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

Chapter 207 Breaking Turtle State! The frogs in the well have suffered a mental breakdown!
Boom boom boom!
Thick smoke billowed from the north city wall of Guizhou, and gravel flew everywhere!

As Li Zhongde led 5,000 soldiers of the Balu Battalion to charge towards Guizhou City, the artillery battalion launched two final saturation attacks.

The original eight rounds of attacks consisted of 470 stone projectiles weighing 12-13 kilograms each, along with 30 thunderbolts.

In the last two rounds of attacks, two hundred catapults changed from firing one stone projectile each to firing two five-pound thunderbolts each.

The devastating power of the thunderclap bomb wasn't particularly strong, but the thick smoke from the gunpowder was a valuable asset. The dense smoke blanketed the north city wall, severely obscuring the vision of the defenders and making it difficult for them to accurately launch long-range attacks against the attacking Balu Camp soldiers.

Good steel should be used where it's most needed!

Under the cover of thick smoke, the 5,000 soldiers of the Balu Battalion reached the foot of the north city wall with only 60 or 70 casualties.

Even then, the final round of long-range attacks on the north city wall had only ceased for less than a quarter of an hour, and the city walls were still shrouded in smoke, obscuring visibility.

It must be said that Wang Alu's artillery battalion truly mastered the artillery to an unparalleled degree. Whether it was the timing, the use of various types of ammunition, or the precision of the trebuchet, they achieved the ultimate in the performance of each machine.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
Forty siege ladders were erected almost simultaneously on the north city wall, and the Jurchen soldiers began their valiant climb.

Boom boom boom!
Fifty strongmen of the Jin army pushed a battering ram and violently rammed it towards the north gate.

A battering ram, also called a siege engine, consists of a thick, round log suspended from a crossbeam by ropes or chains. The log has a metal cap at the rear and a metal head at the front, shaped like a ram's head, and is called a battering ram.

During a siege, soldiers would work together to grab the battering ram and swing it backwards, then violently ram it against the city gate, relying on inertia and kinetic energy to destroy the gate or the bolt structure behind it.

The siege engines rammed the city gate repeatedly, making it rattle and vibrate, and the defenders on the entire city wall could feel the strong tremors!

Of course, the Koreans also had their own set of city defense techniques.

Pfft!
Wow~~
Logs rolled down one after another, and pots of boiling oil were poured down, forcing the Jurchen warriors to scatter and dodge. Some were unlucky enough to be hit by the giant logs or scalded by the boiling oil, letting out screams of agony.

The others ignored them and, taking advantage of the lulls in the defenders' attacks, continued to pound the battering rams!
"Heave-ho! Get up!"

With a series of unified shouts, dozens of Goryeo soldiers controlled the massive, five-zhang-long (approximately 10 meters) forklift to rise beyond the crenellations, attempting to push the siege ladder over!
In no time, the thirteen siege ladders were overturned by the falling ladders. The dozen or so Balu Camp soldiers at the bottom of the ladders were unharmed. The top few Balu Camp soldiers all let out a muffled groan, having suffered broken bones and tendons from the fall.

However, there were still 27 catapults that had not been overturned, and more than ten people had already climbed onto them, rapidly ascending the swaying ladders.

Li Zhongde was on one of the cloud ladders.

Whoosh whoosh!
Seeing that the siege ladder wouldn't budge, a dozen Goryeo soldiers unleashed a volley of arrows. Instantly, the three soldiers from the Balu Battalion closest to the top of the wall were struck by arrows, letting out a miserable scream as they fell from the siege ladder.

However, Li Zhongde was not afraid at all. Instead, he took the opportunity to climb more than ten steps up the wall, and was less than ten steps away from the top!
Whoosh whoosh!
Li Zhongde drew a crossbow from behind his back, its bowstring already drawn, and fired it swiftly towards the city wall.

This small repeating crossbow, which was recently developed in Zhao Shuo's workshop, has bolts that are only three inches long and can only shoot twenty paces. Moreover, its power is not great and it cannot penetrate iron armor. Its shortcomings are very obvious.

But this thing is light, making it very easy to carry, and it can fire nine small arrows at a time!
As Li Zhongde fired his crossbow at the enemy, the Goryeo soldiers on the other side instinctively dodged, and he took the opportunity to climb onto the wall.

"Those who retreat will be executed! Follow me! Follow me!"

Li Zhongde was the first to climb the north city wall!
"Follow General Zhongde!"

"kill!"

"Kill the Korean dogs!"

……

The soldiers of the Balu Battalion followed closely behind.

What a joke! If Balu Battalion didn't charge immediately, did they have any other choice?

When Ögedei Khan ordered the steppe warriors to attack Guizhou City, he divided them into several groups. If one group's attack failed, another group would quickly take over.

Grassland warriors are too precious for him to issue an order to execute anyone who retreats.

However, the Balu Battalion was entirely a expendable asset to the Han army. The reason it was divided into several groups was simply because the number of troops deployed at once was too large, and the enemy's long-range weapons could easily inflict heavy casualties with a single shot.

If the commander-in-chief hadn't felt that there was no hope of capturing the city that day, he would never have given the order for the Balu Battalion to retreat.

Therefore, once the Balu Battalion went to the battlefield, they only had two choices: either kill the enemy or be killed by the enemy!
They have no choice but to advance!

Kill kill kill!

Li Zhongde led dozens of soldiers and, in a short time, opened a small breach in the north city wall.

At the same time, four soldiers from the Balu Battalion successfully climbed the city wall using four siege ladders!
At this time, there were nearly two hundred soldiers from the Balu Battalion on the north city wall, and more were still joining them.

Once their five points are connected into a line, the consequences will be unimaginable!
"Get them out of here!"

"We have nowhere left to retreat!"

"Fight them!"

……

Knowing the dire situation, the Koreans launched a desperate attack on the Balu Camp soldiers. The city walls instantly transformed into a meat grinder, filled with screams, shouts, the clash of weapons, and the dull thuds of sharp objects piercing flesh and hitting bone—all blending together in a cacophony!
Every minute, dozens of Balu Camp soldiers or Koreans fell, and blood flowed like a river on the north city wall!
"I'll fight you!"

A Goryeo soldier let out a desperate cry. Despite his injured right leg, he clung tightly to Lee Jung-deok's left leg in the melee, refusing to let go no matter what.

Enraged, Li Zhongde bent down and slashed at the armored soldier's neck with his sword. However, due to the armor, he was unable to sever the entire head.

Blood gushed from the neck of the Goryeo soldier, and it was unclear whether he was dead or alive, but his hands were still tightly holding onto Li Zhongde's left leg!
Kaka!

Li Zhongde swung his knife twice more, severing both of his arms!
However, it was at this moment—

Whoosh!
An armor-piercing arrow came straight at Li Zhongde.

"what!"

Li Zhongde quickly turned his head away!
puff!
The armor-piercing arrow struck his helmet, pierced his left cheek, and then passed right through his right cheek!

"Great! I got it!"

Jin Yunhou was overjoyed upon seeing this, for it was he who had fired that arrow.

He was really frustrated today. The north city wall was four miles long, and he wasn't nearby when Li Zhongde climbed it.

By now, although Jin Yunhou had killed more than a dozen people, the soldiers of the Balu Camp were all dressed similarly, making it difficult to find any high-value targets!
Jin Yunhou was only highly skilled in martial arts, but he had little ability to lead troops. Apart from sniping, he was truly helpless in how to salvage the situation at the north city wall.

Jin Yunhou was overjoyed to discover that Wanyan Zhongde was highly skilled in martial arts and had shot an arrow that had finally killed an important target.

However, he guessed the beginning but not the end.
"Hey!"

Li Zhongde's face was pierced through, and he even lost seven or eight teeth. Although he was in excruciating pain, it did not mean he was dead!

He even managed to pull the armor-piercing arrow right out of his cheek!

"kill!"

Blood streamed down Li Zhongde's face as he shouted, "Kill! Jurchen warriors, follow me! Let our blood prove our loyalty to the King!"

"Kill! Let the blood of us Jurchens prove our loyalty to the king!"

The Jurchen warriors behind him roared in unison and charged towards Jin Yunhou!

"What? Jurchens?"

If Li Zhongde's survival and valiant fighting were a blow to Jin Yunhou, then his words were a blow to Jin Yunhou ten, or even a hundred!

Kim Yoon-ho was completely dumbfounded!
Did something go wrong?
So, despite the Goryeo soldiers fighting desperately on the city walls for half a day, they didn't even manage to make the Han army pay a heavy price, let alone shed a single drop of blood!

All the dead and wounded were Jurchens!

The Jurchen warriors besieging the city, upon hearing this slogan, felt their morale soar! The Jin dynasty was finished, and the Jurchen people were teetering on the brink of collapse. But they could use their blood to earn the trust of the Zhao emperor for themselves and their descendants, to survive, and even to rise to prominence!

"Kill! Let the blood of us Jurchens prove our loyalty to the king!"

The Jurchens on the city wall shouted loudly and attacked the Goryeo people like wolves and tigers.

The Jurchens below the city wall also shouted in agreement and quickly climbed up to provide reinforcements.

In no time, the number of Jurchens on the city wall had reached five hundred, and their numbers were still rapidly increasing!
"Press the charge! Send the entire Balu Battalion forward!"

Seeing this, Mochibieduwen decisively committed the remaining 15,000 Balu battalion to the battlefield.

Half an hour later, Balu's camp had gained the upper hand on the north city wall.
Boom~~
The north gate is open!
Zhao Shuo pointed ahead of the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow on the command platform and said, "Han Army Eight Banners, Grassland Warriors! All troops, attack! The capture of Guizhou is today!"

"According to the order!"

Boom~~
Zhao Shuo left only a hundred or so Night Owl Guards and one Khitan commander guard with him, while the rest of his troops stormed into Guizhou City!
Kill kill kill!

Chop, chop, chop!
Sting, sting, sting!
Zhao Shuo had already given the order to leave only young women in Guizhou City. The nearly 80,000 soldiers, without any scruples, divided into dozens of teams and began to slaughter and kill in Guizhou City!

The Koreans also realized that the final moment had arrived, and all the men, and even some strong women, took up arms and engaged in a brutal street battle with the Han army.

In an instant, the city of Guizhou was filled with the sounds of battle and rivers of blood.

At this moment, Jin Yunhou was neither on the north city wall nor participating in the street fighting, but returned to the city garrison of Guizhou.

He even suggested that Park Si-hyun should not reinforce the north wall.

It's a very simple logic. Zhao Shuo only dispatched the Balu Camp, which was composed of Jurchens. Even if he killed many more people, what would be the point?

As for the claim that the fall of the north city wall means Guizhou City is lost? Even if Park Seo sends reinforcements, does that mean Guizhou City can't be captured today?
He suggested that Park Si try the same trick again: let Zhao Shuo's army into the city, hold the city at all costs, and see if there was a chance to kill Zhao Shuo!
Despite all this, they still couldn't hold Guizhou, but at least they made the Han people pay a heavy price!

Park Seo adopted his plan.

Therefore, despite the deafening sounds of battle echoing throughout Guizhou City, Park Seo's 897 detachments and 2,000 regular troops did not mobilize.

Heaven have mercy, the Han army indeed entered Guizhou City on a large scale.

Several Han army groups attempted to attack the city's garrison, but all failed. The Han army seemed to realize that this place was difficult to attack; smoke and dust billowed as several thousand troops rushed to the rescue!
Are these Zhao Shuo's personal guards?
Did Zhao Shuo actually come?

The Koreans had limited knowledge of Zhao Shuo and could not be certain.

But are there any other opportunities? With the addition of these several thousand soldiers, the castle lord's mansion is certainly doomed!
"Korean warriors, follow me! Kill Zhao Shuo!"

Boom~~
Park Seo took the lead, followed closely by Kim Yoon-ho. Eight hundred baichao and a thousand regular soldiers rushed out of the city garrison and launched a desperate counterattack against the four or five thousand Han soldiers!
"kill!"

Upon seeing this, the Han army, which was besieging the city's garrison, quickly flanked the city from both sides!

But the Koreans ignored everything and charged forward relentlessly!
The strength of the 800 elite soldiers was not much weaker than that of an equal number of Eight Banner soldiers. The 1,000 regular Goryeo soldiers, having long since disregarded life and death, were exceptionally brave and fierce!
They want to repeat the miracle at the Battle of Guizhou and kill the army's commander, preferably Zhao Shuo!

Pfft!
Pfft!
Plop!
Goryeo soldiers kept falling from their horses, and even Park Seo was hit on the head with a caltrop bone and fell off his horse, but the rest of the Goryeo army continued to advance rapidly!

very good!

Jin Yunhou now only has forty or fifty riders with him, but a general in white helmet and armor can be seen standing out in the crowd, less than eighty paces away!

Whoosh!
Jin Yunhou fired an armor-piercing arrow, heading straight for the general.

when!
The general reacted extremely quickly, and with a swing of his longsword, he knocked Jin Yunhou's armor-piercing arrow to the ground!

"it is good!"

Upon seeing this, Jin Yunhou was not worried but rather pleased.

The person who could knock down his divine arrow is very likely Zhao Shuo!
It would be normal that Zhao Shuo, the greatest warrior of Mongolia, could not be killed or even injured by this arrow.

"Death!"

Jin Yunhou was skilled not only in archery but also in swordsmanship and spear fighting, though his bow and arrow were better suited for sniping high-value targets. Now, he used his spear to end Zhao Shuo's life!

Jin Yunhou spurred his warhorse, brandished his spear, and killed two Han soldiers in succession, getting closer and closer to the general.

The general was not alarmed but delighted. Holding his broadsword, he spurred his horse and charged towards Jin Yunhou.

Hmm? Using a knife?

Zhao Shuo is skilled with a knife, isn't he?

Jin Yunhou became even more excited, and with his spear thrusting out like a venomous snake, he aimed straight for the general's heart.

when!
The general swung his longsword, deflecting the spear in Jin Yunhou's hand, and then a streak of sword light shot towards him.

Jin Yunhou quickly swung his spear to block.

Dang Dang Dang!
After exchanging more than ten blows, the general, with his great strength and heavy, lightning-fast attacks, was no match for Jin Yunhou.

"die!"

Swish!
The Han general roared, and with a flash of cold light, his long sword slashed down at Jin Yunhou's waist!
Pfft!
Jin Yunhou was cut in half at the waist on the spot, and half of his body fell off his horse.

"you……"

A person cut in half at the waist does not die immediately, which is why it is considered one of the cruelest punishments.

Despite the excruciating pain, Kim Yun-ho propped himself up with his hands and strained to look at the general, saying, "As expected of Zhao Shuo, you possess such strength! I, Kim Yun-ho, originally intended to kill you to save Goryeo, but alas, my skills are inferior!"

This is what Jin Yunhou said on his deathbed, hoping to secure a good reputation after his death.

However, the general looked completely astonished and said, "Wh...what King Zhao Shuo? I am Guo Zhongyuan, a commander of the Bordered Yellow Banner, serving King Zhao Shuo!"

"What? Guo... Guo Zhongyuan? Never heard of him! With such strength, how could you not be Zhao Shuo?" Jin Yunhou's face was full of disbelief.

Goryeo was located in a remote and inaccessible area, and Kim Yun-ho was not a high-ranking official in Goryeo before, so naturally he had never heard of the country, nor the name of Guo Zhongyuan, the "first general since the southward migration" of the Jin Dynasty.

As a surrendered general, Guo Zhongyuan wanted to make meritorious contributions as soon as possible and establish himself in the Han army. Like Xue Rengui in the Tang Dynasty, he deliberately wore his armor in a very conspicuous way.

"Frog at the bottom of the well!"

Guo Zhongyuan sneered and said arrogantly, "Compared to the King, what am I, Guo Zhongyuan? You, Jin Yunhou, are even less of a threat! You dare to challenge my King personally? My King's Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Blade is only fit to slay the heads of the most renowned kings in the world!"

"That's right. Only figures like Wang Khan, Tayang Khan, Muhammad the Sultan of Khwarazm, Li Deren, the King of Western Xia, and Wanyan Shouxu, the Emperor of Jin, are worthy of being personally beheaded by my king. Jin Yunhou, what are you anyway?"

Li Zhongde grinned, but his face was full of pride as he spoke, even mentioning "Emperor Wanyan Shouxu of the Jin Dynasty" without any hesitation.

The other generals present also showed expressions of amusement and pride, feeling quite honored.

Jin Yunhou, do you really think that shooting an arrow at the Mongol Khan makes you an extraordinary figure in the world?

A frog in a well!

You were just lucky!

My king's blade has claimed the lives of countless monarchs, making him a veritable terminator of kings.

A mere commander of the Eight Banners in the Han army could cut you in half at the waist.

Do you, Jin Yunhou, deserve to spar with my king?

(End of this chapter)