Chapter 247 Chapter 7 Fierce battles in the rivers and lakes

Xiao Lingzhong was teased by the maidservant and the nanny on the soft mattress in the cabin, and he couldn't help letting out bursts of loud and joyful laughter. Xu Ziling, who was sitting in a corner, watched with a smile on the surface, but his heart was twisted and painful, breathing Not smooth. Fortunately, Bu Tianzhi came at this time, and the two climbed up the observation tower from the spiral ladder. Bu Tianzhi said: "Received the latest news, Lord Zhong renamed himself 'Young Marshal', and the generals under his command will be called Young Marshals. The Khitan horse bandits who captured Xiapi a few days ago and beat up Brother Poku have taken over the cities and villages that used to be attached to Xu Yuanlang or Li Zitong. Now Shandong is dominated by the young commander's army except for Donghai. It lived up to our expectations.”

Xu Ziling secretly thought that Kou Zhong had finally shown his power.It seems that apart from Li Shimin, Du Fuwei, Dou Jiande, Liu Wuzhou and Xiao Xian who are outstanding military overlords in the world, it is really difficult for mediocre sons to be his opponents. Asked: "Is he still sinking now?" Bu Tianzhi said: "This possibility is very high, so we are planning to change the itinerary, go eastward along the Huai River, pass Hongze Lake and Chengzi Lake, turn north to Surabaya, and then cross Huaiyang to reach Luoma Lake. Pi is in the northwest of Luoma Lake, if he has returned to Liangdu, we can turn west."

Xu Ziling frowned and said, "It will take you two days to travel like this, and you have to go through the barrier of Zhongli City. Are you sure?" Bu Tianzhi smiled and said: "Li Zitong's naval force is weak, and he has suffered repeated setbacks from Du Fuwei, so he is not afraid. Besides, we have always had business dealings with him, so he wants to show us some face." Xu Ziling said: "What is the relationship between Xiao Xian and Li Zitong?" Bu Tianzhi said: "Xiao Xian has been secretly supporting Li Zitong, with the purpose of dragging Du Fuwei back. But Ziling doesn't have to worry about Li Zitong being Xiao Xian's lackey, because Li Zitong is at best a self-absorbed and incompetent person. Running dogs. Although we are only three warships, they are all excellent in performance and are controlled by master sailors. Zhongli's navy may be able to bluff ordinary merchant ships and fishing boats, but they will definitely not be able to stop us."

In normal times, Xu Ziling didn't have to consider the issue of safety at all, but for the safety of Xiao Lingzhong and to prevent Susu's body from being disturbed, he had to be cautious.He asked again about Bu Tianzhi's various contingencies, and then he was relieved and nodded in agreement. At dusk that day, the boat arrived at Zhongli, to Xu Ziling's surprise, the Zhongli navy did not stay in trouble, and let them pass by. Trouble started when they reached Hongze Lake. The fleet slowly turned a corner and turned into a straight road. The river suddenly narrowed and the current became rapid.

Kou Zhong's handsome boat sailed ahead, and he and Jiao Hongjin stood on the watchtower, staring ahead. The earth gradually darkened with the setting sun. Half an hour ago, they drove past Muyang and entered the section of the river that Kou Zhong judged to be the most dangerous. It only took three hours to reach the sea, and another hour to the north coast was Donghai City. When they were in Muyang, the fleet stopped for a short time to discuss with Li Xingyuan who was boarding the plan to attack Donghai City. After deceiving each other, the fleet hurried on. Jiao Hongjin said in a low voice: "The river seems unreasonably quiet. Why are there no fishing boats? It should be the time for the fishermen who go out to sea to go back home."

The light on the left was on, flickering on and off, sending out one of the agreed signals, showing that the enemy navy was making some kind of deployment, and did not come to fight as expected. Jiao Hongjin and Kou Zhong looked at each other, both confused. Kou Zhong glanced around and asked, "Where is the front?" Jiao Hongjin said in a deep voice: "There is Poisonous Dragon Gorge about four miles away. The mountains on both sides of the gorge are steep, the cliffs are full of rocks, and the water flow is fast. However, General Luo has sent people to ambush there. If the enemy has any plans, they will never hide it from us. eyes and ears."

Kou Zhong shook his head and said: "The situation is extremely bad, we must have underestimated Tong Shuwen." Jiao Hongjin frowned and said, "They haven't ambushed ahead, and the navy ships haven't come to fight, how can they deal with us?" Kou Zhong said solemnly: "It's very inappropriate because we can't guess his arrangement." After receiving the order, the fleet berthed. Jiao Hongzao whispered: "Could it be that we have wronged Li Xingyuan? He really wants to join us." Kou Zhong said decisively: "I will never mistake this person. Eh!"

Jiao Hongjin followed him and looked back. In the darkness before sunset, the other six ships had slowed down with the commander and were preparing to berth. The river seemed peaceful and peaceful. Kou Zhong suddenly laughed and said: "Good guy, our navy ship is going to be ruined today!" The battle clouds over Hongze Lake filled the atmosphere of tension. Under the cover of the starry sky, this freshwater lake, the fourth largest in the Central Plains, spreads endlessly around.More than a dozen warships with malicious intentions appeared on the lake in a fan-shaped formation, forming a tendency to encircle and close.

The biggest feature of Hongze Lake is that there are reeds everywhere, almost all over the lake, and even boats are difficult to navigate in the lush areas, and the bottom of the lake is shallow and flat, and the slopes are undulating. The deepest part is only two feet, and the general water depth is only within ten feet. Therefore, even if you escape by diving, it is difficult to avoid the enemy's strong bow and arrow. The enemy's move is obviously a foresight and well-planned action. At this point, they suddenly understood why Li Jun from Zhongli City was willing to let go so easily, because when they came here, they could only fight in the boundless Pinghu Lake. Finding a way to escape is precisely a trap set for a super expert like Xu Ziling.

Bu Tianzhi was startled and said, "It's actually a boat from the Dajianghui." Xu Ziling frowned and asked, "Is it the Dajiang Club chaired by 'Dragon Lord' Pei Yue and 'Tiger Lord' Pei Yan, instead of the Yangtze River Union headed by Zheng Shuming?" Back then, he and Kou Zhong and Changshu's Ssangyong Gang "Thief's Nest" transported smuggled salt into the Yangtze River, and chased Pei Yankai and Wang Bo's son "Thunder Sword" Wang Kuijie. They only managed to escape by blowing black smoke. . At this time, Chen Laomou came to the other side of Xu Ziling, and replied on his behalf: "It's the 'Snake and Dog Erjun' who are doing all kinds of evil. I didn't expect them to be so stupid that they would join Li Zitong, a gang that has gone downhill. It's incomprehensible."

Bu Tianzhi shook his head and said: "These two villains are the most snobbish, and Xiao Xian will only take refuge in him, hum! Let's fight a tough battle with them." Xu Ziling said: "Can you use black smoke to confuse the enemy, and then take the opportunity to escape?" Chen Laomou shook his head and said, "The wind is too strong and it's on the lake. Setting up the smoke screen is just a waste of energy and energy." He raised his arms and shouted, "Brothers! Prepare to fight." The war drum immediately roared and shook the sky, spreading far and wide. Kou Zhong leaned closer to Jiao Hongjin's ear and said, "Look at the place where our boat is close to the water." Then he shouted: "Keep sailing, the slower the better!" Jiao Hongjin looked at it intently, and said in shock, "What a guy! You actually messed with our boat." I saw a section of the hull submerged in the water covered with kerosene. Without asking, someone dumped kerosene onto the river somewhere near Muyang, and the boat was covered with kerosene when it passed by. Jiao Hongjin said: "If this is kerosene produced in Bashu, it will not go out in water, let alone be afraid of water. This move is really powerful." Kou Zhong relaxed, and said with a smile: "The most powerful thing is that we still don't know it after being recruited. Needless to say, the navy fleet in the East China Sea must be hiding in a branch channel near Muyang, and they are now chasing after us. The plan just needs to be diverted, ha! Prepare to abandon ship!" The lights of the three giant kun gang warships went out, and their speed continued to increase, heading towards the west of the lake in a zigzag shape. Bu Tianzhi's ancient and slender face was as calm as usual, and he said indifferently: "The rivers flowing to Hongze Lake are concentrated in the west of the lake. The main one is the Huaihe River we passed by, and the others are the Suihe River, Bianhe River and Anhe River. There are three waterways leaving the lake. , divert the main rivers that flow into the Yangtze River and into the sea, and the enemy blocked our way to the east, so we will have a chase battle with them, to see who is more familiar with Hongze Lake, and see whose night navigation skills are better." Chen Laomou added: "The whole shape of Hongze Lake is very similar to a swan with its head up and its wings spread. According to ancient books, the lake's predecessor was a low-lying land with poor drainage. Later, the water formed a lake, so the bottom of the lake is shallow and muddy. , is one of the taboos of boat masters in water warfare." Xu Ziling looked at the enemy ship that was chasing from behind, and asked, "Are there any other taboos in water warfare?" Bu Tianzhi said like a few treasures: "The big wins the small, the firm overcomes the brittle, the downwind wins against the wind, and the current wins against the current. Shallow, fireproof, windproof, chiselproof, and iron lock. The boat capsizes and the people die.” Xu Ziling suddenly said: "No wonder Uncle Zhi wants to sail against the current to the west first, grab the place where the western waterway of the lake enters the lake, and then turn around to face the battle, and it becomes a victory against the current." Chen Laomou smiled and said, "Ziling is indeed a child that can be taught. The so-called relying on the upper stream to borrow water power, it is difficult for those who want to fight against the current, and if the land battle is condescending, it obviously has the advantage. But we have never tried to meet with Dajiang. If they fight against the Pei clan, they should not be easy to deal with, Tianzhi must be careful." Before the words were over, there were seven ship shadows in the direction of the west of the lake, which were clearly the warships of the Yangtze River Alliance. All of a sudden, the whole situation is reversed, and the enemy in front occupies the upper water resources, and then has no way out, and falls into a situation where the enemy is strong and we are weak. More than 30 warships appeared in the rear as fast as galloping horses, and they were chasing down the current towards Kou Zhong's young commander's navy. According to their speed, they just caught up with Kou Zhong in the poisonous dragon gorge. The hull itself was already contaminated with kerosene, and as long as it was attacked with rockets, it was guaranteed that the entire army of the young commander who had come from afar would be wiped out. The calculations were accurate and the methods were cruel. Even if a long-distance attack is not successful, because the water is smooth and the wind is smooth, and the navy ships in the East China Sea are large and strong, they can defeat Kou Zhong's small and fragile ships. Strength but not manpower, you are sure to win.It can be seen that the Donghai Division waited for the young commander's army to pass through Muyang before chasing after him. They practiced the method of deep water warfare and grasped the key to victory. At this moment, Li Ziyun, Tong Shuwen and Li Xingyuan stood on the stand of the commander-in-chief ship and saw that the seven enemy ships that were gradually approaching were all black and black, and only a wind lantern was hung on the bow to illuminate the waterway ahead. The flags on the ship were like Lin, making it difficult for people to see the situation on board. Li Ziyun, who was in his thirties, looked tall and mighty, pointed his halberd and said with a smile: "People say Kou Zhong is so powerful, but in my opinion, he is just a fool. If there are people rowing side by side, don't they just want to make it easier for us to gather and annihilate him?" , brothers, get ready." As the drums sounded, everyone on the three leading warships lit their rockets and bowed their bows, ready to go. But Li Xingyuan leaned close to Tong Shuwen's ear and whispered: "It seems something is wrong!" At first glance, Tong Shuwen, who seemed to be dignified and graceful, but with triangular eyes that would ruin everything, said with a sneer, "So what if something is wrong? Even if they have ambushes on the shore, we have raw cowhide on board." It is enough to deal with the arrow shielding iron plate, not to mention the steep mountains on both sides of Dulong Gorge, it is just wishful thinking to set up an ambush. So this time we are invincible, the only question is whether we can kill Kou Zhong, so as to eradicate the disaster That's all!" After thinking about it carefully, Li Xingyuan also felt that he was suspicious, so he obediently kept his mouth shut. At this time, the young commander of Kou Zhong's navy approached the mouth of the gorge, the water turned fast, and the ships chasing and fleeing from both sides were rushing for thousands of miles. With victory in sight, the most unlikely thing happened. The seven warships of the Young Marshal suddenly stopped moving forward on the turbulent river, lined up, and forcibly blocked the entire Mu River like a ship lock across the river. It is tied to the big trees on both sides of the bank, and the water mouth into the gorge is closed. When Li Ziyun, Tong Shuwen and others were stunned, seven enemy ships were set on fire at the same time, and the flames soared into the sky. Although they knew they were throwing themselves into the sea of ​​fire, the seven or eight boats in front could hold back their momentum, screamed in the sky, and rammed into the fire boat. Following behind, the East China Sea Division hurriedly approached the two sides, thinking that they could avoid the danger, there was a loud noise from both sides. Like raindrops, they were thrown from the shore to the enemy ships that came to their door, and the flames splashed everywhere, lighting up the river in the dark night. It was booming and loud, and it was lively and spectacular, but for the Donghai and Muyang coalition forces, it was a ringing A spell of death. Li Ziyun finally knew who the real idiot was. The three warships of the giant kun gang diverted to the north, trying to escape through the gap before the opponent completed the encirclement. Xu Ziling was surprised and said: "Isn't it better to go with the wind than against the wind? Why do we go north with the wind instead of going south with the wind?" Bu Tianzhi observed the enemy ships approaching from both sides, calmly said: "The enemy guessed that we would seize the upper class, and they also guessed that we would flee with the wind. Let's do the opposite and teach them everything The layout is useless." Chen Laomou shouted loudly: "The vertical board lowers the sail!" There was a popping sound, passing the order. When Xu Ziling was startled, hundreds of arrow shielding iron plates had been erected on both sides of the upper and lower bulkheads, which greatly enhanced the protection against Shishi rockets. When the sail is lowered, the huge hull reveals the control holes, and eighteen long oars protrude from each side. They rise and fall quickly and paddle into the water, full of rhythm, strength and dynamics, which is really beautiful. Without the obstruction of the sails, the three warships easily sailed against the wind, quickly ahead, and escaped from the enemy's encirclement through the gap in just a moment. Only now did Xu Ziling understand that water warfare is a profound knowledge, and it can even turn an unfavorable situation into an advantage, which is not as simple as it seems on the surface.Now that there is no sail, the biggest target that is easy to be burned by fire, he is not afraid of the opponent's fire attack at all. The enemy's war drums sounded, and more than 50 speedboats were put down to chase after them. The oars rose and fell. The speed was nearly twice as fast as that of the big ships, and they were flexible in advancing and retreating. Shen, the strategy is ingenious. When Bu Tianzhi issued an order, the three warships changed from the character "pin" to line up. When it seemed that there was no good way to deal with it, Chen Laomou shouted: "Scatter ashes! Throw stones! Shoot arrows!" The sound of war drums rings across the lake under the starry night. The three warships first withdrew large groups of lime powder at the stern under the cover of night, and rolled towards the enemy boat like a wall with the lake wind. At the same time, arrows and stones were fired at the same time, madly attacking the enemies within ten feet away. The screams and groans rang out incessantly, and most of the enemies were caught off guard by the lime seeping into their eyes, while the rest covered their eyes and looked away, Shi Shi had already greeted and served the human boats like raindrops. Li was beaten to pieces and defeated. When the soldiers on board cheered and cheered, the three ships finally escaped from the siege and fled northward. Bu Tianzhi shouted: "Sail!" At this time, Xu Ziling admired Bu Tianzhi and Chen Laomou's water warfare skills, and thought to himself, no wonder the Jukun Gang became a member of the Eight Gangs and Ten Associations, and asked respectfully: "Should we change to sailing with the wind?" ?” Bu Tianzhi nodded and said: "If you don't go southward with the wind, how can you go to Xiapi, but if you don't drag some tricks, the enemy will always catch up." After speaking, he issued a series of commands. The three boats that had escaped from the encircling net bent eastward and headed straight for the east bank where the reeds were densely packed. Under Chen Laomou's instructions, the three ships were equipped with floating boards on both sides, shaped like wings extending, which greatly increased the buoyancy of the hull to cope with the shallow lake bottom. Bu Tianzhi breathed a sigh of relief, "Successful!"