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Chapter 1283 Triumphant Return, the Home I Long For

When the vanguard of the Allied forces finally arrived on the outskirts of Lanzhou, an incredibly magnificent yet breathtaking scene came into view.

On the vast plains outside Lanzhou, camps stretched as far as the eye could see, like another white forest that had suddenly sprung up.

Tibetan flags fluttered in the wind, and the reflections of swords and spears converged into a chilling sea of metal.

Even from several miles away, the sounds of shouting and neighing could be faintly heard, like muffled thunder.

At a glance, the enemy's formation was massive and their strength far surpassed that of any previous battle.

"Trinson Tsering has truly mobilized all the troops from Hexi and Longyou this time!" Lin Hao reined in his horse, looked into the distance at the enemy camp, his tone heavy but without fear.

Yang Xigu also had a solemn expression and slowly said:
"Judging from the size of their camp, their troops number no less than 200,000. I haven't seen such a force since the Tianbao era."

At this moment, even with the reinforcements from Tingzhou, the forces under Lin Hao's command that could be used for the decisive battle were already somewhat stretched thin after some troops were left to guard one side.

The core of the Tang Dynasty's armored cavalry numbered over 10,000, the Hanhai Army numbered only over 12,000, the Uyghur army under Gudulu and Du Wenguang numbered about 20,000, Chang Shouzheng's Shatuo army numbered nearly 10,000, and with the addition of Prince Ferghana and other auxiliary troops, the total number was barely 60,000.

The ratio of enemy to friendly forces was nearly one to four, a truly lopsided situation.

But in this era, the outcome of war is not simply determined by the number of people involved.

Putting everything else aside, the more than 10,000 heavily armored cavalry that Lin Hao brought could easily chase down and kill the 200,000 people in front of them.

Of course, some people will say that if the Tang Dynasty was so strong, why was it bullied by the Tibetans and Uyghurs and eventually lost the Western Regions?

It can only be said that after the Tang Dynasty leaked its most prized technology, the Hu people leveled the technological gap with the Central Plains, and neither side was weak.

Even in the present Tang Dynasty, if it weren't for the internal strife within the Tang Dynasty, how could the barbarians be allowed to run rampant?

Getting back to the main point, Lin Hao glanced at the generals beside him and calmly asked, "The enemy forces are four times our size. Are you afraid?"

The young prince of Ferghana, the steady yet ambitious Kutlugh, the shrewd Conway, and many of the vassal army leaders' eyes lit up upon hearing this.

Lin Hao was met with the resolute gazes of the Tang generals and the tense yet excited expressions of the auxiliary army leaders.

A Tang army captain laughed loudly: "Grand Protector, Grand Commander! The Tibetans before us are nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs!"

"Don't even mention two hundred thousand, even if there were a million soldiers, what would it matter? We hold swords in our hands and wear iron armor, ready to drink blood!"

"Alright!" Lin Hao's gaze swept over everyone, and his voice suddenly rose as he spoke:

"Remember this! This battle is not for conquering cities and seizing territory, nor for plundering wealth!"

"This battle is to open up the last stretch of the road home for the tens of thousands of soldiers behind us, especially those Tang soldiers and civilians who have held out in the Western Regions for forty years!"

"If we win this battle, we'll go home!" Lin Hao shouted, brandishing his sword.

"Go home!" These two words seemed to possess a magical power, instantly igniting the deepest flame in the eyes of all the Tang soldiers.

"Go home! Go home!" In the ranks of the Hanhai Army, countless veterans, with tears in their eyes, roared with all their might.

On the plains outside Lanzhou, 50,000 Tang allied troops faced off against 200,000 Tibetan troops, the air thick with tension. However, in stark contrast to the disparity in troop strength, the allied forces were filled with an almost overwhelming fighting spirit.

The word "home" carries the weight of forty years of hardship, forty years of perseverance, and forty years of longing.

The smoke from the chimneys of my hometown and the faces of my loved ones are right here, just beyond the battlefield, within reach.

At this moment, let alone 200,000 Tibetan troops, even if there were two million, even if it were a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, or the deepest hell, nothing could stop them from returning home!
"Chang'an! Chang'an!" Prince Ferghana, Gutlug, Kang Huai'en, and all the soldiers of the auxiliary army also shouted fervently in their fluent or broken Chinese.

That legendary capital of all nations, the city where the Heavenly Khan resided, was the ultimate symbol of wealth, glory, and civilization.

To witness its glory firsthand is an achievement worthy of being recorded in the family genealogy and passed down to future generations, and it is worth exchanging blood for!
Lin Hao immediately stood at the front of the formation, his gaze sweeping over the faces flushed with excitement. He suddenly drew his sword, the gleaming blade drawing a cold arc in the morning sun, pointing directly at the core of the Tibetan army formation!
"Soldiers! Comrades!" His voice, like the clang of metal, clearly resounded throughout the front lines:
"Home is just ahead! Chang'an is just ahead! These Tibetans are the last stumbling block on our way home. What should we do?"

“Kill~!”

"Crush them with our iron hooves!"

Lin Hao then mentioned the story that inspired countless Tang soldiers:
"In the past, in the Great Feichuan, General Xue Rengui led 50,000 elite troops to face 400,000 Tibetan troops, and still fought a bloody battle without retreating, causing the heavens and earth to change color!"

"Today, we follow the example of our predecessors, with an equal force of 50,000, while the enemy has only 200,000! The advantage is on our side! Victory is assured in this battle!"

"Victory! Victory! Victory!" The earth trembled with a thunderous roar, and the morale of the allied forces reached its peak at this moment.

The belief in returning home and absolute confidence in victory merged into an invincible torrent.

The war drums sound, the decisive battle begins.

However, the first wave of attacks by the Tang allied forces was neither a cavalry charge nor an infantry advance.

With the command flag waved, the engineers responsible for operating the catapults, which were already prepared, quickly sprang into action.

This time, instead of heavy stone projectiles, they placed thin-skinned cast iron balls, which, unsurprisingly, were filled with gunpowder manufactured by Lin Hao.

Beside each catapult stood a soldier holding a torch.

"Catapult—fire!" Lu Ziming shouted hoarsely as he relayed Lin Hao's command.

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle—" The fuse was lit by the torch, and it quickly shortened while emitting dazzling sparks.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The trebuchet's breech suddenly rose, hurling the iron balls with lit fuses high into the air, drawing countless deadly parabolas as they landed precisely on the most densely packed core area of the Tibetan army!
"Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!"

Then came a continuous rumbling sound, a terrifying roar that seemed to come from the heavens, which suddenly exploded in the Tibetan army formation!

Clusters of orange-red iron balls landed on the ground, followed by explosions and billowing flames and thick smoke. The massive shockwave tore the Tibetan soldiers and their horses to shreds within range!

"Divine punishment! This is divine punishment!" The Tibetan army, which had never witnessed the power of gunpowder, was instantly plunged into immense panic and chaos.

Many soldiers were so terrified by this overwhelming blow that they dropped their weapons, knelt down, and frantically kowtowed to the sky, begging for forgiveness from the gods and Buddhas.

The desperate shouts and orders from the generals at all levels seemed so pale and powerless in the face of the earth-shattering roar and the soldiers' instinctive fear.

However, what was more deadly than the direct casualties of the explosion was the ensuing chain of chaos.

The Tibetan army's warhorses had never heard such a loud noise before. They were instantly terrified, letting out shrill neighs, and were no longer under the control of their riders, running wildly, leaping, and trampling in all directions!
Before the fallen rider could even get up, he was trampled into a bloody pulp by the hooves of the galloping horses that followed.

Many more infantrymen who were kneeling in prayer or bewildered had no time to react before their own warhorses broke their bones and tendons under their iron hooves.

Heads exploded like ripe watermelons, and the casualties from the trampling far exceeded the destructive power of the gunpowder shells themselves. The Tibetan army's seemingly solid formation crumbled under this multi-pronged onslaught of auditory, visual, and psychological damage.

Like an ice surface tossed with a boulder, it shattered instantly, plunging into utter and irreversible chaos!

The command system completely failed, and the 200,000-strong army turned into a boiling pot of infighting.

On the other hand, the Tang allied forces were well prepared, with all their warhorses having special velvet stuffed into their ears, greatly reducing the shock of the explosions.

More importantly, the soldiers were already mentally prepared for such "divine might" after the Battle of Suzhou.

Seeing such a magnificent scene again, their hearts were still surging with emotion. As a result, the army was unharmed and calmly arranged in neat formations, waiting for the bugle call for the final charge.

Looking at the apocalyptic scene opposite them, they erupted in deafening cheers, their awe of Lin Hao and their confidence in victory reaching unprecedented heights.

Lin Hao astutely seized this fleeting opportunity and immediately shouted the order:

"All troops—charge!"

With his command, he personally led more than 10,000 Tang soldiers to stand ready, while the other heavy cavalry of the Hanhai Army, like the first wave of steel, crashed into that chaotic battlefield!
Following closely behind, Prince Ferghana, Kutlug, Kang Huaien, and all their vassal armies launched a full-scale attack like a flood bursting its banks.

This can no longer be called a battle; it is a one-sided pursuit and reaping.

The Tibetan army completely lost its ability to resist in an organized manner. The soldiers scattered and fled like headless flies, exposing their backs to the blades of the allied forces.

All the Tang allied cavalry needed to do was, during their high-speed charge, point their swords or spears at the fleeing figures, and use the speed of their horses to lightly swipe or stab them!

The battle began at sunrise and continued until sunset, when the shouts and cries of agony gradually subsided.

The fields outside Lanzhou have become a living hell, with corpses strewn everywhere and rivers of blood flowing.

The 200,000-strong army that Trisong Detsen had assembled, drawing upon the combined strength of Hexi and Longyou, was utterly annihilated.

Of course, most of them were actually prisoners, and those who were seriously injured had their life energy absorbed on the spot.

They died either from a massive explosion, trampled by frightened warhorses, drowned in the raging Yellow River, or fell victim to the relentless pursuit of the Allied forces; the rest became prisoners.

In the following period, the military forces of the Tibetan Empire in the Hexi and Longyou regions were completely eradicated, and their vitality was severely damaged.

For at least ten years, they will no longer be able to pose a substantial threat to the Tang Dynasty.

The losses suffered by the Tang allied forces were negligible, almost insignificant.

At the same time, the weapons, armor, livestock, and valuables carried by the Tibetan soldiers that they captured piled up like mountains.

All the allied forces that participated in the war made a fortune, and their faces were filled with heartfelt ecstasy.

Therefore, their loyalty and reverence for the Tang Dynasty and for Lin Hao reached an unprecedented level.

News of the disastrous defeat at Lanzhou spread like wildfire throughout Longyou, and the Tang allied forces were now unstoppable.

In subsequent cities such as Weizhou, the defending troops either perished along with the main force in Lanzhou, or, terrified at the mere mention of the city, abandoned their cities and fled.

The allied forces advanced eastward, pacifying the region with a single proclamation, without shedding a drop of blood.

When the army marched into Fengxiang Prefecture of the Tang Dynasty, the imperial envoys were already waiting there.

The person who came to greet Lin Hao on the orders of Emperor Dezong was none other than Li Sheng, Emperor Dezong's trusted and beloved general, whom Lin Hao had met when he first arrived in Chang'an with twenty-three riders seeking help.

The reunion of old friends was quite touching.

Li Sheng looked at this army that had fought countless battles and created an immortal legend, and at the soldiers whose armor was stained with blood, who were covered in dust but whose eyes were still shining brightly.

Looking at the powerful Western Regions army now, I can't help but think of the twenty-three white-haired veterans that Lin Hao brought back then.

Thinking of this, even this renowned general, known for his fortitude, couldn't help but be moved.

Dressed in military uniform and looking imposing, Li Sheng immediately stepped forward upon seeing Lin Hao, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said loudly:

"Grand Commander Lin, General Yang, His Majesty has ordered me to come and welcome the two heroes on their triumphant return!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Hao and Yang Xigu immediately dismounted and bowed respectfully. Then Lin Hao smiled and said:
"This humble general has been fortunate enough to complete the task assigned by His Majesty. This is all thanks to His Majesty's great fortune and the valiant fighting of all the soldiers."

Li Sheng smiled slightly and said loudly, "His Majesty is already well aware of the achievements of Grand Commandant Lin and General Yang."

"These 50,000 soldiers are all heroes of the Tang Dynasty. Now that they have returned in triumph, they deserve a grand welcome."

In fact, Emperor Dezong never expected that a pawn he had casually placed would bring him such a big surprise.

They were especially eager for the 50,000 heavy cavalry from the Western Regions that Lin Hao had brought back.

During the An Lushan Rebellion, the Anxi and Beiting armies in the Western Regions, with 15,000 elite Tang troops, along with 5,000 troops led by Yuchi Sheng, the King of Khotan, and other small tributary states and tribes, provided support to the court. This left a very deep impression on them.

Unfortunately, in the Battle of Xiangji Temple, more than 30,000 elite troops were reduced to a few survivors in this bloody battlefield.

If so many elite troops had survived back then, the problem of regional military governors wouldn't have plagued the central government for so many years.

But Lin Hao, leading 15,000 elite Tang soldiers and over 30,000 affiliated Hu tribesmen, makes one want to look back at the past.

That time and that moment are just like this moment.

If we can gain Lin Hao's support now, then the problem of regional military governors will no longer be a problem.

Li Sheng solemnly read out the imperial edict praising the emperor, which was filled with affirmation of the decades-long perseverance of the people and soldiers of Anxi and Beiting, as well as high praise for the achievements of generals such as Lin Hao in recovering Helong and protecting Qingtian.

After a brief rest, the army continued its advance towards its final destination.

Several days later, when the majestic, magnificent, and familiar outline on the horizon finally came into clear view, the entire team erupted in cheers!

Chang'an!

It is Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty!

Those towering city walls, that magnificent layout, that long-awaited destination!
After fighting bloody battles across thousands of miles in the Western Regions, defeating the Tibetan Empire, and conquering the Hexi Corridor and Longxi, traversing countless mountains of corpses and seas of blood, they have finally returned!
Most of these excited soldiers were the same group that had followed Lin Hao to the Western Regions more than a year ago. They had been away from Chang'an for over a year, and now they were leading a large army back to Chang'an, feeling a surge of pride.

They were more joyful than sorrowful, and what made them different was that the group of white-haired Anxi soldiers from back then had long since regained their youth.

However, following Lin Hao's orders, they had to remain anonymous to avoid causing excessive alarm among ordinary people.

However, this did not stop them from gazing at the city that haunted their dreams.