Dominate the Country

A real war is never a one-on-one duel. Especially at the beginning of the rebellion. The Fu Han Army is now under attack from many sides, but has to divide its energy to focus on multiple small battlefields. Chen Ming feels that Zhuge Liang's six expeditions to Qishan were much better than the Fu Han Army at the moment.

Chen Ming now has to pay attention to the battle situation in the base far away in Henan, and the battle situation in the two separate battlefields of Jiujiang Hukou and Anqing, which are thousands of miles apart. The Fu Han Army's expeditionary force has to be divided into many pieces because of his greed - he wants to occupy a greater strategic geographical advantage. Even so, he is fighting in Suzhou while keeping an eye on the evolution of the battle situation in Jiangbei, and then paying attention to the changes in Fujian with one eye and Shandong with the other eye.

Neurasthenia, Chen Ming feels that if this goes on for a long time, he will definitely suffer from neurasthenia.

Every day there are too many things reported to him, and every day there are too many decisions that he needs to make. Compared with the days when he stayed quietly in Nanjing before, it was a world of difference. And after the large army returned to Nanjing this time, Chen Ming had to fight with the Qing army in Jiangbei. If the Qing army in Suzhou and Songjiang also took the opportunity to surround him, the pressure on the Fu Han army would become very great. But he had to continue to hold on.

Because the Qing army gathered in the Jiangnan battlefield was the essence of the Qing army in the entire southern China. Only by attracting them firmly in Jiangnan, the Tiandihui in Fujian could have great potential.

On the sixth day of July, Chen Ming's large army entered Zhenjiang from Changzhou. The news that was sent swiftly over a thousand miles made him, who was suffering from neurasthenia, suddenly refreshed his spirit. The Fujian Tiandihui revolted! The Fujian Tiandihui, which was regarded as the biggest trump card by Chen Ming, revolted.

Old friends in the dark camp, Lu Maoke Zhangpu County, Zheng Jiqi in Haicheng, Chen Biao in Tongan, Chen Piqi in Longyan, and Zhang Pu, Zhang Gou, Li Shaomin, Zhao Mingde, etc., for a time, the smoke of war spread over most of Fujian. If the uprising failed or the Tiandihui was left blank, there would only be three prefectures and counties, namely Fuzhou, Funing and Jianning.

The Qing army in northern Jiangsu might not have known this news yet, otherwise Hangzhou General E Sengge and Fujian Land Admiral Huang Shijian would not have led their troops to keep chasing after the Fu Han army, and would not have been satisfied after taking back Wuxi, and continued to shout and kill towards Changzhou.

"Grand Commander, our army has the advantage of pigeons to pass messages in the secret camp, how can the Tartars be faster than our army? E Sengge and Huang Shijian must know nothing about the changes in Fujian, so they are eager to make a move and are eager to attack Changzhou. However, the urgent report from Fujian will be reported to the Qing army camp within five days, and then E Sengge and Huang Shijian will lead their troops to retreat urgently.

Grand Commander, if our army can ambush a group of elite soldiers outside the battlefield, and wait for the Qing army to retreat urgently, we can strike with thunder, and we will surely win a great victory." Liu Dezhao was a little excited. He was beside Chen Ming when the urgent report from Fujian arrived. He never expected that his cheap son-in-law would be so far-sighted and lay an ambush directly in Fujian.

Liu Dezhao was clear about the situation in Fujian before. The Yellow Sect and the Tiandihui started in Taiwan and absorbed the last bit of land power in the eight Fujians. Then the Fujian and Guangdong bandits captured Haitan, which was the location of the general office of Haitan Town. When the news spread to Jiangnan, everyone was shocked. Just when everyone was watching whether the Fujian and Zhejiang naval forces would fight back against Fujian, there were actually ambush troops from Fujian in the empty Fujian mainland. This time, the whole Fujian might be finished.

Liu Dezhao suddenly felt that he should not be so pessimistic. His cheap son-in-law might be able to achieve hegemony. Look at the current Qing Dynasty. After the Fujian soldiers rose up, the whole country, including the Central Plains and Lingnan, was in chaos. What kind of rottenness would it be? The Qing Dynasty was really not the Qing Dynasty in his impression.

Liu Dezhao, who suddenly felt energetic and hopeful, spoke to Chen Ming in an excited tone.

Chen Ming was somewhat surprised by Liu Dezhao's change. Could it be that the Tiandihui uprising in Fujian had such a great inspiration to the people around him? As for Liu Dezhao's advice, he did not think it was anything special. It was a method that anyone with a little common sense and brains could come up with.

...

The night enveloped the earth.

A round of exquisite crescent moon hung on the top of the tree, and the misty moonlight shone through the leaves and sprinkled on every piece of land on the earth. In the dark sky, countless glittering stars were unwilling to be lonely and showed their charm. A transparent gray cloud gently covered the moonlight.

The Grand Canal was shining silver in the moonlight, and the bright moonlight fell on the surface of the canal, reflecting the hurriedly marching army on the river bank.

E Sengge stood by the canal, and the whole person was like a rock. The wrinkles in the gullies were deeply carved on the rock by the wind and frost of the years.

"Report to the commander, the rebels in Changzhou have not moved out, and the city gates are still closed."

"Keep watching closely. If there is any movement, report immediately."

The scout turned around and retreated, climbed onto the horse's back, and the sound of "da da..." horses' hooves came from near to far.

E Sengge turned around and walked down the river bank. He was not wearing the heavy cotton armor, but a casual uniform with a yellow jacket on the outside. There was no movement in Changzhou until now, and he could finally rest assured.

"Send someone to inform the Huang army, the rebels are not moving, withdraw the troops quickly."

Since receiving the urgent report of the Fujian military situation, E Sengge and Huang Shijian convened the generals to discuss the withdrawal of troops. But there is a clue as to how to withdraw the troops. There are more than 10,000 soldiers and horses in Fujian and Zhejiang, and it is not easy to leave. Their route of advance was along the Grand Canal. When withdrawing troops, all the troubles could be dispensed with, but retreating along the Grand Canal was still the most convenient way.

When the army is retreating, the most taboo thing is for the enemy soldiers to linger or take advantage of the chaos to attack. Er Sengge was a veteran on the battlefield, so of course he would take this into account. He insisted on holding the troops still during the day to prevent the Changzhou Fuhan Army from seeing its flaws. At night, the army abandoned all the heavyweights and left lightly. Because the canal is too narrow, if the Fuhan army quickly detours from another route, how can the Qing army dare to retreat southward?

Er Sengge himself took charge of the main force and led some elite troops to stay behind to suppress the formation. Huang Shijian led his own bid and ambush in Dingyan outside Changzhou City. As long as the Changzhou Fuhan Army dared to fight out, Er Sengge dared not say that he would give it a head-on blow, but he could definitely guarantee that the Fuhan Army would not take any advantage.

At the top of Changzhou City, Chen Ming stood with his hands tied. He had been standing at the top of the city for more than an hour.

Chen Ming didn't know if his choice was right. Maybe he should let the Changzhou garrison charge at the Qing army and retreat if they couldn't take advantage. The Qing army would feel relaxed after repelling the Fuhan army's attack, and then He led the cavalry battalion, the tank battalion and the right battalion of the personal guards to strike with thunder!

This approach doesn't seem bad. But Chen Ming just held down the army. He chose to release the Changzhou defenders to attack when the Qing army retreated.

The Fuhan military camp officer stationed in Changzhou was none other than Tang Wencan, who performed very well in the offensive and defensive battles of Wuxi. His deputy was Jiang Wei. Although Tang Wencan is still a battalion officer, as the commander-in-chief of Changzhou, as long as he does not make mistakes in the future, sooner or later the title of commander will be on his head.

Jiang Wei was not dissatisfied with this. He felt that Tang Wencan's background was not 'genuine' enough, but Tang Wencan performed much better than him in the First Battle of Wuxi. The Fuhan Army talked about direct relatives, distance, but also based on real materials. . Jiang Wei had nothing to say.

"Kill..."

The attacking Changzhou defenders soon collided with the retreating Qing army's rear troops. There were not many real casualties on both sides, but the shouts of killing were very loud. Just when the Qing army's attention was completely attracted by the Changzhou attack force, they entered the tank battalion and the right guard battalion in Changzhou in batches in the name of logistics transportation troops, revealing their true colors. The tank battalion and the right guard battalion were part of Quietly hit the Tongji River outside the north gate of Changzhou, and take dozens of waterboats parked there to go down the Tongji River. As for the cavalry battalion that had been hiding in the Hengshan area east of Changzhou City, Chen Ming also sent out homing pigeons to notify Chen Kaishan, asking him to hit Hengshan to attack the Qing army on the Canal.

Er Sengge had a good sense of battlefield. He discovered something wrong with the behavior of the Fuhan army. The Fuhan army that came out of Changzhou City was obviously not enough to defeat their rear troops. Why did they stalk and fight with each other? Why not retreat?

"Quickly send an order to the front army. All units should stop advancing and be on alert -" A huge sense of fear suddenly gripped Esenge's heart. He could hardly breathe when he issued this order.

Er Sengge could not imagine the tragic scene after the main force of the vanguard was suddenly attacked by the Fuhan Army. It was dark now, when the Qing army's shotguns were least lethal. If they were suddenly attacked, the shotgun soldiers could only trust the short daggers at their waists. Moreover, the composition of this army is complex. There are Fujian and Zhejiang, there are green camps and militia groups. The green camps come from different military towns, and the militia groups come from different prefectures and counties. They are unprepared in the dark night when they encounter a powerful blow from the enemy and collapse. There is no other way out than collapse and waiting for this army.

Then Er Sengge's reaction was already too late. When he issued the military order vigilantly, the Fuhan Army's cavalry had already rushed to the Grand Canal. By boat, they passed through the Tongji River and captured the tank battalion on the flank of the Qing Army and part of the Guards Right Battalion. They were also about to be suddenly attacked, and the chaos The Qing army formed a group and killed the rats that were holding their heads and running away.

According to Chen Mingshi's previous arrangement, after defeating the Qing army, there was no need to rush to annihilate them all. He immediately went north to surround and kill the Qing army's rear troops. Those were the elite of the Qing army. As for the scattered Qing soldiers and civilians, they can wait until dawn and have the cavalry battalion pick them up one by one.

The first unit of the Guards Right Battalion left behind in Changzhou has already left the city. Standing on the top of the city, Chen Ming could vaguely hear the shouts and fighting sounds coming from the dark night. Regardless of whether the Qing army's rear troops were brave or not, the Fu Han army was sure to win this battle.

…

Among the ruins of Taizhou City.

Fernandez carefully shuttled between the ruins. His love for cannons and abundant curiosity led him into the murderous city of Taizhou.

The fighting between the two sides has completely destroyed this city, which is countless times larger than Macau.

After losing the city wall, China's anti-government rebels relied on the streets and houses in the city to engage in fierce street battles with the incoming Qing troops. So far, the Qing government troops have not been able to completely capture the city. The casualties they paid had exceeded 300 people.

As a Portuguese and an artillery instructor, Fernandez did not need to enter Taizhou City in person. But he was really curious about the hugely lethal large-arc artillery in the hands of the rebels, which reminded him of European mortars.

Although Qing soldiers told him that it was a gunpowder bag throwing machine, Fernandez still wanted to see it with his own eyes.

Of course, the flying thunder cannon is a secret of the Fuhan Army. So far, no original cannon has been captured by the Qing soldiers, and no gunner has been captured by the Qing soldiers. All of that was still a secret, and all the Qing army knew was the gunpowder package thrown by the Fuhan army. Some of those things didn't explode, and they were taken by Qing soldiers. But how to project this thing is something the Qing soldiers don't know.

At this moment, the Qing soldiers picked up another gunpowder bag that did not explode. Fernandez opened the gunpowder bag with his own hands. The gunpowder bag that looked like linen was wrapped in white silk. Each gunpowder bag contained five kilograms of gunpowder - according to Chinese regulations According to the system, about four kilograms of iron sand, broken iron nails, etc., plus silk, linen and match rope, each weighs about ten kilograms. When converted to European measurement, it is 26 marks [8 ounces]. If such a gunpowder packet is thrown hundreds of meters, how powerful will it be after the explosion?

Fernandez couldn't bear the curiosity in his heart and wanted to come and see it for himself. Otherwise, curiosity can kill a cat. Although Fernandez also had other tasks to do when he came to Taizhou City this time, he needed to draw a detailed map of Taizhou to facilitate the artillery outside the city to carry out more accurate firepower bombardment of Taizhou City.

At the same time, the Portuguese leader on the Taizhou battlefield, Perez, the deputy speaker of the Macau Parliament, was talking with Captain Blanco, the captain of the Portuguese artillery instructor, about his understanding of the current war.

Just because of a battle, a city comparable to Porto found itself in danger. In the past week, twelve sixteen-pound naval guns fired at least 1,000 shells at Taizhou City. Perez admired the tenacity of the anti-government forces in the city and was also impressed by the cruelty of such a battle.

He is just a businessman after all.

Captain Blanco had a different view. He suppressed the resistance of local indigenous people in Brazil and had fierce battles with pirates on the sea. As a soldier, he is quietly changing his attitude towards the Chinese military.

"They are very brave. This is a city the size of Porto, and there are hundreds or thousands of such cities throughout China. In the heart of their great emperor, a city may not be as important as the complete annihilation of a determined resistance army. important.”

Blanco still doesn't comment highly on the combat effectiveness of the Chinese army, but he believes that the Chinese have the foundation to become first-class soldiers, and they are very brave.

"Is it really possible to organize a 50,000-strong fusilier force in one go? The Chinese emperor is richer than all the kings in Europe put together." As a small captain, Blanco It is impossible to imagine what an army of 50,000 people is. You must know that the population of the entire Kingdom of Portugal is only 2 million.

"This is just the first batch." Perez, who mistook Cai Yi's slap gesture from five thousand to fifty thousand, said to Blanco with bright eyes. "The Emperor of China's wish is to turn all the Eight Banners armies into new fusilier troops, and the number of China's Eight Banners armies will exceed 200,000. This is a huge business opportunity. If we can seize this opportunity, Even if we only obtain half of these trade orders, we will become the richest people in Portugal..."

Why did the Portuguese reach an agreement with the Manchu and Qing officials so easily, while leaving the olive branch of Chen Ming who brought the missionaries back to ruins? Isn’t it just that we saw the clear-cut real money of the Qing government?

Macau is right next to Guangzhou. If they reach an agreement with the Manchus, trade between the two sides can be carried out quickly, conveniently and safely. The entire Macau Parliament was not dazzled by real money, so they would not take another glance at Chen Ming's Fuhan Army. Like thousands of gentry in the world, the Portuguese also firmly believed that the Qing government could finally suppress and quell this wave of resistance.