The hastily trained gunners, still somewhat clumsy, added gunpowder into the steel barrel, confirmed the direction of the cannon was fixed, and then lit the fuse with flint.

Then the gunners quickly withdrew.

During the last test, this thing was indeed quite powerful, but the recoil was too strong, making it easy to bounce backward, causing serious injury or even death to people.

Bang bang bang...

With three loud bangs, like thunder from the sky, sparks burst from the muzzle of the cannon, and three iron bullets, each twice the size of an adult's fist, shot out and blasted towards the city gate of Shentangbao.

With a deafening roar, the gate of Shentangbao shook violently, and the middle of it collapsed.

This was the first time that the Song soldiers had officially used arquebuses on the battlefield, and they were immediately excited upon seeing their power and effectiveness.

The commander roared in a gruff voice, and the gunners quickly moved forward again.

The artillery had just fired a volley and was scorching hot. To prevent burns, they wore leather gloves stuffed with cotton for insulation.

The attack just now caused all three cannons to be knocked back a full two meters.

They pushed the cannon back to its previous position, then added iron bullets through the muzzle, poured in a large amount of black powder again, and lit the fuse.

boom……

With a deafening roar, this time, one of them exploded on the spot, while the other two were launched outwards just like before, slamming into the gate of the Divine Fortress and further deepening the collapsed area.

The power of the arquebuses shocked the rebel and Xia soldiers defending the city. Seeing the excellent results, the gunners became even more enthusiastic and their movements became faster and more efficient.

Although the middle gate was temporarily destroyed by its own explosion, the other two gates fired a cannon every short interval, which then struck the city gate.

This was repeated six times until the heavy city gate was finally smashed open from the middle.

The officer guarding the city shouted, "Quickly! Block the city gate!"

The rebel soldiers guarding the city gate quickly stepped forward and used their bodies to press down on the broken city gate again.

boom……

The cannons fired three more times, each time killing several rebel soldiers behind the door.

Finally, all the cannonballs were used up.

A cold wind from afar swept in like knives, causing Wu Jie's cloak to flutter wildly. His face was as cold as ice. He drew his saber and his voice was calm and composed: "Charge!"

The flags changed instantly, and with them the war drums, which pounded on the drumheads like a summer downpour, violent and rapid.

The twelve catapults continued to drop stones, but they were running low on the stones. Fortunately, several of the cannons on the city wall had already been destroyed.

The two front squares suddenly shielded all four sides with shields, and the soldiers in the middle raised their shields to shield the top as well.

These two square formations are moving rapidly, and their shapes begin to change as they move.

The right part of the left square shifts backward, and the left part of the right square also shifts backward.

Like two sharp swords, they swiftly pierced towards the city gate!

The arrows from the city walls struck their shields, but most were deflected.

The war drums beat faster and faster, echoing across the vast plain.

The battle cries were deafening. Two hundred men led the charge, advancing in an orderly yet thunderous manner. They quickly reached the city gate. Although a dozen or so men were killed by stones falling from the city wall, the rest managed to reach the city gate.

The rebels inside were terrified by the artillery fire.

When Song Jun, the vanguard, rushed up, they all exerted their strength and smashed the gate open.

The soldiers at the front gripped their heavy shields with both hands, let out a low roar, and charged forward.

The soldiers behind thrust their spears through the gaps between the soldiers in front, first knocking away several rebels guarding behind the city gate, and then piercing the necks of another group of rebels with their spears.

In the northwest during the twelfth lunar month, the temperature can drop to minus ten degrees Celsius by modern standards.

The spearhead, cold and sharp, plunged forcefully into the man's neck, emerging from behind. The cold spearhead was instantly warmed by the man's blood.

Perhaps stunned by the artillery fire, the rebels' morale suddenly plummeted, their formations became chaotic, and everyone appeared somewhat panicked.

When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave one will prevail!

The first group of two hundred men rushed forward and engaged in close-quarters hand-to-hand combat with the rebels at the city gate.

The bugle call to charge sounded, and the third, fourth, and fifth phalanxes began to charge toward the city gate.

The siege by the surrounding ladders was even more brutal. The two sides fought fiercely on the city walls, their flesh and blood clashing. Some fell from the top and were deformed, while others were hacked to death.

The messenger rushed to the military camp: "Report!"

Cao Sheng was still enjoying himself. The city gate of Shentangbao was thick and sturdy, and the city walls were fully equipped with weapons. Ren Duobaozhong would arrive in another hour or two, and Wu Jie would surely die. He was not worried at all.

"What? Has Wu Jie already escaped?"

Cao Sheng didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, his hand roaming over a scantily clad woman.

The messenger, drenched in sweat in the freezing weather, reported: "Reporting...Reporting to Commander Cao, the city gates have been breached!"

Cao Sheng was slightly taken aback, almost thinking he had misheard.

He stared in disbelief at the messenger below: "What did you say? Say it again?"

"Reporting to the commander-in-chief, the city gates have been breached! Our army is currently engaged in fierce fighting with the Song army at the city gates. We request that you proceed to the city walls immediately to boost morale!"

Cao Sheng jumped up instantly, roaring, "This is impossible! It's only been less than half an hour. Even if Wu Jie summoned heavenly soldiers and generals, it's impossible for them to arrive this quickly!"

The messenger was sweating profusely: "Commander Cao, the Song army has a terrifying weapon; it was that weapon that blasted open the city gate!"

Cao Sheng's face turned ashen. He hurriedly grabbed his helmet and began to put on his armor.

"Let's go! Let's go quickly!"

In a panic, Cao Sheng quickly gathered his personal guards and rushed to the city gate.

All the rebel troops inside the city received an urgent military order and began to rush towards the south gate.

He beheaded the rebel soldier in front of him with a single stroke, and just as he turned around to kill the second enemy, a rebel stabbed him in the eye with a spear, while another rebel swung his axe and cleaved the Song soldier's skull open.

He fell amidst the pile of corpses, bidding farewell forever to his family in this cold winter.

The two rebels had just worked together to kill a Song soldier, but were then hacked to pieces by three other Song soldiers, their heads and necks mangled and bloodied.

This is a scene commonly seen at the city gate at this time.

Because the city gate was narrow, the two sides clashed at the gate. The first wave was hacked and pounded into mincemeat by knives, axes, and hammers, while the second wave continued to charge forward.

The Song army grew larger and larger, and their morale soared.

However, when it came to endurance and fighting spirit, the two sides were evenly matched, and the two sides fought fiercely until the sky darkened and the corpses kept piling up.

Although the city gates were breached, it was extremely difficult to actually storm in.