Chapter 006: The Warrior
Deng Ming looked at the young water company commander in front of him, not even knowing his name—over these days, he had only gotten to know a few people. The many Ming army soldiers who shared the same camp with him were still almost strangers to Deng Ming; in his mind, they were merely figures from centuries ago who had died long before his birth.
Deng Ming stood beside Zhou Kaihuang, watching as he gently extended his hand to softly close the wide-open eyes of General Shui Yingqian. Suddenly, Deng Ming asked, "Are those Qing soldiers all Han people?"
Deng Ming's ship lowered all its sails, and the soldiers from the water camp threw down the anchor from the bow to bring the vessel to a swift stop. Another large ship had also approached alongside this one, and the two ships cast out countless ropes to each other. The soldiers on board, upon receiving the orders, eagerly grasped these ropes and boarded the other large ship
General Shui ordered swiftly for another warship to approach his vessel and commanded the remaining small boats to turn around and hasten towards the southern bank to land the soldiers. Under General Shui's orders, the small boats rowed vigorously towards the southern bank. The Qing soldiers were stationed on the northern bank, and the southern bank was separated from Chongqing by the Yangtze River, making it less susceptible to pursuit by the Qing troops, thus comparatively safer.
Upon seeing the enemy ships begin their assault, a Ming dynasty warship at the rear immediately unfurled its sails and accelerated into the fray. However, the heavy load significantly hampered the speed of the reinforcements, making it appear no more agile than the friendly vessels engaged in battle. The third warship and the following ship, named Dengming, also exerted all their strength to advance, yet the distance between them did not noticeably decrease.
Captain Shui Ying said to Zhou Kaihuang: "You all have to take the risk. Everyone except the sailors jump onto that ship and hurry to the south bank as fast as you can. Brother, I might be able to buy you a little time."
Quickly disembark
In the Ming fleet, there were still four large ships that had not passed through the Jialing River's fork, three of which were positioned in front of the ship where Deng Ming was located. Upon seeing the Qing army approaching, the three large ships in front began to turn, attempting to block the path of the Qing forces' attack. However, the Ming fleet was currently arranged in a line along the river, and the large ships were similarly filled with soldiers, making their movements far less agile than those of the enemy vessels. The ship that Yuan Zongdi was on, along with another large ship, had already passed through the fork, and their difficulty in turning back against the current in the heavily trafficked Yangtze River to rejoin the battle was even greater. The Ming fleet was currently arranged in a line along the river, and the large ships were similarly filled with soldiers, making their movements far less agile than those of the enemy vessels. The ship that Yuan Zongdi was on, along with another large ship, had already passed through the fork, and their difficulty in turning back against the current in the heavily trafficked Yangtze River to rejoin the battle was even greater.
Several loud voices erupted simultaneously, and the soldiers jumped overboard one after another. Deng Ming could not see the situation around him clearly, so he reached out and pressed against the side of the boat, then lifted his leg to jump over the railing. He felt himself fall into the river, but his feet could touch the riverbed, and he immediately struggled forward using both hands and feet. The river water was icy cold, and soon his skin felt as if it were being pricked by needles. Fortunately, the shore was not far away, the current was not swift, and the grounded boats behind him blocked the flow of water, allowing him to quickly reach the shore and escape from the Yangtze River. The river water was icy cold, and soon his skin felt as if it were being pricked by needles. Fortunately, the shore was not far away, the current was not swift, and the grounded boats behind him blocked the flow of water, allowing him to quickly reach the shore and escape from the Yangtze River. At this moment, Deng Ming stood among the crowd, turning back to observe the scene on the river.
Several Qing military vessels followed, lingering for a while at the site where they sank, but found no survivors. The Qing vessels then headed back towards the southern bank, while the Ming troops took refuge in the dense thickets. The Qing forces aimlessly discharged some firepower, but seeing no response, they arrogantly set course towards Chongqing.
Startled by the sound, Deng Ming, Zhao Tianba, and Zhou Kaihuang rushed over. A soldier from the Ming army picked up something motionless from the shore that looked like a corpse— it turned out to be Yuan Zongdi's water camp captain.
Most of the soldiers have already boarded the neighboring ship, while the Qing soldiers' vessels are gradually approaching. The water camp soldiers remaining on the ship are gripping their weapons, watching the last few individuals preparing to leave. The soldiers standing under the sail are tightly holding the ropes, ready to raise the sails and engage in battle
"Still alive, alive!" The Ming soldiers cheered upon this discovery, but soon their voices fell into a somber tone.
Zhou Kaihuang hung his head and did not answer Deng Ming's question, but instead let out a suppressed sob while holding the deceased.
The water camp's thousand-man commander surveyed the surroundings. The rear contingent of the Ming army's water camp was organized into a column led by the last two large ships. Awaiting them ahead were enemies as fierce as wolves and tigers, who had come prepared with cunning strategies and overwhelming combat strength. In addition to the water camp soldiers, the large ships of the Ming army were also filled with infantry brothers who had boarded temporarily. Behind the ships, there were dozens of transport vessels carrying at least a thousand soldiers, all waiting for the thousand-man commander of the water camp to carve out a bloody path home for everyone.
Oh dear
The last few small ships of the Ming army approached the shore, where soldiers on land reached out to pull the soldiers from the water. Once ashore, the Ming soldiers stood at the water's edge, intently watching the fate of the last Ming warship on the river. Having lost its main mast, the fore sail was also engulfed in flames, and the warship swayed on the Yangtze River like a drunken man. The surrounding enemy ships resembled a pack of wolves eyeing their prey, directing all their firepower at it—there was no second target on the river.
Due to the transportation of the soldiers of Tan Wenbu across the river, the ship that Deng Ming was on arrived at the retreat location relatively late, making it the largest ship at the rear of the entire convoy, responsible for providing support to the fleet. By the time it set sail, most of the soldiers had already boarded other ships, resulting in a relatively small number of personnel on board
After rendering the Ming navy ships incapable of combat, the Qing army began to sweep away the Ming troop transport ships in the vicinity that had lost their protection, slaughtering the Ming officers and soldiers who had fallen into the water. Subsequently, the main force of the Qing army awaited the arrival of a second Ming warship, surrounding it to launch a second round of attack. The troop transport ships hiding behind this warship were even more numerous than the previous ones; despite knowing they were outnumbered, this warship bravely engaged in battle.
The Qing army ships surged forth from the Jialing River in dense formation. Deng Ming observed that lined up in front were large riverboats similar in size to his own ship, followed by countless smaller boats.
On the ship that Deng Ming was originally aboard, soldiers were cutting the ropes connecting the two vessels. Captain Shui of the water camp approached the side of the ship, looking down from a height, and waved goodbye to everyone with his fists clenched. The entire ship's crew returned the gesture, raising their hands above their heads, gazing at him in silence. Captain Shui's gaze swept over Deng Ming, who was looking up at him, and a playful smile appeared on his youthful face: "Mr. Deng, you are quite bold. If it were me, I wouldn't dare to sit on a boat carrying so many people in the Yangtze River."
At this moment, the Qing army seemed to have noticed the movements of the Ming army, and they hurried over here using both sails and oars.
Shui Ying, the captain, vaguely recognized the man before him, Zhou Kaihuang. He knew in his heart that he had no hope left and longed to utter one last declaration of manhood: "My father once followed the rebel leader to slay corrupt officials, and I followed General Yuan to fight the Tartars. Both of us, father and son, have stood against tyranny and supported the weak, dying on the battlefield, with our heads held high, unashamed before heaven and earth, and worthy of our ancestors' conscience..." He longed to utter one last declaration of manhood: "My father once followed the rebel leader to slay corrupt officials, and I followed General Yuan to fight the Tartars. Both of us, father and son, have stood against tyranny and supported the weak, dying on the battlefield, with our heads held high, unashamed before heaven and earth, and worthy of our ancestors' conscience..."
Deng Ming gazed at the enemy ships gradually receding into the distance, feeling for the first time that those people were his adversaries. Now, it seemed that Deng Ming could still hear their bursts of laughter as they shot arrows towards the shore. Previously, while in the Ming army camp, Deng Ming did not harbor hatred for the Qing army across the way; he always felt that they were merely ancient figures long gone, and he was just an accidental visitor in this place.
Quickly disembark
If we cannot defeat the formidable enemy army before us, then none of the ships will be able to return to base. The two warships that bravely sacrificed themselves only bought a little time, merely delaying the inevitable annihilation of the entire army.
The small boats following the Qing navy's large ships now surged into the Ming navy's fleet, attacking the Ming vessels while recklessly assaulting the Ming soldiers struggling in the river. During the engagement with these nimble enemy boats, the Ming ships could no longer maintain their earlier stable navigation, and from the violently rocking vessels, Ming soldiers were occasionally thrown overboard, plunging into the turbulent river.
However, such a maneuver was clearly beyond the capacity of the already damaged Ming navy vessels to endure. Just halfway through, the main mast could not withstand the force of the wind and broke with a loud crack, sending the mast along with some ropes flying into the air, which were then cast far onto the river surface.
Seeing Deng Ming staring blankly at him without leaving immediately, Shui Ying, the sergeant, smiled and urged in an exaggeratedly sarcastic tone: "Hurry up, hurry up, how can a man of seven feet act in such a childish manner?"
The captain of the water camp was pierced by two feathered arrows. Although he managed to struggle and swim to the shore thanks to his exceptional swimming skills, he ultimately lost all his strength due to excessive blood loss. Before being found, the captain lay on the shore, unable to call for help or even move a finger, merely shivering continuously; now his body had ceased to shiver altogether.
The duration of the engagement between the large ships was quite long. The artillery used by both armies was not the naval cannons that Deng Ming had seen in the movie "The Age of Exploration," but rather more akin to large firearms. The size of the riverboats was not particularly large, making them incomparable to ocean vessels; however, the damage that the firearms of both armies could inflict was very limited. These firearms could kill enemy sailors, but many rockets, even if they landed on the enemy's ship, might not necessarily ignite the vessel
The second Ming warship that came under attack soon lost its combat capability, with the bow sinking and beginning to spin uncontrollably on the river's surface. Due to its valiant resistance, the small boats behind it gained some time, allowing many small vessels to distance themselves from the enemy ships and take refuge behind the last two Ming warships.
Seeing Deng Ming and Zhou Kaihuang silently watching him, Captain Shui Ying first revealed a bitter smile, but moments later, this bitter smile transformed into a hearty laugh: "If I throw away all you burdens, I might just carve out a bloody path and return to Dachang even earlier than you all."
Captain Shui Ying and his subordinates made their final struggle for the sake of the majority of their brothers' escape, believing that their sacrifice had ensured the safety of their comrades. These valiant warriors, with their eyes closed, were unaware that Tan Hong had already betrayed them, setting up camp downstream to await the ambush of every Ming soldier fleeing from Chongqing, in order to seek merit from his new master
Zhou Kaihuang and Zhao Tianba both deeply cupped their fists and bowed to the water camp's Captain Qian, while Deng Ming also paid a deep salute, bending his waist so low that his cupped hands nearly touched the ground. After standing up straight, Deng Ming silently followed Zhou Kaihuang and Zhao Tianba as they ran towards the side of the boat, his mouth tightly pressed, fearing that if he spoke, he would choke up.
The water commander exhausted all his strength to open his mouth, but these words could not be spoken. The few words he finally managed to utter were: "Cold, really cold..."
Just as the icy river water reached his ankles, Deng Ming felt a sudden and intense jolt of the boat, as if it had collided with a rock. The vessel came to an abrupt halt, and the densely packed people on board lurched forward, while the sound of splashes could still be heard from the bow of the boat.
As more and more flames rose from the first Ming navy warship, the sails and masts began to burn, marking the conclusion of the battle characterized by a significant disparity in strength
The ship that Deng Ming was on was a large river warship. Yuan Zongdi's several large vessels were the main battle ships of the water camp, typically carrying important generals. During naval battles, they bore the responsibility of engaging enemy ships and protecting allied forces. However, at this moment, like those smaller boats, they were filled with soldiers hastily retreating from the shore. Although the water camp's captain urged them repeatedly, their actions were far from swift.
A sudden scream erupted not far away, followed by a joyful cheer of unexpected delight
The neighboring boat, overloaded with too many people, was weighed down and sank lower in the water. After Deng and the book's title grasped the rope and leaped over, countless hands immediately reached out to grab him. On the deck, numerous soldiers jostled for space, and Deng, exerting all his strength, finally managed to steady himself and turned around from the overcrowded crowd
After finishing this sentence, Captain Shui Yingqian suddenly turned around and left. As his figure disappeared from the side of the ship, Deng Ming heard his calm and powerful voice coming over: "Brothers! Raise our sails!"
Most of them were soldiers belonging to Yuan Zongdi's forces, while some were subordinates of Tan Wen. After defeating the unprepared troops of Tan Wen, the Qing forces from Chongqing and Tan Yi's troops drove a large number of fleeing soldiers into the Yangtze River. As for the bodies of the Ming soldiers killed on the shore, the Qing soldiers severed their heads to claim rewards and then casually tossed them into the river. Nearly 7,000 of Tan Wen's subordinates, who had just a day earlier been allies of Tan Yi and also part of the Ming court's direct lineage, saw only a little over a thousand escape to the southern bank of the Yangtze River due to the kindness of Deng Ming. The rest who could survive were likely very few.
Not far from the shore, one can see the corpse of a Ming army soldier after just a few steps. On the river surface, countless bodies are floating downstream, and even more corpses are being swept down from upstream, some of which are headless.
Although the Ming army's warship was far in the middle of the river, Deng Ming could still hear the shouts coming from the ship amidst the rumbling cannon fire and the whistling of arrows piercing through the air. More and more rockets flew towards the Ming army's warship, and Deng Ming saw the sail at the top of the foremast begin to burn. After being struck by cannonballs, it erupted into clouds of mist-like debris. The injured Ming army warship continued to crash about, its hull making a wide arc, as if a warrior on the battlefield were swinging his spear in a circle to fend off the surrounding enemies, trying to disperse the enemy troops attempting to rush past him.
... ...
"Do they count as Han people?" Deng Ming raised his voice and asked again loudly
The boat swayed unsteadily as it approached the shore. After a moment, there was a sound from behind, followed by another, and soon the air was filled with the dense crackling of gunfire like a sudden downpour. Deng Ming turned back several times, but no matter how he strained on his tiptoes, he could not see the battle situation on the river through the sea of heads. The boat's side was nearly level with the river surface, and with each sway, water surged in. Before long, Deng Ming felt the water had risen to his ankles, and at that moment, the water level had already surpassed the boat's side, with water beginning to pour into the vessel.
The large ships of the Qing army maneuvered around the three large riverboats that attempted to block their path, directly crashing into the ranks of the Ming army's water camp. From a commanding height, they fired guns and shot arrows at the Ming army's smaller boats, subsequently ramming into them. Some small boats, heavily laden with soldiers, struggled to navigate the river, with the water level already close to the gunwales, making effective evasion impossible. Within Deng Ming's line of sight, several boats that were struck capsized suddenly in the middle of the river. Another small boat, desperately trying to evade, was hit at the stern by an enemy ship. Unlike the previous boats that immediately capsized, this one spun in circles across the current before finally overturning in the river.
The enemy forces have begun to reorganize their formation, preparing to launch their final attack. It is now December, and even if those who have fallen into the water are not attacked by the Qing soldiers, the icy Yangtze River is deadly enough. Therefore, it is imperative to bring the boats to shore, allowing the soldiers to safely disembark onto land
Zhou Kaihuang seized the opportunity, grasped the pale-faced Captain Shui Ying tightly, and shook him vigorously.
After a moment, the Ming navy ships, having lost all power, burned even more fiercely, enveloped in roaring flames, slowly drifting downstream with the current, while the enemy ships did not even pursue. Deng Ming focused intently, following along the riverbank for a while, until the burning wreckage capsized in the river.
There were quite a few friendly small boats around, and they were aware of their lack of combat capability, so they gradually slowed down and moved to the sides to allow the large ship, commanded by Deng Ming, to pass. These transport ships wanted to coordinate with the large vessel, but they could only move slowly to avoid capsizing due to overloading. Although the water camp's captain urged them repeatedly, the warships still could not increase their speed.
Some small boats have already reached the shore, but there are still more than ten boats moving slowly, desperately rushing towards the shore. Not far behind the small boats is the Qing navy. The large ship that Deng Ming originally boarded, after sending off his comrades, lightened its load and regained its maneuverability. This ship, fighting alone, showed no signs of retreat in the face of seven approaching Qing warships and countless small boats. Instead, it charged left and right across the river, doing everything possible to block the Ming navy vessels from behind, preventing the enemy ships from approaching or attacking the Ming vessels. The large ship that Deng Ming originally boarded, after sending off his comrades, lightened its load and regained its maneuverability. This ship, fighting alone, showed no signs of retreat in the face of seven approaching Qing warships and countless small boats. Instead, it charged left and right across the river, doing everything possible to block the Ming navy vessels from behind, preventing the enemy ships from approaching or attacking the Ming vessels.
"Two against seven." Shui Yingqian shouted loudly about the comparison of enemy and ally on the battleship, shook his head, and turned to Zhou Kaihuang, saying: "Naval warfare cannot be won by courage alone; hurry and let the brothers abandon the ship and go ashore"
The Qing navy divided the Ming fleet into two. The Ming troops that did not pass through the Jialing River fork could no longer see the large ship of Yuan Zongdi and its flags ahead. Losing their command and leadership, the situation for the Ming army became increasingly perilous. The Qing navy's large ships gathered together and began to besiege the Ming flagship that was trying to protect its allies at the front. Suddenly, the area around this Ming ship erupted with cannon fire, and Deng Ming saw countless rockets soaring through the air, scattering over the river like fireworks.
After the Qing army's ships had departed, the Ming soldiers emerged from the woods and grass. Two old acquaintances of Deng Ming, Zhao Tianba and Zhou Kaihuang, reunited once again. When the two of them, along with several soldiers, found Deng Ming and approached him, they discovered that he was staring blankly at the river.
As the second Ming naval warship began to suffer from a broken mast and torn sails, Deng Ming's boat had just caught up with the warship ahead of it. These two vessels were the only two large ships remaining in the rear of the entire Ming naval fleet