Qianlong's twenty-second year, early April
King Zhang Rui of Han led the bandit-suppressing army Sharp Sword Army (Li De), Chiye Army (Wang Yan), Zhongyong Army (Zhang Zhishan) and Tiger Army (Li Guozhong), with a total force of more than 140,000 and a million troops, and marched north.
The army was divided into three routes: east, south and west to attack the puppet Manchu and Qing Dynasty Jiangnan bandit suppression camp occupied in Xuzhou.
The King of Han's personal expedition boosted the morale of the bandit-suppressing army, and they defeated important cities such as Bengbu and Suzhou in Anhui in one fell swoop.
When the army arrived, it was overwhelming. When faced with the long guns and short cannons of the bandit suppressing army, many state, government and county governments simply surrendered. The surrender was so quick that many of the Northern Expedition army were stunned to think that they were not here to attack the city, but just to take over.
mid may
Jiangsu Province, except for the Xuzhou area, has been completely conquered by the bandit suppression army. In Anhui Province, only Huaibei and other places were left, and they were almost included in the bag of the bandit suppression army.
Huaibei, also known as Xiangcheng. It is located in the hinterland of East China, at the junction of the four provinces of Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan and Anhui. It borders Xiao County to the north, Mengcheng to the south, Suzhou to the east, and Woyang Huaibei transportation area and Henan Yongcheng to the west.
The terrain of Huaibei slopes from northwest to southeast, and the landform is mainly plains. There are very few low mountains and remaining hills. Even the highest peak, Laolongji, is only a hundred feet long, which is very conducive to cavalry operations.
It's a sunny day and the sky is blue.
Looking down at the earth, we can see that the bandit suppressing troops of the Northern Expedition are like ants migrating to their homes, walking long routes on the vast and boundless ground.
The crossing of the army is different from the flexibility of the sentry cavalry moving forward. People eat horse chews every day, which is not a small amount. With the extension of the front line to ensure the safety of the food road, the bandit suppressing army at this time had no choice but to slow down its marching speed in order to maintain stability.
After all, in an era without cars and tanks, the cavalry had an unmatched advantage, and this advantage was often the key to victory or defeat.
The bandit-suppressing army's shortage of horses is not something that can be solved in a short time. Facing the Qing army with a large number of cavalry, even if the cavalry of the bandit suppression army is only used to protect the food road, it will be a heavy task, let alone other battles?
It was approaching noon and the temperature was already unbearably hot. Even wearing a short-sleeved shirt, Zhang Rui was already sweating profusely, not to mention the other soldiers, not to mention how hot it was.
When marching in the sun, military officers are very susceptible to heat stroke.
In order to reduce unnecessary casualties and ensure the combat effectiveness of the army. The anti-bandit army can only avoid the two hottest hours of the day - noon and late hours - by "going out early and coming back late" as much as possible.
Two hours of resting on the spot and cooking rice can not only replenish the energy consumed by the morning march, but also provide guarantee for the afternoon march.
"...Gulu...Gulu..."
"...Hmm...This water is good, sweet enough..."
In the army camp, Zhang Rui, who had been sitting in the tent and drank three bowls of cold water, couldn't help but sigh.
If there is one of the most indispensable factors in the marching route of the army, it is the water source.
Huaibei is rich in water resources and has more than ten rivers, which are rare for the march of the bandit suppression army.
In ancient times, the river water was not polluted by modern industry. The water quality was mostly sweet and crystal clear. Most ancient people drank it directly.
However, Zhang Rui, who had seen the power of bacteria in modern times, did not dare to let the army drink the river water directly. Instead, he required everyone to boil the drinking water before drinking it to avoid catching any infectious diseases such as plague.
In order to convince the staff of the General Staff and Logistics Department, Zhang Rui ordered craftsmen to polish a simple microscope with crystals when he was in Nanjing to prove how many bacteria and bugs were in the seemingly clean water.
"If the air conditioner can blow down again at this time, I can have some ice cream to lick, that would be really..." Putting down the porcelain bowl in his hand, Zhang Rui's thoughts flew quickly in the hot tent, which reminded him of his previous life. of agreement.
"King Han, what's wrong?" Looking at Zhang Rui who was in a daze, Wang Kaiyuan asked with concern.
"Oh, it's okay, I just remembered some past events." Zhang Rui, who was brought back to reality by Wang Kaiyuan's words, smiled and replied.
"Forget it, it's already like this, why are you still thinking about those messy things? If you can't defeat the Manchus now, it's a question of whether you can still eat, so don't think about these messy things anymore."
"The weather is hot, King Han, please take care of yourself." Wang Kaiyuan said in a deep and profound tone.
"Chief of Staff Wang is determined. My body is not as weak as you think. Two years ago at this time, I was still carrying water to water the fields. Compared with that time, I am much better now. "Remembering what it was like when he first crossed over, Zhang Rui couldn't help but sigh.
"King Han, I'm not talking about you. The past is in the past, but now you have a mission in the world, so you have to take care of your own body." After hearing Zhang Rui's words, Wang Kaiyuan persuaded him "painfully".
"Yes, yes, Staff Officer Wang is right, I was wrong." Seeing Wang Kaiyuan preparing to make a long speech, Zhang Rui quickly apologized.
When he was in Nanjing, Zhang Rui finally understood it after experiencing those "great Confucianists" giving lectures and discussing its meaning. For Confucian disciples like them, it is a waste of time if you insist on arguing with them. They seem to be born for this.
So, just deal with the unimportant things casually. They enjoy it anyway.
"I am grateful to the King of Han for understanding my hard work, but please forgive me for the crime I committed." Zhang Rui readily admitted his mistake, which made Wang Kaiyuan, who felt that he had not used all his strength, had no choice but to kneel down and apologize.
"Wang Aiqing's words are serious. It turns out that Wang Aiqing is also thinking about me and the world. It's really not a crime." Looking at Wang Kaiyuan's appearance, Zhang Rui could only use his limited classical Chinese skills to comfort him.
"I would like to thank the King of Han." Wang Kaiyuan replied movedly.
"Wang Aiqing, please be free!" Zhang Rui said.
"Thank you, King Han." Wang Kaiyuan slowly stood up.
"The weather is hot. Wang Aiqing must remind the soldiers who are transporting gunpowder to be more careful when transporting gunpowder, especially not to expose the gunpowder to the sun." The hot weather forced Zhang Rui to alert Wang Kaiyuan again.
After all, the importance of gunpowder to the bandit suppression army is self-evident, and their general staff not only provides advice, but also supervises logistics and transportation.
"Don't worry, King Han. This minister has repeatedly ordered that all gunpowder barrels transported must be covered with wet cloth and they will never be exposed to the sun." Wang Kaiyuan replied.
"Well..." Zhang Rui nodded with satisfaction.
"King Han, the terrain in Huaibei is flat, which is conducive to cavalry operations. Although our bandit-suppressing army officers are not afraid of fighting in the field with the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty, facing the cavalry is still risky. The ministers and others suggested that the King of Han should retreat to the rear and watch the battle. There is really no way. The risk must be taken.”
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