Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 214 Yuan Shu's Lifeline
Jiujiang Port is located on the south bank of the middle reaches of the Huai River. It was the central stronghold of Yuan Shu's defense system in the Huai River region and an important asset for Yuan Shu to establish himself in Huainan.

Through Jiujiang Port, Yuan Shu could quickly mobilize troops and supplies to various strategic locations along the Huai River, constructing a military barrier against northern forces. He could also leverage the Huai River's water transport advantages to more easily expand his influence into the Jianghuai region.

At the same time, Jiujiang Port was also a solid foundation for Yuan Shu's economic development and consolidation of Shouchun's political position, and its importance was no less than that of Qiantang Port to Yan Yi.

Yan Yi's dispatch of the navy to attack Jiujiang Port was tantamount to kicking Yuan Shu in the groin.

Yuan Shu never dreamed that, despite being the one on the offensive, the situation would change so drastically in just two or three days.

When he led his civil and military officials to the top of the Shouchun city wall and watched the Qiantang navy slowly sail past the Fei River, his face turned a deep purplish-red, the veins on the back of his hands bulged, and his knuckles cracked.

What a disgrace! What a disgrace! When has Yuan Gonglu ever been humiliated like this?

With only a lone army, they dared to penetrate deep into the heart of Shouchun and swagger around right under his nose.

That's fucking outrageous!

"You scoundrels are going too far!" Yuan Shu glared angrily, slamming his fist on the wall and gritting his teeth, "Do you have any plan to repel the enemy?"

The civil and military officials around him looked at each other, their faces ashen, and they were all at a loss.

If the enemy dares to land, our army can easily crush them and wipe them out in one fell swoop. But now they are cowering on the boats, like a hedgehog covered in thorns, making it impossible for anyone to bite them.

The most important thing right now is not to repel the enemy, but to protect Jiujiang Port and the Jiujiang Navy.

Yang Hong, the chief clerk of Shouchun, glanced at Yuan Shu's hand, which was stained with blood, and calmly took out a handkerchief from his sleeve to carefully bandage his wound. He said softly, "My lord, although the Jiujiang navy has more than a thousand warships, most of them are small boats, and some of them are scattered across various river crossings and have not been able to return in time. With the current defensive strength of Jiujiang Port, I am afraid it will be difficult to stop the enemy."

Only then did Yuan Shu regret not having vigorously developed his navy. He frowned and asked, "In Bi'e's opinion, how should we deal with this situation now?"

A ruthless glint flashed across Yang Hong's brow as he resolutely declared, "Defend Jiujiang Port at all costs! I have three suggestions for your consideration, Your Majesty. First, order the Jiujiang Navy to relentlessly resist the enemy. Second, order all soldiers to bring more wine vessels and mirrors to Jiujiang Port; if the enemy sets fire to the port, extinguish it immediately! Third, requisition ships from the civilian population to exhaust the enemy navy with our superior numbers!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu felt as if his heart was being torn apart. He was well aware of the price he would pay for implementing Yang Hong's strategy.

Not to mention the danger of the Jiujiang navy being destroyed, just the large-scale requisitioning of ships from the people would throw the entire Shouchun into chaos and cause widespread public resentment.

"Do any of you gentlemen have other plans?"

Yuan Shu frowned, his face showing hesitation, and cast a hopeful glance at the other civil and military officials present.

The crowd looked at each other, bewildered and at a loss. Some remained silent, others echoed Yang Hong's opinion, and still others offered impractical and outdated theories that only confused the people.

Yuan Shu cursed him under his breath as a useless piece of trash, then suddenly remembered that when Yan Xiang was around, he had never been subjected to such humiliation. He sighed and said, "Since that's the case, then let's do as Bi'e says. Fuyi, you will personally lead 15,000 troops to Jiujiang Port! Bi'e, I'll leave the matter of requisitioning ships to you."

Huh!
Ji Ling clasped his hands in a fist salute, and Yang Hong bowed in greeting. The two men respectfully accepted the order.

Yuan Shu cast a sinister glance at the distant Qiantang navy, then abruptly turned and strode down the city wall.

Half an hour later, the Qiantang Navy sailed out of the Fei River, entered the Huai River, and approached Jiujiang Port.

The width of the Huai River is in no way inferior to that of the Yangtze River. At its narrowest point, it is still 100 meters wide, and at its widest point, it can reach a terrifying 4,000 to 5,000 meters during the flood season.

The October sun hangs low over Huainan, melting the 800-li Huai River into a furnace of boiling gold. The river surface is vast, shimmering with golden light.

The Qiantang Navy's warships lined up in a row on the river, stretching for miles, and easily crushed the scattered enemy ships along the way with overwhelming force.

As they approached Jiujiang Port, the 480 warships had formed a formation specifically targeting the Jiujiang Navy, arranged in a configuration of one fighting warship and four large warships, and pressed forward.

The Jiujiang Navy's seven hundred warships also completed their assembly, like ants guarding their nest, densely covering the river surface, facing off against the Qiantang Navy from afar.

Despite the large number of warships in the Jiujiang navy, its imposing presence was noticeably inferior. Nearly five hundred small boats were crammed around thirty fighting ships and one hundred and eighty large warships, their formation appearing chaotic and disorganized.

Quan Rou and Huang Gai stood side by side on the Qingniao ship, their eyes blazing as they surveyed the enemy's formation.

"Gongfu, I've heard that the Jiujiang navy is commanded by Liu Xiang. Do you know anything about this man?"

The Liu Xiang mentioned by Quan Rou was also a valiant general. Last May, Yuan Shu sent Liu Xiang to garrison Kuangting. Cao Cao led his army to attack, and Yuan Shu went to his aid. After the two armies clashed, Yuan's army suffered a major defeat and retreated to Shouchun. The person who led the troops to cover the rear was none other than Liu Xiang.

Huang Gai placed his large, bony right hand on the hilt of his sword, narrowed his eyes slightly, and stared straight into the enemy formation. He sneered disdainfully, "I see Liu Xiang as a porpoise playing in the waves, noisy and turbulent, ultimately nothing more than a fisherman's spear!"

Quan Rou was slightly taken aback, thinking to herself, "What a boastful tone."

Sun Ce's generals were all arrogant and haughty. They only restrained themselves somewhat in front of the young lord; otherwise, they were quite arrogant.

He raised his hand to press down on his cloak, which was fluttering in the river wind, and solemnly reminded them: "The enemy is holding the port firmly, so we cannot be careless. Although our army is stronger, we are deep in enemy territory, our supply lines are too long, and we dare not easily go ashore to resupply. There are many hidden dangers, so we must not underestimate them."

Huang Gai nodded slightly, agreeing with the statement about "deepening the enemy's defenses alone." He then regained his usual arrogance, pointed to the enemy formation, and said loudly, "Please look, my lord. Although the enemy ships are numerous, their formation is chaotic and disorganized, which shows that their soldiers are not skilled in boat handling and their generals lack naval combat experience. The Five-Tooth Formation that I set up for this battle is enough to defeat the enemy."

The Five-Tooth Formation was his unique secret technique. It consisted of a fighting warship in the center, flanked by four smaller warships, forming independent combat formations. These formations coordinated closely, launching successive attacks, creating a relentless offensive and maximizing the enemy ships' operational space. Once the enemy formation collapsed in one corner, it would be difficult for them to maintain their position.

As the saying goes, a master's skill is immediately apparent. Quan Rou, an expert in naval warfare, naturally knew that Huang Gai's words were true; the Five Tooth Formation was indeed an excellent naval formation for defeating the enemy.

As the two armies drew closer, Quan and Huang stopped talking and stared intently ahead.

"Beat the drums! Attack the enemy's left flank!"

When the distance between the two fleets was reduced to five hundred paces, Quan Rou's expression turned serious. He suddenly drew his sword and gave the order to attack.

Huang Gai's face instantly turned murderous as he paced around the deck, directing the details of the battle.

"Raise the blue flag, spread it ten times, and charge!"

"Raise the yellow flag! Form the central army in a horizontal line!"

"Raise the white flag! Right Army, slow down! Do not approach the port!"

With each drumbeat and flag signal, the Qiantang Navy's formation gradually changed from a square to a hook shape, like a surging wave rolling towards the enemy's left flank.

Ten fighting ships and forty warships broke through the formation, forming ten squadrons, and charged forward.

After the fifty warships left the formation, another fifty warships quickly arrived from behind and swiftly filled their positions.

After a brief adjustment, the entire army began to move slowly, providing cover for the fifty warships charging towards the enemy.

"Raise the black flag! Prepare to throw stones, fire!"

Huang Gai gripped the gunwale railing with his left hand, staring straight ahead, silently calculating the range in his mind. Suddenly, a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes, and he shouted, giving the order to launch the stones.

Each warship of the Qiantang Navy was equipped with a trebuchet, which could launch stones with a range of four to five hundred paces, far exceeding that of arrows, making it the most effective means of striking the enemy in the early stages of the battle.

Whizzing!

Huge boulders shot through the air from the warships of the Qiantang Navy, weaving a dark shadow across the sky before raining down upon the enemy lines. Bang!
A huge rock struck the deck of an enemy warship, and amidst the flying wood chips, it smashed through the hull, revealing the horrified soldiers inside.

Compared to the warships, the short boats, which were only a few meters long, were much more fragile. Once hit by a boulder, they would instantly break apart.

Only warships seven or eight zhang long could withstand the impact of huge rocks, but their hull structure was also easily damaged, losing their maneuverability.

After three rounds of slingshots, a huge gap appeared in the enemy's formation. On the river surface at the gap, broken ship wreckage and soldiers' corpses floated, a scene of utter devastation.

The Jiujiang navy, primarily composed of small riverboats, suffered far greater casualties than the enemy in the early stages of the battle. With only thirty fighting ships, they posed little threat to the enemy.

Amidst screams of agony, the distance between the two armies rapidly shrank to two or three hundred paces.

Arrows began to replace stones as the primary means of attack.

A dense barrage of arrows whistled out from both armies, weaving together in the air to form a dense rain of arrows that poured down upon the enemy ranks.

The battle losses of the two navies once again showed a significant difference.

Most of the ships of the Jiujiang Navy could only rely on wet cowhide curtains to block arrows, while the Qiantang Navy, in addition to cowhide curtains, could also use parapets and battlements to intercept arrows, and its casualties were only about one-third of those of the enemy.

"The main ship has been withdrawn to the rear!"

Standing atop a warship, Liu Xiang witnessed this situation and a growing sense of panic welled up within him. He then issued the order for the main ship to retreat.

It wasn't that he was afraid of death, but rather that the enemy's advance was too rapid, already threatening his flagship. If the flagship were severely damaged or sunk, the entire fleet would immediately descend into chaos.

The military order had just been issued when a loud crash of ships colliding came from afar.

Liu Xiang looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the enemy's vanguard had already wedged into his right flank like a sharp knife. The grappling hooks and battering rams of the warships were waving everywhere, either hooking small boats or smashing them against large ships. The warships followed closely behind, strangling and killing any lone vessels, and soon cleared a section of the river.

Liu Xiang stared in disbelief, his eyes wide with rage, large beads of cold sweat streaming down his bulging forehead.

Regardless of ship performance, soldier combat strength, or formation tactics, our army is significantly inferior to the enemy, and defeat in this battle is inevitable.

However, he dared not issue the order to withdraw his troops, as Yuan Shu had already ordered that Jiujiang Port be defended at all costs.

Left with no other choice, he could only continuously draw warships from the central and rear armies to support the right flank like moths to a flame. The objective of the operation also changed from stopping the enemy's advance to trying to wear down the enemy's ships.

When the casualties reached 40%, some warships began to flee the battlefield, and the entire army gradually showed signs of collapse.

Liu Xiang's face was ashen. After a fierce internal struggle, he gritted his teeth and issued the order for the entire army to retreat to the dock.

This military order would put the troops in a desperate situation with no way to retreat, but only in this way could desertion be effectively stopped.

"Ziyuan, should we blockade the port or leave the enemy an escape route to reduce our losses?" Huang Gai carefully observed the enemy's formation, his expression gradually becoming serious: "The enemy clearly intends to fight a desperate battle. If our army launches an encirclement and annihilation against them, we will inevitably suffer heavy casualties."

Quan Rou said expressionlessly, "Our army's objective is to annihilate the Jiujiang Navy. Not a single sail can be spared. Immediately blockade Jiujiang Port!"

Huang Gai nodded slightly, then ordered 150 warships to maneuver in the waters three miles east of Jiujiang Port.

"You want to escape? Let's see how you escape!"

Liu Xiang's lips curled into a cruel smile as he allowed the enemy warships to maneuver eastward, completely blockading Jiujiang Port from both the east and west.

More than three hundred warships were crammed into a stretch of water a mile or two in front of the harbor, in complete chaos, like lambs to the slaughter.

Seeing that there was no way to escape, Yuan's soldiers could only fight desperately against the enemy.

Liu Xiang stared expressionlessly at the horrific battlefield, silently calculating the enemy's losses.

An hour later, the battle ended with the complete annihilation of the Jiujiang Navy and the loss of more than 180 warships by the Qiantang Navy.

Without the protection of the navy, Jiujiang Port was completely exposed to the enemy.

Quan Rou coldly issued the military order to set the port on fire.

Rockets roared toward the port, and the area around the port was soon engulfed in flames.

The port garrison scattered and fled, but as they were about to exit through the south gate, they were stopped by Ji Ling, who had arrived with his troops.

"All personnel retreat to the dock and defend it; those who disobey will be executed!"

Ji Ling, mounted on his horse, wielded his three-pointed, double-edged sword with a cold glint, beheading a deserter before leading his troops into the harbor.

Under his command, Yuan's soldiers quickly climbed the corner towers and arrow towers on both sides of the dock and fired rockets at the enemy ships.

Quan Rou then ordered the entire army to continue advancing towards the dock, sacrificing eight warships to destroy dozens of corner towers and arrow towers.

Ignoring the raging fire outside the port, Ji Ling ordered two thousand soldiers to form ranks on the riverbank and dock to engage the enemy ships in a firefight, while simultaneously ordering the other soldiers to fetch water to extinguish the fire.

The fortifications surrounding the port had been completely burned down, leaving Yuan's soldiers without cover and having to evade the ever-growing fire, resulting in extremely heavy casualties.

Ji Ling ignored them and strictly ordered the supervising team to shoot the deserters. Only when the number of casualties among the soldiers on the riverbank exceeded 40% did he allow them to withdraw. Then he ordered the next batch of soldiers to go up to the riverbank.

To prevent enemy ships from approaching the port, Yuan's soldiers practically risked their lives to fill the gaps; as one group fell, another quickly took their place.

It took three to four thousand casualties before the fire at the port was gradually brought under control.

At this time, Yuan's army ships began to arrive one after another from various ferry crossings.

There were only a few hundred of these boats, mostly small boats, and the rest were some old fishing boats.

Once they had amassed a certain number, they began a suicidal charge against the Qiantang Navy.

However, it was of little use; apart from burning more than ten warships and wasting some arrows, it did nothing else.

Yuan Shu has gone mad. In order to protect Jiujiang Port, he has even done things that violate military common sense and are like throwing an egg against a rock.

The river was covered with floating corpses, and the water was stained deep red with blood, forming shocking blood-red ripples with the surging waves.

"Ziyuan, we're almost out of arrows." Huang Gai walked to Quan Rou's side and reminded him, "Yuan's navy has been completely destroyed. We have achieved our objective in this battle. It's time to withdraw."

"We were just a hair's breadth away from destroying Jiujiang Port. What a pity."

Quan Rou sighed inwardly, withdrew his gaze from the devastated port, and immediately ordered the entire army to retreat towards the Ruxu River.

During the retreat, they destroyed all the river crossings along the way.

(End of this chapter)