Ten Shenyu spaceships were moving impetuously on the broad Han River. Under the command of Zhao Chong's flag, they were constantly conducting various military drills, changing their formations to form an offensive, or flying geese to form an encirclement. Very lively. The rumble of drums and horns on the warships could be heard within a radius of dozens of miles, attracting countless people to stand along the river and watch.
"General, that's the Xihetrough over there." Zhao Chong pointed to a puddle of water ahead.
Qin Mubai climbed to the command platform on the top of the ship and looked up. He saw that the water in this area was misty and filled with smoke and water vapor. There were many swamps and small mounds covered with reeds. There were many trees and strange rocks in the river. It is so narrow that the entrance is only as wide as the divine fish spacecraft, and the inside is full of branches and branches. The extremely narrow place can only accommodate a small flat-bottomed sand-proof boat to punt through.
Zhao Chong lowered the flag, and ten Shenyu spaceships were lined up in front of the Xihetrough, like a river bank stretching across this swamp.
Seeing this, Qin Mubai couldn't help but sneered: "Zhao Chong, I really want to know how your divine fish spaceship can kill water ghosts. Why don't you give me a drill?"
Zhao Chong obviously heard the suspicion and dissatisfaction in Qin Mubai's words. He clasped his fists seriously and saluted, and said: "General, please be patient. We will conduct actual combat drills as soon as possible."
"What are you waiting for? Let's get started!"
"yes!"
Zhao Chong waved the flag, and a rapid drumbeat beat on the handsome boat. Hearing shouts suddenly rang out from below the side of the ship, Qin Mubai stretched out his head and looked down, and saw that from the abdominal cavity of the huge divine fish spacecraft, the box suddenly opened, and strips as wide as a person rushed out from the inside. A pointed shuttle boat two or three feet long. There are more than ten sergeants on each boat carrying swords and bows, and several others are responsible for paddling, pole-polling and steering.
With the master coming to watch the battle, the soldiers also worked hard and moved forward. Each shuttle boat traveled extremely fast, and soon they entered the harbor alley. Then there was a cry of killing, and the archers on the boat fired arrows quickly into the reeds.
When Qin Mu and Bai Dingqing took a look, it turned out that some haystack dolls covered with green cloth had already been erected in some reeds. The soldiers' archery skills were not bad, and many of the dolls were already loaded with arrows.
Immediately afterwards, the sergeants took out a large crossbow from the cabin of the shuttle boat. Three or two sergeants worked together to pull it open, pointed it into the water and fired fiercely, and then dragged it hard, and actually pulled up many sand and cloth bags from the water. The doll.
"You're well prepared. The drill was a bit interesting." Qin Mubai chuckled casually and gently tapped the wooden railing of the podium with his hand, with a deliberately disdainful look on his face.
Zhao Chong couldn't stand it any longer and said angrily: "How dissatisfied is the general with Biao's navy officers?"
"I can't talk about dissatisfaction. I just feel that these soldiers don't look like soldiers, but they are children of the Liyuan. It's not enough to kill the enemy in battle, but it's okay to perform on stage." Qin Mubai sneered.
"What?!" Zhao Chong suddenly became a little annoyed, but he didn't dare to get angry at Qin Mubai, so he could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger, his throat kept sliding up and down, and anger was already rising in his eyes.
When the other generals heard Qin Mubai's words, they were also a little annoyed, and secretly scolded Qin Mubai in their hearts.
Seeing that everyone else was dissatisfied and angry with Qin Mubai, Du Chengyuan hurriedly stood up and said: "Everyone, please don't be impatient! I think General Qin probably means that the navy in Zuoying still needs to continue training. There is still room for improvement! - General Qin, please speak frankly. Zhao Chong has led Zuo Ying for many years and has been training hard. Although the water ghosts have not been wiped out yet, it is only a matter of time. The navy officers and soldiers have no merit but hard work, General Qin should not be too harsh. "
After hearing this, Qin Mubai was not in a hurry to speak. Instead, he stepped on the stairs step by step with his hands clasped behind his back. He walked down the stairs and walked directly to Du Chengyuan. He looked at him with a majestic expression and a stern look on his face: "Du Chengyuan, I Have you been asked to speak?"
"Uh, this... I'm talking too much for my humble position. Please forgive me, general!" Du Chengyuan hurriedly took two steps back and handed over his hands to apologize, but he sneered in his heart: You only have so much tolerance! I deserve to be scolded by you for speaking up for my brothers. As time goes by, everyone respects me more and more, but dislikes you more and more.
Qin Mubai didn't understand what he was thinking. He was just trying to win people's hearts by retreating. There is no need to argue with him now. Qin Mubai said to everyone majestically: "All generals, listen up! We are soldiers, and the duty of soldiers is to protect our homes and country, and protect the people and the country. The Tang Dynasty's requirements for our army, It’s merit, not hard work! If you have merit, you are a qualified soldier; if you don’t make a contribution, you are just messing around and wasting money and food, which is no different from being greedy for public goods.”
Everyone's expressions changed and they all lowered their heads. Du Chengyuan couldn't help but retaliate: "General Qin, aren't you going too far? The water ghosts in Xiangzhou have been causing trouble for decades and have not stopped. How dare you go to Xiangzhou in the past?" Are all the officers, generals, and sergeants freeloading on themselves?”
"Du Chengyuan, I know you are not convinced." Qin Mubai did not rush to get angry, but sneered, "I didn't say that you are all just sitting in the corpse position and not doing your job. It's just that the Zuoying navy has too many pretensions and lacks actual combat ability. It's so bad that I really can't stand it. Take a look at it, how much military money, food, manpower and material resources will be spent on these ten Shenyu spaceships, let alone the mere Xihe Cao? The Water Ghost can take down even a separatist city."
Zhao Chong quickly ran down from the command platform, hugged a fist, and said angrily: "Why does the general think that Biao's navy is not effective in combat?"
"Okay, I will let you know the facts!" Qin Mubai raised his eyebrows and flashed his starry eyes, shouting: "Where is Pang Fei!"
"The general is here!" Pang Fei strode forward to meet him, clasping his fists heavily.
"Order, all the knights and soldiers, remove their armor!"
"Yes!" Pang Fei agreed without saying a word, and he and the other thirty hundred knights instantly took off their beautiful Mingguang armor, all of them exposed their upper bodies and took off their shoes and socks, standing proudly in the cold wind of early spring. Among them, everyone described them as strong and energetic.
"Now you are the water ghosts of the Xihetrough. Go into the water and compete with the Bailang navy!" Qin Mubai ordered in a deep voice.
"yes!"
After agreeing loudly and neatly, thirty-one people jumped off the divine fish spaceship that was two to three feet high, and fell straight into the water with a "plop".
Everyone was shocked and ran to the side of the ship to take a look.
From such a high distance, even people who are familiar with water dare not jump down easily. The impact force when falling into the water is enough to knock many people out. Thirty-one people including Pang Fei fell into the water like ospreys and disappeared. Only a few splashes of water were seen. Everyone appeared a few feet away and suddenly dived into the water without any trace.
Zhao Chong's eyes suddenly widened in shock, with a look of disbelief. Du Chengyuan and others also had the same expression, extremely shocked.
In their minds, how many people in the north can know how to swim? But these people in front of me are all like dragons in the waves, with excellent water properties! Not only that, their decisiveness, bravery, speed and neatness in executing orders really opened the eyes of those present.
An elite soldier is an elite soldier!
"Zhao Chong, now let your Bailang navy fight with my Baiqi." Qin Mubai waved his hand, "I know what you want to say. Swords have no eyes and can easily hurt people. You Don’t be afraid of hurting Baiqi! Use all the skills of Bailang Navy. If you hurt one, I will give you a reward!”
The words that came to Zhao Chong's mouth were blocked. He swallowed hard and said in a deep voice: "Then the general will be rude and offended!"
After that, he rushed to the command platform, waved the flag and shouted the slogan - "Fight with the whole army, kill with all your strength!"
When the sailors on the dozens of shuttle boats saw the flags, they were all a little shocked. They didn't know who to fight with. Everyone looked at each other and didn't know why. Many people in a daze used their bows and arrows to shoot at the puppets. Zhao Chong was so anxious that he stamped his feet on the podium and cursed his mother bitterly.
In an instant, huge white waves suddenly rolled up in the harbor alley, and screams were heard at the same time. Several shuttle boats rolled over, and all the sergeants on board fell into the water without exception. Several naked figures suddenly appeared next to them. They held down the fallen soldiers and drowned them violently in the water, causing screams and splashes of water!
"Kill! Kill! Resist! Shoot arrows and swing knives!" Zhao Chong was so anxious that he chopped off his feet and yelled and cursed on the command platform.
Many sergeants finally came to their senses and began to fire random arrows into the water. Hooked spear targets and hard crossbow spears came down at the same time, but there was no blood star foam at all. I was stunned for a moment, and several shuttle boats capsized again. People fell into the water, and there were screams and water splashing everywhere.
Zhao Chong's face turned a little pale and he murmured: "Damn, he's even more powerful than a water ghost... I can't even touch half of his clothes!"
Qin Mubai stood on the side of the ship with his hands cut behind his back, staring ahead, with an indifferent sneer hanging on his lips. Du Chengyuan and the others beside him were silent and did not dare to say a word. Many people lowered their heads in shame, and some were stunned with cold sweat dripping from their foreheads.
The shuttle boat in the harbor alley was almost overturned. After beating the Bailang sailors who fell into the water, several hundred cavalry sergeants climbed onto the shuttle boat that was upside down in the water. They used bamboo poles to hold the boat slowly. Slowly row towards the divine fish spacecraft. Those sailors who fell into the water kept flopping and screaming in the water, shouting for mercy and for help. The hundred riders ignored him and rowed the shuttle boat back proudly.
Seven or eight shuttle boats were rowed back, and everyone counted them in unison. Thirty-one hundred-horse soldiers, many of them, were naked, and not one of them was covered with silk.
On the other hand, in the harbor alley, the remaining shuttle boats were salvaging and rescuing the drowned sailors. All they heard was the splashing sound of water, and all the sergeants were embarrassed to cry.
On the command podium, Zhao Chong looked like a defeated rooster, his head lowered, and the command flag in his hand fell to the ground inadvertently.
"Baiqi... is worthy of being the master of dragons and tigers!" Du Chengyuan took a deep breath, forced out a dry smile, and said to Qin Mubai, "General Qin, I'm humbled by my humble duty!"
The other generals also raised their hands and said: "I am convinced even though I am humble, Baiqi is indeed mighty!"
Zhao Chong slowly walked down the command platform with a heavy step, walked up to Qin Mubai, turned his face shamelessly, cupped his hands and said humbly: "General... I'm really convinced!"
Qin Mubai nodded with a half-smile and said: "From now on, the military talismans of the Zuoying Navy will be handed over to Captain Guo Yi, Pang Fei, and he will be responsible for training them. Everyone, I think you have no objections, right?" "
"We have no objection!" Everyone had to answer in unison.
Qin Mubai glanced sideways at Zhao Chong, and then said: "Zuo Ying Colonel Zhao Chong, you continue to command the Bailang navy. If you don't understand anything, just ask Pang Fei."
"General, I will obey the order..." Zhao Chong clasped his fists in agreement and breathed a sigh of relief in his heart: It's okay, I won't let go of my duty... It doesn't matter, I accept it! Baiqi is indeed powerful! It’s not a shame to lose to them!
Pang Fei and others boarded the boat from the belly of the boat, came to Qin Mubai together, bowed their hands, and stood neatly aside with their hands tied, saying nothing.
"Wear clothes and armor!" Qin Mubai ordered in a deep voice.
"Yes!" Pang Fei and the others agreed loudly and quickly picked up the neatly piled clothes and armor and put them on in an instant, then stood neatly aside.
Du Chengyuan, Zhao Chong and others did not dare to say anything anymore. They were really shocked by the group of well-trained, skilled and capable soldiers who only obeyed military orders.
"Bring it here!" Qin Mubai stretched out his hand in front of Zhao Chong. Zhao Chong was stunned for a moment and hurriedly put the flag into his hand.
Qin Mubai weighed the command flag in his hand with a smile on his face, walked to the command podium, waved left and right and shouted the flag. The sound of horns sounded on the flagship, and all the sailors pulled up the sails and turned the helm - the whole army returned!
Zhao Chong stared at Qin Mubai on the podium, swallowed hard, and murmured: "He also understands the flag language... Then what else can I do? Am I no longer a freeloader?"
Du Chengyuan's face turned red and white, with a hint of regret and fear. He thought to himself: "I don't know if he just took revenge on me... What a shame! This time, such a big thorn came. !”
…
Soon after, the fleet returned to the Eight Ghost Crossing. Qin Mubai said to everyone: "Pang Fei, you and Zhao Chong lead the navy back to the camp. You have to deal with the military affairs that need to be taken care of first. I will go back to the city as I have some other matters." To be done. Everyone, please say goodbye today. I will return to the military camp another day. "
"Yes-" Everyone agreed together. Although Du Chengyuan and others complained, "Why do you, Lieutenant Zhechong, treat the military camp as a hotel, as if you can't come here if you want to?", no one dared to say more.
Qin Mubai summoned three or five hundred cavalry sergeants as his entourage, and still took the flat-bottomed sand-proof boat back to the river bank, mounted his horse, and jumped onto the river embankment.
At this time, everyone burst out laughing.
"General, you are so majestic today! Those idiots like Du Chengyuan and Zhao Chong are so stunned that they don't dare to let go anymore!"
"Who told them to underestimate the general and us Baiqi!"
"The most disgusting thing is that Du Chengyuan, he seems not to take the general and us seriously! I just hit the water with a few cruel blows. I'm afraid that several sailors suffered a lot."
"That's fine. From now on, no one will dare to look down on the general, and no one will dare to mess with us anymore!"
…
Qin Mubai allowed these brothers to express their excitement and excitement freely, but he said in his heart: It seems that the original decision was really wise. It could not be more necessary to bring a team of hundreds of cavalry to go to work. Speaking of which, I have to thank my little devil Ling'er... I wonder how she is doing now after being separated for a few days.