I am Emperor Shizu of Song

Chapter 55: It is not obtained by power, but by destiny

Contrary to what later viewers imagined, the Song Dynasty actually had a very long history of using gunpowder weapons. As early as the reigns of Emperor Zhenzong and Emperor Renzong of Song, primitive gunpowder balls and canister-type weapons had been deployed in the army.

However, the early gunpowder formula was poorly proportioned and not fully mixed, resulting in a slow combustion rate and a low instantaneous expansion rate of the gas. It was more of an incendiary weapon than an explosive weapon.

So when Zhao Zicheng saw what Fan Rui had taken out, he immediately revealed its true nature. The government troops, who had been a little panicked, were no longer so frightened when they heard that the enemy was only using some modified gunpowder ball.

However, to be honest, Zhao Zicheng only took a few quick observations and concluded that although Fan Rui was a trickster, the gunpowder weapons he used were not exactly the same as those used by the government army.

Although the combustion or explosion performance of gunpowder itself is still poor, the smoke emitted by the gunpowder balls used by Fan Rui is darker and thicker, just like a smoke bomb, and the pungent poisonous gas in it is also different from that of the government army.

It seems that the other side also has some talents who are researching smoke bombs and poisons, and have made some small innovations in these areas.

As Fan Rui released the smoke bomb, the poisonous smoke quickly rushed towards Zhao Zicheng's army along with the wind. Fortunately, Zhao Zicheng had strictly ordered the soldiers to cover their mouths and noses and prepare drinking water to wash their eyes, so the soldiers were not too panicked.

In the emergency, An Daoquan who was accompanying the army seemed to suddenly think of something. He took out some cooling pills to prevent miasma and distributed them to some of the front-line soldiers without caring whether they were suitable for their condition or not, asking them to put them in their mouths quickly.

In fact, if we knew that what Fan Rui used was not magic but poisonous smoke, many problems would be easily solved. Zhao Zi said that there was a miracle doctor in the army and there was no shortage of elixirs.

However, in a panic, it is difficult for professionals like An Daoquan to think of this across circles. This shows the value of Zhao Zicheng, the soul figure, in summarizing the key points.

Fan Rui watched as the government troops were engulfed by poisonous smoke. Although he could not see the situation behind the black smoke, he just thought that this group of government troops were just like the merchants he killed in the past. They must have been so smoked that they were in disarray and had lost their combat effectiveness.

So Fan Rui immediately ordered his soldiers to take out the wet cloth they had prepared in advance to cover their mouths and noses, and then led the troops to charge.

Zhao Zicheng was also blinded by the smoke, but from the movements of the other party, he could roughly guess that Fan Rui was charging, so he felt relieved:

"Fan Rui dared to charge, which means the poisonous smoke couldn't be too toxic. Otherwise, his soldiers couldn't have obtained strict anti-gas gear in such a hurry, and at most they would have wet cloths to wrap their mouths and noses. How could they have dared to charge into such a toxic smoke?"

However, just as the enemy rushed up, Zhao Zicheng was dazed for a moment, and then felt something was wrong.

Through the hazy smoke, you can see the enemy getting closer and closer, but their appearance seems to have become extremely hideous, and some even look like evil spirits.

Zhao Zicheng shook his head a few times, but still felt something was wrong. The enemy had already rushed to the front, and the two sides once again engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat.

While Zhao Zicheng's soldiers were still well-armored and could withstand most of the enemy's attacks, their movements were hesitant and slow, and their momentum was much weaker than before. In just a few breaths, the elite soldiers in infantry armor suffered casualties.

"Brother Zhao! Could the enemy be a ghost? Why are their movements so erratic?" Just when Zhao Zicheng was puzzled, an anxious voice came from beside him. The voice was slightly shrill, and even the woman's voice was forgotten to cover up. It was obvious that Murong Yan was scared.

Zhao Zicheng turned around and saw that the panic in Murong Yan's eyes was not fake. Zhao Zicheng knew that Murong Yan was also a martial artist and would never be so afraid of weapons.

Zhao Zicheng was startled, and based on what he had seen, he finally realized: the poisonous smoke used by Fan Rui might contain ingredients that cause hallucinations!
This is not surprising. Some spices and herbs can cause hallucinations if the smoke produced by burning is inhaled, just like the Yunnan people in later generations who ate undercooked red parasol mushrooms.

For example, the traditional datura flower, or certain tobaccos used in later generations, or even some difficult-to-identify burning alkaloids, may all produce effects.

When people in Yunnan get poisoned by eating mushrooms, don't they also mistake people for livestock like cows, sheep, pigs, or dogs? Some even play mahjong after getting poisoned by eating mushrooms and see passersby as red cards, fortune cards, or eighty thousand yuan. Those who don't understand the scientific principles behind this might think they've been bewitched.

"So the so-called black smoke and magic are just gunpowder mixed with hallucinogenic herbs! No wonder the ancients said that biting the tip of your tongue and drawing blood can break the magic. That's not really breaking the magic, it's just using the excruciating pain of biting your tongue to sober you up and shake off the hallucinations!"

Upon thinking of this, Zhao Zicheng immediately shouted, "Don't be afraid! Whatever you see, brothers, and what you think are monsters and demons, they are all hallucinations caused by the poisonous smoke from the herbs burned by the enemy! If you feel uneasy, bite the tip of your tongue and let it bleed. The pain will naturally sober you up!"

After shouting, he personally patted Murong Yan's cheek, encouraging her to muster up the courage to bite her tongue and not be frightened by the hallucination. Murong Yan suddenly became a little scared, hesitant to make up her mind. She just curled up there, trembling on Zhao Zicheng's shoulder. Zhao Zicheng was helpless, and it was not easy to argue with a little girl. He could only give orders while paying attention to pat her back to comfort her.

It's normal for a little girl who has never experienced any great storms to be afraid of ghosts when she has hallucinations for the first time. We shouldn't expect too much from her.

Until this moment, Zhao Zicheng still adhered to the ethics of a rigorous scientist, and did not rush to take the easy way out and directly shout "biting the tip of the tongue and drawing blood can break the magic."

What kind of magic is this?! It's just burning some herbs to make people hallucinate! How can it be called magic?

However, it was at this moment that Zhao Zicheng decided that Fan Rui, the thief, had already decided to die! He must not be allowed to live!
Because Fan Rui's crimes were not just about pretending to be a ghost or practicing sorcery. He was also suspected of using the burning of hallucinogenic herbs in ancient times to confuse people and make profits for himself!
This thief must be cut into pieces! This is not a matter of faction or stance, but he must die if he uses such means!

Following Zhao Zicheng's shout, Yang Zhi and Lu Da, who were originally confused by the poisonous smoke and had some hallucinations, were suddenly awakened. They immediately did as Zhao Zicheng said and bit the tip of their tongues. The severe pain in their tongues immediately made them regain consciousness.

Looking again, the enemy no longer resembled any monsters or demons, but merely a mob in tattered armor. "Death to you, demon thieves!" Yang Zhi and Lu Da shouted in unison, then, spears and staffs raised, they fought their way through.

The elite imperial guards around him also followed suit and bit their tongues. Even if they didn't spit out the blood, or forgot to spit it out, the illusion before them was still broken.

It can be seen that the so-called secret method of breaking the monster does not require blood spurting, just severe nerve pain is enough.

Unknowingly, Zhao Zicheng had inadvertently conducted a set of scientific control group experiments.

The enemy troops had been unable to defeat the government troops in their first charge, suffering heavy casualties and low morale. Xiang Chong was also seriously injured and unable to participate in the second round of the charge.

In this round of charge, the bandits relied entirely on their trust in the leader Fan Rui. They believed that the leader's magic would be as effective as before, so they dared to charge.

Therefore, when the so-called magic was broken and the two sides returned to fair fighting with real swords and guns, the bandit army soon could not hold on.

Yang Zhi and Lu Da charged like mad tigers, carving out two small, uninhabited areas among the bandits. Anyone who approached was stabbed, smashed, and chopped, leaving bloody wounds or suffering severed limbs, broken tendons, and broken bones.

Especially the Zen staff that Rudana remade was of the same weight as the original one, and it was extremely powerful when swung.

The iron rod itself, not counting the shovel head with blades on both ends, weighs at least 40 kilograms, which is equivalent to the empty barbell bar without barbell plates in gyms in later generations.

Imagine someone in the gym swinging an empty barbell so hard it spins like a rocket. Who else could possibly stop it? A barbell with a shovel head like that would kill anyone instantly.

The team of swordsmen led by Li Gun was attacked by Yang Zhiluda and was defeated again.

Zhao Zicheng seized the opportunity and shouted, "Kill Fan Rui! Whoever kills Fan Rui will be promoted one level! The thief who killed Fan Rui will be forgiven of his original sin! Those who killed Fan Rui together will all be forgiven! Our Song Dynasty has the mandate of heaven, how can this evil thief harm us!"

At this moment, Murong Yan, who had been curled up on Zhao Zicheng's shoulder, seemed to suddenly think of something. She also summoned up the courage to speak out and help Zhao Zicheng build momentum:

"This Young Master Zhao is a descendant of the Taizu! He is protected by gods and Buddhas! That's why even magic can't harm him! Just now, that bastard named Fan released a poisonous snake to bite him, but he killed it with one sword. That's because he's protected by destiny! Anyone who can kill a snake in Fengxi Lake is no ordinary person!"

Zhao Zicheng felt a little uneasy after hearing this. If such words were to reach the ears of scholars, it would be a disaster. Even if the world was about to fall into chaos, it was a little too early to be so high-profile now.

But fortunately, at this moment they were in the wilderness, and apart from himself and Murong Yan, the others were all uneducated rough men and bandits. This was just a stopgap measure to hit the enemy's morale on the battlefield, and it should not be taken seriously.

Murong Yan's shout was indeed imitated by some of the government soldiers, and they all started shouting the same thing.

The enemy soldiers were all superstitious people, otherwise they would not have been bewitched and gathered together by a demon like Fan Rui. Now that they saw that the soldiers had broken the demon's magic, they were already terrified, their morale plummeted, and they scattered like birds and beasts.

Superstition is a double-edged sword. When you are better at using magic and illusions than the enemy, your soldiers' superstition is a good thing for you. However, when your magic and illusions are inferior to the enemy's, the superstition of your soldiers will immediately backfire.

As people's hearts collapsed and backfired, the bandits around Fan Rui also became active. Many of them really believed that Zhao Zi claimed to be protected by heaven, but today he had hit a wall. So they ignored the brotherhood of the martial arts world and started killing each other and besieged Fan Rui.

Fan Rui was about to ride away on his horse, but when he saw that everyone around him had turned against him, he couldn't tell who was the enemy and who was the friend, and he was shocked and angry.

He also had some martial arts skills, so he immediately drew out the ancient pine-patterned sword and swung it wildly in an attempt to defend himself. He managed to kill seven or eight of his men, and he was also slightly injured.

In this chaos, Li Gun, the only leader under his command who was still able to fight, seemed to be shocked by the sudden change today.

Seeing that if they did not surrender, their brothers would have to give up, and the officer opposite seemed to be protected by heaven, Li Gun's mind was in a trance, and he felt that obeying the will of heaven was more important than brotherhood. For some unknown reason, he threw a dart at Fan Rui who was killing his own people.

Fan Rui was stunned and felt a sharp pain in his chest and abdomen. He looked down and found that half of the sharp spear head was sticking out of his chest.

"Li Gun, you... actually betrayed your brothers?! You will not live a good life!"

After Fan Rui shouted this sentence in despair, he spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with internal organ fragments, fell off his horse and died.

As Fan Rui was killed instantly, the remaining bandits completely lost their will to resist and all knelt down in surrender.

(End of this chapter)