Above the river, a huge fleet was moving upstream. They were all warships marching against the south of the Yangtze River in Zhou State, full of naval soldiers, many supplies, food and grass, heading towards the mouth of Dongting Lake upstream.

The capital of Bazhou Prefecture of Chenguo is Baling near the mouth of Dongting Lake. The target of the attack of the Jiangnan West Road marching is here. They set sail from Xiakou, Ezhou. Although they were facing the current, they were considered a good wind. They became able to reach the meeting place - Bairuan in about ten days.

Jianli County of Liang State is across the river from Bazhou of Chen State. On the river surface more than 20 miles downstream of the river in the mouth of Dongting Lake, there is a river in the heart called Bailuozhou. The river bank north of Bailuozhou is Bailuo, which will be the stronghold for the Zhou army to attack Ba and Xiangchen army.

The marshal Yu Wenming, the marshal of Jiangnan West Road, has led his main force to go into battle with 6 routes to Baisai, while the navy warships carried food, supplies and water routes to Baisai and merged with him. They must arrive within the deadline. If the deadline is not overdue for no reason, they will be dealt with according to military law.

Zhou Fashang, the general manager of the Marine Navy of Jiangnan West Road and the governor of Ezhou, stood on the deck of the ship and fell into deep thought as he watched the fleet advance. He had a feeling that the Chen State naval army in Bazhou would not sit and wait for death, so he was very likely to take the initiative.

Bailuo is only more than twenty miles away from the mouth of Dongting Lake. Once the Zhou army controls Bailuozhou, it means that the Zhou army can be unobstructed from the river below Bailuozhou.

You can even directly transport troops to the south bank, and directly attack Bazhou Prefecture Zhibaling from Route 6, with a distance of only more than twenty miles!

Zhou Fashang was born in a general family and was influenced by him since childhood, which made him quite interested in using troops. Whenever a war came, what he liked most was to think from the perspective of others and think about what he would do if he was the chief general of the enemy.

If he was the governor of Ba and the military forces of Hunan Province, he would never sit and wait for death at the mouth of Dongting Lake, but would take the initiative to attack and strive to defeat the opponent's main navy force.

Not only the Zhou navy that could threaten Bazhou, but also the Liang navy in Jiangjin, the upper reaches of Liang, the Liang navy was also stationed. However, this navy was weak and at most it could play a role in hindrance. The Zhou navy located in the lower reaches of Bazhou was Chen's great trouble.

If you sit and watch the Liang and the Zhou Shuijun join, it will be even more of a way to die.

Therefore, if the Chen army wanted to take the initiative to attack, it would attack the Zhou navy downstream. The Zhou navy was defeated and the Liang navy did not dare to go downstream. Then the control of the Yangtze River was still in the hands of the Chen army.

Even if there are many troops on the 6th, the commander of the Zhou State cannot cross the river rashly. Otherwise, if the war is unfavorable after crossing the river, the transportation of food and grass will be a big problem.

Ezhou of Zhou State borders Bazhou of Chen State, but the road between them is not easy to walk. Ezhou Prefecture's Xiakou and Bazhou Prefecture's Baling were at least 400 miles apart. Without the convenience of water conservancy, there was no way to carry food and grass to the army. How could it last? The Zhou army, who attacked Baling, had to retreat to Xiakou in the end.

Therefore, as a general Chen, if you want to resolve the attack of the Zhou army, the best way is to win the decisive battle, and you have to take the initiative to attack.

Baling is located in the upper reaches of Xiakou, at its southwest end, while Xiakou is located in the northeast end of Baling. Baling has the advantage of upstream. Xiakou now has the advantage of being upwind. Chen Jun is really willing to fight to the death, but he still has the advantage of being able to compete with him.

Zhou Fashang led the navy to join the main force to join the Baishu. When he left, he made corresponding preparations. The Clippers, as the vanguard, made advances as a pioneer to explore the way. After the main fleet set sail, they also paid attention to maintaining their formation, transporting food and grass, and the ships with supplies were at the end, so that Chen Jun would take the initiative to attack downstream.

Zhou Fashen once mentioned this point when he went to An 6 and reported his duties to the marching marshal Yu Wenming, so the term of going to Bailuokou was specially added to the word "no reason" in "If the deadline is not overdue, it will be handled according to military law."

As the governor of Ezhou, Zhou Fashang should have followed his direct superiors, and Huangzhou General Manager Yuwen Wen went to war, but he was appointed as the governor of Ezhou by Yuwen Wen, and he was responsible for the use of troops to Bazhou, the west side.

He was proficient in water battles in 6 battles and was trusted by Yuwen Wen, so he was recommended this time and was once again entrusted with important tasks. He became the general manager of the naval army marching in the west road of Jiangnan, and led the navy to attack Ba and Xiang from the water route.

The responsibility is heavy, and Zhou Fa dared not take it lightly. He sailed for several consecutive days, and he was in a combat formation, so he was guarded against.

A small city appeared on the south bank of the Yangtze River ahead. The city of Zhou Fashang had been here. Of course, it was only in the suburbs at that time. This was a small city in Shayang, the territory of Shangjun County, Ezhou. Now under the control of Chen's army, it is the front line of confrontation between the Zhou army in Ezhou and the Chen army in Bazhou.

This city is along the river, with green mountains on the bank of the river. One side of the river is steep like a wall. It is across the opposite bank of the river and the north bank. It is the boundary of Mianzhou, Zhou State, and was called Wulin in ancient times.

It is said that at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Battle of Red Cliff broke out on this section of the river. Wulin, the north of the Yangtze River, was the camp of Cao Cao's naval army, and the south bank of the Yangtze River was Sun, and the camp of Liu's naval army. Later, the coalition forces burned Cao's camp, and the sky reflected the red light of the mountain walls of Jiangnan, so it was named Chibi.

“How far is it from the white snail here?”

"There is a hundred miles to go back to the head office."

"In other words, this place is about one hundred and twenty miles away from the mouth of Dongting Lake?"

"Yes."

Zhou Fashang looked at the sky. It was still morning. He once again "thinked from the perspective of others" and felt that there were many dangers here: this place is not far from the mouth of Dongting Lake, and it is the best distance for a surprise attack.

The closer you are to the white snail, the more wary the Zhou navy will be. If you are too far away from the white snail, it will feel like you are at the end of your strength when you want to raid the warships in the Bazhou Chen army. Besides, if the attack distance is too far and it takes too much time to return, it is very likely that the Zhou army opposite the mouth of Dongting Lake will have an opportunity to take advantage of.

Chen State must have endless detailed works in Xiakou, so the other party's ability to understand the dynamics of Zhou army, so... now the distance is just right!

"Send the order, sound the trumpet, and the whole army is on guard against changes in the upstream!"

Zhou Fashangbu's order was a bit abrupt, but the generals did not question it. Everyone saw Zhou Fashang's achievements in the past few years, so without asking too much, they all felt that "it's their own reason."

The sound of the trumpet had just sounded, and the lookout hand on the mast showed a strange shape in the river in front of him with the Qianli Mile Mile. After observing carefully for a while, he shouted at the top of his voice: "There is a fleet ahead! It is our vanguard fleet, and they have turned around and come back!"

The fleet, which served as avant-garde, suddenly turned around and came back, which showed that there was a serious enemy situation ahead. As expected, a moment later, the watchman observed the new situation again: "They set off the war to warn, and the Chen State navy is here!"

When Zhou Fashang heard this, he was like seeing a tiger with prey. His spirit was instantly excited: "Send the order! The baggage ship immediately retracts the sails, don't turn around, and retreat directly downstream along the current!"

"Maintain, do you need to send a warship escort?"

"No! All warships remain in formation and prepare combat equipment immediately!"

"Those who leave without orders will be punished as escaping in the last battle!"
Chapter completed!