“Commander Lu, look…”
Dian Wei extended his hand, pointing forward.
Lu Yu raised the "Thousand-Mile Eye" and gazed into the distance. He could clearly see billowing black smoke ahead, numerous Jiangdong warships unleashing volleys of crossbows, and countless Mengchong warships charging towards the Great Wei naval forces.
Flames ignited… indeed, a large-scale naval battle was unfolding fiercely.
However…
It seemed the Great Wei navy was already riddled with holes, hanging by a thread, in a critical moment!
"Gulp..."
Experiencing naval warfare for the first time, witnessing warships entangled and fighting each other, with countless flames igniting on their decks…
Lu Yu’s emotions were beyond words.
Of course, he knew his place. At such a time, he should hand over command to Wen Pin and Gan Ning… he still valued his life and preferred to stay away from the battlefield.
Wen Pin, standing beside him, seemed to sense Lu Yu’s mood…
He proactively suggested, “Commander Lu, the naval battle is ahead, and your responsibilities are immense. It is best not to take risks. General Gan Xingba and I are sufficient here!”
“Good!” Lu Yu did not feign modesty and nodded, “Then I shall trouble both generals.”
With that, he deliberately moved away from the main deck, retreating to the outer edge of the command area.
The Long Xiao Camp navy here seemed to have anticipated this…
“Rest assured, Commander Lu, we will defend you to the death!”
Just as in land battles, when Lu Yu would hide at the rear, protected by numerous Long Xiao Camp warriors…
It was the same in naval battles. Compared to charging into the fray, risking his life, and relying on the heavens for sustenance… he chose to cherish his life and be a silent observer from afar, a mere "old sixth"!
…
A hundred warships rapidly charged towards the battlefield.
Although… on these giant warships, every soldier, every sailor, had previously… first battled whales, then fought against the Japanese, and even captured a hundred massive ships from the Yamatai Kingdom…
They were considered experienced in naval warfare.
But in reality… they had never engaged in combat on water before. This was their first time… therefore, every soldier of the Long Xiao Camp was extremely nervous and extremely excited.
Jiangdong navy versus the Japanese? Who was stronger?
Jiangdong navy versus whales? Who was stronger?
Every soldier of the Long Xiao Camp had pondered this question for a year. Today… they would finally verify the answer.
Nearly a hundred massive ballistae were in position…
Countless Jin Fan ships, riding the river waves and facing the river wind… charged ahead first.
Could these ballistae and Jin Fan ships, which could be called whale killers… pierce the defenses of the Jiangdong navy? Everyone watched with anticipation!
On the contrary, Wen Pin drew his short saber: gazing forward, gritting his teeth… he roared.
“Soldiers, gather around!”
Before him was a simple megaphone, hastily crafted by the workshop before their voyage and handed over to them.
“Ahem…”
Wen Pin coughed, then shouted, “You all joined the Long Xiao Camp longer than I have! Many even followed Marquis Nan Shou from Yan Province!”
“There are many things I’ve held in my heart for a long time. Today, I will let them all out.”
“Why did I join the Long Xiao Camp? Why did I become this naval commander… it’s because I heard that the brothers of the Long Xiao Camp are well-fed, well-clothed, and that Marquis Nan Shou has even settled their families and elderly!”
“The parents, wives, and children of every Long Xiao Camp soldier are cared for, and the children of Long Xiao Camp brothers will be able to attend school in the future, just like the scions of noble families!”
“Also, I heard… that for unmarried brothers in the Long Xiao Camp, every major family vies to send their daughters, and there are so many beautiful women!”
“I didn’t know these things before, but after joining the Long Xiao Camp, I realized that all of this is true! It is at this moment that I truly understood the meaning of the words ‘Long Xiao’!”
“Under heaven, what man wouldn’t want to join the Long Xiao Camp, because the Long Xiao Camp represents achieving merit, bringing glory to one’s ancestors… and securing honor for one’s wife and descendants. In such an army, I, Wen Pin, feel immensely proud. Every saber I wield, every enemy I kill, adds a thick stroke to the glory of the Long Xiao Camp! To serve as a Jin Wu, to marry Yin Lihua, and after today’s Yangtze River battle, I hope there will be another voice under heaven – ‘To be a soldier, strive to wear Long Xiao armor’!”
– To serve as a Jin Wu;
– To marry Yin Lihua;
– To be a soldier, strive to wear Long Xiao armor!
Hearing this, Lu Yu exclaimed, “Good heavens!”
Wen Pin’s mobilization was quite effective.
He clearly looked like a learned man, full of the demeanor of a scholar-general!
And these words also ignited the passion of every soldier… the eyes of every Long Xiao Camp sailor gleamed with desire!
“Marquis Nan Shou said…”
Wen Pin’s voice continued. “If this battle is won, he will grant each of you a manor in the Yamatai Kingdom, thirty mu in size! Enough for your entire family to live comfortably for a lifetime, employing those Japanese as your slaves. Your aged father and mother will be the masters of the manor, the superiors of all!”
Uh…
Suddenly, everyone on the ship fell silent.
Even the “messenger soldiers” responsible for relaying Wen Pin’s words to nearby ships fell silent!
Manors? Thirty mu?
Masters?
They had been slaves to others before, and now… could they one day rise to become masters?
Happiness… happiness had come too suddenly!
Everyone held their breath.
If achieving merit was the dream of every man, then having a manor and countless slaves to till it for them was the ultimate fulfillment that all men could achieve for their families.
And there were still many… who had not been in the Long Xiao Camp for long.
For example, Huang Zhong’s Divine Archery Camp. They dreamed of achieving merit!
On those nights, listening to their comrades in the Flying Orb Camp, the Charging Camp, and the Vanguard Camp achieve great merits, they were envious!
Before…
They had no opportunity, but today… the opportunity was right before them.
How many chances in life does one get to strive?
At that moment, all the sailors drew their sabers.
– “Kill… kill… kill…”
For the manors, to have their own slaves, to achieve merit, they would risk it all… risk it all!
Next…
Wen Pin no longer needed to rally them. All the soldiers, whether new recruits or veterans, had green light in their eyes, as if they had been injected with adrenaline.
“Kill, kill, kill…”
“Wind, wind, wind…”
From a hundred ships, a deafening roar erupted.
This sound drowned out the river waves, transforming into powerful gusts of wind with the river breeze, whistling and surging!
However…
Lu Yu seemed a little… surprised.
When had he ever said he would grant each naval brother a manor in Yamatai Kingdom?
Were there that many manors in Yamatai Kingdom?
With such questions, he quietly approached Wen Pin.
He whispered, “General Wen Pin? You haven’t been to Yamatai Kingdom… how do you know there are so many manors?”
Heh heh…
Wen Pin smiled, but his expression was stern.
“Marquis Nan Shou! You have them!”
These short five words completely stunned Lu Yu.
“If we win at Chibi and you can’t produce them, you can look for me!”
Heh heh…
Wen Pin smiled again, and he whispered, “Your subordinate is only responsible for fighting. As for distributing rewards, that is for Marquis Nan Shou to figure out!”
Speaking of which…
Wen Pin stepped onto the high platform, waving the command flag.
– “Kill! Three li ahead, the Jiangdong fleet, leave none alive!”
…
…
On the flanks of the one hundred giant ships.
Hundreds of Jin Fan ships appeared, like spirits on the water, treading waves as if on flat ground… they dashed forward like lightning, approaching the Jiangdong fleet formation first!
These Jin Fan ships, each carrying only three people, were vastly different from the massive warships. The sailors on these Jin Fan ships… wore no upper garments, their bodies bare… each holding a dagger and a chisel.
The one leading them held a steel fork, their pants extremely ostentatious and luxurious, and behind them, they wore a cape, inlaid with gold thread, extremely resplendent.
Who else could be dressed like this but the former “King of Pirates,” Gan Ning!
At this moment, he was directing his pirate brothers to spread out their formation and surround the nearest樓船 (lóu chuán - storeyed ship).
Previously, they had roamed the riverbanks, plundering large merchant ships… it was second nature to them.
As for their methods…
“Brothers, do you know what we’re going to do?”
Gan Ning said with a smile…
“We know.” The pirate brothers shouted loudly, “Let’s ‘water’ these big樓船…”
“Watering” was the pirates’ slang, meaning to breach the bottom of the ship and let the river water pour in!
“Haha…”
Gan Ning was still laughing, “Marquis Nan Shou said that for breaching one樓船, it’s a thousand gold, and for breaching one 艨艟 (méng chōng - small warship), it’s five hundred gold!”
“Damn it, ten樓船 means ten thousand gold! Listen carefully, everyone, it’s ten thousand gold, pure gold, not that brass that you can’t bite through!”
“Hahaha, if we do this well, all the brothers will be rich! Go on, chisel with all your might! Glory and wealth depend on this moment!”
Plop…
As soon as the words fell, Gan Ning jumped into the water first.
Almost simultaneously… his countless pirate brothers also jumped into the water.
Hundreds of them, with splashes of “plop, plop,” followed one after another…
Perhaps…
The Jiangdong navy, seasoned in battle, had their ways on the river.
But… compared to this method of “robbing the hearth and boiling the sea” employed by Gan Ning’s pirate legion, they still seemed too immature, so immature they could squeeze water out of them.
These pirates, who had lived by the river since childhood, were like little fish, rapidly approaching the Jiangdong樓船!
The special steel chisels were pulled from their waists.
These most outstanding craftsmen underwater, they could unscrupulously damage the bottom planks of any ship’s hold!
Such skill…
No matter who heard it, they would find it unbelievable, but for these pirates… their lives were like this, eating, sleeping, and drilling ships!
Of course…
A樓船 for a thousand gold… if they were given enough time, and the number of Jiangdong樓船 was sufficient, they could bankrupt the Great Wei treasury!
Nothing else could tempt these pirate brothers more than gold…
Here they come…
The underwater “craftsmen” were about to start their work.
And those hundred large ships also advanced at full speed, joining the battlefield. For a moment, the ships were like lightning, the waves like a storm!
…
The river water surged and flowed like arrows loosed from strings, like horses breaking free from reins, like tigers emerging from mountains.
At this moment, the Yangtze River’s natural barrier… was ablaze with war!
Gazing from the nine heavens…
The black giant ships, even larger than the樓船, had approached the Jiangdong樓船, countless giant crossbows shot out, launching iron cables to shorten the distance between them!
But soon… the two ships collided… and the hundred warships that emerged from behind like a sharp long knife, directly pierced into the heartland of the Jiangdong navy.
The thirty thousand Jiangdong naval forces and hundreds of Eastern Wu warships were instantly torn open a gap. This gap was like a cluster of flames about to ignite, rapidly deepening, widening, and spreading.
Like a dam being gnawed by insects, it instantly became riddled with holes.
“What’s going on?”
At this moment… Zhou Yu’s expression changed drastically. From being full of confidence, it turned gloomy… completely mirroring Cao Cao’s expression earlier.
How could an enemy fleet suddenly appear behind them?
How… how did they get here?
The Yangtze River had only one channel, and the Great Wei navy was flowing downstream. They… they couldn’t have sailed across the ocean and gone against the current, could they?
“Rumble…”
Just then, the樓船 trembled, and the entire vessel began to shake and heave violently… huge river waves surged up, submerging Zhou Yu entirely. And after the river water receded…
“Commander, where is the Right Commander?”
All the crew members shouted…
But, in the end, they discovered that in a corner of the deck… their Right Commander Zhou Yu was lying on the ground, looking extremely disheveled. At this moment, his red robe was soaked through… where was the elegant fan, the scholar’s cap, the casual talk of scattering arrows with a wave of the hand… the dignified appearance of the foremost marshal of Jiangdong!
He was too disheveled…
Simply a drenched chicken soaked by the river water.
Just then.
Many naval soldiers rushed onto the deck… evidently, the earlier rocking of the ship had brought them all together.
“Commander Zhou, bad news… a large number of enemy warships have appeared in our rear.”
“Commander Zhou, bad news, the enemy has those skilled in water warfare. They are… they are drilling our warships, and the bottom hold… the bottom hold has been breached, and river water is pouring in. If we don’t plug it… then…”
“Commander Zhou… the enemy’s ships are too large, and the power of their crossbows can directly pierce our Mengchong warships…”
“Commander Zhou, the rear of our fleet has been boarded by the enemy… the enemy’s naval combat is excellent, and our army… our army is retreating steadily!”
This…
With each report, Zhou Yu’s expression, which had been as clear as a sunny sky, turned dark and cloudy.
His expression was exactly the same as Cao Cao’s expression a quarter of an hour ago…
All of them were so astonished, innocent, bewildered, and helpless!
Who knew… what had happened?
Who knew… how Cao Cao’s army could… have people skilled in naval warfare?
And they could even breach warships…
“Gulp,” Zhou Yu swallowed, sweat beads the size of soybeans rolling down his forehead.
Wait a moment…
Could it be?
For a moment, Zhou Yu thought of a name, a name that made him extremely worried…
Before he could utter that name.
“Report, Commander Zhou… it has been clearly seen. On the enemy warships appearing in our rear, countless banners bear the words ‘Long Xiao’. The Long Xiao Camp… it’s… it’s the navy of the Long Xiao Camp!”
*Pat…*
Upon hearing the words “Long Xiao,” Zhou Yu’s legs went weak, and he almost lost his footing.
The Long Xiao Camp… how… how could it be the Long Xiao Camp?
“Impossible…”
“Absolutely impossible!”
“That Lu Ziyu… he… he couldn’t possibly be here! And the Long Xiao Camp… wait, the Long Xiao Camp… when did the Long Xiao Camp have a navy?”
Countless questions arose…
How could Zhou Yu believe that a fleet could sail against the current, pass through the Huaihai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, enter the Yangtze River… and sail upstream directly to Chibi!
Under the Han Dynasty, how could there be warships capable of such long-distance oceanic voyages?
Let alone Mengchong, even樓船 did not possess the conditions for sailing in the sea.
“Impossible…”
Zhou Yu gritted his teeth…
Just then.
“Rumble…”
Before Zhou Yu’s eyes, a crossbow bolt shot through directly, smashing into the deck… the immense wind and waves almost knocked Zhou Yu to the ground.
“Boom…”
Under the roar, the deck in the front section of the entire樓船 was almost pierced through.
This…
This…
At this moment, Zhou Yu’s pupils widened to the extreme. In this moment… he actually had three questions from his soul.
– Where is this place?
– Who am I?
– Where the hell am I going?
…
…