Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 601: Attack the city in one day and conquer it in one day
"I am sorry for failing to capture the city gate today!" Wang Tiepan, covered in blood, knelt down in the tent and made to kowtow.

Liu Huai waved his hand: "This is not your fault. Please stand up and speak."

Wang Tiepan stood up and first stole a glance at Wang Shilong. Seeing his commander's stern face, he felt uneasy and quickly tried to apologize again.

He Boqiu, however, had already spoken up and asked, "Stop putting on this act. What did you discover today during your head-on battle with the Jin bandits guarding the city gate?"

Facing the high-ranking officer in the tent, Wang Tiepan carefully considered his words before saying, "The Jin bandits have made some preparations at the south gate, with about a thousand soldiers, including more than three hundred armored soldiers. They have also set up barricades, and there seems to be a simple barbican inside."

"Many of these people are probably the private soldiers of local tyrants. Although they are well-coordinated among themselves, they are completely incapable of fighting a battle. As soon as my two hundred soldiers charged, those hundred or so useless soldiers blocking the gate collapsed."

Wang Shilong rebuked him, "Just answer whatever Chief Secretary He asks, don't waste your breath."

Wang Tiepan quickly suppressed his habitual desire to boast: "Yes, yes, but the Jin invaders' reinforcements were too strong, so we were pushed back and fought outside the city gate. Later... later the Jin invaders closed the heavy gate, blocking us outside. After we scattered the dozens of Jin soldiers outside the city, we retreated."

After hearing the whole story, the generals were helpless.

This is not something that can be changed by human power. Who would have thought that the garrison commander of Jinan Prefecture would dare to block the city gates while the general and his personal guards were fighting outside the city? It's simply ruthless to the point of being insane.

However, since the Jin state has done such a thing, it will naturally pay the price.

At this time, the troops who dared to leave the city to fight were all elites. To abandon them so easily would be a huge blow to the morale of the entire city.

In particular, this elite cavalry force was completely wiped out. Except for their leader, Pusanhuntan, who was not captured, all their military flags and drums were seized.

"Commander-in-Chief!" Huyan Nanxian was the first to react, rising to volunteer for battle: "The army has simple siege ladders. Tomorrow I will personally lead the troops to attack the city, and we will naturally be able to take it in one fell swoop!"

The other generals also immediately volunteered for battle.

Because the army marched from east to west, advancing in unison and conquering cities and towns along the way, the distance between the various armies was not very far.

After the main force of the Han army launched a surprise attack on Licheng, the rest of the troops quickly followed and gathered there. Even Shi Qilang, who was sweeping around Yucheng to the north of Beiqinghe, sent more than 300 elite troops to participate in the siege of Licheng.

With generals and commanders gathered in the main tent, how could Huyan Nanxian possibly seize this opportunity?

However, Liu Huai did not respond to anyone, but continued to ask Wang Tiepan: "You just mentioned that the thousand-pound gate, what is it made of? Is it iron or stone?"

Wang Tiepan thought for a moment and said, "I made two cuts with my knife. It should be made of thick ironwood, covered with a layer of iron and a layer of cowhide."

Liu Huai turned his head to look at Shen Longzi, the head of his personal guards.

Shen Longzi understood and nodded slowly.

Liu Huai then looked at He Boqiu: "When did I write the letter to Geng Jiedu?"

November 3rd.

"Tomorrow is the 22nd. I told Xin Wulang to hold out for 20 days. After I sweep through Jinan Prefecture, I will go to support the Taiping Army. A man must keep his word, otherwise what will the world think of me?"

As he spoke, Liu Huai seemed to have made up his mind, and then stood up and said, "My mind is made up. We will break through the city tomorrow."

"The elite main force assembled at the south gate. After the city gate was opened wide, Lei Ben led the vanguard and entered the city in turn."

"The remaining units dispatched their elite troops to launch a fierce attack on the city walls using siege ladders."

"Chief Secretary He, after entering the city, strictly enforce military discipline. Those who surrender to the Jin army will be spared death."

He Boqiu thought Liu Huai was going to try to boost morale by personally climbing the city wall again, and was about to advise him against it, but then he suddenly remembered something else, glanced at Shen Longzi, and gave up.

"General Huyan, you lead your troops to hold the line and gather as many local strongmen as possible, whether they have surrendered, been captured, or sent people to beg for mercy. Let them all come and watch me break through the city tomorrow!"

"Here!"

The next day, November 22nd, the weather was gloomy and the temperature dropped. Standing on the city wall, Pusanhuntan watched as large plumes of smoke rose from the still-unfinished, simple camp below, and felt a chill in his heart.

He never expected that the Han army would dare to attack the city without even building an siege camp and with only siege ladders as siege equipment.

Did it eat a dinosaur's penis? It's so fierce!
However, after the disastrous defeat in the battle outside the city the previous day, Pusanhuntan was completely powerless and could only watch helplessly as the Han army outside the city set up camp to cook and, as the eastern clouds gradually turned white, walked out of their camp and slowly formed ranks below the city.

Pusanhuntan stared intently at the city below, but all he saw was a burly knight slowly stepping out from the very center of the battle formation. On his left and right were two large banners inscribed with "Jingnan" and "Zhongyi," and flanked by the two banners was a large banner with the Chinese character "Han" in black on a red background.

"Wan Sheng!"

"Wan Sheng!"

Hearing the sudden burst of cheers from below the city, Pusanhuntan realized that things were truly not going to end well today.

He glanced at the guards on the city wall. Although they were already somewhat apprehensive, they still began to boil molten gold and prepare arrows under the officers' reprimands, and began the preparations for defending the city in an orderly manner.

Apart from the Jin troops brought by Pusanhuntan, the rest were almost all private soldiers of local strongmen. Including the conscripted soldiers, there were as many as 20,000 troops in the city.

These powerful armies may have some issues with combat effectiveness, but they certainly don't lack fighting spirit.

Because they had previously attempted to ambush Huyan Nanxian and expelled refugees, leaving Jinan Prefecture littered with corpses, they had completely exhausted all their options. Even if they surrendered, Liu Huai would absolutely not spare them.

Pusanhuntan no longer expected to hold out until December 15th. He now only hoped to rely on his soldiers and the city walls to kill one or two thousand Han soldiers, which would buy him some time and allow Heshilie Liangbi some time to recover.

Prime Minister, please don't be offended. It's not that our side is too weak, but that the enemy is too powerful.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the battle formation below the city, on a small hill, Hu Yananxian set up the banner of Wu Chengjun's army. Behind him, there was a group of people dressed as commoners.

They were the local tycoons from Jinan Prefecture.

The composition of these wealthy individuals was extremely complex. Some were captured on the spot after their manors were breached; some surrendered voluntarily after witnessing the might of the Han army; and others simply came to bargain before the Han army even reached the city gates.

Lin Fanrong mingled among them, disguised as an envoy, wanting to pay his respects to Liu Huai and offering his services.

In fact, Lin Fanrong received a report from a servant a few hours after Dang Huaiying escaped from the manor.

But instead of flying into a rage, or sending anyone to retrieve Dang Huaiying, he was gripped by a deep chill.

Just because I hesitated slightly on the matter of surrender, Dang Huaiying disregarded the chaos of war and fled with his elderly mother. How could he not have any faith in me?
Doesn't this mean that in Dang Huaiying's mind, not only is Lin Fanrong doomed, but the Lin family is also doomed to complete ruin?
If it were an ordinary person's judgment, it wouldn't matter, but this is Dang Huaiying! A recognized wise man! How could Lin Fanrong not be terrified?
Spurred by this incident, Lin Fanrong made up her mind to follow Dang Huaiying's advice and submit to Liu Huai.

However, his scholar-official instincts still compelled him to try and negotiate, so he disguised himself as an envoy and went to the Han army camp to pay his respects before the Han army reached the gate.

At this moment, Liu Huai had no time to care about these people. He simply sent them all away.

After receiving the military order, Huyan Nanxian gathered these people together and showed them how the Han army breached the city.

However, even Huyan Nanxian didn't know what was so interesting. Did he want to show the powerful clans just how mighty the Han army was?

If that's the case, why go through all this trouble? Why not just lead the army to attack the enemy's manor?

"All troops, prepare!"

"The cavalry are suppressing the city walls!"

"Soldiers, fill the moat!"

"The infantry is ready to enter the city!"

"Attack the south city wall with full force!"

"Attack the south city wall with full force!"

The military envoy loudly proclaimed that the siege strategy for today had already been planned in yesterday's military council, and this was merely a reiteration of the plan.

Amidst the resounding drumbeats, a mixed force of archers and light cavalry arrived first at the moat and began exchanging fire with the city walls.

The auxiliary soldiers took the opportunity to move forward and throw baskets of soil into the moat.

The moat of Licheng is a tributary of the Xiaoqing River. Because it has not been dredged for a long time and it is winter, it is almost dry.

Thousands of auxiliary soldiers rushed forward and filled the moat with several wide roads in less than half an hour.

The drumbeats grew more intense, and the Han soldiers, carrying ladders and under the cover of archers, charged toward the city walls with shouts of battle, fighting like madmen as they scaled the walls.

The Han army's fearless yet inexplicable tactics baffled Pusanhuntan.

The weakest point in the entire city's defenses is the city gate. It's not that the attacking side can't attack the city wall, but why not just attack the city wall and ignore the city gate?
Even if we could breach the city walls, how many people would die?

Pusanhuntan was completely baffled, but that didn't stop him from feeling immense pressure on the city wall.

Under the cover of archers below the city, Han soldiers continued to scale the walls, braving rolling logs and stones, and engaged in fierce battle with the Jin army.

Pusanhuntan could only lead his personal guards to put out fires everywhere and suppress the Han army that had climbed the city walls. Before long, he was already panting heavily.

However, his physical pressure was far less than his psychological pressure. He really wanted to figure out what Fei Hu Zi under the city wanted to do. Did he really want to use human lives to grind down Licheng?
Are the elite armored soldiers of the Han army all grown from the ground and worthless?

This feeling of relief only subsided when a huge goose cart was pushed out of the Han army's formation.

It seems that Flying Tiger didn't have any extraordinary abilities; his fierce attack on the city wall was merely to create an opportunity for Goose Cart.

However, Pusanhuntan also took some precautions against the southern city.

The city defenses of Licheng hadn't been repaired since the fall of the Qi state, but the basic structure remained. Even though the barbican had long been demolished to obstruct trade, the relative positions of the city gate and the barbican were still relatively clear.
In the past few days, Pusanhuntan has used civilian houses and barricades to create a new, makeshift barbican around the back of the city gate. You Biao has led his elite troops in a state of high alert, ready to kill any Han army that comes. Besides, the thousand-pound gate is different from a city gate; it has no hinges or bolts. How could it be so easily breached?

However, they couldn't just watch the goose cart move forward. Pusanhuntan ordered that fire arrows and oil be concentrated, and that the goose cart be burned as soon as it got close.

However, when the goose cart got closer, Pusanhuntan was dumbfounded.

A typical goose cart was basically a wooden roof with wheels underneath, and the attacking soldiers would push the cart forward from under the wooden roof.

At most, they would lay down a layer of tanned cowhide and set it on fire.

But this goose cart was different. Not only were all four sides protected, but it was also fireproof to the extreme. It was not only covered with tanned cowhide, but also with wet blankets, and the outermost layer was covered with a thick layer of wet mud.

With such tight protection, not to mention fire arrows, even pouring oil on it would only cause a few flames to rise, and it would be impossible to completely ignite the goose cart.

Is the person pushing the cart really that afraid of death?

However, Pusanhuntan only thought about it in his mind, because the Han army's offensive on the city wall became more intense, forcing him to focus all his attention on dealing with the top of the city wall.

The city gate was left to Liu Fen and You Biao.

With them there, the city gates will not be easily breached no matter what.

Liu Huai sat upright on his horse, watching the goose cart gradually approach the city gate and arrive at the gate opening. Only then did he feel half relieved.

"Young Master, can it really work?" He Boqiu gazed at the scene from afar, swallowing hard.

Liu Huai was also a little nervous: "We've experimented with it many times, and the technology is mature. But who can say for sure what will happen on the battlefield? It might really go out of control."

Upon hearing this, He Boqiu's cheek twitched: "If it fails, I will personally lead the army to attack the city, and I will certainly not let morale suffer."

Liu Huai immediately nodded in agreement: "Third Master He, you go first. If you fail, I will take over. We must take Licheng today."

The saying goes, "One should strike while the iron is hot, but the second will be weaker, and the third will be exhausted." The Han army's fierce attack, which can be described as a do-or-die effort, was not without cost. If they had not captured Licheng today, even with only a few hundred casualties, their morale would have suffered a great blow.

Normally it's fine, we can just stay in the city and besiege it.

But now there is still Heshi Lie Liangbi waiting in Dongping Prefecture, which is where the real battle will be fought. How can we throw all our morale and fighting spirit into Licheng?
Liu Huai looked at the goose cart from afar. From this distance and angle, he could not see the construction progress inside the cart. After waiting for half an hour, when the scheduled time arrived, he said to the guard beside him, "Raise the yellow flag and postpone the ascent of the city wall."

"Send the order to Lei Ben, have the entire Vanguard Army don their armor and form ranks!"

"Send orders to Li Xiu and Huyan Zhangba, instructing them to lead light infantry and follow the main banner."

"Order all cavalry units to set off immediately, circle the city, and prepare to pursue and kill the fleeing troops from the east, west, and north."

The orders were relayed one by one, and the army, under Liu Huai's command, slowly began to change formation.

Just as Liu Huai was getting impatient and was about to send a military envoy to risk going to the goose cart to inquire, some armored soldiers finally escaped from the cart. The leader, Shen Longzi, ran away as fast as he could, waving a red flag in his hand.

The servant on the city wall also saw this scene and felt a chill run down his spine; the hairs on his body stood on end.

His keen senses, honed by years of battlefield combat, told him that great danger was imminent, but Pusanhuntan had no idea where things might go wrong.

Could it be that scoundrel You Biao?
No, if he were Fei Hu Zi's hidden pawn, Licheng would have been captured yesterday.

Could it be Liu Fen?
No, he requested to go south; he wasn't a coward or incompetent person.

Where could it be? Could it be that the goose cart contained a large amount of kerosene that could burn down the city gate?

What good would burning it do? Could rammed earth and bluestone be melted by fire?

Seeing that the armored soldiers had escaped the range of the arrows, and that the Han army had paused its attack, and that the Han cavalry were circling the city, Pusanhuntan felt a sense of panic and looked around frantically, hoping to get some clues.

"This……"

He had barely uttered a single word to his personal guard when he felt a tremor run through his body, his vision went black, and his mind went blank.

Pusanhuntan felt his soul drifting away. He didn't know how much time had passed, but when he came to his senses, he was lying on the city wall. He felt as if a handful of rust had been stuffed into his mouth, and his ears were ringing. Although there were huge screams and cries of terror all around him, he couldn't hear anything.

Pusanhuntan lay prostrate on the ground, trying to get up, but his limbs wouldn't obey him. He could only open his eyes and look around, with only one thought in his mind: "What...what is this..."

"This is the future." Liu Huai looked at the huge fireball that erupted at the city gate, felt the warm wind coming from it, and murmured to himself amidst the exclamations and noise, "This is the future."

As a time traveler, Liu Huai naturally wanted to develop firearms and artillery when building up his army.

However, he was also a mediocre craftsman, and the gunpowder he made was of little use. He had to gather skilled craftsmen to improve the gunpowder formula.

It wasn't until after the autumn harvest that the formula for gunpowder was finally discovered. Then came improvements to make it more explosive. Finally, in winter, the craftsmen overcame the challenge of granulating gunpowder.

At that time, the situation in Shandong was already very tense, and there was no time to develop firearms and cannons. Liu Huai could only ask the craftsmen to make explosives as much as possible, so that at least they could make a sound on the battlefield.

Liu Huai's use of explosives to blast open the city gate was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but this tactic has been used in history. For example, Li Zicheng at the end of the Ming Dynasty dug tunnels under the city wall and then used coffins filled with explosives to blast the city wall down.

However, the attack on Licheng was too urgent, and there wasn't enough time to dig tunnels and blow up the city walls, so they could only use this crude method to try to blow up the city gate.

Shen Longzi was afraid that there wouldn't be enough explosives, so he used half of the explosives he had brought with him on this expedition.

Moreover, to ensure the explosives' effectiveness, Shen Longzi used a goose cart as cover, dug an earthen wall at the city gate, and placed the explosives between the earthen wall and the heavy gate.

The earthen walls and the gate formed a natural cannon barrel, while the gate and the heavy gate were natural shotguns. The mushroom cloud of explosives shot horizontally out of the city gate, and flames carrying thousands of iron and wooden pieces crashed down on the simple barbican like a shower of flowers.

As they approached the city gate, You Biao, who was hiding behind wooden shields and barricades, was riddled with holes by the flying wooden shards without uttering a sound. His private soldiers suffered heavy casualties, with many being killed by the shockwave.

Although the Han army had made some preparations and moved further away, they were still startled by the deafening roar that echoed across the battlefield. Some warhorses were even frightened and scattered, causing several small-scale disturbances.

Just as both sides were thrown into chaos, Liu Huai forcefully suppressed the somewhat agitated warhorse, then raised his Liquan spear and roared, "Beat the drums, advance!"

As he spoke, Liu Huai personally spurred his horse forward. Although the flag bearers behind him were still shaken, they habitually waved the large flag and pressed towards the city gate.

Chen Wenben, accompanied by many personal guards, shouted loudly, "Into the city! Into the city! Follow us! Follow the Commander-in-Chief into the city!"

"Enter the city!"

"Enter the city!"

Upon seeing this, Lei Ben and the other generals immediately understood Liu Huai's intention and shouted loudly, "Enter the city!"

Once all the officers at the commander level were mobilized, the Han army was launched with a roar.

Liu Huai simply rode forward slowly, and soon the elite soldiers of the Vanguard Army had already passed his position. Lei Ben, as the first vanguard, simply walked quickly to the front and commanded his troops to seize the city gate.

Then Huyan Zhangba led his swordsmen and shieldmen forward bravely. After glancing at Liu Huai with some fear, he quickly focused all his attention on the city wall near the left side of the city gate.

Huyan Zhangba was not unaware of firecrackers and fireworks, but quantitative change can lead to qualitative change, and things that can make such a commotion always instill fear in people.

Liu Huai, who created and mastered such great power, naturally possessed a sacred quality in Huyan Zhangba's eyes.

The Han army, which had temporarily suspended its attack and retreated to the vicinity of the moat, also reacted and, once again shouting, carried ladders and struggled to climb the city wall.

Hu Yananxian opened his mouth wide as he looked at the scene at the city gate, then turned his head to look at the powerful figures of Jinan Prefecture who had fallen to the ground and were shouting incoherently, and burst into laughter.

"Liang Yuan'er, you lead the troops and follow the Commander into the city!"

Lin Fanrong slumped to the ground, forcibly suppressing the urge to kowtow, and then turned her gaze to the receding 'Han' character flag, her heart filled with fear.

We must surrender to the Han army immediately. We must do whatever Liu Huai says, even if it means splitting our family and relocating. We must not anger this man!
Pusanhuntan finally managed to stand up, his eyes still spinning and his ears still ringing. He watched as Liu Fen ran up from below the city wall, seemingly saying something loudly and constantly dragging him along.

But he couldn't hear anything.

Sensing the unsteady footsteps, Pusanhuntan roared, "Let go! Let go! Liu Fen, you bastard, stop right there!"

Despite feeling extremely dizzy, Pusanhuntan stretched his head in front of Liu Fen and spat in her face: "I can't go on! I can't even walk properly, I can't escape! You have to go! Before Liu's cavalry surrounds us, go! Tell His Majesty everything!"

"Please advise His Majesty on my behalf! Do everything in our power to preserve Youyan! The Han people have already shown their strength! Do not engage them in direct combat! Wait for another opportunity! Go! Go!"

After saying his last words, Pusanhuntan gave Liu Fen a hard shove. Seeing that Liu Fen's mouth was still opening and closing, he could only shout, "I couldn't stop Liu Dalang, which caused the Left Prime Minister's plan to fail. I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Fen had no choice but to bow deeply to Pu Sanhuntan before running down the city wall and heading west.

This fellow was quite experienced in escaping; he actually found the right opportunity and, during the most chaotic moment when the Han army stormed into the city, seized the opportunity and fled at breakneck speed.

It wasn't until they reached the banks of the Beiqing River and boarded the small boat that had been prepared that Liu Fen was able to calm her still-shaken heart back into her chest.

However, when he looked back at Licheng, the relief of escaping death was quickly replaced by immense fear.

Licheng held out for two days.

The Han army had effectively breached the entire Jinan Prefecture. Even though there were still many powerful clans on the west side of Jinan Prefecture, they had no courage to resist after the victory at Licheng in two days and could only let Liu Huai take whatever he wanted.

Advancing westward along the Beiqing River, the Han army is about to storm Dongping Prefecture.

"You, and you too!" Liu Fen thought of this and pointed at the two soldiers: "Go and quickly report to the Left Prime Minister that Licheng has fallen and Liu the traitor is beyond control! Tell the Left Prime Minister to make preparations as soon as possible!"

(End of this chapter)