For example, in the Battle of Dingbian, Mu Ying confronted the enemy. The camp was not yet built, and the enemy came to provoke him. He led his troops out of the camp and defeated the enemy.

The first troops to leave the Song army were the cavalry.

After scouts detected a large-scale Liao army buildup, the Song cavalry responded immediately. The cavalry, known for their speed, advanced quickly to within two or three miles of the camp, then stopped, formed a line, and began to stand guard.

Then, the infantry units left the camp in order according to their location and distance, and lined up on all sides at a distance of twenty steps from the camp to stand guard, forming a huge sea of ​​people around the city of Baosai.

Fan Zhongyan personally took to the battlefield. Although he was a civil official and did not wear armor, he rode a warhorse and issued various instructions in a majestic manner in the camp.

After about half an hour, the army of over a hundred thousand had almost assembled. Looking to the left of the camp, the dense crowd of heads stretched as far as the eye could see. Looking to the right of the camp, the dense crowd of heads was still endless.

A large number of cavalrymen were shuttling back and forth between the camps. These were the Tangqi, also known as scouts, scouts, and outriders. Their role was not only to detect the enemy's movements, but also to convey the commander's orders to the various units and coordinate the operations of such a large army.

At Fan's command, the army surged forward, their path reaching the city of Baosai. Inside the city, Wang Deyong had already mobilized his troops, and Song soldiers' heads kept popping up from the city walls, gazing toward the northern horizon.

The Song army relied on the Baosai city. There were 60,000 troops in the west of the city, 50,000 troops in the east of the city, 20,000 troops in the north of the city, more than 10,000 troops in the city, and 30,000 cavalry cruising outside the city. In addition, there were more than 30,000 reinforcements from Cangzhou, Qingzhou, Hejian Prefecture and other places. The total strength of the Song army reached more than 200,000.

If you stand on the top of the city wall and look, you will see an extremely spectacular scene. On the east and west sides of Baosai City, there are countless Song army infantry phalanxes stretching for at least seven or eight miles. They are surging like the waves of the ocean, and you can't see where the end is.

They were surrounded by the fully armed, shield-bearing, and heavily armored Divine Guards, and within them were spearmen, sword and shield soldiers, grenadiers, archers, and other types of soldiers. The cavalry was the first to leave the camp, but when they formed up, they stood behind the infantry.

Because in such a large-scale war, it is difficult for the commander-in-chief to command all the cities, camps, armies, and wings, and he can only rely on officers and generals at all levels.

Therefore, the commander-in-chief often needs to control a certain number of mobile forces, and once the camps collapse, he should immediately send personnel to supplement the battle.

Such mobile forces can only be provided by cavalry.

By noon, the vast Liao army had already appeared on the distant horizon.

They also formed infantry phalanxes, but the difference was that the Liao had a large number of cavalry, so not only were the cavalry arranged in the rear, but a large number of Liao cavalry were also mixed in on the two wings and the main formation.

It was obvious that Yelu Zongzhen was going to take a gamble. The people in the front were basically the Liao heavy cavalry and heavy infantry. Even if they were hit by a grenade, they would not be injured. They had tested it and found that at most they would have a concussion and be buzzed by the impact force of the explosion.

However, they also discovered that if a heavy infantryman was hit by a bullet and lost his balance and fell, he might be trampled to death on a crowded battlefield. It was like hitting a heavy infantryman with a blunt weapon: the armor didn't break, but the person inside was gone.

But the Liao upper echelons decided to conceal this news. As long as the heavy cavalry and heavy infantry could withstand the first wave of grenades, and let the remaining infantry and cavalry rush into the Song army and disrupt the enemy's formation, then there would be no risk of failure!

The Liao army advanced slowly, and the earth seemed to tremble. Their numbers were not much less than the Song army, and they also surged like a huge wave, a mighty torrent of steel.

When the Liao army was three miles away from the Song army's formation and four miles away from Baosai city, the army had already stopped.

In the past, the distance would definitely not be this.

For example, during the Battle of Chanzhou, the Liao army and the Song army were less than a mile apart. If the Liao general Xiao Talina had not been shot in the head by the sharp-shooting Eight Oxen Crossbow, the Liao army might not have dared to get any closer.

After reaching this distance, the Liao people stopped, and then Yelu Zongzhen sent another knight to issue an ultimatum to Fan Zhongyan.

As long as Fan Zhongyan agrees to Yelu Zongzhen's conditions, there is still room for both parties to reconcile.

Once the war breaks out, the Song State will be doomed.

Fan Zhongyan only gave one reply - get out!

When Yelu Zongzhen heard this, he became furious and issued an order for a general attack from the small hill behind him.

As the desolate sound of the horn resounded throughout the battlefield, countless Liao soldiers began to move forward at the urging of their leaders.

Four miles!

Three miles!

Two miles!

The Song Dynasty's firearms never showed their power!

Because the range of the "seven-tip cannon" and "nine-tip cannon" is basically between two hundred and three hundred steps, only the "thirteen-tip cannon" can reach four hundred to five hundred steps.

The thunderbolt fireball could be thrown a mile away by the catapult, which was installed on a city wall several meters high.

Without the high ground, the catapult's range would be greatly reduced.

One mile!

The Liao army was getting closer and closer, and many Song soldiers in the front row were already in a commotion, looking nervously at the enemy army that was surging like a tide.

"Catapults ready!"

In the rear of the Song army, the catapults began to pull the ox-tendon strings one after another. The soldier holding the thunder fireball carefully placed the pottery jar on it, and another soldier took out the flint.

Soon the Liao army was getting closer and closer, and was already about three hundred steps, or about four hundred and twenty meters, and was about to enter the range of the catapults.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!