Beneath the hill, 1,500 people were divided into three formations and arranged in battle formation. These were the residents of Lu City’s official fields, and after the spring whip had passed, they were in no hurry to begin spring planting. Instead, they organized this military exercise.
Everyone was dressed in winter clothing, holding wooden shields and wooden knives. They also had wooden spears with the tips removed and arrow fletchings without arrowheads, forming their battle formation. Their opponents were a cavalry unit consisting of 500 riders, just like them, all newly recruited soldiers. Infantry versus cavalry, fighting in the wilderness, they aimed to determine a winner.
Li Er also stood in the formation, his heart pounding intensely. After months of training, he became the captain of the archery unit thanks to his exceptional archery skills. However, even with all the training they had undergone, this was his first time on the battlefield. The camp officer had warned them that even in a drill, there could be casualties. To survive, they had to fight with all their might and seize a chance for themselves. They were facing cavalry; could they win?
The horns blared, and the military exercise began.
The two armies didn’t immediately engage in direct combat. Instead, they were free to arrange themselves on this terrain, which included forests, small hills, and open fields. This was a test of the adaptability of both sides’ officers. Sun Jiao remained composed and didn’t take any risks. He positioned his troops directly beside the hills, using the terrain as a barrier to guard against a flanking attack by the enemy cavalry.
With this formation, as long as their formation remained intact, they could withstand the charge of the five hundred cavalrymen.
Their opponents didn’t keep them waiting for long. Soon, the sound of hoofbeats filled the air as hundreds of horses kicked up dust and charged toward the military formation. Sun Jiao shouted loudly, “Archers, prepare!”
Among the newly trained soldiers under Sun Jiao’s command, there was a surprisingly high number of archers, numbering over three hundred and making up one-fifth of the total forces. However, as they were stationed in this area, the unit hadn’t been equipped with crossbows, only longbows. Shooting three volleys of arrows before the enemy cavalry closed in was still quite challenging.
Li Er had already nocked an arrow. Due to his position as the squad leader, he was at the very front of the formation, with his soldiers beside him. Watching the dust-raising fast horses approaching, he could feel cold sweat forming on his back, wishing to release his arrow immediately. However, the training had strict rules; they had to wait until they were one hundred and fifty paces away before they could shoot.
What was the concept of one hundred and fifty paces? Those fast horses could cover it in less than three breaths! But any arrow shot prematurely would disrupt morale and result in unnecessary waste. Even during routine practice, someone with a whip would stand behind them, ready to strike anyone who released their arrow too early. So, despite his heart pounding like a drum, and his palms sweating, he gritted his teeth and stared at the enemy until the horses crossed the imaginary line in his mind.
“Fire!” a furious shout echoed in his ears. Li Er shouted along, and at that moment, his arrow, as well as the arrows held by all the soldiers around him, were released.
At this moment, who cared whether those arrows had arrowheads or not? They just wished to shoot the enemy right under their horses!
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One arrow shot, and then another. The garrison used a staggered volley system. After the first row released their arrows, the second row followed, then the third row. After the third row had finished, the first row would restring their bows and shoot another round. If nothing went wrong, they could fire three rounds, a total of nine hundred arrows, before the enemy cavalry reached their formation! This was enough to wipe out more than half of the enemy!
However, the enemy had prepared for this. The cavalry raised their round shields to block in front of them. After all, this was just a military exercise, and as long as the white markings on the arrowheads or spear tips didn’t hit vital areas like the face or chest, it wouldn’t count as a casualty. Therefore, this group of cavalry didn’t choose to shoot from horseback like the Xiongnu soldiers but focused on defense as their top priority.
This was also the cleverness of Wang Long. The new recruits’ archery skills weren’t great, so it was better to charge directly and break through the enemy formation using the power of their horses. With this strategy in mind, the cavalry charged forward without any hesitation!
This relentless charge immediately disrupted the rhythm of the archers. After shooting two rounds, there weren’t many “casualties” among the enemy. Who could remain calm and shoot the third round in the face of such a critical moment? Sun Jiao saw the situation was dire and shouted, “Raise the spears! Meet the enemy!”
After extensive training in actual combat, the spear formation had undergone some minor changes. In addition to the one-zhang short spears, there were also eight-zhang long spears specifically designed to counter cavalry. Before the battle, these long spears were placed on the shoulders of the shield bearers. When the actual combat began, they would immediately thrust their spears toward the enemy!
Could two rows of spear soldiers hold back the enemy’s fast cavalry?
With a deafening crash, the cavalry collided with the infantry formation, causing many riders to fall from their horses. Even without spearheads, the impact was still significant, not to mention the white marks hitting the chest and abdomen, which were counted as “casualties.”
However, upon witnessing this scene, Sun Jiao’s eyes widened suddenly. The enemy cavalry had deceived them! Among the cavalry formations, over a hundred riders were not actual soldiers but straw men made to look like soldiers. These straw men were also dressed in military uniforms and were positioned behind the real cavalry, making them impossible to detect. It was only when they charged that the true nature of these straw men was revealed.
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The front-line enemies were just bait!
“Flank! Guard the flanks!” Sun Jiao shouted loudly.
But it was too late.
A group of cavalry circled around the hill and charged directly into the flank of the infantry formation. All the defensive strength had been concentrated in the front, leaving the formation completely disrupted, causing the newly formed army to scatter.
On the hill, Liang Feng shook his head. “Sound the retreat.”
At this point, there was no need to continue. Sun Jiao’s command was primarily focused on the long-range formation, which was the best defense against cavalry. The three-tiered rapid volleys from the archers alone had exhausted them. However, the foot soldiers’ reactions were not quick enough, and their defenses were lacking. Their tactics were somewhat rigid. Wang Long, on the other hand, had made the most of his cavalry’s mobility, both in charging and ambushing. He was indeed a promising cavalry commander.
However, this battle today had even greater significance.
“Using foot soldiers to defend against cavalry results in too many casualties,” Liang Feng pondered. “Sun Jiao’s use of crossbows was effective, and we should increase the thickness of the formation.”
Yiyan nodded. “If we had three rows of crossbowmen, it would certainly change the situation. But given the current circumstances, we can’t equip the entire army with repeating crossbows.”
The production process of repeating crossbows was much more complicated than regular crossbows and cost more than three times as much. Even the Lu City Magistrate’s Office couldn’t afford to equip the soldiers in large quantities.
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Liang Feng furrowed his brow. “Infantry facing cavalry ultimately relies on archers. The long spear formation is effective against cavalry smaller in number, but if the two sides have equal numbers, it may not be able to overcome the enemy.”
This was the result of countless battles fought and experience gained. Just like the famous Han general Li Ling, who led five thousand archers against thirty thousand cavalry. They held off the cavalry by using pikes and shields as bulwarks while the archers, stationed behind, rained arrows down on the enemy, causing them significant losses. Later, when the enemy increased their numbers to eighty thousand, Li Ling continued to fight a tactical retreat, killing nearly ten thousand Xiongnu soldiers. It was only when their arrow supply ran out that he was defeated and captured.
It’s worth noting that during the Han Dynasty, each archer carried fifty arrows. Based on a ten-day supply calculation, it is conservatively estimated that this battle would consume more than 2.5 million arrows. Faced with such an equipment advantage, even the Xiongnu cavalry at the height of their power would not dare to challenge their superiority.
Similarly, the Song Dynasty was able to withstand the challenges of the Liao, Jin, and Mongol invasions for several centuries because of its exceptionally advanced military technology. Weapons like the Divine Arm Bow, and Eight Ox Crossbow, along with the use of gunpowder and fortress tactics, made it nearly impossible for nomadic tribes to breach their defenses.
Now, with their limited manpower facing tens of thousands of strong Xiongnu soldiers, they needed to think of ways to engage in long-range warfare.
After some contemplation, Liang Feng suggested, “Perhaps we can make some thunder cannons, use scatter shots, or other crossbows to create another defensive line.”
In ancient times, the term “砲” actually referred to a catapult, with the “石” (stone) radical. The Thunder Cannon, originally offered by the strategist Liu Ye during the Three Kingdoms period to Cao Cao, was named for the sound it made when launching projectiles. Later, Ma Jun improved upon it and created the Tornado Cannon, which became a formidable siege weapon.
However, using these devices in open-field battles was something that no one had ever considered.
Yiyan shook his head, saying, “It’s probably not feasible. Thunder cannons have accuracy issues, not to mention they require multiple people to pull ropes and load stones. It’s too labor-intensive.”
This statement puzzled Liang Feng, who asked, “Pulling ropes?”
Yiyan explained, “Thunder cannons need to be loaded with stones as projectiles, and on the other side, they naturally require people to pull ropes together to launch the stones.” Seeing Liang Feng’s confusion, he elaborated on the construction of a catapult.
Listening to Yiyan’s explanation, Liang Feng finally realized that ancient Chinese catapults were powered by human labor. While one side loaded the stone projectile, the other side lowered a rope, and a group of young, strong individuals pulled the rope together, using their combined strength to launch the projectile. A regular single-armed catapult required forty people to operate, and for larger ones, it could take hundreds. It was both labor-intensive and lacked accuracy, which is why they were only used against stationary, large targets, like city walls.
“This is so misleading from movies and TV shows!” Liang Feng couldn’t help but smile wryly. Ancient war films always depicted mechanical catapults that launched fireballs at the enemy once the contraption was triggered. When did they ever show human-powered ones? However, this explained why the “Huochong” used by the Mongols during their invasion of the Southern Song Dynasty had left the Song army shocked and unable to resist. It was probably because Western-style counterweight trebuchets had been introduced at that time, with superior firepower compared to human-powered catapults.
Now that he understood the crux of the matter, the problem could be solved. He had many skilled craftsmen under his command, and with the assistance of two direct disciples of the great mathematician Liu Hui, they should be able to create a mechanical catapult with adjustable range and precision. In the end, it was just a matter of leverage and torque. Training a group of marksmen who could calibrate the range and forming a “cannon” battalion would be sufficient.
“I will have the thunder cannons improved to be smaller and not reliant on manual dragging. Their range will be around 300 paces. With this setup, we can use thunder cannons and scorpion crossbows as the first and second lines of defense, followed by archers. Layer by layer, we can wear down the Xiongnu cavalry, and that should give us a fighting chance,” Liang Feng concluded.
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It was a necessary compromise. After gaining a deeper understanding of the metallurgical capabilities of this era, Liang Feng realized that creating gunpowder here was practically impossible. Not to mention the scarcity of iron and copper, even achieving a smooth inner surface for a cannon barrel was beyond reach. Modern inventions didn’t just appear out of thin air; they required various industrial systems working together. Crossing this technological chasm wasn’t something that could be done on a whim.
Nowadays, he could indeed be ahead of his time, but at most, it was just one or two steps. However, these small steps, when accumulated, could eventually tip the balance of victory in his favor.
“If we can have ranged weapons with a range of 300 paces, I’m sure I can make it so that the enemy cavalry can’t get close!” Yiyan had complete trust in what Liang Feng said, without a doubt. Lord Liang was unrivaled in his craftsmanship and ingenuity. If he said he could do it, then he definitely could. He even managed to create a falling star to attack the camp during the night raid; not to mention a simple catapult.
Faced with Yiyan’s unconditional trust, Liang Feng couldn’t help but smile and said, “That’s the best outcome.”
At this moment, both camp commanders ascended the hill together. Wang Long appeared satisfied, while Sun Jiao seemed disgruntled, clearly unwilling to accept defeat.
Seeing the expressions on both of their faces, Liang Feng put on a serious expression and said, “In this battle, each side had its gains and losses. Prepare the battle reports, each of you submit one. Analyze the battle scenarios and come up with new strategic concepts. Yiyan, I’m entrusting these two new armies to you.”
This statement immediately calmed both commanders down. Seeing their stern and resolute superior, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of camaraderie in facing a common challenge.
Down the hill, the medical corps had already arrived to provide treatment to the wounded soldiers. The horses neighed, and the dust from the battle still hung in the air, creating a bustling scene.
Author’s Note:
Liang Feng: Heh, I’ve never seen a manually operated catapult before. (Cold expression)
Beneath the hill, 1,500 people were divided into three formations and arranged in battle formation. These were the residents of Lu City’s official fields, and after the spring whip had passed, they were in no hurry to begin spring planting. Instead, they organized this military exercise.
Everyone was dressed in winter clothing, holding wooden shields and wooden knives. They also had wooden spears with the tips removed and arrow fletchings without arrowheads, forming their battle formation. Their opponents were a cavalry unit consisting of 500 riders, just like them, all newly recruited soldiers. Infantry versus cavalry, fighting in the wilderness, they aimed to determine a winner.
Li Er also stood in the formation, his heart pounding intensely. After months of training, he became the captain of the archery unit thanks to his exceptional archery skills. However, even with all the training they had undergone, this was his first time on the battlefield. The camp officer had warned them that even in a drill, there could be casualties. To survive, they had to fight with all their might and seize a chance for themselves. They were facing cavalry; could they win?
The horns blared, and the military exercise began.
The two armies didn’t immediately engage in direct combat. Instead, they were free to arrange themselves on this terrain, which included forests, small hills, and open fields. This was a test of the adaptability of both sides’ officers. Sun Jiao remained composed and didn’t take any risks. He positioned his troops directly beside the hills, using the terrain as a barrier to guard against a flanking attack by the enemy cavalry.
With this formation, as long as their formation remained intact, they could withstand the charge of the five hundred cavalrymen.
Their opponents didn’t keep them waiting for long. Soon, the sound of hoofbeats filled the air as hundreds of horses kicked up dust and charged toward the military formation. Sun Jiao shouted loudly, “Archers, prepare!”
Among the newly trained soldiers under Sun Jiao’s command, there was a surprisingly high number of archers, numbering over three hundred and making up one-fifth of the total forces. However, as they were stationed in this area, the unit hadn’t been equipped with crossbows, only longbows. Shooting three volleys of arrows before the enemy cavalry closed in was still quite challenging.
Li Er had already nocked an arrow. Due to his position as the squad leader, he was at the very front of the formation, with his soldiers beside him. Watching the dust-raising fast horses approaching, he could feel cold sweat forming on his back, wishing to release his arrow immediately. However, the training had strict rules; they had to wait until they were one hundred and fifty paces away before they could shoot.
What was the concept of one hundred and fifty paces? Those fast horses could cover it in less than three breaths! But any arrow shot prematurely would disrupt morale and result in unnecessary waste. Even during routine practice, someone with a whip would stand behind them, ready to strike anyone who released their arrow too early. So, despite his heart pounding like a drum, and his palms sweating, he gritted his teeth and stared at the enemy until the horses crossed the imaginary line in his mind.
“Fire!” a furious shout echoed in his ears. Li Er shouted along, and at that moment, his arrow, as well as the arrows held by all the soldiers around him, were released.
At this moment, who cared whether those arrows had arrowheads or not? They just wished to shoot the enemy right under their horses!
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AD
One arrow shot, and then another. The garrison used a staggered volley system. After the first row released their arrows, the second row followed, then the third row. After the third row had finished, the first row would restring their bows and shoot another round. If nothing went wrong, they could fire three rounds, a total of nine hundred arrows, before the enemy cavalry reached their formation! This was enough to wipe out more than half of the enemy!
However, the enemy had prepared for this. The cavalry raised their round shields to block in front of them. After all, this was just a military exercise, and as long as the white markings on the arrowheads or spear tips didn’t hit vital areas like the face or chest, it wouldn’t count as a casualty. Therefore, this group of cavalry didn’t choose to shoot from horseback like the Xiongnu soldiers but focused on defense as their top priority.
This was also the cleverness of Wang Long. The new recruits’ archery skills weren’t great, so it was better to charge directly and break through the enemy formation using the power of their horses. With this strategy in mind, the cavalry charged forward without any hesitation!
This relentless charge immediately disrupted the rhythm of the archers. After shooting two rounds, there weren’t many “casualties” among the enemy. Who could remain calm and shoot the third round in the face of such a critical moment? Sun Jiao saw the situation was dire and shouted, “Raise the spears! Meet the enemy!”
After extensive training in actual combat, the spear formation had undergone some minor changes. In addition to the one-zhang short spears, there were also eight-zhang long spears specifically designed to counter cavalry. Before the battle, these long spears were placed on the shoulders of the shield bearers. When the actual combat began, they would immediately thrust their spears toward the enemy!
Could two rows of spear soldiers hold back the enemy’s fast cavalry?
With a deafening crash, the cavalry collided with the infantry formation, causing many riders to fall from their horses. Even without spearheads, the impact was still significant, not to mention the white marks hitting the chest and abdomen, which were counted as “casualties.”
However, upon witnessing this scene, Sun Jiao’s eyes widened suddenly. The enemy cavalry had deceived them! Among the cavalry formations, over a hundred riders were not actual soldiers but straw men made to look like soldiers. These straw men were also dressed in military uniforms and were positioned behind the real cavalry, making them impossible to detect. It was only when they charged that the true nature of these straw men was revealed.
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AD
The front-line enemies were just bait!
“Flank! Guard the flanks!” Sun Jiao shouted loudly.
But it was too late.
A group of cavalry circled around the hill and charged directly into the flank of the infantry formation. All the defensive strength had been concentrated in the front, leaving the formation completely disrupted, causing the newly formed army to scatter.
On the hill, Liang Feng shook his head. “Sound the retreat.”
At this point, there was no need to continue. Sun Jiao’s command was primarily focused on the long-range formation, which was the best defense against cavalry. The three-tiered rapid volleys from the archers alone had exhausted them. However, the foot soldiers’ reactions were not quick enough, and their defenses were lacking. Their tactics were somewhat rigid. Wang Long, on the other hand, had made the most of his cavalry’s mobility, both in charging and ambushing. He was indeed a promising cavalry commander.
However, this battle today had even greater significance.
“Using foot soldiers to defend against cavalry results in too many casualties,” Liang Feng pondered. “Sun Jiao’s use of crossbows was effective, and we should increase the thickness of the formation.”
Yiyan nodded. “If we had three rows of crossbowmen, it would certainly change the situation. But given the current circumstances, we can’t equip the entire army with repeating crossbows.”
The production process of repeating crossbows was much more complicated than regular crossbows and cost more than three times as much. Even the Lu City Magistrate’s Office couldn’t afford to equip the soldiers in large quantities.
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Liang Feng furrowed his brow. “Infantry facing cavalry ultimately relies on archers. The long spear formation is effective against cavalry smaller in number, but if the two sides have equal numbers, it may not be able to overcome the enemy.”
This was the result of countless battles fought and experience gained. Just like the famous Han general Li Ling, who led five thousand archers against thirty thousand cavalry. They held off the cavalry by using pikes and shields as bulwarks while the archers, stationed behind, rained arrows down on the enemy, causing them significant losses. Later, when the enemy increased their numbers to eighty thousand, Li Ling continued to fight a tactical retreat, killing nearly ten thousand Xiongnu soldiers. It was only when their arrow supply ran out that he was defeated and captured.
It’s worth noting that during the Han Dynasty, each archer carried fifty arrows. Based on a ten-day supply calculation, it is conservatively estimated that this battle would consume more than 2.5 million arrows. Faced with such an equipment advantage, even the Xiongnu cavalry at the height of their power would not dare to challenge their superiority.
Similarly, the Song Dynasty was able to withstand the challenges of the Liao, Jin, and Mongol invasions for several centuries because of its exceptionally advanced military technology. Weapons like the Divine Arm Bow, and Eight Ox Crossbow, along with the use of gunpowder and fortress tactics, made it nearly impossible for nomadic tribes to breach their defenses.
Now, with their limited manpower facing tens of thousands of strong Xiongnu soldiers, they needed to think of ways to engage in long-range warfare.
After some contemplation, Liang Feng suggested, “Perhaps we can make some thunder cannons, use scatter shots, or other crossbows to create another defensive line.”
In ancient times, the term “砲” actually referred to a catapult, with the “石” (stone) radical. The Thunder Cannon, originally offered by the strategist Liu Ye during the Three Kingdoms period to Cao Cao, was named for the sound it made when launching projectiles. Later, Ma Jun improved upon it and created the Tornado Cannon, which became a formidable siege weapon.
However, using these devices in open-field battles was something that no one had ever considered.
Yiyan shook his head, saying, “It’s probably not feasible. Thunder cannons have accuracy issues, not to mention they require multiple people to pull ropes and load stones. It’s too labor-intensive.”
This statement puzzled Liang Feng, who asked, “Pulling ropes?”
Yiyan explained, “Thunder cannons need to be loaded with stones as projectiles, and on the other side, they naturally require people to pull ropes together to launch the stones.” Seeing Liang Feng’s confusion, he elaborated on the construction of a catapult.
Listening to Yiyan’s explanation, Liang Feng finally realized that ancient Chinese catapults were powered by human labor. While one side loaded the stone projectile, the other side lowered a rope, and a group of young, strong individuals pulled the rope together, using their combined strength to launch the projectile. A regular single-armed catapult required forty people to operate, and for larger ones, it could take hundreds. It was both labor-intensive and lacked accuracy, which is why they were only used against stationary, large targets, like city walls.
“This is so misleading from movies and TV shows!” Liang Feng couldn’t help but smile wryly. Ancient war films always depicted mechanical catapults that launched fireballs at the enemy once the contraption was triggered. When did they ever show human-powered ones? However, this explained why the “Huochong” used by the Mongols during their invasion of the Southern Song Dynasty had left the Song army shocked and unable to resist. It was probably because Western-style counterweight trebuchets had been introduced at that time, with superior firepower compared to human-powered catapults.
Now that he understood the crux of the matter, the problem could be solved. He had many skilled craftsmen under his command, and with the assistance of two direct disciples of the great mathematician Liu Hui, they should be able to create a mechanical catapult with adjustable range and precision. In the end, it was just a matter of leverage and torque. Training a group of marksmen who could calibrate the range and forming a “cannon” battalion would be sufficient.
“I will have the thunder cannons improved to be smaller and not reliant on manual dragging. Their range will be around 300 paces. With this setup, we can use thunder cannons and scorpion crossbows as the first and second lines of defense, followed by archers. Layer by layer, we can wear down the Xiongnu cavalry, and that should give us a fighting chance,” Liang Feng concluded.
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AD
It was a necessary compromise. After gaining a deeper understanding of the metallurgical capabilities of this era, Liang Feng realized that creating gunpowder here was practically impossible. Not to mention the scarcity of iron and copper, even achieving a smooth inner surface for a cannon barrel was beyond reach. Modern inventions didn’t just appear out of thin air; they required various industrial systems working together. Crossing this technological chasm wasn’t something that could be done on a whim.
Nowadays, he could indeed be ahead of his time, but at most, it was just one or two steps. However, these small steps, when accumulated, could eventually tip the balance of victory in his favor.
“If we can have ranged weapons with a range of 300 paces, I’m sure I can make it so that the enemy cavalry can’t get close!” Yiyan had complete trust in what Liang Feng said, without a doubt. Lord Liang was unrivaled in his craftsmanship and ingenuity. If he said he could do it, then he definitely could. He even managed to create a falling star to attack the camp during the night raid; not to mention a simple catapult.
Faced with Yiyan’s unconditional trust, Liang Feng couldn’t help but smile and said, “That’s the best outcome.”
At this moment, both camp commanders ascended the hill together. Wang Long appeared satisfied, while Sun Jiao seemed disgruntled, clearly unwilling to accept defeat.
Seeing the expressions on both of their faces, Liang Feng put on a serious expression and said, “In this battle, each side had its gains and losses. Prepare the battle reports, each of you submit one. Analyze the battle scenarios and come up with new strategic concepts. Yiyan, I’m entrusting these two new armies to you.”
This statement immediately calmed both commanders down. Seeing their stern and resolute superior, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of camaraderie in facing a common challenge.
Down the hill, the medical corps had already arrived to provide treatment to the wounded soldiers. The horses neighed, and the dust from the battle still hung in the air, creating a bustling scene.
Author’s Note:
Liang Feng: Heh, I’ve never seen a manually operated catapult before. (Cold expression)
