Love is not a reaction, if I love you because you love me, then it's just a transaction, love becomes something that is bought and sold in the market, that's obviously not love. Love does not ask for anything in return, does not even feel what you have given, and only this kind of love can make you understand freedom.

- Krishnamurti (the greatest spiritual teacher of the twentieth century)

Leonidas, who stood like a rock at the front of the spear phalanx of the Spartan legion, was wearing a bright red Spartan robe, looking at the enemy cavalry surrounded on three sides in front of him like a torch, and ordered in a loud voice without fear: "Sparta, prepare for battle!"

"Ho!"

With Leonidas's order, the pikemen, whose backs were straight, stepped back half a step back with their right feet, and then erected the extra-long spears in their hands at an angle of forty-five degrees to the ground, and a sixteen-layer thick spear defense line was instantly formed.

At the same time, the elite infantry on the left and right flanks of the pike phalanx also drew their long swords from their waists, clenched the round shields in their hands, and assumed a posture to meet the enemy, but the longbowmen behind the elite infantry just stuck their quivers on the ground.

Looking at the Spartan army like a hedgehog, Shulhazy, who had a solemn look on his face, turned his head to Dolgon, who was side by side, and said: "It seems that there is far more than one special force of the Celestial Dragon Empire, and this army in front of you is much more powerful than the one defeated by the red flag. ”

"Second uncle, how do you know that this army is not the one that was defeated with the red flag?" Dolgon, who felt that Shulhaqi had made a conclusion too early, said in a relaxed tone: "Perhaps, this army is the army that was defeated with the red flag." ”

"No, Dolgon, this army is definitely not the one that was defeated with the Red Banner. Murhazy, who also looked solemn, explained to Dolgon: "Whether an army is strong or not can be predicted by its momentum, and this army is by no means an ordinary army. ”

As if feeling that what Murhazy said was not clear enough, Shulhazy added: "If it was this army that was met with the red flag at the beginning, then there is no red flag now; ”

"How is that possible?!" Shulhazy and Murhazy's repeated explanations made Dolgon, who had never really stepped on the battlefield, directly exclaim: "The Yellow Banner is the second strongest army of the Old Eight Banners in combat strength after the Yellow Banner, how can it not defeat this 10,000 people?"

"Dolgon, never underestimate the wisdom and creativity of the Draconians. At this moment, Shulhaqi taught Dorgon as an elder: "As one of the most powerful empires on the continent, the Celestial Dragon Empire has a background that cannot be compared to our steppe tribes. ”

"Second uncle, I understand what you said. Facing the elder-like teachings of his second uncle, Dolgon explained with a wry smile: "It's just that I really can't believe that this mere 10,000 Heavenly Dragon troops can withstand the attack of our 20,000 most elite Eight Banner cavalry. ”

"Dolgon, why do you think I have been opposing your father's use of force to unify our Jianzhou Jurchens? It's not that I don't want to see my eldest brother succeed, but I'm afraid that the unification by force will consume too many of our soldiers in vain, and eventually let others take advantage of it. ”

Shulhazy, whose words revealed bitterness, did not give Dolgon a chance to continue speaking, and after saying this, his face regained his composure, and he smiled and instructed Dolgon: "Let your yellow flag prepare to attack the army behind the enemy." ”

"Second uncle, didn't you just say that your yellow flag can't defeat the army in front of you?" Dolgon, who is quite politically wise, is still a newcomer with no military experience after all, and this question he raised is really a little too naïve.

Regarding Dolgon's incomprehension, Shulhaqi patiently answered his questions: "The premise that my yellow flag cannot defeat this army is to fight in the D'Orville Gorge, not to mention, I also have your third uncle's red flag to cooperate in the battle." ”

After hearing Shulhaqi's meaningful explanation, Dolgon immediately remembered the disadvantages of this special force of the Celestial Dragons, so he relieved himself and said to his two uncles: "Second uncle, third uncle, then I will arrange the attack of the Yellow Banner first." ”

After Dolgon left the place under the escort of Fucha Hengtai, Shulhazy and Murhazy, who did not delay any longer, immediately began to deploy their cavalry to prepare for an attack on the Spartan army, and they were not afraid to fight the spear phalanx on the plains.

The 10,000 cavalry with yellow flags charged with all their strength rushed to the Spartan army's spear-filled phalanx defense line with an indomitable and courageous attitude, while the Spartan soldiers with rich combat experience and systematic special training used their own super-long guns to meet the charge of the enemy cavalry.

The rain of arrows thrown from the hands of the hundreds of cavalrymen with yellow flags at the forefront had not yet fallen on the heads of the pikemen, and the rain of arrows from the longbowmen of the Spartan legion had already covered them; half of the cavalry with yellow flags who were caught off guard were killed on the spot.

Before the second round of arrows from the longbowmen could be fired, the remaining half of the cavalry with yellow flags, which had accelerated again, had already rushed into the spear defense of the Spartan army;

The more ferocious charge of the cavalry with the yellow flag brought them only more and more heavy casualties, and the defense line of the spear phalanx, which was like a great wall of steel, was not at all something they could break through head-on, and these cavalry with the yellow flag were quickly depleted in front of the pike phalanx.

It was only the first wave of hundreds of cavalry with yellow flags, who fought to the last man without fear of death, followed by the second wave of hundreds of cavalry with yellow flags; when wave after wave of cavalry with yellow flags attacked the defense line of the spear phalanx, the 20,000 cavalry of the red flag also took action.

The 20,000 Red Banner cavalry, which targeted the elite infantry on both flanks of the Spartan Legion, attacked the flanks of the Spartan Legion from the left and right flanks, and the cavalry of the two wings of the Spartan Legion was severely damaged by them before they could get close to the charging Red Banner Cavalry.

The Red Banner cavalry, who were proficient in cavalry and archery, rushed towards the flank of the Spartan legion at full speed, and at the same time shot the cavalry of the Spartan legion rushing towards them with the bows and arrows in their hands.

You must know that the Spartan Legion's wing establishment is relatively small, no matter which branch of the unit, it is a standard establishment of 1,024 soldiers, and several rounds of arrows from the enemy cavalry caused the two cavalry wings of the Spartan Legion to lose one-third of their cavalry.

At the beginning of the war, Leonidas had demanded to the two cavalry wings that they must immediately withdraw from the battle as soon as their losses reached one-third of their own, but now the casualties of the two cavalry wings had reached one-third, but they had no intention of retreating.

The cavalry of the Spartan Legion, which desperately rushed into the Red Banner Cavalry Cluster, finally entered the enemy's cavalry cluster with the usual bravery of barbarian warriors, and the Positive Red Banner Cavalry, whose charging formation was disrupted, had to deal with the light cavalry that was entangled with them first.

The desperate resistance of the two cavalry wings bought enough time for the elite infantry on both flanks of the pike, and the two pikemen brigades and two longbow wings at both ends of the pikes also made corresponding adjustments to deal with the threat of enemy cavalry on both flanks.