With a command from Qi Jiguang, the commander of the Shenji Battalion, the Shenji Battalion soldiers, who were already prepared, quickly lifted the red covers off the cannons, and then soldiers holding torches lit the fuses.
A moment later, the fuse ignited the explosives in the cannon barrel, and a hundred red-coated cannons fired in unison, the "whoosh whoosh whoosh" sound of the shells piercing the air could be heard incessantly.
One after another, explosive shells made of black powder, like scattered hailstones, rained down on the moving Nanyue Kingdom's chariots and archer formations.
This novel and bizarre scene immediately caught the attention of a group of South Vietnamese soldiers who had never seen a red-coated cannon before.
The South Vietnamese soldiers instinctively looked up at the black spheres that traced a beautiful, poignant arc in the air before falling into their own ranks without warning.
boom!
Boom!
Rumble!
The next moment, like a bolt from the blue, the sound of exploding cannons rang out in the camps of the Nanyue Kingdom's chariots and archers, one after another, without end.
As the shells exploded, the South Vietnamese army's formation was instantly shattered, turning into a sea of smoke and fire, with the screams and wails of the soldiers filling the air.
"Heavenly lightning! The sorcerers of the Dragon City rebels can actually summon heavenly lightning!"
Unaware of the danger, the South Vietnamese soldiers immediately mistook the Shenji Battalion's red-coated cannons for thunderbolts, and a sense of terror and despair instantly filled the South Vietnamese ranks.
Someone shouted, "Run! People struck by lightning will never be reincarnated!"
brush!
Upon hearing this, the soldiers who had not been directly hit by the cannons but were stunned by the sudden explosion finally came to their senses and began to scatter in all directions.
For these soldiers who believed in gods in the feudal era, the inherent impression was that only those who committed heinous crimes would be struck by lightning, and after death, their souls would be scattered and they would naturally not be able to be reincarnated.
This yearning for reincarnation far surpasses the desire for death itself.
The phrase "never to be reincarnated," which no one knows who first uttered, was equivalent to 100,000 soldiers to the Longcheng army on the Wanfenglin battlefield at that moment!
On the other side, on the Shenji Battalion's position, Commander Qi Jiguang had no time to pay attention to the thoughts of the Nanyue soldiers who were being bombarded. He calmly ordered, "Shenji Battalion, continue firing!"
These soldiers of the Shenji Battalion, composed of elite naval artillerymen, had already memorized every aspect of firing cannons, almost like repeating conditioned reflexes through muscle memory.
While cleaning the cannon barrel with a cloth soaked in vinegar tied to a wooden stick, they prevented the barrel from exploding due to excessive temperature.
He skillfully packed the gunpowder into the cannon barrel and compacted it, then loaded the cannonball into the barrel, and finally raised the torch in his hand again to light the fuse.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
One hundred red-coated cannons once again emitted a series of shrill, piercing sounds, as if the Grim Reaper of Hell was wielding his sharp scythe, mercilessly reaping all life within the blast radius.
At this point, the already disorganized Southern Yue army was thrown into even greater chaos by the constant artillery fire.
The frightened warhorses dragged the chariots and ran wildly in all directions, knocking down countless soldiers who tried to flee. Their thick iron hooves trampled mercilessly, causing many deaths and injuries.
"Your Highness, the rebels in Dragon City have actually asked a sorcerer to summon heavenly lightning to attack our army! What should we do, Your Highness!"
The general of the Southern Yue Kingdom, who was observing the battle from the central command, finally reacted when the red-coated cannons of the Longcheng Shenji Battalion fired for the second time. In a panic, he sought instructions from Li Shiyu, the crown prince of Southern Yue.
ah?
Upon hearing this, Li Shiyu was first stunned, then roared with bloodshot eyes and a ferocious expression, "What to do? How would this Crown Prince know what to do?"
"These rebels in Dragon City have even summoned heavenly lightning. How can I, a mere mortal, possibly withstand the power of heavenly lightning?"
Li Shiyu practically roared, "Send down the order: the three armies shall retreat in an orderly manner, and we shall return to Yongzhou City first!"
"What are you all standing there for? Are you waiting to get struck by lightning? Get out of here!"
Prince Li Shiyu of Nanyue was the first to mount his horse, spurring it on and galloping wildly, fearing that if he slowed down even a step, the heavenly lightning would strike him the next moment.
Now, Li Shiyu is nowhere to be seen as the spirited man he was when he went to war; his disheveled appearance is as pathetic as can be.
Immediately afterward, the general, in a panic, issued the Crown Prince's order to retreat and then mounted his horse and galloped away in a frenzy.
With the order to retreat given, the soldiers in the central command position carrying the general's banner began to run back as fast as they could.
Seeing this, the cavalry of the vanguard and the left and right flanks realized that His Highness the Crown Prince had run away. Who would still risk their lives for him on the battlefield?
Deputy General Shi Feng, who was leading the cavalry on both flanks for support and cover, immediately turned his horse around and rode towards Yongzhou City!
"Report—"
"Reporting to the General, the enemy troops from Nanyue are trying to escape!"
At the front of the army marching south from Longcheng, General Pang Xianchu, who was in charge of the central army, also received a report from the messenger at the front.
He made a decisive decision and ordered, "Pass on my command: the entire army of the Longcheng Southern Expeditionary Force shall launch an attack and seize Yongzhou City!"
"All troops, launch an attack and seize Yongzhou City!"
"Kill them!"
Soon, the two deputy generals, Fan Wuji and Tang Ziyi, who each led 10,000 cavalry on the left and right flanks, were the first to react. They commanded their 10,000 cavalry to charge out from the flanks and into the already disorganized Nan Yue formation, where they engaged in a chaotic slaughter.
"Do not linger in battle, seize the enemy general's banner directly!"
Fan Wuji, being a veteran general who had been charging into battle, easily led his cavalry to break through the fleeing Nanyue infantry formation. He immediately ordered his cavalry to abandon the massacre of the Nanyue infantry and instead pursue the fleeing Nanyue prince Li Shiyu and the Nanyue cavalry.
For a time, an interesting scene unfolded on the battlefield of Wanfenglin on the outskirts of Yongzhou:
The Shenji Battalion's red-coated cannons were still firing, bombarding the South Vietnamese infantry who had attacked in a dense formation but were now in disarray and fleeing in all directions.
On both flanks, the cavalry of the Longcheng Southern Expeditionary Army galloped about, constantly waving their gleaming sabers and spears, forcing the South Vietnamese soldiers who were trying to scatter back into the range of the red-coated cannons to be bombed.
Then, the Southern Yue cavalry, who wished they could give their warhorses wings, frantically whipped their horses, squeezing out all their strength as they galloped toward Yongzhou City.
At the very front was Li Shiyu, the crown prince of the Southern Yue Kingdom, galloping on horseback, and a group of personal guards desperately carrying the general's banner as they retreated.
Boom!
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky above Yongzhou City, which was shrouded in dark clouds, followed by a chilling clap of thunder.
Coupled with the continuous explosions behind him, Li Shiyu, the terrified crown prince of Nanyue, was convinced that the Longcheng Southern Expeditionary Army must have hired a sorcerer to summon heavenly thunder to aid them in battle.
Thinking of this, Li Shiyu urged his warhorse to run even faster!
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