Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 253 Wang Lang is dumbfounded, Xu Gong is speechless
The Qiantang Navy mobilized its entire force this time. More than two hundred warships and more than seven hundred large warships lined up in a row, pushing their speed to the limit, and speeding along the coastline, heading straight for Gaoqiantun.

Gaoqiantun, located on the south bank of Qiantang Bay and northeast of Xiaoshan District in present-day Hangzhou, was an important military stronghold for Wang Lang in constructing the Qiantang River defense line. It was also the closest naval port to Qiantang Port. Wang Lang stationed 5,000 infantrymen and more than 500 warships here.

Historically, when Sun Ce attacked Kuaiji, unable to breach the Qiantang River defenses, he heeded Sun Jing's advice and personally led an army on a night raid on Gaoqiantun, rendering Wang Lang's painstakingly constructed defenses useless. In desperation, Wang Lang sent Zhou Xin with the main force to relieve Gaoqiantun, but they were completely annihilated by Sun Ce, and Zhou Xin himself was killed in the battle. Subsequently, the Kuaiji army collapsed entirely.

Now, history seems to be repeating itself. Yan Yi's first attack against Wang Lang also targeted Gaoqiantun as his primary objective.

However, his goal was not to break through the Qiantang River defense line, but to annihilate the Gaoqiantun naval force.

Gao Qiantun's navy possessed one-third of the Kuaiji navy's warships. If it were destroyed, the Kuaiji navy's combat strength would inevitably be greatly reduced. At that time, the Qiantang navy would be able to completely suppress the Kuaiji navy, thereby controlling the natural barrier of the Qiantang River and completely controlling the throat of the Wu-Yue waterway!

If Wang Lang loses control of the Qiantang River waterway, it will be extremely difficult for him to attack Yan Yi again.

This was also a carefully planned strategy by Yan Yi to break the pincer attack by Xu and Wang. In short, it can be summarized in eight characters: strike first, use offense as defense.

Therefore, the importance of this battle surpasses even Zhu Zhi's surprise attack on Lingyang.

In order to successfully achieve the strategic goal of dismantling Wang Lang's offensive, Yan Yi not only dispatched the entire Qiantang Navy, but also sent out several of his most skilled naval commanders. Even Quan Rou, who had already taken up his post in Moling, was urgently recalled.

Under the command of generals Zhou Yu, Huang Gai, Quan Rou, and Dong Xi, nine hundred warships were vaguely divided into four formations and sailed past Huludao one after another.

Huludao was an outer outpost of Gaoqiantun. After passing Huludao, Gaoqiantun was not far away.

The island was garrisoned by two hundred soldiers of the Kuaiji Navy, and dozens of beacon towers were scattered throughout the island.

Clang!

As the urgent sound of gongs rang out, smoke billowed from beacon towers. Dozens of thick, inky plumes of smoke rose straight up, swirling and intertwining in the clear sky before finally coalescing into a dark cloud that enveloped the entire island.

Zhou Yu stood on the foredeck of his flagship 'Fuyu', glanced up at the thick smoke filling the sky, and calmly ordered, "Signal with flags: all 'Rou' units maintain their speed and advance; the rest of the units slow down and form ranks."

Flag signals are one of the most important means of communication in naval warfare, and those who can serve as flag bearers are all experienced veterans who remain calm in the face of danger.

As soon as Zhou Yu finished speaking, the veterans quickly raised the command flags in their hands and waved them with practiced ease.

A series of rhythmic drumbeats followed.

Upon receiving the order, the entire Roubu force sprang into action, like an arrow released from a bow, whistling out of the ranks and heading straight for the southern waters of Gaoqiantun.

Its mission was to sever the connection between Gaoqiantun and Shangyu Port and intercept any reinforcements that Shangyu Port might send.

Zhou Yu, Huang Gai, and Dong Xi gradually reduced their ship speed and spread out their formation on the vast sea.

Compared to river battles, naval battles allow for faster formation.

Soon, all 750 warships were in formation. Zhou Yu's troops formed the Ark Formation, Dong Xi's troops formed the Long Snake Formation, and Huang Gai's troops, tasked with the assault, formed the Five-Tooth Formation and the Fire Ship Formation.

The Ark Formation is a fortified water formation with large ships on the outside and smaller ships on the inside, advancing in layers, making it ideal for compressing the enemy's operational space.

The long snake formation, also known as the serpentine formation, is the most classic mobile formation in naval warfare. It is known for its flexible infiltration and is suitable for rapid attacks, blocking waterways, or dividing enemy forces.

The Five Tooth Formation is a formation created by Huang Gai, and it excels at surprise attacks.

As for the fire ship formation, it can be described as the most destructive special attack formation in naval warfare. It uses light boats loaded with flammable materials as the vanguard, which are then set ablaze and rush into the enemy lines, triggering a chain reaction of fires and achieving the effect of "exchanging a small fire for a big victory". Once the Gaoqian garrison's navy is forced into a narrow waterway, it is the perfect opportunity for the fire ship formation to show its power.

Once the formation was complete, the Qiantang Navy's power grew even stronger, like a giant wall stretching across the sea and sky, slowly pressing towards Gaoqiantun with the force to destroy cities and mountains.

At this moment, the entire Gaoqiantun Port was in chaos, with warships scrambling to form ranks in the narrow waters in front of the port like headless flies.

The Qiantang navy arrived too quickly; the scouts sent by Wang Lang had no time to relay information, and the Gaoqian naval forces also did not expect the enemy to launch a surprise attack at this time. Many soldiers had not even had time to board their ships.

If it weren't for the beacon fires that gave Gao Qiantun's naval forces some time to assemble, many warships probably wouldn't have even been able to leave port.

The most ridiculous thing is that Zhang Chao, the supreme commander of the Gaoqian naval force and the left wing commander of the navy, has not yet arrived at the port. At this moment, the one in command is his deputy, Yu Jin.

Seeing that the enemy was about to launch an attack, Yu Jin panicked and could no longer distinguish between different units and groups. He immediately ordered all ships to gather outside the harbor and hastily formed a simple square formation.

The Square City Formation is similar to the Square Ark Formation, both deploying large warships on the outer perimeter and smaller vessels hidden in the inner circle, resembling a floating city. The difference lies in the fact that the Square City Formation has a tighter formation, making it more defensive, but also the least mobile.

"Beat the drums! Charge!"

Standing atop the towering Fuyu warship, Zhou Yu had a clear view of the enemy's movements. Knowing that a golden opportunity was right before him, he was not about to let it slip by. He immediately raised his arm and issued the attack order.

Huang Gai took the lead, personally leading a strike force composed of sixty fighting ships and one hundred and fifty warships, setting up his proud Five-Tooth Formation, and charging towards the enemy lines.

Dong Xi's troops followed closely behind, providing support from both flanks.

Zhou Yu personally commanded the central army, sealing off the entire sea area in front of the port, advancing step by step and layer by layer.

Although Quan Rou did not participate in the battle, she stood solemnly on the observation deck of the Bluebird, closely monitoring the battle situation in the distance, ready to fill any gaps at any time.

As the saying goes, a master's skill is immediately apparent. Looking across the entire late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period, few naval command lineups could rival these four. Their deployment was flawless, each move perfectly coordinated, leaving the enemy no chance of survival. How could a mere Yu Jin possibly withstand them?
In less than half an hour, the formation of Gao Qiantun's navy was completely broken, and the remaining two or three hundred warships were forced to retreat to the port, crowding together in the narrow dock area.

"Fire ships, charge!"

Zhou Yu's slender fingers lightly tapped the gunwale of the ship, his robe sleeves billowing like clouds in the wind. He looked otherworldly, as if he were not on a battlefield, but playing the zither by the sea.

But the orders he issued were filled with murderous intent, like the sharpest sword piercing straight into the enemy's heart.

Dozens of burning light boats flew like arrows, carving dozens of fiery trenches in the sea, heading straight for the enemy ships lined up end to end.

Click!

The lead fire ship collided with a fighting ship, and flames instantly licked the oil-soaked ropes before rapidly spreading towards the hull.

Dozens of enemy ships were set ablaze one after another by the fire ships, turning into balls of fire.

The fire spread rapidly and quickly became uncontrollable, soon engulfing other nearby ships.

"Closer! Fire a salvo of rockets!"

Zhou Yu seemed to think the fire wasn't fierce enough, so he issued another military order that even made his personal guards' eyelids twitch.

Whizzing!

Rockets rained down on the port.

Yu Jin stared in despair at the rain of arrows falling from the sky, his body trembling uncontrollably.

*Thud!* Several rockets pierced his body, splattering blood and sparks everywhere.

Yu Jin let out a scream, staggered back several steps, and fell backward. Behind him, the raging flames of Gaoqiantun Port soared into the sky, engulfing his figure in the blood-red firelight.

An hour later, Gao Qiantun's navy was completely annihilated, while the Qiantang navy only lost a little over a hundred warships.

"Strategist, enemy activity has been detected about a mile to the south. More than three hundred warships are approaching, suspected to be the Shangyu Navy." A signalman, seeing the flag signal from the Bluebird, quickly reported to Zhou Yu.

"Perfect timing!" Zhou Yu laughed loudly, a strand of hair on his forehead fluttering in the wind: "Pass on my orders: Quan Rou's troops will hold the enemy, Dong Xi's troops will clean up the battlefield, and Huang Gai's troops will join me in attacking the enemy!"

Before the belated Shangyu navy could figure out what was going on, they saw enemy ships, only half the number of their own, charging aggressively towards them.

Without a second thought, Gao Chong, the commander of the right wing of the navy, drew his sword, pointed it to the sky, and shouted, "All troops, charge!"

Even if the enemy forces were only half the size of his own, he would not retreat.

In a close encounter, the brave prevail. Moreover, turning a ship around on the sea is quite time-consuming, and a slight miscalculation can easily turn a retreat into a rout.

However, just a quarter of an hour later, the fighting spirit on Gao Chong's face turned into fear.

Gazing at the overwhelming enemy ships surging towards him, a terrifying thought surfaced in his mind: 'Has Gao Qiantun's naval forces been annihilated?'

At this point, it was too late to retreat, and Gao Chong could only order his entire army to fight to the death.

His own warship, however, was quietly retreating.

Gao Chong traded the destruction of the Shangyu navy for his own survival. Of the more than three hundred warships, including his flagship "Shuiyun," only eleven escaped.

"Order the entire army to proceed to Shangyu Port for rest and reorganization!"

Zhou Yu was well-versed in military strategy and knew the principle that "a victorious army is like water. Water is the softest and weakest thing, but it will cause hills to collapse when it touches them. Take advantage of its strength." Despite the army's exhaustion, he ordered them to continue advancing towards Shangyu Port.

In this battle, the Qiantang Navy's objective was not merely to severely damage the Kuaiji Navy, but also to completely destroy several shipbuilding bases in Kuaiji, severing the foundation of its navy. Therefore, all ports in Kuaiji were included in the Qiantang Navy's attack list.

Two hours later, Shangyu Port, having lost all its defenses, was completely destroyed.

The Juzhang Port Navy, which rushed to the rescue, hastily withdrew upon seeing the unfavorable situation.

As dusk settled and stars filled the night sky, visibility on the sea became almost zero. Zhou Yu then ordered the entire army to garrison at Turtle Island near Shangyu Port for a brief rest.

Along with six Pinghai ships, more than fifty other ships responsible for transporting grain, fodder, and equipment arrived overnight to provide supplies.

These ships were large and undaunted by wind and waves. The giant ships that sailed on the sea were even seven zhang tall, like mobile fortresses at sea, making them perfect for transporting supplies.

After a night of rest, Zhou Yu ordered the entire army to continue their attack the next morning, heading straight for Gouzhang Port.

The Qiantang Navy was unstoppable, sweeping across the Kuaiji Sea.

Wang Lang's biggest mistake was that he dispersed the Huiji Navy to four major ports: Gaoqiantun, Shangyu, Gouzhang, and Maoxian, giving the enemy the opportunity to defeat them one by one.

He had already sensed something was wrong and began to gradually assemble his warships at Gaoqiantun. However, in order not to alert the Qiantang Navy, the assembly process was slow, and in the end, he could only swallow this bitter pill with tears in his eyes.

Of course, the main reason was that Wang Lang never expected Yan Yi to turn the tables and launch an attack on him before February was even over, and that the attack would be launched by water.

Not only Wang Lang, but everyone in Jiangdong was caught off guard by Yan Yi's move. No matter how you looked at it, Yan Yi should have been on the defensive.

Even Liu Biao, Yuan Shu, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and others were greatly surprised when they later learned of this.

Wang Lang, who was at the center of the battle, was completely stunned and felt like his brain couldn't keep up with the opponent's pace.

At this time, he only had more than 600 warships under his command, including the Juzhang Navy and the Maoxian Navy, all of which were entrenched in Juzhang Port, holding the port to the death, and their morale was extremely low.

The Qiantang Navy was in high spirits and directly surrounded Juzhang Port.

At this point, Zhou Yu stopped using surprise attacks and instead used the coral island near Gouzhang Port as a base to gradually erode the Kuaiji navy while replenishing his fleet with new ships.

Shangyu Port was the largest shipbuilding base of the Kuaiji Navy. After losing Shangyu Port, the Kuaiji Navy was like a tree without water or roots, and its warships decreased day by day without being replenished.

In contrast, the number of warships of the Qiantang Navy increased day by day.

When the Qiantang navy's fleet had recovered to 800 ships, Zhou Yu issued the order for a general offensive. At this time, the Kuaiji navy had only about 400 ships left.

Zhou Yu decisively defeated the enemy in one battle, completely eliminating the formidable enemy of the Kuaiji navy and destroying dozens of ports and ferry crossings in the Kuaiji sea area.

From then on, Yan Yi firmly controlled the natural barrier of the Qiantang River and successfully eliminated the threat posed by the Kuaiji Army.

Wang Lang had tens of thousands of troops, but dared not launch an offensive.

Not to mention the danger of the Kuaiji army launching an attack at this time, which would be an isolated and deep-rooted force, the fact that the land transport line had suddenly increased from tens of miles to nearly a thousand miles left him only able to sigh as he looked at the river.

He only occupied Kuaiji, not the entire Han Dynasty. To wage a war with a supply route stretching a thousand miles with the strength of just one prefecture was simply a pipe dream.

And so, Wang Lang, who had been shouting all day long about wiping out the traitor Yan, completely gave up. At this moment, he was like a wealthy man on his deathbed, with money in his pocket but nowhere to spend it.

After Wang Lang was defeated, Xu Gong was left dumbfounded.

What happened to the promised three-pronged attack? How come I'm the only one left?

They're all idiots!

Xu Gong was extremely disappointed and terrified of Wang Lang and Zu Lang.

What do I do now? Yan Yi is coming to beat me up.
Even if Xu Gong was arrogant and looked down on everyone, he knew that he and his family alone could never defeat Yan Yi.

Left with no other choice, he could only swallow his pride and try to win over Yan Yi, intending to learn from Goujian, to endure humiliation and hardship, and to persevere until he achieved his goal.

What they received in return was an urgent report from the front lines.

"Yan Yi personally led 10,000 elite troops to charge into battle!"

"Sun Ce and Xu Sheng are leading 10,000 elite troops straight to Piling!"

"The Qiantang Navy has captured Haiyan!"

(End of this chapter)