The autumn rain started again, and the waves on the river were rough and foggy.
In front of Mengjin Pass, a Zheng Army sentry ship was wandering near the sandbank. It could provide timely warning if the Tang Army took advantage of the rain and fog to attack.
Suddenly, in the mist, a fleet of ships approached at high speed.
Zheng Jun's sentinel ship immediately became vigilant. While raising its lantern to show its position, it turned its bow and quickly met them.
If the Tang army were attacking, they would immediately sound a warning horn and shut the door, then turn around and flee.
Soon, the two sides got close. Meng Jie, the commander of the Zheng Army on the sentinel boat, glanced briefly and put his mind back in his throat.
What came was a merchant ship, and it was the fleet of the Xingyang Zheng family, one of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes!
During the special period when the two countries were at war, the merchant ships of these wealthy families could still sail on the river with great swagger.
"Is this the Zheng family's fleet?"
Although he saw the emblem and flag of the "Xingyang Zheng Family", Meng Jie, who was wearing a raincoat, walked up to the bow of the boat and started asking questions in a routine manner.
After hearing the interrogation, someone appeared on the first merchant ship, but it was a middle-aged shopkeeper holding an oil-paper umbrella.
The man smiled and cupped his hands: "It turns out to be Brigadier Meng, rare! Rare!"
Meng Jie took a look and knew him.
This person's name is Zheng Ting, a big shopkeeper of the Zheng family in Xingyang. He often travels on the Yellow River route. After going back and forth, he naturally became familiar with it.
"It's Shopkeeper Zheng. Are you going back to Xingyang?" Meng Jie greeted him with a smile. These wealthy people couldn't afford to offend him.
"Exactly. But there was an accident on the way."
Zheng Ting pointed behind him in annoyance: "It's raining heavily and the waves are rough. A ship accidentally hit the rocks and is taking in water. It's getting late, so we don't dare to travel all night."
"I just happened to bump into Brigadier Meng, could you please tell me and see if you can stay at your army's water village, rest for a night, repair the damage, and leave tomorrow morning?"
Meng Jie was stunned and glanced at the fleet.
Sure enough, the bow of a merchant ship was damaged, and the hull was slightly tilted due to water intrusion. It would indeed be dangerous to continue sailing.
You might as well sink somewhere due to the strong wind and waves.
He didn't find Zheng Ting's request for help surprising at all.
Mengjin is the north gate of Luoyang. When there is no war, merchant ships can dock at Mengjin Water Village Pier and transport goods to Luoyang for sale.
However, now Tang and Zheng are at war, and Mengjin is on the front line, so merchant ships are prohibited from docking.
However, the Zheng family in Xingyang is different after all, and ordinary rules are not easy to apply to such a wealthy family.
So, Meng Jie cheerily clasped his fists and said, "Okay, Shopkeeper Zheng will wait outside the village for a while. How about letting someone enter the village and report back?"
No matter what the superiors decided, he couldn't refuse the Zheng family in Xingyang anyway.
"Thank you. Thank you." Zheng Ting smiled and returned the gift.
…
After a while, the general of Zheng Jun's water village readily agreed to Zheng Ting's request for help. As expected, the name of the Zheng family in Xingyang could not be refused.
Soon, the gates of the water stockade were opened wide, and the merchant fleet sailed into the Mengjin water stockade of Zheng Jun in the gloomy rainy night.
But no one knows that this is opening the door to let the wolves out.
The night is getting darker.
After the second watch, more than a hundred warships of the Tang Army carrying more than ten thousand soldiers set off from Baiya Water Village one by one and slowly sailed out of the river branch.
In order to avoid being noticed by Zheng Jun, each warship only hung an angry wind lantern to mark its position.
The huge fleet of ships cautiously headed south.
Sailing on a rainy night is extremely dangerous.
As long as there is a little carelessness, the two ships will collide, causing heavy casualties, but in order to sneak attack on the three passes of Mengjin, it is not careless.
A quarter of an hour later, the fleet quietly approached the sandbank where Mengjin's front pass was located, and stopped far away on the river, waiting for news from the outpost.
In the handsome ship, Xia Yu stood on the bridge and looked into the distance.
It was a dark night with heavy rain, and there was no moonlight. It was already pitch black a dozen steps away. Although I knew Mengjin Pass was not far ahead, I couldn't see any outlines or lights.
Such spooky weather is indeed a good time to kill people and set fires.
"Commander," Huang Junhan, who was wearing armor, walked to his side and said helplessly: "Commander, a water battle on a rainy night is very dangerous, and you shouldn't come."
"Otherwise, I will send a ship to take you back, right?"
Huang Junhan admired Xia Yu's command with determination and ingenuity.
But Xia Yu is a scholar after all. If he accidentally falls into the water, the Yellow River is notoriously turbulent, and there is no way he can be saved.
If Xia Yu has any shortcomings, can His Highness the King of Qin spare him?
"No need." Xia Yu waved her hand: "This battle is very important. I won't be able to sleep even if I go back."
He doesn't know how to fight in water, so he just needs to learn it on the spot, and he doesn't know how to go to the front line. As long as he doesn't commit suicide, how dangerous can he be?
Seeing Xia Yu's insistence, Huang Junhan had no choice but to agree.
While the two were chatting, the general sentry ship came back. A wet officer, wearing only a ge-shirt, climbed onto the handsome ship and reported excitedly: "Commander, General, the sentry ship patrolling by Zheng Jun has been ordered to command."
The water ghosts were dealt with, and the enemy was not alarmed at all."
"Very good." Huang Junhan breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ordered: "The whole army marches and waits outside the enemy's water stronghold. When he sees a fire in the stronghold, he shouts to kill, then rushes in and acts according to the order."
"promise."
At three o'clock in the morning, the rain gradually stopped, and Zheng Jun in the water village was sleeping soundly, unaware of the approaching danger.
On the five merchant ships, 300 Tang army elites disguised as caravan sailors and clerks took out their hidden weapons, tung oil, and began to act according to the plan.
So, just after the third watch, Zheng Jun's water stronghold suddenly burst into flames, and the shouts of killing rose to the sky.
Tang Jun Anzi, dressed in white, immediately eliminated the Zheng Jun sentry on duty and slowly opened the huge gate of the water village.
"We got it!" Seeing this, Xia Yu gave a high-five with joy.
"Quick, beat the drums! The whole army marches on!" Huang Junhan impatiently gave the order.
As a result, the Tang Army fleet, which had been waiting anxiously for a long time, instantly lit up countless torches, and a group of sailors rowed their oars fiercely. More than a hundred warships rushed into the Zheng Army's water stronghold like arrows from the string, and headed straight towards their respective targets.
Poor Zheng Jun's navy, which only had more than 2,000 men, was in a hurry and was unprepared. It fell into chaos in an instant and was completely unable to organize a decent resistance.
Therefore, in just a moment, Zheng Jun's navy was beaten by the wolf-like Tang army and suffered heavy casualties, and the defeat was determined.
Immediately, Huang Junhan led 3,000 troops and rushed directly to the Mengjin Front Pass on the north side of the water village. Another general, Qin Jie, also led 3,000 troops and attacked the Mengjin Middle Pass on the south side of the water village.
These two passes are connected to the water village by water gates, which facilitates the Navy's reinforcements and transportation of supplies.
However, once the water fortress is breached, the water gate will become a huge security hole.
By the time Huang Junhan and Qin Jie led their troops to attack, Shuimen had already been captured by the Tang army in white, leaving the road open.
In such a hurry, Mengjin's Zheng army at Qianguan and Zhongguan didn't have time to react, let alone recapture the water gate.
As a result, the captains of the Tang army marched straight in. Mengjin's front and middle passes were instantly filled with shouts of killing, and it was only a matter of time before they fell.
"It's a big deal!" Xia Yu, who stayed behind on the handsome ship, clapped her hands happily, feeling extremely proud.
Although his trick of crossing the river in white clothes was a bit sinister, and he also borrowed the tiger skin of the Zheng family in Xingyang, but a win is a win, don't soldiers hate deceit?
Seeing that in the water village, the remaining soldiers of the Tang Army were clearing out the remaining enemies and taking control of the warships, Xia Yu immediately ordered: "Bring the ship to the shore and immediately send an order: Those who surrender will avoid death. Once the warships are called, try to preserve them and not damage them."
"No." A soldier immediately went to deliver the order.
As soon as the handsome ship docked at the dock, a soldier came to report: "Military advisor, the shopkeeper of the Zheng family wants to see you."
Xia Yu was stunned. Although he was disgusted with these aristocratic families, he couldn't immediately burn bridges after they had just helped.
If you want to fall out, you must at least wait until classmate Li Er takes the throne.
Some unscrupulous guy made up his mind and said readily: "Please."
