The next morning, the Great Qian soldiers, having slept through the night, assembled in the camp with high spirits.
"Feast the entire army!"
With Lv Yi's command, the camp, which had already finished its horse meat, began slaughtering cattle and sheep to reward the troops.
"Marshal! The Great Qian camp is preparing food, and the scale of the cooking smoke has increased several times!"
Upon receiving the news, the Right Worthy King and the Left Worthy King exchanged a smile.
"They only dare to blockade outside the mountain. To attack the fortress is merely a fool's dream! Once they are defeated, those noble families will rise up, reclaim control of the court, seize their military power, and repeat the events of the Great Qian's founding emperor!" the Right Worthy King sneered.
Back then, the Great Qian's founding emperor ventured deep into the wilderness, encountered harsh weather, and was pursued by the defeated barbarians. His army and personnel suffered heavy losses, forcing him to rely on noble families to govern the country!
"Even if the enemy wants to attack, our front lines have countless trenches and hidden pits, with sharp blades planted inside. Only our soldiers know where these pits are buried. These pitfalls are enough to make the enemy tremble, and they are only fit for a war of attrition!" the barbarian general declared confidently.
The Left Worthy King reminded them, "We must still be wary of Liang Xiao investigating the fortress. Send a cavalry detachment to guard the front lines and at least drive Liang Xiao away."
The Right Worthy King found this reasonable and immediately dispatched a cavalry of ten thousand men, equipped with ballistae, to prevent Liang Xiao from approaching for reconnaissance.
In the Great Qian camp, after the entire army had feasted, they quickly assembled their battle formation.
Lv Yi ascended the platform and issued his orders.
"Attention, all three armies! Quartermasters will follow. We march immediately to attack the barbarian fortress. I and the deputy marshal will personally lead the troops, advancing from two directions!!"
As soon as the words fell, the entire army let out a thunderous battle cry.
At this moment, they finally understood that they had conserved their strength, only for this day!
To guard against a surprise flanking attack by the barbarians, half of the supplies were carried by carts by the quartermasters, closely following behind. The white-robed soldiers guarded the rear, while the remaining scouts, sentinels, and ten thousand quartermasters stayed behind in the camp.
Four thousand warhorses, each carrying a bag of flour, were brought to the front lines to carry some of the heavy shield soldiers, maintaining the same speed as the troops during their urgent march.
These were all captured barbarian warhorses, which later naturally became reserve horses for the Great Qian army. All four thousand warhorses were clad in armor!
The Great Qian Iron Guards and the Sky Pillar Guards led the way, followed by a large number of longbowmen and divine crossbowmen, who would come to assist once the quartermasters reached their destination.
"Gallantly Great Qian, reclaim our mountains and rivers! Our blood will not run dry until the war is won!!"
The thunderous blare of bugles echoed through the valley. Everyone's fighting spirit was high, their faces grim, as they charged straight for the barbarian fortress!
Only by retaking Helan Mountain could the northern border of Great Qian be secured. This was a war to stabilize the nation, and it was unavoidable!
"Marshal! Scouts report that the enemy is launching an offensive, and the scale is immense!!"
The Right Worthy King and others in the camp received the urgent report and slammed the table, exclaiming, "Unacceptable!"
"It's bad! Have the enemy seized the opportunity while our forces were divided to fetch water and launched a general offensive?" the Left Worthy King suddenly realized.
The barbarian soldiers were all stunned!
They had fallen for a trick by the Great Qian people again!
The Right Worthy King made a decisive choice and issued new orders: "It's of no consequence. We still have one hundred and ninety thousand men. As long as we hold the fortress, they cannot defeat us! Send the thirty thousand slave soldiers of the Tianri tribe to meet the enemy! Simultaneously, send someone to notify the troops fetching water to return quickly for support and prepare to counter-attack the Great Qian!!"
Upon learning that the Great Qian army was approaching, the entire barbarian camp fell into chaos.
"Weren't the Great Qian people planning to engage in a long-term standoff with us? Why are they launching a general offensive?"
Some of these barbarian soldiers were still reveling and drinking last night, and their heads were still groggy.
"Don't panic! We have the fortress, the traps, and powerful bows and crossbows. The Great Qian people will absolutely not be able to break through!!"
The Right Worthy King immediately calmed the entire army, and the barbarian soldiers finally quieted down and organized their defenses.
The thunderous sounds of killing and the neighing of warhorses came from afar. The Right Worthy King's heart tightened, and he immediately ascended the high platform to observe. His face darkened: "Are they committing all their forces?!"
The Great Qian cavalry was spread out on both flanks, and the width of the Great Qian army's front line alone stretched for several miles!
"Come on, I'll see how you intend to court death!"
The Right Worthy King glanced at the flat ground in front of the camp and sneered.
He knew too well that even though Liang Xiao often came to observe the camp, he dared not get too close to the fortress, precisely because of the traps.
The Great Qian army reached two miles in front of the barbarian camp exactly at noon!
The Left Worthy King gazed at the neat and orderly Great Qian battle formation from afar, his heart trembling, and he stammered, "Truly a genius of the world..."
The magnificent appearance of the Great Qian battle formation had already told the barbarians that they were an elite force that would not falter in the face of danger and would not retreat in battle. They were no longer what they used to be!
The barbarian infantry and the thirty thousand Tianri slave soldiers, clad in heavy armor and wielding long spears, defended the front line of the camp, holding their breath, waiting for the Great Qian army to attack and deliver a crushing blow!
The scorching sun shone high in the sky, the armor gleamed in the sunlight, and the entire Great Qian army was like a lake, shimmering with light.
"They are all armored warriors..." the Right Worthy King noticed something amiss, his pupils shrinking!
The quality of the Great Qian soldiers' armor was superior to that of the barbarian cavalry. Even the crossbowmen and quartermasters in the rear were wearing armor, and at the very least, leather armor!
At this moment, the barbarian soldiers were in a state of panic.
Soldiers with good eyesight had already noticed the momentum of the distant Great Qian army, which was far superior to their own.
They, who had once freely attacked cities and trampled on the people of Great Qian, were now forced to defend their city!
"Don't panic! They will have to endure a round of traps once they reach the front lines!"
The barbarian generals repeatedly encouraged their subordinates, and the soldiers finally calmed down and gripped their weapons.
"Those warhorses at the front were captured from us! Damn it, the armor on those warhorses is what our heavy cavalry uses!" Finally, someone recognized the hooves and size of the heavy armored warhorses, exclaiming in shock and anger.
These four thousand captured warhorses were not only clad in iron armor, but they also carried something on their backs?
The Right Worthy King and the Left Worthy King exchanged glances, seeing the doubt in each other's eyes.
They had led troops in battle for so many years, yet this was the first time they had encountered such a peculiar situation.
To let a group of armored horses lead the way?
Unlike the suspicious barbarians, the Great Qian soldiers were filled with a solemn killing aura and boundless hatred, eager to charge into the barbarian camp and exact revenge!
"Attack!"
With Liang Xiao's command, the signal flags waved, and the heralds immediately relayed the orders to the front army.
All the heavy shield soldiers dismounted, picked up their heavy shields, and lifted the armor plates from the rear of the warhorses, exposing their hindquarters.
A group of spearmen walked from the rear, pierced the sacks with their spears, and flour began to leak from the holes in the sacks.
After the first thrust, all the spears were quickly thrust into the horses' hindquarters again.
In an instant, the sound of warhorses neighing filled the air in front of the camp.
"Exterminate the barbarians, reclaim our mountains and rivers!"
The Great Qian army let out another thunderous roar. These pain-stricken warhorses became even more startled, unwilling to turn back, and charged towards the barbarian camp, scattering white and pale yellow flour along the way.
"It's bad! The enemy is using these warhorses to scout!"
The Right Worthy King and the Left Worthy King's expressions changed drastically.
The Great Qian army was actually willing to sacrifice four thousand captured warhorses. These were all good horses suitable for cavalry...
All for the purpose of scouting the traps on the ground?
"Ballistae and crossbowmen, shoot down the warhorses immediately!"