The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 253 The National Treasure Weapon, Bloody Battle at Yanzhi Mountain
In early summer, the Hexi Corridor is filled with sweltering heat.

However, the Shandan Military Horse Ranch, located at the foot of the Qilian Mountains, had a suitable temperature due to its high altitude. Even though Li Xiao was wearing a thick cotton armor, he still did not feel the summer heat.

At this moment, the sun was high in the sky, and the Northern Frontier cavalry spread across the entire western hillside like waves, forming a wedge formation and looking down at the Western Xia army opposite them.

Standing at the very front of the army was the Northern Frontier Infantry Corps.

Thousands of jujube wood shields wrapped in cowhide were placed at the forefront of the army, standing tall like a city wall.

Behind the shield bearers were spearmen and axemen, with archers bringing up the rear.

More than 50,000 Kuli soldiers were divided into six 10,000-household units, each forming a military formation that stood like a fortress nailed to the ground, firmly blocking the Western Xia army's path.

Tens of thousands of northern frontier cavalrymen lined up on the left and right, stretching across the hillside like a tide, exuding a cold and fierce aura, like two sharp blades, intimidating this vast grassland.

On the opposite side, Wei Ming Shi'an also led an army of 50,000, forming a battle formation with over 10,000 crossbows lined up in front, ready to fire.

No cavalryman would dare to charge head-on under such a formation, otherwise they would be met with a hail of arrows.

The Western Xia court invested heavily in this battle.

In addition to the 20,000 able-bodied men recruited from Liangzhou City, the 50,000 infantry and cavalry troops from the Central Plains were all elite forces within Western Xia.

Moreover, in order to supply the army with provisions, hundreds of thousands of laborers were conscripted to transport military provisions to Liangzhou City day and night, which can be said to have almost emptied the family's coffers.

"General, the Northern Frontier Army has seized the western slope and is now in a favorable position to overlook our army. This battle will not be easy."

In the central army camp, Yeli Duowen, the garrison commander of Liangzhou City, spoke with a heavy expression.

Because the Shandan Military Horse Farm is located at the foot of the Qilian Mountains, at a high altitude, and with undulating terrain.

At this moment, the Western Xia army was arrayed to the east, facing a huge slope, while the Northern Frontier army had already occupied the high ground.

Having a superior vantage point, they immediately overwhelmed the Western Xia army in terms of sheer presence.

"Warfare depends on the right time, the right place, and the right people. Although our army has lost the advantage of terrain and the right time is not on our side, every soldier of our Great Xia is elite, with strong armor and sharp crossbows. With the three armies fighting with their lives, how can we not defeat a mere group of barbarians?"

A Tangut cavalry general said sternly.

This man was named Tuoba Mayu, a general of the Western Xia Imperial Guard, and a cavalry commander.

The three thousand imperial guards and one thousand iron hawks were nominally under his command.

"General Tuoba, if the people of the Northern Frontier are just a bunch of barbarians, how could they turn my Western Xia soldiers into their lackeys in just one month?" Yeli Duowen said in a solemn voice.

The sight of the six infantry formations directly in front of them was the biggest surprise for the Western Xia generals.

According to previous intelligence, the Northern Frontier Army consisted entirely of cavalry. In less than a month, they traversed the north and south, cutting off the Hexi Corridor. Their military prowess was formidable, and they were in no way inferior to elite cavalry units such as the Iron Falcons and the Hooked Horses.

However, the intelligence never indicated that the Northern Frontier Army had infantry.

At a glance, there were at least fifty or sixty thousand people.

There is only one explanation: the tens of thousands of infantrymen were all former prisoners of war from the Western Xia.

In such a short period of time, they were able to be persuaded to risk their lives for the Northern Frontier Army.

That says a lot.

The people of northern Xinjiang were not merely a group of uncivilized barbarians like the Naiman and Kereit tribes.

"Although we don't know what methods the Northern Frontier people used to get those soldiers to fight for them, it's nothing short of a pipe dream to think that they can win this war with just those prisoners of war," Wei Ming Shi'an said solemnly.

Those infantrymen were all from the Western Xia army in the Hexi Corridor. Although they were fierce and had strong individual combat capabilities, they were ultimately just a group of prisoners of war.

Their biggest weakness is their lack of unity.

True elite troops are not formed through simple training; they must be able to obey orders without question. He didn't believe that the Northern Frontier Army could truly command these prisoners of war so effectively in such a short time.
But what Wei Ming Shi'an feared most were the cavalry and artillery of the northern frontier.

"Those dark pillars must be the legendary 'Northern Frontier Thunder God Pillars.' I wonder if they are really as powerful as the legends say."

Wei Ming Shi'an looked at the cannons in front of the Northern Frontier Army, his tone becoming increasingly solemn.

It's no secret that the Northern Frontier Army possesses a mysterious weapon comparable to the Roar of Thunder.

Wei Ming Shi'an also took some targeted measures in response.

Plug the warhorses' ears so that the soldiers will not panic when they hear thunder. No one is allowed to shout, run around, or be subject to military law.

Despite his thorough preparations, Wei Ming Shi'an was still uncertain, as he had never personally witnessed the power of the Thunder God Pillar.

Regardless, this time they still have to fight a head-on battle with the Northern Frontier Army.

"Order the vanguard battalion to attack."

Wei Ming Shi'an drew his knife and shouted loudly, his expression fierce and his eyes full of determination.

"Dong dong dong dong~"

A dozen or so burly men with bare shoulders beat the war drums.

This is the signal to beat the drums and advance.

The infantry commander of the vanguard battalion drew his sword and shouted, "Attack!"

The order was given, and the shield bearers at the forefront, holding their cowhide shields, lined up densely together, forming a horizontal line, and advanced step by step toward the Northern Frontier Army formation.

Spearmen and crossbowmen followed closely behind.

The cavalry on both sides gripped their spears tightly, ready to support the infantry at any moment.

"Ho ho ho ho~"

On the other side, tens of thousands of Northern Frontier soldiers also let out beast-like roars, striking their chest armor with their weapons, and the huge sound waves swept across the entire grassland.

This is a way for soldiers in northern Xinjiang to intimidate and deter the enemy, and to exert psychological pressure.

Beneath the golden sun and moon battle banner, Li Xiao rode a black Ferghana horse, holding a telescope, and gazed intently at the movements of the Western Xia army.

He commanded in a deep voice, "Archery battalion, fire!"

"Shenji Battalion, prepare to fire!"

"Woooooooo~"

The next moment, the bugle call of the Northern Frontier Army sounded, and the two sides were on the verge of a desperate battle.

"Archers, fire!"

In the Western Xia army, the vanguard commander, holding a sword, his face contorted in a ferocious expression, brandished it and shouted loudly.

After the order was given, the shield bearers at the front immediately stopped.

The archers quickly stepped forward, mounted their crossbows on their shields, aimed at the Northern Frontier infantry corps ahead, and pulled the trigger.

"Rustling sound~"

In an instant, thousands of crossbows trembled simultaneously, and the three-edged arrowheads, coated with black oil, tore through the cold wind, weaving a dark, gloomy cloud in the air like a swarm of locusts.

"Block!"

"Grip your shield tight."

At the forefront of the Northern Frontier army, a commander of a thousand infantrymen, looking at the dense barrage of arrows, roared with a ferocious expression.

The next second, a hail of arrows came crashing down.

A dense clanging of metal erupted from the Northern Frontier Army's ranks, as the infantrymen at the forefront gripped their leather shields tightly.

Most of them were experiencing this scene for the first time, and their expressions were filled with panic and fear, but they all understood that they were now enemies of the Western Xia army.

The enemy will not hold back at all. If I lose my grip on the shield, not only will I be riddled with arrows, but my brothers behind me will also suffer.

In a short time, countless arrows were embedded in the shield, like a hedgehog.

Because the Western Xia army was positioned at the foot of the slope, they had to fire upwards, and the angle caused most of the arrows to be blocked by the shield bearers.

Only a small number of arrows penetrated the Northern Frontier army's ranks from above the shields or through the gaps, causing some casualties among the Northern Frontier infantry.

Meanwhile, the archers and crossbowmen of the northern frontier were doing the same thing, hiding behind shields and launching counterattacks against the Western Xia army.

With the rapid development of the military industry in northern Xinjiang, the artisans in northern Xinjiang are now able to completely replicate the Shenbi crossbow and its bolts.

Besides the crossbows made in the northern frontier, the rest were smuggled from Blackwater City and seized in previous wars.

However, in terms of overall quantity, it still cannot compare to the Western Xia's Shenbi crossbows.

Fortunately, the Northern Frontier Army had the advantage of terrain, and their superior position allowed them to fire down on the Western Xia's vanguard soldiers, causing considerable damage.

"Damn it."

Upon witnessing this scene, the Western Xia general's face darkened, and he cursed angrily.

He then ordered the second group of archers to fire, while the first group loaded their crossbow bolts.

He then shouted sternly, "Pull up the ballista! Today we're going to smash those barbarians' turtle shells to pieces!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sounds of heavy breathing and shouting rang out from the Western Xia army formation, and the once tight shield formation cracked open like a tidal wave.

A group of burly men, shirtless, were slowly pushing ten ballistae forward.

After securing the wheels, the angle of attack was quickly adjusted, and then the massive crossbow arm began to twist, making a teeth-grinding "clunking" sound. The arrows were as thick as a child's arm, and their fletchings were coated with pungent pine resin.

Both the arrows of the crossbow and the ballista were specially made.

It is thicker and longer than a regular bow and arrow, and the arrowhead is sharper.

Even with the strength of the Western Xia, it could not sustain too much expenditure.

"Release the arrows!"

At the command of the Western Xia general, ten ballistae simultaneously emitted the piercing sound of bowstrings.

Arrows as thick as bowls ripped through the air with a whooshing sound, piercing the northern frontier army formation in the blink of an eye.

The cowhide and jujube wood shields at the very front couldn't withstand the immense force. With a "crack," the shields were pierced through like thin paper, pinning several soldiers behind them to the ground.

The dense northern frontier army formation was pierced through by the crossbow bolts of the Western Xia, leaving ten blood-red corridors.

Upon witnessing this scene, the commander of the Northern Frontier Infantry turned ferocious and shouted, "Brothers, think of your families back home. They are waiting for you to make meritorious contributions and live a good life."

"For each enemy shot, the reward is two strings of cash; for each enemy shot, the reward is twenty mu of farmland."

This is an incentive that also contains a hidden threat, but the effect is still very obvious.

The previously panicked soldiers of the Kuril Army calmed down and gritted their teeth to hold their shields.

But Qianhu knew that this stability was temporary.

These Kuril troops are not the real northern frontier troops after all. If they suffer too many losses, the army may collapse directly.

Fortunately, the Northern Frontier Army's artillery was ready. Wu Damao, the commander of the Second Divine Machine Battalion, drew his cavalry sword and shouted, "Fire!"

"Boom boom boom boom~" A huge roar resounded between heaven and earth, and cannonballs shot out, drawing curves in the air, and crashing directly into the Western Xia army formation.

"Boom boom boom~"

The Western Xia army was immediately thrown into chaos.

Before the shield bearers in the front row could react, a cannonball as thick as a bowl smashed through three layers of cowhide and jujube wood shields with a "bang," shattering the shields into pieces of wood, which, along with the flying dirt, left wounds on the surrounding soldiers.

Immediately afterwards, there was another loud explosion. Ten exploding shells exploded in the center of the crowd, and hundreds of hot iron nails and pieces of iron rained down like a storm.

Some pierced directly into the soldier's shoulder blade, some flew through the neck, and some shot directly into the head.

Screams rose and fell as several crossbowmen had their leg bones broken by shrapnel and rolled on the ground clutching their severed limbs.

Many more people were shocked by the explosion, their ears and noses bleeding. As they struggled to get up, they were riddled with shrapnel.

Blood mist mixed with gunpowder smoke spread out, even though the Western Xia soldiers had long known that the Northern Frontier Army possessed a kind of 'sorcery' that could unleash thunderous power.

But when they saw it with their own eyes, they were still terrified by its immense power. Many soldiers completely disregarded Wei Ming Shi An's orders and retreated in panic.

The once orderly military formation instantly descended into chaos.

Meanwhile, in the central army, Wei Ming Shi'an watched this scene unfold with a shocked and incredulous expression.

"Gunpowder, this is gunpowder." Amidst the strong smell of blood, Wei Ming Shi'an faintly detected the scent of gunpowder.

With a furrowed brow and a look of horror, he couldn't understand how the gunpowder used to set off firecrackers could unleash such power.

Moreover, how did the barbarians of the northern frontier manage to throw gunpowder into the Western Xia army's formation from such a distance?
"Is it the Thor Pillar?"

Wei Ming Shi'an stared intently at the dozen or so dark iron pillars in the distance, his aged voice murmuring something.

"The barbarians of the Northern Frontier are truly a formidable opponent."

Then, his expression turned serious, and he shouted loudly, "Order the Po Xi Army to advance and smash those broken iron pillars!"

The Poxi Army were the artillerymen of the Western Xia Dynasty.

It uses a small catapult that can be mounted on the back of a camel.

However, considering the need to attack the city walls of Ganzhou and Suzhou, which were occupied by the Northern Frontier Army, Weiming Shi'an had already ordered the manufacture of a batch of large catapults.

Although its power is far inferior to that of the artillery in the northern border region, it can still play a role.

Thus, the two armies engaged in a fierce battle on the grassland of the military horse farm.

At dusk, both sides sounded the retreat.

In the Western Xia army camp, the cries of wounded soldiers filled the air.

Wei Ming Shi'an walked into the wounded soldiers' camp through the sticky mud. The whimpers and screams of the wounded soldiers seemed to crawl into his ears like countless ants.

Before him, a soldier's lower leg dangled over the edge of a stretcher, the white bone exposed. The army doctor glanced at it and shook his head slightly, saying, "It's hopeless, just cut it off."

As he spoke, he stuffed a wooden stick into the soldier's mouth and had the soldier's squad leader personally cut off the soldier's lower leg.

The intense pain caused the soldier to bite his teeth off and faint from the pain.

"Ah, what a pity, what a fine young man."

Wei Ming Shi'an looked at the soldier with the broken leg and sighed with grief and indignation.

However, they had no choice but to cut them off, as the infection rate among wounded soldiers was very high, especially in places like the military horse farm where there was plenty of water and grass, which could easily lead to soldiers dying from illness.

Not long after, Wei Ming Shi'an finished touring the entire wounded soldiers' camp and returned to his tent with a heavy expression.

Looking at the small plate of beef and the large bowl of porridge neatly arranged in front of him, he picked up the porridge and drank it all in one gulp, instead handing the beef to his personal guard.

“The wounded soldiers need it more than I do. Give it to them to eat.”

Regardless of whether it's just for show, the soldiers will definitely feel more at ease following a commander like Wei Ming Shi'an.

Soon after, generals such as Yeli Duowen and Tuoba Mayu arrived at the main tent and reported the losses of their respective units to him.

Because it was the first day of the battle, both sides had limited forces, and the cavalry had no chance to be deployed. Therefore, the vanguard battalion suffered the most casualties.

"Our unit suffered 828 dead or seriously wounded soldiers and more than 1,600 lightly wounded soldiers."

"Thunder God Pillars in the northern frontier are too powerful; they can send iron nails and pieces flying very far. Many of our soldiers have been killed or wounded by them."

The vanguard battalion commander was the first to report, his expression grave and his face filled with indignation.

On the very first day of battle, his men suffered 2,500 casualties, which was truly devastating.

After all, these were not just conscripted soldiers, but the main force of the Western Xia army, each one an elite. Such a huge loss even made Wei Ming Shi'an feel heartbroken.

"There's nothing we can do; people always die in war," Wei Ming Shi'an said coldly.

However, he did not expect that in such a short period of time, the infantry of the northern frontier would become so powerful that they could rival the elite troops of the Western Xia without being inferior to them.

Keep in mind that most of those soldiers were captured Western Xia people!

Why are they so determined to help the Northern Frontier Army? They're a bunch of insatiable ingrates.

What Wei Ming Shi'an didn't know was that while these Western Xia prisoners of war were attracted by the generous treatment offered by the Northern Frontier Army, they were also intimidated by the army's strength.

Especially today, the scene of the Shenwei Cannon firing completely extinguished the ulterior motives of many Western Xia prisoners of war.

As the balance of the war increasingly tipped in favor of the northern frontier, they naturally did not want to surrender to the Nationalist army in 1949.

"What about other casualties? Crossbows? Catapults? Ballistae?" Wei Ming Shi'an asked again.

This topic is even more serious because these weapons pose a deadly threat to the infantry in the northern frontier, and therefore received special attention from the Shenji Battalion.

Two ballistae were destroyed and five large catapults were blown up because their targets were larger, thus increasing their success rate.

Secondly, several hundred archers on the front lines were also killed or wounded.

Becoming a skilled archer requires a great deal of training; every archer is a treasure.

The heavy casualties weighed heavily on Wei Ming Shi'an's mind.

"This war cannot continue like this."

After everyone had left, Wei Ming Shi'an murmured to himself.

The Northern Frontier Army occupied the advantageous terrain of the military horse farm, and its strength and combat power were in no way weaker than those of the Western Xia Army; in fact, the Northern Frontier cavalry was even stronger.

The original plan to attack Shanle City was no longer feasible, so Weiming Shi'an decided to devise a surprise plan.

The war broke out again the next day.

At the same location, the Western Xia army attacked uphill, while the Northern Frontier army occupied the high ground for defense.

The archers on both sides took the arrows that the other had shot at them the day before and returned them to the other side.

The Shenji Battalion's cannons continued to roar, shells relentlessly reaping the lives of Western Xia soldiers.

The extent of the victory was secondary; the most important thing was that the existence of the Divine Might Cannon could boost the morale of the Kuril Army prisoners of war.

Many people are superstitious and believe that this is the weapon of the Thunder God, and that the gods are on the side of the Northern Frontier.

Even when the Divine Might Cannon fired, the cheers of the Kuril soldiers could be heard from time to time amidst the enormous roar.

This stems from the worship of power.

Therefore, as long as the Shenwei cannon fires a few shots every day, it will be enough to boost the morale of the Kuril army.

……

A few days later, Tuoba Mayu led 5,000 elite cavalrymen away from the battlefield, a number that was not particularly conspicuous in a battlefield with hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

Moreover, it would allow Weiming Shi'an to leave enough cavalry to deal with any attacks launched by the Northern Frontier Iron Cavalry at any time.

At the same time, five thousand cavalrymen were drawn from Li Anquan's command in the central route, bringing the total number of iron cavalry to ten thousand.

Their goal, however, was the third route, the desert road located north of Ganjun Mountain.

After witnessing the tenacity of the Northern Frontier Infantry Corps and the power of the Northern Frontier Army's artillery, Wei Ming Shi'an realized that it would be difficult to achieve a breakthrough from the south in a short period of time.

Therefore, they prepared to launch a surprise attack, taking the northern route to strike Ganzhou City, burn the Northern Frontier Army's supplies, and cut off their main army's retreat.

The midday sun hangs over the Gobi Desert like a red-hot iron.

Tuoba Mayu's clothes were already soaked with sweat, and the chainmail that represented his status as a cavalry general of the Imperial Guard was also hanging on his horse, just like the other soldiers.

Just as they rounded Ganjun Mountain, a scout suddenly reported: "Reporting to the General, a large contingent of Northern Frontier cavalry has been spotted ten miles ahead."

Upon hearing this, Tuoba Mayu's expression instantly turned extremely grave.

"what?"

"how many people?"

The scout reported, "At least four or five thousand men."

Upon hearing this, Tuoba Mayu immediately understood what was going on.
The people of Beijiang and Weiming Shi'an had the same idea.

Both sides planned to detour through the Gobi Desert to cut off the other's supply lines, and their plans coincided, leading to their unexpected encounter.

Soon, the Western Xia army and the Northern Frontier army met head-on.

The cavalry of the northern frontier had already received the news, so they all put on their cotton armor.

It's hot, but life is more important.

The white banners with red borders and the sun and moon symbols looked listless under the scorching sun. More than 8,000 northern frontier cavalrymen, clad in armor, were poised to attack and were closing in on the Western Xia army.

This army is the Sixth Garrison of Northern Xinjiang.

Commander-in-Chief Li Donghe and Deputy Commander-in-Chief Li Xiang, also known as Da Hu.

Wanhu Weixuan.

The total strength reached 8,500 men.

The reason there were 500 more men than when they set out was because more than 700 Blackwater City soldiers who had distinguished themselves in the previous war had become garrison troops and joined the Sixth Garrison.

Therefore, the troop strength of the Sixth Division increased rather than decreased.

"Wanhu, I didn't expect the Western Xia army to be making the same plans as us."

The 10,000-household troops led by Wei Xuan were the vanguard of the Sixth Division.

Hearing the words of the Imperial Guard Commander, he shook his head slightly and smiled faintly: "So what?"

"After we wipe out this Western Xia cavalry, Liangzhou City will be ours for the taking."

(End of this chapter)