"Liang Xiao must be leading the troops himself to confront the Tianri tribe!" Attila's eyes blazed with anger as he looked to the northeast.
"To this day, are you still unwilling to truly look at the changes in the Xiongnu Empire, and merely send a group of subordinates to deal with me?" Attila's whip trembled violently, then he surveyed his generals and roared, cracking his whip.
"According to the past military system of the Great Gan, a General of the Four Garrisons would be sufficient to serve as the commander of the western frontier. Now, the Grand General of the West, Yue Yun, is merely a deputy marshal. The Great Gan has dispatched four marshals, with all cavalry deployed. They will likely use infantry to assault the Tianri tribe's encampment, and then use cavalry to flank our army. Even without Liang Xiao present, we must not let down our guard!"
"Sound the order! The entire army will form ranks. Even if it is not Liang Xiao himself, the enemy commanders are all renowned generals seasoned by countless battles. Everyone will give their all! This battle will wash away the shame of the Gan tribe's victory at Mount Langjuxu!"
The Xiongnu cavalry, already prepared, seemed determined to clash with the Great Gan cavalry. Before receiving the order, they had already poured out.
The four commanders of the Great Gan each led their respective forces. Nan Jiyun commanded the entire army but primarily oversaw forty thousand elite Great Gan cavalry. Lü Changhe was in charge of seven thousand white-robed soldiers, three thousand reserves, and ten thousand northern reinforcements. Nie Yuan led twenty thousand Liaodong iron cavalry, while Yue Yun held overall command of the remaining central plains cavalry and western frontier cavalry.
The vanguard was fully deployed, with a massive rear of pack animals and carts. The equipment for the front lines had been fully delivered, leaving only a small amount of rations and fodder, protected by a unit of armored, archer-equipped iron cavalry. The twenty thousand elite Great Gan heavy cavalry at the forefront maintained absolute silence, forming an unbreakable iron wall for the entire army. The Great Gan nation had deployed over a hundred thousand cavalry on this front line!
On the other side, the Xiongnu cavalry had also arrayed their formations. Both sides stood at swords' point, and battle was imminent. One side sought to avenge the shame of Mount Langjuxu; the other sought to forge an empire for future generations. The two sides were locked in mortal combat.
The Xiongnu cavalry now boasted over ten thousand heavy cavalry, with more than twenty thousand in padded armor. The rest were equipped with fine chain mail and scale armor. Though their numbers were fewer than the barbarian iron cavalry of yesteryear, their strength was vastly superior.
Attila, stationed on a commanding height in the center, watched as the Great Gan cavalry rapidly organized and prepared for battle, not even allowing his forces an opportunity to launch a surprise attack. He couldn't help but marvel.
"So that's how it is! Liang Xiao truly did not underestimate us. He has deployed the largest contingent of cavalry to this decisive battle, preventing our army from reinforcing the Tianri tribe. If either our army or the Tianri tribe retreats, the enemy forces can then converge with the Great Gan army to the northeast to encircle the other side. The consequences would be unimaginable! Liang Xiao leading the troops personally to decisively engage the Tianri tribe places all the pressure on them. At this moment, our army must not delay and await death!"
Finally witnessing the full might of the Great Gan iron cavalry, Attila did not hesitate and sternly issued his command.
"For the glory of the Xiongnu, for the rise of the empire! The entire army charges!"
Nan Jiyun was also issuing orders at the front of the formation.
"For the grace of our Emperor and Lord, for the eternal welfare of the Gan tribe! Wherever our blades point, we shall shatter the enemy!"
The Great Gan cavalry poured forth, each man eager to be at the forefront, their advance like thunder. A thousand horns sounded, and a vast expanse of sand stretched out! The chaotic thunder of hooves and the neighing of warhorses heralded the prelude to a peak cavalry confrontation of the era.
At the same time, Liang Xiao had also assembled all his troops. The Great Gan soldiers, with the Great Gan Iron Guard, Great Gan Town Guard, and Sky-Pillar Guard as the vanguard, and three thousand cavalry deployed on the flanks, were followed by a large formation of shield walls and battle arrays to prevent the enemy from flanking them. Twenty-eight thousand soldiers in two locations, along with almost all the carts and pack horses from the western frontier, had been brought forth for this decisive battle.
"The enemy must still be replicating the Huihui cannons. We cannot give them the opportunity! Attack!" With Liang Xiao's command, the Great Gan army advanced step by step, instantly reaching within two li of the Tianri tribe's encampment.
Heraclius and Yue Qingtian, each commanding cavalry and iron guards respectively, gazed westward at the enemy, their eyes seemingly ablaze with battle.
"King Tianri, I will avenge all the fallen of Rome!!" Heraclius strained to lower his voice, veins bulging on his forehead, but quickly regained his composure. The angrier he became, the more he needed to remain rational.
The Tianri generals watched the Great Gan army from afar, seeing a disciplined and orderly torrent of steel advancing towards them. They felt an inexplicable dread.
"How can there be such a synchronized and coordinated army in this world? How were they trained..." Mars could not suppress the shock in his heart and gritted his teeth. The Tianri tribe's ability to sweep across the west was not solely due to cunning schemes, but also to their powerful army and complete military system, which ensured that orders were followed without question. However, the advance of the Great Gan army before him exceeded his understanding of military strategy. He had initially planned to wait for them and launch a surprise attack, but their steady advance immediately made him abandon this absurd idea. He realized that his own generals and soldiers on the high ground were already wavering, clearly deeply shaken by the might of the Great Gan army.
"Facing such an elite force that remains unwavering in the face of battle, launching a cavalry charge against the enemy's arrows and magical iron balls would only be courting humiliation." In a mere moment, Mars understood. He turned and ordered, "Immediately send someone to notify the Xiongnu Empire to attack from both sides! Push the Huihui cannons to the forward high ground!"
Since the Xiongnu Empire's encampment was situated deep within the western allied forces' main base, all five hundred Huihui cannons were at the Tianri tribe's encampment, ready for battle. They were now being pushed to the front lines.
Liang Xiao ascended a vantage point and, confirming his army could advance or retreat at will, immediately issued the order: "Fire the Shenwu cannons!" Archers at the front formed a resolute line. Five hundred new-model Shenwu cannons with a range exceeding two li, and two hundred older cannons, were successively pushed to the forward high ground and ignited.
"Boom! Boom boom..." Following the first cannon shot, a continuous, earth-shattering roar of cannons ensued. The imitation Huihui cannons deployed by the Tianri tribe at the front high ground were met with a surprise bombardment, and dozens were instantly pulverized. A large number of heavily armored shield bearers had their armor and shields shattered on the spot, their bodies pulverized. Even with large gaps in the Tianri formation, each solid iron ball, with its momentum undiminished, still killed over a dozen men, leaving behind rows of mangled corpses! Seven hundred cannonballs brought a devastating impact to the Tianri tribe.
"What kind of sorcery is this!" The Tianri cultists, usually adept at deception and superstition, were also thrown into disarray. In just one round of intense bombardment, the Tianri tribe suffered thousands of casualties in men and horses.
Mars watched the Great Gan army from afar, but being in the center and over ten li away, he could not see clearly, only hearing the distant rumble of cannons. Even so, Mars decisively roared his order: "Defense is futile! Deploy immediately and destroy the enemy's magical iron balls at all costs!!"
The disorganized Tianri troops immediately organized a charge. The eastern forces were ready, with vast numbers of Shenbi bows, Great Gan bows, and longbows forming a formidable volley, preventing the Tianri troops from advancing. The front line of heavily armored shield bearers formed a shield wall, defending against the cannon fire. Behind the heavily armored shield bearers were numerous Huihui cannons, loaded with half the weight of their usual stone projectiles, greatly extending their range.
Mars, seeing his forces at a standstill, was both shocked and enraged. "A bunch of useless fools! What are you waiting for, death? Cover the remaining Huihui cannons and charge!" The Tianri generals knew that they had to rely on their numerical superiority and the remaining Huihui cannons to overcome the "magical iron balls" and the Great Gan Huihui cannons. Therefore, they had no choice but to steel themselves and lead their troops forward.
In a brief exchange, even before close combat, the Great Gan army had pursued the enemy to the front lines. Without losing a single soldier, they had forced the Tianri troops to launch a preemptive strike.