My Chinese ancestors

Chapter 421 The chaotic capital of Wu State

"The peace treaty has been sent by the Shipping Department. I hope we won't be as unlucky as the Japanese and run into Xia's ships when we go to sea."

"It doesn't matter if the Japanese ship is dead, it will help us find out that the Xia Kingdom's ship is heading towards Ming Port in Shengkang."

"It's a pity that we can't dispatch ships to the Huai River to cut off the supplies of Xia's troops."

In the central hall, the lights flickered, and the melted wax water hung in irregular shapes on half of the candles, falling downwards. After the Prime Minister Wu, the Taiwei, and the Vice Minister of Zhongshu stabilized their emotions, they renegotiated the matters they were about to face next.

"Just in case, it's better for us to move our family members out of Shengkang!"

Xiao Zhiyi said what he was holding back in his heart. When he heard that Xia Guo's warship was only a few dozen miles away from Ming Harbor, he had a hint of retreat.

"Xiao Shilang is not unreasonable. The Japanese ships are waiting for them. I don't know what time it is." Taiwei Fan Li agreed with his words, nodded, and looked at Gu Chongwen in the middle. Although the latter was already panicking, Calmed down, but still heavy in my heart.

Fighting at home is a completely different feeling than fighting hundreds or thousands of miles away. Gu Chongwen hesitated for a while and did not answer the other party's words, but simply said something.

"It is too dangerous for women and children to stay in the capital. Keeping them here will not help. Just follow the minister's words and let the family members leave the capital first, but they can only leave quietly and don't let the people know."

When Taiwei Fan Li saw him accepting such a suggestion, a smile finally appeared on his face, "We really can't let the people know, so why not do it late at night? I can make use of my power and let the generals guarding the city quietly open the door."

The three of them looked at each other around the table and laughed knowingly.

Soon after, the banquet dispersed, and the three of them discussed what had happened. They then discussed it in detail with their old wives, informed them of the agreed time, and then the family began preparations for evacuation.

There is no airtight wall in the world, especially in the crowded courtyards of deep houses. Knowing that they had to evacuate the capital, the servants of the three wealthy families revealed to each other during the break. Perhaps the young masters in the family were reluctant to bear the prosperity of the capital, so they finally left before they could leave. Once when he was drunk in a brothel that he liked, he accidentally revealed his words to an acquaintance of the prostitute.

The next day, this news spread secretly throughout the morning. By the afternoon, believe it or not, people had already started to pack their bags and drag their families out of the city.

For a time, hundreds of streets were filled with people coming out of their homes, with anxious looks, hurried steps, and various shouts and shouts.

After hearing the news, Gu Chongwen smashed the tea cup in the study, and quickly sent people to notify Fan Li and several other wealthy families to help dissuade the people.

In less than half an hour, officials on horseback and government servants carrying water and fire sticks took to the streets.

"... Folks, don't go. What's spreading outside are all rumors spread by spies from the Xia Kingdom. Those who mess up our position should go home quickly. I believe your majesty and all the civil and military ministers will drive the Xia soldiers and horses out of Huaihe." River.

It's too dangerous for you to leave the city like this. Do you know that there are many bandits and bandits outside, just waiting for you? Go home quickly, don't worry about Xia Guo coming..."

No matter how much the government officials shouted in the crowd, the crowd going to the four city gates remained basically unmoved.

Men push wheelbarrows to carry their young children and valuables at home; there are strong filial sons walking among the crowd carrying their elderly mothers; there are also women carrying baskets with the family's rations on their backs, struggling to push forward; The old man with a cane raised his cane and swung it at the officer who was helping him back.

The old man was hit on the head and became furious. He stretched out his hand and pushed the old man to the ground. The old man's son-in-law rushed over from the front, made a fist and hit the officer.

"How dare you beat my father-in-law?! If I don't beat you, my mother-in-law can beat me to death! You officials want to run away, but you won't let us common people run away. You have the guts to put everyone in jail today!" "

A nearby soap official came over to stop the man. The man's mother-in-law, who was tall and tall, saw that her man was suffering a loss. She rushed up like a tigress and threw the two soap officials to the ground. She herself was hit by the club in the hands of the fallen soap official. If he hits his head, it will be covered with blood.

"The officer beat someone to death!"

The old man screamed in the crowd tremblingly. Some people nearby knew their family and came to help with their sleeves rolled up. The scene suddenly became more chaotic.

This moment of conflict attracted more officers, which spread to the crowds leaving the city. A greater chaos arose, and people were killed in the fight. Some angry Jianghu people vented their anger and lit the pile of dry firewood nearby. When the wind blew , the fire assisted the wind, and the fire broke out. The straw shed where the firewood was piled ignited, like a huge pillar of fire, extending to more nearby houses.

This kind of chaos was just a small corner in the huge city, but the people nearby were frightened when they saw the black smoke rising into the sky and the burning flames, and their footsteps became faster to escape.

Knowing that the situation was difficult to end, Gu Chongwen and others had no choice but to order the city gate to be sealed after breaking countless tea cups and porcelain bottles. However, it was difficult to implement this order at all. His family, as well as other gentry and wealthy families, were already in the fleeing team. There were also soldiers and horses guarding the city. Even after receiving the order, they pretended not to have seen it and still opened the door. The city gate allows the common people and people from aristocratic families among the common people to go out.

Looking down from the sky, from the four gates of Shengkang Capital City to the southeast, northwest, and east, there are long lines extending out of the city and between the official roads.

Under the hot sky, there are all kinds of figures, including pedestrians holding paper umbrellas and carrying baggage, donkey carts carrying mothers, green forest heroes carrying swords, and luxurious carriages surrounded by maids. The old man, who couldn't bear the scorching heat, sat under a tree on the roadside, looking at the passing crowds with cloudy eyes, looking for traces of his family. Occasionally someone shouted: "Let's go quickly, the government wants to arrest us and go back to defend the city!"

The woman holding the child began to sob softly. The child was frightened by the sound and cried loudly in her mother's arms.

As time went by, farmers gradually began to appear in the villages near the capital. They also dragged their families and families out of the village, following the trend and staying away from the capital.

In the summer sky, all the ferries along the way were overcrowded, and in the undulating waves, all the boats were constantly going back and forth, but it still seemed insufficient.

On August 29, a huge naval battle was about to break out a few miles away from Wu Guoming Port.

"This letter, haha..."

On the undulating sea, the eight ships anchored were arranged in a formation of two in a "" shape. On the flagship on the right, the soldiers were busy coming and going on the deck and took a nap for more than an hour. Zhou Yu came out of the ship building, still holding the letter that Gan Ning had given him, which was intercepted from the arms of the dead Japanese.

"Colluding with foreigners?"

Yuwen Chengdu, who was wearing chain-locked gold armor, walked aside, took the letter, and walked up to the top of the ship building with the commander of the Soochow Navy in the late Han Dynasty. He glanced at the content of the letter and grinned with a sneer.

"Still such a short alien islander."

He saw the corpse of the Japanese yesterday. Not to mention the weird robes, short stature, less than chest height, and the disgusting bald bun. After taking one look, he kicked the corpse into the sea to feed the fish.

"Fortunately, we intercepted it, otherwise these barbarians would entangle us and delay our march to Shengkang." Zhou Yu looked ahead. In the distance were more than a dozen large warships, moving slowly and forming a formation.

Yizhou, where Shengkang is located, has three military ports. The original plan was for the Japanese to entangle the Xia Kingdom's sea ships that might go south. The seventeen sea ships docked in the military port would enter the Huaijiang River and join the navy there. Two troops and horse supplies intercepted the river and blocked Xia's entry.

But now, the Xia Kingdom's warship arrived earlier than expected, and the commander of this warship, Zhao Kui'an, had to lead the fleet to face the enemy head-on.

He looked at the eight Xia Kingdom warships in the distance, and he felt indescribable excitement in his heart. Two months ago, four warships under his command were defeated by the opponent, and this time, he would personally lead them to fight against the opponent.

In the distance, on the Xia Kingdom's flagship, Zhou Yu watched the Wu Kingdom fleet gradually take shape opposite him, with a serious and serious look in his eyes.

"Wu's navy generals are not all useless." He raised his hand, and the orderly soldier next to him stepped forward, waved his order flag, and signaled.

On the eight warships, Elsa, Barry, the leader of the Vitna pirates, and Gan Ning commanded the ship and escorted the ships. They began to spread out to the left and right, entering a state of war.

Yuwen Chengdu watched the battle at sea with great interest. This was completely different from the fighting on land. While he was learning, he held a few pieces of paper and read there.

This is military information sent overland. It is not that Guan Yu wants to report the situation there to Zhou Yu or ask him to issue any orders. It is to let Zhou Yu and his fleet know the progress of the war in Yaozhou so that they can grasp the accurate timing. , reached Shengkang.

"Guan Junhou is guarding the waterway. Zhang Fei led 10,000 Yizhou troops and Zhang Liao's Bingzhou army began to attack the city and seize territory in Yaozhou." Yuwen Chengdu said with a somewhat envious tone. Zhou Yu on the side smiled and said nothing.

After a moment, he spoke softly: "The battle at sea is the key to determining the outcome of this war."

"Then I'll take a good look at how Zhou Yu, the governor of the late Han Dynasty, dominated the sea and defeated the Wu navy in one fell swoop." Yuwen Chengdu also laughed, "But it's always a bit awkward to hear Zhou Yu defeat Wu, hahaha!"

"Who says it's not the case? I suspect it was His Majesty's intention, haha!"

The sea breeze was blowing his cloak, and it was flying in the wind. Zhou Yu looked at the several Wu warships approaching in the distance. He narrowed his eyes and whispered an order to the messenger beside him.

"Let Gan Ning and the red-haired female barbarian go up and fight. Also, let the Venat barbarians change their route, detour around the flanks, and make a feint to attack Wu's rear formation!"

He raised his hand and waved.

"send troops!"

(End of this chapter)