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

Chapter 714 On the Banks of the Tongtian River, Li Junxian Kills the Tibetan Commander Again (Second Update)

As time passed, the sun rose.

The Tibetans' situation on the battlefield finally improved somewhat, but during this period, the Tang Dynasty had gained a significant advantage by taking advantage of the light.

Xin Liao'er and Li Dejian, who had just arrived at the battlefield, almost imitated Liang Jianfang and Su Dingfang in their actions.

Ten thousand men, led by Li Dejian, headed towards Su Dingfang's aid, while Xin Liao'er herself charged towards the central battlefield.

In an instant, the Tibetans' situation on the central battlefield was completely shaken.

No, it's not a wavering, it's that the battle lines have been rebuilt.

The Tibetan cavalry, which was originally the main force, was quietly and quickly withdrawn and retreated, while five thousand Tuyuhun cavalry were pushed forward.

When the retreating five thousand Tibetan cavalrymen gathered at Tenzin Tashi, they marched northeast with him.

He was to join forces with 20,000 Tibetan cavalry and 10,000 Tangut cavalry on the northeastern battlefield.

"Oh no, he's leaving." Liang Jianfang realized this immediately.

Tenzin Tashi focused his main efforts on the northeastern battlefield.

On the one hand, they did hope that they could defeat Su Dingfang and then kill Liang Jianfang, but on the other hand, they were also thinking that if the situation turned unfavorable, the vast grasslands to the north and northwest would give him ample opportunity to turn around and escape.

On the vast grasslands, any place could give him another chance to fight.

But in Liang Jianfang's view, it was Danzeng Zhaxi who suddenly sensed danger and chose to escape at all costs.

After all, the Tibetans still hold a considerable advantage on this battlefield. Although the final result may be a draw for both Tibet and the Tang Dynasty, a draw also presents an opportunity, as long as Tenzin Tashi seizes it...

Did he guess what was happening in the northwest?

Liang Jianfang immediately understood.

The reason why the Tang Dynasty chose this location after careful selection was because it was a place where all parties could meet together.

In another half hour, Yin Yuan's five thousand cavalry, Pei Xingjian's five thousand cavalry, and Fang Renyu's five thousand cavalry will arrive here at the same time, and then form a complete encirclement of the Tibetans, and finally swallow them up completely.

……

Liang Jianfang's gaze fell on the Tuyuhun cavalry who had already turned and fled on the central battlefield. He finally understood that Danzeng Zhaxi was completely disappointed with the Tuyuhun people. He did not believe that the Tuyuhun people could stop the five thousand cavalry of the Tang Dynasty.

Five thousand cavalrymen are also an important asset in the current battle.

Especially now, the Tang Dynasty has gradually begun to gain the upper hand on the entire battlefield.

If Tenzin Tashi doesn't run by then, he really won't be able to escape.

Moreover, the number of people who came was not five thousand, but fifteen thousand. If the Tang Dynasty wanted to deal with the Tibetans, it would naturally have to swallow them all in one go.

The situation in the northwest changed rapidly in a very short time. In the blink of an eye, Tenzin Tashi had already drawn 25,000 Tibetan cavalry from the battle and then turned and left.

Instead, more than 10,000 Tangut cavalrymen held their original positions and were repeatedly attacked by Su Dingfang and Li Dejian.

And in a very short time, it was completely penetrated by the two people.

At this moment, Su Dingfang and Li Dejian no longer cared about annihilating the remaining Dangxiang cavalry, but instead quickly pursued Danzeng Zhaxi in the direction he had retreated.

Liang Jianfang calmly rode his horse to a stop in place, and then quickly commanded his more than 20,000 cavalry to begin the final massacre of the 5,000 Tibetan cavalry, 5,000 Tuyuhun cavalry, and 10,000 Dangxiang cavalry who were still struggling on the battlefield.

The Tibetan cavalry could hold out for a while, but when the Tuyuhun and Dangxiang cavalry realized that they had been used as expendable pawns by Danzeng Zhaxi, they immediately turned their horses around and fled in all directions.

They did not follow the direction the Tibetans fled, because they knew that the Tang Dynasty would continue to hunt down the Tibetans.

Liang Jianfang glanced at these people, then dispatched five thousand men from each group to pursue and kill them, while preventing them from causing harm to the local area. He himself, meanwhile, calmly headed towards Dafeichuan.

It's not that we're not in a hurry, but there's really no need to be in a hurry.

They chose this place as the battlefield because it was relatively conveniently located at the distance from all sides.

Of course, some people arrive early and some arrive late.

Liang Jianfang was among the first to arrive, while Xin Liao'er and Li Dejian were among the second. As for Yin Yuan and Pei Xingjian from Xituyuhun, they were among the third to arrive, as they were the furthest away.

However, Danzeng Zhaxi is now heading towards Dafeichuan, while Yin Yuan, Pei Xingjian, and the others are also heading towards Dafeichuan!

They'll run right into each other.

Thinking of that scene, Liang Jianfang couldn't help but smile smugly.

They are destined to win this battle.

……

On the grassland, Tenzin Tashi was still riding his horse wildly.

In this battle, he brought 40,000 Tibetan cavalry.

In reality, the core force only numbered 20,000, with the remaining 10,000 being Supi cavalry and 10,000 being Yangtong cavalry.

He also controlled 20,000 Tangut cavalry and 20,000 Tuyuhun cavalry.

Ten thousand Tangut cavalrymen went to Songzhou, and ten thousand Tuyuhun cavalrymen went to Qugou, but now it seems that these twenty thousand men will definitely not survive.

He also left the other 10,000 Tangut soldiers and 10,000 Tuyuhun cavalry on the battlefield.

Even so, he still left 15,000 Tibetan cavalrymen on the battlefield.

Of course, more practically speaking, there were five thousand Tibetan cavalry, five thousand Supi cavalry, and five thousand Yangtong cavalry.

Now, Tenzin Tashi is charging towards Dafeichuan and the Maji Snow Mountain Pass. He is accompanied by 15,000 Tibetan cavalry, 5,000 Supi cavalry, and 5,000 Yangtong cavalry. Although he has suffered considerable losses, if you think about it carefully, his main force has actually suffered relatively few losses.

Although you will inevitably face criticism upon returning home, it won't actually be too severe.

Who can blame him when his father is now the Grand Minister of Tibet?

Moreover, the real responsibility for being outmaneuvered this time lies with Zanxi Ruo.

If he hadn't failed to see the situation clearly and fallen into the Tang Emperor's trap, things wouldn't be like this now.

Tenzin Tashi couldn't help but grit his teeth, but deep in his eyes was a profound wariness.

Emperor.

Behind all of this, the one scheming was undoubtedly the emperor himself.

Only he had the ability to mobilize so many generals and soldiers silently.

Only he has the ability to orchestrate such a grand scheme.

Now that things have come to this, what's next?

In this battle against the Eastern Turks, Tibet was clearly defeated. So what will happen next?
After this battle, the Tang Dynasty will surely seize the opportunity to cross the Tongtian River and then march on Supi.

Chamdo was the last and most fortified defense of the Tubo Kingdom north of the Tanggula Mountains.

Once Chamdo fell into the hands of the Tang Dynasty, Tibet would be forced to retreat behind the Tanggula Mountains, and all initiative in the war would fall into the hands of the Tang Dynasty.
As they raced headlong toward Dafeichuan, Tenzin Tashi kept wondering what to do next.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't come up with a proper strategy.

The warhorse galloped wildly, his brow furrowed.

Before they knew it, the Great Flying River had arrived. Tenzin Tashi couldn't help but sigh softly.

However, the moment his sigh fell to the ground, a thunderous sound of hooves came from the northwest, and countless black-armored cavalrymen, like an endless tidal wave, charged toward Danzeng Zhaxi.

I don't recognize the general in the very center, Danzeng Zhaxi, but his face is familiar. He must be a Tang general I met in Chang'an.

As for the others, on the left is Pei Xingjian, the Left Guard General, and on the right is Fang Renyu, the Prefect of Shazhou.

The cavalry, densely packed, spread out across the entire grassland, surging towards the Tibetan cavalry.

Meanwhile, Su Dingfang and Li Dejian were also pursuing them from behind.

And then there's Liang Jianfang, slowly closing in.

The hunt for the 25,000 Tibetan cavalry has now fully commenced.

The sun hangs high in the sky, and the slaughter is boundless.

More than 50,000 Tang cavalry charged in from all directions.

The long spears stood straight, and the bows and crossbows fired with great force.

In an instant, large numbers of Tibetan cavalrymen began to fall to the ground.

Blood stained the green grass.

As Liang Jianfang arrived from the rear, he began to take full command of the entire battle.

A large number of elite Tang troops charged into the Tibetans' weakest point and then attacked, quickly cutting the Tibetans in all directions.

More infantrymen began to intervene, and countless crossbow bolts began to coldly reap the harvest.

Corpses littered the fields and rivers of blood flowed.

……

Deep in the plateau, Tenzin Tashi, his face covered in blood, ran at top speed.

Behind him, a thousand Tibetan cavalrymen, emerging from the carnage, escorted Danzeng Zhaxi as he sped toward the Tongtian River.

Recalling that scene, Tenzin Tashi still felt a chill run through his entire body.

The Tang Dynasty deployed no fewer troops than the Tibetan Empire in this battle.

Even excluding the inferior Tuyuhun and Dangxiang cavalry, the Tang Dynasty had 20,000 more cavalry than Tibet.

Their soldiers were already formidable fighters, and each of them wore sturdy armor, wielded sharp spears and exquisite crossbows, making them invincible in their charges.

Tenzin Tashi believed he had some ability; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to become the commander-in-chief of 40,000 Tibetan troops, 20,000 Tangut cavalry, and 30,000 Tuyuhun cavalry.

Although he ultimately lost only 25,000 Tibetan cavalry, he still did everything in his power to mobilize the army, making them move back and forth, trying his best to use some generals to slow down the Tang army's advance, while also dispatching 8,000 elite cavalry to quickly retreat towards the Maji Snow Mountain pass.

However, the Tang army seemed to have seen through his plan, and a cavalry force of five thousand men fiercely attacked.

Tenzin Tashi had no choice but to flee, because even more Tang cavalry would be close behind.

After running all night, the five thousand cavalrymen initially kept a close distance. However, as Danzeng Zhaxi's warhorse grew exhausted, the enemy suddenly charged forward fiercely, plunging deep into the army's territory.

Danzeng Zhaxi then realized that the enemy's warhorses had been holding back their strength all along.

The leader of these 5,000 cavalrymen was none other than Li Dejian, who came from Lanzhou.

Li Jing's eldest son.

Li Dejian charged deep into the army's heartland, and the Tibetan cavalry, who had fought for a day and two nights, finally could not hold on any longer. In the blink of an eye, they collapsed completely under the cold blades of their spears.

Even so, Li Dejian still led his men in a cold and bloody massacre.

But his blade was aimed directly at Tenzin Tashi.

His bloodthirsty eyes were fixed on Tenzin Tashi.

In the end, Tenzin Tashi had to use a thousand of his clan's cavalry to hold off Li Dejian so that he could temporarily escape.

Even so, Tenzin Tashi was still somewhat worried that if he slowed down, Li Dejian would immediately rush up and kill him.

Tenzin Tashi frantically whipped his horse, galloping for an unknown distance until his warhorse was foaming at the mouth. Finally, the clear sound of water came from ahead.

"We've arrived at the Tongtian River." Tenzin Tashi couldn't help but burst into tears; they were finally about to escape.

He left three thousand cavalrymen by the Tongtian River, partly to facilitate the transmission of messages and partly to guard the rear.

Just as the joy in his eyes was about to overflow, suddenly the hair on the back of Tenzin Tashi’s neck stood on end. He raised his right hand sharply, and the thousand cavalrymen came to a complete stop as they turned around.

Something is wrong, very wrong.

The three thousand cavalrymen were stationed on the north bank of the Tongtian River, in Li Junxian's original military camp...

A flicker of fear crossed Tenzin Tashi's face.

The next moment, countless flames lit up in the darkness, and countless cavalrymen blocked the north bank of the Tongtian River.

A general in red robes and golden armor appeared before the army.

Li Junxian.

Li Junxian, who had originally retreated from Tongtian River, suddenly returned and cut off Danzeng Zhaxi's retreat.

In the firelight, Li Junxian glanced coldly at Danzeng Zhaxi, then suddenly pulled on the reins and shouted, "Giddy up!"

Li Junxian was the first to charge forward.

In an instant, countless black-armored cavalrymen, like a black tide, followed closely behind Li Junxian and charged straight towards Danzeng Zhaxi.

Danzeng Zhaxi didn't have time to think. He drew his long sword and charged directly at Li Junxian.

In the blink of an eye, the sword and spear clashed fiercely. Then, the long sword was deflected, and the cold spear blade pierced into Tenzin Tashi's chest.

The view suddenly reversed, the earth was above, the early autumn grass was trampled by horses' hooves, and a cold, long spear appeared before us.

Tenzin Tashi suddenly realized that he himself was already dead.

Li Junxian, dressed in red and golden armor, stood on the ground, his long spear raised high. He held Danzeng Zhaxi's corpse in mid-air and charged forward with all his might, but carrying an extra person made him a little slower.

Countless black-armored soldiers charged directly past Li Junxian from both sides, then surged into the remaining Tibetan cavalry like a torrent.

In an instant, the blood blossoms burst forth completely in the cold night.

Li Junxian lagged behind, looked up at the unseeing eyes of Danzeng Zhaxi, and a disdainful sneer flashed in his eyes.

……

The thunderous hooves trampled through the autumn grass, long spears swayed obliquely, and squads of black-armored cavalry arrived at the north bank of the Tongtian River.

Everyone felt a pang of envy as they looked at Tenzin Tashi hanging on the long pole at the gate.

And Li Junxian found it again.

Last time, although he only killed a Tibetan king's double, he actually killed the commander of tens of thousands of Tibetan troops.

This time, he killed the commander of a Tibetan army of tens of thousands. What luck!

No, such luck is just a matter of personal preference.

It is His Majesty's favor, it is Heaven's favor.

Each time, Li Junxian's duty was to launch a surprise attack on Tongtian River and cut off the Tibetans' retreat. However, after each battle at Dafeichuan, the Tibetan commander was always able to escape, eventually ending up at Tongtian River.

It is said that when Li Dejian led his army to Tongtian River this time, Danzeng Zhaxi had only been dead for half a quarter of an hour, leaving them with no recourse.

Everyone couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

As time passed, the war in Xichang Prefecture was completely quelled.

Li Dejian, Yin Yuan, Pei Xingjian, Fang Renyu, Xin Liao'er, and others led their armies to Tongtian River.

Liang Jianfang and Su Dingfang did not arrive until noon the next day.

However, at this moment, it was not the two of them riding under the black banner; they were both accompanied by a white-haired, purple-robed high-ranking official.

There was a large group of subordinate officials behind them.

Li Junxian, Li Dejian, Yin Yuan, Pei Xingjian, Fang Renyu, Xin Liao'er, and others, along with all the officers and soldiers of the army, greeted the newcomer at the gate. Upon seeing him, they all solemnly bowed and said, "Greetings, Commander-in-Chief!"

Su Xu smiled gently, then rode forward and said, “There’s no need for such formalities. I’ve come to Xichang Prefecture on His Majesty’s orders to temporarily take command of the army. I will return to Lanzhou to transport supplies for you all. Other matters of conquest are your responsibility.”

"We dare not." The generals all bowed in unison, but secretly they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Sitting on his horse, Su Xu observed everything. He sighed inwardly. The emperor's purpose in sending him here was to resolve conflicts between various parties, accelerate military integration, and prevent any trouble from arising.

Both Liang Jianfang and Su Dingfang were generals. Although Liang Jianfang was more senior, it was hard to say who had more military achievements.

In addition, Su Dingfang was Li Jing's apprentice, Li Dejian was Li Jing's son, and Pei Xingjian was Su Dingfang's apprentice. They were all also the emperor's confidants.

Li Jing spent many years in Xichang Prefecture, and Li Junxian and Xin Liao'er were both his subordinates.

Su Dingfang's trip to Xichang Prefecture this time inevitably led to some clashes with Liang Jianfang.

Others include Fang Renyu, who is Fang Xuanling's cousin. Although the Fang family was implicated in the Princess Gaoyang affair, Fang Yi'ai has now established himself in Andong, and Fang Yizhi has always been trusted by the emperor. It is not impossible for them to return to the court as prime minister in the future.

In addition, Fang Renyu was also Pei Renji's subordinate in the past, and had some relationship with Pei Xingjian.

Yin Yuan is Yin Kaishan's son, who served as the Left Thousand Bull Guard General for many years and is now the Left Thousand Bull Guard General. He is also a close confidant of the emperor.

If these people were to cause trouble in front of the army, it's not something anyone could easily suppress.

Not to mention that Li Chengqian himself was undecided about who should be the commander-in-chief to destroy Tibet, so he could only send someone to Xichang Prefecture to temporarily take charge.

Since Changsun Wuji and Li Ji could not come, Li Chengqian ultimately chose Su Xu to come instead.

Su Xu was one of the eighteen scholars of the Prince of Qin's mansion, and he had some connections with Liang Jianfang, Li Junxian, and Yin Yuan's father, Yin Kaishan.

He was the father of Zhaoyi, and had just been transferred from the position of Protector-General of Andong to Governor of Luozhou. Su Dingfang had once been his subordinate, so Li Dejian and Pei Xingjian both needed to show him some respect.

Therefore, when he came to the front lines, he was most able to reassure the generals in the army.

……

Su Xuqi glanced at the military camp, shook his head and said, "Let's not go into the camp. Let's all go and take a look at the Tongtian River."

"Yes, sir!" The generals bowed in unison, then mounted their horses and followed.

Su Xu led the way, followed closely by Liang Jianfang and Su Dingfang. Behind them were Dai Zhide, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and Liu Shi, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

All the generals put aside their thoughts.

Arriving at the banks of the Tongtian River, Su Xu looked up and gazed into the distance. In the mountains and forests opposite, he saw figures lurking and watching.

He paid no attention and turned to his generals, saying, "In this great battle of Xichang Prefecture, we annihilated 40,000 Tibetan cavalry, 20,000 Dangxiang cavalry, and 30,000 Tuyuhun cavalry. After this battle, for the next ten years, Tibet will have no strength left to covet Xichang Prefecture, and everything will be just like it was back then."

"Yes!" The generals bowed in unison, their expressions solemn.

“However, times have changed. The Western Turks and the three kingdoms of the Eastern Islands have been pacified. Even the Tanguts, having suffered such a heavy blow, will find it difficult to achieve anything further.” Su Xu turned to look in the direction of Lhasa and said calmly, “Therefore, if there is an opportunity this time, we should destroy Tibet.”

"Yes!" A surge of excitement rose in everyone's hearts as another opportunity to destroy a nation lay before them.

"However, conquering Tibet is difficult, especially since Tibet uses the Tanggula Mountains as a barrier, making it extremely difficult to break in. Therefore, the court has decided that after the battle of Xichang Prefecture, the priority should be to pacify the countries north of the Tanggula Mountains." Su Xu pointed ahead and said seriously, "Especially Supi and Yangtong."

The crowd calmed down and became solemn.

Su Xu looked at Li Junxian and asked, "Duke of Wuchang, you have been in Tongtian River for many years. After this battle, how long will it take to capture Changdu?"

Li Junxian stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “Reporting to the commander, although Supi lost 10,000 cavalry in the previous battle, it should still have 20,000 combat-ready cavalry in Changdu, and about 20,000 infantrymen for defense. If it is a field battle, it will not be difficult to attack, but if it is a siege, it will probably not be able to be taken in a short time.”

Siege warfare is extremely costly, a fact that everyone present understood.

"Therefore, the purpose of our battle is not to leave and conquer Changdu, but to drive out all Supi forces outside Changdu and drive all the people into Changdu. We will not besiege the city, but no one is allowed to leave the city." Su Xu turned to look at the generals and said quietly, "Gentlemen, autumn has arrived, but the harvest has not yet come."

"Does the General intend for the people of Changdu to commit suicide in the city because they have no grain for the autumn harvest?" Liang Jianfang couldn't help but ask, bowing respectfully.

“This is the court’s intention.” Su Xu nodded and said, “The strategy should be to trap Su Pi and relieve Yang Tong.”

Trapped by Su Pi, relieved by Yang Tong.

Seeing everyone pondering, Su Xu said, "In his early years, Prince Yangtong entered Chang'an, and His Majesty married him to a woman from the imperial clan. Although Prince Yangtong has passed away, he left behind a son in Chang'an, who is now eleven years old and has been raised by Princess Yangtong. Over the years, the Bureau of Military Affairs and the Bureau of Cavalry have both made arrangements in Yangtong, so..."

"General!" Everyone bowed in unison.

Su Xu nodded and said, "Duke of Wuyi County, you are younger. Lead 30,000 cavalry and after the Duke of Dai 'besieged' Changdu, go directly to Yangtong. With the help of insiders, take down Yangtong, depose its false ruler, and establish a new ruler. Then, unite the internal and external forces, control the Yangtong cavalry, and assist the Tang Dynasty in destroying Tibet in the future."

"This humble general obeys the order." Su Dingfang immediately stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting.

Su Xu turned to Liang Jianfang and said, "Duke of Dai, you lead the remaining generals and soldiers to 'besiege' Changdu. Make sure that no one can get out and completely cut off all communication with the outside world."

"This humble general obeys the order." Liang Jianfang bowed respectfully.

"The rest is up to me." Su Xu looked toward Tuyuhun and said, "In this battle, the Tang Dynasty had 20,000 Tuyuhun troops, but their military power was usurped by Tuyuhun at a crucial moment. Fortunately, it was only a usurpation, and they did not participate in the battle of Xichang Prefecture. Now it is time to sort out the situation between the Eastern and Western Tuyuhun."

Perhaps now we've reached the point where we need to consider whether the Eastern and Western Tuyuhun should even exist.

"Yes!" Everyone understood the meaning behind Su Xu's words.

"In addition, three pontoon bridges should be built across the Tongtian River, and a military camp should be built on each of the north and south banks to facilitate the movement of the army." Su Xu looked at Li Junxian and said, "Duke of Nanchang, this is what you need to do next."

"Yes!" Li Junxian bowed with some surprise. If that was all, it wouldn't be worth his personal intervention.

“You are the Deputy Governor of Xichang Prefecture. From here to Dafeichuan, you must establish three county towns and ten major post stations.” Su Xu turned to look in the direction of the Dangxiang and said in a cold voice, “In this battle, I don’t know how many people from the Eastern and Western Tuyuhun and the Dangxiang will be reduced to slaves and used by you.”

"Yes!" Li Junxian bowed solemnly.

"Within a year, three county towns and ten major post stations, not necessarily perfect, but at least fulfilling their basic operational responsibilities." Su Xu raised his head and looked at everyone, saying, "Within a year, first destroy Yangtong, then destroy Supi, and establish a logistics transportation channel. By next autumn, when the grain and fodder transportation is complete, we should consider invading the Tanggula Mountains and destroying the Tubo."

"Your humble servant obeys the order and will surely annihilate the Tubo!" The men, their armor clanging, clasped their hands in unison and pledged their loyalty.

Su Xu turned around, and the autumn wind rushed from the Tongtian River straight towards Tibet.

Autumn belongs to Yin and is associated with killing.

(End of this chapter)