The "Warahan Corridor" is a land route connecting the Arab Empire and the Western Regions, located on the Pamir Plateau. It is situated in a huge mountain knot where the Kunlun Mountains, Karakoram Mountains, Hindu Kush Mountains and Tian Shan Mountains meet. It consists of two mountain ranges running from northwest to southeast and a group of river valleys and basins, and features a unique highland pasture landscape composed of glacial moraine plains and desert plains.
Most caravans traveling between the Arab Empire and the Western Regions would choose to traverse the Warakhan Corridor, which stretches for hundreds of miles.
Therefore, the Warakhan Corridor can also be seen as an extension of the land-based Silk Road of the Tang Dynasty.
Back then, the 800,000-strong Arab army that launched the eastward expedition marched eastward along the centuries-old Warahan Corridor, allowing the Persian cavalry to trample on the territories of the Western Regions.
Later, Emperor Zhaowu of the Tang Dynasty, Chen Huai'an, personally led an expedition to the Western Regions. In order to completely annihilate the 800,000-strong army of the Arab Empire that was on an eastward expedition, he dispatched a Tang cavalry force of tens of thousands of men to launch a surprise attack on the Warakhan Corridor and recaptured the two important military towns, "Suifengbao" and "Huoshiwan", which controlled the entire Warakhan Corridor.
In other words, the reinforcements recently dispatched from Baghdad, the capital of the Arab Empire, must capture the two passes of Suifengbao and Huoshiwan from the Tang Dynasty in order to re-establish communication between the Arab Empire and the Western Regions.
On the other side, General Caesar, the right vanguard general who had received orders from the Eastern Expeditionary General Turhong to lead his Persian war elephants and camel cavalry to the Warakhan Corridor to meet the reinforcements, also led his troops to these two passes.
August 28th, the first year of the Zhaowu reign of the Tang Dynasty.
The vanguard of the reinforcements, which had set out from Baghdad, the capital of the Arab Empire, had arrived at Suifeng Fort, which was located on the Arab side of the Warahan Corridor. The scouts of the vanguard had already advanced to the Suifeng Fort area to conduct reconnaissance and had a general understanding of the basic situation of the Tang army stationed there and the city's defenses.
That night.
On the Pamir Plateau, the moon and stars are few and far between. The camps of the Arab Empire's reinforcements are like inverted stars scattered across the barren plains of the Pamir Plateau.
Inside the central command tent, the lights were blazing. Saleh, the commander of the 20,000 Persian cavalry that had come to reinforce the city, summoned several of his lieutenants to a meeting. While using a fine dagger to shave the roasted mutton on the tray in front of him, they discussed the details of tomorrow's assault on Suifeng Fortress.
Lieutenant Omar, munching on a fragrant piece of roasted meat, said casually, "General, our vanguard scouts have thoroughly investigated the situation of the Tang army within Suifeng Fortress."
"The Tang army stationed at Suifeng Fortress numbered less than ten thousand, and most of the fortress's defenses had been destroyed in the previous battles. The Tang garrison simply did not have enough time to reinforce the fortress in a short period of time."
"In other words, the fortifications of this Fortress of Fire Peak are practically nonexistent to our Persian cavalry!"
After a pause, Omar continued, "My intention is that tomorrow we should gather 20,000 Persian cavalry and launch a single charge to raze Flintstone Fortress to the ground, then head straight for Firestone Bay."
"General Caesar, the Right Vanguard General of the Imperial Eastern Expeditionary Army who came to meet us, has also sent a messenger to report that they will arrive at Firestone Bay by tomorrow evening at the latest."
"On this expedition, General Caesar is leading the Empire's most elite troops: Persian war elephants and camel cavalry. The terrain of Firestone Bay is much lower than that of Flintstone Fortress, and with the size advantage of the Persian war elephants, they can practically sweep through Firestone Bay."
"General Caesar's idea is that we take Flintstone Fortress, they take Firestone Bay, and then the armies merge at Firestone Bay!"
"General—"
No sooner had Lieutenant Omar finished speaking than another lieutenant, Rashid, hurriedly stepped forward and said, "General, don't forget that we've also brought two hundred bronze cannons that the Chancellor purchased at great expense from the Charlemagne Empire!"
"In my humble opinion, the Battle of Suifengbao was an excellent opportunity to test the power of bronze cannons on the battlefield and to accelerate the integration of our artillery."
"Our army, our army can use two hundred bronze cannons as the key to attacking Suifeng Fortress and push straight through!"
Um?
Upon hearing this, General Saleh, who was eating meat in the main seat, stopped what he was doing. The roasted meat that was almost in his mouth was frozen in place at the very entrance.
Seeing this, Lieutenant General Rashid hurriedly explained, "General, this evening I personally went to the area around Suifeng Fort to conduct an on-site survey of the terrain, and it is perfectly suitable for our artillery to operate."
"With Persian cavalry patrolling and guarding the perimeter of the Fortress, our artillery could even bring the muzzles of our bronze cannons to within a thousand paces of the fortress and fire."
"General, those bronze cannons from the Charlemagne Empire are powerful weapons for conquering cities and seizing strongholds!"
Um!
Upon hearing this, a satisfied smile finally appeared on the face of the commander Saleh. The roasted meat that had been brought to his mouth but then pulled back was stuffed back into his mouth, and he chewed it with relish.
Previously, Saleh's idea was also to test the power of the bronze cannon on the battlefield.
However, the bronze cannons purchased from the Carolingian Empire weighed anywhere from a few hundred pounds to over a thousand pounds, and were subject to great limitations due to the geographical environment on the battlefield.
Since the terrain around the Fortress of Fire is perfect for close-range artillery fire, what reason does Saleh have not to let the artillery be the first to engage in battle?
This way, casualties can be reduced!
Saleh immediately approved, saying, "Excellent! Let's do as Lieutenant General Rashid wishes. Tomorrow we'll attack Flintstone Fortress. The cavalry will be on guard, and the artillery will be responsible for advancing and firing."
"Ideally, the artillery should just blow up all the Tang Dynasty garrison inside Suifeng Fort!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
......
The next day.
As expected, the 20,000 Persian cavalry reinforcements from the Arab Empire, just as their commander Saleh had planned, moved the artillery units that were originally with the supply train to the front lines. Under the protection of the cavalry, they used draft horses to pull the bronze cannons of various sizes to the Suifengbao battlefield.
However, General Saleh, who was still on the march, had not yet led his artillery to the Fortress of Fire when he received an urgent military report from the front.
"Report—"
"Reporting to the General, urgent military intelligence!"
The messenger hurriedly rode up, his expression unusually grave. He hesitated before reporting to his commander, Saleh, who was on horseback, "Suifeng Fortress...Suifeng Fortress battlefield...Suifeng Fortress...Suifeng Fortress...Suifeng Fortress..."
The messenger stammered for a long time, but never got to the point.
This prompted the commander, Saleh, on horseback to impatiently shout, "What has been discovered at Flintstone Fortress? Speak!"
The messenger steeled his resolve and replied, "Reporting to the general, we have discovered a Tang Dynasty naval warship at Suifeng Fort!"
puff--
Upon hearing this, Saleh nearly coughed up blood. His bull-like eyes widened like copper bells as he sternly demanded, "What did you say? Say it again!"
The messenger replied confidently, "General, the Suifeng Fortress has spotted ten warships of the Tang Dynasty navy, lined up in a row, blocking the fortress from behind!"
"What?"
Upon receiving confirmation from the messenger, General Saleh's expression was one of utter disbelief, as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
Ten warships of the Tang Dynasty's naval fleet appeared outside Suifeng Fortress and lined up to surround it.
Are you kidding me!
This is the Pamir Plateau, with a relative altitude of 5,000-6,000 meters and an absolute altitude of 1,000-1,500 meters. It is a high-altitude pasture composed of glacial moraine and desert plains, not a vast ocean with a seamless horizon and surging blue waves!
Did all the warships of the Tang Dynasty's naval fleet grow wings?
Could it fly from the ocean to the Pamir Plateau, and even to Suifengbao?
The head of the commander, Saleh, was in an uproar.
However, as a military commander, he still possessed basic composure, and even when faced with such inexplicable events, he maintained absolute authority in front of his subordinates.
snort!
Saleh on horseback snorted coldly, then turned his horse around and said sternly, "Lead the way. I want to see how the Tang garrison at Suifeng Fort managed to transport their warships to the Pamir Plateau and to the battlefield at Suifeng Fort!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
The next moment, the Arab messenger from Suifeng Fort rode back the way he came.
Behind him followed Saleh, the commander of 20,000 Persian cavalry reinforcements, and his hundreds of personal guards.
An hour later.
Less than three miles from the Fortress of the Arab Empire, the vanguard of reinforcements, led by General Saleh, who had rushed to the scene, finally stood on a ridgeline and saw a spectacle that would startle the messengers and all the vanguard soldiers—outside the dilapidated walls of the small Fortress of the Arab Empire, there were dozens of warships forming a temporary wall to protect the Fortress.
Such a spectacle, almost like seeing a ghost in broad daylight, and these naval warships that appeared out of nowhere on the Pamir Plateau, left even the commander-in-chief Saleh speechless and breathless.
He couldn't understand how warships could appear in this desolate wasteland where there wasn't a single river or lake for hundreds of miles around.
In his desperation, Saleh kept pulling at his hair, as if trying to use the pain to tell himself that it was all an illusion, that he was dreaming, that he was seeing things.
However, the voice of his deputy Rashid beside him brought Saleh back to reality from his shock.
"Reporting to the General—"
Rashid's face was also full of confusion. He explained, "When I personally went to investigate Suifeng Fortress yesterday evening, there was clearly just a stretch of yellow sand outside the fortress's dilapidated walls; there were no warships at all."
"But today, as soon as I led the cavalry vanguard to arrive, I suddenly discovered that ten warships had appeared on the outer walls of the Suifeng Fortress. It's extremely strange!"
At this moment, another lieutenant, Omar, also looked puzzled and said, "Yes, General, yesterday my scouts came to investigate Suifeng Fortress and circled it at least ten times, but they didn't find any warships at all."
"Moreover, this massive warship cannot be propelled by human power on land!"
As he spoke, Omar's expression froze, and he said somewhat guiltily, "General, could it be that among the Tang Dynasty garrison in this Suifeng Fortress, there is a sorcerer skilled in witchcraft?"
"These ten warships are evil objects conjured out of thin air by the Tang Dynasty sorcerer, intended to block our army's attack on Suifeng Fortress!"
"Bullshit!"
The remarks of the deputy general Omar enraged the commander-in-chief Saleh, who immediately cursed, "If a wizard can really create warships out of thin air, why doesn't he summon divine soldiers to descend from the sky and wipe us out directly?"
snort!
With that, Saleh sneered, "Those sorcerers of the Tang Dynasty loved to dabble in these bizarre and outlandish techniques; they were nothing but deceptive tricks."
"This general refuses to believe it. So what if the Tang army garrison in Suifeng Fort can produce warships? Do you think their warships can sail on land? Or can they fight against our Empire's Persian cavalry on land?"
"These immobile warships are nothing more than rows of stationary targets. I, the general, would like to see if the decks of these Tang warships can withstand the bombardment of the Imperial artillery's bronze cannons!"
Having said that, Saleh roared furiously, his face contorted with rage, and ordered, "Men, convey my command: the army shall continue according to the established battle plan!"
"Omar, Rashid—"
"Your subordinate is here!"
Saleh ordered, "I command you two to each lead ten thousand cavalry to patrol and guard the left and right flanks of Suifeng Fortress. I will personally lead the artillery forward to bombard the Tang warships at Suifeng Fortress!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Another hour passed.
The Arab Empire's artillery reinforcements, carrying two hundred bronze cannons, finally arrived near the Suifeng Fort battlefield. Under the command of their commander, Saleh, they advanced towards the Tang Dynasty's naval warships outside Suifeng Fort.
It is worth mentioning that the Tang Dynasty garrison inside Suifeng Fort seemed to be completely oblivious to the military operations of the Arab Empire's reinforcements outside the fort, allowing the Persian cavalry of the Arab Empire to roam the flanks and the enemy's artillery to keep approaching Suifeng Fort without making any response.
It seemed as if the Suifeng Fortress was an empty city.
On the vast Pamir Plateau, the isolated city of Suifengbao, standing on the Walahan Corridor, was completely silent.
Between heaven and earth, only the howling wind and the sounds of the Arab Empire's reinforcements deploying their troops outside the city could be heard. If it weren't for the Tang Dynasty battle flags fluttering in the wind on the walls of Suifeng Fortress and on the prows and masts of the ten Tang Dynasty warships, the enemy commander Saleh would have the illusion that there were no Tang troops stationed inside Suifeng Fortress at all.
The silence on the battlefield was eerily terrifying.
However, as the commander-in-chief, Saleh had no choice but to bite the bullet and order an attack, determined not to let the strange and wonderful techniques created by the Tang army sorcerers in the Suifeng Fort shake the morale of the Imperial Persian cavalry.
It was just past noon.
Twenty thousand Persian cavalry and two hundred cannons from the Imperial artillery were all lined up and assembled outside the Fortress of Fire, awaiting only the command of their commander, Saleh, before the three armies could launch an attack.
"All troops, attack!"
Finally, Saleh, who was in command of the central army, swung his arm, which was holding a scimitar high, down forcefully and gave the order to attack.
Woo, woo, woo—
Knock knock knock!
Immediately following, amidst the sounds of horns and the deep beating of war drums, the Arab Empire's reinforcements, aiming to open up the Warakhan Corridor, finally launched an attack on the Fortress of the Beacon.
Clang, clang, clang!
In an instant, the sound of horses' hooves thundered across the battlefield, and they charged towards Suifeng Fortress amidst billowing yellow smoke.
Almost simultaneously.
The ten Tang Dynasty naval warships surrounding Suifeng Fort finally made a move.
Thump, thump, thump!
With a series of loud noises, the dark barrels of the red-coated cannons emerged from the gun emplacements on the side of the warship facing the enemy.
Immediately afterwards, Tang soldiers pushed cannons in red coats onto the deck of the warship, their dark muzzles aimed at the Persian cavalry charging outside the city.
"Prepare--"
"fire!"
With a command from the Tang army commander aboard the warship, the order to fire was communicated via command flags among the warships.
Amidst the creaking and hissing of the fuses, the 120 red-coated cannons mounted on the warships unleashed a series of deafening roars that echoed through the sky.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Boom, boom, boom!
One after another, exploding shells slammed into the Persian cavalry formation that was charging in a dense formation and getting infinitely close to the Fortress of Fire Peak. The shockwaves from the explosions instantly sent the enemy cavalrymen flying, their men and horses falling to the ground, and cries of agony filling the air.
The exploding shells fired by the red-coated cannons contained hundreds of iron nails inside. When these nails flew at high speed and hit people or armor, there seemed to be no essential difference.
The impact left a large hole in the warhorse, from which blood gushed out uncontrollably!
"Enemy attack—"
"Scatter quickly, enemy attack!"
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