Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 283 No choice

As Qiu Xinggong shouted angrily, the two sides collided hard!

In a few breaths, Qiu Xinggong wedged himself hard into the Tibetan cavalry.

The Tang army was well-trained. Seeing that Qiu Xinggong was getting older and stronger, they should fight first to clear a bloody path. Everyone was in high spirits and followed their general, rushing forward with that dazzling brilliance on the battlefield.

When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, the Tubo cavalry is more than one level behind the Tang cavalry in terms of armor and weapons, not to mention enemy-killing skills and formation coordination.

Although Li Jing, the military god of the Tang Dynasty, died of illness many years ago, the military formations and training methods he left behind are still in use today and are one of the things that the Tang Dynasty relies on for invincibility.

Compared with the Tubo cavalry who fought individually, the Tang cavalry was in groups of five or six. The one at the front held a shield and slashed with a Tang sword in the other hand. The knights on the left and right stabbed with their spears. Most of the targets of the attack were Rush towards someone.

The Tubo cavalry's attack was blocked by shields and stabbed with spears, or they were defended by spears thrust by them, and were slashed by Tang knives in succession.

Originally, the Tubo soldiers were no match for the Tang army, but now they encountered a general who was killed in battle.

The Tang cavalry was like cutting grass, and they kept cutting off the Tibetan cavalry from their horses. Large areas of blood spattered on the green land.

Qiu Xinggong entered the formation and cut the Tibetan cavalry into two pieces.

Qiu Xinggong did not retreat, but came to the Tubo formation, raised his horse high and shouted: "Qiu Xinggong of the Tang Dynasty climbed up and broke the formation first!"

The setting sun shone on his dazzling armor of light, doubling his power.

The soldiers behind Qiu Xinggong shouted excitedly: "Climb and break the formation first! Climb and break the formation first!"

There was silence for a moment in the Tubo formation.

Someone beside him whispered: "Qiu Xinggong, isn't he the deputy commander-in-chief of the Tang Dynasty?"

Zanxiruoduobu looked at the people surrounded in the golden light in the distance in shock, and felt a sense of powerlessness in his heart. Is this a general of the Tang Dynasty?

A seventy-year-old veteran who was also the deputy commander of the army was so courageous. No wonder the Tang army was still determined to win even if they were in an unfavorable situation.

"The order is passed, General Mortonben leads the left wing troops with 10,000 troops, waiting for the opportunity... I lead the center army with 20,000 troops to fight against the enemy's center; the right wing troops with 15,000 troops are all lost to Luma Ben He Chen Dongben was in command. He told the two of them to let go and attack the enemy. In this battle, they faced Turkic soldiers. Their strength was not as strong as that of the Tang army. They were victorious and attacked regardless of casualties..."

The military system of Tubo was naturally different from that of the Tang Dynasty.

Their overall strength is divided into five Ru, which is similar to five military regions. Ru Ben is the leader of the military region, responsible for military and political affairs, and generally does not go to war. Below Ru Ben is Ma Ben, which means general and marshal. Below Ma Ben is Dong Ben. There is a saying about the East Ben, the Big East Ben, and the Little East Ben. To put it bluntly, they are the heads of ten thousand households and the heads of thousands of households.

The Moer Dongben here is the head of ten thousand households with the surname Moer, and the same is true for the Buluma Ben and Chendong Ben.

After Zan Xiruoduobu issued the order, he raised the flag and shouted: "Blow the drum, the whole army advances!"

Tongqin is the most common sound-producing instrument in snowy areas. The super-large trumpet has the same effect as a war drum.

Qiu Xinggong saw the enemy army begin to move, tens of thousands of horse hooves galloping on the ground noisily, and the entire Moli Station was trembling.

At this time, the sound of golden gongs was also heard from behind, which was the news for them to retreat quickly.

Qiu Xinggong returned to the formation, with a little displeasure on his face: "I am just about to take advantage of the victory, why did you recruit me back?"

Ashina Zhong secretly cursed: "Seeing that you are so old and still shouting like a strong man, my heart almost jumped out of my chest. I really want to keep you here forever, how can I explain it to you?"

He asked Qiu Xinggong to buy some time, but he never thought that the old general was so fierce that he could break the formation and call it in one go.

Of course, he didn't dare to say that, he just said: "The general is still as brave as before, general, look!"

He pointed at the Tibetan army slowly advancing in the distance.

Only then did they realize that while they were fighting, the Tubo army had already formed a formation. They occupied a large number of people, and the army formed a fan shape and was advancing towards them with the sound of the drum.

Qiu Xinggong's pupils were like blazing flames and said: "Are they planning to finish us off in one battle? I have been fighting all my life and have never encountered such a good thing. The general manager, give the order directly to see how many pounds are on the other side. .”

Ashina Chung knew that at this point, he had no retreat and could only fight to the end. He shouted loudly: "Beat the drums, the whole army advances to fight!"

Accompanied by thunderous drum beats, Ashina Chu rode his horse to the tidy military formation.

Behind him is a red and fiery flag fluttering in the wind...

Ashina Zhong raised the flag in his hand high and shouted: "The Tang Dynasty is victorious!"

Accompanied by the slogan of "Victory of the Tang Dynasty", the mighty and unyielding troops of the Tang Dynasty bravely and fearlessly faced the large number of Tibetan troops.

There were no tests, no feints, and no confrontations.

The Tang and Tubo armies immediately collided with each other after Qiu Xinggong forced his challenge.

Tubo's middle route army sent out its killer cavalry without reservation.

Tubo's armored cavalry was learned from Arabia and passed down from the Persian Sassanid cavalry. Both men and horses were covered with chain mail, all over their bodies, except for their eyes, which swept towards the Tang army like a whirlwind.

It was the first time for Ashina Tadashi to encounter such a well-equipped opponent, but this experienced general did not panic at all.

"Lie..."

With a shout!

The large shield soldiers at the front of the two armies suddenly fell to the ground, and behind them were strong crossbowmen holding Fuyuan crossbows.

Crossbow arrows filled the sky and flew away!

Strong bows and powerful crossbows will always be the number one enemy-killing weapon in the cold weapon era of China.

It is true that ordinary arrows cannot harm the armored cavalry, but the crossbow arrows can easily penetrate any armor.

The whistling crossbow bolts echoed on the battlefield, and the hundreds of Tibetan cavalry rushing at the front were hit by several arrows in an instant. Some of them fell off their horses without even saying a word.

The soldiers who are qualified to wear cavalry armor are the most brave and fearless warriors. They completely ignore the sacrifices of their comrades, trample on their corpses, and crash like meteorites into the military formation with large shields held high and spears pointed out. .

The speed of the cavalry was already terrifying, especially the armored cavalry. The soldiers in the front row were silently submerged in the flying dust without any trace.

There were shouts of death from all directions...

The battle started almost at the same time in various places in Moliyi, with shouts of death and screams resounding throughout the countryside.

I don’t know how many times the thundering war drums were beaten, and the loud and clear sound of drums also rippled in the sky again and again.

This situation continued until it was completely dark.

"Withdraw!"

In the end, Zanshidrudobu reluctantly gave the order to retreat.

According to Zanshi Ruoduobu's original plan, he wanted to exhaust the Tang Dynasty's physical strength at Moliyi and use the special environment here to defeat the Tang army in front of him.

However, the ferocity of the Tang army, the tenacity of the Tang army, and the fighting will of the Tang army were far beyond Zanshi Ruoduobu's imagination.

Zan Xi Ruoduobu had a feeling that the Tang Army was about to collapse. If he had the advantage, the Tang Army would be unable to hold on. As long as he persisted a little longer, the Tang Army would be defeated.

This thought occurred more than ten times, until now, he realized that if he persisted, he might not be able to hold on.

My mentality has changed in this situation where I can't see the battlefield situation at all, I don't know whether the enemy or the enemy is injured, and I can only hear the screams of killing and killing everywhere...

Especially their slave soldiers, there was a large-scale cowardice and flight.

After learning the news of the Tibetan withdrawal, Ashina Chung did not order a pursuit. Instead, he sat down on the ground and could not say a word.

His mind went blank, and he persisted until now with only one belief: "The Tang Dynasty will be victorious!"

Since the Zhenguan Dynasty, the Tang army had rarely suffered defeats. Most of the "failures" were due to the inability to attack the city and the initiative to retreat.

Just like Li Shimin's expedition to Goguryeo, the Tang army recovered Liaodong and captured ten cities in this battle. The three battles of Xincheng, Jian'an and Garrison destroyed a large number of Goguryeo troops, and captured more than 40,000 Goguryeo army leaders. The Tang army lost 2,000 people... How could this achievement be achieved? Can't say defeat.

But it was one of the failures in the Tang Dynasty...

As for the Tang army's lack of large-scale defeat on the frontal battlefield...

Ashina Tadashi didn't want this "first defeat" to fall on him.

Ashina Zhong took a breath, then stood up and gave the order: "Send someone to be on guard to prevent the enemy from coming back. The rest of you will rest on the spot!"

He paused and asked, "Where is Deputy General Qiu?"

After a while, someone came to report and said: "I fell down from exhaustion..."

It turned out that the battle was too fierce. Qiu Xinggong continued to fight on the front line and passed out from exhaustion.

Fortunately, the old general was in strong health, honest and loyal, and his life was not in danger.

Ashina Zhong saw the power of Tibet this time and did not dare to close his eyes to rest, fearing that Tibet would come back.

Until dawn...

He looked at the battlefield he was on, and looked at the dark red mire where blood gathered.

Countless mutilated limbs, broken heads, broken weapons, and broken flags fell in all directions.

Even Ashina Tadashi, who had experienced hundreds of battles, had a hint of awe in his eyes at this moment: the brutality of this battle was several times worse than he imagined.

Qiu Xinggong slept for half the night and recovered. Looking at everything around him, they both saw each other's solemnity in their eyes. This battle was not easy to fight.

It is no coincidence.

Five days later, the scene at the foot of Jishi Mountain almost reappeared.

The troops of Liang Jianfang and Liu Renyuan who entered Tuyuhun from Yaozhou also encountered a similar situation.

The Tubo general commented that Qinling's troops were too old. He burned the grassland along the way and fled far away without fighting, which increased the logistical burden on the Tang army and led the Tang army to the foot of Jishi Mountain.

The two sides fought vigorously all day and night at the foot of Jishi Mountain...

The result was surprisingly consistent with Mo Liyi's situation, and Lun Qinling was forced to issue an order to retreat.

Looking at the Tibetan troops retreating slowly, Liu Renyuan was covered in blood. His heavy armor was covered with red and white dirt, as if his whole body was soaked in blood.

When he appeared in front of Liang Jianfang, Liang Jianfang was startled and asked hurriedly: "How are you, General?"

Liu Renyuan licked his lips, smelling the smell of blood, and spat: "It's all theirs."

Liang Jianfang praised: "The general is really a warrior! If it were not for the general, our army would be in danger."

Compared to his brother Zan Xiruoduobu, Lun Qinling's command and tactics were more superb, and he was also able to use armored cavalry within seconds.

The armored cavalry was a strange force in the hands of Lun Qinling. At the critical moment of the battle between the two armies, they appeared at the weakest point of the Tang army.

At that time, the entire right wing was in a state of collapse, and it was Liu Renyuan who stood up. This warrior, who was personally granted the title of Zhuguo by Li Shimin at a young age and was able to fight ferocious beasts with his bare hands, led the fine cavalry of the Tang Dynasty to defeat the armored cavalry.

Liu Renyuan's weapon was a machete, which he chopped into a long hammer. The blade of the knife was completely cut and curled up, and he relied on his strength to eat the opponent forcefully.

Liu Renyuan said anxiously: "Let's not talk about this for now, Chief Manager, if the enemy doesn't retreat, why don't we pursue him?"

Liang Jianfang pointed at the retreating Tibetan army and said: "Look, the opponent's retreat was not chaotic at all. They did not retreat in defeat, but they knew they could not win and chose to retreat. We can't gain any advantage in pursuing them at this moment."

A trace of anxiety flashed in Liu Renyuan's eyes. The two armies of the Tang Dynasty came out together. Due to the terrain, they had to wait a few days on the other route.

As a result, I met a turtle with a shrunken head, and avoided fighting all the way, which delayed me for a while.

When he is entangled with the opponent's turtle again, he may be on the other side and attack Fuqi City with overwhelming force.

"Maybe it's just pretentious!"

Liu Renyuan gritted his teeth and said: "The other party is a tortoise. It is rare to catch them. If they get timid today and dare not fight again, and continue to burn the grass all the way and let us eat the ashes, it will not be good."

Liang Jianfang looked at Liu Renyuan's face of determination and knew that the large corps would travel long distances to fight. If the logistics supply could not keep up, the results would be disastrous.

And the other party has been trying to mess with their logistics. If they really let them run away, the harm may be even greater.

"Okay, don't force it, don't do it forcefully."

Liu Renyuan said: "The general will know!"

Liu Renyuan was overjoyed, ordered his troops and horses, and rushed all the way towards the retreat direction of Lun Qinling.

"Qinling East Edition!"

A horseman came to the side of Lun Qinling and reported: "The Tang army is chasing us!"

Lun Qinling was startled when he heard this and said, "How many people are there?"

"Three thousand!"

Lun Qinling went through the surrounding terrain in his mind and said, "Lead him to Black Tiger Ridge and eat him there."

There is no reason not to eat the meat that is served.

Lun Qinling didn't care about this. Thinking about the current situation, he was not very optimistic.

The two brothers were eager to fight the Tang army for two reasons. First, they could not fight the Tang army and Tubo could not afford it. Secondly, they were outsiders after all and did not fully control the Tuyuhun area. Once the Tang army was allowed to stabilize the situation, the Khan of Tuyuhun summoned his old troops to resist and unite with each other. The situation was critical.

Therefore, both brothers asked for battle and used their own advantages to defeat the Tang army.

But the combat effectiveness of the Tang Army and the tenacity of the Tang Army taught them a lesson.

Even though they were at a disadvantage, they still had no choice but to defeat the Tang army on the frontal battlefield.

On Qinling, he could only choose to retreat.

On Qin Ling's command, he set up an ambush with a few simple orders and waited for the Tang army to enter the urn.

"Report!"

Although Qinling still had no troubles from the Tang army, the messengers were approaching again.

Lun Qinling asked: "How?"

The messenger said: "General Tang did not fall into the trap. They stood outside Black Tiger Ridge for a while and then retreated."

Lun Qinling smiled and said: "He is a man who knows how to fight..."

He was suddenly startled and asked urgently: "Do you know who the other party is?"

The messenger said, "Liu Renyuan, the Tang general who defeated our armored cavalry..."

(End of this chapter)