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Foreigners and Heroic Spirits held Yang Wanchun in high regard among the Goguryeo People. Anshi City was a fortress of Goguryeo, and if it were breached, Jian'an City would also be at risk. Pyongyang and Marudo Castle would be wide open, so those with ambitions within the country promoted Yang Wanchun to bolster the morale of the troops. Some even attributed the rumor of blinding one eye of the Tang Emperor to him!
However, Yang Wanchun was a man of integrity who cared little for such empty fame; otherwise, he would not have openly opposed the ambitious Cheon Gae Su Mun.
The preparations for this night raid had been long in the making. As a skilled and valiant general, Yang Wanchun launched his surprise attack with confidence, but unexpectedly, the Tang army saw through it. Just as they were about to break through the enemy lines, a group emerged from the side, led by a figure in Red Armor, wielding a strange long knife, surrounded by fierce warriors that were hard to resist!
"This must be the rumored Suimont..." Yang Wanchun thought as he watched the valiant display of Xu Zhen and her companions. However, time was of the essence; he would not let rumors about Xu Zhen affect him in any way. He commanded his raiding warriors to charge towards her main forces!
Led by Xu Zhen, Xue Rengui, and Zhou Cang, they fought bravely against the enemy. However, they were ultimately outnumbered, and with unexpected reinforcements arriving like a torrential storm, the Tang army fell into chaos. Under such circumstances, many of Xu Zhen ’s forces suffered significant losses.
The Tang army faced the harsh cold of First Snow, causing many discomfort. Now under night attack, they could only hastily regroup but were completely routed by the enemy. Many Tang Soldiers had not even had time to don their armor and could only grab weapons haphazardly for self-defense, resulting in countless casualties as they fell amidst a sea of corpses and blood staining the snow red.
The morale of Yang Wanchun's raiding troops soared as several commanders prepared to encircle and annihilate Xu Zhen and her companions. However, Yang Wanchun timely stopped them, allowing only his Cavalry to wreak havoc while he wished he could set fire to their camp over eight hundred miles away if it weren't for the heavy snow and damp weather!
The commanders realized that while surrounding and killing leaders like Xu Zhen would yield great merit, it would consume too many resources. If their strength was diverted by these leaders, it would inevitably affect the effectiveness of their raid. Thus, they decisively abandoned the opportunity for great military achievement and focused solely on slaughtering the Tang forces along their path!
The camp of the Tang Army was vast, so they did not dare venture too deep. However, seeing only Xu Zhen ’s forces attempting to intercept them stirred even the usually composed Yang Wanchun. After hesitating for a moment, he ordered his Cavalry to charge deeper into enemy lines to expand their victories!
At that moment, a group of Cavalry charged down from a nearby sheltered high slope, cutting through Yang Wanchun's forces like butter!
This group wore dark black armor and rode black steeds that stood out starkly against the snowy night like a black dragon rushing forward. They trampled through the snow with seemingly immense weight; their spears and swords glinted ominously in the light. The entire unit resembled an awakened furious dragon that sent chills down one’s spine!
"It’s the Black Armored Army! Retreat! Retreat!" Panic struck Yang Wanchun. He was well-versed in military strategy and understood both his own forces and those of the enemy well. The Black Armored Army, personally trained by Tang Emperor Li Shimin, was considered one of the strongest cavalry units in history!
Even before Li Shimin became known as Qin Wang, he had begun training his elite cavalry units. Figures like Qiu Xinggong, Duan Zhi Xuan, Qin Shubao, and Wei Chi Jing De had all been fierce generals of the Black Armored Army.
He had once led a thousand men from the Black Armored Army to decisively defeat Wang Shichong, capturing over six thousand prisoners. During the battle at Hulao Pass, when Dou Jiande led over a hundred thousand elite troops to support him, only three thousand five hundred from the Black Armored Army served as vanguard reinforcements at Hulao Pass. They achieved a resounding victory against over a hundred thousand troops from Dou Jiande , leaving him with only five hundred riders to escape!
After ascending to the throne, Li Shimin split up the Black Armored Army ; part became palace guards while another part was given to Li Jing . They played a significant role during campaigns against the Turkic tribes. Unexpectedly, during his personal expedition to Liaodong , he brought along the Black Armored Army !
The world knows that the Sovereign has spent half his life in warfare, establishing unparalleled martial prowess, and is most adept at surprise attacks, utilizing the Black Armored Army for flanking maneuvers and ambushes.
Yang Wanchun has now infiltrated the enemy camp. Although there is no open terrain, they are still cavalry, and after a charge, they have lost nearly half their horses and men, showcasing the combat strength of the Black Armored Army!
Just as they were retreating, his personal guards fell from their horses one by one, each struck by arrows to their necks, with their armor providing no protection at all!
Yang Wanchun, also an archer, looked in the direction of the shots and saw a Tang General clad in black armor and a red helmet. His scarlet cloak billowed in the wind as he drew back a powerful bow, sending thirty arrows that claimed nearly thirty-two lives!
"What a marksman!"
Yang Wanchun couldn't help but praise silently. His bamboo arrows had long been exhausted. Seeing that the Tang General had abandoned his bow for a sword, he couldn't resist turning back to engage in a few exchanges. The Tang General was not particularly tall; in the dim night, illuminated by the campfire and reflected off the snow, he appeared to be over forty years old. With dual swords dancing like fierce dragons playing with pearls, Yang Wanchun found himself unable to gain any advantage!
Li Shimin was also secretly astonished. Although he was personally leading troops into battle, he no longer fought with reckless abandon as he did in his youth. He was surrounded by personal guards for protection. Now, as his guards clashed with Yang Wanchun's men, Yang Wanchun had ignited the battle spirit within the Tang Emperor!
Since ascending to the throne, he had been diligent and benevolent, managing countless affairs daily but never neglecting his martial skills. He always made time to practice every day. Yang Wanchun was also someone who refused to yield; just recently, he had repelled Cheon Gae Su Mun's forces. The two grew bolder with each battle, neither willing to back down!
In his eagerness to retreat his cavalry, Yang Wanchun let his guard down, allowing Li Shimin to seize the opportunity. The dual swords swept towards him; Yang Wanchun raised his sword to block but received a cut on his shoulder!
Li Shimin felt a surge of joy while Yang Wanchun could only helplessly flee on horseback. Naturally, Li Shimin pursued him but broke away from his protective circle of guards. One of the enemy soldiers risked everything to leap forward and knocked Li Shimin off his horse!
Li Shimin remained calm under pressure as he swung his dual swords in midair; before the soldier even hit the ground, his head flew off!
He kicked aside the corpse beneath him and was about to spring back up when he saw Yang Wanchun turning his horse around and trampling toward him!
In this critical moment, a figure rushed through the chaos of battle. A broad saber severed Yang Wanchun's horse's legs cleanly; he crashed into its belly and was unexpectedly thrown off along with his horse!
Li Shimin had never encountered such a fierce and powerful individual before. Seeing this towering Tang General standing imposingly before him without uttering a word felt like an iron tower guarding him!
"Truly, it is Qin Qiong reborn, a man of integrity returning to life!" Li Shimin praised quietly, quickly springing up from the ground. Yang Wanchun had already rolled onto the ground and dared not linger in battle any longer; he hurriedly fled into the chaos, snatching a horse and escaping towards the Anshi City Gate.
Having narrowly escaped disaster, the nine-foot warrior turned around. In the midst of the chaotic battle, he did not kneel in reverence but said to Li Shimin, "Your Majesty, please take care of your Dragon Body!"
As he spoke, the man cut down four or five fleeing enemies. When Li Shimin's personal guards surrounded him, he did not hesitate and charged after the enemies.
"What a bold man! With such bravery among our Tang people, how can we worry about bringing peace to the four seas and eight wildernesses!"
Li Shimin praised with shining eyes. Changsun Wuji and other generals quickly arrived and urged Li Shimin to return to camp, but Li Shimin pointed at the warrior's back and asked, "Who is this person?"
The others could not see clearly, but Li Jue recognized Zhou Cang's Dragonborn Steed and quickly replied, "This is Guo Yi under Xu Zhen; Zhou Cang is his name!"
Li Shimin suddenly understood, but a hint of imperceptible meaning flashed in his eyes. First there was Xue Rengui emerging, and now there was Zhou Cang who seemed to have been reborn like Dian Wei; indeed, Xu Zhen had fierce generals in abundance!
"Where is Mr. Xu now?"
Li Jue continued pointing in Zhou Cang's direction and replied, "General Xu has already penetrated deep into the enemy lines and has moved ahead!"
"Good! Good! Good! All of you follow me to support Mr. Xu!" Li Shimin exclaimed three times in approval without waiting for others to dissuade him, urging his horse forward.
At this moment, Xu Zhen led Xue Rengui, Xie Anting, and others in pursuit of the enemy's rear. They launched a series of ambushes along the way, leaving countless corpses behind. Yang Wanchun led his remnants in a desperate escape, fearing that if they returned to the city amidst the chaos, they would be attacked by the Tang army. Thus, they dared not open the city gates and could only flee to the Earthen Mound built by the Tang army during the day to use it as a defense against them.
The Earthen Mound was originally guarded by Guo Yi and Fu Fuaiai under Changsun Wuji's command with five thousand infantry. Who would have thought that this person would be so cowardly that he allowed Yang Wanchun's remnants to break through and occupy the Earthen Mound!
Xu Zhen led her troops to ambush at the Earthen Mound but was held back by Yang Wanchun using arrows from behind its cover; for a while, they were unable to break through!
At this point, Xu Zhenxin understood clearly that if they could not capture the Earthen Mound in time, once Yang Wanchun caught his breath and reorganized his remaining forces, taking down the Earthen Mound would become even more difficult.
“Chief of Military Operations Ginger Sage is here!”
Zhang Jiunian and Xu Zhen had long conspired to take advantage of the enemy's surprise attack to blast open the enemy's city gates. Therefore, they contacted Ginger Sage and transported Zhenwu General near Earthen Mound. Upon receiving orders from Xu Zhen, Ginger Sage quickly mobilized the Divine Fire Camp to bring all Zhenwu General to the front lines.
Although the artillery was fierce, ammunition was not easy to replenish. The army had been deep in Goguryeo for several months and had used artillery several times in previous battles, leading to a severe shortage of ammunition. They intended to save it for the final battle.
However, if they could not capture Anshi City, the Tang army would be unable to advance at all; perhaps this was indeed the final battle!
Xu Zhen did not expect her thoughts to become a prophecy. Seeing that Ginger Sage had brought in Zhenwu General, she quickly ordered the Divine Fire Camp to adjust their cannon and begin bombarding Earthen Mound!
The Earthen Mound was originally constructed by the Tang army for siege purposes, with Fu Fuaiai assigned to guard it. Although it had been seized by Yang Wanchun, he could not just stand by and watch as Xu Zhen destroyed the Earthen Mound!
“General Xu, stop! You must not fire! This is fundamental to our army's victory!”
Fu Fuaiai, leading five thousand men, was unable to fend off a single retreating Yang Wanchun. Xu Zhen paid him no mind and ordered Zhou Cang to restrain Fu Fuaiai. With a swift motion of his long knife, he shouted like Spring Thunder, commanding:
“Fire!”
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