Wakda had the courage to fight to the death, but he lacked the ability to hold the city. Although he successfully deceived the local populace, causing them to temporarily abandon the idea of surrender, even Wakda himself fell silent when the Ming Army lined up over a hundred Red Barbarian cannons outside the city walls.
Liaoyang City sat right next to the Taizi River. The soil outside the city was damp and loose, making it impossible to dig tunnels for a collapse-style siege. Consequently, artillery became the Ming Army's primary choice. On the first day of the siege, the Ming Army fired a few dozen shells as a trial to test the range and the defensive integrity of the city walls.
The next day, the Ming Army put on a show. Over a hundred Red Barbarian cannons concentrated their fire on the northwest corner of the walls. After a full day of bombardment, the battlements along that section were razed, and the brickwork of the walls sustained multiple breaches. Fortunately, the walls were sturdy enough that they did not collapse.
Chapter 1032