It was already the end of January 1633. In the height of summer, Uruguay is still cool and pleasant, with highs of no more than 25 degrees Celsius that can only make you sweat slightly. The 82 officers and men of the first battalion and the first post of the newly built army walked in two columns on the vast hilly terrain southwest of Dayu Lake. To their left and right and in front of them were cavalry units under the command of Chang Kaisheng, the commander of the first outpost of infantry, and a heavy army in the rear.

With the boom in the smuggling trade, the number of horses in the crossing has also increased rapidly, and there are currently more than 120 horses in the newly established pasture on the east side of Dayu Lake. In order to train the seeds of the future cavalry units, the War Department submitted a report to the Executive Committee for approval of the expansion of the first battalion of cavalry on the basis of the original 1st Battalion reconnaissance team. The cavalry post tentatively has three platoons, each platoon has 1 platoon leader, 10 soldiers, and 1 sentry commander and deputy sentry commander, with a total of 35 people and 35 horses. Each soldier is equipped with a 1633 flintlock pistol, a 33-B flintlock rifle, and a 32-year saber.

The commander of the cavalry post is Xu Yu, the deputy commander is Leonid Fedolovich, and the officers and soldiers of the following three platoons are ex-Ukrainian Cossacks except for officers and a few non-commissioned officers. They were commanded under the command of the first outpost of the victorious infantry, and played a huge role in the capture of the Charuya in various parts of the shores of the Great Fish Lake.

In addition to the cavalry posts, the dispatch was accompanied by a baggage unit and an engineering unit that were set up as a pilot project. A platoon of the engineering corps, including the platoon commander, 16 people, equipped with 1633 type flintlock pistol, 8 32-A flintlock rifles, 16 engineer shovels, 16 logging axes, 8 saws, and a number of other equipment. The baggage unit was equipped with 10 carts, 24 horses, 1 1633 flintlock pistol, and 12 32-A flintlock rifles, with a total of 26 people.

In addition to the regular troops, this detachment also has 10 infantry, cavalry, engineer, and baggage students and soldiers from the Dingyuan Army Military Academy. The teenage students didn't take part in the battle, but watched and learned while drawing maps.

All combined, the number of this detachment commanded by Chang Kaisheng reached 169 people. After being equipped with a large number of logistics troops, the activity capability of the Chang Kaisheng detachment was also greatly strengthened. At present, the department has crossed the big fish lake and advanced for another two days towards the hilly terrain to the southwest. Unfortunately, I didn't find any villages or settlements in Charuya along the way.

The boundless hills are unappetizing, and Jiang Zhiqing, the deputy sentry who also plays the role of a staff officer, helped his somewhat crooked military hat and compared it repeatedly on his hand-drawn map. He was a cautious man, but also a good face, and he didn't want his entire army to get lost in the vast hilly steppes because of his mistakes.

Chang Kaisheng is also a little irritable, he is also not a good-tempered person. A few days ago, the third outpost had captured a large Charouya village within a day's journey northwest of Dayu Lake. Then they attacked decisively, capturing the village at the cost of only one dead and three lightly wounded, capturing more than 100 men, women and children, to the praise of the War Office.

As the only full-fledged sentry commander in the first battalion, Chang Kaisheng, who has always considered himself the first in the army, can't stand this stimulus. This time, he led a large group of people to search to the south, and I don't know if the road is bad luck or what, it has been out for more than two days, not to mention the big tribe, and even the small fish and shrimp have not been caught, which makes Chang Kaisheng's face a little unbearable.

"Where are you now?" Chang Kaisheng ripped off the discipline buckle on his military uniform and asked a little irritably.

Jiang Zhiqing flipped through the hand-drawn map in his hand and pondered: "At present, we should march in a southwest direction between the hills and the coastline about 10 kilometers away from Luoqia Lake, and it may not be more than 3 kilometers away from the coastline. ”

"What should, might? Is this what a staff officer should say? Lao Jiang, why don't you say you just can't get rid of that old problem of being cautious and timid! Chang Kaisheng glared at Jiang Zhiqing, and Jiang Zhiqing smiled.

"Luoqia Lake? It's been so far. Chang Kaisheng didn't care about him anymore, he muttered to himself for a while, and then ordered: "The whole army will rest for half an hour, and we will withdraw after resting." Damn, don't play hide and seek with those barbarians. Cavalry pay attention, this is an area where Portuguese slave catchers and smugglers often operate, give me a careful look! ”

The soldiers had been marching for several hours, and by this time they were all a little tired. Everyone took out corned beef and soybeans and chatted while eating and drinking with cold boiled water in the military kettle. The baggage soldiers also brought a lot of drinking water and food from the cart for the soldiers to use, and the student soldiers also helped out.

I rested for about twenty minutes. I only heard a muffled thunder from the sky, Chang Kaisheng looked up, and saw that the sky was clear and cloudless. Just in doubt, a sudden flash flashed in my mind, rub, where is this thunder? It can't be the sound of cannons, right?! Turning his head around, he saw that the deputy sentry Jiang Zhiqing was also looking at him with a suspicious expression.

Chang Kaisheng stood up, only to see a few cavalrymen rushing over in front of him, and the leading one was Xiao Baitu, the platoon commander of the first platoon of the cavalry post and a second lieutenant in the army.

Xiao Baitu dismounted nearby, and then walked quickly to Chang Kaisheng, knocked his left foot on the heel of his right riding boot, stood with his legs together and saluted, and reported: "Report!" The second platoon of the cavalry post spotted a Portuguese slave catcher and two caravans of smuggling merchants near the south-western coast engaged the Spaniards, who were in an unfavorable position and were retreating in our direction, and were expected to be fifteen minutes away from us. In addition, there was a galleon on the sea, flying the flag of the Kingdom of Spain. Above! ”

Chang Kaisheng was in a hurry when he heard this, and he didn't even return the gift, so he directly pushed Xiao Baitu and scolded: "What about Xu Yu? I grass his ancestors, and they are only fifteen minutes away from us before they find out, what does he eat? It's too late to withdraw now! Lao Tzu went back and asked the War Department to skin him! Second lieutenant, I know what to do, go to your Xu Sentinel, and let the cavalry sentry gather together. The rest, all of them, the whole team! Since we can't hide, let's catch up! Lao Tzu just wanted to see the majesty of the Spaniards. ”

Ten minutes later. When Chang Kaisheng appeared on the battlefield from behind a low hill with the main force of the first outpost of the infantry in battle formation, the battle was nearing its end. The fleeing Portuguese fled everywhere along the hills, and the Spaniards scattered in small groups in pursuit.

"Get shot... Reload! Chang Kaisheng drew his Type 32 command knife and commanded as he looked ahead a little nervously.

"Bang la la" There was a sound of guns and reloads, Jiang Zhiqing looked at Chang Kaisheng, and then looked ahead, the corners of his mouth were a little sobbing, as if he wanted to say something, but after all, he didn't say anything.

The first infantry post was lined up in five rows in platoons, and the soldiers were already loaded with ammunition and looked ahead with great breath. The hammer of the 32-B flintlock rifle has been pulled to the brake position and is ready to fire.

The Spaniards were getting closer and closer, so close that they could even make out the patterns on their various messy uniforms. The platoon commanders frequently turned their heads to look at Chang Kaisheng, but saw Chang Kaisheng standing motionless with a command knife.

A gentle breeze blew, bringing with it the smell of gunpowder smoke and blood. Chang Kaisheng's face was solemn, beads of sweat slid down his cheeks, accumulated on his chin, and then fell on the dark blue military uniform one by one.

It's Spaniard!

Chang Kaisheng is not a reckless man. Although his usual words and deeds give people a sense of rudeness, he is actually a very measured person. He knew that although Spain had begun to decline in this era, the dead camel was bigger than the horse, and the Executive Committee would never dare to take the initiative to provoke this behemoth at this stage. So he just asked the soldiers to line up to meet the enemy, but he didn't dare to take the initiative to order shooting, he couldn't afford this responsibility.

The fleeing Portuguese were about to pass through the gentle slope of the hill, when they suddenly noticed a group of soldiers wearing blue military uniforms and large black-brimmed hats suddenly appeared on the gentle slope. The group of soldiers, armed with rifles and sabers at their waists, lined up neatly and quietly. How could they, who had been doing business in the port of Tatantan all day, not know whose troops this was, hula-la-la-get out of the way of the front and detour through from both sides.

Chang Kaisheng did not stop them, but ordered the officers and soldiers in the first platoon to raise the rifles in their hands. Still with his sabre, he watched nervously as the small group of Spanish troops pursuing him moved on the opposite side.

The Spaniards were in full pursuit when they suddenly spotted an army of unknown position emerging in front of them. The commander was taken aback, and was hesitating, but he heard a gunshot next to him, and a soldier didn't know whether he was nervous or what was going on, and actually shot at the opposite side.

A soldier in the first row at the front of the line fell in response. Chang Kaisheng, who had been looking at the other party nervously, subconsciously shouted: "Five rows of salvos!" Preparation... Put! ”

The first platoon of fifteen 32-B flintlock rifles fired a salvo of fifteen 32-B flintlock rifles in the first row of "Bang Bang...... and while they were reloading on the spot, the officers and men of the second platoon flashed out of the gap, raised their guns, and fired......

By the time all five platoons had fired a salvo, there was not a single person standing on the smoke-filled battlefield, and about 20 Spanish soldiers were killed and fell on the grass.

On the side of the hill in front of the right, the cavalry post saw that this side had opened fire, and Xu Yuzhi, who had not shown up for a long time, could not hesitate any longer, and the 35 cavalrymen roared "Wansheng" and began to fight, and after they finished a round with a 1633 flintlock pistol, they brandished a bright saber and rushed into a group of more than 20 Spaniards. The Spaniards, who were disrupted by the cavalry, scattered and fled, constantly calling for help from their comrades.

Chang Kaisheng sighed secretly, the matter is irreparable now. Grandma is a bear, Lao Tzu will play it, I'm afraid of you ball! Taking advantage of the fact that the Spaniards were unable to assemble their forces because of the previous pursuit of the Portuguese, Chang Kaisheng and the remaining 81 officers and soldiers of the first post lined up in a neat formation and fired at the Spaniards scattered in all corners of the battlefield.

"A row, a half-turn on the left, ready... Put! ”

"Second row, run fast on the right, full platoon salvo, ready... Put! ”

"Three rows, turn right and fire a salvo, ready ... Put! ”

The 32-B flintlock rifle was on full display at this time, with its light weight, low recoil, fast rate of fire, and long range, which was much superior to the Spanish arquebus. Encountering a small group of Spaniards, there was a volley of volleys far beyond the range of the arquebus, and the Spaniards could not stand at all, so they could only turn and flee. The Spaniards who fled were cut down to the ground one by one by the cavalry of the cavalry post.

Only half an hour had passed. Most of the more than 100 Spanish soldiers who had been on the battlefield were killed and wounded, and the remaining 50 or so had no choice but to surrender in the face of the main force of the first outpost that was ready to shoot after the retreat to the sea was blocked by cavalry.

The Spanish ship anchored on the sea, seeing that the tide was turning, probably fearing that the first sentry soldier would take the ship in the small boat used by the Spanish soldiers who had landed, hurriedly pulled out anchor and set sail, and after firing a few shots at the shore and creating a dozen craters, finally turned around unwillingly.

The remaining cadets, engineers, and baggage soldiers of Chang Kaisheng's detachment also arrived quickly. Chang Kaisheng had them collect the weapons of the Spaniards, and then tied a total of 56 captives together one by one with ropes.

The cavalry post searched and guarded for a while, and then quickly returned. Four of them were killed in the battle, all Cossacks. On the first side of the infantry, a total of three people were killed and no one was injured. The bodies of at least sixty Spanish soldiers were dead on the battlefield, and all but the first twenty or so were killed or cut down on the way to escape.

Chang Kaisheng, Jiang Zhiqing and Xu Yu looked at each other, and this time the matter seemed to be a big deal.