bookcurios Chapter 285 Artillery Battle at Liangshan City
Chapter 285 Artillery Battle at Liangshan City
As the Jin army besieged the city, although they had already lost hundreds of warriors, their reinforcements quickly filled the gaps left by the fallen siege engine pushers. The massive siege ladders slowly began their heavy march once more, heading straight for the city walls.
Standing atop the city wall, Qian Dazhuang, his eyes blazing, immediately turned around upon seeing this and said in a deep voice to the resolute messenger beside him, "Go and inform the artillery company to immediately activate incendiary bombs and bombard those guys fiercely! Don't worry about whether the shells miss. If we run out of ammunition, I will ask the lord for more. We must not let these behemoths get even a step closer to our city wall!"
As Qian Dazhuang gave the order, the mortars were immediately fitted with incendiary shells. Unlike ordinary shells, incendiary shells were made using special ammunition. As several incendiary shells fired by the mortars exploded in the Jin army's attacking camp, several siege ladder vehicles were instantly set ablaze.
The Jin soldiers below were already in full battle array, quickly pouring their stored spring water onto the raging wooden frame in an attempt to extinguish the raging flames. At this critical moment, the roar of machine guns suddenly erupted from the battlements, like a torrential downpour from the sky, mercilessly pelting the Jin ranks. Even the warriors clad in heavy armor, even double-layered armor, could not withstand the sharp penetration of the machine gun bullets; they were like fragile paper, pierced through one by one.
Wanyan Ping's expression hardened, a resolute glint flashing in his eyes. He immediately ordered, "Where is the firearms battalion? Immediately launch a counterattack on the city walls! Suppress the arrogance of the Li family army and do not allow them the slightest chance to catch their breath!"
With a command given, the array of bronze cannons, hidden beneath the lush wild grass, gradually revealed itself, like a sleeping behemoth being awakened. The dark muzzles suddenly spat out jets of pitch-black shells, slicing through the air and pointing straight to the sky.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!..."
A series of deafening explosions resounded between the ramparts of Liangshan City. Although the power of these shells had not yet reached the point of being devastating, they stirred up a huge wave in the hearts of the soldiers defending the city, shaking their morale and the defense line.
Qian Dazhuang hurriedly raised his binoculars, his eyes gleaming as he scanned the smoke-filled battlefield, trying to pinpoint the Jin army's artillery positions. When his gaze fell upon the dozens of bronze cannons outside the city, he couldn't help but gasp, his heart filled with astonishment: "My God! How many copper plates must have been melted down to create such a massive cannon array!"
Despite the rain of arrows from Li's army atop the city walls, they could not stop the approach of several siege ladders, which coiled around the ancient walls like giant pythons. At the top of the ladders, countless Jin soldiers, using the narrow wooden planks, surged towards the top of the city walls like a tidal wave, their eyes flashing with fanaticism and determination.
However, what awaited them was not cold swords and heavy clubs, but the kiss of death that transcended time and space—the merciless bullets of modern firearms. The roar of assault rifles and the bursts of semi-automatic rifles intertwined to form a death symphony, each shot accompanied by the fall of a Jin soldier.
The machine gun emplacements were like the gates of hell, their flames swallowing up any brave warriors who tried to climb. Those unfortunate Jin soldiers who were hit either lost their lives instantly and plummeted from the clouds; even those who were lucky enough to escape a direct hit, at that terrifying height, once they lost their balance, the only outcome was certain death.
On the city walls, a battlefield where ancient and modern times intertwine, unfolds an unprecedented tragedy and carnage, witnessing every second a clash of history and a choice of destiny.
While the battlefield was ablaze with battle and the sounds of fighting filled the air, an undercurrent was quietly brewing within Liangshan City, poised to erupt.
"Brothers, this time I braved numerous dangers and narrowly escaped death to sneak out of the city and secretly contact the Jurchen envoy. They promised that as long as we are willing to lend them a hand and open the gates of Liangshan, not only will we be spared from losing our heads, but we will also be rewarded handsomely and riches will be within our reach."
The leader with the mustache lowered his voice, his words carrying a hint of seduction.
Upon hearing this, another leader beside him frowned, his face showing doubt, and asked in a low voice, "The ruthlessness of the Jurchens is known to all. If we really obey them, we can't guarantee that they won't turn their backs on us in the future, abandon us after we've served our purpose, and kill us all."
The man with the mustache glanced at the person who had just spoken: "Why don't you go up to the city wall and fight those Li family soldiers to the death? No matter how powerful the Li family army is, they can't defeat more than 100,000 Jurchens. Haven't you heard the saying that no more than 10,000 Jurchens are invincible? Not to mention that these are more than 100,000 Jurchens."
The men speaking were the former leaders of the rebel army. They were plotting to hand over Liangshan City to the Jurchens in order to save their own lives.
However, what the group didn't know was that their conversation was overheard by a righteous soldier standing guard outside the door. After listening carefully, he took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention and ran directly to the command post of the Li family army in the city.
He was stopped by Li Jiajun soldiers guarding the gate as soon as he ran to the entrance.
"What do you do? Do you even know where you are?"
The rebel soldier had a stutter, and he stammered, "I...I...I want to see...your...your...commander...I...I...I have...important...intelligence!"
The soldier who was blocking him was about to shove him away roughly, but was stopped in time by another soldier next to him.
"Wait a minute. What if what this stutterer says is true? It would be best if we informed the company commander first and let him think it over carefully before making a decision. There's no need to rush."
So the stuttering soldier was led into the command post. He stammered, but with unusual determination, recounting everything he knew, including the names of all the leaders in detail.
As night fell, a bright moon hung high in the sky, its gentle light casting a silvery glow upon the earth, draping the night in a veil of light so that even without artificial illumination, the surrounding scenery inside and outside Liangshan City could be faintly discerned. On the eastern wall, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder and the tension of battle lingered. Although the movements of the Jurchens outside the city were as elusive as shadows in the fog, the warriors of the Li family army on the city walls had taken turns fighting, three waves of men working in succession, determined to defend this small piece of land.
The entire city of Liangshan was enveloped by the incessant roar of gunfire and cannons, as if every brick and tile was trembling, telling a story of defiance and resistance. Outside the city, the Jin army's cannons seemed to be running out of ammunition due to supply constraints. The once deafening roar had now fallen silent, leaving only occasional sparks to punctuate the long, dark night.
Behind this silence lay the unspoken difference in technology between the two sides. The Jurchen cannons, limited by their smelting and casting techniques, could not withstand the high temperatures of continuous firing. Once the barrels overheated, they would explode like raging dragons, threatening to cause a catastrophe. Thus, this brief tranquility became a respite for both sides to regroup and strategize, while every heart on Liangshan City remained tense, awaiting the next storm.
Near the north gate of Liangshan, a large group of about two thousand rebels was slowly approaching the gate.
At this time, the defense of the north gate of Liangshan was handled by a company of soldiers. Apart from those on the city wall, there were only about ten people near the gate.
One of the rebel leaders gestured for everyone to stop advancing, and he began to quietly observe the surrounding situation.