Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 340 Loyalty

This naval battle was no small matter; it was Huan Chu's last ounce of courage.

Therefore, there is no room for retreat, and not even the slightest hesitation.

Naval warfare is more straightforward than land warfare. The Xifu navy occupies the upstream position, while Liu Daogui is positioned downstream. If they retreat, they will suffer a complete rout, and all the prestige they have accumulated over the years will be lost.

The warships, sails hoisted, headed straight for Sangluo Island.

On a cold dewy evening in Jiujiang, a gentle north wind stirs the ripples. Fishermen's fires flicker on the islets, amidst the reeds and the cries of ducks and geese. Slanting clouds obscure Mount Lu, and the faint sound of drums reveals the city of Peng.

The river flowed swiftly, and the soldiers were filled with high morale.

Within half a day, a small island could be vaguely seen emerging in the middle of the river.

The grass and trees are withered and yellow, and egrets and wild geese are swimming among the water plants, unaware that a great battle is about to begin.

Just as Liu Zun and Mao Dezhu led their infantry and cavalry to form ranks on the south bank, countless sails slowly emerged from the mist on the upstream river.

"The Commander-in-Chief can wait on the shore; the naval battle can be left to this humble general!" Although Wang Zhen'e's tone was a bit arrogant, he was thinking of Liu Daogui's best interests.

"What, do you think I'm a coward who fears death? Enough nonsense, I'm on this ship, ready to live and die with my soldiers!"

The naval officers and soldiers watched helplessly. Fu Hong had 20,000 naval troops, while Liu Daogui only had a little over 10,000. Disembarking at this time would affect morale.

Boom, boom, boom...

The war drums sounded first from the opposite side, and the ship suddenly accelerated, diving towards them.

Wang Zhen'e could only board another ship by stepping on the footboard.

The enemy warships drew closer and closer, pressing down like dark clouds. The first few warships, baring their tusks, resembled rampaging wild boars, charging straight at them.

The birds on Sangluo Island flew into the sky in fright.

The withered grass trembled in the autumn wind.

At a distance of two or three miles, Wang Zhen'e not only remained motionless, but also ordered his naval forces to disembark and land on Sangluo Island.

This move baffled Liu Daogui. Naval battles naturally take place on the river, starting with long-range attacks and then boarding and fighting at close range. Yet, he had transferred hundreds of naval troops off the ships, weakening the warships' combat effectiveness.

As the enemy approached, the command flag was suddenly waved, and more than seventy warships formed a long line, close to Sangluo Island.

They narrowly escaped the attack of the Xifu navy.

Then thick smoke suddenly rose from Sangluo Island, covering the sky and obscuring the river surface, gradually engulfing both sides' warships.

All that could be heard were shouts from various Jingzhou and Xiangyang accents: "Wrong, the Northern Barbarians are to the east!"

"General Fu has ordered that the Northern Barbarians are in the south; they must be swiftly annihilated..."

"Where exactly is Beicang...?"

A variety of roars followed.

Although it was unclear what had happened, the sounds of warships colliding and scraping came one after another.

“This Wang Zhen’e is quite bold!” Liu Daogui laughed, vaguely knowing his intentions.

If it were a head-on battle, his hundred-odd warships wouldn't even be enough to fill the enemy's teeth, but if it were a chaotic melee, that would be a different story.

With the smoke rising, the naval forces could not see the command flags and could only fight independently.

Fu Hong's numerical advantage was thus rendered ineffective.

Of course, this strategy was also extremely risky, as Wang Zhen'e only had two thousand men, while the opposing force numbered twenty thousand...

Occasionally, bursts of fire erupted from the smoke, and shouts of battle echoed like thunder.

Regardless of how well they fought, their momentum was extremely impressive.

The river surface was slowly dyed red, and broken wood and corpses floated downstream. Both the Western and Northern Prefectures were Jin armies, and their armor styles were not much different. Wang Zhen'e's troops were originally the Western Prefecture navy, and in order to make the battle chaotic, their equipment was not distinguished, so it was impossible to tell which side the corpses belonged to.

"Governor, I'm afraid Wang Zhen'e is in grave danger." Liu Zhong said anxiously.

"If you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them." Liu Daogui continued to hold back his troops, with the warships anchored in the middle of the river.

The smoke hasn't died down yet, and Wang Zhen'e hasn't called for reinforcements, indicating that the fierce battle is still ongoing.

If you rush in at this time, it will be difficult to distinguish friend from foe, and it is easy to make things worse.

A stick of incense, half an hour, an hour...

As the sun gradually sets in the west, it dyes the originally blood-red river surface into a golden-red.

More than an hour later, the smoke and fire gradually subsided, and the smoke dissipated, revealing rows of burning warships.

"This..." Liu Zhong was dumbfounded.

On the river, it was impossible to distinguish friend from foe; all the ships had collided, and most of them were on fire.

Meanwhile, Wang Zhen's wicked men had already reached one of the enemy's warships. His men were all naked, holding shields in one hand and sharp blades in the other, and they leaped and attacked with the agility of leopards.

In contrast, the Chu army still used the same old spears, bows and crossbows, and wore iron armor.

The ship's deck was already crowded, and after Wang Zhen'e's troops got close, their movement became sluggish, and they were killed and forced to retreat step by step. Many of the Xifu naval forces jumped directly into the river and swam towards the north bank. Dozens of warships, seeing that the situation was not going well, withdrew from the battlefield and retreated westward.

As expected, it is always the people who know each other best. Wang Zhen'e was originally a member of the Xifu Navy and knew their weaknesses very well.

Huan Xuan fled back to Jiangling with his tail between his legs, further demoralizing the Western Army, who were naturally unwilling to fight to the death.

Wang Zhen'e, with a calculated strategy, first used smoke to confuse the Western Prefecture navy, then disrupted their movements with the Jingchu dialect, followed by close combat, advancing rapidly with light infantry using swords and shields, using chaos to overwhelm Fu Hong's armored soldiers...

Even Liu Daogui, a veteran of countless battles, might not be able to achieve this level of command ability in the face of adversity.

The key is that anyone who dares to risk their life in such a desperate battle must possess immense courage and determination... However, Wang Zhen'e's two thousand men have suffered more than half casualties.

He fought desperately in this battle, constantly surrounded by the Xifu navy, fighting on all sides, relentlessly pursuing and harassing them.

On land, they would have been dead long ago, but on the river, each boat can be seen as a small town, and boarding maneuvers require even more courage than siege warfare.

As the smoke cleared, the enemy gradually regained consciousness.

With a wave of the command flag, the warships surrounded them, and arrows rained down, causing another wave of Wang Zhen'e's troops to fall.

The enemy forces on the warships also launched a counterattack.

"All troops, advance!" If Liu Daogui didn't give the order, Wang Zhen'e's remaining forces would be surrounded and killed by the Western Prefecture navy.

"kill!"

With the sound of drums, Li Damu led a fleet to charge forward, while Liu Zhong led more than a hundred ships to circle around to the rear of the Xifu navy and cut off their retreat.

At this point, the outcome is already decided.

The infantry on the south bank shouted, "Kill!"

The remaining fighting spirit of the Xifu navy was also lost, and their retreat was cut off, so they directly raised the Zouyu flag to surrender.

However, the three warships in Gaixin were still putting up a stubborn resistance, carrying Wang Zhen'e's troops and charging left and right, trying to break through the encirclement.

But Liu Zhong and Li Damu had already surrounded him.

The ship was badly damaged, its speed was reduced, and it was unable to escape.

"General Fu is a descendant of the Qin dynasty and has a grudge against the Huan family. Why should we be buried alive with him?" Liu Daogui urged his boat forward to persuade him to surrender.

Huan Wen launched a northern expedition, killing Fu Chang, the crown prince of the Di-Qin state, and severely wounding Fu Xiong, the father of Fu Jian.

The two families have a history of national and personal vendettas.

After the Battle of Fei River, Guanzhong was in chaos. Fu Hong, the crown prince of Di Qin, led his army to a great victory over Western Yan, killing 30,000 enemy leaders. Later, due to being outnumbered, he led several thousand members of his clan eastward to Jingzhou and Xiangyang to join the Jin court, where he was highly valued by Huan Xuan.

A man emerged from the opposite ship, clad in blue armor and holding a spear. “I appreciate the governor’s kindness, but now that we have been defeated, I admit that my skills are inferior. However, His Majesty has treated me well, appointing me as the governor of Liangzhou. His kindness is as heavy as a mountain. Instead of sharing the burden of the country, I have surrendered to the enemy in the face of battle and sought only to live a life of ignominy. How can I face the world?”

Liu Daogui was taken aback, not expecting Fu Hong to be so loyal to Huan Xuan. He admired him even more. In this day and age, there was deceit and treachery everywhere, and such people were really too few.

"Even if the general doesn't think of himself, he should at least consider his wife and children."

Fu Hong hesitated.

Liu Daogui thought there was hope, but he was soon disappointed.

"I have heard that the Commander-in-Chief is known for his benevolence and virtue. I am willing to exchange three warships for the lives of my family! Your Majesty, please forgive my incompetence!" After saying this, he did not care whether Liu Daogui agreed or not, turned to face west, turned his spear around, and plunged it into his own neck.

A spray of blood splattered in the setting sun.

"General..."

The surrounding followers wailed loudly, and some even drew their swords and committed suicide.

Liu Daogui couldn't help but sigh. No wonder the Fu clan was able to rise in Guanzhong and unify the northern kingdom. Their descendants were like this, which shows how brave and fierce the Fu clan was.

Among the northern nomadic states, the Di-Qin state possessed the most characteristics of the Han dynasty.

Fu Hong committed suicide, and the others, unable to resist any longer, also raised the Zouyu flag and surrendered.

This great battle has come to an end.

The green hills remain, the setting sun has reddened many times; the mighty Yangtze River flows eastward, its waves washing away the heroes of the past.

The descendants of Fu Jian served the Huan family loyally, but were defeated by the descendants of Wang Meng, which subtly reveals a sense of cyclical fate.

The autumn wind was bleak, and the cold waves surged, bringing a strange chill. Liu Daogui felt a sense of regret over Fu Hong's death.

Everyone has their own choices and their own path; nothing in the world is perfect.

However, the Yangtze River flows on, and heroes and outstanding figures emerge one after another across the land of China.

Wang Zhen'e almost single-handedly wiped out the Western Prefecture navy. His wisdom and courage exceeded the scope of a mere general, making him a true commander.

This battle also proved his ability.

"Your subordinate has not failed in his mission!" Wang Zhen'e had four arrows stuck in his body, and his men were all wounded.

Liu Daogui quickly helped him up, saying, "As expected of a descendant of a famous prime minister, you deserve the greatest credit for this battle! Quickly summon the army doctor to treat you!"

Even Liu Zhong, Li Damu, Liu Huaijing, and others began to look at Wang Zhen'e with new respect.

This battle solidified his position in the Northern Army and also shattered Huan Chu's last shred of morale.

Wang Zhen'e said, "I am fine. Please treat the soldiers first."

"You can rest assured when joining the army!"

Military doctors and soldiers stepped forward and carried the wounded soldiers and prisoners away for treatment.

Of the 20,000 naval troops of Xifu, at least 6,000 surrendered, kneeling on the deck and declaring, "We are willing to surrender to the Commander!"

Liu Daogui glanced at them and found some familiar faces. After thinking carefully, he realized that they were prisoners of war from the Western Army who had been released during the Battle of Xiangcheng.

No wonder so many warships, despite having the strength to fight and the ability to escape, still chose to surrender.

Liu Daogui declared emphatically, "Please rise, everyone. From now on, the Western and Northern Prefectures will be one family!"

If the conflicts between the Northern and Western regions cannot be reconciled, the regional conflicts in the South will persist indefinitely, making it impossible to form a united front for a northern expedition...

(End of this chapter)