Chapter 410: The Siege Battle (Part 2)

This time, the Arab army gave the Tang forces no chance at all. Round after round of incendiary bombs were thrown, setting massive fires not only on the city walls but also on the walls themselves and inside the city. Yet the Tang troops remained silent, offering no resistance. The Arab forces drew closer, entering yet another brutal battle zone. Many Arab soldiers began rescuing their comrades struggling in the blood, quickly carrying them off the battlefield.

With a loud crash, a siege engine finally reached the westernmost part of the north city, where there was no fire. Huge wooden planks were lowered, and over a hundred Arab soldiers armed with shields and spears rushed onto the city walls, shouting as they charged toward the western wall. The siege engine created a passage, allowing more Arab soldiers to climb up via the stairs inside, continuously pouring onto the walls.

But the 2,000 Tang archers had been waiting for a long time. As soon as the Arab forces crossed the corner of the wall, they fired a thousand arrows at once. A dense rain of arrows blocked the path forward for the Arab soldiers. Within seventy paces, the powerful arrows pierced their shields, causing countless deaths and injuries. The first wave of attackers was almost completely wiped out; they retreated, trapped in a narrow corner of the north city.

At that moment, another nightmare befell the Arab forces. Dozens of thunder bombs were fired simultaneously from the eastern and western walls on both flanks. Although they couldn’t reach eight hundred paces like the Arab trebuchets, they could still reach five hundred paces, with some even reaching three hundred or two hundred paces. These bombs exploded violently among the dense ranks of Arab soldiers, like countless bloody waves surging in a sea of darkness. Large groups of Arab soldiers were blown over, screaming in agony. Then, dozens more thunder bombs were thrown, exploding one after another in the crowd, scattering flesh and blood everywhere. The casualties were extremely severe.

Haman was in a state of semi- madness. Watching entire armies killed, his eyes turned red as he screamed hoarsely, “Bring the trebuchets forward! Burn the eastern and western walls to the ground!”

A general, horrified, rushed forward and said, “Your Highness, our troops have already captured the city. We cannot expand the attack.”

“Damn you!”

Furious, Haman stabbed the general to death with his bloodied sword and roared, “Bring the trebuchets forward! Fire incendiary bombs!”

The trebuchets rolled forward with a rumbling sound, advancing about two hundred steps before firing flaming projectiles. Dozens of blazing fireballs soared across the sky, over the northern city wall, and struck the city walls on the east and west sides. On the western wall, massive fireballs rushed in, and at the farthest corner, a thousand Arab soldiers who had already climbed onto the wall were hiding behind it, engaging in archery battles with the Tang troops. They never imagined that the fire would reach them. Dozens of fireballs hit their hiding places, and instantly, the wall was engulfed in flames. The Arab soldiers screamed in agony as hundreds of burning men ran around wildly, only to collapse after a few steps. Yet the most devastating impact came from the siege engines. Four siege engines that had just approached the wall were struck by fireballs and immediately caught fire. Thousands of Arab soldiers inside them panicked and trampled each other as they tried to escape downward; those who were a moment late were swallowed by the flames and burned to death inside the engines.

A hundred steps away on the western wall, the Tang archers also faced the onslaught of fire. In an instant, hundreds of Tang soldiers were engulfed in flames. They retreated one after another, and as wave after wave of fire approached, the flames neared the trebuchets. Next to the trebuchets were the Thunderous Bombs, and crisis set in.

At that moment, a soldier rushed over and shouted loudly, “The general orders that the Thunderous Bombs must retreat from the city immediately! The general orders it now!”

The situation was extremely critical. Thousands of soldiers rushed toward the city below, carrying the Thunderous Bombs. The trebuchets could not be moved and were instantly consumed by the flames. The Arab forces launched waves of fireballs, and the entire northern part of Khiva City was engulfed in raging fires. Chaos reigned in the city, with terrified residents screaming as they fled south. Many were unable to escape and were swallowed by the flames. With a loud explosion, one of the Thunderous Bombs ignited and exploded amidst the fire, collapsing the passage leading down from the city. The remaining four hundred Tang soldiers had no way to escape and perished in the flames.

Although the Tang forces’ defenses were severely pressured, the Arab forces also struggled to advance. At that moment, fifteen heavy Tang trebuchets launched counterattacks from within the city. One after another, the Thunderous Bombs flew over the city wall and were thrown at the dense ranks of Arab soldiers outside. Whenever a dark Thunderous Bomb flew out, the Arab soldiers panicked and tried to flee. But due to their dense formation, every explosion killed hundreds of them.

The Arab soldiers retreated again and again, only to be driven back by the thousands of troops holding the line. His Highness the Amir had issued a strict order: to capture Khiva City at all costs and capture Li Qing’an alive.

At this point, Haman placed all his hopes on the battering ram. He also noticed that most of the thunderbolts fired by the Tang army from the inner city were concentrated on the sides, with almost none in the central area of the city, which gave him a glimmer of hope in capturing the city gates. The ground shook as thousands of Arab soldiers desperately pushed the battering ram forward step by step. The 500 camels originally used to pull it had been terrified by the fierce fighting and refused to exert any more effort. By relying solely on human power, this battering ram was even larger than those used by the Tang army—its shaft alone was 10 zhang long, and with the wooden frame, it reached 15 zhang in total, standing 4 zhang high, requiring 3,000 people to move it. This battering ram was the very weapon that had taken Damascus in the past; the Arabs called it “the Demon.” It was manufactured in Kufa by 2,000 craftsmen. Back then, 200,000 Abbasid troops failed to capture Damascus, but it was this very battering ram that finally broke through the city gates. Three thousand Arab soldiers cheered in rhythm as the battering ram moved forward with a thunderous roar. Two balls of fire landed in front of the city gates, sending flames soaring into the sky. The battering ram advanced amid the flames and explosions. At that moment, a thunderbolt struck the crowd beside the battering ram, exploding violently. A powerful shockwave sent hundreds of people flying, and blue iron nails scattered everywhere, accompanied by screams. The battering ram tilted sharply to the left; the chains clanged, and the massive shaft swayed back and forth, causing two Arab soldiers to shout in terror, “May Allah protect us!” Eventually, the battering ram stabilized. It continued moving forward, covering another 100 steps before finally reaching the city gates. At that point, more than 2,000 Arab soldiers pulled the chains with all their might while shouting and stepping back. The shaft was gradually lifted higher. An officer waved a flag, and the troops released the chains simultaneously. The shaft crashed down on the city gates with a force that seemed to shake the earth. With a muffled “boom!” everyone’s heart almost stopped beating. The city gates shook violently, and the newly repaired bricks cracked again. Inside the city, four layers of bluestone were stacked on top of the city gates. Yet, the immense impact still made those layers shake back and forth, like an earthquake. The two outermost stones fell, nearly killing the Tang soldiers below. A Tang army officer, seeing the situation was dire, ran back toward the rear. He broke through the flames and quickly found Li Qing’an, who was in charge of firing the thunderbolts.

“General, the enemy is using battering rams to attack the gates—their force is too great; the gates may not be able to hold!” Li Qing’an had also felt the ground shaking just now. However, the tall watchtower in the center of the city took up too much space, blocking the attack route and preventing the heavy trebuchets from targeting the gates directly. Moreover, flames were raging all around the watchtower, so intense that the trebuchets couldn’t move forward. Li Qing’an couldn’t help but sigh—the fireballs launched by the Arab army were truly devastating. The fire oil inside those balls wasn’t the viscous petroleum used by the Tang army but rather a lightweight gasoline-like substance refined later, making the flames even more fierce.

At that moment, there was another violent shake as the battering rams struck again. Li Qing’an frowned deeply. He knew the newly repaired bricks hadn’t fully dried and likely couldn’t withstand the heavy blows. He looked up toward the city walls again. The fireballs flying over seemed to have weakened, and the Arab trebuchets probably couldn’t handle such frequent attacks either.

Now, there was only one solution. He ordered resolutely, “Send men from the First Scout Camp to the city walls and throw Thunder Craters manually!”

Immediately, hundreds of warriors poured buckets of water from above, carried ice blocks and fine sand, and wrapped several large wooden boxes containing Thunder Craters tightly in blankets before rushing toward the northern city wall.

Although the Arab army’s main attacks had shifted to the east, west, and inside the city, there were still too many fire oil bombs hitting the northern wall. The fire oil spread everywhere, burning fiercely with flames over a person’s height.

The soldiers quickly laid a straight path using ice blocks and fine sand leading up to above the city gates. Hundreds of Tang soldiers formed a long line, enduring the scorching heat on their backs, and swiftly delivered three Thunder Craters to the battlements. Nine Tang soldiers crouched beside the battlements, used knives to open the wooden boxes, and in groups of three, two of them lifted the over forty-jin heavy iron-clad Thunder Craters.

Just then, the Arab army below let out another unified shout. An officer yelled, “Crouch down quickly!” The Tang soldiers holding the Thunder Craters hurriedly crouched. A dull roar was heard—such a loud noise that it made everyone’s heart feel like it might burst. The city walls shook violently, and dozens of Tang soldiers lost their balance and fell into the flames. Instantly engulfed in fire, even their hair caught fire. The surrounding Tang soldiers frantically tried to pull them out and douse the flames, but still, more than a dozen people died screaming from the burns.

Outside the city gates, the Arab army cheered in unison. The gates had been broken open, revealing the massive stone blocks inside. With just one more strike, the gates would shatter, allowing the Arab army to remove the stones and invade the city.

The situation had reached a critical point, but fate destined Li Qing’an to change history. As the Abbasid troops’ cheers still echoed, three dark, flat iron objects were thrown from the city walls. Emitting white smoke, they landed on the base of the siege ram. The hundreds of Abbasid soldiers around them were terrified, fleeing in panic. But it was too late—one of the objects exploded violently, sending over a hundred soldiers flying into the air. The other two also exploded, hitting the troops behind them, resulting in widespread bloodshed and scattered limbs.

The base of the siege ram was destroyed, and several thick pillars broke. The frame could no longer support the massive ram, which collapsed with a loud crash. Chains flew everywhere, and the ram, with a diameter of ten feet and a length of thirty feet, rolled down, crushing over a hundred Abbasid soldiers into pulp.

The surviving soldiers screamed and turned to flee. The collapse of the siege ram reversed the course of the battle. The Abbasid troops’ morale plummeted, and they lost the will to fight. Their commander, Haman, was stunned. He watched his soldiers torn apart by Tang army’s fire bombs; his army was no longer organized, with nearly half of his 70,000 soldiers dead. Meanwhile, the city of Xiwa still stood firm amidst the flames. Only then did he realize the enormity of his crime.

“Retreat!”

Fueled by rage, he blacked out and fainted.

It was a brutal battle. Neither side engaged in close combat but instead used their most destructive weapons. Yet, the number of Abbasid soldiers killed far exceeded that of the Tang army. Although nearly 3,000 Tang soldiers died or were injured from the fire, the Abbasid army lost over 40,000 soldiers in just one morning. To that end, the Tang army had thrown more than 400 such bombs.

The first day of the brutal siege battle came to an end. On the city walls, Li Qing’an watched as the Abbasid troops slowly retreated. It was clear that their morale was extremely low, and they carried many wounded soldiers—at least 10,000 of them.

Li Qing’an narrowed his eyes, his expression complex. No one knew what he was thinking.

The war had subsided, and the Arab army withdrew to their camp ten miles away. Yet the thick, foul smell of burned corpses lingered in the air, refusing to dissipate. Throughout their camp, injured Arab soldiers lay everywhere; some continued to die and were carried away. Many suffered from the effects of poison, with their wounds blackened and swollen, oozing pus. The Arab doctors were overwhelmed, leaving the soldiers to fend for themselves by cutting away the infected flesh with knives—some even amputating entire arms. Cries of pain filled the air, and morale was at its lowest.

In his command tent, Haman lay on the bed with vacant eyes. The quartermaster was reporting the latest battle statistics to him: 39,000 soldiers had not returned from the battlefield, and another 16,000 were injured among those who had withdrawn. More soldiers continued to die from their wounds, and those remaining were almost all combat ineffective.

After a battle that lasted most of the day, nearly half of his 100,000-strong army had been killed or wounded. Although he seemed to have the upper hand, with the Tang army unable to resist his firebomb attacks, in reality, he was the one who suffered a crushing defeat.

Hamn’s heart ached intensely. Suddenly, he felt a bitter taste in his throat and spat out blood. Several doctors rushed to stop the bleeding.

Hamn waved his hand weakly and said, “Send for General Sheikh!”

One of his bodyguards went out and soon brought in General Sheikh, who entered with a gloomy expression and said nothing.

Hamn sighed and said, “General Sheikh, last time regarding the military rations, I didn’t follow your advice because I thought we had tens of thousands of camels. If necessary, we could kill them for food. But I scolded you without explaining properly. It was my fault—I apologize!”

This was probably the first time in Haman’s life he had apologized. Sheikh’s expression finally softened slightly. He let out a long sigh and said, “I’m not really afraid of the Tang army’s fire bombs, because our burning fireballs are just as powerful. What I fear is Li Qing’an’s tactics. Your Highness must have seen it with your own eyes—actually, the Tang army also has heavy trebuchets like ours. If they had used those to fire firebomb shells at us from the start, we wouldn’t have had a chance to throw burning fireballs. But they didn’t. That’s the terrifying aspect of Li Qing’an’s strategy: he prefers to be at a defensive disadvantage to lure our army forward, then uses fire bombs to kill large numbers of our soldiers. That’s his plan—to eliminate our fighting force. Has Your Highness ever considered such consequences?”

Haman lowered his head and remained silent. Sheikh glanced at him and then slowly said, “I also realized it later. Since Li Qing’an knew about our internal conflicts and killed a large number of troops loyal to the caliph, the caliph’s control over the empire would weaken. As a result, Qiyad in Khorasan would become stronger. Our empire would likely face civil war. Egypt, loyal to Ali the Elder, might split, and there were also remnants of the Umayyad dynasty in Spain—whose forces were not weak. The empire would be in grave crisis. That was Li Qing’an’s strategy.”

“But… but we’re no match for the Tang army’s fire bombs. Their fire bombs are too powerful,” Haman said in a pale voice, murmuring to himself.

“No! I’ve already said it—the Tang army’s fire bombs aren’t that powerful. It’s Li Qing’an’s tactics that are formidable.”

Seeing that Haman still refused to see reason and focused only on weapons, Sheikh said bitterly, “We definitely have a chance to defeat him. If we pretend to withdraw due to a lack of supplies at the beginning, Li Qing’an, if he wants to annihilate us, will be forced to chase after us, or he might abandon the cities and retreat south. As long as we lure him away from Khiva, we can send troops to cut off his retreat, then launch a full-scale counterattack. In the desert, with our numerical advantage, even if the Tang army has thundering bombs, they’re no match for us. We must win this battle. It’s a shame! We were deceived by his trick of luring us in and failed to seize this opportunity.”

Haman’s face turned pale repeatedly before he finally complained, “But you didn’t mention this strategy back then. You only said we lacked supplies. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have launched a full-scale attack on the city.”

Sheikh was speechless. In fact, he had also thought of this strategy later, but it was too late. At first, he didn’t understand Li Qing’an’s true intentions and only realized it afterward—just acting like a post-hoc strategist.

Neither of them had anything to say, and the tent fell silent. After a while, Haman said in a hoarse voice, “So what should we do now? Withdraw again to lure him out?”

Sheikh shook his head. “It’s a bit late now. Fifty thousand against thirty thousand, with low morale and so many wounded soldiers, we’re not in the advantage. Moreover, our burning fireballs are almost gone. The Tang army has hardly used their bows and arrows. Even in a desert battle, we might not be their match. Now, we can only truly withdraw, taking advantage of his lack of preparation, and retreat overnight.”

“Then can we wait for the caliph’s reinforcements?”

“No! No! Before the Caliph’s reinforcements arrive, the Tang army’s reinforcements will come first. If that happens, we’ll truly be wiped out. We must withdraw to save most of our troops.”
Haman pondered for a moment before finally nodding and saying, “Alright! We’ll withdraw overnight.”
Just then, they suddenly felt the ground shaking, and the silver teapot on the table fell to the ground. The two exchanged worried looks as a soldier rushed in, panting, to report, “Your Highness, it’s… bad news. The Tang cavalry is coming.”