knife

Chapter 632 Night Attack
The night was dark and the wind was high.

The wind whipped up waves that slammed heavily against the sides of the boat, making a loud pattering sound.

Lu Zhong sat cross-legged at the bow of the boat, his eyes closed, silently circulating his inner energy.

He was waiting for the scout to return.

The sound of rapid hoofbeats approached, and Lü Zhong suddenly opened his eyes, turning to look at the shore.

The sound of horses' hooves stopped, the wind picked up, and a figure glided gracefully over, stopping at the bow of the boat.

"General Lü, they've stopped at Jinsha Bay!" Even in the faintest light, Lü Zhong could see the scout's delight. "Their defenses are focused downstream; they're completely unprepared on our side!"

Lü Zhong took a deep breath, bent his index finger, and whistled loudly.

So from the woods on the bank, squads of soldiers carried small sampans on their shoulders to the riverbank and placed them in the river.

Then someone carried over bag after bag of things and piled them onto the small boat.

In a short time, there were hundreds of small boats on the river.

Each boat is equipped with eight soldiers rowing.

This was the vanguard of the Chu army's navy, known for its incredible speed. In naval battles, the vanguard would quickly break through, seize enemy ships, and fight them, creating chaos and giving the main force an opportunity to attack.

Therefore, the soldiers who boarded the ship first were all elite soldiers, and only those who had achieved a certain level in martial arts could board.

However, it's not possible to gather so many skilled players now.

The Battle of Red Cliffs resulted in heavy losses. Chen Yan's tens of thousands of naval troops were wiped out in one battle, losing six or seven tenths of their forces. They were no longer able to fight the enemy on the river and could only flee far away to avoid battle.

But now, Wang Dao is leading more than a hundred warships down the river. If they are allowed to proceed recklessly like this, they will probably appear on the Danyang River in another three to five days.

The other side's intention was clear: to force Chen Yan to fight.

Compared to land warfare, naval warfare actually places more emphasis on the strength of the forces involved.

Big fish eat little fish, little fish eat shrimp; the weak defeating the strong does happen, but it's extremely rare.

Unless the right time, place, and people all come together.

If there's no chance in a direct confrontation, but you can't ignore the opponent, then you have no choice but to launch a sneak attack.

Lü Zhong was the son of Lü Fu and a valiant naval commander.

They collected about a hundred boats, carried them ashore, and hid them.

Now, Director Wang's main force is thirty miles away from them.
It stopped at Jinsha Bay.

Everything is proceeding according to plan.

Jinsha Bay is a very large backwater bay, and given the itinerary of Director Wang's group, they would inevitably stop there to spend the night.

Chen Yan's main force was holding them back, but this time the real attack came from these hundred or so vanguard ships.

This was essentially a do-or-die attack with no chance of return.

Each of the first boats to board was loaded with firewood, grease, and other flammable materials.

Fire attack!

As long as they rush into Jinsha Bay and set it ablaze, regardless of how many ships they can destroy, just causing chaos will allow Chen Yan's main warships to take advantage of the situation.

Winning this battle would allow us to reverse the disadvantage caused by the defeat at Red Cliffs.

Chen Yan knew this was his last chance.

Wang Dao divided his forces, this time taking only a little over a hundred warships, bringing the ratio of his fleet to the enemy's to two to one. Although still half the number, they were not without the ability to fight.

Every soldier here was specially selected, and their families were mostly in or around Danyang City. Each person was given a settlement allowance of fifty taels of silver in advance, which could also be described as money to save their lives.

Lü Fu died at the Battle of Red Cliffs, and Lü Zhong did not expect to return alive this time either.

As long as the enemy's warships can be destroyed in Jinsha Bay, even death would be worthwhile. At least I would have avenged my father, and I would be happy to meet him in the afterlife.

As for the continuation of the family line, it will be carried on by the brothers, and the wife and children will also be taken care of by the brothers, so there is no need to worry.

The weather is dry.

The wind was strong and the waves were high.
Everything seemed to go according to plan.

With eight long oars probing the water and a powerful stroke, the first boat, led by Lü Zhong, left the shore and sped downstream.

Behind him, more than a hundred pioneer ships followed closely, their white waves surging like sharp arrows, speeding forward with the help of the wind.

The waterway was gentle, and they were extremely familiar with it. They could navigate it as if it were flat ground, even with their eyes closed, let alone at night.

Golden Sands Bay.

Apart from a few ships on the outer perimeter and a few scattered lights, the entire fleet was plunged into darkness.

Wang Dao, leaning on his sword, sat atop his flagship, coldly gazing ahead.

Behind him, the soldiers sat cross-legged in rows.
The rowers in the hold were all sitting in their seats, dozing off, but they were still able to get the ship moving at a moment's notice.

"Will Chen Yanzhen come?" Yi Hong asked in a low voice, standing next to Director Wang.

As a prisoner of war, Yi Hong resolutely refused to surrender before the Battle of Red Cliffs.

However, after the Battle of Red Split, when Jiang Qian met him in person, he finally knelt down.

This is actually a common practice among large families.

Previously, it was believed that Jiang Qian had no chance of winning, so she could not surrender, otherwise it would bring huge trouble to the family. However, the Battle of Red Cliffs changed the advantage of both sides on the water, and Jiang Qian's probability of success immediately jumped from zero to about 40%, which made her a worthwhile investment.

If Jiang Qian really wins in the future, his branch can still ensure the continued existence of the Yi family.

“In three days, we will reach the Danyang River!” Wang Dao laughed. “If we are allowed to appear there and launch an attack on Danyang City, even a symbolic attack would be enough to shake the capital and unsettle the people of the entire Great Chu. The Empress Dowager is already highly respected, and a single blow could turn people’s hearts around. The number of people supporting the Empress Dowager will increase, and the number of people supporting them will decrease! Therefore, Chen Yan must come.”

Yi Hong paused for a moment and then said, "If he's going to come, tonight is his only chance!"

“That’s right!” Director Wang said, “He can only bet that I will become complacent and less vigilant after my big victory.”

Standing up, Director Wang gritted his teeth and said, "I have not avenged my father's death. How can I be negligent in the slightest? The closer I get to victory, the more careful I will be. If I don't cut off Chen Yan's head, how can I face my father after I die!"

"Commander, the sentry has sent an alert!"

The lookout in the watchtower on the mast cried out.

Along the river, Director Wang set up a hidden post every few miles to monitor the situation on the river. At night, incense was lit as a signal. At this moment, the incense in the distance quickly approached, which also meant that the enemy had arrived.

"First strike, fire as coal!" Director Wang chuckled. "They dare to use such a lame tactic against me? They're seriously underestimating me!"

Upstream, two seemingly casually moored flat-bottomed transport ships were hundreds of paces away from the main warships. Between these two ships, beneath the seemingly empty water, lay hidden traps. Behind them, several main warships were also positioned with their broadsides facing this area. If they were to arrive first, they would immediately become targets.

"Look, they're coming!"

Director Wang turned around, pointed at the river, and burst into laughter: "The show is about to begin!"

(End of this chapter)