Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 372 Li Yu's "Theory of Relative Progress of Empire"

The Wanhekou Fort was built on the basis of a hill, which was 1 meters higher than the surrounding terrain.

At this distance in combat, artillery has lost its meaning.

The Qing army could only fight back frantically with raised rifles, bowl-mouthed muskets, matchlock guns, and spears.

The Qing soldiers who were even more anxious picked up artillery shells and fired them down.

Fortunately, the young soldiers of the 2nd Legion were crazy enough. They endured the heavy losses in the early stage and rushed to the artillery position using ladders.

The comrades below used their guns to shoot at the Qing troops who appeared above.

In a battlefield like this with poor visibility, raising your gun is extremely useful. You can spray bullets wherever you see the enemy moving, and they will immediately scream.

The suppression effect is super good~
Finally, a lucky soldier jumped onto the artillery platform using a ladder and successfully reached the top first.

He picked up the flintlock and pulled the trigger.

boom,
A Qing soldier in the front was shot and fell to the ground, and another was temporarily blinded.

By the time his eyes adjusted, he could no longer block the glaring bayonet and fell to the ground with a scream.

……

However, the number of defenders at the Wanhekou Fort was too large.

Under the strict orders of the officers,
The remaining Qing troops gathered in a corner of the fort, using spears and muskets to put up a desperate resistance.

It's hard to chew for a while.

Just at this time,

In the distant Wankou Town, countless torches were lit.

The Wu army soldiers who stayed behind in the town sternly ordered the townspeople to hold a bundle of grease-soaked straw in their hands.

"Everyone take a bunch, light it and run."

"Keep running, don't stop."

The town entrance,
Two bonfires were burning fiercely, and bundles of straw instantly became torches when brought together.

Except for the shorter burning time, there is nothing wrong with it.

The Qing troops at the mouth of the Wanhe River were frightened and panicked.

The first impression was "Countless Wu troops, holding torches and charging towards us. They must be the main force!"

The Qing army collapsed as expected.

The gunners ran away, and the auxiliary soldiers were not to be outdone. As long as they could escape into the darkness, they would be safe, provided they didn't miss a step and fall into the Wan River.

When Zheng Hean climbed up the ladder to the back wall of the fort, he saw a dilapidated fort.

While charging, he sprained his ankle.
He limped to the wall, swung his sword and cut off the Qing army's flag, and said with a smile:
"Brothers, turn your guns around and fire at the Qing warships."

……

in fact,

The Qing warships anchored in the Wan River had already seen the flames of the exchange of fire.

but,

They didn't dare fire in support.

When firing in the pitch black, who knows where the shells will land? They might even fall on our own people's heads.

The sailors crowded on the side of the ship to watch the fun.

It’s like “watching a community performance”.

"It seems our people can't hold on."

"It's over, it's over."

"You can't blame them. Who would dare to fight at night? This is clearly nonsense."

Everyone nodded.

Those who dare to take the initiative in close combat are absolutely elite!

Those who dare to initiate a night battle are simply the elite among the elite!
There are so many problems to overcome.
Night blindness, courage, discipline, trust.

……

suddenly,

Everyone looked at the artillery position that had fallen into silence, and an ominous premonition suddenly arose in their hearts.

Boom~
A ball of fire suddenly appeared on the fort, and a column of water rose near the side of the ship.

You can't see where the water falls, but the splashing river water feels quite cool on your scalp.

The sailors were running in panic.

Someone shouted:

"Fight back."

Someone yelled:

"Hide, hide."

There was a rumbling sound of cannons in the Wan River.

All kinds of firearms on the Qing army's warships were spewing flames, and it was as lively as the New Year.

Both sides were like blind men groping in the dark, and were having a lot of fun fighting.

The actual casualties were not great.

On the Anqing city wall, Mingliang was sweating in his palms. The long dragon-like formation of torches made everyone's heart sink to the bottom.

Every Qing soldier was grumbling;
"The main force of the Wu bandits has crossed the river."

……

At midnight,

Yang Yuchun just arrived.

He got lost on the way and got lost in the north of Anqing. He had to pay silver to hire a few common people to act as guides before he finally got to the right place.

The exhausted army fell into a deep sleep.

Only four patrol teams were left working in shifts, and 4 secret checkpoints were deployed outside the town.

The content of Wu Jun’s combat manual is constantly increasing.

Among them are Li Yu’s imagination, summary of battlefield experience, and guidance from professionals.

The secret sentry was one of Li Yu’s fantasies.

The secret sentry saw the enemy and fired a warning shot.

This method is suitable for field marches. When there is no time to build complete camp fortifications, the secret sentry can climb a tree if there is one, squat in a pit if there is one, or live in a house if there is one.

Anyway,

Just don't do it within the normal person's line of sight, and focus on surprising the target.

After the various armies of the Wu army carried out the order, they all praised Your Majesty's wisdom and expressed their heartfelt admiration.

……

The next day,

It rained heavily.

The two armies tacitly rested and did not engage in battle.

The city of Anqing was on high alert in the rain.

Wankou Town is peaceful in the rain.

Zheng Hean set up his headquarters in the largest gentry house in the town.
Listening to the report from his subordinates.

"The town's warehouses have 1200 dan of fine grain, 1100 dan of coarse grain, 5000 jin of salt, 600 jin of tea, 1000 jin of kerosene, 500 jin of lime, 2000 pieces of cloth, 500 sheets of oiled paper, 800 jin of medicinal materials, 4000 coarse cloth bags, more than 300 mules and horses, and countless bricks, stones, and wood."

“Who do these goods belong to?”

"A small part belongs to the Hekou Patrol Office, and most of it belongs to seven gentry merchants in this town."

Zheng Hean waved his hand:
"First requisition."

"Yes."

Looking at the dripping rain in the patio.

He couldn't help but mutter:
"Damn it, the Intelligence Agency has a deep family background. I can't help but admire their skill in stepping on the plate."

……

The rude Zheng Hean was actually right.

Due to Liu Qian's profession, the Intelligence Agency is very professional in the field of stepping on the plate, with analysis based on the general trend and field investigations.

All these small towns with a long history, where land and water meet, and backed by a big city, are classified by the Intelligence Agency as - fat meat that is easy to chew!
Money, grain and other supplies are highly concentrated in a small area and military defense is weak.

A small group of elite troops can occupy it with a beautiful raid!

then,

The subsequent army obtained an excellent food and material supply point, a natural logistics and water transport supply point, and a civilian labor concentration point.

The more Zheng Hean thought about it, the more he realized how terrifying the Intelligence Agency was.

He also restrained his original contempt for Qianmen in his heart, and increased his awe.

……

Wu’s army suffered more than 90 casualties in last night’s raid, but successfully captured the artillery position and controlled the river mouth.

The military flag stood quietly in the rain.

Despite the rain, the soldiers adjusted the gun positions and compressed the Qing army's warships into Qili Lake in the upper reaches of the Wan River.

The original iron chain that locked the river also became a joke. Wu Jun found 10 blacksmiths, who first used a coking coal furnace to burn the iron chain underneath until it was as thick as a wrist and turned red, and then chopped it with an axe.

All solved in 1 day.

The Qing troops in Anqing Prefecture still retreated and dared not leave the city.

Mingliang studied for a long time in the mansion, but still couldn't make up his mind to leave the city and actively seek battle.

All the officers under his command saw it.

This Fucha clan's son was useless, had no military spirit, and was indecisive. A shadow was cast over everyone's heart.

……

Rest, eat, and rotate.

The vanguard of the Wu army finally recovered their strength.

Soldiers are not machines. They cannot operate under high load for a long time and will collapse sooner or later.

even though,
There have been such incredible armies in later generations, but Li Yu never expected that he could build such an army.

For Li Yu,

The army he wanted to build was one with a relatively fair promotion mechanism, adequate pay and rewards, advanced equipment, a complete staff system, and sufficient logistical supplies.

The empire he wanted to build was a Han empire that was semi-capitalist and semi-feudal, a colony on which the sun never set, with cultural tolerance and freedom, and prosperous industry and commerce.

Before his death,

It is really not easy to achieve the above goals.

There were some ideas that Li Yu didn't even dare to reveal to anyone.

such as,

Peel off the skin of Confucianism and remove the bones of Legalism, and be reborn, with a new skin and new bones.

Why change the skin and bones?

Of course it’s brand new skin and bones!
……at first,

He wanted to build a new empire first, and then embark on drastic changes.

But later,
He gradually became worried. Perhaps he should start before the new empire appeared.
Take advantage of the war to bury these things so that there won't be too much resistance.

If the sea is peaceful and the river is clear,

If we want to deal with these things again, I'm afraid the internal resistance will be incredibly great.

Maybe it's not good,
The second war, an internal war, will begin the day the new empire is established. Never underestimate the subtle influence of thousands of years.

Once you encounter opposition from everyone and try to push through it by force, you will really become a "widower".

……

When we were fighting for our country, we all had the same goal. Everyone wanted to follow me and become a hero, and live with the country.

and,

The mentality of most of the ministers has not changed yet, and they still have a "simple mentality of ordinary people."

But when the country is firmly established, with a seat at the imperial court and a government office, most people suddenly realize that they are nobles! They should look at things from the perspective of nobles.

then,

Everyone thinks that the Confucius Mansion in Qufu is "handsome" and "loyal and obedient".

……

"Confucianism" spent 2000 years digging a bottomless pit.

Countless people fell into the pit and couldn't climb out.

Li Yu wanted to fill this hole.

How to fill it out?
First, push down the Aisin-Gioro family, then push down the Eight Banners, then push down the stubborn officials and gentry, and then push down the Confucius Mansion as well.

If the gap still cannot be filled, then push down all the Confucian scholars standing in the opposing trenches and all the fools who just follow the crowd.

If it is not filled up,

Li Yu gave up trying to fill the pit, and simply dragged the reactionary royal families and greedy nobles of Europe into the pit, and they all struggled happily in the mud together.

Progress is a relative concept.

Getting ahead of others is called progress, while being left behind is called regression.

Sometimes, you don’t have to focus solely on making progress, you can also let others fall behind.

Letting the whole world struggle in a bottomless mud pit is also a kind of progress~
……

3 days later,

The transport fleet from Jiangnan arrived and the Wu army at the fort cheered.

The transport ship has a simple crane on its deck.

Unloading artillery is a very risky job.

Before lifting the heavy artillery, the soldiers moved a large amount of ballast stones into the cabin to prevent the ship from losing balance and capsizing during lifting.

The steel wire rope creaked, making a heart-pounding friction sound.

on deck,
Capstans, pulleys and crowbars were used.

There were also hundreds of soldiers assisting at the dock.

It took an hour of hard work to successfully land the heavy artillery.

Medicine bags and artillery shells are relatively easy to deal with.

A total of 6 rounds!
The latest siege heavy artillery supervised by the Military Industry Bureau fires 320-pound shells.

The gun carriage is made of all metal and has all metal wheels. The gun carriage has many features that facilitate traction.

……

The back half of the barrel is incredibly thick.

To some extent, it is similar to the carronade.

Hundreds of large livestock in Wankou Town had a hearty meal, and then began to pull heavy artillery under the whip.

During these days when the army was resting,

Zheng Hean asked the carpenters in Wankou Town to make 16 shield carts to provide protection in front and on both wings of the heavy artillery.

"Deputy Commander, I am still a little worried."

"Ok?"

"What if the Anqing Qing army is lucky enough to get a dead mouse and the shells fired from the city wall hit the heavy artillery? We only have this one gun, so we are not afraid of ten thousand, but we are afraid of one."

Zheng Hean's heart also skipped a beat.

Asked rhetorically:
"Then what do you think we should do?"

……

The next day,

On the city wall of Anqing Prefecture, thousands of Qing soldiers were either squatting or standing.

The red cannon, sub-cannon, bowl-mouth gun, portable gun, matchlock gun, bow and arrow were all ready for battle.

Stone, rolling logs, lime and kerosene.

The golden juice was still heating in the iron pot.

Mingliang put on his helmet and armor, opened the telescope and saw the huge thing.

Face suddenly changed:

"Oh no! The bandits have brought that horrible artillery across the river."

The generals and officers around him quickly asked:
"What kind of gun?"

"It was the heavy artillery that destroyed the entire city of Hangzhou with one shot. That shell was heavier than a mountain-splitting cannon."

Some people looked pale, some were skeptical, and some looked contemptuous.

The heavy artillery moved at a snail's pace.

From a small black dot to a clear outline, an hour has passed.
……

"If you hit the enemy's heavy artillery, the gunner will be rewarded 30 taels. If you destroy the enemy's heavy artillery, you will be rewarded 100 taels."

Mingliang is determined to go all out.

Shouting loudly to boost morale.

The gunners' eyes lit up and they used all their skills.

This city wall is equipped with five red cannons, ranging from 5 to 2000 jin.

The most experienced captain, who had participated in the Jinchuan Campaign, squinted his eyes and used his hands to measure the distance.

"Raise it one point higher, and move it one point over there."

The gunners were shirtless and held their breath.

The commander stood behind the red cannon and aimed with his eyes closed for a long time.

"fire."

Boom, the eardrums of people around vibrate.

When the white smoke cleared, we could finally see where the shell had landed, a difference of at least 70 feet.

……

The commander immediately rushed to the second cannon and gave orders.

This time the distance was closer, but the shell went off course and hit a shield vehicle, causing it to tilt.

The same goes for the remaining two guns.

Although there were some gains, no heavy artillery hits were made.

"Damn it, the gunpowder is wrong."

The captain took off his sun hat and threw it down, snatched half of the gourd from the gunner's hand, and shook the gunpowder barrel vigorously.

The gunners looked at each other, realizing that the captain was looking for a grain of gunpowder.

The Qing army's artillery skills relied too much on personal experience.

The quality of gunpowder varies greatly, and the amount of gunpowder is also based on the feel of the hand. There is no gun aiming equipment~
There is no parabola or ballistics like their European counterparts.

……

at the same time,

At Yang Yuchun's suggestion,

Soldiers carrying sandbags charged forward from both wings.

When they got within 2 miles of the city wall, they threw them on the ground and piled up 3 layers of earth bags as a barrier to prevent artillery fire.

Solid bullets achieve path-killing effects by bouncing.

With the Qing army's primitive artillery aiming technology, the probability of hitting the target by flying across the sky was like you taking a penny and making a wish worth tens of millions in front of the Buddha.

We can’t say the probability is 0, we can only say it’s a nice thought.

……

2 mile away,

The heavy artillery stopped and began to reload and adjust.

More than 20 mules died on the way and 8 shield vehicles were hit and fell apart.

The remaining shield vehicles are scattered around to protect the heavy artillery.

suddenly,

A solid bullet hit the city wall straight at him.

It fell 20 feet in front of him and hit the shield car, breaking it into pieces.

The shell continued to bounce, breaking through two earthbag walls, and finally its kinetic energy was exhausted, stopping 2 meters in front of the heavy artillery.

All the gunners were terrified.

Looking at the iron ball covered with mud and emitting steam.

"What are you still waiting for? Hurry up."

After the gunner gave the command, everyone sped up in unison.

on the city wall,
Mingliang ordered all firearms to fire at once, betting on the odds.

Shotgun shells flew everywhere.

A gunner next to the heavy artillery fell down without a sound, his head pierced by a shotgun shell.

2 miles, this is a very awkward distance.

Many artillery pieces were available, especially well-made mountain-splitting cannons, which were highly accurate and posed a great threat when fired from high above.

The Qing army recklessly concentrated its fire on the heavy artillery.

A 1-jin solid bullet whizzed in, breaking a busy Wu army gunner in half, and then hit the gun carriage of the heavy artillery.

Fortunately, the all-steel gun carriage is strong enough.

There was an obvious dent smeared with blood and flesh, but it did not affect its use.

……

Zheng Hean's forehead was sweating with anxiety:

"Gather all your guns and provide cover."

(End of this chapter)