Chapter 65: Bloody Battle

As the moat was filled in, the assault on the city intensified abruptly.

The rebel forces’ attacks lacked discipline, but their sheer numbers made up for it.

A batch fell dead, and another immediately replaced them, as if endless.

With a loud “boom,” an aging cannon reached the end of its life.

Two gunners nearby were blown clean into the sky.

Even rotating the cannons in batches could not prevent accidents.

“Cease firing! Check whether the remaining cannons are safe!”

Li Mu immediately ordered.

After several days of continuous practice, the artillerymen’s accuracy had improved significantly.

Within effective range, the error margin was generally kept within thirty meters.

Some exceptional gunners could even control precision within fifteen meters.

Such accuracy would be negligible in later eras, but in the Great Yu Dynasty, it was already impressive.

Training a skilled artilleryman was difficult; he had always valued such technical talent and could not afford to waste them lightly.

…

“The enemy is out of ammunition! Launch a full-scale assault at once!”

On the watchtower, Huang Renlong, watching the battle, ordered excitedly.

After days of trial and error, the rebel soldiers had developed many ways to dodge cannonballs.

The lethality of the cannons had dropped significantly compared to earlier days.

Yet the thundering cannon fire still heavily suppressed rebel morale.

Especially the massive siege engines—once struck by solid shot, they were instantly destroyed.

With the cannon threat gone, the rebel soldiers’ morale surged instantly.

No longer holding back their strength, Huang Renlong deployed all his siege equipment.

Over a hundred massive trebuchets unleashed their full firepower upon the city walls.

Soldiers raised wooden doors as shields and pushed siege rams against the city gate.

The already-prepared death squads shouldered ladders and leaned them against the walls, only to face falling boulders from above.

Many never even reached the ladder before being crushed into pulp.

The lucky few who climbed up had no time to celebrate before arrows pierced their bodies.

Vats of boiling golden fluid, scalding hot, poured down in relentless streams.

Continuous screams mixed with a foul stench, turning the battlefield into a choking haze.

Casualties among the city defenders also began to rise.

No one knew when a flying boulder might turn them into pulp.

The battle entered its most intense phase; both sides engaged in a war of endurance.

“Second Battalion, move up and relieve them!”

Li Mu ordered coldly.

Having witnessed the brutality of war firsthand, his desire to earn glory and merit dimmed somewhat.

Now he only wanted to defeat the rebels swiftly and restore peace to Yangzhou.

Time passed second by second; dusk deepened, yet the two armies continued their fierce clash.

At critical moments, rebel soldiers briefly breached the ramparts, but were quickly eliminated by the defenders.

…

“Big brother, order a retreat at once!

Night is falling, the enemy’s defenses remain solid—there’s no chance of taking the city today.

The Death Corps has been wiped out; all three battalions that rotated in have suffered heavy losses—if we keep going, the fourth battalion will be gone too!”

Huang Renliang pleaded anxiously.

Unlike the earlier expendable troops, the battalions fighting today were among the very first he had raised.

Compared to the world at large, they were nothing—but within this rebel army, they were unquestionably elite.

“Sound the gong and withdraw!”

Huang Renlong gritted his teeth and ordered.

Deep inside, he bled just as much.

He didn’t care how many expendable troops died.

But these veteran units—he couldn’t bear it. The soldiers were mostly from his hometown, his neighbors and sworn brothers.

Since taking up rebellion, these were the ones who had fought every hardest battle.

“General, after expanding the army, our combat effectiveness has dropped sharply.

If it were the original veteran units, we might have seized the gate just now!”

Huang Renlong pretended not to hear Zong Guangtai’s words.

Had he not expanded the veteran units, he would never have sent them into battle.

Given the intensity of today’s fighting, even the most elite troops would be consumed on the walls.

If this core force was wiped out in one battle, even if Yangzhou fell, it would only serve as a gift for someone else.

“Master Zong, the defenders’ combat effectiveness is far stronger than any imperial troops we’ve faced before.

These men are from the capital—bribes and threats mean nothing to them.

If we keep assaulting the city, our rebel army will suffer devastating losses.

Do you have a clever plan to take the city?”

Huang Renlong asked hopefully.

Previous sieges had always succeeded through inside cooperation.

Most of the time, silver bullets worked—bribing the defenders with heavy gold could easily breach the walls.

When defenders refused to cooperate, capturing their families usually forced someone to surrender.

This was the first time they truly faced a hard nut to crack.

The core officers of the Five City Garrison were still noble descendants—they would never abandon their comfortable lives to follow a rebel leader like him.

“The art of war places psychological warfare above all else; siege warfare is secondary.

General, to take Yangzhou, you must first break the enemy’s morale.

They’ve been besieged for over twenty days—the lives of soldiers and civilians inside must be in dire straits.

The court is corrupt; commanders love to embezzle pay and rations; soldiers often freeze and starve.

Why not set up iron cauldrons outside camp, slaughter a hundred fat pigs, and let the aroma drift with the wind into the city?”

Zong Guangtai smiled.

The pride in his expression betrayed his true intent.

These past days, Huang Renlong had been gathering strategists, clearly distancing himself from him.

Unfortunately, the flowers had intentions, but the stream flowed on—scholars looked down on this salt smuggler.

Even renowned Confucian scholars, once brought into the rebel ranks, grew clumsy.

When offering strategies, they spoke only in Confucian maxims, never giving concrete details.

Occasionally, some bold ones would launch a direct verbal assault on Huang Renlong.

In short, serving the rebels was unthinkable.

Offering strategies was dangerous unless one truly pledged loyalty—otherwise, it was a minefield.

If they harbored resentment and deliberately set a trap, it could cost lives.

After circling around, they had finally come back to him.

“Master Zong, you speak lightly.

Our army has been camped here for so many days—there’s not a soul for a hundred li around. Where are we supposed to find a hundred fat pigs?”

Huang Renliang scoffed.

The rebels had no concept of sustainable development; every pig, ox, and sheep they’d seized had long been slaughtered.

“Renliang, don’t disrespect Master Zong!

The Master’s point is to let the scent of meat drift into the city and shake enemy morale.

It’s pitch dark, and the distance is great—how will the enemy know what kind of meat we’re boiling?

If you can’t find pork, there are so many dead bodies on the battlefield—can’t you find a substitute?”

Huang Renlong immediately rebuked him.

“Big brother, brilliant idea!

Master Zong, I apologize for my earlier words—please forgive me!”

Huang Renliang’s sudden change of tone left Zong Guangtai deeply unsettled.

Boiling human flesh was a profound shock to this scholar from a distinguished family.

…

(End of Chapter)