late Qing Dynasty arrest

Li Guolou received a telegram from Fu Xianchu, knowing that more than 400 Beidong troops had revolted on the battlefield, and the [-] Japanese troops in Paijiaya had been surrounded by groups.

This is a good report, boasting of Liu Mingdeng's commanding ability, Li Guolou is very relieved about the fighting power of the Jianwu Army, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, but he couldn't smile at all, feeling extremely sad.

Li Guolou led several armies to fight in Hualien Town on the Pingtung Plain, and fought against the main force of the Japanese army led by Lieutenant General Xixiang Congdao, and won a victorious victory.

Li Guolou succeeded in rescuing the Changsheng Army which was besieged by the Japanese army, but his own casualties were huge. The 2000 main Xinwu army led by him personally suffered more than half of the casualties, and the [-] Mingwu army led by Liu Mingchuan suffered more than [-] casualties. Described as hurting muscles and bones.

The barbarians of ethnic minorities also made outstanding contributions and killed more than 3000 people.

After Liu Mingchuan and Li Guolou met, the two wept silently, without the joy of victory.

Nie Shicheng led a thousand partial divisions, and finally rushed to the battlefield. The powerful artillery battalion played the most important role, making the Japanese commander-in-chief Xixiang Congdao shaken, and he dared not continue to fight.

Afterwards, the Japanese army withdrew from their positions under the cover of darkness, and the battle in Hualien Town ended. Li Guolou had no spare energy to pursue the Japanese army, allowing the remaining thousands of Japanese troops to withdraw safely to Guishan. The Qing army won the victory with a miserable victory.

The Changsheng Army that defended Hualien Town suffered even more casualties. Out of 4000 troops, there were only 800 left in the end. Commander Browning was seriously injured. Only 28 foreigners survived. There are only more than 50 people left.

The Battle of Hualien Town was a battlefield designed by the Japanese army. Lieutenant General Xixiang Congdao set up a trap to trap more than 4000 victorious troops. The Japanese army dispatched the main force and invested more than 5000 people to besiege the victorious army.

Xixiang Congdao thought that he would be able to settle the world in one battle and wipe out the Ever-Victorious Army, but he did not expect that the war of gathering and annihilating would turn into a war of attrition. The same rushed over, desperate to rescue the Changsheng Army, and the two armies fought in the plain area.

The war lasted for three days and four nights. Every ditch, every creek, and every hill was a battleground for both the enemy and us. The enemy and us used human lives to fill the ground, and the corpses piled up like a mountain. Not giving in, the Japanese army was very tough and fought continuously for three days and four nights.

But the Qing army was even more superior, and they were still increasing their troops. When a group of Qing troops entered the battlefield, Li Guolou actually wanted to use Hualien Town as the battlefield for the decisive battle. He did not allow the Changsheng army to break through. Hualien Town held back the Japanese army and had a showdown with the Japanese army.

Browning saw the importance of the Battle of Hualien Town, and recognized Li Guolou's military deployment. Fighting on the plains was easier than fighting in the mountains. Even if the Qing army suffered huge casualties, it was better than attacking the Japanese military center, Guishan. A hundred times, Browning personally supervised the battle, was hit by Japanese artillery, injured and unconscious.

But at this time, the Changsheng Army was already fighting bloody battles. Bolt, who took over the command, carried out Li Guolou's tactical deployment, and still held his ground, withstood the main force of the Japanese attack. The main fortifications of Hualien Town were still in the hands of the Changsheng Army. The trenches were filled with the corpses of Japanese soldiers.

Xixiang Congdao finally couldn't hold it anymore, and admitted that Li Guolou's command level was superior. He no longer dared to read the death reports of the various teams. If the fight continues, the Japanese army will be in danger of being wiped out.

At this time, Xixiang Congdao finally figured out that Taiwan is not the territory of the Japanese. The terrible thing is that the Japanese army is about to run out of ammunition.

The fighting power of the Qing army was strong, and there was no hope of exhaustion. This was a war doomed to failure.

On the evening of the fourth day, the Japanese army withdrew from their positions under the cover of darkness and fled towards Guishan. The Japanese army did not find a bargain in Hualien Town.

The Japanese army deceived themselves and said that they were making a strategic retreat to Guishan, and that the Hualien Town Campaign had achieved the military goal of destroying the main force of the Qing army, and wiped out more than 1 Qing troops.

But Xixiang knew from his heart that the Japanese army lost this battle, and this battle destroyed the confidence of the Japanese army. The Qing army could afford a battle that hurt both sides, and Li Guolou had enough financial resources to support the Taiwan campaign.

The most unbearable thing Xixiang Congdao could not bear in the battle of Hualien Town was that the Qing army continued to enter the battle, Li Guolou was not afraid of a battle of death, and the death squads of the Japanese Bushido spirit could not turn the world around, and he had no face to the emperor. According to the account, the Japanese army left more than 1 corpses in Hualien Town.

Guishan has natural dangers to rely on, Xixiang Congdao is not afraid of the Qing army attacking Guishan, but Langqiao Port will be under the attack of the Qing army, and there is a huge Japanese navy at sea, so he does not need to worry about fighting at sea. They were able to attack Langqiao from the sea, but the road was flat, and 38 fortresses had been built around Langqiao, and the troops were still too small. Next, they had to ask the Japanese military for more troops, otherwise they would not be able to defend Langqiao.

Xixiang Congdao regretted it too much. The result of the battle of Hualien Town made him worry that Langqiao would fall into the hands of the Qing army. If Langqiao fell, the Japanese army stuck in Guishan could only fight guerrillas in the mountains. What is the strength of the troops in their hands? When setting up, Xixiang had a headache from the road. He accidentally fell off his horse and fell on his back.

After the war, the Qing army counted the deaths in battle. More than 300 people were killed and more than 500 Qing soldiers were injured. Although the casualties were heavy, the morale of the army was greatly boosted. Since the trapped Changsheng army was rescued, the Qing army was the winner. , All soldiers and horses know that they are the winners of this battle.

Li Guolou has won the hearts of the soldiers and has been praised by soldiers as the "God of War".

The leaders of the Fanbing of the ethnic minorities are already clamoring to kill the hinterland of Guishan, and they no longer take the Japanese army seriously.

The casualties of the Japanese army can only be estimated. The position where the Japanese army’s corpses were buried was dug up by the Qing army, and various mutilated Japanese army corpses could be seen.

In order to calculate the casualties of the Japanese army and to show off their martial arts, the soldiers of the Qing army cut off the left ear of the Japanese army's corpse and connected them with straw ropes to form a ring with thirty ears. Casualties, some broken limbs without ears can only be counted.

Under normal circumstances, the Qing army would not chop off the heads of the Japanese soldiers, except in the icy and snowy winter, because the heads piled up together would stink, and bedbugs would flock to them, causing terrible plagues, but the ears would not cause so many sequelae. It is light and easy to count. This is the best way to measure military exploits on the battlefield, and the army has been using it for thousands of years.

It can be seen that there are strings of ears hanging around the necks of war horses, and many soldiers also hang such "garlands" on their spears to show off their martial arts.

Gold and silver happily brought two strings of "garlands", regardless of whether Li Guolou liked it or not, they hung a string of garlands around the neck of Li Guolou's war horse.

A group of Beidong Army soldiers escorted more than 200 Japanese prisoners of war, about [-] of them, towards the station. A thin Beidong Army soldier said: "I saw the Japanese army cut off the noses of the Qing army prisoners of war in Guishan, and the fortifications were built. After finishing, kill the Qing army prisoners of war, so cruel, "

This is a group of Beidong Army who revolted on the battlefield in Hualien Town. They surrendered to the Qing Dynasty only two days ago. Now the Beidong Army will collapse when they encounter the Qing Army, and they will surrender as soon as they shout.

The officer of the Beidong Army was furious and shouted: "He is not benevolent and I am not righteous. He cut off the nose of the Japanese prisoner of war for me,"

The Beidong people are a cruel people. They obey orders, and they do it immediately when the chief speaks. Fan soldiers actually cut the noses of Japanese prisoners of war with knives at the foot of the hillside. They cut off the noses of more than 200 Japanese prisoners of war. Called, the officers of the Xinwu Army saw this scene and deliberately turned a blind eye. The officers of the Xinwu Army all made a detour, and no one wanted to stop this atrocity.

Lieutenant Colonel Li Yunzhu happened to be walking down the hillside, and saw more than 200 Japanese prisoners of war screaming, kneeling on the ground and wailing, Li Yunzhu was dumbfounded and out of breath. This kind of thing violates human ethics and morality, but the responsibility lies on the head of the Xinwu Army. Li Yunzhen is clear-headed, and someone must take responsibility. He quickly finds a scapegoat. Captain Liu Guogai even took off his shoulder badges. Li Yunzhen He personally whipped Liu Guogai fifty times, and reiterated the discipline of the battlefield, and no personal persecution is allowed.

After Li Guolou knew about it, he ordered the soldiers from all walks of life to restrain military discipline. However, 250 Japanese prisoners of war had lost their noses.

With a swipe of his pen, Zheng Hengdan counted these 250 Japanese prisoners of war on the death list. Liu Guogai was released at night. , Changed to another unit as a captain, a scandal was exposed, and no one mentioned the whereabouts of the 250 Japanese prisoners of war.

Hualien Town has been razed to ruins by artillery fire. As far as the eye can see, there are soldiers carrying stretchers and carrying dead bodies. There is a pungent smell in the air, faint cries of soldiers, and the sound of gunfire in honor of dead comrades. .

Liu Mingchuan took the telegram from Li Guolou, lowered his head, looked at the telegram, and uttered a hoarse voice: "This battle is worthwhile, and this casualty is inevitable. Commander Li, don't mind, let's fight the Japanese army to death." , we will fight sooner or later, put it in Hualien Town, at least we have the geographical advantage and half of the Japanese army, the casualties of the Japanese army are no less than our army, our army still won, "

With the morning wind blowing and kites flying across the sky, Li Guolou put his hands on his hips, looked down at the clouds in the blue sky, and said with the attitude of seeing all the small mountains, "Yes, we won, and we are still standing on this blood-soaked land. This is a moment to be proud of. The Japanese army will no longer be able to organize large-scale battles. We must take advantage of this opportunity to conquer Langqiao before November and completely cut off the Japanese army’s transportation line in Guishan.”

As the highest military commander of the Qing army, Li Guolou's heart is as hard as a stone. This battle must be fought. No matter how heavy the casualties are, the arrogance of the Japanese army must be suppressed. Fighting on the plains is a big corps head-to-head. win at the cost.

Liu Mingchuan glanced at Li Guolou, with a trace of worry in his eyes. The field battle was already so tragic. The Qing army killed and injured more than [-] people. They attacked the Japanese army's important town, Langqiao. That was the bridgehead for the Japanese army to enter Taiwan. As a military fortress, the battle of Langqiao will be even more tragic. There are vivid faces in Liu Mingchuan's eyes. How many comrades in arms are buried here, and how many comrades in arms will die.

Liu Mingchuan was a bit shaken, and hesitated: "Commander Li, our army has suffered so many casualties, and we need to rest. I think it is better to fight Langqiao next spring, so that the casualties can be smaller and the confidence will be greater."

Li Guolou waved his hand and said: "Liu Zhentai, we are in difficulties at this time, and the enemy is even more difficult. How can we give the enemy a chance to breathe? No matter how many difficulties there are, we have to overcome them. There is no time to rest now. You and the Mingwu Army are here Take a rest for a day and head to Langqiao the day after tomorrow. You don’t need to worry about ammunition supplies. Shen Baozhen has already arrived in Taiwan, and another 2000 Fujian troops have arrived. They are old troops trained by Marshal Zuo himself. The commander is Lieutenant General Xu Wenxiu. We are old acquaintances with him, and the troops will be able to run in soon, and I will add [-] troops to you first,"

Liu Mingchuan saw that Li Guolou was so determined, his chest was full of fighting spirit, he saluted respectfully, and shouted: "Yes, I will make preparations right away, take care of yourself,"

Li Guolou and Liu Mingchuan originally had irreconcilable conflicts. In the Xinwu Army, they dismantled each other and formed cliques to fight to the death. Li Hongzhang acted as a mediator in the middle. For two, no one accepts anyone.

But the Taiwan War made the two become comrades-in-arms. Through the baptism of artillery fire, the friendship between life and death emerged spontaneously. This time, the Mingwu Army rescued the Changsheng Army regardless of casualties, and obeyed the command of Li Guolou. The Qing army ended in victory.

If Liu Mingchuan had the idea of ​​preserving his strength, and if he violated the yin and yang, Li Guolou's tactical plan for a decisive battle with the Japanese army would become empty talk, and the battle of Hualien Town would end with the defeat of the Qing army. Therefore, Li Guolou put aside his past suspicions and regarded Liu Mingchuan as his confidant.

Li Guolou couldn't help stretching out his arms, and the two hugged each other.

"Take care of yourself,"

"You also take care, there will be a period later,"

Li Guolou and Liu Mingchuan swung their horsewhips as they walked, accepting the respect of the soldiers with a complacent attitude, the commander wanted to set an example for his subordinates.

The battle of Hualien Town was a great victory, and the yellow dragon banner was marching in the wind on the Pingtung Plain. Looking around, the huge Qing army team was boundless, and the black army marched eastward.