With a cry of alarm, the massive mast, several zhang high, crashed down with a thunderous roar.
Having lost its main sail, the ship's power plummeted by more than half.
Watching the pursuing ships that were not rushing, but steadily closing in behind them, Wan Yan Xuanzong's heart sank.
"It's over..."
Even as an outsider, he knew his end had truly arrived.
"Hahahaha, heaven truly aids me!"
Seeing the Jin flagship suddenly halt in the distance, Li Bao's spirits soared.
Just a brief squall had already cost the Jin nearly a hundred warships. Now, there was no need to fight desperately. They simply needed to trail them at a comfortable distance and watch the Jin navy be annihilated!
Thinking of the glorious victory they were about to achieve, Li Bao wished he could fly back to Mingzhou immediately.
"Pass down the order: no need to rush. Just follow them, drive them into the deep sea, and sink any vessel that tries to turn back. I want no prisoners!"
Looking at the Jin's battered little boats struggling in the waves, Li Bao didn't even have the inclination to take prisoners.
After all, their spoils of war were so immense, they wouldn't have enough ships to carry these Khitan and Jurchen soldiers.
"General Li, those larger ships could still be useful!"
Seeing Li Bao's ecstatic joy, Yue Fei quickly reminded him with a smile.
"Right, right, you're absolutely correct! Those larger ships can be used to carry things!"
Although the Jin warships were not comparable as naval vessels, their larger ships could certainly serve as merchant ships.
Even if they couldn't sell them, they could fetch some copper coins from the East India Company.
Compared to land battles, conflicts at sea were often far more brutal.
The boundless sea was like a beast that was never satisfied; anyone who fell into its maw had almost no chance of survival.
Under Li Bao's pursuit, in less than half an hour, the Jin navy's warships were capsizing into the waves at an astonishing rate, as if they were being churned out like dumplings.
Countless Jin soldiers struggled and cried for help in the sea, only to be swallowed by the waves and then torn to shreds by sharks that smelled the blood.
It wasn't until the colossal fleet was reduced to fewer than thirty ships that Wan Yan Xuanzong's flagship finally raised a white flag.
"General, they've reached their limit!"
Seeing the white flag raised on the Jin flagship, the captains on Li Bao's ship began to cheer.
"From this day on, we rule the seas! Hahahaha!"
With the Jin navy completely annihilated, both Li Bao and Yue Fei were ecstatic.
Yue Fei had conquered cities and captured strongholds, and Li Bao had dominated the seas. Though their expedition had lasted less than a month, both men understood that their fortunes were now assured.
The merit from this single battle alone was enough to elevate them to high positions.
Of course, compared to their immediate gains, the strategic objective achieved in this battle was even more important.
With the Jin navy utterly destroyed, it meant that for at least the next ten years, all of the Jin's coastal cities would be under their threat.
Any port that could be landed upon could become a launching point for the Song army.
Any merchant ship flying the Jin flag could face a devastating blow from the Song forces.
The entire Jin territorial waters had become their backyard. If they wished, they could even sail into the inland rivers during high tide.
Without sufficient naval power, the Jin were helpless against them.
Unless they sealed off all their internal waterways, their own losses would be even more unbearable.
After all, in this era, water transport was the most economical means of transportation.
Just as they were gleefully preparing to return to their hidden treasure location, the city of Bianliang finally faced its most severe test.
A total of 150,000 Jin soldiers had encircled Bianliang, leaving no room to maneuver.
Looking at the Jin soldiers below the city walls, Li Gang now deeply wished he could curse Zhao Huan's father.
The Jin had amassed 150,000 troops, and this number was still growing as Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang joined forces.
However, Li Gang had less than 60,000 usable troops at his disposal.
While this number might not seem insignificant, considering the standard 5:1 ratio for attacking and defending a city, the disadvantage wasn't too great.
The problem was that Bianliang, as the capital of the Great Song, required at least 30,000 men just to man the city walls at their maximum capacity.
In addition to the city walls, the Yanfeng Granary line outside the city would also require at least 20,000 men to stabilize the situation.
After all, nearly 400,000 shi of grain and beans were stored there.
If this area couldn't be held, any reinforcement armies arriving later would find the sheer consumption of food and fodder enough to bankrupt this already beleaguered dynasty.
These two major deployments alone accounted for nearly 50,000 men.
With only 10,000 men left as the final reserve force, how could they possibly be sufficient?
"My lord, have you been awake all night again?"
Although Han Shizhong was not even a small fry in the crowded city of Bianliang, filled with high officials, he was a talent personally recommended by Han Mo, and even Li Gang trusted him to a considerable extent.
If not for his help in advising Li Gang these past few days, the current situation would likely have been even more agonizing for Li Gang.
"There's just too much going on lately; it's impossible to get everything done!"
Seeing the concern on Han Shizhong's face, Li Gang gave a wry smile.
"There seems to be nothing urgent at the moment. Why don't you get some sleep before the Jin attack?"
"No need. Is there something you've come about at this time?"
After splashing his face with cold water, Li Gang looked back at Han Shizhong.
"This..."
Seeing Li Gang's bloodshot eyes, Han Shizhong felt a bit hesitant.
"Just say what you need to say, don't hesitate!"
Seeing his reluctant demeanor, Li Gang spoke directly.
"My lord, you'd better see for yourself!"
As he spoke, Han Shizhong produced a letter from his sleeve.
"What is this brat trying to say now?"
Recognizing the familiar handwriting on the envelope, Li Gang felt a headache coming on.
Although Han Mo was not in Bianliang, the suggestions he had made always left Li Gang feeling as though he had been seen through.