Chapter 74 Heavy Snow Full of Bows and Swords
From the battle report, Li Xuan learned that the Uighurs and the Karluks had already broken through Basmil's tent.

Jie Di Yishi Khan led the remnants of his troops and took refuge in the headquarters of the Turkic Khanate.

Now the Uighurs can concentrate all their strength to fight a major battle with the Turkic yamen.

"By conquering the left wing of the Turks, subduing these tribes, and relocating them to the Hetao border, the strategy of our Tang Dynasty has been completed. Our army can wait for the Turks to be destroyed without sacrificing a single soldier."

Wang Zhongsi observed the situation and did not want to use troops in winter to prevent the soldiers from getting frostbite or freezing to death.

So many tribes on the left and right wing of the Turks were defeated and conquered by the Tang Dynasty. The fall of the Turkic Khanate was only a matter of time.

Winter is approaching, and heavy snow will cover the fields for months without melting. After a trek of thousands of miles, there will inevitably be a large number of non-combat casualties among the Tang army.

"General Wang has thought it through very carefully! The Turkic Khanate no longer has the strength to turn things around."

Li Xuan knew that the Tang Dynasty's attack on the Western Turks came to an end at this moment.

Although the Tang Dynasty did not directly participate in the destruction of the Later Turkic Khaganate, Wang Zhongsi first destroyed the right wing, then the left wing, and used the strategy of sowing discord. Basically, he planned the destruction of the Later Turkic Khaganate.

The goal of intimidating the Turkic royal court has been achieved, and we can return home victoriously.

"Qi Lang said earlier that he would personally capture Usumish Khan, who was disrespectful to the saint. Do you still have this idea now?"

When Li Xuan was feeling regretful, Wang Zhongsi suddenly asked again.

"Who wouldn't want to emulate Huo Qubing's story?"

Li Xuan did not hide his thoughts and spoke frankly to Wang Zhongsi.

"We sent tens of thousands of cavalrymen to chase the Turkic Khan, but the gains were not as good as the losses. How many more people does Qilang need?"

Wang Zhongsi asked Li Xuan again.

"We only need nine hundred cavalrymen under the command of Feng'an Army, but we need three horses for each man, all equipped with Mingguang armor."

Li Xuan was very excited.

He could tell that Wang Zhongsi was reluctant to mobilize a large army, but if it took only a small number of soldiers to capture the Turkic Khan, Wang Zhongsi was still willing to try.

It is obvious that among the generals of the Shuofang Army, Wang Zhongsi saw such potential in Li Xuan.

"I agree to Shichiro's request. Shichiro will set off again after I get more clues."

Wang Zhongsi nodded slightly, and at the same time reminded Li Xuan: "I will not force you to complete the feat. If the enemy is strong, you can use the three horses to avoid the battle. Top-level military exploits also require luck. Perhaps in a few days, the Huihe will send the head of Usumish to us."

"You will finally understand."

Li Xuan bowed and agreed.

While eating, Li Xuan and Wang Zhongsi enjoyed the delicious mutton together.

This time, they obtained millions of cattle and sheep, and the army needed meat to eat.

Wang Zhongsi also distributed some beef and mutton to the laborers who were transporting food and supplies.

As for the Turkic left wing tribes, they ate the Tang army's food, which gave them a change of taste.

During the waiting time, Li Xuan was not idle. He led 900 cavalrymen under his command, with each man having three horses.

Li Xuan also tried changing horses while running.

Seven days later, Wang Zhongsi summoned Li Xuan into his tent again.

"Five days ago, the Turkic Yazhang joined forces with Basimi Jiediyishi to fight the main force of the Uighur army led by Guli Peiluo in the upper reaches of the Uwen River. Wusumishi was defeated again. The cavalry he could mobilize would not exceed 20,000. The Turkic nobles were so scared that they had already left Yanran Mountain and fled north. Qilang can act now."

Wang Zhongsi handed the secret report to Li Xuan.

"General Wang, I will do my best."

Li Xuan could not ensure the capture of Wusumishi.

"Well! The curtain has fallen, and winter is coming. I will gradually withdraw the Turkic Left Wing tribes, soldiers, and civilians back to the Tang Dynasty. Ten thousand cavalry will be stationed at Hunyi River to support you."

Wang Zhongsi was ready to return triumphantly before the snow fell.

"I will say goodbye."

Li Xuan bowed and retreated, counting the remaining 900 cavalrymen under his command.

In addition to Luo Xing and Xue Cuo, Li Xuan also had eleven personal guards.

They were all wrapped in thick cotton clothes under their bright armor.

The horses carried beef jerky, water, food, tents, and horse feed.

Everyone was equipped with a bow, a bag of fifty arrows, and held a long spear.

When a real battle or chase comes, the things on horseback can be abandoned.

The soldiers rode on one horse and led two more horses.

In addition to one warhorse carrying items, another horse can be replaced at any time.

They started from the southernmost part of the Hunyi River, but did not follow the Hunyi River, but ran through the remote and rugged wilderness.

Li Xuan divided fifty soldiers into scouts and sent them to investigate a hundred miles ahead.

The other horses galloped at a rate of two quarters of an hour at a trot and one quarter of an hour at a slow walk.

They can travel more than 200 miles in a day.

Four days later, they arrived at Hengling, south of the Ekun River.

The Turkic tent was located at the source of the Ekun River, with its back to the Tianshan Mountains in their hearts.

Li Xuan ordered his troops to station themselves in the most remote hills west of Hengling.

There is no one here. Horses can graze hay here without being noticed.

Going up the Ekun River, it only takes more than a hundred miles to reach the Turkic camp.

But Li Xuan did not dare to get too close when he was not clear about the movements of the Turkic camp.

If Usumish and the Turkic nobles knew that a Tang army was approaching, their plan would fail.

The scouts sent by Li Xuan were all dressed in leather clothes and sheepskin hats, disguised as Turkic herdsmen.

Two days later, a cold wave came and the weather became suddenly cold. The soldiers were shivering with cold and could only huddle in the tents to warm themselves by the fire.

The war horses were not afraid of the cold and would still look for hay to eat despite the cold wind. Moreover, the horses in Shuofang were mostly Turkic horses, which were more cold-resistant.

"General, we can't get closer. We don't know how many cavalrymen there are in the Turkic camp. The weather has been very cold these past two days. The Huihe are preparing their troops and heading towards the Turkic camp. We will probably face each other again soon."

The scout, wrapped tightly, came back to report to Li Xuan.

"Well! Once the Uighurs break into the Turkic camp, the Turks won't be able to hold out for long. Once the battle begins, come back and report to me immediately."

Li Xuan gave instructions to the scout.

"As ordered!"

The scout took the order and left.

Li Xuan stayed in the tent for a long time and then stepped out to take a breath of fresh air.

The sky was gloomy and it looked like it was going to snow. Li Xuan felt very uncomfortable waiting, but he could only wait.

The next morning, scouts reported again that the Uighurs had launched an attack on the Turkic camp.

The Turkic cavalry responded and the two sides fought.

"The opportunity has come!"

Li Xuan ordered the soldiers to abandon their tents and feed the horses with fodder.

An hour later, Li Xuan led nearly 900 cavalrymen and attacked at a quick pace.

The soldiers took turns riding three horses and arrived near the Turkic tent in the afternoon.

"General, three hours ago, the Turkic wolf flag took advantage of the great battle and headed north."

Li Xuan met a scout.

"Are you sure it's the Turkic Usumish Khan?"

Li Xuan asked solemnly.

"There is a kind of brightly dressed armored knights in the Turkic tent. They are the Turkic attendants. There are at least 500 armored knights, and 2,000 cavalrymen escorting a large number of carriages and horses. There are also Basmi's flags in the team. I suspect that Basmi's Jie Di Yishi Khan is also among them."

The scout told Li Xuan the details.

When Usumish fled, only some nobles followed him on their own, and he did not take the ordinary herdsmen with him, so his escape speed was not slow.

Fleeing northward was to look for the Eighteen Hebo Tribes and the small tribes further north.

The royal court has always looked down upon those small tribes and has not granted them high positions. If they go there, they will inevitably live under someone else's roof.

But it's better than losing your life!
"That must be the Turkic Khan."

Li Xuan nodded.

After Basmil's tent was breached, Jie Di Yishi Khan came to Usumish to seek refuge in an attempt to make a comeback.

But Usumish is also in trouble.

"Can we bypass the battlefield of the royal court and pursue the Turkic Khan?"

Li Xuan asked the scout again.

Now the Turkic cavalry is still fighting with the Uighur cavalry, and Li Xuan doesn't want to get involved.

"It's difficult. Our army needs to cross the bridge over the Ekun River to pursue the Turkic Khan. The movement of one man and three horses in our army will surely alarm the Uighurs."

The scout shook his head and replied.

The Ekun River originates from the Yudujun Mountain, and the Turkic royal court is near the source of the Ekun River.

If they wanted to avoid being discovered, they had to go around Yu Dujun Mountain. If they did that, they would forget about chasing them.

"You can only force your way through!"

Perhaps the Huihe realized that Wusumish had escaped and were also chasing him. Li Xuan had to give it a try.

"Take us to the bridge over the Ekun River."

After Li Xuan gave an order to the scouts, nine hundred cavalrymen galloped away.

The closer we got to the Turkic tent, the more Uighur cavalry there were around us.

The Uighur soldiers were surprised to see the uniform Ming Guang armor and the Tang Dynasty's battle flag.

How come a team of elite cavalry from the Tang Dynasty suddenly appeared?

The Uighurs wanted to establish a Khanate and exhausted all their efforts to destroy the Turkic Khanate. They did not dare to provoke the powerful Tang Dynasty at all, so they could only report to their superiors.

At the bridge over the Ekun River, a Huihe general stopped Li Xuan and asked in Chinese: "May I ask what the heavenly soldiers are doing here?"

"Following the orders of the commander-in-chief, we will help the Huihe tribe defeat the Turkic Khanate."

Li Xuan shouted to the Huihe general: "Get out of the way, we want to cross the river."

"Wait a minute, General. The Turks are left with only remnants of defeated soldiers. Our chieftain invites you to his tent for a chat."

The Uighur general stopped Li Xuan and invited him.

"We have been ordered to assist. If we don't help, the king will definitely blame us. We saw a group of Turkic cavalry fleeing. After we defeat them, we will go to meet your chieftain."

After saying this, Li Xuan did not wait for the Huihe general's consent, and let Gao Kai lead the way and force their way across the bridge.

The Uighur cavalry did not dare to stop them and could only watch as more and more Tang cavalry poured onto the bridge.

The Uighur general was helpless.

He knew well that Li Xuan was going to pursue Wusumishi and Jiediishi.

The two Khans took away a large amount of treasure when they left, and the Uighurs only discovered recently that they had escaped.

The Uighurs thought Li Xuan was coming to steal treasure.

But he couldn't stop it by force.

If the Uighur Khanate wanted to be established, it had to get the nod from the Tang Empire. At this critical moment, there could not be any offense.

Li Xuan and his personal guards crossed the river for the last time and left.

The pursuit lasted for hundreds of miles until it gradually became dark.

At this moment, heavy snow suddenly fell from the sky.

They chased against the wind, and the flying snowflakes hit their faces like blades.

When the soldiers arrived, Li Xuan told them to follow the story of Huo Qubing and capture the Turkic Khan.

This is the most heroic moment in a man's life.

They were not afraid of the wind and snow, and their blood was boiling.

"Soldiers, the Turkic Khan has chariots, they will definitely not be able to outrun us, one man and three horses."

"The wind and snow cannot stop us. I will recite a poem today, wishing us a successful start and the capture of the Khan."

"It was a dark and windy night, and the Chanyu fled. I wanted to lead my cavalry to chase him, but the heavy snow covered my bow and sword."

This is an easy-to-understand poem, and even if you are illiterate, you can understand its meaning.

Because they were doing this on a snowy night.

Their armor, their spears, their bows, and their swords were all covered with snow.

"I wanted to chase the light cavalry, but the heavy snow covered the bows and swords."

Some soldiers could repeat Li Xuan's poem, while others could only shout out four words:
Capture the Khan!

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(End of this chapter)