Chapter 65: A Fierce Battle

As the moat was filled in, the siege battle suddenly intensified.

The rebel army's offensive indeed lacked organization, but they were overwhelming in sheer numbers.

One wave died, and another immediately took its place, as if they were inexhaustible.

With a "Boom—", an aged cannon reached the end of its service life.

The two nearby gunners were blown straight into the sky.

Even by rotating the cannons in batches, accidents could not be prevented.

"Cease fire! Check if the remaining cannons are safe!"

Li Mu ordered immediately.

After several days of continuous practice, the artillerymen's accuracy had improved significantly compared to before.

Within the effective range, the margin of error could basically be controlled within thirty meters.

Some exceptional gunners could even keep the precision within fifteen meters.

Such precision would naturally be considered insufficient in later generations, but in the Great Dayu Dynasty, it was already quite impressive.

Cultivating an excellent artilleryman was not easy; he had always valued such technical talent, so naturally, he could not afford to lose them easily.

……

"The enemy is out of ammunition! Seize the time to launch a full-scale assault!"

On the watchtower, Huang Renlong, who was observing the battle, ordered with an excited expression.

After these days of trial and error, the rebel soldiers had also figured out quite a bit of experience in dodging cannonballs.

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

However, the roaring sound of the artillery still exerted a strong suppression on the rebel morale.

Especially the giant siege engines; once struck by the enemy's solid shot, they would be instantly destroyed.

Now that the threat of the cannons was gone, the rebel soldiers' morale surged instantly.

Unable to care about preserving their strength any longer, Huang Renlong brought out all his siege equipment.

Over a hundred giant trebuchets greeted the city walls with full firepower.

Soldiers raised door panels as shields, pushing siege towers toward the city gates.

The death squads, already prepared, leaned their scaling ladders against the city walls, only to be met by stones falling from the sky.

Many had not even stepped onto the ladders before they were smashed into pulp.

The lucky ones who climbed up didn't even have time to rejoice before arrows pierced their bodies.

Pots of molten gold juice, heated to a boil, were poured down at this moment.

The continuous, unending screams, mixed with the pungent stench, turned the battlefield into a foul, chaotic mess.

Casualties among the city's defending soldiers also gradually increased.

No one knew when they might be smashed into pulp by a flying boulder.

The battle entered its most intense stage, and both sides began a test of endurance.

"Second Battalion, go up and rotate!"

Li Mu ordered coldly.

Having witnessed the cruelty of war with his own eyes, his desire to achieve great things faded by a few degrees.

Now, he only wanted to defeat the rebel army as quickly as possible and restore peace to Yangzhou.

Time ticked away, the sky gradually grew dim, and the two armies continued to fight fiercely.

At a critical moment, rebel soldiers once charged onto the city wall, but they were quickly dealt with by the defenders.

……

"Big Brother, quickly order a retreat!

It is late now, and the enemy's city defenses remain solid; it is impossible to break the city today.

The death squad has been wiped out, and the three battalions that took turns attacking have all suffered heavy losses. If this continues, the fourth battalion will be gone too!"

Huang Renliang advised with an anxious expression.

Unlike the previous cannon fodder troops, the several battalions that participated in the siege today were the very first teams they had raised.

Looking at the world, they were nothing, but within this rebel army, they could definitely be considered elites.

"Sound the gong and retreat!"

Huang Renlong said, suppressing his anger.

Deep in his heart, he was also bleeding.

He could not care less about how many cannon fodder died.

But these old battalions were different; most of the soldiers inside were brought from their hometown, including his fellow villagers and kin.

Since embarking on the path of rebellion, the toughest battles had all been fought by these people.

"General, after the army expanded, the combat effectiveness dropped a lot.

If it were the original old battalions, perhaps they would have taken the city gate just now!"

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

If he hadn't expanded the old battalions, he wouldn't have been willing to let them go up.

With the intensity of the battle just now, no matter how elite the troops were, they would be consumed on the city walls.

If the core of the rebellion was wiped out in one battle, even if they took Yangzhou City, it would just be making a wedding dress for someone else.

"Mr. Zong, the combat effectiveness shown by the defenders is much stronger than the imperial troops we encountered before.

These guys are from the capital; neither threats nor inducements work on them.

If we continue to storm the city, the rebel army will likely suffer heavy losses.

Does the teacher have a brilliant plan to break the city?"

Huang Renlong asked expectantly.

The previous siege battles were all completed with internal and external cooperation.

Most of the time, they relied on silver-bullet offensives, buying off the defending officers and soldiers with heavy gold to easily break the city.

For those who refused to cooperate, after capturing their families, someone would always choose to submit.

This was the first time they were truly gnawing on a hard bone.

The core officers of the Five Cities Infantry Division were still noble descendants; these people could not possibly abandon their current opulent lives to come and mix with him, a rebel leader.

"In the art of war, attacking the heart is superior, attacking the city is inferior.

General, to break Yangzhou City, you must first break their military morale.

Having been besieged by us for over twenty days, the lives of the soldiers and civilians in the city must be greatly affected.

The imperial court is corrupt, and generals love to deduct rations; soldiers are often cold and hungry.

Why not set up iron pots outside the camp, slaughter a hundred fat pigs, and let the aroma drift into the city with the wind."

Zong Guangtai said with a smile.

The look of pride between his brows still exposed his true thoughts.

Recently, Huang Renlong had been constantly scouting for strategists, and his intention to distance himself from him was obvious.

Regrettably, the feeling was unrequited; scholars simply looked down on him, a private salt peddler.

Even famous Confucian scholars, after being invited into the rebel ranks, became clumsy.

When offering advice, they were always full of sage books, never mentioning specific content.

Occasionally, there were bold ones who would just unleash a barrage of criticism at Huang Renlong.

In short, defecting to the rebels was impossible.

Matters of strategy, unless one truly defected, were riddled with hidden dangers.

If someone harbored resentment and deliberately dug a pit, it could be fatal.

After going around in circles, he finally had to ask him for help.

"Mr. Zong, you make it sound easy.

The army has been here for so many days, and there is no sign of life for a hundred miles; where are we going to get a hundred fat pigs?"

Huang Renliang, standing to the side, said disdainfully.

The rebel army had no concept of sustainable development; the pigs, cattle, and sheep they had seized had long since been slaughtered.

"Renliang, do not be rude to Mr. Zong!

The teacher's intention is to let the aroma of meat drift into the city to shake the morale of the enemy soldiers.

It's pitch black, and the distance is so far; how would the enemy know what kind of meat we are stewing.

If you can't find pork, so many people died on the battlefield; can't you find a substitute?"

Huang Renlong reprimanded him immediately.

"Big Brother, brilliant!

Mr. Zong, it was my slip of the tongue just now; please forgive me!"

Huang Renliang's change of face made Zong Guangtai feel very uncomfortable.

Stewing human meat was a huge shock to him, a scion of a family well-versed in sage books.

……

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 66 =====