Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 429 I'll give you a quarter of an hour: surrender, or I'll slaughter your city!
Spring comes late to Liaodong. The remnants of snow still linger at the foot of the city walls of Anshi, where bursts of laughter and cheerful voices can be heard from time to time.

Little did they know, danger was already creeping in.

"Your Highness, the Liaodong region is just ahead. After traveling another fifty li, you will be able to see the outline of Anshi City."

Pei Xingjian rode up to Li Chengqian's side, holding a crumpled map in his hand, and pressed his fingertip heavily on the three characters 'Anshi City'.

Li Chengqian reined in his horse, which snorted and dug two shallow craters in the ground with its front hooves.

He looked up and saw a dark gray outline faintly appearing on the distant horizon; that was Ansi Fortress, a major military stronghold of Goguryeo.

Li Chengqian was no stranger to this important military town; he had even heard about it more than once.

Although most of the news was about Li Er's defeats and inability to make any progress, it did not diminish his determination to take the city.

"Relay my order!"

Li Chengqian's voice traveled clearly through the cold wind to the person behind him:

"The Wolf Fang Guard and the Musketeer Guard will lead the way, while the Black Armor Guard and the Iron Pagoda Guard will be positioned on the two flanks. The army will set up camp on the spot and must not disturb the people along the way."

"promise!"

The military orders were like thunder, and tens of thousands of soldiers moved in perfect unison.

In a short while, tents sprang up on the frozen ground.

The wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys contrasted sharply with the smoke rising from the distant city of Anshi, yet each carried a distinctly different, somber atmosphere.

Li Chengqian dismounted, took the hot sesame seed cake from Wang Haibin, took a bite, and then looked towards Anshi City.

Has General Li Jing arrived?

"Your Highness, General Li Jing is already waiting with his vanguard ten miles ahead," Pei Xingjian replied, bowing.

Li Chengqian nodded, handed the remaining flatbread to the soldier beside him, and patted him on the shoulder: "Come on, let's go see General Li."

Meanwhile, in Anshi City.

Li Shimin's hasty retreat gave the soldiers and civilians of Anshi City great confidence.

At this moment, they were immersed in jubilation.

At the city gate, several young soldiers were gathered around a pile of broken pots left behind by the Tang army, pointing and mocking them.

"Look at this pot, it's so rusty. I bet the Tang soldiers haven't even had a decent meal here."

"That's right! I heard that their Crown Prince Li Chengqian killed a bunch of sons of meritorious officials, and Li Shimin had to clean up his mess when he got back!"

"Hahaha!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

"If you ask me, the Tang army is nothing but a fart!"

In the nearby tavern, a man with a flushed face waved a wine bowl:

"Li Shimin boasted all sorts of things, calling himself the Heavenly Strategy General? Didn't he get utterly thrashed by our General Yang?"

Those around him chuckled and chimed in, "I heard that their Crown Prince not only killed the son of a meritorious official, but also his own younger brother. Chang'an is in complete chaos now!"

On the city tower, Yang Wanchun leaned on the railing and gazed into the distance, listening to the cheerful laughter of the soldiers below, but his brows furrowed slightly.

He always felt uneasy, as if something big was about to happen.

"General, what's wrong?"

Jin Shun walked over and followed Yang Wanchun's gaze, only to see a peaceful field.

Yang Wanchun shook his head and said in a deep voice, "It's nothing, I just feel like something's not right. Maybe I'm overthinking it."

"General, you are overthinking it!"

Jin Shun laughed and said, "The Tang army fought for more than half a year last year, and they had no choice but to withdraw because their food supplies were exhausted and their morale was low. Now that Chang'an is in chaos, they probably don't have time to care about us."

"Besides, our Anshi city walls are strong and our food supplies are plentiful, so what are we afraid of?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Wanchun was about to say something when he was interrupted by a series of hurried footsteps.

A scout scrambled up the city wall, his face ashen: "General!"

"It's terrible! The Tang army! The Tang army is pressing in! They're already fifty miles outside the city!"

"what?!"

Yang Wanchun whirled around and grabbed the scout by the collar: "Say it again! How many Tang soldiers are here?"

"Too many to count!"

The scout trembled with fear and could barely speak: "There's no end in sight, just armored cavalry, and...and lots of strange firearms!"

"This"

Yang Wanchun's expression changed drastically. He pushed aside the scouts, strode to the city wall, and raised the binoculars he had seized from the Tang army generals to look inside.

On the distant horizon, a massive, dark army was slowly advancing.

The black iron armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and the muskets in the hands of the musketeers were neatly arranged, like a steel forest.

The cheers and laughter below the city gate vanished instantly, replaced by a deathly silence.

The soldiers who had just been mocking the Tang army now stared wide-eyed, their smiles frozen in place, replaced by deep fear.

"How could this be? How could the Tang army arrive so quickly?" Jin Shun murmured, suppressing his panic.

"Why panic!"

Yang Wanchun took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and shouted: "Pass on my order, the entire army is on high alert, fortify the city walls, prepare rolling logs and stones, and prepare to fight the Tang army!"

the other side.

After meeting with Li Jing at the vanguard camp, Li Chengqian immediately convened a military conference.

Inside the tent, the candlelight flickered, illuminating the serious faces of the people inside.

Li Chengqian spread the map on the table and traced his finger across the terrain surrounding Anshi City.

"Anshi City has a strategic location and strong city walls, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"When His Majesty attacked this place last year, he underestimated its defensive capabilities, which is why he was unable to conquer it after a long siege."

"What His Highness said is absolutely true."

Li Jing nodded in agreement:
“Anshi City is backed by mountains and has a moat in front of it, making a frontal assault extremely difficult. Moreover, the city has ample food supplies, and although the morale of the defending troops has fluctuated, they still have the strength to fight.”

"Sun Daiyin!"

Li Chengqian didn't respond, but instead called out a name directly.

Sun Daiyin immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Highness!"

"Okay, tell me about the current situation in Anshi City!"

"promise!"

Sun Daiyin acknowledged and immediately said, "As far as I know, Anshi City has been fortified since His Majesty withdrew his troops, and many new defensive fortresses have been built. With the support of Yeon Gaesomun, the city's food supplies are sufficient. Although the arrival of His Highness the Crown Prince may cause fluctuations in morale, they remain resilient."

"Ha, so what if we have plenty of provisions?"

Xue Rengui scoffed, "No matter how high the morale is, it can't stop my Iron Pagoda."

"Indeed! My Musketeers' new cannons are not like His Majesty's... well, in short, my Musketeers will give them a strong response!"

Pei Xuan originally wanted to say that Li Shimin's cannons were scrap metal, but when he remembered that they were given to him by Li Chengqian, he quickly changed his mind.

In fact, the artillery battalion that Li Chengqian gave to Li Shimin was not made of scrap metal; it was just that the rate of firearms iteration was very fast given the existing foundation.

Pei Xuan and his men were now equipped with third-generation firearms, which were naturally far superior to the first-generation firearms. However, Li Chengqian did not allow them to continue speaking.

He paused for a moment, then said to himself, "My plan is to first cut off their external support, then surround them without attacking, and finally break through the city in one fell swoop."

He paused and continued:
"The first step is to send the Wolf Fang Guards to quietly circle around to the rear of Anshi City, cut off its connection with Pyongyang, and prevent Goguryeo reinforcements from arriving. At the same time, block the city's water and food supplies, putting them in a desperate situation."

"The second step is for the Musketeers and Black Armor Guards to line up outside the city and conduct daily drills to intimidate the garrison inside and wear down their morale. The Ironclad Cavalry will be responsible for patrolling to prevent the garrison from breaking out."

"The third step is to wait until the city's food supplies are exhausted and morale collapses, then use artillery to bombard the city walls, create a breach, and storm the city in one fell swoop."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing's eyes flashed with admiration: "Your Highness's plan is ingenious, avoiding the losses of a frontal assault while effectively demoralizing the defending troops. However, this will likely take quite some time."

"Time? I have plenty of time."

Li Chengqian's lips curled into a cold smile: "But the garrison in Anshi City doesn't have that much time. I want them to die slowly in fear."

"Someone, convey my orders—!"

"promise!"

As soon as the order was conveyed, the generals of each army immediately began to act according to Li Chengqian's plan.

The black-armored guards vanished into the night like ghosts, quietly circling around to the rear of Anshi City.

The musketeers and black-armored guards formed neat square formations outside the city, and the sound of drums resounded every day as they drilled without ceasing.

The Ironclad Cavalry, riding tall warhorses, patrolled around the city walls, their gleaming sabers inspiring fear in the defenders on the city towers.

Within Anshi City, fear spread like a plague.

At first, the garrison of Anshi City was able to remain calm and rely on the sturdy city walls to resist the threat of the Tang army.

But as time went on, the city's water and food supplies were cut off, food supplies dwindled, and the morale of the defenders plummeted.

On the city wall, an old soldier looked at the Tang army lined up neatly outside the city and couldn't help but sigh:
"Sigh, these Tang soldiers are too resilient. If this continues, we'll be trapped in the city and die sooner or later."

"Yes! This Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty is completely different from the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. He is not in a hurry at all and just wants to wear us down."

The soldier next to him chimed in:

"I've also heard that the Tang army has brought new firearms, which are much more powerful than before. A single shot can destroy a section of the city wall. If they really launch an attack, we won't be able to stop them at all."

Yang Wanchun listened to the soldiers' discussions and felt extremely anxious.

He repeatedly sent men to break through the siege in an attempt to contact reinforcements in Pyongyang, but they were all blocked by the Tang army's Iron Pagodas, and none of the soldiers he sent out survived.

"General, this can't go on!"

Jin Shun was pacing anxiously: "The food supplies in the city can only last for half a month at most. If reinforcements don't come soon, we're really doomed."

Yang Wanchun remained silent for a long time before slowly saying:

"It seems we can only rely on ourselves. Send down the order to strictly control the distribution of food and supplies, prioritizing the soldiers. At the same time, organize the people in the city to assist the garrison in reinforcing the city walls and preparing for battle."

However, his efforts did not have much effect.

The Tang army's intimidation grew stronger day by day, and the fear in the city deepened.

More and more soldiers began to waver, and some even secretly considered surrendering to the Tang army.

Half a month later, the food supplies in Anshi City were almost exhausted, and the morale of the defending troops had plummeted.

Li Chengqian knew that the time was ripe.

He rode his horse to the city of Anshi, followed by thousands of armored cavalry.

"Yang Wanchun, come out and answer me!"

Li Chengqian's voice, transmitted clearly through a makeshift megaphone, resounded throughout the city like a thunderclap in everyone's ears.

Yang Wanchun gripped his bronze sword tightly, strode to the city wall, and said coldly:

"Li Chengqian, what trick are you trying to pull now? The soldiers of Anshi City would rather die than surrender, so give up on that idea!"

"Rather die than surrender?"

Li Chengqian sneered, his gaze sweeping over the trembling soldiers on the city wall: "I'll give you a quarter of an hour. After a quarter of an hour, either open the city gates, or I'll order the city to be bombarded."

As he spoke, he raised his hand to signal, and two soldiers carried a 'thunderbolt' to the front of the formation. The thunderbolt had a dark outer shell with ferocious patterns engraved on it.

Li Chengqian pointed at the thunderbolt and said in an icy voice:

"This is a thunderbolt; one explosion can blow up half the city walls. I will say it again: within a quarter of an hour, submit, or the city will be massacred."

"you dare!"

Yang Wanchun roared, "The people and soldiers of Anshi City are united as one. Even if we fight to the last man, we will never surrender to you!"

"good very good."

Li Chengqian's lips curled into a cold smile: "Then I will grant your wish."

He turned his horse around, returned to the front of the formation, and looked up at the sundial: "Start the timer."

On the city wall, Yang Wanchun's face was ashen.

Jin Shun said anxiously from the side, "General, we really can't stop the thunderbolts! If they bombard the city, the people will be doomed!"

"Shut up!"

Yang Wanchun shouted sternly, "Even if we die, we must die with dignity! Pass down the order to prepare for battle!"

A quarter of an hour passed quickly, and the shadow on the sundial moved a small square.

Li Chengqian abruptly raised his hand: "Time's up. Issue my order: prepare the catapults, thunderbolts, launch!"

"Yes!"

The soldiers immediately turned on the catapults, and the dark, thunderous bombs were flung into the air, crashing down on Anshi City with a whistling sound.

Yang Wanchun's eyes widened, and he brandished his sword, roaring, "Release the arrows! Shoot it down!"

Arrows rained down from the city walls, but they couldn't stop the thunderous roar.

With a deafening roar, the thunderbolt exploded beside the city wall.

Debris flew everywhere, creating a huge gap in the city wall. Several soldiers were blown away on the spot, their blood splattering on the wall in a horrific sight.

"Come again!"

Li Chengqian gave a cold shout.

The second and third thunderbolts were launched in succession, widening the breach in the city wall. Soldiers on the city tower suffered heavy casualties, with cries and screams filling the air.

Yang Wanchun, covered in blood, leaned against the battlements, gazing at the Tang army below, his eyes filled with despair.

He knew that Anshi City was probably beyond defense, but he could not surrender.

He suddenly raised his bronze sword and roared, "Brothers! Let's fight them! Even if we die, we'll take someone down with us!"

Inspired by his spirit, the soldiers raised their weapons and rushed toward the breach in the city wall.

But the Tang army's muskets were already aimed at the breach. With a 'bang,' a gunshot rang out, and the soldiers at the forefront fell one after another.

Li Chengqian gazed at the devastation on the city wall, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.

He raised his hand again: "Last chance, surrender, or massacre the city."

Immediately afterwards, hundreds of dark iron pipes suddenly emerged from the dense army formation, their nozzles all aimed at the city wall.

It was unlike any cannon they had ever seen before; its streamlined metal casing gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

(End of this chapter)