Chapter 1110 Gap

Chapter 1110 Gap

Chapter 1110 Gap
If you were to ask where the most prisoners were taken in last night’s battle, it would definitely be Jiangpu Wharf.

More than two thousand people gathered here, unable to get on board the ship and were surrounded.

Most people were smart enough to surrender. But some of the smarter ones, who believed the rumors or something, jumped into the river. Perhaps they thought freezing to death or drowning was more acceptable than being captured.

The Cheng army also captured more than 20 ships, most of which were grain ships.

This type of vessel has a deep draft and a large load capacity, but it also has a small number of crew members, requiring only a few boatmen. However, it has a weakness: it needs to be towed when sailing against the wind and current.

In simple terms, it only had sail power, but no "human power" (rowers). When the defeat came, who would pull the oars for you? So everyone was taken prisoner, and 30,000 hu of military rations were lost.

It is worth mentioning that these ships were captured by the land division, and no one would believe it if the news was spread. In the morning, all the ships were handed over to the navy, along with about 3,000 prisoners, and escorted back to the downstream to open up wasteland.

Except for those lost on the beach in the middle of the river, most of the other warships of the army had basically escaped.

However, just as the Liang army's navy lost many ships in the dark night due to hitting reefs, capsizing, and crashing into cliffs, the Cheng army also suffered heavy losses during its hasty escape, but no one knows the exact number.

In addition to these prisoners, the Liang army also beheaded more than 2,000 people. If the enemy troops killed during the previous siege are included, the Cheng bandits have lost nearly 6,000 people outside Yufu City, which can be said to be a complete and disastrous defeat.

Shao Shen did not stay here for too long. After a short rest, he personally led his army westward to Yong'an Palace more than ten miles away, vowing to defeat the main force of Cheng's army.

Therefore, when Yang Bao led the navy that had fought hard for most of the night to approach Jiangpu, the only people he met were Wang Shuang, the governor of the Jiangling shogunate, and Guanqiu Ao, the prefect of Badong.

Wang Shuang was the son of a nobleman in the new dynasty, but he spoke in a very vulgar way. When he heard that Yang Bao was going to lead the navy to rest, he couldn't help but mutter, "Why is it like an old man serving a woman, having to rest for a long time after each visit? We can't rely on the navy in future wars."

Yang Bao couldn't really get angry when the younger generation was so disrespectful to the older generation.

The group of martial arts students is somewhat pro-party and stubborn.

Wang Que'er's son is a staff member under Jin Zheng. Where is Jin Zheng's son? He is a clerk under Hou Feihu.

So what was Hou Feihu's son doing? He was serving as a military officer in the Silver Spear Army.

The emperor doesn't care, so it's unlikely that a rebellion will occur if things continue like this, but it's very likely that the party will become corrupt and unable to fight after becoming entrenched.

Of course, Yang Bao could only complain about these words in his heart.

The navy is miserable! They are always under the command of the land army, like being raised by a stepmother. If you really offend them, you will be cheated to death sooner or later.

Guanqiuao was quite polite.

He led his men to drive some pigs and sheep to the riverside, slaughtered them on the spot, and gave them to the navy officers and soldiers to comfort them. He said: "Last night in the battle on the river beach, the royal army fought bravely and fought to the front, killing the enemy like wolves and pigs. After this battle, their navy probably dare not come."

Yang Bao forced a smile and said, "With Master Guanqiu in front of me, I won't say anything big. I took advantage of it last night. If we had fought head-on, the outcome would still be unknown."

This is not modesty either.

Last night, a ship next to his ship ran aground. Yang Bao even heard a huge scraping sound coming from the bottom of the ship, which was very scary.

There are so many ways to fight in the navy, the first of which is to understand the hydrological weather. It is very dangerous to rashly enter an unfamiliar area, especially one with fast-flowing waters. Even with a guide, it is useless because he can only give a rough idea.

Moreover, after a fight breaks out, unnecessary losses may occur due to tactical needs or simply because the ship loses control.

He lost at least six or seven hundred men last night and was in urgent need of rest.

However, Guanqiu Ao still praised the navy's performance and said with a smile: "Badong also has brave men who are good at swimming and dare to fight. The governor may rest here. I will send orders to all counties to select strong fishermen and people from the riverside to Yufu for the governor to choose. What do you think?"

Yang Bao nodded and said, "That's good. I heard that Tang Bin and Tang Ruzong trained the navy here in the past, and later defeated Wu. The men of Badong should be able to fight. If we recruit them into the navy and train them for a few years, they will become a strong army."

"The three Ba ​​men are all capable of taking on important tasks," said Guanqiu Ao.

After that, he invited Yang Bao to go into the city to rest. Yang Bao declined for a while, but finally agreed.

Wang Shuang watched from the side and thought that there were indeed many people on both sides of Kuimen who could walk on the water as if it were flat ground. Not only the Liang people, but there were even many barbarians who made a living on the water. They could indeed be recruited into an army.

After several years of this, the Daliang navy became increasingly powerful and it was not difficult to defeat the Jin Dynasty.

******
Just as Shao Shen relieved Yu Fu and then marched westward without stopping, the vanguard cavalry led by Fu An had been fighting in the Chengjun camp area for a whole night.

They first rode their horses and charged repeatedly, dispersing the men who were building the camp.

By the time Li Yue came to his senses, mobilized his troops and marched forward cautiously, they escaped under the cover of darkness.

However, after less than an hour of rest, hundreds of cavalrymen came from another direction, giving the adults no chance to stabilize the camp.

Li Yue became furious and mobilized all the cavalry scattered in various camps to use them together, and only then was he able to defeat Fu An's troops.

And when all this was done, it was already bright outside.

Li Yue climbed to a high place and looked into the distance, only to see flags covering the entire field and spears like a forest on the eastern horizon. His face immediately turned pale.

To the east of the Dalang River, Shao Shen also gathered his cavalry.

They were running wildly behind him, creating a lot of dust. Because there was a hill and a large forest between them, Li Yue was not sure whether the other side was deliberately setting up a trap or if there were really many people coming.

However, things had come to this point and he had no time to think about it, because the vanguard of the Liang army had already rushed to the outside of their own camp in Longdong and launched a swift attack.

There were probably only about 3,000 people in this group. Their equipment was not very sophisticated, and their clothes and weapons were varied. There were both Hu and Han people. They were clumsy in arranging the military formation, and it took a lot of time - how to say it, they were still better than most of the troops of Cheng State, except for the elite soldiers composed of the children of the six counties.

But there is one thing about them that makes people look at them with admiration, and that is a kind of momentum that comes from their bones.

It's not the momentum brought by high morale. In fact, the morale of this group of people is average, not very high. But with this level of morale, they still have a kind of desperate, fierce and cruel momentum, as if they don't care about the lives of their enemies, let alone their own lives.

Li Yue lived in Yongqin when he was young and was very familiar with this kind of momentum.

Simply put, life is too hard and the world is too chaotic. Everyone has become numb and has a sense of self-destruction and a desire to fight to the death. When fighting, they become extremely wild and ferocious.

Of course, this doesn't mean they are not afraid of death. Even ants try to survive, not to mention humans? In fact, this kind of wildness and ferocity has its limits. If they encounter a well-trained army with rich battle experience, sophisticated equipment, and experienced combat skills, it is not difficult to beat these barbarians. However, the troops under his command may not meet this requirement. The Shu land is too comfortable, and there is no sense of crisis that they may die at any moment. They may not be able to win...

Sure enough! After the drums of war were beaten, two thousand Diqiang generals from Shangjun slammed their heavy shields on the ground and shouted "Kill" in unison!
In the woods in the distance, birds soared into the sky, chirping.

The sound of drums almost tore through the morning glow. The shield bearers picked up the large leather shields soaked in river water and ran in small steps.

Behind them, soldiers wearing iron armor, leather armor and even sheepskin coats, holding swords and guns, followed quickly.

Archers came out from both wings.

They were generally older, and the bows they held were not necessarily powerful military bows, but hunting bows were common. But as they advanced, they did not hesitate at all, and did not even show any expression.

More than a thousand Bai tribe Xianbei cavalrymen mounted their horses, tightly controlling their speed and covering both wings.

In this kind of formation field battle situation, the cavalry is always subordinate to the infantry, always cooperating with the infantry and helping them.

This is determined by the traditions and characteristics of the Central Plains war.

Li Yue stood on the high platform, watching the Liang army's vanguard approach step by step, three hundred steps, two hundred steps, one hundred steps...

Finally, when the two sides were about to engage in battle, he made a decision to send troops to cross the river from the stone bridge and floating bridge downstream of the Longshui River to reinforce the east bank.

"Kill the bandits!" Just as the army in Longxi began to deploy its troops, the army in Longdong had already started the battle.

The Diqiang shieldmen of Shangjun braved the dense enemy arrows, shouted, crossed the shallow trench, and rushed towards the camp which had only a thin low wall.

The enemy really fired rockets!
During the pre-war analysis, some people pointed out that the Shu people liked to use rockets to kill the enemy, especially in winter and spring when the grass and trees were withered and yellow. The Liang army's preparations were not in vain.

The sound of "boom boom" drums rang in the ears, and the shieldmen and gunners at the front fell one after another.

The people in the back row had red eyes, smelled the smell of burning flesh, stepped on the warm bodies of their fellow villagers, and rushed forward roaring.

The two sides collided head-on.

The big man in the sheepskin coat swung a heavy wooden club and hit Cheng Bing hard. The dull sound of broken bones was heard instantly.

The poor man with braided hair, who was only wearing a single piece of clothing, was stabbed in the foot by a gun. He screamed in pain and fell to his knees.

The enemy's weapon smashed hard on his raised leather shield, and the powerful pressure almost pressed the shield against his chest. He was already bleeding from his mouth and nose, but he still let out a wild roar, and pressed the shield hard against his shoulders to protect his back, while leaving his chest and abdomen open to the enemy's stabbing.

The shaved-headed warrior in leather armor held a broadsword with a red tassel hanging on the handle, which was extremely conspicuous in the morning sun.

With the help of the shield bearer with braided hair, he easily cut the neck of the enemy soldier in front of him, then took two steps forward and slashed the enemy's chest and abdomen, almost severing his pale yellow intestines.

There were also warriors in iron armor, with five or six feather arrows sticking out of their bodies, who rushed into the enemy's formation like a whirlwind, and smashed the enemy's crown with their iron maces fiercely, each hit hit the target - and each hit made the enemy silent.

The gap in the fighting qualities of the two sides is staggering.

The casualties in the first few rows of the charging Liang army were staggering, but the follow-up people kept coming up, one after another, row after row, climbing over the low wall and killing the soldiers and forcing them to retreat step by step.

As the fighting went on, the low wall could not bear the weight and collapsed.

In the dust and smoke, the morale of the Liang army was greatly boosted. They rushed forward like evil spirits and directly dispersed the Cheng soldiers.

At the stone bridge and floating bridge downstream, more than a thousand Baibu Xianbei cavalry had already moved there.

They selected more than a hundred armored cavalrymen and rushed towards the hundreds of soldiers who had just crossed the river, and defeated them in just one encounter.

When the troops and horses were engaged in a conflict, the soldiers fled in panic, scattering everywhere.

The light cavalry arrived shortly afterwards, drawing their bows and arrows, and drove the scattered soldiers into the river.

On the narrow battlefield at the bridgehead, cavalrymen galloped across the river and bows were as sharp as thunderbolts. With only a few hundred cavalrymen, thousands of soldiers were blocked on the other side of the river, preventing them from reinforcing Hedong.

At this time, anyone with a discerning eye could see that the thousands of soldiers in Hedong were already trapped.

Li Yue could naturally see it.

His expression became much uglier than before.

There was no trickery in this battle, and there was no reason for the defeat; it was simply a frontal field battle that was defeated.

At this point, he was actually a little dazed: Is the gap in combat power between the two sides so huge?
When I followed my father and grandfather to the south, the wars among the princes in Guanzhong were obviously not as fierce as this one.

How brutal was the fighting in the North during the past twenty years?

The sound of horse hooves was heard again from the northwest.

Fu An, who was still lingering around, led 300 light cavalry to launch another attack.

At this time, thunderous cheers rang out on the Longdong battlefield.

Li Yue turned his head, but only took a glance and closed his eyes sadly.

More than 4,000 people were defeated by 2,000 Liang soldiers. The defeated soldiers fled in all directions, crying and shouting as they rushed into the freezing cold water.

lost.

Li Yue opened his eyes, suppressed his confused mind, and gritted his teeth and said, "Order the troops to withdraw!"

At this point, it was more of a rout than a retreat, but what else could they do? They could run westwards, into the mountains, and perhaps some of their people could escape. As many as they could escape would be the best.

Badong has no chance of achieving great success.

(End of this chapter)