Chapter 393: The Contradictory Double Standard

In my imagination, camel cavalry combat would have riders on camels over 1.5 meters tall, swift as wind and lightning, looking down to attack infantry on the ground, gaining full advantage.

However, the ideal is plentiful, the reality is meager. Camels have never become the primary choice for mounts, and there is a profound reason for that.

Even in the hot Arabian regions, the people there still choose horses as mounts; this is actually a historical choice.

Generally speaking, if a situation arises where two camel cavalries charge at each other, both sides will dislike their mounts being in the way. If they don't need to ride camels and shoot arrows "flying kites," most riders would still choose to abandon the camels and fight on foot.

Because riding horses and riding camels are completely different concepts.

This animal, the camel, not only runs slowly when charging, but also wobbles side to side when running. Their necks are slender and their muscles are softer compared to horses. Therefore, in close combat with infantry, camel cavalry's slower camels not only lack advantage against infantry, but are actually easier for infantry to kill head-on compared to horses.

Their gentle temperament also prevents them from charging enemy formations like warhorses!

Thus camels are excellent for marching in the desert, but they are not so useful on the battlefield!

Then, in Fang Chongyong's bewildered stare, those Dashi people riding camels, after charging down the hill, immediately picked up oval long shields and chose to form ranks to fight the Tang army.

It is obvious that the camels were merely used by the Dashi people as a marching tool to save the stamina needed to cross sand dunes.

Fang Chongyong slightly frowned; the situation was somewhat unfavorable for the Tang army. His earlier decision to place the Mo Dao unit on the front line was also somewhat inappropriate.

Mainly because he did not expect the Dashi people to dismount from their camels and fight on foot.

At such close range, bows and crossbows are meaningless; at most one shot can be fired before the enemy's spears smear your face.

In almost an instant, Fang Chongyong judged that the Tang army's conventional tactics could not exert much strength at this distance. The Tang army's conventional tactics require long-range bows and crossbows, several rounds of shooting from horn bows and crossbows. There are also skirmisher troops to break formations, pulling back and forth to adjust formations. The Mo Dao unit is to prevent enemy cavalry from charging the formation.

This time the Dashi people's appearance is quite subtle; the Tang army's early warning time is far less than expected. If no clever move is made, this engagement against the enemy will likely suffer a loss!

After figuring these out, Fang Chongyong decisively ordered the nearby Feng Changqing:

"Beat the drums, charge! Sound the horn for total attack!"

"Jiedushi, shouldn't we first meet the enemy, have the skirmisher troops break the formation, then send elite troops to flank both wings?"

"Now the two sides have not yet engaged, the enemy morale has not waned; really go for an all-out attack?"

Feng Changqing asked, somewhat puzzled.

Launching a total attack basically means that any hindrances on the soldiers' persons, such as bows and arrows, must be discarded on the battlefield, freeing hands and feet to face the enemy in close combat with cold weapons.

Anyway, charging forward means life or death; we do not intend to withdraw calmly.

That's why Feng Changqing felt, charging now—is it a bit too early?

"There are no constant conditions in war—charge! If you don't go deliver the order, this Jiedushi will resort to military law!"

Fang Chongyong cursed at Feng Changqing.

"Received the order!"

Feng Changqing hurriedly rode his camel to find Che Guangqian.

Seeing the enemy army abandon camel mounts and charge the Tang army's Mo Dao formation, Fang Chongyong decisively adjusted his deployment, choosing to fight fast with fast.

He didn't bother with troop combinations; just go all out. In his view, breaking the Dashi people's calculations gives a greater chance of victory.

Although the Tang army is brave, after marching nonstop their stamina surely cannot match that of the well-rested Dashi people. Only by going all in, going all‑out without reserve, can we win this uphill battle at the smallest cost.

Fang Chongyong recalled what Fang Youde had taught him: on the battlefield, many times you don't actually need many troops. When you have a five‑hundred‑strong elite force capable of campaigning and fighting well, committing it at the right moment to a crucial spot can turn the tide in one move.

Using troops, using troops—the character "use" encompasses myriad possibilities, wonderfully ineffable.

Warfare certainly has its routines, but certain famous generals are formidable precisely because they often do not play by the book, instead employing troops adaptively to the situation.

He Changqi led the vanguard; behind him was a unit of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army whose soldiers wore red scarves on their necks as insignia. Like entering an uninhabited land, they instantly tore a gap somewhere in the Dashi army's formation.

Soldiers bearing this insignia are the elite shock troops tasked specifically with breaking formations within the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army; one or two of them are tall and mighty, with boundless strength.

Many of them wield wolf‑tooth clubs or similar blunt weapons, sweeping away large areas, and they are completely unafraid of enemy armor.

Their treatment is also much better than that of ordinary soldiers in the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army.

In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the Dashi army began to retreat steadily, being split into two large groups by He Changqi's forces, each fighting independently and losing command.

The Dashi people's performance left Fang Chongyong, stationed at the rear of the battle line, somewhat surprised and unable to grasp the current situation.

This Dashi army deliberately rode camels over the mountains to deliver vegetables; compared to the Tang army, their numbers do not hold much advantage. Why are they so stubborn?

In fact, the Dashi people probably also did not expect the Tang army to employ such a desperate fighting style right at the start of engagement. According to their plan, they still had a reserve. But it seems the Tang army does not intend to cooperate with them.

Woooooooooo!

Suddenly, a strange instrument's sound, accompanied by a rich exotic melody, rang out on the battlefield. This sound reminded Fang Chongyong of the music from India.

The Dashi army's commander has taken action!

"Jiedushi, look quickly, up on the sand dunes!"

Feng Changqing's eyes were sharp; he suppressed his inner shock and shouted at Fang Chongyong:

He raised his head and looked out; the sand dunes were filled with Dashi camel cavalry, their numbers not lacking compared to the earlier engaged troops, and they were already charging down toward the hill's base.

It won't be long before they rush into the battlefield.

So they wanted to play a war of wheels!

Fang Chongyong suddenly realized, finally understanding what scheme the opposing commander was plotting.

The most terrifying thing in the world is the "unknown." Any flood or ferocious beast, once understood and known, can be countered with a plan.

Seeing the Dashi camel cavalry reappear on the sand dunes, Fang Chongyong felt a great weight lift from his heart.

He guessed that, according to the Dashi people's set plan, the first batch of Dashi troops should have fought the Tang army to a "narrow defeat," then, taking advantage of the Tang army's brief victory and relaxed mindset, the second batch would charge down and in one move secure victory.

But because Fang Chongyong did not play by the book, the first batch of Dashi troops was stunned and failed to even wear down the Tang army's morale and stamina, so the second batch had to act prematurely.

Otherwise it would have become an "adding oil" tactic.

Indeed, nobody is a fool!

"Move my commander's flag forward! I and my personal guards will charge at the very front!"

Fang Chongyong, with a solemn expression, ordered Feng Changqing:

Upon hearing these words, this order, Feng Changqing thought he was having auditory hallucinations. He incredulously asked: "Jiedushi, if the central army charges to the very front, then…"

He also didn't know what to say. "Jiedushi, we don't wage war by throwing away our lives like this!"

If the commander's banner falls, this battle is lost!

"Feng Changqing, you've defied orders twice — do you still want to be the Administrative Adjutant or not!"

Fang Chongyong drew the Gale Phantom Blade and pointed it at Feng Changqing as he cursed loudly.

"Jiedushi, give your helmet to me, and I'll carry the commander's banner and charge!"

Seeing the Arabs atop the dune already riding their camels charging down, Feng Changqing shouted in anxious urgency.

"Bullshit! How do you expect me to remain Jiedushi after this!"

Fang Chongyong viciously kicked Feng Changqing, then snatched the commander's banner from the standard-bearer's hands and clamped it under one arm!

"Where is the bodyguard unit! Follow me and charge!

Win and bring glory to your ancestors; lose and your corpse will be wrapped in a horsehide!

Today it's either victory or death!"

Fang Chongyong pointed the Gale Phantom Blade toward the Arab army and roared aloud.

"Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!"

The bodyguards behind him, their blood boiling, tossed aside their cumbersome cloaks to the ground and charged ahead of the commander's banner to clear the way, like an arrow loosed from its bowstring, flying straight toward the Arab ranks!

With Fang Chongyong personally leading the charge, Tang army morale surged, and the commander's banner seemed to guide the direction of the Tang assault.

The central army had barely made contact with the Arabs, yet a single charge completely shattered one of the first wave's Arab formations!

Those men, cowed by the Tang army's ferocity, dropped their weapons and turned to flee.

The other formation, seeing Tang soldiers everywhere on their flank, lost all will to fight, like a dying man letting out his final breath!

The advancing central army, guided by the commander's banner, seized the momentum and scattered them as well!

The first Arab force actually collapsed completely at the very juncture when the second wave was about to arrive but had not yet arrived!

Their rout at this critical moment spelled disaster for the Arab reinforcements!

Had this force collapsed earlier, the second Arab wave behind the dune would have cut their losses in time and returned to Mulu City.

Had they held out a little longer, the reinforcements behind them would have entered the fray, and the collapse would have been postponed — and then it might well have been the Tang army that broke.

One could only say the timing of their collapse was exceedingly bad.

Many among these routed troops, as they fled, collided head-on with the camel soldiers charging down the dune, disrupting the reinforcements' formation as well. Instantly, the area below the dune descended into chaos!

The Tang army seized this opportunity and charged forth. Those fresh troops who had just entered the battle couldn't mount any resistance at all, and were dragged into the same deep pit by their teammates ahead, unable to climb out!

The remaining Arab cavalry who had charged more slowly and had not yet engaged the Tang army, seeing the situation turn dire, hastily turned their camels around and fled in panic.

In the process of reversing from rear to front, many fell off their camels and became mired in the dune.

Che Guangqian, positioned behind the Tang battle formation and in charge of organizing the military band to beat drums and play music, hastily ordered his men to discard the drums and instruments, organized a several-hundred-strong unit, every man armed with a horn-bow crossbow, mounted camels, and raced over to begin raining arrows on the Arab soldiers who had slipped through atop the dune.

They climbed the slope while loosing arrows; many Arabs did not die in the battle formation, but were instead picked off by Tang arrows when they were isolated on the dune.

They died in extreme frustration.

Fang Chongyong moving the commander's banner forward and leading the charge happened to completely disrupt the Arabs' reinforcement rhythm. This battle lost all suspense and became a one-sided pursuit.

In the end, only a small number of Arab soldiers who were mounted on camels and had charged more slowly managed to flee back to Mulu City.

Thanks to his battlefield improvisation, Fang Chongyong finally obtained, as he had wished, the "golden key" to entering the Mulu region.

……

Good fortune leans upon misfortune; misfortune lurks within good fortune. Many times, accepting a challenge is not a bad thing — as long as one can win the challenge, matters will develop in a favorable direction.

Even better than before.

The Arabs' appearance had caught Fang Chongyong off guard. But their appearance not only proved that Mulu City was nearby, but also resulted in many prisoners of war captured by the Tang army, who served as guides leading the way for the main force.

As it turned out, the Tang army's maps were quite accurate — this stretch of dunes was less than ten li from Mulu City. When Fang Chongyong led the Tang army over the dunes, they saw a river valley completely different from the desert.

Vast tracts of cultivated farmland spread along both banks of the river.

One irrigation canal after another drew water from the river to even more distant reaches, even flowing into a sizable city.

Namely, Mulu City.

But at this moment, not a single person was outside the city. The Arab soldiers who had fled back had presumably described the Tang army's fierce prowess, making the remaining Arabs afraid to venture out.

Outside the city stood a Buddhist temple, an Islamic mosque, and a Roman-style Christian church.

They stood very close to one another, all to the southwest of Mulu City.

"Jiedushi, shall we attack the city?"

Facing the city of Mulu, whose scale far exceeded expectations, Che Guangqian asked cautiously.

"If you have something to say, just say it directly."

Fang Chongyong retorted irritably.

"Jiedushi, regarding this city, I believe that while the inner walls are high, the inner city itself is extremely small. This is also why the Arabs were willing to cross the mountains to face us in battle — they did not want the war to destroy the pots and pans here.

The climate in this area is harsh. If Mulu City, which produces abundant grain and is prosperous, were destroyed, even winning would be meaningless to them."

"And then?"

Fang Chongyong asked with keen interest. He had to admit, Che Guangqian's judgment was very reasonable. The situation here was actually somewhat like the Western Regions — a "city" with a citadel inside. The city was enormous, while the citadel's scale was tiny.

It truly could not withstand the ravages of war.

"We can send men into the city to spread the word: as long as the people of the outer city are willing to surrender, they will be permitted to carry a small amount of belongings and relocate with us to live in the prefectures under the Beiting Protectorate's jurisdiction.

If they refuse, then it will simply be a matter of cold steel going in and red steel coming out — after all, the opportunity will have been given.

Without the outer city's supplies and support, the Arab soldiers in the inner city won't hold out either. We cut off the river flowing into the city, and they'll die of thirst.

We shout from outside the city walls: if the citadel gates are not opened, after we breach them, not even chickens and dogs will be spared. If the gates are opened, all these people will be enslaved and distributed among the officers and men.

Then as for Mulu City — we take whatever we can carry, and burn the rest.

Jiedushi, we cannot hold this place. Even if the Arabs are gravely weakened, they will recover in five or ten years. If we cannot have it, we destroy it — that will secure the frontier for twenty years of peace!"

Che Guangqian clasped his fists and entreated.

His meaning is simple: either kill, or relocate, or enslave as slaves; in short, no one in Wood Deer City can be left.

This city's scale far exceeds imagination; there are certainly many people. Moreover, the surrounding land is too fertile, making it a huge threat to the Great Tang.

"This Jiedushi just issued an emancipation order, and now we've captured tens of thousands of people to bring back to the Great Tang—wouldn't that be a bit much?"

Fang Chongyong asked somewhat embarrassedly. After all, he still cares about face.

Upon hearing that, Che Guangqian asked in bewilderment: 'Jiedushi, the Great Tang still doesn't prohibit slavery. The Tang Code explicitly states that slaves are equivalent to livestock. We captured tens of thousands of cattle, sheep, clothing, and brocade and brought them home—what's wrong with that?'

In his view, whether they are slaves or not is a minor issue. The key is to completely destroy Wood Deer City's stronghold; as long as there are no people left, this place won't recover its vitality for decades, and their goal in this battle will be achieved.

"Hmm, first send someone to deliver the message."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said, noncommittal.

(End of chapter)