Dramatic changes in the movies and TV shows

Chapter 1282 Unstoppable
"All troops, attack!" Lin Hao ordered without hesitation.

Then, taking the lead, he charged towards the collapsed city wall like an arrow released from a bow.

Generals Guo Yuanzheng, Lu Wenbin, and Lu Ziming, leading their elite troops, followed closely behind, like an iron torrent, instantly surging into the breach.

The once fierce Tibetan soldiers inside the city were now shaken by the explosions outside and were like lambs to the slaughter.

Most were still immersed in immense fear and dizziness, and were unable to mount any effective resistance.

As the Tang army charged in, flashing blades and splattering blood, they were like tigers among sheep, quickly clearing out the enemies near the breach and dividing their forces to seize the city gates and control the key passages on the city walls.

Seeing Lin Hao charging ahead, Yang Xigu repeatedly urged the allied generals, including Prince Ferghana, Gudulu, and Kang Huaien, before they could barely recover from their unparalleled shock.

Looking at the city walls that seemed to have been smashed open by a giant hammer of a god, and then at the Tang army that had already stormed into the city, a mixture of awe, fear, and shame welled up in their hearts.

Especially the Uyghur generals like Kutlug, who prided themselves on their bravery, found themselves no different from the Tibetans awaiting slaughter in the face of such "divine might".

"Quick! Follow me and charge in! Don't let others take all the credit!" Gu Dulu roared.

It was both to motivate his subordinates and to dispel the chill in his own heart.

They then led their troops into the city like a flood breaking through a dam, joining the mopping-up operation against the already collapsed Tibetan garrison.

The battle was almost a one-sided massacre. The Tibetan army, having lost its commander and whose morale had completely collapsed, was simply unable to put up any decent resistance.

Most of them were annihilated in the city's streets and alleys. Only a few clever or terrified survivors fled in panic from the east gate, running desperately towards Ganzhou.

Suzhou, a key town in Hexi, was captured with ease at a visible speed, and the cost to the Tang allied forces was negligible.

After the city fell, the people of the Tang Dynasty, who had been enslaved by the Tibetans for many years, emerged from their hiding places. Looking at the familiar Tang banners and the brightly armored army of their own people, many wept with joy and knelt down to pay their respects.

Meanwhile, the soldiers of the auxiliary armies of Ferghana, Uyghur, and Shatuo, while clearing the battlefield, couldn't help but frequently glance at the collapsed city wall, their eyes filled with an almost divine awe and fear of the Tang Dynasty and Lin Hao.

"This is a blessing from Heaven for the Tang Dynasty, and it is because Grand Commander Lin has been granted divine authority," a servant soldier whispered, attributing the explosion to a mysterious force.

Lin Hao neither agreed nor disagreed with this, and even seemed pleased with it.

Having traversed dozens of worlds, Lin Hao knew that fear stemmed from the unknown. Maintaining this impression of "divine power" was of immeasurable benefit to consolidating the Tang Dynasty's rule in the Western Regions and newly recovered areas.

He ordered that a portion of his troops remain to garrison Suzhou and made a rather symbolic arrangement.

They forced captured Tibetan soldiers to repair their own collapsed city walls under the supervision of the Tang army.

"In the past, you drove the people of my Great Tang to build cities; today, you will taste the bitterness of it all!" The roles have been completely reversed, and the victor's posture is unmistakable.

The news of Suzhou's change of hands spread like wildfire throughout Hexi, even faster than the remnants of the defeated Tibetan army.

When Lin Hao and Yang Xigu reorganized their army and continued eastward along the ancient road at the northern foot of the Qilian Mountains, they arrived at the gates of Ganzhou and witnessed a scene completely different from that of Suzhou.

The Tibetan general guarding Ganzhou had obviously learned of the extremely bizarre fall of Suzhou City, and an unparalleled fear arose in his heart, believing that their Eternal Heaven or some other heaven was looking after the Tang Dynasty.

Therefore, rather than waiting in the city, not knowing when he would be sent to his death by a "thunderbolt" from the ground, he preferred to fight the Tang army in the familiar open field.

Therefore, the main force of the Tibetan army in Ganzhou was deployed, and they formed a battle formation in the open area outside the city, attempting to use their cavalry advantage to engage in a fair and square battle with the Tang allied forces.

"Abandoning the fortified city and engaging in open battle is exactly what I want!" Lin Hao saw this from the center of the army and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Eliminating the hassle and risks of digging tunnels and secretly planting medicine, field battles became the touchstone for testing the true strength of the Allied forces.

This time, the main force in the battle became the auxiliary army, eager for war.

In the Battle of Suzhou, the Tang army was so powerful that the Tang soldiers were almost relegated to mere spectators. Although they shared in the spoils of victory, they made very little contribution.

This deeply humiliated the self-proclaimed brave Gutlugh, the eager-to-recognize-himself Kang Huaien, and the prince of Ferghana who longed for military exploits.

"Grand Commander! Please make our army the vanguard in this battle!" Kutlug was the first to volunteer, and the Uyghur cavalrymen were eager to fight, determined to wash away their reputation as "bystanders".

"I, the young king, am willing to lead my men to take the enemy general's head!" Prince Ferghana was not to be outdone.

Kang Huaien and the leaders of his various vassal armies also rushed forward, their fighting spirit high.

This time, Lin Hao readily accepted the good advice and assigned the main offensive task of the battle to the Uyghur and Ferghana allied forces, who were most eager for battle, with the Shatuo and other tribes providing support, while the Tang army would only act as a rearguard.

Then the war drums sounded and the horns blared.

Driven by a strong desire to avenge their defeat and achieve glory, the Uyghur and Ferghana cavalry unleashed astonishing fighting power.

They didn't employ many tactics; relying solely on their armor and unparalleled fighting spirit, they surged into the Tibetan army like two raging torrents.

Gutluth led the charge, wielding his scimitar with unparalleled ferocity. Prince Ferghana also displayed a bravery that defied his romantic ideals, thrusting his spear with relentless ferocity.

The Tibetan army was already demoralized due to the defeat at Suzhou, and their formation gradually crumbled in the face of such a fierce attack.

Under repeated attacks from the allied forces, the Tibetan army's formation was finally broken through, leading to a major rout.

The battle raged from morning till afternoon. In this campaign, the allied forces beheaded tens of thousands and captured countless prisoners.

The defeated Tibetan remnants dared not flee into the nearby city of Ganzhou, but instead bypassed the city altogether.

Because there were a large number of Tang soldiers and civilians inside who had been reduced to slavery, if they escaped back to the city, they might suddenly disappear into some ditch.

The small number of garrison troops left in the city, seeing that the main force had been lost, were terrified and immediately abandoned the city and fled.

With the valiant efforts of a group of auxiliary troops, the Tang allied forces took over the empty city without bloodshed.

Lin Hao then used the prisoners to restore the youth of these Tang soldiers and civilians, recruited them directly into the army, sent them back to Tingzhou, and then brought back the large army that had already been trained there.

For the next two weeks, the army mainly focused on clearing out the territory around Suzhou and the scattered Tibetan tribes, wiping them out in one fell swoop to reduce the difficulty of future rule.

After capturing Su and Gan prefectures in quick succession, the gateway to the Hexi Corridor was wide open. Once the army in Ting Prefecture was replenished, Lin Hao's forces would head straight for Liang Prefecture, the last prefecture in the Hexi Corridor.

At this moment, the Tibetan general guarding Liangzhou was caught in an unprecedented dilemma.

Defend the city? The bizarre collapse of Suzhou was like a nightmare; who could guarantee that the city walls beneath their feet were sturdy enough?
Who can guarantee that the Tang army won't summon heavenly lightning again? Now the news is flying everywhere, the army's morale is low, and defending the city is tantamount to sitting and waiting for death.

As for field battles? News of the main force's crushing defeat in field battles at Ganzhou had already arrived. The Tang army hadn't even mobilized; their auxiliary troops alone had routed the Ganzhou garrison.

Moreover, now that the Tang Dynasty is riding high on the momentum of its great victory, its morale is soaring. What are the chances of winning a battle in the field?
"To defend is to die, to fight is to die! Rather than die a miserable death in the city, it is better to die like a true warrior on the front lines!"

The Liangzhou garrison commander ultimately chose the latter, for being punished by heavenly lightning was too bizarre and too demoralizing.

Rather than that, it would be better to mobilize all the troops in the city, array them outside the city, and then make a final, desperate stand.

However, at this point, the outcome was no longer in doubt.

One side is a victorious army that has won consecutive battles, is well-equipped, and has reached the peak of morale.

On the other side were a desperate army, filled with fear of the unknown forces and with morale at rock bottom.

The outcome of the battle was decided almost instantly upon contact.

The Tang allied forces crushed the Tibetan army in Liangzhou with overwhelming force, without even needing much command from Lin Hao.

With the defending general killed in battle and the remnants of the army scattered, Liangzhou, the eastern hub of the Hexi Corridor and the former seat of the Hexi Jiedushi of the Tang Dynasty, finally returned to the embrace of the Tang Dynasty.

Standing atop Liangzhou city wall, Yang Xigu gazed eastward, overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

Guo Ziyi, the Prince of Fenyang and the uncle of Prince Guo, once served as the military governor of Hexi and was a powerful figure on the frontier.

Now, Yang Xigu, the Grand Protector of Beiting, after decades of perseverance and bloody battles, has finally accomplished the great feat of recovering the seven prefectures of Hexi (Yi, Xi, Sha, Gua, Su, Gan, and Liang), thus bringing comfort to his ancestors.

"Hexi~, finally back!" he murmured to himself, his face a mixture of relief and emotion.

Lin Hao, on the other hand, focused more on reality. As usual, he rescued the enslaved Tang people in Liangzhou, recruited young men from among them to replenish the army, and restored their youth.

"First, you will be responsible for the supplies, guarding the prisoners, familiarizing yourselves with military discipline, and training in martial arts. Once the road is cleared, you will be qualified Tang soldiers, the cornerstone of the Tang Dynasty's reconstruction of Hexi!"

Lin Hao knew very well that in order to consolidate his rule, he needed a reliable source of troops.

With this, the thousands of miles of western passage from Tingzhou to Liangzhou were fully opened. On the map, only a few final checkpoints remained ahead, such as Guangwu, Lanzhou, and Weizhou.

Once we break through, we can enter the territory of Fengxiang Prefecture of the Tang Dynasty, and Chang'an will be within our grasp!

Inside Liangzhou City, the joy of victory permeated the allied forces.

Those white-haired veterans from Anxi who had fought alongside Lin Hao and Yang Xigu and had actually regained their youth stood atop the city wall.

They stroked the Tang-character flags atop Liangzhou city walls, gazing at the familiar yet unfamiliar landscape to the east; many were already weeping.

"Chang'an, the city where all nations paid tribute as recorded in the 'Records of the Western Regions,' is finally about to be seen!"

The white-haired veteran, now looking younger, had a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

The Tang Dynasty merchants following behind stroked their beards, calculating the enormous profits that would come with the reopening of the trade routes, and expressing their desire for meritorious service to the Tang Dynasty.

"Forty years! A full forty years!"

An old soldier choked up, his rough hands gripping the edge of the battlements tightly, gazing towards Chang'an.

"When I left Chang'an, I was only seventeen. My mother saw me off at Ba Bridge by breaking off a willow branch. Now her hair has turned white. I wonder if my mother is still alive!"

His words resonated with countless veterans.

They joined the army as teenagers, guarding the western regions, isolated beyond the Great Wall. From black hair to white hair, they experienced countless bloody battles, betrayals, and despair, yet they never fell.

Now, they have finally embarked on the final leg of their journey home. A long and arduous journey, stained with blood on the yellow sand, all for this long-awaited day of returning home.

Strictly speaking, this area is still Tibetan territory. Although it originally belonged to the Tang Dynasty, it was occupied by Tibet after being conquered by them.

They had not yet reached the territory of the Tang Dynasty; there were still several Tibetan-held cities behind them.

However, Lin Hao did not disturb their reverie. The closer they got to Chang'an, the more they longed for it.

Anyone who blocks their way home will be punished severely.

At this time, the Tang banner fluttered in the spring breeze atop Liangzhou City. The eastern expeditionary army did not linger for long; after resting for about half a month, the army set off again.

They embarked on the final leg of their journey to Lanzhou.

This eastward advance follows a route that vaguely overlaps with that of Huo Qubing, the champion general who led his expedition to Hexi, sweeping away all enemy forces, only in the opposite direction.

A profound sense of history, transcending time and space, weighed heavily on the hearts of every Tang general who knew this story.

Their journey was not only a homecoming, but also a continuation and revival of the glory of their ancestors.

The army marched along Gulang, through the edge of the southern mountains of Guzang, reached Wucheng garrison, and then went down the Wuni River (now Zhuanglang River), with its forces heading straight for Guangwu.

The Tibetan strongholds encountered along the way, such as Gulang, Guzang Nanshan, and Wucheng Shouzhuo, were all small in size and had few troops stationed there.

Even without Lin Hao's Tang soldiers taking action, the main force of his Han Hai Army, led by the eager-to-fight Prince Ferghana, the eager-to-prove-their-worth Gutulu and Kang Huai'en, along with their high-spirited auxiliary troops, swept away these outer barriers one by one with overwhelming force.

The enemy at Guangwu offered weaker resistance than expected, and the allied forces advanced with unstoppable momentum, encountering almost no significant resistance.

However, this unusual smoothness did not make Lin Hao and Yang Xigu feel any relief; on the contrary, it was like a dark cloud hanging over the hearts of the two commanders.

“Something unusual must be going on.” Yang Xigu, standing in the central command tent, pointed to the location of Lanzhou on the map and said with a furrowed brow:

"Tibet will never sit idly by and watch us open up the Hexi Corridor. If this route is opened, the Western Regions will be connected with the Tang Dynasty's homeland."

"With a continuous influx of manpower, financial resources, and material resources, the advantages that Tibet once gained by focusing its efforts on the east will vanish, and it will instead fall into the predicament of being attacked from both the east and the west by our Great Tang."

“Trisong Detsen is no ordinary ruler, how could he not know this? He must be accumulating strength, ready to strike me with lightning speed at the crucial moment.”

Lin Hao nodded, agreeing with Yang Xigu's statement, and then focused on Lanzhou, saying:

“The Grand Protector is absolutely right. Tibet is like a hunter who has tightened his fist, concentrating his strength on one point. These minor setbacks along the way are nothing more than insignificant tests and expendable pawns.”

"Their true main force must be waiting in the vicinity of Lanzhou, ready for a strategic decisive battle with us in the Hexi Corridor!"

The flickering candlelight inside the tent illuminated the resolute faces of the two men as they began to analyze the strategic logic behind the battle.

"In the past, Prime Minister Li (Li Mi) devised three strategies for Your Majesty to pacify the Tibetans. He wanted to ally with Nanzhao to contain them in the south and with the Uyghurs to control them in the north. Our Great Tang should launch a frontal attack from Jiannan and Fengxiang, encircling them from three sides. Then the Tibetans will be exhausted and the recovery of Hexi and Longyou will be within reach."

Yang Xigu's tone carried a hint of regret, "It's a pity that His Majesty, due to old grudges, delayed making peace with the Uyghurs, missed a good opportunity, and caused Prime Minister Li to die with regret."

If this strategy had been implemented ten years earlier, why would we, old soldiers, have to embark on the bloody journey eastward only when our hair is already white?

Lin Hao shook his head, but his tone was full of strong confidence:

"Great Protector, what is past cannot be changed, but what is to come can still be shaped. Now that the Uyghurs are allies, although it is not the pattern that Prime Minister Li envisioned, it still presents a situation of mutual support between the north and the south."

"Furthermore, I believe that the fact that Tibet has concentrated a large force in Lanzhou is not for their own benefit, but rather an opportunity for us!"

As he spoke, Lin Hao walked to the map and heavily traced the border between the plateau and Hexi with his finger, saying:

"Tibet's greatest strength is not its military might, but the geographical advantage of the plateau!"

“They are born and raised here, accustomed to the high altitude and lack of oxygen. When our soldiers from the Central Plains suddenly arrive here, they feel dizzy, short of breath and weak. They can hardly exert even half of their full combat power. This is what we call ‘miasma’!”

"Throughout the century-long history of the Tang-Tibet wars, our army suffered many major setbacks in high-altitude areas such as Wuhai and Dafeichuan."

"Once the Tibetans descend from the plateau and engage our army in the lowlands, they will suffer more defeats than victories!"

"This time, they have deliberately abandoned their greatest advantage and left their lair for Lanzhou, effectively crippling themselves! This is a golden opportunity to finish them off in one battle, and the time is ripe!"

Lin Hao then further analyzed:

"Lanzhou is located in a strategic location with convenient water and land transportation. It is the only strategic node within hundreds of miles that can support the long-term garrison of more than 200,000 troops and ensure logistical support."

"Moreover, it is not far from the Fengxiang military town of the Tang Dynasty. If the battle becomes protracted, our army may be able to get support from the east."

"On the contrary, if the battlefield is placed further west, the Tibetan supply lines will be even longer, which will be more disadvantageous to us."

"Therefore, the Tibetans chose Lanzhou out of necessity, while our army's battle in Lanzhou turned a passive situation into an active one!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Xigu's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he deeply agreed:

"If it weren't for the Grand Commander's analysis, we would have truly forgotten the harm of the miasma. In that case, this battle is indeed a golden opportunity for our Great Tang to settle the score in one fell swoop!"

With the strategy finalized, tactical execution became even more crucial. After easily capturing Guangwu, Lin Hao did not rush into anything. Instead, he ordered the entire army to rest for several days to wash away the fatigue of the continuous march and recuperate.

Subsequently, the army advanced towards Lanzhou at a much slower and more steady pace than before, step by step.

The Tibetans were clearly unwilling to let the allied forces reach the pre-arranged battlefield so easily.

Along the way, small groups of Tibetan cavalry, like hungry wolves on the grassland, constantly launched harassment attacks from the flanks and rear, attempting to slow down the allied forces, exhaust their soldiers, and deplete their energy.

However, they were facing Lin Hao, who possessed battlefield perception abilities that transcended his era.

Whenever the Tibetan harassing troops thought they were approaching stealthily using the terrain, they never imagined that there were always one or two sharp eagle eyes watching them from high above.

They had already seen through their movements, troop strength, and even attack routes.

Using his shapeshifting abilities, Lin Hao attached his consciousness to his tamed falcon, making the battlefield almost transparent to him.

As a result, all the Tibetan squads that attempted to launch a sneak attack fell into the ambush set up by the Tang military.

Under Lin Hao's precise command, the Uyghur and Shatuo cavalry, like precise scalpels, cleanly and efficiently removed these "scabies" time and time again.

The Tibetans' attempt to steal a chicken backfired spectacularly; not only did they fail to delay the allied forces, they also suffered a significant loss of valuable elite cavalry.

After several attempts, the Tibetans finally realized that this tactic was useless against their opponents and had no choice but to withdraw their troops and abandon the pointless harassment.

The allied forces were able to continue advancing steadily and in orderly formation toward the final battleground, Lanzhou.