Having many children brings many blessings; the struggle for power begins with marriage.

Chapter 343 The defeat in the war was all that woman's fault!

Seeing that the soldiers from the North were still standing in the same spot, Ying Feiyu felt something was wrong.

In a battle between two armies, the opposing side doesn't even deploy its troops in formation?

Mu Changtian was a seasoned veteran; how could he not know the importance of military formations?

Soldiers who don't form battle formations are just a bunch of loose sand. Does Mu Changtian intend to lead this bunch of loose sand to fight against the 300,000-strong army of Da Wu?

The Northern Kingdom had few soldiers on the scene to begin with, probably only tens of thousands. Tens of thousands of soldiers against 300,000 already had no chance of winning, not to mention that these Northern Kingdom soldiers were not defending the city, but had come outside the city to fight Da Wu head-on.

When fighting outside the city, the most important thing is the change of military formations. The side without a formation will basically only suffer defeat.

Ying Feiyu sensed something was wrong. Mu Changtian wasn't stupid; how could he not even set up a military formation? What was the Northern Kingdom doing?

Although he couldn't figure out what Mu Changtian was up to, Ying Feiyu didn't intend to be polite now that the Northern Kingdom had exposed such a big flaw.

At the sound of drums, Ying Feiyu's army quickly formed a battle formation. However, at that moment, drums also sounded from the northern side.

Hearing the drums sounding from the north, Ying Feiyu assumed Mu Changtian and his men were only now realizing they needed to form ranks. A slight smile crept onto his lips as he muttered to himself, "It's too late!"

The next moment, Ying Feiyu was about to lead his army to attack, but at that moment, a deafening sound suddenly came from afar, so loud that even the drums of both sides could not drown it out.

Before Ying Feiyu could react to what was happening, a huge iron ball landed in the Da Wu army formation.

Soldiers in a military formation are usually positioned quite densely. If a shell were to fall directly into the crowd, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Just when people thought the iron ball was just a projectile thrown by the Northern Kingdom using catapults, the iron ball exploded instantly, and the soldiers around the iron ball were blown down in an instant.

The loud explosion immediately brought the soldiers of Da Wu to their senses, as did Ying Feiyu. However, these 300,000 soldiers of Da Wu were all battle-hardened veterans, and they did not immediately panic.

Just as Ying Feiyu was about to issue a new command, a continuous rumbling sound came from afar.

On the artillery positions in the North, the soldiers of the North had entered a state of combat readiness, continuously firing shells at Ying Feiyu's army.

As shells exploded in Ying Feiyu's army formation, the limbs of Da Wu's soldiers began to fly everywhere.

Ying Feiyu finally realized why the Northern Kingdom was able to conquer the northern lands so easily and defeat the army of the Heavenly Revelation King, who possessed a Grandmaster.

He immediately gave the order, shouting, "Scatter!"

Although he didn't know what the exploding iron ball was, he knew very well that if he continued to maintain the military formation and such a dense formation, his 300,000-strong army would soon be wiped out by the enemy.

Upon hearing Ying Feiyu's command, the messenger hurriedly waved the command flag. However, at that moment, a sharp sound came from beside Ying Feiyu. The next moment, Ying Feiyu realized that his life was in danger, and he quickly dodged.

He dodged it, but the messenger behind him fell down. Ying Feiyu looked back and saw that the messenger had a small hole in his forehead, as if he had been injured by some kind of hidden weapon.

Immediately afterwards, many heads emerged from the trenches dug in the north, followed by a barrage of bullets.

Nowadays, the accuracy of the muskets in the North is not good, but Ying Feiyu's army formation has not yet dispersed. The soldiers' positions are too dense, which is no different from lining up to be shot.

Faced with the hail of bullets, Ying Feiyu immediately ordered, "All troops retreat!!!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the drums sounded again, and the messengers in the army frantically waved their flags. The 300,000-strong army of Da Wu retreated directly, not even lasting a quarter of an hour.

This wasn't because of how many people died, but because they had never seen the weapons used by the Northern Kingdom before. The cannons and muskets were so shocking to them that they were filled with immense fear.

Humans are always most afraid of the unknown. Ying Feiyu was afraid that if things continued like this, his 300,000-strong army would be wiped out here. He had to retreat now.

The weapons used by the Northern Kingdom are too terrifying. They must find out exactly what kind of weapons the Northern Kingdom uses. Before they find out what the Northern Kingdom's weapons are and how they obtained them, Ying Feiyu does not intend to continue fighting with the Northern Kingdom's army.

However, this was just his personal opinion. Mu Changtian and the others would not give Ying Feiyu and the others time, seeing the 300,000-strong army of Da Wu retreating in disarray.

At Mu Changtian's command, the Northern Kingdom's army launched a full-scale counterattack, and Wenren Lie's heavy cavalry also sprang into action.

Seeing that the Northern Kingdom's army was beginning to counterattack, Ying Feiyu, who was retreating, immediately ordered one of his deputy generals to stay behind and lead 50,000 troops to hold off the Northern Kingdom's army.

Despite his reluctance, this was, after all, a battlefield, and military orders were absolute. The deputy general had no choice but to stay. He was about to order his soldiers to fire arrows to hinder the northern army when they were met with another barrage of bombardments.

Before Da Wu's 50,000-strong army could organize an effective defense, the soldiers were bombarded by cannons and flew everywhere.

Even the battle-hardened soldiers of Dawu were terrified by the terrifying cannons. They no longer had the courage to face the Northern army, and soon the 50,000 soldiers were routed. No matter how loud the drums sounded or how the messengers urged them to return, they resolutely refused to go back.

The soldiers' fear had reached its peak, and even military law could not restrain their determination to escape. Seeing the 50,000 soldiers behind them collapse so quickly, Ying Feiyu was extremely agitated, but all he could do now was rage helplessly.

The weapons of the Northern Kingdom are truly terrifying. The explosion of those iron balls is basically equivalent to the attack of a Grandmaster. One iron ball is equivalent to one Grandmaster's attack, ten iron balls are equivalent to ten Grandmaster's attacks, and one hundred iron balls are equivalent to one hundred Grandmaster's attacks.

Who could withstand a hundred Grandmasters? Even if the main force of the Great Wu were here, they probably wouldn't be able to withstand the bombing from the Northern Kingdom.

Ying Feiyu now only wants to escape to Lingyun City as soon as possible, and then rely on the city walls to try to resist the counterattack of the Northern Kingdom army.

Just then, one of Ying Feiyu's lieutenants exclaimed in horror, "Heavy cavalry! The heavy cavalry of the Northern Kingdom has been mobilized!!!"

Upon hearing this, Ying Feiyu quickly turned around and glanced behind him, his gaze immediately locking onto the Northern Heavy Cavalry Legion.

The black armor and the overwhelming killing intent made even the battle-hardened general Ying Feiyu tremble with fear.

If there were a military formation, Ying Feiyu would not be completely afraid of a heavy cavalry charge.

While ordinary military formations may not be able to withstand the charge of heavy cavalry, the Da Wu military formations have evolved through actual combat and are still very effective in resisting the onslaught of heavy cavalry.

But now their army formation has been completely broken by the iron balls of the Northern Kingdom, and they are in a state of rout. In this state, they have no way to resist the charge of the heavy cavalry.

The key point is that most of Da Wu's army consists of infantry, and no matter how fast these infantrymen flee, they cannot outrun the Black Cavalry on horseback.

Seeing the Black Cavalry of the Northern Kingdom frantically reaping the lives of the Great Wu soldiers, Ying Feiyu's face was extremely grim, but he was helpless at the moment.

Their soldiers were terrified and had no way to form ranks to resist the Black Cavalry's charge. Besides, the Northern Kingdom had those terrifying iron ball weapons; even if they formed ranks, their formation would be blown apart in a few moments.

Ying Feiyu coldly said, "Speed ​​up!"

Ying Feiyu now considered those soldiers who had fallen behind as expendable pawns. He hoped that the heavy cavalry of the Northern Kingdom would focus their attention on those soldiers, thus giving them more time to escape.

About an hour later, the area outside Yong'an County was littered with corpses, with the bodies of Da Wu soldiers everywhere.

Meanwhile, Ying Feiyu led his remaining troops to Lingyun City. The city gates were wide open, and the people were coming and going, completely unaware of what had happened.

The people of Lingyun City were stunned when they saw a large number of soldiers suddenly appear in the distance, and some of them began to complain.

"We're going to have another war. Every time there's a war, we're the ones who suffer the most."

"Those aristocratic families haven't contributed a single grain; they've been levying grain from us poor families."

"We can't live like this anymore. If you ask me, we might as well go to the North."

"I've heard that now anyone who becomes a citizen of the Northern Kingdom can immediately obtain a large piece of land and be permanently exempt from agricultural taxes."

"Are you all crazy? Discussing this kind of thing? Aren't you afraid those soldiers will hear you!"

……

Just as the common people were discussing the matter, Ying Feiyu's remaining troops charged directly towards the city gate. The common people had no time to dodge and were instantly knocked to the ground by the horses. The horses behind them continued to trample on the common people, and in an instant, the city gate became extremely chaotic, and many common people were trampled to death.

Before the civilians who had escaped the army could recover, Ying Feiyu's voice suddenly rang out from the city gate, "Close the gate!!!"

The common people of Dawu at the gate were all dumbfounded. Why was Lingyun City suddenly closed? Just then, billowing dust appeared again in the distance.

At that moment, a commoner from Dawu who had been to the North immediately recognized them as the Black Cavalry of the North. He shouted loudly, "They are the heavy cavalry of the North!!!"

This incident caused a huge uproar. The people of Dawu were instantly panicked. In their eyes, soldiers from any country were all the same and would burn, kill, and loot.

"The northerners have attacked!!!"

"Run! Run!!!"

"Don't kill me!!!"

……

Seeing the chaotic crowds of the Dawu people at the city gate, Wenren Lie raised his hand, and the soldiers behind him immediately stopped.

At this moment, the people of Dawu at the city gate noticed that the Black Cavalry had suddenly stopped. They did not continue to flee. Now they were trapped between the Black Cavalry and the city wall. They had nowhere to escape, so they could only quietly wait for the Black Cavalry's next move.

Wenren Lie glanced at Lingyun City, then channeled his inner energy and loudly addressed the people of Dawu at the city gate: "The Martial Emperor disregarded the lives of the people of Dawu, levied exorbitant taxes, and launched an attack on the Northern Kingdom, attempting to destroy it. Now, the Martial Emperor's plan has been thwarted, and the 300,000-strong army of Dawu has been dismantled by the Northern Kingdom."

"The Northern King is benevolent and promises not to harm any of the people of Dawu who voluntarily surrender to the Northern Kingdom. Furthermore, the soldiers of the Northern Kingdom will not deliberately make things difficult for any civilians, nor will they take a single needle or thread from the poor. They will only confiscate the wealth of landlords and aristocratic families."

Upon hearing this, the common people of Dawu at the gate of Lingyun City looked at each other, none of them daring to believe what Wenren Lie had said.

If soldiers don't burn, kill, and loot, are they still soldiers?

Just then, a commoner said, "I've been to the North. The North is incredibly wealthy now. They probably wouldn't even look at the meager sums of money we poor people have. Even if they were to rob someone, they would rob the landlords and wealthy families."

Another person said, "That's what I think too. The general said he wouldn't make things difficult for us."

At this moment, other voices came from the crowd: "Do you still really believe what he said? This war was started by His Majesty. Now that Da Wu has been defeated and the soldiers from the Northern Kingdom have come in, how can we do nothing?"

"We're doomed, we're all going to die here."

Just as the people at the city gate were filled with worry, Wenren Lie turned around and led the Black Cavalry away.

Upon witnessing this scene, Ying Feiyu at the city gate finally breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately ordered his men to send a message by carrier pigeon to the capital, requesting assistance.

Meanwhile, the people of Dawu were incredulous to see the Northern Kingdom's black cavalry leave so easily. Many of them who were entering and leaving the city were merchants, yet the Northern Kingdom's heavy cavalry had come right up to them, and the soldiers hadn't even come to rob them of their belongings.

Could it be that, as the general from the North said, the North really has no intention of making things difficult for ordinary people like them?

Although some people had already believed Wenren Lie's words, many ordinary people still rushed home after the Black Cavalry left, preparing to flee Youping County with their families.

After Wenren Lie withdrew, he soon met up with Mu Changtian, who had led his troops into Youping County.

Wenren Lie led a cavalry force, whose main task was to pursue fleeing enemies, while the task of attacking cities was left to the large army led by Mu Changtian.

Mu Changtian has artillery under his command; Lingyun City, with its dilapidated gates, simply cannot withstand it.

Ying Feiyu, who was resting in the county magistrate's mansion, suddenly heard a rumbling sound outside.

A moment later, a soldier rushed into the courtyard, shouting, "General, General, it's terrible!!! The Northern army is attacking!!!"

Ying Feiyu slammed the teacup on the ground, his face full of anger, and said, "Damn it!"

"What are the intelligence organizations under the Princess doing?! They're all a bunch of good-for-nothings!!!"

"The Northern Kingdom possesses such terrifying weapons, and the Princess had absolutely no idea!!!"

"The defeat in the war was all that woman's fault!!!"

Ying Feiyu became emotional, and by the end he no longer mentioned the Princess, simply saying "that woman."

When people are afraid, they become very angry. Ying Feiyu was furious and blamed everything on Wu Junwan.

In his view, Wu Yunwan was in charge of the Great Wu intelligence agency, but she knew nothing about the weapons the Northern Kingdom possessed, and did not even provide the court with relevant intelligence, which led to the defeat of their 300,000-strong army.

At this moment, a lieutenant approached Ying Feiyu and said, "General, let's retreat through the back door!!!"

With such powerful weapons, the city gates of Lingyun City might not be able to withstand them. If the Northern Army surrounds the entire city of Lingyun, we won't be able to retreat even if we want to.

Upon hearing this, Ying Feiyu snapped out of his daze and tried to calm himself down.

He thought for a moment and realized that Youping County was located between Dayue and Dawu. If he ran away and left Lingyun City, the main force entering Dayue would probably be cut off from its logistics. Even if he managed to escape back to the capital, he would still be punished by military law.

Thinking of this, Ying Feiyu clenched his fists and said, "We can't retreat! If we retreat now, we'll lose Youping County, and if we lose Youping County, I, the general, will lose my head when I go back!"

"I simply don't believe the Northern army can break through!"

With that, Ying Feiyu picked up his sword and headed towards the city gate of Lingyun City.

The siege had already begun.

Many shells landed on the city wall, leaving it riddled with craters.

Although the soldiers of Da Wu were terrified by the cannons, they continued to fight back with catapults and arrows, but these things did not do any harm to Mu Changtian and his men.

The range of the cannons in the North Kingdom has basically exceeded that of ordinary archers. Unless an archer is at least a ninth-rank archer, it is very difficult to shoot at the distant soldiers of the North Kingdom.

When Ying Feiyu arrived at the city wall, he saw the shattered corpses scattered all over the ground, and his face turned ashen.

However, he soon discovered a problem.

Although the Northern Kingdom's weapons were very powerful, their numbers seemed to have decreased significantly. Soon, the Northern Kingdom's artillery bombardment became sparse, and even soldiers were able to predict the landing point of the shells in advance and then take cover from the attack.

Seeing that the number of shells had suddenly decreased so much, Ying Feiyu seemed to understand something. He laughed and said, "The more powerful a weapon is, the more precious it is. These iron balls are so powerful that they must be very difficult to manufacture, and their numbers must be limited."

"The Northern Kingdom's offensive has become so weak, which proves that this weapon is almost used up. We just need to hold them off until the imperial reinforcements arrive, and we will definitely have a chance to counterattack."

Upon hearing Ying Feiyu's words, the generals and soldiers around him were all invigorated.

Yes, such a powerful weapon must be extremely difficult to manufacture, so it's impossible to have too many.

The Northern Kingdom army had already used so many, and they were almost out of them. Even if they used those iron balls to blow up the city gate and knocked it down, as long as the Great Wu soldiers inside the city could defend the gate, the Northern Kingdom soldiers still wouldn't be able to get in.

(End of this chapter)