I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 368 The Fall of Goryeo

...

The ballistae and short spears had just carved out a "death jungle" in the cavalry formation, but this only caused the Eagle Flying Army a little over a hundred casualties.

Even adding the casualties inflicted on the Eagle Army by Li Lin's artillery earlier, it only killed 30% of the Eagle Army's troops.

The Eagle Army still has the strength to fight.

By this time, the ballista's attack had ended, and it would take just as long as Li Lin's cannon to fire again.

The Eagle Army truly lives up to its reputation as the strongest army in Goryeo. Despite suffering 30% casualties, they are still able to charge forward.

Of course, this is also because once the Eagle Army stops, they will be lambs to the slaughter, and will still die.

Given that it was better to do that, the soldiers of the Eagle Flying Army were naturally willing to give it their all.

in short.

More than 700 cavalrymen, their iron-clad horses' hooves crushing the bloody mud, continued their charge towards the Song army like a moving iron wall.

Twenty paces ahead, the Song army's lines suddenly split into three ranks. The infantry in the front ranks knelt on one knee and began firing their Li Lin muskets in segments.

The core protection of armored cavalry was that "the rider wore two layers of iron armor and the horse wore armored gear." The armor plates in key areas (chest, back, and head) were 10-15 millimeters thick, and the lamellar armor was layered and interlocked, making it extremely resistant to impact.

Li Linqiang's lead bullets had an initial velocity of about 300 meters per second and could penetrate single-layer lamellar armor (5 mm thick) within ten meters. However, when facing the multi-layered heavy armor of armored cavalry, the lead bullets would be blocked and deformed by the armor plates and could not penetrate the core protection.

However, the Li Lin gun's lethality logic is not "penetrating heavy armor," but rather breaking through the enemy's defenses through two points:

First, the enormous impact of lead bullets striking heavy armor can shatter the ribs and arm bones of cavalrymen, rendering them incapable of fighting even if the armor is not broken.
Second, the Iron Pagoda's horses lacked heavy armor protection on their bellies, cavalry wrists, and throats (between the faceplates), allowing Li Lin's lead bullets to accurately hit these areas, directly killing the horses or soldiers.

This was also the core strategy used by Li Linqiang in actual combat against the Jin Dynasty's heavily armored cavalry.

In short, although Li Lin's musket could not "penetrate" the core heavy armor of the Eagle Yang Army head-on, it could become an effective weapon to counter heavy cavalry through "blunt impact damage + special attack on weak points".

Suddenly, Li Lin's guns fired in unison, the lead bullets striking the lamellar armor and sparking. Although they could not penetrate the heavy armor, they caused the Eagle Flying Army to fall to their knees.

In an instant, the Tiger Crouching Cannon roared, and iron pellets rained down like a storm. The helmets of the front-line cavalrymen flew off, their faces pierced by the iron pellets, and they fell to the ground along with their horses. Their heavy armor crashed to the ground with a dull thud, creating a half-person-high obstacle in front of the formation.

Seeing that the Eagle Army was struggling to hold on, Wanyan Zongfu gave an order, and the Dragon Tiger Army, the second strongest army in Goryeo, also joined forces under the leadership of the Dragon Tiger General. Both men and horses were covered with two layers of lamellar armor, and even the horses' heads were covered with iron masks. The long-handled sabers in their hands pointed diagonally at the ground, and the horses' hooves trampled over the corpses of the Eagle Army, crushing the semi-congealed blood and mud into powder, which merged with the remaining Eagle Army into a new "long cone" and charged once again towards the center of the Song army's crab formation.

At this moment, the Song soldiers collectively put down Li Lin's guns, picked up the thunderclap grenades, pulled the fuses, and then, under the command of Yue Fei, the commander-in-chief of the vanguard, they hurled the thunderclap grenades at the "long cone" formation of the Dragon Tiger Army and the remaining Eagle Flying Army, which was surging forward like a black torrent.

Thunderclaps streaked through the air in arcs reeking of gunpowder, like the grim reaper's grin, crashing into the enemy ranks with an aura of utter destruction. In an instant, deafening explosions erupted one after another, flames shooting into the sky, seemingly turning the already bloody and brutal battlefield sky crimson.

Iron fragments and rubble flew everywhere with the force of the explosion, causing people and horses to fall and screams to erupt in their wake.

Even those cavalrymen clad in thick lamellar armor were stunned by the sudden and violent explosion, many falling off their horses and being mercilessly trampled by the onrushing warhorses.

This scene was a replica of the Qing cavalry charging into the British and French infantry in the Battle of Baliqiao. The heavily armored cavalry of the Eagle and Dragon Tiger Armies, relying on their mobility on the plains, tried to break through the infantry defenses with their impact. The Song army, like the Allied forces of that time, used stillness to control movement, and relied on firearms and formations to make up for the cavalry's disadvantage.

However, unlike the Song army's crab formation, which was based on "change," when the Jin-Goryeo allied forces attacked the central army, Zhong Shizhong, who was in charge of the rear of the formation, immediately waved his flag: "Left Ao's elite cavalry advance, Right Ao circles around the rear and flank their rear!"

Previously regarded by Tuo Junjing as merely "filler," Zuo Ao suddenly changed formation—the previously chaotic ranks instantly split apart. Yang Yizhong led three thousand infantrymen, armed with sabers, giant axes, and hook-and-sickle spears, in a rapid, ground-hugging charge, directly attacking the legs of the Eagle Yang Army and Dragon Tiger Army's horses. Meanwhile, You Ao's light infantry, carrying crossbows and Li Lin guns, used the cover of battlefield dust to circle around to the flanks and rear of the Lijin Allied Army, firing arrows at the unarmored horses' bellies and the cavalrymen's rear. This was precisely the deadly move of the Crab Formation's "Lotus Tail Flanking": the front line used chevaux-de-frise to withstand the frontal assault, while the flanks, like crab claws, clamped down on the enemy, and then the ambush cut off their retreat.

The armored cavalry's sabers, giant axes, and hook-and-sickle spears slashed and pierced the armor of the armored cavalrymen and their horses, sparks flying everywhere. Although they could cause some shock to the men and horses, they could not eliminate these armored cavalrymen in a short time. After the dull thuds of the sabers, giant axes, and hook-and-sickle spears slashing at the horses' legs, the heavily armored warhorses fell to the ground in pain, and the riders fell off their horses and became fish on the chopping block of the Song army.

After a brief skirmish, the Eagle Flying Army and the Dragon Tiger Army were reduced to less than five hundred men.

The Dragon Tiger Army general who had not yet died in battle took over command of the vanguard and ordered the remaining Eagle Flying Army and Dragon Tiger Army to continue the charge.

This is the mission of the elite.

The remnants of the Eagle Army and the Dragon Tiger Army did not retreat, but continued to charge forward under the leadership of the Dragon Tiger Army general who took the lead.

To be fair, both the Eagle Army and the Dragon Tiger Army deserve their titles as the strongest and second strongest armies in Korea.

Soon, the remaining five hundred Eagle Flying Army and Dragon Tiger Army soldiers charged into the Song army's formation.

Yang Yizhong led his halberd-wielding, axe-wielding, and hook-and-sickle-wielding soldiers in a decisive pursuit. The Song army's vanguard of spearmen and shield-bearers also fought back fiercely, their spears thrusting out like a forest, weaving a deadly net of blows with the halberds, axes, and hook-and-sickles. The shield-bearers, meanwhile, held their own formation firmly, repelling wave after wave of enemy charges.

The general of the Dragon Tiger Army, wielding a long-handled saber, charged left and right through the crowd. Each swing of his saber drew a spray of blood. Although the Song soldiers fought bravely, they were still frequently wounded or killed under his fierce offensive.

However, the Song army's formation remained intact, with each type of soldier coordinating seamlessly. Spearmen continuously thrust at the enemy, while shield bearers stepped in to fill any gaps.

Upon seeing this, the general of the Dragon Tiger Army roared and attempted to lead his remaining troops to break through the Song army's encirclement. He spurred his horse forward, wanting to bypass the shield bearers and charge straight at the Song army's center.

Just then, Yang Yizhong seized the opportunity, shouted loudly, and swung his giant axe down with immense force.

The general of the Dragon Tiger Army sensed the danger and hurriedly swung his sword to defend, but Yang Yizhong's axe strike was so powerful that with a loud "clang," the long-handled saber was knocked out of his hand.

The general of the Dragon Tiger Army was startled. Before he could react, Yang Yizhong's giant axe fell again, this time striking him directly on the shoulder.

Blood gushed out instantly, and the Dragon Tiger Army general screamed as Yang Yizhong severed his head along with half of his body. The remaining half of his body then fell off his horse due to loss of balance.

At this moment, the heavily armored cavalry, including the Divine Tiger Guards, had already appeared.

The biggest advantage of the Ma army is its ramming power.

After setting out, the Divine Tiger Guards began their charge.

It is clear that the Jin-Goryeo side was determined to break through the Song army's formation and achieve final victory in this war.

The 300,000-strong Goryeo army, in a wedge formation, plunged into the battlefield like steel wedges. The vanguard of 10,000 cavalrymen kicked up dust that blotted out the sky, while the rear guard of 20,000 cavalrymen gripped their sabers, and the infantry lined up behind them, ready to swarm in once the vanguard broke through.

This was Wanyan Zongfu's strategy: to use the momentum of cavalry to break through the Song army's infantry formation, replicating the old practice of nomadic cavalry charging into battle, and then use the chaos to defeat the Song army.

At the front of the Song army, Li Shou and Liu Qi stood at the "crab head" position, watching the surging wedge formation, and calmly commanded Li Lin's cannons, ballistae, and the vanguard. Generals such as Yue Fei, Yang Yizhong, Niu Gao, and Zhang Xian were also on the front line commanding the battle, constantly repelling the attacks of the Goryeo army.

The most ruthless aspect of the cone formation was its "penetrating force." Although the vanguard heavy cavalry and heavy cavalry suffered losses, the rear cavalry continued to charge forward, stepping over corpses and constantly impacting the Song army's formation. The Song army's crab formation was deformed due to the repeated attacks from the Goryeo army.

Some Jin-Goryeo generals were overjoyed, even laughing wildly from the high platform behind the lines: "The enemy lines can't hold out! Charge forward with the whole army and pierce through the crab's belly!"

Wanyan Zongfu was not so optimistic, but he also realized that the Song army was under great pressure. If they could break through the Song army's formation in one fell swoop, they would win the battle. Wanyan Zongfu decisively ordered that the attack on the Song army's central army be intensified, while 50,000 Goryeo infantrymen were sent to attack the Song army's left flank, and another 50,000 Goryeo infantrymen were sent to attack the Song army's right flank.

Wanyan Zongfu's goal was clear: to disrupt the Song army's crab formation. As long as the Song army's formation could not hold, the Jin-Goryeo alliance would win the battle.

In the Song army formation, Chen Gou and Zhong Shizhong stood on a high platform, their eyes sharp and keen, taking in the entire battlefield situation. They were well aware of Wanyan Zongfu's intentions, but they did not panic. Instead, they calmly waved their command flags, directing their respective units to meet the enemy.

The staff officers on the high platform were no longer as relaxed as before, but frequently analyzed the situation for Chen Gou and Zhong Shizhong.

Even Li Gang, Zhao Ding, and others went to the front lines to supervise the battle.

The two sides fought fiercely from morning until afternoon.

As the defending side, the Song army actually suffered relatively few casualties, less than 10,000.

On the other hand, the Korean army, as the attacking side, has suffered casualties of fifty to sixty thousand.

Judging solely from casualties, the Song army should have had the advantage.

But that's not how it works on the battlefield.

As the attacking side, as long as the Goryeo army can break through the Song army's formation, they can win the war. At that time, the Goryeo army, with its large number of cavalry, and the Jin army, which has not moved, will pursue and kill the Song army. The Song army, which has nowhere to escape, will either be wiped out in Goryeo or at least more than half of them will be buried in foreign lands.

After continuously increasing their forces, by the time the sun set, the Jin-Goryeo side had deployed more than 200,000 troops, leaving less than 100,000 reserves.

At this point, no matter how dangerous the situation appeared for the Song army, Wanyan Zongfu stopped increasing the pressure.

Seeing this, Chen Gou, Zhong Shizhong, and a group of staff officers discussed the matter and almost unanimously agreed that they could not wait any longer, otherwise the outcome of the battle might become unpredictable.

So, Zhong Shizhong waved the command flag in his hand.

Thousands of cannons hidden behind haystacks simultaneously unveiled themselves.

Some might find it hard to believe that the Song army could possibly have amassed so many Li Lin cannons in such a short time.

After all, Li Lin cannons are generally heavy and difficult to transport under normal circumstances. How could so many of them have been transported in such a short time?

In fact, given the current transportation situation, the Song army simply could not transport so many Li Lin cannons in such a short time.

In total, the Song army actually only brought three hundred Li Lin cannons, half of which were dispersed to three different locations for deployment.

Of these thousands of cannons, there are actually eight or nine hundred "flying thunder cannons," commonly known as "heartless cannons."

This cannon was made from a relatively lightweight and lucky iron barrel, filled with explosives and gravel, or even directly containing explosive charges.

These thousands of cannons were aimed at the densely packed Goryeo army.

With so many cannons, even during World War II, it would have been an extremely powerful firepower, let alone in this era.

As the command flag in Zhong Shizhong's hand fell.

"Boom boom boom boom..."

"Boom boom boom boom..."

"Boom boom boom boom..."

"..."

Thousands of cannons simultaneously spewed out tongues of golden-red flames, the booming sound waves shattering the clouds, and even the ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble with the rhythm of drums.

The Heartless Cannon was the first to explode, its short, stubby barrel recoiling violently. The "shell," filled with rubble and explosives, trailed a gray smoke arc as it crashed into the dense charging formation of the Goryeo army. First, there was a muffled thud, then a towering earthen pillar exploded, sending rubble flying like a rainstorm. Goryeo cavalrymen and their horses were thrown into the air, their limbs and broken spears hurled into the dust. The once impenetrable cone-shaped formation was instantly blasted open with more than a dozen holes.

Li Lin's cannons followed closely with a volley, their barrels spewing scorching heat as solid shells pierced through the clouds and mist, smashing into the crowd like giant iron hammers. The front-line cavalry, before they could even scream, were crushed into a bloody pulp, armor and all. The shells, still powerful, knocked three or four more men away before embedding themselves in the ground, sending up a ring of gravel and shattering the leg bones of nearby infantry. Other shells swept across the ground, felling a group of shield-bearing infantry; shields shattered like paper, and fragments of men and shields, mixed with dust, were swept to the sides by the blast.

A series of deafening explosions rang out!

"Aye!"

"My life is over!"

"Herod!"

The powerful explosion caused chaos and destruction, with many Korean soldiers and horses falling over without a single wound, yet bleeding from all seven orifices!

The black smoke from the explosions swept across the land more and more intensely, and many black smoke columns from the explosions rose into the air like whirlwinds from the already cratered sandy land!
Under the shroud of black smoke, roars, shouts, cries of despair, and heart-wrenching groans filled the air. People called out to each other, amidst the chaos and trampling, as terrified Korean soldiers ran aimlessly across the battlefield, despair everywhere...

The cannon fire finally ceased, and the smoke and acrid smell of gunpowder lingered on the battlefield, the thick darkness unyielding even to the wind. The Goryeo army's charging formation was long gone, the cratered ground studded with scraps of iron and severed limbs, unexploded explosive charges smoldering in the piles of corpses, and the terrified warhorses and the Goryeo soldiers, even more terrified than their horses, routed in a frenzied rout.

Upon seeing this, Zhong Shizhong decisively ordered a full-scale pursuit.

The more than 10,000 Song cavalrymen who had remained motionless charged out first, led by more than 1,000 Jingse soldiers.

Next came the Song Dynasty's 100,000-plus infantrymen. Despite being exhausted from a day of fierce fighting, they charged out as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

Wanyan Zongfu attempted to stabilize the defeat of the Goryeo army with his 100,000-strong reserve force.

But all of this was in vain.

Not to mention the Goryeo army, even the Jin army was thrown into chaos by the fleeing Goryeo soldiers.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Wanyan Zongfu could only order the "protection" of Wang Kai and Wanyan Wule as they headed north.

Unexpectedly, Kim Boo-seok and his accomplices took advantage of the chaos to "escort" Wang Kai and Wanyan Wole back to Kaijing.

The Song army pursued the Jin-Goryeo allied forces for more than ten miles, killing and capturing over 100,000 Jin-Goryeo soldiers.

Meanwhile, Chen Gou and Zhong Shizhong personally led a large army to the gates of Kaesong and began a siege of the city...

……

(End of this chapter)