Three Kingdoms: Prince of the Great Wei, Prime Minister Cao

Chapter 48: The Jiangdong Navy Still Stands, Zhou Gongjin of the Past Nowhere to Be Seen!

“Li Dian! I pay my respects to Lord Cao!”

Not long after Cao Cao’s grand army had arrived at Chao Lake, but before the order was given to set up camp, as a Cao army warship approached the shore of Chao Lake in the distance, Li Dian, the deputy to vanguard general Cao Hong, had disembarked from the ship.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Hahaha!”

Cao Cao laughed heartily, then turned to those around him, including Xun You, Zhang Liao, Yu Jin, Sima Yi, Cao Ju, Cao Pi, Cao Zhang, and others, saying, “Since we’ve reached Chao Lake, how could we not take a look at the enemy’s formation?”

“The other generals will stay to arrange the army’s encampment. The rest of you, come with me onto the ship to witness.”

During this process, Cao Cao didn’t question why only Li Dian had come and why Cao Hong hadn’t. In his heart, Cao Cao was as clear as a mirror. Because at this moment, his younger cousin Cao Hong could not leave. He must be facing off against the Jiangdong navy. As the main commander of the vanguard army, if Cao Hong had come here with Li Dian to welcome Cao Cao, their navy would undoubtedly have fallen into a state of chaos without a leader.

Subsequently, Cao Cao took the lead and stepped onto Li Dian’s warship, which had come to welcome him. Cao Ju’s movements weren’t slow. However, unlike Cao Cao, who was accustomed to warships and was focused on the distant Jiangdong navy, Cao Ju, after stepping onto the warship, was profoundly awed by its sheer size.

The warship he stood on was approximately eighty zhang long (a Chinese unit of measurement), with three decks from top to bottom.

Not only was the exterior of the warship imposing and filled with the aura of Wei’s martial might, but soldiers in armor stood on both sides of the ship, spears, and weapons thrusting into the sky. With just a glance, there were nearly a thousand soldiers onboard. It could be considered a floating fortress.

Comparing this to the illustrations of early Western ships from history textbooks of later eras, during the Age of Exploration, the scale of those ships was nothing compared to what he was seeing now. It was as if those ships didn’t even matter! Even the ship Christopher Columbus used to discover the New World, aside from its slightly better sea-going capabilities…

Could any aspect of it compare to the ship beneath his feet?

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“Young master, it seems that as someone new to warships, you’re quite amazed by this vessel?”

At an unknown moment, Xun You had come to Cao Ju’s side. The lake breeze ruffled the beard under his chin, and Xun You smiled while looking at Cao Ju.

“Not hiding anything from Counselor Xun,”

“Indeed, I’m truly astounded in my heart.”

“At the same time, I feel a sense of curiosity…”

“If our navy’s warships, which are not skilled in naval warfare, are already like this, what kind of scale will the enemy’s Jiangdong navy, which is renowned for its maritime strength, possess?”

In response to Cao Ju’s question, Xun You smiled and pointed towards a distant Jiangdong military flag. “Young master, have you seen that enemy’s battle flag?”

Following Xun You’s gesture, Cao Ju quickly noticed that the Jiangdong military flag seemed much higher than the others.

“I see it!” He nodded slightly.

“Where that flag stands is the unique large warship of Jiangdong in the whole world – the Tower Ship.”

“It has five levels, towering over ten zhang high, with the distance from bow to stern reaching a hundred zhang. This single warship can carry three thousand soldiers.”

“With a few Tower Ships in action, they can dominate the entire river.”

“In the battle of Chibi of yesteryear, our defeat was not only due to the timing of the elements but also to the advantage of the enemy’s warships.”

As for the other reasons for the defeat, Xun, You left them unsaid. Had he not noticed that Lord Cao Cao was standing nearby?

If Xun You had mentioned them, would Cao Cao’s expression have remained pleasant?

“Yes, Counselor, your words are correct.”

While Cao Ju didn’t necessarily agree with Xun You’s words, he wisely chose to concur. The defeat at Chibi might have been influenced by timing and the advantage of the enemy’s warships, but those were all external reasons.

The real reason for the defeat was just one…His father, Cao Cao, had been too hasty.

How can one stomach hot tofu when in a hurry?

Had his father, Cao Cao, taken a proper rest and spent five-ten years, after defeating Yuan Shao and subduing the Wuhuan, all the while building a formidable navy…

The southern reaches of the Yangtze River could have been settled with a single decisive battle.

How could it have made the Sun and Liu forces so powerful in the south?

When Cao Ju and Xun You were conversing, as Li Dian ordered, the Cao army warships gradually moved away from the shore and sailed towards the lake’s center. Half an hour later, Cao Ju and the warship carrying Cao Cao had joined with Cao Hong’s flagship. Crossing the temporary plank bridge between the two ships, Cao Ju finally stood on the flagship where his father, Cao Cao, was located, and from this vantage point, he saw the entirety of the Jiangdong military.

The warships stretched out, covering Chao Lake.

While the grandeur of their military formation might not match the vast and overwhelming scene of the two hundred thousand Wei soldiers marching out when he witnessed it at Hefei…

But amidst it all, the boundless lake waters as the backdrop gave a sense of awe differently. The Chao Lake naval battle had yet to commence, but it was already breathtaking.

Four years ago, the Battle of Chibi determined the course of the north and south, influencing the future of Chinese history.

How spectacular would it be?

At that time, Zhou Gongjin, also known as Zhou Yu, standing on the mighty Yangtze River, must have been a remarkable figure. However, he had arrived too late at this time. He never had the chance to meet him to witness Zhou Yu’s magnificence.

What a pity…

Cao Ju sighed deeply in his heart. The Jiangdong navy still dominated the river, but the beautiful Zhou Lang of the past was nowhere to be seen!