Zhao Song: My father was Emperor Taizu of Song

Chapter 83 Breaking Yangzhou

……

As night fell, the crescent moon hid behind the clouds, and the world was shrouded in darkness.

Outside Yangzhou, an army of only eight hundred men moved swiftly through the darkness and soon arrived within two hundred paces of the city wall.

Zhao Dezhao, clad in black armor, stood at the very front of the column, his sharp gaze fixed on the towering city wall ahead. His roar, like that of a young tiger howling through the forest, suddenly pierced the deathly silence of the night.

"Divine Guard! Ignite!!"

At his command, the hundred Divine Guards of the Imperial Guard Battalion, who were specializing in operating siege equipment, did not hesitate. They lit torches, ignited the fuses of the trebuchets, and quickly placed them on the catapults, adjusting the angle accordingly.

"cast!"

With a low shout from the commander of the artillery battalion, dozens of catapults simultaneously unleashed their power, hurling their lit trebuchets toward the walls of Yangzhou.

The sudden bursts of light in the darkness, like shooting stars falling towards the city walls, instantly alerted the long-vigilant defenders.

"Enemy attack—!!"

However, their mournful roars were completely swallowed up and torn apart by the earth-shattering roars that followed!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

One after another, the rockets rained down on the walls of Yangzhou, the flames were as bright as day, and the scorching heat swept across the land. Bricks and stones, along with severed limbs, flew everywhere, and the walls were instantly transformed into a living hell.

Before the defenders on the city wall could react, they were thrown to the ground by the sudden explosion. Some died on the spot, while others had their limbs blown off and cried out in agony.

Even the sturdy city wall trembled slightly under the bombardment of nearly a hundred mortars, and fine cracks appeared on the surface.

"What...what is this?!"

The soldiers guarding the city wall were stunned for a moment. Looking at the horrific scene of flames soaring into the sky and bricks flying everywhere, and feeling the city wall shaking beneath their feet, their faces were filled with extreme fear and bewilderment.

Not only them, but even the 50,000 Song imperial guards behind Zhao Dezhao were stunned at this moment.

Having served in the military for many years, they had never seen such a terrifying weapon, as awe-inspiring as the might of the heavens.

Zhao Dezhao did not give them any time to react and immediately launched a second round of "Jisheng Cannon"!

One hundred projectiles were launched in each round, and after three rounds of this, Zhao Dezhao finally ordered a break.

After three rounds, the eastern city wall of Yangzhou was filled with wails of agony, and the garrison no longer dared to stand on the city wall.

Under the wrath of Heaven, even if one manages to escape with their life, the arsenic poison mist hidden within the "Jisheng Cannon" will dissipate.

In an instant, the Yangzhou defenders on the city wall were thrown into chaos!

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Dezhao's eyes, and he shouted again, "Rockets, fire!"

Eight hundred guards simultaneously drew their bows and nocked arrows, igniting the fuses of the rockets. Countless streaks of fire, like shooting stars streaking across the night sky, densely rained down on the city walls and wooden towers.

The rocket landed on the wooden city wall, instantly igniting a fire. The raging flames spread rapidly, illuminating the city wall as if it were daytime.

The defending troops were surrounded by fire and bombarded by artillery, resulting in countless deaths and injuries. The city's defense system collapsed almost instantly.

"Ascend the city!!"

Zhao Dezhao raised his arms and shouted, and was the first to rush towards the city walls.

Jing Si carried a bright yellow banner with the character "昭" on his back and followed closely behind.

Imperial Guard Battalion Order: The direction the banner points is the signal to charge!

In the night wind, the fluttering yellow "Zhao Banner" was like a guiding torch. Seeing the direction of the banner, the eight hundred guards were all fearless and followed closely behind Zhao Dezhao, stepping on the pontoon bridge over the moat and bravely climbing the city wall.

"Damn it, why didn't you say you had such firearms sooner!"

Shi Shouxin stood in the middle of the formation, muttering a curse under his breath, his eyes filled with shock.

As a veteran of the battlefield, he was not unfamiliar with firearms and had seen some rudimentary incendiary devices, but their power was worlds apart from the spur cannon before him.

Moreover, he knew perfectly well that Zhao Dezhao's killing of the chicken in the tent at the beginning was meant to be shown to him!

That's why he couldn't help but feel annoyed.

If he had known this would happen, why would he have spoken up first to persuade the eldest prince to withdraw his troops?

The only thing left to do now is to make amends...

Shi Shouxin sighed inwardly, then shouted the order: "All troops, charge—!!"

As hundreds of cowhide drums began to rumble like thunder, the mighty Song Dynasty Imperial Guards' formation roared into action!

The formation consists of 100 people per squad, equipped with a large ladder, forming an attack unit.

Each group of ten formations forms an independent square.

The eastern wall of Yangzhou was the longest, and Shi Shouxin deployed 20,000 imperial guards in 20 square formations as the first wave of fierce attacks.

The thirty formations in the rear area have also been arranged and are ready to launch a second and third round of continuous attacks.

As the army drew ever closer to the city walls, Shi Shouxin stood on the command platform of a cloud chariot that was the same height as the city walls and could be moved freely, and suddenly swung down the command flag!

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The drums began to hum!

The archers, who had been standing in neat rows behind the first formation, suddenly launched an attack, unleashing a volley of arrows at the crenellations of Yangzhou city walls, preventing the city's defenders from showing their faces.

At the same time, the Song army's formations advanced with thunderous war drums.

In the blink of an eye, the siege ladder reached the city wall, and a deafening shout suddenly resounded across the plains. The Song Dynasty's imperial guards quickly and orderly climbed the siege ladder and stormed the city wall!

A brutal and fierce siege has officially begun!

……

Inside Yangzhou City, Li Chongjin was suddenly awakened by a series of loud noises in his sleep. He immediately got up, donned his armor, and rushed to the city wall.

Upon seeing the carnage on the city wall and the barrage of "Jisheng Cannons" raining down upon him, his pupils constricted sharply, and he gritted his teeth, cursing, "That scoundrel Zhao Kuangyin actually possessed such evil weapons!"

Just as he was cursing under his breath, Cao Bin, who was outside the city and not directly involved in the siege, raised his hand and said in a deep voice, "Archers, shoot the secret message!"

This was something Zhao Dezhao specifically instructed him to do.

As hundreds of arrows carrying secret messages flew over the city walls and into Yangzhou, Cao Bin gazed at the tragic state of the Yangzhou defenders on the city walls, his eyes filled with astonishment, and he blurted out:

"Yangzhou has fallen!"

The handwriting on the secret letter was clear, stating:

"Li Chongjin is a traitor, and his crimes are unforgivable. The Emperor has decreed that whoever can kill Li Chongjin and present his head will be granted the title of Jiedushi (military governor), and will be rich and worry-free. If he surrenders the city, his past actions will be forgiven, and he will continue to enjoy his original position and salary."

—You can take away the morale of the army, and you can take away the heart of the general!

This is Zhao Dezhao's method of winning hearts and minds!

First, use the Jisheng cannon to destroy the fighting strength and courage of the defending troops, and then use high-ranking officials and generous salaries to undermine their morale. Yangzhou City was not a monolithic city to begin with, and this operation will surely throw them into disarray.

Cao Bin became increasingly alarmed as he thought about it, and had to admit that he had truly underestimated this ten-year-old eldest prince.

Joining his ranks doesn't seem like such an unacceptable thing, does it?

The moment this thought crossed his mind, Cao Bin snapped out of it, shaking his head repeatedly and muttering to himself:

"Your Highness's cunning is indeed commendable, but his military strategy remains to be seen. Why should I be in such a hurry..."

While Cao Bin was pondering this in secret, the secret letter quickly spread throughout the city. From soldiers to generals, everyone was filled with anxiety and had their own thoughts.

Loyalty has no value in this era!

Even Zhao Dezhao, a prince, could have instances where military orders were not followed. How could Yangzhou be a monolithic city?

Li Chongjin naturally understood this principle. On the one hand, he ordered strict guarding, and on the other hand, he ordered his trusted confidants to secretly search for and arrest the person who found the secret letter. Once discovered, they were to be captured and killed on the spot!

Meanwhile, in the backyard of the Yangzhou government office, in an elegant side room, a woman was quietly peering through the crack in the door, listening to the sounds outside.

She was originally a pawn arranged by Zhao Kuangyin to sow discord between Li Chongjin and his son. Nominally a princess of the imperial family, she was actually of ordinary background, but possessed a stunningly beautiful appearance.

During this time, Li Chongjin remained indifferent to her, but An Yougui was completely infatuated with her, and the two had been having affairs on several occasions. On one occasion, Li Chongjin even discovered them.

Since then, she has been under house arrest by Li Chongjin.

However, the chaos in the city gave her an opportunity. Taking advantage of the confusion, she quietly slipped out of the room and found Li Chongjin's adopted son, An Yougui.

"Yuki, help me..."

Upon seeing An Yougui, the woman threw herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face, her voice choked with sobs.

An Yougui quickly helped her up, his face full of concern: "Princess, don't be afraid, I am here and will protect you."

The woman raised her tearful eyes and said pitifully, "Li Chongjin... he has killed many people in order to stabilize morale. I'm afraid he will kill me sooner or later as a warning to others."

"My godfather... he wouldn't." An Yougui hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

Upon hearing this, the woman cried even harder, her voice filled with sorrow. I felt a pang of pity and said, "Yougui, we both know the situation perfectly well. Given the current circumstances, Yangzhou City is doomed to fall!"

"I know that Li Chongjin still has the puppet Tang regime to rely on, but even if the puppet Tang reinforcements arrive, they will never give up Yangzhou, this lucrative prize. They will only sit on the sidelines and watch the tigers scurry by, hoping to reap the benefits."

"When Yangzhou falls, my fate... will likely be worse than death!"

The woman sobbed softly, which made An Yougui's heart ache even more. Panicked, he blurted out in his haste, "Princess, why don't I escort you out of the city first?"

"No!" The woman suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with admiration as she gazed at An Yougui, and said, "I want to live and die with the one I love!"

We'll live and die together!

These three words sent a shiver down An Yougui's spine!

Looking at the woman's exquisite face in his arms, and recalling the torment he had endured in secret these past few days, his heart began to waver.

Seeing this, a glint flashed in the woman's eyes, and then she tightly grasped An Yougui's hand, her tone seductive: "Yougui, don't you want to be with me forever?"

"This humble general..." An Yougui hesitated.

"Yougui, listen to my advice." The woman leaned her head on An Yougui's shoulder and coaxed him gently, "Why don't you take this opportunity to kill Li Chongjin and surrender Yangzhou to the Song Dynasty?"

"In this way, even if the pseudo-Tang attacks, the Great Song can hold Yangzhou City to the death, and wait for His Majesty's reinforcements to arrive so that the enemy can be defeated."

"After the war, His Majesty will be very generous in rewarding you for your achievements. Granting you official titles and ranks will be a given. Then you can request a marriage decree... and we can live happily ever after. Why bother with this clandestine affair?"

An Yougui's heart skipped a beat, and a look of struggle appeared on his face.

"Friend! Secret messages of defection have already spread throughout the city. Even if you don't rebel, can you... guarantee that others will do the same?"

Seeing that An Yougui still hadn't made up his mind, the woman suddenly broke free from his embrace and said sharply, "Besides! Do you really think that Li Chongjin treats you like his own son?!"

"If so, why imprison me? Why not bestow me upon you?!"

"Friend, if you continue to be so stubborn, I will commit suicide in front of you!"

As she spoke, the woman drew the sword from An Yougui's waist, held it against her neck, and looked at him with deep affection: "We are not destined to be together in this life, but perhaps in the next..."

"Princess, wait!"

An Yougui took a deep breath, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

……