Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 492: We Mongolian men are ready to fight to the death, but you Manchus want to run away?
Qian Yuanwai's family was lucky, they escaped the bloody machete.
The Mongolian cavalry plundered the valleys everywhere, and the once prosperous town of Shilipu had now become a ruin.

More than 200 people escaped from the town.
They formed a refugee group and migrated northward.

No one knows what the current situation in the world is and which team has the upper hand.

18st century,

Everything is precious except people!

The most valuable thing is information.

Ordinary people are at a loss about the general situation in the world and have no channels to obtain information.

but,

In the refugees’ simple understanding, the ultimate winner must be the heavenly soldiers!

the reason is simple:
Because they are heavenly soldiers, they win. Because they win, they are heavenly soldiers.

……

riverside,

The fleeing team stopped and started to make a fire and cook.

A man in ragged clothes and open-toed straw sandals suddenly said with a smile:
"If you ask me, this was a good fight."

The wife looked at her husband in disbelief:

"What? What crazy things are you talking about, Boss?"

The man blew up the flame carefully, glancing at the disheveled figure of Mr. Qian, who was lying on the ground and making a fire like him not far away.

Said proudly:
"After the war, his family became poor."

The wife turned her head and looked twice.

Nod in agreement:

"Yeah, it's refreshing."

The two families are neighbors, only 50 meters apart.

The same surname is Qian.

But life is very different.

The house where Qian Fangshe lives may not be as big as the toilet of a rich man.

……

Someone shouted:

"It's time to go to the military. It's time to go to the military."

Everyone was suddenly in a panic. Qian Fangyang quickly took the broken pottery jar off the fire and put it on the ground.

"eat fast!"

No one cared about the heat and quickly scooped up the half-cooked rice grains at the bottom of the jar and stuffed them into their mouths.

Qian Fangyang even took a handful of ashes and smeared it on his wife's face.

Looking at the women in Mr. Qian's family, their pretty faces were also pitch black.

Qian Fangyang couldn't help laughing.

My original tense mood was relieved a lot, and I even felt a long-lost sense of happiness.

He murmured:
"I said fighting is good."

……

The soldiers in red and black uniforms walked hurriedly.

I have no interest in taking a second look at these refugees who are like quails swarming together.
Qian Fangyang walked boldly to the side of the road,

I watched as a large group of infantry passed by first, followed by the cannons, and finally the baggage train, with bright flags and bayonets like a forest.

I was amazed in my heart,

suddenly,

Two soldiers walked towards him.

The older soldier shouted:
"The soldiers of heaven are coming to Hubei to seek welfare for the people of Hubei. We are recruiting brave civilians to accompany the army and provide them with three meals."

I can’t understand what Qian Fangyang was thinking at the time. He actually asked seriously whether he could bring his family with him to apply.
The soldier in charge of recruiting service battalion said:

"Commoners cannot bring their families with them, but brave warriors can."

……

Qian Fangyang understood.

Civilians are responsible for doing hard labor, while brave men may become cannon fodder.

While he was hesitating,

Looking back, she saw Mr. Qian looking at her.

There is 4 parts of admiration, 3 parts of awe, and 3 parts of indescribable in his eyes.

Very familiar~
Normally, I would squat at the entrance of the alley with my sleeves rolled up, looking up at those big shots in fancy clothes and riding horses with this look in my eyes.

moment,

He felt a surge of energy and blood rushing from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Qian Fangyang straightened his back:
"Sir, I sign up to be a brave warrior."

……

There were many talented people in the service battalion, and they hastily produced a batch of inferior spearheads.

All the brave ones,
Each person was given a red headscarf and a spear head.

This is quite similar to the way that Master Hong recruited soldiers in the past, and the people in northwestern Hubei expressed familiarity with it.

but,

It was the first time for people living in southern Hubei to see it and they found it quite new.

Qian Fang wrapped a sheep's head in red cloth and held a spear in his hand.

With high spirits and valiant spirit,

Not only did he bring his wife and children into the military camp, he also brought dozens of villagers from Shilipu, including Qian Yuanwai's family.

"Who are these people?"

"Brave! Brave!"

"All voluntary?"

"Don't worry, sir. It's absolutely voluntary."

"On the battlefield, military law is merciless."

"Don't worry, sir. As the old saying goes, there are nine-headed birds in the sky and Hubei people on the ground. We Hubei people are very fierce~"

……

Qian Fangyang looked very proud and waved his right arm to invite his fellow villagers into the camp.

I thought,

This is no different from herding sheep.

No surprise,

He automatically became the captain,

After 20 years of decadence, my life suddenly found meaning.

As a town vagrant who works as a street urchin as his main job and herds sheep as his side job, Qian Fangyang is poor but eloquent and very smart.

quickly,

He made a name for himself in the service camp and helped out everywhere.

He also changed into a gray robe that was neither new nor old.

That's right,

The same style and color as the expeditionary force.

……

but,

This did not affect him returning to the familiar crowd, where he patted his chest and boasted that this was the official robe awarded to him by the official.

Where do the heavenly soldiers come from? Where do they go?
He doesn't care.

It's none of your business.

As long as he had one or three full meals, he could occasionally bring back some meat from the service camp to feed his wife and children.

now,

Even Qian Yuanwai, the former richest man in Shilipu, had to bow and nod when he saw him.

This indescribable feeling of pleasure made Qian Fangyang full of energy every day. He even fell in love with the unmarried daughter of the Qian family, thinking that the gap in their status was not that big.

If I get promoted to a higher rank, it would be natural for me to take her as my concubine.

Qian herding sheep is illiterate.

But it does not prevent him from understanding the importance of marrying a literate woman and then reproducing the next generation.

The scorching gaze frightened the rich girl so much that she smeared two handfuls of soot on her face while helping in the kitchen at lunch.

At first glance,
I thought he was a Kunlun slave.

……

but,

Good days are always short.

The vanguard of the mixed battalion arrived outside Macheng Town and encountered a group of Mongolian cavalry.

Both sides were stunned~
"Form a formation, form a formation."

"Load first, then attach the bayonet."

More than 50 musketeers quickly lined up in a row, shoulder to shoulder, and loaded their rifles nervously.

30 meters away,

A hundred-man team of the Alxa Eleuth Banner threw the things they had just robbed to the ground.

The centurion in leather armor raised his scimitar:

"Come on!"

More than 80 riders began to accelerate.

During acceleration,

This group of people completed many preparations including adjusting the formation.

……

A non-commissioned officer stood on the right side of the queue.

Yell:

"Hold on, hold on, don't shoot without my order."

The cavalry charge is awe-inspiring.

Although there were less than a hundred cavalrymen, they exerted great psychological pressure on people, and they always felt that there were thousands of troops on the opposite side.

Distance 25 feet,
The sergeant blew the whistle loudly, and Wu Jun opened fire first.

The charging Mongolian cavalry were thrown to the ground in a brief chaos.

then,

The counterattack followed immediately. A volley of arrows flew up from the spot, drew a parabola and fell into the thin line of the Wu army.

The soldier who was shot by the arrow screamed and fell to the ground.

The rest of the men became visibly flustered as they loaded their ammunition.

……

The Mongols relied on their numerical advantage and the advantage of their horse bows to quickly output arrows in a short time.
The vanguard platoon of the mixed battalion suffered heavy casualties under the continuous close-range rain of arrows.

Eventually it turned into a rout.
The Mongols followed closely behind, wielding scimitars, hunting down their prey.

The sergeant died in battle!

He was stabbed and his neck was almost cut off.

Hard to say,
His command was right or wrong.

According to the Infantry Manual:
When a small group of infantry encounters enemy cavalry in an open area, they should give priority to the hollow square formation.

but,

Instead, he deployed a line formation with the goal of delivering more firepower in the first round of engagement, hoping to cause enough casualties to scare off the rest of the enemy.

he thinks,
An isolated hollow square formation would eventually be penetrated by the Mongol cavalry with obvious numerical superiority.

……

Only seven people escaped to the town, relying on the terrain and houses to avoid the pursuit of cavalry.

The Alxa Eleuth Banner had been conscripted to participate in many Qing-Zunghar wars, had seen big scenes, and had good officer qualities.

The centurion sent four scouts eastward.

2 quarters of an hour later,
Received information that a large group of Wu army infantry were accelerating towards them.

"Cut off the head and take the horse away."

"withdraw!"

The heads of the dead soldiers of the mixed battalion were chopped off, and their flintlock rifles and bronze identity plates were also taken away.

The centurion counted the number of riders and found that there were more than 80 riders on the way and more than 50 riders on the way back.
……

On the same day,

Small-scale battles broke out between the two sides three more times.

There were casualties on both sides, and the game was tied.

Huang Si realized that he might encounter Mongolian cavalry every mile of his march.

He then called a meeting of all officers above the company level.

"Starting tomorrow, we will change our marching method. We will divide into two groups, and take turns to cover each other every other day, advancing 20 miles a day."

"The musketeers, artillerymen, armored soldiers, and brave warriors are mixed together, with each battalion of 300 people, and the camps are 2 miles apart. They will march from north to south in unison."

"The first group will advance 20 miles and set up camp on the spot. The next day, the second group will advance another 20 miles and set up camp. In this way, they will alternate to cover each other and ensure that there will be no mistakes. They will hunt in Jianghan and completely wipe out the last elite troops of the Qing army in Hubei."

"Wan Sheng! Wan Sheng!"

Everyone shouted in unison, and morale was greatly boosted.

……

Huang Si was waiting for the Army Department's promise to send a corps of reinforcements from Jiangnan.

but,

The first to arrive were the Young Guards Battalion.

A young officer in full military uniform walked into the tent with a smile.

"Little five?"

"Uncle Huang!"

The two of them were already familiar with each other in the provincial capital.

Later, they worked together in the 4th Legion for a long time, one as the principal and the other as the deputy, and became more familiar with each other.

Huang Sizhuo estimated that
General Lin also took this relationship into consideration before assigning the Young Guards Battalion to himself.

Li Xiaowu was very straightforward.

"Captain Huang, from now on, my guard battalion will be under your command."

"Okay. I'm short of manpower, and you're just in time."

……

After listening to Huang Si's steady and cautious strategy, Li Xiaowu came up with an idea.

"How about driving two nails forward?"

"Ok?"

"Guards Battalion and Mixed Battalion, our 2nd Battalion will take turns to cover and lead the main army to attract the Qing army's firepower."

Huang Si was silent.

The idea is good.

However, the Guard Battalion has a special status, and it would be difficult to explain to His Majesty if there were too many casualties.

Li Xiaowu guessed his concerns.
whispered:
"The Guards Battalion is well-equipped and well-trained. If the brothers in the battalion want to be promoted, they must have military merits. Without fighting, they cannot win the support of the people."

Huang Si was silent and patted his shoulder:

"to make!"

"I'll give you some caltrops and barbed wire from the baggage camp. Go and make preparations. Bring plenty of dry food and ammunition~"

"I will obey my orders."

……

After Li Xiaowu left,
Li Ergou stuck his head out of the tent door with a smile, still looking like a rogue.

"Uncle Huang~"

For some reason, Huang Si felt uncomfortable all over.

Uncle Huang?

Why does it sound so awkward?

"The 4th Legion's mobile fortress vehicle is pretty good, can I borrow it~"

"I agree in principle!"

"Oh."

Li Ergou restrained his smile.

As expected, it was rejected.

The lieutenant of the quartermaster battalion who was drinking wolfberry and red date tea from a large bowl looked fine when he didn't smile, but when he smiled, wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes.

After hearing your intention,

Spit out two words:
"You have to pay more."

obviously,
Li Ergou was unable to satisfy the 4th Legion's appetite and returned home in disappointment.

What about friendship between friendly forces and the great cause of empire, the old foxes of the 4th Legion just wouldn't listen to a word!
……

Wu Jun is sharpening his swords.

Serious disagreements broke out among senior officers in the Qing army.
A group led by Jingzhou General Hengling insisted on breaking out to the west!

Another faction, led by the Taiji of Alxa Eleuth Banner, Halabarsi, believed that if an enemy comes, we must fight back with soldiers and if a flood comes, we must block it with earth. In one word: fight!

To the west of Jingzhou is Yichang.

Further west of Yichang are vast tracts of virgin forest and towering mountains.

It is not easy for any army to cross the Daba Mountains in an organized manner.

Forget about the warhorse.

Even if you throw away all your weapons and baggage and only take food and clothing, it is still a journey with a very high probability of death.

……

It's funny to say,
The general of Jingzhou who came from the upper three banners wanted to escape~
The Outer Jasak Mongols, who had ulterior motives, were determined to fight!

History is so humorous.

The Green Camp officers, led by Sun Zhengying, the general of Yichang Town, could only watch their Manchu and Mongolian masters arguing with each other, and they had no say at all.

Pessimism,

Pervaded among the Qing army.

The recent plan to cross the Jingjiang River to the south has no possibility at all.

Several large warships of the Wu army navy were lying across the Jingjiang River, watching eagerly.

To cross the river is to court death.

The Eight Banners of Jingzhou were originally divided into water and land systems, but after the White Lotus Rebellion and the defense of Wuchang, the navy was almost completely lost.

Therefore,
The only chance of survival is a decisive battle on land.

……

Hengling looked at his peers who were well-developed in muscles but lacked in strategy.

I almost spoke the truth several times:

"Wake up, you Mongols and our Eight Banners stationed in Jingzhou are all abandoned by the imperial court."

As an important official of the Qing Dynasty,

He vaguely guessed the sinister intentions of the imperial court and was afraid that these foreign Mongols would become rebellious after returning to the grasslands after seeing the decline of the Qing Dynasty.

simply,

Bury them all on the battlefield in Hubei to prevent future troubles.

The Mongolian cavalry units that marched south in compliance with the imperial order were all elite troops that were good at fighting.

These people are gone.
Even if the various tribes on the grassland cause trouble, they cannot cause much trouble.

only,
The imperial court also treated the Eight Banners stationed in Jingzhou as abandoned pawns.

……

Hengling was filled with resentment, but had no place to express it.

If we boldly reveal the truth, the situation will immediately get out of control.

These irritable grassland men may draw their swords and massacre the whole city, or they may turn to Wu Ting~
Anyway,

The future is unpredictable.

No matter what the outcome is, you are the loser.

……

"My young princes, as long as we work together to cross the Daba Mountains and reach Kuizhou Prefecture in Sichuan, we can continue to serve the court."

"What about the horses? What about the baggage? What about the gold and silver captured by the warriors?"

"Discard them all!"

"Hengling, do you think we Mongols are fools? There are tens of thousands of cavalry here. Even if we can't defeat them, we can run away."

Sun Zhengying, a descendant of Sun Kewang of the Southern Ming Dynasty and a member of the Eight Banners of the Han Army and the general of Yichang, thought,
The general of Jingzhou was so pessimistic about the war situation that he could even come up with a suggestion that the army should cross the Daba Mountains with light equipment?

Qing,

Are we going to repeat the same old practices again?
This scene is so familiar.

(End of this chapter)