In fact, Chen Yuanhai was careful enough. Although it was a waterway, he restrained the fleet from going very fast. On the way, they docked and raided the three towns of Meixi, Ruihong and Shenbu.
Fortunately, most of the people in the three places have evacuated, and their property and food have been cleared away, so the losses are not huge.
Chen Yuanhai just asked the accompanying leaders to lead the team to relax and hunt for wild food. It didn't matter how much they harvested.
He also knew that these places had been evacuated. He was afraid of an ambush, so he did not dare to let everyone go deep. Basically, they went there on the same day and returned to the ship to spend the night the same day.
However, he didn't dare to go ashore after passing Shenbu. This place entered the territory of Santang Inspection Branch. In his opinion, it was better to be careful and not to be too aggressive. However, Chen Tong and Zhou Datou were quite disapproving of his stability.
From Chen Tong's point of view, the regiment training or the inspection department are not official troops, let alone the temporary "militia district team". From the bottom of his heart, he disdains and despises this kind of rural brave organization. Read the book
Zhou Datou naturally followed his pole and thought that Xiang Yong could only stop robbers and catch some thieves. How could he stop this menacing and battle-hardened army of three thousand?
Besides, we are all experts in water warfare, and it is up to others to advance or retreat. It is not a big worry for those few country warriors to capsize a small boat!
Somehow, this time Bai Yan and other leaders also agreed, criticizing Chen Yuanhai for being too careful, which forced him to give up his plan to rest for a day at the end of the lake before attacking, and decided to attack Santang directly tomorrow.
The specific arrangement is that after the fleet passes the end of the lake tomorrow morning, it will split into two groups. One group will take the waterway on the west side of Nanhuzhou to attack the newly built Santang Fort, and the other group will take the east waterway into Nanhu to land and occupy Santang Town.
Bai Yan immediately jumped out and expressed that he was willing to take the six coalition forces of Jinxi Lake to Nanhu. The reason was simple. These families were weak and could not deal with Nabao Village.
Chen Yuanhai thought about it. The strongest of these troops was only 400 men. There were only 300 sailors left to guard the ship, and the total number did not exceed 700.
It was a bit embarrassing to let such a ragtag group attack the fortress, and it would be unsightly if they failed. Letting them go to the town could play a diversionary role, so they graciously agreed to the request.
There was nothing to say that night, except to feed and drink to the subordinates, which not only boosted morale but also provided nutrition. After all, this was hard work and life-saving work!
However, Chen Yuanhai was still a little worried after all. After much deliberation, he finally called the leader named Fang who was leading the team in Shangtang and asked him to follow Bai Yan tomorrow. This was called strengthening his strength, but it was actually a supervision function.
"You don't have to actively move forward, as long as Bai Yan and the others move forward." Chen Yuanhai narrowed his eyes and told Leader Fang that in his opinion, his brother's men were trustworthy.
"Don't worry about their benefits. The town has been fortified and cleared, and there's nothing good you can get for a while. When the war is over, Fifth Brother will not forget his family!"
Leader Fang obeyed and asked: "What should we do if... Dabaiyan and the others can't do their job?"
"Find an opportunity to kill him. You can lead his troops and occupy his team and plate."
The square leader kowtowed happily, feeling secretly happy in his heart, thinking that it would be best if Big White Goose could give him this opportunity.
When Bai Yan heard about this, she immediately understood Chen Yuanhai's intention. She sneered and said, "Don't pay attention. We will do things as usual tomorrow. If the people on the pond are really in the way, we have dozens of boats. Are we still afraid of these three melons and two dates?"
"I'm afraid, but I'm not afraid." Taoist priest Wei muttered. There were only a small number of people in Qingyuan Temple, so they were all on the Baiyan ship, and they just played the role of counselors. "I'm worried that if he gets involved, will the other leaders have any scruples?"
"It doesn't matter." Bai Yan waved her hand. He was still confident in his prestige and methods. "The brothers in Jinxi Lake will definitely not be happy for the Chen family to move in. Based on this alone, it is impossible for everyone to follow Chen Yuanhai. Don't worry!"
Then he called in his Chinese army: "Go and inform the leaders of our Jinxi Lake. Let's watch my boat hoist the blue pennant tomorrow and respond together! In addition, let them be on guard and go to Tangzhai. If anything happens, report it to me immediately." Know."
Early the next morning, on Chen Yuanhai's boat, they poured wine and worshiped across the river amidst the sound of horns.
God and the Dragon King, a big rooster that had been prepared had its throat cut.
The "Great God" wearing a hundred-year-old robe stared at the wine bowl dripping with chicken blood for a long time. Zhou Datou next to him couldn't help but ask:
"I'm talking about what the gods said, can you please give me some sweet words? Thousands of people are waiting for me..." He suddenly shut up, avoiding Chen Tong's stern gaze and lowered his head.
"Oh, you daredevil!" The "great god" who invited the immortals suddenly seemed to wake up: "The immortals have something to say..."
"How?" Everyone pricked up their ears.
"There are many enemy troops ahead..."
"Alas!" Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone knew this was nonsense. "What else?" I don't know who asked without giving up.
"They are prepared..."
"What else?" Zhou Datou was so anxious that he scratched his head and couldn't help but ask again.
"And... I haven't finished speaking yet, so I asked you to interrupt me!" The great god glared angrily.
Zhou Datou was very embarrassed, and Bai Yan and others were holding back their laughter. Everyone in the world knows that you either don’t invite a god, or if you do, don’t interrupt before he speaks, otherwise you will definitely be blamed for this “ineffectiveness”!
In fact, praying to God is just a guise, used to scare the stupid and superstitious soldiers below. Those who are leaders know what is going on, so who would take this seriously?
From Huang Chao to Fang La, everyone likes to use some colorful colors, but they still have to use swords and guns in battle!
Chen Yuanhai coughed lightly, and someone loudly announced that the auspicious time had arrived, beating drums and going to war, and then said words such as "River Wind is auspicious" and "Lake God Zuoyou".
There is no need for all the masters and leaders to continue listening, and they should quickly return to their respective ships, unload the anchors and raise the sails. At one time, hundreds of boats, large and small, were moving, as if a large school of fish suddenly appeared on the water.
At this time, the fog is dissipating in the sunshine. This section of the water is open and has a good view. It is estimated that we can turn around Dongjiashan in half an hour.
Back on his boat, Bai Yan looked back at Chen Yuanhai's boat and sneered: "I hope this is the last time I see it!"
"There must be four or five hundred materials for this boat. I wonder how he got it in the first place?" Daochang Wei said with a gloomy face and his hands behind his back beside him: "The original owner should be able to rest in peace today."
Chen Yuanhai's ship is very big, the largest in the fleet of hundreds of ships. It is probably more than eight and a half feet (twenty-six meters) long and two feet (six meters) wide. It is a converted large merchant ship.
Wooden crenellations were added to the hull and cabin roof, and several anti-rocket iron shields were hung on the bulkheads. Chen Yuanhai's flag is now hung on its main mast, as if he specifically wants to tell his opponents who they are facing.
But judging from Bai Yan's mood, she really thought she didn't die quickly enough!
Although he didn't know what exactly was ambushed here in Santang Town, nor did he know what Li Sanlang was planning.
But judging from what Second Master Ren brought, it seemed that they were going to deal with the Chen family and his son on Xihe Road. As long as he and other families did not go there to interfere, they would be safe.
Whether it is a blessing or a curse, life or death, it all depends on the fate of the Chen family.
"Raise my flag and sail!" Bai Yan ordered without looking back.
"Boom, boom, boom..."
The sound of drums echoed on the water's surface, and boats of all sizes were filing upstream, taking advantage of the early morning wind. After passing Dongjiashan, the water surface tightened, the flow speed increased, and the speed of the fleet also slowed down significantly, and then they separated into two paths at Nanhuzhou.
Bai Yan stood on the bow of the boat, the wind blowing his cloak behind him. Looking at the sandbank on the left, he ordered his men to send a message to the lookout on the mast: "Look where the ship on Shangtangzhai is?"
After a while, the lookout shouted with his hand down: "Follow us, they are a mile behind us!"
"Is there an entrance to the water inlet?"
"Come in, just came in!"
Daochang Wei looked around again and again: "Why is it so quiet? There is no movement at all? If we want to fight, this is the best time, but it seems that there is no action in the west? Wentian (Bai Yan's character), it can't be Ren Er. being fooled
Already? "
"Don't worry." Bai Yan raised her chin: "Did you see the woods that turned ahead? It looks like a waterway. If you guessed correctly, it should be the exit of Nanhu."
"Where are we supposed to go in?"
"That's right." He suddenly moved his ears and made a "shhh" sound to quiet the surroundings. Then he leaned forward and stared at the waterway. Suddenly, a ship's bow emerged from behind the tree, and the lookout shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Officers! There is an ambush, there are officers and soldiers in front!" Everyone was shocked, looking ahead in disbelief, until a figure wearing an officer's uniform appeared, and they saw a battle flag hanging on the mast behind, flying. On the flag is the word "Dong".
"What the hell, why are there officers and soldiers here?"
"Yeah, where did the officers and soldiers come from?"
Bai Yan and Lao Dao were both panicked. Ren Er never said there were officers and soldiers in Santang Town!
"Turn around and retreat quickly!" Bai Yan shouted while pulling her neck. It's okay to deal with the militia, the inspection department, and even the regiment training, but it's another story to deal with the Shangguan army.
The reason why these big men in the lake admire Yang Xing so much is because he killed tens of thousands of soldiers in one battle, and he is simply a god in their eyes.
But they didn't have the guts to deal with the officers and soldiers themselves, and in fact, Bai Yan didn't need to call him at all. His men were already turning the ship around when they heard the lookout's shout, even before he gave the order!
But... there is a problem here. Bai Yan and the others are going upstream, and the speed of the water in this section is much faster than that of Dongjiashan just now, so it is very troublesome for the boat to turn around.
This was not as simple as shifting into reverse gear and turning the steering wheel in later generations, especially when they were originally walking in a queue, but now everything was in chaos.
The boat Bai Yan and others are riding in is in front of the team. The river is 140 steps (about 100 meters) wide, but the river behind him is only 110 steps (80 meters) wide. .
He and the second boat both saw the officers and soldiers and began to turn around, suddenly blocking the way of other boats. The boats behind did not know what happened, and as a result, two or three boats collided with each other.
When Bai Yan heard Fei Fanyingtian calling for help, he suddenly realized: Yes, didn't he have an appointment with someone? So why should I panic? But another thought came to mind that the people Ren Er came into contact with were not the officers and soldiers!
But seeing the chaos behind him, the officers and soldiers getting closer and closer, and more and more boats coming out of the lake, he gritted his teeth and decided to be a live doctor! Then they shouted: "Raise the green flag, raise the green flag quickly!"
It turned out that he had prepared a green cloth as a flag before leaving. At this time, although his subordinates did not know what was going on, they still hung up the green flag in a hurry.
Looking at the officers and soldiers at this time, they didn't even chase them. They set up a formation in front, and then "rumblingly" drove out two vehicles and boats from behind. Bai Yan has heard of cars and boats, but has never seen one.
This thing has a slightly pointed head and a wide belly. It only has two masts without sails, but it can run very fast. In particular, there was a catapult on the front deck, and a stone projectile was thrown from a distance, causing a huge splash of water.
Director Wei tugged at his sleeve and shouted, "Go, go! This is a warning. If you don't leave, we will be beaten!"
Bai Yan woke up from a dream and hurriedly commanded the fleet to turn around and retreat.
It was said that Leader Fang of Shangtang Village was slowly following behind with his three boats. Suddenly, someone reported that the fleet had turned around and came back.
The square leader was puzzled and hurriedly came out to take a look. Sure enough, he saw the fleet was in a mess, but they were all returning at high speed with full sails. Leader Fang was confused. He suddenly understood and said angrily:
"What a big white goose. I think he is timid and wants to run away when he encounters an enemy in front. Sons and gentlemen, come up to me and stop him. I will ask him if he is embarrassed!"
It's easier to think than to do, especially in this headwind and headwind situation. Leader Fang watched Bai Yan's fleet pass by him. He was anxious and angry, jumping on his feet and scolding these little bastards for their lack of faith.
Before he could vent his anger, he saw a huge chaos on his boat, and many people jumped into the water "thump, thump". Under the guidance of his own soldiers, he discovered that two vehicles and ships were flanking him from left to right, and he had already become a target.
"Aim, prepare, fire!" Throw stones
The commander of the machine roared loudly. There were so many ships and they were good targets, but it was a pity that they were all flying green flags.
There was an order from above not to fly the green flag, but hey, three ships without the green flag finally appeared here, so they fought hard!
The captain ordered the ship to move sideways and not move, and then move around the other side.
Since the trebuchet is equipped with a steering gear, two sailors can adjust its direction by shaking the handle. Therefore, the four trebuchets on the ship fired two rounds in a row, causing sawdust to fly into the opponent's side and the ship to scream incessantly.
Soon three big holes appeared in the side of the boat, and the boat was helplessly dragged to the bottom of the river by the incoming water.
The two boats behind were frightened. After struggling for a few times, they couldn't outpace each other and had to hoist the white flag. The official and military boats behind them came over and captured them.
Just when Bai Yan led his troops to escape from the battlefield, something strange happened on the West Waterway.
The Chen family's father and son, who were advancing rapidly in front, suddenly received a report that they were lagging behind because of their bulkiness. The beautiful and luxurious official ship owned by the young master of Botangzhai called for help because the cabin was flooded. Ren Er took the His two boats rushed back to rescue people.
Neither of them paid much attention to the news.
"Trash!" Chen Yuanhai said.
"I knew that if that kid came on a boat like this, he would be a drag on us!" Chen Tong curled his lips in disdain:
"Dad, don't worry about him. Besides, his hundred or so people won't have much effect. If you fall behind, just fall behind." After he finished speaking, he waved his hand: "For a coward like Botangzhai, I'll do it when I get back." Bring someone to destroy it!"
