Chapter 428: The Blood Battle of Suizhou
The Anxi army did not charge forward but stopped ten miles away. After chasing for a day and night, both the soldiers and their warhorses were extremely exhausted, making it disadvantageous for them to engage in battle immediately. Taking advantage of this brief rest, the Anxi soldiers dismounted to give their horses water and fodder, while they themselves quickly ate a few bites of dry food to stave off hunger.
At that moment, drumbeats could be faintly heard from An Lushan’s army in the distance. A scout on a high platform shouted, “The enemy is advancing toward us!”
Li Qing’an stared into the distance. It was morning, and beams of sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the loess plateaus in the distance. An Lushan’s army was steadily marching toward them. They could see that the Anxi army was exhausted and decided to take the initiative to attack.
Li Qing’an immediately ordered coldly, “The entire army must prepare for battle at once!”
“Woo—”
A deep horn sound rang out over the Anxi army, followed by the thunderous beats of battle drums. The Anxi soldiers mounted their horses, tightened their reins, nocked arrows, and slowly raised their spears. The Anxi army’s greatest advantage lay in their warhorses—tens of thousands of them in the vast territory of Anxi, including horses from Dayuan and Arabia. These superior warhorses gave them unmatched mobility compared to the Central Plains armies. Coupled with their experience in fighting against various nations and races, their strength surpassed that of any other army in the Tang Dynasty.
The clouds gathered again, blocking out the sunlight. Under the dark clouds, strong winds howled as the Anxi army formed a triangular formation. Their flags fluttered, their armor was black, and their spears formed a sharp forest, filling the gloomy sky with a murderous atmosphere that could intimidate any opponent.
Fanyang’s army stopped three miles away. Spanning ten miles wide, eight thousand archers were arranged in three rows, ready for battle. They hoped the Anxi army would launch the attack first so that their arrows could do maximum damage.
But the Anxi army did not attack. Both sides waited. Shi Siming, the commander of the left wing, was uneasy and whispered to his deputy Xue Hao, “Do you see? The Anxi army has no intention of attacking at all. It seems our commander’s plan to use archers to suppress them has failed.”
Xue Hao sighed slightly. “Both sides are Tang armies—who doesn’t know each other’s tactics? Our commander keeps thinking they’re the Khitans!”
“There’s still a difference,” Shi Siming said, shaking his head. “The Anxi army is entirely made up of cavalry. That’s not the Tang style. Moreover, they seem to have abandoned their most formidable troops with halberds—this is something worth being wary of!”
Time was slowly passing. The two sides stood off against each other, neither taking the initiative to attack, as if testing their perseverance and endurance to see who would give in first. Suddenly, Xue Hao pointed at the enemy camp and shouted, “General Shi, it seems the enemy is moving!” Shi Siming focused his gaze into the distance and saw changes taking place in the Anxi army’s formation. A force of about seven thousand Anxi cavalry left the main formation and moved diagonally toward the left side, about two li away from Fanyang’s army, clearly intending to attack the archers’ flanks. This posed a huge threat to the archers; if An Lushan did not change his formation, they would suffer a fatal blow. Shi Siming quickly turned to look at the Anxi army’s main formation and saw a group of cavalry charging forward, led by a general in golden armor. “It’s Li Qing’an!” Shi Siming suddenly recognized him, and fear seized him—this man was the nightmare of his life. In front of the Anxi army, Li Qing’an was giving his final war call. He rode swiftly, his sword clashing against the soldiers’ spears, as he shouted, “Soldiers of Anxi, follow me, my invincible heroes! Today, in our first battle to advance eastward into the Tang Dynasty, we will prove with our lives and blood that we are the strongest army in the Tang Dynasty. Heroes, follow me and fight bravely!” “Fight bravely!” The Anxi soldiers roared in response, their voices like rolling thunder: “Fight bravely!” “Attack in arcs from both flanks!” At Li Qing’an’s command, the war drums boomed, and red and blue flags fluttered on the command platform—this was the signal for a curved attack. The Anxi army suddenly launched its assault. The two base corners of their triangular formation spread outward, forming two arcs, like the horns of a ram. Forty thousand cavalry formed two black, turbulent waves, each several li wide, charging at An Lushan’s left and right flanks. Spears and swords formed a dense forest, horses galloped, and dust flew in the air, creating a magnificent and awe-inspiring scene that seemed to change the very landscape. At the same time, a deep horn sound came from the right side of the Anxi army. The seven thousand cavalry stationed on An Lushan’s left flank, led by General Nan Jiyun, also launched an attack, charging at the archers’ flanks. An Lushan also saw through the Tang army’s plans and urgently ordered, “The Hubei Army, confront the enemy on the flanks! Archers, concentrate on the right flank and shoot them down!” Ten thousand Fanyang cavalry, led by General An Shouzhong, rushed to meet the Anxi army coming from the flanks. As the two sides drew closer, spear tips gleamed, and the momentum grew intense. Nan Jiyun shouted, “Divide the troops!”
He spurred his horse southward at full speed, with two thousand cavalrymen on Arab warhorses following him. They bypassed the vanguard of the Fanyang army and charged swiftly at the side of the archer troops. The superior quality of the Arab warhorses was fully demonstrated at this moment—they raced like lightning, bypassed the vanguard of the Fanyang cavalry, and with overwhelming force, charged into the side of the archer troops gathering on the right wing. Hundreds of Fanyang archers were thrown to the ground under the fierce impact of the cavalry. In an instant, heads rolled, blood splattered, cries of pain filled the air, and with swords slashing, spears thrusting, and horses charging through the crowd, the archer troops could hardly resist this formidable Anxi cavalry. The archer formation on the left wing was completely shattered. Meanwhile, another five thousand Anxi cavalrymen collided violently with Wan Shouzhong’s ten thousand Hu Ben troops, locking together in fierce combat—spears clashing, swords meeting. At that moment, Anxi’s main force of forty thousand soldiers arrived and charged in overwhelming numbers at An Lushan’s left and right wings. Seeing that the archers on the left wing had lost their ability to shoot due to the assault by the Anxi cavalry, An Lushan immediately ordered, “Retreat the left wing archers! The Longxiang army shall take up the fight!” After all, the Fanyang army was also one of the strongest armies of the Tang Dynasty, well-trained. Although the three thousand archers on the left wing were disrupted by Nan Jiyun’s cavalry and unable to fully utilize their bows, they still quickly retreated following the changes in the military flags. At this point, ten thousand Longxiang spearmen and four thousand cavalry formed a combined infantry-cavalry formation to confront the twenty thousand Anxi cavalry charging from the left wing. Nan Jiyun achieved his goal—he blew the horn, waved his long spear, and led two thousand cavalrymen to support his own Hanhai cavalry on the flank. Nan Jiyun’s forces broke through the defenses, disrupting the arrangement of An Lushan’s left wing archer troops, allowing the Anxi cavalry on the right wing to advance unimpeded. In an instant, the twenty thousand cavalrymen, like a surging tide, launched a storm-like attack from all directions at the spearman formation. The spearman formation was a weapon developed by An Lushan to counter the Khitan cavalry, somewhat similar to the Western Macedonian phalanx. It relied on collective strength, using twenty-foot-long spears against cavalry. The flanks were their weak points, so they were protected by two thousand cavalrymen on each side. Commanding the Anxi cavalry on the right wing was Meng Sili, the general of the First Military Guard of Suiye. He had originally been Li Siyue’s deputy general, participated in the Battle of Talas, and had helped Li Siyue defeat the Macedonian forces of the Great Tang. He had extensive experience in defeating such infantry formations; the key was to first defeat the cavalry guarding the flanks, thereby exposing the weak points of the spearman formation, which could then be easily shattered.
Meng Sili shouted loudly, “Focus the attack on the cavalry on the left! Archers, shoot at the pikemen!”
Ten thousand Anxi cavalry launched a fierce, storm-like assault, wave after wave attacking the cavalry guarding the left flank, while five thousand Anxi archers moved around the periphery, drawing their bows and shooting arrows in dense volleys at the pikemen…
The right-wing cavalry of the Anxi army benefited from the retreat of the Fanyang archers and crossbowmen, but the left-wing cavalry was blocked by the powerful bows and crossbows of the Fanyang army. The twenty thousand cavalry on the left flank of the Anxi army charged forward like thunder, their battle cries shaking the sky. They rushed forward, raising shields in one hand and spears in the other, charging fiercely at the enemy positions under a heavy rain of arrows. At 150 paces, the Fanyang archers and crossbowmen began firing, unleashing a torrent of arrows at the Anxi cavalry. From time to time, Anxi soldiers were knocked down, their horses fell, and they rolled on the ground, but the massive cavalry force still surged forward like a black tide, pressing toward the Fanyang army.
In response, the three thousand Anxi crossbow cavalry at the front also fired arrows at the enemy ranks. They used intricately crafted chain crossbows made by Anxi craftsmen—each crossbow had a wooden box containing twelve arrows. After one arrow was shot, it would automatically load another. The cavalry could draw the string while running, and from a distance of 150 paces, they could fire four arrows.
Volleys of crossbow arrows met the enemy arrows flying like swarms of locusts, knocking down many Fanyang archers and crossbowmen. In the blink of an eye, 150 paces were covered, and the Fanyang archers and crossbowmen dropped their weapons and ran backward. Ten thousand Fanyang cavalry charged forward, followed by five thousand sword and shield soldiers and several thousand crossbowmen who had just picked up spears, coordinating attacks from the flanks.
With a loud crash, the two cavalry forces collided like two mighty waves. The battlefield was filled with a chaotic atmosphere of violence—weapons clashing, armor banging together, creating a resounding noise. The two armies fought fiercely, with cries of battle and screams of pain, heads flying, blood flowing like rivers, and horses exploding in violent collisions as if fighting each other like their masters. The war was so brutal that soldiers’ lives were as worthless as grass at that moment. An Anxi cavalryman screamed as his head was split in two by an axe, blood spraying everywhere, as his horse fled with him.
Two burly soldiers engaged in close combat and fell to the ground together. The Anxi soldier pinned his opponent down, grabbed an arrow from the ground, and stabbed it into the opponent’s forehead. The opponent choked and died on the spot.
But no matter how fiercely the left and right wings fought, An Lushan’s central army remained steadfast. This was characteristic of An Lushan; his 12,000 Youzhou cavalry would not engage in battle easily. If he were to win, his cavalry would join the fight to reap the fruits of victory. But if his army was at a disadvantage, the Youzhou cavalry would never attack—their task was to protect their own safety.
At this moment, An Lushan was deeply worried. He had realized that his army was no match for the Anxi forces. Both sides numbered 60,000 soldiers, but in terms of individual combat or coordinated warfare, they could not compare to the Anxi army. There was especially a significant gap in combat experience. Although the Anxi army did not use fire or thunder weapons, nor did they deploy the Mo Dao troops, their cavalry was exceptionally strong—far beyond what he had ever seen. Their weapons and equipment were not much different from those of the Fanyang army, but their warhorses were incomparable to those of the Fanyang army. The Fanyang army’s horses were from the northern grasslands, small in stature, capable of enduring long distances but lacking in explosive power and impact.
In contrast, the Anxi army’s horses were all fierce, tall, with long, strong legs. Whether charging or running, they appeared powerful and vigorous. Among them were tall, fast horses—likely the strongest horses in the world, the famous Persian warhorses. It was not surprising that the Anxi army, having fought against the Persians for a long time, possessed such horses.
For cavalry, warhorses were their second life. The quality of their horses directly determined the strength of their cavalry. Clearly, the Fanyang cavalry was no match for the Anxi cavalry and remained at a disadvantage under their pressure.
Just then, one of An Lushan’s personal guards shouted, “Commander, look!” He pointed ahead, his face filled with terror. An Lushan followed his gaze and was shocked to see a cavalry unit of about 3,000 men emerging from the Anxi army’s central force. Their tall warhorses seemed small beneath them. These Anxi cavalrymen were exceptionally large and strong. Each was clad in heavy armor, with helmets so tight that only their eyes were visible through two small holes. Each carried a Mo Dao sword. This army was none other than the Anxi army’s elite force—the Mo Dao troops.
At the last moment, they finally appeared. The Moadao army dismounted a li away and began to form ranks. Three thousand Moadao soldiers lined up like a wall, marching step by step toward An Lushan’s main force with an imposing momentum that was unstoppable. Hundreds of Fanyang cavalry were torn to pieces by them. An Lushan’s warhorse stepped back several times; seemingly feeling the overwhelming pressure, he tried his best to stay calm. Swinging his long sword, he shouted, “Li Riyue, lead five thousand elite cavalry to confront them!”
Li Riyue was one of the four most formidable generals of Fanyang—Gao Hui, Li Riyue, An Taiqing, and Sun Xiaozhe. Among them, Sun Xiaozhe was killed by Li Qingan at Tongguan. Li Riyue and Gao Hui were An Lushan’s right and left guards, each commanding five thousand Youzhou elite cavalry.
Upon hearing An Lushan’s order, Li Riyue immediately raised his horn and blew it. Dozens of horn players sounded their instruments together. Waving his large sword, Li Riyue led the five thousand Youzhou cavalry forward to charge at the Moadao army.
The five thousand Youzhou cavalry were semi-armored riders wearing armor on their horses to withstand arrows. Selected from hundreds of thousands of Fanyang soldiers, they were all highly skilled and well-equipped, forming An Lushan’s personal elite cavalry unit. They rarely participated in battles, but today, fearing the Anxi Moadao army, An Lushan finally ordered them to fight.
The five thousand cavalry charged like an iron torrent, instantly arriving before the Moadao army with a fierce fighting spirit. With a loud crash, their powerful momentum knocked hundreds of Moadao soldiers to the ground. Yet the Moadao soldiers behind them stood firm like a mountain. Shouting in unison and swinging their moadao swords, they quickly chopped the hundreds of cavalry into thousands of pieces. The scene was filled with severed limbs and blood, so foul-smelling that it made it hard to breathe.
The Moadao army was the nemesis of cavalry. Despite the bravery of the Youzhou cavalry, they were at a loss against the wall-like formation of Moadao soldiers. Pressed forward by the Moadao army, they were forced to retreat step by step. Wherever the swords passed, people and horses fell, and blood flowed in torrents.
Furious and embarrassed by the losses, Li Riyue roared and charged forward on his horse. With all his strength, he swung his sword horizontally, severing the heads of three Moadao soldiers and spraying blood all over him. Laughing triumphantly, before his laughter could fade, two Moadao soldiers rushed at him from left and right. Their swords flashed, and his warhorse let out a pained cry as its front legs were cut off, causing it to fall to the ground and fling Li Riyue more than ten feet away. Several of his guards picked him up and fled. The Youzhou cavalry no longer dared to fight the Moadao army head-on. They surrounded them from both sides, looking for an opening, but the Moadao army quickly changed their formation, standing back to back to resist the attacks from all sides.
At that moment, a crisis arose on An Lushan’s army’s left wing. The cavalry guards on the left side of the spearman formation were slaughtered by the Anxi army’s cavalry, creating a gap on that side—this was the weak point of the formation. Meng Sili shouted, “Charge at the left side of the spearman formation!” Three thousand Anxi cavalry charged fiercely like a storm, instantly breaking through the spearmen’s ranks. The spearman formation, already heavily damaged and under constant attack from Anxi archers, could no longer hold. Its formation collapsed, showing signs of total disintegration.
At that time, the sound of horns echoed in the distance again, and the drums of the Anxi army roared like thunder. Li Qing’an issued the order for the final attack. He led ten thousand of his finest cavalry, with their battle cries shaking the sky. Their horses rushed forward at lightning speed, their hooves thundering like a storm cloud, sweeping toward An Lushan’s central command.
Gao Shang, seeing the dire situation, immediately said to An Lushan, “Commander, we must retreat quickly; otherwise, your life will be in danger.” An Lushan’s face turned pale. Without saying a word, he climbed onto his carriage and shouted, “Retreat immediately! Head for Yanfu Wharf!” His carriage sped away, surrounded by seven thousand bodyguards, racing toward Yanfu Wharf, over twenty miles away. As their commander fled, the morale of the Fanyang army suffered a severe blow. The spearman formation collapsed first, followed by the right wing, which also gave way under the Anxi cavalry’s assault. The collapse of both wings led to the complete defeat of the Fanyang army.
“Kill them!” The Anxi army’s shouts filled the air, their morale soaring as they pursued and slaughtered the enemy. The defeated soldiers fled desperately, trampling each other in their panic. There was no escape—Yanfu River lay not far to the east, about fifty feet wide. There used to be a wooden bridge, but An Lushan had ordered it destroyed after he crossed it. With nowhere to go, the defeated soldiers jumped into the river to swim. Most of them couldn’t swim, and many drowned. Their corpses clogged the river, piling up like mountains, forming a bridge of corpses. Those behind stepped on their comrades’ bodies to reach the other side. All around could be heard groans, screams, and cries—everything was chaotic and terrifying.
The news of Li Qing’an killing prisoners discouraged these poor soldiers from surrendering, forcing them to flee desperately. The land of Suizhou was filled with scattered Fanyang soldiers, but they couldn’t go far before being chased down and surrounded by Anxi cavalry. Those who resisted were killed on the spot. In the end, most of the trapped Fanyang soldiers had no choice but to kneel and beg for mercy.
Li Qing’an led 10,000 elite cavalrymen in hot pursuit of An Lushan. They spurred their horses at full speed through the howling wind, and in less than half an hour, they reached Yanfu Wharf. The wharf was crowded with people, and everywhere there were warhorses abandoned by their owners. Dozens of large ships were packed with soldiers trying to flee, one of which had already sunk, with massive whirlpools dragging hundreds of soldiers into the bottom of the Yellow River.
The 10,000 Anxi cavalrymen surged forward like a storm. The large ships gradually moved away from the shore and headed to the opposite bank. Those soldiers who didn’t board the ships either knelt down and surrendered or fled along the riverbank. At that moment, Li Qing’an spotted An Lushan’s carriage. A stable boy was about to drive away with it. Li Qing’an pointed his sword and shouted, “Seize him!”
Hundreds of his personal guards rushed forward and surrounded the carriage. The stable boy, terrified, raised his hands and cried, “Pity me! Spare my life!”
Li Qing’an spurred his horse forward and demanded sternly, “Where is An Lushan?”
The stable boy, trembling, pointed at a ship in the river and said, “General An and Military Advisor Gao have both boarded the ship and left first.”
Li Qing’an slowly rode to the riverbank and stared at the large ships in the water. An Lushan’s ship had already turned into a small black dot. Li Qing’an couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, ‘In the end, this scoundrel still managed to escape. It seems fate hasn’t decided to end him yet!’