"What's that?"
Upon seeing the Type-1 Cannon, the allied army was dumbfounded. The smooth lines of the cannon, the cold metallic hue, and the intricate frame were completely different from the cannons in the legends.
The only response they received was the rumbling of the cannon.
Zhang Han didn't waste any time. As soon as the cannon was in position, he immediately launched a fierce and swift attack.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The cannonballs drew beautiful arcs in the air before accurately striking the defenders on the walls and exploding. In an instant, the soldiers of the allied army who were mocking the 2nd Corps just a moment ago were blasted into smithereens.
Even the battlements at the top of the walls were blasted apart.
What followed next was a relentless barrage of cannons. The entire top of the walls were swept clean by the cannons.
Blood and flesh splattered all over the place, and smoke filled the air.
The archers of the allied army wanted to retaliate, but Zhang Han was prepared for this. Every single cannon was guarded by a battalion of saber and shield soldiers, using their shields to ensure the safety of the cannoneers.
As for the cannons themselves, they weren't affected by the archers at all.
The only weapons capable of destroying the cannons were catapults and ballistae, but it was a pity that the range of those two weapons couldn't compare to that of the cannons.
This meant that the allied army couldn't retaliate at all.
"General, we can't go on like this!"
The allied army didn't dare to show their heads on the walls at all. Their morale had plummeted to rock bottom.
"Damn it, what kind of weird weapon is the enemy using?"
"Regardless of what weapon they're using, it's clear that they came prepared this time. They're really intending to take down the pass."
"Dream on!"
"Why don't we just charge out?" someone suggested.
"General, let me do it. I guarantee that we'll be able to kill those ugly monsters," a ferocious soldier volunteered.
Seeing the heavy losses, the defending army couldn't sit still anymore.
Speaking of which, the defending army could be considered as a semi-famous general under Yuan Shao during the Three Kingdoms era, Yan Liang. In history, Yan Liang was indeed killed by Guan Yu, and in the novel, he was a tragic character.
As one of the top generals under Yuan Shao, Yan Liang was known for his bravery, so he wasn't to be underestimated.
A year ago, after taking down Guilin County, North Sichuan City and South Xiangnan City had a division of labor.
[North Sichuan City State] was responsible for guarding the Xuanwu Pass in the west, while [South Xiangnan City State] was responsible for guarding the new pass opposite the Withered Fortress in the east.
Yan Liang was a valiant general under the command of the Northern Sichuan City-State's tycoon Ximen. He had just been stationed at Xuanwu Pass a month ago as the general guarding the pass when he encountered such an unforeseen event.
The situation was clear. If they did not destroy the enemy's cannons, they had no chance of winning this battle.
Yan Liang was a valiant general and did not have many schemes. Hearing his subordinate's advice, he clenched his teeth and decided to use the method he was best at. "Fang Jin!"
"Here!"
A valiant young general received the order and stepped out with a bang, his battle intent overflowing.
Regardless of whether it was for the sake of face or other considerations, each territory had sent their elites into the allied army. Even if the leading generals were not historical generals, they would still be wild tiger generals like Zhao Sihu.
It wasn't their style to be afraid before the battle began.
In the eyes of the generals, no matter how strong the enemy's cannons were, they only had eight of them. There was no reason to say that the dignified alliance army of fifty thousand would be frightened by a mere eight cannons. How would it look if word got out?
Yan Liang ordered, "Lead five thousand elite cavalry out of the city and destroy the enemy's cannons."
Since it was a surprise attack, it wasn't appropriate to send in a large force.
Five thousand elite cavalry was more than enough to accomplish the mission.
Just this point alone was enough to show Yan Liang's rich experience in leading troops.
"Yes!" Fang Jin clasped his fist. "If you don't destroy the cannons, I'll bring my head to you."
"Go!" Yan Liang waved his hand.
Fang Jin nodded and left.
…
Amidst the roar of the cannons, Fang Jin led his five thousand elite cavalry and charged out.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Han's lips curled into a cold sneer. "I've been waiting for you!"
"Archers, get ready!"
Whoosh! More than ten thousand archers suddenly appeared behind the sword-and-shield soldiers.
"Fire!"
As soon as the cavalry entered their firing range, a rain of arrows came raining down.
In an instant, innumerable arrows were fired, and the first row of cavalry was thrown into a complete mess.
"Fire again!"
By the time the first volley was done, the cavalry had already advanced fifty to sixty meters.
The second row of archers received the order and changed to a straight shot.
Another round of ferocious firepower was unleashed.
At the same time, the eight cannons also aimed at the enemy cavalry and exploded in the midst of the formation. This was the first time the warhorses had heard such a loud explosion, and they were frightened out of their wits.
In just two volleys, more than half of the five thousand elite cavalrymen had been killed.
"Charge!"
Fang Jin charged at the very front with a fervent look on his face.
As expected of a cavalry, they were able to make use of this short interval to close in on the cannons with just two volleys of attacks. Even though the P1 Cannons had been modified, they were still unable to retreat from the battlefield in an instant.
Fang Jin looked at the cannons before him in excitement.
As long as they could destroy the enemy's cannons, it would be worth it even if they sacrificed all of their cavalry.
Without the cannons, it would be impossible for the enemy to take down Xuanwu Pass.
It was then that the cannons stopped firing, and the archers retreated.
The eight sword-and-shield soldiers who were guarding the cannons swiftly got into formation in front of the cannons to form the first line of defense. Following which, the spearmen followed suit to form the second line of defense.
At the same time, two groups of cavalry suddenly charged out from the left and right flanks, piercing right into the enemy's formation.
Upon seeing this, Fang Jin's eyes narrowed.
The quality of Shanhai City's army had far exceeded Fang Jin's expectations. In just a short period of time, they were able to change their formation so efficiently and perfectly. The entire process was as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest hindrance.
Fang Jin couldn't help but think about how many drills the 2nd Corps had conducted in order to take down Xuanwu Pass. Just the actual combat drills alone numbered more than ten.
Given Zhang Han's capabilities, he was able to take into account the various reactions of the allied army and come up with a corresponding battle formation. On the battlefield, all he had to do was to repeat the drills that he had practiced previously.
How could such a meticulous plan possibly fail?
This was the secret behind why famous generals were known as famous generals, let alone a top-notch one like Zhang Han. His preparations for the battle were so meticulous that it made one's hair stand on end. Every single detail had been taken into consideration.
On top of that, how could Yan Liang and the others compare to him?
The sword-and-shield soldiers, spearmen, and light cavalrymen formed a killing formation that easily trapped the remaining cavalrymen of the allied army. In less than an hour, the remaining cavalrymen were wiped out.
Under the joint attack from three sides, the five thousand elite cavalrymen were forced to retreat without accomplishing anything.
On top of the city walls, Yan Liang and the other commanders watched helplessly as their cavalrymen were surrounded and killed. Their faces were filled with indignation. Amidst their indignation was a hint of horror.
"Is this the true strength of Shanhai City's army?" The faces of some of the commanders paled.
It was as if they had fallen into an elaborate trap. No matter how hard they struggled, it was all futile. A sense of helplessness welled up in their hearts.
"Damn it!"
Yan Liang's complexion was awful, and he was clearly flustered. Born in the Three Kingdoms era, Yan Liang had never been educated in modern technology, so he knew nothing about cannons.
No matter how courageous he was, he had no choice but to lower his head before such a 'monster'.
The fifty thousand soldiers of the allied army stationed at Xuanwu Pass were mainly infantrymen, and there were only ten thousand cavalrymen left. With the loss of five thousand elite cavalrymen, it was impossible for the remaining cavalrymen to accomplish anything.
As for arranging for an infantryman assault, Yan Liang had no confidence in that at all.
Yan Liang wasn't a fool. He could tell from the enemy's formation that they had come prepared. No matter what the allied army did, the enemy would have a way to deal with it.
In fact, as long as the allied army left the city to fight, they would have already lost strategically.
The fifty thousand allied army was able to withstand the attack of the enemy's seventy thousand soldiers because of Xuanwu Pass. Once they left the pass, it would be difficult for them to win no matter how hard they struggled.
The only difference was the number of casualties the enemy would have to pay.
In other words, with the cannons, the enemy was already in an invincible position. On the other hand, the allied army seemed to have no chance of winning.
After figuring out the cause and effect, Yan Liang felt even more aggrieved.
During the Three Kingdoms era, Yan Liang had never fought such a cowardly battle to defend a city. Every siege during the Three Kingdoms era had been won with the sacrifice of human lives.
A situation like this where one could remain invincible with just one superior weapon did not exist. Facing the current situation, Yan Liang felt somewhat helpless. He was at his wit's end.
Yan Liang looked around and asked, "Does anyone have a good plan to defeat the enemy?"
When the commanders heard this, they looked at each other. They no longer had the passion and fighting spirit from before. They weren't fools. What Yan Liang could understand, they could roughly understand as well.
In the current situation, it was impossible to destroy the enemy's cannons.
Defending to the death was also not a solution.
The only plan now was to withdraw the troops. Otherwise, they would be buried with Xuan Wu Pass.
The problem was that all the commanders present understood the importance of Xuan Wu Pass. Once they lost Xuan Wu Pass, not to mention the punishment of the city-state, even their respective lords wouldn't spare them.
Thus, no one was willing to say the sensitive word "withdraw".
Everyone present was a shrewd person. No one was willing to take the blame.
Seeing this, Yan Liang's temper became even more fiery. He wished he could give each of them a kick. But these commanders weren't his trusted aides, so he couldn't flare up.
Taking ten thousand steps back, as the general defending the pass, there were some responsibilities that he couldn't escape.
Gritting his teeth, Yan Liang gave the order to withdraw. "Since no one has a good plan, let's return to Wei Wu Pass first. We'll make plans after reporting to the headquarters!"
The Wei Wu Pass that Yan Liang spoke of was a temporary pass that the city-state had built on the side of Guilin County. It was to provide an extra layer of insurance in case Xuan Wu Pass was lost.
Now it seemed that the Wei Wu Pass was indeed built correctly. It gave the allied army a chance to breathe.
When the commanders heard that the troops were to be withdrawn, they quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
When Yan Liang saw this, a cold smile flashed across his lips. In a situation where the enemy was fiercely attacking Xuan Wu Pass, coupled with the rugged mountain road, it was extremely easy for the enemy to catch up.
If they really wanted to withdraw, they had to arrange for the rear troops.
"Who should we arrange to bring up the rear?"
Yan Liang looked at the commanders with a sinister look in his eyes.
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