The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

At this point, any commander knew that if they pushed harder, the reactionary army would likely collapse. At this point, three sides of Tacheng's walls had already been captured by the People's Liberation Army. If the PLA bombarded them relentlessly, the reactionary army would be destroyed in an instant.

But reality doesn't allow this. The PLA's current mission is to capture the Tacheng area and prevent Tsarist Russia from sending troops into Xinjiang. However, logistics are too difficult. Artillery shells and bullets are extremely precious and important. With current transportation capabilities, transporting them from places like Lanzhou over long distances in a short period of time is completely unrealistic. The pressure on logistics is currently enormous, so the only solution is to rely on infantry.

Tacheng was indeed a fortress border city, its internal defense system was very complete. Perhaps these defenses were not long-standing, but the PLA had blocked the street entrances with sturdy tools on all sides. At this time, the PLA's wall-penetrating method came in handy again.

They did what they said. Blasting was a common practice for the PLA. Tacheng wasn't very large at the time, so after blasting through several walls, the PLA entered the core area of ​​the reactionary army. A large number of PLA soldiers poured in from the gaps, shooting down the stubbornly resisting reactionary army from behind and from the sides. This time, the reactionary army finally collapsed completely.

"Master, we are not really defeated. It's just that the officers asked us to retreat for a while and reorganize our troops before we come back to fight you."

At this point, the reactionary army's captives were eager to correct the PLA's thinking, demonstrating their stubbornness. In the final stages of the Tacheng liberation battle, the PLA used explosives to blast through the walls, advancing into the core defensive zone, instantly causing the reactionary army to collapse. The soldiers on the front immediately launched an offensive, delivering a final blow to the reactionary army, who then fled for their lives through the last remaining wall, heading towards what is now Tsarist Russia.

The PLA, no longer anxious, simply followed the reactionary army. As they ran, they threw everything that would hinder their movement to the ground. After running for several kilometers, they ran head-on into a small PLA ambush unit that had been set up in advance. The reactionary army, now empty-handed, could only scatter and flee.

Of the remaining hundreds of reactionary troops, more than 200 were killed, and except for a very few who escaped, all were captured in the pursuit. However, when the PLA interrogated the prisoners, more than one of them said that they did not flee, but instead distanced themselves from the PLA before engaging in battle, which was extremely reactionary.

Given the numerous militia groups assisting the reactionary army during the PLA's attack on Tacheng, and the fact that many were ambushing the PLA from the periphery, the troops, originally on their way out, remained in Tacheng for several days longer. The troops, organized into battalions and companies, utilized the rapid mobility of their cavalry to deliver devastating blows to the landlords and aristocrats who participated in the battle. Even though the landlords' armed forces were local tyrants, the PLA, with its abundant physical strength and the guidance of the local people, quickly eradicated all militia forces within a fifty-kilometer radius.

The landlords who had organized the militia were killed, and their land was distributed to the poor and landless people. As a result, Tacheng never experienced any more troubles after it fell into the hands of the People's Liberation Army.

Chapter 749: More!

Tarbagatai has a very important strategic position. It is one of the passages to Central Asia. The liberation of Tarbagatai by the People's Liberation Army is of great significance. However, Zhang Yinghao is not concerned about the war in the northwest at this time, because Zhang Yinghao's eyes are on the battle to liberate Nanjing.

Legend has it that during the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang traveled to the Eastern Wu on the eve of the Battle of Red Cliffs to meet with Sun Quan to discuss a plan to defeat Cao Cao. While sailing past Nanjing (then known as Waling), he observed a cluster of mountains, led by Purple Mountain, winding like a giant dragon, while the western peaks, centered around Stone Mountain, cradle the river like fierce tigers, their steep slopes jutting outwards. Zhuge Liang exclaimed, "Where Zhongfu rises, a dragon sways; where Shicheng rises, a tiger crouches. Truly, this is the abode of an emperor." From then on, Nanjing earned the nickname "Tigers Crouch and Dragons Coil."

Nanjing, the ancient capital of six dynasties and a metropolis of ten dynasties, has held special symbolic significance since ancient times. Zhang Yinghao ordered the PLA to liberate Nanjing and, more importantly, urged the soldiers to advance bravely and resolutely, thoroughly, completely, and annihilate the enemy.

The fog in Nanjing lingered in the early morning, and nothing could be seen from a distance. All was quiet. As the People's Liberation Army attacked Nanjing, the sound of gunfire rang out. Even the birds had disappeared from the mountains. The wind blew, making a rustling sound.

The PLA's airships bombed the foreign powers' warships from the sky, giving them a complete advantage. The foreign warships were forced to retreat. Nanjing then became an obstacle to their continued pursuit of the foreign warships and the expulsion of the foreigners from China.

At this time, there were still a large number of foreign military forces in Nanjing, and all roads were blocked by foreign military forces and reorganized Qing troops. It was really not an easy task for the People's Liberation Army to liberate Nanjing.

Facing the strategically located Nanjing and the steep and rugged mountain roads, the People's Liberation Army also knew the difficulty of this battle. Fortunately, the temperature was suitable at that time, providing favorable conditions for the liberation of Nanjing.

Occam's razor principle explains a very simple truth, that is, do not add entities unless necessary, which means that the simplest is often the most effective.

At this time, the PLA did not have much experience in attacking a city with a large number of troops stationed, but it had countless experiences in attacking earthen forts, and the above principle was always effective.

By attacking these earthen walls, the People's Liberation Army not only trained its infantry squad and platoon tactics, but also applied the knowledge it learned to practice, integrating theory with practice and improving the army's combat effectiveness.

Ever since Zhang Yinghao killed the first landlord in his village, the struggle between the People's Liberation Army and the landlords has never stopped. The People's Liberation Army has only two methods to attack the earthen walls, but these two methods are always effective.

There are many earthen walls in Anhui and other places because the Nian Army uprising in Anhui in the late Qing Dynasty. In order to suppress the Nian Army, the reactionary Qing army built walls for self-defense. At the same time, the landlords and gentry built walls to prevent the harm of the Nian Army.

Taking advantage of the Taiping Rebellion, the Nian rebels began to gather people and revolt in Nanyang, Tanghe and other places in 1851.

Initially, the Nian rebels were relatively few in number. However, due to the ongoing famine, impoverished and starving people from all over the country responded and rose up in rebellion. Thus, in 1853, the Nian Army was officially established.

After the Yellow River burst its banks in 1855, a large number of displaced victims became homeless and joined the Nian Rebellion. This led to the situation that "the Nian Rebellion was everywhere, both north and south of the Huai River."

The Nian Army and the Qing government fought in various places. Due to the alternation of victories and defeats on both sides, and the subsequent improvement in harvests, the Nian Army's strength did not increase further.

It was not until 1865 that the Nian Rebellion was not eliminated, so the Qing Dynasty ordered the army that had suppressed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to assist Senggelinqin in suppressing the Nian Rebellion.

Senggelinqin always looked down on Han generals. In his view, Zeng Guofan's march north was undoubtedly an insult to him. So, Senggelinqin, eager for success, decided to speed up the process of destroying the Nian Army and complete the task before Zeng Guofan's army arrived.

It was precisely because of his urgent mood that Senggelinqin was led into Gaolouzhai, Caozhou, Shandong by the Nian Army general Zhang Zongyu and was completely surrounded by the Nian Army.

In the end, Senggelinqin was killed in a wheat field by Zhang Piliang, an unknown soldier of the Nian Army, while trying to break out.

Senggelinqin's death boosted the morale of the already destitute Nian Army. For a time, the Qing court and the Nian Army were once again locked in a bitter struggle. This also led to the dismissal of Zeng Guofan, who had just taken office, for his ineffective suppression of the Nian Rebellion.

The Nian Army was able to dominate the Central Plains battlefield for many years in the later period of the Taiping Rebellion and even after its defeat, and even approached the capital twice. In addition to the fact that the Taiping Army attracted a large force from the reactionary army, the Nian Army itself also possessed an extremely remarkable characteristic - mobility. Relying on its rapid mobility, it could unexpectedly wipe out part of the reactionary army with superior forces and then quickly withdraw, leaving no opportunity for the large reactionary army to encircle and annihilate it. This was an important magic weapon for the Nian Army to deal with the reactionary army.

In the later period, the Nian Army adopted the principle of "changing infantry into cavalry" and formed a cavalry force of nearly 200,000 people. This was really rare in the history of peasant uprisings in China. The Nian cavalry galloped for a full 20 miles without stopping.

This was a record made by others at the time, and it may be a bit exaggerated, but it is enough to illustrate the power of the Nian Army's cavalry. Relying on this powerful mobile team, the Nian Army roamed across several provinces such as Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, and Hubei for several years. Even Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang and others who took advantage of the suppression of the Taiping Rebellion suffered repeated losses in the battles against the Nian Army.

Of course, the apparent successive victories could not cover up the various shortcomings of the peasant uprising army. In the end, due to many factors such as the loose internal organization of the Nian Army and ideological and decision-making errors, the Nian uprising ultimately failed.

To limit the Nian Army's mobility, Li Hongzhang and his men devised a strategy: building strongholds and engaging in a static battle. This meant forcing the local peasants into concentrated settlements and building fences to enclose the settlements. Horses could survive on grass, but humans could not. Therefore, with the fences in place, the Nian Army was unable to find a food source, ultimately losing morale and collapsing without a fight.

In 1866, the Qing government successfully split the Nian Army into two parts, the Western Nian Army and the Eastern Nian Army. Due to their already weakened state and the fact that their forces were divided, the Western Nian Army was eventually defeated by Zuo Zongtang, while the Eastern Nian Army was completely eliminated by Li Hongzhang and others in 1868.

Although the Nian Rebellion was defeated, countless walled villages along the Huai River and in Anhui remained, becoming places where landlords and gentry reigned supreme. This was especially true in places like Fengyang, where the Fengyang Flower Drum song goes, "Ever since the rise of Zhu Yuanzhang, nine years out of ten have been famine." One can only imagine the brutality of the struggles in these areas. Without the walled villages, how could the landlords and gentry ever feel safe?

When attacking these fortified areas, the PLA would lure the enemy's main force into a position they believed needed to be heavily guarded. Then, they would blast a breach in the weak wall. The main attacking force would surge forward, advancing all the way to the fortified area's occupants. They would then advance into the enemy's most heavily defended position, shooting them from behind while the frontal troops seized the opportunity to attack. This two-pronged approach made any fortified area impenetrable.

The simplest tactics were the most effective, and the PLA used this method to break through the fences on both sides of the Yangtze River and the Huai River. They then marched out of Jiangsu and captured the Hongze Lake area.

By repeatedly using the same tactics, the PLA troops were trained in every operational step, deepening their familiarity. The troops' military capabilities were also continuously strengthened, especially after the large number of instructors and political commissars added to Wuhan. Grassroots commanders improved even more rapidly, mastering the basics of map reading and terrain analysis.

The PLA even creatively established marching schools within the troops. Whenever they had free time, the troops immediately began teaching the soldiers basic math. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division were essential, as were Chinese pinyin. They also learned basic physics. Even if they didn't understand the laws of universal gravitation, they at least knew that bullets didn't travel in a straight line.

Mastering military knowledge is to better eliminate the enemy. Comrades in the army must also master the necessary medical knowledge so that they can save themselves in emergency situations.

At the same time, military doctors were constantly learning various medical knowledge, especially anatomy. Since they were fighting, there was no shortage of cadavers. This opportunity to practice with cadaver instructors was a great opportunity for those who aspired to become doctors, or chose to become doctors, to quickly enter the world of modern medicine under the guidance of military doctors who had experienced vomiting and panic.

In today's society, even if we learn to bandage wounds with clean gauze or perform simple disinfection, the death rate of injured comrades in the army can be reduced a lot.

The more such changes occur, the more heroes emerge, and the faster the people's minds become enlightened. Groups often foster a learning atmosphere, and if a person doesn't study for even a few days, he or she will fall far behind others.

This was not just the case in Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangxi, and Shanxi. Wherever the PLA marched, slogans like "Knowledge is power," "Strike down the local tyrants, distribute the land," "Agrarian revolution," and "Speak science, use science" were plastered on the walls of various study and literacy classes and hung beside water conservancy projects.

Although Zhang Yinghao does not expect these working people to fully master and apply this knowledge, Zhang Yinghao must ensure that this knowledge penetrates into the vast majority of working people and allows these working people to pursue progress to the greatest extent possible.

In the liberated areas, the army and engineering corps have made the most progress. After every battle, the army holds a summary meeting. If soldiers have time, they write a battle summary, summarizing their performance, including areas of improvement and weaknesses. They also share their new understanding of infantry squad and platoon tactics and any remaining questions, with the squad leader or instructor providing answers.

While the Engineering Corps was currently engaged in construction projects across the country, the Progressive Party continued to recruit large numbers of them in the newly liberated provinces for infrastructure development. Led by veterans from the former Engineering Corps, these troops made even faster progress. The Progressive Party was unwavering in its investment in education and never stopped compiling relevant textbooks.

Therefore, when liberating Nanjing this time, the People's Liberation Army still adopted the tactics of penetrating walls and flooding, breaking through at multiple points and attacking from all sides to completely liberate Nanjing.

The city of Nanjing is huge. How could the reactionary army possibly guard every corner of the city so tightly?

By this time, the People's Liberation Army had already liberated Yuhuatai, and the armies of the foreign powers and the Beiyang reactionary army immediately blocked the gates of Nanjing with sandbags. Seeing these actions of the reactionaries, the People's Liberation Army could only express helplessness. In the face of modern weapons, the city walls were nothing but shoddy goods. What was the point of blocking the gates?

The People's Liberation Army used heavy artillery to directly bombard the city walls. The destructive power of the shells was astonishing. It didn't take long before the city walls collapsed in many places, and each place had a gap several meters wide.

With the cover of artillery, the speed of underground tunneling was greatly increased. The PLA had a large number of soldiers who were former miners and were familiar with tunneling. Soon after, a deafening explosion was heard near Jubao Gate. The city wall collapsed in five more places, and all the enemy defenders met their end.

With all preparations for the siege complete, the soldiers launched their assault on Nanjing. In the darkness of dawn, the ground shook, and the crumbling city walls trembled violently. Liberation Army soldiers, holding red flags, charged toward the breach in the wall.

One hundred meters, fifty meters, twenty meters, ten meters, the soldiers' nimble figures leaped over the rubble, over the ruined city walls, and into the city. Gunfire, artillery fire, and shouts filled the air. By the time dawn broke, the People's Liberation Army had already secured Jubao Gate and occupied large sections of the city wall. Nanjing's outer gates were wide open to the PLA.

Nanjing was a large city, and after millennia of renovation, the city itself consisted of more than a single wall; it was a city within a city, and walls within walls. The People's Liberation Army had only gained some of the outer walls. At that time, Zhang Xun, serving as the Admiral of Jiangnan, was ordered by Yuan Shikai to garrison Nanjing. Zhang Xun, illiterate, was something of an outlier within the Beiyang clique. Unlike other Beiyang generals, while deeply loyal to Yuan Shikai, he also felt deeply grateful to the Qing dynasty. While serving as a general, he had a brief encounter with Empress Dowager Cixi.

It is said that Empress Dowager Cixi personally summoned Zhang Xun. After a brief discussion, she felt that Zhang Xun was honest and trustworthy, saying, "Zhang Xun is a sincere and kind child. He is not cunning or cunning. He is truly endearing." Zhang Xun remembered this remark for the rest of his life, and it became a key characteristic that distinguished him from other Beiyang generals who "only knew Yuan Shikai but not the Qing Dynasty." He declared his loyalty to the Qing Dynasty and forbade his troops to cut their braids. He was known as the "Braid Commander" and his troops the "Braid Army."

The PLA's entry into Nanjing was followed by brutal street fighting, with the PLA, foreign powers, and reactionary forces engaging in fierce battles around various strongholds in the outer city. However, the PLA was well-managed, while the enemy, facing the PLA's all-out offensive, was short-handed, struggling to cope, and its defenses were fragmented, forcing them to rely on individual strongholds for a desperate resistance.

At noon that day, news arrived from the ferry crossing that day. After driving away the foreign warships, the People's Liberation Army launched a crossing operation from the opposite side of the Yangtze River. The army crossed the Yangtze River and entered Nanjing from Xiaguan and other places. Surrounded on three sides, with only one side open, Nanjing was now under attack from three sides.

The People's Liberation Army penetrated the city from three directions and engaged in fierce street fighting with the anti-rebellion forces. Morale was high, and the two sides fought fiercely, street by street, building by building, and house by house. The battlefield was reduced to rubble and ruin, with 40% of the city's residential areas destroyed. Amidst the rubble and ruins, Zhang Xun's "pigtail army" put up the most tenacious resistance, with fierce gun battles raging in every street, building, and factory.

At this point, the PLA's casualties continued to mount as they entered the city. Despite the PLA's frequent bombing raids on the Yangtze River, the reactionary forces continued to receive supplies and support from the river. By this point, the PLA had learned that without adequate firepower, wall-penetrating tactics were not a surefire solution against such a city.

The PLA's primary tactic was combined arms operations, placing great emphasis on the coordination of infantry, snipers, demolition troops, artillery, and airship bombardments. To counter this tactic, Zhang Xun and the foreign powers employed a close-range, pressing strategy, pushing their front lines as close to the PLA as possible. This forced the PLA and their own forces into a shootout and hand-to-hand combat. The most feared siege weapon was an enemy that fought to the death, engaging in street fighting. The enemy's retreat or collapse was the ultimate goal for the soldiers.

The PLA, reckless, steadily advanced toward the city center. Fierce battles ensued for every house, workshop, water tower, high ground, even for every wall, basement, and pile of rubble. The intensity of the fighting was unprecedented for the PLA. Facing the ubiquitous barrage of bullets and artillery shells, the PLA's understanding of the brutality of street fighting was renewed for the first time.

The PLA launched a major assault on Purple Mountain, a commanding height within Nanjing, offering commanding views of the city. It was also home to the enemy's headquarters. As artillery fire from afar shone, the defenders on the ridge spotted the advancing PLA troops, and a barrage of gunfire erupted.

The PLA airship flew over, and the reactionary army saw a huge monster they had never seen before. This monster was covered in black, but by then they all knew that it was a thing called an airship, which was what the foreign devils feared most.

The reactionary army had only seen airships attacking foreign invaders from afar, but when they saw airships attacking them, they panicked. Zhang Zhenjiang, the leader of the Qing army, came up with a plan and said to his soldiers, "Are there more birds in the sky or airships?"

The soldiers knew the answer without hesitation and replied: "There are many birds."

He then asked, "Have birds ever pooped on your heads?" The soldiers answered without hesitation, "No."

So the conclusion was: "So many birds pooped but didn't poop on your heads, so how can a few airships drop bombs on your heads?"

The soldiers thought it made sense, so when faced with the airship bombing, the reactionary soldiers not only did not hide, but instead ran out to watch the airship drop the bombs. The result is imaginable, hundreds of reactionary soldiers were killed or injured.

After finally surviving the airship bombing, the machine guns on the airship immediately began to pour out fire continuously, causing a storm of shrapnel in the trench camp of the reactionary army soldiers.

"Monster, monster!"

Many soldiers in the reactionary army were so frightened that they could only huddle together, muttering and praying that they would not be hit.

After a long time, Zhang Zhenjiang could no longer bear it and ordered his soldiers to bring over the Maxim machine guns and fire at the airship. The machine gunners expertly mounted the guns on the mounts and released the latches, pointing the Maxim muzzle into the air. Thanks to the hillside, the muzzles were perfectly aligned with the airship.

Following Zhang Zhenjiang's order, the sound of "da da da..." gunfire resounded through the sky. Six Maxim machine guns fired into the air at the same time. The whips of flames sprayed out from them crossed each other and formed a firepower network.

The soldiers on the airship had never been subjected to such heavy ground fire before, and they panicked and desperately tried to climb the airship. Unfortunately, the airship climbed very slowly and flew very slowly, so it was impossible to avoid the barrage of bullets fired by so many Maxim heavy machine guns.

The airship's surface was instantly riddled with holes. Worse still, the gas inside was flammable and explosive hydrogen. A volley of bullets pierced the airship, instantly igniting a fire. The airship instantly became a giant fireball, blazing in the air before plummeting, the bodies of the fallen soldiers shattered into dust.

Zhang Zhenjiang saw an airship being shot down, spat on the ground, and cursed: "Damn it, do you think I'm a foreign devil? Let you run wild. Do you think an airship can scare your grandfather like me?"

The reactionary soldiers on the ground suddenly let out a thunderous cheer.

The other soldiers instinctively picked up their rifles and fired at the other airships. They didn't know whether the bullets hit the target or not. They just saw that the monsters were getting farther and farther away from them.

In the past, Germany's airships were only powerful for the first week or so. Once they were able to carry weapons aboard aircraft and develop specialized bullets, they quickly became obsolete. Zhang Yinghao was also dejected upon hearing the news of the first airship being shot down. However, in the Far East, lacking heavy industry, the great powers were unable to manufacture anti-aircraft weapons like anti-aircraft machine guns, so airships should continue to dominate the region for a while.

Chapter 750: More!

Zhu Yuanzhang built the city of Nanjing, but it never served any purpose in defending against enemies for hundreds of years. The Taiping Rebellion took Nanjing with relative ease. Meanwhile, Nanjing became the site of fierce battles between the People's Liberation Army and the armies of foreign powers and the reactionary Beiyang government, inflicting heavy losses on the PLA.

In the face of the enemy's stubborn resistance, artillery fire roared, and the orange-yellow flames of the explosions lit up the mountain, forming a lingering echo. More than 40 years ago, Jiangning City was still called Tianjing. Tianbao City on Purple Mountain had stood for many years, witnessing the glory and demise of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

The attack on Purple Mountain was the key to this battle. Facing enemy fire from the mountain, the PLA soldiers remained silent and continued their charge. As the enemy gunfire continued, soldiers on the other side secretly scaled the steep rock face with their bare hands and suddenly attacked the enemy. The enemy could never have imagined that the PLA would actually scale the sheer cliffs. Faced with attacks from both sides, they immediately panicked. Unaware of the PLA's numbers, or that the soldiers climbing barehanded were armed with only a pistol, the enemy simply assumed they were surrounded.

The People's Liberation Army rushed into the enemy camp with pistols in hand and pulled the trigger at the enemy. The enemy was hit by bullets and fell to the ground with lifeless eyes.

"You are surrounded. Surrender and you will not be killed."

The People's Liberation Army that broke into the enemy position tried to persuade the enemy to surrender while picking up the enemy's weapons and fighting against the stubborn resistance. The People's Liberation Army that was attacking head-on was also climbing the steep mountain road, desperately attacking the enemy who was defending the high ground. If they could not break through the enemy's defense, once the climbing soldiers were wiped out, it would be difficult to attack the enemy position, and even these soldiers would be sacrificed in vain.

The sound of cannons rumbled. These were the artillery positions on the north and south slopes of Purple Mountain. After determining the time to fire, the artillery on both slopes opened fire at the same time. The sound of cannons echoed in the valley, and a burst of blood-red light appeared in the flashes of artillery fire.

Then came the shouts of the infantry, which rang out simultaneously on the north and south sides of Purple Mountain, and the People's Liberation Army launched an attack at the same time.

Purple Mountain is also known as Zhongshan. The saying "Wind and rain on Zhongshan Mountain turn the sky grey and yellow" is exactly here.

Purple Mountain is one of the four famous mountains in the south of the Yangtze River. It is known as the beautiful Jinling Mountain. It is a gathering place for famous scenic spots and historical sites in Nanjing. The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum where Zhu Yuanzhang is buried is also nearby.

There are many famous scenic spots and historical sites in Zijin Mountain. There is Zixia Cave in the south of the mountain, Liuhui Pavilion in the middle of the mountain, Yanque Lake and Xiaoling Mausoleum in the west, Linggu Temple in the east, and a large number of tombs of founding heroes of the early Ming Dynasty such as Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, and Li Wenzhong in the north of the mountain.

Purple Mountain at this moment should have been breathtakingly beautiful, but it seemed all the more tragic. The green mountains were honored to bury the fallen, but the PLA offensive was in full swing. Soldiers flooded the mountains like a wave, sweeping everything in their path. The resounding cries of war and the piercing blasts of the charge tore the tranquility of the mountains apart.

Most of the Beiyang reactionary troops guarding Tianbao City panicked, but General Wang Youhong remained calm. He calmly mobilized his troops and repeatedly repelled the People's Liberation Army with machine guns. Wang Youhong's subordinates advised, "Sir, we can't hold on. Master Zhang still has tens of thousands of soldiers. Why go and die here?"

Wang Youhong pulled out his pistol and fired two shots into the air, exclaiming in frustration, "Tianbao City controls Purple Mountain and is a crucial battleground. It's strategically located, a single man can hold a thousand men back. Who the hell says we can't hold it? If we lose Tianbao City, what's left for Nanjing to defend? If you don't defend it, I'll lead the troops there myself."

In his early years, Wang Youhong joined the Ming Army and was considered a Huai Army veteran. He followed Liu Mingchuan to fight against the remnants of the Nian Army. Later, he participated in the Sino-French War and fought against the French army in Taiwan.

During the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, Wang Youhong was ordered to guard Shanhaiguan and almost fought against the Japanese. He happened to witness the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki. The Qing Dynasty survived the crisis by losing its sovereignty, ceding territory and paying compensation. Wang Youhong was transferred to Jiangnan to serve as the commander of the anti-smuggling campaign.

He lived a stable and luxurious life in Jiangnan for several years, but the rough and tumble nature in his bones was not erased.

Zhang Xun also knew the importance of Tianbao City. At that time, there were still ten battalions of troops defending Tianbao City, which added up to nearly 4,000 troops and occupied an extremely advantageous defensive position. Wang Youhong was really not worried that the People's Liberation Army had such courage and was willing to sacrifice tens of thousands of lives and injuries to take Tianbao City in a battle with foreigners.

"These Red Bandits want to take Tianbao City. It's impossible without at least 10,000 casualties. Everyone, hold on tight. When the Red Bandits come up the mountain, then open fire and shoot them. We have over 2 million silver coins here. If you hold Tianbao City, it'll all be your reward!"

Wang Youhong shouted at his men at the top of his lungs, dashing back and forth across the defenders' positions, pistol in hand. The Beiyang defenders' previously low morale was spurred on by his beatings, scoldings, and promises of rewards. The Tianbao City defenders, previously frightened by the PLA and nearly ready to flee, regained their composure, each man raising his rifle and setting up his machine gun, ready to fire down another round of PLA action.

Because the mountain roads were rugged and narrow, the PLA soldiers were completely unable to maneuver and were quickly separated. Defense is always easier than offense, and Wang Youhong was also a veteran of the military, and the defensive positions he arranged were also standard, basically in a place that was easy to defend but difficult to attack.

The Beiyang defenders were in a dominant position, facing the PLA's difficult attack from above. Countless bullets were fired at them, and unlucky soldiers were hit. Many soldiers fell meaninglessly on Purple Mountain without making any progress.

It seemed that there was hope of holding the position. The defenders' original panic had basically disappeared, and the desire to escape had faded. They regained a little confidence and all fired wildly at the People's Liberation Army.

This is how reactionary armies are. When the leader fights to the death, his men will also risk their lives to fight alongside him. Reactionary armies are quite powerful when the wind is favorable, but once they face a more powerful enemy, how long can they hold out?

The PLA continued to attack, coordinating with each other, charging upward from any blind spot of the enemy, while machine guns and artillery continued to suppress the enemy. Soon, a small number of Beiyang reactionary soldiers could not bear it and dropped their weapons, fleeing in panic.

"All forces attack, capture Tianbao City, and liberate Nanjing City."

Faced with the PLA's attack, the enemy troops on the ridge began to collapse backwards. The PLA stepped over the bodies of their comrades and continued to advance.

"Mad, a bunch of desperadoes."

Wang Youhong saw this and muttered to himself. He immediately fired two shots at the fleeing soldiers and shouted, "Go back and hold the line. Anyone who escapes will be shot dead. Guards, follow me to the front line and act as a supervisor. Anyone who escapes will be shot dead."

Shouting, Wang Youhong picked up a large knife and slashed the neck of the soldier he had just killed. He raised his head and roared fiercely: "Soldiers are fed and fed. What you eat and wear are all provided by the court. You must fight for His Majesty. Anyone who dares to take a step back will suffer this."

Wang Youhong led his guards to the front line again, drew a line on the ground with a knife, and shouted: "There is no order to retreat. Anyone who dares to retreat across this line will be killed."

The soldiers who escaped from the first line of defense saw the machine guns set up behind them, looked at the black muzzles and the guards standing in a row with guns in hand, and immediately had no choice but to continue shooting at the attacking People's Liberation Army with their guns in hand.

"If we continue to fight, we may survive. If we retreat, we will surely die."