Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

The attack was launched in the early morning and was accompanied by heavy artillery fire.

The artillery and infantry elites of Ximentang were all equipped with replica AK47 assault rifles.

This is completely different from the rebels.

Even if the two sides engage in close-quarters combat, they will not resort to hand-to-hand fighting.

After all, any cold weapon loses its lethality under the fierce fire of an assault rifle.

therefore,

After Ximentang began his charge, the replica AK47 assault rifles began to show their power.

Thud-thud-thud!
The piercing sound of gunfire rang out, accompanied by suppressive fire from heavy machine guns.

The soldiers in the three recruit battalions of Ximentang were not yet equipped with assault rifles and could only use long muskets.

After joining Simon's Church, they underwent rigorous training.

Their ability to persevere, and their journey with Chen Jie from Nanjing to eastern Zhejiang, signifies that they have become qualified soldiers of the Ximentang.

This was their first time in battle, and they were earning their merits as soldiers of the Ximen Hall.

Therefore,
Every soldier in the recruit camp was giving it their all, eager to earn more merits in this battle.

The only promotion mechanism in Ximen Hall is—battle merit!
The rebel army under Shi Jingtang was in complete chaos.

They had no will to fight anymore, scattered like birds and beasts, and all began to flee.

Moreover, a large portion of them had just been awakened from their sleep by the sound of cannon fire and were terrified, fleeing in all directions.

They didn't even have time to put on their clothes, let alone grab a weapon.

Even if the rebels wanted to organize a counterattack at this point, they no longer had the chance.

The outcome was already decided from the moment the bombardment of Ximentang began.

This is a completely unequal battle.

This battle situation was not unexpected for Chen Jie.

According to the original plan, Simon Hall did not need to launch a final assault.

By bombarding the area with artillery to completely wipe out the rebels, and then clearing the battlefield, losses can be minimized.

but,

Chen Jie was accompanied by three battalions of new recruits, all of whom were experts recruited from the martial arts world and were reserves for the Ximentang Special Operations Brigade.

Special Operations Brigade!
This is the newly established Ximentang Army, which Chen Jie recently founded, and he personally leads it.

The new recruits are highly skilled in martial arts, but they lack the baptism of blood and combat experience.

Take this opportunity to send the soldiers of the recruit camp into an attack.

In such a favorable situation on the battlefield, it is a good opportunity for these new recruits to undergo a baptism of blood, which can boost their confidence in combat.

The rebels have been completely defeated, and the entire camp is engulfed in flames.

In the firelight, the rebel soldiers fled in panic, searching for a way to escape.

unfortunately,

Outside the military camp, Ximentang's heavy machine guns stood ready.

Although some were lucky enough to break through the encirclement, most fell to the heavy machine gun fire.

Next,
The West Gate was surrounded on three sides, and the encirclement was getting smaller and smaller.

Although Chen Jie had launched a full-scale attack, the pace was not fast; he proceeded steadily and maintained firepower suppression.

As a result,
The rebels' area of ​​operation is becoming increasingly narrow.

There's no way to escape!

Many rebel soldiers, seeing that they could not escape and that the situation was hopeless, could only kneel down and raise their hands in surrender.

Therefore,
After a battle, tens of thousands of people were captured.

of course,

The Ximen Hall only had 25,000 men, which was not enough to form a true encirclement.

Many rebel soldiers managed to break out amidst the chaos and flee for their lives under the cover of night.

Among them was Shi Jingtang, the rebel commander with superb martial arts skills, and his elite personal guards.

These people are all top-level martial arts masters who have reached the Iron Bone and Hidden Strength level, and they have a very strong spiritual sense.

Under the tight protection of these elite guards, Shi Jingtang broke out of the encirclement and successfully escaped Ximentang's blockade.

Then,

After Shi Jingtang broke out, he gathered over a thousand defeated soldiers and fled towards Hangzhou.

but,

Although they fought their way out, it doesn't mean they're safe now.

because,

Chen Jie's goal was to wipe out this main force of the rebel army, so how could he let them escape so easily?

In the following time, the Ximentang cavalry battalion was seen to move out.

The cavalry battalion is an elite force under the Ximentang Special Operations Brigade. In addition to being well-equipped, it also possesses the best warhorses in the Great Qian Dynasty.

The east was already turning white, the perfect time for the cavalry to pursue.

Because the rebels were fleeing everywhere, the cavalry battalion dispersed and pursued the fleeing rebels in squads.

The rebels who escaped from the encirclement were already exhausted and unarmed.

Therefore,
Faced with the pursuit of Ximentang's cavalry, how could they possibly resist?

Once caught up by cavalry, they were basically shot dead on the spot, and the enemy was routed in one fell swoop.

Shi Jingtang had finally managed to gather over a thousand defeated soldiers, but they were quickly routed and scattered by the cavalry's charge and gunfire.

-

This battle lasted until dawn.

The main force of the rebels was completely defeated by Ximentang.

but,

Because the attack was launched at night, the entire battlefield was in chaos.

Therefore, the battle results were not fully tallied until noon the next day.

Of Shi Jingtang's 150,000 troops, more than 130,000 were annihilated, most of whom were killed by artillery fire, while more than 18,000 were captured.

It can be said that after this battle, the main force of the rebels was almost annihilated.

Although the number of casualties at Ximentang was small, it still exceeded five hundred.

The main problem is that the recruits are inexperienced, and the danger increases exponentially when the rebels get close.

Unfortunately, the rebel commander Shi Jingtang managed to escape.

but,

He only had his personal guards and a few other martial arts masters left, totaling just over a hundred people.

this moment,
Shi Jingtang knew very well that he was completely finished in this battle.

All of this was because Ximentang's firepower was too fierce and its combat power was too strong.

His command was flawless, and he was not arrogant.

but,

As the commander-in-chief of the rebel army, he is undoubtedly responsible for the defeat.

If he returns to the Green Gang headquarters, he will be in serious trouble and will surely die.

The key point is that after this battle, the Green Gang was essentially finished.

In the time that followed, the Green Gang had no way to turn the tide.

Without soldiers under your command, how can you turn the tide?
Therefore,
Without hesitation, Shi Jingtang led his more than one hundred men and fled towards southern Jiangxi.

He decided not to return to Hangzhou and even considered leaving the Green Gang altogether.

Anyway, going back would be a dead end, but leaving the Zhejiang region might offer a glimmer of hope.

Chen Jie was not particularly satisfied with the outcome of this battle.

That night,

He left Xue Qian to lead a new recruit battalion and a special operations battalion to guard the prisoners.

He personally led the rest of his troops, changed direction, and headed towards Hangzhou.

Attack Hangzhou!
When Chen Jie led his army to Hangzhou, he found the city gates wide open.

There were no rebel troops defending Hangzhou Prefecture, and not even any rebel forces were seen.

but,

Panic-stricken screams echoed continuously from within the city.

Many people even ran out of the city, looking extremely frightened.

what's the situation?
Chen Jie was a little confused and quickly sent someone forward to ask him.

Why are there no rebels in Hangzhou?
According to previous intelligence, the rebels still have 30,000 troops stationed in Hangzhou Prefecture.

But now, no rebels have appeared on the city walls, and the city gates are wide open.

No one in Ximen Hall understood what had happened.

After some questioning and understanding, Chen Jie finally got a general idea.

It turns out that after the Green Gang raised its flag in rebellion, it quickly occupied Hangzhou and began to purge the city's merchants, landlords, and local tyrants.

Almost all the food, money, and other valuables were looted by the rebels.

of course,

After occupying Hangzhou, the rebels launched a massacre within the city in an attempt to intimidate everyone.

The only saving grace was that the rebels did not harm civilians, much less carry out a massacre. After a brief period of intimidation, order was quickly restored within Hangzhou Prefecture.

After all, the Green Gang intended to make Hangzhou their base, so they naturally wouldn't act recklessly within the city.

but,

For some unknown reason, the rebel army in Hangzhou Prefecture has been in complete chaos since yesterday.

They burned, killed, and looted with impunity, showing no regard for the common people.

Even many streets in Hangzhou were burned down by the rebels.

They wreaked havoc like madmen, throwing the entire Hangzhou prefecture into chaos.

After dawn,

The rebels left the city and fled for their lives.

Immediately afterwards, many people in the city were overcome by their inner evil and began to commit all sorts of crimes, including burning, killing, and looting.

For a while,
The elderly, the infirm, the disabled, and women suffered the most and had to leave the city to seek refuge.

Clearly, news that Ximentang had defeated Shi Jingtang's 170,000-strong army near Jiaxing Prefecture had finally reached Hangzhou Prefecture.

Due to the long distance, it took Chen Jie four days to lead the Ximentang army from Jiaxing Prefecture to Hangzhou Prefecture.

After receiving news of Shi Jingtang's defeat, the Green Gang knew that their rebellion was doomed.

It is simply unrealistic to defend Hangzhou with only 30,000 troops.

therefore,

The rebel troops of the Green Gang, who were originally stationed in Hangzhou, quickly withdrew from Hangzhou.

They traveled north, either hiding in the deep mountains or seeking refuge with Li Gang, the King of Min.

Many of the abandoned rebel soldiers had nowhere to go and were no longer under control.

Therefore,
They only wanted to make a fortune before fleeing, which caused great chaos in Hangzhou.

After learning about the internal situation in Hangzhou Prefecture, Chen Jie dared not be careless.

He ordered Liu Ergou and others to lead a thousand men into the city first.

Having survived several assassination attempts, Chen Jie is now extremely cautious in new environments.

Chen Jie will only take any action if the situation is under the control of Ximentang.

Liu Ergou led his men into Hangzhou Prefecture and quickly occupied the city gates and the city wall fortifications.

In less than half an hour, news spread throughout the city that the entire city of Hangzhou was under the control of Ximentang.

Although the city of Hangzhou was in complete chaos.

But no one dared to resist Ximen Tang's army.

in fact,

Without Liu Ergou reporting, Chen Jie had already grasped the current situation.

After the troops of Ximentang occupied the fortifications and city walls of Hangzhou Prefecture, no conflict occurred.

That is,

There are no more rebels in the city.

So he waved his hand and ordered his troops to enter the city.

Chen Jie rode a tall horse, looking majestic, and entered Hangzhou Prefecture through the main gate.

Next,
He climbed the city wall and looked up into the city.

The entire city of Hangzhou was in chaos, with people fleeing in panic on the streets.

There were many corpses on the ground, and some troublemakers were fighting, smashing, and looting in the streets.

then,

Chen Jie left Liu Ergou and others to guard the city gate, while he led a regiment of soldiers to the Hangzhou government office.

The others, organized by class, dispersed throughout Hangzhou Prefecture to maintain order.

Those troublemakers who dare to take advantage of the chaos to commit evil deeds shall be executed on the spot!

Chen Jie already has extensive experience in dealing with this chaotic order.

It was a bloody crackdown, without any pretext.

Next,
When Chen Jie arrived at the Hangzhou government office, it was already deserted.

The guards opened the gates of the government office and quickly occupied the area.

Instead of resting, Chen Jie divided his forces and ordered the elite troops of Ximen Hall to impose martial law on all the city gates of Hangzhou Prefecture.

No one is allowed to enter or leave without permission from Ximentang.

The swift and decisive approach was not only fast but also highly efficient.

There are many city gates in Hangzhou Prefecture, and it would take a lot of effort to launch a direct assault.

However, by this time, the main force of the rebel army had already withdrawn from Hangzhou.

Therefore,
Ximentang occupied all the city gates without encountering any obstacles and without lifting a finger.

At this time,

The unruly civilians and remnants of the rebel army who were burning, killing, and looting in the city soon realized that something was wrong.

Because the city gates were under martial law, they couldn't get out.

in addition,

On various streets within the city, some of the Westgate elites, dressed in camouflage uniforms and bulletproof vests, appeared.

They were armed and wearing helmets.

Whenever they encountered people who burned, killed, and looted, Ximen Hall's elite soldiers would first order these people to lay down their weapons, put their hands behind their heads, and surrender.

The remnants of the rebel army and the unruly civilians, of course, refused to surrender so easily.

Many of them were江湖人 (jianghu people), who believed in fighting with knives.

Expecting them to surrender without any resistance? That's a joke.
but,

Simon Hall gave them only one chance to survive.

Anyone who resists will be killed without exception.

Thud-thud-thud!
Gunshots could be heard continuously from the streets of Hangzhou.

The remnants of the rebel army and the unruly civilians fell to the ground and were shot dead on the spot.

The remaining rebel forces, seeing that things were not going well, immediately scattered and fled.

of course,

Some remaining rebels, relying on their martial arts skills, wanted to resist.

but,

They were killed on the spot before they could even put up a fight.

Bullets don't hold back!
Such a large-scale crackdown operation means that anyone who harbors any侥幸心理 (a sense of侥幸, or a belief that they can get away with something) will face death.

Although many of the new recruits in Ximentang were not equipped with replica AK47 assault rifles, these remaining rebels were not enough to resist them.

After a round of mopping-up operations, the rebels were left with almost no power to resist.

After learning of Ximen Tang's power, the remnants of the rebel army and the unruly civilians no longer dared to confront him head-on.

They took advantage of the chaos to hide, not daring to make any rash moves.

More often than not, they laid down their weapons, covered their heads with their hands, and surrendered.

quickly,

The soldiers of Ximentang chained them up and escorted them to the square.

It wasn't until 3 p.m.

Under Xi Mentang's thunderous suppression, order in Hangzhou Prefecture was gradually restored.

Immediately afterwards, Ximentang began to organize the people to extinguish the fire in the city.

Fortunately, these were just ordinary open flames, completely different from the incendiary bombs used by Simon.

therefore,

The fire can be extinguished simply by using water.

Although many houses in Hangzhou were burned down and many civilians were killed or injured.

However, for the Hangzhou government, Ximentang acted swiftly and decisively, minimizing the losses.

Compared to the massacre of Wuchang Prefecture by Prince Li Ben of Han, the losses suffered in Hangzhou Prefecture were relatively minor.

call--!
Seeing that the situation was under control, Chen Jie couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Hangzhou Prefecture has finally been captured!

Then,

Chen Jie ordered Ximentang to escort all the prisoners, including those captured when defeating Shi Jingtang in Jiaxing Prefecture, into the city and assemble them in the square of Hangzhou Prefecture.

Simultaneously,

Ximentang and the people in the city began to clear the corpses from the city.

The best way to dispose of a corpse is to burn it!

From entering the city through the West Gate to the complete occupation of Hangzhou Prefecture, a total of over a thousand rebel soldiers and unruly civilians were killed.

However, the number of prisoners captured exceeded five thousand.

More than 10,000 people were killed or injured in the city, and nearly a thousand houses were burned down.

All the shops on the street were smashed and looted.

As dusk approached, the situation in Hangzhou Prefecture stabilized.

Throughout Hangzhou, the sound of weeping could be heard everywhere, creating an atmosphere of utter desolation and misery. (End of Chapter)