In the increasingly rapid river breeze, the sound of empty rolling waves, the sound of golden drums, the sound of fighting, and the crackling sound of the ship's hull disintegrating.
The ubiquitous pyrotechnics shrouded most of the surface of the river in different shades of smoke, and made all the surrounding scenery, sound and light flutter and twisted
Qi Kexiu and a group of people were waiting for the maneuver at the bow of the ship. The five-hundred-five-hundred sea-wand boat leaped in the waves, and the iron-clad cast-pointed bow split a large canopy of waves head-on, like a cone. It slammed into the back half of a large Huainan ship with flat heads and tails.
Suddenly, the squeezing and splashing river water and the smashed ship hull fragments, as well as the human limbs that were squeezed and shredded too late to dodge, all volleyed and scattered in the middle of the huge push and rebound, hitting the sails. Width, cable, rail and gunwale, on deck.
"Meaning the sky, the mountains and rivers are peaceful..."
Spit out a few mouthfuls of blood that had shattered gums, and Qi Kexiu, who was still firmly clinging to the mast, shouted the newly learned slogans, and took the lead to let go and jump off the still slanted mast.
I saw him in a leather suit and cloth, holding a light pair of narrow-blade knives, flying in the air like swallow wings and leaping into the water. He was shocked to the point of despair and chaos, and he was counting in an instant. In the midst of screaming, struggling to disturb a bloody wave.
And more sailors, boatmen, and watermen on the ship are also fluttering like a school of migratory and leaping fish, climbing over the crisscrossed parts of the hull, and vying to wield knives, axes, hook spears, double forks, and continuous crossbows. , Three spikes, slaughtered on the deck and upper floors of the enemy ship.
There were also unlucky ghosts who passed by and were hit by counter-attack arrows, knocked down, and fell into the cracks of the boat gang, but they couldn't even make a scream, they turned into swaying, friction and scratching. In the ship's side, he fell asleep with a bloody splash of water.
After seeing the upper hand in the first battle, several grenadiers in water-soaked asbestos blouses jumped over under the cover of arrows, axes, and spears, and they retreated into the under-cabin space, wanting to continue to resist. The enemy soldiers throw in one by one fascinating ball.
In an instant, amidst successive dull roars, from the gap of the ship's plank, between the transom and the grid, a lot of fireworks were violently splashed and rolled up, and mixed with broken flesh and blood, like a spring, it was splashed in the dodge. People are full of faces.
Therefore, after only more than half an hour, this damaged Huainan warship that completely lost the ability to resist became a torch burning and sinking slowly on the surface of the river; and the seabird ship that was out of contact was also in the same place. Under Ke Xiu's instructions, he looked for the next target again.
It was a ship with a larger body and a higher side, with three floors on the stewardship deck. It had already smashed or overturned like a pack of wolves, relying on its huge and sturdy body. There have been several sea-coated ships and battleships belonging to Taiping.
In addition, behind the gunwale thick as battlements, those densely packed Huainan soldiers radiating rockets, large crossbows and slings, and vigorously swaying and swinging rods and pile hammers like spider feet, will try to get close to the fast boat and big Strikes, ignites, smashes, and overturns the record in the waves.
Therefore, for a while, it was impossible for him to rush and crash into it. Many Taiping warships were surrounded by the heart of the retrograde.
I saw another Taiping Riverboat passing through the gap of fireworks and hung it on the side of the building with a plank and hook rod. However, it was slapped head-on and hit back against the racket on the side of the ship. Shattered or smashed one side, and pushed it away again.
"Raising the sail to speed up, knocking the rudder to death, and turning over."
Amidst Qi Kexiu’s hoarse shouts, this narrow-bodied, pointed-toed sea cockle boat, known for its briskness and flexibility, finally adjusted to a direction roughly diagonally opposite to the enemy’s ship;
However, it didn't go far, but the friendly warship that was thrown off and drifted homeopathically, inadvertently blocked the route of sprint and collision. He couldn't help but sweat profusely, and his voice became distorted and hoarse; "Go away, go away quickly..."
At this time, it was as if someone had heard his voice and appeal. Amidst the thicker fireworks and gray haze on the river, a few bursts of dark red light suddenly flashed, and then it turned into a dull thunder-like roar.
At the same time, the seemingly rampant and unstoppable building around the ship suddenly exploded and set off many high water splashes; then suddenly there was a bump on the side of the bow, and many pieces of wood and human bodies were broken. The image visible to the naked eye was gnawed out of thin air, and the dent was shrunk into an obvious gap.
Then there were exhilarating drum beats from the surrounding ships; then a warship, which was very different from the newly-arranged naval divisions, slowly interspersed from the smoke and dust like a phantom into reality, and revealed again. Rows of holes in the sideboard like windows.
With the sudden cessation of the golden drums, the roar of dense rolling thunder, and the burst of fire that tore through the dust and fog, once again resounded from a closer distance; this time Qi Kexiu finally saw it really. .
I saw that from these porthole-like holes, many thin and faint trajectories and arcs were suddenly shot through the clouds and fog, and they were dropped on the enemy building ship in an instant;
In an instant, the huge ship slammed head-on, and the ship's gunwale, ship gang, ship building, and deck burst forth like holes and wounds, splashing more fragments and limbs one after another;
What is even more tragic is that the armored soldiers who gathered behind the guards and used crossbows, shooting arrows and shaking equipment were almost wiped out, leaving only the incomplete ship gang and the deck breach, a bloody mess. Luze and the tragic state of faintly wriggling in a pool of blood.
Seeing the enemy’s building and ship is like a one-sided end. It is Qi Kexiu who has been fighting on the surface of the river for many years. He can't help but swallow several spits, and he can't say that it is shocked for a while. The words are coming.
Is this the firearm power of the Taiping Shui Army warships? It is so terrifying that many things that have been inherited and relied on for many years in traditional water warfare have been completely subverted.
After all, the appearance of just such a ship is enough to change and reverse the winning comparison of a local war. He couldn't help but feel lucky again, at least he was still on the right side.
—I am the dividing line of water war —
And outside the embankment under the outer wall of Dantu City Linjiang, many stranded and burnt ships have been scattered everywhere; it represents another opportunity to take advantage of the low tide at night, and the sneak attack from the continuous boats on the river has turned into a strong attack. The double failure.
And Zuo Changshi Ryazan, who is now the actual commander of the Huainan Army in Jiangdong, also attacked the vigorous Dantu city on three sides of the land. Not far from the Jingjian Mountain, one after another received various news about the Jiangkou water battle. .
"Inspiring Zuo Shi, Chaohu navy officer Chen (Yan) raised the flag and sent a message, saying that the crew of the ship under his command had been injured more than half and had to withdraw from the battle."
"The Zhoukou Dazhai emergency report, wait and see that the water protector Miao will capsize on the boat, and the rest of the people and boats are scattered and collapsed on their own..."
"Report... I rushed to support the Gaoyou Navy and has begun to meet the enemy..."
Ryazan, who described the Yaqingjun, looked into the distance, the surface of the river that had been covered by thick and vague smoke and dust, and finally gave an order:
"The water village in the upper reaches of the order is prepared to put down the fire boat and sharp wooden platoon to intercept..."
"Leave the Ngautouzhushuiying camp, and hurriedly raised the cableway to cover the floating bridge..."
As the shaking flag passed, it was responsible for protecting the three pontoon bridges across the river, and the four major iron chains on the Hengsuo River; also along the shore with the spur of cattle and horses, while the slowly rotating winch friction sound, Slowly rising from the boiling river water with drenched water vapor.
Just looking at each cast iron chain with thick and shiny black arms is enough to stop anything in the river; then there are the crossbows and stone cannons arranged on the shore, as well as the full load of naval soldiers. It’s time for the fast-breaking go-boats and yachts to come into play.
But at this point, it also means that the three towns of the Huainan Navy have successively lost their dominance and control over the meeting, and have to switch to a more passive defensive position. But at this time, Dantu City still under siege had not been defeated.
Although after exploring the geography of Dantu, the army used the tactics of digging at all costs, and at the cost of losing hundreds of people in the seepage and landslides in two days, a tunnel was dug to the riverside levee to connect with the northwest corner of the city wall. The relative foundation of the place is weak; and the corner of the city defense is broken.
However, a battalion of soldiers from the battalion who flocked to the front was beaten by the intensively projected firearms of the thief army, and after most of the casualties and losses, they were driven out again in embarrassment; and the thief army collapsed overnight. New internal walls and barriers were constructed everywhere, turning them into new focal points of mutual see-saw and blood loss.
But to reach this point, Ryazan, who was unparalleled in the past and good at predicting the enemy, has also fallen into a situation where there is nothing to do, or it is impossible to imagine. The Dantu City he faced was obviously the most elite and brave part of the Jiangdong Pirate Army.
His generation has always mastered the offensive and defensive rhythm in an orderly manner. As a result, apart from the dignified and courageous tackling and the back and forth confrontation methods, there is no more room for people to adjust, or take advantage of the excess flaws and weaknesses.
On the coast of Taihu Lake in the south, the few peripheral people who have lost news and contact, and the people dispatched to find them, have yet to receive any reply or report; this is even more disturbing.
Although in his judgment, Zhang Zimian, who took the initiative to contact him and dispatched troops, was a veteran of the imperial court, and was supported by hundreds of thousands of horses from various states in southern Zhejiang. He definitely wouldn't let the Taiping thief be like that. Easy to get away.
Under such circumstances, even if he would encounter the main force of the thief army who hurriedly escaped to rescue him, it would be a long-distance travel exhausted, and he would become a veteran and demoralized force. At least when the waterway along the river is blocked and the rear supply is insufficient, how much combat power can these bandits have.
At the beginning, he sat and watched in Huainan, the thief army ravaged Jiangdong and did nothing. On the other hand, he was arrogantly dealing with Lu Yongzhi's generation, thinking that he could use food and grass to prepare for the war after the war. Isn't it just for this moment
Therefore, even if he was accidentally counterattacked by the Taiping Squadron, he did not show any signs of anger or vacillation. After all, as long as the main force of the Huainan camp, which is the main force of the four armies and five towns in his hands, is still intact, the peripheral ones No matter how much the miscellaneous sagittarius loses, it is harmless.
The Jiangshang counterattack, which surprised him this time, can be called a surprising and unexpected stroke to encircle Wei and save Zhao under the current situation; but he does not think that these thieves still have many reserves of food, grass and equipment that can support them for how long they can continue to fight;
In other words, this may be the last wave of the offensive of his generation. Although the naval masters of the three towns showed some unstoppable momentum, as long as they were dragged along with the arrangement on the shore, they would eventually return without success.
Therefore, he even took advantage of his leisure time to fetch the Four Treasures of the Study from under the tent, and practice Yan Zhenqing's cursive script in the direction of the broad visionary general.
Just as he was about to finish writing a piece of "Datang Zhongxing Post" in a hearty and hearty manner, he still didn't have enough meaning to add the last touch; once again, a long, dragged voice resounded from far to near:
"Report... Urgent report, the enemy ship in the fierce battle has broken through the ropeway and is looking forward to the pontoon bridge..."
"what.."
At this moment, Liang Zan could no longer maintain the city and Wei Ran, and could not help breaking the pen in his hand. (End of this chapter)