Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 662 The Tang Dynasty of today is completely different from what it was ten years ago (First Update)
In September, the autumn grass withers and turns yellow.

Within the territory of Kucha on the southern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, countless travelers in a hurry left Kucha as quickly as possible, heading towards Dunhuang.

The atmosphere of war was already terrifyingly thick.

The thunderous sound of hooves suddenly came from the direction of Yanqi. On the eastern horizon, countless Tang cavalrymen in red robes and black armor surged toward Yanqi like a black tide.

The pedestrians and merchants on both sides immediately headed towards the edge of the grassland further away.

The massive army marched past.

An hour later, the central army banner finally came to a stop outside the city of Kucha.

Outside the city of Kucha, Guo Xiaoke, the Protector-General of the Anxi Protectorate, Wang Xuance, the Chief Clerk, Guo Daizhao, the Left General of the Valiant Guard, Lai Ji, the Governor of Tingzhou, Luo Hongyi, the Governor of Xizhou, and a group of Sima, military advisors, and generals, numbering in the dozens, arrived before the great banner under the leadership of Guo Xiaoke.

Everyone bowed and said in unison, "Your humble servant greets the Commander-in-Chief!"

Cheng Zhijie, dressed in red robes and black armor, calmly rode out from the crowd of countless soldiers beneath the banner and arrived before Guo Xiaoke and the others. He glanced at them indifferently, then raised his gaze to the entire city of Kucha and asked, "Where is Helu now?"

Guo Xiaoke immediately reported: "Commander-in-Chief, after Helu defeated the Persian governor's office, he immediately led 150,000 cavalry eastward. Yesterday's news was that he had already passed the Kingdom of Shi and was heading from the Pamir Mountains. After crossing the Pamir Mountains and the Greater and Lesser Bolu, he will reach Shule."

"I have brought 30,000 cavalry with me, and 20,000 infantry will follow soon. How many troops does Anxi have now?" Cheng Zhijie asked very directly.

Guo Xiaoke cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, the entire Anxi region has 10,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry, totaling 30,000 troops, ready to be dispatched by the Commander-in-Chief at any time."

“Very good.” Cheng Zhijie looked up and said, “The army will rest for three days. After three days, I will lead 30,000 cavalry, plus 10,000 cavalry from Anxi, to march west immediately and reach Shule as soon as possible. Then, while Helu is still recovering from his long journey and has not yet established a firm foothold, we will kill him in one battle.”

Behind Guo Xiaoke, many officials of slightly lower rank changed their expressions slightly upon hearing Cheng Zhijie's words.

He Lu led 150,000 cavalrymen toward Anxi, but Cheng Zhijie wanted to lead 40,000 troops to meet them head-on. Was he out of his mind?

However, at that moment, everyone heard Guo Xiaoke calmly cup his hands and say, "This humble official obeys the order!"

Cheng Zhijie nodded in satisfaction and said, "Xue Wanbei and Xue Rengui, you two are in charge of settling the army. The rest of you will follow me into the city!"

"Yes, sir!" Xue Wanbei, Xue Rengui, Wang Fangyi, Duan Baoxuan, and the others bowed and solemnly accepted the order.

The great banner moved, heading towards the city of Kucha.

The army split into two groups and headed towards the military camps on all four sides of the city.

At the edge of the distant oasis, a few hyenas, appearing from who-knows-where, glanced at the army with red eyes, then howled and fled into the distance.

……

Inside the city of Kucha, in the main hall of the Governor's Mansion.

Cheng Zhijie sat in the central hall, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd on both sides.

On the left are Guo Xiaoke, Lai Ji, Luo Hongyi, Wang Xuance, Guo Daizhao and other Anxi people; on the right are Xue Wanbei, Xue Rengui, Wang Fangyi, Duan Baoxuan and other generals and soldiers who are engaged in the expedition.

These were the core personnel of this large-scale military campaign; those whose official rank was below the fifth grade were not even qualified to enter the main hall.

"Gentlemen, in this battle, I, the commander-in-chief, will assume the position of Grand General of the Congshan Road Army, with the Duke of Yanmen, the Governor of Xiazhou, General Guo, and Qibi Heli serving as the four generals, along with 50,000 Uyghur cavalry. Using Anxi as bait, we will annihilate Helu's main force in one battle. This is the grand strategy." Cheng Zhijie slammed his fist on the table.

"Here!" Everyone raised their hands in unison.

Cheng Zhijie was stationed in the central army, while Qibi Heli and the Uyghur army came from the north, and Liang Jianfang and Li Dejian surrounded them from the south.

A pocket formation has been prepared for He Lu.

“Three days later, I will lead my troops to Shule.” Cheng Zhijie looked up and said, “Although the road from Kucha to Shule is convenient, Shule is far from Kucha. Helu can reach Shule ahead of time as long as he rides fast. Then he will launch a head-on attack on me. I will lead my troops to feign defeat and then retreat to Kucha, while attacking from both sides.”

"Yes!" Everyone replied solemnly.

“Although the plan is meticulous, all of this is a gamble on the fact that He Lu dares not wait for the army to gather in Anxi, so he wants to destroy our foothold in the Western Regions, namely Anxi, first.” Cheng Zhijie said solemnly.

Warfare is a source of misfortune.

One wrong move and hundreds of thousands of soldiers could perish on the battlefield.

In particular, Helu easily assembled 150,000 Western Turkic cavalry, and there must be more to come. We cannot be careless in the slightest.

“What He Lu fears most about rebelling against Tang is that the Tang army will gather and launch a full-scale war to completely defeat him. His only option is to defeat me when I lead 30,000 cavalry from Shazhou, occupy Anxi, control the desert, and start a war with Tang. Otherwise, he is doomed.” Cheng Zhijie looked at everyone seriously and said, “This is our greatest advantage.”

The Tang Dynasty was the dominant power in the world, and the Western Turks were one of the few states in the world that could challenge the Tang Dynasty's position.

However, over the years, one Western Turkic Khan after another rebelled against the Tang Dynasty, but all of them were defeated by the Tang.

No one wanted to start a direct war with the Tang Dynasty.

No one dared to engage in a direct war with the Tang Dynasty.

He Lu didn't dare either.

Therefore, he was even more eager to defeat the Tang Dynasty first, and then unite the forces of the entire Western Regions to fight against the Tang Dynasty.

Located west of the desert, the Anxi Protectorate was the only foothold of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions, and also a thorn in the side of Helu.

Of course, the Tang Dynasty also had its own problems. Under the pressure of war, countless supplies and provisions were lost. If the war dragged on for too long and the country got bogged down in a quagmire, then things would be in trouble.

There was no need for Cheng Zhijie to tell these things to the generals and soldiers in the hall.

"The news must be completely blocked." Cheng Zhijie looked at Guo Xiaoke and asked, "What's the current state of the Silk Road?"

The war between the Tang Dynasty and the Western Turks had the greatest impact on the Silk Road.

"Reporting to the Commander!" Guo Xiaoke cupped his hands and said, "Since last year, Tang merchants have been stockpiling goods in Anxi on a large scale. As long as Anxi does not fall, these goods will be continuously sent back to Chang'an. Moreover, due to the war, the prices of these goods will be even higher... Similarly, goods from the court can also be stockpiled in Dunhuang and Anxi."

"Didn't He Lu notice anything at all?" Cheng Zhijie asked seriously.

"No!" Guo Xiaoke smiled lightly, cupped his hands and said, "General, the Turks are not sensitive to these things."

"Very good. From this moment on, completely seal off the entire Anxi Protectorate. Except for military orders, no one else is allowed to pass through."

"Here!"

……

Three days later, the army was ready.

Just as Cheng Zhijie was about to lead his army westward, a fast horse suddenly galloped from the north.

"General." A guard jumped off his horse, bowed solemnly, and said, "General, yesterday Ashina Dieyun led 50,000 cavalry out of Suyab."

"Huh?" Cheng Zhijie looked up in surprise and said, "After leaving Suiye River, they're abandoning their base?"

"General!" Guo Xiaoke stepped forward and said seriously, "General, He Lu is leading an army of 150,000 from Shiguo, and Dieyun is leading 50,000 cavalry from Suyab. This looks too much like a pincer attack. He is forcing you not to act rashly."

"Hehehe... Hahaha..." Cheng Zhijie couldn't help but burst into laughter. After a long while, he stopped laughing and looked at Guo Xiaoke, saying, "Xiaoke, don't you think this suits me just the way I want it?"

Guo Xiaoke pondered for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and said, "The General is wise."

Cheng Zhijie's expression calmed down, and he said, "From this moment on, the army's priority is defense, Xue Rengui!"

"Your subordinate is here." Xue Rengui rode forward and respectfully bowed.

"I order you to immediately lead ten thousand cavalrymen to accompany the envoy to Tingzhou to set up defenses." Cheng Zhiyi looked at Xue Rengui with a deep gaze.

"This subordinate obeys the order." Xue Rengui solemnly cupped his hands, then turned and left.

"Xue Wanbei!"

"The end will be here."

"I order you to immediately lead ten thousand cavalry to Yanqi."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Xue Wanbei cupped his hands and quickly turned his horse away.

“Guo Daizhao, Wang Fangyi!” Cheng Zhijie looked to his side and behind.

"The end will be here."

"I order you two to immediately lead ten thousand cavalry to Xizhou." Cheng Zhijie raised his hand calmly.

"Here you go!" The two quickly turned and left.

The Anxi Protectorate consisted of four regions: Xizhou, Tingzhou, Yanqi, and Kucha.

Cheng Zhijie looked at Guo Xiaoke and said, "I will personally guard Kucha. Guo Xiaoke, you, Wang Xuance, and Duan Baoxuan will follow me and move about at will."

"Yes!" Guo Xiaoke, Wang Xuance, Duan Baoxuan, and the others solemnly bowed.

Cheng Zhijie calmed down, looked towards Shule, and said softly, "Helu, what's wrong with me granting your wish for now? You should know that the Tang Dynasty today is completely different from what it was ten years ago!"

...Chang'an, Taiji Palace.

Military reports were sent from outside the palace into the palace, eventually reaching the Taiji Hall.

Li Chengqian sat on the imperial couch, looking at the memorial in his hand and then at the four people in front of him.

Changsun Wuji and Li Ji knelt on the left side of the steps.

Cui Dunli and Qiu Xinggong knelt on the right side of the steps.

Li Chengqian handed the memorial to Zhang Anan, who then passed it to Changsun Wuji and Li Ji.

Li Chengqian then spoke up, "Ashina Dieyun led 50,000 cavalry out of Suyab, which means that their tribe has begun to migrate westward."

The tribes migrated westward so that they would not be threatened by the southward advance of the Uyghur cavalry, and thus they would be more free.

"Two hundred thousand cavalry." Changsun Wuji looked up and said, "Your Majesty, even if Helu has more troops, it will not exceed one hundred thousand."

“No, at most 30,000.” Li Ji shook his head and said, “Besides keeping some to guard his escape route, he also needs to keep some to watch over his opponents in case they suddenly betray him. He can only deploy 30,000.”

"Two hundred and eighty thousand cavalrymen, that's no small number!" Triton couldn't help but take a deep breath.

“Their movements are now fully known, so they are no longer a threat.” Qiu Xinggong calmly raised his head, cupped his hands, and said, “Congratulations, Your Majesty, this battle will surely be won.”

Li Chengqian couldn't help but laugh, nodded at Qiu Xinggong, and said, "The Duke of Tianshui always has a strong belief in victory for me and for the Tang Dynasty, which is very good."

"Yes!" Qiu Xinggong nodded seriously.

“The Duke of Tianshui is right,” Li Ji said. “However, what I am most worried about is that Ashina Helu is too timid. Dieyun is definitely targeting Anxi. His 50,000 men are doomed, but it is hard to say whether Helu will fall into the trap.”

"If only Persia and India could lend a hand," Li Chengqian shook his head.

“Your Majesty, even if Persia and India do not move at this time, Helu will send people to keep an eye on them, and they probably wouldn’t dare to directly collide with 200,000 cavalry.” Changsun Wuji looked up and said, “Your Majesty, it’s time to send Ashina Buzhen and Ashina Misha out!”

Li Chengqian raised his head slightly and said, "Alright, let's do it that way. It's time to unleash these two trump cards."

"Yes!"

……

In October, the Western Regions are bitterly cold.

The main hall in the back courtyard of the Anxi Protectorate.

Countless military advisors and clerks bustled back and forth inside, carefully avoiding the scorching furnace.

Cheng Zhijie, dressed in black clothes and armor, stood calmly in the center of the hall, holding his sword.

His gaze was fixed on the sand table in front of him.

Three red lines.

A route led by Cheng Zhijie himself, which had traveled from Gansu, Liangzhou, and Shazhou all the way to Anxi Protectorate, was originally supposed to continue, but instead it unfolded in Anxi.

One force, led by Liang Jianfang and Li Dejian, will march from Lanzhou to Xichangzhou, pass through the East and West Tuyuhun, and reach the pass on the west side of the Qilian Mountains. They can launch an attack at any time and enter Anxi.

One force, led by Qibi Heli, along with his own troops and the Uyghur Khan and Han Hai Du Fu Porun, led Uyghur cavalry, marched south from the northern grasslands directly down to Anxi.

The trap was set, but He Lu and Die Yun, father and son, remained elusive.

After Ashina Helu attacked the Persian governor's office, Helu immediately mobilized troops to the east, but suddenly he stopped at Shule in the west.

At this time, his son, Ashina Dieyun, suddenly launched an attack southward from Suyab, and in a very short time, completely escaped the scouts' eyes.

Fortunately, at that moment, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

Cheng Zhijie looked up slightly and saw Guo Xiaoke, dressed in red robes and golden armor, striding in from outside.

A cold wind blew up a corner of the official documents on the table.

Guo Xiaoke paid no attention and directly bowed to Cheng Zhijie, saying, "General, there is still no trace of Ashina Dieyun."

Cheng Zhijie gave Guo Xiaoke a deep look, sighed, and said, "Xiaoke, we're old buddies. Some things may be hard to hear, but I still have to say them."

"Please give your instructions, Commander!" Guo Xiaoke bowed deeply.

Guo Xiaoke and Cheng Zhijie were both members of Wagang in their early years, but Guo Xiaoke and Li Ji surrendered to the Tang Dynasty first, while Cheng Zhijie did so a year later.

Therefore, Guo Xiaoke and Cheng Zhijie are not really on the same page.

Unfortunately, Li Ji was too cautious by nature, and Guo Xiaoke was not like him either. Later, Guo Xiaoke rose through the ranks to become the Protector-General of Anxi.

If he had been able to successfully pacify Kucha back then, he would naturally have been granted entry into the court based on his military achievements. Unfortunately, he almost died.

Although the matter was eventually covered up, it completely ruined the emperor's impression of the person.

"You've been in Anxi for ten years now, and after all that effort, you still can't even grasp the location of the water and grass on the grasslands in autumn and winter. How can His Majesty possibly use you in the future?" Cheng Zhijie couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Although Cheng Zhijie was the Grand General of the entire region, he was ultimately just an outsider. Guo Xiaoke was the true King of Anxi, but his control over Anxi was truly disappointing.

Although aquatic plants dry up in winter, there are some places where they do not.

When those places are connected, they form a series of secret marching routes.

But Guo Xiaoke didn't even understand these things.

"It is my fault." Guo Xiaoke's expression changed slightly, then he lowered his head gently, without making any excuses.

In fact, Guo Xiaoke was not unaware of the water and grass on the grasslands; it was just that the Turks possessed secret water and grass resources that were beyond his control, which led to the current situation.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Cheng Zhijie waved his hand, turned to look at the sand table, and said, "Dieyun came all the way south from Suyab River. The first places he can fight are Kucha and Yanqi, followed by Tingzhou and Xizhou. He probably won't dare to come to Kucha and Yanqi. As for Tingzhou, Lai Ji is now the governor of Tingzhou, and Xue Rengui is there, so there's not much to worry about."

"What the commander is worried about is Xizhou." Guo Xiaoke cupped his hands and said, "Although I have been out of office as the governor of Xizhou for many years, Xizhou is located on the flank and rear of other states, making it difficult to attack. If we are not careful, we could be surrounded and annihilated by the army."

"Do you know anything about Luo Hongyi, the governor of Xizhou?" Cheng Zhijie gently raised his head.

Guo Xiaoke nodded and said, "It's alright. Governor Luo is a sharp-eyed man. He has reported on He Lu's treacherous behavior many times over the years. In addition, my son and General Wang are both in Xizhou now, so there should be no problem with the stability of Xizhou."

Guo Daizhao and Wang Fangyi are now stationed in Xizhou.

Cheng Zhijie sighed and said, "That's what I'm afraid of. The two of them are ultimately of a lower rank than Governor Luo, and Governor Luo is not a military commander. He is too perceptive and easily tricked, especially when the opponent is a cavalryman who comes and goes like the wind."

"Is the commander worried that he might cause trouble?" Guo Xiaoke's expression turned serious.

“Xizhou was originally the land of Gaochang, so it’s not difficult to defend it, but I’m afraid some people are too greedy.” Cheng Zhijie looked up at Guo Xiaoke.

Guo Xiaoke's expression remained unchanged, and he immediately cupped his hands and said, "This humble official will send someone to make arrangements immediately..."

A series of hurried footsteps interrupted Guo Xiaoke's words.

Then Wang Xuance strode in from outside, his face serious as he bowed to Guo Xiaoke and said, "General, an enemy is coming from the northwest."

"Northwest, how much?" Guo Xiaoke immediately became serious.

"To see the signal fire, you need five thousand men first." As soon as Wang Xuance finished speaking, Cheng Zhijie and Guo Xiaoke strode out of the backyard.

In the distant northwest sky, a plume of black smoke rose into the air, rapidly spreading towards Kucha.

"They're heading towards Kucha?" Guo Xiaoke was momentarily incredulous. He came to his senses and looked at Cheng Zhijie.

However, Cheng Zhijie's gaze had already turned to the northeast.

Guo Xiaoke was slightly taken aback, then followed Cheng Zhijie's gaze and saw that the sky in the northeast was clear.

But at that very moment, a similar plume of black smoke appeared in the northeastern sky.

And soon, the same black smoke appeared in the direction of Yanqi.

“Three routes, five thousand soldiers each.” Cheng Zhijie’s expression suddenly calmed down as he said, “He’s using five thousand soldiers to hold us back before launching a direct attack on Xizhou!”

"General, why is he attacking Xizhou? Doesn't he know that if he fails to take Xizhou, he will be surrounded and killed by us immediately?" Guo Xiaoke asked, his face full of confusion.

“Because in ten days, 20,000 infantrymen will arrive from Shazhou, so he wants to block this road and disrupt our plans as much as possible.” Cheng Zhijie looked up towards Shule and said softly, “That way, Helu will attack from Shule. He’s using his own son as bait!”

"General, the Duke of Yanmen has been hiding in the gap in the Qilian Mountains. He Lu has really broken in..." Guo Xiaoke finally understood that He Lu had fallen into their trap.

Liang Jianfang and Li Dejian's group remained well hidden, protecting the flanks of the main army while waiting for He Lu to fall into their trap.

"Immediately contact Qibi Heli and tell him to seize the right time and head south directly." Cheng Zhijie narrowed his eyes and said softly, "As long as all parties arrive at the optimal time, it will not be a problem to completely encircle these 250,000 Turkic cavalry. The rest depends on how big our appetite is."

"Here!"

(End of this chapter)