On the surface of Jingkou, the vast Yangtze River is like the ocean, and the river bank is like the coast; on the western land horizon, there is a huge island in the middle of the river.
A large number of ships were floating on the water like leaves. Snowflakes were pattering in the air like a tragic rain. Layers of white waves were rolling towards the huge ship, hitting the side of the ship with a loud noise. The sky was filled with black smoke, rolling in the wind without any direction.
The river on the north bank was relatively narrow, and that was the canal that connected the Yangtze River from the north into the river mouth. Thick smoke was billowing at the river mouth, and a large ship was raging with flames. The fire was out of control, and the sails on the masts were burned out, and rags with fireworks kept falling down. Several main masts stood bare in the air. On the water, there was shouting, and many people's heads were shaking.
Behind the fire ship, a long line of warships' sails were crowded on the river channel, almost covering the entire river, with no end in sight.
At this time, dozens of small boats came out from the giant ship one after another, and with the northeast wind, they rushed briskly towards the river mouth. The warships of the Southern Tang army that blocked the river mouth were well prepared, and the crossbows and catapults on the big ships were launched, and many light boats went to intercept, and the rockets shot by the crossbows flew in the air like locusts.
There were splashing sounds on the water, and many fireballs fell into the river. A can filled with kerosene was burning and rolling, and it hit the mast of a small sailboat, which immediately broke apart. The hot kerosene splashed everywhere, and the sails immediately caught fire. The flames fell from the air like a rain of fire, and the boat quickly caught fire. The panicked sailors jumped into the cold river holding the wooden planks.
Before the Zhou army's dozen small sailboats could get close, most of them were burned. But a few ships still broke through and rushed to the big warship. The main warships were all made of hardwood hulls and were very tall. Even if the small ships hit them, they would not only fail to cause damage to them, but the fire would not easily burn the big ships. The blazing fire ships would cause damage to them, but the soldiers of the Southern Tang army had enough time to put out the fire.
Unexpectedly, at this time an inconspicuous sailboat approached and hit the large warship directly, but the small sailboat did not catch fire.
Some people who discovered the ship were puzzled. Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a dazzling fire flashed like lightning, far brighter than ordinary flames. Thick white smoke rose and quickly spread around. Under the explosion, the wooden boards on the side of the warship seemed to fly into the air, a big hole was broken on the side, and the hull seemed to be cracked.
White waves carrying broken debris fell all around the river surface, and the giant ship quickly began to tilt to the right.
Everyone near and far was stunned. Amid the roar of the waves and shouts, someone could be heard shouting: "It's the gunpowder that's blowing up the city wall!"
The water was in a state of chaos and disorder. Many small sailboats were seen on the canal with full sails floating towards the Yangtze River. The soldiers of the Southern Tang army looked as if they had seen the plague god. The large ships immediately turned around and retreated to the south to avoid such a catastrophic disaster.
Only a few small boats were still fighting in the front, mainly using bows and crossbows to shoot at each other. The arrows were all tied with oilcloth, which was very conspicuous in the air.
At this time, the Zhou army's front warships finally slowly sailed southward from the gap. Their speed seemed slow, but no one could stop them. The small boats pretended to attack the big ships. Even bows and crossbows could not hit them when they got close, and the big ships were likely to hit them. They also attacked from below, just like slaughtering the soldiers and horses attacking the city from the city wall.
Several large sailing ships of the Zhou army finally entered the open waters of the Yangtze River, but the follow-up was still very difficult. The canal was originally narrow, and the waterway was blocked by the burning old ships. It was very difficult for the large warships behind to come out.
Han Tong, the navy commander, had already boarded his ship and then passed through the river mouth. The burning ship not far away had not sunk yet. The fire was fierce and no one was trying to put it out. It was like a ball of fire floating on the water. Han Tong was standing on the ship's tower passing through this area of water. He also felt the scorching heat, his face was slightly painful, and he felt a little bit unbearable, but he still stood there.
Looking ahead, the first few warships that rushed out were being besieged by the Southern Tang Army on the river. The Southern Tang Army's ships were floating in a mess on the river. Because the retreating ships were rowing randomly in the early stage, the battle line was no longer in formation. It was snowing and the river was foggy, and the vision was unclear. It was difficult to effectively control the fleet with the simple organization of flags and drums, and sending people to pass the message was also slow. Han Tong drew his sword and shouted: Pass the order, rush over to reinforce the soldiers in front
The flagship was soon spotted by the Southern Tang army, and soon a large ship came head-on. As the two ships approached, rockets rained down, and the warship seemed to have become a firework tube launching fireworks.
On the side, the Southern Tang army threw out iron chains and hooks, and the two ships were getting closer. While waiting for the wooden bridge to be built, there was a sudden shout, and the Zhou army soldiers rushed up from the deck. They held up shields and weapons and braved the rain of arrows. The arrows jingled on the armor. The person in front raised his spear and threw it onto the deck, then drew his knife and rushed up shouting.
People kept falling into the water from the side of the boat. Those who fell into the water were almost certain to die, and no one could swim in the cold river water wearing armor; even if they fell into the water wearing iron armor, they would drown, so those who had armor would wear it, otherwise they would be shot to death first.
The water surface at the mouth of the river was in chaos, and more Zhou army warships sailed out of the river. The water area was crowded and noisy.
The Southern Tang army's warships on the river were all transferred to block the enemy's advance. The river was in chaos, with many places engaged in boarding battles, and the fighting was fierce. More and more ships from both sides crowded into the river mouth, and the scene was like a chaotic water fortress, with a large group of sails huddled together.
On a ship, the general of the Southern Tang army was extremely anxious, and the battlefield was out of control.
The Zhou army's navy was actually very large. From a distance, the sails covered the entire canal. They were just blocked in the river before and couldn't enter the river. But now, countless ships were desperately squeezing out. Some warships had broken through the river mouth and entered the open area of the river.
If the navy was not dispatched to intercept, once a large number of Zhou army ships entered the river, the Southern Tang army's eastern line would not be able to hold on.
The navy of the Jingkou Water Camp was just transferred away two hours ago. Liu Cheng, the general of the Southern Tang army, was filled with grief and anger, and stamped his feet in anxiety.
Someone nearby was also anxious: Liu Gong is no longer in Jingkou, General, please send someone to ask for help.
How could he do it now? The general waved his arms, but he was not a god, and one person's hands could not control the chaotic scene in front of him. The general was furious and cursed: Letting Liu Cheng take charge of the military power in Jingkou is a joke in itself.