Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

"boom!!!"

A terrifying roar, like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting open, was heard.

A violent tremor came from beneath my feet and from my hands gripping the parapet.

Just a moment ago, Qu Wentai was hysterically boosting morale.

The next moment, he was so shocked by what he saw that he was completely speechless.

A dark shadow flashed by, and then the city wall and parapet, which had been reinforced with shields, stones and other materials in recent days, suddenly turned into a huge breach.

Broken brick fragments were scattered everywhere.

Along with the bodies of the soldiers guarding the capital of Gaochang who had been hiding behind the city wall, they were instantly sent flying backward.

"Snapped!"

A stone the size of a palm flew through the air.

As Qu Wentai instinctively dodged, it slammed into the golden helmet on his head.

The immense force sent him, who was half-lying on the wall, rolling to the side in an instant.

While they were still seeing stars and feeling dizzy, not understanding what was happening, a scream suddenly came from the side.

He looked up.

A figure was suddenly sent flying backwards, landing heavily in front of him.

Blood splattered on the breastplate, where a broken spearhead was deeply embedded.

"Ugh, cough cough cough...Wang..."

This man, one of the few generals among the Qu clan of Gaochang, suddenly grabbed Qu Wentai's arm, his face pale.

He wanted to say something, but blood blocked his throat.

Under Qu Wentai's horrified gaze, he could only open and close his mouth twice before his body went limp and he collapsed to the ground.

"boom!!!"

Another cannonball slammed into the city gate tower of the Gaochang royal city.

Wood scraps mixed with bricks and stones collapsed down.

"Your Majesty, run! Run!"

Just minutes ago, the high-ranking officials of Gaochang Kingdom were determined to defend the city to the death, but now they are in complete chaos.

Some ministers who still cared about Qu Wentai, the King of Gaochang, shouted loudly, their faces covered in dust, trying to rush up the steps of the city wall to rescue him.

Faced with those jet-black shells that seemed like deadly meteors.

The newly formed loyalty was instantly shattered by this unknown fear.

"Ah! Ah! Help me! Help me!!!"

Qu Wentai shouted in terror.

Driven by instinct, and disregarding any sense of dishevelment, they scrambled and crawled to hide behind a wall.

Before them lay the mangled corpses of the city's defenders and generals.

Behind them, those malevolent things called cannons from the Tang Dynasty were still emitting terrifying roars.

On the Tang Dynasty side.

"Hahaha! Bomb them to death! Bomb them hard! Didn't they swear to never surrender? Very well!"

"Hahaha, fire! Keep firing!"

Li Yuan's face turned bright red.

The capital of Gaochang was indeed much more fortified than any of the cities we had encountered before.

However, this did not trouble Li Yuan. On the contrary, he looked at the city walls and towers, which were shaking under the roar of cannons, with earth, stones and debris flying everywhere.

It made him feel quite pleased.

"Xuanzhen, Xuanzhen! Where is he?!" He seemed to have thought of something and suddenly shouted loudly to the surroundings.

Soon.

Pei Ji rushed over immediately: "Your Majesty, you have..."

"Xuanzhen, place an order with Chengqian's military factories! I want these cannons! We want as many as they produce, and the shells too, the more the better!"

"Hahahaha!"

Upon hearing this, Pei Ji glanced at the seemingly crumbling capital of Gaochang and nodded.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, we are already making preparations. Our military funds are more than sufficient!" His old face was full of smiles.

Looking back, the mighty Qin army swept across the land, unifying the six kingdoms.

Those so-called military mights are nothing more than child's playthings in the face of the cannons of my Great Tang Dynasty.

Meanwhile, at this moment, behind the Tang army's formation...

Those merchants and镖局镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) of the Tang Dynasty, disguised as Tang soldiers under the cover of Tang banners, now witnessed firsthand the Gaochang capital city, which was utterly powerless to resist under the ravages of artillery fire.

They were all so excited they seemed to faint.

Especially those businessmen.

In the past, when war broke out, these merchants were often seen as easy targets by the imperial court and local warlords, and war brought them no benefit whatsoever.

If things go wrong, you might lose both your wealth and your life.

However, the new policies being implemented in the Tang Dynasty have truly allowed these merchants to experience the enormous benefits they contain.

"When we get back, we must write a letter and inform the head of the family as soon as possible that the Western Regions will definitely be our Great Tang territory in the future. Everything here now, as long as we buy it, will be a gold mine that can be left to our descendants."

"Buy! Buy land! Even if it means taking out a loan, buy it! Buying is making a profit!"

“We arrived too late. The most fertile places in Dongzhen City and the other county cities have all been snapped up by merchants from Longyou Road and Bingzhou. If we take Gaochang City, we absolutely cannot let it go!”

"Gaochang Royal City will surely become the bridgehead for our Great Tang to conquer the Western Regions! This place is a gold mine!"

The merchants' eyes all turned red.

Now, terrifying profits are involved. Even if they participate in the distribution of this Western Region pie, they will need to pay an additional 30% on top of the original commercial tax.

But the potential benefits were enough to make them abandon all their concerns.

The booming, booming sound of cannons was hardly the sound of a siege.

That was the sound of them smashing the door with gold bricks...

After three rounds of artillery fire.

The city walls of Gaochang were also in a state of disrepair, with some gaps offering absolutely no protection.

Even the city itself suffered considerable shelling.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Where are you...?"

When Qu Wentai was dragged out of a pile of rubble, almost everyone present would not have believed it if it weren't for the armor and clothes on his body that proved his identity.

The guy in front of me was covered in dirt and looked like a beggar.

It was their King of Gaochang.

"Splash!" A basin of water was splashed directly onto Qu Wentai's face.

The latter, who was in a coma, coughed suddenly and slowly opened his dazed eyes.

However, his blank, unfocused look caused a sudden jolt in the hearts of all the disheveled nobles present.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, can you hear me? Your Majesty..."

The calls, initially cautious and careful, eventually became shrill due to obvious panic.

"Wow!"

Another bucket of water was splashed on the other person's face.

Qu Wentai, who had been in a daze, finally showed some reaction.

He turned his head blankly, looking at the mess around him. The stench of corpses mixed with dust made his throat itch.

"Your Majesty..."

Qu Wentai: "Support, has the support arrived?"

His eyes held eight parts fear and two parts despair.

The question posed caused everyone present to look on in despair.

"Your Majesty... the Tang Dynasty has only been besieging the city for less than half an hour..."

Half an hour.

Qu Wentai watched as the surrounding parapets were shattered, the second line of defense made of shields and stones was scattered, and even the city tower was riddled with holes and gaps.

The rickety timber looked as if it could collapse at any moment.

"Half an hour? How could only half an hour have passed... I've been preparing the city's defenses for days! I, cough cough cough cough..."

Qu Wentai roared in despair.

His frenzied and desperate appearance caused the eyes of the surrounding nobles from the Gaochang Kingdom to redden.

"Your Majesty, we cannot hold this city any longer. With an attack like that just now, the Tang Dynasty only needs one more round... and our city walls will collapse completely."

"Your Majesty..." Amidst the sorrowful cries, no one around uttered those two words.

However, the desperate yet hopeful gazes that fell upon Qu Wentai at this moment spoke volumes.

Qu Wentai's lips trembled.

surrender?

Surrender means death!

But if they kept fighting... Just thinking about those soldiers who were blasted into mincemeat by artillery shells in his memory, their miserable appearance, made Qu Wentai's already trembling body break out in a cold sweat.

"cast......"

Just what to say.

A gasp suddenly came from the side.

"They've retreated! The Tang army has retreated!!!"

Everyone looked on in disbelief and instinctively turned their heads.

But see.

As expected, the cannons that had been standing in front of the Tang army were pushed back by the Tang army.

The army moved some distance to the rear.

Then... under everyone's watchful eyes, the Tang army suddenly began to set up camp on the spot.

Everyone was stunned, completely baffled as to what Tang Jun was up to.

They only needed one more round, and their Gaochang City would definitely not have been able to hold out. They wouldn't even have needed to use those cannons.

Now, the city gate is mostly broken and only held up by the stones at the back. How can it withstand the attack of the Tang Dynasty?

Their people had long lost the courage to fight against the Tang Dynasty...

Just as everyone was wondering what was going on, a fast horse suddenly galloped in from outside the city.

"Listen, King of Gaochang! Our Emperor Emeritus said that you should rest first, and after my army has had lunch and rested, we will come to educate you!"

Have you had lunch?

Still taking a lunch break?

Qu Wentai felt stifled and resentful. Faced with the terrifying firearms of the Tang Dynasty, he had no choice but to endure it.

Beside him, a disheveled minister from Gaochang seemed to have suddenly thought of something.

A look of joy suddenly flashed in his eyes.

"Your Majesty! This is an opportunity! The Tang Dynasty is giving us a chance to surrender!"

Seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, the man hurriedly continued.

"The defeat of Gaochang is now certain. The Tang army only needs one more attack to bring down our city. But why did the Tang choose this moment to call a truce when victory is so assured? And why such a bizarre reason?"

Some people's eyes lit up as well.

"The Tang Dynasty is giving us a chance to surrender!"

Suddenly.

Once again, expectant eyes fell on Qu Wentai.

There was a long silence.

Looking towards the direction of the Tang army formation, the smoke from the cooking fires gradually rose...

"If the Tang Dynasty can spare our lives and guarantee our wealth and status, even if we have to move to Chang'an... I will accept it!"

how to spell?

No need to fight!

Meanwhile, in the capital of Gaochang, two ministers of Gaochang were being lowered into a basket outside the city, preparing to go to the Tang army to negotiate surrender.

In the Hongshan River Valley.

More than a dozen generals from various Western Regions countries had already been tied up and brought before Li Jing.

He looked at these Western Region generals who, even after their defeat, seemed to be in a dream.

It seems like a smile but not a smile.

"It seems that the kingdoms of the Western Regions do indeed harbor the intention to destroy our Great Tang Dynasty, and have even launched a war without declaring war!"