Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 309 Wang Baobao floats on the lake with a log
"Abu!"

"Don't go to the camp gate!"

Wang Baobao grabbed Richard Khan, his expression urgent, "You can't go!"

Chaghan Temur, however, did not get angry. Instead, he calmed himself down and asked, "Why?"

"The Red Turban rebels launched a night attack on such a large scale that they must have been fully prepared beforehand."

"The camp gate is definitely heavily guarded; you can't get out."

Looking anxious, Wang Baobao grabbed Richard Khan and pulled him toward a corner.

"Now the entire army has been routed, and there is no one to rely on but ourselves to run away."

Arriving at a fence, Wang Baobao took out an axe and began chopping at the bottom of the fence.

Richard Khan, having regained his senses, also drew his sword to help.

They were few in number; cutting down two fences would be enough for them to squeeze through.

Wang Baobao removed the two fences and laid them side by side on the moat.

After making sure the ground was firmly in place, I carefully walked across the fence.

The trench was filled with sharpened wooden sticks.

If you fall in, you'll definitely turn into a kebab.

Fortunately, the father and son were lucky; despite the shaky and dangerous situation, they managed to escape successfully.

After that, the barricades and antlers were much easier; you just had to climb over them.

Richard Khan trusted his adopted son more and more, and took the initiative to ask, "Where are we going now?"

Let's go to Gaoyou Lake!

Having already planned his route, Wang Baobao pointed to Gaoyou Lake, which was not far away, without any hesitation.

"In today's fierce battle, only the naval ships remained undamaged."

As soon as he finished speaking, sparks of light appeared in Gaoyou Lake not far away, like swarms of fireflies.

Before long, the flames on Gaoyou Lake increased in number and grew larger.

The cacophony of shouts and yells gradually carried over.

Wang Baobao, who had meticulously planned everything, exclaimed in disbelief, "Fire ships?!"

Lin Dao had not touched the Yuan navy's ships in order to avoid alerting them.

Tonight's all-out attack will naturally involve using everything at our disposal.

Not only fire attacks, but the cannons deployed on the city walls also began to unleash their power.

The diesel generators worked hard to deliver electricity, while the weakened searchlights on the city walls swept across the lake.

Once a ship was locked on, nearby cannons immediately began firing at it.

It wasn't only the Yuan army that had cannons.

"Don't panic!"

Richard Khan reassured his adopted son, "The worst thing in military campaigns is panic; the more panicked you are, the more chaotic things become."

"Yes." Wang Baobao tried to calm himself down. "If you walk further along the lake, there will definitely be more boats."

Richard Khan suddenly stepped forward and tackled him to the ground.

Soon, two bright beams of light swept past them.

The roar of the engine grew louder as it approached.

Lin Dao drove along the Shilka River, heading towards the lakeside from a distance of several dozen steps from Wang Baobao and his son.

They arrived at the lakeside and stopped the self-propelled anti-aircraft gun.

The observation and targeting system was activated, using the firelight on the lake to lock onto the ships one by one.

The captain fired in bursts, and the four cannons fired more than a dozen high-explosive incendiary shells in succession.

High explosives are very dangerous; at most, they might kill or injure some Yuan soldiers on board, and smash the ship's hull in the process.

Combustible materials are even more dangerous.

Ships in this era were all made of wood.

Even with some fire resistance, it still cannot escape the fate of being burned when faced with modern industrial products.

For small boats, it's short bursts of fire.

Several shells hit, and some were even blasted apart or shattered.

Previously, using cannons to shoot at the Yuan soldiers who were running around everywhere in the military camp was clearly a waste of their talents.

Now that we've arrived at the lakeside, it's time to truly demonstrate our strength by taking on those boats that carry at least a dozen people, or even hundreds.

Once there were no more unburnt boats within range, still wanting more, they simply drove upstream along the lakeside.

The Yuan navy was mainly responsible for transporting grain and military supplies.

Every day, the waterways are filled with a continuous fleet of ships.

Before nightfall, they would lower their sails and rest at various ferry crossings, ports, and river tributaries, with Lin Dao intending to eliminate as much of the Yuan army's manpower as possible.

"Abu, let's go."

Wang Baobao stood up and looked at the self-propelled anti-aircraft gun in the distance, his eyes filled with bitterness.

This kind of thing is simply beyond human capability to combat.

Could the Red Turban Army really be the reincarnation of a wise king?
If that's the case, why doesn't the Eternal Heaven deal with the Bright King?
"Where to?" Having witnessed the terror of self-propelled anti-aircraft guns firsthand, Richard Khan was also terrified, sweating profusely. "Where to? How about we run to Huai'an?"

"No."

Wang Baobao shook his head. "The defeated troops from all sides will instinctively head towards Huai'an, and the Red Turban rebels will inevitably pursue them all the way."

To the east is the sea, to the west is Gaoyou Lake, and to the south is the Yangtze River.

The fleeing soldiers had no choice but to escape north to Huai'an Road.

“If we go with them, we'll be walking into a trap.”

"At this time, we must stay away from the defeated soldiers."

Soldiers in a state of collapse don't care who you are.

Kill those who deserve to be killed, and rob those who deserve to be robbed.

Not to mention that the Red Turban Army was chasing after them.

"What should we do then?" Richard Khan asked anxiously. "We can't just wait here. If we wait until dawn, we won't be able to escape. Your sister is still waiting for us in Dadu."

"Let's go to Gaoyou Lake."

Wang Baobao pointed to the burning boats that were gradually leaving Gaoyou Lake and said, "Let's take the waterway to Sizhou."

"But without a boat, how can we cross the lake?"

"If there's no boat, there are ways to get around."

The father and son arrived at the lakeside and searched for a long time before finally finding a piece of shattered ship plank.

Clinging to the tattered plank of the boat, the two struggled to swim across Gaoyou Lake and finally escaped.

The Red Turban Army swept through Yuan army camps like a tidal wave. The Yuan army suffered a crushing defeat during the day, and morale plummeted.

The main generals went to the prime minister for a military meeting, and the army lost its backbone.

In addition, night raids were the most feared tactic for armies armed with cold weapons.

Its collapse was as rapid as an avalanche; everything crumbled.

Those who cannot escape due to night blindness will either be killed or surrender.

Those who managed to escape were constantly pursued and annihilated.

The Red Turban Army went the furthest, even pursuing them all the way to the walls of Huai'an.

In front of the defending troops, they slaughtered a group of exhausted Yuan soldiers and then swaggered away.

Throughout the entire ordeal, the defending soldiers dared not open the gates to leave the city.

The subsequent sweep and arrests lasted for three days.

Five days later, the Red Turban Army held a ceremony in Gaoyou City to reward those who had made contributions.

"I understood when I was at Yonghe Time and Space."

Sitting upright in his chair, watching wave after wave of Red Turban Army soldiers come forward to receive their rewards, Lin Dao muttered to himself, "It's pointless to talk about ideals and responsibilities with ancient people who can't even read."

"If you want them to fight against the barbarians, you have to offer them enough benefits."

"Only when they have a prestigious status and sufficient financial resources can their enthusiasm be truly mobilized."

"We can't even get enough to eat, we're starving to death. What's the point of ideals and responsibilities if nothing is more important than a meal!"

"When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame."

The ancients were right.

One group of soldiers after another stepped forward to receive their rewards.

Copper coins, silver, and a small amount of military scrip.

Rice, flour, cooking oil, and canned meat.

Cloth, silk, and even honeycomb briquettes were given as rewards.

The soldiers were not picky at all. As long as the rewards were distributed according to the previously agreed standards, they would only regret not having made more contributions and envy their comrades who had made great achievements, but they would not complain or harbor resentment.

As the saying goes, it is not scarcity that is a concern, but inequality.

As long as fairness can be ensured, no one will cause trouble for no reason.

In addition to the usual material rewards, all the soldiers who participated in the battle received a commemorative medal.

Lin Dao placed an urgent order with the machining factory.

The brass collar button is engraved with "Commemorative Medal of the Battle of Gaoyou" and the date.

This can be considered a way to cultivate a sense of honor.

Of course, the soldiers who made great contributions were awarded special commemorative medals.

"Fu Youde, the centurion of the Eighth Company of the Imperial Guards, has been awarded four thousand strings of cash and promoted four times for his meritorious service in capturing the flag."

As Luo Guanzhong's somewhat hoarse voice called out, Fu Youde walked up to Lin Dao with his head held high and bowed.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Lin Dao stood up and said, "Get up and talk."

After Fu Youde stood up, Lin Dao took out a gold medal from the box that Feng Guosheng was holding and pinned it to Fu Youde's chest.

"This medal records your honors and achievements."

"Don't let him down!"

Fu Youde was moved to tears and bowed again, saying, "I am willing to die for the Ming King!"

"You were awarded military merit before because of your academic performance."

Lin Dao smiled and instructed, "You have made another great contribution this time. I heard that you passed the test yesterday. In that case, I will appoint you as the commander of the Second Thousand Headquarters of the First Battalion of the Imperial Guard."

They won a decisive victory, severely damaging the Yuan court's fighting force.

Next, it will be time for a large-scale military expansion to sweep across the land.

Although Lin Dao prefers to focus on elite troops, he also understands the advantage of numerical superiority.

Fu Youde was in tears.

He came from a farming family and was a displaced person whose family was flooded, yet he rose to the high position of Qianzong (a military officer).

A Qianzong was equivalent to a Qianhu in the Yuan Dynasty, a mid-level military officer.

Above that is the general who commands a battalion of soldiers!

For Fu Youde, life after meeting the Ming King was like a dream.

After Fu Youde went down, Luo Guanzhong took the opportunity to drink some water to moisten his throat, and once again held up the thick military register and shouted.

"Tang He, captain of the 8th Company of the Imperial Guards, has been awarded two thousand strings of cash and promoted three ranks for his meritorious service in battle."

Tang He stepped forward and bowed.

Lin Dao also gave him a gold medal, offered words of encouragement, and promoted him to the rank of centurion.

"~Feng Sheng, captain of the 7th Company of the Imperial Guards~ has been captured~"

"~Imperial Guard~Hu Dahai~~Captured~~"

"~Imperial Guard~ Geng Zaicheng~"

"~Imperial Guard~ Zhao Desheng~"

"~Imperial Guard~ Geng Junyong~"

"~Chang Yuchun, Centurion of the Eleventh Platoon of the Imperial Guards~"

"Having slain the enemy chieftain Bolod Timur in battle, this is a meritorious deed—a reward of five thousand strings of cash and a promotion of five ranks!"

The burly Chang Yuchun strode forward and bowed.

"Get up and talk."

Lin Dao picked up a gold medal and pinned it to his chest.

"You killed the enemy chieftain in battle, well done."

Lin Dao knew perfectly well who Bolotemur was.

Bolod Timur in history was a formidable figure who annihilated hundreds of thousands of Red Turban rebels.

A mortal enemy on par with Wang Baobao.

He was a powerful minister who held Emperor Yuan hostage, forced the Crown Prince to flee, and was appointed Prime Minister, controlling all the military forces in the country.

This pillar of the Yuan court, before he could even display his talents, was beheaded by Chang Yuchun with his sword.

It is said that Bolotemur died a very tragic death, and Chang Yuchun had to cut him open.

"I intend to form the Third Battalion of the Imperial Guard, and appoint you as the guerrilla general to command this battalion."

Upon hearing this, Chang Yuchun subconsciously turned his head and looked at Xu Da, who was not far away.

He was in the third battalion.
So, the Second Battalion is led by the Xu family?!
(End of this chapter)