Chapter 529: Assault on Hongnong

"Commander, will the Beijiang King really spare the Yang clan's lives and abandon a fierce attack out of concern for them?"

"He will. Times have changed; the more he desires that position, the more he must care about his reputation. Today, the Beijiang cavalry trampled Yang Yao's corpse and launched a fierce assault on Hongnong City—tomorrow, this stain will haunt him for life!"

"The Beijiang King… is still young, after all. I fear he cannot think too deeply and will act impulsively, relying on his cavalry's momentum."

"The Marquis of Dongdu is in the formation. We gain a day by delaying a day; the slower we drag the rhythm, the more advantageous it is for us. This battle must become a war of attrition.

The Beijiang is vast but sparsely populated, and like the Central Plains, it has suffered years of drought. The cost of these hundred thousand cavalry marching south is enough to shake the very foundation of the Beijiang state. Every extra day of consumption is our gain."

"What does the Commander mean by that?"

"Best to negotiate first—go back and forth—striving to exhaust the Beijiang's hundred thousand cavalry to death."

Feng Xiang and the military advisor were right in their thinking: once the cavalry moves, the Da Wang's silver truly burns like a raging fire, almost as fast as stirring the sea. The silver-white warhorses of the Black Wind Horses and Snow Riders come from the cultivation realm; the Da Wang even brought along the suppressing fodder from the Ranch Foundation and the beans from the Homestead Foundation—these horses running a day come at a steep price. The plan is sound, but they don't realize the Da Wang is better at calculating accounts than they are!

The Da Wang won't suffer a single loss!

But now, Yang clan descendants hang in a row on the city walls. If the Da Wang ignores them and detonates the gunpowder crossbows today, how many will curse him in the future!

The Da Wang and the Marquis of Dongdu exchanged a few words, then lifted his head and sneered at the city gate tower: "Hmph! It seems the noble uncle wishes to oppose the aristocratic clans—how admirable! For the lives of the Yang clan, I will endure this loss and fulfill the uncle's wish."

He set down his wolf-tooth lance, then shouted loudly: "Retreat! We march for Linchuan!"

The retreat drums sounded; the cavalry ahead turned their horses southward. Amid the rolling dust, the Beijiang King's hundred thousand great army… withdrew?

No—just withdrew like that?!

Everyone at the eastern gate was dazed—was the Yang clan really this useful?

If it's so useful, why don't you stay and save them?! Just give up like that? No need to even discuss? Did you detour? Or… bypass the gate?!

The Da Wang gave no greeting, made a clean turn, and the Black Wind Horse, bearing the force of thunder, vanished swiftly at the eastern gate. Zhang Tong stood stunned for a moment: "Oh no! Hurry—return to defend the southern and western gates!"

Exactly—Da Wang doesn't believe every gate of Hongnong is hung with Yang clan members. If the eastern gate won't do, I won't try the southern; if the southern fails, Da Wang will simply pick a stretch of wall and smash straight through!

With Da Wang's warhorse speed, who could Zhang Tong possibly outrun? In a race, Da Wang would surely win—let alone the drum-beating withdrawal maneuver that confused the enemy left and right.

Even if all the townspeople who should hide have hidden, and the streets are relatively clear, that still doesn't mean Da Wang, running wild outside the city, isn't faster.

Zhang Tong no longer had the leisure to bring the Yang hostages along. Before he could even reach the southern gate, he heard the shouts of battle.

A small banner came running from the southern gate seeking aid, headfirst crashing in: "Report!! General, the southern gate can barely hold!"

Zhang Tong flew into a rage: "How could it happen so fast?! They excel at storming gates—weren't we already blocking the city gates?"

"General, time is pressing—the additional walls at the other three gates are nowhere near as thick as the eastern gate's. The Beijiang army has already torn a breach!"

Zhang Tong's face turned ashen—he knew it was over.

With the Beijiang cavalry having torn open a breach, what is left to defend this city with?

Their rolling logs and boiling oil—were they of no use? Zhang Tong had no time to think, spurring his horse madly toward the southern gate.

Da Wang arrived at the southern gate without delay, without a word, directly raising his hand to signal the assault. The sailors carrying gunpowder crossbows stepped forward, concentrating fire to blast the gate—only to find that beyond the shattered gate lay still a stone wall!

Da Wang was momentarily stunned, as if seeing two chests of silver grow wings and fly away!

How many gunpowder packs would I need to buy?! This stuff, the Beijiang still can't produce it themselves!

This guy, furious, raised his wolf-tooth lance: "Full assault!" The longer we drag this out, the more money we burn~

"Changli, you come!"

"Yes!"

Per the Snow Riders' protocol, the frontline shield bearers dismounted, abandoning their horses to advance and shield the Snow Riders, blocking arrow rain and rolling oil—the warhorses are precious, they're unwilling to risk them.

The wall commander stared in shock as the frontline cavalry dismounted, slapped their horse's flank, and the warhorses automatically withdrew to the east and west open grounds. The Beijiang archers began firing to cover, while the silver-armored cavalry in the middle charged forward and crashed into the front line.

Under the cover of their large shields, they reached the base of the wall in two or three moves, while the archers still standing on our city wall grew fewer and fewer…

The Snow Rider vanguard reached the half-blasted gate, pulled a strange weapon from the horse's saddlebag, and began clearing the blasted gate. The Jiangxia garrison defenders didn't recognize it; if it were a farming tool, ordinary folk might recognize one or two—it truly resembles a farming implement called a 'tie qiao' said to have come from the Beijiang.

Not to mention the Jiangxia army never saw it—even the Luoyang commander Feng Xiang hasn't.

It took him a while to realize he should just shut his mouth, or else he'd appear utterly ignorant. But, given this charge, he asks himself: Luoyang… surely cannot withstand it.

Feng Xiang observed carefully: the only things inflicting damage on the Beijiang cavalry are giant boulders and rolling logs; as for boiling oil and arrows, they simply don't fear or avoid them!

They don't even need to exert themselves to scale the wall—just follow their own rhythm, bang bang, and it's a gate-blasting operation.

Yeah, with this firepower, who'd still want to climb the walls!

Da Wang also sighed from behind: "Heat weapons—unstoppable. Half a heat weapon—also unstoppable."

Wei Shen, amidst the din, just heard the Da Wang muttering something like 'Enough, enough…'

"What are you saying?! I can't hear you!"

"The Da Wang says: 'For now, this is enough.' At this level, it's sufficient."

He obtained a great opportunity, yet does not wish to prematurely bring the gunpowder smoke of future ages. This is also why he didn't press the Directorate of Astronomy to immediately forge cannons, nor did he spend heavily at Johannsen's to buy advanced heat weapons. The Da Wang's current modest goal is to first craft serviceable gunpowder crossbows and bow-crossbows, and not need to spend gold on gunpowder packs—let him eat his meal bite by bite.

The Da Wang firmly refuses to admit he can't afford it.

The Snow Riders quickly cleared a passage for warhorses; Changli led the charge first, leading the combat troops into the city.

Zhang Tong reached the southern gate; the Snow Riders had already stormed into Hongnong City, battle cries shaking heaven. His personal guard, seeing the situation turn dire, tried to shield his retreat, but Zhang Tong drew his side sword and laughed tragically: "Retreat where? From the day we raised our arms, there has been no retreat. Give me to kill! Retreat—death!"

Changli happened to strike true: "The Beijiang does not kill captives! Everyone listen—surrender and you will not be killed!"

The Snow Riders behind him echoed like a broken record, shouting as they slashed: "Surrender and you will not be killed! Surrender and you will not be killed! Surrender and you will not be killed!"

Zhang Tong: …

Chopping melons and vegetables while shouting 'Surrender and you will not be killed'?!

Since the Da Wang has come, there's no reason not to follow—he also followed the Eagle Riders into Hongnong, his wolf-tooth lance dancing with tiger-like vigor, so much so that Feng Xiang, who had been watching him closely, forgot himself in a daze, nearly overturning on flat ground.

Thus he finally believed: the Beijiang King is truly no empty reputation; those tales of his martial prowess are not mere flattery.

On the battlefield, Bai Li Jing is truly charging ahead!

He still possesses astonishing martial strength!

The sun hangs high, armor heated by the sun to a scorching warmth.

Inside and outside the city gate, on the city walls, the number of corpses kept increasing, blood flowing down along the stone crevices of the walls. When that winding trace had flowed for half a meter, the battle ended.

Baili Jun's Hongnong garrison was utterly defeated, not only failing to last the "imagined" one month they had hoped for, but not even making it to the next day.