Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 529 You have a plan, I have a ladder~ Come on, let's hurt each other

Xuetangao
A small village located on the south side of Chenshui River was deserted and quiet at this time, like a ghost village.

One hour before sunset,
The Wu army decided to camp here overnight, and the baggage camp unloaded the tents and set up camp on the spot.

The soldiers did not dare to delay and worked hard to dig fortifications with their own engineering shovels.

Camping is the basic skill of the army.

First sow a circle of rusty caltrops, then dig a trench.

Spread a thin layer of the excavated soil to roughly cover the thin hemp ropes connecting the caltrops to prevent the enemy from having night vision.

Then connect the baggage camp carts end to end to form a chariot formation.

After nightfall, dozens of bonfires were lit outside the trenches.

If the fire is weak, the patrol team will add firewood in time.

A group of sentries are rotated every hour.

……

Wu Jun demolished all the thatched houses in the village and burned them as fuel.

Obviously, the Wu army had no tradition of "not demolishing houses even if they freeze to death" and was a typical imperial army.

The exhausted soldiers were fast asleep.

That day, they encountered two attacks involving more than a hundred people, as well as more than a dozen hidden arrows and cold guns. Everyone was on edge.

The physical and mental exhaustion is hard to express.

In addition, the fog and coldness at night made it even more terrifying.

at night,

Gunshots, arrows, drums, singing, screams~
The soldiers were awakened by the various noises, then turned over and continued to sleep.

last night,

The army had already issued an order that as long as they didn't hear their own drummer beating the assembly drum, even if the sentries were firing guns and cannons, everyone should just keep their heads down and sleep, and not worry about anything.

Behind the car queue,

Occasionally, sporadic gunshots were heard, and there was a 50% chance that an unknown approacher hiding in the darkness would scream and pierce the night sky.

The sentinels sighed in a low voice:
Raising the gun is a magical weapon.

Long distance, wide coverage and easy to move.

……

The next morning.

A little white smoke was rising from the village, and people were having breakfast.

The soldiers took out the food they carried with them, cut it with a dagger, and then went to get a bowl of hot soup.

The flavor of fat and chili in the hot broth was invigorating.

There are only 5 infantry battalions, but they are equipped with 2 baggage battalions.

Not only that, each soldier also carried 8 kilograms of dry biscuits and a large amount of ammunition, which was an astonishing weight.

The marching speed was extremely slow.

The captain called a meeting of officers again and issued strict orders that if attacked, they must not run away but stay where they are, not ask for help from friendly forces, and not take the initiative to help others.

On the advice of the staff,

He formed four reinforced infantry platoons composed of elite veterans.

Each platoon carried a 1-pound howitzer and a light mortar, serving as guerrilla reinforcements.

……

When we set out, the fog was still thick.

There are many foggy days in Xiangxi, with at least half of the days in a year being foggy, especially in spring.

The little drummer beats slowly, leading the rhythm.

The soldiers, carrying bayonets, walked slowly forward on the gravel of the river beach.

Everyone couldn't help but glance to the left, because a ghostly enemy might jump out from the woods behind the fog at any time.

One morning,
There were three attacks from hidden arrows and two attacks from muskets.

Not even a single enemy was seen.

They did kill a frightened wild boar by accident. The cook was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, so he cut it into pieces and threw them on the baggage cart, which was considered acceptable meat.

Anyway,

Everyone felt that the march was extremely painful.

……

Camp that night.

Summarizing the losses of each unit, 12 people died and 8 were injured today.

The attacker's arrows were smeared with poison, and the person hit by the arrow died instantly, with his face turning blue and black, looking very ugly.

A staff officer said awkwardly:
"The most difficult thing now is to maintain morale. The brothers are angry."

Another lieutenant looked worried:
"Compared to morale, I'm more worried about the camp being blown up. I just passed by the baggage camp and saw a new soldier who was almost crazy. He refused to eat or drink, leaned against the wheel with his gun in his hand, and his eyes were staring. No one could say anything to him."

Everyone was silent.

The captain thought for a moment and said through gritted teeth:

"Soldiers are allowed to drink tonight. Each person is given a quota of half a pound of strong alcohol. The tobacco from the baggage camp will also be distributed. Surgeon, you will be in charge of the distribution."

"As ordered."

The officers nodded.

Cigarettes and alcohol are good things.

The baggage train carried high-concentration alcohol, which was originally used for medical disinfection.

Nowadays, mixing it with clean water in proportion to calm people's hearts can also be considered as medical treatment.

……

So, at dinner time.

Everyone was given a bowl of diluted wine with some brown sugar in it.

The soldiers gathered in groups of three or five, holding cigarettes in their left hands and wine bowls in their right hands.

Coughing sounds came and went.

This fully demonstrates the poor quality of the first batch of products from Jiangnan Cigarette Factory, but everyone was happy with it.

Talking about health preservation on the battlefield is like talking about women's virtues in a brothel.

Being slapped in the face is the least of the worries.

The soldiers' tense nerves were relieved by the dual comfort of ethanol and nicotine.

……

Outside the camp,

The sound of gunfire would be heard every quarter of an hour or two.

The sleeping veterans cursed softly, turned over and went back to sleep, while the new recruits tossed and turned and could not sleep well.

In most wars,
Soldiers who consistently suffer from poor sleep will be eliminated in the first batch, those with poor nutrition will be eliminated in the second batch, and those who are sick will be eliminated in the third batch.

Dying in battle is actually a good way to die.

At least it's not depressing.

……

In the second half of the night, the bonfire gradually went out.

The attack team hiding in the woods finally found an opportunity.

Mayang is Zeng Di’s old nest.

The backbone of the attacking team was mostly Zeng's relatives from Mayang County. These people were absolutely die-hards and would never compromise.

A leader whispered:

"Brothers, the fire is out, let's go in together."

"One head costs 10 taels."

10 taels of silver for the head is considered a good reward in Xiangxi.

Everyone was excited, and they all used their hunting and hiding skills in the mountains to crawl forward extremely slowly.

……

2 quarters of an hour later,
An unlucky fellow fell into a caltrop.

With amazing willpower, he suppressed his screams of 180 decibels and tried to pull out the thorn tremblingly.

The moment you pull it out,

The severe pain made him twitch and roll over.

As a result, he was stabbed by the caltrops again.

The 180-decibel scream was earth-shaking.

The leader secretly thought that it was not good, and stood up and shouted:
"Fight in."

Almost at the same time,

The muzzle flames of Wu army sentinels cut through the night sky.

After a chaotic fight, more than a dozen attackers who rushed across the trench and climbed up the vehicle camp were surrounded and wiped out.

Everyone was still frightened.

Even the veteran soldiers who had fought on many battlefields lamented that they had never seen such a stubborn opponent from Jiangnan to Xiangxi.

……

As a result of all this, everyone lost half an hour of sleep.

early morning,

When the first ray of golden light shone on the top of the tent, the captain was overjoyed.

"The sun is out."

"The fog has cleared."

"Hurry, prepare to eat, and march quickly while the weather is good."

The soldiers hurriedly finished their breakfast and then began to march faster.

Even if you encounter a few arrows and lead bullets along the way, try to ignore them.

Everyone was fed up with this kind of anxiety and embarrassment. They only advanced a dozen or twenty miles a day, which was worse than an old woman with bound feet.

……

The disappearance of the fog caused a headache for the Mayang attack team hiding in the dense forest.
If you rush down, you will be exposed.

Everyone has witnessed the power of Wu’s army’s guns and artillery.

The armed forces in western Hunan had weak firearms, and even though Zeng Di had rushed to build more than a hundred cannons according to blueprints in the winter, it was of no avail.

The points are gone everywhere.

The defenses of Fenghuang City, Mayang City, and Chenxi City all need to deploy cannons, and each coalition force must also be given one or two. Before the war begins,

Zeng Di repeatedly emphasized:

If we deploy our troops on flat ground and fight the Wu army, we will surely lose.

We don’t have as many cannons as others, nor do they have as long a range or as much power as others. The era of swinging big blades has long passed.

After all, he had been the head of the Ministry of Works, had seen the world, and attached great importance to "tools".

He didn't believe in the Confucian idea of ​​"victory through righteousness". He would rather believe in "victory through sharp weapons" and "victory through evil spirits".

……

Chenshui witnessed the Wu army's mad rush.

Before the sun sets,
The army advanced 55 miles in one breath, which was as fast as lightning for a team carrying 50 cannons.

The captain didn't even bother to wipe his sweat:
"Set up camp and don't be lazy."

"Set up a pot to boil water. The witches in Xiangxi can plant poisonous insects. There is an 80% chance that there are poisonous insects in the raw water. I would rather die of thirst than be bitten to death by a belly full of insects."

It turns out that the theory of poisoning is very popular.

The naive soldiers would rather endure the dry and smoking throats than dare to fetch water from the nearby river.

Bring to a boil, then let cool.

Standing in line, gulping down the water.

……

And this army faces a new problem - fuel.

Cooking and boiling water require fuel.

To dry clothes, you need fuel.

At night, a bonfire is set up as a warning, which requires fuel.

The supply of coking coal carried by the baggage carrier was running low, so people had to be sent to cut down trees.

The captain looked at the setting sun.

Immediately ordered:

"Send out four infantry companies to take control of that hill."

"Damn it, fire a dozen or so cannons first, and then the infantry will charge forward."

Light and heavy artillery fired indiscriminately at the hillside.

In the thick smoke, there were vague figures fleeing in panic.

The officer drew his sword and shouted:
"Brothers, come on."

……

A large number of infantry rushed to the top of the hill and drove away the small attack teams that were lurking around.

The rest of the soldiers took the opportunity to cut branches, tied them into bundles and threw them down the hillside.

All the axes, saws and machetes in the baggage camp were used, and finally enough fuel was collected before the sun set.

Night came,

There were flashes of fire inside and outside the camp.

Fire is a symbol of civilization.

Fire can dispel fear in human hearts and inject warm positive energy.

camp center,

Five kind-looking military medical officers held long-handled brass spoons and poured wine for the soldiers.

Wu's theory of traditional Chinese medicine believes that:
Drinking alcohol falls under the medical category.

After all, rice can be used as medicine, and wine can be even more so.

Wine is the essence of grain.

Pour high-concentration alcohol into a water tank and stir it, then add water to it in front of everyone without any need to hide it.

The soldiers gathered in groups of three or five, smoking and drinking, and chatting about women, which was the ultimate enjoyment on the battlefield.

……

The Battle of Western Hunan was destined to be a war that would go down in the history of the Wu army.

The next day at noon,

The army finally arrived at the east of Mayang City and set up camp.

The staff officers held up telescopes to observe the enemy situation.

Chenshui makes a big turn here in Mayang City.

In the mist, the flags on the city wall are vaguely visible.

The staff officers drew maps and formulated strategies on the spot.

"The terrain of Mayang City is similar to a peninsula. The north and west sides are all surrounded by the Chen River, and the south is a large area of ​​hills, so our army can only launch an attack from the east."

"However, there are an unknown number of enemy armed forces ambushing in the hills and mountains to the south. They are very likely to attack from behind or from the flank when our army is attacking the city."

The captain nodded frequently.

If he were an enemy, he would do the same.

……

"We think we should attack Mayang first, while leaving enough reserves to guard the hills on the south side and behind us."

Before the words fell~
There was a noise from the river.

Gunshots then rang out.

The captain rushed out of the tent and saw the soldiers firing their guns at the north side of the river.

Two small boats were hit and capsized.

The surging water surface seemed to contain the figure of an enemy, who soon drifted downstream, his life or death unknown.

The captain smiled and said to the staff officer who followed him out:
"In addition, the water surface on the north side must also be protected."

The staff officers were helpless and smiled bitterly together.

After one hour, a detailed plan was finally put forward.

……

In Mayang City,

The sturdy fifth brother of the Zeng family was standing on the top of the city wall wearing armor, and the two young men beside him were the tenth and eleventh brothers of the Zeng family.

"Fifth brother, did Wu Zetian discover our ambush?"

"Affirmative. So they are fortifying the flanks."

Zeng Laowu looked very unhappy, realizing that the attack plan had failed.

The 2000 ambushes in the mountains and forests were probably in vain.

"The old lady is here."

The Zeng brothers' 70-year-old mother walked up to the top of the city wall on crutches.

"Mom, why are you here?"

"I was worried, so I came up to take a look."

The old lady Zeng came from a chieftain family. When she was young, she was also a ruthless person who collected rent, hunted, and saw blood.

……

"This group of bandits is not simple. Thousands of them are wearing the same bright clothes and leather boots. How much silver will this cost?"

"That's what mother said."

The old lady's face was full of worry.

There was a shortage of supplies in western Hunan, and even the chieftain Peng family could not be so generous during their heyday.

She looked up at the sky and prayed silently that God would bless Mayang City.

……

She won’t know:
The purchase price of a set of Wu army red and black uniforms, from head to toe and inside to outside, including the belt, is 20 taels.

The three-piece set of winter coat, cold-proof earmuffs and cotton gloves is sold separately, and the purchase price is 12 taels.

Jiangnan Textile Factory was one of the main suppliers of military supplies for Wu Ting. After the steam engine was popularized in the workshop, their gross profit on military uniforms increased from 3% to 4%.

Both scale and efficiency can reduce costs.

For example, the dyeing process, and the copper button stamping process.

……

Shareholders also found that

After the factory improved the Saxon's latest spinning and weaving machines to adapt to the efficiency of the steam engine, the output was astonishing. Except that the cotton thread was a bit rough, there was no problem with anything else.

The Wu State had no intellectual property rights, so the shareholders offered bonuses to the technical workers in the factory, with silver rewards for successful imitations and silver rewards for upgrading the technology.

Once you have a sample, don't buy it again.

Make it yourself, it tastes better.

This led to a new phenomenon where some ordinary textile workers were ruthlessly laid off by factory owners.

The monthly salary of technical workers has risen sharply.

Fortunately, within the territory of Wu,

Textile factories sprang up like mushrooms after a rain, and the laid-off workers were not sad at all, but instead moved to another factory to continue working.

……

It is worth noting that

The top-notch embroiderers, dyers and weavers in the Jiangnan region will not work in factories. They work for themselves and earn more money.

Most of the people who work in factories are third-rate workers, and some of them only have a superficial understanding of the industry.

The former is for the wealthy and is positioned as high-priced private customization.

The latter supplies the general public and is positioned as a low-cost industrial product.

With the rapid development of Wu's textile industry, the demand for cotton increased significantly, and the only supplier, the Saxon East India Company, was both happy and worried about this.

What is good is the huge profits.

The worry is that there is not enough transportation capacity, and cotton takes up too much space.

……

then,

With a huge reward of 2000 pounds for the Governor's signature, a new cotton ginning machine was launched ahead of schedule in Kolkata, and the young Citibank repairman Whitney missed the opportunity to go down in history.

The new cotton gin has increased the efficiency of processing raw cotton by 10 times and significantly reduced labor costs.

The plantations process the raw cotton and remove the cotton seeds before loading it on the ships, saving ship space and reducing freight costs.

One positive and one negative thing happened: profits soared and the East India Company was ecstatic.

(End of this chapter)