"The Macedonian Phalanx!"
In the Taiji Palace, Li Shimin looked at the memorial in his hand. It described the glory of the Macedonian Phalanx in detail, and his mind was filled with thoughts.
Meton pointed to the west and said, "Your Majesty! Macedonia is a small city-state in the far west, neighboring Socrates' hometown. Its territory is only the size of one of the Tang dynasty's provinces. It relied on a phalanx of sixteen people under the leadership of its leader, Alexander, to fight from the far west all the way to India, forming a super empire that spanned tens of thousands of li. "
"Fought all the way to India, spanning tens of thousands of li?" Li Shimin was immediately moved.
India was the closest country to the Tang dynasty among the Western Regions. It was separated from the far west by Persia, the Abbasid Caliphate, and the Great Qin. Who would have thought that such a small country could achieve so much? In this, the invincible Macedonian Phalanx could be said to have played a major role.
Meton nodded solemnly and said, "This is something that all the merchants of the Western Regions are familiar with. Your Majesty will know when you ask."
Li Shimin took a deep breath and immediately believed him. There were many merchants in the Western Regions of the Tang dynasty, and Meton could not possibly lie about this matter. In addition, Meton's memorial was very detailed, and the military strategy in it moved even him. It was not something that a simpleton like Meton could imagine.
"I didn't think that there would be such heroes in the outer regions! We have truly underestimated the people of the world! " In his view, Alexander's experience was very similar to his. They were both conquering the world and making great achievements. The only thing that made him jealous was that Alexander's achievements seemed to be even more glorious than his.
"This is the Macedonian Phalanx's formation map!" Seeing that Li Shimin believed him, Meton extended his hand and handed over a scroll.
"Oh!"
Li Shimin was immediately excited. He was a military expert, so he was naturally itching to see this kind of invincible formation.
He couldn't wait to open the scroll. Li Shimin immediately sucked in a breath of cold air. On the scroll, he saw a group of fully armed warriors standing upright. Each of them held a spear that was twenty feet long, like a long steel forest.
Meton had put in a lot of effort for this memorial and used his new painting technique to its fullest. He drew several paintings in a row. Some were of the Macedonian phalanx formation, some were of the Macedonian phalanx formation, some were of the Macedonian phalanx formation, some were of the Macedonian phalanx formation, some were of the Macedonian phalanx formation, some were of the Macedonian phalanx formation, and some were of the Macedonian phalanx formation. Every painting was vivid and lifelike. The dense forest of spears made Li Shimin's heart turn cold even though it was just a painting. He had led the Black Armored Cavalry before and naturally knew that the cavalry was most afraid of this kind of long spear formation. The Macedonian phalanx formation was even worse.
"A forest of spears! Advance courageously! "Li Shimin was so excited that he couldn't control himself.
Meton nodded and said, "If it wasn't for Alexander's untimely death and continued the east expedition, the invincible Macedonian phalanx formation might have been able to meet the invincible Qin State and compete."
In the future, many people speculated that if Alexander the Great had continued the east expedition, the first enemy he would have encountered would have been the Qin State, the leader of the Seven Warring States Kingdoms. Although most people were inclined to believe that the Qin Kingdom's cavalry, which had been baptized by war, would have been able to unify the six kingdoms and defeat Alexander the Great, it was undeniable that the Macedonian phalanx was one of the most powerful forces of the time. It was even the first time that infantry could suppress cavalry.
Although Li Shimin was also inclined to believe in the Qin State, he was aware of the strength of the Macedonian phalanx formation. However, when he read to the end, he couldn't help but frown and say, "Unfortunately, the Macedonian phalanx was still defeated!"
In Meton's memorial, he didn't exaggerate the role of the Macedonian phalanx formation. Instead, he recorded in detail how the Romans defeated the Macedonian phalanx formation in the second Macedonian campaign. As a result, the advantages and disadvantages of the Macedonian phalanx formation were immediately revealed.
Meton nodded and said, "There is no invincible military formation in this world, only invincible commanders. After losing Alexander, the Macedonian phalanx also lost its invincible glory. When the Mohist sages traveled to Macedonia, they remembered the glory of the Macedonian phalanx formation and recorded it in the Mohist Attack. Now that His Majesty's west expedition is imminent, Tuyuhun's cavalry is the main force. This method will definitely give the Tang dynasty's infantry some chance of victory."
Li Shimin nodded and said, "The Mohist sages have indeed made a great contribution. If this phalanx formation appears in front of the enemy for the first time, the Tang dynasty will definitely suffer heavy losses."
Although the Macedonian phalanx formation had been broken, if it wasn't powerful, anyone who encountered it for the first time would definitely suffer a great loss.
"Your Majesty, the Minister has brought some wooden spears. I wonder if Your Majesty is willing to recreate the glory of the Macedonian phalanx formation." Meton smiled and said. He had made sufficient preparations for today's memorial. In order to repay the kindness of Li Shimin, the entire Mo Family Village worked overtime to make the two-zhang-long spears that Meton needed in the shortest time possible.
"Oh!" Li Shimin's eyes suddenly flashed. He was greatly moved. Although the Macedonian phalanx formation had been broken, it wasn't useless. On the contrary, the fact that it could restrain the cavalry was enough to make Li Shimin excited.
"Come, invite Li Jing and Hou Junji to the martial arts practice field. I want to personally see the glory of the invincible foreign battle formation." Li Shimin waved his hand and said.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
In the martial arts practice field, Li Jing and Hou Junji quickly arrived.
"My two beloved ministers, you have come at the right time. Today, I have obtained a foreign battle formation. I would like to invite you two generals to appraise it." Li Shimin deliberately kept them in suspense.
"Foreign battle formation?" Li Jing and Hou Junji immediately looked at each other. In their opinion, the Tang dynasty was the best in the world in terms of military formations. How could the foreign battle formation be in their eyes?
"Your Majesty, two generals, the drill is ready."
Seeing Meton hurrying to report to Li Shimin, Li Jing and Hou Junji suddenly realized that Meton was undoubtedly the one who knew the foreign battle formation the best in the Tang dynasty. Obviously, this was made by Meton.
Seeing this, Hou Junji couldn't help but look down on him. In his opinion, the real invincible battle formation was in the Tang dynasty. What kind of battle formation could there be in the foreign battle formation? Even Li Jing frowned slightly.
Li Shimin suddenly smiled and didn't say anything. He wanted to surprise the two. He waved his hand and said, "Let's begin!"
Meton immediately accepted the order and waved the war flag in his hand. Suddenly, a loud drumbeat was heard.
Rumble! A cavalry of about a hundred people rushed out of the drill ground. The leader of the cavalry was Li Junxian. Under Li Junxian's leadership, the cavalry soldiers were skilled in bows and horses. They moved freely on the drill ground. With Li Junxian's shout, the cavalry soldiers immediately lined up neatly.
"Good!" Li Shimin immediately shouted.
"The cavalry soldiers are the elites of the army. They really live up to their reputation." Li Jing also couldn't help but praise.
Hou Junji also nodded repeatedly. The cavalry soldiers were specially chosen to protect Li Shimin. They were the elites of the army and were well-equipped. They could be said to be the strongest cavalry in the world.
However, on the other side of the drill ground, neat rows of footsteps were heard. Everyone couldn't help but look over. Rows of infantry were striding over.
"Infantry against cavalry?" Hou Junji was immediately disappointed. Infantry against cavalry, there was no advantage at all. In his opinion, there was no need to compete. The outcome was already decided.
However, when the Macedonian phalanx appeared in front of them, everyone gasped when they saw the two-meter-long spears.
"This is the Spear Formation!" Hou Junji looked at the unique spears in disbelief.
The Spear Formation was indeed a relatively effective way to fight against cavalry. However, an ordinary spear formation was at most two meters long. The spears in the hands of these infantry soldiers were actually twenty-six meters long. But how could they be used?
Li Jing's face was also heavy. When a spear reached such a length, it probably only had one function, and that was to stab!
Li Shimin said proudly, "This is the Macedonian phalanx of the country in the far west. My two dear ministers, don't underestimate this phalanx. This phalanx can be said to be a great contribution to a small country that is no less than the Tang dynasty. Moreover, this phalanx is the best phalanx to restrain cavalry."
Li Jing and Hou Junji were suddenly shocked. They looked at the Macedonian phalanx stepping into the drill ground in disbelief. It was extremely rare for infantry to restrain cavalry. In Huaxia, only Liu Yu of the Wei-Jin Northern and Southern Dynasties had such a miracle. Unfortunately, after Liu Yu, the Moon Phalanx became extinct.
Li Jing couldn't help but look forward to it. The Tang dynasty mainly used infantry. If this phalanx could restrain cavalry, then its value to the Tang dynasty would be immeasurable.
However, Hou Junji's eyes flashed with a trace of doubt. He knew the power of cavalry. He didn't believe that such a phalanx could restrain cavalry.
They saw a phalanx of a hundred infantry soldiers marching into the drill ground. Under the command of the leader, the first row of infantry immediately laid their spears flat. The second row slightly raised their spears and placed them in the middle of the phalanx. The third row directly raised their spears high and pierced them into the air. Suddenly, an austere atmosphere swept over them.
Li Junxian gasped when he saw this. The warhorse under him couldn't help but raise its hooves and neighed. Li Junxian hurriedly comforted the warhorse under him. Only then did the warhorse calm down. If the cavalry rashly rushed into such a hedgehog formation, he was afraid that they wouldn't have any advantage!
"Shoot!"
Li Junxian shouted. Immediately, a hundred cavalrymen nocked their bows and shot arrows. Immediately, the sharp swords flew toward the phalanx like locusts.
Hou Junji nodded. Li Junxian's method could be said to be a wise move. The cavalry's most lethal weapon was mounted archery. Moreover, archery was indeed the best strategy to deal with phalanx.
However, a loud shout was heard from the phalanx of Macedonians.
"Swish!"
The phalanx of Macedonians suddenly stood up and swayed left and right irregularly. Immediately, more than half of the arrows were deflected. Occasionally, there were some that slipped through the net, but they didn't cause much damage to the phalanx of Macedonians who were wearing thick armor.
Li Jing's eyes lit up. All along, the infantry had been passively beaten by the cavalry. Except for the shield soldiers who suffered less damage, the other soldiers could be said to be passively beaten by the mounted archery. The performance of the phalanx of Macedonians was already beyond everyone's expectations.
Even Li Shimin nodded with satisfaction. The fact that the phalanx of Macedonians could barely protect themselves in front of the mounted archery was already enough to amaze people.
Since it was a martial arts practice and not a life and death battle, there naturally had to be a rule. With the sound of a drum, the first round ended. Both sides were tied.
Although Li Junxian had the upper hand, his expression was still ugly. The phalanx of Macedonians opposite him was actually able to maintain their formation after several rounds of arrows. It seemed that the cavalry had the advantage, but in fact, they had already lost half of the battle.
"I wonder which general is leading the phalanx of Macedonians!" Li Jing looked at the phalanx of Macedonians. The fully armed general could not help but ask. Facing a sky full of arrows, to be able to calmly command, he indeed had the demeanor of a general.
Meton bowed and said, "Replying to General Li, this person is General Su Dingfang. I heard that General Su Dingfang is proficient in both infantry and cavalry. I specially invited General Su to lead the phalanx of Macedonians. "
Li Jing suddenly understood. He nodded and said, "When the Old Man attacked the Turks, General Su was the vanguard and left a deep impression on the Old Man. This is a good general! He will definitely become a great talent in the future. "
Meton could not help but secretly praise Li Jing's vision. In history, Su Dingfang had fought in all directions, from the desert filled with yellow sand to the stormy sea. The battle line spanned nearly ten thousand miles. He attacked three countries and captured their masters alive. It could be said that he was the second generation of the military god of the Tang dynasty.
In the unofficial history, it was recorded that Su Dingfang learned the art of war from Li Jing. However, Su Dingfang was already over forty years old. In Meton's opinion, this method was indeed nonsense. However, Su Dingfang was indeed a late bloomer. At this moment, Su Dingfang was like Li Jing who had just surrendered to the Tang dynasty. He had just revealed his talent and was already showing off his ability.
With the sound of the drum, the second round began. This round was a frontal attack.
With the sound of the drum, Su Dingfang revealed a firm expression under the heavy armor. He recalled the attack method of the phalanx of Macedonians that Meton had personally taught him. He waved his hand and shouted.
"Advance!"
Immediately, the hundred-man team led by Su Dingfang strode toward the hundred-man team led by Li Junxian.
Li Junxian strove to pacify his warhorse. Not to be outdone, he pointed with his arm and shouted, "Charge of the Hundred Cavalry!"
Cavalry was the strongest troop class. Li Junxian naturally did not want to lose without a fight. Moreover, both of them were proud people. Moreover, Li Shimin was watching from the side. They both wanted to fight for their honor.
Boom!
The two pairs of spears collided with a loud bang.
However, the result made everyone's jaws drop. An inch longer, an inch stronger. The advantage of the two-zhang-long wooden spears was just too obvious. In front of the densely packed wooden spears, almost every cavalryman was pierced by at least five wooden spears. The elite hundred-man team simply did not have time to display their skills before they were all knocked off their horses.
"This!"
Seeing the hundred-man team being knocked off their horses, Hou Junji couldn't help but gape. There was naturally no need to say much about the elite hundred-man team. However, in front of this phalanx of Macedonians, they were completely powerless to retaliate.
Li Shimin and Li Jing immediately gasped. This was only a drill, and they were using wooden spears. If steel spears were used, it would probably be a massacre.
On the drill ground, under Su Dingfang's command, the spear-wielding infantry advanced step by step. The formation remained stable from beginning to end. Meanwhile, the hundred-man team was retreating step by step. At the final moment, when more than a dozen spears were pressed against Li Junxian's armor, the weapon in Li Junxian's hand immediately fell to the ground.
This time, he had been defeated. He had been utterly defeated. He had been defeated without the slightest ability to retaliate. He was also a veteran of battle, but he had never seen a troop class that could completely restrain cavalry. However, although Li Junxian had been defeated, he had keenly sensed the weakness of this phalanx, and that was the flanks and rear wings.
The third round of the drill was an unrestricted battle.
Li Junxian mounted his horse and relentlessly attacked the flanks and rear wings of the phalanx of Macedonians. Although Su Dingfang had given his all in command, the phalanx of Macedonians was too inflexible. In the end, Li Junxian seized the opportunity to break through the formation and ultimately wipe out the entire army.
So far, in the three rounds of the drill, both sides had one draw, one win, and one loss.
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