Chapter 438: Broken Leaf Fengyun (3)

Going thousands of miles to the war,

The mountains are flying,

The golden qi spreads to the golden slab,

The cold light shines on the iron clothes.

A team of more than a thousand people was running among the mountains and ridges of Saiyeyi. This was the Tang army that rushed to Ashibulai City for thousands of miles. They bypassed the business road of the Saiye River Valley and went straight to the vast mountains of Qianquan Mountain from the Gobi Desert to the north. They hid in the day and walked at night, and walked for six days. Late at night, the Tang army finally arrived in a valley about fifty miles away from Ashibulai City.

The valley is more than ten miles long and is an abandoned business road. You can occasionally see some old abandoned objects along the way. The valley is surrounded by exposed rocks, bare and green. The huge dark mountain shadows are projected on the ground, shaped like a towering monster.

The night wind was very cold, and Tang Jun rested against the rock wall and seized the time to take a nap with his eyes closed, but Shi Yang couldn't sleep. He kept standing up and listening to the movements ahead. The spy he sent should have come back. Why is there no news yet?

Shi Yang was the actual commander of this operation. With his quick reaction, decisive style and cruel means, he won Li Tianchen's trust, stood out among dozens of candidates, and accepted this difficult and challenging task: to seize Ashi and not come to the city and defend it, making it another offensive fulcrum that echoes Thunder Leaf.

At this time, a young general with thick lips walked to Shi Yang and sat down, smiled and handed the kettle in his hand, "Personnel Shi, take a rest!"

His name is Lai Jinlin, and he is also a lieutenant. He is over 20 years old, but he has been in the army for six years. He participated in the Battle of Anxi five years ago. When he was a teenager, he had been to Ashibulai City many times and was quite familiar with the journey. So this time he rushed to Ashibulai City, he served as the deputy general. Shi Yang knew that it was useless to be anxious, so he nodded slightly, took the kettle and sat side by side with him.

Seeing that he had a few sips of water, Lai Jinlin asked him with a smile: "Where is Captain Shi from? Are his parents at home okay?"

"I am from Hedong. My parents died in the Central Plains Rebellion. Only my sister and I depend on each other for life." Speaking of this, Shi Yang suddenly remembered his sister Bai Ling. He didn't know how well she lived by her adoptive mother? Do you think about yourself?

When Pingping wanted to accept Bai Ling as his adopted daughter, Shi Yang refused to agree at first. Pei Ying said it for a long time. Later, he considered that he was going to join the army and his sister would be left unattended, so he reluctantly agreed. He suddenly remembered his sister's lonely figure and was stunned before he knew it.

"Person Shi! Captain Shi!" Lai Jinlin called him a few times, and Shi Yang came to his senses. He smiled apologetically and asked, "I heard that Captain Lai had come to Ashi many times when he was a teenager. Why is this?"

"My father used to work for a Persian caravan. My mother died early and I had no one to take care of me. My father took me by my side. At that time, he was walking on the northern line. Ashibulai City was an important supply station for the caravan, and he had to stay there every time." Lai Jinlin pointed to the canyon and said: "This road was originally very busy and a shortcut to the Uighurs. However, since the Tang army occupied the Shayeye, the merchants stopped walking here, but followed the Zhenzhu River to Shayeye and searched for trade opportunities. This road was gradually forgotten by the merchants, just like Ashibulai City."

"What does it look like if Ashi doesn't come to the city?" Shi Yang asked again.

"Ashibulai City was originally just a small town. Later, the Tang army discovered its importance and built a wall there. It was actually a solid castle with a backing of a hundred-foot cliff, shaking the only canyon in Qianquan Mountain that can pass through the baggage vehicles. The geographical location is very important, and it can accommodate 3,000 troops, with more than 300 Turkic households living there."

Shi Yang nodded, and he slowly leaned against the stone wall, stretched his legs long, and yawned tiredly. When Lai Jinlin saw it, he smiled and said, "Prince Shi might as well sleep for a while. If there is any situation, I will call you."

"No, I can't sleep, and it's time for the scout to come back." After Shi Yang said that, he felt something in his heart, so he lay on the ground and listened to the movements in the distance. Suddenly, he stood up, jumped onto a big rock, looked carefully for a moment, and immediately turned around and shouted: "Please pay attention, there is movement ahead."

The Tang soldiers stood up one after another, rolled the crossbow arrows and unsheathed the knife, and watched nervously at the movement ahead. For a moment, the sound of the war horses became clearer and clearer. Two black shadows were approaching, and the soldiers who went to Ashibu City to investigate the situation were back.

At this time, a few night owls cried out from the top of the mountain. This was a message from the soldiers on guard. There was no abnormal situation around. The soldiers then breathed a sigh of relief and returned to their original place to sit down.

The two scouts were both Thunderbolts, Shiren, who pretended to be a businessman, went to Ashibulai City to investigate the situation. They turned over and dismounted, ran to Shi Yang, and saluted half a kneel and said, "Report to the lieutenant, we have obtained preliminary information about Ashibulai City. Ashibulai City and Julan City to the west all dispatched troops south to Bahanna half a month ago. There are about 600 defenders in the city, a small number of them are big cannibals, and most of them are local Turks. However, the city is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and the guards are tightly guarded. The city gate is also cast with pig iron and built high on a narrow stone step. There is no way to use the knock-on wood. The only way is to dress up as a merchant and pass the city and wait for an opportunity to seize the city gate."

Lai Jinlin next to him also interfered: "They said it is right. Ashibulai City is a fortress, built according to the mountain. If there are no large siege tools, it is extremely difficult to seize. I also recommend using wisdom to take over."

Dressing up as a merchant to seize the city was one of their plans. They brought out the costumes of thunderbolters for this. Without camels, they could use horses to pretend to be freight. Short-distance merchants often used horses to carry goods. Although he also brought more than twenty boxes of gunpowder, General Li repeatedly reminded him not to use gunpowder until he had no choice.

Shi Yang pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly and said, "Okay! Let's use Qiao to dress up as the Tuqi Shi caravan, and defeat Ashi and don't come to the city."

Ashibulai City is located in the southwest of Qianquan Mountain (today's Kyrgyz Mountain), and guards the west exit of the famous Qianquan Ancient Road. Although Qianquan Mountain also has many mountain passes, most of them are rugged, either crossing mountains or rugged rivers. It is a flat road that can transport large baggage teams through the mountains. There are only Qianquan Ancient Road, so Ashibulai City is also a must-pass for caravans.

However, in recent years, there have been fewer and fewer caravans passing through here. Most of them diverted to the south to go to the scattered leaves. It took a few days to see a caravan, which forced many local Turkic people who had changed their business to return to their old business and make a living by grazing.

At noon that day, several soldiers guarding the city were walking back and forth on the top of the city with bored. There were originally 2,600 defenders here, but the situation in Samarkand was tense recently. Agush, the governor of Samarkand, transferred 2,000 of them to the Thunder City in Bahanna, preparing to launch the Thunder Battle. The tension in Bahanna in the south formed a sharp contrast with the peace of Ashibulai in the north. However, as the Tang army began to attack the Geluo people, the defenders of Ashibulai in the city had also increased their vigilance. The iron gate was closed all day long, and the soldiers were divided into three shifts, patrolling the city day and night.

Suddenly, several soldiers ran to the city wall and looked into the distance. They saw a caravan coming from afar. About two or three hundred thunderbolt merchants led more than 500 horses, and the horses were loaded with goods. This was the first large caravan in three days. Several soldiers were surprised and happy. The passing of the large caravan meant that there was a lot of taxes in the account. They would replenish food and water in the city. A soldier hurried down to the city to report, while the other soldiers ran home to inform their families that they were preparing to grab the business.

Needless to say, this army was the Tang army disguised as a caravan. Among the Tang army, there were more than 100 Tuqi Shi people, so they walked in front. In addition, they selected 200 most powerful Tang army to wear Tuqi Shi people's robe and follow them behind. They wore Tuqi Shi people's unique wide-brimmed wind hood on their heads. The rest of the Tang army hid in the valley three miles away, waiting for news ahead.

Shi Yang was also in the team. Seeing that he was getting closer and closer to the city gate, he whispered: "Everyone hide your weapons and don't reveal them!"

At this time, there were already many soldiers on the top of the city wall looking around. An officer shouted loudly on the top of the city wall: "Stop!"

The team stopped, and a burly Tuqi Shiman stepped forward and replied: "We are coming from Atumu Town to Shiguo to buy and sell goods. Please let the general go."

The big cannibal above looked for a while and saw no flaws. He waved his hand and ordered the soldiers to go out of the city to check. The heavy iron gate of Ashibu City creaked open, but only opened a crack, and three Turkic soldiers emerged from the crack of the door to check the goods and verify the documents.

Three soldiers ran down the stone steps, looked around and looked for the merchants in the team leader. This was their only chance to get rich. The taxes were basically out of reach. They could only blackmail a sum of money when checking the goods. Several Turkic Shimen had been taught by Lai Jinlin in advance. They made a secret gesture to indicate that the money was given here. The three Turkic soldiers were overjoyed and suddenly got into the Turkic Shi people. In the absence of sight in the city, each of them secretly collected twenty large food gold coins, and pretended to look at the documents and some so-called "goods", that is, the Tang army took off their washed leather boots, etc.

The three of them turned around and shouted loudly to the top of the city: "General, everything is normal. They are merchants from Atumu Town. They reported that the goods are worth 15,000 large gold coins."

The tax rate of 15,000 gold coins is 1,500 gold coins at the tax rate of 15,000 gold coins. With the usual premium recognition, this tax amount will be at least 2,000 gold coins. The officer of the Dashi on the city was so happy that the Dashi officer on the top of the city couldn't stop and waved his hand and said, "Open the door and let them in!"

The gate finally opened with a rumbling rumbling. Two soldiers went back to deliver the documents first, while the other soldier stood aside with a smile, watching the caravan entering the city. Gradually, his face began to show a look of surprise. There was a good look of thunder cavalry in front of him, but why were all the people behind him with Tangren's faces? What's going on?

Shi Yang in the middle of the team stared at him tightly. At this time, the Tang army, who was walking in the front, was still more than twenty steps away from the city gate. Seeing that the soldier was about to question, he immediately took out a bag of money and shook it at him. The money pouch made a pleasant sound of gold coins colliding. He handed him the bag. The soldier was stunned and pointed at himself, meaning that the bag was given to him?

Shi Yang nodded with a smile, squeezed to him, and stuffed the money bag to him. The soldier's hand sank, and the money bag almost landed. He took the money bag in a daze, suddenly seemed to have thought of something, and looked at the head of the city instinctively. Just as he turned his head, a sharp dagger pressed against his back, "Don't make a sound, I'll kill you if I make a sound!"

The Turkic soldiers were so scared that they didn't dare to move. They held the money bag in their hands and walked forward mechanically with Tang Jun. Shi Yang held his shoulder with one hand and a smiling expression on his face. From a distance, they seemed to be saying something intimately.

The team slowly entered the city cave, which was a typical Datang city structure. The city cave was long and deep, and the light was dark. When Shi Yang walked out of the city gate, the Turkic soldiers beside him were gone. He put away the bloody dagger expressionlessly, squinted his eyes and looked at the scene in the city. They were still in the urn city, and there was a city gate in front, surrounded by straight high walls, and the walls were full of big food soldiers holding short spears. The Tang army was not panicked. They were all wearing wide hats, and their faces were invisible from above. When they walked into the urn city gate, many Turkic people in the city were blocked in front of them. They were smiling and enthusiastic, and they were the owners who came to pull business after hearing the news.

At this moment, someone suddenly shouted, "Who are you?"

A big food officer rushed down from the city, stood on the steps and raised their tax filings and said angrily: "You are lying. You obviously have a value of 30,000 gold coins, but they only have 15,000 yuan. Do you want to evade taxes?"

Shi Yang smiled coldly and said loudly in Chinese: "I am the head!"

The officer of Dashi was stunned and looked in the sound, but was suddenly shocked. He did not see anyone, but saw a cold steel crossbow and a black dot that changed from small to large. In an instant, a cold light suddenly appeared, "It's a crossbow arrow!" The thought was only halfway, and he felt a sharp pain between his eyebrows, and he knew nothing when the black eyes were black.

The body of the Dashi officer fell from the steps, and there was an arrow piercing his head, and there was no scream. This was the signal of a move. Three hundred Tang soldiers shouted, plucking off their robes, revealing the armor inside. They pulled out their horizontal swords from their waists, and rushed towards the Dashi Army on both sides as if they were cutting waves. The instantaneous changes shocked the Dashi Army. After being cut over a dozen people in a row, they reacted and shouted loudly, raising their swords and fighting against the Tang Army. There were also constant scolding on the city walls. More than a hundred short spears were stabbed from the city regardless of the enemy. More than a dozen Tang soldiers and Dashi Army were stabbed one after another, screaming and screaming. Several war horses were also stabbed by short spears, running wildly in the city, knocking over several Turkic merchants in succession.

At this time, a short spear stabbed towards Shi Yang like lightning. He rolled, and the short spear brushed past and inserted it straight to the ground. The tail rod trembled continuously. Shi Yang was furious and raised his hand and had an arrow. A big food soldier on the top of the city fell down and dragged his long screams.

"Don't panic, take out the shield and crossbow arrows and attack the city."

The lieutenant's words reminded everyone. Everyone turned around and took out round shields and crossbow arrows from the bag of the war horses, and immediately divided the troops. One of them raised their shields and rushed to the top of the city, while the other soldiers shot arrows at the top of the city. The crossbow arrows of the Tang army began to show their power. More than a dozen Dashi soldiers who stood outside the city and threw short spears downwards were caught and fell down the city. The pressure of the Tang army attacking the two hundred Tang army suddenly decreased. They rushed to the top of the city with one go. Nearly three hundred Dashi soldiers on the city rushed up and fought with the Tang army.

At this time, the Tang army ambushed in the distance had already received the news of the war. Under the leadership of Lai Jinlin, he rushed towards this side. The yellow dust rolled and the sound of hooves shook the sky. The Tang army's turbulent horse hooves shocked the gallbladder of the giant cannibal. The giant cannibal soldiers on the top of the city tried desperately to shake the rollers, and the city gate began to slowly close.

Seeing that the situation was critical, Shi Yang threw away the steel crossbow, took a bow, pulled the bow like a full moon, one arrow after another, and the arrow shot towards the closed food army like a meteor rushing to the moon. He shot thirteen arrows in one breath, and the arrows were shot without any thirteen big food army. Thirteen big food army corpses were all over the ground, and the rollers that controlled the outer city gate were empty, and there was no other big food army.

Shi Yang simply hid behind the battlements and used the cover of the battlements to cast cold arrows. His archery skills were magical. Every time the arrow was shot, a Dashi Army fell down screaming. When more than 700 Tang army reinforcements rushed into the outer city gate, he had already shot two pots of arrows. Sixty Dashi Army died tragically on the spot. The Tang army was in a state of great momentum and killed the Dashi Army to retreat step by step. Many people saw that the Tang army's support had already entered the city and knew that the situation was hopeless, so they quickly shook the other city gate and ran away in panic.

This battle took only one hour. Except for more than 80 people, the rest of the 600 Dashi Guards escaped from the other side, were all annihilated by the Tang army. Ashi Bu came to the city to change hands. The dragon flag of the Tang Dynasty was inserted on the top of the city, and it flew in the strong west wind. Since then, the Tang Dynasty opened the door to attack the nine kingdoms of Zhaowu from the north.

In July of the fifth year of Dazhi, the Tang army also launched a final attack in Yaolong City. Twenty thousand Geluo's army, who had been besieged for nearly a month, were in panic all day long and were defeated by the Tang army. Twenty thousand Geluo's army died or surrendered, and Ye Huduotu also died in the chaos. The Tang army once again occupied Yaolong City and drove more than a thousand remaining Sogdians out of Yaolong City, Yaolong City, Yili City, and Gongyue City, from then on, officially became three strongholds controlled by the Tang River Basin. The last piece of land of the Geluo's people was also occupied by the Tang army. This means that the Tang Dynasty completed the first step in the Western Regions strategy. Beiting, Anxi, Shuye, and the three places were finally connected. At the same time, as Ashibulai City fell into the hands of the Tang army, the Tang army also formed a defensive and attacking force west of the Pamir Mountains.

In August, the Cannibal began to make full arrangements, with the two powerful brigades of Khorasan as the core main force, and the 50,000 Turkic slave troops deployed in Bukhara and Samarkand as ailerons. At the same time, nearly 100,000 local troops from Kangguo, Shiguo, the United States, Heguo, Shiguo and other countries were sent to Bakhanna for support, and nearly 200,000 troops were heading to Bakhanna.
Chapter completed!