Chapter 66: Charge (II)

At a distance of about a hundred steps, the power of crossbows reaches its peak!
Over two hundred feathered arrows pierced the night sky and flew into the ranks of the Abbasid cavalry, instantly knocking down dozens of those who had recklessly charged forward. The arrows penetrated their leather armor and flesh, emitting terrifying dull sounds, accompanied by the choking screams of the dying—a truly horrifying sight.
By now, the sun had completely set, and the entire battlefield was shrouded in darkness. The panicked Abbasid cavalry fought desperately with their curved swords, while their soldiers’ reckless and disorganized behavior gradually led to accidental casualties. In the silent night, cries of pain and groans could be heard as comrades were knocked down by their own troops.
“Stay calm! Raise your round leather shields—don’t panic!”
Said also hadn’t expected the Tang forces to lay an ambush here. After calming his shock slightly, he shouted orders under the protection of his bodyguards, directing his soldiers on what to do.
In night battles, few soldiers died from direct attacks; most perished from falling off their horses in panic and being trampled by their own comrades. Thus, the more panicked they became, the more crucial it was to stay calm. With their overwhelming numerical advantage, it would be easy for them to slaughter those Tang soldiers trying to stop them.
“Use your shields to protect your faces—stay calm, hold tight to your horses’ flanks!”
With his years of experience, Said taught his troops by example. Sometimes, it was more important for a commander to tell his soldiers what to do and how to do it, rather than charging ahead himself as a model. Based on his rough estimate, the number of arrows fired by the Tang forces this time wouldn’t exceed five hundred, maybe even less. This meant Gao Xianzhi’s main force was weaker than he had thought. As long as he withstood the arrow attack, it would be easy for him to capture Gao Xianzhi alive!
At this thought, Said felt immense satisfaction. Capturing the enemy commander was a great honor. Even brilliant generals like General Abu Muslim had only a few instances of capturing enemy commanders. Moreover, his opponent was Gao Xianzhi, the governor of Anxi—a man who, though unpleasant, possessed extraordinary combat skills. If he could capture him alive, his position in the Abbasid army would become even more secure.
“Charge forward, warriors! For your honor—Allah is with you!”

Said could no longer contain his joy; desire overpowered reason. He pushed aside his bodyguards, held a wooden shield in one hand, and swung his curved sword as he charged ahead first.
“General Said, be careful!”
“My lord!”
The bodyguards cried out in alarm and rushed after him on their horses.
Seeing their commander fight so bravely, the Abbasid cavalry were inspired and galloped after Said.
Xin Zhixu gave a cold order, “The first team, retreat! The second team, fill in! The third team, move forward and get ready!”
They had practiced such orders countless times during training. No matter how harsh the conditions, his men could always execute them flawlessly, without any mistakes. He never expected to use this three-queue volley tactic in battle, at a moment of life and death.
A bitter smile tugged at the corners of Xin Zhixu’s mouth. He thought to himself that everything was predestined—why should he act like a sentimental woman?
“Fire!”
Xin Zhixu took a deep breath and swung his arm downward forcefully, giving the order to fire.
The soldiers had been drawing their bows for a long time, holding back their strength. Upon hearing Xin Zhixu’s command, they pulled the strings taut and released their arrows.
However, since the Abbasid soldiers were prepared and protected their faces with wooden shields, the scattered arrows weren’t very effective. After several volleys, aside from a few unlucky ones whose hearts were pierced, the rest of the Abbasid cavalry suffered only minor injuries that wouldn’t hinder their advance.
“Ding ding dong dong!”
“Ding ding dong dong!”
In the silent night, the sound of arrows hitting wooden shields and falling to the ground was crystal clear—so clear that even the hearts of the Anxi soldiers raced faster in rhythm with it.
Yet Xin Zhixu remained unaffected and calmly ordered, “The second team, retreat! The third team, fill in! The first team, move forward and get ready!”
The commander issued mechanical commands, the soldiers carried out mechanical actions, and mechanical executioners carried out slaughter.
Although fewer and fewer Abbasid soldiers suffered fatal injuries thanks to the wooden shields, for the Anxi soldiers at that moment, any delay in the Abbasid cavalry’s advance was beneficial.
As the speed of the cavalry was slowed, those at the back gradually got trapped by the pikes of the longbowmen. These fearless Tang soldiers, though without cover, charged forward without fear, using their bodies to block the Abbasid cavalry’s progress.

Stabbing, thrusting, piercing, and luring—using the training methods they practiced daily, they fully utilized the advantages of their long spears. Those Abbasid warriors who tried to counter with their curved swords were pierced through by the silver-glinting spear tips long before their horses could even approach them.

Though they were only five hundred in number and faced over ten thousand Abbasid cavalrymen, they showed not the slightest hint of fear. They were proving in their own way what it meant to be a man’s responsibility and what it meant to be a man of the Tang Dynasty!

Gradually, Sa’id noticed these brave Tang soldiers. Frowning slightly, he ordered his deputy general, “These Tang soldiers are so arrogant. Even if we don’t bother them, they still come to their deaths on their own. Fine, pass my order: halt the entire army’s advance and first eliminate these Tang invaders!”

“Understood, my lord!”

“General Sa’id orders: halt the entire army’s advance and first eliminate these Tang invaders!”

“General Sa’id orders: halt the entire army’s advance and first eliminate these Tang invaders!”

The deputy general rode through the ranks, tirelessly repeating his commander’s orders to everyone.

The Abbasid cavalrymen had already been seething with hatred toward the Tang spearmen and had been forced to advance due to military orders. Now, they could focus entirely on dealing with these Tang invaders and ensure they died a painful death!

The Abbasid soldiers turned their horses and aimed their curved swords at those mere five hundred infantrymen. They spurred their horses, swung their swords, and slashed! Leveraging their incredible horse speed, the Abbasid cavalry made full use of the advantages of their curved swords.

In moments, the backs, arms, and thighs of the spearmen were covered in bloodstains. The Abbasid warriors didn’t even need to strike once to kill these infantrymen. The deep cuts meant that even if they stopped swinging their swords, these soldiers would die from blood loss within half an hour.

To put it precisely, this was a slaughter with no suspense. Despite the Tang infantrymen standing upright with unyielding courage and thrusting their spears time and again, they still fell one after another, inevitably.

With fewer and fewer comrades around them and more and more fallen soldiers, a sense of despair gradually spread. What more could they do?…