Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 56 Xue Rengui's Defeat of Tubo

After returning to the palace, Concubine Zheng first went to report to Wu Meiniang. When she returned to Xunfeng Palace, she was already very sleepy and changed her clothes to rest.

When she woke up again, she saw Li Zhi sitting in the room, appreciating some poems on the table.

These poems were exactly the ones that Concubine Zheng had tested yesterday against the sisters in her clan. Her heart tightened, and she smiled and asked, "Your Majesty, when did you come?"

Li Zhi said, "I just came a while ago and saw that you were still asleep, so I picked it up to take a look. Where did these poems come from?"

As Concubine Zheng was getting dressed by the palace maids, she said with a smile, "These were all written by my naughty boy. Everyone, put them down quickly. These poems are not worthy of your eyes."

Li Zhi laughed and said, "The other poems are all average, only this Nongxi Fu is pretty good. I wonder who wrote it?"

Concubine Zheng smiled and said, "It was written by a cousin of mine. Her name is Lu Wanjun, and she is a descendant of the Fanyang Lu family."

Li Zhi laughed and said, "What a great lady from the Fanyang Lu family! Even a woman has such literary talent. She is truly extraordinary."

After getting up, Concubine Zheng accompanied Li Zhi for a walk in the nearby garden. After lunch, Li Zhi left Xunfeng Palace.

After returning to Ganlu Hall, there were more memorials on the desk.

Li Zhi flipped through it casually and found a memorial from the Ministry of War, which was submitted by Cui Dunli himself.

After taking a look, it was not good news.

It turned out that after Li Zhi reprimanded the Ministry of War last year, the Ministry of War had stepped up its intelligence work against Tubo in counties and cities close to Tubo, such as Liangzhou and Lingzhou.

As a result, news came back soon.

The Tibetan army was indeed stationed on the north bank of the Baron River, with a number of over 100,000 men. More importantly, there were two people commanding this army.

One of them was Dayan Mangbuzhi, the prince of Tuyuhun and Dubu's father.

Li Zhi had already guessed this. If Tubo wanted to annex Tuyuhun, it would definitely use this person.

But another person made Li Zhi feel a little more solemn. That person was Qinling, the son of the Tibetan Prime Minister Lu Dongzan.

It was this man who defeated Xue Rengui in the Battle of Dayuechuan.

Just as Li Zhi was holding the memorial in his hand and thinking deeply, a eunuch came to report that Li Ji and Cui Dunli were asking for a meeting outside the palace.

Li Zhi knew that there must be another change in the situation at the border, so he quickly ordered the two men to come in.

After the two old ministers entered the hall, they bowed to Li Zhi together.

Li Zhi raised his hand and said, "My dear ministers, there's no need to be so polite. Is there any news from the front?"

Li Ji said solemnly, "Your Majesty, Cheng Wuting just sent back word that the Tibetan army has crossed the Barong River. Judging by the time, they should have surrounded Bailan City by now."

The Bailang Qiang is a branch of the Western Qiang. They originally lived in the northern part of Qinghai Lake, but were later driven out by the Tubo people and had to migrate south.

In recent years, since Tubo annexed the Subi Kingdom, it has continued to invade the south.

The Bailang Qiang were the first to be hit, and most of their territory was annexed by Tubo, so they had to rely on Tuyuhun to survive.

Bailan City was just a small earthen city. Outside the city, flags covered the sky, and they were all Tibetan troops.

However, Tubo did not attack the city, but only surrounded Bailang City tightly.

Outside the city, the Tibetan tent.

Qin Ling was sitting in the tent reading a book when the curtain was suddenly opened and two people strode in.

The person walking behind was Du Bu, who was on a diplomatic mission to the Tang Dynasty.

The man in front of him was a burly man, over forty years old, with two scars crisscrossing his face. He was the commander-in-chief of the Tibetan army, Dayan.

Dayan held the horsewhip in his hand and stared at Qin Ling.

"You were the one who insisted on rushing the attack earlier, leaving behind a lot of baggage in such a hurry. Now that we've arrived at Bailan City, why did you order a forbiddance?"

Qin Ling is a young man in his twenties with an elegant complexion, gentle manners, a well-proportioned figure and strong muscles.

He stood up, bowed to Dayan, and said, "Deputy Prime Minister, there is no need to be anxious. Let me explain."

Qin Ling was the military supervisor, not the commander-in-chief, but because he was Lu Dongzan's son, the army was actually commanded by him.

Dayan could only control the Tuyuhun tribe in his hands.

Dayan snorted and walked over to a low chair and sat down.

"Then tell me."

Qin Ling raised his head and looked at Du Bu.

"First of all, I would like to thank Brother Shi for coming to Tang and bringing us important information."

Dayan snorted coldly, "You don't have to be sarcastic. This bastard went to the Tang Dynasty, spent a lot of money, but achieved nothing. I have already written a letter to the Prime Minister to apologize."

Qin Ling said sternly, "Brother, this matter cannot be blamed. Princess Honghua also went to the Tang Dynasty, curried favor with the Tang Empress, and persuaded the Tang Emperor to change his mind. Even if I went there in person, there would be nothing I could do."

Then he changed the subject: "Fortunately, we are well prepared. Although the Tang people have decided to help Tuyuhun, they will not act too quickly. We can make a quick decision."

Dayan asked, "Since we want a quick victory, why don't we attack the city?"

Qin Ling said slowly, "When I say 'speed', I mean strategic swiftness. Consider this: since the Tang Dynasty supports Tuyuhun, those Western Qiang tribes will definitely side with Tuyuhun."

Dayan said: "This is the tradition of the Qiang people. They only stand on the side of the strong. What can we do?"

Qin Ling said, "So Tuyuhun will definitely send people to unite with them under the banner of the Tang Dynasty to rescue Bailan City."

Dayan sneered and said, "My nephew always likes to rely on the power of others."

Du Budao said, "Qin Ruben is right. The Tang army has sent a general named Cheng Wuting, who is currently in Bailan City."

Ruben was also known as Yichang, which was a title for the military commander of Tubo.

Dayan said: "He is just a young boy."

Qin Ling said slowly: "Whether they are good generals or foolish generals, as long as they are sent by the Tang Dynasty, they can mobilize many small tribes."

Dayan nodded.

Since the defeat of Tuyuhun by the Tang Dynasty, the backbones of all Qiang people have been broken by the Tang people, and only Tubo is still standing. Qin Ling continued: "So we should immediately surround Bailan City. Those small Qiang tribes will come to the rescue when they are not fully prepared."

Dayan was stunned for a moment and said, "Your goal is to attack the reinforcements?"

Qin Ling said, "If we attack the city now, the defenders will think they have reinforcements and will fight to the death. If we destroy the reinforcements first, it will have a huge psychological impact on them. Then, attacking the city will be effortless."

Du Budao: "Father, I think what Qin Ruben said makes sense."

Dayan was silent for a moment, then said, "Aren't you afraid that delaying the time will draw the Tang army here?"

Qin Ling said, "The Tang army is not a god. The former Zamp has defeated them before. Even if they come, our army will be well-rested and will defeat them just the same!"

Dayan stood up suddenly and said, "Then I'll do as you say. However, I'll personally take part in destroying the reinforcements."

Qin Ling bowed slightly and performed a Tibetan etiquette.

"I am just honoring your bravery."

Just as Qin Ling predicted, after Bailan City was besieged, the Dangxiang Qiang did not bother to summon the small tribes and hurriedly led the army to provide assistance.

Queen Dongnu did not dare to act rashly and sent people to Songzhou to tell Xue Rengui the news.

Xue Rengui had been training his troops these days. After hearing the news, he immediately entered the Dongnu Qiang tribe and went north with the Dongnu Army and many small Qiang tribes to rescue the Bailang Qiang.

On the road, smoke and dust were rolling, and Xue Rengui rode his horse and walked side by side with Queen Binju.

This was his first time to fight in the Western Territory.

There are mountains everywhere around us, and the marching route is extremely difficult. If the enemy sets an ambush in the canyon, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"Your Majesty, the road is difficult and dangerous, and we might be ambushed. How about our army lead the way, and yours follow the rear, five miles apart, to coordinate with each other."

Queen Binjiu laughed and said, "You are the guest army, and I am the main army. How can we let the guest army be the vanguard? My Eastern Women's Army and the other Qiang people are in the front, and the Tang army is in the rear."

Xue Rengui did not argue and agreed.

The army continued to move forward, and soon they were discovered by Tibetan scouts, who reported this to Dayan and Qinling.

Dayan's attitude at this time was very different from before.

Just two days ago, he personally led an ambush and defeated the Dangxiang Qiang near Wuhai, killing so many people that their blood flowed like a river and the Qiang people were terrified.

Seeing that the Dongnu Qiang had finally arrived, he laughed heartily and said, "Qin Ruben, I will follow the plan and set up an ambush at Bailan Mountain."

Qin Ling said, "You must be careful."

After Dayan and Dubu and his son left the tent, Qin Ling said solemnly, "Order the entire army to prepare for battle."

In late January, the spring is chilly and everything is sprouting.

With a series of "puff" sounds, a group of swiftlets took off from the valley of Bailan Mountain. Then, bursts of fighting sounds were heard in the valley.

The sounds of people roaring, horses neighing, and weapons clashing echoed in the valley.

Dayan and his son Dubu led their troops in a surprise attack, and the Dongnu Qiang and other Qiang tribes were caught off guard and fell into danger.

Du Bu, accompanied by several personal guards, maneuvered freely in the chaotic battlefield, invincible and reaping the lives of the enemies.

At this moment, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a woman fighting hard in the distance. He laughed and galloped away on his horse.

"Queen Binjiu, we meet again."

Queen Binjiu said nothing, but rushed forward with two silver knives in her hands, each of which was aimed at Dubu's vital points.

Although Queen Binjiu was not as strong as Dubu, she was extremely flexible and had excellent riding skills. The two fought for more than ten rounds, but there was no winner.

Du Bu licked the blood on his scimitar and sneered, "I didn't expect the Queen to be so skilled in martial arts. It seems that capturing her alive is impossible. I will send you on your way."

At this moment, a cloud of dust rose in the distance. After a while, Dubu found that his troops were in chaos.

Someone shouted: "Tang army, the Tang army is coming!" The voice was anxious.

Du Bu was startled and asked anxiously, "Where did the Tang army come from?"

However, the battlefield was in chaos and no one answered him. He only heard people shouting "The Tang army is coming" and the Tubo army became more and more chaotic.

Dubu was furious and his men showed no mercy. They attacked Queen Binjiu with the scimitar in their hands like a whirlwind.

Queen Bin was unable to resist and was stabbed in the arm. Fortunately, she was saved by the guards around her.

Just as Dubu was about to kill, he heard a roar. It was the voice of his father Dayan.

Turning around, he saw Dayan fighting fiercely with a Tang army general in a white robe. That Tang general was Xue Rengui!
Du Bu knew that Xue Rengui was a formidable person. Seeing his father in danger, he left his guests and went to the queen's rescue.

Before he could get close, an arm holding a scimitar flew into the air. It was Xue Rengui who cut off Dayan's arm with a halberd.

Dayan screamed and fell off his horse.

Du Bu was furious and roared. He took out his bow and arrow and shot an arrow at Xue Rengui.

Xue Rengui heard the sound of an arrow breaking through the air and lowered his head to avoid it.

Seeing Dayan stand up to escape, another arrow was shot. He reached out to grab the arrow, raised his arm and threw it, and the arrow hit Dayan's right leg.

Dayan's two personal soldiers took the opportunity to rush over and block Dayan. Xue Rengui swung his long spear, sweeping through the army and knocking the two men away.

Xue Rengui rode forward and leaned over to capture Dayan alive, but Dubu finally arrived and slashed at his back with a knife.

When Xue Rengui heard the sound of breaking air, he pulled back the silver halberd in his hand to block, and the two fought for several rounds in an instant.

Du Bu only felt that the opponent's long spear was like a dazzling silver light, and his eyes were full of the spear's shadow. In less than ten rounds, he felt a pain in his back and fell off his horse.

Xue Rengui was about to make another move with his halberd when he suddenly heard the Queen's cry of surprise.

Turning around, he saw that all the guards around Queen Bin were killed and were rolling on the ground, avoiding the attacks of several Tibetans.

Xue Rengui left Dubu and his son behind and rode his horse to chase after them. With a swing of his silver halberd, all the Tibetans were killed.

Dubu took the opportunity to rescue Dayan and escape. When the Tubo army saw their leader escaping, they all began to flee.

(End of this chapter)