Chapter 641: Betrayal of Grace

Their group of famine refugees, mostly from the same ward in Yuzhou, had only charged once before, outside the walls of Nanzhao, after being coerced into service. At that time, famine refugees inside opened the gates just as they reached the walls, and the city fell with unimaginable ease. But clearly, Nanyang City was different. In these past days, who knew how many lives had already been thrown away here.

Watching others attack was one thing, but now it was finally their turn...

The group exchanged terrified glances. Sixth Wife, trembling, said to her husband beside her, "Brother Yuanfa... are we really, really going to charge?"

Yang Yuanfa's left arm was already hard to move. In his right hand he carried a saber. These past days, his hair had turned even whiter.

He sighed and said, "Those who dare disobey orders face only death. We can only fight with all we have. If we can take the city, or even just retreat alive, we'll get large flatbread and a full meal. If we save some... Eldest Daughter and Second Daughter haven't had a full meal in so long."

"My little girls."

Thinking of her two daughters, growing thinner and thinner from hunger, Sixth Wife felt as if a knife were slicing her heart.

Yang Yuanfa instructed his wife, "When we charge, stay close behind me. For Eldest Daughter and Second Daughter, you must survive."

Another cannon shot rang out, and another wave of famine refugees launched their assault. The sea of people stretched endlessly to the left and right. Sixth Wife stayed in the ranks, behind her man. Looking ahead, she saw countless more heads. Some men in each unit were also carrying scaling ladders.

Besides these, there were also things like movable wooden bridges, called, she heard, trench bridges, specially made for crossing moats during sieges. In these past days, although the famine refugees had filled in most of the moat and trenches outside Nanyang City, some sections still remained unreachable. But trench bridges were difficult to build, so they were deployed in limited numbers and few sorties.

There were also shielded assault wagons and pointed battering rams. Each could shelter over a dozen men, allowing them to dig at walls and fill trenches without fear of metal, wood, fire, or stone from above. Likewise, these devices were few in number, and most of the time, they were reserved to shield elite troops.

Amid the human tide, several observation towers on wheels were also being pushed forward. Their tall masts rose even higher than the city walls, with lookout platforms on top from which one could observe the situation inside the city.

The vast, surging sea of people: besides the famine refugees at the front, not far behind them came a tide of infantry, bearing sabers, shields, bows, arrows, and firelocks, ready to assault depending on the battle's progress, and also serving to supervise the famine soldiers ahead.

This wave of the Chuang army's assault also brought along some battering rams, which could smash into the city gates, as well as some sections of damaged wall.

As the Chuang army recruited more and more craftsmen, the various siege engines in their forces were becoming increasingly sophisticated.

When the human sea closed to within one li of the city wall, another cannon shot sounded from the rear. Then, earth-shaking war drums began to pound. The famine refugees at the front erupted with sky-shattering battle cries. They quickened their pace and charged forward. Sixth Wife raised her club, shouting with all her might, and ran for her life.

The shriek of cannon fire rang out. The cannons on the wall thundered, dazzling flames erupted, and dense white smoke billowed continuously into the sky.

The Chuang army's own cannons likewise bombarded the top of the wall. In the past, when attacking Luoyang, Li Zicheng had tasted the advantages of cannons, and he had also suffered bitterly from the cannons of the Jingbian Army. Therefore, wherever he went, he paid great attention to collecting cannons and treating cannon-founders and craftsmen generously.

He had even attempted to manufacture cannons himself. Yet while falconets were manageable, he lacked the capability to produce the great red-barbarian cannons.

The Chuang army's cannons pounded the city wall from time to time, striking with thunderous booms that sent bricks and stones flying.

The cannons on the wall fired back desperately, and many fire arrows, trailing green smoke, flew out toward the area outside the city.

However, the intensity was much weaker than in previous days. Presumably, after many days of defending the city, the garrison's stockpile of arrows was nearly exhausted.

With a boom, an iron ball weighing several jin shrieked into the midst of Sixth Wife's group of famine soldiers. A burst of bloody light, severed limbs, and shredded flesh sprayed up and fell down, accompanied by the horrifying sound of shattering bone. Of three men and women, one man had half his shoulder blown away; one woman had everything below her thighs completely gone.

The man at the very front suffered the worst fate: his body was blasted in two at the waist. Fragments of internal organs in various colors immediately spilled across the ground. From the torn, severed wounds of the other man and woman, fresh blood gushed out like fountains. They rolled on the ground, letting out heart-rending screams of agony.

Everyone felt their scalps tingle and instinctively slowed their pace. Sixth Son's face was also pale. Some things seemed wonderful in imagination, but to fight a few battles, become an elite soldier, and eat two meals a day, or even three, was no easy matter.

The squad commander of their unit, carrying a saber and holding a shield, had also been so startled by the scene just now that his Adam's apple bobbed up and down uncontrollably. Yet he still barked sternly, "Don't stop! Keep charging!"

He also urged the standard-bearer beside him to hold the great banner high.

During their charge, Sixth Wife's group endured another volley of fire arrows. Some were shot down, and the men carrying the scaling ladder were replaced by a fresh batch.

Finally, carried along by the human tide, Sixth Wife and the others closed in not far from the city wall.

Over these last hundred-plus paces, corpses lay piled in layers, in every conceivable posture. The ground was covered in dark red bloodstains, along with discarded weapons of all kinds, banners, and damaged equipment. Looking ahead at the city wall stretching out to both sides, many scaling ladders were already raised, and beneath the wall, a stream of people swarmed like ants.

Off to the right, outside a section of the city wall, an iron-clad battering ram, shielded by wooden planks on top, was being pushed by a dense crowd of men and was violently ramming the wall with terrifying force.

A surge of joy rose in Sixth Wife's heart. From the looks of it, they could take the city today.

Just at that moment, she saw on the top of the wall ahead, at the crenellations, some Ming soldiers in cotton-padded armor appeared, each raising a bird gun in their hands.

Sixth Wife saw streams of white smoke spreading across the top of the wall. Then came the incessant crack of bird guns, and all around her in the crowd, bursts of bloody mist erupted from many people's bodies.

"Ah!"

Not far from her side, Uncle Qian: a spurt of blood suddenly shot from his abdomen. He clutched his belly, rolling and struggling on the ground, screaming in agony. The lead bullet had torn the intestines inside him to shreds. That kind of pain was truly beyond description. His cries no longer sounded human.

"Uncle Qian!"

Sixth Wife and the others cried out.

Another volley of cracks rang out from the top of the wall. The muzzle flashes seemed to merge into one continuous sheet of flame. More people fell, struck by bullets.

Sixth Wife heard many people screaming in terror, "King of Hell guns! It's the King of Hell guns..."

Word had already spread through the Chuang army that in Nanyang City, among Meng Ruhu's troops, there was a batch of bird guns obtained from the East Road of Xuanfu Garrison. They were exceptionally lethal, capable of piercing heavy armor even at a hundred paces. Once hit, there was absolutely no chance of survival. The Chuang army feared them greatly and called them King of Hell guns.

Fortunately, after many days of heavy fighting, the ammunition for those bird guns was also nearly spent. The Ming soldiers on the wall only used them at critical moments.

Now, at nearly a hundred paces from the wall, those bird guns were still so devastating, proving that those Ming soldiers were indeed using the King of Hell guns.

"Charge!"

Though terrified, the squad commander still urged his unit on.

"Ah!"

Screams came from up ahead.

A scaling ladder had been pushed over by the defenders on the wall using a push-pole. Everyone on the ladder was thrown off and half-killed in the fall.

Then a heavy wooden battering board, covered in wolf-tooth iron spikes, dropped from the top of the wall. It struck everyone on another scaling ladder from head to toe, sweeping them all off. On these people's bodies, bloody holes covered them everywhere, as if they had been stabbed countless times by spears. They clearly could not survive.

The culprit was a wolf-tooth board. After the strike, it creaked and groaned as it was pulled back up, its wolf-tooth iron spikes carrying flesh and blood, by the rope winch and pulley inside the city.

A large bronze cabinet extended out over the top of the wall. On it were several bronze tubes, aimed down at the base of the wall, at the iron-clad battering ram shielded by wooden planks and leather that was violently ramming the wall.

With a whooshing sound, the several bronze tubes suddenly sprayed out a terrifying, fierce fire. Under the blazing flames, the entire battering ram quickly caught fire. From underneath and around the vehicle, over a dozen screaming, burning human torches ran out, their bodies completely engulfed in flames.

"Move over that way!"

The squad commander directed his unit. The men carrying the scaling ladder pointed at a section of the wall ahead and shouted.

They were not far from the wall now, only a dozen or so paces away.

And just at that moment, from this section of the wall, the sound of catapult mechanisms rang out from above. Then they saw a dense shower of stone projectiles hurled down from the top of the wall. Not just ahead and to the sides, but even among Sixth Wife's own unit, many stone projectiles fell. Many people were struck on the spot, their tendons snapped and bones broken, vomiting blood in agony.

Even more terrifying, some of these projectiles were round and could roll and bounce. She saw one large, round stone projectile that seemed about to fall right on top of her and her husband. For an instant, Sixth Wife was scared out of her wits.

With a heavy thud, the round stone projectile passed just barely, a single step to her left. Then came a chilling, agonized howl. Sixth Wife looked over. Honest, simple Uncle Wen: both his legs had been cleanly severed at the thigh, rolled right off.

"Keep moving forward!"

The squad commander roared furiously.

Uncle Wen rolled on the ground in unbearable agony; his wife, wailing, picked up his waist knife and, under the coercion of the squad commander and others, continued forward.

They were about to approach the city wall. "Grey jars, careful!" someone shouted loudly.

Immediately everyone tensely covered their heads and faces with their clothes. The Chuang army had assaulted many cities, and much common knowledge about defensive equipment and weapons was known even to the famine soldiers; the army officers would also bring it up afterward.

Jars and pots rained down from the top of the wall. When they shattered, the lime powder inside spread everywhere, but Liu Niang and the others covered their heads and faces, avoiding the most critical damage from the first wave. Yet even when they opened their eyes, white mist was everywhere, a grey haze that still made people cough incessantly and felt like they could barely keep their eyes open.

"Boom! Boom!"

Suddenly a series of thunderous explosions rang out. Many screamed; someone cried in alarm: "King of Hell Thunder, it's King of Hell Thunder!"

In Meng Ruhu's army, there was a batch of Jingbian Army Ten-Thousand-Man Foes. After improving the gunpowder formula, these Ten-Thousand-Man Foes were smaller but more powerful. When they exploded, they blasted the Chuang soldiers beneath the wall into howling ghosts and wailing wolves.

"Watch out!"

Liu Niang was in a panic when suddenly Yang Yuanfa let out a great roar and shoved her aside. Then Liu Niang watched in horror as a dark object exploded beside the man, sending countless shards of iron and stone flying.

Yang Yuanfa was pierced with several bloody holes not only all over his body but also on his head, face, and throat. He rolled on the ground, straining with all his might to look toward Liu Niang, his mouth seeming to utter the word "Nannan" a few times, then his body convulsed briefly and moved no more.

Liu Niang cried out in anguish: "Husband."

Some fire pots were thrown down from the top of the wall, and some firewood was lit and thrown down as well, seemingly wrapped with saltpeter, sulfur, and fire oil, used to burn the Chuang soldiers and scaling ladders below. Smoke surged skyward. Liu Zi watched helplessly as some people, engulfed in flames, were burned alive just like that.

Neighbors from his street, one after another, died right before his eyes. All his courage vanished completely. With a shriek, he turned to flee, his wife following behind him.

Then a flash of blade was seen. Liu Zi's terrified head left his body — it was his own squad commander who had cleaved his head off with one stroke.

Then with a turn of his blade, he struck another blow at Liu Zi's wife, who had frozen in sudden shock. She screamed miserably, begging desperately for her life. The squad commander paid no heed and hacked her to death blow by blow.

A surge of pleasure welled up in his heart. In the past, he had been just an ordinary commoner in Luoyang City; now, the lives of many were held in his own hands.

He raised his bloodstained waist knife and barked fiercely: "Those who turn back shall die!"

Liu Niang wailed as if her heart and lungs were being torn apart. She picked up the waist knife from beside her husband and staggered forward. Everything before her eyes was hell itself.

The scaling ladders finally leaned against the city wall. Under the squad commander's coercion, some of the men among the famine soldiers of this unit, trembling with fear, climbed the ladders carrying waist knives and clubs, one after another, strung together in a line.

Suddenly, the man at the very top smelled an indescribable stench in his nostrils. He looked up in terror and saw a bucket of boiling fecal liquid pouring down right over his head and face.

"Ah!"

Everyone on the scaling ladder was drenched from head to toe by the golden juice. The boiling fecal liquid scalded the flesh all over their bodies with a sizzling sound, skin dissolving and bones melting. With inhuman howls, they fell off the scaling ladder one by one.

That squad commander was peering around right beside the ladder. Caught off guard, he too was splashed by the boiling fecal liquid, screaming and hopping in utter agony. Then everyone on the ladder fell down one after another, all crashing onto him — he clearly could not survive.

"That scoundrel is dead? Good riddance!"

Liu Niang stared blankly, then saw numerous rolling stones hurled down from the top of the wall. Several of them struck her.

Blood spurted from Liu Niang's mouth. She lay on the ground, a bloody pulp. As she was dying, only one thought remained in her mind: "Brother Yuanfa and I are both dead. What will happen to Danan and Ernan?"

The Nanyang defenders were tenacious. This wave of famine-civilian assault failed again. From the rear came the sound of gongs beating retreat. As if granted a great pardon, the famine civilians attacking the city scrambled over each other to withdraw. Countless pairs of large feet trampled over the corpses of Liu Niang, Yang Yuanfa, and the others...

However, it was only a temporary retreat. Before long, after a cannon blast, yet another wave of famine-soldier assault unfolded.

Two days later, outside Nanyang City, at the foot of the wall where corpses were piled like mountains, scaling ladders were densely erected. Stream after stream of Chuang soldiers and troops continuously climbed to the top of the wall. The city had fallen.

Once the city fell, Meng Ruhu still fought in the streets with a short blade. The men around him grew fewer and fewer. In the end, even his central-army commander Ma Zhi died in battle. Only a few personal guards remained by his side. He also received word that Vice Regional Commander Liu Guangzuo, who had defended the city with him, had likewise died in battle.

Unceasingly, Chuang officers called out to him, urging surrender. Meng Ruhu sighed: "I have been loyal all my life. My sons and nephews all died in battle. How could I surrender to bandits and tarnish my name and integrity?"

"The city has fallen; I shall die for the nation. Today, let this general die in battle right here!"

He fought as he retreated. In the end, he was utterly alone, his body covered with wound upon wound. He came before the Prince of Tang's mansion and gazed at it. After the city fell, the Prince of Tang and the others would likely find it hard to escape death — but he himself was powerless to help.

He straightened his armor, knelt facing north, and bowed several times. He raised his head, and hot tears welled from his tiger-like eyes: "Your Majesty, your servant has failed your grace."

Dense ranks of Chuang soldiers closed in. Sharp whistles of tearing wind sounded as javelins were hurled one after another. The muffled thuds of bodies being pierced through sounded repeatedly.

Meng Ruhu grunted heavily several times. His body swayed and tottered, yet in the end he still stood firm. He looked at the fresh blood on his body, dripping down drop by drop. His strength ebbed continuously from within him. He felt so weary. Yes, after campaigning his entire life, it was time for him to rest.

With all his might, he faced the north, slowly closed his eyes, and just like that, died standing. (To be continued.)