Fenghou

Chen Qing walked into the big tent and saw Yang Zaixing lying on the hospital bed, his face was pale, without a trace of blood, and his eyes were tightly closed.

"Is General Yang asleep?" Chen Qing asked the female medical soldier next to him.

There are [-] female medical soldiers in the camp. They have received special training to take care of the wounded soldiers. The effect is very good. The soldiers recovered quickly. At the beginning, many generals questioned it, but now no one has questioned it. They all agree they.

"General Yang just drank the medicine and may have fallen asleep."

At this time, Yang Zaixing slowly opened his eyes and found that it was Chen Qing. He groaned and struggled to get up. Chen Qing quickly pressed his shoulder, "Your arrow wound has exploded, you must not move!"

"Hey! It's a dull pain when it's raining. I knew it would be difficult to recover, but I didn't expect it to flare up again."

Chen Qing smiled slightly and said, "It's normal. I was shot in the leg by Wanyan Huo in Linyou County back then, and now it still hurts in winter. I need to use hot water compresses, and it will probably be with me for the rest of my life."

"Being humble and underestimating the enemy leads to..."

Chen Qing waved his hands and said with a smile: "I'm here to enlighten you, not to accuse you, so don't worry about it!"

The female doctor moved the stool she was sitting on and asked Chen Qing to sit down. Chen Qing sat down, nodded to her with a smile, and said to Yang Zaixing: "You may not be able to figure it out. It's just an iron fire thunder. Why am I so angry?" ? Could it be an excuse?"

Yang Zaixing was taken aback, and quickly shook his head, "I don't dare to have such an idea."

Chen Qing waved to the female doctor and nurse, motioning for her to step down first. The female doctor and nurse blushed and hurriedly stepped back.

Seeing Yang Zaixing's eyes following the young female doctor, Chen Qing smiled and said, "When the war is over, I will make the decision. You can take her as your concubine!"

Yang Zaixing was not a lustful person, this female doctor and nurse served him with all her heart regardless of gender, which really moved him, and he also fell in love with this female doctor and nurse.

Yang Zaixing nodded and accepted Chen Qing's arrangement.

Chen Qing said to him again: "You may not know that if Wan Yanchang gets the iron fire thunder shell, Lu Wei's life will be in danger, and the strategic deception I set up will fail."

"Why?" Yang Zaixing asked puzzled.

Chen Qing briefly explained the matter of Lu Wei selling fake iron fire mines to the spies of the Kingdom of Jin, and said: "Now the firearms craftsmen of the Kingdom of Jin are desperately researching the fake fire mines. Iron Fire Thunder cannot be made."

"But...we launch iron fire thunders to blow up the city, there will always be dumb mines that didn't explode! Isn't it the same to be captured by the other party?"

Chen Qing nodded, "So I have ordered that without my order, no army can use iron fire mines. I will take back all iron fire mines. In the future, small iron fire mines will not be used. Only iron rhinoceros will be used." , and can only be used at critical moments, such as dangerous passes, etc., and ordinary sieges are not allowed to be used again."

"Is this too harsh?" Yang Zaixing whispered.

Chen Qing knew that the root of Yang Zaixing's illness was here. He only regarded the iron fire thunder as a tactical weapon, but did not regard it as a strategic weapon to change the fate of the country.

"Let me ask you, what would happen if Jin Bing created the Iron Fire Thunder?"

"They can also easily attack the city, and all our defenses will fail."

Chen Qing shook his head, "They will first conquer the grassland nomads, and their strength will triple, and they will become an army of 50 million troops going south to attack us, such as Datong City, Taiyuan City, Lingzhou, Xiazhou, all the strong cities in the large iron city. We are vulnerable to fire and thunder, all dangerous passes will become empty, their cavalry will sweep through the pass, we will most likely be defeated and retreat to Sichuan Road, and then they will continue to destroy the Song Dynasty, and finally encircle us in the Sichuan Basin."

Yang Zaixing turned pale, and stared blankly at Chen Qing. Chen Qing sighed, "Do you think I'm alarmist? Actually, think about it, the iron fire thunder is very effective when used in our hands and in the hands of nomads." It’s different. In the hands of nomads, the power of war will be magnified ten times, and their biggest siege shortcoming will be gone. Their powerful cavalry and powerful firearms cooperate, just like wolves with wings, enough to sweep everything. So I often think, I should completely destroy the Tie Huo Lei, so that it no longer exists, and there will be no such worries.”

Yang Zaixing nodded lightly, "Humble job really understands."

Chen Qing patted him on the shoulder, "Take a good rest! I will give you a chance to get up wherever you fall."

Chen Qing walked out of the tent, smiled at the female doctor and nurse, and signaled her to go in and take care of her. At this moment, a soldier stepped forward and reported, "His Royal Highness, the scouts in the city have sent someone to deliver a message."

Chapter 978 Fire Attack

The soldier who came to deliver the letter was Mu Chunfa, who reported to Chen Qing what happened in the city in detail.

Chen Qing was really surprised when he heard that, and kept patting himself on the forehead. He actually had such a capable subordinate who solved this tricky matter for him. To ensure everything was safe, he even cut off the only connection between Luoyang and the outside world.

This Zhang Lu is very capable, and Yu Shouzhong is also good, both of them are worthy of reuse.

Mu Chunfa said again: "Director Zhang doesn't know if I have succeeded in absconding. If His Highness receives the news, I implore His Highness to fire three gunpowder arrows outside the east city of Luoyang at five o'clock, and he will know that I have succeeded."

"I see, what else?"

"There is also Manager Zhang's next plan. He has two ideas."

"What two ideas do you have, tell me?" Chen Qing was immediately interested.

"The first idea is to set fire to the granary in the city, and the second idea is to make an assassination."

Chen Qing immediately vetoed the plan of burning the granary. The city ran out of food, and it was the people who were unlucky. He still needed food from Luoyang to help the victims. However, the assassination could speed up the end of the war. Chen Qing asked, "Is there any plan for the assassination?" ?”

"We have three subordinates in the army, all of whom are strong in archery and athletic. Each of them has three poisonous arrows, so they can wait for an opportunity to assassinate when a war breaks out!"

"And then? How did the assassinating soldier get away?"

"You can jump into the moat just like a humble job."

Chen Qing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and said again: "Then how should I inform Zhang Lu in the city of what decision I have made?"

"His Royal Highness fires three gunpowder arrows in the east of the city at five o'clock, and then waits for another quarter of an hour. If you shoot one gunpowder arrow, you agree to the first plan. Set fire to the granary. If you shoot two gunpowder arrows, you agree. As for the second option, assassination can be obtained, if three gunpowder arrows are fired, it means that the two options are not agreed, and then Director Zhang will give up both options."

Chen Qing nodded, "I see, you step back and rest, come and give him 50 taels of silver!"

"Thank you, Your Highness, for the reward!"

……

At five o'clock, Yu Shouzhong and two of his men squatted on the tower of Xiangguo Temple. This is the second tallest tower in the city. situation.

"General, here we come!"

A soldier yelled, and Yu Shouzhong immediately stood up, lay down in front of the window and looked out of the city. He saw a gunpowder arrow flying into the sky from the woods, emitting a piercing light, followed by the second and third gunpowder arrows. The arrow rose, which meant that Mu Chunfa had safely arrived at the camp of the Song Army.

But what Yu Shouzhong was more concerned about was the gunpowder arrows after [-] minutes. Will it be one, two or three gunpowder arrows?

Another quarter of an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and two rockets flew up outside the east city.

This means that His Royal Highness King Yong agrees with their second plan, and the assassination is guaranteed.

Yu Shouzhong squeezed his fist hard, and led two of his men to leave quickly.

There is a curfew in the city, and no residents are allowed to go out. Those who are caught will be severely punished, but the soldiers in the small streets and alleys can't control it. There are still people haunting here, all kinds of people who make a living at night.

Zhang Lu is still waiting in the inner hall!He hardly slept all night, when footsteps came from outside, Yu Shouzhong came back.

"How to say?" Zhang Lu hurriedly stepped forward and asked.

"Mu Chunfa has successfully arrived at Daying, and also met His Royal Highness King Yong, who agreed with our second plan."

"The second plan, the assassination discount is available!"

In fact, Zhang Lu's first plan was well prepared. They even got a detailed layout of the grain and grass. Standing on the roof a hundred steps away, they could shoot gunpowder arrows at the forage warehouse, ignite the grass warehouse, and thus ignite the entire grain and grass. library.

But since His Royal Highness King Yong disagreed, they had no choice but to abandon this plan.

The assassination plan can be expected that they have already deployed, and only need to start this plan. Yu Shouzhong nodded and said: "As soon as the day breaks, I will go find the three of them!"

……

At noon the next day, the Song army, which had been silent for four full days, began to sound the drums.

'Boom!Boom!Boom! '

The 1 troops poured out of the barracks, assembled in the wilderness on patrol, and the rapid alarm bells sounded from the top of the city. [-] signed troops rushed to the city, and [-] of them were deployed to the west city.

Twenty large trebuchets were also pulled away creakingly. This kind of trebuchet requires 30 people to operate, and can smash a solid fire cloth ball weighing 150 catties [-] steps away. With inertia, the fireball can rush out [-] steps. Step outside.

Five hundred bed crossbows were also placed on the top of the city, capable of powerfully shooting at targets five hundred paces away.

Zhe Keqiu stood on the top of the city, squinting at the Song army three miles away. The overwhelming army made him feel a little nervous. The army was already close to one hundred thousand. Siege the city aggressively.

"Marshal, what is that?" A general shouted, pointing to the distance.

Zhe Keqiu also saw it, and a huge figure appeared behind the Song Army phalanx, "It's a trebuchet!"

Zhe Keqiu recognized it immediately, and everyone gasped, especially the last few catapults, which were even higher than the city wall. They had never seen such a huge catapult.

"That's a thousand-step gun!"

Zhe Keqiu recognized the tallest large trebuchets with a range of a thousand steps, and their target may not necessarily be the city wall, so he immediately turned around and ordered: "Clean up all the igniters within [-] steps of the city wall. Everyone needs to evacuate!"

Thousands of soldiers ran up and down, busy into a group. On the top of the city about two hundred steps away from Zhe Keqiu, a soldier stared at Zhe Keqiu coldly. His name was Huang Dong, and he was a member of three Song soldiers. Among the spies, the nearest person can be found at a short distance.

The fifty heavy-duty trebuchets of the Song Army were like fifty giants, walking slowly in the army. Each trebuchet was pulled by eight cows, and dozens of soldiers were struggling to push it beside them. A big cart was also pulled by eight oxen. On the long cart was placed a huge baffle, each baffle was two feet high, and it consisted of five sections, which were put together improvised.

Behind the fifty Hui heavy-duty trebuchets, there are six thousand-step guns. The thousand-step guns are five feet high, and their bodies are like a tall tower. In one year, only twelve throwing poles were produced.

Thousand-step guns are not easy to install, and they are generally used for defense. Therefore, after the end of this battle, four of the eight thousand-step guns brought will stay in Luoyang, the other four will be sent to Taiyuan, and the remaining four will be sent to Taiyuan. Stay in Jingzhao.

The siege of the thousand-step artillery is of little significance. The main purpose of attacking Luoyang this time is to test its performance in actual combat. Of course, it also has a goal, which is the Wengcheng.

Fifty heavy trebuchets were lined up three hundred steps away from the city wall, and a huge defensive baffle was placed in front of it. At this moment, the bed crossbow on the top of the city took the lead.

Two thousand five hundred three-foot-long arrows roared from the top of the city. They each had their own targets. Every ten bed crossbows dealt with a heavy trebuchet. The soldiers of the Song army were caught off guard. He was shot and died on the spot.

The rest of the more than a thousand soldiers lay on the ground, or hid behind the baffle. After a round of arrows, they quickly spliced ​​the baffle and put it in place.

At this time, a large catapult on the top of the city was launched, and burning fireballs soared into the air. The burning fireworks drew black lines in the air, flew over the wide moat, and smashed heavily on the ground 150 steps away. This kind of solid cloth ball has excellent elasticity, bounces high, and continues to rush forward.

"Bang!" There was a loud noise, and a solid kerosene ball hit the baffle, bounced high, flew over the top of the trebuchet, and rushed for more than a hundred steps before stopping.

It flew four hundred steps away, but the effect was not satisfactory, it did not cause any substantial damage, not even touching a single soldier. If it was a jar full of kerosene, the entire enemy position would be on fire.

At this time, the Song army began to counterattack. Fifty heavy trebuchets were launched at the same time, and fifty large burning thin-skinned urns were thrown out. Each large urn was filled with fifty catties of kerosene.

The superb level of the craftsmen of the Song Army was revealed. Only four of the fifty fire and oil urns hit the city wall, and all the other 46 oil urns hit the top of the city, and a fire ignited on the top of the city.

There was a sudden chaos on the top of the city. Hundreds of bundles of straw were ignited, and a big fire ignited.

Chapter 979 The City Breaks

Zhe Keqiu suddenly realized something was wrong, and shouted: "Throw all the wheat straw into the city, remove the kerosene and gunpowder, leave only 2000 people in the city, and evacuate the rest of the brothers."

The top of the city fell into chaos, thick smoke billowed, flames raged, bundles of burning straw were thrown down the city, and soldiers fled to both sides with barrels of gunpowder and kerosene.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Huang Dong approached Zhe Keqiu. Zhe Keqiu was surrounded by [-] personal guards, so it was impossible to get close. Huang Dong carried a barrel of kerosene and pretended to retreat. Taking advantage of people's unpreparedness, he dodged and hid in the tower Behind, there was no one here, Huang Dong quickly took out a poisonous crossbow bolt and put it on the crossbow. At this time, he was still thirty steps away from Zhe Keqiu.

At this time, the soldiers surrounded Zhe Keqiu and retreated towards the west city. This was the last chance, Huang Dong raised his crossbow to aim at Zhe Keqiu, and decisively pulled the hanging knife, 'Ka! 'The sound of the crossbow machine sounded, and a crossbow bolt shot out like lightning.

In the confusion, Zhe Keqiu let out a muffled groan, and fell headlong. The soldiers were in chaos, "Commander! Commander!"

Huang Dong had already retreated to the back of the tower, calmly threw the general crossbow down the city, picked up the kerosene barrel and ran to the other side, mixed into a group of soldiers under the cover of thick smoke and fire, and evacuated towards the east city.

The soldiers were startled and angry, and they didn't know where the cold arrow came from. The arrow pierced through the neck, and the strong poison exploded quickly. Zhe Keqiu's face was pitch black, and he couldn't speak. Someone shouted urgently: "The commander-in-chief can't do it anymore, let's go down to the city!"

The soldiers picked up Zhe Keqiu and quickly evacuated down the city. Zhe Keqiu swallowed his last breath as soon as he went down the corridor.

……

Zhe Keqiu dies, and the consequences are obvious. Lieutenant Wu Jincheng, who has lived under the shadow of Zhe Keqiu's authority for a long time, has almost no sense of existence. He only has [-] troops in his hands and is in charge of logistics. He has neither prestige nor Zhe Keqiu. The ability to demand can't command other controls at all.

Without a unified command that can be sought, several armies began to work independently. Sun Rong, the leader, led his five thousand troops to search from house to house under the pretext of arresting the assassin, taking the opportunity to plunder people's property and rape women. Thousands of troops also joined the queue to loot property, and there was chaos in Luoyang City.

The Song army's trebuchets continuously fired kerosene at the city, and the thousand-step cannon was even more powerful. It could project a fifty-pound kerosene urn to [-] steps away, but the target of the thousand-step cannon was the urn city, and the kerosene urn directly Projected into the Wengcheng, turning the vicinity of the West City into a sea of ​​flames.

Chen Qing stared at the top of the city. When the top of the city was covered with flames, he immediately ordered: "Send two thousand troops to approach the moat and build a pontoon bridge!"

Two thousand soldiers rushed away carrying large wooden boxes. There were iron chains on the big wooden boxes, and the iron chains were locked with iron locks. More than 100 large wooden boxes were connected as one, fixed at both ends of the moat, and then covered with a layer of wooden boards. , forming a pontoon bridge.

Chen Qing watched the two thousand soldiers laying the wooden bridge, and said with a smile, "Zhe Keqiu is dead!"

Everyone was surprised and asked: "How did Your Highness know!"

"It's a long story. The intelligence scouts in our city killed him. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to lay the pontoon bridge calmly. He will definitely leave the army to stop us."

"But the raging fire on the top of the city!" Liu Cui said puzzled.

Chen Qing smiled lightly: "We all came here playing with fire, don't we know that no matter how big the fire is, there is a place to hide?"

Chen Qing guessed right, Zhe Keqiu did leave [-] troops to stop the Song army, but after Zhe Keqiu was assassinated, the [-] soldiers lost their command, fearing to be burned to death, they all withdrew one after another.

At this time, Liu Cui saw the opportunity and immediately asked Chen Qing for instructions: "Please decide, Your Highness, whether we can use iron fire thunder to blow open the city gate?"

"Yes!" Chen Qing approved the use of Iron Fire Thunder.

Liu Cui ordered in a loud voice: "The firearms battalion sends a group of soldiers to blow up the city gate, and the trebuchets stop attacking!"

More than a dozen soldiers rushed away carrying the iron rhino fire mine and two chain mines.

The so-called chain mine is an iron hedgehog, with two iron chains on it, which can be used in many occasions, such as bombing boats, bombing small doors, etc., here it is mainly used to bomb suspension bridges.

The pontoon bridge has been laid, and more than a dozen soldiers from the Firearms Battalion ran across the pontoon bridge and ran towards the city gate against the base of the wall.

At this time, the trebuchets had stopped attacking, and Liu Cui and Li Muqing led [-] cavalry and [-] infantry to the moat, waiting for the moment when the city was broken.

The soldiers of the Firearms Battalion had rushed to the city gate, and stopped when they were about fifty steps away from the city gate. Two soldiers rushed up carrying the chain mine. They climbed to the top of the suspension bridge like monkeys, and wrapped the chain mine At the root of the iron chain of the suspension bridge, the two looked at each other, and at the same time lit the match with a torch, and then turned over and jumped off the moat.

A moment's boom!boom! With two loud bangs, the suspension bridge fell heavily on the stone bridge. The moat in Luoyang was too wide, so that a stone bridge leading to the city gate was built first, and it was about two feet away from the opposite bank. The two feet are connected by a suspension bridge, and when the suspension bridge falls, the whole bridge will be connected.