I Can Control My Ancestors

Chapter 514 - 45: Breaking Through Liaodong, The Gu Clan Strikes Fear

The scene of five hundred ships crossing the sea was truly magnificent.

According to the fisherman’s words, as long as everything went smoothly and followed the sea breeze, it should take at most five days to reach Liaodong, but the army took a full seven days.

It was impossible for everything to go completely smoothly.

Not to mention that the density and tonnage of the fleet differed from fishing boats, even with the fishermen’s experience, wind power was an unpredictable factor.

....

When they once again set foot on land, everyone felt a sense of unreality.

Even Gu Jing felt the same.

The turbulent waves at sea made everyone anxious.

But by this time, there was no retreat; even though the fighting capability of the soldiers was somewhat affected, they could not afford to linger.

Not to the extent of launching an attack.

But all kinds of military equipment and provisions had to be quickly settled.

——There was no time to delay!

The navy’s most relied upon strategy in this expedition was to win through surprise, as it was inconceivable that the Great Tang could send a full forty thousand to cross the sea.

They had to seize the opportunity to breach the enemy’s interior and establish a foothold.

Finally, they would join with the main force.

Even if the soldiers’ combat effectiveness was affected, it was impossible to wait around like this.

One by one, scouts were dispatched immediately.

Meanwhile, as the soldiers were transporting equipment, Zhang Liang had already called the generals for a meeting.

In fact, there was not much to discuss.

Those capable of launching a sea assault were all seasoned veterans, with Gu Jing being the only rookie thrown into the fray.

Who wouldn’t understand the current situation?

They just needed to determine their location and engage in battle according to the terrain.

This was the only way to quickly establish a foothold!

The horse scouts gathered and rushed off in all directions.

These scouts had undergone special training, gathering information was no problem, and they quickly brought back news.

Though there was a slight deviation from the planned landing spot, it wasn’t too far off.

They were on the southern plain of the Liaodong Peninsula, about a hundred miles from the strategic town of Beisha City.

——Without any surprise, the army moved out immediately.

...

The whole of Liaodong was drenched in blood and storm.

The troops of Goguryeo and Silla had already been redeployed; given the current situation, they had to block Li Shimin’s central force head-on.

They could not give Li Shimin any chance.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Goguryeo’s Liaodong defense line.

At the same time, Baekje and Silla also mobilized their forces, turning all of Liaodong into a bloodthirsty meat grinder.

All sides were engaged in battle.

The bloodiest was, of course, the northern defense line, where the Tang Army and the massive Goguryeo forces clashed head-on.

There was no option but frontal assault!

Li Shimin naturally aimed to create opportunities for the Han Army; even though he didn’t know the navy’s current status, he had absolute confidence in his subordinate soldiers.

This was Li Shimin’s confidence.

Gu Yi was also observing the entire battlefield. Although everything seemed unchanged from historical records, he could tell it was completely different.

The navy was the biggest variable.

In the original history, the navy’s role was to support the army and handle logistics.

But now the navy had become the main force.

The army, though seemingly fierce, was essentially creating opportunities for the navy; although Zhang Liang remained the naval commander, Gu Jing was the greatest variable.

He had already integrated the Luoshu Harmonizing Device into Gu Jing’s body.

Although it wouldn’t propel Gu Jing to the top, it was more than sufficient to deal with Goguryeo in this era.

As for Gu Jing’s impact in the army, he was not worried.

The inherent traits of the Gu Clan’s name proved its worth; it was the foundation built over centuries.

As long as Gu Jing achieved merit, he would quickly be accepted.

If he couldn’t even achieve merit....

It would only mean he wasn’t capable, and Gu Yi would immediately give up on Gu Jing.

The influence of this battle was immense; if Goguryeo could be successfully eliminated, the entire Kyushu would rapidly prioritize the navy in the future.

——This was a cross-era variable!

Beisha City.

This place was the southern gateway of the Liaodong Peninsula, but the defenses were not deep.

Once again, in this era, nobody anticipated a naval landing and attack strategy.

When the Tang Army emerged.

The entire city’s garrison was completely bewildered, unable to understand why the Tang Army appeared here.

Many didn’t even have time to defend the city before the Tang Army had already charged in.

Clang!!!

Clang!!!

The sounds of fierce fighting echoed incessantly throughout Beisha City, although the combat effectiveness of the Tang Army was significantly impacted and couldn’t reach its peak.

In their panic, the city’s defenders still couldn’t halt the Tang Army’s offensive.

The gap in equipment was simply too immense!

Even now, Goguryeo hadn’t fully equipped its army with iron armor; some soldiers still wore thin iron and leather armor.

Even their iron armor used very traditional crafting techniques, with inferior coverage and flexibility compared to the Tang Army’s Mingguang Armor.

Their weaponry was similarly lacking.

It was impossible to defend the city under such conditions.

In just one battle, the Tang Army slaughtered nearly ten thousand, seized over a hundred thousand bushels of provisions, and completely breached the southern gateway of the Liaodong Peninsula.

Gu Jing was undeniably valiant in this battle; he not only led the charge into the city first, but also slew countless enemies.