Chapter 215: The Power of Gunpowder
This sentence was more effective than any persuasion.
Gu Changxiao only trusted Suisui to guard the rear, allowing him to confidently lead his troops to rescue Chang’an.
Jin Sui agreed with this decision because she also didn’t trust the gentry of Yandi! Apart from the Yan Clan, the other fifteen prefectures were fence-sitters.
With the Northern Frontier trade being so prosperous now, many gentry saw Li King as someone suppressing them.
Without Li King, they could freely force the people to switch from farming to industry, expand workshops at will, and exploit labor.
As for Chang’an, with Gu Changxiao bringing fish oil, defeating the Hu People wouldn’t be a problem. But what about after that?
What if Prince Yu, upon hearing that the Hu People had fled, turned his troops back and attempted to ascend the throne?
Therefore, after Gu Changxiao drove away the Hu People, he still had a civil war to fight. The border city would need to continuously supply him with troops, provisions, and weapons.
It was more important for Jin Sui to stay and command the border city than to accompany him to the battlefield.
Soon, Gu Changxiao summoned the key personnel of the border city and confirmed that Miss Ji would remain in charge of the border city. Cheng Yu immediately requested to accompany the Prince on his expedition.
Gu Changxiao agreed. Cheng Yu’s main role was not to fight the Hu People, but to deal with Prince Yu afterward. Cheng Yu’s mind was more useful than Jin Sui’s when it came to dealing with the Imperial Court officials and the gentry.
Hei Hu, Han Xing, and the other Black Feather Camp soldiers would all go, and the Northwest Army would be fully armed, as they had experience fighting the Hu People.
Only a thousand personal guards were left for Jin Sui; the rest were personal soldiers.
Gu Changxiao led five thousand cavalry ahead, with Han Xing following with thirty thousand infantry. Jin Sui estimated that these thirty thousand men would end up fighting Prince Yu in Chang’an.
She knew the combat methods of the Hu People; they would raid and flee, but their burning, killing, and looting were even worse than the Tartars.
Especially towards the Great Xia, which had oppressed them for years, they would surely want to slaughter Chang’an and burn the city to vent their hatred.
Time waits for no one; the earlier they set off, the more people they could save.
In front of officials like Li Heng, Gu Changxiao formally announced that he would rescue Chang’an and drive out the Hu People, and that the person in charge of the border city would be the future Princess Consort, Miss Ji.
Hearing the title “future Princess Consort,” if Li Heng’s beard hadn’t been there, he probably would have plucked out a few strands on the spot.
Yan Jiu’s expression changed several times, but she said nothing, only cupping her hands and responding, “I will obey the Princess Consort’s orders.”
Jin Sui had no objections to Gu Changxiao’s statement. She wasn’t being pretentious; she wasn’t a female official or a powerful person. With just the identity of Leader Ji, why should officials listen to her?
Without a proper title, it would be difficult for her to manage the border city. And the title of Princess Consort was the most suitable. With the Prince away on campaign, the Princess Consort staying behind, no one would have any objections.
Although she wasn’t yet the Princess Consort, Li King had personally said she was the future Princess Consort, and by giving her the token, she would have the authority to manage the border city.
Thus, Gu Changxiao led the army towards Chang’an, while Jin Sui remained to guard the border city.
Grandpa Ling halted the construction in the eastern district, postponing the building of the Taoist Temple and the Academy.
All skilled craftsmen were transferred to the Military Industry Department, and other workshops were temporarily shut down.
Gunpowder, fish oil, weapons, armor, horse feed, military provisions, and medicine were the most important items for current production.
However, trade with the Northern Frontier could not be stopped, as it would incite the gentry’s resistance, and Jin Sui did not want the border city to become an isolated city.
She discussed with Li Heng and Yan Jiu, asking them to send more people to the border city to be responsible for the Northern Frontier trade, as she was short-handed.
Li Heng was naturally willing, and Yan Jiu even more so, moving directly to the border city.
Jin Sui, on the other hand, moved into the Prince’s Residence, as it was more convenient for officials to come and go for discussions. Li Linfeng and Jin An would temporarily not go to the Youth Camp and would stay by her side to run errands.
Grandpa Ling went to the Refugee Camp again. He needed to help his granddaughter monitor the reactions of the common people, fearing that someone might stir up trouble at the grassroots level. As a Taoist priest, he was highly trusted by the people.
Jin Sui wrote to Liu Yun again, asking him to keep an eye on the Northern Frontier, lest Batel also try to get a piece of the pie upon seeing the Hu People invading Chang’an.
Upon arriving, Gu Changxiao would face two powerful enemies: the Hu People and the Northern Frontier! When he drove away the enemies, what a frustrating situation it would be if Prince Yu shamelessly came out to claim the fruits of victory!
Jin Sui’s land reform strategy, written overnight, was once again shelved, but she knew that if Gu Changxiao achieved victory in Chang’an this time.
Then this land reform would not be aimed at Yandi, but at the entire country.
Of course, if Gu Changxiao lost, this plan would become a complete waste of paper, and Great Xia would fall, plunging this land into a chaotic era for at least a hundred years.
For the first time, Jin Sui sincerely pleaded with the gods, asking them to bless Gu Changxiao with a great victory.
She was busy preparing support in the border city, while Gu Changxiao was rushing to Chang’an at a forced march.
Along the way, they encountered many civilians fleeing from Chang’an. After inquiring about the situation in Chang’an, they learned that even more people had not escaped.
The Hu People had already occupied Chang’an City. They indeed had no intention of continuing their southern advance, only wanting to plunder Chang’an City, both its treasures and its provisions.
Of course, they would also capture some slaves to take back, and anything they couldn’t take would be burned!
Gu Changxiao thought of the old border city turned into black earth and smoke, and he couldn’t imagine what Great Xia would be like if Chang’an City became like that.
Upon further inquiry, he learned that Prince Yu had fled towards Shu Province without looking back. He wished he could capture Prince Yu outside Chang’an City and make him kneel and beg for forgiveness.
What he didn’t expect was that Prince Yu had fled with the Emperor but not the Empress.
What made him even more furious was that the National Temple was located in the western suburbs of Chang’an City. The Hu People came from there and knew it was the National Temple.
They actually captured the Empress and forced open the city gate. It was unclear whether to say the Empress had backbone or was unwilling to die in disgrace at the hands of the Hu People.
Upon learning that Prince Yu and the Shen family had already fled Chang’an and had not even mentioned her, she committed suicide with her hairpin.
The Hu People hung her corpse on the city wall. This act ignited the gentry’s resistance within the city, and they began fighting the Hu People.
Unfortunately, because the main army had been taken away by Prince Yu, after three days of resistance, the Hu People still managed to breach the city.
When Gu Changxiao arrived at Chang’an, the city was already strewn with corpses, and the sewage flowing out was not wastewater, but blood.
The sounds of sorrow and crying filled the city, audible even through the city walls.
When they heard that Li King had come to reinforce them, the civilians in the city who had not yet escaped gained courage. As Gu Changxiao attacked the city.
Many civilians wanted to help him open the city gate from the inside, but they were all killed by the Hu People.
The Hu People deliberately humiliated them, throwing the corpses of civilians from the city wall, just to show Li King that the harder you attack, the more of your people I will kill!
Gu Changxiao originally did not want to use gunpowder, as it would be detonating their own Chang’an City.
But faced with this situation, he had no choice. When the gunpowder was thrown towards the city wall, the Hu People were still laughing.
This Great Xia Prince has no way to break the city. Your city walls are indeed strong enough, but after we captured them, the city walls will protect us!
When the gunpowder exploded inside the city, the Hu People were completely stunned. Such a weapon existed in the world!
When they used fish oil to attack Left Wise King’s soldiers, they thought it was the arrival of the thunder god, and many soldiers knelt down and worshipped on the spot.
And now, the Hu People’s reaction was similar to Left Wise King’s soldiers. At first, they didn’t realize these were Li King’s weapons.
They truly thought it was heavenly thunder or an earthquake and rushed to spread the word.
But as one gunpowder charge after another was thrown into the city and exploded, killing countless Hu People.
They finally realized that these were weapons from Li King outside the city.
The Hu People’s army was composed of multiple factions. They were quite united when plundering, but when it came to killing enemies, they started to shirk responsibility.
No one was willing to face such thunder-fire-like weapons with their own troops.
Because for every soldier of theirs who died, there would be one less treasure to take back.
Gu Changxiao did not use fish oil because he feared burning down Chang’an City and endangering the civilians still trapped inside.
After a night of attacking the city, he noticed the enemy had significantly decreased and understood that the Hu People intended to flee.
He immediately dispatched a detachment, led by Hei Hu, armed with fish oil firearms, to pursue them. They couldn’t burn them within the city, but they could burn them to death outside the city!
They had to let the Hu People know that daring to attack Great Xia would result in such a tragic death.
They would have no chance for surrender or peace talks, only to pay with their lives!
When Gu Changxiao led his troops into Chang’an City, all the surviving civilians knelt on both sides of the streets, welcoming Li King.
Looking at the devastated Chang’an City, Gu Changxiao was deeply moved. He had left Chang’an on a rainy night after being expelled.
But at that time, Chang’an was as prosperous as a city in heaven, a place of pilgrimage for countless people, the capital of ten thousand cities, the capital of several dynasties, built with the wealth of the world—the Capital City of Chang’an.
And now, all the former prosperity is buried, and all that can be seen is desolation and no familiar objects. The inner treasury has been burned into brocade ashes, and the imperial streets are trampled with the bones of officials and nobles!
Corpses were seen everywhere along the way, making it impossible to distinguish whether the owners were gentry, powerful people, or commoners.
He dispatched a portion of his troops to assist Hei Hu in pursuing the enemy, while others organized the civilians to clean up the city, distribute porridge, and dispense medicine.
He himself led only a detachment of personal guards to the Imperial Palace, only to find a situation even more tragic than the center of Chang’an City.
Some palace consorts and maids who were not taken away had either committed suicide, been raped to death, or had fled into dry wells or cellars.
They only emerged when they heard that Li King had burned the Hu People and that the city was safe.
Gu Changxiao stood at the highest point of the city wall and looked west with his telescope. Indeed, he saw a raging fire that seemed to engulf both heaven and earth.
The screams of the Hu People were carried by the wind into the city. The civilians smelled the scent of flames in the air and saw black ash in the wind, disbelieving.
The Hu People who had just slaughtered them like wolves preying on lambs were now being burned and killed by the soldiers of Lord Li!
Some Hu People had escaped. Hei Hu requested to pursue the enemy beyond the pass, and Gu Changxiao granted it. At the same time, the Northwest Army was also dispatched.
They were not only to pursue the enemy but also to reorganize the Northwest Pass, which had been breached first by the Hu People, and to pacify the local populace.
When Han Xing arrived, he found that the Hu People had already been driven away. He was somewhat angry, having run so far without killing a single enemy, what was the point?
Gu Changxiao told him not to rush, as new enemies would arrive soon.
With the thirty thousand infantry brought by Han Xing, Gu Changxiao felt more at ease. He dispatched ten thousand to pursue Hei Hu, while the remaining two cleaned up Chang’an City.
They conscripted the young and strong from Chang’an into the army, ready at any moment for Prince Yu’s counterattack.
Hearing that some Hu People were still in the suburbs, he sent Han Xing and his men to encircle and annihilate them, striving to leave none behind and to kill all the Hu People.
This war ended too quickly, surprising many. Even Gu Changxiao himself found it incredible, not because of the Hu People’s weak combat effectiveness.
But rather, he was surprised by the immense power of the gunpowder! It had truly blasted a gap in the city walls, which the Ministry of Works was now repairing.
Its lethality was far greater than that of fish oil firearms. Fish oil firearms relied on burning the enemy to death; if the enemy could extinguish the fire in time, the casualties were not high.
But with gunpowder, it was a direct explosion. The iron filings and shattered steel within, whether hitting a person or a horse, would cause instant death.
With such powerful weapons, Gu Changxiao believed they could completely awe the surrounding small nations. He estimated that the Hu People also had considerable reinforcements.
When they discovered that this vanguard army had been decimated and that there were pursuers, they would likely not dare to step foot into Great Xia for many years.
Hei Hu took a large amount of fish oil and gunpowder to pursue the enemy. He requested to pursue them beyond the pass, and Gu Changxiao agreed.
However, Hei Hu was very stubborn. The Prince allowed him to pursue beyond the pass, but didn’t say where to stop.
When ten thousand reinforcements arrived, Hei Hu became even bolder. Damn it, since we’re pursuing the enemy, I’ll chase them all the way to their homeland!
You killed so many of my people, and I’ll kill my way back!
Hei Hu continued to pursue, all the way beyond the Northwest Pass, and even replenished his troops there.
He continued to pursue, all the way to the Western Regions. Along the way, he killed any Hu soldiers he encountered, and if provisions were insufficient, he plundered from Hu tribes.
Why should only you be allowed to plunder me, and I not be allowed to plunder you?
No one expected that the foolish general Li King sent to pursue the enemy would achieve a great feat that would be recorded in history.
Hei Hu pursued, and the Hu People fled, eventually reaching Tianzhu, and Hei Hu also pursued them to Tianzhu!
This pursuit lasted for three years. Of course, this is a digression. For now, let’s continue talking about Chang’an.
Because Li King’s army arrived in time to rescue them, seventy percent of the civilians survived, and some of the fleeing civilians began to return.
Prince Yu, who had received the news, was halfway to Shu Province when he received word that Chang’an had been recaptured and the Hu People had fled.
He felt no shame for abandoning the city and fleeing. Instead, he was excited: “Excellent! Which general was so brave as to drive away the Hu People?”
“It was Lord Li! He rushed from the border city to Chang’an, and in just one night, he broke the city, and the Hu People fled.
Currently, Li King is reorganizing Chang’an City, pacifying the civilians, repairing the city, and arranging troops to pursue the enemy…”
Before the messenger could finish speaking, Prince Yu interrupted him by throwing a teacup. Duke Shen, standing nearby, immediately reacted:
“No wonder the Hu People’s attack on the city was so smooth! No wonder the Northwest Pass couldn’t stop the Hu People.
So it was Li King!”
Prince Yu’s eyes lit up, and he instantly understood Duke Shen’s meaning: this was to frame Li King for colluding with the Hu People and luring them to attack Chang’an City.
He intended to use the Hu People to kill the Emperor, and then pretend to come to the rescue.
Prince Yu was overjoyed: “Return to the city immediately! This time, let the world see Li King’s true face! He is the traitor who colluded with external enemies!”
Unfortunately, they misjudged one thing: the people had eyes.
The gentry could no longer cover the sky with one hand and twist black and white.
They also misjudged the border city’s control over public opinion. When they discovered that giant seven-colored cloth balls were floating in the sky over the cities along the route, with countless pieces of paper falling from them.
When Prince Yu got hold of the paper, he was so angry he almost fell off his horse.
It was written in plain language how Prince Yu, when the Hu People invaded Chang’an City, abandoned the entire city and its people and fled for his life.
It also described how Li King rescued Chang’an City, and even mentioned the Northwest Army, stating that the general sent by Prince Yu was incompetent.
When the enemy attacked the pass, he abandoned the battle and fled, allowing the Hu People to advance unimpeded and kill our people.
