Chapter 491 The appearance of the Nanyang Navy scares the Jingxiang nobility!
Jiangxia County.
Yangtze River, Xiakou.
County Governor Huang Zu stood in the wind, looking at the surging Yangtze River in the distance, and said proudly: "Degui, if you lose, you will lose. Don't make any excuses. The Nanyang Navy has only been established for a year, how much combat effectiveness can it have?"
"snort."
Cai Mao glanced at Huang Zu, his heart became more and more angry, and said coldly: "The combat effectiveness of the Nanyang navy is indeed average, but its warships are powerful and its weapons are superior to Jingxiang. I can't defeat it, and you may not be able to defeat it."
"weapon?"
Huang Zu frowned, not knowing what he meant.
Kuai Yue on the side quickly explained: "It's a ballista ship!"
Huang Zu was even more shocked: "What is a ballista ship?"
Kuai Yue said softly: "It's very simple. Just install the ballista on the battleship and use its ultra-high range and power to greatly improve the combat capability of the battleship."
"oh?"
Huang Zu was astonished: "Is this happening?"
Kuai Yue nodded: "Yes, if it's just a ballista, that's fine. The most terrible thing is that they also installed ambushes and thunder bombs on the ballista. Once it hits, it will definitely break our warship into pieces."
"In addition, all the soldiers on their small warships are equipped with ambushes and thunder bombs. Within thirty steps, they will use ambushes and thunder bombs to attack our warships. It is really difficult for our army to resist."
"this......"
Huang Zu frowned, with a look of fear on his face.
Naturally, he had heard of the power of the Thunderbolt of Fire. It was an entity that had the ability to break mountains and crack rocks. It could even explode mountains, let alone a small warship.
It would be understandable if he was defeated by the Fire-Following Thunderbolt: "I didn't expect that Nanyang could actually apply the Fire-Following Thunderbolt in such a way to a water battle. It's really amazing."
"snort."
Cai Mao was furious: "If you come, can you possibly defend it?"
Huang Zu breathed out and did not answer. He just frowned: "But since we can't prevent it at Hanjiang River, how can we prevent it when we get to Xiakou? Do you have a way to break the fire and thunder?"
The Yangtze River has seven strategically located ferries in the south of Jingzhou, and Xiakou is located in Jiangxia County. It is used to dyke troops and horses coming from the east of the Yangtze River, and can also withstand pressure from the north of Jingang.
Cai Mao retreated directly here, not only because Huang Zu had a large number of troops here, but also because here you can attack and retreat. If you win, you can take Xiangyang in one fell swoop. Even if you lose, you can take advantage of the situation to enter Jiangdong.
Or Jingnan.
"There is a stupid way."
Cai took a long breath and spoke softly: "During this battle, your general Gan Ning sacrificed the speed of the battleship and used mainly sword and shield troops to penetrate the enemy's defense line."
"We all believe that as long as we generally adopt this method, we can completely penetrate the Nanyang naval defense line and then engage in hand-to-hand combat with them on the river. In this way, our army's victory rate will be much higher."
"That's right."
Then, Kuai Yue added: "According to our careful observation, the advantages of the Nanyang Navy lie in battleships and weapons, but the disadvantage is also obvious, that is, the actual combat ability of the navy soldiers is far inferior to that of our army."
"If we can quickly approach the opponent and break into their defense line, we can abolish their weapon advantage and gain the upper hand through hand-to-hand combat. Only in this way can we gain a chance of survival."
Huang Zu was also a strong general who had experienced hundreds of battles, so he naturally understood the secret of it all at once. No matter how powerful the battleships and weapons were, once the two sides closed the distance, in the final analysis, it was a battle between people.
The battle on the river relies entirely on the water warfare experience of the soldiers. This is the absolute advantage of the Jingxiang Navy. After all, they have more than ten years of combat experience, while the Nanyang Navy only has one year, but it is only
It's just training, not actual combat.
To put it bluntly, the gap in experience between the two sides in water warfare is not a huge difference, but it is by no means a small amount, and can determine the outcome.
"What about Gan Ning?"
Huang Zu asked tentatively.
"this......"
Cai Mao sighed and shook his head: "Unfortunately, Gan Ning should have been captured."
Huang Zu didn't feel any pity at all, and said softly: "It's just a Jinfan thief. If he is captured, he will be captured. It doesn't matter. I still have hundreds of warships. If we gather all the warships in Jingnan, we may be able to fight with them."
"
"That's right."
Kuai Yue nodded and said: "That's what I plan to do! So next, I will personally rush to the counties in Jingnan and ask them to gather all the naval forces."
"At the same time, I will also lead people to the various barbarian tribes and try to win them over to fight against the Nanyang court. Only in this way can we become stronger."
Cai Mao solemnly said: "If we can gather the power of various barbarians, we may not be able to compete with the Nanyang court. The navy is our first line of defense, and the Jingnan mountains and forests are our second line of defense."
Kuai Yue said softly: "Yes, this is my plan."
Huang Zu followed up and said: "In that case, you should set off early. According to Sun Jian's temperament, he may soon wipe out Jingbei and rush to the Yangtze River. We don't have much time left."
"kindness."
Kuai Yue leaned forward and handed over his hands: "I'm ready to leave now."
Cai Mao took a deep breath and said solemnly: "Xiandu, thank you for your hard work."
Just as Kuai Yue was about to leave.
suddenly.
Not far away, a long announcement sounded:
"Report—!"
Huang Zu and others turned to look.
But when he saw a horse coming from Juechen, he looked rather panicked.
Huang Zu frowned, stared at the general, and said softly: "She'er, why are you here free?"
Huang She hurriedly stepped forward, not even bothering to salute, and raised his hand to point back: "Father, there is a situation in the east of Jiangdong."
Huang Zu was stunned for a moment: "Oh? Could it be that Liu Yao sent someone here?"
"impossible?"
Even Kuai Yue on the side could not help but become curious: "According to common sense, the news of our defeat could not have reached Jiangdong so quickly. Even if it had reached Jiangdong, Liu Yao would not have had time to prepare."
"It's not Liu Yao!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Huang She shook his head in denial.
"oh?"
Huang Zu was even more surprised and asked tentatively: "Isn't it Liu Yao? Who is that?"
Cai Mao frowned, and an impossible answer popped into his mind: "Could it be the Nanyang Navy?"
"That's right."
Huang She nodded affirmatively: "It is the Nanyang Navy. They came in from the estuary of the Yangtze River, went all the way up the Shuo River, and went straight to our Jingxiang. Liu Yao did not send troops to stop them along the way."
"Nanyang Navy?"
Huang Zu was surprised: "They actually came from Jiangdong? Liu Yao is a waste. He didn't even resist. Is it possible that he really wants to be a dog for Nanyang?"
Kuai Yue also had a look of disbelief on his face: "Liu Yao didn't resist and just surrendered. Is it possible that the Yangzhou nobles didn't make any move and allowed the Nanyang Navy to break in so blatantly?"
"this......"
"How can this be?"
Kuai Yue couldn't believe this ending at all.
After all, he still knew something about the Yangzhou aristocratic families. Since they could not accept the Nanyang Hanting's decree, it was impossible for the Yangzhou gentry to accept it either.
According to common sense, the Yangzhou nobles must resist. Even if Liu Yao is determined to be a dog, the Yangzhou nobles will never tolerate him, just like Jingzhou.
But who would have thought...
Not only did the Yangzhou nobles not take action, they even allowed the Nanyang Navy to kill all the way from the mouth of the Yangtze River to the Xia County of Jingxiang River. This was simply connivance!
"perhaps......"
Huang She's throat rolled and he swallowed hard: "Maybe they didn't dare to resist."
Huang Zu was stunned for a moment: "You dare not resist? Are you kidding me? The Jiangdong navy is not inferior to our Jingxiang navy. Why don't they dare to resist? This is their strongest army."
"it is true."
Huang She nodded affirmatively and immediately added: "The Nanyang Navy has several giant warships, which are at least more than ten feet high and dozens of feet long. Even the medium-sized warships are much larger than our large-scale warships."
"ah?"
Suddenly, Huang Zu was stunned.
Cai Mao was stunned.
Kuai Yue was even more stunned.
They seemed unable to believe that the Nanyang Navy actually had a giant warship!
Especially Huang Zu himself, his eyes almost exploded: "What did you say? The Nanyang Navy has giant battleships that are more than ten feet high and dozens of feet long?"
"How can this be?"
Cai Mao didn't believe it at all. He waved his hand and immediately scolded: "We have just finished the fierce battle with Sun Jian's navy, and we are very clear about the strength of Nanyang navy."
"Their ballistae ship is, at best, only more than ten feet long and several feet high. How can it be a giant warship that is more than ten feet high and dozens of feet long."
"impossible!"
"This is absolutely impossible!"
Cai Mao stared and denied without hesitation.
"it is true!"
However, Huang She was serious and nodded very seriously: "This is what I said with my own eyes. How can I lie? They should have passed Fankou now and are heading towards Xiakou."
"Our navy in Jiangxia County is resisting, but it seems to be ineffective. It is no match for the Nanyang Navy. Several generals have already been defeated."
Gulu!
Huang Zu swallowed his saliva.
Cai Mao may not believe it yet, but Huang Zu knew his son very well.
What he looks like now is not a joke at all, it is real.
Not daring to hesitate at all, Huang Zu immediately waved his hand: "Let's go and have a look."
Huang She bowed and held up his hands: "Father, come with me."
"Degui."
Huang Zu turned his head and winked: "Let's go and take a look."
Cai Mao was also confused and nodded: "Okay! Xiandu, don't go. First go to the major governors and try to mobilize the troops as quickly as possible. I will write down the latest situation."
Let me tell you."
Kuai Yue nodded: "Okay, I understand. Just go ahead. If it is true, don't act rashly. It's important to preserve your strength. Do you understand?"
Cai Mao gave a grunt: "Don't worry, I know what's going on."
Immediately.
Kuai Yue went straight to Jingnan, while Cai Mao, Huang Zu, and Huang She went straight to Fankou.
But......
They hadn't walked twenty miles when they heard a faint explosion.
"Damn it!"
Huang She was shocked and shocked: "No way, they have already broken through Fankou?"
You must know that Fankou is a very difficult point. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It is very difficult for ordinary fleets to break through.
Huang She thought he could come back before Fankou was breached, but he never thought that before he came back, the opponent would already break through the obstacle.
Huang Zu took a deep breath: "How long has it been?"
Huang She breathed out: "It's less than an hour."
"An hour?"
Cai Mao was equally shocked and horrified: "How is this possible?"
Huang She ignored Cai Mao and just said: "We will know if it is true or not."
drive-!
The three of them continued to mount their horses and ran towards Fankou.
as expected.
Not long after, the explosion sound in the air became louder, and you could even clearly see gunpowder smoke floating in the air.
About three miles further forward, a huge warship was chasing hundreds of warships on the river. It was chasing them with ballistae frantically. Once it hit, it would definitely kill them.
"Father, look!"
Huang She raised his hand and pointed to the river.
Boom—!
It was like a thunderbolt in the clear sky.
The generals Huang Zu and Cai Mao were stunned in place as if they were struck by thunder and lightning.
Especially Cai Mao himself, his eyes widened, his mouth widened, his eyes almost exploded, and his body even trembled subconsciously:
"Ah, this..."
"How is this possible?"
"How could there be such a huge warship in this world?"
Compared with the battleships in front of them, Sun Jian's crossbow gunboats on the Han River are simply child's play, and the high-rise battleships under their command are simply small loaches, and there is no comparison at all.
With such a bunker-like battleship, even if they could rush over, it would be difficult to win. After all, such a battleship could already ignore the turbulence of the river.
And compared to infantry?
How can they be Nanyang's opponents!
"Degui, is it possible that Xiangyang also has such a warship?"
Huang Zu turned his head and glanced at the surprised Cai Mao, and asked tentatively.
"No."
Cai Mao quickly shook his head: "Sun Jian's battleships are like gravel in front of them, not worth mentioning."
Huang Zu breathed out: "Damn it! I didn't expect that the Nanyang navy was so powerful. It seems that it is impossible for us to defend the Yangtze River. We can only unite with the barbarians to resist the Nanyang Han court."
"General."
Cai Mao hurriedly raised his hands and said: "Don't hesitate. Quickly mobilize all the infantry from Jiangxia. Let's rush to Changsha. At the same time, we will send someone to send a message to Yidu, telling him to go straight to the barbarians and leave the four counties of Jingnan to me."
Huang Zu nodded: "Okay, I understand, She'er, let's go back to Xiakou."
Huang She cupped his hands and said, "Here!"
*****
Yangzhou, Danyang.
State Shepherd's Office.
Liu Yao stood up with a look of disbelief on his face: "What did you say? Sun Jian decided to conquer Xiangyang in one battle, and the Nanyang navy easily defeated Xiakou? Now he has successfully occupied a fortress on the Yangtze River?"
"That's right."
General Zhang Ying said with great certainty: "My lord, I have been sending people to follow the warships of the Nanyang Navy. When they were at Fankou, they encountered some obstacles."
"but......"
As soon as the topic changed, Zhang Ying swallowed hard and continued: "The giant battleship of the Nanyang Navy opened the way with super ballistae, and in a short time, it blew up all the commanding heights on both sides."
You must know that Fankou is the first pass for Jiangxia to resist the Jiangdong navy. It is also a very dangerous pass. There are solid fortresses on both sides, which can be attacked and defended. It is very powerful.
Once upon a time, Liu Yao always wanted to attack Liu Biao. He tried N times but failed to break through Fankou. He was always defeated by a rain of arrows before he could attack.
but......
It was this pass that had given Liu Yao a headache for who knows how many years. When facing the Nanyang Navy, he was easily conquered without even holding on for half a day.
Now Liu Yao was very lucky that he did not stop the Nanyang Navy. Otherwise, his navy might have been annihilated, and he might even be implicated and become the sinner of the Han Dynasty.
Plop!
Liu Yao sat down on the main seat, his eyes blank. It took him a long time to recover from the shock: "Fortunately, we didn't act rashly, otherwise we would really regret it for the rest of our lives!"
"yes."
Even Gu Yong on the side couldn't help but feel scared.
Although they are unwilling to accept Nanyang's land policy, they would rather publicize their private land than suffer the pain of genocide.
The current Yangzhou gentry, facing the powerful force of Nanyang, have no desire to resist. They are not willing to follow in the footsteps of the Jingxiang gentry.
"Fortunately, my lord did not attack the Nanyang Navy, otherwise they could have wiped us out easily. You saved Yangzhou and even saved the Jingxiang gentry."
Having said this, Gu Yong bowed towards Liu Yao, who was leading him, and offered his hands with great respect: "On behalf of them, I, Gu Yong, would like to thank you for your calmness."
"where."
Liu Yao waved his hand and said with a long voice: "For me, I may go to the imperial court next, so you should consider the next countermeasures."
"The general trend of the Nanyang Han Dynasty is unstoppable, and the Yangzhou nobles must bear the brunt. If you want to take care of the family, you must harm some of your interests. Yuan Tan should be clear about this."
Gu Yong nodded slowly: "If my guess is right, it may not be long before the governor sent by the imperial court will arrive. I can't control others, but my Gu family will definitely put the overall situation first."
Liu Yao took a long breath and felt completely at ease: "If you can do this, Yangzhou will be safe."
Gu Yong nodded: "Lord, don't worry."
"Report—!"
At this moment, a long announcement sounded outside the hall.
Liu Yao looked up.
However, he saw that his bodyguard hurriedly entered the palace, leaned forward and said, "My lord, there is a guy outside the palace who calls himself Zhang Zhao. He said he is here with an edict from the imperial court."
"oh?"
Liu Yao was surprised: "So fast?"
Gu Yong pinched a strand of beard under his chin: "What a Zhang Zhao, he came really quickly! He wants to strike while the iron is hot."
"Walk!"
Liu Yao stood up and waved his hand: "Let's go and greet him."
Gu Yong nodded: "Okay." He immediately followed him out.
Squeak—!
When the gate opens.
Sure enough, two men stood outside the temple, looking proud.
Liu Yao hurriedly greeted him, bowed and handed over his hand: "Liu Yao, the governor of Yangzhou, has seen an angel."
Zhang Zhao personally helped Liu Yao up: "Liu Shijun, get up quickly."
Liu Yao said softly: "To be honest, I have been looking forward to it for a long time."
Zhang Zhaodan smiled: "Now is the right time, it's not too late. Your Majesty is also in Nanyang, looking forward to envoy you."
"Walk."
Liu Yao waved his hand to make an invitation: "Let's go into the main hall and discuss it in detail."
Zhang Zhao nodded: "That's very good."
At that moment, Zhang Zhao was not polite. After all, he represented the emperor, so he walked at the front and went straight to the main hall.
*****
Yizhou, Shu County.
State Shepherd's Office.
Liu Yan let out a sigh of relief and said with emotion: "The Jingxiang gentry are really brave and dare to rebel. Now you know how powerful Nanyang Hanting is."
"snort."
When he said this, Liu Yan snorted lightly and said in a ferocious voice: "You are simply overestimating your capabilities."
Afterwards, Liu Zhang nodded and agreed: "Yes, Cai Mao did overestimate his capabilities. He thought that the Jingxiang navy could be the only one in the world. Little did he know that the imperial court had started planning several years ago in order to capture Jingxiang.
"
"Now that the sword is just unsheathed, they haven't even been able to survive a round. It's really embarrassing. Do you think they can rule across the river from the imperial court by hiding in Jingnan?"
Liu Yan couldn't help but look at his son with a high look, pinching a strand of beard under his chin: "You have such knowledge, it's not in vain for your father's careful cultivation over the years."
"indeed!"
Liu Yan nodded affirmatively: "The Jingxiang navy is unparalleled in the world. It's not that they have become weaker this time, but the opponent is too strong. They can't defeat the navy. They are naturally more ridiculous than the starting army!"
"If my guess is correct, it may not be long before the imperial troops and horses will go deep into Jingnan, not only to eliminate the remnants of Jingxiang, but also to recover the barbarians."
Liu Zhang smiled: "My father was still wise. He had an agreement with His Majesty the Emperor, and even deliberately publicized it in Nanyang, leaving His Majesty the Emperor with no way out, and never took action against us."
Liu Yan breathed out and looked calm: "Son, don't underestimate His Majesty the Emperor. Although we have this agreement, we still can't relax our vigilance. The emperor today is the hero. I'm afraid that such a childish agreement will not be able to stop him.
.”
"What my father said is true."
"do not worry......"
Liu Zhang patted his chest and promised: "I have sent people to Guanzhong, Nanyang, and Jingxiang to find out the news. If there is any sign of the imperial court gathering troops, it will be hidden from us."
"kindness."
Liu Yan nodded and warned: "We must be more careful. The training of soldiers and horses from all parties must not be left behind. If your Majesty does not attack us in Yizhou, it will be easy. Once he attacks us, we must have sufficient countermeasures."
.”
"Oh, right."
At this point, Liu Yan suddenly thought of something and reminded: "Have there been any response from the people we sent out to inquire about the temple?"
Liu Zhang shook his head and sighed: "Not yet. The Taoist Pavilion is a secret of the imperial court. Only some of us know its location, but there are a large number of troops stationed on its periphery. Once anyone approaches, they will be arrested."
"No matter whether you are a commoner or a noble, you will be treated as a spy and you will have to go through the school affairs office. So until now, we only know the general location."
"but......"
Liu Zhang said softly: "Currently, the imperial court is preparing to rebuild Luoyang City, which requires quarrying of stones, etc. Some teams are equipped with certain Fire and Thunder weapons. This may be an opportunity for us to make a breakthrough."
Liu Yan frowned: "Oh? Your Majesty has decided to rebuild Luoyang City?"
"certainly."
Liu Zhang nodded affirmatively: "It's the news from the past two days. After Sun Jian's victory, the imperial court announced that it would build Luoyang City, and has started bidding to find a suitable team."
Liu Yan exhaled: "No wonder, the price of the Golden Monkey has soared to twenty-five gold!"