Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 408 Right in front of us, kill Su Wu, slay Su Wu!

Outside the city, everything was being prepared in an orderly manner. One after another, hundreds of thousands of troops had arrived, and the supply of food and provisions was becoming more and more abundant.

Three days have passed, and countless moats and barricades have been erected outside the city.

"Form ranks! Form ranks!"

On the city wall of Dading Prefecture, Wanyan Zongpan shouted excitedly. For the past few days, he had been on the south city wall, staring at the towering dragon banner outside every day.

As he watched the general's platform slowly being erected outside the city, he knew even more that Su Wu would sit there when the war began.

He surveyed the entire battlefield again and again, looking at the trenches and barricades, constantly searching for the most suitable route of attack.

The Yan army had left many passages for the main force to reach the city walls in preparation for the siege. These passages among the moats and barricades were actually quite intricate, but Wanyan Zongpan had already memorized them...

Wanyan Zongwang and Wanyan Zongbi were also present. It was early morning, and the city had begun to form ranks. The sounds of drums and horns were constant, and soldiers were galloping about on horseback everywhere.

One by one, the Yan army began to form ranks, without the slightest disorder, and their movements were extremely swift. All kinds of weapons, large and small, were also set up well in advance.

Towering siege ladders, low-slung, box-like siege engines, and various sizes of crossbows...

Wanyan Zongwang frowned, clearly finding the scene before him somewhat illogical.

Wanyan Zongbi also noticed something amiss and asked, "Brother, it seems like today's attack was just a test? There don't seem to be many siege ladders..."

Wanyan Zongwang countered with a question: "Have you sensed anything amiss?"

"Huh?" Wanyan Zongbi looked around again and asked, "Brother, is there anything else that's wrong?"

"Stone cannons!" Wanyan Zongwang reminded him.

"Right, right, where are the stone cannons? I haven't seen any stone cannons set up outside the city these past few days, and there aren't any today, even on the eve of battle. Instead, all I see are chariots... What's the reason for this?"

Wanyan Zongbi was also puzzled.

Wanyan Zongwang shook his head: "I don't know either... How could that be... Su Wu has fought countless battles, he's not someone who doesn't know anything, so it must be... it must be that Su Wu has something to rely on?"

"What reliance? Relying on a chariot to crash into the city wall?" Wanyan Zongbi asked, though it was also a joke.

Wanyan Zongpan, standing to the side, kept pointing outwards: "Forget about their reliance on anything, just keep watching. In a moment, once their army has all gathered outside the city walls, I'll suddenly charge out. There are two routes, and it's good that they have many chariots. They've also created many paths themselves. Charge outwards from that direction, sideways. You see over there, there are a lot of chariots gathered there. When the time comes, all these southerners will be inside the chariots. I'll just rush straight to their central army and maybe even kill Su Wu on the spot!"

Wanyan Zongwang kept looking in the direction Wanyan Zongpan pointed. After looking around, he realized that Wanyan Zongpan was quite clever. There were many chariots gathered there, and eventually, wooden planks and bridges would be laid over many trenches.

If a cavalry charge were to launch a surprise attack, they might actually break through the encirclement of countless chariots and head straight for the enemy's rear. If they could reach the center of the enemy army, not to mention whether they could kill Su Wu, they could at least startle him and break the siege, and even terrify the enemy...

This inevitably leads to a shift in morale.

Wanyan Zongwang looked at Wanyan Zongpan: "Are you really sure about this?"

Wanyan Zongpan nodded: "Brother, rest assured, life and death are preordained. I have made my own decision, and I have left a letter!"

Wanyan Zongpan truly looked eager to try.

"Alright, then go and prepare the troops yourself!" Wanyan Zongwang said no more.

Wanyan Zongpan immediately went down to the city gate to clear a space and remove the obstructions blocking the gate opening. However, he couldn't clear them all at once; he had to leave some in case the Song army outside the city noticed something through the cracks in the gate later.

As soon as Wanyan Zongpan stepped off the city wall, Wanyan Zongbi spoke up: "He's probably going to his death..."

Wanyan Zongwang remained silent...

Wanyan Zongbi continued, "How could Su Wu's central army be easy to defeat? He only thought that what he was doing was a heroic feat, that his fame would shake the heavens, and that he would one day inherit the throne. He certainly had high hopes..."

Wanyan Zongwang replied, "Stop talking..."

Wanyan Zongbi truly obeyed, pursed his lips, and said no more...

Before long, the sound of drums could be heard from outside the city!
The line stretched for an unknown distance, and the entire Yan army began to move, surging like waves...

There were no deafening shouts of battle; instead, the sound of the chariot's axle rubbing against the lubricating grease echoed throughout the area.

The soldiers at the front began to lay trenches. There were more than a dozen soldiers in a small cart. In fact, there was no floor inside the cart. The people inside stood on the ground, row by row, with horizontal bars.

The soldier pushed the crossbar, which was to push the cart forward. The cart looked like a huge cover, enclosing the soldier inside, and the soldier inside pushed it forward.

The chariots were in front, the shields were behind, and the foot soldiers behind them carried simple ladders in a line. Every now and then, a ladder chariot would appear, and they moved very slowly.

Behind them were ballistae, which were also pushing forward. When they were almost there, they stopped, and the ballistae roared first.

And so it began; the city walls also had large crossbow platforms, which naturally retaliated.

Death and injury will follow.

Su Wu was already firmly seated on the general's platform. There was only one seat on the platform, while the others stood to his left, right, or behind him; there were quite a few people standing there.

The dragon banner billowed and rustled in the wind. Su Wu's expression was solemn and deep, he was unsmiling and remained silent...

Below the platform were Su Wu's four personal guard battalions, lined up in battle formation.

But Wu Yong kept asking, "Minister Ling, will this method work?"

He spoke softly, close to Ling Zhen's ear.

Ling Zhen replied, "Don't worry, the chisel and hammer will break the bricks covering the city wall first, and then it will be much easier to break the rammed earth inside the bricks. It doesn't need to be too deep. Just drive the iron rod in, five feet will be enough. If you want to drill a ten-foot deep hole, that will be more than enough. It doesn't need to be a big hole, just about the thickness of a calf. This time, we also have a powerful tool made according to His Majesty's blueprints. I've tried it, and it's incredibly fast at drilling holes! The gunpowder I have this time is extremely powerful. It's all packed properly, one packet after another. Just keep stuffing and poking it in!"

What powerful weapon did Su Wu invent?
It's basically a Luoyang shovel, perfect for digging holes. Just shovel it in hard, and it will automatically bring the soil out with it. Its efficiency goes without saying. This tool is also a great tool for archaeology or tomb raiding.

Although this thing may seem unremarkable, it was not invented until the Republican era.

Wu Yong nodded: "Oh dear... I still feel a little uneasy..."

“Scholar Wu, don’t worry. Once we bomb it, the rammed earth will collapse and slide down, turning the vertical city wall into a ramp. Isn’t that much more convenient than a siege ladder? The grenadiers can just swarm up and throw the grenades up. After a few throws, they’ll be standing on top.”

Ling Zhen patted his chest as he spoke, referring to the battle plan, which had already been discussed during the meeting in the main tent.

Wu Yong nodded repeatedly: "I know, I know, sigh... I just... maybe it's because I haven't seen them before, and I always feel uneasy. Maybe I'll feel better after seeing them this time... Are all the grenadiers you trained capable?"

"It can do it, it can do it, it absolutely can do it!" Ling Zhen nodded repeatedly.

On the city wall, inside the tower, Wanyan Zongwang and Wanyan Zongbi sat high above, overlooking the battlefield.

Wanyan Zongbi was also extremely nervous, saying, "I have never been so flustered before when I went into battle. I don't know why, but I am very flustered today..."

Wanyan Zongwang's eyes were fixed on the area outside the city, yet he said, "I am the same today..."

"Ah? Even my elder brother feels anxious?" Wanyan Zongbi was clearly surprised.

"They're here, they're really here!" Wanyan Zongwang said, and the chariot slowly approached, creaking and groaning, until it was about to come close to the city wall.

At this moment, Wanyan Zongwang also stepped forward, even sticking his head into the arrow slit of the city wall to look down at the city below.

The Yan army below the city rained down countless arrows, but Wanyan Zongwang did not flinch, only looking down at the city.

Wanyan Zongbi then went to see it as well.

Arrows struck the bricks of the city wall repeatedly, clanging and splintering as debris flew everywhere.

The chariots parked below the city wall stopped only when their front ends were pressed against the wall, but no soldiers came out to climb over the wall...

"What are they doing?" Wanyan Zongbi asked in astonishment.

Wanyan Zongwang frowned, and hearing clanging sounds coming from below the city, he exclaimed in surprise, "Are they digging up the city wall?"

Wanyan Zongbi retorted, "Digging up the city wall? This city wall is three or four zhang high, and the base is about two zhang wide. How long would it take to dig it up? Has Su Wu gone mad and come up with such a laughable plan?"

"Quickly, pass down the order: send all the logs, stones, and oil to the carts below the city walls! Hurry!"

Wanyan Zongwang was puzzled, but he was certain that Su Wu was not the type to do anything foolish, so there must be a big problem. The more he didn't know and understood, the more panicked Wanyan Zongwang became, and the more he wanted to take it seriously.

Su Wu would never do anything foolish!
Wanyan Zongbi hurriedly went out of the city tower and quickly ordered his soldiers to run away.

A moment later, the cart was heard to clang loudly as it was struck by various heavy objects. The cart was of good quality, with a wooden roof, supporting structures underneath, a leather cover, and an iron plate on top!

Logs and rolling stones are indeed difficult to destroy in a short time.

But as soon as the oil was added and the fire started, many of the soldiers inside the wagons were immediately burned out...

Wanyan Zongwang looked down and glanced around. He saw so many carriages, and shouted even louder, "Give the order again: burn them! Burn them quickly!"

Wanyan Zongwang sensed something increasingly strange. Yan Yun had already begun climbing the city walls, but where the siege towers were positioned, the enemy's ladders or siege ladders wouldn't be used to support them, and therefore no enemy soldiers were climbing in those areas...

What kind of tactics are these?
The more puzzled Wanyan Zongwang became, the more astonished and suspicious he grew!

But at this very moment, Wanyan Zongpan arrived, excitedly saying, "Brother, this is the perfect time! I'm heading out of the city!"

"Good!" Wanyan Zongwang nodded, but then said, "You fight your way out of the city, but don't rush to charge into the central army. First, find a chariot under the city walls and break in to take a look. Hurry!"

"Huh?" Wanyan Zongpan didn't understand.

"Go quickly!" At this moment, Wanyan Zongwang only wanted to find out what was going on inside the carriage below the city.
It's impossible that they really wanted to breach the city wall; that's just too absurd.

Wanyan Zongpan nodded and galloped away. A moment later, the city gate creaked open, and before the Yan army outside the city could react, the first fast horse rushed out.

Wanyan Zongpan took the lead, and the city gates were not fully opened, but one after another, fast horses and heavy riders filed out.

For a time, the Yan army at the city gate was indeed thrown into disarray...

On the distant platform, Su Wu also saw this situation and immediately stood up!
On one side of the platform, Shi Wengong immediately said, "Your Majesty, enemy cavalry has left the city. I am willing to go and meet them!"

Su Wu was clearly in no hurry. He kept watching to see how many enemies came out. The doorway wasn't even wide open, so there shouldn't be too many. He was even thinking of closing the door...

If the enemy were to launch a full-scale attack for a decisive battle, it wouldn't be just this one city gate that would be opened, but rather all four gates.

Besides, at this moment, the city is surrounded by moats and barricades. If tens of thousands of cavalry were to charge out, how could they possibly maneuver effectively?

Therefore, Su Wu was not in a hurry at all. After watching for a while, the thousand cavalrymen left as soon as they were told, and the city gate was indeed closed in time.

The thousand cavalrymen did not linger in battle, nor did they engage the infantry outside the city; they simply kept heading in one direction...

Su Wu looked up and exclaimed, "He's here to kill me!"

Wu Yong immediately asked, "Does Your Majesty know who has left the city?"

Su Wu was guessing, and said, "I'm afraid it's my brother Wuzhu." Su Wu could understand Wanyan Zongbi's resolute attitude at this moment.

He felt that at this moment, this was the only thing Wanyan Zongbi could do: fight to the death.

Perhaps Wanyan Zongbi was destined to die in front of Su Wu?
This is how Su Wu guessed it...

I was filled with emotion.

Therefore, Su Wu said again: "Send the soldiers to inform the tribes along the way to proceed according to their plans. There is no need to deliberately stop him. Let him come..."

Such a military order would certainly be inappropriate if given to any other commander.

But strangely enough, at this very moment, not a single person opposed Su Wu.

Why?

Everyone has a deep understanding of Su Wu: in battle? His Majesty is invincible.

Although it may not be the truth, this is the prevailing opinion in people's minds.

A mere cavalry force of no more than a thousand men could not cause any trouble on this vast battlefield, nor could they pose any danger to His Majesty the Emperor of Great Yan.

He immediately ordered his soldiers to rush off and deliver the message.

Of course, Su Wu wasn't taking any risks. He looked at Ling Zhen and said, "The four battalions of the Imperial Guards will remain stationary for now. Form ranks and stand in formation. Go and make arrangements before you go to the central army!"

Ling Zhen was overjoyed: "Yes, Your Majesty!"

I thought the Tiger Crouching Cannon wouldn't be needed this time, and the huge cannons His Majesty wanted, both iron and bronze, hadn't even been made yet.

His Majesty clearly didn't want the tiger-squatting cannons that were as thick as an arm; they were firing at too close range.

If this thing were used to defend a city, it would be a deadly weapon. Just place it at the crenellations, and with one shot, a cloud of iron slag would fly, killing and wounding countless people...

However, this Tiger Crouching Cannon is somewhat of a double-edged sword when used for siege warfare. Its rate of fire is not fast, and although it is said to be lightweight, it is not lightweight at all. It requires a skilled operator, and firing projectiles to attack the city walls is meaningless. Firing iron shot to attack from above is too troublesome, and the crenellations block its path, so it is not very effective.

I was just thinking that the Tiger Crouching Cannon wouldn't be needed this time.

But right now, hey, I'm going to need it!
Ling Zhen quickly went to check on one group of men, then proceeded to deploy them in front of the central army. One line, not many, maybe 160 or 170 gates…

But then Wanyan Zongpan rode out, and although they were fighting fiercely at first, it didn't take long before he was very successful. He had already seized the road that the chariot had been traveling on and was charging forward with great momentum.

This infuriated Wanyan Zongwang on the city wall. He had just issued a military order that Wanyan Zongpan's first task after leaving the city was to storm the chariot below and see what was going on...

This fellow, he forgot all about the city as soon as he left? He just kept charging and fighting his way into the distance.

It wasn't that Wanyan Zongpan had truly forgotten.

Instead, Wanyan Zongpan made the choice himself. His cavalry charge was all about keeping the horses and infantry moving. Once they left the city and stopped, they would be surrounded by a sea of ​​infantry, and it would be as difficult as climbing to heaven to start another charge!

How can we not make choices?
Is it more important to dismount and attack the chariot, or to kill Su Wu?

For Wanyan Zongpan, this was not a difficult decision; he made the choice between the two matters in an instant.

Leaving the city was a matter of life and death, so where was the value of dying? Need I say more?
Why bother with scooters? Scooters aren't important!

Wanyan Zongwang was so anxious that he kept looking down at the city walls and listening intently. By this time, the sounds of smashing and breaking had gradually subsided, replaced by a muffled "dudududu" sound...

It looks like they are actually digging rammed earth for a city wall.

Looking up, Wanyan Zongpan was truly unstoppable, charging forward with unstoppable momentum. His troop of knights, like a dragon, was already about to break through the trenches and barricades, and was about to rush to Su Wu's platform.

Wanyan Zongwang was surprised again. How could it have gone so smoothly?

This……

Why is today's battle so strange?

Or is it that Su Wu has won too many victories in the past, so he is now so arrogant?
But then Zong Bi entered the city wall and exclaimed excitedly, "Brother, did you see that? That fellow actually charged through like that!"

At this moment, Wanyan Zongwang suddenly felt a sense of anticipation he had never felt before...

Is it... perhaps... a little possible... that Wanyan Zongpan could actually reach Su Wu? Maybe he could even kill Su Wu? Or perhaps he could chase Su Wu all over the place...

Wanyan Zongwang had absolutely no doubt about the Jurchen knights' bravery and skill in battle...

How could Zongbi not also have expectations?
He immediately said, "Brother, if he can really do it this time, and he succeeds to the throne in the future, I will have nothing to say! Then it will be his! For the rest of my life, I will listen to him!"

These are Wanyan Zongbi's sincere words. If this matter is truly accomplished, what else is there to say?
At this moment, Wanyan Zongpan was even more excited. He rode his horse at breakneck speed, staring at the Su Wu dragon banner he had been looking at for several days. It became clearer and clearer, and closer and closer.

Closest to Su Wu's central command platform, there was another troop of cavalry, no more than two thousand. In the midst of the battle, after a brief exchange, Su Wu would be right in front of them. Regardless of the number of casualties, the goal was to kill Su Wu on the spot, and that would be the great success.

After today, the Jurchens will be invincible.

But suddenly, amidst his excitement came tension. Wanyan Zongpan looked left and right, fearing that enemies would rush in from both sides and block his way.

He did indeed look to the left and right, and there were indeed troops lined up in formation not far away, but they were not moving.

Although I don't understand it, it's baffling that they're about to charge into the center of the enemy lines, yet the left and right wings remain stationary. I just can't make sense of it...

But Wanyan Zongpan just kept running wildly, and the more he ran, the happier he became. He shouted to his men, "Brothers, follow me and kill! Kill Su Wu! Kill Su Wu today! We'll kill Su Wu right now!"

Which of the Jurchens, left or right, wouldn't they like?
Which one of them didn't hate Su Wu to the core?
Ma Bu was going berserk, running so fast that the still unfrozen soil was flying everywhere.

They ran a little further, and looking ahead, they saw no enemy cavalry coming to meet them. Instead, they saw a line of infantry, whose formation was not very tight...

Upon closer inspection, it appeared that there was something placed in front of the foot soldiers, low and gleaming with a metallic sheen.

Many people were also holding torches...

What kind of battle is this?
Wanyan Zongpan was knowledgeable; he had actually seen similar things before, among the Liao people, such as rockets.

There was no rocket launcher in sight...

Besides, the Rockets don't really have any real power.

A three-barreled gun? I didn't even see anyone carrying a wooden handle to fire at it. That thing isn't very good...

He himself had even seized and tried to capture things in the city...

What exactly are those low, short iron lumps on the ground?
Just keep going forward and get a clear view!
"The enemy formation is not tight, charge through!" Wanyan Zongpan shouted, while also patting his horse's rump.

In an instant, we were almost there!

Suddenly, a rumbling sound arose, blue smoke billowed out, and various sounds of air being torn apart came whistling through the air.

The series of explosions left Wanyan Zongpan's head spinning, a result of unexpected shock and stress.

He quickly regained his senses; Wanyan Zongpan instinctively looked around and saw a chorus of wails, countless people falling from their horses…

What was that whooshing sound coming from the sky?
Before Wanyan Zongpan could figure it out, his horse was also greatly alarmed and braked suddenly, its front legs dangling in the air.

Without a second thought, Wanyan Zongpan hurriedly tried to control the horse, pulling the reins repeatedly.

The horse was truly out of control; even when its head was pulled back, it still wobbled wildly from side to side.

The neighing of horses rose and fell in waves, and the thousand riders charging forward were already in complete chaos.

When Wanyan Zongpan looked closely around, he saw many people and horses lying on the ground, many bleeding profusely from their chests, and the horses were in the same state...

Looking closer, you can see that some people on the ground have countless small cuts on their faces.

what is this?
Iron pellets fired from a three-barreled gun? Those things are fine for shooting birds, but how could they possibly hit armored soldiers?

Those are cannons! Wanyan Zongpan looked closer and saw those iron lumps on the ground—those are cannons!

So many large guns, lined up in rows, dozens or even hundreds...

"Whoa! Whoa!" Wanyan Zongpan kept reining in his horse, trying to calm it down!

Just moments ago, there were collisions between front and rear, with countless men and horses falling to the ground. The unstoppable momentum of thousands of armored cavalrymen had come to an abrupt end!
Formation is not even worth discussing...

In the distance, actually quite close, less than a hundred paces, someone shouted, "One more shot! One more shot!"

Loading was quite troublesome; three people surrounded a small tiger-squatting cannon, constantly manipulating it.

There were some preparations made in advance, such as weighing the waist packs in advance and filling the bags with iron shot in advance, so they could just stuff and poke into the cannon barrel.

Behind them, the Fourth Battalion of the Imperial Guard was already preparing to move. The commander of the Imperial Guard, Yang Gu Nan of the Great Yan, Fan Yun, was already shouting to his men, "Prepare to charge with me!"

Then, Su Wu nodded slightly: "Not bad..."

Wu Yong was overjoyed: "Excellent! This Ling Zhen product is truly excellent, extremely good!"

Wanyan Zongpan was still reining in his horse and shouting, "Go, go, go! Charge forward!"

If the horses were used to this kind of noise, their attack wouldn't have stopped so abruptly. But today, they were truly caught off guard, and chaos ensued...

If Wanyan Zongpan wanted to reorganize, it would really take a lot of effort. In his haste, he even dismounted and shouted, "Brothers, dismount! Follow me to kill Su Wu!"

Amidst the wailing and lamentation, many dismounted and went on foot. The Jurchens were indeed fierce and brave.

Another roar followed, and white and black smoke billowed up, like a forest mist before my eyes...

Wanyan Zongpan's eyes widened, and he subconsciously raised his hand to block. Just as he lowered his arm, he was lucky. Looking around, he saw that it was like a sickle harvesting wheat, with swathes of people lying on the ground, many with their armor covered in rotten scum...

Wailing cries filled the air...

Wanyan Zongpan was completely bewildered and stopped in his tracks. What on earth was going on? How could there be such a powerful cannon?

This……

Ahead, the horsemen rose to their feet, and Fan Yun said, "It's our turn! The first two battalions, follow me to kill the enemy!"

On the distant city wall, Wanyan Zongwang and Wanyan Zongbi exchanged a glance...

The distant explosions still echoed in the air. Countless soldiers of Wanyan Zongpan's army had fallen to the ground, and they couldn't help but wonder, what was going on? What kind of weapon was that?
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(End of this chapter)