Chapter 539: Comprehensive Advantage

Latest URL: "Bang, bang, bang..."

Marching with steady steps, the Wangfu Army soldiers stopped to fire after every short distance.

Within the chaotic Koryo Army ranks, large numbers of soldiers were constantly falling.

The explosions in the air just moments ago had already terrified them.

Now, they were even more afraid.

The sticks in the hands of these sea raiders were just as terrifying as the things that exploded.

Once they emitted a loud noise and flame, they would claim their lives.

"Sorcery!" "I don't want to die!" "Everyone, run for your lives!"

The Koryo soldiers fled northward like madmen.

Cui Shixun was swept up among the fleeing Koryo soldiers, and without looking back, he also ran for his life.

Reaching Huang Zhen, he grabbed Huang Zhen's horse and shouted, "General, these sea raiders have terrifying weapons; let's retreat to Nanpu City quickly!"

Although Huang Zhen was suppressing from the rear, he had also seen the fireballs and white smoke in the air.

Looking at the terrified, routing soldiers, then looking toward Cui Shixun, he suddenly became uneasy.

But thinking of his own numerous troops, while the enemy seemed few in number, he forcibly suppressed the fear in his heart and said, "Coward, this is Koryo land; how can you be afraid of a group of sea raiders?"

Having said that, he said to the Vice General at his side, "The whole army, advance; kill these sea raiders."

Responding with an "aye," the Vice General had the messenger pass down the order to attack.

Over ten thousand Koryo soldiers immediately formed ranks, presenting a semicircle, and surrounded the entire Pier.

However, despite following orders, the Koryo soldiers were anxious at heart.

They naturally saw the fear in the eyes of the routing soldiers.

This kind of fear was like encountering ghosts in the dead of night.

"Not bad, still have some guts."

On the Pier,

Bai Shang looked toward the approaching Koryo soldiers and said indifferently.

The ones they had engaged with just now were the garrison at the Pier.

And this army was the force that had come to support from the north.

Compared to defeating the Pier's garrison, he hoped to defeat this reinforcement; that way, taking Nanpu City would be easier.

"General, the six field artillery pieces have been brought ashore."

While Bai Shang was engaging the Koryo Army, the small boats from the Warship had not been idle, constantly shuttling back and forth to transport soldiers.

They had also hoisted the lightest Six-pound Field Guns from the Warship onto the largest small boats, letting the soldiers transport them ashore.

"Good, immediately have the artillerymen go to the flanks, and have the subsequent soldiers follow the ranks; we are going to eat well and drink well in Nanpu City," Bai Shang shouted loudly.

The commanders and soldiers became excited at once.

For years, Koryo had constantly raided their fishermen, and now they could finally pay them back in kind.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The soldiers of both sides were constantly closing in; when they were three hundred meters apart, the mortars once again launched Explosive Shells.

Lime Bombs and Shrapnel Shells were constantly exploding above the heads of the Koryo soldiers.

At the same time, the six newly landed Six-pound Field Guns stuffed Grape Shot into their barrels.

With a burst of cannon fire, the Grape Shot flew out of the cannons, turning into a rain of bullets flying toward the Koryo ranks, and immediately over a dozen Koryo soldiers fell with screams.

Huang Zhen's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

He finally understood why Cui Shixun's soldiers had routed so quickly.

Because under this kind of attack, his own soldiers were also routing.

The soldiers in front were screaming, constantly fleeing backward, their faces full of fear.

At this moment, he realized that Cui Shixun's words were correct.

Thus, he immediately ordered: "Retreat to Nanpu City."

Having said that, he spurred his horse and headed toward Nanpu City.

The Koryo Army routed at the first touch; such a scene left Bai Shang stunned for a long while.

Then he shook his head.

Actually, it was not at all strange that the Koryo Army would end up in this situation.

After all, the Prince's Personal Army had first used Plate Armor to fight the Northern Di, then used Artillery to fight the Northern Di, and later used Flintlocks to fight the Xiliang in Jinzhou.

It was only during the Northern Expedition that they finally gathered all three to fight the Northern Di.

But even so, before this, the Northern Di had already witnessed Artillery and had their own Artillery.

Facing firearms, they had developed a certain psychological resistance.

Yet, in their first engagement with Koryo, they had brought all their most powerful firearms.

It would be strange if the Koryo Army could hold out.

Looking at the Koryo Army fleeing south, he said to the commanders, "Search the Pier, and transport everything useful back to the Warship."

This Nanpu Wharf was piled with quite a lot of cargo.

They were here to raid, so naturally, they could not waste it.

While waiting for the subsequent soldiers to come ashore, they could just do this.

Another hour passed.

All eight thousand soldiers had come ashore.

Their mortars had also increased to thirty, and the Six-pound Field Guns had reached twelve.

"General, the cargo at the Pier has been tallied. We discovered eight thousand shi of grain, one thousand bolts of cloth, and two thousand jars of Wine, in addition to over six thousand jin of raw silk, more than two thousand pieces of porcelain, eight hundred jin of tea..." Bai Shang's Vice General Ding Chang reported the items found.

Bai Shang revealed a satisfied smile, "Leave five hundred soldiers to transport the cargo, and the remaining troops shall follow me to Nanpu City!"

He was very clear about his advantage, which was to rely on mobility at sea to suddenly concentrate a large force at a certain location and attack the enemy.

Gaoli still possessed a total military force of three hundred thousand.

But these forces were scattered throughout Gaoli and could not be gathered in a short time.

Thus, on average, they would actually hold a numerical advantage at the landing site.

Nanpu was a major stronghold, which was why it had so many soldiers stationed there.

If it were other cities, there would likely only be two or three thousand men, or perhaps even just over a thousand.

In this way, they would not only crush the enemy in terms of Weaponry but also in terms of troop numbers.

And by the time Gaoli mobilized and dispatched troops, they would have long since finished looting and left.

This time, they intended to use this method to force Gaoli to do business with their Black Shark Trading Firm.

Upon receiving his order, the commanders led the soldiers toward Nanpu City.

This Nanpu City was only about ten li away from the Pier.

In less than half an hour, they arrived beneath the walls of Nanpu City.

Looking toward the top of the city wall, Bai Shang discovered the Gaoli soldiers staring at them in fear.

With a cold sneer, Bai Shang ordered the soldiers to push the Field Artillery and Mortars to the front.

At the same time, five hundred Heavy Infantry came to the front of the formation to wait.

Another half an hour passed, and soldiers brought over the Scaling Ladders.

These had been made from trees they had just felled.

However, Bai Shang was not preparing to use the Scaling Ladders to assault the city.

In front of Nanpu City, there was a moat about ten meters wide.

He prepared to lay the Scaling Ladders directly across the moat to use as a Floating Bridge.

Everything was ready.

Bai Shang issued the order to attack, and the Mortars were immediately loaded with Lime Bombs, hurling the Lime Bombs one after another onto the city wall.

At the same time, the Flintlock Infantry fired continuously at the top of the city wall.

The Field Artillery unleashed a barrage, and Cannonballs flew toward the city gate.

After three rounds of shelling, the gate of the Nanpu City wall collapsed with a boom.

At this moment, the Heavy Infantry carried the Scaling Ladders and laid them across the moat, stepping on the ladders to cross the moat and charging toward the gate passage.

"Kill!"

Amidst waves of roars, the Heavy Infantry charged into Nanpu City.

The Flintlock Infantry followed closely behind, likewise surging toward Nanpu City.