Traveling back to the Northern Song Dynasty: Picking up a princess as my wife

Yue Peng looked at Li Zhen, who was intently observing the battlefield through his binoculars, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I have ordered four warships to advance at full speed. You and I can simply observe the battle from here. If the battle becomes stalemated and it is difficult to advance, we can then personally take to the front lines."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhen slowly lowered his binoculars, a hint of displeasure flashing across his brow: "How absurd this is! Our army is already inferior to the Jin army, and this ship alone carries over a thousand warriors. As the commander-in-chief, how can you act so rashly? Charge alongside me immediately, without hesitation."

Despite Li Zhen's seemingly righteous words, he harbored a secret thought—he longed to use this opportunity to test his sniping skills, honed through years of rigorous training. After all, the daily practice at stationary targets in the Anyang Palace, while precise, lacked the grime of real combat. This live-fire exercise was a long-awaited trial for him; those days of dead targets would soon be over. How could he possibly let such a golden opportunity slip by?

"Boom! Boom! Boom!..." The continuous roar of cannons shook the sea. On the decks of the five Han warships, the cannons, like enraged beasts, spewed flames, pointing directly at the swarming Jin fleet. These cannons, though unassuming in size, originated from technology of the distant future. Their penetrating power and explosive force were enough to make any defensive fortification of this era pale in comparison. They were like overlords transcending time and space, looking down arrogantly at this ancient sea.

In a short while, most of the Jin's dozen or so imposing warships sank under the relentless bombardment of the Han cannons for an hour, leaving behind wreckage and despair floating on the sea. The remaining three ships, witnessing the tragic fate of their companions, dared not linger. They immediately raised their sails to full speed and, like frightened birds, fled with all their might into the vast ocean, leaving only a trail of chaotic wakes that gradually disappeared on the shimmering surface of the sea.

In this battle, the Han Kingdom demonstrated its unparalleled power through technological prowess, while the Jin Kingdom's fleet wrote a humiliating chapter of defeat in the torrent of history.

Yue Peng's eyes were sharp as he gave a deep order to the messenger beside him: "Pass down the order that warship number one must relentlessly pursue the enemy and keep a close watch on its movements. As for the rest of the warships, launch a full-scale attack on the enemy's docks. Order the warriors on board to prepare small boats and get ready to storm the beach and make the enemy's defenses tremble under our iron hooves!"

As the messenger, wielding a red and green flag, stood atop the warship like a general commanding a naval battle, the flags fluttering in his hands, like conducting an invisible symphony. Clear commands, carried by the waving flags, were swiftly transmitted to every warship. Soon, several warships responded in unison, like a herd of dragons emerging from the sea, their momentum overwhelming.

The first major amphibious landing operation in the history of the Han Kingdom was thus launched in a spectacular fashion.

More than thirty small sampans, fully loaded with Han soldiers, struggled to reach the shore. Dense arrows from the Jin army pelted down on their heads. Many poorly protected Han soldiers were hit by arrows and fell into the water. Soon, a large amount of blood appeared on the sea surface, attracting the surrounding sharks and causing considerable obstacles to the Han army's beach landing.

"boom!"

A massive jet of water suddenly exploded between several small sampans, instantly creating a raging torrent that swallowed one of the sampans whole. This was a scene of the Jin Dynasty's catapults displaying their formidable power.

Upon witnessing this scene, the Han army commander, leading the troops, roared in a loud voice, "Forget about those who have fallen into the water, the rear guard will take care of them. You must all press on bravely!"

After several sampans capsized in the raging waves, the Han soldiers finally set foot on the soft sand. They moved swiftly, quickly forming impregnable offensive and defensive formations on the wide beach in platoons and companies.

As the Han army's iron hooves thundered and advanced relentlessly, a Jin general stood tall, his steel sword raised high, and his voice boomed like a bell: "Prepare the spear formation, fire!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."

A series of deafening sounds, accompanied by swirling white mist, erupted instantly across the battlefield. Soldiers fell one after another in the Han army ranks. The Han army commander, leading the charge, was stunned, utterly astonished: When did the Jin army acquire such firearms?

Over the years, Jin craftsmen worked tirelessly day and night, finally achieving some success in replicating their own matchlock gun. Although its range and power were still inferior to the advanced rifles of the Han Dynasty, it was enough to be a ray of hope in these years of constant warfare.

The Han army commander roared in a booming voice, "Zhu Zi, have your artillery platoon aim at the enemy's musket positions and bombard them! Are your eyes just for show? Can't you see the chaos over there?"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!..."

As the order was given, more than a dozen mortar shells, like angry fire dragons, traced scorching arcs and exploded precisely within the Jin army's musketeer ranks. In an instant, sparks flew and smoke filled the air. Jin musketeers were either blown to pieces or fell to the ground screaming in agony. Those who were lucky enough to escape injury were stunned by the sudden barrage; some stood frozen, bewildered, while others abandoned their armor and weapons, dropped their muskets, and fled in all directions.

Concealed behind an impregnable stone wall, Wanyan Gan witnessed this scene and issued a command in a loud voice: "The power of muskets is ultimately limited. Order our heavy cavalry to launch a full-scale attack and vow not to let the enemy gain a foothold on that beach!"

Soon, the remaining five hundred heavily armored cavalry of the Jin army, like a raging torrent, swept towards the Han army's position, which was fiercely attacking the dock. The Han army squad at the forefront, facing this sudden surge of heavy cavalry, had no chance to dodge and were instantly and mercilessly crushed under their iron hooves; the sparks of life were extinguished in the heavy impact. Witnessing this, the Han soldiers behind them were filled with gloom and began to retreat, hoping to avoid this unstoppable storm of death.

However, the Jin cavalry had already tasted victory in this bloody feast, their eyes gleaming with greed and fanaticism, unwilling to let this rare opportunity slip through their fingers. Holding their gleaming scimitars high and gripping their heavy iron spears tightly, they were like demons emerging from hell, rampaging through the Han army's ranks. Every swing and thrust was accompanied by the loss of life, leaving behind only despair and cries of agony, weaving the battlefield into a brutally cruel tapestry.

"Da da da......"

The second wave of warriors who landed suddenly unleashed a barrage of machine gun fire, tearing through the heavy armor of the Jin army's cavalry and dragging the once arrogant knights off their horses, hurling them into the dust.

In contrast, the first wave of landing soldiers relied primarily on the fire support of semi-automatic rifles, while a powerful barrage of machine guns and assault rifles was deployed in the second wave. Witnessing five hundred heavily armored Jin cavalrymen launch a fierce charge towards the Han army's positions like a storm, the Han machine gunners were frantic. They had no time to consider whether they had safely landed; instead, they crouched low on the swaying gun hulls, pulled the triggers, and unleashed their fury upon the enemy, halting the seemingly invincible charge.