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

Chapter 434 Invincible Battleship! Insufficient Firepower Syndrome! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Pyongyang was teetering on the brink of collapse amidst widespread hostility, but it did not crumble as quickly as Li Chengqian had anticipated.

Yeon Gaesomun was, after all, a powerful figure who had controlled Goguryeo for many years.

Faced with the unrest in the city, he adopted the most ruthless methods:
"Order: Anyone who spreads rumors, kill them!"

"Anyone who storms the government office shall be killed!"

"Anyone who secretly possesses white cloth shall be killed!"

Enforcement teams composed of Goguryeo soldiers roamed the streets, and hundreds of heads rolled in just half a day. The bloody crackdown temporarily restored order.

At the same time, Yeon Gaesomun personally climbed the city wall and shouted to the defending troops:

"Soldiers! The Tang army's promises are all lies! Have you seen the fate of Wugu City? Surrender only leads to death!"

"Those who defend Pyongyang will each receive a reward of ten taels of silver and a hundred acres of fertile land!"

With generous rewards, the morale of the defending troops was temporarily stabilized.

Li Chengqian's lips curled up slightly: "I underestimated Yeon Gaesomun."

"Ha, it's nothing but a desperate struggle!" Pei Xingjian said disdainfully. "Your Highness, I think we should use the old method, just like when we attacked Anshi City. We should besiege them for a few days first, and then strike hard in one fell swoop!"

"in addition."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Our warships should be arriving soon, and we can wait for them then."

How many are there?

"About five!"

"Not enough! The firepower is insufficient; send a few more ships over!"

"Yes!"

At dawn the next day, while the morning mist over Pyongyang still carried the stench of blood, a strange noise suddenly came from beneath the southern city wall.

Yeon Gaesomun, leaning on his blood-stained sword, climbed to the top of the city wall. He squinted and saw the Tang army pushing dozens of large carts covered with black cloths, slowly approaching the city wall.

"what is that?"

He sternly questioned the deputy general beside him.

Just as the deputy general was about to send someone to investigate, the black cloth was suddenly lifted, revealing dozens of wooden barrels wrapped in hemp cloth, from which the faint aroma of grain wafted.

The Tang soldiers carried the wooden barrels to a spot a hundred meters below the city wall, and before the Goguryeo army could fire their arrows, they turned and retreated.

"Is it grain or fodder?"

Gao Renzheng frowned and said, "What is Li Chengqian trying to do? He cut off our food supply, and then left our provisions outside the city to humiliate us?"

Yeon Gaesomun remained silent, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of his sword.

He knew that the city's food supplies were less than half a month's worth, and last night some soldiers even secretly slipped out of the city to join the Tang army. If they were provoked like this again, the morale of the army would probably really collapse.

Sure enough, the soldiers on the city wall stared wide-eyed at the sight of the wooden barrel.

A young soldier couldn't help but mutter, "If we could have a bite to eat, who would want to risk their life here..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yeon Gaesomun's personal guard lashed him with a whip, but his complaint was like a pebble that stirred ripples in the hearts of the soldiers.

At noon, the shouts from the south of the city rang out again, this time not only saying that Yeon Gaesomun had murdered the king, but also adding a new detail:

"Listen up, folks in the city!"

"The Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty said that as long as you open the city gates, each household will be rewarded with three shi of grain, and all past transgressions will be forgiven!"

"If we continue to resist alongside Yeon Gaesomun, this kindness will be forgotten when the city falls!"

The shouts echoed through the city walls, and a sudden commotion broke out inside the city.

Just as Yeon Gaesomun was about to order the suppression, an urgent report came from the east gate:

"Great news! People have gathered at the east gate, demanding to surrender and they've even started fighting with the defending troops!"

"waste!"

Yeon Gaesomun kicked aside his deputy and personally led his guards to Dongseong.

As soon as they reached the city gate, they saw a group of people wielding hoes and carrying poles, shoving and jostling with the guards. The old man at the head of the group was shouting:

"Yeon Gaesomun killed the king and won't let us live! Rather than starve to death, we'd rather open the city gates and welcome the Tang army!"

Yeon Gaesomun's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he was about to draw his sword when Go Injung suddenly grabbed him:
"Da Dui Lu! We can't kill them anymore! If we kill them, the whole city will rebel!"

He snapped back to his senses, suppressed his anger, ordered his personal guards to tie up the old man, and coldly addressed the people:
"The Tang army's words are all lies! After they break through the city, all they will do is burn, kill, and loot! If they dare to cause trouble again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Few people believed this. Although the crowd dispersed, someone secretly threw a stone at Yeon Gaesomun's feet.

He stared at the pebbles on the ground, his fingernails almost digging into his palms.

Li Chengqian's psychological warfare tactic is harder to defend against than artillery fire.

Meanwhile, on the Tang army's watchtower, Pei Xingjian, observing the commotion within the city, said to Li Chengqian:
"Your Highness, Yeon Gaesomun is panicking. Should we take advantage of the unrest among the people tonight and send a strike force to attack the city?"

Li Chengqian shook his head and pointed to the newly added torches on the city wall: "Look, he has sent his personal guards to guard the city gates. Attacking the city at night will only increase casualties. Let's wait five more days until he runs out of food, and someone will open the city gates for us."

But Yeon Gaesomun didn't give them the chance to wait five days.

In the early hours of the third day, Pyongyang suddenly fell silent, and even most of the torches on the city walls were extinguished.

Li Chengqian received a report from a scout that Yeon Gaesomun had mobilized a group of soldiers last night, but their whereabouts were unknown.

"Something's wrong."

Li Chengqian immediately ordered increased vigilance.

Sure enough, just after Chen Shi (7-9 AM), a deafening battle cry suddenly came from the north gate.

Yeon Gaesomun personally led 5,000 elite troops out of the north gate, heading straight for Gao Yanshou's rebel camp!

"He wants to deal with the threat from the north first!" Pei Xingjian exclaimed.

Li Chengqian laughed: "He's a ruthless man, but he miscalculated. Pass on my order: have Gao Yanshou feign a retreat to lure Yeon Gaesomun deeper into the city, then have the cavalry from the west circle around to his rear and cut off his retreat!"

Gao Yanshou was originally a member of the Tang army, and he immediately carried out the order upon receiving it.

Seeing the rebel army retreat, Yeon Gaesomun thought he had an opportunity and led his troops in hot pursuit. However, after chasing for less than ten miles, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from behind.

Tang cavalry had cut off his retreat.

"Fell into a trap!"

Yeon Gaesomun's heart sank. Just as he was about to order a retreat, Gao Yanshou's rebel army suddenly turned around and counterattacked, while Tang cavalry charged in from the flank.

The five thousand elite troops were caught in the middle and instantly lost their composure.

Yeon Gaesomun brandished his sword, killing several deserters, and roared, "Fight them to the death! Retreat means certain death!"

But the soldiers had long lost their will to fight; some threw down their weapons and surrendered, while others turned and ran.

Yeon Gaesomun fought for half an hour, leaving him with only a hundred or so personal guards and several wounds on his body.

Seeing that he was about to be surrounded by the Tang army, he suddenly reined in his horse and turned around, breaking through towards Pyongyang.

He knew that as long as he returned to the city, there was still a glimmer of hope.

The Tang army did not pursue relentlessly, but followed from a distance.

Looking at Yeon Gaesomun's disheveled figure, Li Chengqian said to Pei Xingjian:
"Let him go back and continue guarding that isolated city. As long as he's there, the conflicts within the city will never cease. We just need to wait."

When Yeon Gaesomun led his remaining troops back to Pyongyang, it was already dusk.

As soon as he entered the city gate, Gao Renzheng came running over in a panic: "Da Dui Lu! Something bad has happened! The granary in the west of the city has been looted by the people! The garrison couldn't stop them and several people were injured!" He staggered and had to hold onto the city wall to steady himself.

Looking up, there was only a few wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys of the city, and occasionally the cries of the people could be heard. The soldiers on the city wall leaned listlessly against the battlements, too lazy to even raise their bows and arrows.

"At Da Dui Lu, the granary was looted, and the supply route was harassed by Tang cavalry. The remaining grain in the treasury is only enough to last for five days."

Gao Renzheng bowed as he reported, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion.

Last night, the rebels in the north of the city set up ladders again under cover of darkness. If Yeon Gaesomun hadn't led his personal guards in a desperate fight, the north gate would have been breached long ago.

Before Yeon Gaesomun could speak, a strange rumbling sound suddenly came from the southeast.

It wasn't the muffled boom of cannons, nor the trembling of horses' hooves; rather, it was like thousands of drums being pounded by giant waves, dull yet extremely penetrating.

He suddenly leaned over the city wall and looked out, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

In the morning light, black waves are rising on the surface of the Taedong River.

Those were not waves, but more than ten enormous, jet-black ships. Their hulls were two zhang taller than the largest Goguryeo warships, and their sides were covered with cannons as thick as bowls, the brass barrels gleaming coldly in the morning sun.

On the flagship's foremost mast, a scarlet banner bearing the character "Tang" fluttered in the wind, and when the corner of the banner swept across the river, it startled a school of fish that leaped out of the water.

"Then...what is that?"

Gao Renzheng staggered back half a step, pointing at the river, his voice trembling.

The Goguryeo people had lived along the river for generations, and everyone had seen battles fought with warships, but no one had ever seen or even heard of such an invincible giant ship, which resembled a behemoth.

Yeon Gaesomun stared intently at the giant ships, swallowing a mouthful of blood as his Adam's apple bobbed.

He suddenly remembered what the scout had mentioned about 'four-wheeled carriages transporting cannons'. It turned out that the Tang army not only had powerful weapons on land, but also such deadly weapons on the water.

The Taedong River flows directly into the inner city of Pyongyang. If these giant ships sail up the river, the city's defenses will be rendered useless.

"Quickly! Move twenty catapults from the west of the city to the riverbank! Also send five thousand soldiers to guard the riverbank forts!"

Yeon Gaesomun roared the order, his voice distorted by extreme panic.

Those catapults were his last resort. They were originally meant to defend against the Tang army's attack on the city, but now they were to be used to fight against the monsters on the river.

The soldiers ran towards the riverbank like madmen, but the giant ship's speed far exceeded their expectations.

Before half an incense stick's time had passed, the flagship at the very front had reached the middle of the river, and suddenly a black command flag was raised at the bow.

As the command flag was lowered, firepower erupted from the cannons on both sides of the ship at the same time!

The roar shook the walls of Pyongyang, and water columns several meters high rose from the river. Water droplets mixed with gravel hit the soldiers on the riverbank, and many of them fell down instantly.

Before the Goguryeo catapults could be set up, they were bombarded by dense artillery fire. The wooden bodies were instantly blown to pieces, and the wood chips mixed with blood and flesh stained the shallows of the river red.

"Da Dui Lu! We can't hold it! The Tang army's artillery is too powerful!"

A captain scrambled back, half his face burned by gunpowder, revealing gruesome red flesh.

The soldiers behind him retreated like a tide, while the giant ships on the river continued to advance, the flashes of gunfire rising and falling, as if a net of death had been spread across the river.

Yeon Gaesomun suddenly drew his long sword from his waist and held it horizontally in front of him: "Anyone who dares to retreat a single step will be executed without mercy! If Pyongyang falls, none of you will survive!"

But fear had already consumed the soldiers' will.

"Pass on my order! Continue the fire support!"

Li Chengqian issued the final order.

Another round of artillery fire came, and a shell landed at the foot of the city wall, causing bricks to fall off. Several soldiers had no time to dodge and fell directly into the moat below the city.

The remaining soldiers could no longer hold on and turned to run into the city. No matter how Yeon Gaesomun roared, he could not stop the fleeing crowd.

Just then, a cheer suddenly came from the north of the city.

Yeon Gaesomun's heart skipped a beat. He turned his head and saw that the guards at the north gate had lowered the drawbridge, and Gao Yanshou's rebel army was pouring into the city.

He then realized that the Tang army's giant ships were not only for attacking the city, but also for breaking down the defenders' psychological defenses.

When everyone sees this invincible force, resistance becomes futile.

"Gao Renzheng! You take the guards and guard the inner city gates! I'm going to the north to stop the rebels!"

Yeon Gaesomun gritted his teeth and said.

He knew the situation was hopeless, but even if he had to die, he wanted to die on the battlefield.

Gao Renzheng didn't move, but kept his head down, his voice barely audible: "Da Dui Lu, stop resisting. The Tang army said that as long as we lay down our weapons, they won't harm the civilians or surrendered soldiers..."

"What did you say?"

Yeon Gaesomun turned his head sharply, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Gao Renzheng was his most trusted confidant, who had followed him in battle since he was a teenager, and now he wanted to surrender.

Gao Renzheng raised his head, his face covered in tears, and sighed:
"We've already lost to Da Duilu. The Tang army has such massive ships; there's no way we can win. Continuing the fight will only send more people to their deaths..."

Yeon Gaesomun trembled with rage and raised his hand to strike Go Injeong, but before the long sword could fall, it was firmly held down by two soldiers behind him.

He struggled to turn around and saw the soldiers who had once followed him through thick and thin, their eyes filled with indifference, even a hint of relief.

"You...you traitors!"

Yeon Gaesomun roared, tears mixed with blood streaming down his face.

He recalled his youthful ambition to protect Goguryeo, his years of fighting in the north and south, and the resolute determination he showed when he personally killed Gojang that night. But in the end, he was betrayed and abandoned by everyone.

The giant ships on the river were still getting closer, and the flashes from their cannons illuminated half the sky.

The people in the city came out of their homes and knelt by the roadside to welcome the arrival of the Tang army.

When Gao Yanshou's rebel army and the Tang army met on the street, the expected battle did not occur; instead, they made way for each other.

This scene chilled the hearts of the Goguryeo people in the city.

It turns out that Gao Yanshou's so-called "avenging the king" was just part of the Crown Prince of Tang's plan.

When Yeon Gaesomun was brought before Lee Seung-gyeon, he had lost his former imposing manner.

He lowered his head, looking at his own shadow on the ground, which was twisted and deformed in the firelight of the giant ship, much like his tragic life.

Li Chengqian sat on horseback, looking down at him, his tone indifferent: "Yeon Gaesomun, do you know your crime?"

"What is my fault?"

Yeon Gaesomun suddenly looked up, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes: "I just wanted to protect Goguryeo!"

"guard?"

Li Chengqian sneered and pointed at the giant ship on the river: "Your so-called protection is to let the people live in war and plunge Goguryeo into endless internal strife?"

"Look at these giant ships. They were not only used for sieges, but also for opening up trade routes and connecting the four seas. If you were willing to surrender, why would Goguryeo be in this state?"

Yeon Gaesomun was stunned; he had never thought of these things before.

He had always thought that the Tang army came to conquer, but he never expected that Li Chengqian would have such foresight.

However, even with the greatest foresight, he still destroyed his country and killed his soldiers.

But then he spat out blood and saliva, and grinned maliciously:
"Li Chengqian, don't be so smug. The hatred for Goguryeo will never disappear; one day..."

"What Goguryeo? From now on, they will all be subjects of my Great Tang! Only a short-sighted fool like you would think of revenge!"

Li Chengqian disdainfully interrupted Yeon Gaesomun, then waved his hand and said, "Take them away! Escort them to Chang'an and present them as prisoners at the Imperial Ancestral Temple!"

(End of this chapter)