The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

General Dong knew that the Western powers possessed massive warships and cannons, and their heavy machine guns were also incredibly powerful. They relied on industry to defeat the Qing Dynasty in Beijing from thousands of miles away. To develop industry in China, land reform was essential. The Westernization Movement was initiated by Zeng Wenzheng and Zuo Wenxiang to maintain the rule of the Qing court, but the First Sino-Japanese War destroyed all these achievements.

History has proven that the landlord class was incapable of running industry. The suppression of the Taiping Rebellion and the Boxer Rebellion demonstrated that traditional dynastic change was no longer successful, and that the peasant class was incapable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of industrializing China. The landlord class's entrenched feudal economy hindered industrial development. Therefore, from this perspective, the Qing Dynasty was bound to be defeated by the armies of the great powers; victory was merely a coincidence.

General Dong, you are a soldier. You should know that the only way to truly defeat an industrial nation is to develop its industry. Gun for gun, cannon for cannon, only when we can mass-produce our own guns and cannons can we confidently say to the great powers, as Genghis Khan said: "If you want to fight, then fight."

Hearing Ma Fukang's words, Dong Fuxiang immediately clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Well said, well said! If you want to fight, then fight! That's a good saying."

"General Dong, do you think China's military is inferior to that of the other great powers?" "Of course not."

"Zhang Yinghao, Chairman of our Progressive Party, once said that China's thousands of years of history is a history of struggle. Since the Qin Dynasty, China has had more than 500 emperors, with an average of one emperor every four years. You can imagine how fierce and cruel the historical struggles were, and you can't imagine how many wars occurred in China during this period. Therefore, the Chinese are one of the best sources of soldiers in the world. This is something that is ingrained in us. If we have enough weapons, we can arm 100,000 people. If 100,000 people are not enough, we can arm 1 million people. If 1 million people are not enough, we can arm 10 million people. If 10 million people are not enough, we can arm 20 million people, 30 million people. General Dong, think about it, if we have tens of millions of troops to defend our country, would the foreign powers dare to bully us? Would they dare to send troops in? The human wave tactics can wipe out the foreign powers' armies."

"It's a good idea, but how can we support so many troops?"

"This is a difference in perspective. The Qing dynasty trained its soldiers solely for food and rations; they needed money to motivate them to fight for their country. The People's Liberation Army, led by our Progressive Party, is the people's own army, the people's soldiers. We stand with the people. Even without a penny, they will support us and join us in fighting to the death to protect the fruits of their labor. Now you should understand why the Qing dynasty was doomed to fall. Not only did the Qing dynasty lack sufficient weapons to arm so many troops, it simply didn't dare to arm so many people. Why?

It's because the Qing oppressed the people, not represented them. If the Qing dared to arm so many armies, regardless of whether they had the money to support them, their first choice wouldn't be to fight the foreign powers, but to overthrow the Qing's corrupt rule. Just like the Boxer Rebellion, if the Qing dared to fully arm the Boxers, the foreign powers would never have been able to break into the capital. But what did the Qing do? General, you were in the capital at the time and assisted the Boxers, so you should know what happened. Even if the Qing signed a humiliating and traitorous treaty, they would have joined forces with the foreign powers to crush the Boxers. The Boxer slogan changed from "Support the Qing and destroy the foreigners" to "Sweep away the Qing and destroy the foreigners." All officials who advocated resistance to the foreign powers were essentially purged. If you didn't hold military power, ready to overthrow the table and revolt at any moment, and the Qing needed your immense prestige to stabilize the northwest, you would never have left the capital. After your Wuwei Rear Army was defeated by the foreign powers, it was taken over by Yuan Shikai, who had been conserving his strength and keeping his troops inactive, and used it to suppress the Boxer Rebellion. Yuan Shikai's nickname "Man Butcher" was well-deserved.

Hearing Ma Fukang's words, Dong Fuxiang immediately fell silent. But remembering Cixi's earnest words and Emperor Guangxu's words: "One day, when I hear the drums of the imperial chariot, I will think of my generals and commanders, and who else but you will I follow?", he immediately said with all his might, "You are truly eloquent, trying so many different ways to persuade us to surrender! I was almost convinced by you. I am a loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty, deeply favored by the Emperor. I will never betray the trust placed in me by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Your tricks will not work on me."

Ma Fukang smiled and said, "General Dong, you have fought against foreign powers and are a national hero. You have embodied the integrity and prestige of our nation. We respect you deeply, so who can persuade you to surrender? I dare to appear before you, General. You are a man! Death is the worst that can happen. You have been a soldier all your life, so we naturally know that General Dong is not afraid of death. Surrender is when one party uses force to oppress the other party, and it may be said in words or in the heart. We also know that General Dong cherishes his reputation very much, so he will naturally not surrender.

But I think Mr. Dong captured the Austro-Hungarian, Belgian, Dutch, Italian embassies, and the Russian Daosheng Bank in a few days. Then what? In over fifty days, he couldn't even capture an embassy guarded by over four hundred people. You should have seen the true face of the Qing court the moment you ordered the guns to be raised an inch. Or perhaps you should have known the final outcome of the Qing and the foreign powers when you saw Li Hongzhang and his group sign the Southeast Mutual Protection Agreement!

"General Dong, you came from a poor peasant background, yet you have helped the people, defended the border against the enemy, and reclaimed wasteland. Therefore, we hope you will identify with our ideals, stand with the poor, join us, and work with us to bring happiness to the poor and create a better future. Of course, our country is now facing invasion by foreign powers, and we also hope that General Dong will provide us with assistance and join us in resisting the imperialist invasion..."

... "-

Chapter 359:

As Ma Fukang and his men were trying to persuade Dong Fuxiang, the Qing troops from western Gansu and Qinghai began to gather in Lanzhou. As for Ma Fuxiang's troops, Zhang Feng certainly couldn't allow them to immediately engage in battle against the Qing troops in Gansu. These troops needed to undergo at least some training before they could be sent to the battlefield. Furthermore, with the policy of relocating soldiers to other places now in force, those willing to remain in the army would naturally choose to leave Gansu.

Liu Bugong had no chance to attack Lanzhou. After Zhang Feng and his men continued their advance, he began a simple reorganization of his troops. After assigning political commissars and instructors to each unit, he led the cavalry unit towards Yan'an. This time, Liu Bugong and his men had an urgent task: to train these surrendered soldiers as quickly as possible so they could be deployed to the battlefield as soon as possible.

In fact, the reason the Qing troops in Gansu were still so rampant was mainly because they feared the Forward Party's policy of abolishing slavery and implementing land reform. Gansu was feudal and backward, and once land reform was implemented in Gansu, their foundation would collapse in an instant, and their previous wealth and power would be wiped out. They could not help but fight desperately!

Military officers from Gansu and Qinghai, such as Ma Anliang, Ma Lin, and Lu Hongtao, gathered in Lanzhou to discuss countermeasures. This was, in fact, a major coordinated effort by the Gansu and Qinghai armed forces. Militia groups and even bandits from various regions gathered in Lanzhou, awaiting dispatch from the Song and Fan armies.

After learning of Ma Fuxiang's complete defeat, they became even more frantic in their recruitment, scouring the land and mobilizing everyone they could. They even rekindled their religious jihadist tactics, frantically mobilizing those with strong religious beliefs and a desire to establish an independent kingdom. Imams from all over the country also flocked to Lanzhou, even producing a large number of green flags as their symbol. The large mosques in Lanzhou, with their subordinate smaller mosques, provided a stronger mobilization organization, and the forces within the city rapidly expanded.

Song Fan was helpless at this point. The PLA put too much pressure on him. He was a Manchu, a loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty, and had never thought of surrendering at the cost of his integrity. Seeing the increasing number of people, the confidence of Ma Anliang and Ma Qi and his group was also constantly growing.

A large net had been spread out against the remaining Qing troops in Gansu and Qinghai. The PLA troops were deployed slowly and quietly, aiming to draw out all the various forces in the northwest and then wipe them out in one fell swoop. The mastermind behind this was Zhang Yinghao. He showed no mercy to those who might cause trouble for him in the future, had ulterior motives, and tried to dominate the mountain.

When a telegram arrived from the front lines, stating that at least 80,000 armed forces had gathered in Lanzhou City, along with a small number of cavalry, Zhang Feng was finally satisfied with the number. Since Ma Fuxiang and his family had surrendered, he no longer had any thoughts of fishing and immediately ordered his troops to begin moving towards Lanzhou.

Lanzhou is not only the political, military, and economic center of Northwest China, but also a hub connecting Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang provinces. It also serves as the gateway to Ningxia Prefecture, making it a battleground since ancient times. To the north of Lanzhou lies the Yellow River and the formidable Baita Mountain, while to the east, south, and west, the towering Gaolan Mountain forms a natural barrier, earning it the nickname "Golden City and Hot Springs."

Song Fan and his generals mobilized their troops to Lanzhou and the surrounding areas, hoping to utilize Lanzhou's natural defenses to resist further PLA offensives. To prevent the PLA's advance and ensure the smooth implementation of the Lanzhou decisive battle plan, Song Fan assigned command of the Lanzhou region to Ma Anliang. His defense system primarily encompassed the city, the left wing, and the right wing.

Ma Anliang personally took charge of Lanzhou, and the main force focused on defending the key points of Chanshan and the urban area. He also asked Lu Hongtao to lead 20,000 troops to be responsible for Jingtai, Shaoyuan and Dalachi areas in the northeast of Lanzhou to prevent the People's Liberation Army from attacking from the left. In addition, Yi Pai and Qi led 10,000 cavalry to Yongjing area north of Lanzhou and asked him to guard Lanzhou.

The right wing, protecting their retreat.

Zhang Feng naturally adapted to this situation and made several arrangements for the PLA before the Battle of Lanzhou began.

Lanzhou was surrounded from the east, south, and west. A section of the cavalry took the route through Longsi, Lintao, and Paxia and headed straight for Xining to cut off the enemy's retreat to Qinghai.

Before the decisive battle of Lanzhou began, Zhang Feng was confident of victory. His concern was not that he could not capture the city, but that the defending Hezhou horses would flee on horseback after being defeated. Especially the Qing horses. If they were allowed to escape successfully back to the sparsely populated and food-scarce Qinghai area, it would be very difficult for the People's Liberation Army to pursue and eliminate them.

This was bound to turn into a protracted war of words, which would take up a lot of time in the northwest. Therefore, the focus of this battle was not on attacking Bai Youzhou, but on completely annihilating the main force of the Hezhou army and annihilating the Qing Dynasty's effective forces in Gansu.

Over the past year, Song Fan had reinforced various areas of Lanzhou to prevent the PLA's attack, forming what he considered a relatively solid defense system. He considered the success or failure of the Lanzhou decisive battle to be the key to his survival, and was ready to live and die with Lanzhou. It can be said that Song Fan concentrated almost all the Qing troops he could mobilize in Lanzhou.

At the same time, they stockpiled a large amount of food and ammunition and began to make careful and thorough deployment.

Song Fan also had his own plans. He tried to use the decisive battle of Lanzhou to eliminate the main force of the People's Liberation Army and seek opportunities for the Qing Dynasty to counterattack and retake Shaanxi. The Forward Party decided to completely eliminate the forces of Zhu Ma in Hezhou in the decisive battle of Lanzhou and liberate the Northwest in one fell swoop. Both sides had their own goals and would not give in. War was about to break out.

The Qing army and the People's Liberation Army engaged in a standoff. Zhang Feng, already at the infantry barracks, explained the battle plan to the officers seated, looking at a map. "This battlefront is in Lanzhou, a strategically important city that's easy to defend but difficult to attack. But before launching the full assault, to determine the enemy's position and minimize casualties, we'll launch a feint attack to test the Qing army's combat effectiveness..."

This battle was the first time that the People's Liberation Army stormed a provincial capital city where the enemy was well prepared. The People's Liberation Army had no such experience before, so it had to be cautious and sum up lessons learned in a timely manner.

Zhang Feng briefly described his battle plan. After listening, Cai Zhonghe said directly: "Commander-in-chief, the first feint attack is only a few battalion-level attacks, which is a bit weak. Although the Qing army is poorly equipped, they have religious control and are ready to die. Moreover, the Qing army has a large number of cavalry and moves quickly. If the Qing army launches a counterattack, won't we suffer heavy losses? Even if one regiment can hold, the Qing army can withdraw with the speed advantage of the cavalry, right?"

Zhang Feng said with a smile on his face: "Haha, I regard the Qing army as a bunch of chickens and clay dogs. Religion does have the effect of boosting morale, but one of our goals this time is to eliminate as many of these people as possible. These regiments are both feints and baiting the enemy. If the Qing army sees that we are outnumbered and breaks out of their positions to launch a counterattack, we will also take advantage of the situation and counterattack. If the Qing army does not leave their positions, as long as we understand the quality of the Qing army in Lanzhou, we will immediately launch an attack with all our forces. The most important thing this time is not to give them a chance to escape, so the entire army must be prepared to charge. As soon as the Qing army becomes disorderly, we will attack with all our strength and absolutely not let a single one of them go! This time, let everyone experience once again what the gap between the times is."

The main enemy positions in Lanzhou were concentrated in Gouwa Mountain, Shenjialing, Majia Mountain, Guchengling, Doujia Mountain, and Yingpanling in Shili Mountain in the Gaolan Mountains. Before the attack, Zhang Feng once again emphasized their mission. Each regiment launched a feint attack. This attack was not intended to capture the city, but only to understand the enemy's layout.

The PLA deployed only battalion and regimental forces to conduct probing attacks on the enemy's main positions outside Gaolan Mountain. The Qing army, leveraging its fortifications and advantageous terrain, fought back tenaciously. Many, incited by religious fervor, attempted to dislodge positions and engage in bayonet battles with the PLA, seizing the opportunity to launch counterattacks on the PLA's flanks.

Due to the tight layout of the Qing army's fortifications, the PLA's operation did not achieve its desired results. Although the troops encountered obstacles during this test attack, it did help them understand the enemy and the fanaticism of the religious elements. The PLA launched several repeated attacks but failed to capture a single position and suffered minimal casualties.

Zhang Feng decisively ordered a halt to the attack on all fronts, and at the same time asked everyone to remain calm. He required all troops to thoroughly summarize their experiences and lessons, carefully survey the terrain and enemy situation, study offensive tactics, make solid preparations, and be ready for a general attack.

War is brutal, and it kills. It's never a joke. To those of this era, life is worthless. But in the eyes of Zhang Yinghao, a man from the future, every soldier represents a family, and he naturally teaches his comrades to cherish theirs. Just like how Zhang Feng previously used four regiments to force the landing of a battalion transporting supplies, it seemed unnecessary, but everything must be done with all one's might. While using four regiments was a bit of a drastic move, at least not a single soldier was sacrificed. This was the kind of war Zhang Yinghao desired: to conquer the enemy without fighting. However, kindness does not dictate military power, and righteousness does not govern finances. Wars that must be fought inevitably involve sacrifice, and Zhang Yinghao would never blink an eye at these sacrifices.

By this time, Zhang Feng had fully understood who those Green Islamist fanatics were, and who was guarding Lanzhou City. Without the slightest hesitation, he launched a general attack on Lanzhou the next morning.

The four major battlefields of the city, centered on Shenjialin Gouwawa Mountain, the city's southeast battlefield centered on Guchengling, the city's south battlefield centered on Yingpanling, and the urban battlefield, were fought simultaneously. The People's Liberation Army and the remaining Qing troops in Gansu finally launched the final decisive battle.

This was also the largest urban assault conducted by the People's Liberation Army since its founding. The "Lanzhou Campaign," the most intense and decisive battle in the liberation of Northwest China, entered its climax!

"Comrades, the army is the most violent machine in the country. Whether we can defeat the enemy depends on whether we have enough "violence" against the enemy. As long as we are violent enough, any enemy will be defeated by us. Attack as a whole and smash all obstacles in our way..."

After a day of thorough preparation, at dawn on November 25, Zhang Feng gave the order and the PLA immediately launched a general offensive. Under the cover of artillery shells, the PLA soldiers bravely rushed towards the Qing army's positions.

The PLA soldiers followed the artillery barrage and approached the Qing trenches directly. When they got closer, or when the enemy was at a tricky angle, they used mortars and grenade launchers, and rushed to the Qing army's position and threw grenades, which directly hit the Qing army without any ability to fight back.

"He who retreats will die."

Seeing that the Qing army was beaten to the point of being unable to move, Lu Hongtao and even officers such as Ma Anliang personally served as military supervisors. Anyone who retreated was shot dead, and religious believers who had no thoughts of their own also vowed to fight the People's Liberation Army to the death.

After the People's Liberation Army attacked the Qing army's position, in the narrow area, bullets were not as powerful as long-haired swords, and the People's Liberation Army directly launched a brutal close-range bayonet hand-to-hand combat with the Qing army.

The members of the Green Sect might have had the courage to fight to the death, but the local armed militias and patrol battalions of the Qing Dynasty did not have such courage. After the People's Liberation Army broke through a point, they quickly attacked the positions and attacked the Qing army from the flank. If the Qing army could hold out against the enemy in front, they would collapse directly when faced with a flank attack.

The PLA attacked Doujiashan with two regiments, completely capturing the position in just over two hours. The three regiments attacking Guchengling took a bit longer, from dawn to around noon, a total of seven hours.

Around 1:00 PM, the PLA completely liberated Guchengling and Doujiashan, essentially securing victory in Lanzhou. By this time, the Qing government in Lanzhou had realized that Lanzhou was undefendable and could not be held. They decided to release these two positions first and then fight with our army in the remaining two areas. The Battle of Shenjialing was the most intense of these.

The area of ​​Shenjialing is only about 0.4 square kilometers, but because it is a gourd-shaped ridge formed by two highlands in the north and south, it is a typical place that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Zhang Feng looked at the topographic map and gave the order directly: "For the attack on Shenjialing, the 5th Regiment of the 9th Division will lead the attack from the front, with the 6th Regiment from the left flank and the 7th Regiment from the right flank to assist. We will strive to capture this key pass in one go."

Zhang Feng had a good idea, but because the terrain on the left wing was too steep, and the Sixth Regiment had been too successful in the previous battle and had been a little careless, the Sixth Regiment was almost beaten down from the western edge under the fierce resistance of the Qing army. Fortunately, the Fifth Regiment launched an attack from the front in time, attracting the enemy's firepower, and the Sixth Regiment was able to hold on. However, even so, the entire regiment suffered more than 500 casualties after the battle.

However, although the enemy occupied advantageous terrain and even gained advantages in some local battlefields, it was generally in a state of defeat, and the PLA's offensive remained unstoppable.

"Report, the 6th Battalion of the 5th Regiment of the 12th Division blew up the Shenjialing bunker and engaged in a battle with the enemy on the southern high ground, successfully breaking into the enemy's interior."

Seizing the opportunity, the PLA launched a pursuit attack. After brief yet fierce fighting, by noon, they had breached all four Qing lines of defense and destroyed all positions outside Lanzhou. By 1:00 PM, they had captured Shenjialing, Gouwashan, Doujiashan, Guchengling, Majiashan, and Yingpanling, the highest peak of Gaolan Mountain—known as the "keys to Lanzhou." This exposed Lanzhou to PLA artillery fire. With the fall of Shenjialing, the Qing army's western front was left without a barrier. Unable to withstand the PLA's attack, the Qing army began preparing for a retreat, marking the end of the Battle of Lanzhou.

Chapter 360:

Just when Zhang Feng ordered the People's Liberation Army to launch a full-scale attack on Lanzhou, an angry roar suddenly came from Ma Qi's command center.

"What? Xining was taken away by the Red Bandits?"

Ma Qi, guarding the rear, immediately panicked upon hearing that Xining had been captured, and he couldn't help but let out a roar of rage. He sensed the urgency of the situation and had originally planned to wait and see whether to retreat or hold on. If Lanzhou proved untenable, he had already planned to return to Qinghai immediately, preserving his remaining forces as leverage for negotiations. Qinghai was their stronghold, and returning to Qinghai would be like a fish in the ocean. But now that Xining had been captured, not only was their return impossible, but Ma Anliang and his men's retreat was also partially severed.

"Brother, we must take Xining back."

Ma Qi's younger brother, Ma Lin, also spoke directly. Anyone with a bit of military knowledge knew the importance of Xining to Qinghai. Without Xining, even if they hid in Qinghai, they wouldn't be able to accomplish much. Ma Qi and Ma Lin didn't dare delay even a moment and immediately led their cavalry towards Xining, attempting to recapture it.

At this time, Xiao Hao had already appeared in the Haidong area with a cavalry brigade. He always remembered that the PLA cavalry was mounted infantry, and he did not let down his guard just because the battles were going smoothly. As soon as he arrived in the Gaomiao area, he received a report from the scout comrades that the PLA cavalry had engaged in combat with the Qing cavalry vanguard. The main force of the Qing cavalry had passed the Honggu area and was heading towards him.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hao immediately said: "Each regiment retains two heavy machine guns, and the rest of the heavy machine guns are left behind to set up positions to block the enemy. Fifth Regiment Commander, you will secretly bypass the Qing army from the left to the right and launch an attack when the Qing army is defeated. Sixth Regiment Commander, you will secretly cross the Yellow River and arrange a battalion to guard the Yellow River to prevent the Qing cavalry from escaping from the Yellow River. The other two battalions will bypass the Qing army's rear and make sure to cut off the Qing army's retreat. In this battle, we must completely wipe out this Qing cavalry and lay a solid foundation for our subsequent liberation of Qinghai and Xinjiang."

"Yes."

Xiao Hao didn't intend to lead his cavalry into a direct confrontation with the Qing cavalry. Instead, he immediately began constructing comprehensive fortifications. He knew that now that the Qing army had arrived, their target must be Xining. Xiao Hao deployed twenty-four heavy machine guns in a defensive-in-depth formation, along with mortars and grenade launchers. Zhang Feng, knowing they would inevitably face Qing cavalry in the direction of Xining, temporarily increased the number of heavy machine guns.

Just when they were busy, they suddenly heard bursts of muffled thunder-like sounds. Everyone was a cavalryman, so they naturally knew that it was a large group of cavalry coming to attack.

Xiao Hao observed carefully with a telescope, and soon an endless cavalry team appeared in his field of vision, with smoke and dust filling the sky, and the whole world was shaking. The number of cavalry was more than 6,000.

Ma Qi came to the front and looked at the thin trench ahead, then at the scattered figures in a few places. He couldn't help but sneer. Turning to Ma Lin, he said, "These bandits don't even know what cavalry is. They've actually abandoned horseback riding and adopted infantry tactics. It's ridiculous."

"Yes, with such a sparse battle line, we can kill all the Red Bandits with just one charge, haha!"

Cavalry has demonstrated immense combat capabilities since its inception. Nomadic peoples relied on the athleticism of their warhorses to rival agrarian nations. The Qing dynasty rose to prominence through mounted archery, conquering vast China and ushering in a new dynasty. At this point, Ma Qi and Ma Lin were fully confident that their 6,000 cavalry could simply charge forward and crush the enemy with their hooves. Ma Qi was unwilling to waste time, nor was he bothered to test the enemy's firepower with a small force. His primary mission now was to recapture Xining.

He addressed the officers directly, "Divide into three teams. The left and right teams will encircle the enemy, and the central army will charge directly from the front to completely wipe out this red bandit in front."

"Yes."

"Brothers, attack with all your forces! Kill all these pagans, kill all these bandits! Becoming a noble, a prime minister, a promotion, and wealth are just around the corner! Kill them!"

For the Qing army, nothing could compare to the pleasure of getting promoted and making money, especially the militia and the Huihui. They were not regular members, had no treatment in normal times, and lived a miserable life. Now they were all counting on robbery to make a fortune. Therefore, when they heard Ma Qi's words, they immediately became excited. When they heard the order of "kill", they immediately urged their horses forward and then slowly accelerated.

The equipment and training of the Qing cavalry were appalling, but these people were also fearless. Especially when they saw the PLA's front line, where they had an absolute advantage in numbers, they felt it was an opportunity to strike hard at the enemy. Their cruelty was beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

“Gee, gee…”

"Kill..."

Soon, a massive cavalry force rushed over. These cavalrymen had no idea of ​​the lethality of heavy machine guns on cavalry, so they attacked with extreme carelessness. They swung their sabers vigorously, their momentum was overwhelming, and they had no idea how such a small number of enemies could deal with the charge of tens of thousands of cavalrymen.

Xiao Hao burst out laughing as he watched the Qing army charge in full force. The charge of tens of thousands of cavalrymen was indeed earth-shattering, but the PLA had scientifically calculated that as long as the heavy machine guns had sufficient firepower, it would be a brutal massacre for the cavalry. Seeing that the cavalry had reached within 800 meters of the front line, Xiao Hao knew he had to fire. His face was expressionless, and he uttered two cold words: "Two heavy machine guns firing."

Seeing that the Red Bandits were so close but still didn't shoot, Ma Qi really thought that they had been intimidated by the earth-shaking cavalry. Seeing that the Red Bandits didn't open fire or artillery at such a close distance, the Qing army was even more excited, but they soon paid a heavy price.

As Xiao Hao's command was delivered, two heavy machine guns roared, and many cavalrymen were directly shot into sieves. After hearing the red bandits' counterattack gunfire and seeing the blood, some Qing cavalrymen, especially the religious fanatics, were not afraid at all. The villains seemed to have aroused the murderous gene in their blood and rushed forward without hesitation.

"Add two more heavy machine guns to fire."

The firepower doubled again, and more Qing cavalry fell to the ground, but the Qing army urged their horses to move faster. Ma Qi saw the small firepower point and was so angry that his teeth itched. He continued to shout frantically: "Kill, attack, kill all the enemies."

Xiao Hao looked at the foolish behavior of these cavalrymen and shook his head. Seeing that the vanguard of the cavalry unit had reached 200 meters from the front line, he knew that he could not let the Qing cavalry get any closer, otherwise his comrades would be in danger at any time.

"All hands on deck."

Xiao Hao's command was given, and twenty-four heavy machine guns roared in an instant. A regiment of soldiers hiding in the trenches suddenly emerged, raised their guns and opened fire. The torrent of bullets made the cavalry seem to have hit an iron wall, unable to move forward. The soldiers and horses in the front were completely riddled with bullets.

Facing the enemy so close at hand, the Qing cavalry had already urged their horses to their full potential. In just a few seconds, they would be able to break into the enemy's position, indiscriminately kill the Red Bandits, and avenge their brothers who died in battle.

Xiao Hao's expression grew even more grim as he watched the cavalrymen being slaughtered. Naturally, Xiao Hao wouldn't let his soldiers stop firing. This was a friendly-enemy situation, a battlefield. To show mercy to the enemy was to be cruel to oneself. The cavalrymen behind him had no idea what was happening, but they saw the flickering flames through the gaps, and saw the soldiers and horses falling. Some immediately tried to retreat, while others continued to charge forward, creating a chaotic scene. But regardless of the cavalrymen's situation, the heavy machine guns, like the Grim Reaper's scythe, continued to harvest their lives.

Ma Qi, having never faced such a situation before, was stunned. Those twenty or so small machine gun positions seemed insignificant against the tens of thousands of cavalrymen, yet these very few insignificant firepower points were harvesting the lives of the cavalrymen in droves. He simply couldn't imagine why such a thing could happen. In his experience, the earth-shaking sound of horse hooves would instantly terrify the Red Bandits. If they could just charge into their positions, the Red Bandit defenders would surely collapse.

The Qing cavalry were now large, live targets. The machine gunners barely needed to aim at them; they could simply hold down the muzzle and fire the bullets. This was truly a rare opportunity to practice. Soon, the battlefield turned bloody, and the ground was covered with corpses.

"Brother, we've been ambushed, let's retreat... er~"

Before Ma Lin could finish his words, a heavy machine gun bullet hit his neck directly, half of his neck was shot off, blood sprayed directly on Ma Qi's face, and then he fell directly to the ground. Blood foamed continuously from his mouth, and his face was full of disbelief. Ma Lin's eyes were dull at this time. He couldn't understand why the PLA's firepower had suddenly increased so much. If he had known this, he would not have chosen to charge.

The sudden increase in firepower terrified Ma Qi. The front was now filled with piles of corpses, forming a sort of bunker. He saw many soldiers trembling behind the bodies, completely losing the courage to fight again. Only then did Ma Qi realize just how powerful his opponent truly was. His numerical advantage, his speed, and his fearlessness were all just a death warrant.

"Ah, brother~"

Ma Qi was stunned when he saw his brother being hit. He subconsciously shouted and wanted to help Ma Lin up, but as soon as he stretched out his hand, he withdrew it. Reason told him that staying here would be a dead end. He glanced at his brother's body, then looked at the PLA position with hatred, subconsciously turned his horse's head and shouted: "Retreat, retreat quickly~"

By this time, Ma Qi knew they had no chance of engaging the PLA positions; those heavy machine guns spitting flames were like man-eating demons. Seeing his brother Ma Lin killed in battle, Ma Qi had lost all his courage. He had only one thought in his mind: escape. He absolutely had to escape. Any further fighting would lead to annihilation.

Seeing the cavalry retreat, Xiao Hao directly ordered: "Extend the artillery fire and shoot at the rear of the cavalry."

At this time, the artillerymen had already thrown their arms and fired with all their strength. Shells kept firing out of the barrels and flew into the chaotic cavalry team, wantonly reaping lives.

Zhang Yinghao would certainly not issue any orders for genocide or other politically incorrect actions during this attack on Gansu, and he would insist on enforcing the prisoner and religious policies. However, he would have no problem issuing orders to resolutely and thoroughly eliminate any Qing troops or militias that refused to surrender.

It was too late for Ma Qi to retreat. If the PLA cavalry had not been as numerous as theirs before, they now had a comprehensive advantage in both terrain and numbers. They were completely surrounded. Even if a few of them managed to break through, there would still be a large number of PLA cavalry waiting to intercept them.

However, this Qing cavalry was truly a brave unit. Even when they saw their comrades being turned into a pulp, many of them were still able to shout religious slogans and face death with equanimity. However, on the battlefield now, facing the enemy's absolute advantage and in an open space, fearlessness of death was no longer of any value.

Twenty-four heavy machine guns, firing at full capacity, could fire over ten thousand rounds per minute. The PLA's firepower instantly multiplied several fold, and the Qing cavalry's previously invincible momentum vanished in an instant, resulting in a one-sided massacre. Flesh and blood were no match for steel. They couldn't reach the PLA positions, and even if a few managed to do so, they would be met with grenades from the Advance Party, and they would still be doomed.

The speed with which the Qing cavalry was defeated completely exceeded Xiao Hao's expectations and shocked everyone. Previous exercises and calculations weren't real data, after all. Even the battle examples from Yunnan were unimaginable without real experience. The PLA had already gained a commanding advantage, and the encircling armies quickly sprang into action. Without sufficient strategic leeway, the cavalry lost their mobility. And what threat could cavalry without mobility pose? The remaining two thousand or so men were trapped in a narrow area of ​​several kilometers, unable to advance or retreat, and mercilessly shot down one by one.

The PLA continued to squeeze the Qing army's space for maneuver. By this point, the Qing army had completely lost any ability to resist, and even escape was impossible, leaving them helplessly awaiting death. Some had given up hope and simply rushed towards the PLA's firepower points, hoping for a quick death. Many cavalrymen were still running around, trying to break out from any corner, but the result that awaited them all was the same: death!

At this time, Ma Qi was like a headless fly, running around everywhere. Seeing that the blood had dyed the ground red, he could no longer bear it and did something he had not done in more than ten years. He actually knelt on the ground and burst into tears.

The PLA hadn't offered to kill those who surrendered, and the Qing army hadn't considered surrendering either, especially in Qinghai, where they had already distorted the PLA's propaganda. Furthermore, these people had long been slaughtering Han Chinese under the guise of religion and ethnicity, creating a deep-seated feud and essentially eroding mutual trust. Zhang Yinghao believed that any remaining traces of these people would be like weed seeds, poised to sprout at any moment and cause a catastrophe. It was best to seize this opportunity to eliminate as many of them as possible.

-…..day

"Report, Comrade Xiao Hao sent a telegram saying the Qingma Cavalry was completely annihilated, and the brothers Ma Qi and Ma Lin died in the chaos..."

Soon, Zhang Feng received Xiao Hao's telegram. After listening to it, Zhang Feng said: "Order Xiao Hao, the cavalry will attack in the direction of Wuwei to block the Qing army's passage to Xinjiang."

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Chapter 361: