Zheng Zha, the eldest son of King Zheng Zhe of the Qing Dynasty and the eldest son of the Zheng family, personally commanded 80,000 troops and horses to support the defense line in the northern mountainous area where Zheng Guiyong was located.
He traveled day and night to the defense line in the northern mountains.
The Zheng family's internal fighting is very fierce. Without military power, it is meat on the chopping block.
His father came to power through mutiny, and he placed great importance on military power.
As the eldest son, Zheng Zha had never had the opportunity to gain military power before. He cherished this opportunity to command the army very much.
This is a good opportunity to train his cronies and gather his subordinates to gain military power.
If he can lead the troops and fight several battles with outstanding results, the prince's position will be stable.
Zheng's generals highly recognized the Lord who could lead them to victory.
Zheng Zha was in the commander's tent, looking at the map. He saw his confidant Wu Shilu walking into the tent with a livid face.
Wu Shilu immediately knelt on the ground, sweat broke out on his forehead, his legs were trembling, his throat was trembling, and his words were unclear.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, Zheng, Zheng... Zheng Guiyong suffered a... tragic defeat."
Zheng Zha was sitting on a chair, looking at the map quietly, with a very leisurely look.
When he heard the news, he immediately stood up and held the long sword at his waist with his right hand involuntarily.
"General Wu, what did you say? Say it again."
Wu Shilu's expression softened slightly and he said again: "Your Majesty, General Zheng Guiyong was defeated by the Chinese army.
He ran out with more than 500 cavalry, and all the defense lines in the northern mountainous area were lost.
The Chinese army rushed out of the mountainous area and was only more than three miles away from us.
Our army has no danger to defend and will face the attack of the Chinese army. "
When Zheng Zha heard the news, he gritted his teeth and drew out the sword from his waist.
"Zheng Guiyong deserves to die, Zheng Guiyong deserves to die, it's only been a few days, and he hasn't even been able to hold on for half a month."
His mentality immediately became unbalanced, and he tried his best to make the army march as fast as possible, which was not as fast as Zheng Guiyong's defeat.
Zheng Zhuo suppressed his anger and asked: "General Wu, does anyone know about this matter? Has the news of Zheng Guiyong's failure been spread?"
Wu Shilu immediately replied: "Sir, when I learned about the news, I immediately controlled Zheng Guiyong and his party.
The news of his defeat has not spread yet. "
"That's good, that's good."
Zheng Zha looked a little more relaxed.
He was afraid that the news of Zheng Guiyong's defeat would spread, causing the whole camp to collapse.
He did not have the prestige of his father, Zheng Zhi, and was afraid of the general who commanded the army. He refused to obey his orders and chose to flee back to Shenglong Mansion.
The army has not yet come into contact with the Chinese army and retreats directly. He will bear all the responsibility.
Zheng Zha thought for a while and then ordered: "Send an order for the whole camp to set up camp here and set up defensive formations.
Immediately take Zheng Guiyong to my camp. There are some matters that I want to interrogate him personally. "
Zheng Zha knew that they were too close to the Chinese army.
It is impossible to retreat now, and there are still troops in the rear that continue to advance north.
Once the 80,000 Vietnamese troops retreat, they will surely fall into chaos.
The Chinese army not far away launched a charge, and they had no chance of winning.
Of this 80,000-strong army, there are less than 20,000 elite soldiers wearing armor, and the rest are farmers with spears. They have not been in the army for a long time, and their combat effectiveness is worrying.
Father Zheng Zhi received news of the Celestial Empire's southern invasion and had already transferred 60,000 elite troops from the south to confront Nan Ruan.
If this army under his command can delay the Celestial Army for some time, it can also buy time for his father to prepare.
Zheng Guiyong approached the commander's tent tremblingly. He immediately knelt down and kowtowed: "Commander, this is not a command mistake by the general.
The last general's troops were basically wiped out, and the Chinese army was too powerful to resist. "
Zheng Zha asked Zheng Guiyong about his experience in detail, and his brows kept furrowing.
He knew that frontline generals failed and tended to exaggerate.
If you don't tell the enemy that he has unparalleled combat power, it will expose the fact that he is a coward.
But what Zheng Guiyong said was too powerful. The Chinese army could really be that strong.
The Chinese army only carried out a wave of charges, and the elite Vietnamese army collapsed immediately, and the position could not be held for even a day.
Zheng Zha felt that Zheng Guiyong was exaggerating. The army he led should be able to hold back for a few days and slowly retreat, so there should be no problem.
He ordered: "Zheng Guiyong is the commander-in-chief, but his command is incompetent, resulting in the loss of all defense lines in the northern mountainous area.
Zheng Guiyong was taken into custody and handed over to his father until he returned to the army. "
…………………………
In the headquarters of the Royal Army of Great China, the generals listened to the news detected from the sky by the hot-air balloon observation post.
Wei Yunshang, commander of the Tenth Army, immediately stood up and said: "The Third Army is already very tired. Mr. Wei Guogong, leave the rest of the war to our Tenth Army!"
Qin Xiangkun, commander of the Third Army, refused to give in and said: "The Vietnamese army has poor combat effectiveness and was defeated in one blow. Our Third Army fought very easily.
Our army is now closest to the battlefield. In order to prevent the Vietnamese army from running away, the main attack should be handed over to us. "
Duke Su Hu of Wei looked at the situation of the two armies on the sand table.
The Third Army was closest to the Vietnamese camp and could launch an attack in the shortest time.
They want to eat these 80,000 Vietnamese troops.
The 80,000 Vietnamese troops escaping back to Thang Long Palace will cause great trouble for the Royal Army's next operations.
Su Hu pointed at the sand table and issued an order: "This time, the Third Army will be the main attack force and annihilate all the enemy forces.
The Tenth Army is now preparing heavy artillery, and the task of attacking Sheng Long Mansion will be left to you. "
Wei Yunshang did not compete with Qin Xiangkun, but he was basically satisfied with the task of attacking Shenglong Mansion.
After Wei Guogong Su Hu made the decision, the army immediately mobilized.
Gu Guangnian led his troops to pursue Zheng Guiyong.
The physical fitness of the Royal Army soldier is far superior to that of the army. Under normal circumstances, he would have already caught up with Zheng Guiyong.
But Zheng Guiyong was familiar with the terrain and escaped by taking a small road.
Gu Guangnian also wanted to lead troops to capture the prisoners.
Even though he wasted a lot of time, he did not lose Zheng Guiyong.
He also wanted to thank Zheng Guiyong for guiding the Royal Army of Dahua to the reinforcement camp of the Vietnamese army.
Gu Guangnian could already see the Vietnamese army camp with his binoculars.
He ordered the entire division to bury pots and make rice so that the soldiers could regain their strength as soon as possible while waiting for reinforcements to arrive.
When Gu Guangnian saw that the Vietnamese army was entrenched, he did not lead his army in pursuit.
With the soldiers under his command, he was confident of defeating the Vietnamese army, but it was still difficult to completely annihilate the Vietnamese army.
Gu Guangnian waited until the friendly troops of the Third Army had arrived at the designated location.
Duke Guo of Wei also issued an order to attack, and he directed the army to attack.
The Vietnamese army used a military formation composed of horses, mule carts and spearmen to deal with the cold weapon army, which could delay the attack for a long time.
They encountered the Royal Army of Great China and formed an organic thermal weapons army. This approach can only be used as a trap.
Gu Guangnian issued the order to attack, and the Royal Army of Dahua began to charge towards the Vietnamese army in units of companies and platoons.
The army had just left the mountainous area, but the roads had not yet been opened and heavy artillery could not be transported out of the mountainous area.
Mainly with 75mm artillery and mortars, they launched a fierce bombardment against the Vietnamese army.
This kind of bombardment is not a large scale for the Imperial Army of China.
But for the Vietnamese army, they had never seen such a scene.
A large number of Vietnamese soldiers were killed by artillery shells. This hellish scene continuously broke down the psychological defense of the Vietnamese army.
Many Vietnamese generals were somewhat shaken when they saw the large number of casualties among their subordinates.
The Vietnamese army belongs to the traditional feudal military system, with soldiers as generals.
If a large number of his men die, the general's rights will be reduced, and he will most likely be regarded as an outcast and bear the responsibility for the defeat.
Many generals in front of the formation have already made plans to retreat.
Under the cover of artillery, the Royal Army of Dahua continued to advance.
The Royal Army of China is covering a special weapon.
Carrying only five water-cooled heavy machine guns, they had arrived 800 meters away from the Vietnamese army.
Makeshift machine gun positions were built using sacks filled with sand.
The water-cooled heavy machine gun no longer has six barrels, it only has one barrel.
It can be loaded and fired through the power generated when the bullet is fired.
It can fire more than six hundred rounds per minute.
This machine gun is similar to the later Maxim heavy machine gun.
It is the latest product of the Dahua Royal Weapons Research Institute. It is only a test product and has not yet been mass-produced.
The Duke of Wei, Su Hu, brought these five weapons to the battlefield in the name of weapons testing.
It is in the mountains and forests, and cannot exert its power because of the obstacles of cliffs and woods.
The unobstructed battlefield is the favorite battlefield of water-cooled heavy machine guns.
Gu Guangnian saw five water-cooled heavy machine guns firing, like five fierce fire snakes, sweeping towards the Vietnamese army position.
The Vietnamese troops swept by bullets fell one after another like wheat cut by a sickle.
Gu Guangnian looked at this scene that looked like a massacre.
His mouth opened wide for a long time before closing.
A battlefield veteran like him couldn't help but sigh: "This weapon is so powerful. It is simply the best weapon to harvest the battlefield."
After Gu Guangnian saw the machine gun fire, the Vietnamese army could no longer hold on and the army immediately collapsed.
He gave the order and his soldiers launched a general attack.
Gu Guangnian saw at the same time that friendly troops were outflanking the Vietnamese army from both sides of the battlefield.
There is no suspense in this war, and the 80,000 Vietnamese troops will be wiped out by them.
…………………………
The palace in Thang Long City is more luxurious than the royal palace. The King of the Qing Dynasty Zheng Zhi, who was just about to go to court, heard the news from his confidants.
His expression changed drastically, and he immediately summoned his confidants to discuss matters in the palace.
The King of the Qing Dynasty, Zheng Jie, saw that the core civil servants and military generals of the Zheng family were present, and he told these people the news from the front line.
The King of the Qing Dynasty, Zheng Jie, saw everyone and learned about the war situation, but they all remained silent.
He was very heartbroken when he lost his eldest son, and even more heartbroken when he lost his 100,000-strong army.
He slammed his hand on the table and said in anger and panic: "It took ten days for the Chinese army to break through the defense line in the northern mountainous area, and three days to destroy the reinforcements led by Zheng Zha.
They were less than half a month away from Shenglong Mansion.
In early February, we will definitely be able to reach Thang Long City.
The king has already issued an order before, and the 60,000 elite soldiers from the south will arrive at Shenglong Mansion in the near future.
What do you think this king should do to withstand the Celestial Army? "
Civil servant Song Chengren saw that everyone was silent.
He broke the ice and spoke first: "Lord, I feel that with the strength of our small country and its few people, we cannot withstand the attack of the higher country.
Even if the Chinese army fails this time, they can mobilize another hundred thousand troops to attack us at any time.
I believe that peace is the most important thing and there should not be too much conflict with the Celestial Empire.
There must be some misunderstandings between our two countries.
The minister believes that an envoy should be sent to the Chinese army to clarify the misunderstanding between the two countries. "
After Song Chengren spoke, many civil servants and military generals expressed their opinions one after another. They were all frightened by the force of the Celestial Kingdom.
I hope that the Qing Dynasty King Zheng Jie will surrender to the Dahua Dynasty.
These people's plans are very shrewd. If the Da Hua Dynasty wants to rule Dai Viet, it must have local officials to cooperate in governance.
They voluntarily surrendered to the Dahua Dynasty, and they could still maintain their glory and wealth, but who wanted to continue to fight for it.
Zheng Juan, a key member of the Zheng family, saw the voices of everyone surrendering.
He immediately stood up and said: "Lord, we must not surrender.
Others surrender and can maintain their glory and wealth.
How did the Lord deal with himself after surrendering? How did Zheng deal with himself?
There is a strange book in the Kingdom of Heaven called "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", in which Lu Su advises Sun Quan, and the situation described is slightly the same as now.
All officials in the imperial court can surrender, but only the Lord cannot surrender. "
When the King of the Qing Dynasty, Zheng Jie, heard what Zheng Juan said, he smiled.
"I have decided to live and die with Vietnam.
If you have any clever strategies, you can offer them to me. "
As soon as Qingdu King Zheng Zhi said these words, the atmosphere became even colder than before.
Everyone looked at each other, but no one offered any strategies.
Most people are in despair and do not think that they can stop the attack of the Celestial Kingdom this time.
Zheng Huang spoke again: "Lord, I, Jianyi, unite with Nanruan.
Our family alone cannot withstand the army of the Heavenly Kingdom.
With Nan Ruan's help, the war may be delayed for a long time.
We are waiting for change, waiting for the situation to change, and there may be a glimmer of hope. "
Song Chengren immediately retorted: "How can the Lord bow to Nan Ruan.
Whoever is sent to Nan Ruan, that old boy Ruan Fulan, will definitely humiliate him to the extreme.
Even if we ask for help, there is a high chance that Nan Ruan will not come to help, so we cannot place our hopes on Nan Ruan. "
Zheng Juan immediately said: "I am willing to send Nanruan as an envoy, and I will try my best to bring in reinforcements.
I believe that Ruan Fulan, Duke of Renjun, knows the meaning of death. If our Zheng family is wiped out by the Heavenly Kingdom, the Ruan family will never be able to survive alone. "
The King of Qingdu, Zheng Jie, had a troubled expression. He knew that asking for help from Nan Ruan was the only possible option now.
But in order to do so, they must bow to Nan Ruan, and may even make Nan Ruan grow bigger and annex their Zheng family.
After thinking about the pros and cons, King Zheng Jie of the Qing Dynasty said: "Zheng Juan, I am sending you as an envoy to Nan Ruan."
After he issued this order, he issued several more orders in succession.
Mobilize the Zheng family's troops and quickly assemble to Thang Long Mansion. At the same time, they recruit the people in the city to assist the Vietnamese army in defending the city.
Seven days later, a somewhat scattered army arrived at Shenglong City.
The King of the Qing Dynasty, Zheng Jie, saw that these were the elite soldiers from the south he had transferred before, and he also saw the figure of Zheng Juan.
Zheng Juan came to King Zheng Zhi of the Qing Dynasty, knelt down and cried: "I am incompetent and unable to complete the task assigned by the Lord.
The army of the Kingdom of Heaven came across the sea and cut off our connection with Nan Ruan.
This army also attacked our army and lost 10,000 troops before getting rid of the enemy's attack.
Now the road between us and Nan Ruan is completely cut off by the Chinese army, and we can no longer go to Nan Ruan to ask for help. "
When the King of the Qing Dynasty, Zheng Zheng, heard the news, his vision went dark and he almost fainted to the ground.
Zheng Juan, with quick eyes and quick hands, immediately stepped forward to support Zheng Jie, the king of Qingdu.
The King of Qingdu, Zheng Jie, slowly opened his eyes and said in a lonely tone: "God will destroy me, the Zheng family!"
Zheng Juan encouraged: "Lord, we are not defeated yet. As long as we can hold on to Shenglong City, we still have a chance to reverse the situation of the war."
Reinforcements entered the city, and the news that there were no more reinforcements from the north and the south spread quickly in the city, and the morale in the city became even lower.
Many dignitaries of the Zheng family are packing up their belongings and preparing to escape from Thang Long City.
The civil servants and military generals had different ideas and were prepared to use various means to preserve themselves and their families.
(End of chapter)
