Chapter 517: Rangers
Chapter 517 Rangers
Thousands of troops and horses are running between the valleys.
Zhechongfu crossbowmen carrying crossbow machines on their shoulders followed the army flags one by one, marching like ants. Bashu soldiers holding spears, Shuzhong rangers with bows and knives, and volunteers marched forward, shouting passionate battle songs.
Mules and horses, loaded with military tents, food, and equipment, form a winding dragon.
Huaiyang King Li Daoming was riding a bay red horse, wearing black light armor, standing on the hillside, looking at this giant dragon, he couldn't help but feel excited. This clan wanted to follow Qin Lang's light cavalry, but Qin Lang didn't take him with him.
As one of the few county kings in the clan today, Li Daoming was able to become king together with Daozong, Shentong, Xiaogong, etc., not because he was very powerful. On the contrary, when the Tang Dynasty was established, Li Daoming was actually in his teens, and he was named Duke of Wudu for the first time.
But Li Daoming has a very powerful elder brother Li Daoxuan.
Li Daoxuan was only fourteen years old when he founded the country, and he was named General Youqianniuwei and King of Huaiyang. When Liu Wuzhou defeated Song Jingang, the seventeen-year-old Li Daoxuan led Qingqi into the enemy's formation.
Fighting Wang Shichong, he was also a pioneer many times.
At that time, beside Li Shimin, King of Qin, there were two unparalleled warriors, one big and one small, the big one was Qin Qiong, and the young one was Li Daoxuan. At that time, whoever dared to be arrogant in front of Li Shimin's army, Li Shimin would ask Qin Qiong to teach him how to behave. But when the two armies fought, Li Daoxuan was like a mad dog, every time he bravely rushed into the enemy's line and broke the enemy first.
Later, after Li Daoxuan defeated Dou Jiande with Li Shimin, he became the governor of Luozhou and stayed in Luoyang.
Liu Heita rebelled, and Li Daoxuan was appointed as the general manager of the Hebei Road March, and was ordered to crusade.
This is the first time that Li Daoxuan led the army independently, and it was also the first time that he left Li Shimin to fight alone. At the beginning of the battle, Li Daoxuan personally led the elite to enter the enemy's line as before. But this time, neither Qin Qiong nor Li Shimin came to meet him. His lieutenant, Shi Wanbao, was ordered to enter later, but he deliberately stood still.
Li Daoxuan's army alone fell into heavy siege, but Shi Wanbao sat back and watched his defeat. In the end, 19-year-old Li Daoxuan was captured, refused to surrender and was killed. But Shi Wanbao, who wanted to use Li Daoxuan as a bait so that he could reap the fisherman's profit, was not satisfied. He was beaten by Liu Heita, and fled without armor.
After Li Daoxuan died, Li Shimin cried bitterly for him, saying that Xuan liked to imitate him, and he was responsible. But in fact, Li Shimin and Qin Qiong are very clear that this desperate Li Lang who everyone likes actually died in the dispute between Li Shimin's brothers.
Daoxuan is Li Shimin’s **** younger brother, Shi Wanbao, Chang’an hero, and his elder brother is Shi Wansui, one of the four famous generals of the Sui Dynasty. Like many Guanlong nobles, he actually supported the construction. Daoxuan took command to conquer Liu Heita, he deliberately let Daoxuan defeat, he wanted to take advantage of himself and kill Liu Heita to make a great contribution, but Liu Heita was a ruthless person he couldn't deal with.
After Daoxuan died, Li Shimin took Daoming, who was only ten years old at the time, with him to teach the art of war, and Qin Qiong taught riding and shooting. Because Daoxuan died early and had not yet married a wife and had children, Li Shimin specially asked the emperor to take Daoming as his heir and inherit the title of King Huaiyang.
Even though Li Shimin attacked the clan later, cut their titles, and even forced several of them to kill them, the young Li Daoming was not affected at all, and the title of King Huaiyang was never reduced at all.
Li Daoming, who is only nineteen years old now, was named the King of Huaiyang, and his official worship is General Zuo Xiaowei. He is Qin Qiong's protégé, so when he heard that Qin Qiong was rescued in Songzhou, he immediately rushed back to Chang'an from Luoyang.
Qin Lang didn't want to take this guy with him, although he always said that he had obtained the true biography of Qin Qiong and was unparalleled in riding and shooting, but Qin Lang was still worried that if the young county king hanged in the west of Sichuan, he would be in trouble.
In the end, he couldn't get rid of it, so he had to follow Zhang Shigui to lead the Chinese army.
Nineteen-year-old Huaiyang King took off his six-stone hard bow, and made a gesture of drawing the bow on the horse, and there was a sound of strings.
A feathered arrow left the string.
A mournful sound came, and an arrow fell from a black eagle.
Jia Runfu urged the horse to come over, "The king of the county is really good at archery. I didn't even find the eagle just now, but the king of the county has already fallen off the eagle with one arrow."
Li Daoming was a little proud, "My archery skills have been taught by Qin Situ, and my bow was given by my former teacher."
Jia is Qin Qiongyuan's elder brother, so he can also act as Li Daoming's elder. He stroked his beard, "It's time, Sanlang and the others should also go to Songzhou, right?"
"I wish I could fly to Songzhou to kill Dang Xiang Qiang!" Li Daoming said bitterly, and he still had a bit of a grudge about Qin Lang not taking him away.
·······
By the Minjiang River, outside Songzhou city.
Xi Junmai is leading two hundred fine riders under his command to gallop across the river valley.
They rushed out with the speed of thunder and jingle, two hundred cavalry spread out a wide formation, three cavalry in a group, three groups in a team...
Like arrows, sharp and swift.
They were looking for the scout Qingqi of the party members.
Qin Lang stood on the hillside behind and saw the knights' angle from afar.
Light riders are flying like flying, covering each other in twos and threes, chasing each other, bows and arrows.
The red helmet fringe on Xi Junma's head was extremely dazzling. He drew his six-stone strong bow on the galloping horse, hooked the string and drew the bow, aimed at a Dangxiang Qiang Qingqi who was galloping ahead, and shot towards him. Dangxiang Qiang who was galloping ahead fell off his horse.
Qiang flew up while riding the eagle on his shoulder screaming.
In an instant, he shot another arrow, the white feathered arrow drew a graceful arc, and the super-strong bow shot the fastest arrow. As soon as the bowstring rang, the arrow had already hit the enemy.
Another Qiang cavalry fell to the ground.
Tang Qi let out bursts of screams, this is the hunt of the strong.
These are Fubing knights who practice riding and archery at a young age. They are no worse than those nomadic Dangxiang Qiang cavalry. They have more comprehensive and systematic training, better knight equipment, and have a strong tacit understanding.
A group of three, a team of three, in this small-scale confrontation of sharp-pointed sentinel cavalry, no one is their opponent.
They can steer war horses without using their hands at all. They have already reached the state of unity of man and horse, and they cooperate seamlessly when turning fast and slow.
Zhang Chao stood beside Qin Lang, looking very itchy.
"so amazing!"
Seeing his son like this, Old Tieqiang couldn't help but shook his head, "The more you sweat on the battlefield, the less blood you bleed on the battlefield. These cavalrymen are really good at riding and shooting, but they all started practicing since they were young, and they even competed with their own cavalry all the year round. The horse eats and lives with the same, so there is such a good tacit understanding. Only with two legs, the horse can be controlled freely, so that the heart can move freely, and the horse and man are one. And this arrow, it is also practiced for many years. Yes, each of them has to practice drawing the string countless times with a hard bow every day, and practice precision with a war bow again and again."
Strength with a hard bow and precision with a war bow. Without more than ten years of hard training, it is impossible to achieve the amazing riding and shooting like those knights.
An excellent spearman may be able to become a good spearman after two or three years of training, and a powerful crossbowman may be able to become a good crossbowman in three to five years, but an excellent archer cannot be achieved without more than ten years of kung fu.
"My soldiers in the Tang Dynasty attach great importance to cavalry and archery. 40% of the army is cavalry, and 120% of the army's bow and arrow equipment can reach 120%."
This means that every mansion soldier is actually an archer, whether it is infantry or cavalry, whether it is shield or spearman, everyone is still an archer, and everyone carries a bow and holds an arrow.
This kind of super powerful crossbow configuration brings Tang Jun's powerful long-range lethality and brutal fire coverage.
Haven’t touched it yet, let’s shoot three shots first, give you a volley of arrows, and then pick up a spear and a big knife to slash at you. The most terrible thing is that the cavalry are still watching on both sides, ready to attack and kill at any time.
The barbarians suffered the most when they fought against the Tang army. They were inferior to the Tang army in terms of equipment, range and firepower...
"I used to ask you to practice spears, spears, bows and horses, but you always complained that you were tired, and you always said that you would give up martial arts and study literature. Now that you are not good at martial arts, you are really embarrassing to my old iron gun."
Zhang Chao blushed a little.
"Some things are innate. I am not born to practice martial arts and fight."
"You still have the face to say, look at Saburo, he is about the same age as you, he is born with it? Didn't he practice step by step."
"Is Sanlang good at riding and shooting?" Zhang Chao asked.
"Nonsense, haven't you heard of Sanlang's achievements? Single-handedly defeated the famous general Xie Shufang of Ma Qiang, beheaded Jun Kuo, the king of Shangzhu, and Luo Yi, the hero of the Sui and Tang dynasties, was beheaded by Sanlang. You What do you say?"
Qin Lang quickly waved his hands.
In fact, although he has a relatively glorious record, but in fact, the water is very high. Winning Xie Shufang relied on a surprise blow. Killing Wang Junkuo was a supplementary knife.
This round of contest between small groups of elite cavalry soon ended with Xi Junmai and their overall victory. Hundreds of party Xiang Qiang cavalry were killed by them. If the Qiang people did not respond, Xi Junmai would be able to kill them all Absolutely.
"Sanlang, the Qiang bandits have retreated."
In the distance, the morale of the Dangxiang Qiang people who were defeated by sentry cavalry fell sharply. They saw the banners waving here, and the cavalry was thick, so they took the initiative to pull the flags and retreat.
"Do you want to chase?" Zhang Chao asked.
The old iron gun glared at his son, "The Qiang people are taking the initiative to retreat, and they are very cautious. What are we chasing? We have been galloping all the way, and we are also exhausted. Now that the siege of Songzhou has been lifted, we should take a rest first, and then go Talk about something else."
Qin Lang only brought over 3,000 light cavalry, while there were tens of thousands of Dangxiang Qiangs on the opposite side. Although the Tang army must be stronger in terms of elites, they are exhausted from a long distance and have no energy left to fight again.
Qin Lang also holds this attitude. If he wants to fight, he has to pick the right time to find an opportunity. If he has no stamina to fight like now, he will only fall into a hard fight, and eventually waste casualties in vain. This kind of battle is the most boring.
On the mountain ahead, the gate of the Songzhou village was wide open, and a large group of people rushed out.
(end of this chapter)