Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 219 - 189: Heroes Cherish Each Other_2

Chapter 219: Chapter 189: Heroes Cherish Each Other_2

"So at this point, do we need to join forces with you to wipe out these Barbarians?"

Chu Ge noticed that Emperor Taizu of Sheng had shifted from referring to himself as "We" to "Us".

Although he wasn’t sure exactly why, a simple guess would be that Emperor Taizu of Sheng, currently in the state of a heroic spirit, was the most authentic version of himself from history, not only in terms of body and mind being at their peak, but also in terms of his behavior and style being most true to his character.

Emperor Taizu of Sheng had always liked referring to himself as "Us", and never denied his origins as a peasant, so at this moment his words came out very naturally.

And due to the presence of the restorers’ power, Emperor Taizu of Sheng, appearing in the form of a heroic spirit, quickly understood his mission at this time.

It was his old profession again, fighting the Northern Barbarians!

Only this time, instead of having his own hand-trained veteran soldiers, he was to fight shoulder to shoulder with the restorers.

The players were all very happy, "We are ready to heed Your Majesty’s command!"

These players had already experienced the instance named "Chest Filled with the Heroic Spirit of the Wilderness", and although none had cleared it yet, they had already learned a lot about the life and deeds of Emperor Taizu of Sheng. Now, to be able to fight under his command was indeed a matter worth their excitement.

Although everyone trusted Chu Ge as well, how could modern people compare with ancient famous generals when it came to combat with cold weapons?

Under the command of Emperor Taizu of Sheng, the players’ chances of victory would naturally increase significantly.

"Your Majesty, how shall we fight this battle?" Chu Ge asked.

Emperor Taizu of Sheng rode his horse up to a high slope, overlooking from above.

The Northern Barbarian Cavalry was starting to gather. Although there was still some time before they launched the attack, there was no time to lose.

Emperor Taizu of Sheng frowned slightly, "This battle, I fear, is going to be a tough one..."

Zhao Haiping nodded, "Hmm, the Northern Barbarian Cavalry are formidable, and we only have ten thousand Cavalrymen. The disparity in the number of Cavalry is a bit difficult to compensate for."

The lack of Cavalry numbers was the most worrying issue for Chu Ge and Zhao Haiping.

However, Emperor Taizu of Sheng, unconcerned, waved his hand, "What does it matter if we don’t have enough Cavalry? This has never been an issue of importance.

"As long as these ten thousand Cavalrymen are elite, and led by a valiant general, that will be enough.

"When the Great Sheng Dynasty was founded, we drove the Northern Barbarians far into the Desert North and reclaimed the lands of Yan by using infantry to counter cavalry!

Chu Ge and Zhao Haiping exchanged glances, first stunned.

They hadn’t expected that, according to Emperor Taizu of Sheng, an expert on fighting the Northern Barbarians, ten thousand Cavalrymen would already be enough?

Using infantry to counter cavalry?

In fact, when past dynasties of the Central Plains faced invasions and raids by nomadic Barbarians, they had all thought of using infantry to counter cavalry, but very few had succeeded.

The reasons for this were deeply felt by the players during their attempts to clear the Cavalry Trial.

So was Emperor Taizu of Sheng just blindly confident when he mentioned this tactic?

Of course not!

Chu Ge knew very well that Emperor Taizu of Sheng was fully qualified to make this claim.

At the beginning of the Great Sheng Dynasty, the reason they could drive out the Northern Barbarian Cavalry was not due to their own Cavalry forces, but to a massive number of infantrymen.

This is what’s mentioned in the historical records as "The vigorous soldiers of the two Huais, although they were not as skilled as the elite Cavalry."

The elite infantry led by Emperor Taizu of Sheng at the very beginning, even the elite Cavalry were no match for them.

Of course, generals like Gu Yuan also had Cavalry forces, but the main strategy at that time still relied on infantry and Cavalry coordination, not just Cavalry alone.

The main reason for this was that at the beginning of the Great Sheng Dynasty, there weren’t that many horses available. Even if they wanted to play with a large-scale Cavalry, they couldn’t afford it, and instead, they had to work hard on developing infantry tactics.

Later, when the Great Sheng Dynasty unified the nation, recovered and rested, and tapped into the country’s potential for war, the number of Cavalry gradually increased.

When venturing deep into the Desert North searching for the main force of the Northern Barbarians, it mainly relied on the Cavalry forces.

But for Emperor Taizu of Sheng, if he could handle Cavalry, he could certainly handle a mix of infantry and Cavalry.

"Soldiers are like water, which always takes on a new form", a qualified commander must know how to use all available conditions to devise tactics.

The players were all excited, "Using infantry to counter Cavalry? How shall we approach the enemy?"

Emperor Taizu of Sheng glanced at these players, with a feeling akin to a grandfather telling stories to a group of ignorant grandchildren.

"Using infantry against Cavalry seems simple, but making it work is extremely difficult.

"For the infantry to stand their ground against Cavalry, they must be physically strong, high in morale, well-armored, and highly disciplined...

"The simplest point, if you encounter a head-on charge from the Cavalry, you must maintain formation, hold up long spears, and not retreat a single step, for if one person harbors the thought of pulling back, the entire formation could collapse in an instant.

"Are you all capable of this?

"If not, we would need to think of another method."

Hearing this, the surrounding players couldn’t help but laugh.

Chu Ge smiled and said, "Please rest assured on this point, Your Majesty. We are all hardened warriors, high in battle spirit, skilled in technique, with excellent discipline, and moreover, each of us has one chance to resurrect.

"We will not lose to any elite soldiers or valiant generals."

Emperor Taizu of Sheng was skeptical, as obviously, such preposterous combat was something he had never experienced in his life.

But seeing the players so confident, he could only choose to believe.

"What weapons do you have?"

Meng Yuan, who had been blending in with the player group, seized the opportunity to ask, "What kind of weapons does Your Majesty require?"

Emperor Taizu of Sheng pondered briefly, "Many!

"If it’s for infantry, I’ll want muskets, cannons, arm cannons, shield swords, crossbows, long spears, war chariots...

"If it’s for Cavalry, I’ll want swift horses, light sabers, composite bows, long arrows, and three-eyed guns!"