Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 545: Agui: Abandoning Yunnan, the whole army marches south, and launches an armed attack on Burma

After a while, Zhao Zhuangwen, looking a little haggard, came.

He fled all the way from Wuling Mountain in western Hunan, through Guiyang to Kunming, and joined Agui's camp.

Agui's evaluation of him was that he was experienced, unruly, and a rare treasure, so he was taken into the shogunate.

"Mr. Zhao, please take a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"I have some bad news for you. The Wu army has used the rebels from Guangxi as their vanguard and has reached Guangnan Prefecture."

Zhao Zhuangwen sighed:

"Your Highness, this is understandable. Wu's army has occupied Guangxi and has taken Guiyang. How can I allow others to snore beside my bed?"

……

Agui was a prime minister with a broad mind and he attached great importance to Zhao Zhuangwen.

After dismissing the left and right,
Said in a low voice:

"Mr. Zhao, in your opinion, should we fight or retreat?"

"withdraw!"

"Why?"

"Can't beat it."

"No chance of winning at all?"

"We have a 1% chance of winning the defense of Kunming, but a 3% chance of winning the battle. In fact, your mind is as clear as a mirror, Your Highness."

Agui smiled.

He picked up the tea bowl, scraped the tea leaves with the lid, and said with emotion:
“Good Sichuan tea.”

"It's a pity, I don't know how long I can drink it."

……

One dares to speak and the other dares to listen.

The two of them understood the current situation immediately.

Ah Gui said calmly:

"Where to retreat?"

"Let the country stay and go south to conquer Burma."

Ah Gui was stunned and put down the tea bowl.

He stared at Zhao Zhuangwen very seriously:
"Keep talking."

"Yes. The situation is critical. Yunnan is definitely not a place to live in for a long time. We might as well pick the weak spots and go south to fight the chieftains and compete with the Konbaung Dynasty for the Irrawaddy Plain."

Ah Gui took a long time to recover:

"The Konbaung Dynasty's army is heavily equipped with flintlock rifles, and the area is full of miasma and dense forests, so it will be difficult to defeat them."

"No. This time is very different from the last Burmese invasion. In the past, we had a long logistics system and were eager to fight. The Konbaung Dynasty's army deliberately avoided fighting, fortified their defenses and cleared the fields, making us passive everywhere. This time we will slowly push forward, cultivate the land and nibble away at the same time. We will avoid the summer heat for half a year and fight for half a year."

……

That night,

Agui summoned several of his confidants and his two sons to discuss military affairs.

Afterwards, clear orders will be conveyed to all officers above the rank of Qianzong.

withdraw!
They retreated south with their families, property, and food seeds.

I don’t want Yunnan anymore.

Accept defeat - this quality is rare, and it is especially rare in noble people.

Admit defeat and lose half.

The Chinese national football team knows this well. They look embarrassed, but they are actually doing well. If I admit defeat first, I will be in a position where I cannot win.

What happened in the capital has spread to Kunming.

The burning of the three main halls, the discussion of criminal silver, the abuse of imperial examinations, the struggle between Emperor Qianlong and his son, the soldiers besieging the Meridian Gate, and other events were finally pieced together into four words by those who were interested:

The Qing Dynasty is about to end~
……

Zhao Zhuangwen was not loyal to the Qing Dynasty, and Agui also lost confidence in the Qing Dynasty.

In addition,

There is another key factor:
Sichuan Governor Sun Shiyi had an extremely bad personal relationship with Agui.

It is well known that the two of them do not get along.

After Sun Shiyi was transferred to Sichuan, it became difficult for Agui to obtain food and financial support from Sichuan.

In a rage,
He simply imposed high transit taxes on Sichuan tea exported southwards.

As a result, the relationship between the two worsened.

Agui found it difficult to convince himself that Qianlong did not do this on purpose.

When he thought that the Qing Dynasty was on the edge of a cliff and the old man still had an "enemy" next to him to restrain him, Agui's heart sank.

Laugh at Nanming, learn from Nanming.

……

The whole city of Kunming is like a vegetable market.

People were shouting and horses were neighing, and they were moving back and forth non-stop.

Agui sent out all his personal soldiers and tried his best to organize this large-scale retreat.

Kunming - Tengchong.

He left Tengchong and completely left the Qing Dynasty.

When people are on the run, money doesn't mean much.

Agui ordered his men to open the treasury to pay double wages to the soldiers, exchange them for various supplies, and also bought up all the large livestock around Kunming.

Once you leave Tengchong, you're in another country.

If you need something, grab it.

If my Qing army can’t defeat the Wu army, can’t we defeat the weak local natives?

Are you talking about the last Qing-Myanmar War?

This moment and that moment.

The last time they lost was because of weak military preparations, mediocre generals, and the Burmese soldiers who retreated hundreds of miles to avoid fighting, and then used scorched earth and cleared the fields to wear down the Qing army.

This time is different.

Agui is a good commander, with tens of thousands of elite soldiers under his command, whom he has trained personally.

The strategy has also changed, the cuckoo takes over the magpie's nest and settles on the spot. As long as I am not anxious, the opponent will be anxious.

……

"Your Majesty, guerrilla general Wang Lian wants to see you."

"Who?"

"Ahem, in the Burmese expedition, Guizhou Rattan Shield Soldier King Lian was promoted for his meritorious service by the Emperor, and was promoted seven levels to guerrilla."

"What is he here for?"

"He wanted to defend Kunming and die for the Qing Dynasty."

Zhao Zhuangwen was full of emotion. He didn't expect that at this point in time a loyal and capable general would appear.

……

"Your Majesty, at this point, I have nothing to say. I only ask that you stay in Kunming and die with the city to repay the emperor's grace."

Ah Gui is silent~
He took off his sword and handed it over:
"Take care of yourself."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Wang Lian grabbed the knife and walked out of the camp without looking back.

What I saw along the way was that people were in panic.

The vanguard cavalry escorting the baggage has already set out, setting up grain stations and military depots along the way.

A total of more than 3 combat soldiers, more than 1 auxiliary soldiers, more than 10 family members, and more than 5000 craftsmen of various types.

The convoy stretched for dozens of miles, filling up the official road. Horse-drawn carts, ox-drawn carts, donkey-drawn carts, mule-drawn carts, and hand-pushed wheelbarrows~
……

Scouts continued to bring back the latest news.

"Your Majesty, the Wu army from Guangxi has arrived at Ami Prefecture. There are no cavalry, only infantry."

"Explore again."

"Your Majesty, there is no movement from the Wu army in Guizhou."

"Explore again."

From a strategic point of view, Xiangxi and Guangxi are the barriers of Yunnan. If both are lost, Yunnan will be isolated and helpless.

Geographically speaking, the Yunnan-Guizhou Channel poses a greater threat than the Yunnan-Guangxi Channel.

……

Since the Yuan Dynasty, the most commonly used route from the Central Plains to Yunnan is the Yunnan-Guizhou-Hunan Ancient Road.

This route is relatively short. From Kunming to Zhenyuan (Guizhou) is by land, and from Zhenyuan to Changde (Hunan) is by water, so transportation is convenient.

now,

Wu's army crushed the local forces in western Hunan and took control of Guiyang and Zhenyuan.

If Ah Gui continued to fight against the 7th Army in Kunming, he might suddenly find one day that a Wu army had appeared behind him and was attacking Guizhou.

When Wu Sangui started his rebellion, his main force took this route.

Later, the Qing army pushed back and one of their forces also took this route.

so,

"Geographical determinism" is the scientific theory.

Geography determines the military, the economy, agriculture, regional character, and everything.

To overturn geographical determinism, humans will have to make small hypersonic vertical take-off and landing aircraft as popular as bicycles and fuel will have to be readily available everywhere.

……

Yunnan battlefield,

One side advanced slowly, defeating small groups of Qing troops sporadically and taking over the territory.

One side was retreating in a hurry with big strides.

Kunming has almost become a deserted city.

Wild dogs were strolling happily on the streets.

Tattered clothes, broken vehicles, food, weapons, and household items were scattered all over the ground.

Ah Gui stood on the city wall and watched the last batch of soldiers leave the city, and sighed.

"Let's go."

After walking two miles, he looked back while riding his horse.

Farewell, Kunming. Zhao Zhuangwen followed on horseback.

The team consisted of 16 people, and a brand new embroidered flag fluttered in the wind: The Qing Expeditionary Force!

There is a line of small words on each side of the flag:
To avenge the people and punish the criminals, and to enforce justice on behalf of heaven.

They were all written by Zhao Zhuangwen and are very interesting.

……

"Your Majesty, I have another plan."

"speak."

"Land is what the people care about. Why not recruit poor people along the way and promise to give them land in Southeast Asia? Each soldier will get 100 mu, and each male civilian will get 50 mu."

Ah Gui laughed out loud, and the gloom was half gone.

He pointed at Zhao Zhuangwen:
"From today on, you are the military advisor and marching commander of the expeditionary force. You are the most powerful one among all of us."

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"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Zhao Zhuangwen did not hide his laughter and laughed out loud.

In the afterglow, beside the official road, I saw a scholar urging his horse and waving his whip, looking very high-spirited.

While one is on the run, fame, wealth and honor remain.

No matter how long the road is, the scholar will start over again.

……

The seat of Lin'an Prefecture was Jianshui County.

The 7th Legion entered the city without a fight.

The defenders all ran away~
Bai Jianren rode the captured Yunnan horse into the city with a clatter and a clatter. Both sides of the city gate were filled with kneeling gentry.

this moment,
He suddenly understood the meaning of a man's struggle - power.

A few years ago, would the gentry have knelt to greet him like this? It was because they were afraid of the guns and cannons in their hands.

After entering the city, the army took a short rest.

A plainclothes man rode into the camp on horseback holding an intelligence agency badge.

"Agui escaped, taking hundreds of thousands of people with him."

……

"Chase!"

"Send the news of Ah Gui's escape back to Nanning and ask Marshal Lin to make the decision."

The 7th Legion was in an uproar.

No one doesn't like to fight a battle when the wind is in their favor.

The soldiers had already accumulated quite a bit of silver in the form of military rewards along the way, with some earning as much as 200 or 300 taels, and others as little as a dozen taels.

The Western Expedition to Yunnan was crucial.

It is not only a token of the 7th Legion’s allegiance, but also a process of building mutual trust.

Bai Jianren volunteered to lead an infantry regiment as the vanguard and brought 1 mule-drawn artillery pieces.

Soldiers were asked to bring as much dry food as possible.

Load the full weight.

run!
It is more than 300 miles from Jianshui County to Kunming Prefecture.

……

At noon on the 5th day, the group arrived at the southern suburbs of Kunming and saw a surprising scene.

The city walls are empty.

Only a few Qing army flags fluttered listlessly in the wind.

There were more than a thousand people quietly lined up outside the city.

Guerrilla General Wang Lian took a deep breath, raised his saber, and shouted:
"Brothers, I, Wang Lian, am sorry for you."

"Follow me and serve the emperor."

After shouting, he rushed forward with a sword and shield in hand, looking a little tragic and heroic.

……

Bai Jianren was somewhat puzzled, and waved his sword and shouted:

"Line up, load."

After 30 breaths, the musket was loaded.

After 100 breaths, the artillery was loaded.

The soldiers silently looked at the Qing army rushing towards them.

"fire."

The sound of cannons rumbled, and large balls of hot shotgun shells sprayed forward.

Wang Lian, who was rushing in the front, was hit by four bullets, and his rattan shield and cotton armor were pierced.

After falling to the ground, he tried to support himself with his elbows, but failed after several attempts.

All the strength in his body quickly drained away from the wound along with the blood.

He had no regrets, nor did he expect to really hold on to Kunming.

It's just that I can't get over that psychological hurdle and can't forget the emperor's favor of promoting me seven levels in a row.

I will not feel at peace if I am not dead.

Died in battle, no regrets~
……

After a round of artillery bombardment and a volley of flintlock fire, the sparse Qing army collapsed.

More than 200 diehard fans were buried with Wang Lian.

The others lost their courage, dropped their weapons, knelt on the ground and lowered their heads.

A breeze blew across the battlefield.

The soldiers of the 7st Infantry Regiment of the 1th Corps were collectively silent, feeling both the joy of victory and lingering fear.

If he had not surrendered to Wu Ting, he might have been the one being killed by the firepower.

The combination of flintlock, bayonet and howitzer is so terrifying.

"Brother, should we keep the prisoners or kill them?"

Bai Jianren did not hesitate:
"Keep."

"As ordered."

After entering the city, this infantry regiment took over the city defense, cleared the streets, patrolled, calmed the people, and sent people to report the victory.

Awaiting further military orders.

……

The last time Kunming City was in such a mess was during the reign of Emperor Yongli of the Southern Ming Dynasty.

When the people in the city heard that the Qing troops were approaching, the morale of the army collapsed and they rushed to flee.

Today, history repeats itself.

There is nothing new under the sun, just like so-called fashion, it just goes on and on.

It’s just that fashion changes every three years, and history goes through a cycle every 3 years.

3 days later,

A fast horse brought the order from Lin Huaisheng, the Minister of the Army:
"Except for the troops left behind in Kunming and the logistics hub, the 7th Army will follow lightly and pursue the enemy northward."

The next day,

The main force of the corps rushed to Kunming.

Although the soldiers were very tired, they had no aversion to the order to pursue.

……

The soldiers of the 7th Corps all came from poor backgrounds. They carried more than 40 kilograms of ammunition and dry food on their backs, like mules, and hurried along without any complaints.

Cutting off heads is much more valuable than cutting sugarcane.

One acre of sugarcane weighs 10000 jin, which needs to be bundled, the heads and tails removed, and loaded onto trucks, and the pay is 2 taels.

A soldier's head weighing 3 jin is worth 5 taels of silver.

Comparing the two, it is obvious that being a soldier has a better future.

Xu Xiake called Tengchong "the city at the extreme border". The distance from Kunming to Tengchong is more than 1200 miles.

Agui's "expeditionary force" was bloated with personnel, had a huge team, and marched as slowly as an old cow.

On the sixth day of the pursuit, the 6th Corps began sporadic battles with the Qing rear guard.

Agui sent all his cavalry to provide cover from the rear, and adopted the method of foraging for food like a vulture, neither flying away nor extending its claws, but lingering around.

……

Even if they were all flintlock infantry, they had to be cautious when fighting against cavalry. Once they marched in a scattered manner, they might be caught by the cavalry and defeated.

Bai Jianren wanted to order a charge several times, but was stopped by the staff.

"Captain, don't be impulsive."

"You only have two battalions. Wait for reinforcements to arrive, then go around to the front and kill these dog-riding lancers."

Only about 600 cavalrymen under Agui's command rode Northwestern war horses, and the rest rode Yunnan horses.

The Yunnan horse is short in stature but has great stamina, making it suitable for use as a pack horse.

As a warhorse, its sprint speed is obviously at a disadvantage.

In order to make up for the disadvantage, the mounted knights were not wearing armor and were armed with spears as light lancers.

……

"Young Marshal, we are preparing to break the bridge. Let's retreat quickly."

"Walk."

Attis was the eldest son of Agui, and he commanded the rear cavalry under his father's military orders.

The Ili horse under his crotch accelerated rapidly and crossed the wooden bridge.

After a while,
The wooden bridge collapsed and fell into the river.

The pursuers looked at each other across the river in silence.

……

Agui was worthy of being the strongest commander in the late Qianlong period, and his deployment of troops was flawless.

Hundreds of thousands of troops retreated, busy but not chaotic.

He is the pillar of the expeditionary force.
Two sons,

One was the vanguard, arranging camp and contacting the chieftain.

One commanded the rear guard cavalry, clearing the fields along the way, breaking bridges, destroying wells, and burning villages.
The pace of the 7th Legion's pursuit was getting slower and slower, and the honest Guangxi people were extremely unaccustomed to this insidious battlefield.

(End of this chapter)