Chapter 5345 Guarding the Bridge

Chapter 5345 Guarding the Bridge
The Tang soldiers were already prepared. They drew their bows and arrows without aiming, and quickly fired three arrows in quick succession in the direction the enemy was charging. Then they picked up their muskets and pulled the triggers when they heard Wang Xiaojie's command to "fire".

Bang bang bang!
Gunfire erupted, and rising smoke was dispersed by a gentle breeze, enveloping the entire bridgehead position.

Salma charged through the hail of arrows, utterly disregarding the casualties of his soldiers. Victory was assured as long as he could break into the enemy ranks at top speed. The enemy was clearly just a vanguard, intended to protect the pontoon bridge to facilitate the main force's crossing. They abandoned their horses and instead formed ranks to defend themselves, thus losing the initiative. Under the cavalry charge, any position they held was easily breached.

However, this volley of arrows was quite powerful.

The enemy's longbows were clearly tougher and stronger, with better air penetration and faster flight speed, resulting in greater lethality to people and warhorses. Moreover, because they were crouching on the ground to fire, their arrows were more stable, and a hail of arrows enveloped their own side, with countless soldiers being hit.

However, every advantage has its disadvantage. The stronger and more resilient the longbow, the greater the force required to draw it. Unless one is born with superhuman strength, it is impossible for an ordinary person to shoot three arrows in a short period of time, otherwise their arm would be ruined.

After we get through this barrage of arrows, victory is in sight!

As they drew closer, the enemy's arrows indeed ran dry. Just as Salma was delighted with his guess, he suddenly heard a series of popping sounds, followed by plumes of smoke rising into the air.

what is that? !

Before Salma could react, it felt as if an invisible iron hammer had struck her chest, almost causing her to fall off her horse.

Once he regained his footing, he felt a piercing pain in his chest. As he ran, he looked down and saw a small hole in his leather armor, from which blood was gushing out.

Soldiers around him cried out in alarm, warhorses neighed in agony, and men and horses fell to the ground, throwing the charging formation into chaos.

At that moment, Salma was suddenly jolted awake. This was the legendary firearm! A firearm of unparalleled power!
These enemies are Tang soldiers!
News of the imperial crown prince's disastrous expedition to the Tang Dynasty, ending in defeat and a crushing loss, had already spread far and wide. In the crown prince's account, the Tang army's firearms were described as incredibly powerful, like divine weapons, and irresistible to mortals...

News of the Tang army's pursuit of the crown prince ended in Nisa.

So why did the Tang army arrive here as if they were divine soldiers descending from the heavens?
The journey from Nisa to Mosul was not only long, but also required crossing the entire Persian Plateau. Along the way, there were countless imperial cities and strongholds. Even if the Tang army was invincible in conquering cities and territories, it was impossible to slaughter the imperial guards in every place they went.

Why is it that not even one person went to Damascus to deliver the message?

But Salma had no time to think. He gritted his teeth and continued to charge, trying to break into the enemy lines. But the enemy quickly finished reloading their ammunition, and another volley of musket fire began.

Bang bang bang!
A hail of bullets rained down on them, leaving no room to dodge or avoid. The remaining men and horses were hit and fell to the ground. As Salma approached the Tang army's position, he felt his horse's front legs buckle and he collapsed to the ground. He was thrown off the horse by the inertia and rolled forward like a gourd.

As he looked up at the sky, the last image that came into view was a Tang soldier with a cold expression raising his sword and slashing down fiercely.

……

"Pile up the corpses ten zhang in front of the position to block the enemy cavalry charge!"

"Quickly eat some dry rations and drink some water, load the musket, and keep the bow and arrows within reach."

"If the enemy comes again, they will be unstoppable. Bring out all the 'Thunderbolts' and throw them as many as you can!"

Wang Xiaojie commanded with composure. Although it was only a small vanguard force of a few hundred men that had ventured deep into the defense of the bridgehead, there was no sign of panic or anxiety.

Not only him, but the entire Anxi army has been fighting in constant battles over the years. While gaining rich experience, officers and soldiers have also developed a strong sense of self-confidence, firmly believing that they can defeat any powerful enemy.

"Here!"

The soldiers acted swiftly according to orders, quickly piling up the enemy corpses into a "hill" to slow down the enemy cavalry when they charged.

Then everyone took their positions, quickly ate a few bites of dry rations and drank some water, preparing for battle.

A soldier standing beside Wang Xiaojie suggested, "The man who charged ahead just now looks like an enemy general. It's said that although Mosul has submitted to the Abbasid Caliphate, most of the people in the city are Assyrians. He might even be a minor chieftain or something."

Wang Xiaojie took a sip of water, glanced at "Hill," and said dismissively, "Even so, what value is a dead man? It's not worth a few measly coins!"

Since the start of the war against the Arabs, the Tang army gradually came to understand the Arabs' traditional custom that "even if the battle is fierce, any prisoner can be exchanged as long as the price is right." Therefore, in every subsequent battle, the Tang army tried to capture prisoners to exchange for money.

At this moment, the most valuable prisoner is naturally the Abbasid Caliphate's Crown Prince Yachidah...

The soldier nodded: "That's true. Dead people aren't worth much, so it's not worth the trouble."

……

Mosul.

Inside the royal palace, Lord Denilali, his eyes bloodshot and furious, roared, "Go to war! Go to war immediately! Adad, lead my royal guard out of the city to wipe out this band of enemies and retrieve your brother's body!"

With his imposing appearance, thick beard, and deep-set eyes, Adad took a deep breath, bowed, and declared loudly, "Father, rest assured, I'll be right back!"

He turned and strode out, ordering the Imperial Guard to assemble. Soon, more than a thousand heavy cavalrymen gathered in front of the palace gate. The sunlight shone on the bronze armor of the soldiers and warhorses, giving it a cold and sharp gleam. Rows of iron spears stood upright, densely packed like a forest.

The history of the Royal Guard can be traced back to the Assyrian Empire. It was the most elite cavalry unit in the entire empire. All soldiers were sons of nobles. They were fierce and absolutely loyal. They once dominated the Mesopotamian plains and were invincible, with a glorious record of victories.

Although this cavalry force has never regained its former glory in the thousand years since the fall of the Assyrian Empire, and its size has been repeatedly reduced due to the loss of territory, economic difficulties, and a sharp decline in population, it has always been the strongest army in the eyes of the Assyrians, existing as a "national treasure" and the foundation upon which every chieftain can control the entire tribe.

Now, for the sake of a son who died in battle, they're actually willing to send out the Imperial Guard to snatch the body...

Adad, perched on horseback, curled his lips into a wry smile.

Fortunately, his younger brother was ambitious and eager for glory. He rashly left the city before scouting the enemy's situation and was killed at the bridgehead.

What a good death!

If his younger brother hadn't died, given his father's favoritism and doting on him, who knows when he, the eldest son, might have "died suddenly" to make way for him...

"Out of town!"

Burying all his emotions deep inside, Adad roared, full of vigor, and led the Imperial Guard out of the city gate in single file, charging toward the bridgehead.

His younger brother, Salma, led an attack on the Tang army, resulting in the complete annihilation of the Tang forces and his own death. If he himself could annihilate all the invading Tang troops, he would be far superior to his brother.

As for the fact that his younger brother's light cavalry could not withstand the Tang army's firearms, while his own Imperial Guard battalion was all heavily armored cavalry that were not afraid of bullets... who cares about that?

Victory is victory, defeat is defeat.

Judging heroes solely by their wins and losses.

The Imperial Guards sped out of the east gate of Sumore City with the thunderous clang of their hooves. In an instant, they could see the bridge over the river and the well-organized Tang army, poised and ready. Adad was not afraid at all. He raised his spear high and shouted, "Charge!"

The advantage of heavy cavalry lies in their unparalleled impact, which comes from the weight of the riders, the heavy armor, and their ferocious speed. Even if they do not yet know the strength of the Tang army, they cannot stop to find out and lose their advantage for nothing.

The Assyrians were not skilled in iron smelting, so large pieces of equipment such as horse armor and helmets could only be cast in bronze, which was very heavy. However, after being mixed with alloys, the bronze had excellent toughness. It was naturally inferior to fine steel, but much stronger than pig iron.

As the war between the Empire and the Tang Dynasty continued, their understanding of firearms also became more extensive. In Adad's view, not only could the bronze armor of the Imperial Guards defend against bullets, but even fragments of thunderclap bombs would be difficult to penetrate. The only concern was the Tang army's powerful cannons... However, according to the report of the soldiers who had escaped earlier, this group of Tang soldiers was not equipped with cannons.

With that, what is there to fear?
Just go for it!

Adad lowered his spear and spurred his warhorse to its maximum speed. The heavy armor made the horse's steps heavy, and its hooves thundered as it charged towards the Tang army's position like a whirlwind.

Then he saw a "tripwire" made of piled-up corpses on the ground ahead...

Adad remained unfazed, gripping the horse's belly tightly with his legs, and with one hand, he pulled hard on the reins. His warhorse reared up and let out a long neigh, its front hooves lifting and its hind hooves pushing off, leaping forward and clearing the obstacle without diminishing its momentum.

The Imperial Guard cavalry behind them followed suit, their spirit soaring like rainbows and their horses galloping like dragons, oblivious to any obstacles.

In the distance, amidst the Tang army's positions, Wang Xiaojie was taken aback by what he saw. The bronze armor reflecting the sunlight and the agility with which they leaped over obstacles were enough to demonstrate that this cavalry force was not weak and had a formidable background.

Since both men and horses are armored, then bows and arrows and muskets are probably ineffective in killing the enemy.

"Front row, prepare the Thunderclap!"

Wang Xiaojie gave the order and then estimated the distance to the enemy.

"ignition!"

"Throw!"

As Wang Xiaojie gave the decisive order, the soldiers in the front row stood up like drawn bows, gripped the thunderbolt tightly in their right hands, and threw it out with perfect form.

Even before the thunderclap was fully fired, Wang Xiaojie had already given the order: "Second platoon, fire!"

"Throw!"

"Third row, ignition!"

"Throw!"

The thunderclap bombs are thrown by hand, so the distance is not far, usually around ten zhang (approximately 33 meters). The enemy's heavy cavalry charges at extremely fast speeds, and they can cover ten zhang in the blink of an eye. Therefore, it is essential to ensure the continuous damage inflicted on the enemy by the thunderclap bombs. Otherwise, if the enemy were to break into the position, the consequences would be unimaginable.

boom!
The first wave of deafening thunderbolts struck the enemy ranks, exploding with a deafening roar.