Chapter 51: Intercepting the Tubo Grain Transport Convoy

As for the situation of the three thousand Tibetan troops, the main Tibetan army remained completely unaware and was earnestly engaged in a standoff with the frontier garrison camp. They had even divided off two thousand troops to attack the eastern district of Sha City while plundering the surrounding populace.

Over at the frontier garrison camp, having gone without battle for a long time, though their numbers hovered around ten thousand, they could now barely maintain their footing. The primary reason they had not collapsed was the thousand elite soldiers under Zhang Chao. These elite soldiers were all cavalry, exceptionally equipped and mounted on robust steeds, contrasting sharply with the rest of the ragged force.

The population within Sha City was originally sparse, with the majority carved up by aristocratic families and maintained as private militias. Although Zhang Chao possessed his own prestigious lineage, he could only manage to squeeze a few men out of those noble households. Out of the ten thousand men in the entire garrison, the frontier troops under his direct control numbered merely three thousand.

Of these ten thousand garrison troops, three thousand had been assigned to Li Shiwu, instructing him to intercept the two thousand Tibetan troops heading toward the east of the city and protect the grain supply route. Having experienced the previous clash between the two armies, the morale of the Tibetan main force had plummeted significantly, and now they were divided in their deployment. Among them, the two thousand troops out plundering were mostly led by the Gara clan, while those left behind at the main camp to face the garrison consisted of Tibetans from other surnames. Lacking morale to begin with and feeling treated with bias, their resentment only grew. Consequently, fighting in a loose formation, they lacked their initial ferocity.

Because of this, the general's garrison and the Tibetan army remained locked in a stalemate. This dragged on for two full days.

Inside the commander's tent of the main garrison camp at this moment, everyone's complexion appeared somewhat haggard. Under two days of confrontation, compounded by dwindling grain supplies, everyone had grown visibly thinner.

Captain Liu Can asked bluntly, "What on earth is going on with Li Shiwu? He has been gone for so long and still hasn't defeated those two thousand Tibetan troops? The grain supplies haven't been delivered either! If this continues, our commander's camp will collapse without the enemy even attacking!"

As soon as his voice fell, Li Huai'an stroked his beard and slowly said, "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? For all we know, he might have already defeated the Tibetan troops and is currently transporting grain back this way!"

Liu Can sneered, "Transporting grain? What a joke! A mere two thousand troops, and three days have already passed! If he were capable of defeating them, he would have eagerly rushed back to claim credit and rewards by now. Could he possibly hold out for this long without sending a report? You have cooperated with him for so long, don't you know what kind of ability he has?"

Although Liu Can's words were utterly devoid of courtesy, they made complete sense. Whenever Li Huai'an's subordinates made the slightest move or achieved some military merit, they would rush to report it without delay. To say that Li Shiwu had achieved merits and failed to report them was simply impossible.

Hearing this, Li Huai'an was left speechless, so infuriated that he accidentally yanked out one of his own hairs. He could only let out a cold snort and remain silent.

Another captain under his command stepped forward to change the subject, saying, "No matter what, Li Shiwu at least led troops out to measure himself against the Tibetan thieves, yet that Zhao Mang you recommended hasn't even cast a shadow. How can you remain so nonchalant?"

Liu Can sneered, "A short-sighted villain, utterly clueless!"

The factions from both sides began arguing once more, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to an army. Their heated quarrel grew increasingly fierce.

Suddenly, a soldier from outside rushed in to report, "Urgent report! The Tibetan army is attacking again!"

Liu Can glanced at Li Huai'an, making no effort to conceal the disdain in his eyes. He stepped forward proactively and said, "General! I request permission to engage!"

Having been cooped up for days, Liu Can had long since reached the limit of his patience. Naturally a bellicose man, he had already requested permission from Zhang Chao several times, only to be refused. But now, with the garrison camp's grain supplies nearly exhausted, if they did not fight with their backs to the wall, they risked starving to death.

With no other choice, Zhang Chao consented to Liu Can's request. "Since no one else has a solution, Captain Liu, you shall lead my three thousand men into battle, while I beat the battle drum for you within the camp!"

Liu Can cupped his fists and bowed deeply, "Understood!"

Meanwhile, Zhao Mang's four hundred cavalrymen moved slowly and closely along the foot of the Great Snowy Mountains, silently skirting around to the east of the Tibetan army—specifically, their rear. They set up an ambush at the foot of the Sanwei Mountains, right along the critical supply route of the Tibetan army.

Zhao Mang's objective was crystal clear. With his limited manpower, the reason he had previously succeeded against the three thousand Tibetan troops was by seizing the opportunity of their division, allowing him to defeat them piecemeal. Although the Tibetan main army had dispatched a large detachment, over six thousand men still remained in the main camp. He was not arrogant enough to pit four hundred against six thousand.

Therefore, Zhao Mang targeted the supply route situated between the Tibetan main army and Guazhou. Previously, he had heard Xiao Han deduce that this group of Tibetan troops had originated from Guazhou City rather than the south. With a clear point of origin came a clear supply route, and an army of over ten thousand men consumed provisions at an astonishing pace. Although he did not know the exact amount of grain currently stored in the Tibetan camp, he was acutely aware of Tibetan military habits: generally, when launching an expedition, they carried very little grain, relying primarily on the mobility of their cavalry. For this very reason, they avoided cumbersome supply wagons that would hinder their marching speed. Such a prolonged stationing of troops directly before a frontier garrison was exceedingly rare, and this presented Zhao Mang with his opportunity.

Zhao Mang deduced that the arriving Tibetan army might not strike and withdraw as they usually did; they intended to wage a protracted war and completely swallow up the Sha City region. Thus, cutting off their supply route and disrupting their endless streams of foraging raiding parties would drastically weaken their strength.

Sure enough, after lying in wait for three days, Zhao Mang finally ambushed the Tibetan grain transport convoy. In the perception of the Tibetans, the stretch between Guazhou and their main army was entirely Tibetan territory. They appeared utterly relaxed, and the leader of the transport unit was even chatting casually with his deputy. The entire convoy laughed and talked, completely oblivious to the impending danger.

Just as the Tibetan transport convoy reached the ambush point, Zhao Mang, who had been lying in wait, immediately gave the order to loose arrows. Zhao Mang struck first; his former three-stone bow had long been replaced by one with an even heavier draw. With a single arrow, he pierced the throat of the chattering Tibetan supply leader, who died on the spot and tumbled from his horse.

Once the volley of arrows ended, a portion of the Tibetan troops scrambled to hide behind the grain carts to save their lives. Seeing this, Zhao Mang immediately shouted for his men to charge.

"Seize this batch of grain, and Dunzi Peak won't face a shortage of provisions for quite some time!"

With Zhao Mang leading the charge, the men behind him followed closely, surging like a torrent into the Tibetan transport convoy. Battle cries erupted on all sides. Having already survived a battle against three thousand Tibetan troops, the morale of Zhao Mang's four hundred men was currently at its zenith.

Within moments, the entire five-hundred-strong transport unit was completely slaughtered by Zhao Mang and his men. Among Zhao Mang's four hundred men, not a single life was lost, though most sustained minor injuries.

After taking headcount, they seized over a hundred grain carts—provisions more than sufficient to sustain them for a full half-year.

Immediately afterward, Zhao Mang ordered his men to drag the grain carts away, slowly proceeding to the foot of the Great Snowy Mountains. Finding a sandy patch of land, they buried all the grain underground, reorganized the ranks, and allowed everyone to rest briefly.

By then, the sun was setting in the west. After a full day of exertion, the majority of Zhao Mang's troops were utterly exhausted. They produced their dried rations, washed them down with water, and partook of a hearty meal.

Deep into the night, the well-rested troops set out once more.