Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 265 Blitzkrieg (Part 2)
North bank of Wuxian County.

One mile downstream from the dock.

At the confluence of the Ning River and the Yangtze River, the Wu Gorge naturally forms a calm body of water known by the Wu people as Wushan Port.

The water here is wide, deep and calm, and sinks inward for several miles, resembling a giant whale, like a nest.

Further downstream from Wushan Port, numerous inaccessible reservoir bays, canals, and tuowans are scattered like stars, protecting this main port.

Inside Wushan Port.

Masts stood like a forest, and banners blotted out the sky.

More than 500 Wu army warships of various sizes were quietly moored in the harbor.

The ships were as numerous as mountains.

The warships are like sharks.

The warships moved like shuttles.

Boats moved like carp.

The warships, though densely packed, were orderly, silently demonstrating the unparalleled strength of the Sun-Wu navy.

However, it wasn't until the Jiangbei wharf collapsed and fell, and Fu Qian raised his banner on it, that Wushan Port finally received Pan Jun's order, and the dull and urgent drumbeats urging them to march resounded throughout the bay.

"Set sail! Engage the enemy!"

Commander Zheng Zhou gave the order.

The sluice gates of the water fortress slowly opened.

The winch made a dull creaking sound.

The first to set sail were nearly a hundred fast dinghys, with long, narrow hulls and a rather deep draft relative to their hull proportions.

The bow of the ship was exactly the same as that of the Han army's dinghys coming downstream at this moment, both covered with iron rams, and both gleamed with a cold light in the dim light of the day.

On board, the Wu sailors frantically adjusted their oars, maneuvering the dinghy erratically out of the lock, trying to organize a battle formation on the river outside the harbor.

Following closely behind were dozens of warships.

These medium-sized warships were the backbone of the Wu navy. They had crossbow windows and spear holes on both sides of the hull, and sailors ran around on the deck with spears and halberds lying across the deck.

Later.

A massive warship slowly sailed out of the harbor, its huge hull pressing against the river water, and the waves it stirred up directly smashed the surrounding warships apart.

On the towering pavilions of the warship, command flags fluttered wildly, and war drums beat furiously.

The thunderous drumbeats, along with the fluttering banners, the shouts of officers, the whistles of messengers, and the splashing of oars, all rose up at once, creating a magnificent spectacle that contrasted sharply with the panicked and helpless state of many sailors.

The archers hurriedly checked their bowstrings and quivers, the swordsmen nervously sharpened their spears and blades, and the pole-wielding soldiers frantically tied ropes to secure their poles.

On a medium-sized warship, Wu general Wei Wen, seeing his sailors in such a disorderly and unruly manner, was terrified and enraged, and drew his sword, roaring wildly:

"Do the Shu barbarians, having won by sheer luck, dare to think that our Great Wu navy is without men?!"

"Cheer up, everyone! Today we'll show these Shu people what it means to be a true overlord of the rivers and seas!"

The roar echoed across the river, yet it failed to stir up a single wave.

The ship's sailors remained in a state of disorder.

He had been training the navy for many years, and this was not the first time he had seen such a disorderly situation.

In the past, this situation often occurred when a sudden storm swept through the rivers and lakes, causing morale to plummet.

But now, there is no storm... Upon realizing this, he became even more shocked and angry, finally gaining a profound understanding of the so-called "defeat is like a landslide".

But no matter what, they must fight.

Although Pan Jun and Sun Jun both believed that the Shu people did not have medium or large warships, it was wishful thinking to think that they could defeat the Wu navy by attacking with only pontoons and rafts.

However, they remained in port to await the enemy, waiting for the Shu people's warships, fighting ships, and giant rafts to completely block the port, and then, like Xicheng, used black oil to launch a fire attack.

The hundreds of warships and thousands of elite naval troops in that harbor were destined to become easy prey for the Shu people, perishing in flames and devoured by fish.

Fortunately, not all Wu warships were as disorganized as Wei Wen's warship. The Wu navy was still the best in the world at that time, and it still had some spirit on the rivers and seas.

On the only warship that departed from the port, the warship general named Zheng Zhou kept issuing orders to stabilize the morale of the troops.

Before long, the massive Wu navy finally deployed its formation against the current and, spurred on by the sounds of flags, drums, and horns, headed towards the crucial dock upstream.

However, news soon arrived from the forward-deployed Red Horse fast ship that left Zheng Zhou feeling uneasy and bewildered.

The familiar "Li" character banner at the upstream dock was gone, replaced by a Han army banner with red characters on a black background.

Upon hearing this, he climbed the flying pavilion and gazed into the distance.

On the dock, a banner bearing the character "傅" (Fu) was fluttering wildly in the wind.

The garrison soldiers inside the dock retreated continuously toward the nearby Iron Chain Pass. The dock had already fallen, and the Wu navy, which had finally managed to form a battle formation, became restless again.

The river water was murky.

The silt ploughed up by the giant raft from the riverbed drew a yellow dragon on the river surface.

The Han navy, with its thousands of sails racing and oars flying, broke through the twisted yellow dragon and rushed down, resolutely charging towards the Wu fleet coming against the current.

The river flow reversed.

The Han and Wu armies' lead ships, both warships and fighting vessels, collided instantly.

Naval warfare is imminent.

The mist from the river waves mingled with the mist of blood.

The towering walls of Tiesuo Pass.

Pan Jun leaned against the cold battlements, staring intently at the already lost dock position below.

Led by another banner bearing the character "Fu" that kept advancing forward, thousands of Han soldiers poured in like a flood bursting its banks, relentlessly pursuing the retreating Wu garrison.

"How could it be so fast..." Pan Jun's voice was dry and hoarse, completely unlike his usual self.

In just over two hours, only two hours, just as the Shu navy arrived, this position, which had been built up over a long period of time, heavily fortified, and well-equipped, changed hands.
The nightmare of the fall of Yanyu Pass seemed to be repeating itself.

A cold, almost desperate sense of powerlessness quickly crept up the spine and up to the back of the head.

Beside him, Sun Jun, who inherited the title of Marquis of Dantu and General Jianwu from Sun Quan's deceased beloved general Sun Huan, also looked extremely grim.

The initial arrogance and disdain that arose from seeing through the Shu army's "melting rope" intentions were shattered by the cruel reality before him.

He wanted to say something, but found that his throat felt like it was blocked by something.

"Morale, fighting spirit..." The man forcefully closed his bloodshot eyes, then opened them again, his voice suppressed and angry.

"Pan Taichang!"

"Now is not the time to pursue mistakes!"
"Although the dock has been lost, the main force of our Great Wu Navy is still here!"

"Hundreds of warships have set sail from Wushan Port!"

"Although the people of Sichuan used rafts and boats to take advantage of the current, they still appeared clumsy!"

"I will descend the pass immediately, personally command the navy to meet them in battle, lure them to the iron chain in the middle of the river, and then give them a head-on attack, surround and annihilate them!"

He spoke faster and faster:
"The people of Shu are said to be fierce and cunning in land warfare, but what about in naval warfare?"

"Hmph, the men of Wu have risked their lives on the rivers and seas since childhood. They handle boats as easily as eating and drinking. How can the people of Shu compare to them?!"

"What they rely on is nothing more than those few strange wooden rafts and the barbaric spirit of the Sichuan barbarians!"

"If they board the ship, my elite Wu warriors will make sure they all become fish food in the river!"

Pan Jun stared at Sun Jun, noticing the arrogance and gambling spirit on the other's face that were almost unique to the generals of the Sun Wu clan, and a sudden alarm bell rang in his heart.

It was this same underestimation of the enemy. At Yanyu Pass, didn't Sun Shao look down on those Shu people who used bamboo poles as weapons?
The results of it?
If it weren't for Sun Shao... how could I have ended up like this?!
He took a deep breath of the cold river wind, trying to keep his voice steady:
“Sun Jianwu, how can we continue to be so careless?”
"Since the Shu people invaded the east, when have they ever used military tactics in accordance with common sense?"

At this point, the man suddenly looked towards the center of the river:

"I have a feeling that the raft is not just for carrying people and oil; there must be something fishy going on!"

"We should immediately seek help from Zhou Ziyu in Zigui."

Secondly, although the docks have been lost, the fortified city remains.

"We should rely on the iron chains at the river pass to block the enemy here."

"First, exhaust the morale of the Shu people, and when their army is weary and exhausted, then..."

"Hold your ground?" Sun Jun abruptly interrupted Pan Jun, his face flashing with impatience and sarcasm.

"Does Grand Master Pan still intend to defend the city? How long will he defend it?"
"Should we hold out until the Shu people use those rafts to burn through the iron chains? Or should we hold out until the Shu army north of the Yangtze River has completely established itself and is willing to attack our pass at any cost?!"
"How can we possibly maintain our morale and the morale of our troops now?!"
"At that time, my navy will be trapped in the harbor, like turtles in a jar, and will be at the mercy of others!"

"Only by taking advantage of their unstable footing and launching a preemptive strike to defeat and force them to retreat can we reverse the downward trend!"

At this point, he stepped forward and stared intently at Pan Jun, his gaze burning:

"This battle concerns the survival of Wu County and the safety of the western border of the Great Wu!"

"As a member of the Wu royal family, how can I sit idly by and watch the Shu people swagger around in front of me?!"

"Grand Master Pan, say no more. My mind is made up. I will now descend the pass and lead the navy in a bloody battle! I will surely slay generals and capture flags to boost the morale of the army!"

Pan Jun's heart sank.

If the navy is lost, Wuxian will become an isolated city, and its destruction may be imminent.

"Sun Jianwu!" Pan Jun called out loudly to Sun Jun, who had already turned and left.

"The power of Shu is at its peak; we must not confront its strength head-on!"

"We must avoid their initial onslaught! I will command the navy; I am familiar with it..."

“Pan Taichang!” Sun Jun turned around and looked back, his voice and expression cold, his wariness undisguised.

"You, as the commander-in-chief, have abandoned the pass and fled. This will only harm the morale of the troops. I think it would be better for you to stay at the pass and oversee the overall situation!"

"Furthermore, naval warfare is not your forte."

"If anything goes wrong again, our heads will be no pity!"
"To ruin the affairs of the nation is a regret that cannot be atoned even by a hundred deaths!"

These words were as cold as a dagger, piercing Pan Jun, making him both ashamed and angry.

After the defeat at Yanyu, he abandoned the pass and fled. No matter how eloquently he spoke, no matter how much he claimed to be putting the greater good before personal honor and disgrace, his authority as a general in the army had been completely lost.

Sun Jun's mention of this at this moment was not only the truth, but also a warning, and even more so a blatant questioning and disregard for his command authority as a general.

After speaking, Sun Jun stopped looking at Pan Jun's instantly pale and gloomy face, turned around and shouted at a messenger standing behind him: "Order all the warships in Wushan Port that have not yet left the port to raise their sails high and cover the port!"
"Once the Shu people are lured to the iron chain across the river, beat the drums and send them out in full force! Go quickly!"

"Yes!" The guards rushed down the wall.

Sun Jun roused himself and walked down from the pass.

Upon arriving at the city walls, he turned to look at a middle-aged general who had been silently following behind him, and took something out of his waist and handed it to him.

"Ji Yan!" Sun Jun said urgently, "This is the Tiger Tally of the Western Garrison. In the event of any unforeseen circumstances, you will immediately take command of all troops at the pass and guard it carefully. Without the General of the Western Garrison's order, you must not engage in battle without authorization, especially..."

He lowered his voice, but it was enough for a few close confidants around him to hear.

I have high hopes for Pan Chengming!

"The morale of the troops is currently wavering. We cannot afford any further mistakes at this crucial juncture. We will deal with everything after we defeat the enemy!"

The "Ji Yan" mentioned by Sun Jun is none other than Sun Xiu, the general who quelled the bandits and fled after encountering Fu Qian at the first pass.

Upon receiving the tiger tally, the man's expression hardened, and he immediately clasped his hands and bowed.

He naturally understood Sun Jun's meaning.

— Monitor Pan Jun to prevent this Grand Minister and former General from making any further decisions that would be detrimental to the war effort, such as abandoning the pass or making any decisions that would harm the war situation.

This general was now conspicuously excluded from the core decision-making level, becoming a figurehead who needed to be watched and monitored.

Sun Jun patted Sun Xiu's shoulder heavily, then looked up and glanced coldly at Pan Jun on the wall. Finally, without further delay, he strode towards the Yangtze River.

Pan Jun was still leaning against the wall.

He glanced down at Sun Xiu, who was hiding something at her waist by the wall, then looked back at Sun Jun's departing figure.

After a moment, his gaze shifted to the distant ruins and carnage still spreading at the wharf on the north bank upstream, and finally to the great river.

The Han army was not like the Cao Wei in the north, who were unfamiliar with naval warfare. Although their navy was not as strong as that of the Great Wu, it was by no means comparable to those landlubbers in the north.

Now, taking advantage of the turbulent currents of the great river, the junks charged forward, fiercely ramming their rams into the Wu army's naval battle formation.

At this point, the Wu navy's mongooses were deployed at best to protect the fighting ships that could carry more troops, with mongooses facing mongooses and rams facing rams.

Even with the Mengchong (a type of warship) as a shield, Wu's warships were still sunk seven or eight ships in less than half an hour.

Each warship, depending on its size, could carry anywhere from seventy or eighty to one or two hundred sailors. At this time, all of them were swimming in the middle of the river because their flagship had sunk.

The Han navy could not have escaped without losses.

After the mongoose rammed the Wu warship, it lost its momentum and was then subjected to concentrated fire from the crossbows of the Wu warships.

A single dinghy has only a dozen or so men, and is no match for a fighting warship. It can only rely on its speed advantage to quickly escape the firing range of the Wu warships.

In order to leave quickly, the obvious choice was to go downstream along the river.

This was both instinctive and a way to use the momentum of the river to crash into the Wu army's warships further downstream.

Just like heavily armored cavalry, the mission of the mongoose is to ram, speed, and death.

When the momentum is lost and the charge can no longer be made, it is time for a final, desperate boarding maneuver.

Sun Jun rode his red horse boat through the waves and soon approached the warship where General Zheng Zhou was located.

The river was swift, and the red horse boat bobbed up and down in the waves, but Sun Jun stood steadily at the bow.

Upon seeing Sun Jun raise the flag, the two ship crewmen threw out the mooring rope with all their might.

On the red horse boat, Sun Jun's personal guards hurriedly came to meet them.

The shipwright pulled the small boat closer.

Before the boat had come to a complete stop, Sun Jun leaped onto the deck of the ship.

Zheng Zhou was waving a flag in response to the battle from the Fei Lu (a type of military building) when he saw Sun Jun boarding the ship. He hurriedly came forward to greet him: "Why has Sun Jianwu come to the Yangtze River in person? Arrows have no eyes here, this is not a place for the general to stay for long!"

Sun Jun waved his hand, his expression grave:
"The situation is critical, how can we sit idly by?! I have come to personally command the navy. You must immediately issue the order that all ships obey my command!"

Zheng Zhou hesitated, but seeing Sun Jun's resolute expression and the insignia of the General Who Guards the West in his hand, he had no choice but to bow and accept the order: "This subordinate obeys! Please ascend the flying pavilion to command, General!"

Sun Jun strode up the flying pavilion and looked out over the fierce battle on the river.

The Han army's naval vessels numbered in the hundreds or thousands, and continued to pour forth, propelled by the current, charging straight into the Wu army's fleet like arrows released from a bow.

With a loud "boom," another warship was unable to dodge in time and was rammed head-on by the Han-made warship, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

The boat was suddenly torn open with a large hole, and the river water rushed in. The boat tilted rapidly and swayed precariously under the force of the turbulent current. Many sailors cried out and fell into the water.

"Stay calm! Don't panic!" a Wu army strategist shouted hoarsely on the boat, but it was too late.

The warship tilted rapidly and sank into the river in less than a quarter of an hour, leaving behind only a few whirlpools and a group of Wu soldiers struggling in the water.

The Han navy, having gained the upper hand, pressed on, sending even more warships charging forward with the current.

One Han warship charged straight at a Wu medium-sized warship.

As the two ships approached, the Han ship suddenly launched a series of hooks and chains, which firmly gripped the gunwale of the Wu ship.

Under the command of the ship's commander, nearly a hundred Han soldiers exerted their strength and actually hooked the Wu army's warship over.

After two rounds of arrows exchanged, dozens of Han soldiers, like wolves and tigers, leaped directly onto the Wu army's warships and began a boarding action.

"Kill!" the Han army sailors roared.

The blade flashed, and blood splattered.

Not long after the battle began, another Han army warship crashed straight into the Wu warship that was engaged in fierce fighting. With another loud crash, the ship tilted, and both Han and Wu soldiers fell into the water.

The Han army was well prepared. The sailors on the boats quickly rescued their comrades, while others were specifically tasked with killing the Wu sailors who were struggling in the water.

On the warship wrecked by the wrecked mongoose, the Wu navy, though elite and valiant, was no match for the Han navy, which was overwhelmingly superior in both manpower and number of ships, and quickly descended into chaos.

The Wu officer on the ship tried to organize a resistance, but was finally pierced through the chest by a spear of unknown origin, and fell down with his eyes wide open.

"Fire the arrow! Fire the arrow!"

On another warship, Wu's archers fired in a panic.

However, the distance was too close, and after firing just one arrow, a Han soldier seized the opportunity to rush forward, fearless of death, and cut down a crossbowman with a single blow.

The point where the two ships met became a bloody slaughterhouse.

The sounds of clashing swords, screams, and splashing into the water were incessant.

After half an hour of fighting, the river water was stained red, and floating corpses drifted with the current, a horrifying sight.

Further downstream, a Wu warship was besieged by three Han warships.

Although the mongoose was small in size, it was exceptionally agile and kept ramming the side of the Wu ship.

The repeated collisions caused the Wu ship to rock violently, making it difficult for the Wu soldiers on board to stand steadily.

"Hold on! Use the baton!" the Wu boat officer shouted hoarsely.

Several Wu soldiers hurriedly operated the batons.

It was a long, thick wooden pole with a boulder weighing hundreds of kilograms attached to the end, which could be used to strike approaching enemy ships.

However, just as the baton was about to fall, another Han army dinghy suddenly accelerated and crashed into the stern of the Wu ship.

With a loud crash, the Wu boat shook violently, and the poleman lost his footing and fell off the boat, quickly being swallowed by the river.

The other two dinghies took the opportunity to get closer, and the Han soldiers jumped aboard.

The resistance on Wu's boat weakened, and finally, the boat began to tilt and slowly sank into the river.

Some of the Wu soldiers who fell into the water were swept to the bottom of the river by the whirlpools created by the sunken ship, while others desperately swam towards their allies' ships.

However, they were entangled by Han soldiers in the water, and the two sides fought each other in the river. Blood kept flowing out, but it was quickly diluted by the river water.

Sun Jun, standing on the gunwale of the flying pavilion, took in everything. He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and gave a deep, resounding order:

"Order all ships to fight and retreat, retreating to the iron chain across the river!"

"Order the warships in Wushan Harbor to prepare!"
"Wait for my order before launching a full-scale attack!"

The flag bearer quickly signaled with flags.

The drummer beats the war drum to convey the order.

Wu's warships began to retreat, seemingly forced by the Han army's offensive, but in reality, they were setting up a huge ambush.

The Han army seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack, and the battle line continued to push downstream.

The several huge wooden rafts, escorted by Han army warships and fighting vessels, slowly approached the iron chains spanning the river downstream.

As they drew closer, they could see figures on the raft, seemingly filled with Han soldiers in full armor.

Sun Jun finally breathed a sigh of relief: "The Shu bandits have fallen into our trap! When they are fully engaged in melting the ropes, that will be the opportunity for our army to launch a full-scale counterattack!"

Sure enough, as the raft approached the iron chain, thick smoke suddenly billowed from it, indicating that the iron chain had begun to burn.

Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, creating a bizarre spectacle on the river surface.

Sun Jun was overjoyed at the sight and suddenly swung his arm:
"It's now!
"Order the entire army to counterattack!"
"All warships in the harbor have been deployed!"
"You must annihilate the Shu traitors!"

Upon receiving the order, the small and medium-sized warships that had already been swept downstream to the lower reaches of the iron chain turned around and began to go upstream.

At the same time, sails surged in Wushan Port as hundreds of warships hidden within set sail, heading straight for the flank of the Han army.

Just as Sun Jun led hundreds of warships to cut off and surround the Han navy, a red horse boat sped upstream.

The soldiers on board looked anxious and shouted loudly towards the warship from afar:

"General, this is bad!"

"The people from Shu are treacherous!"

"Is this a trap?" Sun Jun frowned immediately and ordered his men to bring the small boat closer.

The sailors on the red horse boat climbed up the warship, panting, and knelt before Sun Jun:
"General, those so-called armored soldiers on that large raft are all dummies! Straw men dressed in tattered armor and wearing tattered helmets!"

"What? A straw man?!" Sun Jun was first taken aback, then shocked, and finally became suspicious.

Suddenly, he looked upstream and was horrified.

But then they saw huge warships and large ships sailing downstream on the upper reaches of the river.

Liu Shan's "Yanwu", Guan Xing's "Fubo", and Chen Dao's "Changjing" appeared on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River like three giant beasts that had been lying dormant for a long time, and were surrounded by hundreds of medium and large warships as they sailed down the river.

(End of this chapter)