My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 414 The Final Battle at Xuanwu Gate
Inside Xuanwu Gate.

Li Shimin has already led a large army here.

"It's your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty is here."

Leaving aside the support of more than 20,000 imperial guards, the mere appearance of Li Shimin greatly boosted the morale of the garrison at Xuanwu Gate.

This is His Majesty himself.

All the soldiers were excited, for their bravery had been witnessed by His Majesty.

At Xuanwu Gate, where people were initially backing away, the arrival of Li Shimin instantly energized everyone, as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

They actually managed to push the Liaodong troops forward by a significant margin.

A high platform in the distance.

Li Chengqian, who had been keeping a close eye on the situation at the city gate, immediately sensed that something was amiss.

The unusual behavior of the Imperial Guards indicates that something else must have happened.

Li Chengqian frowned slightly.

Logically speaking, he doesn't have the advantage right now. Although he's attacking the city gate, he's at a disadvantage, and his situation is somewhat like a cornered beast fighting desperately.

Given the current state of the Imperial Guards, it's safe to assume that reinforcements have been sent.

"It's not just about increasing the number of troops, Your Highness."

"Such a sight suggests that His Majesty has arrived."

Du He took the binoculars from Li Chengqian, observed carefully for a while, and then gave her judgment.

Du He was also quite amazed by such a creation as a telescope, but unfortunately, it was too difficult to find pure, transparent crystal.

The value of these two crystals alone is priceless, let alone the fact that they were used to forge such a battlefield artifact.

Li Chengqian nodded thoughtfully: "The fact that the Imperial Guards' morale is so high must be due to the Emperor's personal presence."

Li Chengqian was also puzzled as to why they had come at this time.

Of course, the three thousand musketeers had already charged towards the city gates and could not stop.

Having paid such a high price to obtain this opportunity, the only option left is to fight.

Drums and gongs resounded beneath Xuanwu Gate. Li Shimin reined in his horse and stood beneath the pavilion behind Xuanwu Gate, his black cloak fluttering in the night wind.

The reason for this location is to guard against the Crown Prince's cannons and to allow for quick evasion.

When these cannons fire, they show no mercy, not even to their own family.

Changsun Wuji looked at the advancing imperial guards and said, "His Majesty's personal presence has greatly boosted the morale of the army. Although the Crown Prince's Liaodong troops are elite, they are ultimately no match for His Majesty's divine might."

Fang Xuanling stroked his silver beard, his gaze piercing through the battlefield as he stared at the distant Xuanwu Gate.

The Liaodong soldiers were engaged in close combat with the Imperial Guards. The front-line soldiers advanced with shields raised, while archers continuously fired arrows from the rear to suppress them, but their formation was already showing signs of disarray.

"not necessarily!"

Fang Xuanling suddenly spoke, his voice steady yet tinged with worry, "The Crown Prince's willingness to launch such a forceful attack is no rash act. Beneath this seemingly chaotic offensive, there must be a hidden strategy."

Changsun Wuji raised an eyebrow, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Prime Minister Fang is overthinking it. The Crown Prince's troops are already showing signs of fatigue, and have suffered so many losses. Now His Majesty has brought 20,000 Imperial Guards, giving us an absolute advantage in troop strength. As long as we fight steadily, the Crown Prince will undoubtedly be defeated."

Fang Xuanling shook his head slightly and pointed to the east side of the battlefield: "Brother Wuji, look, every time the Crown Prince's army's offensive is thwarted, they quickly retreat and regroup, never lingering in battle. This shows that they have received rigorous training and are waiting for an opportunity. If our army rashly pursues them, we may very well fall into their trap."

Li Shimin listened attentively and nodded slightly: "What Minister Fang said is absolutely right. Su Dingfang and others around the Crown Prince are all talented individuals. They will not gamble their lives on a direct attack; they must have some hidden trump cards up their sleeves."

Fang Xuanling gazed at the battlefield in the distance and murmured to himself, "Although the Crown Prince is brave, he is ultimately naive in terms of strategic planning. He does not know His Majesty's benevolence and the people's hearts are with him. With only this small force, even if he has a backup plan, it will be difficult to change the outcome. I only hope that his backup plan is not a suicidal scheme, otherwise Chang'an will be plunged into further devastation."

Changsun Wuji said in a deep voice, "No matter what methods the Crown Prince uses, we are prepared. After this battle, the Tang Dynasty will surely usher in true peace."

Li Shimin remained silent, his eyes reflecting both his heartache over his son's rebellion and his determination to quell it.

The Xuanwu Gate Incident was not only about the succession to the throne, but also about the future of the Tang Dynasty. If the rebellion could not be completely quelled, it would shake the very foundation of the nation.

As Li Shimin issued his orders, the situation on the battlefield gradually became tense. Encouraged by Li Shimin, the Imperial Guards stood ready for battle, while the Crown Prince's troops in Liaodong were constantly adjusting their deployments.

Just as Li Shimin was deploying his troops and the battle situation seemed to be gradually becoming clear, Li Chengqian suddenly raised the command flag in his hand and swung it down fiercely.

Three thousand cavalrymen swiftly charged toward the city gate.

Armed with strangely shaped long-handled weapons, they quickly arrived at Xuanwu Gate.

"What is that?"

Changsun Wuji narrowed his eyes, gazing at the strange weapons in the distance, a sense of unease rising within him.

Fang Xuanling's expression changed drastically. Although he had never seen this object before, his intuition, based on his years of experience, told him that it was no ordinary weapon.

"Your Majesty, be careful! There may be something strange in the Crown Prince's army!"

Before the words were even finished, there were loud bangs! Bang! Bang!

A deafening sound, like a thunderclap, rang out, and dozens of streaks of fire shot out from the tips of those long-handled weapons.

Before the Imperial Guard soldiers at the forefront could react, they were thrown to the ground by the sudden attack.

Lead bullets pierced through leather armor, leaving bloody holes in the soldiers' bodies, and screams of agony echoed throughout.

The Imperial Guards, who had been advancing steadily with high morale, were suddenly torn open by this terrifying firepower, creating a huge gap.

The arquebus was quite powerful, but it was somewhat ineffective against armored targets.

However, it was impossible for all tens of thousands of imperial guards to be fully armored. Even within the imperial guards, only those with a certain rank could wear such equipment as the Bright Light Armor.

Most of the Imperial Guards' primary armor was leather.

Li Chengqian's matchlock gun was not so simple; it had undergone meticulous improvements.

The traditional loading process involves pouring gunpowder, loading the projectile, and compacting it, with each loading taking more than a minute.

Li Chengqian's batch of matchlock guns had already been made with copper primers, similar to early fixed cartridges.

The most troublesome sealing problem is currently being addressed by using animal casings.

Then there's the simplified version of the rifling broach. Its precision naturally doesn't reach the level of later generations, but it's certainly sufficient for this era.

In this large army, there is actually not much need for aiming; the main purpose is to demonstrate firepower suppression.

The musket cavalry naturally employed a 'three-stage' firing technique.

Because of the fixed ammunition, the loading speed is very fast, taking only about ten breaths.

The flames in the front row showed no sign of stopping.

If it's just a few muskets, the effect won't be very noticeable, since leather armor can also have some effect.

But the concept of hundreds of muskets firing continuously is completely different.

The Xuanwu Gate hindered the musketeers' effectiveness, but as the Imperial Guards continued to retreat, the musketeers had more and more space to maneuver, allowing more cavalry to join in.

Crackle, crackle.

The musketeers were like firecrackers going off, unleashing a barrage of ammunition – a complete dimensional reduction attack.

Changsun Wuji, watching the Imperial Guards fall one after another around him, gritted his teeth and said, "I have never seen such a domineering weapon! Where did the Crown Prince obtain such a killing weapon?"

Looking at the weapon that was constantly spewing fire, Fang Xuanling immediately understood.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has modified the cannons and put them in the hands of the soldiers. Who would have thought they would be so powerful?" The shape and usage of the matchlock musket are just a miniaturized version of a cannon.

The situation on the battlefield was immediately reversed after the musketeers joined the fray.

Li Shimin's numerical advantage was completely negated by the firearms.

With their superior firepower, musketeers could easily overwhelm and kill large armies.

Moreover, the musketeers were all cavalry, flexible and versatile, and quickly opened up the battle at Xuanwu Gate.

Under these circumstances, Li Shimin's side is destined for defeat.

Of course, Li Shimin quickly implemented countermeasures, deploying a large number of shield soldiers for protection. After all, muskets are not cannons, and it was almost impossible for them to penetrate the shields.

The three thousand musketeers were each led by Su Dingfang, Pei Xingjian, and Xue Rengui, with a thousand men each.

As Su Dingfang opened up the situation with three volleys of fire, Pei Xingjian and Xue Rengui's musket cavalry were finally able to cross the Xuanwu Gate and begin firing at the Imperial Guards.

In the past, cavalrymen mainly relied on the mobility of their warhorses and the length of their lances to disrupt and attack infantry formations.

But with the advent of firearms, the situation changed completely.

The effective range of the muskets exceeded eighty meters, and with such a long range, the musket cavalry had no need to worry about enemy counterattacks.

Furthermore, the three-stage firing pattern allows for more frequent and concentrated attacks.

Pei Xingjian and Xue Rengui's flanking attack overwhelmed the Imperial Guards' formation.

In such circumstances, even high morale is of little use.

Fang Xuanling quickly discovered the weakness of the musket and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty! Look at those leather armors! Although lead bullets can penetrate them, their force is insufficient; they didn't even completely pierce the inner garments! The power of this matchlock musket is far inferior to the Crown Prince's cannons!"

Li Shimin turned around abruptly, hope rekindling in his eyes: "You mean?"

Fang Xuanling analyzed rapidly: "This spear seems domineering, but it actually has three drawbacks!"

"Firstly, the firepower is dispersed, making it difficult to penetrate heavy armor. Secondly, how long can the gunpowder sustain such a dense barrage?"

"If we withdraw the leather armor and replace it with heavy armor, we can turn the tide of the battle."

Fang Xuanling's suggestion was quickly approved by Li Shimin, who immediately ordered heavily armored soldiers to advance and archers to hold the line.

A dense rain of arrows from archers can also be effective.

The situation on the battlefield quickly became balanced.

The advantage of musketeers becomes somewhat insignificant when faced with heavy armor.

Li Chengqian, who saw this scene from the high platform, snorted coldly.

Under normal circumstances, Li Shimin should still be in the palace at this time, and his musket cavalry would have been wreaking havoc. By the time Li Shimin realized what was happening, the battle was already decided.

But the current situation is that, for some unknown reason, Li Shimin suddenly went to the battlefield in person.

This resulted in the musket cavalry not achieving the desired effect.

Although they initially appeared very strong, they failed to play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the battle.

Fortunately, the previous disadvantage has now been reversed.

With these three thousand musketeer cavalry, Li Shimin's imperial guards were effectively restricted.

"Take down the city wall!"

Li Chengqian decisively gave the order.

The messenger rode off at breakneck speed.

The importance of the city gate tower is self-evident. Li Shimin's heavy armor was formidable, but it was of little use against cannons.

Cannons are heavy and take a long time to move, so the imperial guards on the city walls certainly wouldn't just stand by and watch them enter the city.

With cannons and muskets, how are we supposed to fight?
After receiving the Crown Prince's order.

Su Dingfang immediately ordered Xue Rengui to launch a strong attack on the city tower.

Pei Xingjian's musketeer cavalry still needed to intercept the Imperial Guards ahead to prevent them from providing reinforcements.

The city wall was quite long, and Yuchi Jingde and Cheng Yaojin were leading a large number of imperial guards to defend it.

What Xue Rengui wanted to capture was not the entire city wall, but only the section of the city wall at the city gate.

Once this section of the city wall is captured, the artillery can safely enter the city.

Upon receiving the order, Xue Rengui immediately ordered the musketeers to dismount.

We are now inside the city and can directly attack the city tower via the stone steps inside the city.

In such a confined battlefield environment, the advantages of muskets are too great.

The imperial guards on the city wall could not make use of their numerical advantage, while the musketeers could fire at long distances from these stone steps.

The imperial guards on the city wall immediately put up their shields to protect the city, and Su Dingfang also arranged for the Mo Dao soldiers to advance and cover the muskets. Even though Yuchi Jingde and Cheng Yaojin were jumping up and down in a panic, they could not stop the musket soldiers from surging towards the city wall.

At this moment, a large number of Liaodong elite troops are still launching a fierce attack on the siege ladders outside the city.

Despite having a large number of soldiers defending the city, they were unable to withstand being attacked from both sides and could only retreat in defeat.

Under the cover of night, Xuanwu Gate became a battlefield, with the smoke from muskets mingling with the stench of blood soaring into the sky.

Looking at the mess on the ground, Yuchi Jingde suddenly noticed half a lead bullet embedded in the crack of the city wall bricks.

He picked out the lead bullets and examined them repeatedly in the moonlight. An unprecedented chill rose in his heart. The firearms under the Crown Prince's command were far more terrifying than he had imagined.

The advantage of close-range muskets is too great; even soldiers clad in iron armor are finding it difficult to withstand them.

The armor wasn't completely enclosed; the hands and feet were covered with leather armor. At such close range, aiming was too easy for musketeers.

Once a hand or foot is hit by a musket, even if it is not a fatal injury, it is no different from being crippled.

The musketeers advanced in alternating three-tiered formations, raining down lead bullets that relentlessly suppressed the defenders on the city wall.

Once the city walls are captured and cannons are pushed into the city, the situation remains unchanged.

Li Shimin naturally realized this as well, and immediately stopped hiding his intentions, ordering the Xuanjia Army to launch a strong attack.

This Xuanjia Army was the very same Xuanjia Army that he used to defeat Dou Jiande's army of 100,000 with only 3,500 soldiers, achieving his famous victory with fewer troops.

After Li Shimin ascended the throne, the Xuanjia Army was naturally not disbanded, but instead served as a personal guard to protect the palace.

These Xuanjia soldiers all wore bright armor, and each soldier was a fierce warrior selected from various armies.

This was Li Shimin's last trump card, and also his strongest.

He intends to use these five thousand armored soldiers to decisively defeat the musketeers.

Once the musketeers are forced to retreat, the crown prince will have no trump cards left, and he will inevitably lose.

Li Chengqian, observing this scene through his binoculars, coldly stated, "If necessary, bombard with artillery."

Compassion does not command troops.

The power of the Xuanjia Army is beyond doubt.

No one doubted that the Xuanjia Army could break through the elite square formation of Liaodong.

(End of this chapter)