Chapter 52: Truly Yunchang indeed

"Those who do not advance, beheaded!"
"Those who do not advance, beheaded!"
......

Upon Zhang Yun's command, the heralds relayed the order to all the troops, and executioners immediately beheaded several soldiers whose expressions showed hesitation.

Seeing this, although the other soldiers felt heavy-hearted, they dared no longer hesitate and rushed into desperate combat.

Mengchong warships collided, and from time to time, men fell into the water—some sinking straight to the bottom, while others struggled frantically to cling to the vessels for survival.

Fighting ships locked together, and the forces of both sides exchanged blows with swords, sabers, and long spears in close quarters.

The formidable Cao army nearly breached the water fortress. Seeing the critical situation, Hao Pu personally boarded a fighting ship to meet the enemy.

Unlike the divided loyalties within the Cao army, Hao Pu’s men were of one heart. Wielding his long spear, he delivered a fierce thrust at the enemy before him, while his subordinates used grappling hooks to seize the opposing vessel. Seizing the moment, Hao Pu leaped forward once more, sweeping his spear horizontally and shouting, "Fight bravely, my friends! Reinforcements will arrive shortly!"

Seeing Hao Pu's immense bravery, the soldiers were deeply inspired, each surging forward with redoubled valor.

On a towering flagship of the Cao army, Yue Jin looked at Hao Pu with a cold gaze and chuckled softly, "He possesses a certain measure of valor." Turning to Zhang Yun, he ordered, "Train the catapults on that man!"

Zhang Yun immediately issued the command.

Just as Hao Pu was preparing to capture yet another fighting ship, a boulder suddenly plummeted from the sky. Though its aim was slightly off, it crashed down right in front of him.

Startled, Hao Pu dared not advance further and instead bellowed orders for everyone to hold the defensive line.

Time ticked away second by second.

The Cao army once more drove Hao Pu and his men back, nearly setting foot inside the Baqiu water fortress.

His officers stepped forward from both sides to advise him, "General, we might as well fall back and defend the interior of the water fortress!"

"If we cannot hold our ground on the water, how can we possibly hold it on land?" Hao Pu refused without a moment's hesitation. He was no fool; their forces were primarily composed of naval troops, and the enemy likely possessed fresh cavalry waiting in reserve. If the enemy launched a cavalry charge, how could his exhausted soldiers possibly resist?

His officers fell silent, rendered speechless.

"Tell the men they must fight with their lives!" Hao Pu’s face was stained with blood and grime, bearing a fierce and stern expression as he raised his head to gaze forward. "My lord ordered me to hold Baqiu. If I cannot defend it, I shall die right here!"

Seeing this, his subordinates had no choice but to continue fighting desperately.

Just as the battle reached its fiercest pitch, a soldier on the Cao army flagship suddenly reported, "General Zhang, a fleet is approaching rapidly from the east!"

Zhang Yun was startled. "Could it be reinforcements from the Liu rebel?"

Yue Jin’s expression lit up with delight, and he sneered, "I wonder which one it is? Guan Yu or Zhang Fei? It has been a long time since we last met!"

Zhang Yun also issued an order, detaching a squadron of warships to intercept them.

Their own command vessel was among those designated for the task.

As the flagship got underway, Yue Jin was jolted by the motion, losing his footing momentarily, which secretly vexed him. "Damn this naval warfare! If this were a land battle, would I merely be a spectator?"

Over on Hao Pu’s side, upon seeing the enemy flagship set sail, he immediately shouted to his men, "Reinforcements have arrived!"
"Reinforcements have arrived!"
......

As the cry spread, Liu Bei’s army, which had been on the verge of collapsing, regained its second wind.

Meanwhile, on the Yangtze River, Guan Yu’s fleet was advancing at full speed.

"General Guan, Baqiu has been surrounded!" reported a subordinate officer.

Guan Yu said calmly, "No matter." His tiger-like eyes suddenly widened. "Tell the men to reach the battlefield as quickly as possible!"

Before long, Guan Yu’s warships were less than two li away from those of Yue Jin and Zhang Yun. The towering flagships caught sight of one another, and both sides came into view.

Yet, orders had already been given by both factions to advance and engage.

The Mengchong and fighting ships accelerated, colliding violently upon the Yangtze River. Instantly, some vessels capsized, while others rocked violently from the impact, and soldiers from both sides immediately drew their weapons to slaughter one another.

Standing on the flagship, Yue Jin could already make out Guan Yu in the distance, and he could not help clicking his tongue in wonder. "Even Guan Yunchang has mastered the art of naval warfare?"

Zhang Yun did not reply, wholly focused on directing the warships in battle while his subordinates stood at the bow, waving command flags.

Likewise, Guan Yu was commanding his own fleet, with his men waving flags to signal orders.

Under the leadership of their officers, numerous vessels executed maneuvers on the great river according to instructions. The two sides exchanged blows back and forth, but soon enough, the Cao army’s fleet found itself deeply encircled.

Zhang Yun let out a cry of dismay, never expecting that Guan Yu’s naval proficiency would actually surpass his own.

Though Yue Jin knew nothing of naval warfare, he could recognize the tactical situation on the battlefield. Seeing this predicament, he roared in fury, "Guan Yunchang, if we were on land, would I ever fear you?"

Although his voice was somewhat muffled by the chaotic din of the battlefield, the two sides were now so close that Guan Yu faintly caught his words. Glancing toward Yue Jin, Guan Yu immediately descended from the flagship and stepped onto a fighting ship. Moving as effortlessly as if he were walking on flat ground without the slightest swaying or discomfort, he actually began leading a personal charge.

Wielding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, Guan Yu looked like a descending god of war, crashing into the fray!

Those Cao army soldiers could not withstand even a single blow from him.

Seeing that they were already surrounded and facing Guan Yu’s personal onslaught, many of the Jingzhou soldiers who had surrendered to Cao Cao immediately cast aside their weapons and knelt upon their decks.

On the Cao army flagship, Yue Jin stamped his feet in rage upon witnessing this scene, cursing aloud, "Is there not a single man in Jingzhou with the courage to fight? Not a single person loyal to the imperial court?"

Zhang Yun turned pale as a sheet, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, as he stammered, "This general... this general..."

"You are a high-ranking general of the Jingzhou navy, yet you cannot defeat a newcomer from the northern lands?" Yue Jin continued to rail against him.

At that very moment, with a loud crash, the flagship was struck by an impact.

Seeing this, Zhang Yun hurriedly issued the order: "Retreat! Fall back!"

With their departure, the soldiers besieging Baqiu also began to withdraw.

Guan Yu led his fleet in pursuit, capturing a few more enemy vessels and soldiers before finally returning to Baqiu.

On the Baqiu side, Hao Pu looked at Guan Yu and was nearly moved to tears.

Yet Guan Yu remained stern and unsmiling, merely offering words of encouragement: "Hold Baqiu, and our lord will surely reward you generously."
......

Yue Jin and Zhang Yun retreated in defeat, running straight into the main body of the Cao army.

Cao Cao stroked his beard and smiled faintly, a playful glint in his eyes. Showing no sign of anger whatsoever, he instead asked with considerable interest, "Yunchang sailed out to provide reinforcements? And he even defeated Zhang Yun?" With a hearty chuckle, he looked around at his officers and said, "Who would have thought that after all these years in Jingzhou, Yunchang would have actually learned the art of naval warfare! Truly worthy of being Yunchang!"

The assembled officers thought to themselves: *We have suffered a defeat, why on earth are you so happy?*

Yue Jin hastily chimed in, "The Jingzhou soldiers harbor allegiance to Liu Bei and refused to fight to the death; that is the primary reason for our army's failure!"

Hearing this, Zhang Yun scrambled to defend himself, "It is not that the Jingzhou navy refused to fight. Those whose hearts lie with Liu Bei have already followed him away, and those who remained are loyal to the court. The reason for our defeat is simply that Guan Yunchang is cunning and deliberately feigned weakness. Who could have known his mastery of naval warfare was so profound?"

Cao Cao looked at the two of them and waved a hand. "Enough! A defeat is a defeat. What does a minor setback matter?"

Zhang Yun and Yue Jin quickly dropped to their knees and kowtowed, "Please grant us another chance, Prime Minister! Tomorrow, we will surely break Baqiu!"

Cao Cao burst into laughter. "Baqiu? There is no need for that. Our target is singular—to crush Liu Bei and conquer Jiangdong!"