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

Chapter 710 The Western Turks Raise an Army Ahead of Schedule, Zanxi Ruo Dies (First Update Today)
Luo Binwang raised his gaze, looking from Zan Xiruo to the vast, dark mountains behind him, and exclaimed in amazement, "From Maji Snow Mountain, around Xichang Prefecture to Tianshui, the journey through the mountains is no easy feat. Your manpower must be extraordinary!"

Zanxiruo glanced at Luo Binwang expressionlessly and said, "You want to ask if I am a warrior of the Goba tribe? Yes, I am."

The Tibetan Shadow Army was formed when Songtsen Gampo incorporated all the fearless warriors of the Goba tribe into his army.

Absolute secrecy, absolute power, absolute loyalty.

Hidden and powerful, they are the easiest to instill fear in others.

Luo Binwang was at a loss for words.

Zan Xiruo withdrew his gaze and calmly said, "Assassination is something we would not easily resort to. After all, if we casually assassinate the governors and magistrates of the Tang Dynasty today, the Tang Dynasty will take action against the Tibetan nobles next year, causing widespread panic. But... now war is about to break out."

War is about to break out. If killing one person can save tens of thousands, what can't be done?

“If Liang Jianfang is not careful, he is doomed.” Zan Xiruo said with a deep look in his eyes, “Even if he is lucky enough to survive, he will have a hard time reaching Xichang Prefecture. Moreover, the assassination attempt will make the governors of the nearby prefectures more careful, thus slowing down the pace of reinforcements to Xichang Prefecture.”

The assassination of Liang Jianfang was not as simple as it seemed.

The Tibetans also aimed to intimidate the surrounding provinces.

“Be careful. Liang Jianfang is, after all, a Grand General of the First Guard, with at least a thousand guards by his side. Killing him won’t be so easy.” Luo Binwang pondered for a long time before saying, “Moreover, he might bring a group of men from Chang’an with him when he returns to Xichang Prefecture this time.”

Whether it was Luo Binwang or Zan Xiruo, even if they had some informants, they were only on the outermost perimeter, monitoring from afar through post stations or informants in the mountains.

There was absolutely no intelligence gathered about anything deeper.

Especially now, with the emperor ordering Guanzhong to be on high alert, even if there is news, it's not easy for it to reach Tianshui.

That's why Zanxi Ruo brought people to Tianshui.

Tianshui is a major transportation hub, so they started operating there many years ago. Moreover, it is located in the southwest, bordering mountainous areas, so even if someone sneaks in, Tianshui would hardly know about it in a short time.

If Liang Jianfang really came from Chang'an, and had sent people to guard along the way, even if they obtained the news, it would be difficult to pass it on to Zan Xiruo without alerting Liang Jianfang. Therefore, they could only lie in wait.

“Even if he brings a lot of people, it won’t be too many.” Zan Xiruo glanced at Luo Binwang and said, “When an army moves, it must be fully prepared with food and weapons. If Liang Jianfang brings too many people, then he will set off later and march slower on the road. In the end, the result will be the same, which is acceptable to us, but I’m afraid he himself will not be able to accept it.”

Liang Jianfang's most important task now is to return to Xichang Prefecture as soon as possible to take charge of the overall situation, so he will not bring too many people with him.

“That must be Su Dingfang.” Before Luo Binwang could finish speaking, Zan Xiruo waved her hand and said, “Su Dingfang is currently in Luoyang. If he is the commander-in-chief of the army, he needs to command even more troops, so there will be even less time.”

"So, Xichang Prefecture is about to launch an attack?" Luo Binwang finally understood.

“It will take anywhere from seven to ten days.” Zan Xiruo nodded and said, “The Eastern Tuyuhun will arrange for someone to assassinate Xin Liao’er, and then the Eastern and Western Tuyuhun will send troops together to attack the four Tang military camps on the plateau.”

The Tang Dynasty had four military camps on the plateau: Qugou, Xinghai, Dafeichuan, and Golmud.

“Golmud is in Xituyuhun, so naturally it was the people of Xituyuhun who made the move. Qugou was the place where the people of Dongtuyuhun made the move. So what about Xinghai and Dafeichuan…” Luo Binwang thought about the map of Dongtuyuhun and finally understood completely: “Originally, you would have also attacked Dongtuyuhun at that time.”

“Our first enemy is Li Junxian.” Zan Xiruo shook her head and said cautiously, “If we encounter problems with Li Junxian, everything will be affected afterward, so we must control every aspect properly.”

“Li Junxian,” Luo Binwang sighed, “Be careful, Li Junxian is not someone to be trifled with. He was the one who ambushed and killed the Zanpu at the Tongtian River back then.”

Of course, it was killing a stand-in.

“Hmm!” Zanxi Ruo nodded and said, “There are naturally people in charge of things on the plateau. You can tell me about your matter now.”

Luo Binwang looked up and asked in surprise, "Has the Prince of Jin arrived in Luoxie?"

"Not yet, but it should be soon." Zan Xiruo paused slightly and said, "Things have come to this point, so a little more time won't make a difference. If you had told me earlier, I would have made arrangements sooner."

"No rush." ​​Luo Binwang shook his head again and said, "It's pointless to cause trouble over there now, especially since the situation on the plateau has been completely settled. If the Tang army gathers in Lanzhou and Shanzhou in the future, the court will be in chaos, which will be the easiest way to force the Tang army to retreat."

Zan Xiruo gave Luo Binwang a deep look. He now completely understood that Luo Binwang was the kind of person who wouldn't act until he saw the benefits, and he would never easily reveal his trump cards.

“Alright.” Zan Xiruo conceded a step and said, “What are your plans now? To stay in Tianshui, or…”

"War is about to break out here, why should I stay?" Luo Binwang shook his head and said, "I'd better go to Taozhou, it's quieter there."

“Alright.” Zan Xiruo nodded. He was about to say something more when suddenly a series of hurried footsteps came from the front yard.

……

A guard who looked like a Chinese man entered from outside. He walked quickly to Zan Xiruo with a solemn expression and handed her a short note with his hands clasped.

Zan Xiruo took it with some surprise, and after just one glance, his expression suddenly changed.

"What's wrong?" Luo Binwang couldn't help but ask.

"Something's happened. The Five Crossbowmen of the Right Wing of the Western Turks have launched an attack ahead of schedule." Zan Xiruo handed the short note to Luo Binwang, and at the same time couldn't help but stand up, pacing back and forth in deep thought with a solemn expression.

After reading the note, Luo Binwang thought for a moment and said, "I don't know what your specific plan is, but if the Western Turks take action now, at least Anxi will be unable to support Xichang Prefecture in the short term, which is not a bad thing."

“No.” Zanxiruo shook his head and said, “The Western Turks should have acted a little slower than the Eastern and Western Tuyuhuns. That way, when Anxi sent troops to support the Western Tuyuhuns, they would have to turn back halfway through, creating a back-and-forth struggle. This would have kept the chaos in the Western Turks going, instead of the way it is now.”

“They can send people to pacify the Western Turks on one hand, and at the same time send some people to the Western Tuyuhun on the other.” Luo Binwang raised his head and said, “The war against the Western Turks may even end much sooner than expected, then they can coordinate with Lanzhou and attack from both the east and the west, and you will be in big trouble immediately.”

“Although the Tang Dynasty has effectively sidelined the Tuyuhun royal family in the past few years, the Tuyuhun people are very inclined towards the Tang Dynasty, especially since the Tang Dynasty has retained the royal families of both the Eastern and Western Tuyuhun.” Zanxi Ruo looked up and said, “If the Tang Dynasty’s forces in the Eastern and Western Tuyuhun cannot be eliminated immediately, and things get complicated in the future, especially with reinforcements from Anxi…”

"Then what should we do?" Luo Binwang asked directly.

After thinking for a long time, Zan Xiruo said, "There's nothing I can do. Although I've brought the army to Tianshui, there are actually others in charge of the major battles. All I can do is try my best to kill Liang Jianfang here, otherwise things will get really complicated."

The entire war was an exceptionally well-organized machine.

Before taking any action, you have countless hours to prepare for war, but once the war begins, you must eliminate the enemy as quickly as possible.

The saying "speed is of the essence in war" is definitely not just an empty phrase.

Once military action is taken, everything could change dramatically overnight.

"Very well then." Luo Binwang stood up and said, "I wish you a resounding victory."

"Hmm!" Zan Xiruo stood up and said, "I'll send someone with you to Taozhou; that way, it will be easier to pass on messages."

“Very well!” Luo Binwang nodded and said, “We’ll meet again in Xichang Prefecture after we take it.”

"Alright!" Zan Xiruo escorted Luo Binwang to the door and said, "Take care on your journey."

Luo Binwang bowed to Zan Xiruo, then mounted his horse and, with his men and two of Zan Xiruo's men, rode away into the distance under the moonlight.

The southernmost part of Taozhou is actually a mountainous area completely separate from Xichangzhou.

The mountains are undulating and extremely steep.

Zanxiruo and his men had secretly infiltrated from these mountains.

The Tibetan Guangjun, a member of the Goba ethnic group, is best known for his skill in traversing mountains and valleys.

Once Xichang Prefecture falls into the hands of the Tibetans, Luo Binwang can return to Xichang Prefecture along this route, and then return to Anxi from Xichang Prefecture.

only……

Only when they reached the farthest point did Luo Binwang finally turn back to look at Zanxi Ruo's manor.

Under the moonlight, the manor was completely shrouded in darkness, except for a few scattered lights.

Luo Binwang sighed inwardly, wondering if the Tibetans could win this battle.
The Khitan people's situation was clearly an accident.

Now, the Turks have also encountered an unexpected situation, which means that a considerable amount of Tang army force has been freed up.

If this group of people is to be led by a capable and skilled general in the end.

The result is likely to be far from ideal.

"Never mind," Luo Binwang said, turning around and walking away into the distance.

Whether the Tang Dynasty or the Tibetans won, it was all the same to Luo Binwang.

Even in Luo Binwang's heart, he still hoped that the Tang Dynasty would win.

Or rather, after weighing the final battle strength in his heart, Luo Binwang instinctively believed that the Tang Dynasty would win.

Although the Tang Dynasty may not have as many top-tier generals as it did during Emperor Taizong's reign, its national strength is far greater than it was then.

Li Chengqian, in particular, was most adept at consolidating his strength and then turning it into a winning advantage.

……

As night deepened, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves came from the plains to the east, and countless cavalrymen stopped outside the post station on the east side of Tianshui County, following the Wei River.

After informing the city gate guards, the cavalrymen moved into the post station.

In the distance, beneath the hills to the northeast, hundreds of cavalrymen stood silently, gazing at the distant post station.

Zanxi stopped his horse in front of the crowd, his gaze falling on the commotion that had already begun in the post station.

Liang Jianfang has arrived.

He traveled all the way from Qizhou to Tianshui overnight, and after resting in Tianshui for one night, he would head to Dingxi.

The reason Zan Xiruo was certain that Liang Jianfang would stay in Tianshui was because after passing Tianshui, they would enter the Longxi Mountains and would need to rest in Tianshui.

However, from Tianshui to Dingxi, although there were continuous mountain ranges on both sides, the Weihe River valley in the middle made Zanxiruo give up the idea of ​​intercepting them halfway.

The Weihe Valley is neither particularly wide nor narrow, and there are not many good places for an ambush.

Even in some places, towns have long been established, so unless it is nighttime, it would be difficult for Zan Xiruo to ambush Liang Jianfang.

Liang Jianfang is a veteran in the army, and once he leaves Tianshui, he will be on full alert.

The scouts around them would be sent out several miles away, giving Zanxiro very little chance to attack.

In particular, when Liang Jianfang returned to Xichang Prefecture, he brought with him eight hundred cavalrymen, while Zan Xiruo only had five hundred Shadow Army cavalrymen with him.

The Shadow Army cavalry were indeed skilled fighters, but Liang Jianfang's personal guards were also all the most experienced and fierce soldiers.

Once the two sides start fighting, with five hundred against eight hundred, Zan Xiruo is not very confident that he can keep Liang Jianfang alive.

Once you alert him, it will be difficult to take action again next time.

Therefore, Zan Xiruo chose Tianshui as the place to take action because it was a blind spot in people's thinking.

Tianshui is a crucial place where the Guanzhong Plain gradually transitions into the Longxi Mountains. After passing through here, one enters the vast mountains, and people's vigilance will instantly rise to the extreme. However, in Tianshui, people will finally relax.

Especially after several days and nights of frantic running.

Tianshui was a place Liang Jianfang needed to rest in. Only this final relaxation could give them the energy to head straight to Lanzhou.

Watching the distant post station gradually transition from a state of excitement to one of calm and even tranquility.

Zanxi Ruo knew in his heart that the time was coming.

In the dead of night, Zan Xiruo waved his hand forward.

A dozen soldiers dressed in blue robes and silver armor rushed out from behind Zanxi Ruo, and after carefully making their way about a mile to the southeast, they quickly ran towards the post station. Finally, right in Zanxi Ruo's sight, they knocked on the door of the post station.

"Who goes there? This place has been requisitioned by the General. Go find somewhere else to rest." The door of the post station opened, and a captain on night duty walked out impatiently.

Even in the dead of night, the entire post station was under complete military management.

Liang Jianfang didn't want to leave Tianshui County directly late at night, so he had someone communicate with Dingxi County in advance to requisition the post station there first.

However, those who arrive earlier can be blocked, but it's hard to say what will happen to those who arrive later.

"General." The captain, dressed in silver fish-scale armor, frowned, then cupped his hands and said, "Even if the General were here, I'm afraid we can't delay the Ministry of War's official documents. We need to rest here for half an hour, and after feeding the horses, we'll head to Anxi immediately... Captain, this is the post station."

The captain didn't know what to say for a moment.

This is a post station, which can be used by officials to rest, but its main purpose is still to deliver official documents and messages.

"Four hundred li urgent?" The captain turned slightly to the side.

Instantly, the captain's hand landed on the hilt of his sword. His eyes were cold as he said, "Captain, if the General were to ask, perhaps we could give some answers. But if you want to ask... are you sure you really want to ask?"

The captain was speechless for a moment, then waved his hand helplessly, made way for him and said, "Alright, come in. Go to the west side to rest and change horses. Don't go anywhere else."

"Understood!" The captain nodded calmly, then followed the captain into the depths of the post station.

In an instant, the entire post station was fully revealed before his eyes, and he keenly observed several distinctive locations.

Sure enough, a shadowy figure moved, and all the sentries were in position.

His gaze fell on both sides of the entrance to the post station, where a whole squad of guards was responsible for the first half of the night.

However, once these people entered, they lowered their guard.

The next moment, he drew his sword and, in the blink of an eye, slashed it across the throat of the captain who was still muttering about "those bastards."

The moment blood spurted out, the squad leader and his men rushed towards the night guards who had no time to react.

At the entrance of the post station, just as the four guards were about to close the door, they were stabbed through the chest by four swords.

Before the sentries in the shadows could warn them, the thunderous sound of hooves echoed from outside the post station. In the instant before the sentries were sounded, they rushed into the post station.

A dense swarm of dark figures rushed into the post station like a tidal wave, and then began to slaughter the guards on both sides who were on night duty.

But at this point, an uproar had broken out in many parts of the post station.

This is where the soldiers sleep. Even though there are guards at the main gate, there are one or two other people on night duty in each small courtyard.

The habits of soldiers in the army cannot be easily erased.

Zanxi Ruo had already rushed into the post station at this moment, and he waved his hand directly.

Half of the Shadow Army charged straight towards the backyard, while the other half rushed towards the entrances of various courtyards, their bows and arrows aimed at the gates and walls, instantly shooting down the sentries crouching there.

Ignoring all that, Zan Xiruo, holding his ringless sword, charged straight into the depths of the post station.

Liang Jianfang was the Right Guard General, and he lived in the best courtyard in the entire post station.

The other hundreds of soldiers, apart from those on patrol and those undercover, were all resting in the courtyards on both sides.

In an instant, the entrances to these courtyards were completely sealed off, and there was no time to rescue Liang Jianfang.

Even the security forces behind Liang Jianfang's own courtyard were not very strong.

The Shadow Army quickly stormed into Liang Jianfang's courtyard.

Zan Xiruo followed closely behind, but the moment he entered the courtyard, he felt an immense unease.

Although their progress along the way was faster than expected, they still hadn't killed enough people.

Has the Tang people really become lax, or...?

With a loud bang, the door to the main house in front of her was kicked open. Zanxi Ruo snapped out of her reverie and rushed into the main house. Amidst the uproar, the bed in the inner room that appeared before Zanxi Ruo was empty.

The blankets were neatly laid out on the bed, but no one was in bed.

There was no need for Zan Xiruo to say anything more; his men had already begun searching the entire courtyard rapidly.

Zan Xiruo frowned and walked step by step to the bed, then put one hand under the quilt.

The blanket was ice-cold underneath, and there wasn't a single wrinkle in it, as if no one had ever slept there.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly, we've fallen into a trap..." Before Zan Xiruo's words had even finished, the outside world was already ablaze with red.

Countless rockets shot up from the courtyards on both sides and landed heavily in the courtyard where Zanxiruo was, instantly setting the entire house ablaze.

Not only in this courtyard, but in the entire post station, in the resting places of the Tang soldiers on both sides, rockets were launched almost simultaneously in all the courtyards.

Seeing this, Zan Xiruo felt a chill run through her body: "How could this be!"

"kill!"

……

A fierce fire erupted in the center of the entire post station, clearly revealing the Tibetans in the courtyard, while the courtyards on both sides were plunged into complete darkness.

Only a faint outline of soldiers could be seen standing on the courtyard wall, their crossbows coldly reaping the harvest.

Yes, everyone had a crossbow.

Once all five bolts in the crossbow were fired, a new crossbow was immediately brought up, almost without end.

The advantage of crossbows over bolts lies in this: once the crossbow is strung in advance, when firing, while an ordinary archer fires one bolt, they have already fired all five bolts.

When a person dies, nothing compares.

It is unknown how much time has passed, but the ground is now littered with the corpses of Tibetans.

At this moment, soldiers emerged from the courtyards on both sides, holding long spears and looking stern.

With a loud bang, a door was suddenly broken down from the direction of the backyard, followed by an order: "Someone has escaped! Send two hundred cavalrymen to pursue them!"

Amidst the light and shadow, two hundred cavalrymen immediately pursued the enemy towards the backyard.

In the darkness, Zanxi Ruo led more than thirty Shadow Army cavalrymen at a rapid gallop, with two hundred cavalrymen in hot pursuit behind him.

Zan Xiruo's face was extremely ugly.

This turned out to be a trap.

From beginning to end, he only heard the sound of crossbows and didn't even see Liang Jianfang.

Moreover, Zan Xiruo even had a feeling that the one chasing him tonight was not Liang Jianfang at all.

Because tonight's fighting style is so unlike Leung Kin-fong's.

Perhaps Liang Jianfang isn't even here.

If Liang Jianfang isn't here, then where is he?
Zan Xiruo suddenly looked up, her expression changing drastically.

Liang Jianfang is not here, and naturally he cannot be in Chang'an or Luoyang. Because of the war in Xichang Prefecture, he is required to return to Xichang Prefecture as soon as possible. Therefore, he cannot stay in Chang'an or Luoyang, but he should return to Xichang Prefecture.

Zan Xiruo had personally entered the post station today, and he was certain that the guards there tonight were not deliberately lax, but simply acting as they were.

Even the reaction time of the Tang soldiers in the courtyards on both sides showed that they really did not expect someone to attack tonight.

But then they realized what was happening.

This indicates that they made some kind of arrangement very early on.

This arrangement was specifically designed to target an assassination attempt on Liang Jianfang; if not here, it would have been somewhere else entirely...

Is Liang Jianfang in Xichang Prefecture?

A thought suddenly exploded in Zanxi Ruo's mind.

Could it be that all of this was a setup, a scheme devised by the Tang emperor against the Tibetans, to lure Liang Jianfang away from Xichang Prefecture in order to provoke the Tuyuhun and Tibetans into fighting, so that the main force of the Tibetans could be wiped out again in the battle of Xichang Prefecture?

Just thinking about the more than 50,000 Tibetan cavalrymen who died in Xichang Prefecture sent chills down Zanxi Ruo’s spine.

Corpses piled up like mountains, and blood flowed like rivers.

This is almost a replica of World War I.

However, back then, it was Zanxi Ruo's father and brother who were schemed against by the Tang Emperor, but this time it is Zanxi Ruo herself.

Zan Xiruo felt a shiver run through her body.

The sound of pursuing hooves grew closer and closer, almost telling Zanxiro that he had no chance of sending the message to the plateau.

Zan Xiruo was slightly taken aback, then gave a wry smile.

Even if he sends the message back now, can he really change the situation of Tibet sending troops to Xichang Prefecture?

They have already made too many arrangements and invested too much in Xichang Prefecture. Now they will only continue to invest like gamblers, accelerating their pace of investment.

A series of crossbow bolts whistled from ahead, and Zanxi Ruo instinctively stopped his horse instantly.

However, several cavalrymen on his left and right had already fallen to the ground, struck by arrows.

The others didn't even wait for Zan Xiruo's orders before charging forward.

Then more crossbow bolts rang out, and in just a few moments, all but one of the dozen or so Tibetan Shadow Army cavalrymen were dead.

The torches were finally lit.

Hundreds of Tang Dynasty cavalrymen completely surrounded Zanxi Ruo from the front and back.

Zanxi glanced behind him and looked eastward, where a series of hoofbeats could be heard.

"This was indeed a setup." Zan Xiruo raised his head slightly and looked at a young general slowly rising behind the large group of Tang cavalry. Zan Xiruo asked, "May I ask who you are, General, and who have come to escort the Tibetans westward?"

"Liu Shenli, Left General of the Imperial Guard." Liu Shenli raised his sword indifferently and said, "You can live."

“It would be better if I were dead.” Zan Xiruo looked at Liu Shenli, took a deep breath, and said, “I should die too.”

After saying that, Zan Xiruo, holding a long sword, charged directly at Liu Shenli.

The cavalry on both sides parted like waves. Liu Shenli, sitting on his warhorse, pushed off the carriage with his right leg the instant Zan Xiruo charged forward. The spear hanging on the side of the horse shot forward and pierced Zan Xiruo's chest before he could react.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Shenli, wielding the Thousand Ox Blade, slashed past Zan Xiruo's side, the incredibly sharp blade severing Zan Xiruo's head.

As Liu Shenli hung Zan Xiruo's head beside his horse, the surrounding soldiers bowed in unison: "General!"

"Set up a state of alert overnight, and at the same time notify Tianshui County to conduct a full search of the entire Tianshui area. There are bound to be Tibetan spies here." After a slight pause, Liu Shenli looked up in the direction of Lanzhou and said, "We will go to Lanzhou the day after tomorrow. Perhaps we can still catch up with the battle on the front lines."

"Here!"

(End of this chapter)