The generals finally awaited the day of decisive battle, all rising with excitement to accept Liang Xiao’s deployment.
General of Cavalry Lü Changhe's rank was superior to Nan Jiyun's General of Chariots and Cavalry, but Lü Changhe was the Grand Marshal of the Western Campaign, in charge of the war in the western regions. Therefore, this time Lü Changhe, Yue Yun, and Nie Yuan served as deputies, assisting Nan Jiyun in the offensive.
The Great Gan Kingdom had committed most of its cavalry to the war against the Xiongnu Empire, with only ten thousand cavalry responsible for guarding and reinforcing the city. The remaining cavalry consisted of the Shadow Guard and Hidden Wolf Guard, trained in the capital, along with a portion of strictly selected elite sons, responsible for firearms combat.
Liang Xiao personally led the troops, equipped with firearms and Shenwu Great Cannons, to confront the Tianri tribe.
To accelerate the deployment of the Shenwu Great Cannons, each cannon was pulled by ten reserve warhorses.
Upon reaching the battlefield, these warhorses could be assigned to firearms soldiers for replacement.
Due to the hot weather, the Tianri soldiers, who were cold-tolerant but not heat-tolerant, were not equipped with extensive cotton armor, making their resistance to firearms slightly weaker than that of the Xiongnu Empire cavalry.
Furthermore, the Tianri tribe was an enemy that Great Gan was destined to destroy. The Xiongnu Empire, due to the relationship between Braid and those barbarians integrated into the Gan tribe, still had room for maneuver.
Within Jade Gate Pass, dust flew, and the sound of horns, signaling the decisive battle, shook the heavens.
"Our army has conserved its strength for a long time, our military equipment is complete. In this battle, we vow to break the Western barbarians and achieve eternal fame!"
Scouts on the front line also urgently reported.
"We have ascertained the enemy's distribution. The Tianri camp is to the northeast, and the Xiongnu Empire is to the southwest, forming a mutually supportive formation!"
Liang Xiao immediately summoned the generals to discuss the offensive.
"The enemy advanced rapidly and then slowed down, harassing various areas with light cavalry. They must know that their forty thousand strong army still could not take Jade Gate Pass, and thus have been secretly rushing to imitate more Trebuchets and Longbows. I believe we should use several thousand scouts to lure the enemy out, and our army will follow closely behind, launching a surprise attack on their command and striking directly at their camps. This will catch them completely off guard!"
Everyone expressed strong agreement. Liang Xiao immediately ordered Nan Jiyun to lead the various cavalry units to attack the Xiongnu Empire's camp to the southwest of the Western Coalition, while he himself would lead one hundred and fifty thousand infantry and cavalry to march towards the Tianri tribe's camp to the northeast.
"It is time to break the enemy in a decisive battle!"
The Great Gan Kingdom's transportation capacity was far superior to what it had been. The common people were also happy to support the western campaign.
With the cooperation of carts, railways, and pack animals, combined with years of wasteland reclamation in the western regions, vast tracts of farmland, the Qilian Mountains, and the desert horse farms, there was no longer a need to establish more horse farms here.
This year also saw a bountiful harvest.
Within Jade Gate Pass, forty thousand troops had already gathered. The local populace, under the coordination of the imperial court, worked for satisfactory wages, handling logistical support.
With the military order issued, an army of two hundred and eighty thousand soldiers marched out from within Jade Gate Pass and the northern and southern camps within a single day!
On the front lines, Lü Changhe personally led the reserve contingent of the White Robe soldiers, sweeping the area to drive away enemy scouts.
"Reporting to all Marshals! Enemy scouts have suddenly penetrated twenty li outside our camp!"
Upon receiving the order, Attila and others frowned.
"It appears they intend to attack. Our army must proceed with caution. First, dispatch our most elite cavalry to drive them away. Once the enemy's main force is detected, return to camp immediately," Attila stated.
Mars nodded, "Our army has the advantage of being well-rested. Without the barrier of Jade Gate Pass, even if the enemy attacks head-on, they are bound to be defeated!"
"Jade Gate Pass is a hundred li from here. Even with the best weaponry, they cannot afford to be careless and rush here to their deaths!" Caesar's face was filled with anger.
Everyone also considered this possibility, feeling a strange sense of indignation.
Whether it was the Tianri tribe or the Xiongnu Empire, cavalry had always been their core, excelling in long-distance raids.
Under normal circumstances, this would have been a strategy they employed against their enemies. Now, the Great Gan dared to use a smaller cavalry force to reverse the roles, which was undoubtedly a form of contempt towards both tribes.
However, Attila and Mars were more aware that the Great Gan was no longer what it once was, far surpassing any previous dynasty. Moreover, this location was not far from the northern border and the desert, with far superior rear support efficiency compared to the Kushan Dynasty.
It was not impossible for them to launch long-distance raids directly at the coalition's main camp.
Mars immediately returned to his camp to mobilize, ready to engage in battle at any moment.
"Prepare the Trebuchets!"
Attila surveyed the camp and found that the Tianri tribe had taken most of the Trebuchets, his brow furrowing.
However, considering that the Tianri tribe's camp was more likely to bear the brunt of the attack, and the Xiongnu Empire was more likely to reap the fruits of victory from the rear, he felt somewhat relieved.
The Great Gan army dispatched some White Robe soldiers to engage in fierce combat with the enemy scouts, gradually advancing and preventing enemy scouts from further reconnaissance.
The two hundred and eighty thousand strong army divided into two routes. Besides Qin Feng, the other four marshals led the cavalry towards the Xiongnu Empire's camp.
The Xiongnu Empire had also equipped a large number of improved armaments and had ample reserve warhorses. This would be the ultimate decisive battle of cavalry in this era!
Attila and Mars, stationed in separate locations, soon received urgent reports from the front-line scouts.
"The enemy is blocking our intelligence reconnaissance? What about the troops harassing the Qilian Mountains? Is there any news?" Mars of the northeastern camp asked urgently.
"No news has been received yet!" the scout replied.
Mars immediately slammed his hand on the table, "Dispatch troops immediately to drive away the White Robe soldiers and maintain the flow of intelligence in the northeastern region!"
Caesar angrily rose and said, "Leave it to me. I want to see if the White Robe soldiers are truly as brave and invincible as rumored. We must boost morale and break through the enemy's blockade of the northeastern passage! Even if they are capable of reaching here, they will still be exhausted!"
On the other side, the Xiongnu Empire, for the sake of intelligence security on the front line, also had to dispatch a ten-thousand-strong elite force to drive away the Great Gan cavalry.
This was a contingent of Tianri Elite Cavalry equipped with chain mail, and their horses had abandoned heavy armor, wearing only cotton armor, significantly enhancing their mobility.
"Reporting to the Emperor! Enemy heavy cavalry is approaching fifty li away, and should be thirty li away now!"
Upon receiving the news, Liang Xiao, who was presiding in the central army and discussing the offensive with Qin Feng and He Zizhang, immediately stood up and issued an order.
"Order the cavalry units to annihilate the attackers immediately!"
Fifteen thousand firearms soldiers, mounted on warhorses, cooperated with fifteen thousand regular cavalry carrying Great Gan bows, surged out, raising endless dust and sand along the way.
Two thousand White Robe soldiers received the order and waited on high ground. When the ten thousand Tianri Elite Cavalry appeared in their sight, their war cries shook the heavens.
"It truly is the White Robe soldiers! Annihilate them!"
Caesar, the Tianri Marshal, seeing the Great Gan cavalry on the opposite side, all clad in white robes and armor, his killing intent surged, and he roared in anger.
Over ten thousand Tianri Elite Cavalry, clad in chain mail and carrying imitations of Great Gan bows, pursued at full speed.
The two thousand White Robe soldiers, seeing this, did not look back and turned their horses to flee. The Tianri Elite Cavalry could not catch up.
"Marshal, should we pursue?"
A Tianri cavalry general urgently inquired.
Caesar, already angered by his troops' inability to catch up to the White Robe soldiers, sighed, "This might be the enemy's tactic to lure us. Even though we are on our home turf, our scouts have already been driven back by the enemy. We should first scout the northeast and not advance rashly!"
The Tianri Elite Cavalry abandoned the pursuit of the White Robe soldiers and turned towards the northeast.
At this moment, the faint sound of cannon fire could be heard from afar.
When the Tianri cavalry looked, their pupils contracted!
It turned out that tens of thousands of Great Gan cavalry were charging towards them at full speed, their speed comparable to that of the White Robe soldiers.
Each cavalryman carried either a Great Gan bow or a firearm. The charging horses, like ten thousand galloping steeds, maintained a neat formation, forming a wide inverted 'V' shape, flanking towards them, creating an imminent encirclement.