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

Chapter 404: Eight Thousand Miles of Clouds and Moon

Looking at the remnants of his troops sailing away, with only fragments of sails left a moment later, Li Dao suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to ask Meng Buddha whether he knew whether the Jingnan Army had crossed the river.

Then he laughed again.

I was so busy today that I forgot how fierce the fighting was. Even if Meng Buddha had a military envoy to communicate with Dong Cai Shi, how could he remember to ask for such news?
Only the Dongting Lake navy suffered heavy casualties. If he didn't know whether the Jingnan army would set out, Li Dao would still feel a little unwilling to accept it.

Well, I'll go downstairs and ask King Youdu later to see if he knows anything.

Li Dao looked at the slowly approaching Jin warships, then looked back at the large flag with the word "Li" on it which had a new flagpole, and finally set his sights on the more than forty armored soldiers who had raised their large shields and were ready for the final battle.

They were all veteran soldiers, some of whom had retreated with Li Dao after repeated defeats during the Jianyan era, some of whom had joined the navy and surrendered to Yue Fei after following the rebellion of Zhong Xiang and Yang Yao, and some of whom had been rescued from the Central Plains during the Northern Expedition. Some were tall, some short, some fat, some thin, but all shared a commonality: their hair and beards were white, indicating a sense of age.

Old age is not about strength. Li Dao is fifty-four years old this year, and his old brothers are about the same age. In the Song Dynasty, forty years old was considered old, and such old soldiers should have retired long ago, but where could they go?
Their hometowns had long been destroyed in repeated wars, and their families had all died in the turmoil.

Where else to go besides the army?

Now the Dongting Lake navy has been beaten to pieces and has lost their last home. Naturally, these old men will not cherish their lives anymore.

Su Baoheng felt similar to Li Dao's. He also felt very uncomfortable. His eyebrows and eyes were twitching. He was almost forcing himself to suppress his anger and disappointment.

Anyone who sees the cooked duck flying away from the plate will have the same reaction as Su Baoheng.

Nearly a hundred warships surrounded a group of defeated soldiers, but they were able to escape and almost lost a deputy governor. It was simply unbelievable.

To put it more clearly, if the Wanyan Zheng family achieved such a record on land, they deserved to be executed along with their entire family.

Su Baoheng forced himself to suppress all emotions and looked back at the Jin army fleet, feeling extremely heartbroken again.

The losses suffered by the Jin navy in this battle are almost beyond words. Although more than 80 Song warships were sunk or captured, the Jin navy also lost more than 70 warships.

You have to know that this is the result of the combined advantages of seizing the upper reaches, surprise attack, and pincer attack. Su Baoheng felt a chill in his heart. If they had fought an open battle with chariots and horses, the Great Jin Navy might have been completely wiped out.

Originally, there were more than 300 large and small warships that marched from Zhenzhou to Caishiji. After a series of battles and transportation, only less than 200 ships were left, including captured Song warships.

Although as the victor, the Jin army can easily rescue and salvage the soldiers who fell into the water, it is now winter and it is unknown how long the Jin army can last in the cold water.

Su Baoheng saw smoke and dust billowing again from the southern shore, knowing that Han Tang's entire army had arrived. Three Jin troops, numbering ten thousand, were arrayed on the shore, preparing to force a crossing of the Yangtze River. Minister Su remained silent for a moment, then hoisted a large yellow banner and forced Wanyan Zhengjianu and his hundred-plus carts and boats to the west bank, where they would obey Wanyan Liang's orders.

Su Baoheng also understood that although the navy had won, it was a pyrrhic victory, not to mention that the fatigue from the battle could not be relieved in a short time. But this was the nature of war. Now that the Song navy had been destroyed and a breach had been created in the Caishiji defense line, the offensive had to continue without stopping.

According to military common sense, when one part of the enemy army has been destroyed, the morale of the remaining units will inevitably be hit. This is the best time to expand the victory.

Otherwise, once the Song army musters up its courage again, things will get out of hand again.

Su Baoheng ordered the remaining forty small boats to search and rescue the Jin soldiers who fell into the water on the river, and then he personally led thirteen large ships to surround Li Dao's flagship again.

As for the more than 20 Song army ships fleeing downstream, Su Baoheng was unable to take care of them for the time being.

But it doesn’t matter. What kind of trouble can this group of defeated soldiers cause?

Nearly ten warships once again approached Li Dao's flagship from all directions, hooked their faces to each other, and put up pedals to form a small piece of land.

Li Dao just stood at the bow with his spear in his hand, while the veteran soldiers behind him formed a defensive circle with their shields on the deck.

Wang Huai was on the helm, lighting several oil lamps beside him with flint, and silently watched as the Jin army stepped onto the flagship and, accompanied by the sound of drums, raised their swords and shields and surrounded the Song army's formation.

When the Jin army was less than five steps away from the Song army, the drums stopped beating, and the Jin army stopped and stood in awe.

From the second floor of the surrounding chariots and ships, there was a continuous creaking sound. The archers of the Jin army strung all the Eight Oxen Crossbows and Divine Arm Bows and pointed their arrows at the small formation of the Song army.

"Li Dao, Li Zishi!" A Jin soldier stepped out of the crowd, his gaze gazing at Li Dao as if chewing and swallowing, yet under strict military discipline, he still spoke words of persuasion: "You have killed countless of my men, I wish I could eat your flesh and sleep on your skin! However, I must admit that when it comes to naval warfare, you are the best in the world."

"Minister Su requested His Majesty's approval before going to war. If you surrender, you will enjoy endless wealth and glory!"

"If you want an official title, you will naturally have the title of founding county duke!"

"If you want treasure, there will be countless gold, silver, pearls and jade!"

"If you wish to command an army, there is a place for you in the Jin fleet, and the Jin's invincible army will serve under your command!"

"Your Majesty is wise and powerful, and knows how to appoint the right people. Isn't he a thousand times better than Zhao Gou in the south?"

"Li Zishi! You've fought for so many days and repaid the Song Dynasty's kindness. Now you're at your wit's end. Surrender!"

Su Baoheng really wanted to recruit a naval commander. Through these large-scale naval battles, this old fox had already seen how difficult it was for the Song army to organize a cavalry, and how difficult it was for the Jin Kingdom to train a navy.

The combat effectiveness of this type of technical force is completely different with or without the participation of experts.

In addition, Li Dao has a lot of experience. If he can be persuaded to surrender, it will be like buying a horse with a lot of gold.

"At the end of my rope?" Li Dao sneered after hearing Meng An's words of persuasion. "I still have a big spear, a seven-foot body, and forty comrades. How can I say I'm at the end of my rope?"

"Then you just won't surrender?" Jin Jun Meng'an's tone became dangerous.

"Boom!" All the Jin soldiers slammed their swords against their shields, making a loud bang, which added momentum to the threat of Jin Jun Meng'an.

"I have nothing to say to you, little brat." Li Dao said with a chuckle: "Let Su Baoheng come out!"

"How dare you!" Jin Jun Meng'an said with a fierce smile, "If you want to see Minister Su, put down your weapons first!"

Li Dao looked at the messenger in front of him with a forced smile, which made Jin Jun Meng'an's whole body go numb. Finally, he took off his helmet and threw it aside.

Jin Junmeng'an secretly let down his guard.

In the army, fighting often depends on a single breath. If you hold on to that breath, you will be a hero from birth to death. But if you lose that breath, you will naturally lose it completely.

Even though he was only throwing away his helmet now, it was just the beginning. With this opportunity, Jin Jun Meng'an firmly believed that Li Dao would throw away his weapons, honor, and even dignity.

As expected, Li Dao then untied the shield tied to his arm and slammed it heavily to the ground with a thud.

"Your spear!" Jin Jun Meng'an shouted angrily.

The north wind blew, the flags fluttered, and the old soldiers arranged in a circle looked at the approaching Jin army through the gaps between their shields. They gripped their weapons tightly in their hands, but there was no expression on their faces.

Li Dao smiled slightly, stretched out his hand, and threw the spear to his side.

There was a slight commotion on the Jin army's flagship, but it quickly subsided.

A thin and vigorous old man wearing a helmet and armor appeared at the bow of the Jin army's flagship. Li Dao looked up and saw Su Baoheng looking at him from a distance of about thirty steps across a boat.

Because they are both large ships with a capacity of 500 people, the height of the two people is about the same.

"I am Su Baoheng, the Minister of Metalwork and Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. What do you want to say? Tell me now!" Su Baoheng said impatiently.

"It's nothing serious, I just want you to listen to a song!" Li Daolang replied.

The north wind blew hard, and amidst the whistling sound, murderous intent was rampant.

As soon as these words were spoken, the rumbling sound of drums began to sound.

Along with the sound of drums, there was also Wang Huai's heart-wrenching singing.

The song sung was the world-famous "Man Jiang Hong".

"My hair is standing on end with anger, I lean on the railing, and the rain stops!"

"Kill the thief!"

As if the singing was a signal, the old soldiers of the Song army who had been silently lined up in battle formation burst into earth-shaking shouts and charged towards the Jin army that was surrounding them five steps away.

"Look up, let out a long cry to the sky, with a lofty and passionate heart!"

"Kill them!" Meng'an, the Jin soldier who was negotiating with Li Dao, became furious and swung his sword at the unarmed Li Dao.

An old soldier flashed behind Li Dao, blocking the incoming blow with his shield. Li Dao seized the opportunity to roll on the ground, grabbing the spear he had previously discarded. He twisted his body and thrust it into the side of the Jin soldier Meng'an. As he pulled it free, the spear's tassel arced through the air, piercing the throat of a Jin soldier standing to the side and rear.

"Thirty years of fame are dust and dirt, eight thousand miles of journey are clouds and moon!"

Li Dao's eyes were slightly sore. It had been thirty years since he left home to fight. He had fought for so many years, traveling over more than eight thousand miles. The dust and soil of his hometown, the clouds and moon of his homeland, had long since become blurred in his memory, becoming a symbol.

I wonder if the reeds along the Yellow River are still blooming today?
"Fire! There is fire under our feet!" The Jin army, who were about to advance to besiege, suddenly found that the ground was getting hotter and hotter, and at the same time, thick smoke was rising, and they immediately became a little confused.

It wasn't that the Jin army lacked resolve, but rather that the Jin navy was now at the end of its strength. They had already suffered nearly a quarter of their casualties; if it were the land force, they would have collapsed long ago. This was a very dangerous number in a modern army.

If it weren't for the strict military law and if most of the Jin army's ships hadn't been intact and their organization hadn't been preserved, Su Baoheng might have been unable to organize an offensive long ago.

"Don't wait any longer. The young man's head will turn gray, and there will be no regrets!"

Wang Huai was on the wheelhouse, singing and beating the drum with all his might. At this point, he thought of his half-white hair, and his voice choked. Several overturned oil lamps beside him had already ignited the fuse leading to the gunpowder bags below. However, these lamps did not go out, but instead burned brighter and brighter on the deck, now igniting the corners of Wang Huai's clothes. But he didn't care at all.

Twenty-three villagers from Xiangzhou joined the army that day, six of whom died in Xiangzhou, seven in Luoyang, and four while following Yue Fei in his Northern Expeditions. Two died of illness, and two were never seen again, with neither their bodies found.

Now, only Li Dao who was fighting on the deck and Wang Huai who was beating the drum in the helm were left.

Well, I'll fight and die today, and I'll have something to say to my old brothers when I see them down there.

Arrows kept flying past him, and occasionally one or two arrows hit Wang Huai, but the drumstick in Wang Huai's hand was as steady as a rock. He continued to beat the drum with all his might and sing loudly.

"Jingkang is ashamed, it's still snowing, the officials hate it, when will it be destroyed!"

As the fire grew bigger and bigger, the Jin army, although without military orders, gradually retreated to their own ships, not wanting to die on the burning ship.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Li Dao led the remaining thirty veterans to jump towards the Jin army ships and fought hard towards the flagship where Su Baoheng was.

Su Baoheng rejected the suggestion to hide first, and stood solemnly at the bow with his sword in hand, his face expressionless. He just looked quietly at Li Dao who was more than 20 steps away, listening to the angry song "Man Jiang Hong".

"Drive the long car and break through the Helan Mountain Pass!"

"Shoot! Shoot! Shoot them to death!" Under the command of the officers, the archers and crossbowmen occupying the high ground threw arrows into the Song army.

Even with large shields and heavy armor, the old soldiers of the Song army still fell one after another when they were shot at by the Shenbi bows and heavy arrows of the Jurchens at such a close distance.

"The ambition is to eat the meat of Huns when they are hungry, and to drink the blood of Huns when they are thirsty for laughter!"

After a hail of arrows, only eleven of Li Dao's veterans remained, and all of them were wounded. However, these veterans seemed oblivious to the situation, still shouting and fighting furiously, charging desperately into the Jin army formation, clearing a path for Li Dao.

Protected by his subordinates, Li Dao was only struck by an arrow in the shoulder, while his hair was severed by a crossbow bolt. His gray hair drifted like weeds in the wind, and a cloud of blood mist quickly dyed his hair a dark red. From a distance, he looked as if he had returned to youth.

However, Li Dao didn't care about these at this time. He pushed aside the bodies of his comrades, swung his spear and knocked down the Jin soldiers who wanted to take advantage of the situation, held the spear upside down, and looked viciously at Su Baoheng who was more than ten steps away.

"Let's start from the beginning and rebuild the old mountains and rivers..."

The singing and drumming stopped abruptly. A Jin army archer who was surrounding the stern of the Song army flagship finally found the right opportunity, pulled the five-stone bow to full strength, and nailed Wang Huai to the big drum with one arrow.

Li Dao felt a pain in his heart, but found that the Jin army was coming again from the front.

"Attack!" The old soldiers behind him shouted. They passed Li Dao, threw down their weapons, and charged towards the Jin army with shields in both hands.

Under the desperate efforts of the veteran soldiers, the Jin army was pushed back a few steps.

At this time, Li Dao was only ten steps away from Su Baoheng.

"towards!"

Li Dao looked at Su Baoheng fiercely and yelled.

"Kill them!" The Jin army's counterattack followed, and the old soldiers of the Song army were chopped to the ground one after another.

"sky!"

Li Dao raised the spear in his hand, took two steps forward, and threw it with all his might.

The archers with divine arms on the upper echelons of the ship and carriage rained down the second round of arrows on Li Dao.

“Que!”

The spear flew in front of Su Baoheng like a meteor chasing the moon. Su Baoheng's guards only had time to push him away, and another guard picked up a large shield to block it, but it was too late.

The spear head pierced through the armor and pierced Su Baoheng's right shoulder. Su Baoheng groaned, took two steps back, and was supported by his personal guards.

The guards did not dare to draw out the spear at all. They could only hold it from front to back and chop off the spear shaft with one knife.

Although Su Baoheng's face turned pale and his whole body was shaking with pain, he did not scream in pain. Instead, he stared fiercely at Li Dao who was close to him.

The old Song soldiers had all turned into corpses, lying on the deck. Although Li Dao was riddled with arrows and looked like a hedgehog, he still had his last breath.

He half-knelt on the ground, still trying hard to stand up, but thick blood gushed out of his mouth and flowed into his nasal cavity and trachea, causing him to cough lightly repeatedly, and he could not muster any strength for a while.

The shouting and cursing of the Jin army, the roaring of the river, the rumbling of drums and gongs, the fluttering of flags, all kinds of sounds mixed together and floated into Li Dao's ears, but he could hardly hear anything.

The massive loss of blood caused Li Dao's vision to gradually turn black, but in a trance, he saw a vast landscape.

Blue sky and white clouds covered the fields, waves rolled eastward, golden wheat waves rose and fell with the breeze, songs and calls could be heard faintly, and white sails drifted away in the river.

Li Dao knelt in the wheat field, looking around greedily at the scenery.

This is my hometown, Xiangzhou.

"Brother."

"Shiro!"

"Stone……"

Li Dao saw many people appear in front of him. They called Li Dao's nickname softly, and some of them sounded in their hometown accents that he had not heard for many years.

They were his grandfather, mother, sister, and brother.

Thirty years have passed, and the faces of these people have become blurred in his memory, but it did not prevent Li Dao from recognizing them all at the first opportunity.

Li Dao smiled, blood mixed with tears, streaking down his cheeks and falling onto the deck along his gray beard, which had already been dyed red. Li Dao used up his last bit of strength to stand up straight, opened his arms, and wanted to hug the person in front of him.

"I'm back……"

……

"lead!"

……

"I miss you guys so much..."

……

"put!"

Under the command of the Jin army officers, arrows were once again shot at Li Dao.

Amidst the hail of arrows, Li Dao, commander of the Dongting Lake navy, slowly exhaled his last breath.

Born on the banks of the Yellow River and died in the Yangtze River.

Fifty-four years old.

　There should only be one chapter today

　　
　
(End of this chapter)