Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 464: The enemy is 300 miles away, Qianlong loses his composure
War is cruel.

There will definitely be accidental injuries and brutality.

In Wolong Town, which had a population of 7000 people, there were cries and wails everywhere.

gunfire,

Sporadic sounds.

Under the shadow of death, the people left their homes sadly, carrying their elderly and children.

……

Only 300 people volunteered to stay.

among them,

The vast majority of people are extremely poor and despairing, with no way up to heaven and no way down to hell.

They are fearless.

Is there anything more terrible under the sky than absolute poverty?

Wolong Town,
The streets were in a mess.

The military judge stood on the millstone,

Loud consolation:

"My fellow villagers, our Wu army is a civilized army, and we will never deduct the wages we promised you. Now, move the bodies out of the town first."

More than 300 people had haggard faces, hunched over and dull appearance.

watch carefully,
You will find that there is not a single fat person here, and some people are even as thin as walking skeletons.

……

Li Ergou frowned and interrupted the military judge rudely:
"Listen to me."

"There's plenty of rice, plenty of soy sauce and lard, and then we can go to Mr. Niu's kitchen to get some bacon, light a fire and start eating."

"What are you standing there for? Why don't you do something?"

Wow,
The 300 people instantly changed from static to dynamic and ran away at high speed.

His thin body burst out with rare strength and he carried rice, iron pots, wood, lard jars and soy sauce jars.

Five large pots were lined up in a row, with smoke rising from them.

Chop up the furniture in Niu's house to make firewood~
Chop the bacon strips into cubes and put them into the pot to cook with the rice.

The smell is so nice!

……

Li Ergou has a kind face and is patrolling the terrain around the town with his hands behind his back.

Muttering in my heart:
Scholars are ignorant and always talk too much.

at this point,
Not as wise as my adoptive father.

When I first met my adoptive father,

My adoptive father directly set up a banquet in Deyue Tower with wine and meat, and he ate and took everything himself.

From that moment on,

My life belongs to my adoptive father.

……

3 quarters of an hour later,
He returned to the open space in the center of town.

"Fellow villagers, have you eaten enough?"

"I'm full, I'm full."

Everyone said this, but their eyes were still glancing at the pot reluctantly.

Bacon stewed rice
Mix with lard and soy sauce.

It was so delicious that I couldn’t stop eating it, and I didn’t even notice it was hot.

……

"Now, put down your bowls and chopsticks and go to the fortifications outside the town. We will still have dinner here after dark."

The effect is good.

The enthusiasm for work has reached an unprecedented level and no supervision is needed at all.

The military judge was a little embarrassed and walked to Li Ergou.
Whisper reminder:

"It's hot, and if the bodies in this town aren't cleaned up, they'll rot and stink."

"Take care of the living first, and bury the dead in the middle of the night."

Seeing the military judge worried,

Li Ergou whispered again:

"If I were the garrison commander of Xiangyang, I would gather all the soldiers in the city, flatten Wolong Town in one go, and push the people into the Han River."

"Let's hope there's no night attack."

……

in fact,

Li Ergou was embarrassed to say:

If I were the defender of Xiangyang, I would attack in the dark, burn down Wolong Town, and then burn all the villages and towns within 10 miles along the Han River.

Fortify the walls and clear the fields~
The fleet has come from afar, can it float on the water for a whole summer?
Ergou does not have any profound military theories.
After years of living in the beggars' sect, he never forgot the "three little beggars' longevity tips" - where to stay tonight? what to eat next? and not to get sick.

Once the fleet cannot gain a foothold on the shore and floats in the water for a long time,

The above 3 points will definitely not be met!
Starved to death, died of disease, died of sunburn~
What's the difference between that and being killed?

……

Wolong Town has ready-made houses, daily necessities, a dock, and livestock and poultry.

In and outside the town,

Torches lit up and bonfires twinkled.

That night, the patrol team was on guard 2 miles outside the town, and no one dared to sleep.

Busy!

Build field fortifications and unload artillery to prevent a large-scale attack by the Qing army tomorrow morning.

At midnight,

Add food again.

This time, the laborers obviously ate slower and ate less.

Salty pork and rice, topped with a spoonful of homemade soybean sauce, slowly enjoying the aroma of the food~
……

When the two dogs came,
Naturally, he earned everyone's respect.

“Fellow villagers, eat well and work hard.”

"Once the Qing Dynasty is driven away, your good days will come."

"If you are brave enough and help in the battle, you will not be short of good things in the future."

Everyone nodded like garlic.

Although I didn't sleep all night, I felt more energetic.

With food in the stomach, there is light in the eyes!

……

The cement brought by the transport ship was used up at once.

Outside Wolong Town,

There are several more brick and cement towers.

The next day,

As the sun rose, the exhausted Wu army began to rest in batches.

Several light warships of the Ji Kang class sailed from the Han River into the Hezichuan River to serve as mobile artillery batteries.

far away,

Finally, the Qing army scouts appeared.

……

In Xiangyang City,

A violent quarrel broke out.

The party represented by Chahar Governor Zheyong strongly suggested leaving the city and expelling the Wu army that had landed.

The party represented by the prefect Mao Lei and the second-class guard Liang Shun insisted on waiting for the emperor's order.

Zheyong's little eyes flashed with ferocity.

For the first time, he discovered that there were fools among the nobles in front of the emperor.

If he had not realized the huge danger, he would not have been willing to lead the cavalry to attack the Wu army ashore.

In Jiangxi,
He and Ma Zhongyi joined forces to fight against the Wu army.

Repeated battles and repeated defeats, repeated defeats and repeated battles.

The experience gained from the lives of countless soldiers and countless escapes was actually ignored.

The civil officials knew nothing about the war, and the nobles of the Eight Banners knew nothing about it either.

The Qing Dynasty is beyond salvation!

……

Nanyang Prefecture.

Big beads of sweat oozed out of Qianlong's forehead, and he realized that Wu's fleet had hit the weak spot of the imperial court.

3 days ago,

The emergency document from Hubei Governor Wang Jie was delivered to the imperial case.

The emperor and his ministers were shocked.

Troop adjustments were made immediately, and the city of Nanyang was put on full alert, with only one city gate left open and the rest closed.

The imperial guards took over the city defense.

The Green Camp soldiers who were originally in the city were driven out to set up camp outside the city.

Simultaneously,

3000 cavalry were sent to reinforce Fancheng.

now,

Another urgent report came from Xiangyang, and the strategic purpose of the Wu army was obvious.

……

"Your Majesty, the Wu thief has come with ill intentions."

"Do you need to tell me whether it is good or not? Don't I know?"

Facing the Emperor's wrath,
He Shen didn't care about the embarrassment.

continued:

"I have two concerns. First, the Wu thieves blocked the Han River, blocking the northern transportation route for Huguang grain. Second, the Wu thieves took Xiangyang and headed for the Central Plains."

Qianlong was upset.

Pointing at Heshen, he cursed:
"What's the point of you saying so much? Do you want to show that you are very capable? I give you an army, and you go to kill the enemy?"

……

Between the lightning and flint,

He Shen raised his head.

Devoutly:
"I am not good at military affairs, but my brother may be able to help you, my king and father."

"And Lin?"

"Yes. He always likes to read military books and is very knowledgeable when talking about military affairs. He is proficient in riding, archery, and firearms." "Okay, send an order to let him come to the front line."

"Whoo."

Helin was in charge of the Imperial Household Department's Yangxin Palace Manufacturing Office at that time.

Equivalent to the director of the Qing Dynasty's Royal Arsenal, he held a fourth-rank official position.

……

The situation in the Qing Dynasty is not good today.

Heshen couldn't wait to let his younger brother take command of an elite force so that he could share the burden.

Don't you see,
In the newspaper,
Yu Yunhe, the grain supervisor in Huai'an, was also training troops, which were beautifully called the Armed Grain Protection Team.

Yu Shihe, who was in charge of the Guangxi Division of the Ministry of Revenue and was in charge of mines in Weifang, Shandong, also took on a part-time job and set up an armed mining protection team with his brother-in-law, Duke Yansheng.

The brothers' father, Yu Minzhong, most likely followed the path of Prince Jia.

Prince Jia stayed in the capital and took real power for the first time, so he needed a team.

Lao Yu has been in the central government for a long time, and he has countless students and former officials.

He took the initiative to surrender, which was what Prince Jia wanted very much.

Accepting Lao Yu is equivalent to accepting a group of people.

……

Old Yu is an old fox, always cautious and low-key.

Now that she is so wild and so blatant, without any regard for the old emperor's feelings, there is something wrong with this.

Could it be that

What did he smell?
Even if Huguang was lost, the Qing Dynasty still occupied at least two-thirds of the territory.

and,

The Wu army may not be able to gain the upper hand when it reaches the north.

The Central Plains is the home ground of the cavalry.

And there are not as many rivers as in the south.
With Agui leading the army in Yunnan and Guizhou, the southwest is at least a tough move.

Why is Old Yu so pessimistic about the war situation?

……

Heshen was full of thoughts and walked with his head down, and bumped into Qin Si, the eunuch in charge of the imperial court.

"Father-in-law, I'm sorry."

He Shen instinctively took out the banknotes~
But Qin Si held him down and stamped his feet, saying:
"My Lord, it's time to stop doing these clichés. I have little experience, so I want to ask you, if...if the Wu army breaks through Xiangyang, how far is it to Nanyang?"

"300 miles."

"Not as far as from the Forbidden City to the Chengde Mountain Resort?"

Heshen nodded.

"Correct!"

Qin Si wiped his sweat and asked in a low voice:

"Master He, do you think the Wu bandits are coming for Huguang or for our Emperor?"

Heshen shook his head.

……

West of Xiangyang City, outside Wolong Town.

Liu Wu let out a long sigh again.

Two good news:
First, the detachment (6 Ji Kang-class ships and 10 empty transport ships) surrounded the prosperous Shihua Town in Gucheng County and returned with a full load.

A lot of gains~
Second, the defenders of Xiangyang did not launch an attack for a long time.

The navy that penetrated deep into enemy territory alone gained precious time and valuable supplies.

The soldiers demolished 200 houses on the outskirts of Wolong Town that were not conducive to defense, and used the demolished wood and bricks to build fortifications.

now,

It would not be so easy for the Qing army to take over again.

……

Li Ergou patted his chest and boasted:
"Uncle Liu, as long as you can hold the water, I can hold off 3 Qing troops on land."

of course,

There is a prerequisite here, that is, there are enough gunpowder bullets.

In addition, there are trenches, chevaux de frise, horse traps, brick and stone fortresses, caltrops and a natural river.

last year,

The unscrupulous scholars of the General Staff Headquarters looked through ancient books and discovered a weapon with a long history and enduring popularity - caltrops.

Hundreds of caltrops are strung together with a thin hemp rope, which makes it easy to arrange and store.

The Military Industry Department is short of staff and has no time to do this.

So the order of 5 caltrops was outsourced to an iron factory. This stuff is very rough, there is no tolerance, and it is even more prone to rust!

……

There are two islands in the river near Wolong Town.

The waters are relatively closed.

The fleet took turns patrolling the Han River every day and sank all ships they encountered, regardless of size.

Around Xiangyang City,
I dare not go into the water.

If Qianlong mobilized the main force of the Huguang Navy in Dongting Lake to reinforce Xiangyang, Liu Wu would be more than happy.

It was not realistic to capture Xiangyang with only 6000 people in the Western Expedition Fleet, and it was even more unrealistic to divide the troops to defend Xiangyang, but it was not difficult to win a decisive victory in a naval battle.

……

In Xiangyang City,

The Qing army had a small sampan navy.

Trying to take back the Han River is undoubtedly like hitting a rock with an egg.

Zheyong was dismayed to learn that
The Wu army fleet set up a solid camp in Wolong Town, more than ten miles west of the city, and they would not leave!

The emperor's decree has finally arrived~
As expected,
Xiangyang prefect Mao Lei was convicted and imprisoned, and the second-class guard Liang Shun was stripped of his official position, demoted to a military officer, and served in the army.

Zheyong was commended.

but,

What’s the use of belated wisdom?

Zheyong got drunk every night and ordered the soldiers to find a good woman for him in the city.

He had a bad feeling.

Xiangyang is finished, Huguang is finished.

The Qing Dynasty is coming soon~
……

Fast horse,

Running back and forth between Nanyang Prefecture, Wuchang Prefecture, and Xiangyang Prefecture.

Qianlong finally came up with the final plan.

Mobilize the main force of the Huguang Navy, mobilize the troops around Xiangyang, and counterattack the Wu army in Wolong Town!
The command of land operations belongs to Zheyong, the command of naval operations belongs to Wang Lin, the general of Yuezhou, and the governor Wang Jie is responsible for coordinating logistics.

From the implementation of the plan to its actual execution.

It takes a long time.

Deploying troops is a complicated matter and involves many procedures.

A plan was drafted by the officials of the Ministry of War who were accompanying the emperor, and it was sent to the officials from all parties to gather soldiers, distribute silver for marching, repair damaged military equipment, and fill vacancies.

Localities raise food and fodder.

When the troops were deployed, an encirclement was eventually formed.

……

Qianlong repeatedly reminded,

Be sure to wait until all units are in place before launching an attack.

It is forbidden to go to war without permission, otherwise you will be imprisoned even if you win.

In fact, he thought too much.

Nowadays, few Qing troops in the south dare to go into battle on their own, and they all tend to be on the defensive.

Unconsciously, the psychological balance between the two sides has reversed.

The Qing army considered itself the weaker side.

Wu Jun considers himself to be the stronger party.

The weaker party will involuntarily move slowly.

The reason is ready, it's summer~
Since ancient times,

It is a big taboo in military strategy to mobilize troops in summer.

……

The Qing army delayed launching an attack, and Wu’s fleet was secretly delighted.

On land, a complete camp was built with Wolong Town as the center.

In addition to daily patrol warships,
The rest of the sailors can go ashore, go to the mountains to cool off, rest and maintain their combat effectiveness.

Summer is hot,

The soldiers will have to stay here for several months, so good accommodation conditions are important.

Longzhong Mountain,
Legend has it that this is the place where Zhuge Liang lived in seclusion, which is quite controversial.

Wolong Town got its name from this.

Anyway,

The Wu army fleet occupied a territory with many Three Kingdoms elements.

……

Li Ergou's limited literacy did not affect his enjoyment of listening to storytelling.

He even went to the thatched cottage where Zhuge Liang was said to have lived in seclusion and lay there for a night, hoping to absorb some wisdom in his sleep.

The next day,

He got up excitedly and flipped through the book, only to find that he still didn't recognize the words he didn't know.

Cursing and returning in anger~
Human thinking is similar.

Hundreds of years later,

The people of Xiangyang also wanted to absorb Zhuge Liang's wisdom and study both arts and sciences, so they set up an unknown university here.

……

Half a month later,

The Wu army even set up beacon towers at three commanding heights in Longzhong.

Once a large number of Qing troops attacked, the beacon fire would be lit.

Apart from daily blockade of the Han River, patrolling the surrounding area and searching for supplies, the 6000-strong fleet never engages in war. They eat and drink as they please and spend the summer in the streams and bamboo forests.

In compliance with the strict orders of His Majesty and the General Staff:

Drive down the roots, accumulate strength, and wait for the cool autumn.

Anyway,

If the enemy does not move, I will not move.

The summer here is quiet~
(End of this chapter)