MLMD -Chapter 369 Time to Flee

“One, two, three… push!”

Beneath the hot air balloons, two soldiers hoisted a round bomb the size of a basin and hurled it over the edge of the basket. As it fell, the fuse’s spark could still be seen flickering. Nearby, several other soldiers in different balloons were doing the same thing.

Not every bomb missed its mark. One after another, bombs plummeted onto the city walls, each exploding violently in succession. Every bomb weighed dozens of jin. Even if they only contained black powder, the explosions tore through the defending soldiers, sending fragments and shrapnel flying in all directions. The defenders fell like wheat before the scythe. Facing such devastation—beyond what human strength alone could resist—the defenders descended into chaos. Officers tried to restore order, but the confusion persisted.

Watching the chaos among his troops, Wu Sangui’s face grew even darker. The Xuanda Army hadn’t even formally begun the assault, yet his men were already in disarray. How could they fight a proper battle like this? But Wu Sangui’s resolve hardened. He had realized one truth: the Xuanda Army’s bombs were formidable, but they couldn’t last forever. “I have plenty of men,” he thought grimly. “Let’s just grind them down.”

Sometimes, simple logic is indeed the truth. The balloons had limited carrying capacity, and after a barrage, all the bombs in the baskets had been expended, leaving only the lighter “ten-thousand-man bombs.” Watching the defenders scurry about like headless flies, a soldier from the aerial reconnaissance unit muttered in dissatisfaction, “Just when the fun was starting, it’s over. What use are these tiny things?”

A nearby squad leader kicked him in the rear. “What are you whining about? Using what we have is already enough. Didn’t you see the infantry below charging with swords and spears? Compared to them, we’re in a much better position. Stop whining and get ready to throw!”

After enduring the heavy bombs, the defenders now faced a new wave of “ten-thousand-man bombs.” Though each weighed only three jin—far less than the earlier dozens-of-jin bombs—the bombs fell in dense succession. Explosions erupted continuously along the walls. Wu Sangui and the Shanhaiguan defenders could only retreat into corners, silently enduring the bombardment.

After half an hour, all six hot air balloons had emptied their payloads. The soldiers of the aerial reconnaissance unit, still eager for more, slowly guided the balloons back toward the artillery positions. When the balloons touched the ground, hundreds of logistics soldiers quickly grabbed the ropes under the baskets, securing them firmly.

The soldiers in the baskets shouted, “Hurry, load more ammo! We need to keep bombing!”

Zhao Yongxin chuckled. “These brats… really addicted to bombing!”

One of his aides laughed too. “Well, it helps relieve some pressure on our troops attacking the walls.”

“True,” Zhao Yongxin agreed, but his smile faded as he watched the siege forces cautiously approach the walls. This attack would not be as easy as the previous assault on the walled city.

As expected, when the first wave of over two thousand troops pushed ladders and shield carts toward the walls, the defenders resisted fiercely. Though the earlier bombardment had left the defenders disheveled, these border troops were different from regular Ming soldiers—they were trained for the frontiers and possessed strong morale. Under their officers’ urging, they quickly regrouped and launched a counterattack. Arrows rained down, and the red-clad cannons on the walls fired upon the attackers.

“Whoosh…”

A bowl-sized iron ball shot down from the wall, striking a soldier carrying a ladder. The man didn’t even have time to scream; his upper body vanished instantly. The momentum carried the iron ball into two more soldiers before it hit the ground with a dull thud, rolling a distance before stopping.

The Ming Empire’s fortifications, built with enormous manpower and resources, were not for show. The attackers suffered heavy casualties from the outset.

Seeing this, Yue Yang’s expression stiffened. The generals behind him also began breathing faster. Though they had mentally prepared for Shanhaiguan’s formidable defenses, witnessing such losses still weighed heavily on them.

Yue Yang asked, “Have the artillery pieces been brought up to the walls?”

An artillery officer replied, “My lord, only part of the artillery has been transported. Some remain below.”

“I can’t wait!” Yue Yang’s face darkened. “Order the artillery on the walls to immediately bombard the enemy fortifications. Then direct the arquebusiers to advance to within 500 steps of the walls and form a line to suppress the defenders. Also, instruct the aerial reconnaissance unit to load ammo quickly—airborne bombardment must continue!”

“Yes, sir!”

Yue Yang was indeed anxious. At the current casualty rate, taking Shanhaiguan would cost at least ten to twenty thousand lives. If such losses were necessary, he would rather retreat. In his eyes, victory paved with soldiers’ corpses was not worth flaunting. He also had no intention of sacrificing his men for Zhu Youjian.

With Yue Yang’s resolve, his troops redoubled their efforts. Zhao Yongxin personally commanded the artillery at the walled city, raining twelve- and twenty-four-pound cannonballs onto Shanhaiguan’s walls. Their priority was suppressing the red-clad cannons. Though these cannons fired solid shot with less destructive power than explosive shells, they had a psychological impact on the attackers. Zhao Yongxin engaged the enemy artillery while the arquebusiers opened fire from below.

The Mini-style arquebuses’ range and accuracy shone immediately. Defenders who exposed themselves on the battlements, either firing arrows or pouring molten metal, were struck and fell screaming. Most were shot in the head. The high-speed spinning bullets caused heads to explode, white brain matter and red blood spraying everywhere—a terrifying sight that shook their comrades.

Wu Sangui sent bowmen to counter the arquebusiers, but they quickly realized their bows couldn’t reach the attackers.

Amid the fierce fighting, a deputy general staggered to Wu Sangui. “Sir, the Xuanda Army’s arquebuses are too strong. Our archers can’t hit them!”

“If you can’t reach them, forget it. Take shields and cover the battlements. When the Xuanda Army climbs up, we’ll take them one by one. Do not let them scale the walls, understood?”

“Yes!”

Wu Sangui gritted his teeth, sending reinforcements to plug gaps. The battle reached a stalemate.

Meanwhile, bombs from the hot air balloons rained down again, with fire erupting along the walls. The aerial troops received new orders: target the cannons and dense clusters of troops.

“Number Three! Destroy that red cannon on the south wall immediately! It must not fire on our attackers again!”

“Number Six! Watch where you throw! You almost hit our men just now. If you do that again, get down here. I’ll give you a blade to climb the ladder yourself!”

The radios were filled with commanders’ curses. The battle raged from morning into afternoon. Multiple waves of attackers suffered nearly two thousand casualties. Listening to the casualty report, Yue Yang’s eyes twitched imperceptibly. Such heavy losses in so short a time were rare in his career, souring his mood.

Opposite him, the Wu family fared worse.

At noon, after two hours of attack, the Xuanda Army paused, and Shanhaiguan’s defenders tended to the wounded and resupplied. Wu Sangui and his family took a moment to eat. Though their meals were decent, their appetite had vanished.

Wu Xiang, after a few bites, put down his bowl and asked his attendant, “Have the casualty figures been tallied? Show me.”

The attendant hesitated, stammering, “M-my lord… General Lin already sent them. Here they are.”

“Why didn’t you show me immediately? Can you afford the consequences of delaying?”

Wu Xiang snatched the report. The numbers nearly made him faint.

Wu Sangfeng, peeking at the report in his father’s hands, spat out his rice. “Casualties… over eight thousand three hundred!”

A chopstick clattered to the ground. Wu Sangui’s face, regaining some color, instantly went pale.

Wu Sanfu, his brother, stood in shock, grabbing the attendant’s collar. “Did Vice General Lin send this? Do you know falsifying reports is punishable by death?”

The attendant knelt, trembling. “General Wu, I would never deceive you! This is from General Lin. You can verify it yourself. If there’s any falsehood, I accept the punishment!”

Wu Sanfu wanted to continue berating him, but Wu Xiang stopped him.

“Enough. Don’t make it hard for Wu Fu. He’s been loyal to us for years. He wouldn’t lie, and numbers like this can’t be hidden anyway.”

Wu Sanfu sank onto the cold bricks, muttering, “It’s only been a few hours… so many dead… at this rate, we’ll all be wiped out in two days!”

Wu Xiang stayed silent. Shanhaiguan had over 32,000 defenders; a third had fallen in just one morning. At this pace, tomorrow the garrison would be annihilated.

Even Wu Sangui, the most steadfast, was deep in thought. With such losses, they might hold only a day. Once their forces were depleted, it would mean the end. Yue Yang would not spare them.

After a while, Wu Sanfu glanced at his father and brothers, hesitating. Wu Sanfeng, impatient, said, “Speak up, Third Brother. Stop hemming and hawing.”

Wu Sanfu gritted his teeth. “Father… eldest and second brothers… given the situation, we can’t hold for long. We must plan ahead!”

Wu Sangfeng glared. “What nonsense is that? Shanhaiguan is our lifeline. Lose it, and we’re homeless, scattered across the world with nowhere to turn!”

Wu Sanfu shouted, “But the problem is, our home is becoming our grave! I thought with our high walls and thirty thousand troops, we could hold a month or two, waiting for the snow to force them back. But the Xuanda Army is too strong—sharp cannons and something that flies in the air, dropping bombs on us. How many of our brothers died today? Can we still hold Shanhaiguan?”

“You brat! You need a beating!” Wu Sangfeng stood to scold him but was stopped by Wu Xiang.

“Enough! Father, let him be. He’s loyal and wouldn’t lie. Such truths can’t be hidden anyway.”

Wu Sanfu sat, dazed. Wu Xiang then asked Wu Sangui, who had been silent.

Wu Sangui, still sitting, finally said, “If we stay, no matter what we do, it’s a death trap. Our only option is one path.”

“What path?” the others asked in unison.

Wu Sangui’s eyes gleamed. “To survive, we must abandon the pass and flee to Jinzhou to join our eldest uncle!”

“Abandon the pass?”

The Wu family exchanged looks, then nodded in unison. “It’s the only way.”

Wu Sangui continued, “Then delay no longer. Father and Third Brother, gather the valuables, pack the family, and slip out through the north gate quietly. The soldiers must not know, or all is lost. Also, take all the Guanning Cavalry with us. Everything else can be left behind.”

They nodded. This was obvious—they knew the morale of their troops was key. The garrison, trained personally by the Wu family, remained loyal only while they had confidence in leadership. If the soldiers learned the Wu family fled, morale would collapse. The Guanning Cavalry was crucial; without them, all was lost.

After hurried preparations, at dusk, Wu Xiang and Wu Sanfu led the Wu family and seven thousand Guanning Cavalry through the north gate, racing toward Jinzhou…