It was eleven in the morning. The scorching sun was high in the sky, mercilessly scorching the earth.
Even the sea breeze blowing from the west coast was stuffy, making people not feel cool at all. For the armored officers and soldiers, marching in this kind of weather was undoubtedly a type of torture.
Sweat soaked the undergarments of their armor, and water was seeping out of their boots.
Among the 130,000 territorial troops, the only one who remained calm was the black Muslim army.
The three territories had not been attacked by the Great Xia Dynasty the previous day, and the territorial generals believed that the Great Xia Dynasty wanted to finish the battle in one fell swoop, so they devoted all their troops to attacking Bharat.
Because of this, in order to save time, the army marched quickly, and the scouting was limited to within five miles of the marching troops. Beyond that, they did not bother.
In the eyes of the commanding general, there were no other enemies in Morocco, so there was no need to be vigilant.
As the saying went: Saving people is like putting out a fire. Seeing that Bharat was surrounded, everyone was anxious. The players, who were originally at the back of the army, had now run to the front.
Even then, the players were still urging the army to speed up.
This carelessness led to bitter consequences.
After walking for about an hour, the commanding general looked up at the sky and saw the scorching sun hanging high in the sky. The temperature had increased by a few degrees, and the heat waves eroded the physical strength of the soldiers.
The high temperature caused the air to become unstable, and ripples spread out.
The soldiers were listless, their lips cracked, and their entire bodies leaned on their spears to support themselves. The weaker soldiers looked like they could collapse at any time.
Even the players had lost the enthusiasm they had at the beginning.
"Men, find a place to rest!"
Although the commanding general was not a famous general, he was experienced. He knew that if they continued, the soldiers would expend too much energy, and even if they reached Bharat, they would be a bunch of weaklings.
"Yes!"
Soon, the vanguard troops reported that there was a large river in front that was suitable for resting.
The commanding general did not think much of it, and immediately ordered the army to rest by the river and replenish their water. If this general had read Sun Tzu's Art of War, he would not have made such a foolish decision.
Stopping with the back to the river was a great taboo for an army.
Receiving the military order, the 130,000 soldiers felt as if they had been granted amnesty. They cheered and instantly became spirited. The soldiers jogged all the way to the riverside, scooped up the clear river water, and drank in big mouthfuls, feeling extremely carefree.
"Comfortable!!!"
Some of the soldiers did not feel comfortable enough, so they immediately took off their armor and took a bath in the river. The clear river water poured over the top of his head, taking away the steam rising from the surface of his body and bringing him endless coolness.
The splashing water droplets were dazzling under the sunlight.
"Amazing!!!"
Seeing that someone had taken the lead, the scene became unstoppable.
The winding and long riverbank was densely packed with soldiers. It was a collective summer bathing in the river. The scene was spectacular. Some who knew how to swim had even swum to the center of the river.
For the soldiers, there was nothing more blissful than this. The exhaustion accumulated from the long march was instantly sucked out of his body, leaving behind endless comfort and coolness.
There was no military order more satisfying than this.
The Commanding General did not pay much attention to it at first, but seeing that the situation was getting out of control, he became alert and said solemnly, "Men, pass down the order. All soldiers are to return to the riverbank immediately after drinking the water and rest at fixed positions. Those who disobey will be dealt with according to military law! "
"Yes!" The messenger turned around and left.
Unfortunately, the Commanding General's vigilance was a little too late.
At this moment, an unforeseen event occurred.
Not far from the riverbank, the rumbling of horse hooves suddenly came from the ground. The sound was urgent and powerful, like rushing thunder. Even the ground was trembling.
The trembling ground brought up clouds of dust that rose up and down in the scorching air, blurring one's vision.
"Not good!"
The Commanding General was the first to react, and his expression changed greatly. Moroccan cavalry was scarce, and such a loud sound of horse hooves at this time was definitely not a good thing.
"Gather, quickly gather!"
The Commanding General gave the military order, but it was useless.
At this time, the army had already scattered in all directions. They were scattered along the riverbank, and there was no formation at all. Many of the soldiers had thrown their weapons and armor on the riverbank because they were playing in the water. There was no time.
Even the soldiers who had already returned from the river took off their armor and sat on the ground, drinking the clear river water and biting into the rations they had brought.
Once the military order to gather was given, the soldiers rushed to the riverbank, and the scene became more and more chaotic.
In just this short period of time, the figures of cavalry could already be seen on the distant horizon. The golden Radiant Armor shone with a dazzling golden light under the blazing sun.
To the Imperial Guards, they were at least tenth level elite soldiers. Their individual battle strength was extraordinary, and they could even match the beginner generals. Thus, although the Radiant Armor was heavy armor, the Imperial Guards could wear it as regular armor. Adding on the fact that their mounts were superior Green Beetle Horses, they were as swift and fierce as light cavalry.
This charge was as fast as lightning.
"It's the army of the Great Xia Dynasty!"
The Commanding General finally discovered the figures of the Tiger Leopard Cavalry. In the blink of an eye, he could already see the cavalry raising their lances. In the blink of an eye, he could even see the white gas that the warhorses breathed out.
"It's over!"
The Commanding General was dumbfounded, his face ashen.
In such a short period of time, the army could not even gather, let alone form a formation. The only ones that were still in formation were the five thousand personal guards, but they were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
With the information provided by the Black Snake Guards, it was not difficult for Huo Qubing to grasp the route of the Moroca Territory's army. Coupled with the on-the-spot investigation before the battle, Huo Qubing was even more confident.
According to the speed of the enemy's march, Huo Qubing had long set up an ambush in the nearby area.
As expected, the enemy had arrived just after noon. After discovering the enemy's tracks, the Tiger Leopard Cavalry's spies tailed them. Huo Qubing was like a patient hunter, constantly looking for the right opportunity to attack.
Huo Qubing knew that not only did he have to win this battle, he had to win it beautifully.
To achieve a great victory, he had to do it cleanly.
Huo Qubing was still looking forward to going to Rabat to participate in the final battle.
Because of this, he had to be even more patient.
Although Huo Qubing was young and did not play his cards according to common sense, he was more composed than anyone else when it came to the time when patience was really needed.
Otherwise, Huo Qubing would not have been able to gallop freely in the desert.
For most Divine Generals, regardless of their military style, some basic qualities were common. Not only Huo Qubing, but Bai Qi, Han Xin, and Sun Bin were also able to keep their composure.
Otherwise, they would not be called a general.
At noon, Huo Qubing finally found an opportunity. Even Huo Qubing did not expect the enemy to be so stupid as to choose to rest by the river bank. It was as if the heavens were helping them.
"They're courting death. Don't blame me."
Huo Qubing's expression was relaxed. He had already foreseen it. "A great victory is right in front of us!"
Once he found an opportunity, Huo Qubing did not hesitate at all and immediately ordered a fierce attack. Under Huo Qubing's command, the seventy thousand elite cavalry split up and attacked together, cutting up the 130,000 strong army in an instant.
When the army arrived and charged into the formation, it was a massacre.
The cavalry galloped freely along the river bank, not giving the Moroca Territory's army a chance to gather. Wherever there were signs of gathering, they were targeted.
Just like that, the enemy tried to gather again and again, but they were scattered again and again. Towards the end, the army could not even find their personal guards and completely lost control of the army.
The destruction of the army was right in front of them.
Some soldiers thought they were smart and jumped into the river again, trying to escape. Little did they know that the imperial guards were all equipped with crossbows. Those who dared to jump into the river were naturally targeted.
When corpses filled with arrows floated on the surface of the river, no one dared to jump into the river to escape.
If they wanted to live, the only way was to surrender. Two legs could not outrun four legs.
In less than two hours, other than the players who would rather die than surrender, the 130,000 soldiers of the Moroca Territory, other than those who died in battle, had basically surrendered.
Nearly a hundred thousand surrendered soldiers crowded along the river bank. It was a spectacular sight.
Huo Qubing did not have any intention of chasing after the few who escaped during the chaos.
As the saying went, the monks could leave, but the temple could not. Once the Great Xia Dynasty completely occupied Moroca, there would naturally be a time to deal with these deserters.
The most important thing now was to detain the surrendered prisoners of war and properly deal with the aftermath.
The king had already ordered that after the Tiger Leopard Cavalry defeated the Moroca Territory's army, they would not immediately return to Rabat City. Instead, they would return and occupy Casabianca and Agadir City in the south.
As for Tangier City in the north, there would be the Mediterranean Fleet to take care of it.
Taking over the territory and cities would not only allow the expeditionary army to obtain a supply base, but it would also further weaken Rabat City's will to resist.
In the absence of reinforcements, it was unknown how long Rabat City could hold on.
Huo Qubing was obviously very happy because the battle went smoothly, and he had no intention of hiding it. He was unlike Bai Qi, who always had a calm expression no matter what victory he obtained.
"My Lord, the first credit for this national war belongs to us, the Tiger Leopard Cavalry."
At this moment, the commander of the Tiger Leopard Cavalry, Ma Chao, rushed over with a smile on his face. Ever since he followed Huo Qubing, the Tiger Leopard Cavalry had won every battle, which made Ma Chao very happy.
"This kind of battle is what I call satisfying." Ma Chao sighed in his heart.
Huo Qubing shook his head and said, "We can't count on the first credit. That belongs to the Mediterranean Fleet, and no one can snatch it. However, it is indeed a great credit. Don't worry, I will ask the king for the credit. "
Ma Chao smiled and said, "I don't dare to be greedy. It's just that the men under me have made a great contribution, and I do need to reward them."
Although this battle was won beautifully, the Tiger Leopard Cavalry did not have it easy.
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