Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 394 There are too many prisoners. Should we release them or kill them?

All the generals around were crying,
Ningguta Deputy Governor Sarha stuffed the braid into his arms and mounted his horse.

I couldn't help but turned my head and asked:
"General, do you have anything else to tell the Emperor?"

Hailancha silently arranged his arrows and said:

"Tell the emperor that the situation in the south is about to change! If the Qing Dynasty does not reform, it will be in danger!"

Salha's eyes were red, and he bowed solemnly~
He whipped his horse and galloped northward with the remaining 1800 cavalrymen.

……

Wu Jun’s lookout vehicle discovered it.

And report it to the commander-in-chief Lin Huaisheng who was not far away.

Lin Huaisheng was helpless. Without cavalry, it was impossible to stop the fleeing Qing cavalry. He could only hope that more of them would drown when crossing the river.

but,

The pressure on the battlefield was also reduced.

He drew his sword:
"Move the central army forward, encircle and annihilate Solon, and kill Hailancha."

The Wu army present were all cheering and their morale was high.

2 miles ahead,
The "品"-shaped army formation leading the Armored Warriors Battalion has already engaged the Sauron soldiers.

Life and death,

The Saurons burst out with the ferocity of wild men, madly pouring out all kinds of arrows.

But due to the threat of the two musket formations behind the armored camp, they dared not get too close~
If a heavy arrow is shot at the face at close range, the Wu army's masks will not be able to block it at all.

But at a distance of thirty or forty feet, the arrow's power is much smaller.

The fully armored soldiers walking in the first row walked steadily, letting the arrows hit the surface of their armor, making a constant clanging sound.

The drum beats steadily, and the soldier yells behind his mask:
"Kill, kill, kill."

……

Hailancha listened attentively to the artillery fire from the western battlefield for a while, and then he remembered that Li Jiulin's artillery team was still fighting.

Between the electric light and flint,
He quickly modified the command:
"Meet up with the artillery."

More than a thousand remaining soldiers of Sauron followed his flag and ran westward.

Lin Huaisheng witnessed this, let out a long sigh, and smiled for the first time that day.

"God bless Wu, Hailancha is dead."

The two situations he feared most did not happen.

In this vast battle zone between the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal,

If Hailancha flies a kite, neither really fighting nor running far, the Wu army's infantry will have a headache.

If Hailancha made a desperate move and went to the East Camp to kill several hundred defenders and burn the baggage, although it would not change the situation, it would cause difficulties for Wu Jun's supply in the future, and they would have to plunder the food of the people in Jiangbei.

……

And now,
Hailancha led the remnants of his troops to join the artillery team, and they fought a defensive battle with each other as support.

Slow death.
The floating bridge on the West Waterway was piled with incendiary materials by Wu’s army.

As long as the Qing army breaks through, they can be burned down.

Then, the mixed battalion under Li Ergou can concentrate on blocking the only passage for crossing the river - the stone bridge - with 2-pound cannons. Seeing that scene, even the God of Hell would think that this boy had committed a sin, and even the reborn King of the Great West would sigh that the younger generation is formidable.

……

As soon as the deputy general Li Jiulin took off his cotton armor and threw away his valuable accessories, he saw Hailancha's cavalry rushing towards him.

He was ashamed:

"Your subordinate~"

Hailancha didn't care and said calmly:

"We have been defeated. Today we have been defeated beyond redemption. Sir Li, if you want to leave, I won't blame you. Let's go north. I remember you can swim. Maybe there is still a glimmer of hope."

"Thank you Dutong."

Li Jiulin, who was only wearing a coarse cloth inner robe, bowed deeply, lowered his head, and walked quickly north.

behind,

Hailancha stared at his back grimly.

Pull out a crescent shovel arrow from the bag, put it on the bowstring, and pull it to the full length~
call out,
The arrow was like a meteor, directly cutting off Li Jiulin's neck. His body fell to the ground with blood spurting out of the broken neck.

……

"Brothers from the Green Camp, if you kill one, you'll get back your money, if you kill two, you'll earn a pair. Stay here, will you? I, Hailancha, will lead you in a fight to the death."

Sure enough, some people ran away, trying to be deserters.

Hailancha sneered:
"Fire arrows."

The Sauron soldiers who were standing scattered around drew their bows and arrows, and instantly shot and killed a dozen deserters from behind one by one.

The remaining gunners were frightened and hurried back to their positions.

"Load the gunpowder, and do not fire without permission. I want this place to become a mass grave for Wu's army."

Hailancha looked at the Wu army that surrounded him from three sides.
He swore a poisonous oath to inflict heavy casualties on Wu Jun before his death. He wanted his name to become the nightmare of the widows in Jiangnan.
……

The 1st Army, the 2nd Army, the Guards Army, and the 1st Expeditionary Army were all eager to take part, and all volunteered to pick the biggest peach of the day.

Lin Huaisheng looked at these excited officers and smiled:

"Everyone, are you hungry?"

"what?"

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The next second, someone's stomach made a rumbling sound, which was quite embarrassing.

"We've been fighting for most of the day, and everyone is hungry. I'm sure the Qing soldiers over there are even hungrier, right?"

After hearing this,

The officers' eyes lit up: Huaisheng, you fucking found the blind spot.

Lin Huaisheng spoke at a moderate speed and began to deploy his troops:
"God-given opportunity, surround but do not attack."

"First order, cooks, open the fire, so that the soldiers can have enough food and rest before they fight."

"The second order is to send fast horses to catch up with the 2st Corps, which is chasing the fleeing Green Camp. Their mission is to kill as many fleeing Qing soldiers as possible and to seek food from the people along the way. Chase until noon on the third day, and then return immediately to Yangzhou to reunite."

"The third order is that the Imperial Guard Corps dispatch a battalion to pursue the remnants of the Huaixi New Army eastwards. Those who surrender will be spared, while those who resist stubbornly will be killed."

"Order No. 4: Gather the surrendered soldiers and keep them under guard."

"Fifth order, the remaining troops of the 5st Corps will march out after dinner and quickly capture Yangzhou. Persuade them to surrender first."

……

The wind is still strong, but it is much smaller than at its peak.

The Wu army slowly deployed defenses all around, filling the gaps in the encirclement and strengthening various types of artillery to the front-line infantry.

Hailancha stood on the gun carriage,

Looking at the people around him, Wu Jun sat down and began to rest.

等~
A quarter of an hour passed, and then another quarter of an hour, and the Wu army remained calm.

"Tongtong, they are eating."

Hailancha felt dizzy. Oh no, how could he have forgotten about this?

Being trapped in an open field, without a single grain of food, the longer I waited, the hungrier I became, and the weaker I became.

The stalemate lasted for another 2 hours.
I'm afraid that the people on my side are so hungry that they can't even pull the bowstring.

moment,

His back was covered in cold sweat.

"Despicable, shameless, and insidious Jiangdong rat."

……

No matter how much you curse, you need to make a decision quickly.

Waiting any longer will lead to slow death.

Hailan glanced at the sky and estimated that it would take at least an hour and a half before the sun set, and perhaps two hours before it was completely dark.

suddenly,

A tribesman with white hair and beard knelt on the ground, tears in his eyes:

"General, please leave some blood for the tribe."

"Yes."

He begged desperately and even kowtowed.

Sauron had a small population to begin with, and more than 2000 young and strong men were recruited to fight in Jiangsu, thousands of miles away. It was really a tough job to gather them together.

Hailancha felt sad for a rare time. He knew that it was true that the population of Sauron was small.

The butcher was also moved with pity.
He helped the old man up and whispered:
"Pick 200 young and strong men who are not sick or injured, and find an opportunity to cover them in their breakout. As many as can get out will do."

"Thank you for your kindness, General."

……

The sky gradually darkened and the aroma of food wafted in the distance.

The Qing troops were starving, and some even suffered from weakness in their hands and feet, profuse sweating, and green eyes.

Hailancha tried to suppress his hunger, but felt a sour feeling in his stomach.

suddenly,

His eyes were fixed on a young Green Camp soldier who looked mentally broken, leaning against a cannon and sitting on the ground not far away.

An evil idea began to ferment. After hesitating for only a dozen breaths,
He quickly drew his sword, stood up and walked over, then neatly wiped the neck of the dazed-looking Green Camp soldier.

Blood gushed out from the arteries and was immediately absorbed by the dry soil.

The people around watched this scene numbly, but they didn't know what it meant.

What happened next broke the bottom line of humanity.

Hailancha chopped it into eight pieces with his sword, then picked up a spear and lifted one of the pieces.
Walk towards the fire!
……

The Green Camp soldiers were stunned. Someone shouted, "Run!"

immediately,

Internal conflict suddenly broke out.

The Saurons controlled the situation with swords and guns, and the bodies of Green Camp gunners were scattered all over the ground.

The hideous faces of a group of evil spirits were reflected under the night sky.

Hailancha held a knife,

Looking at these surviving gunners shivering like little chickens huddled together:

"You guys eat together, and when you're full, join us in the bloody battle tomorrow."

Night falls~
The Wu army had their fill, half of them were resting and the other half were on guard.

As the hour approaches,

Miao Youlin felt uneasy and walked out of the tent to look at the quiet Qing army camp five miles away.

He frowned and said:
"What do you think they are doing now?"

Zheng Hean shook his head. He also felt that the Qing army was a little too quiet and eerily strange.

……

"Old Zheng, those surrendered soldiers will have to submit their surrender documents tomorrow."

"I know!"

The two were silent, each with their own thoughts.

More than half of the 5 new Huaixi troops formed by the Qing government were killed or wounded, and more than 12000 were taken prisoner.

Thousands of remnant soldiers, led by Liu Huangtong from Luzhou, attempted to steal the camp but failed.

The defenders of the East Camp relied on fortifications, muskets and cannons to achieve good results.

after that,

Another battalion of the Guards Corps, which was ordered to provide reinforcements, arrived upon hearing the news.

Liu Huangtong's troops were defeated and left behind hundreds of corpses.

A naval fire support ship hid in the reeds and paddled out when the fleeing soldiers were swimming across the river, pouring shotgun shells madly in all directions and crushing them repeatedly.

The East Waterway became the Red River.
The river was littered with dead bodies.

Liu Huangtong was wounded and fled across the East Waterway with only 500 men, disappearing into the night. Hundreds of people who did not have time to go down the river immediately dropped their weapons and knelt on the ground as prisoners.

……

Zheng Hean was thinking,

It will not be difficult to submit your surrender tomorrow. The Qing army has been hungry for a day and a night, and they are all like weaklings.

Miao Youlin was thinking,

What if so many surrendered soldiers were to be incorporated into the Second Army? Impossible.

freed?

The Qing government only needs to gather the remaining soldiers and it will immediately become a mature army.

We can't let it go, and we're afraid to use it.

That night,

Miao Youlin tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and ran to the central military tent.

He expressed his concerns.
Lin Huaisheng, who was always serious, was unusually polite to him and took the initiative to pour him a cup of tea:

"Master Miao, your concerns are very reasonable. Do you have any specific ideas?"

"I suggest screening. Anyone who is unwilling to offer loyalty can only..." Miao Youlin paused and made a gesture of wiping his neck, "cannot be let go."

……

Dawn the next day.

The sun had just jumped out of the sea and smoke was rising from the Wu army's side.

The soldiers were well fed and ready to pick fruits with relaxed expressions.

After a day and a night of hunger, the Qing army might not even be able to draw their bows and arrows.
The lookout on the lookout vehicle stretched his neck and stared for a long time.

After hesitating for a long time, he decided to slide down the pole.

"Report~The Qing army doesn't seem to be hungry."

"what?"

The officer did not dare to be careless and immediately reported the matter to higher authorities.

Lin Huaisheng stood on the saddle, opened the telescope and looked for a while, his face suddenly changed.

He gritted his teeth and said:
"Fuck, this demon general Hailancha, they eat the flesh of their companions."

Everyone present was stunned, and their hair stood on end.

"Gan Changsheng."

"The end will be here."

"You will command the 1st Expeditionary Army and supervise the surrendered troops' attack."

"As ordered."

"Miao Youlin."

"The subordinate is here."

"You will lead the 2nd Corps to supervise the battle. The rapid-fire artillery of the mixed battalion will be temporarily assigned to the military justice team. Any surrendered soldiers who disobey military orders will be killed on the spot."

……

"Lin Shuai, what about me?"

"I will give you 1 minutes to persuade the surrendered soldiers. Anyone who is willing to join our army should immediately line up outside the camp and prepare to be the vanguard in encircling and annihilating the Qing army."

Zheng Hean bowed and ran to the prisoner camp.

He was very anxious and didn't want to kill his fellow villager.

People from Jiangsu are fake fellow villagers, and people from northern Anhui are real fellow villagers.

"My fellow villagers, everyone served their own masters before. From today on, anyone who wants to follow me, Old Zheng, stand up. Killing the Qing army over there will be considered as your pledge of allegiance."

There are tens of thousands of young and strong people gathered in the prisoner camp, and we have to be on guard.

The camp was set up with its back to the river, surrounded on three sides by a shallow trench and a low wall, with the muzzles of the guns pointed at the camp.

It takes manpower to guard the prisoners, and it also takes manpower to feed them.

The Wu army is now short of maneuverable forces.
Lin Huaisheng urgently needed to divide all his troops into dozens of groups to sweep south of the Huai River.

First, to destroy the grassroots rule of the Qing court as much as possible.
Secondly, there is an urgent need to replenish the war consumption.

To put it bluntly, it means: killing people and robbing (the gentry's) money.

His Majesty repeatedly reminded me that I must expand and consolidate the results after the war.
Military victory is only half, sweeping Huainan is the other half.

……

All the generals who have fought in wars know this well:
Prisoners are hidden dangers.

The army was scattered to sweep the area, with tens of thousands of prisoners staying in the rear. If there was a riot, perhaps they could turn an unfavorable situation into a favorable one.

The army and the people are not the same thing.

Li Yu privately emphasized one point to all the important officials and corps commanders:
The power of organization!
Ten thousand highly organized people, even if armed with cold weapons, can run rampant across several provinces.

Ten thousand unorganized people are just ten thousand laborers who can eat, work and talk.

In order to let these confidants understand,
Li Yu even used the late Ming Dynasty and the late Song Dynasty as examples. Why were the Jurchens and the Later Jin, with only a few hundred thousand people in the tribe, able to swallow an elephant?

It's a high degree of organization!
After hearing this, the trusted and core members were all silent, and they were full of admiration for Your Majesty's wisdom and intelligence.

……

The dull sound of the cannon rang out~
The cannon fodder of the 1st Expeditionary Army had recovered some morale from the huge casualties yesterday, and they all knew they were going to win.

Wine, meat and women are available at any time.

Zhang Laosan sighed:

"Damn it, it's our turn to be the supervisor? Brothers of the 1st Battalion, I don't need to explain the rules, right?"

"Don't worry, Third Brother. We are familiar with the rules."

"Supervising a war means killing people. If you don't like it, just kill them."

The remaining hundred or so soldiers were well fed and well armed.

After a great battle, their weapons and armor were severely damaged.

Fortunately, the Wu army had strong logistics, and all the damaged armor and spears were replaced, and the worn-out military boots could also be exchanged for new ones.

The 6000st Expeditionary Army left the Jiangxi battlefield and arrived in Jiangbei, where it was restored to a strength of 1 people.

Now there are only 2000 people left intact, and hundreds of wounded are lying in the camp waiting for the verdict of their fate.
Men's friendship is simple.

Even though we didn't get along very well before, after fighting and bleeding together, we became brothers for life.

Inside the 1st Expeditionary Army,
The gap between new recruits and veterans magically disappeared.

Everyone got together harmoniously, talking and laughing, ready to suppress the new recruits!
(End of this chapter)