Chapter 29 Coercion
As expected, after the Western Fan army suffered a crushing defeat, the scouts ahead quickly discovered that they had retreated for dozens of miles before regrouping and were poised to make a comeback.
Not only that, the enemy's reinforcements have also arrived. Although they may be afraid of the strength of Beiting and Anxi and remain on hold for the time being, their momentum of advancing has already been revealed.
"The Crown Prince's western tour has a deadline, after all. While the enemy may be hesitant to act now, he'll eventually return to Chang'an, and the Beiting army will have to return to their base. By then, the Western Fan people won't simply be harassing the surrounding areas," Cui Fufeng discussed with Qian Deng and Qiuci. "Rather than remaining passive, it's better for our army to take the initiative while the Western Fan army hasn't yet established a firm foothold. If we can inflict heavy damage on the enemy's main force, recapture the border areas in a timely manner, and establish defenses, we'll be able to advance our strategic depth and lay a solid foundation for Qiuci, potentially safeguarding the northwest for the next several years, or even a decade."
"Fight! This battle must be fought!" Upon hearing his analysis, Yuchi Yiyao slammed the table and stood up, resolutely requesting to fight.
"This battle is for the security of our territory and to avenge the blood debt inflicted by the Western Barbarians on our Kucha royal family. Not only must we fight, but a decisive victory is essential to establish a stable future!" Grand Commandant Cheng Yi said, "We cannot rely solely on Kucha's strength to accomplish this. But with the combined strength of Beiting and Anxi, we believe we can lay a foundation for Kucha's stability. Everything depends on the Tang Dynasty!"
The strategy was agreed upon and each team followed the deployment. Kucha faced the vanguard, the Shuofang army was responsible for the main force to break it down, the Uighurs were responsible for covering the rear, and the veterans led by Ji Linyou were interspersed and coordinated to act flexibly.
After the fifth watch drum was struck, they prepared food and set out to go their separate ways.
Qiandeng watched the troops leave and waited for news in the temporary camp outside the city of Kucha.
Cui Fufeng saw her nervous expression and comforted her, "Don't worry. Other armies may encounter problems, but the Shuofang Army, led by Prince Linhuai himself, will easily defeat the Xifan forces."
"Yes, under such a situation of joint attack from all sides, the Western Fan army is not yet stable, so there is no need to worry. However..."
But she always felt vaguely uneasy in her heart, and she didn't know why.
What made Qiandeng uneasy was naturally the changes happening on the Uighur side.
Ji Linyou, who was in charge of the maneuver and coordination, had been keeping an eye on the movements of Mingjiu.
The Shuofang army ahead had already infiltrated the main camp. Having long fought against Qiuci, the Xifan army was very familiar with the surrounding terrain and stationed on the nearby high ground, commanding the enemy from above. An upward attack by the Shuofang army would naturally be difficult.
While keeping an eye on the Uighur army, Ji Linyou couldn't help but pay attention to the developments on the front line to see how the Shuofang army was going to deal with this terrain.
Soon, a raging fire and thick smoke suddenly rose from the forest, approaching the camp of the Western Fan army. The soldiers inside were immediately alarmed and rushed out to investigate.
The summer in Qiuci is very hot. After the forests are burned, the fire spreads rapidly upwards, and the people in the camp are suddenly in chaos. Even the most advantageous terrain will become a deadly place if it is caught in a sea of fire.
In this life-or-death situation, the soldiers could no longer bear to be restrained. Amidst the clamor and chaos, many scattered and fled. The officers of each group reluctantly shouted and ordered, but they finally gathered most of the troops and horses, and under the command of the commander, they broke through the weak point.
"The enemy forces are gathering in the north-east direction, and they are expected to break out from there." The veterans observed the fireworks that had not yet dissipated, and after finally seeing the movements clearly, they hurriedly reported to Ji Linyou.
Ji Linyou raised his hand and was about to lead them to encircle the defeated army, but suddenly he remembered something, and his hand stopped abruptly, and he reached into his pocket.
There was a military order there, which was given to him by the county lord before he set out, saying that he should take it out and check it when encountering any unusual movements in battle, and act according to the order.
He opened it and saw the following words: Encircle and suppress all enemy breakout directions, leaving only the north-east as a gap.
"So it was a loophole to lure the enemy." He was glad that he did not ignore the county lady's instructions, but then he felt depressed. They had clearly already formulated a strategy, but they even hid it from him. How unkind!
But thinking back on the last time they went to the palace to rescue her, the news unfortunately leaked out, causing the Western Barbarians to impersonate them and kill the Kucha royal family, almost wiping out their entire clan, so it was natural to keep the secret before the war.
He looked regretfully at the Western Fan troops to the northeast, then pointed backwards: "Let's go around to the rear, don't let these fat sheep get lost..."
Before he finished speaking, he frowned again.
The Western Fan Army, which thought it had found a weak point and was originally heading straight to the northeast, suddenly changed direction and turned to the rear.
"What's going on? Aren't there Uighur troops guarding over there? They just let the gap be torn open like that. Is Mingjiu such a loser?" He blurted out, then he remembered that his biggest mission was to keep a close eye on the Uighur movements, and he immediately thought to himself that something was wrong.
As expected, there was a loophole in the area under the responsibility of the Uighurs.
The Mingjiu, known as the rearguard, fired a single feint and then fled, allowing the Western Fan army to advance directly, tear open a gap, and pounce on the rear of Qiuci.
"Fortunately, we were prepared and knew you had bad intentions!"
Ji Linyou was shocked and angry. He saw that the Western Fan army was heading straight for the main camp, which was right behind Qian Deng. He quickly took the veterans and rushed over there to provide support.
"Tsk, are these Westerners any good?"
Ming Jiu sat on horseback, observing the situation. He pointed disapprovingly at Mei Lu beside him, "Didn't they seem quite capable in the past? How come they're being chased around by Ji Linyou and a few veterans now? We really overestimated them!"
"After all, the Western Fan army had just suffered a setback, and now reinforcements have arrived. They've just set up camp and are being quickly destroyed. It's hard to boost morale," Mei Lu said. "But I think Ji Linyou is an inexperienced young man, and the veterans have long neglected training and coordination. If the Western Fan army can regroup a bit, they won't suffer a real defeat."
"I hope they can hold out a little longer. I'm sure they'll be defeated by this small group of people," Ming Jiu said, turning his horse and heading back. "Hurry up, find the immortal pearl! The opportunity is fleeting. This time, I finally have the leverage!"
He rode his horse towards the camp and saw from a distance that a small group of Western Fan soldiers had indeed found an opening and were already charging towards the rear camp. Ming Jiu was overjoyed. Seeing Qian Deng and Cui Fufeng leaving the camp to check on the battle situation, he immediately drew his sword and shouted in Chinese: "Xianzhu, don't be afraid, I'm here to save you!"
The Uighurs were fierce and skilled in battle, and naturally, the small group of Western Fan soldiers was easily defeated by them. Mingjiu rushed straight towards Qiandeng. After dismounting, he exaggeratedly wiped the bloody knife on the sole of his shoe, then inserted it back into the sheath with a loud "swish" and asked, "Xianzhu, are you okay?"
Qiandeng looked at the situation in front of him and naturally knew what he was planning, so he did not answer.
Cui Fufeng asked, "Wasn't Prince Mingjiu so confident that he would cover the rear? Why does he seem to have failed?"
Mingjiu knew that too much talk would lead to mistakes, so to avoid being exposed, he naturally did not dare to talk to him. He just said to Qiandeng with a bitter face: "Hey, Xianzhu, I didn't expect the Western people to be so treacherous and cunning! I clearly predicted that they would steal something from the rear (sneak attack), but I didn't expect to underestimate their attack. I heard that Xianzhu was almost in danger, so I dropped everything and rushed to save you!"
"Thank you, Prince Mingjiu, for your concern. I'm relatively safe here, but your Uighur army was so easily defeated in one blow. This was truly beyond my expectations."
Hearing Qiandeng's words, Mingjiu felt completely humiliated and nearly blurted out an excuse to defend his dignity. Fortunately, Meilu gave him a sharp look, which made him bite his tongue and remain silent.
Qian Deng added, "It's alright, though. Ji Linyou has already led the old members of my father's clan to resist. Judging from the current situation, he can hold out for the time being."
Mingjiu couldn't help but sneer. "Ji Linyou, he's been on the battlefield many times and fought many battles. Although the Western Fan army is in disarray, they are elite troops. Can he handle them?"
Qian Deng stared at him, asking each word with emphasis, "How did you know that the Western Fan army was the elite? If so, why didn't you deploy them sooner?"
Mingjiu saw how perceptive she was and immediately understood her intentions. He secretly groaned inwardly, but appeared to be confident and self-righteous: "I only know this after the fight! Xianzhu, we Huihe people have suffered a great loss this time. I want to jump high on the terms we agreed with you!"
Now his true intention was exposed, and Qiandeng had no idea what he was planning. His eyes darkened slightly and he said nothing.
Mei Lu quickly chimed in, "County Lady, we Huihe and the Tang are close nephews. It's our natural duty to work together to repel the Western Fan. However, before the battle, we underestimated the strength of the Western Fan army, and now we've lost many soldiers. Although the prince is doing his best to help you and Kucha, he can't just stand by and watch his brothers take such a huge risk for so little reward..."
"So, the Huihe people are taking advantage of this opportunity to raise the price?"
After being exposed by Cui Fufeng's words, Mingjiu simply laid his cards on the table: "Really? Only if you raise the stakes will the brothers be willing to risk their lives."
Under such circumstances, the Uighurs wanted to threaten Qian Deng with war, and Qian Deng felt angry.
Cui Fufeng was already familiar with these tactics, and even curled his lips as he glanced at the battle ahead: "I wonder what conditions the Huihe will offer now?"
Mei Lu paused for a moment. "My Huihe people and Kucha have been cooperating for many years. As brothers, everything should be easy to discuss... Could the county lady represent Kucha now? Or perhaps invite the Grand Commandant and the Deputy Commandant here so we can discuss this together?"
Qian Deng said: "No need, the situation is critical now, let's make it short."
"Since the county lady is so straightforward, we won't beat around the bush. It's not easy for our soldiers to kill the enemy, so we hope that the Tang and Kucha can make some concessions on the captured enemy loot, not even half, but 40% will be enough. Also, regarding the two border towns bordering the Uighurs and Kucha, I'm afraid Kucha won't be able to take care of them properly given the current situation. We are willing to help and look after them until we have completely defeated the Western Barbarians, and then return them."
These conditions were similar to those offered to the Tang Dynasty during the Fengtian Incident. At that time, they also used the excuse of taking over due to war to allow them to plunder villages and towns recaptured on the border, causing great suffering to the people.
Negotiation is easy, return is difficult. The Tang Dynasty, thanks to the incident involving Mingjiu in Chang'an, found an opportunity to retake the lands seized by the Uighurs during the Fengtian Incident. Although Qiandeng was nearly plundered by the enraged Mingjiu, the dispute was ultimately resolved, and the deadline was met.
Now that Kucha has ceded its border town, it will be a long time before it can get it back, and there will never be another opportunity as good as the Tang Dynasty.
Qiandeng and Cui Fufeng looked at each other, and both of them, knowing the Huihe's intentions, did not speak.
Seeing they remained silent, Mingjiu grew anxious. The fighting opportunity ahead was fleeting. If the Western Barbarians couldn't hold out, all their bargaining chips would vanish into thin air. So, he quickly said, "Don't you Han people say that the whole sky is full of demons, and we capture the enemy for money (asking for exorbitant prices and paying them back on the spot)? Tell us what you want quickly. And that girl of destiny I mentioned last time, Xianzhu, remember to think about it. If they knew that the Huihe had a princess who was a perfect match, the soldiers would definitely be more motivated. They wouldn't have to recruit so many people from the border towns!"
Cui Fufeng chuckled, "Oh!" "So Prince Mingjiu wants the county lady to marry into the Uighur family before he'll help us?"
Meilu wanted to cover it up: "That's not the case..."
Mingjiu said, "That's not impossible."
Qian Deng looked back at the battle ahead, but before he could reply, a fast horse galloped up from the chaos, delivering new battle reports: "County Master, the Western Fan army that broke through the rear far exceeded our expectations. The Recorder and the veterans may not be able to hold out. Please prepare and withdraw from the camp as soon as possible to avoid a fall!"
Upon hearing the battle report, Mingjiu's mouth almost stretched to the back of his head. "Well, Xianzhu, you'd better run. Let's make it a deal—Cui Shaoqing, quickly call someone to write the July (contract)!"
Cui Fufeng said, "Why rush? The situation is still uncertain. It's not too late to wait and see."
"Not anxious yet? Are you anxious, Xianzhu? If you hesitate any longer, Ji Linyou and your grandfather's soldiers will be dead!"
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