When Prince Li Shiyu of Nanyue, still shaken, ran back to the garrison headquarters in Yongzhou City, before he could even compose himself, he received a report from his deputy, Shi Feng:
"Report—"
"Your Highness, the vanguard of the Dragon City rebel cavalry has arrived outside Yongzhou City!"
What?
Li Shiyu was startled at first, then panted heavily and said, "What's the panic? I, the Crown Prince, don't believe in superstitions. Can the rebels in Longcheng still summon heavenly thunder to bombard Yongzhou City?"
Boom!
No sooner had he finished speaking than a clap of thunder boomed, startling Li Shiyu, who was inside the main hall of the garrison.
At this time, the crown prince of Nanyue was already traumatized by the sound of the cannons firing at him, and had become a frightened bird.
However, Li Shiyu still held onto a sliver of hope, not believing that the Longcheng Southern Expeditionary Army could summon "heavenly thunder" to Yongzhou City, and was prepared to defend the city.
Meanwhile, outside Yongzhou city.
The two deputy generals of the Longcheng Southern Expeditionary Army, Fan Wuji and Tang Ziyi, who led the cavalry in pursuit, were both blocked outside the city by the tall walls of Yongzhou.
The two men, leading the Dragon City cavalry in pursuit, have reaped considerable rewards, killing countless enemy soldiers along the way.
Apart from Li Shiyu, the crown prince of Nanyue, and a group of Nanyue generals and thousands of cavalry who successfully escaped back to Yongzhou City and survived;
The 100,000 Nanyue wolf soldiers who took the initiative to leave the city to fight were either killed by the pursuing Longcheng Southern Expeditionary Army cavalry or fled to the mountains around the city. The vast majority of the rest were annihilated by the Shenji Battalion and the infantry of the Southern Expeditionary Army.
The city of Yongzhou is now just an empty shell with only 20,000 garrison troops left!
An hour later, all one hundred red-coated cannons of the Shenji Battalion had been transported to the outskirts of Yongzhou City by the supply troops and were being adjusted to fire, aiming their dark muzzles at the tall city walls of Yongzhou.
At this moment, Pang Xianchu, who had annihilated most of the South Vietnamese garrison, was in high spirits and his attitude toward the Shenji Battalion had also undergone a complete 180-degree change.
He never dreamed that, with the help of the Shenji Battalion's red-coated cannons, this encounter with the Nanyue garrison in Yongzhou would be won so easily.
The Longcheng expeditionary force nearly annihilated almost 100,000 South Vietnamese troops with negligible casualties.
On the battlefield, the South Vietnamese soldiers, terrified by the red-coated cannons, truly had no fighting power or resistance whatsoever. They would rather be killed by the charging Longcheng army than suffer the wrath of heaven and become people who could not be reincarnated.
After witnessing the overwhelming advantage that the Shenji Battalion's red-coated cannons showed on the battlefield, Pang Xianchu's first reaction was: With this divine weapon, the Emperor can be helped to pacify the four seas!
"General, thank you for your hard work and that of the Shenji Battalion. Once we capture Yongzhou City, I will personally host a victory banquet for the Shenji Battalion!"
At this moment, Pang Xianchu arrived at the Shenji Battalion's position with a smile and said to Qi Jiguang, who was directing his soldiers to prepare for bombarding Yongzhou City, "General, I have witnessed the power of these red cannons!"
"However, I have a question: is the Red Cannon named after the red silk covering its barrel?"
Um?
Faced with Pang Xianchu's question, Qi Jiguang's expression froze. He seemed to be confused as well as he was about to ask why the cannon was called the Red-Clothed Cannon.
After a moment's hesitation, he replied slowly and deliberately, "General Pang, this cannon was named the Red-Clothed Cannon by the Emperor himself. I don't know if it's because the cannon barrel is covered with red silk."
"Perhaps!"
Ha ha!
After saying this, the two looked at each other and smiled, everything understood without words.
Whether it's a red-coated cannon or a green-coated cannon, as long as it can make the enemy cry for their fathers and mothers and be routed, it's a good cannon!
"Report—"
"Reporting to the Governor, all one hundred red-coated cannons have been tested and are ready to fire upon the city of Yongzhou at any time. Please give your instructions, Governor!"
As they were talking, a commander from the Shenji Battalion came up to the two of them and asked Qi Jiguang for the next battle order.
Um!
Qi Jiguang nodded, then turned to Pang Xianchu and said, "General Pang, why don't you issue the order to bombard Yongzhou?"
ah?
Pang Xianchu was first taken aback, then flattered and said, "General, may I... may I?"
Qi Jiguang didn't speak, but nodded firmly.
Pang Xianchu didn't mince words. He immediately recalled Qi Jiguang's command when firing the cannons and ordered the Shenji Battalion: "Shenji Battalion, fire!"
"fire!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
boom!
Boom!
After a series of piercing sounds, hundreds of dark cannonballs landed on the city walls of Yongzhou, the explosions like thunderclaps rising from the ground.
In an instant, the city wall of Yongzhou was engulfed in smoke and fire.
The South Vietnamese soldiers defending the city were thrown into disarray by the sudden artillery barrage, but they were helpless and could only squat on the city wall, cover their ears, and wait for the judgment of the red-coated cannons.
Inside the city of Yongzhou, in the garrison commander's residence.
When the sound of cannon fire rang out from the city wall, Li Shiyu, the crown prince of Nanyue who had just calmed down, jumped up from his chair in the main hall.
Li Shiyu had a look on his face as if he was about to cry but had no tears. In his heart, he was cursing a thousand horses. He thought to himself: Damn it, is this never going to end?
"Report—"
"Your Highness, the rebels of Longcheng are casting spells outside Yongzhou City, summoning lightning to strike the city walls."
"The soldiers have never seen such a sight before, and they are at a loss as to how to respond. We beg Your Highness for guidance!"
Soon, Deputy General Shi Feng rushed to the garrison headquarters with the latest military intelligence to report.
The fact that the red cannon could force a dignified third-rank deputy general to abandon his post on the city wall and instead act as a messenger to personally report to the crown prince shows just how much psychological trauma the red cannon had inflicted on him!
Show me what? Show me my ass!
At this point, is there any need to think? Just run for your life!
Are we supposed to stay in Yongzhou City and wait to be struck by lightning?
Li Shiyu was filled with rage, but didn't know how to vent it.
Finally, he addressed his trusted general, Shi Feng, saying, "General Shi, the sorcery of the Dragon City rebels is truly formidable. I hereby order you to lead the elite guards of the Crown Prince's residence to protect me as I return to the capital, Yangcheng, for further discussion."
"This city of Yongzhou must absolutely not be allowed to remain!"
The deputy general, Shi Feng, was waiting for this very sentence, and immediately bowed and accepted the order, saying, "This subordinate obeys!"
Shortly after an incense stick's time, Prince Li Shiyu of Nanyue led several thousand trusted and loyal soldiers in a hasty escape from the north gate of Yongzhou City, fleeing all the way to the capital, Yangcheng.
After another half hour, the Longcheng Southern Expeditionary Army outside Yongzhou City, with the assistance of the Shenji Battalion, finally climbed onto the city wall of Yongzhou.
With the crimson five-clawed golden dragon "Jin" flags hanging high above the city walls of Yongzhou, blocking the southern Yue gateway for the Longcheng expeditionary army for nearly a month, the important town of Yongzhou was finally captured.
From the start of the initial skirmish to the capture of Yongzhou City, it took only four hours.
Two of those hours were spent because the Shenji Battalion had to push the heavy red-clothed cannons, weighing over a thousand pounds, on their way.
The actual siege time was less than an hour.
To conquer a major city with 100,000 defenders in just one hour is a feat that, in the entire history of the Dragon City army's sieges, is truly unique.
The Battle of Yongzhou made the Shenji Battalion famous and ushered in a new era of weaponry.
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