Chapter 218: The Enemy Army Is Ferocious

In the royal tent of Mojietuo State, the atmosphere was unusually solemn, making this scorching summer day even more oppressively hot.

The flame on the candlestand swayed violently with the crosswind, casting Han Emperor Wu Liuche's face in alternating light and dark.

At this moment, a messenger hurried in, wearing a dust-covered official robe, knelt on one knee, and reported with a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, Rome's stance is unyielding; they not only refuse to release Lord Dong, but also sneer at our Han's negotiations, declaring they will never ally with Han!"

Liuche clenched the jade pendant at his waist, his knuckles whitening, and his body beneath the dragon robe trembled slightly.

"Too much bullying!" he roared angrily, his voice shaking the tent's curtains, saying: "Han has always treated others with sincerity, yet Rome is so arrogant and rude; this cannot be tolerated!"

The generals inside the tent, upon hearing this, all knelt and requested to go to battle.

Li Guang drew his sword, the blade flashing cold in the candlelight, and proclaimed loudly: "Your Majesty! Both Rome and Parthia have bullied Han too much; this subordinate wishes to lead the iron cavalry to crush Parthia, then march on Rome, rescue Lord Dong, and exalt Han's prestige!"

Huo Qubing's eyes blazed like torches; he knelt on one knee and spoke powerfully: "This subordinate wishes to be the vanguard, and will surely not disgrace the mission!"

Liuche paced back and forth in the tent, pondering for a long time.

Suddenly, he stopped walking, a flash of resolve crossing his eyes:

"Issue the order at once to march on Parthia! At the same time, send people to secretly seize the Roman caravan. Since Rome refuses to cooperate, let them pay the price for their actions!"

With Liuche's command, the Han army swiftly sprang into action.

Under the cover of night, tens of thousands of Han soldiers surged like a black torrent toward the Parthian border.

At the same time, an elite cavalry squad, under the cover of darkness, silently lay in wait on the route the Roman caravan must take.

When the Roman caravan entered the ambush zone, Han cavalry burst forth like tigers from all directions, their battle cries shaking the night sky.

The Roman caravan was caught off guard, instantly falling into chaos.

Although the caravan guards fought desperately, they proved no match against the well-trained Han forces.

Meanwhile, the Han main force smoothly reached the Parthian border.

The Parthian garrison, upon detecting the Han advance, hurriedly sounded the alarm.

A great battle that would decide the fate of three nations was about to begin.

Inside the Roman Senate chamber, the atmosphere was solemn and oppressive, with the marble walls reflecting the somber faces of the senators.

A messenger, covered in blood and wearing tattered clothes, stumbled in and fell to his knees with a thud:

"Honored senators, our caravan was ambushed and slaughtered by Han cavalry at the Asian frontier; the goods were looted, the losses are grave!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall erupted in an uproar.

The senators whispered angrily to one another, the murmurs rising and falling.

The leading consul slammed the table, making the parchment scrolls on it rustle: "Han is simply bullying us! Earlier they tried to lure us into an alliance, but after being rejected they committed this banditry; we must give them a harsh lesson!"

At the same time, upon learning that the Han army was massing at its borders, the Parthian Empire also dispatched an envoy.

The Parthian envoy, clad in a splendid robe and wearing a jeweled crown, strode into the chamber under everyone's gaze and said: "Senators of Rome, Han now poses a threat to both our nations. If we continue to fight separately, Han will destroy us each in turn; only by joining forces can we resist Han's invasion."

After deliberation, the Roman Senate decided to form an alliance with the Parthian Empire.

Soon, Roman general Lucius led a well-equipped Roman legion, marching mightily toward the Parthian border.

In Parthia's military stronghold, Lucius met with Parthian general Arsaces.

Arsaces pointed to the military map and explained to Lucius: "Han excels at cavalry warfare, highly mobile. We can use Parthia's complex terrain to set up layered defenses, draining Han's manpower. Meanwhile, the Roman legion can flank from the sides, creating a pincer against Han."

Lucius nodded in agreement: "This plan is excellent. My Roman legion excels at frontal combat; it can draw Han's main force, creating an opportunity for Parthian troops to encircle from the flanks."

After finalizing the battle plan, they began to deploy troops in earnest.

Meanwhile, the Han forces far at the border, still unaware that Rome and Parthia had formed an alliance, were about to face an even fiercer battle looming unseen. Dong Zhongshu, far away in ancient Egypt, if he knew the situation had changed, what action would he take? If you have any new ideas about the war's later details or Dong Zhongshu's response, feel free to share them.

The blazing sun hung high, dust flying across the vast plain, as the Han army faced off against the Roman-Parthian allied forces.

Han soldiers wore heavy armor, held long spears, and their eyes revealed resolve.

Opposite them, the Roman legion formed a tight phalanx, shields locked together like a moving iron wall; the Parthian cavalry waited on the flanks, clad in light leather armor, their bows and spears glinting coldly in the sunlight.

At the command, the Roman legion launched the first attack.

They marched in orderly steps, shouting in unison, advancing toward the Han position. Seeing this, the Han immediately fired volley after volley of arrows, raining down on the allies like rain.

However, the Roman legion's shield wall was impenetrable; most of the arrows were blocked.

Upon closing to melee range, Roman soldiers swiftly hurled javelins; the sharp javelins, whistling through the air, pierced the Han defenses, and many Han soldiers fell.

At the same time, Parthian cavalry surged forward like a tide from the flanks, galloping while drawing and shooting arrows at the Han.

Han cavalry attempted to meet them, but against the Parthian cavalry's flexible tactics, they gradually fell into a defensive stance.

Seeing this, the Han commanders immediately adjusted tactics, ordering soldiers to form circular formations to resist the allied advance.

Yet the allies' assault grew ever fiercer. The Roman legion, relying on its strong combat power, continually struck the Han line; each charge shook the Han formation. The Parthian cavalry prowled around, seeking gaps in the Han defenses, and upon finding one, swiftly launched an attack.

In the fierce fighting, Han casualties mounted heavily; the soldiers were exhausted, their strength gradually depleted.

Meanwhile, the allies' morale was high, they cooperated seamlessly, and kept pressing pressure on the Han.

The Han line began to develop breaches, and many soldiers started to panic.

Although the Han commanders shouted loudly, trying to steady morale, the situation remained perilous.

Under the allies' relentless pressure, the Han gradually fell to the disadvantage, a greater crisis looming over the entire battlefield.