Chapter One Hundred: Before the Battle

After using the captured Turkic warriors to perform a sacrificial rite for the people who had died in despair, Li Wenyuan led his troops back to the front lines at Guazhou and personally commanded the campaign to seize the city. News of his annihilation of the Turkic cavalry and the subsequent ritual honoring the fallen reached before his arrival.

Naturally, Li Gui was well aware of Li Wenyuan’s actions and was greatly shocked. His astonishment was not due to Li Wenyuan’s killing of prisoners for sacrifice. What truly unsettled him was that Li Wenyuan had actually wiped out that Turkic cavalry unit. Li Gui knew well the strength of that cavalry—they were elite guards of the Turkic royal court, their combat prowess undeniable. For them to be so thoroughly crushed by Li Wenyuan was beyond his expectations.

Later, intelligence revealed that Li Wenyuan had trapped the Turkic cavalry in the narrow terrain of Yin'ao Gorge, blocking all exits and forcing them into a desperate, trapped fight. When Li Wenyuan personally speared the wolf banner—the symbol held by their commander—the Turkic forces collapsed into defeat. Aside from those who died in battle, the remainder were captured.

“How reckless and arrogant these Turkic barbarians are! Do they have no knowledge of military strategy? Or do they truly believe their cavalry is invincible? Camping in a gorge—how could they think that was wise!” Though frustrated, Li Gui could do nothing but vent his anger with a few curses before shifting focus to prepare for Li Wenyuan’s impending assault.

All of his previous measures had now failed. Having lost the highly mobile cavalry capable of harassing his rear, Li Gui had no choice but to consolidate his forces and prepare to defend Guazhou at all costs. Holding Guazhou was crucial to securing his rear. If Guazhou fell, Dunhuang would soon be at risk. The loss of Dunhuang would split his territories—Iwu Commandery, Qiemo, and Shanshan—into two isolated parts, making mutual support impossible. Moreover, following his strategist’s advice, he had already dispatched all available troops from these four commanderies to the Guazhou front, leaving his hinterlands dangerously vulnerable.

Fortunately, despite losing ten thousand Turkic cavalry, Li Gui still commanded forty thousand elite infantry to guard against Li Wenyuan’s siege. Although Li Wenyuan had over twenty thousand troops facing him, more than fifteen thousand were cavalry, and fewer than ten thousand were infantry capable of assaulting the city walls. This calculation brought Li Gui some relief as he prepared to inspect the city defenses atop Guazhou’s walls.

Then came news that struck him like a thunderclap: his logistics supply lines had been cut.

The force severing his supply was none other than the detachment led by Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin, stationed at the Dangjin Mountain pass. Upon receiving orders from Li Wenyuan, Qin Qiong had sought an opportunity to disrupt Li Gui’s rear logistics. Finally, after an aid force from Qiemo Commandery crossed Dunhuang en route to Guazhou, Qin Qiong seized the rare chance.

According to intelligence from the military scout, only three thousand rebel troops guarded Dunhuang Commandery, while the northern county of Subei, just north of Jinshan Pass, was defended by fewer than a thousand rebels, mostly old, weak, or infirm. Without hesitation, Qin Qiong ordered Cheng Yaojin to lead an infantry division to feign an attack on Subei County.

Upon hearing Subei was besieged, the rebel garrison in Dunhuang hastily dispatched two thousand reinforcements to seize glory. However, their force was ambushed en route by a cavalry division personally led by Qin Qiong. The rebels suffered heavy casualties, and the remainder retreated in panic to Dunhuang. With no hope of relief, Subei County surrendered.

With Subei under control, Qin Qiong’s second legion operated with greater freedom. The troops left by Li Gui in Dunhuang were insufficient to threaten this force of over ten thousand. Moreover, supplies heading to the front were frequently intercepted by Qin Qiong’s legion. Only a fraction of provisions reached Guazhou, though thankfully Li Gui had previously stockpiled ample grain in Guazhou to support Yumeng County. Thus, despite the severed supply line, starvation had not yet set in.

Li Gui resolved to rely on his forty thousand troops to first repel Li Wenyuan’s main force, then turn to strike the army that had cut off his logistics. To keep morale intact, he issued a strict gag order about the supply disruption; not even his closest generals were informed. When questioned by quartermasters, Li Gui simply stated that supplies had been handed over to trusted personnel and stored securely to prevent sabotage by Li Wenyuan’s forces, deflecting suspicion.

Now, his greatest urgency was to await Li Wenyuan’s attack on the city. He had deployed numerous defensive implements atop the walls, confident they would inflict the most crushing defeat on the enemy beneath Guazhou.

Meanwhile, Li Wenyuan’s spirits rose slightly as he inquired of his deputy Zhang Juntai, “Juntai, have you prepared everything I asked for before I left?”

Zhang Juntai nodded. “Commander, all preparations have been made. As per your instructions, the coffins have been filled with gunpowder. But I wonder, how do you intend to use such a thing?”

Li Wenyuan smiled faintly and whispered in Zhang’s ear, “When we attack the city tomorrow, you will command the assaulting troops accordingly. Guazhou will fall like a stone in the palm.”

Hearing this, Zhang’s brow furrowed. “Commander, is this truly feasible?”

“Absolutely,” Li Wenyuan replied. “Do you remember what happened at the firing range the other day?”

Zhang’s eyes brightened with recollection. “Commander, rest assured—I will arrange everything perfectly. I will lead the assault personally.”

Li Wenyuan nodded approvingly. “Good. Since you’ve volunteered, I cannot refuse your request. Guazhou must fall tomorrow. If it does not, I will hold you accountable.”

“I'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.