Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 153 Gouyanei

It was winter when Fang Chongyong came to Shazhou. Although it was dry and cold, it was not as uncomfortable as summer, at least it didn't make his lungs feel burning.

But now, the hot wind is blowing the yellow sand, making people suffocating, as if there is a rope around the neck.

At this moment, on the left side of the team are hills piled up with yellow sand and rocks. There are many mountains and mountains, and the end can be seen at a glance.On the right side is a large desert, and the field of vision is full of yellow sand with no end in sight.

This is the "sand sea" between Guazhou and Shazhou, which is why Shazhou got its name.

"Fang Shijun, Changle County, formerly known as Ming'an County, got its name because it is close to Mingshui (Shule River).

Now there are more and more grass under our feet, which means that we are gradually approaching the Mingshui, and the Nangxia of the Tubo people should not be far away. "

Cui Qianyou pointed at the dots of green in the yellow sand ahead with his riding whip and said.

These drought-tolerant plants that are unique to the desert, such as sandalwood, Haloxylon ammodendron (a kind of herbaceous plant), salix, etc., have very developed root systems, usually more than three meters tall.

These drought-tolerant herbs often appear in areas some distance from desert oases.They survive tenaciously and are scattered everywhere, out of scale.

Sometimes it can be used as a "signpost" in the desert.The sporadic appearance of these plants proves that the oasis is not far away.

At this moment, a cavalryman riding a camel came galloping in the distance. It was the Tang Army scout sent out before.

All the generals around Fang Chongyong smiled. Now it was easy for them to identify themselves as enemies. As long as they were not riding camels, they were basically enemies.

"Your Majesty! The Tubo people's Nangxia is five miles ahead, placed on the bank of Mingshui, and is building a wooden fort. Many horses, cattle and sheep are drinking water by the river!
The Tibetans seemed unaware of our arrival. "

Perhaps the Tubo people thought that Shazhou's military strength was not enough to fear, or they were not too concerned about Guazhou now. It was also possible that they were facing the Tang army on the front line and were under great military pressure, and were temporarily unable to mobilize troops to defend their home base. .

So the defense was very lax.

Organizations like Nangxia are similar to the organizational model of the military.It is somewhat similar to the Logistics Department of Fang Chongyong's previous life, except that the soldiers in it are all old and weak, and it is borne by a single Tubo Dongdai, which is somewhat similar to the "contract responsibility system."

Once assumed the task of "Nangxia", Dongdai Qianhu, who serves as the "Nangxia Chief", will have to accept the logistics supply instructions issued by Zanpu, including the construction of fortresses, and many matters, including the construction of fortresses, are indispensable.

However, Nang Xia Chang is also responsible for keeping the spoils of war.Obviously, there was a lot of oil and water involved, so all the tribes in Tubo were vying to assume the position of Nangxia.

The Tibetan military law regulations seem to prove this point.If Zanpu is dissatisfied with a certain Dongdai, he will deprive them of the qualification to serve as Nangxia in the future.

This was Tubo's characteristic logistics system, and there was no corresponding organization in the Tang Dynasty to match it.

Of course, Nangxia, like the Tang Dynasty's supply troops, could not meet the enemy's regular army.It's going to be bad when they meet.

Fang Chongyong looked around and saw that Cui Qianyou and the others had excited expressions on their faces. They were pressing their hands on the handle of the Hengdao, as if they would immediately draw the sword to kill in the next moment.

He couldn't help but feel his heart pounding.

"Your Majesty, just take your time and follow the large army. Be careful not to fall under the camels. Camels are easier to control than horses and are not fast. You should be fine."

Cui Qianyou confessed, and then led the vanguard army's thousand cavalry to speed up and gallop towards the front.There are no fixed buildings in Nangxia of the Tubo people. They are all tents and the foundation of a small wooden castle.

The Tubo people near Nangxia drove their sheep to the nearby grassland to graze in the morning, completely free-range.These sheep slowly dispersed into formation, some eating grass on the edge of the Mingshui river beach, some licking the salt on the sand, and some spraying contentedly.

It was almost noon at this moment, and the sheep grazed by the Tibetan people were almost half full.The Tibetan people who managed Nangxia drove them to the river, and the sheep rushed to the river to drink water.

Sheep are military rations and property. Those that are not eaten will be distributed as spoils of war after the war. Managing these livestock well is also Nangxia's main responsibility.

What's very interesting is that those sheep were kneeling on the river bank, then stretched their necks to drink water, and they didn't care at all when their beards were soaked in the water.There are also some ewes standing at the gap in the river bank, drinking water and bleating their lambs, hoping that they will come over to drink water.

The Tubo people on the side laughed when they saw this scene, with simple smiles on their faces. They were no different from the hospitable herdsmen on the grassland. They did not realize that the danger had come.

Suddenly, the vibrations on the ground alerted the Tubo people.But before they could get their bows and arrows, the roaring God of Death in white pierced their chests with a spear. The blood splashed onto their white robes, leaving a beautiful blood flower.

The Tubo people who had slipped through the net ran towards the tent, but they did not know that Guo Ziyi had already led a thousand Tang army cavalry towards that direction first.These Tubo people who slipped through the net were just jumping from one big pit to another.

Fang Chongyong was sitting on the camel, and he had stopped motionless at this moment.There were noisy sounds and chaos in my ears.

Those wailing cries, excited roars, and the sound of weapons entering flesh mixed together and turned into an elegy from hell.

At this moment, Fang Chongyong no longer felt the nausea and discomfort he felt after his first battle.

Even if he saw a Tang soldier decapitating a Tibetan man with a horizontal sword, his heart would still not waver.

Of course, Fang Chongyong could not feel the excitement of these soldiers.

Killing is killing, it is just a means, not the ultimate goal.The Qiuba who went to the battlefield either killed or were killed. This was their fate.These things are not worthy of sympathy and nothing to be proud of.

"If you can control the invasion of the mausoleum, how can you kill more people?"

Fang Chongyong said with a sigh, but did nothing.

When strategizing, he conceived grand plans and rose to the level of the winner of the battle between Datang and Tubo.However, on the battlefield, it was not possible to kill him. He could not kill even the most ordinary Tibetan soldier.

A one-sided killing, the white-clothed gods of death ran rampant, and soon the wooden castle, which had just laid the foundation and was only half built, burst into flames.As for the tents for the Tibetan Nangxia personnel, the Tang army took no money from them and left them where they were without moving.

In order to prevent unintended consequences, Chongyong issued a strict order before setting off: Whoever takes the property will have his hands chopped off first and then be convicted!
Therefore, as the fighting continued, even though the Tubo people snatched a lot of cloth and piled it up, the Tang army soldiers turned a blind eye and did not take a piece of cloth.Without desire, you are strong. If you take it, the morale of the army will be out of control.

This is extremely dangerous for an army that goes deep behind enemy lines!
Fang Chongyong has ordered people to return to Shazhou as quickly as possible, and asked them to send out a baggage team to transport these materials back to Shazhou as quickly as possible. These materials will not be reported to the superiors, but all will be intercepted!

Don't ask where these things will go in the end. If you ask, they will be burned by the Tang Army.

An hour later, the one-sided massacre ended. The corpses of Tibetan people were everywhere on the ground, which made Fang Chongyong frown!
The situation in Guazhou is very wrong!
The main force of the Tubo army is indeed not in Guazhou, at least not in Changle County.The so-called Nangxia personnel are simply Tubo serfs and mediocre people, and there are not even a few who hold weapons!
Not to mention any combat effectiveness.

Fang Chongyong suddenly felt that perhaps the pressure faced by his future father-in-law Wang Zhongsi was particularly great!Almost all of the main force of the Tubo army should have moved eastward to resist the Tang army's attack.

The use of troops is a dynamic process, which is the so-called "advancing separately and attacking together, without sticking to one pattern".The Tubo army first attacked Shazhou and Guazhou, but this does not mean that they stupidly stayed in these two places and waited for the Tang army to destroy them.

In fact, it is a mature military strategy for the Tubo people to find opportunities to break through the Hexi Corridor and stick to Liangzhou before moving elsewhere.

Thinking of this, Fang Chongyong ordered Xin Yunjing to lead the troops on guard, place all the camels he was riding on, and then put on the horses in the Tubo camp, then called all the generals together for a meeting to discuss important matters.

"The defense of the Tubo army is so weak that it is beyond imagination. What do you think?" Crouching under a poplar tree, the generals formed a circle and listened to Fang Chongyong's story, all of them frowning.

In fact, as Fang Chongyong said, the situation this time was indeed a bit beyond their expectations.Because the Tubo people didn't even leave a guard force behind, which is really incredible.Unless something unexpected and big is happening!

"Could it be that the Tubo people knew that the army in Shazhou had failed, so they made a desperate move and are now attacking Ganzhou?"

Guo Ziyi suddenly made a frightening point of view.

"Envoy Guo Jun said that the Tubo people knew that nothing could be done and wanted to concentrate their forces to attack Ganzhou directly before the Tang army in Shazhou could react! The main force of the Tang army was forced to retreat to Liangzhou.

Ganzhou has abundant grain, abundant water and grass, and vast pastures.Not only is there Shandan Racecourse, but it is also not far from Dadou Bagou, so it is enough to establish a foothold here for the future. "

Cui Qianyou said thoughtfully, the more he thought about it, the more scared he became.

Since it is a desperate move, there is no need to wait for reinforcements, military rations, etc., just face the Tang army and be done.Then, when the military's morale is stable and their morale is high, they use offense instead of defense to open up the situation in Ganzhou, and the whole chess game comes to life.

If we stick to Suzhou and wait for the Tang army to attack, it will only be a matter of time before we are attacked from both sides.No commander with a brain will sit still and wait for death.

You know, there are indeed not many troops in Shazhou, but there are still tens of thousands of soldiers and horses in the Anxi Protectorate and Beiting Protectorate in the Western Region?Although these armies are far away and it takes a long time to mobilize them, they can still be in place.

At that time, the Tubo army will become a little mouse in a bamboo tube. They can't get out on the left side or the right side. They can only be compressed step by step in the narrow Hexi Corridor, and finally trapped to death!

"Fang Shijun, what should we do? We have achieved quite a lot now and have broken the Tibetan people's food route. If we continue to go eastward, I am afraid the outcome will be unpredictable..."

Wang Sili asked. He asked a topic that everyone wanted to know but was too embarrassed to ask.

One bird in the hand is worth less than a hundred birds in the forest. Now the Tang Army in Shazhou not only relies on its own strength to rescue the siege, but also counterattacks in Guazhou, destroying the logistics base of the Tibetan Army, which has a great positive impact on the war situation!

No matter how you say it, this is a great achievement, right?
Stop now, and go back to Shazhou to recharge your batteries, reorganize your troops, and take away all the Tibetan cattle, sheep, and horses. Isn’t it good?

Continuing eastward, the risks can be said to be infinite!Not only did they not know the distribution and strength of the Tibetan army, but they also had to take the risk of having all their previous military exploits wiped out, and even becoming a criminal, to pursue a "possibility".

Advance or retreat?This question is really difficult!
Fang Chongyong suddenly felt like playing the "Slumdog Millionaire" quiz game.If you choose to answer the questions, you will get ten times the bonus if you win, and if you lose, you will be penniless and all your efforts will be wasted; if you don't answer the questions, you can be rich and walk away with the "Cowards Award".

To be a warrior or... to be a "coward"?

"Is there any risk of defeat in Liangzhou in this battle?"

Fang Chongyong asked with a frown.

Hearing this, Guo Ziyi laughed and said:

"Defeat is definitely not possible. It just depends on how big the losses are and how tortuous the process is. It is estimated that 5 to [-] troops from Hexi are in Liangzhou. I heard that even the Jiankang Army has withdrawn to Liangzhou and is on standby. Even if the troops are not enough If so, Longyou can also dispatch [-] to [-] people to Hexi to participate in the decisive battle."

All the generals nodded in agreement. What Guo Ziyi said was exactly what they expected.

"If that's the case... let's retreat to Shazhou."

Fang Chongyong said indifferently.

Eh?
Guo Ziyi, Cui Qianyou and others were stunned. They were waiting for Fang Chongyong to boost their morale, and then everyone rushed to Jinchang County, the capital of Guazhou!Why do we have to turn around and go back to Shazhou at this juncture?

"If we go back to Shazhou, what should we do with all this luggage?"

Wang Sili asked doubtfully.

"We will burn all the money, silk and grain in a fire. We will take away the horses. Since the sheep cannot be taken on the road, let's kill them all.

Leave nothing to the Tibetans. "

Fang Chongyong ordered with a cold face.

Isn't this a bit hasty?Didn’t you just say that you would send someone to pick up the baggage?
"Fang Shijun, how about we try to attack Guazhou!"

All the generals pleaded together.

“I think Liangzhou’s army can deal with the Tibetans and we don’t need to worry too much.

You are all raised by your father and mother. Your brains are not leeks. They will still be there after you cut them off.Let's take advantage of our great victory this time and let it go.

If any of you are dissatisfied, just stay and others will have to follow. "

Fang Chongyong said forcefully.

This battle made him intuitively feel that something was not right. Even if the Tubo people were lax in their defenses, they would not be able to mobilize a defensive army.

There must be fraud!

Even if there is no fraud, there must be fraud.

Fang Chongyong felt that Datang was not his private property.Since the future father-in-law Wang Zhongsi has abundant capital, it is enough to trust him and there is no need to hang his head on his belt.He would not admit that he was afraid of fighting with the Tubo army!
The governor of Shazhou is changed every four years, and the longest one only served for seven years.I am an official in exile, so why not keep my life alive?Even if he competes for military honors, will he be "arbitrarily arranged" by the Chang'an gang in the end?
Why bother?
Fang Chongyong is very open-minded, and he must be cowardly when he should be cowardly!
"Burn the supplies and withdraw! After the war, you have to report the matter to Hexi Jiedu Mansion. You can do whatever you want. I won't stop you from writing to the court, but now you must do as I say."

Fang Chongyong pointed to the Tubo army tent not far away and said in a sonorous voice: "Burn them all, leave no one behind."

"Order!"

The generals accepted the order unwillingly and left.

After a while, the outskirts of Changle County turned into a sea of ​​​​fire. The piles of military rations ignited in a raging fire, and the silk and silk were reduced to ashes.Groups of goats and sheep were slaughtered, horses were taken away by Tang soldiers, and almost nothing valuable or useful was left.

The Tang army in Shazhou was like a white whirlwind, blowing for a while on the outskirts of Changle County and then sweeping away.

The style is very elegant.

　The double monthly pass will be opened the day after tomorrow, and there will be more updates.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)