Treatise on Military Preparedness, Volume 42

Treatise on Military Preparedness, Volume 42

If those defending the rebel city remain hesitant and indecisive, in the blink of an eye, they will all become prey original: 魚肉 (yúròu); literally "fish and meat," an idiom referring to helpless victims at the mercy of a predator. Consequently, the city defenders gradually cast off their armor, threw down their weapons, and surrendered.

When the people of Xichuan heard that the barbarian invaders referring to the forces of the Nanzhao Kingdom from modern-day Yunnan were approaching, they scrambled to seek refuge within the city of Chengdu. Military Governor Lu Dan and the former Governor of Luzhou, Yang Qingfu, worked together to repair and prepare the defensive equipment. To the brave and valiant men who answered the call, they provided generous rations and rewards. Recruits gathered like clouds; Qingfu ordered each to test their abilities, observing their courage or cowardice to determine their rank. He selected three thousand elite soldiers and titled them the Shock Commandos original: 突將 (tūjiàng); literally "Sudden Generals," a name for elite strike forces used for high-impact maneuvers.

In the second month, the barbarians brought together scaling ladders and battering rams to attack the city from all four sides. From atop the walls, the defenders used hooked ropes to snag the engines and pull them closer; once in range, they threw fire and poured oil to incinerate them. Qingfu and the Staff Officer original: 押牙 (yāyá); a Tang Dynasty military rank often denoting a trusted lieutenant or commander of the guard Li Xiang each led the Shock Commandos out to engage the enemy. They killed or wounded over two thousand barbarians and burned more than three thousand pieces of siege equipment before returning to the city. The people of the Shu region Sichuan are usually considered timid, yet these Shock Commandos decapitated...