The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 760: Xianfeng's Clever Use of the Empty City Strategy

The mornings of spring days along the Mississippi River are always shrouded in fog, and everything is hazy from afar. Belle Watling, Xianfeng's "one-minute companion", pushed open the shutters on the third floor of the hotel, and the cool river breeze blew the lace nightgown on her chest tightly against her skin.

Footsteps sounded again on the nearby dock, as if a giant was stomping on the ground, making a "boom boom boom" sound. The black, red and yellow tricolor flag appeared in Bell's sight, first revealing half of the flagpole and a flag symbolizing the unity of blacks, Indians and yellow people, followed by a sea of ​​gray uniforms. The black soldiers carried Minié rifles and Mississippi rifles, their bayonets flashing silver, connected into one, as if the Milky Way in the sky had fallen.

"There are mountains of gold in Colorado! Black brothers are mining and white brothers are counting! Yellow brothers are driving carts and helping Indians! Follow General Zhao and you will all get rich!"

This song was the military song of the "Black, Red and Yellow Army". It had no fighting atmosphere at all and sounded like a song about getting rich. Bell grabbed the copper telescope on the dressing table - it was given to Bell by Grant through a spy sent to Memphis, and the words "Give Me the Brave White" were engraved on the tube - and aimed it at the artillery at the end of the team. Sixteen twelve-pound Napoleon guns were pulled by mules, and the artillerymen next to the gun carriages were no longer yellow people, but all black people.

"It's the eighth day..." Bell bit her lower lip and whispered to herself - this is the eighth day since she followed Nicholas Zhao Si to lead the army into Memphis. On the first day, the elite troops under the command of "Black Wall" Zeng Ke, the First "Black Wall" Brigade, followed Zhao Si into the city. And in the next 7 days, a black infantry brigade of soldiers will arrive every morning - a total of 8 brigades of infantry! They are the First "Black Wall" Brigade, the Second "Black Mountain" Brigade, the Third "Black Forest" Brigade, the Fourth "Black Impermanence" Brigade, the Fifth "Black Cloud" Brigade, the Sixth "Black Sea" Brigade, the Seventh "Black Gold" Brigade, and the Eighth "Black Star" Brigade.

In addition, the 1st "Black Knight" Cavalry Brigade and the 2nd "Red Mongolian" Cavalry Brigade arrived on the second and third days after Zhao Si arrived in Memphis.

According to Bell's understanding of the organization of the "Black, Red and Yellow Legion", these eight infantry brigades and two cavalry brigades were real, belonging to three black divisions and the corps' direct troops. The total strength of these 8 brigades, plus the "Black Envelope Regiment" belonging to the first, second and third black divisions, the army that Zhao Si brought to Memphis was probably as many as 2 to 3.

Is Zhao Si preparing for a decisive battle with Grant in Memphis?
As she was thinking, footsteps were heard in the corridor.

Bell hurriedly put the telescope into his dressing box, and just as he turned around, he ran into Heidehai standing at the door with a silver tray. The black guard captain had changed his clothes today, with a cowhide bullet belt slung across his faded gray military uniform, and in addition to the Colt revolver, he also had an Indian dagger inlaid with turquoise on his waist.

"Madam, your coffee." Heidehai put the tray on the table, and a few drops of liquid splashed out of the black pottery cup. Bell breathed a sigh of relief, but a sweet smile appeared on her face: "Little brother is angry today, did you get a cold while on duty last night?" Heidehai did not answer, but glanced at the gap between the drawers on the dressing box that were not closed tightly, and when he turned around, his military boots deliberately rolled over a certain part of the floor. Bell heard a slight creaking sound of the wooden board - that was the secret compartment where she hid the secret letter.

When the north wind suddenly rose that night, Xianfeng's headquarters was so warm that it made people dizzy. A bronze stove that had been with Xianfeng for a whole winter was burning red, and a stuffed bear head obtained from Black Tom was hung on the wall, with its mouth wide open and fake glass eyes staring out.

"Yuanbao, you lead the Second Black Division eastward. If you encounter scattered Northern Army soldiers, don't get entangled with them." Xianfeng's baton drew a white mark on the map. "Manors along the railway line leading to Nashville who are willing to hand over grain and slaves will be given stocks in the Western Mining Company. Those who refuse to comply will be executed on the spot."

Heidehai suddenly came in through the curtains, his leather boots rolling half a circle on the carpet. Xianfeng stopped talking, and the only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire.

"I caught a rat," Heidehai pulled out a crumpled piece of letter paper from his bullet belt, "in the cracks of the hotel floor!"

Lin Shu took a closer look and chuckled: "This white bitch has memorized the number and serial number of all the artillery we put on display for others. Master, you are really wise!"

Xianfeng took the letter and squinted at the fire. Bell's cursive English said: "...Today, the Eighth 'Black Star' Brigade was added, and there are 12 16-pound guns..." He suddenly sneered and shook the letter over the flames: "I just want Grant to believe this!"

Heidehai came up and asked: "What about Bell?"

Xianfeng smiled and said, "I'll catch him myself!"

Bell curled up in the warm quilt and pretended to sleep, but his ears were erect. At midnight, footsteps were heard in the corridor - not the military boots of Heidehai, but the spurs of Xianfeng.

Hearing this voice, she was greatly relieved - these days Heidehai had been watching her very closely, and she didn't look at him very often, as if she was looking at a thief. But today General Zhao Si came on time again, which meant that she was still safe.

"Baby, look what I brought you?" Xianfeng opened the bed curtain, and the smell of alcohol and gunpowder sprayed on Bell's face. He was shaking a brown paper bag in his hand, revealing half a gold mine stock.

Belle smiled sweetly and hooked her hand around his neck, while reaching her other hand into the brown paper bag. Suddenly, a cast iron hinged handcuff was fastened on her wrist.

Bell was stunned, looked up at Zhao Si, and seeing that Zhao Si had a smile on his face, he obediently offered his other hand.

"Well, you are so good. I like you." Xianfeng praised Bell while putting the other handcuffs on Bell. Then he pulled out a revolver from his waist and the barrel slowly crossed Bell's collarbone. Bell even deliberately raised his chest to cater to her "one minute", and even thought in his mind: playing some games, maybe he can last longer.
"Heidehai!"

Xianfeng suddenly shouted.

Bell was stunned: Why is he still called Heidehai? Could it be that Zhao Si wanted to...
At this time, the bed curtain covering her had been completely torn off. When Hedehai and his men rushed in, Belle was still in a posture with her hands handcuffed and her chest held high. Hedehai and two black soldiers dragged her off the bed like a dead dog. "My master, this won't work. There are too many people..." Belle's scream was blocked by the rag. Hedehai knelt on one knee, inserted the dagger into the crack of the floor and pried it open. In the secret compartment, there were twelve secret letters neatly stacked, and the "GS" on the wax seal was still shiny.

The musty smell of the dungeon was mixed with the smell of blood. Bell was hung on the rack by iron chains, with his toes barely touching the ground. The kerosene lamps on the wall stretched the shadows of the torture instruments: the branding iron, the gallows, and a pair of barbed Indian skinning knives.

As Xianfeng approached with a red-hot iron, Bell's urine flowed down his thighs.

"Do you know how the East handles spies?" He waved the branding iron in front of Bell's eyes. "It's called Ling Chi. They use a fishing net to tighten the body, and the flesh will bulge out from the mesh. Then they use a knife to cut it piece by piece." He suddenly lifted Bell's chin with his finger. "First, cut out the tongue, then dig out the eyeballs, and finally open the belly. It can withstand 3,600 cuts and still not die."

Bell's screams were muffled by the ball gag, his body was shaking like a spider web in the wind, his head was shaking desperately, and his eyes were full of pleading.

Xianfeng looked at Bell and said, "You probably don't want to die so miserably, do you?"

Bell quickly shook her head - she knew too well how cruel the man in front of her was, he was really capable of doing such a thing!
"Then you have to atone for your sins," Xianfeng said calmly, "Just nod your head if you agree."

"Woo woo." Bell nodded desperately.

Heidehai leaned against the door with his arms folded and suddenly said, "Master, Grant's reconnaissance team has arrived in the north of the city."

Xianfeng threw down the branding iron and took out a handkerchief to wipe his fingers: "Give this white bitch a chance to redeem herself. Tell Grant, just say..." He leaned over to Bell's ear and whispered, his hot breath blowing into her sweaty temples, "The first, second, and third black divisions, three cavalry brigades, three Indian brigades, and 50,000 troops are all in Memphis. Remember?"

"Yeah." Bell continued to nod.

Three days later, Memphis Pier.

"Colorado miners are strong! They carry 12-pound cannons on their shoulders! If a Yankee dares to touch them, we will blow them away!"

Black soldiers carried logs with bare chests, and thick wooden sticks painted black to look like gun barrels, which were tanned to a shiny finish under the scorching sun. Bell stood on the viewing platform in a high-necked long dress, with the bruises on the back of her neck covered tightly by lace. She watched Xianfeng stuff the gold mine stocks to the plantation owners, and was suddenly pushed by Heidehai.

"It's your turn." The black guard captain put his hand on the handle of the gun.

When Bell arrived at the telegraph office, the mixed-race operator behind the counter was dozing off. She sent the telegram in code according to what Emperor Xianfeng had dictated, and then tapped the sending key twice more - this was the code she and Grant had agreed on, meaning "the intelligence is credible."

Heidehai suddenly pressed her shoulders and said, "Add one more sentence." Bell's back was instantly soaked. The black captain of the guard whispered the new message, "... Found 1856 Russian-made M rifles, suspected to be Russian volunteers..."

At Fort Henry, veins popped in Grant's hand as he held the telegram. The adjutant watched the commander-in-chief bite his cigar in half and sprinkle the tobacco on the Memphis defense map.

"Fifty thousand! And there are Russians involved!" Grant punched the sand table, and the Tennessee River model fell down. "Let Rawlins' reinforcements come quickly. The 12th Cavalry Regiment will guard the Nashville Railroad!"

"But General..." The staff officer pointed at the map, "We originally planned to encircle them from three sides..."

"Bullshit!" Grant grabbed the kettle and took a sip of whiskey. "Didn't you read Bell's secret report? This is Zhao Si's trap! Pass the order - the entire army will go on the defensive and we'll discuss it after Rawlins arrives!"

Suddenly, thunder rolled outside the window, and heavy rain hit the military flag. While the Northern Army soldiers were busy reinforcing Fort Henry, seventy miles away at the Memphis dock, Emperor Xianfeng was watching the same heavy rain and laughing.

"Heidehai, ask Zengke and his men to transport three more loads of fake artillery tonight." Xianfeng said loudly to the captain of the black guard behind him, "It's raining well. Black Tom and Red Cloud Khan's cavalry can bypass Grant's eyes and head north to Kentucky under the cover of the heavy rain!"

(End of this chapter)