Light Novel Pub

Chapter 156: Ballista

"Head, the Khan told us that if we discover the Tang army, we should hold our ground and inform the surrounding tribes to gather an absolute advantage before launching an attack."

An old man nearby said that this person was an elder from the Ronggong tribe, so he was more conservative in doing things. In addition, the news from the royal court proved that this Tang army was different from the previous ones. If they were not treated with care, something big might happen.

"He's just like his father, always telling me to hold my troops. My Ronggong tribe is strong and powerful. Facing an army like this, how could we stay in the barracks? If word gets out, people will say I, Yu Dan, am cowardly. That's how his father used to talk about me, and it ended up earning him the title of Great Khan. Now he's using the same tactics again. Ugh! I want everyone to see that I, Yu Dan, am no less capable than them."

Yu Dan was extremely angry when she thought about what happened back then. Now you want me to sit still and do nothing, and all the credit goes to you. In the future, the influence of my lineage will become weaker and weaker.

"Head..."

The old man wanted to say something, but Uncle Yu Dan had no time to listen. In his opinion, asking him to keep his troops in place might be a conspiracy of the Tuyuhun Khan. He was afraid that he would make some achievements. If he had any achievements, he would have prestige on the grassland. If someone followed him, his position as Khan might be in jeopardy.

"Hurry up and send a message to the fifteen surrounding tribes, telling them to gather their troops and horses and come to the emperor's uncle's tent immediately."

Seeing that he could not stop Yu Dan, the old man could only ask his confidant to take Yu Dan's seal and pass on the message. After all, the fifteen surrounding tribes were strong in both men and horses. If their people came to support, even if something happened to Yu Dan's uncle, these people could help us turn the tables.

On the other side, Li Xiang and his men were ready. They took down the small tribe next to them without any effort, and also left them a way out so that they could go to the Ronggong tribe to report the news. Now, on the road that must be passed to the Ronggong tribe, Li Xiang has asked his men to be ready. As long as these people dare to come, we will make sure they never come back.

When everyone was ready, three dull sounds were heard from the sky behind. These were the scouts in the sky, proving that they had seen the army of the Ronggong tribe coming out. We were still forty miles away from the Ronggong tribe. They certainly couldn't find us in such a position, but we could know their actions clearly.

"This uncle is truly conceited. According to common sense, even if he discovered our army's whereabouts, he wouldn't have immediately led his troops out. He should have sent out scouts first. It seems he's a reckless person even in normal times."

Li Guang spat out the grass roots in his mouth. He really didn't know what to say to Yu Dan, the emperor's uncle. Relying on his strong strength, he rushed over with his men. You have to know that this is a war, not your usual hunting trip.

"Uncle Yudan has usually been suppressed by the Tuyuhun Khan, never having the opportunity to lead troops. He has been languishing on the grasslands. Now he has finally been given an opportunity. If he doesn't show his prowess, he would be unworthy of his current reputation. Inform the brothers to prepare for battle and defeat them once and for all."

Li Xiang also learned about some situations on the grassland from Zatlk. He learned that this uncle Yudan had long been dissatisfied with the ruling system on the grassland, but the control power of the Tuyuhun Khan was too strong. Even if this uncle Yudan was dissatisfied, he could only endure it for the time being. Now that he had such an opportunity, it would be strange if he could endure it.

"The Ronggong tribe is indeed worthy of being the third largest tribe of Tuyuhun. Just looking at the formation of their cavalry, they must have been training a lot. Fortunately, we ambushed them. If we had faced them head-on, we would have won, but we would have suffered heavy losses."

Huo Qubing spoke the truth from a high position. The cavalry relied on the stability of their respective lineups and their usual combat skills. Although the two sides had not yet exchanged fire, Huo Qubing was called the God of War. This was not a glorious title, but because he could really see the difference in combat effectiveness between the cavalry.

"Don't underestimate this Imperial Uncle Yu Dan. He was a strong contender for the position of Great Khan of Tuyuhun back in the day. Unfortunately, he was still young, so his elder brother schemed against him. However, he inherited most of his father's elite cavalry. Even compared to the royal court's cavalry, he's not far behind."

When Zatlk was talking with Li Xiang, he specifically listed the advantages of several tribes to Li Xiang, including the Ronggong tribe, which was the family fortune left by his grandfather. In addition, Uncle Yu Dan had only brought in money and not spent it out over the years, and had managed the entire tribe like an iron barrel. Except for his poor command ability, his combat effectiveness was really good.

"Are the ballistae ready?"

When Li Xiang asked this question, some people didn't know what this new weapon was. In fact, it was not a new weapon, but a war crossbow that had been abandoned long ago. After Li Xiang modified it, it became the existing crossbow cannon.

It turns out that this thing is a direct-shooting weapon. To put it bluntly, it is just a large bow and arrow. If it is erected on a city wall or used to attack a city wall, it is very good, but if it is used in a battle on flat ground, this thing does not have much ability.

So Li Xiang modified this thing into a projectile form, and added two porcelain bottles filled with gunpowder at the bottom of the crossbow, like a mortar.

In the past two days, Li Xiang and his men conducted experiments and basically figured out the range and power of this thing. He knew how far it could hit and how powerful it was in the wind, with the wind, and without wind. Only then did he move this thing to the battlefield.

"Your Highness, is that thing of yours reliable? If it's not, I'll lead the cavalry and charge in. While we can't completely wipe them out, we can certainly inflict considerable damage. If that thing of yours doesn't work, they'll become wary. With such a large cavalry force, we have no choice but to retreat."

Huo Qubing said with some concern. Although his cavalry was elite, it was only two or three thousand men after all. The cavalry before him had a full thirty thousand men. The gap in strength between the two sides was too great...

Loading...