Under the powerful attacks of the Firearm Army, Xue Yantuo's cavalry was defeated and fled. The Turks took advantage of the situation and chased them for a few miles before obtaining a complete victory.
"Victory!"
The Turks cheered as the depression in their hearts was cleared. Many of the old soldiers even shed tears as if they had returned to the Turks ten years ago.
Once upon a time, the Turks were the overlords of the grassland. However, after the war ten years ago, the Turks fell from their pedestal and became stray dogs living under someone else's roof. Now, the Turks finally used this war to prove themselves once again.
"Beat the gongs to retreat!"
Li Simo was overjoyed as he knew that he could not be greedy. Once the Magnanimous Army chased after them, the 40,000 Turks would not be their match.
"Wait! This is the time for the entire army to expand the results of the war. If we retreat, Xue Yantuo will not learn from his mistakes. " Zhangsun Chong waved his hand to stop Li Simo. The grassland cavalry scattered like sand. Although the Tang Army had defeated Xue Yantuo's cavalry, Xue Yantuo did not suffer many losses. Zhangsun Chong was not willing to give up this opportunity to beat a drowning dog.
"But what if the Magnanimous Army arrives? Won't our army be in danger?" Li Simo frowned.
Zhangsun Chong said proudly, "So what? With the Firearm Army here, even if Khan Zhenzhu himself comes, he will be nothing in front of the Firearm Army. "
Li Simo frowned. However, Zhangsun Chong was the backing of the Turks. Although Li Simo knew that it would be dangerous if he delayed, he did not want to offend Zhangsun Chong and allowed him to do as he pleased.
Only after the Firearm Army and the Turks had chased for more than ten miles did they return with great results. Only then did Li Simo order them to retreat.
"Defeated!"
Seeing the bloodied Enke kneeling in front of him, Magnanimity's expression turned ugly. He had originally thought that even if Enke, who had led Xue Yantuo's most elite cavalry, could not take down the Turks, he would at least be able to hold them back. He had not expected the 5,000 elite cavalry of Xue Yantuo to be defeated in such a short time, suffering heavy losses.
"Replying to Magnanimous, not only did the Turks obtain the armor of the Tang dynasty, they also obtained the help of the Firearm Army of the Tang dynasty. We were careless and fell into the Turks' trap." Engel said with shame.
The Khagan's expression expression was even more ugly. The Khagan's of the Turks were were even more casualties. They would not be able to recover without at least ten years of recuperation.
"The Tang Army is here!" Da Du Sui's face suddenly changed.
"It's the Firearms Army led by the son of the Mo Family."
"A firearm army that can destroy a city in one strike!"
"The Firearm Firearm Army that defeated 5,000 Tubo's cavalry with one thousand!"
The other generals also cried out in surprise. Ever since the Western Expedition, the Firearm Army had become famous. Regardless of whether it was sieges or field battles, all of them had outstanding military achievements. They had leaped to become the most powerful army in the world. The grassland tribes had long heard of this.
"The Firearm Firearm Army has expanded to 3,000 people, and its general is no longer Mo Jiazi. It's Zhangsun Wuji's son, Zhangsun Chong." The Khagan of Khitan whispered. The Khagan of Khitan was closer to the Tang dynasty and had frequent exchanges with the Tang dynasty. He knew about the changes in the Firearm Army.
"3,000 Firearm Firearm Soldiers." The Khagan of Huihe could not help but frown. 1,000 Firearm Firearm Soldiers could defeat 5,000 Tubo's cavalry. If it was 3,000 Firearm Soldiers, their strength would not be as simple as tripling. They would be invincible on the battlefield. The fact that they could defeat Xue Yantuo's cavalry so quickly was the best example.
For a moment, the grassland's leaders' thoughts were fluctuating. Originally, Xue Yantuo's victory was in his hands, and everyone supported him. But now, the Turks had the help of the Tang dynasty and the Firearm Firearm Army, which was the most powerful in the world. They were not sure how many more Turks would come to their aid. The Tang dynasty defeated the Tang dynasty one by one. Xue Yantuo alone was probably not the opponent of the Turks. The outcome of this war was uncertain.
Seeing the reaction of the grassland's tribes, the fence-sitters suddenly became timid. If they lost this war, the other tribes might be fine, but Xue Yantuo would be jointly dealt with by the Tang dynasty and the Turks. If they were not careful, they would end up being exterminated.
"If it was the Firearm Army led by Mo Jiazi, I would immediately turn around and leave. But how can I put the Firearm Army led by a playboy in my eyes? Although Engel suffered heavy losses, it exposed Zhangsun Chong's weakness of being greedy and advancing rashly. The Tang dynasty's cavalry has the advantage in their armor, but the armor is extremely heavy and is not suitable for long distance travel. As long as our army moves forward quickly, we can definitely catch up with the Firearm Army." Graciousness sneered. He was worthy of being the successor valued by Zhenzhu Khan. He had a very high military literacy and could see through the weakness of the Firearm Army at a glance.
The grassland tribe leaders nodded slightly. Although the advantages of the Tang dynasty's armor had its advantages, it also had heavy drawbacks. The grassland cavalry's light cavalry could indeed chase faster than the Tang Dynasty army, but the grassland tribes were not willing to fight to the death with the Tang dynasty. The Firearm Army's attack power was the best in the world, and they might suffer heavy losses. Even if they could destroy the Firearm Army, it meant that they had become sworn enemies with the Tang dynasty, which was an outcome that the grassland tribes were unwilling to accept.
Graciousness gritted his teeth and said, "This time, Xue Yantuo's headquarters will chase after the Firearm Army. Once the Firearm Army is trapped, the Turks' cavalry will certainly not give up. The Tang dynasty's Empress' nephew will come back to help. You only need to attack the Turks' cavalry. Once the Turks are destroyed, you can choose the grassland in the old land of Mo Nan."
Graciousness had sharp eyes. He had calculated the weakness of the Firearm Army and the importance of the Firearm Army and Zhangsun Chong. If the Firearm Army and Zhangsun Chong were lost in the grassland, the Tang dynasty would certainly vent their anger on the Turks, and the Turks would certainly try their best to rescue the Firearm Army. At that time, Xue Yantuo would finish off the Turks once and for all.
"Yes, sir!" The grassland leaders nodded happily. In this way, they would not offend the Tang dynasty and could also divide the grassland of the Turks. Wouldn't it be the best of both worlds?
Graciousness saw that the grassland leaders were tempted and could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. In this war, the grassland tribes and Xue Yantuo had the same interests. If Xue Yantuo won, they could continue to divide the old land of the Turks. If the Turks won and reoccupied the old land of Mo Nan, the grassland tribes would continue to suffer. They naturally knew what to choose.
"Hyah!"
With a loud shout, a large number of Xue Yantuo's cavalry took the lead and abandoned the heavy and light cavalry, heading straight for the Firearm Army.
… … …
"Report, something bad has happened. A large number of Xue Yantuo's cavalry is chasing after us. They are less than ten miles away." A Turks scout hurried over and reported in panic.
"So fast? Pass down the order, retreat at full speed immediately!"
Li Simo, who was retreating, heard the scout's report and immediately gave the order.
Xue Yantuo was the mortal enemy of the Turks. The reason why the Turks were defeated was because Xue Yantuo stabbed them in the back. However, the Turks were far from being Xue Yantuo's match. The only thing they could do now was to continue retreating and meet up with Li Ji's army.
Although Zhangsun Chong was arrogant, he knew that the 3,000 Firearm Army could not stop the 200,000 Xue Yantuo's cavalry. In addition, he already had military merits, so he immediately ordered the Firearm Army to retreat at full speed.
The distance of ten miles was not short in a chase. Moreover, both sides were advancing at full speed. It was very difficult to close the distance of ten miles. At the beginning, the Firearm Army and Turks retreated very calmly.
"The enemy is less than five miles away."
When the scout reported the enemy's situation again, almost everyone's face turned ugly. Xue Yantuo was risking his life to chase after the Turks.
"Don't care about the horses, retreat at full speed." Li Simo roared.
Immediately, both the Firearm Army and the Turks retreated at full speed towards the south. Finally, they managed to maintain the distance of five miles.
Zhangsun Chong looked at the Xue Yantuo's cavalry through the binoculars and heaved a sigh of relief. When he thought of being surrounded by 200,000 soldiers, he immediately trembled.
However, before he could rejoice for too long, he discovered that the Firearm Army that was retreating at the front had slowed down. Soon, they were overtaken by the Turks and fell behind.
Zhangsun Chong couldn't help but grimace. The Firearm Army was the strongest in terms of fighting power, and they relied on their heavy gunpowder weapons. Coupled with the heavy armor, the Firearm Army's choice of warhorses was the best, but with such a heavy load on their backs, it was usually hidden. Compared to the Turkic cavalry, this disadvantage was immediately exposed.
"Hyah!" Zhangsun Chong used all his strength to whip his horse. However, it was futile. The Turks were getting further and further away while the Xue Yantuo's cavalry were getting closer and closer.
"Xue Yantuo's target is the Firearm Army!"
Li Simo frowned. The Firearm Army was the face of the Tang dynasty. If they were completely wiped out on the grassland, he would not be able to absolve himself from the blame. Furthermore, Zhangsun Chong was a special person.
"The Firearm Army cannot be lost. Immediately return and delay Xue Yantuo." Simo Khan waved his hand and led the thousands of cavalrymen to slow down. Very quickly, they were overtaken by the Firearm Army and fell behind. Just as the Xue Yantuo's cavalry was about to catch up, the thousands of Turks sped up. The bows and arrows in their hands continuously shot behind them. In an instant, the Xue Yantuo's cavalry was thrown off their horses and stopped chasing.
"The Turks have come to bring up the rear. It seems that I guessed correctly. The Firearm Army's warhorses are indeed exhausted." Magnanimous Khan snorted and waved his hand. The Xue Yantuo's cavalry did not tangle with the Turks. Instead, they split into two and avoided the Turks. They spread out their wings and wanted to catch the Firearm Army and the Turks in one fell swoop.
"Retreat!"
Seeing that the situation was not good, Li Simo immediately retreated. At the same time, the Turks did not stop shooting arrows and tried their best to stop the Xue Yantuo's cavalry.
However, it was all in vain. The Xue Yantuo's cavalry did not seem to care about casualties. Braving the arrow rain, they charged forward at full speed. They were determined to surround the Firearm Army and the Turks.
"Go!"
Li Simo saw more and more Xue Yantuo's cavalry on both sides and knew that the situation was hopeless. He decided to break through the encirclement. If this dragged on, even the Turks would be buried here.
The Turks sped up and quickly overtook the Firearm Army. They broke through the encirclement without looking back.
"Ashina Simo actually dares to abandon his allies and escape!" Seeing the Turks gradually leaving, Zhangsun Chong was shocked and furious. If Li Simo and the Firearm Army fought together, the Firearm Army might have a chance.
"General! Simo Khan's decision is correct. The Firearm Army cannot outrun the Xue Yantuo's cavalry. Once surrounded by the Xue Yantuo's cavalry, the Turks will not be able to escape. "Although Sun Wukai was dissatisfied with Ashina Simo's decision to leave alone, he still spoke the truth.
"The Firearm Army is burdened by the supply wagons. We only need to abandon the wagons and weapons, and we will definitely be able to break through." Zhangsun Chong said.
Sun Wukai smiled sadly and said, "Abandoning the wagons and weapons is a great humiliation in the hearts of the soldiers. Not to mention, the Firearm Army has the reputation of being the best in the world in terms of offensive power. If we don't even fire a single arrow, even if we return to the Tang dynasty, we won't have the face to see anyone."
"You are all courting death. Three thousand against two hundred thousand, this is a situation of certain death." Zhangsun Chong roared.
"So what? Us soldiers are risking our lives by going into battle. We can die, but the honor of the Tang Army cannot be lost. " Sun Wukai said generously. The other Tang Army soldiers nodded one after another, especially the veterans who had participated in the Western Expedition to Gao Chang. They valued this honor more than their lives.
"You are all crazy. As long as you are here, the Firearm Army can still make a comeback. We will only lose some wagons and weapons." Zhangsun Chong was puzzled.
"No, what we will lose is the honor of the Tang dynasty and the belief of a soldier. No soldier is willing to give up without fighting," Sun Wukai said firmly.
Zhangsun Chong could not help but be silent. However, looking at the Xue Yantuo's cavalry getting closer and closer, he could not help but feel the fear of death in his heart.
"Dying on the battlefield is the destiny of martial men like us. General, you are a civil official. You don't have to do this. General, please go to General Li Ji to ask for help. We may still have a glimmer of hope." Sun Wukai saw through Zhangsun Chong's mind and gave him a way out.
Zhangsun Chong suddenly looked like a drowning man who had grasped a life-saving straw. He nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, from now on, the Firearm Army will be under Sun Wukai's command. I will go to ask for help immediately."
Under the disdainful gazes of the Firearm Army soldiers, Zhangsun Chong immediately rode his horse in the direction of Li Simo's escape. He knew that from now on, he would no longer have any prestige in the Firearm Army. However, in order to survive, he had already thrown caution to the wind.
"Organize the gunpowder weapons and get ready for battle. Even if we die in this battle, we must let Xue Yantuo know the power of the Firearm Army," Sun Wukai said seriously.
"Yes, General!" General! "A group of soldiers from the Firearms Division said proudly.
Sun Wukai said loudly, "And we are not without hope in this battle. Our wagons and weapons are the best in the world. Xue Yantuo is no match for us at all. Only by killing Xue Yantuo will we have a chance to survive. Moreover, Simo Khan is restraining him. As long as we can hold on until General Li Ji's reinforcements arrive, we will win. And we are not without helpers. "
Sun Wukai looked at the 3,000 Turks who were also equipped with the armor of the Tang dynasty not far away. The Firearm Army could not run fast, and the Turks led by Hexan Chengji were also equipped with the armor of the Tang dynasty. Their situation was not much better than that of the Firearm Army.
At this moment, Sun Wukai leaped forward on his horse and came to the front of the 3,000 Turks. He said loudly to Hexan Chengji, "If you and I join forces, we still have a chance to survive. The Turks still have a chance to survive. Otherwise, once the Firearm Army is defeated, you Turks will also be exterminated."
Hexan Chengji originally wanted to let the soldiers under his command take off their armor and break out, but these 3,000 Turks were too important. If they lost these 3,000 Turks, the strength of the Turks would be greatly reduced, and Xue Yantuo's strength would also be doubled. Not to mention that once the Firearm Army was wiped out, the Turks would be next. It was impossible for the Turks to offend both the Tang dynasty and Xue Yantuo at the same time.
"I am willing to follow General Sun's orders!" Hexan Chengji lowered his head and said. He was willing to fight for the Turks, and he believed that the 3,000 Turks behind him were also willing to fight to the death for the Turks.
Sun Wukai showed a smile and said proudly, "Slow down, save your horses, and get ready to fight!"
Suddenly, the 3,000 Firearm Army and the 3,000 Turks joined forces and formed a defensive formation like a steel jungle.
At the same time, the two wings of Xue Yantuo's cavalry suddenly closed and surrounded the Firearm Army.
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