Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 522: The Resentful Young Wife in Wuhai
September 11th, the fifth year of Qianfeng.

Wuhai City.

Jie Ning Aya inspected the city wall as usual, looking at the dark and empty surroundings, thinking about the war that had already begun on the plateau, and sighed.

"Aya Dongdai, can we win this battle?"

The person asking the question was Dongmen Guizan Jiugong. Gui means warrior in Chinese.

In the Tubo military system, soldiers were called warriors, or “Gui” in Tibetan, and they all came from wealthy aristocrats.

"Of course!"

Jie Ning Aya answered this question with extraordinary firmness. After a pause, she explained: "We have Zan... Pu and the great master Marba Wangren. We will definitely win the final victory."

When he mentioned the Zamp, he hesitated for a while, but when he talked about Marba Wangchen, he was full of confidence.

Jie Ning Aya is the son-in-law of the Chen family. He is a core peripheral member and one of the few non-core members of the Chen family who knows the identity of Wang Xiaojie.

The reason was simple: Wang Xiaojie was captured alive by him.

Wang Xiaojie was a brave and powerful man. When he was besieged, he was like a trapped tiger, attacking from both sides. Even though he was surrounded, he still made the besieging Tubo army suffer a lot.

In the end, Zhan Ma collapsed from exhaustion, and Wang Xiaojie was pinned to the ground by a group of people.

Jie Ning Aya thought he had done a great deed at the time, but after taking off Wang Xiaojie's mask, he was frightened out of his wits. He had seen Mangsong Mangzan from afar during the grand ceremony and had met Mangsong Mangzan several times.

After that, Wang Xiaojie was hidden away...

Because of this, Chen's most capable general did not participate in the life-and-death battle on the plateau, but stayed in Wuhai City, and his purpose was not to guard against the Tang army.

In the subconscious of all Tubo people, if the Tang army wanted to attack Tubo, they would have sent troops long ago. They should have sent troops when Tubo was defeated like a lost dog. Why wait until now?

What Jiening Aya was guarding against was the real King Mangsong Mangtsen, but he just couldn't tell anyone about it.

At first, Jiening Aya thought that Zamp was really dead, until the day when two people who called themselves Mangsong Mangzan and Zanpo came to visit.

It was Zan Jiugong who was on the city wall at that time, but he was unaware of the true situation and drove the man away.

Jiening Aya knew at that time that he must not let Zhen Zanpu return to Tubo. Although he longed to fight for glory on the plateau, he could only guard this small city of Wuhai at the moment.

"Is there anyone suspicious? Has the person who pretended to be the Zanpu appeared again?"

Zan Jiugong said: "No, it's all my fault. I thought too many people died and they were all Tibetans, so I didn't act ruthlessly. If I had known that it was the Nan family who had evil intentions and deliberately sent people to pretend to be the Zamp to slander us, I should have shot them to death with one arrow. Don't worry, Dongdai, if they appear again, I will have my soldiers shoot them into a beehive."

Jie Ning Aya smiled and said, "It should be so!"

He patted Zan Jiugong's chest encouragingly, then turned around and was about to leave.

Just as I turned around, I noticed something unusual out of the corner of my eye.

Jie Ning Aya leaned over and looked outside the city. It was pitch black and she could not see anything. She took a torch from the city wall and threw it with force.

The torch flew dozens of feet away, and when it landed, a faint flame ignited, illuminating the dark crowd of heads.

Jie Ning Aya was stunned. The Tang army had taken advantage of the night and approached in the dark. Now they were rushing towards here at an extremely fast speed!

Jiening Aya roared loudly, and the unique Tibetan trumpet sound rang out.

Torches were lit one after another, illuminating Wuhai City as bright as day.

He could hardly believe his eyes. How could the Tang army reach Wuhai City in the dark?
Under the illumination of torches, the Tang army had nowhere to hide, so they simply shouted loudly and launched an attack on Wuhai City. The shouts and screams were deafening!
Jie Ning Aya had been through many battles, and faced with the crisis, she did not panic, but shouted: "Pass the order, divide 500 soldiers to stand on the top of the city wall, if the enemy approaches with ladders, use long iron spears to resist them and prevent them from climbing the tower! All those who operate cannons, stones, crossbows, etc., immediately get ready, prepare the stone bullets and giant arrows! Wait for my order, and shoot at the place where the enemy is most concentrated."

Seeing the Tang army enter the firing range, Jie Ning Aya shouted loudly: "Fire!"

The cannonballs flew into the air, carrying with them strong winds and flying towards the Tang army.

As a result, more than 20 cannonballs seemed to have eyes and started to trace the outline of the human body. They made a lot of noise, but none of them hit the target.

The Tang army even burst into laughter during the charge.

Jie Ning Aya's face turned pale.

These cannonball carts in Wuhai City are all high-end products of Tubo. Some of them were learned from the Tang Dynasty, and some were learned from the Arab Empire. They are the best equipment from both the East and the West.

But these devices are controlled by the Gal family, and they have no right to interfere.

It was not until Galdongzan died and Zanpo disappeared that they drove the Gal clan out of Wuhai City, took over the city defense, and took over these city defense weapons.

Jie Ning Aya had also thought about training a group of operators, but the few troops he had were all used to find Mangsong Mangzan, and he did not have any extra energy to practice in this area.

This is the first time I’ve used it in actual combat today.

As a result, the superior offensive and defensive equipment became a decoration. Due to operational problems, the fierce flying stones turned into kind stones and flew away from the crowd.

Seeing this, Xi Junmai laughed: "You are just a kid who doesn't even know how to use a cannonball, yet you dare to stand in the way of my Tang Dynasty's heavenly soldiers. If you know what's best for you, surrender the city and I will spare your life."

His voice was as loud as a bell, full of energy.

Even in a chaotic battlefield, you can still hear it clearly.

Jie Ning Aya was also a Tibetan noble who knew Chinese. She was extremely angry and pointed in the direction of Xi Junmai and said, "Shoot, shoot at this thief!"

Dense arrows and stones were shot towards Xi Junmai. Amid the exclamations and shouts of the soldiers from both armies, Xi Junmai, holding a shield in his hand, showed no intention of dodging and continued to lead his troops forward.

He used his large shield to deflect flying arrows and protect his vital parts. Many arrows hit his shoulders, arms, and legs, but were knocked away by the Ming Guang armor on his body. Occasionally, a heavy arrow would penetrate the armor, but would be blocked by the chain mail and could not penetrate his flesh.

Xi Junmai laughed loudly: "I'm just tickling your father, brothers, come on!"

Arrows and stones came in like rain, but they couldn't stop the enemy in the slightest.

Jiening Aya also showed a look of panic. She had heard that the Tang army general Xi Junmai was extremely brave and would charge into the enemy lines, leading the charge in every battle and treating arrows and stones as nothing.

I originally thought it was an exaggeration, but today I know that it is the truth.

The commander led the troops, and the morale of the Tang army suddenly increased greatly. All the soldiers rushed forward bravely and arrived under the city wall.

"Quick, prepare kerosene and rocks!"

Jie Ning Aya also reacted quickly. They did not burn the gold juice in advance, nor did they heat the kerosene. They could only pour the cold oil down and then ignite it with fire.

But just as they were about to add oil and stones to the Tang army under the city wall, a dense whooshing sound was heard.

There were screams and cries from the city wall.

Just as Jie Ning Aya was about to take a look at the situation, she was pulled back by her personal guards.

By the time he had steadied himself, he found his personal guard had fallen to the ground with a tiny hole on his forehead, from which red and white liquid flowed out.

He looked around with his head down, and found that most of his soldiers had died because of this situation. There was a sound like raindrops hitting the city wall, and a few small crossbow arrows rolled down at his feet.

At this moment, Jie Ning Aya suddenly realized that the real purpose of the densely packed Tang army was not to push the siege troops to the foot of the city, but to use the cover of night to move the real killing weapons, the crossbowmen, to the nearby area, and then use the power of the powerful crossbows to suppress the guards who dared to poke their heads out on the city wall with firepower.

Just when they didn't even dare to stick their heads out of the city wall, the sound of arrows suddenly disappeared.

Jie Ning Aya felt something was wrong and mustered up the courage to look out. Sure enough, the Tang army under the city wall had already set up simple siege ladders and many soldiers had already started climbing up.

There is a huge gap between their tactical coordination and understanding of equipment.

Jie Ning Aya felt as if her heart was burning with anger and the world was spinning around her. My father-in-law entrusted Wuhai City to me, and now that it has been lost today, how can I face him?
That’s all, only death.

Jie Ning Aya brandished a broadsword and fought desperately.

But at this point, one person's strength is not enough to save the situation.

The shouting and screaming in Wuhai City gradually subsided.

Xi Junmai held Jie Ning Aya's head in his hand and said with satisfaction, "Quick, pass the message to the chief steward and tell him that Wu Hai City has been captured."

Upon hearing the news that Wuhai City had fallen, Chen Qingsi breathed a sigh of relief; he had finally taken it.

Wuhai City is of great significance to the Tang army.

This is just like the three surrender cities in the north, which are not a line of defense for the purpose of defense.

In the hands of the Tang army, Wuhai City was like a sharp dagger inserted into the gate of Tubo, ensuring that the thousands of miles of fertile land in Qinghai would not be harassed by Tubo.

If Tubo wants to go down the mountain, they must go through Wuhai City.

There are only two options before them: either take Wuhai City, or bypass it...

It's easy to go around, but difficult to come back.

As for taking over Wuhai City, the front line will be maintained in the Wuhai area, which will be enough to ensure the safety of Qinghai.

It has great strategic significance.

Only after taking over Wuhai City, Chen Qingsi dared to truly develop Qinghai.

Otherwise, small groups of Tubo troops would come to plunder every few days, and no matter how well Qinghai developed, it would be useless.

Chimalo handed the thing in his hand to Chen Qingsi with resentment, looking like a wronged young wife.

Chen Qingsi knew the reason why the Tang army launched a surprise attack on Wuhai City, but he did not tell Chimalo.

Now that the city was attacked in one fell swoop, the whole Tubo was shocked. Chimalo also looked extremely aggrieved, as if he was not trusted and was very hurt.

Chen Qingsi felt a slight headache.

At first, I thought that Chimalo, this extraordinary Tibetan woman, had changed her ways and adopted a conciliatory approach towards me.

But after spending a few months together, he found that Chimalo was getting serious.

Chen Qingsi was secretly proud of being able to conquer a legendary woman like Chima Luo, but he knew that Chima Luo was not a kind person who would act on emotion. During the time they were together, Chima Luo was sincerely helping Chen Qingsi with work and also using her connections to fight for the interests of the Meilu family. She had certain political ambitions in her heart and was unwilling to see the Meilu family disappear and decay. If something unspeakable really happened to her, some consequences would be unpredictable.

Maybe Chimalo was moved, but a woman like her would not easily act on her emotions, and might even use emotions to achieve her own goals.

Chen Qingsi didn't want to have any deeper dealings with a woman like her and could only turn a blind eye.

"For the future of Tubo, if you and I join forces, it will be a sure win, but Wuhai City has great strategic value. If we control it, we can better make the people on the plateau abide by the rules of etiquette."

"After we take Wuhai City, our army will prepare to evacuate Qinghai. This is a real retreat, there is no need to waste more food and fodder. The real battlefield is not here..."

As Chen Qingsi spoke, he looked towards the Western Region.

Chen Qingsi had some understanding of the war situation in the Western Regions. He specially sent someone to Bolor to ask their king to inquire about the information.

Because of its relationship with Tubo, the Kingdom of Bolor was in a honeymoon period with the Tang court, and the reinforcements came from a remote small country.

In history, the country was bullied by Tubo and split into Big Bolor and Small Bolor, and the few fertile lands in the territory were forcibly occupied by Tubo.

Now, because of Chen Qingsi, the Kingdom of Bolor became the gateway for the Tang court to control Tubo's entry into the Western Regions, received a certain amount of resources, and became one of the most loyal brothers of the Tang court in the Western Regions.

When the Tang Dynasty and the Arabs were fighting in the Western Regions, the Kingdom of Bolor specially sent half of its troops, 3,000 elite soldiers, to provide support.

After receiving Chen Qingsi's consultation, the King of Bolor treated it as an imperial edict and sent people to the front line to understand the situation and bring back the news.

The course of the battle was pretty much what Chen Qingsi had expected.

Li Ji became more and more skilled in commanding his troops as he grew older. As a general who was not good at civil wars but was good at foreign wars, his command and dispatch at the front line could be described as an art.

Fifty thousand Tang troops, eighty thousand Western Regions and nomadic coalition forces, a total of 130,000 soldiers and horses were deployed like fingers and arms, spread across key locations.

He was able to fully utilize the bravery of the Tang army, the familiarity of the Western Region soldiers with the terrain and climate, and the mobility of the nomadic coalition forces.

But the Caliphate was no pushover either. Muawiyah, the powerful ruler who pushed the Caliphate to its peak and established the Umayyad Dynasty, and Amr ibn al-As, who was as famous as the Sword of Allah, both demonstrated the Caliphate's resilience to the fullest.

In terms of combat effectiveness, the Tang army had a certain advantage, especially the Tang army's main force, which had fought against the Arab Empire many times without losing a single battle. The nomadic soldiers of the Karluk, Tiele, and Uighur tribes were also very strong, and they were not inferior to the Arab Empire's trump card. The Western Regions soldiers were slightly weaker, but it did not affect the overall situation.

But there is one thing about the soldiers of the Arab Empire that is extremely terrifying...

They don't care about their lives. They really don't care about their lives.

According to the teachings of the Arabs, dying on the battlefield means returning to the truth, that is, returning to the presence of God.

This is a great honor.

Therefore, the soldiers of the Arab Empire were truly fearless and brave, and they fought bravely one after another.

That courage without fear of life and death caused considerable trouble to the Tang army on the battlefield.

In terms of the number of wins and losses, the Tang army commanded by Li Ji had a certain advantage. However, this advantage was not enough to hurt the Arab Empire...

As expected, the war situation began to develop into a war of attrition.

This is exactly what the Arab Empire wants to see.

The situation had already been dragged into a point where it was more difficult to consume than to eat. Naturally, Chen Qingsi was unwilling to waste more food and supplies in Qinghai.

Chima Luo suddenly asked nervously, "What about you? Are you going to retreat with the army as well?"

Chen Qingsi paused and said, "I don't plan to leave for the time being. I have to wait until the matter in Qinghai is dealt with and the overall situation on the plateau is settled before I can leave with peace of mind."

(End of this chapter)