Returning to Shazhou, Guo Song specially tried to take a new road. Under the leadership of the guide, they passed through the desert rocky beach from the north of Puchang Sea to the foot of the majestic Kuruktag Mountain.
This is a group of bare mountains with exposed rock and soil. Most of the landforms are rugged rocks, criss-crossed with ravines, and extremely desolate. However, there are large alpine meadows scattered in many valleys, where a large number of deer live, and there are more than a dozen small rivers flowing from them.
The melted ice and snow collected on the mountain flows down through the desert mountains and into the Puchang Sea.
Facts have proved that the path they chose is completely correct. The team received fresh water supplies from the river. There is an endless desert a hundred miles to the south, but they marched from the valley meadow. Without the invasion of the vast wind and sand, they marched much faster.
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This road is actually the ancient Silk Road. They also saw the ruins of the ancient Loulan Kingdom in the desert in the distance. After walking for three days from Puchanghai, they entered the desert. However, this desert was not big, only dozens of miles wide. They morning
Entering the desert, we came out of the desert in the evening and entered the boundary of Shazhou.
It only took four days to walk from Puchanghai to the desert, which was two days shorter than when they came here. More importantly, they could only walk less than fifty miles across the desert, so the journey became more comfortable.
"Old Prince, I think we can build a garrison at the foot of the mountain!"
After crossing the narrow desert, Guo Song said to Guo Xin very excitedly: "The Tubo people had to pass through the Tulum Desert, which is nearly a thousand miles, and the vast Gobi Desert, which is hundreds of miles away. The terrain is complex and covered by mountains, so it is easy to get lost.
I believe they will not ask for trouble just to destroy a fort that poses no threat to them.
We built the fort on a high place. Even if the Tubo people were lucky enough to find the fort, they would not be able to capture it without enough siege weapons. Based on this fort, inns, taverns and other businesses could develop, and caravans could also develop.
The meeting will follow, and we will go to Tochara via Yanji, Qiuci, Gumo, and Shule. This is much closer than taking the northern route to Tochara."
Guo Xin nodded, "The Tang army can build forts and at the same time mobilize some Yanji herdsmen. Even if there is no caravan, they can still herd."
"There will be caravans. There are many Sogdians in Zhangye who go to Tochara. I will tell them the news when I get back."
"Then I'll start implementing it when I get back."
Guo Xin is just old and stable. In fact, he is more excited and eager than Guo Song. It is no exaggeration to say that this is a survival channel to ensure the survival of the Tang Army in Anxi, and he must establish it no matter what.
At noon the next day, the team arrived in Dunhuang. Guo Xin and his men were warmly welcomed by the people of Dunhuang. Guo Song was more concerned about the Tibetan army's supply situation. He urgently summoned the remaining general Yao Jin, but learned that Yao Jin led 3,000 cavalry.
Went to pursue the Tibetan supply team.
Yao Jin's deputy general Gan Xin reported to Guo Song the situation of the Tibetan supply team.
"Reporting to the envoy, the Tibetan supply team turned around when they reached Dangjin Mountain Pass. They probably sensed that the situation was not good, but they have been discovered by our scouts. The supply team carried a huge flock of supplies, and General Yao did not want to let it go.
This supply team led three thousand cavalry to catch up. They have been there for three days and there is still no news."
"How many guards does the other party have?"
"There are probably more than a thousand people."
Guo Song became worried. If Yao Jin encountered Tibetan reinforcements, he would be in trouble. He immediately ordered Liang Wu to lead the first battalion of cavalry to support Yao Jin.
...........
Dangjin Pass is a canyon between the Altyn Mountains and the Qilian Mountains. It is also the only valley entering Shazhou from the plateau. The valley is about seven or eight miles wide. Passing through the mouth of the valley, the view suddenly opens up, with endless stretches of snow-capped mountains on both sides.
It does not change all year round, and the plateau is desert, covered with sparse vegetation.
Before Yao Jin sent troops to pursue, more than a dozen Tang army scouts had already stared at this huge Tibetan logistics supply team like wolves. They were also carrying out the important instructions of their commander, seizing as much of the enemy's logistics supplies as possible to supplement the imperial court's supply.
Insufficient allocation.
Yao Jin led three thousand cavalry in pursuit along the marks left by the scouts. After entering the Dangjin Mountain Pass, they turned south and ran for more than a hundred miles. In front of them was the Ganquan River, which flowed from the plateau into Shazhou.
The most important river is the mother river of Dunhuang. This river also cuts a mountain pass into the mountains. In winter, the river freezes and you can pass through this valley. However, after spring and summer, the river flows rapidly and the banks on both sides are very narrow, making it impossible to travel on large roads.
Cars can only move sheep.
The cavalry of the Tang Army went south from the north to the Ganquan River, and then continued to pursue southward along the west bank of the Ganquan River. Judging from the marks left by the scouts, the Tibetan logistics team retreated south along the Ganquan River. This was inevitable because the opponent had sheep.
There are pastures on both sides of the Ganquan River.
Yao Jin vaguely guessed that more than 1,200 miles south along the Ganquan River is Hala Lake, which is a large settlement of the Tuyuhun people and an important logistics stronghold for Tubo. Logistics support should come from
Came over there.
But the opponent's logistics team shouldn't move very fast, especially with the sheep.
After pursuing for four days, this afternoon, the cavalry were resting in a mountain col. The altitude here was similar to that of Shazhou. Basically, the soldiers of the Tang army had no major problems. They rested and drank water one after another, and also gave water to their horses.
Yao Jin was a little troubled. The dry food they carried could only last for nine days at most, and it had already been four days. If the enemy's logistics could not be found before noon tomorrow, they would have to retreat.
At this time, there was a rapid sound of horse hooves outside the mountain col, and a soldier shouted: "General, he seems to be our scout!"
Yao Jin hurriedly welcomed them out. They were two Tang army scouts. Yao Jin was overjoyed. He saw hope.
The two scouts got off their horses, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See General Yao!"
Yao Jin hurriedly asked in vain: "You two, please get up quickly. Do you have any important information?"
The leading soldier reported: "The other side has discovered our attempt, and a thousand Tibetan cavalry intercepted it thirty miles away to cover the southward retreat of the large baggage team."
"Is there a lot of food and supplies?"
"A lot! There are no less than half a million sheep alone, and there are thousands of carts carrying wheat and supplies."
Yao Jin knew in his heart that if he wanted to seize the enemy's food, grass and baggage, he must wipe out these thousand escorting cavalry.
Yao Jin pondered for a moment, then waved his hand, and called his deputy Wu Zhiyuan forward. Yao Jin said to him: "You lead a thousand brothers to go around to the south and attack the enemy cavalry from behind. Pay attention to the timing and launch the attack before me."
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"I understand the humble position!"
Wu Zhiyuan saluted and immediately led a thousand cavalry to take the lead.
Yao Jin immediately ordered: "The whole army is mounted and ready to fight!"
Two thousand Tang troops got on their horses one after another, rushed out of the valley with spears in hand, and galloped towards the south.
After running for more than twenty miles, a black line appeared in front of them. Yao Jin waved his hand, and the cavalry slowed down. They straightened their spears and walked slowly, getting closer and closer to the Tibetan cavalry, and finally within a mile.
Stop everywhere.
'Woo--', the Tubo cavalry blew the horn. Just as they were about to launch an attack, there was a chaos behind them. A thousand Tang army cavalry suddenly came from behind, catching the Tubo cavalry by surprise.
Yao Jin waved his spear and shouted: "Kill!"
"Kill--"
Two thousand Tang army cavalry shouted in unison, urging their horses to kill the enemy. The horses galloped, kicked up sand and dust in the sky, and swept towards Tibet.
The Tibetan cavalry were attacked from both sides, and their originally assembled formation was quickly overwhelmed. They could not use their formation to fight the Tang army, so they had to form separate formations and fight fiercely with the three thousand Tang army cavalry.
The cavalry of the Tang Army were well-trained and cooperated tacitly. They were organized into teams of a hundred people and continuously attacked the enemy's gathering groups. Like sharp swords, they broke up the enemy's formation and chopped it into pieces, and then used several times the force to defeat them.
The enemy soldier killed one and quickly turned to another.
The number of the Tubo army was much smaller than that of the Tang army. They wanted to rely on their strong combat power to defeat the Tang army with a small number. However, the Tang army's attack from both front and back broke the Tibetan army's carefully prepared formation, causing the Tubo army to fall into chaos. The Tang army
But the more he fought, the braver he became, and the advantages of good training were fully utilized.
The Tibetan cavalry fought back desperately, but to no avail. The more the battle, the fewer the troops were. Even the Tubo captain died in the rebel army. After more than half an hour of fierce fighting, there were only more than 300 Tibetan cavalry people left. They fought desperately to break through, but they were still defeated by the Tang army.
Surrounded.
"Bow and arrow shooting!"
Yao Jin gave an order, and the Tang army fired from the outside. A burst of dense arrows were shot out. The Tubo cavalry fell off their horses one after another, leaving only more than a hundred people, but they were still struggling. Yao Jin was furious and waved his sword to order:
"Kill them, leave no one behind!"
The cavalry of the Tang army surged forward, and the last group of Tibetan soldiers gradually disappeared.
This encounter lasted for nearly an hour, and a thousand Tibetan cavalry were wiped out. The Tang army also paid the price of hundreds of casualties.
Yao Jin immediately ordered Wu Yuanzhi to lead hundreds of people to take care of the wounded soldiers and clear the battlefield, while he personally led two thousand cavalry to pursue south.
After chasing for less than thirty miles, they finally saw large tracts of sheep and large carts of baggage pulled by oxen. The Tibetan herdsmen driving the carts saw the overwhelming Tang army cavalry coming from behind, and they were so frightened that they abandoned their flocks and horses.
Cart, mount the horse and run for your life.
In just a moment, the Tang army caught up with the Tibetan logistics team, and this piece of fat finally fell into the Tang army's mouth.