Chapter 84: Zhao Shuaijiao

The third day.

On the third day, Wild Boar Skin rested.

It was clear that even Wild Boar Skin was a bit lost. After two consecutive days of attacking, his only gain was probably just a pile of casualty numbers.

“In the Barbican of Zhenbian Gate, there were one hundred and twelve charred corpses combined. The thing you made is truly vicious. After this, even if we left the Barbican gates wide open, no one would dare enter. This is different from the Gunpowder Satchels. If the Gunpowder Satchels are made small, they are no different from those swarm-bee cannons. If made large, almost no one but you can use them. But this thing can be used by any fortress.”

Chen Yujie said.

In fact, hand-thrown fire weapons similar to grenades existed as early as the Southern Song Dynasty.

But ones weighing tens of jin definitely did not exist.

“How many Jiannu were killed in total?”

Yang Xin asked.

“One thousand two hundred and fifty enemy corpses were left below our walls. Adding those blown to pieces and those the Jiannu managed to retrieve and take back, it’s estimated we killed about one thousand seven or eight hundred over these two days. The vast majority are piled beneath the walls. However, we also have over five hundred of our own dead. Interestingly, that strong liquor disinfection method you mentioned really worked. Very few of the lightly wounded became unable to fight due to high fever; most could continue fighting. The condition of the seriously wounded also improved quite a bit. What is the principle behind this? Why must it be the strongest distilled liquor to work?”

Chen Yujie asked, puzzled.

Of course, he did not know that it was simply because Yang Xin could not measure the alcohol content.

The strongest distilled liquor in the Great Ming at the time actually already exceeded sixty degrees. After a bit of distillation, you could find a top-tier drunkard to taste it. If even he could not stand it, then it was basically usable.

Cao Wenzhao was in charge of this task.

“The principle is complicated; you’d have a hard time understanding even if I explained. In short, once our microscope is completed, you can look at the wound yourself to see what’s there, and observe what happens after applying alcohol. Then you’ll understand. Actually, it’s not just alcohol; strong brine also works, just not as effectively as alcohol. The problem with alcohol is that we cannot control the concentration. We can’t have Old Cao drinking it every day. So, for truly large-scale use, it’s better to use strong brine. Additionally, these cloths used to bandage wounds must be boiled in water, and boiled for a long time. Their effect is actually similar to alcohol or strong brine. As long as disinfection is done properly, I dare not promise too much, but it can guarantee a one-third reduction in the mortality rate of wounded soldiers on the battlefield.”

Yang Xin said.

Actually, the Great Ming was relatively fortunate, as there were still some real doctors. Whether Chinese or Western medicine was superior, Yang Xin truly did not know, but Chinese medicine at this time far surpassed Western medicine. In Europe, until the Franco-Prussian War, there were absurd examples like thirteen thousand amputations resulting in over ten thousand deaths.

At least Chinese doctors knew to apply some pepper brine before making an incision.

“Jiannu!”

A shout from above suddenly rang out.

Chaos immediately erupted on the city wall. The resting soldiers quickly got up. Yang Xin and Chen Yujie also looked gravely into the distance. Countless cavalry poured out from the gates of the Jiannu camp. In the middle was still Wild Boar Skin’s yellow canopy. Beneath the canopy, his bright yellow clothing was particularly eye-catching…

“Why do they like bright yellow? Don’t they think wearing that makes them look like corpses?”

Yang Xin suddenly asked.

This question had long puzzled him. If Wild Boar Skin wanted to show he was emperor, he should wear an Ochre Yellow Robe. The so-called “yellow robes” of Chinese emperors throughout history were Ochre Yellow Robes. What was forbidden among the people was also Ochre Yellow. No emperor wore bright yellow, which resembled what corpses wore. The formal attire of Ming emperors was the imperial robe and crown, which was the true imperial robe: the twelve-symbol robe with the twelve-tasseled crown. Next were the fur hat ceremonial dress and the Tongtian Crown ceremonial dress, both of formal nature. The so-called “dragon robe” was merely everyday clothing. Initially, it was indeed ochre yellow, but now there was no color restriction; ochre yellow and red were predominant, with red actually being worn more often. However, other colors like purple or blue were also acceptable.

But they definitely would not wear such exaggerated bright yellow.

Dragon robes were not exclusive to emperors either.

A Four-Round Dragon Robe could be worn by feudal princes.

So, it was not rare to see an emperor wearing a red Four-Round Dragon Robe next to a feudal prince wearing a red Four-Round Dragon Robe. The only difference was that the emperor had a red sun on the left shoulder and a white moon on the right.

“You’d have to ask Wild Boar Skin about that!”

Chen Yujie said.

“His aesthetic sense is quite unique!”

Yang Xin said.

No fewer than five thousand Jiannu cavalry formed ranks and advanced, quickly reaching about three hundred meters from the city walls. This was roughly the extreme range for Frankish Cannon Grapeshot, though Solid Cannonballs could barely reach this far. However, a cannonball fired that far was hardly more effective than throwing a rock; unless it hit accurately, it wouldn’t wound many.

Next, the cavalry formation parted.

Then, several dozen captured Ming Army soldiers were brought out.

A buzz of discussion rose on the city wall.

These soldiers were escorted forward by Jiannu infantrymen, each one tied up, head lowered, stumbling. Almost all bore various injuries. The Jiannu escorting them from behind held swords. Clearly, they were to be brought forward for execution. Wild Boar Skin, having suffered heavy losses over the past two days, wanted to use this method to lower the morale inside the city while boosting the morale of his own soldiers. After all, not a single Ming Army soldier’s corpse could be seen outside the walls, while their own dead lay piled up. For the attacking Jiannu, this was clearly a very disheartening situation.

“Where are they from?”

Yang Xin asked.

Chen Yujie passed his telescope to Li Rubai.

During Yang Xin’s northward trip to the Yehe Tribe, the first batch of telescopes had already been quickly delivered to Xiong Tingbi via post horses. Although there were only five, Chen Yujie, as Xu Guangqi’s nephew, received special consideration and got one.

Li Rubai looked outside using the telescope.

“These are troops from Yansui!”

He said, startled.

“They are Yansui troops. The one with the leg injury is the grandnephew of Deputy General Zhao Menglin of Shanhai Pass. Zhao Menglin led Yansui troops under Du Song’s command and later died together at Sarhu. This nephew of his broke out with some household servants and has been in Liaoyang since. How was he captured? Xiong Tingbi already said he wouldn’t send us reinforcements. How was he captured in Liaoyang?”

Li Rubai said.

At that moment, a Jiannu officer stepped forward.

“Listen up on the walls! Your reinforcements have been wiped out by our Great Jin warriors. Xiong Tingbi is holed up in Liaoyang. If you continue to stubbornly resist, your only fate is death. Our Great Khan promises that if you submit to the Great Jin, the Great Khan will not unjustly kill a single person. As for the two General Lis, they are old friends of our Great Khan. If they are willing to submit to the Great Jin, their positions will be above Li Yongfang’s. The only one who will not be pardoned is Yang Xin. If you remain deluded and insist on being buried along with the traitor Yang, then these men are your example! Our Great Khan is chosen by Heaven’s Mandate. Destroying Yang Gao’s four hundred thousand was as easy as taking something from a bag. Do you really think a mere Shenyang can withstand the Heaven-ordained might of our Great Khan?”

The man shouted.

The soldiers on the wall looked at each other.

The officer Li Rubai mentioned was shouting urgently from behind. A Jiannu beside him rudely struck his face with a sword hilt. The man immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. The Jiannu laughed quite smugly. But amidst his laughter, the man’s body leaned to one side and his head crashed into the Jiannu’s leg.

Caught off guard, the Jiannu fell sideways.

Hopping on one leg, the man tried to grab the sword from the Jiannu’s hand with his hands tied behind his back.

Another Jiannu behind immediately raised his sword to chop down.

But a wounded Ming soldier tied next to him suddenly leaped up and crashed into him.

That Jiannu fell immediately. His sword landed right beside the hand of Zhao Menglin’s grandnephew. The latter’s tied hands immediately grabbed the hilt. Then he raised it upright, leaning his back against the flat of the blade, and fell down together with the sword onto the chest of the Jiannu who had just tried to get up. The outward-facing blade instantly sank into his body.

As the Jiannu screamed and blood gushed from his mouth, Zhao Menglin’s grandnephew released his grip on the sword. Then he slipped his tied hands into the hilt, and using the blade half-stuck in the Jiannu’s bone, he pulled sharply, immediately breaking the ropes. Next, he turned his hand, pulled the sword out, and swung it outward. Both calves of a Jiannu who had just charged over were slashed open. As this Jiannu screamed and fell, he had already transferred the sword to his other hand, lunged forward, landed behind the soldier who had saved him, and cut the ropes on his hands with one slash.

At that moment, two Jiannu pounced simultaneously. He turned and stabbed right into one Jiannu’s body.

But the other Jiannu swung his sword and charged forward to chop down. A soldier nearby who was unattended suddenly leaped up. With his hands tied behind his back, he swiftly snatched the sword from the stabbed Jiannu’s hand, stepped back, and blocked the falling sword for the one with the injured leg. Meanwhile, he pulled out the sword and thrust it directly into that Jiannu’s abdomen.

Their coordination was incredibly seamless.

The Jiannu fell into chaos.

The next moment, all the tied Ming soldiers simultaneously crashed into the Jiannu beside them.

“What’s his name?”

Yang Xin suddenly shouted.

“Zhao, Zhao Shuaijiao!”

Li Rubai said.

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Xin leaped down from the city wall, ran across the passage filled in by the Jiannu, and in an instant reached the opposite bank of the Moat. By then, Zhao Shuaijiao and those two soldiers had already quickly cut the ropes on four men’s hands. However, the Jiannu also reacted, swiftly cutting down a few who were slower to react. But the quicker ones were also engaged in close combat with the Jiannu beside them. To make them stand out for everyone to see, the execution spot was about seventy or eighty meters from the cavalry behind—one Jiannu in front and two behind acting as executioners.

Their sudden rebellion momentarily threw these Jiannu into disarray.

The man who had shouted the speech also turned his horse around in surprise.

But the next moment, Yang Xin was behind him. He instinctively turned his head back, and an iron fist smashed into his face mid-air.

As he screamed and fell, Yang Xin landed on his horse and gave its rear a hard slap.

The horse whinnied in pain, galloping forward like mad, instantly reaching the chaotic battlefield. Almost simultaneously, what could be described as ten thousand arrows were fired at once from the Jiannu cavalry formation opposite. A downpour of sharp arrows instantly darkened the sky over the battlefield.

Without hesitation, Yang Xin jumped down from the horse, then grabbed a Jiannu and held him overhead as a shield.

Zhao Shuaijiao grabbed the passing horse and, relying on superb horsemanship, instantly slipped underneath its belly. Then, the arrows raining down from the sky turned the horse into a porcupine. It whinnied and fell, and he quickly rolled out from under it. Meanwhile, Yang Xin threw away the Jiannu who had become a porcupine on his head, then turned and sprinted back. As he passed by Zhao Shuaijiao, he scooped him up, tucked him under his arm, and continued sprinting.

A second wave of arrows fell from the sky.

Followed by the thunderous sound of ten thousand horses galloping…