My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 408 Bloodbath at Xuanwu Gate
boom!
As the sun set in the west.

A deafening roar echoed throughout the Taiji Palace.

"Where is it!"

"This is not the direction of Xuanwu Gate."

"The East Gate of the Imperial City, Yanxi Gate!"

Inside Taiji Palace.

There were not many ministers, only seven or eight; the other court officials did not participate.

However, important officials such as Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, and Wei Zheng were naturally present.

After waiting all day, everyone, including Li Shimin, was getting a little annoyed.

There was no movement from the Crown Prince's side, which led to various speculations.

It was only when the sound of artillery fire started that I finally felt relieved.

The reason they felt at ease was because they were worried that the Crown Prince would stop fighting and instead withdraw from Chang'an.

After all, the situation was not very favorable for the Crown Prince.

Li Shimin sat on the dragon throne at the head of the table, without saying a word.

Changsun Wuji has already spoken.

"The Crown Prince's attack on Yanxi Gate is undoubtedly a ploy to lure the enemy away from Xuanwu Gate."

Therefore, there is no need to worry about it too much.

Changsun Wuji's judgment was recognized by many people. Everyone was well aware of the situation in the Chang'an palace. If they wanted to break in through Yanxi Gate, they would inevitably be besieged.

The Crown Prince could not possibly attack Yanxi Gate.

However, after some thought, Fang Xuanling offered a different opinion: "I request Your Majesty to mobilize the Imperial Guards to guard Yanxi Gate."

"Yanxi Gate must not be breached!"

Before Li Shimin could speak, Changsun Wuji asked, "What does Chancellor Fang mean by this? Isn't this a sign that he has fallen into the Crown Prince's trap?"

Fang Xuanling shook his head slightly and explained, "Perhaps it's just a feint, but Yanxi Gate cannot be lost."

"If the Crown Prince's army breaks through Yanxi Gate, they can enter the Eastern Palace."

"The Crown Prince has lived in the Eastern Palace for a long time and is very familiar with it. Moreover, the Eastern Palace is large and suitable for stationing troops. If the Crown Prince's army enters through the Yanxi Gate, they can prepare their troops inside the Eastern Palace."

Changsun Wuji and others, including Li Shimin, immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.

Taiji Palace and East Palace are just two walls.

This is different from a city wall that is ten feet deep; it's just a wall.

Let alone cannons, even thunderbolts couldn't withstand it.

In other words, if the Crown Prince enters the Eastern Palace and blows a hole in the wall, he can bypass the Xuanwu Gate and directly attack the Taiji Palace.

With cannons mounted in the East Palace, they could directly bombard the Taiji Hall.

Li Shimin immediately ordered the mobilization of the imperial guards to guard Yanxi Gate.

At this moment, outside Yanxi Gate.

Pei Xingjian felt very sorry to see the sudden increase in the number of imperial guards on the city wall.

If the imperial court doesn't react in time, and he waits a little longer, he will be able to take over Yanxi Gate.

Once the Yanxi Gate is secured and the East Palace Gate is opened, victory will be in the Crown Prince's hands.

However, they did not bring many cannons this time, since the main attack was on Xuanwu Gate, and attacking Yanxi Gate was more of a test.

The reason why the main attack wasn't on Yanxi Gate is because the current Eastern Palace also has the Emperor's Imperial Guards.

The troop mobilization was so large and conspicuous that it couldn't be kept secret.

Even if Yanxi Gate is captured, if the imperial court reacts quickly enough, it can encircle and flank the Eastern Palace from both Jiafu Gate and the Imperial City.

Furthermore, with the army facing them head-on and entering through Yanxi Gate, they were essentially surrounded on three sides.

Therefore, attacking Yanxi Gate was more of a test.

The Imperial Guards reacted quickly, so Pei Xingjian was naturally unable to fight.

They carried only five cannons, and not much gunpowder.

Just as the cannon fire at Yanxi Gate rang out, a similar booming sound also echoed from Anfu Gate, the west gate of the imperial city.

Next came the three main gates on the south side of the imperial city.

Hanguang Gate, Zhuque Gate, Anshang Gate.

The atmosphere inside the Taiji Palace suddenly became heavy, and the resounding booms shook the beams and pillars, causing dust to fall. Li Shimin gripped the armrest of the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping sharply across the assembled ministers: "Is the Crown Prince planning to expand in all directions? Wuji, Xuanling, what do you think?"

Changsun Wuji stroked his beard and sneered, "Your Majesty, this is nothing more than a cornered beast fighting back! The Crown Prince has dispersed his troops to various gates, seemingly displaying great strength, but in reality, it exposes his weakness. He knows that Xuanwu Gate is difficult to attack by force, and is merely trying to bluff. I suggest that we transfer some of the Imperial Guards to support Xuanwu Gate and concentrate our forces to defeat his main force!"

Fang Xuanling stepped forward, the hem of his robe trailing a steady arc on the blue bricks: "What Minister Changsun says is incorrect. If the Crown Prince only wants to delay, he only needs to feign an attack on one or two city gates. Why make such a fuss?"

He unfolded the sheepskin map, his fingertips tracing the outline of the imperial city. “Anfu Gate and Zhuque Gate are both vital passages. If they are breached, we can directly penetrate the heart of Taiji Palace. I believe that the Crown Prince’s move has a deeper meaning.”

Changsun Wuji's expression darkened at Fang Xuanling's rebuttal.

It's almost certain that the Crown Prince will attack Xuanwu Gate.

"Prime Minister Fang, don't be alarmist!"

"If the Crown Prince truly has a brilliant plan, why not concentrate his forces to conquer one of his cities?"

Fang Xuanling's somewhat cloudy eyes appeared bright at this moment.

"It is precisely because each gate is difficult to break through that we need to apply pressure simultaneously."

"The Crown Prince is well-versed in the defenses of the Imperial City. By dispersing his forces, he is actually trying to drag our army into a predicament where we are constantly on the move. If our army splits its forces to reinforce the various gates, the defenses of Xuanwu Gate will inevitably be weak; if we hold Xuanwu Gate, the other gates will become vulnerable. More importantly, this situation of being attacked from all sides will greatly damage the morale of our army."

Wei Zheng stroked his white beard and nodded: "What Chancellor Fang said is absolutely right. The Crown Prince may have calculated that His Majesty is unwilling to abandon any city gate, and deliberately created the illusion of 'crisis everywhere'. Once the soldiers are in a state of high tension and anxiety for a long time, their morale will waver."

Li Shimin frowned deeply: "So, the Crown Prince's real goal is to demoralize our army?"

"Are all five gates of the imperial city under feint attacks?"

Fang Xuanling shook his head slightly: "It is both a feint and a real attack; this is the Crown Prince's plan."

"If there are any weaknesses in the five gates of the imperial city, the Crown Prince will not hesitate to gather troops to break through the city."

"If a large number of the imperial guards are withdrawn, the Crown Prince can attack Xuanwu Gate again, and also attack the Imperial City again."

"The psychological warfare works too. The more intense the fire from the five cannons, the more it creates the illusion that our army is surrounded on all sides. The Crown Prince wants our army to fall into disarray while running around in a frenzy."

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you immediately issue an edict to reassure the defending troops, explain your determination to win, and order the garrison at Xuanwu Gate to strengthen its defenses and for the garrisons at other gates to provide mutual support."

Li Shimin abruptly stood up, his dragon robe fluttering in the wind: "Granted! Issue the order that all the guards at each gate must hold their ground to the death. Those who bravely fight the enemy will be richly rewarded, and those who undermine morale will be executed on the spot! Also, send someone to convey my will to the soldiers: this battle will surely be won!"

As imperial edicts were issued one after another, Taiji Palace fell into a state of tense preparation for war.

The cannon fire from the five gates of the imperial city did not last long; it ceased as night fell completely.

However, the Imperial Guards dared not relax their guard. Although the Imperial City was only the first line of defense for the palace, and even if the Imperial City were breached, the Crown Prince's army would still have to attack the inner city gates, for the soldiers stationed in the Imperial City, the gates of the Imperial City were their lifeline.

As long as the door is there, people are alive; if the door is broken, people die.

As dusk stained the western inner garden crimson, 30,000 elite troops from Liaodong, like a black iron torrent, lingered by the withered lotus pond.

The armor reflected the afterglow of the setting sun, long spears pierced the clouds like a forest, and even the white mist exhaled by the warhorses carried an aura of killing intent.

Li Chengqian's black banner fluttered in the wind, the gold lettering of the character "Li" gleaming coldly in the twilight. From afar, it resembled a lurking beast, ready to devour its prey at any moment.

In the center of the camp, siege equipment was lined up like steel behemoths.

The watchtowers atop over a hundred watchtowers were covered in cowhide, and the liftable platforms creaked and groaned; the arms of three hundred catapults were like crescent moons, and the rough hemp ropes were soaked in tung oil, ready to hurl massive stones weighing hundreds of kilograms at the city walls at any moment.

Even more remarkable was the improved gate-sealing chariot, its bronze blades gleaming with a bluish hue in the twilight, its wheels wrapped in oil-soaked linen, clearly prepared for fire attack.

The most impressive sight was the artillery array in the northwest.

Three hundred cannons were lined up in neat rows, their barrels cast with ferocious beast heads, their dark muzzles pointing towards Xuanwu Gate. The cannon carriages were made of sandalwood and fine iron, with bronze axles at the bottom engraved with cloud and thunder patterns. Three gunners stood beside each cannon, dressed in fireproof short coats, with tinderboxes at their waists, ready to receive orders at any time.

Gunpowder carts moved through the area, leaving deep tracks on the ground. The air was thick with the pungent smell of sulfur, mixed with the stench of blood and sweat, making it suffocating.

Li Chengqian listened to the intelligence sent from the capital without much surprise, and simply ordered: "Leave three cannons at each city gate and put them under the responsibility of Hou Junji."

"Tell him to concentrate a cannon one hour after the fighting begins at Xuanwu Gate."

"Let Xue Rengui and Pei Xingjian recall their troops."

Su Dingfang nodded and then arranged for the flying cavalry to deliver the order.

Attacking the five gates of the imperial city was neither a ruse nor a pretext.

While undermining the morale of the Imperial Guards was one aspect, the ultimate goal was to influence the deployment of troops within the palace.

The imperial guards numbered over 100,000, and at least 10,000 were needed at each of the five gates of the imperial city, in addition to the main gate of the inner court, Chengtian Gate.

This involved 20,000 soldiers within the palace.

At this moment, on the Xuanwu Gate city wall.

Yuchi Jingde and Cheng Yaojin were looking at the Crown Prince's army in the distance.

Yuchi Jingde's palms, gripping the crenellations, bulged with veins, and the iron armor scraped against the city bricks with a dull thud.

Cheng Yaojin's face, visible beneath his helmet, flickered in and out of the firelight as he gazed at the dark mass of Liaodong's elite troops, a long sigh escaping his throat.

“Old Hei, look at the lookout beacon of that siege tower, it’s covered in cowhide and can stop arrows; and look at the hemp rope of that catapult, it’s soaked in tung oil and could probably fling out flint.”

Cheng Yaojin's voice was hoarse and filled with disbelief: "Three hundred catapults! Back when we fought Dou Jiande, we only had fifty at most, but we still managed to smash open the gates of Hulao Pass."

Yuchi Jingde's gaze was fixed on the artillery array in the northwest, the muzzles of which looked like lurking giant pythons in the night.

"More than that, such cannons, powerful siege weapons, are being pointed at our own city gates."

The night wind carried the smells of sulfur and horse manure. Cheng Yaojin wiped his face, his fingertips brushing against the wrinkles at the corners of his mouth, as if trying to wipe away some bitterness: "Thirty thousand elite troops from Liaodong, if that were in the Western Regions, they could have crushed those small countries."

“A few days ago, a letter came from the Western Regions. It seems that the Abbasid Caliphate knows that His Majesty and the Crown Prince are going to war, and has allied with the Kingdom of Shi to take over the Western Regions.”

"Fortunately, Guo Xiaoke is quite capable. He defeated the Abbasid Caliphate and I heard that they captured their general and are on their way to Chang'an."

At this point, Cheng Yaojin said in a muffled voice, "You tell me, we've fought alongside His Majesty our whole lives, what have we gained? Isn't it just for peace and tranquility throughout the land, so that the people no longer have to fear the barbarian hordes invading the south? But now..."

Gazing at the army, which stretched out like an iron torrent, Cheng Yaojin's eyes were filled with regret: "Such fine soldiers, such powerful cannons, if only they had been used more effectively... Alas, what a pity, what a real pity..."

Having fought for most of his life, he never imagined that the strongest battle would take place in Chang'an.

Those elite troops in Liaodong were not considered Tang soldiers, but since the Crown Prince pacified Liaodong, they could be considered Tang troops.

When the Crown Prince entered the city on Zhuque Avenue, Cheng Yaojin knew that these Liaodong soldiers were just as fierce as the Imperial Guards.

Yuchi Jingde did not respond, but just looked at the densely packed figures in the distance.

Although His Majesty and the Crown Prince were bound to clash sooner or later, it's still quite unsettling to see it unfold now.

Whether it's the elite troops of Chang'an or the elite troops of Liaodong, they are all top-notch soldiers.

Countless people died here in this battle.

the other side.

Li Chengqian felt the time was right, and with a command, the army surged forth.

Two hundred cannons were slowly advanced, reaching a distance of two miles from Xuanwu Gate.

The catapults on the city wall could only travel a distance of less than two miles, about seven or eight hundred meters.

At closer range, artillery accuracy can also be higher.

Upon seeing the Crown Prince's army move, the guards on the Xuanwu Gate immediately went into defensive mode.

Everyone knows about the Prince's Cannons, but they are now powerless to fight back.

Li Chengqian's goal was not to blow open the city gates, but to destroy the defensive fortifications on the city walls.

"ignition!"

As the order was thrown to the ground, the hissing sound of the burning fuse instantly tore through the deathly silence.

The first volley of cannonballs, carrying immense force, tore through the air, violently compressing it and emitting a sharp whistling sound. The defenders on the city wall could only watch helplessly as the cannonballs crashed into the watchtower.

The deafening roar of the shattering bricks and stones was so loud it hurt people's eardrums. The entire watchtower shook violently, and the top-floor observation deck crashed down like a bird with broken wings.

"Hide!"

Yuchi Gong's roar was swallowed up by the sound of the explosion.

Hot stones rained down, and a soldier, unable to dodge in time, was struck on the head by a stone the size of a bowl, his brains instantly splattering out.

More shells followed, exploding into black flowers of death on the city wall, blasting the cement surface into dust and exposing the rammed earth inside.

The thick city wall appeared as if it had been cleaved by a giant axe, with spiderweb-like cracks appearing on it.

It may seem exaggerated, but in reality, it only hit the concrete layer and did not cause much damage to the overall city wall.

The sheer volume of sound was astonishing.

Although they had made preparations in advance, the Imperial Guards had never experienced the threat of artillery before, so their morale naturally declined.

The defenders were thrown to the ground by the blast wave, blood seeping from their ears and noses, but they still struggled to get up.

Some tried to grab their bows and arrows to fight back, but the distance was too great for them; it was just an instinctive action.

Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes, watching the explosions rising and falling on the city walls, and coldly ordered: "Attack the city!"

The messenger shouted, and the battering rams that had been prepared beforehand began to move.

Each crash vehicle was propelled by ten strong men, its wheels wrapped in soaked cowhide, leaving long tracks on the ground.

Near the crash site, shield-bearers stood guard and followed.

Dozens of cloud-borne vehicles followed closely behind.

Then there were rows of elite Liaodong soldiers clad in armor.

(End of this chapter)