Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 531: Wu Jun's only mountain infantry battalion appears, squatting and killing in the dense forest~
Yuanling County Temporary Command, various military reports came in one after another~
On the sand table,
Two more locations were added with red flags.

One is Mayang County.

One is Baojing County.

One in the south and one in the north, they are like a seal, pressing down the mountains of western Hunan.

……

The staff was divided into two halves.
Some of them held pencils and marked the troop strength in various places on the large battle map.

One part calculates logistics revenue and expenditure and estimates redundancy.

The logistics routes were full of crises, and the small escort force could hardly move forward. Each movement required a minimum of 3000 soldiers and thousands of boatmen, with the boats stretching for more than ten miles.

"Marshal Lin, the people are here."

"Ah."

Lin Huaisheng pulled over two chairs and motioned for the visitors to sit down.

……

"You said there is coal in Chenxi County?"

"Yes, I have been sailing along the Yuanjiang River for many years. After fighting Shunzhi, or the Tartars, I have been mining coal in Chenxi and selling it to Changde or even Changsha after loading it on ships."

“Is the mine far from the county town?”

"Your Excellency, the coal in Chenxi is different from other places. There is coal everywhere, even underground."

Lin Huaisheng smiled.

asked:

"Sure?"

"I guarantee it with my head. I have seen it with my own eyes. You can find coal by digging a pit using traditional methods. It's just that the thickness is different."

"Okay, go down and claim your reward."

The captain, who had been sailing on the Yuan River for a long time, received 200 brand new silver coins and was grinning from ear to ear.

……

Chenxi has a long history of coal production.

And it is true as this person said, coal is widely distributed and there are coal seams underground.

Lin Huaisheng immediately ordered:
500 laborers are recruited to enter Chenxi to mine coal, and the ore selection location should be as close to the county seat as possible.

As a result,
It can solve the fuel problems of boiling water, cooking and heating for the army, and the logistics fleet can free up more space to load ammunition.

Your Majesty has long said that developing industry means utilizing coal and iron.

Wherever there is coal and iron, Wu’s army will appear.

"Marshal Lin, the mountain infantry battalion you requested has arrived."

"Where are you?"

"The battalion changed its equipment and boarded a ship in Jiangning and has just arrived in Taoyuan County."

"Tell them that after three days of rest, we will dispatch troops to wipe out the enemy in the dense forests along the river from Xindian Town to Yuanling. I don't care about the method or the means, I only care about the result. 3 silver coins for each head, immediate payment."

……

The staff officer hesitated for a moment, but still asked in a low voice:

"Are there any requirements for the head?"

“No distinction between men and women, old and young.”

"Yes."

The staff officer hurried away to draft a military order.

Snapped,
Stamped with the bright red golden seal of the Imperial Minister of the Army.

This mountain infantry battalion that just arrived in Taoyuan County has a strength of 500 people, most of whom are from Yunnan.

After its debut in the Battle of Purple Mountain in Jiangning, the battalion was transferred and stationed at Xianxia Pass, where it remained unknown for a long time.

They are not needed for plain warfare.

Now, having received a transfer order from the Ministry of the Army, the battalion has traveled thousands of miles to western Hunan, hoping to show its prowess.

……

Lin Huaisheng pondered over the map.

His next target is Phoenix.

According to intelligence, there are 1 Xiangxi armed forces entrenched in Phoenix City. Together with the surrounding coalition forces, the theoretical number of enemies is at least 2, and at most ~ it can be 10.

Wu Jun is an outsider, and his appeal is definitely not as good as that of the local residents in western Hunan.

The old officials of the Qing court, chieftains, tyrants, and bandits were all able to influence one side, and they were familiar with the terrain, the climate, and the paths.

These local residents responded to the call and the men from western Hunan followed them in large numbers.

Zeng Di was notorious for his burning and looting in eastern Hunan, but he had a very good reputation in his hometown in western Hunan.

under these circumstances,

You have to be careful and steady in commanding every step of the action, and you can't let the enemy seize any loopholes, especially you can't lose your logistical strongholds.

Thinking of this,

Lin Huaisheng added another command:
The garrisons at the four hubs of Yuanling, Luxi, Chenxi and Mayang should all build field fortifications outside the city.

There are no less than 2 deep trenches and low walls.

You should also use local materials and cut bamboo into nails.

Prevent the enemy troops in Xiangxi from becoming desperate and taking advantage of any opportunity to break out and overwhelm the city with human wave tactics.

……

The long Yuan River is the mother river of the Xiangxi region. After leaving the Xiangxi mountainous area, it flows through Changde and finally flows into Dongting Lake.

It has numerous upstream tributaries, such as Chenshui, Wushui, Tuojiang, etc.
For various reasons,

Wu Jun's plan for the Xiangxi Campaign revolved around the Yuan River.

Firstly, it facilitates the transportation of fleets.

Secondly, it is not easy to get lost. There is a lot of fog in Xiangxi, and the probability of getting lost is very high.

Third, destroy the coastal towns one by one.

It's funny to say,
Human beings have developed for thousands of years, but they still cannot live without water.

Large towns must be near water and adjacent to waterways.

Even in the post-industrial age, building a city on a mountain or in a desert far away from a river is an incredible luxury.

Water is the source of life.

Fire is the source of civilization.

It is unimaginable to live without water and fire.

……

Wayaoping is a riverside plain located in the lower reaches of the Yuanjiang River, more than 100 miles away from Yuanling County.

The village was desolate and silent.

Everyone ran away~
A fleet departing from Taoyuan County anchored here, with the hold covered with oil paper cloth, and the escorting soldiers and boatmen and trackers gathered in groups of three or five to make fire and cook.

In order to appease these poor coolies, Wu Jun provided them with a daily ration of liquor and tobacco.

The effect is very good.

The resistance of the laborers has obviously decreased.

Alcohol and nicotine can quickly bring men closer together, even if they belong to different classes.

Deserted village, shallow stall, sunset,
Everyone felt sympathetic, smoked cigarettes, and chatted about the journey.

……

The top of the mountain 2 miles away.

Someone watched for a long time, observing the number of ships and the number of escorting soldiers.

A quarter of an hour later, it quietly disappeared into the darkness.

Two hours later, the information was successfully sent back to the nest.

In the valley,
There are hundreds of thatched huts and various temporary triangular sheds scattered here. This is the garrison of the guerrilla forces under Zhao Zhuangwen.

Dogs bark at the entrance of the village.

After the sentry confirmed that it was one of their own, he led him in.

"Master Zhao, here comes the fat sheep."

Zhao Zhuangwen got up, lit the soybean oil lamp, put on his clothes and walked to the table with one leg missing to unfold the map.

The two of them murmured.
Zhao picked up his pen and circled a place - Houjia Bay.

……

Half an hour later, the valley camp gradually became noisy.

Torches were lit one by one, and the men sorted out their weapons and lined up silently.

At this point in the war, it is no longer a fight for the court, but a fight for survival.

2000 people started a business in the mountains, and supplies were consumed very quickly.

Hunting and picking wild fruits can only serve as supplements and cannot solve the fundamental problem.

Zhao Zhuangwen was also unwilling to rob the villagers in Qianzhou, so he had only one way left - to ambush the Wu army's logistics fleet.

A more serious problem than the shortage of food is the shortage of cloth.

The soldiers had been traveling in the mountains for a long time and their clothes were wearing out quickly.

In fact, shoes wear out faster. However, these mountain men choose not to wear shoes.

……

The Yuan River has many bends and turns, and it makes almost a 180-degree turn at Houjia Bay.

The captain of the fleet shouted and the trackers quietly went ashore to pull the boats.

From Taoyuan to Yuanling, each person can get 2 silver coins. If you go to Chenxi, you can get 4 silver coins.

Although it is spring, the temperature is cool.

The trackers all left their clothes on the boat, and walked on the river bank like primitive people, pulling the thick ropes on their shoulders and moving slowly forward.

This is not performance art, but to reduce fabric wear.

One word: save~
From the moment they start their job, the trackers' shoulders are rubbed raw, bled, scarred, and rubbed raw again.

Repeat this process over and over again, and a solid cuticle will slowly grow on your shoulders.

The speaker speaks in a dull tone, but the listener finds it novel.

……

On the bow deck, an officer was looking through a telescope.

Besides mountains, there are still mountains.

Endless green.

A group of people hid in the shade of the trees and stared at the fleet silently, not worried about being discovered at all.

"Master Zhao, it's OK."

"start."

The men used their crowbars to push, and countless rocks rolled down. The trackers immediately dropped the tow ropes and ran into the river.

The fleet's formation was in disarray. The leading boat was turned sideways by the current, and the boatmen were busy rowing to the shore.

There is a big bend in the river ahead and it is impossible to paddle forward.

The fleet had to dock, repel the enemy, and then use manpower to pull the boats through the bend.

……

"Fire arrows."

At the top of the mountain, arrows flew into the air.

The Wu army infantrymen in red and black uniforms and the naked boat trackers fell down in a mess.

Listen to the gunshots.
The escort force and firepower of the Wu army fleet were weak.

Zhao Zhuangwen was very excited, he really needed this batch of supplies.

"Quick, charge up and fight Wu Jun in close combat, don't kill those boatmen and trackers."

The horn sounded.

A huge crowd rushed out of the dense forest, their target was a stranded flat-bottomed boat converted from a canal boat.

Suddenly, the roof of the bamboo cabin was broken open from the inside with a sharp knife.

Three small Francois machine guns were exposed on the side.

The soldiers quickly turned the muzzle of the gun and lit the fuse.

Amid the continuous gunfire, the Xiangxi guerrilla forces at the forefront fell down one after another, and the pebbles were stained red with blood.

……

Zhao Zhuangwen had a background as a remnant of the Wuchang New Army and had seen the world.

Many veterans shouted:

"Get out of the way and charge from both sides."

The huge crowd immediately split into two groups.

however,
They didn't expect that Wu Jun's ship-borne small French aircraft had no blind spots.

The gunner replaced the new chamber, turned it horizontally, and sprayed out hot iron sand.
The Francois cannon has many shortcomings, but it has never been eliminated because of its extremely high rate of fire.

One beauty can cover up a hundred uglinesses.

The gunners worked together efficiently, one in the dressing room and one holding a torch.

Ding dong dong dong~
The hot iron chambers in the cabin were emitting wisps of white smoke.

……

More than 100 people were shot and fell on the riverbank, struggling in pain and bleeding.

Zhao Zhuangwen looked down from a high position, his hands and feet cold.

He found that the small flanker that Wu Jun fixed on the side of the ship had almost no blind spots. It could be turned in any direction, and could be pitched, tilted, or horizontal.

With three Francois machine guns and more than 3 flintlock rifles, the defense line was unbreakable.

"Retreat, retreat."

Ming Jin withdraws his troops.

Everyone marched in the mountains in a panic, looking dejected, and some couldn't help crying quietly.

It's too awful.

This trip down the mountain was a complete loss.

Zhao Zhuangwen leaned over and tried to pull up a subordinate who had fallen.

But then I heard ~ bang!
A single bullet whizzed past his back, and some unfortunate fellow died in his place.

……

"There was an ambush, there was an ambush."

There was a burst of gunfire in the dense forest.

Echoes bounced back and forth on the mountain walls on both sides, making it impossible to determine the number of enemies.

A quarter of an hour later,
Two lines were formed on both sides, and everyone hid behind big trees or rocks to fight back.

Zhao Zhuangwen was confused.

Wu Jun went into the mountains? How dare Wu Jun go into the mountains?

so long,

Everyone does his job, I specialize in ambushes, and the Wu army specializes in being ambushed. Why do you want to follow my path?

……

"Sir, what should I do?"

"Go around and take them out from behind."

After a while,
Faint gunshots were heard from the direction of the detour.

Zhao Zhuangwen was stunned. Coincidentally, the Wu army on the opposite side went their own way again.

What’s even more terrifying is that the forest opposite is very quiet.

After a long time,

The three men on our side left the obstacle and had just walked a few feet when gunshots suddenly rang out from the opposite woods. Two of them were shot and one survived.

……

The mountain infantry battalion transferred from Xianxia Pass on the border between Fujian and Zhejiang officially made its debut.

These Yunnan men wore straw sandals and carried short knives on their waists.

Hand-held thunder gun, this is a cavalry weapon with a large caliber and a short barrel.

They squatted silently in the woods. Eyes were not the only organs of observation, ears and noses were also observing.

Men who have run with caravans are particularly sensitive.

Whether it's human or animal~
They crossed mountains and rivers, slightly behind the fleet, and played the role of a oriole.

……

Neither side dared to move, and the situation became stalemate.

The soldiers of the mountain infantry battalion were very calm. They took out the dried meat strips and stuffed them into their mouths.

Sugar-added air-dried meat - one of the new generation of compressed and portable military rations produced by Jiangnan Food Factory.

Although it tastes terrible, it is expensive.

The sunlight filtering through the branches gradually diminished.

Zhao Zhuangwen's subordinates' stomachs were growling with hunger and their intestines were rumbling.

But in order to survive, everyone endured it.

until,

The last ray of sunlight disappeared into the woods.

The chirping of insects, the howling of beasts, and all kinds of rustling sounds, it seemed like another world had arrived.

Zhao Zhuangwen whispered:
"Touch them and kill them."

A group of men holding short knives and axes walked towards the enemy position into the night.

……

No shots, no gains.

The enemy disappeared silently, and Zhao Zhuangwen felt an indescribable fear.

This is like hunting, the roles of hunter and prey are not fixed.

In the darkness, someone came over.

"Master Zhao, what should we do?"

I couldn't see his face clearly, but his voice was filled with anxiety.

"Assemble and prepare to return to camp."

It took two quarters of an hour for the Xiangxi men scattered in the dark forest to gather together. They did not dare to light torches for fear of becoming sitting ducks.

The Dark Forest Law is particularly applicable to Xiangxi~
……

Along the way, Zhao Zhuangwen gradually regained his composure.

He didn't know where the Wu army got this mountain infantry, but he suddenly figured out the whole process of the matter, and then deduced the strategic purpose of the Wu army.

Forcefully relocate the people and use force to wipe out small guerrilla forces. This is the start of a decisive battle!!
The forest was pitch black, and you couldn't see your hand in front of you.

The chirping of birds and insects almost disappeared.

The Xiangxi armed forces relied on their familiarity with the terrain and returned to the camp in the dark.

Zhao Zhuangwen thought hard, where did these enemies go? They might also be from the mountains, but they were definitely not familiar with Xiangxi.

Where can you hide in such a dark forest?

Suddenly, he had a spiritual experience.

Look up~
shout:
"There's someone in the tree."

……

Just as he expected, Wu Jun actually climbed up the tree.

These trees, which are decades or even hundreds of years old, are thick and strong, and four or five people can squat on them without any pressure.

Gunshots rang out suddenly, and flames appeared in the treetops.

Wu's army was in a dominant position, while the Xiangxi armed forces moved from the bottom up.

The two sides fired at each other crazily.

One side used muskets and the other side used bows and arrows.

At first, the Wu army had a huge advantage.

Gradually, the people of Xiangxi gradually regained the advantage by relying on the shooting speed of bows and arrows.

Wu soldiers were constantly hit by arrows and fell to the ground.

however,
These men from the Yunnan horse caravan quickly came up with a solution.

A man flicked the tinder he was carrying with him, and a small flame rose in the tube, successfully igniting the surrounding leaves.

Then, he swung a knife.
……

One after another, burning branches fell.

Looking from a distance, the scenery is very beautiful.

It was like a meteor falling to the ground, with fireworks everywhere.

but,

Zhao Zhuangwen's pupils trembled violently, he discovered big trouble.

The dead leaves caught fire and the fire spread.

Our side is in the light, while the enemy is in the dark.

Friends who are often peeped at know that when you walk into a room and turn on all the lights in the house, you become the focus of countless people in the darkness outside.

(End of this chapter)