On the vast grasslands in the western part of the desert, two armies – one consisting of 80,000 elite Han cavalry led by Liu Wu, and the other consisting of 100,000 Xianbei cavalry ready for battle, were already facing each other from a distance of more than ten miles apart.

Although neither side took the initiative to attack.

However, both sides could feel the pressure coming from each other.

On the grassland, the wind whistled past, carrying with it the unique scent of the grassland.

At this moment, determination burned in the eyes of the soldiers on both sides, and the ground under their iron hooves seemed to be trembling, foreshadowing the upcoming fierce battle.

The Han cavalry brought by Liu Wu all understood that if they won this battle, they would have achieved extraordinary feat.

The Xianbei people on the grasslands south of the desert were completely defeated by them.

They will also achieve the same achievements as Wei Qing and Huo Qubing in history, so everyone is very excited.

Similarly, the Xianbei people also had expressions of determination and hatred on their faces.

They understood that if they lost this battle again, they would be captured, their fate would be controlled by others, or even enslaved.

In their view, Liu Wu and the soldiers under his command were all criminals.

But they didn’t think about it.

If they had not been plundering the Han border for decades, how could we have the disaster we are facing today?

“Your Majesty, the enemy has a hundred thousand soldiers and our army is already very tired. Should we stay in the camp and wait for the army to rest before fighting again?”

In the Han army tent, Wei Yan and Huang Zhong hesitated slightly, and then asked Liu Wu, who was dressed in military uniform and looked very heroic.

Liu Wu listened to what Wei Yan and Huang Zhong said and looked towards the west. There seemed to be a dark cloud over there, thick and aggressive.

“No need. These aliens are not that stupid. They won’t let us rest. The whole army should form a defensive position to consume the enemy forces. Then, wait for the right opportunity to launch a counterattack!”

“Whether we have sophisticated weapons or are equipped with double stirrups, we are no match for the enemy’s inferior weapons and lack of stirrups.”

Liu Wu pondered for a moment, then rejected the two generals’ persuasion without hesitation and decided to fight.

Generals Huang Zhong and Wei Yan were both stunned when they heard Liu Wu’s words, then they bowed and went to make arrangements.

Just as Liu Wu’s 80,000-strong Han army, 40,000 cavalrymen dismounted and transformed into infantry, dug horse pits, set up chevaux de frise, and deployed a large number of heavy crossbows.

The Xianbei cavalry really attacked.

Large groups of Xianbei cavalry came from all directions.

Obviously, the Xianbei people wanted to take advantage of the Han army’s fatigue after traveling a long distance and attack the Han army by taking advantage of their physical strength.

One hundred thousand Xianbei cavalrymen rushed towards the Han army positions from all directions like wild horses that had broken free from their reins, with whistling sounds and murderous aura.

The dust raised by the horses’ hooves covered the sky and seemed to swallow up the grassland.

The sound of the earth shaking was deafening.

At this time, the defensive formation composed of a large number of Han army infantry was like a solid wall of steel, with their shields closely connected together, forming an indestructible line of defense.

As the Xianbei cavalry got closer, all the Han soldiers began to sweat.

Even Liu Wu and Wei Yan, who were in command of the central army, frowned slightly.

They were also afraid that the Han army’s defensive formation could not withstand this violent charge.

In fact, the grassland is flat, which is perfect for cavalry charges.

Not to mention the other side’s 100,000 nomadic cavalry.

Wei Yan still lacked the battle formation, and couldn’t help swallowing his saliva, and asked Liu Wu:
“My king, can this stop the alien attack?”

When Liu Wu heard this, he thought of the strength of the Han army’s infantry in history. He felt a little relieved and nodded, saying:
“As for our Han cavalry, their horsemanship may not be as good as that of other races, but there is no doubt that our infantry is strong.”

Liu Wu said it with certainty.

Historically, Li Ling, a general of the Western Han Dynasty, fought against tens of thousands of Hun cavalry with only 5,000 infantrymen. Strictly speaking, he would not have been defeated if it were not for the lack of logistical support.

In the second year of Tianhan (99 BC), Emperor Wu of Han sent General Li Guangli to lead cavalry to attack the Xiongnu. At the same time, he sent Cavalry Commander Li Ling to lead infantry as a detachment in the Juyan area to distract the attention of the Xiongnu Chanyu.

Li Ling led his army northward for 30 days and encountered 30,000 cavalrymen of the Xiongnu Chanyu at Junji Mountain (now south of the upper reaches of the Orkhun River in Mongolia).

In the first battle, Li Ling used strong bows and crossbows to inflict severe damage on the Xiongnu cavalry, killing thousands of enemies in the first battle.

The Xiongnu Chanyu was unwilling to accept defeat, so he summoned the Left and Right Wise Kings, totaling more than 80,000 cavalry, to besiege Li Ling.

Li Ling led his army in fighting and retreating, and after several days they reached a valley, where they killed more than 3,000 enemies in succession.

But the Han army also suffered heavy casualties and their arrows were almost exhausted.

The Xiongnu cavalry used fire to attack, and Li Ling also set fire to save himself. When the two sides went south to the foot of the mountain, a fierce battle broke out. Li Ling led his troops to fight among the trees and killed thousands of enemies again. However, at this time, the Han army had only more than 3,000 soldiers left, and they had run out of arrows and food, and were in a desperate situation.

Under the fierce attack of the Xiongnu cavalry, Li Ling’s troops had no hope of breaking out and were eventually forced to surrender.

That battle demonstrated Li Ling’s outstanding command ability and the strong fighting power of the Han army’s infantry. Although he was defeated in the end due to the disparity in troop strength and lack of support, Li Ling’s battle is still a classic example of the Han army’s infantry resisting nomadic cavalry.

Liu Wu did not feel that his 40,000 Han infantrymen would not be able to withstand the attack of the enemy’s 100,000 cavalry.

Rumble~
Rumble~
The earth was shaking violently, and a large number of Xianbei cavalry had already approached.

“Ah~”

Suddenly, before the Xianbei cavalrymen riding in the front got close to the Han army formation, horse traps appeared under their hooves. Many horses fell into the traps and the Xianbei cavalrymen were thrown out. They were immediately thrown to the ground and wailing was heard everywhere.

The horse pit consumes one wave.

Subsequently, the hidden weapons that Liu Wu ordered his men to scatter, called horse spikes, also known as caltrops, for use as a target on the hooves of war horses, began to play a huge role and first appeared at the end of the Han Dynasty.

The caltrops have four sharp claws. When thrown, three of the claws are supported on the ground, and one claw stands upright. When the upper claw is pushed down, the lower claw rises again, and it repeats this process over and over again, making it impossible for the person who touches it to avoid its sharp claws and get stabbed.

In ancient wars, horse nails were scattered on battlefields and dangerous paths to injure enemy horses, thereby affecting their marching speed. They could also kill enemy cavalry and even cause chaos.

Historically, it is said to have been invented by Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period, and later evolved into a roadblock used to deal with the vehicles of lawbreakers and criminals.

This hidden weapon is very effective against cavalry.

However, Liu Wu had never seen anyone using this caltrop on the battlefield.

Taking into account the cavalry of foreign races, Liu Wu did not hesitate to manufacture a large number of caltrops for the army to carry with them during the Han Dynasty. This was the first appearance of caltrops.

Obviously, the effect is excellent.

Large pieces of caltrops were scattered on the path of the foreign cavalry. For the Xianbei cavalry who were not equipped with horseshoes, the caltrops would directly pierce the horses’ hooves.

moment.

On the battlefield, the front row of the Xianbei cavalry was in a state of chaos, with people and horses falling to the ground.

Large numbers of Xianbei cavalry fell.

This made the Xianbei cavalry in the rear both shocked and angry.

But they also tried their best to charge forward. After countless casualties, the Xianbei cavalry finally arrived in front of the Han army, and the Han army’s heavy crossbows began their dance of death.

The Han army’s archers aimed steadily at their targets, and with the dull sounds of their crossbows, heavy crossbow arrows cut through the sky and accurately hit the Xianbei cavalry. Some arrows penetrated the horses’ chests, causing them to fall down with painful neighs; others directly hit the riders, causing blood to spurt out and dye the grassland red.

The Xianbei cavalry’s offensive was frustrated by the Han army’s perseverance, and their casualties continued to rise. The Xianbei riders, who were once as ferocious as tigers, were now like being stuck in a quagmire, unable to extricate themselves. Their eyes were filled with fear and despair.

The large number of casualties caused panic among the attacking Xianbei tribes.

“My lord, the aliens haven’t even reached our front. Are they going to retreat?”

Wei Yan was quite surprised. He looked at the situation on the battlefield and asked Liu Wu.

You know, at this time, with the horse traps, caltrops and the counterattack of the Han heavy crossbows, at least five thousand Xianbei cavalry fell.

This amount of casualties was already very heavy, considering that the Xianbei cavalry had not yet come into contact with the infantry’s spear and shield phalanx.

“No, they have no way out. If we don’t attack, they will be finished. They will come back to kill us. Let the cavalry soldiers take this time to rest and replenish water and food. Let the infantry soldiers be alert.”

In the central army, Liu Wu, dressed in military uniform, looked at the foreign cavalry wandering in the distance and said expressionlessly.

Listening to Liu Wu’s instructions, Wei Yan believed them without a doubt and hurried to convey Liu Wu’s orders.

really.

Soon, the earth shook violently again, and countless Xianbei cavalry attacked again.

In the Han army’s square formation, the caltrops once again killed many Xianbei cavalry.

The big man fired a large number of crossbow arrows with his heavy crossbow, setting off a storm of death.

After suffering heavy casualties again, the Xianbei cavalry finally came into contact with the Han army’s infantry shield phalanx. At this time, spears and lances protruded from the gaps in the shields.

A large number of Xianbei cavalrymen crashed into the Han army’s infantry shield formation, and there was endless blood, corpses, and screams.

The infantrymen behind the shields supported the shields that were hit, while the spearmen and pikemen stabbed frantically.

The archers behind also drew their bows and arrows, shooting out rain of arrows.

The grassland was filled with the sounds of fighting and the air was filled with blood.

Just as Liu Wu had thought, after suffering nearly 20,000 casualties, the 100,000 Xianbei cavalry caused a lot of casualties to the Han infantry, but ultimately failed to break through the Han infantry’s defensive phalanx.

After two hours of fighting, the Xianbei cavalry had suffered heavy casualties and their morale continued to decline. The Han infantry had fought bloody battles and were already extremely exhausted.

The Han cavalry took advantage of this opportunity to gradually recover their strength and their morale became increasingly high.

At this moment, Liu Wu, dressed in military uniform and holding up his weapon, summoned 40,000 Han cavalry and shouted:
“Defeat the Xianbei and make a name for ourselves in the Han Dynasty. Today is the day. The army will attack!”

With his order, 40,000 Han cavalry rushed out of the position like swords drawn from their sheaths.

The sound of their horses’ hooves was like thunder, and the dust was flying everywhere, as if they were going to shatter the entire world.

Liu Wu took the lead, the spear in his hand was like a dragon emerging from the sea, invincible.

Every time he swung his spear, a Xianbei cavalryman was knocked off his horse. His figure shuttled across the battlefield, like a god of war, making the Xianbei people terrified.

The Han cavalry and the Xianbei cavalry engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat.

Amid the flashing of swords and the shadow of sabers, the Han cavalry displayed their powerful fighting capability.

Sharp weapons and excellent horses, the three treasures of the best, fought fiercely with the Xianbei cavalry. Every clash was accompanied by the sound of metal clashing and the spraying of blood, and the Xianbei cavalry, whose morale had long been low, collapsed.

Under the leadership of Liu Wu, the Han cavalry fought more and more bravely, and the Xianbei people began to flee everywhere, but no matter where they fled, they could not escape the pursuit of the Han cavalry. In terms of horsemanship, the Han army was not as good as the other side, but with the bonus of double stirrups, the Han cavalry was like a cheetah, biting the Xianbei people’s tail tightly and not giving them any chance to breathe.

The aliens were defeated!

One hundred thousand Xianbei cavalry were completely defeated.

Liu Wu did not hesitate and directly gave the order to pursue the enemy in full force.

Liu Wu stood on a high place on the battlefield, looking at the remnants of the Xianbei army fleeing in the distance, with a smile of victory on his face.

He knew that this battle would not only avenge the invasion of the Han Dynasty’s borders, but also that the Mo Nan grassland would truly become a part of the Han Dynasty’s territory.

Countless corpses and broken weapons were left on the western Xianbei grasslands. The cruelty of this war was bound to cause many people to fall.

A few days later, Liu Wu captured a large number of leaders of the Xianbei tribes in the southern desert grasslands and killed them all without any hesitation.

“Han Sheng, send a message to all tribes on the grasslands. All the young and strong men of the Xianbei will be taken to the Han Dynasty and made into slaves. They will repair cities, open up official roads, and cultivate land for the Han Dynasty. If they work hard and make contributions, they may be allowed to leave the slave class.”

“In addition, select beautiful women from the Xianbei tribes and recruit them from among the Han men. If they give birth to a child on the grassland, they will be rewarded with ten sheep or a cow, and fifty acres of grassland will be allocated!”

Liu Wu shared his thoughts with Huang Zhong, Wei Yan and other generals.

Upon hearing Liu Wu’s decision, all the Han generals were stunned, excited and excited.

The reason is that this approach has many benefits for the Han people.

First, strengthen national strength

The first is the increase in the labor force:

The defeated young and strong Xianbei men were taken to the Han Dynasty as slaves, providing the Han Dynasty with a large amount of free labor.

This labor force can be used for infrastructure construction such as repairing cities, opening up official roads, and reclaiming land, which will inevitably accelerate the development of the Han Dynasty.

The second most important thing is resource accumulation:

Through the labor of slaves, the Han Dynasty could accumulate various resources more quickly, such as food, fodder, building materials, etc.

The accumulation of these resources will help enhance the national strength of the Han or Chu states and lay the foundation for future wars or development.

Then the second is to promote national integration

The union of Xianbei women and Han men helped the integration and dissemination of cultures.

Promote the diversified development of the Han Dynasty or the Chu State.

Reduce Conflict:

Through marriage and reward policies, the relationship between the Xianbei people and the Han people could be brought closer.

This closer relationship will help reduce conflicts and contradictions between ethnic groups and maintain social stability.

Third, enhance military strength

The children born from the union between the Xianbei and the Han people could become sources of soldiers for the Han people when they grew up.

As these children grow up, they will be exposed to the culture and education of the Han Dynasty, and will be more easily integrated into Han society and become loyal soldiers.

Through communication and integration with the Xianbei people, the Han Dynasty was able to learn some military skills and tactics from the nomadic peoples.

The introduction of these skills and tactics will help improve the combat effectiveness of the Han army.

Undoubtedly, Liu Wu’s decision and this approach have significant benefits for the Han or Chu in terms of strengthening national strength, promoting ethnic integration, improving military strength and economic development. (End of this chapter)