Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

Chapter 239 The Proposal for Fire Attack

The Xingqi army advanced by land and water, like two giant nets gradually tightening, encircling the Poyang Lake area. Meanwhile, the Southern Dynasty's allied forces, led by Prince Xiao Jingyan of Chu, preemptively established camps at Hukou, Xingzi, and Gutang on the west and north banks of Poyang Lake. Their naval vessels were densely packed within the lake's bays and inlets, relying on the shore fortifications, creating a posture of combined land and water defense for a long-term hold. On the lake, small warships and speedboats of the Southern Dynasty patrolled daily, closely monitoring the Hukou direction to prevent the main Xingqi naval force from entering the lake.

The initial engagements of the war were sporadic and intense. Dian Xiong's land vanguard and Luo Heng's Southern Dynasty army outposts clashed in several small-scale skirmishes in the hilly terrain outside Xingzi County. The Xingqi army, well-equipped, well-trained, and in high spirits, gained the upper hand each time, eliminating the Southern Dynasty's forward outposts one by one and gradually advancing. However, Luo Heng was no slouch either. Utilizing his familiarity with the terrain, he fought a retreating battle, consolidating his forces and retreating his main force to Xingzi County and several surrounding strategic mountain passes. He did not seek a decisive battle with Dian Xiong, clearly intending to wear down and delay the enemy.

On the water, the main fleet of Jinghai Navy ships, commanded by Shen Qing, anchored on the Yangtze River outside Hukou, resembling a series of floating fortresses, watching intently. Zhou Jun, the Southern Dynasty's naval commander, strictly ordered his troops not to easily venture out of Hukou to engage the Xingqi Navy in a decisive battle on the open river. Instead, they were to rely on the narrow waterways of Hukou and the shore-based artillery for defense. Simultaneously, he dispatched numerous light, nimble boats, utilizing the complex environment of Poyang Lake's inner harbors overgrown with reeds, to constantly harass Xingqi scout ships attempting to approach for reconnaissance or hydrographic measurements. With many shallow areas in the lake, Shen Qing's massive warships, with their deep draft, dared not venture too far, resulting in a stalemate in the naval battle.

The Southern Dynasty army clearly intended to drag the Xingqi army into a protracted war of attrition. Time, for the Xingqi army, whose base was in the north and which had been on a long and arduous campaign, seemed to be of little use. Logistical pressures, soldiers' homesickness, and non-combat casualties caused by the damp and cold environment of Jiangnan were all potential problems. For the besieged Southern Dynasty army, every day of delay gave Jinling more time to prepare, and perhaps they could wait for some vague "turning point."

Inside the Feihu Pass military camp, a hastily converted command post for the Poyang Lake front, the atmosphere was somewhat somber. The enemy and friendly positions were clearly depicted on the sand table, but a thick, stagnant feeling permeated the air.

"Your Majesty, that scoundrel Luo Heng is holed up in Xingzi City and the surrounding mountains, relying on the terrain to his advantage, making it difficult to capture. This humble general requests permission to reinforce our troops and launch a strong attack. We will surely take Xingzi within three days!" Dian Xiong, still covered in the dust of battle, clasped his hands in a fist and pleaded for battle, his voice like muffled thunder. The stalemate on land had left him feeling frustrated.

Before Chen Xing could speak, Jia Wen said slowly, "General Dian's bravery is commendable. However, attacking a fortified city and a strategic pass will inevitably result in heavy casualties among the soldiers. Although Xingzi is a key location, it is not the only crucial point in the battle of Poyang Lake. Moreover, judging from the enemy's deployment, their focus seems to be more on 'water'." His gaze fell on the vast blue water area on the sand table, and the red small boats marked among it.

Shen Qing, his face etched with worry, reported, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Jia's words are absolutely correct. I have been observing for days and sending scout ships to probe the area. Zhou Jun is an expert in naval warfare and is well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of Poyang Lake. He has hidden his main force of large ships in the sheltered harbors deep within the lake, while using shore fortifications and a small fleet to guard the lake entrance. Our large warships cannot easily penetrate the open waters of the lake to exert their firepower advantage, and if we rashly send small and medium-sized warships in, they will be easily divided and surrounded by his numerous small boats relying on the reeds, or attacked by his hidden large ships. Moreover..." He paused, pointing to several shallow areas marked on the sand table, "These areas have complex hydrology and are filled with silt. If our large ships accidentally enter these areas, they will be in danger of running aground."

Lin Wan'er presented a stack of newly compiled data: "Your Majesty, this information was gathered from local fishermen and hydrological officials. Although Poyang Lake is in its dry season in winter, the water surface is still vast, and the waves are quite large. Moreover, the lake area is mostly swept by northwest or northerly winds in winter, blowing from the lake mouth into the lake. Zhou Jun moored his fleet in the leeward bays on the south and east banks precisely to take advantage of this wind, firstly to avoid the wind and waves, and secondly... if there is any concern about fire attack, being upwind would also provide some reassurance."

"Fire attack?" Chen Xing, who had been listening quietly, caught the word with a slight glint in his eyes.

Shen Qing nodded, his expression serious: "Indeed, Your Majesty. My subordinates and I have repeatedly analyzed the situation, and to quickly defeat the enemy navy here, given the current limitations of our fleet, conventional tactics are time-consuming, laborious, and the outcome is uncertain. The most effective and likely decisive method is fire attack!"

He walked to the sand table and explained in detail: "Although the enemy fleet has taken refuge in the inland lake harbor, its numbers are enormous, the ships are crowded, and many of them are requisitioned civilian vessels, making them even easier to set on fire. If we can gather a large amount of flammable materials, make fire ships, and at a specific time, launch them into the lake with the wind and current, directly towards their anchorage, then their fleet will be linked together and turned into a sea of ​​fire in an instant! Once the navy is destroyed, the coastal army will lose naval support and a retreat route, their morale will collapse, and the land battle will be easily resolved!"

Upon hearing this, the generals in the tent were all invigorated. Fire attack has always been a classic tactic in naval warfare, a way to overcome the strong with the weak and defeat the powerful with skill. The Battle of Red Cliffs is a prime example.

But Jia Wen immediately raised a crucial question: "While fire attack is ingenious, it requires the right 'timing.' The most important factor is the wind direction! As Lin Daizhao just mentioned, the winds here are mostly from the northwest and north in winter. Our army is located north and west of Hukou, while the enemy's anchorage is southeast and east. If the winds continue to be from the north and northwest, we will be downwind, and setting fire to the fire ships will not only fail to burn the enemy but may also endanger ourselves. This plan requires waiting for the wind direction to change to a southeasterly wind!"

"Southeast wind?" Dian Xiong scratched his head. "In the dead of winter, can a southeast wind really blow around Poyang Lake?"

This was also a concern for many generals in the camp. Southeast winds do occur in winter, but they are occasional and difficult to predict, let alone be used to seize opportunities that could determine the outcome of a major battle.

Shen Qing looked troubled: "This humble general has also considered this. I have inquired with many local fishermen and old officials, and they all say that there are occasional southeasterly winds in winter, but they are short-lived, and the wind direction is unstable and unpredictable. To place our hopes for victory on such uncertain winds is truly..."

"It's risky, but it's also the only possible shortcut to break the deadlock," Chen Xing said calmly. He walked to the window, opened it a crack, and felt the cold wind blowing in from the north, carrying the fishy smell of the lake.

In his mind, the knowledge of "Elementary Meteorology" exchanged by the system flowed rapidly. The Poyang Lake area belongs to the subtropical monsoon climate, and northerly winds are the norm in winter, but there are exceptions. Under the influence of specific weather systems, such as when a strong warm and humid air mass moves northward and clashes with cold air in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, it is entirely possible for brief southeasterly winds to occur in certain periods and certain local areas! Especially at the boundary between the lake and the land, the changes in wind direction in small areas are more complex due to the influence of topography and the thermal differences between land and water.

The key lies in whether the timing and duration of such changes can be predicted relatively accurately.

This requires a combination of more refined observations, more comprehensive data, and theoretical analytical capabilities that transcend our time. And Chen Xing happens to possess some of these.

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally settling on Shen Qing and Jia Wen: "The idea of ​​fire attack is excellent. It is indeed a good strategy to defeat the enemy. I am already aware of the difficulty in determining the wind direction."

He paused, his voice carrying an undeniable certainty: "Shen Qing, you shall immediately begin secretly preparing all the supplies needed for the fire attack—ignition sources, fast ships, and elite boatmen. The more fire ships the better, so that the enemy fleet has nowhere to escape in one strike! At the same time, all naval units must be prepared to launch a full-scale attack once the fire starts, to expand the gains and wipe out the remaining enemy forces."

"This subordinate obeys!" Although Shen Qing still had doubts, seeing Chen Xing's decisiveness, he immediately clasped his hands in agreement.

"Jia Xiang, Dian Xiong, the land forces need to further intensify their offensive and continue to put pressure on Luo Heng, but we should not rush to a quick victory. The purpose is to tie down his main land force so that he has no time to attend to other matters and is unable to support the navy. At the same time, we must closely monitor all land routes south of Hukou to guard against enemy attacks on our water fortress or the departure point of our fire ships from the land."

"Your subject obeys!"

"Wan'er, continue to collect information about the Poyang Lake area, especially all records and rumors about abnormal winter weather and sudden changes in wind direction over the past few decades. Don't let any fragment of information slip by."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Finally, Chen Xing's gaze fell upon the gloomy sky outside the window, as if trying to pierce through the clouds and see the invisible, flowing air currents: "As for the wind direction... you need not worry too much. I have my own plans. Starting tomorrow, set up multiple observation posts at Hukou and the surrounding highlands, recording changes in wind direction, wind force, cloud formation, and temperature every two hours, and reporting them to me in detail."

His tone was calm, yet it carried a strange and convincing power. Everyone in the tent, including the most composed Jia Wen, looked at Chen Xing's calm and profound profile, and the doubts they had felt due to the "wind direction" gradually dissipated.

The king said he had a plan, so there must be a way!

The plan to attack with fire has been decided; all that remains is the east wind.