"Press it forward in one go, or send someone to take a detour?"
Li Shimin asked this key question after Li Yuanji decided to go to Maling for reinforcements.
To press forward in one go means to rush directly to Maling in one go and start a battle with the Turkic forces outside Maling City.
Sending people to make a detour means sending people to the rear to conduct a sneak attack, or sending people to go around to the east to launch a flanking attack.
Li Yuanji looked back at the swarming army behind him and sighed: "It seems that there is no need to send people to make a detour, right?"
Although there are more than 10,000 troops in Takashi's army, he has even more troops under his command.
If they fight head-on, they can easily defeat the powerful troops, so there is no need to take detours.
Li Shimin sighed and said: "If we press forward at once, we will injure many soldiers."
Li Yuanji looked sideways at Li Shimin, and wanted to ask Li Shimin, isn't morale more important at this time?
As long as Maling can step forward when Maling is in danger, as long as he can defeat a large Turkic army head-on when bad news from all over Gyeongju continues, Maling's morale will suddenly soar, and so will the people and soldiers across Gyeongju.
It will give rise to hope of defeating the Turks and defending Gyeongju, and morale will also be improved.
Therefore, even if there is some damage in this battle, it is still worth it.
Although morale is an invisible and intangible thing, it is really important.
When morale is high, a few, dozens, or hundreds of people can pursue thousands of enemies.
When morale is low, thousands of people may not be able to defeat a few, dozens, or hundreds of people.
Therefore, morale is very important to the soldiers, to the people who support the soldiers, and to the war situation.
Therefore, when there is a way to improve morale, military commanders and those in power will do it without hesitation.
"But if we win, it will greatly improve the morale of Datang. No matter how big the loss is, it will be worth it."
Just when Li Yuanji was about to argue with Li Shimin, Li Shimin suddenly changed the subject and started laughing.
Li Yuanji suddenly didn't know what to say.
I don’t know who Li Shimin learned this from, but he actually started to breathe heavily when he was talking.
"Since the second brother thinks it's worth it, let's march in?"
Li Yuanji asked angrily.
Li Shimin nodded and began to lay out the strategy for the march.
Scouts are required to rush to various places in Maling immediately to conduct sneak attacks and assassinate the scouts, scouts and other intelligence personnel sent by the Turks.
The ancient scouts were a multi-functional unit that not only shouldered the important task of spying on military intelligence, but also shouldered various tasks such as sneak attacks, assassinations, and blocking enemies.
Specifically, it depends on whether the superiors can issue orders. If the superiors do not issue orders, the teams in each scout team will have to make their own decisions based on the situation on the battlefield.
Therefore, Li Shimin's request for them to sneak attack and assassinate was not considered as forcing someone to do something difficult.
The infantry were required to immediately deploy their arrow formations when entering the area of Maling City and advance toward Maling City in eleven formations.
The Qingqi were required to immediately take a detour and rush to the rear of the Turks after entering the area of Maling City to cut off the Turks' retreat path.
Li Yuanji was asked to lead a group of fine cavalry to support the Yafeng Formation, responsible for strangling the Turkic elite cavalry who attacked the Yafeng Formation from both sides and scattered the Yafeng Formation... The cavalry has never been the main force on the frontal battlefield.
It is also difficult for the cavalry to defeat the enemy through hedging when the two armies are facing each other.
On the battlefield, except for cavalry confrontation and formation breakthrough, cavalry is rarely sent to the front of the formation to fight head-on with the enemy's sword and shield soldiers, spearmen and other vanguards.
Therefore, on the frontal battlefield where two armies confront each other, especially on the frontal battlefield where there are a large number of participants, the cavalry more often plays the role of blocking the enemy's retreat, raiding the enemy's formation, and strangling the enemy from the flanks.
When the scouts, Qingqi and other leading troops arrived within the confines of Maling City, the Turks quickly received the news.
Yehu Zeda, the new leader of the Turkic Army, immediately slowed down his attack on Maling City, turned around and mobilized all his followers to attack where the Tang Dynasty had deployed its military formation.
The defenders in Maling City clearly saw a large number of Turkic troops rushing to the southwest of the city, and also clearly felt that the intensity of the Turks' attack on the city began to decrease sharply.
Only thirty-eight years old, but already with gray hair and a gray beard, Maling County Lieutenant Ma Zheng knelt on the top of the city and cried loudly.
A group of local warriors who followed him to resist the Turks for many days also shed tears of grievance and excitement.
"Why did you come here?"
"You are finally here!"
"..."
Li Shimin seemed to feel the howling sound on Maling City, and subconsciously raised his head and stared in the direction of Maling City.
At this time, Yu Wenbao handed over his hand and reported to Li Shimin on horseback, "General manager, the scouts reported that Ye Huzheda, who is in charge of the strength department, led more than 10,000 horses under his command to rush here."
Li Shimin was stunned for a moment, and Li Jiancheng, who was being driven by Li Shimin and was reluctantly preparing to lead people to supervise the battle, was also stunned.
Li Yuanji, who had just put on his armor and was about to lead his elite cavalry into battle, was also stunned.
Li Jiancheng was the first to come to his senses. After he came to his senses, he said in astonishment: "Does he think he is Xiang Yu?"
It was cavalry versus infantry, and it was a head-on battle. It was ten thousand versus forty thousand, and it was against a strong army of forty thousand. The Turks actually took the initiative to launch an attack.
Although there was no close combat yet, Ye Huzheda, who was in charge of the powerful force, neither arranged his troops nor sent forward troops to cause trouble, nor even sent out cavalry to test the strength of the Tang Dynasty.
It can be seen that he is prepared to directly fight against the Tang Dynasty soldiers and horses, and will not engage in any nonsense.
"Explore again!"
Li Shimin was an old man after all. Faced with the enemy's stupid behavior, he did not lose his composure or be overjoyed. Instead, he ordered Yu Wenbao to send scouts to continue to investigate and find out clearly.
Yu Wenbao quickly ordered the scouts to investigate again.
After further exploration, the results were the same.
Li Shimin remained unmoved and continued to let Yu Wenbao explore again.
Yu Wenbao simply left the situation in person and took his people to investigate the direction in which the Turks were attacking.
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! After seeing the Wuyangyang Turkic cavalry organized into a barely visible military formation and rushing towards the direction of the Tang Dynasty soldiers and horses, Yu Wenbao hurriedly rode his horse
Return to the army and report back.
It was confirmed that what the previous two scouts said was true and not a single lie.
Li Shimin finally lost his composure and said in disbelief: "Have they just surrendered to Jieli and haven't they fought head-on with my soldiers and horses of the Tang Dynasty?"... Li Jiancheng gloated and said with a smile: "That's what they did.
They have never fought head-on with my soldiers and horses of the Tang Dynasty, they have never seen the real elite soldiers of my Datang Dynasty."
Li Yuanji glanced at Li Shimin, then at Li Jiancheng and said: "I think they must have stayed in the Western Regions for a long time and were spoiled by the vassal countries in the Western Regions."
Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng were both stunned. After thinking about it carefully, they realized that this was really the case.
As a branch of the Western Turkic royal family, the Tashili tribe no one dares to provoke them in the Western Region where the Western Turks dominate, and those who dare to provoke them cannot withstand their poison and destruction, so no one can defeat them wherever they go.
Over time, this swarm-like fighting style was developed.
When I arrived in the Eastern Turks, I participated in the Eastern Turks' invasion of the Tang Dynasty for the first time. When I encountered the heavy troops of the Tang Dynasty, I naturally adopted their most familiar fighting methods.
However, this method of combat has a great market and advantages in the Western Regions.
But in Datang, there was no market and no advantage at all.
The fighting style of the people from the Western Regions is still at the level of swarming up, retreating, and pursuing.
Although they have been in contact with the Central Plains people for a long time, and some Central Plains people went to the Western Regions to avoid trouble, they learned some of the Central Plains people's fighting methods.
But essentially there hasn't been much change.
They still like to use more people to bully fewer people, and take advantage of the cavalry's high mobility to surprise the enemy.
After encountering a strong enemy, they also like to rush forward in a swarm to confront the strong enemy.
Perhaps in their view, they have a horse on their crotch, they can fight when they can beat them, and they can run away when they cannot beat them.
But in the eyes of Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng, this was simply seeking death.
Let's not talk about how they broke through the three rows of sword-carts at the front. The sword-and-shield soldiers, spearmen, and crossbowmen arranged in the center of the sword-cart alone were enough for them to drink.
After the sword and shield soldiers broke through the sword and chariot formation, they would use their scabbards as pestles, put their shields on the ground, and cooperate with the spear soldiers to form rows of shield piercing walls.
When the cavalry confronts them, they will be pricked into hedgehogs by their spears before they even touch their shields.
Even if it touches the shield and uses the war horse as a human shield to break the pikemen's spears, the crossbowmen behind the pikemen will greet them with a powerful crossbow.
Not to mention that behind the crossbowmen there are various soldiers armed with large ordnance waiting in full formation, as well as a bunch of infantry armed with snagging ropes, sabers and other weapons waiting to go into battle at any time.
Scenes like those in movies and TV shows where cavalry directly break through military formations will never happen.
There will be no scenes of prancing horses flying over knife carts or shield walls.
Three rows of sword carts and seven or eight rows of shield walls.
In total, it is more than ten feet wide. What kind of horse can cross an area of more than ten feet wide on flat ground? Read a book
Not to mention that when the prancing horse takes off, the people on the horse and the war horses will become targets for the crossbowmen behind the pikemen.
A round of crossbow fire with the thickness of a baby's arm would make even the gods bow down on the spot.
"Do you still need me to leave in person?"
Li Yuanji stared at Li Shimin and asked.
Li Shimin shook his head without hesitation.
What else is needed? The Turks are so stupid to rush into them directly. There is no need for Li Yuanji to show his extraordinary bravery to curb the momentum of the Turks' charge.
"Assemble your long-sword army and stand by in the left formation."
The Changdao Army was the prototype of the Modao Camp. In terms of horse-killing, it was even sharper than the Horse-Slaying Saber Team handed down from the Han Dynasty.
A ten-foot-long broadsword, whether it is struck on the ground or swept across the ground, can pose a huge threat to the cavalry.
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The Christmas scarecrow reminds you: remember to collect it after reading it