The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Wu Dayuan naturally chose to stay with backbone. The first reason was that he was holding a grudge. He didn't believe that others could do the job well, and after knowing the reason, he still couldn't do it well himself.

Secondly, of course, he truly couldn't bear to leave the army's food. After joining the army, he could now enjoy the rice and flour he once dwindled to, and it wasn't just rice. Wherever the People's Liberation Army went, they inevitably distributed land. However, the Progressive Party emphasized self-sufficiency and the importance of labor creating wealth, so the troops would also reclaim wasteland for their own cultivation. If the troops left in the future, this reclaimed land would be handed over to the local government. In the Northeast, there were vast expanses of land, and the army, comprised of strong men, cultivated their own land, growing vegetables, raising chickens, pigs, and fish. While life might have been difficult at first, once the harvest arrived, the food was truly exceptional. Furthermore, even during the most challenging times, when the army was fighting, the logistics prioritized feeding the troops.

Wu Dayuan had originally joined the army because his family couldn't make ends meet. He'd barely eaten meat before, and he knew many people were lucky to have meat once a year. But in the army, not only was there meat, but there were also all sorts of seasonings and cooking oils for cooking, and the taste was truly amazing.

Indeed, the PLA ate meat at least two days a week, especially after the liberation of Tibet, the call for raising livestock in Inner and Outer Mongolia, and the establishment of canning factories. The meat supply was even more plentiful. Back home, there was no way they would have such a meal. Nourished by such a diet, the soldiers, through rigorous training, were now physically strong. Even though they were tanned from the exposure to the elements in combat and training, their faces still had the sleek, oily complexion only found in the rich, and a thin layer of fat accumulated beneath their skin.

So Wu Dayuan said without hesitation that as long as everyone didn't bully him, he would stay. Of course, he felt that he had been in the army for so long that he didn't want to leave. After all, even if he had no merit, he had worked hard. He felt that the PLA was unfair to him in his current situation.

However, Wu Dayuan had changed his previous habit of keeping everything to himself and finally felt comfortable speaking his mind during the criticism and self-criticism sessions at the Mingzhu Life Meeting. It was precisely because he had taken the initiative to try to integrate into the group that Wu Dayuan gradually changed.

Because he discovered that, both in theory and in practice, he had indeed been wrong before. After the initial blushing shame and being forced to admit his mistakes, Wu Dayuan gradually let go. He finally realized that he had not understood the books he had read before.

For example, he did not feel ashamed to ask questions from those who are less knowledgeable than him, and he believed that if three people walked together, there would always be one person who could teach me something. He found that his knowledge was indeed inconsistent with his practice. He was just a machine that translated knowledge, but he did not apply this knowledge to his daily life. When he rigidly understood the knowledge in books, he was precisely unable to "keep pace with the times."

Wu Dayuan gradually realized that he had not thoroughly understood what he had read before, and even spent the first half of his life misinterpreting the meaning of "sage." He considered himself a disciple of the sage, believing that he was the sage's spokesperson and that no one else was as good as him.

Wu Dayuan hadn't noticed these problems before, firstly because he was surrounded by educated people like himself who looked down on uneducated working people, thus preventing him from recognizing his own mistakes. Secondly, working people simply didn't have the time to discuss with Wu Dayuan what they considered meaningless. The truth is, the moment Wu Dayuan began to look down on working people, he effectively closed the door to learning from them.

After understanding this, Wu Dayuan felt deeply distressed and filled with regret. This meant that his outlook on life and values ​​had to be reshaped. He couldn't understand why he had been so foolish before. Furthermore, when he truly understood that the people simply wanted to be free from bullying, he felt as if everything he had learned had collapsed.

So, in search of answers, Wu Dayuan changed. He fought bravely on the battlefield and humbly sought advice off it. His accumulated military merits soon earned him enough to attend military academy. For those in the military, once they entered the academy, they were guaranteed promotion and employment.

When Lianchengjue was training these officers, Wu Dayuan immediately humbly asked for advice from the biggest "big shot" in the Northeast Liberated Area, hoping to get rid of his pain and regret.

Even now, Sun Tongpao still remembers that after listening to Wu Dayuan's description, Liancheng Jue pondered for a while, then smiled and asked Wu Dayuan: "What is the purpose of your life?"

Faced with this sudden question, Wu Dayuan didn't understand why Lian Cheng Jue asked this question. His brain froze, and he opened his mouth blankly, but no words came out. Then Sun Tongpao remembered Lian Cheng Jue and continued, "Our Chairman said that only through humiliation can one grow, and growth will lead to humiliation. Liberate your mind and seek truth from facts." You feel filled with pain and regret, which means that you feel that your current self is completely incompatible with your previous self. From a broader perspective, you are trying to understand why you were like that before, and what exactly caused you to become like that. In fact, the general environment of the old times was like this. You personally had no responsibility, because everything you learned was taught by others, and you couldn't discern the scope of your own cognition. Since no one taught you anything else, it's not your fault that you became like that.

Of course, from a personal perspective, your current state suggests that you're either living in the future, trying to prove with great achievements that you weren't foolish or that your past was correct. Or, you're living in the past, hoping to explain the past with your current understanding, refusing to believe that your past understanding was wrong. You want to prove yourself, or whitewash your past, to tell others that you're not that bad.

To put it simply, if you live in the future, you're trying to change or deny the past. If you live in the past, you're trying to use the future to distort your present. Regardless of whether you want to live in the past or the future, you're not living in the present, facing reality, seeking truth from facts, and keeping pace with the times.

Dialectical materialism and historical materialism teach us that we can only live in the present moment. What is the present moment like? What are you doing now? What should you do now? What can you do now? This is reality. We can never live in the past or the future. We must learn to let go of the past and embark on a journey free of burdens. You are important to yourself, but the world will continue to function without you. We cannot live under the gaze of others; all we can do is to do our best in the present moment.

So, since we live in the present, we must have an ultimate goal. Even if there is no ultimate goal, we must have a staged goal. Otherwise, we will inevitably fall into confusion and waste a lot of time and energy. Once you have a goal, your whole heart and soul will be devoted to achieving it. Where will you have time, energy, and strength to suffer and regret?

As the saying goes, sharpening your knife doesn't delay the chopping of wood. If chopping wood is your goal, then when you head up the mountain without sharpening your knife and realize it's not sharp enough, wasting a lot of time and energy, you're bound to feel regret. You understand the principle, but simply can't put it into practice. However, we have to admit that every failure teaches us wisdom; it lays the foundation for you to remember to sharpen your knife the next time you chop wood.

The Chairman once said, "When a person feels ashamed, he or she grows. History is an upward spiral, and only by taking the wrong path can one find the right one."

The progress of individuals and society is gradual and spiral. Sometimes, there are long periods of time when there is no progress at all, or progress is extremely slow. Individuals may remain unchanged for years, decades, or even decades, while humanity may remain stagnant for hundreds or even thousands of years. Sometimes, many people truly seem to remain unchanged except for aging. But sometimes, an individual or society's progress is rapid, hence the saying of sudden enlightenment: "After three days of absence, one should look at others with new eyes."

Wu Dayuan accepted the problems pointed out by the political commissar of Lian Cheng Jue, and through self-transformation, he may still look like the same Wu Dayuan physically, but he has become a completely different person mentally.

Living in the present, Wu Dayuan now commands the current battle, remaining calm even in the face of ever-changing battle situations. Facing the Russian surrender, Wu Dayuan's heart remains extremely calm, neither thinking about the past nor the future. He simply faces the present, doing his best, and using all his knowledge to prepare for the next, unpredictable moment.

After the Russians left Vladivostok empty-handed, the PLA began to take over the city's defenses, seizing Russian defensive positions and fortresses before advancing into the city proper. Having lost the front lines and the fortresses, Vladivostok was like a stripped beauty, completely exposed to the PLA. All they had to do was pounce, penetrate, and conquer her.

The chemical defense forces, which had been prepared in advance, put on protective clothing and quickly entered Vladivostok to begin comprehensive disinfection and sterilization work.

The contradiction had changed. Now that there were no enemies, occupying Vladivostok was no longer the most important thing. The most important thing was to isolate, observe, and treat ordinary Russians in Vladivostok. The entire Vladivostok city had to be disinfected, otherwise the disease might spread among the PLA, which would be a complete loss.

But at this moment, Sun Tongpao remembered another line from The Legend of the Condor Heroes: "As the old saying goes, poor mountains and bad waters produce unruly people. Although we in the Forward Party believe that the economic base determines the superstructure, according to the principle of survival of the fittest, the Russians have been able to survive in these cold and harsh places in the north for thousands of years. They must have become monsters. In many ways, we must admit that we cannot compare to them. Otherwise, the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties would not have called them Rakshasas... Therefore, we must always be vigilant against the Russians."

Sun Tongpao looked at the Russians, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he agreed with this statement. The liberation of Vladivostok during the Sino-Russian War was a landmark event, and it dealt a heavy blow to Tsar Nicholas II, leaving him powerless and furious. The liberation of Vladivostok marked both the end of China's war to recover its lost territory in the Far East and the temporary loss of Russia's ability to return to the Far East. After the loss of the Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia no longer had any basis for its existence in the Far East in the face of the awakening Chinese...

Chapter 757: Update!

Zhang Yinghao was overjoyed to have reclaimed Vladivostok, the pearl of the Far East, a city that had been estranged from its homeland. According to internationally accepted rules, to capture a city and gain international recognition, the most important requirement was not only a military presence but also the presence of Chinese residents. Zhang Yinghao believed that even if there had been Chinese living in Vladivostok before, they would have been wiped out by the Russians. To completely resolve the Vladivostok crisis, Zhang Yinghao instructed the Northeast Bureau to immediately relocate approximately 100,000 people from Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces to Vladivostok to establish and manage the city.

This is what the great powers fear about China, and this is what scares China. Because of their limited populations, the great powers could only turn occupied territories into colonies to exploit and profit. Why would China need to do the same? Simply acquire a piece of land, and in this era of population and land scarcity, there will be enough people to fill it and fully integrate it into China.

The liberation of Vladivostok would free up the troops besieging Vladivostok, and Zhang Yinghao considered this mobile force invaluable through rail transport. However, the Korean Peninsula had already entered a strategic stalemate, and since there were no territorial claims against South Korea, there was no need to send more troops into North Korea.

Zhang Yinghao looked at Tsarist Russia and then at Central Asia. Poor mountains and bad waters produce unruly people, but if the unruly people can win in a sustained struggle, then the Han people will have no chance, because the unruly people cannot defeat the organization.

However, deploying troops in the northwest wasn't just about fighting, but also about politics. Zhang Yinghao knew that even if he seized the opportunity to reclaim lost territory and inflict another crushing blow on Russia in Central Asia, Tsarist Russia would remain largely unscathed. Zhang Yinghao also knew that both China and Russia were major powers, each with a population exceeding 100 million, and possessed immense potential. Therefore, the liberated areas must continue to fight Tsarist Russia to the bitter end while the Russian Empire remained under Tsarist rule. While a major battle wasn't necessary, the war couldn't be stopped. This would require fighting until Tsarist Russia sued for peace around World War I, or until the Tsarist Russia was overthrown and the Bolsheviks came to power.

However, in modern times, Central Asia, like the Middle East, has been a land of chronic war and turmoil. This is because no single ethnic group in the region holds overwhelming dominance, nor does any single nation possess absolute hegemony. Furthermore, the region is plagued by numerous religious factions and intense intertribal feuds. Following the collapse of the Mongol Timurid Empire in the late 15th century, Central Asia transitioned from a brief period of unity to a long period of division.

At this time, the nomadic Uzbek tribe entered Central Asia from the north and established a feudal khanate in the Forkhara River basin in the early eighteenth century. With its capital in Kokand, it was first called the Kokand Khanate.

During the early Qing Dynasty, when Huang Taiji conquered Mongolia and defeated the Golden Family, Kokand submitted to the Manchu government. However, with the Qing army's entry into the country and the Qing's full military power extending into the southeast, Kokand embarked on a path of independence. Taking advantage of the Qing dynasty's decline, Kokand launched a massive offensive against scattered Kazakh and Kyrgyz tribes, gaining control of the Kazakh steppes and vast areas west of the Pamirs. Its territory extended to the Ili River basin in the northeast, the Syr Darya River in the north, and the Aral Sea in the west. It also bordered India to the south. During the mid-19th century, during the wars between the various Central Asian khanates, Kokand conquered Tashkent, a major commercial and military center in Central Asia.

In reality, the concepts of nation and ethnicity are not strong in Central Asia, and it is more of a tribal settlement. Therefore, although the Qing Dynasty had a so-called border, this territory, along with the people who defined it, was a vague concept. No one could precisely define their own territorial boundaries. The exact location of the national border was determined solely by the strength of the nation. When a nation was strong, its borders could be expanded at any time. When it was weak, other nations could also expand into its borders. Otherwise, nomads would not be able to cross the border at will.

Just when Zhang Yinghao was studying the map of Central Asia, an urgent telegram came. Zhang Yinghao took it and read it, then frowned.

"Chairman, is there an emergency?"

Zhang Yinghao handed the telegram to Cai E and said: "The foreign devils trapped outside Nanjing want to surrender."

Regarding surrender, Zhang Yinghao could only say that Western countries were really open-minded. When faced with the Chinese people whom they looked down upon, and faced with death, they surrendered without hesitation.

However, Zhang Yinghao was not aware of the situation on the front line at that time. If the foreign devils had not known that their atrocities would be unforgivable, and if the People's Liberation Army had not taken no prisoners, perhaps the foreign devils would have surrendered long ago.

Under the PLA's relentless assault, the streets where the battle had taken place were now completely different from their former state. Debris remained everywhere, and many magnificent buildings, including the sturdy city walls, were reduced to ruins. Corpses were everywhere, and blood mixed with rainwater, creating a living hell.

The soldiers who had managed to survive were almost all wounded, and in the area where the foreign devils had gathered, there was hardly a single intact building left; ruins lay everywhere. There were cries, groans, and curses, cursing the Chinese and the bastards who had started the war. Many of the foreign devils were soaking wet, shivering, and curled up, looking half dead.

The foreign negotiator, Lawrence, was already at the front-line headquarters. He said to Bai Jianyong, "General, we can surrender to you, but you must abide by the Geneva Convention and ensure the safety of life, property, and dignity of our surrendered soldiers and officers, that the wounded and sick receive medical treatment, and that we continue to be equipped with personal weapons for self-defense..."

"Chairman, these foreign devils are really dreaming. They are about to be surrounded and annihilated, and yet they still have so many demands. The comrades negotiating on the front line must be gritting their teeth..."

Zhang Yinghao waved his hand and said, "Call back immediately and allow the besieged foreign devils to surrender, but it must be unconditional surrender, and you can promise to guarantee their safety."

As the saying goes, a kind person cannot command an army, but Zhang Yinghao knew that if he did not allow the foreigners to surrender, they would inevitably become desperate and fight to the death, which would inevitably cause more casualties among the PLA soldiers, which was something Zhang Yinghao did not want to see.

Zhang Yinghao is now a politician, and all he considers is his own interests. He really doesn't dare to completely offend the foreign powers and treat these surrendered foreign devils the same as the old Russians in Hailanpao and Jiangdong Sixty-Four Villages. Although this is an enemy-enemy contradiction, the crimes of the foreign devils have already been committed. History cannot be repeated, and the people who have been harmed have already been hurt and cannot be undone. The only thing to blame is the country's poverty and weakness. If the country is strong enough, how could such a thing happen?

If the foreign devils chose to surrender unconditionally, then Zhang Yinghao would be willing to give them a chance to live, but whether to let them leave and return home was not up to them. The liberated areas now needed a large number of laborers to build bridges and roads. Nanjing was destroyed and needed people to build and atone for its crimes. So shouldn't these thugs atone for their crimes through labor? Perhaps, keeping them alive and allowing them to atone for their crimes through labor is the best option.

After reading Zhang Yinghao's telegram, Bai Jianyong said directly to Lawrence: "You have no room for bargaining. You can only choose unconditional surrender. It is unconditional surrender, do you understand?"

Bai Jianyong emphasized the word "unconditional" and continued, "Of course, we can guarantee your safety and treat your wounded. If you do not surrender, we will continue our full-scale attack until all of you thugs are wiped out, leaving no prisoners."

After the translator translated this to Lawrence, the foreigner who came to the headquarters, the colonel was immediately shocked. He was about to argue when he saw Bai Jianyong said impatiently: "Now the sky has cleared up, and our airships can take off and fight again. If you refuse to surrender, we will continue to bomb. Now the river has been blocked by us, and you can't escape even if you have wings. Now you have only two choices, the first is death, and the second is unconditional surrender. We only give you 20 minutes to consider. If you don't surrender, we will continue to fight until you are completely wiped out. Do you really think we are the Qing Dynasty?"

Lawrence shuddered as he recalled the terrifying scene of the white phosphorus bomb. He dared not say another word and obediently prepared to return to report. The armies of the great powers were short of medical care and medicine, and many of the wounded soldiers were simply suffering from infections and fevers.

As soon as Lawrence left, Bai Jianyong immediately ordered: "The airship troops will immediately take off over the enemy to deter them. The artillery will prepare to fire."

As soon as twenty minutes were up, Bai Jianyong gave an order and the airship dropped high-explosive bombs, while the artillery positions fired shells that reaped lives.

Only three airships dropped their bombs, and then several white flags were hoisted below. It seemed that the foreign devils were truly frightened. Then, cheers were heard from the foreign devils' positions. Surrendering and cheering was a rare thing.

Soon, groups of foreign soldiers came out of the trenches with empty guns in hand and surrendered to the PLA. Although the whole group was a little confused, no one made trouble. After all, the PLA had machine guns pointed at them!

After such a fierce battle, who really dares to underestimate the People's Liberation Army? This is the power of revolution. It is the same in ancient and modern times, at home and abroad. After the revolution, the combat effectiveness of the army of all countries will be significantly improved in a short period of time, and unleash unimaginable power.

The foreign devils' troops had completely lost their spirit at this time, and their faces were full of vicissitudes. Only the groans of the wounded soldiers who were being carried and supported reminded everyone how great the casualties caused to the foreign devils by the PLA's attack were.

After receiving the flags and sabers presented by the foreign devils as a symbol of surrender, the next step was to count the troops, identify the soldiers and officers, and then separate them. This was because the PLA's experience had shown that for captured troops, as long as the original organization of the captured troops was destroyed and the officers and soldiers were separated, the soldiers would become a mob, and officers without soldiers would be toothless tigers. Separating them would basically not cause any major incidents.

Zhang Yinghao had originally planned to give a big publicity to the recapture of Vladivostok, as it was a very morale-boosting event. However, after the Nanjing thugs surrendered, Zhang Yinghao decided against it altogether. Too many victories would only encourage the powers to share a common hatred for China and join in a boycott. Making them feel weak at this point might have unexpected benefits. Keeping a low profile was the right approach.

After receiving the telegram from Nanjing that the foreign invaders had surrendered and laid down their arms, Zhang Yinghao immediately sent a telegram: "The entire army must continue the offensive. We must completely liberate Shanghai and expel the foreign invaders' troops and warships. Not a single soldier of the foreign invaders will be allowed to appear on Chinese territory."

...--

Everyone wants to avoid all the pitfalls on their growth path, and will use their own experiences to persuade others to avoid big pitfalls. However, in reality, some pitfalls are destined to be stepped on and cannot be avoided.

Jordan was now deeply concerned, and even Britain was beginning to feel uncertain. The Liberated Areas' unyielding stance on the Tibetan issue, including attempts to drive out British warships, reclaim the concessions, and even risk a national war with the powers, had completely shocked Britain, still reeling from the aftermath of the Boer War.

Britain was deeply uneasy at the prospect of being drawn into another "Boer War," despite widespread national unease about punishing China. However, the liberated areas still held greater power and influence than the twenty or so small republics established by the Boers, making them the largest power in the Far East. The Progressive Party, undeterred by the British threat, rendered Britain's traditional deterrent tactics ineffective in dealing with China. War was the only option left, but it now seemed that war was no longer viable.

Zhu Erdian looked towards the north again, expecting Emperor Yuan to bring some surprises. Unfortunately, Zhu Erdian didn't know that Emperor Yuan was already cursing non-stop.

The first targets of the curse were naturally the liberated areas. Expelling foreign powers, recovering concessions, and abolishing privileges—what Chinese wouldn't want to do these things? Comparing people is a recipe for disaster, and comparing goods is a recipe for destruction. Emperor Yuan was now struggling. He lamented more than once at court meetings: "The empire is newly built, facing internal and external troubles. State affairs are difficult!"

The second person he cursed was his former subordinates. After Emperor Yuan proclaimed himself emperor, he quickly formed a huge interest group with the "Six Beiyang Towns" as his base. However, as it developed rapidly, it also quickly divided and degenerated.

The Beiyang government was never a monolithic entity. Emperor Yuan's subordinates were divided into direct and collateral branches. The Duan faction, Feng faction and other collateral branches all showed signs of division. They only remained a whole under the pattern of sharing the same leader.

However, under the tremendous pressure from the liberated areas and the invasion of the great powers, the Beiyang officers who held heavy troops and were confronting the People's Liberation Army on the front line had already shown a tendency to disobey the orders of Emperor Yuan, and the soldiers were even more inclined to become disloyal, but silence still accounted for the majority.

The First Regiment, in particular, was the most favored of the six Beiyang armies during the Qing dynasty. Its equipment and pay were among the highest among the six new armies. However, after Yuan Shikai proclaimed himself emperor, not only did its pay gradually fall behind the other five armies, but its equipment upgrades also lagged far behind. They were even denied the chance to plunder the capital. Furthermore, Emperor Yuan Shikai would not deploy this army unless absolutely necessary, clearly demonstrating his suspicion and fear.

This is hardly surprising. During the Qing Dynasty, the First Town was populated by select members of the Eight Banners. Although the First Town, with its large number of bannermen, was under the control of Yuan Shikai, the Manchus were ultimately loyal to the imperial court. When Yuan Shikai forced the Qing court to abdicate and proclaim himself emperor, the people of the First Town denounced him as a treacherous villain and looked down on him. There was even a rumor that lower-ranking officers conspired to assassinate the "traitor" Yuan Shikai. If Zhao Bingjun hadn't discovered the rebellion in time and, along with Feng Guozhang, suppressed it, Yuan Shikai would have faced death.

During this period of time, Yuan Datou also felt that his previous looting behavior was inappropriate, and he has been trying hard to restore his relationship with the old ministers of the previous dynasty. After all, the resources controlled by the official group of the previous dynasty are what he has always coveted. But he is also unwilling to learn from Li Zicheng's method of handcuffing and collecting salaries. After all, Yuan Datou now has the powerful countries above him, and he cannot be the only one in charge.

Yuan Shikai has been trying to mend relations with the previous imperial family, expressing his apology and respect for the old guard. While he has been slowly working to reduce the proportion of Manchu soldiers in the First Regiment, he's been wary of overtly doing so. He even deliberately promoted some Manchu generals to appease his subordinates. Unfortunately, from the moment the Manchus' world became Yuan Shikai's, the conflict between Yuan Shikai and the Manchus became irreconcilable. Faced with the threat of the People's Liberation Army, everything Emperor Yuan Shikai has done is futile; disunity and disintegration are inevitable.

Chapter 758: Update!

No matter how Zhang Yinghao analyzed the Beiyang government, there were many foolishly loyal people in this era, and many officers and soldiers who were won over by Emperor Yuan with money, loyalty and official positions were still willing to work for him.

Just when Zhang Yinghao thought he could rest peacefully tonight, the guard woke him up at midnight. Zhang Yinghao really didn't like being woken up so late at night, but he also knew something serious had happened; otherwise, they wouldn't have woken him up at this time. So, after comforting Xue'er, who was about to get up and let her go back to sleep, he immediately got dressed and went to the hall.

When Cai E saw Zhang Yinghao, he immediately reported: "Chairman, it's an emergency. The Beiyang forces are attacking the three passes of Yiyang."

Zhang Yinghao felt a bit annoyed. Why did this never end? He immediately said, "Wasn't this predicted long ago? Do you need to report it to me now?"

"No, there is another situation."

"What?"

"The British and French fleets bombarded Beihai Harbor, and some warships attempted to enter Qinzhou Harbor and Fangchenggang Harbor. However, our army was heavily guarded, and after being discovered, they were repelled by artillery. Then, the British and French fleets vented their anger again by bombarding coastal towns."

Zhang Yinghao nodded. In this era of underdeveloped technology and lack of air force suppression, the fleet at sea would never be willing to engage in a firefight with the artillery units on the shore unless it was absolutely necessary.

"What about casualties?"

"No reports yet, but the French army, under the cover of naval guns, launched an attack on our positions. A French division has crossed the border and is now attacking Dongxing County, supported by two divisions of the Vietnamese vassal army."

"Sure, the French actually sent out three divisions of troops."

Zhang Yinghao immediately looked at the map of Guangxi on the wall and instantly found Dongxing County on the coastal border. He asked, "The people in Dongxing should have been evacuated long ago, right?"

"Yes, Dongxing is now a ghost town."

Zhang Yinghao continued to ask, "Are the foreign devils launching a joint land and sea attack on Dongxing County?"

"The current situation is this: the French Army, in cooperation with the Navy, is attacking Dongxing County..."

As Cai E reported, the French army was attacking Dongxing County. The PLA was suppressed by French firepower, and the Vietnamese vassal army was waiting for an opportunity to attack. The PLA lacked heavy artillery and could only use mortars and 75mm infantry guns against the French army, suffering heavy losses. Faced with the enemy's invasion, the PLA soldiers were forced to defend themselves, and they were very angry.

However, because it was nighttime, the French artillery's accuracy was not very good, and most of the shells fell on the open ground, with only a few lucky ones landing on the city walls. However, the French were well prepared, and in order to avoid unnecessary losses, the PLA stopped the artillery fire and planned to use it later when attacking the French.

After the PLA bombardment ceased, the French army became even more arrogant and immediately launched an attack on Dongxing City from the north gate, and also launched an attack on the west gate. As for the south gate, due to the sand and silt, only Vietnamese cannon fodder was arranged to harass the attack.

The People's Liberation Army in the city had no idea which direction the enemy troops were more numerous and had stronger attack power. They could only use mortars to fire flares and light bonfires in the open space outside the city wall, hoping to determine the main attack direction of the French army.

The garrison at Dongxing City consisted of only one regiment, making it nearly impossible to hold the city against the overwhelming French force. Furthermore, the French army also brought with them vassal troops, making them virtually indistinguishable at night. This delayed the regimental commander, Xu Congzhi, from determining the main force of the French attack. Because they saw many enemies at the west gate and the south gate, they only left four mortars at the north gate.

The French army began its attack, with two battalions of Vietnamese soldiers leading the charge at the west gate. After the PLA fired dozens of mortars, killing dozens, several French officers, unable to stop them, retreated. The soldiers on the wall had barely fired a few rounds before they stopped, staring at each other in disbelief.

The Vietnamese vassal army's combat effectiveness was not good, but the French army was combat-capable. When attacking the north gate, the French sent people to blow up the bonfire with grenades, and then immediately launched an attack. When they reached the range, they lay on the ground and exchanged fire with the PLA. At this time, the PLA's long-awaited mortars and Maxim heavy machine guns roared desperately, hitting the French army so hard that they could not raise their heads, but the French army still persisted.

The PLA's mortars proved a formidable weapon in this defensive operation. From their commanding position on the city walls, they fired their specially designed, long-tailed shells at high angles, effectively destroying enemy troops in any hidden corner. Unaware of the French's capabilities, the Maxim heavy machine guns roared relentlessly. Ultimately, the combined power of the heavy machine guns and mortars bewildered the French.

This is not the French army's fault. The mortar has a very short history. Originally, after the Russian artillery captain Nikolayevich invented this weapon during the Russo-Japanese War, it dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese army. However, due to the arrogance and outdated thinking of the Japanese and Russian militaries after the war, the mortar has not received enough attention.

In this life, under Zhang Yinghao's guidance, the mortar was invented. Although it had been invented for several years and the People's Liberation Army often used mortars, the armies of the great powers looked down on the PLA's combat effectiveness and the Chinese people, and naturally, this small cannon was also looked down upon. Not to mention the large-scale equipment of the great powers, even the Russian army, which had used it, and the Japanese army, which had suffered from it, did not take it seriously. However, gold will always shine, and the superiority of the mortar is destined to sooner or later show its power and shine.

The French are also equipped with heavy machine guns. Although heavy machine guns are very powerful, they are not valued by many countries. Many countries even refuse to use heavy machine guns that consume a lot of bullets. This is because using heavy machine guns is really a waste of bullets and they are also very expensive.

When this machine gun first came out, Li Hongzhang also went to see it. After seeing it, Li Hongzhang gave this evaluation: too fast, too fast. And then he said about the price: too expensive, too expensive.

Theoretically, the Maxim machine gun could fire 600 rounds per minute. With limited steel production, industrialized nations like Europe and the United States felt it wasted ammunition. Furthermore, for a country like China, with its low productivity and the difficulty of producing bullets and artillery shells, Zhang Yinghao was the only one who had foresight. Therefore, many countries are currently not fully equipped with this heavy machine gun. The French didn't have many in their colonies, and logistics needed to be shipped from Europe. So why would France be willing to deploy more Maxim heavy machine guns?

Let’s not talk about these for now. Amid the roars of this mortar with almost no blind spots and high firing frequency, cast iron shrapnel flew everywhere, almost completely suppressing the firepower of the French army under the city wall. With the city wall in front of them, the French army had almost no way out, and their first attack was defeated.

After repelling the French offensive, Xu Congzhi issued an order: "All soldiers must start saving bullets and ammunition."

Although Guangxi's military logistics can be transported from Guangzhou, Hubei and other places, the distance is too far. After understanding the combat effectiveness of the French army and having a preliminary understanding of the French army and knowing that the French army can also be defeated, it is necessary to start saving bullets.

The French knew that without heavy artillery, without solving the problem of city walls and mortars, it would be very difficult to capture Dongxing City, and even if they did, it would come at a huge cost.

How could the ancient defensive walls compete with modern weapons? The French quickly came up with a solution. They immediately pulled a 105mm cannon from the warship, aimed the muzzle at the city gate and fired a shot. After a deafening sound, the wooden city gate was blown to pieces.

Unaware of the situation, the French army immediately launched a charge, leaping to their feet and rushing towards the city gate. However, they were forced to stop short, as the gate had been blocked with stones. While the cannon blew up the gate, it failed to dislodge the stones piled inside.

The French troops charging forward were completely exposed, just like death row prisoners facing execution, with nowhere to hide.

How could the PLA miss such a rare opportunity for slaughter? Soldiers on the city walls immediately launched grenades toward the city walls. Hundreds of grenades exploded, wiping out nearly all the French troops near the city gates. The PLA immediately opened fire on the French troops further away, killing another wave of the attacking French.

The soldiers on the wall also knew that the French army was about to bombard the city. There was no time to re-fire at the wailing French soldiers, and they immediately ran down the wall. The French soldiers who did not participate in the charge were horrified at this time, watching so many brave comrades "vanish in a flash" in shock. It was really a dream and incredible.

The French heavy artillery bombarded the city again, but this time the French chose not to charge, but waited for the heavy artillery to bombard the city again and again. Soon, the city wall collapsed. Seeing the wall collapse, the French immediately launched an attack. The People's Liberation Army also set up machine guns in the city and was ready to engage in a brutal street battle with the French army.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese vassal troops feinting at the South Gate were in the worst of it. With the area completely empty, they jumped from their boats and launched their assault, only to find their feet mired in the mud. Charging with their rifles was incredibly strenuous, and lying prone on the ground, they were unable to engage the PLA troops on the city walls. Consequently, these Vietnamese monkeys were used as targets by our soldiers on the city walls. With the help of flares, the soldiers dispatched their rifles, picking off the enemy one by one.