I'm not a lord

Chapter 363 Battle of Jinghe
"Your Majesty, these past few days, I've been feeling uneasy. Please don't misunderstand, it's not that I think we'll meet with misfortune in this war. I just feel that this past week has been too smooth, and I'm a little... not used to it?"

Thirty kilometers west of River Bend, at Lynn's army camp, Chief Secretary Victor was recording the course of the war on paper while confiding his anxieties to Lynn.

As he said, Lynn's army had been having an incredibly smooth run lately, occupying over a hundred kilometers of territory on the north bank of the Jing River with almost no fire, and capturing all the castles and strongholds along the way.

Moreover, Lynn's navy advanced rapidly, maintaining a simultaneous advance by water and land with the land forces, without encountering any resistance along the way.

It was as if Otto's army and navy had all vanished into thin air.

This was quite different from the situation during the attack on the Marshlands last year. Although Anna, the female regent of the Marshlands, also advocated avoiding war, she still sent garrisons to castles in various places, and in Oakshire alone, she delayed Lynn for several weeks.

Otto had far more troops and resources at his disposal than Anna, yet he handed over a large territory to Lynn, seemingly determined to defend River Bend to the death.

In the classical era, constrained by factors such as transportation, population, and productivity, both sides in a war could only mobilize a limited number of troops. They could not build battle lines with a massive number of soldiers and permanent fortifications, and could only rely on a few strongholds to block transportation lines and barely achieve the effect of stopping the enemy's advance.

Therefore, wars in the classical era often evolved into a crucial decisive battle, determining the ownership of large territories and even the rise and fall of dynasties through a single decisive battle.

“If I were Otto, I would also choose to consolidate my forces in River Bend,” Lynn said, carefully examining the map.
“Otto’s appetite is too big. He wants to take over Mirror Iron Territory and even the entire Valley Territory, and he also wants to crush or annihilate my main force. Right now, he’s like an elite swordsman and shieldman, thrusting his longsword at Mirror Iron Territory with his left hand and raising his shield with his right hand to block my attacks. There’s also a poisoned dagger hidden under that shield. Once I show a weakness in my fierce attack, this dagger will take my life.”

The more Lynn looked at the map, the more he felt that his situation was somewhat similar to Liu Bei's during the Battle of Yiling.

Both involved simultaneous land and water operations, long and arduous expeditions, and faced formidable enemy defenses and powerful naval forces.

Even the terrain is very similar. From Sanhe City to Hewanbao, you have to go through a narrow river valley that stretches for dozens of kilometers.

Once Lynn's navy is defeated by Otto and his land forces are further divided, he will likely repeat Liu Bei's mistakes.

Even Victor understood this perfectly. He put down his quill and said with slight worry, "To our northwest lies the Conqueror Mountains, stretching for hundreds of kilometers. To the east are River Bend Fortress and Otto's 15,000 troops. South of the Still River, Otto has deployed over 20,000 troops in Mirror Iron Territory. If Captain Hawke's fleet fails to gain the upper hand, then..."

Victor dared not say any more. If that situation were to actually occur, Lynn would be lucky to lead the army to safety.

According to intelligence from the Iron Territory, Count Tristan has now completely surrounded the Iron Fortress and has dispatched a portion of highly mobile cavalry to move towards the south bank of the Jinghe River.

Duke Vasa of the Valley was utterly useless; he couldn't even properly accomplish the task of holding back the enemy forces.

Lynn's troops are now surrounded, with only one fragile retreat route to the west.

When his navy is defeated or suppressed by Otto's navy, Count Tristan's cavalry can cross the River Tranquil by boat and launch a swift attack on Lynn's army from the flank and rear at any time.

This was almost a replay of Lu Xun's great victory over Liu Bei at Yiling.

However, unlike Liu Bei, Lynn had full confidence in his navy.

"War is like a dice game. Before the dice are rolled, no one can be sure of the outcome. But the dice in my hand are all sixes, so no matter how I roll them, I will win!"

Yes, Lynn opened it.

In wars fought along major rivers, the navy is always the most crucial element.

Lynn painstakingly won over the municipalities and spent considerable manpower and resources to build a large number of cannons that were ahead of their time, all in order to win this crucial naval battle.

Will it win?
Without a doubt, we will win.

"Relay my orders to Leon and Hawke: have the fleet continue eastward along the Tranquil River and destroy all enemy ships that can be seen!"

The following morning, Mayor Leon of Three Rivers summoned all the sailors at the dock of a small autonomous city on the north bank of the Jinghe River.

These sailors came from municipalities such as Sanhe City, Pikeperch City, Golden Deer City, and Hafen City. All the well-known medium and large ships in the northern inland region also gathered here.

Leon stood on the lookout tower of the flagship White River, above him the royal banner, a symbol of the king, fluttering in the river breeze.

His gaze swept over the more than three thousand sailors on the dock, and Leon felt a surge of adrenaline. Recalling the speech Lynn had written for him, he proclaimed:
"Brothers, the enemy fleet is to our east. Right now, they may be sailing towards us with the wind. They have more ships and more sailors than us, but are you afraid of them?"

In this naval battle, Leon, as mayor, served as the commander-in-chief, playing a role similar to that of Mayor Neil of Amber Harbor, using his status and prestige to unite the ships from all sides.

Furthermore, Leon's sister entered Lynn's court, and the captain and sailors all knew that he was Lynn's representative, so they obeyed him without question.

Captain Hawke lacked the prestige to serve as Leon's second-in-command, responsible for specific combat deployments.

On the dock, Leon was met with the sailors' unified shout: "We are not afraid!"

The soaring sound waves even startled the fish in the water, causing them to leap out of the water.

Leon had never commanded so many strong sailors, much less led such a powerful and massive fleet. His face flushed with excitement, and his voice grew increasingly loud:
"The king's messenger has just delivered the order to me. He commands us to sink all the enemy ships and throw all those lackeys who have submitted to the usurper in the south into the river to feed the fish. Can you do it?"

"We can do it!" The sailors' spirits soared, and they couldn't wait to stuff short scimitars, one-handed swords, cast iron cannonballs, and smelly socks that had been worn for a month into the mouths of their lackeys.

On the continent of Dievas, the ability to motivate soldiers through speeches is a mandatory skill for commanders.

Leon was just a black market dealer in the past and was lacking in this area, but fortunately he was able to get Lynn's off-field assistance.

At this moment, the speech he was holding in his left hand was already soaked with sweat.

The next second, Leon drew his slender one-handed sword from his waist, quickly raised it above his head, and the gleaming blade shone brightly in the morning sun.

"We will never let these traitors, lackeys, and shameless scoundrels get away with this. The time for judgment has come. In the name of King Lynn, let them vanish from this world! All warriors, come with me to the deck!"

As Leon's pre-battle speech concluded, the enthusiastic sailors boarded the ships and sailed down the current in more than seventy warships.

Meanwhile, Mayor Neil of Amber Harbor had finished his pre-battle speech and led a hundred ships upstream. The two fleets were less than forty kilometers apart in a straight line.

Since the battle was being fought in Hanoi, both sides' light cavalry reconnaissance units could traverse back and forth across the river and relay intelligence at all times.

Lynn's cavalry operated on the north bank, while Otto's cavalry roamed the south bank.

Both sides were well aware that the outcome of this naval battle would determine everything.

In the main hall of River Bend Castle, Arno tiptoed to Otto III's side and whispered, "Your Majesty, judging by the timing, Mayor Neil will likely encounter the enemy fleet today." "I know, I don't need you to remind me." Otto was sitting in a high-backed chair, facing west, his hands clasped together in front of him, his eyelashes trembling, adopting a devout expression of 'maiden prayer'.

Otto's family were devout believers in the Trinity Church, and in crucial moments, he would always pray to the gods for good fortune and victory.

Currently, all reliable evidence indicates that Lynn ordered the fleet eastward with almost no hesitation, displaying a confident demeanor as if he were about to engage Otto in a decisive battle.

Otto, however, had no idea why Lynn was so confident.

In his view, Lynn's 'weak' fleet should have stayed in port and relinquished control of the Tranquil River waterway.

In this way, Otto's cavalry stationed on the south bank could board ships and head north to cut off Lynn's retreat and supply lines. Once Lynn's army was thrown into disarray, Otto could then lead the 15,000 troops of River Bend for a full-scale attack, trapping Lynn on the narrow riverbank.

The script was already written, but Lynn didn't follow Otto's script at all.

Isn't he afraid of me? Is he hiding something? Otto fell into deep self-doubt and even considered having Neil's fleet postpone its attack.

But after much deliberation, he decisively ordered Neil to go upstream and engage the enemy fleet in a decisive battle.

There was no other way; Otto couldn't afford to drag it out any longer.

To support his army and reward the captains and sailors in his fleet, he borrowed a large sum of money from wealthy merchants at exorbitant interest rates.

The annual interest alone was suffocating him; he had to defeat Lynn and plunder enough spoils from the wealthy swamp territory to fill this huge hole.

In addition to the pressure of borrowing money, Otto also had to consider the reliability of his fleet.

The ships in the fleet came from various municipalities, and most of them were converted from merchant ships.

If they remain inactive, the captains and sailors on these ships will inevitably begin to waver.

Wars kill people. Now that the ice caps on rivers and oceans have completely melted, wouldn't it be better for everyone to go back and transport goods to make money?

For business people, time is money!
Therefore, Otto dared not delay and could only order Neil to launch a swift attack and eliminate the enemy fleet before any disagreements arose within the fleet.

"Your Majesty, I see no possibility of defeat. Mayor Neil will bring you the good news of victory." At this point, Arno could only repeat his old tune and say some comforting words.

As Lynn said, war is a dice game, and no one but the cheater can guess the final number until the dice stop spinning.

The time spent waiting for the final result is always agonizing and unbearable.

“Of course, I’ve always been the winner.” Otto slowly opened his eyes, the confusion in them gradually transforming into determination.

At noon that day, the two fleets unexpectedly met on the Jinghe River.

This section of the river is relatively wide, with a very gentle current, and there are no hidden reefs on the banks, making it a battlefield environment that both sides in the conflict desire.

From an external perspective, Lynn's fleet had the advantage of being downstream, while Otto's fleet had the advantage of being downstream, and the surface speeds of the two fleets were almost the same.

At this time, river warfare was somewhat similar to heavy cavalry charges, since large boats were difficult to turn around, and the only way was to charge forward.

Both sides in a battle would typically send out sturdy warships with iron plates on their bows to lead the charge, hoping to ram the enemy ships directly.

When the distance closes to within 200 meters, both sides will use long-range weapons such as crossbows and small catapults to exchange fire.

Once the ships of the two armies are close together, the most brutal boarding battle will take place, with sailors from both sides fighting at close range on the deck. The victor will gain control of the enemy ship.

Or they might attempt to use grappling hooks to snag on the hull of an enemy ship, using greater force to disrupt the balance of the enemy vessel, or even directly pull the enemy ship to its side.

In conclusion, in the era of cold weapons, the competition in inland waterway warfare often came down to the size and height of the ships. Taller ships often had an advantage, much like how city wall defenders could use their superior position to attack from above, shooting at the enemy with bows and crossbows, or using their tonnage to ram or pull over enemy ships.

But the naval battle taking place today will inevitably rewrite the landscape of naval warfare on the continent of Dievas.

When the two vanguard warships were still nearly a kilometer apart, Captain Hawke on Lynn's side decisively gave the order: "Reduce speed, move the wooden crates, and let those lackeys taste the power of cannonballs!"

Upon receiving the order, the sailors in the watchtower waved command flags, and the command quickly spread throughout the entire fleet.

Within a minute, the sailors of the eight vanguard warships moved the wooden crates on the bow of the ships, revealing long-barreled bronze cannons that were already loaded with gunpowder and cannonballs.

Neil, on the other side, naturally noticed this change as well. When he saw a bright gold glint in the sunlight, he immediately realized what was happening.

The enemy had indeed added cannons to their ships!

However, Neil was not afraid. The bronze mortar had a short range, small shells, and low accuracy. At best, it could only smash through a deck, and with good luck, it might break a secondary mast.

This is not fatal to ships equipped with propellers, because the ship's power is not completely lost.

Neil's flagship was in the second row of the fleet. He snorted and gave the order: "Everyone take cover from the cannon fire, prepare your crossbows and scimitars. When we board them, we'll show them what cruelty is!"

As he gave the order, the two fleets continued to close the distance.

The next second, a large amount of white smoke rose from Lynn's warship, followed by a deafening roar that pierced the sky and the whistling of cannonballs.

In Neil's vision, he could vaguely see a dozen or so dark, spherical objects flying out from the enemy fleet and then rapidly heading in a straight line toward his own ships.

straight line?

Shouldn't it be a parabola?

The moment this thought crossed Neil's mind, he saw countless splinters of wood flying from the front ranks of his own warships and heard the mournful cries of the sailors and the ships.

Four vanguard ships, numbered one, two, three, and four, were hit? Neil's mind went completely blank for a moment.

This doesn't match the intelligence.
Niel had no time to think. After a round of cannon fire, the two fleets had closed to within 300 meters.

(End of this chapter)