Free Web NovelChapter 632: Chapter 91: Defeating Tubo, Marching on Lhasa!
The situation evolved completely out of control, and Tsri Songtsen Gampo’s face changed drastically as he continuously issued orders to stabilize the formation of the army.
"Do not panic!!! Hold the formation!!"
"The divine might of Yala Xiangbo is eternal! The mountain god will not abandon his people!!"
"Do not listen to the Tang people’s evil spells! They are lies!!"
His roars, along with the desperate repetitions of his personal guard, were like stones thrown into a furious sea, instantly drowned out on the deafening battlefield.
In contrast, the Tang Army—
"Celestial Mandate is with the Tang!!!"
"Celestial Mandate is with the Tang!!!"
"..."
The cries echoed through the heavens and earth.
This was a chant of tens of thousands of troops!
Like a tidal wave with the majestic force of heaven and an invincible belief, it swept forward relentlessly!
Its grand and powerful presence was incomparable to the mere shouts of Tsri Songtsen Gampo’s personal guard.
Not to mention that the ordinary Tubo soldiers were already scared out of their wits; even the formations of the noble personal guards from various tribes began to falter.
This made it impossible to stabilize the formation easily.
But how could Tsri Songtsen Gampo give up?
This was the entire elite of Tubo; with the current morale of the Tang Army, if he abandoned them, they might all be lost here.
By then, his title as Zanpu would truly become a joke.
At that moment, all the fantasies in Tsri Songtsen Gampo’s mind vanished; he only wanted to stabilize the formation and save as many troops as possible.
He now fully understood that he had been deceived.
The Tang Army must have already resolved the mountain’s peril.
They were just waiting for him to attack with full force.
Endless anger and unwillingness surged from his heart.
Although compared to the foundation of the Great Tang, Tubo indeed lacked vastly, even in martial force they were not on the same level.
But with the advantage of terrain,
If both sides were to face each other directly, with strategic formations and deployments,
Tsri Songtsen Gampo was confident he could compete with the Tang Army.
But now... this battle was exceptionally infuriating.
He was absolutely unwilling!
Tsri Songtsen Gampo immediately spurred his horse toward higher ground, rallying the nobles from various tribes with changed expressions to stabilize the soldiers’ formations through force.
But all this was ultimately in vain.
In the current environment of direct combat, once the Tubo formation showed signs of collapse, it was already difficult to reverse.
This is actually the key to ancient cold weaponry battles.
Being able to stabilize the army’s formation would make one a renowned general.
And being able to keep the army orderly could make one a military deity.
In original history, Han Xin was such.
And in the current development, Gu Chen is such.
But he, Tsri Songtsen Gampo, was not!
The situation was already irreversible.
No matter how much effort Tsri Songtsen Gampo put in, it was impossible to reverse the current defeat.
Gu Yi would not give him this opportunity, nor would the soldiers of the Great Tang.
When the situation completely collapsed, no matter how unwilling Tsri Songtsen Gampo was, his personal guards and the Tubo nobles had no choice but to carry him out.
As they chose to break out, the conclusion was already set.
"Report—!"
The scout’s horse hooves broke through the dust, bringing news from the front lines to the high platform where Gu Xuan was located:
"Report to the Grand Tutor! Tsri Songtsen Gampo has led the remnants to break through Eagle’s Beak Gorge, fleeing into the depths of West Incline Mountain!"
"General Gao has led elite cavalry to the gorge entrance, eager to chase closely, aiming to complete the victory in one battle!"
"Please instruct, Grand Tutor!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Yi controlled Gu Xuan to slowly shake his head, his voice steady yet carrying an indisputable decision: "Order General Gao, do not chase a cornered enemy."
"Focus on eradicating the remaining enemies in the gorge, strive for—total annihilation!"
He paused slightly, his deep gaze seemingly piercing through the mountains, seeing a more distant future: "—Tsri Songtsen Gampo is nothing more than a stray dog, not worth worrying about."
"After this battle, Tubo’s backbone is broken."
"Its internal factions will surely engage in power struggles, evading blame and turning on each other. Our Great Tang only needs to wait for their chaos and reap the benefits."
These words, decisive and ruthless, further demonstrated the high strategic vision!
——These people ultimately do not catch Gu Yi’s eye.
The Tubo people’s nature remains evident.
The casualties from this battle are sufficient to plunge them into absolute chaos, whether it’s the inter-tribal fights or their internal tribal conflicts.
In such a situation, the so-called noble class holds no value, while those who can fight are crucial.
"Understood!" The messenger quickly left, comprehending the command well.
At this moment, Gu Yi could not help but exhale deeply, his tense mind finally finding some peace.
...
The entire grand battle lasted several days.
Tubo suffered countless casualties, with almost all elite troops wiped out; even those who fled had completely lost their courage and posed no threat whatsoever.
The Tang Army also suffered significant losses.
Gu Yi brought nearly 150,000 troops, along with Longyou’s forces, totaling nearly 200,000.
After months of tug-of-war and this grand battle,
Now there are fewer than 150,000 left.
The extent of casualties is evident.
But the achievements of this battle are immeasurable.
——Tubo is finished.
An alliance of tribes at the height of their power, after this battle, declined completely, with no ability for external expansion within a century.
As for a century later.....
Gu Yi similarly will not give them the opportunity for peaceful recovery.
