Chapter 22
Chapter 51: The Army Attacks
Leopard, the leading general who was highly valued by Lia this time, similarly placed extreme importance on Lia.
Upon arriving in the Western Liang region, he had already reviewed a significant amount of information regarding Lia.
This girl, only fifteen years old, had conquered the entire Western Liang by herself without losing a single soldier. When Leopard first saw this news, he was somewhat dazed—was this something a human could achieve?
Even if he found it hard to believe and didn't know what methods she used, it was an indisputable fact that Western Liang was now in her hands.
Not only that, the policies she implemented against the Aristocratic Families had also opened his eyes.
Even he had to admit that the methods she used against the Aristocratic Families were truly ruthless!
The tactic of nationalizing the land and then distributing it to Common People was indeed brilliant; he couldn't help but want to advise the Emperor of the Wei State to adopt such measures as well.
Such a policy was a true national strategy! But unfortunately, she was a Rebel Leader! Moreover, the Emperor had explicitly stated that she must be killed directly.
However, he soon shook his head again; since he knew about these policies, could the Emperor not know?
Once the Emperor implemented such a policy, wouldn't he be making enemies of the Aristocratic Families? The Emperor wasn't stupid; the court of the Northern Wei was currently controlled by the Aristocratic Families, so such a policy would never be passed.
Thus, the policy to kill her might not be the Emperor's true intention, but perhaps the result of a compromise with those Aristocratic Families. The Aristocratic Families... As Leopard thought of those families in the Northern Wei court, he realized that Northern Wei truly rose because of them and would fall because of them.
In addition to these policies, when discussing the army Lia controlled, strange things were mentioned.
It was said there were strange objects that would explode when thrown, wounding several people at once. There were also black tubes that could make a sound as loud as thunder, causing those hit to be blown to pieces on the spot.
In short, the descriptions were extremely mysterious. Leopard had come this time also to investigate these rumors and see if they were truly as powerful as said.
If it were true, could their Northern Wei also master them?
Although he couldn't yet confirm the truth of Lia's side, following the principle that 'even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit,' Leopard was cautious all along the way to prevent himself from failing in an unexpected place.
Although he had brought fifty thousand elite troops this time, there was actually a significant amount of logistics and various miscellaneous soldiers; altogether, they numbered sixty or seventy thousand.
If it weren't for the fact that several nearby towns also had to be responsible for their own defense, he would have planned to mobilize the surrounding forces to join the siege.
For Leopard, in all his years of fighting wars, this was the most serious he had ever been.
A general beside Leopard saw his commander lost in thought. After considering it, he leaned in and said, "General, we will reach Tianshui Commandery in a few miles. What should we do next?"
Hearing this, Leopard thought of the instructions the Emperor gave before his departure and snorted coldly. "What should we do? Naturally, we will attack the city directly, reclaim the surrounding commanderies and counties first, and finally attack Liang Province. In the end, we will send the Rebel Leader's corpse back to the capital."
"Report! General, the flag on the walls of Tianshui Commandery bears the surname Long." At that moment, a scout ran from a distance and reported the situation of Tianshui Commandery to Leopard.
"The flag is the surname Long? Could it be...!" Hearing this, a smile immediately appeared on the corner of Leopard's mouth.
Seeing the smile on Leopard's face, the general asked tentatively, "Has the General discovered something?"
Leopard stroked the beard on his chin and laughed. "Truly, Heaven is helping me! The 'Long' rebel flag is flying over Tianshui Commandery; I fear the leader of the rebels is currently inside the city."
Ancient flags were very specific; every general would have their own flag when leading soldiers.
To a large extent, this flag was simply a surname.
The reason for doing this was that a very powerful general was extremely important to an army. Sometimes there was no need to fight at all; the enemy might retreat just by hearing the reputation of the opposing commander.
Of course, this effect had a prerequisite: the commander must have sufficient prestige, otherwise it would be useless.
But if a unified national flag was hung, one wouldn't know the actual strength of the army. Because a nation has both heroes and cowards; a coward not only cannot win battles but will even fail to command the respect of his own people.
And currently, isn't the one surnamed Long on the rebel side the leader of the rebels?
So this was one of the reasons Leopard believed Lia would be in Tianshui Commandery.
The general, hearing this, immediately cupped his hands to Leopard and said, "Congratulations, General! As long as we take Tianshui Commandery directly and don't let that Rebel Leader escape, you will have achieved another great merit!"
Leopard snorted coldly. "When have I ever thought about achieving merit? It's just that the rebel has gone too far, actually daring to rebel so blatantly. She simply deserves to die!"
After saying that, Leopard said to a general behind him, "General Zhao Ying, immediately lead ten thousand troops to swiftly take the city. Do not let the rebel escape."
"Yes, General!" Upon hearing Leopard's order, a middle-aged general nodded, led ten thousand soldiers out of the ranks, and galloped toward Tianshui Commandery.
Once these troops reached about an arrow's flight away from the city wall, the soldiers stopped. Zhao Ying looked at the soldiers waiting in formation on the wall and frowned.
He hadn't expected the enemy to already know they were coming and to be waiting for them on the wall so early.
Lia, wearing a suit of white battle armor, stood atop the walls of Tianshui Commandery. Looking at the Wei army below, she said, "So it is the army of the Wei State. This King has been waiting for a long time."
Seeing Lia on the wall, a flash of surprise crossed Zhao Ying's face. He hadn't expected the leader of the rebels to be so handsome. He had seen many rebels, and most were the kind of coarse men with unkempt beards.
A rebel as handsome as Lia was truly one in a million, and the opponent was even a young girl.
"Isn't the general below going to attack the city? Why have you stopped? Are you planning to surrender?" Seeing the other party standing still just outside arrow range, Lia spoke up.
Zhao Ying frowned. If Tianshui Commandery hadn't been prepared, he could indeed have taken the city quickly. But given the current situation, the enemy was already well-prepared; forcing a siege would likely cause unnecessary casualties.
However, the role of the vanguard was originally to draw fire. Their purpose was to exist as scapegoats, clearing all obstacles for the main force.
Thinking of this, Zhao Ying suddenly smiled. Wasn't the vanguard specifically for this kind of thing? How could he be intimidated by a single sentence from the opponent?
PS: Thanks to the big boss for the gift!
Chapter 52: These Are Motherf*cking Elite Troops?
Zhao Ying immediately ordered: "Vanguard, hear my command! Whoever is the first to scale the wall will be promoted one rank and rewarded with a hundred taels of silver! Whoever can open the city gates will be promoted three ranks and rewarded with a thousand taels of silver! Whoever can capture or kill the Rebel Leader will not only be promoted three ranks but also receive ten thousand taels of silver!"
Hearing the rewards of rank promotions and hundreds, thousands, and ten thousands of silver taels, the soldiers of Zhao Ying's vanguard camp were instantly revitalized. The previously listless soldiers immediately gripped their blades and spears tightly, wishing they could charge up right now.
Zhao Ying looked at the excited soldiers and thought to himself that wealth truly moves people's hearts. Then, he stiffened his expression and shouted in a deep voice, "Men, beat the drums to cheer them on!"
As the thundering sound of drums rose, the ten thousand vanguard troops led by Zhao Ying immediately howled and charged toward the gates of Tianshui Commandery.
Seeing that the army's morale was high, a smile couldn't help but appear on Zhao Ying's face, and even the heartache from announcing the rewards earlier lightened significantly.
Although they had no large-scale siege equipment, Tianshui Commandery was not a major military stronghold. With scaling ladders and these soldiers who were unafraid of death, how long could it possibly hold out?
On the city wall, Lia watched the swarming mass of ten thousand soldiers charging over. They didn't even have the slightest intention of splitting their forces to test the defenses, treating them entirely like ordinary rebels. She felt like laughing but also felt a bit grim.
Tianshui Commandery was indeed not a major military stronghold. Even with many bows and crossbows, they would be overwhelmed by ten thousand charging soldiers; the walls would likely be covered with enemy troops in a moment.
Of course, that was according to the warfare of this era, where both sides simply compared whose soldiers were more numerous, more brave, and better equipped.
But times had changed!
She had now manufactured nearly ten thousand hand grenades. Although it might be difficult to bury all these soldiers beneath the city walls, it would be very easy to hold back these ten thousand troops.
Therefore, Lia wanted to laugh because the enemy general was so foolishly naive to think he could force his way through the gates of Tianshui Commandery with only ten thousand men.
Unable to smile, it was because the soldiers trying to stack up against the city gate below would be buried there due to their general's orders; after all, they were all children of Huaxia.
Lia's face was grim. After hardening her heart, she instructed the soldiers, "Everyone, listen to my instructions. Let them reach the city gate before detonating. Also, use the hand grenades sparingly; don't scare them away entirely."
A general on Lia's side weighed the thick, black hand grenade in his hand and grunted, "Rest assured, My Lord, we know what to do."
While they were speaking, the ten thousand soldiers below the city had already swarmed near the gate. The soldiers on the city walls could already see the ferocious expressions on their faces.
Perhaps these enemies were also confused as to why the opposing force hadn't fired a single arrow throughout their charge, allowing them to reach the city walls without any casualties.
However, they were more inclined to believe the enemy was paralyzed with fear. Next, they would scale the walls, take the gate, and finally enter the city to burn, kill, and loot!
Although they were soldiers of the Wei State, fighting under the banner of exterminating the Rebel Leader, their harm to the populace after a victory was no less than that of actual rebels.
Seeing the first of the enemy about to set up scaling ladders, Lia shouted, "Fire!"
As Lia took the lead in throwing a hand grenade, one smoking hand grenade after another flew toward the enemy below.
These hand grenades were completely different from the previous ones. Not only was their power increased, but the activation method had also changed.
Previously, a fire starter was needed to light the fuse, but now it only required pulling a cord, greatly increasing throwing efficiency. Most importantly, they no longer feared rainy days! However, one thing was still not perfected: the detonation timing was not yet fully standardized.
Consequently, some hand grenades still exploded earlier or later than others. Some detonated in mid-air above the enemies' heads, while others only went off after hitting the ground.
However, because the enemy had swarmed the city gate, it still caused significant casualties. Amidst the continuous explosions, over a thousand were killed on the spot, and thousands more were wounded.
After Lia and her team threw two consecutive waves of hand grenades, the remaining thousands of soldiers scattered in a panic.
What did a one, two, or three-rank promotion matter? What were a hundred, thousand, or ten thousand taels of silver? No matter how fine the official robes or how sweet the silver, how could they compare to the value of one's own life?
Besides, Zhao Ying hadn't established a supervision squad yet. If everyone ran back together, could he really punish them all?
The law does not punish the masses!
On the city wall, even Lia was stunned. Was this the vanguard of the Wei State? Weren't they supposed to be elite troops? And being titled the vanguard, shouldn't they be fearless?
But it's only been one wave? Brothers, are you running back before even setting up the ladders? Doesn't this make things awkward for everyone?
Seeing the thousands of soldiers swarming back, Zhao Ying's face turned green.
What did he just say? Whoever was the first to scale the walls of Tianshui Commandery would be promoted by one rank and rewarded with a hundred taels of silver? Now, it seemed like a damn joke!
But on second thought, he felt it was understandable. The unknown objects the enemy threw down were indeed terrifyingly lethal. Not only could they kill someone instantly, but they also affected people within seven or eight meters. He had no idea what they were.
Now, even if he supervised the battle personally, the soldiers wouldn't charge again. Ancient people were very superstitious; in the eyes of these soldiers, Lia's side had received help from the gods.
Otherwise, how could thousands of them be killed or wounded in just one wave?
The enemy has the help of immortals; we can't win, we can't win!
Although he knew the reason, this was still a failure in the first battle. How was he going to explain this to the Commander-in-Chief later?
He could only tell the truth. After all, the enemy used weapons they didn't understand, so the failure to take the city was excusable.
"Failed? It seems it's true that the enemy possesses weapons we don't understand." When Leopard arrived near Tianshui Commandery with the main force, he heard the news of Zhao Ying's vanguard failing the assault.
Leopard's face showed little emotion. This was expected; otherwise, the first chance to attack wouldn't have been given to the vanguard. It was originally meant to test if the rumors about those weapons were true.
But now it seemed the rumors were true. Even so, he had to see it for himself.
Chapter 53: The Might of Firearms
Shortly after, Leopard arrived near Tianshui Commandery with the remaining forty thousand troops.
Looking at the thousands of soldiers wailing at the city gate, Leopard thought for a moment, then waved over an Infantry general under his command and said, "The vanguard's morale is broken, and the Rebel Leader on the wall is currently gloating. Lead your troops to attack the city immediately. Once the city falls, there will be no restrictions on your blades for three days!"
This Infantry general didn't know the power of the hand grenades; he just thought the vanguard was useless. He accepted the order immediately, licked his lips, and asked with a smile, "No need to leave survivors?"
Leopard grunted and said, "No need. As long as you can take Tianshui Commandery, everything in the city belongs to you. I only want the Rebel Leader's head."
The Infantry general nodded. He first cast a disdainful look at Zhao Ying, then immediately called out to the Infantry soldiers behind him, "Men! Follow me and charge!"
After speaking, the Infantry general led the way toward the city of Tianshui Commandery.
In the distance, Zhao Ying, who had just finished regrouping the routed troops, watched as the general strode toward the city so brazenly. He didn't bother to warn him, secretly wanting to see how this Infantry general would die.
Furthermore, that disdainful look from the other man had infuriated Zhao Ying. In his heart, he hoped Lia would blow them all up immediately!
However, these infantrymen were different from the vanguard; they were well-equipped, with each soldier carrying a long saber and a shield.
They charged toward the walls with loud cries. Seeing this, Zhao Ying even worried if Lia had enough hand grenades.
He hoped his Vanguard Battalion hadn't truly acted as cannon fodder only for this petty man to reap the benefits!
Lia, of course, would not disappoint Zhao Ying.
So what if these infantrymen had wooden shields? The power of a hand grenade didn't just depend on the blast; it was mainly the lethality of the iron shrapnel produced when it exploded.
Do not underestimate this iron shrapnel. Once a person is hit, it's like being struck by a bullet, almost instantly stripping them of their combat capability. If it accidentally hits a vital spot, it can even take a life.
A wooden shield can only protect the front at most, but can it protect the sides and back? A hand grenade explodes in a 360-degree circle; a mere wooden shield is simply not enough.
As the Wei State soldiers continued their charge, once they reached striking distance, Lia would throw a hand grenade into the crowd.
Her throw acted as a signal, and the soldiers on the wall followed suit, throwing their hand grenades one after another.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
One explosion after another rang out beneath the walls. The shield-bearing infantrymen were left screaming in agony from the hand grenades.
Even unluckier were the soldiers wounded in the first wave; they were hit by a second wave of hand grenades. Those with poor luck were sent straight to 'GG' on the spot.
"A pity. These hand grenades still have many limitations. It would be great if we had Muskets," Lia said, shaking her head as she looked at the wailing soldiers below.
Seeing Lia's dissatisfaction with the hand grenades, Hua Mulan was somewhat speechless. Was the lethality of this thing not strong enough? Even Internal Martial Arts Masters would have to flee if they saw a hand grenade thrown at them!
Although a hand grenade might not hit them directly, the shrapnel sent flying after the explosion was no different from hidden arrows. Even a first-rate master would fall if they weren't careful.
Of course, this was because Hua Mulan and the others had never seen modern firearms, especially the standout "Namo Gatling Bodhisattva." Firing 6,000 rounds in a single rotation, even Lia would have to temporarily retreat from its brilliance.
In Fate, Artoria was once forced to constantly dodge machine gun fire from Lancelot, showing just how powerful it was!