Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3303 Unexpected

Before dawn, Xu Huang came out in armor and stood at the mouth of the river to take attendance.

The soldiers boarded the warships one after another.

Although Zhuge Liang said that he could wait for the Jiangdong army to collapse, Xu Huang did not want to put all his hopes on the enemy. Especially for Shamoke, Xu Huang did not like or approve of him.

Xu Huang believed that no matter how well behaved and obedient Shamoke was in the Sichuan Army, he would soon return to his own ways after returning to Wuling, and might not be willing to listen to the Sichuan Army's orders. Therefore, he and Shamoke could only use each other, and it was impossible for Shamoke to really become a subordinate of the Sichuan Army.

Even Shamoke was enthroned by the Sichuan-Shu Army and received the title of a miscellaneous captain.

Therefore, Xu Huang felt that it would be better to control the rhythm of the battle in his own hands.

Strictly speaking, Xu Huang admired Zhuge Liang, but he did not blindly follow his advice.

Even though they were all subordinates of the cavalry, there was a difference in who came first and who came later. The key point was that Zhuge Liang was too young. In many cases, people would subconsciously trust the elderly because the elderly generally had more life experience and rarely took exceptions into account.

Similarly, under the command of the Cavalry, there are different modes of thinking. Some want to establish meritorious service and improve their family class; some want to rebuild the Han Dynasty and protect the country and the people; and some think that if they do not break the old model of the Han Dynasty and build a new dynasty, the world will still follow the old path and will surely perish...

When Fei Qian is still alive and holds power, these people will put aside their disputes and obey Fei Qian's orders. But once Fei Qian grows old and his successors are unable to control the overall situation, how can these people, who have completely contradictory positions from the root, be in the same car or the same ship?

No one can please everyone, and that's normal.

The same is true for policies and directions.

Xu Huang looked up at the flags on the warship, as if observing the wind direction.

Today is not only a favorable day, but also a favorable day.

The wind blew from the west, making the flags rustle violently.

  The warship's sails were not raised. In most cases, the sails on the warships were only half-opened, and human paddling was used to assist in ensuring maneuverability and flexibility. Relying solely on the sails could indeed achieve a very high speed when the wind was favorable, but what if the wind direction suddenly changed in the middle of the battle?

Full sail means using it to the fullest…

It is undoubtedly safer to always leave some spare energy.

The war drums roared and the whistles sounded short.

The warships that had completed boarding sent signals to the command ship one after another.

All kinds of information flowed to Xu Huang like water.

"Each team, set off in order!"

……

……

The small Jiangdong detective Zou Ke, with no baggage on board and few people on board, sailed quickly towards the Yidao downstream.

Lu Xun was a little seasick. He tried to lie half-way in the boat, holding on tightly to the wooden boards of the side of the boat, his face turning pale and blue.

It's not that he had never been on a boat before, but this was the first time he was on such a fast boat in a life-and-death situation.

He felt a little regretful. If he had known earlier, he would not have come to detect the strength of the Sichuan Army.

Who would have thought that as soon as he arrived, he would see the Sichuan Army gathering its troops and boarding ships to prepare for departure?

Not only was Lu Xun dumbfounded, but Zou Ke's reconnaissance team was also frightened and turned back immediately, rowing their boats as fast as they could. Zou Ke seemed to be skimming across the river, rushing towards Yidao along the water.

"It's over, it's over!" The guards beside Lu Xun also looked pale.

The guards were not seasick, but were frightened by the Sichuan Army.

The Jiangdong Army suffered a series of defeats. Well, it can even be said that they were routed. From Huang Gai to Zhu Zhi, from Zhu Huan to Zhou Tai, they were all defeated one by one. Now only Jiang Qin and Lu Xun are defending in Yidao. Even Lu Xun's guards are unreliable and will definitely not be able to hold on...

"Only eight..." Lu Xun gritted his teeth, endured the discomfort of seasickness, and said in a deep voice, "The Sichuan Army dispatched eight tower ships! Only eight!"

"Eight?" Lu Xun's guard shouted, "We only have five left now!"

The guard stretched out a hand, not sure whether he wanted to represent the number "five" or to support Lu Xun.

After saying the current number of five, everyone in the group seemed to fall silent.

During this period, Jiangdong lost not only soldiers, but more importantly, a lot of warships.

In the history of the Three Kingdoms, the navy of the Eastern Wu was undoubtedly the largest. Although Cao Cao had the strongest overall strength in the history of the Three Kingdoms, his navy was never strong because of the Battle of Chibi. Even in the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao claimed to have 800,000 troops, but in fact, if we talk about the navy, it was probably about 70,000 to 80,000, and most of them were surrendered soldiers from Jingzhou. As a result, the Battle of Chibi was a great defeat for Cao's army, with countless casualties. Many ships were burned by Huang Gai in Wulin, and some of the remaining ships of Cao's army were also ordered to be burned by Cao Cao to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Sun-Liu coalition, so there was no decent navy anymore.

Liu Bei was similar. Guan Yu's navy had about 10,000 people, and it reached its peak when attacking Fancheng. With the help of heavy rain and floods, Yu Jin was subdued and Pang De was killed. "Using boats and soldiers, they captured Yu Jin and 30,000 infantry and cavalry and sent them to Jiangling." However, with Lu Meng's backstabbing and Guan Yu's defeat, Shu's navy never recovered.

Only the navy of Eastern Wu developed well from the beginning to the end of the Three Kingdoms period.

Jiangdong is located in the south, occupying the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Its geographical conditions are very favorable for the development of its navy. Jiangdong's strategy also puts the navy in a very important position, making its navy development reach an unprecedented height. Compared with Wei and Shu, Jiangdong's navy is particularly powerful.

During the heyday of the Eastern Wu, the number of its naval forces even exceeded 500,000!

Of course, this number also includes the maritime military power developed by the Eastern Wu in the later period. After all, no matter what, Emperor Sun was the first emperor in China to organize a large-scale fleet to sail far, even if he was one-third of the emperors. Emperor Sun sent Wei Wen and Zhuge Zhi to lead 10,000 soldiers to sail across the sea to seek Yizhou and Danzhou; sent Zhang Mi, Xu Yan, He Da and others to lead 10,000 soldiers to Liaodong along the coastal road; and sent Nie You and Lu Kai to "attack Zhuya and Zhan Er with 30,000 soldiers"...

The basis for building the huge fleet of Eastern Wu was the prosperous shipbuilding industry in Jiangdong.

"Eight?"

Compared to Lu Xun's guards who were clueless, Jiang Qin was more sensitive.

For the Han Dynasty's current fleet, the tower ship is the command system and combat core of the entire fleet, which is somewhat similar to the aircraft carrier of later generations.

"Mr. Lu," Jiang Qin stared at Lu Xun and said, "What plan do you have? Please tell me clearly."

"The alliance between Sun and Cao, joining forces to fight Fei, is the key to the survival of the two families. Fei's cavalry is a man of great talent and strategy, with a strong army and horses. It is difficult for one family to resist it alone. Only when Sun and Cao join forces can they compete with it." Lu Xun said, "If the two families are disunited, they will be taken advantage of by Fei's cavalry, and the foundation of Jiangdong will also be lost. Now Zhu Junli has acted unwisely and violated the alliance, which has put Jiangdong in a desperate situation. If you and I retreat without fighting, although we can save our troops, it is difficult to maintain our loyalty!"

Jiang Qin narrowed his eyes and stared at Lu Xun, without making any comment.

Lu Xun said again: "The commander of the Sichuan-Shu navy, Xu Huang, is originally from the north. He is good at fighting horses and mountains, but not good at water. The reason why he is victorious now is not because of his ability, but because of his sharp weapons. However, the sharpness of weapons will eventually reach its limit. Here in Sichuan, the mountains are high and the water is far away. Even if he can make up for it, it will not be enough. This is one of the reasons why he can win."

"The Sichuan and Shu soldiers have newly built boats and newly trained oars and sails. They appear brave but are inexperienced. This is the second victory. If we can destroy their boats, given Sichuan and Shu's ability to make bamboo and wood, and their lack of boat craftsmen, their boats will also be slow. Isn't this an opportunity for Jiangdong to turn things around?"

Jiang Qin still didn't say anything, just rubbed his chin with his hand.

Lu Xun continued, "Now we are in danger! We can send soldiers to help us at the risk of their lives. Jiang Gong will personally lead the army to fight. Those who do not advance in battle will be killed; those who fight hard and defeat the enemy will be rewarded with double the reward; those who retreat and avoid will be killed and their wives and children will be killed. In this way, the army and the people will be encouraged and we will be able to resist the enemy army."

Jiang Qin frowned and said, "To harm my wife? I'm afraid that's not appropriate!"

Lu Xun laughed bitterly and said, "If Jiangdong is gone, how can I have a family? Who can keep the new land law of the cavalry? If the cavalry wins, all the land north of the Yangtze River will be in their pocket. If they surrender at that time, they will only surrender as a general. They will not be able to keep their soldiers, titles, or land. If they do not surrender, with Jiangdong in their hands and the danger of the Yangtze River lost, how many days can they resist?"

Jiang Qin's face finally changed.

Jiang Qin was a little surprised by Lu Xun's words.

He stood up and stared at Lu Xun, "If I lead the troops to fight, I will ask Lu Xun, what are you going to do?"

Lu Xun looked at Jiang Qin and said, "As long as Mr. Jiang is willing to lead the army to fight against the bandits, I, with my humble talents, can devise a plan to destroy the bandits' ships!"

"What a big mouth," Jiang Qin said.

Lu Xun cupped his hands and said, "If the enemy's ships are floating unsteadily and moving in the middle of the river, I really have no way to stop them... However, if they stay in the middle of the river... then we have an opportunity to take advantage of them..."

"Fire attack?" Jiang Qin asked.

Lu Xun nodded.

"There are more soldiers in Sichuan than just these few ships," Jiang Qin said in a deep voice.

Lu Xun nodded, and his face looked a little better after returning to the water fort. "I heard that they have captured our Jiangdong boats... but Sichuan is short of boatmen and shipbuilders, so they need to be repaired before they can be used."

Jiangdong now has few advantages. As Lu Xun, although he is very intelligent and talented, he still cannot come up with any subversive strategy out of thin air. He can only rely on the existing conditions and try his best to stop the Sichuan Army.

Although Zou Ke's speed was certainly much faster than Xu Huang's entire fleet, he only arrived at the Jiangdong naval camp first, which did not leave much time for Jiang Qin to weigh.

Jiang Qin was silent for a moment, then nodded, "I understand. I'll do as you say."

Lu Xun exhaled, "Mr. Jiang is wise."

Jiang Qin waved his hands and said with a wry smile: "After this battle, I hope I don't end up being cursed. That will be enough for me..."

Because once fire is used, it doesn't distinguish between friend and foe.

……

……

Jiangdong's response to Xu Huang's attack was obviously very hasty.

No matter how much mental preparation Jiangdong had made before, when they really saw Xu Huang coming with a large army, many Jiangdong soldiers were still frightened and no longer had the arrogant demeanor they had before, so they were a little hesitant in their actions. If Jiang Qin was not also a veteran naval general and had some reputation in the army, the Jiangdong soldiers might have been defeated at the first touch!

Only Jiang Qin was giving orders on the surface fleet, while Lu Xun was on the observation tower in the land water fort, standing in the best position to see the overall situation and cooperating with Jiang Qin.

Once Yidao was lost, Jiangling would have to face the threat from the Sichuan-Shu army.

Although Zhu Zhi occupied Jiangling, it did not mean that he could take root in Jiangling. Cao's army was already preparing to march south to retake Jiangling. If the Sichuan and Shu armies attacked from both sides...

Therefore, Jiangling could definitely not be defended.

  So what should Jiangdong do next?

Lu Xun was very worried.

  Now it’s not only a problem of heavy losses, but more importantly, the people of Jiangdong are demoralized!

The generals are not in harmony, and they are at a loss what to do!

All of these are taboos for military strategists!

Is it possible that no one in Jiangdong understands this?

Obviously impossible.

  But if you understand, why have you fallen to this point today?

Before Lu Xun knew it, he saw Jiang Qin's flag waving in front of him, and without hesitation he ordered the vanguard to charge towards Xu Huang's army!

Lu Xun couldn't help but open his eyes wide, his hands tightly grasping the railing of the lookout tower.

Jiang Qin's determination was beyond Lu Xun's expectations.

In fact, when Lu Xun and Jiang Qin were explaining the situation before, their words more or less meant to force Jiang Qin to fight.

Because only by fighting back and forcing Xu Huang to stop would Jiangdong have a chance to catch its breath.

But Lu Xun didn't expect that Jiang Qin would start with a big move...

The wind in the river was strong and the water was surging.

  Xu Huang's fleet, which came from afar, was deployed horizontally on the river and swooped down like a behemoth. However, Jiang Qin's front unit did not stop for a moment and went straight to the battle!

"If everyone in Jiangdong was like Mr. Jiang, there would be no need to worry about bandits in the world!"

Lu Xun clapped his hands as he leaned against the railing and sighed, unable to help but admire.

Even though Lu Xun and Jiang Qin usually don't see eye to eye, Lu Xun still has to praise Jiang Qin's bravery and is sincerely willing to help him win this battle.

At least, it should be a draw.

Lu Xun urged his men anxiously, "Hurry! Faster!"

  We must be ready before Jiang Qin shows any signs of defeat!

The morale of the Jiangdong soldiers is already weak. The longer the time drags on, the greater the possibility of collapse.

Most of the front troops sent by Jiang Qin were led by Jiang Qin's troops. This meant that even if this battle could be won, most of Jiang Qin's troops and private soldiers would be killed here...

In addition, the Sichuan army was too powerful and Yidao could not be defended, so Jiang Qin and Lu Xun had to bear the blame for the defeat. Lu Xun was fine, as he did not rely on his private soldiers to maintain his position, but Jiang Qin still risked his life in this situation, which really made Lu Xun admire him.

"Faster!"

Lu Xun shouted.

……

……

Water splashed everywhere and mist flew everywhere.

Amid the sounds of war drums and shouts, there were continuous loud noises as Jiang Qin's warships and Xu Huang's navy collided with each other and engaged in a fierce battle.

"Release! Release quickly!"

"Throw stones! Throw stones!"

"Stand up your shield!"

"Pull up the stick!"

The determination shown by the Jiangdong army also surprised Xu Huang.

Xu Huang raised his fist.

The messenger in the center army shouted, "Stop marching!"

The flags fluttered up and down, conveying the order to the rear.

The surface of the Yidao River was not very vast, and the front lines of both sides had already blocked the water. If Xu Huang continued to move forward, not to mention whether he could help the front army defeat the Jiangdong army, he might not even be able to maneuver the warships.

If they get crowded together and then encounter kerosene burning, there's really no way to escape.

The shouts of killing from the front were earth-shaking.

"General!" the guard beside him asked, "Shouldn't we go up and help?"

Xu Huang pondered for a moment and shook his head, "It's just Jiangdong's dying counterattack... It's also good to give our men some training."

This is undoubtedly the most correct strategy for Xu Huang.

The Sichuan Navy was established not long ago, and even Xu Huang himself is a newly transferred naval commander. Although he has lit up most of the naval command skill trees with his previous combat experience, he is still some distance away from those veteran Jiangdong naval generals who have maxed out their naval skills. Therefore, fighting, learning, and growing at the same time is naturally a portrayal of Xu Huang's current situation.

This is the case with Xu Huang, so the Sichuan navy naturally needs to learn and grow as well.

Whether it is mutual cooperation or combat pressure resistance, it requires a process of transforming theory into practical ability.

Moreover, Xu Huang's army also has the latest weapons newly developed by Sichuan and Shu——

Tribulus fire thunder.

War is undoubtedly the most effective means to catalyze technological progress.

Previously, during the battle with the Jiangdong Army, Gan Ning discovered that the same grenades used in Guanzhong were not very useful in naval battles. Even though some methods of using grenades were improved later, there were still many shortcomings.

It was under such circumstances that the caltrop fire bomb was a new type of weapon that was urgently produced in a workshop in Chengdu, Sichuan, based on the sketch drawn by Zhuge Liang.

Simply put, it is to add something to the original grenade, or replace the outer shell, changing the original shape of a clay pot or iron ball into the current grenade style that looks like a thorn ball with nails.

After it was made, everyone who saw it clapped their hands and asked why they hadn't thought of such a simple improvement. However, before Zhuge Liang's design draft came out, most people would only complain that the grenade was too slippery. After much difficulty throwing it onto the enemy warship, it ended up rolling down the deck into the water...

This new type of grenade can be launched not only from the large yellow crossbow, but also from a small catapult. Because these little cuties are covered with spikes, once they get on the enemy's ship, it is difficult for the enemy soldiers to remove them in a short time.

However, because they were made in a hurry, the total number of caltrops and fire bombs was not large.

As a calm commander, Xu Huang would not reveal all his cards right away.

Moreover, Xu Huang knew that the Jiangdong Army actually had some "firearms", such as flamethrowers and fireball rockets. The overall technological level of Jiangdong was indeed one level lower than that of the Sichuan Army, but whether it was the fire produced by gunpowder or the fire produced by rockets, they could ignite the flammable materials on the ship and turn the ship into a big torch on the river.

So Xu Huang still chose to be cautious, but what he didn't expect was that it was precisely because of his caution that Jiang Qin and Lu Xun seized a little opportunity...