Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 317, The Suppression in Chifeng

Colt revolver.

With a 0.34-inch caliber, a nine-inch barrel length, six rotating barrels, exquisite craftsmanship, and high reliability, this gun is highly reliable.

Even though it was a patented firearm manufactured in a former colony, the people of the British Empire couldn't help but admit its excellent design.

The British Empire shamelessly copied it, with almost no changes to its performance and design. They simply changed the stock style and color, engraved the word "london" on it, and that's how the British Empire independently developed this firearm!
When Fang Yong married Princess Sophia, Earl Sweet presented him with more than a dozen swords as gifts. Fang Yong then distributed them to his generals, which led to the current situation.

The lama lay on the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He looked down at his chest, where there was a blurry, bloody hole.

"Firegun!"

The lama monk said unwillingly.

Zhou Shuan didn't explain; he simply emptied the magazine.

The lama monk is dead.

No one knew his name, nor did anyone know which temple he was a monk from.

His death was insignificant in the war.

Perhaps years from now, his deeds may make him a hero in the eyes of some people.

Or perhaps, he will be scorned by others.

In short, he failed to influence the course of the war.

After the monk's death, the Huaiyin army continued its mopping-up operations.

It was difficult to organize effective resistance on the grasslands, and many tribes were annexed. Tuolei could only lead the guerrilla army to retreat further and further away.

Tuolei and his men have now retreated to the Chifeng area of ​​the grasslands (now near Liaoning province).
Because the battle lines were stretched too thin, Zhou Shuan had to leave the Kahe Palace and go to a place closer to the front lines to take command.

Before leaving, he instructed Liang Lie to lead a team to protect Dorei Khan and prevent any assassins from trying to kill him.

To help lighten the burden on the Huaiyin army, Duo Lei generously told Zhou Shuan that he didn't need anyone to protect him.

Zhou Shuan solemnly told Duo Lei, "As the Khan of the grasslands, you are the most important person and must be protected carefully."

Honestly, the cross-ethnic friendship between Zhou Shuan and Duo Lei is so touching it brings tears to my eyes.

This scene of mutual consideration is a model of peaceful coexistence between two ethnic groups, and it is something that people talk about with great interest.

Soon after, Zhou Shuan arrived at the front line.

At this time, Tuolei was leading several thousand men and some local tribes to hide in the mountains and forests of the Chifeng area.

The Chifeng area is mountainous, with streams and lush vegetation, making it an ideal location for guerrilla warfare.

Tuo Lei and his men then used this terrain to carry out guerrilla warfare.

The Huaiyin army's response was also very simple and brutal.

This involved deploying a large number of troops to conduct a sweeping operation, trampling over every patch of grassland and every tree, leaving the guerrillas hiding there with nowhere to hide.

Due to their small numbers, the guerrilla forces were unable to engage in direct combat with the Huaiyin army. Under Tuo Lei's guidance, they could only set up numerous traps to wear down the Huaiyin army's numbers.

The Huaiyin army, of course, would not allow the enemy to suffer losses for nothing.

Under Zhou Shuan's orders, Wu Xiejun was in charge of exploration at the front, while the Huaiyin Army followed behind. When they encountered traps or ambushes, Wu Xiejun would be the first to be hit, while the Huaiyin Army would suffer minimal casualties.

As for Wu Xiejun's casualties, they were quite high, but the scars are a symbol of a soldier's honor!
Wu Xiejun, undeterred by casualties, volunteered to undertake the most dangerous mission. Isn't this the best proof of the beautiful friendship between the Chinese and grassland peoples?

In the dense forest, a group of Huaiyin soldiers carefully searched for traces of the guerrillas.

Wu Xiejun was exploring ahead.

Suddenly, one of Wu's collaborators stepped into the trap, and a raft covered in spikes flew over, knocking him away and leaving him riddled with holes.

Many other traps were also triggered. "Kill Xia Gou!"

The guerrillas who had been lying in ambush in the woods roared and charged out.

One of the boys stood out in particular.

He was probably only twelve or thirteen years old, not yet fully grown, holding an old saber in his hand, his eyes red as he glared at the Huaiyin army on the field, and roared:
"Xia Gou, you killed my parents, I will avenge them!"

A fierce battle began.

However, although the slogan was to kill the Xia dogs, in the actual battle, the first to suffer were the Wu Xiejun who stood in front.

Many of Wu Xiejun's troops were caught off guard and were killed by the guerrillas who suddenly rushed out.

Meanwhile, the Huaiyin army remained calm and immediately formed a defensive formation.

Shield bearers and sword-and-shield soldiers raised their shields to block incoming arrows, spearmen intercepted charging enemies, and archers were positioned at the very core of the formation, responsible for the main damage output.

Driven by youthful vigor, the young man killed a Wu collaborator, but this had already exhausted a great deal of his strength.

He was already exhausted when facing Wu Xiejun, who was second in the group, and he was in grave danger when facing Wu Xiejun, who was third in the group.

The Huaiyin soldiers inside drew their arrows precisely, and with one shot, the boy's neck was pierced, and he fell helplessly to the ground.

Blood spit out of his mouth as he stares blankly at the sky, muttering, "Xia Gou, you traitor! I..."

Someone stepped over the boy's head, crushing his unfinished words and head deep into the soil.

The fighting soon subsided.

Although it was an ambush, the guerrillas did not gain much advantage due to the disparity in equipment and combat strength.

Post-battle statistics showed that the Huaiyin army suffered a total of 42 casualties, including 39 casualties from Wu Xie's army and 3 casualties from the Huaiyin army.

The guerrillas left behind sixty-one corpses...

For the Huaiyin Army, this battle was neither a defeat nor a victory.

Given that many of the enemy's combatants were elderly or underage, it's quite normal for the number of casualties to be higher.

The sweep continued.

Apart from Wu Xiejun's relatively heavy casualties, the rest were acceptable.

As for the issue of Wu Xiejun's excessive casualties, Zhou Shuan also dealt with it immediately.

His approach went straight to the heart of the problem, resolving the issue of excessive casualties among Wu Xiejun in the simplest and most convenient way.

That means hiring!
As the sweep expanded, many tribes were conquered by the Huaiyin army.

Those who surrendered, such as the Huleleyong tribe, were directly incorporated into the Wu Xie Army, and the tribe chief Huleleyong was promoted to the rank of Assistant General of the Wu Xie Army.

Those who remained obstinate and were the highest-ranking members of the tribe were all made into squid flags, while the remaining tribesmen were forcibly incorporated into Wu Xiejun's army.

In short, Wu Xiejun's numbers are inexhaustible and there is no fear of depletion.

Under such circumstances, Tuolei's guerrilla forces were simply no match for them.

Although fresh blood was constantly being added to the guerrilla army, for example, some grassland people who had developed deep hatred for the Huaiyin Army during the mopping-up operations would choose to join the guerrilla army, just like the boy before.

But such people are a minority.

Ultimately, the Huaiyin Army did not exterminate the grassland people; they merely forced them into labor, and the matter was resolved with patience.

Most of the grassland people did not dare to resist and were obediently exploited, their cattle and sheep were confiscated, and they were sent to do forced labor.

(End of this chapter)