vrcanaries Chapter 390 Zhang Gongyu
Chapter 390 Zhang Gongyu
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Lin Ke continued, "Zhao Gou sailed further and further ahead, and the Jurchens followed in their boats, incidentally conquering Changguo!"
"The Jin army has ventured deep into enemy territory alone, and it's not their home ground. Their supplies and whether they get seasick are all problems, not to mention other unexpected events."
"This is a very unfavorable situation for the Jin people."
"Just then, the Jin army's commander-in-chief, Ali, was about to join forces with Wanyan Zongbi to launch a pincer attack on Zhao Gou when an unexpected event occurred."
"The weather at sea changes very quickly. Sure enough, a strong wind and heavy rain came, damaging many of the ships built by the Jin people."
Golden Man: Oh no! Oh no!
"However, the outcome of a war is often not determined by the number of soldiers; history is replete with examples of smaller forces defeating larger ones."
"Let's look at the Song army's warships. Although their naval combat capabilities are better than those of the Jin army, Zhao Gou and his men have a fatal problem—their fear of the Jin."
"Therefore, Zhao Gou fled south from the sea, while on the other hand, he sent Zhang Gongyu, the Song Dynasty's defense commissioner of Hezhou, to intercept him."
"Records about Zhang Gongyu are scarce, but it cannot be denied that he was also a highly capable general."
"Just as Xie Mao Ali led the Jin army ships to regroup and continue their journey, they encountered Song army warships from the opposite direction."
"The two sides exchanged glances; they were enemies, and a major battle was imminent."
"And the Jin army's Xiemao Ali naval warfare capabilities were also among the best in their own Jin territory."
"Since the Jin army marched south and entered the Huai River and Yangtze River basins, he has been fighting as the main naval commander of the Jin army."
"So in Xiemao Ali's view, the Song army's combat strength was just so-so, and he could defeat them in naval battles, so he did not take Zhang Gongyu seriously."
"Coincidentally, Zhang Gongyu was also not afraid of the Jurchens and did not take Xiemao Ali seriously."
"Therefore, Zhang Gongyu launched the first offensive, using the crossbows and catapults on the warships to launch a series of attacks on the Jin army's warships."
"Therefore, the Jin warships were constantly bombarded by the Song army with a barrage of stones. If the ships had life, they would probably be experiencing what it's like to be passively attacked for the first time."
"But Xiemao Ali had no choice. They couldn't launch long-range counterattacks, and their ships and weapons were no match for the Song army. So they could only continue to face the rain of stones and move closer to the Song army's warships in order to engage in close combat with the Song army!"
Meanwhile, Zhang Gongyu directed the warships to continue approaching the Jin army.
Seeing this, Xie Mao Ali was still laughing at Zhang Gongyu for wanting to engage in close combat, saying he had no idea how to utilize his advantages. However, the closer he looked at the Song army ships, the worse his premonition became.
"Only when the Song army ships came straight towards their Jin army without stopping did the Jin army visibly panic."
"They didn't expect the Song army to be so crazy, wanting to perish together with them. However, the Song army's ships were better equipped, sturdier, and larger than theirs. If the two sides collided, it would probably only be the Jurchens who would be injured."
A minor official in the Qin Dynasty: We've really met our match! We're now on the Song army's home turf!
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: Hahaha, the counterattack begins!!!
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: Wanyan Zongbi really went all out for Zhao Gou!
Cheng Yaojin of the Tang Dynasty: He chased after him all the way, but didn't even see a hair on his head. He was just fighting with his men!
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty commented: This indirectly shows that Zhao Gou had a lot of loyal and capable ministers and generals at his disposal. If he said he didn't have any, wouldn't those who had no one to rely on be furious?
First Emperor: Generally speaking, it seems unlikely that we'll be in a situation where we have no one to rely on. It just depends on whether you can seize the opportunity and make the most of his abilities!
Liu Zhuzhu of the Han Dynasty: No matter how capable you are, it's all for naught if you encounter an emperor who doesn't value you!
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In another timeline of the Song Dynasty, everyone from the emperor to his subjects was overjoyed by this!
This is truly unbelievable! I've never seen anything like it before! The Jurchens were actually beaten so badly they were completely powerless to fight back!
It seems that the Jin army was not as fierce as they had imagined, and the Song army was not always weak!
Miss Lin is right. What determines victory in war is not weapons or numbers, but the generals who command them!
Therefore, those who lost battles because of him since the beginning of the Song-Jin war should really reflect on their actions!
……
Meanwhile, in the live stream room on the other side of the screen:
Lin Ke repeatedly exclaimed that although Zhao Gou had many flaws as emperor, he still had quite a few loyal ministers!
If I hadn't covered his retreat, he wouldn't have been able to run so fast!
Thinking of this, she continued, "Perhaps the Jurchens never expected that the Song army would resort to such an offensive as ramming ships."
"But it is indeed true. Under the watchful eyes of Xie Mao Ali, the Song and Jin ships collided head-on. Of course, the Song army, with its superior equipment, was better off."
"Before long, the Jin army's ships developed breaches and leaks, especially since Zhang Gongyu didn't simply use the hull of his ship to ram the Jin ships."
"Instead, they tied hardwood sticks to the bow of the boat, and the ends of these sticks were sharpened so that they could make a hole with every impact and a precise puncture."
"So when Xie Mao Ali looked at the ship, he realized it was doomed! The hull was starting to leak, and the holes were so deep they couldn't be patched up. What was the point of fighting now?!"
"If this continued, they might all be wiped out. So, with no other option, Xie Mao Ali had to retreat back to Mingzhou."
"Since Wanyan Zongbi went south to pursue Zhao Gou, he has been following him around like a shadow, never even seeing his face or a glimpse of him."
"I guess he was also puzzled. He always rushed there as soon as he heard that he was there, but he never saw a single hair of him!"
"At this point, even Wanyan Zongbi, a man of iron, couldn't help but break down."
"His troops alone were adrift at sea for over half a month, suffering from seasickness, not to mention the desolate islands along the way, with no supplies, no fresh water, and damn it, no Zhao Gou anywhere."
"The entire army was not there to capture people and fight, but to suffer and be exhausted. Therefore, Wanyan Zongbi could only suggest retreating to Hangzhou and abandoning the pursuit of Zhao Gou. As a result, his plan to search the mountains and the sea completely failed."
"However, Wanyan Zongbi still did not give up. Looking at the vast sea, he realized the limitations of the Jin army's operations and that they also needed a strong naval force."
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: I have to say that northerners are not as familiar with water as southerners, but after listening to this, Wanyan Zongbi was really unlucky!
Fang Xuanling of the Tang Dynasty: What's so unlucky about it! The most unlucky ones are the people along the way. Zhao Gou fled, how much military force could resist him, not to mention the cities that were occupied!
Liu Xun of the Great Han Dynasty: Even Wanyan Zongbi knew he was not good at naval warfare, yet he persisted in overcoming difficulties; the Song court, however, only knew how to seek peace and surrender!
General Judy, the Northern Expeditionary General: "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature. Accustomed to seeking peace, why would we waste our energy on resisting the Japanese? Besides, fighting a war costs money!"
The overweight Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi: Father! Do you know that war costs money?
Judy, the Great General Who Conquers the North: Get lost! Stop rambling on!
Emperor Zhao Zhen, the greatest benevolent ruler of all time: (?_?)…
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