General Zhao Feng stood before his grand command pavilion. The total collapse of his specialized archery division was an undeniable reality.
Thousands of his men were fleeing back toward the main encampment. The vanguard was completely shattered, and the panic of the routing survivors threatened to infect the remaining infantry divisions.
If the burning archers crashed into the frontline spearmen, the entire expeditionary force would disintegrate into a stampede. The general required an immediate barrier to halt the retreat and reverse the momentum of the battle.
He turned his attention to the heavy imperial shock troops stationed in the reserve lines. These were the elite halberdiers. They had not yet witnessed the true horror of industrialized ballistics, and their discipline remained entirely intact.
