Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 249 Li Tangbin Leads His Cavalry to Attack the Enemy

"The enemy is numerous and disorganized, so they are not to be feared. Who can defeat them for me?"

Huang Chao's words were a question to his generals: who was willing to go into battle?

Meng Kai, who was originally invincible, was the perfect choice to carry out this mission.

Meng Kai was positioned behind the main formation to guard against attacks from Li Tiao's troops sent from the gates of Guangzhou.

"The general will go where he wishes!"

Shang Rang's subordinate, Li Tangbin, responded.

Previously, Li Tangbin led his elite cavalry to meet the Nanzhao cavalry and defeated them with fewer troops, demonstrating his remarkable cavalrymanship.

Huang Chao smiled and offered him a cup of wine to encourage his journey.

Li Tangbin, full of heroic spirit, drank a whole jug of fine wine in one gulp.

He wore a blue helmet and lamellar armor that gleamed with a bluish-black sheen, with a red-lacquered raw cowhide shawl over it. He rode a two-year-old sturdy yellow horse, carried a leopard-shaped bow case on his back, and had a silver quiver filled with Jinpugu's famous arrows at his waist.

His right hand held a long, red laurel spear, fifteen feet long, raised towards the sky. It was a natural, fiery red, requiring no lacquer. His left hand gripped the reins, urging his horse into battle. Its iron hooves crushed the grass and the armor clanged in the air.

With just a light tap of the heel of his boot against the horse's belly, the horse shot off like an arrow, breaking through the crowd.

Li Tangbin, who was not tall and had an unremarkable appearance, seemed like a giant beast that had been sleeping for a long time, suddenly awakening when he rode out into battle.

The Cao army had previously suffered setbacks in battle, but Li Tangbin's bravery left a deep impression on the Nanzhao army.

The people of Nanzhao respected brave warriors and whispered among themselves, "Among the bandits, there are such heroes! Among the brave men of our country, we probably can't find many warriors like them."

"Fu Pai" was the Nanzhao people's name for their elite guards, who were selected from the bravest and strongest among the Luo Ju Zi, and were the cream of the crop.

The valiant cavalry followed Li Tangbin out into battle in single file, their banners flashing like blades across the vast plains. A sea breeze swept in from the mouth of the Yue River, causing the banners to flutter wildly.

The enemy infantrymen all looked solemn, lined up with shields, and stood ready for battle.

Cavalrymen without horse armor charging head-on into infantry formations is extremely dangerous.

However, infantry formations must leave gaps in order to split and rotate. The so-called fierce generals leading cavalry into battle generally use mobile and flexible tactics to take advantage of these gaps to charge and kill enemy troops, undermine their morale, and even seek opportunities to kill enemy generals.

If a large force is mobilized to encircle and kill this elite cavalry, it could easily disrupt the overall formation. At this point, the enemy could launch a full-scale attack, striking while the enemy is disorganized, and easily find a breakthrough.

Needless to say, the imperial army was formidable. When the Nanzhao army fought against the Tang Dynasty, they were utterly humiliated by fierce generals like Song Yang, nicknamed "Heavenly Blade," and thus accumulated rich experience in dealing with enemy attacks.

To the surprise of the allied forces, Li Tangbin did not engage in a direct confrontation, but instead drew a sharp arc, heading straight for the right flank of the allied forces amidst billowing dust.

Positioning cavalry on both flanks is a common tactic in military formation. In this joint operation with the Nanzhao people, the government troops were positioned on the left and the Nanzhao troops on the right. Protecting the right flank were the Nanzhao cavalry that had previously fought against Li Tangbin.

Some of the Nanzhao knights felt fear when they saw Li Tangbin arrive.

The silver-armored barbarian general leading the Nanzhao knights noticed the soldiers' unease and loudly rallied their morale, saying, "Our cavalry outnumbers them several times over. Last time we were just caught off guard. What is there to be afraid of?"

The people of Nanzhao were known for their bravery and fierceness, considering death an honor and retreat a disgrace. Upon hearing their lord's words, the knights found them reasonable and roused themselves to prepare for battle against Li Tangbin's forces.

Li Tangbin let out a whistle, and his cavalry, advancing rapidly in columns, dispersed, banners fluttering, and the feathers on the helmets of the knights gleaming in the sun.

Many of the Nanzhao cavalrymen were skilled in archery, and they drew their bows and nocked arrows, which flew towards Li Tangbin's cavalry.

Very few shots hit their mark; the majority missed. Even when they struck the grass-clad cavalry, their armor blocked the bullets, and none were seriously wounded. This was not because the Nanzhao cavalry lacked archery skills.

They used flexible bows and long arrows, which were lightweight and allowed for rapid firing. By sacrificing bow strength and increasing arm strength, they could maintain a fully drawn, ready-to-fire stance for extended periods on the battlefield.

However, horse archers are limited by their shooting range. If they draw the bow with their left hand and hold it with their right, they can only shoot to the right; if they draw the bow with their right hand and hold it with their left, they can only shoot to the left.

Most mounted archers lack the ability to shoot from either side. Even if they can shoot from either side while riding, the shrug required for riding makes it difficult to control the bow, greatly reducing accuracy and creating a small blind spot.

By taking advantage of the opponent's blind spots and maneuvering efficiently, the damage from enemy arrows can be minimized.

Li Tangbin drew his bow and shot an arrow, unhorsing a Nanzhao knight.

The cavalrymen following behind also untied the hemp bundles they were carrying, but instead of bows and arrows, they found crossbows with the strings already cocked!

Since the crossbow is already cocked, there is no need to pull the string anymore. There are no blind spots when firing from horseback, and you can aim and fire from any direction.

Li Tangbin's troops fired arrows in unison, the crossbow bolts whistling through the air, creating a concentrated barrage on the Nanzhao cavalry. The arrows were both flat and rapid, like a summer downpour striking lotus leaves in a pond, instantly felling a large number of them.

The cavalry used crossbows that required stepping on a powerful crossbow to draw the bowstring. Once fired from horseback, it was almost impossible to draw the bowstring again.

They had no intention of firing again, but seeing the Nanzhao cavalry in disarray, they brandished their spears and swords and charged at the Nanzhao barbarian cavalry like tigers descending from the mountain.

The Nanzhao knights, still reeling from the volley of crossbow bolts, were then attacked again. They cried out in despair, utterly powerless to resist, and fled in disarray like wolves and boars. Corpses littered the ground, and stray horses, arrows piercing their bodies, galloped haphazardly in the wind.

The Nanzhao cavalry general, who was in charge of the cavalry, still fought bravely, raised his long spear, and aimed straight at Li Tangbin's chest.

This man was nine feet tall, much taller than Li Tangbin.

Li Tangbin charged forward fiercely, and the two riders clashed head-on, their spears clashing and sparks flying.

After several exchanges, as the two riders passed each other, Li Tangbin suddenly struck out with a meteor hammer, hitting the silver-armored general squarely in the chest.

Victory on the battlefield is vastly different from fighting in the martial world. For example, hidden weapons such as flying locust stones, plum blossom needles, and coin darts cannot penetrate armor at all.

Heavy concealed weapons like the meteor hammer, if used well, can have extraordinary effects.

The hidden hammer strike is Li Tangbin's signature move. He hadn't used it in the previous battle against the Nanzhao army, but this time he struck with lightning speed, hitting the target with a single blow.

The heavy hammerhead struck the breastplate, the immense force penetrating the armor. Instantly, several of the silver-armored cavalryman's ribs broke, blood flowed from his mouth, and he spurred his horse and rode away.

Li Tangbin, seizing the advantage, pressed his advantage, spurred his horse forward, and with a single spear thrust, felled the Nanzhao cavalry general, holding his head in his hand as a display to both armies.

This Nanzhao cavalry general was famous throughout Yunnan for once fighting a tiger with a spear and pulling out its tongue. Yet, this fierce general, who had the courage to pull out a tongue, was defeated by Li Tangbin in just a few exchanges.

The Nanzhao army was thrown into a state of panic and uproar in a short time.

With their commander dead, the Nanzhao cavalry scattered in panic. Li Tangbin then advanced from the flank, charging into the enemy lines and killing over a hundred enemy soldiers before returning.

Luo Juzi's infantry was elite and did not reveal any weaknesses that could be exploited by the main army.

However, Li Tangbin's charge and slaying of enemy generals greatly demoralized the Nanzhao soldiers, who returned in triumph.

At this time, Zhu Wen's rebel navy and the Guangzhou navy were also locked in a fierce confrontation, each deploying their forces.

(End of this chapter)