Sweep Yuan

Chapter 168 A Chaotic World forges the Human Heart

In the midst of chaos, Qiu Cheng was not the only one with foresight. After the Hanshan Righteous Army joined Marshal Shi, heroes and righteous men from Luzhou Road who were determined to resist the tyrannical Yuan Dynasty quickly gathered under the banner of the Red Flag Camp, which was to "drive out the barbarians and restore the Han".

"Xia Junxiang of Wuwei Prefecture has led 1,600 righteous men to join us! We are willing to follow the Marshal at his feet, drive out the Tartars, and jointly restore the Han dynasty!"

"Jin Chaoxing from Zhegao Township, Chaoxian County, has led six hundred brave men from his township to join us! We are willing to serve as your commander, to drive out the Mongol Yuan dynasty, and to go through fire and water without hesitation!"

"Dongguan Town, Chaoxian County..."

……

By the time the main army reached the city of Chaoxian, six groups of rebels had rushed to join them, with a total number of more than three thousand (not counting the two thousand soldiers from Hefei).

Although these rebel armies were poorly equipped and lacked training, essentially a mob, they represented the will of the people and were a force that could not be ignored.

Among the leaders of the rebel army, Xia Junxiang was the most noteworthy.

This person calls himself "Lord of Wuwei City," a strange "position" because he is not part of the Yuan Dynasty's official system, reflecting the helpless reality of local self-preservation in a chaotic world.

After Peng Yingyu's main force entered Chizhou Road, he realized that he was no longer able to take care of Luzhou Road, so he decisively withdrew the remaining troops left to guard Wuwei Prefecture.

Wuwei suddenly became a power vacuum, and unscrupulous people took the opportunity to cause trouble, causing panic among the people of the city. Seeing his hometown suffering, the wealthy Xia Junxiang stood up in anger and united his relatives and the remaining spirited young men in the city to quell the unrest.

Afterwards, the gentry and common people of Wuwei elected Xia Junxiang to temporarily take charge of state affairs and maintain order, which led to his incongruous title of "city lord".

Although he "gained" a prefecture for free, Xia Junxiang faced much greater pressure than Qiu Cheng.

Qiu Cheng was, after all, a fierce general who had followed Peng Yingyu in a rebellion, and he had a group of old brothers under his command who had seen blood and fought hard.

Xia Junxiang had only a little over two thousand able-bodied men hastily organized, whose weapons were mostly hoes, clubs, and rusty swords and spears; they didn't even have many decent leather armors. They could barely hold off ordinary bandits and rebels by relying on the city walls, and were completely unable to defend against attacks from any army of even moderate size.

Upon learning that the Red Flag Battalion was heading straight for Chaoxian County, Xia Junxiang decisively entrusted his family to his trusted confidants and led most of the able-bodied men in the city to join Marshal Shi, gambling on Shishan's reputation and the future of the Red Flag Battalion.

Zuo Junbi had initially doubted that the Red Flag Battalion alone would be enough to clear Luzhou Road, but now he realized that he had underestimated Shishan.

A person's name, the shadow of a tree.

Shishan was known for his strict military discipline and emphasis on the people's livelihood. He never committed any offenses against the people wherever he went, but the benefits of this reputation were not immediately apparent.

After all, while there weren't many rebel armies like the "Peng Zu Family" that still valued military discipline after their rebellion, they weren't entirely unique.

When the Red Flag Battalion was invincible and repeatedly defeated the main force of the Yuan army on the main battlefield, demonstrating its formidable strength to compete for supremacy in the chaotic world, its good reputation began to play a role, attracting more and more heroes who were eager to make achievements in the chaotic world to bet their future on Shishan.

"The trend is overwhelming..."

Zuo Junbi looked at the newly surrendered rebel leaders who were crowding around the Moon-Pressing Guards, their expressions excited, and sighed inwardly.

It is foreseeable that as the Red Flag Battalion continues to conquer cities and territories, more and more heroes and righteous men will join Shishan along the way, and the Red Flag Battalion will grow rapidly like a snowball.

Zuo Zongtang had no shortage of troops, but he lacked the insight and ability to utilize this trend. He tried to survive by brute force, which made him seem so insignificant and laughable in the face of this overwhelming trend.

During this period, the beleaguered Yuan court continued its efforts to save the nation. In Gansu, they bought horses with real gold, and in Jiangxi, they smelted copper with bile. They also issued an edict to "complete the city walls and build dikes," abolishing the "City Destruction Order," which had lasted for nearly a century and was intended to prevent Han people from taking over the cities and rebelling.

Destroying a city is easy, but building one is difficult.

The "city repair order" was just a few words, but rebuilding the city defenses that had been destroyed for many years was by no means an easy task.

Chaoxian County is strategically located at the junction of Chaohu Lake and Ruxu River, and is situated between multiple forces including the "Pengzu Family", the Zuo Clan of Hefei, and the Red Flag Camp, making it under immense defensive pressure. Chaoxian County Magistrate Dong Yukun had long wanted to build city defenses.

As soon as the Yuan court issued the "order to repair the city", Magistrate Dong used both soft and hard tactics to call on wealthy households in the city to donate money and grain, while forcibly conscripting laborers to rush to repair the city's defenses before the arrival of midsummer.

On that day, more than a thousand laborers were fetching soil to make bricks outside the city when they saw the cavalry sweeping in from the horizon and felt a dull tremor from the ground. They were terrified and dropped their tools to rush frantically toward the city gate.

At that moment, Dong Yukun was personally supervising the construction on the city wall. Seeing that the surging crowd was about to overwhelm the city gate guards, and that if the Red Flag Battalion cavalry following closely behind could take advantage of the chaos to break in, then everything would be over. In desperation, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and he roared hoarsely:

"Fire arrows! Quickly! Close the city gates! Anyone who trespasses will be killed!"

shhhhh--

A chaotic rain of arrows poured down from the city wall, and the screams, cries, and curses from the city gate instantly drowned out the distant sound of horses' hooves.

Arrows mercilessly pierced flesh and blood, blood flowing across the bluestone ground. The laborers blocking the gate were forcibly dispersed, and the city gate slammed shut at the last second, the heavy bolts falling to isolate the inside from the outside.

A group of Yuan soldiers who were supervising the construction work some distance outside the city were also separated from the city by the sudden change and quickly became prisoners of the elite cavalry.

Seeing their comrades being led away by the Red Turban cavalry like lambs to the slaughter, the morale of the defenders on the city wall instantly plummeted.

Before the two sides even started fighting, a heavy shadow of despair had already fallen on the hearts of the soldiers defending the city.

When Shi Shan personally led the central army to the city of Chaoxian, the troops that had arrived earlier had already surrounded the earthen city, making it impenetrable.

Chaoxian was originally an old city from the Song Dynasty. The city wall had a circumference of four li and one hundred and ninety steps and a height of more than two zhang. It also had a moat, barbican and water fortress to rely on. For a county town to have such a defense system was not bad.

After the Yuan Dynasty unified the country, it filled in the moat of Chaoxian County, demolished all possible defensive structures such as barbicans, arrow towers, and ramparts, and even stripped the bricks covering the city walls.

What Shi Shan and the others saw before them was nothing more than a dilapidated earthen wall less than two zhang high. In the face of the Red Flag Battalion's battle-hardened army, such a defense was practically useless.

However, the terrain of Chaoxian County is somewhat tricky. The city is built along the slope of Woniu Mountain, with the northwest side close to the mountain, forming a natural steep barrier; the south side is adjacent to the Ruxu River for defense, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack; only the east side has a slightly open terrain, which is the main direction for attacking the city.

Such narrow terrain was clearly insufficient to accommodate the large army, which had swelled to over 16,000 soldiers (not counting auxiliary troops), deploying simultaneously.

After a brief moment's thought, Shi Shan made adjustments to the plan:
"Li Wu, listen to my order! Your troops are to immediately sweep south, eliminate the remaining Yuan army strongholds at Zhajiangkou, Tongchengzha, Huangdun Station, and Yuxikou, control the waterways, and cut off Chaoxian's external support."

"Order!"

Li Wu's voice boomed like a bell as he accepted the order and set off. Two thousand iron cavalrymen stirred up clouds of dust and swept southward.

"Chang Yuchun, listen to my command! You are hereby ordered to lead the Qingri Guard westward to capture Lujiang County and clear the flank of the main army!"

"The last general takes command!"

Chang Yuchun had long been impatient to travel with the various rebel armies, which were slow-moving and lacked the ability to attack fortified positions. He immediately clasped his hands in agreement and led his troops on a westward expedition.

Shi Shan's gaze swept over the remaining generals, finally settling on the low earthen city wall of Chaoxian. He raised his riding whip, pointing it directly towards Chaoyang Gate, his voice filled with an air of domineering pride, and said:
"Gentlemen, Chaoxian City is poorly defended and outnumbered; it will not be difficult to take it. Who is willing to be the first to scale the walls and capture this city for me, thus displaying the might of our army?"

The Pengyue Guard is Shishan's personal guard, and the Fujun Guard has a limited number of personnel on this expedition, so it is not advisable to move them lightly. The "gentlemen" mentioned by Marshal Shi obviously refers to Qiu Cheng, Xia Junxiang, Jin Chaoxing and others who have recently surrendered, as well as Zuo Junbi.

The generals reacted in different ways.

Jin Chaoxing was young and ambitious, eager to try his luck, but he hesitated when he saw the rows of swords and spears on the city wall.

Xia Junxiang looked at the local militiamen under his command, armed with crude weapons, and could only smile bitterly, knowing that it was a difficult task to force them to attack and break through the city.

Zuo Junbi quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind. The cost of rushing to the top was too high, and he was afraid of losing troops and generals. If he did not rush, he was afraid that Shishan would look down on him and he would lose his value.

As everyone remained silent, Qiu Cheng stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed deeply, his voice booming like a bell:
"This humble general is willing to be the first to charge. Please give the order, Marshal!"

A hint of approval flashed in Shi Shan's eyes.

With the current combat strength of the Red Flag Battalion, only one guard is needed to easily break through the poorly defended small town of Chaoxian.

The reason Shi Shan brought so many poorly equipped and poorly trained "ragtag" militia members was definitely not to let them just watch the show.

Instead, the goal is to issue various tactical tasks to test the true combat effectiveness, obedience, and the capabilities and loyalty of each unit in actual combat.

Furthermore, they must gradually integrate and adapt to each other through the blood and fire of fighting side by side, and ultimately complete the assimilation and reorganization of these forces.

Last year, the Red Flag Battalion was newly formed and followed Peng Da and Zhao Junyong to attack Suzhou. The two persuaded Shi Shan to be the first to climb the mountain, but they were unwilling to even provide him with a few sets of armor. Now that Shi Shan has the ability to command "miscellaneous troops", he will naturally not repeat the mistakes of others.

"Good! Commander Qiu is commendable for his loyalty and bravery. Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), the main attack will be on the East Gate, and your unit will serve as the vanguard!"

Shi Shan changed the subject, his tone now filled with concern and support, and continued:
"Although Chaoxian is weak, its defending troops are like cornered beasts fighting fiercely. We must not underestimate them. Your unit should immediately go to the supply camp and collect fifty sets of leather armor and one hundred sets of fine iron swords and shields. Today, carefully select your elite troops. Once they are familiar with their new armor and weapons, they should rest and recuperate. Tomorrow, we must achieve a great victory!"

The Peng family was able to hold Hanshan County and Wuwei Prefecture despite repeated attacks from various Yuan armies, thanks to their indomitable morale.

However, Peng Yingyu suffered repeated defeats after his uprising, and his elite troops suffered heavy losses. The later reinforcements were mostly new recruits who had been coerced into joining the rebellion. The various units generally lacked soldiers and armor, which was one of the important reasons why they were often at a disadvantage when facing the Yuan army under Zuo Wu and Dong Tuanxiao.

Qiu Cheng hadn't expected that Marshal Shi would trust him so much, all the time he had only volunteered and hadn't yet achieved anything, even allocating precious weapons and armor first. A surge of warmth and a heavy sense of responsibility welled up within him, and he immediately knelt on one knee, saying:

"The Marshal's trust is as solid as a mountain, he has generously bestowed upon us weapons and armor, and he cherishes the hearts of his soldiers. I am deeply grateful and would never dare not repay him with my life! If we fail to capture the city tomorrow, I, Qiu Cheng, will bring you my head!"

Shi Shan nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Zuo Junbi, Xia Junxiang, and Jin Chaoxing, and commanded:

"Although the moat outside the city is shallow, obstacles such as chevaux-de-frise and antlers still remain. They must be cleared first to pave the way for the army's attack on the city tomorrow. General Zuo!"

Zuo Junbi's heart skipped a beat, knowing that his mission had arrived, and he quickly replied:

"The general is here!"

"I order your troops to provide cover for Lord Xia and Brother Jin's troops in clearing obstacles in front of the east and south city walls. Make sure the safety of the soldiers who break through the obstacles is ensured!"

Compared to being the first to breach the city walls, the danger of covering the breach was undoubtedly much smaller. Zuo Junbi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and clasped his hands in acceptance.

"The last general takes command!"

Xia Junxiang and Jin Chaoxing followed and stepped forward. Both of them knew that their unit lacked both soldiers and armor and training, and had no ability to attack fortified positions. Their main purpose in coming here was to show their attitude and to enhance the prestige of the Red Flag Battalion. The fact that the Marshal was willing to assign tasks was an acknowledgment of their status and contributions, so how could they dare to have any objections?
"We will obey the Marshal's orders!" the two replied in unison.

The unique terrain of Chaoxian County limited the deployment of attacking forces. Shishan planned to focus his main attack on the east city wall. In addition to the relatively open terrain, it was also because it was early summer and the southeast wind often blew here. The wind could be used to suppress the crossbow fire of the defenders on the city wall and reduce casualties on his side.

Just after noon, the obstacle-breaking operation began.

Xia Junxiang's Wuwei militia had a larger number of men and were assigned to clear the relatively open eastern area, while Jin Chaoxing's militia numbered only six hundred and were responsible for clearing obstacles in the south.

The Hefei army, being a regular Yuan army, had a much higher rate of equipment and manpower than Qiu Cheng's Hanshan army, which came from the "Peng Zu family." Divided into four units, they took turns covering Xia Junxiang's and Jin Chaoxing's troops as they broke through the barriers, and still had spare capacity.

The elite soldiers of the Pengyue Guard and the Fujun Guard lined up in the rear to intimidate the defenders on the city walls and guard against a possible counterattack.

Shi Shan stood on a hillside in the southeast corner of Chaoxian County, carefully observing the actions of the three troops below the city and assessing their strength.

The performance of the Hefei Army confirmed Shi Shan's assessment of them as "a formidable force on the Luzhou Road".

After the order was given, the officers at all levels gave clear commands, and the soldiers reacted quickly. The four covering detachments quickly deployed into a tight shield wall and skirmish line, maintaining a relatively intact formation while marching, demonstrating good discipline and a solid training foundation.

Their shields were larger, and their crossbows had a slightly longer range than those of the garrison in Chaoxian. If they were to engage in open battle and form a solid formation, even the Red Flag Battalion would have to pay a considerable price to take down this tough nut.

However, the weaknesses of Zuo Junbi's troops were also exposed. When the covering detachment advanced to within about eighty paces of the city wall, sparse arrows began to fall from the city wall. The Hefei soldiers immediately tensed up, raising their shields high, and there was even a small commotion. Then, under the command of their officers, they retreated as a whole.

During this period, they only passively raised their shields for defense and did not organize a volley of crossbow fire to suppress the defenders' counterattack.

Clearly, this army was accustomed to relying on fortified positions or forming battle formations to fight the enemy, and lacked the drive and will to launch proactive attacks.

The performance of the Wuwei militia was related to the personality of its leader. Xia Junxiang was nearly forty years old and had more of a scholar's temperament than a military general's. Commanding battles was not his forte. Most of the militia were commoners or children of farmers in Wuwei. They had not been trained and the teams barely cooperated.

At the beginning of the advance, the ranks became somewhat chaotic. Some people turned and ran when they saw the arrows falling, causing a small-scale disturbance. Xia Junxiang could only keep ordering the replacement of those who were too frightened, and let the relatively calmer local militia take their place.

But these people had already witnessed turmoil and slaughter, and they spontaneously joined the army to defend their homeland; they still had a passionate heart.

Once the initial fear is overcome, one can grit one's teeth and use simple wooden shields or door panels for cover to vigorously clear obstacles such as chevaux-de-frise and antlers. Although the movements are clumsy, they are full of tenacity.

The local militia led by Jin Chaoxing were completely different.

This young man in his early twenties exuded the fearless spirit of a newborn calf. Most of the six hundred soldiers under his command were young men from Zhegao Township who were unwilling to live an ordinary life. They were unfamiliar with complex battle formations and even seemed somewhat reckless.

Faced with the rain of arrows falling from the city walls, the local militia of Chaoxian County did not shrink back like the Hefei army. Instead, some of them were inspired to fight back, cursing the Yuan dogs while using their simple hunting bows. Although their accuracy was questionable, their momentum was not weak.

Jin Chaoxing himself took the lead, wielding a hunting bow and shouting commands. He charged towards wherever arrows were densest, drawing fire for his men. This fearless courage made the defenders on the city wall somewhat wary, and they dared not peek out too far.

Initially, the coordination among the three units was disastrous.

The Hefei army's cover was inconsistent, often frightened by stray arrows and forced to retreat en masse. This resulted in ineffective suppression of the defending troops, exposing the advancing local militia to a barrage of arrows from the defenders, causing several casualties in an instant.

The local militias of Xia Junxiang and Jin Chaoxing also lacked coordination, their progress was uneven, and they affected each other.

With the Red Flag Battalion, a battle-hardened force, in command, everyone knew that the defending troops dared not charge out of the city; though in disarray, they did not collapse.

Shishan did not intervene much, but simply issued instructions through flags, requiring all units to hold their ground and act according to plan.

Gradually, under the watchful eyes of the powerful forces behind them, the three units began to find their rhythm.

After being scolded by Zuo Junbi, the Hefei army officers finally showed the courage expected of a battle-hardened army and began to organize archers to conduct small-scale suppressive fire. Although the effect was limited, it at least demonstrated an attitude.

After the initial panic and casualties, the survivors of the Wuwei Township militia became much calmer and their actions in clearing obstacles became more efficient.

Jin Chaoxing's impetuous lads, however, matured rapidly through the baptism of blood and fire, learning to utilize the terrain and their comrades for cover, and their courage was tempered with a touch of calm.

Throughout the afternoon, a brutal yet effective test unfolded beneath the city walls.

Dust flew, arrows whistled, and the groans of the wounded and shouts of soldiers filled the air. Obstacles were cleared away little by little, and the road leading to the city wall of Chaoxian gradually became smooth amidst the carnage.

Before sunset, nearly 80% of the obstacles had been breached. The militia from Wuwei and Chaoxian suffered over a hundred casualties, and more than ten soldiers from the Hefei army were wounded by stray arrows. However, these newly surrendered militia members had seen blood, experienced the fear of the battlefield, and had begun to learn how to cooperate under pressure.

More importantly, they completed a coordinated operation under the banner of the Red Flag Battalion, and an invisible bond began to form.

As night falls, the hustle and bustle and murderous aura of the day temporarily disappear, leaving only a continuous trail of campfires, like stars dotting the outside of Chaoxian City.

Considering the varying skill levels and lack of coordination among the different units, Shishan did not form a unified camp with the other units. Instead, he ordered each unit to set up its own camp, maintaining a distance between the camps, and strictly commanded that campfires be kept burning throughout the night.

At the same time, patrol teams and sentry posts, both visible and hidden, were arranged, with a battalion of elite troops from the Pengyue Guard responsible for guarding the city all night to prevent the city's garrison from launching a night attack, and to prevent these independent rebel armies from causing a riot in the dark out of fear.

The Yuan army inside the city was already like frightened birds. Dong Yukun, the magistrate of Chaohu County, had witnessed the imposing presence and disciplined military bearing of the Red Flag Battalion during the day, and at night he saw that the attacking troops were heavily defended. How could he dare to leave the city to raid the camp?
The main battlefield on land remained quiet overnight, but a battle was about to begin in Chaohu Bay, about six miles northwest of Chaoxian County.

The stars and moon shone brightly, their clear light spilling across the vast expanse of blue waves. A gentle breeze swept across the lake, stirring up layers of fine waves that lapped against the shore, producing a soft and soothing "whoosh" sound, like a mother patting her baby's cradle.

The fifth watch of the night is when the human body is most drowsy.

In the water fortress, apart from a few dim lights on the boats on watch, most of the warships were shrouded in darkness, like sleeping giants.

On the watchtower, the sentry leaned against the railing, his eyelids heavy as mountains, his head nodding slowly. Finally, unable to resist the overwhelming drowsiness, he fell into a deep sleep, his soft snores blending into the night.

A sense of weariness permeated the entire water fortress. During the day, news of the siege of Chaoxian County had spread, causing panic among the naval forces, who were worried about the safety of the fortress. However, as night fell, once their tense nerves relaxed, they succumbed to an even deeper fatigue.

Beneath this seemingly peaceful tranquility, a deadly crisis is already approaching.

On the lake, about an arrow's throw from the water village, four inconspicuous reeds swayed gently with the ripples, moving silently and slowly toward the water village. Unless one had excellent eyesight and looked closely, it would be difficult to notice anything unusual.

Below the reeds were four agile figures, as nimble as swimming fish. They had special reed tubes in their mouths for underwater breathing and carried water-splitting spikes and short daggers on their backs. They were the best fishermen selected by Xu Da, and they also had another name—water ghosts!
The person in charge was Liao Yongzhong, Liao Yong'an's younger brother.

Under the moonlight, the outline of the water fortress's arrow tower could be vaguely discerned. The four of them submerged simultaneously in perfect unison, leaving only tiny ripples on the water's surface. When they surfaced again to breathe, they had already stealthily made their way to the shadows directly beneath the arrow tower.

Liao Yongzhong wiped his face and, by the moonlight, quickly confirmed the positions of the sentries on the two arrow towers—they were all fast asleep! He then gestured to his companion.

The four people split into two groups and carefully climbed upwards using the thick wooden pillars and ropes of the watchtower.

The wet water jacket clung tightly to her skin, yet her movements were light and swift, with only the soft "plop" of water droplets falling onto the lake's surface.
Under the moonlight, the four wet figures looked just like the legendary water ghosts.

A sentry felt a chill on his back in his sleep. He opened his eyes and was about to turn around when a strong hand swiftly covered his mouth and nose. A cold dagger swiftly sliced ​​across his throat, and warm liquid spurted out. The sentry's body immediately went limp.

The same scene was playing out on another arrow tower.

The whole process was swift and efficient, without alerting anyone in the water village.

After defeating the sentry, Liao Yongzhong quickly picked up the torch from the watchtower, carefully peered over the railing, and gestured three times to the left and three times to the right towards the dark lake to the southwest.

This is the agreed-upon signal—the obstacle has been cleared, and the passage is open!

As if responding to this silent call, a moment later, from the distant horizon where the water meets the sky in the southwest, a clear "cluck-cluck" sound came, imitating the night call of the common moorhen in Chaohu Lake, and it was very lifelike.

Before long, the once empty lake surface in the southwest was covered with countless black dots under the moonlight. The black dots slowly grew larger and longer, revealing their outlines—a huge fleet of ships!

This fleet consisted mainly of agile small fishing boats, interspersed with some modified light warships such as Mengchong and Zouge, numbering in the hundreds.

The Red Flag Battalion naval officers and soldiers on the boat fell silent, their oars gently rising and falling, keeping the noise to a minimum. Only the faint "splashing" sound of the bow cutting through the waves blended into the natural sound of the lake.

As the fleet drew closer, the bow of the lead, a large, double-decker warship, came into view, and the figure standing solemnly against the wind was none other than Xu Da, the commander of the Red Flag Battalion's navy.

After annexing Zuo's fleet in the Battle of Laoshan Island, Marshal Shi promptly delivered on his reward.

In addition to a large amount of money, the navy was officially upgraded to a guard-level organization, Xu Da was promoted to commander-in-chief, Zhang Desheng, Yu Tingyu, Liao Yongzhong and others were commended, and a large amount of military equipment was allocated.

At this moment, Xu Da was wearing light armor, his gaunt face appearing particularly stern in the moonlight, his eyes fixed on the gate of the water fortress.

Inside the water fortress, on a large warship, a junior Yuan army officer was awakened by the urge to urinate. Still half-asleep, he crawled out of the cabin, walked to the gunwale, and unzipped his trousers to relieve himself. His hazy gaze inadvertently drifted to the lake outside the fortress gate…

"Ok?"

The man jolted awake, his sleepiness instantly gone.

"enemy……"

Before the word "enemy" could be fully uttered, a powerful crossbow bolt fired from the foremost speedboat, accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore through the air, pierced the officer's chest.

The immense impact sent him staggering back two steps, the excruciating pain instantly bringing him to his senses and unleashing his last ounce of strength.

"Ah—! The enemy—"

The man let out a bloodcurdling scream, lost his balance, and fell heavily onto the deck. But that piercing scream echoed throughout the entire water fortress.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

"Where did the enemy come from? Where is the enemy?!"...

After a brief silence, the water fortress quickly descended into chaos and panic. The Yuan soldiers were awakened from their sleep and rushed out of their cabins and barracks, their clothes disheveled.

The scene before them terrified them: the gates of the stronghold were wide open, and countless ships were pouring into the stronghold, while their own warships, which were on duty, were already boarded by countless enemy soldiers.

"Shoot the arrow, shoot the arrow quickly!"

"Place it, where should we place the bow?"

"Forget about them, hold the hatch shut!"...

The panicked Yuan soldiers were forced to engage in battle before they could even grasp the situation, and the battle was almost entirely one-sided.

The mournful sound of bugles, panicked cries, desperate screams, the clanging of weapons, the whooshing of rockets, the muffled thuds of colliding boats, and the cries for help from those who had fallen into the water... shattered the tranquility of Chaohu Lake in an instant, turning this body of water into a living hell.

Zhang Desheng's double-decker warship, like a sharp sword, plunged straight into the core area of ​​the water fortress. The Red Flag Battalion soldiers on the warship fired their bows and crossbows in unison, targeting Yuan soldiers, officers, or helmsmen who attempted to organize resistance.

"Launch rockets! Burn down the pier and the barracks!"

Zhang Desheng calmly gave the order, and the archers who were already prepared immediately ignited the oil-soaked arrows. One after another, the sharp arrows with trailing flames shot towards the pier and the barracks on the shore like meteors.

Yu Tingyu and Liao Yong'an quickly followed in their two small boats, taking advantage of the Yuan army's confusion to jump into the water and swim toward the densely moored light warships.

"Kill them! Seize the ship!"

The Yuan navy was already poorly trained, and then suffered this sudden and devastating blow. Their weapons and armor were not even properly distributed, so they had no time to organize any decent resistance. In addition, the news of the siege of Chaoxian during the day had already caused their morale to plummet, so they had little will to resist.

Seeing that all was lost, many soldiers on the ships knelt down and surrendered.

Those who tried to resist were quickly felled by the swords and spears of the Red Flag Battalion soldiers.

"Those who surrender will not be killed!"

The battle did not last long. As the eastern sky began to lighten, the commotion at Chaohu Water Village gradually subsided.

Most of the Yuan army's ships had been brought under control, and the remaining resistance had been quelled. Broken planks, severed masts, burning wreckage, and some corpses floated on the lake, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder, blood, and the lake water.

Xu Da stood at the bow of the Yuan army's largest warship, a few drops of blood splattered on his face, but his eyes were unusually bright. A guard stepped forward to report:
"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, in this battle, our army killed nearly 100 stubborn Yuan soldiers, captured 327 officers and soldiers, and seized 126 warships of various sizes, including two tower ships, 15 Mengchong ships, and more than 100 small boats and fishing boats. Our casualties were minor."

This swift and decisive night raid not only eliminated the only naval force of the Chaoxian garrison but also captured valuable warships, laying a solid foundation for the Red Flag Battalion to control Chaohu Lake and even advance into the Yangtze River waterway.

Xu Da looked at the gradually brightening direction of Chaoxian County, a satisfied expression on his face, and gave the order:

"The Fourth Battalion will remain to control the prisoners and continue cleaning up the battlefield. The rest of the battalions will follow me to Chaoxian!"

(End of this chapter)