Treatise on Military Preparedness, Volume 112
Records of Military Strategy: Tang Dynasty, Part 6

Treatise on Military Preparedness, Volume 112

Records of Military Strategy: Tang Dynasty, Part 6

Those who were encouraged by Yang Qingfu were further incentivized by the prospect of generous rewards; their courage doubled. Those who were not selected to go out to fight ...................... were filled with indignation and a desperate desire to prove themselves. Consequently, whenever the troops ventured out, they were never without victory. Both during the reign of Emperor Yizong .....

When Gao Pian a prominent Tang general known for his military successes on the frontiers and his later role as a powerful regional governor reached Jianzhou, he first sent an envoy with orders to open the gates of Chengdu ○ city ○ gates ○. Some advisors cautioned him, saying: "The barbarian invaders referring to the forces of the Nanzhao Kingdom from modern-day Yunnan are pressing close. If they should suddenly charge like swift monkeys original: 猱突 (náotū); an idiom describing a sudden, agile, and fierce assault, what could we do?"

Pian replied: "When the barbarians hear that I have arrived, they will be too busy fleeing and hiding to have any leisure for anything else. How would they dare to suddenly attack Chengdu? Furthermore, now that the spring air is growing warm, hundreds of thousands of people are crowded and packed within the city walls. A deadly plague original: 厲疫 (lìyì); refers to an epidemic or pestilence caused by overcrowding and poor sanitation is about to break out. We must not delay in this matter."

When the envoy arrived, he allowed the common people to leave the city and return to their regular occupations. The people were immensely pleased. The barbarians, who were then attacking Yazhou, heard of this and sent an envoy to request peace before withdrawing. Pian dispatched his army to pursue them as far as the Dadu River, killing and capturing a great many. He seized dozens of their chieftains and repaired the Qionglai Pass along with various fortifications and palisades along the Dadu River. He ordered several thousand soldiers to be stationed there as a garrison original: 戍 (shù); troops specifically assigned to border defense. From that time forward, the barbarians did not invade again.