My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 416 Death Squadron

Xuanwu Gate.

Su Dingfang remained calm in the face of the surprise attack by five thousand Xuanjia cavalry.

"Give the order: Shoot the horses!"

Li Shimin's Xuanjia Army not only had soldiers wearing armor, but their horses were also clad in armor.

However, this does not mean that there are no weaknesses.

A vest can only cover the horse's body, not its legs.

The rows of musketeers immediately carried out Su Dingfang's orders, showing no fear even in the face of a cavalry attack, and immediately formed a three-section firing formation.

bang bang bang! ! !
Smoke and fire filled the air – that's the most vivid description of firing a musket.

The warhorses in the front ranks of the Xuanjia Army fell one after another in an instant.

The heavily armored soldiers beside him could ignore muskets, but not horses.

If someone falls off their horse during a charge, even with armor, they will essentially lose their fighting ability.

The most terrifying thing was the trampling of the rear cavalry, which was unavoidable.

Seeing this situation, Li Shimin simply watched calmly.

Cavalry charges are bound to result in casualties.

Moreover, as long as we can break through and expose the Crown Prince's trump card, even if we suffer greater losses, it doesn't matter, because it means final victory.

Despite losing nearly a thousand cavalrymen in the Xuanjia Army's fearless charge, they finally reached the musketeers.

There was no way around it; the musketeers could fire in formation quickly, but the warhorses could gallop even faster.

There are gaps in the firing ranks, while a warhorse charge only takes a few dozen breaths.

If Li Chengqian hadn't improved the musket by using fixed ammunition instead of traditional gunpowder, it probably wouldn't have been able to withstand two rounds of fire before it was overrun.

"Sword and shield bearers provide cover, firemen continue firing."

Su Dingfang issued another order.

Musketeers do not act alone; the swordsmen and shieldmen beside them serve as their guards.

As the Xuanjia Army charged, the swordsmen and shieldmen on the flanks immediately stepped in front of the musketeers.

Cavalry charges were the most beautiful romance of the era of cold weapons.

That's the beauty of violence.

High-speed warhorses, coupled with fully armored cavalry, were just like tanks in later times.

This is something that cannot be stopped by human power, even if every swordsman and shield bearer is a strong man in the army.

In just a moment, the powerful momentum of the charge completely dismantled the swordsmen and shieldmen in front.

The Xuanjia soldiers' lances, carrying immense momentum, forcefully rammed into the elite troops of Liaodong.

In a short time, it caused a large number of casualties.

bang bang bang! ! !
Even under such circumstances, the musketeers in the back row continued to fire in an orderly manner.

However, it is much less effective against the Xuanjia Army that uses its ultimate skill at close range.

Because the distance was too close, and there were colleagues in front of him, the muskets could no longer be used to shoot horses, but only people.

Against fully armored cavalry, muskets were clearly less effective.

"kill!!!"

This does not mean that musketeers cannot fight without their muskets.

They all carried swords.

With the help of the swordsmen and shieldmen, they began to fight against the Xuanjia soldiers.

Su Dingfang remained calm.

At this point, Xue Rengui should be given ample time to charge the city wall.

Victory will be achieved if Xue Rengui can completely occupy the city walls.

At this moment, the battle on the city wall had also reached a fever pitch.

Unlike the Xuanjia Army, the Liaodong soldiers on the city walls had an even greater advantage.

After all, the distance was too close, and it was impossible for all the soldiers on the city wall to be fully armored, so their resistance to musket fire was much weaker.

Yuchi Jingde and Cheng Yaojin realized this and immediately ordered the soldiers in full armor to take their place.

However, this was of little use. Xue Rengui's musketeers and the elite Liaodong troops attacking the city continued to advance step by step.

But every step he took was over the corpses of his comrades.

A high platform outside the city.

These scenes were being reflected in Li Chengqian's eyes.

The deaths of a large number of elite troops meant that this was almost a confrontation between the strongest armies of the era.

The ferocity of the fighting was no less than, or even greater than, the An Lushan Rebellion that followed.

These elite troops, even if only four or five thousand strong, could sweep through most small countries.

Although the city gates were beginning to crumble, three or four cannons had already entered the gate area.

No matter how strong the Xuanjia Army was, it couldn't withstand the bombardment of artillery.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened."

Zhao Jie rushed over to report.

"What happened?"

Li Chengqian asked in a deep voice.

Zhao Jie hurriedly said, "Just now, Hou Junji sent a letter saying that Li Jing led several thousand cavalrymen into the city at Kaiyuan Gate and is currently rushing towards us."

"Li Ji has mobilized troops from the gates of Chang'an and is currently besieging Hou Junji."

The battle at Xuanwu Gate has reached a fever pitch, with both sides at a delicate balance.

It remains to be seen who can break this balance first.

But Li Jing's thousands of cavalry were like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

At this time, Li Chengqian had already sent a large number of troops to attack the city, leaving his rear vulnerable.

Despite the large number of people, seemingly twenty or thirty thousand, most of them are auxiliary soldiers; the actual combat troops number only a few thousand.

What can a few thousand infantrymen use to stop a few thousand cavalry?

Once Li Jing breaches Li Chengqian's position, the Xuanwu Gate incident will naturally become a joke.

"Send them there."

"We must intercept Li Jing."

Li Chengqian hesitated for a moment before making his decision.

Zhao Jie immediately bowed and said, "Yes, Your Highness."

Li Chengqian paused slightly and said, "Tell them that their parents, wives, and children are all provided for by the orphans."

Zhao Jie nodded solemnly and immediately went to make the arrangements.

That's right.

Aside from the musketeers, Li Chengqian actually had one last trump card.

However, this trump card is not so useful.

At Zhao Jie's command, rows of Liaodong soldiers stood out in the camp with sorrowful expressions.

They took off their armor.

Soon someone nearby helped them put their bags on.

These strange bags resembled chest ornaments, only thick and bulging, and they also carried tinderboxes. Looking at these Liaodong soldiers, Zhao Jie said, "The Crown Prince decrees that your parents, wives, and children shall all be provided for."

Upon hearing this, hundreds of Liaodong soldiers roared, "We are willing to die for the Crown Prince!"

They are truly willing to die.

There was almost no chance of survival after going there.

They were a suicide squad, and even more so, human bombs.

Dust billowed along Chang'an Street.

Li Jing personally led several thousand cavalrymen like a black torrent, their hooves shattering the night, the sound of their armor clashing echoing across the wilderness.

As a military genius of the Tang Dynasty, Li Jing was known for his swift and ruthless military tactics, and this time he went all out in his raid on Li Chengqian's rear.

Based on prior intelligence, he knew that the battle at Xuanwu Gate had reached a critical point. As long as his troops arrived on time, Li Chengqian's defenses would inevitably collapse.

The Crown Prince didn't have many troops to begin with, and he also deployed a large number of troops to besiege the imperial city.

The fighting at Xuanwu Gate has reached this point, and the Crown Prince must have suffered heavy losses, leaving his rear vulnerable.

This wave can determine the outcome of the battle.

"General, an unidentified column of soldiers has been spotted three miles ahead!"

The roars of the vanguard cavalry pierced through the wind curtain.

Li Jing reined in his horse and squinted, gazing into the distance.

In the moonlight, hundreds of soldiers in light armor were seen standing in loose lines. They carried no spears or shields, and each of them had an oilcloth bundle hanging bulging on their chest and a tinderbox with a burning ember in their hand.

"What kind of formation is that?"

The lieutenant frowned: "They don't look like Liaodong army soldiers, they look more like..."

Before he finished speaking, the soldiers suddenly moved.

Instead of charging, they began to jog towards the cavalry, their steps unsteady yet unusually determined.

Even more strangely, the oilcloth coverings on their chests bounced up and down as they ran, and a faint rustling sound could be heard coming from inside.

Li Jing's pupils constricted sharply. He had fought his entire life, seen catapults, ballistae, and oil-filled battlements, but he had never witnessed such a bizarre sight. "Something's wrong! Form ranks!"

"Prepare to meet the enemy."

Military orders are absolute; the charging cavalry quickly regrouped, with the front-line cavalry controlling their horses' momentum.

However, they were still far away, and the momentum of the cavalry charge prevented them from stopping immediately, leaving them in a state of brief confusion as they accelerated and decelerated.

Just then, the Liaodong soldiers suddenly sped up.

They emitted muffled roars, not shouts of killing, but more like a resolute sob.

Running at the front was a man with a face full of scars, whose fierceness and determination were still evident.

"For His Highness the Crown Prince!!!"

Scarface slammed the tinderbox against the fuse on his chest, and the sparks instantly licked the oil-soaked hemp rope, making a soft "sizzling" sound.

The soldiers behind him made the same movement almost simultaneously, and wisps of smoke rose straight up in the moonlight, like an eerie reed bed.

"It's a firearm! Scatter! Scatter now!"

Li Jing's roar cleaved through the air. He finally realized what was inside those oilcloth wrappings.

That's the Crown Prince's Thunderbolt.

But it was too late.

Scarface had already charged to the front of the cavalry.

He looked at the armored cavalry charging towards him, then suddenly grinned, revealing a tooth missing from his gums. The next moment, a violent explosion shook the earth.

"Boom——!"

A burst of crimson fire exploded in front of the cavalry formation, and the shockwave, like an invisible hand, instantly sent more than ten cavalrymen and their horses flying.

The mixture of saltpeter and flaming oil wrapped in tarpaulin expanded violently under the high temperature. Broken iron pieces and gravel swept around like a rainstorm. The armor was as brittle as paper in the face of this violent force. The screams and the mournful cries of the warhorses were instantly swallowed up by the even louder explosion.

This is just the beginning.

The suicide squad members following closely behind were like moths drawn to a flame, charging straight into the cavalry ranks, showing no fear even at the risk of being stabbed by lances.

Because they already knew their fate.

Waves of Liaodong soldiers rushed in, detonating the explosives on their bodies as they pressed close to the cavalry.

The continuous explosions created a wall of fire that stretched across the battlefield, thick smoke blotted out the sun, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder and burnt metal.

Li Jing was nearly thrown off his horse by the gust of air, and his ears were ringing.

He steadied himself on the saddle and looked up, only to see that his carefully trained cavalry formation had descended into complete chaos. The explosion had startled the warhorses, causing them to neigh and charge in all directions, with many cavalrymen being trampled by their own horses.

Even more terrifying, the flames from the explosions stuck to the armor, instantly igniting a raging fire. The soldiers trapped inside the armor struggled frantically in the flames, a truly horrific sight.

"Charge! Don't stop!" Li Jing drew his sword and pointed it straight ahead, his voice hoarse. He knew there was no way to retreat now; if he were intimidated by firearms, the entire raid plan would be completely ruined.

The surviving cavalrymen gritted their teeth and continued their charge, bypassing the wall of fire and advancing over the corpses of their comrades.

But the second batch of suicide squad members had already filled the gap. These people were clearly determined to die. Some even rushed in front of the horses, using their bodies to block the horses' hooves while lighting the fuse.

"Boom!" Another loud explosion rang out, and three cavalrymen, along with their horses, were blown to pieces, their scalding blood splattering onto the faces of the cavalrymen charging behind them.

Fear clung to these battle-hardened veterans like vines.

They were not afraid of swords, spears, or arrows raining down, but they were filled with an instinctive fear of this invisible and intangible explosion that could instantly take the lives of dozens of people.

A cavalryman swung his long spear and sent a daredevil flying, only to watch helplessly as the enemy detonated explosives before hitting the ground.

The shockwave knocked him off his horse, and the armor on his chest was dented several times by the falling rocks. If he hadn't reacted quickly and used his spear to block, he would probably be riddled with holes.

"General! This battle is unwinnable! These men are not afraid of death at all!"

Li Jing's face turned ashen.

He watched as more and more cavalrymen fell in the explosions, their formation broken into pieces, and the once unstoppable charge turned into sporadic assaults. Even worse, the thick smoke from the explosions made it impossible for the following troops to assess the situation ahead, leaving them stuck in the chaos.

"Team One, follow me to the left! Team Two, flank us on the right!" Li Jing made a decisive decision, attempting to bypass the area with the most concentrated explosions.

But the suicide squad seemed to have anticipated his intentions, and dozens of men suddenly rushed out from the ravine on the flank, like a flock of black crows swarming towards the cavalry.

"Pfft—" A cavalryman's horse was burned by the fuse of a tinderbox, and the horse reared up in shock, throwing the cavalryman to the ground.

Before he could get up, a suicide squad member pounced on him, grabbing him tightly around the waist, the sparks on the fuse already burned to the end.

"Let's all perish together!" The suicide squad member roared, a sound of relief washing over him.

The explosion rang out again, this time almost right in front of Li Jing.

He instinctively ducked to avoid it, and heard the lieutenant's screams.

At the critical moment, the lieutenant stood in front of Li Jing, and his left arm was hit by a flying piece of iron, causing blood to gush out.

"General! If we keep charging, it'll all be over!"

The lieutenant screamed, clutching his wound, his face covered in blood.

This is completely impossible to fight. These Liaodong soldiers are no longer just fearless; they're ready to die together with us.

No matter how strong the cavalry is, they could not possibly charge through such a human bomb.

A few hundred Liaodong soldiers could stop them all here.

Li Jing looked at the ongoing explosions ahead, then turned back to look at the troops that had stalled behind him, and his expression immediately darkened.

He truly hadn't expected the Crown Prince to be so ruthless.

They actually had soldiers tied with Thunderbolts to stop them.

However, he also had to admit that under such circumstances, his plan to launch a surprise attack had completely failed.

The remaining cavalrymen had lost all their initial vigor, and their faces were filled with lingering fear.

Moonlight shone on the battlefield littered with corpses and bloodstains, where shredded pieces of tarpaulin and armor fragments mingled together, resembling a bizarre sea of ​​flowers.

(End of this chapter)