Cheliji had also received the news. Having just become king, he was preparing to unify the entire Qiang tribe, consolidating their previously fragmented state, so he could better deal with the corrupt officials who levied exorbitant taxes and plundered Qiang women.
It was well known that the people of Xiliang were fierce and warlike; it was only due to the misdeeds of the governor sent twenty years ago that the entire Liangzhou region was in such a state of chaos.
"Prime Minister, what do you think the new governor of Liangzhou intends to do?" Cheliji asked his friend, Prime Minister Yadan, whose assistance had been crucial to his ascension to the throne.
Prime Minister Yadan was a refined scholar, literate and skilled in divination.
At this moment, he was using dominoes and tortoise shells for divination, his expression grave as he examined the dominoes.
"This is an ominous sign. Which Liangzhou governor could defeat Han Sui and Ma Teng? Their strength is not to be underestimated. Your Majesty, I've heard they want to attend the chieftains' meeting. This might hinder Your Majesty's unification of the entire Qiang people. I think we should teach them a lesson, without causing too much loss of face, but enough to instill fear in them, making future relations easier."
"So, we need to dampen their arrogance? I plan to send Marshal Yueji to teach them a lesson, inflict a crushing defeat on them, and then invite the Liangzhou governor to the chieftains' meeting to show him the skill of our Qiang people in archery!" Cheliji, being somewhat astute, knew the true art of negotiation, the way to maintain good relations with the Han officials and soldiers.
"Yes, but we can't kill the Governor of Liangzhou. Otherwise, if Liangzhou's elite troops are all deployed, it won't benefit our great cause. This time, the Governor of Liangzhou only brought 5,200 troops. Slaughtering them appropriately is good." Prime Minister Yadan agreed with this view. First, break his spirit, then bring him over. After the chieftains' gathering, the entire Qiang tribe, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, would be no match for him.
Claiming territory and becoming king—it's that simple.
Two days later, on the vast grasslands.
A menacing cavalry charge was underway. The leading general was shirtless, his face contorted with rage, scarred from a sword, making him look even more ferocious.
He wielded not a traditional weapon, but a massive spiked club, studded with unidentified bones—a truly terrifying sight!
Lu Ming had already ordered the infantry to stand ready for battle, and he personally went to the front lines. "Everyone says cavalry is a massacre of infantry, you're all scared, right?"
"Heh, no problem. Today I'll teach them a lesson, let them know what it means for infantry to defeat cavalry. Formation ready! Once we engage, spread out after a quarter of an hour, using a scattering formation against the cavalry. All of you, stand your ground! Slash the cavalry from above, slash the horses' legs from below, fight them to the death!" Lu Ming arranged the formation.
The spearmen, wielding spears over five meters long, formed the first line, combined with shields.
The elite soldiers wielding longswords stood in the second rank, ready for close combat at any moment.
The third rank consisted of longbowmen, wielding longbows as tall as a person, with a range of up to 800 meters. Their firing rate wasn't high, but every arrow was fatal!
Or at least crippled; they were sniping!
Only after the repeating crossbow is fully developed can the second type of crossbowmen be deployed, utilizing the advantage of crossbow bolts for suppressive fire.
The bed crossbow also offers significant penetration and damage advantages; however, it's unsuitable for open-field combat and only suitable for defending cities.
Each city has its own technological development level. Here, technology doesn't refer to electric trains, but rather to technological updates.
Similarly, with bows and arrows, simple bows can be made using branches and ropes. These rudimentary bows have extremely limited killing power, barely enough to hunt rats or rabbits.
With technological advancements, more advanced materials can be used to create composite bows, and arrows can be upgraded to bronze or flint arrows, greatly increasing their killing power and easily piercing bones!
Only with advanced technology can technologies like waterwheels emerge.
Compared to other places that don't prioritize technology, Lu Ming has been developing this approach from the beginning.
In less than a year, the era of warring states will begin. With Emperor Ling's death, chaos will erupt, unstoppable.
Is the Han Dynasty on the verge of collapse?
"Sorry, I don't have that capability."
"If the foundation of a building collapses, even the most skilled craftsman can't save it; it's destined to crumble."
Huang Zhong and Gan Ning both felt a bit nervous; it was their first time facing a cavalry charge.
"This organized charge made the ground tremble, and their bodies felt almost unresponsive."
"But they were surprised to find that although the soldiers were also trembling, they weren't afraid. Facing this terrifying cavalry charge, they showed no fear whatsoever. This was true elite force!"
"Prepare, fire!" Lu Ming's expression was somewhat smug. He first used arrows to shoot down the enemy. To defeat cavalry, all it took was continuous suppressive fire.
"Wasn't the Qing Dynasty's cavalry defeated by foreign cannons and muskets? In melee combat, the repeating crossbow is actually the most effective weapon."
"Thud!"
" Powerful arrows pierced the cavalrymen's visors, felling the howling riders one by one.
Even if their numbers were small, those who survived would be trampled into a bloody pulp by the cavalry behind!
The power of arrows lay in their deterrent effect; annihilating over 20,000 cavalry with arrows was clearly unrealistic.
But this was only the first course. The longbowmen were his targets—enemy commanders, from generals to platoon leaders and squad leaders—anyone in command was a target.
Without management and command, even the most skilled soldiers underground were nothing but a disorganized mob!
"Don't be afraid, they don't number many! Charge! Kill them!" Yueji suddenly stopped and roared, instinctively sensing something was wrong.
They wouldn't have had time to dig a pitfall, nor could they possibly complete one.
A pitfall that was too low would be easy for cavalry.
The more he thought about it, the more something seemed wrong. Only the veteran's alertness saved him!
He saw the charging cavalry horses begin to whinny one by one, and then the riders fell, screaming in agony. They had no idea what had knocked them down; once they were on the ground, they couldn't get up. It was truly bizarre!