Chapter 359: West into the Yellow River
At the naval camp, after seeing the fire in their own camp, Cheng Pu’s army quickly launched a sneak attack from land.
No one expected that the Jiangdong soldiers, who were not good at land warfare, would abandon the water route and launch a sneak attack from land.
Fortunately, Chen Qi, who was arranged by Gan Ning to defend the city, was an extremely cautious and meticulous person. Even though he did not think that the Jiangdong soldiers would attack from land at night, he still deployed a lot of people to guard against it.
Guarding against enemy night attacks, responding quickly and preparing for counter-raids are regular training items for the soldiers of the Tianze Army and have almost become an instinct.
Therefore, Cheng Pu’s army’s night attack from land did not achieve much effect.
However, just as Chen Qi was commanding his soldiers to defend and counterattack, another Jiangdong navy quietly came over from the water and took the opportunity to launch a sneak attack.
Although Chen Qi had made preparations in advance, he was still caught in the trap after all as some of his attention was distracted.
Cheng Pu personally rushed into Chen Qijun's fleet on a speedboat and abandoned his own warships without hesitation.
He led his troops to climb onto Gan Ning's warships as nimbly as monkeys, killing the surrounding naval soldiers and seizing the warships.
However, Cheng Pu was still surprised by the quality of Gan Ning's soldiers.
Looking at the Gan Ning army that reacted quickly, gradually formed a formation and began to counterattack, Cheng Pu's face looked extremely ugly.
"It's so difficult!"
At this moment, the advantage of Tianze’s elite troops was clearly visible.
The margin for error is too high.
Even though they were attacked again and again, the soldiers did not panic, nor did they run around like headless flies. Instead, they reacted quickly and launched an organized defense.
Looking at the increasing number of Gan Ning's troops gradually surrounding them, Cheng Pu thought of what Zhou Yu said before he left.
He looked at the countless huge warships around him with reluctance, his eyes full of greed and regret, but he still made up his mind.
"Ship! Retreat!"
They had been planning this sneak attack for a long time.
These soldiers had undergone special training and were extremely familiar with the operation of Tianze Army's warships. They drove a large number of warships out of Gan Ning's naval camp without any unfamiliarity.
Chen Qi looked at the fleet going away with a gloomy expression, but did not send anyone to pursue them.
First, he was worried that someone would come and attack again.
This camp is of vital importance, and he does not know the current situation of Gan Ning and his troops who went to attack Zhou Yu's camp. In this situation, it is necessary to stabilize the morale of the army and protect the camp.
Secondly, he really couldn't catch up with this navy.
They were all the same warships, and the opponent had obviously planned this for a long time. The control was too smooth, and with the bonus of talent, the speed was quite fast, making it difficult for him to catch up.
Even if we catch up, who knows if we will fall into the enemy's ambush again.
However, Chen Qi was obviously overthinking it.
For tonight's sneak attack and counter-attack, Zhou Yu mobilized almost all of his troops and had no extra troops to set up an ambush.
However, Zhou Yu also guessed the situation of Gan Ning's garrison commander.
If he was a careless and reckless man, Cheng Pu's troops could have achieved a great victory in a second surprise attack.
If he was a cautious person, he would not dare to abandon the camp and lead his troops in pursuit.
Calculate everything clearly in advance.
Cheng Pu was extremely happy as he returned with a large number of captured advanced warships, and he was full of admiration for Zhou Yu.
He was able to rely on his personal abilities to equalize the situation on the front battlefield when he was clearly at a disadvantage, forcing Gan Ning to take a risky move and choose a sneak attack.
He also guessed almost every step of Gan Ning's sneak attack, calculated in reverse, and maximized the results of the battle.
Zhou Yu's ability is definitely among the best among all the commanders and strategists in the world, and his comprehensive ability is firmly in the top three.
"With these warships, we don't have to worry about Tianze's navy for the time being." Cheng Pu carefully stroked the side of the ship, as if he was caressing the most gentle woman in the world.
He knew in his heart that the outcome of this battle had not yet been determined.
Although Gan Ning's army suffered heavy losses, they still retained the ability to confront them head-on.
Moreover, the scale and background of the navy under Tian Ze's command are beyond their reach.
The lost navy and warships will probably be replenished soon, but they can just breathe a sigh of relief during this period.
Moreover, with so many captured advanced warships, they had the capital to deal with the navy under Tian Ze.
At this time, Zhou Yu was waiting in the water fort for Cheng Pu's return.
Although he was confident in his strategy, there were too many variables on the battlefield and any mistake could lead to a complete loss.
Moreover, what he was most concerned about was how many warships Cheng Pu could seize, which would be directly related to his next strategic plan.
Zhou Yu's heart was not at ease until he saw the fleet led by Cheng Pu loaded with captured warships slowly approaching in the distance.
"General Cheng, thank you for your hard work!" Zhou Yu stepped forward with a gratified smile on his face.
Cheng Pu quickly got off the boat, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands together and saluted, saying: "Thanks to the governor's brilliant plan, we were able to achieve a great victory! It's just a pity that we failed to capture Gan Ning's water fort."
Before this, he might have been a little arrogant because of his seniority.
After all, Zhou Yu was just a junior to him.
When the difference in abilities was not too big, relying on his age and seniority, he was still qualified to communicate with Zhou Yu on an equal footing, even though he was under Zhou Yu's command.
But after this battle, he was completely convinced, completely corrected his status and lowered his head.
Zhou Yu shook his head slightly, helped Cheng Pu up, and said, "Tian Ze's army is brave and it is not easy to achieve such a result. Moreover, after this battle, Gan Ning's army must have been seriously injured and will not be able to pose a threat to our army in the short term."
Zhou Yu turned around and looked at the captured warships, with a hint of joy in his eyes.
"These warships are all treasures! After seizing so many, we can now contain Gan Ning's troops while crossing the Yellow River to support the coalition forces. This will turn the tide of the battle!"
Although Zhou Yu was unaware of the coalition's attack on Zhao Yun's troops, he knew that it would not be smooth sailing, and even if they could win, they would suffer heavy losses.
Moreover, given Tian Ze's character, he must have already prepared a backup plan and would not give the coalition forces any chance.
Even Gan Ning's defeat this time was probably part of Tian Ze's plan and preparation.
To fight against a terrifying enemy like Tian Ze, one must try one's best to gather all one's strength, make a decisive move in one battle, and unleash an unstoppable momentum, only then will one have a chance of winning.
"I'm sorry, General Cheng, I'm afraid you don't have much time to rest now." Zhou Yu said with a hint of apology.
"We must not miss this opportunity. Gan Ning has just been defeated and needs to rest. Tian Ze's reinforcements have not yet arrived. You must enter the Yellow River and go upstream to support the coalition forces near Gaotang today."
Although Gan Ning was defeated, Zhou Yu was very clear that when Tian Ze's reinforcements arrived, the gap between the two sides would still exist.
If they want to withdraw a navy to support the coalition forces, he has to be in charge here.
Therefore, Cheng Pu leading the troops became the only choice.
"General Cheng, remember that stability is the key in this battle," Zhou Yu warned.
"Tianze is densely defended on the north bank of the Yellow River. Our army is not good at land warfare, so we must not attack with short range. We must first meet up with the coalition forces and follow the orders of the lord."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Pu nodded solemnly.
He is not stupid, nor is he stubborn.
Not everyone is Zhou Gongjin, who possesses incredible command and control abilities, can turn decay into magic, and defeat the strong with the weak head-on.
Although he considered himself brave, he did not have the ability, so it was better for him to just follow orders.
(End of this chapter)
