White Horse, Silver Spear, Grand Commandant Gao

Upon arriving in Qingjian City, Gao Huaide immediately noticed the difference.

The last time I came here with my father to take my younger brother to the Yang family, there were already some houses and residents in the suburbs outside the city, but now they are all deserted.

He looked more closely and noticed that after several months, the city walls seemed to have gotten a bit higher. The original two-zhang-long city wall now had an additional ring of undulating battlements, adding seven chi in height. The color of the newly rammed earth was different from the old parts, as if it had been hastily patched up.

He rode his horse uphill, but the city gate was tightly shut.

He loudly announced his identity, and after a while, the city gate opened to let him in, then quickly closed it behind him.

"Uncle arrived so quickly?"

Gao Huaiyuan was waiting there when he learned that the Dingnan Army was launching a large-scale attack. He ordered someone to urgently report to the city, but his cousin arrived right after him, which surprised and dismayed him.

Gao Huaiyuan's first reaction was that Gao Xingzhou was leading his army to his aid.

Earlier, his uncle explained the strategy: Qingjian City, as a bridgehead, needed to withstand the Dingnan Army's offensive for a period of time to wear down their morale before reinforcements would attack. Gao Huaiyuan was prepared to hold the city.

Why is it that the Tanguts haven't arrived yet, but my uncle has come first? Has the situation changed?

Upon learning that Gao Huaide had traveled without his father's knowledge, Gao Huaiyuan couldn't help but smile wryly: "My little darling, war is about to break out. Do you think this is a joke?"

The main force of the Dingnan army was less than a hundred li away, and could be reached in half a day by light cavalry. According to the description of the chieftain who brought the news, the enemy army was overwhelming, numbering no less than tens of thousands of cavalry.

Even if this number is exaggerated, it is by no means something that the city's 800 garrison troops could possibly defeat.

Gao Huaiyuan did not consider himself Zhang Wenyuan, but Li Yichao was Sun Shiwan. The only option was to hold the city and wait for reinforcements.

The countryside is fraught with danger now, and since he's already here, we can't just send him back.

Gao Huaiyuan could only comfort his cousin: "The Tanguts are plunderers by nature and not good at attacking cities. Just hold out for a few days, and your uncle's reinforcements will surely arrive."

Gao Huaide secretly rejoiced: Haha, I've caught a good show. A few days will pass in the blink of an eye.

However, he did not expect that being trapped in the city would be so different from ordinary days, and that every day would be so agonizing and long.

……

That evening, Gao Huaide ate some food haphazardly. He hadn't slept well in the wilderness the night before, and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

In a daze, he heard shouts of people and neighing of horses. He couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality. He wanted to wake up, but his eyelids were too heavy to open.

As a ray of sunlight streamed into the room at dawn, Gao Huaide woke up and searched the town general's mansion thoroughly, but could not find Gao Huaiyuan. He even wondered, "Could my cousin have abandoned the city and fled?"

Fortunately, an old servant saw him wandering around looking for someone and told him that the enemy army had suddenly arrived at dawn and surrounded Qingjian City in one fell swoop. Gao Huaiyuan went up to the city wall to direct the defense.

"The enemy troops arrived secretly at the fourth watch and sneaked to the city walls at the fifth watch, intending to launch a surprise attack. Fortunately, the soldiers on night watch discovered them, otherwise the city would have already fallen."

The fight has already started?

Gao Huaide was anxious to check on the situation, but the old servant, who was ordered to take care of him, stubbornly refused to let him go.

He pretended to give up going back to his room, and taking advantage of the old servant's carelessness, he suddenly turned around, slipped under his arm, and ran away. The old servant couldn't catch up with him at all.

As they descended the ladder to the foot of the city wall, before even reaching the top, Gao Huaide could see arrows whizzing through the air, causing him to instinctively shrink back.

"Why are you here?"

Gao Huailiang, fully armed, saw Gao Huaide and immediately ordered his men to bring him a helmet, which he fastened without a word.

Tang dynasty helmets abandoned the front and back horn design of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, with side ear guards hanging down to the neck, and the helmets of generals were even carved into the shape of beast heads and phoenix wings.

The helmet was too big and required a thick lining. After Gao Huaide put it on, he immediately felt a heavy weight on his head. Only then did Gao Huaiyuan allow him to hide behind the city wall and peek down through the notches in the battlements.

This sight was alarming; as far as the eye could see, the entire mountainside was filled with enemy cavalry!

Qingjian City is situated on a cliff to the north, surrounded by rivers on its east, west, and south sides. It is encircled by three mountains: Bijia Mountain, Caochang Mountain, and Dongshan Mountain. It has three gates and six watchtowers. (Note 1)

The Dingnan army crossed mountains and valleys to attack, and the entire hillside within Gao Huaide's line of sight was occupied by the Dangxiang cavalry, leaving only a clearing two hundred paces in front of the city.

These cavalrymen were extremely relaxed, most of them sitting or resting, while a few rode around aimlessly, suddenly sneaking within an arrow's reach to provoke and demonstrate against the guards on the city walls.

Gao Huaide was engrossed in watching when he suddenly heard a sharp shout: "Watch out!"

He suddenly became alert, and a rider from the city had somehow entered his field of vision, drawing his bow and shooting an arrow!

call out!

An arrow, carrying a strong wind, suddenly swept overhead, its momentum continuing as it struck the city wall. The arrowhead rubbed against the bricks and stones, producing a trail of sparks.

"Cousin, you should go watch the battle from the platform. We won't be able to look after you from here on out."

Gao Huaide wanted to reply with "Don't worry about me," but he couldn't hear his own words.

A deafening horn and shouts rang out from below the city walls. The arrow that had just been shot seemed to be a signal, and the Dingnan army began its attack.

……

Hundreds of Tangut cavalrymen formed ranks, surrounding a banner bearing the two large characters "Ding Nan" (meaning "pacify the difficulty"), and aggressively approached the city wall. Another banner depicted a figure resembling a ram's head.

"The Qiang were the shepherds of the Western Rong. The Dangxiang originated from the Qing Qiang, to show that they did not forget their ancestors."

No wonder the character "羌" (Qiang) has a sheep radical on top and a child radical on the bottom. Gao Huaide looked again and saw a large number of enemy cavalry drawing their bows and unleashing a volley of arrows!

In his eyes, it was as if a dark cloud had risen from the flat ground. Before he could react, the dark cloud descended at an extremely fast speed, pressing heavily on the city wall.

In the blink of an eye, the dark clouds dispersed, transforming into countless sharp arrows that rained down, crackling and popping continuously, occasionally interspersed with a few screams of agony.

After one volley, another followed immediately.

As the enemy troops closed in, Gao Huaide assumed they were about to launch an attack. However, he heard Gao Huaiyuan shout sternly, "Don't show yourselves! Anyone who dares to peek out will be executed!"

Gao Huaide shuddered and remained curled up and motionless.

Sure enough, the Tangut cavalry launched another volley of arrows, then retreated swiftly like a tide. It turned out that the previous attack was a trap to lure the defenders; some inexperienced, reckless recruits had rashly stepped forward and become easy targets.

They fired several volleys of arrows, but retreated before even starting the siege?

"Sieges are extremely demanding on morale and weaponry. Although the Tanguts are skilled in archery and horsemanship, they are good at harassing and exhausting the enemy."

Gao Huaide was surprised when Gao Huaiyuan explained seriously, "Don't underestimate this tactic. If rookie recruits lose their composure, it's normal for dozens to fall during those three volleys."

"How many times can eight hundred men withstand such losses? If too many die or are wounded, chaos will break out on the city walls, and the enemy can take advantage of the situation to launch an attack."

Gao Huaide thought it made sense. But then he realized that the "newbie" his cousin was talking about was none other than himself. He felt a little annoyed.

The defending troops responded steadily, and the Dingnan Army never launched a major attack. They patiently repeated the process of approaching, firing arrows, and retreating. Except for the initial attack, they didn't even fire a volley; just a few stray arrows. Gao Huaide felt that they were being far too perfunctory.

"This is how wolves hunt on the grasslands. Deer have antlers, sheep have hooves, and even if they fight back, they can cause harm."

Gao Huaiyuan patiently explained, "Frequent harassment and probing will make the prey restless and scatter, making it easier to attack. The Hu people are like wolves by nature; it's their instinct."

Thinking of the formidable enemy in the north, Gao Huaiyuan sighed with emotion: "Even the Khitan only learned how to manufacture siege weapons after receiving instruction from a traitorous general in Youzhou more than a decade ago." (Note 2)

In less than an hour, the Dingnan army harassed the city more than ten times, but never made a proper attempt to attack it.

Gao Huaide was really bored and gradually relaxed. Once he had some free time, he started to have random thoughts.

Could the enemy's tactics be a ploy to besiege the city and lure reinforcements, with their aim being the main force in Yanzhou?

"My father is a seasoned veteran; surely he can see through such a trick."

Despite trying to comfort himself, Gao Huaide found the possibility increasingly plausible, casting a shadow over his mind.

"What if, in his haste to rescue himself, he falls into an enemy trap..."

Gao Huaide shuddered and immediately dismissed the idea.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible. Father has always kept public and private matters separate. Why would he risk his life for his son? Besides, it's not like my brother was the one being surrounded."

Thinking about this, he felt a mix of indescribable emotions.

"This is only the first day; there are still several more days to endure. Brother De, why don't you go back and rest?"

Gao Huaiyuan coaxed and persuaded, "If anything really happens, I'll send someone to call you."

With a formidable enemy at hand, it's truly difficult for him to also have to take care of this young master.

……

Gao Huaide returned to the town magistrate's mansion and lay down, but he tossed and turned and couldn't sleep. He couldn't help but go to the city wall to check again.

Upon reaching the city walls, he was astonished by the sight before him.

As they left, soldiers stood guard at every step of the city walls within a 300-step radius.

Tools such as piled stones, rolling logs, shovels, axes, chisels, knives, saws, long axes, long knives, long awls, long sickles, large hooks, chains, flails, and clubs were neatly stacked.

Every ten steps there was a water vat or basin, and in the corner of the wall, a cauldron and forge were boiling molten gold, emitting an unpleasant smell.

To his surprise, in the short time he had been away, the city wall had turned black and red in patches, water vats had been overturned, and several embers were still burning. The soldiers were not in formation, sitting on the ground and leaning against the wall, some wailing and some moaning.

"Those damned Tanguts suddenly switched to oil-filled arrows and fire arrows, lit several fires, and took the opportunity to send men to build ladders and scale the city walls."

A wounded soldier had a bloody gash on his cheek, the skin torn open and the bone exposed. He cursed and swung at the wound, making it look extremely gruesome and bloody.

Gao Huaide smelled another scent.

"Those are oil arrows. A small ladle is filled with oil, which is placed at the tip of the arrow. When the ladle breaks, the oil scatters, and then a fire arrow is fired at it, which can immediately ignite it."

Gao Huaiyuan, having just finished a fierce battle, was somewhat exhausted: "He then used oil ladles to continue the attack, and after several rounds, the watchtowers were completely burned." (Note 3)

The city was prepared, and the water vat was ready for this moment. As soon as the oil sack landed, it was kicked over and poured on the enemy. Then, the enemy soldier who had climbed the city first was killed, preventing the enemy from succeeding.

Gao Huaide missed the battle, but he still learned a lesson.

Why must generals personally command from the front lines? If they sit in the rear, strategizing and reporting back when something happens, they could have lost the city several times over.

The battle for Qingjian had only just begun on its first day.