Chen Qingzhi's Longcheng Xuanjia Army arrived outside Chang'an at almost the same time that Guo Dingfang led his troops out of the city.
The first Xuanjia cavalry to arrive at the battlefield were still led by Zuo Liangcai, a fierce general from Longcheng and the vanguard commander of the western expedition.
In the Battle of Xiangji Temple, Zuo Liangcai single-handedly killed 37 Tibetan soldiers on horseback, including the Tibetan general Baima.
Including the previous battle where he lured the enemy deep into Chang'an, in which he killed 23 Tibetan cavalrymen, Zuo Liangcai's horse spear and ring-pommel dagger today have certainly given him a good taste of bloodlust.
However, the war was not over yet, and Zuo Liangcai set himself a small goal—to kill a hundred Tibetan bandits in his first battle!
"All generals of the Dragon City Black Armored Cavalry, heed my command—"
"Your subordinate is here!"
Astride his black horse, Zuo Liangcai raised his sword and shouted, "Conquering cities and seizing strongholds is not our cavalry's forte. In the next battle, we only need to provide flank cover for the infantry and ensure the safety of their flanks!"
"The task of capturing the Tibetan camp will be left to the Mo Dao (陌刀) team and the crossbowmen!"
At this point, Zuo Liangcai changed the subject and said with a smile, "However, if the Tibetan enemy dares to leave the camp or try to escape on horseback, then without my order, everyone has the right to kill them!"
"Did you all understand?"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
The remaining Xuanjia cavalrymen responded in unison.
Then, Zuo Liangcai ordered the flag signalmen to display the flag signals, and 30,000 Xuanjia cavalrymen immediately formed ranks outside the Tubo camp.
Using the Tibetan camp as the center, they galloped across a vast open area stretching for dozens of miles outside Chang'an, forming a huge encirclement that trapped the Tibetan camp.
Next, we watched the play while riding on horseback.
While waiting for the warhorses to recover their strength, they cheered and waved flags to encourage their infantry brothers!
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Suddenly, a deep and powerful drumbeat rang out from the central command tent of the Xuanjia Army.
It was Chen Qingzhi, the deputy marshal in charge of the central army, who issued the order to launch a final general attack on the Tibetan camp.
Encouraged by the drumbeats, the Xuanjia Army infantry assembled into several large square formations, with spears like a forest and shields embedded in the walls, marching in orderly steps toward the Tubo camp.
At the very front of the army were shield bearers and axemen.
Behind him were spearmen wielding long spears.
Then there are the crossbowmen equipped with powerful bows and crossbows.
Trailing behind are the Xuanjia Army's most formidable assault team, the Jumping Team (Assault Team). They will charge into the enemy ranks for close combat after the archers have worn down the enemy forces from a distance.
Five hundred steps!
Three hundred steps!
Two hundred steps!
In the blink of an eye, the shield bearers of the Xuanjia Army reached the Tubo camp, and the two sides were less than two hundred paces apart, entering the range of the archers.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Inside the Tibetan camp, the Tibetan archers, who had been waiting in full battle array, unleashed a volley of arrows at the Xuanjia Army's square formation at the command of their general.
Seeing this, the Xuanjia Army's shield soldiers remained fearless in the face of danger. Just like in their usual training, they raised their heavy shields above their heads, forming an impenetrable barrier to defend against the arrows of the Tibetan enemy.
At the same time, the front-line commanders of the Xuanjia Army also began to give orders to the archers and crossbowmen:
"Archers, prepare!"
"put!"
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
In an instant, the archers of the Xuanjia Army's attacking formation unleashed a volley of arrows, raining down on the Tibetan camp like a storm, instantly disrupting the Tibetan archers' offensive.
Taking advantage of the brief lull in the Tibetan army's offensive, the shield-bearers of the Longcheng Xuanjia Army accelerated their advance.
Meanwhile, the leaping squad, positioned at the rear of the attacking formation, began to rush as quickly as possible behind the shield bearers, following the gaps deliberately left between the archer formations, so as to launch a rapid attack on the enemy camp.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Again, it was archers from both sides firing at each other from a distance of two hundred meters.
Regardless of whether the target is hit, they just keep firing arrows.
The distance of two hundred steps was covered in the blink of an eye.
The Xuanjia Army's shield bearers, spearmen, and leaping soldiers cooperated with each other, engaging in stabbing exchanges with the Tibetan soldiers inside the camp through the wooden fence surrounding the camp.
Soldiers wielding battering rams and other sharp weapons relentlessly pounded on the gates of the Tibetan camp, attempting to break in.
Within the narrow battle zone, soldiers on both sides used every trick in the book to eliminate the enemy in the shortest time and with the most effective tactics.
For a time, shouts of battle filled the air outside the Tibetan camp, and swords flashed in all directions.
"Report—"
"Your Majesty, the west gate of our camp is under fierce attack and may be breached at any moment. General Nima, who is guarding the west gate, requests reinforcements. We urge Your Majesty to make a swift decision!"
"Report—"
"Reporting to the Emperor, the outer perimeter of the camp has been completely sealed off by enemy cavalry. None of the messengers sent to Hexi and Longyou for reinforcements have survived!"
"Report—"
"Reporting to the King..."
Inside the Tibetan central army tent, a series of bad news made the Tibetan king, Dama, very upset. Even his favorite butter tea tasted bland and tasteless.
Dama was extremely irritable, and his already dark face turned even more ashen.
He still couldn't understand whether the Han reinforcements besieging the Tibetan camp were all made of iron, able to fight continuously without rest.
Such a costly assault on the Tibetan camp was an enormous test of the fighting spirit and physical strength of the soldiers under their command!
Fortunately, Dama still holds the initiative on the battlefield for now.
He not only had a fortified camp that could serve as a temporary defensive line to block the Han army's cavalry, but he also had 150,000 brave and skilled Tibetan infantry at his disposal.
If most of the provisions hadn't been burned that morning, Dama firmly believed that holding the camp for ten or fifteen days would have been no problem at all.
It was already the dead of winter.
If they just hold out until a heavy snowfall, the Han army will surely retreat without a fight and go into Chang'an to keep warm.
By then, it will not be too late for me to lead my troops to withdraw calmly.
Dama immediately ordered, "Guards!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"Send the order to send Ben Zanpu's personal guards to the front lines as well. We must not allow the Han army to breach the camp!"
"Tell the soldiers that the King observed the celestial phenomena last night and foresees a once-in-a-century snowfall in Chang'an within three days. The Tibetan soldiers only need to hold out until the snow arrives, and the Han army will surely retreat without a fight!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
......
Outside the Tibetan camp, the fierce battle of attack and defense continued.
Both the attacking Xuanjia Army and the defending Tubo army displayed a fearless fighting spirit, engaging in repeated battles along the narrow front.
The several camp gates became the focus of contention between the two sides.
In a short time, the camp gates changed hands several times, and countless soldiers from both armies fell, their corpses piling up into a small mountain.
"Soldiers of the Anxi Border Army!"
"The brothers of the Xuanjia Army of Longcheng have come from afar to aid Chang'an City. We can't let them do all the work for us!"
"All generals of Anxi, heed my command!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"Follow me into battle, all officers of the rank of centurion and above shall be incorporated into the Vanguard Camp. I shall personally serve as the vanguard commander of the Vanguard Camp, seize the camp gate, and slaughter the enemy troops!"
"Seize the camp gate and slaughter the enemy soldiers!"
"Charge!"
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