The Tang Dynasty's Guiyi Army

My father is Zhang Yichao. A powerful magnate of Shazhou, rich in both money and manpower. He founded the renowned Guiyi Army. He reclaimed Shazhou, Liangzhou, and more than ten other prefectures that had been lost to the Tibetans for nearly a century. Later generations hailed him as the greatest general of the Tang dynasty, and the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang feature a mural titled The March of Zhang Yichao's Army. Now, my father and I are squatting in a field under the moon, eating melons. My father says, "The melons in Shazhou are so sweet. It's a shame you can't get melons this good in Chang'an." I can see that he feels wistful, but he won't admit it. For now, he's still a free-spirited gentleman who loves nothing more than squatting in a field to eat melons. I say, "Father, clear out the riffraff, and I'll build a road to Chang'an so the people there can enjoy Shazhou melons." My father laughs heartily. While I am left alone in the cold sands. After the An Lushan Rebellion, Shazhou, Liangzhou, and other places were occupied by the Tibetans. The elderly and infirm were killed, while the young and strong were enslaved. Yesterday, I saw a Tibetan underling cut off a slave's limbs and disembowel him. The melon in my hand instantly lost its sweetness. I love building infrastructure, and I did it for years in Africa. As long as my father can defeat the Tibetans, who stop at nothing to commit evil, I want to join my father, who is always gazing toward Chang'an, in restoring the splendor of the Tang dynasty described in Wang Wei's poem: "The palace gates of the nine heavens swing wide; all nations' robes and crowns bow in homage." Reader's guide: The main text is in third person. Many details are fictionalized; please don't treat this as official history. Forms of address from the Tang dynasty have been adjusted somewhat for ease of reading. Theme: The benevolent are invincible, and the wise are unmatched.