Defeat the enemy
After a long journey, the Jin army rested for a day before the general Wanyan Chang, also known as "Talan", led his troops to the city of Chuzhou. He reined in his horse and squinted his eyes to look at the city in front of him.
The biting cold wind was like a rusty knife, blowing across the low walls of Chuzhou City again and again, making a whimpering sound.
There were a few "defenders" standing sparsely on the top of the city wall. They were all dressed in tattered clothes, with rusty weapons, and looked like they would be blown down by the wind at any time.
Wanyan Zongbing, the Jin Dynasty's foremost general, had been completely deprived of his political power after being defeated twice by Han Shizhong and Liang Hongyu. Jin officials ordered him to fight on the western frontier in Sichuan and Shaanxi, where he would "redeem meritorious service while serving his sentence." Wanyan Chang, in turn, was to lead the offensive along the eastern frontier in the Jianghuai region. Wanyan Chang had long envisioned a meeting between these two. A victory would see him replace Wanyan Zongbing as the Jin Dynasty's foremost general, earning him the respect of his people.
Beneath the city walls of Chuzhou, a hundred thousand Jin troops rolled in like a dark cloud. Fifty thousand cavalrymen, trailing behind Wanyan Chang, raised clouds of dust, followed closely by thirty thousand infantrymen. Banners covered the sky, swords and spears formed a forest, and the air was thick with murderous intent, slicing the horizon outside Chuzhou into a purgatory of iron and blood.
"Hmph, this small city in the Southern Dynasty is so vulnerable!" Wanyan Chang showed a sneer of contempt, as if Chuzhou City was already in his pocket.
He waved his hand and ordered, "Divide the cavalry into three groups and storm the city gates! We must capture Chuzhou before sunset!"
"Kill!" The Jin cavalry rushed towards the city gate like an arrow.
The sound of horse hooves was as deafening as thunder, and the earth seemed to be shaking.
Closer... Closer... The Jin cavalry had already approached the moat, and one could even see the terrified expressions on the faces of the "defenders" on the city walls.
At this moment, something strange happened!
On the top of the city wall, the few "defenders" suddenly disappeared, and were replaced by countless crossbow arrows, pouring down like a rainstorm!
The sound of "swoosh, swoosh, swoosh" breaking through the air was endless. The Jin cavalry was caught off guard and were hit by arrows and fell off their horses one after another.
These are not defenders at all, they are clearly straw men!
Almost at the same time, dozens of speedboats suddenly emerged from the moat, with a strange device installed on the bow, spewing out raging flames, and pounced on the Jin cavalry like fire dragons.
The war horses were frightened and neighed, then stood up and raised their hooves, causing the formation to fall into chaos in an instant.
"Fierce oil tank!" Wanyan Chang recognized the Song army's secret weapon at a glance, and thought to himself that something was wrong.
However, what shocked him even more was yet to come.
Suddenly, a Song army rushed out from the reed marsh, led by a general who was sitting astride a horse with a long sword in his hand. He was wearing silver armor, a black cloak, with bright sword eyes and an extraordinary bearing. This man was Han Shizhong!
Behind him were eight hundred fearless warriors, each one unafraid of death, who specifically targeted the legs of the Jin horses. The heavily armored cavalrymen were stuck in the muddy riverbank, unable to move, becoming sitting ducks for the Song army's hook-and-sickle spears. One by one, the Jin cavalrymen were dragged off their horses, screaming in agony.
On the ship, Liang Hongyu held a red flag and gave orders with confidence.
The ambush troops emerged from the reeds beside the moat like a tide and launched surprise attacks in turns. The Jin army was caught off guard and suffered heavy casualties.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Wanyan Chang had no choice but to order a retreat.
As the sun set, the land outside Chuzhou City was dyed red with blood. The Jin army fled north in panic, leaving behind more than a thousand corpses.
On the eve of the Jin army's siege of the city, all the generals gathered in the conference hall to discuss strategies to defeat the enemy.
Everyone was helpless and just kept complaining.
"Thirty thousand versus one hundred thousand, and this is how the battle is fought?"
"From what you said, Kaesong surrendered?" Hu Yantong retorted.
"I haven't said I'm surrendering, Huyan Tong, stop putting the blame on others!"
"Stop arguing. The war is imminent. We asked you to come here to discuss strategies to defeat the enemy, not to fight." Han Shizhong said angrily.
At this moment, Asen glanced at Liang Hongyu, whose brows were furrowed, and asked, "Sister Hongyu, do you have any plan to defeat the enemy?"
All the generals knew that Asen was interested in Liang Hongyu, and they were puzzled as to why General Han wanted to keep this rival by his side. Isn't this just asking for trouble? Looking at the young man in front of him, his face was as handsome as jade, his eyebrows and eyes were as beautiful as paintings. He was staring at Liang Hongyu with full affection, as if the arrival of 100,000 Jin troops was a trivial matter.
Liang Hongyu's eyes suddenly lit up, "I have a solution, the empty city plan."
"Empty city plan? Does that mean letting the Jin army enter the city?" The generals obviously disagreed with this method.
We can do this-----
"Lieutenant General, listen to my orders and do as General Liang says." Han Shizhong ordered.
"yes!"
It was already dark at this time, and there were still several hours before the Jin army attacked the city. After leaving the conference room, the generals were about to prepare the siege equipment for tomorrow as Liang Hongyu had said.
When I arrived at the gate of the government office, I saw a large group of people standing outside, their eyes filled with hope, helplessness and fear.
"Generals, if you need us, please let us know."
"Yes, we swear to live and die with the city."
The people shouted.
The generals also heard about the last battle in which the Jin army attacked the city. After the city was broken, some old people and women entangled with the Jin soldiers and dragged them into the river to die together.
Seeing it today, I can see that the people are simple and honest, and they are united.
Liang Hongyu also heard the commotion outside from inside the house. When she came out and saw the scene, she said, "With a group of people like you who are not afraid of death, there is no need to worry about not being able to defend Chuzhou City."
She ordered, "If the generals are short of men, take the civilians with you."
"yes."
The moon was dark and the wind was strong, with a cold wind howling. The soldiers and civilians in Chuzhou City worked overnight to make siege weapons such as crossbows, rockets, and fierce fire oil tanks.
A raging oil tank is a continuous flamethrower, typically constructed of wrought copper. It has four corners for stability and four copper tubes connected to the tank. It also features a pump, with a "fire tower" at the front containing the ignition powder. Soldiers ignite the ignition powder in the "fire tower" and then pull the pump, pressurizing the air in the tank and igniting the raging oil into a fiery flame. Although its range was limited to five or six meters, in close combat, the blazing flames could injure the enemy, destroying fortifications, and even weaponry. It was one of the most advanced weapons of its time.
After the Jin army was defeated, night had fallen and the soft moonlight poured down on the city wall, giving the impression of a peaceful and tranquil time. Everyone had completely forgotten the bloody events that had taken place on the city wall during the day.
Liang Hongyu stood on the top of the city wall, gazing at the dark night sky in the distance. She said in a deep voice, "Send the order down and select soldiers who are proficient in swimming..."
"This is going to..." Han Shizhong hesitated to speak, with a hint of doubt, a hint of worry, and a hint of admiration that was hard to conceal in his eyes.
Liang Hongyu did not answer directly, but just looked into the distance. The endless night was like a huge curtain, covering the entire battlefield and also covering her thoughts.
After a long pause, she slowly spoke, her voice low and firm: "Select soldiers proficient in water and form a special force called 'Night Owl'."
Han Shizhong was stunned for a moment, then he understood Liang Hongyu's intention.
A gleam flashed in his eyes, and he exclaimed in admiration: "Brilliant! The night owl, the owl of the night, silently and steals the enemy's life without a trace! This plan is brilliant!"
Liang Hongyu nodded slightly and continued, "This Night Owl Camp is led by Asen."
"Asen?" Han Shizhong was slightly surprised. "Although he is an excellent swimmer and has great righteousness, he is still a gangster after all. I'm afraid..."
"That's all right." Liang Hongyu interrupted Han Shizhong, her tone revealing unquestionable determination. "In troubled times, heroes are recognized regardless of their origins. Asen knows the Chuzhou waterways like the back of his hand and has mastered the essence of naval warfare. He's the perfect choice to lead the Night Owl Camp. Moreover, although he's now the leader of the Qingcheng Clan, he was once my apprentice."
Han Shizhong said no more, he knew that Liang Hongyu had made up her mind.
That night, a "Night Owl Camp" consisting of more than a hundred carefully selected soldiers was quietly established.
They wore black tights and black masks, like ghosts in the night.
Asen stood at the front of the team, his eyes sharp as torches, scanning every soldier.
"Brothers!" Asen's voice was deep and powerful. "Tonight, we're going to show the Jin people how powerful we are! Remember, our goal isn't to kill them, but to harass them! We're going to sneak into the enemy camp like night owls, creating chaos and making them unable to sleep or eat!"
"Yes!" The team members responded in unison, their voices low and firm, like beasts lurking in the night.
They boarded dozens of small, narrow boats covered with rawhide, which were both light and sturdy, making them effective weapons for night raids.
The small boat silently cut through the water and headed towards the Jin army camp.
As the night deepened, a thin layer of mist spread over the river, adding a touch of mystery and weirdness.
The soldiers of the Night Owl Battalion held their breath and concentrated on rowing the oars. Their movements were gentle and coordinated, making almost no sound.
"Puff! Puff!" A few slight noises broke the silence of the night. They were the sounds of blowpipes piercing flesh.
Before the sentries outside the Jin army camp could make any sound, they fell silently in a pool of blood.
"Go!" Asen gave an order, the soldiers of the Night Owl Camp sneaked into the Jin army camp like ghosts.
Some of them sneaked into the granary and set bags of grain on fire. The blazing flames instantly illuminated the night sky. Some of them sneaked into the stable, tied gunpowder to the sheep, and then drove the sheep into the horses.
"Mea... Mea..." The frightened cries of the sheep echoed in the stable. The war horses were frightened and began to neigh and kick wildly.
The gunpowder exploded with a deafening sound, flames shot up into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and the entire stable instantly turned into a sea of fire.
Explosions rang out one after another, and the Jin army camp was suddenly in chaos.
The soldiers were awakened from their sleep and ran around in panic. They didn't know what was happening, they only knew that there were flames everywhere, explosions everywhere, and screams everywhere.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" The Jin army general roared at the top of his lungs, trying to organize his soldiers to resist, but it was too late.
The soldiers of the Night Owl Camp shuttled through the chaos like ghosts. They came and went without a trace, making it difficult for the Jin army to defend themselves.
Asen personally set fire to the last pile of food and then quietly retreated with the soldiers of the Night Owl Camp.
They drove the small boat and disappeared into the night.
The next morning, the Jin army camp was in a mess, with signs of burning everywhere and the air was filled with a pungent burnt smell.
Wanyan Chang stood in the ruins, his face ashen.
"Damn southern barbarians! They actually used such despicable means!" Wanyan Chang said gritting his teeth.
He never imagined that he would be so embarrassed by a group of "rabble".
In the next few days, the Night Owl Camp arrived every night, harassing the Jin army terribly.
They couldn't sleep at night, couldn't enjoy their food, and their morale was getting lower and lower.
In order to deal with the harassment of the Night Owl Camp, Wanyan Chang ordered the strengthening of night patrols and set up numerous obstacles on the river.
Liang Hongyu countered the Jin army's move by ordering people to set up buoys and hidden stakes at the fork in the river, remove the markers during the day, and light phosphorus fires at night to mislead the Jin army's patrol boats.
The Jin army's ships repeatedly ran aground and even collided with each other, causing heavy losses.
Wanyan Chang stood at the bow, watching the ships run aground and sink, shaking with anger.
He pointed at the river and angrily scolded his men: "The southerners are using sorcery, and the river has become a ghost town!"
The morale of the Jin army was low after failing to capture the city for a long time, and their food and fodder were becoming increasingly scarce.
Wanyan Chang knew that if this continued, not only would he not be able to capture Chuzhou, he might even lose his own life.
He decided to make a desperate move and concentrated his forces to storm the Chuzhou Water Gate. The Water Gate was the only waterway connecting Chuzhou City to the outside world and was also the last line of defense for Chuzhou City. If the Water Gate fell, Chuzhou City would be completely isolated.
Wanyan Chang assembled dozens of giant ramming ships, prepared to launch a final assault on the water gate. These ramming ships were specially reinforced, with huge iron spikes installed on the bows, which could easily knock open the city gate.
"Hit it! Break open the water gate!" Wanyan Chang stood on the flagship and roared at the top of his lungs.
Pushed by the Jin army soldiers, the giant ramming ship slowly sailed towards the water gate.
The "creaking" sound of the colliding ships was like the death warrant of the god of death, which made people shudder.
On the top of the city wall, Liang Hongyu held a sword with a solemn expression. She knew that this would be the most severe test that Chuzhou City would ever face.
"General Han," Liang Hongyu said to Han Shizhong beside her, "Do you still remember the dagger I gave you?"
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