The next day.
At dawn, around 5:00 AM, the sun rises.
The gates of Shuobei City were wide open, and squads of Turkic cavalry and ranks of Yunhui soldiers filed out of the city and assembled in formation on the open ground outside the city.
In this battle, Timur assembled 70,000 Turkic cavalry and 80,000 Yunhui infantry, forming a coalition army of 150,000 to advance on Panlong Pass.
The Turkic coalition marched in a long, single-file formation, but changed formation as soon as they reached the vicinity of Panlong Pass.
The marching formation of the "One-Line Long Snake Formation" was transformed into the offensive formation of the "Heaven, Earth, and Three Powers Formation".
The 150,000-strong army advanced in stages, specifically manifested as follows:
Each of the left and right flanks was guarded by 10,000 scouts, each man with two horses;
Eighty thousand Cloud Banner Army infantrymen were arranged in three layers;
The vanguard, consisting of 20,000 archers, stood at the very front of the formation, protected by chariots and shields.
The 30,000-strong jumping team (assault force) was in the center;
Bringing up the rear of the formation were 10,000 elite troops in the center, with 10,000 garrison troops (reserve troops) on each side.
Meanwhile, the Turkic Khan Timur personally led 50,000 cavalrymen to remain outside the allied forces' three-pronged formation, roaming the vast loess land near Panlong Pass, looking for the right opportunity to strike into the battlefield and deliver the decisive blow.
At this moment, Timur was riding his horse and standing on a high point, overlooking the entire battlefield.
The Turkic Empire's allied forces were deploying their troops in an orderly manner, while the Longcheng military camp atop the Panlongtou natural barrier in the distance remained tightly shut.
Timur glanced back again, and a smug smile finally appeared on the gaunt, sunken face of the Imperial cavalry warriors behind him.
Immediately afterwards, he tilted his head back and closed his eyes, as if he were praying to the heavens.
After a long while, Timur suddenly opened his eyes. Two fierce glints of vengeful hatred shot from his cloudy eyes as he muttered to himself, "Chen Polu—"
"Ten years ago, on the banks of the Onon River in Yumuchuan, you led three thousand iron cavalry to charge into battle, catching me off guard and nearly causing my death in Yumuchuan."
"Ten years from now, I, the Khan, will surely march south from Panlong Pass in the north, stepping over the corpses of your son Chen Huai'an and his three thousand Iron Cavalry, and personally overthrow the empire that you, Chen Polu, built for Zhao Mang!"
......
Just as Chenshi (7-9 AM) arrived, the Yunhui Army outside Panlong Pass had completed its formation.
On the central command tower, surrendered general Liang Erhu gave an order, and the messenger holding the signal flag immediately waved the triangular signal flag in his hand to issue orders to the Turkic cavalry on the left and right flanks.
Then, the war drums on the central command tower beat, signaling the start of the attack.
In an instant, the Heaven and Earth Three Talents Formation, composed of Turkic cavalry and Yunhui Army, began to move.
Almost simultaneously, the gates of the Panlongguan Longcheng military camp, which had been kept tightly closed, were also opened.
Wearing golden armor and wielding a halberd, Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin rode out of the camp gate first.
The morning light shone on his golden armor, reflecting countless dazzling golden rays.
Facing the overwhelming Turkic coalition, Chen Huai'an showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he held his head high, a smile on his face, exuding an aura of dominance befitting an emperor.
Chen Huai'an had complete control over all the enemy's movements.
Despite the fact that the Longcheng military camp was always tightly closed, from the moment the Turkic allied forces left the city, the Longcheng military camp had been engaged in tense and orderly preparations for war, just waiting for the Turkic barbarians to come to their door!
"Qin warriors, form ranks to meet the enemy!"
boom!
With Chen Huai'an's order, the wooden city wall of the military camp collapsed instantly, pushed down by the Dragon City soldiers themselves.
In an instant, the entire natural barrier of Panlong Pass was exposed to the attacking Turkic allied forces.
hiss!
Upon seeing this, the cavalry commanders, Arslen and Surilheke, who were positioned on the two flanks of the Turkic coalition's Three Talents Formation, were first surprised, then overjoyed.
They didn't even need anyone to give them orders to attack; they immediately led their 10,000 Turkic cavalrymen to charge towards Panlong Pass, which was located on a 15-degree slope.
Because at this moment, at Panlong Pass, the cavalry of the Longcheng army had been dragged to the very back of the defensive formation.
At the very front was actually a light infantry unit!
Using cavalry against infantry would just be a one-sided, chaotic slaughter, wouldn't it?
To Arsleng, Surile, and Ke's even greater surprise, these foolish Han soldiers actually pushed down the city walls of their camp, voluntarily abandoning this strong defensive line that was meant to withstand cavalry charges.
How could I refuse such a generous gift delivered to my door?
Even Liang Erhu, who was constantly monitoring the battlefield from the command tower of the Three Talents Formation, couldn't immediately figure out what that damned Chen Huai'an was up to.
Back then, when facing 30,000 Yunhui troops at the Longshan camp, attacking with almost the same infantry and cavalry combined formation, Chen Huai'an did not do it this way.
In that battle, Chen Huai'an personally led the Longcheng Iron Cavalry from the very beginning, charging with heavy cavalry, outflanking with light cavalry, and mowing down the remaining troops with long-handled broadswords.
Today, they faced almost the same formation as the Great Khan Timur of the Turks.
Chen Huai'an actually pushed down the wooden city wall of the military camp, voluntarily abandoning his last line of defense with a commanding position, and even put the infantry at the forefront. What was he trying to do?
Just as Liang Erhu was filled with doubt and confusion, the Qin elite soldiers on Panlong Pass quickly gave him the answer.
At Panlong Pass, a tall, resolute general stood at the front of the battle, holding a Qin sword. He was none other than Wang Jian, one of the four great generals of the Warring States period!
Behind the collapsed wooden city wall stood a force of Qin warriors, armed with 18,000 super elite soldiers that Chen Huai'an had summoned from the system last night!
Beside the elite Qin warriors, hundreds of Qin crossbow carts lined up in a row resembled sleeping lions, awakened by the sunlight. The cold crossbow bolts and sturdy carts gleamed with a chilling light.
Chen Huai'an rode up to Wang Jian's side and said with a smile, "General, I'm leaving this place to you!"
Wang Jian's eyes shone brightly as he clasped his hands in acceptance of the order: "I will certainly not fail Your Majesty's command!"
Then, Wang Jian suddenly turned around and shouted at the Qin soldiers behind him: "Qin soldiers, prepare your crossbows!"
"promise--"
Eighteen thousand elite Qin soldiers responded in unison.
Thump thump thump!
Thump thump thump!
In the blink of an eye, the 20,000 Turkic cavalry led by the Turkic generals Arslen and Surilheke had charged to within a thousand paces of the Panlong Pass camp.
As the warhorses accelerated and sprinted at full speed, the gentle slope of Panlong Pass appeared as flat ground to the Turkic cavalry.
Arslen, galloping wildly on his horse, naturally saw the countless crossbow carts lined up in front of the fearless Longcheng soldiers and infantry at Panlong Pass.
Arslen, who was arrogant by nature and had never witnessed the power of the Qin crossbow, and his Turkic cavalry, did not take the Qin crossbow seriously at all.
Furthermore, the 20,000 Turkic cavalrymen who had prepared in advance for today's battle were all clad in iron armor, which made them even less likely to take the ballistae at Panlong Pass seriously.
Once they stepped onto Panlong Pass, these Han infantrymen were all headless ghosts under the curved swords of the Turkic warriors.
"One thousand two hundred steps!"
"One thousand one hundred steps!"
"One thousand steps!"
Wang Jian held a Qin sword, its blade pointed directly at the charging Turkic cavalry, constantly estimating and reporting their numbers.
When the 20,000 Turkic cavalry charged in a wedge formation to within a thousand paces of Panlong Pass, Wang Jian immediately drew his sword and gave the order: "Release—"
"put!"
"put!"
At Wang Jian's command, Qin's elite soldiers quickly pulled the ropes of the crossbow carts, and the huge crossbows instantly opened to full draw, with the taut arrow strings emitting a piercing creaking sound.
The next moment, a barrage of arrows was unleashed.
On hundreds of crossbow carts, each equipped with dozens of crossbow bolts as thick as spear shafts, they streaked across the sky like meteors, piercing straight into the ranks of the Turkic cavalry.
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