Chapter 12

The Tang army has withdrawn from Ming Water City!

A dam has been built upstream of the Ming River!

Liu Hetai no longer had to worry about Li Shiji disrupting their river crossing or the river being too deep for horses and soldiers to cross. In short, Li Shimin had thought of everything for Liu Hetai, providing all the favorable conditions and waiting for him to cross the river for a decisive battle.

What could Liu Hetai do?

He knew the trap had been set, but could he avoid it?

Supplies were running low, and Li Shimin made it clear he wouldn't attack. If they continued to wait, the soldiers would starve and mutiny, which would be enough to ruin him. Escaping to the Turks was not an option; he couldn't abandon his power, and how many of the 30,000 soldiers from Hebei would be willing to follow him to the grasslands?

Wasn't Yang Guang a cautionary tale? He led a group of guards from Guanzhong and Henan, hiding in Yangzhou, causing the army to lose morale. With a little provocation from Yuwen Huaji, they immediately rebelled.

Abandoning the army and fleeing to the Turks with a hundred trusted men might be a way out, but would the Turkic Khan use a man who had 30,000 soldiers but was afraid to fight?

To stay was to die, to flee was also to die.

Liu Hetai had no choice but to fight.

Liu Hetai, who had caused chaos in Hebei, was not a man of empty reputation. He made a decisive decision and ordered his entire army to cross the river for a final battle.

On the 26th of March in the fifth year of Wude, Liu Hetai finally led the 30,000 soldiers of the Handong Army across the Ming River to challenge the Tang army.

This time, Liu Hetai was determined to succeed or die, using the same strategy that had defeated Li Shentong before. He formed his army with their backs to the water, boosting morale and showing his resolve to fight to the death.

Li Shimin did not hesitate and personally led his army to meet the challenge.

The two armies lined up for battle!

Song Yena said, "King of Handong, how do you want to fight? The brave warriors of the grasslands are invincible in cavalry battles. Today, we will show the Li Tang the might of the Turkic warriors!" Song Yena was usually arrogant and disrespectful in the army, looking down on everyone, but he was never afraid to charge into battle, fighting fiercely and bravely. Apart from Wang Xiaohu, no one was his match. This was why Liu Hetai had always tolerated Song Yena's existence.

Liu Hetai smiled and said, "Lord Sijin, our cavalry outnumber the Li Tang. We should play to our strengths. Form a circular formation with the infantry and attack with the cavalry on both flanks. What do you think?"

Song Yena had no objections and said arrogantly, "I'll take the right flank, you take the left!"

Liu Hetai immediately appointed the cavalry commander Cao Zhan to lead 8,000 cavalry on the left flank.

Liu Hetai's strategy was called the "circular formation with flanking attacks," a classic tactic combining infantry and cavalry.

Li Shimin, watching Liu Hetai's formation from a high slope, smiled and said to the generals around him, "This rebel leader has some skill!" A tactic becomes classic because it is practical.

Li Shimin, with his extensive battle experience, naturally recognized the power of this strategy.

He pointed at the fierce Turkic cavalry on the right flank of the Handong Army and shouted, "General Shubao, take a hundred men and kill Song Yena. Break their spirit!"

Qin Qiong led a hundred cavalry! The Turkic cavalry, however, numbered three thousand.

A hundred against three thousand!

No one questioned Li Shimin's unusual deployment.

Qin Qiong accepted the order and led his hundred men forward.

Song Yena, seeing the hundred men charging towards him from a distance, laughed, "I heard Li Shimin is just a boy, and it's true. Is he sending a hundred men to their deaths? Or is he afraid of the Turkic name and coming to surrender?" Seeing that the main formation was still some distance from the Tang army, he had enough time to deal with the hundred men. He shouted and charged forward, ignoring the overall strategy.

The heavy and chaotic sound of hooves, the panting and snorting of horses, grew closer. Although the Turkic cavalry numbered only three thousand, the rolling dust and loud shouts made them seem like a surging flood.

Qin Qiong's eyes locked onto Song Yena, who was leading the charge. The ancient fish-scale armor with gold inlays revealed his identity; in the Turks, only chieftains and important figures could have gold inlays on their armor.

Qin Qiong squeezed his horse's flanks, and the fine steed, understanding his master's intent, galloped forward. Qin Qiong and his horse broke away from the cavalry and charged directly at Song Yena.

Song Yena showed no fear and charged to meet him. In the blink of an eye, they were within three zhang of each other.

Qin Qiong's spear and Song Yena's lance were thrust out almost simultaneously.

Song Yena grinned, his lance being slightly longer than the spear. He would kill the other before the spear could reach him.

Qin Qiong seemed to ignore the length of the lance, slightly shifting his spear to the right. The spear and lance touched lightly in the air.

Song Yena's lance flew out of his hand, and Qin Qiong's spear pierced through.

Qin Qiong's spear was so powerful and swift that it was indescribable, with the force of a mountain collapsing. Even a light brush with the side of the weapon caused an explosive impact, stiffening Song Yena's muscles and making him lose his grip on the lance.

By the time Song Yena realized he was flying through the air, a large hole had been pierced in his chest by the seemingly gentle man in front of him, and he was thrown aside!

Qin Qiong charged into the enemy ranks, his spear swinging. The dozen or so Turkic soldiers around him were like paper, instantly pierced and falling to the ground. He then rode over their bodies and cut through the enemy ranks.

The hundred cavalry followed Qin Qiong, breaking through the enemy ranks.

"Retreat!" Qin Qiong shouted, leading the hundred men away calmly.

The Turkic soldiers finally reacted, realizing their revered Sijin had been killed in a single encounter. They shouted fiercely, ignoring orders from the rear, and charged after Qin Qiong.

Qin Qiong ignored their shouts, galloping until he heard the sound of hooves in front of him.

"Brother Qin, stop running, Old Cheng is here!" Cheng Yaojin, leading two thousand well-prepared cavalry, arrived on the battlefield.

Qin Qiong reined in his horse, whistled, and led his men to turn and charge back at the Turkic pursuers.

With their leader dead and the pursuit causing chaos, the Turkic cavalry's formation was in disarray.

Facing the well-prepared Tang cavalry, their fate was predictable.

Li Shimin no longer glanced at the right flank of the Handong Army. The outcome was already decided; what was the point of looking?

The strongest force of the Handong Army was undoubtedly the three thousand Turkic cavalry, but the least controllable were also these three thousand Turkic cavalry. Song Yena, with his high and mighty attitude, was not the type to follow orders. Therefore, Li Shimin lured the enemy with a hundred cavalry, had Qin Qiong kill the enemy leader, and then ambushed them with Cheng Yaojin, crushing the Handong Army's strongest force.

"Circular formation with flanking attacks! I've broken your flanks, how will you attack now?" Li Shimin sneered inwardly, his mind suddenly turning to the left flank of the Handong Army and thinking of Luo Shixin, feeling a bit strange.

If Luo Shixin were here, he and Yu Chijin could form a powerful cavalry duo, achieving results quickly. But this man had taken a very leisurely, almost meritless task ten days ago...

This didn't seem like the brave and fearless Luo Shixin who always sought glory!

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