For Gui Xingfu, there were only two missions.
First, declare war on Tianshui City. Second, seize Chaos Stone Island.
After that, Linhai City would be completely out of the picture. The task of thoroughly annihilating Tianshui City would be left to Zhi Wei and Tu Lingtuo’s grand army.
Because Suo Lun was dead, the King had ultimately tacitly approved Linhai City’s declaration of war on Tianshui City. Thus, the first step was completed smoothly.
Next was the second step: capturing Chaos Stone Island.
In Gui Xingfu’s view, this was equally a simple matter.
Although the Tianshui City navy had shrunk from battle, converting from naval to land forces and huddling inside Chaos Stone Castle.
But how big was this Chaos Stone Island castle? Despite two years of construction, it was not even half the size of Nanlin Fort.
The castle backed against steep cliffs. Directly in front, and to the left and right, were vast stretches of flat land, more than sufficient to accommodate forty thousand troops.
Forty thousand troops spread across the ground before the castle, a dense black mass, forming a fan shape that completely surrounded the entire castle. It looked as though it would utterly submerge the tiny fortress.
Several hundred heavy crossbows, unloaded from the warships, were neatly arranged upon the frontal battlefield.
According to Gui Xingfu’s prediction, one day at most would be needed to completely capture this small castle.
“Commence battle!”
At the command, earth-shaking war drums sounded.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
From the front of the castle, several hundred heavy crossbows fired simultaneously. Giant arrows over three metres long shot out like raindrops.
These terrifying heavy crossbows had a range exceeding three hundred metres.
They conducted two rounds of trial shots, then continuously adjusted the heavy crossbow positions.
On the left and right flanks of the castle, Gui Xingfu’s twenty thousand troops surged towards the castle like a tidal wave. Because the walls on both sides were short, not even siege ladders were needed. One could simply use grappling hooks to climb up.
Gui Xingfu intended to strike this tiny Chaos Stone Castle with thunderous momentum from three sides.
…
On top of Chaos Stone Castle, Yan Chuo’er served as overall commander. The Duke Zhi Ting’s guard captain, Suo Feiyang, Suo Mu, and one other each commanded the defence of the castle’s three sides.
Gui Xingfu’s three-pronged pincer attack looked utterly astonishing in its momentum.
On both sides of the castle, countless enemies swarmed up like ants. The power of several hundred heavy crossbows firing simultaneously from the front suppressed everyone on the frontal wall, making it impossible to lift their heads.
Queen Yan Chuo’er gave a single command.
“Both flanks, scorpion engines at the ready. Gunpowder packs, at the ready!”
Several hundred scorpion catapults snapped open abruptly. Upon their throwing arms were placed gunpowder packs weighing dozens of jin.
These scorpion catapults were relatively small, medium to small-sized catapults. Their maximum throwing range was generally only a little over a hundred metres.
“Archers on both flanks, prepare!”
Immediately, over six thousand soldiers on both flanks nocked their arrows simultaneously!
“Frontal position, heavy catapults at the ready. Giant oil barrels, prepare!”
Upon the dozen or so super-heavy catapults at the castle’s front, four or five soldiers exerted themselves desperately to place a giant oil barrel upon the throwing arm. Each of these giant oil barrels contained over five hundred jin of oil.
Yan Chuo’er watched the enemies on both flanks drawing closer and closer. Soon they entered within two hundred metres range.
“All archers, fire!”
At her command.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…” Several thousand defending soldiers within Chaos Stone Castle released their bowstrings simultaneously.
Several thousand arrows shot out like a torrential downpour.
“Thud, thud, thud…”
Countless arrow rains descended. Gui Xingfu’s attacking troops on both sides of the castle fell one after another, struck by arrows.
With such dense attacking troops, the arrow rain’s hit rate could reach nearly half. The first volley alone inflicted over two hundred casualties upon Gui Xingfu’s attacking troops.
Yet this casualty count did not even change Gui Xingfu’s expression.
They were only two hundred metres from the castle now. How many volleys could the defenders manage? At most four times. Added together, that would be six or seven hundred casualties at most.
For an army of forty thousand, these casualties were not significant.
And once the attacking troops pressed close to the walls, it would be a completely different kind of fighting.
The attacking troops on both flanks continued charging like a tidal wave, already entering within one hundred and fifty metres.
“Scorpion catapults, fire!”
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
At Yan Chuo’er’s command, several hundred scorpion catapults hurled out several hundred ignited gunpowder packs.
“Thud, thud, thud, thud…”
Several hundred gunpowder packs crashed to the ground like rain falling upon a pond, silent and soundless.
Gui Xingfu’s attacking troops were still bewildered. These things were just cloth-wrapped bundles. They could not even kill a person if they hit one.
But immediately after…
“Boom, boom, boom, boom…”
Several hundred gunpowder packs exploded violently. Each one weighed dozens of jin. Within several metres in all directions, everything was torn to pieces, bodies flying through the air.
The entire ground trembled. Countless flames burst forth.
Countless corpses flew into the air.
Gui Xingfu’s attacking troops were completely stunned!
What, what were these things? They were completely like heaven-shaking thunder.
The entire ground trembled. Their ears rang as though they had gone deaf.
This gunpowder looked very astonishing, but its killing power was not actually that great.
The explosion of several hundred gunpowder packs only brought about a little over a thousand casualties.
However, the attacking troops on both flanks were so terrified their livers and gallbladders shattered. Instinctively, they stopped in their tracks.
Gui Xingfu was also startled by the spectacle of the gunpowder explosions. But seeing that the attacking troops on both flanks had actually stalled, he roared in fury, “Continue the assault! Continue the assault!”
Then, the troops on both flanks continued charging desperately.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
Next, the castle defenders fired completely at will, continuously nocking arrows and shooting.
These two hundred metres became a hell on earth. By the time Gui Xingfu’s twenty thousand troops charged through this two-hundred-plus-metre distance and reached the castle, they had suffered over two thousand casualties.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
Countless soldiers rushed beneath the castle walls and began throwing grappling hooks to climb.
But they discovered with terror that the entire wall surface had been smeared with some substance. It was completely slippery. There was simply no way to climb, no way to gain purchase.
They tried setting it alight, but this slippery substance would not burn at all.
Thus, over ten thousand soldiers were trapped alive beneath the castle, completely unable to climb up.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…” At this moment, the defenders atop the castle shot arrows downwards desperately, hurling small gunpowder packs down.
“Boom, boom, boom…”
The dense attacking troops fell like wheat sheaves, collapsing one after another.
Casualties increased sharply.
Gui Xingfu’s scalp went numb. He truly did not know what these explosive things were?
“Retreat! Retreat! Retreat…”
At Gui Xingfu’s command, the rear camp sounded the retreat bells.
The over ten thousand soldiers who had with great difficulty charged beneath the walls began desperately running back.
Then, they once again suffered arrow rains as dense as a torrential downpour, and another round of scorpion catapult volleys.
Several hundred gunpowder packs exploded violently once more.
By the time they had completely retreated to the main army formation and tallied the numbers from each camp and position, Gui Xingfu discovered that of the twenty thousand troops who had attacked in the first round, only fifteen thousand remained. They had suffered over five thousand casualties.
On the open ground on both sides of the castle, cratered pits were everywhere. Bodies lay strewn about in every direction.
Gui Xingfu could not help but feel his scalp go numb repeatedly. He had thought this tiny castle would be easy to take. He had not expected to lose five thousand men in the first round of attack alone.
Especially the Suo clan’s secret weapon, this heaven-shaking thunder (gunpowder), which had inflicted enormous casualties.
Of these five thousand-odd casualties, over seventy percent were caused by that terrifying heaven-shaking thunder.
The entire castle’s outer wall had been smeared with that slippery stuff. Without siege ladders, climbing the walls with grappling hooks was impossible.
The three-pronged pincer tactic would not work either. They had to concentrate their forces and attack the front, breaking through the castle’s main gate.
…
An hour later, Gui Xingfu’s army changed formation. All troops were arrayed before the castle’s front.
Yan Chuo’er also immediately transferred the majority of her forces to the castle’s front.
“Heavy crossbow suppression…”
At Gui Xingfu’s command!
Several hundred heavy crossbows switched to volley arrows. Each crossbow fired over a dozen arrows simultaneously.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
Round after round of cavalry-style shooting.
Each round, several thousand crossbow bolts shot towards the wall like a torrential downpour.
“Thwack, thwack, thwack…”
The heavy crossbow bolts poured down like a rainstorm, completely suppressing the castle’s front, making it impossible to lift their heads.
“Breach the gate…”
Several thousand soldiers charged madly, shielding a battering ram in their midst, desperately rushing towards the castle’s main gate.
Atop the wall.
“Super-heavy catapults, fire!” At Yan Chuo’er’s command.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
A series of trembling, muffled sounds. A dozen or so super-giant catapults hurled five-hundred-jin oil barrels to over three hundred metres away.
“Hiss, hiss, hiss…” Each oil barrel had its fuse ignited.
“Thud, thud, thud, thud…”
Over a dozen giant oil barrels crashed fiercely onto the ground three hundred metres away, right into the heavy crossbow formation of Gui Xingfu’s attacking troops.
The accuracy was pitiful. Only three heavy crossbows were hit.
But… after these dozen-odd oil barrels crashed to the ground, the oil inside splashed out. Upon touching the burning fuses.
“Boom…”
Immediately, all the oil blazed into flames.
Several hundred heavy crossbows were instantly damaged, dozens lost. And to extinguish the fire, the heavy crossbow fire suppression had to pause.
At this moment, the medium scorpion catapults on the wall began turning their direction, shifting to the wall’s top, and started hurling the terrifying gunpowder packs.
Several thousand soldiers hid behind three-layered battlements, nocking arrows and beginning round after round of volley fire.
After suffering nearly half casualties, they finally charged to beneath the gate with great difficulty.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
Countless gunpowder packs, boulders, and oil barrels were hurled down.
And the super-heavy catapults had already been retensioned, ready for a second volley.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
After a heart-shaking roar, over a dozen giant gunpowder heads were hurled several hundred metres, smashing fiercely into the heavy crossbow positions of Gui Xingfu’s troops.
Countless fires blazed once more, and dozens more heavy crossbows were lost!
“Charge, charge, charge…”
Gui Xingfu gritted his teeth, sending wave after wave of soldiers to charge.
Then, countless soldiers threw themselves forward, dying one after another in this brief three-hundred-metre distance.
…
Night fell!
Chaos Stone Island had already seen fierce fighting for a full six hours.
This tiny Chaos Stone Castle still stood unbroken.
Across the entire battlefield, corpses were piled like mountains.
“Father, today’s casualties are nine thousand. Of these, three thousand killed, two thousand severely wounded, four thousand lightly wounded,” Gui Qinzhong said. “The heavy crossbows dismantled from the warships have also lost over half.”
Gui Xingfu closed his eyes in pain. Forty thousand troops, over twenty percent lost. If this had been a field battle, the entire army would likely have disintegrated already.
“How many were killed or wounded by the enemy’s heaven-shaking thunder?” Gui Xingfu asked.
“Over seventy percent!” Gui Qinzhong said.
Gui Xingfu’s heart seized violently. Without this terrifying heaven-shaking thunder and oil bomb, they would likely have captured Chaos Stone Castle today.
He knew in his heart that whether it was heaven-shaking thunder (gunpowder) or oil bombs, both were things that could change the landscape of war. They were revolutions in military affairs.
Fortunately Suo Lun was dead. Otherwise, having mastered these two super weapons, he might truly have turned the tables. Then the Gui clan would have died without a burial place.
However, Gui Xingfu was extremely puzzled. Suo Lun was already dead. Why were the Chaos Stone Island defenders still fighting so desperately?
Could it be that they intended to perish together with his Gui Xingfu’s army? That did not make sense. Although Chaos Stone Island was important to the Suo clan, if they lost it, they lost it. Money was not as important as life.
So many oil bombs, so much heaven-shaking thunder, would it not be better to use them to defend Tianshui City?
What was the point of you perishing together with my Gui Xingfu’s Linhai army? I am only attacking Chaos Stone Island. The ones who truly want to destroy you are Tu Lingtuo and Zhi Wei’s four hundred thousand troops.
“What is the army’s morale?” Gui Xingfu asked.
“Complaints rising everywhere,” Gui Qinzhong said. “Especially the Luanyang City troops. They have been threatening to withdraw from the battlefield. On the contrary, the rock pirates sent by Yan Mo still have murderous auras soaring to the heavens.”
Of the forty thousand troops Gui Xingfu brought this time, only a few thousand truly belonged to Linhai City. The rest came from Luanyang City, various commanderies, various nobles, the Yingzhou Island Hai clan, and rock pirates.
When the great battle went smoothly, all was well. When it went poorly, they quarrelled like a pot of porridge.
“Any trace of Tianshui City warships on the sea surface?” Gui Xingfu asked.
“None,” Gui Qinzhong said. “Our scout swift boats have been sent out over a hundred li. Not a single Tianshui City warship has been found.”
Then, Gui Qinzhong said, “Father, if… I mean, if we cannot take Chaos Stone Island, what then?”
Gui Xingfu said, “Nothing much. Once the final deadline arrives, Zhi Li will still condemn Suo Lun for high treason. Then the four hundred thousand troops will still attack Tianshui City. The Suo clan will still be destroyed. Only… after the war, our Linhai City Gui clan may not be able to claim much benefit.”
Gui Qinzhong said, “Then after the war, can we rescue sister?”
“Absurd, foolish…” Gui Xingfu said sternly. “Consider Gui Qinshao as already dead. If not for her foolishness, how would our Linhai City Gui clan have fallen into today’s predicament? How would we have had to step forward and pluck the chestnut from the fire for Zhi Li?”
Then, Gui Xingfu gave the order, “Prepare yourselves. We fight again tomorrow!”
“Yes!” Gui Qinzhong said.
Gui Xingfu continued, “Send men to Chuyun Commandery, Luanyang City, and other places. Use large cargo ships to transport catapults, heavy crossbows, and siege ladders here. Prepare for a prolonged war.”
“Yes,” Gui Qinzhong said.
…
The next day!
Earth-shaking war drums sounded once more.
Gui Xingfu once again launched his grand army, launching a frenzied assault upon Chaos Stone Island Castle!
Once more they fought from morning until dusk.
They still failed to breach Chaos Stone Island Castle’s gate. Instead, they temporarily constructed over a dozen siege ladders. Several dozen warriors managed to climb onto the castle.
But in the end, all the warriors who mounted the castle’s outer wall were killed. The over a dozen siege ladders were also all burned.
In the second day’s battle, Gui Xingfu’s army suffered another six thousand casualties. Of the forty thousand troops, only twenty-five thousand remained.
Morale had completely fallen to rock bottom. There were even signs of mutiny.
If not for all the soldiers knowing that the Suo clan was certain to die, and that behind them stood the future King, His Highness Zhi Li, such heavy casualties would have caused this mixed army to mutiny completely long ago.
Although the Suo clan defenders on Chaos Stone Island were also utterly exhausted, the scorpion catapults and super-giant catapults had both lost nearly half.
Oil bombs, gunpowder packs, and even arrows had all been mostly consumed.
But Gui Xingfu knew that the intense siege warfare had ended. He could not launch a third attack.
“Pass the order. Suspend the attack tomorrow. Switch to encirclement tactics. Force the defenders inside the castle to run out of ammunition and food, and exhaust their fresh water,” Gui Xingfu ordered.
“Yes,” Gui Qinzhong said. “Then when do we launch the attack again?”
Gui Xingfu said, “Wait until reinforcements arrive. Wait until siege supplies arrive.”
“Yes!” Gui Qinzhong said.
Then, Gui Xingfu let out a heavy sigh.
This battle had been fought so disgracefully. Forty thousand troops attacking a small castle with ten thousand defenders. They had fought for two full days, lost over ten thousand men, and still had not taken it.
The losses Gui Xingfu faced were not merely a matter of face. The greater loss was in benefits.
After the Suo clan’s destruction, the division of benefits from the Chaos Stone Salt Fields would certainly have no share for the Gui clan.
Even the three hundred li of territory to be ceded to the Gui clan from Tianshui City would be discounted, or perhaps they would gain nothing at all.
With the war situation so unfavourable, Gui Xingfu felt immense pressure.
He had originally believed that forty thousand naval troops fighting ten thousand naval troops would be effortless. This time, opening battle would be like beating a dead tiger.
He had not expected that the Suo clan would completely abandon naval warfare and switch to land warfare. This mere Chaos Stone Island castle had literally broken several of Gui Xingfu’s front teeth.
“Damned Suo clan. Even before death, you still had to bite me,” Gui Xingfu raged. “One day, I will exterminate every single person of your Suo clan to vent the hatred in my heart.”
And just at this moment, the departed Gui Qinzhong came rushing back in.
“Father, an urgent message from elder brother in Linhai main city, delivered by flying kite!” Gui Qinzhong held a secret letter in his hand.
This flying kite message should originally have arrived a day and a half ago. But the route to Chaos Stone Island was still very unfamiliar. These flying kites had only been trained for a few round trips. Thus, of over a dozen flying kites, ninety percent were lost. The remaining two circled around several islands for most of the way. Finally, one managed to fly to its destination and was intercepted by Linhai City’s kite trainer!
Upon receiving the secret letter, he discovered it was marked with the highest level of urgency, extremely critical!
Gui Xingfu was bewildered. Linhai main city should have been secure. Why would Gui Qinbi send an extremely urgent secret letter by flying kite?
Opening it, he saw written upon Gui Qinbi’s secret letter:
“Father, Suo Lun is not dead. Two days ago he led his army north to attack Linhai City.
Nanlin Fort has already fallen. Gui Qinqu has been captured. Our Gui clan’s over ten thousand main force troops have been completely annihilated.
Now, Suo Lun’s army has already surrounded Linhai main city. The situation is critical. Please send troops to rescue us!
Additionally, according to my guess, Gui Qinshao has very likely already been rescued by Suo Lun.
Our Gui clan family is in imminent peril. Extremely critical. Extremely critical!”
After reading this letter, Gui Xingfu suddenly felt his scalp go numb repeatedly, and darkness swam before his eyes.
Then, waves of intense pain surged in his chest.
“Suo Lun, you deceive me too greatly, deceive me too greatly!” Gui Xingfu roared. Then, with a violent spurt, he coughed up a mouthful of blood!