allonlinenovel Chapter 239 The city gate of Tangyin is too sturdy; we can't break it open!
Chapter 239 The city gate of Tangyin is too sturdy; we can't break it open!
The fierce battle began at the break of dawn and lasted all morning, with cannon fire and smoke filling the air. In order to withstand the overwhelming offensive of the Song army, Bu Liang decisively ordered that the few remaining machine guns be set up like guardian deities on the crumbling city walls.
As the order was given, the roar of machine guns instantly shattered the silence of the battlefield, spitting fire and unleashing an endless storm of steel upon the densely packed Song soldiers below the city.
At this moment, the villain had no time to consider the preciousness and scarcity of ammunition. The situation was extremely urgent, and every minute and every second was related to the survival of the western city wall of Tangyin, and even the course of the entire battle.
With such a fierce offensive, whether they could hold out until sunset today was uncertain. In this life-or-death struggle, every bullet carried the indomitable will of the defending soldiers and their endless desire for victory.
His face was blackened by smoke, a stark contrast to his usual lean and clean appearance. But in this critical moment, he had no time for such details. Alone, he guarded a heavy box of grenades, his eyes sharp. Whenever he spotted a dense concentration of Song soldiers, he would throw a few without hesitation, blasting the enemy to pieces.
The southern city wall of Tangyin was also embroiled in fierce fighting. Within a single morning, Song troops had scaled the wall twice. Fortunately, Qian Dazhuang reacted swiftly, directing his warriors to weave a deadly net of assault rifles and semi-automatic rifles, reaping the advancing Song soldiers one by one. However, after this intense battle, their ammunition was nearly exhausted, forcing Qian Dazhuang to reassess the situation and devise a new strategy.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!..."
A group of Song soldiers, shoulder to shoulder, were carrying a thick log as thick as a giant python, and were violently ramming it against the majestic city gate south of Tangyin City with an unstoppable momentum.
More than twenty pairs of eyes, filled with sweat and determination, converged into an indomitable force, as if determined to shake down this barrier of history and pave a road to victory for themselves.
Unbeknownst to them, all four city gates of Tangyin were designed and crafted by Li Zhen, who, with wisdom far ahead of his time, meticulously designed and commissioned them. They were not merely structures of wood and stone, but masterpieces incorporating later technology; every material and every weld embodied the exquisite craftsmanship and sturdiness of modern engineering. Even a barrage of hammer blows could only produce dull echoes on the gates, leaving no trace. Furthermore, even cannonballs from the gunpowder age would pale in comparison to such a defense, powerless to penetrate this guardian of history.
A Song army officer brandished his sword and shouted, "Everyone, give it your all! Once we break into the city, all the gold, silver, and beautiful women inside are ours! The general said that if we capture Tangyin City, we are allowed to massacre the city for three days!"
They changed their men three times, breaking two of the wooden battering rams, but the city gate remained intact, and even the joints on both sides of the gate did not budge.
Behind that unknown city gate, a dozen or so brave soldiers of the Li family army were hidden, listening leisurely to the hustle and bustle outside the city gate, as if they were isolated from the world.
A soldier lowered his voice, a mixture of curiosity and unease in his voice, and whispered to his platoon leader beside him, "Platoon leader, look at the fierce fighting on the city wall. We're hiding down here, enjoying a rare moment of peace. Is that really a good thing?"
The platoon leader, a blade of grass dangling from the corner of his mouth, a hint of mockery in his eyes, glanced lazily at the soldier and teased, "What, you think it's too quiet here? How about I go and report to the higher-ups and get you transferred to the front lines for support? They're short-handed there, and with your physique, you'll definitely be able to show your skills."
Upon hearing this, the soldier gave an embarrassed smile and quickly waved his hand to explain, "Platoon leader, you misunderstood. That's not what I meant. I was just curious and asked casually."
The platoon leader listened carefully and noticed that the noise outside seemed to have subsided somewhat. He realized that the Song soldiers who were desperately ramming the city gate were gradually losing their strength.
He lightly patted the dust off his buttocks, then stood up, turned to face the dozen or so resolute soldiers behind him, and said in a deep, powerful voice: "Alright, the time is almost right. It's time to give our friends outside a 'surprise'."
Outside the city walls, Song soldiers sat on the ground, panting, sweat dripping from their tired faces onto the dust. They were filled with bewilderment, marveling at the construction of Tangyin City's gates. Even with the force of their fierce assault, even the strongest walls would likely have been shattered, yet the gates stood firm, as if possessing an unspeakable resilience and secret.
Just as the warriors were taking a short rest, trying to recover some strength from their physical exhaustion, two small windows quietly appeared on the city gate, like eyes peering into the shadows. Then, from those narrow windows, several iron objects emitting wisps of smoke whistled out, tearing through the air and landing precisely around the Song soldiers with an undeniable threat, stirring up waves of fear and panic.
A crisp yet heavy sound pierced the tense atmosphere on the city wall.
The Song soldiers' gazes, as if drawn by invisible ropes, were fixed intently on the fallen iron lumps. Wisps of blue smoke rose from them, like ominous creatures emerging from the underworld. Then, above the city gate, windows clicked shut with astonishing speed, as if to shut out this sudden, eerie spectacle.
"Run!" Someone in the crowd shouted this terrified cry first.
Despite knowing nothing about the origins or purpose of these iron lumps, the chilling aura they evoked was enough to instill fear in everyone. Faced with the unknown, humanity's primal fear is amplified infinitely. Without further ado, fleeing this place of trouble was the best course of action.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!..." A series of deafening explosions followed, as if the gates of hell had suddenly opened, unleashing endless fear and destruction.
Presumably, the Song soldiers had barely managed to regain their footing when the grenades began to roar impatiently. Beneath the city gate, the space was already cramped, and apart from a lone giant log used to ram the gate, there was hardly a place to hide even for a moment.
In an instant, dozens of lives were cruelly lost. While only seven or eight perished instantly, a dozen more were wounded by sharp shrapnel from grenades, their cries of agony echoing across the battlefield. The Song army officer who had been standing at the front lines, commanding the troops, could now only helplessly clutch his bleeding thigh, his screams piercing the chaotic battlefield. As for the crucial city gate, it had long been forgotten in the chaos, ignored by everyone.