Chapter 1250: Naval Battle, No Martial Morality (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Gong Xi Chou didn't understand, Gong Xi Chou was puzzled.
Forced into attending training, Gong Xiqiu wanted to skip class before he could even sit down properly, but a hand pressed on his shoulder, forcing him to continue his affectionate embrace of the mat. He didn't need to look up to know who it was: "These empty words are useless. Fighting and killing people relies on weapons, not on talking them to death."
Isn't military campaigning just the same old thing?
It seems that naval warfare and land warfare are quite similar.
If there weren't so many people present, Gong Xichou would have swallowed his pride and begged Shen Tang for mercy. He was fine with fighting, he'd rather fight until he was covered in sweat and injuries, but sitting here listening to a lecture with books in his hands was practically a slow murder for him.
Shen Tang remained unmoved and rejected Gong Xi Chou's request.
Gongxi Chou asked, "Why won't you agree?"
Shen Tang drew a few hastily drawn circles on the small blackboard. Pointing to the circles, he said, "If they were warships, and an enemy general came to launch a surprise attack, where would you fight back?"
Gong Xiqiu blinked in confusion: "You're picky about the location?"
Why not just go straight for it?
Shen Tang retorted, "Not picky about the location, just harming your own people?"
Naval warfare is quite different from land warfare.
In land battles, regardless of victory or defeat, soldiers can swarm in from all directions. Except for a very few unlucky ones who might slip and twist their ankles, the other soldiers don't have to worry about their footing. Naval battles are different; the only place for soldiers to stand is on the deck of the warship.
Once the warships were sunk, the soldiers had nowhere to stand and could only be thrown into the water like dumplings. Those who couldn't swim drowned, while those who could were impaled by enemy ships, rammed, or riddled with arrows… Even if they miraculously survived all of these, the water consumed their strength extremely quickly, and if they couldn't reach shore before exhausting themselves, they would still perish as fish…
Destroying warships is more important than killing the enemy.
Did Gong Xichou ever consider the scale and scope of his battles? How many warships could withstand his violent attacks and bombardments? If their own warships were sunk by their own general, the enemy general would be laughing his head off in his sleep.
Gong Xichou pursed his lips, blinked, and his eyes darted around.
Shen Tang knew he was feeling guilty, so she continued to attack Gong Xichou: "In a land battle, if you're engrossed in fighting someone, or if you're bogged down in a fierce battle and can't lure them away, the battleground is close to your own side, and the soldiers can at least hide. But in the vast ocean, how can a large warship hide? Warships are huge and not easy to move; they're nothing like a single person who can go anywhere."
With limited battlefield space, lining up warships in a row could easily cause congestion.
Traffic jams easily lead to chaos.
Forget about coordinating the warships; it's a miracle they didn't turn into bumper boats. They couldn't catch up with the enemy, and they couldn't escape by changing course; it was complete chaos. Seeing this, wouldn't the enemy seize the opportunity to launch a fire attack and spread the flames far and wide?
Gong Xiqiu felt increasingly guilty and breathless as he listened.
"Then, where should it be?"
Shen Tang pointed to one of the circles, saying with exasperation, "Of course, you should be sitting on the deck and commanding, directing the soldiers to build morale and repel the enemy, or simply ordering the ship to speed up and ram them! It's definitely not about running out to fight one-on-one!"
In this world, one-on-one naval battles do exist, but they are not common.
Even if such tactics exist, they are usually pre-battle duels between generals, or the presence of an overwhelmingly powerful individual warrior on one side. Only such individuals can move freely and escape unscathed from warships that often consist of legions. Decapitation strikes are not cost-effective in naval warfare.
Gong Xiqiu whispered "Oh".
I silently crossed out "water battle" in my mind.
This wave is definitely aimed at him!
His fighting style was always simple and brutal. He preferred to fight alone, often relying on sheer strength to act as a vanguard, breaking through enemy defenses before unleashing a barrage of attacks with his troops. Military formations, tactical maneuvers, and troop deployments… none of these were as effective as sheer force. What was the difference between naval warfare and self-imposed constraints? He disliked being confined to one place.
Shen Tang then drew arrows on several circles.
"The arrows indicate the direction of movement for each warship on both sides. In this situation—" She tapped the small blackboard, looking directly at Gong Xichou as she posed the question, "What do you choose to do?"
Gong Xiqiu's face was scrunched up in a frown.
Squinting to examine the densely packed large circles.
He tried to visualize them in his mind as the enemy and friendly navies, and after a long while, he tentatively asked, "Should I command the warships to accelerate the pursuit?"
Shen Tang was again disappointed in him.
"You don't act recklessly when you should, and you act all high and mighty when you shouldn't... In this situation, of course you should use your absolute strength to flank them from behind and cut off their shipping lanes. Once they lose their shipping lanes, with so many enemy warships, they won't be able to retreat even if they want to, and they'll all be crammed together in one place. Once they're like lambs to the slaughter, how they're eaten is up to the menu, isn't it? You agree, right?"
Gong Xichou: "..."
Mama has no sportsmanship!
He had a lot to say and wanted to appeal.
The troublemakers in the military naval training course were all dealt with, and the others dared not utter a sound. Everyone was given a copy of "General Naval Warfare Words and Formations (Internal Edition)," "How to Deal with Various Unexpected Events in Naval Warfare (Internal Edition)," "Naval Warfare Code Cracking and Translation (Internal Edition)," "Various Naval Warfare Slang (Internal Edition)," "A Review and Analysis of the Details of a Century of Classic Naval Warfare (Internal Edition)"... These were all booklets made of paper, and when stacked up, they were as tall as an adult man's arm.
After flipping through a few pages, Gong Xichou couldn't help but close his eyes and rub his forehead.
It was as if his spirit had been subjected to immense torment.
Can you really cram at the last minute?
Why are there so many words?
"Who copied this?"
"Just looking at it makes me feel like my soul has flown away..."
Everyone was on pins and needles, shifting from side to side without a moment's stillness. They only needed a general understanding of the others, but the "Naval Warfare Slang (Internal Version)" needed to be memorized perfectly. Some sharp-eyed individuals noticed that Qin Li's copy was several times thicker than theirs.
Qin Shaoshi silently made a note of it, so what reason did they have not to do it?
Everyone tried to appear diligent in their studies, but inwardly they sighed and complained. Their cacophony of grumbles was more irritating to Gu Chi than a thousand ducks beating around the clock. Martial arts masters didn't possess the photographic memory of scholars; these military generals, while familiar with military texts and philosophical pronouncements, were utterly devout learners. They'd be better off meditating and cultivating their inner energy.
Gu Chi rested his chin on his hand.
He yawns every now and then, and turns a page every now and then.
He glanced at Bai Su not far away, who was looking at the booklet with a bitter and resentful expression, her brows so tightly furrowed that they could trap a fly!
In less than half an hour, someone wanted to change clothes.
Shen Tang gestured to the soldiers to follow.
The military officer said, "Thank you for your concern, my lord. I know the way."
There's no need to arrange for someone to lead the way.
Shen Tang sat on a small stool with his legs crossed and the booklet open on his lap, looking just like a college proctor.
You may recognize the way you went, but you may not remember the way you came.
This eliminates the possibility of the other party using the excuse of needing to urinate to avoid work.
At this moment, Gu Chi heard several people wailing and howling, almost making his ears ring. After the wailing subsided, the people resigned themselves to their fate, thinking things like, "Remember this, remember this, the sooner it ends, the sooner we're free," and "The sooner we die, the sooner we're reborn..."
After Gu Chidu finished eating the pastries to fill his stomach, the last military officer finally closed his book and exhaled a heavy breath. Opening his eyes, he saw that the soldiers had replaced the old blackboard with a brand new one, on which three large characters were written—
【seminar】
The discussion focused on the application and application of the spiritual power of naval warfare formations.
The military officers looked at each other, feeling that it had little to do with them.
Even warriors with martial prowess need to study the power of words, but due to practical application issues, very few people put in the effort in this area. For example, those like Gongxi Chou who specialize in individual combat only need a basic understanding, while only generals like Chu Jie who practice dual cultivation and are positioned as commanders will study it in depth. In terms of military formation words, scholars with literary minds learn to provide support and coordination, while commanders learn to arrange troops, attack, and defense.
None of those present were actually skilled in water combat, let alone proficient in it.
Delegating command of the battle to Junior Instructor Qin is far better than forcing this group, whose naval coordination is nonexistent, to take command. This was a consensus reached at the beginning of the meeting. The naval battle formation incantations are something Junior Instructor Qin and his team can work on; they just need to follow orders, execute them, and have a general understanding. Qin Li and the others initially thought so too, until their lord specifically asked the generals to answer…
No, the seminar even has attendance taking?
Shouldn't it be that whoever has an idea should speak up?
Gu Chi nearly choked on his drink when he heard Wei Shou's inner monologue upon being called on: "Damn it, I'm so nervous my ass is clenched."
Gu Chi: [...]
He couldn't help but glance behind Wei Shou.
Wei Shou noticed his gaze and glared back fiercely.
[Hey, you surnamed Gu, what the hell are you listening to?]
Ever since the war in Gao State, when the civil and military officials were reversed, and Gu Chi forced the armies of both states to listen to his thoughts, his ability to manipulate scholars was no secret to Wei Shou. Gu Chi, having given up all pretense, turned to the Censorate, which specifically recruited those skilled at secretly eavesdropping on others' secrets.
Throughout the court, both civil and military officials were filled with unease.
Wei Shou's inner voice began to wail and howl again.
[Answer, answer, Gu Yatai, please have mercy!]
Shen Tang's roll call was far more powerful than a teacher calling on students in class; even the carefree Wei Shou broke out in a cold sweat.
What kind of nonsense can a group of people with no experience in naval warfare possibly come up with?
But precisely because of this, things turned out unexpectedly well.
Naval warfare in this world is even more imaginative than land warfare, daring to think and do things that others wouldn't dare to do. Following this line of thought, they really do break out of the mold and come up with all sorts of bizarre and ingenious ideas. For example, the interception problem proposed by Gongxi Chouti.
"...Does it really have to be me who cuts off the shipping lane?"
One military general said, "Even if we don't have the strength of General Gongxi, we can still order our elite fleet to circle around to the enemy's rear and seize their passage!"
In short, block their retreat and let the enemy block their ships!
Gong Xichou shook his head: "We're talking about naval warfare using the power of words, not how to mobilize troops. Whether we mobilize troops or I take action, the goal is to intercept the enemy's shipping lanes. In that case, wouldn't it be faster to use the power of words to build a wall of water to block their path?"
This kind of operational thinking also applies to land warfare.
"A water wall is not as good as an earthen wall; what can the former stop?"
The warships can simply sail over and break through the wall.
Gong Xichou asked, "Can we drain all the water?"
"Brilliant! Great idea!"
"Drain the water and see how they'll sail!"
While some agreed with the sentiment, others poured cold water on it.
River water isn't like land. If you dig a hole in land, it won't automatically fill in, but water will. What's the point of draining a river? Rivers flow into the sea, so why not just drain all the water in the world? Even if you could, where would you put the drained water?
Shen Tang rested her chin on her hand: "It's not impossible."
Everyone was astonished: "How can this be done?"
Shen Tang drew a quadrilateral next to one of the circles: "Let's assume these four lines are four planks that fall down one after another, surrounding the warship in the middle. If we then pump out all the water in the middle, will the enemy's warship still be able to sail?"
Everyone: "..."
This is truly an unexpected path.
Some people even cast horrified glances at Shen Tang.
They had read "A Review and Analysis of the Details of a Century of Classic Naval Battles (Internal Edition)" and thought that the combat methods of the Southwest Naval Battles were bizarre, unexpected, and devoid of martial ethics. However, compared with the Lord's idea, the Southwest countries were still kind.
Who actually pumps water during a water fight?!
Qin Li and the others, however, showed great interest.
They started discussing how to execute the plan.
Since we're going to encourage divergent thinking, let's go all out and push things to the limit.
Lin Feng also offered his ideas.
"Can one draw a sword to cut water?"
"Trying to cut water with a knife only makes it flow more; isn't that a futile effort?" Everyone understood Lin Feng's meaning. Since they could surround the enemy's warships and drain the water to cut off their shipping lanes, why not just cut them directly? But the problem was that water couldn't be cut off.
Lin Feng said, "It's not necessarily impossible."
As she spoke, she turned her gaze to Yun Ce: "When the water supply is cut off, ice and snow can be used to freeze it, thus temporarily separating the rivers. Following this idea, an earthen wall could also be built underground to separate two places..."
The downside is that it's too noisy and consumes too much energy.
A river wide enough to hold two sides fighting a water battle is incredibly difficult to sever. One side would suffer enormous losses while the enemy could simply concentrate their forces, break a hole in the ice or earthen wall, and the divided water would automatically heal itself.
Overall, it's not cost-effective.
As Lin Feng spoke, another inspiration struck him.
"The greatest danger to a ship is reefs; if one were to deploy a battle formation using reefs..."
Some people in the crowd gasped in surprise.
This tactic is covert and unlikely to be detected by the enemy. By the time the enemy discovers that the ship below is trapped, it will be too late to react.
Besides these, certain land warfare methods are equally effective.
Naval warfare demands more order and rules than land warfare, and relies more heavily on precise and real-time information transmission. Manipulating these aspects and infiltrating the enemy's control center can achieve a surprise effect. And this happens to be one of Lin Feng's specialties.
Throughout the seminar, the most interesting thing for everyone was to surround the enemy's warships, drain the water, and turn the naval battle into a land battle!
This also has the lowest execution cost and the fewest drawbacks.
"But...the enemy won't just sit here and wait to be killed, will they?"
The wall was just as easy to breach.
Shen Tang laughed smugly and said, "What's the use of just sitting and waiting to die? The water level is dropping fast enough that they won't dare to make any rash moves. The water level on the warships is far below the normal river level. If the walls are breached now, the raging torrents will drown everyone and everything!"
At this point, Shen Tang had another idea.
"The equipment provided by Zhoukou doesn't seem to include a submarine?"
"Dive ship?"
The group looked at each other in bewilderment.
Shen Tang considered the feasibility of the plan: "Let's sail the boat to the bottom of the water and stab them in the backside at the crucial moment!"
Let's teach them a lesson by using a knife to prick their butts!
(_)
I don't know when this damn Mercury retrograde will end. I woke up this morning with a terrible neck pain. It doesn't feel like a stiff neck, but I feel a throbbing sensation from behind my left ear down my neck... as if it goes straight to the top of my head... I'm wondering if it's a problem with my cervical spine.
(End of this chapter)
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