White-robed Minister

Chapter 201-0199 [The Real Great Victory]

Mu Zheng's reinforcements set up camp in an open area of ​​the valley, more than 20 li away from the main force of the Song army.

Neither advance nor retreat.

Mu Zheng is now facing a difficult choice: to rescue or not to rescue.

He certainly knew that the Song army was besieging the city and waiting for reinforcements, otherwise he would not have let several groups of messengers seeking help slip by.

If rescue efforts are not carried out, he will most likely be wiped out in the Jiehe River.

If he doesn't save him, Wushengjun City will fall sooner or later, and he will lose a third of his core territory. Moreover, his prestige will plummet, and he will never recover, becoming a complete vassal of his uncle.

His uncle was his mortal enemy!

"The Guru is here! The Guru is here!" More and more soldiers shouted.

Mu Zheng hurriedly went to greet him personally.

Jiewu Chila was the most famous monk in Qinghai and Longyou. This time, he brought three hundred monk soldiers and one thousand ordinary soldiers.

Mu Zheng invited Jie Wuchila into his tent: "Master, the Song army has surrounded Wushengjun City and is stationed on the south bank of the Jiehe River, waiting for me to cross. This is a trap to lure me into a snare. Should I continue the advance?"

Mu Zheng was clearly at his wit's end to consult a monk about something so crucial to his success or failure.

He wasn't asking for advice; he was seeking psychological comfort.

He hoped his guru could persuade him.

Xu Lai's siege and reinforcement strategy was a classic example of an open conspiracy. Regardless of whether Mu Zheng came or not, it would be advantageous for the Song army.

Jie Wuchila said, "Great Chief, just follow your heart. If you wanted to withdraw your troops, you would have done so long ago. There's no need to wait to ask me."

"Yes, they should have withdrawn a long time ago," Mu Zheng sighed.

The Qiang people revere the strong, and Mu Zheng cannot back down.

If he sits idly by while the Song army besieges the city without coming to its aid, the leaders of his subordinate tribes will become restless after he loses Wushengjun City.

Next, the Song army didn't even need to attack him directly. Instead, they sent troops to conquer the small and medium-sized tribes, and most of the tribal leaders chose to submit to the Song state.

At that time, the Song army will lead a bunch of Qiang tribesmen to gang up on and beat up Mu Zheng, the great chieftain!

Mu Zheng slowly stood up, deciding to take a gamble.

Jie Wu Chila recalled his conversation with the monk Zhiyuan.

Zhiyuan said, "I've been here for a month and have heard about the deeds of the eminent monk Li Lizun. Li Lizun's daughter, it seems, is the grandmother of Chief Muzheng?"

Jiewu Chila nodded and said, "That's right. The previous Zanpu, Qusiluo, was installed by him after being kidnapped."

Zhiyuan then asked, "I heard that he arranged marriages everywhere, taking eighteen women from various tribes as his wives?"

Jie Wuchila said, "That's right."

Zhiyuan sighed, "He was truly a great monk. It's a pity that after he lost power, Quesila became quite wary of monks. He forbade monks from intermarrying with Tibetan tribes, and he also forbade monks from having too much territory."

Jie Wu Chila asked with a smile, "Are you trying to seduce me with your words?"

Zhiyuan clasped his hands in prayer and chanted the Buddha's name: "It's not a matter of words that tempts us, but rather that while this place seems to revere Buddhism, the chieftains are wary of eminent monks. If the master were to pledge allegiance to the Song Dynasty, he would surely gain more land and people."

Jie Wuchila asked, "Are you absolutely certain that the Song army will win?"

Zhiyuan countered, "If the Song army hadn't won a great victory, why would Mu Zheng be in such a hurry to gather troops again? Moreover, men under fifty and over fifteen, even male households, must all be enlisted in the army."

Jie Wu Chila remained silent.

Zhiyuan said, "Master only needs to help the Song Dynasty soldiers at crucial moments."

Jie Wuchila was persuaded by Zhiyuan, so at this moment he encouraged Muzheng to continue advancing.

If Mu Zheng wins this battle, Jie Wu Chi La will naturally be credited, since he was the one who supported Mu Zheng in fighting the final battle.

If the Song army wins this battle, Jie Wuchila will also be credited, because he was the one who instigated Mu Zheng to go and die.

Regardless of the outcome of the great battle, Jie Wu Chi La will be the ultimate winner.

At the confluence of the three rivers, the two armies faced each other across the Tao River.

The Tao River at this time was wider and deeper than it would be in later times. In this nearby section, the widest part of the river was nearly 300 meters, and the narrowest part was nearly 100 meters.

The riverbank occupied by the Song army was flatter, and at its widest point it was ten miles wide, all of which was fertile land suitable for growing grain.

The riverbank occupied by the Tibetan army was much narrower and more rugged.

As soon as Mu Zheng arrived, he cut down trees to make rafts.

The Song army on the opposite bank was also cutting down trees and had seized quite a few sheepskin rafts.

Mu Zheng was very familiar with the terrain here, and he personally observed the situation along the riverbank. He also sent cavalry to cross the river further upstream to conduct a detailed reconnaissance of the Song army's situation, and discovered that the Song army had set up camp against the mountain in the most open area on the opposite bank.

Mu Zheng thought to himself: We can't fight there.

He selected a narrow passage on each side of the river, upstream and downstream, intending to cross secretly at night. Relying on his superior numbers, he planned to launch a pincer attack from the north and south at dawn after his entire army had crossed.

To mislead the Song army, he also set up a branch camp on the opposite bank of the river, making it appear as if he intended to cross the river there. Every day, right under the Song army's noses, he would send some troops into the branch camp, making a scene of cooking and making a commotion. At night, he would secretly transfer the soldiers out.

Mu Zheng was unaware that the Song army possessed telescopes.

There's no need to launch a hot air balloon for observation; you can clearly see the empty camp of Mokjeong just by standing on the temporary observation tower by the river and using a telescope.

Gao Zunyu said happily, "Mu Zheng is actually quite clever. If we didn't have a telescope, we might have been fooled by him."

Wang Junwan, whose injuries have not yet fully healed, said, "The enemy must be sneaking across the river upstream and downstream, but we don't know which day they will choose to cross."

Liu Shunqing said, "Strengthen patrols along the river at night, and don't alert them if you hear any noise. The best crossing point upstream has already been equipped with artillery; we can wait until daytime to fight. The main force of the cavalry must be stationed at the best crossing point downstream. They're trying to cross at night, aren't they? We'll ambush them while they're crossing!"

Xiang Bao muttered, "I just don't understand how Mu Zheng could actually dare to fight this battle. We have the advantage of terrain and can defend ourselves while waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out. If his attempt to cross the border fails, his entire army will be wiped out."

Xu Lai said, "He had no choice but to fight. This man proclaimed himself Zanpu (King), and Wusheng Army is one of his core territories. If he sits by and watches the city besieged without offering any assistance, what prestige will he have left?"

Liu Shunqing flattered, "It is indeed the strategist Xu who is truly ingenious. When the army arrived at Wushengjun City, we warriors all wanted to use the power of cannons to bombard it for half a month and capture the city. Only the strategist Xu said to besiege it without attacking, and wait for Mu Zheng's reinforcements to walk into the trap."

Upon hearing this, generals from both the Han and Qiang ethnic groups began to flatter him.

Everyone who went on this expedition made great contributions and was just waiting for the court to promote them. They wholeheartedly supported Xu Lai.

In particular, Xu Lai did not give arbitrary orders; he only made some strategic arrangements, leaving all the tactical aspects to Gao Zunyu.

Gao Zunyu asked, "If Mu Zheng's entire army is wiped out, should we continue westward to eliminate him?"

Xu Lai shook his head and said, "We can wrap things up after taking Tabai City. We can't continue westward. Otherwise, our supply lines will be stretched too long, and we might be cut off from our retreat by the Western Xia."

Guwei Village, Shuyang Village, Weiyuan Fort, and Yu Longke's territory were originally part of a protruding section. To the north was the Western Xia, and to the south was Mu Zheng's younger brother.

Their advance was through a narrow strip of land, bordered by enemy territory to the north and south. If they fought too far, the Western Xia would realize what was happening and launch a simultaneous attack with the Qiang tribes to the south, cutting off the Song army's retreat.

By then, the Song army will be trapped and die in the Hehuang region.

Xu Lai outlined the subsequent strategy: "After capturing Tabai City, immediately send the prisoners and surrendered Qiang tribesmen to build fortified villages along key routes in the north to guard against a possible southward invasion by the Western Xia. Our elite troops will feign an attack on Muzheng to lure the Western Xia into sending troops to its aid from the Huangshui River. At this point, Qinzhou will be safe. General Zhang Shouyue can then launch an attack, and we will also send a detachment south to wipe out the Qiang tribes in the south, completely eliminating the southern threat and ensuring we are no longer constrained by both the north and south."

After staring at the map for a while, the generals all felt that Xu Lai's plan was the most reliable.

Wang Hou, Xu Lai's henchman, also stood behind him, carefully observing the map and pondering the overall situation.

Xu Lai then fell silent.

The second half of the meeting, chaired by Gao Zunyu, mainly focused on how to fight the immediate battle. These discussions had already been repeated over the past few days, and now only minor adjustments were being made.

After the meeting ended, Xu Lai returned to his command tent.

Chen Xiaoyi stepped forward with a letter in his hand: "My lord, this is a private letter from the grain transport team."

Xu Lai opened the letter and his face immediately lit up with a smile.

Wang Hou's curiosity was piqued, and he wanted to ask, but in the end he didn't say much, after all, it was Xu Lai's private message.

Xu Lai, however, took the initiative to share his joy: "My concubine at home is pregnant."

"Congratulations, young master!" Chen Xiaoyi and Wang Hou hurriedly offered their congratulations.

Xu Lai smiled and said, "The eldest son is named Xu Wei, and this child, regardless of gender, will be named Xu Tao."

Why is it called Xu Tao?

The decisive battle is about to take place on the banks of the Tao River!

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Several days later, around midnight.

Mu Zhengbing split into two groups and crossed the river from upstream and downstream respectively.

He stayed behind to oversee the operation, and at dawn, launched a feint attack across the river to draw in and tie down the Song army's forces.

A few days ago, Guru Jiewu Chila set up an altar and performed rituals to invite the Buddha and the gods to bless the soldiers.

The commander of the downstream area was named Wen Bu Lü Siji.

This man was Mu Zheng's trusted and beloved general, brave and fearless, and skilled in archery and horsemanship.

Meanwhile, Wen Bu and Lü Siji had already set out with their troops, traversing mountains and valleys to reach the downstream river crossing, and only emerged from a stream valley after dark.

They carried the wooden rafts and sheepskin rafts to the riverbank and tied them up.

This would make the rafts more stable and also allow them to transport warhorses across the river.

The river was less than a hundred meters wide. Wen Bu and Lü Siji squatted on the raft, getting closer and closer to the opposite bank. He suddenly became nervous because there were Song cavalry patrolling on the other side.

Fortunately, all the warhorses on their side had their mouths muzzled, and the soldiers also had branches in their mouths.

As more and more Tibetan and Qiang soldiers spotted the Song army's patrol cavalry, they began to row more lightly, fearing that the sound of splashing water would give them away.

With so many Qiang people paddling at the same time, how could the Song army patrol not hear the noise?

They pretended not to hear, rode away nonchalantly, and even joked and laughed among themselves to lull the enemy into a false sense of security. Only when they were far enough away did they hurry back to report the enemy's exact location to their generals.

All the best crossing points were patrolled by Song cavalry at night!

Groups of Tibetan and Qiang tribesmen crossed the river and quietly gathered on the bank. The rafts and sheepskin rafts tied together were then rowed back to the other side to ferry more friendly troops across.

By dawn, several thousand soldiers had successfully crossed the border.

But the scene was extremely chaotic!

In the pitch black, and unable to shout, they could only whisper orders to gather. The speed and position of the rafts crossing the river were also difficult to control.

A combination of factors led to many of the Qiang soldiers who attempted to cross the border illegally being unable to find their own units. They could only ask in hushed tones where a particular tribe or leader was.

Even some of the first Qiang soldiers to cross the river couldn't find their leader and were running around frantically along the riverbank.

Some people simply couldn't find their warhorses!

In the darkness, the Han and Qiang cavalry of the Song army gradually gathered from the vicinity.

"Knock knock knock knock!"

"Waaaaah~"

War drums and horns sounded one after another, torches were lit one by one, and countless Song cavalry charged toward the riverbank, firing arrows.

This sudden attack threw the already chaotic enemy into even greater disarray.

"Mount up! Mount up!"

Wen Bu and Lü Siji panicked and mounted their horses, leading their soldiers to meet the attack.

But his own cavalry was also in a panic, and they were further hampered by friendly forces who were running around in a frightened manner.

Faced with countless torches rushing from the east and south, and the rumbling of hooves in the darkness, Wen Bu Lü Siji's cavalrymen hastily fired an arrow and instinctively fled north along the riverbank.

Two are missing.

If you include the river water, it's three sides surrounded but one side is missing.

Caught off guard, the Tibetan Qiang people had no time to think and fled in the direction where there were no torches or rivers. The Song cavalry pursued them relentlessly.

The fleeing column stretched longer and longer, and countless people were trampled to death.

After fleeing for two or three miles, several hundred Song cavalrymen suddenly appeared and attacked from the waist, frightening many Tibetan and Qiang soldiers into turning around and jumping into the river.

Wen Bu and Lü Siji were also fleeing when, due to the uneven riverbank, their horse stumbled and they fell off. This general, who had surrendered to the Song Dynasty along with Xia Yao, was trampled to death by the chaotic soldiers in a confused state.

At the river crossing upstream, another Tibetan general, Nyenlanjan, was not attacked in any way.

He led tens of thousands of troops across the river successfully, and after daybreak, they finally reorganized their formation and marched downstream along the riverbank.

After walking several miles, Nian Lanzhan discovered the Song army.

There is a loess hill that extends to within two miles of the riverbank.

Song Dynasty infantrymen stood on the mountain ridge.

Two miles away on the flat land by the river, Song infantry were also arrayed.

Knowing that Nian Lanzhan was lying in ambush, he had no choice but to lead his troops in a charge, hoping to break through the Song infantry for any chance of survival. Moreover, those infantrymen were not numerous, and perhaps they could be routed in one fell swoop.

When Nian Lanzhan rushed to within a few dozen paces, he discovered that the Song army had placed barricades in front of their formation, and that archers from the mountains and valleys were firing in unison at him.

Wang Hou and Chen Xiaoyi stood behind Xu Lai, laughing heartily as they watched the panicked enemy below the ridge.

"Boom boom boom!"

The artillery, which had been set up several days earlier, was fired in succession on the mountain ridge.

The continuous attacks following the ambush caused the morale of these Tibetan Qiang soldiers to plummet, and small-scale chaos had already broken out.

At that very moment, Gao Zunyu personally led 600 cavalrymen from the Imperial Guard stationed at the Tibetan border, all fully armored, and charged out from the valley behind the Tibetan army. They were invincible!

Tens of thousands of Tibetan troops were trapped on a narrow, flat area along the river. Those in front did not know why they were shouting in panic behind them, those behind did not know what kind of ambush they had encountered, and those in the middle only felt that chaos had broken out on both sides.

After the second round of shelling, Gao Zunyu was already chasing and hacking away at an enemy force several times his size. Under the onslaught of these fleeing soldiers, even more enemies followed suit, some jumping into the river, others escaping to the deserted mountains to the side.

Wang Hou glanced at the warhorse beside Xu Lai and cautiously asked, "My lord, may I pursue the routed enemy?"

Xu Lai chuckled and said, "What's so great about killing a defeated enemy? You should be learning how to defeat a strong enemy. Read more military books and consult with the generals."

"yes!"

Wang Hou bowed respectfully.

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