"Hou Feiqing, you wait here for Master Gongshu. I will go to Shuangfei Pass to see what's going on."
Pu Jiadi was unconcerned at the time, so although his expression was stern, he did not seem anxious. He quickly put on his armor and helmet, tidied himself up, mounted his warhorse, and led his army to Shuangfei Pass.
At the moment, his thoughts were almost identical to those of the guards at Shuangfei Pass. Faced with the sudden attack, the powerful nation, which had always been in a leading position, felt only offense and anger. Arrogant and absolutely confident, they did not believe that anyone could break through their defenses.
After the east gate of Shuangfei Pass was easily breached, the west gate faced a test. At this time, the soldiers guarding the pass saw that the enemy was about to approach the city and finally realized that the crisis was imminent. Everything was not as simple as they had imagined, so they began to prepare for the city's defenses.
They secretly reasoned that the garrison in Shuangfei City numbered only about ten thousand, but fortunately, Shuangfei Pass was a strategically important pass with a narrow and winding road, making it relatively easy to defend. It was not suitable for a large-scale attack and they were completely unafraid of a massive army approaching. With only a slight defensive posture, they could easily subdue the enemy.
Thud—
A thunderous roar came from afar, followed by a deafening bombardment that paralyzed all the outposts and sentries in front of the pass. The enemy's firepower was concentrated, using long-range weapons they had never seen before, which sparked and unleashed earth-shattering power.
What kind of bizarre fighting style is this?
The guards of Frostfly City stared in disbelief: "What is this? This... could it be a cannon?"
"I...I don't know either, what should I do now?"
They couldn't stop them at all; the enemy was practically cheating. Before they even arrived, they bombarded their fortified city with artillery, destroying all the defensive traps they had prepared beforehand.
The confidence of the Shuangfei Pass guards was also shattered by this. They had originally planned something else, oh, they planned to shout from the sky, ridicule the Ye army, or throw spears, caltrops, and oil-soaked stones down... to see the enemy in disarray, looking helpless and pathetic...
But now it's clear that none of this is possible, and the situation has even taken a dramatic turn, with them now the ones who are about to flee in terror.
"We can't hold out like this. If we don't leave now, we'll all die here!"
"how so?"
"Where's the reinforcement? Why hasn't General Pu arrived yet?"
"How long has it been? How could they have arrived so quickly!"
Yes, it hasn't been long at all. The Ye army has already broken through the East Gate and marched straight into Shuangfei Pass. For others, breaking through the pass would be extremely difficult, if not a matter of life and death. But the Ye army, on the other hand, made it easy and effortless.
Shuangfei Pass ultimately fell.
Just as the defending troops were abandoning the city and fleeing, Pu Jiadi arrived. When he saw the billowing black smoke above Shuangfei Pass, the sound of horns echoing through the valleys, and the muffled bombing sounds like a vast wave crashing against the mountains, even he felt a distinct sense of fear and trepidation.
He suddenly stretched out his arm, stopping the march.
"It's the Ye army! It's the Ye army's artillery!"
Pu Jiadi recognized the object and the scene it created. Hearing the noise, he was filled with rage and gripped the reins tightly.
The adjutant behind him asked in surprise, "General, are they the Ye army? They've actually launched a counterattack?"
"Well, they think they're invincible just because they've acquired a few powerful cannons, huh? The Ye Kingdom is utterly arrogant!"
The Beiyuan army cursed and swore, both angry and anxious.
"The situation at Shuangfei Pass is now probably critical..."
Once Shuangfei Pass falls, the area behind it will also become a dangerous place. You can imagine how anxious and angry Pu Jiadi is at this moment. He wished he could go up and fight the Ye army for three days and three nights. However, he also knew that if Shuangfei Pass falls now, it would be equivalent to the enemy army occupying an advantageous position.
Moreover, he did not consider the importance of this trip, and his manpower and preparations were very rushed and insufficient. He was also unclear about the enemy's situation. If he were to engage in battle at this time, it would be the worst thing to do.
After careful consideration, Pu Jiadi first sent someone to investigate the situation, while he and the rest of the troops turned back and revised their battle plan.
As soon as they entered the camp, Hou Feiqing strode over. He asked with a puzzled look, "Weren't you going to Shuangfei Pass? Why are you back so soon?"
Clearly, Hou Feiqing never took the enemy attack at Shuangfei Pass to heart.
"Shuangfei Pass has been breached."
Pu Jiadi said coldly.
Upon hearing this, Hou Feiqing took a while to process it before realizing that something was wrong.
"It's broken?!"
He stepped forward and grabbed Pujia Di's arms, saying urgently, "How did it get broken? Didn't you go?"
Pu Jiadi's face was grim as he gritted his teeth and said, "It was already broken before I got there..."
"Impossible! How could this be? Are you crazy? Shuangfei Pass is fortified with massive bricks, a natural stronghold. Even if it couldn't withstand a war of attrition, it shouldn't have fallen so quickly. From the time the beacon fires were lit until you led your troops to reinforce, there wasn't a moment's delay. Even if the enemy is incredibly fast and has a large army pressing in, it would still take time to break through from the east gate to the west gate..."
Before Hou Feiqing could produce any more evidence to prove the absurdity and ridiculousness of the matter, Pu Jiadi silenced him with a single sentence.
"It's true, Hou Feiqing, Shuangfei Pass has fallen, I witnessed it with my own eyes!"
Hou Feiqing asked, "...Who are they?"
"Ye Army".
"Hahaha..." Hou Feiqing laughed uncontrollably, then quickly waved his hand and said, "Who did you say? The Ye Army? Who would believe that?"
Pu Jiadi remained unfazed by his skepticism, and said fiercely, "You can't disbelieve me, but the Ye army now possesses powerful cannons that ordinary city defenses and passes simply cannot withstand!"
Hou Feiqing paused, his smile vanished, and his expression gradually turned ugly.
This is actually true.
"Are those cannons really as powerful as you say?"
A clear, cold voice, like the moon, rang out, and a young man in a blue robe trimmed with fox fur and his attendant, Saw, emerged from the tent.
Pu Jiadi's eyebrows twitched, and he looked back: "Master Gongshu?"
Yes, it's already this late, he should have arrived at the military camp long ago.
"The cannons you mentioned, based on the description in the letter, I guess must be modified from fire mines. They combine the formulas of machinery and gunpowder. I have also recently developed a firearm, made of iron, cylindrical, filled with a powder, with a stone blocking its mouth and a thread running along the side, which is then ignited." He explained in detail.
He described it in detail, but Pu Jiadi was stumped for a moment. He hesitated and said, "What does it look like... It was too far away before, so I couldn't see it clearly. I only saw that the bullet was vaguely black. It was thrown from a high place and could reach hundreds of paces away. It exploded as soon as it landed. Its power was terrifying and could injure people more than ten meters away."
"Could it really reach such a long distance?" Gongshu Jiruo was taken aback for a moment. After some consideration, he said, "You said you saw Zheng Quchi in Wubao?"
Pu Jiadi nodded: "Yes, some of the deputy generals in the army recognize her. She was on the newly built fortress in Wubao at the time, so the origin of this cannon is probably related to her."
Gongshu Jiruo simply said, "If it's her, it wouldn't be surprising."
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