February 15th. Dingyuan Fort. Suppress the General Headquarters.

Liao Meng, deputy commander of the new military camp and commander-in-chief of the bandit suppression detachment, sorted out his clothes, and then strode to the playground.

The playground was lined up with hundreds of New Army soldiers in crisp blue uniforms, a total of six platoons of soldiers at the second and third posts. Yesterday Leonid Fedorovich, the commander of the reconnaissance army, discovered a Chalua village about a day-east-north, the population of which he estimated to be less than 200 people, and it is not known whether this village is the same as the Chalua village that attacked Dingyuan Fort last time.

But Liao Meng doesn't care so much, now everyone is fighting for living space, in his opinion, the Charuya people are original sin, that is, they should be exterminated or enslaved.

"Now, I announce the official start of the Dingyuan Fort Bandit Suppression Operation. Everyone, check the equipment and ammunition, get ready to go. Liao Meng finished giving the order here and turned to the side of the baggage troops.

At present, the troops that have crossed the public are in the initial stage and are still very unprofessional, and one of the important characteristics is the lack of professional engineering troops and logistics baggage teams. It's good to say that there is nothing to do with the engineering troops, but the baggage soldiers need to borrow from the civil affairs of Dingyuan Fort.

Fortunately, the people in the place know what is important and are very easy to speak. Xiao Bailang specially dispatched manpower and vehicles for this operation: 1 ammunition truck, 2 food and water supply trucks, 2 baggage trucks, 10 grooms, 1 veterinarian, 1 military doctor, 2 cooks, and 10 horses.

After everything was ready, Liao Meng led the second outpost to go first, followed by the baggage team, and the officers and soldiers of the third outpost walked behind. Liao Meng looked at the endless barren meadows around him, and then looked at the crooked sketches drawn by the reconnaissance Wu at hand, and then looked at the compass, and felt a little weak.

Although the temperature was only twenty degrees, under the illumination of the noon sun, Liao Meng still felt a burst of heat on his body: "Go, call Leonid from the reconnaissance army!" ”

The soldier who was called answered yes and quickly called Leonid over.

Leonid was followed by a wolf and green dog, and Liao Meng looked a little familiar. Liao Meng, who originally had a lot to say, swallowed back the words at this moment, saying that this kid who was too complicated couldn't understand it at all, forget it, or make a long story short: "Sergeant, where are we?" Liao Meng said as he shook the "map" in his hand.

"Sir." Leonid pointed to the map and said with difficulty, "Here." Direction... Not bad. Before the evening... Arrive. ”

Liao Meng glanced at him twice, but the kid blinked with an unknown look. "Alright, go do your job. Be our eyes and don't let the Charuas notice. Liao Meng waved his hand and said.

Leonid saluted, then ran back to the scouts, mounted an Andalusian horse, and went forward to reconnoitre. The wolf-green dog chased after him for a while, and then gave up in a huff.

"Rub, isn't that the puppy that the old Zhang family has just given birth to for half a year? How did you run here? Liao Meng suddenly had a black line on his face.

At noon, the troops ate and rested by a small river. The soldiers were a little tired after walking all morning, but they were all people who had gone through life and death on the battlefield, and this level of difficulty could still be overcome.

A few baggage trucks crossing the river really took a lot of effort. Although the river is only knee-long, the silt at the bottom of the river is very thick, and it is difficult for a bulky vehicle to pull it out once it gets trapped.

Liao Meng took the telescope and observed, this damn river is quite long, and there is no end in sight, so there is no way to go around. In desperation, he had to ask the soldiers to unload all the things on the cart first, and then gather a few horses and put them on a cart, and then pulled the five carts across the river one by one. After the vehicle crossed the river, it loaded the goods into the car, pulled the horse back to the carts, and after the people shouted and neighed, more than two hours had passed.

"Fuck!" Liao Meng spat hatefully into the river, "Lao Tzu suggested the formation of an engineering unit when he went back." Nima, it's a dead man. Mistakes, mistakes, when I saw this river on the map, which is said to be only a few tens of centimeters deep, why didn't I think of this stubble now? Alas, this has to be written down, it's all a lesson. ”

At five o'clock in the afternoon, the troops again stopped to rest and eat in a secluded place, less than three hours away from the Charouya village shown on the map.

Today it was a long march in full armor, and the soldiers were exhausted. Liao Meng discussed with several chief and deputy sentinels of the two sentinels, and felt that it was already dark when they arrived at the village of the Charua, and the soldiers must be exhausted and unable to attack. It is better to camp here and set off again in the early hours of the to-morrow morning, to make sure that it is dawn when you arrive at the Charuya village, and then set up for an attack. There are hundreds of well-equipped and well-trained soldiers on his side, and the other side plus the old and weak women and children are only 200 people, so it is enough to attack in a dignified manner, and there is really no need to play any difficult night battles.

After everything was discussed and men were arranged, everyone took down the tents and sleeping bags from the baggage wagons and prepared to camp and rest. It's still a bit cold at night in Uruguay, so everyone puts their weapons within easy reach of their tents, and then people huddle next to each other and sleep peacefully.

Nothing was said all night. It was three o'clock in the morning on February 16. The officers walked into the tents one by one, pushing and shouting, and calling the soldiers one by one. After a night's rest, the soldiers, who were much better, quietly ate roasted potatoes and salted fish in the aluminum military kettle to replenish their body. They understand that there will be a battle after dawn, and they must make sure that they have enough physical strength.

Half past three in the morning. A hundred soldiers checked their equipment and ammunition and set out on time, while the baggage logisticians began to pack up their tents and sleeping bags on the ground, and they would follow after the main force.

Six o'clock in the morning. Liao Meng had already spotted the small village located at the confluence of two small rivers through his telescope, about 400 meters away. The village was quiet, with only a few people walking around outside, seemingly still asleep.

"See the bridge over the river on the left? Languo, in a moment you take two rows of detours to cross the river from the river and block the bridge. We'll attack when you're in place! Liao Meng said solemnly, "Everyone, check the weapons and ammunition once at the end, and act if there is no problem." ”

Half past six. Lan Guo, the deputy commander of the second outpost, led two platoons of 32 soldiers to secretly wade across the river upstream, and then rushed to the other end of the bridge, where the soldiers lined up in three rows, with their guns pointed at the wooden bridge with black holes.

Seeing that the other side was ready, Liao Meng gave an order, and the remaining 68 officers and soldiers took their arquebuses, lined up in a loose formation, and began to run quickly towards the village.

Several early risers watched as a group of outsiders in blue uniforms and black-brimmed hats rushed towards them with a blank expression.

"Bang! Bang! "Crisp gunshots rang out, and the Charuya fell in a pool of blood.

As more and more Charuya people burst out of their dilapidated houses, the gunfire intensified. As the Charuya were knocked to the ground, the Forces nouvelles soldiers formed teams to clear the Charuya house by house. Regardless of the elderly, women or children, those who dare to resist will be shot and killed.

Seven or eight fierce Charuya, naked and armed with weapons such as pikes and spears, roared and rushed over. Liao Meng smiled contemptuously, and as the 32-year-style command knife in his hand swung down hard, a row of guns rang out, and these Charuya people were instantly killed on the way to the charge.

Not all Charuya people had the courage to resist, and some women and children began to flee to the wooden bridge behind the village, hoping to escape from there and away from the murderous demons in front of them. But death awaited them, and they saw a large cloud of smoke rising from the other side of the wooden bridge, which was the smoke produced by the firing of the arquebus. The Charuya fell in pieces, and many could not bear the fear of death and simply jumped into the river.

The soldiers of the Forces nouvelles did not care about the Charuas who had escaped by jumping into the river, they did not have to kill everyone here, their task was only to drive them away, and of course killing was an indispensable means in the process.

The main force of the new army led by Liao Meng was still cleaning up the dilapidated houses of Charuya step by step, and from time to time a few Chaluya people with weapons and shouting rushed out of the houses, but they were all shot with muskets by the soldiers who were waiting for them.

Seven o'clock sharp.

No one was trying to escape through the wooden bridge, and Lan Guo led two platoons of soldiers across the wooden bridge to the opposite bank, looking at the corpses of the Charuya people all over the ground, a little unbearable.

At this time, the clean-up operation was nearing the end, and the main soldiers led by Liao Meng searched almost every house, and a large number of Charuya were killed at the door of the house or inside the house. For some Charuya people who hid in their houses and stubbornly resisted and refused to surrender, Liao Meng decisively set the houses on fire.

For a while, the whole village was full of gunfire, smoke, and fire, like hell on earth.

Seven thirty. The battle is over. The Chaluya village, with a population of nearly 200, only escaped from the chatting about a dozen people, and most of them were shot inside and outside the village, and the strong smell of blood was disgusting.

"This is the captives who surrendered?" Liao Meng looked at the twenty or so Charuya people squatting on the ground in front of him, most of them women and children, these people were looking at him with hateful eyes, which made Liao Meng feel a little uncomfortable.

"Huh? How can there still be a European? Liao Meng was surprised to see a Westerner with a southern European face in the captive, who seemed to be a clergyman.

"Nope! Don't kill me! The Europeans looked at Liao Meng with a frightened face, first spoke two languages that Liao Meng didn't understand, and then changed to English, and Liao Meng understood.

The Europeans breathed a sigh of relief: "I am a Jesuit missionary, from Spain!" You can't kill me! You ......"

"Tie these people with ropes and take them with them!" Liao Meng impatiently interrupted the priest's rambling words and instructed the soldiers behind him.

The soldier was ordered to go.

Liao Meng saw some soldiers with many cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, and so on, and he thought for a while: It seems that the Jesuits have been preaching in this village for a long time, and these animals should have been brought by the Jesuit missionaries from the Spanish towns and then taught to be raised by the Charua. This information must be reported to the Executive Committee as soon as possible, and the Spanish tentacles may be close to us.

After everything was cleaned up, Liao Meng ordered the soldiers to burn down all the houses so that they would not be used again, and then collected the troops and set out on the way back.

From then until 1 March, the "anti-bandit" detachment made two more sorties, destroying or expelling two villages of the Charua, seizing a batch of grain and capturing hundreds of people.