Sweep Yuan

Chapter 232 Divine Thunder Descends from the Sky at Caishiji

In the Battle of Caoguzhou, the Yuan army's flagship was captured by the Red Flag Battalion's navy, and its commander, Zuo Danashili, the Left Vice Minister of the Jiangzhe Province, was also captured alive by Liao Yong'an. When the Yuan army saw the Red Flag Battalion's flag being raised on the flagship of their commander, their morale plummeted and their troops were in disarray.

Meanwhile, upstream from the battlefield, the massive fleet of the Red Flag Battalion's naval main force, with its sails obscuring the sky, was advancing in a mighty torrent. The remaining Yuan generals dared not linger in battle and hastily gathered their warships, retreating downstream in a panic.

A normal fleet typically has warships of various sizes and types to adapt to complex battlefield environments and tactical needs. However, no matter how many warships there are, the main warships used for attacking and defeating the enemy will certainly not be the smaller ones.

The brief but fierce battle at Caoguzhou once again proved the ironclad rule of naval warfare with bloodshed: under normal combat distances and terrain, large ships have an almost absolute crushing advantage over small ships.

Although Liao Yong'an's vanguard was brave and daring, it consisted mostly of small and medium-sized warships, and suffered considerable losses in this battle, with many ships severely damaged and soldiers also suffering heavy casualties. Fortunately, in the final risky attack, they captured the "big fish" Zuo Danashiri and his flagship, so they did not suffer a complete loss.

Seeing the Yuan fleet fleeing, Liao Yong'an weighed the pros and cons and suppressed his subordinates' calls to fight. He abandoned the plan to risk continuing to pursue the enemy fleet and instead gathered the wounded to treat them and towed the damaged ships.

Although the Yuan army's Longwo navy lost its commander in this battle, its main warships did not suffer serious losses, and the navy's strength remained, still capable of fighting again.

Liao Yong'an's troops suffered heavy losses in this battle and urgently need rest and repairs; they are no longer suitable to serve as the vanguard of the fleet.

After hearing the report from the vanguard scouts, Xu Da, the naval commander, quickly adjusted the deployment, ordering Yu Tingyu of the Second Division to send out a portion of his fleet to take over as the vanguard from the First Division.

The captured Zuo Danashili was quite tough. From the moment he was captured by Liao Yong'an until he was transferred to the flagship in Shishan, his eyes were filled with humiliation, resentment and a hint of undisguised fear, but he kept his face taut and remained silent.

It was regrettable that valuable intelligence could not be extracted in time, but Shishan had been preparing for this southward campaign for a long time and was determined to succeed. He did not rely on the chance of capturing an important figure or obtaining a key piece of intelligence.

The Jiangnan region is so vast that the Red Flag Camp could not possibly consume it all.

Even if the annexation of Jiangnan was confirmed, the Red Flag Battalion would still have many "negotiations" with the Yuan court. Zuo Danashiri refused to speak, and Shishan wasn't short of information, so there was no need to torture him. He simply smiled faintly and instructed his men:

"Take him away and keep a close watch on him. Let Zuo Da, the Left Chancellor, and Zhao, the Councilor, share a cabin."

Zuo Danashili and Zhao Lian belonged to the Jiangzhe and Huainan provinces respectively, but both were high-ranking provincial officials appointed by the Yuan court. Now they are both prisoners of the Red Flag Battalion. Presumably, the two of them will have a lot in common, and perhaps with time, they will gain something.

The journey from Heixinzhou Water Village to the section of the river in Dangtu County is about 180 li.

Although sailing downstream, the Red Flag Battalion's naval fleet was enormous, and the speed of all its warships was actually based on the slowest warship.

Moreover, the wind was from the southeast, which was against the direction the fleet was traveling, resulting in a slower speed and a journey of nearly two days before reaching the designated landing area.

Although the waves on the river were relatively calm in spring, the long, bumpy journey by boat was still not a pleasant experience for most of the Red Flag Battalion soldiers, who were from the north and not skilled in boating.

At this point, the importance of the months-long pre-battle acclimatization training for crossing the river and the careful selection of the first batch of soldiers to cross the river becomes apparent.

Without such meticulous preparation, seasickness alone would have been enough to drastically reduce the fighting capacity of this large army.

Even so, the continuous voyage left the soldiers of the Red Flag Battalion feeling extremely exhausted.

After estimating the fleet's journey, Xu Da determined that the fleet would arrive at the Dangtu waters by the first half of the next night. Given the extremely high risks of landing at night, the unfamiliar terrain, the high likelihood of chaos, and the vulnerability of anchoring to enemy naval attacks, he advised the fleet to dock and rest first.

Shishan agreed to his suggestion, and the fleet turned to anchor in the harbor inside Chenqiaozhou (the side closer to Luzhou Road) to make time to repair the hull so that the soldiers could eat and rest well and recover their strength.

Amidst the waves, fires were lit one after another on the ships, and wisps of smoke rose from the shore, briefly dispelling the tense atmosphere brought about by the war.

Such a large-scale river-crossing operation required an enormous amount of manpower and resources, and a long preparation period, making it impossible to keep it a secret from the defending troops on the opposite bank.

The Yuan army had received multiple warnings by the designated landing point, Dangtu, and had fully adjusted its troop deployment, standing ready for battle.

The news of the defeat of the Longwo navy at Caoguzhou and the capture of Zuo Danashili, the Left Vice Minister of the Jiangzhe Province, put the Dangtu garrison on high alert. They strengthened patrols day and night, and the riverbanks were lined with beacon towers, making the defenses extremely tight.

It is simply unrealistic to think that a small number of troops could be transported by a few small boats to launch a surprise attack and capture an important enemy stronghold.

On the morning of the third day, as dawn broke, Yu Tingyu led his vanguard fleet to quietly approach the Dangtu section of the river.

The Yuan army's patrol boats spotted the massive sails that were faintly visible in the fog immediately and sounded the alarm gongs.

The piercing alarm instantly shattered the tranquility of the early morning. The Yuan army camps along the coast were immediately filled with shouts and neighing horses. Although the movement was somewhat chaotic, the reaction was quite swift, indicating that they had been prepared in advance.

Yu Tingyu was experienced and did not immediately launch a strong attack despite the panic of the defending troops.

He cautiously ordered the forward small boats to scatter and thoroughly investigate the hydrology and topography around the landing point.

After the vanguard completed its reconnaissance, the main force of the Red Flag Battalion's navy had arrived at the Dangtu section of the Yangtze River, where they deployed a massive formation on the river west of Caishiji. The masts stood like a forest, and the battle flags fluttered in the wind, giving the defending troops a heavy sense of oppression.

"Marshal, the enemy has indeed focused their defenses on Caishiji!"

Yu Tingyu had already ascertained the surrounding situation and boarded the marshal's flagship by scout boat to personally report the enemy situation to Shishan:

"It is estimated that there are more than 3,000 troops stationed on the islet. The road to Dangtu is located at the foot of the islet north of Caishiji, which is under the cover of the troops' crossbows."

The area on both sides of the islet consisted mostly of well-developed polder fields. At this time, spring waters had just risen, and the fields were filled with deep silt, making passage difficult. Beyond the polder fields lay a crisscrossing network of rivers and canals, making it impossible for our large ships to enter and hindering troop deployment.

He pointed to the precipitous head of Caishiji Rock, his expression somewhat grave, and said:

"In my humble opinion, if we want to quickly capture Dangtu and open the gateway to Jiangning, we probably can't take shortcuts. We must take the tough nut of Caishiji head-on!"

Regarding the selection of landing points for crossing the river, the Military Command had carefully formulated two plans before the war: one was Dangtu, and the other was Wuhu.

The advantage of choosing to land in Dangtu is that it is closest to the strategic objective of Jiqing Road (Jiangning City). Once the landing is successful and Dangtu is captured, the army can march straight to Jiangning City.

The downside is that the landing area is very narrow and extremely risky, and there is no way to bypass the natural barrier of Caishiji.

Choosing to land in Wuhu has the advantage of a gentle riverbed, making landing easier and the risk much lower.

However, the drawback is that after landing here, the land route to Jiangning is blocked by terrain such as Huashan and Baijiu Lake, and the fastest route still has to pass through Dangtu County.

Along the way, it is necessary to cross more than ten rivers, including Jingshan River, Qingyi River, Biandan River, Qingshan River, Guxi River, Caishi River, and Cihu River.

This route of advance was not only circuitous but also very slow. The numerous horizontally distributed ditches posed great difficulties for the army's march and the transport of supplies, making it easy for the enemy to intercept them at every turn.

The second plan seemed prudent, but it was not conducive to the army quickly striking the core. It would take too long and make it easy for the Yuan army to be surrounded by troops from various places. Therefore, it was rejected by Shishan.

Shishan actually knew the terrain of Taiping Road long ago and even made a simple sand table.

Because the Red Flag Battalion included many people from Taiping Road, such as Zhou Wendao, the military officer of the Rongjun Society, who was from Dangtu, they provided the Military Command with a lot of local geography, hydrology and other intelligence. This was one of the important reasons why Shishan finally decided to launch a frontal assault on Caishiji.

However, as the commander who ultimately decided on the landing tactics, he still had to insist on going to the front lines in person to conduct on-site reconnaissance.

After listening to Yu Tingyu's report, Shi Shan nodded and said in a deep voice:
"Let's see for ourselves the true nature of the Yuan army's deployment."

The marshal's flagship, escorted by a dozen warships, slowly advanced and sailed to a point less than a mile west of Caishiji in the middle of the river to closely examine this natural barrier.

The term "ji" refers to rocks or rocky beaches that protrude from the riverbank.

Caishiji, the foremost of the "Three Rocks of the Yangtze River," rises abruptly from the river, with cliffs nearly 40 zhang (about 130 meters) high. Its terrain is extremely precipitous, controlling a vital passage on the Yangtze River, and it is known for its perilous "cliffs overlooking the sky."

Of course, this is just an exaggeration. It doesn't mean that Caishiji is an absolute cliff that is impossible to climb on all sides. If it were really so dangerous and impossible to climb, no one would be so stubborn as to try to climb it.

There are still many gentle slopes below Caishiji that can be used as footholds and for launching attacks, as evidenced by the fact that this place has seen many major battles in history.

The terrifying aspect of this terrain is that the defenders, positioned on higher ground, can easily cover the beach below with arrows and crossbows, suppressing the attackers and making it difficult for them to raise their heads. The nearly forty-zhang (approximately 33 meters) height difference also means that the crossbows on the warships in the river cannot effectively threaten the defenders on the top of the beach.

The Yuan army stationed 3,000 troops on Caishiji, but they were not all crowded on the limited area of ​​the top of the rock. Instead, they relied on the natural terrain to set up defenses in layers.

In fact, as a strategic defensive location, in order to ensure that Caishiji could defend against the enemy for a long time, the defending troops built a large number of buildings such as granaries, armories, water towers, barracks, and kitchens on the limited area of ​​the "top of the rock".

Their defensive line was actually mainly below the rocky peak, rising from the water. The Yuan army set up a defensive line about every ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) in height, for a total of three lines (the "rocky peak" was too small to be counted).

Each defensive line was fortified with wooden palisades about four feet high, which could both shield against arrows and increase the difficulty for attackers to climb over.

It should be noted that at that time, the walls of ordinary county towns were only a little over two zhang high, and those that were more than three zhang high could be called "strong cities".

The three consecutive defensive lines at Caishiji, each built upon a ten-zhang (approximately 33 meters) height difference, are far more treacherous than ordinary city walls.

The defenders stood atop Caishiji, armed with spears, crossbows, rolling stones, logs, and other weapons, making them a nightmare for any uphill attacking force.

Of course, Caishiji is not a nearly vertical city wall, and it can be climbed by hand, so it is possible to conquer it.

To break through Caishiji using conventional tactics, one must either spare no expense and send one's soldiers to bravely withstand the arrows, stones, and logs thrown by the defenders on the islet, attacking it layer by layer to capture it.

Alternatively, they could hope to send out elite daredevils who would risk their lives to break through a point, disrupt their defenses, and then take advantage of the situation to expand their gains.

Both of these tactics have significant drawbacks. Victory or defeat often depends not on the attacker's determination and elite status, but on the defender's will to resist and the intensity of their long-range firepower.

If the defending troops are determined and have sufficient supplies, even if all of the more than 10,000 elite troops of the first Red Flag Battalion to cross the river are sent in, they may not be able to conquer this place.

Since Shishan had chosen Caishiji as the landing point for crossing the river, he was naturally well-prepared and would not place his hopes on the mistakes of the defending troops or the valiant attack of one of his own generals.

He carefully observed the area for a long time, and seeing that the Yuan army's deployment did not exceed pre-battle intelligence analysis and expectations, he felt reassured. He turned to look at Xu Da, the naval commander beside him, a smile appearing on his lips, and asked:

"Tiande, how about it? Are you confident you can remove this thorn from my side?"

A setback in a land-based siege can be overcome by choosing an opportunity to fight again or retreat. However, a failure in a naval crossing of a river would have unimaginable consequences.

Therefore, the navy bore the greatest pressure in the river crossing and landing operation, and this heavy burden mostly fell on Xu Da's shoulders.

Fortunately, the marshal had mobilized resources from various quarters before the battle and made thorough preparations, preventing Xu Da from personally scaling Caishiji to defeat the enemy. Seeing Shishan inquiring, Xu Da remained calm and resolute, bowing and replying:
"Marshal, rest assured, I have a foolproof plan and will surely open a passage for the army!"

"Okay! Let's begin!"

Shi Shan slammed his hand on the railing, authorizing Xu Da to take full command. Naval warfare command differed greatly from land warfare command; Shi Shan only reviewed the battle plan before the battle, leaving the specific naval warfare command to the more professional Xu Da.

Xu Da bowed and accepted the order, then strode towards the command platform at the front of the flagship. He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping across the vast river and the towering rocky outcrops, and shouted sternly:
"Beat the drums! Raise the command flag!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The deep, rhythmic beat of war drums echoed from the flagship Shishan, piercing the thin mist over the river. At the same time, several signal flags of different colors and patterns were raised in succession from the lookout at the top of the mainmast, fluttering in the wind.

The flag signals were quickly received and relayed by lookouts on surrounding ships:
"All ships, deploy into attack formation according to the predetermined sequence—!"

"First wave of landing ships—ready to strike!"

"Gunships—advance and take firing positions!"

"Left and right flank escort fleets—guard the upstream and downstream river surfaces, and guard against enemy naval counterattacks!"

Following this series of signal commands, the massive fleet began to operate efficiently like a sophisticated machine. Except for the warships responsible for outer perimeter security, the main warships adjusted their sails and rudders, beginning their approach towards Caishiji.

More than ten uniquely shaped flat-bottomed beach assault boats, under the cover of several warships, broke away from their main force and approached the waters in front of Caishiji.

Due to the extremely narrow landing front, the first wave of beach landing troops consisted of only three hundred men, but they were all elite soldiers selected from various guards, exceptionally brave and fierce, and the commander was Bian Yuanheng, personally appointed by Shishan.

Chang Yuchun, a renowned and formidable general of the Red Flag Battalion, had also volunteered to lead the charge, but Shi Shan rejected his offer, saying, "The Red Flag Battalion has not fallen to the point where a dignified general needs to always be at the forefront."

Nevertheless, Ishiyama still appointed Chang Yuchun as the commander of the second landing force. Once Bian Yuanheng's attack was thwarted or a breach was successfully opened, Chang Yuchun would lead his troops to quickly expand the gains.

At this moment, Chang Yuchun stood in the landing craft, looking up at the towering Caishiji, and suddenly felt that the navy's warships were like toys in a child's hands.

Even the tallest flagship in the fleet, the Marshal's flagship, had a deck no more than three zhang above the water, which was still seven zhang shorter than the lowest first line of defense of the Yuan army.

He subconsciously touched his armor and whispered to his personal guard beside him:

"Come here and check the armor belts again, make sure they're secure!"

Chang Yuchun's anxiety wasn't pre-battle jitters, but rather a deep concern for the upcoming battle. If Bian Yuanheng failed to break through the Yuan army's defenses, he would have to step up and take on the most arduous task. If he failed as well, there was no way to rely on anyone else to successfully seize the beachhead.

Once all the ships were in position, Xu Da stood on the command platform, his gaze sharp, and gave the order again:
"Beach landing fleet—assault!"

At this moment, the massive fleet fell silent. The deafening war drums and the constant commands ceased, leaving only the rushing sound of the river water lapping against the hulls and the fluttering of signal flags waved by the flag bearers on the command ships.

All commands were transmitted silently and efficiently using flag signals.

On a beachhead at the forefront of the battlefield, Bian Yuanheng kept a close eye on the flag signals coming from the direction of the flagship. After clearly seeing them, he immediately retreated into the specially designed armored cabin and gave orders to the soldiers who were holding their breath and waiting inside:
"Row! Take the beach!"

These specially designed beach landing boats were designed and manufactured according to the requirements put forward by Shishan. They have flat bottoms, low freeboards, and the entire cabin is covered with thick wooden planks and a roof covered with wet cowhide, providing strong protection.

The cabin could accommodate 37 soldiers (7 of whom were sailors who operated the ship back and forth), and a maximum of 21 people were allowed to operate the oars at the same time. It was extremely fast when launching a full-scale attack.

"Fire the arrow! Fire the arrow quickly!"

On Caishiji, the Yuan soldiers had already spotted these ten strangely shaped fast boats that could speed along without sails or "human" operation. The officers shouted orders at the top of their lungs.

Suddenly, a dense barrage of arrows rained down like locusts, clattering onto the deck of the beaching ship, but causing no damage whatsoever.

"Switch to rockets! Shoot it with rockets!"

When the Yuan commander saw that the arrows could not slow down their movement, he hurriedly changed his orders. Rockets loaded with oil swished and struck the hull, but the wet cowhide effectively contained the spread of the flames, and the effect was minimal.

The ten beaching boats were extremely fast, like running giant beasts, but when they were still five or six zhang away from the rocky beach, the speed of the boats suddenly slowed down, and they cleverly used the last inertia to bring the bows of the boats close to the waters only seven or eight feet away from the rock wall.

Immediately afterwards, a series of mechanical sounds were heard, and the armored plate at the bow of the beaching vessel suddenly flipped down and slammed heavily onto the rocks at the foot of the shore, forming a sturdy gangplank.

"kill!"

Before the Yuan army could recover from their shock, Bian Yuanheng roared first, holding a shield in one hand to protect his head and face, and a knife in the other. He stepped onto the springboard and was the first to leap onto the rocky base of Caishiji.

Behind them, three hundred elite soldiers from each beach landing ship surged out like a flood bursting its banks, quickly seizing a foothold.

"Quick! Fire arrows! Shoot them dead! Don't let them get up here!"

The Yuan officers behind the first line of defense at "Jiyao" were horrified and urged their subordinates to hurry up.

However, their reaction was still a step too slow.

Almost at the same time that the Red Flag Battalion soldiers landed, a large warship in the middle of the river had already quietly adjusted its position. Its hull was different from the other warships, with its side parallel to the longitudinal direction of Caishiji.

On the deck, Zhang Desheng, the garrison commander of the First Naval Garrison, stared coldly at Caishiji not far away, and suddenly waved his command flag:

"Target—enemy's first wooden palisade! Open fire!"

"Boom boom boom——!"

A deafening roar suddenly erupted, drowning out all other sounds on the river! Six cannons, meticulously positioned on the broadsides, spewed blinding flashes of light and thick smoke. Heavy iron shot whistled through the air, slamming into the Yuan army's first line of defense!
Although the gunners were still a bit inexperienced, the distance was close enough that two of the six cannons hit their targets in the first salvo.

The wooden palisade, originally intended to defend against arrows, crumbled like a paper toy under the terrifying kinetic energy of the iron shot. The shattered wood fragments scattered like deadly shrapnel, causing the Yuan soldiers who couldn't dodge in time to scream in agony.

To be honest, the first salvo did not cause many casualties directly from the solid shot; only three people were killed and more than ten were injured.

However, the psychological shock and auditory and visual impact it brought were unimaginable in the era of cold weapons!
The enormous sound, the billowing smoke, the instantly shattered defensive fortifications, and the mangled corpses of their comrades plunged the Yuan soldiers, who had never experienced artillery fire before, into a state of extreme panic.

"Sorcery! It's sorcery!"

"Thunderbolts! The rebel army has summoned thunderbolts!"

Many soldiers let out a shout, instinctively dropped their weapons, and fled in panic, plunging the first line of defense into chaos.

"Don't run! Hold on! That's a bronze general! There are also bronze generals on the walls of Jiangning! The enemy's bronze generals are just a bit bigger! Come back quickly!" The Yuan army commander, who had some experience, shouted hoarsely, trying to stabilize the morale of his troops.

He immediately recognized that the Red Flag Battalion's new weapon was just a "large" bronze general, but the soldiers were still in a panic for a while. Fortunately, the Yuan army on the upper defensive line was less shocked and was still firing arrows, which prevented the enemy from getting close.

In this brief period of chaos, the first group of Red Flag Battalion warriors, braving the sporadic arrows and suffering about twenty casualties, found several paths to climb up the complex terrain at the foot of the beach.

They were now covering each other and rapidly approaching the first line of defense of the Yuan army!
"Quickly! Fire arrows! Stop them! Spearmen, advance!"

Before the commander could finish giving his orders, flames and thick smoke erupted from the warships sailing longitudinally across the river once more, and the "Great Bronze General" was unleashing its power again.

"Boom boom boom——!"

The second round of shelling by the Red Flag Battalion arrived as scheduled. This time, the gunners seemed to have found their rhythm, with four out of six shots hitting the target area (one of which even hit the defensive equipment piled behind the wooden palisade, causing secondary damage).

The Yuan army commander who was shouting felt an irresistible force slam into his waist. The next moment, his vision spun, and he was shocked to see his body, now missing his lower half, crash to the ground... His last thought was a blurry one:

"This... is definitely not the Bronze General..."

The commander of the defense line was killed, and the terrifying effect of the continuous artillery bombardment finally caused the Yuan army's first line of defense to completely collapse.

"The moment to defeat the enemy has arrived! Follow me!"

Bian Yuanheng seized this fleeting opportunity, roaring as he swung his sword and leaped into the chaotic enemy ranks. A flash of blade, a rain of blood, and he swiftly cleared a section of the palisade. The elite Red Flag Battalion soldiers behind him then swarmed in, completely securing the breach.

The remaining Yuan troops could no longer hold out. With a shout, they abandoned their positions and fled to the second line of defense.

Bian Yuanheng changed his strategy. Instead of rushing to disperse his troops and blindly pursue, he ordered his men to maintain a disciplined formation and advance steadily. While clearing out the remaining resistance, he cautiously drove the defeated soldiers away, trying to get them to break through the defenses of the second line of defense.

At this time, the beach landing ships, having completed their transport mission, had retracted their gangplanks, rowed away from the shore, and returned to the river to prepare to receive the third wave of landing troops. Meanwhile, the second wave of landing troops, led by Chang Yuchun and numbering several hundred, had also arrived at the foot of the islet by boat and were preparing to take over the attack.

On the river, Zhang Desheng's flagship raised its cannons, aimed at the Yuan army's second line of defense, and after completing the third salvo, disregarding the firing effect and the long cooldown time of the cannons, immediately ordered the ship to turn 180 degrees in an arc, preparing to switch to the other side of the cannons to continue bombarding.

Southern soldiers were not as skilled in battle as northern soldiers, and the soldiers from the wealthy Jiangzhe region were the best.

In recent years, the few organized and somewhat capable government troops have either died at the hands of Fang Guozhen or been routed by the combined forces of Peng Yingyu and Xiang Pulue.

The remaining, most capable troops were all taken to the western front by the Grand Councilor Buyan Temur, where they are currently engaged in fierce fighting with Xu Shouhui's Red Turban Army on Qizhou Road.

The defenders at Caishiji at this moment were actually a hastily organized "volunteer army" mainly composed of local militia. They were poorly equipped, had limited training, and their fighting spirit was quite weak. The fact that they could withstand two rounds of artillery bombardment from the Red Flag Battalion and the desperate assault by their elite vanguard was already an extraordinary achievement for them.

At this moment, seeing that the most dangerous and hopeful first line of defense had been breached so quickly, the fierce Red Flag Battalion soldiers not only firmly established themselves, but even began to drive the defeated troops toward the second line of defense.

Meanwhile, enemy reinforcements continued to land on the river! The defenders' psychological defenses finally collapsed.

"We've lost! We've lost! The first line of defense has fallen!"

"We can't hold them off! Run!"

It is unclear who shouted first, but the Yuan soldiers on the second line of defense immediately abandoned their weapons and deserted their posts like a flood bursting its banks. Ignoring the officers' reprimands and even their attempts to kill them, they fled to higher ground or to the sides and rear, crying and screaming. The entire defensive system collapsed instantly.

At the "waistline," Chang Yuchun had just taken off his cumbersome iron armor and handed it to his personal guards behind him. He was preparing to lead his troops in a desperate charge when he heard a commotion and chaos overhead.

He looked up in astonishment and saw that on the second line of defense of the Yuan army above Caishiji, countless figures were scattering and fleeing like headless flies, and the signs of resistance quickly disappeared.

"Damn it!"

Chang Yuchun was stunned for a moment, then realized that the enemy was already in disarray. Remembering the opportunity he had painstakingly secured for the breakout from the marshal, he slammed his sword into the ground, his face flushed with rage, and roared with fury:
"A bunch of spineless cowards! It's already collapsed? Why don't you let your Grandpa Chang go up and have a good slaughter!"

(End of this chapter)