The Qing Dynasty

Chapter 406 Ask Your God for Blessing
Although Teng Yuzhao is nearly thirty years old, he looks like he is twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old and still looks like a young man.

When he saw the Second Battalion Commander, Major Li Guochang, he ran over to greet him from a distance. Harris had already determined that the man was the supreme commander of the vanguard army, the current Governor-General of Zhili, Teng Yuzhao.

This made Colonel Harris look Teng Yuzao carefully from head to toe. He wanted to see what was so special about this Teng Yuzao.

He was able to command a Qing army that they believed was ignorant, cowardly, and had extremely poor pre-modern military qualities.

Under his training and command, the army has undergone an amazing transformation, which is really impressive.

Seeing Teng Yuzhao coming to the battlefield, Xu Ting waved his hand, and the soldiers of the Special Guard Squadron lined up and ran to Harris and others, holding rifles with bayonets, pointing them at Harris and the British officers and Indian soldiers behind him who had no weapons.

This move further confirmed Harris's speculation.

However, although Harris confirmed his guess from the side, he scared the Indian soldiers behind him. Some of them even felt their legs go weak and fell to their knees while howling.

Harris looked back with disgust at the Indians who were kneeling on the ground begging for mercy, then turned back and straightened his military uniform.

Then he reached out and took off his military cap from his head and held it in his hand. He straightened his body, saluted Teng Yuzhao who came in front of him with a standard British military salute, and spoke in English with a distinct Yorkshire accent.

"Your Excellency General Teng, Colonel of the British Empire Army, and current commander of the 24th Punjab Infantry Regiment of British India, Harris salutes you."

Teng Yuzao knew well that in the original history, there was the 24th Punjab Infantry Regiment. In addition, there were the 7th Rajput Infantry Regiment, the 1st Sikh Infantry Regiment and other British Indian troops.

Now, as the great powers including Britain have successively increased their troops, the troops increased by the British are still their British Indian troops. Teng Yuzhao estimates that there should be some newly emerged British Indian troops in Zhili.

Teng Yuzao was not surprised that Harris identified himself as Teng Yuzao without any introduction. He returned a military salute and spoke in English.

"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you on such an occasion, Colonel Harris."

Harris was also not surprised that Teng Yuzao could understand and speak English fluently.

The Times reporter said that Morrison's article about Teng Yuzao in the newspaper was read not only by Harris, but also by most of the British officers in the Allied Forces. It was no secret that Teng Yuzao mastered several languages.

Teng Yuzao's words made Harris frown slightly and speak unhappily.

"General, can I interpret your words as a form of sarcasm?"

Teng Yuzao smiled and shook his head and said, "Oh, Colonel Harris, this is totally unnecessary."

Teng Yuzao continued, "Under the current situation, there is no other way for us to meet except on the battlefield, isn't that right?"

Harris thought for a moment, nodded and said, "General, I accept your explanation."

Teng Yuzao didn't want to dwell on the subject any more, so he went straight to the point and asked, "Colonel Harris, may I ask what you want to see me about?"

Harris bowed his head slightly and said, "I'm sorry for disturbing you, General."

Although Harris himself said that he was a bit presumptuous, his tone did not seem to care whether his request was presumptuous.

"I would like to ask General, will you send our wounded back?" Teng Yuzao looked at Colonel Harris and said, "I'm sorry, Colonel Harris, I have an agreement with your consuls that I will not send back any of the coalition's wounded. I will only treat their injuries if you send them medicine."

Similarly, although Teng Yuzao said sorry, there was no trace of apology in his tone.

Harris said hurriedly, "General, I am very clear about this agreement, and we have been abiding by it before."

"It's just that we are seriously short of medicine now, and the medicine we supplied has been robbed by you guys."

"So, General, if you leave these wounded behind, then medicine will definitely not be delivered in a short time. If that happens, they will just have to wait to die."

The coalition forces are out of medicine!
Teng Yuzao believed what Harris said. He didn't think Harris would lie to him for the sake of these wounded soldiers when he couldn't leave.

If the coalition forces have no medicines and leave these seriously injured soldiers behind, it would be a real problem.

Teng Yuzao smiled and nodded, saying, "Colonel Harris, I believe a gentleman like you would not deceive me, so I can agree to your request for the sake of your honesty."

"Well, you pick a soldier who can speak English, and I will let him go back. Ask him to tell your commander that your main force should retreat ten miles away. I will then return all your seriously injured soldiers who cannot move to you, and they will be placed on the east bank of the Juma River."

"In an hour, they will be able to send someone over to pick up these injured people."

Teng Yuzao spread his hands to Harris, "But I am not sure whether your commander will do as I ask."

Seeing that Teng Yuzao had given in, Harris hurriedly said, "Yes, we will. The highest commander on the other side is our Lieutenant General Gasley. He will definitely do what the general asks."

After Harris finished speaking, he bowed to Teng Yuzao in gratitude.

"Thank you very much for your kindness, General. I think these wounded soldiers will feel the same way."

"It's just that the other wounded"

Teng Yuzao put away his smile and said firmly, "Colonel Harris, I will never let the other wounded go back, because as long as there is medicine, these lightly wounded will recover quickly, and then they will take up arms to fight us again."

"So, I will not release any lightly wounded soldiers. Whether they can survive until the day of the armistice, we can only pray for your God to bless them."

Teng Yuzao's refusal made Harris feel a little frustrated. As Teng Yuzao turned around to leave, Harris hurriedly spoke.

"Dear General, please stay. I have another request. Please agree to it!"

Harris' words made Teng Yuzao laugh...

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(End of this chapter)