My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

Huaipu, night.

Upon arriving at the Chen family's old residence and learning that He Qian and Zhuge Kan's three thousand naval troops had arrived near Sikou, Xiao Heng hesitated.

"They came so quickly. Historically, these same two were the ones who seized Sikou!"

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Heng's consciousness slowly entered his sea of ​​consciousness, no longer caring about the historical timeline.

[Start deep simulation!]

[Total historical points invested: 667]

[Objective: With the current troop strength, capture Sikou Water Fortress and Huaiyin City]

[Simulation Start]

[Option 1: Divide the forces into five groups and launch an attack, while contacting He Qian to have him block them...]

[Option Two: The entire army will detour via the Huai River...]

【...】

[Plan Thirteen: Launch a large-scale attack on Sikou, followed by...]

When more than one hundred history points had been used up, Xiao Heng saw a suitable solution.

[Simulation forcibly terminated!]

[Historical Points Consumed: 156]

[Excess points returned: 511]

[Assessment: Based on a normal historical timeline, any direct military pressure could lead to its complete collapse. The minimum requirement is a regular army of no less than 5,000 men, and ensuring the survival of allied forces.]

[Final Recommendation: No need for complex tactics, coordinate with friendly forces]

[WARNING: Ignoring this timeline may lead to unforeseen changes for certain individuals and factions in the future!]

Xiao Heng ignored the warning, as he was going to seize the credit, and he didn't care if he fell out with the two of them.

In the hall, which was temporarily converted into a military council, Han Yong, Chen Da, Liu Dan, Lu Da, and even Zhou Laosi and others stood solemnly to receive orders.

"General He has arrived!"

Xiao Heng's words were simple, but everyone's reactions were different.

Han Yong, Chen Da, and the others were very excited, and even Lu Da joined in the discussion.

"Haha, I knew the Qin army were cowards! They still came back!"

"Chen Da Ge, he'll probably be a military commander when he gets back!"

"Finally, I can get a better bow! This bow from those barbarians is really no fun!"

"..."

Only Zhou Laosi remained silent, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.

"Tonight, we'll take the initiative!"

Chen Da, who was having a good time, was taken aback.

"My lord, the Qin reinforcements have arrived, and I hear they are all elite troops!"

Han Yong nudged Chen Da with his elbow.

"Murong Yan isn't an elite force? He still has to kneel down!"

Xiao Heng was very satisfied after hearing this. Since the last battle, these guys felt that they were capable again. This battle might result in many deaths.

He did not discourage these people and continued to deploy.

"This night raid will be carried out in three groups. The first group, led by Lu Da, will consist of 1,500 men who are good at swimming. They will travel by fast boat and carry flammable materials such as oil and saltpeter. Under the cover of darkness, they will approach the Sikou Water Village and launch a surprise attack with rockets and fire boats to burn down the village's palisades and warships, creating chaos. They will strike and retreat immediately, without lingering in battle."

"The second route will be led by Han Yong with two thousand men, who will follow by boat to provide support. If Chen Da succeeds and the enemy forces leave the camp to pursue, you will intercept them halfway and cover Chen Da's retreat. If the enemy forces do not come out, then retreat together with Chen Da."

"The third route, which I will personally lead, will travel by boat south along a tributary of the Mu River, but will not directly participate in the attack on Sikou. Our mission is to ambush at Laoguandang, about twenty miles north of Huaiyin City. The waterways there are complex, and reeds grow in abundance. It is the only way from Huaiyin City to Sikou."

Xiao Heng moved his hand across the sand table, drawing a waterway from Huaiyin to Sikou.

"In our previous encounters, Shao Bao, the garrison commander of Huaiyin, has been cautious in his military tactics, but as long as he dares to leave the city, we will have a chance."

Liu Dan added, "I have personally surveyed the Laoguandang area. There are several abandoned ditches connected to the main river channel, where our boats can be concealed. There are also large areas of reeds and marshes on the banks, making it difficult for infantry to deploy, and even more so for cavalry to pass through. If we set up an ambush here, it could be extremely effective."

Xiao Heng nodded: "Exactly. The key to this battle is speed. The attack on Sikou must be swift, the withdrawal must be swift, and the ambush must be swift. We must keep the Qin army guessing about our true intentions and the location of our forces."

He looked at everyone, his gaze sharp: "Furthermore, General He's navy is also operating nearby. But they are unaware of our specific plans, and we don't need to contact them. Let each do their own thing; if we can reach a tacit understanding, that would be best, but if not, there's no need to force it."

The generals accepted the order with utmost respect.

Sikou Water Village.

The Qin army stationed two thousand troops here, but because Shao Bao had previously ordered a relaxed exterior but a tight interior, the nighttime vigilance was not strict. Furthermore, the northward transfer of Liu Hun's army made the garrison somewhat complacent.

Midnight had passed when Chen Da's speedboat fleet appeared like ghosts on the river outside the water fortress.

Sikou Water Village was quiet, with most of the guards fast asleep, and only a few lanterns flickering in the wind.

Lu Da led his fast boats to the shore silently. The soldiers carried oil-soaked linen and sneaked into the vicinity of the water fortress in the dark, avoiding the sight of the patrolling soldiers, and poured oil on the hulls of the grain ships and warships.

With a whistle, torches were thrown out in unison, and flames instantly soared into the air, spreading rapidly with the help of the night wind and engulfing the ships one by one.

At a command, dozens of rockets pierced the night sky, heading towards the wooden fences of the water village and the boats moored inside.

Meanwhile, more than a dozen small boats loaded with firewood and kerosene rushed downstream toward the gate of the water fortress.

In an instant, flames erupted everywhere, and shouts of battle and screams filled the air.

The Qin army hastily organized firefighting and defense, but Chen's main force did not approach, only firing crossbows from a distance to create chaos.

By the time the Qin army's warships set out to pursue them, Chen Da had already ordered a retreat. The fast boats sailed downstream and quickly disappeared into the darkness.

Meanwhile, the Qin army that pursued from the shore encountered Han Yong's troops, who were still lying in ambush there.

The entire attack took less than half an hour. Fires broke out in many places in Sikou Water Village, with flames shooting into the sky and shining brightly in the night.

On the waterways where the Huai and Si rivers intersect.

After swimming to the waiting speedboat, Lu Da and his group quietly disappeared into the night.

Inside Huaiyin City, Liu Hun was already assembling his troops; he couldn't wait until dawn.

"Xiao Heng, you little brat! How dare you launch a night raid on my water fortress! I'll kill you!"

He completely disregarded the fact that his soldiers had not yet finished resting and forgot Shao Bao's warning against rashness, and immediately led five thousand infantry and cavalry in a furious pursuit towards the fire.

Downstream at the estuary, He Qian and Zhuge Kan had already been alerted by the fires at the water fortress and were ordering the navy to be on alert when suddenly a troop of Qin cavalry on fast boats came galloping towards them, brightly lit and menacing. Zhuge Kan frowned.

"Why did the Qin army suddenly arrive here? Could it be that they discovered our presence and came to launch a surprise attack?"

He Qian was already anxious because he was alone in the enemy territory, and upon seeing this, he immediately roared in anger.

"Screw it! If credit's been handed to us, we'll just do it!"

The Northern Army's navy had already formed ranks, archers were drawing their bows and nocking arrows, and fast boats were positioned across the middle of the river.

The team that was originally pursuing Chen Da ran headlong into the ambush. Before they could react, a large number of them were shot down by a dense barrage of arrows.

The Qin soldiers then realized that the difference in strength between the two sides was too great. However, Zhuge Kan had already led his men to surround them. Their retreat route had been cut off by the Beifu Army's fast boats. The cavalry could not deploy their formations on the shallows beside the river and could only passively take the beating.

The fast boats weaved through and divided the Qin army's ranks, while the archers accurately shot down the fleeing cavalry. The few hundred men who had pursued them suffered heavy casualties in an instant. They tried to fight back, but they couldn't even get close to the Northern Army's formation and could only be wiped out one by one.

"They dare to launch a sneak attack with just this many people?"

He Qian looked at the annihilated Qin army and asked in confusion, but Zhuge Kan disagreed.

"Why don't we go to Sikou and see? What if Xiao Heng has already made his move?"

"Do it yourself?"

"Have you forgotten what Lu Ming said? He has seven thousand soldiers!"

"I'll listen to you this once! All troops, attack!"

At He Qian's command, the army charged toward Sikou.

Meanwhile, outside Huaiyin City, there was Laoguandang.

Liu Dan hurriedly ran back and whispered.

"My lord, they're coming out! Leading the way are mostly cavalry, followed by three thousand infantry!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Heng realized that this was the newly arrived reinforcement army and immediately gave the order.

"No one is allowed to move. Let them pass!"

Before Liu Dan and the others could react, Xiao Heng whispered instructions to Liu Dan.

"Send someone to inform Han Yong..."

Although he spoke softly, Xiao Heng deliberately made sure that Zhou Laosi, Chen Da, and the others around him could hear him clearly.

At this moment, Liu Dan and Chen Da were still wondering why the strategy was different from what had been arranged before. Zhou Laosi clasped his hands in greeting.

"My lord, please allow me to leave!"

Xiao Heng looked up at Zhou Laosi, hesitated for a moment, then nodded and handed over his waist token.

"Act according to the circumstances; if you fail, bring your head upon yourself!"

Zhou Laosi remained neither humble nor arrogant, clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, and then took the waist token.

Xiao Heng then pulled him aside and gave him a detailed explanation.

......