Chapter 390: Strong Assault, Stubborn Defense (Part 2)

The first 6-pounder red-barbarian cannon shell did not hit a gun carriage, but it slammed into the Chuang army's dense formation, almost passing from

the front to the rear of the formation, carrying away countless arms and thighs, piercing and smashing countless chests and skulls along the way. After the blood-curdling

passage, a wave of shrill, miserable screams followed.

Another solid iron ball accurately struck an advancing gun carriage. With a thunderous "boom," it shattered the carriage's

frame, sent the wheels flying wildly, and even heaved the heavy cannon body off and rolling. The nearby Chuang army soldiers and gunners suffered collateral

damage, their bodies bloodied and mangled by the flying debris, each rolling on the ground and howling.

The result this shell brought was the reason Huang Yinggui could not help but cry out. As a gunner, he knew how difficult it was

to hit a moving target from such a distance. In all honesty, if he were to operate the cannon, he believed he did not have that

skill.

Amidst the shrieking, shells shot fiercely into the Chuang army formation, some passing through the ranks and raising a mist of blood and severed limbs. Others

struck gun carriages, blasting them apart. Huang Yinggui saw that after the ten red-barbarian cannons on the wall fired in sequence, the bandit side

had three Grand General cannons smashed into disarray on the spot.

"Damn."

Not only did Huang Yinggui once again cheer involuntarily, but the remaining Ming army gunners were also all sucking in cold air. These gunners from the Xuanfu

garrison were truly formidable.

However, they naturally did not know that the reason the Shunxiang Army possessed such fine technique was entirely built upon the use of ammunition and powder,

and the army also had equipment like gunner's sights and spyglasses.

Those who live by technical skill most admire those with genuine talent and learning. After this round of bombardment, Huang Yinggui was already thoroughly convinced

by the Shunxiang Army gunners, especially the gunners of the adjacent 6-pounder red-barbarian cannon, who became the object of his close attention.

He saw the gunners beside him working methodically. After the shell was fired, among the ten of them, the one responsible for swabbing the bore immediately

swabbed it. Then someone loaded the gunpowder, loaded the primer, and inserted the shell. The spotter continuously called out data, and the aimer adjusted

accordingly. They divided the work and cooperated with tight, practiced coordination.

Huang Yinggui also discovered that their cannon's shells, gunpowder, and priming powder were stored separately, each portioned equally and measured, ready to be

inserted by hand, eliminating any worry about loading too much or too little powder each time. That a red-barbarian cannon could achieve the

breech-loading effect of a falconet was truly brilliant.

After a series of dazzlingly swift actions, that cannon was already loaded with ammunition. Huang Yinggui secretly estimated that their

actions were at least two to three times faster than his own.

Once the ammunition was loaded, the cannon was adjusted and aimed again. The gun captain of that cannon gave a shout, and the firer ignited the priming powder

at the vent. Immediately, the cannon roared again, a great cloud of smoke billowing from the muzzle, and a scorching solid iron ball

went howling away once more.

Huang Yinggui's gaze chased that shell. Staggering, he leaned on the parapet in front of him and groaned, "...Hit

again."

Indeed, another gun carriage was smashed into disarray...

Shells leaped forth one after another, crossing the Golden Water River and slamming into the Chuang army formation on the north bank, carrying away chunks of flesh and severed limbs, or

fragments of gun carriage wheels. The results of this salvo were even more marked, smashing four Chuang army gun carriages.

Although compared to the attacking army of over ten thousand, the casualties from these two cannon volleys were small, wherever the shells passed, there was flying flesh and blood,

the gruesome sight of severed hands and feet. Those Chuang troops were mostly famine victims and starving soldiers; where did they have the psychological fortitude for this? Every wave

of shells brought a violent commotion, and it was only through the officers' desperate suppression that they barely pressed forward.

Li Baicheng and the others behind the lines watched clearly and were also sucking in cold air. Liu Fangliang had said Wang Dou's army had fine armor and sharp cannons. Seeing

was believing, and it truly made one's heart tremble.

"Swab the bore!"

Huang Yinggui watched the Shunxiang Army gunners beside him busily working again. Their movements were dazzling but actually swift, calm and unhurried.

Through rigorous training, the loading speed of each gun crew in the Shunxiang Army almost matched the speed of an arquebusier firing a pre-packaged paper cartridge.

The speed of the projectile medicine.

For the Shunxiang Army gunners, ammunition was not a problem. On this campaign south with the army, each squad of the artillery battalion had several

horse-drawn carts carrying a considerable amount of powder and shells. Each cannon had a thousand shells, along with the corresponding amount of

powder, and thirty percent of those were canister shot.

Speed was also not the problem; the key issue was that the cannon's heat dissipation could not keep up. Although the Ordnance Department had perfected the powder formula,

so that a red-barbarian cannon previously needing cooling after three shots could now fire five, for the Shunxiang Army, no matter how practiced the

actions, they were still constrained by the cannon's heat dissipation rate.

Deafening cannon fire echoed continuously from the top of the North Gate. The closer the Chuang army pressed, the more accurate the cannon fire from the wall became.

By the time the Chuang army approached within one li, fewer than half of their thirty Grand General cannons remained, and the soldiers pushing the cannons and the

gunners suffered especially terribly.

The ferocity of the Shunxiang Army's artillery made every one of the approaching Chuang troops tremble with fear.

Fortunately, the cannons on the wall had now ceased. Many of the red-barbarian cannons had fired almost five shells and needed to stop and cool

for one to two quarter-hours. Seizing this opportunity, the Chuang troops shouted loudly, pushed their remaining cannons, and desperately rushed closer.

Although the Grand General falconets had an effective range of one li, how could these surrendered Ming army gunners normally have the training volume of the Shunxiang Army

gunners? Hitting an effective target on the city wall from a distance of one li was not so easy for them. Therefore, they

pushed the Grand General cannons to within three hundred paces of the North Gate's north entrance, aiming the muzzles either at the sheep-horse wall or at the North Gate fortifications.

The advantage the falconets had over the red-barbarian cannons was that each had five to nine breech chambers, which could be pre-loaded with ammunition.

In battle, they are loaded into the mother gun and fired in turn, and the rate of fire is extremely fast. If a gunner is well-trained, the first three shots

take less than twenty seconds in total.

Moreover, the Frankish cannon dissipates heat very well, and can fire over a dozen shots in one burst before pausing to cool. Because the powder

charge in the son barrel is fixed, it is also not prone to bursting. The drawback is that the powder gas easily leaks; not only does it not shoot far, but if one is not

careful, one can easily be scalded by the escaping fire gas.

Before these Grand General Frankish cannons were pushed out of the position, a son barrel had long been loaded inside. Now pushed to this three hundred

pace distance, those Chuang army gunners opened fire one after another, igniting the fuse inserted into the son barrel.

With deafening cannon roars, dense clouds of smoke billowed up from the Chuang army position. Cannonballs weighing three to five jin each

came howling toward the North Gate fortifications and the sheep-horse wall. One after another, cannonballs smashed into the north-facing city wall and the sheep-horse wall, making the walls seem

to shudder repeatedly as bricks and stones flew everywhere.

If one failed to dodge in time, one could be injured by the cannonballs and flying bricks.

On the North Gate of the North Gate fortifications there was also a gate tower, built entirely of timber. Several cannonballs struck into the tower, smashing the window sills and planks in place after place,

sending sharp splinters flying wildly. That gate tower had upturned eaves and angled corners, but unexpectedly one corner was struck by a cannonball; with a crashing roar,

a large section immediately collapsed.

Fortunately, Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu, seeing that the Chuang army had artillery, had long since descended from the gate tower and were not commanding inside; otherwise, with the artillery firing

incessantly, to be inside the city handling official business would truly have been fraught with peril.

The sheep-horse wall at the front was located fifty or sixty paces before the city wall. When the Luoyang soldiers and civilians had dug the moat, the excavated earth was used on the spot to build

an earthen wall and parapet, over which water had been poured; in the cold weather, it was extremely hard.

At this time, it was defended by the new army company commander of Gao Xun's unit of the Shunxiang Army and a vanguard battalion of infantry from Chen Yongfu's force. Several cannonballs howled

over and struck the sheep-horse wall heavily; the hard earthen wall was blasted open in several places, and dirt flew into the air.

Some Shunxiang Army soldiers and vanguard battalion infantry behind the wall got a mouthful of mud; all spat in irritation and pressed their bodies

tightly behind the earthen wall.

Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu stood behind the city wall, gazing through the observation holes in the battlements at the considerable momentum of the Chuang army's artillery outside. Fortunately, the soldiers

defending the city and walls had the protection of the city wall and the sheep-horse wall; although the enemy's artillery was imposing, it had not inflicted any

casualties on their own troops.

However, the Frankish cannons fired with astonishing speed. Not long after that volley had passed, another dozen or so cannonballs came smashing over viciously,

again leaving devastation everywhere. Several cannonballs even flew into the city, either smashing houses or hurtling unchecked down the bluestone-paved

main street, finally disappearing to who knows where.

They could not let the Chuang army's artillery continue like this. Wang Dou looked toward Zhao Xuan, who was holding a telescope at a crenel,

striking a pose, utterly unconcerned by the Chuang army's artillery.

After watching for a moment, he issued an order to the gunners: "Counterattack — suppress those bandit cannons."

With a thunderous boom, a six-pounder red-barbarian cannon on the wall fired first; a solid iron ball came howling out of the city.

In the earlier bombardment, those two six-pounder red-barbarian cannons and three three-pounder red-barbarian cannons had fired only three shots before stopping to await orders.

And after all this time, the remaining cannons had long since finished cooling.

Booms sounded continuously as one red-barbarian cannon after another opened fire.

At a distance of three hundred paces, the Shunxiang Army gunners shot with even greater accuracy.

With a boom, a solid iron ball weighing over five jin struck the ground in front of a Chuang army cannon cart.

Although it did not hit the cannon cart directly, after the iron ball struck the ground, it then ricocheted violently.

Amidst chunks of flesh and blood, the iron ball pierced through the chests of two gunners, then smashed the head of the last man into a red-and-white

pulp; that man's corpse stood dumbly, spraying fountains of bloody rain, causing several nearby Chuang army soldiers to scream.

—

One iron ball after another flew over, either ricocheting and bounding into the Chuang army formation, or smashing one cannon cart after another to pieces,

sending their wheels flying and breaking the arms and legs of their gunners.

Herein lay the difference between assaulting and defending a city: the Ming army gunners had the protection of the city wall, whereas the Chuang army gunners, out in the open,

had no cover whatsoever, and their gunnery skill was also far inferior to that of the Shunxiang Army gunners.

Watching the cannons beside them being smashed one by one, and hearing the incessant, piercing screams of agony, those Chuang army gunners grew even more

agitated and flustered, and their rate of fire immediately slowed. All sorts of mistakes also kept cropping up.

With Frankish cannons, the most critical part is the loading assembly; the fit between the son and mother barrels must be tight. Otherwise, not only is the shot underpowered,

but more importantly, the fire gas leaks out and scalds the gunners nearby.

These Chuang army gunners were originally Ming army gunners from various parts of Henan Prefecture who had surrendered to the Chuang army. Regardless of how their training level

had been, at least after surrendering to the Chuang camp, their treatment was very good. They at least enjoyed treatment equivalent to that of the Chuang army's elite cavalry, and these

gunners of the Grand General Frankish cannons enjoyed treatment comparable to that of the Old Camp.

In the Chuang army, they ate well, dressed well, and held high status, truly incomparable to their former days in the Ming army.

Therefore, they were willing to risk their lives for the Chuang army, serving as the first wave in the assault on the North Gate fortifications. Each man was full of confidence, eager to display his prowess

before the entire army.

But reality was cruel. After several rounds of exchanging cannon fire, all their confidence vanished like smoke before reality.

The Ming army's cannons opposite were like the god of death, taking away one comrade after another beside them, while their own cannons could do

nothing against them.

Under the threat of death, they trembled with fear. Apart from being struck by the Shunxiang Army's artillery, the vexing problem of Frankish fire gas

leakage occurred frequently. Often there would be a cannon blast, and then several gunners would roll on the ground screaming, having been scalded.

The two sides traded blows back and forth. Before the artillery duel had lasted long, only seven cannons in the Chuang army's formation still rang out, and those Chuang army gunners

were already terrified, each one dreading that in the next moment he would be struck by the enemy's cannon fire.

Another thunderous boom — yet another gun carriage was hit. The heavy cannon barrel broke apart on the spot, and the cannon rolled across the ground,

crushing and snapping the feet of several men. One wheel flew up from the impact and smashed into several soldiers nearby, making them spew blood from their mouths.

Ahh—

These Chuang army artillerymen served as the vanguard for this force of ten thousand. In addition, over two thousand men stood guard several dozen paces away. These men had long since

been battered to pieces by the Shunxiang Army's cannon fire. Only the suppression by the Chuang army's inner-camp officers kept them barely holding back their fear, arrayed here

over three hundred paces away.

After this gun carriage was hit, the remaining gunners threw all caution to the wind and fled back, howling madly. Their fear

swept through the men behind them, and at once these vanguard troops collapsed, shouting as they fled to the rear.

Over a hundred paces behind them, another large formation was arrayed. Mounted on horseback were the Chuang army commanders Zhang Nai, Tian Jianxiu,

Liu Fangliang, and Gao Yigong, leading some cavalry units and veteran-camp soldiers to hold the line. Seeing these vanguard troops fleeing back, Liu Fangliang

said nothing. He simply waved his hand, and at once a rank of archers stepped forward, drew their bows, and shot down the routing soldiers who were charging toward their own formation.

Some veteran-camp fighters also spurred their horses forward, wielding long sabers and long spears, and without a word stabbed and hacked to death

some of the deserters who were shouting the loudest.

Tian Jianxiu, whose temperament was somewhat more lenient among the Chuang generals, could not bear the sight and felt a slight pang of pity.

Liu Fangliang glanced at him and said, "Military orders are like mountains. Brother Zhang Nai, Brother Jianxiu, Brother Yigong — with a great enemy

before us, we cannot afford to be soft-hearted."

By now, the Chuang army's military discipline had gradually grown harsh and severe. They showed no mercy to deserters and routing troops. In history, after another year or two,

all who fled from the army would be executed by slow slicing. Their term for deserters was "taking to the grass," and the punishment was dismemberment.

Zhang Nai gave a cold laugh and said, "Indeed. These deserters ruin morale — if we don't kill them, what use are they?"

Tian Jianxiu sighed and said no more.

Only Gao Yigong remained silent the entire time, his gaze fixed intently on the city wall.

The routed troops had already been gathered to the two flanks of the formation. Liu Fangliang glanced at the northern gate's wall. He had long ago

learned firsthand the ferocity of the Shunxiang Army's cannons back in Ruzhou. Arraying his formation here, he was still within the striking range of the Shunxiang Army's artillery — extremely

unsafe. But Liu Fangliang had no choice. The Chuang King had ordered him into battle, and he lacked the courage to defy a military order. Besides, he also harbored thoughts

of restoring his prestige.

The artillery duel had already failed. Liu Fangliang knew he could not hesitate or waver; otherwise, once the Shunxiang Army gunners caught their breath,

they would quickly turn their sights on his position.

He issued the order: "Attack with full force — front and both flanks, hold nothing back. Foot soldiers with fire arrows will provide cover. The starving men will fill the moat.

The cavalry and veteran camp will hold the line. Anyone who dares retreat a single step will be killed without pardon!"

"Storm the city!"

"Storm the city!"

Every Chuang army officer drew his weapon and roared.

Liu Fangliang spurred his horse out and rode back and forth before the formation, rallying them: "So long as the Chuang King's horn does not sound retreat, we keep attacking to the death,

pressing forward. Those who survive will all be promoted to the inner camp, with three full meals a day, and their families fed and clothed. Anyone who dares retreat will be killed on the spot!"

He drew his blade and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Breach Luoyang!"

He drew his blade and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Breach Luoyang!"

Over ten thousand Chuang troops raised their arms in unison and roared in response, their dense thicket of long spears like a forest.

"Breach Luoyang!"

Again, spears and lances like a forest, cheers and roars surging like a tide.

Watching the scene on the northern bank of the Jinshui River through his spyglass, Wang Dou slowly shook his head. Qin Zhi stared wide-eyed at that side, and suddenly

tears streamed down his face.

"Mingyuan leads troops quite well."

Li Zicheng nodded in approval. "But in an artillery duel between our righteous army and Wang Dou's troops, we still fall somewhat short."

Li Yan said, "That Ming army unit is indeed well-trained and exceptionally elite — one can glimpse it from their artillery fire."

He continued, "Chuang King, after all, our righteous army has little experience using cannons. This student believes that in future sieges, if we encounter

Wang Dou's artillery troops, we can have our soldiers first build some protective walls and high platforms. In this way, we can reduce losses to our artillery units."

He concluded: "Judging from the earlier artillery exchange, Wang Dou's troops had the protection of city walls. If we fought them in the open field,

they would certainly suffer considerable losses as well."

Li Zicheng slowly nodded.

Over on that side, Liu Fangliang's rallying had reached its peak. In the formation behind him, countless starving men in tattered clothes raised long spears,

a red cloth wrapped around their heads marking them as fighters.

Without exception, their morale had been stirred up, a fanatical light shining in their eyes. Yes — if they survived, they

and their families could eat their fill and wear warm clothes. Why wouldn't they fight?

He and his family could eat their fill and dress warmly — why wouldn't he do it?

Zhang Nai personally beat the war drum, and like a tide, the Chuang army soldiers surged forward with battle cries.

Liu Fangliang fell back, sneering inwardly: "Attack! We'll talk after these ten thousand men are all dead!"

A charge of ten thousand men was no small matter. It seemed the entire northern bank of the Jinshui River was blanketed by them.

A charge of ten thousand men was no small matter — it seemed the entire north bank of the Jinshui River was blanketed by them.

Watching the spears and headscarves surging across the hills and plains, Wang Dou also drew a deep breath: "Human-wave tactics!"

Chen Yongfu clenched his fists and cursed bitterly: "Damned Chuang bandits — all they know is coercing starving civilians and deluding those

foolish men and women."

He saw that the soldiers of his own vanguard battalion were all pale-faced, and even the Shunxiang Army warriors on the city wall were each clenching their teeth

tight.

He said to Wang Dou: "General Wang, it seems today will be a bitter fight."

He looked worriedly at the rammed-earth wall below the city: "The bandits seem to be attacking from three sides. I wonder whether that rammed-earth wall can hold

or not."

Wang Dou said: "The rammed-earth wall is one zhang high and has parapets. On the three sides of the northern pass, there are only three stockade gates. Just filling in the moat in front of the wall

will be no easy task for the bandits."

He watched the Chuang Army soldiers charging like a lake tide. At the very front were the famine soldiers, each carrying cloth sacks on their shoulders, shouting

at the top of their lungs. These were the cheapest cannon fodder in the Chuang Army's five-layer battle formation. As long as they breached a city, they could recruit

tens of thousands of such cannon fodder — an endless supply of troops that seemed it would never run dry.

He mused: "Although our forces can ultimately crush these roving bandits, we still shouldn't wear ourselves down against them like this."

"Artillery, prepare!"

Wang Dou heard the shout Zhao Xuan relayed beside him. Wang Dou raised his telescope and looked again and again, then came to Zhao Xuan's side and said:

"Brother Zhao, when the bombardment begins, aim at the cavalry units and the old-camp bandits among the roving bandits. As for those famine soldiers... let them

be."

Zhao Xuan was startled for a moment, then came to his senses and said: "The General is right. Those famine soldiers are just starving civilians coerced by the Chuang bandits.

Killing any number of them is useless. Only by firing on the bandits' core troops can we deal them a heavy blow."

"Rockets, prepare!"

Fifty to a hundred paces below the northern pass city wall lay the "horse-blocking wall" that encircled Luoyang City, built in the early Chongzhen years. The wall

was one zhang high, with parapet battlements on top — no different from a city wall, only shorter.

In front of the wall was a moat, two zhang deep and one zhang wide. Along this section of the northern pass, water from the Jinshui River was channeled into the moat. Because it was winter, the accumulated water

in the river had already frozen. With the drought year after year, this section of the moat had little water flowing through it. Inside the moat, dark and murky, was all manner of

rubbish and debris.

The horse-blocking wall stood a hundred and fifty paces from the Jinshui River. Directly facing the northern gate of the northern pass, a stockade gate opened onto what had originally been an official

road.

This official road was a key route leading to Dengshan and Mengjin, so it had been built very wide. From the northern pass all the way to the

Jinshui riverbank, the road surface was originally paved with bluestone slabs. But due to years of neglect, the bluestone pavement was now full of potholes and

hollows. Where the Jinshui River section faced the stockade gate, there was a stone bridge. But now the river was dry, and with winter ice, one could simply walk across

the river surface.

Standing behind the earthen wall, watching the tide-like roving bandits charging from the north bank of the Jinshui River, Gao Xun calmly issued his orders.

Since joining the Shunxiang Army in the ninth year of Chongzhen, several years had passed, yet Gao Xun remained as handsome as ever. A well-fitted suit of iron armor draped over his robust

and tall frame, an eight-panel iron-tipped helmet on his head, and a red-cotton, fleece-lined woolen cloak on his body — he was truly brimming with heroic vigor.

The passing years had added a steady, composed air to Gao Xun. Rising from Squad Leader to Company Commander, his status had gradually

risen. As one's position changes, so does one's bearing; as one's nurture changes, so does one's body — his demeanor had grown ever more refined. Handsome, young, and powerful, in the Eastern Route

region, he had become the dream lover of countless young women and young wives. The number of women willing to throw themselves at him, content to be his concubines, was

beyond counting.

Unlike Wen Fangliang, who believed the more beautiful wives and concubines the better and had fathered as many as two or three children over the years, Gao Xun always disdained

such things. He remained devoted to his child-bride wife and had declared he would never take concubines, leaving countless women heartbroken.

Wang Dou had always kept an eye on Gao Xun. From Squad Leader all the way to Company Commander, these years could be considered a smooth official career

for him. Gao Xun was naturally deeply grateful. He had originally been illiterate, but under Wang Dou's encouragement, within the Shunxiang Army system's

influence, and after years of grueling study, he had now reached the academic level of a Licentiate.

Gao Xun now commanded a New Army company. He took this first battle under his command very seriously. His company, after

completing training in the Eastern Route, had yet to experience any major battle. The Ruzhou campaign certainly didn't count as real combat — just a few cannon barrages

and those roving bandits had collapsed.

Whatever future achievements might come, this battle was a fine opportunity. In the Shunxiang Army, military merit was supreme, and Gao Xun

treasured every chance to earn it.

Watching the roving bandits surging across the hills and plains, howling and shouting, each one looking utterly reckless, the New Army soldiers behind the earthen wall

all felt their mouths go dry and their bodies burn hot. New troops were new troops — they had never killed anyone, never fought a bitter battle.

In psychological advantage, they simply could not compare to veterans.

Gao Xun paced back and forth, loudly encouraging his men, telling them to hold steady. When he saw the roving bandits charge within two hundred paces, he ordered the rockets

in his unit to prepare, and his own arquebusiers to prepare.

"Rockets, prepare!"

"Arquebusiers, prepare!" The officers' commands rang out one after another.

"Ready!"

With a clattering sound, the Shunxiang Army's dense ranks of arquebuses flipped down, each man bracing his weapon on the battlements of the horse-blocking wall.

The soldiers of the vanguard battalion likewise braced their various rockets on the battlements.

Gao Xun's company and one company from Chen Yongfu's vanguard battalion were defending these three sides of the rammed-earth wall. The vanguard battalion's company commander

The army, though nominally a single unit of troops, numbered only slightly more than six hundred men. While the practice of eating empty paychecks in Chen Yongfu's vanguard battalion was not as severe as that of Henan Regional Commander Wang Shaoyu and others, the battalion still had no small number of unfilled vacancies.

The army, though nominally a single unit of troops, numbered only slightly more than six hundred men. While the practice of eating empty paychecks in Chen Yongfu's vanguard battalion was not as severe as that of Henan Regional Commander Wang Shaoyu and others, the battalion still had no small number of unfilled vacancies.

Ever since the vanguard battalion had sortied from Kaifeng alongside the Shunxiang Army, under the weight of various shocks and intimidations, and with provisions and fodder all supplied by Wang Dou,

a psychological disadvantage had unconsciously taken root among the vanguard battalion's officers. This was reflected in the battalion's Company Commander, who in this operation

was willing to submit to Gao Xun's direction and control.

Compared to the Shunxiang Army, the vanguard battalion's soldiers were at a disadvantage in field melee combat. Gao Xun proposed that his unit's soldiers use only fire arrows for support

and basically not engage in close-quarters melee. The Company Commander gladly agreed.

Luoyang City had considerable stockpiles of various fire arrows. Of course, the fire arrows of the prefectures and departments in the interior could not compare with those of the Nine Frontier

military garrisons.

Large rockets like the "Hundred Tigers Rush Forth," which fired one hundred rounds and could reach over one li after ignition, were absent. Most were thirty-round "Single

Hornet's Nest" rockets, twenty-round "Fire Dragon Six..." rockets, and some flying spears, flying blades, and flying swords — all thirty-round rockets. These

rockets, once ignited, basically all reached only two to three hundred paces.

The vanguard battalion's Company Commander and his six hundred-plus men were likewise assigned to defend three sides of the sheep-and-horse wall. On the front-facing sector, there were over two hundred

men. Half of them had rockets set up on the battlements, while the other half held fire sticks, ready to ignite them.

Every one of them looked tense and uneasy, simply watching the bandits surging like a tide from the northern bank of the Jinshui River beyond the wall.

"Kill the government troops..."

The seemingly all-encompassing red headscarves suddenly blanketed the entire front section of the Jinshui River. The entire ice surface was packed full

with their human tide. Group after group of Chuang Army soldiers carrying earth sacks jumped from the northern bank onto the ice, then charged up toward the southern bank.

The stone bridge ahead, in particular, was so densely packed with people that not a gap remained.

Gao Xun watched as those surging waves of red headscarves dipped down onto the river surface, then wave after wave emerged again from the southern bank.

The ragged clothes of those starving soldiers, the red headscarves flying in the cold wind, their malnourished yet twisted and fanatical faces —

he could see every detail with perfect clarity.

Gao Xun watched calmly, then his face suddenly darkened and he shouted: "Fire arrows — release!" Like peals of thunder roaring, a vast dense cloud of smoke

billowed up in front of the barrier wall. One hundred tubes of rockets fired as one, equal to a single volley from three thousand archers. Those

Chuang Army soldiers charging up from the ice onto the southern bank instantly collapsed in a great swath.

Aided by the power of gunpowder, a direct hit from a fire arrow carried force comparable to a heavy crossbow.

Even when the rockets flew wildly, since none of those Chuang Army starving soldiers wore armor, any hit inflicted no small wound.

"Release again!"

Another burst of thunderous explosions rang out. The Chuang Army soldiers surging onto the southern bank were mowed down in clusters, many even

blasted flying backward.

"Release!"

Arrows fell like violent wind and driving rain, countless trails of smoke and fire streaking across the sky. Stream after stream of Chuang Army soldiers emerging from the river surface were shot

back, tumbling into the Jinshui River. Their scalding blood flowed out, quickly freezing into bloody ice in the bitter cold.

The defenders on the sheep-and-horse wall each fired ten tubes of rockets, forcibly halting the charging tide of those Chuang soldiers. These starving soldiers

awoke from their frenzy, their faces drained of all color, and screaming, they charged back, leaving behind only corpses covering the ground and the wounded moaning and wailing.

The defenders on the sheep-and-horse wall each fired ten tubes of rockets, forcibly halting the charging tide of those Chuang soldiers. These starving soldiers awoke from their frenzy, their faces drained of all color, and screaming, they charged back, leaving behind only corpses covering the ground and the wounded moaning and wailing.

Wang Dou could see the situation below the wall with perfect clarity from the city gate tower. He sighed inwardly: "Fire arrows have fierce firepower — one shot is

thirty rounds, or a hundred rounds. They can be called a weapon of mass destruction. It's just a pity their accuracy is low, and the consumption is especially enormous. If used

in prolonged warfare, we simply cannot afford them!"