I'm not a lord

Chapter 342 Changing the Rules of Naval Warfare
Earl Harvey's intentions were undoubtedly good, but he overlooked a crucial factor.

That is, ships at sea are not necessarily able to adapt to inland river environments.

Otto, too, overlooked this point.

It wasn't that he was ignorant of military matters, but rather that the natural environments of the North and South were very different.

Although the Southern Territory is geographically similar in size to the Northern Territory, its terrain is actually more fragmented; otherwise, it would be impossible for so many powerful forces to exist there.

Due to the fragmented terrain, there are no large rivers like the Quiet River in the South, so there is no such thing as inland river warfare.

Most of the rivers in the southern region are short and shallow, and can be crossed by human swimming. Naval warfare is basically limited to the ocean.

In Otto's understanding, the Jinghe River was wide, deep, and had extensive banks, making it perfectly navigable for merchant ships.

But when he attempted to requisition merchant ships from Amber Harbor by executive order, he discovered that his understanding was completely wrong.

The lower reaches of the Jinghe River in Wangling are indeed navigable by large ocean-going vessels during the high-water season. Amber Port has monopolized the bulk commodity trade in the lower reaches of the river precisely because of its large-capacity ocean-going merchant ships.

However, once past Wangling, the river suddenly narrows, the water becomes shallower, and the river channel becomes full of bends, making it completely unsuitable for seagoing vessels.

Putting aside these topographical factors, the structure of ocean-going merchant ships is also not suitable for navigation on inland waterways.

Ocean-going vessels have deep hulls, making them prone to running aground in shallow river areas; their wide hulls designed to withstand waves make them difficult to turn, which is disadvantageous for maneuvering in inland waterways; and they rely primarily on sails for power, making them prone to getting stuck in unpredictable inland winds.

Not to mention that the entire journey from Amber Harbour to the Valley Territory is against the current, and relying solely on wind power to take a zigzag route would take who knows how long it would take to reach the destination.

In order to explain the key points to His Majesty the King, the Amber Harbor City Council even sent a councilor to explain to Otto.

As a major trading port, two of the thirteen seats in Amber Harbor City Council belong to shipowners' associations.

These captains, who owned a large number of merchant ships and crews, were like the lifeblood of the city, firmly controlling the transportation of goods and supplies.

Otto, currently stationed on the outskirts of Cologne, listened to the city councilor's explanation and then questioned him with dissatisfaction:
"So according to your logic, large merchant ships from Amber Harbor can only sail to the east of Three Rivers City, and can't even sail into White River Territory, and then they can't go west anymore?"

The middle-aged councilor, whose face was etched with the marks of time, immediately replied, “Your Majesty, that is indeed the case. In the past, when we traded with Three Rivers City, it was always Three Rivers City that transported the goods to the vicinity of River Bend for delivery.”

The fact that Sanhe City became the premier autonomous city in the northern inland region is naturally due to geographical factors.

This place is where three rivers converge. Bulk goods from Amber Harbor need to be transshipped in batches here, while small commodities from inland areas need to be collected here.

"Is it really not going to work?"

Otto stared at the map, first looking puzzled, then said in an almost seductive tone, "Think again if there are any other ways to blockade the waterways of the Valley Territory."
You should know that if I were to completely conquer the northern inland areas, your Amber Harbor merchant ships would be able to sail freely throughout the interior, even directly to the Grasslands for trade. You know better than I how much profit that would generate.”

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged councilor's eyes lit up.

If Otto can keep his promise, it means that Three Rivers City's trade monopoly in the northern inland will be broken, and Amber Harbor will be able to bypass Three Rivers City and trade directly with the inland regions.

Whether it's the ore from Mirror Iron Territory and Tin Rock Territory, the grains and ale from Swamp Territory, or the fine warhorses from Grassland Territory, they are all top-selling items when transported to the Southern Territory.

In the past, the presence of middlemen in Sanhe City severely squeezed the profits of cross-border trade in Amber Harbor.

If they could really pocket this profit, the merchants and ship owners of Amber Harbor would be overjoyed!

The middle-aged councilor, unable to resist the lure of profit, replied in a low voice, "Your Majesty, there's always a way if you're willing to pay the price."

He then continued, “The Crown Territory has more than ten small autonomous cities located in the tributaries of the Jing River, and these cities all have a number of small and medium-sized vessels suitable for inland waterway navigation.”

In addition, Amber Harbor has a number of small escort vessels that can navigate the middle reaches of the Shimmering River. Furthermore, medium-sized merchant ships, after modification, should also be able to navigate the middle reaches of the Shimmering River during the high-water season.

Otto immediately followed up with, "How many of these medium-sized merchant ships are there in total? How long will the conversion take?"

Otto had seen the small to medium-sized boats suitable for inland waterway navigation that the congressman mentioned, but they were too small; a single boat could only carry thirty or forty people at most, making them practically useless.

As for the medium-sized merchant ships in Amber Harbor, they could easily carry two hundred people and play an important role in both troop transport and naval warfare.

At this time, naval warfare mainly relied on boarding maneuvers and boarding battles, which involved the two sides' ships colliding and then sending troops to board each other's ships for hand-to-hand combat.

In this situation, the side with larger ships and more soldiers will have a clear advantage in naval warfare.

As for the quality of the soldiers, they should be roughly the same. Large autonomous cities will inevitably have a group of armed crew members who are skilled in naval warfare.

After a moment of contemplation, the middle-aged councilor replied, "We can probably mobilize about forty of these medium-sized merchant ships. The conversion will take at least two months, as we need to remove excess sails, dismantle some masts and railings, and install oars."

There were some things he didn't dare say; the two-month modification time was actually an underestimation.

As Amber Harbor's trade volume has continued to expand in recent years, the tonnage of the merchant ships used has also increased. Half of the medium-sized merchant ships are currently sitting idle in dry docks. To put them back into service, some core components will likely need to be replaced.

Upon hearing this, Otto smiled with satisfaction and said, "Two months? That's not urgent. As long as the modifications can be completed before next spring, that's fine. If I remember correctly, there's a spring flood in the North every March and April. Once the river ice melts, these ships should be able to sail inland, right?"

“Of course, Your Majesty, the middle reaches of the Jinghe River have a certain depth even during the dry season. Once the modifications are complete, these medium-sized merchant ships will be able to navigate it as long as it is not during an ice age.” The middle-aged councilor looked confident, almost as if he were patting his chest to vouch for it.

"Good, very good. You will immediately return to Amber Harbor to oversee the ship's conversion!"

At Otto's command, Amber Harbor immediately began an intensive ship conversion project.

Meanwhile, thousands of serfs gathered in the city of Coron to begin cleaning and repairing the large autonomous city that had been burned to the ground by Duke Lothair of the Marshlands.

Incidentally, Otto defeated Lothair in a direct confrontation in the outskirts of Coron, and that war cemented his throne; this place should be considered his lucky spot.

Of course, Otto's main reason for taking a liking to this dilapidated municipality was his desire to transform it into a military fortress.

Kolen City is located in the very center of the Crown Territory. From here, one can travel downstream to Amber Harbor and upstream to River Bend Castle.

River Bend Fort is currently garrisoned by Earl Harvey and serves as a forward position against inland forces in the north.

Otto concentrated his main forces in Kolen City, which allowed him to provide timely support to Riverbend Fortress and extend his influence throughout the royal domain, making it easier for him to gather supplies for his troops. Soon, news of Otto's actions in the royal domain reached Lynn's ears.

In the golden autumn of September, Lynn left Golden Deer Castle with a small number of officials and went boating and drinking on Golden Deer Lake.

However, the 'boat' he was on was quite large; it was a large river fortress ship capable of carrying over a hundred soldiers.

The dukes of the marshland throughout the ages have attached great importance to the strategic value of Golden Deer Lake, and therefore have never relaxed their efforts in the construction and maintenance of surface ships.

After Lynn captured Golden Deer, he naturally inherited the naval power of the Marshlands, including the three River Fort ships.

This type of boat is over 20 meters long and 5 meters wide, but has a shallow draft. The sides of the boat are fitted with 15-centimeter-thick solid wood panels, which can easily withstand crossbow bolts. From the outside, it looks like a large turtle swimming on the water.

This is also the origin of the name 'River Fort Ship'.

In addition to its outstanding defensive capabilities, the river fortress was also equipped with 20-centimeter-long spikes and closable firing ports on its deck, which could prevent enemies from boarding the ship and also fire crossbow bolts at any time.

Therefore, this river fortress ship was not only a turtle with outstanding defensive capabilities, but also a sharp-spiked turtle that could prick people, making it one of the most suitable ships for fighting in inland waterways in the era of cold weapons.

"Your Majesty, oh no, sir, please look, this river fortress ship is mainly propelled by eight pairs of oars, and the mast is also equipped with sails, which can be used to increase speed when the wind is right."

The captain, who was responsible for explaining to Lynn, almost made a mistake.

Rumors are circulating throughout the Swamp Territory that Lynn will be crowned king this year, but after testing the waters, the captain found that Lynn was somewhat averse to it and therefore continued to address him as "Sir".

Incidentally, the riverboat Lynn is currently on is relatively small; Three Rivers City has a super-large riverboat that is over forty meters long.

However, the ship was too big to navigate in the waters near Golden Deer Fort, and its hull was too old to be of any use.

Just after Lynn finished inspecting the river fortress, his personal guards brought him the latest military intelligence from the east.

He left the cabin and went up to the deck. By the light shining through the firing ports, he reviewed the military situation and frowned slightly. "Otto is trying to block the Tranquil River waterway with his navy and cut off my communication with Vasa. It seems that he, like me, values ​​the strategic value of the Tranquil River."

Chief Secretary Victor analyzed from the side: "Sir, considering the recent movements of the enemy, I think Otto intends to focus his main attack on the Valley Territory, and then take advantage of the opportunity to invade the Swamp Territory after taking the Valley Territory."

Lynn's brows relaxed, and he smiled faintly, "Vasa has just declared himself a duke, so he must be mentally prepared to face a storm."

In early September, Vasa eagerly proclaimed himself Duke of the Valley and moved his residence to White Eagle Castle, officially inheriting the legacy of the previous Duke Herman.

The claim he made came from his ancestors; tracing back four generations, he did indeed have direct blood of the Duke of the Valley, which was somewhat plausible.

Despite becoming a duke, Vasa still couldn't get a good night's sleep.

Earl Harvey's 15,000-strong army was stationed on the eastern side of the Valley Territory, right next to the Mirror Iron Territory where Vasa had made his fortune.

Harvey's army would raid Mirror Iron Territory every now and then, taking some people and supplies with them.

Vasa did not have enough troops to launch a proactive attack, so he could only shrink his defensive line and concentrate his forces in strong castles such as Iron Castle. He himself was stationed in Iron Castle, always on guard against enemy attacks.

Due to the war, most of the iron mines in Mirror Iron Territory have ceased production, and the price of iron ingots in the northern inland areas has soared.

However, Lynn was not greatly affected. His iron mine in Chixi County had already started production and its capacity was gradually increasing.

The several thousand southern soldiers captured from Pikesburg also replenished the iron mine's workforce, helping to further increase its production capacity.

Victor turned his gaze to the military intelligence documents and said with slight concern:

“My lord, if Otto really uses his powerful navy to blockade the Tranquil River waterway, it will be difficult for us to support Vasa. With the strength of the Valley Territory, we may be able to resist Harvey’s more than 10,000 men, but if Otto throws all 20,000 of his newly recruited soldiers into the Valley Territory, Vasa may not be able to hold out for long.”

"The middle reaches of the Tranquil River are hundreds of kilometers long. It is uncertain whether Otto can send enough ships to block it. But even if he does not completely block the Tranquil River, I do not intend to send troops to save Vasa."

Lynn remained remarkably calm, his emotions and thoughts completely unaffected by the urgent military intelligence.

He then sneered and, under Victor's puzzled gaze, continued, "Our main task now is not defense, but offense. If Otto really throws all his forces into the Valley Territory, then I'll go straight to River Bend Fortress!"

Lynn's strategic intention can be summarized in one phrase: "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao".

Rather than crossing the River Tranquility to rescue Vasa, Lynn preferred to attack River Bend with superior forces.

The island fortress is the only way to enter the Crown Territory; once Riverbend Fortress is captured, the entire Crown Territory will open its arms to him.

Even if the entire Valley Territory fell into Otto's hands, Lynn would be willing to accept it in exchange for River Bend Castle.

All we can say is that we should suffer for our allies.

Of course, Lynn didn't intend to let Otto run rampant on the Tranquil River.

In his eyes, the middle reaches of the Jinghe River were his backyard, how could he allow the enemy to blockade it at will?
Based on intelligence gathered from various sources, Lynn was certain that the autonomous city under Otto's control did not possess any warships similar to the River Fortress, which were touted as floating fortresses.

Although there are many ships in Amber Harbor, most of them are temporary commercial cargo ships that have been armed with oars and crossbows at most.

Large merchant ships simply cannot enter inland waterways.

Furthermore, Lynn was even somewhat dissatisfied with the combat performance of the River Fortress and had already begun preparing for a new type of warship that conformed to the trends of the times.

That means installing cannons on the ship!

Boarding maneuvers, close-quarters combat, defensive armor—those are all utterly weak.

Ships equipped with cannons can not only bombard enemy ships from a distance, but can even bombard enemy castles from the water.

The latter feature is what Lynn wants most. He had envisioned it when he bombarded Golden Deer Fort, and now he is going to put it into practice and completely change the rules of naval warfare in this era.

(End of this chapter)