Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 207

Turning to Guan Bo and Qiao Lin, he asked, "What are your plans for managing state affairs now?"

Guan Bo quickly stated: "Only by treating the people well, reducing forced labor, and maintaining local peace can we provide support for the Grand Commandant."

Li Ji smiled and said, "We should treat the people well, but supporting people is not about reducing their labor, but about using them at the right time, in a measured way, and to ensure they benefit. Now, most of the people in Liangzhou are poor, so it is better to make them work hard and become rich than to let them live a life of ease and poverty."

Guan Bo bowed and accepted the order, but judging from his expression, he seemed somewhat unconvinced.

Then Qiao Lin said, "When the Grand Commandant first met me, I dare to recount my resume. I was a Jinshi in the second year of Tianbao, and was appointed as the magistrate of Chengwu County, then transferred to Xingping County, and then joined the staff of Minister Guo as the chief secretary of Shuofang, and was promoted to Supervising Censor. At the end of Qianyuan, I was demoted to Assistant Registrar of Bazhou, and then served as the magistrate of Nanguo County, and returned to the court as the Palace Attendant Censor..."

The implication was that I had served in the central government and various provinces, and even held a position under a military governor, with responsibilities related to the people. I was senior and experienced enough that you, Grand Commandant, could rest assured in my work.

Li Ji advised, “Ganzhou is different from the prefectures and counties in the Central Plains, and also differs from Liangzhou. The key is that there is little land and few households, so we cannot focus solely on farming and weaving. We should encourage merchants and develop trade—I hope Mr. Qiao will pay close attention to this.”

After the banquet, Li Ji returned to his private quarters and casually asked Hongxian, "What do you think of the three officials at the banquet today?"

Hongxian smiled and said, "I learned not only agility and combat skills from my late master, but also physiognomy. Would you like to hear about it, my lord?"

Li Ji was taken aback upon hearing this: "You can judge people? Why have I never heard you mention it before?"

“Because there is no one worthy of a fortune-telling,” Hongxian said, realizing her mistake as soon as the words left her mouth, she quickly added, “As for you, my late master once said that when a person is at the height of their power and wealth, when they are in the most favored, there is no need to consult a fortune-teller, for criticism is often inaccurate, and praise is almost flattery. Now that I know you intend to keep those three men behind, which is of great importance, I secretly used my old trick during the banquet to give them a little fortune-telling…”

"What do you think of these three?" Li Ji himself didn't believe in face reading, but he was just casually talking about it behind the back of the person in question, just to make a laugh.

Hongxian said solemnly, "Vice Commander Wu is an honest and upright gentleman, you need not doubt him—moreover, I believe he will live a long life. As for the two magistrates, Guan and Qiao..."

"how?"

"My assessment is not accurate; my lord, you may have just taken it as a casual remark—I believe both of you are fit to be prime ministers!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Guan Wuyuan (Guan Bo) is fine, though he's over fifty, he's still quite energetic..." Guan Bo was fifty-two years old this year—"As for me, Qiao, my hair is all white, my eyes are failing and my ears are deaf, and I'm only a prefectural governor now, do I still have a chance to become prime minister?"

According to the usual path of officialdom, Qiao Lin, you should stay in Ganzhou for two or three years before returning to the central government to lead the Six Ministries. You would need to serve for at least another two or three years before you would be qualified to become a prime minister. Given your current physical and mental condition, I really don't think you can make it to that day!

However, it's hard to say. Li Bi also rose through the ranks to enter the Politics Hall. Perhaps Qiao Lin will be lucky and return to the capital to become prime minister in a year or two.

The next day, Li Ji asked Yan Zhuang again—although he dared not fully trust this Mr. Yan and grant him real power, he was always willing to listen to his opinions when matters arose, because Yan Zhuang's keen mind and sharp insight were well-known—Yan Zhuang smiled and said, "Liang and Gan have just recovered, and people's hearts are unsettled, and affairs are numerous and complicated. The court should have sent some capable young men, but unexpectedly, it was these two old men who came..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "You seem to be over fifty years old, yet you dare to call someone an old man?"

"...In my opinion, Guan Bo and Qiao Lin lack initiative and talent, but they do have some practical experience. The court entrusts them with this task because it fears that young people are too eager to take on responsibilities, which may not meet the Grand Commandant's expectations and could lead to discord between the court and the people. Therefore, the two old men are left to sit idly by. The Grand Commandant should not have any expectations of them, and if he is not satisfied, he can directly impeach them."

Li Ji laughed and said, "Some people say that both of these men are destined to be prime ministers."

Yan Zhuang curled his lip: "It is not necessarily true. Since the Tianbao era, there have been countless prime ministers who were not competent. We are not lacking in two more."

Li Ji then asked, "How is the Emperor's brother-in-law?"

Yan Zhuang pondered for a moment, then replied, "The deputy commander's humble demeanor doesn't seem feigned. If he can strictly adhere to the Grand Commandant's rules and regulations, and avoid any mistakes, it wouldn't be unreasonable to entrust Liangzhou to him in the future..."

Li Ji frowned: "Jun Yun handed over Liangzhou to the three brothers-in-law..." Judging from your words, it doesn't seem to be referring to Wu Cou becoming the acting governor of Hexi.

Yan Zhuang gave a profound and enigmatic smile: "Of course I hope that the Grand Commandant will open up the Silk Road, take charge of both Hexi and Anxi, and become Zhang Tailin, but... hehe."

Li Ji had to rack his brains twice before he realized who the other person meant by "Zhang Tailin"—Zhang Chonghua, the fifth ruler of the Former Liang. During his reign, the Zhang family reached its zenith. He personally held the titles of Grand Commandant, Protector of the Qiang, Governor of Liang Province, and Acting King of Liang. He employed the famous general Xie Ai and fought against the Later Zhao and Former Qin while also conquering the Western Regions...

Hey, this guy surnamed Yan has quite the ambition!

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Li Ji left most of his former staff in Guzang and Zhangye to assist Wu Cou and the other two—mainly to prevent them from causing trouble—while appointing Gao Ying and Yan Zhuang as advisors. Newly recruited scholars such as Lu Lun, Di Wu Ran, Cheng Di Lei, Huang Zi Gang, and Jin Chen joined the military affairs. On the same day, he led three thousand soldiers out of Guzang City and embarked on the western expedition once again.

His main forces had been dispersed throughout Liang and Gan prefectures, recruiting soldiers to repair fortifications and restore the old military towns. After receiving the military order, Gao Chongwen from the Chishui Army, Xu Yu from the Dadou Army, and Ma Meng from the Jiaocheng Garrison successively mustered their troops to join him. The general left to guard Liang prefecture was Hou Zhongzhuang, who stationed his troops at Herong City, looking for an opportunity to move south and restore the Zhangye and Wucheng Garrisons, in order to guard against the barbarian army moving north from Lanzhou. The general left to guard Gan prefecture was Li Fengguo, who was mainly stationed at Qilian City to prepare for the Dadouba Valley.

After a seven-day march, they arrived in Zhangye. After resting there for two days, they continued westward until they reached Jiankang Army, located at the border of Gansu and Jiangsu provinces, where Jing Jiang welcomed them.

When Li Ji asked about the situation in Suzhou, Lao Jing replied, "Mang Re was originally stationed in Fulu, and built fortifications near Kongtong Mountain and Qilian Garrison to defend the area. However, a few days ago, for some unknown reason, they withdrew before the fortifications were completed and retreated to Jiuquan."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji frowned slightly and looked around at the generals and officers: "What do you think the barbarian bandits mean by this?"

Cheng Dilei was originally from Ganzhou, but had moved to Yuanzhou to seek refuge a few years earlier. Hearing that Li Ji had recovered Ganzhou, he returned home and volunteered to serve under him. A scholar, he had even taken the imperial examination in the capital in the second year of the Dali era, but failed. In a fit of anger, he sought out relatives and friends, extensively studying military texts, and became interested in military affairs. Now, hearing Li Ji's question, he hurriedly stood up and said:

“I believe that the enemy is trying to wear us down. The Tibetans have established two military garrisons in Hexi, Liangzhou and Guazhou. Liangzhou has now been recovered by the Grand Commandant, and Guazhou is still far away. I fear that they will disperse their forces and resist step by step, only to be defeated one by one by me. They can then shrink their defenses and retreat to Jiuquan, making it easier for the main force of Guazhou to come to their aid. Meanwhile, we can advance rapidly, and since the supply lines are long, they can wait in comfort and rely on their strongholds to wait for us.”

Li Ji remained calm and looked at the others. Wei Gao slowly said, "What Cheng said makes sense. However, Jiuquan City is low-lying and cannot be of any advantage in military struggle. If the enemy is planning to wait for the enemy to tire themselves out, they may abandon Jiuquan as well and retreat to Dongting Mountain, Jinshan Mountain, and Dudeng Mountain..."

"Wouldn't they abandon Suzhou and guard the Dark River instead?"

Wei Gao shook his head: "If I were to defend Guazhou for the Tibetans, I would certainly not dare to abandon Suzhou before encountering a formidable enemy..." Whether it is the Tang or the Tibetans, losing territory is a serious crime. Although there is a saying in military competition about luring the enemy deep into our territory, there is no reason to abandon an entire prefecture before even seeing the enemy. Few people would dare to make such a decision.

"If the enemy is positioned west of the Ming River, the Grand Commandant can order a detachment to confront them across the river, while the main force heads north to take Yumen Pass. Then Yizhou will be within reach. Furthermore, the Yiwu army and the Shatuo tribe can coordinate their attack from the south..." If Yiwu has not yet been abandoned, "with a pincer attack, Guazhou will be within easy reach."

"So, Cheng Wu thinks the bandits might be guarding Dongting Mountain, Jinshan Mountain, or even climbing the mountain alone?"

"Indeed, and I suspect the enemy intends to lure us deeper into their territory, then use light cavalry to raid our supply routes, forcing us to retreat. However, if our army has already captured Fulu and Jiuquan, protecting the main road, we can be assured of safety. Therefore, I believe that we must be most cautious when our army passes Fulu but has not yet reached Jiuquan, lest we be taken advantage of by the enemy..."

Chapter 51, Mid-Road Surprise Attack

Wei Gao's judgment was basically correct.

On that day, Shang Ximo summoned Mang Re to discuss military plans, and took the opportunity to inform him in detail of the general military deployment of the ministers of the Council of State in the autumn of this year.

Shang Ximo said, “Now the Grand Master has ordered us to hold the two prefectures of Su and Gua, while the Grand Master has ordered us to send a surprise attack to capture Zhang Sancheng. The Grand Master will personally lead the main force to attack Beiting. Because of years of war, the treasury is empty, the soldiers are exhausted, and the nobles have many complaints. We are really unable to mobilize the entire nation's army to fight against Li Ji. It is impossible for any reinforcements to cross the Qilian Mountains to rescue you. Therefore, defending Qilian is useless. It would be better to abandon it.”

"Now, our two divisions each have less than ten thousand men. If we divide our forces to defend the passes, they will be easily defeated one by one by the Tang people. It would be better to shrink our defenses, concentrate our strength, and hold our ground in one place."

Mang Re said, "In that case, I would like to ask the general to travel east and station himself at Dongting Mountain, so that I can provide support from Jiuquan."

Shang Ximo shook his head: "The Grand Commandant will march out of Yumen Pass to attack Beiting. I must stay and defend Guazhou to secure his rear. If the entire army goes to defend against Li Ji and is defeated, the Tang people can both send reinforcements out of Yumen Pass to Beiting and seize Guazhou to cut off the main force's rear. Then we will lose the whole game."

“I can send some troops with you to the east to resist the Tang people. But my idea is that it would be better to abandon not only Fulu County and Qilian Garrison, but also Jiuquan.”

Mang Re was taken aback upon hearing this: "Jiuquan is the seat of the Tang people in Suzhou, the largest city in the prefecture. How can we abandon it without a fight?"

Shang Ximo curled his lip: "What great city? Even the strongest sheep in a flock can't fight off a vicious wolf! How does Jiuquan compare to Zhangye? Wasn't it also taken by the Tang people in one fell swoop?"

He then said seriously, “Listen to my plan. The Tang people are good at both offense and defense. Moreover, Jiuquan was originally built by the Tang family, and its weaknesses are known to the enemy. Do you think you can defend that city? There are no strategic points around Jiuquan. It would be better to retreat to Dongting Mountain and defend it along the roads near Jinshan and Dudeng Mountain to create depth. That would be more secure.”

Mang Re smiled bitterly, "Although Jiuquan is not a formidable city, it still has city walls to rely on. Jinshan and Dushan, though high and steep, have never been fortified..."

Shang Ximo said, “The old fortress of the Tang Yumen Army is located at the foot of Dushan Mountain. Before I summoned you, I had already ordered people to repair and restore it. You should hurry to the two mountains and find a suitable place to build several fortresses to repel the enemy.”

Mang Re lowered his head, lost in thought and remained silent.

Shang Ximo then said, "Actually, it's not necessary to let the Tang people come to Dongting Lake, or even from the two mountains behind it. The Tang people are skilled at attacking fortified positions. No matter how strong the stone fortress was in the past, it fell into the hands of Geshu Han in just ten days..."

Shang Ximo was referring to the Battle of Shibao City in the eighth year of the Tianbao era, twenty-one years prior. Shibao City was located east of Chiling, in a strategically important position, and had been contested by the Tang and Tibetan armies for many years, with both sides eventually concentrating their main forces in the surrounding areas. At that time, according to Wang Zhongsi's report, the Tibetans occupied Shibao City and were "defending it with the entire nation," making a direct attack inadvisable. However, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang refused to listen and ordered Geshu Han to lead an army of over 60,000, which captured the city in less than ten days.

In this battle, the Tang army disregarded casualties and fiercely attacked the fortified positions, reportedly suffering tens of thousands of casualties. The Tibetan side also suffered heavy losses, and consequently, after this battle, they were essentially on the defensive by the Tang, ultimately losing Menggu and Chiling, and their borders shrank significantly. In short, the Battle of Shibao left a deep psychological scar on the Tibetan people, as Shang Ximo says today.

He then pointed to the map and said to Mang Re, "Li Ji has now returned to Liangzhou and has sent troops from afar. The journey is a thousand miles, and the supply of provisions must be difficult. Therefore, we should temporarily tighten our defenses and lure them deeper into our territory. Then, within a hundred miles from Fulu to Jiuquan, we can try to plunder them..."

Mang Re shook his head slightly: "Li Ji has been on the battlefield for a long time, surely he wouldn't be completely unprepared?"

Shang Ximo smiled and said, "He will naturally take precautions, but you can send the Hu tribe of Suzhou to plunder with light cavalry. Li Ji will be overwhelmed by this and, once he occupies Jiuquan, he will surely send his elite cavalry to ambush and kill him. At that time, you can lead your main force to meet him in the open desert."

"I have heard that Li Ji's troops are well-equipped and well-trained. Therefore, whether we rely on holding a strategic position or fighting a decisive battle on the plains, our army will have little chance of winning. The only chance of victory is for you to make a swift and decisive move and take advantage of the opportunity to defeat the Tang cavalry. Since we occupied Hexi, we have acquired countless fine horses, all of which are located in Dajun Town, Guazhou. I can give them to you, along with more than half of the heavy armor and sharp weapons in the treasury. I hope you can win this battle."

After a moment of contemplation, Mang Re slowly asked, "General, do you mean to use this plan to separate the Tang family's infantry and cavalry, and then destroy their cavalry first?"

Shang Ximo nodded: "The Tang people are used to forming a strong infantry formation in the center, with cavalry protecting the flanks, making their formation unbreakable. If we can break their cavalry first, their infantry formation will be easy to destroy. Moreover, if the enemy cavalry cannot come to their aid, it will be easy to outflank their supply lines."

"I fear the Tang cavalry will not be willing to send out their full force..."

“That would be even better,” Shang Ximo laughed. “You can defeat them one by one, gradually reducing their numbers until the Tang army has no cavalry left to use.” He then said seriously, “You can try this strategy. If the Tang army does not fight with cavalry, or if you cannot defeat them even if they do, then retreat to Dongting Mountain, Jinshan Mountain, Dudeng Mountain, and the old fortifications of Yumen Army. I will definitely inform the Great Lord and send reinforcements to help you.”

Shang Ximo's meaning was clear: Now, Luoxie hopes we can halt Li Ji's westward advance with less than 20,000 troops. Not only do you find this dangerous, but I also feel it's insufficient. However, if you divide your forces to defend strategic locations, you will suffer a heavy defeat. It would be better to lure the enemy deep into your territory and try to win with cavalry. If you still cannot win after I have allocated you a large number of horses and weapons, then I will have reason to request reinforcements from the Grand Marshal—moreover, cavalry moves like the wind, so even if we are defeated, the losses will not be too great, thus not affecting the subsequent defensive battles.

Mang Re had no choice but to comply. He then rode his horse to the vicinity of Jinshan and Dudeng Mountain to survey the terrain and determine six locations for building fortifications. However, he worried that Li Ji might launch an attack before autumn, just like last year, and these fortifications might not be completed in time. He placed his hopes on the foothills of Dongting Mountain.

Dongting Mountain is located seventy li west of Jiuquan City. It is surrounded by sheer cliffs on all sides, making it impossible for people to climb. Less than five li away on its northern slope is the desert, and the official road runs through it. Therefore, if a fortification is built against the mountain and close to the road, the Tang army will definitely attack—it is impossible to leave this enemy stronghold on the rear road—as long as the fortification is built properly, one fortification can be worth a hundred, and it will not be a problem to delay the Tang army's offensive for at least ten days to half a month.

Ultimately, Li Ji could not possibly besiege the city with an army of 60,000 like Geshu Han had done back then—of course, even if the fortifications at the foot of Dongting Mountain were completely completed, they would still be no match for Shibao City.

Mang Re considered this fortification to be of utmost importance, so he ordered the abandonment of Kongtong Mountain, Fulu, Jiuquan, and other places, and transported most of the supplies in Jiuquan City to the foot of Dongting Mountain. He then ordered his soldiers to work day and night to build the fortress. As for the defense of Jinshan and Dudeng Mountain behind him, and the repair of the old fortifications of the Yumen Army, he simply handed them over to Shang Ximo.

"Didn't you say you'd give me a contingent of troops? Don't come yet, stay behind and build fortifications. As for the promised horses and weapons, you'd better get them delivered to me as soon as possible."

Just as Mang Re had predicted, less than ten days after construction began on his fortress, an urgent report arrived that the Tang army had mobilized, with various forces converging on Jiankang Army. Within five days, they would be entering Suzhou. Mang Re immediately dispatched messengers to inform the local Hu tribes, ordering them to raid the Tang's supply lines—located between Fulu and Jiuquan. He assured them that whatever they seized was theirs, and even if they burned it all, he would reward them according to their merits.

However, few responded.

This was something neither Mang Re nor Shang Ximo had anticipated. The reason was that Li Ji had previously ordered Yin Shen and other江湖异人 (jianghu yìrén, a type of wandering martial arts master) and Zhong Hua and other Hexi natives to infiltrate Suzhou, not only to contact the Tang people resisting the Tibetans, but also to win over the nomadic Hu tribes, explaining the advantages and disadvantages and persuading them to switch sides. Those Hu tribes were initially somewhat hesitant, intending to observe from the sidelines before deciding whether to side with the Tibetans or the Tang. However, the Tibetan army withdrew completely before even engaging in battle, naturally causing the tribal leaders' hearts to tip eastward.

Whether or not we should hurry and take our men to pay our respects to Grand Commandant Li is another matter, but at least the barbarian general wants us to raid the Tang army's supply lines, so it's best not to do that.

Mang Re was so anxious he stamped his feet, but he was helpless. Fortunately, the warhorses and weapons from Guazhou arrived in time, so Mang Re had no choice but to personally lead the attack on the Tang army. He selected three thousand elite soldiers, each with two horses, heavy armor, and long spears, confident that even if they encountered twice as many Tang cavalry, they would not be at a disadvantage.

What if the Tang cavalry outnumbers me by more than twice? If I can't defeat them, can't I at least escape?

They set off from the northern foothills of Dongting Mountain, galloping westward, intending to ambush the Tang army between Fulu and Jiuquan.

However, scouts soon reported that after the Tang army occupied Fulu County, they rested for a day and continued westward. They marched very cautiously, often having a dozen or so cavalry squads to protect them on the left and right. Furthermore, there were Hu cavalry brought from Liang and Gan prefectures on the outer perimeter.

Having already set out, Mangre no longer considered retreating. He immediately rallied his troops, saying, "Now, with three thousand cavalrymen, we are able to rampage through Hexi. In recent years, in battles against the Tang army, especially against Li Ji, our army has suffered repeated defeats, greatly humiliating the Zanpu. Aren't you ashamed? Now, follow me and fight on! Even if we cannot capture Li Ji alive, we must utterly defeat the Tang army and let the Tang people know that our tribe also has fine men!"

He was originally a brave general among the barbarians. His appeal boosted morale, and the three thousand barbarian cavalrymen were all furious, eager to fight the Tang people to the death. Seeing that the morale was good, Mang Re immediately brandished his spear, and his warhorse galloped forward, charging from south to north.

First, they encountered a group of Hu cavalry, about three hundred men. The Hu cavalry charged and completely scattered them. Not far ahead, they encountered a large Tang cavalry force providing flanking cover. At Mang Re's command, a volley of arrows was unleashed. Many Tang cavalrymen were unable to dodge in time and were hit by arrows and knocked off their horses.

The Tang soldiers returned fire with arrows, but the barbarian cavalry were heavily armed and well-protected, making it difficult for the arrows to penetrate. When Mangre saw the two sides close to within fifty paces, he immediately put away his bow and arrows, shouted fiercely, brandished his spear, and charged forward. A Tang general rode to meet him, but Mangre swiftly struck him down with his spear.

Mang remarked that the Tang army was nothing special. It seemed they had relied on their thick armor and sharp swords to achieve repeated victories, but now that his troops were equipped no less than the Tang elites, these ordinary light cavalry were no match for them.

Although Li Ji was prepared, he probably didn't expect me to launch a surprise attack with three thousand heavily armored cavalry. If we can press on and bravely charge into the Tang army's marching ranks before they can react, cutting them off, their morale will surely plummet! I only pray to the gods and Buddhas for a great victory in this battle, so that Li Ji will never dare to look at my Suzhou again!

As expected, another charge scattered the hundreds of Tang cavalry, leaving behind dozens of corpses. The remaining troops turned their horses and fled in disarray. The Tibetan army then fired from behind, killing dozens more.

Then, in the distance, Mang Re finally caught sight of the main force of the Tang army marching westward in droves along the main road, and couldn't help but gasp in shock...

According to scouts, the main force of the Tang army numbered around 30,000, with no fewer than 8,000 warhorses. Their marching formation resembled a long snake, stretching as far as the eye could see, seemingly connecting heaven and earth, like a giant dragon lying across the wilderness.

The flags were five colors, and the banners fluttered in the wind; the soldiers' uniforms, however, were quite uniform, especially since they all wore black headscarves, forming a dense, black mass that could exert a strong psychological pressure on the enemy...

Most importantly, as they charged forward, they witnessed the Tang army halt almost simultaneously. The spearmen slammed their spear shafts to the ground, while the swordsmen drew their swords from their waists. Their synchronized movements were awe-inspiring. Mang Re couldn't help but think to himself: "Well done, Li Ji! He has trained his troops well. Even when suddenly attacked, they remain calm. If we were to engage in a head-on confrontation, I have absolutely no chance of victory."

But no matter how calm I was, I was still two arrow-lengths away. The Tang soldiers were still in marching formation. Even if the soldiers turned to face the enemy, they couldn't stop the barbarian cavalry's charge. They would be pierced through in one blow, then ride back to continue their slaughter. To defend against the attack, we had to switch to an enemy formation, arranging the long line into multiple square formations according to different troop types and weapons. Based on Mang Re's many years of experience leading troops, even under normal circumstances, with no psychological pressure on the soldiers, it would still take at least fifteen minutes.

Even if Li Ji's military skills far surpass mine, the quality and training of the Tang army are beyond my imagination. Half the time, half an hour at most! With half an hour, I could pierce through their formation twice!

And I doubt you can still form a proper battle formation after repeated clashes by my elite cavalry.

In particular, the Tang army's rear was the target of Mang Re's attack. Generally, the vanguard was more alert, while the rear was somewhat lax. He immediately spurred his horse, increasing its speed, and the three thousand barbarian cavalry following behind also accelerated, determined to completely crush the Tang army in front of them.

They were getting closer and closer, 150 paces, 100 paces, 50 paces... Sure enough, the speed at which the Tang army changed formation was not beyond Mang Re's expectations. Moreover, it was obvious that as the barbarian cavalry approached, the originally orderly ranks began to fall into chaos. Many soldiers, under heavy psychological pressure, stumbled and dragged down their comrades, causing them to bump into each other and crowd together, making the change of formation even slower.

The barbarian cavalry had already drawn their bows, ready to unleash a volley of arrows, but at that moment, a group of Tang cavalry suddenly emerged from the infantry and charged forward. The barbarian cavalry immediately changed their target, and with a furious roar, hundreds of arrows rained down on the enemy cavalry.

However, they failed to achieve their goal because although this Tang cavalry was small in number, only a few hundred men, their equipment was just as good as that of the Tibetan cavalry under Mang Re. They often had several arrows stuck in their bodies, but they showed no signs of weakness—it is estimated that none of them were able to penetrate, or at most they only grazed the skin.

Mang Re brandished his spear and roared, "Kill! Let's see how many hundreds of your riders can hold me back for even a blink of an eye!"

Chapter 52, The Valiant Cavalry of Hexi

Li Ji couldn't stand the army of that era. There was no uniform at all; the colors and styles varied, and many of the clothes didn't fit properly, making them look so sloppy...

Because under the original conscription system, most soldiers had to provide their own armor and weapons, making uniformity impossible. Even in the era of recruitment or hereditary soldiers, most soldiers were veterans of long marches, and their clothing, food, and utensils were all provided by the government. The government would at most issue standard weapons and armor, but as for clothing, only silk and cloth were issued, leaving the soldiers to find someone to sew it themselves.

Even though swords, spears, armor, and bows and crossbows are called standard equipment, they ultimately come from different workshops, and some are even purchased from outside, so it is difficult for them to be exactly the same.

Of course, everyone knows the benefits of uniform equipment. If an army were to line up with identical uniforms, armor, and weapons, their morale would be greatly boosted, and the enemy would be terrified. As a result, many military governors standardized the uniforms and equipment of their personal guards, and generals with spare funds were also happy to organize one or two elite personal guard units in the same way.

However, Li Ji couldn't standardize the uniforms of all the soldiers in the town... mainly because productivity was low in those days, and tailoring clothes for tens of thousands of soldiers would be a huge and costly undertaking. Besides, there weren't enough fabrics of different batches in the warehouse that were basically the same in color and texture.

It wasn't until Jing Jiang escorted Jiao Xiwang to Liangzhou that Li Ji saw that he was still wearing a red handkerchief tied over his turban as before, and then he suddenly realized—if we can't unify the clothes, we can unify the headwear first. It looks neat and beautiful, and it will help boost morale, won't it?

Back when Li Ji first met Lao Jing in Ding'an, the man was wearing a red headscarf. He told Li Ji that this was a custom of the Guanzhong Shence Army, from which he came, to boost morale and intimidate the enemy. Even now, after the Shence Army entered the capital and was reorganized and expanded, this custom has remained unchanged. Dou Wenchang, the lieutenant of the Shence Army, even petitioned Emperor Li Yu, suggesting that all six armies of the Northern Army should wear red headscarves, and that troops from other garrisons should be prohibited from imitating them, in order to demonstrate the might of the Imperial Guard.

Li Yu naturally granted the request.

In those days, not all soldiers could afford helmets. Even Li Ji, who had received so much funding from merchants, might go bankrupt if each soldier had a helmet. Generally, in an army, whether infantry or cavalry, at most 20% were heavily armed, and the rest were lightly armed. Therefore, the common equipment for lightly armed infantry was:

Wearing a turban, a narrow-sleeved short jacket, long trousers, and a leather body armor to protect the front and back, with ropes tied around the sides, and hemp shoes on the feet.

Heavy infantry, on the other hand, not only wore helmets, but also shoulder armor, and might even have armored skirts. They also mostly wore leather boots instead of hemp shoes.

Even for heavily armored infantry and cavalry, it was unnecessary to wear helmets all day while marching, as they were heavy, obstructed vision, and always had to be covered by a turban underneath.

So Li Ji decided to standardize the headwear, but unfortunately red was no longer an option. What color should they use then? Green headscarves were out of the question—although in those days, the term "green hat" didn't refer to a cuckold. After much thought, the simplest solution was black.

When he was in Shanzhou, he heard a legend at Laoya Gorge: when Geshu Han was stationed in Longyou, his troops were all clad in black helmets and armor, riding black horses and fighting with black cavalry. They were invincible in every battle and were feared by the barbarian bandits, who called them the "Crow Soldiers"—it's probably just Geshu Han's personal guards, not the entire army. From this, Li Ji felt that black was a very useful color for battle.

More importantly, the dyeing technology of that era was relatively backward, and many colors were difficult to dye and expensive. Just by looking at the colors of the clothes worn by high-ranking officials, you could tell which colors of fabric were expensive. First was bright yellow, then purple, and then bright red. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, because the crown prince wore yellow, commoners were forbidden to wear yellow. But in fact, the crown prince's yellow robe was actually ochre yellow, almost a dull earthy yellow, and it really couldn't be dyed the bright yellow of later generations.

However, the black dyeing technique was quite advanced, so commoners basically wore black and white. Li Ji ordered tens of thousands of black handkerchiefs to be dyed and uniformly given to soldiers to wrap their heads. This was a relatively easy task to accomplish, and his subordinates were unlikely to object, saying that the Grand Commandant was too concerned with appearances and was being too wasteful.