Chapter 62

Although it was noon, the sky was overcast with dark clouds, and the air was heavy.

The two armies faced off, the atmosphere tense and deadly. The solemnity was so intense that the surroundings seemed almost silent, except for the soldiers' footsteps, the officers' commands, the low whinnies of the horses, and the sounds of military equipment moving.

On the high platform in the center of the army, Zhang Hao observed the situation of Zhu Jun's large army. From the strict formation of Zhu Jun's army, it was hard to believe that this army had only been established not long ago, and most of the soldiers were previously just able-bodied civilians. Perhaps this was the skill of a famous general.

The war drums rumbled, and the horns sounded long and loud. Zhu Jun's vanguard pressed forward, and various shouts to boost morale and dispel fear rose up.

With the advice of several military strategists and veteran generals, Zhang Hao naturally made his response. The vanguard split, and a large number of crossbow carts moved forward.

The Great Qian army was not just equipped with firearms. Zhang Hao had advanced all kinds of military equipment to the peak of cold weapons. Under the pressure of powerful crossbows and stone-throwing machines, Zhu Jun's vanguard became somewhat disordered but still charged forward.

Three thousand heavy cavalry of the Divine Strategy Army began to charge Zhu Jun's large army from the side. Although heavy cavalry was destined to be phased out, its power at this moment was still something to look forward to.

The battle erupted in full force, the soldiers of both sides entangled in fierce combat, the sounds of slaughter shaking the heavens, and the smell of blood permeating the air.

The quality of the Great Qian army's soldiers and the excellence of their armor and weapons truly shocked Zhu Jun and his men. Although they had known from the military equipment in Shouchun and the rumors about the Great Qian army's military system and training time that the enemy soldiers would be well-trained, their strength to this extent was still astonishing.

The two armies were entangled, and despite the significant numerical advantage, Zhu Jun found that his army was not gaining any advantage and was instead being forced to retreat step by step.

At this moment, a commotion arose, and Zhu Jun frowned as he looked over to see a bear-like figure being supported by several bodyguards. It was Dong Zhuo, who was ambitious and ready to take advantage of the situation but was sent here to take the blame by the suddenly enlightened He Jin.

The change in the course of history meant that Dong Zhuo, who should have taken a new step at this time, had to continue his lifelong battles. For the benefit of the Han Dynasty, he had to expend the resources he had painstakingly accumulated. It was easy to imagine how bitter and helpless Dong Zhuo must have felt during this period.

Although Zhu Jun disliked some of Dong Zhuo's ways and his ambitious nature, he still had great trust in Dong Zhuo's abilities. This time, he naturally intended to use Dong Zhuo and his border troops to the fullest, which would be a win-win situation.

Seeing the brave and fierce old veteran Dong Zhuo, who was covered in blood and being supported, Zhu Jun hurried over to check on him.

"Damn it, how is this possible? How can these southerners be more skilled in horsemanship than our border troops, and even able to shoot while riding? They can still ensure accuracy in this weather, how is this possible! And they all have hand crossbows. Damn it, Li Jue, haven't you eaten? Pull it out in one go."

Dong Zhuo cursed, his blood-stained face unable to hide the shock in his large, round eyes.

As an old veteran of the border troops, Dong Zhuo had spent almost his entire life in war, but he had never encountered an army like the Great Qian army.

Although he had experienced the tenacity of the Qian army during the siege of Shouchun, the scale of the battle was small, and his troops had not participated much, as cavalry was too wasteful for city sieges. Now, he truly felt the terrifying strength and power of the Qian army.

Each soldier was well-trained, equipped with excellent armor, and had outstanding coordination, fearlessness, and a combination of these qualities made them a desperate enemy even for a seasoned general like Dong Zhuo. In comparison, enemies like the Yellow Turbans, the Liangzhou rebels, and the Qiang tribes seemed much more manageable.

What he could not understand was how the enemy's cavalry could be so powerful. After all, his border troops, who spent their lives on horseback, seemed to be inferior to the enemy in both shooting and combat on horseback.

Dong Zhuo's confusion was naturally due to the existence of stirrups and horseshoes. These cavalry wonders had not yet appeared in history at this time. Now that Zhang Hao had a certain foundation, he naturally would not continue to hide these cavalry wonders.

Li Jue pulled the crossbow bolt out of Dong Zhuo's leg, and the doctor quickly bandaged it up.

"Zhongying, can you still fight? The tenacity and strength of these Qian soldiers are somewhat unexpected, but we still have our advantages. I plan to retreat to the main camp and maximize our numerical advantage. I need you to help me hold off their cavalry," Zhu Jun asked with a cold and stern expression.

Dong Zhuo bared his teeth and stood up, "Sir, I will do my best. However, you need to make plans early. I cannot guarantee how long I can hold out. Those damn..." As he spoke, the muscles on Dong Zhuo's face twitched, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say, he could only stride out.

Leaving the tent, Dong Zhuo looked at the few trusted generals around him and lowered his voice, "Be more alert. Don't die here when you should be dying on the border. This situation doesn't look good, we need to be careful, just in case."

Li Jue and the others nodded. Even without Dong Zhuo's words, they understood. They were all seasoned veterans.

"Damn it, this time we've been completely screwed by He Jin. We were inexplicably transferred to the south to fight these southern barbarians, and after all our hard work, I don't know how much of our resources will be left."

Dong Zhuo flicked his whip, looking at the gloomy sky and the noisy battlefield, feeling a deep bitterness. He always regarded his soldiers as his foundation and knew that without them, he would be at the mercy of others. But what could he do now?

Li Jue and the others exchanged glances, their expressions very bleak. As trusted subordinates, they naturally understood their lord's thoughts. But there was no way around it; with insufficient strength, how could they defy He Jin's orders? That would be rebellion.

It could only be said that none of the high officials were trustworthy. They promised the sky and the earth, but when they no longer needed you, they still squeezed out your remaining value.

"Let's go, Zhu Gongwei is still watching us. A part of his personal army is always on guard against us. It's not the right time yet, we can only tough it out."

Dong Zhuo sighed, listening to the distant sounds of fierce fighting, truly not wanting to participate in the battle. But Zhu Jun was always on guard against him, so he could not avoid it.

"Try to preserve our forces. Also, keep your eyes open and pay attention to the horses and weapons of the southern barbarians. Their horsemanship can't be that proficient, there's something wrong here. If we can find out, it will be a great help to us."

Dong Zhuo gave his final instructions and stopped talking, as most of his troops were still in battle, and he was not at ease here.

Zhu Jun's face was cold and hard, and he ordered the messenger to issue commands. He also observed the weather, knowing that although the recent damp and rainy conditions seemed unfavorable for the Qian army's firearms, they were not completely unusable. So he always paid attention to this.

He withdrew part of the reserve forces and gradually retreated to the main camp with the main army.

The Qian army pursued for a while, leaving a large number of corpses behind, and then slowly retreated a distance under the orders of the central command.

"Go, give them a surprise." At this moment, Zhang Hao arrived at the military equipment camp and took out a large amount of gunpowder from the storage space in the prepared tent. This was a surprise he had prepared for Zhu Jun.

Due to the recent weather, Zhu Jun had not yet personally experienced the power of firearms, and this time he would let him see it.

Speaking of which, the use of bows and arrows was also a problem during the rainy season, but this was the same for both sides. However, the unique weapon of firearms could only be used by Zhang Hao.

The artillerymen all had joyful expressions, quickly distributing ammunition, and were eager to give the enemy a good show.

Amidst the surprise of his own men and the shock of the enemy, the sound of artillery fire began to roar.

Looking at the enemy camp, where the numerous troops were in a panic, and the rapid destruction of defensive works and the tearing apart of the enemy under the attack of shrapnel and howitzers, Zhang Hao's gaze remained calm, his pupils reflecting the burning camp under the fire oil bombs.

The army began to charge again, and this time, the vanguard was equipped with some hand grenades, directly blasting open the camp walls and breaking into the enemy camp.