Iron Dynasty Chapter 1026

Songzhou.

Luo Xin found himself coordinating the countermeasures against the invasion from Tibet.

Three days following the dispatch of the battle report to Qingzhou, an imperial decree arrived for him. It granted him full authority over all Tibet-related affairs, with the grand goal of forcing Tibet into total submission.

“Mobilize every hot air balloon in the military region right away and deploy them toward Tibet. Work alongside the hunter cavalry to monitor Tibetan activities continuously and relay updates nonstop, enabling us to block the Tibetan cavalry at critical locations.”

Just like the barbarians, Tibet relied on a combination of cavalry and slave soldiers. Over the years, it was their superior plateau-bred horses that allowed Tibet to plague the Empire freely. The thin air up high added to this, as troops from the old Great Yu Empire struggled to adjust to the extreme elevations, making counterstrikes rare.

Yet, the Great Yu Empire managed to contain the barbarians on the steppes via the Great Wall, whereas Tibet shared an extensive frontier with the Empire. Predicting attack routes proved impossible, which meant Luo Xin turned to hot air balloons this time, aiming to detect the main Tibetan forces early via aerial scouting.

“Understood, Commander Luo!” The commander of the reconnaissance unit, tasked with scouting duties, replied firmly.

Once the reconnaissance commander departed, Luo Xin gave out a series of further directives. He had reached Songzhou ahead of schedule to counter Tibet's moves, yet troop assembly was only starting now for real.

At present, he directed forces from the Bashu, Guangxi, and Yunnan areas to converge in this spot.

The tale of Qi Guangyi slaying Dolgor had circulated widely among the ranks. As Southwest Army commander, he seized this opportunity for major glory and refused to let down the Emperor.

Amid the feverish buildup, ten days passed before two crack divisions of the Southwest Army mustered in Songzhou. Rather than rushing into battle, Luo Xin ordered a fortnight of highland adaptation drills for the men, while honing joint operations across army branches.

He felt sure of victory over the Tibetans, yet he wouldn't ignore the altitude sickness dangers highlighted in his Army Academy studies.

As the Northwest Army ran its massive drills, Tibetan Zanpu Zaxi Dondrup kept a sharp eye on reports from Songzhou.

Carrying forward the bold visions of those before him, Zaxi Dondrup yearned to forge an empire rivaling the Golden Tent Khanate in scope. Thus, from the moment he took the throne as Zanpu, he eyed the Great Yu Empire hungrily.

With the Golden Tent Khanate crumbling and its warriors vanishing from the linking grasslands, he could no longer suppress his drive, leading Tibetan riders to fill the void of power abandoned by the Khanate.

“Zanpu, intelligence shows the Great Yu Empire has massed roughly 20,000 troops in Songzhou. They've been drilling close by lately, showing no signs of advancing on us.” Dengba, the leader of ten thousand, galloped up and shared his scouting findings.

“Only 20,000? Hah, they're merely bluffing, scared we'll hit Songzhou. Fine then—we'll bypass them and strike Lingzhou straight on.” Zaxi Dondrup burst into booming laughter, radiating smug confidence.

Dengba agreed with a nod. Information flowed sparsely across the heights, and both he and Zaxi Dondrup viewed the Empire as unchanged from old times, dismissing the 20,000 as insignificant. His own 80,000 riders backed by 100,000 slaves would daunt even the Golden Tent Khanate.

Having clarified Songzhou's strength, Zaxi Dondrup relaxed fully. Surveying the endless cavalry column, excitement surged within him, and he thrust a finger toward Lingzhou.

Capturing that city beyond Chang’an to the west would let them claim Lingzhou as a base, dominating every steppe to its west.

…

“Commander, our scouts report the Tibetan forces marching on Lingzhou. They've entered lower terrain now, roughly three days' march away.”

During the third day of altitude training, Luo Xin got precise updates. Hot air balloon spotters had relayed this, their sky-high views capturing broader scenes without alerting the Tibetans. That's how the full scale of Tibet's commitment became clear to the scouts.

“Lingzhou? As expected. What's their troop count this round?” Luo Xin inquired. In Great Yu Empire annals, Tibet had targeted Lingzhou before.

This outpost lay distant from Chang’an, thrusting into the grasslands—a vital hub for provisions and gear.

Under Golden Tent Khanate rule, Tibet steered clear of provoking the barbarians, staying dormant for years. Now, with barbarians pulling back from Lingzhou and imperial control restored, Tibet lunged again.

“Sir, total around 100,000—40,000 cavalry and 60,000 slaves,” the reconnaissance commander announced crisply.

“Eighty thousand? Perfect—we'll lay a trap on their retreat path and wipe them out completely.”

To Luo Xin, Tibet's numbers meant little; their chosen path was key. After all, the Southwest Army's finest, armed with Han-style rifles, could shred foes outnumbering them manyfold.

Lingzhou's fall didn't trouble him, since Qi Guangyi oversaw it now. Barbarians found no edge against him, much less Tibet's isolated, narrow-minded cold-steel warriors.

“Aye, Commander,” the officers roared in unison.

Of the six regions today, Southeast forces headed to Australia, Northwest clashed with barbarians, Guandong vied with Tsarist Russia over Siberia, and Zhu Sansi readied for North America. Just the Southwest Army and Central Army stayed mostly idle.

Central guarded the capital—a duty in itself—but it left Southwest itching for action.

Thus, this war chance fired up all the generals. Luo Xin often quipped that a general avoiding battle might as well peddle sweet potatoes back home.

Soon, Luo Xin unrolled a local map and doled out assignments to his officers, gearing up to fulfill the mission through teamwork with the Northwest Army.

Lingzhou.

Feng Dongjin had rallied 20,000 rifle-equipped horsemen in the vicinity. Tibet lay outside their domain, yet their push north to Lingzhou involved Feng Dongjin's men.

Hence, telegrams seeking guidance flew out lately. Orders received, preparations kicked off, and today they spotted the vast Tibetan host approaching.

Just as Feng Dongjin's group detected the Tibetans, Zaxi Dondrup spotted the rifle cavalry too.

Gazing at these riders poised quietly on the plain, a sudden cold gripped his chest, stirring deep unease.