Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5342 Living towards death
Vagas rode ahead, charging into the burning inferno. The raging wind and heatwave hit him, instantly scorching and burning away the snow-white beard and eyebrows hidden under his mask. His armored warhorse was also engulfed by the heatwave, its mane burning and neighing in pain.

But Vagas, instead of being scorched by the flames, felt a long-lost surge of fighting spirit rise within him. The more arduous the battlefield and the stronger the enemy, the more worthy it was for him, the prophet's "disciple," to go all out and face death.

Moreover, the reason he chose to launch the charge before the flames had died down was twofold: firstly, to seize the opportunity when the Tang army's artillery was moving forward, and secondly, to catch the Tang army off guard—the Tang army was highly unlikely to have guessed that the Abbasid army would suddenly appear before them through the sea of ​​fire.

The outcome of a war is determined by countless choices and unforeseen events. In other words, any choice or any unforeseen event can potentially change the outcome of a war.

Countless Arab cavalry followed closely behind, rushing into the flames like a whirlwind.

Vagas gritted his teeth, his legs clamping tightly around the horse's belly to prevent it from bolting out of control. Every breath felt like flames and thick smoke drilling into his throat, cutting into his trachea and lungs like knives, causing him unbearable pain.

Hurry up!
Hurry up!
His warhorse seemed to understand his intentions, letting its mane burst into flames as it galloped forward with all its might.

Suddenly, the men and horses leaped out of the raging fire, leaving all the scorching flames behind. Before them, a wide-open space appeared, revealing the Tang army's heavily armored infantry, archers, and neatly arranged cannons.

Vagas glared angrily, raised his longsword high, and roared, "Kill!"

Behind him, one after another, Arab cavalrymen leaped out from the smoke and fire, their bodies covered in flames and smoke like demons from hell, following closely behind Wagas as they charged toward the Tang army's position.

The Tang army was clearly unprepared for the Abbasid army to rush through the flames, and inevitably panicked for a moment. However, these soldiers had been fighting on the ocean for many years and had rich combat experience. They quickly calmed down and saw that the enemy was heading straight for the cannons. The gunners did not hesitate to abandon the cannons, turn around and run, hiding in the heavily armored infantry behind them.

Looking at the rows of cannons, Vagas knew that these were the things that could fire incredibly powerful shells. Destroying them would be enough to delay the Tang army's advance on Damascus. Moreover, the cannons were extremely important to the Tang army. If he went forward and destroyed them, the Tang army would be in dire need of rescue.

He then charged forward, wielding his sword to slash at the wooden gun carriage and wheels of the cannon.

The Arab cavalry behind them followed suit, and wood chips flew everywhere.

However, the Tang army ignored this, and the heavily armored infantry immediately assembled and formed ranks to block the artillerymen behind them...

Artillery has never been the most important thing, because cannon barrels have a limited lifespan and will be scrapped after reaching a certain firing value.

What truly matters are experienced and skilled artillerymen. Artillery can be continuously produced from the foundry, and the only waste is money. But artillerymen require rigorous training day after day and a wealth of experience accumulated on the battlefield.

Talent is always more important than money.

Once the artillerymen had safely retreated, they advanced step by step in neat ranks, while the archers and musketeers swiftly unleashed their attacks. In an instant, arrows rained down like a forest and projectiles, pouring down on the enemy.

The cavalry that followed Vagas through the fire were half light cavalry and half heavy cavalry. Arrows and bullets clattered on the heavy cavalry, but the men and horses were unharmed. The light cavalry, on the other hand, were riddled with arrows and covered in blood, like hedgehogs, and fell to the ground screaming in agony.

Wagas swung his sword, destroying the two cannons and their wheels. Seeing the Tang army's fierce offensive and his own heavy casualties, he quickly spurred his horse and brandished his longsword: "Charge!"

They charged first towards the musketeers and crossbowmen behind the artillery, followed closely by numerous heavy cavalry.

In this offensive, the Arab light cavalry suffered almost all casualties, naturally losing their ability to shoot Tang soldiers at long range, and the heavy cavalry could only charge into close combat...

Before they could charge to the front of the Tang army's lines, the Tang musketeers and crossbowmen retreated in an orderly manner, while the heavily armored infantrymen stepped forward. These soldiers half-squatted on the ground, holding long spears, with the shafts planted on the ground and the spear tips raised, so that the entire spear was tilted at a 30-degree angle to the ground, with the spear tips pointing obliquely to the sky.

The next moment, the charging Arab heavy cavalry crashed heavily into this "forest of spears".

When heavy cavalry charged, they carried tremendous impact. This impact was relative; it could both ram into the enemy and rebound back onto themselves. Although both the cavalrymen and their horses were heavily armored, the thin iron plates on the horses' bodies were no match for the steel triangular spears of the Tang army. Under the immense force, the sharp and tough spear tips easily pierced through the iron armor and pierced through the horses' bodies.

However, the impact was not fully released, and the horse continued forward due to inertia. As a result, the spear shaft broke, and the remaining force struck the Tang army's heavily armored infantryman who was half-crouching on the ground.

In an instant, warhorses neighed and cavalry roared. Tang heavy infantrymen were knocked to the ground like tumbling gourds, and many soldiers coughed up blood and suffered internal injuries.

However, the charge of the Abbasid heavy cavalry was halted, and the heavy cavalry, having lost their momentum, were surrounded by the Tang army. Spears and lances pierced the cavalry, while swords were used to cut down the horses' legs.

The Arab heavy cavalry were quickly surrounded and suffered heavy casualties.

Although Vagas was old, he possessed superhuman strength. He wielded a greatsword, slashing and thrusting at the weak points in the joints of heavily armored infantrymen. For a time, he was invincible and unstoppable.

……

Not far away, Su Dingfang and Yang Zhou rode side by side, gazing at the battle situation.

Su Dingfang said, "This man must be Wagas, the garrison commander of Ctesiphon. It is said that he was born with superhuman strength and was extremely brave. The Arab 'prophet' praised him as a 'lion' and he was one of his most outstanding disciples. Back then, it was this man who captured Ctesiphon, which was guarded by the Persians. He was indeed brave and good at fighting."

Yang Zhou was somewhat unconvinced: "This man is probably over sixty years old, isn't he? It's truly remarkable that he still possesses such martial prowess. This subordinate will go and capture him!"

"Don't always see yourself as a fierce general charging into battle. No matter how brave you are, how many people can you kill? And don't get carried away and start 'fighting generals' at the drop of a hat. Instead, learn to take overall control, plan strategically, and command an army with ease and decisiveness."

"Yes! Thank you for your guidance, Grand Commander."

Although Yang Zhou was also a veteran general, his military achievements and seniority were far inferior to Su Dingfang's. At this moment, he listened to Su Dingfang's teachings like a student.

Su Dingfang nodded and instructed his men: "I'll give you a meritorious service. Remember this man is exceptionally brave and strong. Surround him and kill him."

"Here!"

A dozen or so guards were overjoyed. Without even putting on their armor, they rushed forward with spears and swords, instantly surrounding Vagas, who was charging and slashing.

The advantage of heavy cavalry lies in its extremely strong defense and unparalleled impact. Once surrounded and unable to break through, they are trapped like turtles in a jar.

The guards used spears to stab at the joints of Vagas's chainmail. Vagas swung his greatsword to parry and block, but he was still vulnerable at every turn. In just a few moments, a spear pierced his right elbow, causing him to cry out in pain. The next moment, another spear pierced his waist from a low angle under the hem of his chainmail. The pain intensified, and he let out a heart-wrenching scream.

With a slash of his sword, he severed the horse's leg, and the warhorse neighed and fell to the ground. However, Vagas had already been lifted into the air by two spears, while the other spears, avoiding the strong points of the chainmail armor, pierced through from below the skirt armor or from the back.

The dignified marshal of the Abbasid Caliphate was thus suspended in mid-air by several spears and repeatedly stabbed. He struggled and screamed in agony, and in no time he was bleeding profusely and died.

The dead Vagas was thrown to the ground, and someone went up to remove his mask, slashed off his head with a sword, and held it high on a spear.

"Wagas is dead. Surrender and you will not be killed!"

"Wagas is dead. Surrender and you will not be killed!"

The shouts carried far, and the few remaining Arab cavalrymen turned to look, only to be stunned and bewildered upon seeing the head with snow-white hair and beard.

The disciple of the "Prophet," the "Lion" of the Empire, and an unparalleled leader in the world, was defeated and killed in battle, and his head was cut off.

However, after a moment of distraction, the Arab cavalry's performance was quite unexpected.

"Avenge the commander!"

"Follow the Commander-in-Chief to Heaven!"

"kill!"

Instead of surrendering, they regrouped and unleashed boundless courage, charging towards the Tang army's positions.

Even knowing that the enemy outnumbered them and their chances of survival were slim, and that going there would be like a moth drawn to a flame, destined to be shattered to pieces, they still did not hesitate.

A belief inspired them to charge forward regardless of everything.

Knowing that death was inevitable, they chose to live towards it.

As Su Dingfang watched the Arab cavalry charge into the heavily armored infantry's position, shouting slogans, they were completely submerged without even making a splash, and a chill rose in his heart.

"Their fallacies and lies bewitch people, making them ignorant of human relationships and even willing to sacrifice themselves and abandon their own families. This is a cage of civilization and a contradiction of human nature. If it is allowed to develop and spread throughout the world, I wonder how many people will be spared."

"Seeking advantage and avoiding harm" is human nature, and "fear of death" is the essence of human nature. However, if one could avoid these instincts, it would be terrifying to even think about.

Yang Zhou was also deeply uneasy, but he shouldn't be thinking about such things at the moment: "General, please sit here and wait for me to go and attack the city and capture the stronghold!"

Su Dingfang nodded: "Lead the armored cavalry and heavy infantry into the city to wipe out the remaining enemy forces. Order the light cavalry to split into two groups and flank the enemy city from the left and right to prevent them from escaping in the chaos. Taixifeng is a bustling trading center in the Mesopotamian region. If we besiege this city, we will surely reap a great harvest."

In the past, wars were fought on morale and national prestige.

However, since Fang Jun emerged, the war objectives of the Tang Dynasty have changed, and wars are now more about economic gains, spoils, and reparations.

It's hard to say whether Fang Jun's theory was superior, but the consequence was that war not only did not become a burden on the country, but also enriched the national treasury, which led the entire Tang military to regard it as the golden rule.