Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 512: The Founder of the Gui Army

Seeing that the formation has been formed,
Bai Jianren, the head of the Cenxi County Youth League, drew his sword and screamed:
"go ahead."

Two rows of arquebusiers walked in the front, followed by four super-long spear phalanxes lined up in a row.

Finally, there is the sword and shield phalanx.

The formation is standard, no major problems.

……

The fighting style of the Yulinzhou militia is somewhat different.

They fought head-on with large shields in front and long spears behind.

After a while,
The formations of both sides were no longer so neat, some were leading while others were lagging behind.

The array lines are noticeably distorted.

The era of cold weapons,
It is very difficult for an army to maintain a neat formation while advancing.

If the infantry can advance like a wall, they must be elite~
If the cavalry can advance like a wall, they must be extremely elite~
……

Bai Jianren turned his head and looked back, like a conductor waving his sword at a concert, trying to regain the rhythm:

"Everyone slow down, look at the front row, and straighten up."

The effect is obvious and the formation has been restored.

The distance between the two sides gradually narrowed until it reached 30 feet.

The 200 musketeers walking in the front stopped and carefully blew up the matches.

"Put it down~"

A column of white smoke rose up.

Lu Tingwu, who was sitting in the back, frowned.

The killing effect of this round of salvo is very poor. Is there something wrong with the new gun?

……

Actually,
Bai Jianren also discovered it.

It's not even as good as the previous non-standard shotgun~
The musketeers were equally confused and didn't understand what was going on, but they didn't dare to hesitate and immediately retreated to the back of the formation through the gaps between the phalanxes.

"Put the spear flat."

brush,
Hundreds of 13-foot-long spears were laid flat with their tips pointing forward, looking quite intimidating.

……

The spearmen on both sides stabbed at each other.

The 13-foot super-long spears in the hands of the Wuzhou militia have obvious advantages.

The Yulin militia was at a disadvantage because they used 10-foot-long spears, typical combat spears, which were equivalent to twice the height of the soldiers.

Weapons are every inch longer and every inch stronger.

Except for fighting in a house, spears have the advantage in almost all battle scenes.

now,

The command lost its effect.

Both sides raised their spears and thrust forward with all their might.

Looking down from the air, the distinction is clear.

In the middle, hundreds of spears were stabbing each other, and people fell down from time to time.

1 quarters of an hour later,
The Yulin militia was unable to hold out.

……

Seeing the enemy on the opposite side being defeated.

Bai Jianren was overjoyed and shouted for an attack.

Lu Tingwu, who was supervising the battle behind the formation, was even more delighted. He waved his hand and reinforcements followed.

but,

It is difficult to have one trick to succeed in everything.

Reinforcements from the Yulin militia also arrived and fired indiscriminately with muskets, rifles, and three-barreled guns.

The Wuzhou militia, which had just gained an advantage, retreated again.
A small win turned into a draw.

Both sides suffered three to four hundred casualties.

The next day, the two sides fought again, and the result was similar.

A few days later,

The two sides, unwilling to give up, pulled out their only cannons and fired at each other, hoping to settle the matter once and for all.

The result was embarrassing.
The tug-of-war showed that the technical and tactical levels of both sides were surprisingly similar.

……

What to do if you can’t break the formation?
Increase troops.

Using hometown as a bond, each province recruits young and strong people.

There is no particular requirement for militia training, anyone with a spear can be a soldier.

They built simple camps south of Rong County, dug trenches, pits, and erected bamboo spikes, and began positional warfare.

After both sides organized several attacks and failed to capture the other side's camp.

Finally accepted a reality:
When the two armies have similar skills, tactics, and firearms, whoever attacks will suffer, while whoever defends will have the upper hand.

The most brutal war is between evenly matched opponents.

The battle was bloody, but the front line did not advance at all.

……

For the first time, Bai Jianren realized that in war, not only does it depend on who is stronger, but it also depends on who is richer.

In order to raise money for clothing, food and fuel, his "future father-in-law" was so anxious that his mouth was full of bubbles and he was in a dilemma.

because,

Guangxi is not rich.

Wuzhou is relatively poor.

5000 soldiers gathered and set up a camp to fight for half a month, and the people of Rong County and Teng County were overwhelmed.

Lu Tingwu looked haggard:
"Xiaobai, I'm afraid we have to withdraw our troops."

"Leave Rong County to the people of Yulin?"

"There's nothing we can do. We can't get more food from the rear." Lu Tingwu frowned and started counting on his fingers. "One person needs at least 1 kilograms of food a day. 2 people need to eat 5000 kilograms, which means 30 kilograms a month."

"The Minister of Militia allocated 1 taels of silver, which is barely enough to cover this month's salary and herbs. Forget about the pension."

"Cloth, iron, gunpowder, lead, herbs, and I haven't even counted them."

"Xiao Bai, do you know? In order to become this crappy official, I have emptied my family property."

……

Bai Jianren was stunned.
It sounds like war is really expensive.

Just because of such a futile battle that yielded no results, Mr. Lu, a famous man in Cenxi County, became a poor man? Then his dowry would probably be wasted, right?

Actually,
The Yulin group training on the opposite side was equally embarrassed.

But they had the governor behind them, who supported them with 5 taels of silver.

Therefore,
I can hold on for a while longer.

……

Bai Jianren returned to the camp dejected and depressed.

One of the close friends who had cut sugar cane together, the short Huang Huangchuan, came running over carrying a matchlock rifle.

Pointing a gun:
"Brother, I know why the new gun can't shoot accurately."

"why?"

"The force is too great, the gunpowder is too strong. The brothers can't keep steady~"

Huang Huangchuan gestured with the gun, made a bang with his mouth, and raised the muzzle of the gun.

Added:
"The lead went up to the sky."

"Oh."

……

Seeing that his elder brother was not in high spirits, Huang Huangchuan observed his expression and asked:
"Brother, what's wrong?"

"Master Lu said that the war can't be fought any longer because there is no money or food."

"How about we charge again?"

"It's useless. The trenches are deep and long. The Yulin people are hiding behind the fences and poking with their spears. Even if all the people are dead, we can't attack them."

The two fell into silence.

After a while, all the die-hard brothers came.

While eating, he gave bad advice.

The bowl is filled with half brown rice and half whole grains, with a spoonful of homemade soy sauce poured on top.

Everyone was very satisfied with such a meal.

Compared to the time when I was a tenant farmer cutting sugar cane for a rich man, I was so hungry that my waist was only 1 feet, and I couldn't even tie my pants with a straw rope.
Now I can eat two meals a day, which makes me very happy.

……

Looking at the grooves in the bowl, Bai Jianren's eyes suddenly lit up.

Put down your rice bowl,
Said in a low voice:

"I have a bold idea."

As we all know, the all-male party.

A bold idea may not actually work, but it is definitely bold enough.

evening,

After the sun sets.

Lu Tingwu watched worriedly as the 700 people disappeared at the foot of the mountain.

The two armies faced each other, evenly matched, and unable to break through.

To the east is the Beiliu River and to the west is the Dayong Mountain.

Bai Jianren wanted to lead the Cenxi militia to take a gamble, enter Dayong Mountain, climb over the mountains, and go south to get behind the enemy.

It's possible in theory, but not easy in practice.

The average altitude of Dayong Mountain is close to 1000 meters, and the mountains are high and the roads are dangerous.

In addition, it is winter now, there is snow in the mountains, and the temperature is even lower.

If you are unlucky, it is possible that the entire army will be wiped out.

……

After half a day in the mountains, Bai Jianren felt the biting cold.

Grit your teeth and hold on~
The worn-out cotton-padded clothes are not very effective in keeping out the cold.

Boots were even worse. Given the poor economic situation of the Wuzhou militia, it was impossible for them to equip themselves with fur and leather winter boots.

Bai Jianren stuffed thick layers of dry straw into the lining of his clothes and inside his shoes.

The militia training that followed him was similar.

Straw is the best filling material for the poor to keep warm.

The higher you go in the mountains, the lower the temperature.

From time to time, people fell and suffered severe frostbite due to slippery feet.

You have to eat dry food sparingly.

"Brother, it's too cold."

"Don't say anything, grit your teeth and hold on. Brothers, if you win this battle, I will find each of you a set of cotton-padded clothes, a roast chicken, a bowl of rice wine, and plenty of rice."

……

Motivated by food, this poorly equipped team marched on a breath of fresh air.

I didn't dare to stop, because if I did I might not be able to move anymore. It was too scary in the mountains in winter.

suddenly,

The snow in the woods ahead was falling down in small flakes.

Everyone was shocked.

Huang Huangchuan quietly took out a tinderbox and lit the fuse.

Everyone slowed down and moved forward~
As we approached the edge of the forest, a black bear jumped out, roaring loudly.

Experienced hunters know that bears have thick skin and tough flesh, and bows and arrows and muskets may not be able to penetrate the bear skin covered by a layer of resin and mud.

then,

The enraged bear tore the man in two in an instant.

……

Gunshots were heard, and as expected, they missed.

The agile black bear rushed into the crowd, as if it was invincible, killing one young man with one palm.

whoosh,
Bai Jianren seized the opportunity and threw the spear.

The injured black bear roared heart-wrenchingly, and the wound on its back was in unbearable pain.

The crowd surrounded him, throwing spears and swords.

at last,

A dull gunshot was heard and the black bear fell to the ground.

Huang Huangchuan grinned and indicated that it was his credit.

……

Everyone guessed that there must be a nest nearby.

They spread out and searched for a while, then dug out four little bears from the cave and cut them into pieces.

Make a fire on the spot and eat meat.

When snow enters the pot, it becomes water.

Because of the bear attack, the team lost many people again.

However, it did make everyone feel warmer and scared their blood to boil.

More than 60 miles of mountain road
At noon the next day, everyone finally walked out of Dayong Mountain and arrived in Beiliu County.

……

First, they defeated two grain transport teams from Yulin Prefecture heading north.

Then, while Beiliu County had not yet reacted, they rushed into the city.

After the flag was raised, the city was in chaos~
There are no Green Camp soldiers stationed in Beiliu.

At present, except for Guilin, all the Green Camp soldiers in other counties and prefectures in Guangxi have been transferred by the governor to defend the provincial capital Nanning.

The militias were all out, leaving the defenses empty.

but,

There were still many people in the county who spontaneously resisted behind closed doors.

Bai Jianren did not rush to kill them, but instead persuaded them to surrender.

The slogan "Guangxi people should not fight against Guangxi people" was shouted.

In detail,

Before Yongzheng, Yulin Prefecture was under the jurisdiction of Wuzhou Prefecture.

Later, for unknown reasons, the Qing government separated Yulin Prefecture into a separate category and no longer placed it under the jurisdiction of Wuzhou Prefecture.

……

Bai Jianren lied. He claimed that the Yulin militia was defeated and most of its troops were captured.

right now,

He came to accept the surrender.

He also cut his palms and swore an oath of blood in public in front of more than a dozen gentry and powerful people in Beiliu County.

"Guangxi people do not fight Guangxi people. We protect our hometown, advance and retreat together, and treat everyone equally."

With this combination of measures, they finally took actual control of Beiliu County.

The food supply has been cut off!
A few days later,
The Yulin militia, which was confronting Rong County on the south side, began to run out of food and the people were in panic.

The prefect escaped in plain clothes and his whereabouts are unknown.

Lu Tingwu offered good conditions for surrender. On the premise of promising not to harm the original gentry and powerful people in Yulin Prefecture, he became the new leader.

Military and political control
The territory expanded and the army was expanded.

……

It turns out that

The slogan "Guangxi people don't fight Guangxi people" is very effective.

The expanded Wuzhou militia marched into Xunzhou Prefecture in the west and captured Guixian County without bloodshed.

after that,

The troops approached the prefectural government seat - Guiping.

After all, Guangxi Militia Minister Lu Tingsheng had served as a Beijing official, so he decisively led his troops from Liuzhou Prefecture to pick peaches and persuaded the Wuxuan County Magistrate of Xunzhou Prefecture to open the city gate.

Thus,
Guiping became a lonely man.

After a long negotiation, Guiping finally announced that he would join the big family of fellow villagers.

The armed forces from Liuzhou, Xunzhou, Wuzhou and Yulin joined together under the unified command of Lu Tingsheng, the Minister of Militia, and were named the Gui Army.

This is a loose alliance based on hometown ties.

The slogan is "Resist foreign enemies and protect the hometown."

……

Guangxi people have the final say on Guangxi affairs - this concept is very advanced and attractive.

quickly,

Thanks to the efforts of various lobbyists, except for Nanning and some chieftain areas, other areas have declared their submission.

Overnight, 5 poorly equipped Gui troops took shape.

Leaders from all walks of life gathered in Liuzhou to attend the Gui army's oath-taking ceremony.

Lu Tingsheng, a former Lifanyuan official and current Guangxi militia minister, gave an impassioned speech.
Call:

All Guangxi people should unite to safeguard the interests of their hometown.

We should eat our own rice, grow our own land, and make our own decisions. We should reject any foreign forces from interfering in Guangxi, whether it is the Qing court or the Wu court.

Kill the white horse, slay the black cow, and swear a blood oath on the spot.

He swore an oath in a very rustic way:

"If you break your oath, your ancestors' graves will be dug up, your ancestors will not rest in peace, and your family will be extinct."

……

Lu Tingsheng had seen a lot of the world while in the Lifanyuan.

He attached great importance to governance and creatively put forward two concepts.

First, they ignored the differences between Han, Hakka and Zhuang people and called them all Guangxi people. They also found a common ancestor for all of them, the Qin army stationed in the south during the reign of Qin Shihuang.

Second, reorganize the army and establish a standing army and local militia.

His ideas were amazing, but he managed to convince everyone.

All gentry and powerful people in Guangxi were required to send their sons to serve as officers at all levels to command local soldiers in battle.

A standing army needs to obey unified commands.

The local militia is only responsible for protecting the country and the people, and will never be withdrawn from the county to fight at any time.

……

Each county will form a standing army of about 1 people. Standardization of weapons, regularization of flags, and professionalization of training will be achieved as soon as possible.

In theory, all males are members of the militia.

One million men and one million Gui soldiers.

This concept may sound quite childish, but to these guys from Guangxi, it makes their blood boil.

The people from Guangxi are warlike at heart.

quickly,

Lord Lu's concept of the Gui Army was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and all parties surrendered.

Lu Tingsheng also collected taxes from various places in a timely manner and set up a provincial government office to collect money and grain from various places according to unified standards.

The waste of fire has been basically eliminated, and every grain of waste is used for the benefit of the public.

In this way, the Gui army obtained a stable source of food and wages. Although it was not abundant, it was a great improvement compared to before.

……

bang~
A gunshot was heard, and a wild boar walking on the frozen river was shot and fell.

After struggling for a few times~
dead.

"Brother, you have great marksmanship."

Bai Jianren looked at the matchlock in his hand again and couldn't let it go.

"3 qian of gunpowder, 5 qian of lead, elm gun bed, the gun is 2 feet 4 inches long and weighs only 6 jin. What a good gun!"

A few days ago, he finally figured out why his own muskets had been collectively inaccurate.

Because the weapons under his command were heavy matchlock rifles, with 5 cents of gunpowder and 7 cents of lead, and the recoil was too great.

The brothers under his command are generally young and short in stature.

I can't control it when shooting.

Bullets were fired into the sky.

Once you find the problem, it’s not difficult to solve it.

Fork gun!
All soldiers carried a fork and used it to shoot, which instantly improved accuracy.

……

after that,

Using rice as bait, Bai Jianren shot two rabbits and three pheasants.

The follower Huang Huangchuan killed a wild dog.

Everyone brought the prey back to the camp for barbecue.

Animal fat dripped from the flames.

Fragrant.

Huang Huangchuan said with a shameless face:

"Dad, can you give me this rabbit?"

……

Bai Jianren hesitated for a moment, but still handed it over.

After all, I am a father and I cannot compete with my son for food.

Huang Huangchuan took it and happily tore off a big bite, praising vaguely:

"Dad's barbecue skills are really good. It would be even better if we had some rice wine."

However, no one responded.

He looked back and saw the daughter of Mr. Lu, wearing a plain coat, appear behind him at some point, her beautiful eyes filled with fear.

He looked at Bai Jianren, then looked at himself.

He seemed to be shocked by this incredible ethical relationship.

Huang Huangchuan suddenly had a brain storm and blurted out:
"Dad, Mom is here."

(End of this chapter)