After returning to the palace, Wu Mei issued several edicts.
Cen Changqian was demoted from the position of General Qianniuwei and replaced by Cao Renshi.
Li Chongyi was demoted as Minister of Household Affairs and replaced by Huang Luchao.
Dai Zhide was demoted from the position of Vice Minister of Zhongshu and was replaced by Qiu Shenji.
In addition, many officials who followed Li Hong in participating in the coup were demoted, and Li Hong became a mere commander.
However, he escaped from death this time and had already guessed that this would be the outcome. Even if the throne was lost, it would be better than losing his life.
At the same time, Wu Mei also personally issued an order to make Shangguan Wan'er the lord of Shanggui County and give Wu Chengsi as his concubine.
She deliberately made Shangguan Wan'er's title one rank lower than that of the other two concubines in Prince Zhou's palace. Naturally, her status would be affected. It was also a kind of revenge on Shangguan Wan'er.
Immediately afterwards, Wu Mei began to plan to depose the emperor. However, at this moment, someone from the British Palace reported that Li Xian was missing. Wu Mei was furious and immediately sent people to search everywhere.
The search lasted for half a month, but there was still no whereabouts of Li Xian. For this reason, Li Hong's throne was continued.
However, the great power in the court had fallen into Wu Mei's hands, and Li Hong saw it coming. He no longer fought for power with Wu Mei, and stayed in the harem all day to play with the imperial concubine.
At the same time, to the west of the Tang Dynasty, the Western Rebellion Army led by Xue Rengui finally reached the Fourth Town of Anxi.
Among the four towns, Qiuci Town is located in the northeast. It is the hub connecting the Tang Dynasty and the other three towns, and is also the location of the Anxi Protectorate.
In other words, if Kucha Town is lost, the other three towns will easily become isolated and helpless.
Therefore, every time the Tibetans attacked the four towns of Anxi, their eyes were fixed on Qiuci Town.
The Bahuan City built by Qinling is a small city in the south of Kucha Town. Although the city is small, it is the gateway for Tibet to enter Kucha Town.
After the Tubo army captured the city, they immediately began to mobilize supplies and troops to prepare for a full-scale invasion of Kucha Town.
After a month of rest and recuperation, the Tubo people claimed to the outside world that they had assembled an army of 400,000 in the area of Bahuan City, ready to capture the four towns of Anxi in one fell swoop.
On the eighth day of the ninth lunar month, Lun Qinling personally commanded 50,000 elite troops and marched towards Qiewei City to the north of Bachuan City.
Sixty miles south of Qiemo City, there is Huer Ridge. To cross this mountain range, there is only a narrow mountain road sandwiched between two mountains.
On the left and right mountain roads of Huerling, more than fifty artillery pieces have been set up.
Guo Daifeng stood next to an artillery piece, stretched out his hand to touch the metal barrel, and said with a smile: "Let's test the power of our artillery with these Tibetan brats today!"
Han Cheng frowned and said: "General Guo, I heard that Lun Qinling is very difficult to deal with. General Xue asked us to guard Qiemo City together with General Zhang Xuanyu. Isn't it inappropriate for us to rashly set up an ambush here?"
Guo Daifeng thought to himself: "You are just a personal guard beside King Zhou, but you dare to teach me what to do on the battlefield?"
He said calmly: "If you really listen to General Xue and stay in Qiemo City honestly, will everyone still have a chance to make meritorious deeds?"
Yu Long said loudly: "Yes, General Xue asked us to lead 20,000 people to guard the city, but he himself led 30,000 people to fight. He clearly wants to monopolize the victory."
He and Dugu De were awarded the title of General of the Western Campaign by Wu Chengsi for their meritorious service in capturing Xiao Kai, and they also fought with the army this time.
Han Cheng said coldly: "Since the commander-in-chief has handed over the army to General Xue, we must obey his arrangements. General Yu has never participated in a foreign war. Don't you know that military orders are like mountains?"
Just as Guo Daifeng looked down on him, he also looked down on Yu Long, who had never been on the battlefield.
Guo Daifeng said in a deep voice: "General Han and General Xue are certainly good at fighting, but he is not the only general who can fight in the Tang Dynasty. I will have been fighting south and north with Li Gong for decades. Don't you think you can't trust me?"
Han Cheng frowned and said, "But..."
Guo Daifeng waved his hand and interrupted: "Since you said you wanted to listen to General Xue, let me ask you, when he parted from us, who did he order to lead this group of troops?"
Han Cheng was stunned for a moment and fell silent.
When Xue Rengui divided his troops, he handed over the command of this army to Guo Daifeng.
He felt unhappy, so he did not stay any longer and returned to the mountains on the right side of Huerling with Russell.
Although the 20,000 men were led by Guo Daifeng, Han Cheng was a close confidant of Wu Chengsi and had a high status in the Western Army.
Although Guo Daifeng looked down upon him, he did not dare to offend him and gave him command of the 10,000 troops and horses on the other side.
When they arrived at Youling, Han Cheng frowned and said, "Brother Luo, why didn't you speak out to persuade me just now? Do you also agree with General Guo setting up an ambush here?"
Russell was silent for a moment and said: "Brother Han, we fought together with the commander in the Battle of Liaodong. I won't hide some things from you. I do think that taking the initiative is better than passive defense."
Han Cheng's frown deepened. He always only obeyed Wu Chengsi's orders. Wu Chengsi asked him to listen to Xue Rengui, so he followed Xue Rengui's orders.
Russell continued: "Brother Han, General Guo is actually right. If you want to make meritorious deeds, you can't do it without taking the initiative."
Han Cheng snorted and said, "We can't just think about meritorious service. What if the war goes against us?"
At this time, Cheng Boxian on the side suddenly said: "General Han, actually you don't have to worry. Guo Daifeng insisted on this matter alone. If we really lose the fight, he will be responsible. We can't blame him."
He also went out with the army this time and was appointed Zhonglang General by Wu Chengsi.
Han Cheng said angrily: "If the battle is really defeated, it will be a small matter if we lose the troops, but it will be a big deal if the artillery is captured by the Tibetans! How will I explain to the commander then?"
Cheng Boxian was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said: "Yes, artillery is our winning weapon and must not fall into the hands of the Tubo people!"
Russell also frowned: "But looking at Guo Daifeng's appearance just now, we're afraid we can't persuade him."
Han Cheng thought for a while and said: "How about we send someone to find Zhang Xuanyu and ask him to lead the troops out of the city and meet us at the rear."
He felt that it was not safe for 20,000 people to ambush 50,000 people at Lun Qinling. If there were 20,000 more people like Zhang Xuanyu, it would be much safer.
Cheng Boxian shook his head and said: "Judging from Zhang Xuanyu's words before, he has been frightened by Lun Qinling and will never agree to leave the city."
After a pause, he continued: "Moreover, if Qiemo City is not defended by an army, and if the Tibetans come around from another way and attack us, our way back will be blocked."
Han Cheng and Russell both frowned and said nothing.
At this moment, a scout was seen rushing towards him and loudly shouted: "General Han, General Luo, the vanguard of the Tibetan army has arrived ten miles away."
Han Cheng was surprised: "It came so fast!"
He used to follow Wu Chengsi and just follow orders. This time he was on his own. He always felt inexplicably uneasy and asked quickly: "How many people are here?"
The scout said: "The vanguard army consists of ten thousand cavalry, led by the Tubo general Mika."
On the way here, Han Cheng had already learned about the situation of the Tibetan army. He knew that Mika was a fierce Tibetan general who was called the "violent bear" by the Tubo people. It is said that he once beat a bear to death.
Han Cheng smiled bitterly and said, "It's too late to retreat now."
Cheng Boxian asked the scout: "How far is the main force of Tibet from the vanguard army?"
The scout said: "The main force of Tibet has not been detected yet."
Cheng Boxian said: "Let's explore again!"
The scout took the order. After a while, Guo Daifeng sent a messenger over and told Han Cheng to prepare for battle.
Han Cheng immediately ordered the artillery, archers, infantry, and cavalry to prepare for war.
Not long after, a black spot appeared on the winding road in the distance. Then the black spot lengthened and turned into a long black snake, and the sound of horse hooves could be faintly heard.
As we got closer, we could see a dark army approaching.
When the army came to the entrance of the mountain, it suddenly stopped.
Han Cheng looked down and saw that the leading general was mighty and majestic. The Tibetan cavalry were all tall and well-organized. They were not inferior to the Tang army.
Han Cheng's heart became even heavier. From the momentum of this army, it can be seen that they are very powerful and are actually a powerful enemy of the Tang army.
I don't know if they have discovered something, but the Tibetan vanguard has been stopping at the entrance of the mountain, and Han Cheng is getting more and more anxious.
At this moment, another scout rushed over and shouted: "General Han, General Luo, the Khotan garrison just came to report that a large group of Tibetans appeared near the Hotan River, numbering more than 30,000, heading towards
Go northwest!"
Han Cheng lost his voice and said: "No, they want to go around to Qiuci Town from the west!"
Russell said in a deep voice: "Since there are more than 30,000 people, they must be the main force of Tibet. No wonder the scouts can't detect where the main force of Tibet is."
Han Cheng said urgently: "We need to return to Kucha Town immediately. There is no heavy military guard there. If the Tubo people make a surprise attack, the consequences will be disastrous!"
Cheng Boxian said calmly: "General, there is no need to panic. General Zhang Xuanyu will get the news soon and will definitely lead his troops back to Kucha, which will be enough to hold them for a while. If the Tibetans really attack Kucha, we will have time to rescue them!"
Han Cheng composed himself and said, "That's right."
Russell looked down and frowned: "Look, these bastards seem to be setting up camp!"
Han Cheng looked down and saw that just as Russell said, the Tubo people had all dismounted and gathered on the flat ground in front of Huerling. They took out various tools from the convoy and got busy in a huddle.
Han Cheng raised his head and looked at the sky, feeling confused.
It was just after noon. Why did the Tubo people set up camp so early? And why did they choose to set up camp at the entrance of Huerling?
At this time, another messenger came over and said: "General Han, General Luo, and General Guo have orders for you to prepare for battle! In half an hour, we will attack the Tibetan vanguard below!"
Han Cheng said angrily: "Didn't we already set up an ambush? Why should we take the initiative to fight?"
The messenger was speechless. He was just a messenger, so how could he answer Han Cheng?
Han Cheng snorted coldly and said: "Brother Luo, let's go over and ask General Guo for a clear explanation."
The two came to the opposite mountain. When Guo Daifeng saw them coming, he frowned and said: "You two, the army is about to fight. If you don't make preparations before the battle, why are you here?"
Han Cheng asked: "We talked about setting up an ambush before, why are you taking the initiative to attack now?"
Guo Daifeng shook his head and said: "General Han, how can there be any unchanging truth in war? Only by adapting to the situation can we defeat the enemy."
Han Cheng said angrily: "What changes should be made? Are you not afraid of falling into the Tubo people's conspiracy if you are so aggressive?"
Guo Daifeng said coldly: "There is no danger in using troops. When His Royal Highness the King of Zhou was able to capture the Khitan, wasn't it because of the danger of using troops?"
Han Cheng said loudly: "How can you compare with the commander-in-chief?"
Seeing that Guo Daifeng's face was getting more and more ugly, Russell hurriedly grabbed him and said to Guo Daifeng: "General Guo, if you want to change the battle plan, there must be a reason, right?"
Guo Daifeng hummed: "You must have received the report from Khotan, right?"
Russell nodded: "Yes, more than 30,000 Tibetan people appeared in the Hotan River. They probably wanted to take a detour to raid Kucha!"
Guo Daifeng said: "According to the intelligence from the Ministry of War, the Tubo people claim to have an army of 400,000, but in fact they only have more than 80,000 soldiers capable of fighting. There are more than 30,000 defenders in Baqian City, and more than 30,000 troops in Hotan River. What does this mean?"
Russell frowned and said, "Are you trying to say that the only people who attacked Qiemo City were these ten thousand men?"
"No, these ten thousand men are not attacking Qiemo City, but are being used as suspects." Guo Daifeng said with a determined look on his face:
"Look at the Tubo people below. They set down camp so early, which shows that they are not in a hurry to attack Qiemo City."
Han Cheng frowned and said: "I always feel that there is something wrong with this Tibetan vanguard. If we attack rashly, we might fall into their plot!"
Yu Long sneered and said: "General Han, if you are so timid, you will only miss your opportunity."
Dugu De said in a deep voice: "No matter what their conspiracy is, we have twenty thousand against ten thousand, and they are defenseless now, so there is no way they are invincible!"
Han Cheng wanted to say more, but Guo Daifeng said coldly: "General Han, if you are timid, just watch from the side. Even if there are only 10,000 people, I can defeat this Tibetan vanguard below!"
Han Cheng was furious, but Guo Daifeng ignored him and went to prepare for war. He had no choice but to return to Youling with Russell.
Russell probed: "Brother Han, are we going to fight together later?"
Han Cheng was silent for a long time and sighed: "Brother Luo, do you also think that I am timid?"
Russell hurriedly laughed and said: "How come? When you followed the commander to fight against the Khitans and Koryos, you fought bravely. Have you ever acted cowardly?"
Han Cheng's expression softened a little and he said: "Now that things have happened, since General Guo insists on going to war, we have no choice but to go to war."
Russell smiled and said: "Okay, I will go and give the order to the soldiers to prepare for battle!"
All soldiers of the Western Rebellion Army are equipped with war horses. When mounted, they become cavalry, and when dismounted, they can serve as infantry or archers.
After giving the order, all the sergeants left the artillery in place, all mounted their horses, and were ready to go.
Not long after, the drums of Guo Daifeng's charge sounded. Han Cheng and Russell led the army and rushed down the slope of the mountain.
The Tibetan people who were setting up their tents were all frightened and hurriedly responded to the challenge. Many of them were killed without even riding on their horses.
The Tubo general shouted: "Retreat, retreat quickly!"
The Tibetan troops were indeed well-trained, and they quickly gathered together and retreated towards the rear.
Guo Daifeng immediately led his troops to pursue him. Seeing that Han Cheng had not ordered the pursuit, Russell rode up to him and frowned: "Brother Han, why don't you pursue him?"
Han Chengdao: "We can't leave the artillery in the mountains. Besides, the enemy army has been defeated. It is enough for General Guo to pursue it alone."
Many generals secretly complained when they saw that Han Cheng was neglecting his great achievements.
Even Cheng Boxian frowned secretly and thought to himself: "It would be great if I was assigned to General Guo."
Han Cheng ordered his soldiers to clean up the battlefield. The fighting lasted only a short time, but nearly a thousand Tubo people were killed, and many armors, weapons and horses were also seized.
Just when Han Cheng was about to give the order to return to Hu'erling, a horse came rushing in front, but it was Guo Daifeng's scout.
The scout said anxiously: "General Han, General Guo chased the Tibetans to the Kara River. The Tibetans were unable to cross the river, so they turned around and fought to the death. The battle was fierce. General Guo asked you to rush to support!"
Han Cheng had also read a lot of military books recently, and said in a deep voice: "The Tibetans will fight to the bitter end, and they will fight to the bitter end. Even if General Guo wins, he will suffer heavy casualties."
Russell said anxiously: "Brother Han, it's time now, stop talking nonsense and lead the rescue team quickly!"
Han Cheng looked back at Huerling and said hesitantly: "The artillery on the mountain can't be left alone. So, General Murong Lang, you lead a thousand people to guard the artillery here! The rest will come with me to support General Guo!"
"
Murong Xuan said anxiously: "General Han, the last general also wants to participate in the battle, please let others guard him!"
Han Cheng said angrily: "Go if you are told to go and carry out the order."
After saying that, he took nearly 9,000 troops and headed south quickly.
Han Cheng had no other merits in leading the army except being cautious. When the army passed by a forest, he kept looking in the direction of the forest, fearing that there would be an ambush.
After watching for a long time, his expression suddenly changed drastically and he shouted: "Stop! Stop!"
When the order soldiers heard his order, they immediately conveyed the order loudly. From front to back, the order soldiers shouted "stop moving forward" one after another in a relay manner, and the army finally stopped.
Russell drove his horse forward and frowned: "Brother Han, what's wrong?"
Han Cheng said anxiously: "We passed by the forest with such loud sound of horse hooves, but not a single bird flew out. There must be something wrong with this forest!"
Russell turned his head and looked towards the woods.
At this moment, a strange drum sound sounded, and then countless arrows were shot out from the dense forest. The Tang army suddenly turned upside down on the side near the dense forest.
Russell reined in the frightened horse tightly and shouted loudly: "The enemy is attacking, the entire army is ready for battle!"
Han Cheng said anxiously: "Retreat quickly, this is the enemy's conspiracy, don't fight them!"
Russell also realized that Guo Daifeng should have passed by here before, but was not ambushed. Obviously the Tubo people wanted to eat them all!
Immediately send an order and order the army to retreat!
The Tubo people pursued closely, and the Tang army's casualties continued to increase.
When they arrived at Huerling, Han Cheng felt a chill all over his body. He saw a Tibetan army neatly lined up at the entrance of the mountain.
On the right side of the army, rows of open carriages were filled with artillery of the Tang army.
The artillery that Wu Chengsi had high hopes for had not even fired a single shot, but he had become a prisoner of the Tibetans.
Han Cheng, Russell and Cheng Boxian all looked pale.
At this time, a man at the front of the Tubo army drove his horse forward a few steps and said slowly: "I have cut off your retreat and your way out, why don't you surrender early?"
The man had a majestic build, bright eyes, and spoke very standard Tang dialect. If it weren't for the braided hair on his head, he would look like a heroic Tang Dynasty general.
Han Cheng had seen the portrait of Lun Qinling and knew that the man was himself. He said angrily: "My army of the Tang Dynasty will not surrender until the death. Brothers, follow me and charge!"
He charged towards the artillery on the side, thinking that even if he died, he would still find a way to take the artillery back!
Not long after he charged, the Tibetan people beside the carriage immediately dispersed, and the artillery fell into the hands of the Tang army again.
Han Cheng was in a daze, never expecting to take back the cannon so easily.
Suddenly, he heard loud sounds of fighting behind him. He turned around and felt cold again.
It turned out that when he was charging, the troops behind Lun Qinling suddenly rushed up, like a sharp awl, cutting the Tang army into two halves.
Han Cheng couldn't care less at the moment, and ordered his sergeants to surround the artillery in the middle, roaring: "Soldiers, come with me to break out a bloody road!"
Taking the lead, he led the team towards the direction of Huerling Road.
However, in order to bring artillery, the Tang army's speed was greatly affected and they could not rush fast at all.
Cheng Boxian hissed: "General, forget about the artillery. The Tibetans deliberately let us take back the artillery. They just want to use the artillery to hold us back and prevent us from breaking out!"
Han Cheng's face was covered with blood at this moment. While waving his spear to chop, he said loudly: "No, we must not let the artillery fall into the hands of the Tubo people, absolutely not!"
Cheng Boxian cursed in his heart, but he was surrounded by Tubo people and had no energy left to speak.
On the other side, Lun Qinling kept issuing orders, suffocating the Tang army, which was divided into two halves.
As time went by, Lun Qinling gradually frowned. Although the Tang army suffered heavy casualties, the Tubo people under his command also suffered heavy casualties.
He thought to himself: "The combat power of this Tang army is especially superior to our most elite troops in Tibet. No wonder the Tang Dynasty can dominate all directions. Fortunately, I used a trick to get the 30,000 Western troops to return to Chang'an, otherwise we may not be able to win today."
Then he thought again: "Micah only has 10,000 people, so he will definitely not be able to defeat the 10,000-strong Tang army. We need to find a way to lure the Tang army over."
Immediately send an order to slow down the offensive and leave a gap in the south.
Not long after, several Tang soldiers escaped from the siege from the south and headed towards the Kara River.
After they escaped, Lun Qinling ordered the gap to be blocked.