Looking at the young man, at the unwillingness, longing, and determination in his eyes, Wu Shangzhi suddenly thought of himself three years ago.
That young man who struggled to survive in the harsh borderlands, yearning to make a name for himself.
"General, you mustn't!" Guo Luo sensed that Wu Shangzhi was wavering, so he whispered behind him, "The Dangxiang people are fickle; there might be a trap!"
Shi Yong also advised, "General Wu, the Grand General is waiting for your return; we cannot delay!"
Wu Shangzhi pondered for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Meicang Epang, do you have anyone in your troops who can speak the language of Dayin?"
"have!"
"Send him to see me."
Before long, an old man wearing a sheepskin coat came to the front of the formation and said in broken Chinese: "This old man, Li Wenchang, greets the general."
“Mr. Li, let me ask you,” Wu Shangzhi looked directly at the old man, “how much tea and how much salt do the Tangut people lack now?”
Li Wenchang was taken aback, then said, "I dare not lie to the general. From last winter until now, our troops have been without tea for three months. We only have less than a hundred catties of salt left, and it is really difficult to supply 20,000 troops."
"Why not purchase it from the Liangzhou government?"
"I beg you," Li Wenchang said with a bitter smile. "General Zhang Zan of Liangzhou said that the funds and provisions allocated by the imperial court have not arrived, and there is nothing he can do. We... are truly at our wits' end."
Wu Shangzhi remained silent.
He believed the old man's words.
He knew Zhang Zan well; he was an upright general who wouldn't deliberately withhold funds.
The imperial court is currently focused on the war in the Central Plains, and it is likely that it will be unable to attend to the allocation of funds and provisions in the Northwest.
"General," Mozang Ebang shouted from afar, "I know you're eager to return east. How about this—you take my two thousand cavalry, and I'll give you five thousand warhorses! They're all fine horses raised at the foot of the Qilian Mountains, capable of traveling three hundred li a day!"
Five thousand warhorses!
Wu Shangzhi's heart skipped a beat.
The army was returning east, and what they lacked most were warhorses.
The horses brought from the Western Regions are exhausted; if we could have five thousand fresh horses to replace them...
But he remained outwardly calm: "How can I believe you if it's just talk?"
Mo Cang E Pang dismounted, planted his spear in the ground, unfastened his sword, and held it up with both hands:
"I, Mucang, swear to the heavens that if General Wu takes me in, my two thousand men will fight to the death! If we have any disloyal intentions, may we be struck down by heaven and earth!"
The blood oath of the men of the grasslands weighs more than a thousand pounds.
Wu Shangzhi finally nodded: "Alright, I'll accept you. But there are three conditions."
"General, please speak!"
"First, there are only Yin troops in the army, no Dangxiang troops. Everyone will be dispersed and incorporated into various battalions, and will obey my orders."
"Second, I will accept the warhorses, but they will be valued at market price, and I will provide them with money and provisions after the war."
“Third,” Wu Shangzhi stared at Mozang Epang, “you will come with me into the Central Plains. If you achieve merit in battle, I will certainly petition the Grand General to grant the Dangxiang people the treatment they deserve. But if you dare to harbor any disloyal thoughts…”
He drew his sword and swung it, and a rock beside him split open.
"Just like this stone!"
Mei Zang E Pang knelt on one knee: "Yes, sir!"
That night, two thousand Tangut cavalrymen joined Yin's army.
Wu Shangzhi indeed scattered them and reorganized them into various camps.
Mei Zang E Pang himself remained in the central army, serving as the captain of Wu Shangzhi's personal guards—both a sign of important appointment and a means of surveillance.
The five thousand warhorses greatly inspired the entire army.
The tired old horse was replaced, and the new horse, though still wild and untamed, was strong and healthy, making it a good steed for long-distance runs.
Looking at all this, Shi Yong was still somewhat worried: "General Wu, should we report this matter to the Grand General?"
“Of course we must report.” Wu Shangzhi looked eastward. “But it’s too late now. The General is waiting for us in Dengzhou, and we must get there as soon as possible.”
He paused for a moment: "Besides, you should trust those you employ and not employ those you don't trust. Since we've taken them in, we should treat them with sincerity."
Shi Yong seemed to understand, but he nodded nonetheless.
......
Three days later, the army arrived in Zhangye.
The garrison commander had already prepared provisions, but upon hearing that Wu Shangzhi had incorporated the Dangxiang people, he was greatly alarmed: "General! The Dangxiang people are fickle, you..."
"I know the situation," Wu Shangzhi waved his hand. "How is the war in the Central Plains?"
The garrison commander then remembered his important task and hurriedly took out a secret letter: "The General has issued an urgent order! Please be sure to arrive at the outskirts of Luoyang before the tenth day of the third month!"
Wu Shangzhi opened the letter and saw that it was written by Zhao Muyun himself: "The Western Regions are pacified, Jingzhou and Xiangyang have surrendered, Hebei is pacified, and Yunzhou is secure. All four tasks have been accomplished, and we await your return. On the fifteenth of the third month, we will fight a decisive battle in the Central Plains. I look forward to your swift arrival."
The letter was short, but every word carried immense weight.
Wu Shangzhi put away the letter and looked towards the eastern horizon.
As dawn breaks, it illuminates the snow-capped Qilian Mountains.
"Order the entire army to rest and reorganize in Zhangye for one day. The day after tomorrow, advance eastward at full speed!"
General, this humble general...
We'll be there soon.
......
On the first day of the third lunar month, in the Hexi Corridor, outside Guazhou City.
The setting sun, like blood, reflected the mottled bloodstains on the city wall.
Guo Xiaoti leaned against the battlements, looking at the dark mass of Tuyuhun cavalry outside the city, a bitter feeling rising in his throat.
Five thousand defenders fought fiercely for three days, their arrows nearly exhausted, and their logs and stones depleted. Meanwhile, the enemy outside the city still numbered at least twenty thousand.
"General, the east gate is about to fall!"
The captain, his face covered in blood, rushed in, shouting, "More than half our men are dead or wounded, and three watchtowers have collapsed..."
Guo Xiaoti gritted his teeth: "Demolish the houses! Take the roof beams and use them as logs, and the bricks and stones as boulder!"
"General, the people have already demolished more than thirty houses..."
"Then tear down my General's Mansion!" Guo Xiaoti roared. "Tell the people that if the city falls, no one will survive! Demolish the houses today, and after the war, I, Guo Xiaoti, will sell everything I own to build new ones for them!"
The captain accepted the order with tears in his eyes and left.
Guo Xiaoti looked eastward.
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