I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1042 A resounding victory; the Parthian Northern Army suffers a crushing defeat.

"General! General!"

"It's over, it's all over!"

Although the guards hurriedly helped Mihran up, the news of the friendly forces' collapse could not be kept secret.

The main force of the central army, besieged by the nomadic cavalry, watched helplessly as their own cavalry was gradually routed.

Under the moonlight, the once dense torches became sparse, fragmented, and scattered.

Their last hope was also extinguished.

"Retreat! Break out!"

"Turn around and head south, gather all the cavalry, and charge with me!"

There's no turning back now.

The seasoned general Mihran made a decisive move, abandoning the direction of Koti, which might be heavily fortified, and concentrated all the cavalry in the central army, intending to make a desperate breakout to the south, that is, towards their homeland.

At this point, they're just trying to get as many people as possible to escape.

However, the Han army clearly wouldn't let them escape so easily.

"kill!"

"Don't let them get away!"

Zhao Yun shouted and immediately led his troops to surround and block the enemy.

As soon as the four thousand Parthian cavalry broke away from the infantry line, countless herdsmen immediately surrounded and attacked them.

They fought fiercely under the cover of night.

Arrows and blades clashed, blood and fire mingled, and vibrant lives vanished swiftly.

The nomadic riders were numerous and powerful, and they surrounded and attacked from all sides. Zhao Yun, with his silver spear and unwavering courage, fought his way in and out of the enemy ranks seven times.

Despite their desperate resistance, the Parthian cavalry were ultimately outnumbered and gradually divided and surrounded, on the verge of total annihilation.

But at that moment, a group of knights suddenly began to exert their strength from within the crowd.

They were the two thousand Parthian heavy cavalry that Mihran had brought.

These heavily armored cavalrymen, wielding long spears, were the true elite of Parthia and formidable adversaries of the Roman legions.

Compared to other light cavalry, they were better at charging into enemy lines and even dared to charge head-on into the Roman tortoise formation.

Their intervention immediately turned the tide for General Mihran, allowing him to tear a gap in the nomadic cavalry's encirclement.

"General, let's go!" The lieutenant, covered in blood, stood firmly in front of the pursuers. "This subordinate will cover the rear!"

Mihran gritted his teeth and nodded, leading his precious two thousand heavy cavalry southward at breakneck speed.

He can't die here.

They must return immediately to reorganize their defenses; otherwise, the consequences of allowing so many cavalry to penetrate deep into their rear would be unimaginable.

Unfortunately, he didn't get the chance.

"Enemy general, do not flee!"

Ma Chao has arrived.

The Xiliang cavalry has arrived.

It turned out that after defeating the cavalry of the Southern Route Army, Ma Chao did not linger in pursuit of them, but instead turned his attention to leading his troops to join the siege of the enemy's Central Army.

Just as they arrived, they saw a troop of heavily armored cavalry breaking through their lines.

Then there's nothing more to say.

"kill!"

"Charge with me!"

Ma Chao roared and led the Xiliang cavalry in a whirlwind attack.

Two elite cavalry units clashed violently in the night, the clash of iron and blood producing a deafening roar.
No, it's a wail!
"Do not--"

"What the hell!"

"How can you be so strong?!"

This was nothing short of a massacre. In the first clash of the cavalry, the Xiliang army, with only a dozen or so men, reaped the lives of over a hundred Parthian soldiers.

Although the Parthian heavy cavalry were well-equipped, their lack of stirrups proved a fatal weakness in close combat. The Xiliang cavalry, relying on the stability of their stirrups, moved with impunity on horseback, their thrusts and slashes with deadly precision. Ma Chao, in particular, was like a tiger descending a mountain; his silver spear was unstoppable.

Not to mention, after this initial charge, the Xiliang army launched another grenade attack in the close-quarters melee.

"boom--"

"Boom boom boom——"

Violent explosions rang out one after another in the Parthian heavy cavalry formation, and amidst the flames and thick smoke, fragments of armor and human remains flew everywhere.

Although Mihran was not directly affected by the explosion, his warhorse was severely frightened and was thrown off balance with a loud neigh.

Immediately, this renowned Parthian general and the patriarch of the Mihran family was silently swallowed up by the chaotic sound of hooves.

"The general is dead!"

"Run away!"

News of their commander's death spread like wildfire, and the already crumbling Parthian army collapsed completely. The remaining heavy cavalry scattered and fled, only to be hunted down and slaughtered by the Xiliang cavalry and nomadic cavalry.

As dawn broke, the plains outside Koti City had already transformed into a blood-red battlefield.

Of the 40,000 Parthian troops, only a small number of routed soldiers escaped into the wilderness, while the rest were completely annihilated. The Han army captured countless weapons and supplies and took nearly 10,000 prisoners.

"That was exhilarating! That was exhilarating!" Ma Chao, covered in blood, laughed heartily, looking up at the sky.

Yan Xing wiped his blood-stained longsword and frowned, saying, "It's a pity that their Southern Route Army still managed to escape."

Zhao Yun sheathed his spear and said in a deep voice, "It's alright. The enemy has lost its main force in this battle. The most urgent task is to take advantage of the situation to capture Koti City, consolidate our gains, and then take over the entire territory of Khwarezm."

The three generals immediately joined forces and marched towards Keti City.

The defenders in the city were terrified and their morale was low after the main force was wiped out. Local Khwarezmian nobles said they wanted to surrender.

But Khwarezm was no longer under their control; it was now in the hands of the governor and trusted generals left behind by Mihran. Upon hearing the news of the defeat, these men immediately closed the city gates, preparing for a last-ditch resistance.

"Although the Han army won, attacking cities is not their forte."

The governor encouraged the defending troops from the city wall:

"If we hold out for a few more days, His Majesty will surely send reinforcements!"

"That's right!"

An Parthian general immediately echoed this sentiment:

"Look at their appearance, they are nothing more than barbarians from a more distant part of the East."

"They're fine for open field battles with their cavalry, but as for besieging a city? They don't even have any weapons. Do you think they can climb up by hand?"

Everyone chimed in with their own words, strengthening their resolve to defend.

Then, the former Khwarezmians in the city immediately suffered a great misfortune.

The Parthians originally kept them alive to demonstrate their tolerance as protectors.

As a result, the army was routed, and they became a hidden destabilizing factor in the city. They were immediately dragged out and made an example of.

"Execute all these traitors!" the governor roared. "Let everyone see the consequences of betraying Parthia!"

Dozens of Khwarazmian nobles were brought to the city wall and beheaded in full view of the crowd. Blood flowed down the wall, and the guards were silenced, no longer daring to harbor any dissent.

Outside the city, the Han army camp.

Zhao Yun shook his head and sighed, "It seems they are prepared to resist to the very end."

Ma Chao sneered, "Unfortunately, they have no idea what they are about to face."

After saying that, he looked back and saw that several wooden carts resembling battering rams had been built in the camp using materials found on the spot.

However, what's protected by this armor is not a traditional battering ram, but a demolition device specifically designed to assist soldiers in installing explosives.

That's right, it's gunpowder again.

After conquering the Western Regions and solving the sulfur problem, Su Yao set up a top-secret gunpowder workshop in the area to ensure the smooth progress of the western expedition. This workshop was specifically for the use of the expeditionary force.

Although current production capacity and technology are not yet sufficient for large-scale deployment of firearms to military units, the workshop output over the past year is sufficient to equip elite troops with grenades for breaking through enemy lines and to produce enough explosives for attacking key cities.

So, the Han army attacked the city the following night.

(End of this chapter)