Chapter 137: The Fall of Gaochang

After paying the price of nearly three thousand lives, Mueller’s Naturalized Army finally annihilated the surrounded Turkic center. Following the rout of the Turkic rear guard, the Naturalized Army scrambled to reform their ranks. They did not even have time to collect their fallen, for a massive Turkic force had appeared in the east. Judging by the standards, it was the Turkic vanguard, which had been too far ahead and somewhat detached from the center.

Mueller squinted at the horizon for a moment before asking the officer beside him, "Has the headcount been taken?"

The officer nodded and replied, "We still have over fifteen thousand men fit for battle, General. Those with serious injuries have been provided escorts to take a detour and return to the main camp beneath the walls of Gaochang for recovery. The rest of those capable of fighting are all here."

Mueller nodded and pointed toward the distant Turkic army, saying, "There are only ten thousand Turks left before us, and we still have fifteen thousand. We hold an absolute advantage in numbers. Furthermore, these Turks are nothing special; they only rule the grasslands because they have many fangs and claws. But our sabers and our courage will prove to them who the true warriors of the grasslands are!"

Although the Naturalized Army had suffered heavy casualties, this only ignited their bloodthirsty ferocity. Having defeated the supposedly invincible Turks, they felt deeply emboldened. Upon hearing Mueller’s words, the soldiers erupted in a fervor, raising their weapons and shouting in unison.

Seeing the morale of his men surge, as if they had returned to their pre-battle state, Mueller seized the moment to issue the order: "All forces, charge! Target: the Turkic lapdogs ahead!" With that, he took the lead and charged unflinchingly with his men toward the returning Turkic vanguard.

Leaving Mueller aside for a moment, let us look to the main force Zhang Juntai had amassed beneath the walls of Gaochang.

"Why is the number of reinforcements for the Naturalized Army so low?" Zhang Juntai asked, frowning.

"The number of barbarians in our Western Regions territory was already small to begin with, and under our 'minimum subsistence' policy, these people have become much more stable. Few were willing to join the Naturalized Army; most joined our Western Regions Army instead. Our current core of the Naturalized Army consists of those dissatisfied with the Qu clan’s rule in Gaochang. While there are over a hundred thousand barbarians in Gaochang, we have already drafted thirty thousand into the Naturalized Army, far exceeding the 'one in ten' red line. To draft any more would only leave us with the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled. If we were to do that, the corrupt Confucian scholars in our own country would surely bring out their sacred texts to attack us. Thus, this is all we can mobilize for now. However, our informants in Gaochang report that after Qu Boren became king, many barbarians moved into the city, while a large number of Han people were expelled to make room. Our agents, disguised as traveling merchants, only survived by staying in an inn. If their information is reliable, we could pull at least another twenty-thousand-man force if we take the city." The military strategist explained, looking at the ledger in his hands.

"I see. And the wounded from the Naturalized Army?"

"Everything has been handled. None of them will be returning," the strategist replied with a nod.

"How many Naturalized troops do we have left in reserve?"

"Four thousand remain to reinforce Mueller’s army; they are currently stationed in the Naturalization Camp."

"Send them to attack the city. The fact that the wounded are coming back means Mueller’s army has achieved its intended purpose; these remaining men have little other use," Zhang Juntai said.

"Shall we open a breach in the city walls for these troops to maximize their effectiveness?" the strategist asked.

"Very well. Let us test out those new explosive satchels they’ve developed. They have been at the front for a long time, and I haven't dared to use our own men to experiment with them. Let them test the results, and explain the usage to them," Zhang Juntai agreed.

The Naturalized soldiers quickly mastered the easy-to-carry explosive satchels. Holding blades, axes, and shields, they launched their assault under a rain of arrows from the battlements. When they reached the base of the walls, they split into two groups: one volleyed arrows to provide cover, while the other used shovels and pickaxes to dig holes in the earthen wall before igniting the fuses.

With a roar and a plume of thick smoke, a massive amount of sand and dust erupted from the breach. The wall held, but the hole grew significantly larger. The Naturalized troops repeated the process three or four times until a section of the wall finally collapsed. Led by their officers, they charged through the breach, engaging the defenders in close-quarters combat.

Seeing that the Naturalized Army had reached the top of the wall, Zhang Juntai ordered the Western Regions Army to join the attack. A bloody battle ensued on the ramparts, with bodies constantly falling from the walls, their bones shattered upon impact. Finally, through the joint efforts of the two forces, they captured the walls and drove the defenders back into the city.

Because the Naturalized Army had been decimated during the battle for the walls, the subsequent street fighting fell to the Western Regions Army. Having been trained for urban warfare, they moved with coordinated precision, step by step pressing the disorganized defenders back toward the Gaochang royal palace.

Zhang Juntai climbed the cleared walls, watching his troops push the defenders back. He nodded to himself. When Li Wenyuan had first proposed building a professional army of specialized soldiers, he had been skeptical, supporting it only out of trust. But now, it was clear that the combat effectiveness of this trained force was far superior to any army he had commanded before joining Li Wenyuan.

Meanwhile, Qu Boren sat slumped on his throne, his mouth blistered with anxiety, growing increasingly enraged as he listened to his subordinates' reports. He stood up, trembling, and swept everything from the table onto the floor, shouting, "Get out! You useless waste! In less than a day, the entire wall has fallen! Now only the palace remains! What use are you? A bunch of cowards, get out!"

At that moment, a Turkic man wearing a barbarian cap stepped forward and addressed the room: "His Majesty is worried about the fate of Gaochang. You may leave for now."

Once the room was empty, the Turkic man advised Qu Boren, "Badu, perhaps we should leave. The Great Khan also said that stalling the Han army is enough."

"Uncle, I cannot leave," Badu replied, undoing his Han-style topknot and letting his hair fall loose in the barbarian fashion. "My origins were already doubted by many; if I flee now, wouldn't I be confirming that I am not truly of the Qu clan?"