Emperor Taizong's Campaign Against Xiyu States - Campaign Against Yanqi and Qiuzi

Campaign Against Yanqi and Qiuzi

In or sometime before 647, Qiuzi's king Bai Sufadie (白蘇伐疊) died, and was succeeded by his brother Bai Helibushibi (白訶黎布失畢). Bai Helibushibi decreased his tributes to Tang and also attacked neighboring states submissive to Tang. Emperor Taizong became angered, and around the new year 648, he commissioned Ashina She'er, a general who was formerly an Eastern Turkic prince, as the commander of an army to attack Qiuzi, with the generals Qibi Heli (契苾何力) and Guo Xiaoke assisting Ashina She'er, and also requisitioned soldiers from the Tiele tribes, the Eastern Turkic people, Tufan, and Tuyuhun. In fall 648, Ashina She'er first attacked the Chuyue and Chumi tribes, forcing them to surrender. He then attacked Yanqi. Long Xuepoanazhi abandoned Yanqi and took up position in eastern Qiuzi, but Ashina She'er captured and executed him. Ashina She'er made Long Xuepoanazhi's cousin Long Xiannazhun (龍先那準) the king of Yanqi.

Ashina She'er then marched on Qiuzi. Bai Helibushibi sent his chancellors Nali (那利) and Jieliedian (羯獵顛) to resist Ashina She'er's forward commander Han Wei (韓威). Once engagement started, Han pretended to retreat, and when Qiuzi forces pursued, Han and the secondary commander Cao Jishu (曹繼叔) counterattacked and defeated them. Bai Helibushibi took up position within Qiuzi's capital Yiluolu (伊邏盧). Ashina She'er attacked Yiluolu, and Bai Helibushibi fled. Ashina She'er had Guo take up position at Yiluolu and continued pursuing Bai Helibushibi, who by this point had fled to Bohuan (撥換, also in modern Aksu). Ashina She'er sieged it for 40 days and captured it, taking Bai Helibushibi and Jieliedian, but Nali escaped and led remaining Qiuzi troops and relief forces from Western Turkic to attack Yiluolu, catching Guo by surprise and killing him in battle. However, after battling both in and outside the city, Nali could not control Yiluolu and was forced to flee. The people of Qiuzi then captured Nali and delivered him to Ashina She'er. Ashina She'er made a younger brother of Bai Helibushibi the new king, and after receiving tributes from the Western Turkic Khaganate, Yutian, and An (安, location unknown), withdrew.