Dominate the Country

[This month is over... Another month has passed]

"…………, look up, howl at the sky, with a strong heart. Thirty years of fame and honor are dust and dirt, eight thousand miles of road are clouds and moon. ..."

On the official road from Lianjiang to Fuzhou, the song of "Man Jiang Hong" filled the sky, and the military song was loud.

When the First Division was stationed in Hangzhou, it was stationed in the original Hangzhou Mancheng. The West Lake was right next to them. Many officers and soldiers from various units worshipped Yuewang's tomb, so "Man Jiang Hong" also took advantage of the momentum and became the most favorite military song of the entire First Division.

When the Fu Han Army Guard Brigade captured Changle and then rushed to Dazhangxi to enter the Minjiang River, the First Division's troops also approached Fuzhou City in a grand manner.

Chen Ming did not expect the two-way attack team to fight any field battles. It is said that since the decisive battle in northern Jiangsu, he has never fought a field battle happily. When the Qing army faced the Fu Han army, they always defended, defended, and defended again.

This was also the case in the Battle of Fuzhou. Moreover, the geography of Fuzhou is very confusing, surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the water on one side. From Lianjiang to Fuzhou, there are mountains everywhere, along the seashore to the mouth of the Minjiang River, and then along the north bank of the Minjiang River to Fuzhou. The passage is as thin as a line.

If the Qing army in Fuzhou did not use the good geographical advantages and confronted the Fu Han army head-on, and decided the outcome in a field battle, Chen Ming did not think that the Tartars would be so stupid. After the Battle of Changzhou, the courage of the Qing army in the south had been broken. The magic weapon they thought of as "defending to the death" was also broken. The current Battle of Fuzhou will definitely not repeat the old events of Wuchang.

Very few people in the countryside of Fuzhou fled this time. On the contrary, many Fuzhou people in the city fled to the countryside.

June is the rice harvest season in Fuzhou. The rice is about to mature. How can they escape?

The Fuzhou people who were busy in the countryside saw the army and all fled with their heads in their arms. They threw away their farm tools such as hoes. Those who could not escape lay on the ground like toads with their heads firmly pressed into the soil.

After the initial tension, how many people were not curious? They raised their heads and secretly looked at the Fu Han Army. The soldiers wearing red flag uniforms and iron armor walked along the official road very regularly. No one destroyed crops or trampled on farmland.

After the mighty team passed by, the only impression left in the farmers' minds was that they were full of energy and high morale, singing military songs with a mighty momentum.

This was completely different from the Green Camp soldiers and rural militia they had seen in the past, especially the cannons.

The waterproof oilcloth gun cover covered the cannons, the cannon carts, and the ammunition and baggage carts. You couldn't see the front from the back.

"Your Highness, it's a good idea. Once the soldiers and cannons came, the local people became much more docile."

When the Fu Han army first marched, the local farmers and people fled in panic, but later many people gathered to watch from a distance. Of course, there were spies from the Qing army here, but Chen Ming didn't care.

"Haha, what's the difference between this military parade and a military review?" Chen Ming's reaction to the people of Fuzhou was completely expected.

It was really shocking that an army of 10,000 or 20,000 marched by, not to mention the 200 or 300 cannons.

In order to prepare the cattle and horses to pull the cannons and baggage carts, the Fu Ning Prefecture had been simply looted. Fortunately, this was the harvest season, not the farming season, and the people's demand for animal power was finally no longer at its peak.

The straight-line distance from Lianjiang to Fuzhou is only 40 miles, but Fujian is mountainous, and there is no direct road from Lianjiang to Fuzhou. You have to go around the official road along the north bank of the Minjiang River, passing through Guantou Town, Tingjiang Town, and Mawei, and then you can reach the city of Fuzhou.

The official road is not wide, nor is it straight, and it is still close to the Minjiang River. The Qing army's gunboats can completely block the official road. Wu Bidada sent Taiwan Town General Ye Xiangde to lead his navy to wander around the Minjiang River. The Penghu navy was divided into two, one stayed in Mawei and the other stayed behind Langqi Island.

The navy that stayed behind Langqi Island was what Wu Bidada used to control the marching route and transportation line of the Fu Han Army. With a navy that could fire cannons wandering on the river, how could the Fu Han Army march openly on the official road along the river after Guantou Town? It is true that the cannons in their team are more powerful than those of the Qing army, but there is no way to move the cannons in the army from Guantou Town to Mawei. In short, this move is to strangle the Fu Han army.

Wu Bi Da's decision to move the navy fleet completely to Langqi Island was not made in a daze.

Fuzhou's geographical environment determines the difficulty of land advance, and it is also extremely difficult to attack by water without breaking Langqi Island.

Chen Ming is not worried at all. He will not be stumped here. He only needs to break through Guantou Town, the east gate of Fuzhou City today.

…

"Boom boom boom..." At two o'clock in the afternoon, the sound of artillery sounded in Guantou Town.

The attacking troops were preparing in the trenches of the starting position. Pan Mancang asked the soldiers in the team to check their equipment. As the vanguard, their team will rush to the Qing army position outside the town before the sound of artillery stops.

Yes, Pan Mancang is now a team officer, and he has been transferred from the First Garrison Division to the First Division. After their old captain died in battle, Pan Mancang, who had recovered from his injuries and returned to the team, was assigned to the First Division and automatically promoted to captain, although his rank remained corporal.

"I'll leave this to you!" The battalion officer trusted Pan Mancang's team very much. After leaving this sentence, he left with the battalion staff without looking back, and the four mortars and corresponding shells brought by the battalion officer were left in the vanguard.

After the battalion officer and others left, deputy team officer Shen Yingjie sat with the corporal artillery officer Liu Lei who led the mortar. Neither of them was afraid of war, so the conversation naturally did not bring up the topic of war. Shen Yingjie took the cigarettes handed over by Liu Lei and smiled enviously: "From Phoenix Terrace? I said brother, it's okay. Your pack of cigarettes is as good as mine at Zhaoping Lake." Phoenix Terrace is where the Fuhan Army is now The highest-grade cigarettes use the best tobacco leaves, and add essence to neutralize the taste. Even people who smoke cigarettes for the first time will not say that the taste is overpowering or bad.

Liu Lei also smiled, "I'm a loner, I only have this little hobby, and I don't have to use it to enjoy it. What else do I have to do with it!?"

"one person?"

"My wife hasn't been found yet, so I'm not alone."

"So you are already twenty?" How many people in the world are still not married at this age? Liu Lei is an officer, so he will definitely not be short of money. Shen Yingjie felt weird that Liu Lei was not married yet. But he didn't say anything else. Maybe there was something hidden here, "There's no need for a real man to have a wife. After this battle, just take one home and keep one behind."

"It's just that once you have a family, a man has to bear the burden of the family on his shoulders. Brother, I have to send 80% of my monthly military salary to my family, otherwise the whole family will have to suffer from the northwest wind!" There will be a war. , I want to be a little more relaxed at this time. Shen Yingjie took out his Zhaopinghu, which was the cheapest flavored cigarette in the Fuhan Army Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

There are cigarettes in the military supply, but the quantity is small, and those who are a little bit addicted will not have enough to smoke. So what should you do if you want to smoke? Go to the army supply and marketing cooperative.

Liu Lei looked at Shen Yingjie in surprise, wasn't it? He really smoked Zhaoping Lake? One silver dollar can buy five of these! ! !

"Beep beep..." A sharp whistle sounded in my ears. When a team of troops was deployed, Pan Mancang was the first to jump out of the trench, holding the same sword of his old team officer in his hand: "Charge, everyone charge!"

As long as they rush into the trenches of the Qing army, they will be a pile of trash. It doesn't matter about volleys or volleys of guns. What they want is to rush into the position and fight hand-to-hand.

"Boom, boom, boom..." The Qing army's artillery, which had been silent, also opened fire. The range is not far, only three to five hundred meters. But this distance is definitely the most important distance in this battle.

The Fuhan Army soldiers who came from the opposite side were knocked down one after another, but the number was very small. Even if the number was large, the morale of the soldiers was high during the first attack, and the remaining people would continue to charge!

The charging Fuhan soldiers also used muskets to fight back, but even if their shooting skills were excellent, it was all in vain. The Qing army's artillery shells and sporadic musket sounds claimed the lives of Fuhan soldiers one after another. There were also shotshells. When the Fuhan Army soldiers rushed three to four hundred meters away, the Fuhan Army's artillery had stopped. The shotshells fired by the Qing Army's cannons swept the battlefield like a storm. A Fuhan Army The soldier's head was hit, and half of his head was instantly smashed by the projectile like a ripe watermelon...

There were also shotgun blasts that erupted with endless iron fragments. A fragment of shrapnel passed diagonally in front of Pan Mancang's eyes, killing two Fuhan Army soldiers in succession. The second shooter who was hit had most of his neck cut off, and his head was hanging flat with a layer of flesh on his neck...

Shen Yingjie's arm was already wrapped with a white bandage at this time, and his face was stained with blood that was unknown to him or his comrades. In his sight, the Qing soldiers dozens of meters away had already stood up, holding in their hands a A musket with a fixed bayonet, or a bright sword. "Grenade ready!"

A few seconds later, thirty or forty grenades were thrown out, and a grenade was also thrown from the opposite side. Some soldiers fell on both sides, but the Qing army was outnumbered, and hundreds of them continued to charge towards the Fuhan army resolutely. Many of them were flag soldiers wearing cotton armor. I don't know how they endured such hot weather.

Liu Lei commanded two mortars, bombarding the Qing army's defense line with maximum range. His face was already ferocious, and he stepped on the ammunition box without caring about his safety. He stood up straight and held up his binoculars to observe the enemy's situation.

"Bayonets ready!"

The deputy platoon leader of the second platoon roared. Next to the deputy platoon leader was Pan Mancang. The second platoon leader Pan Mancang was hit in the chest by a lead bullet. The lead bullet pierced the breastplate. Although he did not immediately ask for the second The platoon leader's life and the second platoon leader were seriously injured, so the deputy platoon leader could only serve as Pan Mancang's deputy.

A bright bayonet was inserted into the card slot. The Qing soldiers on the opposite side were closer. Another grenade was thrown, and the grenade from the opposite side was also thrown. Amidst the explosion and smoke, the two groups of Fuhan troops merged into one. Shen Yingjie shouted and rushed forward, "Brothers, kill me!"

A hand-to-hand combat inevitably occurred.

The Qing soldiers with swords and guns swept in, and the Fuhan soldiers held out their bayonets, long spears, and short knives in a triangular formation, and rushed towards the Qing army without timidity. Sporadic gunshots also rang in my ears.

Screams and screams, traces of blood flowed from the wounds, soaking the land where countless people died.

It seemed that there was a dead silence all around. The flag soldier opposite Pan Mancang could no longer hear any sound. All his will was glaring at Pan Mancang in front of him. He held the sword that pierced his chest with both hands, feeling the pain as the blade was pulled out of his body bit by bit. The flag soldier covered his chest with both hands, but he could not stop the blood from pouring out. He didn't even have the strength to stand on his heels. He staggered and half-knelt down, but he still raised his head and looked at Pan Mancang in front of him, with disbelief in his eyes.

The moment before, he was still expecting that he could kill an officer of the Fu Han Army, and the next moment his spear was knocked open by one or two feet, and then he was stabbed through the body by his opponent with his middle door wide open.

His strength was lost as his blood flowed away. When his blood dyed the ground beneath him red, he couldn't even maintain this half-kneeling posture. His eyelids were so heavy that it was difficult to open them. At this time, Pan Mancang in his eyes had turned around, shouting loudly, waving his sword and killing another Qing soldier.

He could no longer see what happened next. He closed his eyes and gradually fell to the ground. The originally cold ground seemed to become warm. That was the temperature of his blood.

On the other side, Shen Yingjie also rushed towards his opponent with a roar. The double-shot pistol on his waist had run out of bullets, and Shen Yingjie had no time to reload it. At this moment, he was holding a captured musket in his hand.

In the duel of courage, Shen Yingjie had the last laugh, so he also had the last laugh in this bayonet fight.

As soon as he pulled the bayonet from the chest of the Qing soldier, he saw a bloody Qing soldier staggering from behind Pan Mancang, holding up his bayonet. Shen Yingjie shouted anxiously: "Team officer, be careful!"

After being reminded, Pan Mancang slightly tilted his body, and the bayonet went straight through the edge of his abdomen, and then got stuck in the rattan armor under the breastplate, not even piercing his waist, but just scratching his waist and jumping hard. Although he was not stabbed in the vitals, it still hurt so much that Pan Mancang couldn't help but scream.

But screaming is screaming, he still tried his best under the injury, swung the long knife in his hand and swept back. When he looked back, the Qing soldier who attacked him from behind had already fallen to the ground, covering his neck.

Pan Mancang's military uniform was already stained with blood, some of the Qing army's and his own.

The fight just now had consumed too much of his strength. Now that he was stabbed, even if it was not a vital point, the blood flowed, and he had no strength to continue fighting. He panted and tried to stand, but a stumble almost made him fall. The knife was stuck in the ground. Relying on the strength of the blade, Pan Mancang half-knelt on one foot. He wanted to stand up, but he really couldn't stand up. He could only look forward while panting. Around him, three or four hundred enemy and friendly soldiers were fighting hard, and someone was hit and fell every breath. There were Fu Han troops and Qing troops.

The Fu Han army had fewer people, and the Qing army had more. But after a short and fierce fight, the Fu Han soldiers, who had fewer people, forced the Qing army, who had more people, to retreat continuously. There were already very few bannermen wearing cotton armor in the Qing army sequence.

The hand-to-hand combat between infantry with bayonets was the most cruel and the most challenging war mode in the war. And the Fu Han army, which was fully armored, was obviously much stronger than the Qing army.

The battle started at 2pm, and after 3:30pm, there was no more gunfire in Guantou Town.

The bodies of the Qing army were carried out for burial. According to the count, there were 157 bannermen killed, 86 captured alive, and 52 killed on the spot. These people were either seriously injured or holding bloody weapons. Chen Ming had a lot of food, so why did he feed them?

There were 320 bodies of Green Camp militiamen, and more than 500 people were captured. Seven cannons were seized, and there were eight cannons with nailed fire gates. There were also a batch of bird guns, swords, ammunition, and food.

"Your Highness, Lao Liu sent a message that Wu Xiqun is ready."

"Okay. Let Wu Xiqun act immediately. If the Langqi Island Navy can really surrender without a fight, the Dark Camp will have made a great contribution." Chen Ming has not yet entered Guantou Town, "Go and tell Yang Shijin to be cautious tonight."

"Tell him to be careful and beware of fraud!" The Dark Camp has been "managing" Wu Xiqun for so long, and Ye Xiangde has been dragged into the water. Now it's time to close the net, don't let the big fish run away. "Don't let the big fish run away!" This is the key to opening the door to victory in the Battle of Fuzhou.

...

The night is shrouded in the mouth of the Minjiang River. The Qing Navy Camp of Langqi Island.

Wu Bidada looked at the battle report sent from Fuzhou City with a grim face, and felt a burst of pain in his forehead. Guantou Town was lost, and the battle on land was too unsatisfactory. But no matter how unsatisfactory the land battle was, they couldn't blame everything on their navy, right? It doesn't need Mingfu to say that Wu Bidada also wants to annihilate the Fu Han Army Navy in one battle, but this is pure wishful thinking.

The strength of the Fu Han Army Navy is not weaker than Wu Bidada, not to mention that Haitan also has Zhang Qiu's fleet. If Wu Bidada had the ability to defeat the Fu Han Army Navy in one battle, he wouldn't have to fight with Zhang Qiu for so long. Mingfu hopes that he can defeat the enemy in one battle, so it's better to pray to God for a typhoon to send Zhang Qiu and the Fu Han Army to the bottom of the sea.

"Dad, drink a sip of tea first." Wu Xiqun looked at his father worriedly. Since Lianjiang was taken by the Fu Han Army, Wu Bidada's mouth has been blistering, his eyes are bloodshot, and even his meals have been greatly reduced. Let him rest assured to recuperate in the future.

"Dad, I will not watch you fall. From now on, you can rest assured and enjoy your old age. I will take the head of Chen Biao, the thief, for your inspection." Wu Xiqun couldn't bear to see his father overworked.

Wu Bi Da drank a cup of ginseng tea brought by his son, and soon he fell into a deep sleep. Wu Xiqun's tears and broken pearl curtains kept flowing. He knelt in front of Wu Bi Da who fell asleep, unwilling to get up for a long time.

He was unfilial, absolutely unfilial. But Wu Xiqun really didn't want his father to sink into the sea with the broken ship of the Qing Dynasty. Chen Biao, who was very cruel to the Wu family in Tongan, did not pledge allegiance to the Fu Han Army. It was Lu Mao, not Chen Biao, who changed the flag a few days ago. Wu Bi Da had people watching Chen Biao all the time. He really didn't change the flag and didn't raise the blood tiger flag of the Fu Han Army!

Wu Xiqun was completely relieved now.

If he doesn't surrender early, he will be like Yan Yan in Taiwan and Lu Mao in Zhangzhou City. He got rich and still held on to the military power. Even if he surrenders again in the future, it will not be good for Yan Yan and Lu Mao. Chen Biao will die if he doesn't surrender. Even if he surrenders, he will not be a seamless egg. Wu Xiqun dares to risk his life to carve a hole in Chen Biao.

After getting the confirmed news, Wu Xiqun made up his mind.

Standing up from the ground, Wu Xiqun and his attendants carefully lifted his father onto the bed, and then asked the attendants to fetch a basin of water. After washing his face, all the plans began...

"Don't worry, Fourth Master, everything is fully prepared. As long as Dai Tingdong and Zhang Shen come in, they can't think of leaving again."

"Ye Xiangde is ready."

Wu Xiqun took a last look at his father and prayed in his heart: "The action must go smoothly tonight..."

The next morning...