Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 389 The typhoon is coming, and Marshal Lin’s general attack order is passed down!

After Yangzhou salt merchant Jiang Chun absconded, his luxurious house in Yangzhou was confiscated.

Now it is where Fu Chang'an settles.

Meetings are held in the front yard, and life is lived in the back yard.

Every day, civil and military officials at all levels in Jiangbei rush in and out, creating an unprecedented scene.

however,
The people of Yangzhou who knew a little about history were busy leaving the city to avoid the disaster.

The history is tragic enough and the lessons are profound enough. Even though more than a hundred years have passed, the memories still make people feel terrified and nervous.

Fu Changan was cautious enough.
After arriving in Jiangsu, he was busy gathering troops everywhere and transferred 8% of the Green Camp troops in northern Jiangsu and Anhui to Yangzhou.

Now he has the troops under his command,

Including 55000 people from the Jiangbei camp, 48000 new troops from Huaixi, 5000 people from the Cavalry Battalion, 400 Solon, 1000 Eight Banners Guards, 12000 new reinforcements from the Green Camp in Jiangsu and Anhui, 8000 archers, 3000 water warriors, and 10000 new recruits.

There are countless auxiliary soldiers and civilian laborers.

Among them, the firearms equipment rate of infantry has reached nearly 7%.

Among these 7% of firearms, a small half were "imitation Zanbarak" matchlock rifles supervised by the Yangxin Palace Manufacturing Office.

……

"Futai, when do we start the war?"

"Wait a little longer. Wait a little longer."

Hailancha was about to say something when there was a commotion outside.

"Governor, the Sauron cavalry has arrived! The Jilin cavalry has also arrived!"

Fu Chang'an dropped the military newspaper in his hand and hurried out of the mansion without even taking his hat.

The strategic force he had been longing for finally arrived.

original,

These two cavalry units were supposed to march to Hubei, but they rushed back from Nanyang Prefecture after receiving the transfer order from the Ministry of War.

Outside the house,

Dozens of officers dismounted from their horses and knelt on one knee:
"Meet Marshal Fu."

"Okay, okay. The weather is hot and you've had a hard time traveling. Let's go and settle down first."

"Whoo."

A group of dusty officers mounted their horses and left.

A smell of sweat was left in the wind.

Although Fu Chang'an was a nobleman, he did not act pretentiously and did not show any disgust.

Hailancha was calmer. What was this? Was it stronger than the smell of cow and five poisons?
……

Fu Chang'an looked at the dust raised by the horse's hooves, and then looked up at the sky.

laughed:

"Generals, our decisive battle with the Wu bandits can now begin."

The people present included Zu Youen, deputy commander of the Cavalry Battalion, Ma Qingshu, general of Ningxia Town, Hamamu, general of Liangzhou Town, Du Wuyin, general of Xining Town, Wang Shiren, general of Xuzhou Town, and Li Jiulin, deputy general of Ganzhou.
There are also new civil servants in the Yangzhou government office.

Everyone was perked up and stood up to listen.

"Prepare weapons, distribute gunpowder, prepare dry food, feed the horses, and sort out the wounded and sick. Boost morale in each unit, and give each soldier 2 taels of silver and 1 jin of meat."

"Whoo."

Everyone left.

For a time, the city of Yangzhou was filled with the rumbling of horses' hooves from morning to night.

Naturally, this scene could not be hidden from the eyes of the intelligence agency's spies.

The news of the Qing army's reinforcements once again reached Lin Huaisheng's ears.

evening,

An uninvited guest came to his tent - Rao Kehua, the officer of Jiaoxiachang. He reported in detail the fall of Jiaoxiachang and his personal judgment.

"Are you saying that there are some green camp soldiers in northern Anhui who are so fearless that they actually charge forward under the impact of shotgun shells?"

"Reporting to the commander-in-chief, I dare not speak rashly. These people are very fierce."

"How is the battle formation coordinated?"

"They are very unfamiliar with the army. They rushed forward with all their courage. I guess they have not been in the army for long."

"Okay, let's go down."

Lin Huaisheng was silent.
Looking at the latest intelligence from the Intelligence Agency:
"There are 3000 to 6000 new Tartar reinforcements outside Yangzhou City. They are elite cavalry, with one man riding two horses. They should not be underestimated."

He had a heavy burden on his shoulders, as this battle concerned the fate of the Wu State.

Win, sweep across the South.

I lose, I dare not think about it.

"Has the 2nd Anqing Army arrived?"

"It should be today or tomorrow." The staff officer replied immediately.

……

"Your Majesty is still worried."

Lin Huaisheng muttered to himself in a low voice.

not long ago,

A large transport fleet arrived at Jiujiang Prefecture first, and seven battalions of the 4th Corps were ordered to board the ships.

after that,

The fleet sailed along the Yangtze River and anchored at Anqing Prefecture, where two corps were ordered to change guard.

The 2 soldiers of the 4000nd Corps that captured Anqing continued down the river by boat and eventually arrived at Jiangdu, Yangzhou.

Zheng Hean stood at the bow of the boat.
Full of heroic spirit, but also filled with regret.

We are proud that the 2nd Legion is used as the vanguard in every battle. This is the honor of the soldiers and the trust of His Majesty.

Unfortunately, he is further away from his hometown.

He thought to himself,
After this battle, I will write a letter to Your Majesty in my personal name - to attack northern Anhui.

He firmly believes,
As long as His Majesty issues such a military order, the fanatical 2nd Army will rush to northern Anhui, crush all enemies, and return to their long-lost hometown.

however,
He never dreamed that tens of thousands of his fellow villagers would share the same ideas as him.

Tens of thousands of new Huaixi troops were also gearing up to do something big, to make a fortune, to get a hat, and to bring honor to their family.

……

Jiangdu, the landing site of Wu army.

The baggage was piled up like a mountain.

Artillery is a key material and is arranged in rows.

It brought together most of the Guards Corps, all of the 1st Corps, all of the 2nd Corps, all of the 1st Expeditionary Army, and most of the navy.

The total force is nearly 4.

"Old Liu, how is it?"

"The navy has demolished several dams. The warships can now sail to the river section 20 miles away from Yangzhou City. There is no way to go further."

"Ok?"

"The Qing soldiers had several large ships loaded with rocks and sunk them into the river. Even if they took control of Yangzhou, it would take them ten days to half a month to salvage and clear the river."

“Is it possible for the navy to control the western waterway where the Grand Canal enters the Yangtze River?”

"I went on board to see it myself, and it couldn't be done."

Lin Huaisheng nodded.

In other words, the Qing army could only be defeated fairly on land.

……

The 1st Expeditionary Force Camp.

The cannon fodders have adapted to life in Jiangbei, eating, drinking, sleeping, playing cards and having fun every day.

Military discipline is terrible.

Life is idle.

The new recruits went through brutal training and a brutal first fight, and those who survived were integrated into the group of their predecessors.

“It would be nice if the women’s camp was still here.”

"It's said that if we win this battle we'll be allowed to set up a new women's camp."

"That's great. Do you know the skinny horse from Yangzhou?"

"I know, I know!"

The cannon fodders were chatting happily, missing the female camp members who had passed away.

After capturing Nanchang City, the female battalion, which consisted of hundreds of wives of officials and gentry, was ultimately unable to withstand such a large and violent mass destruction.

She died and was buried in Jiangxi.

This behavior is like a beggar who gets a horse and can't help but ride it to death.

……

The fat and dark Zhang Laosan ate and drank his fill, and even drank a bowl of wine.

This is a small benefit of being an officer.

Alcohol is prohibited in the Wu army, except for the expeditionary troops. Moderate alcohol anesthesia is helpful in reducing the risk of cannon fodder blowing up the camp.

Bored for a while,
He drew his sword and struck his helmet.

The metal echoes long and lingering, like elegant music.

"Put your helmets here for me."

He collected five different iron helmets in one go and lined them up in front of him, each with a different sound quality.

2 brothers,

Boss Zhang was shirtless and imitated a woman's dance, and his movements were quite exciting.

Zhang Laoer borrowed a small drum from the drummer in the camp, hung it at his waist, and beat it to the rhythm.

A group of bored soldiers soon gathered around, laughing, clapping, whistling, and a few veterans joined in the dance.

The corps commander-in-chief Gan Changsheng passed by and did not stop them.

Because he knew very well that at least 5% of the soldiers watching would not survive this month. Let them have some fun for a while.

The war is approaching.

More than 100,000 Qing troops gathered in Yizheng County, Yangzhou Prefecture. The newly arrived cavalry camped on the west side of the West Waterway, while the main infantry force was on the east side.

A 1-meter-wide stone bridge over the river became the top priority.

For an army of more than 100,000, it is far from enough.

Therefore,
Hailancha ordered three temporary pontoon bridges to be built for the troops to travel.

With Huai'an and Yangzhou as logistics transfer nodes, food and gunpowder were continuously delivered to the camp.

Next to the Jiangbei camp, there was a new Huaixi army camp.

It was far away from the Wu army’s west camp.

Lin Huaisheng ordered the establishment of two large camps, called East Camp and West Camp. Most of the baggage and supplies were stored in the East Camp, and the fortifications were more rigorous.

……

Since the last massacre of tens of thousands of people,
The Wu and Qing armies seemed to be in perfect harmony and there was no more friction between them.

By now,

Everyone realized that the two commanders were thinking the same thing - a collision.

Both sides wanted to wipe out the other side's main elite forces in one fell swoop and achieve their goal in one battle.

In order to achieve their goals, both sides were constantly increasing their troops and stockpiling military supplies.

early morning,

Lin Huaisheng was in the tent.

Suddenly, I saw the central army tent shaking violently due to the strong wind.

A soldier outside shouted:
"It's windy. Strengthen the camp."

He walked out of the big tent and felt the wind had increased significantly. The tent was torn by the wind and made a banging sound.

……

"Commander-in-chief, it's most likely a typhoon."

A staff officer rushed over. He was from Zhejiang and was very familiar with the power of typhoons.

“Will a typhoon always be accompanied by heavy rain?”

“Not necessarily for now!”

Lin Huaisheng looked up at the sky. It was a clear blue sky without a single cloud, but all the clouds had been blown away by the wind.

He was only in a moment,

I made up my mind:

"Return to camp, beat the drums, and raise the tent."

2 quarters of an hour later,
All officers above the battalion level gathered in the central military tent.

There was no room to stand inside the tent, so many people had to stand outside.

see this,
Lin Huaisheng simply walked out of the big tent and temporarily stood on the big banner car:

"This is a God-given opportunity. God bless Wu Jun. This is God helping us."

The group of officers below looked excited.

He watched the commander take a flintlock rifle from the guard, hold it high, point it at the medicine pool, and say loudly:
"Our army's flintlock rifles are not afraid of strong winds, and the ignition powder in the powder pool will not be blown away by the wind. The Qing army mostly uses matchlock rifles, and the powder pool has no cover, so the ignition powder will be blown away by strong winds, and their rifles will not fire."

"I have decided to launch a general attack on the Qing army immediately."

"All troops will assemble in one hour. Attack! Attack! Attack!"

……

The officers of each unit immediately rode their horses or ran back to the camp.

Hurry up and order the soldiers to eat.

"Hurry, get more people to help in the kitchen."

There were obviously not enough cooks, so the soldiers joined in to help make fire and cook.

The officers shouted:
"We have to race against time. Cook quickly and eat quickly. Commander-in-Chief Lin has ordered us to launch a general attack in the morning and defeat all Qing troops. May the Wu army win!"

"Eat more, I'm full."

"Everyone needs to carry a meal of dry food with them."

All the big pots were used and the scene was spectacular.

Soldiers dumped bags of rice into the boiling water, stirring with large spoons.

Those expensive portable military rations once again demonstrated their value.

save time!
Put it in the pot and cook it, then take it out and eat it.

Tens of thousands of Wu soldiers were so busy that they had no time to rest. Their feet and mouths were busy.

Fighting consumes a lot of fat, so people must eat enough, and they must eat meat, which is durable to digest.

……

The cooks held a stack of golden baked naan and gave one to everyone they met.

The soldiers cut the sac into several pieces with knives and carried them with them.

This dry biscuit mixed with oil, salt and sugar is very filling!

A knight holding a small red flag galloped through the camp.

Shout out loud:

"Commander-in-Chief Lin has ordered that all soldiers must fill the leather gourds with clean water."

"Commander-in-Chief Lin has ordered that all soldiers must carry 60 rounds of ammunition."

“林总指挥有令，2磅速射炮务必备齐35发炮弹，6磅以下其余火炮务必配齐20发炮弹，12磅炮务必携带15发炮弹。放弃重炮。”

"Commander-in-Chief Lin has ordered that the baggage battalions of each corps are only allowed to carry guns, ammunition, and straw raincoats. All other supplies are not allowed."

"Once the military order is issued, all units shall execute it immediately. Those who disobey the order shall be executed."

……

Zheng Hean, who had just got off the boat and rested for less than half a day, was stunned.

Looking at his familiar partner Miao Youlin~
"Commander-in-Chief Lin, are you planning to bet everything?"

"Old Zheng, are you feeling well enough to handle this?"

"Don't worry, I'll still lead the charge."

1st Expeditionary Army Headquarters,
The cannon fodders were busy eating and drinking. They were very calm. They cut the livestock that were sent to them into pieces and cooked them deliciously.

The military judge who came upon hearing the news cursed:

"Damn it, do you think you are having New Year's Eve dinner? I'll give you another quarter of an hour. If you can't finish your meal, you can eat it slowly in hell."

Everyone looked defiant.

However, his hands did speed up.

Zhang Laoer and his two brothers murmured:

"If this asshole is left alone on the battlefield, I'll kill him. I've been displeased with him for more than a day or two."

"Shhh."

Boss Zhang was more cautious and quickly signaled for silence.

Eat meat and drink wine.

All three of them are desperate, indifferent to life and death, including their own and others'.
……

"Bring them all."

The two Zhang brothers looked at the oil paper in front of them in astonishment.

On it were spread out a dagger, neatly bundled strips of dried meat, hemostatic drugs, and cotton yarn.

"Old Three, what are you doing?"

"This battle is not easy. The King of Hell is coming to take us away."

"Is it so evil?"

"Yes. I have inquired carefully, and among the soldiers coming this time are His Majesty's Royal Guards. Have you ever seen the Royal Guards on the battlefield?"

The two were silent.

"Brother, this armor of yours is no good. Come with me and I'll buy you a better one."

"Third brother, I understand that armor and weapons must be sophisticated. But this meat strip? Is it really necessary?" Boss Zhang awkwardly patted the dried meat strip stuffed into the armor on the side of his waist.

"Trust me!"

Zhang Laosan couldn't explain the reason, but he had a hunch that the duration of this battle was unpredictable.

A person wearing dozens of kilograms of armor, once he has no food in his stomach, he will feel anxious and his hands will tremble, not much better than a woman with bound feet.

"Big brother, second brother, we are brothers in battle, don't separate."

Boss Zhang laughed:

"The third brother has become a bit effeminate now. I am not used to it. When we were hanging out on the streets of Wujin County, you were the most courageous one."

Zhang Laosan, who was sorting out his armor, blushed slightly.

……

One hour after Lin Huaisheng issued the "all-out attack" order,

The Wu army went out in full force, leaving only 100 soldiers, plus the sick and wounded, a total of no more than 500 people left in the camp.

The Qing army scouts secretly cried out in dismay when they saw this.

Two quarters of an hour later, Hailancha learned of the alarm and ordered all Qing troops to prepare for response.

at this time,

It is the end of the Chen hour (9 o'clock) in the morning.

"How far is the main force of the bandits from the camp?"

"Report to the commander-in-chief, the enemy infantry will arrive in about half an hour."

After a while,
Fu Chang'an also crossed the river and arrived.

The first words after meeting were: