The horns sounded in the night, scouts paving the way, followed by cavalry led by the White Robe soldiers, and behind them, the Great Qian Iron Guards, Qingtian Guards, and the remaining infantry and war chariots.
Liang Xiao stood on the city wall, his hand on his sword, his expression grave.
As the commander, he had to remain at the command center until the fierce battle began, to direct the true decisive engagement.
Nie Yuan, Nan Jiyun, and Yue Qingtian had all joined the ranks of the White Robe soldiers, waiting to reclaim their commands upon their return.
Liang Xiao walked to the parapet and lifted the mo dao, which was fifteen feet long.
“Qingtian, your strength is astonishing. I’ve left the best mo dao for you.”
Thirty thousand cavalry, with the scouts, were the first to exit the city and form ranks outside.
Lu Changhe, the main general of the White Robe soldiers, and his deputy, Zhuo Ying, commanded their troops: “Launch a surprise night raid on the enemy camp, and let the river flow with blood!”
“I am willing to defend our land and reclaim our borders, so that the glorious Great Qian may be celebrated by all!”
In the biting cold wind, the distant roars and chants of the Great Qian iron cavalry could be heard, their fighting spirit soaring.
After the chanting, with mouths gagged and horses muzzled, their iron hooves charged north, stirring up dust for ten miles!
White horses adorned with golden bits, galloped swiftly to the northwest. May I ask whose sons they are? They are the young heroes of You and Bing…
To cast oneself at the edge of blades, can life be held dear? Even parents are not considered, how can one speak of wife and child? Our names are on the register of brave warriors, we cannot indulge in personal affections. To sacrifice ourselves in the nation’s time of need, to face death as if returning home!
At this moment, they had no time to think of their loved ones or their own safety. They could only fight to the death for victory, to create an environment for their families where they would no longer need to live in fear, and to live up to the nation’s grace!
The Yan Prefecture infantry disembarked in succession, and under the arrangement of their respective generals, quickly set up defenses outside the city, then remained in place, ready for battle at any moment…
At this time, Yan Prefecture City, except for the north gate, was sealed and heavily guarded, with no one allowed to enter or exit.
The Yun Tian Guards hid in secret rooms within civilian homes, their faces etched with worry.
“He’s actually going on the offensive, how could he be so foolish…” Zuo Jing’s eyes were filled with deep concern.
The barbarian cavalry were slightly inferior in combat power to the Great Qian cavalry, but that was when comparing cavalry to cavalry.
The Yan Prefecture garrison had less than a quarter of the barbarian’s cavalry force!
While the infantry’s crossbows were more powerful than mounted archers, for the barbarians, who were skilled in mounted archery, they were slow-moving targets. The barbarians, on the other hand, were swift-moving targets, and the hit rates of the two sides were incomparable.
Moreover, the barbarian iron cavalry held the initiative in plain warfare.
A Heaven-tier Yun Tian Guard reminded, “Leader, there is nothing we can do. It is already considered adhering to our principles that we are not taking advantage of the situation.”
Zuo Jing merely nodded silently, her heart filled with complex emotions.
To not trouble the soldiers who were defending their homes and country was a strict rule left by Zuo Wuji, which included abducting relatives, as a final show of respect to heroes.
Otherwise, from a rational perspective, during the battle between the two sides, the city would likely descend into chaos, and they would have the opportunity to abduct Liang Xiao’s female relatives…
But now, the man who could care for her, facing the barbarian cavalry who were eager for a fight, was choosing to attack cavalry with infantry, abandoning the advantage of a strong city, and launching a preemptive strike – this was a major taboo in warfare!
Would he create another miracle? He absolutely had to create a miracle…
This was the common thought of Zuo Jing and the members of the Liang Residence.
In the Liang Residence, Jian Qinwan and others sat in the warm, spacious room, their faces troubled, learning to pray like Christ.
This night was a sleepless night for every household.
Since the city was sealed and a curfew was imposed today, the citizens within the city had already noticed something unusual.
Had the barbarians attacked the city?
In every household, some comforted crying children frightened by the situation, while young women and parents offered prayers to their ancestors, wishing for the safe return of their sons and lovers who had joined the army.
This night, Yan Prefecture City was unusually quiet, with no clamor.
The people had deeply understood that the Yan Prefecture garrison was an army defending their homes and country, that they never disturbed the populace, that they absolutely must not be defeated, and that they must not be a burden to them!
“Cavalry first, lure the enemy deep, engage in decisive battle outside the city, and all units prepare for reinforcement!”
The clear moonlight cast a silver veil over the majestic Yan Prefecture City.
Liang Xiao delivered a speech within the city, and messengers spread his words everywhere, invigorating the entire army!
They had been conserving their strength for too long, the entire army had new equipment, and they were seething with resentment and hatred for the enemy, waiting for this battle to prove themselves.
The Great Qian nation had poured its entire resources into forging a large quantity of armaments for the Yan Prefecture forces over the past six months!
The Great Qian Iron Guards and Qingtian Guards were positioned at the very front of the army, beginning to form their battle lines…
Late at night, in the barbarian encampment.
The thirty thousand garrison soldiers were bored, even questioning the military order of the Zuo Xian King.
The Yan Prefecture defenders had been holed up in the city for so long, refusing to come out. Was this an overreaction?
Just as the soldiers were grumbling, a scout quickly reported.
“Enemy cavalry spotted in the distance! Over ten thousand strong!”
The barbarian garrison commanders were greatly surprised: “The Marshal is a divine strategist, they have indeed come to raid us! Light the signal fires!”
Signal fires were quickly lit, but due to the late hour, the barbarian main force, dozens of miles away, could not see them clearly.
The garrison commanders were also uneasy and sent a fast horse back for reinforcements.
Not long after, under a sky filled with swirling yellow sand in the distance, thirty thousand Great Qian iron cavalry finally arrived in front of the camp.
“The enemy cavalry is not numerous, and there are absolutely no infantry, they are not to be feared!” The thirty thousand barbarian garrison troops quickly organized their defenses, with crossbows fully prepared.
As nomadic people, no one understood the speed of warhorses better than they did.
The Great Qian iron cavalry had managed to surprise their main force with such speed. The infantry in the rear, even if they wanted to come to their aid, should not have left ten miles yet. This distance was even enough for them to go back and report, allowing the Zuo Xian King to lead his army back for reinforcements and catch the enemy off guard!
The thirty thousand Great Qian iron cavalry had rapidly approached within a hundred yards of the barbarian encampment.
Nan Jiyun, Lu Changhe, Zhuo Ying, Nie Yuan, and Yue Qingtian, five generals, each led a contingent, and immediately charged with their troops before the enemy could fully mobilize!
In an instant, the sounds of battle shook the heavens and the earth, and the moon in the sky was faintly tinged with blood.
The barbarians lacked anti-cavalry obstacles, but they still had crossbows for defense, and they unleashed a volley!
The crossbow bolts flying out from the encampment were like swarms of locusts dancing wildly in the night sky, covering the area.
The Great Qian iron cavalry had already prepared their shields, to shield themselves and their warhorses from critical hits.
“No casualties? How is that possible!”
A portion of the barbarians with the best eyesight in the distance were stunned and horrified!
Their tens of thousands of arrows, shot in volleys, had not caused any significant casualties to the enemy!
“They’ve even armored their warhorses, thirty thousand sets of armor for men and horses, how is that possible!!”
Finally, some sharp-eyed generals vaguely saw the equipment of the Great Qian iron cavalry and were filled with inexplicable terror!
Not only the White Robe soldiers, but all the Great Qian cavalry, men and horses alike, were clad in armor. The vital parts of the warhorses were protected by sturdy armor plates, combined with simple shields covered with a steel outer shell, greatly reducing the threat of crossbow bolts!
Before the barbarians could react, the Great Qian cavalry on horseback had approached the encampment and casually took out the powerful mounted crossbows they had prepared, pulling the triggers!
Thousands of arrows streaked through the air, whistling towards the heavily arrayed barbarian cavalry in the encampment!
In an instant, the barbarian iron cavalry, who wore only leather and some light armor, were struck by a large number of arrows and fell from their horses. Even their warhorses were not spared, and the screams of men and beasts were incessant!
“Defend strictly! Abandon counterattack!”
The barbarians were in complete disarray, no longer having the desire to defend or counterattack. They used the pre-arranged heavy shields to defend against the crossbow bolts, but the heavy shields were limited.
The White Robe soldiers were the first to reach the barbarian encampment. At twenty yards, after firing their mounted crossbows, they casually placed them back in position and then each took out a strange crossbow from their saddles that had already been cocked.
The two sides finally closed to within ten yards. The three thousand White Robe soldiers closest to the barbarian iron cavalry pulled their triggers.
“Shu-shu-shu!”
One crossbow shot out ten bolts at once, scattering like flower petals, covering the barbarian front line!
At the same time, in the Zuo Xian King’s encampment, the high sentry posts also spotted the sky ablaze in the distance.