After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

May 14th.

Despite the fact that the soldiers and civilians of Jiangpu City prayed for rain almost every day to make the roads muddy and thus hinder the advance of the Northern Dynasty army.

But the sun has been unusually hot these past few days.

The sun was particularly strong today; it had only been out of the horizon for half an hour when it had baked away all the morning dew.

On the city walls of Jiangpu, and within the battlements, the Jiangpu army was densely packed with soldiers armed with firearms, crossbows, shields, and spears.

Only one out of three soldiers stood up to deceive the Northern Dynasty's troops.

And about a mile away from the city wall on the north side of Jiangpu City.

Dark clouds covered the earth.

Even the boldest soldiers on the city wall couldn't help but swallow hard and instinctively grip their weapons tightly when they saw the dark, oppressive clouds.

This was only seven days after the Northern Dynasty sent out its declaration of war.

A full 100,000 troops had already reached the gates of Jiangpu City.

This is enough to show that the enemy had been planning this war for a long time, and was not so much deceived by the Southern Dynasty, so they were angry and launched an attack.

On the city wall.

Shangguan Yun, Jiang Luzhi, and Dong Anguo all used binoculars to observe the Northern Dynasty's military formations, while Liu Xinghan, the deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the magistrate of Jiangpu County, among others, were stationed inside the city to prevent any unrest from breaking out.

Shangguan Yun, dressed in a scarlet robe, lowered his telescope, his gaze becoming calm.

"You think highly of us," he sneered, patting the cold, hard city wall.

Dong Anguo also put down his telescope and bowed:

"Your Highness, according to our scouts, Yue Zhongqi has deployed 20,000 men and 5,000 cavalry on the east and west sides respectively, while on the north side he has deployed 40,000 men, with another 10,000 cavalry in his central command tent."

"Judging from their military formation, Yue Zhongqi must have brought his main force of 50,000 men, as well as the Pingnan and Huainan camps. The Shiqiao camp is probably watching Liuhe City."

Such a massive military formation is difficult to set up in the first place, yet Yue Zhongqi commanded it with perfect ease and without the slightest disorder, demonstrating his exceptional military leadership skills.

However, Shangguan Yun and the others naturally had no reason to be afraid of the other party.

Since ancient times, fortified cities have been a nightmare for invading enemies.

Without deploying three, five, or even ten times the number of troops defending the city, the enemy will find it extremely difficult to capture a fortified city.

A fortified city like Jiangpu, which had been fortified for twenty years, was made of brick and stone on the outside and rammed earth on the inside. It was 35 feet high, with a moat 30 feet deep. The city walls had tens of thousands of crenellations, and with the addition of defensive cannons and raised ramparts, the Northern Dynasty would need to prepare at least five to eight times the number of troops to have any hope of taking the city.

However, Yue Zhongqi commanded a full 50,000 of the Northern Dynasty's most elite Eight Banners troops, which was a different story altogether. Shangguan Yun stomped her foot on the city wall.

In the past few days, he and Jiang Luzhi and others have been working almost non-stop, arranging food supplies, city defenses, and military equipment, for fear of any mishap.

They also sent most of the elderly, weak, women and children out of the city, across the river, and from Nanjing to the county towns of various counties for resettlement.

However, the Northern Dynasty arrived too quickly, and the south gate of the city cannot be opened at the moment, so they cannot all be sent away.

There were also merchants traveling from the north and south within the city.

These merchants were all incorporated into the ranks of able-bodied men, forbidden from leaving the city or carrying weapons, and only allowed to help guard the city. These men were currently boiling gold juice.

They would then be used to carry logs, rolling stones, and molten gold up to the city wall.

At this moment, Jiang Luzhi, the general of Jiangpu Army, put down his binoculars, and his expression became solemn.

"Young Master," he turned his head, "the bandits' cannons have indeed arrived."

Previously, Jiang Shikuan reported that the bandits had hauled a lot of cannons, which were quite heavy, including at least two heavy cannons weighing 3,000 catties each.

Shih-kuan proposed digging up the road to prevent the North Korean heavy artillery from being pushed over.

They did just that.

But it only bought them a day or two more.

Now, the North Koreans' cannons are aimed at them.

"How heavy?" Shangguan Yun set up his binoculars and looked over.

"I can't see it clearly, but it's at least three thousand catties, and, I've counted it," Jiang Luzhi's tone turned serious, "there are eight kinds."

It was at this moment.

"Bang bang bang bang bang bang!"

A series of explosions could be heard in the distance.

Everyone was immediately horrified, turned around, and looked back into the distance.

A few tongues of fire appeared in front of the dark clouds.

Following the explosion, seven or eight black dots flew towards the city wall, tracing an arc from the sky at extremely high speed.

"Enemy attack!"

Jiang Luzhi's face turned bright red in an instant, and he shouted at the top of his lungs, veins bulging:

"Beat the drums!"

"Boom boom boom boom boom!" The war drums on the city wall began to beat!

Just as the war drums began to beat, and the expressions of the soldiers and civilians throughout the city were extremely tense.

The first cannonball landed on a battlement on the left side of the city wall.

"Bang!"

The iron shells fell uneventfully, like smashing a watermelon.

With a loud crash, the battlement was smashed to pieces!

Bricks and stones flew everywhere, and dust billowed up!

"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!!!"

A chorus of screams erupted simultaneously.

The soldiers standing or crouching on the battlements were all blown into the air at once. The cannonballs passed through the bodies of several soldiers with ease, as if they had crashed through a curtain of water, and limbs and blood splattered all over the battlements!

Those inside the city heard a loud crash and saw several figures fall from the city wall, turning into a bloody mess after a few thuds.

A deafening roar, like a thunderclap finally breaking through the dark clouds, was followed by a torrential downpour!

The war between the North and the South... has finally begun!

Dong Anguo waved his hand and shouted, "Scatter! Everyone scatter!"

The deputy commander of Jiangpu Army turned pale, but his movements were calm and composed. He immediately adjusted the city defense strategy, ordering everyone to disperse from the city wall and take turns climbing the wall.

"Bang!"

Another loud bang.

Another battlement was attacked and smashed to pieces.

Then, "bang bang bang bang bang."

About five or six sounds rang out at the same time.

However, the cannonballs did not hit the battlements, but instead hit the city wall.

The bricks and stones of the city wall were smashed and cracked, and then peeled off, revealing the rammed earth inside.

After a round of cannon fire,

The entire city of Jiangpu, which had been on high alert, seemed to come alive in an instant.

A minor official, his neck red from shouting, began waving his hands and yelling, "Let's go! Carry soil, carry soil, follow me to reinforce the city wall!"

Once the battlements are breached, the Northern Dynasty army will use ladders to scale the walls through the gaps.

A medic with a white cloth covering his mouth shouted:

"Save them! Quickly go to the city wall and rescue them! Carry them to the wounded soldiers' camp!"

The imperial physicians and their apprentices, who had been ordered by the Empress to form the first medical corps of the Great Liang Dynasty in Jiangpu City, were all terrified at this moment, yet they still dutifully shouted for help...

With his sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, Shangguan Yun felt as if his blood had been hit by a cannonball, leaving him dazed, his senses failing him, and his limbs going weak.

After arranging for his personal guards to escort the young master down from the city wall, Jiang Luzhi turned back and snorted.

His ears were ringing, he spat at the distant dark clouds, and cursed:

"Wow! It's so soft! Again! Again!"

With another wave of his hand, he roared:

"Get me cannons ready too! Get all of them ready with cannons!"

After a moment of stunned silence, Shangguan Yun, who was experiencing real combat for the first time, quickly came to his senses.

"Wear armor."

The great-grandson of the Grand Prince Consort Shangguan's eyes turned bloodshot, his body swayed twice, and he said in a chilling voice:

"I will not descend from the city wall!"

…………

"Beat the drums."

In the distance, Yue Zhongqi, riding a magnificent white horse from the north, said softly:

"We will take Jiangpu City today."

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

The drumsticks struck the drumhead repeatedly, and the war drums of the Northern Dynasty resounded loudly!