Great Qing Dynasty talker

June of the lunar calendar.

It was the traditional cool season of the Konbaung Dynasty, with cool temperatures, little rain and relative dryness.

The 7th Corps of the Imperial Army stationed in Yunnan assembled, quickly crossed the border and began to move south.

Commander Paik Jian-jen rode on his horse, full of confidence.

He studied at Dongshan Non-commissioned Officer School for 8 months.

In the autumn, I was summoned by His Majesty alone.

The result of the conversation was very ideal, and His Majesty was very satisfied with it. He then dictated instructions, gave them guns and swords, and ordered them to return to the legion quickly to prepare for battle.

Accompanying him southward were a 40-member staff team and a pontoon bridge battalion.

……

The goal of this southward campaign was to destroy the city of Ava and inflict maximum casualties on the Konbaung army.

The commander-in-chief was Miao Youlin, commander of the 5th Corps.

The 5th Corps was ordered to march out from Guangdong and leave the country through Yunnan.

but,

Unless necessary, the 5th Corps would not directly participate in the battle, but would be stationed at the southernmost part of the territory of the Mengyang Tusi as a deterrent, in order to protect the 7th Corps' rear and to keep an eye on Agui's expeditionary force.

Deter all forces from having any thoughts on the 7th Legion. Don't move, or the country will be destroyed.

The 5th Army and the 7th Army will remain hundreds of miles apart.

One in the north and one in the south, working together to complete this military plan.

……

Bhamo, a small town on the banks of the Irrawaddy River.

The expeditionary commander Ah Kuei and military advisor Zhao Zhuangwen sat in the room, silent for a long time. The two officers representing Wu Ting sat opposite them, very patient.

The Empire's Ultimatum
outside the window,

All you see is golden.

Under the protection of the expeditionary force, local farmers waved their sickles and welcomed the autumn harvest.

In most areas of the south, farmers loyal to the Konbaung Dynasty had completed the autumn harvest and sent large quantities of grain to the city of Ava and surrounding fortresses.

The officer stood up, walked to the window and took a deep breath of the fragrance of rice.

Feelings:

“Great place~”

Zhao Zhuangwen silently said in his heart: "What a great place, but it's a pity that it's going to change hands again."

……

Ah Gui stood up first, took off his sword and placed it on the table, speaking calmly:
"My two brothers, I am willing to accept the conditions of the Emperor Wu and divide my 50 troops into two parts, and from now on become an overseas vassal state of Wu."

"Okay." The two officers quickly unfolded the document, "He who knows the current situation is a hero. Congratulations to Governor Ah, congratulations to Governor Zhao, please sign and seal."

The document shall be made in triplicate, with each party retaining one copy.

Since then,

There were two more small autonomous states within the Konbaung Dynasty, consisting of hundreds of thousands of Han people.

According to the treaty, the two small states had to accept the control of the State of Wu.

The conditions of bondage are as follows:

First, 3 to 10 children of high-ranking officials from small states need to be sent to Suzhou Prefecture to study.

Second, Wu’s goods do not need to pay customs duties when entering the country. If Wu people commit crimes, they must be handed over to Yunnan for trial.

Third, no military industry shall be established within the state, and the required weapons must be purchased from the State of Wu.

4. When necessary, accept dispatch and cooperate with the Wu army in fighting in the surrounding areas.

……

Agui and Zhao Zhuangwen assessed the situation and accepted the above treaty in its entirety.

from now on,

They are equivalent to Jiedushi.

Within the jurisdiction, he is in charge of the military when on horseback and of the civilians when on foot.

The Wu Ting did not even interfere with the appointment of civil and military officials in the state.
The conditions seem generous, but in fact these four ties have far-reaching impacts and are basically consistent with the way London controls the colonies.

Wu Ting will continue to suck the blood of these two small states through arms sales and trade for a long time.

and,

The development of these two small states will stagnate and remain at the current level for a long time. Even after another 100 years, they will still be a purely agricultural society.
The meal is enough to fill you up.

Nor will they be bullied by surrounding forces.

But, that’s all.

……

Ten days later, the main force of the 10th Army Corps arrived and supervised the "loyalty ceremony" on site.

Agui and Zhao Zhuangwen led more than 2 expeditionary soldiers in formation. In the sunlight, a gilded portrait of Emperor Wu, pulled by four white horses, slowly passed in front of the Qing army.

Wherever the portrait went, everyone knelt on one knee.

Shouting:

"Long live, long live."

After the kneeling ceremony, it’s time to cut the braids!

On the temporary platform, Wu army soldiers read the imperial edict aloud.

Countless people had red eyes and burst into tears.

Peace has finally arrived.

The sword hanging over his head was moved away.

The risk of fighting on multiple fronts has disappeared.

In the expeditionary force, there were less than 500 real Eight Banners descendants, and the rest were Han people from Yunnan.

……

The pledge of allegiance is complete.

The commander of the 7th Corps, Bai Jianren, also breathed a sigh of relief.

In addition to the 7th Corps with 2 troops and the 1st Expeditionary Army with 1 troops, an additional 2 Qing vassal troops were added.

This does not include the 8000 vassal troops from the vassal states that will soon join them from the east, as well as part of the 4th Army of the Colonial Army.

In the north, 5 troops of the 1th Army came to support and cheer.

With such a strong military force and sufficient advanced weapons, he was confident that he could crush the Konbaung Dynasty into pieces.

……

With Agui's cooperation, the 7th Corps' logistics burden was instantly reduced.

There is no need to transport military rations over thousands of miles.

Zhao Zhuangwen served as the logistics and grain supervisor, commanding 2 servants to deliver new rice to the army in a steady stream.

The soldiers were well fed and watered, and they advanced only 30 miles a day, trying to maintain their strength as much as possible.

During the Qianlong period, Wu's army did not encounter any of the difficulties that the Qing army encountered when it conquered the Konbaung Dynasty.

In the cool season, there is less rain, lower temperatures, and fewer soldiers get sick.

Logistics are solved on the spot, without any pressure.

There is no such thing as a sneak attack. Shan State and Mu State have received warnings not to move, as any movement will lead to the collapse of the country and the extinction of the clan.

The entire Indochina Peninsula was silently watching this war.

……

The 20-li area around Ava City (Mandalay) has become a group of fortresses.

During this year, King Meng Yun personally supervised the training of 1 troops.

These included 5 musketeers, 10 spearmen, 500 war elephants, 50 inland warships, 500 cannons of various types, and a 500-man foreign musketeer team.

Now, Wu Jun has finally arrived.

The only disagreement among the subordinates was whether to fight in the field or defend the city?
Although Meng Yun himself wanted to test the combat effectiveness of Wu's army in a field battle, he could not resist the persuasion of his subordinates and finally decided to defend the city to be safe.

The instructors of the East India Company also strongly recommended defending the city.

……

Adelaide, Governor-General of the East India Company, had received a reply from London.

First, trade with allies must not be affected.

Second, there must be no military conflict with allies.

Third, bring in other countries and allies to discuss dividing up the entire South Seas and demarcating spheres of influence.

Fourth, quickly penetrate the South Asian subcontinent and destroy the Maratha Kingdom.

Fifth, accelerate the operation of the Malacca hub, control the gateway to the Strait, and maintain deterrence against the maritime trade lines of allies.

have to say,

The gentlemen of London behaved very gentlemanly when they encountered the barbaric Wu army.

……

Prime Minister Lord North even shouted in the House of Lords:
"Gentlemen, we must not offend our allies. We still have to do business with the Wu people."

Faced with a chorus of “eh” objections.

Lord North, who was as thick-skinned as a city wall, smiled and said a number:
"5500 million pounds."

"This is the annual total of bilateral trade between the two countries."

The House of Lords was in uproar.

The nobles have mixed feelings about the current situation.

It turns out that there is poison beneath the honey.

After the cabinet meeting,

Earl Jia decisively launched a round of Jinyuan offensive.

Moved by the golden bullet, European newspapers began to hype themselves up and try to create an atmosphere of peace.

“Europe must be extremely civilized when dealing with the wealthy Eastern empire, otherwise they will be regarded as barbarians.”

"Wu does not need Europe, but Europe needs Wu."

"Drinking tea is a God-given right~" "Europe finally opened the door to trade with the East. For the next 100 years, we must maintain this hard-earned good situation."

"The Nanyang region was originally the back garden of the Wu Kingdom. Europe should understand the series of military actions of the Wu army."

……

One side is good at dancing with long sleeves.

On one side is a bloody war.

Outside the city of Ava, the fortresses look like stars.

Wu's army pushed cannons and drove the Qing army's vassal troops to capture fortresses one by one, dividing the troops into four groups.

When encountering obstacles, artillery is used to destroy them first.

Then on the shield cart, the musketeers and archers provided cover.

Deer forts, chevaux de frise, pits, trenches, low walls, roads built through mountains and bridges built across rivers.

The Qing army had a total of 200 battalions, and each battalion attacked once, which was considered a token of surrender.

Ten days later, Konbaung King Mengyun became anxious.

Standing on the city wall, he could even vaguely see the figures of the Wu army.

……

On that day, another fortress fell.

The defending general fled back to Ava with wounds, crying bitterly.

"My lord, I can't stop it. I can't stop it at all."

brush~
Meng Yun slashed with his sword coldly, and the guard fell down, with blood splattering on the boots of Major Buck next to him.

"Major Barker, what do you think?"

"My lord, I have been observing the front line for five days. The enemy's artillery is well-trained, and the infantry and artillery are well coordinated. The role of our camp is to delay time."

"I don't want to hear that, I want your advice."

"A rigid defensive war will lead to no solution. We should consider active defense." Buck pointed outside the city. "When they attack, we attack too."

"Good idea, would you like to try it?"

"As you wish, my king."

……

Major Buck wore a conical hat and leather armor.

He looked just like a local military officer, commanding what he described as an "active defensive war."

When the Konbaung Dynasty's musketeers rushed out from both wings, the Qing army that was doing earthworks fell into chaos and ran back in panic.

Chase for 1 mile.

Buck shouted:
"Get out."

Sure enough, it was just recently withdrawn.

A team of Qing cavalry appeared on the battlefield and returned in disappointment.

……

As the attack slowed down, the 7th Army responded by deploying riflemen on the flanks.

If the enemy dares to go out, there's no way back.

Under the long-range shooting of muskets and rifles, the Konbaung soldiers were no longer willing to implement the so-called active defense tactics and retreated to their own territory.

Major Buck looked very unhappy.

It was not because of the casualties of the Gongbang soldiers, but because of the Wu army's new firearms.

He had heard that the Wu army was equipped with rifled guns. This was not a new weapon. It had existed in Europe for a long time, but it had never been popularized.

One reason is the cost of rifled guns. The other reason is the lack of corresponding tactics.

Now it seems,

A large proportion of the Wu army was equipped with rifled guns.

This shows that the Wu army must have developed corresponding rifle tactics.

This is not a good sign.
……

Sent by Governor Adelaide, Major Buck led a team of instructors consisting of over a hundred people and stayed in Ava for a year.

Train the army and infiltrate grassroots officers.

In addition,

He also had a secret mission: to assess the military strength of the Wu army.

It now seems that the military strength of the Wu army should not be underestimated.

Looking at the smoke of gunpowder on the front line, Buck took out his pen and notebook and continued to write his battlefield diary:

August 1783, 1.

Standing in the city of Ava, I could already hear the shouts and cries of the Wu army.

Obviously, the civil engineering fortress group could not withstand the bombardment of Wu's field artillery. Their accurate and powerful artillery bombardment was full of artistic sense.

Personally, I am very pessimistic about the prospects of the war.

if~
After taking control of this land, the Wu army turned its greedy eyes to the west. The pitiful number of troops stationed in Bengal was unable to stop the invasion of the Wu army.

Although according to intelligence, the Wu State only maintained a small army.

But considering their huge population base and long national borders, it is only a matter of time before they build a large army.

If Ava falls,
I will personally persuade King Meng Yun to lead some nobles to retreat from the Irrawaddy River and allow Meng Yun to establish an exiled dynasty in the Bengal region.

……

As I was writing this, a second lieutenant from my travels came running over.

whispered:
"Major Barker, the enemy is shooting deserters from the vassal army."

Buck was stunned, stood up and opened the telescope.

In the lens,
A group of weeping servant soldiers knelt on the ground and were stabbed to death one by one with bayonets.

Buck couldn't recognize which country's vassal army they were and shook his head.

Continue to write battlefield log:
~
Thank God, the Wu army has no warships. This is definitely good news for us.

A fierce battle to determine the fate of the Indochina Peninsula is about to begin.

I can't guarantee that I will get out of this unscathed.

If, I died in the East.

I hope Downing Street can see this:

Mr. Macartney used his life to open Pandora's box that had been sealed for 1000 years.

An ally with both the industrial level of the Saxon Kingdom and the potential for Rakshasa warfare will sweep the world.

Because of tea, silk and porcelain, the world's wealth will be highly concentrated in the East.

If I were Emperor Wu, I would own a mountain of gold.

I think I would also be unable to resist launching an unprecedented Confucian army's westward expedition, following the Mongols' footsteps all the way to the English Channel.

Kill 1000 million white people and then be crowned king of the world in Paris.

……

Major Buck looked at what he had written and was shocked by his own bold prediction.

Is this something a little major should think about?

Even a brigadier general is not qualified to say these things.

But it didn’t matter, because the Wu army’s artillery shells had already fallen under the city.

He stuffed the diary into his pocket and rushed to the top of the city wall to look out.

The vassal army is coming again.

Siamese and Annan soldiers are attacking the last fortress.

……

Three infantry companies and two field artillery companies of the 7th Corps supervised the battle on site.

White smoke was still coming out of the muzzles of some soldiers' guns; they had just shot and killed more than 200 deserters from the Goryeo vassal army.

"Military law is ruthless, charge forward."

At the command of the officers, Siamese musketeers and Annan sword and shield soldiers fought side by side and rushed towards the giant wooden fortress whose corner had been collapsed.

Inside the fortress, gun muzzles were pointed out.

People kept falling on the way to charge, and it was a bloody scene.

An artillery officer of the Wu army shouted:
"Push a few 6-pound steel cannons and bombard them closer."

A new weapon produced by Maanshan Heavy Industry, a steel field gun.

Lighter weight, thinner barrel, but no less powerful.

……

A cannonball hit the tree fort accurately. The 200-year-old hardwood could not withstand the power and shattered into pieces in an instant.

The two gunmen fell to the ground.

Artillery fire suppression
Bai Jianren looked at this scene through the telescope and felt happy, even happier than on his wedding night.

A quarter of an hour later,
The Annamites took down the tree fort and raised their flag.

The next wave was the Sulu vassal army and the Chiang Mai Dynasty vassal army.

Attacking tough problems is so simple and unpretentious.

The artillery bombarded and the infantry charged.

Fill in trenches and destroy obstacles.

Until outside the city of Ava, it was completely bare.

……

Meng Yun lost 3 soldiers and all his fortresses.

The city of Ava stands alone on the banks of the Irrawaddy River.

Although there were still hundreds of thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of civilians in the city.

Although there was enough food in the city to last for three years, there was also enough gunpowder reserves to explode the guns in the soldiers' hands.

But there is no sense of security. (End of this chapter)