The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

"The British really have some tricks up their sleeves."

The staff members of the General Staff now looked a little ugly.

Arriving at the Yarlung Zangbo River, the British didn't blindly cross the river. Instead, they waited for the arrival of the troops behind them before forcing their way across. Artillery support and relentless machine gun fire from the rear crushed the revolutionary army. Furthermore, the British troops showed no signs of disengagement throughout the crossing.

This ability to attack when advancing and defend when retreating, making full use of the forces at hand, was truly a valuable learning opportunity. Unfortunately, this was a life-or-death struggle; the stronger the enemy, the greater the damage. The 7th Regiment of the Revolutionary Army's Mixed Division frantically dug trenches directly in front of the British, their numbers outnumbering them by a factor of two. Behind them lay the reserve, ready to reinforce the 7th Regiment at any moment while also guarding against the Tibetans lurking behind them.

In an attempt to completely annihilate the British, six additional regiments were deployed to the British rear. Once they reached the battlefield, they were prepared to attack the British based on the prevailing situation. The British were unaware of the Revolutionary Army's approach of nearly ten thousand men, who already knew the British force was only three thousand strong and their firepower was in place.

Everyone was worried that the British reconnaissance force had been sent too far, so according to the plan, the 5th and 6th Regiments would have to rely on themselves in the early stages, while the 7th Regiment would face the British attacks directly. The soldiers were also quite confident. After all, there were nearly 10,000 people participating in this battle, and the combat troops were twice as many as the British.

As the defending force, the revolutionary army had already established a defensive position. The British, clearly unwilling to confront it head-on, attempted to bypass it and attack from the west. Li Cheng, originally from the vanguard battalion, was in charge of guarding this direction.

Li Cheng immediately proposed to his superiors that the vanguard battalion prepare to engage the British head-on. Other troops could take advantage of the situation to cross the battle lines and attack from both flanks of the British army. Since the revolutionary army currently held a numerical advantage on the battlefield, Li Cheng's proposal was approved.

A frontal attack, a decisive victory against the enemy—this was the battle the revolutionary army most anticipated when facing the Manchu, Tibetan, and militia forces. As long as the enemy gave them a chance, they would attack immediately, and this kind of battle was always easy to win. The revolutionary army was thrilled to have such a chance to confront the British directly. Although they had previously suffered some setbacks due to their unfamiliarity with the British, they showed no fear.

Chapter 309:

The battlefield's location was essentially agreed upon by both sides. After all, neither side was foolish, and there was no point in fighting in a location where the enemy could fully utilize their strength, knowing that the enemy had already dug trenches and then attacking desperately. The battlefield was ultimately chosen to be on flat ground, devoid of any obstacles that could impede the attacks of either side.

The revolutionary army's formation line is actually most suitable for display on such a battlefield, so after arriving at the battlefield, the revolutionary army infantry comrades immediately began to dig trenches desperately.

The first to fire were undoubtedly the British artillery, and since the British fired first, the casualties naturally fell on the front-line infantry. This was the first time Li Cheng had truly witnessed such a situation: a single artillery shell landed, and anyone nearby was immediately killed or wounded.

While the Revolutionary Army did conduct some exercises, they often felt like a play. In fact, during internal exercises, calculations showed that in offensive warfare, due to the inclusion of artillery fire, the Revolutionary Army's casualties would be extremely high, often exceeding 60% or 70%, with casualties exceeding 80% on numerous occasions. Many members of the Revolutionary Army intuitively distrusted these figures. Many comrades believed that as long as they followed Chairman Zhang Yinghao, the Revolutionary Army would always be the inflictor of the slaughter, never the victim.

Most of the squad leaders and deputy squad leaders of the revolutionary army were veterans. These veterans fought against the militia in Sichuan and killed bandits. They were invincible. Comrades crossed mountains and rivers.

Ridge, after untold hardships to reach XZ. However, these powerless and fearless Z made J helpless in such artillery fire, as long as a shell hit, many soldiers would be reimbursed without even firing a shot.

In the blink of an eye, the revolutionary army lost over thirty men. This was something the troops entering Tibet hadn't anticipated. They had never encountered such a situation before when fighting the Qing army. The last time Zhang Yinghao led his troops to eliminate so many Green Camp troops in Gansu and Shaanxi, they suffered virtually no losses. And during the Sichuan bandit suppression campaign, the losses, combined, weren't significant either.

Li Cheng was anxious because of the attack and kept shouting: "Fire, artillery, fire!" As if hearing Li Cheng's shouts, the revolutionary army's artillery immediately opened fire after calibrating the position of the British artillery. After a round of artillery shells were fired, there were several huge explosions on the British side. These were hitting the British artillery positions. The British artillery shells exploded, and all the nearby British artillerymen went to see their God.

The Revolutionary Army knew that their artillery was clearly inferior to the British. Their accuracy during enemy bombardments was undoubtedly far inferior. However, having learned from their experience, the Revolutionary Army now had its own unique combat strategy, one that differed significantly from the traditional artillery warfare of various nations.

The revolutionary army's artillery rarely opened fire first. Artillery was also dispersed around the battlefield, with artillery numbers and regional targets assigned in advance. When needed, all artillery would fire at a single target, minimizing firepower while dispersing firearms.

After firing a few rounds in one location, the artillery would constantly move to avoid being pinpointed by the enemy. This strategy might have reduced the enemy's lethality, but it had one advantage: it prevented the British artillery from finding the Revolutionary artillery positions, as the Revolutionary artillery had none. After firing a few rounds, all the artillery would immediately reposition to avoid being destroyed by British artillery fire.

In Zhang Yinghao's words, artillerymen should not limit their thinking to the position during combat. The key is to liberate their minds, fire the necessary shells wherever necessary, and give the enemy the blow they deserve! This time, the artillerymen clearly implemented the tactics Zhang Yinghao said very thoroughly.

The Revolutionary Army is also different from other countries' troops in the use of artillery. The purpose of artillery use in other countries is mainly to destroy targets, while the Revolutionary Army's artillery is more to assist infantry in defense and offense.

There was no other way. The revolutionary army's limited firepower couldn't even hope to destroy any targets, and they wouldn't be able to defeat them in an artillery battle. They should just stay put, do what they can, fight with the weapons they have, and avoid unrealistic fantasies.

The revolutionary army's artillerymen chose this tactic out of desperation - dividing the location of artillery fire, dividing the target area, and using artillery fire separately according to the needs of the front line. Of course, Western countries only began to use this tactic during World War II.

When the Revolutionary artillery opened fire, the British artillery returned fire without hesitation. For a moment, the battlefield was filled with the whistling and explosions of shells, a cacophony of spring thunder that lasted for a long time. Both sides began bombarding the other's artillery positions, hoping to eliminate them first before attacking the other's infantry positions.

The Revolutionary Army's artillery fire was not very intense due to the need to relocate. After four or five rounds of fighting, except for one artillery piece that was unfortunately hit, the rest of the artillery pieces on the Revolutionary Army side were basically safe and sound.

Younghusband's mood inevitably worsened. Before the battle with the revolutionary army, he was filled with resentment and hoped to annihilate the backward revolutionary army in the war, and then march to Lhasa to grab a large amount of spoils.

After the two armies engaged in battle, Younghusband sensed something was amiss, even though the British had achieved considerable success. First and foremost, the revolutionary army looked nothing like a backward force, and was not much inferior to the British. Their only shortfall was experience. He could clearly sense the revolutionary army's continuous improvement, evident in the sheer number of casualties they had inflicted.

Secondly, the temperament revealed by the opposing army made him very uncomfortable. It was a temperament that only a strong army that had won every battle could have. This temperament could only be obtained by an army that had experienced countless wars. He really couldn't understand why the opposing army had such a temperament.

If anything, this army possessed a soul, a mind of its own, a sense of why they were fighting. This army was capable of learning and evolving autonomously during battle, a type of army Younghusband had never encountered before. He felt as though the opposing army was absolutely confident they could defeat him.

Younghusband wanted to scoff at the revolutionary army's temperament. The British army had fought all over the world, colonized the world, and was the best army in the world. Moreover, not long ago, the Eight-Nation Alliance had defeated the Qing army, forcing it to admit defeat and sign a treaty. He knew what the Qing army was like, so why did the revolutionary army on the other side look completely different? Were they not also Qing people?

In the eyes of the British army, how could a place as backward as the Qing Dynasty produce a strong army? Could it really be possible for a pure white rabbit to jump out of a pile of coal?

The British army began the battle with a perfectly normal artillery barrage. Younghusband initially believed his artillery shells would easily inflict heavy casualties on the Revolutionary Army, perhaps even crushing them with their sheer firepower. However, before Younghusband could even observe the plight of the Revolutionary Army, he was horrified by the immense damage inflicted by their artillery shells. Furthermore, the Revolutionary Army's haphazard artillery firing method was incredibly frustrating. If they didn't immediately change their tactics, perhaps even emulating them, they would likely be forced to passively withstand the bombardment without inflicting significant damage.

Seeing the Revolutionary Army's artillery deployment, the British naturally learned the trick immediately. While dispersing their artillery positions, they began shelling the Revolutionary Army's infantry. However, learning on the spot was ultimately inferior to the Revolutionary Army's long-term training. The British bombarded the Revolutionary Army's infantry, and the Revolutionary Army did not show any weakness. Now it was a matter of who could withstand the greater losses.

Seeing that the artillery battle hadn't yielded a decisive victory and that ammunition was rapidly depleting, Younghusband finally couldn't resist and ordered an infantry battalion to attack. Both the British and the Revolutionary Army were facing supply difficulties in Tibet. Both sides knew that the battle would ultimately be decided by the infantry on the battlefield.

The Franco-Prussian War broke out in 1870. Prussia, with its military mobilization and superior maneuverability, quickly defeated the French army and captured the French emperor. This war profoundly influenced European military philosophy: proactive offensive action was the key to victory, thus emphasizing the superiority of offensive strategy over defensive strategy; improvements in weaponry should facilitate the offensive; decisive battles could be launched through maneuver and detour, allowing wars to be concluded within weeks; victory ultimately came through the infantry bayonet charge, and the will to fight was paramount. It was precisely because the great powers at the time believed that the war could be won quickly, and Kaiser Wilhelm II, in particular, believed that France could be defeated in a short period of time, that the German army dared to launch the First World War.

After the Franco-Prussian War, weaponry and tactics underwent significant changes, but military thinking remained stuck in the era of single-handed combat and even muzzle-loading rifles. Military strategists and leaders often relied on past successes, becoming insensitive to changes in technology, weaponry, and tactics. This lack of practicality could lead to defeat in new wars.

In fact, with the advent of repeating rifles, heavy machine guns, and light machine guns, the infantry's death zone extended from 300 meters in 1870 to 2,000 meters by the early 20th century. Artillery performance improvements were not limited to range and rate of fire. The use of smokeless gunpowder allowed artillery to be fired from relatively concealed positions, making it difficult for the enemy to detect. Mortars, with their higher trajectory, could strike personnel and equipment behind cover.

Defensive tactics were also strengthened by the use of barbed wire and trenches. The seemingly simple barbed wire posed a great obstacle to infantry charges, and even artillery bombardment was difficult to completely remove. Machine guns and artillery under the protection of trenches and bunkers formed a powerful firepower network.

Both offensive and defensive capabilities were greatly enhanced by advances in weaponry. However, influenced by offensive theory, European military leaders overlooked the qualitative changes in defensive tactics brought about by increased firepower. Nationalism surged in most European countries before World War I. Influenced by "social Darwinism"—the survival of the fittest—high morale and a determination to win further fueled a "cult of the offensive." For example, the renowned French general Foch believed that "victory would be determined by absolute offense and the classical fighting spirit." Russian military circles even believed that "when defense is a last resort, the primary purpose of firepower is to destroy enemy morale."

The British army was in this situation. They had not yet shaken off the legacy of old-fashioned warfare, nor had they experienced the brutal trench warfare and positional tactics of World War I. Their tactics remained largely unchanged. Consequently, the British attacking troops, arranged in neat square formations, marched with resolute steps towards the revolutionary positions. Officers' boots and caps were polished to a gleam, and the infantrymen's bayonets gleamed coldly. Forming in horizontal formations, accompanied by the sound of trumpets, they launched their attack in square formations against the newly dug trenches of the revolutionary army.

Taking advantage of the artillery battle, Li Cheng and his men had already dug a simple trench and were now desperately digging holes to protect them. The British artillery began to bombard the revolutionary infantry again, and Li Cheng and his men had no choice but to hide in the holes and desperately expand them.

As soon as the British bombardment stopped, Li Cheng and his men immediately emerged from the artillery shelter. They saw that the British were only fifty meters away from the revolutionary army. However, what puzzled Li Cheng and his men was whether the British were lining up to die or whether there was some conspiracy.

But since the British troops had already arrived in front of the position to die, the revolutionary army naturally no longer showed courtesy.

"Mortars, fire freely. Heavy machine guns, fire as well." With the British still thirty meters from the trench, the revolutionaries unleashed their full firepower on the British invaders, marching in step, their heads held high, and displaying their courage and bravery. In a matter of moments, the attacking British were laid low like ripe wheat. After the revolutionaries ceased fire, aside from the groans of a few wounded who had managed to survive, a battalion of British troops—one-sixth of the total British force invading XZ—was wiped out.

Chapter 310:

Faced with this unexpected turn of events, Younghusband and the political attaché in Sikkim, John Claude Walter, were stunned. But then, they quickly turned to anger. An entire battalion of elite troops vanished before their very eyes in the blink of an eye. One can only imagine the fury Younghusband and his men felt. They had never imagined that so many elite soldiers would be completely wiped out in such a short time. At this point, a sense of foreboding dawned on Younghusband and his fellow officers.

The British are worthy of being an old industrial power that has fought wars all over the world. It only took them one chance to realize that their previous method of attack had completely failed, and they naturally did not make the same mistake a second time.

"Fire, keep firing! Blow up the enemy positions and kill all those despicable yellow monkeys!"

Younghusband, still unwilling to accept defeat, immediately organized a second attack. The artillery unleashed its might, unleashing a barrage of bombardment on the revolutionary positions. Before the smoke from the positions had even cleared, a battalion of British troops, under Younghusband's command, charged the battlefield. Meanwhile, British machine guns continued to fire at the revolutionary positions, unleashing a barrage of firepower. The smoke finally cleared when the British reached within a hundred meters of the positions.

This time, Li Cheng and his men weren't as lucky. One anti-artillery hole was buried by several shells, wiping out an entire squad inside. Three more holes collapsed, killing over half the dozens of comrades inside. Furthermore, many sections of the trenches the comrades had dug were also destroyed. More importantly, one of the heavy machine guns was shattered to pieces.

Li Cheng clutched his injured right shoulder and said, "Immediately, hide and enter the position. Without my order, you must not expose your target. Wait until the British get close before attacking..."

Officer Dawar led the British troops in the attack. At 80 meters, the revolutionary army positions showed no reaction. At 50 meters, the revolutionary army positions still showed no reaction. Seeing this, the British army was immediately excited.

"Could it be that all the enemies in the position have been killed by the artillery fire?" Dawar kept thinking in his heart.

At this time, the British troops who were marching in a low position had gradually quickened their pace. After a distance of forty or fifty meters, the British troops only had to move forward a little bit, and then they would charge at high speed and directly enter the revolutionary army's position.

Thirty meters away, the British troops in this battalion straightened up, preparing to launch a final charge towards the revolutionary positions. At that moment, Li Cheng finally gave the order to fire. The remaining two heavy machine guns, four hundred rifles, and mortars fired at the British troops, forming a steel wall.

The hundreds of British soldiers who had just straightened up and were about to charge were immediately knocked to the ground. The British were also well-trained troops. They immediately lay down on the ground and opened fire on the revolutionary army. At the same time, they immediately piled up the bodies of the British soldiers in front of them and used them as cover, which was quite effective.

As the British troops lay prone, the machine guns and artillery behind them immediately opened fire on the revolutionary army. Even the British shells occasionally landed on the attacking British troops. Faced with this situation, the revolutionary army was faced with a choice: either immediately hide in the original anti-artillery holes, or immediately attack and tangle with the British troops, forcing them to stop the shelling.

Li Cheng was deeply shaken. He hadn't expected the British artillery to be so sharp, or their commander so ruthless, even to the point of accidentally bombing his own troops. However, Li Cheng wasn't intimidated by the British bombardment. He didn't have much time to think. Rather than hiding in a dugout, exposed to artillery fire, and then engaging in a bayonet fight with the incoming British, resulting in wasted casualties, it would be better to get as close to the enemy as possible. Once the two sides engaged, firing artillery at their own side would greatly increase the chance of accidental casualties, forcing the British to cease their bombardment. Li Cheng firmly believed that if the revolutionary army could fully utilize its training, it could completely defeat the British army in the bayonet battle.

"Blow the horn and attack."

Before the charge was even sounded, some soldiers had already launched their attack. Judging from the timing, Li Cheng could definitely conclude that these attacking soldiers had not received their own orders to attack, but rather that they were unable to withstand the British artillery fire and had taken the initiative to attack. Li Cheng didn't know whether to say that these comrades were acting on their own initiative or were good at seizing opportunities.

In fact, this was also due to Li Cheng's own inexperience, allowing the British army to get too close, leaving them with no room for maneuver. Li Cheng had no other ideas at this time. At this time, he still thought the same as before: as long as the revolutionary army launched a charge with bayonets, victory would be within their grasp.

Beep~beep~beep...

The bugle sounded, and without waiting for the next round of British artillery fire, the comrades jumped out of their positions. The British, upon hearing the revolutionary army's charge, immediately scrambled to their feet. Just then, a new sound came from the British side. Although they didn't understand English, Li Cheng and his men were all soldiers. Just by looking at it, they understood one thing: the British had also begun a bayonet fight, fighting the revolutionary army with bayonets.

The battle entered its bloodiest stage, with bayonets clashing with blood. At this point, the British machine guns and artillery immediately ceased fire. The first to engage the British were the soldiers who had just launched the attack without authorization. The moment they saw the revolutionaries jump out of their trenches, the British scrambled to their feet and unloaded their rifles, knocking many revolutionaries to the ground.

At this time, the experience and training of both sides showed the difference. After the British army stood up, except for the place that was accidentally bombed, the other places were not only in formation, but also in

The distance between soldiers was also better. The revolutionary army's formation was incomplete at this time, and there was some disconnection between the front and the back. Although the British army had the same problem,

However, they were able to adjust quickly and make the troops form a whole again immediately.

The soldier who was about to fight the British with bayonets did not form a whole team, nor did he follow the tactics of three people in a group. Instead, he fought alone.

As soon as he stabbed the British soldier next to him with his bayonet, he was stabbed to the ground. Li Cheng had never expected this to happen.

"Mortars, bombard the enemy immediately, fire as much as possible at the British!" The British couldn't shoot without mortars, but the Revolutionary Army didn't have this concern and directly bombarded the British with mortars. However, even though the Revolutionary Army's artillery kept firing, the British still attacked the Revolutionary Army's positions without regard for casualties.

At this point, the British army's thinking mirrored that of the Revolutionary Army: a stalemate. Seeing the British army's ability to continue advancing despite the Revolutionary Army's artillery fire truly filled Li Cheng with admiration. In such close combat, truly risking one's life was a matter of luck. As for whether killing one would cover one's losses or two would be a profit, it all depended on fate.

At this time, under the desperate attack of the British Army, the revolutionary army could not bear the pressure brought by the British Army and showed signs of being defeated.

"Commander, we can't wait any longer! Call for reinforcements immediately. We must hold the front!"

The instructor shouted anxiously in Li Cheng's ear.

Li Cheng didn't speak immediately, nor did he give orders immediately. Instead, he continued to watch the enemy and our side fighting on the front line. At this moment, a thought was swirling in his mind, "How can the foreign devils maintain such fighting power in such a tragic battle!"

Whether it was the militia or the Qing army, when the revolutionary army approached with bayonets, the revolutionary army had already laid the foundation for victory. But at this time, Li Cheng seemed to feel that the British army was the revolutionary army's side, and his side had become the original Qing army.

Seeing the soldiers of both sides entangled, Younghusband knew that when the British launched a bayonet charge, victory would be certain. So, he raised his binoculars and peered into the enemy lines, which were still barely obscured by the smoke. As he had predicted, the revolutionary army's entire front was rapidly weakening, and countless revolutionary soldiers lay on the ground. Although the revolutionary army continued to fight fearlessly, even this bravery did not bring victory.

Younghusband looked back to the rear of the revolutionary army, hoping to see the British army breaking through the enemy lines. Breaking through the enemy lines meant that the British army had won a frontal battle.

To Younghusband's surprise, he couldn't see a single British soldier breaking through. He quickly shifted his telescope. The British bayonet fighting had indeed reduced the number of revolutionary soldiers on the opposing side, but he also noticed that many revolutionaries weren't engaging the British with bayonets, but were instead firing pistols—a complete lack of martial ethics. Even more surprising to Younghusband was the fact that the opposing revolutionary army, like moths to a flame, rushed in front of the British. Despite suffering heavy losses, no one fled or retreated. He simply couldn't understand what was happening.

Just as Rong Hepeng was about to put down his telescope in surprise, he accidentally saw a crowd of people surging behind the revolutionary army. He quickly raised his telescope and looked. There were indeed many new troops behind the revolutionary army. He immediately knew that they were the revolutionary army coming to support. Of course, he couldn't let these revolutionary troops rush to reinforce smoothly, so he immediately ordered: "Order the artillery to bombard the revolutionary army reinforcements from behind to disrupt their reinforcements. Order the front troops to retreat."

Just as the artillery fire started again, the battalion commander came over and said, "Colonel, do you want us to attack and support immediately? We can't just keep fighting like this."

Rong Hepeng gritted his teeth and sighed, "It's too late. By the time you catch up, the Empire's warriors will have been killed by the enemy's support troops. Now they can only retreat on their own. We should also start digging trenches immediately to prevent the enemy's attack."

"Yes."

Rong Hepeng knew that the artillery bombardment could not destroy the revolutionary army reinforcements. He looked at the distance again and realized that it was too late for his troops to provide reinforcements. He could only order the soldiers on the front line to retreat on their own, even if it meant heavy losses.

Inside the advance team's battalion headquarters, the instructor excitedly shouted, "Battalion Commander, reinforcements are coming soon!"

Li Cheng turned back and saw a column of soldiers galloping in the distance. Despite being bombarded by British artillery fire, they remained undeterred, advancing at top speed toward the front line. Judging by the distance, they would reach their position in a dozen minutes at most.

The reinforcements were originally not far from here. Seeing how bravely the British army fought, Li Cheng naturally accepted the instructor's advice very quickly and immediately applied for reinforcements.

Facing the imminent arrival of reinforcements, Li Cheng showed no joy at all. With a stern expression, he said to the instructor, "I will immediately lead all the soldiers to attack and hold back the British. Instructor, you will be responsible for leading the reinforcements into the position."

The instructor said as soon as he heard it: "Battalion Commander, why do you want to go to the battlefield now..." Li Cheng smiled miserably and said, "I should have gone to the battlefield a long time ago, but I needed command here, so I didn't go before. So many good comrades have come here together over mountains and rivers with great difficulty! This time the battle has been fought like this, our battalion is almost going to die here. You see, the British are now showing signs of retreat. If I don't delay the British and let them escape, I can't immediately avenge the sacrificed comrades. I really can't accept it in my heart. Moreover, if I don't go to the battlefield to die with my comrades, can I just watch my comrades die? All the comrades are dead, and if I don't die on the battlefield, I will go to the military court. Rather than being killed by my own people, it is better to go to the battlefield with my comrades and die on the way to the charge!"

Chapter 311:

When the instructor heard these desperate words, he wanted to say that it was not Commander Li Cheng's fault, but whose fault was it? The instructor himself could not figure it out for a moment, and was speechless.

The instructor didn't realize that the only way to judge a commander's mistakes is whether he completed his assigned combat mission. Warfare is like this; even if the command is absolutely correct, how can there really be zero casualties in an offensive war?

Fighting is to achieve a certain goal. The purpose of soldiers in war is to make their own soldiers use their weapons as effectively as possible and give full play to their strength.

Great value. If you want to win, you must pay a price. As long as the commander completes his combat mission, he is a qualified commander. Whether a soldier dies or survives on the battlefield is actually not something the commander can determine.

"Don't even think about it! You're responsible for directing the reinforcements into the position."

Li Cheng finished speaking and led the remaining troops directly to the front line. However, as soon as he left the battalion headquarters, he saw the reserve company commander Wu Zhenggang running towards the battalion headquarters in a panic. Seeing Li Cheng and his comrades appear, Wu Zhenggang was stunned.

Li Cheng and the others walked up to Wu Zhenggang, who had just come to his senses when he said, "Captain, we're the only ones here!"

"hehe!"

Hearing Li Cheng's laughter, Wu Zhenggang shuddered. Li Cheng stared at Wu Zhenggang and said slowly, "Very good, they're all dead. It's finally our turn. Now take all the reserves and go!"

Wu Zhenggang was stunned. Reinforcements were about to arrive. Shouldn't he delay a bit and wait for them to attack together? Why should he go to the front and die now? As a veteran soldier, Wu Zhenggang had never avoided a fight before. But going to the front now would be nothing more than adding fuel to the fire, a way to die. As long as they waited for reinforcements and gathered all their strength, they could defeat the British in one fell swoop. Why should they go to the front?

Wu Zhenggang's mind was a little confused at this time. He didn't understand why. He ran to find the battalion commander Li Cheng, hoping to get the "correct" instructions from Li Cheng. However, Li Cheng's instructions put Wu Zhenggang in a dilemma.

"Wu Zhenggang, take your troops and follow me!" Li Cheng continued to give orders. He believed his men could hold off the British, giving the reinforcements enough time to deploy and completely annihilate them. All the reinforcements needed was time, and Li Cheng, with his remaining comrades, should be able to buy them enough time.

After giving the order, Li Cheng glared at Wu Zhenggang. Wu Zhenggang didn't dare to hesitate any longer and immediately ran towards the reserve team.

Li Cheng followed behind Wu Zhenggang and turned his head to look at the battle line in the distance. At this time, the soldiers were fighting a desperate battle with the British army in close combat, and there was no beauty at all.

Arriving in front of the reserve, Li Cheng looked at his comrades, all of whom had turned pale. They no longer had the high spirits and eagerness to fight that they had in previous battles against the Qing army.

"Comrades, I will lead you to charge personally!" Li Cheng shouted loudly.

This shout lifted the soldiers' spirits, but that was all. Everyone was frightened by the fierce fighting on the battlefield. In the past, the revolutionary army had always marched to the front line with high spirits and easily defeated the enemy and won the victory.

Fight, advance, charge—what beautiful words! They were the path to victory, to glory. However, the ongoing battle against the British invaders revealed to the revolutionary army a different side of war. It turned out that cruelty, death, life-or-death struggles, and fear were the true nature of war.

Li Cheng suddenly burst into laughter and shouted to the troops: "The comrades on the battlefield need our support. If we don't go up, they will be dead. If we don't save them today, no one will save us in the future. Besides, our reinforcements will arrive soon. We must not let this British army escape. Everyone! Bayonets! It's either the enemy or we die. Let's fight to the death."

He raised his rifle and shouted to the troops: "Comrades, follow me! Kill!"

The other soldiers heard Li Cheng's cry and immediately followed suit, shouting, "Kill!"

Then he rushed out without hesitation.

Li Cheng had never imagined that, with a force nearly evenly outnumbered, the revolutionary army would be unable to defeat the British. Within a short period of time, the troops were nearly wiped out. Remember, Li Cheng led the incredibly brave vanguard battalion of the revolutionary army, one of the most powerful troops in the entire revolutionary army.

If the enemy were the Qing army or the militia, this battalion of soldiers could easily win even if faced with forces several times their number. Charging with bayonets could directly cut through the enemy ranks, and after the enemy collapsed, the troops would then pursue.

The soldiers had already demonstrated their full potential, except for the initial period. Despite risking their lives, they still barely managed to hold the line. With reinforcements arriving soon, it was time to fight with every last ounce of strength.