PDLP Chapter 225 Li Zhen Deploys Defenses for Puyang City
Chapter 225 Li Zhen Deploys Defenses for Puyang City
The Jin army under Wanyan Xu's command, numbering over 100,000, surged forward like three iron torrents, advancing simultaneously from Dongming, Juancheng, and Fanxian, heading straight for the walls of Puyang. Of particular note was Wanyan Xu himself, donning armor and leading 50,000 elite troops, setting off from the ancient land of Juancheng. His eyes gleamed with unwavering fighting spirit, determined to annihilate the Li family army and completely clear away any obstacles in his path.
Wanyan Xu was well aware of the entanglement between Li Zhen and Wanyan Ping, the Prince of Zhennan. This time, he resolutely led his troops south to fight against the Song army, partly with the intention of eliminating the Li family's forces. As the sixth prince of the Jin dynasty, he also harbored a secret ambition for the supreme throne. Under the guise of war, he secretly plotted to use this opportunity to weaken Wanyan Ping's allies, gradually isolating him and leaving him helpless.
In that fierce battle against the Song army, many of the Jin generals who fell on the battlefield were actually key members of Wanyan Ping's faction. Some fell bravely to the Song soldiers' blades, while others were caught up in internal strife and died tragically. The truth behind these events has been deeply buried by the smoke of war and is impossible to know for sure.
At this time, 50,000 soldiers of the Li family army were stationed inside and outside Puyang City. Even Li Zhen himself arrived in Puyang City and was currently piloting a helicopter to check the movements of the Jin army from the sky.
Li Zhen pointed to the Jin soldiers marching on the ground and said loudly, "Yue Peng, when I call for the bombs to be thrown, you press that red button."
Because of the loud noise inside the plane, Yue Peng had to guess and make sense of Li Zhen's meaning.
Coincidentally, Wanyan Xu was among the Jin army marching below. Hearing the noise of the helicopter, he looked up.
Wanyan Xu: "What is this?"
The shaman accompanying the army frowned and said, "This is a demon; the Sixth Prince needs to be extra careful."
The Jin army would bring along some shamans with them when they went to war. This was a tradition of the Jurchen culture. Before each battle, the Jin soldiers would have the shamans bless them so that they would be invincible on the battlefield.
Shamanism is a type of primitive religion. It is named after the term "shaman" used by various tribes of the Manchu-Tungusic language family to refer to shamans. It originated in the later period of primitive communes and has obvious characteristics of ethnic and tribal religions.
Originating in the prosperous period of primitive matriarchal clan society, shamanism is a primitive culture widely believed by the ancient northern ethnic groups of China. The theoretical foundation of shamanism is animism, which holds that all things in nature possess souls, and people communicate with these souls through sacrifices and rituals to seek peace and prosperity.
The name shamanism originates from the Manchu-Tungusic language tribes, who called their shamans "shamans." Shamanism can be traced back to prehistoric times and is widely practiced among various ethnic groups in northern China, including the Manchu, Mongol, Hezhe, Oroqen, and Evenki. Shamanism includes ancestor worship, totem worship, and nature worship, and it believes in animism and the immortality of the soul.
Shamanism encompasses a variety of rituals, including initiation ceremonies, sacrifices, healing, prayers, and purification. Shamanic rituals typically involve dancing, invoking spirits, and sending them off, primarily expressed through song, dance, incantations, and ritual implements. Shamanic attire is usually colorful and full of symbolism; for example, animal elements such as deer antlers and bear claws represent strength and courage.
In Northeast China, the influence of shamanism was particularly profound. For example, the Jurchen people held grand shamanic blessing ceremonies during fishing and hunting activities, believing in animism and using these rituals to protect their families and ensure bountiful harvests. Shamanism also developed during the Qing Dynasty, with the Qing emperors combining it with Manchu traditions to govern and manage the Northeast region.
In conclusion, Northeast Shamanism is not only a religious belief, but also an important part of the history and culture of Northeast China, and has a profound impact on the lives of the local people.
Li Zhen piloted the military helicopter to a densely populated area of Jin troops and began a dive. When he was almost overhead, Li Zhen shouted, "Yue Peng, drop the bombs!"
Two jet-black aerial bombs, seemingly dropped from the depths of the sky, landed squarely in the midst of the Jin army's vast marching ranks, instantly unleashing deafening explosions, sparks flying, and smoke billowing everywhere.
"Boom! Boom!!"
Two deafening roars echoed, as if the thunder god of the sky was whispering. The entire earth trembled slightly under the shock, dust danced in the tremors, and a powerful force permeated the air.
Wanyan Xu finally managed to control his warhorse and shouted, "What exactly happened?"
A low-ranking Jin general, looking flustered, rushed to the commander, his voice filled with barely concealed fear: "My lord, disaster has struck from outer space! As that unidentified flying object swept across the sky, the ground shook and trembled as if by divine retribution. I have quickly counted our casualties, and we have lost over a hundred men, not to mention the destruction of much armor and weapons in that sudden catastrophe."
Just now, Li Zhen was piloting a powerful military helicopter, its target a heavy armor transport convoy of the Jin army. The convoy stretched like a long steel dragon, laden with heavy armor and sharp weapons. Normally, these war supplies lay safely inside the trucks, awaiting the call of battle. Once they entered the battlefield engulfed in flames, hordes of Jin soldiers would swarm forward, donning these protective and lethal tools, preparing for the impending fierce battle.
Everyone on the plane was stunned, especially Yue Peng, who had just pressed the button, whose hands were trembling. He really didn't know what he had just released, or how it could have such great power.
In fact, Li Zhen only had five aerial bombs. He had secretly hidden them in his secret space while the Russians were drunk and not paying attention. Although Li Zhen had transmigrated from the modern era, this was the first time he had ever flown a plane and dropped bombs. Looking at the carnage below, Li Zhen regretted not having brought more.
The history of aerial bombs can be traced back to World War I. At that time, the vertically suspended "teardrop" bombs used by German Zeppelins were among the earliest aerial bombs. Due to the Zeppelins' large size and slow speed, the bombs could only be dropped vertically over the enemy, resulting in a low hit rate. As airplanes became the mainstream of aerial warfare, the bomb suspension method changed from vertical to horizontal, and the bombing method changed from direct overhead drops to bombing based on horizontal distance differences, thus improving the hit rate.
Li Zhen drove the group around Puyang City for a long time, giving them a thorough look at the surrounding mountains and terrain. Some of the officers, who were flying for the first time, were afraid of heights and had difficulty even opening their eyes, let alone looking around.
Finally, the helicopter landed in an open space in Puyang City. After the helicopter came to a stop, Li Zhen opened the cabin door and led everyone out.
For this defense of Puyang, Li Zhen had poured all his resources into it. Machine guns and mortars were deployed on the city walls, and countless Russian-made landmines were laid across several roads outside the city. Of the 50,000 troops, 20,000 were stationed inside the city, while the remaining 30,000 were deployed outside the city to build trench defenses, preparing for open battle with the Jin army.