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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 242 Jingyang
Xieli Khan had a point; the Turkic people had dealt with the Central Plains Dynasty for many years, with both sides taking turns gaining the upper hand, each striving to weaken the other.
Thus, the upper echelons of Turkic were relatively well-informed about the situation in the Central Plains.
However, Tongye Hu countered, "If we continue fighting, what will we gain? Right now, over a hundred thousand Tang soldiers are firmly blocking our advance here, and the route back to the grasslands is constantly being harassed.
We are isolated and cannot afford to take more risks."
With both Khans expressing their views, the Turkic nobles below also voiced their opinions, with a majority generally in favor of retreating.
Although they did not achieve the expected benefits this time, at least they did not suffer any losses. They could return to the grasslands and wait for the next opportunity.
Yet Xieli Khan threatened, "Do not forget the lessons from the Sui Dynasty. If we give the Central Plains even a moment to breathe, they will grow strong in no time. At that point, we will find ourselves at a disadvantage and forced to submit."
Tongye Hu dismissed this concern: "But similarly, they will soon fall into internal strife; that is the fate of the Central Plains. We just need to lie in wait like wolves—strike when they are weak and retreat when they are strong."
At that moment, Gelorud addressed his Khan: "Great Khan, I have failed in my mission this time and have returned in such a sorry state. I wish to go back to the grasslands and recuperate in beautiful Qianquan City."
Xieli Khan frowned: "We have not yet achieved victory, and your men are eager to return to safety. When did we Turkic become so weak?"
If it were anyone else, Xieli would not need to speak; Tongye Hu would discipline them himself. However, since Gelorud was his uncle, he ignored Xieli and nodded in agreement.
This made both Khans reluctant to discuss further because the benefits of advancing southward were no longer clear. Each had their own calculations, making it difficult for them to reach a consensus.
Tongye Hu was already preparing to withdraw his troops while Xieli wanted to delay things further, hoping to keep the Central Plains Emperor's direct Troops tied up here. Perhaps those connected with them could turn the tide.
Ultimately, their objectives for sending troops were different. Tongye Hu was simply dissatisfied with how the Tang Dynasty was undermining Western Turkic's rule over various states in the western regions. He also did not want the Tang Dynasty to sit back and watch as they fought each other to mutual destruction.
On the other hand, Xieli was deeply wary of Li Jian Cheng. The events of that year left a lasting impression on him, especially since the Tang Dynasty was still supporting Princess Yicheng's son as the Turkic Khagan, which threatened his rule's foundation.
Thus, seeing no benefits to be gained, Tongye Hu wished to retreat and continue enjoying life in the western regions while Xieli desperately needed to defeat the Tang Dynasty to gain prestige.
Starting from the next day, Xieli Khan no longer hesitated to deploy his Troops, actively commanding them as vanguards to engage in battle with the Tang forces.
Seeing this, Tongye Hu was not in a hurry to leave. He ordered his subordinates to hold the line and watched with pleasure as the two armies fought fiercely.
However, both sides still sent spies southward to investigate whether the Tang Dynasty was truly gathering an army of hundreds of thousands. If not, they would let it go; if so, they would retreat before the large army arrived.
Their attention was entirely drawn to the southern troops, but they did not notice that the Duke of Wei, Li Jing, had quietly arrived behind them.
To prevent the Western Turkic from discovering him, Li Jing brought only twenty thousand men and advanced in batches, with only a thousand riders by his side.
Riding General Su Dingfang said, "Wei Gong, the Turks know they are deep in enemy territory, so they have sent many scouts and are always on guard against attacks from behind. It will be difficult for us to find an opportunity, and our troops are too few."
Li Jing pointed out, "When we set up camp, we will be as solid as a fortress, but when we withdraw, vulnerabilities will naturally appear. We just need to wait; as for troops, they will come in due time."
In Xu Shijie's tent, an imperial envoy arrived with a secret letter. After reading it, Xu Shijie immediately burned it and said, "Please report back to His Majesty that I will comply with the orders."
Starting the next day, facing Xieli Khan's fierce offensive, the Tang army began to show signs of fatigue, suffering more defeats than victories and gradually retreating.
Eventually, the Turks noticed that the once formidable generals of the Tang army mysteriously stopped appearing, replaced by mediocre leaders.
The Turks interrogated several captured Tang soldiers from recent days; seven or eight willing to speak were brought to the two Khans' tent.
"General Wang, General Du, and General Yang have all been ordered by the Grand General to be captured and sent back to the capital in chains. It is rumored that they conspired to rebel. Besides them, many other generals have been ordered not to act without permission while waiting for orders from the court."
Xieli Khan laughed after hearing this: "As expected, Central Plains people are always like this. In the face of a great enemy, they still prioritize eliminating their rivals."
Thus, Xieli Khan continued to intensify his offensive. The Tang army indeed could not withstand the pressure and retreated in disarray, leaving behind numerous supplies that were scarce for the Turkic forces.
Unfortunately, there were not many provisions left. According to previous agreements, Xieli took half of the supplies without hesitation and left only some scraps for Tongye Hu.
Afterward, he marched triumphantly southward and successfully attacked Jingyang, just a stone's throw away from Chang'an.
What delighted Xieli even more was that the nobles in Chang'an had finally reestablished contact with him. As long as they could besiege Chang'an, they would obtain everything they desired!
Compared to Xieli's greed, Tongye Hu had already sensed something was amiss and was preparing to withdraw his troops back to the Western Regions, having achieved the results he desired.
However, Xieli said to him, "If we cannot intimidate the Tang Dynasty, then we cannot withdraw our troops calmly. Wouldn't it be more dangerous to be pursued and intercepted on the way?
I have already ordered my Confidant to return and gather our Troops to support us. I assume you have also sent someone to prepare.
We currently have two hundred thousand Troops, with another hundred thousand waiting at the border to come south and assist us. What schemes should we fear?"
Tongye Hu pondered for a moment and asked, "What about the Million-Strong Army that the Central Plains Emperor mentioned?"
Xieli Khan laughed heartily, "Those Troops are still far away. Li Jian Cheng fears a mutiny among them and does not dare to gather them in one place. He can only let his Confidants assemble them in groups of thousands, waiting until they reach a million before coming, which could take quite some time."
Tongye Hu still felt uneasy, but Xieli's recent gains were truly enviable. He also hoped to obtain some tangible benefits and return in glory to showcase his achievements to the nations of the Western Regions.
Thus, Tongye Hu did not hesitate to commit more forces. However, the Tang army suddenly became much more resilient, though neither of them paid it much mind. No matter what schemes were at play, a large force would not suddenly appear out of nowhere.
In the end, war depended on the combat strength of their Troops. The forces they commanded were indeed the elite among elites, which gave them confidence. In the worst-case scenario, they would simply abandon some Troops as a rear guard while they withdrew.
………………
(End of Chapter)
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