Chapter Twenty-Two: A Fight That Must Be Fought

The bitter north wind lashed at Chen Ying’s face, numbing his skin until he lost all sensation. Yet, the harsh cold only served to sharpen his mind. To the strategists in the capital, supporting Lingzhou was merely a simple decision—whether it was held or lost mattered little to the grand scheme of things. But to Chen Ying, the man on the ground tasked with the "execution," it had become an impossible mission.

Yet, an impossible mission had to be accomplished.

Suddenly, snowflakes began to drift from the sky, each as large as a goose feather. Chen Ying paused, extending a palm to catch one, thinking, "Why has such a heavy snow started so abruptly?"

Chen Ying pondered deeply—if he had not arrived, what would have been the fate of Lingzhou in history? His historical knowledge was limited, so he could not be certain of the outcome, but Lingzhou was an inherent territory of the Tang Dynasty; even if it fell, the loss would likely be temporary.

"It seems the heavens are looking after us!"

Chen Ying turned at the sound of the voice. Wei Wenzhong stood there, smiling as he gestured to the falling snow. "It has only just begun, but looking at the intensity, I fear this won’t stop in a day or two. If it continues for ten days, covering the wilderness like a white quilt, we might be fine inside the city walls, but the Turks out there, exposed to the elements, will find themselves in grave danger."

"We are not much better off," Chen Ying replied, heavy with concern. "A thousand snow sleds sound like a lot, but in reality, they are not. Even with careful use, they will only last three days, five at most—no more than that. If the Turks persist in their siege despite the weather, our situation will be precarious."

"Fuel."

At the mention of the word, Wei Wenzhong’s expression darkened instantly.

Fuel was the lifeline for the soldiers and civilians of Lingzhou. In such frigid conditions, without fire to keep warm, they wouldn't even need the Turks to attack; in five to seven days, Lingzhou would become a city of the dead.

"This must be kept secret," Wei Wenzhong said. "The soldiers cannot know, or morale will collapse."

"I fear that is difficult," Chen Ying replied helplessly. "Other things can be hidden, but firewood must be burned every single day."

In such conditions, people could not survive without fire. Whether it was the citizens or the soldiers, they would naturally seek firewood to keep warm, and if they couldn't find any, they would ask questions. The secret would soon be impossible to keep.

Just then, Yang Ze approached Chen Ying and pointed to the Turks outside the city. "The Turks have reinforced!"

Chen Ying watched as roughly four to five thousand cavalry arrived at the walls, bringing the total number of Turks outside Lingzhou to over thirty thousand. As the saying goes, a thousand men fill a city, but ten thousand fill the fields; when the numbers exceed ten thousand, they seem endless.

The Turks were divided into three waves. The first was the Qibi tribe, numbering around ten thousand, whose equipment was inferior. In the Turkic three-tier military system, the Qibi were categorized as *Tuojie*—essentially auxiliary forces. The others were the elite horse archers, mostly followers under the direct command of Ashina Yiwuzhenmo.

The forces currently arriving were the remnants led by Qilifushe. After Chen Ying had decimated nearly twenty thousand of his men, Qilifushe’s hatred for him was bone-deep. Seeing Ashina Yiwuzhenmo preparing to set up camp, Qilifushe’s fury flared. He roared at Yiwuzhenmo, "Why are you not attacking the Tang dogs?"

In terms of status, Qilifushe was the biological brother of Shibi Khan, making him closer to the Khan than Yiwuzhenmo. However, Yiwuzhenmo commanded over twenty-six thousand troops, far more powerful than the ten thousand remnants held by Qilifushe. With strength comes the right to speak.

"You need not teach me how to fight," Yiwuzhenmo replied. In truth, he was keen on preserving his own strength. But the Tang force that had nearly wiped out Qilifushe’s army was clearly an elite unit, and Yiwuzhenmo had no intention of biting such a hard bone.

"I see, you are just a coward, terrified of the Tang dogs!"

"If you aren't afraid, then you do it!" Yiwuzhenmo retorted coldly. "Don’t think I don’t know that you’re just gilding your own lily, claiming the Tang people ambushed you. They defeated you fair and square in the field! You are a shameful liar, a despicable villain—you are the disgrace of the Turks!"

Qilifushe’s temples throbbed with rage, but he had no rebuttal.

The Turkic faith was built on the law of the jungle. Weakness was unforgivable; even Shibi Khan himself could be replaced if he were sufficiently crippled. There were no human rights for the weak.

Qilifushe suddenly said, "Transfer the Qibi tribe to me, and I will show you how it is done!"

The Qibi were a Tiele tribe. The Tiele Khanate was a confederation built by the Qibi and the Xueyantuo, though the Qibi were less powerful. While the Xueyantuo maintained a tenuous relationship with the Turks, the Qibi were split between the Eastern and Western Turks, serving as *Tuojie*.

While *Tuojie* might literally mean "replication" in Chinese, in the Turkic tongue, it meant auxiliary forces. Yiwuzhenmo had no way to refuse, for in the eyes of the Turkic nobility, *Tuojie* were merely cannon fodder used to exhaust the enemy's arrows. Furthermore, the Turks valued martial honor; anyone branded with the label of fearing the enemy would never be able to hold their head high again.

Seeing Yiwuzhenmo hesitate, Qilifushe goaded him further: "Either you attack the city, or you hand the *Tuojie* cavalry over to me!"

After a long consideration, Yiwuzhenmo replied, "Very well."

Qilifushe did not stand on ceremony. Once he received command of the Qibi, he immediately sounded a majestic ox-horn trumpet.

The mournful, heroic sound echoed across the horizon as the Qibi cavalry began to assemble beneath the walls of Lingzhou. As auxiliary troops, their status was no better than slaves. They had followed Yiwuzhenmo all the way from Huaiyuan to Lingzhou, exhausted and weary, only to be ordered to build camps for the Turkic warriors. Now, they were ordered to lead the assault.

Watching the Turkic *Tuojie* cavalry slowly dress their ranks below, Chen Ying turned to Yang Ze. "Cover me. I will lead my men to meet them."

Yang Ze protested, "Commander Chen, you cannot! The Turkic strength is currently too great!"

Chen Ying replied without hesitation, "Do not try to dissuade me. Lingzhou has been under siege for three months. They have finally waited for the imperial army to arrive. If they see us standing idly by, the morale of the soldiers and people will surely shatter."

"Must you fight this battle?"

"It must be fought!" Chen Ying declared. "Yue Cavalry, prepare for battle!"