Chapter 129: Battle of Red Cliffs, cannon bombardment!
"What?! Our plan of blocking the enemy with iron chains across the river was broken by the imperial navy fleet?!"

When the news reached the Xiakou camp on the front line, the generals of the Jiangdong Navy were shocked!

Coach Zhou Yu looked solemn!

This time, the Iron Chain Across the River was a countermeasure that Zhou Yu and his generals came up with after working together, in order to stop the large naval force of the imperial court.

In order to build an iron chain across the river, the Jiangdong Navy mobilized a large amount of manpower, material resources and financial resources to build the iron chain across the river.

I thought that by using the iron chains across the river, I could block the main force of the imperial navy and destroy it bit by bit.

They were excited about the advantage the vanguard fleet besieging Zhang Fei and Taishi Ci had gained, and felt that the iron chains across the river that they had gone to great lengths to build were finally useful!

But who knew that before their advantage could be fully expanded, the iron chain they had gone to great lengths to build across the river was easily broken by the imperial navy!

In this way, the Yangtze River was unobstructed and there was no possibility of stopping the main force of the imperial navy.

Thinking back to the cannons and other firearms of the imperial navy, Zhou Yu's expression became extremely solemn. He looked at Huang Gai and asked, "General Huang, how is the siege of Zhang Fei and Taishi Ci going?!"

"The imperial court's vanguard fleet suffered heavy casualties, and even Zhang Fei's main battleship was blown up by fire. But Taishi Ci and other fleets are still struggling to hold on, and it will be difficult to wipe them out in a short period of time."

Huang Gai reported back.

Zhou Yu frowned and said:

"Move out the entire army immediately and annihilate Zhang Fei and Taishi Ci's vanguard fleet at all costs. Then, turn the tables and join forces with the Jingzhou navy to fight against the main force of the imperial navy!"

"This……"

Huang Gai sighed and said, "I understand!"

The generals of the Jiangdong navy were filled with gloom and sorrow!
To face the main force of the imperial navy? !
Even if the Jiangdong Navy and the Jingzhou Navy join forces, they are no match!

Because the power of the cannon is so strong!
If the strategy of "Iron Chain Across the River" could work, the imperial navy could be annexed bit by bit.

But the iron chain across the river failed, and the main force of the imperial navy advanced straight in unhindered, and they were unable to stop it!
The Jiangdong navy was stationed in the Xiakou area of ​​Sanjiangkou. At this time, they went out in full force and merged into the Xiangjiang River, deciding to intensify the encirclement and suppression of Zhang Fei and Taishi Ci's vanguard fleet.

First, we will annex this vanguard fleet to shock the morale of the Imperial Navy and boost our own morale. Then, we can have a decisive battle with the Imperial Navy to increase our chances of winning!

but!

Not far from where the Jiangdong navy merged into the Xiang River, Zhang Fei and Taishi Ci's fleets fled downstream.

It turned out that after Zhang Fei's main battleship was blown up by a fire attack, Taishi Ci decisively ordered a withdrawal of troops and broke out of the enemy's encirclement at all costs!

Now the vanguard fleet is fleeing for its life in front, while the Jiangdong Navy and the Jingzhou Navy are chasing closely behind.

Just when the imperial vanguard fleet was about to leave Sanjiangkou, they saw the Jiangdong navy coming out in full force to encircle them.

"Is God going to destroy us?!"

When Zhang Fei saw this scene, he was filled with hatred.

If this was not a naval battle but a land battle, even if the enemy had 100,000 infantry and cavalry, he would dare to fight on horseback and holding a Zhangba Snake Spear.

But the problem is!

This is a water battle!
Now their fleet suffered heavy losses, and the morale of the troops has fallen to the bottom. They thought they had escaped, but they were surrounded by the enemy again.

There is no way out!
"We still have a dozen shells left. It will be no problem to blast our way out!"

Taishi Ci's words cheered Zhang Fei up!
"Do you have any more shells?! Let's bombard them to death!!!"

The reason they were able to escape was that they used cannons to bombard the area and forced the Jingzhou Navy and the Jiangdong Navy to retreat.

Zhang Fei thought he had no more shells, but since he still had a dozen or so, and since he was already at a dead end, he might as well blast his way out.

"The cannon's barrel has cracked a bit..."

Taishi Ci sighed. The continuous and indiscriminate bombardment had not allowed the cannon to cool down, and cracks had already appeared on it. There was a high possibility that it would explode.

"Even if I'm killed by a cannon, it's better than being surrounded and annihilated by the enemy!"

Zhang Fei was a little crazy, his eyes were fanatical, he said: "Bomb it, Ziyi, at worst we will die together, it can be considered as an apology!"

Taishi Ci nodded and ordered the gunners to prepare.

Zhang Fei went straight forward, pushed aside the gunner, and operated the cannon himself. There were indeed some cracks on the cannon, and there was a risk of it exploding at any time, but he was not afraid. Just like he said -

I would rather be killed by a cannon explosion than be surrounded and killed by the enemy!

The former is called martyrdom, the latter is called defeat!

Zhang Fei's performance boosted morale. Those frightened gunners rushed forward recklessly, completely disregarding their own lives.

"everything's ready!!!"

As the two sides closed the distance, when the cannon was within range, Zhang Fei shouted directly: "Fire!!!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!——"

The few artillery shells of this vanguard fleet were simply poured out all at once.

The Jiangdong navy troops that were charging at them were forced to open a passage. The ships behind them also had to temporarily avoid the sharp edge!

“Breakout!!!”

Taishi Ci breathed a sigh of relief. The cannon did not explode. This was a blessing in disguise. It turned out that God was still blessing them and His Majesty's destiny was protecting them.

This imperial navy fleet broke through the encirclement directly!
There were nearly a hundred warships originally, but now there are only more than ten left. The remnants have suffered heavy losses!
"Chase!!!"

Huang Gai and other generals of the Jiangdong navy immediately ordered a pursuit.

Although they encircled and annihilated the enemy and won a great victory in this battle, they did not completely wipe out the imperial vanguard fleet!

This result made them very dissatisfied!
They wanted to use the annihilation of the imperial court's vanguard fleet to intimidate the imperial court's main navy and boost their own military morale!
But now it seems that there is only one finishing touch!
The Jiangdong Navy was in hot pursuit. At this time, the Jingzhou Navy and the Jiangdong Navy's vanguard fleet also merged into the Yangtze River from the Xiangjiang River.

After seeing this situation, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun decisively ordered a pursuit!
however!
The Jiangdong Navy and the Jingzhou Navy didn't chase far before they turned their ships around in panic and wanted to return to the camp!

because--

In front of the vanguard fleet of more than ten imperial navy ships, a large number of warships appeared densely!
These warships are hung with the Han dragon flag, and the emperor's dark black dragon flag is also fluttering, indicating that these are the emperor's warships, and the emperor is leading the army in person!

The main force of the imperial navy is coming!
Moreover, it was the ruler of the Han Dynasty, the king of a country, who personally led the army to fight!
The Jiangdong Navy and the Jingzhou Navy did not go into battle head-on, but chose to temporarily avoid the attack and retreat to Sanjiangkou to prepare for battle!
Zhang Fei, Taishi Ci and other members of the vanguard fleet, the remnants of the defeated army, when they saw the main force of the imperial navy and the at least thousands of warships, they burst into tears and were extremely excited!
They finally escaped!
"Rescue the Vanguard Fleet and pursue the rebels at the same time!"

Liu Bian stood at the bow and gave orders in a deep voice.

The civil and military officials behind him responded in unison, and the soldiers in the rear couldn't help but follow suit!
The loud shouts that shook ten miles away echoed over the Yangtze River.

Zhang Fei, Taishi Ci and other generals were rescued and came to Liu Bian in person to plead guilty.

"Your Majesty, we are incompetent!!!"

Zhang Fei and Taishi Ci looked at their colleagues, feeling extremely ashamed. They lowered their heads and knelt before Liu Bian to plead guilty.

The vanguard fleet had nearly a hundred warships, all of which suffered heavy losses, with only a dozen or so escaping.

As captains of the fleet, they cannot escape blame!
Liu Bei, the governor of Xuzhou, was also serving on the side, looking nervous and worried, but he did not dare to appear to plead for mercy.

"Victory and defeat are common in the military. What's important is to stand up from where you fell!" Liu Bian made a decisive decision, saying, "Now that the main force of the imperial court is about to engage in battle with the rebels, you should make amends for your crimes!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!!!"

After hearing this, Zhang Fei and Taishi Ci were overjoyed and kowtowed to express their gratitude.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu and other brothers also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and felt that Your Majesty was wise and powerful, and clearly knew how to reward and punish!

Now the main force of the imperial navy is about to engage in battle with the Jiangdong navy and the Jingzhou navy, which is not conducive to killing the generals in battle!
This will not boost morale, but will instead make the soldiers mourn and their morale will drop!
On the contrary, giving Zhang Fei and Taishi Ci meritorious service to make up for their crimes will allow all the soldiers to see your majesty's benevolence and your clear distinction between rewards and punishments!
This can also inspire the fighting spirit of Zhang Fei and Taishi Ci, allowing them to once again exert their remaining energy and make meritorious contributions while serving their sentences!
After a brief episode, the main force of the imperial navy sailed towards Sanjiangkou with great momentum!

...

The Jiangdong Navy and the Jingzhou Navy fled back to Sanjiangkou and immediately went to Xiakou to hold a meeting.

In addition to the generals of the Jiangdong navy, the generals of the Jingzhou navy also attended the meeting.

"What should we do?!" Cai Mao asked worriedly, "The main force of the imperial court is unstoppable!"

...

“I thought we could rely on the terrain advantage and block the enemy with iron chains across the river to gradually annex the imperial navy.

"But I didn't expect the imperial navy to be so strong and their cannons to be so powerful. They set up an ambush and surrounded us, but Zhang Fei and Taishi Ci were able to escape.

"Moreover, the iron chain across the river was easily resolved by the imperial navy."

Zhang Yun also expressed his own opinion, and said solemnly:

"The main force of the imperial navy has been dispatched. I only took a quick glance and estimated that there are about 1,000 to 2,000 warships. They are truly invincible!"

...

The generals of the Jingzhou navy expressed their opinions one after another, but their faces were full of sorrow and despair!
The generals of the Jiangdong navy are not much better!

However, all the generals of the Jiangdong navy looked at Zhou Yu, who was their backbone, commander, and think tank!

Zhou Yu said in a deep voice:

“The imperial navy fleet is estimated to have about 2,000 ships. It may seem powerful, but the waterway to Xiangjiang River is narrow and shallow, and it is impossible to accommodate so many warships.

"They will definitely station troops in the Sanjiangkou area and send them to Xiangjiang. We can use the same trick again and launch a fire attack from upstream to gradually annex the imperial troops!"

Upon hearing this, the generals agreed with it!
This is the only last resort!
The generals of the Jingzhou navy also nodded, expressing their deep approval!

After reaching an agreement, they immediately took action and continued to set up an ambush on the Xiang River.

however!
At this time, intelligence suddenly came: "Report! The main force of the imperial navy has divided its forces and marched southward into Poyang Lake!"

"what?!"

Zhou Yu was a little surprised, and then he woke up: "Did the court decide to deal with Jiangdong first?!"

They have considered this, but they think it is unlikely!
Because Wu County and Danyang County along the Yangtze River in Jiangdong were all under the control of Sun Ce, and the steep cliffs on both sides of the Yangtze River made them easy to defend but difficult to attack.

If the imperial court turned to attack Jiangdong, if Jingxiang came to their rescue, they would be caught in a situation where they were attacked from both sides.

But now, the court has chosen the most unlikely tactic.

At this time, another urgent report came from Sun Ce's personal soldiers, who said:

"Grand Commander, Governor of Yangzhou Liu Yao, Prefect of Yuzhang Zhu Hao, Prefect of Kuaiji Wang Lang, and former Jingzhou official Zhuge Xuan, send troops to Nanchang and attack the heart of Jiangdong! General Sun has personally led the troops to suppress the rebellion!"

After hearing this, Zhou Yu was shocked!
Jiangdong is not safe from danger, as there are still rebellious forces from the imperial court such as Liu Yao, Zhu Hao, Wang Lang and Zhuge Xuan!
And among them, there seems to be a resourceful strategist who gives Zhou Yu a lot of headaches by making suggestions!
Zhou Yu didn't know yet that the person who gave advice to Liu Yao and others was none other than Zhuge Liang!

Zhou Yu felt a sense of crisis as he was attacked from all sides!
In Jiangdong, Liu Yao, Zhu Hao, Wang Lang and Zhuge Xuan were causing chaos and harassment, while outside, the imperial navy was sending troops into Poyang Lake!

There are already internal and external troubles!

It's not over yet!
At this time, the messenger came hurriedly to report:

"General, the main force of the imperial navy has reached Sanjiangkou, but they did not station troops there, nor did they march north to Xiangjiang. Instead, they continued up the river to the Chibi area!"

"not good!!!"

Zhou Yu finally understood that the target of the imperial navy was not Jingxiang, but Jiangdong!
They now divided their troops and headed to Xiangjiang to set up an ambush. Now the Jiangdong navy stationed at Sanjiangkou only has half of its strength!

Zhou Yu reacted immediately, deployed his troops, and recalled the Jiangdong navy and Jingzhou navy that were heading to Xiangjiang to set up an ambush.

But it's too late!

After rescuing Zhang Fei and Taishi Ci, Liu Bian ordered a change in strategy.

He divided his troops into 500 warships, turned to Poyang Lake, and went deep into the heart of Jiangdong, where he cooperated with Liu Yao, Zhu Hao, Wang Lang and other court officials.

Nearly a thousand main forces headed towards Sanjiangkou and directly attacked the Jiangdong Navy’s base.

They divided their troops into 500 warships and continued up the river, passing Chibi, entering Baling, and then entering Dongting Lake. They cooperated with the court officials from the five counties in southern Jingzhou to clean up the southern part of Jingzhou.

The main force of the navy that accompanied Liu Bian in this expedition consisted of as many as two thousand warships. Even with the division of forces, they were still able to handle the situation with ease!

Now, thousands of main ships are heading directly towards the Jiangdong Navy’s base. Zhou Yu immediately organized a fleet of troops to resist!
But! ! !

Faced with the fierce artillery bombardment, they were powerless to resist!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!——"

The Jiangdong Navy's temporary base in Xiakou was directly bombarded by artillery and ruthlessly destroyed.

Zhang Fei and Taishi Ci's vanguard fleet had only a dozen main battleships equipped with cannons, and when they were besieged by the enemy, they had to use their shells sparingly!
However, the main fleet of the imperial navy led by Liu Bian himself had nearly a thousand ships after the troops were divided, and the main battleships numbered more than 500!
Each main battleship has 5 to 10 cannons. Assuming the minimum number of 5 cannons, that would be a massive bombardment of cannons!

The Jiangdong Navy’s base in Xiakou was almost razed to the ground!

"Dignity is only on the edge of the sword, and truth is only within the range of the cannon!"

Liu Bian looked at the Xiakou garrison of the Jiangdong Navy, which was bombed and razed to the ground, and sighed from the bottom of his heart, "From now on, the Han Dynasty must develop science!"

"..."

The civil and military officials under his command deeply agreed with this.

At this time, a messenger came to report: "Your Majesty, the Jiangdong Navy and the Jingzhou Navy have appeared at the mouth of the Xiangjiang River, intending to attack us from behind!"

"Divide our forces to stop them and let them see what the truth is!" Liu Bian gave the order directly.

Facing the Xiakou garrison of the Jiangdong Navy, the main fleet of nearly a thousand ships, which was bombarding it indiscriminately, divided its troops into five hundred and turned its ships around to fight against the Jiangdong Navy's divided troops and the Jingzhou Navy.

The two armies met in the area of ​​Chibi at Sanjiangkou. When two brave men meet on a narrow road, the braver one wins. Soon, before the Jiangdong navy could divide its forces and the Jingzhou navy could react, the artillery shells from the imperial navy fleet swept in!

The indiscriminate bombardment of the artillery left them completely powerless to fight back!

The main theme of this life's Battle of Red Cliffs is also related to "fire attack", but the difference is -

It was a fire attack using cannons and gunpowder bombardment!
This battle will surely go down in history!
Because this was a thrilling battle in which the Han Emperor Liu Bian personally led the army and won a great victory!

Because this is a war that marks a historical turning point from the era of cold weapons to the era of hot weapons!
……

(End of this chapter)