7th Army of the Anxi Protectorate
The 7th Army of the Anxi Protectorate (安西都護府第七軍) was a unit of the Tang military. As its name implies, it was a detachment of the garrison in Anxi, the Tang protectorate in the Western Regions.[1]
In 751, it fought at the Battle of Talas under the overall command of General Gao Xianzhi,[1] where the Tang suffered a decisive defeat to the Abbasid Caliphate.[2] Among the participants of the battle was the 15th Squad, an elite crossbowmen unit that constituted part of the 7th Army. Li E, who became a Hidden One after the battle, was a member of this squad.[1] He persisted in fighting even after the Tang surrender to cover the retreat of his surviving allies[1] and only survived thanks to the rescue of a group of Hidden Ones led by Éléna.[2]
15th Squad
The following were members of the 15th Squad of the 7th Army (第七軍第十五隊) during the 751 Battle of Talas.[1]
- Zhang Huaigu (張懷骨)
- Shi Xiangnu (史像奴)
- An Xiaolang (安小郎)
- Zhang Manzi (張蠻子)
- Zhang Shunguang (張順光)
- Tang Zhuzi (唐豬子)
- Wang Wenjin (王文瑾)
- Wang Chou (王丑)
- Li Ruyi (李如意)
- Li Xiaogou (李小苟)
- Li E (李萼)