Chapter 1009 – Battle at the Northern Frontier (Forty-Five)
What an awe-inspiring sight it was, with three thousand heavy cavalry charging against over ten thousand light cavalry!
The Audience watched everything from an aerial perspective, and the impact of this scene was immense for them.
Jiang Pengji seized the initiative, while the Northern Frontier was in a passive defense. However, they quickly displayed the qualities expected of a nomadic people, their responsiveness was commendable. Upon realizing that Jiang Pengji’s cavalry numbered only slightly over three thousand, the Sixth Prince let out a sigh of relief.
What could three thousand cavalry do against over a hundred thousand troops?
Moreover, these heavy cavalry were clad in armor, and their steeds were draped in scale mail. How fast could they possibly move?
The Northern Frontier’s terrain was relatively flat, providing a natural advantage for the highly mobile light cavalry, maximizing their tactical maneuvers. In contrast, the heavy cavalry’s speed was somewhat lacking, making their march a bit slower.
The Northern Frontier cavalry moved like the wind, appearing and disappearing without a trace.
Even if they had lost the initial strike, they could still launch a counter-attack by bypassing the heavy cavalry’s front and targeting the enemy’s weaker flanks.
Due to a betrayal and insider information, the Northern Frontier had prior knowledge of Jiang Pengji’s plans, allowing them to entirely avoid the main confrontation and attack the weakened flanks instead.
Seeing the battlefield stabilize, the Sixth Prince felt a weight lift from his shoulders.
The grasslands were the domain of their Northern Frontier tribes and the home turf for the Northern Frontier cavalry. Engaging head-on would surely send Jiang Pengji and her forces fleeing.
Fu Wang sneered, “Fool—”
He couldn’t monitor the entire battlefield, but upon learning that the Northern Frontier cavalry was dodging a direct confrontation and attacking the “weak points,” he understood that a significant loss awaited them. Indeed, three thousand ordinary cavalry charging into tens of thousands may not stir up a storm, but this was heavy cavalry!
The Audience, viewing the entire battlefield, experienced the situation first-hand.
【Tangyuan Warrior】: Can’t the Northern Frontier afford to form a heavy cavalry unit?
【Wind Also Goes Easy】: #Nose Picking, Isn’t the Northern Frontier just a poor countryside? Haven’t you seen that their cavalry is basically all in bamboo armor and common clothes?
The Audience lived in an age of information explosion; if they wanted information, a quick online search would suffice.
Ever since hearing about Jiang Pengji’s impending clash with the Northern Frontier, many in the Audience had looked up the relevant history.
Light cavalry had its advantages: speed and mobility, but heavy cavalry sacrificed speed for destructive capabilities.
【Drunken Cloud Cat Demon】: The Northern Frontier covers a vast area, providing more breathing space for light cavalry. The cost of forming heavy cavalry is exorbitant, so they obviously can’t choose an exhausting, costly route. It’s not that they lack knowledge; it’s simply that there isn’t an environment for heavy cavalry development in the Northern Frontier. They only remember the speed of light cavalry, unaware of heavy cavalry’s ability to break formations and cause destruction.
【Genius Guo Fengxiao】: Tsk, tsk—My heart aches for the Northern Frontier! Letting light cavalry exploit their mobility to ambush the streamer’s army’s flanks was the right command, but they exposed their main force to the heavy cavalry’s attack range—Seriously, that’s not how you throw away lives—
【Old Driver Alliance】: I remember the streamer picked heavy horses for the heavy cavalry units, all weighing between seven hundred to one thousand two hundred kilograms. They are taller than fully grown men! Consider this: three thousand hefty beasts charging upfront—this isn’t one or two but three thousand charging together—
The Northern Frontier was preoccupied with the low number of Jiang Pengji’s cavalry, thinking they wouldn’t cause a stir, forgetting the terrifying destructive power of heavy cavalry.
Though the Northern Frontier cavalry moved a beat slower than the enemy, they quickly engaged Jiang Pengji’s army on the flanks.
On the left flank was Li Yun leading his troops, who had been waiting there for quite some time.
The soldiers from the Horse-Cutting Camp were on high alert, having prepared the caltrops specifically for the Northern Frontier cavalry, setting them up in rows.
Caltrops: each wooden spike two feet long, cross-drilled holes, intentionally laid down, sharp ends aimed at keeping men and horses from charging forward.
These were barriers to block the Northern Frontier cavalry’s charge, and soldiers could use them to form a caltrop array, greatly restricting the cavalry’s advance.
“Hold shields—”
“One line! Thrust—”
“One line steps back, second line follows—”
Li Yun called out, and immediately the designated soldiers executed the correct flag commands.
The Northern Frontier cavalry was numerous, and their reaction was swift; when the first batch of soldiers were skewered by the caltrops, the subsequent cavalry quickly evaded and shifted strategies to attack. Li Yun directed the soldiers to move the caltrops, maximizing the exhaustion of the Northern Frontier’s elite troops, keeping them on the run. When the caltrop defense line broke, the Horse-Cutting Camp soldiers formed a shield wall to hold back the cavalry charge, while later soldiers used long spears to stab at the enemy.
The Northern Frontier cavalry quickly found themselves unable to breach the left flank’s defenses, suffering significant losses instead.
Did they really think this was a weak defense?
In contrast, the situation on the right flank was different; the Northern Frontier cavalry swarmed in as if in an open field, engaging in fierce combat.
But as the fighting continued, the Eighth Prince leading the right flank sensed something was amiss.
Why were all of their opponents the deep-faced savages from the Northern Frontier?
He suddenly recalled the tribe that had feigned surrender to Jiang Pengji, his heart sinking in panic.
However, in the chaos of battle, there was no time for him to think further.
The Northern Frontier cavalry’s speed was blinding; by the time the Eighth Prince realized something was wrong, the Northern Frontier traitorous troops pushed to the right flank were already decimated.
Did she intend to outsmart them?
While Jiang Pengji ruled the interstellar battlefield, these wet-behind-the-ears kids’ fathers were still tadpoles!
“Warriors, heed my command—”
Seeing the time was right, the true horn sounded, instantly igniting the fighting spirit of the soldiers.
Simultaneously, over three thousand heavy cavalry had already crashed into the Northern Frontier’s army.
To give an illustrative metaphor—
Heavy cavalry were like bandits invading a village, while the Northern Frontier was like a young girl in the village, bare and bashful.
Though this analogy is a bit risqué, for the Northern Frontier, they were indeed suffering inhuman indignities.
One or two heavy cavalry couldn’t cause mass destruction, but what about three thousand acting in unison?
It was a brutal trampling, a merciless devastation.
Like a giant cleaver effortlessly cutting into succulent pork, instantly creating a huge gash.
For the heavy cavalry regiment established by Jiang Pengji with significant investment, the generals felt anxious, while the strategists frowned.
Previously, there hadn’t been heavy cavalry, but it was minuscule and couldn’t accomplish much.
First, there were technological constraints; the iron smelting technology wasn’t mature.
Second, financial limitations; the cost of producing armor was substantial.
In the eyes of strategists and generals, these heavy cavalry weren’t mere soldiers; they were moving mountains of wealth.
No one was certain of the heavy cavalry’s destructive capabilities.
Seeing the devastation from afar, Feng Zhen couldn’t help but gasp in shock, uttering a “golden phrase.”
“This money was well spent—”
