Banners fluttered in the wind.

The Song army's crossing of the river was conducted in a very standardized manner.

The warships were lined up on the river, forming a long row, which was the main position of the central army.

The fast boats were scattered on both sides and between the warships, serving as support.

San Yong followed closely behind.

Bang……

The sound of cannons rang out from the riverbank.

On the warship, the artillerymen adjusted their aim and began firing at the Liao army on the shore.

The cannonballs crashed down, turning the Liao soldiers into bloody messes, their screams echoing everywhere.

At the same time, the Liao army's artillery battalion also opened fire.

A row of flames appeared on the shore, and dozens of cannons hurled at the Song army's warships.

Some of the shots missed and hit the water, creating a wave.

Some of the impacts struck the ship's side, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

Others landed precisely on the large wooden blocks that the Song army had prepared in advance, leaving large dents in the blocks.

A very small number of unlucky speedboats were also hit.

Once the artillery was engaged, the two sides continued firing at each other relentlessly.

The fast boats between the warships were even lighter and moved forward at great speed.

The soldiers also lay in ambush in the water, only revealing the bamboo tubes, and swam forward quickly.

The scene of the Song army crossing the river was spectacular, resembling an epic painting.

Some people looked excited, some looked nervous, some were furious, and some were calm and composed.

Meanwhile, Liao army officers on the opposite bank kept urging their troops to prepare for defense.

The ship had already approached two-thirds of the way.

On the deck, the Song soldiers, hidden behind large logs, neatly arranged crossbow bolt holders and began loading arrows into them.

At the command of the Song army officer, the short but very sharp arrows shot out of the crossbow grooves in unison.

In an instant, countless arrows rained down, tracing arcs in the air before hurtling towards the Liao army.

Looking up from below, it appears as if a dark, oppressive cloud is pressing down.

In an instant, about a hundred Liao soldiers were hit by arrows.

Some were shot into the head, some into the eyes, and some into the throat.

Comrades who were chatting with each other in the morning are now separated by death.

The Song army had already calculated the time; approximately three waves of artillery fire would allow the first batch of fast boats to land.

After about five waves of artillery fire, the Sanyong began to land.

After about ten waves of artillery fire, the warship can dock.

Holding the telescope, Yue Fei saw that the first wave of fast boats was already densely packed and beginning to approach the shore.

Liao archers began to defend the area where the line had been broken, and many Song soldiers on the fast boats were shot into the river.

Some soldiers did a good job of using shields for defense.

The scattered soldiers behind them caught up quickly, almost keeping pace with the fast boat.

The crucial moment arrived, and the Song army's war drums became noticeably more rapid, like a summer downpour bombarding everything in their path.

The artillery fire, which continued to bombard the shore, had already set the bank ablaze.

As the fast boat approached the shore, the Song soldiers hidden behind the black box began to set it on fire.

The Song soldiers behind pulled the bellows lever of the black box, and the bird's beak in front spewed out raging flames, preventing the Liao soldiers on the shore from charging over.

The Song soldiers on the first wave of fast boats reached the shore, and they all raised their spears forward.

Some Liao soldiers rushed forward, dodging the spears, and knocked the Song soldiers into the water.

Some did not dodge and were pierced by the sharp spears.

Thus, the first wave of Song troops waiting on the riverbank and Liao troops on the riverbank engaged in close-quarters assassination.

There were no unnecessary movements; they would slash or stab anyone they saw.

On each fast boat, a Song soldier would unload a box of flammable oil and use the flames to set any Liao soldiers who dared to approach on fire.

Many Liao soldiers were sprayed with the spray and instantly engulfed in flames, leaving them no choice but to jump into the river.

But one of them fell into the river and was stabbed by the Song army with a knife, just like children stabbing frogs when they were young.

Before long, the corpses of Song and Liao soldiers were floating on the riverbank, and the river water was stained red.

Xu Qing, deputy commander of the Fourth Army Corps, approached the shore surrounded by his personal guards. The soldiers in front of him had already cleared a space. As soon as he landed, the Song soldiers became even more aggressive, all charging forward recklessly.

After rushing for some distance, Yue Yun, the commander of the scattered troops, had already reached the shore.

Almost a large number of scattered soldiers emerged at the same time and rushed ashore.

Yue Yun practically burst out of the water. As soon as he emerged, he plunged his knife into the neck of a Liao soldier, then ripped open the front of his upper body, causing blood and internal organs to gush out.

As soon as the soldiers landed, they took out their crossbows and began firing.

Although the crossbow bolts were all wet, they were still usable.

On the Liao side, under the command of their commander, they fought very bravely, constantly replenishing their ranks with Liao soldiers and engaging in close combat with the Song army.

After the Song army's warships docked, batches of Song soldiers disembarked, almost maintaining their original formation.

The artillery suppression by both sides is also nearing its end.

Three Song warships were sinking, and more than a dozen were severely damaged, with almost none remaining intact.

The Liao army also suffered greatly. Soldiers on the shore used their bodies to withstand the artillery fire, and were bombarded until they were covered in blood and gore. This caused a breach to appear in the defenses ahead, which allowed the Song army, who had landed in fast boats ahead of time, to take advantage of the situation and widen the defensive line.

The rhythm of the Liao army's war drums suddenly changed.

Those behind shouted in Khitan, "Long live the Emperor!"

Clearly, Yelü Dashi has come in person to oversee the battle!

At this moment, Yelü Dashi, along with the commanders of various states, had arrived at the central army camp on the banks of the Chu River.

Along with Yelü Dashi, an army of 100,000 also arrived.

The Western Regions allied forces stretched as far as the eye could see, a dense, dark mass.

The warships, having carried away the first batch of Song soldiers, began their return journey to pick up the second batch.

The second batch was much easier.

Because the Song army kept pushing the battle line forward, the Liao army was forced to retreat its artillery battalions in advance, so there was no longer any artillery to suppress the riverbank, and even the archers could no longer reach it.

The remaining Song soldiers began to cross the river safely.

Yue Fei nodded, very satisfied.

The first phase of the Song army's landing had completely breached the Liao army's defenses on the shore, capturing a large open area. All the Song troops could then form ranks and launch a regular assault.

When the first batch of Song soldiers arrived at the riverbank, the scattered soldiers, aided by crossbows, had already assembled on the riverbank. They immediately changed into the clothes and armor sent down from the boats, and became a formidable force capable of charging into battle.

"General, there are many more Liao army banners on the other side of the river, which means that reinforcements have likely arrived."

Yue Fei nodded, not denying it, and said, "At such a crucial juncture, if I were Yelü Dashi, I would personally oversee the battle!"

Zhang Cai, who was standing nearby, was taken aback and said, "Does the commander mean that Yelü Dashi has come in person?"

"Not only did he come in person, but I also saw the flags of other countries in the Western Regions. It seems that the Western Regions allied forces have arrived!"

He added, "Everyone cross the river, prepare for a bloody battle!"