Chapter 177 Great Victory! The End of the Water Battle

The setting sun is like blood, soaking in the lake surface that is also filled with blood. Such a magnificent picture is shocking. The warm wind is like fire, sweeping through the lake that is also spreading fire, and such an exciting melody makes people feel heroic.

At this moment, the fighting is coming to an end, and the outcome is already determined! This was a decisive battle of unprecedented scale, bringing together two of the most powerful naval forces in Central America. The outcome of this battle determines the strategic initiative up and down the Leman River, and also determines the fate of both sides in the Western Expedition!

For this battle, Shulot made the greatest preparations. He gathered three hundred large boats and nearly a thousand small boats, fully loaded with 20,000 warriors. He brought with him a loyal guard battalion, an elite royal regiment, and longbow militiamen who were good at shooting. He waited for favorable weather, selected the battlefield for the war, and activated new weapons that had been hidden for a long time. The Mexicans have always focused on the army, and this is the largest fleet he can assemble!

For this battle, the Russian faction also made the greatest preparations. As people of the lake who are good at water warfare, the Tarascans have a stronger water army. The "Crocodile" nobles commandeered all warships in the Quetseo Lake area, the Chapala Lake area, and even all the warships up and down the Leman River. He assembled a total of four hundred large boats and more than a thousand small boats, fully loaded with 25,000 warriors and militiamen who were good at water warfare. He had the advantage of warships and troops, rushing down from the upper reaches, and came with the whole country!

As a naval commander who has been in battle for decades, the Russian faction has not made any strategic mistakes. He concentrated the most advantageous troops, launched the fastest attack, and made advance preparations for the longbow, and did his best. In his calculations, the superior Tarasco Navy would win the decisive battle, which was the biggest reason why he resolutely launched the decisive battle.

"It wasn't until the weapons of the new era brought blazing fire and the Tarascan navy fell into long chaos in fear of the myth that we really had a chance to win!"

Shulot stood on the high platform, the Black Wolf's flag flying fiercely. As a fledgling commander, he reflected on the course of the war and learned from the enemy's marshals.

"Even in the face of the epoch-making gunpowder arrows, the Russian faction made the most correct response and rushed forward without hesitation. He is a respectable opponent! In this battle, I actually won by luck. If the opponent I have seen the power of gunpowder arrows in advance. If Chapala’s fleet had not escaped, and if that arrow had hit me, there are no ifs in war, and I would have won after all!”

Thinking of this, the young commander laughed loudly and became very excited. The joy of defeating a powerful enemy echoed in his heart. In front of him were the "crocodile" flag that collapsed, enemy warriors fighting in despair, and militia boats scattered in all directions. After the grand and brutal battle, the glorious victory finally arrived!

"The strategic purpose of this battle has been achieved. The Mexican navy has since controlled the upper and lower reaches of the Leman River. The navy that Tarasco had accumulated for decades was destroyed in one day, and all the elite navy was lost!"

Shulot looked around and saw a total of four hundred mighty Tarasco ships. At this time, less than ninety of them could actually escape.

These large boats can carry forty people for combat, and their production techniques are complex. They can no longer be regarded as simple canoes. They need to cut down large wood as the keel, carefully process the strong wood, and add various wooden components on the outside. In this era of low productivity, even if the Tarascans had copper tools, they could not immediately build any large boat within two or three months. At this time, they did not have a lot of manpower for shipbuilding. In other words, Tarasco's naval losses could not be recovered at all in this war.

Along with the loss of Tarasco's fleet were samurai militiamen who were skilled in water warfare.

The young commander looked around briefly, calculating in his mind. The more than 300 large ships and hundreds of small boats left by the Tarascans on the battlefield meant the loss of more than 13,000 warriors and militiamen, as well as 3,000 to 4,000 skilled sailors. After this battle, the Hekou Fortress will fall into absolute emptiness, which is a good opportunity to seize it!

Hundreds of large boats were burning on the lake. Countless enemy boats fled southward in a hurry. The naval boats on both sides began to actively pursue them. The long wind brings warmth to the face, and there is a faint sound of fighting and cheering in the wind.

Shulot admired this magnificent scene. At this moment, he was full of pride and joy, just like drinking strong wine, galloping his horse across the battlefield, waving his troops to destroy the enemy. There is nothing more satisfying for a man than this!

After a while, the sound of fighting in front gradually weakened, and the cheers of the warriors suddenly became louder. After a while, Annatri came proudly by boat. Holding the broken half-pole flag in one hand and dragging a bound samurai prisoner with the other, she strode to the commander's high platform.

"Your Highness, this battle is won! I, the 'Source of the River' Anatri, present to you the banner of the enemy's commander!"

The female warrior raised her head and saluted. Immediately, she stepped forward and threw the broken "crocodile" flag onto the commander's high platform.

Shulot lowered his head slightly and looked at the damaged "crocodile" flag, the withered flag tip with long feathers, and the blood-stained dark pattern. It was the flag of the commander of the boat that had chased him! He stared at it for a moment, but instead of reaching out to pick it up, he laughed loudly.

"Very good! Anatri, my brave naval commander, the navy will be able to move up and down the river from now on, without any enemy blocking it. Now, you are the 'only source of the Leman River!'"

Hearing this, Annatri was startled for a moment, then bowed his head respectfully. She readily accepted the title given by His Highness and acquiesced to a closer affiliation. Then, she stood up and dragged the samurai prisoner behind her to His Highness. Then, the female warrior used two precise kicks to kick the opponent's back knees hard. The prisoner fell to his knees and was unable to stand up for a while.

"Your Highness, this is the family general of the enemy commander and the warrior chief of the family warriors. What is his name called Qingyu! He is very good at fighting. He led the family warriors to fight to the death of the rear palace, and then the enemy commander escaped by chance. Yes, he shot the sacred eagle. The samurai commander’s hidden arrow was his fault!”

Having said this, the female warrior angrily raised her foot again and quickly kicked the prisoner on the side. This is a fragile vital part of the human body. "Herring" Kurucha instantly curled up in pain, bit his lip with his teeth, and remained silent.

Xiuluo nodded. From time to time, there were waves of smoke covering the battlefield ahead. Although he noticed the small boat escaping behind the enemy ship, the front army was blocked by the family warriors fighting to the death, and he quickly lost track of the "Crocodile" noble. He ordered the boats on both sides to pursue and search, but he didn't really care about the result.

The Chapala fleet fled downstream without engaging in battle. It was obvious that its morale was depleted and it was impossible to support the river mouth fortress in a short period of time. The Russian faction abandoned its flagship and fled alone, having no impact on the war situation. The "Crocodile" nobles lost the main force of the navy and elite warriors. Even if they successfully escaped back to the river mouth fortress, they would no longer be able to assemble a naval force that would threaten the food routes of Mexico.

Shulot no longer thought about it and carefully looked at the samurai prisoner in front of him. Although the prisoner's face was gray and dusty due to the smoke and fire, he could still see the strength and ferocity in his bones.

The young commander looked towards the lake, where there were scattered large boats of Tarasco that were desperately resisting. They should all be the most loyal family warriors. He pondered for a moment and then spoke calmly.

"The most important warrior in the alliance. Since you are a family warrior leader who is good at fighting, are you willing to surrender?"

Hearing this, Krucha raised his head and stared at the Mexica marshal who defeated the head of the family. He was surprised by the opponent's youth, and once again thought of the pursuit that almost succeeded. His expression changed for a long time, and finally he sighed in pain.

"It's you! If it had continued that day, how would we be today?"

Shulot smiled faintly.

"Qingyu, the alliance aims to conquer the world! This Western Expedition will completely conquer the Kingdom of Tarasco. If you surrender now and perform meritorious service in the Western Expedition, you will be able to create your own glorious family!"

Hearing this, Kurucha felt a chill in his heart, but his expression became even colder.

"The kingdom has been established for hundreds of years, and the Prepecha people have been passed down for thousands of years. They will never be destroyed by the Aztec barbarians! I will never betray my loyal family master and surrender to the messenger of the Ability God!"

Shulot looked calm and shook his head gently. The Prepecha people and the Mexica people are of the same origin. In fact, they are both descendants of the northwest canine branch. Even their languages ​​​​are very similar. He watched the other person's expression and asked in a deep voice after a while.

"The most important warrior in the alliance. Do you have anything else to say before heading to the Kingdom of God?"

Krucha nodded in confirmation and answered in a deep voice.

"Your Highness the Ability God, please allow me to think of a poem dedicated to the gods."

Shulot nodded slightly and waited calmly. Annatri also looked appreciative. Warriors go to death calmly, which is most in line with the Mexican aesthetic.

After a while, Krucha straightened his waist and looked at the sky with a faint smile.

"The body of a warrior is like a sweet white bass. It should die in the most glorious way at its strongest season. O supreme Sun God, I will dedicate myself to you, please taste my sweetness!"

Hearing this poem, the surrounding warriors expressed admiration.

Shulot nodded again before calmly giving the order.

"Give him an honorable death!"

Two senior warriors came up from both sides and dragged Kurucha to another boat. Then, one warrior held him down firmly while the other took out the obsidian dagger he had sacrificed. After a while, the executioner's warrior returned respectfully, knelt on one knee in front of His Highness, and held the peaceful head in his hands.

Shulot took one last look at the calm face and recited an ancient poem in a low voice.

"A warrior is like a withered flower, going to the Kingdom of God calmly and calmly."

Then, the young commander looked solemn and shouted sternly.

"Place the head on the flag of the enemy commander, recruit the enemy warriors who are still resisting, and intimidate all the prisoners of Tarasco!"

The executioner's warrior bowed respectfully, grabbed the damaged "crocodile" flag, and left quickly.

Then, the young commander waved the command flag again and shouted the order.

"The large boats and small boats on both wings sailed upstream to pursue the fleeing enemy arks! The large boats in the front line surrounded the recalcitrant enemy ships, and those who were unwilling to surrender fired their bows and arrows! The large boats in the rear line salvaged the warriors who fell into the water, and extinguished the small fire of Taras Kedazhou, treat our wounded and lightly injured prisoners! The other flagships are following me to take stock of the battle situation!"

Following Shulot's order, the loud horn sound sounded again, like a declaration of victory. The messenger boats dispersed in all directions. Soon, the Mexican navy was like a huge feathered serpent, spreading its spreading wings and roaring upstream in pursuit.

Until then, Annatri lowered his head slightly and asked softly.

"Your Highness, how is the injury of the Holy Eagle Warrior Commander?"

Shulot pondered for a moment and smiled slightly.

"Bertard is behind, his life is not in danger. Annatri, please go and see for me."

The female warrior readily agreed, bowed her head, and then hurried away. She walked swiftly on the swaying deck, and soon found her target.

The samurai commander was lying stiffly on the cotton blanket, his muscular upper body half exposed, and his back where he had been hit by an arrow was wrapped in white cloth. There was a slight trace of blood on the white cloth. It seemed that the wound had been treated and the bleeding had been stopped.

Annatri looked at the location of the wound carefully, then put on a proud look and asked loudly.

"Chief of the Holy Eagle Warrior, Your Highness asked me to come and visit you. Are you in serious trouble?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Bertard slowly raised his head and looked at the female warrior calmly.

"Annatry, I'm fine. The military priest has checked it. Although the arrow penetrated deeply into the flesh, the damage to the muscles and bones was not serious. I didn't cough up blood, and my lungs were not damaged. Don't worry. Anna, you He is the commander of the navy, go quickly and command the navy to fight and hunt down the remaining enemies!"

Hearing that the muscles and bones were damaged, Annatri stepped forward and carefully checked behind Bertard. The warrior commander was in pain again, clenching his teeth and sweating slightly on his forehead.

After a while, the female warrior stood up proudly and spoke loudly.

"I have herbs passed down from my clan, and I will bring them to you later. You are one of the few warriors who can compare with me. You must fully recover from your wounds to avoid losing energy in future fights!"

Then, the corners of Anatri's mouth turned up, his eyes narrowed, leaving Bertard with an illusion-like smile, and turned around and left without hesitation.

"When you recover from your injuries, I'll come back to check your martial arts skills!"

The wind howled and the boat galloped until nightfall. Hundreds of Mexican boats were heading south, still chasing the enemy, lighting up dots of torches in the distance. And on the dark Lake Eureria, there are still boats burning on the lake. The flickering torches and burning boats correspond to the stars in the sky, reflecting the most splendid night scene in the Middle Ages.

Shulot sat cross-legged on the high platform, watching the fireworks at night. Warriors who were searching the battlefield continued to come, saluting respectfully and reporting. The enemy's nobles, big and small, were constantly being escorted over and imprisoned in a centralized manner. As a commander-in-chief, all military intelligence is gathered here, and all decisions are made from here.

The young commander smiled and nodded. He sincerely praised the generals for their brave fighting, calmly decided the final fate of the prisoners, and calmly accepted the sincere admiration of the warriors.

It wasn't until dawn the next day that the final results were tallied. In this battle, the Mexican Navy captured nearly a hundred damaged Tarasco ships, and the remaining two hundred ships were turned into torches that burned all night. The navy itself also suffered losses of forty or fifty large ships. Now there are a total of three hundred and fifty large ships, half of which need to return for repairs. The small boat is relatively well preserved, and hundreds of people were captured before and after it, and now there are 1,200 of them.

As the morning light faded, Lake Eurelia was dyed a light red. There were corpses in leather armor or cloth floating on the water. Countless large carnivorous fish came after smelling the blood, and crocodiles like dead trees were biting and floating in the water. In this battle, the enemy's casualties were countless.

Schlott could only make an estimate based on the enemy troops who had escaped. The total number of Tarasco's army and navy was about 25,000. The Chapala fleet fleeing north consisted of eighty large boats, hundreds of small boats, and about five thousand people, split equally between warriors and militiamen. There were only a few hundred small boats and an estimated 3,000 militiamen who fled south. The prisoners captured successively included 500 warriors and 2,000 to 3,000 militiamen. So, the enemy lost a full fourteen thousand warriors, militiamen, and sailors, and the entire legion was completely wiped out!

In the water battle, except for the commander-in-chief who was protected by everyone, ordinary warriors had almost no way out. Once a ship engages in battle, it will always be fought until everyone on one side is killed, so it is extremely cruel. The Mexican navy also suffered many casualties, mainly concentrated in the desperate assault of hundreds of Russian ships. The navy lost nearly a thousand longbow militiamen, thousands of sailors, and more than two thousand direct royal warriors. Thousands of others were injured and needed to recover.

After learning the number of casualties, Shulot was silent for a moment. He spent half a day holding a grand water sacrificial ceremony in accordance with Mexica tradition.

In the ethereal singing of the priests who accompanied the army, dozens of Tarasco's nobles were sacrificed to the supreme god, and dozens of freshly caught crocodiles were sacrificed to the underwater rain god. Tens of thousands of Mexica warriors knelt on the deck, loudly praising the victory granted by the Lord God, and praying for the opening of the door to the kingdom of God. In the young priest's prayer, the Lord God will lead the souls of the war dead to the peaceful and beautiful red country!

After calming the morale of the soldiers, Shulot no longer paused. He left the severely wounded samurai and militiamen in the nearby Otomi village, leaving a naval force to pick up the marauding Otomi legions. Immediately, the army marched day and night back to the wooden fort on the north bank.

On the wall of the main castle, the flags of the Holy City are still flying high. Shulot and his father met alone to make a decision. He left the direct samurai corps that had gone through the war in the wooden castle to recuperate, and asked his father to be responsible for the subsequent rewards and reorganization, and to repair the damaged boat. Later, he asked Annatri to work tirelessly to lead some of the intact navy back east, transport the next batch of food, and then receive the reinforcements promised by the northern general.

Immediately, Shulot mobilized 10,000 warriors and 8,000 spear militiamen who had been resting for many days, and brought 5,000 Ottomi civilians with them to launch another attack. The main army was in a strict formation, carrying long bows, crossbows, war clubs and bronze spears. The peasants worked diligently, dragging small catapults and simple shield carts. The craftsmen looked nervous, carrying new weapons that were sealed and preserved, and unassembled gunpowder raw materials. The young commander did not stop, concentrated all his strength, and did not give the Tarascans any time to gather their troops!

Within a few days, more than 20,000 Mexican troops crossed the river and moved south, besieging the fortress at the mouth of the river. The northern front was completely shaken!

After a long time, I am finally recommended again. Thank you for your support! This is yesterday's chapter. I built a simple model to simulate the mobilization of the population of both sides, count the casualties in each war, and calculate the changes in the data of samurai and militia. It took a long time to write, so it is a little late. Come on! (_)