

However, if he divided his troops, the divided troops would be very vulnerable when attacking the city. If they were stunned by the cavalry of the Bianzhou Army, there would be no chance of victory.

At the beginning, Dazalugong chose to divide his troops to besiege the city, while the main force continued to advance eastward. As a result, the siege failed during the day, and the cavalry of the Silver Spear Xiejie Army rushed into the camp at night, resulting in heavy casualties.

Seeing that he could not gain any advantage and that dividing the troops would dilute the force, Dazhaligong made a bold move: he grouped every hundred cavalrymen into a team, which roamed around the Guanzhong Plain every day, and intercepted and killed any Tang army team transporting grain that they saw.

Each team of the Tibetan troops that were sent out was not far from each other, and they sent messages to each other by smoke signals. Once they encountered the troops of the Bianzhou army, they would immediately gather together to encircle and annihilate them, and if they couldn't defeat them, they would just run away!
As for the Tubo army's infantry, they all gathered together, marched during the day and set up camp at night, and slowly advanced towards Chang'an, in order to counter Fang Zhongyong's strategy of "trading space for time".

They didn't even besiege those isolated counties. For a time, the people in the counties west of Chang'an were panic-stricken and at a loss.

The Tibetans did not indeed besiege the city, but once the soldiers and civilians in the city left the city, they would be intercepted and killed by the Tibetan cavalry, which was actually not much different from being besieged.

As a result, the small groups of defenders between cities could not join together, which instead diluted the strength of the Tang army.

Although the scorching heat in Guanzhong made Dazhagupon feel groggy during the day and unable to calm down and think about things, it did not hinder the Tubo army commander from commanding with confidence.

He understood the old Chinese saying very well: A gentleman draws his bow but does not shoot, yet he leaps forward like a pistol!
Soon, Yan Zhenqing, who was in charge of connecting with the Guanzhong Tianlong family, was so annoyed by the people who came to complain and complain that his head was spinning!

After summer comes the autumn harvest. Now the people from all the counties west of Guanzhong have to gather in the county town. When the autumn harvest comes, who will harvest the crops in the fields?
You know, the various disasters in Guanzhong did have a great impact on ordinary people. However, the Tianlong people in Guanzhong, who had a large family business and extensive land, were constantly collecting tenants to farm the land normally, and it was not as miserable as imagined.

There is no problem with not supporting the Tibetans. The imperial court dealt with Li Chenghong's relatives and family. The Tianlong people in Guanzhong also saw the consequences of surrendering to the Tibetans. Anyone who wants to open the city and surrender must carefully weigh the consequences.

But it is a bit hard to understand whether they are allowed to harvest the crops or not.

In desperation, Yan Zhenqing had to find Fang Chongyong and explain the situation they were facing. In fact, he didn't need to urge him, Fang Chongyong also noticed that the Tibetans had changed their fighting style.

"Sir, this is the Tibetans' attempt to turn the tables. Just ignore them."

In the temporary study room of Chang'an Dutingyi, Li Quan pointed to the circle marked on the map and suggested to Fang Chongyong.

"Well, keep talking."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, folded his arms and looked at the map without expressing any opinion.

It was impossible for the Tibetans to fight directly as soon as they came up, just like a tiger would repeatedly test its prey before it pounced on it. Previously, the Tibetans tried to attack the city, but were hit by the silver spear Xiaojie at night, so Dazalugong changed his tactics.

Since the Tibetans no longer besieged the city, there was naturally no so-called "relief".

Dazha Lugong changed the troops that "besieged" the city from infantry surrounding the city to cavalry running around, making the Bianzhou army lose the target of interception.

If Fang Zhongyong wanted to counter this move, he could only send out cavalry of the same size and fight in a similar way. This was equivalent to exhausting the Tubo army, which was actually what Dazalugong wanted!

Fang Chongyong hoped to "lure the enemy deep into our territory" and exploit the Tibetan army's fragile logistics. Obviously, he would not fight with the enemy for lives.

Because the moment of the decisive battle has not yet arrived!
"Sir, the war has come to this point, and there is no way we can fool the Tibetans anymore.

We must hold on and endure. As long as the Tibetan army's logistics are exhausted, our punch will not only be able to drive away the Tibetan army, but also be done with it.

We can also take back Lanzhou while their troops are short of manpower. Next year, we will start from Lanzhou to attack Hexi.

You must hold back now! A little impatience can ruin a big plan!"

Li Quan persuaded anxiously.

"I also know what you said, but we understand it, but the local wealthy families in Guanzhong don't. If we force them into a corner, what will happen if these people defect to Tubo?"

Fang Zhongyong spread his hands and asked.

Newly trained troops continued to arrive from Bianzhou to help. These troops were now rushing to build camps around Chang'an, so it was inconvenient to withdraw them to fight the Tibetans.

"Sir, we are not in a hurry. It is Dazalugong who is in a hurry. Why not send someone to challenge the Tibetan army at the gate of the camp? There must be someone in the Tibetan army who is eager to fight."

Li Quan suggested in a low voice.

Fang Zhongyong and his men were having a hard time, but in fact, the Tibetans were not having a good time either. The summer climate in Guanzhong was very hot, which was unfriendly to them. Even food and grass were in short supply, and the baggage brought by the food transport team could not meet all the needs of the army.

"That makes sense. Let's give it a try."

Fang Chongyong nodded. Then, he asked Zhang Guangsheng to call Lun Weizhen, one of the five brothers of the Lun family. Anyway, the two of them knew each other for a long time. When Fang Chongyong was the governor of Shazhou, they had dealt with Lun Weizhen.

When Lun Weizhen came breathlessly from Xianyang City to Duting Posthouse, Fang Chongyong asked as soon as they met: "Now I ask you to challenge the Tubo army camp, do you dare to go?"

"Sir, why should I be afraid of this? If you have any instructions, just tell me directly. I will never say no!"

Lun Weizhen looked excited, he had been waiting for this day for a long time!

Although he was born into a powerful and aristocratic family with a long history in Tibet, it would be better for Tibet to perish without their family's place.

If you can't get something, you can't let your enemy get it. It's better to destroy it directly.

This is what the Lun family thought. Tubo should have belonged to their family! But it was taken by the enemy who exterminated their clan. How embarrassing! The Lun family had no interest in the warlord struggles within the Tang Dynasty, but they were very interested in fighting Tubo. They had a twisted pleasure of revenge!

"Look, you and Nan Jiyun, ride your horses to the gate of the Tibetan army camp and challenge them. Nan Jiyun will shout, you translate into Tibetan, and then give Dazalugong a fox tail."

Fang Chongyong gestured to Lun Weizheng for a long time as he spoke, and the latter became more and more surprised the more he listened.

"Sir, there is no problem for me to go on this mission, but you..."

Lun Weizhen seemed to want to say something but stopped.

"The three armies cannot be deprived of their morale, and neither can this commander."

Fang Zhongyong said calmly, without a trace of hesitation on his face.

"Understood! I will do it now!"

Lun Weizhen nodded, and the other party clasped his fists and bowed.

After he left, Li Quan, who was listening, sighed and asked, "Sir, does it have to be like this?"

"You don't understand Tibetans. Even if Dazalugong wants to refuse, he can't suppress his soldiers. Then, he will be the one who suffers."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand and said.

The Tibetans advanced alone, relying on their faith and fearlessness. If this spirit was lost, even if Dazalugong had 100,000 soldiers and horses, it would be useless.

I believe that the great Tibetan scholar will make the final decision on what to choose.

……

A certain Tibetan scholar is obviously very powerful, but he is overly cautious!

Under his command, the Tibetan infantry marched ten miles every day without fail, slowly and firmly like robots, and finally reached the site of Zhongguan City not far from Xiwei Bridge in Chang'an, where they stopped.

During the Han Dynasty, this place was a national-scale mint, and most of the Wuzhu coins of the Western Han Dynasty came from here.

However, now, this place has turned into a bamboo forest, and its former glory is no longer seen, and even the ruins cannot be found.

Xiwei Bridge was the last defense node west of Chang'an. Once you crossed the Xiwei Bridge, the enemy would be at the gates of the city. Therefore, the experienced Dazha Lugong stationed his troops here and did not choose to advance rashly.

Go forward and it will be a decisive battle!
The Tubo army had nowhere to go, and the Bianzhou army had nowhere to go. It was precisely because it was going to be a decisive battle that they couldn't just go all in.

Early in the morning, the scorching sun began to burn the earth. Dazha Lugong came to the west bank of Xiwei Bridge. He shielded his eyes from the dazzling sunlight with his hands, and suddenly saw a huge flag fluttering in the wind somewhere in Chang'an City not far away!

The flag was so high that it was even taller than the pagodas in Tibet. It could be seen from far away!
"What is this?"

Daza Lu Gong pointed over there and asked the soldiers around him.

"Da Lun, this is a flag."

The bodyguard replied.

Dazha Lugong was speechless for a moment, and stopped asking questions in disappointment.

Soon, two Tang cavalrymen arrived at the east bank of Xiwei Bridge. One of them shouted in Tibetan: "Where is the Tibetan great theory? Do you dare to come out and speak?"

Upon hearing this, the personal soldiers around Dazhaglugong immediately surrounded him and protected the Tibetan minister.

"If you have anything to say, just say it!"

Dazalugong shouted at the two men, not panicking at all.

Soon, one of the two men on the opposite side rode forward, and Dazalugong's personal soldiers raised their bows and arrows and aimed at that man. Then, following the order of their commander, they put down their bows and arrows.

The man who rode forward was Nan Jiyun, with a fox tail on the tip of his lance. After crossing the river, he held the lance horizontally and said, "You Tibetan rats, do you see that flag in Chang'an City in the distance? My commander is waiting for you there! If you have the guts, hang this fox tail on the flag, if you don't, just keep it and hang it around your neck, hahahahahaha!"

He laughed loudly, shook the lance in his hand lightly, and the fox tail fell to the ground.

Lun Weizhen on the other side of the river translated Nan Jiyun's words into Tibetan. When the personal soldiers around Dazhalugong heard it, they were all furious and were about to rush forward to hack Nan Jiyun to death, but were urgently stopped by Dazhalugong.

This Tibetan minister was also very angry, but he was very shrewd and did not let his anger cloud his head.

Only after the two men on the opposite side left did Dazalu Gong order all his guards to return to the camp. As for the fox's tail, he naturally picked it up and took it back with him.

Soon, the news spread in the Tubo army camp.

News like the Tang army's provocation and challenge to a battle in Chang'an spread faster than the plague and became known to everyone in the Tubo army.

Unlike the last battle at Xiangji Temple, this time the location was Chang'an, which was also the final destination of the Tibetans. Even Dazalu Gong could not suppress the discussions among his subordinates.

In the Tibetan army, if someone was given a fox's tail, it was equivalent to pointing at his nose and calling him a coward. If he could not fight back, he would surely die in the future and become a laughing stock.

Now Fang Zhongyong sent people to give Dazhalu Gong a fox tail in front of so many personal guards. The provocation was strong and no longer concealed.

As expected, after nightfall, all the commanders came to Dazhalugong's tent to ask for battle. Facing the excited Tubo generals, Dazhalugong was also annoyed.

Fang Qing's move was truly vicious. If he had provoked the Tubo army like this when they had just entered Guanzhong, everyone would have certainly just laughed it off.

This level of provocation is simply child's play!

However, now that they were so close to Chang'an, the Tubo army began to get impatient. The sentiment of "after this battle, we can achieve this and that" was spreading everywhere in the camp.

"Everyone, now is not the time to attack. This is obviously Fang Qing's trick to lure us into Chang'an."

Daza Lugong looked around at the generals and said in a deep voice.

However, his most important general and political ally of Dazhalugong, Shulu Jiesangjiagong, did not think so.

He stood up and refuted bluntly: "Dalun, we are alone and deep in the enemy's territory. The soldiers are all panic-stricken. They have persisted until now with the belief that they will win. If Dalun faces the provocation of the enemy commander and cannot fight back directly, then the soldiers in the army will doubt whether we can defeat the Tang people. Dalun, there is no need to say anything. Just follow what the Tang commander said. We will kill them and hang the fox's tail on that flag. It is more effective than any order!"

After these words were spoken, all the generals in the military tent nodded frequently.

The enemy is rushing towards me with a dragon on their face. It would be unreasonable to restrain myself further.

Didn’t the Tang army commander say that if you have the guts you can hang the fox’s tail on the flag? Then just kill your way through Chang’an City, kill the general and seize the flag!

Otherwise, no matter what Dazalugong said, he would not be able to appease the soldiers.

No matter which country or nation, the military is the place that values ​​strength the most.

Just do it, don't beat around the bush!
"That's okay."

It was difficult to offend the public, so Dazha Lugong had to nod slightly, which was regarded as his approval of Shulu Jiesang Jiagong's statement.

The surname Lu is also a family of the Tubo Zamp Queen. In other words, although the Tubo army has perfect military discipline and is much stronger than those nomadic peoples, it is still composed of private armies divided according to families and pieced together to form an army.

It is true that Dazalugong has the overall command power, but this is not his place to have the final say.

"Let the soldiers have a good meal today, and tomorrow at midnight, we will raid Chang'an! Cut down the flag hanging high up for me!"

Daza Lugong clenched his fists and said, he had made up his mind.

(End of this chapter)