Ten Flying Bird merchant ships, three Flying Eagle warships, two merchant ships were damaged, and the sails had been burned by fire, but the two merchant ships did not come close, and stopped at a long distance from the port.

Chao Gai and Zhu Wuting were puzzled, Zhu Wu said: "Xu Guanzhong, who came to see the flag, didn't know what happened, the sails were burned." Let's go over and see, damaged ships are not suitable to dock. ”

Chao Gai nodded and said, "Okay, Kong Yang, prepare the boat, let's go over and have a look." ”

Kong Yang immediately transferred a centipede ship, everyone got on the boat, the sailor stepped on the water wheel and flew towards the sea, and went straight to the damaged merchant ship, Xu Guanzhong was on the merchant ship, directing the soldiers to repair the ship and replace the sails.

"My brother is here, and I was about to report to my brother, but yesterday evening, the fleet of Zengtou City on the sea was encountered, and the two sides disagreed with each other and shot a few arrows, and two of our merchant ships were damaged." Xu Guanzhong said.

Chao Gai said: "If there are any wounded, if there are wounded, they will be sent down for treatment immediately." ”

Xu Guanzhong said: "The range of crossbow arrows in Zengtou City is not as good as ours, and there are basically no casualties. ”

Xu Guanzhong told the story in detail, it turned out that at dusk yesterday, the remnant sun was like blood, and the sunset sprinkled the last red light on the sea, whether it was the sailors on the merchant ship or the soldiers on the warship, they were a little excited, and they were about to go to Huanghua Port, although they couldn't go home, but at least they could rest at the dock for a few days, and there was nothing more beautiful for the sailors who had been adrift for more than half a month than to rest on the shore for a few days.

The soldiers on the lookout found that there was a large fleet of ships coming from the north, and it was also a merchant ship dominated by bird ships, which was mighty, not to mention twenty bird ships, as well as centipede ships, etc., and there were many flags on board, and the word Dou Da was fluttering in the wind.

The lookout post immediately sent a message to the soldiers below, and the soldiers reported Xu Guanzhong in the past, and Xu Guanzhong went to the deck to see that it was not the fleet of the old Zeng family. The Bohai Sea belongs to the inland sea, and there are very few conflicts when caravans meet, but there are exceptions, so the two have fierce competition. Zengtou City has five or six thousand people and horses with the strength of a small city, and it is almost invincible in the entire Jingdong. The emergence of Yuncheng Chao Gai broke this situation, first of all, horses, Chao Gai and Duan Jingzhu and others cooperated, opened the horse market widely, many pony dealers to the horse market from Liao, Xixia and other places to sell horses, Yuncheng horse market horse sales are hot, it can be said to have robbed the only business in Zengtou City. The second is tea and salt, and the tribal countries of the northern steppe are mainly based on beef and mutton, and tea and salt are necessary. Before Yuncheng grew up, Zengtou City monopolized this business, but anyone who did tea business had to supply Zengtou City, and those who dared to do it alone would inevitably kill people and sell more goods. The rise of Yuncheng has robbed at least fifty percent of the tea business in Zengtou City, and seventy percent of the salt business, especially after the establishment of the Huanghua Salt Farm, Chao Gai dumped salt at a low price in the grassland, and there is almost no business in Zengtou City's salt, if it were not for the support of old customers, there was almost no salt business in Zengtou City. Third, the exchange of medicinal materials between the north and the south, in which the north mainly sold precious medicinal materials represented by ginseng to the Great Song Dynasty. The Great Song Dynasty sold various medicinal materials produced by itself to the north. If you are a person, you have to get sick, and if you are sick, you have to take medicine, and the grassland people are no exception, so the business of this medicinal herb is also very fierce. The business of the two sides is exactly the same, and when they came to Chao Gai, they set up a trade city and united hundreds of commercial houses to compete with Zengtou City, and almost overwhelmed Zengtou City, so the contradictions between the two sides were very intense.

Thinking of this, Xu Guanzhong said: "Call the signal." Level 1 alert. ”

"Yes." The flag bearer waved the flag and sent a warning signal, and immediately the three ships on the battlefield opened their gun jackets, the cannons were loaded, and the giant crossbows were revealed. Merchant ships also had weapons on them, a small number of crossbows and archers. However, on the whole, the fleet led by Xu Guanzhong suffered a lot, it seemed that there were ten merchant ships and three warships, but there were twenty sailors on each ship on the merchant ships, and thirty-three soldiers on each ship, adding up to only three hundred people in total.

It is said that the fleet of Zengtou City is also a coincidence, it happens to be led by Zeng Mi, the second child of the Zeng family, and the contradiction between Zeng Mi and Chao Gai is not a day and a half.

Following Zeng Mi, that is, the commander-in-chief of this fleet, was the second head of Zengtou City, Su Ding.

Su Ding, eight feet tall, yellow-faced, bearded, and a unique weapon phoenix wings in his hand, this weapon was a famous weapon in the Tang and Song dynasties, but not many people used it, and not many used it.

Zeng Mi came to Su Ding and said: "Sect leader Su, in front of him is Chao Gai's fleet, there are thirteen boats, why don't we do him with twenty boats." ”

Zeng Mi is an apprentice taught by Su Ding, and Su Ding also knows the contradiction between his own apprentice and Chao Gai, Su Ding said: "Naval warfare is very different from land warfare, although our twenty merchant ships have six or seven hundred sailors, but our ships are not warships, but merchant ships, I heard that Chao Gai has built warships, and the power of giant crossbows is also very great." ”

Zeng Mi was a little unhappy, and said: "The head of the sect should not grow the ambition of others and destroy his own prestige, not to mention that this is just a fleet of the Chao family, not Chao Gai himself." ”

Although Su Ding is the deputy head of the sect, his status is much worse than Shi Wengong, and he is at most a senior worker of the Zeng family.

Su Ding said: "Since the second prince is interested, let's fight, but we have four cargo ships loaded with ginseng, deer antler velvet and other fine goods, which are unreliable." ”

Zeng Mi said: "Of course, the head of the Su sect will command." ”

"Well, in that case, I will give the order at once." Su Ding conveyed the order as he spoke, and the four cargo ships loaded with fine cargo came behind, and the other sixteen cargo ships rushed forward with full sails and rudders. There are thirty sailors on each ship of the Zeng family, except for a dozen or so people to control the ship, the others are combatants, there are two giant crossbows on each cargo ship, and the other sailors are bows and arrows, which is similar to the configuration of the Dengzhou sailors.

Xu Guanzhong also discovered the hostility of the Zeng family's sailors, and the Yuncheng regimental training has been tough and daring to fight since its inception, so it can't show weakness at this time.

"Tell them not to come closer, and if they get any closer, they will shoot their bows and arrows." Xu Guanzhong ordered.

Immediately, the soldier with the tin horn shouted to the other side, telling the Zeng family's fleet not to approach, and if it got closer, it would release arrows.

On the bow of the boat, Zeng Mi smiled and said to Su Ding: "See, Su Jiaotou, at this time, they are still shouting that we should not approach." ”

Su Ding touched his beard and said, "Pass down the order, set fire to the crossbow and burn their sails first, and then jump off the ship to fight in close combat and take down their fleet in one fell swoop." ”

"Yes." The sailors promised, and Zeng Mi was also very happy, clenching his fists, thinking that the scene of Chao Gai's thunderous explosion when he heard the information made people happy.

Xu Guanzhong said: "The artillery is not exposed first, the warship fires the giant crossbow in a row, and the merchant ship prepares for the single-shot giant crossbow. ”

The two fleets formed in this way, and the battle began on the sunset sea. Su Ding was not a layman like Zeng Mi, and let the fleet pounce on him, and the sailors on the bow of the ship held the fire, ready to ignite the giant crossbow at any time.

Zeng Mi pointed to the front and said, "Look, two ships are approaching. ”

Sixteen giant crossbows on the eight merchant ships of the Zeng family were launched, and the two merchant ships that Xu Guanzhong's fleet was too close to were unlucky, and more than a dozen giant crossbows were inserted on the sails, and the flames burned the sails in an instant, and the sailors were busy putting out the fires, and the others were paddling and preparing to turn around. It's just that the flying bird merchant ship is large, and the oars are very slow, and they can't keep up with the speed of the sails at all.

Zeng Mi waved his fist: "Okay, fight well, lean over and capture their ships, these two merchant ships are still brand new." ”

At this moment, the three flying eagle warships behind the damaged merchant ships showed their hideous faces, only about two hundred meters away from the Zeng family's fleet, and the fire crossbows had been lit on the continuous giant crossbows, each warship had three repeating crossbows, and three were nine repeating crossbows, each aimed at an enemy ship, and the continuous crossbow arrows were almost fired in a line, and the whirring sound of breaking the air flew towards the sails of the Zeng family's merchant ships with flames, and most of the sails were linen, and the oil-soaked giant crossbows were quickly ignited as soon as they were burned.

Taken aback by this sudden blow, Zeng Mi said: "What's the situation, they have so many giant crossbows." Before the words were finished, let Su Ding slap the deck with one arm, this fall was not light, Zeng Mi was about to be angry, when he heard a giant crossbow with fire flying overhead, viciously inserted into the mast behind him.

Seeing that there was no danger, Zeng Mi got up, hugged his fists and said, "Thank you for the grace of the sect leader for saving your life." ”

Su Ding said: "Now is not the time to organize sailors to paddle and pounce on the jumping ship." ”

Su Ding wanted to jump ship to fight, Xu Guanzhong definitely didn't give them a chance, even the artillery was useless, and the single-shot giant crossbow on the eight merchant ships behind was another round, and the Zeng family's fleet was blinded.

Xu Guanzhong commanded the fleet to turn around, Su Ding was dumbfounded, twenty ships left four small cargo ships, sixteen ships let the family a round of giant crossbows smashed eight, although the loss was not large, but the sails were on fire, the power was reduced, and it was impossible to engage in battle.

A captain said to Xu Guanzhong: "They won't chase after them, let's turn around and fight them again." ”

Xu Guanzhong said: "After the warship hall, the merchant ship is in front, first observe the situation." ”

Soon the situation gradually became clear, and the Zeng family's fleet no longer pursued, but gradually gathered up and lined up in a square formation.

In this way, there is no advantage for the repeating giant crossbow, which has a short range after all. However, it was changed to a single shot, which was farther than the distance of Zeng's family. Xu Guanzhong gave an order, only took three flying eagle warships back, close to the Zeng family's fleet of more than 500 meters, and constantly fired crossbow arrows, although this distance is limited, but after all, the merchant ship is a big target, and ten rounds can hit six or seven shots.

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