Chapter 180: Fortress Siege, Corpses Rain Down (Part 1)

The dim morning light gradually became brighter, and the bluestone city wall became clearer. From a distance, the city wall was full of smoke and fire, and the dark red of coagulated blood. In the sun, the cold dew in the early morning gathered into a drop of crystal water on the top of the city, slowly winding down. The water drop slowly fell into deep red, and then turned black, silently falling into the soil. Following the traces of sliding, the true color of the city wall can be seen, which is a solid stone brick of dark blue and gray.

Xiu Luote stared at this unbreakable city wall and sighed in his heart.

The army went south and besieged the city for ten months, but was blocked by this six-meter bluestone city wall for a month.

At the beginning of the siege, he was full of confidence and felt that with the power of a great victory, he could directly attack the city and the river mouth fortress would be within his reach. Now the prestige of the young commander is high, and Bertard is recovering on the north bank. All the generals are submissive and dare not disobey. At this time, it was the teacher Olosh, who had a special status, who gave him advice, and Xiuluot acted cautiously.

According to the advice, he first set up camps in the south and east of the fortress, and built a water camp by the Kuiceao Lake. Then, he sent warriors to patrol and control all passages, and the estuary fortress became an isolated city, with all water and land cut off. Later, under the cover of shield cars, the Otomi militia began to fill the moat in the east of the city and destroy the wooden fence outside the city. More than a hundred steps south of the city, a seven or eight-meter-high shooting platform was built for archers to climb up and shoot. Until everything is ready, the next step is to officially attack the city.

The estuary fortress has an excellent terrain, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Surrounded by rivers, the soil is soft and hydrated, so it is impossible to dig tunnels and collapse walls. The fortress gates are blocked, and there are not enough metal tools, so it is impossible to break through the gates and dig the roots of the walls. If you want to conquer such a fortress, you can only rely on traditional ant climbing. Once the number of defenders is sufficient and the will to fight is firm, the damage caused by the ants climbing the city will be too great to be accepted. Just like the attempts these days.

Recalling the tragic siege, Xiu Luote shook his head slightly. This was the first time he, as the commander of the army, really faced a strong city.

On the first day of the siege, the Mexica Northern Army mobilized all its strength. Under the cover of the shield car, the archers suppressed the shooting, and the catapults approached and threw. Then, the high-spirited warriors of the Holy City approached the city wall, set up the ladder and climbed up, and then fell from the top of the city. The brutal battle lasted only a few moments, and five hundred warriors were killed!

The six-meter stone fortress wall is completely incomparable to the three-meter wooden fortress wall. The warriors approached within twenty steps, and the spears and stones fell like rain, penetrating the leather armor and helmets. Within five steps, lime and sand were constantly thrown down, blocking the sight in front of them. As soon as the ladder was set up, rolling logs and boulders fell on their heads, breaking tendons and bones.

What was even more troubling was that the Tarasco people had imitated more than 300 Mexica longbows at some point, plus more than a thousand Tlaxcala wooden bows, and shot at each other outside the city, attacking and killing the approaching warriors. Under the strong bows, the warriors were as fragile as autumn flowers, and they withered as quickly as the militia. When a few brave warriors climbed to the top of the city, they were faced with the dense gun array of the Tarasco people, and they were soon besieged and killed.

Xiuluot watched the battle for two quarters of an hour, and without finding any hope of a breakthrough, he decisively blew the conch and ordered a withdrawal. The warriors of the Holy City raised their shields and retreated in embarrassment, and the crossbowmen shot arrows at a rapid speed to suppress the top of the city. Afterwards, he counted the number of people and felt heartbroken. These are the most loyal warriors of the Holy City, the most reliable force of the family!

The young commander immediately asked people to find the enemy nobles captured during the water battle and inquire about the source of the longbows of the fortress. This batch of longbows was the first batch of new weapons shipped from the capital in early September. If the Mexican army had not rushed south, a second batch of longbows with a larger number would have arrived in October.

"The Tarasco people have already manufactured longbows on a large scale in the capital, and they are given priority to supplying them to the southern front, where the fighting must be even more brutal. War is about survival, and it is really the fastest way to spread technology! After the battle of Lake Yuriria this time, spies from various states who are spying on gunpowder will probably swarm in from all over the place, like flies smelling fishy smell. Fortunately, the process of gunpowder is relatively complicated, and there is no possibility of leakage in a short time."

Thinking of this, Xiu Luote raised his head slightly, and his thoughts flew far away.

Olosh strode over in the gorgeous clothes of the legion commander. The head of the legion was promoted to deputy commander and sat in the wooden fort on the north bank. He temporarily took over the head of the legion and led the Holy City Legion, fulfilling his previous wish.

"Your Highness, the warriors are ready. Will we still make a feint to lure the enemy and consume them from a distance today, just like the previous few days?"

Looking at his close teacher, Xiu Luote smiled slightly and shook his head.

"The craftsmen have just built a dozen simple nest cars, which will allow archers to shoot closer. Let's really attack again today! Call Giova forward."

Since the first day of the siege, the young commander realized that attacking the fortress is a long process. If you don't want to lose too many core warriors, you can't rush. He recalled the battles in history and re-planned. First, you must try to consume the elite warriors and warriors, and then gradually attack the militia in the city. When the morale of the defenders is reduced to a certain level, it will be a real land attack and a surprise attack on the water!

Under this new strategy, the subsequent siege will be mainly based on long-range consumption. The warriors of Ottopan are responsible for the feint attack, pretending to climb the city at any time, forcing the defenders on the city to show their heads for defense. Next is the shooting between the archers. The Northern Army will try to make the most of the long-range advantage and occasionally throw burning paper fireballs. If the defenders on the city completely hide behind the shield earth platform on the top of the city, they will usher in a real climb and be forced to mobilize again.

Thus, life gradually became fuel, burning steadily under the collision of war machines at an exchange ratio acceptable to the Mexica Legion. The morale of the defenders was also gradually declining, from the initial inspiring shouts to today's tired silence.

Soon, Giova, the commander of the Ottopan Legion, hurried over. After the water battle, the fierceness on the face of "Coyote" was replaced by respect, and he knelt on one knee obediently to salute.

"Respected brother, what do you want?"

Xuluote nodded, staring at Giova, and gave a stern order.

"Giova, you did a good job in the feint attack a few days ago. Today, you have to lead the brave Ottopan warriors to launch a real assault! I will give you a batch of extra leather armor, let the warriors wear double armor, and the crossbowmen will suppress the city head all the time. You go and pick the elite, inspire the army, and go to the siege when the drums sound! No retreat is allowed until the conch shells sound!"

Hearing this cruel military order, Giova remained silent. In the feint attacks of the past few days, the Ottopan Legion has lost four to five hundred people. This time, the real siege will only cause more serious losses. After a moment, feeling the gaze of the young commander, he bowed his head again and promised.

"Your Highness, I obey your will and am willing to die for you!"

Soon, as the military order was issued, the Mexica camp was really boiling. Thousands of warriors left the camp one after another, and spread out in front of the southern wall of the estuary fortress at a distance of hundreds of steps. The Ottopan warriors were in the front, followed by the prepared temple guards, the Holy City warriors and the Long Spear Legion. Once the first climbers can really stand firm on the top of the city, the subsequent legions will follow. Outside the east city of the fortress, there are also more than 2,000 warriors from the western city-states, making a feint attack to contain the troops.

Faced with the large-scale mobilization of the Mexica Legion, the Tarasco defenders on the top of the city became obviously nervous. The warriors patrolled and scolded on the top of the city, and shouted encouragement. The militia worked hard to reinforce the big shields erected on the top of the city, thicken the earthen platform, and prepare all the wood, stones, sand, and lime that can be thrown.

Xiuluot walked down from the high platform calmly and left the commander's flag here. In the siege battle where he had an advantage, he no longer needed to use flags to encourage the morale of the army. Then, under the protection of the shield of his personal guards, he came to the front line more than 200 steps away from the top of the city, so as to better grasp the siege situation. Olosh also changed into a leather armor, holding a shield and a stick, guarding beside him.

Not long after, the commander's flag waved mercilessly, and the guard's horn sounded sharply, announcing the start of the siege!

Four hundred burly and strong temple guards were fanatical, holding huge crossbows, and advanced to about 140 steps. There are dozens of small earthen platforms here, which are at the limit of the enemy's longbow killing. With the help of rope ladders, nearly half of the temple guards climbed the nearly eight-meter earthen platform to prepare for the large crossbow. The Tarascos on the top of the city could not make any counterattacks. They could only desperately reinforce their shields and earthen platforms and hide their bodies behind the cover.

A moment later, the solemn horn sounded again, and the crossbowmen fired fiercely. "Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!" Hundreds of crossbow arrows were fired from the advantageous height, crossing a slightly falling arc and suddenly nailed to the top of the city.

In an instant, several shrill screams rang out, and more than a dozen militiamen who were not well protected were shot. The crossbow arrows penetrated the fragile bodies of the cloth-clothed men and knocked them down immediately. The lucky militiamen were shot in the vitals and died on the spot without a trace of struggle. The unfortunate militiamen were nailed to the wooden sign beside them, shaking their hands and feet in place and struggling, and blood flowed from the torn wounds.

The "crocodile" flag fluttered in the wind, and the Tarasco warriors who supervised the battle did not hesitate. They waved their daggers and executed the severely injured militiamen who were screaming, giving them a relief and avoiding further affecting their morale. The dead bodies were thrown out of the city to prevent them from rotting inside. Only the lightly wounded militiamen could receive simple bandages, so that they could continue to serve as firewood in the battle to defend the city.

After dozens of breaths, the second wave of crossbow arrows came whistling, and this time only took away three or four militiamen. As the enemy remained in hiding, the shooting at this time did not cause much casualties. The crossbow arrows used by heavy crossbows were more expensive, and the crossbowmen kept a long interval in their shooting, which only had the effect of suppressing the top of the city.

With the firing of the second round of crossbow arrows, thousands of longbow warriors pushed more than two hundred small shield carts and slowly approached the top of the city. The warriors had cold faces and murderous intentions. When they stepped within ninety steps, the longbows on the top of the city began to fire. The "咻咻" feather arrows were high above and deeply nailed on the thick wooden shield. Occasionally, two or three coincidental feather arrows would be shot in from the shooting hole on the shield, and the longbow warriors behind would immediately be shot in the chest and abdomen, losing their strength and falling down.

At this time, the simple but sturdy shield cart would pause for a moment. The remaining warriors bent down and checked their teammates on the ground. This was the marshal's order. If a teammate died, they would continue to push the cart forward. If there was still hope, they would stop where they were, bandage it simply, and then shoot at the top of the city.

Most of the shield carts approached about fifty steps before they stopped together. This was the limit of the Tlaxcala bow breaking the leather armor on the top of the city several meters away. It was a distance measured with life. The warriors then drew their bows and loaded arrows, and coldly released a rain of arrows. The dense rain of arrows crossed a distance of dozens of steps, accurately piercing the eyes, mouths or throats of the Tarasco archers, and then penetrated several inches into the head. Several enemy archers who poked their heads out to shoot died instantly, and more than a dozen militiamen also died silently. At such a close range of shooting, being hit by an arrow meant death.

The battle flag on the top of the city was waving, and at the request of the noble commander, the prepared Tarasco warriors did not stop. They quickly picked up their precious longbows and continued to shoot at the enemies below the city, but they were more careful to conceal their bodies.

When the longbowmen began to suppress further, more than a dozen simple nest carts carrying nearly a hundred archers were pushed forward by two hundred militiamen, focusing on suppressing a section of the city wall on the left.

This is the latest siege equipment designed by Xiuluot. It refers to the ancient tower carts and nest carts of the Celestial Empire. While maintaining the carrying and defense functions, it has simplified the craftsmanship and shape according to the processing capabilities of this era. This nest car is relatively simple, with only two rows of eight solid wood wheels, a stable base, and a reinforced upright log on each side. Between the two tall logs, at a height of nearly ten meters, a platform that can accommodate six or seven archers for shooting is built. The sides and bottom of the platform are reinforced with wooden boards to resist bow and arrow shooting. At the back is a hanging rope ladder for the warriors to climb up, thus replacing the complex and fragile tensile structure.

At this moment, more than a dozen nest carts gradually approached to sixty steps, and the archers above began to fire continuously. "Swish, swish, swish", the arrows, relying on the height advantage, passed over the shields and earthen platforms of this section of the city wall and shot mercilessly at the Tarasco warriors who were the backbone of the defense. Under the targeted shooting, nearly ten warriors who supervised and commanded the battle were shot at the same time, and low screams rang out continuously. The militia lost their suppression and command, and there was a panic on the city wall here.

The deafening drum sound finally sounded at this time! Giova let out a fierce howl, and the long-awaited Ottopan warriors shouted in unison. They were wearing double armor, holding up shields, carrying dozens of seven or eight-meter ladders in the center, and rushed to the top of the city at a rapid speed. Accompanied by fierce drum sounds, earthen platforms, shield carts, nest carts, and more than a thousand crossbowmen fired at the same time. The dense rain of arrows brought a shrill whistle, instantly nailing the Tarasco archers who showed up. Then, the fierce rain of arrows did not stop, doing its best to suppress all living things on the top of the city. "Dou du du", the sound of arrows hitting wood was like a movement of death!

The Ottopan warriors quickly entered within a hundred steps of the city wall and began to be shrouded in the shadow of death. Giova, who led the charge, howled again, and the warriors leaned over and ran, desperately taking steps. They rushed through the increasingly dangerous distance at the greatest speed. Tarasco's longbowmen also fought back desperately, and the "swish" feather arrows fell directly into the crowd of warriors without aiming, and those who were shot immediately fell to the ground. The surviving warriors bled and struggled powerlessly on the ground, but no one cared. Whether seriously injured or dead, it was the same ending at this time.

Hundreds of steps away, Shulot's face was cold and hard, staring at the battlefield in front of him. He watched the Ottopan warriors begin to die in groups, and his heart was as hard as stone. Because, this is just the beginning.

When the Ottopan warriors finally rushed within forty steps, the real killing intent finally came!