I'll steal Gao Qiu's life and lead the Song Dynasty to prosperity.

Chapter 66 The Demise of the Wild Wolf Tribe

The sand table was placed in the center, with Zhao Mingcheng, Wang Shan, Liu Zhongwu, Tong Guan, and Xia Zheng standing around it.

Zhao Mingcheng gave a general overview of the situation, and then asked Liu Zhongwu, who was familiar with the situation in the Tibetan region, to speak first.

Holding a thin stick, Liu Zhongwu pointed at the sand table, "Look here, everyone. The terrain of Wolf Howling Valley is narrow at the entrance, shaped like a pocket, easy to defend and difficult to attack. However, the valley inside is open, and the campsites are scattered along the stream at the bottom of the valley, backed by the cliff to the north, with relatively gentle slopes on the east and west sides."

"According to the intelligence from the local people, Langga's main tent is located at the deepest part of the valley, near the mountain wall, surrounded by the tents of his confidants and elite warriors. His people's cattle and sheep are mostly scattered on the relatively flat grassy slopes on the east side of the valley."

Wang Shan stared at the pocket-shaped opening of the valley and echoed.

"The entrance is treacherous, and a direct assault would come at a cost. However, their camps are scattered and rely on natural defenses, so we should be more relaxed in our defenses. Especially regarding their flanks and rear, we would never expect any troops to be able to cross the mountains and valleys to reach them."

Zhao Mingcheng asked calmly.

"General Liu, are you confident in the route you've chosen? Are your troops capable of navigating it?"

Liu Zhongwu said with certainty.

"Rest assured, my lord. I have personally led men to explore the area. There is a little-known hunting trail to the northwest of Wolf Howling Valley that crosses the mountain ridge. Although it is treacherous, it is possible for elite cavalry to cross it if they are lightly armed and carefully climb."

Descending from here, we can directly reach the junction of the grassland and camp on the eastern side of the valley. At that time, using fire as a signal, I will lead my troops in a surprise attack, striking at the heart of the enemy, burning tents, scattering cattle and sheep, and creating maximum chaos.

"Okay!" Zhao Mingcheng nodded, turning his gaze to Wang Shan.

"General Wang, you will lead three hundred main forces to launch a frontal assault from the valley entrance. There is no need to rush to break through the pass, but you must fight fiercely and aggressively to draw all the attention of the Wild Wolf tribe, and even their reserve forces, to the direction of the valley entrance. This will create an opportunity for General Liu's surprise attack."

"Understood, Your Excellency!" Wang Shan clasped his hands in a fist salute, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "I will ensure those wolf cubs have no time to spare!"

"Lord," Zhao Mingcheng looked at Xia Zheng, "After the war begins, especially when General Liu's surprise attack succeeds and the valley is in chaos, you will take several loud-voiced interpreters and follow me from a high place to shout into the valley in Tibetan."

The message stated that only the ringleader, Langga, and his direct associates involved in the looting would be executed; all others who surrendered would be spared! Those who laid down their weapons and surrendered...

Those who identify with his allies will not only be spared death, but their calves and sheep will also be protected! If they help the army capture Langga, there will be an even greater reward! This is a psychological tactic, crucial for breaking their morale and dividing their forces.

Xia Zheng took a deep breath and patted his chest to express his stance.

"Rest assured, my lord, Huai De will do everything in his power to spread the word of your benevolence to every tribesman in the valley!"

Zhao Mingcheng looked around at everyone one last time, his voice not loud, but every word carried immense weight.

"In this battle, we must annihilate the chieftain of the Wild Wolves, capture and kill Langga, and bring him to justice in order to console the merchants who died unjustly and to wipe away the shame of the attack on the military settlement."

At the same time, the court must also demonstrate its appeasement. Apart from the ringleaders being executed, no innocent people should be killed indiscriminately, no women and children should be raped or abducted, and no ordinary barbarian tents should be burned.

After the war, some of the captured cattle, sheep, and property were distributed publicly among nearby small tribes that were either compliant or had previously suffered oppression from the wolf tribe. Their pastures were declared to be jointly managed by the various tribes, with officials appointed by the imperial court to supervise them.

"This humble general (official) will obey Your Excellency's orders!" the crowd replied in unison.

"In that case, each of you prepare yourselves. Cook the meal at 1-3 AM and depart at 3-5 AM. Be sure to arrive at the designated location before dawn!"

With a wave of his sleeve, Zhao Mingcheng made his final decision.

Just after the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), the military camp west of Shanzhou City and Zhao Mingcheng's headquarters had already assembled.

The soldiers finished their meal in silence and quickly, checked their equipment, and tightened their horse girths one last time.

At the beginning of the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the city gates opened, and Wang Shan personally led three hundred iron cavalry westward.

The horses' hooves were all covered with thick cloth, and the people all had gags in their mouths.

Meanwhile, Liu Zhongwu led his hundred elite troops out of the city through the south gate, made a large detour, turned northwest, and headed straight for the hidden hunting trail.

Later that evening, Zhao Mingcheng, escorted by twenty elite cavalrymen, set off with Xia Zheng and the others.

Instead of following the main army, they took another small path to a high slope several miles southeast of Wolf Howling Valley, which had been pre-selected by Tong Guan's scouts.

The view from here is excellent, offering a panoramic view of the battle at the valley entrance and a glimpse into the depths of the valley.

At this moment, the sky was just before dawn, and the north wind on the wasteland was like a knife, stinging the face.

Zhao Mingcheng wrapped his black fox fur coat tightly around himself, mounted his horse, and silently followed the procession.

He felt little fear of impending battle; instead, he was strangely calm.

Having lived two lives, this was the first time he had personally commanded attacks on the battlefield.

This battle must be won, and we will surely win.

When we reached the high point, the eastern horizon was already showing a sliver of dawn.

Several scouts arranged by Tong Guan were already on the slope to provide cover, and a simple windbreak curtain had been erected.

After dismounting, Zhao Mingcheng stood on the slope and looked northwest in the dim light.

Several miles away, a large opening could be seen between two mountains.

That opening is the entrance to Wolf Howling Valley, and Wang Shan's three hundred iron cavalry have already quietly approached the valley entrance.

"Sir, look over there. There are flickering lights at the valley entrance. They look like sentries," a sharp-eyed guard whispered.

Sure enough, there were a few faint lights moving around at the mouth of the valley; those were the sentry posts set up by the Wild Wolf tribe.

Wolf Howling Valley is a strategically important and dangerous place. Langga is confident that there is no direct conflict with the Song army at the moment, and that the area is remote and therefore not heavily guarded. There are only a few scouts at night.

The sky brightened a little more.

Suddenly, without warning, a deafening sound of war drums and horns erupted from the direction of the valley entrance!

Immediately following was the heavy, rolling sound of horses' hooves approaching rapidly from afar, interspersed with the Song army's battle cries.

"kill--!!"

Wang Shanbu has made his move!

The tranquility at the valley entrance was shattered in an instant.

Wang Shan's three hundred iron cavalry did not conduct any probing; they attacked with all their might from the outset.

The vanguard of several dozen heavy cavalry, shields raised, braved the sporadic arrows falling from the watchtowers at the valley entrance, and charged wildly toward the hastily constructed fence at the valley entrance made of giant logs and stones.

The cavalry then drew their bows and fired arrows like locusts at the hillsides and watchtowers on both sides of the valley entrance, suppressing any potential counterattacks.

"Enemy attack—! Song army! It's the Song army!"

The shouts of the wolf tribe echoed at the valley entrance, only to be drowned out by even more intense battle cries.

With a deafening crash, the flimsy palisade collapsed under the charge of the heavy cavalry and the subsequent blows of the infantry.

Wang Shan took the lead, wielding a heavy lance, like a war god descending to earth, leading his troops into the narrow passage at the valley entrance.

How could the dozens of Wild Wolf warriors guarding this place possibly withstand this elite Song army that had been preparing for a long time?

They were decimated in a single encounter, suffering heavy casualties.

"My men! Follow me and charge in! Slay that old dog Langga!"

Wang Shan's roar echoed through the valley.

In the valley, the wolf tribe's camp was now in complete chaos, like a swarm of bees disturbed by a sudden disturbance.

Startled awake, the herders rushed out of their tents in a panic. The cries of women and children, the shouts of men, and the neighing of frightened cattle and sheep instantly created chaos.

More Wild Wolf warriors hastily grabbed their weapons, mounted their horses, and poured out of their various camps, attempting to gather towards the valley entrance to resist the Song army's attack.

The main tent of Langga was also brightly lit.

The elderly Langga rushed out disheveled, his face ashen as he listened to the deafening shouts of battle and the rapidly approaching hoofbeats at the valley entrance.

He never expected that the Song army's retaliation would come so quickly and fiercely, and that it would directly attack his stronghold!

"Hold on! Hold on! Gather your men and drive that Song dog out!"

Langga roared, but his heart was filled with fear and regret.

He underestimated the determination of "Jiachagabu", overestimated the fighting strength of his own tribe, and underestimated the assault capabilities of the Song army's elite troops.

Those iron armors and strong bows could enhance his tribe's strength, but even if they were stronger, they would still be no match for the Song army.

The resistance of the Wild Wolf tribe quickly crumbled under the repeated attacks of the Song army's iron cavalry.

Wang Shan was not in a hurry to rush into the depths of the valley.

He was very experienced, proceeding steadily and surely, clearing out scattered resistance along the way, consolidating the breakthrough point, and deliberately creating a huge momentum to keep the limited forces of the Wild Wolf tribe firmly drawn to the direction of the valley entrance.

The warriors of the Wild Wolf tribe, like moths drawn to a flame, surged toward the valley entrance, only to fall one after another under the Song army's disciplined ranks and a barrage of sharp crossbow bolts.

Just as the battle at the valley entrance was raging and all the Wild Wolf tribe's attention was drawn to it.

On the eastern side of the valley, near the foot of the mountain, a sudden change occurred!

First, several tents on the edge of the area caught fire without warning, billowing thick smoke.

Immediately afterwards, a series of hoofbeats and shouts of battle, different from those coming from the valley entrance, suddenly erupted from the side and rear!

More than a hundred Song cavalrymen appeared as if they were divine soldiers descending from the sky, rushing out of the mountains and forests.

These people are the surprise troops led by Liu Zhongwu!

Liu Zhongwu did not engage with the assembled Wild Wolf warriors.

Instead, they changed their target and went straight for the weak point of the Wild Wolf Tribe's camp.

Those scattered tent areas and open spaces piled with miscellaneous items.

And most importantly, that pasture where a large number of cattle and sheep gathered!

"Everyone, listen up! Set fires! Drive away their cattle and sheep!" Liu Zhongwu shouted the order.

Rockets rained down on the tents, and the hay and felt caught fire and spread rapidly.

Even more cavalry charged into the terrified herds of cattle and sheep, brandishing their swords and spears, shouting loudly, and driving thousands of cattle and sheep to run wild in all directions.

In an instant, flames rose on the east side of the valley, thick smoke obscured the sun, cattle and sheep fled in terror, trampling and colliding, turning the already chaotic wolf tribe camp upside down.

"Behind us! There are Song soldiers behind us too!"

"The tent is on fire!"

"The cattle and sheep have run away! Quickly, stop them!"

The news of the attack from the flank and the chaos before them caused the already crumbling morale of the Wild Wolf Tribe to collapse instantly.

Many tribesmen who were rushing to the valley entrance to provide support saw their own tents on fire, their cattle and sheep scattered, and their wives and children crying out. They had no heart to fight anymore and turned back to try to salvage their belongings and protect their loved ones.

The entire command structure of the Wild Wolf tribe was completely paralyzed, falling into a state of chaos and fighting on their own.

On the high slope.

Zhao Mingcheng, who was watching the battle, took in the fierce fighting at the entrance of the valley and the fire that broke out inside the valley.

The time has come.

He turned to Xia Zheng, who was pale-faced but trying to remain calm, and said.

"Lord, shout it out loud so that everyone in the valley can hear you!"

Xia Zheng nodded emphatically, took a deep breath, gathered his strength, and shouted as loudly and clearly as he could in Tibetan towards Wolf Howling Valley.

"Listen up, Tibetan brothers of Wolf Howling Valley! I am Xia Zheng! By order of the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty and the Pacification Commissioner of the Hehuang Region, Lord Zhao, I declare: Only the ringleader Langga and his accomplices will be executed! All others who surrender will be spared! Lay down your weapons and kneel to avoid death!"

The sound of the blind warrior echoed through the canyon, drowning out some of the noise.

Many of the Wolf Tribe warriors, who were either fighting fiercely or at a loss in the valley, paused in their actions upon hearing the familiar language and content.

Xia Zheng continued shouting, his voice becoming hoarse from the exertion.

"Those who help the Song Dynasty capture and kill Langga, and those who defect on the battlefield, will not only be innocent, but will also receive a share of Langga's cattle, sheep, and wealth! Lord Zhao keeps his word, haven't you heard of the reputation of 'Jiachagabu'? Don't waste any more lives for Langga alone!"

At the same time, as planned, the Song soldiers fighting at the valley entrance, led by their officers, shouted in unison in broken but powerful Tibetan.

"Surrender and you will not be killed! Only the ringleaders will be executed! Those who aid the Song Dynasty will be rewarded!"

"Surrender and you will not be killed! Disarm immediately!"

The people of the Wild Wolf tribe were completely dumbfounded.

A powerful enemy was attacking from the front, and fire was burning down their home from behind.

Moreover, there was a promise that "only the ringleaders would be executed, those who surrendered would not be killed, and those who helped the Song Dynasty would be rewarded," and the will to resist was rapidly diminishing.

It's unclear who was the first to drop their scimitar, bury their face in their hands, and kneel down on the ground.

Then, more and more warriors of the Wild Wolf tribe dropped their weapons and knelt down to surrender.

Some clever tribesmen even turned their attention to Langga's confidants who were still resisting, or to Langga's nephews and nieces who were trying to escape into the valley.

At the valley entrance, Langga, who was fighting fiercely with Wang Shan, heard shouts of battle and surrender coming from behind. He also saw his own camp ablaze with flames and his troops demoralized. Knowing that the situation was hopeless, he was filled with horror and despair, and his men became even more chaotic.

Wang Shan saw an opening, roared, and thrust his spear like a poisonous dragon out of its cave, swiftly piercing Langga's chest.

Langga was unable to parry in time and was pierced through the leather armor by a spear, which went through his back. He let out a miserable scream, fell off his horse, twitched a few times, and then fell silent.

"Langga is dead! Those who surrender will not be killed!"

Wang Shan exerted force with both arms, using his lance to lift Langga's corpse high into the air, the sound echoing across the surrounding fields.

The last vestiges of resistance from the Wild Wolf tribe collapsed completely with Langga's death.

Except for a few die-hards who were killed, the rest knelt down and surrendered.

Liu Zhongwu also led his troops down the hillside, took control of the valley, extinguished the fire, gathered the prisoners, and counted the spoils of war.

The battle, from Wang Shan's charge to Lang Shou's execution and the pacification of the entire valley, lasted less than an hour, and was swift and decisive.

After the war ended, Zhao Mingcheng, surrounded by guards, came down from the high slope and entered Wolf Howling Valley.

The valley was filled with a dark mass of prisoners kneeling, mostly women, children, the elderly, and the infirm of the Wild Wolf tribe, as well as soldiers who had abandoned their weapons. They were all ashen-faced and trembling.

Wang Shan and Liu Zhongwu came to report back.

"My lord, in this battle, we killed 123 enemy soldiers, captured over 400, and seized thousands of cattle, sheep, and horses, as well as provisions, furs, and other valuables."

A certain amount of property.

Langga, his three sons, and five close associates have been killed. Our army suffered minor casualties, with seven dead and more than twenty wounded. Wang Shan reported.

Liu Zhongwu added.

"As you instructed, my lord, I have strictly prohibited my soldiers from killing or looting indiscriminately."

Among the seized items were pottery and dyes matching the characteristics of the goods stolen from the caravan, as well as fifteen suits of iron armor, thirty hard bows, and a number of arrows.

Zhao Mingcheng nodded, his gaze sweeping over the terrified prisoners and the ruins of the burned tents, but he felt little joy in victory.

He said in a deep voice.

"The fallen soldiers shall be generously compensated and properly buried. The wounded shall receive immediate medical treatment."

Langga's head should be hung high at the valley entrance, with a wooden sign erected, detailing his crimes of "colluding with rebellious chieftains, robbing and killing merchants, attacking military farms, and wreaking havoc on the border," in both Han and Tibetan languages, to be proclaimed to all.

"And what about these prisoners and spoils—" Wang Shan asked.

Zhao Mingcheng had made arrangements long ago.

"Among the prisoners, those identified as key members of the bandits who participated in the looting and attacks will be detained separately pending trial to determine their crimes and to be dealt with according to the law."

The remaining followers, women, and children, after screening, could be handed over to nearby small tribes that had a history of discord with the Wild Wolf tribe but were loyal to the court, or dispersed to newly established settlements for strict supervision and labor to atone for their crimes. As for the spoils—

He paused, then raised his voice to make sure many people around could hear him.

"Of the cattle, sheep and horses captured, 30% will be used to reward meritorious soldiers; and 30% will be used to provide relief to the families of the deceased merchants and the displaced people from the damaged settlements."

The remaining 40%, along with some grain and goods, were distributed to nearby tribes such as Baicao, Huizhang, and Quanyan, who had long been bullied by the Wild Wolf tribe and had not participated in the rebellion this time, as a form of appeasement.

From this day forward, the Wild Wolf Tribe is completely removed from the list of tribes, and their original pastures will no longer belong to any single tribe.

Instead, it was jointly managed by the Duke of Guiyi and officials appointed by the imperial court, and nearby tribes that sincerely submitted to the government were allowed to use the grazing land fairly, provided they abided by the law and paid appropriate pasture fees!

The wolf tribe's pasture thus became a "public pasture".

Zhao Mingcheng arranged everything meticulously.

He won over allies and, through the "joint management of grasslands," dismantled the tribes' monopoly on land and strengthened the court's control.

This embodies his concept of "using barbarians to control barbarians".

The command was executed swiftly.

The heads of Langga and other leaders were hung up, and plaques listing their crimes were erected.

The cattle and sheep that were given as rewards were distributed to the meritorious soldiers, which drew cheers from the crowd.

The supplies for the relief and distribution have begun to be counted and loaded onto trucks.

When the chieftains of the Baicao tribe, the Huizhang tribe, and other minor tribes learned that their tribes would also receive cattle, sheep, and other valuables, and even be able to use the pastures of the Yelang tribe in the future...

They could hardly believe their ears, and were so grateful to Zhao Mingcheng that they knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly in thanks.

The despair in the eyes of the prisoners lessened when they heard that they might survive, or even be dispersed and resettled to live. Instead, a vague hope appeared in their eyes.

"Gyachagabu is a man of his word, fair in rewards and punishments; he is truly a 'beacon of good fortune' for us Tibetans!"

Tashi Dorje stroked the plump yak he had been allocated, muttering to himself, his eyes filled with awe and worship.

The other leaders chimed in.

After the battle of Wolf Howl Valley, those previously wavering, fence-sitting tribes were terrified and dared not easily respond to Xi Sheluo Sa's incitement.

Those tribes that yearned for peace and were willing to submit to Zhao Mingcheng had greatly increased their trust and expectations of him.

The barbarian people saw that by following the Song Dynasty, not only would trade be fair, but they would also receive strong protection when they were treated unfairly, and even have the opportunity to share in the fruits of victory.

A swift and decisive strike, followed by gentle and persuasive action—that's Zhao Mingcheng's skill.