Deposed? I couldn't be happier! I wouldn't even be a dog to the crown prince.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The simultaneous roar of hundreds of red-coated cannons completely tore apart the morning sky over the Bohai Bay.

Those steel behemoths, fixed to the rails on the treasure ship's deck, spewed out orange-red tail flames several meters long. The heavy hull rocked violently under the enormous recoil, stirring up white waves on the sea surface.

This was the first formal cross-sea amphibious landing operation of the Tang Dynasty's navy.

It was also the most terrifying nightmare the Goguryeo people had ever experienced.

One after another, exploding shells loaded with high-purity black powder traced deadly parabolas in mid-air. With a piercing shriek that tore through the air, they precisely struck the proud and fortified walls of Beisha City.

"Bang--!"

The first shell landed on the battlements of the city wall.

The city wall, originally built with a mixture of boulders and glutinous rice mortar and said to be able to withstand three days of continuous bombardment by catapults, was as fragile as paper in the face of the terrifying kinetic energy of the gunpowder explosion.

Intense flames, mixed with flying debris and severed limbs, instantly rose into the air.

"My God..."

The Goguryeo general guarding the city lay prone behind the parapet, his face covered in dust.

He trembled as he wiped the blood from his face. The blood wasn't his; it belonged to the lieutenant who had just been talking to him. The lieutenant hadn't even had time to scream before a flying shrapnel sliced ​​off half his head.

"This isn't war! This is divine punishment! This is the sorcery of the Han people!"

The Goguryeo defenders on the city wall were completely stunned.

They had experienced countless battles and knew how to deal with siege ladders, how to defend against battering rams, and even how to use rolling logs and stones to smash enemies trying to climb the city walls.

But now, the enemy was still on the sea, not even a shadow could be seen. Yet the overwhelming fireballs were crashing down on their heads like meteorites.

This one-sided massacre, in which they had no chance to fight back, instantly shattered their pride and valor.

"Run! The city wall is collapsing!"

I don't know who shouted it.

The once well-organized defensive formation collapsed instantly. The soldiers dropped their spears and bows and arrows, running around the city walls like headless flies.

However, the Tang Dynasty's cannons did not stop roaring because of their fear.

The second and third rounds of simultaneous attacks followed one after another.

"Boom!"

Amidst the continuous explosions, the heavy iron gate of Beisha City, along with the surrounding city walls that stretched for over ten zhang (approximately 33 meters), finally let out a mournful cry of despair.

Large chunks of rammed earth and boulders rolled down, raising clouds of dust.

A huge gap, as if torn open by an ancient behemoth, appeared in the sight of the Tang fleet.

"Cease fire."

Li Chengqian stood on the foreground of the flagship and casually waved his right hand.

The piercing sound of brass whistles echoed between the ships, and the deafening cannon fire finally ceased.

As the smoke cleared, the devastation of Beisha City was clearly revealed to everyone.

The once towering city walls were now riddled with holes, and everywhere there were burning flames and mangled corpses. Acrid black smoke was even billowing from the huge breach in the wall.

However, as the hegemon of Northeast Asia, Goguryeo's army was indeed resilient and should not be underestimated.

After the initial panic and chaos, the city's defenders finally regained their composure.

"Hold on tight! Anyone who dares to retreat even half a step will be killed without mercy!"

Accompanied by strict orders to supervise the battle.

A Goguryeo infantry force, clad in heavy armor and wielding extremely heavy long-handled battle axes, surged out of the city like a tide.

They stepped over the corpses of their comrades and bravely blocked the breach in the city wall that had been blasted open.

Heavy shields were erected, forming an impregnable steel defense line. Sunlight shone on the heavy armor, reflecting a cold and bloodthirsty light.

"Your Highness, the Goguryeo heavy infantry have sealed off the breach."

Zheng He put down his monocular telescope, his brow furrowing slightly.

"If we force a landing and charge, the casualties will likely be considerable. Should we conduct another round of artillery barrage?"

Li Chengqian shook his head, a slightly irritating smile playing on his lips.

"Cannons are for bombarding walls; using them to blow up these tin cans would be too wasteful of ammunition."

"If that old man Dai Zhou knew how wasteful I am, he'd be crying and clinging to my legs for ages when he got back."

He turned his head and looked at the young general in white robes who had been standing quietly beside him, his face even pale from seasickness.

"Xue Li."

Li Chengqian patted Xue Rengui's broad shoulder, his tone slightly teasing.

"I just approved the budget for twenty bowls of braised pork for you."

"As the saying goes, 'He who takes money must do the work.' Now that you've eaten my flesh, shouldn't you do some work?"

Xue Rengui was already dizzy and nauseous from being tossed around by the waves.

Upon hearing this, the future military genius of the Tang Dynasty suddenly sat up straight.

In an instant, an extremely pure and extremely violent fighting spirit erupted from his honest-looking tiger eyes.

"Your Highness, rest assured! I'll go and smash those bastards to pieces right now!"

Xue Rengui ripped off the cumbersome cloak he was wearing.

He didn't even wait for the landing craft to be lowered before he picked up the meteorite iron halberd, which weighed 120 pounds.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the surrounding naval soldiers.

Like a tiger descending a mountain, he leaped directly off the deck of the treasure ship, which was several meters high!

"thump!"

Huge splashes of water rose on the sea surface.

"Holy crap? Has this kid gone mad?" Cheng Yaojin's eyes widened as he clung to the railing and looked down.

However, the next second.

The white figure suddenly leaped out of the icy seawater.

Xue Rengui dragged his heavy halberd, wading through waist-deep seawater, like a war god rising from the seabed.

He didn't even ride a warhorse.

Alone, trudging across the muddy beach, he launched an extremely unreasonable counter-charge towards the breach in the city wall filled with heavily armored infantry!

"Listen up, you barbarians over there!"

Xue Rengui's voice boomed like thunder from the heavens above Beisha City.

"I am Xue Rengui, the vanguard under His Highness the Crown Prince!"

"If you don't want to die, get out of my way!"