My Realistic Simulation Game

Chapter 265 Flames Soar into the Sky, the Beginning of Military Reorganization

July 10, 1858, night, outside Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province.

The night was as dark as ink, swallowing up the rolling hills and wilderness.

However, beneath this night that should have been silent, a suffocating atmosphere of impending doom was palpable.

The scattered torches, like will-o'-the-wisps, formed a moving sea of ​​light in the darkness, and a rough estimate puts the number of people at no less than 50,000.

This was a large army assembled by the Qing forces—the Green Standard Army from Jiangxi, the fierce soldiers of the Xiang Army from Hunan, local militias from Zhejiang, and the elite troops led by Generals Zhou Tianpei and Ming Antai, who were urgently transferred from the Jiangnan Grand Camp besieging Nanjing.

So many elite Qing troops were drawn to a corner of Zhejiang thanks to Shi Dakai.

He led over 100,000 elite Taiping troops to besiege Quzhou for several months, and dispatched generals such as Shi Zhenji and He Mingbiao to conquer surrounding prefectures and counties. His military might once threatened Hangzhou, a major financial center in Jiangnan, causing a stir in the Qing court, which issued strict orders for all sides to rush to its aid.

This strategic move objectively greatly relieved the pressure on the main battlefield of Tianjing, creating a rare opportunity for Chen Yucheng, Li Xiucheng and other troops to seize the chance to break through the Jiangbei camp.

However, at this moment, the battle at Quzhou City had reached a stalemate.

The Taiping army was bogged down beneath the fortified city, its troops exhausted and supplies dwindling, while Qing reinforcements continued to arrive, threatening to encircle Shi Dakai's forces.

After days of continuous rain, the roads were muddy and difficult to navigate, further complicating the march and combat operations.

In the preceding days, the Taiping army and the Qing army fought fiercely in the southern and southeastern routes, with casualties on both sides. Even the Qing general Fuxing was wounded by an arrow, but the overall situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for the Taiping army.

That very night, the Qing army once again amassed a large force, intending to break through the Taiping army's fortifications in the southeast direction in one fell swoop.

General Li Dingtai of Jiujiang, a Green Standard Army general who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, personally led a suicide squad, crawling on the ground and carefully removing obstacles such as bamboo stakes and plum blossom stakes in front of the camp.

Zhou Tianpei followed closely behind, holding a knife at his waist, looking tense.

However, as the troops drew closer to the Taiping army's camp, Li Dingtai's brow furrowed more and more.

He suddenly raised his hand, signaling the entire army to halt its advance.

"General Li, is there something wrong?" Zhou Tianpei asked in a low voice, his tone respectful.

Although Li Dingtai was not old, he was a veteran who had experienced the fierce battles of Jiujiang, and his intuition was often frighteningly accurate.

“Something’s not right… It’s too quiet.” Li Dingtai’s sharp gaze swept over the deathly silent camp ahead, his voice low and deep. “Even if it was a night raid and our army was operating covertly, Shi Dakai is no ordinary man. Wouldn’t he have sentries and hidden stakes around his camp? This silence is like an empty camp…”

Before the words were finished, the scouts sent out on horseback galloped back, panting, and reported: "Sir! The camp ahead... is empty! The Taiping rebels have already deserted the camp!"

"What? Shi Da has escaped?!" Zhou Tianpei exclaimed in shock, immediately drawing his sword and preparing to rise. "Chase him! We can't let him get away!"

Li Dingtai, however, pressed him down, "No need to pursue... It's already remarkable that he managed to escape unscathed before our army could encircle him. Our mission is to relieve the siege of Quzhou and drive him out of Zhejiang. As for where he might go..."

Li Dingtai looked towards the dark mountains to the south and said with certainty, "It must be heading south to Fujian."

He mounted his horse and looked toward the Taiping Army camp in the distance. Suddenly, a continuous stream of flames shot into the sky!

First, the Eastern Route Army camp caught fire, and in an instant, the Southern Route Army camp was also engulfed in flames. Then, the camps in the southeast and southwest were set ablaze one after another. The fire spread, turning the night sky red, stretching for twenty or thirty miles, and was a spectacular sight!
"Using fire as a signal, they withdrew their troops safely... Shi Dakai truly lived up to his reputation."

Li Dingtai murmured, a sense of admiration rising in his heart.

The firelight was not a sign of chaotic defeat, but rather a signal of an orderly retreat, indicating that Shi Dakai's army had safely fled far away.

Meanwhile, on the official road leading south, far from the battlefield of Quzhou, Shi Dakai's main force was marching swiftly through the night.

Although they successfully broke out of the Qing army's encirclement, the atmosphere in the army was quite somber.

After besieging Quzhou for more than three months and suffering heavy losses, the soldiers ultimately returned empty-handed, failing to capture this important town in western Zhejiang. Instead, they had to give up a large number of counties and prefectures in Zhejiang that they had already occupied, inevitably causing frustration and confusion among the soldiers.

If Shi Dakai had not enjoyed such high prestige within the army that he could subdue all sides, some generals would probably have already led their troops away on their own.

Qin Yuan, sitting on his tall horse, was fully aware of this.

It can be said that after Shi Dakai's failed attack on Quzhou, his myth of being an invincible general was shattered.

This southward move, seemingly a strategic shift, is in reality the beginning of its demise.

Historically, it was precisely because of the setback in Zhejiang that he was forced to move to Fujian. Furthermore, due to Hong Xiuquan's attempts to win him over and divide him, internal conflicts intensified, ultimately leading to widespread betrayal and alienation. Even his cousin Shi Zhenji and others dispersed their troops, resulting in a significant loss of strength. In the end, he found himself in dire straits on the banks of the Dadu River.

This was Shi Dakai's ultimate fate.

So, going to Fujian? That's a dead end too. Qin Yuan knew this all too well; history had already proven it.

But was going to Fujian a mistake?

No, if Yang Fuqing hadn't been misled by Hong Xiuquan and abandoned all his territory in northern Fujian, instead fleeing directly to Jiangxi, then Shi Dakai's initial strategy wouldn't have been entirely wrong.

So right now, going to Fujian is possible, and it must be done quickly, before Yang Fuqing leaves Fujian.

Just as he was deep in thought, his personal guard general Yu Zi'an rode up to report: "Your Highness, the troops of General Ji of Xietian Yanshi Town and General Chang of Maotian Yushi Town have arrived at the rendezvous point as planned!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Yuan's spirits lifted.

Shi Zhenji and Shi Zhenchang were his cousins. Although they belonged to the same system as Shi Dakai, their troops were more independent in history. Later, they parted ways with Shi Dakai due to disagreements, which greatly weakened their strength.

At this moment, it is crucial to win the full support of these two cousins.

He immediately dismounted and strode forward to meet them.

From afar, they could see Shi Zhenji and Shi Zhenchang walking towards them, accompanied by Chen Hengrong.

The two were visibly taken aback when they saw His Highness the Wing King personally dismount to greet them.

In the past, the Wing King was dignified and solemn, and even with his relatives, he maintained the composure of a superior, rarely showing such eagerness and intimacy.

Qin Yuan didn't care about any of that. He stepped forward and grabbed Shi Zhenji and Shi Zhenchang's arms, his tone sincere: "Zhenji, Zhenchang, I can finally rest easy knowing that you two brothers have arrived safely!"

These intimate gestures and terms of address left the Seok Jin-gil brothers somewhat bewildered.

Shi Zhenji's lips moved slightly, "Your Highness."

Before he could finish speaking, Qin Yuan waved his hand to interrupt him: "Call me brother! We're brothers, why be so formal?"

“Brother…brother…” Shi Zhenji called out somewhat awkwardly, but a long-lost warmth welled up in his heart.

He recalled the years when he followed his cousin to join the Taiping Army in his youth, when they were so close.

However, as his status rose, Wing King became more and more like a true "king," and the sense of distance between them grew stronger.

At this moment, the loyal and affectionate older brother from my memories seems to have returned.

Qin Yuan held their hands and sighed, "This withdrawal from Zhejiang was rushed. You were forced to abandon the prefectures and counties you had already occupied and hurry south. Do you ever blame your brother for making such a hasty decision?"

"Brother, you flatter me!" Shi Zhenchang quickly replied. "Brother's military strategy is brilliant; there must be a deeper meaning behind it. We will follow your lead without question!"

Although there was an element of politeness in his words, Qin Yuan's change in attitude did indeed dispel much of the lingering resentment in their hearts.

After exchanging pleasantries with his two cousins ​​and solidifying the fragile bond of kinship, Qin Yuan regained his composure as a commander and turned to his strategist Zhang Suimou (Yuanzai) to ask, "Yuanzai, how is the evacuation of the various units progressing? Are there any troops yet to arrive?"

Zhang Suimou cupped his hands and replied, "Your Highness, most of the troops have withdrawn as planned. Only the navy and land forces under General He Mingbiao are still en route because they need to cover the rear by waterway. However, a messenger reported that they will arrive at Xianxia Ridge Pass and join the main force by noon tomorrow at the latest."

He Mingbiao was also a rare and brave general in the army, especially skilled in naval warfare.

Qin Yuan nodded, calculating in his mind: as long as He Mingbiao's troops arrived smoothly, along with the troops of Shi Zhenji and his brothers, his core combat force would be basically intact.

Next, they would head south at full speed, enter Fujian before Hong Xiuquan's edict arrived, meet up with Yang Fuqing, and try to keep this key "local strongman" in check.

He gazed at the dark silhouette of the layered mountains to the south, towards Fujian, a new battlefield full of unknowns and challenges.

"Order the entire army to speed up! We must cross the Xianxia Ridge and enter Fujian before the Qing army can react!"

Qin Yuan gave a cold shout.

As for the next step, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

This kind of behavior allows them to detach their troops from the main force at any time and act recklessly.

This is all too common in this era.

There is only one way to solve this problem.

Reorganize the army!

(End of this chapter)