Chapter 130: Striking First

"Who would have thought that while the Great Sui is riddled with holes, Li Wenyuan alone is still thinking of expanding its territory instead of slaughtering his own kind on Sui soil like those traitors?" Yang Guang set down the newspaper in his hand and spoke to the censor standing before him.

"Superintendent Li excels at pacifying the people in the Western Regions; those under his governance live in peace and prosperity. He also handled the arrival of the two hundred thousand refugees displaced by the recent prophecy with great care, sparing the people of the Great Sui from the ravages of war. While his achievements appear immense, had Your Majesty not defied the opinions of many to appoint him as the Superintendent of the Western Regions, he, a mere junior officer, would have had no capacity to accomplish such things." The censor, sensing a trace of displeasure in Yang Guang’s tone, hurriedly offered this counsel. This official was none other than the same censor whom Li Wenyuan had banqueted repeatedly; as the saying goes, one who eats another's food must speak in their favor, and naturally, he felt compelled to defend Li Wenyuan.

"How is your investigation into that prophecy coming along?" Yang Guang asked.

The censor, knowing that the prophecy Yang Guang referred to was the one widely circulated in the north—"The King of the Western Regions, no taxes to pay"—lowered his head and replied, "Your Majesty is wise. Prophecies are always as elusive as smoke, making their origins difficult to trace. We have been incompetent and have only discovered that the prophecy first began to circulate in the lands of Qi and Lu. As for who is responsible, it is still unknown. However, based on our inferences, it is likely a two-pronged scheme by someone wishing to weaken the military recruitment pool in the Qi and Lu regions while simultaneously using these refugees to drain the welfare and grain policies implemented by Superintendent Li in the Western Regions. But as for the specific culprit, it remains unclear."

"Li Yuan. It must be him. Only he would employ such underhanded and despicable tactics," Yang Guang said with hateful intensity. This Li Yuan had worn such a perfect mask in front of him, making him believe that he could truly keep him under control. Who would have thought that he would be the one to have the last laugh, even enthroning his favorite imperial grandson and honoring him as the Retired Emperor? He was not yet so senile that he needed to abdicate, and even if he were to abdicate, it would not be the place of a mere Garrison Commander of Taiyuan to support such a move.

Yet, this time, Yang Guang had wronged Li Yuan. The prophecy had been spread by Li Wenyuan himself, with the sole purpose of further bolstering the population and labor force of the Western Regions to increase its war potential. Judging by the current pace of development, it would have taken twenty years to meet his expectations, but time waited for no one, forcing Li Wenyuan to take such a desperate gamble. Fortunately, Li Yuan had taken the blame, bearing the brunt of Yang Guang’s fury.

Returning to the Western Front, following the recitation of oaths and the offering of sacrifices, three cannon shots rang out. Zhang Juntai personally slaughtered a live bird to consecrate the flags. At midday, the entire force of five legions on the Western Front broke camp and marched toward the territory of the Western Turkic Khaganate. The movements of such a large army were impossible to conceal, and since Zhang Juntai had no intention of doing so, the news reached the ears of Shegui Khagan immediately.

"You say the state of Gaochang is being besieged by the Han army?" Shegui Khagan asked the man from Gaochang before him. This man was a trusted aide to Qu Boren, having risked his life to break out of the city before the encirclement was complete to seek reinforcements from the Khagan.

"How much longer can Qu Boren hold out?" the Khagan asked.

"The armies of my state of Gaochang are currently serving under your command, Great Khan. The city of Gaochang is on the brink of collapse; I beg you, Great Khan, to rescue us quickly!" The envoy was nearly in tears.

"I understand. You may go and rest," Shegui Khagan waved his hand impatiently, and the warriors in the tent dragged the man out.

"These damned Han people, why are they always one step ahead of me? The armies of the various allied tribes are not yet familiar with one another. If we march now, we risk the Han finding our weaknesses and defeating us one by one," the Khagan said, his head throbbing as he turned to his advisor, a man from Ankang. The people of Ankang were known for their commercial acumen; having traveled far and wide, they were broad-minded and quick-witted, which was why the Khagan had chosen him as a strategist.

"These are not problems, Great Khan. As long as you command in person, the tribal leaders will obey your orders. With you as the central link, there will be no danger of being defeated in detail," the advisor replied.

"And what of the Tiele and Tokhara tribes currently rushing here?" the Khagan asked.

"You can order them to march directly to the state of Gaochang to rendezvous with the main force. The state of Gaochang is already full of Han people, and its ruler is a Han himself. If we delay, there is no guarantee that those weak-willed Han will not choose to surrender," the advisor said gravely.

"Qu Boren of Gaochang will not surrender, but you are right. There are many Han there, and one cannot be sure what might happen. To avoid further complications, we shall march now," Shegui Khagan said, standing up.

Following the Khagan’s orders, a coalition force consisting of over thirty thousand Turkic troops and seventy thousand warriors from various allied tribes set out toward Gaochang. In the campaign against Gaochang, Zhang Juntai had concentrated all three of his legions for a surprise attack. Thanks to Qu Boren’s loyalty to the Western Turks, the vast majority of the elite troops within Gaochang had been drafted into Shegui Khagan’s service, leaving behind mostly the old, the weak, and the disabled. Under the fierce assault of Zhang Juntai’s forces, in just three days, the counties of Jiaohe, Tiandi, and Nanping—excluding the city of Gaochang itself—were all captured, completely severing the city’s links to the outside world. Gaochang had officially become an isolated island.

"General, Shegui is personally leading the main force of the coalition toward us," a scout reported to Zhang Juntai.

"Understood. Have the weapons and armor seized from the Gaochang soldiers been tallied?" Zhang Juntai asked.

"Everything is prepared and distributed," the scout replied with a grin.

"Then let them be the ones to break the spirit of the Turks," Zhang Juntai ordered.

The reason Zhang Juntai dared to face a hundred thousand Turkic troops with fewer than fifty thousand of his own lay in a suggestion from Li Wenyuan: unlike fighting within the empire, campaigning deep in the grasslands meant frequent contact with various "Hu" tribes. Some were willing to submit, while others did so out of fear of the army. These superficially compliant tribes were the most dangerous, so it was better to arm them and promise that if they earned enough military merit, they would be helped to establish their own nations, completely freeing themselves from the rule of the Ashina clan. They would certainly be unable to resist this temptation. Once they were pushed to the front lines, they had to obey military law—those who deserted were to be executed without mercy—and a unit would be stationed behind them to oversee their actions in every battle.

Following Li Wenyuan’s strategy, Zhang Juntai had organized a force of twenty thousand Hu tribesmen within Gaochang alone, which he named the "Naturalized Army." This army’s first battle would be against their old rivals: the Turks.