After Leng Yifei led his troops to occupy Changning, he launched an attack on the outer defense line of Luzhou. After repeated attacks, the Yangtze River, the largest moat in Luzhou City, became an insurmountable obstacle. Although the Yangtze River is upstream here, the amount of water and width are not spectacular, but the Qing army took advantage of the defense line along the river, causing the army to force the crossing several times. Along the way, many small rivers made Leng Yifei distressed, and now a big river running east-west is in front of him, and Leng Yifei's sweet and sour experience is the deepest.

The continuous offensive exhausted its sharpness, and the army was forced to stop the offensive, so Leng Yifei asked the combat staff officer to come up with a roundabout battle plan. In the big tent of the Chinese army, an operational staff officer said: "Your Excellency, Commander, after our repeated analysis and research, it is impossible to carry out a roundabout operation in the Luzhou area, because the large army cannot be deployed. Although the terrain of Luzhou and its surroundings is relatively flat, there are many rivers in the area, which is the main reason for restricting the movement of our army. ”

Leng Yifei was dissatisfied: "Isn't there a suitable route?" The staff officer said: "The detour on the east side will not work at all, and the south-north direction of the Chishui River on the east side, plus the mountainous terrain will not be considered." The only detour now is to march west to capture Yibin. However, it is even more difficult to capture Yibin, there is also a north-south Nanhe on the east side of Yibin, even if our artillery can cross the Nanhe, but to outflank Yibin in the north, it also faces the Yangtze River defense line. The Dadu River is the largest tributary of the Yangtze River, and joins the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Jinsha River. ”

The combat staff officer took a breath and continued: "The lower reaches of Yibin are called the Yangtze River, and it connects Luzhou to form a natural moat. According to our reconnaissance, the Qing army was also heavily fortified in Yibin, and the terrain in the area south of Yibin was more complicated, so the only way for us to go north was to capture Luzhou, and from the perspective of the entire military situation, capturing Luzhou was our only main point. "The words of the operational staff officer are very clear and the analysis is very good. Although Leng Yifei's face was ugly, he could not blame the combat staff officer.

Recently, it has been raining continuously, and the water level of small and medium-sized rivers is bullish. Leng Yifei was even more anxious in his heart, because the operational staff analyzed that if the large-scale rainy season came in July, the offensive would inevitably be postponed until September, and with the continuous stabilization of the Qing army's return to the defensive line, it would be more difficult to attack the fortification. "Report, letter from the Guangzhou Command!" Leng Yifei took the letter and saw that it was written: Difficulties are temporary, don't be intimidated by difficulties. Brainstorming, there will always be a way. It is proposed to temporarily suspend military operations. Signed, Tang Zixuan.

Leng Yifei finished reading the letter, and a warm current surged all over his body. He was thrilled by the Commander-in-Chief's trust and understanding. Then Lin Xiong and Lu Changlin, the two division commanders, were summoned, and Leng Yifei asked: "At present, we are passive on the whole front, do you two have any suggestions?" "Commander, I think it is inevitable to storm Luzhou, and if your subordinates can't complete the task, they will come to see you with their heads." Lin Xiong snapped his chest and promised. "I believe you can break the city, but your department is crippled, what will you do in the future? Don't forget that there are Yibin and Leshan in the back, what do you eat with your head? "Yes! The subordinates are stupid, "Lin Xiong made a fuss.

"Because the 42nd Division should be strictly ordered to take Neijiang, it will put pressure on the Qing army, and it may be able to open up the situation." Lu Changlin suggested. "No, the chief of staff of Kazakhstan himself is a lone army, and he has no heavy weapons, and we can't afford to attack the fortified positions and the losses are too great." Leng Yifei vetoed it. Seeing that the two of them were worried, Leng Yifei softened his attitude and said: "The two of you returned to the headquarters and organized officers above the regiment to brainstorm and offer suggestions, and everyone collected firewood and the flame was high?" Then Leng Yifei ordered Khalid to retreat 100 kilometers from Neijiang City, and urged He Meng to come up with a new battle plan.

The two sides were in a state of confrontation, and naturally the defense of the Qing army was victorious. Chengdu Governor's Mansion, sweeping away the haze of the past, the staff members all showed excited expressions on their faces. "Lord Zuo, you are worthy of being the military god of the Great Qing Kingdom, and the defense line you have built is impregnable. At present, the soldiers are working hard and united, which is the deployment of Lord Zuo. The rebels have become the last of the crossbows, and it is difficult to ride tigers, and retreating is the only option. One of the staff members shook his head.

Zuo Zongtang said with a stern face: "Don't get carried away, the rebel army in front of us is an army that has never been seen before in history. The other side has 60,000 soldiers against my 400,000 troops, and I am forced to defend on all fronts, what capital do you have to boast about. I can tell you that it was the terrain of Sichuan that saved us, and if it were not for the right time and place, I would be honest and say that the 400,000-strong army would not have been able to withstand the attack of the rebels. In Xikang, for example, the rebels have more than 10,000 troops, and I have 30,000 troops. Even so, if the topography of Xikang is not complicated, we may not be able to defend it. ”

Zuo Zongtang glanced at everyone and said, "Deng Zixuan understood our situation that he boldly launched an attack on us with 60,000 male soldiers. I'm not sweeping your prestige and raising others, the art of war: knowing oneself and knowing that the other is invincible, our opponent is not a grass coward, but a well-armed and well-trained tiger. I can tell you that in more than 10 days of defensive operations, our casualties were 10 times that of the other side, reaching 30,000. On the front line of Luzhou, we relied on the Yangtze River to block the attack of the rebels. On the Neijiang front, the rebels had no artillery, and we were able to stabilize the front. You must be aware that the rebels are not a forceful force, but a temporary stopper. ”

Zuo Zongtang's words made everyone seem to be a lot more sober, but the Empress Dowager Cixi, who was far away in the capital, was a little carried away. On this day, above the court, the foreman of the military aircraft Minister Yi, the governor of Zhili, and the generalissimo of the Yangtze River defense line, Li Hongzhang, stood below, and the Empress Dowager Cixi sat behind the bead curtain and said with some joy: "Lord Zuo is worthy of being the pillar of the Qing Dynasty, and he has successfully blocked the attack of the rebels in the past month, which has greatly boosted the morale of our dynasty." At present, Western countries are fully assisting, and they have sent troops and money, and have formed a solid line of defense. Lord Zuo is a role model, and immediately drew up a statement and allocated 2 million silver taels to reward Zuo Zongtang. ”

The ministers had a happy smile on their faces, and Li Hongzhang said in peace: "The rebels launched an attack with an army of 60,000, which shows how strong they are. Zuo Zongtang should be instructed to control the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, continue to expand the army, and support Sichuan at any time. There is no shortage of grain in Sichuan, but there is a shortage of military supplies, so it should be vigorously transferred. The rainy season will usher in another month, and if Zuo Zongtang holds out for another month, it will be more difficult for the rebels to attack Sichuan again. The rebels attacked Sichuan with 60,000 troops, not because there were not enough soldiers, but because the grain and grass had reached the maximum limit. ”

Yi said: "Queen Mother, the Military Aircraft Department has begun to transport weapons and ammunition to Sichuan, the road is far away, the delivery is really not easy, it is estimated that the first batch of weapons and ammunition will arrive in Chengdu in 20 days." Cixi said: "At this critical moment, all ministers must be sincere and united, and must not lose big because of small things. Some time ago, we dealt with a group of ineffective ministers and officials, and we had to deal with half-heartedness and inadequacy, and rewarded and promoted capable ministers regardless of their positions. Zuo Zongtang sent us good news in Sichuan, and I hope you will be loyal to your duties. ”

Li Hongzhang said: "At present, the rebels are deploying troops on the front line in Nanjing and Wuhan, and they will attack at any time. Please rest assured that our Yangtze River defense line has already deployed one million soldiers, and the British, French, Japanese, and Russian forces have formed the second line of defense, and the situation is becoming more and more powerful for us. At present, there are 160 warships of Western countries. I suggested to Marshal McMahon that an attack on Canton, Fujian, and Shanghai be launched by sea to put pressure on the rebels, but Marshal McMahon did not take my advice. ”

Cixi said: "Lord Li, the last time the British warships suffered losses in Guangzhou, we have no reason to let them take the lead again. It is not easy for foreigners, and they send troops and money, so don't annoy foreigners. We are now completely supported by foreigners, otherwise the rebels would have crossed the river a long time ago, to put it mildly, without the support of foreigners, I am afraid that the capital will be occupied by the rebels at this time. "The Queen Mother is a wise man, and her subordinates are remembered." Li Hongzhang bowed his head.

Cixi was rarely happy, and went to listen to the play after dispersing. At present, Li Hongzhang has formed a coalition headquarters with Britain, France, and Russia in the capital, and the headquarters is located in the capital. Li Hongzhang came to the military aircraft department to discuss with Yi. "Lord Wang, I have suggested several times that McMahon launch an attack on Guangzhou, Fujian, and Shanghai by sea to relieve the military pressure on land, but this stubborn Englishman will not listen to it at all, and there is no way at all." Li Hongzhang shook his head helplessly.

Yi Dao: "Foreigners are not fools, they pay money and people, if they are allowed to attack, it is impossible." At present, we are fortunate that foreigners are fully helping us. Li Hongzhang sneered: "Do you think the foreigners are really helping us?" There's no such thing as a free lunch. Not long ago, Germany and the United States proposed to dig up the coal mine in Fushun and solve the supply problem on the spot. There is no choice but to accede to the unreasonable demands of Germany and the United States in this extraordinary period. At present, German and American personnel have entered the Fushun mining area, and an improvised railway from Fushun to Lushun will be laid. ”

Yi said depressedly: "Blessings are not double, disasters are not one-way, the Russians proposed that warships be stationed in Arthur Military Port, but there was no choice but to agree." The Russians promised to send 50,000 troops to the west to strengthen the defenses of the west. It seems that you have to come forward with this matter, and I can't deal with foreigners! Li Hongzhang arranged in his heart: The cub doesn't feel sorry for the cub to sell Yetian, it seems that in order to stabilize the Qing Dynasty, they can sell anything! Li Hongzhang felt a wave of disappointment in his heart, and a trace of worry arose.

After the formation of the coalition headquarters, Li Hongzhang, the generalissimo of the Yangtze River defense troops, had to be controlled by the coalition headquarters, and he panicked about it. It is true that the strategy and tactics of the foreigners are indeed superior, especially in the fortification of the Yangtze River, and the suggestions of the foreigners are very creative, especially the use of a large-depth defensive front, and Li Hongzhang has to be convinced. Eat other people's soft mouths, take other people's hands short. Yang Ren snorted and had to look at other people's faces to act. Li Hongzhang's ass was not hot at the military aircraft, and the commander of the coalition forces sent someone to summon Li Hongzhang.

At present, Prime Minister Yamen has become the headquarters of the coalition forces. Britain, France and Russia occupy half of the Allied Forces Headquarters as the protagonists, and don't look at the fact that Little Japan also sent troops, but they did not even have a position as an adviser in the Allied Forces Command. Soon, Li Hongzhang's figure appeared at the headquarters of the coalition forces, and the Englishman McMahon saw Li Hongzhang and said arrogantly: "The Northern Expeditionary Army was blocked on the front line of Sichuan, and after the analysis of the General Staff Headquarters, it was the powerful terrain of Sichuan that restricted the footsteps of the Northern Expeditionary Army. Due to the lack of strength of the Northern Expeditionary Army, we concluded that the Northern Expeditionary Army was no longer able to capture Sichuan. ”

McMahon said haughtily: "The top priority now is to continue to strengthen the Yangtze River defense line to prevent the Northern Expeditionary Army from launching a sudden attack. I have ordered 8,000 Japanese troops to be transferred from Xuzhou to the front line of Wuhan, and Xuzhou will be taken over by the French. Now that the situation is very favorable to us, the next step is to launch a large-scale harassment operation along the coast. In addition, I can tell you that the French army is about to launch an offensive in Annam! ”

Is that really the case? Let's wait and see.