Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 240 Zhao Shuo's Navy: The Splendor of a World Empire!

As soon as Zhao Shuo issued his decree, a storm suddenly broke out within 500 li north of Xiangyang.

Zhao Shuo is known for his swift military campaigns, so why hasn't a major battle taken place even though his vanguard has been in the Jinghu region for nearly a month?

Zhao Shuo was simply waiting for the right opportunity.

Firstly, he already knew from the intelligence gathered by the Black Ice Guard that Wei Liaoweng had arrived in Xiangyang.

As a groundbreaking military strategist, Meng Gong must have taken advantage of Xiangyang's natural terrain and the strength of the Song army to ensure that the defense of the Xiangyang region reached its peak.

Even if Wei Liaoweng or Shi Songzhi came, they would probably only be able to hold Meng Gong back; it would just be a matter of degree.

Since there's an opportunity to gain something, why doesn't Zhao Shuo take advantage of it?
Secondly, and most importantly, Zhao Shuo was waiting for the right time.

The difficulty in attacking Xiangyang was not simply due to the fact that Xiangyang and Fancheng were two fortified cities separated by the Han River.

Furthermore, reinforcements and logistical supplies could arrive at any time from the Han River.

There are also defensive camps on mountains, rivers, and land outside the city.

To besiege Xiangyang, Zhao Shuo's army first had to destroy the series of land and water defense camps surrounding the city.

How easy is it?

For example, the camps on the mountain.

According to historical records, thirty years later, the Mongols took advantage of the greed of Lü Wende, the general defending Xiangyang, and built a Mongol camp at Lumen Mountain under the guise of opening a trading market, thus undermining the overall defense of Xiangyang.

Although the Mongol army's fighting strength had declined significantly thirty years later and it was no longer as formidable, the difficulty of attacking the mountain strongholds around Xiangyang was evident.

A camp on the water is even more difficult to attack.

Whether it was the Jin Dynasty attacking the Song Dynasty or the Mongols attacking the Song Dynasty, they would first target Xiaofanzhou Water Fortress.

Xiaofanzhou is a collective name for more than a dozen sandbars in the Han River, located in the northwest of Xiangyang.

Although the river is wide here, the water is quite shallow, which is not conducive to the navigation of boats.

The Song army built a naval camp on Xiaofanzhou in the middle of the Han River and dry camps on both sides of the river, thus compensating for the river's wideness. The enemy navy, coming from the north, had to break through the naval and dry camps near Xiaofanzhou.

Zhao Shuo's navy was certainly impressive, but large ships couldn't navigate many sections of the Han River due to its shallow waters.

These large ships could only be used in naval battles on the Yangtze River, and not in the Battle of Xiangyang.

In recent years, in order to capture Xiangyang, Zhao Shuo established another inland waterway navy on the Danjiang River in Shunyang, Henan.

This inland waterway naval force was led by Zhang Shijie, with three commanders of the Plain Red Banner as its backbone, and assisted by five thousand skilled sailors each from Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Hebei provinces. They were trained on ships modified from the original Jin dynasty naval warships.

It just hasn't been officially designated yet, and is still operating under the banner of the Navy's Plain Red Flag.

Could this single navy defeat the Xiangyang navy, which had a naval fortress as its base? Zhao Shuo was not very confident.

To ensure everything went smoothly, he decided to wait for the right time.

Now, the Han River is even shallower. As in previous years, the river between Xiaofanzhou and the northern land has dried up, revealing a shallow beach.

This shallow beach is called Anyang Beach.

Because this shallow beach is connected to Xiaofanzhou, it is also known as Xiaofan Anyang Beach.

This makes a combined land and sea attack possible.

Capturing Xiaofanzhou would not only remove the most difficult obstacle to overcome on the outskirts of Xiangyang, but also severely damage the Xiangyang navy. Zhao Shuo's navy could then reach the vicinity of Xiangyang City, making logistical transport much more convenient.

……

……

November 13, 1233, clear skies, no wind.

Zhao Shuo's 23,000-strong inland river navy, aboard more than 600 warships of various sizes, sailed south along the Danjiangkou River towards the Anyangtan water fortress in Xiaofanzhou, approaching with overwhelming force.

The one guarding Xiaofanzhou was Meng Gong's fifth younger brother, Meng Wu.

This water fortress houses 5,000 regular Song soldiers and 20,000 auxiliary troops. On either side of the Han River, in the dry fortresses, there are 2,000 regular soldiers and 5,000 auxiliary troops on each side.

That's already a lot.

It should be noted that Meng Gong's regular army in the entire Xiangyang region numbered only over 40,000.

Even so, Meng Gong felt it was too much.

He felt that the difference between the regular army and the local militia in siege warfare was far less significant than in open field battles.

The best course of action is to use a large number of local troops to defend the city and wear down the enemy's morale. Once Zhao Shuo's army has been significantly weakened, then concentrate the regular army to engage in a decisive battle with Zhao Shuo's main force, thus deciding the outcome of the war.

However, this "master of mobile defense" still needs the assistance of a powerful minister who deeply trusts him in order to unleash his full potential.

Now, however, Meng Gong has been ordered by the Song Dynasty court to remain in Xiangyang City, where he has no choice but to hold out.

Of course, Meng Gong still had sufficient authority to decide how the Battle of Xiangyang should be fought.

His order to his fifth brother, Mengwu, was to launch a preemptive strike if Zhao Shuo's navy came. Victory would be ideal, of course, to annihilate Zhao Shuo's main naval force.

If victory is not achieved, retreat immediately to the water fortress and hold it.

If all else fails, retreat back to Xiangyang.

Although Meng Gong had heard about the navy's red flag being presented as a gift to Zhao Shuo in Zhongdu, this was, after all, the Han River, not the Yangtze River or the sea.

With the Jin Dynasty's navy and warships, how could they possibly be a match for the Xiangyang navy?
If the Song navy couldn't defeat the Jin navy, wouldn't the Song have been destroyed by the Jin long ago?
Therefore, despite overestimating Zhao Shuo's inland waterway navy as much as possible, Meng Gong still decided to launch an attack.

Even if we can't win, we can still escape, right?

Meng Wu wholeheartedly agreed, even believing Meng Gong was too conservative. He argued that even if Zhao Shuo's inland naval forces were powerful, the Song army, though unable to win, should at least achieve a draw!
hold fast?

He would only consider holding out if Zhao Shuo's army attacked from the land!
Therefore, when he learned that Zhao Shuo's navy was launching a large-scale attack, Meng Wu decisively ordered that 5,000 Xiang Army soldiers be left to guard the water fortress.

The remaining 5,000 regular troops and 15,000 auxiliary troops, totaling 20,000 men, sailed out of the water fortress to meet the enemy in more than 400 boats of various sizes.

At this time, the two armies were still more than seven miles apart.

On his flagship, Zhang Shijie held a telescope and watched as the Song navy did not defend their water fortress but instead launched a proactive attack. He revealed a confident smile.

"Pass down my message: The Song army has left the naval camp and is going to fight our navy to the death!"

"This battle is the first for our inland waterway navy! The King has decreed that if our navy can independently break through the Song army's Xiaofanzhou water fortress, all the soldiers will be promoted to the Eight Banners Army. The Plain Red Banner and Plain Blue Banner of the inland waterway navy will be established! Whether we can receive the Emperor's salary depends on the glory of this battle!"

"Yes!"

Small boats naturally roamed around, conveying Zhang Shijie's words.

"Long live the King!"

"I am willing to die for the king!"

"Kill the Song traitors and you'll eat the emperor's grain!"

……

These soldiers were selected from fishermen in Hebei and Shandong. After being transferred to the inland waterway navy, their treatment was naturally better than that of the regular Eight Banners soldiers, but only half that of the regular Eight Banners soldiers.

They had long awaited the day when they could officially join the Eight Banners. Now, on the eve of battle, they received a promise from Zhao Shuo issued by Zhang Shijie, and the morale of the entire army soared, accelerating their advance.

Soon, the two sides were less than three miles apart.

Meng Wu had also taken full account of the situation of Zhao Shuojun's inland waterway navy.

"Heh, is this the strength of Zhao Shuo's inland waterway navy? It seems not much different from the ships of the Jin Kingdom. Today, it is my turn, Meng Wu, to make a contribution!"

As he watched Zhao Shuo's navy approaching from afar, his ships were similar to those of the Jin navy he knew before, though far smaller than those of the Song army. A smile appeared on Meng Wu's lips.

What's there?

What's so special about naval warfare? It's simply a matter of larger ships defeating smaller ones, and more people defeating fewer.

Not to mention that northerners are skilled with horses and southerners are skilled with boats.

Meng Wu is determined to win today's battle!
"Pass on my military order: use fifty warships as the vanguard, and one hundred wheeled boats to attack their left and right flanks. Send the entire army forward and annihilate the Northern Army!"

"Yes!"

The so-called Mengchong ship is a type of Mengchong ship.

The entire cabin and deck were covered with cowhide for fire protection. Several oar holes were opened on each side for inserting oars and for rowers to row.

Above the deck, there were three cabins, which were also covered with raw cowhide to prevent enemy fire attacks.

Each deck of the ship has crossbow windows and spear holes on all four sides, which can be used to attack enemies from all directions.

As recorded in Du You's "Tongdian Bingfa": "Cover the back of the boat with raw cowhide, open the oar holes on both sides, and have crossbow windows and spear holes on the left, right, front and back. The enemy cannot advance, and arrows and stones cannot defeat it."

This shows that the warship was majestic in shape, highly maneuverable, and well-suited for naval warfare.

Seventy years ago, Yu Yunwen, a famous general of the Southern Song Dynasty, attacked the Jin general Wanyan Liang with a warship at Caishiji.

Meng Wu was a veteran naval commander, and it was very appropriate for him to lead the vanguard with warships.

The so-called wheel-wheeled warships were warships developed by Yang Yao's rebel army in the Song Dynasty based on the wheel-wheeled ship technology of Li Gao in the Tang Dynasty.

This type of warship could be propelled by wind power or by human-powered foot-operated paddlewheels that continuously propelled it through the water, making it not only faster but also more agile than ordinary warships.

In the Battle of Caishi, the Song army's wheeled warships also shone brightly.

Therefore, Meng Wu ordered one hundred wheeled warships of the Song army to encircle the left and right flanks of Zhao Shuo's navy.

In his view, his tactics were foolproof.

close!

Getting closer!

The two sides' warships were now less than two hundred paces apart!
Boom boom boom!
The catapults mounted on both warships began to unleash thunderbolts and rocks at each other.

Whoosh whoosh!
The triple crossbow mounted on the ship began to unleash its power!
One hundred steps!

The powerful bows and crossbows are about to fire!
Of course, on the water, with boats providing cover and the boats constantly rising and falling with the river, the effectiveness of these long-range weapons is far less than on land.

In these days, the most important aspect of naval warfare is boarding maneuvers!

The Song Dynasty's ships were large, so theoretically they could carry more people, giving them the advantage of overwhelming numbers!

Southerners are skilled at sailing, and theoretically, they would be more stable on a warship that is constantly rocking, so the northern warriors should not be a match for them.

Not to mention, the southern soldiers were good swimmers, so even if they accidentally fell into the water, they might not die, which made them even braver.

From any perspective, Meng Wu believed he was destined to win!

However, what did he see?
Just as the Song army and Zhao Shuo's army were about ten paces apart, about to make contact—

Huhuhu~~
On Zhao Shuo's river naval warships, iron pipes extended, emitting terrifying flames.

"Oh!"

"help me!"

"Help!?"

"What kind of fire is this? How come it's even more powerful than raging oil?"

"Not only is it more powerful than flammable oil, but it also shoots much farther!"

"The ship! Our ship!"

……

Suddenly, panicked cries came from the mouths of the Song soldiers.

Countless Song soldiers were ignited by the flames protruding from the iron pipes, letting out bloodcurdling screams. They were even more horrified to discover that the flames were actually flammable liquid. Once it touched them, even water couldn't extinguish it!

Their warships were also in a sorry state.

The Battle of Red Cliffs took place during the Three Kingdoms period, and this era saw the emergence of deafening bombs, so the Song army's warships naturally needed to be fireproof. The vanguard warships, the Mengchong, were even specially covered with raw cowhide.

However, the fires set by Zhao Shuo's navy could not be extinguished by water on people, and the same was true for these raw cowhides.

This is Greek fire!
The Song army did have a similar weapon called "fierce fire oil." However, the Song army's fierce fire oil was far inferior to Greek fire in both power and range.

Greek fire was originally created for naval warfare.

Why was the Byzantine Empire able to stand for a thousand years in history? It was because they possessed the Greek fire, a national treasure.

Although the nations of the True God Church were very powerful, their navies were often wiped out by Byzantine warships equipped with Greek fire, and they were simply unable to cut off the Byzantine Empire's maritime supply lines.

When Zhao Shuo conquered Khwarezm, he obtained Greek fire from the Mughal people.

Why not use it on the warships of the inland river fleet?

Yes, Zhao Shuo's inland waterway naval warships were based on those of the Jin Dynasty, and in terms of technology, they were inferior to those of the Song Dynasty navy.

However, both the North and the South are Chinese, and there is no generational gap between them.

The use of Greek fire on Zhao Shuo's warships significantly improved the capabilities of his navy.

It must be said that in terms of technological level, China is undoubtedly the world leader in this era.

However, the West also has its unique advantages.

Zhao Shuo's navy, based on Chinese warships and combined with the unique features of the West, naturally enabled him to crush the Song Dynasty in the East and countless countries in the West, whether they were the nations of the True God Church or the nations of Europe.

The Mongols in history did the same thing.

They learned gunpowder weapons and long-range weapons like the triple-bow crossbow from the East, which they used to bully the western states. They also learned the technology of deploying trebuchets from the West, which they used to bully the Song state in the East.

This is the power of a world empire!

This is the splendor of a world empire!

In any case, with the launch of one Greek fire device after another, the Song navy suffered heavy losses.

Some ships were set ablaze and rendered unable to fight.

Some ships, seeing the situation was not good, simply fled—the officials in the north and south are both under the same Zhao government, why risk their lives?
Some ships had exceptionally brave and loyal soldiers who, braving the Greek fire, jumped directly onto Zhao Shuo's warships to engage in boarding combat.

However, they didn't gain any advantage in boarding maneuvers or boarding operations either.

The reason is simple: the Song army had far too few regular troops.

Although Zhao Shuo's army consisted of only three thousand soldiers of the Plain Red Banner, could the Song Dynasty's garrison troops possibly defeat Zhao Shuo's imperial guards?
Whether the government was shared with scholar-officials or with military men, it created fundamental differences in the morale, treatment, and even training of these local militia and garrison troops.

This fundamental difference cannot be compensated for by mere differences in swimming skills.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly! Let's retreat back to the water fortress!"

Less than an hour into the battle, Meng Wu realized that his side was doomed to defeat and quickly issued an order to retreat.

Of the 20,000 troops and more than 400 warships that went into battle, only 10,000 defeated soldiers and more than 200 warships remained, and they fled back to the water fortress.

"The water fortress is high up and blocked by iron chains. Zhao Shuo's navy shouldn't be able to take it down, right?"

Meng Wu thought to himself with a sense of hope.

However, as I said before, he underestimated the power of a global empire!

(End of this chapter)