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Finally caught them! Looking at the pirate ship with its back to Wuyuan Island, forming a defensive formation, Xu Xianrong breathed a sigh of relief.
In a naval war, the most difficult thing is actually to encircle the enemy. Moreover, the left and right armies are not on the same page and lack unified command. If you are not careful, the enemy will easily escape.
Unfortunately, the enemy commander was very experienced and many of his plans could not be hidden from his eyes. It was only after fighting for nearly a day that Xu Xianrong took advantage of the greed of the idiot Youjun and set a trap, completely trapping him in a dead end.
Now the government army has many ships and ammunition in abundance, while the bandits have few soldiers and lack the firepower to attack, so it is almost impossible for them to break through the siege.
Even if they risk their lives to escape, most of their troops will be lost.
Of course, they could also choose to abandon their ships and go ashore. In this way, even if they lost dozens of ships, they could also cut off the combat effectiveness of the bandits.
The overall outcome of this battle has been decided. The only thing that Xu Xianrong is concerned about is the identity of the person leading the troops.
Because the Red Flag Gang had grown so rapidly and had never previously harassed the shore, the imperial court paid little attention to it, and little information was gathered. Besides the chieftain, whose surname was Cheng, the only other known leaders were Lin, Li, Sun, Zhong, and Yan.
Xu Xianrong did not remember that there was a capable general named Cheng under the general's command, but he had been away from the general for four or five years, so it was not surprising that a newcomer suddenly appeared, or even someone from the escaped generals and soldiers stood out.
As for the other big bosses, the only name he had some impression of was probably "Yan Yuan".
At that time, there was indeed a young general named Yan under the military commander. He was good in martial arts, but his military skills were just mediocre.
In just a few years, could it have reached this point? If he were given twice the number of troops, he might not be able to stop this bandit army.
The thought that this person would betray the military commander and even kidnap the military commander's daughter made Xu Xianrong extremely angry. This time, he must capture this person alive and interrogate him thoroughly!
Just as he was thinking about how to deploy his troops and how to capture the enemy alive, a messenger suddenly came running in: "Lieutenant General Xu, the right army has received a message from the commander-in-chief, saying that the central army was ambushed by the enemy, and we are asked to return as soon as possible!"
Xu Xianrong stood up suddenly and asked: "How many enemy troops are there? How many casualties have been suffered by the central army?"
He had anticipated the enemy's potential attack on the main force, but to intimidate Wang Ling and cause him to recall his detachment was a serious matter. Could it be that the previous intelligence was wrong, and the Qingfeng Gang hadn't turned back at all? Or was it that the Red Flag Gang's strength was greater than anticipated, putting the main force in danger?
The man hurriedly said, "I heard there are over a hundred ships, with treasure ships alongside. The army has lost thirty or forty ships, and is now halting its operations..."
Xu Xianrong's face darkened. "Only a hundred or so boats? Where is the enemy now?"
Seeing him angry, the man couldn't help but lower his voice: "After the surprise attack was successful, the bandits retreated. The commander was afraid they had other plans, so he gave the order..."
"Stupid!" Xu Xianrong couldn't help but curse out loud.
Even if a detachment was sent, Commander Wang Ling's army still had two hundred warships, twice as many as the enemy. Being caught off guard would be one thing, but losing dozens of ships in one fell swoop—could it be that their entire flank was completely overwhelmed? Even worse was the ridiculous order to recall the detachment. The enemy had fewer ships, so even if the central army had lost some men, it wouldn't be difficult to defend. If they really wanted to reunite with the detachment, they should have come to Wuyuan Island themselves, not let them go. The enemy had already disappeared. What if they were lying in ambush along the way, planning to surround and attack reinforcements? He knew Wang Ling was an absurd idiot with great ambitions but little talent, but he hadn't expected him to be so cowardly, abandoning even the art of war to save his own skin!
After taking two deep breaths, he said to the messenger, "Tell General Zhang Qian to join us in defeating the enemy on the other side, and then return to support the central army."
Military orders were as strong as a mountain; they couldn't refuse to return. However, a reckless retreat wasn't an option either. The enemy commander was no ordinary figure. How could he not understand what was happening when he saw them retreating without reason? At this point, they had to deal with the enemy in front of them first, or at least defeat them, before retreating to join forces. That way, even if they encountered an ambush, they wouldn't have to worry about being attacked from behind, giving them a glimmer of hope.
Fearing the enemy wouldn't agree, Xu Xianrong even wrote a letter and sent it to a messenger, but it was of no use. During the previous battle, he had set an ambush with his right wing. Regardless of whether Zhang saw through it, the right wing was penetrated by the enemy, and men were certainly lost. Zhang Qian was probably a bit afraid of fighting, unwilling to fight head-on, and wanted to take advantage of the order to quickly withdraw and curry favor with Wang Ling. Even when he explained the pros and cons, the enemy refused to respond.
Xu Xianrong's head was splitting with pain. Back when he was under the military commander, he had never encountered such a jerk. Even in a border county, he could lead an army on his own, without being constrained by others. But now, on the sea, not only were there people trying to trip him up at every turn, but there was also this idiot holding him back. He was truly more of a hindrance than a help.
However, he had no time to continue persuading or think of other ways, as an enemy army suddenly appeared in sight and attacked them quickly.
…
This time, there was no way to end it peacefully. Looking at the enemy before him, Yan Yuan felt a rare anxiety. He had previously wanted to keep the enemy at bay, so he used the "provocation" method, but who would have thought that the enemy would be so aroused that they would bite like a mad dog.
Yan Yuan knew better than anyone else how powerful Xu Xianrong was. Among all his subordinates back then, the military commander favored this man the most and taught him almost all his skills.
But he had been away for several years, had never fought a naval battle, and had just been imprisoned, so he probably wouldn't be taken seriously. Even if he had skills, his potential would certainly be limited. Who would have thought that when they actually met him, they would discover his terrifying nature. Among other things, he dared to use even his own right wing as bait to set a trap. This kind of ruthlessness and decisiveness is beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Now they were cornered. Aside from abandoning their ship and landing on the island, they had no other choice but to risk a breakout. Both options would incur significant losses and might even impact the overall situation. Now, all they could hope for was for the leader to send reinforcements. However, the situation on the other side wasn't easy either, and the leader might not be able to make it...
Just as he was thinking about it, someone beside him suddenly shouted, "Boss! There's news from the lookout, saying they've spotted our fleet!"
Yan Yuan was delighted upon hearing this and immediately climbed onto the stern observation deck. Looking up, he saw his own ship in the distance, and a large army had arrived! Wait, they were heading to Wuyuan Island so soon. Was the battle over there a success or failure?
Yan Yuan whipped his head around and looked at the enemy before him. He saw that the warships, which had been eager to attack just now, were actually showing signs of retreating. Were they hastily withdrawing upon seeing reinforcements arrive? Or had the enemy already known about the attack on their own army and were trying to avoid it?
"Send people to shout slogans, saying that the government army has been defeated and Wang Ling is dead." Yan Yuan immediately gave the order.
Now that the situation has reversed, it is natural that we must win the hearts and minds of the people. If we can keep this detachment, then the hard battle of the past two days will not be in vain.
…
Damn it! As soon as Xu Xianrong saw the bandits galloping towards him, he knew something was amiss. It turned out the enemy had no intention of setting an ambush, but was planning to intercept them on Wuyuan Island. If it was really the same opponent from before, it would be difficult to escape once they were intercepted, not to mention with such a powerful enemy behind them!
"Let General Zhang Qian retreat first. I'll stop the enemy..."
Before he could finish his words, the right wing of the army had already turned, clearly planning to flee. Did they not even care about their own comrades? Before his rage could erupt, a sudden uproar erupted from the enemy camp in front of him, with everyone shouting, "The government army is defeated, Wang Ling is dead!" This moment sent the already bewildered government troops into even greater panic.
Xu Xianrong closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was already shouting, "All troops, turn around and retreat with the right army! Where is the messenger? Break through with three ships, and ask the Marshal to come and support us!"
The only plan now was to escape the vortex of Wuyuan Island as quickly as possible and seek help from Wang Ling. If they could escape the encirclement and draw the central army to their aid, they might still have a chance of victory, but the battle would undoubtedly be difficult...
Seeing both wings of the government troops scrambling to turn around and flee, Yan Yuan no longer hesitated and led his troops in pursuit. Unfortunately, they had no artillery, so they could only tailgate closely, hoping to force them to change course.
One was chasing and the other was fleeing, and there was another one blocking them in front. The three fleets were like three arcs, far away from each other, yet close at hand.
Standing at the bow, Xu Xianrong took in the overall situation, his brow furrowing ever deeper. The right army was focused solely on escaping, but he already saw the inevitable outcome. If they didn't want to be driven into danger overseas by the pirates, completely losing the chance to reunite with the central army, they had to break through the encirclement and charge through. This was certainly a huge risk, but they still had artillery. If they missed even this opportunity, they would be doomed.
There was no time to hesitate. Xu Xianrong shouted the order: "Load all the guns, turn the ships to the southwest, and rush past the enemy's vanguard!"
This order is not only for his own men, but also an instruction to the right army. Now the only way to escape is to work together. I just hope that General Zhang Qian can figure it out.
Fortunately, at this critical moment, the right army, clearly also cherishing their lives, actually followed his orders and began to change their formation. The government fleet changed from the compact Eagle Formation to the slightly narrow Fish Formation, and all the gun barrels turned towards the enemy in the north, ready to fire.
Naturally, this change did not escape Cheng Xi's eyes.
"It seems like there's a real talent on the other side." Being able to react so quickly despite being at a disadvantage wasn't something most people could do. It seemed her guess was correct; Xu Xianrong wasn't part of the chaotic central army, but rather a detachment. But for now, she didn't dwell on it too much. After all, they weren't dealing with any old acquaintances, but a real enemy force.
"Let the fleet deploy and set up the elk horn formation!" Cheng Xi gave the order simply.
The so-called elk horn formation is basically a "V"-shaped formation, which is a commonly used formation for encirclement. As long as the enemy falls into the trap, the two wings can be easily rolled back and the enemy can be surrounded.
The only problem was that the government troops were too strong, and it was possible for them to penetrate their formation and escape. But at the same time, would someone eager to escape miss such a good opportunity?
Like an open sack, the ships flying red flags stretched out horizontally, and the government troops were like sharp cones, stabbing at them fiercely.
The sound of cannons rang out.
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