Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 536: Divine Power Completed, Invulnerable to Swords and Guns

The Guizhou Army marched forward triumphantly.
Attack, capture, and attack again.

They successively captured five villages and four towns, used their numbers to bully the weak, and killed more than 5 garrison soldiers and militiamen.

then,

The troops stopped at Xinchang Town on the bank of Baini River, where they were blocked by 2000 blue-clad chieftain soldiers.

The Tusi soldiers were fierce and the Guizhou army was weak in combat effectiveness.

2 consecutive attacks were repelled~
……

Sweat beads appeared on Wang Shenglie's forehead, and his smile was awkward but polite.

Discuss with the Wu Ting envoy:
"The Tusi soldiers are fierce and our army is no match for them. It would be better to take a detour to the north, which would still be a threat to Phoenix City."

The messenger nodded helplessly.

Do not know why,

He always felt that the combat effectiveness of the Zhenyuan Green Camp had declined significantly.

Before the mission,

He had read the General Staff's summary of the "First Jiangxi Battle and the Guizhou Army's Operation Process", which was roughly as follows:
"The Guizhou Army's equipment was extremely rudimentary and they were seriously lacking in artillery, but their other performances were average."

……

Now it seems that water is powerful.

Wang Shenglie seemed to see through his thoughts and explained in a low voice:
"So that the angels know that our Guizhou Army does not have many elite troops. We mainly rely on naturalized soldiers from some savage tribes. Then we use the naturalized tribes to fight the savage tribes, and drive the savage tribes away and kill them."

The messenger sighed and nodded.

The army then turned and marched towards Phoenix City via a river valley further north.

The water system in western Hunan is well developed.

Small rivers flow into medium rivers, medium rivers flow into large rivers, weaving into a huge and complex water network, and finally flowing eastward into Dongting Lake.

The Guizhou Army was still happy and swept through villages along the way.

Big and small packages are like the New Year.

The messenger thought to himself,
After returning, the report reads:
The Guizhou Army was too weak to fight, and Wang Shenglie lacked the qualities of a general. He was smooth and moderate, so he was not a concern.

……

Zeng Di listened to the repetitive reports from his scouts and became even more anxious, pacing back and forth in the room.

Scouting Report:
The Wu army is continuing to advance along the river valley, and the vanguard is less than 40 miles away from Phoenix City.

Several bandit armed forces sent to intercept Wu Jun's logistics received an embarrassing report: there was nothing from Tuojiang River to Wushui River, and Wu Jun had not arranged any logistics at all.

And the damn Qian Army was killing and burning people in their rear.

"We can't go on like this, dear son-in-law."

The Phoenix chieftain was fully armed and holding a ghost-head sword.

Zeng Di was shocked, then he bowed solemnly:

"Taishan, lead your troops to intercept and kill the Wu army. Don't let them get close to Phoenix City again."

"Laojiu, take the elite troops of the Zhengan Army to defeat the damned Qian Army in the rear."

"I will personally be responsible for the defense of Phoenix City."

……

Zeng Di issued orders one after another~
A great wizard covered in silver ornaments stood on the hillside and performed a ritual, loudly cursing the Han army that had entered the holy land, saying that they would be heartbroken, blinded, and bitten by the five poisonous creatures.

The stilt houses along the river became temporary firing points, and the Zhengan troops were busy digging loopholes for bullets and arrows and reinforcing windows.

An indescribable tragic atmosphere lingered inside and outside the city.

……

"Aim at that forest and blast."

The four gunners who were marching with the mortar stopped immediately, placed the mortar on the river beach, and loaded ammunition.

A white mist rose up.

There was a crackling sound in the dense forest at the bend.

Immediately, the ambushers in the dense forest were startled and rushed out.

"Musketeers, go ahead."

Without much need for the officers to give any instructions, dozens of musketeers, holding their flintlock rifles with fixed bayonets, marched over the mortars in unison.

Two standard rows were arranged on the river beach.

A whistle sounded and gunshots rang out.

Bayonet followed.

After a brief fight, dozens of fresh corpses appeared on the river beach.

……

"Finish the fight one by one."

In fact, the soldiers would consciously make the final move without the officers' orders.

We suffered a loss two days ago. When we were cleaning up the battlefield, a corpse that had faked its death suddenly resurrected and instantly killed three soldiers who were caught off guard.

In the river,
A small boat arrived at the shore in time, and the trackers diligently carried the wounded onto the boat.

Then he turned around and went downstream like flying to the temporary camp at Muziping.

Thanks to the river, boats pulled by trackers are many times more efficient than horse-drawn carriages on land.
but,

The General Staff has raised a serious question:

What should we do with logistics when fighting in mountainous areas far away from rivers? Or what should we do with logistics in the frontier areas where the supply lines are long?
……

As the Wu army advanced, artillery fire continued, indiscriminately bombarding the dense forests along the way where enemy soldiers might be hiding.

Cannon sound
Instill courage into our troops and fear into the enemy's troops.

The Phoenix Chieftain squatted behind a century-old tree, curled up his fat body and raised his shield to protect his head.

Through the shadows of the trees,

He could vaguely see flames rising from the muzzles of Wu’s army’s cannons below the mountain.

moment,

There was a crackling sound in the surrounding dense forest, and branches and leaves shot down by shotgun shells fell down one after another.

Because they hid in advance and concealed themselves well, there were very few casualties among the subordinates.

After the bombardment,
Seeing that there was no unusual enemy activity, the Wu army raised their mortars and continued to advance.

……

After a while,
A large number of infantrymen came from behind, and the long and slender team stretched as far as the eye could see, mixed with many artillery carts and baggage carts.

The fully armed Wu army walked on the outside, while the trackers shouting work songs were on the inside.

Another half an hour passed,

Phoenix Chief took off the gourd from his waist, took a big gulp of the liquor, and blew the bone flute around his neck.

The sound of the flute is extremely penetrating~
Hundreds of men stood up rustlingly in the bushes and behind the rocks.

Everyone said nothing and quickly went down the mountain carrying their weapons.

It was not until the edge of the woods that Phoenix Chieftain shouted:
"Kill."

Gunshots rang out on the riverbank.

Seeing the large number of enemy soldiers suddenly appearing, the lieutenant realized that he was ambushed and waved his sword and shouted:
"With your backs to the river, each one will line up in battle array."

The 1000 Wu troops encountered a close-range attack by more than 3000 Tusi ambushes.

……

Shouting room,
A large number of blue-clad soldiers have rushed over.

The distance from the edge of the dense forest to the riverbank was very short, less than 25 feet. The musket only had time to fire one round.
Bayonet vs. short spear
A few Wu soldiers who were slow to react and had no time to form a battle formation became the first victims.

In terms of hand-to-hand combat skills, the Tusi soldiers were clearly stronger than the Wu army.

……

afterwards,

One recruit recalled:
The enemy on the opposite side threw out a row of sharp spears, which broke through the air.

Anyone hit by the spear will die.

The formation of this row was broken.

We tried to drive away those crazy guys with bayonets and barely restored our formation, but were once again breached by axes thrown from the opposite side.

confusion.

It's very confusing.

My comrade in the same tent with me had just stabbed a small enemy soldier when he was thrown to the ground. The man stabbed his abdomen with a dagger and blood gushed out.

My mind went blank and I was knocked to the ground by the enemy.

Just when I was desperate.

The fierce soldier who was pressing my neck suddenly spurted blood from his mouth and nose.

Blood dripped into my mouth.

A bit salty.

The wise and brave warrant officer kicked the corpse away, pointed the bloody blade at me, and shouted:

"Hurry up and follow me."

I held the flintlock rifle with a bayonet and stabbed anyone I saw along the way.

I'm mad.

The enemy is also crazy.

Everyone went crazy.

……

I didn't know how long the fight lasted, nor did I notice how many new wounds I had.

Until the dull sound of artillery fire was heard.

The reinforcements brought several 4-pound howitzers.

The short and thick gun barrel was placed on a tall gun carriage, like a child sitting on the shoulders of a burly father, which left a deep impression on witnesses.

It is said that this howitzer can fire 250 rounds of cannonballs at a time, which is equivalent to a salvo fired by all the brothers in our company. The firing speed is very fast, at least three times that of a cannon.

Anyway,

we won.

When inspecting the battlefield, it was discovered that some brothers were killed by their own people while fighting the enemy, but everyone avoided this embarrassing issue without any prior agreement.

No one blamed the artillery.

Because we all survived.

later,

I just heard that one of the bodies that had been beaten to a pulp belonged to the bandit chieftain, Fenghuang Tusi.

……

Lin Huaisheng looked up at the sky with an expression neither sad nor happy.

A staff officer reported in a low voice:
"Today, more than 2000 people including Fenghuang Tusi were killed, and our army suffered 1500 casualties."

"Come on, come on."

One and a half hours before sunset,

The army set up camp again in an open space on the south side of Tuojiang River. The camp was densely populated with tents.

Before dark,

The Wu army flags were finally raised on two nearby commanding heights about 200 meters high, each guarded by an infantry company.

The two mountains are like guardians on the left and right, blocking all demons and monsters.

Looking at the skyrocketing signal rising from the top of the mountain, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and could sleep well tonight.

……

The baggage carts were arranged end to end, with bonfires lit on the outside to provide lighting.

Rusty caltrops~
Irregularly distributed sentinels
These all come from blood experience.

Although Zeng Di had no navy.

But Lin Huaisheng still deployed 30 guns and 5 howitzers to guard the river.

In the camp,
Officers at all levels are encouraging:

"Brothers, the hard times are finally over, and Phoenix City is just around the corner."

"Marshal Lin has ordered that we capture Fenghuang tomorrow and reward the three armies."

"There will be double the supply of cigarettes and alcohol tonight."

The effect of the last sentence was particularly obvious, and many soldiers cheered.

……

Military medical officers began distributing wine on the spot~
Mix high-concentration alcohol and cold boiled water, one bowl for each person.

This time,
The alcohol concentration was significantly higher.

The soldiers went into their tents, holding cigarettes in their left hands and wine bowls in their right hands.

Cursing, complaining, and talking about women.

The central army tent was heavily guarded and surrounded by people.

inside the account,

Ten candles as thick as bowls provided lighting.

"How's the morale of the regiments?"

"Marshal Lin, the brothers can't hold on any longer. We are relying on our last bit of spiritual energy to hold on. If we lose it again, it will be troublesome."

The officers nodded.

In this battle, the soldiers were unprecedentedly tired and suffered heavy losses.

……

"Tomorrow, we will capture Phoenix in one fell swoop."

"First, drop 500 rockets into the city to set it on fire. Then concentrate large-caliber cannons to blow down the city gates. After that, concentrate all howitzers to cover the dispatched troops entering the city."

"The battle in western Hunan is of great significance. It is intended to intimidate the chieftains in the southwestern provinces. Don't think you can resist our army by hiding in the mountains. If we change the chieftains into commoners, no one can stop us."

The officers looked solemn, guessing that the last sentence was an instruction from His Majesty.

Yes, Li Yu really thought so.

Use Xiangxi as an example to solve the problem of chieftains in the southwest in one fell swoop.

If we want to maintain stability in the southwest, we must take down these chieftains.

The Ming and Qing dynasties implemented the policy of "reform of the natives and return of officials to the government". The Xin Dynasty still wanted to continue this cause, no matter how much it cost, it had to be done with gritted teeth.

Its significance is no less than that of controlling the Yellow River.

The change of aboriginal system was solved once and for all.

The Yellow River has been controlled over and over again.

……

At night, the left and right protector hilltops only encountered sporadic attacks of moderate intensity.

At the highest point in Phoenix City, the government office is brightly lit.

Zeng Di was dressed in mourning clothes, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like a ferocious beast.

High-pitched voice:

"My dear leaders, my fellow chieftains, our survival in Xiangxi has come to a critical moment."

"I'll tell you the truth. Phoenix City has 65000 dan of grain in stock, enough for everyone to eat. The total amount of silver in stock is 45 taels. I'll give 10 taels to each person first, and keep the rest for rewarding the death squad tomorrow."

"Thank you, Governor."

"The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit. Everyone, show your courage. If I win, you are officials. If I lose, you are all bandits."

……

A messy group of people.

As usual, there was a big feast before the battle.

The whole city was slaughtering pigs and sheep, drinking freely, and there were bonfires everywhere, filling the air with smoke.

In the words of bandit leader Qin Sanye:
"If you don't want to eat, leave it for Wu Jun to eat? If you don't want to play, leave it for Wu Jun to play with?"

Under the stimulation of alcohol, many naked bandits embraced the equally naked foreign women and reveled.

In the sound of bronze drums,

The most famous wizard also appeared with a group of male and female disciples.

The dress is grand and the movement is grand.

Soon he became the focus of the whole audience.

……

The great wizard waved his right hand and a miracle appeared.

The empty jar in front of him was actually filled with green wine.

"The mountain god has given me water. Come on, drink it."

All the disciples knelt down hurriedly, raised their heads and opened their mouths.

The great wizard fell down one by one with the jar in his hand.

We cannot lie in front of everyone.

The great wizard stood high up, raised his arms, and shouted in a disembodied voice:

"My divine power has been perfected. I am invulnerable to swords and guns."

……

A team of matchlock musketeers arrived, lit the matchlocks and aimed at the disciples who drank the holy water.
Everyone was stunned, looking at the enchanting witch standing alone in the high place.

play for real?
Looking at those disciples again, each of them looked like a god possessed, majestic and awe-inspiring, with their clothes opened.

Shouting:

"My divine power has been perfected. I am invulnerable to swords and guns."

Before he finished speaking, muskets 10 feet away emitted white smoke one after another.

When the smoke clears,
The disciples were all intact and stood where they were.

There was deathly silence for a long moment, and then enthusiastic cheers rose to the sky.

The soldiers were the most excited:
"Invulnerable to swords and guns, invulnerable to swords and guns."

Thousands of people kowtowed to the great witch.

……

Zeng Di witnessed the whole process and nodded slightly.

He turned around and said:
"Madam, the army's morale is available."

Zeng Di's wife, the daughter of Fenghuang chieftain, who was also dressed in white mourning, just agreed softly.

Under her mourning clothes she wore a rhinoceros-hide armor.

The two stood on a high place, overlooking the Tuojiang River that meanders through the city.

"Madam, tomorrow will be dangerous."

"The Wu thief killed my father and my people. I will not be a human being if I don't take revenge."

"I love your strong character. Thirty years ago, I passed the imperial examination, was decorated with red and colorful ribbons, and met my wife by the Tuojiang River. When the golden wind and jade dew meet, it is better than countless things in the world."

The woman also smiled:
"You were already thirty years old, and I was still a young girl. Time is like the water of Tuojiang River, gone forever."

……

"The lady was young at that time, but she was as good as any man. She was good at shooting bows and arrows, using two swords, riding a fierce horse, and she was heroic. I fell in love with her at first sight."

"My husband is a man of great talent, but he doesn't have the false kindness and righteousness that the Han people usually have. That year, my husband said that only those who kill a million people can be a hero. I have admired him all my life."

The two held hands tightly.

If you don't say something now, you may never have the chance again.

Tomorrow, blood and fire.

If you can hold on, you will be reborn like a phoenix. If you can’t hold on, everything will be destroyed.

(End of this chapter)