The Sun and the Lion

After the raid, Ismail continued to monitor the Uzbek army outside Samarkand. Naturally, it was impossible to hide the huge mobilization from the scouts. Even if Shabani Khan sent multiple teams to expel and intercept these Safavid scouts, Ismail Meier still obtained the information in time.

In the evening of the next day, the main force of the army led by Ibrahim arrived near Samarkand. He chose a settlement on the bank of the Zerafshan River as a temporary camping ground. Ismail, who came to join him, told everything he knew about One report to Shah.

"Your Majesty, after yesterday's and today's raids and reconnaissance, I learned that the Yuejie army is gathering to fight our army. Almost all of the enemy's troops are cavalry. According to the prisoners, the size of the enemy's army is about 40,000, which is the same as ours. The army is roughly equal. There is a flat area between Samarkand and here, which is very suitable for cavalry combat."

Ibrahim was not much surprised by the fact that Shaibani Khan had already made preparations. After all, letters had been exchanged, and it was definitely necessary to be prepared for the enemy's arrival.

"Although Shaibani Khan has 40,000 cavalry at his disposal, he still needs to leave some troops to guard against Babur in the city. In this way, our army actually has an overall numerical advantage." Ibrahim said. A simple analysis will make the generals feel confident.

Ibrahim made arrangements and ordered the entire army to rest and prepare for battle.

On the other side, Shaibani Khan was still searching for the specific location of the Safavid army, and the Uzbek army that had just assembled was also making final preparations in the camp.

…………

The next day, the Uzbek scouts responsible for searching for the Safavid army finally gained something. After several small-scale battles, they reported to Shabani Khan that the enemy troops were advancing here. The assembled Uzbek army finally found When he saw his opponent, he pounced on him.

The two armies faced each other in the open space between the Zerafshan River and the city of Samarkand. Ibrahim placed himself on a hill behind the army formation in order to observe the overall situation and pass the command flag to the generals. signal to control the entire army.

According to Ibrahim's arrangement, the Safavid army's infantry, artillery and friends of the Shah were all deployed in the center, while the red heads were deployed on the two wings and at the front. The layout of the Uzbek army is very simple-divide all cavalry into four parts: center, wings and rearguard.

It took a while for all the soldiers to get into position. The red heads put on their best armor and were equipped with scimitars, lances, bones, horse bows and other weapons. The fully armed appearance of these mounted warriors matched their iconic The red hat is enough to make the stragglers lose the courage to fight.

The infantry followed the usual practice of placing the camel cannon at the front, followed by the musketeers, and finally the soldiers holding shields, short spears and long knives. The musketeers lit their matches, checked the condition of their guns, and waited for the order to fire. Horses and carts were also deployed on both sides of the infantry formation to cope with unexpected situations.

Looking across the way, there are boundless ferocious nomads staring viciously at the Safavid army. They are also strong and tenacious, believing that the Great Khan can continue to bring them victory and seize more spoils.

The battle lines composed of tens of thousands of people on both sides covered the ground, and various flags fluttered slowly, blocking the sunlight from the sky.

Wrapped in heavy armor, Ibrahim sat upright on his war horse, standing under his green lion flag. There were no exciting pre-battle speeches for this battle. The generals were also very clear about their respective job responsibilities. Only the guards were left on the hills. and senior officers who did not go down to command the combat troops accompanied the King of Kings to observe the battle.

The Safavid soldiers in the military formation were in high spirits. They were praying before the battle, while the red heads on the wings were chanting religious slogans, hoping that Huda and the angels would help them defeat the heretics to win the jihad and spread the correct message to the world. Belief.

He said to the herald: "Okay, let the artillery fire first, and then launch the attack."

When the attack bugle sounded, the artillery deployed higher up between the infantry formations immediately fired. With the help of gunpowder gas, the bronze snake cannon poured out 50 iron shells at the Uzbek army in the distance.

"go ahead!"

Along with the sound of cannons, the cavalry deployed at the front of the military formation immediately launched an attack on the enemy. They rode their horses quickly to the enemy's formation and used Parthian tactics, using arrows like locusts to harass the enemy's formation.

But Ibrahim was not the only one who wanted to launch the attack first. Under the order of Shaibani Khan, the Uzbek army launched a full-scale attack. These forwards responsible for testing the enemy soon discovered that the incoming enemy troops were about to be overwhelmed. They are.

Under the large-scale impact of the Uzbek cavalry, the entire battlefield was filled with heart-stopping loud sounds that tortured the eardrums and hearts of the forwards, not to mention the dark crowds in the distance that kept approaching. The scene of thousands of galloping horses was enough to create a heavy psychological pressure.

"Retreat!" the officer ordered decisively, intending to return to the main formation to rendezvous with the main force.

The artillery shells and arrows that hit the wave of Uzbek troops did not have much blocking effect. The one or two hundred people killed and wounded by the artillery shells and arrows were not enough to collapse the army with tens of thousands of cavalry.

The armored Uzbek cavalrymen clenched their bow arms tightly and fired sharp arrows at the red heads trying to fly their kites. For a time, many of these red heads were shot off their horses, causing many casualties.

What's worse is that they haven't escaped the encirclement of the Uzbek army. There are Uzbeks on all sides of these forwards who are firing arrows at them. The situation of being surrounded by enemies on all sides makes the red heads confused about the direction and can only rush left and right. Suddenly, try to find a breakthrough point.

The high fighting will allowed these red heads to hold back the Uzbek army's offensive pace. The sound of clashing swords, shouts of killing, and wails were mixed together, making the battlefield even more chaotic.

Shaibani Khan felt comfortable when he learned that considerable results were about to be achieved as soon as the war started, and ordered: "Very good, maintain the current momentum, eat the enemy's forward troops, and then withstand possible reinforcements from the enemy's cavalry. Let the descendants of Genghis Khan crush all these cowardly Tajiks here."

The Uzbek herald quickly rushed to the front line to convey Shaibani Khan's order to the frontline commander.

Seeing that the enemy troops rushed directly to launch a full-scale attack and trapped the forward troops, Ibrahim frowned and immediately ordered all the red heads on both wings to attack, so that the Uzbek army could not safely eat the forward troops.

Another round of snake cannon shells hit the crowd. The Uzbek army's good discipline allowed them to quickly control the chaos, leaving no opportunity for the red heads who tried to cover up the attack.

Seeing this situation, the red-headed reinforcements were not in a hurry to attack. Many troops just fired arrows at the Uzbeks. However, these Uzbek cavalry were well-armored and protected by shields. It was difficult to kill them with arrows alone.

Judging from the scale alone, Shabani Khan's troops on the battlefield had a total of 30,000 cavalry, while the Safavid army had only 20,000 red heads involved in mincing meat and harassment. The Shah's friends and infantry still did not participate in the battle.

In terms of quality, there is no fundamental difference between the Uzbek cavalry and Qizilbash who have been trained by Shabani Khan. It is just that the red heads are more willing to fight out of religious fanaticism.

"Your Majesty, Romru Khan and Talish Khan think it is difficult to break through the enemy's formation now, and request your Majesty to mobilize elite troops for support." The herald who returned from the front updated Ibrahim on the latest battlefield developments. The red heads were at a numerical disadvantage. It is difficult to open up the situation, but it is suffering increasing casualties and competing with the Uzbek army for endurance.

The red-headed shooting did not last long. Within a few minutes, they switched to using sabers, lances and bones to attack each other with the Uzbeks. The two cavalry armies fell into a chaotic cavalry fight.

The continuous shooting of the snake cannon provided some support for the red heads. Some Uzbek troops were already forced to withdraw from the battlefield due to the combined pressure of continuous shelling and red head fighting.

"Great Khan, the enemy's resistance is very tenacious. Many soldiers are now unfit to continue fighting due to injuries and fatigue. There are also troops that have been disrupted due to excessive casualties and need time to regroup. Please allow the troops to retreat temporarily." Several sultans came to Shaybani Khan, told him about the disadvantages of the front line and asked to retreat.

Shaibani Khan had a tough attitude. He first scolded: "Retreat? You want me to order a retreat at such a critical time? Are you deliberately playing with my IQ and temper?"

As he said this, he raised his whip and tried to whip it at them. Seeing the King Khan getting angry, several Sultans knelt down and begged for mercy: "Dear King Khan, I will never dare to deliberately offend you. It's all because of my lack of consideration." , unable to understand your intentions, and almost disrupted the overall situation, please punish me."

Only then did Shaibani Khan take back his riding whip: "We will discuss punishment after the war. In short, it is impossible to retreat now. You go back to command the battle quickly, and don't waste the opportunity."

…………

Ibrahim stared at the battlefield, thinking about how to break the situation. If he relied on the red head to fight the Uzbek army, he should be able to win, but at what cost?

"Brother, let me lead the troops to attack. Now is the time to make a final decision and change the situation of the battle." Ismail, who is responsible for commanding the reserve team of Friends of Shah, is impatient and wants to join the battle.

Ibrahim looked at Ismail and refused first: "Now is not the time for you to go up." Then he ordered the herald: "Let Romru Khan and Talish Khan retreat to the starting position. and artillerymen move forward and prepare to attack the enemy."

"You..." Ismail looked at Ibrahim who was giving orders, but still did not express any objection. Shah must have some meaning that he could not understand.

The battlefield at this time was in chaos. The Uzbek army and the Safavid army were completely intertwined and nested in each other. The original siege of the forward troops was broken, and the survivors were directly integrated into the main force to participate in the fight.

When the signal to retreat came, many red heads were very surprised. However, the obedience of the red heads still prompted them to retreat in an orderly manner under the organization of the officers, and in the process, they rained arrows on the Uzbek army.

The smooth retreat was also due to the fact that Romru Khan and Talish Khan did not devote all their troops to the attack, but left reserves to deal with emergencies. The support of the fresh force ensured that the retreating troops would not be routed due to the Uzbek army's pursuit.

Seeing that the Safavid army began to retreat, Shaibani Khan knew that he had the upper hand: "These Tajiks are still incompetent after all, and they will only end up being crushed by iron hoofs!"

For the Uzbek soldiers and lower-level officers, the reality that victory was in sight was also very exciting. Although they consumed a lot of physical strength, they charged forward with more energy, until reality suddenly hit them hard.

What fell into the Uzbek military formation were not only the shells of the snake cannon, but also the shot shells of the breech-mounted revolving cannon. Countless iron shells and lead bullets were shot into the crowd. It hindered the advance of the rear row and stagnated the Uzbek army's advance.

"Load the ammunition, check the matchlock, and prepare to shoot!" the infantry officer behind the camel gun shouted to the musketeers under his command. The musketeers skillfully loaded the matchlock according to the process, and then raised the matchlock at the enemy.

A second round of firearms fire followed. As the distance shrank, matchlocks also joined the firing. Another group of Uzbek cavalry were shot off their horses, including those whose horses were frightened and could not be controlled.

Seeing that the enemy suffered a major blow, the infantrymen were very excited and their morale was high. Although discipline required them not to make any noise, the changes in their expressions were indeed difficult to conceal, and their movements were more agile than nervous.

Two rounds of firearms fire greatly eliminated the impact of the Uzbek cavalry, and the free-firing musketeers and swivel gunners continued to use gunpowder to cause damage.

In Ibrahim's opinion, there were many problems with the firearms shooting, which was very effective. The gunners found that the barrels of several snake cannons were deformed due to continuous firing. They were very worried that if they continued to fire, the barrels might explode.

The problem for the arquebusiers was even more serious. A total of more than a dozen people got gunpowder on their hands, clothes, and hair during the loading process and accidentally ignited it, causing considerable chaos in the military formation.

At this time, the infantry in the rear row holding shields and spears lined up in neat formation through the reserved passage to the front row, preparing to launch an attack on the invading enemy under the cover of the firearms troops.

If the Uzbek cavalry could take the opportunity to defeat the Safavid infantry during the adjustment period, maybe things would turn around, but the red heads who had fought with them before were not defeated, but actively retreated in an organized manner.

The regrouped red heads attacked the Uzbek army that had just recovered from both sides, preventing them from allocating all their strength to attack the Safavid infantry. The formation of close combat infantry easily stopped the few Uzbek cavalry that escaped.

Seeing this, Shaibani Khan became anxious. He could still remember how he was defeated last time by an army coordinated by Safavina's mounted infantry and artillery. But this time it was different. He still had a strong reserve force on his hands. Team.

"These Tajiks want to repeat their same tricks, but smart people will not fall twice in the same place." Shaibani Khan immediately ordered the reserve team to join the battlefield. So far, he only has a small team of close soldiers around him. soldiers.

Ibrahim, who noticed the changes on the battlefield, fell into hesitation. On the one hand, the enemy's sending reinforcements to join the battlefield would inevitably put pressure on his own side, and he needed to send a reserve team to intercept. But on the other hand, he has enough confidence in the red heads who are fighting. Although the newly added Uzbek army will definitely cause turbulence to the battle situation, it will not cause the front to suddenly collapse.

He also thought about a possibility: "If Shaibani Khan plans to use this trick to deceive his reserve team, what will be done if the Uzbek army still has a back-up plan?"

Ismail asked for battle again, and Ibrahim directly expressed this concern.

Mirza was greatly puzzled: "Don't you know very well? The size of Yueji's army is not as good as ours, and it is incapable of defeating more with less. He even used this last resort, what else can turn the tide of the war? The trick?"

Then he promised: "If you hand over these six regiments to me, I will definitely be able to disrupt Yue Ji's offensive and capture Nashibani Khan and offer it to you."

Ibrahim thought for a while, and finally nodded: "Go ahead, crush those Yuezhe people, and build their heads into Jingguan."

Just as the Friends of Shah set off with Ismail, the infantry also completed its adjustments and actively launched an attack on the enemy. The infantry on the front and the red heads on the wings had formed a large horseshoe, sandwiching the main force of the Uzbek army.

The Safavid army's coordinated and powerful all-out attack gradually defeated the Uzbek army, which was already showing signs of decline. Find Book Garden www.zhaoshuyuan.com More and more soldiers no longer obey the officers' instructions and intend to escape from the hell-like battlefield. Even if the reserve reinforcements sent by Shabani Khan entered it, it would only hold on for a while longer in a meaningless manner.

Shaibani Khan watched as the battle line continued to advance towards him, and more and more broken troops were rushing towards him. He glanced at these broken troops, intending to have his own soldiers intercept some of the troops and return to the battlefield.

Unknowingly, he had gone deep into the chaotic battlefield.

However, he saw a group of people heading towards him, and the conspicuous flag reminded him of the previous report of the attackers.

Ismail's main goal has always been to behead people. He directly appointed his lieutenant general to lead five regiments to participate in the siege of the main force of the Uzbek army, while he led a thousand cavalry and personal soldiers straight to Shabani Khan.

When Shaibani Khan saw that there were no troops around him to send, he thought of the troops at the siege camp. He was carried by the tide of defeated troops and retreated towards the siege camp. However, the out-of-control situation did not follow his wishes. Among the crowd who could not tell the direction, He and his soldiers strayed into a circle. Unfortunately, this circle only had one entrance and exit.

Ismail decisively rushed into it with his soldiers, and the Safavid army surrounded Shaibani Khan, his soldiers, and the defeated soldiers, a total of two to three hundred people. Because the space in the circle was small, they were crowded together. The soldiers were unable to move at all.

Shaibani Khan accidentally tripped and fell to the ground in the chaos. This time he never had a chance to get up. He was trampled many times by horse hooves, and all his soldiers were killed, leaving no one to rescue him.

After the battle, Ismail personally jumped off his horse, and he and his soldiers opened up the corpses in the ring, found Shaibani Khan who was seriously injured and dying, and ended his life with a dagger.