Sweep Yuan

Chapter 162 The Initial Success of the Yu-Liao Naval Force

Zhang Desheng didn't consider the possibility of a direct clash between the two sides for two reasons: firstly, he had some past connections with Yu, Liao, and others; secondly, he had already made a name for himself in Chaohu in recent years thanks to his ruthlessness.

Even without Xu Da's troops, Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an would have to break both of Zhang Desheng's teeth if they wanted to eat him.

Xu Da guessed that Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an might not necessarily want to squeeze out the navy. After all, they had been training their troops in silence since landing on the island, and the two of them probably did not know that Zhang Desheng had aligned himself with Marshal Shi.

The Red Flag Battalion earned its reputation through real battles. Anyone who knows that the Red Flag Battalion has set up its flag here and still dares to provoke them must be incredibly foolish.

There's probably more to this story than meets the eye, but whatever the reason, we shouldn't let our guard down, nor should we rush to dismiss Zhang Desheng's idea.

"Commander Zhang!"

Xu Da was very approachable in his daily life, treating his soldiers like brothers and being quite easygoing. However, he was extremely strict in disciplining his troops. Once he put on a stern face and his voice became deep, his imposing presence immediately put everyone on edge.

Zhang Desheng immediately straightened his back, clasped his hands in greeting, and replied:

"The general is here!"

"Take twenty fast boats and go meet them!"

Xu Da spoke quickly and clearly, with an unquestionable commanding tone, and continued:
"Find out their intentions. If they are hostile, do not fight them. Return to the water fortress immediately and deal with them slowly. If they really intend to join the Red Flag Battalion and say they want to land on the island... then bring them in."

In this last sentence, Xu Da's tone already carried a hint of coldness.

In an effort to rapidly expand his power, Zhang Desheng recently acquired over seventy small boats. While the sheer number of boats increased, the quality and size of the vessels, as well as the fighting spirit of the newly recruited fishermen, were far inferior to the elite forces that Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an had cultivated over many years.

However, he stood tall at this moment because he had Marshal Shi and the Red Flag Battalion behind him.

Excluding his own force of over two hundred men, the two groups of infantry sent to the island before and after its establishment numbered as many as five hundred and fifty men, equipped with a large number of bows and crossbows. Relying on the advantageous terrain, they were not afraid of any force in Chaohu daring to cause trouble on Laoshan Island.

"Order!"

Zhang Desheng roared, immediately mustered the speedboats, and led a team of capable men, rushing out of the water fortress sluice gate like an arrow released from a bow.

Xu Da didn't sit idly by either; he immediately gave the order:
"Roll all the boats into the harbor and hide them. Archers, lie in ambush behind these rocks and get ready to 'welcome' our 'guests'!"

He deliberately emphasized the words "welcome" and "guests," and the soldiers understood immediately, taking action in a tense but orderly manner.

Before long, Zhang Desheng's small fleet encountered the "huge" fleet on the other side.

On the lead "large" ship, Yu Tingyu stood at the bow, a broad smile on his face, and shouted loudly to Zhang Desheng:
"Brother Zhang has quietly built up a huge business, and now that he has taken over Laoshan Island, he doesn't even offer any help to his older brothers!"

As soon as Yu Tingyu uttered those opening remarks, Zhang Desheng's last bit of hope vanished completely—Steward Xu was indeed a prophet! The other side had their eyes on Laoshan Island, wanting to set foot on the island and establish their presence, yet not wanting to be under his control. By creating such a grand spectacle, they were clearly trying to give him a hard time.

A month ago, Zhang Desheng might have felt proud to be "respected" by figures like Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an. But now? He just felt like laughing.

Standing at the bow of the boat, facing the lake breeze, Zhang Desheng replied in a loud and clear voice:

"I want Brother Yu to know that I owe my success today entirely to serving Marshal Shi! We are now part of the Red Flag Navy, and Commander-in-Chief Xu Da is currently stationed on Laoshan Island. Brother Yu and Brother Liao, since you want my guidance, would you like to come with me to the island to pay our respects to Commander-in-Chief Xu?"

He emphasized the keywords "Red Flag Battalion Navy", "General Xu Da" and "Marshal Shi" with particular emphasis.

Upon hearing this, Liao Yong'an, aboard the other "large" ship, immediately changed his expression.

He was originally envious of Zhang Desheng's sudden wealth. He heard that Zhang Desheng had led a team to occupy Laoshan Island and suspected that Zhang Desheng had robbed a lot of goods. That's why he persuaded Yu Tingyu to come over, hoping to take advantage of their numbers and force Zhang Desheng to share some of the benefits.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Desheng was backed by the renowned Red Flag Battalion of Xuzhou and Huai'an, as well as a Chief Steward Xu, who had built a navy in the lake. This was a huge mess!
Liao Yong'an subconsciously turned his head and looked at Yu Tingyu with a questioning gaze.

Yu Tingyu, being a seasoned veteran, reacted extremely quickly, instantly masking the slight unease on his face with a hearty laugh:

"Hahaha! Good, very good! I, Yu, have long wanted to pay homage to the heroes of the Red Flag Battalion. Then I'll trouble Brother Zhang to lead the way!"

Although Yu Tingyu had previously revered Shi Shan's formidable reputation for invincibility, he had little fear of the Red Flag Battalion itself.

After all, no matter how skilled Shi Shan was, that was only his land-based ability. Chaohu Lake spans eight hundred li, a vast expanse of misty water; could the Red Flag Battalion possibly go into the water? Even if they did go into the water, if they couldn't win, couldn't they at least run away and hide?

Who would have thought that the Red Flag Camp would actually go into the water? Shi Shan's hand had already silently reached into the depths of Chaohu Lake, and without anyone knowing, he occupied Laoshan Island and even set up a water fortress.

Yu Tingyu keenly realized that the carefree days of heroes standing side by side and each ruling their own territory on Chaohu Lake were probably coming to an end.

Once the Red Flag Battalion Navy has established a foothold on Laoshan Island, its next step will inevitably be to integrate and annex all forces in the lake, without exception!

If he didn't want to go ashore to farm and be exploited by the government again, he only had two options left.

Alternatively, they could defect to the government forces and join forces to destroy the still-developing Red Flag Navy.

Alternatively, they could simply join the Red Flag Battalion and rebel with Shishan.

There's no need to even think about joining the government army; Chaoxian has its own navy, and if it were possible, they would have done so long ago. There's no benefit to it, and it would only offend Shishan and bring trouble upon themselves.

Rebellion? Yu Tingyu really doesn't want to rebel right now.

Being a "lake tyrant" in Chaohu may not bring great success, but it allows for a carefree life. You don't have to work hard farming or pay taxes. You can live quite comfortably simply by collecting protection fees from fishermen within your own lake area.

More importantly, although the Yuan Dynasty is showing signs of decline and is engulfed in war, it is far from being completely destroyed. It would be too risky to risk one's life by rebelling against others so early.

Even if one were to choose the path of rebellion, one should seek refuge with the more powerful and prestigious Xu Shouhui-Xu Song regime.

In terms of territory, reputation, and resources on the water, what can Shishan currently compare to Xu Shouhui in?

But Shishan's move was too shrewd. He secretly planted a nail in Laoshan Island, the heart of Chaohu. This was no longer a question of whether Yu Tingyu could choose or not; he simply had no choice at all.

The knife is already at my neck; if I don't want to die, I have no choice but to accept my fate.

Once Yu Tingyu recognized reality, he resolved to make a proper show of force. When the fleet was still three li from the Red Flag Camp's naval camp, he decisively ordered the ships to stop. He then bowed to Zhang Desheng, who was leading the way, and said:

“Brother Zhang, Chief Steward Xu is stationed on the island. If we bring so many ships and sail directly into the water fortress, we might offend someone important, which would be a serious offense. Let's anchor the fleet here, and Brother Liao and I will only bring a few attendants to accompany Brother Zhang to the island to pay our respects to Chief Steward Xu. Is that alright?” Upon hearing this, Zhang Desheng finally felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. Yu Tingyu had clearly yielded, so he immediately put on a smile and readily agreed.

"Alright! Brother Yu is very thoughtful. Brother Liao, please!"

Yu Tingyu immediately handed over command of the fleet to his sons, Yu Tonghai and Yu Tongyuan, and then swiftly grabbed the mooring rope and slid down to a small boat nearby. The small boat then nimbly rowed and merged directly into Zhang Desheng's fleet.

Liao Yong'an was also a bachelor. Seeing that Yu Tingyu had taken the lead and set an example, he couldn't let his reputation fall short. He handed over his fleet to his younger brother Liao Yongzhong and quickly rowed his small boat to catch up with Yu Tingyu.

Laoshan Island, inside the water village.

Xu Da saw that Yu and Liao's combined fleet was stopped three miles away, motionless, and knew that Zhang Desheng had successfully intimidated the two. However, he remained vigilant and whispered an order:

"Archers, remain concealed. Do not move without my order!"

The heavy wooden sluice gate of the water village creaked and groaned as the winch turned, slowly rising into the air.

As soon as Yu Tingyu's small boat entered the water fortress, he looked up and saw a tall figure standing alone with his hands behind his back on the main dock of the camp. He was imposing and had an aura of authority that he could not be angry.

Recalling Xu Da's heroic figure who single-handedly defeated hundreds of cavalrymen in Hefei, Zhang Desheng straightened his back even more and proudly introduced:
"Brother Yu, Brother Liao, that's our Chief Steward Xu Da."

Yu Tingyu was secretly impressed that Xu, the chief steward, was truly extraordinary to be trusted by Marshal Shi and to be able to take charge of the overall situation of the Chaohu naval force on his own!
The small boat docked at the pier, and Zhang Desheng led Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an onto the pier.

"Steward, the men have arrived. This is Brother Yu Tingyu, and this is Brother Liao Yong'an," Zhang Desheng reported.

Facing Xu Da's tall figure and the invisible authority he exuded, Yu Tingyu's last remaining thoughts vanished completely. He immediately pulled the still somewhat dazed Liao Yong'an forward, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a respectful bow, and said in a reverent voice:

"I, Yu Tingyu (Liao Yong'an), have long admired Marshal Shi's reputation! Today, upon learning that General Xu has established a camp and built an army on Laoshan Island on behalf of Marshal Shi, I have led my men here to serve him. We are of humble origin and our actions are inevitably crude. I hope that General Xu will not find us unworthy and will give us some guidance."

Seeing this, Xu Da strode forward and said in a booming voice:

"I have long heard that the Yu family and their sons, and the Liao brothers of Chaohu, are all heroes who are not afraid of the Yuan dynasty. Today, I have seen them and I can confirm that their reputation is well-deserved. They are true heroes!"

Before he finished speaking, his strong hands reached out and firmly supported Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an's elbows, one in each hand.

Yu Tingyu felt an irresistible force coming from his forearm. Before he could react, Xu Da had steadily lifted him up. Liao Yong'an, who was next to him, was also shocked and had obviously felt the immense force.

"Let's go talk on the island."

Xu Da didn't waste any words, released his grip, turned around, and walked towards the island.

Fishermen are used to being nomadic; their boat is their home.

However, for a regular navy to achieve scale and combat effectiveness, it cannot continue to make do like this. It must establish fixed facilities such as barracks, granaries, and armories on the island.

Fortunately, Marshal Shi had anticipated this and allocated a large number of craftsmen and supplies. At this moment, the granaries and armories were already taking shape, and the barracks area was a bustling construction site.

Yu Tingyu followed Xu Da and landed on the island. Looking at the scene of large-scale construction in front of him, he secretly calculated: If it were him, how long would it take to support such a construction? It would probably take several years even if he invested all his assets.

This man truly seemed to be wandering in the heavens, when he heard Xu Da give an order:
"Alright! That concludes today's training. All teams, return to your camps for rest!"

Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an turned around in surprise upon hearing the sound.

Behind the seemingly empty expanse of reefs, hundreds of elite soldiers suddenly rose up, each wielding a powerful bow and crossbow. The cold arrowheads gleamed in the sunlight, and the soldiers looked at the two men with undisguised vigilance and scrutiny.

Watching the Red Flag Battalion soldiers deftly insert the gleaming arrows back into their quiver, Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an felt a chill run down their spines, and cold sweat instantly broke out.

At that moment, only one thought remained in his mind: Luck! So lucky! If he had acted rashly and recklessly rushed into the water fortress because there were more boats... he would probably be riddled with arrows by now and have become fish food in the lake!

Waterborne combat certainly involves more than just archery.

However, neither Yu Tingyu nor Liao Yong'an possessed a single one of these high-quality standard crossbows.

The Red Flag Battalion hadn't even finished building decent barracks yet, but they equipped the navy with hundreds of powerful bows and crossbows all at once. The difference between them was like heaven and earth.

If I were to fight against the Red Flag Battalion's navy, it would be like a child with a stick facing a well-armored and heavily armed elite soldier!

Xu Da turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife, and fixed on Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an, asking in a deep voice:
"Tell me, how many men and how many ships do you each have under your command?"

At this moment, Yu Tingyu had completely abandoned any other thoughts, and with an extremely humble attitude, he answered cautiously:
"Reporting to the steward, I originally had thirty-four fishing boats of various sizes and one hundred and fifty-seven men under my command. Brother Liao's side has twenty-seven fishing boats and one hundred and twelve men."

Hearing that the commander-in-chief had raised a flag on Laoshan Island, a naval banner, we, to show our sincerity, temporarily gathered forty-three small boats willing to follow, making a total of one hundred and seventy-three brothers, and brought them along.”

"Ah."

Xu Da quickly calculated in his mind that, with the fresh troops brought by Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an, the total strength of the Laoshan Island naval force had now exceeded 1,250 men, and the number of ships of various sizes had reached 171.

In terms of sheer size, no force in Chaohu can rival them, and their navy is beginning to take shape. However, for each unit to obey orders, be easily commanded and deployed, and initially form combat capability, they still need long-term, rigorous training.

Xu Da was very satisfied with Yu Tingyu's pragmatic performance and said loudly:
"Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an! You two are very righteous and took the initiative to lead your men to surrender. The Red Flag Battalion will not treat you unfairly. I will immediately send someone to report to the Marshal and recommend Yu Tingyu as the commander of the Second Naval Battalion and Liao Yong'an as the commander of the Third Naval Battalion."

Before landing on the island, Zhang Desheng had already told Yu and Liao that after he joined Marshal Shi, he was given the official military rank of commander.

Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an thought to themselves that in terms of past reputation and strength, they were far superior to Zhang Desheng. Now that they could become commanders like Zhang Desheng, they not only had no dissatisfaction, but also felt it was only natural. After all, Zhang Desheng had joined them earlier and gained Marshal Shi's appreciation first.
They came here so aggressively today, and it's already a blessing from their ancestors that they weren't turned into pincushions by Chief Steward Xu's order! Now they can stand on equal footing with Brother Zhang and be the upright commander of the Red Flag Battalion. What more could they ask for? What more could they possibly hope for?
Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an were deeply moved, and knelt down on one knee again, saying in unison:

"Thank you so much, Steward Xu, for your great kindness in promoting me! I am willing to go through fire and water for you!"

"wrong!"

Xu Da's expression turned serious. He immediately interrupted them, solemnly cupped his hands towards Haozhou in the north, and said:

"We are all generals under Marshal Shi, and we are willing to go through fire and water for the Marshal and for the great cause of the Red Flag Battalion!"

(End of this chapter)