Joint Operation

Li Shimin was unaware that the Dragon Cavalry, whose recent successes had brought him such joy, was already on the verge of its third engagement. Li Daliang had dispatched Qibi Heli with two thousand men to support Su Lie’s Dragon Cavalry. While a few hundred were tasked with transporting the spoils seized by the Dragon Cavalry back to Liangzhou City, the rest were to follow Su Lie toward another enemy stronghold. For the Liangzhou army, this was essentially a gift of military merit from Su Lie, as well as a rare opportunity to witness firsthand the true might of the Dragon Cavalry.

Because Qibi Heli had arrived several days earlier than the enemy scouts expected for their intelligence exchange, Su Lie decided to intercept them midway. With the aid of telescopes, the Dragon Cavalry could observe the terrain from vast distances, leaving Su Lie with no fear of missing his target. Even in March, the temperatures within the Tuyuhun territory remained frigid, but the soldiers had long since adapted to the bitter cold.

As the two distinct armies marched, a silent process of observation and comparison inevitably took hold. Soon, the soldiers of the Liangzhou army began to feel a sense of inadequacy. Initially, they had seen that the Dragon Cavalry soldiers were just as unkempt as they were, wrapped tightly in thick fur coats, and generally indifferent to formal military discipline, often seen horseplaying during downtime. Yet, after two days of observation, they discovered the Dragon Cavalry’s true nature. The Dragon Cavalry set up camp with remarkable speed and immediately established guard posts. Once those posts were manned, no one—not even Su Lie himself—could enter or exit without providing the password. Furthermore, the Dragon Cavalry never drank raw water; every drop was boiled by designated personnel. What baffled the Liangzhou soldiers most was that the Dragon Cavalry possessed tools capable of actually bringing water to a boil on the high plateau.

The difference in their marching styles was also pronounced. The Liangzhou soldiers constantly strained to control their mounts to ensure a steady pace, whereas the Dragon Cavalry soldiers rarely touched their reins, instead relaxing their bodies to sway naturally with the movement of their horses. Among the Liangzhou ranks, only General Qibi Heli moved with such fluid ease.

The moment that truly humbled the Liangzhou soldiers occurred two days later. The Dragon Cavalry scouts detected the enemy from afar. After a brief discussion between Su Lie and Qibi Heli, it was decided that a detachment from the Liangzhou army would join the Dragon Cavalry on the interception mission—a necessary step in building cooperation and allowing both sides to familiarize themselves with each other's combat methods. Fifty men from each side, led by a centurion of the Dragon Cavalry, charged toward the enemy.

The gap in their capabilities became glaring the moment the charge began. The Liangzhou soldiers let out fierce battle cries and whipped their horses, causing their bodies to lose the perfect, close-contact alignment with their mounts. In contrast, the Dragon Cavalry soldiers remained nearly flush against their horses’ flanks and never used whips. The distance between the two groups widened rapidly. To the bewilderment of the Liangzhou men, their horses, driven by frantic whipping, could not keep pace with the silent, steady speed of the Dragon Cavalry.

When the enemy realized they were being pursued, they turned to flee, but the Dragon Cavalry, having already accelerated, gave them no chance. Even beyond standard range, the Dragon Cavalry drew their bows and fired with uncanny accuracy. One by one, the enemies were struck and tumbled from their horses, screaming. After only a few volleys, the force of over a hundred men was nearly decimated. The Liangzhou soldiers had desperately tried to close the distance to prove their worth, but they found, to their frustration, that every enemy they neared was swiftly dispatched by the Dragon Cavalry. Eventually, the Liangzhou soldiers gave up the effort and resigned themselves to the task of cleaning up the battlefield. By the end, most of the enemy had been killed, with only a dozen or so wounded left alive. Throughout the entire ordeal, the Dragon Cavalry soldiers had not uttered a single shout, communicating even their formation changes solely through gestures with their whips. This chilling silence left the Liangzhou army feeling deeply suppressed.

The Liangzhou soldiers had always fancied themselves wolves of the battlefield, charging with loud, bloodcurdling roars, believing this was the only way to strike terror into their foes. Now, however, it seemed that the silent, efficient lethality of the Dragon Cavalry was far more terrifying.

The intelligence obtained from the captives did not differ from previous reports. After the wounded prisoners were treated, the army set out once more. Before long, the Liangzhou soldiers began to approach the Dragon Cavalry, eager to learn from their combat experience. Watching this, Qibi Heli laughed and remarked to Su Lie, "It seems this interception has brought these wolf cubs to heel."

Su Lie chuckled, "The Dragon Cavalry’s tactics differ greatly from those of the main army. Aren't you afraid your men will learn the wrong lessons?"

Qibi Heli replied, "What is there to fear? If these cubs can learn even a fraction of the Dragon Cavalry’s skills, I would be overjoyed!"

Su Lie smiled, "It sounds like you are trying to take the bread out of my Dragon Cavalry’s mouths!"

"If I could truly take it," Qibi Heli laughed, "I would wake up laughing in my dreams." But Qibi Heli was only joking. Through two days of observation, he had realized that every Dragon Cavalry soldier possessed a high degree of martial skill, which meant that maintaining such an elite force required immense resources—far more than the current wealth of the Great Tang could support for a large army.

Three days later, the Dragon Cavalry scouts finally located the main enemy encampment. This signaled the beginning of an incredibly arduous battle. Because the enemy numbers were overwhelming, the previous tactics of assassination were no longer viable. Su Lie’s reconnaissance team spent two days and two nights mapping out the enemy’s defensive layout. Inside Su Lie’s simple command tent, he and Qibi Heli gathered their officers around a newly fashioned sand table to deliberate the plan.

Su Lie pointed to the location of the stables on the model and said, "Our primary objective is to seize all of the enemy's horses."

Qibi Heli hesitated, "To make off with tens of thousands of horses... surely that is unrealistic?"

Su Lie replied, "I have already devised a plan. I guarantee the enemy will be left with no choice but to watch helplessly as their mounts are led away from the camp."