Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 373 Attack on Pontianak
A night of rapid travel.

At the darkest moment before dawn, Colonel Zheng Guoliang, Duke of Mingdu Luo, who was riding on his horse, took out his gold pocket watch. The clear fluorescent light on it showed that it was 4:37 in the morning, and commands came one after another from the marching army.

"Stop advancing! Order all units to rest on the spot, take a headcount, and report any injured or stragglers immediately."

"Stop moving forward! Take a break, brothers, and drink some water."

"Send the order to check weapons and equipment, straighten clothes and leggings. If anyone has any personal problems, go to the bushes nearby to solve them. It will be faster."

At this time, intelligence came from the front that the town of Luban where the Lan Fang army was gathered was only about 2 kilometers away. It was dark at night and the visibility was unclear. The large group of troops could not be seen from more than three or four hundred meters away.

The total number of troops participating in the overnight raid was about 2350 officers and soldiers, including an artillery team of more than 6 people, pulling 10 -pound Parrot rifled cannons.

This type of artillery was the standard equipment of the Chu Army and was easily discovered.

Colonel Zheng Guoliang was not worried. His elder brother was the King of Chu, and he himself held a prestigious title as a top noble. He had experienced and been involved in the high-level political competition between countries, and knew that this kind of thing could only be concealed from the lower levels but not from the higher levels.

We are not afraid of the Dutch.

This time, Colonel Zheng Guoliang had been planning for a long time to take advantage of the identity of the remnants of the Dagang Company's army to capture the Lan Fang Kingdom in one fell swoop, and he had the secret support of the Governor of East Malaya, He Xian.

As a Duke of Mingdu Luo, Colonel Zheng Guoliang must have outstanding achievements, otherwise it will be difficult for him to gain a foothold in the army and he will not be able to stand firm in front of a group of meritorious veterans.

No matter where he went, he still had his eyes on Lan Fangguo, the soft persimmon.

Colonel Zheng Guoliang had intentionally or unintentionally tried to probe His Majesty, but all he got was a cold "humph" and a glare, but no further words were said.

This gave Colonel Zheng Guoliang great confidence and he understood what His Majesty meant.

Huang Guisan, the nominal commander-in-chief of the Dagang Army, and Colonel Hu Jinqi soon came over and set up a simple command post next to a small wood to discuss pre-war deployment.

According to the investigation report
The total number of Lan Fang troops stationed in Luban Town was about 5,000, but there were only a thousand or so wearing the Qing Dynasty's green camp uniforms. They were all equipped with flintlock muskets and all lived in the town.

no doubt
This is Liu Asheng's personal army. Lan Fang State does not have any formal army.
Then these 3,500 direct troops wearing the Qing Dynasty Green Camp uniforms should be the government army.

The others were in mixed uniforms, and at first glance they were militia and brave men from mines all over the place, some holding guns, some holding swords, and so on.

There were also some mine owners who rode horses, carried bows and arrows, and had revolvers on their waists, and their outfit was weird.

All in all, it is a ragtag army.

Discussed for a while
The final battle deployment was made by Colonel Hu Jinqi. No matter how many miscellaneous troops the Lan Fang Army had, the Dagang Army would only go one way.

Like a hammer, it hit hard.

Gathering the entire army's strength, they attacked the center directly, completely defeated the main force of the Lan Fang army, and then surrounded and annihilated them from multiple directions.

The attack was scheduled to begin at 6:30 in the morning. After daybreak, the Dagang Army, all equipped with Manila rifles, would have an absolute advantage in weapons.

Now that they have rushed in and made a mess, their own losses will be even greater.

No matter in any era

Night combat is the most difficult art of warfare. Without well-trained elite soldiers at hand, no general would dare to launch a large-scale night battle without authorization.

Time passed quietly, and soon a hint of dawn appeared in the night sky.

The cool morning light broke the reign of darkness, and the outlines of villages, towns, mountains and woods in the distance were faintly revealed. It was almost six o'clock in the morning.

The soldiers lying on the roadside had worked hard all night, and many of them fell asleep with their guns in their arms, snoring sweetly.

Those who can do this are veterans. They have experienced too many life and death situations and too many bullets flying on the battlefield, and they always use every moment to restore their spirits.

Colonel Zheng Guoguang and Colonel Hu Jinqi, who were standing at the edge of the woods, saw this scene and looked at each other with deep emotion.

Three years ago, during the war with Britain and France, the soldiers were guarding their positions like this. Covered in smoke, they would just take off their positions, hold their guns, and fall asleep anywhere.

It was the victory of that war that made the State of Chu famous today.

Even far away in Europe, many middle and upper class people knew that there was a powerful Chinese country in Southeast Asia called Chu.

At 6:15 in the morning

The officers immediately ordered all the soldiers to get up. The soldiers who were still sleeping soundly were kicked forward and urged to get up quickly, form a team, check their weapons and equipment, and check their uniforms and leggings.

Invisibly, a solemn and murderous atmosphere quietly spread.

At this time, experienced veterans would take out steamed buns, some of which had a few pieces of meat inside, and eat them with cold water.

This kind of continuous battle during the night raid had no food or water, not to mention washing. The soldiers had to carry only dry food with them and fight continuously.

If you don’t bring it, I’m sorry, you will have to go hungry.

If you win the battle, you will have everything.

At half past six, the sky was already completely bright, a hint of morning glow appeared in the distant sky, and the early morning sun was about to rise.

The well-prepared Dagang army advanced in four columns side by side. The entire army of more than 2350 people, like a highly efficient war machine, fiercely pounced on Luban Town.

The journey of nearly two kilometers was completed in just twenty minutes.

When the Dagang Army, which was marching in formation, was approaching the town entrance, they were discovered. The idle brave men on the other side seemed to not believe their eyes. They rubbed their eyes with their hands and looked over again, then shouted in fear.

At this time, the Dagang Army was only 300 meters away from the town entrance. The leading officer waved his hand and ordered them to run forward.

The attacking Dagang Army immediately ran and quickly approached the town entrance.

At this moment

Ding Yong, who was the first to discover the enemy situation, shouted and called more people over, pointing at the approaching Dagang army with a look of horror on his face.

No one knew what was said, but the dozen or so brave men who had gathered around him immediately scattered and fled like frightened rabbits.

Until they ran into the town entrance, the Lan Fang army did not launch any decent resistance, but allowed the Dagang army to advance straight in, and then the whole town was in chaos.

The streets were filled with brave men running around, some shirtless, some clutching guns, some shouting to their companions. It was a scene of sheer chaos. How could the Dagang Army let go of such a promising opportunity?

The Dagang Army quickly formed an attack formation. Bursts of crisp volleys of gunfire rang out like popping beans, echoing over the sky of Luban Town. The strong smell of gunpowder and blood quickly spread.

The short and not fierce battle lasted for more than 40 minutes, and then the troops were divided into several groups to pursue the defeated enemy.

The battle ended at around nine in the morning. Liu Asheng and other leaders were able to escape because they had horses and were protected by more than 200 personal soldiers. They fled back to the Pontianak base camp without looking back.

The remaining 3920 people were killed or wounded, more than people were captured, and the rest escaped.

All the more than a thousand elite soldiers brought by Liu Asheng were destroyed, either killed in battle or captured, and only dozens of people were able to escape.

The Dagang Army suffered only 11 casualties, two of whom were killed by stray bullets, and another 9 were injured to varying degrees, achieving a complete victory.

For this battle
Colonel Zheng Guoliang was too lazy to comment. Using the elite military force to defeat the ragtag army was as smooth as a knife cutting through butter, without any suspense.

Considering that if the war dragged on for a long time, the Dutch army might intervene, so the Dagang Army prepared to take Pontianak and the capital of Lan Fang Kingdom, Dongwanlu, in one fell swoop, ending the chaotic situation cleanly and neatly.

So after a big lunch at noon, more than 2,000 militiamen from Sankouyang in the rear also arrived.

The Dagang Army immediately set off and continued to pursue southward, planning to reach Pontianak in two days of rapid march.

On the other side

After the defeat, Liu Asheng and his dozens of companions fled in panic on horseback like a stray dog. They covered a distance of more than 100 kilometers in one day and returned to the Pontianak base camp in the evening.

At this time, the 1500 reinforcements ordered to be gathered had not yet been assembled. There were only 700 direct troops and more than able-bodied men from a dozen or so mines in the surrounding area. The rest could not arrive in a short time.

Upon hearing the news of the great defeat at the front, the faces of the mine owners suddenly darkened, all kinds of thoughts emerged, and the atmosphere became subtle.

Liu Asheng and others hurried back to the mansion, drank some water in big gulps, and ate some food voraciously, and then collapsed on the exquisitely carved couch, like a lazy dog ​​with its spine pulled out.

"It's bad, Chief. All the Ding Yongs we summoned have escaped. Many of our personal guards have also dispersed after hearing the rumors. Please quickly bring out some rules." Anxious Deputy Chief Lu Liang ran in to report.

Liu Asheng sat up in shock and asked anxiously, "Are you all dead? How did it become like this?"

"Rumor has it that there was a great defeat at the front. The people are demoralized and cannot be stopped." Deputy Chief Lu Liang looked miserable.

Not only did these brave men run away, but also the Chinese mine owners, landowners and heads of major Chinese families who had gathered at the sound of the drum all fled in panic.

The Dagang Army that attacked was not some vicious beast. It was also the armed force of the Chinese, not an invasion by foreign races. At most, a new leader would rule the Lan Fang, which would have little impact on these Chinese families.

If that’s the case, then why should we follow the Liu family all the way to the end?

Many big Chinese families have already smelled something. For example, old bastards like Huang Bingqing and He Jian have disappeared. They are probably surrendering to the Dagang Army, and they may even want to use the Liu family as a gift.

Since this boat has sunk, let's just change it.

Many Chinese families have experienced the baptism of war and dynasty changes, and have their own ways of self-preservation. It is impossible for them to risk their lives and property to resist the Liu family to the end.

Once you understand this, the choice becomes easier.

"Then why didn't you stop them?" Liu Asheng asked loudly and angrily, but he couldn't finish his words.

Realizing that he had been abandoned by everyone and was in a situation where he was being beaten by everyone, Liu Asheng's face quickly fell, from red with anger to pale, and his raised hand fell down limply.

Now the situation is irreversible.

With the one or two thousand guns that the Liu family now controls, it is simply a fantasy to want to stop the fierce attack of the Dagang Army.

Liu Asheng's subordinates were not blind. Although the uniforms of the Dagang Army were of mixed colors, they all wore suede leather shoes, which were the standard leather shoes of the Chu Army.

Moreover, the soldiers of the Dagang Army were all equipped with Manila rifles. This kind of advanced standard rifle was equipped by Chu’s army. I have never heard of any other force in Southeast Asia being able to equip it with it.
This is like lice on a bald head, it couldn't be more obvious.

At this time, Liu Asheng regretted very much that he had rejected the olive branch from the State of Chu. That was a hereditary title of at least a marquis, and he would definitely be a noble in the upper class of the State of Chu.

I always think that it is better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

Who would have thought that the State of Chu was so unrefined that it couldn't even get the top spot until now. It was in a panic like a stray dog, and even the foundation and wealth of its ancestors that had been built up for more than a hundred years were all destroyed in one day.

To say that it was heart-wrenching would not be an exaggeration.

At this time, Liu Asheng thought of the cruel methods used by the Chu State to treat the conquered. Whether it was the Spanish colonists, the Sultanate of Aceh or the Brooke royal family, they were all inexplicably wiped out, and not even a bloodline was left.

He was surrounded by fear, his body trembling uncontrollably, and he persuaded in a dry voice:
"Brother Lu, the Chu people have always been ruthless and ruthless, pursuing a ruthless approach of wiping out the enemy completely. In this critical moment, I hope the Lu family can join my Liu family and temporarily retreat to Batavia to avoid the limelight. One day, the Dutch will help us fight back and reclaim everything we have lost."

"Thank you, Mr. General, but it's not necessary." Deputy Chief Lu Liang smiled bitterly, shook his head, rejected Liu Asheng's kindness, and said with a somewhat lonely look:
"My Lu family has been operating in West Kalimantan for over a hundred years. Our mines, farmland, and mansions are all here. Our close family members are all here, as is our ancestral hall and ancestral tablets. Even if I die, I want to die in Pontianak."

After saying this, he bowed, turned around and left with a somewhat lonely look on his face.

Seeing that he could not persuade him, Liu Asheng stamped his feet in anger and ordered the housekeeper beside him to quickly gather the Liu family members and prepare to pack up the gold and silver belongings and escape.

he knows very well

Given the brutal nature of the Chu people, it was impossible for them to leave behind the Liu clan. Other large Chinese clans might have a chance to survive, but the Liu clan definitely did not.

If you continue to stay, you will die.

Now, while the Dagang Army has not yet arrived, we should quickly pack up our finances, load the ship, and run away.

As for the current chaotic situation in Pontianak, where lives are in imminent danger, why should we care about it?

The important city of Lan Fang Kingdom has always been Pontianak. Although Dongwanlu, which is not far away, is the nominal capital of the country, it is actually a small town with a population of more than 10,000.

Around 1850, Dongwanlu had a population of only about . The whole city was lifeless and there were not many residents.

Although the population is larger now, it has not developed yet.

Pontianak is different. It is an old city with a population of more than 27 and the largest city in Lan Fang. The big Chinese families in the country have mansions and properties here. It is an absolute core town.

Once Pontianak was lost, the Lan Fang Kingdom would be destroyed.

(End of this chapter)