Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 252 Ships as Heavy as Mountains
Li Weihan was Li Tiao's cousin and favorite general. His flagship was much larger than a typical sea hawk ship and was much more heavily guarded.

The ship had many elite sailors wearing sturdy and durable rattan armor, which not only protected their bodies but also prevented them from becoming a hindrance if they fell into the water. Instead, it allowed their masters to float on the water, earning them the reputation of being "invulnerable to swords and spears and unsinkable when submerged."

The process of making rattan armor is quite complicated and takes a long time. After the rattan is harvested, it must be soaked in water in a stone trough for half a month, then taken out and exposed to the sun for three days, and then put back into the trough and water is added. This process is repeated for a whole year until it is completely dried, then woven into armor and coated with tung oil.

Rattan armor is tough and flexible, able to cushion attacks from swords, spears, and arrows. While its protective power is not as good as iron armor, it is lightweight and breathable.

The advantage of the grass-clad warriors fighting to the death in their armor was no longer so obvious against these rattan-armored soldiers.

In order to seize Li Weihan's flagship, Zhu Wen personally led the charge, with his two valiant generals, Huo Cun and Zhu Zhen, also joining the battle.

Li Weihan was not Li Yi himself, so even if his defenses were strong, they couldn't be much stronger. The rebel army had already stormed up, so the outcome should have been a foregone conclusion.

Suddenly, waves rose, and the ship began to rock violently.

Several soldiers lost their footing and fell heavily onto the deck like rolling gourds.

"Men, hold on! This is our perfect opportunity to counterattack!" Li Weihan shouted. "Capturing the little thief Zhu Wen is a monumental achievement. The governor will reward us with fertile fields, beautiful houses, singing girls, and concubines—we'll have everything we could want!"

A burst of excited shouts erupted from within the enemy ranks, which Li Weihan instantly revived, boosting their morale.

Li Weihan was not some kind of general with unwavering courage who could command soldiers to serve him with a single word.

One major difference between fighting on ships and on land is the ability to adapt to turbulence.

In order to enable the navy to fight fluently in the raging winds and waves, Li Tiao gathered martial arts masters to specially develop a set of boxing techniques, which he then ordered the soldiers to learn.

This style of boxing emphasizes a stable lower body, with the feet like suction cups on a boat, allowing the body to move with ease despite the wind and waves. The style also emphasizes concentrated power that bursts forth from a single point, as if the power of an entire mountain has been compressed into a single fist.

After mastering the fist techniques, one can then apply the principles to the methods of spear and sword, handling them with equal ease. In ordinary times, their prowess may not be apparent, but in times of great turmoil, they become invincible.

Its agility and dexterity make it ideal for maneuvering in narrow spaces such as bridges and ships.

Seeing the once unstoppable rebel warriors losing their footing on the deck, staggering and falling, the elite Guangzhou sailors shouted and cheered, getting more and more excited.

While brandishing their weapons, they used their legs or shields to trip the heavily armored Grass Army warriors to the ground, then inserted short knives into the gaps in their armor to stab their throats.

Many soldiers were so disoriented by the turbulent waves that they fell victim to the Guangzhou Navy's blades before they could even react.

Taking advantage of this situation, the enemy gradually launched a counterattack, and even showed signs of trying to drive Zhu Wen and his men off the ship.

Every advantage has its disadvantages. Wearing heavy armor provided the rebel soldiers with defense, but it also affected their mobility when the wind and waves increased.

The rough seas and seasickness are not problems that can be solved by courage alone.

Zhu Wen saw the distorted faces of his comrades, and the sharpness in his eyes gradually turned into fear.

The surging waves and the spinning of the sea directly penetrate the depths of the human mind.

To soldiers raised on land, this sight was nothing short of cataclysmic.

Even warriors who normally face death without batting an eye can be overcome by instinctive fear.

Zhu Wen remained calm.

He saw that during the enemy's counterattack and pursuit, their ranks became loose, leaving a path that could lead directly to the rear.

A single glance at the enemy formation is enough to discern their weaknesses—an intuition possessed by many renowned generals. Some are gifted, while others develop it gradually through countless perilous battles.

He tugged at the collar of Huo Cun's military uniform, and the two exchanged glances.

Then, in the chaos, they almost simultaneously ripped off their armor and threw it onto the deck.

Wearing heavy armor to show a determination to fight to the death is one thing, but adapting to changing circumstances is another.

Ordinary heavy armor is not easy to remove. But if it is specially made armor, you only need to cut a few key threads and the whole suit of armor will slide off.

This practice not only increases the cost of manufacturing armor, but also reduces its defensive capabilities.

After deciding to engage in close combat on board, Zhu Wen quickly considered the special circumstances that made unarmored combat more advantageous than wearing armor.

After removing their heavy armor, Zhu Wen and Huo Cun felt their bodies suddenly become light and airy, as if they could float in the air.

They moved with the agility of monkeys, slipping through the gaps in the enemy lines like two bolts of lightning.

The enemy was busy counterattacking and didn't react for a while. By the time they came to their senses, Zhu Wen and Huo Cun had already reached the front of the enemy general Li Weihan.

Previously, in order to withstand the onslaught of the rebel soldiers, Li Weihan had already sent out his personal guards.

Huo Cun, wielding a pair of short hammers, attacked like two venomous snakes, one in front and one behind.

Li Weihan parried with his sword, knocking Huo Cun's left-hand warhammer away, while the other hammer circled around to his back and slammed into Li Weihan's back.

The blow was cushioned by the rattan armor, preventing a serious injury, but the force struck Li Weihan's back. He lost his footing, and the waves further propelled him to the ground, knocking out two front teeth. Even the most skilled naval warrior, struck hard by a blow in the wind and waves, would lose his balance.

On the battlefield, life and death are often decided in the blink of an eye.

Huo Cunhe pounced on Li Weihan like a hungry tiger, pinning him to the deck.

The two men fought fiercely, just like street brawlers.

This is the norm in battlefield combat.

Historically, there have been instances where generals, when killed in a surprise attack, bit off two of the enemy's fingers, yet still faced the fate of having their heads severed.

There is no such thing as bullying the weak with superior numbers on the battlefield, nor is there any sense of dishonorable victory, especially since Zhu Wen and Huo Cun are currently in the center of the enemy lines.

Zhu Wen raised his sword and beheaded Li Weihan in one stroke. He then removed Li Weihan's helmet and held it in his hand, shouting, "The enemy general Li Weihan is dead! Those who know the situation, surrender quickly!"

Taking advantage of the sudden rise in wind and waves, the officers and sailors on the ship turned the tide of the battle, only to receive news that their commander had been killed. They were all stunned, frozen on the deck as if struck by lightning.

Zhu Wen heard a series of sharp sounds as weapons hit the ground.

The general inspires the soldiers, and the soldiers inspire the general's authority.

The soldiers of the Guangzhou Navy had considerable experience in naval warfare, and their naval combat skills were far superior to those of the newly established, makeshift navy.

The battles on land were far more brutal than those at sea.

In land battles, it is not uncommon for soldiers to continue fighting and even achieve victory after their generals are killed in action. However, in naval battles, the death of a general usually leads to the rapid collapse of his troops.

If the government troops on the ship had fought to the death, they might have been able to kill Zhu Wen and Huo Cun, avenging Li Weihan.

Zhu Wen's sudden attack and slaying of the enemy generals, though unexpected, left them utterly bewildered and terrified.

Some jumped into the sea to escape, while others threw down their weapons and surrendered.

Only a few loyal guards of Li Weihan cursed and fought on, but were quickly killed on the spot by Zhu Zhen and others.

The waves gradually subsided, and severed limbs and torsos lay scattered on the deck, stained with the blood of soldiers from both sides.

In the previous battles, men from both sides slipped on the blood in the wind and waves and died by the sword, adding new blood to the deck.

After the dust settled, Zhu Wen suddenly remembered that the first time he and his second brother Zhu Cun fought side by side in the rebel army was when they worked together to behead Ye Luoliang, a general of the Pinglu army, amidst the chaos.

How similar it is to today's scene.

Two years passed in the blink of an eye. Zhu Wen had become a well-known young general, while Huo Cun, who was just a lowly soldier at the time, was gradually able to shoulder heavy responsibilities.

The figure of my second brother, as imposing as a mountain, was buried behind the endless dust of war, beneath the surging waves of the Han River, never to return.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty scent, brushed against my eyes.

At this moment, my eyes inevitably stung a little.

Zhu Wen's gaze swept over the government troops and surrendered soldiers who looked dejected and like a bunch of rats.

Apart from the oarsmen, everyone else had their weapons and armor confiscated and were herded into the hold and imprisoned.

Only then did regret show on their faces.

On the sea, many broken pieces of wood floated with the waves, while the half-submerged hull stood upright on the surface, constantly bubbling up a series of bubbles.

The vast majority of the shipwrecks came from the rebel side.

However, the rebels also captured a large number of government troops' sea hawk ships, making up for their losses, and their casualties were far less than those of the government troops.

Li Weihan was killed, his flagship was captured, and the remaining sea hawk ships retreated in panic to join the following fleet.

It's not time for the righteous soldiers to celebrate their victory yet.

They expended so much effort, only to thwart the attack of the fastest-attacking sea hawk ships.

Behind them, there were mountain-like structures floating on the ocean surface, like mobile fortresses.

These behemoths were the Guangzhou Navy's trump card – the tower ships.

Compared to the fast sea hawk ships, the tower ships were much larger and slower, but their multi-deck structure and the large paddles on both sides that could launch huge stones made capturing the ships extremely difficult.

The Cao Jun navy was newly established and, compared to Li Tiao's Guangzhou navy, which dominated the seven seas, there was a vast gap in hard power.

Next, Zhu Wen and his men will face even more severe challenges.

(End of this chapter)