My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 441 This is not war, it is massacre
In the late spring of the twenty-third year of the Zhenguan era, the sandstorms along the Talas River were fiercer than in previous years.

The Tang army's defensive line on the east bank faced the Arab camp on the west bank across the river. Banners fluttered in the wind, and the air was filled with the neighing of warhorses, the clanging of metal, and the faint smell of gunpowder.

A war that would determine the fate of the Western Regions was quietly brewing on both sides.

The Arab camp stretches for miles, with tents like white mushrooms rooted in the Gobi Desert.

In front of the main camp's large black silk tent, Amrbenas stood on a high platform, looking at the Tang army's defensive line on the east bank of the river.

He was clad in armor inlaid with silver plates, and the scabbard of his golden scimitar was engraved with verses from the Quran. Behind him, 20,000 of the main Arab cavalry were conducting their final charge drills.

"Warriors of Allah, show the Tang people the power of the sons of the desert!" Amr's roar echoed throughout the camp through the messengers.

The main cavalry force consisted entirely of Yemeni thoroughbreds with their manes braided into small plaits. The riders wore chainmail, carried round shields in their left hands, Damascus scimitars in their right, and short spears at their waists.

This was the "desert storm" that swept through Persia and Rome, and it was also the assault force that the Amr was most proud of.

Every morning, they would pray facing Mecca and then practice the crescent formation on the sand.

The vanguard spreads out in an arc, while the central cavalry group stands ready. Once an opening is created, they surge in like a tide – this is the tactic that Arab cavalry excels at.

On the west side of the camp, the tents of the 80,000 auxiliary troops were much simpler.

Fifty thousand of them were Persian soldiers who had surrendered, wearing tattered chainmail and carrying spears. Thirty thousand Tocharian herdsmen carried bows and arrows, with dried mutton hanging from their saddles.

The rest were civilians captured from Kang and An, chained together in a line, bending over to carry grain and fodder.

These laborers were the mobile logistics support for the Arab army, responsible for transporting water bags, fodder, and siege equipment. Any slackness would result in being whipped by the supervisors.

"General, the provisions have been stockpiled as you ordered," the quartermaster reported, bowing and handing over a sheepskin ledger.

"The 30,000 shi of dates and 5,000 camels transported from the Persian province have arrived, enough to sustain a month's war. However... the Tang people have built strange fortifications on the east bank of the river, which look like stone platforms with iron pipes."

Amur glanced at the black dots on the east bank of the river and sneered, "They're just some defensive earthen walls."

"When we defeated the Roman legions at the Yarmouk River, their catapults were much more elaborate than this."

"Pass down the order: at dawn tomorrow, build rafts to cross the river. First, use the auxiliary troops to launch a feigned attack to lure the main Tang army into battle. Then, have the cavalry flank the enemy from both sides. We must capture Talas before sunset!"

Beside him, the cavalry commander Said patted his warhorse's neck, its hooves kicking up dust: "General, rest assured! My cavalry will surely break through the Tang army's lines and show them that scimitars are more effective than any fortifications!"

Deep within the camp, the imam accompanying the army was leading the soldiers in prayer, the chanting mingling with the sound of horses' hooves, like a sandstorm about to erupt.

Unlike the bustling Arab camps, the Tang army's defensive line was eerily quiet.

On the high ground on the east bank of the Talas River, the Tang army had built three lines of defense.

At the forefront was a rammed earth breast wall ten feet high. Behind the breast wall, every ten steps there was a stone-cast gun emplacement, with fifty cannons crouching there like steel behemoths, their muzzles pointing directly at the west bank.

The second line of defense was a trench half a person deep, behind which stood three thousand musketeers. They were dressed in gleaming armor, and the barrels of their muskets gleamed coldly in the sunlight. Craftsmen from the Hundred Refinements Bureau were teaching them how to load gunpowder, aim, and fire.

The last line of defense was the Shuofang cavalry led by Cheng Zhijie. They were waiting in the rear with their Hexi horses, and the Tang flag insignia on their armor was particularly conspicuous in the wind.

"Chief Clerk Guo, the artillery is ready!" Li Xin, a captain in the artillery battalion, ran over to report, holding a three-dimensional report in his hand.

The document details the range, propellant charge, and the name of the soldier operating each cannon. This was a rule personally set by the Crown Prince. The three documents were archived by the Firearms Battalion, the Anxi Army, and the Inspection Department, respectively. Any error would result in accountability.

Guo Jin walked up to the nearest cannon and reached out to touch the cold barrel.

These fifty cannons are the Divine Might Cannons, which took the Hundred Refinements Bureau half a year to build. The cannons are engraved with "Made in the 22nd year of Zhenguan of the Great Tang Dynasty". They can blast through stone walls three miles away.

Behind him, the craftsman was demonstrating to the soldiers: "When loading gunpowder, you must follow the markings. Too much will cause the barrel to explode, too little will reduce its range. You must use a tinderbox to light the fuse, and after firing a shot, you must wait for the barrel to cool completely before loading the next round..."

The soldiers listened attentively, and some drew the operating steps on a wooden board. This was a pictorial notation method taught by the scholars of the Practical Affairs Department.

In the musketeer ranks not far away, Cheng Zhijie was shouting orders: "Remember this, all of you! When the Arab cavalry charge, fire a volley on my command!"

"First rank, prone; second rank, kneeling; third rank, standing. Take turns! Don't let your hands tremble. This iron thing is ten times more powerful than a bow and arrow. If you hit it, it can blow the barbarian's head open!"

He picked up a musket, weighed it in his hand, and said, "Back in the day, I used to stab people with a horse spear. Now with this treasure, things are much easier!"

The supply camps behind the defensive line presented a completely different picture.

The caravan from the Huitong Division had just arrived, with sealed gunpowder barrels on the backs of camels, each bearing a seal that read "Supervised by the Inspection Division."

The grain cart lifted its canvas, revealing plump brown rice and cured meat.

Two hundred thousand shi of grain transported from Jiangnan were transferred via the Grand Canal to the Hexi Corridor, and then escorted by the navy to the Western Regions. The entire journey was checked using a three-dimensional single-core system, and not a single grain of rice was missing.

Supply along the way will be arranged separately.

The clerk of the Inspection Department was squatting in front of the ledgers, checking the consumption table of firearms and ammunition with counting rods. Next to him were piles of ledgers seized from Kangguo nobles for their secret dealings with Arabs. These would be irrefutable evidence for prosecution after the war.

"Report—" The scout rode up on horseback, dismounted, and knelt on one knee: "The Arab camp has been very active tonight. The auxiliary troops are cutting down trees to build rafts. Judging from their posture, they will cross the river at dawn tomorrow!"

Guo Jin and Cheng Zhijie exchanged a glance, both with a fierce look in their eyes.

Guo Jin turned to Li Xin and ordered: "Tonight, each cannon will be guarded by two additional men, and the gunpowder depot will be guarded by heavily armored soldiers. No one is allowed to approach!"

Cheng Zhijie patted the cavalrymen on the shoulder: "Get your spirits up! Tomorrow, once the cannons have disrupted their formation, we'll rush in and pick off their heads, letting these barbarians know that the Tang Dynasty's iron cavalry, equipped with firearms, is truly invincible!"

Dawn the next day.

The morning mist over the Talas River shrouded both banks like a veil.

On the breastwork of the Tang army's defense line on the east bank, fifty Shenwei cannons were completely covered by canvas, replaced by twenty catapults.

These catapults were deliberately exposed as bait, their stone baskets filled with clods of earth and scrap iron. The craftsmen even carved wear marks on the machines, making them look like old objects that had been used for many years.

"Remember this well, no one is allowed to touch the cannon fuse without my order!" Guo Jin whispered to Li Xin, the captain of the artillery battalion, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers who were busy squatting behind the catapults.

They were pretending to wind up the catapults, but in reality, they were keeping a close eye on what was happening on the west bank.

Cheng Zhijie paced back and forth in front of the musket corps, toying with a musket in his hand and cursing under his breath: "When the barbarians charge over later, let them taste the power of muskets first! If anyone misses, I'll skin them alive!"

In the main Arab camp on the west bank, Amr bin As, through his scouts, was watching the catapults on the east bank, a hint of disdain playing on his lips.

“The Tang people really only have these old gadgets.” He laughed at Said, “The previous intelligence said they had ‘thunderbolt weapons,’ but I think they’re just catapults with some modifications, just to scare people.”

Last night, scouts reported that the main force of the Tang army was guarding behind breastworks, and the front of the formation was full of catapults, which put his mind at ease.

He had seen plenty of Roman catapults; they were no match for the Arab cavalry's charge.

"Order that our troops cross the river first to test the Tang army's firepower!"

Amur swung his scimitar.

Soon, five thousand Persian soldiers, having surrendered, pushed rafts across the river, brandishing spears and shouting incoherent slogans.

Seeing that the time was right, Guo Jin on the east bank raised his hand and waved his command flag: "Catapults, fire!"

Twenty catapults launched their projectiles with a sudden burst, sending clods of earth and scrap metal whistling across the river and crashing into the water around the raft, splashing water several feet high.

Some rafts were overturned, and the Persian soldiers screamed as they fell into the water, but most of them still charged forward, howling.

In their view, this catapult was mediocre and far inferior to the Arab catapults.

"It was just a bluff!" Said on the west bank laughed, patting his saddle. "General, is this all the Tang army is capable of? It's time to send our cavalry!"

Amur was relieved. The Tang army's catapults had a slow firing rate and sparse power, so they were not a threat at all.

He stood up abruptly, drew his golden scimitar, and pointed it at the east bank: "Main cavalry, charge! Let the Tang people see the speed of the Son of the Desert!"

Twenty thousand Arab cavalry surged toward the riverbank like a yellow tide, their thoroughbred horses kicking up clouds of yellow sand as they raised their scimitars and shouted, "Allah is supreme!"

The vanguard of the Crescent Moon Formation pierced through the morning mist like an arrow, quickly crossed the shallows, and stepped onto the mudflats on the east bank, less than three miles from the Tang army's breastwork.

"It's now!"

Guo Jin suddenly ripped off the command flag from his chest.

In an instant, the soldiers tore down the canvas on the east bank, revealing the menacing iron barrels of fifty cannons, their muzzles already aimed at the mudflats.

Li Xin, holding a tinderbox, roared, "Light it!"

The fuse hissed and burned, sparks flying in the morning mist.

The next moment, a deafening roar tore through the sky.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Fifty fireballs, whistling through the air, swept towards the Arab cavalry formation like the scythe of death.

Before the cavalry at the front could react, they were hit directly by the fireballs.

Some were blasted three zhang high into the air, their chainmail shattered into pieces.

Some cavalry formations were torn open by iron bullets, creating a gaping hole as wide as ten zhang (approximately 33 meters), instantly turning men and horses into a bloody mess.

Amidst the deafening roar and the stench of blood, the warhorses completely lost control, their front hooves pounding the ground and neighing. Some turned and trampled wildly, while others carried terrified cavalrymen as they galloped back.

Said charged ahead, and just as he was about to reach a point two miles from the breastwork, a slanted iron bullet grazed his edge.

His warhorse let out a mournful cry and collapsed, throwing him to the ground. He rolled over and looked up, just in time to see the cavalry behind him falling like wheat being harvested, the smoke and dust from the exploding fireballs in the square formation obscuring the sky.

"Allah be upon you, what...what is this thing?!"

The cavalry continued to surge forward, while those in front crumbled, trampling each other. Soon, the riverbank was piled high with corpses, wounded horses, and broken spears.

The Arab cavalry charge didn't even reach the Tang army's breastwork before it was completely shattered by the roar of cannons. The surviving soldiers abandoned their armor and fled to the west bank, stepping over the corpses of their comrades, crying out, "The devil's weapon!"

The Tang army's positions on the east bank were silent.

The musketeers, guns raised and mouths agape, stared at the carnage on the mudflats, forgetting to put their muskets down.

The defensive fortifications behind the breastwork and the dug trenches were completely untouched by the enemy's footprints.

Cheng Zhijie's eyes widened, and the musket in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.

He pointed at the mudflats and cursed, "You little brat Guo! What the hell are you doing! I spent half a month training the musketeers in mounted archery and firing, and they didn't even fire a single shot! The trenches we dug and the breastworks we built are all useless! Are you doing this on purpose?"

He grew angrier with each curse, kicking the cannon mount beside him: "I've been preparing for so long, just waiting for these barbarians to charge in and let them taste the power of a volley of musket fire! And what happened? You fired one shot and they all ran away! My musketeers are just spectators? No way!"

Cheng Zhijie suddenly turned around and roared at the musketeers, "What are you all standing there for! Carry your muskets and go to the back to get your horses! I'll lead you to catch up and let these barbarians know that my cavalry muskets are more powerful than cannons!"

The musketeers realized what was happening and quickly slung their muskets over their shoulders, running towards the stables at the back.

Soon, three thousand musketeers mounted their warhorses, with spare powder bags and lead bullets hanging beside their saddles. They gripped their loaded muskets tightly and, following Cheng Zhijie's banner, charged out of the defensive line like arrows, chasing after the scattered Arab remnants on the west bank.

"Barbarians, don't run! Take this!" Cheng Zhijie took the lead, caught up with a fleeing Arab cavalryman, and raised his hand to aim his musket at the man's back.

With a "bang," the gunshot rang out, and the cavalryman screamed as he fell from his horse.

He laughed heartily and shouted to the musketeers behind him, "Learn from this! Firing a gun while on horseback is real skill! Crush them all!"

The musketeers galloped on their horses, aiming and firing from the swaying backs of their mounts.

Gunshots echoed through the valley, lead bullets accurately catching up with the fleeing remnants, and people fell one after another with screams.

When the Arab soldiers turned around and saw that the Tang cavalry could "kill people with fire" from horseback, they were terrified. Some threw down their weapons and knelt down to beg for mercy, while others rushed into the depths of the desert in a panic, only to be captured one by one by the Tang cavalry that followed.

On the west bank, Amur watched the fleeing soldiers and the Tang cavalrymen chasing after them on horseback, and finally collapsed onto the high platform.

His prized cavalry charge became a joke before it even got close to the enemy's position.

Those old catapults that he had looked down upon turned out to be just bait, while the Tang army's muskets could not only be used in foot combat, but also to kill people on horseback.

As the morning mist dissipated, the artillery on the east bank continued to rumble sporadically, while the gunfire on the west bank mingled with the shouts of the Tang army, becoming a perpetual nightmare for the Arab forces.

This is not a war; it is a one-sided massacre.

(End of this chapter)