Chapter 414

The clouds are idle and the sky is distant; the river water is faint and vast.

On a small boat, Wang Yang leans against the bow, eyes half-closed, fishing while basking in the sun. His white robes are ruffled by the morning breeze, and he feels his heart and mind open, his body and spirit refreshed.

Six personal guards are divided into two groups; three are on the same boat as Wang Yang, while three others follow on a separate boat close by. Not far away, several warships patrol and stand guard.

Last night, Wang Yang instructed two of the six guards—one to prepare a boat and the other to find fishing gear—saying he wanted to go fishing early in the morning. The two guards ostensibly obeyed, but in reality, they immediately reported to the Prince of Badong.

At first, the Prince of Badong did not want to agree.

But after pondering it, he realized that if he refused, wouldn't it be an obvious act of house arrest? Wouldn't that push Kong Ming even further away in heart and spirit?

Not to mention that there were six experts following to monitor him; even without these six, in the midst of a great army, with the navy in front and behind and infantry camps connected on both banks, could Wang Yang fly away?

So he granted the request and specifically had Guo Wenyuan designate a stretch of water for Wang Yang that was both good for fishing and "safe."

Of course, "escort ships" were indispensable.

After hearing about this, Li Jingxuan actually found time in his busy schedule to inspect the water area selected by Guo Wenyuan and Wang Yang's escort ships. He then persuaded the Prince of Badong to send away the two nearby fleets, ostensibly so as not to disturb Wang Yang's fishing, but in reality to redeploy the defenses, sealing off the waterway to prevent any accidents.

It is quite a strange affair that an idle military official going fishing could trigger the mobilization of thousands of people overnight.

Boom, boom, boom—

The sound of war drums from the east drifted over faintly, crossing the vast river water like distant thunder rolling through the clouds, deep, slow, and lingering. The Jingzhou army launched on both water and land, the majestic and vast momentum of slaughter suddenly spreading across heaven and earth, pressing down on all four directions. Yet, this river bay, amidst Wang Yang's leisurely fishing, seemed like a world apart, isolated from the dust of war.

Hearing the war drums, the guards exchanged glances. One of them took a half-step forward and whispered, "My Lo—"

"Shh—"

Wang Yang raised a finger and pressed it to his lips.

Dark, dense warships covered the river as they advanced, their sail shadows overlapping in an endless stream.

The vanguard long-ships, known as Mengchong, were narrow and long, speeding through the waves.

Inside the cabins, the rowers bared their arms and exerted their strength, shouting in unison. The shadows of the oars were like a forest, dense and thick, rising and falling one after another.

Water splashed, flashing with countless tiny silver glints in the morning light. The entire river surface was boiling as if flying!

At this moment, a dark shadow suddenly appeared on the river in the distance. The scout boat waved its flag to signal, and the vanguard slowed down, the sound of the oars gradually deepening. The ships behind slowed down accordingly, transitioning from a sprint to a slow crawl.

Closer still, the dark shadow gradually became clear.

That was the land city of the Yanyue Rampart.

The city wall was built of white stone, tall and imposing, unfolding in an arc along the riverbank as if a giant dragon were lying in wait.

The inner arc was deep and wide, embracing the river to form a bay, with layers of wooden fences and dense banners—this was the location of the Yanyue Rampart water fortress.

The water fortress had three layers, the outermost being the water barrier.

Large logs were sharpened into stakes, their tips slanting outward like coarse spears planted upside down in the river. The stakes were not just in one layer; they were staggered front and back, connected by horizontal timbers and tightly bound with iron chains. Between the stakes, one could vaguely see floating debris and broken wood, either horizontal or submerged, swaying gently with the waves. It looked loose, but in reality, it was secretly rigged with hooks and chains.

The second layer was the fortress gate. Two watchtowers in the east and west stood like a gate, with crossbow windows opened in the middle. Between the two towers, beams were connected, and a high walkway was suspended, with rows of crossbowmen leaning against the battlements, looking down at the river from a high vantage point.

Below the covered walkway was a huge row-gate, made of logs bundled side by side. Each log was as thick as a waist drum, with three iron hoops. Behind the gate, giant stones were used as weights, and it was opened and closed by a winch. A side gate was set up on the right side of the row-gate, also controlled by winch ropes. It was usually half-opened to allow passage, but in battle, it could be locked shut or thrown wide open for emergencies.

The third layer was the heart of the water fortress, hidden behind the row-gate. Although one could not see its full appearance, one could see intermittent sail shadows and masts standing together through the gaps in the stake rows.

With such a water fortress standing across the river, Li Jingxuan's plan to blockade the river surface and sweep the river channel was immediately blocked.

Li Jingxuan did not expect that Yingzhou would dare to build such a water fortress; it looked like they had bet their entire Yingzhou navy on it. This meant they wanted a naval showdown from the start!

The Prince of Badong was very excited, clamoring to set up camp at Parrot Island to command the naval battle from nearby.

After much persuasion from his staff, he was barely restrained, and an alternative plan was proposed: Li Jingxuan would replace the Prince of Badong and take command of the vanguard.

The Prince of Badong argued eloquently, saying that Li Jingxuan had clearly said he would "go all out," and now that there was a naval showdown, how could he, as the commander, not sit in command himself? He also said that once the fighting started, the scene would be chaotic, and Li Jingxuan alone would not be able to hold the field!

This was not without reason. Especially since Li Jingxuan lacked sufficient prestige and the various generals were eager to claim merit; once the battle reached a stalemate, someone might just "act on their own" away from the commander. Furthermore, the Yanyue Rampart water fortress was built with quite a grand atmosphere; if the orders were not unified and the advance and retreat were disorganized, how could they succeed?

After some discussion, a compromise was reached. The Prince of Badong would leave the tower ship with the command center and board the flagship of the vanguard to direct the battle.

It was also Li Jingxuan's insistence that the tower ship not be brought directly to the front line.

Because the tower ship was large, slow, and difficult to maneuver, it would be unable to avoid danger in case of an alarm. Moreover, it was too obvious a target and easily became the focus of all attacks; if it were trapped, it would affect the entire army.

The Prince of Badong did not believe at all that the Yingzhou navy could rush to the side of his tower ship! But since he had promised Li Jingxuan to "be heavy rather than light, be cautious rather than rash," he would just go along with it for now.

Li Jingxuan was high-spirited and intense, but he knew that the more critical the moment, the more he needed to keep his cool. He first sent out twenty sampans to scout the path, and then used long poles to measure the water conditions to prevent any underhanded tricks underwater.

The Prince of Badong looked at the Yanyue water fortress, his heart itching with impatience, wishing he could start the fight immediately.

At this moment, the sounds of battle erupted on both banks, soaring straight into the clouds!

Lushan and Xiakou were being attacked at the same time!

The Prince of Badong looked at Li Jingxuan, and Li Jingxuan nodded solemnly.

The Prince of Badong drew his sword from its scabbard, the cold light splitting the wind, turning into a tiger's roar:

"All armies, hear my order! One battle to settle the Jianghan! Kill!!!"

Boom—boom—boom—

The river flowed majestically, the drum sounds shaking the heavens!

The entire river roared in unison, deafening:

"One battle to settle the Jianghan! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The sounds of killing moved the clouds, the river waves split the sun and dimmed the day!

Twenty Mengchong ships rushed out first, forming a horizontal line, pressing straight toward the water barrier. Crossbows fired like a weave from the watchtowers, arrows nailing into the cowhide-covered ship cabins with thudding sounds. The armored soldiers at the bow raised their shields to protect themselves, but they could not cover everything; those hit by arrows and falling into the water were like a sprinkler.

Although the rowers and crossbowmen were in the cabins, some were hit by arrows, and blood flowed along the deck, mixing with the river water.

The Mengchong ships ignored the casualties and charged forward with all their might, the iron cones at their bows pointing straight at the water barrier stakes, using the current to crash in with a clanging sound!

The iron cones collided with the wooden stakes, broken wood flying everywhere!

The iron chains were also stretched tight, creaking!

The first few Mengchong ships were embedded in the water barrier, the ship bodies shaking violently!

The sailors used iron hooks from the crossbow windows and spear holes to hook the broken stakes and drag them outward!

Thirty fighting ships followed closely behind, lining up behind the Mengchong ships! Each ship had thirty crossbowmen using the ship's battlements to exchange fire with the fortress defenders! Arrows crossed in the air like dozens of swarms of locusts! Human figures fell one after another, and the sunlight dimmed because of it!

Seeing the command flag drop, Zhang Guo led forty fast boats to rush out, each ship with twenty warriors holding long wooden poles, iron hooks, and large axes, charging straight at the water barrier!

The fast boats were light and had a shallow draft, allowing them to move flexibly through the gaps in the broken stakes. The soldiers inserted long poles under the horizontal timbers between the stakes! They used iron hooks to pull the iron chains! They used large axes to hack at the slanting wood!

The side gate of the water fortress suddenly opened, and a large group of defender Mengchong ships filed out like sharp blades, cutting in and crashing straight into the fast boats!

On the boat, Zhang Guo was directing the fleet when he suddenly felt the river surface darken. Looking up, a Mengchong ship had already pressed down on them. The bow was covered in iron, breaking the waves like a wedge, the momentum terrifying!

Zhang Guo shouted:

"Side oars! Yield—"

Before he could finish, the two ships collided!

With a bang, the fast boat was overturned, and Zhang Guo fell into the water!

Although Zhang Guo was not a top general, he had eighty fast boats under his command. This time he personally went into battle, leading half the team to charge, but when he fell into the water, no one cared! No one even noticed! Because too many ships were overturned at the same time, some were directly split in two by the impact! The fast boat sailors hacked at the enemy ship's hull with large axes, but it was like a mayfly shaking a tree, completely useless!

People were constantly being knocked away by iron cones, pierced by long spears, and rolled into the bottom of the river by oars! The remaining sailors scrambled to jump into the water to escape, only to be hit and bloodied by the warships rushing toward them.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The chain collisions were like heavy hammers beating a drum!

Water splashed into the sky, broken wood, broken oars, armor plates, and blood foam churned together. Zhang Guo's unit was harvested like wolves entering a flock of sheep!

Li Jingxuan watched this scene with cold eyes, not moving a muscle.

Because this fleet that was about to be wiped out was originally bait!

"The time has come."

Li Jingxuan waved his hand, and the command flag suddenly flipped.

The already prepared He Nanqing unit rushed out from the flank, intercepting the Mengchong fleet that had no time to adjust its formation!

Those Mengchong ships had just violently charged the fast boats, their bow iron cones mostly embedded in broken wood and debris, and some ship hulls even had the wreckage of the overturned fast boats hanging from them, the ships tilting!

The rowers scrambled to adjust their direction, the fleet was disconnected from front to back, left and right were unresponsive, and they were immediately divided and surrounded, their formation in chaos!

Jingzhou crossbows fired in unison along the water, specifically targeting the rowers and the rudder positions. Hook ropes were thrown horizontally, hooking the enemy ship's side, and several ships pulled together, causing it to tilt immediately!

There were also a group of grasshopper-like small boats that approached at high speed, holding axes to cut the oars!

The previously unstoppable Yingzhou Mengchong ships were caught off guard in the blink of an eye!

The iron chains sank, and the gate opened!

The side gate of the Yanyue water fortress opened again! A large group of warships swarmed forward, wanting to break the siege and provide support!

Li Jingxuan had been waiting for this moment.

He saw the enemy ships accelerating in formation, rushing out one after another, and shouted loudly:

"Raise the sails!"

A horn blast pierced the sky!

The hundred warships already waiting on the flank of Parrot Island raised their sails simultaneously!

The white sails were filled with the river wind, like a wall of snow suddenly standing up!

The snow wall swept forward with the wind, rushing straight toward the gate!