Chapter 495: Offshore Operations
Yuan Shao and Cao Cao didn't say much, but just waited quietly for Zhou Yu to make a decision.
If there were any other options, they would not have made such "excessive" demands. They were really forced into a desperate situation.
Zhou Yu's eyes moved back and forth between Liaodong and the coastal areas on the map. His brows were furrowed and he was in a fierce struggle inside.
Sun Ce, standing aside, seemed quite calm.
No matter what Zhou Yu chooses, he will act according to his advice.
After a long while, Zhou Yu looked at Sun Ce beside him, took a deep breath, and slowly stood up, with a determined look on his face: "Forget it, things have come to this point, and this is the only way. My Jiangdong navy is willing to fight for the overall situation and lure Gan Ning away."
"Lord Cao, Lord Yuan, the surprise attack on Duchang County is extremely important. I hope you two will be more careful and make sure you hit the target with one strike!"
Zhou Yu was not a hesitant person. He had made this preparation since he led his army north.
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao immediately stood up solemnly, clasped their hands together and bowed in thanks.
Cao Cao said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, Gongjin, Benchu and I have been preparing for a long time. We will go all out in this surprise attack and win the battle!"
After the discussion, the three parties took quick action.
Zhou Yu returned to the Jiangdong naval base and immediately summoned his generals to inform them of the battle plan in detail.
When the generals heard that they would have a head-on confrontation with Gan Ning's elite navy, they were all filled with indignation and excitement.
Previously, they were ambushed by Gan Ning who took advantage of his warships. They watched him escape helplessly, feeling very unwilling. Now that they had the opportunity for a head-on confrontation, they all expressed their willingness to fight to the death to avenge the Jiangdong navy.
Huang Gai patted his chest and said in a loud voice, "Commander-in-chief, Gan Ning was so arrogant before. Now we must let him see how powerful we Jiangdong men are! I am willing to lead the vanguard fleet and attack Gan Ning's central army!"
Cheng Pu also stood up, his eyes sparkling: "Yes, in this battle, we must let him know that the Jiangdong navy is not something that can be manipulated by anyone!"
The generals talked to each other and their morale was high.
Morale is gained through fighting. Although the Jiangdong navy is much inferior to the Gan Ning navy in combat power.
But before this, under Zhou Yu's command, they had never been at a disadvantage in the battles, and had won repeatedly, showing confidence and courage.
Despite suffering such a huge loss this time, instead of losing their morale, the crowd became even more excited.
Zhou Yu was relieved to see that everyone was ready to fight to the death, but his face remained calm: "Your heroic spirit is commendable, but Gan Ning's warships are advanced and should not be underestimated. In this battle, we need to use clever strategies and win by wits."
Although he had to fight desperately when facing the furious Gan Ning army, he had to be smart in doing so, and he had to preserve his energy as much as possible to prepare for the aftermath.
After all, even if they won this battle, they would not be able to continue moving north. They still had to live their lives, and they had to leave some fire for the next battle.
At the same time, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao summoned their advisers and generals and began to prepare for a surprise attack on Duchang County.
This battle was fought with speed and taking the enemy by surprise, and only cavalry could accomplish this.
The distance between Anqiu County and Duchang County is only over 200 miles, and if the cavalry rushes quickly and smoothly, they can arrive there in one day and one night.
The cavalry movements in various parts of Qingzhou that were previously investigated have now played an important role.
In the big tent, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Chun and other brave generals gathered together, waiting for Cao Cao's deployment with eager eyes.
Cao Cao looked solemn, pointed at the location of Duchang County on the map, and said in a deep voice: "For this sneak attack, we should not have too many troops, we need elite cavalry! We have a total of 20,000 elite cavalry under our command, we must reach Duchang County within one day, launch an attack at night, and decide the outcome in one battle."
"Everyone, when you go back, make sure the soldiers have a good rest in the next two days to conserve their energy. We will face a fierce battle next!"
Cao Cao then said to Yuan Shao, "Benchu, the main force of the army is now in your hands." "One day after I lead the cavalry to attack, you must lead the main force of the army to attack. When the food and grass of Tianzefang are burned and the army loses its morale, you can take advantage of the situation to attack and kill them and go straight to Linzi."
Yuan Shao nodded slightly, his eyes firm, and said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, Meng De, I will make good arrangements for your surprise attack on Duchang County, making it difficult for Tian Ze's army to defend both ends."
After that, Yuan Shao turned to the generals in the tent and said loudly: "Generals, this battle concerns our rise and fall, survival and demise. We must all move forward bravely and not slack off in the slightest!"
The generals responded with a roar, and the sound shook the tent.
After the discussion, all the generals stood up, walked out of the tent quickly, and went back to prepare.
For a moment, the camp was filled with shouts and neighs of horses. The soldiers were busy feeding the horses, wiping their weapons, and checking their equipment. The atmosphere was tense and heated.
Two days later, in the deep night and complete silence, 20,000 elite cavalrymen gathered quietly outside Anqiu City.
Cao Cao was wearing armor, riding on a tall horse, staring ahead with a cold gaze.
At the command, the cavalrymen surged out like a tide and galloped towards Duchang County, leaving only billowing smoke and dust behind them.
At the same time, Zhou Yu had already arrived at the designated location with the Jiangdong navy, ready for battle.
Gan Ning had already learned in the water camp that the Jiangdong navy was heading straight from Donglai to Liaodong, and he was immediately furious: "How dare you! Zhou Gongjin, you are courting death!"
Gan Ning knew very well that Zhou Yu did this to force him into a decisive battle, but this move really hit his weak spot, forcing him to accept it.
Moreover, Gan Ning did not think he would lose in a head-on battle with Zhou Yu at sea.
Naval warfare is different from ordinary water warfare. The boats under Zhou Yu's command are simply unable to adapt to the turbulent sea.
Even if we lose, what does it matter?
As long as half of Zhou Yu's navy can be destroyed, Jiangdong will be destroyed.
However, the navy and warships under his command could be replenished easily.
The absolute gap in national strength gave Gan Ning confidence.
In fact, from his point of view, he still hopes to have more exchanges with Zhou Yu.
Actual combat and failure are often the fastest ways for a general to grow. Gan Ning benefited greatly from the battle with Zhou Yu.
But he couldn't use the lives of his soldiers to gain experience for himself. However, since the other party was forcing him, he could only go with the flow.
Gan Ning quickly reorganized the navy, stood on the bow of the flagship, and looked at the neatly arranged warships under his command, with great pride in his heart.
"Pass my order, the entire army will attack, and we must completely defeat Zhou Yu's navy!" Gan Ning's voice echoed on the sea, and the soldiers responded in unison with high morale.
The warships weighed anchor one after another and sailed through the waves towards the direction of the Jiangdong navy.
Zhou Yu stood on his command ship, feeling the wind and waves on the sea that were much stronger than those on ordinary rivers. He looked at the boats under his command swaying, his face slightly solemn.
The navy of Jiangdong is not very adapted to naval battles, especially in the near-shore area and with good weather.
Zhou Yu's heart was shrouded in a gloom. It seemed that he would suffer a heavy loss this time.
(End of this chapter)
