Tuqing: My first love was Cixi

Chapter 247 Destructive blow! Shi Da’s doomsday!
Seng Gelinqin benefited a lot from this one-month journey of suppressing oppression.

He had lost a lot of weight and was extremely tired, but his spirit was still high.

Originally, the suppression of the Ni Ni was a very painful battle, because the Ni Ni troops were usually divided here and there. When they saw that the officers and soldiers were weak, they gathered together to annihilate them. When they saw a large group of officers and soldiers, they fled without a trace.

Moreover, most of the Nian Army's cavalry came and went very quickly, and once they escaped, they would never be able to catch up.

Even though there were hundreds of thousands of Nien troops in Shandong, the real large-scale battle had only been fought once.

At that time, Seng Gelinqin only entered Shandong with less than 10,000 cavalry. The main army led by Shengbao followed behind and fell far behind. This made the Nian Army feel that they had found a golden opportunity, so they gathered more than 20,000 people and fought with Seng Bao. Gretchen's cavalry came for a head-on confrontation.

As for Senggelinqin's less than 10,000 cavalry, half were from the newly trained Sixth Cavalry Division, a total of 4,000.

Although these more than 4,000 people have only received training for more than half a year, they are definitely not new recruits.

Because they were the most elite Horqin cavalry before, but in the past six months or so, they have received the most professional cavalry training.

Physical training, organization training, shooting training, fighting training.

At this time, he needs to soak his entire body in hot water so that he can recover.

Duxing Adao: "We have been fighting fiercely for more than a month, and we have fought very smoothly, almost winning every battle. Especially the cavalry division and the new infantry division have a remarkable record. Of course, their record is also stimulating other Mongolian cavalry. , and the Green Camp officers and soldiers, but those Mongolian cavalry and Green Camp soldiers are also affecting them."

In the past six months, we have made rapid progress.

The remaining 6,000 Mongolian cavalry couldn't hold it anymore, their organization was completely in disarray, and their physical strength was stretched to the limit.

Wang Shiqing's cavalry division fought this battle.

Du Xingadao said: "I wonder how Su Yi is doing in Hangjiahu."

In the Tianjin military station, military discipline is extremely strict.

In fact, the real situation was that 4,000 elite cavalry divisions were desperately chasing down 20,000 to 30,000 Nian troops.

Actual combat drills between cavalry and cavalry, drills between cavalry and infantry.

Seng Gelinqin also noticed this.

Every day from the moment I open my eyes to the moment I close my eyes, I am training like crazy.

After the fight, they couldn't believe how strong they were.

There are not enough horses in Yili, and they even pay high prices to buy horses from abroad.

As for Senggelinqin's cavalry division, the battle continued.

Senggelinqin's remaining 6,000 cavalry were not not brave, but poorly organized.

Theory plus practice becomes more and more in-depth.

The three divisions' salaries, military expenses, food, clothing, weapons and equipment, etc. add up to a total of ten million taels.

But after repeated charges and crushing.

The charge was equally brave at the beginning, but because the horses were not strong enough, the speed lagged slightly behind.

Therefore, in the continuous fighting, the combat effectiveness of this army is rapidly increasing.

Once discipline is violated, severe punishment will be imposed, such as confinement, whipping, execution, etc.

The cavalry division of 7,000 people accounted for less than half.

And in the past six months, I don’t know how many actual combat drills have gone through.

Therefore, this first conference battle produced an incredible result.

Then, Du Xingada said: "King Monk, there is a bad situation happening."

He no longer knew how long he had been fighting continuously, and there were countless wounds all over his body. I don't know how long I haven't slept, and my whole body is stiff.

This scene is very similar to Wang Shiqing's cavalry division on the Jiaxing battlefield.

After these fierce battles, his legs were scarred, and you can imagine the feeling of being soaked in hot water.

In the camp, Seng Gelinqin was almost lifted off his horse.

The monk king said: "Yes."

Moreover, Mongolian horses in this cavalry division are usually only used as auxiliary war horses. The real main war horses are all high-quality Ili horses.

During the battle, they kept summarizing, recording, learning, and confirming what they learned in textbooks and classes.

The other Horqin cavalry were not willing to lag behind, trying hard to catch up with the cavalry division, and gradually became stronger in the constant battles.

Fu Qi and Du Xing'a grinned and soaked their feet in the hot water, and then made bursts of sounds of relief and pain.

The intensity of training exceeds the total of the previous four to five years, and it is a scientific training method that can improve training efficiency and training effect as much as possible, coupled with the richest diet.

The Nian army was killed and fled in all directions, causing countless casualties.

The battle report said that Senggelinqin won a great victory, with 10,000 cavalry chasing 20,000 to 30,000 Nian troops.

A virtuous cycle is formed.

On the contrary, the four thousand elite cavalry divisions fought harder and harder and continued to pursue and kill them.

"King Monk, if this continues, after a few months of fierce fighting we can harvest tens of thousands of strong troops, leading the weak with the strong." Fu Qi said.

The more than 20,000 Nian troops were directly defeated.

No favoritism, no one is an exception.

Moreover, there is absolutely no case of drinking soldiers' blood or corruption.

Those who reached out to fish for money had already killed more than twenty people, and their heads were always hanging in a conspicuous place in the military station.

But this time after coming to Shandong to suppress rebellion, discipline first became lax.

The habits of the old Eight Banners, which had been suppressed in the military depot, gradually recovered.

Although military discipline has not been particularly corrupted, it has been visibly corrupted.

Daily training and many small rules in marching and fighting were completely abandoned.

How to light a fire, how to fold a quilt, how to take care of a war horse, etc., originally had a set of rules, but gradually they no longer followed them.

Du Xing'a was considered a very stern man, and he still strictly maintained military discipline, but the officers under his command were all from the Old Eight Banners. As they slackened, it was naturally useless to rely on him alone.

Even worse is the corruption of property.

The superiors' exploitation of the pay of the officers and soldiers below them is something that currently neither the Bannerman Cavalry Division nor the Infantry Division dares to do.

But there are always seizures in wars. At first, this group of people handed them over to the public in accordance with military discipline.

But later on, fewer and fewer people surrendered to the public, and the cavalry divisions and infantry divisions gradually enriched their own pockets.

However, Seng Gelinqin himself did not like property very much, so he was relatively generous to the soldiers. They also turned a blind eye to the private possession of property by the soldiers.

Du Xing'a was really worried when he saw all this.

If this continues, this army will soon fall back to its original point.

Several soldiers stepped forward to take off Senggelinqin's armor, supported his scarred body, and were about to step into the bathtub.

At this time, a messenger came in with a cold wind.

This is the royal envoy sent by Duan Hua.

"I have met the Monk King and all the military sects."

Seng Gelinqin said: "Chongqi, what's wrong?"

The envoy in front of him is Prince Zheng Duanhua's son-in-law, Arut Chongqi.

This man is the real Wenqu star of the Eight Banners of Mongolia. According to the trajectory of history, he will become the number one scholar in the imperial examination two years later, and he will also be the only banner man in the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

"In just six days, Prime Minister Su wiped out Li Shixian's tribe, Huang Wenjin's tribe, and Shi Zhenji's tribe, and recovered Jiaxing and Huzhou," Chongqi said.

As soon as these words came out, the expressions of several people present changed.

Monk King and Shengbao were one point ahead, but were tied in an instant.

"Amma and Sixth Uncle want to ask Monk King to march immediately to recapture Jinan Mansion. We must do it quickly, faster than Su Yi."

Seng Gelinqin and Shengbao looked at each other.

The next situation is clear.

Monk King and Shengbao regained Jinan Prefecture, and Su Yi destroyed Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng's 140,000 to 50,000 troops.

"This battle is easier on our side." Shengbao said.

Chongqi said: "What Ama wants is for us to fight quickly here, and then lead the army back north immediately."

Seng Gelinqin's expression changed slightly and he said, "Why are you going north and back to Beijing? A mutiny?"

Shengbao said: "We are much closer to Beijing after all."

Chongqi said: "Amma means what if it ends in a draw?"

Everyone fell into silence, and their expressions changed slightly.

The so-called draw does not mean that the monk king and the Nian Army fought to a draw, but that they fought to a draw with Su Yi.

In that case, Duan Hua also solemnly asked King Monk to lead his army back to Beijing as quickly as possible in order to prepare for a mutiny.

Deposed Empress Dowager Cixi from power and imprisoned her.

Su Yi still has troops in Beijing, two to three thousand new infantry divisions, and Zhang Guoliang and Feng Zicai's more than 10,000 garrison divisions.

Shengbao said: "Su Yi is leading the main army in the south, and the power of the capital is at its most empty. After we recaptured Jinan, we led tens of thousands of troops back to the capital, which can directly determine the outcome. Su Yi's army in the capital is simply Not our opponent.”

Seng Gelinqin said: "Where is Ronglu? He also has the third infantry division in his hands, which has been guarding the capital. He is completely loyal to the Queen Mother of the West."

Shengbao said: "Jing Shou still has a garrison division with more than 10,000 people. Even if Ronglu stands with the Queen Mother of the West, their combined strength will be about 30,000, while ours will be eight or nine Ten thousand people fight, but we still win.”

"Hit?!" Seng Gelinqin's expression changed slightly.

He could not imagine a civil war in the capital.

"At that time, Su Yi led his army north to Chengde. We tried our best to stop the civil war. For this reason, I did not hesitate to kill Boyan." Seng Gelinqin said: "This time, Su Yi forcibly abolished the Eight Banners, which led to complete confrontation between the Manchu and Han Dynasties. Chaos. In order to avoid civil war, he came up with this method. He sent Ni and I attacked the Nian army. This method was used to determine the outcome and avoid direct civil war. "

"We are fighting, even fighting to the death, but we are doing our best to avoid civil war. What will be the consequences if a civil war breaks out in the capital?"

Shengbao said: "Isn't that a last resort? Now it has been completely proved that as long as the banner people innovate, they can be used to great effect. The Shandong suppression campaign was so smooth and a complete victory. How can we keep this victory? If we don't seize this opportunity, How can we save the Eight Banners?”

"There is no turning back! Even if we win this decisive battle, will Su Yi be willing to admit defeat? Will the Queen Mother in the west be willing to hand over all her power and imprison herself in the cold palace?"

"Even if there is no guarantee that there will be a civil war, we must be prepared for war and prepare for a battle with Su Yi's remaining troops in the capital."

Seng Gelinqin waved his hand and said, "We must win against Su Yi first."

"In this battle, the advantage still lies with us!"

"Send the order, stop resting and continue marching towards Jinan Mansion!"

"Help me pierce the armor."

Several soldiers were slightly shocked. You just took off your armor, and you haven't soaked in hot water yet.

"Didn't you hear? The military situation is on fire!"

"In this battle, we must win against Su Yi, and win his heart and soul."

Immediately, several soldiers brought over heavy armor, which was already extremely sour and smelly, and once again wore it on Seng Gelinqin's scarred body.

Then, with the help of everyone, he got on the horse with difficulty.

Once again, use the rope to tie yourself to the horse's back.

More than half an hour later.

The 70,000-strong army of the Sangha King and Shengbao had just begun to rest and regroup when they began to gather again.

Seng Gelinqin shouted: "I know you are tired, but I am even more tired."

"I am fifty-two years old this year. According to the lifespan of Mongolians, I should go to see the Immortal God."

"Su Yi won a great victory in the south and recovered Jiaxing and Huzhou in just six days."

"Now, our records are even again."

"What will be the consequences if Su Yi is allowed to destroy Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng's tribe first? All of you know."

"We are not fighting the Nian Army, we are fighting Su Yi, and we are fighting time."

"In order to preserve the Eight Banners and to preserve the foundation of the Qing Dynasty, we will fight bloody battles to the end."

"Use the fastest speed to eliminate the Nian bandits and recover Jinan."

"set off!"

Following an order, Seng Gelinqin, Shengbao, Fu Qi, Du Xing'a and others led a mighty army and marched towards Jinan Prefecture under the cover of night.

Race against time, momentum is like fire.

........................

Songjiang Mansion!
Li Hongzhang was caught in a difficult decision.

He was almost the first to know about Su Yi's recapture of Jiaxing and Huzhou, and then suffered a huge blow.

Now, Su Yi has led his army south to attack Chen Yucheng and Shi Dakai.

This is probably the biggest decisive battle in the past twenty years.

It is also the most important decisive battle.

It is not only about the fate of rebellion, but also about the fate of Su Yi, the princes and ministers of the imperial court.

Where should he, Li Hongzhang, go?
At this time, should he stand still, follow Su Yi's army south and attack Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng's troops together, or go attack Suzhou?
Staff Zhou Fu said: "Su Yi has always disliked you, sir. How much does he think highly of Zuo Zongtang?"

Li Hongzhang certainly felt this. Su Yi's attitude towards him had always been relatively cold.

I almost never actively solicit, and even if I do, it's an understatement.

Su Yi really didn't like Li Hongzhang, especially in history, when he negotiated with the Russians, he harmed the country and enriched himself, which could not be vindicated.

But none of these things have happened yet. After all, this is a talent that Su Yi also wants to recruit, although not as eager for talent as Zuo Zongtang.

However, every time Su Yi tried to test her, every time she tried to solicit him, Li Hongzhang would push back softly.

Moreover, almost every major choice was made on the opposite side of Su Yi.

This time, Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng's army of hundreds of thousands easily defeated Changzhou, Wuxi, and Suzhou. Don't you, Li Hongzhang, be responsible?

Next, you defend Songjiang with heavy troops and force Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng to go south to attack Zhejiang. Isn't it just to embarrass Su Yi?
Wasn't he secretly helping Seng Gelinqin and Shengbao?

Li Hezhang (Li Hongzhang's third brother) said: "The key is whether the second brother can be Shen Baozhen?"

It was at this critical moment that Shen Baozhen betrayed the Hunan Army and took refuge with Su Yi.

Now, he is already a senior member of Su Yi's command, in charge of the Jiujiang Economic Experimental Zone. Although he has been relieved of the post of governor of Jiangxi, he is likely to become the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the imperial court and directly enter the Military Aircraft Department.

Of course, the prerequisite for all this is that Su Yi wins this decisive battle and takes the absolute initiative in the center.

Zhou Fu said: "Shen Baozhen was in a desperate situation, so he betrayed the Hunan Army and took refuge with Su Yi. But since then, his reputation in Shilin has been completely ruined. The key question now is, are you willing to be Shen Baozhen?"

Strange to say.

Li Hongzhang could barely be considered a Westernizer, and Su Yi was also a Westernizer.

The two of them should obviously have the same goals, but Li Hongzhang was unwilling to follow Su Yi from the bottom of his heart.

What he wants is Shen Baozhen's position, but if he joins Su Yi, can he get this position?

There is no doubt that it is impossible.

The most important thing is that he is the governor of Jiangsu, and he holds tens of thousands of troops, all of whom are from the Hunan Army.

If he wants to seek refuge with Su Yi, he also needs to see whether the Hunan Army recognizes him.

For a long time, the Hunan Army and Su Yi were both enemies and friends.

But in the final analysis, it gradually turned towards hostility. Because Su Yi's policy is very clear, and the Hunan Army will be greatly reduced in the future.

How many people are living and benefiting from this army?

"I'm not Shen Baozhen, and I can't be Shen Baozhen." Li Hongzhang said firmly: "But Master Su Yi is fighting with Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng in the south, and we can't sit idly by."

"As the governor of Jiangsu, I have the responsibility to regain the lost territory."

"Send the order, the troops will assemble and prepare to take over Suzhou."

As soon as these words came out, Zhou Fu's expression changed slightly.

As an aide, he hoped that his chief Li Hongzhang would remain stationary in Shanghai and sit back and watch the life-and-death fight between Su Yi and Seng Gelinqin.

But what does Li Hongzhang's sending troops to Suzhou mean?
The Taiping Army general currently guarding Suzhou is Lin Qirong. The close relationship between him and Su Yi is well known.

Next, if Su Yi can eliminate Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng, he can lead his army northward as quickly as possible and directly capture Suzhou.

You don't even need one soldier per soldier.

If Li Hongzhang sent troops to capture Suzhou, Changzhou, Danyang, Wuxi, and Zhenjiang.

Then these great achievements have nothing to do with Su Yi.

Unfortunately, we can't blame him because Li Hongzhang was the governor of Jiangsu and was fully responsible for regaining the land.

Therefore, Li Hongzhang sent troops to attack Suzhou to help Seng Gelinqin and Shengbao.

The lips are dead and the teeth are cold.

If Sushun, Duanhua and others lose, then the Hunan Army will be in danger.

Since he chose to take sides, Li Hongzhang decided to stand till the end.

next day!

Li Hongzhang led tens of thousands of Hunan troops and 5,000 foreign gun troops to kill in Suzhou in a mighty manner.

..............................

Su Yi received an urgent report from the intelligence office on the way to the battlefield in Hangzhou.

Li Hongzhang sent troops to Suzhou.

After receiving this information, Su Yi's face twitched slightly.

It seems that the Hunan Army is indeed going to the dark side.

At that time, in order to fight against the emperor, Su Yi and the Hunan Army had a brief honeymoon period, but even at that time they were mostly the same bedfellows.

Every time I deal with Zeng Guofan, it is very difficult.

Each time you have to pay more benefits in order to gain the other party's cooperation.

As Su Yi entered the center, this honeymoon period of cooperation came to an abrupt end.

Because Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang and others clearly knew that if Sushun, Duanhua and others represented the center, they would be able to accommodate the Hunan army.

Su Yi represents the center, so there is no room for the Hunan Army.

In their own eyes, they have no choice.

But Su Yi is completely biased towards the Han people. If he takes charge of the center, there will definitely be a steady stream of Han ministers entering the center in the future to take charge of state power.

But Zeng Guofan and the others wanted too much, including military power, governance power, and financial power, they all wanted it all.

"It's going to rain and my mother wants to get married, so let her go." Su Yi said with a smile: "Li Hongzhang thinks Suzhou is easy to fight, and he thinks Lin Qirong and Li Shixian are easy to fight, so let him fight."

"Li Shixian was a little reluctant to let go when fighting with us, because in his mind, I was his teacher. But when fighting with Li Hongzhang, he could completely let go."

This information only allowed Su Yi to stay for a few minutes before continuing to lead his army south.

........................

Taiping Army base camp in Hangzhou.

Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng were smoking.

"In heaven, many people can surrender to Su Yi, but for the two of us, there is absolutely no such possibility." Shi Dakai sighed: "He and I have had a grudge for a long time, and why are you?"

Chen Yucheng said: "I don't know why, but I just wasn't convinced, and then the confrontation has reached this day."

He didn't want to talk more, but it was over now and he had no regrets.

The siege of Hangzhou has been going on for several days.

Very fierce, but never broken.

After the Taiping Army entered Zhejiang, Wang Youling's strategy was very clear. He concentrated all his efforts to defend Hangzhou, so Jiaxing and Huzhou fell with little resistance.

The army under General Hangzhou was also somewhat unreliable due to the massive disarmament.

But Zhejiang League Training and Zhejiang Green Camp were personally captured by Wang Youling, and they have participated in many wars in the past few years. Their combat effectiveness is not very high, but they also have very few weapons and equipment.

Both Wang Youling and Su Yi were willing to spend a lot of money to arm Zhejiang's army.

Therefore, in the siege battles in the past few days, although the Taiping Army was extremely fierce, it was also dangerous many times.

But Su Yi's army was too fierce and pushed the Taiping Army off the city wall again and again.

The Taiping Army was best at tunnel warfare, digging tunnels directly under city walls and then using massive amounts of explosives to blow them down. It even formed a path dependence, waiting for this trick to work every time he attacked the city.

This time the attack on Hangzhou City was no exception, with thousands of engineers and more than a dozen tunnels being dug at the same time.

But this takes time and even more luck.

At least until now, no tunnel has been dug under the city wall of Hangzhou.

After the news of Su Yi's victory in the Jiaxing battlefield came, the morale of the Hangzhou city defenders became even higher.

Ever since, Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng faced a choice.

Should we stay in place and fight, or should the entire army withdraw westward and retreat to Anhui?

But there was almost no entanglement, Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng had already made their decision.

Stay where you are and fight where you are.

The reason is very simple. If hundreds of thousands of troops defend in place, they will have a huge positional advantage.

But if an army of hundreds of thousands retreats, it will no longer be a unit, and it will be easy for Su Yi to defeat them individually.

Moreover, they have been besieging Hangzhou for so long and have built a very mature defense system.

Dense ravines and countless camps.

....................................

Three days later!

Su Yi led an army of more than 20,000 men to the battlefield in Hangzhou.

When we reached the top of the mountain and looked at the entire battlefield through binoculars, we all took a deep breath.

The entire city of Hangzhou has been completely surrounded.

Most of the west part of Hangzhou is the West Lake, so there are not many Chen soldiers. But the east, north, and south directions are all Taiping Army camps.

The topography of Phoenix Mountain in Wansong Ridge in the southeast is very special. Half of the two mountains are inside the city and half are outside the city. There is no formed city wall.

But it is these two mountains where the defenses on both sides are the most intensive.

More than half of the Taiping Army's artillery positions were located on these two mountains, allowing them to bombard the city of Hangzhou from a commanding height.

Wang Shiqing said: "Commander, it's difficult to fight."

Su Yi nodded.

It's really hard to beat.

Although this is an internal and external attack, the Taiping Army's position is too complete.

Countless trenches and ravines, countless horses to resist, and countless camps.

In the environment of hot weapon warfare, it is actually no different from siege.

Su Yi had just experienced a similar battle, a street fight with Li Shixian in Jiaxing City.

Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng's 140,000 troops were almost defensive to the teeth.

Su Yi's extremely powerful cavalry would have difficulty functioning in this kind of terrain.

This kind of battlefield is suitable for stupid battles.

Use artillery and a powerful army to push forward bit by bit.

But Su Yi's troops are far from enough for this style of play.

The army he can directly attack is only about 10,000 people, unless the cavalry is used as infantry, but this is impossible.

As both sides progress, the battle becomes increasingly difficult to fight.

After Su Yi's army of more than 20,000 arrived on the battlefield, they also began to build defensive positions along the mountains and kept a certain distance from Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng's armies.

In comparison, the Shandong battlefield is really much more primitive.

..........................................

On the first day, there was no fighting.

The next day, there was no fighting.

On the third day, there was still no fighting.

Su Yi was not in a hurry to attack Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng's army, and the Taiping Army was not in a hurry to attack Hangzhou City.

In Su Yi's commanding tent, a battlefield sandbox was constructed in the shortest possible time.

The battlefield map and battlefield sandbox are all very accurate.

The Taiping Army's army numbered 140,000 to 50,000, and their positions stretched for dozens of miles.

The general staff desperately searched for flaws in Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng's army.
"Commander, at least from a defensive perspective, there are almost no large-scale flaws."

"First of all, there are fortifications and trenches everywhere here, and the cavalry is not suitable for charging."

"Our infantry is very powerful and will definitely be able to penetrate the defensive line in a certain direction, but even if it does, it is of little significance. It is easy to fall into the enemy's siege."

"There are 44,000 Hangzhou City defenders, but there are only about 18,000 people who can attack us from both inside and outside. Including the infantry we can use to attack, that's about 30,000 people."

"The enemy in the north of the city is the weakest. The Taiping Army only has about 40,000 people. We have 30,000 people attacking from inside and outside. It is possible to penetrate the northern defense line of the rebels. But in this way, the 50,000 rebels in the east will lose the West Lake in the east. The 10,000 people in the direction will definitely support the northern defense line. By then, our 30,000 people will probably be surrounded by 100,000 enemy troops."

"Of course, even if we are surrounded by 100,000 people, we may not be unable to win. But... the cost will be very high, and the battle will drag on for a long time."

Su Yi looked at the sand table and said slowly: "Times have changed, and so have the battlefields."

The staff officer said: "There are three plans that can still kill the enemy by surprise."

Su Yi said: "Air raid, right?"

The staff officer said: "Yes, we once used an airship to kidnap the Empress Dowager Ci'an and the young emperor from Chengde, but we are still unprepared for threats from the air."

"After several years of transformation, the rebellious army has developed from cold weapons to hot weapons, so the war model has changed, making positional warfare more difficult to fight."

"But one thing is that the army with hot weapons needs a lot of ammunition, and the rebel army has no awareness of air defense at all, so it will probably still hit and store important supplies such as gunpowder, shells, bullets, etc."

"So we have three options."

"The first plan is to find the ammunition depot where the weapon was fired and conduct an air strike to detonate it."

"The second plan is to find the rebellious grain depot and ignite it with air strikes."

"The third option is to find the headquarters of Chen Yucheng and Shi Dakai and conduct air strikes to behead them."

"Because air strikes are very random, they must be successful in one strike, otherwise the enemy will defend. Therefore, one of the three plans must be chosen."

Su Yi said: "Give up the second one. The amount of food and grass needed by an army of hundreds of thousands is astronomical. We have a small number of airships and a very low bomb load. Even gasoline bombs can burn at most a fraction of the enemy's food and grass." Amazing.”

Whether it is an air strike detonating the ammunition depot or a beheading air strike on Chen Yucheng and Shi Dakai, it will have miraculous effects.

Su Yi said: "The Intelligence Department took action immediately to find the location of Chen Yucheng and Shi Dakai. Find the location of the ammunition depot of the rebel army."

"Yes!"

................................................

Just a few hours later, officers from the Intelligence Division came to report.

"Commander, we got the specific locations of Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng an hour ago, but basically their locations are not fixed. They will move to another place almost every once in a while."

Li Shixian knew that Su Ye would not assassinate him, so he boldly came to drink with Su Ye every time.

Because Su Yi was eager for Li Shixian, and even valued him more than the Taiping Army under his command.

But Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng knew clearly that Su Yi wanted to get rid of them quickly.

In fact, when Su Yi first arrived on the battlefield, he sent an envoy to visit Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng for final negotiations.

However, it was rejected.

Previously on the battlefield in southern Jiangsu, Su Ye was able to have face-to-face talks with Shi Dakai.

But now, this space has been lost.

"And the ammunition depots of the rebel army are divided into three places."

"The first place is on the island in the middle of the West Lake. It is surrounded by counterattack ships for defense. You can call it peace of mind."

"The second place is at Phoenix Mountain in the southwest of the city."

"The third place is in the east of Hangzhou City, between Wangjiang Gate and Houchao Gate, 2,700 meters east."

The intelligence office took out a map and marked the locations of the three ammunition depots very clearly.

It has to be said that the Taiping Army's anti-espionage work was in a mess. In less than a day, the location of the ammunition depot was detected by the Su Yi Intelligence Department, and it was accurate to the meter.

Of course, Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng were actually very careful.

If we don't consider the latitude from the air, the ammunition depot on the West Lake Island and the Phoenix Mountain ammunition depot are almost completely safe.

Even the ammunition depot in the east of the city was densely defended by the army.

Under normal circumstances, it is almost impossible to be detonated and destroyed.

However, Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng never thought about air defense at all.

There has to be a first time, right?

Su Yi said: "Prepare all airships and prepare all bombs."

"Be ready for air strikes to counter ammunition depots at any time."

"Wait until the wind stops!"

Following Su Yi's order, a dozen cavalrymen rushed out.

A few hours later in the middle of the night.

Su Yi's forces spent all their resources to build five airships and began to approach the Hangzhou battlefield.

The air raid bombs are all ready.

However, it is winter now, and Hangzhou is not far from the sea. The north wind is really strong, which is not suitable for flying or air raids.

Wait for the wind to stop!
On the top of the mountain, Su Yi looked up at the stars and felt the howling north wind.

Ma Xinyi, the chief envoy of Anhui, was at his side, bowing towards Su Yi and saying, "Thank you very much for your kindness and trust."

Su Yi said: "What's wrong?"

Ma Xinyi said: "Not long after Xiaguan arrived under Enxiang's command, such top-secret operations were not concealed from Xiaguan."

Su Yi smiled and said nothing.

Su Ye was so famous that Ma Xinyi had heard rumors about Su Ye countless times before, especially the struggle between the Seven Southern Provinces Alliance and the imperial court. The repeated struggles and strategies made Ma Xinyi feel that Su Ye was an unfathomable political figure. By.

But after meeting and getting along, it feels completely opposite.

Su Yi deals with things strategically and uses all possible means.

But he is extremely calm with people.

Not like a politician at all, not even a statesman.

Every politician Ma Xinyi has ever seen is very political and has some reservations about what he says. They hide a lot and like to be aggressive.

But Su Yi was completely different. He spoke straightforwardly and barely concealed his words.

In many cases, this situation will be very disadvantageous. But... the sense of trust it brings to people is truly unparalleled.

"Eun Xiang, has this kind of air strike tactic been used abroad?" Ma Xinyi asked.

Su Yi said: "No, at least when it comes to airships, we are the most advanced."

Ma Xinyi said: "The war has entered a new chapter."

"Following Enxiang, I can really broaden my horizons and clearly feel the progress of the army and the progress of the war."

Su Yi said: "Brother Gushan's enterprising spirit is really pleasing to the eye."

Ma Xinyi didn't come to Su Yi because he was worried and confused about the future. But after arriving, I was immediately filled with great confidence.

His mentor Yuan Jiasan has come to an end, and he cannot give Ma Xinyi more space.

But Su Ye could, so on Su Ye's side, Ma Xinyi saw that his future was bright.

As long as we are proactive and keep up, my future prospects, Ma Xinyi, may not be inferior to those of Shen Baozhen and Zuo Zongtang.

......................................................

next day!

The wind gradually died down.

Su Yi still didn't launch an attack.

Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng still did not attack Hangzhou City.

Su Yi's army continued to build defensive fortifications.

On the Taiping Army's side, they are desperately trying to deepen and heighten the defense of their positions. They are truly intertwined and airtight.

Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng inspected the defense positions every day and felt more and more at ease.

They are veterans on the battlefield and can see many things clearly. They know that under the defense of such a position, no matter how strong the army is, it will be difficult to break through.

Feeling more and more safe.

It's just that they really didn't think about the threat from the air at all.

On the other side, their engineering troops continued to dig tunnels frantically.

More than twenty tunnels are being excavated at the same time. Even if one tunnel can be dug under the city wall?

But the news was all bad.

Collapse, collapse, collapse.

The city of Hangzhou is right next to the Qiantang River and West Lake. The underground water here is simply terrible, and the tunneling strategy is a nightmare.

Therefore, Shi Dakai ordered to dig tunnels while draining water.

Support while digging.

Although this method is a bit clumsy, it can guarantee digging under the city wall, but the progress is very slow.

Now, they are racing against time.

As long as the tunnels are dug, the city walls are blown open, and Hangzhou City is breached, Su Yi's more than 20,000 troops outside will have nothing to fear.

"King Yi, Su Yi's envoy is here to pay his respects."

Shi Dakai was about to refuse immediately, but after a moment of hesitation, he still said: "Let him come over and invite the King of England."

............................................................

Inside the camp, Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng met Su Yi's envoy.

"Su Yi asked you to come, why?" Shi Dakai asked.

The envoy Su Yi said: "My commander-in-chief is interested in the talents of these two people and can't bear it, so he sent a villain to make the final lobbying."

Shi Dakai said: "Do you advise us to surrender?"

Messenger Su Yi said: "Yes."

Shi Dakai said: "Can Su Yi grant me the title of king? Can you grant me half of Zhejiang?"

Chen Yucheng said: "Can Su Yi grant me the title of king? Can you grant me the other half of Zhejiang?"

Messenger Su Yi said: "I'm afraid it's impossible."

Chen Yucheng said: "Then will I be able to become a prince in the future? Can I lead an army of 100,000 or 200,000 people?"

Messenger Su Yi said: "That's okay."

In fact, Su Yi can give Chen Yucheng what he wants.

What Shi Dakai wanted, Su Yi couldn't give.

Chen Yucheng sneered and said: "It's a pity that I don't want to be the servant of the master of the Qian family."

Envoy Su Yi said: "Why is this? My master likes many talents in the Kingdom of Heaven, and you, Chen Yucheng, are the number one."

Chen Yucheng said: "How can there be so many reasons? Your master and I don't get along, and I don't like him."

Messenger Su Yi said: "This is really the last chance."

Shi Dakai sneered and said: "Can your commander defeat my army of hundreds of thousands? On the contrary, Seng Gelinqin and Shengbao are about to break through Jinan Mansion."

Chen Yucheng said: "Your master, Su Yi, is about to lose his position as the center. He cannot protect himself. You still want to recruit us?"

Envoy Su Yi sighed and said: "The last chance has been abandoned by the two of you like worn out shoes, so I'll take my leave."

Then, he left directly.

It can be regarded as Su Yi's last effort.

After the envoy left, Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng immediately left the camp, fearing that they would be assassinated by Su Yi and moved to another place.

Shi Dakai stood at a high place and said, "Su Yi seems to be at his wits' end. We have been here for several days, but there has been no fight."

Chen Yucheng said: "In this world, who can be much smarter than others? How much more brilliant? There are only so many battles? In the current battle situation, anyone with a discerning eye will know at a glance that there is no way to fight."

"Su Yi's desire to win quickly is a complete daydream."

"He has no time and we have plenty of time."

Shi Da laughed and said: "I never thought that one day we would become distant allies with the Eight Banners Qingyao, even though we are incommunicado."

Chen Yucheng said: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend!"

At this time, the north wind stopped.

In the sky, a sound suddenly came from a distance.

Many people raised their heads, pointed to the sky and said, "Look, look, what is this in the sky?"

Several black spots converged towards Hangzhou City from all directions and flew from the sky.

Five airships.

Neither too fast nor too slow, very stable.

And while flying, it also continued to lower its altitude.

Everyone saw it more and more clearly and were filled with astonishment.

This, what is this?
Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng watched the five airships getting closer and closer.

Two of them flew towards the island in the middle of the West Lake.

The other two ships flew towards Phoenix Mountain in the south of the city.

The last one flew towards the east of the city.

For a moment, Shi Dakai's hair stood on end and he said in horror: "Ammunition depot, ammunition depot, Su Yi's target is our ammunition depot."

"Quick, quick, quick, send people to defend."

"Go transfer!"

Haha, it’s a waste of time to transfer this astronomical amount of ammunition. If I give you two quarters of an hour, how much can you transfer?

The five airships came to the top of the three ammunition depots and slowly lowered their altitude.

"Fire, fire, fire..."

The Taipings kept firing at several airships, although they had no idea what they were.

Although they are full of fear, horror and fear.

However, how could it be possible to hit it from a height of several hundred meters?

aim!

bomb!

"Swish, swish, swish..."

Densely packed bombs were dropped from the airship pod.

"Boom boom boom boom..."

Next, there was an earth-shattering explosion.

unprecedented.

The end of Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng has come.

..............................

Note: I finally finished writing, and it’s just a few minutes before midnight. My benefactors, can you please continue to give me your monthly tickets? thank you
(End of this chapter)