Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 1198 Musketeers, Black-Armored Cavalry, Move Out!

“150,000 against 70,000, the disparity in troop strength is enormous,” Cao Can pondered. “Even considering the advantage of guerrilla warfare, a prolonged war of attrition would not be favorable for our army.”

“That’s right.” Han Xin nodded. “So His Majesty issued a decree ordering you to bring reinforcements. But I didn’t expect…” A glint of excitement flashed in his eyes, “that it would be a musketeer corps!”

Cao Can laughed heartily and patted Han Xin on the shoulder: "His Majesty said that if we are to cripple the Qing Kingdom, we cannot afford to make a small-scale attack. Of the 50,000 troops we brought this time, 20,000 are musketeers, and the remaining 30,000 are elite infantry. In addition, there are 50 new cannons on their way, which will arrive in three days."

"Cannons?" Han Xin's eyes lit up.

“Yes, the Ministry of Works’ latest bronze field cannon has a range of up to three miles, and a single salvo is enough to tear apart any army formation.” Cao Can lowered his voice. “His Majesty is going to take the Qing State army to test the power of the new weapon.”

Han Xin took a deep breath to calm his excitement. He knew all too well what this meant. After decades of development, the technological level of the Chinese world far surpassed that of this era. The advent of firearms and cannons would completely change the nature of warfare.

"The problem now is," Han Xin turned his attention back to the battlefield, "how to use these forces to maximize the damage to the enemy."

The two men simultaneously looked at the map, their gazes falling in unison on the red marker representing cavalry. That marked the state army's most elite force of 30,000 cavalry, stationed on the plains east of the mountains, serving as both a mobile force and a crucial link in the encirclement.

"Cavalry," Han Xin said in a deep voice.

"Cavalry," Cao Can said at the same time.

The two exchanged a smile, their unspoken understanding evident.

“The musketeers are most afraid of cavalry charges,” Cao Can analyzed. “But as long as the tactics are right, the musketeers are the nemesis of cavalry. The key is to choose favorable terrain so that the cavalry cannot take advantage of their mobility.”

Han Xin's finger slid across the map, finally stopping at a valley: "Fallen Eagle Gorge. This place runs east to west, is about five miles long, with steep mountain walls on both sides, and the widest part of the valley floor is no more than a hundred feet. Cavalry entering the valley will be like turtles in a jar."

Cao Can leaned closer for a closer look, his eyes gleaming: "A good location. But how do we lure the enemy in deep?"

"Feign weakness," Han Xin had already planned. "We can feign a breakout to the east with our main force, engage the enemy at the eastern entrance of the canyon, and then feign defeat and retreat into the canyon. If the cavalry pursues, they will inevitably enter the canyon. At that time..."

"At that time, the musketeers will ambush on both sides of the cliffs, and the cannons will block both ends of the canyon," Cao Can continued, "to close the door and beat the dog."

The plan quickly took shape. The two then meticulously reviewed every detail: the composition of the decoy force, the pace of the retreat, the timing of the ambush, the firepower deployment, and the follow-up pursuit...

Before they knew it, dawn was breaking outside the tent. A guard brought them breakfast, a simple bowl of rice porridge and dried meat. The two continued their discussion as they ate, until all the details were finalized.

“If this battle is successful,” Han Xin put down his bowl of porridge, a sharp glint in his eyes, “the western border army will be severely weakened, and the Qing Kingdom will be unable to look westward for at least three years. At that time, Your Majesty can proceed with your plans in the court with ease.”

Cao Can nodded, but reminded him, "But we must not underestimate the enemy. There are also capable people in the Qingguo Prefecture army, especially the commander-in-chief Murong Zheng, who is said to be a steady and reliable strategist and not someone to be trifled with."

"That's why we need to finish this quickly." Han Xin stood up, walked to the tent flap, and lifted the curtain. Dawn was breaking, and the soldiers in the camp had already begun their morning exercises, their battle cries echoing through the air.

"Issue the order," he said, turning to his personal guard, "that the entire army rest for a day and break camp at dawn tomorrow. Also, summon all officers of the rank of centurion and above to the central command tent at noon for a meeting."

"Here!"

Over the next two hours, the two meticulously rehearsed the entire battle plan. Han Xin's voice was deep and powerful: "The first step is to feign weakness to lure the enemy. I will personally lead five thousand elite troops, along with a group of refugees, to pretend to be the main force, and break out to the east. Murong Zheng is inherently suspicious; seeing that my forces are weak yet dare to break out, he will surely suspect a trap."

"So you deliberately exposed a flaw?" Cao Can stroked his beard and asked.

“Not bad.” Han Xin pointed to the eastern entrance of the canyon. “I will engage the enemy cavalry at the eastern entrance of Luoying Gorge, feigning defeat and retreating into the gorge. The retreat must be real, and the casualties must be genuine. We must make Murong Zheng believe that this is indeed a retreat and not a trap.”

Cao Can frowned: "This plan is dangerous. Five thousand men against thirty thousand cavalrymen. The slightest mistake could lead to the annihilation of the entire army."

“Therefore, we need elite troops.” Han Xin’s expression was firm. “I have selected five thousand of my most elite soldiers, each equipped with two horses, to fight and retreat, never lingering in battle. After entering the gorge, the mountain roads are rugged, and the cavalry formation will inevitably be stretched out. At that time—”

“At this point, my musketeers can come in handy,” Cao Can interjected, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Two thousand five hundred musketeers will lie in ambush on each side of the canyon, and once half the enemy has entered, we will attack from both sides. Fifty cannons will be positioned at both ends of the canyon to block the exit.”

"Exactly." Han Xin marked the cannon positions on the map. "The timing is even more crucial. The musketeers must wait until our entire army has passed through the ambush zone before firing, while the cannons must fire in unison just as the cavalry vanguard is about to rush out of the canyon to block their escape route."

The two men meticulously reviewed every detail: the method of signal transmission, the rhythm of coordination among various units, and contingency plans for unforeseen circumstances. As dawn broke in the east, a complete battle plan was finalized.

“If this battle is successful,” Cao Can stood up, stretching his somewhat stiff body, “the situation in the western border will be completely reversed.”

Han Xin also stood up and looked at the gradually brightening sky outside the tent: "Not only the western border. With the annihilation of 30,000 cavalry, the Qing Kingdom will lose its most important mobile force. At that time, our army will be able to attack or defend at will, and the initiative will be in our hands."

In the morning light, the shadows of the two generals were stretched long. A great battle that would reshape the landscape of the western frontier was about to begin.

Three days later, at dawn.

On the eastern side of the Qinghe Plain, five thousand elite Huaxia soldiers stood in formation. Han Xin, clad in silver armor, his scarlet cloak fluttering in the morning breeze, rode forward, his gaze sweeping over the resolute faces of the soldiers.

"Soldiers!" Han Xin's voice echoed across the wilderness, "Today's battle is exceptionally perilous. We face 30,000 Qing Kingdom cavalry. Are you afraid?"

"We are not afraid!" Five thousand people roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

Han Xin nodded: "Good! Remember your mission: engage the enemy and then retreat, fighting as you go, luring the enemy into Luoying Gorge. Once inside the gorge, proceed at full speed and do not turn back. The victory in this battle does not depend on how many enemies you kill, but on successfully luring them in. Do you understand?"

"understand!"

"set off!"

Five thousand elite soldiers sped eastward like arrows released from a bow. Mixed in with them were hundreds of refugees dressed in civilian clothes—this was a deliberate arrangement by Han Xin to make the enemy believe that the main force of the Huaxia army was covering the civilians' breakout.

Thirty miles away, the Qing Kingdom's cavalry camp.

A scout galloped into the camp: "Report! Enemy troops have been spotted breaking out to the east, numbering about five or six thousand, with a large number of civilians among them!"

Inside the central command tent, cavalry commander Yuwen Lie suddenly stood up: "Can you see the commander's banner?"