"Commander, Osman is waiting for us twenty miles ahead."
Liu Jingren ran to Su Chen and said, "If we go further, he will rush over."
Su Chen smiled and said: "Then let's find a place nearby and take a break for the time being."
Since Osman is waiting in front, Su Chen can't continue marching.
If you get too close, Osman will rush over suddenly, and you won't have time to react.
It happened that the place in front of him was quite spacious and there was a water source nearby, so Su Chen simply asked the army to stop and set up camp on the spot.
While sending people to keep an eye on Osman, see what his next move will be.
At present, Osman only has more than 10,000 cavalry waiting in front. This is nothing.
If Osman recruits heavy armored infantry, catapults, etc., then they will have a decisive battle with Su Chen halfway.
The hot air balloons kept hovering above Osman's head. One was out of fuel, and another one followed.
At night, Osman desperately wanted to take advantage of the darkness to get behind Su Chen.
After being warned by two bombs dropped from the sky,
Osman was very depressed and led his troops to retreat.
At a distance of one to twenty miles, it was impossible for Osman to rush in front of the Tang army before the Tang army prepared their military chariots.
In that case, going to war with the Tang army would mean death.
Osman has suffered losses several times and will definitely not act rashly.
"Commander, the Ottomans have occupied the place you selected. There are a large number of heavy armored infantry, as well as trebuchets and artillery being transported there."
Liu Jingren ran back from the front and reported to Su Chen.
Cheng Wuting smiled and said: "Just say that Osman will not easily let us set up camp five miles away from Shila City."
"Commander, what should we do now? The place you chose is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Now it is occupied by the Ottomans in advance. Attacking by force is not a good idea."
Su Chen stared at the map for a long time and said: "There is no danger to defend here, so retreat."
"Retreat to the small hill we passed the day before yesterday."
Of course Su Chen would not choose to fight Osman head-on and retreated a few miles.
Camped next to a small hill and waited for the arrival of Persian reinforcements.
Three days later, 10,000 Persian troops, escorting countless ammunition, kerosene, grain, grass and other supplies, came to join the army.
Osman saw that the Tang army was waiting for another 10,000 Persians, but he didn't take it seriously. He also knew that the 10,000 Persians were not elites.
Then Osman went to find Su Chen leading him all the way east.
What is this for?
Is it possible to cross the Gila River and go east?
Osman immediately followed Su Chen's army and rushed eastward.
Halfway through, Osman received a report that the Tang army was really crossing the river.
Osman was happy: I have a pontoon bridge upstream, but it is useless for you to cross the river downstream.
Osman hurriedly ordered the food troops guarding the west end of the pontoon bridge to quickly pass through the pontoon bridge to the east bank, and then go south along the river. He also ran away from the baggage troops behind him and led the cavalry to quickly run towards the river.
When Osman arrived at the river, he found that the Tang army did not have enough boats to cross the river, and half of the troops were still on this side of the river.
Osman's every move was under the surveillance of the hot air balloon in mid-air. Of course, Su Chen had noticed him long ago and was chasing him from behind.
So we had already set up a formation by the river and were waiting for him.
Osman was very depressed when he saw the Tang army hiding behind the Wugang chariot and aiming its artillery at him:
The more than 10,000 cavalrymen he led must not be able to do anything about the Tang army by the river. They tried it last time by the Xifina River.
That time, Ottoman directly lost more than 10,000 elite cavalry, which made Osman heartbroken.
If we charge hard this time and send more than 10,000 cavalry in, then there will be no need to fight this battle.
However, Osman was not anxious when he saw Tang Jun by the river, and kept sneering in his heart:
Humph! But since you have run to the river, don’t even think about leaving!
My army will first wipe out all your troops who have crossed the river, and then I will take care of you.
Ottoman had already ordered the infantry, trebuchets, artillery, etc. behind him to rush here quickly.
Once the large army arrives, even if it is slow, the Tang army will be crushed to death on the river bank.
Osman also discovered that the terrain on the river bank was very unfavorable to the Tang army:
There is a river to the east, and hills and terraces beside the river to the northwest. The Tang army can only leave the river bank from the south and southwest, while it stares at the Tang army from the southwest.
Although he did not dare to brave artillery fire to attack the Tang army's camp, the Tang army did not dare to run out from behind the Wugang chariot and fight with him head-on.
Moreover, the Ottoman army was right next to him, so Su Chen could not continue to let the army cross the river.
So the two armies confronted each other by the river, but this was very detrimental to the Tang army. Once the follow-up army of Dashihan arrived, the Tang army by the river would be in danger.
What made Osman happy was that his troops upstream had passed the pontoon bridge and were moving along the river bank towards the Tang Dynasty and Persians on the other side of the river.
As for the Tang and Persian armies that had crossed the river, they were not protected by Wugang chariots or supported by artillery.
Seeing a big cannibal coming upstream, they all broke up and ran for their lives!
When the big cannibals from upstream came to kill them, they found that all the enemies had already fled.
Osman held up his telescope and looked at the situation on the other side of the river, almost laughing.
However, Osman was also puzzled. The troops on the other side of the river had all arrived. Why was there no news about the infantry and baggage troops behind him? They were only ten miles away, so why were they so slow?
Osman was about to send someone back to see what was going on, when a scout hurriedly came from behind:
"Your Majesty! The Tang army has come around to our rear and is massacring our baggage troops. General Aviye requests your Majesty to send troops back as soon as possible for reinforcements!"
Osman almost fell off his horse. He pointed at the army in front and said angrily: "The Tang army is all by the river. Where can the Tang army come from behind!"
The scout was so anxious that he burst into tears. For such a big thing, even if I had ten heads, I would not dare to lie about the military situation!
"How many of the Tang troops are there?"
Osman was just angry for a moment, and he also knew that he had been fooled.
"The number is not large, less than two thousand,"
"But Your Majesty, our army has no cavalry at the rear, and the infantry cannot resist the Tang army's heavy armored cavalry!"
Osman waved his hand and immediately asked his cousin Muvisa to lead five thousand cavalry back to rescue the baggage troops in the rear.
Muwesa looked embarrassed: "Your Majesty, we are so poisonous, if my brother takes away a third of the people in one go,"
"Then Your Majesty, you will be in danger when facing the Tang army in front of you!"
Osman said angrily: "Go quickly!"
"If the Tang army destroys our catapults and artillery, what will we use to attack the Tang army in the future?"
"Tang Jun can't do anything to me at this point."
Muvisa quickly turned back with five thousand cavalry.
Su Chen stood by the river, holding up a telescope, and saw that the army around Osman suddenly decreased by one-third.
