The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 444: The Bull-Riding Army

No one knew whether the Tang army would cross over to some place next, or go around the mountains to attack them.

When the cities of Julan, Ashibulai and Suiye fell into the hands of the Tang army.

This time, two cities were conquered in one battle, and the Hu people, who had always been somewhat arrogant and comfortable, were really scared.

The Sogdian chieftain in Julan City, An Yanyan, escaped through a tunnel that led from Julan City to the outside of the city.

Asking his servant to bring a war horse, An Yanyan abandoned his wife and family and fled all the way to the west.

In the past, the Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang came here from the Western Regions. Now the Tang army is following the same path Xuanzang took and is attacking here.

Within the Pamir Mountains, the four key cities connecting to the west, Suiye, Ashibulai, and Julan, were all under the control of the Tang army, leaving only Talas.

Many Hu people who went to support Julan City and Ashibula City also died on the way.

What the two men couldn't believe was that the Tang army could set up ambushes along the way while attacking two cities.

The countries in the Pamir Mountains began to suspect that the Tang army had more than 10,000 troops, perhaps 60,000 or even 100,000.

At the foot of the snow-capped mountains of Pamirs, Xue Rengui was leading his troops to Julan City, where the Tang army was repairing the city.

Along with Xue Rengui came another piece of news: 100,000 Arab troops had arrived at Baishui City, which was only five days' walk away from Talas City.

In Julan City, everyone looked unhappy.

Inside the tower, Lou Shide tightened his clothes and said, "Actually, this battle is enough. Can they afford to support 100,000 Arabs?"

Di Renjie slammed the table and said, "No! We can't retreat!"

Lou Shide advised again: "That's 100,000 Arabs!"

Pei Xingjian wiped his lance and said, "In this battle, the Tang army must establish its prestige and severely damage the vitality of the Arabs and the Pamirs. Now that the Arabs have arrived, retreating now will not only waste all our efforts, but their harassment of the Ili River will become even more severe."

After the Heavenly Khan flattened the Tianshan Mountains, the Ili River has always been the boundary between the Western Regions and the Pamirs. The area west of Lake Issyk-Kul is the territory of the Sogdians, and the area east of Lake Issyk-Kul is the territory of the Tang people.

Bai Fang shouted, "Right! We can't just let it go like this. I lost two thousand monks!"

Xue Rengui said: "Okay! It's just 100,000 Arabs. There will be a battle sooner or later. Why not fight now?"

Bai Fang grinned, slammed his fist on the table, and said, "Take away all their treasures, all their livestock, and take all their people to the Western Regions to do hard labor."

Seeing that he could not persuade the crowd, Lou Shide wrote these things down in the memorial to the censor and then stopped caring about them.

Originally, they were all civil servants, and Lou Shide thought it was Di Renjie and Pei Xingjian, or even Pei Yan.

These young civil servants should be led by myself, the censor.

Who would have thought that the young civil servants of the Tang Dynasty were so warlike? Are they still civil servants?
The Tang army rested in Julan City for a few days. The Pamir Mountains became increasingly cold, and Liang Jianfang arrived in Julan City with an army of 10,000, along with countless food and fodder and 20,000 war horses.

The Tang people, wearing cotton clothes, were not afraid of the cold. This year, the Ili River retained most of the cotton, and not much was sent to Guanzhong.

A lot of cotton cloth was sent from the Tianshan Mountains. Who would have thought that Zhang Shigui did not take charge of the overall situation in the rear, but instead brought tens of thousands of people from the Western Regions to make cotton clothes for the soldiers in the front army.

After General Cheng Yaojin arrived at Suiye City in Pamir Mountains, he fell ill due to unfamiliar climate and water, and was so sick that he could not leave the city.

For a time, the two old generals lost command of the front army.

When Liang Jianfang's army arrived at Julan City, the Tang army already had 40,000 troops there.

With 40,000 Tang troops facing off against 100,000, the pressure is not that great.

The Tang army was ready for the battle as it was about to start.

Lou Shide was watching several Hu people carrying food and fodder in the snow.

Pei Xingjian has been in a good mood lately. He walked to the front of the city and said, "Imperial Censor Lou."

"Protector Pei, you young people are too warlike."

Pei Xingjian walked up to him, looked at the heavy snow falling between the sky and the earth, and said with a smile: "I heard that you don't want to be an imperial censor anymore?"

Lou Shide turned around and said unhappily, "I will resign after I return to Chang'an."

Pei Xingjian patted his shoulder heavily and said, "Why don't I give you an army as well?"

"Hmm?" Lou Shide frowned again.

Seeing that the other party did not refuse immediately, Pei Xingjian said: "When you first came to Anxi Protectorate, you said that you also wanted to be a general, and you didn't want to be an imperial censor."

Lou Shide stroked his beard and said hesitantly: "I am the Imperial Censor."

Pei Xingjian handed him a memorial and said, "We have to make an emergency decision. We don't have enough generals at the front. I have already written it. You will temporarily serve as the deputy general of the Anxi Army under Liang Jianfang."

Lou Shide took the memorial and said hesitantly, "Are you serious?"

Pei Xingjian snorted coldly: "Forget it if you don't want it."

"Yes!" Lou Shide immediately took the memorial and nodded, saying, "I will send someone to deliver it to the court right away."

"You don't want to retreat now?"

Lou Shide stood straight, raised his chin and looked down with a disdainful look, saying: "What are the barbarians? Kill them all, and I will fight alongside Protector Pei."

Pei Xingjian laughed heartily: "Haha! All right, let's bury those 100,000 Arabs in Congling Mountain."

With Lou Shide's "rebellion", the army finally united in opinion, and everyone faced the Arabs who were heading from Baishui City to Talas City together.

At this moment, in the far southwest, west of Tubo, and southwest of the Pamir Mountains, a large army had just left the territory of Eastern India and was heading north towards the Pamir Mountains.

This army was composed of 5,000 Tibetan soldiers led by Ru Laijie, 10,000 Indian soldiers, 1,000 Tang soldiers and 10 Tang students from Chongwenguan.

The army had just emerged from a valley and was heading towards the Pamir Mountains.

The Queen of India held her one-year-old son in her arms and said goodbye to her war elephant. After watching the war elephant go back, she wiped away her tears and looked at the child in her arms, a child with the appearance of a Tang Dynasty person.

Wang Xuance rode his horse beside the luxurious Indian carriage and said, "You don't have to come."

The Indian Queen whispered, "I am your wife. The war of the Tang people is the war of India."

Jiang Shiren rode his horse at the front, keeping a vigilant eye on his surroundings. Once they left the territory of India, they might encounter the Arabs at any time.

This time the army was going to Pamir Mountains to support the Tang army.

The Queen of India said, "It's a pity that the Tang people still don't have enough children left in India."

Wang Xuance was speechless for a while. The Indian queen encouraged Indian women to marry Tang men and have children with them, and this year it was indeed effective.

Chongwenguan also strongly supports this kind of thing. If the Tang people need to expand, they need to leave seeds of the Tang people all over the world. Whether in terms of identity or blood, the more children with Tang blood flowing in their blood, the better.

These 10,000 Indian soldiers were borrowed from various Indian countries, so there was no need to worry about the weakness of the defenses of Central India. The Qunu City was guarded by Liu Hongye, the director of the Indian Chongwenguan. The Indian countries did not dare to touch the Tang people as they had long been frightened by them.

These 10,000 Indian soldiers were put together by various Indian countries. Unfortunately, when they conquered Arahathun, they almost killed all the Indian men. Now they just barely put together this army from various families. The Indian queen was sitting in a luxurious carriage, coaxing her child to sleep.

In the future, this child will be the new King of India, a king in name only but without real power. This child must be sent to Chang'an first, and after he becomes a Tang citizen, he will probably never leave Chang'an.

Tianzhu and Qunucheng were also handed over to Chongwenguan.

In order to persuade the Queen of India to go to Chang'an, Wang Xuance asked Jiang Shiren to marry more than ten Indian women, and only after most of them were pregnant did she agree to leave, and ordered troops to be borrowed from the Indian countries.

Jiang Shiren was determined to wipe out the Arabs, so he agreed.

Ru Laijie looked older than the last time they met. He sat on the ox's back and whispered, "General Wang, you must read this military book before every battle."

Wang Xuance put away the scroll in his hand and said, "I am a dull person and I don't have any brilliant military tactics."

In this team, there were also many Indians riding cows, and the problem of insufficient war horses had not been solved.

Ru Laijie added: "It is rare that General Wang can realize that he is stupid."

"I heard that you sent someone to assassinate Songtsen Gampo?"

"Didn't kill the Zamp."

"I admire your courage."

Rulaijie added: "The Khan of Heaven is very wise, he did not punish me. The Zamp is as wise as the Khan of Heaven, and he did not punish me either."

Wang Xuance asked, "You don't even blush, and you don't feel ashamed?"

Ru Laijie sighed: "For the future of Tubo, the death of a few assassins is nothing."

"But you still failed. After this incident, I heard that the Tibetan subjects are more supportive of Tian Khan and Songtsen Gampo."

Rulaijie closed his eyes, clasped his hands together and said devoutly: "That is the wisdom of the Heavenly Khan and the Zamp. Once wisdom reaches this level, any conspiracy or trickery in this world is useless."

Wang Xuance pointed at him and said, "You should go to Chang'an to meet our emperor."

Ru Laijie still closed his eyes, sat cross-legged on the cow's back, and said, "I will go."

In fact, this team was a bit smelly because they were traveling with three thousand cows. The Indians and Tibetans collected cow dung along the way, which they dried and then burned at night to keep warm.

Jiang Shiren, who was riding in the front, came back and said, "General Wang, it's still five days' journey to the border of Congling."

Wang Xuance said, "Rest one hour less every day and continue on your journey."

"Here!"

"Report! Traces of the Arabs have been spotted ahead!"

Ru Laijie said: "Let our Tibetan children kill them."

Wang Xuance did not refuse, but said, "Thank you for your help."

Jiang Shiren said: "It would be better for us to borrow the road from Xiaoboluo to reach the Pamir Mountains, which would make the journey shorter."

Wang Xuance nodded and said, "Okay."

When the Indian troops arrived at the Kingdom of Lesser Bolor, the king of Lesser Bolor learned that it was a Tang general who came with a large army, especially the great General Wang Xuance who pacified India, and he welcomed them with the greatest state ceremony.

The capital of the Lesser Bolor Kingdom, in front of the city of Nieduo.

The king of the small country of Bolor, wearing a round-necked hat and luxurious gold ornaments, personally went out of the city to welcome the general of the Tang Dynasty.

Wang Xuance looked at the men and women of Xiaobolü wearing beautiful clothes, standing on both sides of the road without getting off their horses.

The little King of Bolor clasped his hands together and saluted in the unfamiliar Guanzhong dialect, "Respected General Wang."

Wang Xuance looked around and asked, "Did Xuanzang pass through here when he went to India?"

The little King of Bolor opened his arms and said with a friendly smile, "When Xuanzang passed by here, he asked us to build a temple. He was a wise master."

"Then how many soldiers can you lend me?"

"Borrow?" The little King of Bolor was speechless for a moment, and then asked: "Troops and horses?"

Compared to Wang Xuance, Jiang Shiren seemed more ferocious. He rode forward and said, "We want troops, horses, and food!"

The little King of Bolor spoke a few words in the Hu language with the ministers around him. After receiving a reply, he said, "We can lend the general soldiers and horses."

Wang Xuance finally smiled and asked, "How many troops can you lend us?"

The little King of Bolor held up two fingers.

"two thousand?"

"Twenty thousand!"

"Haha!" Wang Xuance suddenly laughed out loud, feeling a little disappointed. Tianzhu had only gathered 10,000 soldiers and horses, and the little King of Bolor came up with 20,000 soldiers and horses. It was really a great thing.

Ru Laijie said: "When Xuanzang passed through the Pamir Mountains, he recorded the 72 countries of the Pamir Mountains, including the Shi Kingdom, Mi, Shi Kingdom, Da'an Kingdom, Xiao'an Kingdom, Cao Kingdom... These small countries, I thought General Wang knew about them."

Of course Wang Xuance didn't know all this. When he was on a diplomatic mission to India, he had never met Xuanzang, nor did he know Xuanzang, let alone predict the current battle in the Pamirs.

After staying in the Kingdom of Xiaoboluo for one day, Wang Xuance headed for the Pamir Mountains with 20,000 soldiers and tens of thousands of stones of grain and fodder given by the king of Xiaoboluo.

Ru Laijie was a knowledgeable man. When he was young, he had been to the small Kingdom of Bolor and other small countries. Therefore, he was very familiar with this route and was able to lead the Tang army to the Pamir Mountains.

Along the way, Ru Laijie can also ask about the traces left by Xuanzang in many places and various rumors.

Ru Laijie explained: "This ancient road from Xiaoboluo to the Pamirs has existed for a long time. Many Hu merchants came here. Now that there is a war in the Pamirs, there are even more Hu merchants coming here."

As he spoke, Ru Laijie handed a bag of salt to a Hu merchant, and the Hu merchant handed him a bag of pepper.

The old man walked along the way, exchanging salt for goods with the local Hu merchants, eating and drinking all the way, and even exchanging salt for wine.

Not long after the heavy snow in the Pamir Mountains, freezing rain began to fall again. The rain was very cold, and the Tang army could only wait for the weather to improve in Julan City.

Xue Rengui led his troops back to the city. He was hit by freezing rain along the way and could not open his eyes. His entire face was frozen blue and red.

After finally sitting down by the fire, Xue Rengui asked, "Where did you get so much coal?"

Pei Xingjian was eating mutton and pointed at Murong Shun who was standing beside him.

The power of this Western Region merchant is astonishing. As long as the Tang army needs something, he has it all, and he doesn't even ask the Tang army to give him anything in return.

Murong Shun's Western Region caravans were almost filling the road between Suiye City and Issyk-Kul Lake, transporting all kinds of supplies coming and going.

Murong Shun knew that Xue Rengui was confused, so he explained: "As long as the Tang army wins a great victory in Congling, my merchants can come to Congling to trade in the future, and it will be worth it for them."

(End of this chapter)