There is no such thing as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras

Chapter 277 Fire Attack on Hukou
The Han army acted swiftly, dispatching several large ships that very night, laden with sand and stones, into the middle of the river. They then dredged and sank the river to block the lake's mouth, but not completely sealing it off. A narrow passage was deliberately left near the west bank, where a pontoon bridge was laid using cables.

The next day at dawn, Qing scouts gathered the information and immediately reported back to Li Fenghan and Wang Bing.

Li Fenghan sneered: "The traitors of Han are at their wits' end."

Wang Bing quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Excellency is absolutely right!"

Neither of them took it seriously.

They were confident in their overwhelming military superiority and were completely unafraid of any schemes or tricks.

Even the previous defeat at Meijia Island Ferry was due to insufficient troops. Tian Yongyi's report on the battle situation, in which he apologized, confirmed that the Han rebels indeed had few troops; such an important ferry was defended by only a few thousand men.

Aside from the powerful firearms that could spit fire and explode upon encountering crowds, which gave them some concerns, they were only somewhat concerned.

Such powerful firearms must have been scarce for the Han traitors; otherwise, they would have used them to bomb them long ago, and there must have been some news about it.

Three days later, the Han army's deployment at the mouth of Poyang Lake was basically completed.

During this period, the spies from both sides had already fought several times. The Qing spies were not skilled in combat and were always the ones who were defeated.

Fortunately, after being beaten several times, the Qing spies all gained experience and immediately turned and ran when they saw the Han spies' small boats.

The fifth day after the great battle.

After five days of rest, the Qing army finally launched another attack.

Tian Yongyi was not dismissed from his post as general. Instead, he continued to lead troops to atone for his crimes and, together with the general of Langshan Town, launched a major attack on Meijiazhou Ferry.

The entire Qing army's naval fleet sailed south, heading towards the mouth of Poyang Lake.

Most of the mouth of Poyang Lake was blocked, with only a narrow passage on the west bank remaining. Large ships could not enter, but light boats were more than enough. Xiao Zhenrui, the Qing army's naval officer, personally led 130 light warships, charging straight into the narrow passage.

The pontoon bridge at the pass was no match for the Qing navy. As soon as the warships passed, the grappling hooks grabbed at the bridge and tore it to shreds.

Seeing this, the Han soldiers on the pontoon bridge jumped into the river to escape.

Seeing the Han army's state, Xiao Zhenrui's contempt for them grew even stronger.

These Han traitors may have defeated the land forces and Green Standard Army, but that doesn't mean they can defeat the Jiangnan navy.

After the Qing fleet stormed into the pass, it did not hesitate at all and headed straight for Dagutang, preparing to forcibly land at the Dagutang ferry crossing.

"Dudududuwuwuwuwu~~~~"

Suddenly, a bugle call sounded, but it wasn't the Qing army's charge; it was the Han army sounding their call.

The Han soldiers who had jumped into the river to escape earlier, as well as those who had been lying in ambush at the western pass, all rushed out. They were not there to stop the Qing army, but to block the only passage for the Qing warships to return.

If the Qing navy were to engage in a head-on confrontation with the Han navy, the Han navy would indeed not be able to guarantee a victory.

Because the Qing navy's warships were too large, many of them were large ship models that the Han navy had never seen before, in terms of tonnage alone, the Han navy's warships might not have been able to defeat them.

But now, the Qing army has finally fallen for their trap!

The Qing navy underestimated the Han navy, and the Qing warships were generally heavy and large vessels, relying entirely on their tonnage to be able to fight the Han navy head-on.

However, Xiao Zhenrui, the battalion commander of the Qing navy, led 130 light warships into Poyang Lake and was killed. The remaining large warships in the rear seemed to have suffered no losses, but without the protection of the light warships, they were like birds without wings or insects without legs, unable to row and their combat power plummeted.

Li Fenghan and Wang Bing belatedly realized that they had been tricked.

"Quickly, relay my order: the entire army must retreat! Retreat immediately!"

Li Fenghan was about to give the order. He had already guessed what the Han traitors were going to do. So many naval warships that had lost their escort vessels were practically sitting ducks in the middle of the Hukou River. They had to be withdrawn to the Balijiang naval camp immediately.

If the Qing army could retreat, the Han army could naturally pursue them.

Thus, the Qing navy, which had an absolute advantage in both warships and manpower, was relentlessly pursued by the Han army in dozens of small boats.

The Qing naval commander was greatly alarmed; he already knew what the Han army was up to. The small Han boats that were relentlessly pursuing him were all sampans, which were more maneuverable than the large warships.

Of the dozens of Han army sampans, nearly half carried only one or two Han soldiers, and the boats were piled high with dry firewood and straw that had been soaked in grease.

The Qing navy's warships accelerated in an attempt to escape, but their sheer size and poor maneuverability made it impossible for them to shake off the dozens of small boats following behind. In fact, the boats were getting closer and closer. The two sides quickly crossed the Meijiazhou ferry crossing. The Qing army, which was attempting to cross the river, was caught completely off guard and was immediately routed by their own navy.

The Qing army's amphibious assault stalled for a moment.

But no one had the mind to criticize the navy anymore, because the Qing navy had been driven to the brink of destruction. After passing Meijia Island Ferry, all that remained were islands in the middle of the river, dividing the Yangtze River into several forks.

Each fork in the road was extremely narrow, and even large ships could only pass through slowly.

The Qing navy's warships were moving too fast, and as they sailed downstream, several warships went astray and ran aground on the spot.

Their stranding not only prevented them from leaving, but also hindered the friendly warships that were trying to escape.

Several large ships ran aground, blocking the entire road. Two warships, unable to change course in time, nearly collided.

"Dudududuwuwuwu~~~"

As the distinctive bugle call sounded, the Han soldiers on several sampans immediately lit their torches and threw them into the firewood pile on the boats.

“Wow~Wow~~!”

Dry wood meets a raging fire and ignites almost instantly.

The small sampans prepared by the Han army instantly transformed into blazing fireboats, rushing swiftly along the turbulent Yangtze River towards the stranded and chaotic Qing naval warships.

The Qing navy was terrified, and the warships at the front desperately tried to escape down the river.

However, the more anxious you are at such times, the more likely you are to become confused.

"Boom!"

Two more large Qing army ships collided with something and ran aground.

Now the road is completely blocked.

The few warships in the front row still had a chance to slip away down the river and back to the Balijiang camp.

However, the Qing warships that ran aground in the middle, along with dozens of other Qing warships that were blocked from both sides and unable to move, were in dire straits.

As the Han army's fire ships drew ever closer, several Qing warships were soon set ablaze, and the Qing soldiers on board quickly jumped overboard to escape.

But this is the Yangtze River!

It's not an ordinary stream. Even if you're a very good swimmer, it's not easy to swim back to shore if you jump in. Plus, it's winter now, and the water is freezing cold. If you stay in it for even a little while, you'll catch a cold and lose your life.

The Qing navy was in complete chaos. Several Qing warships that had been set ablaze were completely ignored and burned fiercely on the Yangtze River.

As the fire burned, it spread to the several warships that were stranded next door.

The Qing naval commander was still trying to quell the situation: "Don't panic, don't run, put out the fire first! Put out the fire first!"

Unfortunately, it couldn't be suppressed at all.

Once the fire ships come, the flames spread and burn in large areas. Extinguishing them is a complete joke. If you are even slightly slow to jump off the ship, you might be roasted alive.

Moreover, even if the fire is not serious, and the Qing navy has only had a few ships ignited by the fire ships so far, there is still a chance to break through.

But what can they do when they're all new recruits?

The Qing navy's biggest advantage over the Han navy was the size of its ships, and that was also its only advantage. In terms of soldier combat strength and battlefield experience, the Han navy was pitifully small, while the Qing navy was completely ignorant.

This Qing navy belonged to the Jiangnan Navy, which was wealthy and peaceful, and had not fought a war for many years, let alone a naval battle.

So far, the only Qing navy that still retains some fighting power is the Fujian navy, which still goes out to sea from time to time to fight pirates.

The Han army prepared dozens of fire ships, which completely surrounded the Qing navy's warships. After the fire ships were lit, the Han soldiers quickly jumped off and swam to the small boats of their allies behind them.

Within half an hour, more than 30 Qing warships were set ablaze by the fire ships, and the remaining warships fled eastward to the Balijiang camp.

(End of this chapter)