Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 522 The Seven Tribes of the Mohe
Night had fallen, the bright moon hung high, and on the banks of the Wei River, a detachment of Imperial Guards was preparing for battle.

In order to lure the Mohe people to attack, Li Zhi had already issued an edict to Liu Rengui, ordering him to transfer most of the Tang army troops in Yingzhou back to various local military prefectures, leaving only 10,000 Tang troops to guard Liucheng, the seat of Yingzhou.

Since the Tang Dynasty's garrison troops had been transferred away, the Andong Protectorate was short of manpower. To deal with the Mohe army, the Imperial Guards would naturally have to be transferred from Chang'an.

Moreover, this army had to march in secrecy, so they chose to set off at night.

The commander was naturally Xue Rengui, with Li Yuanfang and Wei Daijia as his deputies. The force consisted of 30,000 elite troops, 10,000 elite Tang cavalry, 10,000 infantry, and 10,000 armored cavalry.

Li Ji initially requested permission to retain the armored cavalry in order to deal with the Arabs, but due to the unique terrain of Tokharistan, the armored cavalry could not be used.

This time, the sword can finally be drawn to deal with the Mohe.

Goguryeo's armored cavalry were most adept at dealing with the Mohe people, having repeatedly defeated Mohe cavalry and being very familiar with Mohe tactics.

This cavalry unit has always been under the command and training of Gao Kan. They have learned Tang army tactics and their weapons have been improved, making them even stronger than before!

The main forces of the Mohe tribes combined numbered approximately 150,000 to 200,000 cavalry, most of whom had already landed on Yingzhou Island and were waging wars in various places, leaving only 60,000 to 70,000 cavalry to garrison the mainland.

With Xue Rengui personally leading 30,000 elite Tang troops, dealing with the 200,000-strong Mohe army would be a piece of cake, let alone an enemy force of only 60,000 to 70,000.

However, the difficulty of this mission lies in luring the enemy to fight in Goguryeo, without alerting them.

Otherwise, if they escaped back to the Mohe people and disappeared into the forest, the Tang army would have no way to deal with them.

Around 9 PM, the army assembled and set off, without lighting any torches, quietly and without making any noise.

The marching route had been planned in advance. They would quietly head north from the Wei River, take secluded paths, cross Fenglingdu to enter the Hedong region, and then pass through Juyongguan to reach Youzhou.

Just as the Tang army was quietly advancing, the Mohe people in the Liaodong region were also holding a round-tent meeting.

The Mohe people consist of seven major tribes: Sumo, Boduo, Anchegu, Funie, Haoshi, Heishui, and Baishan.

Initially, the seven tribes together had a population of over 100,000. Later, as the Tang Dynasty fought continuously in Liaodong, the Mohe people were able to gain an advantage in every battle and have a taste of the spoils.

Over time, they gained tens of thousands of households and hundreds of thousands of slaves, which greatly increased the strength of the Mohe Kingdom and gave rise to the idea of ​​establishing a state.

Of the seven tribes, the Baishan and Heishui tribes were originally the strongest. After Qiqi Zhongxiang became the leader of the Sumo tribe, he adopted a pro-Tang policy and developed rapidly.

Now, the Sumo tribe has surpassed the Baishan and Heishui tribes, and Qiqi Zhongxiang has become the chieftain of the seven tribes.

That being said, the Mohe were still a tribal alliance.

Although the Great Chief holds a prestigious position, the most important decisions of the country still require a roundtable meeting, in which all seven chiefs discuss the matter together.

Even Zuo Rong and Ye Bo weren't qualified to attend a meeting of this level.

The two had no choice but to wait outside the tent. They could vaguely hear a heated argument coming from inside, indicating that there were significant disagreements at the meeting.

Zuo Rong frowned, a growing sense of worry in his heart.

He knew that deep down, Qiqi Zhongxiang was very afraid of the Tang Dynasty. In the current situation, his fear of the Tang Dynasty might be seen as weakness by other chieftains, and he might not even be able to hold onto his position as the chieftain.

Of the seven tribes of the Mohe, only the Sumo and Baishan tribes were located in the south and were deeply influenced by the culture of the Tang Dynasty, and they understood certain etiquette and customs.

The people of the other five tribes are no different from the Ezo and Sushen; they are physically strong but mentally empty and prone to impulsive actions.

For example, the Blackwater tribe had a long-standing conflict with the Ainu people. After the Mohe people defeated the Ainu, they could have enslaved a large number of Ainu people.

However, the chieftain of the Blackwater tribe cruelly killed the Ainu people and piled their heads into a small mountain, which he named "Ash Tomb." He even proudly invited other chieftains to come and see it.

This short-sighted behavior, which only seeks immediate gratification and lacks long-term vision, is also evident in the behavior of the other four tribal chiefs.

Therefore, these five Mohe tribes are all prone to acting impulsively and being hot-blooded.

When the Tang Dynasty ordered them to return the Silla lands on the Japanese islands to the Silla people, the five tribal chiefs made a huge fuss, clamoring to fight the Tang Dynasty!

If it weren't for Qiqi Zhongxiang's ever-increasing prestige in recent years, he wouldn't have been able to control them at all.

Thinking of this, Zuo Rong couldn't help but glance at his younger brother, Ye Bo.

In a sense, the personalities of these five chiefs are very similar to, or even worse than, those of their brother, Yebo, because Yebo at least knows how to admit his mistakes and how to learn.

These five chiefs, however, were extremely stubborn and it was very difficult to change their minds.

Now, news has come from Silla that the Tang Dynasty's treasury is empty and it cannot afford to fight a war, and is therefore downsizing its army.

This news matched what the Mohe spies had found out: the Tang emperor had indeed issued an edict to abolish some of the Zhechong Prefectures, and the official announcement was posted outside the Yongzhou Prefecture government office; it was undeniable.

Upon learning this, the five chieftains of the Blackwater tribe clamored to take this opportunity to annex Goguryeo and strengthen the Mohe tribes.

Strictly speaking, every member of the Mohe tribe coveted the land of Goguryeo.

Unlike Japan, Goguryeo was not only connected to the land of the Mohe people, but it was also extremely rich and had a climate similar to, or even more comfortable than, that of the Mohe people, making it a paradise that the Mohe people dreamed of.

Unfortunately, the war between the Tang Dynasty and Goguryeo was fought too quickly. The Mohe people didn't even get a sip of hot soup before Goguryeo was incorporated into the Tang Dynasty.

Under these circumstances, even an impulsive chieftain like the Blackwater tribe would never dare to covet the land of Goguryeo again, and would have to set his sights on the Japanese islands.

Although Japan is far inferior to Goguryeo, it's still a piece of meat, so why not take advantage of it?

Now that problems have surfaced within the Tang Dynasty, the situation is different.

Like the Wa people, the Mohe people grew up in harsh environments and were born with a mentality of conquering better lands. Therefore, their aggressiveness was actually stronger than that of nomadic peoples.

However, as people of the forest, they have lived among wild animals for a long time, know how to seek advantage and avoid harm, and are very good at hiding their thoughts. They will only show their fangs when the time is right.

Now that the time has come, the five tribes of the Blackwater cannot suppress their ambitions and want to attack the Tang Dynasty.

Zuo Rong knew his father well; he was cautious and timid throughout his life, and fearful of the Tang Dynasty, so he would definitely oppose it.

This is why the arguing was coming from inside the tent.

Half an hour later, the sounds inside the tent subsided.

A moment later, the tent flap was lifted, and a burly, dark-skinned man with two braids strode out, his face ashen and he looked furious.

This man was none other than Liegu, the chieftain of the Blackwater tribe, followed by four other tribal chieftains.

This shows that in today's discussions, all four of them followed Liegu's lead. Although Zuorong had guessed this would be the outcome, he still sighed.

If he were a father, even if he didn't want to attack the Tang Dynasty immediately, he would try his best to hide his true feelings and not let others see them.

In this way, Liegu would not be supported by the four tribes and would not have the ability to threaten the position of the Great Chief.

After a while, Qiqi Zhongxiang and Qi Sibiyu also came out, both with somber expressions.

Ye Bo stepped forward a few paces and inquired about the outcome of the discussion.

Qiqi Zhongxiang said in a deep voice, "Let's talk about it back in the tent."

The group returned to the royal tent. Qiqi Zhongxiang poured himself several cups of wine and drank them, while Qi Sibiyu stroked his beard, frowning as he pondered something.

"Father, what is the situation?" Ye Bo asked again.

Qiqi Zhongxiang sneered, "What else can we do? Liegu is making a fuss about attacking Goguryeo. Does this stupid bear think that fighting against the Tang Dynasty is a joke?"

Ye Bo couldn't help but say, "But isn't the Tang Dynasty's treasury empty? They're still downsizing the army. I also think this is an opportunity!"

Qiqi Zhongxiang angrily said, "Fool! You dare to believe news from the Silla people? They are deliberately trying to make us attack the Tang Dynasty so that the Tang army won't fight them!"

Jo-yeong suddenly said, "Father, judging from the current situation, Silla may not be lying."

Qiqi Zhongxiang's expression changed, and he said, "Zuorong, how come even you think that way?"

Zuo Rong said, “Father, think about it. Over the years, the Tang army has destroyed the Western Turks, Tibet, Tiele, Baekje, Japan, and Goguryeo, and fought against the Arabs. There has been almost no rest for a year. With the Tang emperor being so warlike, the national treasury should have been empty long ago!”

Qiqi Zhongxiang said in a deep voice, "The Tang people plan carefully before they act. They always gain a lot in every battle, and they don't necessarily suffer any losses."

Zuo Rong said, "This is just your guess. Judging from the actual situation, the Tang people did have problems, otherwise how could they have lost to the Silla people?"

Qiqi Zhongxiang snorted, "You believe the boasting of the Silla people? They're just a bunch of surrendered Baekje soldiers."

"They were indeed Baekje surrendered troops, but why did the Tang people not let the Tang army fight, but instead made the Baekje surrendered troops fight?"

Qiqi Zhongxiang said, "There must be some conspiracy!"

Zuo Rong said, "Father is being overly cautious. According to reports from spies in Chang'an, the Tang army has been reforming its military system and paying soldiers high salaries in recent years in order to win battles. The fact that they are now reducing their troops shows that their national treasury is indeed empty and they can no longer support so many troops."

Qiqi Zhongxiang stared at him and said, "Then let me ask you, since the Tang army has internal problems, why did it suddenly become so tough, forcing Silla to move to the Japanese islands and forcing us to return the land to the Silla people?"

Zuo Rong was stunned: "This..."

Qi Sibiyu suddenly interjected, "I know the reason."

Qiqi Zhongxiang turned his gaze to him: "Oh?"

Qi Sibiyu squinted and said, "The Tang people are indeed cunning. They know they have problems within their own ranks. Even if they try to cover it up, it will be discovered sooner or later. When that happens, Silla will definitely attack Baekje, and we will attack Goguryeo."

"So they do the opposite, deliberately appearing tough to intimidate others, so that others will think that their internal problems are fake and dare not take any rash actions."

"In this way, they will have a chance to catch their breath and recover their strength!"

Zuo Rong's eyes lit up, and he said, "Father, Chief Qi Si is right, it must be so!"

Qi Qi Zhongxiang frowned and thought for a while, and had to admit that Qi Si Bi Yu's words made some sense.

He remained silent for a while, then said, "There's an old saying among the Tang people: 'Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse.' Even if the Tang Dynasty's treasury is empty, it can't possibly decline overnight!"

"If we send troops to Goguryeo at this time, the Tang emperor will definitely send Xue Rengui to lead the main force to reinforce us. At that time, who among you can defeat Xue Rengui?"

Qi Sibiyu smiled and said, "Great Chief, there's no need to worry. We can first test the waters by attacking Goguryeo, and then adapt to the situation. If the Tang army comes to our aid, we will retreat at any time. If they pursue us, we will hide in the forest and wear down the Tang Dynasty!"

Zuo Rong advised, "Father, as long as we exhaust the last of the Tang Dynasty's strength, those places occupied by the Tang Dynasty will surely rise up in resistance. When the Tang Dynasty is in chaos, we will be able to annex Goguryeo!"

Ye Bo also advised, "Father, as long as we conquer Goguryeo, we can establish a country as powerful as the Tang Dynasty!"

Qiqi Zhongxiang slowly swept his gaze over the three people and took a deep breath.

"Then let's send 10,000 cavalry as the vanguard to attack Wandu Mountain and test the strength of the Tang Dynasty!"

(End of this chapter)