Ji Tang

Chapter 845 Liaodong City is destroyed (two in one)

"What just happened?"

Ashina Simo, Qi Bi and other foreign generals looked at the empty city with their mouths open, as if they were frozen.

Gudong!

Swallowing bitterly, Qi Bi turned pale and said, "This is simply the power of the gods. How could the Tang Dynasty possess such a weapon of war?"

"Yes! Before, Datang had gunpowder that could blow open city walls, and now it has such a sharp weapon for fighting between two armies. Who else in the world can be Datang's opponent?"

Ashina Simo was originally a Turkic noble. Although he had always obeyed the orders of Emperor Li Shimin, he still paid more attention to the growth of his own strength.

But at this moment.
Suppressing the restlessness in my heart, I swore in my heart that I would only obey the orders of the Khan in this life and would never betray him!

When the strength of your competitors has begun to overwhelm you, you no longer have the energy and courage to compete. It may be a good idea to join the opponent.

Li Ji was not far under the city wall. When he heard the order to retreat, he was so angry that he almost vomited blood.But now I can only be happy, if it would have been a little longer if I came down
Thinking of the scene just now where there were no humans or animals within three feet of the city, he quickly shook his head.

This is no longer something that human power can resist. Although the stone trebuchet is powerful, it is still within the scope of human understanding. But what just happened, is it something that human power can master?

No matter how powerful you are in martial arts or how brave you are, everything will turn into powder under this thing.

Boom boom boom!
The sound of war drums sounded, and everyone who was still stunned immediately reacted.

"Kill!"

"Attack the city wall and charge into Liaodong City!"

"Quick, get on the city wall!"

Everyone reacted. Xue Wanche, who was frightened half to death by the scene just now, took off his heavy armor directly. Regardless of the obstruction of his soldiers, he climbed up the ladder with his sword and killed towards the top of the city.He only has one thought now, and that is to kill. His courageous heart has been shattered by the explosion just now.

He was worried that if he couldn't show off his bravery on the battlefield today, in a few years, he would be forced to supervise the battle from behind?
The Goguryeo people were stunned at this time. The sudden blow left them at a loss. Seeing the broken limbs on the top of the city, they really couldn't imagine what weapon the Tang army used to kill them.

A general wearing Mingguang armor stumbled up, and all the soldiers who saw him were immediately overjoyed.

"General, are you okay? That's great."

Yes, this person is the guard of Liaodong City and a confidant of Yuan Gaisuwen, who was sent here to contain the Tang army.After he has tidied up the rear, he will come to support Liaodong.

He threw away the people who came to help him, ignoring the wounds on his body that were still bleeding, and the fact that a piece of his leg was missing, and stared blankly at the Tang army who was about to rush to the city wall.

He knew that he was finished, Liaodong City was finished, and Goguryeo was completely finished.

At the moment of the explosion, he knew that this thing was gunpowder again, but the Tang people used gunpowder in new ways.

With such a sharp weapon, how should they guard against it?You know, this is a close fight. Who can bear such a sudden attack?
He looked towards the south, where he was born, as if he had returned to the carefree days. How beautiful it was!
"General, I am incompetent and can no longer serve you."

He turned around and said to the frightened soldiers around him: "Escape for your life! Go to Anshi City and tell General Yang the situation here and tell him to be careful of the Tang Army."

Seeing that the Tang army was about to climb the city wall again, he hurriedly said: "Quickly, go up the mountain and go out through the mountain path. Don't gather large groups of people. The Tang army is not familiar with the terrain and will not pay too much attention to you."

"Come on!"

"General take care!"

Several generals knelt down and kowtowed to him, their eyes full of resentment and helplessness.But they also know that staying here is useless except to die, it is better to keep a useful body.

Seeing everyone exiting the city wall, with blood in his mouth, he laughed evilly, and led his family soldiers who were unwilling to leave to take the lead in killing the Tang army who had just climbed up.
When Xue Wanche broke through the enemy troops and came to this section of the city wall, the Liaodong defender, who had lost an arm, was still fighting bravely.There were only a few dozen people left around him, but these people blocked hundreds of Tang troops.

"Put down the sword. For the sake of your bravery, I will ask your majesty to spare your life!"

Xue Wanche separated from the crowd and looked at the Liaodong guard who was covered in blood and said.

"Put down the killing knife? Does that mean you want me to surrender?"

He placed the knife on the ground to support his slowly falling body, and said with a ferocious smile: "No Goguryeo general is afraid of death. Your Tang army is indeed powerful, but I don't accept it!"

"Without that explosive thing, you wouldn't even be able to climb the city wall."

Xue Wanche was silent. As someone who had fought on the battlefield for half his life with his bravery, there was no one who didn't want such a thing to appear more than him.

But he also knew that with this thing, Datang would reduce a lot of casualties.Soldiers do not need to lose their lives, parents do not need to lose their sons, wives do not need to lose their husbands, and sons do not need to lose their fathers.

"What's your name?"

Xue Wanche was extremely sincere at this time. He seemed to have a brief resonance with the Goguryeo general in front of him. This was a common psychological effect of a general.

He looked seriously at the seriously injured Liaodong guard in front of him and said in a deep voice: "I don't know your name yet. Although we are enemies of each other, we are each our own master. You deserve to be remembered by me." .”

The Liaodong garrison on the opposite side was silent for a long time, then said in a solemn voice: "Gaowu!"

"Are you from the royal family of Goguryeo?"

Xue Wanche was shocked and said.

But Gao Wu sneered: "Royal family? Bah! I, Gao Wu, can't reach that high!"

"Okay, if you want to kill, just kill. It's impossible for me to surrender."

Xue Wanche didn't speak anymore this time, but was about to turn around and leave.But just when Gao Wugang showed a disappointed look, there was a buzzing sound from the blade.

"Let's go!"

A flash of Bai Lian flashed by, but Gao Wu had already fallen to the ground.

"Contain his body, the others and I will go into the city."

No one knew what Xue Wanche, who had always been carefree, was thinking at this time, but everyone consciously did not destroy Gao Wu's body.

Although he was an enemy, Gao Wu won the respect of the Tang army. As a loyal, brave general who personally cut off the rear for his soldiers, no one would not respect him.

Perhaps, surrender is his biggest insult!

The army in the city had already broken into pieces and fled. It was not far from the mountain, and the city wall could be lowered from any place on top of the city where no one was paying attention.

Therefore, after the Tang army removed the boulders in the city gate cave and completely opened the city gate, there were less than 3000 Goguryeo troops left in the city besides civilians. "General, the defeated troops of Goguryeo have dispersed and fled into the mountains. Do we want to pursue them?"

Li Ji was not as happy as he was about entering Liaodong City, or rather, he was not as happy as he imagined!
"Our army is not familiar with the situation in the mountains. I tell the soldiers not to go too deep."

"promise!"

Li Ji took one look at the situation in the city, and immediately left the city and walked towards the emperor's Chinese army tent.

Li Shimin was sitting in the main battle of the Chinese army, and he felt a headache when he saw the silence of the generals.This was the first time he saw generals who had won a battle without any joy.

He is also capable of fighting on the battlefield, so of course he knows what they are thinking.

But as the lord of all people, his thoughts and actions are destined to be different from those of the generals.As long as a big victory can be achieved at the minimum cost, no matter what method is used, one's own losses will be greatly reduced.

Ji Song called that thing a bomb, saying that it was the initial use, and that stronger and more powerful bombs might appear in the future.

From the gunpowder that blew open the city wall to the bomb that can kill all humans and animals within three feet, this thing only took a few years from production to application!

When the production technology matures, these things will be continuously produced and applied to the battlefield.In the future, there will be more and more such things, and they will become more and more powerful.

When the time comes, even a mediocre general, as long as he knows how to apply these things, will be able to lead his army to expand territory.

In the past, the role of generals or generals who relied on their bravery, strategy, etc. will be greatly weakened.

This is what he is very willing to see and what he has been looking forward to.

Among the founding emperors, there were few who did not kill as much as he did to eliminate threats.

First, he is not old yet and is confident that he can survive these veterans, but more importantly, he is too proud and disdains to use such methods to stabilize the regime.

He would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't worried, but he couldn't bear to attack these veterans.

Now that it's better, there is no need to be in a dilemma, and the veterans can feel completely at ease. They don't have to worry about killing the donkey, killing the cunning rabbit, or cooking the lackey.

The innovation of weapons will greatly strengthen the centralization of power.As long as the secret of gunpowder is not leaked or there are always stronger and more powerful weapons, the central government will firmly control the lifeblood of the generals!
Making gunpowder requires materials, familiar craftsmen, and a series of untold secrets.As long as you keep these, you can firmly hold the army no matter how far away it is from you.

Even if there are repeated attempts, powerful national power can be used to suppress them.

These were the exact words Ji Song told himself, and he had scoffed at them before.But after experiencing the explosion of the city wall and what happened today.Especially when he saw the declining expressions of the veterans, he became a little convinced.

"How is the situation in the city?"

Li Shimin said directly without caring about anything else.

Li Ji stood up and said in a deep voice: "The Liaodong garrison personally led the dead soldiers to cover the enemy's escape. When we entered the city, we found that only 3000 people could not escape in time, and about 2 others scattered and fled into the mountains."

He glanced at the emperor and continued: "Our army is not familiar with the mountains. In order to reduce unnecessary casualties, I ordered the army not to go deep. At this time, the city has begun to be cleared, and I believe it will be stable soon."

"I don't know what else your majesty has ordered?"

Li Shimin was silent for a moment and said: "Leave five thousand soldiers to garrison Liaodong City. The rest of the army will go south to Baiyan City early tomorrow morning. After taking Baiyan City, they will go straight to Anshi City."

"I would like to meet with Yang Wanchun for a while to see what else he can rely on?"

When everyone left, only Du Ruhui and Changsun Wuji were left.

They knew that the emperor must have something to explain.

Sure enough, Li Shimin's voice rang out in the silent tent.

"Let's talk about it, how to solve it at this time?"

Du Ruhui and Changsun Wuji looked at each other and saw the helplessness in each other's eyes!
How could they not understand the thoughts of the veterans?As one of the chief civil servants, he wished that the generals could be restricted, which would be more conducive to the stability and long-term peace of the Tang Dynasty.

Although Changsun Wuji also led troops to fight, he was not a pure military general or a pure civil servant. He more represented the influence of his relatives and the aristocracy of Longxi.

The generals were restricted, and the advantages outweighed the disadvantages for him, but he couldn't say that. If word spread, wouldn't those bastards come after him?

"His Majesty!"

Du Ruhui knew he had to say it, and said helplessly: "Your Majesty, the generals just didn't turn around for a while. They should be fine after a while. Your Majesty, don't worry too much!"

"What Prime Minister Du said is absolutely true. The emergence of this thing is beneficial to the Tang Dynasty, and it is also beneficial to the stability of the Tang Dynasty. I believe they will understand."

Changsun Wuji said it but didn't say it. Du Ruhui was so angry that he cursed the old fox in his heart!
Li Shimin said angrily: "You don't need to talk about this? I'm asking you how I should appease them. They are all veterans who have been with me for decades. I can't bear to see them like this!"

Now it was the turn of the two of them to curse in their hearts. If they hadn't been here, you might have laughed out loud!

The problems that have plagued the past dynasties have now been solved in one artifact. Can you laugh at such a good thing?Still can’t bear it?Go ahead and cheat!
"Your Majesty can treat you with a noble title and generous salary. When they figure it out or understand your majesty's painstaking efforts, they will definitely be grateful to your majesty."

"In this way, the danger to the generals will be greatly reduced, and the injuries to the soldiers will also be reduced."

"But this matter cannot be rushed. As time goes by, everyone's anger will be vented."

Du Ruhui had no choice but to give advice to the emperor. Who asked him to be a minister?

When the emperor has something to do, the ministers should obey him. This is the duty of a minister and it should be done.

"Well, what Aiqing said is absolutely true, but we can't act too hastily!"

Li Shimin nodded with deep understanding and said.

"We can't take the war lightly in the future. How powerful it is to blow up the city. Hasn't it been cracked by Goguryeo? Utensils are always utensils, and they are still used by people."

"So, don't use this thing if you can't, and try to hide it from the enemy!"

"Baiyan City is a small city and can be defeated in one battle. But Anshi City is different. The city there is tall and thick, and there are veteran generals like Yang Wanchun garrisoned there. It may not be easy to capture it!"

Li Shimin seemed to have thought of something and frowned: "Ji Song sent an eagle letter. Yeon Gaesumun has stabilized the domestic situation and has sent a large army to help. Including the northern reinforcements that have been wandering outside, I am afraid it will be no less than 15."

"These people must be dealt with, otherwise when they attack Anshi City, if they cooperate inside and outside, things will be bad."

After listening to the emperor's words, Changsun Wuji and Du Ruhui looked a little solemn. Now none of them dare to underestimate the Goguryeo army. It was so difficult for a Liaodong city to fight. If it hadn't been for the bombs, how many soldiers would have been lost!
(End of this chapter)