Chapter 790
The Battle of Military Gods: Zhang Dingbian vs. Xu Da
That evening, Chen Jie convened a combat meeting with all officers of the rank of centurion and above to convey the fighting spirit. This battle marked the beginning of a major war between the two sides, and this beginning was brutal. Chen Jie's side suffered more than 40,000 casualties, while Zhu Chongba also suffered 38,000 to 39,000 casualties.
It seems that Chen Jie suffered a loss, but in reality, Zhu Chongba was also not having an easy time.
However, Zhang Dingbian still offered self-criticism, believing that the initial defeat was his responsibility. As the commander-in-chief of the three armies, he felt that he was somewhat suppressed by Xu Da in the first encounter and that he was not as skilled as Xu Da.
Seeing Zhang Dingbian like this, Chen Jie comforted him, "Dingbian, you are under too much pressure. Relax. A battle between two armies is a matter for everyone, not just your mistake."
As he spoke, Chen Jie patted Zhang Dingbian on the shoulder and said, "Relax, I've always believed that you are the greatest general of our time!"
After saying that, Chen Jie said, "The entire army should send out patrols to maintain martial law to prevent Zhu Chongba from shamelessly attacking the camp at night. The rest of you should take the time to rest and prepare for tomorrow's battle."
"promise!"
The entire army went, but Chen Jie left Ding Pulang and Ou Puxiang behind!
Ding Pulang lowered his head. He had acted impulsively in today's battle, which put him at a disadvantage from the very beginning. He was guilty.
Thinking of this, he went directly to Chen Jie, bowed his head and said, "My lord, I am guilty, please punish me severely."
"He is greedy for quick success and prone to anger!"
"You are a Buddhist practitioner, how come you get angry more easily than ordinary people!"
Upon hearing this, Ding Pulang lowered his head and said, "My lord, I was wrong. I request to withdraw..."
"Alright, Ding Pulang, remember this: you don't just represent yourself, but tens of thousands of Buddhist soldiers. Their lives and deaths are in your hands. They have families, parents, and children behind them. If they die here in vain because of your poor command..."
"When the time comes, when you face those parents who are waiting for their sons to return, wives who are waiting for their husbands to come home, and children who are waiting for their fathers to be with them, go and explain to them that it was because you were provoked by the enemy that their loved ones died unjustly. Go and tell them."
"My lord, it's me!"
Ding Pulang lowered his head. At this moment, Chen Jie came to his side, patted him on the shoulder and said, "You have a heavy responsibility. Follow my orders. If any casualties are caused by following my orders, I will take responsibility."
"If any injury or death is caused by your unauthorized actions, you will be held responsible!"
"Yes!"
Chen Jie said, "Alright, that's settled then. Puxiang, you should try to talk to him."
"Yes, my lord, leave it to me."
Chen Jie left the military tent, leaving only Zhang Dingbian, who had been comforted, and Ding Pulang, who had realized his mistake.
Outside, the moon and stars were few, shining on the lake, but everyone knew that tomorrow would still be a day of bloodshed and chaos.
The next morning, before dawn.
Zhang Dingbian had already arrived at the conference room, where a sketch of the lake surface from yesterday's battle was laid out on the wooden table in front of him.
He used charcoal to mark every movement and every change of formation of the two fleets, with arrows and dotted lines interwoven into a dense network.
“Xu Da’s tactics yesterday had three characteristics.” He pointed to a sketch with charcoal. “First, he emphasized deception—using himself as bait was real, luring Ding Pulang out of battle was a feint, and the real killing move was Liao Yongzhong’s ambush. Second, he emphasized timing—our army broke through the enemy lines and changed formation, rushing in before the formation was stable, the timing was perfect. Third…” He paused, “He dared to take risks. He charged my three hundred ships with one hundred and twenty ships; if I had reacted even half a second faster, his elite force would have been wiped out.”
Ding Pulang, who hadn't slept all night, whispered, "Commander-in-Chief, if we fight again today, how should we respond?"
Zhang Dingbian did not answer immediately.
He rose and walked to the cabin window, looking at the gradually brightening sky outside. A thin mist hung over the lake, reducing visibility to less than a hundred feet—the perfect time for a surprise attack. But would Xu Da use the same tactics again?
“He won’t.” Zhang Dingbian turned around, his eyes sharp. “Xu Da’s use of troops is unpredictable. Yesterday he took risks, today he will seek stability. He will wait—wait for me to make the first move, wait for me to reveal a weakness.”
"Then we'll..."
“We’ll give him a weakness.” Zhang Dingbian walked back to his desk and drew a heavy circle on the sketch with his charcoal pencil.
"Order: Today, our left flank's thirty ships will feign a loose formation and poor coordination. The central crossbowmen will retreat half a mile, exposing an opening. As for the right flank, Jin Yanzi's forces... let her continue yesterday's defeat, and make their formation even more chaotic."
Ding Pulang was taken aback: "Commander-in-Chief, this is..."
"Lure the enemy deep into our trap." Zhang Dingbian looked at the sketch, a cold glint in his eyes. "Xu Da won a small victory yesterday, and he will surely want to expand his gains today. Seeing that our formation is weakened, he will definitely attack. Once he breaks through..." He drew an X in the center of the sketch, "Our army will simultaneously converge on the left, center, and right flanks, trapping the enemy."
"But what if Xu Da sees through it..."
“Then we’ll see who can act more convincingly.” Zhang Ding put down his charcoal pencil. “Go and prepare. The final battle will be at three-quarters past Chen hour.”
"Yes!" Ding Pulang clasped his hands in a fist salute.
Meanwhile, the Wu King's army's water fortress, the "Zhenhai" ship.
Xu Da was also reviewing the process, and his deduction process was strikingly similar to Zhang Dingbian's—sketches, arrows, and dotted lines, only the conclusions were different.
“Zhang Dingbian suffered losses yesterday in two ways,” Xu Da said, pointing to the sketch. “First, Ding Pulang was too reckless, and second, he underestimated our ambush. Given his military tactics, he will surely make up for these two shortcomings today.”
Deputy General Yu Tonghai asked, "Does the commander mean he will hold his ground?"
“No.” Xu Da shook his head. “Zhang Dingbian’s military strategy is to defend while also launching attacks. He suffered a loss yesterday, and he will surely want to get back at us today. If I were him…” He pointed to the left flank of the Han army on the sketch, “I would set up a trap here to lure us into attacking, and then encircle us.”
Yu Tonghai examined the sketch closely: "Then we..."
“We’ll play along.” Xu Da took a vermilion brush and drew three arrows on the sketch. “Liao Yongzhong will lead fifty ships on the left flank to feign an attack on their left flank—but if it’s a real attack, retreat after they’ve used up thirty percent of their strength. You will lead fifty ships on the right flank to attack their Golden Swallows on the right flank—launch a fierce attack, making them think that this is the main attack. As for me…”
He put down his pen and looked out at the dissipating morning mist: "I will lead eighty ships of the central army and remain still. Let's see where Zhang Dingbian is hiding his trump card."
"Does the commander intend to remain calm and observe?"
“We’re waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out.” Xu Da stood up. “Zhang Dingbian wants to lure me into a trap, so I’ll let him keep his bait hanging and see if he gets impatient. If he gets impatient, his formation will be in disarray; if he stays calm, we’ll just wait it out—after all, Poyang Lake is so big, we can afford to wait.”
Yu Tonghai suddenly realized, and then said, "But what about the King of Wu..."
“The King of Wu has his own plans,” Xu Da interrupted him. “Our mission is to keep Zhang Dingbian firmly under control. The stronger the control, the greater the chances of victory for the King of Wu.”
At the beginning of Chenshi (7-9 AM), the fog dissipated. The two fleets once again arrayed themselves on the lake twenty li north of Kanglang Mountain.
At the third quarter of the hour of Chen (7:45 AM), the war drums sounded.
Liao Yongzhong's left-wing fleet launched the first attack. Fifty "Haicang ships" rushed straight to the left wing of the Han army—just as Zhang Dingbian had arranged, the thirty Han warships there were "loosely positioned" and "could not withstand the attack and retreated" after a short while.
"Chase!" Liao Yongzhong waved the flag.
The Wu King's fleet pressed forward "taking advantage of the situation," but always maintained a distance of one mile from the Han army's left flank—pursuing without getting close, biting without swallowing. The Han army's left flank deliberately exposed weaknesses several times, but the Wu King's army ignored them, only harassing them with arrows from a distance.
Almost simultaneously, Yu Tonghai's right-wing fleet launched a fierce attack on the Han army's right flank, led by Jin Yanzi. Jin Yanzi quickly began to retreat in defeat. Yu Tonghai, seizing the opportunity, led his troops in a relentless charge, seemingly poised to break through the Han army's right flank. "Commander-in-Chief, Jin Yanzi can't hold on!" Ding Pulang urgently reported from the watchtower.
Zhang Dingbian stood calmly at the bow of the "Zhenyue" ship. He could tell that Xu Da hadn't been fooled at all.
The left flank feigned an attack, the right flank launched a fierce assault, and the central army remained inactive. This was clearly a probing and attrition tactic, waiting for the enemy to make the first decisive move.
"Order the right wing: retreat three li to the Turtle Rock waters," Zhang Dingbian said in a deep voice. "Then order the central army's crossbow gunboats: advance one li and aim the cannons at the rear of Yu Tonghai's fleet—once they have passed Turtle Rock, cut off their retreat."
"That left wing..."
"Left flank, stay put." Zhang Dingbian looked towards the central army of the Wu King's forces, where Xu Da's flagship "Zhenhai" was quietly anchored, its flags unfurled. "Xu Da is waiting for me to make a move, but I'll stay put. Let's see who can outlast whom."
However, at that moment, a sudden change occurred.
At 2:45 AM, the wind direction suddenly changed.
The southeast wind that had lasted for two days suddenly turned into a southwest wind. Although the wind was not strong, it was enough to change the battlefield situation. The left flank of the Han army, which was originally in a downwind position, now had the upper hand.
Meanwhile, Yu Tonghai's fleet on the right wing of the Wu King's army was pursuing the "retreating" Golden Swallow and gradually penetrating deep into the Han army's ranks.
The sudden change in wind turned their pursuit from a tailwind into a headwind, causing their ship to slow down considerably.
"Haha, heaven is on my side!" Zhang Dingbian's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Order the left flank: all troops advance and cut off Yu Tonghai's retreat! The crossbowmen and gunboats in the center, advance half a mile and fire in a barrage! The Golden Swallows on the right flank, turn around and counterattack!"
Three command flags were raised simultaneously.
The thirty ships on the left flank of the Han army, which had been in a "loose formation," suddenly awoke like sleeping lions, tightening their formation instantly and opening their sails and oars to clamp down on the flank and rear of Yu Tonghai's fleet like an iron clamp.
At the same time, the twenty crossbow boats of the central army advanced to their effective firing range, raining down stones on the Wu King's fleet. The Golden Swallow on the right wing also led its troops to turn around, forming an encirclement with the left wing.
Yu Tonghai's fleet was instantly surrounded on three sides.
"We've fallen for their trap!" Yu Tonghai's expression changed drastically. "Change to a circular formation! Move closer to the central army!"
However, the wind was not on their side; with the wind blowing against them, the Wu king's warships turned slowly, making it difficult to break through.
The Han army's artillery shells continued to fall, and three "eagle ships" had been sunk, while five others were on fire.
Xu Da witnessed this scene from the central command post.
“The wind has changed… How could it change at this time!” he muttered, then gave a stern order: “Order the central army: advance and provide support! Also, order Liao Yongzhong: abandon the left flank and do everything in your power to rescue Yu Tonghai!”
The Zhenhai raised its emergency command flag.
Xu Da personally led eighty central warships forward in an attempt to rescue Yu Tonghai, who was besieged. Liao Yongzhong also abandoned his feigned attack on the left flank of the Han army and turned to provide relief.
But this was the moment Zhang Dingbian had been waiting for.
"Xu Da has made his move." A cold smile crept across his lips. "Order: twenty ships will be deployed on the left flank to intercept Liao Yongzhong. The main force will advance to block Xu Da. The Golden Swallows on the right flank—no need to annihilate Yu Tonghai completely, just keep him occupied. Today's target is Xu Da's central force!"
What he wanted was never Yu Tonghai's few dozen ships, but Xu Da himself, and the elite central army of the King of Wu. Yesterday Xu Da lured him to divide his forces, and today he would retaliate in kind.
At noon, the battle situation took a sharp turn for the worse.
Xu Da's central army was tightly entangled by Zhang Dingbian's main force. The Han army's "Zhenyue" led a hundred giant ships in a "layered formation," with one layer blocking, the second layer attrition, and the third layer encircling, slowly squeezing the Wu King's army formation like a millstone. Xu Da charged left and right, but could not break through.
Yu Tonghai's right flank, struggling against Jin Yanzi's fierce attack, had lost more than half of its ships, while Liao Yongzhong's left flank was blocked by Han troops and could not be rescued in time.
"General, let's break out!" the lieutenant urged hoarsely. "If we continue fighting, our entire central army will be wiped out here!"
Xu Da stood at the bow of the ship, his hand on his sword, his armor splattered with blood. He looked at the Han warships that surrounded him like an iron wall, at the towering flames of Yu Tonghai's fleet in the distance, and at the deafening battle cries from Zhu Chongba's main camp further away, clearly indicating that the main battlefield was also engulfed in fierce fighting.
He knew he had lost today.
The defeat was not due to tactics or command, but to unforeseen circumstances—the sudden change in wind direction gave Zhang Dingbian a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
However, in order to save Yu Tonghai, he stepped into the trap that the other party had carefully set up.
"Heaven has not protected me!" Xu Da sighed hoarsely, looking up at the sky. This was not a fault of the battle!
However, as the head coach, he must do his best to protect the key players.
"Order the entire army to form a square formation and break out to the southeast. Take as many troops as you can."
"What about General Yu..."
"I'm the one who wronged him!" Xu Da closed his eyes, then opened them again after a moment, his eyes now devoid of emotion. "On the battlefield, there is no way to have it all. Today's defeat is my fault. But as long as I can bring 60% of the troops back, there is still a chance to avenge this defeat."
As the command flag was raised, the remaining warships of the King of Wu began to assemble and charged southeast like trapped beasts.
Zhang Dingbian would not let this opportunity pass, and immediately ordered an encirclement.
The two sides engaged in a fierce battle of breakout and counter-breakout on the lake, which spanned a radius of three miles. Arrows rained down like locusts, and stone projectiles rained down like a storm. Boarding maneuvers broke out on every ship.
Xu Da personally led his flagship in a charge, breaking through three layers of Han army defenses. However, the Zhenhai was hit by five cannonballs, its superstructure caught fire, and its hull was damaged in many places. His personal guards risked their lives to protect him as he transferred to a Haicang ship to continue the breakout.
This battle lasted from noon until late afternoon.
Ultimately, Xu Da led over forty wrecked ships to break through the encirclement and retreat south. Yu Tonghai's right flank was almost completely annihilated, and Liao Yongzhong's left flank suffered a 30% loss. The Wu King's army lost over eighty warships and more than twenty thousand soldiers in this battle, marking its greatest defeat since the start of the war.
As dusk fell, Zhang Dingbian stood at the bow of the "Zhenyue" ship, watching the remnants of the Wu King's army sail away.
He did not order a pursuit—it is a common principle in warfare not to pursue a desperate enemy, nor to stop a retreating army. Besides, today's victory was enough to turn the tide of the battle.
"Take stock of the results," he said in a deep voice.
"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief: We sank 63 of the Wu King's warships, captured 17, and burned countless others. We killed seven enemy generals and captured over 4,000 soldiers. Our army lost 31 warships and suffered approximately 8,000 casualties."
Where is Xu Da?
"Breaking through the encirclement should mean retreating back to Wu's naval camp."
"Alright, then the rest depends on the King of Han on the main battlefield!"
Zhang Dingbian then looked toward the main battlefield, where Chen Jie was leading the central army against Zhu Chongba's central army!
In the words of the King of Han: "If we fight it out at Poyang Lake, whoever loses is a fake emperor." (End of Chapter)