Chapter 108: Chapter 78: Bombarding Pseudo-Yan

The fifth year of Zhengyong, the first day of April.

Pseudo-Yan’s Zheng Yuantao secretly assembled twenty thousand Dragon Cavalry to launch a sudden attack on the Imperial Capital!

On the same day, the Empress Dowager fell gravely ill, all Imperial Physicians gathered at Cining Palace.

Three days later!

Tiger Mountain Pass!

Located on the northeastern side of the Imperial Capital, this pass was the most formidable defensive pass in the world over three hundred years ago.

The city wall towers ten zhang high, surrounded by mountains named Tiger Mountain, with only a narrow path for people and horses to pass through.

Legend has it that during the founding war of Great Yu over three hundred years ago, Immortals fought four life-and-death battles here.

After this battle, the Tiger Mountain Pass landscape changed dramatically, the earth cracked, surrounding mountains collapsed, forming ravines and hills.

Yet, Tiger Mountain Pass in the center became a lone fortress.

For over three hundred years, this place has served as the thoroughfare connecting the Capital City to Binzhou, Youzhou, and other places, gradually becoming prosperous.

Inside the city, tourists woven together, vendors filled the city, and outside, citizens gathered, and carriages thronged.

And today, suddenly, a large number of chaos-stricken commoners appeared in the northwest, rushing towards Tiger Mountain Pass in panic.

“Cavalry! So many cavalry!”

“Run! Pseudo-Yan cavalry has arrived!”

“Close the city gates quickly!”

“Open the city gates quickly! Let me in!”

“Ah…!”

“Tap tap…!”

Ten li outside the city, a troop of fully armed cavalry clad in pitch black armor was advancing rapidly.

The knights’ armor is dark black, faintly patterned with serpent designs.

Their horses stand eight feet tall, their coats deep red, immensely robust.

These horses are renowned across the world, undefeatable in the Northern Lands — Dragon Blood Horses!

The personal soldiers under King Yan, Dragon Horse Cavalry!

“Giddy-up!”

“Giddy-up!”

Twenty thousand Dragon Cavalry, led by Cavalry Commander Cheng De, galloped swiftly.

“Report to the General!”

A scout rode up from the side: “Ten li ahead, we have found Tiger Mountain Pass, citizens are retreating inside, Tiger Mountain Pass gates have already closed!”

“Hmph!”

Cheng De snorted coldly: “This was already foreseen by the Prince’s strategists. Our task today is to threaten the Capital City, ignore Tiger Mountain Pass, leave it to follow-up infantry regiments.”

“Relay orders, all cavalry bypass Tiger Prison Pass, by noon the day after tomorrow, we must be beneath the Capital City!”

“Yes!”

The scout relayed orders, soon the entire cavalry formation shifted subtly, forming an oblique arrow, bypassing Tiger Mountain Pass from the south side.

Meanwhile.

On a hidden hill south of Tiger Mountain Pass, scouts clad in black leather armor quickly traversed the dense forest.

In the clearing of the forest, troops fully armed and prepared for a long time had appeared.

These soldiers all had youthful faces, clearly new recruits enlisted not long ago.

They had swords tied at their waists, and instead of bows and arrows, they carried lances on their backs.

Curiously, in front of their positions, there were rows of huge black cannons.

Red Coat Cannons!

Two hundred Red Coat Cannons, the entire stock of the current Ministry of Industry.

Behind them were wagons transporting Red Coat Cannons, boxes of cannonballs, gunpowder, and bullets neatly arranged on the clearing.

“Report…!”

“General!”

The scout quickly arrived before the two leading figures and saluted: “General Chen, General Zhao, Pseudo-Yan cavalry are ten li from Tiger Mountain Pass, they could pass through here within half an hour at most.”

Zheng Yi had long since modified Divine Strategy Camp’s training methods, training them with modern techniques from past generations.

From the simplest military posture, burdened running, cross-country running, especially military orders, which were slightly modified.

This method simplifies military rules, orders are conveyed smoothly, very convenient.

Not only that, Zheng Yi also specifically instructed the Shangyi Bureau to improve military uniforms according to previous generations, the simplest pants, shirts, etc., for military use.

Colors chosen are black and green, least likely to be detected in the wild.

This style of clothing not only received welcome from soldiers across Divine Strategy Camp, but even other military branches and the high officials and nobles within the Capital City loved it, vying to mimic it.

“Hahaha, just as predicted by Your Majesty!”

Zhao Tieshan laughed heartily: “Pseudo-Yan cavalry threatened… with a lightning attack, yes! Just as Your Majesty said, a blitzkrieg, with cavalry suddenly attacking the Capital City, bypassing any rear fortifications.”

“This mountain path is broad, optimal for cavalry marches, precisely our chance!”

Beside him, Chen Hongxiu asked: “Did we ascertain how many cavalry Pseudo-Yan deployed? Any other forces behind them?”

“Reporting to General, Pseudo-Yan deployed approximately twenty thousand cavalry.”

The scout replied: “There are indeed other Pseudo-Yan forces behind, but they are very distant, barely leaving Yanshan Pass.”

“It seems we only have to deal with this group of cavalry this time.”

Chen Hongxiu said: “Continue reconnaissance, keep monitoring Pseudo-Yan cavalry’s movements.”

In another hidden forest, Chen Wannian listened to reports from his subordinates and nodded: “I, the General, understand, proceed with reconnaissance.”

“Yes!”

The scout departed, Chen Wannian’s adjutant suddenly said: “General, can we really win this battle?”

“Pseudo-Yan cavalry has over twenty thousand men, shouldn’t we be staying in the Capital City to defend, instead of venturing out here?”

Another guerrilla echoed: “Indeed, General, though the Imperial Guard numbers over thirty thousand, most are new recruits trained for only a few months, and we only have over five thousand cavalry, how can we resist Pseudo-Yan’s Dragon Cavalry?”

Chen Wannian shook his head: “You don’t understand, Your Majesty possesses Thunderbolt, rumored to be an Immortal Treasure, any troops under its bombardment will be pulverized.”

Saying this, Chen Wannian’s eyes were filled with fear and awe.

Over a year ago, he led Divine Strategy Camp, comprised of only over a hundred men at that time, using hot air balloons and Thunderbolt to launch a surprise attack on Imperial Sword Manor!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep