My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Chapter 261 The Divine Weapon That Sweeps Across Eurasia! Liu Bei: You have thunderbolts, I have divine thunder, Cao Cao, are you surprised?
These words caused an uproar among the people on the city wall.

Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and Lu Xun were all greatly surprised.

Everyone was terrified by Xiao He's description.

The power of the Thunder Chariot is legendary, even if people haven't seen it in person.

That's a powerful siege weapon capable of leveling earthen mounds.

When Cao Cao conquered cities and seized territory, he could easily breach the walls of cities with weak walls using trebuchets.

Xiao He even claimed that he could build a catapult ten times more powerful than a trebuchet!
It is still the most powerful weapon in history!

Such astonishing words could not help but shock the emperor and his ministers.

"Bowen, did I hear that right? There's a catapult in this world that's ten times more powerful than a trebuchet?"

Zhang Fei stared wide-eyed at Xiao He with a look of astonishment.

Liu Bei quickly recovered from his surprise, and joy appeared in his eyes.

He was confident but dared not readily believe those words coming from someone else.

But that's Xiao He.

Not only was he incredibly intelligent, but he was also a master of weaponry.

Back then, didn't Xiao He forge a divine weapon like the Mo Dao for him?

Now that Xiao He claims he can build catapults, while the power may be exaggerated, it is certainly not untrue.

Thinking of this, Liu Bei said happily:

"Bowen, what does this weapon you speak of look like? May we have a look?"

Xiao He then gave Deng Ai a few instructions, telling him to return to his residence and bring the blueprints he had brought with him to the city wall.

"Actually, I have been thinking about this weapon for a long time. Before the Northern Expedition, I even tested it outside Yingtian and the results were quite good."

"I thought that Your Majesty's northern expedition would inevitably involve attacking fortified cities and taking on some tough challenges. I originally intended to present this weapon to Your Majesty for use in attacking cities."

"However, in order to break Cao Cao's earthen mound plan, we have no choice but to bring this weapon into existence ahead of schedule."

While waiting for Deng Ai's return, Xiao He explained with a smile.

Upon hearing Xiao He's words, Liu Bei and his ministers became even more curious, eager to see the splendor of this divine weapon.

Not long after.

Deng Ai returned carrying a stack of blueprints.

Liu Bei and his ministers then entered the city tower and watched as Deng Ai nailed the blueprints to the city wall.

The Chu rulers and ministers, filled with curiosity, looked up and examined the scene.

Those present were all seasoned veterans, well-informed and quick to realize that what was depicted on the blueprint did indeed resemble a catapult.

However, it was quite different from ordinary catapults, being more complex and sophisticated.

"Bowen, I can't understand your drawing at all. What is this thing?"

Zhang Fei scratched his head and shouted.

All eyes turned to Xiao He, waiting for his explanation.

Xiao He smiled and said slowly:
"The catapult invented by Liu Ye made a sound like thunder when it fired stones, hence the name Thunderbolt Cart."

"This catapult of mine is ten times more powerful than the trebuchet. So naturally, its name is more domineering and resounding than the trebuchet. I call it the Divine Thunder Cannon."

Divine Thunder Cannon?
Liu Bei and his men were all taken aback.

The Divine Thunder Cannon fires stones as if struck by lightning from the heavens, shattering even gods and demons; its name is certainly domineering.

"I have never heard of such a catapult before, Bowen. Is it truly as powerful as you describe?"

Liu Bei couldn't help but ask.

Xiao He smiled.

In fact, the real name of this catapult is Xiangyang Cannon, also known as Giant Stone Cannon or Huihui Cannon.

When the Mongol army swept across Eurasia and was invincible in open field battles, it relied on the Mongol cavalry; when they attacked cities, they were sure to break through, and they relied on this cannon.

It was with this siege weapon that the Mongol army broke through the rock-solid city of Xiangyang, breached the Han River defense line that the Southern Song had defended for decades, and then swiftly and decisively destroyed the Southern Song.

The people of the Song Dynasty witnessed the terrifying power of this cannon, which became famous for blasting through Xiangyang, hence it was named the Xiangyang Cannon.

The city of Xiangyang in the Southern Song Dynasty had brick-clad walls, which were far more sturdy than the rammed earth walls of today.

These Xiangyang cannons can even blast through brick-walled city walls, let alone these mere dozens of earthen hills in front of us.

The essence of this catapult, simply put, lies in the addition of a lever counterweight device, which greatly enhances its power.

Such manufacturing technology may not seem like much in later generations, but in our time, it could be considered a game-changer.

Of course, it would seem very strange to call it by its original name, Xiangyang Cannon.
Xiao He then spontaneously gave it a new name: Divine Thunder Cannon.

Faced with Lao Liu's question, Xiao Hesui smiled confidently:
"This Divine Thunder Cannon was originally intended for Your Majesty to use in breaching city walls. It would be a piece of cake to break through a few earthen mounds."

Liu Bei turned his gaze back to the maps, but still could not discern their secrets.

Zhang Fei waved his hand and shouted:
"Enough, Your Majesty, I think we should stop looking at it. The artifacts that Bowen created are divine tools used by immortals. How could we possibly understand them?"

"Anyway, Bowen never makes a mistake. If he says it can work, it definitely can. Let's not waste our brains on it."

As a die-hard fan of Xiao He, Zhang Fei simply chose to believe him unconditionally.

The doubt in Liu Bei's eyes immediately vanished, and he said with delight:

“Yide is right. Since it was created by Bowen, why should I ask any more questions?”

"By my order, gather all the artisans in my army and, at all costs, immediately work day and night to forge this Divine Might Cannon for me, according to Bowen's plan!"

When the king issued the order, nearly three hundred artisans from various camps were summoned overnight.

Liu Bei then dispatched nearly three thousand soldiers to cut down trees and smelt iron, and together with three hundred artisans, they built the Divine Thunder Cannon based on the blueprints provided by Xiao He.

For a time, both the Chu and Wei armies began frantically working to complete the project.

Outside the city, the Wei army was in the open, piling up earthen mounds right under the noses of the Chu army. To prevent leaks, the Chu army hid in the shadows inside the city, secretly building the Divine Thunder Cannon.

...

Seven days later.

More than thirty earthen mounds, each four zhang high, have risen from the ground within sixty paces of Suiyang City.

Cao Cao had been waiting impatiently for a long time, so he immediately ordered that all the trebuchets, powerful bows and crossbows be moved up the earthen hill.

In the afternoon, Cao Cao, surrounded by his guards including Xu Chu, led Cao Chong and his advisors including Cheng Yu, to personally climb the earthen hill.

Today, Cao Cao wants to personally witness the magnificent spectacle of the Wei army overwhelming the Chu army.

Climbing the earthen hill, one can look down and see the entire city of Suiyang in its entirety.

Tens of thousands of Chu soldiers had already raised their shields and taken cover under the corners of the city walls.

Clearly, Liu Bei was not stupid. In the past few days, he had seen through Liu Bei's plan to play the same trick as Yuan Shao in the Battle of Guandu, so he ordered his soldiers to prepare for evasion in advance.

"Liu Bei, the nightmare I experienced at the Battle of Guandu, I will let you experience it today as well."

Cao Cao's lips curled into a sarcastic smirk as he looked at his son.
"Cang Shu, the strategy of the earthen mound is your masterpiece, so you shall issue the first order."

"All the troops on and around Tushan are now under your command!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Pi frowned slightly.

Although Cao Chong was a child prodigy, he was still too young, at least twenty years old. Although he had participated in many campaigns, he had never personally commanded troops.

At this moment, Cao Cao actually ordered him to take command of nearly 10,000 troops on and around Tushan Mountain. This was clearly intended to give Cao Chong military power, train his ability to command troops, and help him establish his authority in the army.

All of these are methods for cultivating successors...

Cao Pi saw this and was anxious. He couldn't help but start to question Sima Yi's strategy of telling him not to compete for credit.

Although Cao Chong understood Cao Cao's intentions, he remained calm and simply accepted the order with his hands clasped.

Then he turned around, looked down at the army, and said sternly:
"Pass on my order: load the trebuchets, cock the crossbowmen, and bombard the Chu army at Suiyang!"

On the earthen hill, command flags waved and war drums sounded.

More than 4,000 archers immediately drew their bows and began shooting.

Countless arrows immediately soared into the air, taking advantage of their high vantage point to swoop down towards Suiyang City.

"Uuuuuu——"

More than thirty trebuchets started up at the same time, and the stone projectiles roared towards Suiyang City like meteors.

Arrows rained down, and flying stones crashed down...

In an instant, Suiyang City was rocked by the collapse of the sky and the roar of thunder.

The Wei army's attack, however, was carried out from a superior position, and the combination of catapults and arrows was both accurate and powerful.

Although the Chu army was prepared, they still suffered casualties. Screams suddenly rose, and scattered blood mist rose into the air.

More than ten Chu soldiers were either killed by flying stones or wounded by arrows.

However, these few casualties were naturally insignificant to the 100,000 Chu soldiers.

Cao Cao smiled as he admired the magnificent scene before him, but his face showed a look of certainty.

Cao Chong's plan was not primarily about how many Chu soldiers he killed.

It doesn't matter how many are killed or how few.

The essence of this strategy lies in using overwhelming pressure to keep the Chu army in a state of high tension at all times, with every second shrouded in the shadow of death.

This is a form of mental torture.

If this continues, even the most determined and elite individuals will eventually succumb to the pressure and their spirit will crumble.

With morale shattered, I only need to give it a light kick, and Liu Bei's meticulously crafted Suiyang defense line will surely collapse.

"Xiao He, even if you are a master strategist, do you have the ability to thwart my son's plan?"

"Hehe~~"

Cao Cao looked at the "ravaged" city of Suiyang, a smile he couldn't suppress.

Within the Wei camp, on and around the earthen hill, the morale of the Wei soldiers soared, and they roared wildly.

Inside Suiyang City.

On a watchtower outside the range of the Wei army's arrows.

Liu Bei, along with Xiao He and a group of advisors, watched from afar as the Wei army on the earthen hill displayed their "unbridled" power.

Through the telescope, Liu Bei spotted Cao Cao.

He could even clearly see Cao Cao's smug and confident smile.

Liu Bei smiled coldly, waved his hand, and shouted:

"By my command, deploy the Divine Thunder Cannon and begin the counterattack."

The command flag waved.

Soon, one after another, massive structures covered with burlap sacks, dragged along the main street by mules and soldiers, advanced to the western city wall and came to a stop beyond the range of the Wei army's trebuchets.

The burlap lining was lifted, revealing the true appearance of more than fifty enormous objects.

The Chu soldiers, who were cowering to avoid the bullets, were all amazed and discussing the enormous thing.

On the earthen hill outside the city.

The Wei soldiers, who were bombarding the city, all stopped and stared in astonishment at the city of Suiyang.

"What...what is that?"

Cao Cao's smile vanished, his mouth gaped open, and his eyes bulged like copper bells.

(End of this chapter)