Fenghou

Chapter 979 Fire Attack
The soldier who came to deliver the letter was Mu Chunfa, who reported to Chen Qing what happened in the city in detail.

Chen Qing was really surprised when he heard that, and kept patting himself on the forehead. He actually had such a capable subordinate who solved this tricky matter for him. To ensure everything was safe, he even cut off the only connection between Luoyang and the outside world.

This Zhang Lu is very capable, and Yu Shouzhong is also good, both of them are worthy of reuse.

Mu Chunfa said again: "Director Zhang doesn't know if I have succeeded in absconding. If His Highness receives the news, I implore His Highness to fire three gunpowder arrows outside the east city of Luoyang at five o'clock, and he will know that I have succeeded."

"I see, what else?"

"There is also Manager Zhang's next plan. He has two ideas."

"What two ideas do you have, tell me?" Chen Qing was immediately interested.

"The first idea is to set fire to the granary in the city, and the second idea is to make an assassination."

Chen Qing immediately vetoed the plan of burning the granary. The city ran out of food, and it was the people who were unlucky. He still needed food from Luoyang to help the victims. However, the assassination could speed up the end of the war. Chen Qing asked, "Is there any plan for the assassination?" ?”

"We have three subordinates in the army, all of whom are strong in archery and athletic. Each of them has three poisonous arrows, so they can wait for an opportunity to assassinate when a war breaks out!"

"And then? How did the assassinating soldier get away?"

"You can jump into the moat just like a humble job."

Chen Qing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and said again: "Then how should I inform Zhang Lu in the city of what decision I have made?"

"His Royal Highness fires three gunpowder arrows in the east of the city at five o'clock, and then waits for another quarter of an hour. If you shoot one gunpowder arrow, you agree to the first plan. Set fire to the granary. If you shoot two gunpowder arrows, you agree. As for the second option, assassination can be obtained, if three gunpowder arrows are fired, it means that the two options are not agreed, and then Director Zhang will give up both options."

Chen Qing nodded, "I see, you step back and rest, come and give him fifty taels of silver!"

"Thank you, Your Highness, for the reward!"

At five o'clock, Yu Shouzhong and two of his men squatted on the tower of Xiangguo Temple. This is the second tallest tower in the city. situation.

"General, here we come!"

A soldier yelled, and Yu Shouzhong immediately stood up, lay down in front of the window and looked out of the city. He saw a gunpowder arrow flying into the sky from the woods, emitting a piercing light, followed by the second and third gunpowder arrows. The arrow rose, which meant that Mu Chunfa had safely arrived at the camp of the Song Army.

But what Yu Shouzhong was more concerned about was the gunpowder arrows after [-] minutes. Will it be one, two or three gunpowder arrows?

Another quarter of an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and two rockets flew up outside the east city.

This means that His Royal Highness King Yong agrees with their second plan, and the assassination is guaranteed.

Yu Shouzhong squeezed his fist hard, and led two of his men to leave quickly.

There is a curfew in the city, and no residents are allowed to go out. Those who are caught will be severely punished, but the soldiers in the small streets and alleys can't control it. There are still people haunting here, all kinds of people who make a living at night.

Zhang Lu is still waiting in the inner hall!He hardly slept all night, when footsteps came from outside, Yu Shouzhong came back.

"How to say?" Zhang Lu hurriedly stepped forward and asked.

"Mu Chunfa has successfully arrived at Daying, and also met His Royal Highness King Yong, who agreed with our second plan."

"The second plan, the assassination discount is available!"

In fact, Zhang Lu's first plan was well prepared. They even got a detailed layout of the grain and grass. Standing on the roof a hundred steps away, they could shoot gunpowder arrows at the forage warehouse, ignite the grass warehouse, and thus ignite the entire grain and grass. library.

But since His Royal Highness King Yong disagreed, they had no choice but to abandon this plan.

The assassination plan can be expected that they have already deployed, and only need to start this plan. Yu Shouzhong nodded and said: "As soon as the day breaks, I will go find the three of them!"

At noon the next day, the Song army, which had been silent for four full days, began to sound the drums.

'Boom!Boom!Boom!'
The [-] troops poured out of the barracks, assembled in the wilderness on patrol, and the rapid alarm bells sounded from the top of the city. [-] signed troops rushed to the city, and [-] of them were deployed to the west city.

Twenty large trebuchets were also creaked and opened. This kind of trebuchet requires [-] people to operate, and can smash a solid fire cloth ball weighing [-] kilograms to a distance of [-] steps. With inertia, the fireball can Out of three hundred steps.

Five hundred bed crossbows were also placed on the top of the city, capable of powerfully shooting at targets five hundred paces away.

Zhe Keqiu stood on the top of the city, squinting at the Song army three miles away. The overwhelming army made him feel a little nervous. The army was already close to one hundred thousand. Siege the city aggressively.

"Marshal, what is that?" A general shouted, pointing to the distance.

Zhe Keqiu also saw it, and a huge figure appeared behind the Song Army phalanx, "It's a trebuchet!"

Zhe Keqiu recognized it immediately, and everyone gasped, especially the last few catapults, which were even higher than the city wall. They had never seen such a huge catapult.

"That's a thousand-step gun!"

Zhe Keqiu recognized the tallest large trebuchets with a range of a thousand steps, and their target may not necessarily be the city wall, so he immediately turned around and ordered: "Clean up all the igniters within [-] steps of the city wall. Everyone needs to evacuate!"

Thousands of soldiers ran up and down, busy into a group. On the top of the city about two hundred steps away from Zhe Keqiu, a soldier stared at Zhe Keqiu coldly. His name was Huang Dong, and he was a member of three Song soldiers. Among the spies, the nearest person can be found at a short distance.

The fifty heavy-duty trebuchets of the Song Army were like fifty giants, walking slowly in the army. Each trebuchet was pulled by eight cows, and dozens of soldiers were struggling to push it beside them. A big cart was also pulled by eight oxen. On the long cart was placed a huge baffle, each baffle was two feet high, and it consisted of five sections, which were put together improvised.

Behind the fifty Hui heavy-duty trebuchets, there are six thousand-step guns. The thousand-step guns are five feet high, and their bodies are like a tall tower. In one year, only twelve throwing poles were produced.

Thousand-step guns are not easy to install, and they are generally used for defense. Therefore, after the end of this battle, four of the eight thousand-step guns brought will stay in Luoyang, the other four will be sent to Taiyuan, and the remaining four will be sent to Taiyuan. Stay in Jingzhao.

The siege of the thousand-step artillery is of little significance. The main purpose of attacking Luoyang this time is to test its performance in actual combat. Of course, it also has a goal, which is the Wengcheng.

Fifty heavy trebuchets were lined up three hundred steps away from the city wall, and a huge defensive baffle was placed in front of it. At this moment, the bed crossbow on the top of the city took the lead.

Two thousand five hundred three-foot-long arrows roared from the top of the city. They each had their own targets. Every ten bed crossbows dealt with a heavy trebuchet. The soldiers of the Song army were caught off guard. He was shot and died on the spot.

The rest of the more than a thousand soldiers lay on the ground, or hid behind the baffle. After a round of arrows, they quickly spliced ​​the baffle and put it in place.

At this time, a large catapult on the top of the city was launched, and burning fireballs soared into the air. The burning fireworks drew black lines in the air, flew over the wide moat, and smashed heavily on the ground one hundred and fifty steps away. On the ground, this kind of solid cloth ball was extremely elastic, bounced high and continued to rush forward.

"Bang!" There was a loud noise, and a solid kerosene ball hit the baffle, bounced high, flew over the top of the trebuchet, and rushed for more than a hundred steps before stopping.

It flew four hundred steps away, but the effect was not satisfactory, it did not cause any substantial damage, not even touching a single soldier. If it was a jar full of kerosene, the entire enemy position would be on fire.

At this time, the Song army began to counterattack. Fifty heavy trebuchets were launched at the same time, and fifty large burning thin-skinned urns were thrown out. Each large urn was filled with fifty catties of kerosene.

The superb level of the craftsmen of the Song Army was revealed. Only four of the fifty fire and oil urns hit the city wall, and all the other forty-six oil urns hit the top of the city, and a fire suddenly ignited on the top of the city.

There was a sudden chaos on the top of the city. Hundreds of bundles of straw were ignited, and a big fire ignited.

(End of this chapter)