Before dark, the first army of the Manchu Qing Dynasty converged, and the army camp with a total of more than 50,000 people stretched for several miles, while the Han army on the opposite side only had more than 5,000 people (and more than 2,000 recruits), a difference of ten times. Pen fun and pavilion www.biquge.info

After the Qing army converged, they just camped on the spot, and there was no plan to attack the Han army's position in one go, and no one was willing to fight at night when it was unnecessary, even if the Qing army was more than ten times the number of the Han army, not to mention that Zuo Zongtang, the commander of the Manchu Qing Dynasty's first road army, had not yet understood the true strength of the "short-haired thief", and did not act rashly, but the Qing army camp was also wary of the Han army attacking the camp.

In the early morning of the next day, 50,000 Qing troops slowly marched towards the direction of the Han army's position, and the black crowd stopped at a position close to the Han army's position of one thousand meters, which made many Han army officers who were holding binoculars to observe the Qing army feel nervous, although they were not afraid of the Qing army, but so many Qing troops gathered together still made people a little nervous.

"Haha, I can finally have a good fight today, I hope Zuo Zongtang will withdraw without killing a few people." In the headquarters of the First Brigade of the Han Army, Zhao Gang laughed.

"Lao Zhao, you, you." Political commissar Wang Xinwei pointed at Zhao Gang and didn't know what to say.

Zuo Zongtang took a monocular and looked at the position of the Han army, looked up, but found the "eye of the sky" of the Han army.

"What's that?" Zuo Zongtang pointed to the huge hot air balloon and asked the surrounding generals.

"Zuo Shuai, will it be something like an enlarged Kong Ming lantern?" A middle-aged general guessed that the truth was really similar.

If Zuo Zongtang had Westerners around him, he would tell Zuo Zongtang that this was a hot air balloon that could carry people.

No one knew what it was, so Zuo Zongtang had no choice but to put it down and continue to observe the Han army's position: a trench that stretched for more than two miles, all the Han soldiers hid in the trench, only half of their heads were exposed to look at the Qing army, and they did not find out where the Han army's artillery position was.

A moment later, the Qing artillery pushed 30 (a total of 80) advanced breech guns to the front of the array, and the officers and men of the artillery team adjusted the cannons, aimed the muzzles at the Han positions, and loaded the equipment with flower shells.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

At this time, the artillery fire of the Han army attacked, and the artillery positions of the Qing army, which were caught off guard, were quickly destroyed, most of the artillery was damaged, and most of the officers and soldiers were killed.

Seeing this scene, Zuo Zongtang's old body shook for a moment, he knew that the "short-haired thief" would have artillery, but he didn't expect it to be so ferocious, in just a moment, most of the thirty advanced breech guns were scrapped, but fortunately all the advanced breech guns were not pushed out.

Zuo Zongtang first asked all the Qing troops to retreat one mile, and then continued to order: "Du Ping asked you to lead an army of 10,000 to test and attack the enemy's position, and allow you to retreat if you can't be defeated." ”

"Yes, Zuo Shuai."

The front army of the Qing army, which had been replenished with 10,000 men, marched towards the position of the Han army under the command of the commander Du Pingrang.

One thousand meters, 10,000 Qing troops were replaced by trots.

At 800 meters, the Qing army accelerated its advance.

At five hundred meters, the speed of the Qing army increased again.

Three hundred meters, the Qing army began to sprint with all its might.

Syllable! Syllable! Syllable!

The guns of the Han army rang out, more than 3,000 rifles fired at the same time, and 10,000 Qing troops fell in an instant, and before the Qing army could react, a few seconds later, thousands of people fell.

"Withdraw, withdraw." Du Pingrang shouted, but Du Pingrang did not escape the sniper of the Han army's sharpshooters, and was shot in the head by a bullet, but the Qing army attacking the Han army's position had quickly turned around and fled, and he was afraid that he would run slowly and die here.

However, the bullets of the Han army will not give them a chance, even if the heavy machine guns are not powerful, only with more than 3,000 rifles can destroy all the 10,000 Qing troops, the rifle bullets in the hands of the Han soldiers are gone, immediately reloaded, and continue to shoot at the fleeing Qing army.

In less than a minute after 10,000 Qing troops crossed the 300-meter line, most of the Qing officers and soldiers were lying on the battlefield, and only more than 1,000 Qing troops fled back.

Seeing this scene, Zuo Zongtang's old body shook a few more times, and he was about to lose his position, but fortunately, there were soldiers around him who quickly supported Zuo Zongtang.

"Order the army to retreat back to the battalion, truce today." Zuo Zongtang ordered in his already trembling voice.

Zuo Zongtang didn't expect the firepower of the "short-haired thief" to be so fierce, 10,000 troops attacked, and only more than 1,000 people escaped, it was all his own fault, so many soldiers were sent to death, especially Du Pingrang couldn't come back.

Back in the camp, Zuo Zongtang sat on the chair silently, and after a long time said to the generals of the Qing army: "Night battle, only night battle can have the hope of defeating the short-haired thief." ”

Zuo Zongtang didn't know how the "short-haired thief" could be so strong, the main force of the Qing army led by him had encountered such a powerful "short-haired thief", so how strong the other four-way army would encounter the "short-haired thief", at this moment, Zuo Zongtang felt that he was really old.

Zuo Zongtang fought for the Manchu Qing Dynasty in the south and north all his life, fought "long hair", quelled the rebellion in Shaanxi and Gansu, and recovered Xinyi, this time he really met an opponent, a very tricky opponent, Zuo Zongtang thought that it was possible to defeat this opponent only by virtue of the numerical advantage and the night battle, even Zuo Zongtang did not know how much chance of victory.

If Zuo Zongtang himself is defeated, then what should the Qing Dynasty do?

Zuo Zongtang didn't continue to think about it, and now he just thinks about how to fight this night battle.

5,000 Mongolian cavalry made a detour to attack the rear of the "short-haired thief", and the 10,000-strong Chu army was divided into two parts, a part of the 5,000-Chu army included a musket team of 1,000 people equipped with a "single-one" rifle, which attacked the flank of the "short-haired thief" respectively, leaving 25,000 green battalions and 2,000 Chu troops to attack the "short-haired thief" from the front to attract the firepower of the "short-haired thief".

Late at night, watching the moon gradually covered by clouds, Zuo Zongtang felt that the sky was on his side, and he ordered the army to set off.

The Qing army moved, and the scouts of the Han army quickly passed the information back.

"It seems that the Qing army is going to fight with us at night, and I will tell the Manchus about this battle tonight, how to fight the night battle." Brigade Commander Zhao Gang said to his partner with a smile.

Zhao Gang knew that the Qing army would definitely surround the Han army on all sides by virtue of its numerical superiority in night battles, so the Han army needed to be closely defended on all sides, and the rear was defended by the guard battalion and the cavalry battalion, and one battalion and two companies were arranged on each side, and a regiment was enough to be placed on the front.

The Han army was all ready, just waiting for the Qing army to attack.

In the early hours of the morning, there was a change in the frontal battlefield of the Han army, but it was dark everywhere, and the Han army could not know the specific situation.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

This was not the artillery bombardment of the Han army, but the artillery bombardment of the Han army's position, and the first brigade suffered casualties for the first time in the confrontation with the enemy's first road army.

Soon, according to the fire of the Qing artillery, countless shells fell, and the Qing army's advanced breech guns lost part of it.

On the frontal battlefield, the guns of the Han army also rang out, and the heavy machine guns and mortars also roared, but everywhere was pitch black, and the Han soldiers could only shoot by feeling, and they did not know how many enemies they could kill.

"Kill!" At this time, the shouts of the Qing army from the other three directions of the Han army's position also came, and the moment of crisis came.