Chapter 298 Recovering Four Counties in One Day (Part 2)

Liu Ergou knew very well that in terms of the combat effectiveness and fighting will of the cavalry, the Tang cavalry under his command was enough to defeat the cavalry of the Goguryeo Dynasty on the opposite side.

However, he was afraid that Cui Dongyuan on the opposite side had hidden ambushes in the mountains and forests on both sides.

In particular, the specific number of ambushes was still uncertain.

If they were caught in the front and back attack of the Goguryeo infantry and cavalry, and the opponent's strength was far superior to their own, then this battle would be difficult to fight.

If things went wrong, a one-sided, crushing victory would eventually become a tragic victory.

This was the first battle since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. Chen Ergou, the Earl of Suiyuan, who was recognized and promoted by Emperor Zhaowu, could never accept the result of a tragic victory.

Therefore, Liu Ergou, as the deputy general of the Tang Dynasty's expedition to Goguryeo, began to become careful and cautious at this moment.

"Report-"

"Report to the deputy general, Qian Xiaoyang, the deputy general of the Shenjiying, wants to see you!"

Hmm?

Listening to the messenger's announcement, the deputy general Liu Ergou on horseback couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, then waved his hand and said: "Please invite Deputy General Qian to come forward to discuss matters!"

"I obey your order!"

Soon, Qian Xiaoyang, the deputy commander of the Shenji Camp, rode his horse to Liu Ergou's side, bowed to him to show respect, and said: "Deputy General, the Shenji Camp musket team requests to go to battle;"

As he said, Qian Xiaoyang looked at Liu Ergou with a firm look in his eyes, and said word by word: "Deputy General, I think there must be enemy cavalry ambushes in the birch forest on both sides of the front of the Goguryeo enemy army;"

"I request to lead the Shenji Camp musket team to fight, and advance in two directions to search the birch forest to eliminate the hidden dangers of the enemy's ambush for the army!"

Swish!

As soon as these words came out, all the cavalry generals, including Deputy General Liu Ergou, turned their heads and looked at Qian Xiaoyang, the deputy commander of the Shenji Camp.

Knowing that the enemy had ambushes hidden in the birch forest, and that they were cavalry, he actually took the initiative to ask the Shenjiying musket team to fight?

I really don't know whether to say that he was brave enough to "go to the tiger mountain even though he knew there was a tiger in the mountain", or that Qian Xiaoyang and the Shenjiying musket team were eager to make contributions and dared to fight in any battle!

The Shenjiying musket team was a new branch of the Tang army. Its main equipment was the three-eyed musket improved by the Ministry of Industry Manufacturing Bureau on the basis of the red cannon.

Although the musket had strong armor-piercing and killing capabilities, its range was extremely limited and could not be compared with the red cannon at all.

Fifty steps of armor-piercing and a hundred steps of killing were already the limits of the musket.

In the eyes of the generals of the Tang army, especially the generals of the Tang army's bow and crossbow battalion, the musket team of the Shenjiying was completely a "chicken rib" branch of the army, and could not be compared with the bow and crossbow battalion at all!

You know, a well-trained archer can easily use the strong bow and crossbow in his hand to effectively kill the target at a distance of about 200 steps, and the frequency of firing arrows can be far better than that of the musket team.

Therefore, the Tang cavalry generals present were not optimistic about the initiative of Qian Xiaoyang, the deputy commander of the Shenji Camp.

It would be better to send a team of cavalry directly to search in the birch forests on both sides.

Deputy General Liu Ergou also thought so.

However, the next words of Qian Xiaoyang, the deputy commander of the Shenji Camp, enlightened Liu Ergou and made a decision instantly.

Qian Xiaoyang said: "Deputy General, although the range of our Shenji Battalion's muskets is limited, the sound of the muskets when fired can well scare the enemy's war horses;"

"Deputy General, if the three thousand three-eyed magic guns of the Shenji Battalion are fired at the same time, the Goguryeo cavalry hiding in the birch forest will surely be thrown to the ground and their horses will be routed;"

"When that happens, the deputy general will lead the cavalry brothers to charge the battle formation and will surely catch the enemy off guard!"

Wow!

After hearing the explanation of Qian Xiaoyang, the deputy commander of the Shenji Battalion, all the cavalry generals, including the deputy general Liu Ergou, were stunned at first, and then their spirits were lifted.

Yes!

Let the Shenji Battalion musket team fire a round of volleys in the birch forests on both sides, and the sound of the guns will surely scare the Goguryeo cavalry's horses.

As long as the war horses are frightened, the enemy will have no advantage in ambush.

Thinking of this, Liu Ergou immediately ordered: "Deputy General Qian, follow your plan. The Shenji Battalion will search and advance towards the birch forests on both sides of the enemy's front, mainly to disturb the enemy's ambush horses, and do not fight to the death!"

"I have received your order!"

Qian Xiaoyang immediately took the order and left.

Liu Ergou said again: "All generals, listen to my order--"

"I am here!"

"After the Shenji Battalion forces the enemy's ambush out of the birch forest, all units of our Tang cavalry will immediately attack, follow this general to charge into the enemy's formation, kill the bandit chieftain, and recover the lost territory!"

"I have received your order!"

......

Soon, Qian Xiaoyang, the deputy commander of the Shenji Battalion, divided the 3,000 musketeers into two groups and took a detour into the birch forest where the Goguryeo cavalry ambushed.

Before the expedition, Qian Xiaoyang ordered the soldiers of the Shenji Battalion to shoot the enemy's ambush horses with the three-eyed magic gun, and not to fight to the death after firing, and to withdraw quickly.

This battle was also a test of the power of the three-barreled gun in actual combat.

Time passed quietly, and the Tang cavalry and the Goguryeo army, who were facing each other outside Liaodong City, did not dare to act rashly.

Even if Cui Dongyuan, the general of the Western Expedition in the Goguryeo formation, had discovered that the Tang cavalry had sent a small force to the birch forest where he had arranged an ambush, he had no way to deal with it.

I could only pray silently in my heart that the ten thousand ambush troops I had planted in the birch forest could quietly deal with the small group of Tang Army cavalry.

In early spring in the Liaodong region, the whistling spring breeze was still biting.

As time passed, the generals on both sides began to feel their hearts in their throats. They allowed the biting spring wind to blow across their cheeks wantonly, and still maintained their posture of charging at any time, staring intently at every move of the enemy on the opposite side.

boom!

Bang bang!

Bang bang bang!

Suddenly, in the birch forest in front of the two armies' formation, dense gunfire sounded like exploding beans.

Immediately afterwards, the neighing of countless frightened horses resounded throughout the birch forest.

Uh-huh-huh-

After a while, a war horse carrying Goguryeo cavalry rushed out of the birch forest like crazy. No matter how beaten the Goguryeo soldiers on the horse were, it still raised its hooves uncontrollably on the narrow buffer zone between the two armies. Run wildly.

Next, there is the second horse, the third horse, the fourth horse...

Until, the sound of horse hooves like rolling thunder came from the birch forest, getting closer and closer from far away.

Kick Kick Kick, Kick Kick Kick, Kick Kick Kick!

In an instant, countless war horses raised their hooves and ran wildly after being frightened, instantly disrupting the buffer zone between the two sides.

In the Goguryeo formation, Cui Dongyuan, the general of the Western Expedition, who was riding his horse and standing proudly in front of the three-army formation. After witnessing the changes in the birch forest with his own eyes, he only felt a thump in his heart, secretly thinking that something was wrong.

At this time, it was too late for him to delve deeper into what exactly happened in the birch forest;

I was not in the mood to find out what new weapons that small group of Tang Army scouts used, which caused bursts of harsh "bang bang bang" sounds to erupt in the birch forest, causing my own ambushing horses to be frightened and run rampant. Out of the birch forest.

Cui Dongyuan only knew that his ambush advantage was gone.

The Tang Army cavalry on the opposite side will definitely take this opportunity to launch an attack.

as expected.

Liu Ergou, the deputy general of the Tang Army on the opposite side, immediately raised the spear in his hand and pointed it directly at the Goguryeo formation after discovering that the enemy ambush was frightened.

A sharp shout: "Cavalry of the Tang Dynasty, charge!"

"Kill--"

Almost at the same time, Cui Dongyuan, who was in the Goguryeo formation on the opposite side, also raised the horse in his hand and gave the order to charge: "Cavalry warriors of the Goguryeo Dynasty, charge!"

"Come on -"