Chapter Thirteen

  It's August now. Although the weather in August is not as scorching hot as it was before July, the autumn tiger of August still makes the horses in the stable pant heavily.

  The warriors, under the leadership of officers at all levels, were still actively engaged in training. The modern concepts of warfare and modern deployment tactics were unfamiliar to these people who had adapted to ancient warfare at first, but through the mutual shouting and challenges among the team leaders, the warriors conducted at least three military exercises. Their combat effectiveness was greatly improved.

  The only headache for me now is these surrendered soldiers, most of whom have various bad habits. They rob ordinary people's belongings, harass women on the streets, and even steal chickens from people's homes. These ordinary people didn't dare to speak out, but it was discovered by Zeng Yuexiu, the administrative head of Yuezhou, who reported it to me.

  I was sitting in my own military camp, studying how to prepare for the battle with Wu Sangui, when Zeng Meishu rushed in again.

  Zeng Yue rushed in, not even sitting down, and cried with a sad face: "Chief, I'm going to report those people in the army again."

  As soon as I heard Zeng Yue Shu say these few words, I got a headache and furrowed my brow: "Yue Shu, who are you accusing this time?"

  Zeng Yue looked at me and said with a displeased expression: "This time it's the soldiers of my second uncle's army who are forcibly taking civilian women."

  "What? Forcibly taking a civilian woman? These people are getting bolder and bolder." I slapped the table, looked at Zeng Yuexiu's expression and said in a deep voice: "Yuexiu, you go back first. I will handle this matter."

  I watched as Zeng Yue's disbelieving face walked away. I said in a low voice to the guard outside, "Pass on an order to Zeng Qing, tell him to come here once."

  Zeng Qing looked at me with an incredulous expression and said: "Commander, are you saying that the soldiers in my unit have been forcibly taking women from the civilians?"

  I nodded definitely and said, "Yes, this is a case where your nephew Zeng Yueshu personally came to report. All along, I didn't want to punish the former Ming dynasty soldiers in your battalion, because I always thought it was just that they were not yet adapted to the new situation. So I tolerated it again and again, but now it seems I was wrong. In the past, it was just petty theft, but now they've actually kidnapped someone. This incident happened in your regiment, you see how to resolve it and discuss with Tian Xing to handle it."

  Zeng Qing was furious at this time, and he knew his nephew's character. Without solid evidence, he wouldn't have come to report the situation. Zeng Qing stood up straight, saluted and said: "Leader, I will definitely resolve this matter satisfactorily and give the people an explanation." After finishing speaking, he immediately went out to take care of his own business.

  I watched Zeng Qing walk out. I shook my head and sat back in front of the desk. I looked at the materials sent from the local area over the past few months. My brow furrowed even tighter.

  This July's agricultural harvest was bountiful. Under our guidance, the peasants all obtained a great yield, and the entire province of Yuezhou harvested over 1 million dan of grain, alleviating a problem that had long plagued our army. At least in terms of food, we now have enough to last several months. However, with refugees from various places pouring into Yuezhou, food has once again become a major issue.

  The issue of business tax collection was promoted nationwide by several merchants in Yuezhou, which greatly increased the number of merchants in Yuezhou. Even merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces came over. After all, it's not easy to do business in such a chaotic world, but since there are such conditions here, and the status of merchants has also been improved, they all came over. In the few months we occupied Yuezhou, commercial revenue reached over 4 million silver dollars.

  In the industrial sector, some large military factories are still blank, and there is not even a single modern factory. There are several large manual spinning workshops, which only produce special Hunan embroidery.

  Looking at these materials, overall it's still quite satisfactory. This Zeng Yue Shu is actually quite capable.

  Entering the combat research room inside the military camp, looking at Lei Feng, Wu Shuang, Wang Hu and Zhou Lun who are intently studying the battle sand table.

  "Comrades, it seems that your plan needs to be adjusted. Take a look at this letter from Zeng Yue Shu, the government work report delivered today, and the income for these few months. For us, defending Yue State has become a must-win situation, we can't give up now. Also, just now Zeng Yue Shu came to me to report that there are people in Zeng Qing's troops who are forcibly taking women from the civilians. It seems that you need to go and discipline your troops."

  Wu Shuang also nodded and said, "Master, I think we can't give up here. With such good things, we can't let Wu Sangui's family defeat us. Moreover, the Ming army is really hard to manage now. I think a major rectification is necessary to eliminate those who eat idly and ensure the combat effectiveness of the troops."

  Zhou Lun also nodded in agreement and said: "I think Wu Shuang's words make sense."

  Saying that, he looked at us and continued to explain: "Firstly, our advantageous weapons can still guarantee that we won't have supply difficulties in one to three battles with them. At the same time, we also need to pay attention to collecting the weapons they leave behind as spares. In this way, we will be able to make up for the lack of supplies in terms of weapons. Except for the enemy's forces being several times larger than ours, we will use new-style weapons, otherwise our combat effectiveness may not necessarily lose to these Han Bannermen."

  "Secondly, we all know that the Manchu people entered the pass with only a few hundred thousand troops. In the end, this land was still conquered by us Han people. If it weren't for Hong Chengchou, Wu Sangui, Shang Kexi and other Han traitors, the Manchu people would not have been able to occupy our Han land. Moreover, if we can eliminate Wu Sangui and his ten great generals here, they will no longer be a threat. Currently, five of Wu Sangui's ten great generals are in Sichuan, one has been killed by us, and four are in Jiangxi. As long as we destroy Wu Sangui's forces, the Qing army from the north can only rely on Lu's army and the old master to resist. As for those rascals in Sichuan, I think they will also be worn out by Xia Ying. Our situation here will also become clear. Since everyone is anti-Qing, I don't think Li Dingguo would be so muddle-headed as to fight against us. We just need to ensure that we don't give them Yueyang, Changsha, and Hengzhou, and let them occupy other places for now. We can take them back later. In this way, we can leave behind only a portion of our troops, while the main force can go to Jiangxi."

  After saying this, Zhou Lun thought for a moment and said: "As for the various problems of the troops, I think it is indeed necessary to solve them. The occurrence of this matter has something to do with our insufficient management. These days have been busy dealing with Wu Sangui. Other things were left to Zeng Qing and Yi Tianhang to manage. It's also troublesome for them."

  Wang Hu looked at the map and then looked at me. I said to him, "Wang Hu, if you have anything to say, just say it directly."

  Wang Hu thought for a moment and said, "I think we can't just think so simply. This is just our wishful thinking. As far as I know, within the borders of Hunan, there is another branch of the former Ming dynasty's descendants. When our situation is good, we must prevent them from coming out to compete with us for territory. As for the military problem, I still think that killing one to warn a hundred is the way to go."

  I nodded and gave him a look of approval, then continued his words: "I think that's good enough. These newly arrived Qing troops don't need to be taken out for battle. Just have them dress up as our own soldiers and lure Wu Sangui into our encirclement. Then we'll have snipers take out all their officers, mainly the big shots. Meanwhile, our original troops will quickly form a severe attack on them. This time, we don't need to consider surrendering. We'll kill every single Qing soldier, not leaving one alive. We must make them disappear near Changsha, just vanish into thin air. After this battle is over, we'll strive to capture Changsha. As for the troops in Yueyang, I think they can all be withdrawn. But we need to have our soldiers pay attention to any changes among these surrendered troops and weed out those who are pretending to cooperate. The defense of Yueyang will be taken care of by a new Yueyang Independent Brigade formed from local troops. We'll equip them with 2 cannons, 1 light machine gun, and other old weapons. The cannons will be placed on the city walls, ensuring that Yueyang won't fall in any case."

  I said this and looked at them and asked: "What do you think?"

  Several people stood up and said: "Guarantee the completion of the task."

  On the high ground of Jiulongpo, more than 50 miles away from Yueyang City. Lei Feng was holding a telescope and looking at it.

  The scout came over and reported: "Commander, Wu Sangui's main force is now only 500 meters away from us."

  Lei Feng put down his binoculars and said: "Go inform Zhu Shilong that my troops are proceeding according to the original plan, please have the main force prepare."

  Then he ordered the guard beside him: "Go and inform Huang Dahai, have a soldier from his own battalion who originally surrendered disguise himself as a scout to report to Wu Sangui that the vanguard is engaging in fierce battle with Li Dingguo's troops 15 li ahead, request support from them. Remember to send a trustworthy and tested warrior."

  The guard nodded and ran down. Lei Feng looked at Wang Hu and stretched out his palm. The two men slapped each other.

  Looking at the Qing army marching swiftly below, and the dragon flags everywhere, my heart couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. Ah, how much painful memories did the Manchu bring to us in their final years? Even I don't dare to think about it. Call me weak if you will, but I'm afraid to recall those bitter historical events that make me feel so sad. Now these Qing soldiers are passing right before my eyes, and my blood is already boiling with excitement.

  I took a rough estimate of the marching speed of Wu Sangui's troops, and the soldiers all walked by in an orderly manner. It can be seen that Wu Sangui still has a set of skills when it comes to leading his army. When the main force had almost passed by, I fired my gun, and the sound of dense gunfire erupted from Jiulongpo, followed by the sound of cannons firing in the distance.

  Wu Sangui's troops tried to charge forward but were knocked down before they could even get close. The shells rained down, each one taking out a large area. Wu Sangui proved himself to be a clever military leader, quickly realizing that his army's resistance and the enemy's firepower were unlike anything he had seen before. He swiftly ordered his troops to find cover and disperse while organizing them into smaller units. At the same time, Wu Sangui's few large cannons also began to fire back.

  Our position also started to bloom with artillery fire. Lei Feng took out his binoculars and looked at the enemy's rear, saying: "Quickly, Wu Sangui has already prepared to retreat. Order the artillery to bombard the enemy's artillery position, don't worry about whether it will be blown up or not, whether we can use it again in the future. Just blow it up."

  Wu Sangui's adaptability was particularly strong. Soon, Wu Sangui organized a large cavalry team to charge towards the high ground, while he led other troops to slowly retreat backwards.

  I took a look at Wu Sangui's tactical intentions and said, "Pass the order, the third battalion of Wang Hu's division will block Wu Sangui's retreat from behind. Don't worry about Ao Bai who is still more than 40 miles away. We must stop Wu Sangui's army at all costs."

  Without stopping to catch his breath, he gave the order: "Immediately transmit the order to Zeng Qing. Be sure to pin down Wu Sangui's troops from both sides and do not show any mercy. Also, send an order to Wang Hu, telling him to lead the former Ming dynasty's surrendered soldiers in preparation for the final charge. As soon as the army's charge signal sounds, we will immediately launch a charge."

  The enemy's cavalry has already broken through the first line of defense, and it seems that Wu Sangui's usual training is particularly unique. By now, the horses and corpses in the first line of defense's pit have filled up the pit. The Qing army behind has caught up.

  At this time, the Qing army had already entered our rifle range. The enemy also started taking out bows and arrows to shoot over here. Leiting's big hand waved, while he still had two defensive lines that hadn't been breached, the rifles had already sounded. Under Leiting's instructions, the soldiers specifically targeted the enemy horses because Leiting wanted to preserve these horses to form his own cavalry unit.

  Ao Bai also heard the cannon fire at this time. The general beside him said, "Commander, has Wu Sangui already engaged in battle with the enemy? Should we hurry over to provide support?"

  At that time, Ao Bai was just a young man. Compared to Dorgon and other Iron Hat Kings, he still had a long way to go. Ao Bai said in a low voice: "Don't worry, Wu Sangui's army is strong and powerful, it can definitely hold on, the enemy doesn't have such powerful cannons yet, this must be Wu Sangui's Red Coat Cannon firing, don't worry, let's proceed with the original plan."

  As the battle continued, and the snipers performed well, only a small portion of the Qing army's cavalry units were still resisting, and their momentum to charge forward was no longer great. Lei Ting looked at his watch and said: "Take out the few submachine guns we have. Sweep the area. We already have enough horses. Prepare for the charge."

  The last few hundred war horses fell under the blow of rifles, cannons and machine guns. The people on horseback may still have some shortcomings, but shooting horses is more accurate.

  Lei Ting commanded the warriors who knew how to ride horses to mount their horses. He took out his command knife and said, "Sound the charge. Comrades, follow me in the charge."

  The war horses, under the control of Lei Feng and others, charged into the enemy's camp like a tiger descending from a mountain. At this time, Wu Sangui's troops had lost their composure and their formation was in disarray.

  I looked at the form and said: "Pass on the order to Wang Hu, tell him to lead his troops into battle."

  The battle quickly became one-sided with the arrival of the vanguard warriors. Some of our warriors were injured by arrows, but basically they still had combat effectiveness. I let those soldiers who had surrendered before clean up the battlefield on purpose, after all, they had experienced such scenes more than our new warriors. So in order to have a good dinner for these trusted troops, I could only find them. Moreover, this can give them greater deterrent power and make them follow us wholeheartedly, I believe that as long as people who come here are not immune to the advanced communist theory we bring, they will eventually become good warriors of the people. After this big battle, the morale of the warriors was boosted.

  I stood on a height and shouted at them in a voice that was almost a roar: "Comrades, you see the Qing army is not to be feared. Wu Sangui is powerful, isn't he? The King who Pacifies the West? But wasn't he defeated by us? Comrades, this beautiful land belongs to us. We must drive out all invaders! Long live China! Long live the nation!"

  More than 20,000 people below shouted: "Long live China! Long live the nation!"

  I signaled to the people below me to quiet down, and said in a low voice: "No one should be too happy yet. Wu Sangui has not been caught. It seems that he has escaped. The next battle is only twenty or thirty kilometers away from us. Next will be a tough battle." After finishing speaking, I thought for a moment and said: "I order, the troops of Lei Feng to move along the south line of Yueyang City. Zeng Qing's troops ambush in the rear of Ao Bai's army and destroy the enemy's supplies. Wang Hu's troops and Wu Shuang's troops move around the enemy's wings. I will lead other former Ming dynasty soldiers who have surrendered to me, stationed in the city to resist Ao Bai and distract him. You will be outside, step by step, dividing Ao Bai's troops. Is that clear?"

  Everyone replied: "Understood."

  Wu Sangui fled back in disarray and angrily stared at Ao Bai, saying: "General Ao, what do you mean by this? You actually didn't come to support me."

  Ao Bai glanced at Wu Sangui and said, "You Han people are really useless. A small number of Ming troops can defeat you." After that, he ignored Wu Sangui's questioning and began to march quickly.

  Aoba has begun attacking the walls of Yuezhou. Our army's cannons have also been moved onto the walls. The battlements on the walls have been modified by us to be closed, with only a small hole for the gun port.

  Under the continuous resistance of the troops, Ao Bai had received one bad news after another. A personal soldier walked in and reported: "Sir, it's not good. Our logistics team has been completely annihilated and lost contact. Moreover, enemy troops have been found in the rear and on both flanks, harassing us."

  At this time, a deputy general came in and said: "Sir, the enemy's artillery is too powerful. We can't use any siege weapons at all. Moreover, there are no battlements on the enemy's city wall, we can't climb up."

  Ao Bai gave the deputy general a slap and said: "Why can't you climb up, you scoundrel."

  The deputy general said: "A pipe protruded from the enemy's fortification and fired. Our soldiers simply couldn't withstand it."

  Ao Bai now knew why Wu Sangui's army was completely defeated. Ao Bai thought for a moment and said, "Withdraw five miles to set up camp. We will fight again tomorrow."

  Under the continuous harassment of several troops, the Qing army was already exhausted. I looked at the enemy's camp with a telescope and saw that the military flags were falling everywhere: "Send a message to the three of them, continue to harass until nightfall and launch an attack together. Never let the enemy escape."

  Looking at the sky getting later and later. The enemy's camp has already lit a bonfire to cook. I thought for a moment and said, "Pass the order, the whole army will advance immediately."

  As the four-sided army's attack began, the enemy had already disrupted its own formation. It is said that morale is one and done, two and declined, three and exhausted. Now the Qing army's morale has long been gone under our continuous 24-hour harassment. Our army's morale, on the other hand, became very strong after defeating Wu Sangui. In contrast to both sides, our army began a massacre-like attack as if entering an uninhabited land.

  Watching the warriors sweeping the battlefield, Ao Bai had already executed Wu Sangui before our army's attack. He also took his own life when our army captured his camp. In this battle, our army annihilated all of the Qing army. Our army lost over 300 soldiers, with more than 2,000 seriously injured and nearly 10,000 lightly injured, basically all the warriors in the troops were damaged.

  "Old Lei, the upcoming Battle of Changsha will be handed over to your Fourth Field Army. I'll allocate half of the Third Field Army's artillery units to you. We'll also split our advanced weapons equally. Try to take Changsha by tomorrow afternoon before dinner. Don't rush your march, I believe the news of Wu Sangui's defeat hasn't spread that quickly yet. After taking over, stabilize the city and pay attention to those who were under Wu Sangui's command. Try to win over the enlightened landlords and wealthy individuals. As for those who are guilty of heinous crimes, follow the usual rules - no need for me to elaborate. Also, establish a local government and local guard troops as soon as possible. Mobilize all the ordinary people. Most of your comrades-in-arms come from the Instructional Brigade, so they should be able to do this work well and give those former Ming soldiers a good example. As for policy, discuss it with Wang Hu and implement it according to the general content of Yueyang, depending on the specific situation on your side. We'll give you 10 days to stabilize the situation over there. After that, we'll enter Jiangxi from Yueyang, Hubei, and the border area of Jiangxi, passing through Mufu Mountain. You'll head towards Fengcheng via Pingxiang and Xinyu, while we'll go through Tonggu, Jing'an, and Anyi. We'll meet outside Nanchang for a decisive battle. We must complete this route before November; we can't wait until after winter, when it will be difficult to fight."

  "General, I, Lei Ting, guarantee with my life that this attack will be a complete victory. Please rest assured."

  I looked at Lei Ting's determined eyes and said, "In terms of supplies, you must be mindful of conservation. The supplies from the main base are too much trouble to come by, and they may not even be able to keep up with your speed. This requires that you have the mindset to fight a good battle under the same equipment, remember the 16-character guideline for guerrilla warfare, flexibly apply tactics, this is what makes a good commander, a fighting artist. If not, I absolutely oppose your method of killing one thousand enemies while suffering eight hundred losses. There are rich mineral resources along the route you will take, you must grasp this matter well. At the same time, we should strive to establish an ordnance factory in the Xinyu area.

  "Sighing, I said: 'The responsibility is heavy, Thunderbolt.'"

  "Thunder rubbed his head and said: "Master, you're too black-hearted. You give me so many things to do. What are you doing yourself?""

  I smiled and looked at him saying: "Of course I have more important things to do than you. But it's a secret for now. Haha."