The Qing Dynasty

Chapter 176 Siege War

Wei Jinghai commented on the training situation of each unit, and then said.

"Since there were rumors that the foreign devils would avenge the foreigners they killed and massacre the city after they broke into the city, 90% of the people in the city have left Tianjin. In order to help some poor people leave, the free food distributed to the people has been fully distributed. The remaining people in the city are mainly those who make military uniforms for us and grind medicinal materials, as well as some servants left by some wealthy families to guard their houses and property."

"However, we are seriously short of the medicinal materials needed to stop bleeding and reduce inflammation, so we have stopped production. The people who made the military uniforms were also evacuated in batches yesterday."

"For the grain merchants who were unable to transport their large grain reserves in time, their grain reserves have been purchased by Huamao Trading Company. Currently, there are tens of millions of kilograms of grain reserves. Ning Xingpu is arranging people to transport them every day. It is estimated that it will take more than ten days to transport all the grain."

The so-called rumor was spread by people arranged by Teng Yuzhao. Historically, only a very small number of people from Tianjin City temporarily left Tianjin City when the war broke out. After the Allied Forces broke into the city, they burned, killed and looted while searching for the Boxers. Some information said that after the city was broken, more than 100,000 soldiers, civilians and civilians were killed by the Allied Forces.

Teng Yuzhao didn't want to see such a tragedy happen in front of him again, so he arranged for people to spread rumors that the coalition forces would massacre the city.

This rumor was quite intimidating, and people began to evacuate one after another on the third day after Yu Lu left Tianjin.

The people who had the most difficulty evacuating Tianjin City were not the common people, but the big families and big businessmen, especially those who sold bulk commodities. The most typical example were grain merchants. If they wanted to transport their goods, they would need a large number of vehicles and manpower. Manpower was easier to deal with, as long as they spent money to hire people, it would not be a problem. However, it was difficult to hire a vehicle because almost everyone needed a vehicle.

Many businessmen and wealthy families came to Teng Yuzhao for help. Teng Yuzhao really wanted to purchase the grain. He did not want to see the grain eventually become military rations for the coalition forces, but Teng Yuzhao did not have that much money.

Moreover, even if Teng Yuzhao had the huge sum of money taken away by Li Yulin in his hands, he did not dare to use it to purchase the grain. It would be difficult for him to explain the source of such a large sum of money.

Teng Yuzhao had no choice but to send someone on horseback to ask Yu Lu for help. As Teng Yuzhao was willing to defend Tianjin City for him, Yu Lu would naturally respond to his requests. However, he did not have a large amount of savings, so he had to give Teng Yuzhao a document in the name of the Governor's Office, stating that the Zhili Governor's Office would purchase the grain, but it had no money now, and the money would not be paid to these merchants until after the war. All related matters were left to Teng Yuzhao to handle.

Moreover, this large amount of grain also needs to be properly placed by Teng Yuzhao.

Naturally, the grain could not be left in Tianjin City, so they found Ning Xingpu, the comprador of Xin Taixing Foreign Company, who was actively raising funds for the vanguard army. It was unknown how the two discussed, but the next day Ning Xingpu resigned from his job as a comprador of Xin Taixing Foreign Company and established a company called Huamao Commercial Bank. He began to transport the grain out of Tianjin, along with the more than 100,000 silver taels he had raised for the vanguard army, which Teng Yuzhao also handed over to Ning Xingpu to take away.

At that time, there were no anti-inflammatory drugs such as sulfonamides, so the wounded could only be treated with Chinese herbal medicine. The vanguard army needed a large amount of hemostatic and anti-inflammatory Chinese herbal medicine, which was in extreme shortage.

After Wei Jinghai finished his report and comments, Teng Yuzhao asked about some difficulties faced by each unit, and then asked everyone to go back and prepare for battle.

Teng Yuzhao also returned to his residence to rest, but early the next morning he received news from the scouts that after being bombarded by the Allied Forces, the Wuwei Left Army immediately began to evacuate its base.

Due to the withdrawal of the Wuwei Left Army, the morale of the navy camp became unstable. After resisting for half a night, it was broken by the Allied Forces. The Qing troops in the navy camp also retreated to Beicang.

"Boom boom boom" the fierce sound of artillery shells exploding was deafening, shells continued to explode on the dark city walls and inside the city, fires flashed above and below the city, bricks and stones flew everywhere, and wounded soldiers were constantly carried down from the top of Tianjin South City. Although only a small number of officers and soldiers stayed on the city walls to guard during the coalition's artillery attack, they and the soldiers were on standby in the blind spot of the artillery attack under the city wall, the intensive artillery fire still caused the vanguard army to suffer heavy casualties.

Although it was night, dense artillery shells continued to fall on the city walls. Amid the sound of explosions, Teng Yuzhao hid in a bunker made of sandbags on the city wall, observing the movements of the coalition forces through a telescope. Judging from the sound of the artillery, there were more than twenty cannons involved in the bombardment.

The flares that were constantly fired from the city exposed the attacking coalition forces clearly.

Teng Yuzhao had just laid down on the bed when he learned the news that the Allied Forces had been dispatched from the concession. He had to rush to the top of the city wall. He had to grasp the exact situation of the Allied Forces' attack.

According to Teng Yuzao's observation, the coalition forces attacking Nancheng included the armies of Britain, Japan, the United States and France. The middle wing was composed of more than 2,000 Japanese troops dragging a small-caliber artillery, the right wing was composed of nearly 1,000 French troops, and the left wing close to Teng Yuzao's side was composed of more than 1,000 British and American coalition forces.

"Teacher, you are really good at predicting the enemy. The Japanese devils are dragging cannons. It seems that they just want to blow open the city gate."

Wu Peifu, who was standing by, said excitedly.

Hu Dianjia, who was observing the enemy situation next to Teng Yuzao, also said admiringly, "Xingfu, you are amazing. The foreign devils on both sides only have two or three ladders. It doesn't look like they are attacking the city. We are really being manipulated by you. It seems that they are preparing to break through the city gate as you said."

Hu Dianjia said with emotion, "I am not flattering you when I say that you are able to predict the enemy's situation. It seems that our preparations have not been in vain. Today I finally understand why you have won so many battles in a row. Compared with you, I am really far behind."

Teng Yuzao ignored the compliments from Wu Peifu and Hu Dianjia. He held up a telescope and observed while instructing Hu Dianjia in a calm tone, "Xuanqing, tell your people not to panic and act according to the plan."

"no problem."

Hu Dianjia slapped the battlement with his hand and said, "I have ordered the troops on the city not to use heavy machine guns. They are only allowed to use rifles, and they can only aim and shoot when the foreign devils are within a hundred meters."

After Hu Dianjia finished speaking, he urged, "Xingfu, it's too dangerous on the city wall. Let's go down. The highlight is down below."

"No need. We are not the target of their bombardment, and their bombardment will stop soon. I will command from the city."

The coalition forces' bombardment of the city walls soon stopped as their troops approached the walls.

The attacking coalition forces were very cautious at first, but when they saw that there was no movement on the city wall, they gradually became bolder. Under the orders of the officers, many of them even straightened up and walked quickly towards the city wall. Only the Japanese troops in the middle route stopped.
(End of this chapter)