Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 449 Battlefield Darwinism!
Dalingtou,
It is a hill slightly higher than the surrounding areas.

The highest point of the hill,

It was originally a brick and stone tower built with funds from a Cantonese gentry.

Diaolou, as the name suggests.

A bunker and a building, two in one.

First, it can prevent bandits, and second, it can prevent floods.

Banditry and floods are an ever-present shadow over the western Guangdong plain.

The flood came.

Residents in the blockhouse can take shelter upstairs temporarily.

The bandits are coming.

Close the wooden door and shoot arrows from upstairs.

……

Guangyong reinforced the blockhouse here again.

A trench was dug around the area, and pits were set up with sharp bamboo spikes hidden inside.

Several shooting holes were also added on the roof.

at this time,

The blockhouse was like a leaf, rising and falling under the wave after wave of attacks from the enemies.

Keyong had no cannons, so he used human lives to fill the gap.

Less than half an hour later,

All obstacles outside the blockhouse were removed, and the team began to concentrate its forces to besiege the blockhouse.

The top of the tower,

A sergeant in a regiment stuck his head out to observe.

He was almost hit on the head by a thrown spear and staggered in fear.

……

but,

He soon came to his senses.
He shouted loudly to everyone in the building:

"Chen clan members, listen up, attack those bandits carrying ladders first. Don't panic~"

In the tower, in the shooting hole,
White smoke is emitted from time to time.

The Ke Yong who were besieging the city were shot and fell one after another, wailing in pain.

The Hakka women behind the battlefield braved the smoke and carried stretchers back and forth to transport the wounded to the rear.

Hakka women do not bind their feet. They usually undertake a lot of heavy farm work and have strong personalities.

When the capital of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Tianjing, fell,
The female soldiers who guarded the Heavenly King's Palace until the last moment were composed of Hakka women.

It can be said,
These were the most hardworking group of women at that time.

His perseverance is beyond imagination.

……

Ke Yong attacked fiercely and charged forward at the risk of his life despite casualties.

Those in front fall, and those behind catch up.

The guns, muskets, and bows and arrows in the blockhouses could no longer suppress such a large number of people.

Many people panicked.

The loading hand shakes and the movements are distorted.

There were two explosions in a row.

The sentry heard the banging on the door outside.
Shouted loudly:

"To the south is the ancestral hall of my Chen family."

"If the ancestral hall is burned down, will we be able to face our ancestors after we die? Ah?"

……

Incentives are very effective.

The crowd, whose spirits were almost broken, began to get visibly drunk.

"Kill, kill the bandits."

roof,

Lime powder was splashed and rocks were thrown violently.

Ke Yong, who was hit, screamed in agony, but he finally climbed up.

The narrow rooftop
The two sides fought hand to hand!

Spears, bayonets, swords, chop, fists, smash, teeth, bite, the fight continues until death.

1Young Guangyong stabbed Ke Yong who had just climbed up with a short spear into his abdomen~
Ke Yong had a painful expression on his face, blood gushing from his mouth and nose, but he held on to the spear shaft tightly and leaned back.

They both fell together~
Guangyong, who fell unconscious, was immediately hacked to pieces by the subordinates.

……

If the Eight Banners stationed in Guangzhou saw this,

They would definitely open their eyes wide and exclaim that it is impossible, the Han people cannot be so brave.

If you are so brave,
How did the Qing Dynasty take over Guangdong?
Actually,
This is a very complex topic that is difficult to fully explain.

fight,

Courage is important, but it is not the only thing.

What is more critical is the degree of organization and the core personnel.

in other words,

If there is a core figure like Li Yu and a thorough organization, the military industry can be improved a little bit.

Both Cantonese and Hakka can dominate the world.

……

Half an hour later,

The Dalingtou Diaolou collapsed!
Ke Yong took a crucial step - to attack the problem.

Although it is just a small blockhouse, for a group without artillery and organization, the difficulty of taking it is no less than Shanhaiguan.

The tug-of-war that Li Yu did not understand,
In fact, it is because both the Turkish and Hakka sides do not have the ability to attack and thus cannot achieve a decisive victory.

……

The Siyi militia finally arrived.

The black army deployed its troops in great numbers.
The drums sounded and everyone followed the flags.

Although the formations were not neat and the phalanxes were not coordinated well, they had already taken shape as the prototype of an army.

Leading the charge were all musketeers.

Ke Yong also gathered his troops and quickly formed a battle formation.

Zeng Huaigu, the Hakka leader who grew up in repeated armed conflicts, ran back and forth with a knife in his hand, trying to arrange his troops as best as possible.

"When I shout charge, everyone raise your shields and charge forward. Do you understand?"

"clear."

……

Zeng Huaigu held a shield in his left hand and a sword in his right hand.

He silently watched the Cantonese militia on the opposite side, which was clearly more powerful than his own.

he knows,
If we charge towards the enemy with their muskets, the casualties will be heavy.

But, there is no choice.

From the moment the northern Han people began to flee south, they were destined to be at a disadvantage forever.

Disease, famine, bandits, soldiers, villagers, snakes, insects, miasma, floods, whichever comes first~
Just like breaking through a level,

Elimination at each level.

Anyway,

The road to the south is the road to survival!
Gradually,
They merged into one whole - Hakka.

……

"Hakka people, there is only death and no life, kill!"

Zeng Huaigu's eyes were bloodshot and he charged forward with big strides.

Like him, more than a dozen leaders chose to rush to the front.

Just like their ancestors, they always charge to the front in every battle and inspire their fellow tribesmen.

Blood, unity,
Without these two things, they would have died on their way to escape south.

Guangyong was also full of murderous intent.

The clan leaders and the Confucian officers shouted:
"Form a line and check the fuse."

Some people quickly took out their tinderboxes to relight the fuse, carefully blowing it up and adjusting it to the appropriate length.

then,

Aim at the Hakka people who are charging across the mountains.

……

When the distance was 40 meters, gunshots were heard.

Some people in the Keyong formation were shot and fell, but not many.

Zeng Huaigu raised his shield to protect his vital parts and rushed forward with his head down.

now,

His heart was as calm as water, and he only thought about seeing his good brother, Lu Dayou, after he died in battle.

When the distance is 25 feet,

The second wave of gunfire rang out.

This time, the casualties were obvious.

The Ke Yong troops charged forward madly, causing their formation to become chaotic.

The person who was shot fell to the ground and tripped his companion behind him.

opposite,

The Siyi group leaders shouted:

"Quick, reload quickly and try to get another shot."

however,
Group training is group training. If the training is not enough, the psychological quality will not be enough.

The third wave of salvos, which was the most critical and most effective in killing the enemy, was ultimately discounted, with less than 3% of the salvos being fired.

……

"kill."

"kill."

The Siyi musketeers retreated, while the spearmen advanced and fought with the guest warriors who rushed in front of them.

Martial arts are meaningless at this time.

The Siyi militia, which had received some training, lined up with their spears and used the advantages of their long weapons to suppress the guest warriors.

With a stab and a pull, blood splattered.

Zeng Huaigu's shield was lost.

While charging, he was pierced by a lead bullet, which continued to have force and hit his ribs. Fortunately, the wound was not deep.

If there is no shield hysteresis,
He should be dead at this moment, and he has reunited with his good brother Lu Dayou in heaven as he wished.

……

He looked at his brothers who were rushing forward in groups of three or five and being knocked down row by row by spears.

It's not good to scream secretly.

He picked up a round shield from the ground, waited for the right moment, and rolled forward.

Then, he swung his sword left and right.

The blade cut through tendons, flesh, and drank in blood.

The injured Guangyong fell to the ground.

He broke a gap in the spear formation, and the guest warrior behind him was overjoyed when he saw this and immediately wedged in.

Expand the gap and break through the formation.

Not surprisingly,

The two sides returned to their original state. There was no formation, no long-range and short-range firepower levels, no unified command, and both sides relied entirely on blood and bravery to fight freely.

Such a "fight"
The casualties are often relatively balanced, basically killing one thousand enemies and losing eight hundred of your own.

……

Wen Yuande's eyes twitched as he watched.
I regretted why I went to such a noble office as the Ministry of Rites. Why didn't I go to the Ministry of War to learn some real skills?

He couldn't figure it out.
Although the Guangyong troops under his command had advantages in terms of pay, logistics, weapons, etc., they were unable to completely destroy the Keyong troops.

For a moment,

He particularly admired Li Yu, whom he had never met before, and wondered how Li Yu, a mere scholar, could train elite soldiers.

even,

He also wanted to send someone to secretly observe the Wu army's combat mode.

After all, the level of those former Green Camp officers hired is still not good enough.

……

No one dared to call off the attack.

The militia is not a regular army to begin with, and if you suddenly call back the troops, it will easily lead to a major defeat.

You can only bite the bullet and persevere!
Let’s see who can’t hold on first, or if both sides can’t hold on first.

One hour later,

Both sides of the war felt exhausted, and the density of personnel on the front line decreased, resulting in less contact.

Both sides began to retreat spontaneously.

but,

Wen Yuande has no intention of withdrawing his troops today.

Because the ultimate weapon he had been longing for had arrived.

Western Guangdong has always been good at iron smelting.

The Siyi people gathered a large number of blacksmiths, who worked day and night to cast cannons, and finally produced the first batch of finished products - 25 earth-made mountain-splitting cannons.

……

Because the artillery moves slowly.

It was not until the battle was almost over that the artillery team slowly arrived at the battlefield.

200 mules and oxen pulling
The scene is spectacular!

Wen Yuande was in high spirits and waved his hand:
"The artillery is not allowed to be unloaded. Everyone, hurry up and eat. After eating, immediately chase the guest bandits."

"Whoo."

Looking at the black cannon barrel, Tuanlian Guangyong couldn't help but feel confident.

Do not know why,

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, people had an inexplicable worship for artillery.

When the cannons arrived, morale rose by a billion points.

It was common for officers and soldiers to besiege a dangerous bandit stronghold for months at a time, and then bring in artillery, and half an hour later, the stronghold would be broken.

……

Putting aside the physical power of the shell attack,
The mental power may be 10 times~
Likewise, the reverse also applies.

Those who start their own business with hoes and dung forks are called bandits and petty thieves.

Those who have standard swords and guns are called rebels.

Those who can pull a cannon are called fierce bandits and big robbers.

As soon as the cannon sounded, his name was left in the Ministry of War.

If you are lucky, you can even let the emperor see your name and hometown, and win his heart.

……

Half an hour later,
The vast army of soldiers surrounded the artillery team and set out with high morale.

As slow as an old cow.

The pace of the oxen pulling the cart is firm and slow, and the key is that they cannot be hurried.

As they might encounter the enemy at any time, Guangyong always kept his swords and guns in his hands.

Before departure,

Minister Wen Yuande was not confident about his organization.
He ordered all musketeers to collect a portion of ammunition, about 20 rounds, and carry it with them.

After the war,

If these opened gunpowder are not used and collected again, half of them will probably be scrapped.

Because the storage conditions for individual soldiers are not ideal.

Wen Yuande rubbed his face in pain.

Once again, I regretted having wasted half my life in the Ministry of Rites, being the best at wrangling and not good at anything else.

……

in fact,

He overlooked one point.

When Emperor Qianlong appointed generals, the four ministers who led the militia were all pure literati.

They came from: Ministry of Rites, Hanlin Academy, Ministry of Works, and Lifanyuan respectively.

Is this really a coincidence?
……

The Qing court handled foreign affairs.

It is generally accepted that all affairs of foreign envoys coming from the sea shall be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites, while all affairs of foreign envoys coming from land shall be under the jurisdiction of the Lifanyuan.

Therefore,
Wen Yuande, who came from the Ministry of Rites, was familiar with France and maritime trade, and was a professional counterpart.

All he could think about was making money from the foreigners, buying foreign cannons, and hiring foreign soldiers.

I don't know.

Did Qianlong think of this beforehand?

Probably not.

Even if he thought of it, he couldn't do it.

Because there are not many retired officials from Guangdong in the major government offices in the capital.

Rather than passing the imperial examination to become a high-ranking official, the Cantonese actually prefer to make a lot of money.

Lao Guang,
He doesn't like politics, but loves money and women.

……

"Chief Zeng, the bandits are chasing us."

"what?"

Zeng Huaigu could hardly believe his ears. Did the sun rise from the west?

however,
The young man who was in charge of gathering information quickly brought back updated information.

Guangyong has cannons!
"Retreat, and hold the tower."

Ke Yong returned to their territory and the offense and defense changed again.

Surrounding building,

The shape of the tower is very different from that of the watchtower.

But they are essentially defensive buildings.

……

Looking down from the sky,
The building area is at least 10 times that of a blockhouse, and it can accommodate more troops.

But the material is worse.

The bottom is made of stone strips, and upwards is an adobe wall of astonishing thickness.

The exterior walls are scarred.

There were traces of knives and axes, as well as lead bullets from short spears embedded in the adobe.

obviously,
Guangyong once suffered a great loss under this walled house.

Now, they have cannons in their hands and are determined to turn the tables.

……

The two sides just looked at each other.

Only Guangyong's gunner was busy, unloading the gun, positioning it, and loading it, each of which was time-consuming and laborious.

Wu Jun's combined portable artillery vehicle is unique.

Guangyong, there is no artillery vehicle~
The bare gun barrel was placed on a cart and tied up repeatedly with hemp ropes.

Unravel the knots layer by layer,

Four strong men carried the cannon barrel on a shoulder pole and walked to the fortifications built with earth bags and put it down.
barrel,

Just put it on the sandbag.

……

This is the earliest generation of artillery emplacement.
However, it is also okay to deal with walled houses that are obvious targets.

After a flurry of activity, the gunners quietly took their positions.

Waiting for the order to fire.

Wen Yuande's mind was once again at its peak:
"fire!"

After a test firing, the sound of the cannon was dull and powerful, and there was no explosion.

Everyone cheers!

Looking across, the house was safe and sound.

Wen Yuande was embarrassed and frowned as he looked at his confidants around him.

A scholar next to him bowed and said:

"Please forgive me, old man. We are not good at using cannons. But~"

……

Wen Yuande understood immediately.
Among the former Green Camp officers hired was a short and fat officer named Luo.

This man had traveled all the way to Jinchuan and was said to have fired more than 200 artillery shells personally, so he was very experienced.

They are all thousand-year-old foxes, and they understand everything at once.

Wen Yuande decided on the spot to grant Lao Luo the actual position of battalion officer of the artillery team.

then,

Under the command of Lao Luo, who was self-respecting and thoughtful, the group rebuilt a more stable artillery position and adjusted the elevation of the artillery.

Due to environmental restrictions,

The 25 guns could not be placed in a row, so only 7 mountain-splitting cannons could be placed.

……

Second round of bombardment, 2 shells hit ~
The third round of bombardment,
Lao Luo personally took a ladle to repeatedly screen the large grains of black gunpowder, estimated the amount of powder, and then used his pair of focused little eyes to lie at the tail of the cannon and aim repeatedly.

In this round, 5 shells directly hit the walled house.

The adobe walls could not bear the weight and large sections collapsed, with billowing smoke and dust.

Guangyong cheered~
There is finally hope that this tug-of-war will end.

……

Wen Yuande stroked his beard and exclaimed:
"It's a devastating cannon."

"Brother Luo is indeed a great talent in Siyi. He deserves a reward of 200 taels of silver."

Everyone sighed that the Battle of Jinchuan was a training ground for them.

Among the military officers of the Qing Dynasty,

Most of the qualified mid- and low-level military officers came from Jinchuan.

Most of the outstanding senior officers had experienced the Burma Campaign or the Northwest Campaign.

The battlefield is like an imperial examination room.

The King of Hell screens people round by round, and only those who remain in the end are gold.

……

1 quarters of an hour later,
The Ke warriors' morale collapsed, they abandoned the walled house, and Queen Cang fled.

On the same day,

With the help of artillery, Guangyong destroyed four walled houses in succession, razed seven villages, and captured dozens of women.

(End of this chapter)