Volume Two: The Battle of Hulao Pass Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Black Armored Army!

After chatting for a while, Li Shimin turned to Xuanba and said, “Third Brother, why don’t you help me command my personal guard?”
Li Xuanba bowed and replied, “I will follow your every command, Second Brother.”
Li Shimin laughed heartily. “I knew you’d say that. But my personal guard no longer bears that name. I’ve given them a new title: the Black Armored Elite Cavalry! Come, let me show you.” With that, he grabbed Li Xuanba’s hand and led the group out of the strategy tent.

Li Mingyu, upon hearing of the Black Armored Elite Cavalry, was instantly intrigued, thinking to himself that Li Shimin’s famed core troops, the Black Armored Army, had finally come into being. He hurried to follow the others out.

Outside the tent, personal guards led their warhorses over. The group, all seasoned warriors, vaulted onto their horses in a single swift movement. Even Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, both men of letters, mounted and spurred their horses with impressive skill.

Li Mingyu, though already six years old and developing quickly, still wasn’t as tall as a horse. Anxiously he cried out, “Master! Master! What am I to do?”

Before Xuanba could answer, Li Shimin chuckled, “I nearly forgot about you, my little shadow. Come here!” He bent down from his saddle, and with a swift, strong arm, hoisted Li Mingyu up by the belt, settling him in front of him so they rode together.

Li Shimin clicked his stirrups and called, “Hyah!” Leading the way, he spurred his horse forward, the rest following.

It wasn’t long before they reached an open field to the left of the city gate. With a sharp eye, Li Mingyu took in the rows of tents ahead, the deafening shouts, the neighing and roaring of warhorses. Squadrons of elite troops, clad in black garb and iron armor, surged across the field, galloping and wheeling in mock battle.

Li Shimin drew his reins with a shout, bringing his horse to a halt before dismounting with Li Mingyu in his arms.

The soldiers drilling on the field paused at the sound of hooves. Recognizing their commander and his entourage, they stopped their horses, struck their chests with their right fists in salute, and roared in unison, “Greetings, Commander!”

Li Shimin waved them off, his voice ringing out, “At ease. Continue your drills!”

The armored soldiers struck their chests again, bellowed “Yes, sir!” and resumed their exercises.

Li Mingyu watched the Black Armored Elite Cavalry with keen attention. Every man was clad head to toe in black attire and iron armor, with sword at the side and bow slung across the back. Layer upon layer of lamellar plates overlapped, helmets protected their heads, gorgets shielded their necks, pauldrons encased shoulders and arms, armored skirts wrapped their legs. Twin black heart-shields hung from their chests, and a tight girdle bound their armor about their ribs. Covered from head to toe in iron, only their resolute faces showed.

The black attire was somber and lethal, the iron armor gleamed coldly. As they charged and wheeled their horses, the sound of iron hooves thundered, their presence like a storm—unstoppable, formidable, truly worthy of their legendary reputation as one of history’s elite armies.

A captain came galloping over from the ranks, thick-browed, large-eyed, and burly. Dismounting, he saluted, “Lei Meng of the battalion pays his respects to the Commander!”

Li Shimin nodded, “Lei Meng, how are the drills progressing?”

Lei Meng replied, “Commander, rest assured! The men were all selected as the finest from the main army, their martial skills and tactics are second to none. Since the Black Armored Elite Cavalry was formed, we’ve fought together in several battles—our coordination is near flawless now. We await only your command to show Dou Jiande our true might!”

“Good! But don’t grow complacent. When the time comes, you’ll have your chance to prove yourselves.” Li Shimin nodded, satisfied with the men’s morale. The army’s spirit could be relied upon.

“Yes, sir! At your command!” Lei Meng answered loudly.

At this moment, Li Xuanba and the others rode up and dismounted. Li Shimin pointed behind him with a smile, “Lei Meng, look who’s here!”

Lei Meng glanced over and, recognizing Li Xuanba, cried out in delight, “Commander! What brings you here?!”

Reunited with an old comrade, Li Xuanba laughed heartily, “So it’s you, Lei Meng! You’ve made captain now, I see!”

Lei Meng strode over, dropped to one knee, and said, “It’s all thanks to your guidance and the Commander’s favor that I could rise from a simple guard to where I am now.”

Li Xuanba reached out to help him up. “Now that you’re captain, work hard. Follow the Commander, and soon you’ll earn both title and honor for your family!”

Lei Meng bowed respectfully. Then Li Shimin spoke again, “Lei Meng, go on with the drills. From now on, Xuanba will again be your commander. The formal orders will be issued tomorrow.”

Hearing that his former superior would be leading the Black Armored Army once more, Lei Meng was overjoyed. He saluted the group and returned to his unit.

Li Shimin turned to Xuanba, asking, “Well, Xuanba? Do you think my Black Armored Elite Cavalry is up to the task?”

Li Xuanba, having observed for some time, replied, “They are skilled archers and horsemen, well-trained, and most importantly, their morale is high and their unity strong—they are more than fit for heavy duty!”

Pleased with his brother’s praise, Li Shimin smiled, “Ever since I heard Mingyu discuss tactics in the mountains, I was inspired. After fighting the likes of Xue Rengao, Liu Wuzhou, and Song Jingang, I realized all the more the importance of an elite cavalry. During the last engagement with Wang Shichong, I took my personal guard as the core, selected five hundred of the best from the main army, and formed a thousand-strong Black Armored Elite Cavalry. Black garb, iron armor, fully equipped, both man and horse armored, poised to strike the enemy’s vital points—unmatched wherever we go.”

Li Mingyu couldn’t help but smirk, thinking, You lectured me before about balancing orthodox and unconventional tactics, warning not to rely solely on surprise troops, and now you’ve gone and created the Black Armored Elite Cavalry yourself. Shamelessly stealing my idea—but then, if my idea gave birth to the Black Armored Army, does that make me the godfather of the Black Armored Cavalry? Better to keep a low profile; competing with Li Shimin is a losing proposition.

Li Shimin, sharp-eyed as ever, noticed Li Mingyu’s smirk and guessed his thoughts. He smiled, “You little rascal, you must be thinking I stole your tactics, aren’t you?”

Li Mingyu quickly replied, “I wouldn’t dare. The decapitating strike is an ancient tactic, hardly my invention. My ideas are just borrowed from the ancients, and I offered them for your use, Second Uncle.”

Li Shimin nodded, chuckling, “At least you have some insight. The tactics my Black Armored Elite Cavalry use are based on your suggestions about Xiang Yu, but I’ve made a few improvements.” He looked back at the gathered heroes, a surge of pride rising within him. With such elite troops and valiant generals at his side, who in the world could stand against him?

Li Shimin declared proudly, “With Cheng Yaojin and Qin Qiong as my left and right wings, Yuchi Jingde as my vanguard, and myself wielding the bow at their side, we form three spearhead formations. In battle, we arrange them in a triangular pattern, launching wave after wave of attacks. The main infantry holds the enemy in place, while the Black Armored Elite Cavalry swings around the flanks, striking into the enemy’s heart and cutting their formation so their front and rear cannot support each other. Light cavalry follows up to encircle and divide them, expanding our victories step by step. That is how we will be invincible!”

Hearing his explanation, Li Mingyu thought, So, after all that, it’s just “blitzkrieg”—the very tactic Nazi Germany mastered in World War II, only substituting cavalry for tanks and motorcycles. In terms of military roles, the Black Armored Army, man and horse clad in iron, really are the ancient equivalent of tanks. But is it proper to call the ancestor by the grandson’s name?