novel bin Chapter 162 Explosion
Chapter 162 Explosion
Xia Zhen's confusion lasted only a moment before he snapped back to reality and said urgently, "Your Majesty, this is not the time to talk about this! Abandoning the city walls is too risky. Once the Jin army enters the city..."
"I know." Zhao Yu walked to the window and gestured for him to come over. "Please be patient, Minister Xia. Please accompany me and see how these tens of thousands of Jin soldiers brought about their own destruction."
Xia Zhen walked to the window with a lot of suspicion and looked out the window following Zhao Yu's gaze.
Outside the city, in the Jin army's ranks.
Wanyan Kuang reined in his horse, gazing at the deathly silent city walls, his brow furrowed.
The Song army, which had been fighting desperately just moments before, suddenly went silent, and there wasn't a single person to be seen on the city wall. This was highly unusual.
"Something's not right," he said in a deep voice. "The Song people are known for their cunning. Their abandonment of the city without cause must be part of a conspiracy."
The generals around him were also discussing the matter. Some advocated attacking the city immediately, while others felt that they should proceed with caution and avoid falling into an ambush.
Just as they were arguing, a weak laugh came from the side.
Everyone turned to look and saw Ouyang Ke riding over, his left arm in a sling and his face pale.
Although the wound on his shoulder had been treated, the silver needles were imbued with Zhao Yu's internal energy, which was still causing Ouyang Ke to be unable to exert his full strength.
"Why does the commander hesitate?" Ouyang Ke's voice was still somewhat weak.
"The Song people abandoned the city walls without cause; there seems to be a trick involved. Does Young Master Ouyang have any insight?"
Ouyang Ke chuckled lightly: "General, do you know that the Han people have a play called the Empty City Stratagem? The Song emperor knew exactly what made you cautious and suspicious, so he deliberately put on this act. In reality, the city's troops were exhausted and couldn't hold out any longer. He was just stalling for time, and he might be thinking of finding an opportunity to break out and escape."
He paused, then emphasized, "General, don't forget, Zhao Yu's martial arts are extremely high. If he's really determined to leave, who can stop him? If he breaks through and escapes, what's the point of capturing an empty city? All our previous efforts will be wasted."
Wanyan Kuang was startled and instantly realized what was happening.
"That was close! We almost fell for the Song's delaying tactic! Issue my order: the entire army will enter the city, advance in four columns, and encircle it from all sides. Search every street and alley; we cannot let the Song emperor escape! We must find him alive or dead!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Jin generals responded with a resounding roar.
As the bugle sounded, tens of thousands of Jin soldiers marched forward and poured into the city through the city gates.
With their previous doubts in mind, they proceeded with extreme caution, taking each step carefully and thoroughly searching every street, fearing an ambush.
The deeper they went, the more they felt that the Song army had truly been defeated.
The streets and alleys were deserted, not even a ghost could be seen, except for the occasional scattered weapons and provisions that had not been taken away in time.
The Jin soldiers gradually lowered their guard, and their formation involuntarily became denser, with people packed together, filling the streets and alleys.
The more cautious and meticulous they were, the more they pleased Zhao Yu.
From a high vantage point in the county government office, Zhao Yu watched the densely packed Jin soldiers pouring into the city, a cold smile playing on his lips.
He nodded slightly to the guards behind him.
The guards immediately picked up the fireworks that had been prepared, went into the courtyard, and lit the fuse.
"call out--"
A sharp whistling sound ripped through the sky, and red fireworks exploded in mid-air, standing out vividly.
The Jin soldiers advancing into the city looked up, their faces filled with confusion, unsure of what signal this was.
The next moment, the earth shook violently.
"boom!!!"
A deafening roar erupted from the direction of the city gate, and blazing flames instantly engulfed everything nearby.
A massive shockwave swept across, and the Jin soldiers near the city gate were torn to shreds before they could even scream.
The heavy city gate, along with the walls on both sides, collapsed with a deafening roar, sending bricks and stones flying and instantly burying hundreds of people, completely severing the connection between the Jin soldiers inside and outside the city.
Then came the second sound, the third sound...
Explosions continued one after another, from the city gate to the main street, from the government office to the alley entrance, the pre-buried explosives were detonated in turn.
The roar was deafening, and the entire city of Zaoyang trembled slightly.
The gunpowder formula of the Ming Dynasty was far superior to that of the Southern Song Dynasty, and its power was incomparable.
Zaoyang City was not large to begin with, and tens of thousands of Jin soldiers were crammed into the streets and alleys, creating an extremely high density that amplified the power of the explosion to the extreme.
Flames shot into the sky, thick smoke billowed, blood, flesh, and bricks flew everywhere, and screams, cries, and explosions mingled together, creating a scene resembling hell on earth.
The Jin soldiers were completely dumbfounded.
Fear spread like a plague, and the once well-organized army collapsed instantly. Soldiers scattered and fled, trampling each other in chaos.
The generals who led the troops shouted themselves hoarse, but they couldn't control the fleeing soldiers.
"What are you all standing there for!"
Xia Zhen stared in disbelief until Zhao Yu's voice rang in his ears, bringing him back to his senses.
Zhao Yu roared, "Lead the troops into battle, slay the enemy, and earn merit today!"
"This subordinate obeys the order!"
Xia Zhen, his eyes gleaming with excitement, drew his long sword and shouted, "Brothers, kill!"
The Song soldiers, who had already rested, charged out with shouts, like tigers descending a mountain, and plunged into the chaotic Jin army.
At this moment, the Jin soldiers had lost all will to fight and were only concerned with fleeing in panic, with no power left to resist.
The Song army's long swords moved like grass, and Jin soldiers fell to the ground wherever they went, their blood staining the streets red.
Outside the city, the Jin soldiers who had not yet entered the city were also stunned by the loud explosion.
Wanyan Kuang, protected by his personal guards, retreated repeatedly, his face pale as he gazed at the towering flames and smoke: "Where did the Song army get so much gunpowder?"
His successor, the Dharma King Dorje, also had a solemn expression, his hands clasped together, but he could not suppress the fear in his heart.
Before they could even react, a deafening battle cry suddenly erupted behind them.
"kill!"
The sound of horses' hooves rang out, and Wang Chongyang, dressed in military attire and wielding a long sword, led his elite cavalry from Xiangyang in a charge from the rear.
Behind him, Hong Qi, Qiu Qianren, the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, and heroes from all walks of life, each took the lead and plunged into the Jin army's ranks like sharp knives.
If they were to fight in formation, even martial arts masters might not be able to withstand the charge of an army.
At this moment, the Jin army was already in disarray and was attacked from both sides, so how could they possibly organize an effective resistance?
Wang Chongyang brandished his longsword, his sword energy crisscrossing, causing men and horses to fall wherever he went.
Hong Qi unleashed a palm strike, the powerful force of the "Regretful Dragon" palm sent a swarm of Jin soldiers flying backward.
Qiu Qianren's iron palms flew, and no one could stop him in close combat.
"Stay calm! Stay calm!"
Wanyan Kuang shouted hoarsely, trying to organize a counterattack.
But his army collapsed like a house of cards, and no one listened to his orders anymore.
"Wanyan Kuang, where do you think you're going!"
A clear shout rang out, and Wang Chongyang spurred his horse straight toward the commander's flag.
"The commander-in-chief will go first!"
With a roar, the Dharma King Dorje leaped forward, unleashing the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill in both palms, striking Wang Chongyang with immense force.
"Overestimating one's abilities."
Wang Chongyang remained calm, flicked his longsword, channeled his innate skill into the blade, and thrust it straight out.
With a soft "ding," the sword energy pierced through the palm strike, its momentum undiminished.
The Dharma King's pupils contracted sharply; it was too late to dodge.
A flash of sword light, and blood gushed out.
The enormous head of the Dharma King Dorjee rose into the sky, while his body fell heavily to the ground.
His martial arts skills were already below the Five Greats, and Zhao Yu had only let him go because he was worried about being surrounded by the army.
Now that he has lost his composure and acted hastily, he thought Wang Chongyang was just an ordinary general. Little did he know that this man was one of the Five Great Masters of the world.
Carelessness and underestimating his opponent led to the death of this master, who was no less skilled than Qiu Qianren, in a single move.