The development of the bombs took a month. During this month while the husband and wife were away from camp, Huo Zhizhang, who stayed behind with the main army, was not idle.
While overseeing shipbuilding, he sent men back to Luoyang to transfer the ships originally built by Huo Tingshan for the eastern campaign to the Hongnong River. He also worked overtime to rush the completion of two catapults.
After Huo Tingshan returned to the military camp, he inspected the warships and catapults one after another.
Everything was in order.
The man looked up at the distant sky. Today was clear and bright, with a gentle, pleasant breeze. No dark clouds loomed on the horizon; it didn't look like rain.
Quite a good day indeed.
"Father, the military orders have been relayed. The soldiers all know that the Thunder God will come to aid our army shortly," Huo Zhizhang said excitedly.
During his father and mother's absence from camp, he had heard they were concocting a great weapon of slaughter, something that could shake heaven and earth upon use, even cause the earth dragon to turn over.
The description sounded utterly mystical. If anyone else had told him this, Huo Zhizhang would have surely thought they were still dreaming, having a pipe dream in broad daylight. But his father said the thing was planned entirely by his mother.
Huo Zhizhang immediately stopped doubting.
He knew his father did not believe in gods or ghosts; he himself hadn't believed either before, considering such talk purely nonsense to awe and subdue the ignorant masses.
Yet, at some point, he had secretly begun to feel that his mother was a goddess who had accidentally fallen from the heavens to the mortal world. Each time, she could produce something different, utterly astonishing.
Of course, such a subtle thought was too secret to be spoken of to outsiders.
Huo Tingshan smiled, curling his lips. "Very good. Let's set off."
Black powder was difficult to explain to outsiders, and Huo Tingshan had no intention of explaining it. To all, he uniformly claimed "the Thunder God aids Youzhou," since his wife had also said this thing had another name: the Heaven-Shaking Thunder.
The army responded and moved. The elite Black Armored Cavalry boarded the ships first. The sails, rolled up on the masts, were lowered with a whoosh, billowing in the wind into arcs full as crescent moons.
The massive catapults were pushed onto ships specially built for them, one vessel carrying just one such machine. As the behemoths were loaded, the ships groaned like burdened horses, the hulls sinking down, the sides pressing against the waves, churning up swathes of white foam.
Pei Ying watched from afar, seeing Huo Tingshan off on another campaign once more.
Seeing the fleet gradually recede, Qin Yang, who had been specially ordered to stay behind, said quietly, "Mistress, the wind is strong here. Let's return to the camp and wait."
Pei Ying sighed. "I hope after this battle concludes, there will be no more major wars hereafter."
"With your divine weapon's assistance, the Grand General is certain to win this battle. An era of peace and prosperity is not far off," Qin Yang stated firmly.
Inside Hangu Pass.
Looking out from the high platform, one could see the river ahead densely packed with ships. Their sails were fully unfurled, and the military banners bearing the character "You" snapped loudly in the wind, like a ferocious tiger baring its fangs and claws.
The Yongzhou soldiers guarding the pass whispered among themselves:
"That Huo Youzhou actually dares to come to Hangu Pass. Could it be he's not afraid of going and never returning this time?"
"He's probably lost his senses. I've heard that recently, the Grand Commander repeatedly sent men to raid the Youzhou camp, even using his own old 'fire pig' tactic, copying it to burn some of his supplies, retreating while hurling insults at him all the way. That Huo Youzhou was so formidable before, pacifying the north, battling Yanzhou. This is probably the first time he's faced such provocation. It's normal he can't swallow his anger."
"Hah, never mind why they've come. Today we'll surely slaughter them until not a scrap of armor remains!"
"If I can achieve a great military merit, my sons and grandsons will change their station in life!"
In ancient battlefields, there were four great military merits: First to Scale (the walls), Breach the Formations, Behead the General, and Capture the Enemy Standard.
Each was extremely difficult, but achieving any one meant not only a large sum of reward money but also promotion in rank and title, with descendants benefiting as well.
As the two Yongzhou soldiers spoke, the Youzhou warships crossing the river began landing one after another.
In front of Hangu Pass lay a large beach. If arrows were shot from the high platform, they could not reach the banks of the Hongnong River.
In other words, the arrow rain could not cover the entire beach.
After the first wave of warships arrived, the Black Armored Cavalry on board swiftly disembarked. Each of these soldiers held a large iron shield. They linked into a line, their shields facing Hangu Pass, forming a crescent-shaped defensive wall of iron.
Once these men had finished forming their formation, the second wave of soldiers pushed the giant catapults ashore.
Ji Xianbai, clad in black armor, stood on the high platform gazing at the Youzhou army forming up not far away. His face showed little expression as he quietly waited for more Youzhou soldiers to land on the beach.
The beach area was limited. Once the Youzhou army was routed and fled, their only escape would be towards the Hongnong River. The river surged torrentially; those who couldn't board ships in time would have to jump in.
The lucky might survive; the unfortunate could only go meet King Yama.
Ji Xianbai knew in his mind he should wait longer, for more Youzhou soldiers to land. But for some reason, with each passing moment, that indescribable sense of foreboding in his heart grew heavier.
Reason told him the timing wasn't right yet; the more Youzhou troops that landed, the greater their eventual losses would be. Yet his premonition pulled in the opposite direction, frantically urging him to act.
Ji Xianbai looked at the catapults about to be unloaded from the ships in the distance and gave a grave order. "No more waiting. Open the gates and send the cavalry out."
At his command, the heavy city gates creaked open.
Yongzhou cavalry on fast horses poured out through the opening gates, and after this wave of cavalry exited, the gates swiftly closed again.
Huo Tingshan had already landed by ship and was directing soldiers to unload the giant catapults. Seeing the charging Yongzhou army from the corner of his eye, the man remained unperturbed, not taking it seriously. "Speed it up. Black Armored Cavalry, prepare to defend."
Seeing Huo Tingshan in the distance unmoving, the Yongzhou cavalry grew even more excited, whipping their horses to charge further forward.
Someone shouted loudly, "The Grand Commander has declared: He who takes Huo Youzhou's head will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold!"
"Loose arrows!" Huo Zhizhang thundered.
As his words fell, the second wave of Youzhou soldiers standing behind the crescent shield wall beside him drew their bows in unison.
The Yongzhou cavalry also had longbows at hand, releasing a rain of arrows from horseback towards the Youzhou army ahead. The long arrows flew through the air with whistling sounds.
"Clang!" Arrows struck the shields and were deflected.
The Youzhou army had all come by ship. The warships' capacity was limited; accommodating soldiers meant they couldn't carry many horses. If they tried to do both, the number of soldiers would have to be reduced by at least half.
The first Youzhou forces to land were infantry, followed by the catapults. There were military horses on the ships, but not many—less than twenty in total.
After the invention of the stirrup and high-cantle saddle, every province quickly recognized the importance of cavalry. Thus, this type of troop, capable of rapid advance and retreat, efficiently and swiftly harvesting enemy lives, leapt to become the king of warfare.
Just like the current Yongzhou army. Barring unforeseen circumstances, with the number of cavalry they were charging with now, they could more than slaughter this batch of Youzhou soldiers who had just landed on the beach clean.
But now, in the eyes of the Yongzhou cavalry, an unforeseen circumstance occurred.
They saw the catapults activate. The long wooden arms behind the massive machines, which had been resting on the ground, suddenly sprang up. Several small black objects seemed to fly towards them from within.
"The Thunder God aids our Youzhou army!"
"The Thunder God aids our Youzhou army!"
The Youzhou soldiers shouted in unison, their voices full of vigor.
Although many Youzhou soldiers had never witnessed the power of black gunpowder, they were quite familiar with this tactic of borrowing power from the gods!
Back when attacking Yanmen Pass in Bingzhou, the Grand General had ordered people to tie lightweight bamboo tubes to kites, then released countless kites in a circle around Yanmen Pass, creating strange noises from all directions. Finally, he commanded them to shout, summoning the mountain god to aid their formation.
The effect was exceptionally good, so good that the Bingzhou army abandoned their armor and fled.
Now...
"Boom! Boom! Boom—!" Several deafening explosions erupted amidst the charging Yongzhou cavalry.
The earth seemed to tremble, and billowing smoke rolled like a dragon's breath. Cavalrymen and horses near the blast points were killed instantly.
Those slightly farther were struck by the shockwaves, seeing men and horses flung to the ground; while some farther away weren't hit by the blast, their mounts were terrified out of their wits, refusing all commands and galloping wildly in different directions.
These few explosions not only terrified the unprepared Yongzhou soldiers but also left the Youzhou soldiers, who had been repeatedly briefed and warned by their centurions and chiliarchs beforehand, utterly dumbfounded.
This... this... this...
The Black Armored Cavalry who had previously followed Huo Tingshan to the eastern suburbs of Luoyang had witnessed the power of explosives. They hurriedly shouted sternly, "What are you standing around for? Charge now! Don't you want military merit? Seize the opportunity quickly!"
The Youzhou soldiers snapped back to attention, their spirits soaring.
Right, it's a perfect opportunity. Charge!
On the high platform of Hangu Pass.
At the first thunderous explosion, Ji Xianbai's pupils constricted sharply. The ominous premonition that had been swirling in his heart instantly transformed into a colossal black serpent, opening its bloody maw and swallowing him whole.
He saw the Yongzhou cavalry below struggling desperately to control their horses. He saw soldiers and horses alike being overturned by an invisible giant hand. Not far from the fallen soldiers, a deep pit had appeared—one impossible for human strength to dig in a mere instant.
What manner of thing was this?
How could it overturn men and horses in the blink of an eye?
If such a large hole could appear in the ground, could the city gates also suffer the same fate? If the gates were subjected to repeated attacks, would Hangu Pass not be lost?
Thoughts flashed through his mind one after another, and Ji Xianbai's face turned ashen.
"The... the Thunder God has appeared! Just now I saw flames appear out of thin air. It must be the Thunder God manifesting," a soldier on the high platform stammered, trembling.
After saying this, the soldier's knees gave way, and he knelt down to pray.
This act of kneeling seemed to press a switch. Soon, several clattering sounds rang out—a row of soldiers on the battlements had successively dropped their weapons.
Ji Xianbai flew into a rage. He immediately strode forward and with one slash, beheaded the guard who had first abandoned his weapon: "Those who abandon the fight shall be shown no mercy!"
The guard's head rolled, blood spraying onto the stone slabs of the wall.
Ji Xianbai's gaze swept over the soldiers, momentarily cowed by the bloodshed. Word by word, he repeated, "Those who abandon the fight shall be shown no mercy."
Fresh blood snaked down the long sword like a venomous serpent flicking its crimson tongue. The soldiers shrank back fearfully. Some slowly picked up the weapons they had dropped.
Yet, at that very moment, the thunderous roar came again.
Compared to the first time, where only the sound was heard and the tremor underfoot was barely perceptible, this time the shaking was intense. It felt as if the entire fortress had awoken, rumbling in displeasure at being disturbed.
The Yongzhou soldiers who had just retrieved their weapons shrank their necks; some prostrated themselves on the ground once more.
But from the high platform, Ji Xianbai clearly saw that the tremendous noise did not come from nowhere. It originated from black iron spheres. Whenever flames burst forth from a black sphere, it would trigger earth-shaking tremors.
This truth, however, was utterly useless, for it was both absurd and ludicrous, and no one remained calm enough to process it now.
Morale was in complete disarray.
The fortress shook, soldiers discarded their armor and fled. Scaling ladders were raised from below, yet few soldiers on the high platform paid them any heed.
Their attention was fixed on the deeply dented city wall, which seemed on the verge of being pierced through at any moment.
Before the Ming dynasty, military fortifications like city walls were constructed from rammed earth. Through continuous tamping, the earth layers would gradually solidify, resulting in remarkably sturdy walls.
But this sturdiness lost its former resilience in the face of firearms.
"Boom! Boom—!"
A series of explosions shook the wall, causing fragments of earth to crumble and fall.
"Grand Marshal, that Huo Youzhou somehow summoned deities, causing heaven and earth to tremble. Hangu Pass seems to be..." The military officer lowered his head, not daring to meet Ji Xianbai's bloodshot eyes, but continued, "Hangu Pass cannot be held. I beg the Grand Marshal to swiftly proceed to Yizhou."
Both Yizhou and Jingzhou were their territories. As the saying goes, where there's life, there's hope. Could that Huo Tingshan summon gods every single time?
The officer kept his head bowed, missing the slight contortion of Ji Xianbai's face.
"Summon deities? Hah."
Hearing the odd tone in his voice, the officer was about to look up and ask why when another tremendous explosion sounded. Following the blast, shouts rose from below: "The wall is breached!"
The officer was horrified and hurriedly leaned out to look down.
As the smoke was blown away by the wind, he saw black-armored Youzhou soldiers disappearing from his view one after another, followed by the clanging sounds of weapons clashing from below.
His mind buzzed with shock.
The wall truly had a hole in it.
"Grand Marshal, please follow your subordinate and leave immediately," the officer said urgently, turning to Ji Xianbai.
Ji Xianbai glanced down at the city once more, then wordlessly turned and followed his subordinate to leave. Yet, even after walking some distance, the scene he had just witnessed kept flashing before his eyes.
In the distance, large ships flying dark banners continuously landed on the beaches. Below, Youzhou soldiers swarmed like black ants. Amidst the charging troops, his eyes accurately found the Youzhou commander wearing a black cloak lined with red.
That man wore a tiger-head helmet, atop which stood a long spear tip adorned with a tassel, making him conspicuously visible among thousands.
As he looked at the other, that man also looked back. Those narrow, dark eyes were as cold as a deep, mysterious pool, overflowing with killing intent.
"Grand Marshal, the horses are ready, but time is pressing. There's no time to gather valuables," Hua Ren followed Ji Xianbai down from the high platform.
Ji Xianbai's face was expressionless. "Leave those. Depart swiftly."
The wall was breached, and chaos reigned within Hangu Pass. Someone—it was unclear who—used fire arrows to ignite piles of wood on the ground, setting parts of the city ablaze.
From behind came several more explosions, followed by a young voice shouting, "The gate has collapsed! Everyone, follow me into the city!"
Huo Zhizhang's first act upon leading troops into the city was to search for Ji Xianbai.
To capture the rebels, first capture their leader. If Ji Xianbai could be killed, not only Yongzhou, but even Jingzhou and Yizhou to the south could be taken in one fell swoop.
The city was filled with rolling smoke, obscuring vision. Huo Zhizhang pondered for a moment, then decisively split his forces to search: "Xiong Mao, you take this route; Chen Wei, Chen Yang, you two lead men from that side. Third column, follow me."
Huo Zhizhang headed straight for Hangu Pass's southern gate. His reasoning was simple: with Hangu Pass broken, Ji Xianbai would surely flee south, and exiting via the southern gate was the fastest route.
That man surnamed Ji had repeatedly opposed his father and even attempted to abduct his younger sister to threaten his mother. This time, he was determined to capture the man personally.
The city was in chaos. Riding on horseback along the way, Huo Zhizhang had slain nearly fifty Yongzhou soldiers. He had killed many, yet he had not found the one he was looking for.
"Where on earth has that Ji Xianbai hidden himself?" Huo Zhizhang frowned.
Guo Dajiang beside him ventured a guess, "Perhaps he did not come this way?"
They had already reached the south city gate, and judging by its condition, it did not seem to have been opened. The gate was massive; opening it during wartime would require considerable manpower.
Huo Zhizhang clicked his tongue in irritation. He was just about to order his men to disperse and search the area again when a shadow seemed to flit past the corner of his eye from a nearby house.
He turned his head to look intently, but the spot was utterly quiet. Forget a shadow, there wasn't even an insect. However, Huo Zhizhang did not let his guard down. "Guo Dajiang, go open that door and take a look."
Guo Dajiang hadn't seen the fleeting shadow, but following his superior's order, he approached the house with his sword drawn and kicked the wooden door open.
It was high noon, with the sun blazing brightly, so there was no issue of poor visibility inside the room. But precisely because he could see everything clearly, Guo Dajiang was shocked.
There was someone inside!
After he kicked the door open, the opponent's blade was already closing in. Guo Dajiang hurriedly dodged but was still a step too slow. The long saber struck his shoulder. Fortunately, he was wearing armor, or his entire arm would have been severed.
This man was a skilled blade master. Seeing his first strike fail, he changed the direction of his blade, aiming a slash at Guo Dajiang's elbow.
The elbow area, for ease of movement, was never covered by hard armor.
Guo Dajiang was forced to retreat repeatedly.
Outside the house, Huo Zhizhang laughed. "I was wondering where you had gone. So you were here."
Seeing that he was exposed, Ji Xianbai stepped out from behind Hua Ren. His gaze swept over Huo Zhizhang's features. "You are the second son of Huo Junze?"
Huo Zhizhang snorted coldly. "That's right, it's your granddaddy. Come out and accept your death, you defeated loser."
Ji Xianbai suddenly laughed, as if he had heard an extremely funny joke. "Defeated loser? I did lose, but not to your father, and certainly not to you. If I had been the one to marry Lady Pei, today it would be me standing outside, saying those four words, 'defeated loser,' to your father."
Huo Zhizhang was unmoved. "Even without my mother's assistance, my father could still have defeated you. It would have just taken a little more time. That Zhou advisor beside Cong Liuqi was your man. To think of using plague as a weapon shows you regard the common people as mere grass. Heaven has eyes! It did not let this land fall into the hands of a vicious schemer like you!"
Ji Xianbai sneered. "He who gains the Pei clan gains the realm. Huo Junze was merely fortunate..."
A long arrow, swift as the wind, shot forth with irresistible force. It swept past Huo Zhizhang and aimed straight at Ji Xianbai, finally striking his throat with deadly accuracy.
The force of this arrow was immense. It pierced straight through Ji Xianbai's windpipe, pinning him to the wooden wall behind him. The arrow's shaft vibrated with a lingering hum.
Huo Zhizhang turned back in astonishment, then cried out joyfully, "Father!"
A gust of wind swept by, lifting the edge of Huo Tingshan's cloak. A flash of crimson from the red-backed cloak was revealed, like the blood-stained fang of a dragon.
The burly man strode forward step by step. Under Ji Xianbai's gaze, filled with hatred as he spat blood, Huo Tingshan walked up to him. A smirk curled at the corner of Huo Tingshan's mouth. "You are right. Being able to become her husband is my greatest fortune. Such luck is not for ordinary men. Blame your own ill fate."
Ji Xianbai's eyes bulged with rage. His windpipe pierced, blood flooded his trachea. Even with a chest full of words he wished to say, he could not utter a single one.
Huo Tingshan's smile suddenly vanished. His hand rose, and the blade fell, splattering blood across the ground. "Chop him to pieces and throw him to the dogs."
...
In the autumn of the 325th year of the Jianming era, the Northern Army led by Huo Tingshan and the Yongzhou Southern Army led by Ji Xianbai clashed at Hangu Pass. The Northern Army used thunderous explosives to blast open the pass's gates, annihilating the Yongzhou forces inside in one fell swoop.
This battle was a great victory for the Northern Army. Black powder made its first appearance in warfare. History records it as: The Thunder Battle of Hangu Pass.
