Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Reinforcements Arrive

“How could this happen? Heaven help us!” Staring at the raging flood in the forbidden ravine, Cui Qianyou’s face was ashen as he murmured in agony. The rain had ceased, and the sun had broken through once more, its piercing rays stabbing at his eyes. He was forced to close them in helpless bewilderment, unaware even as his battle blade slipped from his grasp.

Just moments ago, the tide of battle had turned clearly in their favor. The Tang soldiers atop the city walls were faltering; as more troops surged onto the battlements, the Tang morale would collapse, and defeat would follow. The entire South Gate would fall into their hands.

Once the South Gate was seized, the Tang defenders would have no way to hold the city—the city of Tongguan would be theirs for the taking.

But no one anticipated the sudden mountain flood rising within the forbidden ravine. It swept away the bridges made from corpses, and with them, all of Cui Qianyou’s hopes.

Thousands of soldiers swept away was a minor loss; what truly mattered was that the subsequent waves of attackers could no longer cross the ravine, and nearly ten thousand soldiers who had already reached the city’s base found their retreat cut off. This was the fatal blow. The natural barrier of the forbidden ravine had reasserted itself, and the Tang soldiers atop the walls could now strike back at the attackers below without fear.

As long as the Tang held the battlements, they could ensure that Tongguan would not fall.

The situation was dire. All the efforts of his men today would come to nothing. The eight thousand soldiers clustered beneath the city walls had little hope of retreating safely. Today’s heavy losses would yield nothing but empty defeat.

Cui Qianyou’s agony was unspeakable.

“Deputy Commander, what should we do?” an anxious subordinate asked.

Cui Qianyou slowly opened his eyes and glanced once more at the fierce struggle beneath the South Gate. At last, his lips trembling, he issued a command that tore at his heart: “Order the entire army—cease the assault!”

He felt this was the most humiliating and helpless command he had ever given.

Perhaps he did not realize it was also the most foolish order he would ever make, directly leading to his later downfall—and ultimately, his death.

With Cui Qianyou’s command, the assault beneath the East Gate quickly abated. The soldiers ceased their futile charges; those advancing up the winding steps withdrew with overlapping shields and using the terrain for cover, slowly moving out of arrow range.

No one bothered with the bodies littering the ground. The heavy rain had washed away most of the blood, but plenty still seeped from the heaps of corpses. Outside the East Gate, the scene remained one of rivers of blood.

The carnage beneath the South Gate was even more horrifying. Once the retreat order was given, the remaining soldiers lost all will to fight and fled in panic. Their only escape was to cross the forbidden ravine, but the waters showed no sign of abating. Most who attempted to flee were swept downstream by the current. Many drowned, some were injured or killed when they leapt down; the ravine quickly filled with bodies, mingling with those who tried to escape in various ways, at times even blocking half the stream.

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In moments of peril, the potential of men is boundless. Quite a few soldiers, to the astonishment of the Tang defenders on the walls, managed to swim across the ravine or, after drifting with the current, struggled to reach the eastern bank.

Of the thousands trapped beneath the walls, only a little over a thousand made it back to the east bank; the rest were shot dead at the base of the wall or swept away by the flood. In truth, the mountain flood would not last long—once the rain stopped, the waters would recede. It was Cui Qianyou’s command to halt the attack that shattered morale. Had he ordered the troops below to persist and found ways to support them, the rebel soldiers would not have collapsed so quickly.

Half an hour after Cui Qianyou’s retreat order, there were no rebel soldiers left alive beneath the South Gate.

The initial victory left both Yang Xi and Geshu Han, along with the other generals, in a state of ecstatic joy.

“Who would have thought Cui Qianyou could be so foolish!” This sentiment, once held by Yang Xi, now came from Pang Zhong’s lips.

Reporting to Yang Xi, Pang Zhong spoke lightly of his contempt, then added with lingering dread, “Marshal, had the flood not risen in the ravine, we might truly have been unable to hold!”

“If the rain had continued and the flood grown even larger, the rebels wouldn’t have managed to cross, let alone attack the city!” Standing on Yang Xi’s other side, Wang Sili exhaled in relief and added with pride, “If the water in the ravine never abates, Tongguan’s defenses would be impregnable—the rebels would never take it!”

Yang Xi merely smiled at their remarks.

If a reservoir were built in the Tongguan area, its waters diverted into the forbidden ravine, the flood could be maintained.

“Once the battle is over, we should investigate whether a reservoir can be built nearby,” Yang Xi mused suddenly.

Yet whether such a reservoir could be constructed was not a matter for now.

The pressing concern was how to repel any subsequent attacks by the rebels.

“Heaven still favors Great Tang, aiding me, Yang Xi!” Yang Xi looked up at the sky, gazing at the now gentler sun, and spoke with heartfelt gratitude. He no longer feared Tongguan would fall to the rebels.

With the massive assault repelled, the sun was nearly setting and reinforcements were about to arrive. The situation had turned decisively in favor of the Tang armies. Yang Xi was filled with an unshakeable confidence in victory; he promptly ordered his generals to gather their men, tally casualties, and restore discipline.

Casualties among the various units were not insignificant and needed to be counted. More importantly, discipline had to be rigorously enforced. During the intense battle, many soldiers had hesitated or hung back—something Yang Xi could not tolerate. He did not wish to see such behavior again.

Under their officers’ command, the soldiers atop the walls busied themselves cleaning and organizing, then rested in squads, preparing for the next engagement. Those who had fled the field were detained by the disciplinary troops, awaiting judgment.

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Cowardice and desertion were widespread, and Geshu Han, Wang Sili, Tian Liangqiu, and others were equally furious. Such conduct had shamed them before Yang Xi and nearly caused disaster; discipline had to be strict. Moreover, Yang Xi had declared before the battle that cowardice and refusal to fight would be severely punished. Nearly two hundred soldiers who had fled or hung back were bound together, awaiting judgment.

“Marshal Yang, there are one hundred eighty soldiers who deserted or refused to fight, all detained and awaiting your orders!” Wang Sili stepped forward to report.

Yang Xi looked at the detained soldiers, his gaze chilling, though he hesitated inwardly.

But under the scrutiny of Geshu Han, Wang Sili, and the other generals, as well as thousands of troops, Yang Xi swiftly issued his verdict.

“Those who deserted in battle: death without pardon! Those who hung back, I will grant one more chance—if they display bravery in future battles, I will not pursue the matter. Otherwise, they shall face severe punishment!”

Yang Xi could not order all one hundred eighty soldiers executed—the number was too great. He selected a few of the worst offenders as an example, to deter others. The law cannot punish the masses.

“Marshal, I will fight bravely and never hesitate again!” one soldier exclaimed, falling to his knees upon learning he would not be executed on the spot, but had a chance to atone. The others spared followed suit, kneeling atop the wall.

The twenty-odd who had first thrown down their weapons and fled also knelt, but their pleas moved no one. As the cause of the wavering morale, some had to pay with their lives.

After Yang Xi issued his orders, Wang Sili personally led the disciplinary detail, executing the twenty-odd deserters publicly and repeating Yang Xi’s command: anyone who deserted or hesitated again would be put to death without mercy.

As Wang Sili and the others finished restoring discipline and prepared to report to Yang Xi, a soldier rushed over and shouted, “Marshal Yang, General Dou Hua has sent word—his three thousand troops are almost at Tongguan!”

“Reinforcements at last!” Yang Xi was overjoyed, turning to Wang Sili, Tian Liangqiu, Pang Zhong, and Li Fude with a grin. “They must have timed it perfectly, knowing the enemy had ceased their assault, before finally daring to enter the city!”

Yang Xi’s humorous remark left the generals momentarily stunned.

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