warring states careerist

Chapter 206

In the early morning of that day, the weather was excellent, and the sun rose early, which was a suitable day to die in battle.

Aware of the Chu people's changes, the city leaders are also making sufficient preparations, and Mo Zhe has not let up.

Mozi is condescending, directing himself, and waiting for others to accompany him, which is both to pass orders and to learn.

The Chu people outside the city did not attack in a swarm, but after mobilizing their morale, they directed the people to approach the moats of the moat, and near the Yangdi Mountain, organized soldiers to dig the soil and pile up high platforms so that they could look down on them.

Standing on the high tower, watching the movements of the Chu people in the distance, he asked, "Sir, what are these Chu people going to do?"

Mozi just glanced at it, and said with a smile: "Wuyou, it's just a high platform built with mud. First, it can be condescending to shoot with a bow and crossbow. In addition, when you get close, you can let the elite swordsmen jump directly to the city wall. This is the most important thing." It's a stupid way, after more than 30 years, the Chu people's siege skills are still the same, and there is no progress."

"To deal with this, we must either send bows and crossbows to slow down the Chu people, or send elite soldiers to fight back, or rely on the mechanical techniques of my Mohist school."

"Preparing for a crossbow cart, the material is generous and one foot square, and the length is called the thickness of the city. Two axles and three wheels, the wheels are in the basket, and the upper and lower baskets are heavy. There are two plants on the left and right sides, and there are balance plants on the left and right. Inside the circle, the inner diameter is four inches. Both the left and right crossbows are attached to the plants, and the strings are used to hook the strings. Copper, thirty jun for one stone. Leading stringed deer and long slave. The basket is three and a half inches in circumference, with hooks on the left and right, three inches square, two feet thick on the wheel, four inches from the arm, seven inches thick, and six feet long. Horizontal Arms outside the basket, flea feet five inches, distance, stroke six inches, thickness three inches, as long as a basket, with instrument, there is a scorpion, can go up and down, it weighs one stone for martial arts, and is five inches in size with material. The length of the arrow is ten feet, Tie the end of the arrow with a rope, shoot like a spear, and roll it with a mill. The arm of the crossbow is three feet high, and there are countless crossbows. Sixty people are sent out, and there are no small arrows left. Ten people control this chariot."

While talking, I saw that on the flat and open street below, many people were pushing several heavy ballistas, and were transporting these heavy and fragile defense equipment to the city head by the pulleys at the head of the city.

The Mohist’s skill in using levers and pulleys is not weaker than that of Greek legends at this time, and the heavy ballista is the pinnacle of equipment at this time.

These are all made by the Mohist weapon workshop, and they are not for sale, because once they are sold, they may be used by the opponent to attack the city.

Mozi pointed to the ballista below, and Yu Shi said: "This thing is heavy, the gunpowder and copper pipes that you and Gong Zaozhu mentioned, if you already have them now, I don't need to use the ballista to guard against the enemy's condescension. gone."

It is not necessary to go to the top of the city in person, but to see those ballistas being hoisted on the city wall with pulleys, knowing in their hearts that these equipment are expensive, and they will not use them unless they have to.

More than 200 kilograms of heavy bed crossbows and extremely long special crossbows were hoisted behind the city wall, and the defenders of the city already had a distance advantage. At this time, the Chu people on the opposite side could not effectively suppress the city.

A group of ten Mohists controlled a ballista, and the rest of the city guards could not use this thing except for them.

Relying on levers, winches and pulleys, they are shouting with all their strength to string the crossbow and catch the crossbow arrows.

There are long and short crossbow bolts. The long ones have ropes tied behind them, while the short ones have no ropes behind them and cannot be recovered.

The creaking sound of winding can be heard from a long distance, making people's teeth sore.

Shi Shi noticed that on the top of the crossbow bed, there was already an aiming device called "Ying", which could also be called Wangshan, and the ink master who controlled the crossbow bed was adjusting the angle.

Mozi knew the power of this weapon, looked at Shizheng with fascination, and said with a smile: "You know a lot of things, but you may not have seen these machines. But with your understanding of the geometry of nine numbers, it is easy to operate. In the future, you It’s better to teach these skills more in the rural schools.”

Shi nodded, carefully observed the manipulation of these ink masters, and secretly praised Mo Di for his high level.

The firing team of ten people is not chaotic at all. It is obviously a long-term running-in, just like the artillery team after the appearance of gunpowder. Everyone knows what they are going to do and cooperates closely with each other.

After the several ballistas on the top of the city were ready, the Mozhe who was operating followed the distance measuring method taught by Shi, stretched out his thumb to roughly measure the distance, and shouted.

hum...

The copper machine that was suddenly opened made the crossbow bed that had been charged for a long time straighten instantly, and the long crossbow arrows flew towards the Chu people on the high platform with the sound of buzzing wind.

…………

Under the city, the king of Chu came to watch the battle in person to boost morale.

Chu Sima said: "You can pile up high towers first, and shoot with bows and crossbows to prevent the Mohists from going out of the city to attack and counterattack. After getting close, let the elite swords and shields build a wooden bridge from the towers, and go straight to the top of Shangqiu City.",

"The Mohists must have means to defend the city. They may not be able to stand firm on the top of the city. They can also let those who are good at shooting shoot on the high platform, and then fill up the trenches, and the ants will attack the city!"

Chu Wangxin said that today's attack on the city can only use all means to force Mo Zhe to defend with all his strength, and he cannot notice the changes in the city.

If you don't attack with all your strength, you may not be able to touch the city defense at all, and it is even more impossible to let Mo Zhe focus on the city wall.

Just as he was about to ask people to beat the drums so that those who were good at archers could throw them towards the city wall, they heard a buzzing sound in the distance.

The huge crossbow arrows several feet long, dragging a long rope, flew straight from the top of the city to the high platform, and the two Chu people who were drawing their bows there were shot through immediately, without a single wail.

The fist-thick crossbow directly pierced the two of them, pinning them firmly on the high platform. The Chu archers next to them had seen death, but where had they seen such a miserable death?
The chests of those two people were completely shattered, and blood spurted wildly, while long crossbows were constantly shooting out from the top of the city.

The king of Chu was far away and could not reach him, but the servants hurriedly raised their long pestles and big shields to guard the king of Chu behind.

Then they heard a few more shots through the air, and several crossbow arrows shot onto the high platform. The Chu people's archers above could not form a team and had to scatter.

Long-distance projectiles are useless if the team cannot be formed, and it is impossible to suppress the city.

And if the city cannot be suppressed, those disciples who dig holes and fill ditches may flee, which is extremely inefficient.

The King of Chu had never seen such a weapon before, and asked in surprise, "What is this?"

There was a disciple of the Gongshu class accompanying the army nearby, and he hurriedly said: "This must be Mo Di's crossbow cart. Compared with the master in the past, the master can't do anything about it! It is specially prepared for high landing, can shoot more than a hundred steps, and the crossbow is as thick as Spear, the flesh is all dust!"

The King of Chu looked up and saw that there was chaos on the high platform. Although he didn't shoot a few people, the tragedy of crossbow arrows as thick and thin as spears flew out was too shocking.

"Is there a way to break it?"

The King of Chu asked anxiously, and the disciple of the Gongshu class thought for a long time and said, "The operation of this crossbow is complicated, and its rate of fire is slow, but its power is strong, and the big shield cannot defend it. We can only send elite soldiers to cut off the rope after they cast it. .”

"Master once fought with Mo Di. He knows that this thing is usually equipped with sixty crossbows, thirty long and thirty short. The short one is not powerful enough, and the elder one is slow to operate. You only need to cut the rope so that it cannot be retrieved all the way."

"only……"

The Gongshu class disciple hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth and said, "It's just that if there is no one on the high platform, Mo Zhe doesn't shoot..."

But the king of Chu did not hesitate, and sent an order: "Let the archers be withdrawn first, let the soldiers who bear the earth climb up the high platform and pile up forward, and select the best men with sharp knives to cut off the ropes of those long crossbows!"

The person who delivered the order immediately went down to deliver the order, and the king of Chu knew that even if he praised Mo Zhe's methods at this time, he could not choose this time to damage his morale.

Just looking at the large machines at the top of the city, he sighed secretly, such things are sharp weapons for attacking the city; if Mo Zhe can help his side defend the city in the future, why should he be afraid of the methods of the Jin people?
Just this kind of crossbow chariot alone is enough to show the mechanical skills of the Mohist school. King Chu Xindao heard that the mechanical skills of the Mohist school are unparalleled in the world, and he just saw it today, and he was really shocked.

He made up his mind, no matter what today, he will cause tension in the city, but if it goes on like this, I am afraid that the saying that the opponent's means of defending the city are endless is not a lie.

The archers on the high platform are all elite. It is difficult for a good archer to become a talent without eight years of training, and it takes three years to make a bow.

On the stage, the archers who saw many of their comrades being pierced by the crossbow got the order, and they retreated as if they were pardoned.

Those helpless disciples had no choice but to fill soil in baskets, put their backs on a high platform and go forward to bury it, trying to get closer to the city.

The long crossbow on the top of the city was still firing, and the Chu warriors hidden on the high platform had sharp blades in their bodies. Once they found a long crossbow shot, they would rush to cut the rope.

These long crossbows are not simple spears. Considering the huge impact force of the crossbow strings, ordinary wood is easy to split. These long crossbows are all specially made, which is extremely difficult.

People kept falling down on the high platform, people kept screaming, and there were also long crossbows whose ropes were cut off by Chu people.

Those pawns who carried soil were even worse than archers, and it was even more difficult to see such a bloody scene. When a prisoner was released from Shangqiu and ran up with a basket of soil on his back, a partner next to him was shot by a crossbow arrow.

The long crossbow directly penetrated the man's body, pinning the man to the ground, but he didn't die for the time being, only screaming.

The apprentice who carried the soil couldn't help throwing the soil basket, and ran towards the back. Then he remembered that the Mohists in the city had preached irresponsible words, and shouted: "Why don't gentlemen do this kind of hard work? Why don't you do it? Let's do it? I'm afraid we will die before we get close to the city! We are dead, can the princes, nobles and gentlemen support our parents, wives and children?"

When he yelled, the trembling disciples beside him who had already been frightened threw away their soil baskets and fled backwards. Another crossbow arrow shot from behind them, and they ran even faster.

The king of Chu didn't know what was shouted on the high platform, but he knew that if he retreated at this time, the siege method of building the earth mountain prepared in the middle of the morning would be reduced to a laughing stock, and he might not be able to organize an effective attack in the afternoon, so he made a decisive decision and shouted: "Anyone who retreats privately, die! Order the retreating archers to shoot and kill those who fled the most. Military orders must not be merciful!"

The people around immediately issued an order, and those archers who retreated from the high platform immediately drew their bows, and someone held up an order flag to order those who retreated to return to the mountain immediately, otherwise they would be shot.

(End of this chapter)