After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

"A government order to grant amnesty?!"

As soon as the leader said this, everyone in the hall gasped in surprise, and some even jumped up from their chairs.

But after the initial shock, everyone's thoughts immediately became active.

Without Meng Hao needing to speak up, several knowledgeable leaders nodded and chuckled, saying that the boss was truly cunning!

Previously, the imperial court had never sent any high-ranking officials to conquer Black Tiger Mountain. Although they had tried to recruit them, their intentions were not sincere.

Let alone surrendering to a chiliarch, even surrendering to the commander of a garrison would be beneath one's dignity.

But since the imperial court has sent a high-ranking official this time, a proper governor, accepting the imperial pardon at this time would not only not be beneath him, but would even be considered as having "connections in the court."

"The chief is right. These civil officials love to take over places without bloodshed... If we accept the imperial amnesty, it will definitely be one of the civil officials' important achievements... Isn't that commander of the Yunhu Camp just a damn mountain bandit who was granted amnesty?" someone agreed.

"That's right, we can set conditions. We can demand that we be stationed on Black Tiger Mountain and receive a salary from the imperial court... If we're not happy, we can rebel!"

The chieftain, who had initially frowned and was somewhat opposed to the amnesty, gradually became swayed by the words of the amnesty faction.

"It's mainly because Second Master Xiao accomplished such great things this time that the imperial court has finally taken notice of us." When the time was right, First Master Meng Hao smiled and added a sentence to Xiao Chun's defense... Everyone gave him face and agreed, and Xiao Chun nodded silently to express his gratitude.

With the leader speaking, the faction advocating for amnesty gained the upper hand. Next, the details of the amnesty would be discussed.

First, drive back a few waves of government troops and inflict heavy damage on them! ... This was the consensus among everyone.

Meng Hao frowned and nodded in agreement, saying that at least the soldiers should leave behind a hundred corpses first, and then we could agree to the amnesty after the governor was in a terrible predicament. That would be like sending charcoal in snowy weather to the governor... Everyone burst into laughter!

Someone laughed and raised a glass of wine, saying that given time, the chief would become a general and surpass Fan Shiwei of Yunhu Camp... it might not be a problem at all!

When the time comes, the chief will be granted a marquisate, and even if we just feed the marquis's horses... we can live a carefree life!

"Hahaha!" Everyone immediately clapped and laughed.

Meng Hao didn't refute, and just smiled... What was wrong with Meng Hao if Fan Shiwei could do it?!

Then, without any warning...

"boom--!"

Suddenly, a loud bang came from outside!

Xiao Chun's body trembled.

Meng Hao and the other big bosses in the hall were all shocked!

"What's going on?!"

"thunder?"

"The Black Tiger Mountain earth dragon has turned the tables?!"

"Report—"

Just as Meng Hao was about to send a few of his top lieutenants out to investigate, his scouts arrived to report the situation.

The scout scrambled and stumbled, bursting through the barracks gate and shouting at the top of his lungs, "Boss! Something terrible has happened! The stronghold, the gate, the gate—it's been breached!"

Brush brush!

Everyone stood up in disbelief!

The leader, who was closest to the scout, suddenly grabbed him by the collar: "What did you say?!" He glared at him with his fierce eyes!

Bang!

At the same time... Meng Hao slammed his fist on the table and stood up!

...

...

About 100 feet below the east side of Black Tiger Mountain, a platform more than 10 feet wide protrudes from the mountainside, not in front of the gate, but on the eastern side.

Standing on the platform and looking up, the gate of Black Tiger Village appears to be on the other side of the mountain, separated by a cliff.

Old man Xu Qing frowned, looked up at Black Tiger Village, and placed his hand on a strangely shaped catapult.

The old man asked a twelve-year-old boy beside him, "Xing-ge'er, do you think you hit the target?" The old man's voice was a little weak.

Li Xing bit the pen tip, holding a hard board in his left hand, with a piece of paper on the board.

He drew on it, feeling frustrated, thinking, "How the hell am I supposed to know?!"

"According to the parabola, this angle should have hit the target..." Li Xing was uneasy. His older brother said that his math was not as good as Big Black Brother's, but right now, apart from him, Little Liao Hua, there were really no great generals in Shu... He could only grit his teeth and go for it.

Although there were sounds and noises coming from above, it was still impossible to determine whether the shot had accurately hit the village gate.

"Keep the angle the same, fire another shot!" Li Xing gritted his teeth and shouted.

Old Xu's eyes darkened, and he waved his hand.

Two imperial guards lifted a bamboo basket and placed it into the sling of the catapult.

Flint was tied to the edge of the bamboo frame, and the bamboo basket was filled with pig stomach balls.

The pig's stomach ball was given to them by Young Master Ning. It contained some kind of unusual gunpowder, with a dark fuse protruding from the outside.

A member of the Imperial Guard raised an incense stick.

laugh!

As the incense ignites the fuse of a certain ball.

In front of the catapult, four imperial guards loosened the winch... and the lead-stone counterweight box plummeted downwards!

The launcher arm is raised!

The bamboo basket in the bullet bag flew out with a whoosh!

The bamboo basket traced a high arc in the air, soaring over mountains and forests, over cliffs, and finally, it landed once again towards the gate of Black Tiger Stronghold...

Old Xu stared wide-eyed, his gaze following the bamboo basket, and his hand on the catapult unconsciously tightened.

This catapult is a counterweight catapult modified by Young Master Ning and Li Dahei, also called a trebuchet. The advantage of this thing over the common trebuchet is that it can fire higher and is easier to disassemble... and being easier to disassemble is the most important thing.

When Young Master Ning hired many guides to create a model of Black Tiger Mountain, he discovered this place under his feet... and then ordered himself to start making this new Huihui cannon.

He and a few craftsmen spent several days working on the blueprints, and even asked Big Black to help make some iron molds, before they were able to barely produce a prototype.

Upon hearing about the progress, Young Master Ning immediately hired twenty more craftsmen, saying that many hands make light work... Young Master Ning assigned each craftsman to their respective parts according to standardized dimensions, and then they assembled them... Sure enough, this easy-to-disassemble trebuchet was produced very quickly!

After Young Master Ning arrived the night before last, the Imperial Guards completed the interrogation of the more than thirty mountain bandits they had captured the next morning. Together with the spies in Black Tiger Stronghold, they thoroughly investigated all the outposts of Black Tiger Stronghold in the mountains and marked them on the sand table.

Starting at midnight last night, I led a group to probe the mountain, clearing out the sentry posts while carrying catapult parts up the mountain. We only started assembling it when we reached this platform...

"Rage—"

Just then, a sharp whistle rang out from above!

"Three long and one short!"

Old Xu's eyes gleamed with excitement. He slammed his hand on the catapult and laughed loudly at Li Xing:

"Xing-ge'er! You hit it! You hit it! The gate—is breached!"

"You deserve the most credit for this battle!" The old man laughed heartily and patted the boy on the shoulder.

Li Xing, head held high like a victorious general, shouted in a shrill voice, "Come on! Move the trebuchet five inches to the east, and increase the counterweight by twenty pounds!..."

...

...

The sharp whistles echoed downwards.

At the foot of the mountain, Ning Nan's eyes narrowed slightly when he heard the faint rumble of thunder coming from the mountaintop, but it wasn't until he heard this whistle that his heart finally settled down completely... Hmm, the gate of the stockade has been breached.

Ning Nan turned around and smiled at the deputy commander and the head of the household guards who were crowding around him with burning eyes: "Gentlemen, Black Tiger Stronghold has fallen... I trouble you all to go and take the heads of the bandits!"