The sudden attack of the Tang cavalry caught the Governor of Khorasan and the Grand Emir by surprise.

Although they had long known that the verbal alliance was no different from a piece of waste paper, the timing of the Tang army's sudden deployment was just right.

At this time, it would take another five days for the troops from Syria to arrive.

"Grand Emir, our cavalry should not engage in direct battle with the Tang army. We should quickly withdraw the cavalry and wait for reinforcements to arrive. Our infantry will hold on to Samugan City, and the Tang army will not be able to break through in a short period of time."

The Governor of Khorasan suggested to the Grand Emir.

They have a better way to win, and there is no need to fight a decisive battle with the Tang army now.

If the 50,000 cavalrymen were defeated in the decisive battle with the Tang army, the Arabs would lose Hezhong forever.

The troops from various provinces who have traveled a long distance must not enter the river again, but must go to the border of Khorasan to guard against the Tang army.

"We are the guards who defend the caliphate and religious status. We are warriors picked from thousands of miles away. If we retreat, it will affect our morale."

The great Emir frowned.

He used to have great respect for the Governor of Khorasan, but now he no longer has the same reverence as before.

After two defeats, his myth was shattered, making him feel that the Governor of Khorasan was nothing special.

However, the Caliph ordered him to obey the orders of the Governor of Khorasan, and he dared not disobey.

The Grand Emir, the commander of the Arab army, felt very uncomfortable being controlled by a local governor who had sacrificed hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

Among the 50,000 guards cavalry led by the Great Emir, there were 3,000 cavalry equipped with Khorasan-style heavy armor.

There were more than five thousand men wearing iron armor.

This is the absolutely elite force built by the entire Arab Empire.

The reason why the Syrian infantry were able to reach Tocharistan so quickly was that the elite troops from Syria and Iraq were already deployed to the west of Khorasan province to help the Arabs expand eastward.

Although the Arab guards had 50,000 men, they had 80,000 horses of all kinds and spare horses, which was why they were able to reach Samarcan so quickly from the capital.

The Great Emir is best at arranging cavalry for battle on the battlefield!
The Arabs are not good at riding and shooting, they prefer hand-to-hand combat!

Ride on horseback, use their scimitars to kill the enemy!

Including the infantry in the Syrian region, a large proportion of them were heavy armored infantry. This kind of Roman-style heavy armored infantry was also what the Arabs were good at.

It took only a hundred years for the Arabs to transform from a backward tribal model to the current huge black Arabs.

They are the best at learning!

In addition to military studies, they learned philosophy and science from the Greeks, literature and art from the Persians, mathematics and astronomy from the Indians, and papermaking from the Tang Dynasty...

The accumulation of hundreds or thousands of years of other civilizations was digested by the Arabs in just a few decades.

This kind of learning will help the Arabs become stronger and more brilliant in their civilization.

Of course, the lack of foundation will gradually become apparent.

The Great Emir obviously wanted to rely on the Arab cavalry to compete with the Tang cavalry.

After all, the Tang Dynasty had limited cavalry, most of which were servant cavalry.

"A tactical retreat will not affect morale. We cannot afford to make any more mistakes. I hope the Grand Emir will heed my advice."

The Governor of Khorasan said with a certain dignity.

"Take care of yourself in Samargan City!"

The Grand Emir was very unhappy, but he had to obey the Governor of Khorasan, but he also had some hidden meaning in his words.

Once they "retreat tactically" and join forces with the infantry in the Syrian region, they will not be able to support the city of Samar in a short period of time.

"Don't worry! Samakan City is well prepared and cannot be compared with Talas City. Once the Tang army is deadlocked at Samakan City, the great emir will lead his troops again, and we will surely win."

The Governor of Khorasan told the Grand Emir not to worry about the city of Samar.

"Report..."

However, at this moment, a scout holding a black flag came to the main camp of the Arabs at full speed, saying that there was urgent news to be delivered.

The Grand Emir's personal guards immediately led the scout into the tent.

"Report... Report to the Marshal, we found a large number of Tang army flags sixty miles west of Samakan City. They have at least one man riding two horses, and are heading towards Boshide City."

The scout reported to the Emir in an urgent tone, panting.

"what?"

"Are you sure they are Tang army soldiers?"

The Emir was horrified and quickly walked up to the scout and questioned him.

Even the Governor of Khorasan stood up suddenly and stared at the scout, feeling very uneasy!
"Replying to the Marshal, they are definitely the Tang army. They are wearing the same armor as the Tang army, and there are tens of thousands of them just wearing the Tang army's unique Mingguang armor! From afar, the sun's light is shining."

The scout replied to the Grand Emir.

They can't be wrong!
At first, the Arab scouts only encountered scouts from the Tang army.

They suffered many casualties and were shot by Tang scouts before they finally found out the strength of Tang. Many more scouts died before they brought back the news.

"How many cavalrymen does the Tang army have?"

The Governor of Khorasan asked first.

"There are at least 25,000 cavalrymen. They have a lot of horses, and the dust they raise is just like the dust we raised when our Royal Guards came."

The scout replied to the Governor of Khorasan.

When the Arab Guards Cavalry arrived, they had a total of 80,000 war horses.

The Tang Dynasty's one man with multiple horses could achieve such a great effect.

Even the Great Wall soldiers, who originally had one horse for each man, were assigned horses by Li Xuan, so each man now had two horses.

"The Tang army came prepared! General Tian also hid a large number of cavalry, which may be the real main force of the Tang army. Didn't the expeditionary army cause any damage to the Tang army?"

The Governor of Khorasan was stunned and muttered to himself as if he was talking to himself.

He learned from the merchants that the Tang Dynasty had dispatched cavalry from the Hexi Corridor into the Anxi Protectorate.

They asked merchants to gather intelligence and became familiar with the professional soldiers of the Tang Dynasty.

With this calculation, the expeditionary force did not hurt the vitality of the Tang army's professional soldiers at all.

Those are the warriors of Khorasan, second only to the imperial capital!

The Governor of Khorasan was heartbroken and extremely frightened.

How did Ziyad ibn Sari lead his troops in battle?
For the first time, he began to doubt this former warrior!
The Governor of Khorasan also understood the reason why the Tang army chose to march south at this time.

It was obvious that the Tang army was waiting for this elite cavalry to bypass the flank of the Arab cavalry.

It is already conceivable that this cavalry can easily entangle the 50,000 guards cavalry.

Then wait for the tens of thousands of Tang cavalry coalition forces in the north.

"How did you fight the battle? There were so many Tang troops in the river, and you didn't even know about it?"

The Grand Emir no longer cared about his status as the Governor of Khorasan and rebuked him.

Tens of thousands of pieces of armor wiped out the advantages of their armored cavalry.

The key point is that there is no news at all, how can I not be angry?
"…It's my fault…After the war, I will ask the Caliph for forgiveness…"

The Governor of Khorasan hesitated for a moment and said dejectedly. He did not quibble.

Before the battle even started, he was trampled to pieces by General Tian.

He was the undisputed first founding hero of the Black Caliphate, but his command ability, which he was so proud of, became worthless.

From Ziyad ibn Sari's expeditionary force to the recent Battle of Talas, Li Xuan slapped him in the face again and again.

Hide the cavalry!

Hide the main cavalry again!

Linked together, pressing step by step, silently!

It was just teasing him.

"What's the point of saying this now? It will be difficult for us to retreat. I decided to attack northward first, establish an advantage, and then resist the Tang cavalry in the west."

The Great Emir said in an unquestionable tone.

The Tang army in the west would definitely not fight him, and they were the elite Tang army, so the Great Emir set his sights on the north, which was closest to him.

Although the Tang army in the north had 40,000 to 50,000 cavalry, they were considered a "rabble" by the Great Emir and were easier to defeat than the west.

"Do as the Grand Emir wishes. There are still a thousand cavalrymen in Samar City, along with my five hundred cavalry guards, all under the command of the Grand Emir!"

The ashamed governor of Khorasan gave his all to support the Grand Emir in achieving victory.

He sent all his personal guards to the Grand Emir, indicating that if he failed, he would die.

In the view of the Governor of Khorasan, his personal guards and cavalry would be of little use in guarding the city of Samar.

Each of his personal guards is worth ten of his own, and might be able to play a crucial role.

The Emir said nothing more, but just nodded.

He felt happy when he saw the Governor of Khorasan lower his proud head to him.

To be honest, the Great Emir was not very afraid.

Heavenly General! Haha!

He had warriors who could throw javelins and pierce lions at once.

There was a most powerful warrior who could crush both the man and the horse with one blow of his hammer.

There is a crescent-shaped curved sword, which can be used to cut off the enemy's head as easily as taking something out of a bag.

There was also the most powerful general of the Arab Empire, Humam Hussein, the commander of the Royal Guards Cavalry. When attacking Kufa, Humam Hussein was the first to enter the city, fighting against a hundred enemies alone, and no one could defeat him.

Watch his performance next!
Defeated the Tang army and occupied Hezhong.

The first merit is no longer the Governor of Khorasan. He also wants to become the new Sword of Allah!

The Arab cavalry had completed their mobilization, carrying only water and sufficient weapons.

In order to prevent a surprise attack by the Tang army, 3,000 armored cavalrymen were equipped and put on horseback for the first time.

The Grand Emir took over the 1,500 cavalrymen who came out of the city of Samar.

He was full of vigor and formed a formation that he thought was invincible. He used this formation to shatter the army of Marwan II and create a great victory for the rebels.

The Arab cavalry was divided into ten phalanxes!

One armored cavalry phalanx, two iron cavalry phalanxes, one javelin phalanx, and one mounted archery phalanx.

Four formations guarding the main battle.

The last 5,000 cavalrymen were left around the formation to serve as a surprise force and to prevent the Tang army from doing anything special.

Once the war begins, the first wave will definitely be the armored cavalry charging against the Tang cavalry formation.

The Tang army scouts found out the changes in the Arab formation and reported it to Li Xuan.

The two sides were less than twenty miles apart.

"The Arabs don't think our army will confront the armored cavalry head-on, do they?"

When Li Xuan heard that the Arabs were using armored cavalry as sharp swords, he shook his head and smiled.

The armored cavalry under the Anxi Beiting Army have given up their horse armor.

Unless it was a peerless BMW like Li Xuan's Huoyun horse, the Tang army would not have been able to fight against an organized group of armored cavalry.

Armored cavalry equipment was created to deal with infantry. Li Xuan used armored cavalry equipment to defeat the infantry.

One thousand light cavalry can easily kill three thousand armored cavalry.

"Replying to General Li, the Arabs have never engaged in a decisive cavalry battle with our Tang army, and they are far less flexible than the Tang in the use of cavalry. Our cavalry will separate the iron cavalry and the light cavalry, and first let the Qarluk light cavalry and the Tuqi use the light cavalry to exert the power of the cavalry. If the horses and men are both armored and charge for a long time, the horses will be damaged."

Ma Lin suggested to Li Xuan.

"That's what I thought too!"

Li Xuan nodded.

Now the initiative is in the hands of the Tang army. Li Xuan does not want to act stubbornly. He wants to wait for Che Shensai and Feng Changqing to lead the elite cavalry and light cavalry of the Jinglüe Army and the Great Wall Army to complete the pincer attack on the Arab Guards Cavalry.

Li Xuan suspected that the commander of the Arab cavalry had already learned that the God of Chariots had blocked their retreat.

The Arab cavalry did not retreat but attacked. Li Xuan knew exactly what was going on.

Soldiers have no constant momentum, and water has no constant shape.

The use of troops requires tact and cannot be rigid. Li Xuan is not a reckless man who likes to fight head-on. If he does not have a backup plan, Li Xuan will feel uncomfortable.

The more the Arab Guards Cavalry want to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the Tang Dynasty, the more we must not let them succeed!

"Tell General Cheng to stop the infantry from advancing southwards to besiege Samakan City and to deploy troops on the spot to prevent the Arab cavalry from making desperate moves!"

Li Xuan asked the messenger to convey the order to Cheng Qianli.

Infantry are most likely to reveal flaws when they are marching.

Since the Arabs took the initiative to fight, there was no point in the infantry besieging the city of Samakan.

After defeating the Arab cavalry, we will deal with the city of Samagan.

The people in Samakan City are all infantry, it is impossible for them to grow wings and fly away!

As for the Governor of Khorasan whom Li Xuan had "long yearned for", if he ran away, Li Xuan would not care.

Because Li Xuan had already decided to restore Sassanid Persia, he had to go to Murug, the capital of Khorasan Province.

At the same time, the messengers around Li Xuan passed the command flags, allowing the formations of the various troops to separate again.

At the same time, the iron cavalry retreated and the light cavalry moved forward.

Forty-five thousand cavalrymen have been deployed over dozens of miles and are heading towards an area of ​​a hundred miles in radius.

Including Anxi and Beiting, the number of countries with cavalry under Li Xuan's command exceeded one hundred.

Although there were many countries, Li Xuan's formation was divided into Hezhong, Yuchi Sheng's subordinates, the Tuqishi tribes, the Qarluk, the Anxi Army, and the Beiting Military Region.

No one dared to disobey Li Xuan's orders or turn a blind eye.

Because in their eyes, General Tian’s military orders were like imperial decrees, and the whip would point east and never west.

The water was shallow, so the cavalry waded through it and stopped the current with their whips.

The Tang army knights had grim eyes and aggressive demeanor, with determination written on each of their faces as they followed their commander.

Li Xuan planned to annihilate the Arab Guards at the flat hills near the Namishui area.

The movement of the Tang army brought relief to the surrounding Sogdian states.

The Sogdian states all dispatched their only cavalry to provide support.

They want to shed the blood of the Arabs in the former land of Zhaowu.

At noon, Hun Yu led the vanguard cavalry of the square formation and encountered a 100-man Turkic slave-Arab cruising team on a desert ground.

While the horses were chasing, Hun Yu shot five arrows, and five Turkic slaves fell off their horses.

The Tang cavalry followed behind him, charging and shooting at lightning speed, and the Turkic slaves fell to the ground at the sound of their arrows!
That’s why I’m very afraid!

Hun Yu pursued them all the way and saw black flags covering the sky, and armored cavalry, shouting and neighing, endless.

This is the main force of the Arab cavalry!
It also means that the Tang Dynasty cavalry coalition and the Arab Guards cavalry officially met.

"The Tang army is in front of us. Warriors, charge with all your might and wipe out the Tang army. Live in holy land, die with a fragrant scent. God will bless us and wash away the shame we have suffered before!"

"Whoever kills the Heavenly General will be appointed Governor General by the Caliph, and he will enjoy glory and honor for generations to come!"

The Grand Emir held up a jeweled scimitar and issued military orders.

And offer huge rewards to boost morale.

The governor is a high-ranking official of the Arab Empire, and the caliph will not easily grant him the title.

But General Tian was the Tang army's belief. During the Battle of Talas, the soldiers who fled back to Samakan City said that General Tian personally wore armor and was invincible on the battlefield.

This also means that by killing Li Xuan, they can easily win.

"Woooo..."

After the messenger issued the military order, the sound of the Arab trumpets gathered in the sky.

The Arab Guards were full of energy and held their heads high.

The bow and javelin were in hand, the scimitar was drawn from its scabbard, and the spear was gripped tightly.

Greed flashed in the eyes of the Arab warriors. If they killed the Heavenly General, they would be able to enter the Caliph's vision and become governors!

However, the tactic of using armored cavalry as a spearhead meant that the surrounding light cavalry could not advance quickly.

A team of cavalry led by Hun Yu turned around and ran away.

The main force of the Arab cavalry could not catch up with the light cavalry.

"Woooo..."

The Tang army's horn warnings, one after another, conveyed military orders and information to an area of ​​hundreds of miles.

Led by the leader, the cavalry in various army formations reined in their horses, the rear army became the front army, and turned north.

The light cavalry simply slowed down their speed deliberately, waiting for the Arab cavalry to enter the launching distance.

Li Xuan's personal guards were not light cavalry, so they were placed near the middle of the team, leaving the tasks of horse riding and archery to the light cavalry.

He waited for the real battle to come and then charged into the enemy's ranks.

"Boom!"

When the Arab cavalry were trying to boost their morale and wanted to fight a real battle, they found that the Tang army quickly turned around and "escaped".

The armored cavalry equipment is very poor when chasing.

The Great Emir dreamed of using the armored cavalry as the core to crush the enemy. The entire Guards Army was serving the armored cavalry, but the Tang Army did not give them a chance.

"The light cavalry charged into the Tang army's formation, and together with the cavalry archers, entangled the Tang army."

The Great Emir punched the air, but he was very decisive. Seeing that the Tang army wanted to escape them, he immediately ordered the light cavalry to break into the Tang army's formation and force the Tang army to fight with them.

He wanted to fight, mainly because the threat from the west was approaching them quickly.

Before the Tang Dynasty reinforcements arrived, they did not necessarily have to establish victory, but they must have an advantage.

A phalanx of Arab light cavalry and mounted archers stood out from the crowd, holding scimitars, and charged towards the Tang coalition light cavalry.

The Arab light cavalry that charged into the battle were only equipped with scimitars, and under their full strength, the Arab horses galloped very quickly.

They divided themselves into two teams and tried to coordinate with the cavalry archers in the rear to outflank the Tang army.

In less than half a minute, the two sides were close...

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..."

The more experienced Tang army bent their bows, drew their arrows, turned around and shot them backwards.

At this distance, the Arabs can only throw the projectiles, and the probability of hitting the target directly is very small.

"Pfft! Pfft..."

Arrows rained down, and the Arab light cavalry, who were in dense formation and not dispersed, fell to the ground one after another.

At the same time, the Tang army's light cavalry behind also began to speed up and keep their distance.

The Tang army's iron cavalry and light cavalry were twenty miles apart, and the Arab Guards cavalry would find it difficult to catch up for a while.

The light cavalry of the Qarluk, Turgesh, and Anxi Beiting displayed their light cavalry skills to the Arab cavalry. These people who came out of the desert were unable to resist for a while.

No matter how large their formation expanded, the Tang light cavalry could always complete the defense and distance themselves from the Arab light cavalry.

During the chase, the distance between the Arab light cavalry and the armored cavalry was almost ten miles.

The Grand Emir was afraid that the light cavalry and horse archers would fall into the trap of the Tang army, so he immediately ordered the light cavalry to stop pursuing and move closer to the main force.

The Arab scouts also discovered that the Tang Dynasty's formation was spread out over a hundred miles, making it difficult to intercept.

This clearly means a tug-of-war with the Arab army!

"What general? He is a coward!"

The great Emir, who had been so ambitious not long ago, now felt as nauseous as if he had eaten a fly.

(End of this chapter)