Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 92
Beneath the rice paddies beside the dirt road, a Nanzhao warrior leaped up, stepping over the corpse of his comrade, before being shot down by Lu Zhongyuan with a crossbow.

Beside him, Dang Shousu, holding a long-handled broadsword, shouted to the spearmen in the front row:

"prick!"

Then, the sixty lancers, lined up in four rows, thrust their lances out at once, and a wail immediately rang out from the opposite side.

"prick!"

Dang Shousu shouted again, and the infantrymen unleashed another barrage of spear thrusts. In just this one round, the Nanzhao army on the other side was routed, dropping their weapons and collapsing.

Some who ran too fast fell down and were then pinned to the mud by the Bao Yidu shield bearers who rushed up from the side, who cut off their heads.

These shield bearers, having lost their temper, were about to charge at the Nanzhao cavalry stationed on the dirt road when Lu Zhongyuan called them back.

But in the next instant, the Nanzhao knight who had stopped on the dirt road suddenly spurred his horse into the rice paddy. Several heavy steps that he did not have time to retreat were trampled into a bloody pulp by countless hooves and mixed into the mud.

Lu Zhongyuan's eyes were bloodshot as he roared:
"Raise your spear!"

So when the Nanzhao knights charged into the infantry formation in the rice paddies once again, they were met with rows of spears thrusting at them.

Startled, the warhorses neighed and reared up, throwing some unsuspecting Nanzhao knights directly into the muddy ground.

Before they could even struggle to their feet, the infantrymen used the short swords in their left hands to take their lives.

The sight of over a hundred officers and soldiers of Baoyi fighting bloody battles in the rice paddies was witnessed by the Nanzhao cavalry general on the dirt road. After pondering for a moment, he ordered the cavalry on both flanks to descend into the fields from a more distant side and flank the enemy from both sides.

This directly struck at the weak point of these Baoyidu officials and soldiers.

Once these Nanzhao cavalry units complete their flanking maneuvers, the soldiers of these two units will surely be killed.

At this moment, Lu Zhongyuan in the crowd had already given up hope.

But at that moment, a loud suona horn suddenly pierced the sky, followed by deep war drums and an overwhelming horn call to charge.

Then, a dark cloud flashed across the sky and crashed heavily onto the Nanzhao cavalry on the dirt road.

In just one breath, countless members of the Nanzhao cavalry, mainly equipped with leather armor, fell from their horses. The tragic cries and the chaotic galloping of the warhorses made the cavalry on the dirt road even more chaotic.

It was at this moment that some of the cavalry units that were still organized saw a vast forest looming over them from the northwest, with countless flags fluttering in the distance.

After only a moment's hesitation, under the command of the Nanzhao cavalry general at the rear, the vanguard of over a hundred riders charged toward the approaching Baoyidu reinforcements.

……

In the rice paddies, Lu Zhongyuan, like everyone else, saw his own reinforcements from the northwest. In particular, when he saw the large, earthen-yellow banner, tears welled up in his eyes.

He gazed at his comrades-in-arms shouting in the distance and murmured:
"You're really not qualified to be a military leader!"

"But as brothers, we're willing to follow you for life!"

As he spoke, the veteran suddenly erupted in a tremendous roar, shouting at all the officers and soldiers:

"Brothers! Kill! Our comrades have come to save us! Follow me and kill these Nanzhao traitors!"

After saying that, Lu Zhongyuan took the lead, holding a short spear, and charged towards the chaotic Nanzhao cavalry on the dirt road.

In an instant, Bao Yi launched an attack from both the front and the flanks!
……

As the hundred or so riders charged toward Gao Renhou's first rank of troops, Gao Renhou, wielding his massive spear, and his men, stepping on the beat of the drum, blocked the dirt road.

Don't be fooled by the seemingly small number of a hundred or so riders; anyone who stands before them would feel their legs go weak.

At this moment, in the eyes of Gao Renhou and other front-line officers and soldiers, these seemingly insignificant hundred or so cavalrymen were bursting forth with an earth-shaking momentum that was breathtaking.

In the queue, someone shouted first, and everyone else followed suit, even Gao Renhou himself started yelling.

Only in this way can we give them some confidence so that they can still stand in front of the charging cavalry instead of turning around and running away.

Gao Renhou had been observing the morale of his troops, and when he heard the loud shout, he knew he couldn't wait any longer, so he gave the order:
"Fire the spear! Fire the spear!"

Upon hearing the order, the officers and soldiers immediately lowered their spears and, following the same posture as the previous Lu and Dang teams, attacked the cavalry with their infantry.

At this time, the Nanzhao knights were still more than fifty paces away from Gao Renhou's front line. After the dense array of spears was lowered, the Nanzhao knights stopped at a distance of twenty paces and then sat on their warhorses and fired a barrage of arrows at Gao Renhou's troops who were arrayed in a hedgehog formation.

The infantrymen in the front row were all armored, and the arrows struck their helmets with a clanging sound, occasionally accompanied by muffled groans and screams.

Before the Nanzhao knights could fire a second volley, Sun Chuanwei, who was behind Gao Renhou, had already raised his crossbow and roared as he fired.

Beside him, over a hundred archers gathered, strung their crossbows, and unleashed a barrage of fire at the Nanzhao cavalry, who had become fixed targets.

How could a horse bow compare to the power of a crossbow? Not to mention at such a short distance.

Thus, with just one volley of arrows, the unarmored Nanzhao knights were cut down like wheat. Before they could retreat, the Baoyidu infantrymen, who had been fifty paces away, were already upon them. Gao Renhou was truly audacious; even as arrows continued to rain down from behind, he dared to lead his squad of infantrymen forward.

Not only were the Nanzhao knights caught off guard, but Sun Chuanwei behind them was also surprised. When he saw Gao Renhou actually press forward, he quickly ordered the second round of volleys to be stopped.

Seeing Gao Renhou's troops relentlessly stabbing down Nanzhao knights with their spears, even the usually audacious Sun Chuanwei was taken aback by Gao Renhou's courage and chuckled, "..."

"This Gao Renhou is a really bold fool, a true hero."

Seeing Gao Renhou recklessly reaping the heads of the Nanzhao army in front of him, he couldn't stand still any longer. Since it was not a good time to use a bow and crossbow, he would just take a knife and go for it!
At Sun Chuanwei's command, his fifty officers and soldiers laid down their bows and crossbows, raised their shields and swords, and charged toward the remaining Nanzhao cavalry.

……

Behind the dirt road, Zhao Huai'an kept staring at the battlefield ahead, becoming more and more pleased with what he saw.

Good, good, good. My Bao Yidu has managed to defeat both infantry and cavalry so well. This army has been trained to be truly formidable.

Seeing that the infantry formation, combined with crossbows, had held off the Nanzhao knights, he waved a small flag and ordered Han Qiong to lead the Iron Beast Heavy Infantry to cross over from the fields on the right.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side, the situation changed once again.

……

Sun Chuanwei led fifty swordsmen and shieldmen, all wearing willow-leaf armor and various colored iron helmets, and charged directly into the chaotic Nanzhao cavalry.

The Nanzhao knights, who had completely lost their mobility, were lambs to the slaughter. They were either pulled off their horses and trampled to death, or hacked to pieces.

This force of 100 Nanzhao cavalrymen was completely defeated by the combined attack of Gao Renhou and Sun Chuanwei.

The remaining Nanzhao knights fled in panic.

Before Gao and Sun could even cheer, a hail of arrows rained down on them. Had their troops not been so heavily armored, they would have suffered considerable losses.

Arrows clattered against the helmets, and some unlucky ones had arrows pierce the gaps in the armor plates. These armored soldiers mostly wore lamellar armor without chainmail underneath, so some people could be heard groaning and howling.

It turned out that not long after the Nanzhao knights launched their attack, the enemy commander, who was among a group of elite iron-armored knights, was deep in thought.

This general, wearing a golden crown, a golden armor, and a tiger skin, and wielding a double-headed lance, exudes an imposing aura. He is none other than Meng Luopa, a key military general of the Nanzhao royal family.

Seeing the cavalrymen ahead suffering repeated defeats, Monropa realized that the current situation was extremely unfavorable.

They were originally light cavalry, skilled in raids and infiltrations, but this muddy and narrow terrain was not suitable for them to operate. Therefore, when they faced the infantry with such a high armor coverage, they suffered a great loss.

Mengluopa was also an elite member of the Nanzhao royal family, and his clan ties were very close to the main branch. In addition, he had previously participated in the campaign to pacify the Pyu Kingdom, and he was always considered to be the backbone of the royal family.

Realizing the disadvantage, the man acted decisively and readjusted his military strategy.

As the hundred riders in front were slaughtered, he had already ordered the cavalry behind to disperse, some even spreading out to the fields on both sides. After leaving enough room to maneuver, Monropa sent out his most elite cavalry unit to fight.

This cavalry unit was his personal guard, composed of platoon leaders selected from various villages, each capable of turning around and shooting on horseback.

At this moment, more than fifty mounted archers galloped along the dirt road, raining arrows down on the Gao and Sun troops who were still immersed in the joy of victory.

……

"Jingle, clang, clang."

Gao Renhou put down the iron mask, panting heavily, and looked at the enemy knights who were still hanging from them. He shouted to Sun Chuanwei beside him:
"We can't fight like this. We can't catch up with them. Once the ranks break up, those enemy soldiers can ride back and attack us from all sides."

Sun Chuanwei was also panting heavily. They had used too many arrows before, and now they had no arrows left to shoot at the enemy cavalry.

He knew that if they continued to be passively attacked, the team would eventually collapse. Watching his comrades fall, wounded and injured by arrows, Sun Chuanwei was filled with anger and hatred. He shouted at Gao Renhou:
"First, carry the wounded brothers to the field, then the two of us will organize the rest and charge forward with pistols. Only by closing the distance can we fight."

Gao Renhou frowned and remained silent. He did not believe that Sun Chuanwei's method would work. At this time, the enemy cavalry on the other side had cleared the road and there was no longer any worry about obstruction. They charged with armor and spears. Could they catch up with the warhorses?
But just as he was pondering other solutions, suddenly a cacophony of shouts erupted from behind:
"Quickly, quickly, jump into the field and make way for the road, make way for the road."

Generals Gao and Sun turned their heads at the same time and saw a cavalry team radiating brilliant light pressing in from behind. Although there were only a dozen or so riders and they were moving very slowly, they were unstoppable.

They were the thirteen heavily armed cavalrymen led by Wang Jin, each wielding a ten-foot-long lance, slowly approaching the direction of Generals Gao and Sun.

Along the way, the infantrymen all sheathed their spears and gave way, cheering loudly for their own armored cavalry.

Upon seeing the armored cavalry charge, Gao Renhou and Sun Chuanwei immediately sprang into action, shouting loudly as they led their troops down into the fields.

At this moment, Wang Jin, who was at the forefront of the armored cavalry, saw that the road ahead was completely open. His eyes turned cold, he tucked his lance under his arm and galloped wildly towards the enemy cavalry in front of him.

Thirteen riders arrived in an instant, covering a hundred paces or so.

With unparalleled force, they tore apart the enemy's elite ranks.

(End of this chapter)