Usurping the Mongols: My Father-in-Law is Genghis Khan

With Yehuo Huaiyuan dead, the current vice-commander of the Western Xia army is named Weiming Lingchang.

Weiming Lingchang is also a veteran general, holding the official position of Grand Tutor, and possesses a high prestige in the army.

He echoed, "The Mongols think that we've been shrinking inside Keyi Gate for the past two months, holding our ground and not venturing out, meaning we've exhausted our tricks and are afraid of them. They truly underestimate the heroes of the world. Besides the Trebuchet Crossbow, the Lamellar Armor, and the Poshi Army, we have another trump card!"

"What trump card?"

"Does everyone still remember this?"

As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and presented an object the size of a fist in front of everyone.

"Fire蒺藜?!" Someone exclaimed in surprise.

As early as a hundred years ago, a large number of firearms had already appeared on the Eastern battlefield. For example, the ancestor of the rifle, the 'Fire Lance,' as well as 'Thunder Crash Bombs,' fireballs, igniting fireballs, thunderclap fireballs, smoke bombs, poisonous smoke bombs, iron-mouthed fire falcons, bamboo fire falcons, fire蒺藜... and so on.

However, most of these firearms were mainly for combustion and creating poisonous smoke, and did not directly cause damage through explosions, so their power was not particularly outstanding.

Among these firearms, the most powerful was a weapon called the Fire蒺藜.

Some say that this firearm was invented by the Western Xia people, and later introduced to the Song Dynasty, and then to the Jin Dynasty. Others say that the Fire蒺藜 was invented by the Song people, and Western Xia learned how to make Fire蒺藜 from wars.

Regardless, the Western Xia people possessed a complete method for making Fire蒺藜.

The overall shape of the Fire蒺藜 is a sphere, with a porcelain tire shell, covered with green glaze. Roughly speaking, it looks like a sea urchin covered with barbs.

Its middle is empty, filled with gunpowder and small iron pieces used to increase lethality. There is a small hole at the top to place the fuse.

After the Fire蒺藜 is ignited, it can produce strong sound and light effects to deter the enemy, and it can also use the small iron pieces and broken porcelain shards inside to attack the enemy, with strong lethality. After the explosion, the spike-like objects scattered on the ground can also be used to block enemy cavalry.

To put it bluntly, this is the most primitive type of hand grenade.

It's just that with the level of productivity in this era, Fire蒺藜 are expensive to manufacture, and the Western Xia people are only equipped with a small amount.

Now that Western Xia is facing the crisis of national extinction, they are sparing no expense, creating twenty thousand Fire蒺藜 and transporting them to the front lines.

"Excellent! We've been swallowing our anger for two months, the Mongols must be unprepared. This time, we'll catch them off guard!"

"The firelight from the蒺藜 explosion, and the resulting fire, will be enough for us to see everything clearly in the dark night!"

"Haha, no matter how brave the grassland barbarians are, have they ever seen the power of firearms? They'll probably think it's a divine army descending from the heavens, right?"

"Especially at night, it'll scare them to death!"

"Tonight, our army will surely win!"

...

The Western Xia generals finally saw the hope of victory and clamored.

"Soldiers, follow me to kill the enemy!" Li Chengzhen ordered in a low voice, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

The Western Xia elite rushed towards the direction of the bonfires like hungry tigers.

"Release!"

With Li Chengzhen's order, hundreds of Fire蒺藜 cut through the night sky and fell into the Mongol camp like a meteor shower. In an instant, deafening explosions resounded through the clouds, flames soared into the sky, and the Mongol tents were blown to pieces!

"Kill all the grassland barbarians!"

"Revenge is today!"

...

The Western Xia people shouted madly, each wielding knives and spears, spurring their warhorses, and charged into the Mongol army camp. They galloped while frantically throwing Fire蒺藜, as if entering an uninhabited land.

Huh? Uninhabited land?

Why is there no one?

Damn!

We've been tricked!

Just as Li Chengzhen suddenly realized, the Mongol army in the darkness in the distance had already completed its assembly.

Six thousand Mongol iron cavalry, each wearing iron armor, silently arrayed, only the warhorses occasionally made low-pitched whinnies and the sound of iron hooves pawing the ground.

Their eyes were as fierce as hungry wolves, staring intently at the Western Xia army in front of them. The scimitars gleamed with a chilling light under the moonlight.

"It wasn't easy, the Western Xia people finally came," Subutai said, riding on his horse, his tone laced with mockery. "The fire and explosions are quite intimidating."

Tonight, he and Surchatai each led three thousand elite soldiers, responsible for the outer defenses.

Surchatai said in a deep voice, "It's a pity they encountered our all-knowing and all-planning Consort. Ashuo reminded us two months ago to beware of the Western Xia people resorting to desperate measures and launching a sneak attack. We set up fake camps with bonfires every night on the periphery, while the real camps were hidden in the darkness. No matter how cunning the Western Xia people are, they can't escape the Consort's calculations."

"Since that's the case, then let's kill!" Subutai sneered. "Don't let these Western Xia people disturb the Khan's rest!"

"Kill!"

Rumble~~

The Mongols moved, like a dagger from the darkness, stabbing fiercely into the throat of the Western Xia people standing in the light!

In this battle, the Mongols won a great victory. Li Chengzhen led an army of twenty thousand to raid the camp, but only three thousand people fled back to Keyi Gate in a sorry state.

From then on, he completely lost the courage to take the initiative to attack, and simply closed the door and defended to the death.

But after all, the main force was lost, and half a month later, Keyi City was finally breached.

However, Li Chengzhen neither wanted to escape nor surrender. He led the remnants and launched a brutal street battle with the Mongols. They fought for every house and every street. Some even rushed into the Mongol army with Fire蒺藜 in their arms, perishing together with the enemy.

Temujin became furious and personally supervised the battle, pressing all ten thousand of the Balu Camp into the attack.

Anyone who retreated for any reason would be beheaded.

After paying the lives of four thousand Balu Camp warriors, Keyi Gate was finally completely captured.

The desperate Li Chengzhen immolated himself in the raging fire.

"Western Xia is indeed not to be underestimated," Temujin said, looking at Li Chengzhen in the sea of fire, with lingering fear in his heart. "We spent such a great price to conquer just one Keyi Gate. I don't know what kind of mountain of corpses and sea of blood it will take to conquer its capital, Zhongxing Prefecture?"

"Father Khan is overthinking it. We shouldn't need to attack Zhongxing Prefecture."

Zhao Shuo said, "Our army broke through Keyi Gate in less than three months, which can be described as a rapid advance. The Western Xia emperor in Zhongxing Prefecture is probably as frightened as a rat in a sewer."

Sure enough!

Three days later, inside the imperial palace hall in Zhongxing Prefecture.

"Worthless! You are all a bunch of worthless people!"

Li Chunyou slammed his fist heavily on the imperial desk, then pushed it violently, scattering the memorials, pens, ink, paper, and inkstones on the desk all over the floor, roaring, "What use is it for me to raise you ministers? Now, Keyi Gate has been breached by the Mongols, Zhongxing Prefecture is in imminent danger, but none of you can even come up with an idea for me?!"

The hall was silent, with only Li Chunyou's heavy breathing.