Invasion of Xiaoyao

The Invasion of Xiaoyao Ford was during the winter of 200 AD, when Sun Jing had just made a stand in 199 AD at Hefei against Bian Xing. Sun Jing looks east to deal with a band of pirates roaming the area.

The Assault on Hefei
In 199 AD, Sun Jing's Forces launched an attack on Bian Xing's Forces, leading an Assault on Hefei. The battle was in the favor of Sun Jing, who defeated Bian Xing in the battle and captured the land of Hefei.

Afterwards, Sun Jing built up his army to prepare for an invasion on the Kingdom of Wu, which was under siege by many warlords now. He made officers such as Cheng Pu, Yu Ran, and Sun Yi his generals, and Zhu Zhi, Zhang Zhao and several others stood as advisers.

Pirates Ravage The Eastern Shores
Sometime after the defeat of Bian Xing, Sun Jing received word from Zu Mao of a band of pirates that have been causing a ruckus among the eastern areas of Hefei, specifically Xiaoyao. They were referred to as the Xiaoayo Pirates. While his wife Kokochin suggested that these pirates the dealt with as soon as possible, Sun Jing at first ignored it to focus his efforts on preparing to capture Wu.

However, ignoring this problem gave the pirates more room to attack. The pirate leader Jiang Qin, who formerly led Jiangan Pirates, led an assault on several storehouses of Sun Jing's Forces. Seeing this threat was no longer something he could ignore, Sun Jing sent out Cheng Pu and Zhuge Jin to deal with these pirates immediately.

The Xiaoyao Pirates Strike
Beginning the next attack on Xiaoyao was soon led by these pirates, the two in question were Qian Xiu and Yang Ding attacking from the shores of Xiaoyao. Cheng Pu and Zhuge Jin headed out against them in battle the moment they arrived, leading a small army 2,000 strong against the 300 numbered pirates of the Xiaoyao Pirates.

Despite their small numbers, Zhuge Jin noted that these pirates were indeed a tough bunch, nearly forcing them to retreat at first. As they lost a good amount of forces both the pirates and Sun Jing's men were forced to withdraw.

Battle on the Land
Sun Jing knew that the pirates may now come at them with everything they've got, and knew he had the men needed to defeat them. He wasted no time and sent Cheng Pu and Zhuge Jin out to lead the assault against them, along with Sun Yi, Sun Lang, and Yu Ran.

The pirates besieged the shores with everything they had, but they were no match against Sun Jing's Forces on the land, and fled to the water, fighting with catapults and other ranged tactics from afar.

Battle on the Water
Zhuge Jin was advised by locals to occupy the docks and use any ships they had available to fight these pirates. Cheng Pu and Yu Ran were some of the few with water based fighting experience. Zhuge Jin, Cheng Pu, and Yu Ran soon set out for the pirate fleet, where Jiang Qin the leader of the pirates greeted them. After denying his request to surrender, they engaged in battle.

Jiang Qin and the Xiaoyao Pirates held the advantage for a long while, their experience fighting being nothing but mainly on water. Cheng Pu and Yu Ran used what little experience they had to try and hold out, but even they couldn't last forever.

Before they could retreat, Zhuge Jin arrived with several more troops wanting to aid them on the water. Having been encouraged by their men's bravery, the men of Sun Jing's army crushed the pirates, capturing their ships and their crew

Aftermath
After the battle, Sun Jing met with Jiang Qin and the others, asking them to aid them in their conquest. Jiang Qin saw no need to disagree with him, and joined forces with Sun Jing, increasing the might of their forces. Soon, the attacks on Xiaoyao stopped as any remaining pirate activity was quelled.

Water-Based Training
Jiang Qin and the Xiaoyao Pirates were given a high position as to train Sun Jing's Forces on water based fighting, and the art of fighting on ships.

Sun Jing wanted to make sure that he would have no signs of weakness as he showed today while on the water. With these pirates at his disposal, he intended to make sure that his men are well trained for anything on the water. Even he himself participated, as he was prepared to head to the front lines himself if need be.

Plans to Conquer Wu
Zhang Zhao and other officials meanwhile observed the state of the south. The largest force was led by Liu Yao in the south while Yan Biahu and Wang Lang had currently allied with him as well. Xiang Guang, a former member of the Rushin Clan was defending his position at Changsha successfully while the former Imperial Han minister Biao Nian, was also fighting at Wu.

The biggest obstacle would be defeating Liu Yao and crushing his alliance. Notable officers such as Tashi Xiang, Dong Xi, Lu Fan, and Yu Mi were among his forces.

Casualties
Both sides lost about 900 soldiers.