Liu Ergou knew very well that, in terms of cavalry combat power and fighting spirit alone, his Tang Dynasty cavalry was more than capable of crushing the Goguryeo Dynasty's cavalry.
However, there is a fear that Cui Dongyuan on the other side may have hidden troops in the mountains and forests on both sides.
In particular, the exact number of ambushes is still uncertain.
If we are caught in a pincer attack by Goguryeo infantry and cavalry, and the enemy's forces are far superior to ours, then this battle will be very difficult.
What could have been a one-sided, overwhelming victory turn into a Pyrrhic one.
This was the first battle since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. Chen Ergou, the Earl of Suiyuan, who had been favored and promoted by Emperor Zhaowu, could not accept a Pyrrhic victory.
Therefore, Liu Ergou, as the deputy general of the Tang Dynasty's expedition against Goguryeo, began to be careful and cautious at this moment.
"Report—"
"Reporting to the Vice General, Qian Xiaoyang, the Deputy Commander of the Shenji Battalion, requests an audience!"
Um?
Upon hearing the messenger's announcement, Vice General Liu Ergou, mounted on horseback, raised an eyebrow and then waved his hand, saying, "Please invite Vice General Qian to come forward for a meeting!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Soon, Qian Xiaoyang, the deputy commander of the Shenji Battalion, rode up to Liu Ergou's side, cupped his hands in respect, and said, "Reporting to the deputy general, the Shenji Battalion's musketeer team requests permission to engage in battle."
As he spoke, Qian Xiaoyang looked at Liu Ergou with a determined gaze and said, word by word, "Deputy General, this humble general believes that there must be enemy cavalry lying in ambush in the birch forests on both sides of the Goguryeo enemy's lines ahead."
"This humble general requests to lead the Shenji Battalion's musketeer team into battle, to advance in two groups towards the birch forest, and to clear out any enemy ambush for the main army!"
brush!
Upon hearing this, all the cavalry generals, including Vice General Liu Ergou, turned to look at Qian Xiaoyang, the deputy commander of the Shenji Battalion.
Knowing that the enemy had ambushed troops in the birch forest, and that they were cavalry, they actually took the initiative to ask the Shenji Battalion's musketeer team to go into battle.
I really don't know whether to say he was brave enough to "knowingly walk into the tiger's den" or that Qian Xiaoyang and the Shenji Battalion's musketeer team were so eager to make a name for themselves that they dared to be the first to charge into battle!
The Shenji Battalion's musket unit was a newly emerging branch of the Tang Dynasty army. Its main equipment was the three-eyed musket, which was an improvement on the red-coated cannon by the Ministry of Works' Manufacturing Bureau.
Although the muskets were highly effective at piercing armor, their range was extremely limited, making them incomparable to the red-coated cannons.
The limit of a musket is that it can penetrate armor at fifty paces and inflict damage at one hundred paces.
In the eyes of the Tang army generals, especially the generals of the Tang army's crossbow battalion, the Shenji Battalion's musketeer team was a completely useless military unit, and could not be compared with the crossbow battalion at all!
It should be noted that a well-trained crossbowman can easily use his powerful bow and crossbow to effectively kill a target at a distance of about 200 paces, and the frequency of his arrows can far exceed that of the musketeers.
Therefore, the Tang cavalry generals present were not very optimistic about Qian Xiaoyang, the deputy commander of the Shenji Battalion, taking the initiative to volunteer for battle.
Instead, we should send a detachment of cavalry to search the birch forests on both sides.
Deputy General Liu Ergou thought the same thing.
However, what Qian Xiaoyang, the deputy commander of the Shenji Battalion, said next was a revelation to Liu Ergou, and he made a decision instantly.
Qian Xiaoyang said, "Vice General, although the range of our Shenji Battalion's muskets is limited, the sound of their firing is very effective in deterring enemy horses."
"Vice General, if all three thousand three-eyed muskets of the Divine Machine Battalion were to fire simultaneously, the Goguryeo cavalry hiding in the birch forest would surely be routed, their ranks utterly crushed."
"When that time comes, the deputy general will lead the cavalry brothers in a charge, catching the enemy off guard!"
Wow!
Upon hearing the explanation from Qian Xiaoyang, the deputy commander of the Shenji Battalion, the cavalry generals, including his deputy Liu Ergou, were initially stunned, but then their spirits lifted.
yes!
Send the Shenji Battalion's musketeers to fire a volley from the birch forests on both sides; the continuous gunfire will surely startle the Goguryeo cavalry's horses.
Once the warhorses are startled, the enemy will have no ambush advantage whatsoever.
Upon realizing this, Liu Ergou immediately ordered, "Deputy General Qian, proceed according to your plan. The Shenji Battalion will advance towards the birch forests on both sides of the enemy's front line, primarily to scare away the enemy's ambush horses, and they must not linger in battle!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Qian Xiaoyang immediately accepted the order and left.
Liu Ergou then said, "All generals, listen to my command—"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"Once the Divine Machine Battalion forces the enemy's ambush troops out of the birch forest, all units of our Great Tang cavalry will immediately launch an attack, joining this general in charging into the enemy ranks, beheading the bandit chieftain, and recovering the lost territory!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
......
Soon, Qian Xiaoyang, the deputy commander of the Shenji Battalion, divided the three thousand musketeers into two groups and detoured into the birch forest where the Goguryeo cavalry ambushes were located.
Before setting out, Qian Xiaoyang ordered his Shenji Battalion soldiers to use their three-eyed muskets to shoot down the enemy's horses that were lying in ambush, and to retreat quickly after firing without lingering.
This battle also served as a practical test of the power of the three-barreled gun.
Time passed quietly, and neither the Tang cavalry nor the Goguryeo army dared to make a move while facing off outside Liaodong City.
Even when Choi Dong-won, the general in charge of the western expedition of Goguryeo, discovered that the Tang cavalry had sent out small groups of troops toward the birch forest where he had laid an ambush, there was nothing he could do.
He could only pray silently that the 10,000 ambush troops he had planted in the birch forest would be able to quietly eliminate that small group of Tang cavalry.
In early spring in Liaodong, the howling spring wind is still somewhat biting.
As time passed, the hearts of both commanders were in their throats. Despite the biting spring wind whipping their faces, they remained poised to charge at any moment, their eyes fixed on the enemy's every move.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
Bang bang bang!
Suddenly, a burst of gunfire, like popping beans, erupted from the birch forest in front of the two armies.
Immediately following was the neighing of countless frightened warhorses, which echoed throughout the birch forest.
Hmm-hmm—
A moment later, a warhorse carrying Goguryeo cavalrymen charged out of the birch forest like a madman. No matter how the Goguryeo soldiers on its back whipped it, it continued to gallop wildly across the narrow buffer zone between the two armies.
Next, the second, the third, the fourth...
Until the thunderous sound of horses' hooves came from the birch forest, growing ever closer.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
In an instant, countless warhorses, startled, reared up and galloped wildly, turning the buffer zone between the two sides into a chaotic mess.
In the Goguryeo camp, General Choi Dong-won, the Western Expeditionary General who stood proudly on horseback in front of the three armies, felt a jolt in his heart after witnessing the changes in the birch forest, and knew that something was wrong.
At this point, he no longer had time to delve into what had just happened in the birch forest;
They had no interest in figuring out what new weapon that small group of Tang scouts had used to create the ear-piercing "bang bang bang" sounds in the birch forest, which startled their own ambush troops and caused their horses to charge wildly out of the forest.
All Cui Dongyuan knew was that his ambush advantage had vanished.
The Tang cavalry on the other side will definitely take this opportunity to launch an attack.
As expected.
Upon discovering that the enemy's ambush troops had all been startled and emerged from their positions, Liu Ergou, the deputy general of the Tang army on the opposite side, immediately raised his spear, the tip of which pointed directly at the Goguryeo formation.
A sharp shout rang out: "Tang cavalry, charge!"
"Kill them!"
Almost simultaneously, Choi Dong-won, in the opposing Goguryeo formation, raised his lance and gave the order to charge: "Goguryeo cavalry warriors, charge!"
"Charge!"
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