The Rebellious Officials and Traitors of the Late Han Dynasty

Chapter 583 Xiliang
Outside Chang'an, banners obscured the sky. A hundred thousand troops stood in imposing formation, their iron armor gleaming coldly in the early spring sun. Qin Shou stood atop a high platform, his black dragon robe fluttering in the wind, the sword "Ding Qin" at his waist gleaming faintly in its sheath.

"Your Majesty, Vanguard Zhao Yun has already passed Chencang." Jia Xu handed over the latest military report and whispered, "In the past few days, many Xiliang merchants have left Guanzhong."

Qin Shou's lips curled into a slight smile as he said coldly, "As expected, they couldn't sit still any longer. Tell Jia Mu to keep a close eye on them, but don't alert them."

Below the platform, Crown Prince Qin Chengqian led the officials in kneeling to see him off. Qin Shou's gaze swept over the assembled officials, lingering briefly on Chen Qun's bowed head, before he mounted his horse.

"Marching into battle!"

The army of 100,000 marched westward like a torrent, raising clouds of dust.

In the Longxi Valley, the setting sun bleeds like blood.

Zhao Yun reined in his horse atop the mountain, his silver armor and white robe now stained yellow with dust. Behind him, thirty thousand iron cavalry stood silently like a forest, only their battle flags fluttering in the wind.

"General, a Qiang camp has been spotted thirty li ahead," a scout reported. "There are about twenty thousand of them, and judging from their banners, they are the main force of the Xianling Qiang."

Lieutenant Wei Yan spurred his horse forward: "Zilong, we can take them by surprise and launch a night attack to rout them in one fell swoop."

Zhao Yun gazed into the distance, his brow furrowed slightly, and said to Deng Zhi beside him, "Bo Miao, look at this terrain. High mountains on both sides, a narrow valley in the middle—if the enemy sets up an ambush..."

Before the words were even finished, horns suddenly sounded throughout the valley. In an instant, arrows rained down from both cliffs like locusts!

"Ambush! All troops, raise your shields!" Zhao Yun shouted, brandishing his spear. "Dragon Gallant Battalion, protect the flanks! Archers and crossbowmen, counterattack!"

The well-trained Tang army quickly changed formation. The heavily armored infantry, the "Dragon Gallant Battalion," erected massive shields, forming an impenetrable wall. Arrows clattered against the iron shields, yet not a single soldier was injured.

Deng Zhi roared in fury, "These Qiang dogs are cunning! General, I'll lead my troops up the mountain and wipe out these scoundrels!"

"Wait," Zhao Yun calmly observed, stopping the enemy. "The enemy's main force has not yet appeared; this is a trap. Order the entire army to retreat slowly and maintain formation."

Sure enough, the Tang army retreated less than three miles when suddenly a cloud of dust rose at the mouth of the valley ahead. Tens of thousands of Qiang cavalry surged in like a tide, led by a general with red hair and blue eyes, none other than Mir, the general of the Xianling Qiang.

"Hahaha! The Tang generals have fallen into a trap! My men, kill all these Han people, and you can have all the wine and women of Chang'an!" Mir brandished his scimitar and roared to the sky.

The Qiang cavalry charged forward with strange cries. Zhao Yun, however, remained calm and composed, simply raising his hand and waving it away.

"Launch the trebuchet!"

Suddenly, dozens of strange chariots were pushed out from behind the formation. With the sound of mechanisms, countless fireballs roared out and fell into the Qiang cavalry formation. Instantly, men and horses fell, and screams of agony filled the air.

"How is this possible!" Mir exclaimed in surprise. "When did they bring such a weapon?"

"All troops, charge! The Gentian Battalion in front, archers and crossbowmen behind, cavalry flanking from both sides!"

Zhao Yun raised his spear high.

The 30,000 Tang soldiers moved with perfect coordination, instantly completing a complex formation change. The heavily armored infantry advanced like an iron wall, while crossbowmen unleashed a barrage of fire to suppress the enemy, and the light cavalry outflanked them from the sides, completely surrounding the Qiang people.

Seeing the situation was dire, Mir hurriedly ordered a retreat. Zhao Yun, however, was not about to let him escape. He charged forward alone, his silver spear like a dragon, heading straight for Mir.

"Leave the head behind!"

A flash of spear light, and Mika felt a chill on his neck before his head flew into the air. Zhao Yun flicked his spear tip, lifting the hideous head high into the air.

Those who surrender will not be killed!

Seven days later, Qin Shou's main force arrived in Longxi. Inside the central command tent, the sand table was covered with small flags of various colors. "Zilong, you fought a brilliant battle," Qin Shou praised. "The main force of the Xianling Qiang has been wiped out, and the remaining tribes are terrified."

Zhao Yun cupped his hands and said, "It's all thanks to Your Majesty's brilliant strategy. If Your Majesty hadn't secretly ordered the Ministry of Works to build those trebuchets beforehand, this humble general would not have been able to achieve victory."

Pang Tong took a swig of wine, his eyes blurry with drunkenness: "The Qiang people are nothing more than a minor ailment. What worries me are the powerful clans of Xiliang. Reports indicate that the Zhang family of Dunhuang and the Ma family of Jiuquan have secretly amassed their forces, claiming to number 100,000."

Xun You frowned: "These powerful clans are clearly trying to take advantage of the chaos. Your Majesty, I suggest we divide our forces to deter them, first quell the Qiang rebellion, and then deal with the rest gradually."

“No,” Pang Tong shook his head. “We must strike with overwhelming force against both the Qiang and Hu tribes and the powerful clans simultaneously to achieve a permanent solution.”

Qin Shou's gaze was deep, and he lightly tapped his fingers on the table: "Wenhe's letter says that Chen Qun has been corresponding closely with these powerful figures. It seems there are people in the court who don't want me to pacify Xiliang."

The generals held their breath. Lu Su cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, should we first appease some of the powerful clans to divide and weaken them?"

"Zijing is kind-hearted, but some people," Qin Shou sneered, "will never truly submit unless their backbone is broken."

He abruptly stood up, drew his sword, and tapped it on the sand table: "Tomorrow, we will divide our forces into three routes. Zilong will continue to sweep away the remnants of the Qiang tribe; Wenchang will lead 20,000 elite troops straight to Jiuquan; and I will personally lead the main force to press on Dunhuang. Within a month, I will ensure that there are no more powerful warlords in Western Liang!"

Thirty miles outside Dunhuang City was the Tang army camp.

Qin Shou stood with his hands behind his back at the gate, gazing at the majestic city walls of Dunhuang in the distance. The setting sun cast a long shadow of him, which intertwined with the shadow of the black dragon flag behind him.

"Your Majesty, the scouts report." Xu Chu strode in, his armor clanging. "The Zhang family, in alliance with the five clans of Dunhuang, has assembled 60,000 troops, and the city's provisions are sufficient for six months."

Qin Shou narrowed his eyes: "That old fox Zhang Kai is quite well-prepared. They probably started preparing even before we were clearing the population."

Qin Shou believed that the main reason why the aristocratic families of Xiliang were going against the imperial court was because of his own initiative, such as re-surveying the land and clearing out the hidden population of the aristocratic families, which threatened their interests.

Pang Tong approached, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, his wine gourd dangling from his waist: "The Zhang family has been operating in Dunhuang for generations, their roots run deep. A direct assault would likely result in heavy casualties."

"Report!" A rider galloped in, kneeling down as he rolled off his saddle: "Urgent report from Jiuquan! General Wei Yan has been ambushed by Ma Chao's former troops and is now besieged on the banks of the Shule River!"

The generals in the tent erupted in commotion. Xu Huang slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "Ma Chao has been dead for many years, where did these old subordinates come from?"

A cold glint flashed in Qin Shou's eyes: "Zhang Ji, you've actually colluded with the remnants of the Ma family!" He turned and shouted, "Xu Chu, take 30,000 Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and accompany me to reinforce Wen Chang!"

Pang Tong hurriedly stopped him: "Your Majesty, you mustn't! This is a ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain. If the Dunhuang troops take this opportunity to attack the camp..."

"How could I not know?" Qin Shou sneered, taking a tiger tally from his robes and tossing it to Xu Huang: "Gongming, take this tally to Yumen Pass to mobilize the Xuanjia Army. They must reach the walls of Dunhuang within three days!"

That night, Qin Shou personally led his cavalry on a 300-mile raid. At dawn, the sounds of battle shook the banks of the Shule River.

Wei Yan's troops were surrounded on a high hill, and their arrows were almost exhausted. Suddenly, a cloud of dust rose in the west, and a black dragon banner fluttered in the wind.

"His Majesty has arrived in person!" The Tang army cheered thunderously.

Qin Shou took the lead, drawing his twin swords, Han Guang and Gu Ding, with a roar like a dragon.

"Soldiers of the Tang Dynasty, follow me to fight the enemy!"

The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry charged into the enemy ranks like a torrent. The Qiang cavalry were horrified to discover that these heavy cavalrymen and their horses were all clad in iron armor, impervious to arrows. Even more terrifying, each cavalryman was equipped with a crossbow capable of firing three arrows in quick succession, making them incredibly lethal at close range.

(End of this chapter)