My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 417 Hou Junji's Defeat, Crown Prince in Danger
"Your Highness, of the 386 assassins, 132 remain."

Zhao Jie, holding the surviving list, reported to the Crown Prince.

Your position determines your thinking; things have come to this point, and many things are no longer so simple.

Li Chengqian calmly accepted the roster, his fingertips tracing the unfamiliar names.

"Instruct Liaodong to ensure the safety of their families and to provide the promised compensation; nothing should be neglected."

"Let Xiang'er handle this personally. Anyone who dares to interfere, no matter who they are, will be killed without exception!"

Zhao Jie nodded earnestly: "Yes, Your Highness."

In fact, Zhao Jie was also shocked. It was simply outrageous that these assassins were bound with Thunderbolt Fire.

Li Jing was a military genius of the Tang Dynasty, and the cavalrymen who came today were all elites who had fought countless battles.

Five thousand six thousand elite cavalry, how many men would it take to stop them?

Not to mention that the rear is currently undefended, making it impossible to stop Li Jing.

But with just a few hundred men, strictly speaking, only two hundred and fifty-four, they managed to hold off six thousand iron cavalry.

Even if there were more cavalry than Li Jing, the losses would still be at least a thousand if they wanted to win.

If someone had told him before that a few hundred soldiers could stop Li Jing's six thousand iron cavalry, he would have slapped them across the face. What a pipe dream!

But now the facts are clear.

The Crown Prince's move was outrageous.

"Your Highness, what about Xuanwu Gate?"

Zhao Jie felt that this method was very useful.

The Xuanwu Gate is currently at a stalemate. If we bind Thunderbolt to the bodies of our suicide soldiers, we might be able to break the deadlock.

Li Chengqian said calmly, "It's not very useful, but it's not that we can't prepare for it."

"Make the arrangements and follow my orders."

He wasn't a pedantic person, but he certainly wasn't very effective.

Unlike Li Jing's cavalry, the Xuanwu Gate side had a complete range of troops and a large number of ranged attack weapons.

The imperial court was also very familiar with Thunderbolt. Seeing the assassins brought by Thunderbolt, they would certainly not let them get close and would choose to shoot them from a distance.

Moreover, Xuanwu Gate has many shield bearers, so even if the assassins can get close, they cannot cause too many casualties.

Li Jing's side was successful because they only had cavalry, and their elite soldiers primarily focused on offense rather than defense.

Once the cavalry retreats, the assassins, with two legs, certainly can't outrun four.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jie thought about it carefully and realized that it was indeed impossible to achieve such a good effect.

He sighed inwardly at the pity.

the other side.

Li Jing naturally couldn't just retreat.

"Since we can't get past the Crown Prince, let's deal with Hou Junji first."

"After integrating Li Ji's troops, these suicide soldiers became useless."

After a moment's thought, Li Jing had an idea.

He is now all cavalry, which is precisely what makes him vulnerable to the deadly Thunderbolts. However, once Hou Junji is captured, Li Ji will be able to mobilize troops to assist him.

At that time, it will be of great use whether it goes to the capital to support His Majesty or to launch another attack on the Crown Prince's rear.

The pressure was put on Hou Junji.

Li Jing led his troops in a surprise attack on the Crown Prince's rear. In addition to sending a message, Hou Junji also sent spies to investigate the situation.

Hou Junji was very pleased to learn that Li Jing had suffered considerable losses and been thwarted by the Crown Prince.

"General, they seem to be heading towards our Vermilion Bird Gate."

The lieutenant quickly reported.

This startled Hou Junji.

Good heavens, we were all prepared to face Li Ji, but now Li Jing's several thousand cavalry have come running over. How are we supposed to fight them?
"Immediately issue orders to all city gates to deploy defenses in Taiping Ward."

To confront Li Ji's infantry and Li Jing's cavalry in the streets was tantamount to suicide.

Although Hou Junji was extremely arrogant, he knew his own limitations.

In terms of commanding troops and waging war, he was on par with Li Ji.

But who is Li Jing? He is the military genius of the Tang Dynasty.

When they fought in the Western Regions, Hou Junji was under Li Jing's command.

Not to mention that Hou Junji's military strategies were largely learned from Li Jing, making him practically a disciple.

Hou Junji had previously complained to Li Jing, arguing that Li Jing was holding back his knowledge and had not taught him all of his military strategies.

Now, facing the enemy, Hou Junji has no confidence whatsoever.

The best course of action is to enter the city and rely on its fortifications to defend against the siege by Li Ji and Li Jing.

Inside Taipingfang, the bluestone pavement trembled from the hurried footsteps.

Hou Junji, clad in gleaming armor, stood at the entrance of the main street, watching his soldiers push barricades toward the alleyways on both sides, his brows furrowed in worry.

Taipingfang is three li long from east to west and two li wide from north to south, with more than a hundred houses standing side by side, which at this moment have become natural defensive fortifications.

As a neighborhood near the Vermilion Bird Gate, those who could live here were naturally high-ranking officials, nobles, or their family members and servants.

Hou Junji didn't dare to attack them. This wasn't the Western Regions. If he killed indiscriminately, even if the Crown Prince won, he would be crippled.

The residents here are all sensible; they stay at home in fear and dare not show their faces, thus avoiding a lot of trouble.

"General, the people on both the east and west sides have been cleared out, and three hundred archers have taken to the rooftops."

The lieutenant wiped the sweat from his brow, the command flag in his hand still trembling slightly.

"It's just that the wall has been in disrepair for years, and there's a gap about half a zhang wide in the northwest corner."

Hou Junji whirled around, the copper ring of the sword at his waist clanging against the armor plates: "Take five hundred shield bearers to fill the gap, pile up the Thunderbolts behind the wall, light them and wait for orders!"

He climbed the city ladder to the restaurant facing the street, pushed open the carved wooden window and looked out. In the distance, dust billowed from the direction of the Vermilion Bird Gate, and the sound of horses' hooves came from the south like muffled thunder.

"General, look!"

Suddenly, the guard pointed southeast, where Li Ji's infantry formation was arrayed along the canal. Dozens of catapults were erected among the ranks of soldiers in black armor, with leather pouches at the top of the wooden poles swaying in the wind.

Hou Junji's heart sank. Li Ji's greatest skill was to proceed step by step, and these catapults were clearly intended to destroy the fortifications inside the ward.

"Pass down the order: hang up all the lanterns!"

Hou Junji suddenly shouted, "Have each team light pine torches every ten steps so they can see our defenses clearly!"

Although the deputy general did not understand, he still followed the order.

Moments later, flickering lights illuminated the crisscrossing streets and alleys, making them resemble a spider web.

"General, is Hou Junji just trying to create a fuss?"

The general beside Li Jing looked at the distant firelight and couldn't help but ask.

Li Jing reined in his black horse, tapping lightly on the saddle with his fingers: "He is telling us that Taipingfang is a dead end."

The old man's cloudy eyes suddenly lit up: "Order the vanguard to detour to the winding stream lane south of the neighborhood, where there are three stone bridges."

Before the words were finished, a muffled sound suddenly came from the southeast.

Li Ji's catapults had begun firing, and dozens of millstone-sized stone projectiles whistled as they crashed into the Taipingfang gate, instantly killing a large number of soldiers in front of them.

Hearing the continuous cracking sounds, Hou Junji slammed his hand on the railing: "Tell the soldiers to prepare! Wait until they are within a hundred paces before making a move!"

The dust and smoke from the direction of Zhuque Gate were getting closer and closer, and Li Jing's cavalry had reached the West Gate.

The vanguard of light cavalry attempted to break through the gate, but their horses were tripped by the iron chains behind it. Then, oil poured from the pavilions on either side ignited instantly, turning the thirty-odd riders and their horses into flames. "It was a trap after all," Li Jing sneered, waving his command flag.

"Bowmen, suppress the flanks; heavy armor units, fill the trenches!"

Three hundred infantrymen, clad in double-layered armor, carried wooden planks and charged towards the gate. Arrows rained down from inside the gate, but were deflected by the heavy armor. They laid the planks on the moat in front of the gate, then drew their short swords and cleaved the iron chains.

Beating Hou Junji was much easier than beating the Crown Prince. Hou Junji's skills were all taught by Li Jing; how could Li Jing not know that?
Hou Junji, who was upstairs, saw it clearly and suddenly grabbed a drumstick and pounded the war drum next to him.

After three rapid drumbeats, a creaking sound came from deep within Taipingfang. Dozens of winches simultaneously sprang into action, and the ballistae hidden under the eaves suddenly fired. Iron arrows a meter long pierced through heavy armor, pinning the front-line infantry to the ground.

"Well done, Hou Junji." Li Ji stood on the bank of the canal, watching his own soldiers fall to the ground one after another, and turned to the messenger, saying, "Push the trebuchets up and aim them at those arrow towers."

Ten trebuchets equipped with pulleys quickly took position, and the soldiers tightened the ropes and hurled the clay pots filled with gunpowder into the air.

The earthenware jar exploded in front of the arrow tower, and flames instantly spread across half the street, causing the sound of ballistae firing to immediately subside.

This is gunpowder from the Imperial Gunpowder Bureau. It's slightly inferior to the Crown Prince's Thunderbolt, but its power is still sufficient.

The fighting inside the ward grew increasingly fierce. Li Jing's cavalry finally broke through the ward gates, but found themselves unable to maneuver effectively in the narrow streets and alleys.

Hou Junji's soldiers threw lassos from the houses on both sides, pulling the cavalrymen off their horses and then hacking at them with their long-handled swords. But the cavalrymen's momentum was ultimately terrifying; they advanced over the corpses of their comrades and soon approached the main street intersection.

"General, the southwest corner is about to fall!" A bodyguard ran up, covered in blood, clutching half a broken gun barrel in his hand.

Hou Junji watched as the Xuanjia soldiers drew ever closer across the street, then suddenly ripped off his helmet and threw it on the ground: "Let the reserve force take over! Tell the brothers, anyone who retreats beyond the crossroads will be executed!"

He drew his sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the firelight: "I will personally cover the retreat!"

Just then, a deafening shout suddenly came from the north of the ward. Li Ji's infantry had sneaked in through the underground channel between Taiping Ward and Buzheng Ward and were advancing south along North Street.

Hou Junji’s pupils contracted sharply; he had completely forgotten about the long-abandoned drainage ditch!

Because the Crown Prince was renovating Chang'an, he oversaw the reconstruction of the city's drainage ditches, which resulted in some of them being rendered unusable.

This allowed Li Ji to seize the opportunity, something Hou Junji himself hadn't anticipated.

"We're under attack from both sides."

Hou Junji gave a bitter laugh: "Pass on my order to break through to the northeast and seek refuge with the Crown Prince!"

The only hope now lies with the Crown Prince.

If they can break through the encirclement, they might still be able to rely on the Crown Prince.

After that, Li Ji and Li Jing naturally went to attack the Crown Prince.

But breaking through at this moment was no easy task. Li Jing's cavalry had blocked the street entrance, and Li Ji's infantry were attacking from behind. Taipingfang was now trapped.

The firelight inside the workshop illuminated half the sky.

Hou Junji had less than a thousand men left. They retreated behind the screen wall of a mansion, their armor already soaked in blood.

Suddenly, Li Jing's voice came from outside the courtyard wall: "Hou Junji, surrender. His Majesty will remember your past merits and may spare your life."

Li Ji and Li Jing's troops have completely surrounded the residence.

Victory or defeat is decided.

Although he had long expected to lose, Hou Junji did not expect it to happen so quickly.

From the time I entered the workshop until now, less than an hour has passed.

This is actually also related to the concentration of troops in the imperial city.

Because the troops at the five gates of the imperial city were scattered, and Li Jing's side was composed of cavalry, Hou Junji was unable to gather his troops in time and only had a few thousand soldiers to defend Taipingfang.

Those were all infantry, so naturally they couldn't be faster than Li Jing's cavalry.

This mistake occurred because Hou Junji did not expect Li Jing to be defeated by the Crown Prince so quickly, causing Li Jing, who was originally supposed to deal with the Crown Prince, to turn around and join forces with Li Ji to deal with him instead.

Hou Junji leaned against the screen wall, panting heavily, using his sword as a support for his body.

"There are only Hou Junji who died in battle, not defeated generals who surrendered!"

Hou Junji suddenly straightened his back, his voice hoarse yet filled with arrogance.

He certainly has reason to be proud.

He wouldn't say he was invincible, but he fought a lifetime of battles and almost never lost a single one.

He followed His Majesty in the campaigns against separatist forces such as Xue Ju, Liu Wuzhou, Wang Shichong, and Dou Jiande, offering numerous brilliant strategies and displaying great bravery in battle.

Later, as the commander-in-chief, he led an expedition to Gaochang and opened up the passage to the Western Regions.

He then followed Li Jing on a campaign against Tuyuhun, a thousand-mile raid through the desert.

He fought battles for most of his life and never lost a single one.

He was naturally arrogant, so how could he admit defeat at this moment?

After saying that, Hou Junji suddenly rushed towards the courtyard wall.

Even if it means death, it's better to die in battle.

However, Li Jing understood Hou Junji too well, or rather, Li Jing's grasp of people's hearts was too precise.

He had even anticipated that Hou Junji would do this.

Outside the gate, a large number of soldiers wearing hemp ropes had already been deployed.

Just as Hou Junji rushed out the door, ready to fight to the death, he was tripped by a soldier hiding at the door with a tripwire.

Immediately afterwards, a dozen or so spears surrounded him.

Hou Junji tried to struggle, but the soldiers next to him rushed up and tied him up.

"Don't think I've lost, Li Jing, Li Ji!"

“As long as the Crown Prince wins, you will still lose.”

Hou Junji laughed menacingly.

He still has a chance; Chang'an is not the main battlefield.

The real victory or defeat lies not with him, but with the Crown Prince and His Majesty.

Once the Crown Prince has captured His Majesty, the outcome will be decided.

When the crown prince ascends the throne, he will still have the merit of supporting the emperor.

Li Jing looked at Hou Junji, who was bound by ropes, and sighed: "Take him away and keep a close watch on him."

He then said to Li Ji, "We should quickly provide support to His Majesty."

Li Ji asked, "What does Duke Wei think we should do to provide support?"

After a moment's thought, Li Jing said, "His Majesty has a large number of Imperial Guards. No matter how strong the Crown Prince is, it will be impossible for him to break through the enemy's formation in a short period of time."

"We will attack the Crown Prince's rear again."

"With your help this time, I think the Crown Prince's assassins are no longer afraid."

Li Ji nodded: "I will follow your orders, Duke Wei."

At this moment, the soldiers rescued two people from inside the courtyard.

After Hou Junji was captured, the remaining soldiers had no reason to resist.

These two men were none other than Prince Wei, Li Tai, and Chai Lingwu.

At this moment, Li Tai was disheveled, and he was no longer the majestic King of Wei he once was.

Chai Lingwu, in particular, looked utterly dejected.

He boasted of being an unparalleled strategist, but he never expected that a mere junior officer could defeat him.

This caused Chai Lingwu to have a mental breakdown.

"Many thanks to Duke Wei for saving my life."

(End of this chapter)