"Then… General, should we refuse?" the guard hesitantly said.
"There's no need," the dignified general said. "Given that fellow's personality, he won't rest until he gets what he wants. We'll be receiving an endless stream of letters soon, and he might even make a personal visit to Tsongkha, and then we'll have a real problem on our hands. No one understands his personality more than me, and I know that he's capable of anything."
"!!!"
The guard was utterly flabbergasted, and he had no idea whether he should send the soldiers or not.
"Ha, but this time, he's played a lowly person in vain. The Tsenpo's letter has already arrived. Even without his request, I would have still transferred soldiers to him. Send a letter for me. Tell him that he doesn't need to worry about the soldiers. In three months, the first wave of eight thousand freshly-trained cavalry will be sent to the northern border. In addition, the Qinghai Soldiers he wants will be sent with them, but… only two thousand at most!
"The Qinghai Soldiers were specially selected from each army, and they all have extraordinary talent. Moreover, they cultivate the secret techniques passed down by the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple. This technique is extremely powerful but equally difficult to cultivate. They need at least two years to finish their training. We only have seven thousand in total here, and he alone wants five thousand. I might be the commanding general of the Tsongkha Zhangzhung Camp, but does he really treat this as part of our Dayan Clan?"
The dignified general's face was filled with derision, and his words had exposed his relationship to Dayan Mangban.
In the Ü-Tsang Empire, other than the Tsenpo, his Great Minister, and the other four Great Ministers, the greatest factions were the Dayan, Dusong, and the other two of the Four Great Clans. The Dusong Clan's Dusong Mangpoje was one of Ü-Tsang's Great Generals, and while the Dayan Clan had still not produced anyone of the Great General level, it had many brilliant individuals of the Brigadier General level.
'Dayan Pugyal' was one of them.
Although he did not possess as fierce a reputation as his cousin Dayan Mangban, able to uproot entire cities or countries and vanquish all the small kingdoms on Ü-Tsang's border, within the plateau, Dayan Pugyal's status was at times even greater than Dayan Mangban's.
Dayan Pugyal had sent countless soldiers to the Four Royal Lineages of Ü-Tsang, and the Four Kings and the Four Great Ministers all treated him with extreme courtesy and humility.
"Yes, your subordinate will do so!" the young guard hastily said, and prepared to leave.
"Wait!"
As if remembering something, Dayan Pugyal stopped the guard.
"Investigate that Great Tang youth called Wang Chong for me… Gather all the information about him, including his clan and background."
The guard was frozen for a moment before he responded, "Yes, General!" and left.
In the tent, Dayan Pugyal absent-mindedly watched the guard leave for a few moments, then he lowered his head, his eyes falling upon a map. This was a detailed map of the Ü-Tsang Empire, and it also included the surrounding countries, including Sindhu, the Western Regions, the Abbasid Caliphate, the Turks, and even the entirety of the Great Tang.
Dayan Pugyal scanned the map, and his gaze quickly fell upon a red dot near the northeast corner of Ü-Tsang.
Wushang!
This was where that Great Tang youth that was the focus of all Ü-Tsang was located. Dayan Pugyal had overseen Tsongkha for many years, but he had never seen a Tang attract the attention of so many people.
Dusong Mangpoje and Dayan Mangban had already gone to that place.
The Tsenpo had even broken with custom and sent a letter to Zhangzhung Training Camp requesting more soldiers for the northern border. Such a situation had never happened in Dayan Pugyal's life.
And all this was because of that youth called Wang Chong.
I really want to know… This Tang—just what sort of person is he?
Once this thought flitted through his mind, Dayan Pugyal quickly calmed down.
……
Crack!
A scimitar flashed through the air, slicing through thorns and tree branches. Whoosh! A green snake with a triangular head suddenly shot out of a nearby shrub.
But it was only able to make it three feet before a hand snatched it out of the air. A muscular thumb pressed down, and squish!Liquid splashed everywhere as the green snake's head splattered.
"Up!"
"Pay attention to the thorns on the side!"
"Vanguard, remember to clear away the stray stones on the ground for the warhorses."
"Keep up, keep up! Make sure to stay hidden! Don't get exposed!"
As the sky brightened in the east, nobody noticed that a force of five thousand cavalry was currently traveling through a lush mountain forest, advancing toward the plateau. This was an extremely narrow and winding path, a ribbon that extended from Longxi all the way to the towering Tibetan Plateau.
"Lord Marquis, how much longer do we have to climb?" Cheng Sanyuan whispered.
"For another hour, until about daybreak," Wang Chong said.
Sitting on his horse, he continually scanned the area. The surroundings were familiar, but not completely the same as he remembered. This was not his first time in this area, not his first time traveling this meandering path.
But it was clear that he was the first to discover this concealed path. In other words, this place was still unexplored, so it was covered in thorns and shrubs, and the trees on both sides had extended their gnarled branches. There was even the occasional venomous snake.
They had already killed several hundred such snakes. Another set of soldiers would have found it difficult to advance even an inch. But to the Wushang, who lived amongst lofty mountains and steep cliffs, this was child's play.
Not a single snake had been able to get close, much less get a chance to strike. In addition, the Wushang were extremely fast and efficient in cutting down and clearing away the thorns and brambles obstructing the path.
Normal soldiers were not capable of such feats.
Chapter 751: Before the Battle!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
"Inform General Huang Botian to pick up the pace and clear the path to the summit as quickly as possible," Wang Chong said.
"Yes, Lord Marquis."
"In addition, Zhang Que, have your eagle team keep the skies above of us clear of any surveillance birds."
"Yes, Lord Marquis."
As order after order was issued, the five thousand Wushang Cavalry moved with unprecedented efficiency and speed through the meandering path.
Whoosh! The gentle breezes brought with them the chill of the plateau. If one turned their heads at this moment, one would only see thick clouds. All the mountains had become extremely small, and even the Heaven Pillar Mountain that they had come through looked like an ant.
Starting from last night, they had already traveled along this path for eight to ten hours. The altitude was now around three to four thousand meters, and they weren't far from the plateau.
Time slowly passed as Wang Chong led his five thousand soldiers along this forgotten path, silently advancing toward the plateau. An hour later, a muscular Turkic warhorse neighed, its mane waving in the wind as it leapt onto the plateau.
One after another, countless Wushang Cavalry followed, stepping onto the plateau. The last was Wang Chong, his cape flapping in the wind.
We've finally arrived!
Wang Chong sat on his horse, allowing the winds to buffet him as he breathed the unique air of the Tibetan Plateau with a long sigh in his heart.
After so long, he had finally stepped onto the Tibetan Plateau for the first time since his reincarnation.
As Wang Chong raised his head to the sky, this scene began to meld with the scenes in his memories.
In his last life, Wang Chong had only been able to step onto the plateau after the calamity, but now that he had reincarna
ted, everything was foreordained to be different.
"Hahaha, Lord Marquis, we've finally stepped onto the Tibetan Plateau."
Around him, the soldiers couldn't help but heartily laugh as they took in the view.
From yesterday to now, Wang Chong had never indicated where the army was marching to. Now, when these soldiers stepped onto the plateau and saw these never-before-seen sights, they all felt a sincere admiration for Wang Chong.
Since ancient times, there were only four paths from the Great Tang into the Tibetan Plateau. The first was in the southwest, the Tea Horse Road guarded by Zhangchou Jianqiong. The second was the path guarded by Geshu Han in Longxi, the third was guarded by Fumeng Lingcha in Qixi, and the last was guarded by Gao Xianzhi and his Four Garrisons of Anxi.
There were no other paths except these four.
No one had expected that deep within the mountain forests of Longxi, another path had been hidden, and that Wang Chong would lead them through this hidden path to the Tibetan Plateau.
"Zhang Que, lead the way," Wang Chong said.
"Yes, Lord Marquis."
The excited Zhang Que immediately rode forward with his horse. Cree! With a sharp cry, that foot-long rock eagle stretched its wings and shot into the air.
"Hyah!"
The galloping warhorses left trails of dust as the soldiers quickly formed into ranks and followed behind the rock eagle, swiftly advancing into the Tibetan heartland.
A journey of several hundred li went by in a flash. The five thousand Wushang Cavalry showed no hesitation, drawing a straight line toward the Zhangzhung Recruit Traning Camp in Tsongkha.
Dawn was when people were at their most relaxed, the least on their guard. The army's progress of several hundred li attracted no notice. After several hours, creee! Sharp cries filled the air as rock eagles, gyrfalcons, and hunting hawks suddenly appeared in the air.
"Lord Marquis, we've been discovered. Those are the birds the Tibetans use for surveillance," Zhang Que nervously said as he looked up at the birds.
"It's fine. If they've discovered us, they've discovered us. There's no need for us to hide anymore."
Wang Chong looked up at the sky and smiled. He had already seen the dense mass of tents on the distant horizon. From the center of those tents rose a massive black banner, fluttering in the wind.
Tsongkha, Zhangzhung Recruit Training Camp!
Everything was exactly as he remembered. Not even that legendary Great Minister of Ü-Tsang could have possibly predicted that he would appear here.
"Get ready! We have a tough battle in front of us!"
Wang Chong gazed into the distance, a sharp light in his eyes.
……
Creee!
When Wang Chong's army appeared on the edge of Tsongkha and noticed the Tibetan surveillance birds, the Tibetans also noticed Wang Chong's army. A rock eagle flew into the large black tent in the center of the camp.
A guard in the tent kneeled on the ground and said, "Reporting! The scouts say that an unknown force has appeared on the outskirts!"
"Mm?"
Upon hearing the guard's report, Dayan Pugyal frowned, his expression turning gloomy.
"What nonsense are you saying? Where did an unknown force come from? This is the heartland of Ü-Tsang! How could someone bypass our defensive lines and get so deep? Look again and see if they aren't our soldiers before coming back to report to me!"
"Yes, your subordinate will do so."
The guard also had a rather ashamed expression. This was the interior of Ü-Tsang, with Tibetans everywhere. How could some unknown force appear? At most, it would just be some nearby herdsmen or cavalry who happened to be passing by.
Those scouts and cavalry on the perimeter were being far too cautious.
The guard left quickly and returned just as quickly. The second rock eagle had arrived with news, causing the guard to rush back into the tent.
"General, more information has come in. A force of cavalry has truly appeared on our perimeter. We dispatched people to speak with them, but none of them have returned. In addition, the force has dispatched some extremely formidable individual to eliminate our eyes in the sky."
"What?"
Dayan Pugyal's expression flickered as he finally raised his head from his desk.
This was a recruit training camp for the Ü-Tsang Empire. If these were just nearby herdsmen or some other soldiers, they would never try to eliminate the training camp's birds, much less attack the people sent out from the training camp.
"Let me take a look!"
Dayan Pugyal sensed that something was wrong. Standing up and walking around his desk, he quickly left for the edge of the camp.
Creee!
Dayan Pugyal had just walked out of his tent when he suddenly heard a screech from overhead. Raising his head, he saw a green hawk plummeting out of the sky. It thudded into the ground several steps from Dayan Pugyal, its bones shattering and its body pulverized into a lump of meat.
Creee!
Above Dayan Pugyal, a rock eagle that was clearly much smaller than normal flapped its wings and contentedly flew off.
At this moment, Dayan Pugyal's face was twisted into the nastiest of grimaces.
This was a naked challenge. No matter what sort of people were in that force, they definitely weren't Tibetan. Dayan Pugyal gloomily watched as the rock eagle flew back toward the horizon.
Over there, Dayan Pugyal finally spotted the enemy forces the guard spoke of. A black tide seemed to be surging out of the horizon, rushing toward the camp.
"Reporting! Lord General, the scouts have confirmed the identity of the enemy force. They are not a Tibetan force, but a Tang army."
"What?!"
Even though Dayan Pugyal had mentally prepared himself, these words still made his body shudder.
The Tang? How had they ended up here? How had they circumvented the defensive lines without anyone noticing?
"Someone, go and see how many soldiers they have!" Dayan Pugyal hurriedly said.
"Yes, General!"
The Tibetan guards quickly took off and returned very quickly. At such close distances, it was extremely easy to determine the size of the enemy force.
"Reporting to General, their numbers have been determined. There are five thousand Tang, all cavalry, currently heading in our direction."
"Five thousand?"
Dayan Pugyal had a solemn expression at first, but upon hearing the number, he quickly sneered.
"Just a trifling five thousand cavalry dares to come so deep into the plateau. They're seeking death!
"Pass on my order! Gather all the troops and prepare for battle!"
Dayan Pugyal's pupils constricted as he gave the order to get ready.
Although Zhangzhung was a recruit training camp, there were more than twenty thousand soldiers gathered here, and a significant portion of this were the formidable Qinghai Soldiers!
No matter who these people were or how they had avoided the defenses, if they believed that they could deal with Zhangzhung Recruit Training Camp with just five thousand soldiers, then they had lost their minds!
He would let them know why the Tibetans were the true masters of the plateau.
Bwooom!
Once Dayan Pugyal gave the order, the long and plaintive yak horns began to blow, resounding over the training camp. The camp quickly came to life, horses galloping as the Tibetan soldiers gathered. War drums banged, and the relaxed Zhangzhung Recruit Training Camp began to seethe with killing intent, a fiendish aura beginning to emerge.
Neeeigh! Boomboom! As warhorses neighed and war drums beat, the skies over Tsongkha became fraught with tension, and the smell of war filled the air.
Chapter 752: First Battle! I
Chapter 752: First Battle! (I)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
"Lord Marquis, the Tibetans have discovered us and are quickly forming up!"
On the steppe, Li Siye galloped be
hind Wang Chong, his gaze cold, his expression as calm and steady as a mountain, as if nothing could ever move him.
"It's fine. Let them form up!"
Wang Chong grinned and raised an arm. Suddenly, the galloping Wushang Cavalry stopped, coming to a complete halt within a single second. All five thousand moved in unison, making no error, as orderly as if they were all part of a single person.
'Strike like fire; be as immovable as a mountain.' In these aspects, Wang Chong's five thousand soldiers were so well-trained that even Fumeng Lingcha's most elite infantry could only sigh in praise.
Bwoooom!
As the mournful horns blew, attracting the attention of Wang Chong's forces, the Tibetans reacted very quickly. In the short time since their birds had discovered Wang Chong's forces, all the Tibetans had formed up, and even those bare-chested blacksmiths had put on armor and joined the ranks. Thousands of Tibetan soldiers, mounted on the renowned highland steeds, were charging toward Wang Chong's forces with a momentum that could knock over mountains, stirring a massive cloud of dust in their wake.
In front of this sea of Tibetan cavalry, the five thousand Wushang seemed like the light of a firefly in the face of the bright moon.
"Milord, the enemy's soldiers far exceed ours!" Li Siye's voice came from the side, tinged with the slightest hint of concern.
"Mm. They do have many more than us," Wang Chong lightly said, but his face showed no change of emotion. Tsongkha's Zhangzhung Recruit Training Camp should have had around twenty thousand recruits, and if one added onto that the regular soldiers guarding the camp, this number climbed to twenty-five or twenty-six thousand. In pure numbers, they were five times the size of the Tang force.
In addition, the Tibetans were naturally courageous and pugnacious people, so even though these were recruits, they were not one bit inferior in terms of bravery or strength to regular soldiers of other countries. They could not be thought of as just simple recruits.
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