The Ninth Commander divided his troops along the south bank of the Yangtze River, starting from Guanyin Mountain and extending along the Lime Mountain to Lion Mountain. There were flags all over the mountains and plains, bright torches for lighting and warmth, and piles of bonfires burning out the outline of the mountain. .
From a distance, it looks like the mountains along the river are burning red!
Military tents were set up one after another at high places, and generals from various ministries went to the front line to command their soldiers!
Zeng Guoquan made his words clear and everyone under his command understood them. They really tried their best to intimidate the Chinese people this time.
However, senior generals like Bao Chao and the generals and officers below knew how powerful this operation was, but ordinary soldiers did not know. They had not suffered like this for many years, and they all complained endlessly!
The key is that it was raining heavily in Jiangning in the first few days, and the ground was covered in mud. The soldiers struggled here and couldn't move at all!
The Hunan Army has always focused on fighting in a strong position and fighting stupidly! This is an old tradition left by Zeng Guofan. In battles, we always set up camp, dig trenches, and build fortifications first!
First establish yourself in an invincible position, then wait for time with the enemy, and slowly beat the opponent to death!
Xiao Letian joked that the Hunan Army actually built bunkers all the way to the enemy's door during the war. After the battle, when he looked back, he saw that the map was full of bunkers.
This old tradition cannot be lost, and various fortifications must be built to face the strong ships and artillery of the Chinese!
This was a disaster. The soldiers were struggling in the mud. They had to dig trenches, shovel soil to fill straw bags, and pile up fortifications. The field guns and inflatable rubber wheels that came up from the rear were all stuck in the mud. Even a horse can't pull it!
"Oh, my mother... what are you doing? The commander is living a good life, and he is so full that he is setting up defenses along the river?"
"That's right! Who knows who you guys are fighting with? I've never heard of bandits making trouble anywhere..."
"Hey... you don't know... When I was enjoying myself in the Qinhuai River opium den the day before, several business people said that the Chinese were filling the south of the Yangtze River with more troops, probably to fight with the Chinese... …”
"Ouch... isn't this looking for death? The Chinese Xiao Letian's people are all heavenly soldiers and generals. Even the big-nosed French Rakshasa ghost from Tsarist Russia was beaten until his teeth were all over the floor..."
"Can we hold up after eating enough?"
A few small soldiers struggling in the mud pushed the rubber wheels of the sports car, muttering incessantly while grinding the car. After pushing for ten minutes, the 88 cannon was not pushed out of the mud, and they were just chatting and talking nonsense.
These few people didn't notice that Bao Chao, the brave general of the Hunan Army, had already walked up behind them on horseback. They were angry when they saw them working hard, and they were even more angry when they heard the discouraged words of these people.
Bang, bang, bang... It came up with a whip and hit the backs of several soldiers. "I told you to destroy the prestige of your own people... I told you to smoke big... I told you to do nothing..."
"When the commander-in-chief conquered Changmao, he suffered a hundred times more hardship than he does today. Who dares to complain! He has forgotten his roots. After a few days of full meals, he no longer knows what he is..."
This was such a beating that several soldiers were beaten and rolled in the mud. Seeing that someone was about to die, the surrounding officers quickly persuaded them, "General, please calm down... General, please calm down... Although these soldiers are talking openly, But Nian Zai is also an old soldier with meritorious service, and he was also killed in the mountains of corpses and seas of blood back then!"
"Please be kind to the general and give me a little punishment!"
Only then did Bao Chao angrily stop his hand, "You know nothing! If we don't suppress the momentum of the Chinese people today, our future jobs will be ruined!"
"Before dawn, the artillery fortifications must be repaired, and the positions along the river must also be repaired. If you dare to delay the military plane! Don't blame me for inviting the commander's arrows to chop off your heads!"
After a lot of trouble, these soldiers no longer dared to be lazy. They hurriedly retreated the cannons and filled wet soil into straw bags. Strings of soldiers carried mud bags and built shooting bunkers along the river.
"Bah... show off your power and show off your power! Do you really think that this is the time when Marshal Zeng is here? You are very popular, drink hot food, enjoy endless gold and silver, and have more than ten wives..."
"Now that we can't even smoke a cigarette, what's wrong with you missing the Qinhuai River?"
"You're still fighting with the Chinese... Bah... you're a liar! You and the Chinese businessmen are all wearing the same pants, how dare you talk about us?"
The soldiers didn't dare to speak, but they kept complaining in their stomachs, and their resentment grew bigger and bigger.
Of course, Zeng Guoquan could not hear the complaints of the frontline soldiers, and generals such as Bao Chao would not tell him such bad news. At this moment, Liu Jintang, as a guest, accompanied Zeng Guoquan and stood on the Lion Rock, looking at the twinkling fire dragons all over the mountain.
Zeng Guoquan had not performed such a military exercise for a long time. Looking at the scene of the mighty army building fortifications, he couldn't help but feel excited.
"Jintang! I remember that when our army surrounded Tianjing City, I watched the battle many times at Lion Rock. If I hadn't used explosives to blow down the Tianjing city wall, how could there have been a battle at Dingding?"
"The commander is so powerful that his subordinates never dare to forget him!"
"Haha... It's good that you haven't forgotten your roots. I also know that it's not easy for you in the Western Region. Now that Zuo Jigao is ill, you don't know where to go!"
"Come to me if you have anything to do in the future. I will handle whatever I can! Is it easy to handle if you are short of people? When the situation in the capital is stabilized, I will give you one to two million refugees. You can go and fill the Western Regions... This is also a way of doing good deeds. Good!"
This was a clear win over. Liu Jintang had to have an attitude at this time and quickly bowed his hands and said, "Thank you, Marshal, for your grace! Marshal, this is your parents' home! We have been wronged when we go out, so we have to come to our parents' home for help!"
"Hahaha... That's the truth! That's right. We will always be a family!"
The outbreak of the civil war in the Qing Dynasty is unclear. At this moment, all fools know how to take advantage of the chaos to gain influence. Naturally, the Nine Commanders are not exempt from this!
Liu Jintang had an attitude, and Zeng Guoquan naturally became more eager. He took Liu Jintang's finger and pointed at the defense line along the river.
"From Guanyin Mountain to Lion Rock, I have been hoarding heavy troops and building many forts... I purchased 18 120 shore guns from Germany, and they have all been installed now..."
"I also ordered a three-door 210, but it's a pity that it's still on the way and hasn't arrived. If this is also installed, Jiangning City will be impregnable!"
"But it doesn't matter. Today I mobilized more than 50 88 field guns from Jiangning and set up defenses along the river... With this firepower, no matter how powerful the Chinese warships are, they still have to hide and go!"
"The waterway of the Yangtze River is narrow, and they can't maneuver and dodge... Shouldn't they just let us fire bombs?"
Liu Jintang was so frightened that he wiped his body in cold sweat and said in a low voice, "This... Commander, do you still want to fight?"
Jiu Shuai laughed and laughed, "Why are we fighting? Just scare us. It's just to let Xiang Ying, Lin Zhen and others know how powerful we are. Please restrain yourself from me in the future..."
"Hmph! Even if the Chinese in Jiangnan want to annex it, they can't do it without me. This territory will always be ours!"
Liu Jintang finally felt confident. It turned out that the Ninth Commander actually wanted to be a warlord with a separate power. He did not dare to establish a country, but he still refused to accept it.
He doesn't accept the Manchus, nor does the Chinese. All he wants is that everyone can ask for help from him, and no one can get around him!
Liu Jintang secretly sighed in his heart, "The Ninth Marshal has never been as good as Marshal Zeng. Now that he is old, his ambitions have become smaller. He was so anxious that he had the idea of competing in the Central Plains..."
"How come after all these years of not seeing each other, the Nine Commanders only have the ambition of a separatist warlord? Time really makes us grow old!"
After a busy night, these Hunan Army veterans exhausted all their strength and finally built some decent fortifications along the river. In fact, they were just close to the river where people could see them.
Wherever the Chinese warships could see, there were flags and fortifications everywhere, and artillery positions were like targets pointing towards the Yangtze River to show off their power.
The shore defense artillery guns on the hilltop have also taken off their camouflage, and their dark muzzles are pointed at the Yangtze River!
At six o'clock in the morning, the telegram came: "Commander, the Chinese fleet has appeared in Qixia Mountain... and has approached Nanjing City!"
