Chapter 12

The next morning, the army set out.

After marching most of the day, around Shen hour, the outline of a majestic city appeared on the horizon.

They had reached Kaiping City.

Chang Yuchun ordered the camp to be set up ten li outside the city.

The army busied itself, erecting palisades, digging moats, and setting up other defenses like antlers.

But Shiniu was summoned to the Central Command Tent.

Inside the tent, Chang Yuchun, Lan Yu, and several officers were looking at a map.

Seeing Shiniu enter, Chang Yuchun waved and said, "Come over."

Shiniu walked over.

Chang Yuchun pointed to Kaiping on the map: "The city walls are 2.8 zhang high, made of brick and stone, each gate has a walled barbican; the defending commander is Yuan General Hala Zhang, with about eight thousand troops, while we have only over twenty thousand— a direct assault would incur heavy casualties."

He turned to Shiniu and smiled: "What do you think?"

The other officers in the tent were stunned.

Chang Yuchun asked a fourteen-year-old soldier what he thought, and this soldier was a simpleton...

Shiniu looked at the map and, simple-mindedly, said: "The gate is made of wood."

Huh?

"Being wood, it can be smashed open; my hammer can do it." Shiniu said.

Chang Yuchun stared at Shiniu: "You mean… directly smash the gate?"

Yes.

Lan Yu frowned: "The gate is reinforced with iron, and the battlements have arrows and rolling logs, making approach difficult."

Shiniu thought: "Then… first take out the archers."

"How?"

"I'll charge up and smash them all; then you can get close." Shiniu said naturally, as if talking about pulling a radish from the field.

The tent fell silent.

After a moment, Chang Yuchun burst out laughing: "Good! Let's do it!"

That's how Chang Yuchun fights— in battle, there's no need for so many plans; kill those blocking the way, smash any gate you see.

Lan Yu urged: "General! This is too risky; even if Shiniu is brave, he's still flesh and blood, and a rain of arrows from the battlements…"

"So he needs cover; tomorrow's assault will concentrate all archers and crossbowmen to suppress the battlements, while ladders and battering rams advance together— Shiniu, you will lead a squad of Death Soldiers, bearing shields, to charge the gate."

"As long as you can get close to the gate and smash it open, we will win this battle." Chang Yuchun collected his smile and spoke solemnly.

Shiniu nodded heavily: "Yes."

Chang Yuchun looked around at the officers and said: "Everyone understood— tomorrow we cook at Mao hour, attack at Chen hour; we must take Kaiping!"

"Yes!"

The officers withdrew.

Lan Yu stayed behind, looking at Chang Yuchun and said: "General, you really are sending him to smash the gate?"

Chang Yuchun nodded: "Yes! Have you seen him fight? Do you think… a gate could stop him?"

Lan Yu thought back to the scene earlier that day when a single hammer blow knocked down twenty men, fell silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"Then that's right— this kid… isn't an ordinary mortal. All we need to do is create the conditions for him." Chang Yuchun patted his shoulder.

Lan Yu sighed and said no more.

That night, the camp was very quiet.

The soldiers rested early, conserving their energy.

Tomorrow will be a tough battle; many may not see the day after.

Shiniu slept deeply.

He dreamed of Fengyang Village, where Shi Laosan was chopping firewood in the courtyard, the evening sun warm and gentle.

When he woke, the sky was still dark.

He rose and inspected his Double Hammers.

The haft was solid, the hammer heads dark sunk metal.

He touched the hammer faces with his hand; they were icy cold.

He didn't know who gave him these hammers, but they were extraordinarily sturdy; after all those days of slaughter, not a single mark marred them.

Footsteps sounded outside the tent; Wang Gui poked his head in and said: "Shiniu, General Chang is calling you."

Shiniu lifted his Double Hammers and walked out of the tent.

In front of the Central Command Tent, Chang Yuchun, clad in armor, was giving a pep talk to a squad of soldiers.

This squad numbered fifty, all strong and sturdy, wearing double armor and holding huge shields.

Seeing Shiniu approach, Chang Yuchun waved and said: "These are the chosen Death Soldiers; they will follow you to storm the gate. Your only task is to protect Shiniu as he charges to the gate— understood?"

"Understood!" the fifty shouted in unison.

Chang Yuchun looked at Shiniu and said: "Your task is simply to smash the gate; you need worry about nothing else."

"Yes."

The sky grew light.

Cooking smoke rose in the camp; the soldiers ate in silence, the atmosphere somewhat solemn.

At Chen hour, the horn blew.

The army formed ranks and slowly advanced toward Kaiping City.

On the city walls, Yuan army banners stood in rows, and the defending troops were packed thick.

The two armies faced off.

Chang Yuchun rode forward to the front of the formation, drew his sword, and pointed at the city, saying: "Great Ming's Chang Yuchun is here! Hala Zhang, open the gates and surrender, and I will spare your life!"

A howl came from the city wall; it was in Mongolian, which I couldn't understand.

But the meaning was clear: no surrender.

Chang Yuchun gave a cold laugh, waved his blade, and shouted: "Attack the city!"

War drums beat.

In the Ming army's formation, the archers and crossbowmen fired in unison, a rain of arrows pressing toward the city wall.

The ladder teams and battering ram teams began to advance.

At the same time, Shiniu's side also moved.

He shouldered the double hammers, leading fifty death soldiers, and charged straight for the city gate.

Arrows rained down from the city wall like rain.

The fifty death soldiers raised their large shields, forming a turtle-shell formation, protecting Shiniu in the middle.

The arrows "ding-ding-dang-dang" struck the shields; occasionally a soldier hit through a gap fell, but someone immediately stepped in to replace him.

Shiniu stood at the center of the shield formation, his steps steady and swift.

One hundred steps, eighty steps, fifty steps...

From the city wall, rolling logs and boulders came crashing down.

The shield formation was smashed open a gap, and several death soldiers were killed on the spot.

But the formation quickly closed up again.

Thirty steps...

Shiniu saw the city gate.

The reinforced-iron wooden gate was tall and thick, with bronze studs on it.

He took a deep breath, suddenly accelerated, and burst out of the shield formation.

"Shiniu..." the Hundred Household Officer leading the team exclaimed.

But Shiniu had already charged out.

The defenders on the city wall spotted this reckless man, and concentrated arrows shot at him.

Shiniu swung his double hammers, smashing all the arrows away.

He was extremely fast; in just a few breaths he reached beneath the city gate.

The city wall commander, Hala Zhang, seeing this, urgently ordered: "Pouring fire oil, quickly... burn him to death!"

Scalding fire oil poured down.

Shiniu looked up, then slammed his double hammers into the ground, using the rebound to leap back three zhang.

"Boom..."

The fire oil splashed onto the ground and instantly ignited into a great blaze.

But he had already avoided it.

Hala Zhang wanted to pour a second cauldron, but it was already too late.

Shiniu charged forward again, this time straight to the front of the city gate.

He set down the right hammer, gripped the handle of the left hammer with both hands, and took a deep breath...

He raised it high, then brought it down directly...

"Boom..."

The sudden huge roar shook the city wall defenders' ears numb.

The reinforced-iron gate shuddered violently, and the bronze studs on it flew off several pieces.

Shiniu paid no heed, and then came... the second hammer.

"Boom—"

The gate planks split, cracks spreading from the point of impact.

Third hammer.

"Boom..."

The city gate instantly collapsed inward!

In an instant, smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring everyone's vision.

Inside and outside the city, everyone stood stunned.

Three hammers.

Just three hammers.

The gate of Kaiping City opened.

After a moment of silence, the Ming army burst into a earth-shaking cheer: "The gate is open... kill!"

Chang Yuchun immediately laughed, brandished his blade forward, and shouted: "All troops, charge..."

The Ming army surged toward the city gate like a tide.

Shiniu stood in the gatehouse amid smoke and dust, holding his double hammers, watching the panicked Yuan troops inside the city.