It was the fifth day of March in the ninth year of Taixing.
At this time in previous years, the earth should have started to warm up, and grass and other things should have sprouted early.
But now the cold wind is still howling, not like the spring breeze blowing on my face at all, but like a knife cutting flesh.
In such weird weather, the Xiahou Dun garrison in Jinyang will also face an extremely weird test for them.
The hussars and horses under Jinyang City roared back and forth, occupying the entire battlefield.
Xiahou Dun watched from the city, seeming to think of something again, and his face gradually darkened.
"Are the stones, sand and soil ready at the city gate?"
Xiahou Dun asked.
"Everything is ready!"
The soldier replied.
"Is there water in the water tanks at the top of the city?"
Xiahou Dun asked again.
"Everything has been checked and there is water!"
Xiahou Dun nodded, then looked up at the sky.
If only it rained and snowed, the hussars' gunpowder would be of no use.
It's a pity that I don't know if it snowed before and used up all the water vapor. There has only been wind but no rain in the past few days.
But there is no problem with this. The city gate has a stone, sand and soil barrier to prevent horses, and there is a water tank on top of the city. Xiahou Dun is confident that even if the hussars and horses pile gunpowder to the bottom of the city, their attacks will still be ineffective!
It will definitely not be broken down as easily as last time!
In order to defend against this attack, Xiahou Dun not only led Cao's soldiers to prepare for the attack, but also mobilized a part of the people of Jinyang to be responsible for carrying earthwork, transporting ordnance, carrying water and pushing stones.
Cao's soldiers were very accustomed to recruiting people to "help" the people.
Because they had the same pattern in Shandong, they gave the same warm greetings to the people of Jinyang.
"You don't have eyes? Can this thing be put here?"
"Damn you haven't eaten? You're so slow!"
"Are you deaf?"
"If you don't want to die, get to work quickly!"
"..."
Different from the "enthusiastic" words inside Chengtou City, Huang Cheng outside the city was a little nervous.
This was the first time he combined artillery in combat.
Although Fei had already demonstrated the combined use of gunpowder and cold weapons while lurking in the Western Regions, and used Shanshan King City as a gift for artillery to be heard in this world, for the current Han Dynasty, Huang Cheng was the first to use it.
In siege, not just defense.
Huang Cheng turned around and looked at the hussars soldiers sitting on the ground eating in the distance.
These people are the first batch of troops, and they will be responsible for the first wave of attacks when Cao's army has holes in its defense.
Therefore, these people not only do not need to line up, but also have dedicated people to serve them, providing pancakes containing fat and a small bowl of hot soup.
One serving per person, no more.
It’s not that I’m stingy, but in this kind of fighting moment, I have to eat, but I can’t eat too much.
The hussar soldiers were all used to it, sitting on the ground eating and drinking, chatting and laughing, as if they were going to visit Jinyang City, and there was not much tension at all.
In order to cope with the street fighting in Jinyang City, they had been formed into more flexible teams in advance. Each team was equipped with swordsmen, shieldmen, spearmen and long archers. Although most of the hussars soldiers, after a certain amount of training,
They are all versatile and can use any weapon they can get, but they also have items that they are good at. After breaking up the organization, it will also facilitate mutual cooperation within the team.
The siege equipment is also ready, including trampolines, trench trucks and ladder trucks.
Farther away, there were hussars of cavalry.
These cavalry are responsible for controlling and defending the battlefield, and when necessary, joining the battle.
A little further out is the Qiang Hu.
The reason why the Qiang and Hu are not allowed to get too close to the core of the battlefield is that Huang Cheng is very suspicious of the organization and discipline of these Qiang and Hu, and on the other hand, most of the Qiang and Hu's horses have not been trained. They should not be frightened when they hear the sudden explosion.
It is to disrupt one's own front line.
The leader of the Baishi Qiang followed Huang Cheng with a smile on his face. He didn't care that he didn't have an accurate name from beginning to end. He just listened to the orders from the surroundings from time to time, looked at the neat military columns, and then looked at
Those shiny weapons and armor were becoming more and more cautious, wanting to help Huang Cheng sweep away the dust in front and carry the battle robe behind him.
For Bai Shiqiang, he has been trading with the Hussar people for so many years. In addition, the Hu people's own custom of admiring Qiang has long turned into the shape of Huqi. However, this kind of Mu Qiang also has a certain
For some utilitarian purposes, maybe it only requires the arrival of the next strong person. Bai Shiqiang will immediately see the wind and make the steering wheel run to the opponent's side to kneel and lick him.
While flattering Huang Cheng, the leader of the Baishi Qiang sneered at the Xiahou defenders at the top of Jinyang City, "With just a few broken bows and broken arrows, I want to resist General Huang's heavenly soldiers..."
Huang Cheng didn't pay attention to the Baishi Qiang leader's flattery. He turned his attention to those artillery pieces.
Artillery is the main force in siege.
Among those craftsmen, some of them had followed Fei under the Royal City of Shanshan once before, and now they have become the core figures. They are directing other craftsmen to move the artillery forward and deploy it to the previously dug areas.
among the positions.
In order to ensure the stability of the artillery firing trajectory, these craftsmen also need to make some detailed adjustments after the artillery is set up.
Other craftsmen were inspecting gunpowder bags and cannonballs.
The early preparations for the city were tense and orderly, but Xiahou Dun on the top of the city seemed to feel something was wrong, but he really didn't know what those things lined up under the city were...
This does not mean that Xiahou Dun is stupid, he just cannot keep up with the changes of the times.
Just like the young people of later generations are extremely proficient in the various operations of various apps on their mobile phones. Even if it is a new software, they can install it at a glance and know how to use it after installing it. It is as simple as eating and drinking.
Water, but for many elderly people, those icons that dangle around on the screen obviously do not make them feel safer than traditional mechanical switches, let alone use them flexibly.
Be careful what loans, Trojans, etc. you click on.
And in the general environment of the entire era, will you take care of these people because you know clearly that there are some people who can't keep up, don't understand that mobile phones can be poisoned, and encounter scams?
No, they will even intensify their exploitation and deception, just like Xiahou Dun is about to face the baptism of artillery.
A sharp whistle sounded.
The leader of the Baishi Qiang thought something had happened, and as he turned to check, he heard a loud boom and an artillery fire took the lead.
White smoke rose into the sky, and a black cannonball drew a black line and hit the Jinyang city wall, splashing a large amount of masonry fragments and dust.
"Your Majesty, Lord Baishi... This is, this..." The leader of Baishi Qiang felt that for some reason, his usually smooth speech was now fighting with his teeth, "This... what is this?"
No one answered his words, everyone's mind was attracted by the artillery.
All sounds were covered up by the roar of artillery fire.
A huge sound echoed between heaven and earth.
Although the artillery developed by Fei Qian is quite impressive in terms of hit rate and durability, for today's big man, the shock it gives is enough.
At the top of Jinyang City, when the cannonball hit the city wall, it seemed that the entire Jinyang City shook, which also made Xiahou Dun a little unstable and swayed.
"What's this?!"
Xiahou Dun couldn't help but shout.
He didn't realize that his voice had been broken.
Before Xiahou Dun could find the answer, artillery fired one after another from the preset positions under the city.
Like lightning and thunder, thick blue-white smoke covered the entire position almost instantly.
The artillery roared, spitting out orange-red flames. The entire cannon body moved backwards, causing the cannon frame to creak and groan. Immediately, the cannonballs violently hit the Jinyang city wall, and countless rubbles and broken bricks were scattered everywhere.
It fell like raindrops, splashing dense white water in the moat.
The horses of the Qiang and Hu cavalry in the distance neighed and ran around in a somewhat chaotic manner, as if they were offering frightened spiritual food to the god of war.
The artillery at this stage cannot fire continuously and rapidly. After firing one artillery round, the gun barrel must be cleaned and the angle adjusted according to the regulations, and then the gunpowder and shells can be prepared for the next round.
Although Huang Cheng's current artillery was not as numerous as Fei Qian's attack on King Shanshan City, the eight artillery pieces also caused great damage to Jinyang's city walls and gates...
Even though the first round of artillery fire had stopped, the sound of collapsing masonry was still heard from Jinyang City.
A corner of the city gate tower on the front has collapsed. I don’t know which artillery piece was responsible for this.
The deep or shallow holes and cracks left by the cannonballs on the city wall demonstrate the power released by the cannonballs when they hit.
Even the battlements built entirely of stone could not withstand the bombardment of artillery shells.
The flying rocks hit someone who was screaming in agony before death.
In the face of the artillery of the new era, the strength of the old tradition is no longer worth mentioning.
After the first round of firing, the artillery fell silent, docilely waiting on the side of the craftsmen and soldiers, and emitted the slightest smoke.
But this time, neither Cao Jun on the top of the city nor the Qiang Hu trying their best to comfort their horses in the distance dared to underestimate these seemingly stupid and stupid guys...
A moment later, the second round of artillery roar sounded again.
The city head of Jinyang was once again enveloped by rising rubble, broken bricks, and smoke.
Most of the cannonballs hit the city wall, but a small number of cannonballs directly crossed the city wall and fell into Jinyang City.
Up and down the city, everyone seemed to be trembling, fearful, and screaming in despair before death.
Every time there was a thunderous roar outside the city, the city walls also trembled.
In the face of the power of artillery, almost no one in Cao's army on the Jinyang city wall could stand still. Almost everyone instinctively either lay down or squatted on the city wall, holding their heads and avoiding the city gate tower.
There were pieces of broken stone, broken bricks, and choking smoke from the battlements and other places.
Xiahou Dun was also half lying and half crouching behind the guard. He listened to a series of thunderclaps outside the city. A moment later, the dull sound of cannonballs impacting came from the city wall under him. Along with the city wall, it trembled violently, like a thunderstorm.
It seems like the city wall will collapse in a moment.
Because Xiahou Dun was located directly above the city gate and below the city gate tower, it was the area where artillery fire was most concentrated.
Several of the battlements in front of Xiahou Dun had collapsed, exposing the adobe inside the masonry of the city wall.
There was a creaking sound from the city gate tower, and then something fine fell down, hitting the shields of the guards and their pockets, making a thumping sound...
One of the guards looked up and took a look, and suddenly screamed in fright.
At some point, the pillars and beams of the city gate tower were broken by artillery shells, and the entire city gate tower began to sway, as if it might collapse at any time, crushing Xiahou Dun and others beneath it!
Seeing that the situation was not going well, the guards quickly dragged and pushed, covering Xiahou Dun with their bodies, carrying the falling tiles and debris above their heads, and getting out of this very dangerous area as soon as possible...
But as soon as Xiahou Dun retreated, the other soldiers of Cao's army naturally followed suit.
Who the hell is Iron Man? If he dies or becomes disabled, he can be repaired with a piece of stone or wood?
Except for those who were injured and killed at the beginning, or those who were unlucky enough to be directly hit by artillery shells, most of Cao's soldiers were instinctively avoiding this irresistible damage. Especially when they saw
When the solid city wall shattered, cracked, and collapsed under the gunfire, the idea of defending Jinyang also collapsed.
Some soldiers of Cao's army were frightened. They stared at the ground with dull eyes, as if they couldn't believe the scene in front of them.
The water tank, sand and soil that Xiahou Dun originally planned to use to deal with the Hussar gunpowder had long since collapsed and spread everywhere.
There was a big hole in the belly of the huge water tank, and all the contents were transferred to the masonry and earthwork underneath. It was mixed with the blood stains around it and dripped down the corridor of the city wall.
As for the people from Jinyang who were temporarily recruited, they were even more unbearable. Almost all of them ran away, and some jumped off the city wall in a panic, breaking their bones and wailing...
The city was also in chaos, with cries and shouts intertwined together. Although the city walls and gates were the targets of the artillery, and the city was at best just accidental damage, the sounds that sounded in Jinyang City were like
It was as miserable as a knife stabbing the chrysanthemums in Jinyang City.
Xiahou Dun was protected by his guards and staggered back from the top of the city.
After Xiahou Dun's guards left the dangerous place, they gradually returned to their original ferocious appearance. They not only punched and kicked the Cao soldiers who were hiding around them, but also chopped down two or three Jinyang civilians who bumped into them in a daze.
Xiahou Dun breathed heavily.
There was a buzzing sound in his head.
It's not that I'm scared or hurt, but I'm confused.
The kind of confusion that comes from being slapped down on the beach by a new thing.
The battles he had experienced before were constantly swirling in his mind, but none of the battles could match the current situation, and there was no experience that Xiahou Dun could learn from.
He was like a fish abandoned on the beach, with his mouth open and gasping for air.
The reason why people have a sense of fear about the future is because what happens in the future can never be treated with hindsight. Even the most arrogant keyboard warriors on the Internet don’t know when they will be affected by something posted online.
A certain person got drunk, and then the Internet police knocked on his door.
Xiahou Dun's experience was sufficient and useful in the cold weapon era. This was also the basis for his confidence that he could hold on to Jinyang. But now, this basis has been wiped out by artillery fire...
Everything he thought was solid, everything he believed in and was certain, were like the collapsed gate tower, turned into ruins.
"Why...why is this like this?"
Xiahou Dun was confused.
When did the war become like this?
Just like during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the changes in war tactics were unacceptable to many princes and ministers who claimed to be elites. Xiahou Dun was also unable to accept the heavy blow caused by the collapse of an important cornerstone in his life.
Why did Guanzhong Northland become like this?
When did this all start?
From the Hussars General Fei Qian?
How did Ke Feiqian do it?
Numerous problems were like large and small rocks flying up from the top of the city, and thick smoke and dust obscured Xiahou Dun's sight.
In fact, even with Fei Qian's rise, these people in Shandong still don't take Fei Qian seriously.
Because they are all used to it.
I am used to belittling Guanzhong, belittling Xiliang, and belittling the border areas...
Only the most powerful people in the Central Plains have created the largest GDP in the Han Dynasty...
Oh, the Chinese don’t have the word GDP yet, but it also means this.
So what is a warrior on the frontier?
In the eyes of some people, it’s a humble person, a common believer, a living maggot...
Not only the Han Dynasty, but also when any feudal dynasty begins to belittle those who shed blood and sweat, are upright and silent but do not know the rhetoric, and begins to laugh at those who only know how to create labor value but do not know how to provide emotional value.
When those people are covered in stinking sweat or even pain, then the roots of this dynasty have begun to rot, and the collapse is not far away.
Of course, at this time, Shandong people, including elites such as Xiahou Dun, still spoke of benevolence, righteousness, morality, truth, goodness and beauty.
It seemed that he was out of danger, and Xiahou Dun gradually recovered from his confusion.
Looking at the messy situation around him, Xiahou Dun's expression suddenly changed.
"Not good!" Xiahou Dun suddenly trembled, "They... they are about to attack the city!"
When the guard heard this, his expression changed, "General, our people...can't stand up there...what should we do?"
The surrounding area is still in chaos, and the cries of the people in Jinyang City can be heard everywhere.
The civilian men who had been drafted on the street were huddled in the corner with their heads in their hands, shivering...
Xiahou Dun suddenly showed a fierce look in his eyes, "Quick! Bring all those people to the top of the city!"
"Huh?" The guard was a little confused for a moment.
"Push the people of Jinyang to the top of the city!" Xiahou Dun repeated the order and roared, "Push the people of Jinyang in front! Use them to block the hussars first! Use human shields! Push the hussars back!"
Xiahou Dun shouted, "For the great man! For the emperor! We can't...we can...win!"
