North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 282 Fires the First Shot in the Counterattack!
The expeditionary fleet, commanded by Shi Dakai, departed from San Francisco in early July, stopping at Hawaii, Wake Island, and Guam for resupply and rest.

California has established its own supply ports in these three island ports.

These ports had also made ample preparations in advance to provide sufficient supplies for this massive fleet.

On the contrary, the Kingdom of Hawaii, the American Far East Fleet, and the Spanish Governor's Office of Guam, where these three supply ports were located, were terrified and panicked by the sudden appearance of such a large fleet!
The Pacific Ocean is so vast, yet such a massive fleet is utterly invincible.

Wherever their troops pointed, they had no rivals!

Fortunately, this massive fleet's target is not them... at least not yet!
After a voyage that lasted more than a month and spanned half the globe, and following three resupply and rest stops, the massive fleet finally approached its final destination in mid-August 1854.

However, under Shi Dakai's command, this massive fleet did not rush to launch a full-scale attack.

The fleet is temporarily anchored in the open sea, dozens of nautical miles away.

Shi Dakai dispatched only three merchant ships, disguised as ordinary ocean-going steamships of the Huamei Shipping Company, to break away from the fleet and slowly sail into the Pearl River Estuary.

During this era, the Qing Dynasty placed great importance on the coastal defense of the Pearl River Estuary and the Guangzhou area.

To strengthen coastal defense, the Qing Dynasty established three lines of defense.

The first line of defense was the throat of Humen, Shajiao and Dajiao Forts.

The second line of defense consisted of the Humen Fortress, the Weiyuan Fort, and the Zhenyuan Fort.

The third line of defense consisted of the Huangpu-Guangzhou inland river, Wuyong, and the Liede Forts (East Fort and West Fort).

These three lines of defense, six fortified battery groups, had a total of 160 shore guns, nearly 7,000 troops, including naval and Green Standard Army soldiers, and 112 warships.

Judging by the numbers alone, the coastal defense of the Pearl River Estuary is undeniably robust!
However, a closer examination of these shore artillery pieces, naval vessels, and garrisons reveals just how vulnerable these seemingly formidable numbers are in this rapidly changing world!
The six battery groups had 160 shore guns, most of which were Red Coat Cannons, Divine Machine Cannons, and the so-called Divine Might General Cannons.

The technology of these cannons is at least two hundred years behind the world's level, and at best it can only be compared with the cannon technology of the late Ming Dynasty.

The only noteworthy point is that most of these forts were destroyed by British warships during the First Opium War. During the reconstruction process, seventy-two Krupp muzzle-loading guns were purchased from Prussia, giving them a fighting capacity.

Compared to shore artillery, the Qing Dynasty's navy deployed at the mouth of the Pearl River was even more rudimentary in its naval capabilities.

The fleet consisted of 112 warships, the vast majority of which were single-masted Fujian-style ships, weighing seventy or eighty tons, with a speed of three or four knots, and equipped with four cannons.

The six Western gunboats purchased from the East India Company were also paddle steamers that had been phased out by the company.

As for the seven thousand naval and Green Standard Army soldiers stationed there, they were rotten and corrupt, utterly incapable of fighting.

……

When the three Huamei Shipping Company merchant ships sailed into the Pearl River Estuary, the various forts along the way were already used to it, and no one stepped forward to stop or inspect them.

The three steam merchant ships slowly and steadily docked at the Guangzhou Port.

As soon as the three ships came to a stop, officers and soldiers from two battalions of the Second Army filed out of the ships.

When more than a thousand heavily armed elite soldiers methodically seized and controlled key locations throughout Guangzhou Port, no one understood what had happened!

The naval and Green Standard Army troops stationed in the port were all disarmed before they could even react!

"Bang, bang, bang...!"

A few clever Green Standard Army soldiers hid in corners and tried to return fire with their muskets, but they were quickly driven away by the overwhelming firepower.

The arquebuses widely used by the Qing army were copies of Portuguese matchlock guns from the 1620s, making them ancient relics. They were utterly ineffective against the Second Army's HM49 breech-loading rifles and even the HM51 water-cooled machine guns.

Hengqi, the Guangdong Customs Superintendent, suddenly heard sporadic gunshots outside the government office and couldn't help but slam his fist on the table and stand up.

"Outrageous! Where are you firing shots from... Send men out and check it out immediately!"

"Yes, sir...!"

His subordinates immediately led several minor officials out of the customs office to investigate the situation.

But in the blink of an eye, the subordinate led his clerks back in a panic.

"It's terrible, sir! Soldiers are everywhere outside... and they're heading straight for our yamen!"

Hengqi's eyes widened in shock: "Nonsense! Where did these soldiers come from? How can there be soldiers everywhere...?"

Before he finished speaking, hundreds of soldiers in gray uniforms, wearing helmets and leather boots, looking spirited and menacing, rushed into the customs office through the main gate.

These soldiers in uniform gray uniforms stormed into the customs office and, without saying a word, immediately disarmed all the officials.

Several soldiers, without saying a word, dragged Hengqi, who was sitting high in his official position, into the main hall.

"How dare you...you...you know where this is?"

Hengqi was born into the Manchu Plain White Banner. Even among the Eight Banners, he was a nobleman of the Upper Three Banners, a member of the Emperor's personal guard, and enjoyed the highest honor.

Moreover, as the third-rank Guangzhou Customs Superintendent, nicknamed "Emperor's Southern Treasury," he was directly under the Emperor's command, and even the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi and the Governor of Guangdong had no jurisdiction over him.

Even though Hengqi's legs were trembling, he forced himself to stay upright and angrily rebuked these soldiers of unknown origin.

"Do you know that this is the Guangzhou Customs Superintendent's Office... I am an official of the third rank appointed by the imperial court!"

"Where did you rabble come from, and how dare you be so disrespectful to this officer...!"

"Heh heh...!" A cold laugh rang out as a young colonel with two bars and three stars stepped forward from the crowd and sneered at Heng Qi, "We're after you, a mere third-rank official from the Qing Dynasty...!"

This young colonel with two bars and three stars is none other than Xu Lin!

Two years ago, during the Panama War, Xu Lin, who was just a captain and company commander, was promoted three ranks after graduating from the California Military Academy because of his bravery, decisiveness, outstanding military achievements, and the continuous expansion of the army. He is now a regimental commander!
As the commander of the 127th Regiment of the 54th Division of the Second Army, he was personally appointed by Shi Dakai as the vanguard to seize Guangzhou Port.

He led two battalions of over a thousand officers and soldiers, whose main task was to seize and hold Guangzhou Port, and to make all necessary preparations for the landing of subsequent troops.

Hengqi was utterly shocked. He looked at the overly young officer and asked in a trembling voice, "You... what kind of army are you from? Could it be... could it be the Taiping Army that has attacked?"

"The Taiping Army... Ha! That rabble doesn't even dare to compare itself to us!"

Xu Lin didn't answer, but instead sneered: "Come on, tie them all up and throw them in jail!"

Although it is a customs office, it also has a prison specifically for smugglers.

A moment later, Hengqi and dozens of officials were all bound tightly and locked up with the smugglers in the prison.

After easily taking control of the customs office, Xu Lin walked to his high-ranking official position, looked around for a moment, and finally sat down.

"Tsk tsk...!"

Xu Lin wiggled his hips, feeling that the official chair with its silk cushions underneath was quite comfortable to sit on.

Xu Lin straightened his back and surveyed the hall below with a dignified gaze, exuding an aura of authority.

"No wonder everyone wants to be an official, hehe!" Xu Lin couldn't help but grin. "I never thought I'd actually sit in a third-rank official's chair one day!"

Three or four years ago, Xu Lin was just a fisherman in a small fishing village next to Kowloon Tong. He had attended a private school for two years and could barely read and write.

Because it was difficult to make a living in his hometown, he boarded a clipper ship bound for the other side of the ocean.

In just three or four years, Xu Lin's life has undergone earth-shattering changes.

He went from being a poor fisherman who couldn't afford to eat to becoming a soldier in the California National Guard, and because he was literate, he was promoted and trained to become an officer.

Because of his military achievements and outstanding performance, he entered a military academy, where he studied extensively and rose through the ranks to become the commander of a regiment!

Now, he is leading the Second Army and firing the first shot in the recapture of his hometown in Guangdong!
As long as Xu Lin can survive and complete this mission, making a great start, his future is limitless!
……

A company of soldiers had taken complete control of the customs office, inside and out.

The other key locations were also swiftly captured by the officers and soldiers of the 127th Regiment, and signalmen kept coming in to report the progress.

"Report, Commander, our 7th Company of the 2nd Battalion has encountered no resistance and has taken control of Xiaodongmen, Bianmen, and Yongqingmen...!"

"Report, Commander, our 1st Company of the 1st Battalion has secured Wuxianmen, Jinghaimen, Youlanmen, and Zhulanmen. Our company has no casualties...!"

"Report, Commander, our 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion is attacking the West Fort. The progress is going smoothly, and we expect to take it in half an hour...!"

"Report, Commander, our 5th Company of the 2nd Battalion is attacking the East Fort. The enemy is putting up a stubborn resistance and is expected to take another hour...!"

"Report, Commander! Our 2nd Company, 1st Battalion, has secured several key entrances to the inner city and is rapidly setting up machine gun and mortar positions to block reinforcements from the inner city…!" "Report, Commander! Our 6th Company, 2nd Battalion, has taken control of Yongfeng Granary. We encountered only sporadic resistance, and the grain inside was undamaged…!"

"Report, Commander, our 4th Company of the 1st Battalion has captured the Governor's Office. We encountered weak resistance, but we failed to capture Governor-General Ye Mingchen of Guangdong and Guangxi!"

Xu Lin raised a thick eyebrow: "What happened? How did Ye Mingchen get away?"

"According to the prisoners, Governor Ye Mingchen happened to be holding a meeting at the Inner City Governor's Office, not at the Governor's Office, but our Fourth Company captured his family members...!"

"He's just incredibly lucky!"

One battle report after another was delivered to the customs office and to Xu Lin in a continuous stream.

A huge battle map had been laid out on the massive official desk in front of Xu Lin.

Whenever a new battle report arrived, the regimental staff would mark the latest developments on the map with a pencil.

Xu Lin rested his hands on the table, observing the changes on the map, and said in a deep voice, "The mission assigned to us by the commander is to capture the port and hold the outer city for at least 24 hours!"

"With our two battalions of 1,200 men, it would be quite difficult to completely control the outer city and port area; we can only control the key points."

As he spoke, Xu Lin pointed to the locations on the map: "The two artillery positions, one to the east and one to the west, must be taken down as soon as possible, otherwise they will inevitably block the landing of the main force!"

An advisor replied, "The east and west forts are under attack. It is estimated that they will be completely captured in about an hour."

Xu Lin shook his head: "The speed is still too slow. We must take it down in one fell swoop before the Qing army can react."

"Otherwise, once the Qing reinforcements arrive, the difficulty of taking the two forts will increase significantly."

"So, what does the commander mean...?"

Xu Lin said, "Send out the only reserve force, the Eighth Company, to speed up the attack on the two forts."

"We must capture both forts within half an hour and repel any possible reinforcements."

"Understood, Commander...!"

……

After capturing most of the key points in the outer city, only the two artillery positions located outside the city remained in battle.

In an instant, gunfire erupted around the two forts!
Although the Qing army's defenses were lax and its firearms were outdated, the two forts were in strategically important locations, making it difficult to capture them quickly.

……

Meanwhile, the various government offices and garrison troops in the inner city finally snapped out of their shock.

Inside the inner city, at the governor's office, Ye Mingchen, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, who was discussing matters with Bai Gui, the Governor of Guangdong, had already heard the booming cannon fire coming from the outer city.

When the subordinates who had been sent out to gather information returned, General Mu Te'en of Guangzhou, Jiang Guolin, the Guangdong Provincial Treasurer, Shen Dihui, the Guangdong Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, Tao Yu, the Guangdong Admiral, Wu Yuanyou, the Naval Admiral, and others also hurriedly arrived at the Governor's Office in sedan chairs and on horseback.

For a time, almost all of Guangdong's top officials gathered together.

General Mutten of Guangzhou was the first to lose his composure.

Among the many officials, he, as the General of Guangzhou, held the highest official rank, being a first-rank official.

But in terms of real power, this Guangzhou General was probably the least powerful. The several thousand Eight Banners troops under Mutten's command had long been a mere figurehead.

As soon as the officials took their seats, Mutern, who was seated on the right at the head of the table, asked hastily, without even taking a sip of tea, "Governor Ye, what's going on with the cannon fire from the outer city and the two forts on the east and west? Have you found out anything?"

"Zhitai" is an honorific title for the governor-general.

Governor-General Ye Mingchen stroked his beard and said, "I have not yet received any reports from the various government offices and military units in the outer city, but the spies I sent out have already gathered a general understanding..."

"According to reports from scouts, over a thousand soldiers in gray uniforms have already captured most of the outer city and are intensifying their attack on the east and west forts...!"

"What……?"

Mutern sprang to his feet from his official chair: "Where did these thousands of soldiers come from? How did they take over most of the outer city so easily? Why didn't we hear a single word about it?"

Ye Mingchen replied, "According to rumors, these thousands of soldiers came from three Western merchant ships...!"

"What……?"

Upon hearing this, the officials were once again utterly shocked.

"Could it be that Western warships have invaded again?!"

The shadow of the last Opium War has not yet dissipated, and many people still vividly remember the flames of that war.

Hearing that over a thousand soldiers had disembarked from Western merchant ships and captured the outer city, these officials of considerable rank immediately thought that Western warships had invaded again!

Ye Mingchen shook his head: "According to the scouts, those soldiers were all Qing people, and most of them spoke fluent Cantonese...!"

"What...what exactly is going on? Qing people, speaking fluent Cantonese...could it be the Taiping Army?!"

Ye Mingchen shook his head again: "The scouts reported that those soldiers have extremely strong firepower and extremely strict military discipline and appearance. They are simply not comparable to the rabble of the Taiping Army!"

"Governor Ye, the more you talk, the more confused we become... Where did these soldiers come from?"

"Ahem...!" Ye Mingchen coughed twice, forcing himself to calm down, and said, "The most important thing now is not to find out where their soldiers came from, but to retake the outer city and hold the east and west forts...!"

Ye Mingchen continued, "My headquarters is located in the outer city. I don't know if it has also fallen into enemy hands. If it has, then my family...!"

At this point, Ye Mingchen shuddered, and sweat immediately beaded on his forehead.

Ye Mingchen quickly put that thought out of his mind and said, "Most of my four battalions are stationed at the West Training Ground! I have already ordered the four battalions to prepare for battle, and they will be able to support the West Fort in no time..."

After a moment's thought, Mutten said, "I will immediately gather the Eight Banners troops and fight our way back to the outer city!"

The Eight Banner soldiers, along with their families, were all settled in the inner city.

If the goal is to retake the outer city, the most direct and convenient way is for the Eight Banners troops to break out from the inner city!
Guangdong Admiral Tao Yu and Naval Admiral Wu Yuanyou replied in unison, "Our Green Standard Army and navy are mainly stationed at Dongjiaochang, and will support Dongpaotai from there, how about that?"

"That's wonderful...!"

Ye Mingchen nodded and said, "Then let's arrange it this way! Gentlemen, we must recapture the outer city and hold the east and west forts today... Otherwise, if the court holds us accountable, we will all be punished!"

"Rest assured, Governor-General, we will do our utmost and fight to the death!"

Upon receiving the military order, the officers immediately took their leave and went to mobilize the troops.

The remaining civil officials still surrounded Ye Mingchen, chattering and discussing amongst themselves.

Governor Bai Gui of Guangdong asked urgently, "In your opinion, Your Excellency, where exactly do these soldiers come from?"

Ye Mingchen pondered for a long time, and finally shook his head helplessly, saying, "Their firepower is so strong, and their military discipline is so strict, that they are even better than the Western soldiers!"

"And yet they are all Qing dynasty people, speaking fluent Cantonese... This is really too difficult to fathom!"

"Gentlemen, there's no need to guess anymore! Once we capture a few prisoners, we'll find out the truth through questioning...!"

Unexpectedly, before Ye Mingchen could finish speaking, a military officer rushed forward and reported in a panic, "Your Excellency, something terrible has happened!"

"What is it...?" Ye Mingchen raised an eyebrow and reprimanded, "As an elite member of the Commander's Guard, how can you be so panicked in the face of trouble?"

The Governor's personal guard consisted of three or four battalions, totaling three to four thousand elite soldiers.

The governors' battalion was mostly composed of elites selected from the Green Standard Army and the Eight Banners, and it was also a symbol of the governors' prestige.

Seeing his subordinates so panicked in front of all the esteemed officials made Ye Mingchen feel utterly humiliated.

The officer swiftly flicked his sleeve before kneeling on one knee and reporting, "Your Excellency, just now, the East and West Forts were breached almost simultaneously by a ragtag army of unknown origin…!"

"What...?" Ye Mingchen and a group of high-ranking officials jumped up in shock almost simultaneously.

"How could it be so fast!"

"Those are two fortified gun emplacements... It hasn't even been half an hour since the cannons started firing... How is this possible?!"

(End of this chapter)