My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

Half an hour later, in the inner hall of the water fortress.

Deng Jing, Han Yong, Liu Dan, Chen Da, Lu Da, and even the three team leaders promoted by Deng Jing were present.

Xiao Heng glanced at everyone and had someone spread out the battle plan map drawn by Deng Jing and the detailed map of Yuzhou Island on the table.

"Commander Xie has returned to Guangling. The imperial reinforcements need to wait for news, but the Qin navy may head south at any time. We cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom."

Xiao Heng pointed to the plan diagram on the table and got straight to the point.

"The reason I have summoned you all here today is to finalize the battle plan formulated by Commander Chen, clarify the responsibilities of each team, and ensure that everyone performs their duties and supports each other."

Deng Jing nodded, stepped forward, and pointed to the various points marked on the map with a wooden pole in his hand.

"The essence of our strategy is not to defend the entire island, but to use the small lake halfway up the mountain as a water source to wear down the enemy in a prolonged battle. The Qin army has come from afar, and their provisions rely on sea transport. Water is their lifeline. If we control this choke point, we can delay their resupply and demoralize them, and victory will be within our grasp. Furthermore, we have secretly laid out opportunities to lure the enemy and launch counterattacks. Relying on the terrain, we can aim to inflict heavy losses on the enemy."

He then clearly assigned tasks to each individual.

"Commander Han, you will lead your elite troops to guard the dock. If the enemy attacks, there is no need for a desperate fight. Fight and retreat, luring their main force closer to the port. Then, burn the ships and destroy the harbor to slow down the enemy's direct breakthrough of the core area by water. Captain Liu, your archers will guard the western sandbar of the island. When the enemy lands and falls into chaos, use your crossbows for precise attacks. Captain Chen, lead the new recruits to guard several shallow areas on the outer perimeter. These areas are full of reefs, and the enemy will have to wade across to land on the island. Use the terrain to your advantage to block them."

"Chief Lu, you will lead your fleet to garrison the outer islands. There's no need for a direct confrontation with the enemy navy. Simply lie in wait, using the beacon fires on the mountaintops as signals to launch surprise attacks on their supply ships or lone warships!"

Everyone gathered around the table, carefully considering the division of labor and the details of the plan, and Han Yong spoke first.

"Abandon the port? And burn it down..."

Before Han Yong could finish speaking, Xiao Heng interrupted him.

"This matter is not a problem; we can repair it later. The enemy's forces are strong this time, and holding the port and fighting to the death is disadvantageous for us!"

After saying that, Xiao Heng looked at Deng Jing. This plan was no different from the simulation's suggestion to defend the water source to the death, and it seemed that there was still room for counterattack. Since he wanted to use it, Xiao Heng no longer hesitated. He made a sudden decision, his tone resolute.

"If there's no further point, immediately relay the orders and prepare supplies. All deployments must be completed within five days!"

"promise!"

Seeing this, everyone agreed in unison and quickly walked out.

Xiao Heng and Deng Jing were the last to emerge, and they stopped at the entrance of the water fortress.

Gazing at the lush forest on the island that had provided them with their initial shelter, Xiao Heng fell silent for a moment.

"According to what you said, killing everyone would definitely not be enough manpower. Go find Tan Lin and mobilize the salt producers and the common people!"

After hearing this, Deng Jing clasped his hands in a fist salute and left.

Upon receiving the order, Tan Lin was taken aback. His gaze fell upon the vast woodland, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

But he didn't ask a single question, only clasped his hands in a deep fist salute.

"Rest assured, General, it will be completed within five days!"

Soon, the urgent sound of gongs rang out in the areas inhabited by salt producers and migrant workers.

Tan Lin stood on a mound, facing the thousands of men, women, and children who had quickly gathered. He did not exaggerate the urgency of the military situation, but simply gave a brief mobilization speech.

"By order of the Prefect! All trees within a three-mile radius here shall be felled! All who contribute, regardless of gender or age, shall henceforth have no tenants in any of the saltworks on Yuzhou Island! As you may have noticed, the sea breeze here is even stronger than in Qu County; it is the very foundation upon which we shall live and our descendants shall depend!"

There are no grand principles, only the most straightforward promises of benefit.

This was also the right that Tan Lin initially asked Xiao Heng for. He had previously assigned it to a group of people who performed well, and the results were excellent. Now that the task was heavy, he had to promise Xiao Heng a great reward.

The crowd stirred, raising their hands in anticipation of this tangible future.

As for whether this promise is reliable, how far into the future it will take, and whether they can truly establish themselves here for a long time, the people who are busy making a living dare not think too deeply about it at this moment.

In chaotic times, a bite of meat that you can immediately take a bite of is far more tangible than a distant dream.

Soon, Xiao Heng sent people to deliver various tools, even the old knives used by the soldiers.

Although each person could only get a handful, the wisdom of these people was truly remarkable.

At first, there were a few sporadic sounds of felling and trees falling, but soon the sounds became a continuous chorus.

The wood was cut down and burned quickly; all the good timber was hauled up the mountain with ropes for the construction of the camp, while the useless timber was burned on the spot.

Three days later, the three-mile-long forest disappeared.

The area from the water village to the mountainside is now completely barren, with even the shrubs on the ground burned. Now, you can see the new campsite directly from the port, and the road up the mountain has become wider.

The new camp was built by Deng Jing and the new recruits. The specific plan was obtained by Xiao Heng using a simulator. Fortunately, the camp was not very large. The lake was surrounded by hillsides, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. The entrance to the camp was located in a riverbed that had been carved out by the water flow.

The camp's three lines of defense were all built around this dried-up riverbed.

Just beyond the first line of defense and the range of the crossbows lies a depression carved out by the water, three meters deep, now filled with sharpened wooden spikes.

This defensive line was garrisoned by spearmen, and the stockade walls were made of low wooden fences, with two rows of double-layered barricades outside the fences.

The wooden fence even had many holes, making it easy for soldiers to stab with their weapons.

The second fence is currently under construction. According to the requirements, the fence must be three meters high to house the archers, whose range is just enough to cover the depression in front.

"The progress is too slow."

After reading it, Xiao Heng did not praise it, but only uttered four words.

Deng Jing remained silent, already draining every last bit of energy from the new recruits.

"Have Tanlin bring everyone up here and tell them that they can settle on land in the mountains after the war!"

The order, carrying with it a promise, was quickly passed down.

Soon, without any complaints, the salt farmers joined the construction army, carrying their rudimentary tools, and the camp's construction speed increased dramatically.

Xiao Heng felt that it would take another five or six days to complete the construction of the entire camp.

Three days later, at night, Xu Xianzhi sent someone to deliver intelligence that the navy of Langya Port had headed south.

At dawn on the fifth day, a fast boat rushed back to the harbor, and the scout rushed into the water fortress shouting.

"Sails! Towards Qu County! A vast expanse of sails!"

Xiao Heng and Deng Jing rushed to the mountain outpost almost simultaneously.

In the distance, above the sea, a blurry yet suffocating forest of masts slowly presses in, clinging to the edge of the morning mist.

Deng Jing suddenly turned around and shouted at his personal guards.

"Order! Reinforce all unfinished fortifications on the spot! Han Yong's troops shall immediately move into the dock positions! Liu Dan's archers shall move into the sandbank to defend! New recruits, led by their respective squad leaders, shall move into their designated shallow water blocking positions according to the predetermined directions! The rest of you shall continue building the camp, prioritizing the completion of the second stockade wall!"

He glanced at Xiao Heng, who nodded emphatically.

Moments later, three plumes of thick smoke rose simultaneously from the mountain.

The calm yet tense preparation period ended abruptly, instantly switching from a tense construction mode to a tense, imminent battle state.

The sails on the sea are becoming clearer with each passing moment.