My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 410 The Xuanwu Gate is Broken
Before the flames had died down from the city walls, the iron hooks of the cloud chariots were already embedded firmly into the brickwork of Xuanwu Gate like the fangs of a giant python.

The iron hook was as thick as a child's arm, its tip gleaming with a cold, bluish light. As the winch on the base of the cloud chariot spun violently, a dull tremor emanated from the entire city wall.

The suspension bridge crashed onto the wall with a loud bang, the wooden planks colliding with the bricks and stones.

This cloud chariot wasn't climbed like a ladder in later times; instead, it was built as a tower as high as the city wall, with iron hooks wedged into the wall to directly erect a wooden bridge.

The elite troops from Liaodong, clad in armor, charged straight up.

This is what it means to be the first to arrive.

The city walls were prepared, and several ballistae fired at the target. At that distance, those who were unlucky would have their armor pierced through and die instantly.

However, the ballistae were slow to draw their strings, so they could only fire this one volley. The soldiers behind them had already rushed up, and the imperial guards on the city wall immediately engaged them in battle, resulting in a fierce fight.

There were more than a dozen cloud chariots, and the entire city was engulfed in a chaotic battle.

This situation, however, actually relieved Yuchi Jingde and Cheng Yaojin.

Even without artillery, the imperial guards were no less formidable than the Liaodong troops.

Besides, the Crown Prince only has a little over 30,000 troops, and even with the ones who were previously in hiding, he only has about 70,000 to 80,000.

The imperial court has over 100,000 imperial guards.

Moreover, the attacking side is at a disadvantage and has to rely entirely on manpower to win.

Despite the suspension bridge, the cloud vehicle can only accommodate a maximum of two people per road.

The city walls were lined with a dense array of imperial guards.

When rushing across the suspension bridge, one person has to face several others.

The merit of being the first to scale the mountain doesn't mean being the first to reach it, but rather being able to hold the area, create a breakthrough, and enable the army to win.

In reality, the elite troops from Liaodong who charged forward had a hard time gaining a foothold and were surrounded and slaughtered like targets.

Only a truly fierce general can be the first to scale the walls.

The blood mist stained the banners on the city walls a dark red. The elite troops from Liaodong charged forward, stepping over the corpses of their comrades. The burly man at the front, holding an iron shield, actually managed to knock away the crossbow shafts that had pierced the chests of two soldiers. The arrows jingled on the iron plate armor like the quills of a hedgehog.

"Formation!"

A roar came from the city wall, and the Imperial Guards' long swords drew cold arcs in the morning mist.

The moment the first Liaodong soldier stepped onto the city wall, three long-handled swords slashed down simultaneously, cutting the man and his shield into four pieces, blood gushing down through the cracks in the bricks.

But the Liaodong army following closely behind did not stop at all. Some of them stepped on the broken spines of their comrades and leaped up, their scimitars aimed straight for the throats of the Imperial Guards, only to be knocked away by the guards' spears.

This did not stop the Liaodong elite troops from their frenzied attack; the Liaodong army's offensive became increasingly frenzied.

The eyes of those men clad in leather armor were bloodshot. Some of them, with spears piercing their abdomens, still clung tightly to the waists of the Imperial Guards, biting through their throats with their teeth.

Someone who lost an arm used his other hand to gouge into the enemy's eye socket.

"Place caltrops!"

As the clapper sounded, baskets of barbed wire were poured down from behind the wall.

Screams erupted from the Yunche suspension bridge as several Liaodong soldiers slipped and fell off the ten-zhang-high wall. Even as they fell, they still managed to throw their grappling hooks toward the city wall. The sharp hooks caught on the imperial guards' belts, pulling them off the wall.

A Liaodong general clad in black iron armor, relying on his own bravery, managed to cut down three imperial guards the moment he crossed the drawbridge, and a fierce battle ensued.

"Stop him!"

More than ten imperial guards threw their spears at the same time, but the general wielded his sword like a wheel, and the spear tips sparked as they grazed the back of his sword.

The moment he leaped onto the city wall, three long swords came slashing down at the same time. He actually abandoned his weapons, grabbed the blades with his bare hands, and, despite his tiger's mouth splitting open, dragged a member of the Imperial Guard to his side.

The Liaodong soldiers behind them seized the opportunity to deliver a finishing blow, piercing through both of their bodies.

The stench of blood grew stronger, and the piles of corpses inside the city wall were almost level with it.

The Liaodong army began filling the gaps between the city bricks with the corpses of their comrades, charging forward on the blood-soaked steps.

A soldier threw a torch at the siege ladder, but was grabbed by a Liaodong soldier whose body was engulfed in flames. The two rolled and fought in the sea of ​​fire, their screams mixed with the smell of burning flesh soaring into the sky.

There were firecrackers and oil on the city walls, but no one dared to set them off.

Whenever the oil was lit, these fanatical Liaodong soldiers would inevitably burn along with the Imperial Guards.

Yuchi Jingde kicked aside the corpse of a Liaodong soldier and turned to look at Cheng Yaojin, whose battle robe was also stained with blood.

"Old Cheng, the ferocity of these Liaodong soldiers is something you and I have probably never seen before in our lives."

Yuchi Jingde's voice was torn apart by the howling north wind.

"Back when I followed His Majesty to defeat Dou Jiande and capture Wang Shichong, I never saw such a reckless fighting style."

Such ferocity truly startled Yuchi Jingde.

How exactly was the Crown Prince trained?

Even seasoned veterans who have fought countless battles wouldn't go this far when it comes to ruthlessness.

They all seem like lunatics.

Cheng Yaojin sighed and shook his head slightly: "If that's the case, the Crown Prince will surely lose."

The Xuanwu Gate has 50,000 Imperial Guards, and if the losses are too great, the palace can send 20,000 to 30,000 Imperial Guards to support them at any time.

As for the Liaodong soldiers, let alone a one-for-one exchange, it would be quite good if four or five Liaodong soldiers could kill one imperial guard.

The actual losses are much greater.

A high platform in the distance.

Li Chengqian witnessed the fierce battle unfolding on the city wall.

This was a true head-on battle, with blood and flesh flying everywhere, and life was just a number at this moment.

In a short time, at least a thousand elite troops from Liaodong perished on the city walls.

And this number is still rising.

However, Li Chengqian remained indifferent, showing no intention of stopping.

This group of Liaodong elites who charged the city walls numbered about 10,000. In Li Chengqian's plan, they were not much different from a suicide squad.

He also knew very well that it was impossible to capture the city wall by force using cloud chariots.

Regarding this traditional method of siege warfare, Sun Tzu's Art of War states: "If ten times the enemy's strength, surround them; if five times, attack them; if twice, divide them."

Simply put, a direct assault would require at least five times the number of troops.

The 50,000 imperial guards at Xuanwu Gate meant that it would take at least 200,000 troops to take it by force, and that would not be something that could be done in just a few days.

If Li Chengqian continues fighting like this, by the middle of the night, tens of thousands of elite troops will all be lost here.

"That's about enough. Send the order to attack the city gate."

Every move on the city wall was under Li Chengqian's watchful eye.

What we've been waiting for is an opportunity.

The opportunity for chaos at the city gate.

The siege by cloud chariots was merely a cover; the real breach of the city occurred at the city gates.

A car crash containing gunpowder.

The setting sun, like blood, spilled onto the broken blades on the battlements of Xuanwu Gate. The corpses of Liaodong's elite troops had piled up into a small mountain beneath the drawbridge, and viscous blood seeped into the moat through the cracks in the bricks, turning the black water a dark purple.

Yuchi Jingde kicked away the Liaodong soldiers who rushed at him, and his Mo Dao cleaved their waists and ribs. But he saw more people stepping on their comrades' spines to leap onto the city wall. Their leather armor was soaked in blood, and their eyes were burning with fanaticism, as if they were oblivious to pain.

"Old Cheng!"

Yuchi Jingde wiped the blood and foam from his face and roared at Cheng Yaojin, who was not far away, "These lunatics are about to block the drawbridge!"

Cheng Yaojin spat out the blood and foam from his mouth, then swung his axe in a wide arc, smashing a shield-bearing soldier away: "What's there to be afraid of! There are only a dozen or so cloud chariots; they can't withstand the swords of fifty thousand imperial guards!"

Amidst the fierce fighting on the city walls, no one noticed that in the shadows in the distance, three seemingly identical rams were slowly crawling along. Unlike the empty rams that had been destroyed earlier, these three were stuffed with three hundred pounds of black powder wrapped in tung oil cloth. The fuses snaked out from under the rams, held by a special person, and hidden in the shadows of the rams.

On the high platform, Li Chengqian held up a crystal telescope, its lens fogged with a thin layer of mist. He saw the Imperial Guards on the city wall concentrating their forces to cut down the chariot soldiers. Most of the ballistae had been destroyed in the previous artillery barrage, and the few remaining ones were firing wildly at the drawbridge.

"The time has come."

Li Chengqian said in a low voice, tapping his fingers on the railing of the high platform: "Have the third team advance with ramming vehicles, prepare to blow up the city gate!"

Su Dingfang nodded and immediately went over to relay the order.

The reason it wasn't a messenger was because Su Dingfang was also going to be on stage this time.

Meanwhile, within the camp, Pei Xingjian and Xue Rengui were also present.

With the help of the soldiers, the group put on their armor.

These armors are all genuine steel armor, forged by Li Chengqian through blast furnace steelmaking and water-powered forging.

From beginning to end, the entire person was encased in steel armor.

Their hands were covered in iron gloves made of steel wire.

Except for the two eyes, the rest of the body is completely covered.

These steel armors used a reinforced, stacked structure, and only a few sets were ever made.

Even ballistae cannot penetrate it beyond thirty meters.

Ordinary arrows are even less of a concern; they're like mosquito bites, completely enclosed and can be ignored.

Li Chengqian had previously tested it and found that even the Tang army's most powerful Mo Dao could not cut through it.

However, only true warriors can wear such steel armor.

First, it's precious; second, it's too heavy.

The entire suit weighs about 80 or 90 pounds. An ordinary person wearing such steel armor would be out of breath after walking just a few steps, let alone fighting.

Of the three, Pei Xingjian was the one who was having the most difficulty.

Su Dingfang can hold out, but he cannot fight for long.

Only Xue Rengui looked excited.

They couldn't wait to go up and fight right now.

With such steel armor protecting you, you can completely abandon defense and only care about how to kill.

The broadsword in his hand was slightly smaller than the Mo Dao, but even more ruthless.

It is made of the finest steel, and a regular Tang army Mo Dao would break in two if clashed with it.

This style of armor is somewhat similar to plate armor, but it employs a more flexible design.

From a distance, the person appears completely enveloped in armor.

Xue Rengui pounded his chest armor, his knuckles striking the overlapping plates with a metallic clang, startling the guards beside him who took a half-step back: "Look, everyone! This armor has taken three blows from me and there's not even a white mark! The steel forged in the Crown Prince's furnace is truly impervious to swords and spears!"

Pei Xingjian stroked the water ripple pattern on the edge of the shoulder armor, his tone full of amazement: "I heard from the craftsmen that this armor was formed by water-powered hammering a thousand times, and this breastplate alone consumed ten furnaces of refined iron."

He suddenly straightened his clothes and bowed towards the high platform: "For the safety of us soldiers, the Crown Prince has bestowed such a divine weapon upon us."

Su Dingfang also sighed, "These are truly precious treasures, it's a pity there are so few of them."

"Such armor is too complicated to make. It is said that the Crown Prince only made five sets in total. The construction started when the Goryeo was pacified, and it took almost half a year to make one set."

the other side.

New crashes surged toward the city gate.

Another car crash!

A sergeant roared, "Quickly move the Thunderbolt!"

However, the Liaodong elite troops constantly charging on the city walls made it impossible for them to pay attention to them.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the car crashed straight up to the city gate.

This opportunity was bought with the lives of thousands of elite soldiers from Liaodong.

Of course, the soldiers were unaware of the so-called strategy, and the elite Liaodong troops charging on the city walls were also unaware that they were only playing a supporting role.

The rammed car made a loud noise when it hit the city gate.

The city gate swayed slightly, but there was no major movement.

This is a reinforced city gate; simply breaking it open is no easy task.

Yuchi Jingde and Cheng Yaojin didn't pay much attention. They hadn't been hurt in the previous collisions, and besides, they were now directing the battle on the city wall.

"ignition!"

With a low growl, the soldiers behind the crashed vehicle immediately took torches and lit the fuses.

"run!!!"

Upon seeing that the fuse had been lit, the captain in charge of the troops immediately shouted and turned to run.

Actually, he didn't even need to give any instructions; the surrounding soldiers had already started running at full speed.

This is several hundred kilograms of gunpowder.

If a cannonball weighing a dozen kilograms already has that kind of power, what would it be like to use hundreds of kilograms of gunpowder?

The scene of the Liaodong elite troops fleeing after crashing their vehicles was immediately discovered.

"Oh no! It's gunpowder!"

Cheng Yaojin's pupils shrank sharply, and he shouted, "Retreat! Get away from the city gate!"

But it's too late.

Sparks flew from the fuselage after the crash and instantly disappeared into the car's interior.

A huge, muffled roar suddenly rang out.

Under the impact of the explosion, all sound seemed to vanish.

Flames shot into the sky, the crashed car was instantly smashed to pieces, and black smoke, reeking of sulfur, billowed into the air.

"boom!!!"

The explosion shook the entire Xuanwu Gate, and brick and stone fragments rained down like raindrops.

The eaves of the city gate tower were blown off by the blast wave, and tiles crashed down, scattering sparks as they hit the city wall. The power of the three hundred catties of gunpowder far exceeded that of the imperial court's thunderbolts, and the oak battering ram was blasted into dust.

The most fatal blow was to the city gate itself. The heavy iron-clad wooden gate shattered in the explosion, and the rammed earth of the door frame crumbled, revealing a dark, gaping hole.

Amidst the thick smoke, sparks from the wreckage could be vaguely seen igniting the dry wood behind the city gate, causing flames to leap up and engulf the broken door panels.

From a distance, it was clear that the entire sky had brightened up, just like daytime.

This is the art of explosion.

Even with iron-clad city gates, they were utterly useless against such power.

Even so, the city wall was shaken so badly that it crumbled, but it still managed to hold its ground and did not collapse.

"The city gates have been breached!!!"

The Liaodong soldiers roared like beasts, and thousands of them charged toward the smoking doorway with swords and shields in hand. The soldiers in the front row even disregarded the remaining embers and stepped directly over the burning door wreckage, their boot soles sizzling from the heat.

With shouts, the entire Liaodong army could be seen moving.

The Liaodong soldiers on the cloud chariots charged even more fiercely.

(End of this chapter)