After the abolition of the battalion-level establishment, the cavalry standard only consisted of six cavalry companies, one cavalry artillery company, and a large baggage company, with a total strength of only 1,100 men. In terms of numbers, the cavalry was less than one-third of the number of infantry in Shandong.

Biao Tong Chi Chunxian is the old man of the Mengshan Army, and since the Mengshan Army formed a cavalry unit, Chi Chunxian has always been the supreme commander of the cavalry. Although Long Qian repeatedly told him that the large-scale use of cavalry had become history, Chi Chunxian still felt aggrieved that his boss kept reducing cavalry.

Finally had a chance for him to show his talents...... The seven companies that he trained were truly elite, and the fact that the average age of the cavalry was more than three years was more than three years compared to the infantry corps with a large number of recruits, both in terms of weapons and training.

Zhang Guisheng, the ninth squad leader of the first company of the cavalry standard, joined the army in the spring of the previous year, and he only served as the squad leader in two and a half years of military service, which is enough to show the difficulty of promotion in the cavalry standard. Zhang Guisheng's hometown is in Fangguiji, Shanxian County, near Henan, and he joined the army at the same time, a total of eleven people, except for one who was expelled for violating military discipline, the lowest of the remaining nine people is also a squad leader, and the highest Ji Haogu is already a company commander - Ji Haogu is educated, has studied in private school for four years, and was selected into the military academy after only three months (just after the completion of recruit training), and was the platoon commander half a year later. He excelled in exercises with the Germans and was immediately promoted to company commander. Ji Haogu can't be compared, but most of the rest of the partners are already platoon commanders, and the three who were transferred to the patrol army are all company commanders and deputy company commanders.

But Zhang Guisheng liked cavalry. There's no way around it. When the troops were waiting to cross the river in Anqing Mansion, he met Ji Haogu and saw Ji Haogu, and they had not met again since the seventeenth standard was changed to Caozhou. Ji Haogu ridiculed him for still being a squad leader, but Zhang Guisheng felt that his squad leader was quite "valuable", "If Lao Tzu goes to the infantry, maybe he will still be your boss." He sneered, "Wait and see, it must be our cavalry who has made meritorious contributions, and we have said that when we cross the Yangtze River, we will be thrown so that you can't find it." You're going to follow us and eat your fart. Ha Lu Ha. ”

Really. After crossing the river, the troops really threw off the infantry, and advanced at a speed of 80 to 100 miles a day, and the horses were seriously fat, and if they ran any further, they would die in large numbers. The veterinary officer constantly reported problems with the horses. Finally. They stopped in the city of Taiping, west of Linjiang Province. There was a two-day break.

At night, Zhang Guisheng, as the squad leader, must supervise the soldiers in the squad to wash their feet, which is a compulsory course for the squad leaders of the Mengshan Army every day. Despite being cavalry. Such provisions must also be enforced. After the troops entered Jiangxi, difficulties began to appear, first of all, the cold and humid climate, which made the Shandong soldiers very uncomfortable. In Shandong, although the training was intense, the barracks facilities have improved greatly in recent years, and in the winter each class (basically one room per class) has a stove and enough peat. The air is all dry, and the winter is not sad. But it is not good to enter Jiangxi, the clothes are damp, the bedding always seems to drip water, and even burn the foot water every night, either you can't find firewood, or you can't catch fire.

"Sigh the Yang family, be loyal, and support the Great Song Dynasty," Hearing Lian Sha's hoarse voice, Zhang Guisheng couldn't help but laugh secretly, the old brother lacked the sound of the accompaniment of the huqin, so he could only sing dryly, "Golden Beach, Double Dragon Club, defeated in the first battle, ......" The voice was close, and the company commander Cui Pingshan had already walked into the house where the ninth class lived.

This is actually the firewood and straw shed of a large family, and the soldiers are borrowing the basin of the head of the household to boil water to wash their feet. Is there anything you can't bear? Cui Pingshan's Jiaodong Exit sounded.

"No, if you don't feel sorry for the horses, a hundred miles a day is not a problem. Our cavalry mark is the elite of the whole army, and we must not let the infantry see jokes. Zhang Guisheng stood up and replied.

"Well done. Guisheng, if you say that there is no difficulty, it is false. But our Mengshan Army is not an ordinary army, this difficulty is a ball? Brothers, there is going to be a war, do you know the way? The rebels are in Yuanzhou, and the nearest is only a hundred and ten miles away. Commander Cui, who was addicted to cigarettes, sat on the ground and lit his dry tobacco pouch.

Cui Pingshan was enlisted in the army when the Mengshan Army fought Li Chun, he was wounded in the Battle of Xigu, his qualifications are very old, even Commander Long knows him, and with this, his prestige in the company is enough. However, Company Commander Cui didn't have any fights, and he was very affectionate with the soldiers, like the big brother of the company.

"Report to the company commander," the panting signal soldier pushed the door in, "Feng Xietong and Chi Biaotong are here......

Before the words fell, Feng Guozhu and Chi Chun entered the shed one after the other. The soldiers of the ninth squad, who were sitting crookedly on the ground just now, got up in a panic and sorted out the messy military appearance.

"Okay brothers, sit when you should sit, lie down when you should lie down, don't have so many rules in front of me," Feng Guozhu smiled and waved his hand, "I just came to see if the brothers were tired and couldn't move." Lao Cui, you kid is good, after watching your classes, the brothers are in a good mood. ”

"That's it. Isn't it just a rush? It's no problem to run a few more round-trips. Cui Pingshan grinned.

"Can't you go to war?" Feng Guozhu stabbed Cui Pingshan in the chest with his fist.

"I've been looking forward to war for a long time. It's been a few years, just practicing, practicing, that's like a real knife and a real gun! ”

"But this time it's not the Eight-Nation Alliance, nor the old rival Beiyang Army, but a group of troublesome peasants, do you understand the difference?" Feng Guozhu took off his military hat, revealing his bald head, "I just received the news that the Yuanzhou Righteous Army has signs of going south, and Chief of Staff Situ has sent a military order, asking us to turn south and form the left arm of the encirclement. The task of attacking Yuan Zhou is left to the Seventeen Standards. Lao Chi, you come to give orders. ”

"Cui Pingshan,"

"Yes!"

"Order your company to be the vanguard, and set off on time at seven o'clock tomorrow morning, pass through Yongtai and Xingan, and go straight to Anfu, and cut off their passage to the south. The regimental headquarters sent Qin staff officers to follow your company's actions, and he took the map with him. ”

"Yes!" Cui Pingshan replied immediately.

"Well, don't disturb the rest of the brothers. Complete the task early and go home early. You say don't you? Feng Guozhu said to the soldiers with a smile.

The next day, the cavalry marched east from Taiping City and retreated to the town of Yongtai. Then head south along the official road. Jiangxi is mountainous, and the advantage of cavalry is not great, and many places can only lead horses on foot. In order to be in a hurry, Chi Chun first left the Zi Baggage Heavy Company and a cavalry company behind, and personally led the main force south to carry out the task of interception. Feng Guozhu, the forward commander of the Mengshan Army, stayed in Taiping City with his cavalry guard platoon, waiting for the old troops to follow up with the 17th standard, carrying out the task of oppression from east to west.

Since the Battle of Xigu, the cavalry of the Mengshan Army was put into actual combat for the first time, and except for a very few officers, most of the officers and soldiers had never really seen blood.

Chi Chunxian kept recalling Feng Guozhu's words on the way south. Truly. This battle is both simple and not simple. The opponent was nothing more than a peasant rebel army lacking guns and artillery, and it had not undergone any formal training, so it was not an enemy worthy of attention. But there are also many problems, and the enemy situation is unknown. How many opponents there are. What equipment. It's not clear. The terrain is unfamiliar, and even the language is different, so it is difficult to ask for directions. I originally wanted to borrow a few guides from the Nanchang defenders. For some reason, Feng Guozhu rejected his suggestion.

"Why is Zhilu Dao speeding up?"

"I can't figure it out......"

"It's dirty, you know? The commander was reluctant to do it, and he had to do it. Thinking about his reputation and some things, let's carry it for him...... I wish I had done this dirty work for him with only the seventeen and your cavalry standards. ”

Chi Chun first chewed what Feng Guozhu said to him after crossing the river, and his heart was mixed. Feng Guozhu's reluctance to ask for an official guide was very deep, and now he understood a little. It is no wonder that Feng Guozhu has won the trust of the commander, and with this loyalty that is willing to "carry the black cauldron", he is far behind.

Chi Chunxian thought of the specialness of the opponent's identity. Yu Lu, who has led the court all these years, almost forgot that he was also a Xiangma bandit who was wiped out by the official army. And what will be suppressed is not much different from his past self.

Chi Chunxian suddenly realized that the hatred he once had for the government was almost gone, and speaking of which, he was already an official......

Liu Daoyi, who had become the de facto "chief of staff" of the rebel army, received the news of Tanma at noon on the second day after the troops left Yuanzhou, and he was taken aback that a brigade of officers and troops had appeared west of Linjiang Mansion and was already approaching Luofang. The spy said that it is estimated that they have entered Luofang by now.

Two days ago, the rebels had been stationed in Luofang, and there had been an exchange of fire with the local militias. After it was determined that the assembled team would go south to Ji'an, a small group of men and horses sent by Gong Chuntai to the direction of Linjiang were called back. Now the rebel brigade is marching towards Fenyi, which is the only way to go south to Ji'an, and Luofang is only one hundred and fifty miles away from Fenyi, and the elite soldiers can be reached in two days.

The situation suddenly became tense. Liu Daoyi realized that because Gong Chuntai had stayed in Yuanzhou for too long, now that the offensive and defensive forces had changed momentum, the Qing army had mobilized enough troops to rush over.

Fortunately, Fenyi was already under the control of the rebels. Liu Daoyi felt that Gong Chuntai was not too confused, at least he would occupy Fenyi City. Otherwise, the advance and retreat will be lost, and they will eventually be surrounded and wiped out by the Qing army in the mountainous areas around Yuanzhou.

Now it is necessary to speed up and pass through this opening before the Qing army advances and occupies Fenyi. Of course, there is another option, which is to concentrate on crushing the Qing army that is forcing from the east. However, after a few days of in-depth understanding, Liu Daoyi believed that the chances of victory in a head-to-head confrontation with the Qing army were very small.

Although the rebel army has more than 11,000 people, less than half of them are capable of fighting, and there is a shortage of firearms, less than 2,000 in total, not to mention ammunition, with an average of less than ten rounds per gun.

"However, even if we don't fight, if this Qing army follows our ass, it will be very troublesome. Where do you have the energy to fight Ji'an? At the impromptu operational meeting, Wei Zongquan said.

"That's what Lao Wei said. To find out how many people are in this group on the east side? If it is the patrol army of Linjiang Mansion, there is no need to be afraid of him. "Gong Chuntai is not afraid of Jiangxi's officers and soldiers, they are much worse than the Hunan soldiers, Yuanzhou and Fenyi, they are all in one drum, and the officers and soldiers are simply fleeing in despair.

So he sent a team of capable outposts, led by one of Gong Chuntai's most trusted disciples, to reconnoiter Luofang again, in order to find out the number of officers and soldiers. Liu Daoyi was not at ease, and personally explained the details he wanted, the core is one, the real situation must be touched back, and he can't rest, he must work day and night.

Due to the hostile situation in Luofang, Gong Chuntai became hesitant, and even wanted to recall the front team, of course, to concentrate his forces in battle. However, Liu Daoyi wanted the rebel army to quickly pass through Fenyi and move south to Ji'an, in an attempt to open up the situation in a wider area.

"Whether it's fighting or leaving, we have to get to the point, right? Let's talk about it first. "Wei Zongquan's opinion is very reasonable.

Just as they had arrived at Fendu, the horses returned, and when they went, only two of the thirteen men returned. One of them was confirmed dead, and the whereabouts of the other ten are unknown. The leader brought back a couple of "leaflets".

After seeing the mimeographed "leaflets", Liu Daoyi exclaimed, "My God, it's the fifth town of Beiyang, aren't they in Shandong?" How did you get to Jiangxi? ”

Gong Chuntai is not as good as Liu Daoyi, he knows nothing about the armed forces of the Qing court, "What does the leaflet say?" Are they awesome? ”

"It's just trying to persuade us to surrender." Indeed, the few mimeographed leaflets that were brought back were in fact letters of surrender, stating that if they lay down their arms, they would be exempt from death in any position in the rebel ranks. Liu Daoyi finally caught up with a real uprising, and he didn't think about disarming and surrendering at all, so he didn't explain the main content of the leaflet to Gong Chuntai too much, but focused on the opponent who suddenly appeared, "One of the six towns in Beiyang." I don't think we can fight hard, so let's avoid it. Liu Daoyi became nervous, and turned to ask about the opponent of the leader of the horses, and replied that there were many people who encountered the Qing cavalry west of Baoshan Port, and it was not clear how many there were.

"Where did the paper come from? You've been caught, haven't you? Gong Chuntai's brain was not slow, and he reacted immediately.

The small leader did not dare to hide it and reported the true situation, they were surrounded by Qing cavalry, and several shots were fired on both sides, one of them was killed and one was wounded. Seeing that he couldn't break through, he had to dismount and surrender. The Qing army was not a patrol army, the accent was wrong, and the military uniform was even more wrong, and after interrogating them, they gave him a few leaflets and put him and the other back.

Gong Chuntai was furious, kicked his disciple to the ground, and ordered him to pull down and cut down, "Something without eggs!" I'm so blind that I should take something like you as an apprentice! ”

"Come slowly, don't be in a hurry yet," Liu Daoyi dissuaded Gong Chuntai, who was angry, "Although this brother was caught by mistake, he still has merit in thinking about coming back to report the news." After saying that, the two of them separated, and asked carefully about the details of being released, and they all said the same, and their faces became heavy, "Brothers, things are troublesome, this Qing army is from Shandong, we must hurry up, otherwise it will be too late." ”

Baoshan Port is only about 30 miles away, and the situation is critical. (To be continued......)