In the morning, just as Huang Pengfei took the Huwei Fort, the Xuanwu boat gasped for breath and emitted thick black smoke and successfully arrived off the coast of Zhuqian Port.

The roar of the machine was too loud, the noise of the landing module was too loud, and the more than 350 people of the third battalion, one by one, held their guns and sat silently in the landing module.

Due to the temporary lack of diesel, the Qinglong and Xuanwu all switched to gas power units.

In the original time and space, in the fifties of the twentieth century, TG developed a large number of inland river ship gas power units due to the serious shortage of oil. However, the working conditions, reliability, and emissions of traditional gas-powered units were so poor that by the mid-sixties, the oil supply improved slightly, and the gas-powered units were soon replaced by diesel engines.

However, the technology of the gas power unit installed on the Qinglong and Xuanwu is relatively advanced, the thermal efficiency has been greatly improved, the power has caught up with about 85% of the original diesel engine, and the labor intensity of the personnel has been reduced accordingly.

McClain made another tour of his troops, patting him on the shoulder as a sign of encouragement. The words that should have been confessed had been said several times ago, and the noise was so loud that he didn't want to say a few more words. At the spiral staircase, McClain found a place to sit down, and waited quietly with the soldiers for the moment of landing.

The McClain sat down, but his heart rose and fell with the ship. The landing craft sent them ashore to return home, and this time the task of occupying the bamboo trench and separating the north and south will be completed by them independently. Ho! McClain couldn't help but punch himself in the thigh, and he was really excited.

Kohler, Lei Nianping, and Yu Xi walked down to the landing capsule together, "Instructor, we have arrived outside the Zhuqian Port, the ship is entering the port, and it is estimated that there will be more than ten minutes to grab the beach." ”

Lei Nianping and Yu Xi also brought a few backbones of the Dunan Island School Barracks, and their task was mainly to take over the civil affairs of Zhuqian City and pacify the people; The second is to prepare for the Da'an Port-Anvil Mountain Oilfield, the oil drilling equipment has already arrived at the original Da'an Port in the original time and space, just waiting for the Ming army to control this area, so that it can travel through time and space to develop the Anvil Mountain oil well.

Yu Xi is 40 years old this year, a senior clerk in the office of the Civil Affairs Bureau of a small county town on the shore of Dongting Lake. But the sad thing is that he was found by his wife before leaving, and he took his daughter to hold his arm and participated in the crossing together!

Yu Xi's personality is relatively dull, he doesn't drink, he doesn't play cards, he is very low-key, but he has some hobbies for history and geography. Yunlan's organization department recently searched for people engaged in civil affairs work, and only then did they dig him out of a crowd of dry soy sauce.

Zhuqian Port is the mouth of Touqian Creek, and it is only five or six miles away from Zhuqian City. When the city was first built, the port was very busy with ships coming and going every day, but later because of the overdevelopment of the mountains and forests around the bamboo trench, the soil erosion was serious. In 1854, the river was already silted up and was basically unnavigable. The width of the port is more than 70 meters, and the water is full of silt, and the deepest depth is only three or four meters.

November 25 is also the sixth day of the lunar calendar, and at 10 o'clock in the morning, Zhuyan Port is the first place. Many small fishing boats were busy fishing on the sea, and a merchant ship weighing 300 stone was slowly entering the port.

Seeing a strange ship coming over from the sea, it was steaming black and fast, and it crossed the merchant ship that was waiting for the tide to enter the port, and directly broke into the mouth, and the Qing army lookout post in Haikou immediately issued a warning signal.

Haikou Pond is mainly responsible for guarding the Bamboo Trench Harbor, which is garrisoned by an additional foreign commissioner and 12 soldiers. The additional commissariat was from the ninth rank, the lowest rank of the Manchu military attaché.

When the additional commissioner got the information, he quickly ran out of the house, and when he saw that the speed of the strange ship emitting black smoke did not decrease, he drove directly into the river. The little officer of the green battalion was overjoyed, "Such a big ship can't get in, it will definitely run aground, and then it can only be slaughtered by us." ”

"Brothers, the time has come for meritorious service." He immediately roared, "me all the bows and arrows and muskets, and get the ropes ready." ”

To the great surprise of the Haikou Tang soldiers, the Xuanwu landing craft drove almost all the way to the shore and was not blocked by underwater sediment at all. As soon as the front hatch opened, Kohler, McClain, and heavily armed warriors stepped on ankle-deep water, rifles in hand, and quickly moved towards the beach.

More than 300 Ming troops armed with muskets came violently, frightening the soldiers in Haikou Pond. At the shouting of the additional commissioners, they let go of their bird guns a few times from a distance, shot a few arrows, and then scattered like rabbits, and they all rushed to the bamboo moat city.

As soon as he got on the beach, Zhang Yimao led the soldiers to form a battle formation, like a sharp knife directly chasing the rout soldiers in Haikou Pond. Zhang Ermao's original name was Zhang Ermao, and because of his outstanding performance, he was promoted to probationary platoon commander after training in the officer's crash course.

The large army behind was marching and running, and under the leadership of the officers, it was directly divided into three arrows on the left, the center and the right, and rushed to the bamboo moat five kilometers away.

Those Qing army routs ran for more than three kilometers in one go, and they ran out of breath one by one. Youbing Yong really couldn't run, and just wanted to stop, he turned his head, ah! The Ming army was twenty or thirty meters behind them. These Qing soldiers were so frightened that they threw away all the knives, guns, bows and arrows in their hands, and fled for their lives like crazy.

Zhang Yimao and his soldiers followed behind the rout, controlling the pace and rhythm, and slowly closing the distance between him and the rout.

"Yes, just press your steps and maintain your strength." Kohler and the company had already followed, "Let's chase their butts and let these bunnies take us into town......"

The Bamboo Trench City is in front, and the Second Company and the Third Company have already rushed to the north gate and the south gate of the Bamboo Trench City respectively.

The moat city is a city made of bricks and stones, with four gates: east, south, west and north. There is also a moat outside the city, which is used as a barrier. Responsible for the defense of the area around Zhuqian City is the right battalion of the North Road Association. There are 1,026 horse foot soldiers in the right battalion of the North Road Association, of which more than 200 are stationed in Dajia, and the rest are all in Zhuqian City. Ding Yuejian and Zeng Yuming waved their troops to Monga, and more than half of the troops of the right battalion of the North Road Association were drawn, and now there is only one city left in Zhuqian City, with a total of more than 200 old, weak, sick and disabled.

Ding Yuejian, the same acquaintance of the Tamsui Department, went to Monga, and Wang Zhaohong was temporarily in charge of maintaining the bamboo trench city. Wang Zhaohong is a native of Shaoxing, born as a prisoner, and he can be regarded as having some knowledge.

As soon as the alarm signal rose in Haikou Pond, Zhuqian City got the news that a strange ship had come from the mouth. Wang Zhaohong, the inspector of the bamboo trench, immediately realized the severity of the situation. Oh no, this must be the attack of the Ming army, I haven't seen any movement of the Ming bandits for more than half a month, and as soon as the bamboo moat city is empty, they will run over to harass it.

Wang Zhaohong pondered that the water of Zhuqian Port was shallow and the sediment was silted, and the big ship of the Ming bandits would not come. However, there is a shortage of major generals in Zhuqian City, and there are no thousand-pound cannons in Haikou Pond, so it is even more difficult to repel the Ming bandits. Wang Zhaohong was cautious, on the one hand, he sent people to Monga, Taiwan Mansion and other places to send warnings, and he himself came to the West Gate Tower to overlook the movement of the sea, and urged the soldiers defending the city to strengthen their vigilance.

As soon as Wang Zhaohong took the city flood general and a group of people to the city tower, he saw that the official road outside the city was a little noisy, and more than a dozen guys wearing Qing army uniforms were desperately running towards this side, and the brigade of people in colorful clothes were closely chasing after them, and the people on the road could not dodge.

Cheng Xun had some eyeballs under his command, and he recognized a few familiar faces at once, "Not good, this is the brother of Haikoutang." The one chasing after must be the Ming bandits. ”

The soldiers on the tower of the city were all full of rat gall, and when they saw this situation, they were so frightened that they wanted to flee to the city.

"Panic what! When the bandits come, no one will survive. Wang Zhaohong hurriedly reprimanded, he asked the two soldiers to quickly raise the drawbridge, and instructed the general in charge to personally bring people to close the city gate.

It was noon, and it was time to go home. There was a large cart walking on the suspension bridge, and a few people carrying burdens. The two soldiers shook the rollers of the lifting suspension bridge on the castle tower, but they couldn't shake it.

Wang Zhaohong was anxious, and hurriedly shouted, "Get out of the way, get out of the way, it's time to raise the suspension bridge!" ”

"Don't, don't, we're from Haikoutang, wait for us." The soldiers of Haikou Tang were in a hurry, they were still more than 100 meters away from the city gate, and if the suspension bridge really went up, they would be a dead end.

As Kohler ran, he keenly paid attention to the movement of the Bamboo Trench City, and he immediately decided, "The third row stops to cover." Bayonets on one row and two rows, at full speed! ”

The third platoon stopped, and a wave of guns hit the tower.

The M1873 rifle has a long range and is powerful. The bullets caused broken bricks and stones to fly on the battlements of the towers, and the iron chains that hung the suspension bridge sparked. More than a dozen people were knocked to the ground at the head of the city, and some soldiers rolled on the ground in pain, constantly screaming; Others were so badly injured that they could only lie on the ground and let out a low moan.

It's horrible! Wang Zhaohong had never seen such a bloody scene, he seemed to be stupid, and when he came back to his senses, he had been coerced down the city tower by the soldiers.

Chengxun always led people down to the city gate cave, and wanted to use knives and guns to drive out all the people who entered and left the city. As soon as the gunshots rang out, the people in the city gate cave suddenly panicked, the adults shouted, the children cried, the car overturned, and it became a pot of porridge.

"Kneel down to avoid death, kneel to avoid death!"

Kohler led a platoon of two rows, crossed the soldiers kneeling on the road in Haikou Pond, and rushed directly across the moat. Seeing that the Ming army was coming over with a gun, the soldiers and the common people were so frightened that their legs and feet weakened, and they knelt down in the city gate cave one after another.

Wang Zhaohong was dragged down the city tower by the rout. When they arrived at the city, the rout was like a headless fly scattered in all directions, and they were even more frightened and couldn't walk, and when they heard the shouts of the Ming army, they threw their weapons and knelt down.

Wang Zhaohong saw the people kneeling on the ground in the city gate cave, and knew that the bamboo moat city could no longer be saved, so he hurriedly shouted, "Run!" Let's go out of the north gate and go to Monga to find Zeng Dashuai. ”

At this time, there was already chaos in the bamboo trench city. The inhabitants of the city spread their legs and ran home; The peasants in the countryside ran in the direction of the other city gates with their picks, and the large and small shops on the streets were all up with door panels, and some of the land scoundrels also took advantage of this time to steal chickens and dogs, and there were even stragglers who shouted "The Ming bandits have entered the city, the Ming bandits have entered the city!" While robbing around the streets.

The market is particularly chaotic, and Wang Zhaohong can't run fast with people at all. As soon as they left Ximen Street, they heard gunshots at the north and south gates.

"Quick, go to the east gate!"

The crowd immediately rushed to the direction of the east gate, but they didn't take a few steps, and there were gunshots in the east. While the 2nd and 3rd companies arrived at the south gate and the north gate, they each sent a small team to block the east gate in time.

"Kneel down to avoid death, kneel to avoid death!"

The Ming army in the direction of the West Gate had already chased after them, and Wang Zhaohong and others had to be captured.

On the street, three routs who had taken advantage of the chaos and robbery fell in pools of blood, and their heads were all cut off. In a shop on the side of the street, a soldier held a big knife and gestured at Wang Zhaohong's lower body, and McClain spoke very simply, "If you don't surrender, we will send you to Citigroup." ”

Wang Zhaohong looked at the headless corpse, his courage had already been frightened, and when he heard that he was going to be castrated to accompany the foreigners if he did not surrender, he was even more cold, his legs were weak, and he fell to the ground.

As soon as they entered the city, the three companies of the third battalion immediately demarcated the defense area in accordance with the plan and took control of the entire city. Each of the four city gates has a squad guard, the streets and alleys are full of vigilant soldiers, the lawbreakers were shown to the public on the spot, Lei Nianping and Yu Xi took the preaching team to preach the "Letter to the People of Taiwan" in the whole city. By noon, all the cities had calmed down, and the more than 300 Qing prisoners who had been screened were escorted to the guerrilla office of the right battalion of the North Road Association.

After lunch, Khloe and McClain left a company to Lei Nianping and Yu Xi to guard the Bamboo Trench City. The second and third companies rested a little, and the soldiers lined up in full gear to the military field of the right battalion school of the North Road Association.

McClain stood in front of the team and said sonorously: "Comrades, we have taken the Bamboo Trench City, the Huwei Fort Coast Guard has also been taken, and the 8,000 Qing troops entrenched in Monga have become the turtles in the urn. ”

"Hooray! Banzai! "The fighters were excited.

"The broom doesn't move, and the garbage doesn't run into the dustpan by itself. Therefore, we must carry forward the spirit of the Xingming Army of 'not being afraid of hardship and not afraid of death', rush to Monga, and completely wipe out the enemy. ”

McClain finally asked, "Do you have faith?" “

The soldiers shouted, "Please rest assured that the imperial court, please rest assured that the adults will resolutely complete the task!" ”

Kohler waved his hand vigorously, "Let's go!" ”

"Desperately fighting under the city of Dinghai,

Blood stains our flag.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”

The soldiers sang the loud "Xingming Army Song", and walked out of the north gate and marched north.

The guards of the northern city had solemn faces and saluted the troops who went out.