My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

After a long while.

"How long do you think it will take?"

Xiao Heng suddenly spoke, without turning around, as if he were asking the sea breeze, or himself, or Deng Jing behind him.

Deng Jing was slightly taken aback. He was considering the strength of the Yuzhou Island water fortress and the inexperience of Han Yong's new recruits. He felt that Xiao Heng's question about the time to conquer it was a bit too confident and even impatient.

"The soldiers trained by Commandant Han are disciplined and have shown initial vigor, which is indeed incomparable to ordinary civilians. However... if we push them too hard by establishing authority, we may damage their morale, which is not a long-term way to maintain order in the army."

Deng Jing's answer was evasive and euphemistic, but Xiao Heng already understood the meaning.

He was not optimistic that this hastily assembled force could quickly conquer the bandit stronghold that had been established for many years, and even worried that it might collapse after suffering heavy casualties.

Xiao Heng sighed softly and turned to look at him.

"Perhaps. Do you know that there are a total of 1,974 people? There are laborers who fled south from the north and lost their land, salt farmers who couldn't survive after their saltworks were taken away, refugees who survived by chance from Ganyu County, bandits who were recruited by Lu Da, and even 127 miscellaneous Hu people!"

Deng Jing was shocked. Xiao Heng had such a precise grasp of this group, and he was even more surprised that there were more than a hundred Hu people among them!

At a time when the blood feud between the Han and non-Han peoples is so deep, what is Xiao Heng trying to do by taking in non-Han soldiers?

Seeing that Deng Jing was deep in thought, and having been reluctant to spend 100 points before, Xiao Heng tried using Insight on him again.

This time, there was no point reminder; the panel appeared directly in front of me.

[You used Character Insight, consuming 30 History Points, leaving you with 265 points.]

Name: Deng Jing

Loyalty: —

【统御：86武力：83智力：74政治：64名望：42】

[Characteristics: Loyal, resolute, trustworthy, benevolent, and prudent]

[Talents: Garrisoning, Gun Formation, Military System, Archery Skill, Strategy, Land Reclamation, Troop Training...]

Xiao Heng was very satisfied with the impressive data.

With both leadership and combat prowess at 80, it's still some distance from being the strongest, and it's estimated that it can increase further.

But there's a kind of benevolence and prudence in his character; no wonder he sympathized with the soldiers before.

Before Deng Jing could process the information, Xiao Heng had already turned around, but this time he looked north, having made up his mind.

"To appoint you as a personal guard in Qingzhou and Langya is a waste of your talents!"

Deng Jing's breath hitched slightly; he didn't quite understand.

However, Xiao Heng's next words were completely unexpected.

"Those new recruits will be under your command from now on."

Deng Jing suddenly looked up at Xiao Heng's back, almost thinking he had misheard.

"I......"

Deng Jing instinctively wanted to refuse.

Xiao Heng interrupted him, still without turning around.

"You've seen the island's defense map and know its strategic locations. Han Yong and his men don't have that ability; they're only good at charging in. But you're different!"

Before Xiao Heng could finish speaking, he turned his head slightly and glanced at Deng Jing's hesitant face.

"Murong Yan might come again; perhaps this time it will be Murong De!"

A sea breeze suddenly blew by.

The night seemed to grow even darker in the distance, towards Yuzhou Island.

Deng Jing stood there, quietly watching Xiao Heng, wondering how far ahead he could possibly think.

From the supervisor to the prefect, from Tan County to this place, every step seemed meticulously planned.

Now they not only want to use him, but they're also so bold as to fabricate a perfectly plausible new background for him.

Trust? A test? Or...?

Deng Jing was somewhat bewildered by his chaotic thoughts, and he stared at Xiao Heng's gaze for a long time.

"Chen Jing, obey!"

There were no grand pronouncements like "I will not fail in my mission," but the simple words "I accept the mission" already signified that he had taken on this role.

From that moment on, he truly began to tie his future together with Xiao Heng's.

Xiao Heng's eyes were full of satisfaction, and then he turned back towards Yuzhou Island.

"Just wait, the news should arrive before dawn. Then, you, the new leader of Yuzhou Island, will have something to do! A buyer has already been found at Langya Port. Our goods will need a safer and more convenient passage!"

The western coast of Yuzhou Island is characterized by steep cliffs and jagged rocks, making it neither a good harbor nor an ideal landing point.

This is why the island's bandits had the most lax defenses at this spot, with only a simple lookout hut where two bandits, wrapped in fur coats, were dozing together.

Just past midnight, the tide had receded to a suitable level.

The vanguard soldiers personally selected by Han Yong were mostly veterans of the Northern Army and the most valiant new recruits in training.

Almost simultaneously, two dozing bandits had their mouths covered and throats slit by blades, without even uttering a sound.

Han Yong was soaked to the bone, seawater dripping down his armor plates, and made a simple gesture.

Behind them, more dark figures landed on the shore and quickly gathered at the foot of the cliff, forming a dense, dark mass.

There were no torches, no drums.

The attack was launched in absolute silence and darkness.

Following the route that had been repeatedly simulated and rehearsed beforehand, the landing troops, in teams, swiftly advanced along the paths trodden out by the bandits themselves.

The initial resistance came abruptly and chaotically.

Several bandits who were getting up at night or on patrol suddenly encountered armored soldiers surging in from the darkness. They were so frightened that some turned and ran away, shouting, "The Jin soldiers are here!" Others instinctively swung their swords, but were easily pierced by several bamboo spears thrust out at the same time.

The screams were particularly piercing in the quiet night, but they only lasted for a moment before disappearing into the sound of the waves.

"Speed ​​up!"

Han Yong gave a low shout, and the group continued on their way.

The bandit strongholds on the island were mostly wooden huts haphazardly built according to the terrain.

When Han Yong's main force entered the first fence and rushed into a relatively concentrated area of ​​shacks, the real chaos began.

The bandits, awakened from their sleep, rushed out in a panic, some unarmed, others grabbing weapons haphazardly.

The new recruits worked in groups of three, covering each other. They might have been afraid, but the presence of their comrades, the support of the veterans behind them, and Han Yong's order that anyone who retreated would die, forced them to channel their fear into the strength to thrust forward.

The resistance was fragmented and desperate.

The fierce bandits charged forward with howls, only to be instantly struck by several spears at once.

Those who attempted to launch a counterattack in groups were quickly defeated by the more organized squad formations.

Many others, seeing that all was lost, either knelt down to surrender or dropped their weapons and fled into the depths of the island.

Han Yong gave the enemy no time to breathe or reorganize.

He detached a force to clear out the remaining enemy and guard the prisoners, while he personally led the main force, disregarding the rugged mountain roads, and headed straight for the bandit leader's stronghold in the center of the island and the salt field next to it.

There were relatively more lights there, indicating that they had already learned of the attack and were hastily gathering.

However, the hastily assembled bandits faced the long swords of seasoned veterans.

Han Yong didn't even make any complicated formation adjustments; he simply pointed his sword forward.

"Bows and crossbows, fire a volley! The rest of you, charge! Those who surrender will be spared!"

The crossbow bolts pierced the night sky and landed on the chaotic bandits, causing screams of agony.

Before the other side could react, the new recruits wielding bamboo spears had already pushed forward.

The bandit leader attempted to organize his trusted confidants to launch a counterattack, but their resistance proved futile against the dense gunfire.

Han Yong took the lead, personally leading a team of elite swordsmen and shieldmen to charge directly into the heart of the bandit group and head straight for the bandit leader who was shouting and giving orders.

The bandit leader was quite fierce. Seeing Han Yong's bright armor, he knew he was the leader and roared as he charged at him, swinging a thick-backed cleaver.

Han Yong neither dodged nor evaded, but raised his shield to parry the powerful blow. Then, he swept his right hand out from under the shield with his ring-pommel sword, precisely striking the side of the opponent's neck!

Blood spurted far in the torchlight, the bandit leader's eyes widened, his long knife fell to the ground, and he swayed before collapsing backward.

"Your leader is dead! Those who kneel and lay down their weapons will not be killed!"

Han Yong stepped on the bandit leader's corpse, raised his knife and shouted, his voice shaking the night sky.

The bandit leader was killed instantly, and the already crumbling resistance completely collapsed.

The remaining bandits let out a shout, and apart from a few die-hards who rushed forward with bloodshot eyes to their deaths, most of the rest dropped their weapons and knelt down.

Meanwhile, another detachment led by Liu Dan had successfully taken control of the freshwater lake at the top of the mountain and continued to advance downwards to join forces with Han Yong's main force.

There was almost no resistance from the salt field, and the bandits guarding the salt field had already fled.

By the time dawn broke, the coastline and central core area of ​​Yuzhou Island had largely fallen under Han Yong's control.

Some of the remaining bandits were captured, while others scattered and hid in the dense forest on the east side of the island.

Han Yong did not launch an immediate attack.

He ordered the battlefield to be cleared, the spoils to be counted, the prisoners to be taken into custody, and the civilians and salt workers who had been kidnapped by the bandits to be comforted. At the same time, he sent troops to guard the key roads and trap the remaining bandits on the island.

He knew that these trapped turtles, lacking water and food, were experiencing internal turmoil, and it was only a matter of time before they surrendered or collapsed.

The battle, from its initiation to its control center, lasted only a little over two hours.

As the sun rose, Han Yong stood on a high point in front of the bandit leader's stronghold, looking down at the island under his control, his face showing little joy.

His own casualties were minimal, which was within his expectations. Proper tactics, rigorous training, and surprise attacks were exactly what was expected when dealing with a group of undisciplined and complacent bandits.

He was more concerned with the spoils.

Soon, preliminary reports came in: the granary contained 300 shi of millet alone. Although it was not a high-quality grain, it was enough to alleviate the urgent needs of Qu County.

The salt reserves at the salt fields are even more remarkable, as they are the result of years of plundering small salt villages along the coast.

There was even an armory with a lot of standard weapons, belonging to both Jin and Qin soldiers.

In addition to the looted gold, silver and valuables, the most important items were the large ballista and many crossbow bolts that Xiao Heng had his eye on.

"Send a fast ship immediately to report to the Prefect: Yuzhou Island has been captured, the bandit leader has been executed, and a great deal of spoils have been seized. The remaining enemy is trapped and can be pacified in a day or two."

Han Yong gave orders to his personal guards. He looked up towards Xiaozhu Island, as if he could see Xiao Heng waiting for news.

That night, wherever the blade struck, nothing was spared.

The banditry that had plagued the East China Sea for many years was thus eliminated.