Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 383: On the shore of the Yellow Sea, the Huaixi New Army's first battlefield experience

The Wu army continued to send reinforcements to the north of the Yangtze River, with dozens and hundreds of ships arriving every day.

The landing site was bustling with people shouting and horses neighing.

People in the Huaiyang area were in a panic.
Anyone with a discerning eye knows,

A war of unprecedented scale is brewing.

The wealthy officials and gentry packed up their belongings and took their families to leave the city for the countryside to escape the war.

Small disasters are avoided in the city, and big disasters are avoided in the wild. The Wu army crossing the river is obviously a big disaster, and the possibility of attacking the city is very high.

The cities at that time were the centers of wealth. In the countryside, there was really no money to be made except during the harvest season.

……

The Huaixi New Army and the Han Army Flag Cavalry Battalion joined forces and stationed in Xinghua County, a hundred miles south of Sheyang Lake, with a camp stretching for 10 miles.

Yangzhou prefect Hu Zuoyou arrived and asked for troops to help suppress Jiao Xiechang~
Zu Youen, deputy commander of the Cavalry Battalion, agreed after a brief thought.

It would be more than enough to dispatch 3000 new Huaixi troops and 500 Han cavalry to take over a remote salt field.

This is also a military achievement of no small magnitude.
In order to have more content written in the victory report, Zu Youen personally supervised the battle.

however,
Both sides of the war were greatly surprised.

"The Wu bandits' blockhouses are so densely packed?"

"How could there be such brave and courageous soldiers in the Green Camp?"

……

The State of Wu operated here for a year and both the people and the land were well-established.

The field officer Rao Kehua was a grassroots officer of the Wu Army Guards Corps.

Relying on cement, guns and cannons transported by ships, a bastion covering an area of ​​three acres was built on this desolate coast of the Yellow Sea, surrounded by four blockhouses.

When the Qing army swarmed in,
A gong sounded from the top floor of the blockhouse, and everyone quickly grabbed their weapons and took to the pre-arranged defensive positions.

Rao Kehua was not panicked.

He had 200 musketeers under his command, as well as two light field short-barreled copper cannons and two long-barreled copper cannons.

He didn't think the Qing army could take it down.
The battle had just begun.

Both sides skipped the probing phase and went straight to the point.

The Huaixi New Army fought hard in its first battle.

The people in the front row held up shields, and those in the back carried ladders and swords, and they ran wildly on the charge as if their lives were temporarily deposited with others.

……

The first thing they needed to break through was two blockhouses.

They are like the two generals Heng and Ha, guarding the bastion behind them.

The blockhouse is three stories high, with shooting holes scattered around.

The musketeers, dressed in civilian clothes, fired silently, their hands were steady and their guns were accurate.

They were four musketeers transferred from the regular army corps upon application by the Intelligence Agency and approval by Li Yu.

The Huaixi New Army was shot and fell down continuously~
Hu Zuoyou was so stunned that he couldn't open his mouth for a long time.

His heart was greatly shocked. So this is what war is like? Too cruel and bloody, right?
The bloody attack and defense frightened him so much that his hands could not stop shaking and he could only hide them in his sleeves.

Zu Youen’s expression was also quite interesting. He was not shocked by the blood, but by this “unprecedented and fierce soldier”.

Inside the telescope,

Those who were shot and fell were all living people!

Even so,

The companion next to him seemed to be blind and rushed forward with his head down.

……

The cavalry battalion supervising the battle was also stunned.

A deputy commander whispered to his comrades:

"Does any of these Huaixi soldiers still have a life at home?"

"Maybe, maybe, maybe?"

As a Han army flag master in the Forty-Nine City, I don't quite understand. Ask yourself, none of them would be so stupid as to rush towards the bullets.

quickly,

The Huaixi soldiers rushed to the bottom of the blockhouse and smashed the door frantically.

This made the Wu army musketeers stationed inside panic, and the loading action began to become chaotic.

"Shoot, shoot quickly."

Everyone understood that if they didn't quickly repel these crazy people below, the blockhouse would be breached.

Even a wooden door that is half a foot thick cannot withstand such a blow.

What's more troublesome is that there is a large blind spot when shooting downwards from the shooting hole.

……

"Fire~"

The bastion half a mile away provided timely artillery support to friendly forces.

Shotgun washes the tower~
Hundreds of lead bullets hit the outer wall of the blockhouse, crackling like hail.

Groups of Huaixi soldiers fell down screaming.

Zu Youen's hands began to tremble.
He suddenly shouted:

"If you take down a fort, you will be rewarded with 200 taels. If you take down a fort, you will be rewarded with 1000 taels. If you kill a leader, the court will reward you with 5 taels, and I will add another 3 taels. How do you think?"

The Huaixi New Army, who witnessed the tragic plight of their fellow countrymen, were doubly stimulated by the desire for a heavy reward and revenge.

A tall man stepped out and said with a salutation:

"General, can you lend me some armor?"

He pointed at the Han army soldiers with bright uniforms and armor.

Under normal circumstances, this kind of "presumptuous request" would make the Han army flag leaders furious and they would whip people.

……

"Gather 200 sets of armor for them. If any of the armor is damaged, pay for it according to its price, and deduct it from the reward money later."

Zu Youen gave an order and the soldiers immediately followed it.

The Huaixi soldiers put on armor and organized their attack formations in a chaotic manner based on villages.

At this time,
The leadership qualities of some people began to emerge.

The man who asked for the armor just now was named Liu Huangtong. He was from Shucheng County, Luzhou Prefecture. He was strong and powerful, and was quite popular in the countryside.

He stood on a baggage cart and gave orders:

"People from Xujiatun, send 40 young men to wear armor."

"From Xiaowang Village, send 20 young men to wear armor."

"From Zhaojiawei, you guys give 30~"

……

Someone asked loudly:

"How do we divide the money?"

"Everyone who wears armor and rushes to the front will get an extra 5 taels. Is that okay with you?"

"to make."

After working for half an hour,
The Huaixi soldiers collected straw and dead branches, soaked them in oil, and tied them into bundles to make simple torches.

Hu Zuoyou pretended to know about military affairs and nodded continuously.

Zu Youen seemed to be thinking about something, his eyes shining.

The Han army cavalry was even more chattering, busy discussing:

"Local people are really brave enough to risk their lives."

"Who says it's not true? But there are not many such stupid guys in this city."

"Yes, there are some. The Xishan Jianrui Battalion is full of idiots, and the Guard Battalion is not bad either."

"The Guard Battalion is made up of warriors selected from all the Eight Banners. But do you know why the Xishan Jianrui Battalion is so fierce?"

"What?"

"poverty!"

Everyone suddenly realized.

……

This year, the Qing government began to vigorously rebuild the Xishan Jianrui Camp, which recruited 3000 bannermen, regardless of Manchu, Han or Mongolian, and trained them every day in that desolate place in Xiangshan.

Each banner recruited those bannermen who were heavily in debt, had many sons, or had everything except the walls pawned.

They not only received double pay, but also received an additional 3 to 50 dou of rice per month depending on their training performance.

It is said that

It was the suggestion of the Grand Council and the adults.

It is said that three birds with one stone are achieved: the imperial court gains a strong army, the bannermen gain favors, and the country is stabilized.

The emperor was very pleased at that time, praised Lord He highly, and ordered all departments to do as requested.

Although 2000 miles away,
But it did not affect the vivid descriptions of these Han Eight Banners. It seemed as if they were all squatting in the Yangxin Palace at that time, listening to the emperor and his ministers' dialogue throughout.

Even the changes in Emperor Qianlong's facial expressions at that time were described with certainty.

Should I say or not,

Every Jingqi person has a unique skill.

The Manchu Eight Banners are born good actors! The Han Eight Banners can all tell stories! The Mongolian Eight Banners are inferior and can only wrestle.

……

"Old and young, stand shoulder to shoulder."

Liu Huangtong, wearing a lightning rod iron helmet with a white flag on it, held a shield in his left hand and a knife in his right hand, and took the lead in charging, followed by more than 2000 people.

The formation was chaotic, almost like a large-scale fight.

however,
Zu Youen and Rao Kehua's faces changed at the same time. The old soldiers knew what was the most terrifying thing on the battlefield.

Zu Youen was ecstatic:
"The Cavalry Battalion is ready to cooperate with our friendly forces to perform meritorious deeds."

Rao Kehua's face turned pale:
"Throw down the kerosene, straw, and firewood. Quick~"

……

There was constant sound of gunfire from the blockhouse.

The bastion also provided timely support with artillery fire.

At least 300 people died on the way to the charge. Then Rao Kehua saw the Huaixi soldiers who rushed to the blind spot of the blockhouse set up a pile of firewood, and black smoke covered the blockhouse.
The biggest difference between humans and monkeys is that humans can use fire.

The two blockhouses were completely destroyed.

Only then did the people in the bastion understand why Commander Rao Kehua was so frightened before.

"Fire~" The cannon sounded,

The shotgun shells unreasonably mowed down the Huaixi soldiers who were at the forefront in groups.

The Han army flag soldiers behind stretched their necks to watch.

Someone muttered:
"After all, they are just farmers who don't know how to attack a city. If they charge together, they will just be asking for their lives. We need to charge in batches and find gaps to charge. Stay away from the front of the artillery, listen to the sound of a round, and then charge while it is reloading."

In just half a quarter of an hour, at least 400 more people were killed on the way to the bastion.

……

Rao Kehua's hands began to tremble.

He wanted to shout loudly:
"Two taels of silver a month, what are you playing with?"

In castle defense, artillery is the key.

The explosion of shotgun shells was a nightmare for the attackers. The best proof of this was the Second Battle of Yalu River.

The short-barreled shotgun burst into flames.
The fan swept away most of the carbon-based creatures within a 20-foot radius.

"Fourth Uncle~"

"Erdan~"

The 13-year-old Xu Mancang’s face was covered in blood, not his own, but that of his fellow villager.

All the people he called fell to the ground, bleeding from their wounds and mouths and noses.

A large amount of blood filled the respiratory tract and the person couldn't utter a word.

No last words~
……

Xu Mancang wiped the blood off his face twice, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw a blood-red scene in front of him.

As a young gangster who has made many connections.

He suddenly realized:

There is a huge difference between fighting and robbing! It is like the difference between black steamed buns and lard pancakes.

Amid the sound of gunfire,
The cavalry battalion suddenly moved forward, with the horses' hooves rumbling.

Zu Youen seized the opportunity and sent out all his cavalry to support these desperate friendly troops.

……

The bastion at the corner field was originally a temporary product.

The height and thickness have shrunk, especially the defense platforms at the five corners have not been reinforced.

After all, it was in the Qing-controlled area, so Rao Kehua restrained himself a little.

And out of empiricism.

He felt that it would be no problem for 200 musketeers to hold off the Qing army, which was ten times larger, for half a month.

"Officer, we can't hold on any longer."

"Set fire, retreat, retreat from the sea."

The torches were thrown down, and the area under the bastion wall was suddenly a sea of ​​fire.

The flames temporarily prevented the Huaixi New Army from continuing to set up ladders to climb the city walls.

More than a hundred people followed Rao Kehua to open the east gate and retreat.

2 miles away, there are small boats and sampans.

If you can sit on it, you can paddle away from the mudflats and shallow sea.

In deeper water,

There are 1 to 2 sea vessels moored here for a long time.

Jiaoxiachang was the Wu State's intelligence transfer station, personnel transfer station, and material transfer station in Jiangbei.

……

2 miles, a seemingly short distance, but it becomes a world away~
The Qing cavalry were like leeches that had smelled blood, chasing relentlessly and using bows and arrows, sabers, and lances to hunt down the fleeing Wu army.

Rao Kehua did not look back.
Just from the sound behind him, he knew that the battle was irreversible.

The qualities of a veteran.
Have him jump from time to time to avoid obstacles on the ground.

He didn't take the S-turn because speed is everything at this time.

My lungs felt like they were about to explode and my vision was blurry.

"Officer, hurry up, hurry up."

Three of the faster soldiers had already boarded one of the sampans and began paddling.

……

Rao Kehua jumped onto the sampan.

The violent vibration almost capsized the sampan.

however,
He didn't care about anything else, quickly adjusted his posture and pulled out his flintlock pistol.

On the shore, 20 feet away,

A Han army cavalryman saw the gun pointed at him, and quickly lowered his head, turned his horse in another direction, and shot the arrow in his hand at the other Wu soldiers.

Rao Kehua then squatted down.
He lowered his head and quickly reloaded, and did not forget to remind:
"Paddle quickly."

He just scared off the enemy with his blank gun.

The sampan was rowed out 20 feet,
A dozen Han army flag bearers arrived on the shore, dismounted, knelt on one knee and took turns shooting with their muskets.

The three of them lowered their heads and paddled hard.

There was a burst of gunfire behind me.

A lead bullet landed 2 feet beside the sampan, causing a small splash.

……

When the second round of gunfire sounded,

The sampan was far away.

Just when the four people on the boat thought they were finally out of danger, a soldier rowing the boat was suddenly shot and blood spurted from his mouth.

Rao Kehua quickly supported him and checked his wound.

The moment he saw the wound, he gave up all efforts.

Half an hour later,
A ship anchored 5 miles off the coast of Jiaoxia Port slowly set sail.

Rao Kehua burst into tears.
Only a dozen of the 200 brothers survived.

This limited number of manpower was only enough to barely control this "Fuchuan-type" ship and return along the coastline.

When passing the sea off Haimen Hall, they encountered a Qing army patrol boat.

however,
This patrol boat, which belonged to the general of Langshan Town, turned around and left very decisively.

They don't want to cause trouble at all.

If we win, we will attract the revenge of Wu's navy, and if we lose, our lives will be in danger. It is better to wait for the outcome of the battle in Jiangbei.

……

The moment when I saw the military flag fluttering in the wind at the military port on the south side of Chongming Island.

Rao Kehua finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then I woke up:

"Hurry, I have important military information to report."

Reporting at all levels,

It happened that Liu Wu, the commander-in-chief of the navy stationed in Chongming, heard the news and immediately sent a handwritten letter to Your Majesty. At the same time, he sent a sentry boat to take Rao Kehua to Jiangdu.

The war is coming,

The more Lin Huaisheng knows about the Qing army, the greater his chances of winning.

Liu Wu looked at the river rushing into the sea with a frown on his face.

He knew how important this battle was. If he lost these 1 troops and a few barriers, the Wu Kingdom would probably have to consider becoming a small court in exile.

The location was decided—Luzon!

Only 10 important ministers know about your Majesty's "overseas backup plan". It may seem discouraging, but if you think about it, it is also quite reassuring.

No matter how fierce the war is, the core members of the rebellion do not have to worry about their retreat.

Definitely not dying~
To a certain extent, it also unites people's hearts and allows everyone to be loyal to His Majesty wholeheartedly.

Wealth belongs to everyone.

The so-called:
The abyss has a bottom, but the human heart is unfathomable.

……

Li Yu never considered using Kinmen, Xiamen, Penghu and Taiyuan Island as a base, mainly because it was unlucky and secondly because there was no room for development.

Luzon is different.

It is the largest island closest to the mainland except for Taiyuan Island.

There are gold mines, copper mines, large plains, and millions of simple-minded slave laborers on the island.

There is also an insider, Pirate Smith.

Li Yu told these key members seriously:
Luzon is important!

If he retreats, he will be king of Luzon.

If it goes forward, Luzon will be the first overseas colony of Wu State! It is the springboard for the empire to conquer Southeast Asia.

With Li Yu's calculating nature,
Every loan will yield ten times the profit in the future.

Every move of chess is a clue.

……

The Grand Canal, northern section of Huai'an.

Bright yellow flags and cavalry leading the way.

Swords, spears, axes, halberds, swords, hooks and forks.

The imperial envoy has come to Jiangsu again.

500 elite guard knights dismounted and surrounded a toilet in the wild.

First, they searched to make sure there were no dangerous people hiding nearby, and then used a dozen long guns to fiercely poke the pit back and forth to ensure that there were no assassins hiding in the pit, thus completing a shocking reversal.

Still feeling unsafe, the guards lifted up the thatched roof.

Not for fresh air.

Instead, they were worried that a rocket would hit the roof while the imperial envoy was using the toilet.

Beijing Circle said:

Nowadays, when you go to Jiangsu to be an official, the first thing you have to do is to prevent fire.
"Be on guard, and protect the imperial envoy."

"Whoo."

500 elite guards, with their swords and guns drawn, surrounded the toilet tightly, with their backs to it.

The young imperial envoy Fu Chang'an then lifted the corner of his robe in a chic manner.
Go to the toilet!

(End of this chapter)