Changgeng took the battle report. Gu Yun asked, "How much of the Jiangnan navy is left?"
"It's hard to say," Changgeng scanned through ten lines at a glance. "Chang Jiao has never been out to sea and has never fought a naval battle. When Zhao Youfang died, they panicked and scattered in all directions. Godfather, do you remember when the King of Wei rebelled?"
Gu Yun pinched the bridge of his nose. He understood what he meant.
Back then, the King of Wei had bribed the Jiangnan Navy Admiral and half of the navy to gather troops on a small island in Dongying to covet the capital. Unexpectedly, before they were ready, Gu Yun and Linyuan Pavilion worked together to stir things up.
Although it was called "Gu Yun and Linyuan Pavilion working together," at the time, Gu Yun only had two or three Black Eagle and a few half-grown children. Linyuan Pavilion only had 30 or so Jianghu people, including the monk Liao Ran, who would not take off his heavy armor once he put it on.
Gu Yun had accumulated great power in the army. One reason was that his sudden appearance scared the guilty rebels, but it also proved that Daliang's navy was indeed lame.
They couldn't even make a rebellion.
If this had happened during the reign of the previous Emperor, Gu Yun might have had the opportunity to intervene in the navy like he did in the past when he reorganized the Beijiang City Defense Army. Unfortunately, Li Feng was not like the previous Emperor who would be indecisive when killing someone. That kind of thing would not happen in the Long An.
Gu Yun: "What about Yao Zhongze? Is he also dead? "
Changgeng: "He didn't mention it. Too many people died."
Gu Yun sighed. "Also, what is a 'sea monster'?"
Changgeng: "It is said to be like a big octopus that can hide in the water and float like a mountain. It can cover the sky and the sun. Compared to it, the giant kite is like a pigeon on a strong man's shoulder. It also has countless iron claws on its body and thousands of small sea serpents stuck to it. When the tip is opened, it can release a large group of eagle armor …"
Changgeng paused slightly. His slender fingers lightly tapped the side of the battle report twice. "If there really is such a thing, at least four to five hundred catties of purple gold would be burned in a day."
Gu Yun glanced at him. Changgeng shook his head slightly and stopped there, hiding the second half of his sentence. The Westerners paid such a high price was probably not to fight a protracted war with them...
"After dealing with the Jiangnan garrison, there are no more worries on the sea. The navy at Dagu Harbor is no match for them. The next step is to directly attack the capital." Gu Yun pulled down the map on the wall. "Old Tan, how many troops can be deployed in the capital?"
Tan Hongfei licked his dry and cracked lips. "Beidaying has two thousand heavy armor, sixteen thousand light cavalry, and two thousand chariots. There are a total of eighty chariots. Each chariot has three pairs of white rainbows and a long and short cannon at the front and back."
This amount of military strength was enough to force the abdication. Compared to the all-out attack that the Westerners had planned for many years, it was too inadequate. Gu Yun frowned. "What about the Imperial Guards?"
"The Imperial Guards are not good. There are less than six thousand people in total. More than half of them are young master soldiers who have never seen blood." Tan Hongfei paused and suddenly remembered something. He took out an item from his chest and solemnly handed it to Gu Yun with both hands. "That's right, the Emperor asked me to bring this to the Marshal."
The item was wrapped in thin palace silk. Those who didn't know would think that it was some kind of pearl or precious jade. When it was opened, it was wrapped in a ferocious-looking Xuan Tie Tiger Tally.
Gu Yun took it and glanced at it. The corners of his mouth curved into a fake smile. "Why are you still giving it to me at this time? It's too late."
Tan Hongfei didn't know what to say.
Gu Yun casually threw the Xuan Tie Tiger Tally to Tan Hongfei. "Alright, since the Emperor has made his decision, you can take it and write a transfer order according to his wishes. Send a message to the Shandong and Zhili garrisons to return to defend the capital. Then let Cai Bin free up her hands to lead reinforcements … Oh, transfer them first. If they can't be transferred, we'll talk about it."
Tan Hongfei was speechless.
The old and frail Zhang Fenghan was not as hard-hearted as these animals. He was already scared witless along the way. Suddenly hearing the implied meaning in Gu Yun's words, Old Lingshu's face immediately turned pale. He couldn't help but ask, "Does the Marshal mean that … the Emperor's Army might not be transferred?"
Changgeng replied, "If the information on the battle report is correct, the westerners can't bring too many supplies with them. They can't afford to fight. If they wanted to kill us in one strike, they would have to split into two groups. One group would close in on the capital from the sea, and the other group would cut off the capital from the land and surround us … I'm afraid the transfer order can't be sent out."
Duke Feng almost fainted on the spot. He sat down on the side and couldn't help but gasp.
Changgeng didn't expect him to have such a big reaction. He quickly poured a cup of water and brought it in front of Duke Feng Han. He skillfully patted the back of Duke Feng Han's head and said, "Calm down. Old people shouldn't be overjoyed or sad. Otherwise, it's easy to have a stroke …"
Zhang Fenghan grabbed his hand and almost cried, "Your Highness, are you born without knowing what it means to be anxious?"
"Duke Feng Han, don't be impatient. I haven't finished yet," Changgeng hurriedly said. "When my foster father was imprisoned, I was worried that there would be a change at the border. I already contacted some friends."
As he spoke, he took out a wooden bird from his sleeve.
"This kind of wooden bird needs a special kind of magnet to guide the way. It can pass messages between people who have the magnet. They received my letter earlier. Right now, they should be on their way to the various garrisons. I hope they can make it in time. If the capital is really surrounded, I can use the wooden bird to send a message and have them pass it on. With the Xuan Tie, Tiger Tally and my foster father's personal seal, it should be enough to get the message."
When Changgeng realized that leaving the Black Eagle, the long period of communication between various places would delay the war, he began to use the Linyuan Pavilion to set up such a huge communication network as a precaution.
Tan Hongfei and Zhang Fenghan stared at Changgeng, dumbfounded.
"It's all a small trick. I can't think of anything else in a hurry," Changgeng said. "In the beginning, it can be used in an emergency without anyone noticing, but it won't last long. Once the enemy notices, this thing is no longer safe. Any small stone can knock it down."
Gu Yun didn't know what to feel. When he was in prison, it wasn't that he didn't worry about Changgeng. Now, it seemed that even if he had personally mobilized the troops, he might not have done a better job than Changgeng.
Not only did he protect half of the Black Iron Battalion, but he also left such a chess piece alive.
He sighed and felt grateful. At the same time, he felt that the young man who could only close his eyes and hide in front of the sword puppet shouldn't have grown up so quickly. It was his fault for not taking good care of him.
However, in front of outsiders, Gu Yun couldn't express any of his emotions. He only said indifferently, "Your Highness has considered everything thoroughly."
"Let's go, Old Tan. Come with me to Beidaying." Gu Yun took down a wine jug hanging behind the door. He glanced at the sky. Without even putting on his armor, he picked up a straw raincoat and strode away.
Changgeng also stood up. "Adoptive Father, please leave first. I will follow Duke Han back to the Lingshu Temple. After checking, I will escort the military supplies over."
The brief warmth and ambiguity vanished in a puff of smoke. The two of them hurriedly left.
Gu Yun and Tan Hongfei led a group of guards and galloped out of the city, heading towards Beidaying.
Gu Yun wore the straw raincoat correctly. Halfway there, the rumbling thunder in the sky suddenly turned into a bright bolt of lightning. The biting cold lightning struck down from the sky. The gloomy sky cracked open like silk, and a rare heavy rain came crashing down.
For a moment, the rain poured down like a torrential downpour.
Tan Hongfei was choked by the rain and almost couldn't breathe. He fiercely shook off the water droplets on his face. He recalled that when he was reporting to the Marquis' residence, Huo Dan told him that Marquis was sick. He couldn't help but squeeze his horse's belly and run to Gu Yun's side. He said loudly, "This rain is too heavy. Marshal, you haven't recovered from the cold. Why don't you find a place to hide first? It won't be too late to continue your journey after the rain stops …"
Gu Yun shouted, "Look at that cloud. Who knows when it will stop? Don't talk nonsense!"
Perhaps the sudden downpour was too sudden and unreasonable. Gu Yun suddenly had an ominous premonition in his heart.
The Black Iron Battalion was also known as the "Black Crows" by the foreigners. As the leader of the Black Crows, Gu Yun indeed had an unparalleled crow's beak. Almost all of his ominous premonitions would come true. He would never miss.
Tan Hongfei estimated that the westerners would head north in two or three days. He was too optimistic.
At night, on a watchtower in Dagu Harbor.
There were two palm-sized dust-proof brushes in front of the long-barreled Qianli. They were moving up and down futilely in the rain. Not long after, they were blown down by the wind.
The old pagoda soldier on duty had no choice but to stretch his hand out of the window and grope for a rusty handle by the window. The lighter inside had been broken for a long time and no one had fixed it. He could only use his hand to turn it. He shook off the rainwater on his hand and cursed as he shook the handle of the long arm. The toothless Gear groaned half-dead. A small metal umbrella slowly rose up and unfolded as if it had not eaten its fill. In the bleak rain and wind, it covered the front mirror of the Qianli Eye.
The old pagoda soldier wiped the moisture off his glasses and complained to his companions, "We are all soldiers, but the others come and go in the sky and command the wind and the clouds. They are so mighty. But we, on the other hand, spend every day on the pagoda sweeping the floor or touching the dominoes. We are even quieter than the monks. We can't get anything from them. We have nothing to do all day, and we have to spend all year here. We can't even recognize our own women … Sigh, this is really strange. Why is it raining so heavily? Where did this grievance come from?"
His companion swept the floor without raising his head, "Are you hoping that nothing will happen? Didn't you hear the corporal say that the Fire Beacon Command has been sent over? If the westerners attack, you will have something to do. "
"Don't listen to the corporal's nonsense. Every month, he talks about the westerners attacking." The pagoda soldier said, "Isn't the Marquis of Stability still in the capital next door?"
"The Marquis of Stability is in prison."
"Oh, then isn't he released again?" The old pagoda soldier seemed to have thought of something when he said this. He suddenly said, "Yes, this matter is very strange. Isn't there a rumor that the Marquis of Stability rebelled and forced the emperor to abdicate? Why was he released so quickly? Could it be..."
"Shh." His companion suddenly raised his head, "Stop gossiping. Listen!"
A rumbling sound like rolling thunder faintly came from the wind. The watchtower seemed to have sensed something and began to rustle.
Was it thunder?
That's not right. The thunder was always in waves. How could it be so continuous?
The old pagoda soldier hesitantly bent down in front of the Qianli Eye and slowly moved the lens up.
The next moment, his turbid gaze pierced through the pitch-black curtain of rain and encountered a huge shadow on the sea without warning.
Even in nightmares, there wouldn't be such a monster baring its fangs and brandishing its claws. Its hundred claws faced the sky as it roared angrily.
The old pagoda soldier thought his eyes were playing tricks on him and rubbed his eyelids hard. When he looked again, he saw the "sea monster" walking as if it was flying. It was just a blurry shadow a moment ago, but in the blink of an eye, it had advanced a great distance. It was enough for the Qianli Eye to see clearly.
The black mass of sea serpents slid past in the dark night with awe-inspiring killing intent. The war flag fluttering in the wind and rain was like an ominous soul-summoning banner. Its shadow covered the vast ocean.
"Enemy attack..." the old pagoda soldier said with difficulty.
"What?"
The old pagoda soldier suddenly turned his head and roared, "Enemy attack! The westerners are attacking. Sound the bells and drums! What are you standing there for? Go — "
The rapid drumming pierced through the heavy rain. The lights on the watchtower that were spinning at a steady pace suddenly sped up and spun crazily. In just a few breaths, all the watchtowers in Dagu Harbor were ringing with the sound of drums.
The North Sea Admiral Lian Wei's heart was about to explode. Ever since he received news of Jiangnan's defeat, he hadn't dared to close his eyes. He snatched the Qianli Eye from his personal guard's hand.
With just one glance, he wailed in his heart, "God!" and felt a chill run down his spine.
"General, what should we do?"
"Everyone …" Lian Wei's throat moved. "The serpents will go first. No need to say anything. Bombard them with heavy artillery … Wait, get on the metal chains. That's right, all the serpents will move side by side and get on the metal chains! Link them together and form a metal fence outside the harbor! "
"Set up the White Rainbow —"
"Notify the fishing boats and merchant ships in the harbor to evacuate immediately!"
Lian Wei lowered his head and glanced at the "Fire Beacon Insignia" he hadn't put away in time. That was Daliang's highest level of combat readiness warning. Once the "Fire Beacon Insignia" was received, it meant that the entire territory was ready for battle at any time.
The Fire Beacon Insignia was signed with the character "Gu." It was personally signed by the Marquis of Stability.
Back when the Black Iron Battalion was attacked at the northern border, more than a dozen senior and junior generals took off their Xuan Tie black armor, put down their Cutting Wind Blades, and scattered to various places. They either retired or retired. Lian Wei had thought that he would be trapped on the small harbor for the rest of his life. Every day, he would take people on a walk around the harbor with nothing to do. Occasionally, he would manage the small matters of fishermen gathering to gamble and fight. Even when he heard that Beidaying had mutinied because of what had happened back then, he didn't have the courage to stand out and demand an explanation like Tan Hongfei.
"Send a message, Beidaying." Lian Wei tightened the armor around his body and took a deep breath. He forcefully pulled his bulging stomach back in. "Report to the Marquis of Stability that Dagu Harbor has been attacked by the Western Navy. Go, quickly!"
Lian Wei stepped out. Before he left, he remembered something. He picked up the Cutting Wind Blade that had been standing in the corner and covered in dust for many years. He gently stroked it and turned around to carry it on his back.
The Cutting Wind Blade that he had used to cut through the yellow sand had long rusted to the point that it couldn't even be opened to hold the Flowing Purple Gold. It had become a black iron rod that weighed down his hands. Other than ambushing people in the middle of the night, it probably had no other use.
However, when he carried it on his back again, he suddenly found the feeling of being unparalleled with black armor on his back.
After many years of indulgence and fat, the snow blade and steel armor had been branded into his bones and blood. They were still there vaguely.
The iron fence formed by the long serpents met the rampaging sea monsters head-on. The Western warships were like ghosts in the storm. Even the strong winds on the sea couldn't catch up with them. The crazy wind and waves set off a tide that seemed to be able to swallow the continent. Artillery fire filled the sky. Countless warships fell apart in the blink of an eye, sinking into the billowing ocean.
"General, I'm afraid the iron fence won't be able to stop them!"
"General, too many ships on the left flank have sunk. The iron rope..."
"Watchtower — be careful!"
A cannon shot from afar swept over like a fire dragon. Even the curtain of rain couldn't suppress the raging flames. With a boom, it hit a watchtower. The tower staggered and slowly bent down in the air.
A wind lantern on the top of the tower that was traveling in the rain was extinguished.
Lian Wei pushed his personal guard aside and boarded the deck of the warship. He roared, "Don't stop the heavy artillery. Blow the fire arrows on the White Rainbow!"
"General Lian, Dagu Harbor can't be..."
"Dodge!" Lian Wei pushed away the small soldier of the White Rainbow Arrow. With a loud shout, he lifted the fire arrows that weighed more than a hundred kilograms and smashed them on the White Rainbow Bow. He fiercely wiped the rainwater off his face and used both hands to calibrate the White Rainbow Bow.
The first fire arrow was ruthlessly blasted into the sky by the White Rainbow Bow. In the air, the metal shell at the end of the fire arrow fell off. The purple golden light was like an impenetrable hellfire. It suddenly accelerated the fire arrow and flew past like a meteor. It brushed past the war flag on the sea monster and fell into the sea beside it.
The fluttering war flag of the Holy See was torn into a diaper by the huge impact and scattered with the wind. However, the fire arrow's momentum didn't decrease. It hit a rampaging western sea serpent right in the middle and exploded into a dazzling firework on the sea.
Lian Wei let out a long roar. His beard and hair were fluttering in anger.
Without the command of their commander, the Black Iron Battalion didn't dare to retreat an inch.
When the news of the attack on Dagu Harbor reached them overnight, Gu Yun was in the commander's tent with Tan Hongfei and the commander of the Imperial Guards, Han Qi, to sort out the defenses of the capital.
When he heard the shocking news, Han Qi almost jumped up. He cried out involuntarily, "How can it be so fast!"
Gu Yun's face was as calm as water, "Who is the North Sea Fleet Admiral?"
"Lian Wei," Tan Hongfei's eyes were slightly red. After a moment, he couldn't help but add, "He was my deputy back then."
The corners of Gu Yun's eyes twitched slightly, "Commander Han."
Han Qi understood, "Yes, I will return to the capital immediately. Commander, don't worry. Even if the Imperial Guards are young master soldiers, they will only be buried at the foot of the Imperial Palace."
Gu Yun looked at him deeply and suddenly opened the commander's tent, "Can those old bastards from the Lingshu Temple hurry up?"
Before he finished speaking, a messenger ran over, "Commander, Yanbei Of Gojoseon is here!"
When Gu Yun turned around, Changgeng's horse had already galloped to the front. He grabbed the reins, "Commander, the Lingshu Temple has already finished repairing the existing Anthracite and five hundred eagle armors. The light fur coat is not a complete set. There are also three thousand pairs of wristbands and four thousand pairs of iron knees. There is also a batch of shoulder helmets that will be sent later — —"
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