The climate in Romania in September is still sultry. Although the heavy rains for several days have brought down the temperature in the mountainous areas, the bright sunshine for two consecutive days has immediately turned the entire mountainous area into a steaming cage. Except for the fact that the weather is slightly cooler at night, during the day There was not even a trace of the merchants running around for profit on the mountain road.
The former Ronisian Alliance has been integrated into a large province to the west of the Maci Khan under the strong purge of the Maci Khan, and has also become a huge barrier to the west of the Maci Khan. The undulating mountains and hills formed the There are countless passes, passes and mountain passes, and the mountains appear somewhat broken after long-term weathering, making the entire Ronisia more like a relatively rugged plateau terrain. There are countless dams and small basins in the mountainous areas, and most of the cities and market towns are distributed in the dams and basins. The former capital of the Kingdom of Naples, Geia, has now become the capital of the province of Ronisia. The elite 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th and 136th regiments of the Kingdom of Machi Khan are stationed here. Ronisia, and the person responsible for guarding Ronisia was Ya Ning, the general of Machi Khan.
The importance of Ronisia goes without saying. Both the military and government officials of Maci Khan knew what Ronisia meant to Maci Khan. They lost Ronisia, the flanks of Yue Jing and the province of Anjie. They were completely exposed to the swords of the Tang Dynasty. The flat terrain of Yuejing and Anjie was certainly a stage for Machihan's cavalry to demonstrate their capabilities, but also because the open terrain was more suitable for large-scale battles, it had an absolute advantage in the total military strength. In front of the Tang people, this was also their capital to dare to take a chance.
Ronisia was lost. Maybe the Tang people would pay some price in the Yuejing and Anjie Plain areas, but the Tang Dynasty, which had super military potential, could drag Machi Khan to death just by spending it. Yaning knew this better than anyone, and when Putiancheng While He Mingzhong was still dreaming about using Yuejing and the Anjie Plain to lure the Tang army into the area so as to annihilate the Tang army's effective strength, Yaning had already realized that once the Tang army invaded Yuejing and established a foothold, it would be the turn of the Maci Khan from prosperity to decline. Start. After losing these three provinces, just trying to fight against the now prosperous Tang Dynasty with local strength would undoubtedly be hitting the stone with an egg.
Therefore, Yaning has always believed that the focus of defense must be on Ronisia. As for the Yue Jing side, as long as heavy troops are stationed in the city and the Tang army cannot control the defensive strongholds, infantry alone will not be able to fight against Machi Khan's wildebeest heavy cavalry. Even the Gaoyue heavy infantry that they were proud of could not hold out for long. This was determined by the strategic position between offense and defense, so Yaning believed that if the Tang army really wanted to take military action against the Khanate. That would definitely be in Ronisia rather than Yuejing.
Both the Great Khan and the Minister of State, Mr. Lei, have clearly predicted for themselves that the Liberians will definitely launch an offensive against the Tang Dynasty before the end of this year. If this is the case, Yaning believes that with these six elite regiments in his hands, he can defend the Tang Dynasty. Nicaea is still confident. If the Tang army really goes all out, it might as well implement a strategic retreat. If the Tang Army wants to take over by shrinking the outer fortifications and relying on the central defense system, then let them do it and let them have whatever new siege weapons and equipment the Tang Army has. This natural fortification is enough to stop anyone. If the Lin family hadn't been in chaos, the Khanate would never have been able to get this land so easily.
But will the Liberians abide by the agreement and join forces to send troops? Yaning was a little skeptical. It is not that there is any doubt about the sincerity of the Liberians. Under this situation, everyone can see that the existence of Datang has posed a huge threat to the surrounding countries, and with Li Wufeng's character, he will never allow Datang to There are forces around that threaten Datang's dominance, so all parties are almost unanimous in their goals. But after all, the Liberians are not a unified country, but just a military alliance. The army is not under unified leadership, once it is engaged in a large-scale battle. Whether it is possible to follow orders and prohibitions, whether it is possible to sacrifice oneself and take care of the overall situation, these issues are worthy of consideration. Once a fate-deciding war like this is lost, it may be irreversible, and even the slightest flaw cannot be avoided. It is this The reason is what makes Ya Ning uneasy all the time.
The actions of the Tang Army could not be hidden from Yaning. In fact, the Tang Dynasty began to make adjustments as early as two months ago. The first, second, and third three most powerful legions of the Tang Empire were all mobilized to this area. This made Yaning was secretly frightened and had to rush to strengthen precautions. It seemed that the Tang Dynasty was preparing to eradicate or weaken its own side to ensure the safety of their rear areas before dealing with the Liberians. The Khanate had already carried out military operations. Although the mobilization did not supplement Ronisia's troops, the troops in Anjie and Yuejing were at least doubled. In particular, the number of troops stationed in Yuejing has increased to five corps, which is almost the same as the three generals of the Khanate. Two-thirds of its troops are stationed on the western and northern borders. The Khanate seems determined to position this battle as a battle that determines the fate of the Khanate. No matter how high the cost, this battle must be Stick to it.
All military units have been deployed. According to Yaning's idea, there is no need to have too much entanglement with the Tang Army on the first line of defense. The area of the first line of defense is too wide, and the Tang Army has too many attack points to choose from. Even if the Khanate Even if the army doubles, it is easy for the Tang army to concentrate on encircling it. Instead of doing that, it is better to just show off on the surface. As soon as the Tang army launches an attack, it can kill the opponent's effective forces as much as possible according to the plan, but it must also ensure the safe withdrawal of the troops. , concentrating the army in the central mountains can function more effectively.
The Tang Army's offensive should be launched within the next two days. All aspects of intelligence have proven that the Tang Army's various units have entered the predetermined battlefield, and the situation can be said to be on the verge of breaking out. At this time, Yaning calmed down. What should come will always come. He has considered all aspects that need to be considered. If Tang Jun really wants to force a breakthrough from Ronisia, he will make them pay painfully for it. cost.
Yaning's judgment is indeed correct. The Second Army and the First Army have been fully deployed on the western border of Ronisia. The more than 200,000-strong army is spread out and cannot be concealed from others. The Machi Khan army on the opposite side is also ready. , seems to be waiting for this battle to come.
On September 16, 701 in the Continental Gregorian Calendar, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Tang Empire officially issued a notice to Machi Khan, requiring him to withdraw all troops from Anjie, Yuejing and Ronisia within one day and restore the three territories. Sovereignty, giving local people the right to self-determination, otherwise all consequences will be borne by the Macchi Khanate. The Machihans naturally rejected the Tang Dynasty's unreasonable demands. The next day, September 17, the Tang Dynasty's first and second legions launched an all-out offensive from the west of Ronisia, with more than 200,000 troops. Crossing the broken mountain area, they launched an attack on the three regiments of Machi Khan who were on the defensive. The Machi Khan War broke out in an all-round way.
Gudma reluctantly issued the order to withdraw from Raubya. Machi Khan's army methodically set the pass on fire. The flames and smoke that covered the sky enveloped Raubaya. The Fifth Corps had already They blocked the Tang Army here for two days. Although the Tang Army's offensive was fierce, their own regiment did not embarrass the Khanate. Relying on the favorable terrain of the Raubya Pass, they repelled seven Tang Army attacks in two days, although their own losses were not high. Small, but the Tang army suffered more heavy casualties, Gudema felt that the battle was worth it.
Raubiya is a more important pass in the west of the Principality of Kaji. Although Gudema wanted to use the excellent terrain of this pass to block the Tang army, the Tang army's offensive was too fierce. Secondly, and the most important reason, the Tang army was already in the area. Qianfeng Ridge on the flank achieved a breakthrough. At this point, Gudema still had to admit that the mountain legion formed by the Tang Army was really powerful.
Just by hearing the name, Qianfeng Ridge is very dangerous. Due to its high terrain, it can be called the most dangerous barrier in the Ronisian mountains. However, the Tang army chose this most dangerous Qianfeng Ridge to break through, which was indeed a bit unexpected. , although General Yaning has repeatedly asked to be cautious and pay attention to the situation on both wings at all times, the Seventh Corps is probably a little careless. A team of 10,000 people has been blocked by the Tang Army's breakthrough unit, although Goode Ma wanted to send troops to support from the flanks, but he also knew that it was futile, and he would have to drag his own army in, so he could only reluctantly leave the battlefield and choose an area more suitable to block the Tang army to continue fighting.
The person responsible for implementing the breakthrough at Qianfeng Ridge is naturally the Second Legion, which the empire is proud of. Shanzhu has not had such a fun battle for a long time. Although Qianfeng Ridge is dangerous, it is not considered as dangerous compared to the Great Hengduan Mountains. What's the matter? Although Machi Khan's army also stationed a small force in Qianfengling Mountain, it was obviously not mentally prepared for the Tang army that seemed to fall from the sky. The first division rushed in and quickly moved to the flank after taking control of Qianfengling Mountain. After attacking, part of Machi Khan's 7th Corps, which was unable to retreat in time, was stuck in the Shayue Basin in the south. The fate of this part of Machi Khan's army can be imagined.
The breakthrough of the Second Army from Qianfeng Ridge drove the progress of the entire Ronisia region. The First Army forced a breakthrough from the territory of the Peacock City-State. After a day and night of hard fighting, they forcibly captured the western side of the Peacock City-State from the third army of Machi Khan. Kelantan, the key pass, directly threatens the security of Peacock City. The other part of the First Army inserted from the flank and advanced from the north, showing an aggressive momentum in an attempt to surround Peacock City and completely eliminate the Machi Khan army stationed in Peacock City.