Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 188 The enemy's heroes, my sworn enemies, have all been killed!
"Launch the Thunderclap!"

Just as the Jin army in Daqiu Village was regaining some morale amidst shouts and cheers, Zhao Shuo issued orders from the command platform.

If a hot air balloon can be seen as a large Kongming lantern, then this thunderbolt can be seen as a large-scale thunderclap.

The thunderclaps of this era were mainly divided into two types.

The first type weighs five or six pounds and can be thrown by strong and powerful warriors or launched by catapults.

The second type weighs fifteen to twenty pounds and is specifically designed for use by catapults.

The second type of thunderbolt is technologically advanced.

Casting a sealed iron can for a 20-pound thunderbolt is much more difficult than casting an iron can for a 5-pound thunderbolt.

If the iron casing is cast too thin or unevenly, the gunpowder will explode prematurely, greatly reducing its power.

If the iron casing is too thick, the gunpowder may fail to explode, resulting in a dud, or the gunpowder may explode but only shatter the iron casing into pieces, thus greatly reducing its power.

Unfortunately, the quality of gunpowder in this era was also unstable, so how thick should it be cast?

Even if the gunpowder quality is stable, the amount of gunpowder to use still needs to be considered. Too low a density results in insufficient power. Too high a density leads to incomplete combustion, again resulting in insufficient power. Knowing how to properly load the gunpowder is a skill in itself.

Therefore, this type of thunderbolt, specifically designed for launching from catapults, is not common.

Of course, if this item can be successfully forged, its power will be considerable, making it an absolute weapon in siege warfare.

Zhao Shuo's "Thunderclap" is an advanced version of the twenty-pound Thunderclap, weighing forty pounds!

In addition to ensuring the quality of the gunpowder as consistently as possible and determining the appropriate ratio of iron shell thickness to gunpowder through numerous experiments, Zhao Shuo made another improvement: he made the gunpowder into granular gunpowder to further enhance its power.

The method for making granulated gunpowder is not difficult. First, the gunpowder is moistened with water, and then the gunpowder paste is shaped into cakes. Finally, the gunpowder cakes are air-dried, crushed, sieved, and then ground and polished in a large wooden barrel to remove the sharp edges.

Because the contact area between the granular gunpowder and the air is increased, its power is at least twice that of ordinary gunpowder!
However, while granular gunpowder is easy to produce, it is not so easy to produce gunpowder of consistent quality or even to manufacture well-sealed iron cans.

Only now does Zhao Shuo's camp have a thousand "Thunderclap Bombs" stored up.

When attacking Xianren Pass, Zhao Shuo wasn't in a hurry, so he was naturally reluctant to use those thunderbolts. Now, however, he needed to break through the Tongbai Mountain defenses as quickly as possible, pursue the main Jin army, and encircle and annihilate them in open battle, so every second counted.

Zhao Shuo then used both hot air balloons to demoralize the Jin army and thunderbolts, employing a two-pronged approach to try and break through the Tongbai Mountain defense line in a short time.

Now we'll see just how powerful these thunderbolts really are.

"Yes!"

The messenger received the order and pointed the command flag on the platform three times in the direction of Daqiu Village.

"preparation!"

As Wang Alu drew out his voice, the fuses of thirty-seven thunderbolts were lit and placed in the ammunition pouch of the counterweight catapult.

"put!"

Boom boom boom!
The moment Wang Alu uttered the word "release," all thirty-seven counterweight boxes fell heavily to the ground almost simultaneously.

At the same time, thirty-seven sparking thunderbolts shot toward their target!

These counterweight catapults were extremely powerful, approaching the capabilities of the later Xiangyang Cannon. They could launch 40-pound thunderbolts as far as 240 paces.

Even more terrifying is their ability to easily adjust the weight of the counterweight to control the firing range. Combined with Wang Alu's meticulously trained artillery, they are virtually unstoppable!
These counterweight catapults, while having a much shorter range than the later Red-Coated Cannons which could fire for miles, and weighing more than ten times their weight and requiring disassembly to move, were indeed the most terrifying long-range weapons of their time.

boom!
Boom boom!

Boom boom boom!
A series of voices, far louder than thunder, rang out from the walls of Daqiu Village.

A 20-pound thunderclap was described in historical records as having a sound that could "shake a hundred li (approximately 50 kilometers)." While the "hundred li" figure is certainly an exaggeration, the sheer volume and awe-inspiring power of its sound are evident.

But now, it's a forty-pound thunderbolt!
This item not only contains twice the amount of gunpowder of the twenty-pound Thunderclap, but its power is also doubled due to the presence of granular gunpowder!
That's four times the power in total!

Its sound was far louder than thunder!

Moreover, there wasn't just one clap of thunder, but thirty-seven!

Boom boom boom!
Not to mention the Jin army that was being attacked by thunderbolts, even the 60,000 to 70,000 troops in Zhao Shuo's camp felt the deafening roar.

"What a loud sound!"

"This...is that amazing?"

"My God! Is that a deafening thunderbolt?"

"Our army actually possesses such powerful weapons?"

……

Countless people instinctively covered their ears, their faces filled with astonishment.

Immediately afterwards, another wave of cheers, like a tidal wave, rang out.

"The mighty king!"

"Your Majesty is destined by Heaven; you will be victorious in every endeavor!"

"Today, Daqiu Village will surely avenge us!"

……

Thirty-seven thunderbolts were fired simultaneously, and in the blink of an eye, smoke filled the area around the walls of Daqiu Village, allowing a clear view of the battle results.

But such a loud sound must have a truly amazing effect!
Countless people secretly wondered: Heaven above, how many more tricks does the King have up his sleeve? First, that flying contraption, and now such a powerful thunderbolt! The King is destined for victory, invincible in every endeavor. The Jin army opposite him, defying the King, are utterly courting death!

In fact, the power of these thirty-seven thunderbolts was far more terrifying than they had imagined.

boom!
A thunderbolt struck the Jin soldiers on the city wall, instantly blasting those within five paces away into the air by the massive shockwave. Even those without external injuries had their internal organs shattered, making survival impossible.

The flying steel fragments, like sharp daggers, hurtled towards the Jin soldiers further away. Those within ten paces, even those clad in iron armor, could not escape their fate.

Within a range of ten to twenty paces, these fragments are difficult to deal with armored targets, but unarmored soldiers still cannot survive!
boom!
A thunderbolt struck Daqiu Village, its immense explosive force killing and injuring over a dozen Jin soldiers nearby, and quickly setting the wooden houses within the village ablaze. In the blink of an eye, thick smoke billowed and flames roared!
boom!
Three thunderbolts struck a two-story wooden building on the stockade wall almost simultaneously, causing it to collapse and burst into flames. None of the thirty-odd Jin soldiers inside survived!

Of course, the greatest effect of these thunderclaps is psychological.

"Heavens! Do you truly intend to destroy my Jurchen people? Otherwise, why do you favor Zhao Shuo so much?"

"We can't win! We can't win! How can mortals defy the will of Heaven?"

"It seems that my Great Jin Dynasty is destined to perish!"

……

If Wanyan Heda's hasty mobilization upon seeing the hot air balloon did boost the morale of the Jin army to some extent...

Now, with this "thunderous roar," the fighting spirit that had just been roused vanished in an instant.

You, Wanyan Heda, just said that the thing that can carry people into the sky is nothing and poses no threat to everyone. What about this thunderbolt with such enormous power right in front of you?
Why did Zhao Shuo possess so many unimaginable weapons, while the Jin Dynasty did not?
Isn't this proof that the Jurchens were destined to perish?

Stop fighting!
Even if we resist, it will be in vain!

"Hold on, everyone! Hold on! Let's hide under the stockade wall first, and then fight them to the death when the enemy comes up!"

Wanyan Heda's ears were still ringing from the shock, and his eyes were filled with despair.

He had realized that he probably wouldn't be able to stay for a month and a half as agreed with the full-fledged competition.

But what about that?
They would delay for as long as possible. Even if the Great Jin was destined to perish, Zhao Shuo would still be stained with blood. Therefore, Wanyan Heda shouted and rallied the Jurchen warriors to continue their resistance.

However, at this time, the Jurchen army had first encountered the hot air balloon and then suffered a fatal blow from the thunderbolt. Their morale had reached an extremely low level. How many people would listen to him?
Even more crucially, at this moment, the thunderbolts began to be launched again. The enormous explosions and the cries of the Jurchen soldiers completely drowned out Wanyan Heda's voice.

Whoosh whoosh!
Thirty-seven thunderbolts!
Boom boom boom!
Thirty-seven more!

The firing of a total of 111 thunderbolts in three rounds almost completely shattered the morale of the Jin army garrison at Daqiuzhai.

Immediately following, Zhao Shuo's two commanders of the Plain Red Banner moved.
"Charge! Kill!"

"The day we breach Daqiu Village is the day!"

"Your Majesty is destined by Heaven; you will be victorious in every endeavor!"

……

The terrifying power of the hot air balloons combined with the devastating bombs nearly shattered the morale of the defenders of Daqiu Village. At the same time, it sent the morale of the Eight Banners soldiers soaring to new heights! Carrying ladders and shouting wildly, they charged towards Daqiu Village.
In war, courage is paramount!

One side has almost no morale, while the other side's morale is off the charts. How can this battle be fought?
In less than two hours, Daqiu Village was completely under the control of the Zhenghong Banner.

Wanyan Heda led his remaining troops into the second stronghold.

"Is this... so easy?"

Meng Gong was completely dumbfounded. He never dreamed that such a fortified stronghold would fall into Zhao Shuo's hands in less than a day.

Zhao Shuo smiled slightly and said, "Actually, today was the first time the Jin army had seen hot air balloons and thunderbolts, which directly shattered their morale and made it so easy. It will probably not be so easy to attack the second and third strongholds later."

Meng Gong smiled wryly, “I’m afraid it won’t be that difficult. Your Majesty’s hot air balloons certainly don’t have much offensive capability. However, your thunderbolts are indeed extremely powerful. Even if they can recover some morale, it probably won’t be much better. Besides, the second camp wasn’t built on the mountain, but blocked the main road, so the Jin army’s advantage of terrain is gone.”

Zhao Shuo raised an eyebrow and said, "Then how about the Zhongshun Army goes to attack the second stronghold tomorrow? It's just that the counterweight catapults are difficult to move. Tomorrow, I can only use ordinary catapults and thunderbolts to help you."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty!"

The next day, aided by catapults and thunderbolts, Meng Gong led 20,000 loyal soldiers and, after a day of bloody battle, captured Erzhai.

However, attacking the three villages was not so easy afterward.

Wanyan Heda, in a fit of rage, transferred the remaining 10,000-plus elite Jin troops to the Three Fortresses. Furthermore, 40,000 conscripted soldiers were deployed directly behind the Three Fortresses, ready to provide support at any time.

If Zhao Shuo didn't have 100,000 conscripted soldiers and 40,000 elite troops deployed in other locations along the Tongbai Mountain defense line, he probably would have concentrated all his forces here.

But what about that?
Boom boom boom!
Boom boom boom!
Boom boom boom!
Catapults hurled heavy bombs, each weighing forty pounds, at the walls of the three strongholds! No matter how valiant the soldiers were, they were no different from ordinary soldiers in the face of the power of the bombs.

After a round of bombardment, he ordered his elite troops to launch a fierce attack!

If the attack doesn't go well, keep bombarding with thunderbolts!

Then, the cycle repeats!
Even the most powerful army, with the strongest resolve to sacrifice itself for the nation, could not withstand such a fierce attack. How could flesh and blood possibly withstand gunpowder?
Three days later, Zhao Shuo's thousand thunderbolts were exhausted, and Wanyan Heda had also almost used up all his reserve forces. More than 16,000 Zhongshun soldiers stormed into the three strongholds.

Two hours later, the Jin soldiers in the stronghold were either killed or captured, with only Wanyan Heda himself still putting up a last stand.

Of course, such resistance was futile. If the Zhongshun army unleashed a hail of arrows, or hurled a few deafening bombs, how could Wanyan Heda possibly survive?

However, since he was the Pingzhang Zhengshi of the Jin state, the Zhongshun Army was eager to make a name for themselves and still wanted to capture him alive.

This gave him the opportunity to put up a last-ditch resistance.

Come on! Come on!

"Who dares to fight me, Wanyan Heda?"

"Could it be that the Song army is nothing but a bunch of cowards who rely on the power of the Mongols, and that they have no brave warriors who can fight against me, Wanyan Heda? It's truly laughable! Ha! Haha! Hahaha!"

"Meng Gong, why don't you come yourself? Try out your grandfather Wanyan's swift blade?"

……

When Zhao Shuo led his generals to the courtyard, Wanyan Heda had already defeated four officers of the Zhongshun Army.

He even risked a knife wound to his right leg to kill a Song general of the commander level (a thousand-household commander).

At this moment, he was covered in blood, half-kneeling on the ground, panting heavily, leaning on his knife and glancing sideways at Meng Gong with a face full of provocation.

Meng Gong is still young, and in just a few words, he agreed to send someone to fight Wanyan Heda one-on-one.

Now that a commander had died, he realized he had fallen into a trap and was extremely depressed. Seeing Zhao Shuo arrive, he became even more embarrassed.

He glanced at the surrounding Song soldiers and said in a deep voice, "Whoever captures this scoundrel alive will be rewarded. I will naturally petition the court for him, and promotion and titles will be a given."

"Let me do it!"

Meng Gong's general Zhang Jun stepped forward from the crowd.

Although this person shares the same name as Zhang Jun, one of the "Four Generals of the Southern Song Dynasty's Restoration," they are not the same person. He had a nickname, "Zhang the Iron Spear," and was indeed Meng Gong's most valiant general.

Wanyan Heda was already injured. Zhang Jun hadn't gone on the field because he didn't want to fight a sick tiger and steal the credit from the middle-level soldiers.

Unexpectedly, Wanyan Heda, this sick tiger, still possessed the might of a tiger. Not only did he defeat four mid-level officers, but he also almost killed a high-ranking officer of the commander level by trickery, and even provoked Meng Gong.

Immediately, Zhang Jun stepped forward from the crowd, pointing his 27-pound iron spear at Wanyan Heda.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Wanyan Heda frowned, struggled to his feet, and said, "Consider yourself lucky, kid. If you capture me alive, you'll be promoted and ennobled! But..."

"how?"

"How could Grandpa let you have your way?!"

Swish!
With a flash of cold light, Wanyan Heda slashed his own neck with a knife.

Pfft!
Wanyan Heda's body lay on the ground!

Blood gushed out, soaking half a foot of ground in the blink of an eye!
Clearly, this fellow was extremely ruthless, having severed half of his own head, and was already dead in an instant.

Meng Gong sighed and said, "Wanyan Heda was at his wit's end, and he even plotted to kill one of my commanders. He didn't even give Zhang Jun a chance to make a contribution, and he committed suicide on the spot. He was indeed loyal to the Great Jin, and he was both wise and brave. He can be considered a hero."

"hero?"

Zhao Shuo chuckled and said, "His hero is my enemy. The more stubbornly he resists, the worse he should be."

"So, Your Majesty means..."

Zhao Shuo did not answer directly, but asked, "How many prisoners are there in these three strongholds in total?"

Meng Gong said, "We haven't done a detailed count yet, but there must be at least ten or twenty thousand people, right?"

Zhao Shuo said, "Kill them all. Tell them that they originally had a chance to live, but because Wanyan Heda resisted stubbornly, none of them survived."

Then, he turned to look at Taerhun beside him and said, "In addition, convey my decree that after taking the Jin Kingdom, Wanyan Heda's entire clan, regardless of age or gender, be killed."

"According to the order!"

So what if Wanyan Heda was a loyal subject of the Jin Dynasty? He was their hero, but I was his enemy.

His stubborn resistance will only lead to more Jurchen deaths, and he himself will be childless and his entire clan will be wiped out!

(End of this chapter)