The world of film and television begins with the God of Medicine.

Chapter 1661 Recognize the reality
Upon hearing Lord Chen's words, both Di and Jiang fell silent.

They couldn't afford to be careless, which meant the next offensive would be even fiercer. Their previous swift defeat had made them realize the gap between the two sides, and that if the fighting continued, their bargaining power would only diminish.

In fact, after this battle, their army of 100,000 had been reduced to 100,000. Although there are no statistics, this was inevitable.

In the initial attack, under the cover of artillery fire, several thousand people were killed or wounded.

This huge disparity in combat strength dealt a severe blow to morale and fighting spirit. In the ensuing chaotic retreat, some soldiers accidentally fell behind, some deliberately strayed and ran away, and some ambitious individuals tricked their subordinates into deserting en masse to become bandits.

These non-combat casualties were even greater than the casualties in actual combat. More than half a month later, under Wang Yan's rapid advance, their combined forces had dwindled to less than 80,000, and were severely weakened.

After so many years of fighting, the people have become quite shrewd; they can't be easily swayed. Especially with Wang Yan's propaganda for so many years, the people have all fled west, leaving the former battlegrounds deserted.

In other words, the rear areas of Hunan and Hubei, which hadn't been heavily involved in the war, still held some hope and were relatively stable. But the soldiers recruited by Lord Jiang and others also came from there…

Recruiting more soldiers would be much more difficult; after all these years of fighting, it's been a struggle...

"Lord Chen, is there no room for negotiation?" Lord Di asked tentatively.

"What else do you two gentlemen want to discuss? If we drag this out, how will we calculate the food consumption? You're occupying this territory, and we don't know when the tide will turn. The foreigners in the south are also making moves; it seems they're going to send troops to help. If we let you catch your breath now, we might end up raising a tiger that will eventually turn on us. We're all sensible people. If it were you two gentlemen, would you give me a chance to breathe at this time?"

Seeing that the two remained silent and offered no definite answer, Lord Chen put down his teacup. "I know what you two are thinking. As for what will happen in the future, no one knows. May you both have good luck. Farewell."

"Lord Chen!" Lord Jiang stood up and stopped him.

Lord Chen stopped and turned around to look back: "Does Lord Jiang have anything else to say?"

Lord Jiang and Lord Di exchanged glances, their eyes conveying a profound understanding, as if they had just made a major decision.

He said, “Lord Chen, the foreigners have already begun their operation. They are coming to reinforce us. They have about 20,000 troops, all equipped with new firearms. Although their cannons are not as good as yours, they can still shoot much farther than the ones we have now.”

Lord Chen understood; this was someone who wanted to be a fence-sitter, playing both sides.

“Lord Jiang, since you’ve brought it up, please go into more detail.”

"Foreigners aren't fools. Do you think they can completely trust us?" Lord Di said from the side. "Besides, it's not just here; there are also foreign reinforcements in the capital. If you keep chasing after us, you might run into foreign troops at any time. Don't worry, Lord Chen, we'll definitely let you know in advance when that happens."

"Yes, let's give those foreigners a good beating. To be honest, I've long been fed up with those foreigners swaggering around." Lord Jiang, with his fierce face, spoke righteously.

Lord Chen nodded with a smile: "I hope that both of you will keep your word and not give false information. If this causes a major misunderstanding, it will be difficult to handle."

"Lord Chen, rest assured. After this battle, we both know that we are no match for Wang Yan. The foreigners are separated by oceans. No matter how powerful they are, what can they do? We can't compete with them in terms of production, but our guns and cannons are already quite good. Their tens of thousands of men have no chance of winning. Only the court doesn't understand and is still unwilling to give up."

"Then you two gentlemen should hurry and retreat. The second wave of the offensive will be launched in a few days. Since you will neither surrender nor cease hostilities, you two gentlemen should be careful. Spying on the foreigners may save your lives, but it cannot save your power. That's all I have to say. Take care of yourselves. Farewell."

Lord Chen cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, then turned and left without hesitation...

Only Di and Jiang were in the hall. They both sighed and sat back down to continue drinking tea.

"Life is truly full of many paths, and who would have thought that the man surnamed Chen would be so decisive and so lucky, that the troops that Wang Yan built would be so capable in battle."

Lord Di sighed, then asked, "Do you think Wang Yan can gain the world?"

Lord Jiang said, "It depends on how well they fight the foreigners. If they can win, then Wang Yan will be his; if they can't, then all is lost. Lord Di, do you think it's better for Wang Yan to win or not?"

"Why ask such a question when you already know the answer, Lord Jiang? Regardless of whether Wang Yan wins or not, our good days are over. Everything is predestined, and we have no control over anything..."

Of course, it's better if they don't win, so they can retain their status and their wealth and status. If Wang Yan wins, they might keep their lives, but they won't live a good life.

They weren't fools. Having spent their lives scheming and manipulating people, they certainly didn't believe that if Lord Chen surrendered and became prime minister, they could achieve the same high position and power by surrendering as well.

What Pang Qingyun couldn't understand, they could see clearly...

Wang Yan received Lord Chen's report and nodded: "If the information is accurate, then spare their lives. Lord Chen has traveled such a long way; you've had a hard time."

"Serving you, my lord, and helping you rebuild China is such a momentous task. How could I dare to complain about the hardship? I only fear that I haven't worked hard enough and that I can't do more for you."

“It’s good to do more things, but Mr. Chen is over fifty years old and should take care of his health. Only by living a long life can one do more things. You and I get along well, and you are reliable. It’s better for you to live a long life.”

"With your kind words, Your Excellency, I am blessed by the gods and will surely live a long life."

Wang Yan laughed heartily, and Lord Chen laughed along with him; it was truly a harmonious scene between the ruler and his minister.

It wasn't that Wang Yan was being insincere. Since surrendering and coming to work in Huoshan, Old Chen had been working diligently, getting up earlier than the chickens and going to bed later than the dogs. Wang Yan had no shortage of administrative affairs under his command. After all, it was a third of China, with a population of over 100 million, so there were just too many problems.

Especially with Wang Yan still implementing his new policies, all sorts of problems kept arising. Although Old Chen was a feudal bureaucrat, he was intelligent and experienced. What new policies? They were nothing more than a redistribution of interests. Being an official was always about doing just that, and someone as high-ranking as Old Chen, a regional governor, was certainly adept at it.

Coupled with Wang Yan's strength and military power, a massive reform movement has already taken hold in the territories occupied by Wang Yan.

In short, Lao Chen did a very good job and helped Wang Yan with a lot of the work...

The war continued, and with ample firepower, the Qing army was forced into a series of defeats. Wang Yan had little else to offer but a large number of guns. However, on the battlefield in China today, so many strategies were unnecessary. As long as the situation was managed normally, whoever had more guns and cannons and stronger firepower would have the upper hand.

This is the strange sight of an era of changing warfare methods, where cold weapons and firearms are intertwined, and as the wheels of time roll over, people become nothing more than withered bones beneath them.

In the past, the wars between the Qing Dynasty and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom were essentially a battle of weaklings. Although they had a considerable number of guns and cannons, and even received foreign aid, their troops still relied on the old firearms, which were slow to fire and had a short range, far less advanced than the frontline combat troops under Wang Yan, who each had a rifle.

However, Wang Yan did not rush forward recklessly, but instead proceeded step by step, steadily advancing the battle line, sweeping across like a bulldozer.

The key is to simultaneously conquer new territories, govern them, stabilize order, and restore production and daily life. This approach offers the greatest advantages compared to directly conquering the entire country.

Because war causes such devastation to local areas, if he were to rapidly advance in all directions, the subsequent resources wouldn't be able to keep up. The current stability, with order maintained elsewhere and production being systematically restored in various regions, allows for the conquest of one area and, within a year, the development of one and a half new areas to be supported.

On the other hand, Wang Yan's forces were also scattered. He had to fight the Manchus, but he couldn't stop fighting elsewhere. For example, Yunnan and Guizhou, Shaanxi and Gansu, as well as the border regions and plateaus, all needed to be taken care of, and these were all places where he could utilize his forces and where there were corresponding resources. That's why his campaign was so slow.

It's still Wang Yan's consistent approach of waging war through logistics.

The more important reason, however, is that of the foreign devils! They can't afford to leave the country riddled with holes after the war, unable to withstand even the slightest storm. They need to ensure the country is at least as solid as possible, without any major flaws, to guarantee basic internal stability.

The Manchu Qing dynasty and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom were minor matters; the more important thing was to expand into the world.

It doesn't make sense that only foreign devils can attack, and he can't attack them...

Two months after the start of the war, they finally clashed with the foreigners.

After the start of the war, due to the success of the first battle, the troops led by Shi Dakai, Zhao Erhu, and Pang Qingyun joined forces. Then, the command was handed over to Shi Dakai, who was responsible for implementing the established policies and strategies of the king and slowly advancing the battle line. Zhao Erhu served as the deputy commander to supervise, and Pang Qingyun became the general in charge of the battle, obeying orders.

Following the established strategy, after capturing Wuchang, Jiujiang, and Yueyang, they continued southward to attack Changsha and Nanchang. However, just as they captured Changsha and continued southward to the Hengyang area, Pang Qingyun, who was leading the vanguard, encountered a foreign army.

As dawn broke, Pang Qingyun, holding a monocular telescope, gazed at the foreign camp not far away.

"Those surnamed Di and Jiang are the ones who actually got things done; they didn't give us false information." His words revealed excitement and enthusiasm.

For so many years, foreigners have been riding roughshod over them. Whether they have a conscience or not, the feeling of being bullied is never pleasant. Today, it's finally his turn to kill a foreigner; just thinking about it is thrilling.

"General, they're all just trying to save their own lives; they wouldn't dare to mess with us." His subordinate chimed in with a laugh. "Shall we attack now?"

"Go ahead and attack, don't let them get away."

"Yes." The lieutenant responded and left.

Soon, soldiers quietly approached and set up a network of fire. Not long after they finished setting up, the distant roar of cannons could be heard, and cannonballs shot down from the sky, blasting the foreigners' camp to smithereens.

The foreigners, still asleep, peacefully passed away, perhaps crossing oceans to return to their Lord's embrace, for there is no place for them in this heavenly kingdom.

Those who survived frantically grabbed their weapons and ran out, seeking cover to fight back. However, the soldiers who had been lying in ambush outside were not about to let them go; amidst laughter and chatter, they were quickly riddled with bullets.

This is the crucial role of information. Knowing the location and the number of people, they could sneak in and wipe them out in one fell swoop without lifting a finger. And this was just one location personally led by Pang Qingyun; there were several other places where attacks were launched.

Di and Jiang, when it comes to selling out foreigners, they're utterly shameless, without a shred of conscience. "I'd rather die than see a fellow Daoist die, let alone a foreigner." It truly brings them no harm whatsoever; in fact, it only benefits them.

Furthermore, if Wang Yan didn't say anything, no one would know that they were the ones who betrayed them. After all, Wang Yan's army often operated with a stealthy, unpredictable style, a skill honed during their escort missions. They applied it all in battle, making every place feel like their home turf…

This battle was just the beginning; having gained the upper hand, the natural course of action was to quickly expand the gains. Wang Yan's strategy was to finish the battle and then slowly consolidate the gains, accumulating strength for the next offensive, rather than letting the enemy escape before the battle was even fully fought.

Thus, Lord Di and Lord Jiang gave their full support, betraying their allies on one side while pretending to be wholeheartedly devoted to the Qing Dynasty on the other, hypocritically providing various forms of support to the foreigners.

They both understood that Wang Yan had blocked their way back in the north, and the Heavenly Kingdom wouldn't allow them passage. They couldn't defeat him in a fight, and if they went back by sea, they would likely have no future. However, they couldn't surrender because of their families. It could be said that after realizing they were no match for Wang Yan, they had already lost all hope.

The foreigners were nothing special. Once the weapons were evenly matched, there was no way to mow them down with unparalleled speed. They couldn't beat Wang Yan's side in a head-on fight, and with Di and Jiang on the side, the foreigners naturally suffered a crushing defeat.

With more than half of their 20,000 troops lost, leaving them with less than 8,000 men, they immediately retreated back to Guangzhou, refusing to fight any further.

It was at this time that people fully saw the weakness of the foreigners and the power of Wang Yan.

The Qing court was somewhat bewildered, unsure of what to do next.

It was the dead of winter, and heavy snow fell in the capital, killing countless people.

Yesterday, the court officials submitted a memorial praising the auspicious snowfall as a sign of a bountiful harvest, showering Emperor Xianfeng with compliments and creating the illusion of a prosperous era. Today, however, the news has so enraged Emperor Xianfeng that he has fallen ill and is bedridden.

The fire in the Hall of Mental Cultivation was burning brightly, but Emperor Xianfeng lay on the couch covered with a quilt, his forehead covered with a square scarf, his face pale, his lips chapped, and he looked drowsy.

The Grand Councilors were given seats and watched in silence as Empress Dowager Cixi personally fed Emperor Xianfeng his medicine…

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　　(End of this chapter)