Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 261 The Eight-Ox Crossbow: A Terrifying Experience

Wuxian County.

Both sides of the Yangtze River.

At both ends of the iron chain across the river stand two fortified passes.

The Wu army soldiers were on high alert and dared not sleep at night.

And the other side.

After the commander-in-chief Fu Qian led the infantry to build camps and fortifications outside Wuxian City in Jiangbei, the Han infantry in Jiangbei received orders from the Grand Commander Chen Dao to quickly and meticulously manufacture siege weapons.

Meanwhile, the infantry battalions under the command of generals Zhao Guang, Zheng Pu, Wang Chong, Zhang Gu, and Lei Bu crossed the river from Yanyu Pass to the south bank, followed the mountain path to the Iron Chain South Pass, and performed the same actions as the Han soldiers on the north bank.

As the side launching an attack with a winning momentum, the Han army undoubtedly held the initiative in this battle.

Whether the Han army on the north bank or the Han army on the south bank was the main attacker, or whether there was no supporting attack and all were the main attackers, Wu generals such as Pan Jun and Sun Shao had no way of knowing at this moment.

Just like at Yanyu Pass, the Wu people thought that the Han army at Shenjian Pass, commanded by Fu Qian, was a feint, while the Han army at Yanyu Pass was the main force. In reality, the Han army at Yanyu Pass, which was meant to be a feint, won the battle before Fu Qian's army.

Therefore, after the Han army once again adopted the posture of fighting on two fronts, Wu generals such as Pan Jun, Sun Shao, Sun Jun, and Fu Yi had a considerable disagreement about who should be assigned to control the Iron Chain Pass in Jiangnan and how many troops should be allocated.

The eighteenth day of the first lunar month.

The river mist began to dissipate.

On the south bank of the Yangtze River, the Han army camps had already awakened and were bustling with activity.

Tiger-like General Guan Xing stood on a slightly elevated earthen slope, leaning on his sword.

Zhao Guang stood beside him, while Zheng Pu, Wang Chong, Cen Shu, and other generals stood to his left and right, all intently watching the flat camp below the mountain.

Thousands of soldiers, craftsmen, and laborers are working together to build various siege weapons, creating a vibrant and bustling scene.

Just now.

An unusual commotion surged from the direction of the gate, growing louder as it approached.

"Look! It's His Majesty's Golden Guard banner!" A sharp-eyed patrolman suddenly pointed to the gate and exclaimed in surprise.

Those who heard the sound paused for a moment, then all looked up.

From the direction of the gate, a majestic banner was slowly moving towards them.

The banner stands tall, with a pure gold auspicious beast at the top, its head raised to the sky. Below the beast, a yak tail, over ten feet long, hangs down, whiter than snow, fluttering in the wind. The small golden bells on the banner's tail emit a clear and solemn tinkling sound, perfectly complementing the emperor's ceremonial drums and trumpets.

The appearance of this unique Golden Banner, symbolizing the authority of the Han emperor, and the imperial procession with drums and trumpets clearing the way in front of it, undoubtedly signifies one thing.

In an instant, the Han army near the gate was in an uproar.

"It is His Majesty's imperial banner!"

"His Majesty!"

"His Majesty is here again!"

"Victory! Your Majesty, victory is assured!"

Since the emperor personally led the expedition, there has not been a single defeat.

Previously, at Yanyu Pass, the emperor raised the dragon banner to oversee the troops and achieved a great victory. Afterwards, he raised the banner again to personally pacify the three armies.

All of this led the Han soldiers along the Yangtze River, who had never experienced the emperor's personal campaigns, to develop an inexplicable trust in the emperor and the Golden Guard banner that symbolized his authority.

The location of the dragon banner.

Invincible.

Invincible.

They were invincible.

Outside the gate, beneath the banners of the Imperial Guard.

That Han emperor walked with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, exuding an imposing and majestic air.

Governor Chen Dao, whose mottled hair only added to his majesty, stood guard by his side, clad in armor and holding a sword.

As Liu Shan entered the camp, he calmly surveyed the soldiers who were watching and praising him along the way. When he saw a familiar soldier, he would nod slightly and give him an encouraging and approving look.

Many soldiers began to drop their tools and gather in the direction of the banners and drums. The craftsmen also stopped their work, craning their necks to look, their eyes filled with a mixture of awe and curiosity.

The cheers of victory started sporadically but quickly grew into a continuous chorus.

If it weren't for Chen Dao, who was guarding Liu Shan, giving the order for the three armies to be quiet and perform their duties, the elite guards would probably have been exhausted.

When Guan Xing and Zhao Guang heard the commotion at the gate, they were slightly taken aback, and then they looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Your Majesty is making such a grand display..."

Zhao Guang first whispered subconsciously, and then his memory drifted back to the beginning of last year.

At that moment, the emperor, who had just left Chengdu to lead his personal expedition, suddenly appeared in Xiegu. His ceremonial retinue, including dragon banners, halberds, drums, and trumpets, was raised all at once. His purpose…

Guan Xing reacted even faster, waving his hand sharply:

"Go! Hurry and go to greet the emperor!" Before he finished speaking, he had already strode off toward the direction from which the sound of drums and trumpets was coming.

Zheng Pu, Wang Chong, Cen Shu, and other generals followed without hesitation.

"Your subject Guan Xing/Zhao Guang... pays respects to Your Majesty!" Guan Xing, Zhao Guang, Zheng Pu and others approached the emperor and immediately bowed in greeting.

Liu Shan raised his hand in a gesture of support:

"No need for formalities. I have come to check on the preparation of siege equipment."

Guan Xing quickly stepped aside to lead the way:

“陛下且随臣来.”

"Various siege weapons are being developed at an accelerated pace."

"It will all be completed by noon tomorrow at the latest."

Liu Shan nodded again, and surrounded by generals such as Guan Xing, Zhao Guang, and Zheng Pu, he slowly walked through the bustling camp.

The emperor's appearance infused the entire camp with an invisible force, sweeping away the slight fatigue caused by continuous work and replacing it with an indescribable excitement and visible drive.

Liu Shan walked with steady steps and sharp eyes, carefully scanning each work site.

In the area where the well curb is being built, the massive skeleton, over a hundred feet high, has already been erected. Dozens of craftsmen are busily installing footboards high up, while more than a hundred people below are working together to pull ropes, slowly lifting another section of the prefabricated frame.

Liu Shan paused and looked up for a moment, then suddenly spoke:
"stop."

"The left anterior base is sunken."

"The tenon and mortise joints there are not properly fitted; someone should be sent to correct them."

Guan Xing paused, looked closely, but couldn't find anything wrong, so he quickly summoned the military commander in charge.

Upon hearing this, the military commander in charge of the construction was startled, his face changed drastically, and he hurriedly checked, but he couldn't figure it out either, so he summoned the craftsmen.

Several craftsmen rushed forward to inspect the damage and finally discovered a problem with a key joint. As a result, the entire well curb was slightly unbalanced. However, it was not noticeable unless you looked closely. Yet, such a small mistake could put the well curb at risk of overturning.

After a brief exchange, the craftsmen began to readjust the mortise and tenon joints and level the surface. Liu Shan observed for a moment but could not find any obvious problems before moving away.

All around the camp, the sounds of wood clashing, hammering, chiseling, and shouting filled the air, a mixture of chaos and order.

Moat-filling carts, siege towers, steel carts, siege wagons, side-mounted carts... all sorts of siege weapons appeared before Liu Shan's eyes one after another.

Upon arriving at a secluded camp in the rear, the guards were noticeably more stringent, and the surroundings became quiet. The patrolling soldiers were all elite warriors under Guan Xing's command, and they did not relax their guard even when they saw the emperor's entourage, but simply saluted with their hands on their swords.

Zheng Pu, Wang Chong, Cen Shu, Zhang Gu and other generals were all somewhat surprised, as they had never been to this camp before.

Although Governor Chen Dao knew this place, his eyes still held a hint of curiosity and anticipation.

Guan Xing suddenly stopped, turned around and bowed deeply to the emperor: "Your Majesty, the Eight-Ox Crossbow is ready. Please take a look."

"Hmm." Liu Shan nodded.

These eight-ox crossbows were sent from Guanzhong by Zhuge Qiao and Huo Yi. Even he hadn't had time to test their power, and he wondered if Ma Jun and Ma Deheng could actually realize his idea of ​​"using three bows in combination and pulleys to save effort".

One of his purposes in coming here today was to personally test the power of the Eight-Ox Crossbow and see if it was as exaggerated as described in later historical records.

"An eight-ox crossbow?" Zhang Nan's son, Zhang Gu, was momentarily taken aback. He first exchanged glances with Zheng Pu and the other generals, and then all looked at Guan Xing and Zhao Guang, who were close to the emperor.

Just as the generals were filled with curiosity and doubt, Guan Xing made a hand gesture to the garrison commander.

The captain immediately ordered the curtain of a tent in the center of the camp to be removed.

Four enormous crossbows appeared before everyone's eyes.

This object has a particularly unique shape and is by no means an enlarged version of an ordinary horn crossbow.

Its bed is made of hardwood and is as large as a carriage, with three giant bows placed side by side on it.

The bow arms are made of mulberry wood and ox horn, and are even longer than a person.

The three bows are connected by a mechanism, and two huge wooden wheels are mounted at the rear of the crossbow bed, with hemp ropes as thick as a child's arm wrapped around them.

The entire giant crossbow was mostly covered by tarpaulin, with only the cold, menacing crossbow arm and the gleaming steel crossbow mechanism visible.

"The Eight-Ox Crossbow...is this it?" Zheng Pu was dumbfounded. Beside him, Zhang Gu, Wang Chong, and the other generals looked at each other in disbelief.

Such an exaggeratedly large crossbow is not only unprecedented, but also unheard of; it has never existed in history.

Even Chen Dao was somewhat surprised.

He had seen the parts of the Eight-Ox Crossbow before, but the terrifying sight of it assembled was something even he, the Grand Commander of the Wu Expedition, had never seen before.

Guan Xing signaled to his soldiers to completely remove the tarpaulin.

"Fire a crossbow bolt and let me see it," Liu Shan said slowly, filled with anticipation.

"Come on!" Guan Xing commanded.

Before the Eight-Ox Crossbow, more than ten burly and strong warriors immediately surrounded the giant crossbow.

With great effort, they turned the giant crossbow around and finally aimed the sight at the target that had been set up on the riverbank more than 400 paces away.

It was a low wall built of rammed earth, simulating a battlement.

"Your Majesty, it's ready." Even the usually composed Guan Xing was somewhat excited and unable to contain himself in the face of such a great national treasure.

"Test fire," Liu Shan said succinctly.

"Rise!" Guan Xing ordered upon hearing this.

More than thirty valiant warriors surrounded the eight-ox crossbow.

They all clenched their teeth and tensed their muscles, chanting rhythmic slogans in unison under the command of a dub, so that everyone could exert their strength together.

As they shouted and strained, the massive winch behind the ballista began to move at an extremely slow pace.

The rope creaked between the pulleys.

The crossbow strings of the three giant bows were tightened inch by inch.

The winch continued to rotate.

The three giant bows bent more and more, and the crossbow strings became tauter and tauter.

"Squeak..."

"Squeak..."

The massive, terrifyingly thick bow arm, under immense pulling force, continuously built up momentum, built up momentum, built up momentum...

Everyone's hearts were in their throats, fearing that the giant bow's arm would break at any moment. The onlookers unconsciously held their breath, and Zhao Guang even subconsciously shielded Liu Shan in front of him.

When the thick crossbow string was almost fully drawn, Guan Xing stepped forward and took a giant arrow, placing it in the crossbow trough.

This arrow is about eight feet long, with a gleaming arrowhead and a shaft made of hardwood. It is as thick as a spear, or rather, it is a spear.

The only difference between it and a spear is that it has a tail feather made of iron plates at the end.

A strongman raised his mallet and asked Guan Xing for instructions.

Guan Xing then looked at Liu Shan.

Seeing the emperor nod slightly, he immediately waved to the strongman and ordered, "Release!"

The strongman silently and forcefully struck the mechanism.

A deep, muffled bang resounded, making everyone's eardrums ring.

The giant crossbow suddenly lurched backward half a foot, causing the ground to tremble slightly and dust to rise.

The giant arrow, as sharp as a spear, had transformed into a black shadow and shot out at lightning speed, so fast that it was impossible to see with the naked eye!
Almost at the same moment.

The target wall, four hundred paces away, suddenly exploded!
The rammed earth splashed everywhere, and a cloud of dust rose into the air.

When the smoke and dust cleared, it was revealed that the thick rammed earth wall, over a foot thick, had been pierced with a hole the size of a large bowl. The arrow's momentum had not yet dissipated, and its fletching was still trembling.

The buzzing sound could be faintly heard four hundred paces away.

The whole place was dead silent.

A river breeze swept by, making the dragon banner flutter, but it could not dispel the look of horror on the faces of the soldiers surrounding Liu Shan.

Guan Xing signaled Hu Benlang to inspect the target.

A report quickly came back: "General! The crossbow bolt penetrated the wall more than a foot deep and then came out through it!"

Zhao Guang stared wide-eyed for a long while before managing to utter a sound:

"Four hundred paces... straight through a rammed earth wall more than a foot thick?"

Such power is not only unprecedented, but also unheard of. Even the most exaggerated war stories throughout history have never described a crossbow with such exaggerated power.

More than four hundred paces... more than four hundred paces. If the aim were better, and if the enemy general was unprepared, wouldn't it be possible to take the enemy general's head right in the middle of ten thousand troops?

It should be understood that when two armies are at war, it is perfectly normal for the officers in command to observe the enemy's situation from a distance of two or three hundred paces.

Zhang Gu muttered to himself, "If this were to hit someone... wouldn't there be nothing left but bone fragments? Wouldn't they be shot to the point of their soul being scattered?"

"It's not just for shooting people!" Even Guan Xing, who was in charge of the test firing, couldn't help but gasp in shock. "With such power, it can even pierce through the hull planks of a warship!"

In the days before watertight compartments, the power of such a crossbow bolt was no less than that of a mongoose with a steel ramming ramming directly into a multi-story ship.

On a real battlefield, it would be extremely difficult for a small junk to ram a large warship, as there would be numerous obstacles in the way.

But now, it's different.

In the future, all that will be needed is to set up a single ballista, which will be enough to force the Wu army's command center to retreat.

Such power is beyond the comprehension of all current ranged weapons.

Liu Shan arrived at the target wall, gazing at the arrows that pierced through it, his heart filled with turbulent emotions.

Although he put forward the idea, he was still somewhat shocked to see the cannons of the cold weapon era exert such power.

"Well done, Ma Deheng," Liu Shan finally spoke, his tone filled with admiration.

"How accurate is the calibration?" Liu Shan asked Guan Xing, getting to the crucial point.

Guan Xing's face darkened slightly:

"Your Majesty, although this crossbow is extremely powerful, it is very difficult to calibrate."

"The giant arrow is heavy and greatly affected by wind deviation. Moreover, the crossbow body vibrates and shifts after each shot, requiring readjustment."

"It's alright." Liu Shan stroked the crossbow and nodded slightly.

This was exactly what he expected; the Eight-Bull Crossbow, with its immense power, was not designed for precise sniping.

(End of this chapter)