"The strangest thing is," Zhang Erhe said in a low voice, "that these horses seem to sweat. I saw some horses with red beads of sweat on their bodies, as if they were bleeding."
"A Ferghana horse!" Meng Tian exclaimed in sudden realization. "No wonder they dared to challenge our Great Qin. With such divine steeds, the cavalry's fighting power is indeed not to be underestimated."
The wicked man surveyed the distant Dayuan army formation.
Their formations also differed from those of ordinary nomadic tribes. The cavalry were divided into several square formations, each with a uniform banner. Most striking were the arrow towers, soaring into the clouds and commanding the enemy from their elevated positions.
"Has the Grand Commandant figured out the trick?" Wang Li asked.
"Hmm." A glint of shrewdness flashed in the wicked man's eyes. "This Ferghana tribe is indeed extraordinary. Not only do they have unique horse breeds, but their battle formations are also extremely sophisticated. Judging from the arrangement of those square formations, they have clearly undergone meticulous training."
Just then, the scout brought new intelligence.
"Reporting to the Grand Commandant, it seems there are still quite a few foreign merchants in Dayuan. They come here specifically to buy fine horses, and thousands are sold to various countries every year..."
"Oh?" The wicked husband became interested. "Tell me, which merchants were they?"
"Reporting to the Grand Commandant, some are from the Western Regions, others from even more distant lands," the scout said. "It's said these merchants are very generous, charging thousands of gold coins for each of their Ferghana horses. And..."
He paused for a moment: "Interestingly, these merchants also brought all sorts of rare and exotic treasures. Dayuan City not only had jade from the Western Regions, but also spices and jewels from even more distant lands."
The wicked man sneered, "So that's how it is. This Dayuan wants to use these fine horses to play both sides between us and the Western Regions."
The generals in the tent suddenly realized what was going on.
No wonder Dayuan dared to confront the Qin army. They possessed not only formidable military strength but also a complex commercial network. This was no longer a simple nomadic tribe, but a mature civilization!
"Give the order to the entire army!" the wicked man commanded. "Prepare for battle! In this battle, we have met a truly formidable foe."
He walked to the sand table and carefully observed the terrain: "Dayuan City is surrounded by water on three sides and backed by mountains on the other. This terrain is somewhat similar to the oasis city-states of the Western Regions."
"However..." he pointed to the arrow towers, "These arrow towers are their strength, but they could also be their weakness. Order the archers to concentrate their fire on the arrow towers. Once the arrow towers are breached, their defenses will crumble!"
Just then, another scout rushed into the tent: "Grand Commandant! Something terrible has happened! The Dayuan people have dug numerous horse traps outside the city. Moreover, they seem to have buried something underground..."
"Horse traps?" The generals were shocked. This was a powerful weapon against cavalry.
"Heh heh," the wicked man chuckled. "It seems this Dayuan has made ample preparations. However..."
He looked at Meng Tian: "Go tell the 'swarm' soldiers that this time they don't need to deal with the cavalry, but focus on those arrow towers. I want to see how long these Dayuan people can be so arrogant after losing their high ground advantage!"
As night fell, the two armies faced off.
The city of Dayuan was brightly lit, clearly preparing for a decisive battle. One could vaguely see countless soldiers moving supplies and reinforcing the city's defenses.
"Grand Commandant," a general inquired, "Should we launch a surprise attack tonight?"
"No need," the wicked man shook his head. "Since the Dayuan people dare to confront us, they must have something to rely on. A rash night attack might just fall into their trap."
He gazed intently at the city of Dayuan, his eyes blazing: "Let the soldiers rest well. Tomorrow morning, we'll show these Dayuan people what real war is like!"
Meanwhile, in Dayuan City.
"Your Majesty!" A general rushed into the hall, "The Qin army numbers at least two hundred thousand men. And they seem to possess a peculiar weapon; it looks quite strange..."
The King of Dayuan had a solemn expression.
He had long heard of the Qin army's prowess. This recent northern expedition, in particular, had instilled fear throughout the Western Regions. The destruction of the Xiongnu and Yuezhi served as the best lesson.
"However..." the general added, "our arrow towers are already in place. Even if they outnumber us, they won't be able to easily breach the city."
The King of Dayuan nodded: "Send the order down; the decisive battle is tomorrow. Let these Qin people know that Dayuan is not to be trifled with!"
As night deepened, the atmosphere between the two armies grew increasingly tense.
An epic battle is about to erupt!
In the Qin army camp, the wicked man was gathering his generals for final preparations.
"Gentlemen," he said, gesturing to the sand table, "this time we are facing a truly civilized adversary. They not only possess unique warhorses, but also a complete military system. We must not underestimate them in this battle!"
The generals stood solemnly. They too sensed that this battle was extraordinary.
"However..." A cold glint flashed in the villain's eyes, "The stronger the opponent, the more decisively we must crush them. We must let the entire Western Regions know that even the most powerful civilization has no choice but to submit before my Great Qin!"
He looked at his generals: "Especially those Akhal-Teke horses, they must be captured intact. These divine steeds will henceforth be the warhorses of our Great Qin!"
The generals responded with a resounding roar.
A history-altering battle is about to unfold on this land!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
