My Father in Law is Lu Bu-Chapter 599
Chapter 599
โGeneral. Are we going to face the enemy head on?โ One officer inside Yangzhouโs ship asked. ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ค๐๐๐๏ผ๐๐๐
โWhy do you ask? Are you afraid?โ Lu Xun asked back.
โWho is afraid?โ The officer quickly replied as though he was a cat whose tail was grabbed. In the army, it was shameful to be afraid. With a red face, the officer replied. โGeneral. If we were afraid, we would not have accompanied you to fight against the Jingzhou and Jiangdong allied forces.โ
โBut General. This time, we only have six ships. We are not afraid of death but we should probably escape.โ The only ones that could fight now were these six ships and one thousand eight hundred people. If they were to lose it all here, the Yangzhou Navy could be considered as finished.
โDo you think we can escape?โ Lu Xun shook his head. The iron chains were still blocking the way downstream and there were many injured soldiers at the barracks. There was no way out at all.
At the very least, they could go out in glory if they were to attack while choosing to withdraw would only make them prisoners at best.
โThen we fight!โ The officer became determined. If they were all going to die anyway, they might as well die fighting. If they die fighting for Yangzhou, they would receive proper funeral, their family would be given money and land, and their children would be able to go to school. Besides that, their names would also be recorded in the Hall of Heroes in Shouchun to be worshipped by future generations.
โOpen the gunports and ready the ballista. One shot is to be fired per command!โ Although the Yangzhou Navy only had six ships, they were just as imposing as their opponent.
โBrothers. We shall succeed or die trying. Though I, Lu Xun, have not been your commander for long, but I truly feel like I belong in the Yangzhou Navy! The Lord does not belittle us and provide us with everything. Who here has a child?โ
โMe! I have a child!โ One common soldier shouted.
โLi Erniu?โ Lu Xun called out to the soldier.
โGeneral remembers me!โ
โYes, I remember you.โ Lu Xun laughed. โLi Erniu. Tell the others what your child is doing right now.โ
โRight now?โ Li Erniu thought to himself for a moment and then talked about his child. โHe should be at school right now.โ Li Erniu had previously followed Gan Ning to battle and sustained an injury. He almost turned blind. Though he was simple an honest, he was also a really good soldier. As a reward for his outstanding military service, his child was given the opportunity to study at school.
โGoing to school to read books! How many of you have read books?โ Lu Xun asked.
The soldiers all shook their heads. Only the rich could read and excel in life.
โThen after this battle, your children can all go to school. They may become generals or officials. Even if they fail to become those, they could become bookkeepers. They would no longer need to worry about going hungry. As for the rest who are still single, after this battle, I promise to find a marriage partner for all of you!โ Lu Xun shouted. The Lu Family may be in ruins but he still had their wealth. He could easily take out a few hundred gold. Finding a woman for the soldiers also would not be too hard as the soldiers were currently a popular marriage candidate in Yangzhou.
โGeneral. You also still single. How about you settle your own problems first!โ One veteran soldier teased while the other soldiers laughed. The tension was already broken.
โWhat if we do not return?โ One person asked pessimistically.
โIf we do not returnโฆโ Lu Xun looked at the faces of the soldiers. โWe will see each other at the Hall of Heroes.โ
The troops knew what Lu Xun meant and turned silent. Nobody wanted to die. Lu Xun may have boosted their morale but deep down they all knew that they would really die this time. Their ships were damaged, their escape route was blocked and their bodies were exhausted. On top of that, they were facing an enemy many times their size.
โWhat is there to be afraid of? Even if we canโt win, killing two would be a profit. Even after we die, there would be people that remember us!โ
โThatโs right! What is there to be afraid of? At worst, we see each other again at the Hall of Heroes! There is good wine and good meat there!โ The other soldiers started to become driven.
โGeneral! We will make these Jingzhou women suffer even in death! We will make them go home crying!โ
The soldiers then went back to their stations. All of them were full of fighting spirit. Unfortunately, all that fighting spirit was soon wasted. The moment Lu Xun was feeling deeply moved, one of the officers pointed at Jingzhouโs navy looked dumbstruck. โGeneral! Look over there!โ
โHm?โ Lu Xun furrowed his brows when he saw the officer lose his cool. However, his eyes quickly grew wide when he saw where the officer was pointing at. A white flag that was raised.
โWhat is going on?โ Lu Xun asked skeptically. The Jingzhou banners were dropped into the river and raised white flags. They were surrendering. What kind of joke was this? Jingzhou had an overwhelming advantage so why would they surrender?
โGeneral. Could it be a trap?โ The officer beside him asked.
โA trap? Do they even need it?โ Lu Xun laughed bitterly. Yangzhou only had six damaged ships. If Jingzhou wanted to finish them off, they would not even need so many ships.
โWhat then?โ The officer was confused but Lu Xun also did not know the truth.
โGeneral. They have entered our firing range!โ The watchman reported.
The enemy were now within the effective range of Yangzhouโs ballista. On the other hand, Jingzhouโs ballista would not be able to damage Yangzhouโs ships.
โHave the men stay alert and be ready to shoot if anything goes wrong!โ Lu Xun gave the order. He did not know what the Jingzhou Navy wanted. Was their commander not afraid that morale would fall after raising the white flag? Wonโt such an order cause a rebellion?
In that era, the people did not have any convenient ways to communicate. They had to shout. On the warship, they used flags to pass orders. It was possible for the orders to be mistaken and cause morale to fall.
โGeneral! Look over there!โ The officer shouted towards Lu Xun. Several mengchong departed from Jingzhouโs ships and approached them.
โAre they still thinking of using the mengchong to slow us down? Ready the ballista!โ
โWait!โ Lu Xu stopped the officerโs orders. โLet them approach!โ His eyes were good so he managed to spot someone that looks like a general aboard one of the mengchong. He thought it was odd for such a person to be on the mengchong. Even if the enemy general was not there, Lu Xun did not mind. There were too little mengchong for them to be a threat. Soon, the mengchong reached under Yangzhouโs ship.
โIs the Yangzhou Navyโs commander Lu Xun here?โ A voice came from the mengchong.
โHm?โ Lu Xun wondered if they were here to persuade him to surrender.
โI am Huo Jun Huo Zhengfang.โ The man introduced himself.
The fact that the enemyโs commanding officer was so close caused an uproar within the Yangzhou Navy.
โThere are things I wish to discuss with General Lu Xun. Please allow me on board.โ Huo Junโs voice resounded clearly.
โGeneral. We cannot allow this Huo Jun aboard our ship!โ The officer beside Lu Xun advised. They have never seen Huo Junโs skill in martial arts before but they knew that Huo Jun had defeated Han Dang and Huang Gai could not gain an advantage over Huo Jun. It was possible that such a skilled person was here to capture Lu Xun. At that time, the Yangzhou Navy would become helpless.
โLet him on board.โ Lu Xun was of different opinion.
โGeneral?โ
โWhy? Does Officer Pu not have any confidence in my skill?โ Lu Xun took out his sword.
The officer may not have said it blatantly but he truly did not have any confidence in Lu Xunโs martial prowess due to Lu Xunโs young age. โThis officer did not mean that but this Huo Jun is highly skilled. The General should be careful.โ As soon as the officer finished speaking, he saw a light and then saw something familiar on Lu Xunโs sword.
Officer Puโs eyes grew wide as he rubbed his face only to find that his well grown beard was cleanly shaved.
โOfficer Pu was actually so young!โ Li Erniu could not help but exclaim. The officer whose face was usually covered in beard was laid bare. His actual facial features could be seen and it was found out that the officer wasnโt much older than Lu Xun.
โWhat are you all looking at!โ The officer shouted in shame. When he had a beard, he could be arrogant and terrifying. But now he simply looked young. Some veterans even had children older than this officer.
โOfficer Pu. You can now feel assured about my skills.โ Lu Xun said with a smile. The officer can only nod back.
โInvite General Huo Jun onto the ship!โ Lu Xun said as he kept his sword. After boarding the ship, Huo Jun looked around. He was speechless when he saw all the ballista that were hidden by the gunports.
Jingzhouโs equipment could not be compared with Yangzhou. Even their ballista, the weapon that had changed how war was fought was invented by Yangzhou. The moment Jingzhou started using the ballista, Yangzhou introduced new ships. This was the first time Huo Jun could observe all these from a close range.
โGeneral. Huo Jun is here.โ After Huo Jun walked across the ship, he came face to face with a youngster.
โGeneral Lu!โ
โGeneral Huo!โ The two general greeted each other.
โGeneral Lu is young and promising. How admirable!โ
โGeneral Huo as well! Why did General Huo personally come to my ship? If you want me to surrender, youโd best save your breath!โ Lu Xun immediately said. He would never surrender. He didnโt even budge when Sun Ce asked him to surrender.
โIs General Lu not afraid of being completely routed?โ Huo Jun asked.
โI am afraid.โ Lu Xun admitted calmly. โHowever, I am even more afraid of disappointing Milord and the people of Yangzhou!โ
โIs that so?โ Huo Jun laughed. โGeneral Lu Xu is loyal and righteous!โ
โWhat about General Huo? Are you not afraid that you would not be able to return from my ship?โ Lu Xun asked back.
โI am not afraid.โ Huo Jun replied calmly as he shook his head. His actions made the nearby Yangzhou soldiers resentful. It was as though Huo Jun had blatant contempt towards them.
โCould it be that General Huo believe that my sword isnโt sharp?โ Lu Xun started to feel uncomfortable and took out his sword. Was Huo Jun here to humiliate him with only about a hundred men?
โGeneral Huoโs sword is sharp.โ Huo Jun said as he placed his finger on the hilt of Lu Xunโs sword. He then pushed the sword to cut his own hair. โTruly a well made sword.โ
โHm?โ Lu Xun could not help but pull his sword back.
โHowever, this sword is only meant to cut down your enemies. Not your allies.โ Huo Jun said as he approached Lu Xun even more. His neck touched the sword and blood started to flow out.
โStep away from out General!โ Yangzhouโs soldiers immediately surrounded Huo Jun the moment they saw blood.
Huo Jun simply continued to look at Lu Xun without fear.
โPut down your swords!โ Lu Xun ordered his men.
โGeneral?โ
โGeneral Huo. If you are here to humiliate me, then congratulations. You have succeeded! If you want to persuade me to surrender, save your breath! We will only fight to the death!โ Lu Xun kept his sword and then added. โEscort him back.โ
โGeneral! This is the best time to take Huo Jun! If we kill him, the Jingzhou Navy will withdraw!โ Officer Pu advised.
โKill Huo Jun?โ Lu Xun had thought of this as well but he knew that Huo Jun must have a backup plan if he was willing to come alone. Besides that, Lu Xun had his own thoughts regarding the troops.
The officerโs words had made him hesitant. Lu Xun wanted the Yangzhou Navy to survive. He hoped that Jingzhou would not kill them all as at least half of the soldiers were from Jiangxia.
โIf General Lu wants me to leave then I will leave. But for nowโฆโ Huo Jun said and then knelt down. โMilitary Advisor Zhuge Liangโs subordinate Huo Jun along with the Jiangxia Navy surrenders to General Lu Xun!โ
โWhat!โ Lu Xun was completely dumbstruck.
โSurrender?โ Lu Xun could not believe his ears. No matter how experienced he was, Lu Xun was still not at a level where he could experience such a shock with a poker face.
โThe Jiangxia Navy surrenders to His Highness the King of Shu!โ The Jiangxia Navy on the opposite side of the river chorused. This was Li Yanโs handiwork.
Hearing this and seeing Huo Jun kneeling in front of him, Lu Xun started to believe them.
โSurrender?โ Meanwhile, Yangzhouโs officers were still shocked. Wang Si, one of Yangzhou officerโs face was slapped by another. โLi Erniu! What are you doing?โ
โHaha! I was checking if I was dreaming!โ Li Erniu laughed and then looked at his hand. โI donโt seem to be dreaming.โ
โIf you want to know if it is a dream, slap yourself!โ Wang Si shouted back angrily. He wanted Li Erniu to apologize but Li Erniuโs reply was. โI am an idiot. Even if I hit myself, it wouldnโt hurt!โ
โIโฆ! Youโฆ! Li Erniu! I am going to beat you up now!โ Wang Si shouted and chased after Li Erniu.
Lu Xun did not bother to stop them as the soldiers were too tensed. They have fought several times within two days. No one would be able to endure it. The only reason they could fight was because they had faith that their family would be well treated after their deaths. That being said, they still feared death. Not needing to fight was a victory to them.
โWe won!โ The Yangzhou Navy cheered loudly. The more tense they were, the more tension was released.
โWhy?โ Lu Xun did not join them. He simply looked back at Huo Jun and asked.
โThere is no why! We simply surrender!โ Huo Jun stood up but seemingly refused to explain himself.
โIs it because of this?โ Lu Xun took out a letter and gave it to Huo Jun. Huo Jun read the letter and laughed.
โGeneral Lu. Are you loyal to your Lord, His Highness the King of Shu?โ Huo Jun asked.
โOf course!โ Lu Xun nodded. Lu Xun could achieve so much at his age because Liu Mang continuously searched for talented people and chose him. Lu Xun would naturally repay Liu Mang with his devotion.
โWhat if His Highness asks you to die?โ Huo Jun suddenly asked.
โHe will not.โ Lu Xun frowned.
โI meant if.โ
โIf that happens?โ Lu Xun thought for a while and then replied. โIf the Lord wants his official to die, then his official have no choice but to die.โ
โHaha. Then General Lu. Is there still any need to ask me why?โ Huo Jun laughed. At this point, Lu Xun understood.
โZhuge Kongming?โ Lu Xun finally remembered who was Huo Junโs master. Liu Biao would not give orders to Huo Jun. If Huo Jun was loyal to Liu Biao, this scenario would never have happened. After all, Liu Biao wanted to wipe out the Yangzhou Navy. It was to the extent that he even allied himself with his enemy, Jiangdong. So the only other person could be Zhuge Liang that Huo Jun had also mentioned earlier.
โDid the Lord arrange this?โ Lu Xun thought to himself.
Thirty six thousand of the Jiangxia troops surrendered to Yangzhou. As Yangzhouโs barracks did not have enough space, only ten thousand stayed to help out while the rest were sent back to the camp at Xiakou.