Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 729 Attacking the Mountain

After separating from Xie Jing, the musketeers headed southeast.

Jia Yu rode up to Jia Lian and whispered, "My lord, are we really going to attack the mountain immediately? Night battles are not our forte!"

Since taking command of the musketeer army, Jia Yu has been taught Jia Lian's theories and has also personally experienced the power of muskets.

If it were daytime fighting on the plains, according to Professor Jia Lian's battle plans, he was confident that he could defeat tens of thousands of ordinary Green Standard Army soldiers with his three thousand well-equipped musketeers!

But at night, still in the many obstacles of the mountain forest, he lacked confidence.

Jia Lian glanced at him, said nothing, and simply ordered the army to speed up its march.

Soon the main force arrived at the true entrance to Iron Net Mountain, where there was a large open area.

Riding on horseback, one can even see the scattered tents and torches at the mountain pass.

"Set up camp, establish defenses, and be on alert!"

Although the firearms battalion had never fought in actual combat, Jia Lian had conducted countless field drills with the troops, so he didn't need to worry about these basic things.

After his command tent was set up, he summoned his main generals, including Jia Yu and Feng Ziying.

Unlike Jia Yu, the young generals like Feng Ziying were not as composed; at this moment, they were somewhat excited.

After so much training, it's finally time to see the real test. And this first battle is a battle to protect the emperor. It's easy to imagine that if they can demonstrate their true abilities, they will surely have everything they need for future glory and a bright future.

However, some people hesitated: "My lord, I heard that you made a bet with General Xie of the Southern Camp to see who can get up the mountain first."

Since the establishment of the Firearms Battalion, we have all been taught and cared for by the Marquis, and naturally we will do our utmost to help the Marquis win.

However, this battle is not only at night, but also in the mountains and forests. This kind of combat environment is extremely disadvantageous to our artillery battalion!

This commander's concerns were actually the concerns of many people, but out of trust in Jia Lian, most people did not ask.

They believed that their wise and powerful Marquis, who seemed to have foresight, must have a way to defeat the enemy!

Jia Lian was certainly not as mystical as his admirers, but he was rational and decisive enough.

He smiled upon hearing this: "This is the same question your Commander asked me earlier. Now, I will answer it for everyone."

"Night battles are indeed not our forte."

Therefore, in this battle, we will neither launch a night raid nor engage in tactical division.

And so, carrying torches, we swaggered into the mountains via the main road!

Jia Yu and the others were initially puzzled, but then their eyes lit up.

Yes, the current combat environment is already unfavorable to them. Under such circumstances, no matter what tactics they employ, even if they gain an advantage temporarily, the enemy can easily turn around and ambush them once the time is up.

Don't forget, the enemy has the advantage of holding high ground and defending it.

Since that's the case, they decided to attack openly and honestly, using their most familiar formation, from the front.

In this way, it might even have a surprising effect.

They hadn't forgotten what Jia Lian had said: "Anyone who sees their comrades falling in droves under bullets will feel a chill of fear."

Perhaps it's time to let those brutes who once looked down on them experience what fear truly is.

"Your Excellency's strategy is indeed the most advantageous tactic for us at the moment. However, if we attack from the main road and the enemy defends their position from a strategic point, how can we break through their defenses?"

Liu Xianglian raised a question.

Liu Xianglian is now a commander in the Musketeer Army.

He was a talent that Jia Lian greatly admired, but because he was too young and had too much arrogance, Jia Lian took him in as a bodyguard a few years ago to temper his character.

In the past two years, his career has been very successful, especially with the establishment of the firearms battalion, which has enabled many people around him to secure good positions.

Even Feng Ziying, the descendant of a first-class general, took the initiative to work under Jia Lian.

At that time, Liu Xianglian clearly also wanted to ask Jia Lian for a future and realize his ambitions.

But he remained silent. He remembered that he was merely Jia Lian's "prisoner," and he had promised to serve as Jia Lian's guard for three years to atone for his sins.

In fact, Jia Lian had waited for him to speak up several times, but a full year later, Liu Xianglian still hadn't come to ask him for an official position.

It was precisely because of this that Jia Lian completely believed in Liu Xianglian's character and resolved to cultivate him vigorously.

Faced with Liu Xianglian's question, Jia Lian was not in a hurry to answer. Instead, he glanced at the sky outside the tent and then said quietly, "Our march has been slow this time. Judging by the time, Xie Jun's hundred Zhenyuan cannons should be arriving soon."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately understood Jia Lian's meaning and exclaimed with delight, "In that case, there's absolutely no chance of failure! With the strength of our musketeer army, coupled with the power of the Zhenyuan cannons, no obstacle can stop us, and no defense is insurmountable!"

Jia Lian smiled in response.

Originally, the main camp of the artillery battalion was not too far from Tiewang Mountain. Previously, he had been ordered to set up defenses twenty miles away from Tiewang Mountain, so he brought out twenty or thirty cannons to maintain order.

Later, after learning of the retired emperor's secret letter, he guessed that something had happened at Iron Net Mountain.

Although Jia Lian did not choose to send troops immediately due to considerations of self-interest.

However, he found an excuse to push the defensive line back, that is, ten miles towards Tiewang Mountain!

Of course, he didn't even know what he was thinking, yet he ordered Xie Jun to deploy a hundred cannons to set up the third line of defense...

Then, not long after nightfall, they met the old eunuch, learned the exact information about Iron Net Mountain, and then naturally raised troops to attack.

The Zhenyuan cannon was large, heavy, and inconvenient to transport.

But it's only ten miles!

Of course, he couldn't possibly leave such a powerful weapon unused.

The generals under his command were all excited. They all knew that the strongest state of the firearms battalion was when the musketeers and artillerymen cooperated to form a complete military formation and faced the enemy head-on, which was absolutely terrifying and despair-inducing.

While pleased, Jia Yu added, "If we rely on the Zhenyuan cannons, the attack on the mountain will be no problem. However, the bet between the Marquis and General Xie... using artillery in conjunction with the attack will inevitably lead to a slow advance, and then..."

Jia Lian laughed and said, "As long as we can win, as long as the soldiers of the firearms battalion can achieve the greatest victory with the least sacrifice, what does my personal honor or disgrace matter?"

The generals were filled with awe and respect.

For someone who values ​​personal reputation so highly, especially someone of Jia Lian's status, to be able to treat personal honor and disgrace so calmly is truly admirable.

Facing the admiring gazes of his underlings, Jia Lian remained calm.

He had decided early on to adopt a steady and methodical approach, taking it one step at a time.

But is he destined to lose?

Is the alliance between Iron Net Mountain, or rather the Crown Prince and the Retired Emperor, really as vulnerable as Xie Jing thought?

At least Jia Lian knew that the retired emperor still had several thousand elite cavalry soldiers under his command.

The Elite Cavalry Battalion is the undisputed top tier of the Imperial Guard system, and legend has it that light and heavy cavalry make up more than half of its total strength.

It possesses absolutely formidable strength.

Simply put, Xie Jing's mere ten thousand soldiers from the Southern Camp would not last more than a few rounds against the entire Valiant Cavalry Camp.

Fortunately, the Emperor Emeritus only brought part of the Valiant Cavalry to Iron Net Mountain this time.

……

The two large armies swaggered towards Tiewang Mountain, and the soldiers stationed there certainly couldn't possibly miss them.

On the mountain, at the Crown Prince's residence.

Since being appointed by Emperor Ningkang yesterday, the Crown Prince has been busy with scheming and controlling military power until this afternoon, and has hardly had any rest.

Now that the situation has finally stabilized, Emperor Ningkang is trapped in his palace by the retired emperor. All that is needed is to wait a day for the retired emperor to summon a large number of troops, which will then easily dismantle the remaining 10,000 troops under Emperor Ningkang's command.

It was already much more leisurely.

With the retired emperor indicating that he would be made emperor, his lackeys began to fawn over him one after another, which annoyed him greatly. So he simply asked the crown princess to prepare some light wine, which would also be a good reward for the meritorious officials and staff who had followed him in this uprising.

Just as he was receiving compliments from everyone at the banquet, a general suddenly rushed in, shouting, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! A large number of troops have come down from the mountain..."

The crown prince and his entourage were taken aback. One of them exclaimed with delight, "Have you come to defend the emperor by imperial decree?"

The phrase "following the imperial decree" here naturally refers to following the secret decree of the retired emperor.

The crown prince also looked over.

It's no wonder that the Crown Prince, along with the Emperor Emeritus, probably couldn't believe that Emperor Ningkang had actually raised a batch of messenger pigeons in advance, rendering their blockade of Emperor Ningkang's palace ineffective.

"It doesn't seem like it, Your Highness. They don't seem to be here on imperial orders to defend the emperor. They immediately deployed their forces, with powerful bows and crossbows at the forefront; it's clear they intend to attack the mountain..."

They might already be charging up there by now.

The crown prince was immediately alarmed. He strode down from his high seat and demanded, "Didn't you send anyone to inquire?"

"Uh, this humble servant was in a hurry to report the military situation to Your Highness, and hasn't had time yet..."

"waste!"

The crown prince slapped him across the face, his expression turning extremely ugly.

The crown prince's confidant immediately scolded, "Fool! Go and find out the military situation before reporting back!"

"Come back! Approximately how many people have arrived?"

"Uh, this, this, judging from the dense flames, there are probably tens of thousands of people! They split into two groups, the main force is in the west, and another force went east."

Everyone in the hall gasped.

The crown prince looked even more sinister, and the officers, seeing this, dared not linger and quietly left the hall.

The prince and his entourage naturally lost their appetite for drinking and conversation, and they all crowded around the prince as he arrived at a precipitous rocky outcrop on the outermost side.

Looking from the southwest direction of the mountain rocks, one can indeed see a large number of flames, and faint sounds of fighting can be heard.

The crown prince and his advisors were terrified.

"Your Highness, what should we do?"

"What to do, what to do? How should I know what to do!"

The Crown Prince was somewhat flustered. He realized that this was very likely Emperor Ningkang's backup plan!

His father, the emperor, was extremely gloomy and never trusted him, even when he was made to take the blame.

"Your Highness, perhaps we should consult the Emperor Emeritus."

The Crown Prince took a deep breath, said nothing, turned around and went to the stable, then rode his horse towards the Emperor Emeritus's palace.

Upon seeing the Emperor Emeritus, the Crown Prince immediately stepped forward and said anxiously, "Grandfather, something terrible has happened! A large number of soldiers have come down from the mountain."

However, they were not sent to defend the emperor by imperial decree; they began attacking the mountain as soon as they arrived.

"My grandson suspects they are all my father's men!"

"oh."

While the Crown Prince was speaking, the Emperor Emeritus leisurely sipped his tea. Only after the Crown Prince finished did he look up at him and ask, "Who is it that has arrived, and how many troops do they have?"

"Who is leading the troops is currently unknown. However, it is said that the number is considerable, seemingly tens of thousands!"

The retired emperor's brows furrowed suddenly, then relaxed, and he said leisurely, "It seems so?"

"Well, this is just a report from my subordinates in a hurry. We'll need to investigate further to find out the exact number."

The Emperor Emeritus paused for a moment, then said in a slightly displeased tone, "So, you came to see me in such a hurry without even understanding the situation?"

"Grandson, I only wish to let Grandfather know the situation as soon as possible. Grandfather is wise and powerful, far beyond my ability, and I dare not act on my own..."

The Emperor Emeritus glanced at the Crown Prince, then put away his displeasure and said, "Didn't your father give you full authority to arrange this hunting trip in order to mislead me?"

"Is there anything about the troop deployment around Iron Net Mountain that you don't know?"

After being reminded by the retired emperor, the crown prince finally realized what was going on.

Those who were able to reach the foot of the mountain so quickly were naturally the troops that had been stationed outside the mountain for a long time!

Therefore, the Crown Prince carefully said, "For this trip to Iron Net Mountain, apart from the Imperial Guards, I have only drawn more than 10,000 troops from the Northern Camp of the Capital Garrison to garrison at the foot of the mountain."

In addition, only the North City Military Command and the Four Horse Battalion were responsible for blocking the surrounding roads... however, neither of these forces deployed a large number of troops...

"Oh, right, it seems that before he left, Father Emperor specifically arranged for Jia Lian's artillery battalion to set up a checkpoint and garrison in the south, but I don't know exactly how many men from the artillery battalion were deployed."

"Jia Lian?"

The retired emperor read it aloud, then asked, "I heard that your father had Jia Lian set up a special force in charge of firearms. What's the situation? Do you know how many troops there are?"

"Grandson knows. Jia Lian's firearms battalion has a total of five thousand men, of which three thousand are musketeers and the remaining two thousand are artillerymen."

Although their exact combat strength is unknown, judging from the attitudes of his father, the Emperor, and Jia Lian towards the firearms battalion, the grandson seems to attach great importance to it.

"Five thousand men, armed with firearms?"

The retired emperor chuckled, neither confirming nor denying, before changing the subject: "Among the areas around the capital, only the North and South Camps could arrive so quickly and have tens of thousands of troops."

The commander of Beidaying has died at your hands along with Chen Zhao.

As for the Southern Camp... Xu Da...

The retired emperor fell into deep thought.

He was also somewhat puzzled. If Xu Da had received his secret order and led his troops here, he would certainly have sent someone to pay his respects, and would never have launched an attack on the mountain.

"Hehe, it seems I really underestimated your father!"

No wonder he hasn't been in a hurry at all since this afternoon, nor has he led his troops in a breakout attempt. It turns out he had a backup plan all along!

The retired emperor said coldly.

The crown prince felt a chill run down his spine; he suddenly felt a sense of fear.

From childhood to adulthood, his father, the emperor, put immense pressure on him.

The retired emperor noticed the crown prince's expression and snorted, "What, are you scared?"

"Since you are so afraid of him, how dare you secretly send someone to see me last night behind his back? And even reveal his entire plan?"

The Crown Prince looked embarrassed and finally said, "I am indeed quite afraid of Father, but I also know that it is a great act of treason for Father to want to turn against Grandfather."

"I couldn't bear to see my father make one mistake after another, so I chose to tell my grandfather everything to prevent him from committing an irreparable error!"

Indeed, on the surface, even Emperor Ningkang believed that the Crown Prince had been turned against the Emperor Emeritus.

But in fact, late last night, while the Crown Prince was gathering troops at the foot of the mountain as ordered by Emperor Ningkang, he secretly sent someone up the mountain to see the Retired Emperor...

He was forced by Emperor Ningkang to raise the banner of rebellion against his own will.

After descending the mountain, I felt even more worried about my future.

Emperor Ningkang never really liked him, at least not in his own eyes.

If he were to be branded with the crimes of "filial impiety" and "treason," how could he possibly become the crown prince in the future? Let alone succeed to the throne after Emperor Ningkang's death!

His thoughts were seen through by his confidant, who then offered a suggestion:

Why not take this opportunity to completely pledge allegiance to the retired emperor...

His confidant listed the benefits of taking the opportunity to side with the retired emperor. Compared to the bleak future of following Emperor Ningkang's orders, the crown prince gritted his teeth and chose the former.

Then, under the secret order of the retired emperor, he successfully eliminated Chen Zhao, who was not on guard against him, and took control of 20,000 troops in the capital garrison and the infantry garrison.

And after meeting with the Emperor Emeritus today, he received a formal promise from him.

Everything had gone as he and his advisors had predicted. Because of his counterattack, Emperor Ningkang seemed to have lost his ability to resist instantly and could only cower in his palace.

Once the reinforcements summoned by the retired emperor arrive and the henchmen around Emperor Ningkang are wiped out, everything will be settled.

But now it seems that his father, the emperor, did indeed have a backup plan...

Seeing that the Crown Prince was truly terrified of Emperor Ningkang, the Emperor Emeritus not only did not blame him, but instead smiled.

To avoid frightening the child, he said slowly, "You don't need to worry. Even if there are people in the North and South camps who have betrayed my kindness, there certainly won't be many."

Go and convey my decree, ordering the commander of the troops to come to see me immediately.

If there are any who remain obstinate, you should lead the troops of the Northern Camp to keep them at the foot of the mountain.

"As long as we can wait until the arrival of the loyalist armies by tomorrow afternoon, all the rebellious officials and traitors will naturally crumble."

The retired emperor asked him to deliver the imperial decree, but the crown prince didn't seem to mind.

But when he heard that the negotiations had failed and he would be asked to lead troops to repel the enemy, he became reluctant.

He wasn't cowardly, he just lacked confidence in Beidaying.

The military power was forcibly seized from Chen Zhao, and it was only suppressed by the title of "Emperor Emeritus".

Even now, he doesn't know how many people actually listen to him.

If those tens of thousands of rebels were determined to attack the mountain, he really didn't think he could stop them.

Unless, the infantry battalion is returned to him...

The retired emperor could naturally see what the crown prince meant, and he would never hand over the infantry battalion to the crown prince again.

Therefore, he said, "Go ahead! If anything unexpected happens, I will send the elite cavalry to assist you."

Upon hearing that the Emperor Emeritus was willing to mobilize the elite cavalry, the Crown Prince's confidence immediately soared.

It should be noted that even when the Emperor Ningkang's palace was surrounded, the Emperor Emeritus did not deploy the elite cavalry!

……