Chapter 555: The Great Victory at Fushun

Whoever takes Hetu Ala first will claim the greater merit.

Both Lu Xiangsheng and his companion understood this clearly—if this battle could be concluded quickly, they would outshine Sun Chuanting.

Though all belonged to the Imperial Guard Corps, they were hardly the same command, and rivalries between them were already numerous.

Setting aside everything else, the sheer pride-fueled contention of "you won't yield to me, and I won't yield to you" was fierce enough on its own; add in all manner of vested interests, and the complications multiplied endlessly.

When it came to vying for glory on the battlefield, even Your Majesty could say nothing. If you fight slowly, how can you blame me for fighting fast?

Lu Xiangsheng and the others felt not a shred of guilt—snatching credit was simply snatching credit.

The two exchanged a brief glance and understood each other's intentions at once.

Cao Wenzhao smiled outright and said, "In that case, let's be off."

Lu Xiangsheng smiled too and said, "Leave a portion of men here to clean up the battlefield, and notify those behind to come take over. We'll pick out an elite force and march at speed, straight for Hetu Ala."

While Lu Xiangsheng and his companion hurried off with their army to grab the credit, Sun Chuanting's side had already arrived beneath the walls of Fushun.

In fact, Sun Chuanting had reached the outskirts of Fushun the previous night, only he had not launched an assault.

Attacking at night was unnecessary and risked needless losses. Sun Chuanting simply chose to wait until early the next morning.

After rising and eating breakfast, Sun Chuanting stretched his limbs before walking to the front of the camp. By then, the soldiers had already formed their ranks.

Gazing at the city wall before him, Sun Chuanting let out a yawn.

Somewhat dull—this was a dull war, and a dull siege at that.

Back when the Imperial Guard Corps had drilled siege tactics, the walls they built were sturdier than this one. And those maniacs who designed the drills were utterly ruthless—everything from sand and stone blocking the gates to every conceivable obstacle packed inside the city.

There was also the "unlimited arrows" scenario—I still don't know who came up with that one. Besides unlimited arrows, there was "unlimited troop spawning," simply deranged. They even drilled assaults under the most disadvantageous conditions—like attacking a city ringed by mountains on three sides, or one defended by a water fortress.

The most disgusting of all was that battlefield called "Son of Heaven Descends," simulating the campaign of Emperor Guangwu of Han. In short, when you went to storm the city, meteors fell from the sky—before you'd even engaged, you'd already lost two-thirds of your strength to non-combat attrition.

Compared to those situations, what lay before him now was far inferior. Looking at that city wall, at the nervous soldiers atop it, Sun Chuanting felt nothing at all.

Glancing at the officers ready beside him, Sun Chuanting said with an air of casual ease, "Prepare to attack the city."

"Yes, Marshal!" The men below hurriedly acknowledged.

Meanwhile, atop Fushun's walls, the defenders were tense beyond measure, gripping their weapons tightly, wishing they could cut down the Ming generals with a single stroke.

They had planned a sneak attack the night before but failed. Now, seeing the Ming army preparing for a siege this morning, they had no idea how things would unfold.

The Ming side moved with orderly precision, following established regulations and procedures—cannons and rocket shells were pushed to the front first.

According to Ming combat doctrine, sieges began with three rounds of artillery. After those three rounds, they would assess the situation.

If the enemy still looked sound, they'd fire three more; if the timing was right, they'd switch to direct assault tactics.

This little wall and gate before them could never withstand bombardment from rockets and cannons—after three rounds, it would be in shambles, and then they'd simply charge up and collect heads. That was basically the whole strategy.

"Reporting to the Marshal, everything is ready." A soldier came before Sun Chuanting and spoke.

Sun Chuanting nodded, waved a hand behind him, and said, "Then begin."

His tone was light, his words delivered with the same casual indifference.

But this order was anything but light, and far from inconsequential.

At Sun Chuanting's command, the cannons and rocket shells opened fire.

Whistling sounds instantly filled the entire battlefield, and booming explosions thundered across heaven and earth—the very ground seemed to tremble in response.

The whole city teetered on the verge of collapse; soldiers atop the walls were blasted straight into the air, tumbling and spinning down to the ground.

In an instant, the entire city of Fushun was engulfed in artillery fire.

The defenders on the walls were stunned senseless—they had never imagined such a thing could happen.

With the firepower the Ming army had now, they could hold their own even in the Republican era, let alone against these people.

The men in Fushun had no means to fight back at all; caught in the shock and awe, they were blown sky-high.

After three rounds of artillery passed, smoke hung thick over the walls, flames still licking upward, and many sections had been scorched black. The wall hadn't just been breached in one spot—it was riddled with holes.

Such a wall was utterly incapable of withstanding artillery fire. Though Hong Taiji had spent these years continuously reinforcing the walls to resist the Ming army, the Ming forces before him now were not something such fortifications could hold back.

After a single round of cannons and rockets, several sections had already collapsed, and the soldiers on the walls had long since vanished—some killed, some fled.

Sun Chuanting's side didn't stop at all. The moment the cannon fire ceased, the soldiers charged forward.

These troops ran ahead with rifles raised, muzzles pointing upward; whenever anyone showed their head, they stopped and fired without a moment's hesitation.

These firearms gave them an incomparable advantage—after all, they could shoot with real accuracy. The marksmen basically dropped one target per shot, no problem at all.

What's more, the ranks included snipers—rare gems even among sharpshooters. Hidden within the main formation, their purpose wasn't the siege itself.

They kept scanning for targets, and the moment they spotted someone, they fired and brought them down.

For a time, gunfire rang out from all directions, with scarcely a gap between shots.

Sun Chuanting lowered the telescope in his hand, his expression betraying not the slightest surprise.

All of this had been within his expectations.

This was a dull war—Sun Chuanting had said so long ago.

Glancing at Zhang Zhao beside him, Sun Chuanting said, "Have the men prepare—leave a portion behind to clean up the battlefield. We're moving out immediately, straight for Hetu Ala."

Hearing this, Zhang Zhao was taken aback. He looked at Sun Chuanting and asked, "Marshal, we've only just taken Fushun—surely there's no need for such haste?"

At this, Sun Chuanting glanced at Zhang Zhao and said, "There is every need for such haste. Before this war even began, I had already submitted a routine memorial to Your Majesty, laying out the plan for this campaign."

"In my view, this war never needed such a grand mobilization. There was no need for Your Majesty to come personally to Liaodong, nor to dispatch Lu Xiangsheng and the others—simply sending our forces would have sufficed."

"If I led the troops, I had every confidence I could pacify Liaodong, and without consuming so much grain or deploying so much equipment—the losses would certainly have been far smaller. But Your Majesty refused."

"So this Liaodong campaign is, in truth, a contest between us and Lu Xiangsheng's force. Fushun itself matters little—what matters is Hetu Ala."

"If Hong Taiji chose to defend Fushun to the death, then he can only be planning to strike at Lu Xiangsheng and the others. Do you think Hong Taiji and his men could possibly be a match for Lu Xiangsheng?"

Zhang Zhao shook his head without hesitation.

Though they usually squabbled and clashed in their daily dealings, in truth they understood each other well.

Lu Xiangsheng and his men were formidable, well-drilled, and equipped with the same gear as their own. Lu Xiangsheng was a talent versed in both letters and arms, and Cao Wenzhao was a fierce general besides—there was no way those two could be defeated by Hong Taiji.

Sun Chuanting said: "After they defeat Hong Taiji, they will surely march swiftly to Hetu Ala. So now we must leave as well — not to attack Hetu Ala, but to seize it before they arrive."

"This time, it comes down to marching speed and assault capability. We've all drilled the basic strategic essentials of rapid marches followed by city assaults before. Everyone understands — give the orders immediately."

"Yes, Marshal." Zhang Zhao replied with a grave expression.

How could they lose to those fellows?

They must muster their forces and march out at once.

On this point, Zhang Zhao was also anxious in his heart. After receiving Sun Chuanting's explanation, he prepared to relay these words to those below him.

Sun Chuanting let out a sigh. He did not know how this venture would turn out. But judging from the present situation, his own chances of victory seemed much smaller. After all, in terms of relative distance, his side appeared to be farther away, so to get there quickly, they would have to march even faster.

"I hope Hong Taiji can delay them for a while longer." Sun Chuanting remarked with feeling.

If Hong Taiji went to their side, that would count as fair. His own side had a longer road; they had to fight — and no one could guarantee the final outcome. But everyone would strive for victory.

While both forces were frantically racing toward Hetu Ala, all was peaceful within Shanhai Pass.

At this time, with Zhu Youxiao present in Shanhai Pass, public order was naturally excellent — no one dared to cause trouble.

Moreover, this was a military city; there were no loafers or ruffians on the streets.

Shanhai Pass was quite lively at this moment. Since the Emperor had arrived, commerce here had flourished.

At the same time, with the arrival of people from the various Mongol tribes, it had become even more bustling — one could see Mongols passing by every day.

At first people found it somewhat novel, but later they stopped caring — they had seen too many.

Of course, it wasn't that they found the Mongols novel — they had seen Mongols before, many times in fact; they had even fought them on numerous occasions.

It was just that the Mongols who came to Shanhai Pass showed not a trace of arrogance; instead, they were remarkably well-behaved, which everyone found rather surprising.