The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

"Tell the artillery to set up the guns and bombard them first." "Yes."

"Ziqin, after the bombardment, conduct an infantry charge. See where the Red Bandits' defenses are weak. Once you find a weak area, get the heavy machine guns there. Suppress their firepower, then break through the weak spot and capture the position."

"Yes."

Zhu Panzao replied immediately.

Wang Yingkai came to the front line and pulled all 54 artillery pieces of a battalion to the front line. He wanted to use all their artillery to bombard the Red bandits first, so that the Red bandits could experience the power of the artillery.

In terms of frontal attacks, the Beiyang New Army took the Red Bandits completely lightly. These ragtag groups before them were poorly armed. In a head-on confrontation on the plains, their disadvantage in weaponry would be even more pronounced.

By this time, Zhao Liang was aware that the Beiyang army had reached the front lines. He also knew that one Beiyang battalion had fifty-four cannons. However, the Beiyang army lacked large-caliber artillery or field guns. A single town's artillery consisted of only eighteen Krupp 75mm mountain guns and forty-two Grusen 57mm mountain guns. Nevertheless, such equipment was enough to dominate China for a time.

Amidst the roar of artillery fire, a new round of attack began. However, Zhao Liang had already received orders to abandon Weinan, and the pressure was much less. Furthermore, the further back the position, the more prepared the PLA was, and the better the trenches. All the problems encountered in the trenches were corrected. War is the best teacher for learning about war, and death is the greatest motivation. Just like now, all the soldiers were hiding in the anti-artillery holes. Unless one of the holes was unlucky enough to be hit directly by artillery multiple times in a row, they were basically safe.

The PLA had already thoroughly understood the Beiyang Army's tactics: artillery bombardment, followed by a charge, and then artillery bombardment. The truly brutal fighting took place in the peripheral cavalry engagements. The PLA naturally couldn't allow the Beiyang cavalry to stray too far from their main force. If they were allowed to break through the PLA's cavalry defenses and wreak havoc, the Shaanxi Liberated Area would suffer heavy losses.

At this moment, about two kilometers away from the front line, a team of Beiyang cavalry and a company of PLA cavalry suddenly met. The number of Beiyang cavalry was three times that of the PLA, but when two brave men meet on a narrow road, the braver one prevails. The two teams of cavalry immediately deployed their formations and charged at each other.

At first, both sides drew their lances and opened fire. Soldiers on both sides were struck and thrown from their horses. Worst hit were those dragged along the ground by their horses, quickly reduced to a bloody mess. However, the cavalry, seemingly oblivious to the situation, continued their charge unfazed. After firing their lances, both sides drew their sabers from their scabbards, their legs tightening, and both warriors extended their right hands backward before slashing forward, their blades aimed straight for the enemy's chest. Any slash from a saber was a fatal wound; a cut on the arm, under the immense force of the impact, would sever the entire arm.

When the PLA cavalry saw the way the Beiyang cavalry used their swords, they immediately realized that this group of cavalry had not suffered any loss from the PLA cavalry. The PLA cavalry soldiers immediately raised their swords a little higher and allowed the Beiyang cavalry's swords to chop their chests.

The Beiyang cavalrymen, observing the PLA's posture, smiled a mixture of cruelty and mockery. But as their swords struck the bandits' chests, they felt as if they had struck an iron pillar, unable to penetrate any further. The PLA soldiers also felt a tightness in their chests, as if struck by something heavy, but their lives were safe. Before the Beiyang cavalrymen could even process what had happened, the PLA's razor-sharp sabers had already sliced ​​through their carotid arteries. Some were even beheaded, their necks severed.

In this clash, only a handful of PLA soldiers were killed; the vast majority of those lying on the ground were Beiyang cavalry. Both sides reined in their horses, turning their horses and realizing the numbers on both sides were now nearly equal. Many of the Beiyang cavalry were still unsure of what had happened and why the vast majority of the casualties were their own. However, the PLA cavalry would not give them the opportunity to communicate, and immediately charged forward once more, attacking the Beiyang army.

In fact, those cavalrymen who struck the PLA's chest were not mistaken; they were actually striking an iron rod. The PLA's cavalry wore not only cowhide linings and outer linings, but also, adhering to a pragmatic approach, reinforced protection was applied to all areas vulnerable to actual combat. Several forged steel bars were also placed on the chest area to mitigate some of the damage from cavalry fighting. Of course, this undoubtedly put a much heavier load on the horses, but it was still worth it.

"The Red Bandits wore breastplates."

"Be careful, the Red Bandits are wearing breastplates."

The Beiyang cavalry, facing them, looked bewildered. How could the bandits have defeated the Beiyang cavalry so easily? Their morale was completely shattered. Even after learning the truth about the PLA's breastplates, the Beiyang cavalry still couldn't accept it. Before they could figure out how to deal with the Red Bandit cavalry, the opposing cavalry charged again.

Seeing the Red Bandit Cavalry so belligerent, many Beiyang cavalrymen were immediately intimidated. Seeing the bodies of their own Beiyang soldiers lying on the ground, they simply didn't dare to engage the PLA cavalry directly. But it didn't matter anymore. The PLA soldiers charged, but when they saw the Beiyang cavalry remained motionless, the PLA cavalry, having gained experience, immediately drew their pistols and fired a shot into the air. This was standard equipment for PLA cavalry: a lance and a pistol, and at close range, the pistol had a natural advantage. Then, all the PLA cavalrymen aimed their guns at the Beiyang cavalrymen and shouted in unison: "If you don't want to die, dismount and surrender immediately. The PLA will treat prisoners well."

After the shout, the PLA cavalry in the center immediately slowed down, and the cavalry on both sides surrounded the Beiyang cavalry. Several horses also stopped, and the soldiers on horseback drew their lances and pointed them at the Beiyang troops. These soldiers were all sharpshooters. At this time, the Beiyang cavalry were scattered. If anyone dared to incite the Beiyang cavalry to fight, their bullets would immediately kill the instigator, forcing the Beiyang cavalry to surrender.

"Commander, the cavalry transporting supplies has arrived at Tongguan." "Very good, then proceed as planned."

Zhang Feng did not participate in the frontline battles. Of course, he could not participate in the battles. The battles on the front lines were not worthy of his personal involvement. Zhang Feng set up his headquarters in the temple and commanded the troops.

"How are the preparations going?"

"Captain, look, the comrades are already in ambush, and there's nothing to be seen."

Fang Xiaohu, Dong Lianying, Ma Long, and Zhao Dabao each led a regiment to execute the plan. They had already dug trenches the previous night, a kilometer out of sight of Tongguan. The bulk of the troops were hiding in these trenches, awaiting the arrival of the supply convoy from Tongguan. Hiding troops in plain sight along the road was essentially a case of hiding in plain sight. With both sides of the road largely visible, no one would have suspected the PLA would be hiding along the roadside. By catching the enemy by surprise, victory was inevitable.

Fang Xiaohu and his men immediately looked around, and sure enough, not only could they not see any trenches on the road, they could not even tell that four huge regiments of troops were ambushed there.

"Very good, let's hide quickly too. The transport team from Tongguan has already come out."

The Tongguan transport convoy had indeed departed, and not only was there a transport convoy, but there was also a battalion of escort troops. Generally speaking, places like Tongguan and Huayin were already considered Qing-occupied areas and were relatively safe. Therefore, the Qing troops escorting the convoy had never imagined that someone would dare to rob them just after they left Tongguan. They couldn't imagine that the enemy would dare to rob them right under their noses.

Qing soldiers, escorting over 120 carts, marched in a mighty procession along the main road to Xi'an. Aside from a slightly cautious group of soldiers leading the way, the others were in high spirits, chatting and laughing along the way, as if they were on vacation rather than a battle. Even the laborers transporting supplies seemed much more relaxed as they walked along the main road, praising its excellent construction. Their relaxed attitude was understandable, however. After all, they had a clear view of everything around them; there wasn't even a ghost to be seen. What was there to be wary of?

Chapter 346:

Fang Xiaohu looked at the transport team that was getting closer and closer, and saw that the Qing troops escorting the supplies were so lax, and a smile suddenly appeared on his face.

"Captain, do you think these Qing troops will resist?"

"I want them all to surrender."

Fang Xiaohu knew that it was meaningless to guess whether the Qing army would resist or not. It did not depend on the Qing army at all, but on the speed of his own actions. As long as the speed was fast enough, these Qing troops would have no chance to resist even if they wanted to.

As Fang Xiaohu expected, the PLA soldiers did not give the Qing troops escorting supplies any chance to resist. After the Qing troops entered the encirclement, Fang Xiaohu blew a whistle, and four regiments of PLA soldiers immediately jumped out of the trenches, with more than 6,000 guns pointing at the Qing troops on the road. These Qing troops instantly had no idea of ​​resistance and knelt down directly.

The People's Liberation Army immediately disarmed this battalion of Qing troops, and all the civilian laborers were replaced by PLA soldiers. The prisoners and civilian laborers were all taken away, awaiting subsequent processing.

"Captain, we've made a fortune! They're transporting heavy machine guns, bullets, artillery shells, and a large amount of food."

Wang Yingkai naturally emphasized the need to transport food. They had no support from the local gentry in Shaanxi, so how could they fight without food? However, Fang Xiaohu had no desire to get rich. All captured goods would be confiscated and distributed uniformly by the logistics department. Of course, the current situation was special, and the destination of this batch of supplies had already been discussed during the meeting.

"Very good, act according to the plan immediately. Guns, ammunition and other military supplies will remain in Tongguan, and food and other supplies will continue to be transported to Huayin. Soldiers disguised as Qing troops must be careful not to be exposed, and go open Tongguan for me."

After intercepting the supplies, the PLA comrades immediately divided them into two groups without delay. One battalion of PLA soldiers, dressed in Qing army uniforms and disguised as defeated soldiers, fled towards Tongguan, while another battalion, disguised as civilian laborers, also pushed the ammunition and supplies towards Tongguan. Fang Xiaohu and Ma Long, responsible for capturing Tongguan, followed at a distance with a large force. Before they had taken a few steps, they heard the sound of firecrackers exploding from an iron barrel behind them.

"Do you think the Tongguan defenders would be fooled?" Ma Long asked Fang Xiaohu. "Do you think the Tongguan people could guess that the Qing troops and the civilians had been quietly switched?"

"Then you have to act more realistically."

After arriving at Tongguan and seeing the Qing troops escorting the supplies, some Qing soldiers immediately stayed behind to block the pursuing Red bandits and prevent them from catching up with the fleeing Qing troops and supplies. The two sides fought back and forth, and the battle was extremely lively. However, the defenders of Tongguan did not see that both sides were just firing into the air and could not actually hurt each other. They could only see Qing soldiers and Red bandits falling to the ground from time to time. At this time, Ma Long and Fang Xiaohu's eyes were fixed on the comrades rushing towards Tongguan. If the Qing troops guarding Tongguan did not let their comrades enter, then they would have to storm Tongguan.

What made Fang Xiaohu and Ma Long breathe a sigh of relief was that the Tongguan defenders had no suspicion of the PLA and civilian laborers disguised as Qing troops. As Fang Xiaohu had said, who among the Tongguan defenders could believe that a battalion of Qing troops would be forced to surrender without a single shot fired? And what about the Shaanxi Red Bandits, who were well prepared, disguising themselves as Qing troops and seizing Tongguan without delay? If the Tongguan defenders could guess this, they were truly incredible.

The disguised PLA soldiers and civilians rushed into Tongguan without any inspection. The comrades were no strangers to Tongguan and immediately drew their weapons and began to fight against the Beiyang defenders. At the sound of gunfire at Tongguan, the fallen bodies suddenly came to life, immediately getting up and rushing towards Tongguan with their comrades. The soldiers wearing Qing army uniforms threw them off as they ran. If they were mistakenly shot and killed by their own people, they would have no place to cry.

The moment the disguised comrades entered Tongguan, its fate was sealed. After a brief street battle, this ancient fortress was once again in the hands of the People's Liberation Army. After defeating the Qing troops, Ma Long and Fang Xiaohu immediately deployed a two-pronged defense, wary of another Qing attack on Shaanxi or attempts to rescue the Second Beiyang Regiment, while also preventing the Second Beiyang Regiment from attacking Tongguan and attempting to escape.

Dong Lianying and Zhao Dabao also followed the disguised Qing army convoy from a distance, and sent two comrades disguised as Qing soldiers to Huayin on horseback to seek help. The two disguised comrades rode all the way to Huayin, but before they could even enter the city, they were disarmed by the guards and brought before the battalion commander. They immediately ran to the battalion commander of the Beiyang New Army and reported to him that their escort had been attacked by the Red Bandits.

Just as the two comrades were reporting, a faint burst of gunfire was heard in the distance. A disguised comrade immediately said, "Sir, listen, the Red Bandits must be catching up again. Hurry up and take people to rescue them. There are more than a hundred carts of ammunition and food inside. If they are taken away by the Red Bandits, not only will they strengthen their power, but the front-line troops will also have no bullets, artillery shells, or food to eat."

The Beiyang Cavalry Battalion Commander naturally understood the seriousness of the situation after hearing this. He also knew that there were still Red Bandits active in the Huayin area. Otherwise, where would the wounded soldiers sent back from the city come from? Moreover, one of their tasks here was to ensure the safety and smooth flow of logistics channels. If the supplies were robbed before his eyes, he would be held responsible. If the war was lost due to poor logistics protection, his head would surely be chopped off to bear the responsibility. And from the sound of the gunshot, it seemed that they were not far away. He immediately ordered the patrol battalion to guard Huayin, and the Beiyang New Army immediately went to support them.

The Beiyang New Army naturally looked down on the combat effectiveness of the patrol battalion soldiers. Not only were they poorly treated, but they weren't even fully equipped with firearms. Having them guard Huayin was fine, but the Beiyang New Army battalion commander decided against sending them to deal with the Red Bandits.

As soon as he ran to the defensive position outside, the disguised comrade said to the battalion commander: "Battalion commander, look at our weapons."

As he spoke, he pointed to the place where they had surrendered their weapons. The battalion commander nodded on his horse, and the two comrades immediately carried their guns and continued to run forward with the team.

The battalion commander of the new army led his troops out of the city, trotting along the main road. Two disguised comrades also ran beside the battalion commander. After the battalion commander turned a corner, before he had run a few hundred meters, two regiments of PLA soldiers suddenly appeared from both sides of the road, thousands of rifles pointed directly at the 500 or so fleeing new soldiers.

The two comrades, who had been in disguise, immediately pointed their guns at the new army battalion commander and the mounted military supervisor. If they dared to shout a word of resistance or fight to the death, they would be killed. Knowing the times, they were heroes. In the end, the two men were disarmed without even a shred of resistance.

The PLA soldiers did not hesitate at all. They immediately changed into the uniforms of the Beiyang New Army and started walking back with the supplies. After they had taken a few steps, they heard the sound of firecrackers being set off in an iron barrel. After a long string of firecrackers was set off, the scene immediately fell into silence. Seeing these tricks, the Beiyang New Army soldiers looked at each other in confusion. The scene was quite awkward.

The PLA soldiers, dressed in New Army uniforms, arrived at Huayin with supplies. Without questioning, the Qing troops in the patrol battalion, stationed in a bunker, simply removed the roadblocks and let the New Army into the city, even saluting the PLA soldiers with earnest faces. Seeing this, Zhao Dabao immediately realized that the Beiyang New Army and the patrol battalion had little communication, and the soldiers in the patrol battalion felt inferior to the Beiyang New Army.

Zhao Dabao immediately disarmed the patrol battalion, and the People's Liberation Army took over their positions. When the PLA pointed their guns at them and shouted the slogan "surrender and you will not be killed," they immediately understood what was happening. The Qing troops in the patrol battalion were mostly accompanied by their families and had little desire to fight. Seeing the large group of Red Bandits entering the city, they simply raised their guns and surrendered.

Zhao Dabao rode his horse forward and, led by the surrendered prisoners, arrived directly outside the patrol camp commander's house. Seeing the Beiyang New Army coming to his residence, the camp commander immediately came out to greet them. Zhao Dabao took out his pistol and pointed it at the camp commander and said, "You have been captured by our People's Liberation Army."

The battalion commander was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized his situation and raised his hands in surrender, shouting: "Don't shoot, don't shoot, I surrender."

"Immediately have the Qing troops of the patrol camp gather outside the city and accept the surrender of their weapons." "Yes, yes, we will surrender our weapons immediately, we will surrender our weapons immediately."

When news of the easy capture of Huayin reached Zhang Feng, he was still a bit incredulous. Besides the brief, fierce battle to liberate Tongguan, they had also seized over a hundred truckloads of supplies, forced the landing of a battalion of soldiers escorting them, forced the landing of a battalion of fresh troops emerging from Huayin, and forced the landing of a patrol battalion. With only a few disguises and a few changes of clothing, they had accomplished the mission without firing a single shot. This could be considered a miracle in military history. As Zhang Feng had expected, this case study was incorporated into the military academy's textbooks. This demonstrated flexible and maneuverable strategies and tactics, which were extremely beneficial to the army's emancipation of mind and its pragmatic approach to combat.

At this point, Wang Yingkai didn't know that Huayin and Tongguan had been recaptured by the People's Liberation Army. Like Zhu Panzao, he was now confident. Having led a large force through two consecutive lines of defense, he was also full of confidence. He had already begun to fantasize about the beautiful dream of attacking Xi'an and controlling Shaanxi.

"Remember, today~ today we must capture Weinan, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow we must capture Lintong, and the day after tomorrow we must capture Xi'an. Show me your true abilities."

Wang Yingkai was also feeling quite proud. He no longer had the caution he had felt after the surprise attack, because he simply couldn't believe the Red Bandits' fighting power. They were willing to fight, but unfortunately their equipment was too poor and their strength was too weak. If it weren't for the trenches they had prepared long ago, the Red Bandits would be no match for the Beiyang New Army.

If the Red Bandits' sneak attacks and harassment hadn't been so troublesome, the Beiyang New Army wouldn't have wasted so much time. Furthermore, Wang Yingkai didn't want to incur heavy casualties. For the elite Beiyang New Army, there weren't many truly elite troops.

Therefore, Wang Yingkai was particularly careful with his troops, not wanting them to suffer heavy casualties. Furthermore, his troops were entering Shaanxi alone. Although Henan also had a significant number of new army units, they would be unlikely to arrive to assist him in the short term. Furthermore, with the Qing Dynasty's current financial resources, it was simply impossible to station too many troops in Shaanxi. Otherwise, the logistics would have been enough to bring the Qing Dynasty to its knees.

Under such circumstances, he also had to maintain the strength of his troops. Furthermore, even after the Beiyang army entered Xi'an, Wang Yingkai still needed to use his troops to wipe out the remaining Red Bandits and keep the people obedient. Therefore, he was extremely cautious and would never rashly send his troops to attack the Red Bandits' positions. Even so, they were still able to break through several of the Red Bandits' defenses.

Precisely because he cherished his troops and didn't want them to suffer too many casualties, Wang Yingkai always used artillery before attacking, then used machine guns to suppress the enemy. Only then would he move his troops forward. This had the advantage of fewer casualties, but the disadvantage was that it consumed more bullets and ammunition, and the attack was slow, which also put a considerable strain on their logistics.

However, by now, Weinan was within reach, and the Red Bandits' defenses were already crumbling. Although the Beiyang New Army had suffered numerous casualties along the way, Wang Yingkai was confident that they had nearly annihilated the main Red Bandits blocking their path. As long as they could then defeat the incoming Red Bandits' reinforcements, this battle would have eliminated most of the Shaanxi Red Bandits, breaking their backbone and facilitating subsequent operations.

"Yes. Commander, just leave it to us." The Beiyang New Army was also very confident at this time.

After attacking several times, they felt that the Red Bandits were just so-so, and would even collapse at the first touch, completely losing the courage and momentum they had when they attacked them before.

Just as Wang Yingkai and his men were discussing a single-handed attack on Weinan, Zhao Liang received a telegram from Zhang Feng, stating that Tongguan and Huayin had been recaptured by the People's Liberation Army, completely cutting off the retreat routes of the two Beiyang towns. He also instructed: Weinan must not be surrendered to the Beiyang New Army. If the Beiyang New Army were allowed to hold the city, the PLA's attack on Weinan would inevitably destroy numerous buildings, and if street fighting ensued, the PLA would inevitably pay a heavy price.

Zhao Liang immediately understood the seriousness of the situation and knew the decisive battle with the Beiyang Second Regiment was imminent. He immediately ordered the frontline troops not to retreat even a single step and immediately sent troops to reinforce the front. He also deepened the previously dug trenches and began digging numerous trenches around the perimeter of the Beiyang Second Regiment, forming a series of blocking strongholds that would eventually completely encircle the Beiyang. The mission of these strongholds was to prevent the Beiyang army from escaping in the event of a defeat, thereby allowing the rebellious troops to cause harm to the area.

Chapter 347:

Zhang Feng led a large force to the outskirts of Huazhou City and asked the comrades who were monitoring him: "What is the situation in Huazhou?"

"Commander, we've observed carefully. The Beiyang New Army is really proud. Even with the low temperature, there aren't many people standing guard. Furthermore, there are only a little over a thousand troops in the city, which should be the strength of two battalions."

"Captain Dong, this time your troops will be leading the charge, pretending to be escorting supplies. Do you have the confidence to complete the mission?"

"Make sure to complete the mission."

"Okay, then the main force will surround Huazhou and wait for your news." The closer they get to Wang Yingkai and his main force, the more cautious they must be. The later Wang Yingkai learns of the severance, the more time the People's Liberation Army will have to prepare.

The defense of Huazhou is much stronger than that of Huayin and Tongguan, because Huazhou stores a large amount of supplies for this large army, and the supplies inside also need to be transported to the front line continuously.

Dong Lianying had just passed the Beiyang Army's first line of defense while transporting supplies when an accident occurred. Several fast horses came running from a distance, shouting as they ran: "The Red Bandits are coming! The Red Bandits are coming!"

It turned out that these cavalrymen were stationed as guard posts on the periphery. When they saw a large number of PLA soldiers surrounding them, they immediately ran back to report the situation. Dong Lianying heard the shouts of the Qing cavalry and immediately pushed the supplies he was pushing across the road, blocking the cavalry's advance.

"Who are you? Get out of the way! We have urgent military information."

Seeing the road blocked, the cavalrymen immediately shouted in rebuke. The disguised PLA soldiers didn't try to push the vehicles aside, but instead reached out to grab the cavalrymen's reins. At this point, even a fool would have known these people were out of their minds. However, the PLA didn't give the cavalrymen a chance to react; their rifles were already pointed at them.

"Don't move. If you move, I'll kill you. Get off your horse immediately."

The cavalrymen didn't dare to move anymore and dismounted obediently. However, this scene happened to be seen by a passing Beiyang soldier, who immediately loaded his gun and fired at the PLA soldiers.

"Bang."

Hearing the gunshot, Dong Lianying knew his plan to secretly capture Huazhou had failed. Furious, he looked toward the source of the gunshot and saw a Beiyang soldier fleeing with his back to them. Dong Lianying didn't order a pursuit, as there was no need. He immediately ordered, "Attack."

At this time, the competition is about speed. As long as Huazhou is taken before the defending Qing army reacts, the resistance encountered will not be great. Every time the People's Liberation Army advances a house, the range of the Beiyang New Army that can block the People's Liberation Army will be smaller, and their danger will be less.

As Dong Lianying had predicted, the defending Beiyang troops were unable to establish effective blocking positions and were completely overwhelmed by the PLA. Some Beiyang troops attempted to engage the PLA from within houses, but were easily dispatched by the PLA with grenade launchers or hand grenades. Ultimately, the garrisoned New Army soldiers were confined to a few large courtyards, where they put up a desperate resistance.

At this time, we can’t attack by force. If the Qing army inside fights to the death, the PLA will also suffer heavy casualties. The people who called for surrender immediately came out. If only Huazhou was surrounded, the Qing army inside might expect that as long as Wang Yingkai and others knew the news and came to rescue them, there would be a glimmer of hope. But when they learned that Huayin and Tongguan had also been captured by the PLA, the Qing army inside

They immediately lost all their fighting spirit and chose to surrender under the leadership of the two battalion commanders.

Hearing the news that Huazhou was also captured, Zhang Feng breathed a sigh of relief. The next step was to deal with the main force led by Wang Yingkai wholeheartedly. Zhang Feng immediately began to command the troops to dig trenches like Zhao Liang. If these trenches can be used, it would be the best. Even if they cannot be used, it is just a waste of effort, and it is all worth it. This is the best way to reduce your own losses. Only by saving yourself first can you talk about destroying the enemy. Moreover, Wang Yingkai is already a turtle in a jar, a cooked duck, but if you want to catch this turtle and prevent the cooked duck from flying away,

If they were to succeed, they would have to be trapped in the Chishui area. To the north was the Wei River, and as long as the trenches were dug, they would be unable to escape.

"Report."

"Enter."

"Sir, it's bad. The Red Bandits have occupied Huazhou and are now digging trenches everywhere."

Wang Yingkai was shocked when he heard this. "What? Are you telling the truth?"

"Absolutely true. Our logistical supplies didn't arrive on time, so we immediately sent cavalry to investigate. Now the red flag of the Red Bandits has been raised inside Huazhou City."

Although the Qing dynasty had extensive telegraph lines, its army didn't yet have many wireless telegraphs. Only time travelers like Zhang Yinghao would truly value such equipment. Therefore, regular communication between Qing troops was required, with specific safe contact times. For example, if the troops in Huayin and Huazhou didn't communicate within a safe timeframe, they would know that something had happened to one of their troops or on the road, and would immediately dispatch personnel to investigate or provide assistance.

Because Huayin, Huazhou and Tongguan are the retreat routes of the Beiyang New Army and also the logistics channels of the Beiyang New Army. The logistics of the Beiyang New Army must pass through these places before they can be delivered to the front line. Wang Yingkai and others naturally attach great importance to them.

Wang Yingkai forced himself to calm down and immediately ordered: "Maoxuan, immediately send the cavalry to check around to see what's going on."

"Yes."

Wang Huaiqing immediately stood up and went to the cavalry headquarters to issue orders. At this time, Wang Huaiqing also knew his own suffering. Now his cavalry battalion has lost more than half of its members. If the losses continue like this, there is no need to fight anymore, and their cavalry dare not ride out on horseback anymore.

As intelligence gathered, Wang Yingkai received a piece of news that he could not accept at all: there were at least three more divisions of regular troops besieging him.

"Do you know where these troops are coming from?"

"I don't know."

"Red bandits? No, Shaanxi can't afford to support so many troops. So... where did these troops come from? Did Sichuan send reinforcements? Yes, Sichuan may have sent troops even earlier, but just hid them."

Wang Yingkai understood that only the Red Bandits' stronghold in Sichuan had such a powerful army.

I was so anxious just now that I hadn't thought about it. But when Wang Yingkai started to think seriously about it, he immediately thought he had thought of everything. He knew that the cavalry had suffered heavy losses, but since entering Shaanxi, he felt that this battle was inexplicable and he had never fought this kind of battle before.

Now, after connecting all the events, he completely understood that the Red Bandits wanted to eat up their entire town in one gulp. My goodness, what a big appetite they had! They were really good at luring the enemy deep into their territory!

Why is the Red Bandits' cavalry so powerful, while the infantry is so easily defeated in one blow? The guard troops in the front are obviously attracting their attention, and then a troop of soldiers quietly enters behind them.

Thinking about it later, he suddenly remembered Huayin and Tongguan. Now he had no way to contact Huayin and Tongguan, and he didn't know whether these two places were still in his hands. He was really too careless.

"Forward Party! People's Liberation Army~People's Liberation Army! Forward Party!..." Wang Yingkai muttered to himself.

"Someone is coming."

"Master Commander?"

"Send a telegram, send a telegram immediately to the Army Department. Tell the court about our situation and ask them to send troops to reinforce Tongguan immediately. If Tongguan has been occupied by the Red Bandits, we must break through Tongguan. The Red Bandits have just occupied Tongguan, and we must take advantage of their unstable position to break through Tongguan."

"Yes."