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墨書 Inktalez
The Qin State also has its own Catapults, but the craftsmanship is not as excellent as that of other Feudal States. As the Unified War progresses, the main force of the Qin Army will not frequently engage in battles in the field. Instead, they will face more urban siege warfare. Although the talent of those who fight is one of the key factors determining victory or defeat, having well-equipped military hardware undoubtedly provides a significant advantage.
Luzi carefully assessed the situation and submitted a request, hoping that King Zhao of Qin would agree to establish a siege engine unit for the Qin State. As for suitable candidates, they would naturally be found within the existing Engineering Corps of the Qin State. However, the subsequent evaluation results were not ideal; the geographical environment of the Qin State made such long-range projectile weapons less effective. The more critical issue was that there were almost no experts in this field within the Qin State.
Not understanding something is not frightening; what is frightening is when one does not make an effort to learn. Fortunately, there are no such individuals in the Qin State; whenever they encounter a problem they do not understand, they immediately seek solutions. Thus, many offered their ideas and suggestions to improve things as soon as possible. Since there were no Catapult experts in the Qin State, they decided to look for them in various Feudal States. Luzi naturally took the lead in bringing elite teams from other countries to Qin. After assuring King Qin with a three-month guarantee, he set off for the neighboring Han Territory.
It is well known that Korea's location is almost like surviving in a narrow crevice. Korea does not have the strategic depth like Qin, Chu, Zhao, Yan, or Qi; it is surrounded by Feudal States and neighbors such as Qin, Chu, Zhao, and Wei.
Korea's position among the Seven Warring States is entirely due to its excellent weapon manufacturing. Its weapon casting techniques are among the best, and its Catapults are formidable weapons that other Feudal States envy.
However, Luzi was taken aback to find that the current King of Han seemed indifferent to how to maintain and pass on his country's excellence in quality and quantity. The casting families settled in Korea were no longer receiving attention from the Royal Family as they once did; some had even fallen into decline and switched careers to seek development elsewhere.
Those with skills often have pride; they tend to disdain flattery and compromising their principles. In this era of declining morals during the Warring States period, such individuals struggle to thrive. This has led to these talented families falling into decline and ultimately having to leave prosperous cities to live under assumed identities.
When Luzi personally visited the casting families still residing in the capital at that time, he found that most were merely namesake. The true craftsmanship had long been reduced to mere showpieces by some lesser craftsmen, akin to decorative pillows that serve no real purpose.
There are plenty of things that look good but are useless! What Luzi sought was something with genuine heritage. Fortunately, this challenge did not stump him; he traversed mountains and rivers throughout Korea. Finally, as the deadline approached, he was able to bring back good news.
The subsequent settlement followed a predetermined method; promised land and Qin State residency were essential requirements. Although these families valued only King Qin's recognition, everything necessary still had to be adequately prepared. Only when there are no worries at home can one devote oneself fully to serving the country. As long as you have skills, the state has never been stingy. Currently, only the Qin State could provide such opportunities.
Since Luzi secretly sent people to bring skilled artisan families from Korea back to Qin State, there has been significant progress in developing Catapults for Qin State. However, due to the short operational time frame, these new-style siege engines had yet to be distributed for use by frontline combat units.
At this time in Wild King City, there were over a dozen new-style Catapults available. Since the main forces of the Qin Army were making good progress attacking Shangdang Region, these long-range projectile weapons remained in the city and were not deployed with the troops.
The battle between Qin Wei was in full swing, and Commander Luzi still insisted on not revealing his full strength. The soldiers in the city, who understood the situation, were strictly ordered not to engage in combat on the city walls; all they needed to do was stay indoors, eating and sleeping as they pleased.
Until the final showdown, Luzi finally decided to show his true capabilities to those who underestimated the Qin State!
The artillery, having been well-prepared for a long time, was bursting with energy. Upon receiving the combat orders, they immediately unleashed a fierce bombardment. The firing rate was so rapid that experts who came to verify later were astonished. A miracle! It was simply a miracle!
The catapults, in terms of range and accuracy, had improved significantly. The perfect scale was inherited from the Qin State's crossbows, combined with pre-marked shooting parameters that maximized the power of these projectile weapons.
As the massive black objects whistled over the city wall, the defending soldiers on the wall shouted in alarm. The Wei Kingdom's siege troops, thinking that the Qin Army had gone mad, barely had time to react before these flying objects landed among them and exploded. The scattering grease filled the air with a heavy oily smell, creating large patches of sticky ground.
The soldiers covered in grease stumbled around above, unable to maintain their balance and falling over, which disrupted their previously organized attack formation. The incoming oil packages did not cease; after blocking the advance of the attacking troops, they began to extend backward. Archers who were struck on the spot could not even stand up, let alone provide long-range support.
The Charioteer Camp also did not escape unscathed, as they were knocked down by falling oil packages. Wei Wujie realized something was wrong just in time and urgently pulled on his horse's reins to avoid being hit by an oil package. Even so, it was still chaotic; both his horse and those around him fell over.
Danger! Watch out for fire!
Stumbling Wei Wujie shouted for the soldiers behind him to avoid the splattering grease and used his sword as a crutch to run. The once confident attacking troops were now thrown into disarray, no longer able to focus on the siege as they helped each other escape from the scene.
The Qin State defenders on the city wall no longer hid behind their shields; they all watched as the oil packages rained down into the crowd. What surprised everyone was that they were all holding Qin State crossbows. This standard-range weapon with a two-hundred-meter range had not been used against targets moving within one hundred meters just moments ago.
Ji Xi glanced at Luzi, who was still hesitating, and sighed inwardly. Looking back at the waiting soldiers, he quietly reminded him: "General! This is what war is! There is never any so-called justice! In life-and-death situations, we must face the bloody slaughter that we cannot avoid."
Li Xin had been by Luzi's side for quite some time and naturally understood what the general was hesitating about. He stepped forward and quietly said: "If we lose this opportunity out of pity for others, none of our brothers in this city will survive. If it comes to that, our hundreds of thousands of Qin Army will be completely annihilated because we cannot retreat from Shangdang."
At this moment, the soldiers on the city wall were all watching Luzi, waiting for the general's command to attack. Just moments ago, these individuals had given up all hope of survival and ultimately chose to stay behind to defend the city. What were they fighting for? Was it not to hope that their sacrifices today would provide a reason for more people to live on?
Luzi slowly raised his hand and clenched his fist, shouting those three words as if he were using all his strength. "Fire! Shoot!"
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