Yan Jun sighed, "According to the intelligence provided by our inside contact in the city, the southwest city wall is the most vulnerable. Ouyang Che and others cut corners back then. If we can't even take the southwest, there's no point in deploying more troops to attack the southeast."
Duan Hong explained, "We have an absolute numerical advantage. The army can split into two routes and attack simultaneously, keeping them overwhelmed!"
Yan Jun's eyes lit up, and after a moment of thought, he finally nodded in agreement.
Inside Luzhou city, Zhuo Zifang was patrolling and maintaining vigilance on the southwest city wall, while Liang Xiao, busy all day, was resting at home.
In the courtyard, Zhuo Xiong, who had just returned from the academy, said proudly, "With the three of you here, this city is as strong as gold and iron. Everyone can rest easy!"
The three scholars guarding the city were his grandfather, his future brother-in-law, and his close friend!
Liang Xiao, while enjoying Yue Lian massaging his shoulders, smiled wryly and shook his head, "As long as there are enemies outside the city, we must not let our guard down until reinforcements arrive and annihilate them."
Zhuo Xiong chuckled noncommittally.
Yue Lian said softly, "Young Master, you don't want everyone to underestimate the enemy, because if they do, even if they win, they will likely suffer more casualties. Young Master wishes to minimize casualties before victory!"
"Yue Lian, you truly understand me," Liang Xiao praised.
"I am ashamed, ashamed!" Zhuo Xiong sighed.
Two hours later, as a refreshed Liang Xiao was about to leave, a messenger from Gongsun Dingjun arrived: "Marquis of Anguo, the enemy seems to have split into two groups, with another force heading towards the southeast corner. The general is dividing his troops to defend and support each other!"
Liang Xiao immediately rushed to the southeast city tower, his expression grave as he looked at the distant fires.
Besides the ten thousand defending soldiers in Luzhou, the remaining personnel were state guards and constables, unsuitable for the battlefield.
Each city wall required at least a thousand men for defense and patrols to prevent collusion from within, which meant that the total force available for the southwest and southeast sections was at most eight thousand.
The enemy intended to expand their attack surface, forcing Luzhou to be spread thin and exploiting its manpower shortage!
"Bring half the catapults and 'wooden barrels' over. Today, we'll give these rebels a taste of their own medicine!" Liang Xiao immediately ordered.
Fortunately, Zhuo Zifang had made prior arrangements, and ten catapults along with the sealed "wooden barrels" were quickly transported to the southeast city wall, along with half of the previous fifty personal guards.
Everyone was on high alert.
The enemy had approached within a mile of the city walls and were adjusting their formations for the assault.
Battering rams, siege ladders, and pontoon bridges were all present, along with archers ready to provide cover.
Thirty thousand rebels surged towards Luzhou like a tide, heading directly for the southeast. They charged under the hail of rolling stones and crossbow bolts from the city, eager for a swift victory!
Liang Xiao commanded with composure, but a sense of unease lingered in his heart.
He had observed yesterday that the enemy did not seem like a disorganized mob; they were almost entirely regular troops. The enemy couldn't possibly be unaware of the cost of sixty thousand men attacking a large city defended by ten thousand, yet they were still so reckless!
This indicated that the enemy was in a hurry to capture Luzhou, the crucial stronghold, and had other plans in motion. Luzhou absolutely could not fall!
After the rebel army under the city erected pontoon bridges under a barrage of arrows and stones, the vanguard, heavily armed, began scaling the siege ladders to attack the city.
The fierce battle was imminent!
Liang Xiao turned and gave the order: "Launch!"
The personal guards, who had been itching for action, were filled with fighting spirit. With the cooperation of other catapult crews, they loaded ten iron-clad wooden barrels into ten catapults and lit the thin, specially made fuses.
"Whoosh!"
Each of these barrels weighed dozens of pounds. Launched by the catapults, they flew about one hundred and fifty paces.
"What is this?"
The rebels charging forward saw the faintly glowing wooden barrels flying through the air and looked on in confusion, but they still cautiously dodged.
The barrels, reinforced to some extent by the iron plating, landed in various locations, hitting enemy soldiers and horses!
"BOOM!"
In an instant, ten wooden barrels exploded at their landing points, accompanied by deafening roars and spreading flames. Each barrel annihilated over thirty rebels and their mounts in the vicinity. The surviving rebels, startled and panicked, trampled each other, creating chaos and overturning horses!
These were the specially crafted explosive barrels that Liang Xiao had secretly gathered materials for from within the city, including saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal!
"What is happening!"
Duan Hong and others, supervising the battle from the central army, were shocked and enraged.
"Great Commander, it seems like several heavenly thunderbolts have struck our army!"
A messenger reported at high speed.
"It's been clear for days, where did heavenly thunder come from? Continue the assault!" Duan Hong bellowed, but he feared Liang Xiao's arrows and dared not personally oversee the front lines.
Before the messenger could get close, another ten explosive barrels flew towards other directions, landing in the most densely packed areas of the rebel army.
Another thunderous explosion, with flames reaching the sky. More than three hundred rebels were blown to pieces!
"Report! The Luzhou defenders have fired a barrage of wooden barrels, easily killing our soldiers!"
Another scout reported in terror, his voice trembling.
Duan Hong exclaimed, "Immediately relay the order: spread out and attack the city!"
By the time Duan Hong gave the order, four rounds of explosive barrels had already been launched from the city wall!
Each volley had landed in relatively concentrated enemy formations, obliterating large numbers!
The rebel attackers below the city wall were filled with fear, their morale plummeting to its lowest point. The defending soldiers on the wall, on the other hand, were high-spirited and fought valiantly. Crossbows fired in unison, and spearmen were the first to stab and take down the enemy soldiers scaling the walls.
Liang Xiao, stationed in the central army, held a spear and had the Ephemeral Sword at his waist. He looked at the chaotic enemy forces in the distance with a grave expression.
The enemy, in their haste to attack the city, had marched at great speed. They had formed a dense mass as they approached the city walls, allowing these explosive barrels to maximize their effectiveness.
"Continue launching!"
Upon receiving Liang Xiao's order, the personal guards became even more excited and continued to load the catapults with explosive barrels.
They now finally understood why the Marquis of Anguo had said their secrecy was more valuable than each of them killing a hundred enemies!
A single round of explosions could kill hundreds of enemies!
It was a pity that Luzhou city lacked more materials, and the number they had managed to produce was limited. Furthermore, half of them had been allocated to the southwest defenders.
The southwest also witnessed a similar scene. The attacking rebels were thrown into disarray by the defenders' explosions, and even their assault had slowed down.
Zhuo Zifang looked at the bursts of explosions and flames in the distance, a chill running down his spine: "Unbelievable..."
Now he fully understood why Liang Xiao was so cautious about the "wooden barrels"!
If such a weapon were to fall into enemy hands, it would be a disaster for the soldiers and civilians of Daqian, and indeed for the entire world!
Especially the nomadic tribes to the north. With explosive barrels, they could easily destroy the walls of Yanzhou, wreak havoc on the land, and then invade Daqian territory!
"Marquis of Anguo is truly a divine being..."
At this moment, Gongsun Dingjun could not help but exclaim, but he maintained his composure and calmly directed the defense against the enemy.
On a distant hillside, Yan Jun and his men, witnessing the explosive barrels, were filled with shock and rage: "What are those things!"
"Is someone in the city using sorcery?" a Hui Chun sect follower trembled.
Yan Jun's expression turned cold.
Sorcery?
The Hui Chun sect was fond of employing "spells," which the Daqian imperial court considered sorcery.
But in reality, these were merely tricks of deception.
And the "sorcery" before them was tangible, striking at their morale and inflicting heavy casualties!
As the two sides engaged in fierce battle, far to the east, on a broad road, an army clad in armor was marching towards Luzhou. Leading them was a young man in black armor with white hair, riding a black horse, holding a black long saber, and chewing a blade of grass with a bored expression.
"How far is it to Luzhou?" the white-haired youth asked.
At the same time, another army emerged from the dense forest to the southwest of Luzhou, each soldier looking fierce.
A young man in brocade robes, with a sinister expression, sternly ordered from his horse, "The various regions of Jiangnan will soon rally to our cause. We must take Luzhou immediately and vie for control of the Central Plains. We cannot let the Hui Chun sect get the upper hand!"