Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 713 Using powerful and sophisticated weaponry to bully others – this is the Tang Dynasty (Bonus Chapter)
The stars and moon are hidden, and the warhorses gallop wildly.

In the dense forest at the foot of the snow-capped mountain, as the rockets fell, they also illuminated the densely packed Tang soldiers, a total of three thousand men.

Dressed in black armor, holding a crossbow.

The Tang soldiers aimed their crossbows at the Tibetan cavalry, who were hundreds of paces away from the dense forest.

Leading the group was none other than a burly Tang army general.

Looking at the rocket overhead, he waved his hand gently.

The Tang soldiers around them immediately took a step back, while the Tang soldiers in the back row immediately stepped forward with their shields.

They quickly placed the object between the two trees, using the trees' strength to block the Tibetan arrows.

"Bang bang bang!" Countless Tibetan rockets fell, but whether they were embedded in shields or trees, they all quickly went out at the same time.

A cruel sneer flashed in the eyes of the black-armored general.

All of these shields and trees had been soaked in water or heavily drenched before nightfall.

Given the current temperature difference between day and night on the plateau, while it may not be cold at night, the temperature is certainly not high.

How could they possibly set the forest they were in ablaze with rockets?

The black-armored general glanced in the direction of Danzeng Zhaxi, and his expression quickly calmed down.

The next moment, he swung his hand forcefully again.

Soldiers carrying shields strode forward, followed by crossbowmen who aimed at the Tibetan cavalry below, and more crossbow bolts rained down like a dark cloud.

In an instant, hundreds of Tibetan cavalrymen fell from their horses.

However, at this time, more Tibetan cavalry, guided by the sound of horns, were already moving quickly and orderly towards the northeast, tracing a large arc as they continued their advance towards Xinghai.

Almost everyone understood that a major battle was imminent.

The Tibetan cavalry closest to the foot of the mountain fired more rockets into the forest as they galloped, intending to stop the Tibetans from descending the mountain, even if they couldn't kill them.

Everything happened very quickly; almost in the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of cavalrymen had already crossed the mountain forest where the black-armored general was located.

At the same time, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves came rapidly from the darkness ahead.

A chill ran down my spine.

The main force of the Tang army's cavalry has arrived.

In the darkness, it was impossible to see how many people there were at first glance.

However, the Tibetans themselves completely exposed their position when they lit the rockets.

Two thunderous hoofbeats approached rapidly, and then with a "whoosh," countless crossbow bolts flew up from mid-air.

At the same time, the Tibetans also fired their arrows, but under the two arrows, only a dozen or so Tang cavalrymen fell, while a large number of Tibetans were completely wiped out.

The next moment, the two groups of people quickly approached each other, and the sharp spears pierced through the chests of the Tibetan cavalrymen first.

In terms of weaponry, the Tang Dynasty always held the advantage.

Danzeng Zhaxi, who was in the center, clearly saw this scene. At the same time, he also clearly saw the Tang cavalry, which covered the mountains and plains, charging directly from the opposite side.

The number of people is at least tens of thousands.

There are even more.

Could it be that all the Tang cavalry from Xinghai really came out to fight their way out?

With a wave of his hand, Tenzin Tashi gave a "whoosh," and all the Tibetan cavalry immediately began to charge fiercely towards the opposite side, either in formation or scattered, according to military orders and their respective affiliations, wielding spears and longswords in the way that the Tibetans were most adept at warfare.

The war broke out most intensely in the very first moment.

Countless cavalrymen clashed and fell to the ground simultaneously, their blood staining the grassland red.

On the vast grasslands, from south to north, spanning dozens of miles, tens of thousands of cavalrymen engaged in fierce and deadly battles.

At this point, the forests at the foot of the snow-capped mountain had become a secluded battlefield.

After the warhorses slowed down, three thousand Tibetan cavalrymen were immediately dispatched to charge towards the Tang cavalrymen who were advancing rapidly through the mountains and forests.

But the dense barrage of crossbow bolts flew up again and again, only to fall down once more.

The Tibetan cavalry reacted quickly, but in the end, fewer than a thousand Tibetan cavalrymen died from crossbow bolts.

After paying a heavy price, the Tibetan cavalry charged into the edge of the forest and began a frenzied attack on the Tang soldiers inside.

Just then, two "humming" sounds rang out from deep within the mountains and forests.

The next moment, more than a dozen extremely thick and long crossbow bolts flew into the air and then fell heavily outside the forest.

Dozens of Tibetan cavalrymen who were charging behind were instantly pierced through.

Not only that, two fireballs suddenly flew up from the depths of the forest and then slammed into the Tibetan cavalry.

As the fireball flew through the air, it illuminated the figures of even more Tibetan cavalrymen.

Among the crowd, Tenzin Tashi was suddenly startled and exclaimed inwardly, "This is bad!"

It wasn't because the Tang Dynasty had hidden crossbows and catapults in the mountains and forests, but because the Tang Dynasty's calculations exposed more of the Tibetan cavalry's true strength and weaknesses.

The saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

Now, the sky is empty of stars and moon; the only way to fight is by the light of torches and innate instincts.

However, if all this fighting is a setup, then Tenzin Tashi is in trouble.

Sure enough, Tenzin Tashi vaguely saw several Tang cavalry units of a thousand men each rapidly moving into the darkness ahead, charging towards the weak points of the Tibetan cavalry.

Tenzin Tashi immediately made a quick adjustment, but at that moment, two more fireballs rose into the air.

As the light shone down on him, the falling object smashed and crushed the ground, killing and injuring dozens of Tibetan cavalrymen.

Although the casualties were not high, it was extremely demoralizing for the troops.

Tenzin Tashi pointed into the mountains and roared angrily, "Send another two thousand men and make sure to destroy the catapults in the mountains."

In the blink of an eye, several messengers had already ridden away quickly.

Tenzin Tashi took a deep breath and finally calmed down, then began to steadily direct his army to fight against the Tang cavalry around him.

The battle, fought by more than 50,000 cavalrymen, took place in the darkness of night, relying primarily on the afterglow of flames, instinct for war, and their own weaponry.

In this situation, the Tang army held the advantage.

Tenzin Tashi was prepared for this, but in the midst of the battle, he suddenly sensed something was wrong.

The number of Tang soldiers appearing on the battlefield was neither 10,000 nor 15,000.

Based on the information coming back from all directions, he could roughly estimate that the Tang army had at least 20,000 cavalrymen and at least 25,000 infantrymen in the mountains.

Moreover, he was certain that these people were not greenhorns, but seasoned veterans.

Moreover, in the darkness, there was a general in red robes and golden armor, charging back and forth, quickly penetrating through a wave of enemy lines, and then charging towards the next wave. This person was not among the generals of Xichang Prefecture in Danzeng Zhaxi's memory.

Could it be that this situation is not a spur-of-the-moment decision by some individuals, but rather a meticulously planned scheme that the entire Tang Dynasty has been painstakingly devising for a long time?
For no apparent reason, Tenzin Tashi felt a chill run through his entire body.

He raised his head and looked at the general in red robes and golden armor in the distance.

At this moment, the other party was staring straight at him, his eyes filled with bloodthirsty killing intent. The next moment, he turned around and charged towards the Tuyuhun cavalry.

In an instant, Tenzin Tashi's face turned horribly ugly.

If all of this was indeed a scheme by the Tang Dynasty, and their sudden reinforcement of troops was intended to annihilate the tens of thousands of men under his command, then their best option for breaking through would be the Tuyuhun people.

Both the Tang Dynasty cavalry and the Tuyuhun cavalry were formidable forces, but the Tuyuhun cavalry was the weakest of the three.

Danzeng Zhaxi rearranged the troops somewhat hastily, and three thousand cavalrymen marched from the rear towards the direction of the Tuyuhun people to provide reinforcements.

At the same time, a team of messengers had already quickly headed towards the direction of Mount Maji.

On the mountain, there were also 10,000 Tibetan cavalry and 10,000 Tangut cavalry as Danzeng Zhaxi's trump card in case of unforeseen circumstances.

He must reveal this trump card tonight.

Just then, two fireballs shot up into the sky again, illuminating the entire area where Tenzin Tashi was.

Advantage.

The greatest advantage in the darkness is being outside the light.

Whoever is in the light dies the fastest.

Tenzin Tashi frantically dispatched more men to rush into the mountains and forests.

But at this moment, the Tang soldiers who were originally rushing out also firmly established themselves on the edge of the forest.

With shields, trees, long spears, and crossbows, they formed a defensive line that was difficult to break through.

With the addition of more than a dozen crossbows and two catapults deep in the mountains behind them, the Tibetans were unable to break into the mountains despite their all-night assault.

As dawn broke, Tenzin Tashi finally saw the situation on the mountain clearly.

It turns out that the Tang soldiers hidden in the mountains and forests were never three thousand or four thousand, but a full five thousand.

Five thousand infantrymen, plus twenty thousand cavalrymen—this was the force that the Tang Dynasty dispatched to ambush Danzeng Zhaxi.

……

After a night of chaotic fighting, the Tibetan army suffered over 10,000 casualties, while the Tang army on the other side suffered only 6,000 to 7,000 casualties, many of whom continued to fight.

In the current situation, the Tibetan cavalry has 20,000 men remaining, and the Tuyuhun cavalry has 5,000 men remaining.

Nearly 20,000 people were killed or wounded in the chaotic fighting that night. Although the Tibetans suffered many casualties, the Tang Dynasty only had less than 20,000 people left.

Of these, only 15,000 were cavalry.

With 25,000 men against 15,000, the Tibetans still held the advantage overall.

Tenzin Tashi gazed into the distance and saw a general in red robes and golden armor riding a horse and stopping at the foot of a mountain forest several miles away.

Liang Jianfang and Danzeng Zhaxi couldn't help but grit their teeth.

Sure enough, he was still fooled by Tangren.

Liang Jianfang had already returned from Chang'an long ago, and had even made various arrangements on the grasslands long ago, instead of being in Chang'an now.

Damn Zansirou, how could you make a mistake like this?

And then there's Luo Binwang. All of this shows that the situation in Chang'an is still a setup. In this high-stakes gamble, Tibet has lost again.

They thought they could create a predicament in Chang'an, seize the fleeting opportunity, and then completely annex Xichang Prefecture and Tuyuhun. Unexpectedly, the Tang Dynasty took advantage of their eagerness and set a trap for them instead.

Although this battle is not considered top-tier, the casualties of the Tang cavalry are far lower than theirs, and with proper care, they will soon be able to return to the battlefield.

Using powerful and sophisticated weaponry to bully others—that was the Tang Dynasty.

Of course, Tenzin Tashi did not do nothing that night.

His eyes were red and swollen.

Behind him, ten thousand Tibetan cavalrymen had already regrouped, and on the other side, five thousand Tuyuhun cavalrymen were also ready to assemble.

This is the result of Tenzin Tashi's hard work throughout the night.

He was very careful and silently withdrew 10,000 of his cavalrymen during the night battle.

At dawn on the vast grassland, six thousand cavalry charged at the forefront, engaging in fierce combat with the Tang cavalry, while the remaining four thousand cavalry galloped back and forth behind them.

While reinforcing the front lines, they also prevented anyone from crossing the battle line and heading towards Tenzin Tashi.

At this moment, Tenzin Tashi had retreated to a small hill several miles away, and with the dawn light, he saw everything.

Especially Liang Jianfang, who was standing at the back, the moment Danzeng Zhaxi saw Liang Jianfang, he finally gave up completely.

They were indeed outmaneuvered by the Tang Dynasty.

However, it's not time to despair yet. Last night, Tenzin Tashi sent a messenger to Mount Maji to deliver a message. The 10,000 Tibetan cavalry and 10,000 Tangut cavalry there will arrive soon. With 40,000 against 15,000, the advantage lies with him.

Gazing at Liang Jianfang's armor in the distance, a sudden inspiration flashed through Danzeng Zhaxi's mind. He abruptly looked to the other side, at another general in red and gold armor, who was galloping back and forth across the northeastern grasslands, forcing the Tibetan cavalry to retreat.

The same general's armor, but younger and more valiant.

Su Dingfang.

Tenzin Tashi finally understood who this general who had been charging and fighting all night was: it was none other than Su Dingfang, the Grand General of the Left Guard of the Tang Dynasty.

A chill ran through my entire body.

Do you want to withdraw?

An idea uncontrollably rose into Tenzin Tashi's mind.

But in an instant, he completely abandoned that thought.

With 40,000 to 15,000, the advantage lies with him.

Raising his head, Tenzin Tashi swiftly issued a series of orders.

The 10,000 elite Tibetan cavalry behind Danzeng Zhaxi began to accelerate rapidly, drawing a large arc towards the northeast and charging directly towards Su Dingfang's direction.

So what if he's a great general? Under his command, even a great general will die.

The battlefield is already in such a state that no matter how clever or resourceful anyone may be, they are useless at this point.

……

In the northeast of the battlefield, Su Dingfang charged back and forth, riddling the Tibetan cavalry in front of him with holes. At this moment, he finally looked up.

Ahead, tens of thousands of elite Tibetan cavalry were already surging towards his position.

Seeing this, Su Dingfang couldn't help but smile.

A hint of relaxed and excited smile appeared on his face.

I haven't felt this way in years, finally being treated like an easy target.

Of the 25,000 troops, 5,000 were in the mountains and forests, 13,000 were under the command of Liang Jianfang to snipe at the Tibetan cavalry from the front, and the remaining 7,000 cavalry were under the command of Su Dingfang.

After a night of fierce fighting, nearly two thousand cavalrymen had withdrawn from the battlefield, with hundreds killed in action. Of the remaining thousand, a thousand were expected to return to the battlefield. As a result, the morale of the soldiers remained high, because the Tibetans on the other side had suffered more than twice the casualties of the Tibetans.

Seeing the Tibetan cavalry charging towards them from afar, Su Dingfang gave a relaxed whistle. The next moment, he was already leading the charge towards the tens of thousands of Tibetan cavalry.

The five thousand cavalrymen behind him followed without the slightest hesitation.

A dense barrage of arrows rained down on Su Dingfang, but with a few swings of his thirteen-foot-long spear, all the arrows were swept to the ground.

With a "whoosh," countless crossbow bolts soared into the air, and the next moment, they had already fallen directly into the ranks of the Tibetan cavalry.

In an instant, the Tibetan cavalry at the forefront had completely disappeared from sight.

With a whistle, Su Dingfang charged in, like a wedge driven deep into the Tibetan army.

Danzeng Zhaxi watched from a distance, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes.

Last night, I couldn't see it very clearly, but during the day, everything became much clearer.

In the distance, Su Dingfang, like an elegant cheetah, easily charged into the ranks of tens of thousands of soldiers, then leisurely strolled back and forth within them.

However, as he wielded his long spear, countless soldiers had already fallen at his hands.

Tenzin Tashi's brows furrowed tightly.

With 10,000 against 5,000, how could they possibly lose?
The reason Tenzin Tashi chose Su Dingfang as his target was to create an opening through him, and then sweep from the northeast to the east, ultimately shaking the Tang army's camp.

After all, it is not easy to break through the obstruction of 10,000 Tang cavalry head-on.

A series of drumbeats suddenly came from afar, and Tenzin Tashi couldn't help but look in the direction of the sound.

However, as soon as he looked up, a blinding ray of light pierced his eyes.

Tenzin Tashi blinked rapidly, and then quickly adapted in the shortest amount of time.

But at this moment, his face looked terribly pale.

Now he finally understood why the Tang people chose such a place as the battlefield, and why they ambushed and killed them in the middle of the night.

It's precisely because they want to take advantage of the sunrise and the dawn.

This advantage may not seem significant, but in the heat of battle, it can be fatal.

Sure enough, in Tenzin Tashi's view, many Tibetan cavalrymen were caught off guard by the light that momentarily blinded them, and the next instant, cold spears pierced their throats.

In an instant, the entire battle line was pushed forward by the Tang cavalry, and many Tibetan cavalry were quickly forced to reinforce them.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps came from the direction of the mountains and forests to the east.

Tenzin Tashi quickly turned his head and saw that the Tang Dynasty infantry, who had been in the mountains, had finally rushed down from the forest.

On the vast battlefield spanning nearly ten miles, these five thousand men could hardly play a significant role. However, as they charged toward the nearest Tibetan cavalry with their long spears, Tenzin Tashi immediately understood the Tang people's intentions.

They planned to split the Tibetan cavalry in two and then hunt them down separately.

Then, the overall situation is shaken by local battles.

Tenzin Tashi's gaze quickly fell on Liang Jianfang, this shrewd Tang army commander, who was not someone to be trifled with.

Just then, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves came from behind.

Tenzin Tashi finally smiled softly.

He had waited all night; descending from Mount Maji was no easy feat, but now, at the height of the battle, they had arrived—perfect timing.

……

Liang Jianfang stood at the foot of the mountain forest, calmly observing everything.

Twenty thousand Tibetan cavalrymen arrived to reinforce them.

Liang Jianfang couldn't help but sigh, "Young people are indeed bold and audacious, they actually poured their last bit of strength into this."

Aren't they afraid of dying at all?
As Liang Jianfang watched the 20,000 cavalry charge directly towards Su Dingfang's direction, he couldn't help but look at Danzeng Zhaxi in surprise.

That's incredibly bold.

Regardless of the disruption to the main battlefield caused by the 5,000 infantrymen rushing down from the mountains, they instead sent 30,000 cavalry to charge against Su Dingfang's 5,000 men.

Once they completely overwhelm Su Dingfang's five thousand men, they can immediately charge towards Liang Jianfang's direction.

All that is needed to kill Su Dingfang and Liang Jianfang is for the Tibetans to completely shake up the entire war situation and ultimately win the battle.

Liang Jianfang had to admit that Danzeng Zhaxi was indeed a capable man; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to become the commander of an army of 60,000. But unfortunately...

Su Dingfang did not retreat; he charged forward with unwavering determination.

Although his expression had become serious, and many of the cavalrymen following behind him had fallen behind, he still firmly gripped his long spear and continued to charge.

In an instant, 30,000 cavalrymen were stopped by Su Dingfang's 5,000 men.

Although almost everyone knows that this situation cannot last long, the fact that it has been achieved even for the moment is astonishing.

Just then, a rapid sound of horses' hooves came from the northeast.

Su Dingfang smiled softly.

Tenzin Tashi's eyes widened in horror.

Under his gaze, countless black-armored cavalrymen, like a black tide, charged directly toward the battlefield.

The leading general, Danzeng Zhaxi, recognized one of them as Xin Liao'er, the Tang army commander guarding Qugou and deputy governor of Xichang Prefecture, and the other as Li Dejian, the prefect of Lanzhou.

Tenzin Tashi fully realized that their plan had completely failed.

They launched a surprise attack on Qugou with 10,000 men, but not only did they fail to capture Qugou, they were completely defeated by the Tang army. Afterwards, Xin Liao'er and Li Dejian charged towards the battlefield.

Danzeng Zhaxi estimated the time slightly. It shouldn't have taken that long to get from Qugou to the battlefield. It could only mean that they had arrived at a place not far from the battlefield last night and had even rested for a while before gathering their strength and charging over in one go.

Seeing the tens of thousands of cavalry that quickly reinforced Su Dingfang, Danzeng Zhaxi knew that this battle would not be easy.

Even if he were to decisively defeat the Tang Dynasty, it would likely end in a lose-lose situation for both sides.

Tenzin Tashi couldn't help but look towards the northwest.

There are still 5,000 Tang cavalry in the Western Tuyuhun. The people of the Eastern and Western Tuyuhun will not be unable to stop them. Does this mean that they will come back to fight soon?

Tenzin Tashi's breathing became heavy. In the current situation, if the 20,000 cavalrymen from the Eastern and Western Turks could come to his aid, then Tenzin Tashi would have a good chance of winning the battle. But if it was the Tang people who came...

He closed his eyes slightly, and when he opened them again, Tenzin Tashi had completely calmed down. He began to quickly issue orders and then readjusted the battlefield.

He cannot afford to lose this battle.

(End of this chapter)