The tide is rising.

The land route from Tayu Mountain to Tashan was flooded by the sea, and the water rolled up the armor and weapons left on the beach, drifting aimlessly on the surface of the sea.

Lumps of blood disappeared in a flash on the surface of the sea.

"Finally withdrawn!"

Tan Bai looked at the figures who were carrying the corpses of his wounded soldiers and fallen comrades and retreated in the direction of Hongluo Mountain, and couldn't help but sit on the ground with his butt slumped, panting heavily.

A house slave handed over a kettle with a very discerning look, "Master, drink some hot water!" ”

Taking the kettle made of copper from the Nanyue army captured from the trenches, Tan Bai poured it for a long time and drank the water inside, only then did he feel a little calmer.

This round of tentative attacks by the Nanyue Army made Tan Bai look at these short-stature Nanban people with admiration.

Not only do you dare to charge forward with the cannon, but you don't get into a distance that can almost hit your nose and never pull the trigger. What surprised him even more was that after the firecrackers had finished firing, they immediately took the spurs on the spot, and rushed into the trench with the guns, and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the firecrackers of the clothed soldiers.

If it weren't for the fact that they had been afraid of Dorgon's military discipline and did not dare to retreat in the slightest, they were afraid that they would have collapsed before Tan Bai led the sword and shield soldiers and tiger spearmen of Manchuria with the white flag to rush up to meet them.

"Tell those minions, don't rest, hurry up and repair the fortifications, and clean up the corpses in the deer and several trenches."

An order was given, and the two white flags were clothed soldiers. And the miscellaneous servants who accompanied the army began to clean up the battlefield.

Those Ahabs, who only had a worn-out cotton armor on their bodies, walked back and forth between the trenches and passages like ants, picking up the remnants of the battle.

Someone jumped down from the trench, stepped on the corpse that had been pierced by the sharp wooden thorns at the bottom of the trench, carefully peeled off the armor on his body, and carried all kinds of small items on the body of the war dead.

"Is there anyone alive? The master has an order, and the living soldiers of the Ming Kingdom must be captured alive. Thou shalt not be killed! ”

From time to time, officers at all levels shouted back and forth on the position, and everyone hoped to capture a few Nanyue troops alive on the section of the position they were responsible for.

There is no other reason. Dolgon's reward was very tempting. The captured Nanyue army was much more valuable than the killed Nanyue army.

Trenches, earthen walls, deer walls, and ditches. In this layer of fortifications, there are shocking flesh and blood and severed limbs everywhere, and no one can tell whether their original masters are Ming soldiers or Qing soldiers.

Tan Bai breathed a sigh of relief and got up to follow the escort of several domestic slaves. Patrol around the position and shout. Let your subordinates be nimble. Hurry up and repair the fortifications and clear the battlefield.

The sun was setting, and torches were lit up on the battlefield. With the gust of sea breeze on the sea, Tashan became cold, and the sea breeze was sandwiched with a pungent smell of blood, choking the smell of gunsmoke, mixed with the salty smell of the sea breeze, inhaled into the lungs, and people couldn't help but feel sick. Although the weather was cold, the sergeants were still busy with their busy work with a thick white breath, and from time to time there were bursts of excited shouts.

According to the military discipline of the Qing soldiers, all armor, swords, guns and other items captured on the battlefield are also given priority to the owner. In the eyes of these Aha miscellaneous soldiers who clean up the battlefield, every officer and soldier of the Nanyue Army is nothing less than a golden mountain. Although armor, knives, guns, and firearms had to be handed over to their masters, those belts, kettles, fire knives, fire sickles, pipes, knives, and other items were also good things.

"Master! Master! ”

One of Tanbai's house slaves rushed in, his saber at his waist in one hand, and cautiously dodged over the rugged position. "The general has an order, all departments will immediately count the casualties, and go to Tashan Fort in two minutes to discuss matters!"

Hongluo Mountain, the camp of the Southern Guangdong Army.

In Li Huamei's big tent, dozens of horse lanterns illuminated the camp tent.

Dozens of officers from the Guards Brigade, Xuanwu Town, and Ningyuan Army gathered here to count and summarize the casualties and gains in today's battle.

The casualties of each unit were counted, which really frightened everyone, and in today's tentative attack, each unit lost nearly 1,000 people, among which Ning Yuan's army suffered the largest number of casualties. The reason is also very simple, compared with the second division of the Nanyue Army, the military discipline of the Ning Yuan Army is too poor, the attack has no formation, and when it rushes up, it sees that the situation is not good and then swarms and retreats. Moreover, in the process of attacking and retreating, it is not uncommon to trample on each other. Among the more than 1,000 casualties, Ning Yuan's army accounted for hundreds. Many of these people are still family members of officers and generals at all levels. Today's transaction is really almost lost in the capital! All the officers in the Ningyuan military system were in a sad mood and did not say a word.

"The brothers who died in the Ning Yuan Army will be paid according to the pension standard of our Nanyue Army. Those who are willing to ask for money have money, and those who are willing to ask for things have things! ”

Mo Yu knew the inner thoughts of this group of old soldiers, and hurriedly threw out an extremely tempting pie. "The injured brother has been sent to the health camp. Most people can return from injury. At that time, these guys who have hung up the colors will be even better soldiers! ”

Regarding Mo Yu's words, several officers of Ning Yuanjun's staff officers and guerrillas believed it very much. When they sent the wounded soldiers to the health camp, they also saw how the doctors of the Nanyue Army health camp treated those who were injured by Tartar knives and arrows.

Those who were wounded by the bows and arrows of the Qing army, in order to take out the arrows that weighed two taels, which were heavy and large and barbed, had to suffer a little more, and in order to prevent them from being killed by heavy bleeding, the doctors cut open their wounds and pulled out the arrows. At this time, there were no anesthetics such as ether, and when these operations were done, the color numbers cried and cried one by one.

The doctors' procedures made these officers even more frightened and painful. Wash the body and wound area with boiling water and salt water first, and wash it several times. He also used a large ball of white cotton, boiled something called alcohol, and constantly wiped the blood clots from the wounds, and some seriously injured sergeants needed a lot of cotton.

The alcohol should be purified from the liquor, which can effectively prevent wound infection in the future. Of course, these are all good things, but it costs so much to treat an ordinary sergeant, how can this soldier afford it?

this era. Unless some family guards are in close proximity. Or the sergeant in the main barracks may use a cloth to bandage the wound, or clean the wound with salt water and liquor, because the generals are reluctant.

After cleaning the wound again and again. Medicine is also applied. Finally, use something called gauze. Wrap each person's wound tightly, change the dressing regularly in the future, and take oral medicine. until you are cured.

Relatively speaking, the Nanyue Army had fewer wounds. First, the tactical movements and discipline of the Nanyue Army are there, and it is not easy to cause casualties in dense formations. Second, their armor is of excellent quality and the defensive effect is far better than the armor equipped by Ning Yuan's army. Thirdly, almost every soldier of the Nanyue Army carries a life-saving kit on his body, which can be used to save himself and each other on the spot after being injured.

Fortunately, it is winter, so there is no need to worry too much about wound infection and suppuration, but a large number of injuries that were originally destined to die were cleanly treated by the people, and they were carried to the side of the house to rest and recuperate after being cleanly treated.

"There is a consolation money for each color number, in addition, there is a half-month maintenance period, and during the maintenance period, you can enjoy the food of the Nanyue Army color number."

Mo Yu continued to reassure the guerrillas of those generals.

In the middle of the big tent, a huge map was hung, and several officers quickly marked the defensive positions of the Qing army with cinnabar on the map.

After a day of tentative attack, both sides paid the price of nearly 2,000 casualties, and the Ming army on one side of the attack could be regarded as finding out the enemy's defensive situation.

Several officers carefully checked the situation of the enemy and us on the map with the battle report in their hands, and nodded with satisfaction, "County Lord, generals, we are all right." ”

Li Huamei and the others rushed to the map together, watching intently. On the map, the deployment of the Qing army is prominently marked. Looking at the dense trenches like spider webs on the map, the low walls that are nearly one person high, and those large and small cantonment holes and gun positions, everyone couldn't help but take a breath of cold air in unison.

"How do I think this formation looks familiar?"

"This official thinks that the deployment of this group of Tartars is much more rigorous and vicious than the long trench outside Jinzhou City!"

A regimental commander of the Nanyue Army, and a guerrilla of the Ningyuan Army both expressed a familiar view of the two white flag defensive positions in front of them.

A few veterans who had participated in the Battle of Hexi came over and carefully looked at Dolgon's defense settings, and couldn't help but scold, the Tartars are really shameless! Copy the fortifications of Lao Tzu back then! And the people of Ning Yuanjun also found that the layout of this fortification is roughly a copy of the Jinzhou Chang Trench.

"After our army's tentative attack during the day, the enemy's defense at Tashan has now been clarified, and according to what we have learned, there are at least three earthen walls on the line from Tashan to Hongluo Mountain, about one person high. In addition, there are at least five wide ditches that are difficult for one person to cross, and the rest are even set up with low walls such as deer barricades, which are not easy to cross. From the current situation, there are at least 30 to 50 Niu Lu level numbers, and with one Niu Lu 200 people, we have to face at least 6,000 to 10,000 fire soldiers. This generation of firecrackers is sharp, and can be reinforced, and the two white flags Manchurian soldiers and horses in the rear can be reinforced, and the shortcomings of the firecrackers are not conducive to hand-to-hand combat, so they are made up for by the knives and guns of these Manchurian Tartars. We attacked the trench several times, but because the follow-up troops could not follow up for a while, and could not guarantee the superiority of troops, we were driven out by these Tartars with spears and axes! ”

"In the front earthen wall, in order to facilitate the movement of the Tartars' troops, there are several trenches to communicate with the rear, and the Tartars' soldiers and horses can move quickly on the ground to prevent our artillery bombardment. These traffic trenches, about ten to twenty steps wide, can accommodate more than ten people carrying weapons and quickly pass through Guò side by side at the same time. One of the important reasons why our army was driven out of the long wall of the trench by the Tartars several times was that the Tartars of the brigade could quickly reinforce from the rear, while we were limited to a narrow area, and the tactics of fighting in formations of three or five people that we were accustomed to could not be carried out, and we were repeatedly frustrated. These damned Tartars, in order to hinder the advance of our troops, also built bunkers in the trenches leading to the rear, and in the bunkers there were firecrackers in ambush. Or set up small copper cannons, Franc machines, etc. on the roof of the bunker, as long as they found that our troops rushed into the trenches, they would take measures to lure our troops into the firing range, and then suddenly use artillery to fire the vicious tactics of the group to kill and injure our troops in large numbers. The muzzles of these artillery guns were pointed directly at the narrowest point where the trench and the earthen wall intersected, and as soon as the cannon passed, the momentum of our attack was stalled, and the soldiers were killed and wounded. ”

"In addition to these cannons, in front of the rest of the earthen wall, there is a low wall of deer, and basically a low wall is behind a ditch. In front of the earthen wall, there is a layer of deer barricades. The layers are clear, and the offensive formation of our army is scattered, so that our firearms cannot use their hands and feet. ”

A general of the Ningyuan Army today acted as the left flank of the attack, attacking the right flank of the two white flag positions. It can be regarded as a visit to the former enemy. has an in-depth understanding of the position of this group of Jiannu in front of him.

I think of the short, stout Manchurian soldiers with white flags who kept rushing out from under the horizon. The general was still a little frightened.

He tidied up the armor on his body, and respectfully bowed to Li Huamei behind the handsome case, "Lord Qiqi." The Tartars built these trenches, low walls, and deer barricades in order to divide our army's offensive formation and make it difficult for our army to strike at them. In this way, the offensive area is narrow, and it is bound to be impossible to invest enough troops at one time, and if our army is outnumbered, it will naturally hold the chance of victory, but if the enemy is outnumbered, please forgive the general, the chances of victory are not great. ”

Mo Yu muttered: "If you want our army to be able to invest enough troops at one time, we must first fill in the trenches, deer walls, and low walls outside the first earthen wall one by one. Otherwise, no matter how many loyal and brave soldiers are put into the battlefield, they can only be sent to the Tartars to kill! ”

The general responded: "It is now the cold winter weather when the water is dripping into ice, and those low walls have been splashed with an unknown amount of seawater by the Tartars, and they have long been frozen as hard as iron, and it is expected that it will be extremely difficult to dig them up. However, the low wall is not high, and only the trench needs to be filled. If your troops can provide artillery support, so that the Tartars are not allowed to come out and use the firearms, our soldiers can still use the shovels and pickaxes provided by your troops to break down the trenches, deer bars, and low walls in front of the first earthen wall! ”

The general talked eloquently in front of Li Huamei, but he did not notice that the eyes of several guerrillas were full of resentment. The more they calculated, the more a chill surged in their hearts, and they were afraid that just by tearing down those low walls and filling in those trenches, they would not know how many of their subordinates would be thrown in. The first trench was okay, and it could rush all the way to the front of the first low wall under the cover of the artillery fire of the Nanyue army. It's just enough for the sons and daughters to throw dirt bags into the trenches, but the remaining trenches, low walls, and deer barricades are more dangerous layer by layer, and these are all filled with human lives!

As if feeling the stabbing gaze behind him like a sharp sword, the general slowly built a yì for Li Huamei: "Our army can't waste the lives of the soldiers, in order to ensure that the soldiers can be safe and sound, the last general Jianyi, can you ask the brothers of the sailor to go to Ningyuan and transport some chariots in the city, so that the soldiers can slowly approach the trench, level the earth wall, and dismantle the deer barricade under the cover of the chariot." ”

But even so, the general is also clear in his heart, even if there is a chariot to cover such a frenzied fortification, in the end to fill in a few trenches, I don't know how much blood of the Ming soldiers will have to pay. After all, whether it is an earthen wall or a trench, the Jiannu soldiers behind the earthen wall will not sit idly by and watch you demolish it, and when you demolish the leveling fortifications, there will be more or less fire obstacles, and there will even be a large group of men and horses rushing out from behind.

Li Huamei's low voice discussed a few words with Mo Yu and several battalion officials in Xuanwu Town, and then raised her head.

"Everyone is fighting hard today, each of them will return to the camp to prepare, tomorrow the sailor will send ships to Ningyuan to transport chariots and other things, you can supervise your subordinates in the battalion to recuperate, prepare to attack the outer fortifications of Tashan the day after tomorrow, and sweep away those things that get in the way!"

"Uncle Mo Yu, how many rockets are there in our battalion?"

After a group of Ning Yuanjun generals happily dispersed and urged their subordinates to prepare for the big battle in the day after tomorrow, Li Huamei changed her expression, sat on the tiger skin chair more easily, and fiddled with her pair of short-handled double-barreled firearms on the handsome case.

"Miss, there are more than 2,000 for the land camp, and there are more for the sailors, it should be more than 3,000. If it is not enough, you can send someone to Jiaodong immediately to find Commander Zhang and transfer some more. ”

"How many mortars are there?"

"There are twenty-two mortars of large and small calibers that can be put into the battlefield the day after tomorrow!"

Xuanwu Town's temporary commander, He Yifei's eyes lit up, "Miss, do you mean to bombard the rear of the Tartar with mortars, and then burn his front with rockets?" ”

"Not bad!" Li Huamei closed the faucet of the short fire gun that was broken open by her slender fingers, and answered the questions of He Yifei and the others in a very firm tone.

"At noon today, when I saw the attack on Tashan, I sent Shi Lang's guy to Tianjin, where there were still twenty mortars and more than 3,000 rockets in reserve. The fortifications of the Tartars were nothing more than dividing our stormtroopers into several pieces and eating them bite by bite. ”

"The Tartars rely on the fortifications that have been built, and turn our offensive momentum into at least two pieces, then I will use rockets and mortars, plus the charging soldiers, to deal with their two axes!"

When Mo Yu heard this, he couldn't help but be happy in his heart, the Li family is really a prosperous talent, and the eldest lady's trick is estimated to make Dolgon suffer a lot. "Miss, will you let the officers and soldiers of the artillery team and the rocket team go to Dayu Mountain and other places tomorrow to take a look at the terrain and measure the Zhuyuan?"

"It's good! At dinner, Wu Sangui sent someone to deliver an urgent letter quickly, and they had already set off and returned from Jinzhou. It should arrive the day after tomorrow. At that time, our shortage of troops will also be alleviated. ”

"By the way, Miss, there are still thousands of horsetail grenades in the sailor's cabin, which were originally used to throw them on the deck of the opposing ship when jumping gangs to engage in battle. Why don't you take it out and use it all this time! Let the brothers who stormed the Tartar trench take them, and as long as the Tartars' counterattack soldiers and horses emerge from the rat hole, we will pick up these horsetail grenades and throw them over! No matter how hard the spears and axes of the Tartars were, we threw a grenade at a distance of twenty paces, and even if a cannon battle was thrown under our feet, it would be enough to deter them! ”

The quartermaster of Li Huamei's fleet raised eyebrows and recommended to Li Huamei those new weapons that had been idle for a few days.

"Miss, the last general has some opinions to say." Mo Yu began to make up for Li Huamei's deployment.

"Uncle Mo Yu, there are no outsiders here, they are all our own family, if you have anything to say, you just have to tell it." Li Huamei still respects this uncle who followed her father to build the country together.

"Tomorrow, the Ningyuan army can rest, and it is best for our Nanyue army to send a small force to attack the Tartars in the area of Tashan, not to give them time to rest and recuperate, and they dare not repair the fortifications, this is a plan for tired soldiers."

The next day, the Nanyue Army continued to attack the front of the two white flag positions with the battalion as a unit and with the cooperation of sporadic artillery fire. (To be continued......)