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Volume 4: A Different Jiawu Chapter 81: The Last Battle (3)

The night is like paint.

The first line of the big stone bridge is as quiet as if it has never changed since ancient times.

The war has erased the traces of human prosperity. Originally, this town is to communicate the central Liaoning Plain and the southern Liaoning Liaoning West water and land two places of the rush, the water and land roads for many years are endless, the town is rubbing shoulders with each other, the big pot, the car and horse shop, the grain store, the mountain store, the foreign goods store is one after another, known as the small Tianjin outside the Guanwai. However, after a few months of fighting, the army was still ruined, and the residents had already fled to the ground. At night, the town is also brightly lit, and all year round it is a time for receiving and shipping, and business travelers passing by. But at this time, looking down from the hill north of the big stone bridge, the town is dead silent.

Hazel hazel reckless, such as the beginning of the wilderness. Even the lights are missing.

At this very moment, tens of thousands of troops from the two armies were facing each other with loaded guns and live ammunition.

The sky in the west flickered brightly and darkly, and occasionally there were dark red fireballs stretching out into the sky, which was the mountain artillery of the Qing army's high firing angle, and the tiger squat cannon fired blindly at the position west of the Liao River of the Chaoyue army. During the night, the infantry on both sides did not attack, but only confronted each other. No one knows how many days the war will be fought around southern Liaoning.

The overall situation has already been clearly seen, and the army's vigor has passed, and the general trend is not in their favor. The Qing Kingdom was teased by Xu Yifan like this, and it was already a tide of popular sentiment, and it was only possible to continue fighting. Southern Liaoning is where the heavy army is located, and the Minister of War is in charge here. As long as the Qing State can solve this army, there will be no capital to fight. We can only seek peace, and the great powers will inevitably be mixed in, and some of the family funds that have been accumulated over the past few decades of development will be looted. Qing Guo can't divide the big head, and there is also some soup to drink. Even so, it is a great victory that has not been achieved in recent decades!

It's only nearly 20,000 troops, but can the Qing Kingdom eat it in one bite? If the war drags on, how will the situation in the Far East change? What fate awaits the people of all colors in this war?

The battle has come to an end, but no one can say what the final outcome will be!

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"Your Excellency, the 1st Brigade is handing over the defense ...... to the 1st Brigade of the 24th Wing of Fukuoka Don't raise the fire, the horse bit, and the baggage is discarded on the spot and not carried......"

The commander of the 1st Division, Lieutenant General Motoji Yamaji, was a middle-aged short and fat man, blind at a young age, wearing an eye patch, and wearing a slender French-style beard -- a testimony of their original background in the Choshu Military Academy, which was run by the French. Since the Meiji era, before Prussia defeated France, the army has been unswervingly learning from France. Older generals can speak a little French.

Dashan Yan looked at the map, and didn't seem to notice the indignant look of the lieutenant general behind him, and whispered in French: "Merci (thank you)......"

There were several staff officers behind him, and they all had uneven looks. As soon as he fought with the Qing army, the entire Second Army, which had been equipped for attack, had to retreat under his orders. You must know that the large number of troops are on the front line close to the western Liaoning corridor, and the baggage and materials have also been sent with great difficulty. Now as soon as the battle was fought, the earl general ordered the whole army to retreat, retreat to the area of Lushun in Jinzhou, and make a desperate plan. The large forces of the Qing army are pressed on the front, the Yi army coming from the west of Liaoning, the Jilin Lianjun and other departments are not enough, in the direction of Liaoyang, it is the Praetorian Guards who have been pressing the front of the big stone bridge, and the troops who arrange the cover after the break and so many baggage must be lost!

Although Motoji Yamagi reluctantly accepted the order, he arranged for the main force of the 1st Division to retreat. But that doesn't mean he doesn't express his indignation. Whether to win or lose a battle is a matter of strength and luck. But to attack or to retreat, it is a matter of position! The army stumbled this time and lost a general in Korea. At the end of the war, there will definitely be major personnel changes. What is the position at this time, perhaps what the position will be in the future.

National fortune is something to consider, but personally, it's not so insignificant! The Imperial Army, in particular, has become more and more like a bureaucracy. To be in it is to act according to the rules of the bureaucracy.

Mountain Genji took a step forward and said loudly: "Your Excellency, on behalf of the First Division, Xia Guan has some opinions on the combat guidance of the army!" ”

Dashan Yan snorted and turned around. The Earl's general ordered a forced retreat, and many staff officers of the army headquarters picked their picks. Many people also went to join the Fukuoka Second and Fourth Wing, which was scheduled to be left behind, ready to fight to the death. For the operation of the army headquarters, many earls and generals had to go into battle in person. The order to retreat to the ministries was drawn up by his own hands.

"Say it."

"Why did the army retreat and retreat after breaking the main force of the Qing army in southern Liaoning at Tianzhuangtai? First of all, do not pursue the defeated troops of the Qing [***], then change from offensive deployment to defensive deployment, and then give the order to abandon the position that the combat troops have captured with their blood and lives, and retreat towards the defeat of Jinzhou Lushun? ”

Dashan Yan smiled faintly: "The combat guidance of the army does not need to be explained to your officer, as the commander of the army's battle sequence, you just need to obey the order." ”

This sentence immediately choked back the generous statement that was full of Yamachi Genji's stomach. Thinking about it for himself, the position was clearly expressed enough, and he immediately brushed his sleeves away with great impoliteness: "The contemptible division will faithfully carry out the orders of the army, but the contemptible people will state their opinions to the military department!" See you after the war, Sir! It was you, Your Excellency, who gave up the last chance to win! ”

The military boots sounded, and several people hurried away, and the staff officers behind the mountain Motoji did not even salute. Da Shanyan looked at their backs with his waist slightly bent and his hands folded, and several staff officers of the army commander stood in a daze. Half an hour later, suddenly a staff officer shouted: "I will die here too!" As he spoke, he tore off his staff ribbon and strode out.

The rest of the staff officers glanced at each other and quietly retreated, leaving only Dashan Yan standing there. Before he gave the order to retreat, he was also the Minister of War of the Imperial Empire, one of the only three generals. But since he gave the order to retreat in front of the enemy, he became a public enemy in the eyes of the Second Army. In this battle, no matter whether he wins or loses, he has already lost his reputation!

"Your Excellency Ito, I have gambled everything, and I hope that the path you choose can really bring a glimmer of life to the empire......"

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In the night, there was only a sparkling white dot, which was only clear and braided in the near distance. A little farther away, it was completely engulfed in the dark night.

Every bit of white was a strip of white cloth pinned to the back of the soldiers' backpacks, and in the moonless night, the officers and men of the brigade retreated from the front line with only rifles, bullets, and equipment. All the baggage was lost in the front-line position. The artillery and heavy field artillery arranged in the second line were abandoned on the spot, disassembled and buried deeply. Anyway, Lushun Golden State has a fort, as well as a heavy artillery in the fort. The mountain artillery that directly supports the infantry, these are relatively light, and they are all dismantled in eight pieces, those far away from the front line are carried by horses, and those close to the front line are carried by manpower and directly carried out. All the military stations and lines are being withdrawn, and the materials are being disposed of in a chaotic manner.

In the midst of the large group of retreating people, there are still some small units going upstream, this is the Fukuoka 24th Wing, which is responsible for covering in two directions, and they want to ensure that the main force of the 2nd Army, which was originally deployed by the brigade, will retreat safely to the line of Jinzhou Lushun.

Rao is such a large-scale operation, and the army is still carried out quite covertly. The active army is one of the most well-trained in traditional infantry tactics and techniques in the world. At the beginning of the Southwest War, the army, as the political axe army, suffered a lot of losses from the night attack of the Southwest Samurai Sword Drawing Team. The economic embarrassment and the weak family background have added this kind of training to the army for infantry marching and attacking at night. From small teams to wing sizes. At this time, the level was reflected, and such a large-scale night transfer was actually carried out quite secretly and quickly. It seems that before dawn, all the main forces on the front line can be withdrawn. To Lushun, Jinzhou, it is only two days' work. As long as you arrive in Lushun, Jinzhou, relying on the fortress system that Li Hongzhang has operated for 20 years, let alone one Praetorian Guard, ten Praetorian Guards will not be able to gnaw down.

But what's the point? The Imperial Army gave up almost all of their gains and cowered to death. Wait for the Qing army to come up and attack them in a circle. No matter how long they hold out, it won't help this war!

Of the tens of thousands of troops withdrawn from two directions, less than two-thirds of the officers who moved with them were in the ranks, and many officers volunteered to stay in the troops behind the break and fight to the death against the Qing troops who were pressing up. And the commanders of the troops at all levels also acquiesced in their actions, and among the troops, there were even radical people who raised the cry of heavenly punishment of the great mountain rocks!

"Yoshida-kun?" Two teams moving in different directions met in the darkness of the night, and a shout rang out from the retreating crowd. Seiichi Yoshida, the captain of the Fukuoka 24th Wing on horseback, recognized the sound and jumped off the horse in a hurry.

Retreating was the Tokyo 1st Field Artillery Wing, which reinforced the 1st Brigade, which had dropped all twelve of the heavy French-made field guns they had brought up and retreated unarmed. Co-captain Imatsu Noritaka Osaku strode out of the crowd. grabbed Yoshida's arm and shook it vigorously, tears almost dripping.

"Yoshida-kun, I envy you!"

Yoshida Kiyoshi tightened his face and didn't say much, just asked, "Are they all withdrawn?" ”

"The 1st Brigade of the Oishibashi Front Line and the reinforcement of the marching sequence of the various divisions, our Tokyo 1st Field Artillery Wing is the first, followed by the main force of the 1st Brigade, and then the 1st Tokyo Cavalry Brigade of Akiyama Yoshiko. His Excellency Nogi, the commander of the brigade, is no longer planning to withdraw, you can still see him on the front line, and His Excellency Nogi said that he would die with Yoshida-kun! ”

Yoshida said coldly: "His Excellency Nogi lost his military flag during the Southwest War, and now, I'm afraid he can't bear the second humiliation." ”

Yoshida said the small words of Nogi Noshinori, the commander of the First Brigade, and Imatsu Noritaka, who was directly deployed, did not dare to accept it. Yoshida Seiichi was an adjutant to the Minister of War Oyama Iwa, and only then did he take over the post of commander of the 2nd and 4th Wings when the Second Army was mobilized to fight. belongs to the organ faction, is the proud protégé of Dashanyan, and these officers who have been serving in the field army, the Changzhou lineage is different. Tonight's painful retreat, watching this Yoshida go against the current, go to give them a break, and then come out to express gratitude. I didn't expect it to be speculative.

Imatsu Noritaka took a breath and said loudly: "Your Excellency, please don't look down on the First Brigade!" If it weren't for the order of the army commander, we would have fought to the death! Or, your Excellency will go down and the contemptible person will judge for you! ”

"No need." Yoshida replied coldly, looked up at the dark night sky, and whispered to himself, "There are still two hours...... These two hours are the most dangerous time to change guards at night...... If it can be successfully withdrawn, Jinzhou Lushun will definitely be guaranteed, let Xu Yifan hit his head there and bleed! May this last ray of life of the empire not slip away! ”

He was talking to himself there, and Imatsu listened with a wink of his eyes and asked in a low voice, "It is said that ...... Does Your Excellency Dashanyan think that as long as we can hold Jinzhou Lushun, the Qing Kingdom will deal with that Haidong Xu Yifan by itself? We can't defeat him on the battlefield, but if we retreat like a lost dog, we will defeat him? Are Qing people so stupid? Deal with their Valkyrie on your own? ”

Yoshida Seiichi no longer answered, silently gave a military salute and turned to get on the horse, riding on the horse, he still looked at the stunned Imatsu Noritaka with a stunned face, and said loudly: "Those Aixin Jueluo and Qing officials are not stupid, how can we stand here?" How dare we bet on the fortunes of such a behemoth? We have been suppressed by them for two thousand years! As long as there is a glimmer of opportunity, Your Excellency General and I will gamble everything! Even if it's my surname, and the reputation of Your Excellency the General! We have so many heroes, but there is only one Xu Yifan in the Qing Kingdom! ”

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The horse's hooves galloped, and dozens of horses swept across the northeast land shrouded in night.

Xu Yifan rushed to the front of the team, and what remained behind him was the flickering night sky behind him, and the artillery teams of the various armies on the front line were still firing shells.

Goshha, who followed Xu Yifan, as well as those cavalry generals such as Jiang Ziming, Chen Bin, and Dai Jun, didn't know what Xu Yifan was crazy about, and he slept well in the Song Qing military camp in the middle of the night, so he suddenly got startled, and summoned them to go out of the camp like a wind.

No one knows how Xu Yifan's heart is burning now.

He always thought that he would fight them to the death in southern Liaoning, but he didn't expect that the Second Army of Yue Ben still had the possible surname of surrendering Jinzhou Lushun! As long as the little devils enter that fortress area, with their combat effectiveness, no number of troops will be enough to fill it. Anyway, with the 50,000 or 60,000 troops in his hands now, it is impossible to defeat the corner of Lushun in Jinzhou, where the Second Army is fully defended.

As long as there is a stalemate on the battlefield, it can only be resolved politically. He couldn't stay in this place indefinitely. He couldn't have wasted the strength he had in the fortress area! These are the capital he seized against him!

In this war, his prestige has reached its peak, and it is downhill in any direction. Hanging in Lushun, Golden State, can only let the prestige be consumed. The North Korean base in his hands, and the future location of Liangjiang are not in his hands. As long as he doesn't take the initiative to rebel, the court will take advantage of his own flaws and use more than a hundred methods to deal with him.

Now he thinks of a lot, such as continuing to give him a lofty name, letting him simply take on the military commander of the siege of Jinzhou Lushun, the minister of the Qincha, and constantly filling it with human lives. And the imperial court took advantage of his unstable foundation and the weakness of being alone, and cleaned up the North Korea that he already held in his hands, as well as the local strength around the northeast. He is a lone army, and he has been attacking Jinzhou Lushun for a long time, and there is a scheming court outside, plus there are so many other battalion leaders in the army, which is far from digesting. An order to continue to attack the army can put him in a dilemma! Anyway, he, Xu Yifan, can't take Jinzhou Lushun there! Take him into Beijing and give him a bunch of rewards, but the Praetorian Guard is not surnamed Xu! Unless he rebels on the spot!

When the Praetorian Guards moved to Korea, when the Praetorian Guards returned to southern Liaoning, the imperial court did not dare to use this trick. Because the name of righteousness is in his hands, the resistance to the decree is justified to the extreme. But when the army in southern Liaoning cannot be attacked for a long time, it is a different situation!

To be honest, he wasn't so afraid that the court would deal with him, the soldiers would block him, and the water would cover up, and he had been like this in the past few years. But once such a situation occurs, the different Jiawu he wants will only fall short!

For him, if he wanted to deal with the imperial court, he could not fight against the army wholeheartedly. As far as the Qing court was concerned, in order to be able to clean him up, it was possible to reach any conditions with him, and the most likely thing was to exchange Korea for the occupied land in Northeast China and Shandong. One of the ancestors has not abandoned the land, but what has been lost is only the vassal country, and the face is better, maybe there will be some kind of international condominium to make the face more glamorous......

The second is that when he has not yet established himself in Liangjiang, he pried the corner of the wall that he can endure to survive!

At that time, the war was prolonged, and the popular spirit that he had stirred up for a while would still support him to continue fighting? And he, does he have the determination to do whatever it takes, consume all his strength, and continue to fight?

He didn't want to do this dilemma at all!

The only way is to achieve a decisive and swift victory in southern Liaoning!

His original plan was good, and he rectified the defeated army in southern Liaoning, attracting the Yue army head-on and consuming their strength. The Praetorian Guards repaired and trained, and when the army was consumed to a certain extent, they suddenly struck out from the flank. The battle will decide the victory or defeat.

But a simple retreat from the army can disrupt his entire plan!

His opponent is not the idiot soldiers whose brains are burned out, such as Sugiyama Motomoto, Tojo Hideki, Shimada Shigetaro, Shi Masanobu, and Kamishige Toku, but East Asian heroes like Ito Hirobumi, Oyama Iwa, Kodama Gentaro, and Ito Shoyu!

Use Liaonan to make a fierce attack on the Qing army in front of you, don't even think about it. Relying on the rear to do a step-by-step attack, everyone is okay. Far-reaching attack and pursuit, with this courage and this quality. Not to mention that Song Qing, the old boy, still has an ambiguous attitude. As for the Praetorian Guard, Xu Yifan's telegram to that side was to ask the Praetorian Guard to be equipped on the defensive along the line of the Dashiqiao, wait for the order, and then attack. It will take time to change from defensive to offensive equipment, and the telegrams will be exchanged again, and the main force of the Janissary Army on the front line of Dashiqiao will reconnoiter the movements of the Yue army, and finally attack -- the Yue army may have already retreated to Jinzhou Lushun!

What does it take to salvage the current situation?

Why is this different Jiawu that I want so difficult?

Why did he always score half of his spirit and stare at his back when he was fighting against the great enemy of the nation?

Pu Yang and Chen De followed closely behind Xu Yifan, and suddenly, they heard that in the night, Xu Yifan looked up to the sky and shouted, roaring fiercely, reaching the depths of the night sky!

(To be continued)