hsntnovel Chapter 2806 Dad Loses Face
Chapter 2806 Dad Loses Face
"Of course I know what light cavalry is. What I'm asking is how you came to have light cavalry? Don't you only have three thousand men?"
I have seen the equipment of your three thousand men; it is not the equipment of light cavalry.
"Have you started recruiting again?"
Li Shimin countered with a question. Li Shimin was no stranger to Li Shen's three thousand guards; he had seen them often, and they were no different from heavy cavalry.
He was clad in a suit of steel armor, impervious to blades and spears. His vital areas were meticulously designed, with an additional layer of soft armor underneath, making him virtually indestructible even if he stood still and let enemies hack at him.
But he had never heard of Li Shen having any light cavalry.
"Reporting back to Father, it's still the Imperial Guard Battalion, just with different equipment."
In fact, my guard battalion only had five hundred actual cavalrymen; the rest were different types of soldiers.
However, they haven't encountered an enemy that would allow the Imperial Guard to make their mark yet, so they've been used as cavalry all along.
They are normally fully armed when going on long journeys, but can also be used as light cavalry for surprise attacks.
Li Shen recounted his experiences with his personal guard without reservation.
His personal guard was personally trained by Li Jing, and like the regular army of the Tang Dynasty, it was divided into several branches of service.
Li Jing's original idea was teamwork, including swordsmen and shieldmen, heavy cavalry, archers, spearmen, and so on.
Li Jing did not expect that Li Shen would be so wealthy, equipping everyone with full suits of armor.
Why bother with any coordination? Just charge straight in. The armor is tough enough anyway. So, although Li Shen's guard battalion did train, it was never used.
This is not Li Jing's fault. He had never fought such a rich war in his life. If he had had three thousand guards back then, he would have swept across the northern Tiele tribes long ago.
Li Shimin listened to Li Shen's introduction with great interest.
He understood then that it wasn't that Li Shen had a lot of men, but that he was genuinely rich. No wonder this rebellious son needed so much money to support his army every year.
With weapons, equipment, and warhorses at their disposal, the people themselves became less important.
"Tenth Brother, your three thousand men, equipped with such gear, are almost invincible, but there is one flaw."
Li Shimin became interested.
"A flaw?" Li Shen was taken aback. That shouldn't be the case. Li Jing didn't mention any flaws in his guard battalion. Could it be that the old fox Li Jing had a secret weapon?
Thinking of this, Li Shen suddenly felt uneasy, as this concerned his life, and he quickly and humbly asked for advice:
"Please enlighten me, Father."
Looking at Li Shen's expression, Li Shimin finally felt a sense of triumph. He thought Li Shen really knew everything, but it turns out there were things he didn't know.
Li Shimin, holding his wine cup, stood up and sat down next to Li Shen:
"Your cavalry is formidable, but their horses are their primary weakness. If the enemy focuses their attacks on your horses' legs..."
Your cavalry will fall off, but your equipment is heavy, and without the support of horses, the cavalry will have difficulty moving and move slowly after landing.
Even if you can't kill him, you can still catch him.
Li Shimin proudly explained to Li Shen that this was based on his years of experience: to deal with heavy cavalry, you must first deal with the horses.
"That's it?" Li Shen thought with some disdain. He had thought it was some kind of loophole.
“Father, this has always been the case for cavalry, and it’s not just my guard battalion that’s like this, is it?”
What Aye said does make some sense, but it's not something that happens often in actual combat, unless the area is far larger than the number of people in the bedroom.
They could only achieve this by risking their lives.
Back then, Duke Wei's six thousand cavalrymen routed the Xueyantuo army of over ten thousand, who fled deep into the north. If what Aye said were true, Duke Wei would probably have been defeated long ago.
The battles fought in the Tang Dynasty are all mythical tales. If things were really like what Li Shimin said, how could they possibly win?
Moreover, Li Shen was not ignorant; he had seen war before. In Xizhou, his three thousand men stormed into the enemy camp, and tens of thousands of enemy soldiers could not stop them.
The only unlucky guy who got injured fell off his horse.
Li Shen felt that if he wanted to use his father's method, the other party would have to pay several times the price in human lives to get it.
His own father is just showing off in front of the kids, does he really think he's a spoiled brat?
Li Shimin originally wanted to show off his superiority, but he didn't expect Li Shen to be so shrewd that he even understood this.
“Father, your son has been on the battlefield and killed people.” Li Shen stared at his father, his little eyes full of mockery.
"Ahem... let's talk about the second point." Li Shimin was a little embarrassed; he hadn't been fooled, so he changed the subject.
"Tenth Brother, since you've been on the battlefield, you should know that cavalry are not good at attacking cities."
"Your cavalry, though brave, are virtually incapable of besieging a city."
"Father, the capital of Kucha, Yilu, was conquered by you without lifting a finger, have you forgotten, Father?"
As soon as Li Shimin finished speaking, Li Shen calmly replied.
“Uh…” Li Shimin fell silent after hearing this. He had seen the battle report and heard Li Shen recount it.
Guo Xiaoke underestimated the enemy and was ambushed, resulting in the fall of the capital of Kucha. Li Shen led the Imperial Guard to the rescue and captured Yilu City in half a day, a truly remarkable feat.
It is truly astonishing that they were able to capture a city in half a day without any inside help.
But her own son actually did it.
"Father, times have changed." Li Shen couldn't resist teasing his father one last time, seeking revenge for the three-year salary deduction.
Li Shimin silently stood up, picked up his wine cup, and returned to his seat.
Everyone could see that His Majesty had suffered a setback, and in front of his own son no less.
Consort Wei glared fiercely at Li Shen and then served food to Li Shimin.
The threatening look in her eyes sent chills down Li Shen's spine. Would his mother actually hit him?
My mom never holds back when she gets physical.
“Um… Father, actually, all these things were taught to us by Master Wei.”
For the sake of his own backside, Li Shen felt it was best to take it easy.
"Alas, please don't say anymore. I know I'm old, and my health isn't what it used to be. My tactics have to adapt to the times."
"As you said, times have changed."
Li Shimin was somewhat dejected. He hadn't been on the battlefield for over twenty years, and he had finally had a rare opportunity to personally lead an expedition.
In the end, however, this opportunity was given to the Crown Prince, which enhanced the Crown Prince's prestige in the army.
"Father, the times haven't changed, it's just that my fighting style is different."
Seeing his father's low spirits, Li Shen could only offer words of comfort, otherwise his mother would also become anxious.
"What do you mean?" Li Shimin asked, puzzled.
"Father, let's eat first." Li Shen didn't say much, and Li Shimin also felt it would be better to talk after the meal.
The meal was quickly finished. Seeing that Li Shen was worried about Su Xiaoxiao giving birth, Li Shimin ordered someone to move the tea table to the door of the ward.
Li Shen observed for a while before sitting down.
"Tell me about it," Li Shimin asked impatiently.
"Father, I don't really understand it either, but I do know that the way we fight is determined by the weapons and equipment we use."
(How much longing and passion can last a night? Even the ends of the earth and the corners of the sea cannot measure the distance.)