The Great Tang General

"The Tang army ignored the dangers of the mountains and rivers and attacked at the right time. It was beyond my expectation."

Abu Jalfar Abbas knew that the Khan's banner was east of the Kizil-Uzan River.

He adopted a defensive formation, anticipating that the Tang army's logistics would collapse sooner or later after a long expedition of thousands of miles.

As long as they hold on, they can turn defeat into victory.

By then, their counterattack against the Persian Empire and the recovery of Transoxiana would be just around the corner.

However, the Tang army seemed very confident in its own combat capability, and launched a counterattack not long after Tian Khan arrived.

"More than a decade ago, we failed because Li Xuan was good at using cavalry to catch us off guard during long-distance raids and mobile raids. That's why we were defeated miserably!"

"The current Caliph has learned from past lessons and would rather give up some territory than not allow the Tang cavalry to perform well and force them to engage in a siege battle with our army. As the defending party, we have the help of not only the mountains and rivers, but also the help of God to protect our country."

"Li Xuan may have realized that his logistics were tight, so he decided to force a crossing of the Kizil Uzan River and fight us to the death..."

The Arab Marshal Zhewen Hahoy analyzed this to Abu Jalfar Abbas.

He felt that the Tang army's attack seemed impulsive, but in fact it was inevitable.

Caspian Hamadan Front.

Central Persepolis Front.

Basra Front in the Persian Gulf.

If the Tang Dynasty wants to start a war, it will always attack one of the three fronts.

Obviously, the Tang Dynasty chose the Caspian Hamadan Front where the Heavenly Khan was located.

"Marshal, what you said makes sense. Let's prepare for defense! Order the defenders of Hamedan to leave the city as a reserve. If the Kizil-Uzan River is lost, the city of Hamedan will be meaningless."

Abu Jalfar Abbas instructed Zwin Hahoy.

Prepare to put all troops into the defense of the Kizil-Uzan River.

"Please be at ease, Caliph. I promise that the Tang army will go to the Caspian Sea to feed the fish."

Zwin Hahoy assured Abu Jalfar Abbas.

The Kizil-Uzan River flows into the Caspian Sea, and he wants to flush all the blood and corpses of the Tang army into the Caspian Sea.

Let the Kizil Uzan River become the abyss of the Tang Dynasty.

"The fortune of the Arabs lies here, may Allah bless you!"

Abu Jafar Abbas, as Caliph, prayed to Allah.

As the caliph after the theocratic republic era, religion was originally a tool in the hands of the ruler, but at this time Abu Jalfar Abbas placed his hopes on the gods.

Even with such an arrangement, it was difficult to get rid of the pressure that Li Xuan brought to him.

……

Along the Kizil-Uzan River.

Zhewen Hahoi personally comforted the soldiers and promised them generous rewards.

He compared the Kizil-Uzan River to the "River in the Sky", with bows, crossbows and spears standing on the shore, and threatened that the Tang army would never be able to cross it.

Although the Kyzyl-Uzan River is not as famous as the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, it is also an important river in West Asia.

The wide river gave confidence to the Arab soldiers who were lacking in confidence.

They stood by the river and cursed the invaders to boost their confidence.

There were Arabs performing a graceful dance on a platform on the river bank.

With the blowing of trumpets and the waving of black flags, the atmosphere reached its climax.

On the other hand, on the Tang side, the soldiers of the Shenjiying, led by auxiliary soldiers, pushed carts to the east bank of the Kizil Uzan River.

Di Yuanqing, the commander of the Shenji Camp, personally surveyed the artillery positions.

Taking into account the direction of Li Sheng's forced crossing, he divided the 124 bronze cannons into three positions.

Thirty of them were placed on the southern foot of the Alborz Mountains.

The sixty-two gates were placed right in the center of the ferry, aiming directly at the densest area of ​​the Arab army.

The last thirty bronze cannons were placed in the south, firing directly in the direction of the city of Nehawin.

Many cars were loaded with wooden boxes.

There is cotton and straw in the wooden box, and the outside is wrapped with waterproof oilcloth, which is sealed tightly.

There are shells all over it.

After the bronze cannon was in place, the auxiliary soldiers placed the shells in front of the cannon one by one.

The gunners were preparing for their first actual combat and were a little nervous.

But it is my duty to calm my mind and concentrate my energy, then try to correct my position.

Li Xuan personally inspected every artillery position and calculated the distance to the enemy in his mind.

I think the artillery is well positioned.

"Send the shells according to the steps, and you will win. Don't worry about missing the target, and don't feel stressed. You are still in the learning stage, and I am learning too."

Li Xuan patted a sergeant's shoulder and comforted him at the central artillery position.

"Follow the Supreme's orders..."

The sergeant was so excited that he couldn't express it in words.

"All of you soldiers are pioneers of the artillery. The cannons are fired towards the west, marking the beginning of our westward expedition and the beginning of the glory of the artillery. This is the first battle of the upgraded military system, and I will witness it with you..."

Li Xuan gathered the artillery soldiers together and gave them an impassioned speech.

The artillery soldiers were moved and more passionate to complete their mission.

By sunset, the artillery was ready and ready to fire at the command.

Li Xuan ordered the cattle and sheep to be slaughtered as a reward for the entire army, as the war would begin tomorrow.

The Arab spies had already seen the bronze cannons densely distributed east of the Kyzyl-Uzan River.

But they had never seen or heard of this cylinder before, and had no idea what it was.

They reported this to Zhewen Hahoi.

After seeing this, Zhewen Hahoi did not take the bronze cannon seriously.

Even a catapult can’t cross the Kizil-Uzan River, so what is this thing?
……

After a heavy night, the sun rises.

"Woooo..."

After the Tang army had started cooking, the horn for military deployment sounded.

Di Yuanqing led the artillery to their positions first.

The bronze cannon stood proudly, its muzzle glaring like a giant beast swallowing the sky.

Then came the vanguard army crossing the river led by Li Sheng.

They arrived at the Kizil-Uzan River, ready for battle, wearing armor and with crossbows and powerful crossbows hanging around their waists.

Everything is in good order and you can board the sheepskin rafts and small boats at any time.

The Musketeers did not take part in the Battle of Crossing the River.

Because the musketeers were not suitable for attacking on the ship at this time.

Not as good as the Tang Dynasty's new crossbow.

Dense crowds of Arab soldiers rushed to the west bank of the Kizil-Uzan River.

Controlling the major rivers in this area, Zhewen Hahoy could not find any reason to fail.

He firmly believed that the Tang army would suffer a bloody defeat here.

Li Xuan brought the Crown Prince and Prince of Yan, as well as a group of civil and military officials, to the high ground behind the central artillery position to watch the shelling.

He gave orders directly to Di Yuanqing and ordered to open fire at 5:15 am.

Li Sheng observed the formation of the Arab army on the other side of the river and decided when to cross the river.

"Prince, do you know what's ahead?"

With less than half a minute left before the bombardment, Li Xuan suddenly asked Crown Prince Li Yi.

"Replying to Father, it was the bronze cannon invented by Father that has a range of ten miles and can shatter the sky and split the earth."

Li Yi's words were full of admiration, he knew about the special military force called the Shenjiying.

All this is thanks to the birth of gunpowder.

My father called papermaking, printing, compass and gunpowder the greatest inventions of China.

But there are also many puzzles.

Papermaking and printing broke the monopoly of the aristocratic families on books, making it easier for ordinary people to obtain knowledge. The flourishing literary style of the Tang Dynasty was unprecedented in ancient times.

Gunpowder has been used to build roads, turning natural barriers into thoroughfares. It can also bloom into beautiful fireworks, bringing joy to all people.

There are also today's bronze cannons and muskets.

Li Yi never understood the use of the compass.

Because there are so many things to tell the direction.

"Looking into a well and seeing the sky only gives you a partial view; only when you climb to a high place and look far away can you know that there is a world beyond the sky. Take a good look at the power of the bronze cannon. In our era, it is like sailing against the current. If we do not advance, we will retreat. If the Tang Dynasty does not make progress, the enemies will use bigger and farther cannons to shoot at our country and our people in the future." Li Xuan taught Li Yi.

Industry has an absolute crushing power over agriculture; will whoever takes the lead control the world?

it's not true.

Historically, guns and cannons began to appear in the Song Dynasty, but hundreds of years later, the country's doors were blasted open by foreign powers.

Either nothing changes, or nothing changes.

For the sake of his own family, he was on guard against the people and was afraid that firearms would threaten his rule. Sooner or later, he would become a sinner in history.

"The Arabs across the street are full of truth in their classics and proverbs. Just like our splendid Chinese culture, some of their words are deafening."

"What good is truth at this moment? Truth is within the range of the cannon..."

Seeing that Li Yi was in deep thought, Li Xuan said these wise words again.

"Boom..."

His words trailed off.

There was a loud noise that shook the earth.

Li Yi looked up subconsciously.

Right in front of me, I saw flames like an angry dragon, gushing out from the bowl-sized muzzle.

It drew an arc over the Kizil-Uzan River and shot towards the Arab soldiers several miles away.

This shot was fired by Di Yuanqing himself, and the dense formation of the Arab soldiers enabled him to take the lead.

The cannonball exploded with tremendous force among the Arab soldiers.

The air was filled with smoke and several Arab soldiers were blown away, with their limbs broken and their flesh and blood all over the place.

The psychological fear brought by the shock wave and explosion made many Arab soldiers sit on the ground.

There was only shock and fear on their faces!

The Arab soldiers nearby heard the noise and looked around, wondering what was going on.
Their nightmare has just begun.

The first artillery fire was like an order, and the soldiers at the artillery positions in three directions lit the fuses at the same time.

"Rumble..."

"Rumble..."

A spectacular scene took place on the Kizil-Uzan River.

More than a hundred streaks of fire tore through the sky, followed by a deafening roar that could be heard for a hundred miles.

The artillery shells from three directions, like meteors chasing the moon, crashed straight into the densely packed area of ​​the Arab soldiers.

Smoke rose and sand and stones flew everywhere.

The Arab soldiers were not prepared for any artillery fire.

They couldn't even lie down and just stood there.

"Boom..."

An unlucky Arab soldier was hit by a cannonball and torn into pieces on the spot.

His blood splattered on his companions and knocked some Arab soldiers to the ground.

A cannonball fell into the longbowmen's camp by the river, killing both the archers and their bows.

Some timid soldiers dropped their longbows and retreated desperately.

"puff……"

Some shells missed their target and fell into the Kizil-Uzan River, causing huge splashes.

But in the eyes of the Arab soldiers, this was still a miracle.

Many shells missed the target, only causing dirt to splash.

However, because the Arab soldiers were trying to prevent the Tang Dynasty from crossing the Kizil-Uzan River, they were stationed too closely together and suffered from the baptism of artillery fire.

Even if there were Arab soldiers who believed in Allah, they were not afraid of death and were ready to face death.

But they don't want to face death in this way.

The entire Arab army seemed to be torn apart by an invisible giant hand, with limbs scattered everywhere, screams incessantly, and smoke rising, allowing the world to witness the mighty power of the bronze cannon.

“Is Allah angry?”

“Why should disasters befall us instead of blaming the aggressors?”

"This is not our god, Allah please save us!"

"The captain is broken into two pieces. No one can do this except God..."

The Arab soldiers were in panic and thought it was a punishment from the gods.

Mortals do not have the same power as magic.

Many Arab soldiers fled westward away from the Kizil-Uzan River.

The generals also fled out of fear, and no one could stabilize the morale of the army under such circumstances.

Some stubborn Arab soldiers even knelt beside the Kizil-Uzan River, kowtowed and begged for forgiveness.

After the first round of shelling, there was a brief silence.

But the sound of artillery fire lingered in the minds of the Arab soldiers.

In their heads, there was a constant buzzing sound and images of their comrades' blood and flesh flying everywhere.

Faced with this situation, Zhewen Hahoi was at a loss as to what to do.

He and his generals stood there in a daze.

The nearest shell was less than ten feet away from him.

He saw the force with which the shells landed.

He had no idea how to continue the battle.

"That flame flew from the Tang Dynasty camp..."

Abu Jalfar Abbas, who was standing on the observation deck, saw something was happening.

This is not a miracle, but a "trick" of the Tang Dynasty.

Datang had god-like power, which made him look even paler.

On the observation deck, Abu Jalfar Abbas had already seen the chaos in his troops.

"Pass the order, tell the soldiers not to be afraid, it's the Tang Kingdom that's causing trouble."

"Look, the flames have stopped. This is the only way the Tang Kingdom can do this. Order Marshal Hahoy to immediately organize his soldiers and prevent the Tang army from crossing the river!"

Abu Jalfar Abbas acted promptly and conveyed the order to the battlefield.

At the same time, he came down from the viewing stand, rode a BMW, and personally went to the banks of the Kizil-Uzan River to stabilize the morale of the troops.

In a flash, the situation changed suddenly.

Abu Jalfar Abbas had to step forward and eliminate the Arab soldiers' fear of artillery.

He thought the Tang Dynasty only had one round of artillery.

Such power cannot be used lightly.

He was wrong.

Abu Jalfar Abbas's order had not yet spread to the entire battlefield.

The Arab soldiers were still like headless flies, and the second round of artillery fire began.

“Boom…”

Streams of flaming air streaked across the Kizil-Uzan River.

After the first round of firing, the Tang Dynasty artillery became more confident.

Flames continued to explode on the positions of the Arab army, causing people and horses to fall to the ground and ghosts to howl.

Abu Jalfar Abbas's speculation failed.

Even some calm soldiers lost their courage due to the second round of bombardment.

They retreated from the river, discarded their weapons and armor, and ran into the deep without looking back.

Abu Jalfar Abbas shouted with all his might until his voice became hoarse, but to no avail.

This is the power of the weapon as it is first unveiled, bringing with it an unknown fear.

"Soldiers, the Arab rebels have been frightened out of their wits by the cannon invented by the Supreme. It is time to make a contribution. Get on the boats and prepare to cross the river..."

After the second round of artillery fire, Li Sheng ordered the vanguard troops to cross the river.

He sent a messenger to contact Di Yuanqing.

After the third round of shelling, stop shelling immediately to avoid accidental injuries.

The defenses of the Arab army were completely broken.

He believed that if they crossed the river at this time, they would be able to stabilize their formation easily...

(End of this chapter)