Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Tang Manjin paused for a moment, then said:

"After the fall of the capital, I finally understood that the world's trends will inevitably reverse when things reach their extreme."

"The Great Qian Dynasty was so weak that it was on the verge of collapse and was invaded by Western powers."

"If the Japanese weren't so greedy and wanted our Great Qian Dynasty's land, they wouldn't have clashed with the Northern Russians, and they wouldn't have been hostile to the Western powers."

"Then the final situation wouldn't have become so out of control as it is now."

"Ever since the late emperor initiated the 'military groups,' everyone originally thought that this was just the Great Qian Dynasty clinging to life."

“The Taiping Gang, the Hongmen, the Green Gang, the Gelaohui, the Red Lanterns, the Big Knife Society—which of these Jianghu forces doesn’t have the support of powerful families and princes behind them?”

"No one expected that when the 'People's Corps' was established, Ximen Tang would suddenly appear!"

"It is the timing and destiny! Under the development and growth of Ximentang, the Great Qian Dynasty has undergone a complete transformation."

"Although I am reluctant to admit it, I have to say that 'King Qian' Chen Jie is a person worthy of respect!"

Tang Manjin's tone was filled with emotion.

Two years ago, when Ximentang was first established, it was an unknown small force in the capital, and no one paid any attention to it.

but,

Following the holding of the "Hero's Arena" in the western district of Beijing, Chen Jie won the title of "Leader of the Militia".

Ximentang experienced rapid development, not only establishing its own arsenal but also building an iron army.

Since the Battle of Dagu Fortress in Tianjin, Ximentang...

Various factions within the capital city all wanted to curb the development of Ximentang.

but,

With the full support of Emperor Li Zheng and the Sixth Prince, the development of Ximentang was unstoppable.

Now, Ximen Tang has taken control of the Great Qian Dynasty.

This speed of development has overturned everyone's understanding.

Therefore,
That's why Tang Manjin exclaimed, "Things will turn into their opposites when they reach their extremes."

Hong Chaoge gave a wry smile and said, "Xi Mentang's rise is indeed hard to understand. In just two years, he has already stood at the pinnacle of power in the Great Qian Dynasty."

"No wonder Li Lingyue married him and didn't even glance at me."

Tang Manjin shook his head and said:

"The Great Qian Dynasty is currently in a mess. It's easier said than done to restore its former glory."

"Leaving aside the Western Regions and Tibet, even the vast grasslands and the Northeast would not be so easy to recover."

"Moreover, the major vassal kings within the Great Qian Dynasty will definitely not give up so easily."

finished,

Tang Manjin thought for a moment and continued:
“Prince Ning, Li Mu, is weak. Let alone expanding his territory, he would be lucky to even protect himself.”

"The war that follows will become increasingly intense. The showdown between Ximentang and the Japanese Kwantung Army will be the most exciting battle in the Great Qian Dynasty in recent years."

"The Kwantung Army of the East Seas amassed a million troops, and even sent 300,000 men to infiltrate Hanzhong, with the goal of annexing the Great Qian Dynasty."

"To be honest, I would rather Ximen Tang control the Great Qian than see the Japanese occupy our land."

"Chaoge, promise me that if you have any other choice, you will never cooperate with the Japanese. They are wolves in sheep's clothing, and if you cooperate with them, you are destined to have no good end!"

In fact, this trip to Jiujiang Prefecture was to form an alliance with the Kwantung Army under the command of Oshima Yutaka.

Tang Manjin has always been opposed to this.

but,

At that time, the remnants of the Imperial Guard were already at their wits' end and had no choice but to join the Kwantung Army and garrison Jiujiang Prefecture.

Just as Tang Manjin had guessed, the Kwantung Army was simply using Hong Chaoge's troops as cannon fodder.

Although Tang Manjin harbored deep hatred for Chen Jie and believed that the Tang family in the capital was wiped out by Ximen Tang.

but,

He had to admit that the policies implemented by Ximentang were the foundation for the resurgence of the Daqian Dynasty.

Hong Chaoge looked at Tang Manjin and said:

"Old Tang, only by living can we realize our dreams. Come with me, and we will rise again one day."

"We'll first go to Guangdong and Guangxi to seek refuge with the Ninth Prince Li Hongyu. If things go wrong, we'll head overseas."

Tang Manjin shook his head and said:

"No! Chaoge, you should go! If we leave together, neither of us will be able to escape."

"The Tang family is gone, and my heart is dead. I have no more attachment to this world."

"If you can make a comeback, I can die in peace."

From Tang Manjin's tone, Hong Chaoge could tell that the other party had lost the will to live.

He sighed and said:

"Since you've made up your mind, I won't try to persuade you anymore!"

"Old Tang, we are brothers in this life, and I hope we will still be brothers in the next life."

"Don't worry, when I make a comeback, I will definitely write a monument to you."

Tang Manjin shook his head and smiled bitterly:

"I'll skip erecting monuments and writing biographies; such empty titles mean nothing to me."

"However, our Tang family still has branches in Hebei. We only hope that Chaoge can help our Tang family's branches grow stronger and prevent our Tang family line from dying out!"

this moment,
His tone was filled with loneliness and desolation.

Hong Chaoge covered her face and wept, not knowing what to say.

Tang Manjin bowed to him and said:

"Chaoge, you should take your men and leave quickly. Take advantage of the night and retreat towards the south gate."

"I will lead my troops to stop Ximentang's army—!"

finished,

Tang Manjin turned and left without looking back.

-

Around 3 a.m. the next day.

Ximentang intensified its offensive, bombarding the city walls of Jiujiang Prefecture relentlessly.

at this time,

The defenses of Jiujiang Prefecture have completely collapsed, and all the soldiers have lost their fighting spirit.

The key issue is that the common people also rioted and did not want to go up the city wall to their deaths.

Tang Manjin, covered in blood, walked along the city wall, a long sword in his hand, directing his elite troops to escort civilians onto the wall.

but,

Ximentang wouldn't wait for him to mobilize civilians as cannon fodder.

Less than half an hour after the attack began in the early morning, the elite battalion of the Ximentang Special Operations Regiment had directly stormed the city walls of Jiujiang Prefecture.

Break through the city gates!

The Sharp Knife Battalion is known as the most elite special forces unit of the Ximentang Special Operations Regiment, and can even be called the most powerful infantry force in the Great Qian Dynasty.

A battalion's strength is comparable to a thousand troops.

During the capture of the capital, the Sharp Knife Battalion routed tens of thousands of elite troops under Prince Ning, Li Mu, causing them to flee in disarray.

Therefore,
The combat effectiveness of the elite vanguard battalion is self-evident.

Once the elite guerrillas break through and occupy the city gates of Jiujiang Prefecture, it will be virtually impossible to drive them out of the city again.

One side was riding high on momentum, while the other side was demoralized.

The outcome of this battle is obvious.

After the vanguard battalion captured the city gates of Jiujiang Prefecture, they began to expand their gains, and Ximentang's elite troops began to charge into the city.

This time, no heavy-armored brigades were used in the assault, out of concern that too many civilians might be harmed.

When Tang Manjin's elite troops rushed to the city gate to block them, Ximentang's elite guerrilla battalion had already firmly established itself, captured the city gate of Jiujiang Prefecture, and immediately constructed defensive fortifications.

at this time,

Almost no one could possibly drive Ximentang's elite cavalry out of the city again.

Tang Manjin's elite troops suffered several thousand casualties, and even with the support of the Kwantung Army's elite troops from the flank, they could only block Ximentang at the west gate of Jiujiang Prefecture.

Xu Xiaodao was overjoyed when the west gate of Jiujiang Prefecture was breached.

With the city gates breached, Jiujiang Prefecture will be easily captured next.

Faced with Ximentang's overwhelming firepower, any defense would be destroyed.

"Come on—!"

With a loud shout, Ximentang's attack became extremely fierce at this moment.

However, at that moment, a group of well-equipped people rushed over from the south gate of Jiujiang Prefecture.

Leading the group was none other than Yagyu Asahi, a valiant general left behind in Jiujiang Prefecture by the Kwantung Army.

The south gate of Jiujiang Prefecture was not the target of Ximentang's attack, as there was a river blocking the way, which was not conducive to Ximentang's charge.

Ximentang's main attack target was the west gate of Jiujiang Prefecture.

In the south gate direction, only one battalion of soldiers was assigned to guard the area.

but,

At this time, it can be seen that more than 50,000 enemy troops rushed out from the South Gate Street.

First came the Kwantung Army stationed in Jiujiang Prefecture, followed by the elite troops under Hong Chaoge.

After the West Gate was breached, the entire Jiujiang Prefecture was on the verge of falling.

A captain in charge of guarding the south gate, upon seeing so many enemy troops appear, quickly reported to his superiors.

After leading the elite troops of the Kwantung Army out of the South Gate, Yagyu Asahi took advantage of the lack of attack and obstruction from the West Gate and commanded his army to sweep past the South Gate and retreat directly towards Nanchang Prefecture.

Without pausing for a moment, it seemed they had already given up on Jiujiang Prefecture.

Seeing the enemy troops retreating quickly, the captain and battalion commander in charge of guarding Ximentang was dumbfounded.

He had previously received information that the Kwantung Army and Hong Chaoge's elite troops in Jiujiang Prefecture would hold out to the death.

Even the various street fighting and trench defenses within Jiujiang City were prepared.

only,
He never expected that the Kwantung Army and Hong Chaoge would lead their troops in a desperate retreat.

The key is,
At the west gate of Jiujiang Prefecture, the defending troops are still putting up a fierce resistance, and the fighting is extremely intense.

what's the situation?
Could it be a feint, deliberately launching a fierce counterattack from the west to draw away the main force of the West Gate, and then escaping through the south gate under the cover of night?

The captain of the Ximen Hall battalion immediately reported to Chen Jie and sent out scouts to pursue the fleeing enemy troops.

The enemy had more than 50,000 troops, while he had less than 1,000.

The disparity in numbers was too great, and he hadn't prepared an ambush in advance, so he could only watch helplessly as the enemy retreated.

He didn't even dare let the scouts follow too closely, lest they be outflanked by the enemy.

only,
After leaving the city, the Kwantung Army seemed to have been prepared, leaving a group of men to cover their retreat while the rest quickly withdrew.

Upon receiving the news, Chen Jie immediately realized that Hong Chaoge and the Kwantung Army had escaped through the south gate.

but,

Hong Chaoge has already escaped, so why is the resistance in Jiujiang Prefecture so fierce now?
Chen Jie had some doubts, and instructed Xu Xiaodao:
"All troops prepare for a general offensive and capture Jiujiang Prefecture before dawn!"

At this time, the soldiers guarding the western city wall of Jiujiang Prefecture already knew that Hong Chaoge and the Guandong Army had withdrawn.

The morale of the army completely collapsed.

“Run away—!”

Someone shouted, and many of the city's soldiers turned and fled to the side.

Many of the defending soldiers laid down their weapons, raised their hands high, and surrendered.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the entire city wall of Jiujiang Prefecture was filled with elite soldiers from Ximen Hall.

Tang Manjin, who was directing the resistance against the Ximentang Sharp Knife Battalion, knew that Hong Chaoge and the Guandong Army had withdrawn from Jiujiang Prefecture.

He suddenly threw his head back and laughed wildly, then walked into the city like a madman.

His elite troops escorted him as he left, and Tang Manjin withdrew from the battlefield.

The other garrison scattered like birds and beasts, they all dispersed.

Instead of retreating, Tang Manjin led over a thousand elite troops into Jiujiang Prefecture.

at this time,

The people of Jiujiang Prefecture were in complete chaos, with fleeing soldiers everywhere, burning, killing, looting, and trying to grab their last bit of money to escape.

"Run! Ximen Tang has breached the city gates!"

"Quick! General Hong has abandoned us! Run!"

"Run towards the south gate! Quick, there are fewer people at the south gate!"

Various sounds rang out within Jiujiang Prefecture.

Next,
The Ximentang infantry entered the city through the west gate of Jiujiang Prefecture and began to mop up the remaining defeated soldiers.

Click——!
After returning to his residence, Tang Manjin opened the gate to the courtyard.

He turned to his nearly one thousand subordinates and said:

"Brothers, I'm so sorry! I led you all away from the capital hoping you would all rise to prominence, but unfortunately, it all fell apart!"

"Here is ten thousand silver dollars. Each of you take ten silver dollars, do this last thing, and then flee!"

Then,

In the yard, a large pile of bags had already been neatly arranged.

Each bag contained ten silver dollars, and a dozen or so servants were responsible for distributing them.

In less than ten minutes, all the soldiers received a bag and bowed, saying:
"General, take care!"

Tang Manjin let out a long breath, a hint of melancholy in his eyes, and said:

"Go! Leave immediately after you've finished your task and head to Guangfu City in the Guangdong and Guangxi region to find General Hong!"

Wow——!
Thousands of elite soldiers scattered and quickly disappeared into the streets of Jiujiang Prefecture.

After watching everyone leave, Tang Manjin threw his head back and laughed wildly.

He threw down the longsword in his hand and walked into the house.

at this time,

His wives were all dressed in brand new clothes.

The two concubines turned pale with fright, but dared not make a move.

Tang Manjin looked at his wives and concubines and said calmly:

"Now that you've married into the Tang family, you're born into the Tang family and will die into the Tang family. This is your fate, and I hope you won't hate me!"

The house was covered in grease.

He had already resolved to die long before he planned to let Hong Chaoge leave.

The Tang family is finished; he had no intention of living alone.

boom--!
next moment,
Tang Manjin lit a flint and threw it at the oil-soaked wooden table.

Flames rose and burned fiercely.

The flames ignited quickly upon contact with the grease, and Tang Manjin stepped forward, tightly embracing his wives and concubines.

The two concubines struggled violently, but how could they break free?

In less than a minute, the fire engulfed the people and completely set the house ablaze, with flames shooting into the sky.

After Tang Manjin's residence was engulfed in flames, it had a domino effect.

Flames were constantly erupting from the streets surrounding Jiujiang Prefecture.

Hundreds of houses were set ablaze almost simultaneously.

obviously,
These places had already been prepared and oiled, just waiting to be lit at the same time.

To everyone's horror, in less than half an hour, the entire Jiujiang Prefecture was engulfed in flames.

The elite troops of Ximentang did not enter the streets of Jiujiang Prefecture, but remained at the outer city wall, thus avoiding damage from the fire.

Many of the soldiers who initially infiltrated Jiujiang Prefecture suffered more than half casualties after the fire.

The worst off were the soldiers of Jiujiang Prefecture who were originally prepared to surrender and the innocent civilians. They had nowhere to retreat within the city and could only be burned to death by the fire.

In less than half an hour, the entire Jiujiang Prefecture was completely engulfed in flames.

"Damn it—!"

Chen Jie stood on the city wall of Jiujiang Prefecture, looking up at everything in front of him, his anger blazing.

but,

Faced with the raging fire, he was helpless at that moment.

With such a fierce fire, it's simply impossible to extinguish it; the only option is to wait for it to go out on its own.

Clearly, Hong Chaoge and Tang Manjin had been planning this massive fire for many days; it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Even the Kwantung Army was involved.

As long as Hong Chaoge and the Kwantung Army retreat, the raging fire in Jiujiang Prefecture will block Ximentang's path to continue the pursuit.

In the current situation, Ximentang is only busy rescuing people, so where would he have time to pursue them?
As for how many people can be saved, that depends on luck.

Fortunately, there was a large lake called Bali Lake in the city, and many civilians and defeated soldiers jumped into Bali Lake to save their lives when the fire was burning.

"Hong Chaoge, don't let me catch you! Otherwise, I'll make sure you suffer the punishment of being torn to pieces."

Looking at the raging fire that engulfed Jiujiang Prefecture, Chen Jie silently made a vow. (End of Chapter)