"Heh heh heh! Is Yeon Gaesomun really cornered like a drowning rat?"
Fang Er, standing on the city wall, looked at the infantry outside the city and chuckled coldly. He then spoke to Zhuzi beside him.
"Go, check how much ammunition we have left!"
"Yes, young master!"
Zhuzi turned and walked towards the others.
Fang Er felt no pressure from the infantry outside the city.
Why?
Perhaps Yeon Gaesomun was blinded by rage.
The only siege weapon these infantry soldiers brought was grappling hooks!
Besides that, they barely had any siege ladders.
Let alone battering rams or anything of the sort.
"Young master, the check is complete. We have over eight hundred cannonballs left, and each soldier has about twenty-odd bullets."
Zhuzi's tone revealed his concern.
These ammunition supplies wouldn't last long.
"Then let's use what they left behind. Looking at the sky, they shouldn't be able to attack for much longer."
Fang Er pointed at the ballistae, crossbows, and cannons on the city wall.
Zhang Ning and Yu Changming had fled in such haste that they didn't even destroy the gunpowder!
This was a windfall for the Tianhuo Army!
Although their power was questionable, they were better than nothing. For defending the city, they could hold out for a while.
Fang Er, the Eighteen Riders of Yan Yun, along with Zhuzi and a battalion, would defend the east.
Ma Yue, with the second battalion, would defend the south.
Liu Meng would lead the third battalion to defend the north.
Tie Lao Ba would command the artillery battalion, and along with a hundred men from each of Zhuzi's battalions, they would defend the west wall.
As the Goguryeo infantry outside the city closed to within a hundred paces,
cannons on all four city walls simultaneously opened fire!
These were Goguryeo's cannons!
Yeon Gaesomun, hearing the cannon fire from outside the city, was instantly enraged.
He was all too familiar with this sound!
Because the cannons and gunpowder were different from those of the Great Tang.
Therefore, he was certain these were the cannons that had originally been placed on the walls of Shenyang!
Now they were being used by the Tang army to attack him!
He drew his saber, ready to kill!
"Damn Zhang Ning!"
"Damn Yu Changming!"
Dozens of cannons in Shenyang!
They were just left to the Tang army like this!
"Tie up Zhang Ning and Yu Changming and bring them back to me!"
Yeon Gaesomun's voice was filled with killing intent!
Wei San and Da Shi Dong exchanged glances and immediately spurred their horses forward.
Having someone to take the blame was the best outcome!
No matter who it was, as long as it could somewhat quell the Great General's wrath,
it was good!
Meanwhile, Zhang Ning and Yu Changming outside Shenyang, the moment they heard the cannon fire,
knew they had made a grave mistake!
Especially Yu Changming!
He was the actual defender of Shenyang!
They had led their men to attack the east and south gates respectively.
Although they weren't together,
at this moment, they made the same decision!
Flee!
People are like that. Once is the first time, and the second time will inevitably follow.
Since the Great General was locked in a fierce battle with the Tang army here,
it was feasible to bring their families away before the army returned to the capital!
Action is better than thought.
The two of them immediately took their trusted confidantes and fled outwards!
The infantry they led were stunned!
What the hell!
The main generals have fled?
What's the point of fighting anymore?
And so,
the Goguryeo infantry at the east and south gates began to retreat.
Da Shi Dong and Wei San dared not delay.
However, despite their haste, they only heard the news of Zhang Ning and Yu Changming's desertion in battle.
They hadn't even seen their figures!
There were many forests not far from Shenyang.
Once Zhang Ning and Yu Changming entered the forests, even the gods wouldn't be able to find them!
Helpless, they could only return to Yeon Gaesomun and report the truth.
"Shameless! Incompetent! They deserve to die!"
"Wei San! Send people to Pyongyang to arrest the families of these two!"
"Aiding the enemy with cannons! Deserting in the face of battle!"
"Even executing their three generations of kin wouldn't quell my hatred!"
"Recall the infantry! We will fight again tomorrow!"
Yeon Gaesomun looked at the sky and reluctantly gave the order to retreat.
Zhang Ning and Yu Changming's escape had enraged him further,
but it also brought back a degree of reason.
The sky was already darkening.
The ill-prepared infantry could not capture the city in the dark.
Since that was the case, they would call a truce.
And fight again another day!
"Young master, the enemy has retreated again."
Zhuzi watched the Goguryeo infantry, who had finally reached the city walls, suddenly retreat inexplicably.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Tell the brothers to deal with the dead warhorses in the city, turn them into food. After eating, then sleep!"
Fang Er sat on the city gate.
He took out his telescope from his pocket and looked towards the Goguryeo forces.
As expected, they were setting up camp there as well.
Through the telescope, he could clearly see Yeon Gaesomun's main tent!
It was in the middle of a cluster of tents.
Outside the main tent, preparations were being made to start a fire!
Looking at the pile of firewood, it would probably burn all night!
While eating the horse meat that Zhuzi brought, the taste was neither good nor bad.
It also had a sourish smell.
Expecting these common soldiers to make the horse meat taste delicious was a vain hope.
Seeing the Goguryeo camp preparing food about two li outside the city,
Fang Er's lips curved into a smile.
"Little guys! Dare to set up camp so close!
If I don't give you some excitement, I'd be letting you down for traveling all the way from Pyongyang!"