Chapter 127: Bewitchment

"Why?"

Li Siye’s tone was layered, carrying far more than a single meaning.

As fellow soldiers, Liu Ji understood his mindset: simple, direct, and driven by raw strength. Only the strong had the right to show mercy, and that was only on the condition that they exerted total control. Kantipur had been conquered by the Tang, and they were entitled to the lion’s share of the spoils. Yet, Liu Ji had prioritized the mountain tribes. Aside from potential future disputes, Li Siye was also concerned about the morale of his own troops.

Lifei Yuanli was an unpredictable factor. His unit had suffered the heaviest losses during the war. If Liu Ji could not provide a reasonable explanation and relied solely on his rank to suppress dissent, it would be unwise, for they were essentially an isolated force. The nearest main army was still separated from them by the vast expanse of Zhangzhung.

Liu Ji was well aware of these anxieties. If handled poorly, a victory could easily turn into a tragedy. He picked up a silver cup, poured a purple liquid from a slender bottle, and handed it to Li Siye.

"This is Nepalese wine, brewed from wild mountain fruits. It quenches thirst and has a hint of alcohol. You might want to try it, Commander."

Li Siye took it without a glance and downed it in one gulp. It was as Liu Ji had described: sweet and sour with little alcoholic kick, not quite to his personal taste.

"Not used to it, I suppose? We are thousands of miles from Bolu, and even further from Anxi. We have taken this place, but can we hold it for long?" Liu Ji poured himself a cup and sipped it slowly.

"Naturally, Anxi cannot extend this far. It is too difficult to maintain."

"Then the problem arises: did we endure such hardship just to come here, loot what we could, and pack it up to carry back? Once we leave, everything will return to normal. The Tibetans will restore their rule without lifting a finger, and they might even thank us for clearing out the old guard so they can choose a more compliant puppet."

Li Siye fell silent. Politics was not his strength, and Liu Ji’s perspective was far removed from his own, yet the basic logic was clear.

"What do you intend to do?"

This was exactly what Liu Ji had been waiting for. He spoke calmly and measuredly: "During the Zhenguan era, Li Weigong led three thousand men to shatter the Turkic royal camp, launching a lightning raid over thousands of miles, capturing their khan and dissolving the greatest threat to our Great Tang’s northern border in one stroke. His portrait hangs in the Lingge Pavilion, his name carved into history. What glory that was!"

His words stirred deep ripples in Li Siye’s heart. The cup in his hand trembled slightly. How could a warrior not yearn for such an achievement?

"And today, Commander, with three thousand men, you have crossed a dozen nations, raided thousands of miles, and seized the most important vassal state of the Tibetans. Hundreds of heads—from kings to princes, ministers to high officials—are piled there. Thousands of their kin—queens, concubines, and princesses—have been captured. Land registries and maps of the mountains and rivers are in our hands. How will the history books of future generations describe such a feat?"

"Or do you see nothing but the spoils?"

At this moment, Liu Ji looked like a mesmerizing sorcerer, yet Li Siye could not bring himself to feel any resentment, for every word spoken struck a chord deep within him.

"We cannot carry it all away. We have too few men. Without the support of the supply trains, relying only on pack horses, we cannot travel such a distance." Li Siye was an expert; he knew better than anyone that long-distance marches were fraught with peril, and the most critical factor was not treasure, but military supplies.

"That is exactly the problem. If we retreat now, each soldier will carry a sack at most. How is that any different from a common mountain bandit?"

Liu Ji sighed and continued: "Bolu has been taken by our army. If the Commander stops at the borders of Zhangzhung, you and I will have no reinforcements. If we retreat now, Commander, would you be content?"

"What else can we do? With a mere three thousand men, sieges are difficult and holding territory is impossible. Are we to wither away here?"

Li Siye could imagine Feng Changqing’s choice. With a great victory already in hand, seeking stability was the most rational path for a commander. The territory of Zhangzhung was the heartland of the Tibetans; to advance blindly would likely lead to defeat. One had to remember that their so-called main army numbered less than ten thousand—a scale that could not support prolonged warfare.

Furthermore, the longer the supply line, the greater the logistical pressure. For the Tang army of Anxi, the region of Bolu was already the limit of their expedition.

Both men knew that from the beginning, Feng Changqing had not held high expectations for this secondary force under Li Siye. He likely believed their greatest contribution would merely be creating a distraction in the Tibetan rear.

But Liu Ji did not think so.

The history books are clear: Feng Changqing did not enter Zhangzhung. The exact reason is lost to time, but as long as there was no news from Li Siye’s detachment, they could not retreat immediately. That was Liu Ji’s plan.

To pull a battle already destined for a dead end into his own sphere of influence—how large a storm a butterfly’s wings could stir depended on how far they could go now.

At the very least, Li Siye was tempted.

"Commander, our main force in Anxi is stationed near Zhangzhung. Even if the Tibetans have some strength left, they will focus their attention there. Nepal will not be in any great danger in the short term. That is where our opportunity lies."

"What is your plan?" Unknowingly, Li Siye had adopted Liu Ji’s way of thinking.

"You said earlier that we only have three thousand men, but I do not believe that. Does the Commander know how many people are in and around Kantipur City?"

Li Siye shook his head. He knew it was a large number, but he had no idea of the specifics.

"There are eighty thousand residents in the city and no fewer than three hundred thousand in the nearby valleys." Liu Ji patted the documents on the table—this was only the translated count. The entire nation of Nepal likely had at least half a million people.

"And what of that? We are their enemies."

"That depends on how you frame it." Liu Ji wore an expression of absolute confidence. "It was the mountain tribes that rebelled, and the Tibetans who suppressed them. We simply happened to arrive at the right moment. The Great Tang has no ancient grudges with the Nepalese; on the contrary, we have a history of good relations."

"Before we arrived, the Tibetans had fewer than five hundred troops stationed in this city, and no more than a thousand throughout the entire country. With three thousand men at your command, Commander, in my view, it is not too few—it is more than enough."

Li Siye’s eyes widened. Though he was straightforward, he was not stupid. With Liu Ji putting it this way, how could he not understand?

The "good relations" referred to Wang Xuance, who, in years past, had single-handedly borrowed five thousand soldiers from this very place using nothing but a staff and a seal, single-handedly quelling a rebellion in India. Compared to that legendary figure, the resources in his own hands were far superior.

Yet, as a pure warrior, such strategic maneuvering was far beyond his imagination. Looking at this familiar stranger, his gaze grew complex.

"Wulang," he wondered, "what exactly are you plotting?"