"Fire and thunder bombs, the defenders in the city are equipped with fire and thunder bombs!"
"Oh my god, how is that possible? It didn't work at Dengzhou Port the day before yesterday!"
"It must be fire and thunder bombs. The secret report sent back by Xiao Zuo mentioned that the Korean thieves used fire and thunder bombs when they attacked the rebels!"
…
In an instant, exclamations of surprise could be heard around Huangfu Gong.
Goryeo did not have its own written language, and wealthy families took pride in learning the Central Plains dialect and writing the Central Plains characters. Therefore, they had a unique advantage in mastering the news from the Song Dynasty.
Almost all the commanders and generals above suddenly remembered a legendary magical weapon. However, all the generals did not understand why the defenders at Dengzhou Port did not throw a fire bomb yesterday, but today everyone
In Jiaoxi, he was blown up by a fire bomb?
"How is it possible? How is it possible?" Huangfu Gong himself had his eyes wide open and his mouth wide open, unwilling to believe what he saw.
As the commander-in-chief of a squadron and a member of the Huangfu family that was in power in Goryeo, how could he know nothing about fire and thunder bombs?
In fact, as early as when the Song Dynasty's border army just started to equip this item, secret reports and physical items about fire and thunder bombs had been sent to the Liao Kingdom.
As a pawn of the Liao Kingdom, although Goryeo did not get the actual object, through the sharing of the Liao Kingdom and their own careful spying, they also knew the general power and usage of the fire and thunder bombs.
However, it is one thing to know its power, but it is another thing to witness its power with your own eyes.
These days, it’s not just fire bombs that can explode. Fish oil, sulfur and some special minerals can also explode if ignited in sealed containers.
In the speculations of Huangfu Gong and most Goryeo generals, the power of fire bombs would not exceed that of fish oil fire pots that could be fired from a ballista.
The way to deal with this thing is also very simple. Just avoid it immediately when you see it coming. It takes a certain amount of time from the time it hits the ground to the time it explodes. Anyone who sees it will definitely be unharmed as long as they run ten steps away!
The bloody facts prove that they think everything is too simple.
It is true that the attack range of the fire and thunder bombs is less than ten steps, but the warrior who is climbing the ladder has no place to hide.
The power of fire bombs is indeed not much greater than that of fish oil thrown into a fire pot, but it is used to destroy ladders with great accuracy.
As long as one fire bomb explodes near the base, the ladder can no longer maintain balance. If two fire bombs explode near the base, the ladder will quickly overturn because the base is broken.
If three or more fire bombs explode near the base of the ladder, the entire ladder will immediately fall apart. Even if the Korean soldiers who are climbing the ladder are not killed by the fire bombs on the spot, they will fall from the mid-air and suffer injuries.
Broken bones!
"Change tactics and send five battalion leaders to attack the same section of the city wall in turn. If you don't believe it, the defenders will throw too many fire bombs!" Before Huangfu Gong could accept the reality he saw with his own eyes, the forward squadron commanded
Cui Rong had already rushed to his side and urged him in a deep voice.
"No! Absolutely not!" The voice of Che Li, the commander of the left wing squadron, also sounded, but his opinion was completely opposite to Cui Rong's, "The defenders are well prepared, we need to find another fighter opportunity!"
"Use the crossbow, use the crossbow to fire fish oil and throw fire cans, burn them to death!"
"Use fire pots to burn them and force the defenders to come out for a decisive battle."
"This city is well prepared, why not get on the ship and attack elsewhere..."
Other generals also stepped forward one after another. They either insisted on reorganizing the attack on Jiaoxi City, or suggested finding another suitable target. No one could convince the other, so they just shouted at the top of their lungs!
"Everyone be quiet, let me gather the brothers together first!" Huangfu Gong was so noisy that his head was as big as a fight, and he yelled at the top of his voice.
Now he finally understands Cai Renyuan's difficulty. The generals below each have their own ideas, but the head coach does not have absolute authority. Whoever replaces him as the head coach will probably be overwhelmed.
However, what was slightly stronger than Cai Renyuan was that there was a Huangfu family standing behind him. Therefore, seeing him getting really angry, all the generals, including Cui Rong, shut their mouths in fear.
"Follow me to reorganize your troops, and then carefully re-formulate your tactics!" Seeing that his yelling was effective, Huangfu Gong simply straightened his face and roared, "Whether it is fighting or withdrawing, I will make the final decision. Looking back,
If there is any blame from Cai Renyuan, I will bear it alone!
These words were forceful and righteous enough. At once, Cui Rong and others hesitated and handed over their hands.
Huangfu Gong immediately struck while the iron was hot and assigned tasks to everyone. Everyone was so busy that they had no time to think about miscellaneous things. After gathering the team, he summoned all the generals to the temporary central military tent to discuss strategies against the enemy.
After a lot of work, the generals were no longer as nervous as when they saw the siege being frustrated. Therefore, the pros and cons of the two main opinions can be compared calmly.
Obviously, the chance of success if we continue to attack Jiaoxi is extremely slim. Even if we remove all the fish oil fire pots used in water warfare and throw them into the city with ballistae, we still cannot burn down such a large county.
As long as the defenders responded properly, it was very possible to control the fire near the city wall.
As long as the defenders refused to leave the city to fight in the field, they could use a small number of fire and thunder bombs to make the ladders unreliable outside the city wall. Without the help of ladders, the Koryo Navy had to build crash carts or catapults to smash the city gates first before entering the city.
Inside.
Catapults and crash carts may not be built in less than half a month. Half a month is enough for reinforcements to rush from Qingzhou to Jiaoxi. By then, the attackers still have no chance of winning!
Therefore, after repeated discussions, it became the mainstream opinion to withdraw the troops and find other cities to attack.
Huangfu Gong was not as stubborn as Cai Renyuan, so he immediately found the next fat sheep on the map, Haizhou.
The place is less than a hundred miles away from Jiaowan. It can be reached in one day by boat along the coast. Moreover, the place is close to the sea, and there is a huge island outside. The sea is calm in the strait, and even if the weather changes suddenly, the warships will not
Will encounter any danger. (Note: Haizhou, that is, Lianyungang, part of Lianyungang in the Song Dynasty, is still an island and is not connected to the land.)
"The soldiers of the forward squadron are responsible for breaking up the rear to prevent the Song army in the city from coming out to cause trouble. The left and right wings take turns to set off. Get on the ship to rest tonight, and tomorrow morning, we will send troops to Haizhou." He slapped his hand heavily on the map and Huangfu Gong shouted loudly.
After giving the order, he suddenly seemed to have the demeanor of a general.
"Well, that's fine!" Cui Rong's brows wrinkled instinctively, and then he nodded with a cold face.
There were not many defenders in Jiaoxi City, so he would not be in danger after cutting off. However, he was not satisfied that Huangfu Gong gave him orders directly without consulting him.
"I will transfer ten battleships from my own command to your side later. Otherwise, the strength of the forward squadron will be too weak!" Huangfu Gong's reaction was extremely sensitive, and he immediately stepped forward and hugged Cui Rong's shoulders.
"I will also send you ten battleships, including the brothers on board. When you return to Goryeo, you can return them to me!" Che Li, who was a good man, also made a loud promise beside him.
The ice on Cui Rong's face melted quickly. He broke away and solemnly thanked Huangfu Gong and Che Li.
The three brothers reconciled as before. Soon, they cooperated with each other and withdrew the team to the temporary foothold on the shore of Jiaowan, and then withdrew to the battleship.
After going back and forth with weapons and ballistas, and suffering a defeat, the soldiers were exhausted physically and mentally. Therefore, after dinner, Huangfu Gong issued an order early, and all warships extinguished their lights, except for a few on duty.
Except for the taxi soldiers, everyone was no longer allowed to move around noisily, and immediately began to enter the cabin to recharge their batteries.
He himself took some time to write a battle report to Cai Renyuan. He told the latter vaguely that Jiaoxi was well prepared, and then assigned his confidants to take a sentinel boat to Cai Renyuan's temporary Chinese army camp early tomorrow morning.
"Capital Commander, Mr. Cui sent a sentry ship to give you a gift, saying thank you for your righteousness in assigning battleships and subordinates to make up for his losses." Before he could put down his pen, Huang Fuliang, the commander-in-chief, had a mysterious face.
He slipped in and reported in a very low voice.
"Gifts, when did he become so sensible?" Huangfu Gong has never seen Cui Rong be polite to him since he was a child. He curled his lips and said with a smile, "What kind of gift? Bring it in and let me see!"
"It's already at the door!" Huang Puliang smiled and winked, then turned his head and shouted toward the door in a low voice, "Bring it in, then step back, and watch your mouth."
"Yes!" Soldiers immediately agreed outside the door and carried in a bamboo basket half as tall as a man.
The bamboo basket looks extremely beautifully made, and its surface is tightly tied with red satin.
After putting down the bamboo basket, several soldiers immediately bowed and retreated, as if walking slowly would bring disaster upon themselves.
"What kind of tricks is Mr. Cui playing?" Huangfu Gong looked puzzled, stepped forward with a smile, and casually untied the ribbon.
The lid of the bamboo basket fell to the ground silently.
The lights danced, and a girl stretched her lotus-like arms, like a hibiscus emerging from water, and slowly and elegantly stood up from the bamboo basket. Her smooth skin, under the light of the lights, looked like newly unfolded satin!
