Plushplushplush! In the air, the vultures shrieked in alarm as arrows shot through their necks, wings, and chests, and they plunged to the ground. Down below, it was easy to see the Great Tang soldiers aiming long rectangular chests with numerous holes in them into the air.
A small adjustment was all that was needed to turn the skies into a death zone as well.
Wolves howled and vultures shrieked, the din lasting for only a few seconds, and then the sky was cleared of vultures while the ground was covered in corpses. The battlefield fell silent.
Buzz!
On the distant hill, beneath the banner of the golden wolf, Duwu Sili’s eyes were twitching, his face pale.
“What is this?!”
Duwu Sili felt like his understanding of the world had completely changed as he stared at that youth in the distance. Although he had come at Dalun Ruozan’s invitation and his goal was also to exterminate all the strength the Great Tang had in the Western Regions, he had never once exchanged blows with Wang Chong.
Those steel installations that could launch tens of thousands of arrows in seconds were something Duwu Sili had never seen in his entire life, and completely overturned his understanding of archery.
Nearby, Dalun Ruozan’s eyes were also raging with emotion.
When he had fought with Wang Chong in the war of the southwest, Wang Chong only had his steel walls. In the face of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army, he could only passively defend. This sort of terrifying killing machine had not been brought into being yet. These beehives were a formidable barrage weapon, and Dalun Ruozan had long ago heard in the royal capital’s prison that Wang Chong had used them against Dayan Mangban.
But to hear and to see were two completely different concepts.
When that vast sea of arrows had suddenly appeared in the sky, everyone on the hill had sensed a shock that reached into the deepest depths of their soul.
“Release!”
Similar orders were not only being shouted on the eastern side of the battlefield, but to the west of Talas as well, from the first defense line. Buzz! Tens of thousands of arrows exploded into the air, completely engulfing the Iron Beast Army and the Arab soldiers charging up from behind them.
“Release!”
“Release!”
“Release!”
Each of the thousands of beehives installed on the steel walls had a soldier to operate it. The tens of thousands of arrows blocked out the skies as they whistled through the air. Each arrow was far less lethal than a bolt from a ballista, and a significant portion was blocked by Arabian armor. However, the terrifying number of arrows being fired had created a similarly terrifying power.
Plushplushplush! The sound of arrows plunging through flesh could be heard all across the western Talas battlefield. Before warhorses and their riders could even reach the first defensive line, they would topple to the ground, their bodies covered with arrows. In a few short moments, the area in front of the first defensive line was piled with corpses.
“Fire!”
Standing on a tall transport carriage, Chen Bin swung down his sword again and again. The ballistae fired, wave after wave, each ballista bolt accompanied with a canopy of arrow fire that brought away with it a large batch of Arab soldiers. On this foreign battlefield, the Great Tang ballistae, the symbol of its prosperity and strength, the acme of its craftsmanship, exhibited the full extent of their power.
In the brief time that had elapsed, thousands upon thousands of Arab elites had been felled.
But at this time, the ferocity and fearlessness of the Arabs was also on full display. Despite the combined downpour of death of the ballistae and beehives, despite the increasing numbers of Arab dead piling up in front of the first Tang defense line, the Arab soldiers continued to surge out from the rear, taking the places of the fallen. No fear of death could be seen on their faces. On the contrary, death seemed to them like some enormous honor.
The Arabs were natural fighters and regarded death on the battlefield as the greatest glory. By dying on the battlefield, they would return to the embrace of god and gain for themselves the greatest rewards and honor. Thus, the Arabs were even more ferocious and formidable than the Tibetans and the Turks.
At the sight of this Arab army anxious to charge forward, even Wang Chong couldn’t help but widen his eyes.
But conflicts came hand in hand, and while the Arabs were charging forward, the thousands upon thousands of Tibetan and Turkic cavalry began to shout as they charged. The deaths of all those wolves and vultures had failed to inspire any fear or dread in them.
“Huoshu Huicang, send all the soldiers except the Mutri Great Cavalry!”
On the hill, Dalun Ruozan sat upon a Tibetan steed, his eyes firm and resolute. There was no doubting the strength of the Tang. Anyone who wanted to defeat the Great Tang and come away with few losses was being unrealistic and childish.
Battles involved sacrifice, and in this Battle of Talas, Dalun Ruozan had already prepared for the worst scenario. But as long as the Anxi Protectorate army and Qixi Protectorate army could be destroyed and Wang Chong killed, all the sacrifice would be worth it.
This three-party alliance was engaged in a decisive battle with the Great Tang. Any and all necessary actions needed to be carried out.
The Great Tang had no chance of survival!
Dalun Ruozan took two steps forward and asked, “Zhabo, have those items in the rear finished being installed?”
A voice came from the rear. “It’s all ready. The only thing necessary is Great Minister’s order!”
“Mm.”
Dalun Ruozan nodded.
“Inform the Arabs so that we can move together. In addition, begin!”
“Yes!”
A figure behind Dalun Ruozan quickly departed, vanishing behind the hills.
……
Rumble! Amidst the howling wind and thundering hooves, the tens of thousands of Tibetan and Turkic cavalry charged forward. Awoooo! Thousands upon thousands of massive wolves once more surged from the rear. The approach this time, however, was different. Around two hundred zhang from the second defense line, there was a flash of light as all the Tibetans and Turks reached under their horses, all of them taking out round shields.
“Kill!”
“Destroy them all! Conquer the Western Regions!”
“Kill them all!”
Shouts filled the sky. Although the Tibetans and Turks spoke different languages, at this moment, they seemed to be on the same wavelength, acting as a single army. They all pressed against the backs of their horses, the round shields on their arms raised into the air like umbrellas, protecting the majority of their and their horses’ weak points.
All the Tang soldiers at the second line of defense were visibly taken aback by this sight. Whether it was with the vultures, wolves, or these round shields, the Tibetans and Turks had clearly come prepared.
“Ready!”
With a clang, Xu Keyi unsheathed his sword, his cold and lofty voice ringing over the defense line. Xu Keyi’s order immediately caused the fifteen hundred ballistae to creak, the sharp tips of their ballista bolts gleaming under the light of the rising sun as they were slowly brought to bear on the charging Tibetans and Turks.
But at this moment, Xu Keyi sensed a flash, and he subconsciously closed his eyes.
“Sunlight!”
Xu Keyi felt his heart chill and his face pale. He hadn’t noticed before, but he finally realized that the sun’s position at this moment was exactly at the angle needed to shine into their eyes while his teams were aiming their ballistae. This also happened to be the moment the Tibetans and Turks had chosen to attack.
Did Dalun Ruozan calculate even this?
Xu Keyi suddenly had a very ill foreboding.
Dalun Ruozan was a strategist, a wise minister, a master of calculation. He was a powerful foe of the marquis who had managed to push the Tang to the very brink in the empire’s southwest. This t
ime, Dalun Ruozan had managed to lead his army to Talas while avoiding all of Zhang Que’s scouts, and he had even brought wolves, vultures, and the round shields used by the cavalry. But if he was even able to calculate the time of his attack to match the angle of the sunlight, then he was truly terrifying beyond belief.
Chapter 904 - The Wise Minister's Stratagems!
Chapter 904: The Wise Minister’s Stratagems!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“Lower your eyes, avoid the sunlight, and pay attention to the shadows on the ground!”
Wang Chong’s familiar voice suddenly rose from the rear of the Tang army. His words immediately calmed his soldiers and they lowered their eyes. Xu Keyi quickly calmed down as well.
“Adjust the angle. Pay attention to the area under the horses. Ready!”
Xu Keyi soon gave off a string of orders, but just when his sword was ready to swing down, he suddenly heard a piercing whistle. A round shadow rapidly began to expand behind the second defense line, and before anyone could react, a boulder two armspans in circumference dropped from the sky and crashed into the area behind the ballista army.
“Stone throwers!”
Wang Chong’s eyes flew open at the sight of this boulder dropping from the sky.
“Careful!”
But before he could give any further warnings, a massive explosion came from behind him. Turning his head, Wang Chong saw a blazing fire belching out black smoke, fed by a thick, black liquid flowing across the ground.
Arabian Kerosene!
Wang Chong’s pupils constricted as he recognized this liquid. In a flash, countless thoughts flew through his mind.
Catapults!
Arabia and Ü-Tsang had used these things against him at the same time!
“Release!”
On the eastern end of the battlefield, hundreds of catapults stood unseen behind the hills. Tense Tibetans continued to assemble catapults from wooden parts.
The Tibetan Plateau was primarily grassland and lacked tall trees, so Dalun Ruozan had obtained the lumber needed to build these catapults from Mengshe Zhao merchants. The internal makeup of Wang Chong’s steel modules, as well as their methods of construction and assembly, were still mysteries for the various countries, but Dalun Ruozan had been inspired to use this modular method for his catapults so that he could transport them to Talas.
The Great Tang was famed for its ballistae. On the battlefield, these weapons were nigh unstoppable.
And these catapults still in the middle of construction were the weapons Dalun Ruozan planned to use to counter Wang Chong.
“Release!”
With this order, large boulders were thrown into the air, drawing massive arcs through the sky as they crossed the hills, crossed the eastern battlefield, and landed in the rear of the first defensive line, where all the ballistae were stationed.
Boom!
One ballista was not able to move in time and was smashed into pieces by a large boulder, along with the transport carriage beneath it, causing metal shards, ballista bolts, and carriage wheels to fly in all directions. As for the five warriors around the ballista, they were tossed through the air like ragdolls by the enormous force of the impact.
Boom! Another boulder crashed down, crushing two Qixi soldiers into pulp. And then a third, a fourth… The air shrieked as hundreds upon hundreds of boulders hurtled through the air.
“Release!”
While this was happening, on the western side of the battlefield, behind the more than two hundred thousand Arab soldiers, imposing catapults more than ten meters tall stood in a neat row. In front of these catapults, a sharp-eyed Arab general swung down his arm.
Boomboomboom! Large metal balls howled through the air, flying over the battlefield to land between the first and second defense lines. When these metal balls struck the ground, they exploded into pieces, immediately igniting the viscous Arabian Kerosene contained within them into a roaring fire.
As these metal balls rained down, the area behind the first defense line was soon turned into a sea of fire. The situation rapidly worsened, and in a few moments, the Great Tang was in a terrible plight.
Rumble! Availing themselves of the chaos, the Arabs advanced, bellowing as they smashed against the steel walls and the first line of shields. The walls and infantry shuddered as the sharp clanging of metal filled the air.
“Charge!”
“Kill them all!”
“All heretics must die!”
These Arabic roars filled the sky.
……
To the east, hooves pounded against the earth as the Tibetan and Turkic cavalry used the catapults and sunlight to cover their advance, the wolves at the very front of their force.
“Lord Marquis, what do we do? The Tibetans are aiming at the ballistae!”
Xu Keyi’s worried voice came from the front. The situation on the battlefield had changed too quickly. Just moments ago, they had held the advantage, but their situation was now extremely unfavorable.
“Can you see where their catapults are?”
Wang Chong sat on the White-hoofed Shadow, his hair blowing in the fierce winds. As the boulders rained down, some of them landed only a few steps from him, their shockwaves even reaching the White-hoofed Shadow, but Wang Chong seemed to be perpetually calm.
“No! All the catapults are behind the hills. It’s not possible for us to fire on them!” Xu Keyi worriedly replied.
On their march from Qixi to Talas, they had used these very same hills to catch Umar and his Arabs by surprise. But now, Dalun Ruozan was using these hills against them.
Behind the hills, the catapults were in an impregnable position, and someone of Dalun Ruozan’s formidable calculation abilities could have the catapults fire at the angle necessary to strike the ballistae.
The inferiority of a ballista’s firing angle in comparison to a catapult’s was on full display here.
At this moment, Chen Bin worriedly shouted from the first defensive line, “Lord Marquis, what do we do?”
The metal balls packed with kerosene were continuing to drop down from the sky, causing fires to rage and dark smoke to fill the area, and many people had even been covered by the kerosene and set on fire. The dark smoke was so thick that it even obscured the vision of the ballista teams.
The Arabian Kerosene was having an even greater effect than the Tibetan catapults.
“Dalun Ruozan!”
Wang Chong’s eyes shone with cold light as he looked past the second defense line to that sharp-eyed figure standing beneath the white yak banner. Wang Chong would be a fool if he believed that Dalun Ruozan had not come prepared, that all this was mere coincidence. It was obvious that Dalun Ruozan had prepared an extremely long time for this day.
At the very least, these catapults were not something that could be prepared in a short time.
“Lord Marquis, I’ll take the Wushang Cavalry and destroy the catapults!”
Amidst the downpour of boulders, Li Siye spoke in an infuriated tone, his eyes blazing with killing intent.
The situation was urgent, and Dalun Ruozan had clearly brought several hundred catapults with him. In addition, all of these had been placed out of the line of sight, those hills providing the best defense. The hundred-thousand-some Tang soldiers were in great peril.
“There’s no need!” Wang Chong declared. He could hear the clanging and crashing, the screams of the army, but his face remained determined and composed.
“The situation isn’t that dangerous yet. In addition, Duwu Sili, Huoshu Huicang, and Dusong Mangpoje, three Great Generals, are still on those hills. Just how do you plan on getting past them?!”
Li Siye froze, immediately at a loss for words.
Those three elite Great Generals of Ü-Tsang and the Western Turkic Khaganate gathered on those hills were an uncrossable barrier, even harder to overcome than the hills.
In the future, Li Siye would ascend to the Imperial Grea
t General level and be titled the Invincible Great General, but that was still in the future. At the moment, he was still half a step away from breaking into the Saint Martial realm. If he were to encounter three Imperial Great Generals, the only thing awaiting him would be death.
“But, Milord, can we only watch then?” Li Siye resentfully said, his heart completely unwilling to accept this idea.
Wang Chong said nothing, merely gazed at that blue-robed figure as innumerable thoughts flitted through his mind. Dalun Ruozan was much more prepared than he had imagined. The Great Tang ballistae were well known, and if Dalun Ruozan had been paying attention to him, he must have gathered even more information. These catapults were hidden behind the hills precisely to guard against any of Wang Chong’s countermeasures.
However, no matter how much Dalun Ruozan had prepared, he was foreordained to not get his wish. After all, he had not been the only one preparing for this battle.
“Senior Zhang, get ready!” Wang Chong suddenly said.
“Yes, Lord Marquis!” An elderly voice came from the rear.
Stunned, Li Siye turned and saw Zhang Shouzhi, wearing a black and green robe, standing upon a carriage. After giving a respectful bow, not even glancing at Li Siye, Zhang Shouzhi took his ten-some disciples and rushed to the towering walls of Talas, quickly entering through the gate.
When Zhang Shouzhi left, Wang Chong turned to the nearby straight-backed Chen Burang, who had clearly been waiting to receive orders. “Chen Burang, you go as well! In this battle, your strength will be required to deal with the Arabs and the Tibetans!”
Chen Burang was an archer, and he should have been on the frontlines, but during this battle, Wang Chong had called him back and told him to wait at his side.
Chapter 905 - Wang Chong's Countermeasures!
Chapter 905: Wang Chong’s Countermeasures!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“Understood!”
Chen Burang’s face was solemn as he replied, and it was apparent that he had been waiting for Wang Chong’s order for some time.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 590