Alexander's spirit was lifted upon hearing that Liang Xiao was personally leading the troops.
"You fear Liang Xiao like a tiger. I will command this battle! The Great Qian Kingdom has been entrenched for half a year and now dares to deploy its legions to fight. Our army can seize this opportunity to take Luzhou in one fell swoop! The area outside the city is open, so our army will not need to prepare siege engines that can be easily destroyed by enemy projectiles!"
With the command of the Jiaozhou Allied Forces transferred to Alexander, the Tian Ri cavalry, mixed within, were filled with rage, yearning to avenge their past humiliations.
Liang Xiao had personally led his troops and annihilated ten thousand Tian Ri cavalry, causing them immense shame.
The one who first brought disgrace to the Tian Ri cavalry was named Yue Yun, who had killed eight thousand Tian Ri cavalry in the Western Regions. Now, this person had also arrived in Luzhou, taking orders from Liang Xiao!
With the military supply support from the Peacock Dynasty, the Jiaozhou Allied Forces were now well-equipped, and in the past, they would have been considered absolute elites.
Their army numbered close to one hundred and twenty thousand, and they were filled with confidence.
Furthermore, the Tian Ri cavalry believed even more strongly that once Liang Xiao's forces were defeated, the Great Qian army stationed at the pass would surrender without a fight. The Jiaozhou Allied Forces could then pursue and capture Luzhou!
Of the one hundred and twenty thousand Jiaozhou Allied Forces, eighty thousand turned north, while the remaining forty thousand were tasked with containing Zhuo Ying's forces at the pass.
At this moment, Liang Xiao, riding his heavily armored horse Wan Liyunyan, ordered his troops to encamp, preventing surprise cavalry attacks from the enemy before their battle formation could be set.
"Marshal, the enemy is advancing towards us!"
Upon receiving the news, Liang Xiao immediately ordered, "Divide into four columns and form a circular array to meet the enemy!"
Liang Xiao's forty thousand troops immediately formed a circular array, preparing to receive the enemy's first wave of attack.
At the highest point in the center of the circular array were ten Shenwu Cannons brought by the Zhongzhou troops, along with a large quantity of solid iron shot and barrels of gunpowder.
The thirty thousand Zhongzhou soldiers were fully armed, and the ten thousand Luzhou soldiers were the Great Qian Guard stationed in Luzhou half a year ago, also heavily armored and with grim expressions!
Having defended for half a year, they could finally fight alongside their Northern Marshal and achieve great deeds!
The Great Qian Guard, serving as the vanguard, consisted of a mix of soldiers in Chu-style armor and plate armor, longbowmen, spearmen, and Great Qian archers, forming a comprehensive ranged and melee force.
This location connected Luzhou to the pass where Zhuo Ying was stationed. While it seemed that reinforcements from both sides could readily assist, should they be defeated, it was highly likely that reinforcements would be too late to intervene, as the enemy would also be engaged in pursuit and interception.
Despite having forty thousand troops here, no one questioned Liang Xiao's decision to march out of the city and engage in battle on relatively flat terrain, directly forfeiting the advantage of city defenses.
They held but one belief: military orders were paramount, and the enemy must not advance eastward!
As the eighty thousand Jiaozhou Allied Forces advanced towards Liang Xiao's position, Alexander received urgent reports from the front-line scouts.
"The enemy has formed a circular array!"
Alexander knitted his brows, a look of suspicion on his face. "What is Liang Xiao planning? Isn't he skilled at the Que Yue formation, which counters cavalry with infantry? I wish to experience it!"
Xiao Chang sneered, "I thought he would march out of the city to fight us to the death! To think he would still choose to defend outside the city!"
"A mere circular array is but conventional defense; what is there to fear? I shall trouble Marshal Alexander to capture Liang Xiao!" Xiao Che requested.
Alexander did not refuse. He immediately ordered his troops, which consisted of numerous small formations, to form eighty large formations and advance northward.
At the forefront were heavy infantrymen wielding large shields and wearing heavy armor. Following the heavy shield soldiers were numerous spearmen, and behind them were archers and crossbowmen.
On the flanks were the Tian Ri cavalry and some local Jiaozhou cavalry, ready to launch surprise attacks on the rear of the Great Qian army at any moment.
Liang Xiao's troops remained in position, awaiting the enemy, while the Jiaozhou Allied Forces, relying on their overwhelming numerical advantage, advanced with fury. The two sides were less than five li apart and were…
In front of the Great Qian Guard stood Yue Qingtian, holding the Thor's Hammer Shield in his left hand, clad in white dragon and gold armor, with a silver dragon and gold long saber in his right hand, still fighting with ease.
The Thor's Hammer Shield itself was crimson with a golden hue. The surrounding Great Qian Guards, upon learning that Yue Qingtian, General Li Feng under Liang Xiao's command, was at the forefront, were greatly encouraged, but they were also filled with curiosity.
They all wished to witness the effect of the Thor's Hammer Shield, considering it was merely a piece of wood.
Within a five-li radius, the Jiaozhou Allied Forces halted to regroup, ready to launch their first assault at any moment.
Upon hearing that Liang Xiao's troops were in a tight formation, Alexander also climbed a nearby earth mound out of curiosity and gazed into the distance.
From five li away, the orderly and grand formation of the Great Qian army was still visible.
Even though the faces of the Great Qian soldiers could not be clearly discerned, Alexander felt an inexplicable sense of threat from the configuration of this army.
"Should we merely harass them with cavalry, wearing them down?"
A thought flashed through Alexander's mind, which he quickly dismissed.
"Given the appearance of the enemy army, two thousand cavalry would pose no threat to them. If they wished to retreat, we would be helpless, as they have too many longbowmen. If we cannot even defeat this army in open field, then a four-pronged encirclement of Great Qian would be a joke!"
In a brief moment, Alexander's internal struggle was intense. Finally, he issued the order: "Infantry prepare to attack, cavalry to harass the flanks!"
Just then, a messenger from the Tian Ri tribe arrived: "Marshal! The local Jiaozhou soldiers do not have strong fighting will!"
Upon hearing this, Alexander glared furiously at King Nan, Xiao Chang.
Xiao Chang frowned, "They must be intimidated by Liang Xiao. Let this king make an example of them!"
Alexander roared, "Making an example now will only cause chaos! Let the low-caste slave soldiers and the Rejuvenation Sect troops go first. We will settle accounts with them after the battle!"
The Jiaozhou Allied Forces did not consist solely of the Jiaozhou Sun-Moon Army and the Great Liang Army; there were also a large number of soldiers from the Peacock Dynasty and the Rejuvenation Sect, including the Tian Ri cavalry.
Under the coordination of Alexander and Jian Bei, the troops from the Peacock Dynasty and the Rejuvenation Sect swiftly replaced the Jiaozhou soldiers as the vanguard, their faces filled with ferocity, some even roaring towards the heavens.
"Marshal Alexander truly commands his troops well!" Xiao Chang, knowing he was in the wrong, seized the opportunity to flatter.
Alexander had no time to attend to him and climbed the high ground to command.
The eighty thousand Jiaozhou Allied Forces advanced rapidly, and in a flash, they reached within three li of Liang Xiao's troops.
"Marshal! The enemy is within three li!!"
When the messenger rushed to deliver the urgent report, Liang Xiao, with his extraordinary vision, had already assessed the enemy's movements. He immediately ordered, "Shenwu Cannons, prepare!"
The ten Shenwu Cannons immediately began to be loaded with sufficient ammunition, ready to be fired, with their elevation adjusted to avoid friendly fire.
The killing shouts of both sides filled the air, each emboldening the other.
A moment later, the two sides were less than two li apart!
Liang Xiao's eyes hardened, and he waved his golden command flag: "Fire!" 138 Reading Network
The artillerymen, consisting of Shadow Guards, surrounding the Shenwu Cannons, were filled with excitement and immediately lit the fuses. The soldiers around them covered their ears—
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle… Boom, boom, boom!!
With ten earth-shattering cannon roars, flames erupted from the muzzles of the Shenwu Cannons.
Ten solid iron shot shot out from the cannon barrels, directly targeting the Jiaozhou Allied Forces' vanguard one li away!