Chapter 244: The Battle of Xicao

Deep horn blasts resounded across the plains. The vast army of the Abbasids surged eastward like black waves, their spears dense as forests, radiating a murderous aura. Their heavy footsteps were steady and powerful. Cavalry on both flanks protected the infantry, with spear-throwers and Sogdian archers at the forefront, charging at the Tang army ten miles away with an unstoppable momentum.

Ten miles away, 20,000 Tang soldiers were also fully assembled, arranged in a flat open area using the same crescent formation employed in the Battle of the Bai Shui River. Just as before with 3,000 soldiers, it had been expanded nearly tenfold, forming a huge semi-circular formation spanning two miles. Infantry and crossbowmen were concentrated in the center, with curved cavalry formations on both sides. Though the shape resembled the previous one, its internal structure was entirely different. The 5,000 crossbowmen were equipped with foot-operated crossbows that required significant effort to draw but had a range of 240 steps, with an effective killing distance of 150 steps. Among them were also bed crossbows, meticulously tuned by skilled craftsmen from the capital. These bed crossbows used torsion strings to fire, with 9-inch iron arrows housed in steel cases, allowing ten shots per discharge, and their effective killing range exceeded 500 steps. A total of 400 such bed crossbows were pulled by horses, while the cavalry used horn crossbows with an effective killing distance of 60 steps. This created a three-tiered attack system for long, medium, and short ranges. However, in front of the crossbowmen stood rows of massive wooden structures covered in cowhide, angled at 45 degrees. The cowhide was coated with slippery grease, designed specifically to defend against the attacks of the Abbasids’ trebuchets.

General Li Guangbi watched calmly as the Abbasid army approached step by step from afar. Filled with anticipation, he commanded 20,000 soldiers to fight together for the first time in his life. For this, he was deeply grateful to Li Qingan—such trust made him willing to serve him with his life.

“General! The Abbasids don’t have trebuchets!” came a soldier’s cry from the vantage point.

Li Guangbi immediately waved his hand and ordered, “Remove the cowhide shelters!”

The soldiers quickly moved away dozens of cowhide tents. At that moment, the Arab army slowly stopped two li away, began to form their battle lines, and did not advance further. Their caution was within Li Guangbi’s expectations. In fact, they had already been testing each other’s strength since a few days ago. Li Guangbi chose not to lay siege to the city, while the Arab army refrained from attacking—both sides shared the same goal of striking first to gain a better understanding of the opponent. This time, the Arab army did engage in battle, but their attack carried an element of hesitant probing, lacking the fierce determination to fight to the death. This subtle hesitation made Li Guangbi realize that their attack was likely forced. If that were the case, he had a 70% chance of winning. However, the enemy was only two li away, which was too close for a battlefield.

The Arab army did not commit all its forces to the attack, as this was not a minor skirmish but a medium-scale battle—a preliminary clash before a larger war. This meant both sides would be cautious in their tactics. Qiyad stared intently at the crossbows in the Tang army. It was the first time he had seen such weapons, and his eyes were filled with interest. He had guessed that they must be powerful long-range weapons of the Tang army.

Qiyad glanced back at his troops, who were already ready, and ordered decisively, “Regiments 1 to 3 of the First Legion, and Regiments 5 and 6 of the Second Legion, prepare to attack!”

The First Legion was also a Sogdian legion, composed mainly of Sogdian infantry, with two Khurasan cavalry regiments providing flanking support. It was the first probing attack. The loud drumbeats suddenly rang out, excited warhorses snorted heavily, spears were raised, and curved swords were drawn. The Arab army launched its attack—2,000 cavalry protecting 3,000 Sogdian infantry, like a torrent bursting through a breached dam, charging at the Tang army.

The Tang army remained as steady as a mountain, motionless. Only the archers slowly raised their crossbows, aiming them at a 30-degree angle into the air. There were five rows of archers, with two steps between each row. They would fire when the enemy was 150 steps away, launching five rounds of attacks. The soldiers operating the bed crossbows also raised their hammers, ready to fire at once. As the enemy drew closer, their raised shields formed a black wall. The cavalry did not move quickly, following the infantry as they protected the flanks of the shield wall.

Li Guangbi’s brows furrowed even more. Why had the enemy sent only five thousand men? Did they intend to have the Tang army attack them in separate waves? Impossible—they surely knew about the deadly power of the Tang army’s bows and arrows, and wouldn’t send those five thousand men to their deaths. Li Guangbi sensed that the enemy’s tactics couldn’t be that simple. By then, the enemy forces had entered range of the crossbows. The Tang army’s war drums began to beat slowly, signaling to their commanders that it was time to fire the crossbows. Li Guangbi stared intently at the main force of the enemy troops two li away. Gritting his teeth, he ordered, “Do not fire the crossbows!”

The operators of the crossbows slowly lowered their hammers. The four hundred powerful crossbows remained silent as the enemy forces continued advancing, now only three hundred paces away. At that moment, the Arab general leading the first wave of attack shouted, “Charge!”

The five thousand soldiers suddenly accelerated, rushing toward the Tang army’s formation. Li Guangbi ordered sharply, “Archerers, prepare to fire!”

The five thousand archers quickly raised their bows, aiming their cold arrows at the advancing enemy forces. They constantly adjusted their shooting range using sightlines.

“Two hundred paces… one hundred fifty paces…”

“Fire!” Li Guangbi gave the order. The first wave of a thousand arrows soared into the air, disappearing in an instant as they rushed into the enemy ranks with a howling wind. The enemy forces slowed down, raising their shields to defend themselves. A cacophony of clashing shields mixed with screams of those hit by arrows filled the air. The arrow rain was so dense that dozens of enemy soldiers were killed. The newly acquired metal shields of the Arabs managed to block the Tang army’s first wave of arrows. But then came the second and third waves—an overwhelming deluge of arrows that made it hard to breathe. By firing in five waves, the Tang army maintained a relentless barrage of attacks. It was extremely difficult for the enemy forces to advance; every step came at the cost of nearly a hundred soldiers being killed by arrows. They couldn’t retaliate either—not only because the Tang army’s arrows were too dense to allow them to draw their own bows, but also because their own bows were far less powerful, with a much shorter range. In just thirty paces, the Tang army fired fifteen waves of arrows at the enemy forces, delivering a saturation strike with fifteen thousand arrows. In return, the enemy forces suffered nearly nine hundred casualties from arrows.

Under such extreme tests of will and courage, the Sogdians began to falter, and chaos ensued. Just then, two thousand Khorasan cavalry abandoned their infantry, circled around from behind, and charged at the Tang army’s position at full speed.

At that moment, as if suddenly struck by turmoil, the main force of the Abbasid army launched its attack. Trumpets resounded across the sky, and the sound of horse hooves echoed like thunder across the plains. Twenty thousand soldiers charged forward. Qiyad waved his battle axe, pointing ahead and shouting at the top of his voice, “Charge!”

The Tang army’s crossbows also fired at the instant the two thousand Khurasanian cavalry charged. With hammers swinging down, four hundred crossbows fired simultaneously, unleashing four thousand nine-inch iron arrows from their steel quivers. With a force capable of splitting metal and stone, these arrows flew fiercely toward the two thousand cavalrymen.

Although the Khurasanian cavalry were better equipped than the Sogdians—wearing sturdy leather armor that ordinary swords could hardly penetrate, armed with long spears and sturdy shields, and even their warhorses clad in armor—they were only a hundred paces away from the Tang army’s positions. A hundred paces, which took only ten seconds for the fast-moving Abbasid warhorses to cover, became the source of a nightmare for the Abbasid army.

The two thousand cavalrymen seemed so weak and fragile in the face of four thousand iron arrows. One arrow pierced a shield and directly penetrated a Abbasid soldier’s chest, emerging from the back with blood and flesh, then piercing another soldier’s abdomen. The two thousand cavalrymen fell from their horses, which neighed in pain and died, crushing the soldiers beneath them who writhed in agony, clutching the bloody wounds as they struggled on the brink of death.

The powerful iron arrows not only pierced the cavalry but also dealt a final blow to the chaotic Sogdian soldiers behind them. In an instant, over eight hundred people collapsed screaming.

“God!”

From afar, Qiyad witnessed the power of the crossbows and was so astonished that he cried out in shock. When Houmed had described the might of the Tang army’s bows to him before, he had thought Houmed was just shirking responsibility. But now, he had seen this terrifying scene with his own eyes. More than half of the two thousand finest Khurasanian cavalry were killed or wounded by the fierce arrow barrage. Not a single one could cross those hundred paces, and the remaining few also perished in the overwhelming rain of arrows from the Tang army.

Years later, the terrifying power of the Tang army’s crossbows still woke Qiyad from nightmares. After the war, he spared no effort to promote the use of these crossbows among the Abbasid army. Gradually, the powerful crossbows of the Arabs were developed, becoming a nightmare for the Western Christian world. To such an extent that Western nobles would sign agreements before battle prohibiting the use of Arab crossbows.

Although the bed crossbows of the Tang army were extremely powerful, they had a significant flaw: they took a long time to load. Despite the invention of a pulley system for winding the strings, which was used in the First Battle of Suiye, it still couldn’t keep up with the rapid advance of the Abbasid cavalry. The fierce Abbasid cavalry had already reached a distance of 200 steps, and the Tang archers fired a torrent of arrows at them. Many cavalrymen fell from their horses as they charged, but this still couldn’t stop the relentless assault of nearly 15,000 Abbasid cavalrymen. Wielding swords and raising shields, they rode at full speed, with their battle cries echoing across the landscape. At 60 steps away, the archers unleashed a barrage of arrows—such a dense storm of arrows that it covered the sky—hitting the enemy cavalry. The Abbasid forces suffered heavy losses, but the Khorasan troops, being the elite of the Abbasid dynasty, were unafraid of arrows and fought bravely. The Tang archers usually set a withdrawal line at 20 steps, but the enemy cavalry was too fast; at 40 steps, they received orders to retreat. As the last round of arrows was fired, the archers quickly withdrew, and the bed crossbows were dragged away by their horses. At this point, the Tang army’s most formidable force—2,000 soldiers armed with long swords—entered the battle. These heavily armored soldiers formed two rows, swinging their 20-foot-long swords, whose sharp edges gleamed in the light. There had been debate among the Tang high command regarding whether these soldiers should participate in this battle, as it wasn’t a decisive fight but merely a test to gauge each side’s strength—there was no need to reveal one’s full capabilities too early. However, the commander Li Qing’an overruled all objections and insisted on their participation, assigning Tian Zhen to lead them. As soon as these soldiers entered the battlefield, they faced a massive charge from the Abbasid cavalry. First came a deluge of short spears, which, though sharp, couldn’t penetrate the heavy armor of the Tang soldiers. They formed a tight wall, using collective strength to withstand the first wave of attack. With a loud crash, like waves crashing against each other, shockwaves spread, knocking over dozens of soldiers, but those in the back immediately filled in the gaps. Tian Zhen roared and swung his bright sword diagonally, splitting a cavalry captain in half—blood sprayed everywhere, internal organs spilled out, and the stench of blood filled the air. The Tang soldiers swung their long swords fiercely, cutting down soldiers and horses alike, turning the ground into a river of blood. The Abbasid forces then threw countless short spears at them, like a downpour, but these sharp weapons still had no effect.

The deployment of the Moadao troops took Qiyad by surprise; he hadn’t expected the Tang army to have heavy-armed infantry as well—tall and formidable, with their gleaming great swords that seemed to be the natural enemies of cavalry. Seeing his Khorasan cavalry suffer heavy losses, he immediately ordered, “The cavalry of the First Legion to attack from the front, and the cavalry of the Second Legion to attack from the flanks!”

Urgent horn blasts conveyed the commander’s orders. The Tang army’s Moadao troops were now dealt with by Sogdian cavalry, while the Khorasan cavalry faced off against the Tang army’s eight thousand cavalry. Another two thousand cavalry protected the Moadao troops’ rear and flanks.

The Tang army totaled twenty thousand men, including ten thousand cavalry, five thousand archers, three thousand scouts and skirmishers, and two thousand Moadao troops. After retreating, the archers formed a guard unit, using their bows to protect the army’s supplies and command center, and continuing to shoot arrows to support the cavalry and Moadao troops whenever possible. The scouts and skirmishers were deployed on the flanks and periphery to prevent enemy ambushes or attacks.

At this point, the two armies engaged in fierce combat along a two-li-long front line—swords clashing, spears fighting, horses colliding, with cries of pain echoing everywhere. The Arab general Humeid led a thousand cavalry to bypass the Tang army’s defenses from the side in an attempt to strike at their command center, but they were intercepted by the Tang army’s skirmishers, who guarded the periphery. Humeid’s ambush failed as the archers’ dense rain of arrows drove them back.

Li Guangbi was among the guard troops, carefully observing the tactics of the Arab army. The Arab army was completely different from the steppe barbarians—they were disciplined, well-trained, and brave in battle. Their greatest advantage was the speed of their horses, but their equipment was inferior to that of the Tang army. Armor, bows, and swords ensured the Tang army’s superiority.

However, the Sogdians among the Arab army were clearly inferior. Their seven thousand cavalry were pushed back step by step by the two thousand Moadao troops and began to collapse. This weakness of the Sogdians would become the cause of the Arab army’s defeat.

Qiyad also realized this. He had achieved his goal—testing the Tang army’s combat strength and tactics. He had witnessed firsthand that this army had high morale, excellent equipment, and was just as well-trained as theirs.

Seeing half of the Sogdians slaughtered like vegetables and realizing defeat was inevitable, he knew there was no need to press on. Qiyad immediately ordered, “Retreat!”

“Ugh—” The signal for retreat sounded, and the Abbasid army withdrew like a tide. Seven thousand infantry who had come to reinforce them followed at the rear, with cavalry flanking both sides, as they slowly retreated toward the capital of Dongcao. The Tang army pursued for a while, shooting arrows at the retreating Abbasids, but since the infantry carried large shields, the arrows had little effect. At that moment, gongs sounded within the Tang camp, and they too withdrew.

As the Abbasid army gradually moved farther away, the 300 female guards in the Tang army became busy, quickly applying simple bandages to the wounded Tang soldiers and having them carried into the camp on stretchers to provide emergency care for those seriously injured.

Although this battle was merely a probing fight, the Abbasid army suffered heavy losses—nearly 10,000 dead or wounded, most from arrows. The Tang army captured 3,000 wounded Abbasids, while the Tang army itself lost nearly 1,000 soldiers.

Two hours later, Li Qing’an’s 10,000 reinforcements arrived at the camp, bringing the total Tang forces to nearly 30,000.

“Your humble servant, Li Guangbi, pays his respects to the great general!” Li Guangbi went to meet Li Qing’an’s horse and knelt down in salute.

Li Qing’an dismounted and helped him up, smiling. “This time, Guangbi defeated Qiyazid and avenged Gao Xianzhi’s injury. I will surely report this to the imperial court and reward you generously.”

Touched, Li Guangbi quickly replied, “Your humble servant dares not claim credit for the general’s strategic plans. The victory in this battle was due to the general’s skillful deployment of troops and the soldiers’ willingness to risk their lives. My contribution is insignificant and not worth mentioning.”

Li Qing’an smiled and said, “Rewarding based on merit has always been the tradition of the Anxi Army. If not, there would be no Li Qing’an today. I know how to measure things properly.”

He glanced at the sky; it was already dusk. Then he said, “I’ve brought heavy siege equipment this time. Let’s rest for one night and prepare for the siege. We’ll begin attacking tomorrow.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than several scouts rushed in from the direction of the capital of Dongcao. Seeing them coming at full speed, Li Qing’an was surprised. What could have happened? The scouts rushed up to him, dismounted, and reported, “Your great general, there is massive fire in the capital of Dongcao. It seems there’s internal strife.”

Li Qing’an immediately turned and ran up to the watchtower. Peering through the curtain in the eastward direction, his sharp eyes could faintly see black smoke rising from the city.

“Pass my order: 10,000 cavalry must head to Dongcao City at once!”

The 10,000 cavalry led by Li Qing’an rushed unceasingly toward Dongcao City. Indeed, internal strife had broken out in Dongcao City—Qiyazad had retreated to the city with his defeated troops, but the 2,000 Dongcao soldiers who had gone on campaign with him were completely annihilated. The soldiers’ families were in extreme grief and started causing trouble, which led to severe resentment among the Dongcao people toward the Arabs for destroying their religion. The unrest escalated into an uprising; the Dongcao people took up arms and went into the streets, storming the city gates, burning the Arabs’ shops, and killing the patrols on the streets.

Seeing the situation worsen and with Tang reinforcements arriving, Qiyazad immediately decided to evacuate Dongcao and return to Samarkand.

By the time Li Qing’an’s army reached Dongcao City, Qiyazad had already left half an hour earlier. The city gates were wide open, and tens of thousands of Dongcao people came out to welcome them. They offered bread and water to the Tang troops, chanting the name of the supreme god Ahura Mazda, and welcomed them into the city with great enthusiasm.

Li Qing’an rode into the capital of the Second Sogdian Kingdom. At that moment, Setahu, the deputy king of Dongcao, stepped forward and knelt down, saying, “Your servant, Setahu, the deputy king of Dongcao, welcomes the heavenly troops of the Great Tang Dynasty into the city. I swear to serve Emperor Taikang of the Great Tang with my life.”

“Where is your king, Sutina? Why doesn’t he come to welcome me?” Li Qing’an asked coldly.

“Reporting to the great general, Sutina, aware of his grave sins, fled with the Arabs, taking his wife and children with him. There is no one left in the palace.”

Li Qing’an snorted heavily. “Fled? That’s convenient for him.”

He pointed his whip at Setahu and ordered, “From now on, you are the king of Dongcao. Stabilize the situation in the city immediately.”