They were just feeling down and wanted to talk and vent, but someone had left some alcohol at the door. They figured it was just a little bit and wouldn't be a big deal, so they started drinking it, one sip after another.
No one expected that as soon as the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) arrived, the Duke of Qi had his men secretly infiltrate the water and, taking advantage of the dim moonlight, silently approach the warships of the Jiangnan navy.
The vanguard soldiers of the battalion were all skilled swimmers, entering and exiting the water silently. With perfect coordination, they moved forward one ship after another, reaping the lives of the Jiangnan navy.
Perhaps it was because of the King of Chu's arrogance, or perhaps because the conflict between the navy and the private soldiers had not been completely resolved, but tonight the patrolmen on the King of Chu's side were unusually lazy, and thousands of them were secretly killed without the King even realizing it.
Moreover, after pushing people into the canal, the Lingnan navy seized small warships.
The same armor was used, and even the patrolling guards couldn't find anything wrong with it.
It wasn't until the smell of blood drifted on the wind that the patrol of the Jiangnan navy realized something was wrong. They shone torches on the area, but found nothing.
The soldier scratched his head, turned around and said, "I'll go tell the general. You guys keep an eye on things."
The men assumed the soldier was scared, so they nodded and laughed. After the soldier left, they started chatting, and none of them noticed that a layer of oil had appeared on the canal.
Half an hour was the limit for the Lingnan Navy to enter the water and kill the enemy. So when the agreed time came, the Lingnan Navy would secretly enter the water again, destroy the enemy's small warships, and then quietly dive back.
Only after leaving the territory of the Jiangnan Navy did one of the soldiers take out an oil paper package from his pocket, light a tinderbox, and throw it onto the river.
The Lingnan navy no longer cared about revealing their whereabouts and ran back desperately. The small fires behind them, due to the tung oil, quickly turned into a raging fire, which, carried by the wind, ignited their vanguard warships.
Flames shot into the sky, igniting half the sky.
The patrolmen who had been talking were speechless as they stared at the raging fire that suddenly burst into flames.
After a long while, one of the soldiers suddenly shouted, "Fire!"
These three words were like a release from the pressure points that had silenced the other patrol personnel, instantly easing their tense throats.
"Fire has broken out!"
"Turn the boat around, quick!"
There was oil on the river, and they were downstream. In addition, the wind was blowing in their direction. If they didn't turn their boats around and evacuate the area in time, they might be wiped out!
Gu Yufan's navy was instantly thrown into chaos, with some trying to turn their ships around and others seeking orders from princes and generals.
The firelight cast many shadowy figures, creating a lively scene.
The Duke of Qi stood at the bow of the ship, his hands behind his back, watching everything with a serious expression on his face, which was illuminated by the firelight.
"My lord."
A general came forward to report the situation: "The vanguard has beheaded more than 3,000 rebels and is expected to burn 50 of the enemy's small warships."
Fifty ships, equivalent to half of the enemy's small warships, were lost.
Duke Qi nodded slightly and asked, "Have the soldiers of the Left First Battalion landed yet?"
The general nodded in agreement: "The vanguard came ashore before entering the water, and no news has come. The enemy should not have come ashore."
Before going to Lingnan, the Duke of Qi had specifically collected information on the naval commanders of Jiangnan and was familiar with the combat methods of each commander.
If they ambush the other side, the other side will definitely ambush them in return, and they will also definitely seek outside help.
For example, troops are stationed in Ningzhou and Yunzhou.
Due to the huge difference in numbers, the Duke of Qi only dared to send a battalion to stop them, but unexpectedly, the other side did not react at all.
Not only that, but they also inflicted such heavy losses on the opponent in tonight's battle!
The Duke of Qi was somewhat puzzled: "Find out who the opposing general is this time..."
Before he could finish speaking, the general beside him said, "Lord Duke, could it be the Prince of Chu himself?"
Any general who has been on the battlefield cannot be unaware of the principle that speed is of the essence in warfare.
The Duke of Qi turned to look at the man and sneered, "What you say makes sense!"
Otherwise, he couldn't figure out even if he racked his brains, who would be so stupid as to not seize such a good opportunity tonight.
Duke Qi turned around and said, "Pass down the order to all camps to prepare and proceed according to plan!"
The generals waiting nearby clasped their hands in greeting: "Yes!"
Compared to the chaos and disarray of the Jiangnan navy, everything seemed orderly and efficient on the Lingnan navy's side.
Upon receiving the news, the Lingnan naval forces that were already waiting on the shore quickly moved behind the Jiangnan naval forces.
On the idea of cutting off the opponent's retreat, Duke Qi and Gu Yufan shared the same thought.
At the same time, the Lingnan navy led its troops forward and stopped at this end of the fire. At the Duke of Qi's command, the archers fired their arrows in unison.
Arrows glowing with the light of burning tung oil were fired in unison, causing even greater panic among the soldiers who had not yet received their commander's order.
They wanted to turn the ship around, but the gaps between the warships were extremely narrow. In front of them was a sea of fire, and behind them were large warships blocking their way.
The soldiers were getting desperate for orders from their commander.
At this moment, Gu Yufan was fast asleep.
Although he had been in Jiangnan for many years and was used to taking boats, this was the first time he had ever been on a boat for such a long time. Gu Yufan was naturally exhausted and only thought about going ashore to stretch his legs first thing tomorrow morning.
So after the generals who had been discussing the matter left, Gu Yufan fell into a deep sleep.
The generals, taking turns drinking, hadn't actually drunk much, yet they all slept incredibly soundly, and the soldiers couldn't wake them even when they knocked on the door.
Ling Jinhua, wearing a thin cloak, slowly walked out: "What's going on? Why is it so noisy?"
The soldier seemed to have found his pillar of support: "Consort, the Duke of Qi has started a war, but the generals are nowhere to be found. Does Your Highness know..."
Many medium-sized warships were damaged due to the enemy's arrows, not to mention the soldiers on board.
The soldier, catching his breath, rushed out and said, "The enemy launched a surprise attack, and the river is covered in tung oil. The soldiers dare not jump into the river. We now beg Your Highness to give the order for the last warship in the column to turn around."
The soldiers acted according to the general's orders. As long as the prince gave the signal, the soldiers would not act like headless flies.
The soldier said anxiously, "I'm sorry to trouble you, Consort."
Ling Jinhua turned her head to look at the flames that had already shot into the sky not far away, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up. As she turned around, her brows furrowed involuntarily: "I know, but the prince is not feeling well today. You should find the generals first."
The soldier reluctantly agreed, then, seeing the door was closed, turned to leave...
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