Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 403: Exhausted Efforts to Break Through the Siege

It is no wonder that Wanyan Liang felt that the time was ripe to cross the river. In fact, the Jin navy had completely gained the upper hand at this time and divided and surrounded the Dongting Lake navy.

This is not the case that the Dongting Lake Navy, which was so powerful a few days ago, has declined so quickly and lost its combat effectiveness in just a few days.

This was because the Dongting Lake Navy separated Yang Qin's troops and arrived in Wuhu City to assist the Jingnan Army in crossing the river. At this time, the army was at a disadvantage, and Li Dao could only lead more than a hundred ships to fight.

On the other hand, the Jin Kingdom transported 150 ships upstream by sailing over land, forming a pincer attack with more than 100 ships downstream.

Not to mention how huge the advantage was after the Jin army's navy occupied the upstream, nor to mention that the tactical space was compressed to the extreme, the psychological pressure caused by being attacked from both sides was enough to make the average Song army terrified.

The Romans, the Persians, and the Tang people have all fought and suffered this kind of battle, and there is no doubt that they all failed. No matter how strict the military discipline of the Dongting Lake navy was and how strong its strength was, it could not escape the category of medieval troops. After being divided and interspersed by the Jin army, it inevitably ended up fighting each other.

In the previous battles, due to various reasons such as the water flow and the width of the river, the Jin army never took advantage of its numerical advantage. This time, Su Baoheng, who was upstream, used fire ships as the vanguard, squeezed the tactical space of the Dongting Lake navy, and regardless of the formation and command, he rushed forward with more than a hundred warships, quickly engaged in close combat, and finally formed a situation of having more people against fewer.

After summarizing the Song army's tactics, Su Baoheng issued a death order to each of the Moukes: do not try to resolve the battle from a distance, but to engage in close combat, either by boarding the enemy or by throwing fire at close range. They must fight the Dongting Lake navy with a mentality of mutual destruction, only then would they have a chance of victory.

Su Baoheng even placed the flagship almost at the front and led the charge as the commander-in-chief.

Old Su was not afraid that his own ships behind him would show any fear of fighting, because on the increasingly high earthen platform on the west bank of the river, the Jinwu flag was flying high, and Wanyan Liang under his command was personally beating the drum for the Jin navy.

The Jin army on the shore also beat the general's drum in time with the drumbeats of their own emperor. For a moment, the rumbling drum sound urging the attack resounded on both sides of the river.

What great merits can there be in the world, that can be greater than the merits I have performed before the king?

If you don’t fight hard now, when will you fight hard?

The captains of the Mouke ships were almost all furious, and they all rushed to ram the Song army ships in a desperate attempt to die together. The officers led the way, jumped onto the Song army warships with all kinds of weapons in their hands, and fought hand-to-hand with the Song army without fear of death.

The navy had armored soldiers, but not everyone dared to wear heavy armor in a water battle. Consequently, both sides were mostly armed with swords, shields, and spears, and casualties occurred at an astonishing rate. And on the boats, on the river, even if there were a few cowards, there was no escape or evasion, and they could only grit their teeth and charge towards their respective enemies.

The only way to survive is to kill all the enemies!
No matter how brave the Dongting Lake navy was, they were outnumbered and surrounded in a river channel of only three or four square kilometers, and there was no way they could turn the tide.

When the Wanyan Zheng family crushed Meng Foduo's desperate attack at the cost of more than 30 vehicles and ships and ensured the integrity of the "anvil", the defeat of the Song army was already doomed.

The Song army ships were destroyed one by one, and flames began to spread across the river. However, the Jin army ships led by Su Baoheng were still rushing forward regardless of the consequences, and they pierced into the heart of the Song army fleet like a sharp knife, dividing the Dongting Lake navy into several pieces.

Su Baoheng stood on the highest level of the flagship, holding his sword, scanning the battle situation with his hawk-like eyes.

Compared with a few days ago, this high-ranking official of the Jin Kingdom has become noticeably thinner.

They were all people who read the books of sages, so how could Su Baoheng not know what he had done in the past few days? How could he not know how much sin he had suffered? Those who had been directly or indirectly forced to death by him were already everywhere in the mountains and fields!
But in order to unify the world, this kind of thing that will cut off the lineage must be done.

If you want to bring peace to the world for eternity, you must not be able to establish a mission for the people!

This made Su Baoheng, who had the triple identities of a Confucian scholar, a high-ranking official, and a general, extremely miserable.

Is it wrong to unify the world? Is it right to kill civilians in war?
He no longer wanted to think about these problems. He just wanted to clear all obstacles on the river for Wanyan Liang.

As Su Baoheng and Wanyan Liang had said during their first long conversation, the world cannot be divided into two. Throughout history, division has always been intolerable to everyone on this earth, from top to bottom.

Political leaders who didn't want unification were sometimes called "status quo monarchs" in history books, or "watchdogs" in other words. Even though the Eastern Jin Dynasty was already in such a state of disrepute, there were still people like Zu Di, Yu Liang, and Huan Wen who launched the Northern Expedition.

Su Baoheng clearly told Wanyan Liang that if he did not unify the world while the Jin Dynasty was prosperous, he would have to wait for the Han heroes to conquer Huanglongfu.

At the same time, as a Confucian scholar and a standard scholar-official, Su Baoheng had another saying hidden in his heart: only after unification can the people of the world live a good life and no longer have to worry about war.

But it doesn't matter. Su Baoheng no longer wants to know the answer to this question. He doesn't even know whether what he has done in his life is right or wrong. He just stares at the big flag with the word "Li" two miles away, and orders to advance at full speed to surround and kill the Song commander named Li Dao.

The Song army's chariots and ships kept rushing out of the melee, trying to destroy the Jin army's flagship, but under the command of the flag bearer, the chariots and ships accompanying the flagship rushed forward one after another, stopping the Song army ships by ramming them, and then rushed onto the Song army's chariots and ships with burning gunpowder bags in an even more violent manner, not hesitating to die together, and fought back and forth in the increasingly fierce fire, completely ignoring the possibility that the flames might spread to their own ships.

"Brother! The flagship of the Jin thieves!" Wang Huai commanded the eight-ox crossbows on the side to fire at the same time, shooting a small ship into honeycomb coal. Then he commanded a team of sailors to extinguish the gunpowder bags thrown onto the deck and throw them back into the water. He looked up and pointed at the big ship in front of the right and said.

"I see!" Li Dao, accompanied by his personal guards, swept all the Jin soldiers who had climbed onto the deck in the small boat into the water. He wiped the blood from his forehead and said, "Charge forward and sink it!"

Before he finished speaking, a violent vibration came from the deck under his feet. Li Dao almost couldn't stand steadily, and several soldiers on the side of the boat fell off the boat. They didn't even have time to struggle and sank to the bottom of the river like a stone.

A small Jin army ship took advantage of the opportunity when Li Dao's flagship slowed down and adjusted its direction, increased its speed to the extreme, and crashed into the flagship's butt.

Dozens of hooks were hooked onto the side of the ship. Although the Song army reacted quickly and stepped forward to cut off the hooks, nearly twenty Jin soldiers still climbed onto the deck, formed a formation, and rushed towards the Song army while howling.

Li Dao was furious and personally led his soldiers to engage the Jin army's first landing troops. Wang Huai was also not idle. He mobilized more than 20 archers to fire at the enemy's deck from a high position, and then directed the navy to ignite the sails of the small ship with gunpowder bags and push it away with hooks.

"Scholar, how is it?"

After a while, Li Dao chopped off the head of the last Jin army soldier and gasped for breath while leaning on his sword.

"The rudder doesn't work, it's stuck!" Wang Huai shouted in response.

Li Dao's heart skipped a beat. These days, the rudders of ships are all outside the hull, with a part of them exposed above the water. Although the collision with the Jin army's ships did not cause serious damage to the flagship, it still broke the rudder.

Although the ship can be steered by pedaling the water wheel, its fate can be imagined if it loses its ability to maneuver flexibly in such a small battlefield.

Like sharks smelling blood, the Jin army ships, under the command of the Su flag, slowly and firmly surrounded them.

Seeing this scene, the Song army's chariots and ships also spontaneously moved towards the flagship. However, at this time, except for the chariots and ships that were divided and surrounded and resisted stubbornly, there were less than 30 ships of the Dongting Lake navy that could still maneuver normally, and most of them were already scarred.

Seeing Su Baoheng slow down his offensive, Wanyan Yuanyi, who was watching the battle from the high platform with Wanyan Liang, said anxiously, "Why don't you take this opportunity to destroy this old bastard in one fell swoop? Does he have to go through so much trouble?"

"Su Qing has long said he wants to recruit one or two brave generals skilled in water warfare for me." Wanyan Liang had already returned to his stool, drumstick in hand, and was watching the battle on the river from afar. "The outcome is now decided. Finally, we don't have to waste all these days of hard work. Let Su Qing be willful for once, and we'll just have to wait and see."

Wanyan Yuanyi didn't dare to say anything more and just nodded his head in agreement.

There was actually nothing much to say when the war reached this point. The Jin navy relied on its huge numbers to slowly tighten the encirclement, waiting until the Song army had nowhere to retreat, and then either recruited surrenders or killed them all.

The three Wanhu of Wanyan Alin, Wanyan Yuanyi and Han Tang were ready to march, waiting for the navy to win a great victory. They would take advantage of the low morale of the Song army, capture Jiangxinzhou head-on, and then break through the Song's Dongcai Shi defense line in one go.

However, the Dongting Lake navy would not sit idly by.

Seeing this, Meng Fotu, who was blocking the enemy in the north, gave up his entanglement with Wanyan Zheng's family and led eleven ships that still had some combat power to rush from downstream. Wanyan Zheng's family also bit the butt of Meng Fotu's fleet like a leech attached to its bones, and quickly drove towards the center of the battle.

"Boss Meng, those bastards behind us are chasing us!"

A sergeant shouted loudly.

Meng Buddha gritted his teeth and said, "We can't let the Jin thieves surround us. Set fire to the ships and send them all out. We'll hold them back as long as we can!"

If the Wanyan Zheng family were allowed to surround them, the Dongting Lake navy would be completely surrounded, and there would be nowhere to escape.

The soldiers used flags and drums to convey the order, but two ships responded with a request to attack north. "It's the Anmin brothers. They have no fireships left. They want to delay the Golden Dog!"

After listening to his subordinates' report, Meng Buddha felt a pang in his heart, but he still gritted his teeth and ordered: "Send them a signal and tell them to charge the enemy flagship!"

"Here!"

Soon, the military order was issued, and the two watercraft slowly stopped, then made a big turn on the river to make way for the fireboats, and then followed the fireboats and rushed towards the flagship of the Wanyan Zheng family.

This is bound to be a suicidal attack with no return, but the saying "a kind person cannot command an army" is exactly this principle. At the critical moment, you have to exchange your sons.

Meng Buddha forced his attention away from behind him, and commanded the remaining ships to ram the Jin army ships in front of him, opening a passage for the more than 30 ships that were besieged in Dongting Lake.

"Tell Deng Yan to take charge!"

After hurriedly instructing the military envoy, Meng Buddha jumped onto a small boat with several personal guards and headed towards Li Dao's flagship along the gap between the ships.

"General!" After going through many hardships and dangers, Meng Buddha finally saw Li Dao covered in blood.

Li Dao was struck by two arrows, one in the shoulder and one in the right chest. The tails of the arrows had been broken off, but the arrowheads had not yet been removed. Fortunately, he was protected by armor. Although there were fresh marks on the armor from sword strikes, they did not appear to be fatal.

Wang Huai was in a much more miserable situation. He was the focus of the Jin army because he was on the helm. In the melee, he was cut in the thigh and waist. At this moment, he was holding the railing and gasping for breath.

"Meng Lao San, why are you here?" Li Dao was not happy when he saw Meng Buddha boarding the ship, but angry: "Why don't you leave quickly!"

Meng Buddha said anxiously, "General, we have done our best and fought so hard to this point. We have done justice to the conscience of heaven and earth, and to Liu Feihu. We are defeated today. Now, while I am opening a passage, let's retreat!"

Li Dao's blood-stained white beard trembled, and his eyes changed from fierce to sad.

"This is our last chance, General. This battle cannot be concluded today. There will be more later..."

Li Dao grabbed Meng Buddha's arm, stopping him from continuing. "I can't leave. I brought these men to meet the enemy, and countless men were killed or wounded. How could I survive alone?"

"General! Now is not the time for sentimental romances?" Meng Buddha stamped his foot and said anxiously, "The war isn't over yet. Every life saves a life of strength. General, don't you understand this?"

"Thirty years ago, I abandoned the graves of my parents and my comrades. Twenty years ago, I abandoned General Zhai and his brothers. Ten years ago, I abandoned my Marshal Yue and the hope of restoring the Central Plains."

Li Dao's eyes turned to pleading: "Meng Sanlang, this boat is all I have left now. I can't abandon it anymore."

Meng Buddha opened his mouth and stared at Li Dao, whose body was already a little hunched, and he couldn't say any words of persuasion.

What else?

Could it be that persuading Li Dao to endure humiliation for a few days would surely make the sun and moon bright again and the country safe again?

Li Dao has waited for nearly thirty years but still hasn't seen what he wants. Now Meng Buddha says that he can wait until the day when the Central Plains is restored. How can Li Dao believe it?
Meng Buddha himself doesn’t believe it!
"Go ahead. My flagship is here, my banner is here. We can finally stop the Jin thieves." Li Dao's tone became firm, and he said loudly, "There is an order. Meng Buddha, lead your troops to retreat immediately."

Meng Buddha suddenly wiped away his tears, then gritted his teeth and said, "I want to take the young ones with me. They don't have wives or bloodlines yet, so they can't die here."

"Zhu Asan! Take those who are willing to go and follow Meng Sanlang to retreat!" Li Dao immediately shouted orders to his personal guards.

"General, I..." Zhu Asan, who was shirtless, had just said one sentence when he was interrupted by Li Dao.

"Fighting the Jin bandits to death will only lead to death sooner or later." Li Dao said with a smile, "It's just that I'm going to die first. I'm old and can no longer kill the Jin bandits. You must obey Meng Buddha's orders and work hard to kill the bandits. If you don't bring two heads to the bottom, I will beat you with military sticks!"

"Commander..." The men who had fought for a long time with only blood and no tears burst into tears at this moment.

"...Let's go!" Zhu Asan's teeth were about to break, and the word was almost squeezed out of his throat.

After saying that, Zhu Asan took the lead and walked down from the flagship.

Among the soldiers on the flagship, some stood still, while others followed Zhu Asan to lower the small boat and leave north along the path opened by Meng Fotu.

No one said a word, and no one laughed at anyone.

Cheng Ying's pestle and mortar, the moon shining in the west, no matter if it is the one who is determined to die or the one who is going to survive, it is not easy for anyone.

Meng Buddha finally stepped off the flagship, looked back at his general, and said with a bow, "Take care."

Li Dao smiled and waved: "See you later."

After hearing these unlucky farewell words, Meng Buddha finally couldn't hide his sadness, and tears burst out like a bursting dam. However, this once impetuous commander also clearly realized that at this moment when Yang Qin followed the Jingnan Army to attack Dongguan, he was the supreme commander of the remnants of the Dongting Lake Navy. It was his duty, so he didn't even have time to grieve.

It was not known whether it was because Su Baoheng ordered the capture of Li Dao alive, or because the temptation of beheading the general and seizing the flag was too great, but the besieging Jin warships became somewhat confused and they all rushed towards Li Dao's flagship, causing the pressure on Meng Buddha's troops to drop sharply.

Under the cover of Li Dao's flagship, Meng Buddha boarded the ship and led nearly thirty damaged ships downstream.

"Brother Meng San, what should we do?"

Even if they went downstream, the road was not smooth. Wanyan Zhengjia also led the navy to form a battle formation and came to pursue and intercept them.

If they cannot break through, then even if the sailors can escape to Jiangxin Island, these more than 20 ships will still not be able to be saved.

"Let's charge..."

Before he finished speaking, a fireball rose up next to the flagship of the Wanyan Zheng family, and instantly engulfed the flagship with the flag of Weizhen. Nearly a hundred Jin soldiers, on fire or not, jumped off the flagship and jumped into the water.

The sudden change caused chaos in the Jin navy. Many ships changed their formation and slowly turned around to rescue their captain.

"It's Anmin. They don't have fire ships anymore, but they have gunpowder!"

Meng Buddha suddenly realized what was going on, but he didn't even dare to feel sad. He immediately ordered: "Quick, take advantage of the chaos and go downstream! Quick!"

The sounds of trumpets and gongs merged into one, and with flags waving, the remnants of the Dongting Lake navy filed out along the flank where the Weizhen Army's formation was slightly loose.

"Don't worry about me! Go stop the bandits! If they escape, I'll skin you alive!"

Wanyan Zhengjia was in the wheelhouse, not wearing armor, and was protected by guards who were familiar with water. He was pushed into the water by the guards as soon as the fire broke out. He had just climbed onto a small boat and immediately started shouting.

But it was too late.

Taking advantage of this short moment, the Dongting Lake navy suddenly untied the golden rope, tore open the jade lock, and had already flown down the river and escaped far away.

Wanyan Zhengjia drew his knife fiercely, chopped it on the side of the boat, and roared to the sky.

The Jin navy paid such a huge price, but still failed to achieve its goal. How could this not make people extremely angry?!

(End of this chapter)