Chapter 244: Annihilate The Ganzhou Army, Total Wipeout
The north wind carried sand and gravel across the wasteland, and countless yellow and white battle flags surged up from the horizon, like golden blades tearing through the sky.
The cold wind howled, battle flags snapping in the gale, as tens of thousands of Northern Frontier Iron Cavalry formed a steel phalanx along the Hexi Corridor, deploying from south to north.
Directly ahead of the army, twenty Divine Might Cannons were lined up like crouching steel behemoths.
The jet-black cannon barrels gleamed with a cold metallic sheen, like giant pythons roaring at the heavens, their dark muzzles pointed at the low-hanging clouds, carrying the deterrence to destroy everything.
“Wooo wooo wooo~”
As Li Xiao issued the order for the general assault, a low horn pierced the horizon, and the gunners quickly loaded shells into the cannon barrels.
Second Divine Machine Camp Chiliarch Wu Damao stood in the rear, drawing his cavalry saber with a sharp “shua” sound, his ferocious face roaring: “Fire cannons.”
In an instant, the earth began to tremble violently. The twenty cannons roared deafeningly all at once, the shockwave spreading like surging tides in all directions, distorting even the air.
At this moment, the Ganzhou Army also sensed something unusual in the Northern Frontier Army’s anomaly.
Mi Qin Tiele issued an order to defend in place. Shield Soldiers, Spearmen, Archers, and others began forming a turtle formation.
But just as the formation was completed, a massive rumbling echoed across the earth.
“What sound is that?”
“What is that thing?”
“Thunder? Is it thundering?”
The Spear and Shield Soldiers facing the Northern Frontier Army directly heard the sound, their faces showing terror. Some even looked up at the sky, hearing only thunder while the heavens were clear for miles.
But in the next second, massive iron shots wrapped in piercing whistles tore through the sky, crashing down like meteors onto the Ganzhou Army’s formation.
“Boom! Boom!”
Several Shield Soldiers in the front were struck. Elm shields and soldiers’ bodies were pierced clean through, instantly creating scenes of blood and flesh flying.
Soldiers in the rear were flung to the ground by the rolling iron shots, clutching their broken legs in agonized screams.
“Aaaah~”
“Save me, save me~”
“The Thunder God is angry, sending down heavenly lightning to punish us.”
“Don’t run, don’t panic, stay in place and don’t move.”
Amid rolling dust and sand, screams rose one after another. The ground was blasted into huge craters, sand, gravel, mud, severed limbs scattering through the air.
The twenty solid iron shots had only caused dozens of casualties, but everyone was terrified by this unprecedented horrific power, their livers and galls shattered.
No matter how the generals shouted, they could not stop the soldiers’ panic.
After all, most of these people were untrained new recruits. They could fight with the wind at their backs, but facing the baptism of Northern Frontier cannon fire, all the soldiers panicked.
Mi Qin Tiele watching this scene was also completely stunned.
Beneath his angry expression was unconcealed panic and horror.
His throat felt stuffed with a rag soaked in sand and gravel; he couldn’t even spit out a curse.
“How is this possible? Impossible~”
“What the hell is that thing?”
He muttered to himself, his face pale, looking as if he had seen a ghost, utterly incredulous.
He had imagined all possible Northern Frontier Army attack methods, including light cavalry harassment, armored cavalry breaking formations, and more.
But he never imagined that the Northern Frontier Barbarians, famed for their cavalry, would produce such a terrifying thing.
The first cannon of this era would only be invented by the Southern Song Dynasty three years later, so Mi Qin Tiele had never seen a cannon before.
Just as the Divine Might Cannons left the Ganzhou Army dazed, the Northern Frontier Army’s second salvo was quickly ready.
The first was solid iron shots, considered test firing.
Subsequent shots would be switched to explosive shells.
“Boom boom boom boom~”
The cannons roared again, mercilessly reaping the lives of Ganzhou Army officers and soldiers. The entire battlefield descended into a sea of fire and chaos.
Amid the whistling roars, a shell crashed down not far away.
“Damn it~”
Mi Qin Tiele had already witnessed the power of this thing and was scared out of his wits, instinctively diving under his horse’s belly.
“Boom~”
Accompanied by a massive boom, heaven and earth seemed to fall into dead silence. Mi Qin Tiele’s ears buzzed, his body covered in a layer of yellow sand.
“Commander, Commander~”
Distant personal guards rushed over, pulling Mi Qin Tiele from a pile of blood and flesh.
At this moment, his vision was filled with stars; he could only see the guards shouting with open mouths but hear nothing.
Soon after, he recovered slightly and was stunned by the scene before him.
All the personal guards who had just been around him lay on the ground clutching wounds and screaming.
His war horse now lay on the ground like a beehive, riddled with blood holes, intestines spilling out.
Seeing this, Mi Qin Tiele felt his stomach churn, a chilling horror instantly sweeping over him.
If he had reacted a bit slower just now, he would probably have been gutted like the horse.
Even so, Mi Qin Tiele was still wounded by shrapnel from the explosive shell, his entire right leg drenched in blood.
“This, this, devil, it’s simply a devil~”
Mi Qin Tiele’s face was pale, his body trembling slightly. Having fought battles for half his life, this was the first time he fought such a humiliating defeat.
He hadn’t even touched the Northern Frontier Barbarians yet and was already beaten so miserably.
Centered on the twenty shell impact points, soldiers within two zhang around were either clutching wounds and wailing on the ground or directly blasted to death.
The entire army was in chaos.
At this moment, a nearby guard suddenly said: “Commander, this smells like gunpowder~”
“What? Gunpowder?”
Mi Qin Tiele was stunned. Calming himself, he sniffed carefully; indeed, the air carried the scent of gunpowder.
Although Central Plains cannons had not been invented, gunpowder had a long history, and Mi Qin Tiele was familiar with it.
During the first salvo of solid shots, only propellant gunpowder was loaded in the barrels, so the Ganzhou Army at the impact points wouldn’t smell much gunpowder.
But explosive shells were different; the gunpowder inside detonated a second time, leaving a thick gunpowder smell lingering in place.
Mi Qin Tiele sniffed the air, his face still incredulous.
Western Xia also had gunpowder, but its smell was slightly different—not as potent as the Northern Frontier Army’s, and it couldn’t produce such power.
“This, what’s going on?”
Mi Qin Tiele frowned tightly, feeling he had discovered the Northern Frontier Army’s secret, yet unable to comprehend it.
At that moment, the Northern Frontier Army’s third salvo began.
Nearby guards shouted again: “It’s ringing, ringing again.”
“Commander, the Northern Frontier Barbarians are starting again~”
This time, Mi Qin Tiele was luckier; the twenty shells landed relatively far from his position.
He wasn’t badly hurt, but the other Ganzhou Army soldiers were unlucky.
Each exploding shell spewed dozens of iron nails and iron shards; no soldiers within two zhang could escape.
Agonized screams and terrified wails merged into one.
After more than a dozen consecutive salvos, the Divine Might Cannons fell silent, needing to cool down before reuse.
But the Ganzhou Army formation had turned into a hellish inferno.
The air was thick with the stench of gunpowder mixed with blood. Corpses lay scattered haphazardly, some bisected at the waist by iron shots, necks twisted at grotesque angles.
Others had bellies sliced open by iron shards, entrails mixed with gravel splayed on the scorching sand.
Wounded soldiers not yet dead writhed in blood pools, reaching into the void, throats rasping like broken bellows, bloodied nails digging deep into the sand, unable to rise again.
Burning tents turned into soaring fire pillars; amid crackling, arrows and armor plates warped in the intense heat, falling with sparks.
At that moment, a low horn sounded again across the earth, like an ancient war song carrying endless killing intent, surging toward the Ganzhou Army.
“Wooo wooo woo~”
Before Ganzhou soldiers could rejoice at the end of the bombardment, they looked up to see an even more chilling sight—a thousand armored cavalry had formed ranks a li away.
War horses clad in armor plates gleaming with cold blue light, knights’ fine steel faceplates covering most of their faces, revealing only hawk-like eyes.
As the horses stepped forward, armor plates clashed with teeth-gritting sounds.
The leading general was a Chiliarch, fully clad in heavy armor, raising a sharp armor-piercing cone high, pointing to the sun-scorched horizon.
His deep voice bellowed: “Black Armored Army!”
“Kill!”
In an instant, all heavy cavalry roared together: “Kill!”
“Roar roar roar~”
War horses advanced slowly, iron cavalry crushing the cracked earth, dense hoofbeats rising like pouring rain.
“Boom boom boom boom~”
Fifteen hundred armored cavalry charged through rising dust toward the Ganzhou Army in a frenzy.
After the Six Garrisons expanded, Li Xiao reformed the Black Armored Army.
He disbanded the Black Armored Army’s structure, distributing them into the Six Garrisons.
Each garrison had five hundred Black Armored troops, led by a Chiliarch directly under the Commander’s personal command.
Currently, the Northern Frontier main force on the Hexi battlefield consisted of the First Division, Fourth Garrison, and Sixth Garrison.
The three garrisons’ Black Armored Army totaled fifteen hundred cavalry.
All gathered together, like a sharp spear tearing through the land, charging at the Ganzhou Army.
At this time, the Ganzhou Army soldiers had just endured a bombardment, becoming like startled birds.
Now seeing armored cavalry charging, all soldiers paled, faces terrified, bodies trembling uncontrollably.
“Iron Falcons, Iron Falcons are coming.” Someone roared loudly. Feet began retreating nonstop.
Iron Falcons were Western Xia’s divine artifact for national defense. Though only three thousand strong, they held immense deterrence in the Western Xia Army.
But now the Northern Frontier Army had produced an armored cavalry force no less than the Iron Falcons, causing many soldiers’ mental states to collapse further.
Spear and Shield Soldiers in the front ranks unconsciously shuffled backward; Archers’ arms began to tremble slightly.
The weather was cold, but cold sweat beaded on every soldier’s forehead.
As the Black Armored Army accelerated and closed in, the entire Ganzhou Army defensive line grew looser.
“Loose arrows! Loose arrows now!”
A Ganzhou general at the front roared loudly. Though terrified himself, he knew that if they couldn’t stop these iron-clad monsters, everyone would die today.
Ganzhou Army Archers, trembling, drew bows or triggered Divine Arm Crossbows.
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh~”
Accompanied by whistling, thousands of arrows shot toward the Black Armored Army.
Ordinary arrows did almost no damage to iron armor. Only Divine Arm Crossbows had real power, but only lethal within fifty paces against the Black Armored Army.
Over the short hundred-pace distance, the Black Armored Army arrived in a flash. Though some soldiers were unlucky and shot down from their horses.
But facing the panicked Ganzhou soldiers like sheep, the numerous Black Armored soldiers unleashed wolf-like howls.
“Kill~”
On the other side, seeing the Black Armored iron cavalry now less than fifty paces away, the Ganzhou Army soldiers’ mentality completely collapsed.
A young soldier suddenly dropped his shield and fled, crying while running: “Mom! I don’t want to die!”
Most Ganzhou soldiers were newly conscripted recruits, exhausted after five days of torment, barely holding on with the breath to return to Ganzhou City.
But first hit by the Northern Frontier Army’s cannon fire—this beyond-era destructive force—greatly shocked their minds.
Then facing this overwhelming armored cavalry charge, the Ganzhou soldiers lost all courage to fight.
The Northern Frontier Army seemed truly invincible.
“Run, run fast~”
Cries spread like plague. Soldiers ignored military orders, turning to flee, the entire formation instantly in chaos.
Hoofbeats approached like thunder, the armored cavalry formation becoming an unstoppable iron wall.
It instantly shattered the Ganzhou Army’s shield formation, breaking their defensive line to pieces.
Soldiers still gripping shields were hurled away by the powerful war horse impacts, bones shattering.
Spearmen thrusting at iron armor only sparked, then were hacked down by Black Armored soldiers.
Archers fared worse; in close quarters, they had no time for a second shot before being pierced through the chest.
In the central army formation, Li Xiao held a telescope watching the Black Armored Army break through the Ganzhou formation, slowly lowering his arm and commanding in a deep voice.
“Pass the order: First Division frontal assault, Fourth Garrison and Sixth Garrison envelop from both flanks.”
“Full army advance, ensure total annihilation of the Ganzhou Xia Army.”
“Understood!”
As the words fell, a low horn sounded across the battlefield.
“Wooo wooo wooo woo~”
The tense atmosphere thickened. First Division Myriad Household Commander Qin Chunsheng and Lin Dazhuang drew cavalry sabers, shouting loudly: “Bad lads, charge with me.”
“Crush them~”
Thousands of First Division cavalry went berserk instantly. War horses neighed, weapons clashed, kicking up several zhang of dust.
Like a yellow giant dragon charging at the Ganzhou Army.
Meanwhile, Fourth Garrison Deputy Commander Luo Meng and Sixth Garrison Commander Li Donghe also drew cavalry sabers, shouting fiercely: “Kill~”
The two cavalry legions on the First Division’s flanks surged forward.
Tens of thousands of cavalry charging made the earth tremble violently, the shocking scene like an earth dragon turning over, completely ending the Ganzhou Army’s last resistance.
“Mom, Mom, I want to go home!”
“Help, I don’t want to die.”
“We’re just farmers, why come to this place? Damn government officials, sending us to die!”
“No more fighting, surrender, we surrender.”
“Throw all weapons far away, kneel and surrender~”
The Ganzhou Army formation was filled with chaotic screams and shouts.
They wanted to flee but knew they couldn’t outrun the Northern Frontier Barbarians’ war horses.
The only path ahead was surrender.
In the central army, Mi Qin Tiele watched tens of thousands of Northern Frontier Iron Cavalry charging while his own formation completely collapsed, realizing things had reached the worst.
Without his subordinates giving him a way out, he impatiently shed his armor, voice panicked: “Go, go, retreat.”
“Leave this place quickly, return to Ganzhou City.”
With that, he joined his personal guards and Ganzhou cavalry, breaking from the formation and fleeing toward Ganzhou City.
Then, a pursuit and hunt unfolded along the Hexi Corridor.
Tens of thousands of cavalry, in Centurion and Squad Leader units, chased and hunted the fleeing Ganzhou soldiers.
Surrenderers spared, diehards killed.
Only at sunset did the war truly end.
Under Wuwei Army escort, Li Xiao rode to a hilltop, gazing at the rolling Qilian Mountains, feeling the vastness and grandeur of this land.
His heart filled with endless emotion.
“Hexi Corridor ah~”
This was the gateway to the Central Plains. Seizing the Hexi Corridor meant one step closer to the Central Plains, one step closer to realizing Li Xiao’s dream.
Soon, Jiu Meng’an He, Han Jiuyuan, and others arrived together before Li Xiao, dismounting and saluting with hands to chests: “Great Protector~”
“No need for formalities.” Li Xiao turned, nodding.
“Great Protector, battle results have been tallied.”
“Our army killed over two thousand Ganzhou Army, captured over sixteen thousand prisoners of war. Regrettably, Ganzhou Army Commander Mi Qin Tiele escaped,” Jiu Meng’an He said.
In this battle, the Ganzhou Army was utterly defeated.
The twenty thousand army was nearly wiped out; Mi Qin Tiele fled back to Ganzhou City with just over a thousand cavalry.
Li Xiao was not disappointed with the result, only gazing toward Ganzhou City and saying faintly:
“Where can he run? Ganzhou City? Or Xingqing Prefecture?”
Without enough troops to garrison, Ganzhou City was to the Northern Frontier Army like a woman stripped bare.
Then, Han Jiuyuan reported the captured supplies to Li Xiao.
Besides the sixteen thousand-plus captives, these supplies were most important.
Ganzhou Army’s ordinary military equipment held little value, even needing remelting.
What could truly be used were the armor and Divine Arm Crossbows.
The Northern Frontier Army never had enough of these two.
But grain was most crucial.
Heishui City already lacked provisions, so the Ganzhou Army carried over a hundred thousand shi of grain when departing.
Now, all became Northern Frontier Army supplies.
Enough to feed the Northern Frontier Army for months.
“Pass the order: Sixth Garrison stays to continue pursuing fleeing Ganzhou cavalry and advance on Suzhou City to link with Second Garrison from Dunhuang.”
“First Division and Fourth Garrison troops, attack Ganzhou City,” Li Xiao commanded in a deep voice.
The five key towns of the Hexi Corridor from west to east were Dunhuang, Guazhou, Suzhou, Ganzhou, and Liangzhou.
Li Xiao’s north route army had advanced south from Heishui City, now between Suzhou and Ganzhou, continuing east to attack Ganzhou.
Though Suzhou City was commercially prosperous, it was not a Western Xia military stronghold, with few troops.
With Sixth Garrison support, joining Second Garrison could take Suzhou City quickly.
“Understood!” All generals chorused.
After resting, the three garrisons set out early next day.
Sixth Garrison advanced west, sweeping surrounding villages, looting common people, until reaching Suzhou City.
First Division and Fourth Garrison did the same; though villagers were poor, landlords and officials’ families were wealthy.
Loot from one landlord nearly covered three to five days of Northern Frontier Army consumption.
Most importantly, population—men and women alike—were all looted back to the Northern Frontier.
Meanwhile, Mi Qin Tiele fleeing on light cavalry returned to Ganzhou City in less than half a day.
“Quick, close the gates.”
“No one in or out.”
Wearing a tattered sheepskin jacket, Mi Qin Tiele’s first order upon entering the city was to guard the gates to the death.
But after witnessing the Northern Frontier Army cannons’ terror, he felt no safety from these tall city walls.
“How many soldiers left in the city?”
Mi Qin Tiele summoned Advisor Li Zhong’e and asked.
Li Zhong’e now looked haggard; his tasks these past days had been heavy.
Not only conscription, but also extracting military expenses from big families under patriotic pretexts.
Extremely difficult, leaving him mentally exhausted.
But nothing compared to his current shock.
News had spread in Ganzhou City: Ganzhou Army disastrously defeated, nearly annihilated.
Northern Frontier Army would soon arrive under Ganzhou City.
This filled him with terror: the Northern Frontier Army was this horrifying?
How many days could Ganzhou City hold without its twenty thousand army?
If Ganzhou City fell, the Hexi Corridor would become the Northern Frontier Army’s pasture.
Had Great Xia fallen to such a state?
Suppressing his emotions, Li Zhong’e replied: “Reporting to Commander, in the days since you left, the Commander’s Office conscripted five thousand more soldiers, now training in the south city camp.”
“However, military expenses collection has not gone smoothly~”
Mi Qin Tiele no longer cared about money; troops were his priority.
Hearing five thousand more conscripts, plus the previous five thousand left in Ganzhou City, and his over thousand cavalry.
Ganzhou City now had nearly twelve thousand soldiers garrisoned.
Though mostly untrained recruits, it gave him slight security.
“Immediately move all soldiers into the city, hold fast and await reinforcements.” After issuing the order.
He discussed with Li Zhong’e how to write the military report to Xingqing Prefecture.
Nearly total annihilation of twenty thousand Ganzhou Army was shocking news; he couldn’t escape responsibility.
So he planned to shift blame to the dead Deputy General, seeking only a charge of oversight.
Then, bribe some court officials for good words.
But first, hold Ganzhou City until Waiming Shian’s reinforcements arrived.
Unexpectedly, the next day at noon, the Northern Frontier Army vanguard reached Ganzhou City.
“Boom boom boom~”
War horses galloped, banners swirled, thousands of iron cavalry thundering across the Hexi Corridor land, like a giant dragon encircling all four gates of Ganzhou City.
Mi Qin Tiele on the city wall watched, face ashen, no trace of former vigor.
He muttered nonstop: “They’re here, they’re here.”
“Those devils have come after all.”
