Chapter 309: A strange weapon from the sky

Three days later, the Uighur scout found that the Tang army brigade had come from the east and was about to arrive at Yinshan. Jiegangas wanted to take advantage of the Tang army being a tired army from afar. He immediately ordered 10,000 cavalry to attack the Tang camp at night, but the Tang army camp was defensive. Ten thousand cavalry returned without success after losing more than 3,000 people. Jiegangas saw that the Tang army was invincible, so he ordered to retreat twenty miles and prepare for a decisive battle with the Tang army.

The Tang Dynasty camp was stationed at the foot of Yinshan Mountain. The general commander was Xin Lang, the son of Xin Yunjing. This old friend of Zhang Huan was over thirty years old. He was a scholar and had a sense of elegance on his resolute face. He always acted rationally and rigorously. It was precisely because of this that Zhang Huan specially pointed out that he led reinforcements and handed over the task of intercepting the Uighurs to the north to him.

But at this moment, the general who has always been known for his rationality and seriousness could not help but burst into tears. In front of him was a booklet stained with blood, full of the last words of Zhang Sancheng's defenders.

‘My father should not be sad. My son sacrificed his life for the country and died without regrets.’

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‘Sanniang, after I die, the governor will give you and your son a pension. If the money is used up, you can also sell the land piece by piece. When the last piece is sold out, I think my son should be a grown-up.’

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Xin Lang could no longer watch it. He closed the booklet, turned around and wiped away the tears. After his mood calmed down, he said to the last surviving officer: "What's your name? Where are you?"

"The subordinates are the first team of the Scouts' Third Battalion and Fifth Regiment, named Guan Ying, from Shuangliu County, Shu County."

At the last moment of reinforcements, there were less than twenty Tang soldiers who had not yet died in battle on the entire castle, and most of them were seriously injured. Guan Ying also had three arrow wounds on his body, but fortunately, he did not hurt the vital points.

Xin Lang stood up and said in awe: "You are all heroes of my Tang Dynasty. I want to ask for me for you. If you have any other requests, please make it."

Hearing the word "request", Guan Ying slowly knelt down on one knee. He choked and said, "I am very ashamed that my subordinates could not die in battle with their brothers. How dare I make any requests? If the general pity the brothers who died in battle, can they send their bones back to their hometown so that they can rest in peace even under the fountains."

"Don't worry, the governor has built a mourning hall in Yiwu, and all the ashes of the fallen soldiers are placed there. After the war, they will be sent back to their hometown. As for the pension, Longyou has already started before I come."

Speaking of this, Xin Lang walked up to him and helped him up, "It is my favorite quality to be successful. From now on, I will appoint you as the scout Guoyi, so I will recover from my injuries!"

"General Xie." Guan Ying saluted and turned around.

After he left, Xin Lang slowly walked to the sand table and carefully studied the terrain of Yanqi and Kucha. Before leaving, the governor specially sent someone to tell him that he would hold Jiegangas up, the longer the better, but the governor did not tell him why he did this?

From the news he received, Yanqi and Kucha are almost empty cities now, and Tubo has evacuated to Bachang City, and Jiegangas confronted him on the front line of Yinshan. No one dared to act rashly on the three sides. Could it be that there is a fourth army here?

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Yanqi and Kucha are both located north of Tulun Mori (i.e. Takramakan Desert). The large grasslands and oasis here benefit from a large river that runs across the east and west - the Chi River (i.e. today's Tarim River). The Chi River extends to the east desert area, and the water volume gradually decreases. It is renamed Peacock River and finally injects into the Puchang Sea (now Lop Nur).

Just when the Uighur army and the Tang army were in a confrontation north of Yanqi, while Tubo sold troops to change cities and prepared to gain the benefits of the fishermen, a 20,000 Tang cavalry was marching westward along the Chi River. Their goals were simple and clear, and they captured Kucha and Yanqi.

This army was Wang Siyu's army. A month ago, they received three thousand Tang troops and their families guarding Anxi in Qiemo City and sent them back to Dunhuang. Wang Siyu, who was unwilling to be lonely, turned around and crossed the Puchang Sea. At this time, Wang Siyu had already received the news that Zhang Huan had defeated the Geluo people in Beiting. He immediately realized that the next target of the governor must be Jie Gangas.

This day is the 15th day of July. The army galloped and ran in the starry night. In the distance were vast deserts and fields. A dim full moon hung in the sky, emitting a strange luster. The river beside them had become wider and the water flowed abundantly. They had entered the range of Yanqi Town.

Wang Siyu tied the reins and stared at the end of the earth under the night sky. From here, their target began to fork out, heading north to Yanqi, and then west to Kucha. He had to make a decision.

He has already received the latest news that Xin Lang's main force dragged Jiegangas at the foot of the Silver Mountain, while the Tubo people in Kucha evacuated to Bachang City, 300 miles away, which means that Kucha is now an empty city.

Wang Siyu must make a decision to help Xinlang defeat Jiegangas or to go west to occupy Kucha.

"General, my subordinates suggest that they divide their troops and take Kucha one way and Yanqi the other way." The suggestion was Wang Ming, deputy general. Seeing that Wang Siyu was still hesitant, he said excitedly: "The key to dealing with the Huihe people is not to have many soldiers. The key is to establish a kind of force. As long as we suddenly appear behind them, the Huihe army will be in chaos. My subordinates are willing to lead three thousand troops to take Yanqi in the north."

Wang Siyu nodded. The key to the Uighurs was not the battle situation in the south. In the battle between the governor of Beiting and the Uighurs Zhongzhen Khan, the victory or defeat of that battle will directly determine the success or failure of the Uighurs' southern expedition. On the contrary, if he occupied Kucha, he would gain the lead in the next war with Tubo, and would even change the entire Anxi situation.

Thinking of this, Wang Siyu resolutely made up his mind and ordered the deputy general to say, "As you said, forcing the Uighurs is about power rather than war. You can lead three thousand troops north to Yanqi to cooperate with General Xin to fight, and I will lead a large army to capture Kucha."

The 20,000 Tang troops immediately divided into two groups. Deputy General Wang Ming led 3,000 cavalry to the north, while Wang Siyu led 15,000 cavalry and 30,000 war horses to roar westward and towards Kucha. Two days later, Wang Siyu's army finally arrived at one of the most important cities in Anxi, Kucha.

The sun has set in the west, and the heat in the desert has dissipated. The setting sun has sprinkled a dazzling golden color on the city of Kucha in the distance. On the grassland, you can see a tent just set up everywhere. The herdsmen are rushing to return to their wings. The escaped Kucha people are beginning to return to their hometowns. Many women are washing clothes by the river, and groups of children are playing in the river.

The locals were not afraid or fled when the brigade of Tang army passed by. Yesterday, Wang Siyu's 1,000 vanguard troops had told everyone that the Tang Dynasty would resume its governance of Anxi.

The army was approaching Kucha City, where settled houses began to appear, and it was getting denser. Countless people ran out to welcome the arrival of the Tang army. When teams of mighty Tang army walked past them, many people cheered enthusiastically, and tears of excitement flowed out of their eyes. Although their outfits were no different from those of the locals, they could use dialects from all over the Central Plains to shout: "Long live the Tang Dynasty!"

"General Wang, they are descendants of the Long March athletes." The person who spoke was a veteran general in his fifties, named Luyang. He was also a general left by the Tang army in the Western Regions and served as the commander of Shule. After Wang Siyu took them back to Dunhuang this time, he volunteered to follow the army westward and be Wang Siyu's guide.

He looked at the cheering people and said with great emotion: "During the rule of the Tubo people, they were discriminated against, and they were responsible for the heaviest taxes, and their lives were very difficult, so most of them lived in such simple mud houses. The most happy thing about the arrival of the Tang army should be them."

Wang Siyu nodded silently. He knew this history. In the 25th year of Kaiyuan, Emperor Xuanzong selected strong men from all over the country, called Long March athletes, and went to the Western Regions to guard the border with their families, and organized them into military households. They have been in the Anxi for generations to guard the border. After decades of life, they have their own homes, their own land, and even intermarried with the locals. Gradually, they have lived and worked in Anxi. However, they have never forgotten their homeland and have always maintained the customs and traditions of the Han people. After Tubo occupied Anxi, their special identity has made them the most oppressed nation.

Now that the Tang army has arrived again after decades, how can it not make them happy?

"Luyang, General Lu!" Suddenly someone shouted loudly among the welcome crowd. Luyang was stunned. He looked along the shouting and saw an old bald monk squeezed out from the crowd, waving to him.

Luyang recognized him, and he quickly jumped off his horse and clasped his hands to salute the monk, "Why is the master in Kucha?"

"I just came from Shule and was about to return to Chang'an."

Wang Siyu next to him heard that his accent seemed to be from Chang'an and came from Shule. He couldn't help but feel moved, and he also got off the horse and walked up to him and smiled, "General Lu, who is this master?"

Luyang quickly pulled the monk over and introduced, "This master was also an official of my Tang Dynasty. His common name was Che Fengchao. He went to the Kingdom of Jiandura forty years ago, so he became a monk there and practiced with Master Sanzang, and his Dharma name was Bodhidun."

Wang Siyu suddenly realized and quickly clasped her hands and saluted, "It turns out that she is a senior master, but I am rude to you."

"I dare not! I dare not!" Bodhidun quickly replied, "The general led the righteous army to regain my hometown of the Tang Dynasty. I admire it deeply."

Wang Siyu gave another tribute and said sincerely: "I just heard that the master had just come from Shule. Can you tell me about the situation of the Tubo people?"
Chapter completed!