Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Inside the council hall, those who could appear here were all Sakurai Chojiro's confidants.

Key military officers and commanders of the Japanese forces stationed in Taiwan attended the meeting.

As soon as Sakurai Chojiro finished speaking, the entire council hall erupted in discussion.

Colonel Hiroichi Yamamoto stood up and said, "General, Keelung Port is the northern gateway to Taiwan and the largest outlet to the sea."

"This place is the lifeline of Taiwan Island, and it must not be lost."

"That coward Miyamoto Jiro actually surrendered."

"I believe that the most urgent task is to send troops to recapture Keelung City and drive Ximentang out of Taiwan."

To everyone's surprise, Colonel Hiroichi Yamamoto actually wanted to take the initiative to send troops to attack Keelung City.

have to say,

Hiroichi Yamamoto's idea was indeed unexpected.

Upon hearing this, Sakurai Chojiro frowned and gave a cold snort:

"Hmph! Taking back Keelung City? It's not that easy."

"We don't have enough artillery and heavy machine guns right now, so it's hard for us to fight against Ximentang."

"If we want to send troops to recapture Keelung, our only advantage as the Japanese garrison is to win by sheer numbers."

"We must limit the artillery and heavy machine guns of the Ximen Hall. Does anyone have any good ideas?"

As the commander of the Japanese garrison, Sakurai Chojiro was no fool.

Although there are 100,000 troops stationed on the island, there is a shortage of weapons.

To win, we must restrict Ximentang's use of artillery.

Colonel Matsushita Harasuke nodded in agreement:

"The general is right. Speed ​​is of the essence in war. If we want to recapture Keelung, we must be quick and not delay!"

"We are currently lacking artillery and heavy machine guns, so we must take a desperate gamble and concentrate all our artillery to launch a pincer attack. We can also mobilize a number of warships from Yilan to launch a surprise attack from the water and draw the firepower of Ximentang."

“If we send troops from the direction of Taipei and use an encirclement tactic, we will surely be able to break through Ximentang’s defenses in one fell swoop.”

"I have received information that these Daqian people have a total strength of no more than 30,000, which is only one-third of our total strength."

He finished speaking in one breath and then sat down.

Colonel Takashi Watanabe shook his head, disagreeing.

He stood up and said, "Trying to mobilize warships from Yilan is simply wishful thinking. On the sea, pirate ships from France have already taken control of Yilan."

"Most of the warships on the island are now restricted."

"Simon's fleet uses the most advanced warships from the West. They are faster and have more firepower. They are too powerful!"

"None of our military's eight fleets are a match for it."

"Trying to launch a pincer attack from the sea is definitely not a good plan; it's practically suicidal."

For a while,
Inside the parliament hall, it was chaotic and the arguments were very heated.

Yamamoto Hiroichi said in a deep voice, "Watanabe-kun, what do you mean by this? You're boosting the morale of others while diminishing your own. Are you afraid of Ximen Tang?"

Watanabe Kubo Takashi, not to be outdone, retorted:
"Yamamoto-kun, do you think I don't know what you mean? Do you want to preserve your strength and waste your limited naval power?"

"Don't forget, we are now isolated and helpless. If we fail, we will all die."

"Our naval forces have already suffered a defeat once. If we mobilize our ships again, we are destined to fail a second time."

"You haven't witnessed the terror of the Ximentang fleet firsthand, so don't give orders recklessly, because—I have!"

The atmosphere inside the entire parliament hall was extremely tense and fraught with danger.

Everyone has their own considerations and different opinions.

of course,

They are mostly considering their own interests, and no one will easily give in.

Sakurai Chojiro frowned deeply as he looked at the chaotic council hall.

He snorted coldly and said:

"Silence! I called you here to discuss what to do next, not to settle personal scores."

"Keelung City is very important to us, and we must find a way to take it back."

“If you want to prove yourselves, you need to show courage and boldness, instead of making a fuss here.”

They saw that the commander was starting to get angry.

For a while,
Commanders such as Hirokazu Yamamoto, Takashi Watanabe, and Harasuke Matsushita fell silent.

It is clear,
The colonels, lieutenant colonels, and majors stationed on Taiwan Island are not very united.

Because it is far from the Japanese mainland, and the military garrison on the island is relatively loosely managed.

Therefore,
Everyone was fighting their own battles; if Sakurai Chojiro hadn't gathered everyone together, there would have been conflicts of interest among them.

at this time,

Sakurai Chojiro's personal guards rushed in from outside.

He cried out in alarm, "Reporting to the general, Taoyuan and Xinbei have fallen and been occupied by Ximentang!"

"Baka! How is this possible?!"

"Too fast! How can Ximen Tang's army march so fast?"

"Impossible! I've only been away from Taoyuan for less than a day. How could it have fallen?"

"New Taipei is too close to here. Wasn't Ximentang supposed to launch a general offensive in five days? Why was it brought forward?"

"—"

Taoyuan and New Taipei City are located southwest of Taipei, forming a triangle with Keelung City, sandwiching Taipei in the middle.

Once Taoyuan and New Taipei fall.

Then,

Taipei will be besieged on three sides, truly surrounded, with no way out.

Wow——!
Chaos erupted inside the council hall.

All the Japanese officers attending the meeting were panicked, their faces turning completely pale.

They were just discussing how to send troops to attack Keelung City and drive Ximentang out of Taiwan.

but,

In less than half an hour, the news of Ximentang's occupation of Taoyuan and New Taipei City spread to Taipei.

Chaos!

Complete chaos!
-

The entire island's topography resembles a shuttle.

To the southwest of Taipei lies the Taiwan Strait, which was close to the Daqian Dynasty.

That is,

Its northern part borders Taoyuan and New Taipei City, while the coastal area to the north is Keelung City.

Yilan County is located in the sea east of Taipei, separated by mountains.

That is,

Taipei is a city that is backed by mountains on one side and faces the sea on three sides.

Although it is not directly by the sea, its straight-line distance from the sea is no more than fifty kilometers.

However, the entire northern part of Taiwan is centered around Taipei.

After Ximentang swept through Keelung City and Tamsui City, it also besieged the entire island of Taiwan.

Chen Jie dispatched an additional fleet, splitting it off, and at the same time sent two thousand men and French fleet mercenaries to flank and attack Taoyuan.

Jack Bonaparte knew very well that this was a great opportunity for him to make a name for himself.

If no meritorious service is performed.

Therefore, the status of the French fleet mercenaries under his command will be greatly diminished in Chen Jie's eyes.

Therefore,
He ordered his generals to lead their army from Taoyuan straight into New Taipei City.

In order to gain an absolute advantage, he deployed two cruisers, four gunboats, and eight troop transports from the French fleet's mercenaries.

With the addition of Ximentang's two thousand elite troops, the total force is five thousand five hundred men.

Chen Jie delayed attacking Taipei for a simple reason: he was waiting for Taipei to gather its troops.

That's right,

Others might worry about the reinforcement of troops in Taipei, but Chen Jie was waiting for the Japanese to send all their troops from the entire island of Taiwan to Taipei.

He first occupied Keelung City, and then blockaded the sea off the bay.

Then,

Let Jack Bonaparte lead his army to occupy Taoyuan and New Taipei.

They attacked from three sides, forming a siege.

When the Japanese troops in Taipei reach their maximum strength, launch a general offensive and take Taipei directly.

That is,

At this point, taking Taipei would be equivalent to taking the entire island of Taiwan.

His purpose was completely different from that of the colonists; it was not about plunder. Therefore,
We must minimize the losses suffered by the people of Taiwan and prevent too much local chaos.

Once the general offensive is launched, it must be carried out with overwhelming force to completely annihilate the 100,000-strong Japanese army.

If we don't let them gather their troops, they will be scattered by these Japanese.

Then,

This would be a terrible thing for the entire island of Taiwan.

This could easily plunge Taiwan into endless conflict.

Taoyuan is Taipei’s most important southwestern gateway.

The Japanese general stationed in Taoyuan was Sakurai Chojiro's younger brother, named Sakurai Naoki.

The Sakurai family was a powerful clan in the Eastern Empire. During the Warring States period, the Sakurai family was known for its bravery, fighting spirit, and reverence for the strong.

They adhered to the Bushido spirit and despised cowardice and weakness.

therefore,

The Sakurai family has always been a troublemaker in the Japanese army.

Emperor Meiji went to great lengths to win over the Sakurai family.

of course,

The Sakurai family is very obedient as long as the benefits are sufficient.

In order to serve the Emperor, they led large armies and fought battles in the north and south.

Even in Japan, the Sakurai family is a prestigious and influential clan, and few other families dare to provoke them.

This is why Sakurai Chojiro held a highly respected position after leading his army to occupy Taiwan.

Other families, wanting to encroach on the island, dare not openly oppose the Sakurai family.

After the Japanese army drove out the Dutch, Naoki Sakurai built extensive fortifications in Momohara.

only,
He never expected that the French fleet's pirate legion would dare to launch an attack from the sea and land directly at Taoyuan.

That's right,

The banner used to attack Taoyuan was not Ximentang, but the pirate legion of the French fleet.

Although Naoki Sakurai received an alert that the French fleet's pirate legion was bombarding Momozono.

but,

He had already set up defensive fortifications along the Taoyuan coastline, so he didn't care.

but,

To his great surprise, the French fleet's pirate legion had incredibly strong firepower.

Hundreds of cannons fired simultaneously, employing a barrage of fire, and quickly broke through the defenses along the Taoyuan coastline.

The Japanese garrison stationed in Taoyuan was no match for the pirate army's overwhelming firepower.

Less than five minutes.

The fortifications along the Taoyuan coastline were completely destroyed, leaving behind only the corpses of thousands of Japanese soldiers.

The marines of Ximentang, together with the mercenary legion of the French fleet, took the opportunity to land in Taoyuan.

Next,
Ximentang's elite troops launched a manhunt for the Japanese troops stationed in Taoyuan.

In less than an hour, they surrounded and captured more than 500 Japanese soldiers.

Simultaneously,

The French fleet's pirate legion began bombarding the Japanese garrison in Taoyuan with artillery fire.

In this battle, more than 5,000 Japanese troops were killed.

Naoki Sakurai, the garrison commander in Taoyuan, truly lived up to his reputation as a warrior who upheld the spirit of Bushido.

After his defeat, he did not choose to flee, but instead committed suicide by disembowelment!

With the death of Naoki Sakurai, the entire Momoen was completely occupied by the French fleet's pirate legion.

but,

After entering the city, these pirate legions did not engage in burning, killing, or looting; their military discipline was extremely strict.

Under the supervision of the Simon's Marine Corps, any mercenary legion that dares to violate military discipline will be executed without mercy.

Not disturbing the people is the red line for all mercenaries under Simon's command.

After Jack Bonaparte captured Taoyuan, he naturally wouldn't let go of the opportunity to gain merit.

He led his troops directly north, bypassing the mountains and taking Yilan without giving the Japanese garrison a chance to catch their breath.

The Yilan Plain is Taipei's most important arable land area.

Simultaneously,

This is also one of the most important outlets to the sea for Taiwan Island.

At this time, there were about thirty merchant ships docked at Yilan Port, all of which were cargo ships used to transport supplies to Japan.

Previously, Sakurai Chojiro had mobilized warships in an attempt to launch a surprise attack and break through the coastline blocked by Ximentang.

Unexpectedly, all the warships sent out were sunk, and now only some cargo ships remain.

Faced with Jack Bonaparte's fleet, these cargo ships and the stationed Japanese troops were simply doomed to be slaughtered.

They were powerless against the overwhelming firepower of the French fleet's mercenaries.

The remaining scattered ships were quickly sunk once hit by the French mercenary army's artillery.

In less than an hour, all the remaining warships docked at Yilan Port were sunk.

The French mercenary army quickly occupied Yilan and controlled the entire northern coastline of the island.

at this time,

Upon receiving news of the fall of Taoyuan, Sakurai Chojiro dispatched his subordinates, Colonel Yamamoto Hiroichi and Watanabe Kubo Takashi, with an army of 10,000 to Taoyuan to provide support.

Although Taipei claims to have a 100,000-strong garrison, that's a bit of an exaggeration.

However, the actual troop strength definitely exceeded 80,000.

For the Japanese, such a large garrison was already considered an exceptionally large army.

Therefore,
The fact that two colonels led 10,000 troops to support Taoyuan was an absolutely grand gesture.

The main force attacking Taoyuan was Jack Bonaparte's French mercenaries, primarily composed of naval forces.

The Japanese army was still mainly composed of land forces and lacked long-range artillery.

therefore,

Even if all 80,000 troops in Taipei were mobilized, it wouldn't change the course of the battle.

Although Yamamoto Hiroichi's army arrived in Momoen with great momentum, they were powerless to stop it.

They didn't even have a chance to see the Simontang Marines before they were bombarded by artillery fire and forced to flee in disarray.

The final result was predictable.

In the afternoon,

The battlefield in Taoyuan has been cleared, and the battlefields in New Taipei City and Yilan County have also ended, with the cleanup underway.

All the supporting Japanese troops were annihilated.

Taoyuan, New Taipei, Yilan, Keelung!
Taipei is completely surrounded from four directions, making it impossible for it to escape.

The firepower of Ximentang's cannons completely crushed the Japanese army on the island.

All of this is essentially a replay of what happened in Songjiang Prefecture back then.

Jack Bonaparte and several of his fleet's commanders stood on their ships, watching the battle unfold.

His two right-hand men, Maurice and Pete, were filled with admiration.

This one-sided war gives people an indescribable feeling.

Morris sighed and said:

"Isn't the Eastern Empire supposed to be a global military power? Is this the fighting strength of the Eastern people?"

"They're too weak! If we had known they were this weak, our French fleet should have landed directly and taken the island ahead of time!"

He originally thought that going to war with the Japanese would be a very difficult and bloody battle.

but,

To his surprise, the Japanese were so easily defeated.

Pete, who was standing next to him, shook his head and said:

"No, it's not that the Japanese are too weak in combat, but that Ximen Tang is too strong!"

"After we joined the Ximen Hall, our fighting strength underwent a tremendous change."

"Without the fire support from Simon Hall and the super-powerful weapons they provided us, we would definitely not have had it so easy."

"Next is the attack on Taipei. Believe me, this will be an absolute one-sided massacre!"

Jack Bonaparte took out his binoculars and looked across the entire battlefield.

He listened to the words of his two generals and a smile appeared on his face.

Joining the fold of Ximentang was the best decision he ever made.

With Simon's support and assistance, he was confident he could restore the Bonaparte family's glory! (End of Chapter)