Chapter 224 - Zhou Yu defeated (1) (1/2)

Chapter 224 Zhou Yu defeated (1) (TN: I can see the Ending.)

Translated by [email protected]

“Mr. Zi Rou, where are we going now?” Although Deng Long’s navy were going upstream, they were elite navies. They moved quickly and proficiently as the soldiers peddled vigorously. They understood the hydrology of the river and knew when to accelerate or to change directions. In less than half a day, they would reach the waters of Jiangxia.

These were Liu Biao’s soldiers and the general in charge was one of Huang Zu’s subordinate, Deng Long. Although the navy belongs to him, he has to listen to Kuai Liang. This is because Kuai Liang’s rank and position is about the same compared to his lord.

Kuai Liang did not answer Deng Long’s question but asked back. “General Deng Long. Are you all already familiar with the ballista on the s.h.i.+p?”

“N?” Deng Long felt uncertain but he still replied. “Zi Rou, it is possible to fight now!” Deng Long was not boasting. The troops under his commands could also do it as the ballista was not difficult to use. All they need to do was aim. This is why Deng Long said that they could fight with it already. If something wrong were to happen, many people would die. Even then, Deng Long said that they were prepared with full confidence.

“Very good!” Kuai Liang asked Deng Long again. “General Deng Long. Do you want to obtain big merits in front of your Lord Huang Zu?”

“Big merits!?” Dong Lao was surprised for a moment. The Jiangxia army was currently being pressured by the Jiangdong Navy. Where was the merit!

“What do you think would happen if we manage to capture Jiangxia and chase away Zhou Yu! Do you think your Lord Huang Zu would value you? At that time, maybe you would even be promoted into a governor.” Kuai Liang continued to tempt Deng Long. He knew that Deng Long was serving under Huang Zu but he also knew that Deng Long has always wanted a higher post. He has ability, otherwise he would not be dispatched by Huang Zu in the first place. Before this, he was inferior to Su Fei and Huang Zhong. That is why he never had much troops to command. Now that Huang Zhong and Su Fei were gone, perhaps Deng Long would succeed. However, Jiangxia was occupied by the Jiangdong Army. Now that his Lord Huang Zu was unable to defend himself, n.o.body would be able to give him a promotion.

“Mr. Zi Rou, are you asking us to take these wars.h.i.+ps to do a decisive battle against Zhou Yu?” Deng Long was a bit afraid. However, Zhou Yu was the person who managed to suppress 70,000 soldiers with only 30,000 soldiers until a stalemate.

“Why? Is General Deng Long afraid?” Kuai Liang showed a trace of disdain which was about to become a ridiculing expression.

“It is not that I am afraid!” Deng Long said hastily. Which man was willing to admit that they are afraid or terrified? Before Deng Long could explain, Kuai Liang interrupted him.

“General Deng Long. The Lu Bu’s Army’s Gan Ning. Do you know him?” Kuai Liang asked as he walked to the front of the towered s.h.i.+p.

He looked at the vast Yangtze River. It was a wonderful place that should have belong to Jingzhou. Unfortunately, the river has changed owner.

“Gan Ning!” Deng Long knows this Gan Ning. Gan Ning was under the command of Su Fei as a Minister of War and did not get along well with Deng Long. Deng Long looks down on him because Gan Ning is a thief. However, he also had to admit Gan Ning’s ability as he had been defeated by Gan Ning before. Deng Long was very unhappy!

“Lu Bu’s Army’s Gan Ning, with only 7,000 weak soldiers, defeated 30,000 of the Jiangdong Navy unharmed!” Kuai Liang said. He noticed that Deng Long’s face has turned into disgust. Deng Long’s dissatisfaction told Kuai Liang that not only does Deng Long knew Gan Ning but has even crossed paths with him before. This was what Kuai Liang wanted.

“Mr. Zi Rou!” Before Kuai Liang could finish talking, Dong Leng interrupted him with a red face while breathing heavily. His anger has manifested. “No need to say anymore! I will listen to your commands!” Deng Long also knew that Gan Ning has defeated the 30,000 Jiangdong Navy. However, Deng Long knew that Gan Ning’s navy were not elites like his navy. He was not boasting but half of the troops that Gan Ning brought over from Jiangxia were recruits and were not comparable to Dong Leng’s troops.

“Hahaha, that is my Jingzhou’s fierce warrior! As expected of General Huang’s best warrior!” Kuai Liang was not stingy with praises.

“Mr. Zi Rou has praised me too much!” Deng Long also became happy. It is just a battle! As warriors, it is expected for them to die in battles! Rather than being unable to be promoted, it is better to risk his own life. At the very least he could have a brighter future. If Gan Ning was able to defeat the Jiangdong Army, why couldn’t he? After all, he is now also using the same weapon used by Gan Ning.

“Drop the banner!” Kuai Liang gave out the first command. Deng Long followed the commands without thinking about it too much and both Kuai Liang kept all the banners. Kuai Liang was also a prominent figure as he and his brother both helped Liu Biao to capture Jingzhou.

Unfortunately, Liu Biao lost his fighting spirit and did not want to conquer more new territories. As a result, Kuai Liang has lost a place to make use of his skills. If it was seen properly, the real military advisor would be Kuai Liang and not Cai Mao.

The Jingzhou navy continued on the river but did not return to Jingzhou. They went straight to Zhou Yu’s base at Sanjiangkou.

These days, there would be an outbreak of war every day. The two armies would usually fight at close combat at the Yangtze River. As Jiangxia was at a higher point of the river, dead bodies wearing armor could sometimes be seen floating down the river.

“Is it the Jiangdong navy’s main camp in front?” This was Sanjiangkou. It was not like the Wan Cheng rivers that could only have a temporary naval camp. This was a large base, or in other words, a naval city. Not only is it a place to garrison soldiers but it was also a unique geographical location and had 3 paths.

Kuai Liang could see the banners and the Jiangdong navy. The river was heavily guarded by elites. No one was sleeping and the soldiers were staring at the River. These were the elites under Zhou Yu’s command.

As Kuai Liang could see the Sanjiangkou and the opposing naval force. The lookouts could also see them and felt strange. This fleet did not have any banner. Yet, they already had 20 s.h.i.+ps which was enough to be considered a small navy fleet. The lookout decided to report this to the higher authorities as he was unable to identify if the fleet were enemies.

“Outside of Sanjiangkou there is an unidentified fleet!” The message was delivered one by one until it reached the person in charge of guarding, which was Han Dang. This person was the Sun family’s old official that was proficient in horseback archery. As a result, he was appreciated by Sun Jian and was always taken along for expeditions. He broke through enemy lines and captured the enemy many times until he was promoted into a Minister of War. He also provided help in conquering Jiangdong. He was already at a refinement stage since he served Sun Jian and although he became old, his strength has not decreased.

After he heard that there was an unknown fleet, Han Dang quickly rushed towards the naval base. He glanced at the fleet and saw over 20 s.h.i.+ps. The s.h.i.+ps slowly approached the Sanjiangkou. “These wars.h.i.+ps?” Han Dang looked at the wars.h.i.+ps that did not have any identification mark. It was not the Jiangdong Navy. It was also not the Jingzhou Navy’s s.h.i.+p as the Jingzhou Navy’s camp was upstream while these s.h.i.+ps came from downstream.

Han Dang thought to himself. Could these be the Lu Bu’s Army’s wars.h.i.+ps?

“Are these not the Lu Bu’s Army’s wars.h.i.+ps?” One officer beside him looked at Han Dang and asked.

“Lu Bu’s Army wars.h.i.+ps? Are you sure?” Han Dan asked back. Is it those that send Jiang Qin’s s.h.i.+ps into the bottom of the river?

“General Han Dang. I am sure!” The officer nodded his head. He could not be wrong. The s.h.i.+ps came from downstream and this officer was also one of the few in charge of patrolling the area during the negotiations. He saw Gan Ning’s Navy and was afraid that Gan Ning came to fight.

“It must be that disgraced Slave-with-three-surnames which is why the banner was not raised!” Han Dang showed disdain. His impression of Lu Bu has always been bad. His old lord Sun Jian and new lord Sun Ce has both been defeated by Lu Bu before. Han Dang was a person who considered those fighting against the Jiangdong Army as a bad person.

“General. Do you see those huge things on the wars.h.i.+ps!?” The officer pointed at the ballistae wraped in black cloth. “That weapon was something only the Lu Bu’s Navy has. It was the reason General Jiang Qin was completely defeated.

He patrolled at Huangzhou and even saved a few of the soldiers who fell in the Yangtze River and helped them escaped. He also heard from them that the ballista was able to shoot through the towered s.h.i.+ps causing it to sink.

“The ballistae!” Han Dang was also a Sun Ce’s Army’s officer and naturally knew what the ballista is. “Hmph! What is the Slave-of-three-surnames doing here? Is he trying to show off his strength!?”

Han Dang was very unhappy. The Lu Bu’s Army and the Sun Ce’s Army were at a truce right now. It is impossible for Gan Ning to appear now and open hostilities. The Lu Bu’s Army would definitely follow the rules which means that this was just swaggering. “What are you showing off for! After a few days, we would also have ballistae!” Han Dang has learned about this from Zhou Yu. Jiangdong has obtained the blueprints for the ballista and has already begun constructions. The first one was already completed and they were just waiting for it to be transported with the other s.h.i.+pments. As they are in the front lines, all the materials needed to be given to them. When Han Dang obtained the ballista, he would use Gan Ning’s navy as a target practice. At worst, they would just pay gold as compensation for the accidental shot.

“This must definitely be Gan Ning’s navy!” Another officer spoke up. He has fought Gan Ning before when Gan Ning was less known. However, he made a shocking battle after he went under Lu Bu’s command. Gan Ning was the Jin Fan Zei which is why he likes to be on the wars.h.i.+p using cloth to decorate the s.h.i.+p and also a bell. The ringing bell was the sign of Gan Ning appearing.

Kuai Liang’s s.h.i.+p had the cloth and the bell because Gan Ning did not manage to take it away in time. It was now mistaken as Gan Ning’s navy would be a pleasant surprise for the JIngzhou’s Navy.

“General, the soldiers are becoming restless.” Every day, Zhou Yu’s Navy and the Jingzhou’s Navy were fighting. Both parties were trying to attack each other’s weakness. Otherwise, it would be too costly as the amount of provisions needed would be more and it would take a long time for the transportation to arrive. Sun Ce could not give up half of Jiangxia. The Jingzhou Navy also could not allow the Jiangdong navy to swallow up the city. As a result, there is a deadlock. The consumption of forage every day was a lot as the soldiers need to prepare for war. Proper ratiosn were given to those in the Jiangdong’s army as yhe first was to prepare for war while the second purpose was to boost morale. Compared to them, the Jingzhou Navy’s morale was extremely low after fighting for so long. They were pretty much defeated by now.

In a little while, it would be time to leave the camp to do battle with the Jingzhou Navy. Now that there are so many s.h.i.+ps, the soldiers were restless. Even then, they could not attack as there was a truce. If a war broke out, Zhou Yu would be the one suffering as he had no ballista yet. It made the navy very uncomfortable as it felt like there was someone else monitoring them. Their formation may also be broken because of this.