Regarding the failure of this hand-to-hand battle, Ruan Qi broke his defense.
"Two thousand people! There are obviously more of us than them! We can't beat them! It's hand-to-hand combat! It's hand-to-hand combat! There are more people than there are, but we can't beat them! Bastards! A bunch of bastards! They know how to eat all day long! In addition to eating, you also What will you do?!"
Ruan Qi scolded the seven officers who had retreated, dismissed them from their posts on the spot, rushed to become the leading soldiers, and then continued to organize his troops to prepare for another battle.
On the hill, the victory of Lan Fang's army was not easy either.
Nie Fangliang reorganized the army and found that after a period of fighting, Lanfang's army had killed 81 people, and more than 30 people had been seriously injured. They had lost the ability to continue fighting, and the battle loss was more than one-tenth. This is not a good sign.
And as time goes by, the failure rate of firearms will continue to increase. Although soldiers have mastered the technology of temporarily repairing firearms, some damage cannot be easily repaired and requires more professional equipment.
If Zhao Xuening cannot arrive in time, the situation will be very bad.
Judging from the current situation, if they only had an army of a thousand people, Nie Fangliang was sure that he would definitely be able to successfully break through. This Xishan Army would not be able to keep him in any case, but they could not leave, otherwise these more than 8,000 Chinese refugees would be Meat on the cutting board.
The task assigned to him by Zhao Xuening is to save his compatriots. This is the mission of Lanfang's army in this battle.
During the army training that year, Zhao Xuening once told them that the reason why soldiers in the past were despised by the common people, so much so that there was a saying that "a good man cannot be a soldier if he does not nail nails" was because the soldiers at that time were very degenerate and had no sense of mission. and a sense of honor.
The army at that time was just a pawn supported by the powerful and high-ranking officials. It only served to protect the interests of the powerful and high-ranking officials. It never protected the common people. Can the common people like them? Who is willing to send his good man to be a pawn?
But our Lanfang soldiers are different. The highest mission of our Lanfang soldiers is to protect the Lanfang Republic and the Lanfang people. Our Lanfang army is the Lanfang people’s own army, and we are all our own people.
Moreover, soldiers must have a sense of mission and honor, stand up in times of crisis and protect the people from fire and water. This is a true soldier, and this is a soldier who can be supported and respected.
At first, Nie Fangliang was confused and didn't care much about what Zhao Xuening said.
However, the actual experience in the following years changed Nie Fangliang's perspective, so that he deeply recognized this and became a soldier with a strong sense of honor and mission. He would never tolerate losing his mission and honor.
Especially now, he was protecting a group of unarmed people from being massacred. This was an extremely just and noble action, so he decided to persevere no matter what and never back down.
While the army was resting, the local Chinese refugees who were being protected were filled with emotion.
These days, everyone pays attention to a local sentiment and does not have a broad sense of nationality. Basically, they only regard the folks in the village as their own people. Those in other places a little further away are not considered their own people. It is good if they do not fight for land and water sources. .
Since the population growth in Guangdong and Fujian in the early and middle Qing Dynasty, the contradiction between man and land has been deepening. This is also one of the internal reasons why a large number of Guangdong and Fujian people crossed the sea to make a living in Nanyang. The resulting competition for land and water resources among farmers was also a trend of this era. A major feature is that rural fighting is often prohibited.
So maybe they are fellow villagers, but because they come from different villages and clans, they have a deep hatred for each other. When fellow villagers meet fellow villagers, it would be good if they don't stab each other, but they still help each other when they are in danger?
Beautiful thought.
Therefore, what surprised them was that, except for the self-defense forces organized by everyone themselves, they had never seen an army willing to protect the people, keep the people behind, and rush forward on their own.
It is natural for one's own people to protect one's own people, and it is not strange at all.
But it's really puzzling that outsiders who can't be hit by eight poles risk their lives to protect them.
In fact, at the beginning, these Chinese refugees were also very worried about this army of unknown origin. Lan Fang and the others had all heard of it, but we were not relatives and you suddenly showed up to save us. What was your plan?
Are they going to trick us out and kill us?
Or are you going to sell us somewhere?
That is to say, most of the Chinese who went to sea were from Guangdong and Fujian. After hearing the familiar dialect of their hometown, and because everyone had nothing to eat, they could only starve to death if they continued to stay here, so they decided to follow them. Walk.
Anyway, if you stay here, you will die. If you follow us, there may be a way to survive. Try your luck!
Then they got really lucky and found their way to survival.
These soldiers were all very disciplined and did not do any harm to them. They did not ask for anything from them. Not only that, they also gave them their own water and food to fill their bellies.
When someone is injured, the medical soldiers in the army will provide them with simple treatment, and they will speak softly and in a gentle manner without being arrogant at all.
Everyone has seen so many ferocious big-headed soldiers that when they change their skin with a knife, they feel like they are otherworldly.
This is the first time for everyone to see such a kind soldier.
What's more important is that at this critical moment, this group of Lanfang soldiers not only did not abandon them and run away, but also protected them. They fought with the group of Xishan bandit soldiers, and they could not stand still even with a small number of people and a large number of people.
This powerful fighting power and determination to protect them greatly touched the Chinese people.
These Lanfang soldiers are really protecting them with their lives.
Human hearts are made of flesh. Seeing this, no one can pretend that nothing happened.
So, led by a few old people, the Chinese people on the hill set out one after another.
Those who had food took out their hidden food and gave it to Lanfang soldiers. Those who hid medicine took out their own medicine and gave it to Lanfang's medical soldiers. The doctor in the crowd took the initiative to stand up and said that he had experience in treating wounds. , helping Lanfang's medical staff treat the wounds.
Several old men with some moral prestige in the crowd approached Nie Fangliang and expressed their willingness to help Nie Fangliang fight against the Xishan bandits. Their old arms and legs could not move, but there were also young and strong men among them who could participate in the battle.
As the number of people increased, they were not necessarily afraid of the group of Xishan bandits.
Nie Fangliang expressed his gratitude for their kindness, but declined.
"This is a battlefield, not a joke. Although the Xishan bandit soldiers are not as good as our Lanfang army, their combat effectiveness is not comparable to that of untrained people. When we deal with them, one can defeat five of them. They can deal with you with just one." When dealing with two or three, unnecessary casualties cannot be added.
Besides, the battlefield belongs to soldiers, not civilians. One of the bounden duties of soldiers is to protect civilians from harm. Don’t worry, I have sent people to ask for reinforcements. Reinforcements will arrive soon, and we will fight to the last man. You will not be harmed until I die. "
One of the duties of the military is to protect civilians from harm?
Which god made this rule?
Several old men looked at each other.
They have never heard such fairy words since they were born.
It stands to reason that what ordinary people are most afraid of these days are two groups, one group is bandits and bandits, and the other group is bandits and bandits wearing official uniforms. They can dominate with a knife in their hand, so there is no protection. Someone who doesn’t protect the common people from harm?
If these words come out of other people's mouths, they will take it as a joke and ridicule him severely.
But when these words came out of Nie Fangliang's mouth, these old men couldn't help but be moved.
Because Lanfang's army is really protecting them, and they have just proved it with actual actions, as evidenced by the wounded and dead soldiers.
Who can disbelieve the bloody evidence and the evidence that was obtained at the cost of one's life?
As a result, these old men's eyes turned red, and one of them couldn't help but stepped forward and held Nie Fangliang's hand.
"Master Jun, how can we be so sorry about this? We...we have nothing to repay for the grace of living!"
Nie Fangliang shook his head and smiled.
"Old man, don't call me Military Lord. We don't have such a saying in Lanfang. My surname is Nie and my first name is Fang Liang. I am the battalion captain of this army. Everyone can either call me Battalion Commander Nie or Nie Ying. For those who are more familiar with it, Also call me A-Liang, you are all old people, so just call me A-Liang."
"this……"
"It's okay, our friendship is over."
"Hahahaha... Okay, okay, I'll just give it to you, Ah Liang, you guys... you guys are so protective of us, there's nothing we can do to repay you..."
"I have already said that protecting civilians is one of the bounden duties of a soldier. As a soldier in Lanfang, it is our unshirkable responsibility!"
"Who said this? How come I've never heard it before?"
"Our Lanfang President, Zhao Xuening, said that from the beginning, and we did the same. If you want to fight, you can choose to join the army after you go to Lanfang. We..."
Nie Fangliang was planning to publicize the heroic deeds of his most admired hero Zhao Xuening, but the Xishan Army below seemed not to give him this opportunity.
The soldiers came to report that the Xishan Army below seemed to be planning to attack with artillery.
Nie Fangliang's face tightened.
"Old man, run to a higher place quickly, the higher the better, the higher the safer!"
After saying that, Nie Fangliang ran down, then took out his telescope and looked down.
Well, the Xishan Army did launch a lot of artillery, about twenty or so. Most of them were small cannons, like the ones from a hundred or two hundred years ago. They probably didn't have a long range. If they didn't get close to shoot, they wouldn't be a threat. .
But three of the cannons are very large and have quite long barrels, which look a bit European in style.
Nie Fangliang suspected that it might be a field cannon produced in a certain European country. If it were fired, it would definitely reach them and hit Lanfang's army, and it might even cause harm to the Chinese civilians higher up.
Although the accuracy of this kind of artillery is not very good, and the artillery firing skills of these Xishan Army may not be proficient, but as a mature battlefield commander, Nie Fangliang cannot leave the fate of himself, his subordinates, and civilians to metaphysics.
And Nie Fangliang also observed that this time the Xishan Army did not besiege on all sides like before, but left the back of the mountain empty and played the game of surrounding three towers.
Did you even play the art of war?
Do you want to use these things to force me to take people down the mountain and escape?
Taking away the telescope, taking a deep breath, Nie Fangliang made a decision.
"Instruct the whole army to divide into three groups, with 200 men on each side in the east and west. I will personally lead the troops in the north, prepare 300 men, install bayonets, load ammunition, and line up, ready to charge and fight hand-to-hand. The remaining people Protect civilians and wounded soldiers."
"yes!"
The messengers immediately rushed to convey Nie Fangliang's orders to the various troops, and Lanfang's army was ready for a sprint and a hand-to-hand fight.
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PS: I ate a pack of Somailang's soup stock pork bone noodles in the morning. I felt that the taste of Somailang was not as good as that of Somile, but I added several pieces of luncheon meat. The luncheon meat was quite enjoyable, so I'll add another chapter. .
