Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 138: Get on your horse and enter our camp first!
In the evening, we drank and chatted, and also talked about the recent war. Old Zong Ze liked to hear these things.

The next afternoon, when I saw Zhang Shuye again, he had a worried look on his face. He must be worried about the food and fodder. The base camp of Gao Qiu's 130,000-strong army was in Jeju. Not only did Zhang Shuye have to raise food and fodder, but he also had to do a lot of logistical work.

He had only just arrived and was completely confused, but he could only try his best to cooperate. He even organized civilians to dredge the river, the Huangou waterway. The Jiankang navy ships were too large to enter if they were not dredged.

Zhang Shuye also complained: "Such a group of bandits mobilized 130,000 soldiers, and also mobilized the navy from Jiankang Prefecture... Alas..."

The words that were not finished were nothing more than making a mountain out of a molehill and wasting public funds.

Zong Ze replied: "We can't win yet..."

Zhang Shuye was shocked and looked at Zong Ze: "Why can't we win? Brother Zong, don't say that..."

If he still couldn't win, Zhang Shuye's worldview would really collapse. He was a man who had fought in the battlefield in the northwest. If such a big situation had happened in the northwest twenty years ago, an army of 130,000 would have been able to beat the Dangxiang people into a pulp.

It’s a pity that the cost of deploying troops in the northwest is too high, and it is impossible for an army of 130,000 to be deployed at the same time.

Zong Ze looked at Su Wu and said, "Ziqing's words are correct. Ziqing's words on military affairs will definitely not be wrong."

Zhang Shuye looked at Su Wu again, waiting for Su Wu to explain.

Su Wu was also annoyed by this old clan leader, who kept saying whatever he wanted, but he could only reply: "Gao Qiu is not a capable person, he is just a scoundrel who has never known military affairs. I think Prime Minister Zhang also knows that he brought thirty or forty singing and dancing girls with him when he went to the battlefield, and he feasted every day in the army. How can he be a man who can win the battle?"

Zhang Shuye frowned slightly, but said: "That is true, but I saw that Gao Qiu's arrangements before the battle were quite appropriate. The infantry blocked the rear of Liangshan and the navy advanced together. This is really the way to defeat the bandits..."

Su Wu continued, "Have you, Prime Minister Zhang, carefully examined the armies?"

Zhang Shuye frowned even more: "Yes, there are some erosions."

"Mr. Zhang is lucky. It's not just a little bit, but corruption everywhere. Among the 130,000 troops, there is no one who is not corrupt..." Su Wu said.

There was a look of disbelief on Zhang Shuye's face. He had actually been in the Northwest for many years. He had fought in the battlefield and raised horses. In the Northwest Army, he had seen both corrupt and skilled fighters.

How come when they arrived in Jeju, it was normal for some of Gao Qiu's 130,000 troops to be corrupt? Could it be that there was not an elite force among the 130,000 troops?
It shouldn't be...

Zhang Shuye said, "It can't be like this, can it? It can't be that all the 130,000 soldiers are corrupt?"

Su Wu looked at Zhang Shuye and said nothing.

Zhang Shuye nodded slightly. He really couldn't accept it because he couldn't believe it. He had seen elite soldiers. How could the Song Dynasty not have elite soldiers?
Zhang Shuye asked: "I met an old general in the army tent, his name is... Wang Huan. I saw this man and he was not a mediocre person in his speech."

Zhang Shuye found a point that could comfort himself.

Su Wu nodded: "Well, the old general is not a mediocre person, but he is a recruited person from the outlaws. How much respect would he have received in the past? Even if he has a few elite soldiers, how many can he raise? Besides... who else is there?"

They are called Ten Jiedushi, but in fact, they are just ten unpopular garrison troops. Whether they are recruited or killed as refugees, their essence is the same.

It was just a strategy of the court to maintain stability. How could these ten governors be treated well? Just like in the story, after Song Jiang surrendered, how much good treatment did he receive from the court?

They are fed and given a title, that's all, and then, when something happens, they are the first to die. It's just like in the story, after Song Jiang was recruited, he was the first to die.

This is a win-win situation for the imperial court. With one less bandit, and after suffering heavy casualties, they don't have to raise more troops, and can now fight against other hostile forces of the imperial court. It's not just a win-win situation, it's a win-win situation for all three parties, the imperial court wins three times.

Now, Gao Qiu wants to attack Liangshan and recruit these ten so-called Jiedushi. He wants to use thieves to fight thieves, but thieves are different from one another. In the story, when Song Jiang surrendered, he immediately started to die. These ten Jiedushi have been "starving" for who knows how long.

How much use can it have?
Zhang Shuye understood Su Wu's words and even these principles, and he also understood them.

Zhang Shuye also asked: "What about the navy? The navy from Jiankang Prefecture, even if they are useless, their ships are big and strong..."

Su Wu answered directly: "The water in the south is vast, the lakes are wide, the rivers are broad, either endless or all visible, which is very different from the complex waters here..."

Zhang Shuye's brows were already frowning.

Su Wu added: "Wars are fought by humans after all. Soldiers that have not fought for a hundred years... The bandits were originally a mob, but now they are very different. Many of them have seen many life-and-death situations. Some of them are even more vicious..."

Having said this, Su Wu stopped and looked at Zong Ze, who nodded repeatedly as he listened.

Looking at Zhang Shuye again, there is actually a look of pain on his face.

The three of them were silent for a while. After a while, Zhang Shuye spoke up: "General Su... Ziqing, you really know a lot about military affairs. The compliments from Brother Zong are all true..."

Su Wu did not respond either...

Even Zhang Shuye himself sighed and continued, "Such a waste... Such a waste..."

Zong Ze added, "If we spend even one-tenth or one-twelfth of the money to give to Ziqing, the Liangshan bandits would have been wiped out eight times already."

In fact, both of them were obviously in pain.

If I am disloyal, what does the affairs of my family and country have to do with me?

If he rebelled, it would be a blessing if the imperial court was embarrassed.

However, the two of them are so loyal. How can they not feel heartbroken when faced with such a country and a court?
Su Wu had to comfort the two old comrades: "Perhaps... maybe, General Gao has a brilliant plan and may defeat the bandits in one fell swoop."

Zhang Shuye waved his hands and sighed, "What else is unknown? It's not like I haven't fought in a war before!"

The last bit of hope in Zhang Shuye's heart was shattered by Su Wu's few words.

Although Zong Ze likes to study military affairs, he has never actually fought in a war, so he also said: "Maybe..."

Zhang Shuye smiled bitterly: "Brother Zong... sometimes victory or defeat is actually determined from the beginning."

However, two young men walked in from outside the classroom. They were in their early twenties and had strong builds. At first glance, from their facial features, Su Wu could guess that these two men had a special relationship with Zhang Shuye.

Sure enough, one of them spoke up: "Father, is there a new guest?"

Zhang Shuye immediately smiled and said, "Bo Fen, Zhong Xiong, come on, come and meet General Su."

The two were shocked, and Zhang Bofen asked, "General Su? Which General Su? Is it the General Su from Dongping Prefecture?"

Another person, Zhang Zhongxiong, immediately said, "Brother, of course it is."

Zhang Bofen was very excited and immediately bowed: "I am honored to meet General Su in person. I have heard a lot about your anti-bandit activities."

Zhang Zhongxiong immediately bowed his hands and said, "I have seen it, yes, yes, my brother and I both know that Dongping Prefecture has a strong army, which has fought against bandits several times and won every time. I also heard that General Su is even more brave and courageous, and he always leads the troops!"

Su Wu was also stunned. From the expressions on their faces while the two were talking, how could he look like the son of the prefect?
Zhang Shuye's family was also a scholarly family. His grandfather had been a minister of the imperial court, and his father's generation had also been officials. Nowadays, most of Zhang Shuye's brothers were also officials.

Logically speaking, their son should be a Confucian scholar, but these two people don't look alike.

Su Wu stood up and bowed: "Greetings, both of you."

Zhang Shuye laughed and said, "My two sons usually like military affairs."

Zhang Bofen had already sat down next to Su Wu and asked, "General Su, what weapon are you good at using? I am good at using the golden melon hammer."

What the hell?
Su Wu looked at Zhang Shuye again. The son of the prefect didn't use a pen but a hammer to hit people?

This is really incompatible with the Song Dynasty. I also remembered that Zhang Shuye led his two sons to fight against the Jin people and even killed the Jin army generals...

Zhang Zhongxiong also said: "My brother uses blunt instruments, and I like to use knives..."

Su Wu also went to see Zhang Shuye, with surprise written all over his face.

Zhang Shuye also smiled bitterly: "General Su, speaking of studying, in fact, from my father's generation to me... we didn't study well. We took the exam several times but failed. Finally, we were admitted as officials by imperial favor and followed the army in Lanzhou. Then we were gradually promoted. It was also at that time that they were born and grew up in the Northwest Army. Later... I raised horses in the Northwest, and they grew up in the pasture and stables, which delayed their study..."

Speaking of Zhang Shuye, there is actually a kind of regret.

Su Wu understood it. There was really nothing that could be done about one's fate. Zhang Shuye was a recorder and military officer in Lanzhou, which was originally the land of the Qiang people. What books could he read there?
Later, he was finally transferred to the inland area, but Zhang Shuye was demoted to raising horses. What kind of books could he read in the horse-raising area in the northwest, which was only a hundred miles in radius?
I have been surrounded by soldiers since I was a child. Isn't it just that one of them wields a hammer and the other wields a sword?

These two brothers have been doing this since they were young. Now that they are half grown up, isn't it too much to ask them to study and take exams?

Su Wu smiled and replied: "I use a spear..."

Zhang Bofen came up and laughed, "Okay, the spear is good. I use the golden spear, so I can only wear armor and be a general in infantry. My brother Zhongxiong uses the broadsword, so he can be a cavalry general... General Su must also be a cavalry general."

These two brothers are quite funny and straightforward, and what they are actually talking about is their dreams of leading troops into battle.

Zhang Shuye smiled bitterly and said, "My Zhang family has come to an end with my two sons. The future of education has come to an end..."

"Didn't Mr. Zhong from the Northwest also switch from being a scholar to a warrior?" Su Wu comforted.

Zhang Shuye waved his hands and said, "It's different, it's different... Let's not talk about whether to turn or not. Most of the Zhong family are scholars. Just talk about me and the husband of the Zhong family. How can I compare? Where are the soldiers under my command? How can my two sons be generals of infantry and cavalry?"

"Yes, there will be. Hasn't my lord already started to organize the army in Jeju?" Su Wu said again.

Zhang Bofen also came and said, "Yes, father, just manage it. I will help you manage it. If you manage the army well, I will help you lead it."

Su Wu suddenly had an idea and said, "How about..."

"How?" Zhang Shuye asked immediately.

Apparently, they had thought of the same thing. Su Wu smiled and said, "Why don't you go to my army and take a look? Follow me around? Now there are two military governors' offices. If there are good soldiers in Jeju, send them to me for training? Jeju and Dongping are so close, it's convenient to go there. I am also the deputy general manager of the two armies, so it's more legitimate. This way, it will be twice the result with half the effort. We can communicate more and learn from each other. What do you think?"

Zhang Shuye laughed out loud: "That's what I've been waiting for..."

Su Wu realized that he had fallen into a trap. This Zhang Shuye was really good at both "training soldiers" and "commanding the army."

Zhang Bofen at the side also laughed: "I said before that General Su has such a great reputation, and his brothers are willing to die for him. He must be a man of courage and straightforwardness!"

No wonder this happened today. The two brothers were so enthusiastic when they first came up. Su Wu completely understood that Zhang Shuye really had a good way.

But Su Wu was obviously happy to see this happen, and just smiled and said, "You and your father have fallen into the trap!"

"Haha... excuse me." Zhang Shuye waved his hand.

Obviously, Zhang Shuye really liked military affairs and wanted to command the army, but he was also afraid that he would be transferred again soon. Even his two sons had wanted to join the army for a long time, but Zhang Shuye had been going around in circles and had nowhere to send his two sons. Of course, he had to choose a good place for his two sons to go.

In the past, he had thought about letting his two sons join the imperial guards in the capital, but... the factions were at odds. It wasn't that Zhang Shuye had a faction, but that the Palace Front Department had a faction.

Now, they met Su Wu, and they had a good place to go. Obviously, the two brothers really looked down on the general military, and Zhang Shuye certainly looked down on them even more.

It was a blessing for the brothers to grow up without being playboys and to wield swords and guns. Zhang Shuye was a man who liked military affairs, so he was not really disappointed. The only thing he worried about was that his two sons would have no place to use their military skills.

One of the reasons was to make arrangements for his two sons, and the other was to really want to build a strong army. If, as Su Wu said, he really would stay in Jeju for a long time recently, that would be great. He could train the troops in Jeju and suppress the bandits at the same time...

What Su Wu was thinking was actually more straightforward. Since he knew Zhang Shuye and had this connection with him, he had to bind him together and bring his two sons to his army. Wouldn't that mean Zhang Shuye would be completely bound to Su Wu?

In this way, the two of them actually got along well, and their love for each other was just like that.

Su Wu bowed and said, "I and Prime Minister Zhang just hit it off right away, and I also share the same aspirations as you two. This is exactly what I meant, so let you two follow me in the army."

Zhang Bofen and Zhang Zhongxiong also stood up and bowed: "Thank you, General, for not abandoning me."

"But let's make it clear in advance that the brave generals are selected from the ranks, and you two will not be treated well when you come... The Jeju soldiers who come should also be reorganized, but the soldiers must also be screened, they must be from good families and have good physiques..."

Su Wu said this with a smile, but he was also a little worried, although Su Wu knew that the two of them would not do anything dissolute.

But the army is the army, and now Su Wu’s army is no longer in its infancy. Everything has rules, and you can’t give a high position to anyone who comes.

Zhang Bofen said, "When you go, just follow the general's instructions. I will select the soldiers from Jeju one by one according to the general's rules. How could I not know how rare the elite troops under the general's command are? Even if I select 200 to 300 people or 1,800 to 1,000 people, I will not dare to act recklessly. If I do, wouldn't it bring disgrace to the three of us, father and son?"

Zhang Zhongxiong came and said, "General, don't worry. With the abilities of my two brothers, we can fight for a while and our future will come naturally!"

That was right. Su Wu looked at Zhang Shuye, who smiled slightly. Su Wu nodded, "Okay! In this case, it's a deal. If you join my army, you'll be my brother. I will never let you down!"

The two brothers bowed, and the elder brother Zhang Bofen said, "Just go to the battlefield, and the general will know that we are not cowards."

Zhang Shuye stood up, smiling, "Okay, okay, this is a good thing, it's all right, let's have some wine, I'll treat you to some wine, I neglected you yesterday, I'll make up for it today, please!"

"Please!" Brother Zhang Bofen also invited.

Zong Ze stood up and said, "Let's have this meal and drink..."

How could Su Wu not go?

The five men went to drink and fought several times on the mountain behind Liangshan. At the mountain pass, even if they shot arrows, fired stone cannons, and soldiers climbed up, all were ineffective.

Fortunately, today, the navy under the command of Liu Menglong, the chief of the Jiankang navy, finally arrived. There are many large ships and even more small ships, with a total of more than a thousand ships. It's not that Liu Menglong has so many ships, but he has collected countless ships along the way.

It was to allow more of the 130,000 soldiers to be loaded onto the ship.

After repeatedly failing to break into Liangshan, Gao Qiu recruited another man, named Wen Huanzhang, who was also recommended by someone else. So Gao Qiu sent someone to bring Wen Huanzhang to be his military advisor.

This man was quite an extraordinary person. He was a serious scholar who took the imperial examinations several times but failed each time. He lived near the capital and worked as a teacher for some high-ranking officials. He loved the art of war the most and studied it a lot. He also showed it off in many occasions and was quite good.

At this time, he had already arrived at the army, along with the imperial envoy. When Gao Qiu went to war, the imperial envoy would come with him. In order to show his concern, the emperor sent two generals to help, one was Zhou Ang and the other was Qiu Yue.

The emperor really had high hopes for Gao Qiu and really liked him, but he also seemed to be afraid that Gao Qiu would not be able to win.

However, an imperial edict also came, stating that if the Liangshan bandits were willing to surrender after seeing the might of the royal army, they could be recruited; but if they were determined to cause chaos, a time limit would be set and Gao Qiu would be ordered to quickly wipe them out.

The emperor's idea was actually quite good, but Gao Qiu did not think so. He had 130,000 troops and had spent countless money to come here. If he just recruited them, wouldn't it be a waste of time? What kind of merit would he have?
It must be wiped out quickly!

A great battle was about to begin. Whether it was bows and arrows, kerosene or gunpowder, the ships and personnel were loaded and allocated to their respective ships.

With more than a thousand ships of all sizes just waiting to enter the water, how can the Liangshan bandits be stopped?
As soon as they reached the shore, they arrived at the Liangshan stronghold. With such a large army, everyone spitted at the mouth of the enemy, and all the Liangshan bandits were drowned.

The place Zhang Shuye chose for the drink was also very good, as one could see the waterfront pier.

The dock was jammed with traffic, the shore was jammed with traffic, and the water was jammed with traffic. Crowds of people were busy and anxious, shouting here and cursing there.

Su Wu was also amazed. He had never seen such a grand scene before. There were so many people and boats that it seemed as if there was no end in sight.

If ordinary people saw this, they would be scared to death. However, Song Jiang and Wu Yong had already come to this point. There was no way back. They had to fight. If they succeeded, they might have a bright future. If they failed, they would die anyway.

Zhang Shuye looked at the endless busyness and sighed: "Why is it necessary? Why is it necessary to do this..."

Zong Ze also said: "This kind of scene... is actually to suppress a group of bandits that can be defeated by 3000 to 5000 troops... It is enough to attack Liao."

Zhang Zhongxiong said something dumbfounded: "The imperial court has plenty of money and food."

Zhang Shuye shouted, "Stop talking nonsense!"

Zhang Zhongxiong immediately lowered his head.

Su Wu was actually feeling aggrieved and uncomfortable. This scene was really beyond his imagination. He thought he had no idea about the 130,000-man army, but now he really had this idea...

Su Wu also had an idea of ​​the more than one thousand ships of various sizes...

Too much too much……

This waste is a pity, Su Wu is really uncomfortable, if only these money and grain were used by the right people, by the right people...

But all wasted... "With today's preparations, tomorrow, the war will probably start," Su Wu said.

Zhang Shuye turned around and asked: "If we lose, what will happen?"

Zhang Shuye actually couldn't imagine it. The defeat of an army of 130,000 was horrifying to think about.

Zong Ze came over immediately and said, "Tomorrow, we must close the city gates."

After coming thousands of miles to fight, if they are defeated, they will be completely disorganized. How can these people return home?

The defeated soldiers are like bandits, the disorderly soldiers are like thieves. It doesn’t matter if they cannot return home or if no one cares about them. They all want to survive. What else can they do?
How much of an impact will this great defeat have on the people of the surrounding states?
Zhang Shuye just kept looking at Su Wu.

Su Wu knew the meaning of this look. It was just like when Hu Yanzhuo was defeated in the past. Hu Yanzhuo didn't have many people under his command, and with Su Wu's help, he slowly reorganized the people, so there wasn't much chaos.

But the defeat of these 130,000 people, Gao Qiu or Hu Yanzhuo? Gao Qiu will fall into the hands of the bandits, and who knows how many soldiers will die in the stomachs of fish and shrimps. How can these people from all over the country be organized?

Zhang Shuye's intention was to use Su Wu to organize the organization.

How capable is Su Wu?
Can it accommodate 100,000 people?
Su Wu only said: "I will try my best..."

"General Su should quickly dispatch his troops to Jeju, and then..." Zhang Shuye did not explain.

Su Wu also understood, but he was still afraid of one thing: the defeated soldiers would attack the state capital, demanding money, food, and a pass to go home...

If this kind of thing cannot be suppressed forcefully and sorted out slowly, even if there is enough food in the military camp, some people will rob a lot of it, and some people will starve.

What's more, soldiers go out to make money. If they become deserters, who will give them money? Which soldier would be willing to go home without money? It's normal to have some crooked thoughts...

As long as they return home safely, how can the imperial court track them down one by one?
Since ancient times, defeated and disorderly armies have always been like this, and it was not just the Song Dynasty that became the case.

Su Wu nodded: "I'll take care of it!"

"Okay, okay, I'll leave everything to you, General." Zhang Shuye was very anxious.

Su Wu did not wait any longer and did not drink any more wine. He just rode his horse towards the army and immediately sent someone back to Dongping Prefecture to transfer 5,000 men. Fortunately, he had many horses under his command.

On the second day, the crowded dock began to be cleared, and ships one after another headed for the Babaili Waterfront.

Then they slowly formed a battle formation in the water. The battle formation was vast and wide, but the water covered with reeds seemed a bit cramped. It was not as cramped as the eight hundred miles, but with this kind of pond-like terrain, there were not many truly wide water surfaces.

Zhang Shuye and his two sons also came early to see the scene, and Zong Ze came even earlier.

This time, Su Wu was also standing not far from the water, bringing with him a few soldiers, about a hundred or so, to watch the unprecedented spectacle.

When everyone got together, Zhang Shuye brought a message: "General Gao has boarded the ship himself, on that big ship, to go to the battle personally."

Su Wu was not surprised, but Zong Ze was very surprised: "He is the commander-in-chief, why is he on the ship?"

Zhang Shuye frowned and replied: "Isn't this situation similar to Cao Cao at Chibi?"

Su Wu suddenly thought, when Cao Cao fought at Red Cliff, it was probably like this, right? Cao Cao said there were 800,000 troops, but it was probably only 100,000 or 200,000. Maybe Cao Cao's ships were bigger, but the scene looked like this. It's just that the Yangtze River was really wide...

Thinking of this, Su Wu could only sigh in his heart, the Song Dynasty, there is really so much money but nowhere to spend it...

Zhang Shuye went on to say: "With such a grand occasion, suppressing a small bandit, and the angels present, how could General Gao not lead the troops for the emperor? How could General Gao not be confident of victory? Isn't this achievement a piece of cake?"

Zong Ze sighed and said, "I hope we win..."

Zong Ze and Zhang Shuye, without the factional struggles of Cheng Wanli, were really looking forward to a big victory. Even though they knew that they would lose more than they would win, they still looked forward to it in their hearts.

They only want the country, the court and the people to be well.

When they went to the battlefield, Su Wu actually couldn't see the battlefield, and he never thought about going to see the battlefield. But he knew that Liangshan also had more than a thousand ships, but there were almost no large ships.

Most of them are small boats or sampans that can only carry a few or a dozen people.

They were all hiding in the reeds by the water, lying in ambush, waiting for Gao Qiu to arrive.

"Let's go... we can't see it anymore." As Su Wu said this, the more than a thousand ships of all sizes had already gone away and slowly disappeared at the end of the sight.

Zhang Shuye and Zong Ze, however, did not move a muscle. They stood there even though they could not be seen, gazing into the distance.

Su Wu could understand, so he didn't move, just stayed and watched...

There are Li Jun, the river dragon, Tong Wei, the cave dragon, Tong Meng, the river mirage, Ruan Xiaoer, the earthly Tai Sui, Ruan Xiaowu, the short-lived Erlang, and Ruan Xiaoqi, the living Yama...

There are many men who have lived by the water since childhood...

They dived into the water and didn't come out for three to five minutes.

They know the depths of the water and the waterways in the reed marshes...

As the ship entered the reed marsh, all that could be heard was a dull thudding sound coming from the cabin.

As the boat entered the reed marsh, I saw oars rowing in front, behind, left and right, kerosene cans thrown at me, arrows shot at me...

The thieves came out, and we quickly chased them. Here was a muddy wetland, there was a meadow with reeds, and we kept going around in circles, and we couldn't even get back to our camp...

Gao Qiu's boat was tall and big, and he was dressed in an official robe, sitting high up, and commanding people to come and go: "Quick, kill the bandits, the bandits are behind the reeds on the meadow."

Then some people started chasing after him.

"Over here, quick, there's someone underwater, go in and kill him!"

There were not many sailors on the ship, mostly infantry. Gao Qiu's ship alone carried two or three hundred armored soldiers, who were equipped with good bows and crossbows, and everything else. However, these two or three hundred armored soldiers were all looking down from the side of the ship.

"Go into the water, go into the water, there are thieves underwater!" Gao Qiu shouted angrily.

There were some people who wanted to make merit and were taking off their armor. As soon as they took off their armor, they grabbed their swords and jumped into the water. Several people jumped into the water.

Gao Qiu was quite satisfied. He stood up and looked down at the railing of the platform.

In a short while, blood began to gush out, and the bodies of several soldiers who had taken off their armor floated up.

Gao Qiu even shouted: "Go into the water, go into the water and kill the bandits, quickly!"

Gao Qiu's ship is tall and big, how could it not be the biggest target?

I just thought that the ships were tall and large, and they carried so many people that even if the bandits came to fight on water, they would not dare to come here easily.

No matter how Gao Qiu shouted, no one jumped down anymore. Those who jumped down just now were already relying on their ability to swim.

The soldiers under Gao Qiu, except for the two or three thousand men under Liu Menglong, are all from the north. Even among them, how many of them are good at swimming?

In fact, many people are born with a fear of water.

How can one jump for this?
No matter how Gao Qiu urged them, and even offered them money, no one jumped.

Gao Qiu could only shout from afar: "Liu Menglong, come this way, there are thieves under my water."

In fact, no one could hear it, but Liu Menglong still drove the warship over here. How could he not protect General Gao?

As soon as Liu Menglong approached, the soldiers of the Jiankang navy were not bad. They just kept jumping into the water. After going down, they searched for a while and then came up again.

One also reported that there were no thieves underwater, and another said that the thieves had gone into the reed marsh.

Gao Qiu was so angry that he just shouted, "Chase them! Chase them! Kill all these pirates."

The staff officer Wen Huanzhang at the side said, "Captain, there is no need to chase these bandits. They are just a minor threat. Just drive them away and go ashore at the Liangshan stronghold..."

Gao Qiu turned around and saw pirates everywhere harassing the fleet. Some ships even caught fire. Gao Qiu shouted, "Is this a minor problem? Kill all the pirates. If you don't kill all the pirates, even if the stronghold is destroyed, they will escape and cannot be caught. They will gather again tomorrow. Kill them. If you meet them, chase them down and kill them all."

Wen Huanzhang was very anxious and said hurriedly: "Captain, as long as we land, the bandits will be pacified. At most, we can leave a group of soldiers to guard the water fort. It is not a good idea to entangle here at this time!"

"You are an old scholar who cannot enter the government, what do you know? You are the commander-in-chief and I am the commander-in-chief, just listen to me and kill all the bandits. Look behind you, how many pirate ships are there? If we don't fight, won't we just let the bandits come and go? How much will we lose? Just strangle them one by one..."

How powerful was General Gao? Even with his face flushed and his eyes glared, Wen Huanzhang dared not say anything.

All they could do was turn around and watch the numerous large and small ships fighting with countless small pirate ships.

Wen Huanzhang suddenly heard the sound of boats banging and was very anxious: "General, there are thieves coming from under the boat again."

Gao Qiu immediately looked around and also shouted: "Liu Menglong!"

Liu Menglong received the order and was chasing the pirate ships among the reeds. How could he come at this time?
Fortunately, there was a warship not far away. Gao Qiu shouted loudly, and Wen Huanzhang and the brothers of the personal guard party shouted along with him, and the soldiers also shouted along with him.

And the messenger was waving the flag constantly.

The warship came again. When sailing, ships were never allowed to get too close to each other. They had to keep a distance to prevent their own ships from colliding with each other. Command was mostly based on flag signals.

It is actually very troublesome to get beaten here and then come to rescue there.

There was a boss who had a clever idea in the past. He connected the ships together like a land with chains...

But that is a wrong example that should not be followed casually.

As long as this ship comes to rescue, that ship will come to rescue soon.

Suddenly, a soldier rushed out from under the deck and shouted: "Oh no, oh no, the boat is leaking!"

When Wen Huanzhang heard this, his heart tightened: "It doesn't matter if there are one or two leaks, just plug them up quickly!"

"There are leaks in many places, and they are leaking more and more..." the soldier looked up and shouted.

Wen Huanzhang felt his head explode, and when he looked around, he saw countless small boats rushing out from all directions, among the reeds and behind the meadows. Each boat had seven, eight or ten people on it, rowing very fast, heading straight towards the big ship.

"General, I'm afraid we've fallen into a trap!" Wen Huanzhang hurried to see Gao Qiu.

Gao Qiu stood on the high platform, looking around and shouting: "Order the soldiers, quickly wave the flag and send people to rescue."

The soldiers came from the Jiankang navy, and they just kept waving flags, with long signals...

We were going to rescue them, but there were so many pirate ships everywhere in the waterway. The ships were not big, but they were blocking the way everywhere, fighting here and there...

The government troops just stood on the boats and shot. The bandits also shot and dived. There was even a brave bandit who dived a hundred steps away and never came out of the water. When he came out, he jumped up like a fish out of water, grabbed a person beside the boat, and dragged him down. After a while, there was a pool of blood...

After such scenes happened a few more times, the soldiers on the small boats did not even dare to get close to the ship's side, while the soldiers on the large ships kept shooting.

It was like an arrow shot into the water, it had no power at all, it went in and out immediately and floated away.

All I could see were ships blocking the way everywhere, and what I could see more was that General Gao's "flagship" was getting shorter and shorter.

General Gao was circling around on the flagship platform which was getting lower and lower.

There were actually many thieves hiding in the reed meadow. At this moment, they all stood up, drew their bows and crossbows, and shot continuously.

The officers and soldiers on the boats were sobbing with grief after being shot by arrows that they were waiting to fight back. But where could they find any human figures among the reeds and the meadow?
For a moment, it seemed that the government troops were just passively taking the beating and had no power to fight back.

This 800-li lake is just a vast expanse of reeds and rushes, densely covering the harbors and waterways. There are few wide areas on this stretch of water...

Liu Menglong was also very worried. How could this be the same as the naval battles in the south? In the naval battles in the south, they only dealt with the big rivers, lakes, and whether they were ramming or relying on each other, they only dealt with fighting. This was completely different.

When had Liu Menglong ever fought a real battle? Just look at the hooks on the side of his warship, and in an instant, seven or eight villains climbed up, slashing with knives and stabbing with forks. Liu Menglong's soldiers were thrown to the ground, and they dared not move forward despite their large numbers.

Looking over there, Gao Qiu's flagship was getting lower and lower, and the high platform on the helm tower where Gao Qiu was standing was already close to the water surface.

At this time, how could Gao Qiu still have any power?
His face was filled with panic as he shouted to everyone, "Someone come and save me, Marshal!"

Someone really answered: "Captain, I'm here to save you!"

Gao Qiu was overjoyed and turned around to look, only to see that the man was wet all over, but he did not recognize him.

The man suddenly raised his hand and grabbed Gao Qiu's official hat and turban. With one hand, he grabbed Gao Qiu's jade belt. Gao Qiu felt the world turn around, and his mouth and nose were full of water...

"General, General!" Wen Huanzhang was also on the high platform, but he was too weak to catch anyone, so he could only shout.

In the water, the general was seen being grabbed by the neck and dragged backwards.

I raised my head and looked around. I saw that the government troops’ ships were scattered everywhere, some on fire, some fleeing. Where was the ship moving forward?

Instead, it was the pirates' small boat that was chasing them.

Moreover, many bandits had climbed onto many government ships and were hacking and killing government troops.

Countless thieves appeared among the reeds and rushes everywhere, and arrows were shot continuously.

"Oh!" Wen Huanzhang hit his hands on his knees, stamped his feet, and let out an indescribable sigh.

A small boat stopped by and the thief spoke again: "You look quite old and not a soldier, so you must be an official. Did you come to the boat by yourself? Or do you want me to bring you here?"

Wen Huanzhang replied: "I will get on the boat by myself. Please give me a hand and don't let me fall into the water."

"Hey, you old official, you are quite sensible. Come, I'll carry you, come here!" The thief actually stretched out his hand to answer with a smile on his face. For him, a great victory was already in sight.

On the shore, Zong Ze and Zhang Shuye were looking at the water with eager eyes.

Su Wu looked at it for a long time, and then he didn't look at it anymore. He just told Wu Song to go and get his troops and come as soon as they were assembled.

I don't know how long it was, it was already mid-afternoon, Zong Ze suddenly pointed in the distance: "Hey, there is a boat, it seems to be coming back."

Zhang Shuye also stood on tiptoe to look, and was immediately startled: "Why did he come back?"

"Maybe we will win soon?" Zong Ze said this, but he also had another thought in his mind: maybe we will lose soon.

Zhang Shuye said nothing, but stood on tiptoe to look. One, two, three, four... more than ten...

No, no, there are so many of them, too many to count, all trying hard to move towards the shore.

What's worse is that these boats are not all moving in an orderly manner towards the dock. It seems that as long as there is a shore, they will go straight, without any fear of running aground...

Zhang Shuye said, "No, no!"

Zong Ze also knew that something was wrong and sighed: "Alas..."

Both of them looked at Su Wu. Su Wu had been sitting on the grass, but now he stood up and turned around and shouted, "Li Cheng, get on your horse and enter our camp first!"

As he spoke, Su Wu had already rushed towards his horse. Zhang Shuye, his father and his son, and Zong Ze also quickly mounted their horses and quickly followed Su Wu.

The main camp of our village must be controlled first. There are countless food and grass there. Only after it is controlled can we gather the troops. More than 100,000 people is really unimaginable!
Looking behind him, he saw another group of cavalrymen running towards him. It was Wu Song who had just arrived with 5,000 men from Dongping Prefecture. Su Wu simply ordered, "Li Cheng, go meet up with Erlang quickly and have him lead his troops straight into our camp!"

(Brothers, now that we have reached 6,000 average subscriptions, I will love you eighteen more times, and kiss each of you three times, fiercely!)
(End of this chapter)