1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 150 Attack!

"Does the general mean that the water was released by the long-haired and short-haired rebels?"

Chu Army Commander Deng Shaoliang felt a chill run down his spine.

In comparison, Deng Shaoliang preferred that the water was a flash flood, rather than something that the Maoists had deliberately stored upstream before releasing.

The Chu army and the Zhengan troops suffered heavy losses in the battle of Taicun-Zhangzhong Bridge and have not yet fully recovered.

Although Xiang Rong spent a lot of money to recruit some local militia from Wuxuan and Xiangzhou to bolster the camp at Sanlixu.

But these local militia were far from enough to make up for the loss of eight hundred fierce Chu soldiers and Zhengan troops.

Deng Shaoliang did not want to engage in battle with the short-haired or long-haired rebels at this time, because the Chu army and the Zhengan soldiers would not have much of a chance of winning.

Xiang Rong thought the same way.

But since it had already happened, he had to find a way to deal with it.

Deng Shaoliang, a mere military commander, could afford to be complacent about the flood, but Xiang Rong, as the commander-in-chief, had far more to consider than Deng Shaoliang.

"Summon the officers of all the battalions in the Sanlixu camp to my command tent for a meeting. First, call the officer of the artillery battalion here," Xiang Rong instructed.

If the water was released by either the short-haired or long-haired forces, it wouldn't be long before either of them launched an attack on their Sanlixu camp, which was submerged in water.

Xiang Rong instructed the officers of each battalion to make preparations as soon as possible, and also wanted to ascertain the losses suffered by the Qing army in this flood, as well as the status of their heavy artillery.

Although the flood came suddenly, the Yinjiang River is just a small river, not a major river like the Qianjiang River.

The Qing army suffered relatively few casualties. Apart from 36 Eight Banner soldiers who were swimming and playing in the river to cool off, and 160 or 170 Green Standard Army militiamen who were carrying water and washing clothes on the riverbank and were swept away by the sudden surge of water and disappeared, the Qing army suffered no other casualties.

The losses in terms of supplies were quite severe, with over 70% of the gunpowder soaked and 80% of the grain submerged in water.

The twenty-six heavy cannons weighing over 500 jin that Xiang Rong was most concerned about were not washed away by the flood. However, apart from the nine cannon positions which were located on higher ground, the remaining seventeen heavy cannons were either soaked in water or wet, and most of their gunpowder was also wet.

Upon learning of the artillery battalion's situation, Xiang Rong was deeply worried and even lost his appetite.

Fortunately, the weather forecast indicates that the next few days will be sunny.

Xiang Rong could only pray that the artillery battalion could deal with the water-soaked cannons and gunpowder as soon as possible so that the cannons could be fired when the enemy attacked.

It was widely believed among the Qing army's high command that the Mao relied on firearms in their warfare.

Having fought against the short-haired Mao, Xiang Rong knew that the Qing army relied on firearms even more than the short-haired Mao.

The claim that short-haired people are not good at close combat is utter nonsense.

If the short-haired barbarians were not good at close combat, why were the Chu army and Zhengan soldiers defeated by them at Taicun and Zhangzhong Bridge?

Xiang Rong admitted that most of the short-haired soldiers were not particularly skilled with their guns, but they were fearless and adept at forming ranks. In a head-on confrontation, with the numbers roughly equal, the fate of the Chu army and the Zhengan soldiers would not be much better than it had been at Zhangzhong Bridge.

After giving these instructions, Xiang Rong was still worried, so he urgently gathered some dry and usable gunpowder and sent it to each of the forts.

The flood came suddenly and receded quickly.

After the floodwaters receded, the entire Qing army camp at Sanlixu resembled a tattered rag that had been carelessly tossed about, with mud and water flowing everywhere, military flags lying down, and debris piled up haphazardly.

The training ground in the center of the camp had now turned into a swamp. Boots would sink up to the ankles as soon as they stepped in, and make a "gurgling" sound when pulled out.

The tents were also in disarray, collapsed and broken on the ground after being washed away by the water. Everywhere, half of the supply wagons were overturned, boxes were scattered, grain sacks were broken, and rice and beans were mixed with silt, like rotten porridge, attracting flies to swarm around.

Just as the Qing troops at Sanlixu were still cleaning up their muddy camp, cannon fire suddenly erupted. It turned out that the Qing artillerymen on the fort had spotted the Taiping army and couldn't resist firing their cannons.

Before the sound of cannons had even subsided, the Taiping Army's left wing, as dense as an ant swarm, emerged from the mountains through the fog, banners waving and war drums thundering.

Peng Gang personally led a battalion, mounted on warhorses, and charged out of the valley.

The soldiers behind Peng Gang were in perfect formation, with musketeers and pistolmen moving swiftly and powerfully, like a raging torrent!
Despite the narrow mountain path, the well-trained soldiers of the Left Army managed the flow of people with astonishing discipline, ensuring unimpeded passage without any pushing or crowding, and preventing any stampedes.

Attacking simultaneously from the left, center, and right, like a tiger descending a mountain, or a tidal wave pressing down on the shore.

The sound of the war drums began like raindrops, then grew like thunder, each drumbeat striking the hearts of the Qing army, filling them with fear and trepidation.

"kill--!"

Accompanied by the sound of war drums, deafening battle cries pressed in from all directions, and the roars of the Left Army soldiers echoed throughout the valley.

This scene was so intense that even Xiang Rong, a veteran of the military, felt a tightness in his chest and could not breathe properly.

Through the telescope, Xiang Rong could clearly see that this group of people were not long-haired Maoists, but short-haired Maoists who had cut off their braids, wore red scarves, and dressed in cross-collar robes from the previous dynasty.

The number of short-haired people was more than double the number when he first encountered them in Tai Village.

At first, Xiang Rong still tried to convince himself that this time the short-haired people had recruited a large number of laborers to fight, and that this force was not purely composed of short-haired people.

When they watched as one after another of the short-haired soldiers emerged from the mountains in an orderly fashion, like ants moving house, and quickly formed ranks under the command of their leaders, they were amazed.

Xiang Rong's last glimmer of hope was shattered.

With such strict discipline and such rapid formation, even if Xiang Rong were given ample funds and provisions, it would take him two or three years to train such a team.

These people were all elite short-haired soldiers, not coerced laborers or able-bodied men.

Is there a military genius among the short-haired generals? Or is it a reincarnation of General Qi Jiguang?
They were able to train thousands of strong soldiers deep in the mountains.

Is Peng Gang really, as Li Mengqun said, just a group leader who was born into a family of scholars?

In Xiang Rong's view, it would be impossible to train thousands of strong soldiers without the inheritance of family skills.

Could he be a descendant of some famous general or marshal? But there are no descendants of generals with the surname Peng in Guangxi.
"By order of the commander, form ranks and meet the enemy."

With a wave of his hand, Xiang Rong ordered his troops to form ranks and meet the enemy, while simultaneously commanding his personal guards to quickly transfer the gold and silver he was carrying to Wuxuan County.

Peng Gang rode his horse to the top of the hill, raised the vermilion command flag, unfurled it in mid-air with a "whoosh," and then calmly waved it.

Without a word, the musketeers of the First Battalion rushed down the slope to the flat ground, forming groups of twelve, platoons of four, and companies of four, quickly completing their formation.

In a short time, the 768 soldiers of the First Battalion formed a tight defensive wall with rows of dark gun muzzles.

Xie Bin's Third Battalion, along with the Provisional Seventh and Eighth Battalions, attacked the Yunnan Army camp on the left flank of the Chu Army's main camp.

Li Qi's Second Battalion, along with the Provisional Ninth Battalion, attacked the local militia positions on the right flank of the Chu army camp.

The battalion responsible for attacking the Chu army camp was led by Peng Gang himself, Qiu Zhongliang, and two provisional battalions, the 10th and 11th.

This was the first time Peng Gang had personally commanded a large-scale battle involving more than 5,000 people. Looking at the orderly ranks of the various battalions below the mound, Peng Gang was filled with emotion.

Once the troops were lined up, Peng Gang waved his command flag and pointed it toward the Chu army camp: "Attack!"

(End of this chapter)