Chapter 6: Red Mountain Fortress

Within the tent of the Right Guard Command, Chen Ying slammed his fist down onto the table. From the corner of his eye, Liang Zan saw Chen Ying’s fist strike the map exactly over the city of Boguli.

"We cannot remain holed up in these hot springs any longer. We must move! We must seek opportunities for battle while on the march!"

Gao Yunquan stared at Chen Ying in stunned silence; he had never imagined that Chen Ying would willingly initiate an attack against an enemy force more than six times their size.

"General, your strategy is brilliant!" Wei Wenzhong exclaimed. "Let our Second Merit Battalion strike first and show these Turkic wolf-cubs that the Great Tang is not a place they can come and go as they please!"

Chen Ying replied, "The decision to take the initiative is final. As for the tactics and how we execute this, everyone should feel free to speak their mind."

"Let the Yueqi Cavalry take the first strike!" Luo Shixin said loudly. "I have an idea. Don't we still have a thousand down-filled sleeping bags?"

Chen Ying nodded. "Indeed."

Luo Shixin continued, "Can a man lie in those sleeping bags for three hours without freezing stiff?"

"Not just three hours, even four would be fine," Chen Ying said. "How do you intend to strike?"

Luo Shixin pointed his whip at the map. "Northeast of Boguli, about thirty or forty li from Lingzhou, lies the Red Mountain Fort—a beacon tower from the former Sui dynasty. It is currently occupied by the Turks, with about a hundred men garrisoned there. My plan is..."

***

The northwest border winds were biting. Even under a clear sky, the cold wind cut into one's face like a knife. As far as the eye could see, there was only ice and snow, and it was easy for soldiers to suffer from snow blindness.

Though there was no way to equip the entire army with goggles, Chen Ying had devised a compromise: thin, silk veils draped over their faces, which protected against the cold without obscuring their vision.

In Lingzhou, there was a canal known as the Boguli Canal. Dug during the era of Helian Bobo, it irrigated vast fields of Lingzhou land.

At this moment, the canal was frozen solid, and the snow within it was only slightly shallower than on the main road. On the horizon, a faint white line moved slowly along the canal. This was the force led by Duan Zhigan, the Deputy Commandant of the Second Merit Battalion of the Right Guard Command, consisting of twelve hundred men from the First and Second Merit Battalions and the First Battalion of the Second Auxiliary.

Every soldier carried three days' worth of rations in a pack, along with their armor and weapons, bringing the load of each man to over forty-five jin. In this era, armies rarely concealed their armor or banners, and many soldiers were puzzled by Chen Ying’s insistence on such stealth.

***

There were only a thousand down-filled sleeping bags, not enough for every man. To prevent frostbite, Chen Ying issued two sheepskins to every soldier; while not as effective as down, it was the best they could do.

The current objective was to eliminate the Turkic scouts, capture the Red Mountain Fort beacon tower, and use the signal fire to relay to Lingzhou that reinforcements had arrived, bolstering the morale of the defenders. Duan Zhigan’s troops marched in three columns, each man stepping into the footprints of the one ahead, while the rear guard used brooms made of white cloth to fill the tracks with snow.

The journey had been grueling, but the men moved with an indomitable spirit.

Suddenly, the snow particles on the ground began to dance. Without even looking back, they knew a large cavalry force was approaching.

Duan Zhigan signaled urgently, and the entire force halted, lying flat against the snow and covering themselves to blend in. Their white cloaks and the camouflage of the snow worked perfectly; the Turkic scouts, passing just dozens of paces away, failed to notice the Tang soldiers in the canal.

Before long, the hundred or so Turkic scouts passed by, their hoofbeats fading into the distance. Only then did Duan Zhigan signal for the march to resume.

Through a day and night of marching, Duan Zhigan had discerned the patrol patterns of the Turkic scouts: once every half hour during the day, once every hour during the first half of the night, and none during the latter half.

They finally reached Red Mountain Fort. The location was excellent, backed by the Red Mountain—a mountain rich in coal that had once self-ignited, leaving behind deposits of red, glass-like rock. Though not tall, it was one of the few hills on the Lingwu Plain and an essential pass for beacon communication.

"Eat your rations and rest!" Duan Zhigan ordered.

To ensure the men maintained their body heat, Chen Ying had modified their rations: soybeans roasted in a pan and ground into powder, mixed with a little salt and dried meat. It could be eaten as a dry paste with a little water or stirred into a thick porridge. It looked and tasted unappealing, but it was the most efficient military ration available.

As Duan Zhigan grabbed a handful of snow to wash down the bean powder, the ground began to tremble again. He signaled for the troops to hide.

He rose to observe. In the distance, a dark line appeared, growing larger. It was a detachment of Tang cavalry—only seven or eight hundred men—wearing distinct Tang armor. Their horses were gasping for air, and steam rose from the riders like a sauna.

"Damn them, always using their numbers to bully the few!" Duan Zhigan muttered, fuming. The Turks were relying on their superior numbers to pursue the Tang force with nearly two thousand cavalry.

***

However, the horses could not gain speed in the deep snow, and the distance between the two forces remained steady.

Suddenly, Luo Shixin, leading the Tang cavalry, wore a strange smile. He pulled on the reins, causing his horse to rear up with a neigh. The other Tang cavalry followed suit, stopping in unison.

"Draw crossbows!"

With a rattling sound, seven or eight hundred crossbows were leveled at the Turks. Once they were within range, a rain of arrows flew.

The pursuing Turkic cavalry fell like dumplings into the snow.

"Despicable cowards!" Bulugen gritted his teeth, helpless. Some Turks tried to retaliate with their bows, but their arrows fell far short, landing in the snow long before reaching the Tang lines.

The Tang crossbows had a longer range than the Turkic composite bows. Even worse for Bulugen, the Tang cavalry held the high ground; the Turks would have to advance another fifty paces just to have a chance of hitting them.

After the volley, Luo Shixin didn't even bother to check the results; he turned his horse and continued onward.

Bulugen roared in fury, whipping his horse to give chase. "Hold them! Send for reinforcements from the Yabghu! We cannot let them escape today!"

A messenger broke away from the formation.

Duan Zhigan whispered, "Brothers, keep your strength up. It’s almost our turn to work."