Chapter 333: Rockets

After noon, another batch of Ming shield carts arrived beside the trench, bringing the midday meal. Both on the walls and below, the fighting had lost its spirit. Occasionally a matchlockman would pop up on the battlements, fire a wild shot, and immediately duck back into hiding. The two four-pounder cannons slowly and methodically picked off the crenellations on the wall. By now, the battlements above the Ying'en Gate were already broken and incomplete.

The base of the wall was scorched pitch-black. The first two batches of assault carts had all been burned. But a new batch had arrived. The sand and gravel bags in the trench were piled higher and higher, making it easier for the later bridge-laying carts to set up. The moat in front of the south gate was now almost entirely covered.

Fierce flames raged at the foot of the wall, making an immediate assault impossible. Soldiers and bondservants ate steamed cakes behind the shield carts. After eating, the soldiers lit up pipes to rest. A few of the better-natured ones even gave a cigarette to the bondservants, who accepted with profuse thanks. This Wendeng incense was a luxury in Liaodong; even the armored soldiers could not smoke it often.

While the soldiers rested, two shield carts with plank roofs slowly approached the side of the gate. From the front extended a long spear shaft fitted with a noose, reaching far out to drag the corpses inside the gate tunnel. They were slightly farther from the wall base, and with many firearms providing cover from behind, the Later Jin soldiers could not pour oil that far. They only occasionally threw a stone, but seeing it could not smash the carts, they eventually ignored them. The two shield carts were like man-eating monsters, continuously dragging over Later Jin corpses one by one. The bodies were swallowed under the front shield into the cart's belly, then pulled out from the rear as headless, naked corpses. They dragged away every body within reach before slowly moving back to the trench line.

The Jianzhou bandits followed suit. From both sides of the inner gate tunnel, they extended long poles with nooses, pulling in the Dengzhou soldiers they had just killed one by one, stripping off their armor and putting it on themselves.

Two of the Great General cannons on the wall had burst their barrels. The explosion killed more Later Jin soldiers than the cannonballs had killed Ming troops, so they no longer dared to fire them. Scout riders had reported earlier that these Great General cannons were captured during the Battle of Dalinghe. No one knew when they were made. It now seemed the Later Jin had maintained them poorly. The Later Jin only valued their red-barbarian gunners, using these old cannons merely to make up numbers, and their operation was far less skilled than with the red-barbarian cannons. Still, they were formidable for blocking the gate; close-range cannon fire was simply impossible to defend against.

Liu Pojun observed the signal flags for a moment and said, "My lord, on the wall are Ujen Cooha. Coming out of the gate tunnel are the Tianyou Army."

Chen Xin nodded. Today's attack was first meant to test the defenders' will. It now appeared the Jianzhou bandits' determination to hold the city was still very firm, and they were all using Han traitor troops. They felt no heartache over losses, and replacements were quick. If the strategic situation were favorable, Chen Xin could summon craftsmen to build large numbers of siege equipment—specialized large scaling ladders, elevated earth platforms to suppress the walls, and swatting carts to deal with defenders. But this time, he did not have the time to slowly construct them.

"Fuzhou may be the Jianzhou Chieftain's bottom line. Mang Gūltai and Dorgon dare not abandon it lightly. Our forces are not superior; if we cannot take it, we need not force the assault. We only need to compel the Jianzhou bandits to mobilize their troops from central Liao. We must fight fiercely here. The scout riders' harassment to the north must also be effective."

Liu Pojun replied, "The Special Duty Company and the main army's scout riders plan a two-day raid, twenty squads in total, with the destruction zone reaching Guo'erpu. If they encounter reinforcements from that Bordered Red Banner unit at Gaizhou, they will withdraw early."

"Any new news from the Dongjiang Army?"

"An urgent military report arrived this morning, delivered by our outriders from Jinzhou. The Dongjiang Army is raiding the Liaodong coast. The central route, launching from Greater and Lesser Changshan and Guanglu, captured Huanggudao Fort the day before yesterday, killing over twenty Later Jin soldiers and bondservants. They have now advanced to Xiuyan. The northern route, launching from Pidao, Ludao, and Zhangzidao, is raiding Zhenjiang, Tangzhanbao, Xianshanbao, and as far as Fenghuangcheng and other places. Mao Chenglu and Shang Kexi on the central route plan to withdraw in three days. It is still unclear when Huang Long and Shen Shikui on the northern route will pull back."

Chen Xin calculated: if Fuzhou urgently requested aid, Shenyang would likely need about three days to assemble sufficient troops. If Fuzhou could not be taken, he could withdraw in two or three days, meaning the Shenyang reinforcements would be halfway here by the time they received the news. He hoped the Dongjiang Garrison could also gain something this time, raising the morale of the entire Liaodong region.

Chen Xin ate lunch on the southern slope of Tudi Hill. Halfway through the meal, a drum sounded below Fuzhou's walls. Over ten newly built assault carts charged across the trench and began digging holes again. The Later Jin soldiers' defensive methods were also varied, bringing out everything they had encountered at Changli and Ningyuan.

As soon as the assault carts stopped, many Later Jin arms appeared on the wall, hurling lime pots that smashed on the ground, splashing white lime high into the air. Taking advantage of the white smoke from the lime pots, figures darted chaotically on the wall, throwing down piles of oil-soaked grass bundles and cotton quilts. Some also used cloth bags to scatter gunpowder. The black powder flew wildly, shrouding the area below the wall as if in black smoke.

The moment they started throwing things from above, the Ming troops at the trench shouted loudly, ordering the assault carts to retreat. The bondservants under the carts struggled to push them back. The four-pounder cannons below the wall kept firing at the battlements. Where they hit, bricks and stones flew, and screams were incessant. Dengzhou officers shouted reminders, ordering soldiers to each watch their own crenellation and fire only when they saw a figure.

Soon, over ten torches were thrown from the wall. The swirling gunpowder below was ignited, and the entire base of the wall became a sea of sparks. The rotten quilts and grass bundles immediately burst into raging flames. The dozen or so assault carts had already pulled back a little, but two slower ones were still caught in the inferno.

"My lord, it seems the Later Jin soldiers are well-prepared. Relying on these simple devices, it will not be easy to take the city." Liu Pojun watched several burning figures rolling beneath the wall and felt it was time to advise restraint. Although most of the casualties were bondservants, such a scene greatly affected morale.

Chen Xin said flatly, "Are there any other contingency plans?"

"There is also digging a tunnel, but it will take time. The Fuzhou moat is one zhang and five chi deep. If we go from below…"

"Use the shield carts and assault carts as cover. Dig from the inner side of the moat. First dig a trench to stop infantry, build a breastwork, then dig the tunnel behind the trench."

Liu Pojun said in surprise, "Wouldn't that be digging a tunnel right under their noses? The Jianzhou bandits could easily determine the location and flood it with smoke or water, or even counter-dig."

"It doesn't matter. We must make it look convincing. Would they dare risk letting us dig so close? We can't break in, so it's best if we can lure them out. Send someone to tell Wang Zhangfu to let the heavy weapons squad try their hand as well. The infantry is not to charge the gate again."

The messenger quickly relayed the order. The remaining assault carts stopped a dozen or so paces from the wall, forming a line with the covering shield carts. The quilts and grass bundles thrown by the Later Jin soldiers could not reach that far. The greatest threat now was those lime pots and fire pots.

After Chen Xin's order arrived, the eight-pounder cannons also pulled back slightly. They used solid shot to bombard the battlements. The crenellations near the gate were nearly leveled under the fire of the four bronze cannons. Shattered bricks flying wildly inflicted heavy casualties on the matchlockmen and archers. Other marksmen rushed over but had nowhere to hide and could only scatter to the sides. The Jianzhou bandits' frontal firepower was completely suppressed.

The bondservants under the assault carts began digging. The excavated earth was piled between the shield carts. The Later Jin soldiers on the wall kept peeking out, observing the Ming army's movements.

The heavy weapons squad of the First Guard's Thousand-Man Headquarters replaced the eight-pounder cannons' position. Three large falconets were aimed at the gate, flanked by two frame-mounted fire-rocket carts (see related work: Rocket Carts). The Dengzhou Garrison's rocket carts were larger than those commonly used by the Ming army. The honeycomb-like wooden launcher was densely packed with rockets. Only the front half of each rocket was inside the launch tube; the arrowhead and bundled powder charge protruded from the front. From the rear of the launcher trailed long fuses, tied into three bundles of one hundred each. The lower part and both sides of the cart body each had three long spears. When advancing in formation, they could function as light blade carts. A beam was mounted on top with wooden bars, from which hung two layers of suspended cotton curtains, protecting the operating soldiers from plunging arrow fire. At this moment, wooden wedges had been placed in front of and behind the wheels of the two rocket carts. Two support stands on the push handles were braced on two spare ammunition boxes, aligning the launch tubes with the gate tunnel.

This was the first appearance of Dengzhou's new heavy weapons squad, a formation unique to the Mandarin Duck Formation Thousand-Man Headquarters. Chen Xin designed this unit because the Mandarin Duck Formation had fewer firearms than the square formation. This squad could provide supplementary firepower. The falconets' one-catty shot could deal with shields and shield carts at close range. The rocket carts could output massive firepower in a short time. Concentrated in one area, they could provide cover for the killer squads engaging the enemy, and they could also be used to defend special positions like bridges and gate tunnels.

The bondservants dug quickly. The earth between the shield carts soon piled up. The two eight-pounder cannons continued bombarding the flanks, forcing the Later Jin marksmen on the wall to retreat farther and farther.

At that moment, a bugle call sounded from the left flank. Chen Xin turned to look and saw half the mounted infantry and all the cavalry mounting up. Led by Zhu Guobin's banner, they moved to form up behind the left-flank infantry. A force of Plain Blue Banner cavalry, about five or six hundred men, soon appeared outside the western wall. They had come out from the north gate and were spotted early by the Dengzhou scout riders. This Later Jin cavalry force seemed intent on pinning the Ming army from the flank, but they could only halt a li away. Before them were over a thousand men in tight infantry squares. Facing such a disciplined heavy infantry formation, even heavy cavalry dared not charge head-on, let alone these lightly equipped Later Jin cavalry. And the Ming cavalry to their flank and rear was equally intimidating.

"They don't dare come up." Chen Xin smiled faintly. "If they had the guts, they could head through the western hills toward Niangniang Temple. Then this official could block them again."

Liu Pojun also said, "Having cavalry makes all the difference. At least here in Fuzhou, the Jianzhou bandits can't pull any tricks. But if the Jianzhou bandits are drawing our forces to the flank, are they still planning to charge from the gate? Should we send in the other battalion of the First Guard?"

Chen Xin shook his head, smiling. "Then the heavy weapons squad will have a chance to prove its worth. The Jianzhou bandits have seen plenty of falconets, but they've never seen falconets operated by professional artillerymen. Send up the First Guard's detachment. The other battalion will remain in reserve."

As the two had roughly predicted, before the detachment even reached the trench line, a Jianzhou banner waved at the southwest corner. After a hoarse battle cry from inside the south gate, a tide of Later Jin soldiers surged into the gate tunnel.

The gunners on the falconets and rocket carts simultaneously touched their torches to the ignition points. The three large falconets immediately roared. One-catty iron balls shot from the extra-long fifty-five-caliber barrels, tearing the limbs off the front rank of Later Jin soldiers. The four-man gun crews swiftly pulled out the iron wedges fixed at the breech and began swapping the pre-loaded chambers. The matchlock soldiers, arrayed in tight formation, also began rotating fire.

At that moment, a continuous, unending hissing erupted from both flanks. Sparks flew from the frames of the rocket carts, their rears instantly swallowed in clouds of white smoke. Streaks of red tail flame shot past like fiery dragons. The rocket carts shuddered incessantly. Six hundred rockets, trailing white wakes, scrambled into the gate tunnel, drowning it in a pall of white smoke. Rockets that struck the wall or armor clattered to the ground. Unspent propellant sent the arrow shafts skittering wildly across the ground. The screams of Later Jin soldiers mingled with the shrill shrieks of countless rockets, echoing far through the gate tunnel. The flying, darting rockets kicked up countless sparks on the tunnel walls. The entire gate blazed with fire and seethed with white smoke, like a grand fireworks display.

The three falconet crews and the flintlock soldiers kept firing into the smoke-filled gate tunnel. By the time the rocket barrage finished, they could barely see each other in their small firing position. Even the gun crews could only reload slowly.

After the falconets had fired five pre-loaded chambers each, only miserable groans remained inside the gate tunnel. No Later Jin soldiers were seen charging out from the edge of the white smoke. The gun crews and matchlockmen looked at each other. After the matchlockmen fired one more volley, everyone stopped.

The wind blowing through the gate slowly dispersed the white smoke. Inside and outside the gate tunnel, corpses lay piled in layers. The tunnel walls were covered in black scorch marks from the rocket tail flames. The bodies of the Later Jin soldiers at the front were bristling with arrows like hedgehogs. Even the thatched roofs and wooden beams of the houses lining the street inside the gate were chaotically studded with arrows. Some wounded Later Jin soldiers were crawling painfully on the ground, trying to make their way back into the city.

Liu Pojun held the telescope Chen Xin handed him, staring slack-jawed at the scene in the gate tunnel. Previously, the Dengzhou Garrison had not valued rockets highly, because rockets were a common Ming army weapon. Hundred-Tiger Volley Arrows, Hornet's Nests, and the like could all be carried by individual soldiers. The single-wheeled frame rocket cart could carry one hundred and sixty rockets, and a volley was quite powerful. But they had rarely performed outstandingly against the Jianzhou bandits. He had not expected the power of properly made rockets to be so shocking.

Because these two weapons were not simple to manufacture, and the Dengzhou Garrison did not use them much, aside from the cart frames and launchers, they were not produced by Dengzhou itself. They all came from the Dengzhou Armory. The Dengzhou Garrison only selected the best when receiving them.

Chen Xin smiled at Liu Pojun. "So, how are these rockets?"

Liu Pojun gently shook his head. "Truly formidable. I didn't expect them to be so ferocious at close range. The heavy weapons squad's tests showed that at close range, the rockets haven't finished accelerating and lethality is low. Their power is greatest beyond a hundred paces, where they can pierce chainmail, though they still struggle against iron armor. A massed volley can throw an enemy formation into chaos. But today, used in the gate tunnel, it was indeed… even more powerful. It's not just about killing people. Looking at the scene inside that gate tunnel, I fear no one would have the courage to keep charging. Most of them were probably packed in there and killed by the falconets and matchlocks."

Chen Xin laughed heartily. "I'm truly looking forward to seeing fifteen rocket carts from the heavy weapons squad fire a volley together. But the arrows are not easy to make, and we don't produce them ourselves. Let's conserve them and use them again next time."

Liu Pojun licked his lips. "My lord, why not ask Lord Wang for more arrows? We can make some rockets ourselves."

Chen Xin said smugly, "Of course we'll make them. But for the kind we're using now, we can ask the imperial court for them. We don't need to make those ourselves. Later, we'll make big ones."

"Big ones?" A question mark popped up over Liu Pojun's head. All the rockets he had seen were this size, almost indistinguishable from ordinary arrows.

"Big ones, and made of iron casing. Then this official will really give the Jianzhou bandits something to see." Chen Xin tossed out this remark and spurred his horse down the hill.

"Iron casing? Could that even fly?" Liu Pojun scratched his head and hurriedly followed…

Inside the gate, bricks and stones flew as Later Jin bondservants and Han traitors kept piling obstacles into the gate tunnel, as if determined to seal the gate shut.

At the gate, the two shield carts slowly approached again. A noose pole extended out, lassoing the foot of a wounded soldier crawling back, and dragged him backward. The Later Jin soldier screamed in terror, his hands scrabbling frantically at the ground. But how could he resist the several Dengzhou soldiers inside the shield cart? He was quickly dragged under the cart's shield plate into its belly. A scream rang out from inside, and a headless corpse was swiftly tossed out the back of the shield cart. The wooden monster squirmed a little, then advanced again. (To be continued.)

PS: Requesting monthly tickets.