Chapter 126: An All-Out Offensive

A month passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Li Wenyuan deployed his troops along the border with the Western Turkic Khaganate, while simultaneously supplying a large number of muskets and fire-bottles to the Great Wall garrison units in the north and the armies in the east. Shegui Khagan, meanwhile, awaited the arrival of the forces from his vassal states.

"Have the armies from the various alliances arrived?" Shegui Khagan asked Hulu, who sat beside him in the royal tent. Ever since Li Wenyuan had captured Hulu and traded him back to the Khagan for a vast number of cattle and sheep, the Khagan had kept Hulu by his side, sparing him from any further dangerous assignments.

"The forces from Gaochang, Yanqi, and Qiuci arrived long ago due to their proximity to the royal court," Hulu replied, detailing the status of the over a dozen vassal states. "The armies from the furthest regions, Ankang and Tokhara, will arrive today. Khotan, having detoured through the Tulun Desert to reach Shule first, arrived yesterday alongside the Shule forces. Now, all the tribal armies are encamped at the foot of Mount Sanmi, awaiting the Great Khan’s command."

Shegui Khagan nodded. He had heard that Shibi Khagan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate had been routed by the Han people at Yanmen Commandery and had fled back to the grasslands in disgrace. He couldn't help but chuckle at this news. Previously, Shibi had sent envoys to mock him for his own defeat, yet now Shibi had also been crushed by the Han. He resolved to gather his strength and take vengeance against Li Wenyuan in the Western Regions. Once victorious, he would send word to the Eastern Turks to return the humiliation, and perhaps, with his newfound power, he could even absorb the Eastern Turkic Khaganate and reclaim the title of Great Khan of the Steppe.

"Great Khan, Li Gui of Yiwu Commandery has surrendered and has handed over our two thousand warriors to the Western Regions Superintendent, Li Wenyuan," a grim message arrived.

To support Li Gui, Shegui Khagan had gritted his teeth and dispatched ten thousand skilled horse archers to assist him. However, after a series of engagements and two major battles, the entire force had been decimated, and the remaining two thousand wounded had been bound and delivered to Li Wenyuan.

"All this hatred will be repaid once we crush the Han in the Western Regions. When that time comes, your Yiwu tribe will be able to return to your ancestral lands," Shegui Khagan said with a dark expression to a tribal chieftain standing nearby. This man was the chief of the Yiwu tribe, who had been driven from his ancestral home by the Sui army and had sought refuge with the Western Turks; his plight was the very reason the Western Turkic Khaganate had declared war on the Great Sui.

"Traitor Li Gui, I surrender to the heavenly troops of the Great Sui. This act of treason was mine alone; I beg the Heavenly General not to implicate others," Li Gui, his hair and beard white with age, knelt before Li Wenyuan, holding his official seal aloft with both hands.

"Your tribe’s treason will be investigated and handled by the proper authorities; even I cannot interfere with that. However, this investigation will ensure that no innocent person is wronged," Li Wenyuan took the seal and said softly.

"I thank the Superintendent for his benevolence." Looking at the young man who had effectively ruined all his plans, Li Gui sighed silently and was led away by military police.

"Hehe, Superintendent, now that Yiwu Commandery has been taken, can you let me, Cheng Yaojin, join the war against the Western Turks?" Seeing the surrender ceremony conclude, Cheng Yaojin hurried to Li Wenyuan’s side.

"What? You want to fight the Western Turks?" Li Wenyuan asked with a smile.

"A man’s ambitions lie in the four corners of the world. What is the point of merely suppressing bandits and rebellions at home? If I am to fight, I want to fight against foreign enemies," Cheng Yaojin declared.

"And if you die on the battlefield, who will take care of your mother?" Li Wenyuan suppressed a laugh and asked with feigned solemnity.

"That is no problem. If I die, the local government will naturally take care of my mother and see to her final years," Cheng Yaojin replied with a grin.

"Very well. Lead your Fifth Legion, move out from Mount Shiluoman, strike directly at Futu City, and then campaign against the Western Turkic alliances north of Mount Bai. Remember, prioritize pacification; do not resort to the sword indiscriminately. However, if they dare to take up arms in resistance, fight them until they stop," Li Wenyuan nodded and instructed.

"I obey the order. I will not fail the Superintendent’s trust," Cheng Yaojin promised.

Later, Li Wenyuan returned to the Superintendent’s office in Dunhuang Commandery. Zhang Juntai was already waiting there. Upon entering, Li Wenyuan saw Zhang reclining in a chair, eyes closed in rest. He softened his footsteps, intending to sit down and wait for Zhang to recover from his journey before discussing business.

But the moment Li Wenyuan set foot in the room, Zhang Juntai’s eyes snapped open, his hand dropping to the hilt of his sword. Only upon recognizing Li Wenyuan did he release the hilt, stand up to straighten his attire, and quickly step forward to bow. "General Zhang Juntai, reporting to the Superintendent."

Seeing that Zhang was awake, Li Wenyuan pulled him to a chair. "I saw you looked fatigued. Is it restless in the west lately?"

Zhang Juntai nodded. "Yes, the harassment from the Western Turks has been increasing. Thanks to the dedication of my soldiers, we have managed to hold them off. I came to discuss whether we should take advantage of the current favorable weather to resolve the Turkic threat once and for all. If we wait until the heavy snows block the mountain passes, we may suffer greater losses under Turkic raids in such harsh conditions."

"I was just about to speak to you about this," Li Wenyuan nodded. "I also intend to settle the score with the Western Turks. I have received intelligence that they are gathering their armies at their royal court, intending to invade the Western Regions. I hope to defeat the enemy outside our borders so as not to affect this year’s harvest. I wanted to ask if you could lead a strike directly at the royal court, while another force departs from Qiemo Commandery, bypasses the Tulun Desert to the south, and attacks the vassal states like Khotan and Shule to shatter their morale and collapse the Turkic forces from within."

"Our troops are ready to join the war at any time. The Eighth Legion under Chai Huaixing is currently stationed in Qiemo. They are a capable force, and Chai Huaixing is a competent commander who can take charge. My only concern is that if Shegui abandons the royal court and flees north, it will be very difficult for our main army to cross or bypass Mount Bai," Zhang Juntai said.

"Do not worry about that. I have already ordered Cheng Yaojin’s Fifth Legion to move via the Mount Shiluoman and Mount Bai line to campaign in the north," Li Wenyuan pointed to the map.

"Cheng Yaojin is quite capable. I taught him at the military academy; he is indeed a fine commander. If he handles the north, there should be no problem. How then shall we proceed with the main strike, and when?" Zhang Juntai asked.

"Return, and prepare as quickly as possible. As for the attack—we will strike along the entire front," Li Wenyuan said with a smile.