Qingzhou's steel production capacity has increased, and the armor's craftsmanship has also been greatly improved.
The armor worn by ordinary soldiers is a small armor made of iron sheets, which only protects the chest, which is commonly known as two-crotch armor.
The armor of the generals has been upgraded. It is no longer the original large armor that looks like a long skirt, but has been replaced by fine scale armor, which is commonly known as fish scale armor.
Although this kind of armor does not weigh 30 kilograms like the Buren armor of the Song Dynasty, it is not much worse than the 20 kilograms of Dazha armor, reaching 16 kilograms.
In fact, the two crotch armors of the Han Dynasty did not contain enough iron and were mostly made of leather. Only the chest, back and shoulders were sewn with iron sheets, so they were relatively light in weight. Small Zha armors weighed about 5-8 kilograms.
The large Zha armor is a full-body scale armor. Unlike the small Zha armor, which only protects the chest and back, it also protects the waist, legs and two arms. With the addition of a helmet, the weight is really not light, and only generals will use it.
During the Wei, Jin and Three Kingdoms periods in history, this kind of large armor was also called black light armor. The difference from the Mingguang armor popular in the Tang Dynasty was that Mingguang armor added two layers of plate armor to the chest, which would have higher defensive power.
Although the fish scale armor made in Qingzhou is also a type of scale armor, it is not made of large iron sheets like the Dazha armor. Instead, it is sewn with small iron sheets, which is lighter and more flexible.
It can be said that if you wear such an armor, as long as you protect your face, even swords, guns, bows and arrows will be difficult to penetrate, and the defensive power is no worse than that of Dazha armor.
But that was on land. The ship was too bumpy and not as powerful as on land. So it was still a big burden for the user.
Huang Zhong wore such a suit to fight on a bumpy and turbulent ship. Even though he had trained the Qingzhou Navy for many years and his skills on the ship were not bad, he still felt that his movements were restricted and it was difficult to use his full strength.
Now that I have taken off my armor and relieved my heavy burden, I am suddenly like a fish in the ocean and a bird returning to the mountains and forests. I feel relaxed several times and feel comfortable all over.
He is not short either, about eight feet tall, about the same height as Zhang Fei, at 1.84 meters. Although he is a little shorter than Gan Ning, who is 1.9 meters tall, and even less tall than the two-meter-tall little giants like Lu Bu and Guan Yu.
But when the armor was taken off, the layer of white cloth lining underneath could not cover his bulging muscles. Even for a fifty-seven-year-old man, his chest was bulging high, and his arms were as big as those of ordinary people.
The thighs are about the same size and the muscles are knotted.
"Well, it's really comfortable to be shirtless."
Huang Zhong put his right hand on his left shoulder and twisted his arm. It is indeed difficult to use his full strength when wearing armor in water battles. Although his defense power is reduced to zero when he takes off the armor, his flexibility is doubled and his combat effectiveness will also be enhanced.
Gan Ning took a deep breath, waved his hands to the soldiers who were gathering around him, and motioned them to lean back. Then he clenched the Huanshou knife in his hands with both hands, and squatted down with his legs in a front-to-back fighting posture.
As early as more than ten years ago, Huang Zhong became famous all over the world for his battle with Lu Bu. Later, in the Battle of Liaocheng, he once faced Yuan Shao's army and charged five formations by himself and killed three generals.
Gan Ning has heard of these deeds for a long time.
But as the saying goes, a sight is worth a hundred words. He had only heard about it before, but now that he was actually facing such a powerful enemy, he realized that the rumors were true. Huang Zhong and Lu Bu did possess unimaginable strength.
"Stand back!"
Gan Ning told his soldiers not to interfere in the battle between him and Huang Zhong, because he knew that facing an enemy general of this level, even if others interfered, it would be nothing more than losing their lives.
"Xingba."
Su Fei came closer and asked in a low voice: "Are you sure?"
Gan Ning shook his head: "Although this old man is old, his strength is still there. I'm not sure, so I can only try my best."
"I trust you!"
Su Fei patted his shoulder and stepped aside.
Huang Zhong jumped a few times, stretched his muscles and bones, pulled out the big knife stuck on the deck, and laughed and said: "Hahahaha, you are really good, let's fight again."
"good."
Gan Ning held the sword with both hands, holding it on the right side of his head in an attacking posture, staring at Huang Zhong and moving forward.
Huang Zhong adopted a defensive posture with the sword horizontally, holding the handle of the sword with his right hand, pushing the back of the sword with his left palm, placing the sword horizontally on his chest, and pointing the blade at Gan Ning, just to cope with all changes by remaining unchanged.
The two people quickly approached, and when they got within one meter, they were already within the attack range of both sides. However, they did not take immediate action, but instead circled in circles, looking for the enemy's weaknesses.
Although a battle on a ship is also a battle on foot, it is very different from a battle on land. It is even more difficult than a battle on horseback. Because the ship is bumpy, if you are not careful, you may lose your center of gravity due to inertia.
Therefore, during a ship battle, you must not only pay attention to the opponent's situation, but also always pay attention to your feet to prevent the center of gravity from being unstable due to the ups and downs of the ship.
Neither of them was in a hurry to attack, and continued to circle around.
Many soldiers around stopped the killing. In fact, they could only stop because the Qingzhou Navy on the deck were all gathered in the direction of the dragon head. The rest of the deck was occupied by the Jiangxia Navy, and the remaining Qingzhou Navy was in the cabin.
.
They couldn't get into the cabin, and the leading position was the center of the battle between Gan Ning and Huang Zhong. The two sides basically had to be in a confrontation, and neither could do anything to the other in a short period of time.
Everyone was quiet. The river waves were rolling around, the howling wind was surging, and fierce fighting was still happening on the left and right not far away.
Only this flagship seemed to have become the quietest seabed in the deepest abyss, silent and silent.
"Hoo ho!"
Gan Ning took two long breaths and looked at Huang Zhong's feet.
He noticed that although Huang Zhong was also following his pace, his pace was obviously a bit slow. It could be said that he was steady, but it could also be said that he was adjusting his body center of gravity to adapt to the changes in the river water.
Does this mean that he is still inferior to himself, as if he has integrated into the river and can swing with the ship at any time?
With this thought flashing through his mind, Gan Ning already knew the direction of his main attack. His whole body suddenly sank like a nimble fish, and the knife on the side slashed horizontally towards Huang Zhong's feet.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Since you can stand firm, at least the explanation is not bad. But it is not as good as me, then I will force you to show your flaws!
Huang Zhong really didn't expect that Gan Ning, a big man who was half a head taller than him, would choose to fight on the ground and attack his lower body. Therefore, he was caught off guard and instinctively took a step back, then tilted his sword downwards.
Ding!
The crisp sound of metal interlacing sounded, and sparks flew.
However, Gan Ning missed a move, but did not stop. Instead, he quickly adjusted his posture and continued to bend down and adopt a continuous slashing strategy, constantly sweeping Huang Zhong's feet.
It was now difficult for Huang Zhong to stand firmly on the board of the ship, so he could only fight and retreat until he reached the side of the ship, and suddenly jumped up, just like when he faced Lu Bu's fierce wind and rain on the wall of Hulao Pass.
To attack, you can only jump on the wall and use your strength to roll.
He leaped in the air and moved to the right to avoid Gan Ning's pursuit. He landed smoothly and rolled around on the ground. Then he stood upright and praised: "What a boy, you can't stand firm when you bully me in a boat battle."
"
Gan Ning once again held the sword vertically and said in a deep voice: "I have grown up by the river since I was a child, and I have traveled south and north of the Yangtze River for more than thirty years. This river seems to be one with me, and the boat is like treading on flat ground. Naturally, I have to use my strengths to attack.
The enemy's shortcomings."
"Hahahahaha, okay."
Huang Zhong laughed loudly and said: "This is a smart man. I like you more and more. Come again!"
The two sides cheated on each other again.
The two had fought for more than twenty rounds just now, and this time they fought together like a comet hitting the earth.
Gan Ning was no different on the boat than on the ground, but Huang Zhong was much worse, which affected his strength. However, he was experienced and did not choose to fight head-on with Gan Ning, because in a head-on fight, once the ship was jolted greatly, his body would be damaged.
If it is out of balance, it will be a disaster.
Therefore, he couldn't let Gan Ning get close to him to find a weakness at the critical moment. He could only wander back and forth, using flexible movement to avoid Gan Ning's fierce attack, thus hiding his weakness.
For example, when he had a sword fight with Gan Ning, he did not choose to compete with each other, but immediately withdrew his strength and evacuated in the direction of the bumping ship.
When the ship bumped forward, he quickly retreated back. At this time, the center of gravity of the ship was forward, and Gan Ning would move backward due to inertia, so it was difficult to continue pursuing. The same thing happened when the ship bumped left and right.
Although he also has to resist inertia, Huang Zhong can use his body to lean back or roll left and right to offset it.
Gan Ning couldn't do it, because he was carried backwards by the center of gravity of the ship. If he pursued forward, it would be impossible for his body to lean forward. It would be difficult to retreat by leaning back like Huang Zhong did.
It has to be said that Huang Zhong’s experience impressed Gan Ning very much.
And it is somewhat unbelievable to say that the fifty-seven-year-old Huang Zhongnian actually chose a more physical roaming tactic to deal with the young and strong Gan Ning.
But the physical strength of the generals at the level of the Five Tigers is really abnormal. You must know that four years later, in the 14th year of Jian'an, in 209 AD, Huang Zhong, who was already 61 years old at the time, and Guan Yu, who was 48 years old at the time, actually fought a hundred people.
round.
Guan Yu was already nearly fifty at that time, but he was much younger than Huang Zhong no matter what.
Moreover, Guan Yu's sword skills are powerful and heavy, and whether he blocks or dodges, he will consume more physical strength. From this point of view, Huang Zhong has maintained his peak period for a long time, unlike Lu Bu, who has been in his peak period due to his long-term addiction to wine and sex.
soon.
The two went back and forth, and soon fought for another forty or fifty rounds. When they reached nearly ninety rounds, Huang Zhong was already at a disadvantage.
It's not that I'm physically exhausted, but that the wind and waves are getting bigger and bigger, and the effectiveness of evasive tactics is getting worse and worse.
The weather was overcast, with a slight drizzle.
The weather in the Yangtze River is fickle. Sometimes the sun shines brightly in the morning, and storms begin in the afternoon. The stronger the wind and rain, the harder it is for Huang Zhong to maintain his balance, and he falls into passivity step by step.
"Great victory, great victory, great victory!"
At this moment, the surrounding Jiangxia naval forces burst out with shocking shouts.
It was not just one ship, but countless ships of various sizes shouting together, even the wind and rain on the Yangtze River could not hide it.
Because Huang Zu's tactics were successful, Huang Zhong's troops were inexperienced in water warfare and fell into Huang Zu's pocket formation. The left and right wings were completely defeated, leaving only the central army.
Gan Ning heard the sound and gave up his pursuit of Huang Zhong. He was sweating profusely and panting heavily. He backed away. Then he climbed up to the nearby sail pole and looked around like a dragon. He saw many ships of the Qingzhou Navy.
Has changed ownership.
"General Huang, you are defeated, surrender!"
he shouted down.
At this time, Huang Zhong was also sweating profusely and laughed loudly: "The Prime Minister once said that victory or defeat is a common thing for military officers, but surrender is impossible. Besides, who said I lost!"
"It won't do you any good to hold on!"
Gan Ning jumped down from the ship's pole, came to Huang Zhong's side, and persuaded him: "The overall situation has been decided, why not surrender early?"
If Huang Zhong is captured, it will be a great achievement.
Huang Zhong raised his knife to chop and said: "It is impossible for me to surrender unless I die!"
The two fought fiercely together again.
Although Gan Ning was surprised that Huang Zhong was so unwilling to admit defeat, he was not afraid. He already had the upper hand and was not worried at all that Huang Zhong could escape.
Soon the two of them fought for more than ten rounds, having fought for more than a hundred rounds, and both of them were already a little tired.
After another move, Gan Ning keenly noticed that Huang Zhong's pace had slowed down a lot, and realized that Huang Zhong's physical strength was gradually exhausted, so he became energetic and attacked again.
Although Huang Zhong is old and strong, he is still a little inferior to the young and strong Gan Ning. When he found an opportunity, he could only retreat step by step and keep parrying.
The two of them attacked and defended each other. Gan Ning pressed forward step by step. Huang Zhong had no way to retreat. He had already reached the side of the ship and would soon be forced into the river.
If it had been before, he would have done the same trick again, jumping on the side of the ship and rolling to the left and right to avoid it. But at this time, his physical strength was really weak, and his legs were as heavy as lead. You must know that he had already fought a battle before, and Gan Ning had taken advantage of it.
Quite cheap.
"General!"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Gan Ning struck down with another heavy blow.
Huang Zhong blocked with a horizontal sword, and the huge force caused him to be directly pressed against the side of the ship.
Although Gan Ning's sword was blocked, Li Huang Zhong could only use his body to push the back of his sword. His sword was already very close to Huang Zhong's left shoulder!
"Hoo ho!"
Huang Zhong breathed heavily.
Gan Ning and him were almost close to each other, their heads were close to each other, and both sides could smell the sweat on the other's body.
"General, it's time to surrender."
he said.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Huang Zhong laughed and said: "Surrender is impossible!"
Gan Ning said in a deep voice: "Then I have no choice but to capture him alive..."
The general in the last sentence has not come out yet.
The world seems to be moving!
Bang bang!
There were two shocking loud noises, and everyone was suddenly startled.
Everyone instinctively looked in the direction of the sound.
I saw dozens of giant ships coming from behind the Qingzhou Navy.
The big ship at the front used some method to shoot two huge balls.
Huang Zu's flagship was already at the front of the team, less than fifty meters away from Huang Zhong's flagship.
It turned out that he saw that the war situation was decided and the harvest was coming to an end, so he ordered a general attack by the entire army.
He himself has also arrived at the battlefield.
Then, with everyone watching, the two dark spherical objects drew a gorgeous arc in the air, separated by nearly six or seven miles, and landed on Huang Zu's flagship.
Boom!
The next second, a terrifying explosion sounded, and the deck of Huang Zu's flagship exploded. The ship's keel was shattered, wood chips flew across, and thick smoke billowed out.
Everyone was shocked.
They saw that although Huang Zu's flagship was only damaged at the bow, the huge explosion directly flooded the cabin with water, and then it began to sink.
The soldiers still alive on the ship jumped into the river to escape, and the entire flagship was in chaos.
But this is just the beginning.
Soon, there were two loud noises again, the ball continued to fall, and the explosion sounded again.
Gan Ning was stunned.
This...what is this?
He was shocked.
However, at the moment when he was stunned, Huang Zhong, who was not a martial artist, pushed him suddenly.
Gan Ning was caught off guard, lost his center of gravity, staggered and almost fell.
Huang Zhong took the opportunity to step forward and knock off his knife, grabbed him, and roared: "Get down, kid!"
Then, he felt himself flying.
The person kept spinning in the air, and while he was dizzy, he fell into the river with a "plop", was swept by the waves, and sank downwards.