My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 264 Li Chengqian: I can't see it, that means I haven't surrendered

As the sound of the marching horn tore through the sky and earth, the Tang army advanced rapidly into the territory of Baekje like a rolling iron stream.

Pei Xingjian led 10,000 elite troops and sneaked into the hidden valley on the border of Baekje silently like a ghost in the dark night.

At the same time, Chen Yunchao led a 10,000-man central army, with flags flying and drums beating, and pressed down on the Baekje defenders with overwhelming force. The flags covering the sky and the deafening drums all demonstrated the great military power of the Tang Dynasty.

Although most of the members of these troops were actually from Goryeo and Silla.

Upon seeing this, the Baekje army hastily mobilized heavy troops in an attempt to resist the Tang Dynasty's offensive in the middle.

In a flash, a fighter plane appeared.

At Pei Xingjian's command, the elite troops roared out of the valley like tigers emerging from the mountains and headed straight for Ungjin, an important city in eastern Baekje.

In an instant, shouts of killing shook the earth, and the defenders of Xiongjin City were caught off guard by this sudden attack.

Pei Xingjian's soldiers quickly ignited the Thunderbolt, which was an incredibly powerful explosive pack in their hands.

With a loud bang, the explosive pack exploded at the gate of Xiongjin City, flames shot up into the sky, and the huge impact force blew the city gate into pieces, bricks and stones flew everywhere, and the defenders were blown several feet away by the air wave.

The raging fire instantly swept through Xiongjin City, and the city fell into chaos.

The civilians screamed in terror and fled in all directions, while the defenders were stunned by this terrifying weapon that they had never seen before. The Tang soldiers took advantage of the situation and attacked the city as if they were in an empty space. The power of the thunderbolt created a huge wave on the battlefield, and Baekje's eastern defense line collapsed.

Turning our sight to the west, Xue Rengui led five thousand light cavalry and made arduous progress through the deep mountains and forests.

The mountains and forests were full of thorns and the roads were rugged and difficult to travel, but the soldiers had only one belief in their hearts: to complete their mission.

When the battles on the east and middle routes broke out, Xue Rengui roared, and five thousand light cavalrymen rushed out from the depths of the mountains and forests like arrows from a bow. They cut off Baekje's retreat to the west with lightning speed and blocked all possible reinforcement routes.

On the vast sea, the 5,000 navy led by Cheng Mingzhen braved the wind and waves, and the warships advanced at full speed towards the Baekje capital of Sabi City like steel behemoths.

Cheng Mingzhen was originally only a Guoyi Duwei, and stood out during the previous Eastern Expedition to Liaodong. As a student of the Military Academy, although he was not as good as Xue Rengui and Pei Xingjian, he was also extremely outstanding.

Perhaps it was unknown in the original history, but at this moment, it is blooming with its own brilliance.

When the smoke from the battlefield on land spread to the sea, Cheng Mingzhen decisively ordered an attack. On the navy's warships, the soldiers lit thunderbolts and fired crossbows at the Baekje fleet.

boom! boom! boom!
A series of explosions sounded on the sea, and Baekje's warships were blown to pieces. The flames illuminated the entire sea surface red, and the sea water was dyed dark red. Debris floated everywhere.

The arrival of gunpowder in this era was a completely crushing victory.

On the other hand, Liu Rengui, who was also a student of the Military Academy, led a navy that keenly discovered the Japanese fleet that was attempting to support Baekje during a patrol.

Liu Rengui's eyes were sharp and he decisively ordered the attack.

The two fleets met in the vast ocean, and a thrilling naval battle began.

The soldiers of the Tang Navy threw the Thunderbolt at the Japanese fleet, and the huge explosion terrified the Japanese sailors. They had never seen such a terrifying weapon and were thrown into disarray.

During this period, the Japanese navy showed a specific development status.

From the perspective of organizational structure, the Japanese navy has initially formed a certain military organization.

It had a system of local conscription of soldiers, and local nobles were required to provide a certain number of ships and personnel. These ships and personnel constituted the basic strength of the navy, but this organization was relatively loose, mainly based on the cooperation of local forces, and the central government's overall management ability was limited.

In terms of equipment, most of the Japanese navy's ships were small wooden boats. These ships were mainly powered by human oars, and the length of the boats generally ranged from a few meters to more than ten meters. The structure of the boats was relatively simple, the side of the boats was low, and the protection capability was poor.

In terms of weaponry, it is mainly close combat weapons, such as bamboo spears, short swords and the like.

Although there were a small number of bows and arrows used for long-range attacks, their range and power could not be compared with the bows and crossbows of the Tang Dynasty.

At the same time, due to limited navigation technology and the lack of accurate navigation equipment on board, the ship mainly relied on experienced crew members to determine the direction by observing stars, landmarks, etc.

In terms of combat concepts, the Japanese navy at this time was still relatively traditional and simple.

When fighting, they often adopt the method of group charge, trying to use their numerical advantage to break through the enemy's defense line.

Due to the lack of large warships and effective tactical coordination, they were easily thrown into chaos when facing a well-organized and well-equipped navy.

Moreover, the Japanese navy at that time lacked experience in large-scale naval battles, and was not mature enough in utilizing natural factors such as wind direction and water currents in naval battles, which greatly limited their ability to fight at sea.

When faced with the epoch-making firearm like Thunderbolt, it was vulnerable.

Japan was still very ambitious. During this period, Japan was very arrogant and had not yet been completely subdued by the Tang Dynasty.

According to historical records, during the Battle of Baekgang in 663, Japan dispatched more than a thousand warships and more than naval forces.

Now, in order to support Baekje, there are about 400 warships and more than 10,000 naval forces.

However, when faced with Liu Rengui's more than a hundred warships and only five thousand naval forces, they had no ability to resist at all.

Returning our attention to the central battlefield, the army led by Chen Yunchao was under tremendous pressure from the main force of Baekje.

With only ten thousand soldiers, they fought against an army of tens of thousands.

But they were like an unshakable Great Wall of Steel, forming a solid defense line with shields and spears, and repeatedly repelled the attacks of the Baekje army.

Although the enemy's offensive was fierce and the central army was under great pressure, the 8,000 reserve troops led by Li Dejian arrived in time. The addition of fresh troops greatly boosted the morale of the central army.

According to the prince's plan, Thunderbolt Fire cannot be used easily.

It can only be used when you have gained an advantage or are in a losing situation.

Now that he had a chance to win, Chen Yunchao used Thunderbolt to launch a more fierce counterattack against the Baekje army.

The explosive pack exploded in the Baekje army, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and the Baekje soldiers were frightened and retreated again and again.

The Baekje army was thrown into chaos by the sudden explosion. They threw away their weapons and turned to flee.

Seeing this, Chen Yunchao seized this excellent opportunity, waved his hand and shouted: "Kill!"

The central army rushed towards the Baekje army like a tiger descending from a mountain with overwhelming force.

They held sharp blades and hacked and killed as if they were in an empty space, and the screams of Baekje soldiers could be heard one after another.

At the same time, Pei Xingjian had already established a firm foothold in Xiongjin City. He left a part of his troops to garrison Xiongjin City, and led the rest of the elite troops to quickly march towards the Baekje capital Sabi City, preparing to meet with Cheng Mingzhen's navy and Chen Yunchao's central army to encircle Sabi City.

On Xue Rengui's side, the 5,000 light cavalry he led successfully cut off Baekje's retreat route to the west, but they were not idle.

He sent out small units to attack and harass the rear of Baekje, causing panic among the Baekje army. He personally led the main force to set up an ambush on the main road behind Baekje, waiting for the Baekje army to collapse.

After destroying the Baekje fleet, Cheng Mingzhen's navy sailed through the wind and waves and successfully reached the port of Sabi City. They quickly landed and joined Pei Xingjian's troops who came from land.

After a short rest, the two teams launched an attack towards Sabi Castle. In Sabi Castle, the capital of Baekje, the atmosphere in the palace was so heavy that it was almost suffocating, as if the air was filled with fear and despair.

King Buyeo Uija of Baekje, the once powerful and august monarch in the Baekje court, now had a sad face and paced back and forth in the hall, his steps as heavy as if he was dragging heavy shackles.

Every step he took seemed to stomp hard on the hearts of his subjects, making a dull and desperate sound.

Buyeo Yiji grew up in the palace and witnessed Baekje's gradual strengthening and territorial expansion under his father's rule. After he succeeded to the throne, he always had the ambition to make Baekje a powerful country on the peninsula.

However, now facing the overwhelming offensive of the Tang army, his ambitions seemed to be extinguished like a bucket of cold water.

The reports of defeat coming from the front made his face even gloomier.

All the ministers hung their heads, silent as a mouse. The hall was dead silent. Only the sound of Buyeo Yici's footsteps echoed in the empty hall.

He suddenly stopped, and his eyes were as sharp as torches but full of anxiety as he swept over the ministers. His voice was filled with anxiety and anger that could not be concealed: "My dear ministers, the Tang army is now attacking fiercely. Xiongjin City has already fallen, and many places have been lost one after another. Our Baekje territory is being eroded bit by bit. What should we do?"

Jin Zaixian, a veteran of three dynasties, who was over 70 years old, took a shaky step forward with a hunched body. He said in a tearful voice, "My king, the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty is very powerful, with strong troops and horses, and he is well prepared. It is really difficult for us to compete with him. In my opinion, why don't we just follow the trend and surrender."

The word "surrender" is like dropping a huge stone into a calm lake.

Everyone's faces turned extremely ugly.

If we surrender to the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, will we have to go through the same situation as Silla in Liaodong?

The Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty captured almost all the nobles and ministers of Silla in Liaodong.

But Jin Jae-hyun knew in his heart that there was no chance of resistance at this point.

Although the country was under the rule of the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty and the property of the nobles and ministers was dispersed, most of them were still able to survive.

Moreover, I heard that in Silla, the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty is no longer as overbearing as he was in Liaodong. As long as one is well-educated, even if he cannot rise to a high position, he can still realize his ambitions.

Besides, what choice do they have now?

How could the walls of Sibi City withstand the thunder and fire of the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty?

Xiongjin City was the most important military base of Baekje, but it could not hold out for even three days against the attack of the Tang prince's army.

Then, how many days can Sibi City hold out?

Five days?

Seven days?

What's the point of this?

Buyeo Yici's face instantly turned livid, his eyes widened, and he shouted angrily, "Shut up! I am the lord of Baekje, how can I surrender so easily? Baekje has been established for many years and has gone through many hardships. I inherited this great country from my ancestors. How can it be destroyed in my hands? How can I bear this eternal infamy!"

Buyeo Yici was filled with resentment. He remembered that he had once roamed the land of Baekje and received worship from the people. How could he easily bow to the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty?

At this time, the old Baekje general Lian Cheng stepped forward, clasped his hands together, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead my soldiers to fight to the death with the Tang army and kill them!"

Before Buyeo Yici could respond, the civil official Park Sunjeong stepped forward to dissuade him: "No, Your Majesty! The Tang army is very strategic and well-planned. If we attack rashly, it will play into their hands. Moreover, their thunderbolts are extremely powerful. Our soldiers' morale will be greatly affected by such weapons. It is really not advisable to attack head-on."

Buyeo Yici remained silent, for he knew that what the civil official Park Sunjeong said was right.

Sending troops to confront the army of the Crown Prince of Tang head-on at this time would be nothing but suicide.

But now that most of Baekje’s territory has fallen, is there any hope for a turnaround?
After thinking for a long time, Buyeo Yici turned around suddenly, his eyes firm but with a hint of desperation, he said: "I am determined to lead the army in person! I don't believe that the thousands of warriors of Baekje can't defeat the army of the Tang Dynasty. The warriors of Baekje have always been known for their bravery. This time, I must let the Tang Dynasty know that Baekje is not easily bullied!"
Buyeo Yici has his own pride.

If the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty conquers the city of Sibi, can he survive?

Probably not survivable.

Since we are all going to die, we might as well die in a glorious battle.

Minister Jin Hongji bowed slightly and said respectfully: "Your Majesty's personal expedition will surely boost the morale of our army. However, in my opinion, we don't need to fight the Tang army head-on this time, we just need to delay time."

"Prince Wang has secretly gone to Chang'an to surrender to the Tang Dynasty. As long as the news of surrender arrives, the Tang Dynasty Crown Prince will definitely order the troops to withdraw."

These words brought the last glimmer of hope to the desperate Baekje court.

It is now mid-June.

It has been two months since Crown Prince Buyeo Long set out.

As early as a month ago, Crown Prince Buyeo Long had sent news from Chang'an that the Tang Emperor had agreed to accept Baekje's surrender at the court meeting.

But no one expected that the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty would lead his troops to attack Baekje at this time, under the scorching sun.

What was even more unexpected was that the Baekje army was like glass, shattered at the first touch when facing the army of the Tang prince.

In just one month, the progress has been unstoppable.

The reason why it took a month to reach the current situation was that the Tang Prince's army was limited not on the battlefield but in the marching speed.

The Baekje army, which once faced the powerful Silla, is now like a piece of paper when facing the army of the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty.

The most ridiculous thing is that almost half of the troops under the command of the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty were Silla soldiers who had been defeated by Baekje.

the other side.

Inside the Shenwu Palace.

Facing the envoy from the imperial court, Li Chengqian said to the eunuch Wen Zhong calmly: "I am not feeling well, so I will not see you today."

The eunuch Wen Zhong bowed slightly and said, "Yes, Your Highness, I will pass the message on right away."

Because Li Chengqian forcibly sent troops.

In Chang'an City, Crown Prince Buyu Long received the news and quickly asked King Wei for help.

At the court meeting, all the ministers made memorials, and Li Shimin could only send a messenger to ask the prince to withdraw his troops.

Changsun Wuji walked slowly on his way, not caring at all.

The censor did not dare to delay and hurried to the Shenwu Palace in Liaozhou.

Facing the imperial censor who came to deliver the imperial edict, Li Chengqian lied that he was sick and not fit to see anyone.

Just drag it on like this.

(End of this chapter)