A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 450 When the Xuanjia Armor Appears, Who Can Compete?

Shen Shi Zheng Ke (3-5 PM)

Li Yi stood atop the south gate tower of Mingshui, gazing out over the battlefield.

It was around 3 p.m., and the sun was still scorching. Xia Jun had set out from his camp at Chenshi and formed ranks, and by this time, eight hours had passed.

They were exposed to the scorching sun for most of the day, and only ate some dry food and drank some water in between.

The Xia army formation covered an area of ​​more than ten square kilometers and was very close to the south gate of Mingshui City. Li Yi felt that it was overwhelming, a sea of ​​people.

at this time,

A banner bearing the inscription "Zhang" fluttered in front of a Tang army, providing guidance.

That was Zhang Shigui's three thousand men, the "land crocodile," who was provoking the Xia army on the right flank.

Three thousand men challenge an army of eighty thousand.

The numbers are vastly different.

One can stand on the city wall,
Three thousand people were also overwhelming.

He was not afraid of 80,000 men, even in the face of the audacious bandit leader Zhang Shigui.

Maintaining a distance of about half a mile, the three thousand Tang soldiers hurled all sorts of insults at the Xia army.

"It moved,"

"Xia Jun's right flank has moved,"

Liu Shiche, standing next to Li Yi, was even more excited than Li Yi. "The Xia army's right wing cavalry has moved; there must be three thousand of them."

"The infantry moved as well,"

"The central army of the vanguard has also moved."

"The right flank of the central army has also moved."

Like a chain reaction,

When Cao Dan led his three thousand cavalrymen to attack Zhang Shigui, and could no longer tolerate such provocation, the troops on the right flank were all moving.

The higher you stand, the farther you can see.
From the city walls, one could clearly see the originally orderly Xia army formation, with the right flank troops now spreading outwards.

Those once neat square formations became loose.

Countless Xia soldiers were restless; they had been baking in the sun for four hours, and were hungry, thirsty, tired, and exhausted.
The fighting spirit I had when I first left the camp has long since been worn away.

Now all they want to do is move around.

Seeing the three thousand Tang soldiers approaching, they only wanted to surround and wipe them out.

Cao Dan thought so,
The rest of the Xia army thought the same thing.

Li Yi unscrewed the lid of his thermos, which contained chilled plum juice. A sip was refreshing and the sweet and sour taste immediately invigorated him, driving away the drowsiness brought on by the sweltering heat.

"It's going to get windy!"

Li Yi smiled.

Seeing that only three thousand Tang soldiers had managed to rouse the Xia army's formation, Liu Shiche smiled and said, "It seems that Sikong's tactic of using the scorching sun to wear down the Xia army has worked."
They couldn't hold on any longer and were very restless; three thousand men were enough to rouse them.

Xia Jun is finished.

This movement threw the 80,000-strong army into disarray.

Li Yi nodded, "The King of Qin is about to launch an attack."

Any astute general would not miss this golden opportunity.

Liu Rengui, standing to the side, also sighed with admiration, "The Xuanjia cavalry's attack earlier was truly clean and efficient."
Xia's three thousand men were utterly routed in almost no time.

"This time, we'll still use the Xuanjia Cavalry as the vanguard to break through the enemy lines!"

"Liu, the military advisor, is right. There are only two thousand Xuanjia cavalry in total, all of whom are the King of Qin's treasures. In particular, eight hundred of the thousand heavily armored Xuanjia cavalry were originally Xue Ju's subordinates."

Do you know how much it costs to maintain a thousand-strong armored cavalry?

Li Yi sighed, "The cost of supporting a thousand armored cavalry is enough to support thirty thousand infantry."

This is a force of 30,000 fully armed infantrymen.

However, although armored cavalry are expensive, there is a reason for the high price.

Liu Shiche said, "More than forty years ago, during the Battle of Luoyang between Qi and Zhou, the famous Qi general Duan Shao led 5,000 armored cavalrymen in a swooping charge from Mangshan Mountain, instantly crushing the 30,000-strong vanguard of Northern Zhou."

"Iron horses neigh in the wind, breaking through all obstacles, smoke and dust rise to the sky, their extent unpredictable."

The Northern and Southern Dynasties period was also the most glorious era for armored cavalry. During that time, there was constant warfare, and armored cavalry was the trump card of each faction.

The Sui Dynasty ended three hundred years of division in the country and had a million soldiers. It also had many armored cavalry, among which the Youzhou Cavalry was very famous. Li Yi, the Prince of Yan, commanded the Youzhou Cavalry during the Sui Dynasty and rose to the rank of Tiger General, with five thousand cavalry under his command.

Heavy cavalry was effective, but too expensive. After the Sui Dynasty unified the country, the number of heavy cavalry continued to decrease.

The Tang Dynasty now controls most of the country.

However, the only armored cavalry units they could muster were the thousand under Li Shimin's command and the thousand under Li Yi's command.

The emperor's original rebel army only had a hundred cavalrymen as ceremonial guards, which was simply too much to afford.

A heavy cavalryman must be equipped with at least three warhorses, because both the rider and the horse are armored, so they must be excellent warhorses with strong explosive power and strong load-bearing capacity.

In addition, the armor worn by the rider and the horse were also specially made, costing more than ordinary cavalry armor.

Moreover, these heavily armored cavalrymen needed carts and horses to transport their equipment during marches, and they did not participate in ordinary battles; they also needed auxiliary soldiers to serve them.

In each battle, heavy cavalry could only be deployed for a short time, charging into battle before retreating to rest and recuperate, lacking sustained combat capability.

Most importantly, such soldiers are not easy to select, and the training time is long.

But just as Duan Shao led 5,000 heavy cavalry in a charge that directly routed the 30,000-strong vanguard of the Northern Zhou, these sharp blades, when used correctly, are absolutely formidable.

If Li Shimin could produce five thousand heavy cavalry right now, there would be no need for them to have been locked in a standoff all the way from Xiangzhou to here.

They had already launched a heavy cavalry charge and crushed the Xia army.

Heavy cavalry is not suitable for attacking cities or breaking through camps, but it is best used to break through enemy formations, especially now that the Xia army's formation is incomplete.

The Tang camp in the west of the city was reopened.

Qin Shubao, clad in gleaming armor and wielding an iron-bound lance, was the first to charge out of the camp.

Behind him were five thousand cavalrymen charging in a wedge formation.

The circular hoods on the knights' chests reflected the sunlight, illuminating countless rays of light.

Li Yi saw it clearly from the city wall.

Qin Shubao, Cheng Yaojin, Duan Zhixuan, and Zhai Changsun, the four commanders of the cavalry, each led one thousand light cavalry, and under the cover of these four thousand cavalry,

Yuchi Jingde led a thousand armored cavalrymen, hiding behind the light cavalry.

Those heavy cavalrymen could be easily distinguished from the city walls. The light cavalry's warhorses were unarmored, while the armored cavalry's warhorses were equipped with a full set of six armor pieces, providing comprehensive protection from the horse's head to its rear end: face shield, neck shield, breastplate, body armor, rear guard, and parasol.

The knights wore double armor. Not all heavy cavalry were called armored cavalry; armored cavalry were the heaviest of the heavy cavalry.

The knights wore leather armor underneath and gleaming armor on top.

Four thousand light cavalry and one thousand heavy cavalry.
Five thousand cavalrymen set out, followed by countless spearmen, swordsmen, shieldmen, archers, and crossbowmen, leaving only auxiliary troops to guard the camp.

Although the Tang Dynasty could not muster five thousand armored cavalry,

But the Hebei battlefield,
The King of Qin had 8,000 cavalrymen under his command, and after so many fierce battles, he still sent out 5,000 cavalrymen to charge and break through the enemy lines at once.

Like a violent storm,
The cavalrymen went from a brisk walk to a trot, then accelerated to a full gallop, and finally charged.

Five thousand Tang cavalrymen shot towards the Xia army formation like sharp arrows.

Li Yi and his men could see clearly from the city wall that the Xia army's formation was still spreading. They had been moved by Zhang Shigui's three thousand infantry and cavalry. About one-third of the right and central parts of the vanguard had been moved, and many troops on the right flank of the central army had also been lured away from their positions.

The originally tight military formation,
In an instant, there were flaws and gaps everywhere.

Faced with the sudden attack of the Tang cavalry, the Xia army reacted in various ways. Some generals ordered their troops to return to their own lines and form ranks to meet the enemy.

Some generals, however, actually shouted that they should go forward to fight.

A general ordered everyone to return to their own camp and sent his personal guards back to the central army to report to King Xia.

Fan Yuan, the Left Minister who should have been in command at the front, was not there at the moment. Instead, he had been summoned by the King of Xia to the central army's banner for a meeting not long ago.

Under the banner,

Fan Yuan, Gao Yaxian, Liu Heita, and dozens of other prime ministers, generals, and ministers of the Great Xia Dynasty were eating and drinking soup.
They discussed matters on one side.

No one expected that the Tang army, which had not emerged for four hours, would launch a full-scale attack at this time. They thought that since Zhang Shigui had brought three thousand men to harass them, the Tang army would not come.

Dou Jiande was considering whether to retreat to camp. His brothers had been out in the sun all day, and were hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. Wang Xiaohu's challenge in front of the camp had also ended in a major defeat, and morale was low. It was almost sunset, and it seemed that they might not be able to fight today.

"Report!"

"Reporting to King Xia, the Tang army has poured out its entire camp and is charging forward, with several thousand cavalrymen in the lead."

Dou Jiande was eating a steamed bun.
Hearing this, he swallowed the biscuit in his mouth in a few bites. "Form ranks and prepare for battle!"

Dou Jiande forgot that the Xia army's formation was no longer intact at this time.

The generals hurriedly rode back to their respective camps.

Tang's cavalry were a step ahead of them.

Qin Shubao and Cheng Yaojin did not launch a frontal assault on the Xia army's vanguard; instead, they opted for a flanking maneuver.
Flanking maneuvers by cavalry are a basic skill that almost every cavalry general possesses.

Moreover, the right wing of the Xia army at this time,
It's like a sieve, full of gaps and flaws.

The Xia army generals wanted to order their scattered troops to return to their posts.

But relying solely on command flags, drums, horns, and messengers, it's not that easy to immediately recall troops that have been deployed.
Even the most capable general cannot recall troops in a short time.

needs time.

But Qin Shubao didn't give them that time.

The light cavalry charged swiftly, and when they were only a few dozen paces from the Xia army, they immediately fired arrows.

At high speeds on horseback, there's no need for precise archery; the light cavalry can simply fire a volley at the enemy ahead.
Xia Jun also drew his bow and fought back.
Arrows flew back and forth between the two sides, but it was much harder to hit a cavalryman who was moving at high speed.

Moreover, Qin Shubao was not there to practice archery. Facing the right flank, which was full of openings, Qin Shubao fired three arrows and then picked up his iron-bound horse spear.

There was no complete military defensive formation, no shield walls, spear formations, or chevaux-de-frise.
Light cavalry can also charge directly into enemy lines.

Four thousand light cavalry surged forward like a tide, following the cracks and gaps, penetrating every nook and cranny.

Xia Jun screamed repeatedly.

Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin led the charge, advancing as if into an empty field, unstoppable by anyone.

They launched a flanking attack from the right flank, heading straight for the center. The Xia army's shields formed a wall, and their spears formed a forest, blocking their path.
Qin Shubao swung his spear, sending one of the swordsmen flying. He then patted the left ear of his warhorse, Huleibo, an experienced steed.
He immediately turned around and charged towards the left flank.

Behind the central shield formation,
A Xia army general, wielding a long-handled Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword), roared and led his eight hundred Mo Dao soldiers out of the shield formation to confront Qin Shubao's light cavalry head-on.

As a result, the Tang army's light cavalry surged past from the side, unleashing countless arrows at them, and charged towards the left flank without even turning their heads.

The Mo Dao warriors were all wearing double layers of armor, so these arrows didn't hurt them much.

"Come on, I'll show you what you're made of!" Mo Dao shouted at the Tang army light cavalry rushing past.

The dull sound of approaching hooves.

Yuchi Jingde's thousand heavily armored cavalry finally revealed themselves.
A thousand heavy cavalry appeared following the light cavalry.

But they did not intend to also go around to the left wing.

Yuchi Jingde, holding a long spear, roared...

"Breaking through!"

The heavily armored cavalry, men and horses clad in black armor, charged straight into the Xia army's shield wall and spear forest without the slightest hesitation or pause.

The eight hundred Mo Dao soldiers standing at the front of the formation were also ignored by them.

Armored cavalry charge

The earth is shaking and the mountains are shaking.

The swordsman, the shield wall, the forest of spears,
Three layers of defense, plus archers behind them.

It looks indestructible.

However, under the charge of a thousand heavily armored cavalry, they were torn apart almost instantly, and the heavy cavalry charged wildly, unstoppable.

The steel torrent broke through the defenses and continued its advance.

After Qin Shubao and his men charged out from the left flank, they quickly turned around, re-formed their battle lines, and then, still in a wedge formation, attacked the left flank again and returned to fight their way back.
This time, they followed the gap in the defensive line torn open by the heavy cavalry and charged into the central army. After a series of mounted archery and slashing attacks in the central army, the light cavalry charged out from the right flank.

They regrouped outside, launched a flank attack from the right flank, and then broke into the center of the enemy forces.
Yuchi Gong's armored cavalry disregarded everything and charged forward relentlessly, killing gods and Buddhas alike.
At that moment, they had only one belief: to break through the enemy lines.

Li Yi stood on the south gate tower.

It was so obvious that the Tang army's five thousand cavalry tore apart the Xia army's front third of their thick formation.
Tens of thousands of infantrymen had just arrived when the Tang army, which had been thrown into disarray by the Xia army, was still able to maintain a relatively intact formation and advance to fight.

"Xia Jun is finished."

Li Yi sighed, "Li Shimin's military tactics are indeed remarkable. His grasp of the battle opportunities is extremely precise, and it's quite obvious that the Tang army is superior to the Xia army in terms of morale, troop quality, and even equipment."

"In this battle, Sikong deserves the greatest credit," Liu Shiche said with a smile.

"I stood on the city wall watching the battle; I have no credit for it. The credit belongs to the soldiers who charged down below."

"The Xuanjia Cavalry is too elite; they are truly unstoppable," Liu Rengui exclaimed.

"Actually, there are quite a few cavalrymen in Hebei, but Xia Jun's command was poor today."

Liu Rengui bluntly stated, "Xia Jun's performance today was completely lacking in command; it was simply a reckless attack. General Zhang's three thousand men were enough to lure his main force into disarray, so defeat was inevitable."

"Give the order to start a fire and cook food and soup immediately." Li Yi looked at the battlefield; the Hebei army's vanguard had already collapsed, and the central army was also in disarray.
Even a god couldn't save Dou Jiande!

(End of this chapter)