Paper Maker: This is the end of the Ming Dynasty in Liaozhai

On the other side, outside the city of Nanjing, there are many military formations, banners and banners, and more than 160 Hongyi cannons are displayed.

boom!boom!boom!
With a series of loud noises, more than 160 solid iron balls weighing [-] jin were turned into a small black spot and flew across the sky under the action of gunpowder, and then flew towards the city wall.

boom!boom!
Some shells hit the wall, directly smashing a big hole, countless rubble splashed in all directions, some fell directly into the city, smashing down the houses, and some hit the city wall, smashing the bricks.

On the city tower, Wang Jia and the three looked at the Hongyi cannons in the distance, with extremely dignified expressions. Although there are cannons in Nanjing City, they are all antiques from a hundred years ago. In terms of range, they cannot compare with the Hongyi cannons, so they can only bite the bullet and get beaten .

However, they dare not not be beaten. They used to let the soldiers go to the city to hide before, but the Qi army directly attacked the city, and even the moat was filled up for a little bit. After that, they did not dare to let the soldiers go to the city to hide. Bite the bullet and get beaten.

"Master Chen, how is the cannon casting in the city going?"

Wang Jia said with a gloomy expression, it is impossible to keep being beaten like this. Sooner or later, morale will completely collapse, and it will be all over by then. For this reason, they also collected copper and iron in the city and began to cast Hongyi cannons.

Fortunately, Nanjing City, as the capital of the south of the Yangtze River, has no shortage of copper coins and ironware, and there is no problem with the materials. Moreover, there are also methods of casting Hongyi cannons in the city, and there are many craftsmen who can make cannons.

"My lord, only three Hongyi cannons have been cast so far."

Chen Guangyu said with a serious expression: "The number is too small now to go up the city wall, otherwise they will be destroyed by the Qi army in a short time."

It has been more than a month since the Qi army besieged the city. During this month, they searched for materials for casting cannons and craftsmen everywhere. However, they sharpened the guns before the battle, how could they be so fast and smooth? After a busy month, they only cast these three red barbarians. The cannons were not enough to go up the city wall, otherwise a few attacks by the Qi army would be enough to wipe out their hard work for a month.

"How long will it take to cast enough Hongyi cannons?"

Hearing Chen Guangyu's words, Wang Jia's face was instantly gloomy. He doesn't understand military affairs, but he is not a fool. Now the soldiers on the city wall are like frightened birds. They all hide behind the city wall and dare not move. This morale , How could it be possible to defend the city of Nanjing?

If they can't fight back, it won't take long for these soldiers to completely collapse, and it will be over by then.

"I'm afraid it will take about a year."

Chen Guangyu sighed and said: "Nowadays, at most four Hongyi cannons can be cast in a month, and we are trapped in the city, and the charcoal is not enough. We have to demolish the houses of the people to make cannons."

"Then tear it down."

Hearing this, Wang Jia hurriedly said, "Is it more important for those untouchables now, or for defending Nanjing City?"

"Your Majesty, let people go."

Hearing Wang Jia's words, Chen Guangyu quickly responded, the reason why he asked Wang Jia for instructions was to let Wang Jia take care of this matter, even though those civil servants can't do any serious business, but gaining fame is a good thing. Very neatly.

Today he demolished the houses of those common people in order to cast cannons. It won't be long before the civil servants in the court will scold him bloody. If he is unlucky, even his family title of more than 200 years will be smashed.

That's why he asked Wang Jia for instructions. Wang Jia was responsible for this matter. Even if those civil officials troubled him, Wang Jia was responsible for it.

.........

On the other side, the Qi army camp.

In the commander's camp, Su Hao is cultivating with his eyes closed, while the four natal paper figurines are handling all kinds of messy government affairs. Although he is away on an expedition, he is not negligent in government affairs. After all, in Shandong, the prince is still young, so he Don't worry about letting those civil servants mess around.

Moreover, Jiangnan and Shandong are not far away, and there are canals. It does not take long for the memorial to be sent from Jinan to Nanjing.

At this time, the guard outside the tent walked into the tent and said, "Your Majesty, Commander Liao is asking to see you."

Su Hao slowly opened his eyes and said, "Let him in."

After a while, Liao Qing walked into the tent.

Su Hao calmly said, "What's the matter?"

"Returning to Your Majesty, the spies of the Black Ice Terrace in the capital sent back news that half a month ago in the Taihang Mountains, a hunter saw a huge centipede with a length of more than a hundred feet crossing the thunderstorm."

"A centipede of more than a hundred feet?"

Hearing Liao Qing's words, Su Hao frowned and said, "How is this possible?"

You must know that one zhang is equivalent to three meters and three, and these more than 100 zhang are equivalent to four to five hundred meters long. You must know that the aircraft carrier is only more than three hundred meters long, and this four five hundred meters can no longer be described by length, it is completely a giant.

"Returning to Your Majesty, I have sent people to the Taihang Mountains to inquire many times. Although the big centipede appeared in the deep mountains, there are more than a dozen hunters who saw this big centipede. These hunters are unanimous, and there should be no one. Fake."

Liao Qing quickly explained.

Hearing this, Su Hao also fell into deep thought. Ever since the last time Jiaolong appeared, he has been feeling that the world is undergoing a certain change, but he doesn't know what this change is.

After being silent for a while, Su Hao continued to ask: "Did the Jiaolong who showed up in Jingzhou Mansion last time show up again?"

"No."

Liao Qing shook his head and said: "Countless experts from the people have searched along the river dozens of times, but so far no trace of Jiaolong has been found."

"Get people to watch more."

Su Hao said in a deep voice, "How is the situation with Guo Hong and Gan Yang?"

Although he doesn't know what changes are happening in the world, his goal is very clear, that is to win Jiangnan, search for more enlightenment points, and improve the martial arts of immortals. As long as he is strong enough, no matter how the world changes, he can easily deal with it.

"Returning to Your Majesty, Governor Guo has surrounded Luzhou City, and now there are more than [-] Xiangyong in Luzhou City. It will take some time to capture Luzhou City."

Liao Qing clasped his hands and replied, "Governor Gan has captured Suzhou Mansion and is attacking Songjiang Mansion, but according to reports from Heibingtai's spies, Hangzhou Mansion has assembled more than ten thousand Ming troops, and there seems to be signs of attacking Suzhou Mansion."

Hangzhou mansion?
Hearing this, Su Hao couldn't help frowning. The Hangzhou Mansion and the Suzhou Mansion are collectively called Suhang. Since the rise of the South, there has always been a saying that there is Suzhou and Hangzhou under heaven, and this Hangzhou Mansion is also the end of the canal. In terms of wealth, it is not much worse than Suzhou Mansion. If you really want to raise soldiers and horses, it is no problem for Hangzhou Mansion alone to raise an army of [-] to [-].

"How's the conscription on Hao Yi's side?"

After thinking for a while, Su Hao asked, although the Ming army in Hangzhou Mansion showed signs of making a move, he didn't think those Ming soldiers really dared to take action. After all, the soldiers in the guards were already rotten. Hangzhou city is not bad, if you really want to go out of the city to fight, then you will look too high on those guard soldiers.

You must know that he also surrendered [-] to [-] guards in Huai'an Mansion and Fengyang Mansion, but he did not dare to use these guards, because it was different from Shandong. Some are still young.

However, among the guards in Jiangnan, [-]% are old people with gray temples, [-]% are in their forties or fifty, and basically all the young people who can run have run away. The main reason for this is that Jiangnan's business is too Developed.

In Shandong, although there are businesses, they are far inferior to those in the south of the Yangtze River. Most people can only rely on farming to survive. The soldiers in the guard basically have nowhere to escape. After escaping from the guard, they either fall into the grass and become bandits, or flee to the mountains. .

These two endings are not as good as being in the guard. After all, even though there is not enough to eat in the guard, you can barely survive anyway, but if you escape from the guard, you will be at your mercy.

It is different here in Jiangnan. Business is developed and requires a lot of manpower. After those young guards escaped from the guards, they can go to the city to make a living, and those businessmen are also willing to hire these guards.

After all, these guard soldiers became black households after escaping from the guard. Not only are their wages lower, but even if they die in an accident, the government will not pursue them. Most of them are old, weak, sick and disabled, and it is impossible to leave Hangzhou City.

"Return to Your Majesty, Captain Hao has recruited [-] new recruits, and they are currently training."

Liao Qing clapped his hands back.

"Let Zheng Yuefeng and Zhou Bao each bring [-] recruits to support Guo Hong and Gan Yang."

After thinking for a while, Su Hao said: "Tell Guo Hong, after taking Luzhou Mansion, lead troops to Anqing Mansion and Chizhou Mansion, take the two places, block the Yangtze River, and instruct Gan Yang to divide the troops after taking Songjiang Mansion Take Guangde Mansion and Ningguo Mansion."

"I understand."

Liao Qing clapped his hands in response.

"By the way, is Hou Xun here?"

At this time, Su Hao also thought of Hou Xun. A few days ago, he asked Liao Qing to bring Hou Xun here. There is no way for Nanjing City to rely on a strong attack. He tried it before, but the moat of Nanjing City is too big. Too wide, and the walls too high.

More importantly, Nanjing City is surrounded by the Yangtze River on one side, and a lake and mountains on the other. The two directions that can be attacked are the moats formed by the Qinhuai River. It is not easy to cross the Qinhuai River. It is filled with sandbags alone. It's definitely not something that can be done in a short while.

That's why he also thought of Hou Xun. After all, Hou Xun is also a person favored by the Dao of Heaven. If someone can break through Nanjing City as soon as possible, then it must be Hou Xun.

"Return to Your Majesty, Hou Xun has already sailed south, and he should arrive in three days."

After thinking for a while, Liao Qing answered.

Su Hao said indifferently: "When we arrive, bring him to see me."

"The minister obeys the order!"

Liao Qing hastily clapped his hands in response.

...

Time passed, and three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Hou Xun also came to Nanjing City by boat.

On the upstairs car, Su Hao and Hou Xun looked at the distant Nanjing city.

After a long time, Su Hao asked, "Hou Aiqing, what do you think of this Nanjing city?"

"Extremely majestic!"

Hou Xun praised, although the city walls of Jinan Fucheng were not too short, but in terms of height and scale, Jinan Fucheng was far from being able to compare with Nanjing City.

Su Hao asked calmly: "Now that Nanjing City cannot be captured for a long time, what can Hou Aiqing do?"

A good way to capture Nanjing City?
Hearing Su Hao's words, Hou Xun fell into deep thought. Although before he came, he knew that Su Hao sent someone to invite him here. It would definitely not be an ordinary thing, but he didn't expect it to be such a thing.

After thinking hard for a long time, Hou Xun said: "Your Majesty, if you want to capture Nanjing City, the best way is to cross the city wall."

"Aiqing has a way?"

Hearing Hou Xun's words, Su Hao couldn't help squinting his eyes slightly. Although he sent someone to invite Hou Xun to come over, he didn't have much expectations for this matter. After all, the walls of Nanjing City are too high and thick. It is impossible to blow up the city wall with hundreds of catties of gunpowder.

At present, the only way he can think of is to exhaust the defenders in the city, and the morale of the defenders in the city will be exhausted, and then the city of Nanjing can be captured.

"Returning to Your Majesty, when I was studying the steam engine, I improved a machine that uses black oil. This machine is more powerful."

Hou Xun cupped his hands and said: "I am currently studying how to combine this machine with the Mohist's organ beast. Before, the Mohist sages wanted to make a huge siege beast, but later because this kind of siege beast required too much magic power , and was finally discarded by the Mohist sages."

"Now that I have this kind of machine improved by the minister, if the two can be combined, then this kind of siege beast may be successfully manufactured."

"How big is this siege beast?"

Hearing Hou Xun's words, Su Hao was also a little curious. He had seen Hou Yuangao make Mohist mechanism beasts before, but the Mohist mechanism beasts also needed mana to drive, so they were relatively small in size, like tigers, leopards, and wolves. It is already considered big, and it is precisely because of this that the Mohism is far inferior to other ways of practice.

"Returning to Your Majesty, according to the siege beast conceived by the sages of the Mohists, it is four or five feet high and more than ten feet long. It can breathe fire from its mouth, shoot heavy crossbows from its eyes, and hide two thousand soldiers on its back and around its body."

Hou Xun clasped his hands and replied: "Moreover, various organs can be installed on the siege beast. According to the thinking of the Mohist ancestors, this kind of Mohist organ beast can capture any city."

Four or five feet high and more than ten feet long?
Hearing Hou Xun's words, Su Hao couldn't help twitching the corners of his mouth. If this thing is made, it might be much bigger than Gundam. If it is powered by mana, it is estimated that three to five hundred heretic sorcerers in the second-rate realm will be squeezed out. Let's do it, if there are so many heretic warlocks, what is wrong with doing it, to drive this thing.

But as Hou Xun said, if this thing is really made, it is estimated that any city wall is cannon fodder. After all, the height of the city wall is only three or four feet high, and this thing is not like a ladder or something. Set fire to destroy.

If you want to burn this thing, it is estimated that ordinary flames will be difficult to be effective. After all, there are many methods of fire prevention in the Mohism mechanism art, and it is very difficult for a master to destroy it.

However, it is estimated that it is equally difficult to manufacture this thing. Among other things, the size alone is a giant, and it is estimated that it will be difficult to manufacture it even with the power of a large country.

After all, he has also seen the cumbersome manufacturing process of Mohist mechanism beasts before. All kinds of large and small parts have to be engraved with magic patterns, because only magic patterns can transmit mana, and various gear transmissions can make the mechanism The beast moved.