For the British army, the landing war is not new, the British army also used the tactics of sneak attack more than ten years ago to successfully capture the two forts of Shajiao and Dajiao, so Grant did not care about the sneak attack tactics of the Taiping army, he cared about the progress of the cooperation between the Taiping navy and the army. It is important to know that the last time Lu Dao landed on Temple Street and Sakhalin Island and other places, the Taiping Army relied on the navy of the British Empire, but in a short period of time, the Taiping Army was able to complete the tactics of the navy transporting the army to land operations alone, which means that the Taiping Army's learning ability is extraordinary.

Grant frowned and looked at Zhang Wenxiang with a calm face, and what appeared in his mind was the rude-looking King of the West, and suddenly Grant was shocked, could it be that one of the intentions of the last time the Taiping Army and Britain and France jointly fought against Russia was to learn the tactics of the British Navy transporting land landing? At this moment, Grant had a sudden sense of why King Xi insisted on letting some officers of the Taiping Army participate in the formulation of landing tactics, it turned out to be to learn the mature landing tactics of the British army!

So far, the students of the Taiping Army have learned very well, and it took them only a few days from the handover of Guishan Island to the landing and sneak attack on two forts, which has greatly surprised the British and French generals. Many arrogant British officers even thought that the landing operation taken by the Taiping army alone would end in failure, but the Taiping army's action hit these people in the mouth, and Grant gave the landing a perfect evaluation.

Zhang Wenxiang didn't understand why Grant, an Englishman, looked at him with such colorful eyes, and couldn't help but be secretly a little vigilant, this Brit wouldn't be a man in style.

Grant drank tea and chatted without saying a word. Coming and going to ask if the Taiping military needs any help, Zhang Wenxiang always pushed the past, and finally couldn't help but ask Zhang Wenxiang: "General Grant." Do you have anything to ask for when you are so enthusiastic? ”

Grant immediately said, "I hope to send a battlefield observation group of officers to follow your troops to observe this battle. ”

Zhang Wenxiang was secretly funny, it turned out that he wanted to touch our old bottom, Zhang Wenxiang said without hesitation: "I'm sorry, General Grant, I've said it several times, I'm just a general who commands operations on the front line, and I have no right to promise you anything." You should ask the consulate in Shanghai or Ningbo to send a note to Tianjing, and I will only be able to accede to your request if I receive an order. ”

Grant was a little discouraged and said a cup of tea. It didn't have any effect, and at this moment, another staff officer came in from outside the tent, and this time this officer learned to be obedient. After standing up and saluting, he didn't talk nonsense and reported directly: "Division commander." The Qing Demon who counterattacked the two batteries already showed signs of collapse, and the staff felt that they should immediately countercharge and then take advantage of the situation to capture the batteries behind them to open up the Pearl River channel for the navy! ”

Zhang Wenxiang patted the armrest of the seat and said loudly: "Okay, immediately order the first regiment and the second regiment to launch a counter-charge, once the two battalions of the Qing Demon fled, they followed the Qing Demon who pursued and fled, and then captured the rear battery!" ”

After the staff officer stood up and saluted away, Zhang Wenxiang said to Grant with a smile: "General Grant can't help it, I'm going to continue to command the battle, you have nothing else to do and rest here." What is needed to just say. ”

Grant touched the ash of his nose, and knew that it was not interesting to stay here. He immediately got up and took his leave, and left Guishan Island with a group of British officers.

After sending the British away, Zhang Wenxiang sneered and said to Zheng Yantuo: "It's really a weasel who doesn't have a good heart to give the chickens a New Year's greeting, these British guys just want to explore our reality." ”

Zheng Yantuo shook his head and said: "Our navy is still too weak, although we are not afraid of them on land, we still can't fight a naval battle." ”

Zhang Wenxiang said nonchalantly: "One day we will surpass them, I will go to the navy's warship to watch the battle command, Lao Zheng, this place will be handed over to you!" Zheng Yantuo bowed slightly, as the battle line extended, Zhang Wenxiang really needed to get closer to the battlefield, and Guishan Island needed Zheng Yantuo to stay and prepare to meet the follow-up troops.

Half an hour later, Zhang Wenxiang boarded the ship of Admiral Tang Zhengcai and headed for the mouth of the Pearl River, Tang Zhengcai's boat was the largest red single ship, and the five warships handed over by the British had not yet reached Guangzhou, so the Taiping Navy Division relied on more than 40 red single ships plus other large ships and sand ships as the main force to blockade the Pearl River estuary. Rao is like this, the sailors of the Qing army are still nested in Guangzhou and do not dare to fight.

Standing on the deck, you can already see the scene of the Taiping army beginning to counterattack the Qing army on the batteries on both sides of the Pearl River estuary, Zhang Wenxiang rubbed his hands and smiled: "General Tang, it seems that your navy army does not need to play, and our army alone can clean up these Qing demons." ”

Tang Zhengcai handed over the monocular in his hand and said lightly: "We have guests coming, look at the east." ”

Zhang Wenxiang suspiciously took the telescope and looked to the east, only to see that there were five British warships in the east slowly heading towards the mouth of the Pearl River. Want to stab you in the back? ”

Tang Zhengcai sneered and said, "I'm afraid they won't dare, but they can't either!" At the moment, he shouted loudly: "Raise the flag, the first team on the right flank leaned over to ask the British ships about their intentions, and the rest of the ships were ready to fight, and the left flank flotilla immediately seized the upper hand!" ”

A few nautical miles away, on top of the five ships of the British Navy, Grant and other British generals were also on the deck looking at the batteries on both sides of the Pearl River estuary in the distance, and a lookout shouted to the lower reaches of the observatory: "There are five ships approaching on the port side!" ”

Grant immediately turned his head to look, and British Navy Captain Grence smiled contemptuously: "What are these Taiping troops sending a few small boats here for?" Then he pointed to the distance and said, "It's ridiculous to see that the left flank of their fleet is beginning to gain the upper hand, don't they know that our five ships are all powered by steam and sail?" What's the use of getting the upper hand? ”

Grant didn't look back, kept looking at the fleet of the Taiping Army with a telescope, and said lightly: "Never underestimate your opponent, especially an opponent with a spirit of learning." In their tactics, only by seizing the upper hand can they have the possibility of a battle, although it is impossible for them to defeat our five second-class warships with all their ships, they have already adopted the most correct tactical choice. ”

Grent still said disdainfully: "General, we can easily send their warships to the bottom of the sea. ”

Grant smiled faintly and said, "Is there any benefit for us to do this?" ”

Grent was speechless for a moment, and at that moment, the lookout shouted again: "The other party has a flag to ask us for our purpose!" ”

Grant put away the binoculars and said, "Tell them that we have also declared war on the Qing State, and we are going to shell the Humen Fort!" ”

A quarter of an hour later, Tang Zhengcai and Zhang Wenxiang on the deck were rewarded, the two looked at each other, and after a while, Zhang Wenxiang said angrily: "These dog offal, we are chasing the Qing Demon towards the Humen Fort, if they go over to fight a burst of artillery, do we still want to pursue?!" If you don't take advantage of the situation to seize the fort behind the Qing Demon's buttocks, it will be difficult for the Qing Demon to increase its troops in the future. ”

Tang Zhengcai's face was calm, and he told the flag soldiers lightly: "Order all ships to quickly rush into the Pearl River Estuary, and the whole naval division will block the main channel of the Pearl River Estuary to block the British fleet from entering, and then send a ship over to tell the British that today we are going to attack the Humen Fort, and there will be an army on the fort, so let them not shell Humen, otherwise the casualties will be regarded as a declaration of war with us!" ”

After the flag soldiers left, Zhang Wenxiang looked at Tang Zhengcai in a daze and asked, "Declare war?" If the British do fight, will your fleet be able to beat it? ”

Tang Zhengcai replied very simply: "I can't beat it!" After Zhang Wenxiang was overshadowed for a long time, Tang Zhengcai said again: "If they really want to fight, your artillery on the forts on both sides of the strait will also participate in the battle, even if the naval division is wiped out, your artillery on the shore will also beat them, do you know the way?" ”

Zhang Wenxiang didn't come back to his senses, and Tang Zhengcai shouted: "Send a small boat to send Master Zhang and them ashore, and the whole fleet will hang the red flag and prepare for battle!" ”

Zhang Wenxiang hurriedly said: "I won't go down, Old Tang, I'll stay here!" Tang Zhengcai glanced at him and said, "What are you doing staying here?" You haven't been useful to me as a sailor! Then he patted Zhang Wenxiang on the shoulder and said: "You go to the Shajiao Fort, as long as you see us erecting the yellow flag, your shore artillery will greet the British ship lifelessly, do you know the way?" ”

Before Zhang Wenxiang could say anything, he had already been pulled to the side of the boat by several sailor generals, and got off the big boat with the small boat that was slowly lowered, and more than ten sailors rowed hard with wooden pulp, and they had already left Tang Zhengcai's boat in a short time.

On the other side, Grant's boat Woerda, the lookout had seen the flag of the other party, and loudly told the flag to Grant on the deck, before which Grant had noticed the changes in the fleet of the Taiping Army, and they rushed to the mouth of the Pearl River like crazy, it seemed that they wanted to block the main channel of the Pearl River and block their fleet from entering.

Grent was very dissatisfied and said, "What do these wild monkeys want to do? They even learn our naval flags, do they want to stop our military operations? ”

Grant dispatched five ships this time to enter the Pearl River Estuary to watch the battle of the Taiping army up close, and just now he said that the shelling of Humen was purely a gesture, but he did not expect the Taiping army's reaction to be so fierce.

Grant frowned, "It's really a group of vigilant guys, but their reactions are also too sensitive, have they forgotten that we signed an agreement with them?" At that moment, he said loudly to the lookout: "Tell the other party that we will give up shelling Humen, and we will enter the Pearl River Estuary just to observe the battle!" ”

As soon as the words fell, the lookout shouted loudly: "The other party's fleet has hung up the red flag!" (To be continued......)