Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Chapter 321 Truth! Within Artillery Range
Guo Feng felt a burning sensation on his face when he saw Chen Jie.

Before this, he had boasted to Chen Jie that he could easily take over Tongshan County.

but,

They fled in disarray and returned to Xianning Prefecture.

but,

Chen Jie seemed oblivious to Guo Feng's embarrassment.

He said calmly:
"General Guo, now that you have retreated to Xianning Prefecture, don't think about anything else."

"However, you do not need to set up camp for the time being. Prepare for battle and be ready to pursue the rebels at any time."

"Next, the rebels will be routed and flee. I hope you can prepare in advance so that you don't lose them when the time comes."

Upon hearing this, Guo Feng was taken aback and asked in confusion:
"Governor, what did you say? The rebels will be routed and flee?"

Chen Jie said calmly, "That's right, they'll be fleeing in disarray very soon!"

His tone was neither arrogant nor do he show any swagger; rather, he was very calm.

It's like saying something that's taken for granted.

Guo Feng nodded upon hearing this, but remained silent.

Although Chen Jie's tone was calm, it sounded extremely harsh to Guo Feng.

Before this, he knew how powerful the rebel army under Dong Chuan was.

In the past, Guo Feng might have retorted to Chen Jie, or even mocked him for being too arrogant.

but,

He is now a defeated general, and he has no right to refute anything Chen Jie says.

However, at this moment, he was still unconvinced.

Is Ximen Tang really that strong in combat?

Okay,

Let me take this opportunity to see how Ximen Tang managed to defeat the rebels.
Just how powerful were Ximentang's cannons that they could so easily defeat Sun Zhong's 80,000-strong army?
Ten minutes later.

Guo Feng's army entered the camp behind Xianning Prefecture.

Next,
The cannons, muskets, heavy machine guns, and other weapons of Ximen Hall were ready for battle.

Simultaneously,

On the high ground to the side of Xianning Prefecture, the special operations regiment's snipers had already prepared their sniper rifles.

All the soldiers of Ximen Hall were now filled with fervor and boundless fighting spirit.

No one felt any fear because of Dong Chuan's army of 100,000.

The artillerymen had already adjusted the angle of their cannons, and boxes of cannons were ready to be fired at any time.

The person in charge of the main combat mission this time is Xu Xiaodao from the Special Operations Regiment's Sharp Knife Second Team.

The area surrounding Xianning Prefecture, with its first three layers of moats, was within the firing range of a thousand mortars.

Then,

The trench within a 300-meter radius was the defensive zone for heavy machine guns.

The last line of defense is the area defended by grenades.

this moment,
Everyone was on high alert, waiting for orders.

Chen Jie authorized Xu Xiaodao to be the overall commander of the operation.

He intended to train Xu Xiaodao so that he could adapt to large-scale operations.

He himself stood at the highest point in Xianning Prefecture to watch the battle, and had Guo Feng, Lin Rui, Meng Ying and other generals from the Ministry of War of the Great Qian Dynasty follow him.

If Ximen Tang wants to establish a base in the Hanzhong region in the future, he will need the assistance of the generals from the Ministry of War of the imperial court.

Ximentang's manpower is limited, and it's impossible for them to do everything themselves.

Therefore,
It is very necessary to win over a group of generals from the Ministry of War of the Great Qian Dynasty.

A dozen minutes later, Dong Chuan appeared in sight, leading the rebel army.

Originally, Dong Chuan had mobilized all the Japanese cannons and heavy machine guns from Tongshan County, intending to have a fierce battle with the army of the Daqian Ministry of War in Yunxi City.

but,

What he didn't expect was.

He led an army of 100,000, preparing to bombard Yunxi City, but unexpectedly, the Daqian garrison guarding Yunxi City fled first.

They abandoned the city and fled, having no intention of fighting to the death in Yunxi City at all.

A bunch of trash!
Dong Chuan was very disdainful of Guo Feng's performance.

Seeing that Guo Feng's 80,000-strong army had been so frightened by him that they fled in disarray, Dong Chuan felt a sense of smugness.

It seems that after equipping themselves with Japanese weapons, the combat effectiveness of the entire army has increased dramatically.

The Daqian army was utterly incompetent, so Ximen Tang's fighting strength must be just so-so.

That bastard Sun Zhong made Ximentang sound so powerful, probably because he's afraid that Prince Li Ben of Han will hold him accountable for his dereliction of duty.

An army of 80,000, equipped with so many Japanese weapons, was completely routed by Ximen Tang's mere 10,000 men.

If he didn't portray Ximentang as so formidable, how could he redeem himself from his mistake?
Thinking this to himself, Dong Chuan couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

It seems that

Without needing to be attacked from both sides by the army of Prince Li Ben of Han, he could completely crush Ximentang with just his own troops.

Everything Sun Zhong lost at Tongshankou Fortress, he will take back completely today in Xianning Prefecture, thanks to Laozi Dong Chuan.

this moment,
Full of confidence, Dong Chuan ordered his troops to pursue the enemy all the way to Xianning Prefecture.

We arrived at the outskirts of Xianning Prefecture.

Dong Chuan saw the defensive fortifications that Ximentang had set up in Xianning Prefecture.

He frowned, looked at Xianning City through his binoculars, and then glanced at the outer moat, the horse-drawn embankments, and the earthen walls.
at this time,

Sun Zhong also used his binoculars to see the defenses inside Xianning City.

suddenly,
He saw the city walls covered with countless cannon barrels.

hiss--!
Immediately, Sun Zhong was taken aback and quickly said:

"General Dong, retreat! Quickly—retreat the troops immediately!"

"The main force of the Ximen Hall is inside Xianning City; their artillery is too powerful!"

"We're now within their artillery range. If we don't retreat, we're in grave danger!"

finished,

Sun Zhong's expression changed drastically, and he turned to leave.

If Dong Chuan had been defending the city in Tongshan County, he might have been very cautious and heeded Sun Zhong's advice.

but,

Now that Dong Chuan has led his army to Xianning Prefecture, how could he possibly retreat?
No matter how strong Ximen Tang is, he still has to face him.

Therefore,
He wouldn't listen to Sun Zhong at all.

Dong Chuan snorted coldly and said to Sun Zhong:

"Sun Zhong! Watch your words! What kind of time is this to call for a retreat?"

"Did that crushing defeat a few days ago scare you out of your wits?"

"Danger!? Since it's war, how can it not be dangerous?"

"Now that we have arrived in Xianning Prefecture, we must fight a battle. After I completely defeat Ximen Tang, we will join forces with the King's main force to attack Ezhou and kill Li Qiong!"

finished,

Dong Chuan then gave orders for the heavy cavalry to begin preparations.

Tactically speaking, Dong Chuan adopted the same tactics that Sun Zhong had used before.

Five thousand heavily armored warhorses launched an attack on Xianning City.

then,

The heavily armored soldiers followed closely behind, drawing heavy firepower from Xianning Prefecture.

Finally, he personally led the main force of the rebel army to launch an attack on Xianning City.

Despite Sun Zhong's repeated emphasis that Ximentang's firepower was too fierce, and that this tactic of using heavily armored warhorses simply could not withstand the enemy's heavy firepower suppression.

but,

How could Sun Zhong possibly stop Dong Chuan from launching an attack at this moment?

They won't shed a tear until they see the coffin!
Dong Chuan is now full of fighting spirit. He has never suffered a loss before, so there is no way he will give up.

in fact,

Right after Chen Jie told Guo Feng to "get lost," he had a further plan.

With the fighting strength of Guo Feng's 80,000 troops, there was absolutely no way they could attack and capture Tongshan County.

Guo Feng is a very stubborn guy, even though he is highly skilled in martial arts and brave in battle.

If we don't teach him a lesson, he'll never know his place. Besides,

Chen Jie deliberately made Guo Feng suffer a loss as a warning to Li Qiong.

This guy won two games and he's getting a little cocky!

Because Li Qiong was, after all, the son of Li Zhen, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War, and also a trusted general of Emperor Li Zheng.

Therefore,
Out of respect for the monk, Chen Jie decided not to bother arguing with the other party.

If we want to eliminate Prince Li Ben of Han, we can only rely on ourselves!
After Dong Chuan easily defeated Guo Feng, he must have felt contempt for the Daqian army.

He would gradually lower Ximentang's guard, believing that no matter how strong Ximentang was, he would never be able to stop his 100,000-strong army from attacking the city.

Chen Jie held the city of Xianning, waiting for Dong Chuan's arrival.

If Dong Chuan can be captured, then Prince Li Ben of Han will be in serious trouble.

"Giddy up—giddy up—!"

The rebels' heavily armored cavalry charged first.

Although the heavily armored cavalry had already entered the range of mortar fire.

but,

Chen Jie had already arranged for someone to set up a camp.

Heavy cavalry must stop once they reach the first trench.

We must wait until Dong Chuan's main force enters the artillery's range before we can open fire.

There was no other way; if we fired prematurely...

If the firepower becomes too intense and Dong Chuan retreats, it will be difficult to pursue them.

Therefore,
When Dong Chuan ordered the heavy cavalry to charge, he did not see Ximentang's cannons firing.

He frowned slightly, turned to look at Sun Zhong, as if to say:

"Didn't you say that Ximentang's cannons were very powerful and had a long range?"

"Where are their cannons? Why can't we see their artillery?"

"Sigh, I almost fell for your tricks, you bastard! I thought Ximen Tang was really that powerful!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!
Just as Dong Chuan was muttering to himself, he heard the sound of artillery fire coming from afar.

Suddenly, the earth shook!

The warhorses of the heavily armored cavalry did not have cotton stuffed in their ears.

Therefore,
The warhorse was startled, neighing and rearing up on its front hooves.

Chaos erupted all around!

The shells were incredibly powerful, and the key was that the artillery covered an extremely wide area.

Caught off guard, Dong Chuan was nearly thrown to the ground by the warhorse.

He gripped the reins tightly, steadied himself, and looked up ahead.

Next,
The heavy cavalry's charging formation immediately fell into disarray.

The power of cannons was indeed terrifying; when they exploded on the ground, they could blow off the legs of warhorses.

and,

Incendiary shells were mixed in with ordinary artillery!
Therefore,
The cavalry formation ahead was in disarray, with men and horses falling and screams echoing through the air.

Clearly, the rebels suffered heavy casualties following the first artillery barrage from Simon Hall.

The key point is that the distance between the light cavalry and infantry following behind and the heavy cavalry was not far.

At this moment, Ximentang's cannons began to fire.

A barrage of cannonballs rained down from the sky, attacking not only the heavily armored cavalry at the forefront but also the infantry behind them.

The rebels fell in droves, and chaos reigned all around.

Dong Chuan was shocked when he saw this.

Damn it——!
How did they suddenly start using artillery fire?
How many cannons would that take?

hiss--!
Dong Chuan couldn't help but gasp. Such a terrifying artillery attack would require at least two thousand cannons.

Only at this moment did he understand why Sun Zhong was so afraid of Ximen Tang.

The cannon array at Ximentang was ridiculously powerful.

but,

Dong Chuan had not yet realized the seriousness of the situation.

He saw that after a round of shelling by Ximentang, it quickly stopped.

"Hmph! It seems that while Ximentang has many cannons, its supply of shells is limited!"

"They bombarded Sun Zhong's army last time, and they've probably used up most of their shells."

Dong Chuan did not order the army to retreat, but instead ordered them to continue their advance.

The cannons at Ximentang stopped firing, not because they ran out of ammunition.

Instead, Xu Xiaodao saw through his binoculars that the rebels suddenly stopped.

He worried that Dong Chuan was ordering the rebels to retreat at this point, so he deliberately stopped the artillery fire.

The distance between the two sides is very delicate. If the rebels give up the siege at this moment, it will be too difficult for Ximentang to pursue them.

Therefore,
Xu Xiaodao adopted the tactic of "closing the door to beat the dog".

Fire a round of artillery fire first, then stop, giving the enemy the illusion that you have used up all your shells.

Then,

The artillery battalion began preparations for the second round of shelling.

The rebels entered the second line of defenses, where they were met with a deafening barrage of artillery fire.

The frequency of this bombing was twice that of the first round of shelling.

The combination of incendiary bombs and artillery shells is incredibly powerful.

Nearly two thousand artillery pieces fired simultaneously from four directions.

The intense artillery fire nearly blasted the sky apart.

No discrimination, no blind spots, full coverage!
Under the second round of artillery fire, another large number of rebels fell.

At this point, we were still some distance from the range of the heavy machine gun.

The intense artillery barrage sent Dong Chuan's elite troops into chaos, with screams and howls filling the surrounding area.

Although Dong Chuan's view was obstructed, he was unable to see the situation of the heavily armored cavalry.

but,

The artillery barrage completely stunned him.

Boom—boom—!
The shelling continued relentlessly, round after round.

Even more terrifying was the incendiary bombs that created a wall of fire in front of them.

The heavily armored cavalry simply couldn't break through and couldn't penetrate the third line of defense.

The intervals between each round of shelling became shorter and shorter, with almost no pauses.

Dong Chuan wanted the artillery battalion to launch a counterattack, but Ximentang's artillery was too powerful.

The rebels' field artillery, which had just been set up, was quickly destroyed.

For a while,
Screams echoed all around, the shockwave overturned everything in its path, and the casualty rate rose sharply.

Seeing this, Dong Chuan felt a sense of fear.

He finally understood why Sun Zhong was so wary of Ximen Tang; with such fierce firepower, who wouldn't be afraid?
call--!
Dong Chuan couldn't help but take a deep breath and turn to look at Sun Zhong beside him.

Sun Zhong remained silent and did not utter a sound.

At this point, what else is there to say?

He had warned Dong Chuan several times before that he must be careful of Ximentang's artillery and never enter the enemy's artillery range.

but,

Dong Chuan wouldn't listen to a word.

Now that the 100,000-strong army has entered the range of Ximentang's cannons, they can only be slaughtered by the enemy.

There was simply no chance of launching a counterattack under such intense artillery fire.

"Damn it—! I'll see just how many cannons you have today—!"

Dong Chuan gritted his teeth and roared angrily.

Retreat was no longer an option; the only choice was to continue the charge and fight our way out!
Therefore,
Dong Chuan ordered the entire army to attack!
Next,
After firing a few rounds, the cannons from Ximentang quickly stopped.

The rebels suffered 40% casualties from continuous bombing.

In other words, after several rounds of bombing, Dong Chuan's 100,000-strong army suffered nearly 40,000 casualties!
However, the rebel heavy cavalry finally broke through the second line of defense and advanced rapidly, soon reaching within 300 meters of the Xianning Prefecture city wall.

(End of this chapter)