My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 315: My kingdom is not yet the turn of the rebellious son to trample on it
Li Jing was defeated.

It’s not that Li Chengqian’s strategy is so unique.

But in the face of artillery, the traditional combat mode seems too fragile.

Li Jing easily saw through Su Dingfang's strategy of luring the enemy.

Taking this opportunity, I decided to use the opponent's trick against me.

All arrangements were fine.

The problem lies with the artillery.

When Li Jing was in the central army camp, he saw the ground shaking, rocks flying, and roaring in front of him, it was like the scene of the sky collapsing and the earth splitting apart.

He knew he lost.

The wind was cold and the battlefield was in a mess.

Li Jing's eyes were full of unwillingness.

Looking at the Tang army being defeated like a mountain, he felt mixed emotions.

"Marshal, let's retreat quickly! The enemy's attack is too fierce and their firearms are too powerful. We can't stop them!" The deputy general's face was full of anxiety, his voice trembling a little, and he reached out to try to pull Li Jing.

Li Jing suddenly shook off his deputy's hand, his eyes wide open, and roared: "I, Li Jing, have fought countless battles in my life, and I have never fled from the battlefield! Even though I was defeated today, I cannot be so cowardly!"

Having said that, looking at the enemy troops coming like a tide and the Tang army camp being shattered by artillery fire, he knew in his heart that the game was over.

On the battlefield, Tang soldiers abandoned their armor and fled in all directions, with the army flag lying in a pool of blood and being trampled by horses' hooves.

Some soldiers were blown away by the blast of the artillery fire and fell heavily to the ground, their lives or deaths unknown. The cold wind was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder and blood.

The soldiers beside Li Jing also showed fear on their faces. They had followed Li Jing in many battles and had never seen such a tragic defeat.

"General, as long as there is life, there is hope! Let's retreat first and make plans later!"

A personal soldier knelt on the ground and begged bitterly.

Li Jing sighed, gritted his teeth, turned his horse's head, and fled in a panic with his remaining soldiers and defeated generals.

Su Dingfang had no intention of pursuing him forcefully.

Because including the Shenwu Army, they were all frightened by the power of the artillery.

The smoke from the battlefield had not yet dissipated. Su Dingfang stood on a high slope, overlooking the devastated battlefield.

Xue Rengui was shocked: "General, the power of this artillery is amazing. I have never seen such a battle in my life! The victory of today's battle is all thanks to the firearms developed by Your Highness. Our army was able to defeat the enemy with a small force and win a great victory."

After saying this, he turned his head and looked at the artillery position that was still emitting smoke, his eyes full of amazement.

Pei Xingjian said, "As General Xue said, such a powerful firearm is enough to turn the tide of the battlefield. Although we defeated Li Jing today, he is a veteran of many battles and will not give up easily. Our army must make plans early to prevent him from making a comeback."

Su Dingfang turned around and nodded, saying, "Although this artillery is powerful, our army should not take it lightly. This victory is certainly gratifying, but our goal is to assist His Highness to ascend the throne and stabilize the world. The road ahead is long and arduous."

Xue Rengui was full of pride: "With the help of such firearms, I am willing to be the vanguard and clear away all obstacles!"

Su Dingfang smiled and said, "Okay, I understand. I'll let you be the vanguard from now on."

"Pass on my order. Immediately have the soldiers clean up the battlefield and treat the wounded. Treat both our soldiers and enemy prisoners equally. At the same time, send messengers to the surrounding towns to announce our victory to the people and distribute supplies to reassure the people."

Su Dingfang arranged the subsequent matters in an orderly manner.

the other side.

Yuchi Jingde and Cheng Yaojin were covered in dust and looked miserable.

Yuchi Jingde smashed the steel whip in his hand to the ground fiercely, raising a cloud of dust, and cursed: "Damn it! What the hell is this!"

Cheng Yaojin was also so angry that he blew his beard and glared: "The power of that firearm is so terrifying that it shook the earth and mountains and sent rocks flying everywhere."

"I, Old Cheng, have fought battles all my life, but I've never suffered such a big loss. I was defeated before I even saw the enemy."

As they talked, they were still a little scared.

Yuchi Jingde shouted: "Think of me, Yuchi Jingde, I have killed countless enemies and never been afraid of anyone. But today..."

At this point, he sighed again: "Your Majesty is confused."

At this point, Yuchi Jingde no longer cared about so much.

If Your Majesty had not forced the Crown Prince to rebel, they would have taken these cannons and expanded the territory.

"How are we going to fight from now on?"

Cheng Yaojin said somewhat dejectedly.

There's absolutely no way to beat this.

When the cannon sounded, it was like the sky was falling.

It's like this, what's the point of talking about morale?

Not to mention a veteran of ten years, even a veteran of a hundred years would have no choice but to take a detour if he saw one.

There was no morale at all and they just wanted to run away.

"Forget it, what else can I do? It's no big deal."

Yuchi Jingde said this almost to the point where the words were about to come out of his throat, but he stopped himself.

Of course, Cheng Yaojin knew what he wanted to say.

At worst, let the prince ascend the throne.

They are all princes and were supposed to ascend the throne.

As for the eldest son, he has the right and legitimate status, even more legitimate than Your Majesty did back then.

However, the two could only mutter these outrageous words in their hearts.
-
Changan.

The news of Li Jing's defeat was sent to Li Shimin that very evening, at an accelerated speed of 800 miles.

Li Shimin was surprisingly calm about the news.

In fact, when Li Shimin first received Li Jing's report about the artillery, he thought that this day would come.

Li Jing's defeat.

It's not the fault of war.

This is like an adult fighting with a child with an iron rod.

When the gap between the two sides' armaments is too great, all strategies are just empty talk.

"His Majesty."

The eunuch Zhang Ananda called out cautiously.

Li Shimin said calmly: "Why, that rebellious son, is he planning to attack Chang'an all at once?"

Zhang Ananda suddenly didn't dare to speak.

After a moment's hesitation, he said, "It's something else, Your Majesty."

"It seems that there has been a new discovery at the Gunpowder Department."

Li Shimin's eyes lit up and he asked, "Is it Thunderbolt?"

Zhang Ananda nodded: "Yes, Your Majesty."

"There was news tonight that the newly developed Thunderbolt has shown initial results."

"Although it is still a little behind the Crown Prince's Thunderbolt, its power is still acceptable."

Hearing this, Li Shimin was very surprised. After thinking for a while, he asked, "Did Qingque and his team develop this?"

Before Zhang Ananda could reply, Li Shimin said to himself, "I underestimated Qingque."

Zhang Ananda was a little embarrassed and didn't know how to respond.

However, once Your Majesty goes to the Gunpowder Bureau, this matter will certainly not be concealed.

So he said, "Your Majesty, it's not the King of Wei."

Li Shimin asked curiously, "Who are those? Are they those bull noses?"

Zhang Ananda naturally did not dare to keep the secret in front of His Majesty, and immediately explained: "It is Li Chunfeng, the scholar."

Li Shimin frowned slightly. He seemed to have some impression of this name, but he couldn't remember it clearly. "Li Chunfeng? Li Xueshi?"

Zhang Ananda added: "It was Li Xueshi from Chongwen Hall."

When Li Shimin heard about Chongwenguan, he remembered it.

The Chongwen Hall was returned to the prince.

The name Li Chunfeng refers to a person that the prince had previously requested to be promoted.

At this moment, Li Shimin didn't care too much.

So he asked, "Why did Li Chunfeng go to the Gunpowder Department?"

Zhang Ananda then told the whole story.

"Previously, the Crown Prince attached great importance to Li Chunfeng. I was ordered by Your Majesty to go to the East Palace frequently, and I also heard that the Crown Prince attached great importance to Li Chunfeng."

"Later, I heard that the Crown Prince had set up a separate house for Li Chunfeng in the East Palace workshop, and Li Chunfeng was responsible for developing and improving all the products in the workshop."

"So I wondered if Li Chunfeng knew anything about the prince's Thunderbolt Fire."

"I later asked, and found out that Li Chunfeng had never come across the formula for the Crown Prince's Thunderbolt Fire. But I thought, since the Crown Prince values ​​it so much, maybe Li Chunfeng has some outstanding qualities that suit the Crown Prince's taste."

"The things created by the prince are always exquisitely crafted. I think the people he cares about are also like-minded people."

"Therefore, I took the initiative to let Li Chunfeng join the Gunpowder Department."

After listening, Li Shimin understood.

After spending so much money, the person who finally developed Thunderbolt Fire was the one the prince valued.

This made Li Shimin feel more emotional.

But in the current situation, I can’t care so much.

"Come on, take me to see the power of this Thunderbolt."

Zhang Ananda bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."

The night is as thick as ink, and the cold wind cuts the face like a knife.

However, Li Shimin was in a hot mood.

Under the guidance of Zhang Ananda, they hurried towards the Gunpowder Department.

Before entering the Gunpowder Department, the air was filled with a pungent smell of sulfur.

Li Shimin quickened his pace and hurried forward.

The workshop was brightly lit with candles, and craftsmen were holding tools, running back and forth, carrying various materials.

Seeing the saint in person, they all paid their respects.

"No gift."

Li Shimin waved his hand.

Zhang Ananda has already sent someone to notify Li Chunfeng to come over for the fight.

Not long after, Li Chunfeng, wearing a slightly messy plain robe and with messy hair, walked out quickly from the depths of the workshop, clasped his hands, and saluted loudly: "Your Majesty, I am Li Chunfeng, meeting you!"

Li Shimin raised his hand and said in an urgent tone: "No need to be polite, take me to see the new Thunderbolt."

Li Chunfeng quickly stood up, led the way, and brought His Majesty to the school grounds behind the school.

It's not just Li Chunfeng.

There are also many Taoists who were previously in the Gunpowder Department.

Their faces looked a little ugly.

After being in the Gunpowder Department for so long, Thunderbolt still had no clue.

And this Li Chunfeng, who had only been here for a few days, had already developed Thunderbolt, which was simply a slap in their faces.

However, they were all forced to do this, and they themselves were not good at the art of thunder and fire.

On the site, several tightly wrapped cloth bags were placed on a special stone pedestal. The bag was made of thick cowhide and wrapped with coarse hemp ropes. One end of the rope was connected to a fuse that would burn quickly when ignited.

In the distance, a civil engineering structure simulating an enemy camp stood quietly, with some firewood piled around it to simulate an actual combat scene.

Li Chunfeng held a torch in his hand, slowly approached the cloth bag, took a deep breath, and lit the fuse.

With a "sizzling" sound, the fuse burned rapidly, sparks flew everywhere, and everyone quickly retreated to a safe distance, their hearts in their throats, staring at the cloth bag nervously.

"Boom!" A deafening sound, like thunder exploding out of nowhere, instantly broke the tranquility of the night.

The cloth bag exploded suddenly, and a blinding flame shot up into the sky, followed by a powerful air wave carrying sand, gravel, and broken wood, which spread rapidly in all directions.

The tent was blown to pieces in an instant, wood fragments flew everywhere, and the surrounding firewood was ignited, causing a raging fire that illuminated half the sky red.

Li Shimin's robe was blown violently by the air wave, and his eyes widened, full of shock and surprise.

This power was beyond his imagination.

After all, Li Shimin himself had never seen the Thunderbolt, and all the news he heard came from the reports.

Seeing it with your own eyes like this is a completely different feeling.

At the same time, Li Shimin suddenly understood how the prince had been able to conquer Liaodong City.

Even though he already had enough understanding about this, Li Shimin was still extremely shocked when the thunder fire roared.

Not to mention the soldiers who had never seen or heard of anything like it.

With such a sudden appearance and facing such divine and Buddha-like means, who could still have any morale at all?

"How does it compare to the prince's Thunderbolt?"

Although Zhang Ananda had said this before, Li Shimin still found it a little unconvincing.

Li Chunfeng cupped his hands and said, "Of course it is not as good, and it needs more improvements, or it can be comparable to the prince's Thunderbolt Fire."

Li Shimin thought about it, frowned and asked again: "How does it compare to artillery?"

Li Chunfeng thought carefully and said, "I have never seen a cannon, but I think the source of this roar is thunder fire, and the cannon is like a crossbow or a catapult, throwing the thunder fire."

"I have heard that the prince's artillery can fire nearly two miles, and there is also a roaring sound when it is fired."

"In my opinion, the prince used the power of the thunderbolt to replace the bowstring, so that the thunderbolt could be thrown farther."

Li Shimin probably understood.

All in all, the prince’s thunderbolt is powerful, but his cannon is even more powerful.

Then he asked, "How long will it take to make the cannon?"

Li Chunfeng looked embarrassed and said, "I don't know. Thunderbolt fire is just a matter of proportion. Saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal are used."

"It's mainly saltpeter, supplemented by sulfur and charcoal. The power and effect depend only on the dosage."

"However, I have only heard of artillery, but have never seen it, so I have no idea for now."

Li Shimin was a little disappointed, but it seemed impossible to develop artillery immediately.

Taking a deep breath, Li Shimin looked at the mess caused by the explosion again, his eyes revealing a thoughtful look: "Although the power of this Thunderbolt is slightly weaker now, it can already be of great use. Li Chunfeng, you need to improve it as soon as possible to increase its power a little more."

Li Chunfeng accepted the order and said: "I will do my best to live up to your majesty's trust."

Li Shimin nodded with satisfaction, turned to Zhang Ananda and said, "Pass on my order to summon all ministers immediately to discuss how to deal with the rebellious son."

"I want to let that rebellious son know that it is not his turn to wantonly trample on the Tang Dynasty!"

The success of Thunderbolt gave Li Shimin a huge boost in confidence.

It's a little worse, it doesn't matter.

With the national strength of the Tang Dynasty, as long as they have the strength, they will no longer allow themselves to be beaten.

At least now there is hope of victory.

Li Shimin now has confidence again.

(End of this chapter)