Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The sky was obscured by white clouds, and deafening footsteps echoed across the wilderness.

Countless footsteps and horse hooves sank into the mud, and the rain-soaked land became muddy. The earth shook continuously as several phalanxes marched, making a huge noise. The army of ten thousand people was divided into five phalanxes and slowly pressed forward, like a surging wave closing in.

The waves rolled out, and the swordsman in the front stopped abruptly, smashing the shield in his hand to the ground with a loud bang, and the general's flag in the back swayed continuously with the wind.

"It does look a little different..."

Wei Dingguo walked up to the watchtower of the fortress, stood beside Xie Ning and looked down. The expressions of the Jin soldiers in front of him were different from what he had seen on the faces of the Song soldiers before.

Xie Ning's hand holding the command flag had turned pale, but after hearing the words, the color of his palms returned to normal. He turned around and looked at his comrade beside him: "Do you have enough supplies in your firearms battalion?"

"It's enough to save some." Wei Dingguo exhaled, looking somewhat excited: "I have accumulated some money during this period of time. Although I can't spend it lavishly, it won't be a problem for the situation in front of me."

Below, the soldiers in formation suddenly stood back to back in pairs, and someone pushed a battering ram covered with cowhide and a tall ladder across the cleared path, and the soldiers carrying the ladders ran past quickly.

Xie Ning was silent for a moment: "It seems that not many firearms were produced."

"There are few craftsmen who can make firearms, and the time is too short. Liaodong is not as convenient as other places." Wei Dingguo sighed, then patted the guardrail, looked down and said softly: "These Jin soldiers are really impatient, are they going to attack us now?"

Wuwuwu——

The sound of horns echoed in the sky, and the Jin army formation moved suddenly. The sword and shield soldiers holding shields ran quickly with their comrades beside them. In the vision of the two people on the watchtower, the endless army was like a shot arrow, rushing straight towards the fort on this side.

"Rocket ready--"

The fuse was lit by the soldiers, and the rockets mounted on the top of the city were aimed at the soldiers rushing below. With the "hissing" sound of gunpowder, the arrows with tail flames shot downwards.

Wanyan Pucha, the leader of the team, realized that he was not ready for the arrows yet. When he saw the fire, he was too late to react. The soldiers in front of him were shot to the ground without raising their shields. The brave general was so shocked that his eyes widened. He pulled the soldiers beside him and shouted loudly: "Raise your shields, raise your shields! Beware of the enemy's arrows!"

He led his men to the place where the arrows fell, pulled up the rocket stuck in the ground, looked it up and down, and stuffed it to the soldier beside him: "Take it to the vanguard Nianhan to see, quickly!"

The soldier responded and quickly retreated with his shield raised.

The sky was gloomy, and orange-yellow fireworks slid across the sky with a wisp of black smoke. Hundreds of fireworks drew black lines that connected to the city walls and the ground. Some people who were hit by arrows fell dead to the ground, and their companions who followed them hurriedly took their places, and the swordsmen and shieldmen beside them hurriedly covered the people tightly.

The spreading front of the army ran across the ground, and a rain of arrows flew down under the command of Xie Ning and Wei Dingguo. The whizzing sound of arrows breaking through the air rang in the ears, and the raised shields were hit by arrows from time to time. The soldiers holding the shields gritted their teeth and stood firm. The arrows flew from the fort non-stop. Many people felt a little sore in their arms, and when they relaxed, some people screamed and fell to the ground.

Wanyan Zonghan, who was far away, frowned as he looked at the arrows flying down from the top of the city wall. Seeing the front army approaching the city wall, he couldn't help but tap the saddle with his fingers.

"Put up the ladder!"

The ladders began to stretch out, and the battering ram rolled forward. The soldiers holding the ladders rushed forward bravely.

"Prepare the oil tanks!"

"Aim the smoke ball at the ramming cart under the door! Throw it--" shouts could be heard under the clouds. A soldier tied a clay pot with a rope, picked it up and began to rotate it. He brought a lit torch to the gunpowder fuse, and a bowl-sized poison smoke ball hit the cowhide covering the ramming cart. It rolled down the moment it bounced up, and a bang sounded under the cart.

"Cough cough cough-"

"Go, the smoke is poisonous!"

Several burly men ran out from under the car, covering their mouths. Wanyan Zonghan looked with a grim face as he saw dozens of black dots flying out from the top of the city wall in the distance, and flaming arrows falling like stars. The huge ladder caught fire in an instant.

"Damn it, the southerners are so over-prepared..." He cursed and raised his hand to call for the soldiers who were delivering the message: "Sound the horn, have them retreat and prepare to attack again."

……

Dangdangdang——

The piercing sound of golden bells echoed under the fort in the east. On the watchtower, Jing Chao and Shan Tinggui frowned as they watched the Jin army retreating like a tide. The Jurchen general on the opposite side, whose flag could not be seen, remained where he was without moving.

"Should we chase them?" Cao Mingji, wearing a suit of iron armor, walked up to the watchtower, licked his lips as he watched the army retreating in the distance.

"Don't chase after desperate enemies." Jing Chao shook his head and pointed at the army formation below: "Besides, they have retreated but not yet become chaotic. It will be difficult to achieve success if we go out now. If we are surrounded by them..." He stretched out his hand to hold the hilt of the sword and looked at the surrendered general of the Liao army with interest: "What do you think...save him, or not?"

"I'm just asking..." Cao Mingji looked embarrassed, looking at the military formation in the distance, with a hint of relief in his expression.

"Just wait, there will be a time to send troops." Shan Tinggui said, and turned to walk towards the bottom of the watchtower: "I'm going to check the firearms. A lot of rockets were fired just now."

Jing Chao also laughed bitterly from behind: "Only when you leave the Imperial Guards do you realize how precious firearms are."

Shan Tinggui didn't say anything, but just walked away quickly, leaving Cao Mingji standing aside with flickering eyes, wondering what he was thinking.

The sun was tilting towards the west. Under the banner of the Jin army, Wanyan Loushi looked at the top of the city wall in silence. He waved and called the cavalry over, "Send a message to Dubojilie in the rear. The Southern Army has strange weapons. It may be difficult to advance to the city of Yanjin today. Please be patient for a while. Wuliyan will definitely break through these Southern Army forts."

The cavalry received the order, pulled the reins and retreated.

……

The cavalry came galloping one after another.

The sun was held up in the sky by the clouds, and the sky was not bright at three quarters after 3 p.m. Wanyan Zongfu, Wanyan Zonggan, and Wanyan Bendu led four thousand elite cavalry to guard the main camp, constantly sending and receiving various messages. The news that the army that was divided into three parts to attack Yanjin City was blocked came one after another, along with several strange arrows and unexploded poison smoke balls.

"Is it these things that stopped the army from attacking the city?" Wanyan Aguda handed the smoke ball in his hand, which looked like two bowls put together, to the young Wanyan Bendu, who quickly bowed and took it.

"Yes, this thing can emit poisonous smoke. Soldiers who inhaled it coughed non-stop, and many had difficulty breathing. When the Fourth Prince asked me to come back, some of them had their faces turned purple due to holding their breath."

"It's so strange." Wanyan Aguda straightened his sturdy body, thought for a moment and said, "Send a message to the front, have them send soldiers to lure the city to throw this thing, and prepare more wet cloths. Even if it is poisonous smoke, it is still something like smoke. I want to see how many of these Southern troops have." (End of this chapter)