The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

In late September 1900, the Allied Forces invaded Shanhaiguan, numbering over 6200 men. Their combined fleet landed along the coast at Laolongtou, near Shanhaiguan. Facing the Allied artillery fire, the Qing troops stationed at Laolongtou offered no resistance. The defending commander, Zheng Caisheng, lacked confidence and retreated without a fight, leading his troops along the Great Wall to Jiumenkou.

On October 2, 1900, the Allied Forces landed at Laolongtou and started burning, killing and looting. Not only were Chenghai Tower and Ninghai City burned down, but the nearby villages and temples were also severely damaged. The Laolongtou Fort and Shanhaiguan Railway Station were occupied by various countries respectively.

In 1901, the Qing government signed the humiliating Boxer Protocol with the foreign powers, allowing them to station troops along the railway line from Beijing to Shanhaiguan. Starting in 1902, the foreign powers established barracks along the southern coast of Shanhaiguan, giving them complete control over the defense of the area.

Ever since the Eight-Nation Alliance occupied Shanhaiguan, it became their rear base, naturally preventing the Qing Dynasty from stationing large numbers of troops. Most importantly, during the Eight-Nation Alliance's attack on Shanhaiguan, the Qing army destroyed many of its artillery and defensive facilities. Even after the Fifth Field Army liberated Shenyang and Lushun, the Qing Dynasty still couldn't afford to station large numbers of troops there. After the signing of the Boxer Protocol, the Qing Dynasty had completely become a foreign-controlled court. Without the foreigners' permission, the Qing Dynasty could do almost nothing.

Moreover, even if the Qing Dynasty wanted to station a large number of troops in Shanhaiguan, it would be almost useless because the Qing Dynasty was now so poor that it had to eat dirt. Otherwise, there would not be such a mutiny in the army. It is still necessary to carefully consider how much combat effectiveness these soldiers really have.

Theoretically, a single reinforced division could not hold Shanhaiguan, where the Qing Dynasty was stationed, no matter how strong its walls were. The Fifth Field Army's goal was not to capture Shanhaiguan, but to establish a strong defense line along the Shanhaiguan front, resolutely blocking the Qing Dynasty from leaving the pass and sending reinforcements, and even blocking the troops of the foreign powers. Without orders, they were not allowed to retreat a single step.

In other words, the Central Committee and the Northeast Field Army Headquarters were implementing a "closed gate" strategy against the enemy outside the Great Wall, and this reinforced division served as the gatekeeper. Therefore, the attack on Shanhaiguan must be swift and decisive; the troops must not suffer heavy losses at Shanhaiguan, which would affect the subsequent sustained operations. The key to the reinforced division's rapid liberation of Shanhaiguan lay in the speed of its artillery and the effective and efficient use of its firepower. The artillery shells must be equipped with sight, so they could hit wherever they were directed, instantly destroying the Qing garrison firepower on the Great Wall and providing cover for the infantry's successful capture of the city.

Liu Wenxiu had clearly outlined the strategy of this "closing the door to attack the dog," and the frontline commander, Political Commissar Chen Xucheng, had delivered an even more menacing speech at the pre-war mobilization meeting. He spoke of moving the artillery batteries to the gates of Shanhaiguan without anyone noticing, using artillery shells to speak to the Qing, making them regret their parents ever giving them birth. The city walls must be taken in one fell swoop, and the foreign powers must not be given even a moment to intervene.

Since it was called a reinforced division, its reinforcements naturally came primarily in the form of artillery. The Fifth Field Army's primary defense during the liberation of Shanhaiguan wasn't the Qing army, but rather the armies of the foreign powers to the south. Division Commander Mao Wenhu divided the artillery brigade into three artillery groups, with two artillery groups operating alongside the two main brigades. He personally led one artillery group to cover the main force's attack on Shanhaiguan.

The Qing troops at Shanhaiguan rose in the morning for their usual drills and then ate. Just as they were finishing their meal, they received a report that the railway line had been severed. The Qing army had also concentrated a significant number of its forces in the northeast, aiming to guard against the Fifth Field Army. They immediately mobilized troops to prepare for a defensive operation.

However, shortly after the Manchu army arrived, the vanguard battalion had already reached Shanhaiguan. The Manchu army had fled in the face of foreign powers, but under the leadership of their officers, they dared to fight the Chinese army. The Qing officers immediately ordered the patrol battalion, the Green Camp, and the New Army to all ascend the city walls and prepare for battle.

He himself gazed through a telescope at the Fifth Field Army's vanguard. Even as he observed, the reinforced division had already split into several groups, attacking the other nine passes in the Shanhaiguan area. The Fifth Field Army had clearly set its sights on capturing Shanhaiguan in one fell swoop. Simultaneously, the reinforced division also divided its forces to attack the Qing camps of Liudaozhuang, Huangjinzhuang, the powder depot at Houmianhuazhuang, and Shoushan, temporarily planning to confront the Qing on both sides of the Shihe River.

While the reinforced division was attacking these camps, the vanguard arrived at the foot of Shanhaiguan. The troops immediately launched a tentative attack on Shanhaiguan. The soldiers used their own unique skills and infantry squad and platoon tactics to quickly approach Shanhaiguan.

At this time, the Qing officer made a fatal mistake. Seeing that the vanguard had only a few hundred people, he actually wanted to annihilate this small force and make meritorious service. Fortune and wealth are sought in danger, and promotion and wealth are indeed right in front of him.

Once a person has this obsession, he will desperately lean towards this idea, and eventually come to the conclusion that he can achieve his goal. In this process, although he can mobilize his strongest action force, he can no longer look at the problem realistically.

After training under German instructors, the Qing army had mastered tactics like line execution and group charge. At the command of their officers, these Manchu soldiers led their troops out of Luocheng and Wengcheng, outflanking the vanguard of the reinforced division. They seemed intent on securing a victory to boost morale and prepare to annihilate the vanguard.

There was a great terror between life and death. The new troops who had left Luocheng and Wengcheng were lined up on one side, the Green Camp on the other, and the Patrol Battalion on the other. The team still had some discipline. At the end of the team was the Supervisory Team, holding guns and driving the troops forward.

Zhang Baoguo, the commander of the vanguard of the reinforced division, saw the ridiculous Qing army and cursed them with a laugh, "Idiots." The moment he saw them leave the city, a plan formed in his mind. He immediately ordered his troops to halt and hold their ground.

After the troops stopped, they immediately took out their engineering shovels and began digging trenches and anti-artillery holes, and then waited for the Qing troops to come up and die.

"An expert knows the outcome of a fight from the first move," a folk proverb coined by experienced fighters, is still quite telling when comparing two armies. The Qing army's offensive was methodical and in line with German military textbooks, apparently having mastered the old-fashioned German tactics.

As for the Green Camp and the Patrol Battalion, they were far inferior, even unbearable to watch. It would be a good thing if they weren't just swarming like a swarm of swarming swarmers. Each of them knew the secrets of survival, crowding into the most crowded areas, as if more people meant more safety. It really felt like they had no idea of ​​modern military tactics.

The vanguard camp is not in a hurry now. They are just waiting for the Qing army to get closer and for the arrival of the main force.

Soon, the Qing army's attack began, and the fighting was very intense. Machine guns fired continuously, but unfortunately, no one knew where the bullets were hitting. The officers and the supervisory team kept shouting, encouraging the soldiers to attack forward and encircle the vanguard battalion on the position.

The Vanguard Battalion could only rely on the few fortifications they had just dug, or on rocks and trees to fight back. However, the Vanguard Battalion was now fighting calmly. The soldiers were in small groups, like hunters hunting, aiming their guns at the officers and machine gunners.

While the Qing army appeared to be imposing, seemingly pinning the vanguard battalion to the ground, in reality, they were unable to advance. Though they roared and rushed forward under the pressure of the supervising troops, they soon collapsed to the ground. As the saying goes, the darkest part is the darkest part. The officers who left the city were completely unaware of their casualties, let alone the ratio of casualties between the two sides. If they had considered the overall situation, the Qing officers would have been furious.

Zhang Baoguo's command position was above the battalion's fire support position, a patch of rocks. At this point, all their heavy artillery hadn't opened fire, simply observing the bustling scene. Meanwhile, the infantry at the forefront were retreating in an orderly manner, drawing the Qing army closer. If they could eliminate these Qing troops, perhaps Shanhaiguan would be within their grasp.

Due to the influence of the foreign powers, the Qing Dynasty had few troops in Shanhaiguan to begin with. Now they dared to send troops out of the city. It can only be said that the Qing Dynasty garrison commanders were crazy. Without these Qing troops, and without the time to mobilize more troops from other places on the city wall, the remaining Qing troops were able to defend Shanhaiguan. Of course, if they really had the blessing of the gods, the Qing Dynasty would never have been able to enter the pass.

Checking the time, Zhang Baoguo saw that the main force was approaching. Without waiting, he ordered the infantry in front to withdraw in shifts, gradually retreating to the side covered by heavy firepower. The Qing troops exiting the city, believing the vanguard battalion was about to flee, attacked with even greater haste. Finally, the officers shouted what they longed to say: "A reward of one ounce of silver for every bandit killed."

Hearing about the reward and seeing the retreat of the Vanguard Battalion, the Qing army, which was already roaring when the wind was favorable, became even more frantic and kept chasing the Vanguard Battalion. The scene was hilarious. In the previous battle, the new Qing army rushed to the front, while the patrol battalion and the green battalion were attacking slowly from behind. Now, the situation was reversed. The patrol battalion and the green battalion rushed to the front, while the new Qing army fell behind.

It is true that the King of Hell will kill people at three o'clock in the morning and will never let anyone live until five o'clock.

Seeing that the vanguard battalion was about to retreat across the pile of rocks, the officer behind became even more anxious. Worried that it would be difficult to deal with the enemy after they retreated into the pile of rocks, he actually immediately ordered the soldiers to charge.

At this time, the Qing army was in complete chaos. The officers did not know the soldiers, and the soldiers did not know the officers! When they heard the order to charge, no one cared about anything else and rushed forward with guns in hand, shouting.

Zhang Baoguo saw this and immediately raised his hands. Suddenly he waved his hands and shouted, "Hit him!"

Chapter 605:

Instantly, the vanguard battalion's heavy machine guns, mortars, and grenade launchers unleashed a barrage of volleys and howls, blood and flesh flying everywhere. The Qing army hadn't yet undergone the process of emancipating their minds. How could they possibly understand modern warfare? How could they possibly understand the horrors of concentrated fire attacks, as outlined by the Fifth Field Army? Yet, they were still employing tactics obsolete by Germany years ago. This was a generational gap; it was practically bullying a child.

In the eyes of the Qing army, the firepower of the Eight-Nation Alliance was already extremely powerful. Now, after being beaten so fiercely by the Fifth Field Army, the soldiers of the patrol battalion could no longer bear it. They threw down their guns and ran back with a cry of "Oh my God". Now the situation became even more lively, because they rushed into the ranks of the new Qing army. The chaos at this time could not be calmed down in a short time. However, there were also smart people in the Qing army. They immediately lay on the ground and pretended to be dead. After all, they knew that the Fifth Field Army treated prisoners well.

After the Fifth Field Army harvested a wave of these leek-like enemies, the ground was now littered with corpses and blood, and the supervision team was no longer of any use.

At this moment, the Qing army suddenly collapsed completely. The officers who had just wanted to seek credit and reward could no longer care about so much and immediately wanted to escape to Shanhaiguan. At this time, they no longer had the enthusiasm for promotion and wealth. Some were just as panicked as dogs that had lost their homes. Many officers and soldiers were even more confused and fled after being dragged away by the defeated army.

At this point, the vanguard battalion fought even harder, their bullets chasing the Qing army all the way. Seeing the Qing army being defeated so quickly, Zhang Baoguo knew that the opportunity was now or never to be missed. He immediately stood up and shouted, "Extend the fire to cover the siege. Sound the charge horn, charge the entire battalion!"

“Tick-tick…”

When the loud bugle call sounded, the vanguard battalion jumped up immediately like a tiger, shouting and rushing towards the miserable group of defeated soldiers.

The Qing officer standing on the city wall had just been singing: "I stand on the city wall, watching the scenery, and hear the commotion outside the city, the waving flags in the sky, and the shadows of the soldiers sent by the Red Bandits..."

Just as he saw the enemy retreat and was feeling triumphant, the guard next to him called out to the YY commander, "Look, sir."

Then came a scene that made him stunned, then his eyes were bloodshot, and then he stared at the scene of the Qing army's defeat. Suddenly, the officer shuddered, his hand trembled, and the telescope fell to the ground.

He didn't even bother to pick up the telescope on the ground, and hurriedly ordered the few cannons on the city wall to fire, covering the remaining soldiers' retreat to Shanhaiguan. But it was too late, because he suddenly heard a series of sharp noises, followed by the sound of cannonballs exploding after hitting the ground. At this time, he instinctively lay down on the ground. When the cannonballs stopped, he picked up the telescope on the ground and took a look. He was almost scared to death.

The enemy troops nearby were about to mix in with the Qing army and enter Shanhaiguan. A little further away, the mountains and plains were full of enemy troops. Some of them were carrying ladders, and some were pushing carts full of sandbags, rushing towards Shanhaiguan.

The officer suddenly realized that the Fifth Field Army was the main force coming to seize Shanhaiguan. His dream of getting promoted and getting rich was immediately gone. He screamed: "Quickly close the city gate..."

It was too late to shout anything now. Since the city gate had been opened, how could the Fifth Field Army let it close again? However, although the Fifth Field Army planned to follow the Qing army into Shanhaiguan, there was a urn inside, which could easily become a situation of catching a turtle in a urn. Therefore, the other troops continued to seize Shanhaiguan step by step and did not rush in all at once.

At this time, the Qing officer finally thought of reporting their situation to his superiors. Unfortunately, what he thought of now had already been thought of by the Fifth Field Army, and the telegraph line had been cut off early by the comrades lurking in Shanhaiguan.

Any regret was unnecessary at this point, as shells were already raining down precisely on the wall. Amidst the roar of explosions, a fragment of shrapnel flew up, severing the officer's carotid artery and causing him to bleed profusely. His last thought was "It's over," as he watched the Fifth Field Army ascend Shanhaiguan via ladders, tracing the section of the Great Wall cleared by the Qing army's artillery fire.

The infantry and artillery worked together. When the Fifth Field Army climbed the ladders, mortar shells fell directly on the city wall to cover the Fifth Field Army's climb. At this time, Zhang Baoguo had already followed the Qing army's buttocks and rushed directly into Shanhaiguan through the city gate.

By this time, no one in the Qing army cared about such trivial matters as closing the city gates. Many, having clearly understood the situation, immediately knelt and surrendered. Some had already taken advantage of the chaos to start fires, while many others hoped to profit from the chaos and then disappear. The Fifth Field Army immediately attacked, eliminating these saboteurs.

In this battle, the Fifth Field Army, with overwhelming momentum, stormed down the walls of Shanhaiguan. With the city walls taken, the battle was now a foregone conclusion. The Fifth Field Army's artillery began to eliminate the few remaining enemy defenders, while the main force poured into the city, attacking the other gates along the walls.

After securing Shanhaiguan, the Fifth Field Army immediately launched offensives, wiping out all nearby Qing forces and deploying defenses along the Shi River. Simultaneously, the main force advanced westward along the Great Wall to support the other troops. The Fifth Field Army ultimately concluded the operation successfully after reuniting with the troops departing from Chifeng.

In Mongolia, final preparations for war were also underway. After the PLA entered the grasslands, merchants entering Mongolia and herders began to trade more fairly, no longer exploiting the honest herders as they had in the past. Furthermore, the new government established credit unions to provide low-interest loans to herders without funds. As a result, usury on the grasslands largely disappeared.

Zhang Feng knew Outer Mongolia might soon be plunged into war, so he began relocating his herders south, even preparing to clear the fields in northern Mongolia. Although herders are accustomed to living wherever they can, and have no attachment to their homeland, many still refused to leave. There was no rush; after all, the war hadn't started yet, so relocation was relatively easy.

Zhang Yinghao was still on his way to Wuhan. However, no matter how long the road is, as long as you keep walking, it will eventually be completed. Just as Zhang Yinghao was about to reach Wuhan, the situation in Northeast China changed dramatically again.

As the war between the Fifth Field Army and the Qing Dynasty for Heilongjiang in Northeast China unfolded, the Fifth Field Army's northward advance posed a significant threat to Russian forces deployed in northern Northeast China. As the Fifth Field Army liberated miners and railway workers, the conflict between the Fifth Field Army and the Russians intensified. By now, the Fifth Field Army effectively controlled most of the entire railway line, forcing the Russians to linger in their strongholds.

"Commander-in-Chief, to prevent Russian interference, we must expedite the liberation of Ice City. Once Ice City is liberated, the entire Chinese Eastern Railway will be completely paralyzed. If this continues for too long, we're afraid something might happen!"

Liu Wenxiu naturally knew the seriousness of the matter. He nodded immediately, picked up the phone on the table, and gave the order to attack Bincheng immediately.

After Liu Wenxiu issued the order to attack, the front line immediately took action. The first to launch the attack was naturally the artillery unit. The artillery had to go first and blast a safe path so that the Fifth Field Army infantry could quickly attack the city and complete the task of liberating Harbin.

Upon receiving the call, the frontline troops immediately launched an attack on Bincheng. After such a long period of preparation, the Fifth Field Army was already very familiar with the defenses within Bincheng. The artillery shells were now fully capable of firing beyond visual range, bombarding the Qing army. The moment the field army's artillery shells were launched, Hu Lan, the Heilongjiang general who was watching the battle from the rear, immediately changed his expression.

After a deafening roar, a gaping hole opened up in Bincheng. Artillery fire followed, clearing the way for the infantry attack. The Fifth Field Army's infantry launched their attack, following pre-rehearsed tactics and quickly seizing the commanding heights.

"Puff!"

A soldier from the Heilongjiang Patrol Battalion, who was firing, suddenly burst into a bloody mess. The bullet had pierced through at high speed, leaving a thumb-sized hole in his chest. He collapsed to the ground, his eyes quickly becoming hollow and lifeless.

"What's going on? Why is the firepower of the Fifth Field Army so strong?"

Hulan remembered that when they had fought against the Fifth Field Army before, their army was not so powerful. How come in such a short time, the Fifth Field Army seemed to have been completely transformed?

Hulan certainly didn't know that the Fifth Field Army were not bandits, but laborers and builders. Northeast China is a good place with rich resources. The arsenals can naturally produce a large number of bullets. The soldiers' marksmanship is fed by bullets. In order to improve the soldiers' marksmanship, the soldiers of the Fifth Field Army would conduct live-fire shooting every day. The bullets consumed by this alone were enough to astonish the local forces in China. And when the Fifth Field Army wanted to receive new ammunition, they had to exchange old shells for them. The old shells were immediately modified and reloaded with bullets, without any waste.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The soldiers of the Fifth Field Army skillfully manipulated their weapons and fiercely attacked the officers and soldiers of the Heilongjiang Patrol Battalion. Even without using machine guns and artillery, the Heilongjiang Army paid a heavy price.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The Fifth Field Army, which had rushed onto the city wall, immediately set up mortars on the wall and then opened fire, targeting the positions of the Heilongjiang Patrol Battalion inside the city. A few shells flew over, and the positions of the Heilongjiang Patrol Battalion were shrouded in smoke. Hu Lan's face was gloomy, watching the defensive positions destroyed and the soldiers inside blown to pieces. Without these barricades, how could the patrol battalion defend the city? Rely on rifles to fight artillery? Especially when the quality of the Heilongjiang Patrol Battalion soldiers was not very high, this was simply courting death!

"Bang! Bang!..."

The gunfire continued, and one by one, the soldiers of the Heilongjiang Patrol Battalion, who had been holding their ground, were shot and fell to the ground. Their morale, once buoyed by high positions, generous salaries, and bounties, plummeted rapidly. Watching their comrades being shot one after another, countless soldiers were terrified and turned to flee, wishing their parents had given them another pair of legs so they could escape even faster.

After the Fifth Field Army entered the city, the soldiers of the patrol battalion were no match for the fierce street fighting. The patrol battalion's tens of thousands of troops collapsed immediately. The Fifth Field Army immediately chased the patrol battalion's soldiers deep into the city like chasing ducks.

"Alas! It seems we can't hold on."

Seeing this, Hulan couldn't help but sigh. He had originally thought that defending Binjiang City would be an easy task, but he hadn't expected the patrol battalion to be so vulnerable, while the Fifth Field Army was so brave and adept at fighting.

Just when the field army was making great progress, Liu Wenxiu and his men encountered an unexpected but reasonable person.

"Commander-in-Chief, great news! Cheng Dequan has been persuaded by our comrades and has decided to revolt!"

"Great, where is he?" "He's already outside the camp!"

"Okay, I'll go pick him up myself. With his help, we can liberate Heilongjiang without any worries!"

The attacking PLA suddenly received a signal to halt the attack. Although reluctant, all attacking troops still stopped the attack. The Fifth Field Army stopped firing and even retreated a distance to defend on the spot.

Just when Hulan was puzzled, a personal guard came running from a distance. "Sir, the general is here!" A personal guard came to Hulan's side and reported to him.

"ah?"

Hu Lan was shocked and had no time to think about it. He quickly got up to greet him. It must be said that he was unlucky. Cheng Dequan came just after he suffered a defeat. He did not think about it carefully and even thought that the reason why the Fifth Field Army stopped the attack was because Cheng Dequan led his troops to support him.

Since Cheng Dequan had experienced hardship, poverty, suffering, and humiliation, especially witnessing the Russians' wanton slaughter on Chinese soil, the Forward Party naturally did not believe that Cheng Dequan had no intention of enriching the country and strengthening the military. Since someone dared to use his body to block the muzzle of a cannon, there was still a great chance of winning such a person over.

Since Cheng Dequan's biography was thoroughly investigated and he was a native of Sichuan, the Forward Party naturally tried to win him over. However, as someone who had met Ciqi, he was naturally conflicted about his opposition to the Manchus. Therefore, during the early battles between the Forward Party and the Patrol Battalion, Cheng Dequan naturally resisted fiercely, concentrating his forces in several cities, intending to fight the Fifth Field Army to the end.

However, after the Fifth Field Army liberated the entire Northeast except for a few cities, it immediately set about rescuing miners and railway workers. They also refused to yield to the Russian army. Cheng Dequan knew that the Fifth Field Army had great ambitions.

It wasn't until the Fifth Field Army sent a message to relevant personnel, announcing their imminent seizure of the railway, and asked Cheng Dequan whether he intended to be a historical hero or a historical sinner, that Cheng Dequan finally gave up his resistance and decided to surrender to the Forward Party. Regardless of whether the Fifth Field Army ultimately succeeded, Cheng Dequan, a man in his forties, naturally had a burning passion. Having experienced the Russian massacre in Northeast China, he naturally hoped for a prosperous and strong nation.

Since Cheng Dequan had decided to surrender, Qiqihar was naturally spared the ravages of war. However, fighting still had to take place, and Hulan was a Manchu, naturally hostile to the Forward Party. Therefore, Cheng Dequan personally came and ordered the patrol battalion in Bincheng to lay down their arms and surrender to the Forward Party. Of course, despite the surrender, these personnel were all treated according to the standards of an uprising.

"General, I am defeated. Please punish me!" Hu Lan came to Cheng Dequan and said with a frustrated look on his face.

"General Hulan, please stand up. Victory and defeat are common in the military. How can you be depressed and despair because of a temporary failure?" Cheng Dequan strode forward and helped Hulan up.

"Thank you, General!" Hu Lan said with gratitude. He had to admit that Cheng Dequan was very good at winning people's hearts.

Cheng Dequan was the last general of Heilongjiang, and a Han Chinese general, a feat unprecedented in history. He was undoubtedly capable. His most important contribution in his previous life was turning a general of Heilongjiang into a governor, making Heilongjiang a province and contributing significantly to the country's territorial integrity.

"General Hulan, I have decided to seek revenge from the Russians. What do you think?" Cheng Dequan said while looking at Hulan, as if he was talking about a very small matter.

As soon as Cheng Dequan finished speaking, several soldiers standing behind Cheng Dequan immediately took out their pistols and pointed them at the Russian supervisors around Hu Lan.

"Well, sir, we are now facing an attack from the Fifth Field Army."

"Yes, so I decided to lead my brothers in an uprising and defeat the Russians first. Since the Fifth Field Army is willing to risk their lives, why should we be afraid?"

"Are you planning to become a rebel, sir?"

"The Fifth Field Army asked me a question a while ago: should we save China or the Qing Dynasty? I don't think there's any room for discussion. China has thousands of years of history, and it has risen again and again from danger and destruction. There are reasons for this. Although Lord Shoushan has been kind to me, and Empress Dowager Cixi has promoted me, for the fate of the country, what does personal honor and disgrace matter?"

Before Hulan could say anything, a Russian officer started to question him: "General Cheng, how dare you provoke the Great Russian Empire? Aren't you afraid of retaliation from the Russian Empire's army?"

"Haha, when you killed my people and bullied my people, you probably never thought that we would retaliate against you, right?"

Cheng Dequan looked at these Russians and said.

One of the Russian officers, perhaps thinking that the group of yellow monkeys in front of him would not dare to shoot, immediately wanted to pull out his gun. Unfortunately, before he could finish his action, the soldiers of the Fifth Field Army had already opened fire, leaving several bloody holes in his body in an instant.

When the other Russians saw this, they immediately raised their hands. This was the Russians' instinctive reaction. They knew that if they didn't surrender, they would die, so they naturally surrendered immediately.

Seeing this, Hulan opened his mouth, about to say something, but Cheng Dequan waved his hand, and the guards immediately escorted Hulan away. Hulan was a Manchu, after all, and hadn't expressed his stance yet, so he couldn't be allowed to stay here any longer. It wouldn't be appropriate to let him say anything bad now, and taking him away might even save his life. Of course, the Russian supervisors were also escorted away at the same time.

When Cheng Dequan attempted to enter Bincheng to lead the Qing army, the Fifth Field Army immediately halted its attack. The Forward Party wasn't concerned about Cheng Dequan's safety. Even if Hulan was determined to resist, capturing Bincheng would only be a waste of ammunition. Furthermore, with the protection of several outstanding soldiers from the Fifth Field Army, even if Hulan didn't want to revolt, he would have surrendered and waited for death.

Shortly after Cheng Dequan entered Bincheng, the Qing troops inside surrendered to the Fifth Field Army. The Fifth Field Army entered the city without a fight and took control of Bincheng. Immediately following their original deployment, the Fifth Field Army quickly took control of Bingcheng.

Chapter 606:

Just when the war in Northeast China was about to break out, the activities of the Chinese Minister Pu Kodi among the foreign ministers in China also reached the final moment. Naturally, the great powers expressed their support for Russia on the surface, stood on Russia's side, and jointly fought against the liberated areas.

At this time, Zhang Yinghao finally arrived in Wuhan aboard a warship after much anticipation. Even before he even showed up in Wuhan, he received requests for meetings from diplomats from Britain, France, Russia, the United States, and Japan. At this point, the Northeast Fifth Field Army, a unit led by the Forward Party, no longer needed to hide. By taking Shanhaiguan, the PLA could fully demonstrate its dominance.

Zhang Yinghao was already reading the telegram sent by Liu Wenxiu and Zhang Feng, which outlined the various deployments and predictions for the war. Zhang Yinghao was very satisfied with the result, smiled, and put the telegram away, preparing to take the Party Central Committee and other personnel directly to meet with the foreign envoys. At this point, Zhang Yinghao decided to meet with the foreign delegations without rest, to see what these foreign devils were up to.

However, when news of Zhang Yinghao and his troops' arrival in Wuhan spread, the residents of Wuhan rushed to tell one another. They held banners reading, "Welcome Chairman Zhang," "Long Live the China Forward Party," and "The People's Liberation Army is the Army that Protects the People," and joyfully lined the banks of the Yangtze River. Amid the blast of firecrackers, slogans, and cheers of the masses, the escort team proudly entered Wuhan.

Soon, Zhang Yinghao and other central leaders also came ashore in high spirits. The sharp-eyed people saw Zhang Yinghao and others at a glance, and immediately shouted loudly, "Welcome Chairman Zhang", "Welcome the Party Central Committee", "Long live Chairman Zhang", etc. Slogans such as these rose one after another and reached the sky. The scene was very spectacular.

Zhang Yinghao also shook hands with the crowd with a smile on his face, took off his hat and waved to the crowd, shouting: "Long live the people! Long live China!"

Hearing Zhang Yinghao's cry, the people immediately shouted, "Long live Chairman Zhang!"

.…anw

Led by the staff, Zhang Yinghao walked and waved while interacting with the crowd and shouting slogans. People followed them all the way to the resting place.