Outside Yanqi City, the Uyghur camp.
The Uyghur Khan, Guli Peiluo, sat firmly in the central command tent, with one knee kneeling before him—Azhar, the Uyghur's foremost military general, who had just returned from Yanqi City.
At this moment, Hazard reeked of alcohol, but his mind was unusually clear.
The trip to Yanqi City left Azhar with lingering fear, but also strengthened his resolve to take Yanqi City and capture the garrison commander Tan Li alive.
This cunning old fox had the mighty Uyghur's number one general in the palm of his hand from the very beginning.
"Khan, this humble general is willing to serve as the vanguard commander in the siege, and will lead the army to attack the city first thing tomorrow morning!"
At this moment, Azhar, his eyes flashing with fierce determination, volunteered to Gulipeiro, saying, "This humble servant has already thoroughly investigated the situation of the garrison in Yanqi City."
"Within Yanqi City, the Anxi border army numbers only about 20,000, while the city's inhabitants number over 50,000. Moreover, at least a month ago, the city's reserves of daily necessities such as fresh fruits and vegetables, tea bricks, and fine salt were already exhausted!"
"If it weren't for the Han scoundrel Chen Huai'an leading a large army to reinforce Yanqi City from afar, our Uyghur army would have only needed to besiege the city for three months, and Yanqi City would have fallen without a fight!"
After a pause, Azhar continued, "Tan Li, the commander of the garrison in this city, has made up his mind to fight against my Uyghur army to the end, and there is absolutely no possibility of him surrendering!"
"This humble general is willing to lead the army to attack the city, and hopes that the Khan will grant his permission!"
After saying that, Hazard, who was kneeling on one knee, buried his head deeply.
Inside the main tent, Gulipeiro's aged face showed no change in expression; he simply said, "I, the Khan, grant permission!"
"The army will attack the city first thing tomorrow morning!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Upon hearing this, Hazard raised his head with delight, his eyes filled with longing and greed.
After Azar left satisfied, only Gulipeiro and the maidservants attending him remained in the tent. He casually picked up a letter from the table in front of him and muttered to himself:
"It seems that on the road to the rise of the Uyghur Khanate and the domination of the Western Regions, this Khan will inevitably face a series of battles and bloodshed!"
The letter in Gulipelu was from a Uyghur general who was besieging the three towns of Kucha, Shule, and Khotan.
The letter informed them that the plan to persuade the Anxi border generals defending the three cities to surrender had completely failed, and that they would launch a strong attack on the three towns and achieve a swift victory, in accordance with the pre-war arrangements of Khan Guli Peiluo.
By attempting to persuade the three town commanders to surrender, Gulipe Luo overestimated his own influence and that of the 300,000-strong Western Region coalition army.
Which of the border generals who were able to garrison the four towns of Anxi was not a loyal and righteous man?
Even though they had lost contact with the Anxi General's Office and the imperial court, the four garrisons of Anxi, with their unyielding and indomitable generals like Tan Li, would never bow down to foreign powers.
This is the demeanor of a border general from a celestial empire, a land of propriety and etiquette.
Faced with an enemy force several times their size besieging the city, and in dire circumstances with a lack of food and clothing, they tried every possible means, but never once considered surrendering!
At the same time.
On the walls of Yanqi, the Anxi border troops on duty were in high spirits and full of energy.
Taking advantage of his half-drunk and half-awake state, General Tan Li wandered around the city walls, conducting an impromptu military review.
Calling it a military parade is an understatement; it would be more accurate to describe it as a heart-to-heart talk with the soldiers defending the city.
Tan Li climbed up the city gate tower and asked the border soldiers guarding the tower, "Brothers, is today's Laba porridge sweet? Is the fresh vegetable soup delicious?"
"sweet!"
"sweet!"
"sweet!"
"Delicious, delicious, delicious!"
The Anxi border soldiers on duty responded in unison.
Someone asked loudly, "General, I heard that you took out all the sweets in your house to treat the brothers to Laba porridge?"
"Yes, that's right!"
Tan Li didn't mince words, saying frankly, "Brothers, I haven't been able to give you a lively Laba Festival like in previous years. All I have left is this much power to give you a bowl of sweet Laba porridge!"
At this point, Tan Li's tone was tinged with sadness as he said, "Although I don't want to say it, as soldiers guarding the border, there are some things we must bravely stand up and face."
"This Laba Festival is very likely to be the last Laba Festival for me, and for everyone here."
"Therefore, this general did not hesitate to let spies from the Uyghur enemy army outside the city into the city, just so that the brothers could have a bowl of fresh vegetable soup."
"If I'm not mistaken, the Uyghurs outside the city will begin their attack early tomorrow morning."
Tan Li paused, then his tone suddenly became sharp, and he raised his arm and shouted, "Brothers, we're about to go to war! War means death! Are you afraid?"
"Don't be afraid!"
"Don't be afraid!"
"Don't be afraid!"
On the city wall, the soldiers of the Anxi border army responded in unison, their eyes fixed on their commander Tan Li on the city gate tower with fervent and unwavering gaze.
Seeing this army commander who spared no expense and even risked danger to ensure that the 20,000 Anxi border troops in the city could have a bowl of sweet Laba porridge and a bowl of long-awaited fresh vegetable soup, I couldn't help but feel moved.
"This general is not afraid!"
On the city wall, Tan Li smiled and said, "Because being afraid is useless!"
Ha ha!
Upon hearing this, the border soldiers couldn't help but smile knowingly.
Tan Li continued, "Outside the city, the ruthless Uyghurs won't stop attacking just because we're afraid."
"We will not spare our fellow countrymen and comrades in the city just because we are afraid!"
"on the contrary--"
Tan Li abruptly changed the subject, saying sternly, "If we show cowardice or fear on the battlefield, it will only embolden the Uyghurs and make them swing their swords even harder to slash and assassinate our comrades!"
"Brothers of the Anxi Border Army, a great battle is imminent. We have no choice, and we cannot retreat!"
“If we retreat, the people of Yanqi will be slaughtered by the Uyghurs; our wives, daughters and sisters will be violated and defiled by the Uyghurs; and the battle flag of our Anxi Border Army, which has flown over Yanqi for more than 30 years, will surely be broken!”
Clang!
As he spoke, Tan Li suddenly drew his sword and raised it high above his head.
The blade gleamed with a cold, clear light under the moonlight.
Tan Li said, word by word, "Fellow soldiers of the Anxi border army, I, in my capacity as the garrison commander of Yanqi and the deputy commander of the border army, am issuing you this order—"
"Once the siege begins, it will be a war to the death with the Uyghurs. Even if only one person remains, we will continue to fight the Uyghurs to the bitter end and defend the honor of the Anxi Border Army to the death!"
"In this battle, I have only one request for you—that is to demonstrate the might of our Anxi border army and let the arrogant Uyghurs see clearly who truly is the master of Yanqi City!"
"General, you are mighty!"
"The border troops are mighty!"
"mighty!"
"mighty!"
"mighty!"
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