Chapter 4 of Part 5 "Investigation of Pirates"

The Qing army in Jingxi Town immediately responded after discovering the new army's fierce attack on the hill. A team of more than a thousand people rushed out of the town with mixed weapons, and was greeted by heavy mortar shells, which was blown up by crying at the father and mother.

Liu Kunyi's subordinates were also quite powerful Hunan generals. These people were good at suppressing Tianping Heavenly Kingdom and Nianzi back then. They were also shot out from gunfire, but they were only older.

Wang Zhong and Liu Kai are two of them. At the military meeting a few days ago, Liu Kunyi proposed to abandon the coastal areas of Fuzhou and Xiamen and retreat to the mountainous areas, but was opposed by most officers. The reason is very simple. There are at least 30,000 to 40,000 defenders in Fuzhou City. Why are you afraid of a new army with more than 10,000 people? Could it be that the new army is a heavenly soldier and general? It is invulnerable to swords and guns?

As a veteran of the Hunan Army, Wang Zhong and Wang Debang, who went home to cultivate, were brothers within five squads. They were the generals of the official position, with three thousand Hunan soldiers with low hands, and Liu Kai was the clan of Liu Kunyi, with two thousand soldiers with low hands. These two were considered to be the direct line that Liu Kunyi could trust.

There is a saying in history, "If China is destroyed, unless all the Hunanese die." There is another saying after the late Qing Dynasty, "No army can be formed without Hunan!" These two words can be regarded as explaining the temperament of Hunanese.

When the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was scattered across the country, wasn’t it because the Hunanese headed by Zeng Guofan, who fought repeatedly and fought repeatedly, and finally destroyed the arrogant Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Hunanese are brave, but this battle is indeed serious asymmetric. In order to defend against the front, and according to the tradition of exercising the greatest power of the volleyball, Wang Zhong, who was guarding the mountain, deployed two thousand people on the front line. This mistake is undoubtedly fatal, and this mistake is caused by a serious lack of understanding of the new concept of war.

The two thousand Hunan soldiers almost looked like what their opponents looked like? The violent artillery bombardment had broken the formation, and the casualties were unprecedented.

The team almost exploded the battalion at that time. Several commanders in front cut over more than a dozen people who were leading the escape, and quickly asked Wang Zhong behind for help, barely put together a team of six or seven hundred people to fight back.

A row of guns came over, and several new soldiers fell in front of them, but the grenades that fell like rain followed, causing a long-standing shooting formation to explode again.

Under such fierce artillery fire, those who can still stay and persist in fighting are all brave soldiers. The Hunan Army, which is maintained by clan-kinship relations, has a bit of the fighting power that erupts during crisis.

The close-range attack of the grenade did not blow up the Hunan Army's will to resist. The hundreds of people left behind were fighting and retreating, and they were retreating in cover for each other, which actually caused casualties to dozens of new soldiers.

When Wang Chao saw this scene, he couldn't help but feel a little painful in his heart.

Wang Zhong, who was in the back, never expected that in just half an hour, the two thousand people in front could almost no longer hold on. He escaped in scattered hundreds of defeated soldiers, which shocked Wang Zhong led the reserve team to block it, and a row of guns came over and knocked down a dozen people running in the front.

"Everyone will follow me back!"

After effective suppression, Wang Zhong pulled out his waist knife and was the first to move forward. At the age of fifty, his waist was still upright and his steps were still steady. However, his eyes were filled with a sense of despair, which was different from the countless battles in the past.

Wang Zhong himself didn't understand his mood at this moment. He said it was struggling to repay Liu Kunyi, and maybe it was more of a fight to safeguard the honor of Hunan soldiers.

The timely investment of the Hunan Army reserve team quickly turned into a tug-of-war on the hill.

"This is not enough to fight. Song Zhigao, let the brothers take it down." The development of the battle made Wang Chao a little anxious and hurriedly ordered.

Song Zhigao, who had a fierce look on his face, ran forward and shouted loudly: "Master, don't look at the three or four hundred people on the mountain. I personally took the second echelon to ensure that I took the mountain." Song Zhigao's voice was a little hoarse, and it was a tug-of-war in front of Wang Chao. He became a little angry and his eyes were red.

"No, hand-to-hand combat cannot exert the firepower advantages of our army. Let the brothers retreat and reorganize the firepower. As the commander, you must be responsible for the lives of the brothers." Wang Chao had no expression on his face, and had no room for discussion. Song Zhigao looked at the battle situation on the mountain with willingness to stand attentively and saluted: "The teacher's seat, the blood of the soldier, is to be used at this moment. My subordinates beg the teacher's seat to agree!"

The battlefield was changing rapidly. Wang Chao did not expect Song Zhigao to be so persistent, so he couldn't help but be stunned. The subordinates were so brave, so his boss was not unhappy. If he persisted at this time, it would definitely affect his morale.

"Okay! Just follow what you said, attack immediately, remember to bring two Maxim."

Seeing Wang Chao let go, Song Zhigao was delighted and stood attentively and said loudly: "Yes!"

Back in front of the formation, Song Zhigao picked up a m1888, inserted the bayonet, and shouted loudly: "Get the bayonet!"

A six hundred brothers from the second echelon strengthening battalion were all bayonets.

"Run!"

Song Zhigao trotted all the way and rushed to the corner. Wang Chao, not far away, saw this scene, as if he had returned to the scene on the Vietnam battlefield. He was so young and passionate, waving his command knife to lead the army to assault.

Wang Zhong had never encountered such a strong opponent in his life. When facing the counterattack of more than 1,000 Hunan Army, the new army, calmly formed a formation, from pursuit to defense. After the orderly and intensive shooting of one or two hundred people, was knocked down the Hunan Army, followed by a dense ban of grenades. If Wang Zhong hadn't been rushing forward, the counterattack team would have been disbanded.

Seeing the soldiers around him falling down one by one, Wang Zhongji turned red and waved his waist and rushed to the front. The new army soldiers on the opposite side were not afraid, and they skillfully used bayonets and rifles to face the counterattack of the Qing army. The two armies collided with each other.

Although Wang Zhong came up with a knife and slashed over a new soldier, the young opponent could not avoid it, and he looked at him with perseverance. He opened his arms and hugged one of Wang Zhong's legs.

This is just a young soldier in the new army named Xu Liujin. Because he weighed six jin when he was born, his father gave him this name.

It is a blessing for Xu Liujin to be able to join the new army. Two and a half yuan a month is enough for a piece of six to eat, and to get a double salary in the war, Xu Liujin has been sent home by the people from the logistics department. Even if he is killed, he can have a brother at home to take over as a soldier and arrange a job for his family in the factory.

The so-called "Good iron does not make nails, and good men do not join the army" has long become a thing of the past in Xu Liujin's hometown. Xu Liujin, who has shouldered the livelihood of a family, always enjoys only honor and envious gazes when he returns home during the holidays.

When the bayonet pierced the sky and the opponent's big sword was so fast that it could not avoid it, Xu Liujin subconsciously reacted, throwing away the rifle, dodging the knife on his neck, using his back to penetrate the sword, and then hugging one of the opponent's legs tightly with the last bit of consciousness.

Wang Zhong was indeed brave and worthy of being a powerful general in the Hunan Army, but he never understood why the timely cut to the sword that stabbed down had already penetrated the opponent, and why the young arms still hugged one of his legs tightly until the two bayonets penetrated Wang Zhong's body. When Wang Zhong fell to the ground without strength, the last one saw a satisfied smile beside him. That face was so young, and his eyes closed before his eyes were so calm. With the regret of not understanding the reason, Wang Zhong closed his eyes and defended the honor of the Hunan Army with his life.

"The reduction of rent and interest allow our farmers to have enough food. The child brought back the money and still had some money to tell his wife. The child said,... President Shen's new army was a team that was brought up for the people to live a good life. Just for this, it's worth it if he dies!" Perhaps the parents who took Xu Liujin's younger brother to the army after the war, and said in a local accent, could explain Wang Zhong's regret.

The face-brushing effect brought by Wang Zhong's death was huge, which was the combat effectiveness of the old-style army, which was largely influenced by the personal charm of the leading figure. The Hunan Army, which had no leader, fell sharply after Song Zhigao's timely second echelon arrived.

The firepower of the two sets of machine guns and timely strafing, like the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, destroying the Hunan Army's final fighting spirit.

The defeat was like a mountain of fall! More than a thousand Hunan troops retreated in chaos toward Fuzhou.

Compared to the death of a somewhat tragic battle with Wang Zhong, Liu Kai's death was somewhat cowardly. When Liu Kai, who was guarding Jingxi Town, found that the new army attacked the mountain, immediately led half of his subordinates to break out of the town and rush to help Wang Zhong on the mountain.

As a result, he encountered a preparatory bombardment. The next four venomous flames sprayed by Maxim, and a bullet penetrated Liu Kai's temple.

In fact, this bullet was not for Liu Kai at the beginning, but the firing rate of 600 rounds per minute is undoubtedly terrifying. I remember that after watching the shooting performance of the electric gun with my own eyes, Li Hongzhang said: "It's so fast, so expensive!" (Note, I hope I remember correctly.)

The consequences of Liu Kai's accidental death were very serious. The soldiers without restraint immediately exploded the camp and left the town to make a bulk of birds and beasts. After Wang Chao and other subsequent regiments came up, they immediately sent a team to attack the town. As a result, when the team approached the town carefully, the gunshots of resistance inside did not sound at all.

Sixty casualties and more than a thousand enemies were killed. The Hunan Army, which represented the strongest army twenty years ago, was so pale when encountering the new army that represents the strongest army today. From this point of view, it can be seen that in the past twenty or thirty years, the West's military equipment has changed rapidly and the military theory has changed so much. From another perspective, this is called being beaten if you fall behind. Yes, history eloquently proves the above view. In history, China, which was built with its flesh and blood, paid a heavy price, maintained the dignity of the Chinese army. Of course, behind the dignity won is a serious disproportionate number of casualties, which is also a fact.

…………………………

On the second day after the long encounter under the city of Fuzhou, Liu Buchan's flagship "Great Wall" fluttered on the battle flag, and the first fleet of New China appeared in the seas outside Japan.

Two days ago, the Japanese minister's protest notes appeared at Shen Congyun's desk through Tang Shaoyi's handover. After Chen Congyun looked at it, he just smiled disdainfully and said: "It's not during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1995. Tell the Japanese minister that I said that my first fleet was going to investigate pirates."

Pirates! Which pirates are worthy of the dispatch of more than a dozen of the latest warships in the entire First Fleet?

"Commander, it's the Japanese fleet! They said that our fleet has entered the Japanese territorial waters and please leave!" The signal soldiers on the watchtower shouted loudly. Liu Buchan on the fly bridge had no expression on his face. He held up his telescope and looked at the Japanese Combined Fleet ten thousand meters away opposite him.

"Mushashi! Yamato! Two newly ordered battleships from the UK have also appeared, and they are quite cost-effective." Liu Buchan laughed softly. Although Deng Shichang took away four fast cruisers in the first fleet, the arrival of the newly added two cruisers, coupled with the modified boiler and rapid-fire gun, the overall strength of the first fleet is still above the Japanese fleet.

"Tell them that we are here to inspect pirates. At the same time, this sea area is the high seas, not the Japanese territorial waters." It is not an exaggeration to say that Liu Buchan is a ruling. The reason is very simple. The position of the First Fleet is at the moment, and it will be the best to sail for another hundred nautical miles and enter the Tsushima Strait. If it is still the high seas, then what is the Ryukyu Islands?

Regarding the status of Ryukyu, after Liu Buchan received a provocative blockade order issued by the General Staff, he personally met Chen Congyun and raised the issue of Ryukyu.

Chen Congyun answered very simply: "Ryukyu has always been a vassal state of China, which is incontrovertible." What does it mean? Liu Buchan understands that Chen Congyun was a little angry because of his current state in Northeast China, and he was a little embarrassed and started a war with Japan.

When he started a war with Japan, Liu Buchan was not afraid. It can be said that when he was in the Beiyang Fleet, Liu Buchan had never been afraid of the Japanese Navy, let alone the time for strong troops now.

Japan is an island country. As long as the navy blockade is effective, it is impossible for Japan to land in North Korea, and it is even more a joke to land in mainland China.

Yuki Ito stood on the flagship Dazang with a pale face. Since he bought two monarch-class battleships, the Japanese Navy seemed to have gained confidence again. In order to form combat effectiveness at the first time, the Japanese Navy Ministry spared no expense to send a team of 1,000 soldiers to the UK to receive training for new warships.

"Xihe, the Sino-Japanese War of 1895, missed the best opportunity for the empire to defeat China in 50 years." This is the wording used by the Japanese base camp when submitting the war report to the emperor after the Sino-Japanese War of 1895. It is obvious that the Japanese have not accepted the fact of failure. Over the past three years, Japan has worked hard to govern and prepare for the war, just to wait for the opportunity to fight with China again. With the unstable internal situation in China, the opportunity for Japan to send troops has appeared. Unfortunately, Chen Congyun's actions were too fast. Japan had already controlled the situation before the Qing government had obtained the consent of the Qing government. However, it seems that it is another opportunity, because the Russians have not gained any benefits from the newly born Republic of China, which is difficult for the Russians to accept.

When a king of iron hats in the northeast sent a signal, the ministers of Russia and Japan quickly reached an agreement to join forces to interfere in the China issue.

Russia today is undoubtedly very powerful for Japan. In history, Japan dared to cause trouble for the Russians in 1904. It was Japan's reaction to gaining strong back and confidence after receiving compensation from China's 200 million silver.

It is undesirable for Japan to join forces with Russia to fight against the new China. However, cooperation between the two countries is undoubtedly relative. Before the Russians sent troops to the Northeast, the Japanese base camp had not made a decision to fight against the Chinese army alone. The first problem that cannot be solved is the navy issue. If you don’t defeat the Chinese navy, what should you talk about landing in North Korea?

Japan wants Russia to make a request that Russia must send Far East fleet to defeat the Chinese navy together so that Japan can guarantee to send troops to North Korea and then attack Northeast China.

The Russians also made a rush of abacus. The most hope to see is that Japan first fought with China for a while, and then used the remnants of the Qing Dynasty in the Northeast to consume the Chinese army. After two consumptions, Russia came out to eat ready-made ones.

"Commander, the Japanese fleet said, let us leave the Japanese territorial waters within five minutes, otherwise we will be regarded as an invasion, and they will not hesitate to start a war to defend the territorial waters."

The words of the messenger reached Liu Buchan's ears, and they were laughing out loud and said, "Don't bite people if you can bark! Tell them, you will listen to them!"

After ordering the messenger, Liu Buchan ordered loudly: "Everyone is careful, take off the cannon suit and prepare for battle!"
Chapter completed!