Chapter 0010: There Should Be No Buddha
Wu Peisheng laughed heartily, not knowing what made him so happy
The Dali Temple has indeed sent down three law enforcement officers with broken mirrors or higher, which shows their sincerity. I heard that the Ministry of War also dispatched a talisman master who has had a broken mirror for many years, but why haven't we seen him come along?
... ...
After suffering the loss of thousands of lives, the Wolf Riders finally approached the city walls, clumsily erecting their ladders and awkwardly climbing upwards. They maneuvered their warhorses with precision, yet this siege was undoubtedly a nightmare for them. The Wolf Riders, who had enjoyed comfort for far too many years, had long forgotten that their ancestors once roamed invincibly across the Central Plains.
Lord Tang has diligently fulfilled his duties, and we hold him in high regard
This battle made Fangu City a well-known place throughout the world
The 50,000 elite troops of the Right Xiaowei are stationed at Woxian Mountain, which is located 60 li away from Jibei City
Where did Lord Tang get this news from
As solid as a whole block of the hardest diamond
This battle also made the then General Li Luan of the Left Guard famous throughout the world. The reason is simple: at that time, the only ones who arrived to rescue the border troops at Fangu City were Li Luan and the nine hundred cavalrymen under his command. With nine hundred cavalry and a thousand banners, Li Luan frightened the tens of thousands of troops of the Mantu Wolf into fleeing back to the western side of the Wolf Milk Mountains, not daring to look back along the way
Upon arriving at Jibei County, his first action was not to enter the city but to visit Li Yuanshan at Woxian Mountain. As a eunuch in the Imperial Study, he naturally understood the significance of this Right Cavalry General in the Emperor's eyes. Thus, he was able to express the flattering words he had just spoken. Throughout this journey, apart from being humble and courteous in front of various governors, he had never shown such politeness even before a county magistrate of the third rank.
A heavy boulder weighing several hundred pounds struck down, leaving only a white mark on the earthen wall. After the first day, one side of the city wall of Fangu City had its blue bricks neatly stripped away. Yet, that seemingly fragile earthen wall turned out to be as solid as a naturally formed block of stone, with not even a single crack left by the stones that struck it.
Li Yuanshan turned back to take a glance, and the more than ten officials from the Dali Temple and the Ministry of War following behind all nodded in acknowledgment. His gaze deliberately lingered a moment longer on the faces of three of them, causing the three to almost simultaneously shudder slightly.
Shockingly, after a day of relentless bombardment, Fangu City resembled a boiled egg, its shell shattered into pieces, revealing the pitiful egg white inside. However, no one expected that their assumption of fragility was completely mistaken; the subsequent events left the Mongol Empire utterly astonished.
After this battle, Emperor Yang Yun of the Sui Dynasty announced that all border troops stationed at Fangu City would be promoted to the rank of Xiaowei, with each soldier receiving a reward of thirty mu of merit land, exempt from paying taxes to the government. The residents of Fangu City would be exempt from taxes for ten years, and the Ministry of Revenue would allocate fifty thousand taels of silver to repair the houses for the people, rewarding their loyalty and bravery
In the seventh year of the Daxui Jianye era, during the reign of the previous emperor of the Daxui dynasty, a war of limited scale but far-reaching impact broke out between the Mongol Empire and Daxui. At that time, 40,000 wolf cavalry from the Mongol Empire crossed the Wolf Milk Mountain Gorge, heading straight for Fangu. The city of Fangu had only 800 border troops, and the nearest reinforcements were from the Zuo Zhaowei in Jibei County, located 450 miles away. Moreover, more than half of the Zuo Zhaowei consisted of heavily armored infantry, which clearly could not arrive in a short period.
Li Yuanshan was slightly taken aback, but soon broke into a smile: "Indeed, there are not many talisman masters in the army of the Sui Dynasty. If we were to send a talisman master down just to check an account, then that talisman master would be too undervalued."
Li Yuanshan, at the age of thirty-three, is in the prime of a man's maturity and steadiness. He has an average build, standing around 1.7 meters tall, not particularly robust. Compared to the fierce generals in the army, he lacks a certain ferocity and appears somewhat too slender. Especially when contrasted with the seven elite guards behind him, he seems even more ordinary. Each of those seven tiger generals is a formidable figure.
However, the Duke is of the first rank, so Li Yuan wears a crown with eight ridges and is dressed in a purple robe, with a qilin embroidered on the chest insignia. The insignia for second-rank military officials features a lion, while that for third-rank officials depicts a tiger.
The attire of military generals and civil officials in the Sui Dynasty was distinctly different, with the most significant distinction being the insignia on the front of the official robes. The insignia for military generals depicted fierce beasts, while that for civil officials depicted flying birds. Officials of the first to fourth rank wore purple robes, those of the fifth to seventh rank wore blue robes, and minor officials of the eighth and ninth ranks wore green robes. Since the establishment of the Sui Dynasty, there has never been a first-rank military official; the generals of the Sixteen Guards were all of the third rank, and for over a hundred years, no military official above the third rank has emerged.
This eunuch, Wu Peisheng, is the chief eunuch of the Imperial Study, truly a prominent figure within the palace. This time, he has been entrusted with the imperial decree of Emperor Yang Yi of the Sui Dynasty to inspect Hebei, Hexi, Shanbei, and Shandong. Jibei Commandery, which belongs to the Shandong region, is also the final stop of this inspection.
The combat capabilities of the wolf riders on foot and those on horseback are entirely incomparable
Solid
Six days, from the beginning to the end of the war, a full six days. The Manchurian wolves left behind over 4,000 corpses outside the city of Fangu before retreating in disarray. In the years that followed, whenever he mentioned this battle, he would pound his chest and stomp his feet, cursing incessantly in the direction of Fangu. The reason for their retreat was that the elite troops of the Sui Dynasty's Left Guard had finally arrived from hundreds of miles away.
The seemingly fragile earthen wall stands firm like a mountain
The leader of the Mongol Empire's Mantuqi, Mantuolang, laughed heartily and said: "There is no need to besiege the city; simply strike down like this, and within a day, we can collapse this dilapidated earthen city. At that time, the wolf riders will gallop into the city and it will be as easy as pie to kill everyone inside."
Beyond the Wolf Milk Mountains, there lies a similarly formidable city of Nirvana
Wu Peisheng smiled, and the white powder on his face fell down: "Since Lord Tang is so serious, if I were to decline again, it would inevitably seem negligent. If His Majesty inquires, it would be difficult for me to provide an explanation. However... the matter of verifying accounts is the responsibility of the officials from the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of War; I am merely accompanying them on this occasion."
The speaker is a eunuch dressed in a light blue official robe of the sixth rank, around thirty-five or thirty-six years old. His face is covered with a thick layer of white powder, and his lips are painted in an unusually bright color, which is quite off-putting. Although this eunuch holds only the sixth rank, it is important to note that once a eunuch has a rank, it signifies that he is a favored individual within the palace
General Zuo Zhiwei, Li Luan, was promoted from Duke of the Commandery to Duke of the State, and was granted the title of Chancellor with the same rank as the Three Departments
The official attire of eunuchs differs from that of other officials, being blue in color, with deeper shades indicating higher ranks. Additionally, they do not have a badge on their chests and are not permitted to wear the Liang crown. The personnel of the Imperial Guard, on the other hand, wear the Flying Fish robe, which features a badge on the chest depicting a mythical creature recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. The Flying Fish is approximately ten feet long, with a dragon's head, cicada wings, and a fish tail
The Left Guard is primarily composed of heavily armored infantry, making it impossible for them to arrive in time. Li Luan had no other choice but to feign the presence of an army of one hundred thousand. This also reflects the helplessness of the Sui Dynasty's border troops; although the Left Guard has an army of fifty thousand, they could only muster nine hundred cavalry. The Sui Dynasty's shortage of warhorses is evident from this situation
The wolf knights clad in leather armor clumsily charged forward, carrying makeshift ladders, completely unaware of how to dodge or defend against the arrows raining down from the city walls. What terrified them the most was the powerful crossbows installed on the walls. The bolts, as thick as a calf, descended like the wrath of thunder, capable of tearing a strong steed in two.
Nirvana City is a stone city, as solid as a natural mountain
In order to receive the imperial decree, he deliberately donned the ceremonial robe of a first-rank duke today, topped with a Liang crown. The robe is deep purple, adorned with an embroidered qilin on the chest. The Liang crown for dukes features eight beams, equivalent in rank to that of a prince or a royal prince. This represents the highest rank for a minister, as the number nine is not one that can be used by just anyone. First-rank officials wear a crown with seven beams, second-rank officials with six beams, and down to third-rank officials with three beams; those below the fifth rank are not permitted to wear the Liang crown.
In a fit of rage, the Mando Wolf ordered an assault on the city, and tens of thousands of dismounted wolf cavalry began their attack. This marked the first time since the establishment of the Sui Dynasty that the Mongol Empire's forces attacked a Han city. The war between the founding emperor of the Sui Dynasty and the Mongol Empire had shattered the myth of the Mongol Empire's invincibility on the plains. This time, the small city of Fangu made the soldiers of the Mongol Empire understand what it meant to be unassailable
This mountain, originally named Mount Reclining Buddha, was conquered by the Great Sui Dynasty after years of territorial expansion. In the twelfth year of the reign of Emperor Guangwu, this land was secured. Upon hearing that this mountain was called Mount Reclining Buddha, the late emperor was greatly displeased. Thus, it was renamed Mount Reclining Immortal. The late emperor stated that... there should be no Buddha within the Great Sui Dynasty
This battle demonstrated to the world that the city of the Sui Dynasty is indestructible
In that battle, 40,000 cavalrymen dismounted from their horses and used over a hundred catapults to bombard Fangu City in succession. The hundreds of pounds of massive stones transported down from Wolf Milk Mountain fell densely, completely stripping away the two layers of blue bricks that encased the outer wall of Fangu City. The border troops on the city wall were utterly suppressed and could not raise their heads, having to hide behind the wall parapets.
As he walked, he turned his head to glance at Wu Peisheng and smiled, saying: "Since Master Wu is here on His Majesty's orders to conduct a thorough investigation, I shall naturally cooperate. Whether it is funds, personnel, treasury, military equipment, or horses, I have already dispatched someone to prepare these accounts. If Master Wu wishes to review them, I will send someone over shortly."
The civil official of the first rank wears a purple official robe, a seven-peak crown, and a chest badge embroidered with a crane. The second rank features a golden pheasant, while the third rank is represented by a peacock.
During that battle, a young man remained by Li Luan's side, undeterred even in the face of the possibility of being surrounded by tens of thousands of elite cavalry from the Mongol Empire, with little hope of survival. This youth was Li Luan's legitimate eldest son, who later inherited his title as Duke of Tang. He is now the Right General of the Western Guard, Li Yuanshan, serving as a bulwark for the Sui Dynasty in the northwest.
... ...
Li Yuanshan made a gesture
Lord Tang is truly too courteous. This is our first time working outside the capital, so if there are any shortcomings, I hope Lord Tang will be understanding. You know, if the subordinates had not angered His Majesty, how could His Majesty have sent the officials from the Dali Temple and the Ministry of War out of the capital for a strict investigation? As we have traveled along the way, I have also seen the hardships of the border troops, so we are merely going through the motions; you can rest assured, Lord Tang.
The Right Cavalry is also stationed in Jibei County, but not in the county seat of Jibei City.
Fangu is not Shitou City, but compared to Nirvana City, it is likely to surpass it. This small city was constructed under the direct supervision of Yuwen Zhong, the Minister of Works of the Great Sui Dynasty. It is said that the construction techniques were identical to those used in building the imperial capital of Chang'an. Initially, when the scouts of the Mongol Empire saw this small city, which had first built earthen walls and then stacked city bricks on the outside, they even mocked and laughed at it. Decades later, the Mongols realized how naive and ridiculous their initial mockery had been
He lowered his voice and chuckled, saying: "Tang Gong is not unaware; the talismans are all treasures."
Please
What nonsense is this, Master Wu
Li Yuanshan is a duke, thus he is permitted to wear the eight-beam crown and is dressed in court attire embroidered with a qilin patch. This is the regulation of the court, and it must not be violated in any way. Should there be any deviation, it would raise suspicions of conspiracy and rebellion.
Although Fangu City is merely a small border town in the northwesternmost part of the Sui Dynasty, measuring no more than 3.5 li in length and 3 li in width, with a clear view of its boundaries, there is no doubt that this small city is constructed with remarkable fortitude. It serves as the foremost outpost of the northwestern frontier, and beyond the opposite Langru Mountain range lies the territory of the Mongol Empire's Manduqi.
Manduolang was furious and ordered the stone-throwing machines to continue their relentless assault the next day. They persisted for a full day, only stopping when the supply of stones from the Langru Mountains could no longer keep up. Unfortunately, the walls of Fangu City, which seemed as if they could be toppled by a gust of wind, still stood proudly.
Wu Peisheng replied with a smile, "The Ministry of War has only dispatched five clerks, all of whom are experts in mathematics, solely for the purpose of verifying accounts. Where are there any talisman masters? We have the list of officials sent down for this inspection; if Lord Tang does not believe it, he may take a look. The Ministry of War has only sent one assistant minister and four clerks, and there are absolutely no talisman masters."