We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 1153 Wolf's Throat Fortress

The three-day deadline set by Li Che immediately stirred up a storm inside and outside Shazhou City.

The notices were posted in the most conspicuous places at the four gates and in the barracks, and were read aloud by literate soldiers.

Upon hearing the emperor's command, the soldiers all struggled.

Going home, a dream that has sustained them for twenty years, is now within reach.

But the emperor's words stirred even more intense ripples in their hearts.

That's revenge!

Going home is certainly good, but shouldn't we avenge the grudges of the past twenty years? Did those comrades die in vain?

Over the next two days, the soldiers of Shazhou City were divided into two groups.

Half of them hurriedly packed their meager belongings, their eyes gazing eagerly eastward, their hearts yearning to return home.

The other half was in turmoil, with soldiers arguing heatedly everywhere.

"Brother Wang, you actually stayed? At your age, it's not easy to go back and visit your ancestral graves..."

In the military camp, a middle-aged soldier was holding the hand of an old soldier with gray hair.

Despite his gray hair, he is actually only in his thirties.

In ancient times, conditions were harsh, and people tended to age prematurely, especially in places like the Gobi Desert, which were not conducive to longevity.

The old soldier, head down, was sharpening a nicked and chipped sword, sparks flying, and without looking up, he spoke:

“Go back? What’s there to see? My whole family died under the Tibetan swords back then, and I’m the only one left. If I go back, I’ll just be a lonely ghost.”

"It would be better to stay and cut off a few more heads of Tibetan dogs to offer as sacrifices to my parents, wife, and children."

"But... that's war, a siege battle, people will die!"

The veteran finally looked up, a wolf-like glint in his eyes: "I've been living in this godforsaken place for ages, now I have a chance to drag the Tibetan dogs down with me, what a win!"

The middle-aged soldier remained silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! I'll go with you!"

This time, the veteran was puzzled: "Aren't your family members still in the Central Plains?"

The middle-aged soldier scratched his head: "I committed a crime and ran away back then, which implicated my family. How can I face going back now?"

The veteran paused for a moment, then patted the middle-aged soldier on the shoulder.

On the other side, several young officers gathered together, their eyes burning with fervor.

"General Zhang said that those who stay behind are the main force, His Majesty's eyes and blade! Their provisions and pay are sufficient, and even their equipment... did you see those black armors? His Majesty said we can get new uniforms later!"

Someone hesitated and said, "But at home..."

"If you make a contribution, you can bring your family over and settle them down. It's better than going back with the stigma of being a 'defeated soldier' ​​and being looked down upon!"

"Anyway, I'm going to use the knife in my hand to fight for a better future for my descendants!"

Another person chimed in, "That's right! The Tibetan dogs owe us a blood debt, and we must collect it with our own hands!"

"Damn it, let's do it! I'm going to sign up, anyone want to go with me?"

Count me in!

. . . . . .

Zhang Yi's residence was actually just a slightly larger mud house.

In the past, there was always a steady stream of visitors, but these past two days have been even more exaggerated, with the threshold almost worn down by the crowds.

People came to him with questions, complaints, and hesitant decisions, pleading for his guidance.

Zhang Yi received them patiently, but did not make decisions for anyone; he simply repeated the emperor's promises over and over again.

But he could see that the fire that had been extinguished for so long in the eyes of many people was being reignited.

Human hearts are fickle.

When the situation is critical, everyone is focused on getting home.

Now the situation has reversed, and everyone wants to achieve even more.

Li Che did not interfere with the process.

All he could do was not force these heroes and let them make their own choices.

If they choose to join the Qing Army, Li Che will not give them any preferential treatment; he will treat them all the same.

If they chose to go home, Li Che wouldn't think they were cowardly or timid; it was just human nature.

On the morning of the third day, Li Che led Luo Yueniang, Xu Jiezi, Yu Daliang and others to climb the city wall and look out.

Outside the city, the soldiers and civilians of Shazhou who voluntarily returned east have begun to gather, bringing their families with them.

Many people kept looking back at the city wall, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

This was, after all, the place where they had lived for twenty years. Although it held painful memories, they were still reluctant to leave.

Inside the city, the able-bodied men who remained were being reorganized under the leadership of officers of various ranks, and their eyes were completely different from those of a few days ago.

Li Che had already ordered that they be given Qing army uniforms and weapons, so they no longer needed to wear their previous tattered clothes.

Don't underestimate this point. Morale and spirit are very important to soldiers. The difference in combat effectiveness between those wearing armor and those not wearing armor is not only on a physical level, but also on a mental level.

“The hearts of the people are at our disposal,” Xu Jiezi said softly, stroking his beard.

Luo Yueniang reported: "The preliminary count of those who volunteered to stay is about 4,200, of which about 2,800 are veteran soldiers and the rest are young and strong auxiliary soldiers."

"They are all under 35 years old, with most between 25 and 35. Their morale is very high, even a bit too high."

Yu Daliang added: "There are about 5,700 people who returned east, mainly the elderly, women and children, as well as some who were eager to return home and whose injuries or illnesses had not yet healed."

"As Your Majesty instructed, I have allocated sufficient provisions and am sending Commander Wang with 1,000 cavalry and 500 auxiliary soldiers to escort us back east along a safe route."

Li Che nodded, quite satisfied with their performance.

These two Shu generals have made great progress and have reached the level of commanders of the Qing army in the new era.

This is also why Li Che brought them along – to train talent for the Qing Army.

Li Che said, "Using these 2,800 veterans as the backbone, and mixing them with elite scouts and engineers skilled in riding and archery and knowledgeable in fortification and demolition, we can gather a total of 5,000 men to form the Shazhou Division."

"With Zhang Yi as the commander-in-chief, Luo Yueniang, send a capable deputy to assist him, and also transfer a group of veteran soldiers familiar with firearms operation to them, so that they can master the basic usage as soon as possible."

Luo Yueniang cupped her hands and said, "Yes."

Li Che added, "Your main force should maintain a one-day's journey distance from the Shazhou division. You must be able to provide support at any time, but you must not diminish their strength."

"Our first step is not to attack the city, but to remove the nails."

"Does Your Majesty already have a target?" Luo Yueniang asked.

Li Che took a map from Qiu Bai.

That was a simplified map of the Western Regions hastily drawn by the accompanying painter based on information provided by Shazhou.

He pointed to a spot about 300 li southwest of Shazhou: "Here, on the edge of Tulunqi, there is a Tibetan military town called Wolf Throat Fortress."

"This place controls the crossroads of the trade route to Khotan and Qiemo. A Tibetan commander of a thousand households is stationed here, and he also manages three tax checkpoints in the surrounding area, where he has accumulated a lot of tribute from passing merchants."

"The garrison commander was named Gar, a member of a collateral branch of the Gar Tongtsen family. He was greedy and violent, and had a terrible reputation."

Li Che paused for a moment, then continued, "Although this place has natural defenses, it is not a large city like Kucha or Khotan. Taking it would be enough to deter the surrounding areas, and the spoils could be used to replenish the army."

"More importantly, this place is close to Khotan and Kucha. In recent years, the ruler of Khotan has become increasingly dissatisfied with the oppression of Tibet. The people of Khotan are Buddhists, which has a connection with our Central Plains."

"We want the people of Khotan to see how the royal army deals with the Tibetans and how it treats the rescued merchants and laborers."

Xu Jiezi understood: "Kill Gar to establish authority, release slaves and distribute wealth to demonstrate benevolence."

"When the news reaches Khotan, the voices in the country that are pro-Daqing or pro-Tibet will surely change."

“Exactly.” Li Che put away the map. “We must win this battle, and we must win it spectacularly.”

"Let the Shazhou Division lead the charge. Zhang Yi is familiar with the geography, and his subordinates have a blood feud with the Tubo. It would be most appropriate for them to be the main attackers."

"General Luo, your men are responsible for the outer perimeter blockade. Not a single Tibetan soldier should be let go. The area within a radius of twenty miles of Wolf Throat Fort is a restricted zone."

The group accepted the order and left.

Li Che remained alone on the city wall, watching the returning eastward procession begin to move below, and a sense of pride welled up within him.

Shazhou, this lonely city steeped in blood, tears, and loyalty, is about to become its own starting point, instead of the end point of the Great Huan Dynasty.

. . . . . .

More than 4,000 young and middle-aged people who voluntarily stayed in Shazhou have completed the initial reorganization.

They donned brand-new Qing Army standard armor, which made these men, accustomed to tattered clothes, stand much straighter.

The weapons were also replaced; the worn swords and spears were put away and replaced with standard-issue broadswords, spears, and a batch of well-maintained crossbows.

Li Che originally wanted to provide them with a batch of firearms, but unfortunately these people had not received any firearms training and were more skilled with bows and crossbows.

If we equip them with firearms without regard for their needs, it may actually reduce their combat effectiveness.

Li Che then gave up and instead had the Qing army members who joined the Shazhou army carry firearms so that the Shazhou army could experience the power of firearms.

Zhang Yi was officially appointed as the commander-in-chief of the newly established Shazhou Division and awarded the rank of Guerrilla General.

One of Luo Yueniang's deputy generals led several hundred veteran soldiers of the Qing Army to join Zhang Yi as his deputy, while also being responsible for teaching firearms tactics.

The division was temporarily organized into five regiments, with regimental officers all being renowned figures among the former officers of Shazhou.

The burly, bearded man was named Cao Shou, and he was given the command of the vanguard regiment.

The dark-skinned, composed general was named Zhang Ting, and he led the Second Regiment of the Central Army.

After a short rest, the reorganized Shazhou Division was ordered to leave the city and move westward.

Luo Yueniang's main force quietly followed a day after the Shazhou Division set off.

Wolf's Throat Fortress is located at the exit of a valley surrounded by wind-eroded rock hills. The earthen and stone structure is not very tall, but its location is tricky, as it is stuck at the fork of the two trade routes leading to Khotan and Qiemo.

Tibetan flags hung lazily on the fort walls, and the figures of sentries could be vaguely seen.

Scattered outside the fort are low earthen houses and dilapidated tents, belonging to dependent slave households, passing caravans forced to stay, and a simple market.

The Shazhou Division set up camp behind a sheltered rocky mountain, about 20 miles from Langhoubao.

The scouts were dispatched, skimming the ground as they approached the fortress.

Inside the central command tent, Zhang Yi, along with his deputy general and the commanders of each regiment, sat around a makeshift sand table.

The sand table was hastily made by Qing army engineers based on reports from scouts and oral accounts from veterans of Shazhou. Although somewhat rough, it was sufficient for its purpose.

"There are about a thousand Tibetan soldiers stationed in the fort, half of whom should be regular soldiers, and the rest are slave soldiers and servants."

"The garrison commander Gar was a distant relative of the Tibetan Grand Master Gar Tongtsen. He was greedy for money and fond of drinking, and had a cruel nature, but he was not incompetent, and the fortress was well-fortified."

Zhang Yi pointed to several marks on the sand table: "If we launch a frontal assault, the casualties will be heavy, and we are outnumbered and cannot afford to lose so many men."

"His Majesty's decree is to win convincingly, because he doesn't want to see any casualties among the newly joined soldiers of Shazhou."

The deputy general of the Qing army added, tracing the rocky hill behind the side of the fortress: "Because of Gar's tyranny, the slaves are disloyal. We can send a small group of elite troops to sneak into the rocky hill at night, create chaos there before dawn, and set fire to their stables and grain stacks."

"At the same time, the front troops will beat drums to feign an attack, attracting the attention of the defending troops. When the troops are in disarray, the elite troops on the front will take advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack and break through the gate."

A general from Shazhou frowned and said, "It's not easy to sneak at night. Although that rocky hill can hide people, the Tibetans must have set up sentries there."