Chapter Ninety: The Irritable Assistant Minister, Part Two

On the thirtieth day of the twelfth month, at the Ancient Han Pass Road in Xin'an County, the Empress Wu’s royal carriage once again arrived before the hour of the monkey. What differed was the atmosphere: the host and guests were far from harmonious.

Grand Herald Doulu Qinwang’s attempts to tame the Khan had clearly not been very effective. Although Ashina Husheluo did obey the formation arrangements and followed one zhang behind the Empress’s carriage on her right, he did not ride in a chariot as he had before, nor did he accept the princely escort of the Celestial Empire. Instead, he sat his tall warhorse and carried his own blinding-white sheep-skin banners; from the great standard hung a shaggy wolf’s head, ominously inauspicious.

After arriving, the Court of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Rites set up the viewing terrace in the customary fashion.

“Khan, my Thousand Guards and the Eastern Capital guards will arrive shortly for drills and display. Please watch, Khan.” Empress Wu turned her head slightly and said coolly.

Husheluo took his seat below her, facing the serene and dignified Emperor Ruizong across from him. He looked at him with evident contempt and replied carelessly, “The Celestial Empire’s soldiers and horses have already made themselves known on the frontier. They do have fighting strength, but they are somewhat dull and rigid, not agile enough. They can still prevail when the wind is at their backs, but at the first setback they fall into disorder and collapse. I suppose that is due to the strictness of Celestial law and ritual.”

His words carried a great deal of heat. It had taken Doulu Qinwang considerable effort to make him submit. From the moment the ceremonial officials entered the gate of the hostelry, every step had been a collection of filthy tricks and underhanded schemes: horse feed laced with purgatives, snakes and insects slipping into the bedding, hostile gatherings and speeches all around the inn, every means used without restraint. What angered them most of all was that many in his delegation had even contracted the pox, ruining their entire lives.

“Khan, do keep watching quietly.” Empress Wu was seething inwardly, but her face gave nothing away. She forced out a reply and said no more.

Once again, the Eastern Capital guards were the first to appear. Their formation was magnificent and overwhelming, able to seize the heart at a glance. After them came the heavy cavalry, each man and horse like a block of iron, linked in close order, grand and imposing, a thousand riders moving as one.

Two horses burst forward in a storm of dust. In front was a red horse, red robe, and red cloak; the rider wore no helmet and had her hair tied in a Taoist knot. Her face was bare and fair. It was Xie Yaohuan. Behind her came a tall and heroic figure in a civil official’s robe: Quan Ce.

The two knelt before the Empress to report. Though Xie Yaohuan was in front and dressed as a warrior, her frame was somewhat slight and her features were exquisite; at a glance it was clear she was a woman.

The Empress summoned them closer and offered much praise, then asked Husheluo in a ceremonial manner, “Khan, what do you think of my infantry and cavalry?”

“Men of the steppe speak plainly; Great Empress, please do not take offense.” Husheluo pinned a pardon upon his own chest and spoke in a rough voice as he evaluated them. “These troops are excellent in appearance. They look magnificent and formidable, like wolf packs on the grasslands. But they are too calm, too composed. They lack the fierce, bloodthirsty spirit of soldiers. As a spectacle they are fine, but in battle I fear they would scatter at the first charge and be hard to use for victory. And what is more, to place command of troops in the hands of a woman is a very bad omen.”

Empress Wu’s expression darkened at once, and anger flickered faintly in her eyes.

Minister of War Lou Shide stepped forward with a booming voice. “Khan, I have long served on the frontiers and have fought both the Turks and Tubo. Your so-called wolf pack amounts to no more than that.”

Husheluo remained stubborn to the end. “Hmph. Naturally, the Celestial Empire has greater numbers and sharper arms and armor.”

Lou Shide did not bother to spar with words. He only left behind a single hard sentence: “I only hope that one day, I may meet you on the battlefield, Khan.”

“Minister Lou, why wait for another day?” Quan Ce said as he lightly swept his sleeve forward. “What the Khan says is not without reason. Not only General Xie, but the Thousand Guards and the Thousand Riders have also had few chances to shed blood in battle. Since the Khan happens to be interested, why not form ranks and fight a round right now? That would let us see who is superior, and save the Khan from yielding allegiance in name while remaining unconvinced in his heart. That would be quite uncomfortable.”

At that, both sides fell silent. Many ministers stole glances at the Empress’s expression and saw only a face as dark as water. No one understood what she intended, and none dared speak first or offer a decision.

Husheluo had no opening on the platform, so he could only force himself to sound bold. “This Khan has brought two hundred warriors with him on this journey. Surely the Celestial Empire will not rely on numbers to bully the few?”

Quan Ce stepped back behind Xie Yaohuan and said no more.

Taking his cue, Xie Yaohuan was already full of confidence. “One hundred Thousand Guards, one hundred Thousand Riders. I won’t take advantage of you.” With that, she strode back to the ranks, withdrew them by a li, and made room for the killing ground.

“Geshu Que, go out in place of this Khan.” Husheluo’s ferocity showed on his face. “If you cannot win, do not come back alive.”

Then he turned his face toward Empress Wu, chin lifted. “Great Empress, this Khan wishes to come forward and watch the fight. I wonder if that would be permissible...”

Once he was treated as an enemy, Empress Wu no longer found reason to be angry. She smiled brightly. “Heh. Since the Khan has such a taste for amusement, I naturally should accompany you. Deliver the edict: move the carriage.”

Emperor Ruizong, alarmed, tried to dissuade her. “Mother, battle formations are chaotic, and swords and spears have no eyes...”

Empress Wu glanced back at him. After a long hesitation, Ruizong still remained seated where he was.

All the civil and military officials of the court followed Empress Wu to a nearby high ground. Princess Taiping, who had come along as well, even ran to the Empress’s side and looked down at the fighting ground below at close range. She had been excited for only a short while when her brows shot up. “What is Quan Ce doing?”

Quan Ce was changing clothes. Commander of the Thousand Riders Linghu Lun and several others surrounded him and helped him don heavy cavalry armor. He intended to take the field personally, and was ordering Linghu Lun, “Remove the linked-horse arrangement. Form up. Wheel array.”

“Yes, General!” Linghu Lun and the others answered in a roar, too excited to stand still.

The heavy cavalry drill had been compiled under Linghu Lun’s name, but behind it was in fact Quan Ce’s attempt to improve the fighting power of the Tang army. It was not only about equipment, but also formations. Some ideas came from later ages, some from history. In the age when Chinese cavalry ranged across the great desert, the two Han dynasties were the peak: Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, Dou Gu, and Dou Xian were all shining military stars. The wheel array was invented by Huo Qubing to scatter and split enemy formations. After piercing through, the troops would circle back around and reconnect head to tail, increasing the cavalry’s impact while dragging the enemy into a millstone-like trap, so that however many there were, they would be reduced to isolated riders and lone warriors.

The Thousand Riders had only recently practiced this formation. To bring it out so suddenly was risky, but the formation was not complex, and with the two sides so small in number, the charge, the pierce, and the circling motion could all be seen clearly with the naked eye. It was the perfect chance for a first test.

“Celestial Empress.” Xie Yaohuan’s banner was right before Empress Wu. She turned and cupped her hands in request. When the Empress nodded, she immediately swung down the command arrow.

A shrill neigh rang out.

One hundred elite riders of the Thousand Guards hauled in their reins. Their front hooves flew up together, and the moment they struck the ground they sprang forward like arrows loosed from a bow, whipping up gusts of cold wind as they violently charged the Turkic cavalry.

Geshu Que gave a fierce roar and urged his mount into a mad charge as well. One li of distance, a gallop at full speed, and they were about to collide. To his shock, he found an empty gap facing him. Within that gap, two long pole-axes crossed and stabbed straight for his horse’s head.

“The Han are treacherous!” Geshu Que cursed in rage. He thrust his spear forward and desperately knocked the pole-axes aside. Before he could rejoice, two more pole-axes came hacking down. He hurried to block again. All along the way he was forced into one parry after another, while the screams of horses echoed nonstop. It seemed that some brave fighters had already fallen for the Han trick.

Seeing that there were no enemy troops ahead, Geshu Que was overjoyed. He tightened the reins and was about to turn around for a countercharge, to pursue those vile enemies who struck at horse heads. Before he could even feel happy, dust surged ahead, and the pole-axes flashed with a cold gleam.

The enemy had actually used a countercharge first?

Geshu Que was horrified. He turned his head to look left and right, only to see the Han troops circling endlessly, again and again, and not a single Hunnic warrior in wolf-fur robes to be found. A chill ran through his heart. He raised his spear, clung to his horse’s neck, adjusted direction with agile precision, and charged fiercely toward the enemy’s mounts.

With a thunderous crash, the two men and two horses collided in a savage impact. His horse struck an iron mask, neighed miserably, and staggered backward again and again. Geshu Que clenched his thighs to steady the mount, thrust his spear, and only after hearing the clang of metal on metal did he feel it bite into flesh. Just as he was about to drive it in hard and stab to death that cunning Han cur, his wielding arm was first hacked nearly in two by a pole-axe. Blood sprayed half a foot into the air, and it was not only his own; his horse’s head had also been severed, and it collapsed with a crash.

Geshu Que clutched his wound and rolled on the ground, howling in misery.