Sweep Yuan

Chapter 271 Preparing for Battle

The earliest area developed by Shishan was the hinterland of Huaixi, which is mountainous and watery. The site selection of the city basically followed the principle of "being close to the mountains and water".

Within a single "route," there are always two or three fortified cities guarding key points like iron chains, controlling land and water routes. By stationing them with a large army, they can prevent invading enemies from making an inch of progress, thus protecting the vast hinterland.

But at this moment, the scene was quite different in the northeastern part of the Jiangzhe province, where the Red Flag Battalion's forces were heading.

The administrative divisions here are even more fragmented, with only a few cities in each "circuit". Only by relying on the intersecting water systems such as the Grand Canal, the Yangtze River, and Taihu Lake to connect several circuits and prefectures into one can a barely complete defense system be constructed.

Taking Changzhou Road as an example, it governed three cities and four counties (the road's capital was Jinling and Wujin, two counties bordering the city). The territory was flat and undefended. Its safety depended entirely on whether the surrounding Yingtian Prefecture, Zhenjiang Road, Jiangyin Prefecture, and Pingjiang Road could defend the passes. Its own strategic value was minimal.

Changzhou Road was originally a huge and fortified city with a city wall circumference of thirty-two li. However, the defensive facilities such as the city walls and parapets had been completely destroyed decades ago when the Mongol Yuan cavalry broke through the Southern Song Dynasty.

Because the restoration project was enormous and its own strategic value was relatively small, the input and output were disproportionate, so the Yuan court simply abandoned it. When people talked about the defenses of Changzhou, the capital city, they often referred to it with a hint of mockery and helplessness, calling it "a city made of paper."

The situation in Yixing Prefecture was even worse. The city wall was reduced to a rammed earth core, only twelve feet high and a circumference of no more than one mile and ninety steps. One could jump onto the city wall with a bamboo pole and stand on top of it to have a clear view of the city.

After Hu Dahai led his troops to capture the city, he felt that Yixing's defenses were extremely weak. He wrote to Shishan, "Yixing's defenses are practically non-existent. If the enemy attacks, I fear it will be difficult to hold out for long. I earnestly request that this city be rebuilt as a long-term solution."

The city defenses of Wuxi were slightly better, with a circumference of two li and nineteen steps and walls two zhang and one chi high. However, in an era when tens of thousands of troops were often sent to conquer, it was still just a target that required a little effort to defend.

In fact, long before the Red Flag Camp marched east to Zhenjiang Road, Qing Tong, the Pingzhang Zhengshi of the Jiangzhe Province, had already realized that Changzhou Road could not be defended. He decisively withdrew most of the troops, leaving only two thousand people in Wuxi as a symbolic garrison.

As for the defense of Changzhou and Yixing, he "generously" handed them over to local powerful figures, hoping to use them to slow down the advance of the Red Flag Battalion. He also hoped that the Red Flag Battalion would fight these local bullies, making it difficult for the Red Flag Battalion to maintain stable control over Changzhou Road even after the war.

But his wishful thinking was misguided.

Thanks to the Red Flag Battalion's deliberate propaganda, the different fates of the Chen family in Jiangning and the Shi family in Zhenjiang quickly spread. In addition, the Red Flag Battalion's detachment advanced rapidly and had already captured Jiangyin Prefecture, the throat of the Yangtze River, directly threatening the flank of Changzhou.

These local clans, who were already like weather vanes, were faced with such a clear situation, how could they not know which side to choose?

Therefore, when Chang Yuchun led the main force of the Qingri Left Guard into Changzhou Road, they encountered virtually no resistance. Local strongmen and local gentry vied to lead their own militia to "bring food and drink to welcome the king's army."

As a result, his troops swelled to more than 20,000 men in just a few days, including more than 10,000 local militia who were originally stationed in Changzhou.

Apart from Wuxi Prefecture, Changzhou Road was pacified almost instantly with a simple proclamation, without bloodshed.

However, Chang Yuchun was not blinded by victory. He immediately led his troops eastward to continue attacking the more prosperous Pingjiang Road (later Suzhou).

His newly allied militias might be able to gain momentum in a favorable battle, but in a real hard battle, they would most likely collapse at the first sign of trouble.

However, if they are directly dismissed, these people will return to their hometowns and be organized again, which will undoubtedly create countless hidden dangers in the rear; but if they are all incorporated and trained, it will be a heavy logistical burden. Moreover, sending so many people to Jiangning is also prone to complications, so it must be handled with caution.

Shi Shan knew that Chang Yuchun was exceptionally brave and skilled in charging into battle, conquering cities and capturing strongholds, and even commanding large armies. However, dealing with such complex personnel and civil affairs issues was not his forte.

Therefore, he had already made arrangements for such situations when the Eastern Expedition strategy was first formulated.

In terms of civil administration, Shishan ordered the Changzhou Circuit to be renamed Changzhou Prefecture, and the two scattered prefectures of Yixing and Wuxi were downgraded to counties. At the same time, the two counties of Wujin and Jinling, which were originally under the jurisdiction of the circuit, were merged into a new Wujin County (which was already located in the same city). Jiangyin, a directly governed prefecture, was also downgraded to a county and placed under the jurisdiction of Changzhou Prefecture.

These measures have streamlined the previously redundant administrative structure, improved the efficiency of policy dissemination, and better suited the current shortage of administrative talent in the Red Flag Battalion.

Although Changzhou Prefecture still had low military value (it improved slightly after being incorporated into Jiangyin), its total population was nearly half that of Yingtian Prefecture! Such a fertile and important place could never be handed over to local powerful gentry for self-governance again, repeating the mistakes of the Yuan Dynasty's loss of control.

Personnel reshuffles ensued. Fan Chang, the prefect of Chuzhou, was transferred from Shishan to become the prefect of Changzhou, taking on the heavy responsibility of pacifying the local area and restoring people's livelihoods; Xia Mao, the clerk of the Marshal's Office, was promoted to magistrate of Jiangyin County, assisting the garrison in guarding the gateway to the Yangtze River.
Guo Zongli, the former Director of the Court of Rites, was appointed Prefect of Chuzhou, while Xia Yu, the Assistant Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices who distinguished himself on his mission to Fang Guozhen, filled the vacancy of Director of the Court of Rites...

This series of personnel appointments and removals caused quite a stir within the Red Flag Battalion.

Some astute scholars and strategists have already noticed that Marshal Shi is consciously promoting a system of rotating civil and military officials, where "prime ministers must rise from the prefectures and counties, and fierce generals must emerge from the ranks."

The chief officials of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Commerce had already been changed, and now it seems that these are not isolated cases, but will gradually become the norm.

They were right. In Shishan's plan, once the time was right, the chief officials and subordinates of the various departments of the Marshal's Office would gradually rotate their positions. There would be no situation where someone would preside over a certain matter for more than ten or even several decades—no matter how proficient that person was.

In its early stages, the Red Flag Battalion faced a shortage of administrative talent, so the problems weren't too significant. However, as the various circuits of Jiangnan fell under Shi Shan's control, the number of recruited scholars and strategists increased rapidly, inevitably intensifying internal competition and potentially triggering factional strife if not handled carefully.

Shi Shan's idea is to take proactive steps to gradually modify and improve the governance system through institutional balance and checks and balances, thus preventing problems before they arise.

Instead of prioritizing his own power and personnel preferences, he would exploit a few capable individuals, deliberately divide and suppress one faction, allow conflicts to escalate, or even engage in entrapment, only to resort to the ruthless act of killing the hunted and discarding the hunted once the conflict became unmanageable.

There aren't many truly foolish people in the world. Doing this kind of thing too often will only cause discord between superiors and subordinates, leading to mutual distrust and even more intensified factionalism in an attempt to protect themselves.

The rotation of officials in the central government departments is intended to comprehensively assess and cultivate promising talents, and also to prevent a few people from controlling key departments for a long time, thereby forming stubborn factions and independent cliques that are difficult to control within the civil service system.

This is also the cornerstone for ensuring the long-term stable development of the Red Flag Battalion.

In contrast, the military system was designed and strictly controlled by Ishiyama himself, and almost all of the middle and upper-level officers were promoted by him from the ranks. Their thinking was relatively unified, and their orders were strict. The situation was much clearer than the political system, which was still exploring and was somewhat crude.

For example, when dealing with the thorny issue of too many powerful local armed forces in Changzhou Prefecture, Shishan was able to confidently entrust the task to Chang Yuchun, the commander at the front, while he only needed to grasp the general direction.

Of course, he didn't completely abandon the situation.

Even before the war, Shishan had already anticipated that with the Yuan court shrinking its forces in the Jiangzhe Province and the Red Flag Battalion gaining increasing prestige, most local strongmen and armed forces would not dare to stubbornly resist and might surrender at the first sign of trouble.

He gave clear instructions on this:
"All powerful armed groups that voluntarily surrender should be incorporated into the army without hesitation. Afterwards, the old and weak should be eliminated. For large clans, they should be reorganized first and then used after observation; for small clans, they can be used in battle first and then reorganized."

Although there were more than 20,000 local militia in Changzhou Prefecture, none of them were as powerful as the Chen family of Jiangning or the Shi family of Zhenjiang, whose interests were deeply intertwined and whose every move could shake the entire region. This was in line with Shishan's principle of "using first and then organizing".

Chang Yuchun strictly implemented this strategy, eliminating 6,000 old and weak soldiers who were clearly unfit for battle, and retaining nearly 15,000 able-bodied men. After a simple reorganization, he personally led this newly formed army of diverse composition straight to the walls of Wuxi.

Before the battle, he summoned all the local militia leaders and gave them a speech at a temporary command platform set up outside Wuxi city.

Chang Yuchun, clad in heavy armor, stood with his hand on his sword, his piercing gaze sweeping over the leaders below the stage, whose expressions varied. His voice was like the clash of metal:
"Since you have abandoned darkness and embraced light, you are now my Red Flag Battalion's reserve brothers! But my Red Flag Battalion only recruits elite soldiers and strong generals, not idle cowards! Under Marshal Shi's command, fame and fortune must be earned through swords and spears, and won through blood and fire!"

The city of Wuxi before us, with its low walls and shallow moats, is the perfect place for you to establish yourselves and prove your worth!

He suddenly drew his sword, pointing it at the low city wall of Wuxi not far away, his killing intent palpable.
"The soldiers of the Qingri Left Guard will cover your retreat and block all foreign invaders! The credit for breaching the city will be yours! Let's see who the real heroes are and who the cowards are!"

Chang Yuchun intended to use the attack on Wuxi as a whetstone to temper these newly recruited local militia, using blood and fire to quickly eliminate those with weak wills, and to select truly brave and capable junior officers from among them.

This arrangement was not due to Chang Yuchun's bloodthirstiness or underestimation of the enemy, but rather a calm decision made based on the current grim situation between the enemy and ourselves.

To the east of Changzhou Prefecture lies Pingjiang Road, the location of the Maritime Transport Office, which was vital to the Yuan Dynasty.

This place not only bears the important responsibility of transporting grain from the south to the north by sea, but it is also only separated from Hangzhou, the capital of the Jiangzhe Province, by Huzhou and Jiaxing.

Moreover, no matter which route they take, they can directly penetrate the heart of Hangzhou.

Such a strategically important location, even if Qing Tong were cowardly, he would never dare to abandon it.

Most of the Yuan troops that had previously withdrawn from Zhenjiang and Changzhou were reassigned to Pingjiang Road. He even went so far as to draw a large number of guest troops from various routes in southern Zhejiang and send them there as well.

Based on intelligence from various sources, the total number of Yuan troops gathered in Pingjiang Road was at least 70,000 to 80,000 (including a large number of conscripted local strongmen).

Moreover, this number is still increasing.

Chang Yuchun led only one guard of troops and marched straight into and captured Changzhou Prefecture, which had almost no defensible terrain. It seemed like an unstoppable advance, but in reality, it was a risky move. The Yuan army was able to give up decisively because they could not hold Changzhou. It would be just as difficult for the Red Flag Battalion to hold this newly acquired territory.

The battlefield situation is constantly changing. He must force these newly allied powerful forces to quickly offer their "pledge of allegiance" and deplete some of their unreliable forces in the upcoming battles to prevent them from collapsing first or even defecting on the battlefield at critical moments, thus triggering a complete collapse.

Of course, Chang Yuchun did not venture into the enemy territory alone.

Just two days ago, after a hard-fought siege, Wang Bi finally captured Dantu County, the seat of Zhenjiang Prefecture. After a short rest, the main force of the Weiwu Guard can advance eastward along the Grand Canal to Changzhou Prefecture.

In the south, after successfully capturing Yixing County, Hu Dahai left troops from two towns to garrison the area and build city defenses. He then personally led 6,000 elite troops from the Bashan Left Guard north to Wuxi to join forces with Chang Yuchun.

Meanwhile, in Shishan, the troops were busy training the Fujun Guard and Qingri Right Guard, ready to personally lead fresh troops to reinforce the front lines at any time.

For a time, both the Red Flag Battalion and the Yuan Dynasty's Jiangzhe Province were constantly deploying troops and pouring their resources into Pingjiang Road.

Scouts and scouts from both sides had already begun preliminary battles in the vast countryside. As more and more troops from both sides gathered, the fighting in these preliminary battles became more and more frequent and brutal.

Within the territory of Changzhou Prefecture and Pingjiang Road, shouts of people and neighing of horses echoed day and night. Fleets transporting grain and supplies blocked the canal, while pack animals and laborers traversed the official roads. The air was thick with the smell of dust and the tense atmosphere of an imminent major battle.

Just as tensions were rising on land, a battle was quietly unfolding on the Yangtze River waterway, outside Fushan Port on Pingjiang Road.

In the early morning, a thin mist veiled the river. A sentry boat of the Yangtze River Navy glided silently across the shimmering surface like a nimble water strider. The lookout at the masthead was a young man of only seventeen or eighteen, named Chen Qi, who had been selected for the navy because of his exceptional eyesight.

He strained to open his eyes wide, anxiously searching the vast river surface through the dissipating morning mist.

Suddenly, his gaze froze on the downstream direction. There, where the water met the sky, a dense array of sails was moving.

"Fleet leader! A fleet of ships is here!"

Chen Qi's voice trembled with excitement as he quickly estimated its size.

"It's the Yuan dogs' fleet! Judging from the sails, there must be sixty or seventy warships!"

The river surface offered a relatively wide field of vision, making the sentry boats smaller and less likely to be spotted. However, the lookouts on the tall masts of the Yuan army's large ships had an even wider field of vision, and the two sides spotted each other almost simultaneously.

Soon, the entire Yuan fleet began to adjust its sails, and its speed increased significantly.

"Oh no! They're trying to escape!"

The squad leader's heart tightened, and he hurriedly shouted, "Quickly! Send the signal! Notify the rear!"

The flag bearer at the stern was already prepared. Upon receiving the order, he immediately waved his red and green signal flags and sent a simple signal to another sentry ship about a mile behind, indicating that "enemy fleet spotted," "less than one hundred men," and "fleeing downstream."

The signal, like a beacon fire, was transmitted from ship to ship through this carefully laid-out communication chain, at a speed far exceeding that of sailing ships.

Soon, the news reached the "Flying Dragon," the flagship of Zhang Desheng, the garrison commander of the First Division, the vanguard of the fleet.

"Report! The sentry ship has spotted an enemy fleet, less than a hundred ships, fleeing downstream!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Desheng did not immediately order a pursuit. Instead, his sharp gaze swept across the vast river ahead, his mind racing with thoughts.

When Xu Da led the main force of the Yangtze River navy to assist Liu Ju's troops in capturing Jiangyin, they had already discovered the Yuan army's naval camp in the outer harbor of Jiangyin. However, the warships inside the camp had already escaped, so they could only estimate the approximate size of the navy based on the size of the camp.

However, in the preceding months, the Yangtze River Navy had won a series of victories, sweeping across Fanchang, Caoguzhou, Jiajiang, and the Qinhuai River, almost uprooting the old Yuan naval forces in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. For a time, the Yuan court had no sails left on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

However, the navy at that time was not as highly professional as it would be in later times. As long as there were ships and people, a new navy could be quickly assembled.

The Jiangnan region, with its extensive waterways, well-developed shipping industry, and a large number of privately owned ships, along with a sufficient number of skilled sailors, perfectly meets all the conditions for the rapid reconstruction of the navy.

This hastily assembled navy was weak, but even weak, it was still a navy, and it would have an uncertain impact on the Yangtze River Navy's dominance of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Xu Da would never allow such an opponent to exist under his nose.

After capturing Jiangyin, he immediately led his fleet eastward to Pingjiang Road, aiming to search for and annihilate the new Mongol Yuan navy.

"Could it be... a feint? Or a trap?"

Zhang Desheng muttered to himself, thinking to himself:

"Could it be that Fang Guozhen's pirate fleet has already colluded with the Yuan court and infiltrated the Yangtze River waterway to set up an ambush so quickly?"

Fang Guozhen controlled eastern Zhejiang, and his fleet had dominated the seas for many years. If he were to truly unite with the Yuan court, his strength would not be underestimated.

However, the retreat of the Mongol Yuan navy from the outer port of Jiangyin was indeed very hasty. They didn't even have time to burn their supplies and provisions. It was definitely not a planned retreat; it was more like a rout driven by fear.

Moreover, Fang Guozhen is two-faced, sometimes surrendering and sometimes rebelling. Both he and the Yuan court harbor great ambitions, and recently he was tricked by Gu Cheng's assassination attempt on the Yuan envoy.

Such a large-scale strategic cooperation could not possibly have been achieved by Yuan Ting and Fang Guozhen in a short period of time.

More importantly, Commander Xu issued a death order: to search for and annihilate any new Mongol naval forces on the Yangtze River, and to ensure that the Yangtze River waterway, especially the waterway leading to the Pingjiang Road canal hub, is firmly controlled by the Red Flag Battalion.

The task is arduous and cannot afford any mistakes. At the very least, we must first ascertain the exact size and strength of this enemy force.

Various analyses flashed through Zhang Desheng's mind in a split second. The hesitation on his face vanished instantly; he whirled around and shouted an order:
"Raise the pursuit flag! All boats, full sails, oarsmen in position, full speed ahead! We cannot let the Yuan dogs get away!"

"Order!"

With banners flying high and drums thundering, the vanguard of over 150 warships, like sharks smelling blood, swelled their masts and sails, rowed in unison, and cleaved through the river, charging towards the direction their prey was fleeing downstream.

The navy is actively seeking battle, and the entire fleet maintains a relatively compact formation.

Less than five miles behind the vanguard fleet was the main force of the central army, personally led by Xu Da, the commander-in-chief of the Yangtze River Navy.

The flagship was even larger, with a towering superstructure. Xu Da was standing on the command platform on the superstructure, observing the hydrographic charts with several adjutants. He was known for his cautious and meticulous approach to military affairs, and most of his tactical simulations and risk assessments were completed before the battle.

"Report——!"

The signalman quickly climbed onto the command platform and reported:

"Zhang Zhenfu, the vanguard, has spotted a small enemy fleet and has begun pursuit!"

Upon hearing this, one of the recruits immediately offered his advice:

"Commander-in-Chief, the enemy's movements are unclear. Should we order Commander Zhang to slow down and wait for the main force to catch up before making a decision?"

Xu Da's gaze remained fixed on the hydrological map, and he shook his head, saying:
“Desheng is not a reckless man. His pursuit must be based on his judgment that the opportunity is fleeting. Our army is riding high on the momentum of our recent victory, and the enemy is fleeing at the mere sight of us, which shows that they are already intimidated. If we don’t pursue them now, when will we?”

He raised his head, his gaze sharp as he swept over the generals around him, and said:

"Order! The fleet shall change its pursuit formation. All ships shall accelerate, closely follow the vanguard, and keep up with the enemy!"

"Yes!"

The order was quickly relayed, and the speed of the entire Yangtze River Fleet's main force increased dramatically. Thousands of sails raced and hundreds of boats competed, leaving white wakes on the mighty Yangtze River, like a giant dragon rushing eastward in pursuit.

As early as before and after the destruction of the Jiajiang naval force, the Jiangzhe Province had already formed a new naval force, which was indeed deployed in Jiangyin Prefecture, a key town on the Yangtze River, to prevent the Red Flag Battalion's Yangtze River naval force from sailing downstream and threatening the hurriedly carried-out Pingjiang Road sea transport.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of suitable warships, and even more so a lack of generals and veterans skilled in naval warfare, this hastily assembled navy had the size but lacked tactics and skills, and even less courage to face a powerful enemy.

On that day, after discovering that the Red Flag Battalion's navy was sailing down the river, the Mongol Yuan Jiangyin navy decisively abandoned the camp and fled. Since most of their fleet consisted of civilian boats that had been temporarily requisitioned and were relatively slow, a small fleet was separated along the way to "cover the rear."

If Xu Da hadn't been helping Liu Ju attack the city, they probably would have caught up much earlier.

However, it's not too late now.

The vanguard fleet successfully caught up with the enemy fleet, whose hastily requisitioned civilian ships were not only slow but also clumsy in turning.

"Get within range! Artillery, fire!" Zhang Desheng commanded, brandishing his sword.

After a round of close-range artillery fire, Zhang Desheng keenly observed that the enemy ships were steer more frantically, and the Yuan soldiers on the decks were like headless flies, some even abandoning their weapons and huddling by the ship's side, showing no intention of engaging in battle.

Zhang Desheng made a decisive decision and gave the order:
"Enemy morale has collapsed! Boarding squad, prepare! Move in!"

Its flagship, the "Flying Dragon," took the lead and, with its superior speed and agility, quickly approached a Yuan Dynasty sentry ship that was attempting to turn and flee.

The moment the two ships collided, the Red Flag Battalion naval boarding team members, who were already prepared, roared and brandished their steel knives and axes, leaping onto the enemy ship's deck like tigers descending from the mountain.

The resistance was pitifully weak. Almost as soon as the boarding crew's feet touched the deck, the Yuan sailors on board knelt down and begged for surrender, shouting "Spare us!" In no time at all, the rearguard ship had changed hands and surrendered.

The other warships were experiencing similar events.

According to the prisoners' confessions, Zhang Desheng, Xu Da, and others learned the true situation of the Jiangyin navy. Xu Da no longer had any concerns and ordered the entire army to advance at full speed.

The morale of the Yangtze River Navy soared, and all the warships raised their sails to the maximum. The oarsmen shouted slogans and rowed with all their might, increasing the speed of the ships even further.

Finally, near Chengjiaosha, where the river was relatively calm and there were many sandbars and shallows, the Yangtze River Navy caught up with the main fleet of the Jiangyin Navy, which was like a stray dog.

The river is wide here, but the underwater surface is crisscrossed with shoals, preventing large ships from venturing out recklessly for fear of running aground. However, this also allows the Yangtze River Fleet to take advantage of the fact that it still retains a large number of light patrol boats and small, rudder-like vessels.

Command flags were waved, and the sounds of drums and horns filled the air.

The massive Red Flag Battalion naval fleet instantly broke into several tactical units, rushing towards the chaotic Yuan army fleet.

Dozens of small, nimble boats, skillfully maneuvered by experienced helmsmen, skillfully avoided the shallows, like wolves plunging into a flock of sheep, weaving left and right among the Yuan army's large ships.

They continuously launched rockets, threw out grappling hooks, and even boarded the ships directly for hand-to-hand combat, completely tearing the already chaotic formation of the Yuan fleet to shreds.

In order to avoid these elusive small boats, the large Yuan ships had to frequently change course, which exposed their vulnerable sides to the Red Flag Battalion's gunboats, which had the upper hand.

"Aim at the enemy ship's waterline—fire!"

The gunboat commander roared at the top of his lungs.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The thunder cannon roared again, this time at closer range and with significantly improved accuracy. Solid iron projectiles whistled through the air, slamming into the gunwales and even the masts of the Yuan ships. Splinters flew everywhere, and screams of agony filled the air.

A medium-sized Yuan warship was hit repeatedly on the side, tearing a large hole. River water rushed in, and the ship began to tilt rapidly. The Yuan soldiers on board cried out and jumped into the river like dumplings.

The mast of another ship was snapped in half by a cannonball, and its huge sail, along with ropes and pulleys, crashed down, covering the Yuan soldiers on the deck. Many were killed or wounded, and the ship was completely rendered powerless.

The battle lasted for nearly two hours, with smoke, fire, and a heavy stench of blood filling the river. Broken planks, severed masts, and floating corpses were scattered everywhere, and the river water was stained a pale brownish-red.

The main force of the Jiangyin navy was almost completely wiped out. Only about twenty small boats escaped by taking advantage of the chaos and slipping into the shallow waters near the shore, thanks to their shallow draft and familiarity with the waterway. It can be said that the entire army was wiped out.

In this battle, the Yangtze River Fleet also suffered losses of nearly forty warships to varying degrees, but the results were brilliant:

They sank and burned nearly eighty Yuan warships of various types, captured about two hundred ships of various sizes that were still in relatively good condition, and took nearly two thousand Yuan sailors and craftsmen prisoner. It was a resounding victory.

After the war, Xu Da quickly reorganized the fleet and, with the captured ships, sailed in a grand procession into Liujiagang, the most important port on Pingjiang Road.

Liujiagang has recovered from the destruction caused by Fang Guozhen last year, completed reconstruction, and even formed a small fleet to maintain daily order. However, not a single sail dares to set sail to meet the Yangtze River Navy.

Inside the port, there were also dozens of civilian ships that had clearly come upon hearing the news, intending to participate in the canal transport in hopes of winning a reward from the Yuan court.

The ship owners and crew members were all gathered on the deck, looking at the massive fleet of the Red Flag Battalion Navy, with its flags waving and ships stretching for thousands of miles on the river. They were all pale and trembling.

……

P.S.: I almost didn't finish the assignment today. I didn't even have time to check and revise the second half of the chapter. Please point out any typos or grammatical errors.

(End of this chapter)