Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 246 A formidable foe comparable to the Four Marshals

Wang Chongyin and Chai Cun's troops have collapsed and cannot be put back into battle in the short term.

Shang Rang brought only about 4,000 troops to the battlefield, which was only half the size of the 8,000 Nanzhao army.

However, he led from the front and adopted extremely aggressive tactics, causing his warriors to fight in scattered formations and suddenly break into the enemy lines.

The angry elephant charged left and right, throwing Shang Rang's procession into chaos.

At this moment, Li Tangbin also led his cavalry to charge in.

Since the Nanzhao cavalry showed no signs of returning after being defeated, Li Tangbin's army roamed freely, inflicting heavy casualties on the Nanzhao soldiers wherever they went before moving to the vicinity of the war elephant formation to harass the elephants with mounted archery and javelins.

A brave soldier crawled under the elephant's belly and thrust his spear into it. He was then crushed by the collapsing elephant's massive body, his flesh torn apart, and he died a heroic death.

Some people moved nimbly, using the tip of their guns to stab the elephant's eyes and trunk.

Many of the mahouts who controlled the war elephants were hit by arrows or fierce spears. Some of them survived but were seriously injured and could no longer control the elephants.

Shang Rang and his warriors' agile fighting and retreat had drawn the originally separated herd of elephants into a narrow area, where they trampled and destroyed, causing considerable damage to both sides.

Some elephants, bored and untamed, no longer tried to avoid the chaos. As if driven mad by impending doom, they ran wildly, charging and trampling, destroying everything in their path.

Shang Rang returned to the front of his own lines and continued to lead his warriors in employing flexible tactics against the war elephants—when the elephants charged, they retreated; when the elephants fled, they pursued them, constantly hurling javelins at them.

Just as the elephants were driven half-mad by the chaos, the Nanzhao infantry retreated amidst the elephants, suffering even greater damage. They were also harassed on the outside by Li Tangbin's cavalry. Daring not to easily disrupt their formation, they could only endure the rampage of the mad elephants and slowly withdraw.

"Good lad!" As they retreated, the Nanzhao general leading the troops revealed an admiring look from afar: "Speak your name!"

"I am Shang Rang, a disciple of Wang Xianzhi, the former 'Land Immortal,' under the command of the rebel leader Huang Chao, also known as Huang Jutian. I am a member of the Zhenyi Alliance." Shang Rang said calmly, bowing with his hands clasped.

"What a talented young man! I, Duan Baolong, will remember you."

Duan Baolong had a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes. He had a dignified and imposing presence, and even had a hint of kingly demeanor.

"I am over forty years old and still have no children. If the Bodhisattva protects me, I will eventually have a son, whom I wish to name 'Siping'. I hope my future son, Duan Siping, will also have your wisdom and courage!"

The Nanzhao soldiers were brutal and tyrannical, but this Nanzhao general spoke with great composure.

"Alliance Leader Shang is mighty and brave, and his military strategy is divine!"

General Geng Biao hurriedly praised him loudly.

Shang Rang showed no sign of pride.

He was gentle in nature, and although he was intelligent and brave, he did not like to boast.

Shang Rang recalled the lightning strikes at Yiyang Pass, the snowy night march down the Han River to the east, the crossing of the Jia River, and the swift capture of Jiangling—those were the times when he was at his most spirited and triumphant.

The subsequent disastrous defeat at Qizhou cost him the loss of his mentor Wang Xianzhi and his elder brother Shang Junzhang, as well as more than 30,000 brothers and comrades. He fled in panic like a stray dog.

A few days ago, he offered a plan to carve through the mountains to enter Fujian, and he also defeated Gao Maoqing, the governor of Jiangxi. However, his joy turned to sorrow when he was plotted against by Shi Pu, and he almost lost his wisdom and became a fool.

Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and a blessing may be a misfortune in disguise. Shang Rang dared not do anything reckless again.

Moreover, Huang Chao is now the supreme commander of the rebel army, and he does not want Huang Chao, the leader of the Zhenyi Alliance, to have too much prestige.

They covered the retreating troops of Wang Chongyin and Chai Cun back to the main camp, only to find that although the battle had forced back the Nanzhao army led by Duan Baolong, the losses were also considerable.

Wang Chongyin and Chai Cun's forces each lost over a thousand men in battle. Shang Rang led the elite of the Zhenyi Alliance in a fierce battle against the elephant formation, losing over two hundred more men, most of whom were capable fighters within the Zhenyi Alliance.

Including those who were completely wounded and unable to return to the battlefield, this battle resulted in the loss of nearly three thousand combat troops for the Grass Army.

After suffering a series of setbacks, the generals of the army inevitably found themselves in a dejected atmosphere when discussing matters in their tents.

Zhu Wen felt a low pressure permeating the oil lamp, as if it were squeezing the cheese he had just drunk from his stomach all the way up until it overflowed from his mouth. "We submitted a petition to request amnesty, and according to custom, those officials in the Council of State Affairs would ramble on for months before coming to a decision," Huang Chao's nephew Lin Yan said indignantly. "How come we've already colluded with Nanzhao so quickly and recruited these barbarians?"

Duan Baolong, the general of Nanzhao who led troops to aid Guangzhou, came from the Dali Duan clan, one of the four major families of Nanzhao, namely "Duan, Zhao, Zheng, and Yang". He was the current military commander of Nanzhao, the governor of Buxie and Qinghai, and a very powerful figure in the Nanzhao Kingdom.

Duan Baolong's father, Duan Qiuqian, was the top general of Nanzhao in the previous Tang-Zhao War. He defeated the Tang army several times and killed Cai Xi, the military commissioner of Annam. In the end, he was defeated by Lei Shuai Gao Pian, who annihilated more than 30,000 Nanzhao soldiers in one battle. Duan Qiuqian was also captured and killed by Gao Pian.

Despite suffering such a severe blow, the Duan family still wielded considerable power in the Nanzhao Kingdom.

"It was that loyal minister who was most popular with the people, but whose relationship with his colleagues was always terrible, who made the move," Huang Chao said with great certainty.

"Zheng Tian, ​​Zheng Taiwen?" Xu Tangju asked tentatively.

Huang Chao stroked his beard and nodded: "Zheng Maisi, the prime minister of Nanzhao, is also a Han Chinese, and he and Zheng Tian both come from the Zheng clan of Xingyang."

Duan Hongyan frowned slightly and pondered for a moment: "Hongyan knows that when Meng Shilong was defeated and died of illness in battle against Tang, the new emperor Longshun succeeded to the throne. His power was unstable, and he had always planned to marry a princess to the court to stabilize the internal situation."

"However, when Nanzhao borrowed troops, in addition to burning, killing, and looting to obtain supplies, the imperial court would certainly have provided them with weapons, armor, and clothing. How could this have escaped our notice?"

In Chang'an, Huang Chao also planted spies.

"After Zheng Tian secretly met with Li Xuan, he received a secret order to bypass the government office and instruct Cui An, the military governor of Xichuan, to secretly open the treasury to supply the army of Nanzhao." Huang Chao immediately deduced the operation: "If things go well, it will be due to Li Xuan's wisdom; if things go badly, Zheng Tian will take the blame."

Shang Rang praised, "I see. This is how you use a loyal minister like Zheng Tian."

Upon hearing Huang Chao's words, Duan Hongyan's expression changed slightly: "How could that idiot Li Xuan have such a brain?"

Her voice suddenly rose, surprising Zhu Wen, as if she had some grudge against the reigning emperor, Li Xuan.

Huang Chao smiled and said, "Knowing how to govern a country doesn't mean you're willing to do your best to govern it. Governing a country is troublesome and requires a lot of mental and physical effort, far less interesting than playing polo or indulging in pleasure. An emperor who thinks like this becomes a tyrant. But it's not surprising that when he wakes up from his debauchery, he might suddenly become smart."

This was too incredible; Huang Chao hadn't anticipated it, and even the most meticulous plans can have a flaw.

Zhu Wen nodded, thoughtfully.

Are incompetent rulers truly foolish and intellectually deficient?

Royal children are rarely foolish. But "arrogance and extravagance arise from wealth and honor, and chaos arises from negligence." How many of those whose bodies are nurtured by fine clothes and sumptuous food dare to step into the turbulent political arena?

In the current situation of the Tang Dynasty, indulging in pleasure and neglecting official duties means that when trouble arises, one can shift the blame to others rather than take responsibility. If one is determined to reform and revitalize the country, the most likely outcome is being killed by the eunuchs—several Tang emperors in the past century have met this fate.

Finally, it was Zhu Wen's turn to speak. He brought the latest developments following the battle between Shang Rang and Duan Baolong.

"When Duan Baolong was fighting fiercely with our army, Xin Dang, the military governor of Lingnan West Circuit, led the remnants of Lingnan West Circuit and blocked several key routes of our army."

"The group of mountain barbarians who had previously colluded with Gao Yan were subdued by our army after the battle of Chaozhou. Now they have once again surrendered to the government army, not only as local guides, but also as reinforcements for Xin Dang's troops."

At this moment, the entire plan of the government army was fully revealed to the bandits.

The rebel army camped around the city, but because Guangzhou was located near water, they could only effectively block off three sides.

There are roads on these three sides, which were originally official roads leading to Guangzhou, but they were controlled by the rebel army and used to receive supplies.

By controlling these three roads, we can join forces with Li Tiao inside the city to cut off the supply lines of the rebel army, turning their encirclement into a situation where they are surrounded from both inside and outside, and their food supplies will be cut off.

As for the newly built navy of the rebel army? Although Li Yi was not able to break through Huang Chao's interconnected land and water strongholds, he was able to block the rebel army's navy in the dock.

"What a brilliant strategy of turning the tables and trapping the enemy like turtles in a jar!" Huang Chao remained calm. "Neither Xin Dang, the military governor of Lingnan West Circuit, nor Li Tiao, the old thief of Lingnan East Circuit, nor Duan Baolong, the general of Nanzhao, had such a plan."

Zheng Tian, ​​based in Chang'an, strategized and outmaneuvered the rebel army, once again driving them into a desperate situation.

Although this man is a civil official, he is insightful and far-sighted, and his wisdom and resourcefulness are unparalleled, seemingly no less than that of the four generals.

(End of this chapter)