Chapter 135: Blood Letters Can Be Written Casually

Mount Wei was originally the ancestral homeland of the Mengshe Zhao. After King Piluoge of Nanzhao unified the Six Zhaos and established his capital at Dahe City, the people of the Mengshe Zhao gradually migrated there. Aside from the basin of Yutu Mountain City, the eastern mountains and western gorges were almost entirely devoid of human habitation.

Duan Xiaohe, disheveled and unkempt, looked little different from a beggar, were it not for the Mingguang armor specially made for Tang dynasty generals that he still wore.

At that moment, standing in the mountain forest not far from Yutu City, he chewed on a tree leaf, his clear eyes fixed intently on the mountain city before him while his mind raced with calculations.

Gathering over two thousand scattered retreating soldiers, they had fled into the miasma-filled Weibao Mountains. More than five hundred had succumbed to severe wounds, exhaustion, and disease. Leading the remaining seventeen hundred men, they roamed the regions of the Weibao Mountains, Daque Mountain, and Dragon Mountain, plundering a few villages to barely sustain themselves for over three months.

When the packhorses were eaten, they ate the warhorses; when the grain ran out, they ate tree bark and grass roots. This remnant of the Great Tang army trapped within Nanzhao territory could no longer hold on.

To risk an attack on this Yutu Mountain City—if they took it, the brothers would have a chance at survival; if they failed, death was the only certainty. Yet Yutu Mountain City boasted high walls, deep moats, and a perilous terrain. Lacking siege weapons, attempting to capture this mountain city would prove exceedingly difficult.

Less than thirty li away from Yutu Mountain City lay Bolongchuan of the Baiman tribe. The Nanzhao defenders guarding the city needed to hold out for only a few hours before reinforcements from the Baiman tribe would arrive. A direct assault was clearly out of the question.

A bitter taste filled Duan Xiaohe’s mouth. With a spit, he jettisoned the leaf along with his saliva. Staring blankly toward the east, in the direction of the Great Tang, a profound heaviness settled in his heart.

Before drawing his last breath, General Wang Tianyun had seized his hand with a death grip, demanding that he bring these brothers back alive to the Great Tang no matter what. Yet now, forgetting even the return to the Great Tang, mere survival seemed an insurmountable hurdle for these military brothers.

"Commander! Four horsemen have emerged from Yutu Mountain City and are heading in our direction." A soldier near Duan Xiaohe walked over, pointing toward four figures on horseback along the mountain path, and reported in a low voice.

"Damn it, aren't these southern barbarians planning to let us fend for ourselves and rot in these eastern wildernesses? Why are they sending out scouts and reconnaissance riders again? Let's go take a look."

Duan Xiaohe muttered a curse under his breath and waved his hand to the men around him.

Guided by Fengyao's guards, Lu Lule and his party easily entered Yutu Mountain City. With thousands of Tang stragglers fleeing into the Weibao Mountain area, Yutu Mountain City required the Baiman tribe to assist in its defense, rendering the garrison naturally courteous to the subordinates of Madam Yuanzhen, Fengyao.

Inside the city, through the guard Feng Huiying, Lu Lule managed to gather considerable intelligence regarding this retreating army. Many villagers whose settlements had been plundered had packed up their families, left their ancestral homes, and fled as refugees to Yutu Mountain City. It appeared this army was still lingering in the eastern mountain forests.

After resting briefly in Yutu Mountain City, Lu Lule and his companions did not linger long, heading straight out of the city toward the Weibao Mountains in the east.

The four horsemen drew closer, yet their attire was that of the Baiman tribe, leaving Duan Xiaohe somewhat bewildered. He scratched his unkempt hair, utterly unable to fathom why members of the Baiman tribe would appear on Mount Wei and for what purpose.

No matter. Capture them, interrogate them thoroughly, and perhaps extract some information to find an opportunity to take Yutu Mountain City. With this thought, Duan Xiaohe directly issued orders to his subordinates.

Just as Lu Lule’s group rounded a mountain ridge, they found themselves completely surrounded by a band of savage-looking Tang soldiers.

Duan Xiaohe shouldered his horizontal blade, sauntering forward slowly to gaze coldly at Lu Lule and the other three.

Lu Lule cast a look of deep respect at the group of tattered Tang soldiers, silently pulled out his military tally, and flashed it before Duan Xiaohe.

"Oh! A sixth-rank Imperial Guard Sijie—that's a much higher official rank than my humble battalion commander's post. Yet an imperial nobleman from the Northern Garrison like you isn't putting on airs and showing off in Chang'an City; what brings you running to the battlefield in the Kingdom of Nanzhao? Judging by your Nanzhao Baiman attire, could you be a spy in collusion with Nanzhao?"

Duan Xiaohe glanced at Lu Lule’s military tally, curled his lips, and eyed Lu Lule with suspicion.

"I have come for you all. I heard that General Wang Tianyun was severely injured and rescued by his subordinate battalion commander Duan Xiaohe, escaping into the mountain forests of eastern Mount Wei. Do you have any news of them?"

Lu Lule ignored Duan Xiaohe's mockery, gazing at him with a sense of urgency.

"As an imperial military officer of the Great Tang, how is it that you're walking alongside the Baiman people? Could it be that our Great Tang has made peace with Nanzhao once more? The moment you arrive, you start inquiring about General Wang's whereabouts—this forces me to suspect your motives. Brothers, take them back to the camp for questioning."

With a wave of Duan Xiaohe's large hand, dozens of soldiers leveled their weapons squarely at the four individuals.

"I am Duan Xiaohe. Now, you will honestly explain to me what your true purpose is in coming here." Inside the temporary camp on Mount Wei, Duan Xiaohe sat regally on a boulder, looking down disdainfully at the detained Lu Lule.

"My coming here is to see General Wang Tianyun. Jiannan Regional Commander Xianyu Zhongtong concealed his defeat and failed to report it. I hope General Wang can step forward to testify and bring the truth of our Great Tang army's defeat at Erhai Lake to light before the world. Our soldiers who died in battle cannot die in vain, and you scattered troops will also have a chance to return to the Great Tang."

Undaunted, Lu Lule raised his head and met Duan Xiaohe's gaze directly.

"What! Our Great Tang army suffered no fewer than sixty thousand casualties at the Battle of Erhai Lake, and Xianyu Zhongtong dared to conceal it without reporting?" Duan Xiaohe could scarcely believe his ears and leaped to his feet.

"First he blocked the news from reaching the capital, then he intercepted the defeated soldiers returning to the Great Tang. Relying on the backing of Yang Guozhong in the imperial court, Xianyu Zhongtong acts as he pleases in Jiannan. What wouldn't he dare to do?"

Lu Lule's expression remained calm, though speaking of the matter had rendered him somewhat numb.

"I don't believe it. Such a massive event—could even His Imperial Majesty the Sage Emperor be unaware of it?" Duan Xiaohe looked resentfully at Lu Lule, clearly reluctant to accept his words.

"What if I told you that His Majesty the Sage Emperor himself desires to conceal this matter?" Lu Lule looked at Duan Xiaohe with a complicated expression.

"I don't believe it! I don't believe it! Our soldiers fought fiercely on the front lines, and to this day we remain stranded in the deep mountains of Nanzhao, struggling bitterly to hold on. Has His Majesty the Sage Emperor simply abandoned us like this?"

Duan Xiaohe glared at Lu Lule with a hostile expression, looking ready to draw his sword at the slightest provocation.

Lu Lule gave a bitter smile. "Along the way here, I have encountered many defeated soldiers. They have a country but cannot return to it, a home but cannot go back. In the eyes of His Majesty the Sage Emperor, you defeated soldiers no longer exist. If you don't believe me, you can send someone with me to the valley where Madam Yuanzhen of the Baiman tribe resides. There are hundreds of poisoned Tang soldiers she has taken in there—ask them and you will know the truth."

"We just don't exist anymore? Then what on earth are we, the remaining soldiers, fighting and surviving for?" Duan Xiaohe opened his eyes wide, staring fixedly at Lu Lule.

"In the past, you could say you fought for the glory of the Great Tang. Now, you must fight simply to stay alive. Currently, for the sake of his own pride, His Majesty the Sage Emperor is preparing to summon two hundred thousand northern troops to strike Nanzhao once more; he no longer has the capacity to care about you."

Lu Lule glanced toward the direction of Chang'an City and shook his head with complex emotions.

"Since His Majesty the Sage Emperor has abandoned us, by whose orders have you come to this place?" Duan Xiaohe's thoughts raced as he eyed Lu Lule with suspicion.

"The Kingdom of Nanzhao was originally a vassal state of our Great Tang, enfeoffed by us for generations. Our unprovoked initiation of war was unjust. If both sides continue to engage in combat, it will only benefit our formidable enemy, the Tibetan Empire. Chancellor Li Linfu, in order to prevent His Majesty the Sage Emperor from dispatching troops to attack Nanzhao once again, specifically ordered me to come and secure irrefutable proof of Xianyu Zhongtong's disastrous defeat at Erhai Lake. By exposing his and Yang Guozhong's lies, we can prevent a much larger war. Therefore, you must let me see General Wang Tianyun."

Lu Lule made no concealment, explicitly stating his purpose to Duan Xiaohe.

Duan Xiaohe slumped down onto the ground, clutching his hair with both hands. "General Wang Tianyun passed away shortly after entering the mountains due to the severity of his wounds. Where do you expect me to find General Wang Tianyun for you now?"

Lu Lule let out a long sigh, remaining silent for a long time. In truth, he had long harbored deep anxieties regarding the possibility of Wang Tianyun's death. For someone severely wounded to break into the miasma-choked mountain forests of eastern Mount Wei, the chance of survival was pitifully small.

"How many soldiers remain in this temporary camp of yours, and who holds the highest rank?" Having held little hope to begin with, Lu Lule put the question to Duan Xiaohe.

"Seventeen hundred men or so, and the highest-ranking officer is none other than myself, a lowly battalion commander." Duan Xiaohe's voice dropped low; the news brought by Lu Lule had dealt him a heavy blow.

"Before General Wang Tianyun passed away, did he leave any parting words?" Lu Lule still refused to give up entirely.

"He just told me that no matter what, I had to keep these surviving brothers alive and bring them back to the Great Tang—nothing else." Duan Xiaohe looked sorrowful and blankly stared at the fog-shrouded mountain forest.

Lu Lule cupped his chin in thought for a moment, then abruptly tore off the yellowing hem of Duan Xiaohe's inner garment.

"What are you doing?" Duan Xiaohe glared angrily at Lu Lule.

"Is anyone among you familiar with General Wang Tianyun's handwriting?" Lu Lule completely ignored Duan Xiaohe's anger and asked urgently.

"I am!" Duan Xiaohe pointed at his own nose.

"You again?" Lu Lule was somewhat speechless.

"Of course! I happen to be General Wang Tianyun's nephew. Otherwise, why would I risk my life to rescue him from the battlefield and help him escape?" Duan Xiaohe grunted twice and muttered under his breath.

"Bite your finger, mimic General Wang Tianyun's handwriting, and write the words 'A general's incompetence dooms three armies' on it. Sign it simply with the name 'Wang Tianyun'." Lu Lule handed the yellowed piece of fabric to Duan Xiaohe.

"You want me to forge my uncle's last testament?" Duan Xiaohe realized the intent instantly.

"If General Wang Tianyun were alive, your act would be forgery. Now that he is dead, this last testament becomes the truth. If you still wish for your brothers to have a chance to return to the Great Tang, do as I say."

Lu Lule tossed the yellowing fabric squarely into Duan Xiaohe's lap.

Duan Xiaohe bit his finger while asking hesitantly, "Will this actually work?"

"Why wouldn't it!" Lu Lule retorted impatiently.

"No wonder you're a Sijie commanding an entire battalion at such a young age, while I am merely a humble battalion commander." Duan Xiaohe grumbled and mumbled as he began to mimic Wang Tianyun's handwriting to write the blood-letter.

Once he finished writing, Lu Lule snatched the blood-letter away.

"You were scouting around Yutu Mountain City—could it be that you harbor designs on that city?"