Chapter 88: Knowing When to Stop

On the ramparts of Tongguan, aside from a supply of large bed crossbows, there were numerous throwing machines of various sizes. Originally, they had been prepared to hurl stones and other deadly weapons, but now they were repurposed to launch dry grass and hot oil. These materials were cast into the forbidden trench by the throwing machines. Because much of Tongguan’s walls were built right alongside the trench—and some of the twelve linked forts even jutted into it—the soldiers could easily throw grass and oil directly into the trench, raining destruction down upon the rebel troops below. Soon, the trench was piled high with dry grass and hot oil, all ignited by flaming arrows, and the fire spread rapidly.

The forbidden trench became a “fire trench,” engulfing scores of rebel soldiers in a sea of flames. Their formation collapsed in an instant; those who had reached the edge of the trench stopped abruptly, instinctively turning to flee rather than charge into the inferno. Yet in the chaos of a massed assault, retreat was not so simple. The soldiers at the front, intent on withdrawing, collided with those still advancing from behind. The resulting confusion was catastrophic; many, desperate to escape, were pushed into the fire by their unwitting comrades.

Cui Qianyou, witnessing this calamity, was stunned. He immediately ordered a halt to the attack, commanding the army to retreat and escape the blaze. But the front ranks were already in disarray, and his orders could not be properly relayed. In the panic, survival instincts took precedence—no one cared for formation or command; their only thought was to flee from the spreading fire. No general, under such circumstances, could have organized an effective withdrawal.

The Tang army had suffered a similar fate at Lingbao, routed by fire, but none had expected such a disaster would now befall the rebels.

Yet something even more terrifying followed. The south gate of Tongguan swung open, and a contingent of elite Tang cavalry, led by a fearsome commander, charged forth. In moments, they plunged into the chaotic ranks of the rebels.

At the onset of the assault, Cui Qianyou had stationed five thousand troops at the main south gate to guard against a Tang sortie. But once the trench was ablaze and the rebel formation was thrown into turmoil, even these five thousand were scattered. In their panic, they could not regroup to face the enemy. The Tang cavalry, under their leader’s command, rampaged as if moving through unguarded territory.

The leader of this sortie, acting on Yang Xi’s instructions, sought to exploit the rebels’ disorder by scattering their ranks—or even shattering the three thousand elite troops led by Wang Sili. They struck just as the fire erupted in the trench and the rebels descended into chaos.

These three thousand were nearly the most elite and battle-hardened troops within Tongguan. Under Wang Sili’s lead, each charged forward as if heedless of death, plunging into the rebel army with reckless abandon.

The rebels’ formation, already a shambles, could not withstand the onslaught of these three thousand; the confusion deepened. Officers and soldiers alike wailed in despair, lamenting that their parents had not given them more legs to run faster. Wang Sili’s force killed as they pleased, encountering almost no resistance.

“Brothers, now is the time for vengeance! Let us reclaim the lives lost at Lingbao!” After cutting down five rebel soldiers during the charge, Wang Sili swung his sword atop his mount and shouted to his men, “The rebels are routed—they can no longer withstand our attack. Kill them! Now is the time to earn your military honors!”

With cries of slaughter, another hapless rebel fell beneath his blade, only to be trampled to pulp by the surging hooves that followed.

Wang Sili did not linger in battle, but directed his men straight toward the eastern side of the trench, aiming to strike Cui Qianyou’s command post.

The eastern edge of the trench was a gently sloping expanse, stretching for miles and able to accommodate nearly one hundred thousand troops. In the past two days, Cui Qianyou’s vanguard of seventy thousand had gathered here, and Tian Qianzhen’s thirty thousand reinforcements had also arrived.

After the fire attack shattered their ranks, almost one hundred thousand rebel troops descended into chaos—especially the fifty thousand in the front lines, who became utterly disordered. Wang Sili’s rapid assault heightened the confusion; even the area where Cui Qianyou and Tian Qianzhen stood was thrown into turmoil, with soldiers everywhere scrambling to escape.

“Deputy Commander, the Tang army has sallied forth from the city to attack us—both at the south and east gates! We cannot resist!” cried an officer as he rushed to report to Cui Qianyou.

While Yang Xi led Wang Sili in the south gate sortie, he also dispatched Li Chengguang with fifteen hundred troops out the east gate to strike the enemy.

Due to the rout at the south gate, the rebels at the east gate were also affected and began to retreat. Li Chengguang seized the moment, leading his fifteen hundred men in a charge from the east gate.

The disorganized rebels had no idea how many Tang troops were pouring out of the city; hearing the shouts of battle, they thought only of fleeing, and soon the rear ranks were scattered as well. The rebel rear, believing the Tang had committed their entire force to a counterattack, was thrown into confusion by the retreating front, and soon all order was lost, with troops competing to escape. Officers at every level shouted themselves hoarse, urging their men to hold formation, but to little effect.

Encountering virtually no resistance, Wang Sili pressed deeper into the rebel ranks, hoping to sow more confusion or even seize the opportunity to kill Cui Qianyou or An Qingxu in the chaos.

Unfortunately, the eastern edge of the trench was crowded with too many rebel troops, and the terrain undulated. Though Wang Sili’s three thousand men advanced smoothly and faced little opposition, they could not break through to the enemy command. When they reached the center of the rebel formation, the way ahead was blocked entirely by masses of disordered soldiers, and they could advance no further.

Wang Sili could only lead his men in repeated charges, back and forth, seeking to inflict greater chaos upon the rebels.

“A pity we cannot avenge Lingbao!” he lamented as his troops neared the trench again, then shouted orders for them to return to the city.

Wang Sili understood why Yang Xi had only ordered him to lead three thousand troops in the assault. Even had he led more, the outcome would not have improved. The terrain before Tongguan was simply too narrow for larger engagements; the advantage of speed could not be fully exploited, and so long as the enemy commanders did not flee, their superior numbers would eventually prevail.

His force had already inflicted tremendous confusion upon the rebels; such disorder ensured they could not attack the city again. But those who sallied forth could not expand their victory further; withdrawing while ahead was the wisest course.

Should the rebels regroup and mount an effective defense, even the safe return of his three thousand men would be uncertain.

End of section.