Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 527: General reserve team, all in!
Lianzhou Prefecture belongs to Guangdong.

However, it is almost surrounded by Guangxi on the east, north and west sides, giving it a feeling of being an enclave.

To the south is the sea.

The terrain is mainly coastal plains.

It is probably the Beihai and Qinzhou areas a few hundred years later.

……

Lu Tingsheng, the Minister of Militia of Guangxi, chose this place after careful consideration.

Taking over Lianzhou Prefecture would not only demonstrate the military strength, but also avoid making Wu Ting angry and humiliated.

This "level of hostility" is just right, neither too much nor too little.

Zhengzhi is so subtle.

He spent a lot of money to achieve his goal.

5000 elite regular troops drawn from various states and counties, 20000 Yulin Prefecture militia, and 35 cannons marched along the Nanliu River.

Along the way, there were the sounds of rumbling cars and horses.

The boats stretched for more than ten miles.

Bai Jianren looked back and felt his heart agitated.

I thought that marrying the daughter of my benefactor was the pinnacle of my life, but I suddenly realized that compared to leading troops in battle, women were insignificant.

Command thousands of troops and achieve success thousands miles away.

This is what a man should do!

……

After entering Lianzhou, the Gui army's vanguard sped up, acting as the forerunner of the army to conduct reconnaissance and give warnings.

As the temperature gradually rose, everyone changed into their familiar straw sandals.

"Brother, there are scouts from the Wu army."

"Never mind, keep marching."

Two Wu army riders watched silently from a distance and then passed the information back to the city.

……

Stationed in Lianzhou Prefecture were two fully-strength infantry battalions of the 5th Corps, reinforced by three artillery companies.

The total force is close to 2000.

There are also hundreds of patrol police and militiamen.

The highest commander is a captain.

Faced with the aggressive Gui army, the captain sent people for help while preparing for battle.

but,
Defending the city or fighting in the field?

The civil and military officials of Lianzhou had a disagreement. The magistrate of Hepu believed that it was enough to defend the city. Our army had sufficient firearms and could withstand any number of enemies from Guangxi.

The captain felt embarrassed and insisted on going out of the city to fight in the field, in order to shock the Guangxi guys who had come from afar.

……

The seat of Lianzhou Prefecture was called Hepu County.

Wu Ting had been busy arranging county magistrates in various places, and basically achieved full staffing at the county level, but rarely arranged prefects.

Going further up, there are many vacancies in the province.

This is a very strange phenomenon.

There was no special office similar to the "Ministry of Personnel" within the Wu court for selecting officials.

There is no system or regulation for the admission and promotion of civil servants.

Some people have tried to ask about it, but His Majesty always made excuses and seemed to be deliberately avoiding the issue.

Anyway,

There are a lot of articles here.

……

Outside Lianzhou City, the sun is shining brightly.

The vanguard of the Gui army arrived and looked at the city wall and talked a lot.

Attacking a city will inevitably result in heavy casualties.

It is necessary to build a large number of siege equipment in advance.

The main force arrived in the afternoon of the same day.

Although they were wearing colorful clothes and had a variety of weapons, their morale was high.

in case,

If the Green Camp soldiers of the Qing Dynasty could have such morale, the Qing-Wu War would probably have been very different.

but,
There are apples, dried fruits, and figs in the world, but there are no ifs.

……

"Captain, I advise you to calm down. Too many ants can kill an elephant~"

"Don't worry, Lord Wang. If we win, you will get a share of the profits. If we lose, I will take all the responsibility."

"Well, be careful."

The young Magistrate Wang was a graduate of the Dongshan Civil Service School. He came from a wealthy family and was originally just a student in Fuliang County, Jiangxi Province. He was ordered to follow the army south.

Baili Hou was cooking with great relish.

If nothing unexpected happens, he will have a long career ahead of him.

He really doesn't want to take risks. Why take risks when he can definitely win?
but,

The captain is a military attaché and has different considerations.

Can defending a city and repelling the enemy's siege with the help of reinforcements be the same as defeating the enemy alone in a field battle?
risk?

Drinking alcohol also has risks.

Soldiers don't know what risk is.

……

Of course, I brought enough ammunition.

Before leaving the city, the soldiers took enough ammunition. The 100 rounds of ammunition each were enough to support a high-intensity battle.

The greatest confidence comes from the 10 brand new mortars.

The drawbridge was slowly lowered and the city gate opened.

The Gui army was stunned, and then burst into wild cheers.

Bai Jianren pointed at Wu Jun excitedly:

"They're actually going to go out of town for a field battle?"

Lu Tingwu's expression was solemn:
"They really don't think highly of us."

……

Both sides were busy forming their battle array.

The Gui army abandoned the camp they had just built, and while forming a battle line, they ate dry food in preparation for a decisive battle.

The Wu army took its time and deployed its artillery in the middle and infantry on both wings.

Half an hour later,

The Wu army moved first, but their advancement was extremely slow.

Because they had to take care of the artillery, the gunners pushed from the back and from the sides, and the heavy gun carriages and ammunition carriages left deep ruts.

The Gui army, on the contrary, showed great restraint and did not move.

……

Many Guangxi soldiers looked dissatisfied and asked the officers in a low voice:
"Why don't we move?"

"We can't charge. If we charge, the formation will be disrupted."

This was based on experience from previous battles. After advancing one mile, the infantry formation became as chaotic as sea waves.

Either a matchlock gun or an extra-long gun.

Without the formation, we are nothing.

The 25000 men formed more than 40 square formations, with a front line as wide as 4 miles, and they just watched the Wu army slowly approaching.

Many people are angry and feel helpless.

……

suddenly,

The Wu army stopped and the artillery began to get busy.

At the same time, several horse-drawn carriages circled in front of the formation, opened their tail compartments, and began to dump caltrops horizontally.

Gui Jun: ???
Lu Tingwu yelled angrily:
"Jiangdong rats, isn't it time for a decisive battle?"

The four carriages drove in the same direction, then urged their horses back to Lianzhou City.

The caltrops strung together with thin hemp ropes were rusty and sparkled in the sun.

The captain drew his sword,

Yelled loudly:
"6-pounder, bombard the enemy's guns."

……

The Gui army placed at least 20 artillery pieces at the front of the position.

The gunners held torches and waited for orders.

however,
What awaited him was a solid bullet from the opposite side.

After being generally equipped with gun-aiming quadrants and firing tables, Wu Jun's artillery became very accurate, with three solid bullets hitting the target in the first round.

A Gui army gunner who had been trained temporarily looked in horror at an iron ball that fell to the ground and bounced towards him.

The speed seems slow, but it can't be avoided.

A loud bang
The gun carriage overturned and the gun barrel rolled off.

……

"Fight back, fight back."

As the military order was issued, the Gui army's mountain-splitting artillery began to fight back.

The white smoke instantly enveloped the position~
However, the bombardment was ineffective.

"I can't reach it. I can't reach it."

The gunners' panicked roars chilled everyone's heart.

I originally thought the distance was 2 miles.

Now it seems that there should be more than that.

While talking,
The second round of artillery shells arrived, and several more artillery pieces were knocked over, causing heavy casualties to the surrounding gunners.

……

Lu Tingwu's forehead was covered with sweat. He turned around and greeted his son-in-law:
"How to do?"

"Fight."

Bai Jianren walked to the front of the formation without looking back.

Swish, draw out your sword.

Broken voice:

"Arquebusiers, come on."

After a few dozen breaths,

The 2000 most elite musketeers formed seven square formations and began to advance.

Bai Jianren looked at the army formation with many gaps.
He roared again:
"Yulinzhou Militia, follow the muskets. Don't embarrass us Guangxi people."

The provocation method is very effective.
The Bobai militia started by swearing:
"Duilei's mother, Wuzhou boy."

……

Looking down from the air,
You will find that the Wu army's formation is very compact, especially the infantry on the two wings, which are almost person to person. The artillery formation in the middle is constantly emitting white smoke.

The artillery lieutenant held the brass gun aiming quadrant in his hand and calmly issued orders.

The two non-commissioned officers next to him loudly issued data instructions to the gunner.

There are only three types of Wu army artillery on the scene:
6-pound long gun, 3-pound light gun, and newly equipped field mortars.

The captain stood on an empty ammunition truck, holding a telescope.
murmured:

“The people of Guangxi have gone crazy.”

"Skirmishers, step out and fire freely."

More than 40 skirmishers walked out of the formation with rifles on their shoulders. Of course, they did not forget to keep an eye on the caltrops on the ground.

……

As the captain had expected, the skirmishers were very effective against an army that lacked formal training.

The long-range shooting of the skirmishers forced many of the Gui army's musketeers to fire prematurely.

Looking at the white smoke curling across the street.

The captain smiled with satisfaction, feeling the joy of an adult bullying a child.

Observing the effects of the bombardment is even more exciting.

The Gui army's square formations in the frontal charge were dense, and the killing effect of the solid bullets was comparable to that in a textbook.

The captain saw it clearly through the telescope. People and horses were falling, and broken limbs were flying everywhere.

Then he smiled and said:
"I bet that within a quarter of an hour at most, the enemy will be defeated."

The two staff officers standing nearby nodded continuously.

The artillery bombarded, the skirmishers lured the enemy, and the volleys of guns fired in turns

This seemingly simple set of tactics is the result of the hard work of countless people. This is probably the wonderful vision of the "great industrial empire" described by His Majesty.

……

The Gui army is still advancing.

There were corpses everywhere, but the charge speed increased.

There is no formation, just ferocity.

The captain suddenly put down the telescope, with a strange expression on his face, and turned to the staff officer:

"You two should return to Lianzhou immediately. Close the city gates and pull up the drawbridge."

"This is a military order."

"As ordered."

Although the two staff officers had doubts in their hearts, they did not delay for a second.

The Army Department clearly stipulates:
During the war,

All civilian officers, including staff officers and military judges, must obey the orders of their chief officers unconditionally. Those who disobey orders will be subject to military law.

……

The two staff officers who were running back to the city could only hear the sound of gunfire behind them.

We knew that the infantry on both wings had begun to engage the enemy.

Raise the muzzle 10 degrees
50 feet away, the first round of gunfire sounded.

The Yulinzhou militia fell in unison.

40 feet, another round.

30 feet, another round.

When they were within 20 feet, the soldiers could even see the blood mist rising from the bullets hitting the enemy on the opposite side.

The captain couldn't help but take out his pistol and hold it in his left hand.

He was surprised to find that the people from Guangxi seemed to have taken drugs and gone crazy.

……

The mortar is showing its power.

The iron elliptical cylindrical projectile was pushed out of the barrel by the violent gunpowder gas and then crushed by the sudden change in pressure.

The 200 small shotgun shells wrapped inside are like water sprayed from a shower head, blooming and then falling.

Miserable.

Within three feet around the landing point, it was like iron rain falling from the sky.

The person who was shot covered his wound, fell to the ground and struggled in pain until his blood dried up.

The captain was still standing on the ammunition truck with a frightening look on his face.

Even though he had seen brutal wars, he was still frightened by the Gui army's desperate fighting style.

"Fix the bayonet."

The officers' roars rose one after another.

Installing the bayonet in advance will affect the loading speed.

Therefore,
The infantry battalion waited until the enemy bypassed the caltrops in front and came within 20 feet before temporarily fixing their bayonets.

……

The two armies came into close combat.

Metal and iron collided and screams were heard.

The people of Yulin went crazy and fought with their lives on the line.

The gunner is panicking~
Because there was a group of people rushing towards them from the front, regardless of the caltrops.

The caltrops easily pierced through the straw sandals and the soles of the feet, but there were still many lucky people who managed to make it.

A 3-pound light cannon that was hastily loaded became the last resort of the Wu army's artillery formation.

Boom~
Counterattack in the face.

After a puff of white smoke came out of the muzzle, blood mist filled the sky.

There were red and white tissues scattered all over the ground, like a slaughterhouse.

……

Before they had time to rejoice, the Wu army discovered that the Gui army's super-long spear phalanxes appeared on both wings.

Bai Jianren was wearing the standard cotton armor of the Qing army and holding an extra-long spear.

Shouting:

"Hold the spear horizontally and charge the enemy formation."

The soldiers following closely followed suit, holding the butt of the spear close to the center of gravity and launching a charge.

Although the formation had long been scattered, Gui still had the advantage over the bayonet with the super-long spear.

A burst of random poking ~
The infantry phalanx of the Wu army was instantly scattered and had no power to resist.

You know, that's a 13-foot long spear.

The spear blades are pointed and stabbed, and the short weapons are invincible.

The captain was annoyed.

bang~
He raised his hand and fired a shot, killing a thin, dark man who rushed into the artillery position with a short knife in his hand.

Yell:

"Quick, load the cannon and shoot them."

Now the last resort is artillery, which can be used to fire at close range.

……

Lu Tingwu was trembling all over.
Only then did he realize that the bloody experiences he had experienced while traveling all over the country when he was young were nothing.

Fighting on the battlefield, tens of thousands of people risked their lives, and dozens of lives were lost with every breath.

How many casualties did our side suffer?

At least 4000, maybe more.

The torment in his heart made him unable to hold back any longer.

Brush, draw out the sword:

"My dear son-in-law, I am here."

"Brothers, follow me and kill the Wu bandits. Kill them all."

One call and a hundred responses.

The bloodiness of the Guangxi people was aroused.

Then, the reserve force of the Gui army, a phalanx of 800 people, also rushed to the front battle group.

……

The change suddenly occurred.

The gates of Lianzhou City, 4 miles away, were wide open.

Hundreds of people rushed out in a chaotic manner.

The frail Magistrate Wang rode on a donkey and held a flag in his hand.

Behind him were patrolmen, militiamen, as well as the city's makeshift gang of ruffians, servants, guards, and butchers.

On the contrary, the two staff officers looked more like regular troops.

Ride a horse, hold a sword, and give orders.

……

just now,

Magistrate Wang and two staff officers stood on the city wall and witnessed the rapid downturn in the battle situation.

I witnessed with my own eyes how the Gui army used human wave tactics and fierce will to cover their advance, and how their super-long spear phalanx broke in and unexpectedly defeated our army's phalanx.

Between the lightning and flint,

They made the most correct response, gathering all the city defense forces to rush out of the city to support friendly forces.

Lianzhou, no more!

1 quarters of an hour later,
The mounted staff officer shouted at the front to stop the people.

"Formation, formation."

With patrolmen as the skeleton and militiamen and volunteers as the flesh and blood, they barely formed two rows of musket formations. Half a quarter of an hour later, they appeared on the flank of the battlefield and shot and killed the Gui army's super-long spear phalanx.

After 2 rounds of salvos,
The super spear phalanx, which was already at the end of its strength, could no longer hold on and threw away its spears and fled.

……

This actually verifies a simple military common sense:

One inch long, one inch strong.

The musket is longer than the bayonet, but the flintlock (the bullet it fires) is longer than the musket.

In short, as long as the weapon in your hand is longer than your enemy's, you can win.

Therefore,
Hundreds of years later, humans developed the ultimate ultra-long-range attack weapon that could hit 10000 miles.

The remnants of Wu's army, who had gained a chance to catch their breath, seized the time to gather their remaining troops, and the artillerymen pushed their 3-pound light cannons and fired at the surrounding enemy gatherings.

Solid bullet stick to the face~
After a lot of pulling and tug-of-war, they finally managed to stabilize their position.

……

The captain, who was wounded in many places, leaned against the artillery carriage, his face pale and his uniform stained with blood.

He raised his arms:
"Sir Wang, do not pursue desperate enemies."

However, Magistrate Wang, who was riding on his donkey, had completely forgotten the positions of the two men.

Screaming loudly,

roared:

"Poor asshole. Listen to me, everyone, hunt down the Guangxi guy. Get promoted, get rich, and get married today."

(End of this chapter)