Outside the mountain pass, in the Liao army's encampment.
The bald man pointed towards the mountain pass and said to Yelü Xiuge, "Your Majesty, it seems something was left behind with Yang Jiye!"
"It flies, but it doesn't look like a big bird!"
Yelü Xiuge didn't respond, as he had just seen it too.
At this moment, he was frowning, pondering what had just fallen.
A moment later, he shouted at the bald man, "Pass down the order, we're not waiting for the six sons of the Yang family anymore, attack!"
"Yes!"
The bald man was overjoyed. He spurred his warhorse to the front of the army, waving his command flag.
"By order of Great King Yelü, attack!"
"Whizz~~Boom!"
The ropes of dozens of catapults were cut, and the baskets flung large stones high into the air, hurtling towards the mountain pass.
"Beware of falling rocks!"
Inside the pass, the Yang family members had no time for pleasantries before they saw the stones flying from the Liao army.
These heavy boulders, though not explosive, carried immense kinetic energy, making them the best form of attack.
The location where they were gathered was an abandoned earthen city. The low, broken adobe walls offered no protection against the momentum of the giant stones.
Upon impact, the boulders could smash through several earthen walls consecutively. Any soldier caught in their path was instantly crushed to powder.
Fortunately, while this method of attack was effective against fortifications, it was not suitable for ...
One by one, the helicopters landed. Upon seeing the giant stones being thrown from the opposing side, Fang Er immediately issued an order.
"Go and eliminate the catapults!"
"Understood!"
Replies came from Lu Benchuan and Xue Rengui through the walkie-talkie, and then the two, along with their crews, flew towards the Liao army.
Outside Lianglang Mountain, there is a deep ravine. It is this ravine that separates the remnants of the Yang family from the Liao army, with only a narrow path allowing passage.
Due to the terrain, the Liao army was blocking the other side of the ravine, ensuring that the Yang family's remaining soldiers could not break out.
Yang Jiye, to prevent the Liao army from breaking through, could only defend on the opposite bank, using the terrain for the final defense.
This was also the reason why the catapults could reach them.
The ravine was only about one to two hundred meters wide. Arrows could not reach the other side, but catapults certainly could.
Xue Rengui, leading the helicopter team, ascended to altitude, and using the walkie-talkie, assigned targets to each aircraft. Following that, each aircraft assumed a diving posture.
When the nose, tail, and the Liao army's catapults formed a straight line, rocket pods, trailing long flames, shot out from beneath the aircraft, flying directly towards the catapults.
Yelü Xiuge, seeing this from the Liao army, suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.
The next moment, violent explosions erupted from the catapults.
"Boom~~"
Gouts of flame shot skyward, and the catapults, which had been in full swing, were instantly reduced to piles of splintered wood.
Liao soldiers by the catapults were blown away by the shockwaves.
In the blink of an eye, more than half of the dozen catapults were gone.
With the landing points of the rockets as the center, within a radius of thirty meters, no one could stand intact.
"This, this, this is some kind of sorcery!"
The Liao general, who had been so excited moments ago, was now stunned by the devastation, completely dumbfounded.
But he received no answer from Yelü Xiuge, as the latter harbored the same confusion.
When did the Song army possess such formidable weapons?
Before he could ponder this question, Xue Rengui and his team unleashed a second volley of rocket pods, followed by a third.
After three volleys, all the catapults were destroyed.
Having completed their task, they did not continue their attack. Instead, they changed direction and returned to hover above the remnants of the Yang family's army.
In this battle, the Yang family was the main force. Their role was merely to provide support from the sidelines.
The generals of the Yang army were also shocked by the attack methods of the helicopters.
Seeing them staring blankly at the Liao army, Mu Guijin picked up a spear from the ground, twirled it skillfully, and then smiled at everyone.
"Uncles and elders, dare you to break out with Guiying?"
Yang Jiye had not yet grasped the current situation. He wanted to charge out and fight to avenge the fallen soldiers at Jinshatan, but Zhao Guangyi's presence here had put him in a dilemma.
She Saihua, seeing this, seemed to guess his concerns. With a light laugh, she walked over and whispered a few words into his ear.
Yang Jiye's eyes widened as he heard her. He looked at Li Shimin and then at Mu Guiying in disbelief.
Subsequently, his body trembled. He took his golden saber from Yang Yanping and struck it heavily on the ground.
"Where are my generals!"
"Present!"
"Follow this old man and charge out!"
"Yes!"
Although they were unsure of what was happening before their eyes, the family maxim of obeying orders and fighting bravely for the country was deeply etched into the hearts of the Yang family army.
At this moment, no one flinched, not even the wounded soldiers who could only stand with support, all responded with determined faces.
"Slap!"
Li Shimin backhanded Zhao Guangyi across the face, pointing at the Yang family generals and saying, "Look, look closely at these battered soldiers before you!"
"It is because of them that you can sit on that dragon throne!"
"A thousand soldiers are easily obtained, but a good general is hard to find!"
"I truly don't know if your brain was kicked by a donkey. Guarding this, guarding that, guarding your grandmother's legs!"
The entire Yang family was startled by his slap. Yang Jiye instinctively moved to draw his saber to protect his sovereign, but was stopped by She Saihua.
"Husband, do not panic!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Jiye remembered what his wife had said earlier and could only sheath his saber and stand aside to watch quietly.
After his tirade, Li Shimin picked up a simple saber from the ground and threw it at Zhao Guangyi's feet.
"I said, I would teach you the way of being a ruler on behalf of your brother!"
"Now, pick up the saber, either slit your own throat, or go out and fight with them!"
"You claim to understand military affairs? Then prove yourself by fighting on the battlefield first!"
Having said that, he turned to Fang Er, "Get me a set of armor from the fallen soldiers. I want to show him what imperial might truly looks like!"
Fang Er was taken aback. "Damn, is this guy going to fight himself?"
"Father, this is a bit inappropriate, isn't it?"
Li Shimin glared, "What nonsense are you spouting! Just get it for me. Can this small skirmish hurt this Emperor?"
Fang Er: ............
If you can't get hurt, why the hell do you need armor?
But seeing this old man's enthusiasm, it was not the time to refuse him. He could only order someone to strip armor from a fallen Yang family soldier.
Donning a set of gleaming armor, and unable to find a cavalry lance, he substituted it with a spear.
Li Shimin, now fully clad, gently patted Fang Er on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Kid, today I'll show you again what a man's romance is!"
With these words, he mounted his horse and surveyed everyone.
"I am Li Shimin, Emperor of Tang's Zhenguan era. Unable to bear the plight of the loyal and valiant Yang family, I have come to assist!"
"Where is Yang Jiye!"
"Present!"
"You shall be my left flank!"
"Yes!"
"Where is Zhao Guangyi!"
"Sticking here~"
Zhao Guangyi, holding a saber in one hand and covering his swollen mouth with the other, replied in a barely audible voice.
Li Shimin was already in the mood and had no time to quibble with him.
"You shall be my right flank!"
"Yes~~"
"Generals of the Yang family, charge out with me!"
After speaking, he spurred his horse with a sharp jab to its belly. The warhorse, in pain, carried him charging out of the mountain pass.
Yang Jiye and Zhao Guangyi quickly followed, one on his left and the other on his right.
Behind them came the seven sons of the Yang family, along with Li Xiuning, She Saihua, and a group of female generals.
They advanced in a wedge formation, and what an intimidating arrowhead it was!