The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Ding Zhenduo had just taken over the Yunnan-Guizhou region this year. After verifying that General Gao Deyuan of Puhe Town in Yunnan was arrogant and extravagant, allowing his troops to harm the people, he immediately beheaded General Gao outside the Governor's Mansion. It can be said that Ding Zhenduo was a man of swift action. However, the biggest problem of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau was a lack of money.

Yunnan, located on the southwestern frontier, boasted a strong military, but its land was barren, and the province alone could not sustain its troops. Previously, it relied on Sichuan for aid. Therefore, Ding Zhenduo's first priority upon accepting the governorship was to feed his troops. Coincidentally, the imperial court issued an order announcing a rebellion in Sichuan, demanding his immediate suppression. This presented a golden opportunity to establish his reputation. Scrambling together funds, he finally secured the troops' marching expenses and marched straight to Sichuan. As long as he could capture Xu Prefecture, his financial worries would cease.

After inspecting the local terrain, the Ouyang Army confirmed that the general staff's pre-planned plan was sound. According to the plan, the Ouyang Army deployed simple defenses along the Yangtze River. Upon the arrival of the Yunnan-Guizhou troops, they would offer a brief resistance before retreating, luring the enemy deeper into their territory. This was because everyone in the Yunnan-Guizhou Army knew that the troops from that region were stronger than the Sichuan Army, and they looked down on the Sichuan troops, a result of their circumstance. Every member of the Yunnan-Guizhou Army also knew the wealth of Sichuan, and entering Sichuan presented an opportunity for prosperity.

In order to make these self-righteous Yunnan-Guizhou troops even more crazy, Ouyang's army set up three lines of defense outside Xufu City, with layers of resistance. The ultimate goal was to lure the Yunnan-Guizhou troops in, and then use the firepower advantage to completely destroy the invading Yunnan-Guizhou troops in front of Xufu in one fell swoop.

It's easy to say, but incredibly difficult to do. The Yunnan-Guizhou army was no fool, and luring them was a truly demanding task. Ouyang Jun personally arranged everything, and by the time everything was nearly ready, the Yunnan-Guizhou army had already entered Sichuan from Zhaotong, Yunnan, and was already approaching the Yangtze River.

Across the Yangtze River, Xuzhou is already in sight. It is the flood season, but due to the recent lack of rain, the river is narrow and the current is fast. In this era of the late Qing Dynasty, crossing the river was still relatively difficult.

Ding Zhenduo personally led the troops, commanding the central army. His vanguard had already requisitioned boats along the riverbank for the crossing. On the way, he'd worried that the Sichuanese would burn the boats and then defend the Yangtze River to the death. But seeing the current situation, Ding Zhenduo smiled. He didn't really care about a force that had only been established for a few months engaging in battle with his own battle-hardened army.

Ding Zhenduo was even more pleased when he heard that the Sichuan rebels had only seized a few boats, while they had found plenty along the way, enough to cross the river. The most important thing was that the opposing rebels' defenses were lax. Ding Zhenduo was extremely disdainful of the opposing commander's abilities. He thought, "Isn't it a recipe for disaster if I don't take advantage of the natural defenses and have no military knowledge?"

After a brief preparation, the Yunnan-Guizhou army ordered their artillery to open fire, and the Qing army's shells immediately bombarded the revolutionary army's positions across the river. The Yunnan-Guizhou army was well-equipped. Successive governors of Yunnan and Guizhou, aware of their responsibility to guard the border, invested considerable effort in the development of their military. It must be said that the Qing dynasty was quite generous in purchasing weapons, so the Yunnan-Guizhou army's firepower and combat effectiveness were definitely not weak. Under the cover of artillery fire, teams of Yunnan-Guizhou troops quickly rowed their boats and rushed towards the other side.

At this time, the revolutionary army seemed to be stunned, and there was no counterattack at all. In fact, the revolutionary army was indeed stunned at this time. When the revolutionary army dealt with landlord militias, bandits and bullies, how could there be such intensive artillery fire? The revolutionary army had hardly been baptized by many artillery shells in Sichuan. From its establishment to the present, the revolutionary army has never experienced such a battle between soldiers and generals. Not to mention that the soldiers have no experience, even the officers have no experience, and even

Even officers stood up and shouted. Shells came flying, hitting some revolutionary soldiers who were unable to dodge in time. From time to time, severed limbs flew into the air, looking extremely bloody.

At this time, all the revolutionary soldiers were hiding in the anti-artillery holes they dug, their faces pale. They felt that the anti-artillery holes were indeed not well dug. Some soldiers knew before that the holes were dug to prevent artillery fire, but they had no idea why they were dug like this. Only now did they know why the holes were dug like this and how they were used. They even braved the artillery fire and continued to dig the anti-artillery holes where they were hiding.

War is the best teacher. Experience on the battlefield is fundamentally different from not experiencing it. The next time these soldiers went into battle, they would never again dig holes under fire. Therefore, despite the Qing army's artillery fire, the revolutionary army only heard sporadic gunfire, which posed no threat to the Yunnan-Guizhou army's crossing of the river. Soon, the Yunnan-Guizhou army successfully landed on the beach.

"Haha, this group of rebels is so weak, they are simply useless. If we had known that these rebels were so vulnerable, we would have attacked them long ago. Just us, we are enough to sweep across the entire Sichuan without a doubt. It is time for us to make achievements."

Ding Zhenduo was very happy to see the Yunnan-Guizhou army crossing the Yangtze River so easily. Without waiting for follow-up troops, Ding Zhenduo directly launched an attack on the revolutionary army's position. More than a dozen cannons fired at the revolutionary army's position. Only to see the shells fall to the ground, blowing the position into pieces.

Batches of boats slid back and forth, and soon, the entire Yunnan-Guizhou army had crossed the river. Not far from Xufu City, all the revolutionary troops were building positions and fortifications, with no intention of attacking at all. Ding Zhenduo felt extremely contemptuous. If he had used his own troops, whether it was attacking them halfway across the river, preventing them from crossing the river at all, or even attacking them while maintaining stability, it would have been countless times better than such a stubborn defense. How could an army without an offensive spirit win a battle?

After the bombardment ended, the Yunnan-Guizhou troops immediately advanced on the revolutionary army's positions. These Yunnan-Guizhou troops were truly elite, with many soldiers able to run and shoot at the same time, and their marksmanship was quite accurate. Many revolutionary soldiers, seemingly forgetting their instructors' instructions during training, fired two shots and then moved on. They were shot in the head by the Qing army and killed instantly. Just as the Yunnan-Guizhou troops were about to charge into the revolutionary army's positions, three tongues of fire suddenly erupted from the revolutionary army, and the Yunnan-Guizhou Qing army collapsed instantly. ...

Chapter 187: Thanks for the urging for more updates!

The Qing troops in Yunnan and Guizhou were renowned for their bravery and fighting prowess. Even under the machine gun fire of the Revolutionary Army, they continued their charge. Ding Zhenduo, commanding the troops from the other side of the river, was unable to follow up, but upon hearing the sound of the Revolutionary Army's machine guns, the vanguard commander immediately called in his own machine guns for cover, and the two sides engaged in a fierce back-and-forth battle. The Revolutionary Army, inexperienced in this kind of battle, unexpectedly allowed many Qing troops to penetrate their positions.

When the revolutionary army's machine guns sounded, Ding Zhenduo knew that the attack had failed. In order to avoid unnecessary casualties, he issued an order to retreat.

However, Ding Zhenduo overlooked two details. First, many of the Qing troops in Yunnan and Guizhou were shot directly in the head, killing them instantly. Second, all the Qing troops in Yunnan and Guizhou who entered the trenches were killed without a single ripple. This was thanks to the revolutionary army's extensive use of sharpshooters, arduous bayonet training, and the large number of pistols they were equipped with.

The first attack ended so hastily. Ouyang Jun went to the front line in person. He knew very well that the revolutionary army was a new army and he was not sure whether it could withstand the attack of the Yunnan-Guizhou army. Although he was confident, he was caught off guard by the brutal fighting between the two sides.

The revolutionary army's medical teams continuously transported the wounded. Medical conditions at the time were still very backward, and serious injuries were essentially a death sentence. However, Zhang Yinghao had always attached great importance to the training of doctors and the research of medicine. Basically, bullets in the body could be detected with probes and removed with tools, which could basically save the wounded's life. The Ouyang army also temporarily hired people to clean and disinfect gauze before reuse, significantly reducing the risk of infection.

Ouyang Jun felt deeply the cruelty of war, but what could he do? This was a life-and-death struggle, and forgiveness was something he could only achieve after defeating the enemy. However, after a relatively mild battle, countless unclear principles were explained. For example, the anti-artillery holes. Normally, many soldiers just didn't understand the rationale, but now, after being bombarded by the enemy, they immediately understood why the holes were dug that way. So, the soldiers took advantage of the opportunity and began to dig holes desperately, just in case.

Another round of attacks approached. Hiding in the trenches, Ouyang Jun observed the situation only to hear a scream nearby. A nearby revolutionary had been struck in the shoulder, a large chunk of flesh ripped off, blood and flesh dripping profusely. He couldn't help but scream. But after the scream, he quickly clamped his mouth shut. Training had taught us that screaming when injured only attracted more enemy attacks and was completely useless. So, if you were injured, it was best to remain quiet and wait for the ambulance to carry you down.

Glancing off into the distance, Ouyang Jun saw a machine gunner's head explode, his brains splattering everywhere. The firepower suddenly decreased significantly. The Qing troops from Yunnan and Guizhou seized the opportunity to rapidly advance towards the trenches. The auxiliary gunner pushed aside the body of the former machine gunner and continued firing, instantly mowing down several more Yunnan and Guizhou soldiers. Ouyang Jun quickly bent over and ran towards the machine gun position. A moment later, the auxiliary gunner was also knocked to the ground. Sensing something was wrong, Ouyang Jun rolled over, pushed the body aside, and the machine guns roared again.

At this point, Ouyang Jun couldn't care less. He kept remembering what Chairman Zhang Yinghao had said: "Our army is a new one. All commanders must serve on the front lines when necessary. Our officers can only serve with me, not with me. If the commanders don't serve, who will?"

The guards nearby also joined in the shooting. As soon as they joined the battle, another

More than ten Yunnan and Guizhou soldiers were knocked down. Ouyang Jun and others personally went into battle, and as expected, their morale was greatly boosted. The soldiers fought back one after another, and once again turned back the Qing army's wave of attacks.

Pushed back.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ouyang Jun decisively said: "Abandon this position and retreat immediately with the remains of our comrades."

Because this position was the first one the Revolutionary Army had dug for combat, they had little experience and were already in tatters. The second position had already been improved, and the enemy was about to launch another artillery attack, so there was no need to defend this position any longer. The Revolutionary Army quietly retreated, and soon, the enemy began to bombard them.

Ouyang Jun laughed heartily and said, "These bastards! We retreated and they fired cannons to see us off! How thoughtful of them!"

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this, and the tense atmosphere suddenly relaxed. The two rounds of fighting hadn't lasted long, but at least six or seven hundred Qing troops from Yunnan and Guizhou had lost their lives. This made Ding Zhenduo's heart ache. These veterans were the cream of the crop left behind by the previous commander, and now they'd lost so many before even reaching the walls of Xu Prefecture. What was he going to do?

After the bombardment ended, Ding Zhenduo ordered his troops to attack immediately. This time, without the terrifying roar of machine guns or the occasional blast of rifles, they smoothly captured the entire position. Seeing this, Ding Zhenduo immediately realized that the enemy had also suffered heavy losses and must have retreated because they could no longer bear the consequences.

Therefore, he immediately ordered his troops to intensify their offensive, striving to reach Xuzhou before nightfall. Thus, under the cover of artillery fire, the troops quickly rushed towards the second line of defense. Unfortunately, many sections of the second line of defense still contained barbed wire. Furthermore, with the experience gained from the first line of defense, the trenches were dug wider and the bends more tightly. The anti-artillery holes had also been tested and dug more rationally, having been tested in the first line of defense. Therefore, the Qing army's artillery shells did little damage to the revolutionary army.

The Yunnan-Guizhou troops charged several times after the artillery fire, but each time they suffered heavy casualties.

"Damn it, these Sichuan bastards are hiding in their shells. If you have the guts, let's have a real fight. Come on, use your cannons to blast a hole. I won't believe these rats hiding in there and won't come out. Even if they are rats, blow them to death in their holes."

"twitter."

Seeing that his elite soldiers had suffered heavy losses and still had not reached the enemy's trenches, Ding Zhenduo became a little anxious and immediately planned to use artillery to solve the problem.

The order was issued, and the artillery fire of the Qing army in Yunnan and Guizhou became even more fierce. They bombarded the area all the way, and several anti-artillery holes were blown down. Fortunately, the comrades quickly rescued them, otherwise the soldiers inside would have been suffocated to death even if they were not killed by the explosion.

"Commander, it seems the Qing army has gone crazy."

"Haha, they're not crazy, they're just angry. They used to look down on the weaklings, but now they can't defeat them. It would be strange if they weren't angry. Don't be afraid of their anger. As long as we hold on a little longer, it will be fine before dark. How is our artillery preparation going?"

"It's all ready. Those guys are already rubbing their hands in anticipation." "That's good. Just don't fire blanks. Tell the frontline troops that after dark, when the Qing army stops attacking, they should immediately fill the anti-artillery holes and withdraw to the rear defense line. How are the cavalry troops preparing?"

"We're ready. Once the order is given, we'll attack from both sides. These Qing troops will be completely surrounded. They won't be able to escape."

"Well, we must be vigilant tonight. The Qing troops from Yunnan and Guizhou couldn't break into our positions during the day, so they'll definitely come to raid our camp tonight. This is simple military common sense. We're just waiting for them to raid our camp and then we'll give them a big gift."

Finally, night fell, and the revolutionary army withdrew with the bodies of the fallen soldiers. The battlefield returned to its former calm, as if the fierce battle that had just occurred had never occurred. It was as beautiful and peaceful as it had been since ancient times. Only the occasional screams of the wounded and sick from the enemy and friendly camps indicated that a fierce battle had just occurred here.

At the end of the day, the Qing army lost more than 1,500 men and suffered even more injuries, which was a heavy loss. It was only because the soldiers in Yunnan and Guizhou were brave and well-trained that they would have collapsed long ago.

The revolutionary army, however, was not in a much better position. This time, in a head-on battle with the Qing army, they only suffered eight hundred casualties for every one thousand they killed. Several requisitioned houses in Xu Prefecture were filled with wounded soldiers. Even so, the defensive battle was a failure. However, this was the first time the revolutionary army had fought a true battle. Many soldiers were in a state of disarray. If the political commissar and commander had not personally participated in the battle, the morale of the army would have been greatly affected.

The revolutionary army was in a better position. They had a simple logistics system and a number of doctors, so the wounded soldiers received good medical treatment. The wounded soldiers on the Qing side were in a worse situation. They were short of medical care and medicine. Many of them could only lie on the ground and cry. Those who could be treated were treated by the doctors they found, while those who were seriously injured could only watch as they lay on the ground and waited for death.

However, the wounded were sent to the other side of the river, so there was little impact on the front line. However, by this time, the Qing army had seen the situation clearly and no longer had the arrogance they had when they came. They no longer thought about how to get promoted, make money, or plunder. This attack was not going well, and they also knew that the rebels were difficult to defeat. They had begun to think about how to save their lives.

Meanwhile, the special forces captain, Wu Lucheng, was patrolling the riverbank in Qing Dynasty attire, a pretentious display. This young man, no more than twenty years old and plain-looking, was in fact incredibly agile and capable, and his skills were so impressive that even three or five special forces soldiers couldn't get close to him. A normal person could easily handle a dozen or so.

He was once a lay disciple of the Baoding Guangming Temple on Huaying Mountain, captured by the revolutionary army. As the Progressive Party campaigned against local tyrants and distributed land, the temple naturally bore the brunt of the attack. However, Wu Lucheng quickly and successfully transformed himself, embracing revolutionary ideals and recognizing the Guangming Temple monks' exploitation of land and the temple's use of feudal superstition to intimidate and threaten the people, ultimately acknowledging their role as accomplices of the temple.

The reason Guangming Temple supported them and taught them martial arts was not out of kindness, but because they hoped they would help Guangming Temple collect rent from the people, prevent the people from rebelling, and defend the temple when necessary. So he resolutely joined the ranks of the revolution and donated all kinds of martial arts secrets and fighting techniques in Guangming Temple, which improved many of 007's training contents.

Zhang Yinghao also studied this Kung Fu, but was greatly disappointed to learn that it was essentially a form of fighting technique. It lacked the magical power of incomparable internal strength, and certainly wasn't some fake trick you see on the flyover. It wasn't just about looking good; the key was hard work. Practicing martial arts requires a large amount of food, and ordinary people simply can't afford to support such a large expenditure. As the article in "Horse Talk" says: "A thousand-mile horse can consume a stone of chestnuts in one meal." Eating a horse without knowing its ability to run a thousand miles is like feeding it. Even a horse can run a thousand miles, but if it's not well fed, it lacks strength...

Zhang Yinghao learned that Wu Lucheng used to practice for four or five hours a day, and his teacher did the same. This skill was reflected in the accumulation of time. Zhang Yinghao was suddenly a little disappointed. If the inner strength he imagined in his previous life really existed, it would be really cool.

With his training in the temple, Wu Lucheng developed a natural talent for raids, decapitation, and sniping. However, he wasn't happy with leading a squadron or even a squadron, and promotions were no problem. He felt free to lead his team and utilize his unique skills. He couldn't stand the burden of sitting in an office.

Zhang Yinghao did not force it, so until now, Wu Lucheng is still a team leader, but he is a sharp knife among the special forces, a most threatening poisonous blade.

Wu Lucheng patrolled all the way to the dock. Since he had learned the password early on, he easily sneaked into the dock. He saw more than ten ferries floating on the dock. At this time, Ding Zhenduo had already crossed the river with his troops. It was not known whether he was confident or believed that the revolutionary army could not cut off his retreat, so the defense of the retreat was not strict. In such a large area, there was only a battalion of troops.

Captain, shall we act now?"

"Don't worry. The enemy has hundreds of men. If we fight head-on, we'll definitely suffer casualties as soon as the exchange of fire breaks out. The division commander's mission is to complete it over the next two nights. Don't worry. Dawn is when we're most tired. Wait for the opportunity."

Chapter 188:

After Wu Lucheng infiltrated the dock, more than a dozen special forces soldiers hid near the rocks along the riverbank, observing nothing unusual. By midnight, fatigue was evident on the faces of the Qing troops on guard. Many had rushed all the way from Yunnan and were thrown into the battle without rest, fighting daylong. They were exhausted and yawning constantly.

At this moment, a convoy approached from a distance, accompanied by a number of Qing troops. After exchanging commands, the guards on this side smiled and said, "Alas, your supplies have finally arrived. We've been fighting all day and have used up countless shells. If you don't come soon, we won't have enough shells in our tents for tomorrow."

"We have no choice! The road is difficult to travel. If it weren't for the military order, it would be impossible to deliver it in the middle of the night. What about those rebels? Are they easy to deal with?"

"Oh, you didn't see it. The bodies were piled up like a mountain. I don't know why those Sichuan rebels suddenly became so powerful. We heard that the gun barrels were fired red, but they just couldn't attack."

After saying that, he shouted, "What are you standing there for? Wake up those civilians immediately and tell them to move these shells and bullets down here. Otherwise, they'll miss the chance to fight and get shot. Don't even think about resting until they've moved all the bullets down here."

At this time, teams of civilians came to move the ammunition. After a while, the Qing army who had just called out said: "When the tents are full, move them to the boats, so that we don't have to move them again tomorrow."

After all, it will have to be moved to the ship sooner or later. If we don't move it now, we will have to move it tomorrow. Let the porters move it now, and we can save a lot of time tomorrow.

Wu Lucheng had been keeping an eye on the situation here. When he saw the carriages carrying supplies arriving, he knew that tonight was the best opportunity. As long as they destroyed this batch of arms, the Qing army's attack tomorrow would be in vain.

The Qing soldiers who had been working for half a day felt even more sleepy when the laborers stopped working. After unloading the ammunition and driving the laborers away, they saw that the commander had gone into the tent to rest, so they simply leaned against each other and rested. After a while, they actually started snoring.

Wu Lucheng didn't intend to wait until dawn. He couldn't let the ammunition on the boats reach the other side, otherwise it would surely cause casualties among the revolutionary army. So he immediately led his troops to quietly move towards the tents where the ammunition was stored. After taking care of the tents, he had to deal with the boats, but this was no easy task. They were scattered along the riverbank, and whether they used explosives or fire, they wouldn't be able to take down many at once. Most importantly, any noise would be too loud, putting their own side in danger.

Even if a few ships were burned, it wouldn't actually have much effect. He might only have this one chance, so he naturally had to focus on the most important munitions. As long as these munitions were blown up, the crisis in the Xu Prefecture would naturally be resolved.

Wu Lucheng quietly approached the tent where the ammunition was stored. The arsenal was guarded by only two Qing soldiers, both of whom were half asleep. Like a ghost, Wu Lucheng quietly approached the two men and swung his dagger twice, instantly sending them to meet their death.

Before the body even hit the ground, Wu Lucheng pulled it into the armory. The two soldiers behind him quickly replaced the two Qing soldiers who had been on guard. If it weren't for the two bodies in the tent, anyone not paying attention would have no idea what was happening. Wu Lucheng entered the tent and put down the bodies. A few moments later, several more soldiers entered. The tent contained dozens of boxes of shells and an unknown number of bullets.

"Captain, isn't it a pity to blow it up like this?" "What? Do you have a solution?"

"Hey, we can just move it onto the ship and take it with us, it won't take much effort."

"The Qing army is not blind. Will they let us move away?"

"Captain, I've observed that these Qing troops have just arrived. They have no subordinates or acquaintances with each other. They only recognize commands. We have their commands, so there's nothing to worry about. Besides, the Qing are acting like they don't care about this. They're even staying away from us when we're moving munitions, afraid we'd ask them to help."

"Okay, let's try. Let's take down the nearby tents first." It wasn't long before Wu Lucheng and his men took down several nearby tents one after another. Wu Lucheng immediately ordered the soldiers to load the ammunition onto the ferry. Sure enough, many Qing soldiers saw people carrying ammunition and didn't take it seriously. Some were even afraid of being called in to help, so they subconsciously stayed away. There was originally a boatman on the ferry, but the Qing soldiers were worried that the boatman would row away or have ulterior motives, so they gathered them on shore and guarded them.

Wu Lucheng and his men quickly loaded the shells, bullets, and gunpowder onto the boat. Seeing that it was still early, they attacked a few more tents and loaded the ammunition and bullets onto another ferry. The smoothness of the matter was beyond Wu Lucheng's imagination. Of course, this was also due to the chaos in the Qing Dynasty's command system. The troops were drawn from all over the country and did not know each other. They only relied on commands. In addition, there was no concept of special warfare in this era. Who would have thought that the revolutionary army would dare to...

Dabaotian sneaked in wearing Qing army uniform, where is the great man who moved E in Guangmingzhida?

The two small boats could not hold the remaining ammunition, so they had to abandon it.

Wu Lucheng looked at the sky and didn't delay any longer. After letting the team members get on the ferry, he personally made some changes in several tents filled with ammunition, took out grenades and installed booby traps, and evacuated quickly. Just as they were collecting the ropes tied to the boat and preparing to evacuate by boat, bursts of cannon fire suddenly sounded from the other side of the river.

A shrill whistling sound pierced the sky, followed by the sound of exploding shells. Wu Lucheng didn't dare to delay any longer and simply took the boat down the river, successfully escaping.

Just after the boat left, the Qing army went to transport the ammunition, but they pulled out the fuse of the grenade. In an instant, a series of explosions occurred in the Qing army's ammunition, and tents started to catch fire everywhere. The Qing army was immediately in chaos.

The boat went down the river not far, and suddenly there was a loud bang, and another tent where ammunition was stored exploded. At this time, the Qing army no longer dared to put out the fire, and everyone began to run for their lives in a hurry, away from this gunpowder barrel. Then there were several more loud bangs, and the Qing army

The military camp was suddenly ablaze with flames, and many Qing soldiers nearby were killed on the spot. Even more were killed by flying bullets and artillery shells.

The remaining Qing troops were stunned, unsure what to do. Several loud explosions erupted from the long ship, and flames shot up into the sky. Then, there were sounds like firecrackers, the sound of gunpowder exploding from the intense heat of the bullets. The ship, already loaded with munitions, ignited, and the munitions exploded, ripping the ship apart like a rag. Xiaoshi was then visible to the Qing troops. With this, the Qing army's munitions were practically gone. Most importantly, the massive waves from the explosions capsized the remaining boats, which quickly sank to the bottom of the river. The defending Qing soldiers were stunned. This was the Qing army's retreat route across the river. It was all over.

As expected by the General Staff, Ding Zhenduo indeed sent the Qing army to launch a night attack on the revolutionary army's position. Not only did he attack the revolutionary army's position head-on at night, he also sent troops to bypass the revolutionary army's position. While the frontal troops were attacking, he suddenly attacked the revolutionary army's flank at the same time. He believed that this move would definitely be able to directly break through the revolutionary army's position in one fell swoop, and even follow the revolutionary army to directly attack Xuzhou.

"Report to the regiment commander, a group of Qing soldiers are coming towards us." The regiment commander asked quickly: "How many people are there in this group of Qing soldiers?"

"It's hard to see clearly, but there should be several hundred people, but no more than a thousand."

After hearing this number, the regiment commander made his own judgment and said directly: "Make way and let these Qing troops pass."

At this time, the political commissar asked, "Will there be any problems if we do this?" The regimental commander explained, "With such a small number of people, it is impossible to attack Xu Prefecture. Their goal is to attack the position from the side. The position is a trap. Since they are going to die, there is no need for us to make things more complicated."

These Qing troops, making a detour, were unaware that they were nearly colliding with the revolutionary army hidden on either side. Fortunately, the revolutionary army's scouts were far enough away, otherwise an accident would have occurred. After learning that the Qing army's goal was the front line, the commanding revolutionary army officer made an impromptu decision and cleared the road to let the Qing army pass.

At this time, the Qing army and the revolutionary army were both waiting for time. When the Qing army arrived at the scheduled time, it immediately and quietly approached the revolutionary army's position. The revolutionary army's position was extremely quiet. Fifty meters away, there was no response from the position. Thirty meters away, there was still no response. Many Qing soldiers were sweating on their foreheads. Ten meters away, there was still no response. At this time, these Qing soldiers had realized that the revolutionary army had abandoned this position again. But they still stood up and rushed into the revolutionary army's position as they had trained. As they expected, there was no one inside. These Qing soldiers suddenly cheered, and the other Qing soldiers heard the cheers, stood up, and walked towards the position!

Ouyang saw from a distance through a telescope that the Qing army had occupied the position, and more and more Qing soldiers entered the trenches dug by the revolutionary army. Ouyang pursed his lips and waited quietly. Finally, all the Qing soldiers in sight

After everyone entered their positions, Ouyang Jun issued a cold order: "Fire!"

Upon receiving the order, the revolutionary artillery immediately prepared to fire. Having witnessed a day of fighting, seeing so many revolutionary casualties, and having attempted to fire several times without approval, they were already furious. The artillery had already set the revolutionary positions as targets, adjusted the firing parameters, and now they simply loaded the shells and fired.

The revolutionary army loaded the shells and fired them out of the barrel instantly.

The Qing army at the revolutionary position did not know that they were about to face a catastrophe, and were still immersed in the joy of occupying the revolutionary position, although this position was taken by the revolutionary army.

Ding Zhenduo was quite excited at this time. He commanded the Qing army to break through two lines of defense in one day. Xu Prefecture was already in sight. As long as they made another effort, they would be able to capture this pearl of southern Sichuan.

The shrieking sound of artillery shells pierced the air. The Qing army was still wondering how they could fire when the shells landed among the Qing troops and exploded. Instantly, the Qing troops were tossed to the ground. The Qing troops within the position were immediately overwhelmed with casualties, and they collapsed. The Qing troops fled in panic, howling and wailing. They no longer cared about anything else, desperately trying to escape their position, scrambling backward, hoping to escape the call of death. But how could anyone outrun a cannonball? The Qing troops seemed unaware that standing up increased their chances of being injured, and so they fell to the ground one after another. If they had stayed in the trenches, they might have been lucky enough to escape, but they didn't.

Upon hearing the explosions, Ding Zhenduo's face instantly turned pale. He couldn't understand why the rebels had artillery, and after a day of fighting, their artillery hadn't fired a single shot. He felt as if a vast conspiracy was looming over him, ready to devour him at any moment. A thick black fog appeared before his eyes. This darkness was brewing countless conspiracies, like a giant beast ready to devour him, and it chilled him to the bone.

Just as the front lines were being hammered by the revolutionary army's artillery shells, a series of explosions suddenly erupted from behind. Ding Zhenduo, disturbed by the explosions, finally came to his senses. He instantly realized something, and a look of despair crossed his face. He screamed, "Retreat! Retreat! Retreat now!"

Now the ammunition was cut off, the retreat was cut off, and there was no way forward. Ding Zhenduo instantly knew his situation. At this point, in fact, everyone in the Qing army knew his situation.

Unfortunately, it was too late to retreat at this time, too late.

Ouyang Jun also heard the explosion on the river. Unlike Ding Zhenduo, the revolutionary army was already prepared. Hearing the explosion, Ouyang Jun ordered: "Send the signal, all troops attack according to the plan."

Flares were the order. Instantly, flares were launched into the sky. Night suddenly turned to day, creating a dreamlike feeling. In fact, all the Qing troops felt as if they were dreaming. They longed to stop and admire the beauty and fantasy of this artificial daylight. But reality was cruel. The screams all around reminded them of their location. The turn of events on the battlefield was truly unbelievable to the Qing troops; they were completely unprepared.

Chapter 189:

After the revolutionary army's artillery fire, there was a burst of earth-shaking horse hoof sounds.

"Run, there are cavalry."

The sharp-eyed Qing soldiers saw the cavalry and shouted, dropping their rifles and running. Without further ado, the Qing soldiers immediately bolted for the Yangtze River, abandoning everything else and leaving their rifles scattered across the ground. But how could two legs outrun four? Wasn't it just a matter of death? If these Qing soldiers had knelt and surrendered at this moment, perhaps they would have had a chance of survival.

"Quick, shoot quickly, use the stun gun, quick."

"Sir, we have lost all our guns. Let's retreat quickly. Escape is the most important thing."

Ding Zhenduo came to his senses instantly. Yes, who would care about a gun in this situation? Everyone’s priority is to escape.