My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

The outer perimeter of Sikou Water Village.

Han Yong personally led his fierce soldiers by boat and just arrived at the shallows southeast of the water fortress.

The water here is shallow and the mud is deep, making it difficult for large ships to approach, but it is an excellent spot for a night raid and landing.

With gags in their mouths and carrying tinder and short weapons on their backs, the soldiers waded through waist-deep water toward the wooden fence surrounding the water fortress.

"Let's do it!"

Han Yong let out a low roar, and the hemp ball soaked in kerosene was ignited, then it cut through the night and crashed into the wooden fence, watchtower, and barge moored near the shore that had just been extinguished.

A huge fire suddenly broke out!

Almost as flames soared into the sky, the sound of horses' hooves echoed on the dirt road leading to Huaiyin to the north of the water fortress!

Liu Hun has arrived!

He couldn't wait for the army to be fully organized. When the water fortress was attacked and fire broke out again, he immediately rushed along the post road and caught up with Han Yong's troops.

"You scoundrel! Don't you dare run away!"

Liu Hun took the lead, and in the firelight, he immediately spotted the figures on the mudflats dressed in mismatched armor.

"Follow me and scatter them! Leave no one alive!"

Liu Hun didn't think twice. He pointed his long sword forward, and his warhorse neighed as it charged down the dirt road, heading straight for Han Yong.

"Damn it! They got here so fast?!"

Han Yong turned around and saw the Qin cavalry emerging from the dust, his pupils contracting.

He did attack the water fortress, but he didn't intend to engage the Qin cavalry in a head-on confrontation on the muddy ground!

"Don't board the ship! Form a circle! Spearmen, advance! Archers, shoot the horses!"

Han Yong's soldiers, being veterans of bloody battles, remained calm despite the initial shock and quickly formed a defensive formation in the muddy water, utilizing the boats and terrain. Spearmen and swordsmen held the outer perimeter, while archers fired arrows at the charging cavalry.

"Bang!"

"Pfft!"

The warhorse crashed into the gun emplacement, and its dying screams rang out instantly.

The mud greatly slowed down the cavalry's charge, but the Qin cavalry, with their high ground, still inflicted considerable casualties on Han Yong's troops. Liu Hun was particularly brave, slashing left and right with his long sword, trying to tear apart the Jin army's formation.

"Hold on! Their cavalry can't get going! The infantry haven't arrived yet!"

Han Yong parried a cavalryman's thrust with his sword, dragged him off his horse, and killed him with a single blow, roaring as he tried to boost morale.

The two sides locked in a fierce struggle amidst mud, water, and fire, turning the mudflats into a bloody millstone. Han Yong's troops, relying on their formation and the initial crossbow strike, barely managed to withstand the first wave of cavalry charges, but Liu Hun's infantry were surging in like a dark, menacing mass...

Downstream, on He Qian's main warship.

"General! There are large groups of soldiers fighting on the shore! Judging from the banners, one side is the flag of my Northern Army, and the other side is the flag of the Qin Army!"

The shouts of the lookout soldiers immediately brought everyone around to their senses.

He Qian dashed to the bow of the ship, where the burning water fortress, the two armies fighting on the mudflats, the familiar Northern Army banners and Qin cavalry...

Everything confirmed Zhou Laosi's intelligence, and it was even more intense!

"Full speed ahead! Archers, prepare!"

He Qian felt his blood rush to his head and immediately gave the order.

"What feint attack?! I'm taking this water fortress!"

With bloodshot eyes, He Qian personally went to the ballista that had been specially installed at the bow of the ship.

"put!"

The massive crossbows on the sides of the warships roared as they fired at the mudflats. Although the accuracy of the nighttime firing was limited, the overwhelming barrage still caused chaos and casualties among the Qin army ranks.

More Beifu fast boats shot towards the mudflats like arrows released from a bow. Soldiers jumped ashore and swarmed onto the shore, roaring as they charged into the battle.

This threw the entire battlefield into complete chaos.

Liu Hun's cavalry was locked in fierce combat with Han Yong's troops when his flank was suddenly attacked by crossbows from a distance. His infantry ranks behind him were thrown into disarray, and then fresh troops landed from the riverbank and attacked from behind. He was caught in a desperate situation with enemies on three sides!

"Where did all these Jin soldiers come from?!"

Liu Hun was both surprised and furious. He thought there was only Han Yong's detachment, so how could such a large fleet have arrived on the water? But he had no time to think about it. He could only order his troops to turn around and resist the Northern Army that was landing from the flank and rear.

With the pressure on Han Yong's troops greatly reduced, they instantly understood the bait Zhou Laosi had mentioned. Although they were somewhat unhappy, they could not hesitate at this moment, given the situation on the battlefield.

"Brothers, reinforcements have arrived! Follow me and fight our way out to join General He!"

Han Yong made a decisive move, leading his troops in a counterattack towards the direction He Qian landed, attempting to link up with friendly forces.

On the mudflats, mud mingled with blood, firelight reflected the glint of blades, and then the blood extinguished the flames...

The three forces were intertwined in this narrow and chaotic area, and many people could not even distinguish between friend and foe, fighting to the death based only on the general direction of their charge.

Roars, screams, the clash of weapons, the neighing of warhorses, the whistling of crossbows, and the crackling of flames mingled together, like a cruelly orchestrated dance, while the mastermind behind this battle watched from afar across the Huai River.

Besides Xiao Heng, there was another person who was also paying attention to the battle here.

Huaiyin City.

Shao Bao stood on the city wall, his face grim. After hearing the report of the first attack, he judged it to be a small-scale disturbance and had strictly ordered all the villages to remain vigilant and not to act rashly. However, Liu Hun had already broken out and was expected to return quickly, but now it seemed...

"Report! The attacking enemy is flying the Northern Army flag! The flag bearing the character 'He'!"

"Beifu? What?"

Shao Bao suddenly stood up.

"He Qian? What's he doing here? How many men does he have?"

"It's difficult to discern details in the darkness, but the ships are numerous, the rockets are like locusts, and the attack is extremely fierce! Fires have broken out in many parts of the water fortress, and the defenders are in dire need of help!"

Before he could finish speaking, another military academy student rushed in, shouting, "Report! Commander Liu has sent word that he requests reinforcements!"

"That idiot!"

Shao Bao was so angry that his vision blurred. His worst fears had come true. If it were just Xiao Heng causing trouble, it wouldn't be a problem. But if the main force of the Northern Army's navy had actually appeared at Sikou, that would mean something completely different!

Shao Bao's mind raced. Liu Hun had already gone out, and if the Northern Army was truly the main force, Liu Hun's five thousand men were likely doomed. If Sikou fell, Huaiyin would be an isolated city, its supply lines cut off, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Should we save her or not?" a trusted lieutenant asked anxiously.

Shao Bao's temples throbbed with veins; he knew this might be a trap, but he dared not gamble.

The importance of Sikou far exceeds that of Liuhun and even the safety of Huaiyin; he must secure the grain route!

"Pass on the order!"

Shao Bao gritted his teeth.

"Leave a thousand men to guard the city; the rest of the troops, follow me out of the city!"

Laoguandang, the darkest hour before dawn.

Xiao Heng lay hidden in the cold reeds, his body on damp earth. In the distance, from the direction of Huaiyin City, he could faintly hear the neighing of men and horses.

"My lord, Shao Bao has come out!" Liu Dan came to his side and reported in a low voice.

"Tell Chen Da that when the fire starts here, that's when he'll make his move."

Xiao Heng said in a low voice.

In less than fifteen minutes, Shao Bao's central army came into view.

Xiao Heng suddenly swung his arm down!

"Beat the drums! Release the arrows!"

As the war drums sounded, three hundred archers unleashed their arrows from the reeds on both banks, firing at the torches. Then, the infantry also lit their torches, illuminating the river as if it were daytime, and charged directly into the Qin army ranks.

The Qin army was thrown into chaos! The soldiers were in a panic, and some were pushed and fell into the river.

"Don't panic! Charge forward and get out of this area!"

Under the protection of his personal guards, Shao Bao shouted himself hoarse as he gave orders. His heart was ice-cold; he knew he had fallen into a trap. Xiao Heng's target was not Sikou at all, but him, Shao Bao, and Huaiyin!

Xiao Heng gave him no chance. Under cover, the infantry blocked his dirt road back to the city, and the reeds by the river were also set on fire.

Chen Da saw the fire rising in the direction of Laoguandang and pointed towards the seemingly peaceful city of Huaiyin:

"The city falls now! Follow me!"

More than a thousand carefully selected elite troops swarmed out from the hidden landing point and rushed towards the city wall like a whirlwind.

The garrison was already small, and their attention was drawn to the battle outside the city. Caught off guard, many of their defensive lines were breached in an instant.

Chen Da took the lead, climbing the ladder and fighting his way to the top of the city wall. After a fierce battle, the city gates were opened and a large force poured into the city.

The resistance crumbled quickly, and within an hour, the four gates of Huaiyin had fallen to the enemy.

A brand-new banner of the Northern Army slowly rose over the city walls of Huaiyin.

Meanwhile, Shao Bao, who had already fought his way to the outskirts of the city, saw that the flag in the direction of Huaiyin City was particularly eye-catching in the gradually brightening sky.

"City...city..."

He then spat out a mouthful of blood. He knew that Huaiyin was finished. Xiao Heng had used a series of feints, misleading and deceptions to lure him out of the city and then strike straight at the heart of the enemy!

"withdraw!!"

......

The first quarter of Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

The battle was nearing its end. Under the desperate protection of his personal guards, Shao Bao fled westward, with less than a hundred men remaining by his side. His main force was either killed, surrendered, or scattered in the vast network of waterways.

The fierce battle at the water fortress gradually subsided, and Liu Hun was routed after paying a heavy price.

Although He Qian's troops won, it was a Pyrrhic victory. However, they realized that they had been tricked by Xiao Heng. Fortunately, he managed to capture Sikou Water Village.

When He Qian, filled with doubt and a hint of anger, led his navy to approach Huaiyin to question Xiao Heng, he was met with the city gates wide open, the Northern Army flag fluttering atop the city walls, and Xiao Heng's soldiers clearing the battlefield and gathering prisoners below.

Xiao Heng personally greeted He Qian, his expression calm, as if the thrilling night had been nothing more than a normal battle.

"General He, Military Advisor Zhuge, thank you for your hard work."

Xiao Heng cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his tone sincere.

"Fortunately, General, you bravely captured Sikou. You deserve the greatest credit for this battle."

He Qian felt a lump in his throat. He looked at the majestic city of Huaiyin, then at his own fleet that had suffered heavy losses, and for a moment he didn't know whether to be angry, shocked, or admiring.

Xiao Heng's words were impeccable, attributing the credit for the Sikou Water Village to him, as if everything was going according to plan, but he still felt that something was not right.

Zhuge Kan looked at Xiao Heng with complicated emotions, then glanced at the flags on the city wall, and slowly said.

"Sanlang's military strategy is divine, with a series of ingenious plans. He captured Huaiyin and defeated Shao Bao in one night. I admire him."

Xiao Heng seemed oblivious to the implied meaning and smiled calmly.

"It was only by chance, entirely due to the bravery of the soldiers and the strong support of General He. With Huaiyin newly captured, the Qin army will surely not be content. We still need to discuss with the general a strategy for joint defense and holding out against Peng Chao's counterattack. Please come into the city for a detailed discussion."

He Qian and Zhuge Kan exchanged a glance, suppressing their chaotic thoughts. In any case, capturing Huaiyin and Sikou in one night was a truly great achievement.

As for the twists and turns involved, perhaps we can only put them aside for now.