Chương 722: Battle Against Rest

The massive army marched out of Fulousha and headed west.

The soldiers' pockets were bulging, and their morale was even higher... After winning the first battle, they were rewarded with money. Winning battles is great; there's money to be made and merit to be earned. Who wouldn't be happy?

Zhang Fei, mounted on his horse and carrying his eighteen-foot spear, was beaming with pride.

"I want to be the first to rush to the next resting place!"

Cheng Yaojin laughed, "Old Zhang, don't take them all! Leave some for me!"

The two chatted and laughed, completely disregarding the importance of rest in peace.

If the Kushan Empire was this weak, how much stronger could Anxi be?

..................

Parthian King Vologases VI is currently vying with his brother Artaban IV. The two are each trying to win over the nobility and are at odds with each other. It looks like they are about to have a civil war to seize the throne. They have even assembled their armies and are just waiting to take action.

The court was also divided into two factions, arguing and impeaching each other every day, like fighting cocks.

Vologsis VI was constantly plotting how to reduce his brother's military power, while Ardaban was constantly plotting how to win over the nobles to rebel. The two regarded each other as their number one enemy.

As for the Kushan Empire to the east? They didn't take it seriously at all, thinking that the Kushan Empire could hold out for a while, and even if they lost, the Kushan Empire would act as a buffer, and it wouldn't be their turn.

Then one day, news suddenly arrived that the Kushan Empire had been destroyed and the Han army was heading straight for Parthia. The messenger was so exhausted from running that he almost died.

Vologsis VI jumped up from his throne on the spot, nearly straining his back:

"What? The Kushans are gone? The Han army is almost here? Impossible! The Kushans had hundreds of thousands of troops and war elephants, how could they just disappear like that?"

The messenger, covered in dust, scrambled to his feet.

"Your Majesty, it is absolutely true! The Eastern Han army has a sorcery that can breathe fire. Their iron pipes can kill people from a great distance. The Kushan war elephants and cavalry are no match for them and were defeated in just one day!"

The walls of Fulousha were so thick, yet they collapsed in half a day! Even Vasudeva I surrendered! The Han army is now heading our way and will reach the border soon!

Vologis VI, no longer concerned with his feud with his brother, hastily sent for Ardaban and convened a meeting of the four hereditary noble families, leaving no time to even pack up the jewels in his harem.

The main hall was noisy and bustling. The heads of the four noble families had all arrived, each with a solemn expression.

At first, some people were stubborn and concerned about saving face.

The head of the Suren family... who is also the current cavalry commander Suren, patted his chest, full of confidence:

"What is Your Majesty afraid of! Our Parthian cavalry is invincible. Back then, Crassus's 40, 000 Roman troops were all wiped out by us. Even the Romans are no match for us, let alone the Easterners."

Just because those Kushan bastards can't beat us doesn't mean we can't! Those Easterners rely on fancy tricks and flashy moves, but if they really encounter our armored cavalry, they'll be easy prey!

"I am willing to lead 50, 000 troops to wait for them at Hatra City. We will use the old method to lure them deep into our territory and annihilate the Han army! We will capture their emperor!"

Other nobles echoed this sentiment, encouraging themselves:

"That's right! We have 40, 000 heavily armored cavalry, plus archers who can shoot from their horses—it's unparalleled in the world! Lure them in, cut off their supply lines, and wear them down until they're dead!"

"The Romans were so powerful back then, but they still fell to us. The Easterners have come from afar, their logistics can't keep up. As long as we hold our ground and hold out for a few months, they'll retreat on their own!"

Vologsis VI, emboldened by what he'd been told, straightened his back and nodded.

"Good! Gather 50, 000 troops from across the country, with Commander Suren leading the way, and deploy them in Hatra. We'll use the old tactics to lure the enemy deep into our territory and then encircle them!"

"Once we win, I will reward you handsomely! All the major families will receive titles and honors!"

Commander Sulun led 50, 000 men to Hatra with great fanfare, and even sent a small force to provoke them, hoping to lure the Han army into open ground, first using horse archers to harass and wear them down, and then using heavy cavalry to charge into the enemy lines... This tactic had always worked against the Romans, and he thought it would work against the Han army as well.

In his eyes, the Han army was similar to the Roman infantry, both being good at close combat but lacking mobility. He believed that as long as they were lured into open ground and harassed back and forth, they could be worn down.

Little did he know that the Han army was far superior to the Roman infantry; they didn't even bother with close combat, firing cannons from a distance.

As a result, they ran head-on into Xu Da's right vanguard.

Upon hearing the scout's report that the Parthian army intended to lure the enemy deep into their territory by sending a small force to provoke them, Xu Da laughed and said to his men:

"Outdated tactics, you dare to show them off? Trying to lure us in? We used this trick to death back when we fought the Xianbei and Xiongnu."

He immediately ordered the entire army to set up camp on the spot, deploy artillery, arrange flintlock musketeers, and build deep trenches and high walls, waiting for the enemy to come, and never taking the initiative to pursue them.

Come or not, it's up to you. Anyway, we have ample logistics and can afford to wait, with railways to transport grain.

Commander Sulun waited for five days and sent out a small force to provoke them, but the Han army ignored them and went about their business as usual. Their camp was well-defended and there was not a single flaw in their defenses.

He was getting anxious... He couldn't keep dragging this out. The enemy's army was constantly moving in, while he only had 50, 000 men. In the end, he would be the one who suffered.

After much deliberation, he decided to take the initiative and not wait any longer.

First, send 10, 000 light archer cavalry to charge forward, fire a round of arrows, and then run away, forcing the Han army to pursue. As soon as they move, their formation will be disrupted, and the heavy cavalry will charge forward.

The plan was good, but reality is cruel.

Ten thousand archer cavalrymen charged forward with roars, their hooves thundering and dust billowing.

When they were still more than two hundred paces away from the Han army's front line, they drew their bows and arrows, ready to shoot and run, showing off their ancestral Parthian backswing and making a name for themselves in front of the Han army.

Before the arrow could even be fired, the cannons in the Han army's formation went off first.

A salvo from thousands of field guns unleashed a barrage of shrapnel, which rained down like a deluge.

The archers at the forefront fell instantly, men and horses sprawling, screaming in agony, riddled with bullets.

The rest of them were so frightened that they quickly reined in their horses and tried to run away, but then five rows of flintlock muskets went off again, "crackling" like popping beans, with bullets chasing after them. Less than a thousand of them managed to run back; they were all basically wiped out here.

Ten thousand archer cavalrymen, go out for a trip, and only one-tenth return. Like cutting leeks, they're gone in one go.

Commander Suren's face turned green, as if he had swallowed a fly. He had never seen such fierce long-range firepower before.

The horse archers were wiped out before they could even shoot at the enemy. How can we win this battle?

He gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and emptied his pockets:

"Heavy cavalry charge! Break through their formation! I refuse to believe our armored cavalry can't breach their ranks!"

Twenty thousand heavily armored cavalrymen, both men and horses covered in scale armor like tin cans, charged forward in a dense formation, their thunderous hooves shaking the ground. They truly looked like an overwhelming force, a torrent of steel.

This was Parthia's trump card; it was this very force that annihilated the Roman legions.

Su Lun refused to believe that they couldn't break through the Han army's lines.

Xu Da stood on the high platform in front of the formation, watching the cavalry charge forward, his expression unchanged, as if he were watching a military parade.