Zheng Sen squatted in the trench, motionless like a pine tree.

The improvised trench was shallow, knee-high, and the excavated earth was packed in sacks and piled up outside the trench so that the shallow trench could barely hold the infantry.

Several sapper companies rushed to the trench and erected three barbed wire fences one after another. The barbed wire fences were pre-woven gillnets, held in place by wooden sticks at regular intervals. The barbed wire is more than one person high, and it is covered with iron thorns, and a net is three zhang long, which is usually rolled up, and taken off when it is used, and the sharp wooden stakes that fix the barbed wire are driven into the ground, and then the pieces of barbed wire are connected into a barbed wire wall, and the nets are fixed with iron wire.

Barbed wire walls with iron spikes are extremely defensive, especially for cavalry, and can be very good at holding back enemy cavalry and interrupting the charge of enemy cavalry. Then in front of the barbed wire with the cloth of thistle, it is even more fueling, if there is time, dig some pits, bury some sharp piles, it is like a tiger with wings.

Unfortunately, time is limited.

The engineer company could only hastily lay down three barbed wire walls, and hastily scattered many thistles within 30 paces outside the barbed wire, and there was no time to dig pits and insert piles, and there was only one trench, and they could only squat in the trench to protect it.

More than 30,000 barbarian troops were gathering at the foot of the hillside, preparing to launch a wave of charge, trying to crush the Han infantry in one fell swoop.

However, around the small hillside that was not high, the Han army also gathered a lot of strength here, nearly 20,000 Jianzhou Jurchen soldiers, and the Sixth Fleet also had 2,000 marines.

On the top of the hillside, more than 600 mountain pomegranates assembled were also arranged.

There are more than 30,000 in the Nanban, more than 20,000 in the Han army, and more than 1,000 war elephants and 3,000 horsemen in the Nanban. But the Han army had 5,000 Jurchen cavalry, more than 600 mountain grenades, and another 100% equipped with muskets.

The Nanban had an advantage in numbers, but the Han army had an advantage in firepower. Moreover, although the Han army has now lost the artillery support of the battleships, it has a small hill to defend.

The river was blazing with flames, and the Han fleet had at least twenty ships on fire, and although the battleships and cruisers were still alive, half of the ten frigates had been set on fire or sunk by artillery fire.

The black water and fire are the most hideous and terrifying ones in this battle.

This terrifying thing made it difficult for many sailors who abandoned ship to escape, and the river was full of floating fires, and the sailors struggling to escape in the river would turn into a burning torch if they accidentally stuck to it.

The air was filled with smoke, cannon fire, and screams and curses.

Half of the ships behind the palace had been destroyed by these terrible fires and waters, and the remaining ships had finally waited for the signal to retreat on the flagship.

Nine capital battleships have successfully turned around. The evacuation was speeding up, and the transports that were in the last position were also spared, and they followed the capital battleship out of the terrifying river channel.

The captains of the ships behind the palace, who were struggling to hold on, finally had the opportunity to retreat with a loud shout.

But in the end, there were still a few boats that did not come and escape, and at the last moment they were still climbed onto the boat by those terrible water and fire, although they tried their best to put out the fire, but to no avail.

In the end, half of the warships were able to escape, but they did not dare to stay on the Xiang River for a few more moments. There are also many broken ship debris burning upstream and crashing downstream.

Scar ordered all the ships to leave the Xiang River without looking back and flee back to sea.

Whether it was Liu Jian or Captain Scar, they couldn't care about the shore army that had been covering them just now at this time.

Now, more than 20,000 Jurchen soldiers and more than 2,000 marines. can only stick to this small hill, ready to compete with the arrogant and arrogant Nanban.

The hot wind with the smell of gunsmoke and blood blew up and hit his face, but Zheng Sen didn't want to avoid it at all.

It started to rain in the sky at some point, but it was very light.

Zheng Sen wanted to scold this God. Where is the continuous rainstorm in the past, why is it that when the heavy rain is needed so much today, there is only a strong wind and no rainstorm? Could it be that the thief God also wants to embarrass the Han army?

A fleet of broken tails to escape. Left behind the wreckage of more than 20 boats, and fled alone.

They didn't even have time to rescue the crew members who were on fire and on the sinking battleship, and left in a hurry.

This is a fiasco, Liu Jian, are you right about the thousands of war dead?

Those royal navy soldiers who were the most loyal and heroic in the empire died in humiliation because of Liu Jian's stubbornness and self-determination.

Nanban's strategy was not very good, and failure was Liu Jian's stupidity. Zheng Sen knew that on the battleship Zhou Yafu now, Liu Jian would definitely regret it very much. But no amount of regret and guilt could not change the great defeat, with the loss of five frigates, more than a dozen gunboats and patrol boats, and no less than 2,000 casualties.

Among them were many Navy cadets in their teens, and those junior trainee gunners.

"Shame!"

Zheng Sen trembled angrily. Under the leadership of the emperor, the Han army was invincible and invincible, although there were also small setbacks, but it was also defeated by the weak, but it has never fought so badly and suffered such heavy casualties under such an advantage.

"The Empire's First Great Defeat!"

Several non-commissioned officers also said that these young sergeants had never fought such a humiliating battle. Especially now that Liu Jian is fleeing in embarrassment with the fleet, it makes these sergeants feel that Liu Jian is really a spicy chicken.

"I used to think that he was very powerful, a young jinshi, he had a meritorious service, and he was also very successful in managing the Beijing Division, when he was demoted from the Beijing Division to Annan, everyone still felt that His Majesty was a little too strict with him, and now it seems that this person is simply a grass chicken, without the protection of His Majesty the Emperor, he can't do anything."

"That's it, grass chicken, maybe those achievements in Shuntianfu are just the credit of his subordinates."

Soldiers love and hate, they like a man who is simple and can lead them to victory. It's also very simple to hate one person, and that is the person who leads everyone to defeat the battle.

"Without the command of the grass chicken, we can win this battle better, the grass chicken has withdrawn, and now it's time for us to perform."

The anger in Zheng Sen's heart made him no longer hide his hatred for Liu Jian, and he, like his companions, called Liu Jian a grass chicken. Those people can only pounce on the grass chickens in the chicken coop, but they always think of themselves as eagles on the top, but in fact, they will always be grass chickens.

As for Captain Wang Scar, he is also called Spicy Chicken by the Marines. A fleet commander, but he had no position and easily obeyed Liu Jian's blind command, which eventually led to this defeat. Scar used to be considered experienced in a hundred battles and had a lot of prestige, but after this battle, he already had a spicy chicken code name in the eyes of the soldiers.

If it weren't for the fact that this spicy chicken still had some ability, and he would have kept the main force of the fleet evacuated at a critical time, his reputation would have been even worse.

"Let those southern barbarians be proud for a while, and we will prove ourselves again here." Zheng Sen said firmly to his subordinates.

At this time, the battlefield command of more than 20,000 men has been handed over to Zhao Kang, the right general of the Marine Corps, although he only has 2,000 marines under him, but he is the rank of the right general in active service, and several general lieutenants of the Jianzhou Legion, their highest general soldier, is only the right general, according to the military system, the active duty is higher than the mercenary, so the battlefield command is naturally transferred to Zhao Kang.

Zhao Kang is also an old nine-headed bird who fought with him from Hubei, he put down the clairvoyant mirror, "Order the artillery, after the southern barbarians launch a charge, load the explosive bombs, and they will blow up their horses in a while, and the peach blossoms will bloom!" He continued to say to the heralds, "Tell the soldiers to put the southern barbarians closer and fight them in a while." ”

Zhao Kang issued a battle request to the Jurchen generals, and after the battle began, they all shot the southern barbarians with rifles, maintaining firepower, and not giving up ammunition. However, he did not arrange a battle position for the 5,000 Jurchen cavalry, and he asked the cavalry to stand on the hillside, protect the artillery position, and not to enter the battle without his orders. It was not until the southern barbarians attacked weakly and were beaten and turned around and fled, that the cavalry was allowed to attack.

At the foot of the mountain, the generals of the Nguyen clan had already surrounded the hill, and they had even begun to celebrate the victory in advance.

"All the team!"

Ruan Fulan, the head of the Ruan family who had arrived from the city, drew his sword on his horse and shouted loudly.

Nguyen Phuc Lan thought that the victory was already theirs, and at this time he rushed to the scene, wanting to personally command the battle and gain more prestige for himself.

Nguyen Phuc Lan personally commanded the front of the battle, which really greatly aroused the soldiers of Quang Nam.

Amid Nguyen Phuc Lan's shouts, all the Quang Nam soldiers seemed to feel that victory was just around the corner, and with a slight stretch of their hands, they could take the goddess of victory into their arms.

We have more than 1,000 war elephants, and the small hillside cannot protect these shivering Han people, so it only takes a charge of the war elephant to rush up the hill and level them.

"For every Han dog slaughtered, the reward is 1,000!" Nguyen Phuc Lan announced the award.

He told them, "If you kill a nine-rank officer, I will promote you to the ninth rank, and if you can kill an eight-rank officer, I will reward you with an eight-rank officer." Come with me and slaughter these dogs! ”

Ruan Phuc Lan swung his sword vigorously and pointed forward. Countless Quang Nam soldiers urged the war elephants and horses to sit down, and shouted and charged forward with rifles and spears.

"They're coming!"

A sergeant shouted.

Zheng Sen fastened a steel helmet to his head, this kind of helmet made of steel, like a small round pot, but very light. Compared to ordinary copper helmets and iron helmets, it is lighter, but its defense is also higher because it uses extremely high-quality steel.

In addition to the steel helmet on his head, Zheng Sen, like other soldiers, was just an ordinary combat uniform, without additional iron armor and leather armor, and even the original cotton armor of the Han army has basically been gradually eliminated now.

The pot helmet did not affect his vision, and Zheng Sen clearly saw the Southern Barbarian ghost screaming and launching a charge. Thousands of war elephants were in the forefront, followed by cavalry and infantry.

Zheng Sen squatted in the trench of his company's position, and the low trench made them have to squat. "Wait for the southern barbarians to fight in front of the barbed wire, one group per squad, set fire to one target, and give priority to shooting elephants!"

Although elephants are large, they also have weaknesses, that is timid, once they are frightened or injured, they may turn around and run away.

"Prepare for battle!"

Zheng Sen shouted, and the shouts of the officers sounded one after another on the annular trench position. (To be continued.) )