Chapter 381 The Battle Begins
After the first month of the lunar year, spring began to approach. The river thawed, willows sprouted, and there was no ice on the pond in the Prince of Chu’s mansion. Carp swam in the water, and young girls fed the fish with laughter.

In the staff hall of the Grand Marshal’s Office, Xiao Xia stared at the map of Tuyuhun on the table. This was a military map that Zhang Liang’s Intelligence Agency had spent a full four months drawing, and it included many details.

Next to them, Zhang Liang, the first commander of the newly established Intelligence Agency, was reporting on the intelligence gathering situation to Xiao Xia and Deputy General Qu Tutong.

“Reporting to Your Highness, we have interviewed more than 60 merchants in total, including Sogdian merchants, Qiang salt merchants, Han merchants, etc., and collected a lot of intelligence. Some of the intelligence was contradictory, so we continued to interview. For example, the intelligence on the garrison in Fuqi City, some said 30,000 troops, and some said 50,000 troops. Later, we interviewed several groups of people before we got the exact strength. 30,000 was the initial strength, but last September, the Tuyuhun king withdrew the 20,000 troops stationed in the Dafeichuan area back to Fuqi City, so it was 50,000 troops.”

Qu Tutong frowned and asked, “Does Zhang Shuling mean that Tuyuhun has changed its strategy and gathered the scattered troops together?”

Zhang Liang waved his hands and said, “General Qu Tu, you don’t know. This is not a change of strategy, but their custom. From early April to mid-September is the dispersal period. The tribes and the army are scattered all over the place. With the arrival of winter, the scattered tribes and the army will return to Fuxi City and Shanshan City. The time is from mid-September to early April.”

Qu Tutong nodded, “I see! But why are they only concentrated in Fuqi City and Shanshan City?”

Zhang Liang smiled and said, “General, Tuyuhun is very special. It is a kingdom composed of two ethnic groups, the Xianbei Murong clan and the Qiang people. The rulers are the Xianbei people and the ruled are the Qiang people. Most of the Xianbei people live in Fuxi City, and some of them live in Shanshan City. The leaders of each tribe are all Xianbei people, and they have their own houses in Fuxi City or Shanshan City.

In autumn and winter, tribal leaders would return home to enjoy the extravagant life of the nobility. Their tribes would also spend the winter near the capital. After April, when the weather gradually warmed up, these leaders would lead their tribes to various places, and the army would also be redeployed. “

Xiao Xia paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. This was an extremely important piece of information, which he had always overlooked before. The real nobles of Tuyuhun were not only the people around Tuyuhun, but also the famous kings in various places, that is, the leaders of various Xianbei tribes. They were equally important. If they were not eliminated, once the Tuyuhun king was eliminated, another Tuyuhun king would soon rise up, constantly annex and grow stronger, and once again become the poisonous thorn in the back of the Sui Dynasty.

“Your Highness, time is a bit tight!” Qu Tutong whispered.

Xiao Xia thought for a moment and said, “It’s not too late. We only need to launch the attack in early March. It’s already mid-February, so we still have more than 20 days to deploy!”

“Any other important information?” Xiao Xia asked Zhang Liang again.

“The day before yesterday, I visited a Sogdian merchant named Kang Huaili. He also provided an important Tuyuhun intelligence about the supply from Fuxi City to Shanshan City.”

“Tell me in detail!”

Xiao Xia was very interested. The supply from Fuqi City to Shanshan City has always been the top priority. It can be said to be the key to achieving complete victory. They must also go through the route that the Tuyuhun army has taken, otherwise they will not be able to completely wipe out the enemy.

“Your Highness, Kang Huaili said that there are more than 20 lakes of various sizes along the way, but four of them are freshwater lakes. There is more than one tribe around the freshwater lakes, and not all of them are Xianbei tribes. There are also Qiang tribes.”

Xiao Xia’s eyes lit up. There were Qiang tribes along the way?
There were many tribes of Tuyuhun, which were mainly divided into two categories: one was the Xianbei tribe and the other was the Qiang tribe.

In fact, these two tribes are mainly composed of Qiang people. The difference between them is the tribe controlled by Xianbei people and the tribe controlled by Qiang people, just like state-owned enterprises and private enterprises in later generations.

The tribes that returned to Fuqi City and Shanshan City in autumn and winter were the Xianbei tribes. They enjoyed the most fertile grasslands and the most abundant water sources, while the Qiang tribes mainly lived in high-altitude, cold and barren lands. In winter, they only spent the winter in the leeward area at the foot of nearby mountains and would not return to the capital.

Generally, the Xianbei tribe would retreat with the army, and it was also the Xianbei tribe that provided supplies, while the Qiang tribe would only hide from the Tuyuhun army. This intelligence was indeed very important, which meant that they could still find supplies along the way, and the location was very clear, four freshwater lakes.

“Do you know which four lakes they are?”

“Your Highness, I have already marked them on the map. They are Hara Lake, Kuli Lake, Sugan Lake and Sabize!”

Xiao Xia looked at the map carefully and found that everything was marked.

He immediately said to Zhang Liang: “Make five copies of this map as soon as possible!”

“I promise to complete it within three days!”

Xiao Xia immediately deployed the troops. He ordered Yin Shishi to lead 20,000 troops west to Dunhuang County, take the southern line of the Silk Road to Shanshan City, and attack the Tuyuhun forces in Shanshan City. The principle he gave to Yin Shishi was that except for women and children, all other Xianbei people should be killed.

Five days later, dozens of beacon towers from Guzang County to Huangshui County were lit. This was a preparation for the upcoming war. Although it was about twenty days later than the previously agreed early March, the beacon fires were orders. Li Jing and Changsun Sheng immediately began to reorganize the army and prepare food and supplies for the war.

Three days later, Xiao Xia’s urgent order of eight hundred miles arrived at Huangshui County. At this time, the two armies were ready. After reading the order, Li Jing and Changsun Sheng each led their troops towards Chiling and the Jiuqu of the Yellow River.

Xiao Xia and Qu Tutong led 70,000 main forces into the Dadouba Valley. It was late February, which was equivalent to late March in the Gregorian calendar in later generations. The ice and snow in the Hexi Corridor had melted. Although it was still quite cold, it did not affect the expedition.

The army marched with 30,000 camels and 140,000 war horses. Each soldier was equipped with two horses, one for riding and the other for carrying armor, dry food and water.

The 30,000 camels were mainly used to carry food and other military supplies. Food was not only for the soldiers, but also for the war horses, who also needed black beans. They could not just eat grass. In addition, there were also parts for ten large catapults.

In fact, the logistics they brought were still not enough, but with the previous war against Tuyuhun as a foundation, this crusade would be much easier.

Not only was the entire Dadouba Valley the territory of the Sui army, but the Sui army’s land also reached the south of the Datong Valley, which is also the northern shore of the West Sea. The two military cities, Datong City and Xihai North City, became garrisons of the Sui army, with not only 500 soldiers stationed in each city, but also a large amount of food and supplies.

Therefore, the army had no shortage of supplies all the way to the northern shore of the West Sea.

The same was true for the eastern and southern fronts. Based on the results of the previous battle against Tuyuhun, the Sui army built the West Sea East City on the southeast coast of the West Sea, stationed 2,000 troops, and stockpiled a large amount of food and supplies.

The Sui army captured the two cities of Shudun and Mantou on the southern front, stationed soldiers there and stockpiled food and supplies in preparation for the second battle against Tuyuhun.

Xiao Xia and Qu Tutong led an army of 70,000 on a mighty march. Ten days later, on the sixth day of March, the 70,000-strong army arrived at the northern city of Xihai.

(End of this chapter)