In the era of black powder without TNT, nitroglycerin, or even picric acid, it was naturally impossible to blow up a city with smoothbore artillery alone, even if the Qiongzhou battalion had a big killer weapon like a bombardment. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

However, concentrating the firepower of one of the most powerful fleets in Asia and attacking a small city -- a Japanese vassal state was about the size of a Ming town -- and the main buildings in the city were within cannon range would have a devastating effect similar to what Xia Nan called "razing to the ground." It's just that this kind of saturation bombing will not only attack military personnel, but will inevitably affect civilians, and if it is placed in the territory of the Ming Kingdom, it will have to bear the pressure of conscience and morality.

As a modern person who knows the history of the Japanese militarist war of aggression against China, Xia Nan has a hatred for the Japanese nation and its country that is soaked in his bones. Although intellectually speaking, he knew that the war that happened in another time and space centuries later could not be directly blamed on the ancients of this time and space, and he could calmly deal with Japanese merchants and officials in Nagasaki, Edo Bay and other places, but it did not mean that he could still maintain restraint after being provoked by a certain daimyo, and the daughter of this daimyo almost killed him not long ago. When the hatred in the bones is stirred up, there is no humanitarianism.

Lin Weiye didn't think there was anything wrong with Xia Nan's attitude, whether it was a samurai or a commoner, weren't they all the ancestors of devils? The devils are not in this time and space, and they can't blow up if they want to, what's the problem with blowing up their ancestors? If he knew that Okinawa, which was supposed to belong to China, was taken away by the feudal lord in this city, he was afraid that he would hate it even more.

As executors, Wilhelm, Van Bommel and others would not have considered such a problem, they just faithfully carried out the general's order: to do their best to destroy all resistance forces in the castle in front of them.

The fleet continued to fire and carried out the largest and longest artillery bombardment since the establishment of the Qiongzhou Battalion Navy -- the fiercest battle before was the naval battle with Zheng Zhilong, but the naval battle was roundabout and offensive and defensive, unlike now, where there is no need to consider defense and evasion, and there is no scruple in pouring firepower. On the premise that the opponent has no ability to resist, this one-sided shelling is a massacre.

The sky over Tsurumaru Castle was obscured by the overwhelming cannonballs, and the sun seemed to have lost its brilliance. The retainers, samurai, and common people in the city were all equal at this moment, and the cannonballs did not have long eyes, and they did not distinguish between the noble samurai and the common people who were as cheap as ants. Solid bullets rained down, mixed with the air waves from heavy explosive bombs, indiscriminate attacks that collapsed in patches of houses, killing people every second, littering the streets with corpses, and enveloping the entire Tsurumaru Castle in flames and smoke from the explosions, and people screaming and running in despair like headless flies, no one knew where it was safe.

The castle tower, a symbol of power in the city, used to be the safest place in people's hearts, but now it is also crumbling under fire. The elaborate eaves were torn off, the roofs were opened, the rubble fell to the ground, and everyone, including Shimazu Tadashi, trembled at the rumbling cannons, and no one knew if the next shell would fall on their heads.

Shimazu Tadashi trembled and opened his arms and shouted, "Could it be the thunderous wrath of Amaterasu?" What did my Shimazu family do wrong? If you want to punish us, please put all the blame on me! ”

Shimazu Mitsuhisa knelt on the ground, kneeled in front of Shimazu Tadashi, and said loudly: "Father, please don't say that, this is not the anger of Amaterasu, but the evil Akito, and it is a person who caused all this evil ......" said while looking at his sister, Shimazu Chiyo.

Shimazu Tadashi was stunned for a moment, looked at him, and then looked at his daughter not far away, and muttered, "Are you talking about Chiyo?" ”

Even though she was disturbed by the thunderous sound of cannons and didn't hear what her father and brother said, from the eyes of the two, Shimazu Chiyo still sensed an aura of conspiracy, and she clenched her teeth and clenched the katana in her hand.

Outside the city, on the sea.

William spoke in a very loud voice to make Xia Nan hear his words clearly: "General, if we continue to fight endlessly like this, even if our artillery can guarantee that it will not explode, the shells we carry are limited, and the shells will run out soon!" ”

Xia Nan glanced at the smoke-filled Tsurumaru Castle, sighed a little unwillingly, and ordered, "Stop shooting!" ”

It took a certain amount of time for the order to be transmitted from the flagship to the rest of the battleships, and after the "Guangdong" stopped shelling, it took a while for the rest of the battleships to receive the flags one after another, and in this interval, hundreds of shells flew into Tsurumaru Castle.

In the castle tower.

Seeing the hesitation on his father's face, Shimazu Mitsuhisa knew that his words had been listened to by him, and his heart was overjoyed, ignoring the cannonballs flying overhead and the falling rubble, Huo Di stood up and persuaded loudly: "The bell must be tied to the bell man, and only by handing over Chiyo will he save Tsurumaru Castle and save the Shimazu family!" ”

At this time, the sound of the cannon suddenly became sparse, and Shimazu Mitsuhisa's words were not covered by the sound of cannons, and they clearly reached everyone's ears, including Shimazu Chiyo. The expressions on everyone's faces suddenly became wonderful, some were stunned, some were secretly happy, and some were puzzled, and everyone was thinking about the meaning behind this sentence.

Shimazu Mitsuhisa was a little embarrassed at first, he persuaded his father's words, unwilling to let everyone hear, and let himself bear the notoriety of fratricidal brother and sister, which was somewhat detrimental to his inheritance of the position of family governor. However, after hearing the sound of the cannon from sparse to completely stopped, he had an idea and said to Shimazu Tadahiro: "Father, did you hear me? Akito's artillery fire has stopped! This choice was approved even by Amaterasu, so it prevented the Akito's artillery fire from continuing to rage, which is God's will! ”

The old Ijiin Tadato has always been a supporter of Mitsuhisa, and when he heard this, he immediately reacted and immediately answered: "My lord, please follow the wishes of Amaterasu and sacrifice one person to save Tsurumaru Castle and Satsuma Domain!" ”

The rest of Mitsuhisa Shimazu's supporters chimed in: "Please do God's will!" ”

Shimazu Chiyo also had a group of followers, but when he heard the reasons put forward by the other party, and then thought of the causal relationship between the assassination of the eldest lady and the shelling, he didn't know how to refute it, so he had to bow his head and remain silent.

Chiyo Shimazu frowned, his face pale, and did not argue for himself.

Shimazu Tadashi looked at the ruined roof of the castle tower and the rubble on the ground, sighed, and slowly spoke: "Chiyo, in order to keep Tsurumaru Castle and continue the glory of the Shimazu family, I can't help but wronged you......"