Chapter 63: Eighteen Rivers

Fifty thousand cavalry!

"West of the Helan Mountains, where are the Apodagan and Dulu tribes? How can they have so many cavalry?"

Li Xuan asked doubtfully.

It's not that I doubt the scouts. After all, the scouts can estimate the number of enemy troops by their formation, smoke, and flags.

Of course, it is also possible that the enemy deliberately uses tactics to confuse the enemy.

"Marshal Wang will lead the main force to conquer the Yinshan Mountains. The tribes there will not appear here."

Wang Sili fell into deep thought.

"It is said that there are still 18 Turkic tribes in the area from Yantelepo to Xian'e River. Although these tribes are not large, they can have a certain influence when united."

Li Xuan walked towards the map hanging in the camp and spoke slowly.

"The Eighteen Hebo tribes have a rift with the Usumish lineage of the Turks, and their official positions are one level lower than those of chieftains such as Apodagan. It seems that the Turkic left wing tribes have put aside their past grievances and united together."

Wang Sili was very familiar with the Turkic tribes.

At the critical moment, the Eighteen Hebo tribes will join forces with Apodagan and other tribes to put some pressure on the detachment.

"Defeat these 50,000 cavalrymen and defeat Helan in one battle."

Li Xuan was plotting in his mind.

"What's your strategy, General?"

Wang Sili asked Li Xuan with high morale.

This is the opportunity a man waits for in this world.

"The Turkic cavalry must have detected our army's movements and are heading straight for us. The scouts will report back in two hours. The Turkic cavalry are now less than a hundred miles away from our army. According to their speed, they will arrive tomorrow morning."

"Our army can use this time to find a high slope that is large enough to set up camp and defend. We should immediately notify the main force for support. Our main cavalry can go around to the rear of the Turkish army and cooperate with the heavy infantry that arrives to encircle and annihilate the Turkish cavalry."

Li Xuan told Wang Sili all his thoughts.

In his opinion, facing such a great military achievement, even if Zhang Qiqiu was a pig, he could grasp it.

"Send the message now. Even if the main force of infantry rushes here overnight, it will take until tomorrow afternoon. We have to hold out against tens of thousands of cavalry for at least half a day."

Wang Sili reminded Li Xuan.

"If we occupy the terrain, our Feng'an army can hold it. Besides, we have no other choice. Our infantry cannot outrun the cavalry. If we don't occupy the terrain, we will inevitably be passive." Li Xuan said solemnly to Wang Sili.

The vanguard troops must do things to lure the enemy, just to achieve the final victory.

"General, our Feng'an army is marching lightly and can get closer to the main force. Please ask the main force to send cavalry to support us." Qi Chong, the prosecutor who was accompanying the army, said to Li Xuan.

"How can the vanguard army retreat? Moreover, once we get close to the main cavalry, it will not be easy to lure the enemy into deep." Li Xuan denied Qi Chong's idea.

If the main force sent cavalry to support them, they might be able to make it in time, but the total number of Tang cavalry was less than 20,000.

Facing 50,000 Turkic cavalry without any tactics would only make the Tang army more passive on the battlefield.

"It's extremely urgent. Please inform General Zhang as soon as possible."

Li Xuan ordered the military clerk to write three military documents, hand them over to the messenger, and at the same time deliver them to Zhang Qiqiu.

In addition, Li Xuan also wrote a letter himself and asked the messenger to deliver it to Li Guangbi.

He hoped that Li Guangbi could persuade Zhang Qiqiu to use his strategy.

Carrying only dry food, the infantry rushed to the rescue overnight.

Send cavalry to bypass the Turkish cavalry.

When the main infantry arrived at the battlefield, the main cavalry attacked from the rear.

Li Xuan finally added: If Li Yuhou has a better plan, we can formulate a new strategy.

"General, there is a high slope five miles to the east, which can accommodate our troops."

An hour later, the soldiers who had surveyed the terrain came back and reported to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan and Wang Sili went to the high slope to investigate in person.

Li Xuan was not satisfied with the steepness of the slope because war horses could easily charge up it.

After a while, the soldiers told Li Xuan that there was a high slope ten miles to the north, which was the only way for the Turkic cavalry to move south.

Li Xuan rode his horse quickly to the high slope again.

The slope in the north is about 30 degrees, and in the south it is less than 20 degrees. The Turkic cavalry can also charge up if they go around to the south, but they have a better geographical advantage than the previous high slope.

Li Xuan immediately ordered the Feng'an Army to march here.

At night, six thousand Feng'an infantry and cavalry arrived here.

Li Xuan led the way, driving a chariot fully loaded with supplies and pushing it to the open area on the slope in one breath.

The other soldiers who were pulling the horses were not as relaxed as Li Xuan.

It took two hours for all the chariots and soldiers to reach the top of the slope.

Before setting out from the gorge, two hundred more chariots were needed, which came in handy at this time. Two layers of chariots were placed on the south, west and east sides. The north was steep, so only one layer of chariots was placed.

The location of the Feng'an Army was marked on the map by Li Xuan, who sent a messenger to Zhang Qiqiu.

"General Li, can you lead the light cavalry downhill to guerrilla attack the enemy? There is a vast wilderness around us, which can tie down some of the enemy cavalry."

In front of the campfire, Wang Sili suggested to Li Xuan.

"We have too few light cavalry to win by roaming and shooting. It is useless to tie down several thousand cavalry. The cavalry are all equipped with bows and arrows. We are on high ground and can help us defend more effectively. When reinforcements arrive, we will use the heavy cavalry to clear the way and the light cavalry will follow."

Li Xuan shook his head to reject Wang Sili's suggestion.

Even if they pinned down several thousand enemy cavalry, the number of enemy troops attacking them would not change. This high slope could accommodate at most 20,000 people attacking at the same time.

"The general is wise!" Wang Sili thought about it carefully and realized that this was the truth.

After the soldiers of Feng'an Army had finished their meal, Li Xuan only arranged a small number of soldiers to take turns patrolling at night, while the other soldiers rested.

The scouts would always provide feedback on the distance of the Turkic cavalry.

……

More than a hundred miles away is the central army camp.

"General, General Li has sent three messengers to come here. Why haven't you moved camp yet?"

Li Guangbi received Li Xuan's handwritten letter. Seeing that Zhang Qiqiu did not move, he, who usually had a good temper, could not help but come to the central army camp to question him.

"The soldiers have been marching for a day and are exhausted. After a night's rest, we will set out at dawn tomorrow."

Zhang Qiqiu said lightly.

"General, when Li Jing and Su Dingfang conquered the Turks, they often marched for several days. The soldiers shared a common hatred for the enemy and worked without sleep until victory. Our army marches twenty miles a day. Is this very tiring? The spirit of a human being is incomparable to that of a tiger or a wolf. How can we treat him like a deer or a sheep?"

Zhang Qiqiu's official position was General of the Imperial Guards, a fourth-rank official.

Li Guangbi called him this to express his strong dissatisfaction with Zhang Qiqiu.

"Li Guangbi, what do you mean?"

Zhang Qiqiu's face changed.

"General, please order us to set out overnight to support the front army. If the front army is defeated, it will definitely hit the morale of our main force."

Li Guangbi suppressed his emotions, bowed his head and begged.

He didn't know what Zhang Qiqiu was thinking.

Li Xuan was the son of the Left Prime Minister and was highly regarded by General Wang.

If anything goes wrong, how should I explain it?

"I have a strategy that is enough to win. You just do your job and don't worry about the rest."

Zhang Qiqiu said with a cold face.

"The 5,000 elite cavalry guarding the rear army should be recalled immediately. There are only a few Turkic cavalry left, and leaving 5,000 cavalry behind is enough to ensure the safety of the rear army."

Li Guangbi said with a stiff face. Cheng Gui's 5,000 light cavalry were the most elite.

Led by Cheng Gui, together with 5,000 Hu cavalry and 3,000 elite cavalry of the Dingyuan Army, they can carry out a roundabout mission.

The most important thing is that Cheng Gui can command the army.

"Do you still want the power to make decisions for the army? Get out!"

Zhang Qiqiu retorted and ordered them to expel him.

Li Guangbi clenched his fists, suddenly opened the camp curtain and left.

(End of this chapter)