Iron Dynasty Chapter 1026

Songzhou.

Luo Xin found himself coordinating the countermeasures against the Tibetan incursion.

Three days following the dispatch of the battle report to Qingzhou, an imperial decree arrived for him. It granted him full authority over 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, allowing us to block the Tibetan horsemen at crucial locations.”

Like the barbarians, Tibet relied on a combination of cavalry and slave infantry. Over the years, superior plateau-bred horses had enabled Tibet to plague the Empire freely. The thin air up high made counterattacks from the old Great Yu Empire uncommon, as troops struggled to adjust to those elevations.

Yet the contrast lay in how the Great Yu Empire walled off the barbarians on the steppes via the Great Wall, whereas Tibet shared an extensive frontier with the Great Yu Empire. Predicting their assault points proved impossible, so Luo Xin turned to hot air balloons this round, aiming to detect the main Tibetan force early via aerial scouting.

“Understood, Commander Luo!” The officer leading the reconnaissance unit affirmed.

Once the reconnaissance company commander departed, Luo Xin gave out additional directives. He had rushed ahead to Songzhou to counter Tibet's moves, yet troop assembly was only starting for real.

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

Per his strategy, 20,000 troops from the Southwest Army would join the fight. These fighters now carried Han-style rifles across the board, their artillery featured fresh Imperial Guard field pieces, and they packed 300 Changping-style machine guns.

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

Amid the frantic buildup, two crack divisions from the Southwest Army gathered in Songzhou after ten days. Rather than rushing into battle, Luo Xin ordered a fortnight of highland adaptation drills for his men, while also drilling inter-arm coordination.

He felt sure of besting the Tibetans but wouldn't ignore the altitude sickness he'd studied at the Army Academy.

As the Northwest Army ran major maneuvers, Tibetan Zanpu Zaxi Dondrup kept a sharp eye on reports from Songzhou.

Carrying forward his ancestors' drive, Zaxi Dondrup envisioned building an empire as grand as the Golden Tent Khanate. Thus, upon ascending as Zanpu, he eyed the Great Yu Empire hungrily.

With the Golden Tent Khanate's fall and its warriors vanishing from the Tibet-linked plains, he could no longer contain his hunger for power, directing Tibetan riders to claim the void abandoned by the Khanate.

“Zanpu, roughly 20,000 Empire troops have massed in Songzhou. Lately, they've drilled close by without plans to strike at us.” Dengba, the chiliarch, galloped over and shared his scouting findings.

“Just 20,000? Hmph, they're bluffing to guard Songzhou from our assault. Fine, we'll bypass them and hit Lingzhou straight on.” Zaxi Dondrup boomed with laughter, exuding haughty confidence.

Dengba agreed with a nod. Information flowed thinly across the heights, leading him and Zaxi Dondrup to view the Great Yu Empire as unchanged, dismissing the 20,000 as no threat. His own 80,000 riders backed by 100,000 slaves could intimidate the Golden Tent Khanate itself.

Having pinned down Songzhou's troop count, Zaxi Dondrup relaxed fully. Gazing at the endless cavalry column, excitement surged in him, and he thrust a finger toward Lingzhou.

Capturing that city beyond Chang’an to the west would let them anchor at Lingzhou, dominating every plain westward from there.

…

“Commander, intel from the scouts shows the Tibetan forces marching on Lingzhou. They've hit lower ground now, roughly three days away from our position.”

During the third day of adjustment exercises, Luo Xin got precise reports. Hot air balloon spotters had forwarded this data. Their aerial view spanned farther, staying unseen by Tibetans, which exposed the invaders' full strength this time.

“Lingzhou, as expected. What force did they send out?” Luo Xin inquired. The Great Yu Empire's past saw Tibet targeting Lingzhou more than once.

Remote from Chang’an and thrusting into the steppes, this hub stored vital provisions and gear.

Under Golden Tent Khanate rule, Tibet shied from challenging the barbarians, staying dormant for ages. With the barbarians pulling out and Imperial control restored, Tibet stirred again.

“Sir, total around 100,000, with 40,000 cavalry and 60,000 slave troops,” the reconnaissance company commander announced firmly.

“Eighty thousand people? Then we'll lay a trap for their retreat and wipe them out completely.”

To Luo Xin, the Tibetan numbers didn't faze him; their path forward did. After all, Southwest Army elites with Han-style rifles could rout foes many times larger.

Lingzhou's risk of falling didn't trouble him, since it fell under Qi Guangyi's watch. Barbarians had failed against the man; Tibet's isolated, outdated warriors with limited horizons stood even less chance.

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

Of the six regions, 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 forces idled somewhat.

Central troops defended the heartland—a duty in its own right—but it chafed the Southwest Army to sit out.

Thus, grabbing this battle chance fired up the commanders. Luo Xin held that a commander who shunned combat might as well peddle sweet potatoes back home.

Soon, Luo Xin unrolled a local chart and doled out roles to his officers, gearing up to fulfill the mission alongside Northwest Army aid.

Lingzhou.

Feng Dongjin had mustered 20,000 rifle-mounted horsemen nearby. Tibet lay outside their domain, yet their push north to Lingzhou involved them.

So they'd wired for guidance lately. Following commands, preparations kicked off, and today they spotted the vast Tibetan host approaching.

The instant Feng Dongjin detected the Tibetans, Zaxi Dondrup spotted his rifle cavalry too.

Staring at the quiet ranks on the plain, a cold shiver gripped him, stirring deep unease.