Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 159 Wu Bing's Light and Agile Force
Cheng Qianxi's charge was unsuccessful, and the morale of the government cavalry was temporarily dampened.

Pei Qu received the report, but showed no sign of disappointment.

"How is the battle going on the flanks?" Pei Jiedu asked the messenger, filling a crystal cup with Sanle wine and sipping it slowly.

Pei Qu came from a high-ranking family and was used to enjoying life. If possible, he really wanted to hold another beautiful blonde oriental woman in his arms.

But as a capable general of the state, Pei Qu naturally knew that having half of the soldiers dead or wounded while beautiful women sang and danced in the tent was the most damaging thing to do to the morale of his own side.

The people of Wu are quick-witted and agile, which is advantageous for swift battles.

Pei Qu did not leave any reserves and sent the entire army forward. This was to further leverage the light and swift advantage of the Jiangdong troops, based on the premise of waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out.

Although Cheng Qianxi led his cavalry in a charge, they were stopped by two hundred Persian cavalrymen who dismounted and fought on foot. However, the two flanks of the Zhenhai Army, which had been spread out, were already encircling the Cao army like a tidal wave.

The southeastern region is characterized by dense hills and a network of waterways, where warriors are skilled with swords and shields. In contrast, the northern infantry are more adept with spears and lances.

Pei Qu's plan was clearly to take advantage of the grass army's hasty arrival and unstable foothold, to establish a local numerical advantage, and to try to cut them off and break them up, dragging them into a melee. In the midst of scattered fighting, the Jiangdong swordsmen and shieldmen were able to demonstrate their superiority.

It is now late autumn, and many river channels have dried up to the point that they can be waded across, which is conducive to Pei Qu's army spreading out a wide front on the plains.

It must be said that this military governor Pei Qu was adept at seizing opportunities and his use of favorable timing and location was also remarkably accurate.

The infantry, caught between two flanks, and the hastily arrayed spearmen, facing the overwhelming onslaught of the government troops, were unable to withstand it and scattered in large numbers.

When the battle became chaotic, the swordsmen and shieldmen showed their advantage, charging forward with their swords, seemingly about to cut and tear the grass army formation to pieces, and then devour it piece by piece.

As for the two hundred Persian cavalrymen who dismounted and fought on foot, if their backs were unprotected, they would be nothing more than meat on a chopping block.

As expected, the other riders brought back good news.

Pei Qu looked pleased with himself and drank the entire cup of Sanle wine in one gulp.

This wine is sweet but not very strong, making it suitable for a general to sip on the battlefield without getting drunk and making mistakes.

His advisors and personal guards showered Pei Qu with praise, extolling his military genius. Pei, sipping his fine wine, narrowed his eyes, his expression growing increasingly intoxicated.

Beneath the central banner of the army, Huang Chao stroked his short beard and leisurely smiled at Zhu Wen, "Liangyu, guess what Pei Qu is doing?"

"Since he didn't come to the front lines, he's probably drinking," Zhu Wen said. "As for what kind of wine he likes to drink, I don't know."

It is very risky for the commander-in-chief to personally go to the front line to fight. Even the most skilled and fierce general may perish in an attack by a few soldiers or from a stray arrow that comes from nowhere.

Huang Chao and the four generals were all master-level experts, and they often didn't charge into battle. Pei Qu's absence from the front lines cannot necessarily be considered a mistake.

However, whether it was disciplining himself or managing his soldiers, Huang Chao always maintained the rule that on the battlefield, only water was allowed to quench thirst, and no alcohol was permitted. Only after a victory was drinking and celebrating allowed.

Of course, Meng Kai was the only exception. Whether on the battlefield or not, Meng Kai always had alcohol with him.

"Wine is for celebrating victory. If the commanders of the three armies start drinking at the halfway point, they will surely be tainted with bad luck," Huang Chao said casually.

Whether this principle is correct or not is not important. As long as Huang Chao sets an example and wins battles, his subordinates will naturally feel that every word their commander says is correct and wise.

At this point, Pei Qu's infantrymen quickly realized that they could no longer pursue the fleeing rebels.

Rows of chariots blocked their path, many chained together. Huang Chao had been rampaging through the land with his chariots for years, but Pei Qu had never fought against Huang Chao's main force before, so he did not take this seriously.

This is not surprising, as the Tang Dynasty did not emphasize chariots in contrast to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, which stressed the use of chariots to control cavalry. This was undoubtedly a path dependence on the military system established by Emperor Taizong and Li Jing in the early years of the dynasty.

In the early Tang Dynasty, the opponents were often agile Hu cavalry, and chariots were not conducive to pursuing and annihilating the enemy.

However, after the An Lushan Rebellion, in the face of the change in the way of war, only a handful of famous generals, such as Li Guangbi, the Prince of Linhuai, and Ma Sui, the Prince of Beiping, were able to revive the chariot warfare method that had been out of use for many years and make good use of it.

Huang Chao's chariot warfare tactics were rediscovered from many secret ancient books. After years of practice and actual combat, he continuously improved them to this day.

For example, in the Battle of Linqu not long ago, Shang Rang and Meng Kai used Huang Chao's old trick of putting new wine in old bottles, the Fish Scale Formation, with infantry and chariots working together, to defeat the Pinglu army.

Even top-tier strategists like the Four Commanders, without using chariots themselves, could quickly find a way to counter Huang Chao's chariot warfare tactics.

While generals of Pei Qu's caliber often display exceptional wisdom and flawless strategy within their areas of experience and common sense, they easily become helpless and even suffer utter defeat when outside their familiar territory.

As the saying goes: One can maintain the status quo, but one cannot resist change!
From their chariots, archers unleashed a deadly rain of arrows upon the approaching Jiangdong infantry.

Spearmen, when thrusting downwards, can often easily dodge shields, hitting their targets with every thrust.

In order to launch rapid attacks, the armor of Jiangdong soldiers was generally very light and had insufficient coverage, making them more reliant on shields for defense.

The retreating infantrymen hid behind the chariots and in the gaps, quickly reorganizing their ranks and taking turns to fight in a tactic of advancing and retreating to conserve their energy, calmly counterattacking the enemy troops who were charging in continuously.

Zhu Wen, feeling a surge of excitement, picked up the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Sword, wanting to charge forward and engage in battle.

Huang Chao stopped him with a look.

“You are a wise general, not a fierce general like Jue Hai. Why risk your life unless absolutely necessary?” Huang Chao’s gaze swept over Zhu Wen.

Zhu Wen stopped and gave an awkward smile.

Duan Hongyan also told him not to fight so desperately on the battlefield.

Compared to the four great generals of the Tang Dynasty, Zhu Wen is now on par with them in terms of wisdom and strategy. What he lacks is the commanding presence of a great general like the four.

But this is not surprising, as he is at the age of youthful vigor and it is inevitable that he has a youthful mentality.

Moreover, Zhu Wen had always served as the chief strategist of the peasant army and had never commanded a large-scale army.

Huang Chao had his sights set on conquering the world, so naturally he wanted to groom Zhu Wen into a great general.

"Just watch quietly. If you need to take action, then it's not too late." Huang Chao spoke with an air of profound composure.

The government troops' infantry attack failed, and instead, their own formation became chaotic.

The chains between the chariots were released, and the warhorses moved to the front, pulling the vehicles at breakneck speed. The spear-shaped chariot wheels spun rapidly, their sharp edges menacing. Enemy soldiers swept past were often sliced ​​in two, blood splattering everywhere.

At this point, their lightness and agility became a huge disadvantage for Wu's troops. Faced with this unfavorable situation, they quickly fell into panic, their ranks scattered, resembling clumps of dough.

(End of this chapter)