Jiang Yuqing analyzed the route along which they were advancing and speculated that this group of Japanese pirates was likely heading straight for Fuzhou, with the intention of seeking revenge for their previous complete annihilation.
Fuzhou was located within Fuzhou Bay, protected by the triangular formation of Ya Mountain, Jian Mountain, and Zhong Mountain. If the target of these pirates was indeed Fuzhou, it would undoubtedly result in a bloody battle.
Jiang Yuqing did not dare to be negligent. Taking advantage of the cover of night, she discreetly attached several pieces of intelligence to the desks of the three major camp commanders using invisibility charms.
Among the items she left behind were three single-barreled telescopes that she had painstakingly crafted with transparent glass lenses. She provided detailed instructions on their usage and manufacture.
The message was signed off with the name "Patriot."
The generals, half skeptical and half hopeful, tried the telescopes for themselves. As the note had stated, they could clearly see objects several miles away, as if the distance had instantly shrunk.
They immediately treasured this newfound tool and became ecstatic. They now had partial belief in the pirate's attack route and their potential targets for plunder.
However, the generals were cautious individuals. They dispatched ships with the telescopes on board to sail in the direction indicated by the information, and indeed, they witnessed the pirate fleet.
The three major camps received carrier pigeons from the sea, and based on the analysis of the pirate's route, they confirmed that their objective was indeed Fuzhou.
As a result, all the major camps mobilized urgently, leaving behind only a skeleton crew to guard their bases. The rest of the large and small vessels set sail overnight, racing towards the open sea outside Fuzhou to intercept the incoming enemy.
The atmosphere in Fuzhou became tense, as a major battle was about to erupt.
Jiang Yuqing left Doctor Qiu on the shore to receive the wounded, while she joined the Ya Mountain naval forces and headed out to sea.
With the assistance of her avian companions, she could receive real-time intelligence.
After nearly four hours of sailing, the fleet finally arrived at the designated location at daybreak and joined forces with the naval forces of Zhong Mountain and Jian Mountain.
The combined three camps consisted of the "Annihilation" flagship and three enormous warships, accompanied by 19 large treasure ships, 31 medium-sized vessels, and 77 small boats, totaling approximately 50,000 troops.
Based on the calculation that each large pirate treasure ship could carry about a thousand people, their force also amounted to around 50,000 to 60,000 troops. It could be said that the forces of both sides were evenly matched.
At this moment, they were half a day's journey away from the Da Xia naval forces on the open sea. Bampen Turtle Saburo, the leader of the pirates, stood at the bow of the ship, facing the wind, and asked his subordinate, "How much longer until we reach Fuzhou?"
The subordinate replied, "General, we are still half a day away. With our full mobilization this time, we will undoubtedly inflict a devastating blow on Fuzhou and avenge my son!"
"Alright then! Go and inform the warriors to prepare themselves. The time for revenge is approaching!"
"Hurray!" The subordinate saluted and left.
The generals speculated that the leader of the pirate fleet this time was most likely Bampen Turtle Saburo, the father of Nobusuke Itada Kishi, the pirate leader who was beheaded by the Ya Mountain naval forces in the previous Battle of Ya Sea.
When Jiang Yuqing arrived, she had probably learned some information about Bampen Turtle Saburo from the generals.
Bampen Turtle Saburo was the illegitimate child of Shogun Banben Hideki of Wa.
Over a decade ago, during the power struggle for the position of Shogun between Bampen Hideki and another formidable figure from the northern region of Wo Country, Anbei Forty-five, it seemed that Bampen Hideki was on the verge of failure.
In order to gain Bampen Hideki's recognition, or rather, to gain the approval of his family, Bampen Turtle Saburo infiltrated Anbei Forty-five's residence alone, disguised as a servant. Seizing the opportunity when Anbei Forty-five went to the restroom, Bampen Turtle Saburo assassinated him, helping his father, Bampen Hideki, successfully ascend to the position of Shogun, with absolute power.
As a result, Bampen Turtle Saburo received his father's favor and trust.
However, being a illegitimate child, no matter what he accomplished, he could never surpass his legitimate elder and younger brothers.
The constant mistreatment and injustice eventually became unbearable for Bampen Turtle Saburo, and in a fit of rage, he led his loyal subordinates in a war to seize power. Unfortunately, they failed.
After his defeat, Bampen Turtle Saburo fled to the largest island in the southern part of Wo Country, where he established his dominion and proclaimed himself as a general. Relying on the fleet he took with him during the retreat and colluding with pirates, he roamed the seas for years, plundering and ravaging any passing merchant ships or fishing boats in this maritime region, particularly causing great suffering to Ryukyu and Da Xia.
Da Xia, with its vast territory and abundant resources, might have appeared strong and prosperous, but its naval forces were particularly weak.
The entire Fuzhou Navy consisted of tens of thousands of soldiers, yet they didn't even possess a few decent ships. This allowed the Wo pirates to act without restraint, frequently landing ashore to rob and kill.
And once they finished their plunder, they would swiftly retreat without engaging in prolonged battles.
Though the soldiers of Da Xia were rarely matched on land, without swift treasure ships capable of keeping up with the Wo pirates, they could only watch helplessly as the pirates escaped time and time again, experiencing deep frustration and powerlessness.
Naval battles waged on the open sea often resulted in many casualties. With the ships several meters above the water's surface, the turbulent waves posed a threat. If someone fell overboard, they could easily become shark food.
With these thoughts in mind, Jiang Yuqing returned to her cabin and applied an invisibility charm to herself. She flew to a location several li away from the fleet and unleashed her spiritual power, calling forth a large group of dolphins.
Jiang Yuqing communicated with them using her spiritual senses, "It's a pleasure to meet you, adorable creatures. Can I ask for your assistance?"
The largest dolphin, the leader of the group, swam closest to her. It said, "Of course, we would be willing. You emit an aura that makes us feel very comfortable, and we're happy to help you."
"Thank you!" Jiang Yuqing pointed towards the fleet anchored in the distance. "Can you see that fleet over there, as well as the soldiers in black armor?"
"We see them!" responded the dolphin leader. "We just swam over from that direction."
Jiang Yuqing pulled out a Lingxue fish from the river and tossed it to the dolphin. "These are all my companions. I'm waiting here to intercept a group of robbers who are plundering our homeland."
The dolphin leader, having never tasted such a delicious fish in its ten-plus years of existence, felt as though it had transcended into a higher realm. It expressed its deep gratitude, saying, "Are you asking us to help you fight the robbers together?"
Jiang Yuqing shook his head and said, "No, to them, you are too insignificant.
I just hope that when our sides start fighting later, if any of my comrades get injured and fall into the water, you can help rescue them."
The dolphins immediately agreed.
To distinguish between the enemy and us, and to prevent the dolphins from rescuing the wrong people, Jiang Yuqing explained our side's flag and appearance features to them clearly.
After the dolphins indicated that they remembered, Jiang Yuqing took out the flag of the pirates and said, "This flag belongs to the bandits, and it's easy to recognize, right?"
Little did he know that the dolphins became instantly excited when they saw the pirate flag. One of the dolphins said, "I recognize this flag.
These wicked two-legged creatures killed my mother and my tribe, and they also killed many of our kind and whales. They are devils and executioners.
If it weren't for my mother hiding me under the reef, I would have died long ago.
But my mother was killed by them, those despicable two-legged creatures!"
Alright, no need to teach anymore. These pirates are also enemies of dolphins and whales.
The people of Wo Country love hunting and killing dolphins and whales, and this hasn't changed from past lives to the present, even if the time and space have changed.
Jiang Yuqing caught many spirit fish from the Lingquan River and fed each one of them as a consolation. Then, he instructed the little fellows to be careful and ensure their safety before bidding them farewell and returning to the ship.
As the sun rose higher, the commander ordered the soldiers to take turns eating. Only when they were well-fed and refreshed would they have the strength to fight.
At dawn, a scout climbed up to the tallest main mast of the "Wo-Annihilator" with a telescope.
After observing for a while, he suddenly drew out a small red flag from his waist and waved it three times.
This was the flag signal of the Da Xia Navy: "The enemy is here, prepare to intercept!"
The soldiers responsible for observation on the high platform below immediately understood and beat the war drums. For a while, the sound of urgent transmissions from the soldiers filled the air: "The enemy is here, all large ships form defensive formations!
Archers and crossbowmen, prepare! Medium-sized ships, prepare catapults and Greek fire!
Small boats, follow behind, ready to assist in rescuing the wounded, support the large ships, and kill the enemies who fall into the water..."
The rumbling sound of war drums traveled far, and the fleet of the Bampen Turtle Saburo also faintly heard some noises, but they quickly disappeared.
They thought it was just a storm somewhere on the sea and didn't pay much attention to it.
On the sea, sudden storms were not uncommon, and the pirates were already accustomed to them.
It wasn't until they sailed a little further and saw a black line appearing on the sea surface, gradually thickening and turning into numerous densely packed black dots.
Bampen Turtle Saburo suddenly had a bad premonition.
When the fleet approached, they discovered that these densely packed black dots were actually the heavily armed Da Xia Navy, which immediately shocked them to the point that their eyes nearly popped out.
Especially the three leading behemoth ships, one ship was almost the size of two of theirs combined.
Bampen Turtle Saburo couldn't contain his anger anymore and slapped one of the junior leaders on the face.
Bampen Turtle Saburo couldn't help but explode in anger, "What the hell? Didn't you say Da Xia barely had any ships? Then what is this? Has your brain turned to mush? You idiot!"
He followed it up by slapping him hard across the face several times, berating him, "The news about us heading to Fuzhou was clearly not told to anyone. But now, the Fuzhou naval forces have mobilized in full force and intercepted us here. Tell me, how did the news leak? Didn't you say it was foolproof? You damn idiot!" After finishing his tirade, he ruthlessly kicked the guy's head down onto the deck, shouting, "Get lost!"
Though he cursed and fought, Bampen Turtle Saburo knew that now was not the time to dwell on this issue. He immediately ordered the war drums to sound and launched an attack on the Da Xia army ahead.
The Da Xia naval forces were not intimidated either. They also beat the war drums simultaneously and, led by three extremely powerful "Destroy" class treasure ships, charged towards the pirate fleet.
As they approached, a storm of arrows rained down from the large Da Xia ships onto the enemy treasure ships. The pirates on board were caught off guard and fell dead on the spot.
After the first round of shooting, the next round quickly followed.
After the second round of arrow rain, a quarter of the enemy's forces on the pirate ship's deck were eliminated.
According to the previously discussed tactical plan, each "Destroy" class treasure ship would engage with three pirate ships.
Regular large ships fought one-on-one or one-on-two battles. Medium-sized ships engaged in two-on-one battles. The small ships agilely maneuvered around the enemy ships, seizing the opportunity to rescue those who fell overboard while also causing trouble for the pirate ships with their agile attacks.
