Chapter 857
Lan Yu's Delusions
The eighteenth day of the first month of the fifth year of Tianwu.
Dinghai Port, Zhejiang!
At dawn over the East China Sea, the clouds are cleaved open like a golden seam, and the first rays of sunlight pour onto the vast expanse of blue waves.
A deep, resonant horn ripped through the silence, and warships emerged from the harbor—Fu Youde, the Great Han General Who Conquers the South, clad in black iron armor, rode his black steed on the deck of the warship, his eyes gleaming like lightning as he gazed at the rising sun in the east.
Behind him, an army of 100,000 men, aboard more than 1,200 warships of various sizes, swam slowly out of the harbor like a black dragon awakening, obscuring half of the sea and sky.
The sea breeze howls, and banners blot out the sun.
Banners bearing the names "Han," "Fu," "Zhuque," and "Zhengyi" fluttered like clouds atop the mast, beneath which stood elite troops, fully equipped and ready for battle.
The warships were as numerous as mountains, and the boats moved like shuttles. The Mengchong warships were arranged in square formations, and their iron armor gleamed coldly in the morning light.
The fleet stretched nearly twenty miles into the distance, its sails trailing in a continuous line, oars and paddles moving in unison, and amidst the surging waves, the low breathing of tens of thousands of soldiers and the restless neighing of their warhorses could be faintly heard.
Fu Youde stood on the watchtower, his hand on his sword, the sea breeze filling his scarlet cloak.
His 100,000-strong army consisted of elite soldiers who had seen life and death – there were mountain infantrymen who had swept through Sichuan, elite troops from the Jianghuai region who were skilled in naval warfare, and border cavalry who had returned from the northern deserts.
At this moment, they removed their warhorses and armor, put away their longbows and crossbows, and turned their sharpness towards Fusang.
"General, the wind has shifted eastward," the lieutenant reported in a deep voice.
Fu Youde did not turn around, but said calmly, "Pass on the order: the whole team speeds up and strives to reach Jeju Island tomorrow."
Command flags waved, and horn cannons fired in rapid succession. The fleet suddenly accelerated, and the oarsmen shouted in unison, causing the ships to speed up dramatically.
Hundreds of vanguard warships cut through the waves like arrows released from a bow; medium-sized warships cleaved through the white waves with their sides, carving dozens of parallel water tracks on the azure sea.
What is most awe-inspiring are the dozen or so five-story giant ships—deep-draft, wide-deck, carrying heavily armed infantry and musketeers, like mobile steel fortresses, steadily pressing into the depths of the sea.
Seagulls took flight in fright, and schools of fish leaped into the water. Wherever this massive fleet passed, the sea seemed to tremble. The soldiers could feel the deck beneath their feet quiver slightly, as if thousands of war drums were beating simultaneously, as if a hundred thousand hearts were beating in unison.
No one spoke. There was only the sound of the wind, the waves, the oars breaking the water, and the silent yet oppressive killing intent that tightened one's chest.
Fu Youde knew that this trip would no longer be about suppressing rebellions on the frontier, but about conquering the sea.
The person he wanted to fight was his old subordinate and apprentice, Lan Yu, whom he had personally trained.
They once served in the same court and the same army, sharing the same pot and the same ladle, but today they are two separate forces, facing off in a life-or-death struggle.
On the distant horizon, the outline of Jeju Island, shrouded in mist, is already faintly visible.
Fu Youde stood at the bow of the ship, his hand on his sword, when suddenly he heard a series of hurried footsteps.
At that moment, a soldier on the distant watchtower immediately reported: "Commander, there's a situation ahead; our scout ship has turned back."
Upon hearing this, Fu Youde frowned. At that moment, there was a thin fog over the sea, and visibility was not very high. He gripped the hilt of his sword, and a moment later, the scout ship returned. At the same time, a huge fleet could be vaguely seen in the fog.
A dragon flag was erected above the fleet, with a large blue character behind it.
Fu Youde's gaze sharpened slightly. Blue? Blue jade?
Thinking this, Fu Youde said, "Order the entire army to form ranks."
Upon hearing this, the fleet also stopped in the thin mist, and the two fleets remained stationary on the water, neither proceeding forward.
At this moment, the sunlight shone down from the sky, and the fog on the sea surface quickly dissipated, and the visibility became higher and higher. At this time, the two fleets also saw each other. Fu Youde looked at the opposing fleet and saw that it was indeed a bright yellow dragon flag with a large blue character.
It really is blue jade!
Fu Youde frowned slightly, and at this moment, Fu Youde's two deputy generals, Tang Shengzong and Lu Zhongheng, stepped forward and said, "General."
Fu Youde said, "I knew Lan Yu wouldn't just sit and wait to die. He actually thought of ambushing us at sea. It's really something for him."
Upon hearing this, Tang Shengzong said, "General, should I lead a team to attack first and see what happens?"
Fu Youde said, "No rush. If the enemy doesn't move, we won't move either. We've come from afar, and the soldiers need time to adjust. Let everyone catch their breath."
Tang Shengzong asked, "Can Lan Yu let us rest?"
Fu Youde said, "I know him. He should send someone over soon."
After Fu Youde finished speaking, Lu Zhongheng said, "General, look, the other side has sent a small boat over."
Hearing this, Fu Youde looked over and saw someone rowing a small boat towards them. Fu Youde laughed and said, "See? I told you Lan Yu wouldn't let me off so easily, didn't I?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Shengzong and Lu Zhongheng were about to say something when Fu Youde said, "Bring the person to see me."
Sure enough, the small boat soon rowed up to Fu Youde's flagship. Tang Shengzong then said, "Put a basket down for him to come up."
Upon hearing this, the soldiers immediately took out the basket and lowered it down, allowing the enemy soldiers to board Fu Youde's flagship directly.
"My Emperor wishes to see your Commander Fu."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Shengzong asked, "Your Majesty? That brat Lan Yu has ascended the throne as emperor?"
Upon hearing this, the soldier glanced at Emperor Shengzong of Tang and said, "You must not address His Majesty by his given name."
"Hehe, what a grand display!"
As soon as the soldier finished speaking, a general in silver armor walked over, his hand on his sword.
Tang Shengzong and Lu Zhongheng immediately bowed: "Commander Fu."
Fu Youde glanced at the messenger soldier and said, "Speak, what did Lan Yu send you here for?"
The soldier immediately bowed and saluted, saying, "Greetings, Commander Fu."
Fu Youde glanced at the messenger soldier and asked, "Why did Lan Yu send you to find me?"
Upon hearing this, the soldier immediately replied, "Here is a letter from His Majesty."
Upon hearing this, Fu Youde glanced at Tang Shengzong and Lu Zhongheng and laughed, "Hahaha... He's treating himself like our Emperor right now. Back then on Poyang Lake, our Emperor also arranged to meet with the new emperor in the same way."
As he spoke, Fu Youde took the letter, opened it, and sure enough, it said that he wanted to meet Fu Youde at sea.
Each person brought one boatman, but no weapons.
Fu Youde laughed and said, "You really are imitating our Emperor. Go back and tell Lan Yu that I agree." Upon hearing this, the soldier immediately agreed and turned to leave. Watching the soldier leave, Tang Shengzong said, "General Fu, you don't need to go. On the battlefield, we can fight each other. Why be polite to them?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Youde said, "Lan Yu is, after all, my former apprentice and good brother. Although personal feelings cannot prevail in war between two countries, I still want to advise him to turn back before it's too late."
After hearing Fu Youde's words, Tang Shengzong and Lu Zhongheng both fell silent, then looked at Fu Youde and said, "Well, then Commander Fu, be careful."
Half an hour later, two small boats emerged from their respective camps.
Looking at the vast blue sea, Fu Youde was filled with emotion, while Lan Yu arrived by boat on the opposite side.
They soon reached the center of the sea, where the two ships were five meters apart. At this point, both ships stopped. Fu Youde looked Lan Yu up and down. Five years had made him more mature and more arrogant.
Dressed in red armor and wearing a cloak, he looked at Fu Youde and said, "General Fu, it's been several years since we last met. How have you been?"
Fu Youde looked at Lan Yu and said, "Lan Yu, it's been several years since we last met. You've been living a comfortable life. Now that you're the emperor, shouldn't I also call you Your Majesty?"
Lan Yu said, "Commander Fu is joking. I will always be your apprentice. But I heard that you didn't do very well under Chen Jiu Si."
"Not good?" Fu Youde said, "Do I look bad?"
Upon hearing this, Lan Yu laughed and said, "Commander Fu, let's not keep secrets from each other. Chen Jiu Si has six generals and dukes under his command, but you're not one of them."
"Given your status, qualifications, and military strength, it wouldn't be unreasonable to grant you a dukedom, but he only gave you a marquisate."
"I feel so sorry for you."
As Lan Yu spoke, she continued, "Marshal Fu, why don't you come to our Great Germany? I will bestow upon you the title of King, First-Class King, and Imperial Tutor. From now on, you will be my teacher, and the entire empire will listen to you. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Youde said, "Hehe, Lan Yu, let me ask you a question. What do you think of your so-called Great Germany compared to Great Han?"
Lan Yu said, "Hehe, I admit that my Great Germany is a small country, but my country also has 200,000 soldiers. Although the Great Han is strong, I heard that its main force only has 700,000 soldiers."
“But Commander Fu, you can only command 100,000 men in the Han Dynasty, but in my Great De Empire, you can directly command 200,000 troops.”
"It's better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix, Marshal Fu, please think it over."
Upon hearing this, Fu Youde laughed heartily and looked at Lan Yu, saying, "Lan Yu, I must say, your vision is too narrow. Seven hundred thousand troops? That's because the Han Dynasty doesn't want to expand its army. If the Han Dynasty wanted to expand its army, the number of troops could immediately increase to several million within a month."
"Two hundred thousand has already emptied your family's coffers."
"And the 700,000 is just the tip of the iceberg of the Han Dynasty. If I were you, I would have already knelt down to welcome the royal army when I saw it coming. Why would I put on this show of the whole country's strength to resist?"
"If you surrender your country now, I can plead with His Majesty to grant you the title of Marquis, how about that?"
Fu Youde looked at Lan Yu and said, "Commander Fu, you keep calling me Your Majesty, but may I ask if you still remember when you first came to power?"
Fu Youde fell silent upon hearing this.
Seeing this, Lan Yu said, "Commander Fu, Shangwei treated us well, but he was killed by Chen Jiu Si. This is an irreconcilable enmity. Back then, Shangwei also showed you kindness, but instead of repaying him, you have recognized a traitor as your father."
"General Fu, if you still remember the good things about your ascension to the throne, then join forces with me now and together we can conquer the Jiangnan region. Alternatively, we can bring the last descendant of the previous emperor, Young Master Zhu Biao, to my Dade. At that time, I would be willing to give up the throne to Young Master Zhu Biao!"
Upon hearing this, Fu Youde looked at Lan Yu and said, "Hehe, do you think you can establish a new king? Lan Yu, to be honest, even if I were truly blinded by greed, I would never fight against the Han Dynasty with you, because fighting against the Han Dynasty would only lead to death."
"Haha, even Marshal Fu has his moments of fear."
Lan Yu laughed loudly, his eyes full of provocation.
Fu Youde glanced at Lan Yu and then said, "I'm not afraid, I just know how terrifying the Han Dynasty is. Listen to me, surrender."
Lan Yu then looked at Fu Youde and said, "Commander Fu, this is the last time I'll call you Commander Fu. Since you've forgotten your kindness, don't blame me for not remembering our past friendship!"
Lan Yu looked at Fu Youde with icy eyes. Fu Youde looked at Lan Yu and said, "It seems that we still have to fight each other. In that case, we can only settle the matter on the battlefield."
With that, Fu Youde turned around and said, "Go back!"
"Fu Youde, you're determined to risk your life for Chen Jiu Si, aren't you? You're even willing to disregard our years of friendship for him, aren't you?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Youde turned to look at Lan Yu and said, "Under the circumstances, we are all just ants. Since you dare to resist the heavenly army, you must be prepared to perish together with them."
"Let me give you one last piece of advice: the strength of the Han Dynasty far exceeds your imagination. If you fight against the Heavenly Army, you will only face death."
Upon hearing this, Lan Yu angrily retorted, "Fu Youde, then we'll see."
The two parted on bad terms and returned to their respective warships.
Seeing that it was getting late and the visibility was very poor, Fu Youde ordered preparations for battle to prevent an enemy night attack.
He then ordered his men to prepare defenses, planning to engage Lan Yu in a decisive battle at dawn the next day.
Lan Yu returned to his warship. Cao Zhen and other generals came to inquire, and Lan Yu said with a grim expression, "Fu Youde, you are stubborn and unyielding. Prepare for battle at dawn tomorrow!"
After these words were spoken, the entire army prepared. That night, the warships of both sides faced each other on the sea, on guard against each other.
Inside Fu Youde's main tent, Tang Shengzong and Lu Zhongheng arrived and asked, "General, what did Lan Yu say to you today?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Youde's gaze turned ugly as he said, "Lan Yu is now obsessed with expanding his Great De Dynasty and has become addicted to being emperor. He is trying to persuade me to surrender to him and has promised me a royal title and you two dukes."
Upon hearing this, Tang Shengzong chuckled and said disdainfully, "Is Lan Yu crazy? He dares to be a duke for his little island? If I were to be a duke, I would be a duke of the Han Dynasty."
"His title of Duke of Lanyu is not as valuable as that of a Baron of the Great Han Dynasty."
Lu Zhongheng said, "Old Tang, stop being so blunt. At the very least, he should be a viscount, right?"
Emperor Shengzong of Tang said, "Then we are now legitimate Earls of the Great Han Dynasty, what's the difference between us and a duke of a small island?"
After listening to the two men, Fu Youde said, "Alright, since we couldn't reach an agreement today, a major battle is inevitable. Send word to prepare the entire army for battle. Tomorrow we will fight Lan Yu to the death."
Tang Shengzong said, "Alright, Lan Yu dares to be arrogant with us. Tomorrow we'll definitely let him know how terrifying our Han Dynasty is."
Lu Zhongheng chuckled and said, "I'm going to give those precious treasures on our ship a makeover. I guarantee that tomorrow Lan Yu will know what a Celestial Empire is all about, hahaha..."
The two then left. Fu Youde stood in the tent, his gaze sharp, and said, "Lan Yu, tomorrow I'll teach you how to fight again!" (End of Chapter)