Chapter 253: Artifact Of The Nation, Bloody Battle At Yanzhi Mountain
In the early summer of the Hexi Corridor, heat radiated everywhere.
However, at the Shandan Military Horse Farm located at the foot of the Qilian Mountains, the temperature was pleasant due to its high elevation. Li Xiao, wearing a thick cotton armor, still did not feel the scorching heat of summer.
At this moment, the sun hung high in the sky, and the Northern Frontier Iron Cavalry spread across the entire West Mountain Slope like a tide, forming a wedge formation and looking down at the Western Xia Army opposite them.
Standing at the very front of the army was the Northern Frontier Infantry Corps.
Over a thousand jujube wood shields wrapped in cowhide were placed at the forefront of the army, standing tall like a city wall.
Behind the shield soldiers were spearmen and axemen, with archers positioned at the rear.
More than fifty thousand Kuli Army soldiers were divided into six Myriad Household Commanders, each forming a military formation, like fortresses embedded in the land, stubbornly blocking the Western Xia Army’s advance.
Over ten thousand Northern Frontier Cavalry were arrayed on the left and right flanks, extending like tides across the hillside, exuding a cold and stern aura, like two sharp blades, deterring the vast grassland.
On the opposite side, Waiming Shian also led a fifty-thousand-strong army in a formation, with over ten thousand Divine Arm Crossbows positioned at the front, ready to fire.
No cavalry dared to charge head-on under such a formation; otherwise, they would be met with an arrow rain.
For this battle, the Western Xia Court had invested heavily.
In addition to the twenty thousand ‘recruits’ subsequently conscripted from Liangzhou City, the fifty thousand infantry and cavalry from the Central Plains were all elite forces from within the Western Xia.
Furthermore, to supply provisions for these armies, over a hundred thousand civilian laborers were conscripted to transport military grain to Liangzhou City day and night, nearly depleting their reserves.
“Marshal, the Northern Frontier Army has occupied the West Mountain Slope and is overlooking our army from a superior position. This battle will be difficult to fight.”
In the central army formation, the Garrison Commander of Liangzhou City, Yeli Duowen, said with a heavy expression.
Because the Shandan Military Horse Farm was located at the foot of the Qilian Mountains, its elevation was high and the terrain was undulating.
At this moment, the Western Xia Army was arrayed to the east, facing a massive slope, while the Northern Frontier Army had already occupied the high ground.
From this commanding position, they had already suppressed the Western Xia Army in terms of morale.
“Warfare depends on timing, terrain, and human unity. Although we have lost the advantage of terrain and timing is not on our side, all our Great Xia soldiers are elites, with sturdy armor and sharp crossbows. If our three armies fight with all their might, can we not defeat a mere group of barbarians?”
A Dangxiang cavalry general said sternly.
This person was named Tuoba Mayu, a general of the Western Xia Imperial Guard, and a great cavalry commander.
The three thousand Imperial Guards and one thousand Iron Falcons were nominally under his command.
“General Tuoba, if the Northern Frontier people were merely barbarians, how could they have turned our Western Xia soldiers into their lackeys in just one month?” Yeli Duowen’s voice was heavy.
His gaze fell upon the six infantry formations in front of them, which was the biggest surprise for the Western Xia generals.
According to previous intelligence, the Northern Frontier Army was entirely composed of cavalry. In less than a month, they had swept north and south, cut off the Hexi Corridor, and their fighting prowess was not inferior to ace cavalry units like the Iron Falcons and Hooked Cavalry.
However, the intelligence had never indicated that the Northern Frontier Army possessed infantry.
At a glance, there were at least fifty to sixty thousand of them.
There was only one explanation: tens of thousands of infantry were former Western Xia prisoners of war.
Being able to make them fight for the Northern Frontier Army in such a short time
was indicative of many things.
The Northern Frontier people were by no means uncivilized barbarians like the Naiman people or the Kereit Tribe.
“Although I don’t know what methods the Northern Frontier people used to make those soldiers fight for them, it is sheer fantasy to think they can win this war with just those prisoners of war,” Waiming Shian said with a heavy voice.
Those infantry soldiers were from the Western Xia Army in the Hexi Corridor. Although they were fierce by nature and strong in individual combat, they were ultimately just prisoner soldiers.
Disunity was their greatest weakness.
True elites could not be forged through simple training; they must achieve absolute obedience. He did not believe the Northern Frontier Army could truly command these prisoner soldiers as if they were an extension of their own limbs in such a short time.
However, what made Waiming Shian wary was still the Northern Frontier’s cavalry and cannons.
“Those dark black pillars, they must be the rumored ‘Northern Frontier Thunder God Pillars.’ I wonder if they are truly as powerful as the legends say.”
Waiming Shian gazed at the cannons in front of the Northern Frontier Army formation, his tone filled with immense gravity.
It was no longer a secret that the Northern Frontier Army possessed a mysterious weapon comparable to the roar of thunder.
Waiming Shian had also taken some targeted measures.
Block the horses’ ears, so that soldiers would not panic at the sound of thunder. No one was allowed to shout or run around wildly, or they would be punished by military law.
Despite making thorough preparations, Waiming Shian still felt uncertain, as he had never personally witnessed the power of these Thunder God Pillars.
Regardless, they had to engage in a head-on battle with the Northern Frontier Army this time.
“Give the order, Vanguard Battalion, attack.”
Waiming Shian drew his saber, shouted loudly, his expression fierce, and his eyes full of determination.
“Dong dong dong dong~”
A dozen burly men with bare shoulders beat the war drums.
This was the signal for the army to advance.
The commander of the Vanguard Battalion’s infantry drew his saber and shouted loudly, “Attack.”
Upon receiving the order, the shield soldiers at the very front raised their cowhide shields and formed a dense line, approaching the Northern Frontier Army formation step by step.
Spearmen and archers followed closely behind.
The cavalry on the flanks also gripped their spears tightly, ready to support the infantry at any moment.
“Roar roar roar roar~”
On the other side, tens of thousands of Northern Frontier soldiers also let out beast-like roars, striking their chest armor with their weapons. The immense sound waves immediately swept across the entire grassland.
This was a method used by the Northern Frontier soldiers to intimidate, deter the enemy, and exert psychological pressure.
Under the golden Sun and Moon Battle Flag, Li Xiao rode a black Ferghana horse, holding a telescope, and observed the movements of the Western Xia Army.
He commanded in a deep voice, “Archer and Crossbow Battalion, fire.”
“Divine Machine Camp, prepare to fire cannons.”
“Wuwuwuwu~”
In the next moment, the Northern Frontier Army’s horns sounded, and both sides stood at swords’ point, on the verge of a life-or-death battle.
“Archers and crossbowmen, release arrows!”
In the Western Xia Army, the commander of the Vanguard Battalion, with a ferocious expression, brandished his war saber and shouted loudly.
After the order was given, the shield soldiers at the very front immediately stopped.
The archers and crossbowmen quickly moved forward, mounted their Divine Arm Crossbows on the shields, aimed at the Northern Frontier Infantry Corps in front, and pulled the triggers.
“Sussussussu~”
In an instant, thousands of Divine Arm Crossbows vibrated simultaneously. The three-edged arrowheads, coated in black oil, tore through the cold wind, like a swarm of locusts, weaving a dim cloud in the sky.
“Block!”
“Hold your shields tight.”
In the front ranks of the Northern Frontier Army, an infantry chiliarch, looking at the dense arrows, roared with a ferocious expression.
The next second, the arrow rain descended.
The Northern Frontier Army formation erupted with dense metallic clangs. The soldiers at the forefront tightly gripped their cowhide shields and did not let go.
Most of them were experiencing such a scene for the first time, their expressions were panicked and fearful, but they all understood that they were enemies of the Western Xia Army.
The enemy would show them no mercy. If they lost their grip on their shields, not only would they be pierced by a thousand arrows, but the brothers behind them would also suffer.
In a short period, dense arrows were embedded in the shields, like hedgehogs.
Because the Western Xia Army was positioned on the slope below, they had to shoot upwards. Due to the angle, most of the arrows were blocked by the shield soldiers.
Only a small portion of the arrows, from above or through the gaps in the shields, penetrated into the Northern Frontier Army formation, causing some casualties to the Northern Frontier infantry.
At the same time, the Northern Frontier archers and crossbowmen were doing the same, hiding behind their shields and counter-attacking the Western Xia Army.
With the rapid development of the Northern Frontier Military Industry, Northern Frontier artisans were now capable of completely replicating Divine Arm Crossbows and their arrows.
In addition to the Divine Arm Crossbows manufactured by the Northern Frontier, they also obtained them through smuggling from Heishui City and from captures during previous battles.
However, in terms of overall numbers, they still could not match the Western Xia’s Divine Arm Crossbows.
Fortunately, the Northern Frontier Army held the advantage of terrain. Their downward shots from the high ground inflicted considerable damage on the Western Xia Vanguard Battalion soldiers.
“Damn it.”
The Western Xia general who witnessed this scene had a grim expression and cursed angrily.
He then ordered the second batch of archers and crossbowmen to fire, while the first batch reloaded their crossbows.
He also shouted sternly, “Bring up the ballistae! Today, I will smash these Northern Frontier barbarians’ turtle shells!”
As his words fell, the Western Xia Army formation echoed with grunting sounds. The tightly packed shield formation parted like a tide.
A group of shirtless strong men were pushing ten ballistae forward.
After fixing the wheels, they quickly adjusted the elevation angle, and then the massive bow arms began to turn, emitting a grating “ge ge” sound. The arrows were as thick as a child’s arm, and their tail feathers were coated with pungent pine resin.
Both the arrows for the Divine Arm Crossbows and the ballistae arrows were specially made.
They were thicker and longer than ordinary arrows, and their arrowheads were sharper.
Even with the Western Xia’s national strength, they could not afford to expend too many of them.
“Fire~”
At the order of the Western Xia general, ten ballistae simultaneously emitted a shrill bowstring sound.
Arrows as thick as bowls, wrapped in the sound of wind, tore through the sky, and in the blink of an eye, they pierced into the Northern Frontier Army formation.
The jujube wood shields reinforced with cowhide at the forefront could not withstand this immense force. With a “cracking” sound, the shields were pierced like thin paper, pinning several soldiers behind them to the ground.
The dense Northern Frontier Army formation was pierced by ten bloody corridors under the fire of the Western Xia ballistae.
The Northern Frontier infantry chiliarch, witnessing this, showed a ferocious expression and shouted loudly, “Brothers, think of your families back home! They are waiting for you to achieve merit and live good lives!”
“For every enemy killed, a reward of two guan. For killing three, a reward of twenty mu of military land.”
This was both an incentive and a veiled threat, but the effect was evident.
The previously panicked Kuli Army soldiers stabilized, gritting their teeth and holding their shields firm.
However, the chiliarch knew that this stability was temporary.
These Kuli Army soldiers were not true Northern Frontier soldiers. Once the losses became too heavy, the army might collapse.
Fortunately, the Northern Frontier Army’s cannons were ready. Wu Damao, the chiliarch of the Second Divine Machine Camp, drew his cavalry saber and shouted sternly, “Fire!”
“Hong hong hong hong~”
Great roars echoed between heaven and earth as shells shot out, drawing curves through the air and directly smashing into the Western Xia Army formation.
“Hong hong hong hong~”
The Western Xia Army formation immediately exploded into chaos.
The shield soldiers in the front ranks hadn’t even reacted when the bowl-thick cannonballs “bang” pierced through three layers of cowhide and jujube wood shields. The shields shattered into wood fragments, and along with splashing mud, they left wounds on the surrounding soldiers.
Immediately following, another series of booming explosions occurred. Ten explosive shells detonated in the center of the crowd, and hundreds of scorching hot iron nails and iron shards scattered like rain.
Some were directly nailed into soldiers’ shoulder blades, others passed through their necks, and some directly entered their heads.
Screams rose and fell. Several archers and crossbowmen had their leg bones severed by iron shards, rolling on the ground clutching their stumps.
More people were bleeding from their ears and noses from the deafening explosions, struggling to get up, only to be riddled with shrapnel by subsequent blasts.
A mist of blood mixed with gunpowder smoke spread. Although the Western Xia soldiers already knew that the Northern Frontier Army possessed a kind of ‘sorcery’ that could unleash thunderous power,
they were still greatly startled by its immense power when they witnessed it firsthand. Many soldiers no longer heeded Waiming Shian’s orders and retreated in panic.
The once orderly military formation instantly devolved into a chaotic mess.
In the central army, Waiming Shian watched this scene unfold with a shocked and disbelieving expression.
“Gunpowder, this is gunpowder,” Waiming Shian faintly smelled the scent of gunpowder amidst the thick scent of blood.
His brow furrowed, his expression terrified. He could not comprehend how gunpowder, used for firecrackers, could unleash such immense power.
Moreover, how did the Northern Frontier barbarians manage to throw gunpowder into the Western Xia Army formation from such a distance?
“Is it the Thunder God Pillars?”
Waiming Shian’s gaze was fixed on the dozen dark black iron pillars in the distance, murmuring in an aged voice.
“The Northern Frontier barbarians are truly formidable opponents.”
Then, his expression turned stern, and he shouted loudly, “Give the order, the Poxi Army advances, and smash those broken iron pillars!”
The Poxi Army was the Western Xia’s ‘artillery.’
They used small trebuchets that could be mounted on camel backs.
However, considering the future need to attack walled cities like Ganzhou and Suzhou occupied by the Northern Frontier Army, Waiming Shian had already ordered the construction of a batch of large trebuchets.
Although their power was far inferior to the Northern Frontier’s cannons, they could still serve some purpose.
Thus, the two armies engaged in a fierce battle on the grasslands of the military horse farm.
In the evening, both sides sounded the gong to retreat.
In the Western Xia Army camp, the cries of the wounded echoed everywhere.
Waiming Shian stepped onto the sticky mud and entered the field hospital. The moans and screams of the wounded soldiers drilled into his ears like countless ants.
In front of him, a soldier’s lower leg dangled from the edge of the stretcher, white bone exposed. The army doctor took one look and gently shook his head, saying, “He’s beyond saving, amputate it.”
With that, he stuffed a piece of wood into the soldier’s mouth and had the soldier’s sergeant personally carry out the amputation of the soldier’s lower leg.
The intense pain caused the soldier to grind his teeth to dust, and he fainted directly from the pain.
“Alas, a good soldier, what a pity.”
Waiming Shian looked at the soldier with the severed leg and sighed with grief and indignation.
However, amputation was necessary. The infection rate among the wounded was high, especially in places like the military horse farm with abundant water and grass, where it could easily lead to the soldier’s death from illness.
Shortly after, Waiming Shian finished touring the entire field hospital and returned to his tent with a heavy heart.
He looked at a small plate of beef and a large bowl of porridge placed neatly in front of him. He picked up the porridge and drank it down, then handed the beef to his personal guard.
“The wounded soldiers need it more than I do. Give it to them.”
Regardless of whether it was a show, when soldiers followed a commander like Waiming Shian, they would undoubtedly feel more at ease.
Soon after, generals such as Yeli Duowen and Tuoba Mayu arrived at the large tent to report the losses of their respective units.
Since it was only the first day of battle, and the forces deployed by both sides were limited, with cavalry having no opportunity to engage, the Vanguard Battalion suffered the greatest casualties.
“My unit had eight hundred and twenty-eight soldiers killed or severely wounded, and over one thousand six hundred lightly wounded.”
“Those Northern Frontier Thunder God Pillars are too powerful. They can shoot iron nails and iron shards very far. Many of our soldiers were casualties from them.”
The commander of the Vanguard Battalion reported first, his expression grave and indignant.
On the first day of battle alone, his command suffered casualties of over two thousand five hundred, which was truly tragic.
After all, these were not hastily conscripted recruits, but the main force of the Western Xia Army, each one an elite. Such heavy losses made even Waiming Shian feel a pang of heartache.
“There’s nothing to be done. War always involves casualties,” Waiming Shian said coldly.
However, he had not expected that in such a short period, the Northern Frontier infantry had also become so formidable that they could contend with the Western Xia elites without being inferior.
To know that most of those soldiers were captured Western Xia people!
Why would they so resolutely help the Northern Frontier Army? They are simply a group of ungrateful wretches.
What Waiming Shian did not know was that although these Western Xia prisoners of war were attracted by the generous treatment of the Northern Frontier Army, they were also intimidated by the Northern Frontier Army’s power.
Especially today, the spectacle of the Divine Might Cannon firing completely extinguished the ulterior motives of many Western Xia prisoners of war.
The scales of war are tipping more and more in favor of the Northern Frontier, and they naturally do not want to surrender to the Guo Jun in the year of ’49.
“What about other casualties? Divine Arm Crossbow? Catapults? Ballistae?” Waiming Shian asked again.
This topic was even more heavy because these weapons were capable of posing a fatal threat to the Northern Frontier Infantry, and thus were the focus of the Divine Machine Camp’s attention.
Two ballistae were destroyed, and five large catapults were blown up. Because their targets were larger, their success rate was higher.
Secondly, the archers standing on the front line also suffered several hundred casualties.
To become an excellent archer requires a great deal of training, and every archer is precious.
Suffering so many casualties at once made Waiming Shian feel heavy-hearted.
“This war cannot continue to be fought like this.”
After everyone had left, Waiming Shian murmured in a low voice.
The Northern Frontier Army occupied the advantageous terrain of the military horse farm, and their troops and combat strength were no weaker than the Western Xia Army; in fact, the Northern Frontier Cavalry was even stronger.
The original plan to attack Shanle City was no longer feasible, and Waiming Shian decided to employ a stratagem.
The next day, the war broke out again.
In the same position, the Western Xia Army attacked uphill, while the Northern Frontier Army occupied the high ground to defend.
The archers from both sides, holding the arrows shot by the enemy the previous day, returned them to the enemy.
The cannons of the Divine Machine Camp continued to roar, and shells reaped the lives of Western Xia soldiers one after another.
The extent of the battle results was secondary; the most important thing was that the existence of the Divine Might Cannon could build confidence among the Kuli Army prisoners.
Many of them were superstitious; they believed this was the weapon of the Thunder God, and that the Deity was on the side of the Northern Frontier.
In fact, every time the Divine Might Cannon fired, amidst the tremendous roar, the cheers of the Kuli Army soldiers could be heard from time to time.
This stemmed from the worship of power.
Therefore, as long as the Divine Might Cannon fired a few shots daily, it was enough to greatly boost the morale of the Kuli Army.
……
A few days later, Tuoba Mayu led five thousand elite cavalry away from the battlefield. This number was not too conspicuous on a battlefield of over a hundred thousand men.
Moreover, it left Waiming Shian with sufficient cavalry to deal with any surprise attack from the Northern Frontier Iron Cavalry.
At the same time, five thousand cavalry were detached from Li Anquan’s command in the center, making up a total of ten thousand iron cavalry.
Their target was the third route, the desert road north of Ganjun Mountain.
After witnessing the tenacity of the Northern Frontier Infantry Corps and the power of the Northern Frontier Army’s artillery, Waiming Shian understood that it would be difficult to break through from the southern route in a short period.
Therefore, he decided to employ a surprise attack via the northern route, to raid Ganzhou City, burn the Northern Frontier Army’s provisions, and cut off their rear supply line.
The midday sun hung in the sky above the Gobi Desert, like a red-hot branding iron.
Tuoba Mayu’s clothes were already soaked with sweat, and the chainmail, which represented his status as a general of the Imperial Guard Cavalry, was hung on his horse along with those of the other soldiers.
Just as they had rounded Ganjun Mountain, a scout suddenly reported: “Reporting to the Great General, a large contingent of Northern Frontier cavalry has been spotted ten miles ahead.”
Hearing this, Tuoba Mayu’s expression instantly became extremely grave.
“What?”
“How many?”
The scout replied: “At least four to five thousand.”
Hearing this, Tuoba Mayu understood what was happening.
The Northern Frontier people and Waiming Shian had the same idea.
They were both planning to detour through the Gobi to intercept the enemy’s supply line, and their plans coincided, running into each other.
Soon, the Western Xia Army and the Northern Frontier Army met head-on.
The Northern Frontier cavalry had also received the news long ago, so they all put on their cotton armor.
It was hot, but life was more important.
The white battle flag with red trim, the Sun and Moon Battle Flag, drooped listlessly under the scorching sun. More than eight thousand Northern Frontier cavalry, clad in armor, pressed forward step by step towards the Western Xia Army, poised for battle.
This army was none other than the Northern Frontier Sixth Garrison.
Commander Li Donghe, Deputy Commander Li Xiang, also known as Da Hu.
Myriad Household Commander Wei Xuan.
The total strength reached eight thousand five hundred men.
The reason for the increase of five hundred men compared to the original expedition was that in the previous battles, over seven hundred meritorious soldiers from Heishui City became garrison soldiers and joined the Sixth Garrison.
Therefore, the strength of the Sixth Garrison increased rather than decreased.
“Myriad Household Commander, I did not expect the Western Xia Army to have the same plan as us.”
The Myriad Household led by Wei Xuan was the vanguard of the Sixth Garrison.
At this moment, hearing his guard centurion’s words, he gently shook his head and smiled faintly: “So what?”
“After we destroy this Western Xia cavalry, Liangzhou City will still be within our grasp.”
