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“So, can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 308: The Naval Weapon…
Lu Lingju noticed a change in the sea view, and the others were not idle either.
This sign of nearing their destination energized the boatmen and the soldiers aboard, making them forget that it was still early morning as they rushed to the bow.
After more than ten days at sea, no matter how reliable the compass was in showing the way, compared to the ever-changing landscapes on land, the monotony of the sea became suffocating after the initial thrill wore off.
Every day was just the surging waves, and the feeling of being surrounded by water became stifling.
But now, their destination was right ahead!
This fleet, unaffected by the winds and waves, was about to deliver an unexpected blow to their opponents.
For these youngsters—no, even for the likes of Gan Ning and Tai Shici—it was an exhilarating moment!
“Although these two places aren’t named on the map, the fleet of Emperor Xiaowu recorded them during his naval expedition years ago. The names granted by the lord aren’t too shabby either.”
Zhuge Liang unfolded the star-patterned map he had drawn and observed the west and north for quite some time.
To the west lay Donglai Commandery led by Yuan Shao, and to the north was Liaodong Commandery under Gongsun Du.
No one would have expected to see activity in the East China Sea during this turmoil in the Central Plains, so they kept their distance from the coast to avoid detection by fishing boats venturing out from Donglai.
The place that Zhuge Liang deemed appropriately named was an archipelago located between the Bohai Sea and the East China Sea, with clusters of islands forming a natural barrier. One end connected to Huang County of Donglai Commandery, and the other to the seaport of Tashi in Liaodong—essentially the mouth of the Bohai Sea.
The other group of islands was just south of Liaodong, only a few miles from the region.
These two clusters of islands were named Changshan Archipelago by Qiao Yan, implying that these interconnected islands unfolded over the surface of the sea like mountains.
They were heading toward the latter.
From the start of their voyage, their strategic plan had no intention of entering the Bohai Sea.
Given that surrounding Bohai were Donglai Commandery, Beihai State, Le’an State, Bohai Commandery in Ji Province, and Youzhou’s various regions, they had to quietly avoid drawing attention while exerting military pressure on Gongsun Du—certainly, entering the Bohai wasn’t an option.
The Changshan Archipelago between the East and Bohai Seas was their designated operational boundary, one they could not cross; only the southern Changshan could serve as their base.
Lu Lingju rubbed her hands in anticipation, listening to Zhuge Liang’s commanding orders for the accompanying ships to advance and seize Zhangzi Island by noon today—
“First, take Zhangzi Island!”
This was the largest island in the archipelago’s southernmost point and would serve as a transit station for them to acclimate to Liaodong’s climate and initiate their next military action.
“Let General Gan lead the charge,” Zhuge Liang continued.
Lu Lingju nodded, indicating her agreement with the battle personnel arrangement.
The young general, participating in naval warfare for the first time, stood at the bow, watching as Gan Ning eagerly transferred to the accompanying warship.
Though a hint of envy flashed in her gaze, she didn’t voice any dissent.
“I thought you’d want to take the lead and claim the credit,” Lu Yi commented, approaching the deck in a windbreaker, surprised by Lu Lingju’s stance.
Truth be told, he felt a bit unlucky to be part of this naval expedition.
First, he almost got left behind by his teammates at the port, and just a few days ago, he caught a cold from the sea breeze. Luckily, the ship had plenty of medicine, so he could assist the two older ‘strategists’ in this hunt for Gongsun Du.
Lu Lingju replied, “The lord mentioned that if I want to be a general, I must discern what a vanguard should do versus what a general ought to do. Gan Xingba was tricked into our ranks; I should use him wisely instead of competing for credit and causing conflict. If I do that, future battles will be even harder.”
Moreover, she needed to see how to fight once they landed.
As the fleet approached Zhangzi Island, under Gan Ning’s lead, the naval troops launched a surprise attack from the bay. From Lu Lingju’s perspective with the binoculars, this former bandit commander charged straight at the island’s natives, accompanied by his fiercely trained subordinates.
Meanwhile, a small boat from the accompanying warship had already encircled the northern back route to Zhangzi Island, preventing any potential escapes or signals to neighboring islands.
This island, the coastal boundary of Liaodong Commandery, lacking stationed troops from Gongsun Du, relied heavily on the sea cucumber industry to support its three hundred residents, all of whom were quite capable swimmers and stronger than ordinary commoners.
But what they encountered was a well-prepared vanguard of five hundred men.
When the weapons clashed on this island, within half an hour, Gan Ning and his subordinates had driven the locals to the beach, greeted by a swarm of warships closing in on Zhangzi Island.
Those two massive ships, which they had never seen before, appeared before them with a terrifying presence.
It wasn’t just their size; these two warships clearly had more to offer.
While normal boats might have oars, the oars on these ships hung outside at a formidable scale, moving with the ship but not actually for rowing, leading one to instinctively think that these “oars” shouldn’t remain so still.
However, this reality was of no concern to people who were unfamiliar with naval combat.
They could only watch in fear as these uninvited guests invaded their territory, left wondering whether these newcomers were pirates or something else entirely.
To their surprise, once more than half of the crew had set foot on the island, the main figure of the fleet appeared before them, contrasting sharply with the fierce Gan Ning who had just taken control.
The leader of the sea cucumber gatherers cautiously surveyed the few youngsters and Tai Shici behind them, then turned to stare at Gan Ning with her sword ready, before asking, “Might we inquire why you’ve come so far?”
This area of Liaodong couldn’t be considered a piece of the Central Plains, and for these gatherers, there was no substantial wealth to share. Even the occasional pirates would typically bypass their domain.
Suddenly confronted with such a calamity, even though there were injuries from the recent skirmish on the beach, no one had died, yet the fear lingered.
Sima Yi exchanged a glance with Zhuge Liang before stepping forward to respond, “We need some supplies.”
The gatherer leader breathed a sigh of relief, thinking if they just wanted goods, it was manageable, only to see Sima Yi narrow his eyes and add, “What we need is a supply of people.”
The gatherer’s expression changed instantly.
Supply of people? Was that not akin to recruiting soldiers forcibly from the sea?!
His gaze swept over the twenty vessels, realizing the crew numbers didn’t match the ships, sending a chill through him.
When he caught sight of Sima Yi again, he noticed that beneath the seemingly refined appearance lingered a sinister calculation.
Clearly, he resembled nothing more than the bandit crew who had first invaded the island.
But given the power of the moment, with far sharper weapons in hand than their own tools used for chopping wood and fishing, there was no room for negotiation!
He could only strive to display some semblance of cooperation through a tensed façade, saying, “But we have no experience with naval warfare and rarely stray far from the island…”
“Enough, who said we wanted you?” Sima Yi interrupted him mid-sentence.
The young man furrowed his brow, scrutinizing him like a hawk, his gaze conveying a wordless disdain, “I need you to assist us at Xi’an Ping.”
“You aren’t worthy of our efforts,” he added, shooting a hand signal to Gan Ning, who immediately understood, drawing his sword to hold it at the gatherer’s neck, “The number of qualified sailors you can help us capture will determine how many of you regain your freedom. I think this is a fair deal, wouldn’t you?”
In standing against such a blatant act of intimidation, they had no bargaining power to speak of!
Besides finding a way to comply with their demands to ensure their return through a swap, there was simply no other option.
What kept the gatherer from acting recklessly was witnessing Gan Ning and his men later on as they traveled north from Zhangzi Island to Guanglu Island. He was astonished by the exceptional fighting skills displayed not only in close combat but also at long range.
The young commander, who had initially held back, partnered with his subordinates, using their Divine Bow to strike with pinpoint accuracy from two hundred steps away, thoroughly erasing any thoughts of escape and bolstering their ranks by over three hundred more.
In just three days, aside from the newly added twenty warships at Zhangzi Island, they cumulatively brought back over two thousand individuals from the surrounding islands, effectively gathering almost all the native inhabitants of this archipelago.
However, for those heading to Liaodong by sea, this was just the beginning.
The crucial hostages taken from the Changshan Archipelago were all loaded onto one of the warships, while the remaining islanders were dispersed in a staggered formation, mixed into the ranks of each ship. This way, their force doubled, while these hostages could not stage an effective rebellion.
Then, after leaving four warships to guard, the remaining eight ships headed straight for Tashi Port under the command of Gan Ning, Guo Huai, and Zhuge Liang.
The other eight were led by Lu Lingju, Tai Shici, and Lu Yi, headed toward Xi’an Ping as indicated by the gatherers.
“So why am I left behind?” Sima Yi suddenly felt a pang of bitterness, similar to what Lu Yi had felt earlier.
“Because you look a bit too dangerous,” Lu Lingju replied bluntly, making Sima Yi, who had just taken on the villain role, turn dark.
Don’t think he wasn’t aware of the rumor among the captured gatherers that he was young yet shrewd, with a gaze akin to an eagle—no wonder he was one of the leaders of the pirates!
He certainly doubted that such a sophisticated phrase originated from these illiterate gatherers.
It was more likely that his companions had exaggerated his reputation to spread fear.
“Zhongda, don’t make that face. Think about it: if we fail to control these islanders effectively, we risk complications during our two-pronged assault that may lead to potential hostage retaliation. How can we successfully execute the planned surprise?”
That moment of comfort from Lu Yi did nothing to ease Sima Yi’s frustration.
“Aren’t we leaving? Xi’an Ping won’t be easy pickings.”
Don’t be fooled by the fact that, due to the urban distribution in Youzhou, the stationed troops at Xi’an Ping were far fewer than in the central stronghold of Xiangping—where Gongsun Du currently resided. The population there was also less than Tashi, the port used for transfers between Qingzhou, Jizhou, and Youzhou, but the significance of Xi’an Ping was indeed special.
It stood at the estuary of the Yalu River, not far to the southeast from today’s Korea—then under Youzhou’s jurisdiction, namely Le-lang County, and to the northeast, the upper reaches of the Yalu where Goguryeo was steadily rising.
This convergence of three territories presented a complex population makeup, and while the city buildings might not have surpassed inland cities, they definitely weren’t overly rudimentary.
Importantly—
Any stirrings here would cause news to spread rapidly in all three directions, leading to considerable implications for Youzhou.
But all this hinged on whether this coastal siege would be successful.
They would need a decisive strike to tear open a gap along Liaodong’s coast.
“Stop saying things that lower morale,” Lu Lingju was now donned in battle armor, possibly due to her training in martial arts; her height surpassed that of her peers. In her armored stance, she exuded a heroic aura reminiscent of the lord she revered, “You just wait for our good news here.”
One main warship and seven auxiliary ships under Sima Yi’s watch left Zhangzi Island, following the coastal line of southern Liaodong toward the mouth of the Yalu River.
This coastline contrasted sharply with those of Xuzhou and Qingzhou, as there were hardly any trading ports here. Most of the occupants were fishermen, and thus the area remained mostly unoccupied and desolate.
Now, they no longer needed to conceal their presence, as the fishing boats spotting their unusual fleet could do little to halt their progress, with the best they could do being to shy away close to shore to avoid being targeted.
Lu Lingju stood at the bow, gripping her spear tightly.
At that moment, all traces of her earlier exuberance vanished, as she focused intently on mentally rehearsing every weapon loaded on the warship to ensure her responses would be effective in case of any sudden changes.
Moreover, although Tai Shici had shared his archery techniques with her during their journey from Chang’an to Hanzhong, Lu Lingju wisely chose to abandon the idea of wielding both bow and crossbow.
One shouldn’t bite off more than one could chew; with Tai Shici there for support, it was best to let him handle the ranged attacks.
Lu Yi did not disturb her pre-battle preparations but instead turned back to the cabin to pacify the fishermen they had abducted from the Changshan Archipelago.
Now that the ship was in motion, any attempt from these captives to escape would be exceedingly difficult amidst the vast sea.
And though these rough marauders had shown no mercy in dragging them onto their ships, they had not committed acts of mass slaughter. Perhaps when they fulfilled their demand for enough personnel, they’d genuinely consider releasing them.
Now, as Lu Yi, this gentle-looking young man, brought them food and comfort, he provided them with a glimmer of safety compared to their previous experiences.
Sima Yi felt it didn’t really matter if the situation was exasperating; once those eight ships set sail from the Yalu River’s mouth and the scenery transitioned from open sea to the banks of the great river, the soldiers aboard had somewhat developed a sense of camaraderie.
At first glance, this fleet wouldn’t give the impression that half of its soldiers were just fillers recruited from elsewhere and not originally part of the unit.
When the defending troops at Xi’an Ping received news of the enemy approach, they came to intercept, witnessing these well-crafted warships not dodging but instead charging straight toward their approaching fleet, striking with the heavily reinforced “ram” built of hardwood encased in iron!
The massive impact of the ram, combined with their unexpected head-on confrontation, sent the first wave of ships upside down in chaos.
No, not all of the vessels were overturned in the initial clash.
As the enemy’s archers held an advantageous position…
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At that moment, a bunch of hooks operated by the soldiers shot out from the small warships, yanking the battleships that were trying to create some distance back to square one.
Next, well-equipped armored soldiers leaped over from those warships.
After over ten days at sea, these soldiers, already seasoned from river battles, were quite steady on their feet despite the waves. Plus, they had now crossed from the East China Sea into the Yalu River area.
The defenders at Xi’an Ping were about to lose their minds!
Where did this enemy come from?
Being at the northeastern edge of the Han Dynasty’s territory, this place seemedunreachable for such disasters.
What they didn’t expect was that the large ship, hiding behind the smaller ones, was also launching an attack at this very moment.
The massive hull of the ship didn’t become a weakness; instead, it loomed like a giant beast, and the ship’s bow, shaped like a barbed hook, wasn’t just a ram—it was another form of hook for grappling.
This ship boldly charged at the enemy’s arrows. Just as it was about to collide with the main ship of the Xi’an Ping defenders, the ram at the front suddenly tilted forward, like a hooked claw grabbing hold of the enemy vessel.
The planks connected to this hooked claw served as the boarding passage for Lu Lingju’s crew to board the enemy ship.
These soldiers from Liaodong had seen plenty of sea vessels before, but they had never encountered a bow structure like this.
If only Lu Lingju could explain it to them, she would tell them that this bow design also originated from the Silk Road.
Because it was the clawed wooden bridge known as “The Crow” from the ships of the Roman Empire!
This thing had made its way to the Kushan Empire over a century ago, but since the Kushan was inland, they rarely utilized it. Instead, Xu Rong discovered its potential while trading along the Silk Road on Qiao Yan’s orders and brought it back to Chang’an.
Last year, Qiao Yan had it sent to Xuzhou’s shipbuilding site, where it was installed on a large ship.
Compared to using iron chains or filling the hull with sand for stability, this crow claw bridge was a better fit for the northern peoples’ maritime combat style, allowing them to showcase their close-quarters fighting skills to the fullest.
Just like right now!
As soon as the wooden bridge was stable, Lu Lingju, already itching for a fight in this attack on Liaodong, decisively charged up onto the enemy deck with her spear in hand.
As the tremors from the bridge’s snug fit died down, the Xi’an Ping defenders faced a tempest of violence.
Capturing these sea cucumber divers to fill the scene required some finesse, but when it came to confronting Gongsun Du’s subordinates, they certainly didn’t need to hold back.
When the water battle on the Yalu River finally calmed, Lu Lingju stood atop her spear, holding aloft the head of the enemy fleet commander.
She gazed at the gradually dispersing blood in the river and the wrecked ships, and surprisingly, she didn’t feel the usual anxiety or rapid heartbeat that comes with combat. Instead, a sense of ambition swelled within her, as clear as the rising tide.
Seeing Lu Yi signaling to her, Lu Lingju raised her spear high and shouted, “Prepare the grappling hooks and advance on Xi’an Ping!”
The confusion caused by the preceding battle with their intercepting ships meant they couldn’t capture all the enemy who jumped overboard. Although some sea cucumber divers dove into the river to snag a few enemies for their freedom, many still managed to escape.
So when the eight ships, newly organized, approached Xi’an Ping’s walls, the city was already under tight defense.
But that didn’t seem to prevent their defeat.
Xi’an Ping was built by the Yalu River, and its moat was dug out to flow into the river.
To signify its special status at the northern frontier, the moat here was excavated exceptionally deep.
This area hadn’t suffered from the drought affecting the Central Plains, and with summer’s arrival, the water levels had risen, making the city even more fortified.
However, the moat’s excessively wide and deep features weren’t a boon for the city’s defense, but rather provided a clear path for enemy ships.
Before the archers on the city walls could shoot the shields raised at the ship’s bows, or launch their stone attacks at the nearing vessels, the massive ship came crashing in with reckless abandon, its bracing slowing to a halt while its grappling hooks dropped stones from high up above.
The stones and heavy poles whistled down, smashing a horrifying gap into the stacked stone walls, forcing the guards on this segment of the wall to flee in panic.
Under Lu Lingju’s command, the large ship turned sideways into the moat, instantly bringing down its four grappling hooks.
Amidst the resulting chaos of flying stones on the city walls, Tai Shici’s Divine Bow unit also aimed accurately at the defenders atop the walls.
The retreating city defenders couldn’t stop these terrifying enemies at all. While maintaining pressure on the city walls, numerous soldiers leaped off the ship, climbing up ropes shot from the ship’s bow, and spreading out from the point of attack.
Before long, the city gates swung open before them, allowing the soldiers clad in shiny armor bursting in. Although they didn’t have horses to ride into the city, they quickly gained the upper hand in this direct confrontation.
Meanwhile, at that critical port of Tashi, Zhuge Liang was also mounting an attack.
Huge oil barrels were set ablaze and launched into the city with a catapult from the ships.
In no time, the barrels smashed against the walls and ignited the wooden structures of the city and its buildings.
Tashi was thrown into disarray.
Now, given that their ships were wooden, the defenders of Tashi could have easily retaliated in kind.
But here’s the kicker—when the fire and oil assault hadn’t yet spread widely, this wasn’t the most mainstream form of attack. The Tashi City hadn’t been prepared for this calamity at all.
Furthermore, oil was still considered a luxury; if it weren’t for the vast fields of sesame being cultivated under Qiao Yan’s territory, there’s a chance she wouldn’t have been able to support her subordinates in executing such an assault across the sea.
So, when this great fire caused a disaster in the wrong city, rather than on the attacking fleet, the defensive vulnerabilities in Tashi City inevitably caught the attention of Zhuge Liang and Gan Ning.
It became downright expected that Tashi County would fall.
Yet, puzzlingly, neither Tashi nor Xi’an Ping switched ownership directly after the unexpected capture.
“You’re telling me they just drove the defenders and civilians onto their ships and then sailed away?”
When alarming reports from both areas reached Gongsun Du, he jumped up from his seat and immediately ordered a news blackout to prevent Gongsun Zan and the nearby Tadon from realizing he was a ripe target.
Having made that arrangement, Gongsun Du then focused on the battle reports before him.
The messenger, upon hearing Gongsun Du’s question, hurriedly replied, “There were also treasures! They looted both regions’ government stores clean but didn’t raid the civilians’ homes…”
“Those details don’t matter.” Gongsun Du knew exactly how much was stored in Tashi and Xi’an Ping as trade ports and county boundaries.
The bulk of the tax revenue had long been sent to Xiangping, the administrative hub.
This meant that looting the government stores wouldn’t pose him any serious threat.
Rather, the loss of troops and civilians to capture was a significant blow for Gongsun Du.
After all, Youzhou, particularly the sparsely populated Liaodong, was genuinely a large land with a sparse population.
In Gongsun Du’s view, the very people that thwarted his ambitions of becoming a king in Liaodong were these locals.
Therefore, he longed for unrest in coastal areas like Xuzhou and Qingzhou, especially the latter, which lay closest to Liaodong.
If these coastal dwellers flocked to Liaodong to escape disaster, he could slowly build a solid fighting force amidst the losses in the Central Plains due to unrest.
But what was happening now?
No sign of escaping refugees—instead, there were robbers at his doorstep, taking the people he valued most!
Where did these heartless thieves come from?
If it weren’t for his subordinates by his side, Gongsun Du would have shouted in anger. But clenching his jaw, he suppressed his rage and asked the messenger, “Do you know who they were?”
The messenger replied, “They didn’t say their names; there were no markings of any factions on their ships. We only know these ships were heavily laden, not the kind that generally sails great distances. Also, among them was someone who had once sought refuge in Liaodong.”
Gongsun Du raised an eyebrow, “Who?”
“Tai Shici from Donglai.”
Tai Shici’s exceptional archery skills were striking in the battle against Xi’an Ping. Besides Lu Lingju, the close combat leader, his presence stood out enough for Gongsun Du’s subordinates to notice.
Unfortunately, news in Liaodong came slow.
Gongsun Du was aware that Tai Shici had fled to Liaodong to escape the conflicts between the Donglai Prefecture and the Qingzhou government, but he didn’t know he had later been recruited into the Grand Marshal’s office after escorting Ping Yuan to Juyong Pass by Qiao Yan.
After all, a position like the Grand Marshal’s secretary could handle multiple people without issue, unlike ranks like middle generals, prefects, or generals with specific powers.
So when he heard that the ships weren’t coming from far and that Tai Shici’s name was mentioned, he slammed his hand on the nearby table and shouted, “Yuan Benchu is being too arrogant!”
His district’s population had dwindled due to locust plagues and droughts, pushing people to Bingzhou and Shili’s territories. With no strength to expand like Cao Mengde, he was now resorting to cross-sea raids?
While others might fear Yuan Shao’s four generations and three marquises, Gongsun Du was already scheming to rebel in Liaodong; why would he feel any awe?
His mind raced with thoughts—
If Yuan Shao thought he could steamroll into Gongsun Du’s doorstep like a soft target, he would show them he wasn’t a pushover, but rather a stone that would break teeth!
Storming off to rally his subordinates, Gongsun Du didn’t hear the messenger mumble something about “also a particularly heroic female general…”
By now, that was a significant detail.
So far, he’d only heard of female generals under Qiao Yan, appointed by her superior.
But in all of Youzhou’s knowledge, Qiao Yan appeared to have neither the conditions nor leisure time to strike at Liaodong.
Just before, she had engaged in a tug of war with Cao Cao in Yuzhou and was busy with disaster relief in Luoyang, winning over the hearts of Shili’s populace.
Since last year, she hadn’t asserted domain expansions, and her recent presence in Luoyang was merely a response to the losses of Runan and Chen territories; how could she suddenly launch an offensive on Liaodong?
Yuan Benchu seemed to have “mimicked” so many things towards Chang’an; throwing a female general into the mix would not be out of the question.
Regardless of whether this special fleet stemmed from Yuan Shao or Qiao Yan, they just needed to drive it away from Liaodong!
This was what the messenger thought, and so did Gongsun Du.
Upon receiving news of the plundering of both regions, he galloped from Xiangping towards the closer Xi’an Ping.
In his rush, several fine Youzhou horses dropped dead from exhaustion.
But even with his swift approach, what he saw upon arrival were still the ravaged walls of the city.
Before he could reprimand the defenders for their negligence in repairing the breach, a soldier came to him with a face full of despair, “My Lord, those ruffians came back again! This time, they didn’t even need heavy artillery. We hadn’t even recovered from the last siege when the warship appeared, and the troops fled at the mere sight.”
Gongsun Du gritted his teeth, “So you let them take people again?”
The defending leader nodded helplessly.
Seeing Gongsun Du’s outraged expression, the commander quickly added, “This happened only recently. If you mobilize the fleet, we might still intercept them on the way. I wanted to ask for your command to send out troops, but I hadn’t sent the message before you arrived.”
These successive attacks and kidnappings had pushed Gongsun Du, who regarded Liaodong as his personal fief, to the edge of explosion. Hearing the defenders mention the terrifying clawed wooden bridges on those ships, he rapidly issued commands for troop mobilization as the prefect and even commandeered nearby fishing vessels.
If the enemy planned to use water tactics with these hook claws to restrict connections between their ships, allowing for close combat, he’d unleash a flood of troops to teach them a bloody lesson!
The population these bandits stole in their raids? They could be handy allies during the next clash between the ships!
With that thought in mind, Gongsun Du personally led the way, steering his fleet directly toward the estuary of the Yalu River, moving with such speed that they immediately redirected their ships to head west upon entering the East China Sea.
To his surprise, perhaps due to the enemy fleet being heavily laden, they had a deeper draft, and after chasing for half a day, he finally spotted those warships ahead.
His opponents, perhaps dizzy from their previous victories, hastily turned toward Gongsun Du’s fleet without a second thought.
But in the impending collision of ships, it wasn’t just the large one; even several accompanying warships had their poles, laden with giant stones, lifted from their drooping position by pulleys, and then—
To Gongsun Du’s horrified eyes, those poles came crashing down on his fleet!
Have you ever seen a hammer tied to a giant stone?
That’s what those grappling poles represented.
With technical guidance from Ma Jun and Huang Yueying, these grappling poles were even outfitted with rotating shafts, which meant the direction of their attacks could shift further, so it might seem like they were aimed right there, but they suddenly smashed right in front of them.
Regular ships couldn’t withstand such formidable impacts; almost instantaneously, a gaping hole shattered through the hull, ripping it apart on the spot.
When a large ship had more than one of these poles, the overwhelming lethality was beyond what mere numbers of ships could compensate for.
In mere moments, the initially fierce pursuit fleet had been reduced to a disarray of splintered wood.
Lu Lingju looked at the debris floating on the sea and helplessly remarked to Tai Shici and Lu Yi, “Do they really think these grappling poles are just for smashing walls? Who would make the main target of naval ships a wall?”
She had only used the clawed wooden bridge to save some effort when she first encountered Youzhou’s ships…
But since those poles could execute one vs. many attacks, why bother with foolish grappling tactics?
If it was a naval combat weapon, it should be used to smash the enemy’s ships instead!
