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Wang Ling's reaction was quick, but it was a large army at sea, so they had to maintain a proper formation. He divided the army into three groups, left, center, and right, strictly following the ship formation. He also sent out scouts to survey the enemy's situation. As a result, their speed slowed down.
However, since the enemy has not shown up and people have been arranged to defend the nearby islands, I think Wuyuan Island is safe.
Besides, he also sent his confidants. Even if he couldn't gain any advantage, he wouldn't let the prey escape. As long as that kid Xu Xianrong didn't cause trouble, it would be fine.
Thinking this in his heart, Wang Ling gradually relaxed, and even looked forward to encountering the main force of the enemy on Wuyuan Island.
He saw through the trick at a glance. As long as he could get back in time, he would be able to join the detachment to kill the red bandits. Wouldn't the credit be easy to take for himself then?
Unfortunately, this good mood was suddenly broken when we were halfway back home.
"General! A fleet appeared in the southwest, it looks like an enemy force!"
What?! Wang Ling strode out of the ship's tower and stood on the observation deck, looking to the right. Sure enough, there was a sizable fleet, charging towards them with great momentum, and at the head of it was a treasure ship. Could this be the Lu family's hijacked ship? They even lost a treasure ship. What a loser!
However, cursing was useless now. He could only shout, "Quickly change the formation to meet the enemy!"
At this moment, the government fleet was facing the enemy sideways. If they didn't change their formation quickly, they would be stabbed in the heart, and that would be the end of everything. Even if they couldn't gain the upper hand, they had to turn around quickly and face the enemy head-on.
This was indeed an upright and honorable method of combat. Although caught off guard, the officers and soldiers still acted diligently. However, the enemy was even faster! The wind was favorable, and the sails were full. In almost an instant, the enormous treasure ship was close.
Such large ships were only used when the imperial court sent envoys to sea. They were much taller than ordinary official ships. Even if there was only one, it would be frightening to look at.
Wang Ling didn't care and shouted, "Let the right wing fire! Sink that ship!"
This group of pirates used a fish-line formation, which is a standard vertical column, with a large ship like the treasure ship leading the way in order to protect the ships behind. Their formation had not yet been completely changed, with the right wing protruding in front. Once the pirate ship rushed into the formation, it would be troublesome.
Following the command, several warships that had already turned their bows ignited their cannons, pouring shells into the huge treasure ship. Such a large target, coupled with so many cannons, instantly caused the sea to rise with plumes of water and fill the air with smoke.
"Hit! Hit!"
Some people cheered, but the next moment, they found that a cannonball was also fired from the big ship, crashing towards them!
There were cannons on the treasure ship, and more than one. They were also huge cannons used on warships. They could naturally shoot farther from their high vantage point, and the most deadly thing was that they were extremely accurate. After a round of bombardment, the government army was hit in several ships in succession because of their denser formation, which caused quite a commotion.
Seeing this scene, Wang Ling couldn't help but get furious: "What are you afraid of! They only have this one gunboat, can't they sink it with a few more shots?!"
That being said, the bombardment from below did not stop, but the big ship still rushed forward fearlessly, as if it wanted to die together with the government troops.
With a loud bang, the big ship completely plunged into the ship formation, knocking two warships off course at once, and the ships hiding behind the treasure ship also poked their heads out. They were three Fu ships.
Though also three-masted, these ships differed from the common Fuzhou ships. A large net was slung from the mainsail, almost as high as the massive sail, and countless men clung to it, shouting and hurling spears and bombs. Such frenzied fighting surprised the government troops. However, with the treasure ships drawing fire and the Fuzhou ships following behind, it was like a fist wielding a knife, tearing a rift in the government troops' right flank.
They had not yet completely turned their formation, and now someone had broken into their right wing. Only four ships were thrown into chaos. This was a great shame and humiliation, but it was not over yet.
"The enemy formation has been broken open, sound the drums and raise the flags!" Cheng Xi said in a deep voice while looking at the enemy formation ahead.
Following an order, the drums on the flagship sounded. The rumbling rhythm of the drums was exactly the sound of attack that all the government troops were accustomed to hearing, and a new flag was raised next to the red flag fluttering at the bow.
The two flags, "General Zhenhai" and "Qiu," were both black on a red background, like scars embedded in blood. Not just the flagship; all the Red Flag Gang's ships sounded the same drums and hoisted the same flags. With the sound of flags and drums, the fleet slowly began to spread out, transforming from a narrow vertical file formation into a horizontal formation of geese, charging fiercely toward the government troops.
The change was truly astonishing. Upon hearing the familiar drumbeat, many of the soldiers on the official ship instinctively drew their swords and crossbows, ready to engage. But the next moment, they saw a familiar banner on the enemy ship. Their shock and bewilderment were beyond words. Who were they fighting? Facing such an enemy, could they still win?
Taking advantage of this moment of confusion, the Red Flag Gang's fleet launched a general attack. The two wings of the goose-shaped formation quickly spread out, one slicing through the enemy lines while the other followed closely behind the treasure ships to expand the victory.
This attack was swift and accurate, and the battle erupted into close combat almost instantly. The problem was that, in order to attack the treasure ships, nearly every ship's cannon had fired several rounds. The bronze cannons were now overheated and needed to cool down, leaving only powerful bows and crossbows to rely on. However, the enemy ships had more bows and a faster rate of fire. Arrows rained down, and fearless bandits climbed the masts and hurled oil cans and bombs at the warships. This offensive was reminiscent of General Qiu's invincible armada, and the already panicked government troops were thrown into disarray.
Like a hot knife cutting through butter, the Red Flag Gang's fleet cut through the right wing of the government army and tore apart the formation of the entire army.
Holding on to the fence tightly, Wang Ling was trembling all over, and his eyes were bloodshot. "Don't stand there like an idiot, turn back and surround the enemy!"
This battle was changing rapidly, and the situation was out of control in the blink of an eye. How could he not be shocked and angry? However, these were nothing. The sudden sound of the war drums almost disrupted the formation of the central army, not to mention the large flags with the word "Qiu" hanging on each ship.
This was a ruthless plot to attack the enemy's heart! A bunch of thugs dared to act so arrogantly. Aren't they afraid of the imperial court's wrath and punishment? However, at this moment, Wang Ling's focus was no longer on this. The key point was that his army was being torn apart by the enemy! The right wing collapsed at the first blow, and it had no effect at all on stopping the enemy. The only plan now was to mobilize the left wing to encircle and block the enemy!
He clearly outnumbered the enemy by twice as many ships, yet he still had his right wing torn off and shattered. Where was his dignity? Where was the dignity of the imperial court?
Wang Ling now regretted that he had split his forces, allowing the enemy to see his weak spot. If the detachment had been there, with more troops on both wings and a stronger front, how could he have tolerated such a group of bandits being so arrogant?!
However, despite Marshal Wang's best efforts, the fleet's shift in formation proved difficult. By the time the left wing had finally completed its turn and was about to form a pincer attack, the right wing had already been completely penetrated. Once again, contrary to Wang Ling's expectations, the enemy did not take advantage of the weakened right wing and the loose formation to turn around and charge again, but instead fled directly into the distance, following the wind.
"Marshal, the enemy is retreating! Should we chase them?" a confidant beside him asked hurriedly.
The enemy retreated without a glance back, leaving only his own miserable remnants. At that moment, a chill suddenly ran down Wang Ling's spine. Such decisive tactics, such ruthless tactics, really reminded him of an old friend. If Qiu Sheng were still alive, how would he have fought this battle? Why didn't he fight to the bitter end? Why did he abandon the favorable situation and just walk away? Yes, there must be a trick!
"No!" The shout was so loud that it almost split Wang Ling's throat. He roared, "Stop the ship and reorganize. Be on high alert! Send a message to the detachment to rush over and reunite as soon as possible!"
In a few hours, it would be dark. Who could guarantee that the bandits wouldn't return? The only option now was to halt the troops and wait for the detachment to join him. He was no match for the old thief Qiu in strategy, so he had to proceed with caution and maintain the current situation.
On the other side, the Red Flag Gang ripped through the enemy lines with unstoppable force, and cheers and laughter echoed from every ship. This battle didn't involve a boarding encounter, and while they were hit by some cannonballs and crossbow bolts, the casualties weren't too severe. Facing an enemy force twice their size, it could be considered a resounding victory.
"How's the treasure ship?" Cheng Xi had no intention of celebrating, so he turned around and asked.
The people below immediately replied: "The treasure ship was in the front and was the most seriously injured. I'm afraid it can no longer fight."
Cheng Xi breathed a sigh of relief. This was a rash move, relying on the current ships' lack of firepower. A ship only had a few guns, insufficient ammunition, slow firing rate, and questionable accuracy. All these factors combined made her take the risk. If it were a future battleship with two or three decks of guns, a forced charge would have sunk them long ago.
"Send a few ships to escort the treasure ship to the camp on the shore. Remember to dismantle the small cannons on the ship and install them on the Fu ship." Cheng Xi immediately ordered.
A severely damaged ship like this really had to be brought ashore for repairs as soon as possible. If it drifted any longer, it would probably sink. However, the man below wasn't concerned about this. He asked, "Boss, what should we do then? Should we wait until nightfall and then fight back?"
This was also one of the original contingency plans. Cheng Xi shook his head: "No need, just turn around and head to Wuyuan Island."
The man was stunned: "But we need to meet up with Boss Yan?"
"It's been so long since we've heard anything. There might be some danger over there. Let's go and launch an encirclement attack." Yan Yuan, also relying on an island, had smoke signals, but unexpectedly, there had been no movement until now. The situation was starting to look grim. The enemy couldn't be underestimated, as they couldn't even get away from Yan Yuan. The main force of the government army had been frightened by her and probably wouldn't have the courage to pursue them for a while. This was a perfect opportunity to eliminate the small group.
Having just won a great victory, how could they not respond? The entire fleet began to turn, hoisting the sails again and heading towards Wuyuan Island.
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