Chapter 1375: The Northern and Southern War (VII)
Chapter 1375: The Northern and Southern War (VII)
With a single command from Great Sage Gong, the long-prepared Tawantin army launched a direct assault on Laredo.At the beginning of the war, someone had complained to Huangfu Ji that a single artillery division of the Holy Court was equipped with an excessive 300 heavy cannons, leaving them overwhelmed and unable to breathe under the barrage.
At the time, Huangfu Ji replied, “The artillery issue will soon be resolved. Great Sage Gong is already gathering scattered cannons from various locations to form a large-scale artillery division, unified in command and coordination. We expect more than a thousand cannons.”
This was not an empty reassurance.
However, Gong Fu assembled over a thousand cannons not for defense but for offense. Now, after long preparation, these cannons were finally put to use.
Transported by rail, these cannons appeared outside Laredo, their deployment density exceeding all standard military tactics.
Over a thousand cannons aimed at a single target and firing simultaneously were unheard of even in the Central Plains.
It was not that the Daoist Order lacked such capability, but rather, no opponent had ever warranted such seriousness.
Only the Holy Court was worthy of such treatment.
However, the Holy Court and the Daoist Order were too far apart and did not share borders. Their only recorded clash was in West Shakya, which ended in a crushing defeat for the Holy Court. Yet that battle was unique. It was led personally by the fifth-generation Grand Master, who made a surprise landing behind enemy lines, making it impossible to deploy large-scale heavy artillery, so nothing like this occurred.
Since then, there had been no large-scale engagements between the Daoist Order and the Holy Court.
The fundamental reason was still distance. Whoever launched an expedition would face an opponent waiting at home with full advantage. Moreover, the two sides maintained extensive trade and economic ties, with deep mutual interests. Thus, there would be significant internal resistance on both sides if they went to war.