Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5316 Utterly Unlucky
The sky was gloomy and the wind was biting cold. The temperature of spring during the day suddenly dropped at night. The armor could not keep out the cold wind, but it could not extinguish the passion in their hearts. Thousands of Tang light cavalry crushed ice and snow and charged forward at breakneck speed.

In the distance, the city of Nisa came into view, its low walls rising dramatically on the horizon, and several thick columns of smoke shooting into the air, only to be torn apart by the strong winds when they were more than ten feet high.

From Mulu City to this point, the enemy's stronghold, where they had been stationed all winter, was within reach, yet they encountered no resistance whatsoever.

Wang Xiaojie rode ahead to the city of Nisa, circled the city gates once, and immediately ordered: "Everyone, set up camp here. Send a detachment into the city to scout the situation. The entire army will enter the city first thing tomorrow morning!"

They were exhausted from their long journey, but dared not enter the city rashly.

Although it seems the enemy has already abandoned the city and fled, what if this is a trap?

Better safe than sorry; it's better to be delayed for one night than to take a risk.

"Here!"

The troops immediately found a sheltered spot outside the city to set up camp, while Wang Xiaojie personally led a cavalry force of several hundred men through the open city gates into the city.

The scene was one of utter chaos, clearly indicating that the enemy had retreated in a very hasty manner, leaving behind only an empty city.

Half an hour later, the cavalrymen who were responsible for scouting various parts of the city returned one after another, bringing back the same news.

"The city is deserted; there are no men or horses!"

"The enemy retreated hastily, and all the grain, fodder and supplies that had not been loaded onto the wagons were burned."

"Observing the movement of men and horses, the enemy is heading west."

Wang Xiaojie nodded: "Seal all the city gates and wait for the General to arrive early tomorrow morning before making a decision."

"Here."

……

The following morning, Xue Rengui led his army to follow closely behind and set up camp outside the city. He and his personal guards, led by Wang Xiaojie, entered the city for a tour and then sat for a while in the city lord's mansion.

Xue Rengui sat on the stool, looked around, and saw the overturned table, broken bowls and plates, and messy boxes. He laughed and said, "This Xiehe is quite clever. He actually knew how to set up beacon fires as a signal and retreated before we arrived. But he's also unlucky. His retreat direction was exactly the same as our planned route."

An army of six or seven thousand men could not possibly move without leaving a trace. Sheikh was betting that the Tang army was in a hurry to reach Damascus and would directly cross the mountains south of Nisa into the Persian Plateau, since this route was shorter.

Thus, even if the Tang army knew the direction of his retreat, they would not pursue him relentlessly because of his mere six or seven thousand men.

Compared to the merit gained from annihilating his unit, strategy was clearly more important.

Unfortunately, the "prophet" failed to protect him; he was wrong...

Just thinking about how unfortunate they had been, constantly pursued by the Tang army, and how they had been running around like wolves and pigs, made Wang Xiaojie grin from ear to ear: "There's no need to rush to annihilate them. Having such an enemy force hanging in the way is good for our morale."

Although the objective of this battle was clear, the journey was too long, and the route consisted mostly of high mountains, great rivers, grasslands, and deserts. The long march could easily cause rebellious sentiments among the soldiers. On the contrary, letting the soldiers know that there was an enemy army being chased and suffering a great deal of trouble ahead of them could provide some emotional relief.

Xue Rengui laughed and said, "That's right. Besides, although our map is exquisite and accurate, we have never set foot here before, so the way is quite unfamiliar. With Xie He leading the way, he is an excellent guide. We can just follow him."

The Anxi military officers present all burst into laughter.

Some people worried: "What if Sheikh walks too slowly and we catch up with him? We can't just let him go unchecked, can we?"

"No need to worry too much. Just look at how decisively Xiehe abandoned so much food and supplies to escape overnight. You can tell that he has no courage to fight to the death when the two armies meet. He is a first-rate escape artist. Rather than worrying about whether to kill him or not after we catch up with him, we should worry about being shaken off by this old guy."

Everyone has boundless potential within them, which will burst forth when faced with dire circumstances. Given Xie He's cowardice and fear of death, his speed in escaping must have been extraordinary.

Xue Rengui waved his hand and said, "Even if we accidentally capture that idiot Xie He, we might as well learn from Zhuge Liang's 'seven captures and seven releases' and let him go first before chasing him!"

The story of Zhuge Liang capturing and releasing Meng Huo seven times comes from the "Annals of Han and Jin" and the "Chronicles of Huayang". Regardless of its authenticity, it has long been a folk legend since the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

The officers and soldiers inside burst into laughter, their morale soaring.

The Tang army rested for a night in Nisa City, and the next morning they were fully prepared. Light cavalry led the way, followed by heavy cavalry, and galloped westward along the mountain range. The traces left by Sheikh were clearly visible wherever they went. The ordinary soldiers, of course, did not know their general's plans. They only knew that catching up with the enemy army ahead and annihilating or capturing them would be a great achievement. Naturally, they were in high spirits and gave chase.

……

Sheikh rode forward, exhausted from not sleeping all night. His warhorse was also panting heavily. To his left were the endless, undulating mountain ranges, and to his right, a biting wind blew, making him shiver.

Looking at the sparse and scattered troops, I felt a heavy weight in my heart, and I would occasionally look back.

The Tang army's light cavalry was too fast, and his own scout cavalry on horseback were not much faster than the enemy. Even if military intelligence came to report, it was difficult to buy time to make arrangements. Therefore, when he left Nisa City and retreated westward, he still set up the "beacon fire communication" method according to the previous plan, and sent a group of soldiers up the mountain every certain distance.

If the Tang army crossed the mountains and went to the Persian Plateau, the scouts left behind would quickly report back.

If the opposite is true, then a beacon fire will be lit as a signal.

The Tang army would not rest in Nisa for long. Whether to cross the mountains to the Persian Plateau or take the route along the southern coast of Leizhu, they should have already made a decision by now.

The signal fire will arrive soon.

It was almost a moment of judgment that would determine the fate of himself and the entire unit. His heart pounded with tension, and he silently recited scriptures, praying for the "prophet's" protection...

After walking a while longer, he felt increasingly cold. He took the wine flask from under the horse's neck, uncorked it, and took a swig of strong liquor.

Suddenly, a cry of alarm rang in my ears: "Lord, signal the attack!"

"Cough cough!"

Choking on the alcohol, Sheikh coughed repeatedly and his face turned red. Turning his head, he saw a beacon signal shooting into the sky on the ridge not far away.

"...'The prophet' misled me!"

Sheikh cried out, feeling dizzy and dropping the wine flask. He staggered and nearly fell off his horse.

"City Lord!"

Several guards quickly reached out and helped him up.

Having finally regained his balance, Sheikh looked up to the sky and sighed, "Heaven has forsaken me!"

Even a "prophet" can't protect a devout believer like me?

But this was no time for lamenting the passing of spring or the coming of autumn. He shouted, "Run! Run! Don't let the Tang army catch up with us, or we'll die without a burial place!"

The entire army already knew that the Tang army was chasing after them, so there was no need for mobilization. The cavalry, infantry, and supply troops driving the wagons all sped up as fast as they could.

Sheikh then ordered his personal guards to relay the message: "Without rest, stop, or eat at noon today, you must reach Tiberistan within five days and rely on the fortified city to defend against the Tang army!"
The officers and soldiers had no time to complain, and they all mustered all their strength to follow the city lord and flee for their lives. "Tiberistan" was an important town on the southern shore of Leizhuhai and the northern side of the mountains. It was built against the mountain and was easy to defend and difficult to attack. As long as they got there and cooperated with the city's garrison, they would definitely be able to stop the Tang army.

At worst, it could delay the Tang army...

……

Wang Xiaojie acted as the vanguard, leading a brigade of soldiers in pursuit of the enemy's retreat. He was not in a hurry to catch up with the enemy and annihilate them, so he was in a good mood, letting his horse roam freely, even though the wind was a bit cold.

They marched day and night, closely following the enemy's tail, at a pace that was neither too fast nor too slow.

On the third day, the troops rounded a bend in the mountain pass and suddenly found themselves facing a large, densely packed enemy force.

The soldiers were greatly encouraged, and the entire cavalry unit split into three without any command, flanking from the left and right and thrusting straight into the center, quickly completing the encirclement in an instant.

The enemy was quite decisive. Finding themselves surrounded by Tang cavalry without being killed and unable to escape, they simply squatted down, covered their heads, and surrendered. Their main force, instead of turning back to rescue them, instead galloped away without stopping.

Wang Xiaojie: "..."

We agreed that Sheikh would be our guide, but he's not going to be captured like this, is he?
Fortunately, after gathering the prisoners, they discovered that there were dozens of large wagons among them. It turned out that the Sheikh's troops were the supply train responsible for transporting provisions. Because they were in a hurry to reach Tiberian, they did not rest during the day, and even the horses pulling the wagons could not keep up, so they fell far behind...

Wang Xiaojie couldn't help but laugh. With so much food and fodder lost, Sheikh might starve to death before even reaching Tiberian.
He ordered all the iron weapons on the prisoners to be disarmed, and then sent a cavalry squad to escort them to the rear to be handed over to Xue Rengui for disposal. He himself collected some grain and meat from the spoils, and temporarily set up camp in a sheltered spot in the mountains to cook a meal. The entire vanguard had a good meal, and then they fetched snow water, boiled it, poured in tea leaves, and filled the iron kettles that each soldier carried with them with tea. After the whole army had eaten and drunk their fill, they leisurely mounted their horses and followed the enemy at a leisurely pace.

……

The Tang army marched at a leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery as they went, but this caused Xie He considerable hardship.

The Arab army did not have the technology to make "dried rations". Normally, when the army went on expeditions, they would carry some dried meat and fried rice. After sitting in Nisa for a whole winter without any help, they ran out of meat. They couldn't very well slaughter their warhorses for meat, could they?
Not long after they set off, the grain convoy was overtaken and captured by the Tang army, resulting in a severe food shortage for the entire army, forcing them to rush on their way while enduring hunger.

As the cold wind blowing from the Thunderclap Sea swept across the flat plains, and the horse's hooves trod upon the towering city of Tiberistan built against the mountain, Sheikh, his hair and beard matted and his body emaciated, almost burst into tears. But he had no time for sentimentality. He quickly revealed his identity and rushed into the city, shouting, "The Tang army is coming!" throwing the entire city into chaos.

(End of this chapter)