Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 712 The Tide Rider Stands at the Forefront of the Waves

The tactic of coordinating light cavalry and shock cavalry has matured from the Three Kingdoms period to the present day, and it is time to carry it forward and make it flourish.

Guan Chongyan was confident that, barring any major unforeseen circumstances, the Flying Tiger Army, whose quality was comparable to that of the Jin army's Heza Meng'an, would surely be able to crush these 10,000 Jin soldiers.

So what if we are outnumbered?

War is not simply a contest of numbers; otherwise, there would be no need to fight. Everyone could just spread out their forces like gangsters showing off their horses, and the side with fewer people could simply concede defeat.

As the battle plan gradually matured, Guan Chongyan and his men became increasingly confident and began to grin maliciously.

The greatest credit for this great battle was delivered to our doorstep just like that; it was like a pie falling from the sky!
However, the Han generals, gazing at the pitch-black night outside their tents, had no idea that the first battle had already begun.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey..." Li Gongzuo spat out the seawater in his mouth, opened his eyes wide, stared at the dark expanse ahead, and anxiously grabbed Cheng Feng, asking, "Is it really possible to land up ahead?"

In the darkness, Cheng Feng was also somewhat disoriented, but as a senior figure in Shandong's smuggling industry, he quickly squinted and recognized the high platform used as a landmark.

"It is right here, and the dock is just ahead. After you get off the dock, it is two miles to the north to Huacheng. Although it has the name of Hesihan Meng'an, it is only guarded by three hundred Jin thieves."

This intelligence had been gathered long ago and had been memorized by Li Gongzuo during the military council. However, under the pressure of the situation, both Li Gongzuo and Cheng Feng wanted to say something to ease their tension.

Even in modern times, amphibious landing remains a highly complex military issue.

Even after several training sessions, a strong wind, a rainstorm, or unfamiliar hydrology can still cause huge casualties to the landing troops.

Moreover, it landed at night.

"I hope He Zizheng doesn't get into any trouble!" Li Gongzu muttered to himself, looking at the large ships that had already disappeared into the night. "If one of them is not careful and falls into the water, there will be no way to find him. It would be strange if that bastard He Zizheng didn't fight me to the death."

Li Gongzuo was a military officer of the Song Dynasty. Although he had made outstanding contributions in the Loyal Army and could even be considered a founding member of the army, he returned to serve in the Zhejiang West Navy after the Battle of Chaoxian.

Therefore, apart from some rewards from the Song state, Li Gongzuo did not gain any benefits from the Northern Expedition.

It should be noted that when Wei Sheng first launched his Northern Expedition, Li Gongzuo brought three hundred Song soldiers to assist him, making them a significant force within the Loyal Army.

At that time, Zhang Baiyu was just a guard, Luo Shenyan was protecting Luo Guzi as he fled, and Wang Shilong was still lying low under Gao Wenfu's rule.

Now, these people are either in charge of a region or have become generals or commanders. They have been allocated land and shops in Shandong, and their lives are becoming increasingly comfortable. Li Gongzuo, on the other hand, is still stuck in the position of a commander, which is truly a pitiful situation.

However, the Han army valued old friendships. Although they were divided into two factions, Liu Huai could not directly promote Li Gongzuo or grant him a title, but allowing him to participate in the smuggling business was not a problem.

Even if Li Gongzuo had lofty ideals and regarded money as dirt, what about his old brothers? What about the three hundred armored soldiers who followed him in his campaigns? Weren't they short of money too?
In addition, since the two sides had fought side by side, Li Gongzuo was quickly dragged into the mess.

Although it was common practice for online trolls to do business themselves these days, the situation in Shandong was somewhat special. They were completely unscrupulous, not only doing business with the Song Dynasty, Goryeo, and Japan, but even extending their business to the Jin Dynasty.

This naturally requires military protection, and as a result, Admiral He Zizhen, who was in charge of maintaining the security of maritime routes, became a maritime tyrant.

At this point, not to mention Li Gongzuo, even if Li Bao himself came, he wouldn't dare say that he could use the inland river fleet to compete with He Zizhen at sea.

Out of fear and respect for He Zizheng, Li Gongzu initially strongly opposed He Zizheng taking the lead, but he couldn't stop He Zizheng from being the commander of the navy and having absolute authority.

This guy was really eager to get going. At this moment, he not only left Li Gongzuo behind, but also became the vanguard at the forefront, like a race on the sea.

"It's alright, it's alright." Cheng Feng repeatedly reassured Li Gongzuo: "My brother Zhao Da is on the boat. That guy is an old hand who has been on boats many times. There will be absolutely no problem."

"I hope so." Li Gongzu fell silent, and for a moment only the sounds of the waves and the night wind remained around him.

He Zizheng was standing on the wheelhouse, reflexively reaching for the wine flask, but found it empty. He then realized that he had given up all alcohol since deciding on the route to attack the Jin Kingdom from the sea.

It's good that you quit.

How can an alcoholic achieve anything significant?
He Zizheng was thinking this when he said to Zhao Baiying beside him, "Are we almost there?"

Zhao Baiying pointed to a lighthouse ahead: "That's the lighthouse. As shown on the nautical chart, there's a reef about a mile to the south. Just be careful to go around it."

He Zizheng gripped the steering wheel, nodded slightly in the darkness, and then shouted the order: "Light the fire!"

Torches were lit on the ship, and the entire vessel became like a lighthouse, guiding subsequent ships.

This would naturally attract the attention of the enemy on the shore. If a well-trained force were to immediately form ranks on the dock, even just a few hundred men would suffice, along with some torches and braziers, the landing troops could suffer heavy losses.

However, as mentioned before, nighttime maritime raids were a completely new subject in East Asia, with almost no one having experienced them before, and therefore no one would go to great lengths to prepare for them.

At this time, Hesihan Meng'an Wanyan Saohe was considered a capable minister and general, but he only left a few dozen people at the dock to deal with small-scale bandits and pirates.

Wanyan Saohe never imagined that an elite army would come from the sea.

Following the example set by those above, the dozens of Jin soldiers at the dock were reduced to mere tax collectors, capable of dealing with river bandits and thieves but utterly incapable of engaging in direct combat with regular troops.

"Another boat is coming in the middle of the night? Do they come at this time of year?"

One of the Jin soldiers yawned, got up from his bed, took a torch, and went to the dock, waving it around.

"Ignore him! Just go straight over there!" He Zizheng shouted the order.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, he heard a huge sound of wooden planks twisting and cracking behind him, followed by screams and cries of agony carried on the night wind.

He Zizheng turned around with a grim expression, only to see the warship following behind him crash into a reef.

The reef held the warship aloft and tore a huge hole in the hull, allowing seawater to rush in and causing the ship to quickly tilt and sink.

There were about a hundred soldiers on board. Some had already fallen into the water, while others were running back and forth on the deck, carrying ropes and planks and rushing toward the cabin in an attempt to salvage the situation.

However, these people will soon no longer need to do this.

It is unclear whether the ship's tilt caused the fire to go out of control, but the fire quickly spread across the ship at an incredible speed, accompanied by small explosions, which terrified the soldiers on board.

"It's hopeless! It's hopeless! Abandon ship! Abandon ship! Swim towards the shore!" the officer on board shouted. They were already very close to the coast, and the seawater wasn't so cold anymore. Even if they couldn't reach the shore, they could hold out until rescue. After the soldiers jumped into the sea to escape, the warship quickly burst into flames, becoming a huge torch that illuminated the surrounding waters.

Given this situation, it can only be said that a nighttime beach landing was indeed extremely difficult.

Upon witnessing this scene, the Han warships were filled with fear and confusion, hesitating to advance.

At the critical moment, He Zizheng tore open his robe, revealing a muscular, tattooed body: "Beat the drums, advance!"

The general's drum resounded loudly, carried by the night wind, overpowering the sound of the waves.

The other generals also realized what was happening and ordered the drums to be beaten.

A moment later, the thunderous drumbeats blended together with the sound of the waves, spreading in all directions like the rumble of thunder before a storm.

Even the most foolish Jin soldiers would realize now that things were not going well.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Bandits are coming! Ah!"

The Jin soldier standing on the dock only managed to shout a couple of times before a crossbow bolt pierced his throat, leaving him slumped down, clutching his neck.

He Zizheng threw the large bow aside, then raised his spear and shouted, "Today is the day for a true man to make a name for himself!"

The morale of the Han army finally recovered, and they all shouted loudly in unison with the sound of the drums.

The Han army first used the height of their ships to launch rockets from above, setting fire to more than ten thatched huts on the dock.

The Jin army, which had just woken up from their sleep, was in a panic and found it even more difficult to organize.

Led by He Zizheng, dozens of Han soldiers took the opportunity to board small boats and boarded the dock, where they slaughtered the Jin soldiers as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

"Blow the horn! Signal that scoundrel Li Gongzuo! The dock has been captured! Come quickly! Come quickly!"

At He Zizheng's command, he immediately led more than ten guards to the northernmost part of the small port in an attempt to block the entrance.

But at this moment, the people in the port were awakened. Seeing the flames rising everywhere, they panicked and fled in all directions.

Although the Han army immediately maintained order in the port, civilians still fled everywhere, and the scene was chaotic for a time.

The surprise attack had turned into this mess, and both He Zizheng and Li Gongzuo were extremely indignant. As dawn broke in the east, He Zizheng simply left Li Gongzuo to continue building defenses and arranging ships at the dock, while he led five hundred soldiers and three large ships northward along the eastern coastline of the Liaodong Peninsula.

According to previous intelligence, the Hesihan Meng'an was stationed at Huacheng Pass. As long as this garrison Meng'an was destroyed, Fuzhou, the southernmost part of the Liaodong Peninsula, would be considered liberated.

Meanwhile, Wanyan Saohe, who was at Huacheng Pass, also learned about the attack on the port. However, he only panicked for a moment before calming down.

It wasn't that Wanyan Sahe thought he was a born general capable of leading such a small force to defend the country's borders, but rather that Huacheng Pass was simply too dangerous.

The place is called Guankou (关口) simply out of habit; in fact, Huacheng Pass is almost a fortress.

The fortress is surrounded by the sea on three sides, all of which are cliffs and steep walls. Only one side blocks the official road, making it extremely easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Even if Hesihan Meng'an had only a few dozen men, Wanyan Saohe was confident that he could defend Huacheng Pass as solid as a rock.

Soon, more than two hundred Jurchen garrison troops were organized, and more than four hundred Han slaves were also temporarily conscripted as soldiers, standing timidly on the city wall.

Wanyan Saohe gazed out for a long time before asking his deputy, "Has the military envoy been dispatched yet?"

The lieutenant nodded: "They went out early this morning. As long as we hold out for ten days, Wanyan Buhui of Hesuguan Road will definitely come to our aid. However, we don't know how many bandits they will bring."

Wanyan Saohe, after all, had seen the world: "If they are Song bandits, a thousand would be quite a lot. If they are Shandong bandits, there might be more, but it's impossible for them to exceed three thousand."

No sooner had he spoken than Wanyan Saohe saw sails appear on the sea and a troop of about a hundred soldiers appear on the official road.

There were three ships at sea, slowly sailing towards Huacheng Pass.

The hundred or so soldiers on the official road were particularly strange. They all looked like foot soldiers, but they were riding various kinds of livestock. Apart from a dozen or so horsemen, the rest were all riding mules or donkeys, and a few were riding old yellow oxen. It was obvious that they had been temporarily brought from the port.

The lieutenant burst out laughing: "These hundred-odd soldiers are truly laughable. Each of them is carrying a flying ladder. Do they intend to use those things to break through Huacheng Pass? They really don't know what they're talking about."

Wanyan Saohe did not laugh. He suddenly felt a huge crisis approaching, and for a moment he was in complete confusion.

“Something is definitely not right. The Han army went through so much trouble to come to Fuzhou, did they just come here to make us laugh?”

After reprimanding his deputy, Wanyan Saohe immediately went to the southwest corner of the pass.

He did not climb the watchtower, but instead leaned against the parapet of the city wall, silently watching the three warships that had already anchored and were lying sideways.

The lieutenant also strode over and stood shoulder to shoulder with Wanyan Sao. After gazing into the distance for a long time, he scratched his head and asked, "What's going on with these Shandong bandits? Could it be an eight-ox crossbow with such a long range..."

Before he finished speaking, the lieutenant saw thick smoke and flames rise from the decks of the three ships. Then he felt a whooshing sound coming from his ears, and a huge force like a gale pushed him from the side. At the same time, the lieutenant felt something slippery splashed on his body.

The lieutenant slumped to the ground, his ears ringing, his mind blank as if a broken thread had been cut, before finally regaining consciousness amidst the terrified screams of the Jin soldiers on the city wall.

The lieutenant stared blankly at the spot where Wanyan Saohe had just stood.

Wanyan Saohe's upper body and the parapet in front of him had disappeared, leaving only a bloodstain spreading across the city wall and two thighs rolling around on the ground.

The lieutenant raised his hands, touched a piece of intestine off his face, panted heavily, and looked out at the sea beyond the city walls.

The three warships remained standing as immovable as giant rocks in the sea.

"This...what is this..."

(End of this chapter)