Northwest of the Osaka Plain, the tent of the three regiments of the Shenji Battalion.

A communications officer walked into the big tent quickly and said loudly: "Report ——, the order of the monk king." ”

Chang Lu, who was looking at the map, said without raising his head: "Nian——。 ”

"Order your troops to feint back, lure the enemy down the mountain, and find out the strength of the enemy."

Feint to retreat? Chang Lu raised his head, after discovering the traces of the Japanese army, he had already ordered the whole battalion to shrink to the large camp, the Japanese army on the mountain did not pursue, he also pondered the initiative to attack after gathering troops, after all, this is a rare opportunity to fight independently, not to mention a big victory, it is a small victory, and the enemy is annihilated by more than 100 people, that is also a matter of showing his face, and a battle achievement cannot be run away.

After pondering for a while, he spoke: "Call back, the headquarters has retreated twenty miles, and the enemy has not gone down the mountain to pursue, so I implore you to take the initiative to attack to find out the truth and truth." ”

Monk Lingqin's call back was very fast, "Fifty miles back!" ”

After receiving the telegram order, Chang Lu looked frustrated, judging from the current situation, the Japanese army will definitely not take the initiative to attack, but just want to contain their forces and continue to retreat, this first victory has nothing to do with him, however, he did not dare to disobey the order of the monk Lingqin, and immediately had no choice but to give an order - pull out the camp and retreat fifty miles.

Osaka Command.

The headquarters of Nuoda was quiet, and Seng Lingqin stood beside the huge sand table and stared at the sand table for a long time and was silent.

After a long time, Monk Lingqin turned around and paced, picked up the teacup, and Yiyun hurriedly said: "It's already cold, I'll let someone change the cup ......." ”

"No, you don't." Monk Lingqin said and took a big sip, then took out a box of cigarettes, took out one and handed it over: "Come on, this is much easier to smoke than dry tobacco." ”

"I can't learn that." Yi Xun hurriedly refused, and then asked, "Why don't you let Chang Lu lead the troops to fight tentatively?" In general, find out the reality of the Japanese army, right? ”

After lighting a cigarette and exhaling a long puff of smoke, Monk Lingqin said slowly: "A large number of displaced people have flocked to Kyoto, and the Japanese people can't sit still, they know very well that they are waiting to die if they continue like this.

Our army scattered in all directions to sweep through the net, and the Japanese people must have known about this, so they took the initiative to attack and let us gather our troops. ”

After a pause, he continued: "I pondered, the number of Japanese troops in the northwest harassing Changlu's forward battalion should not be small, it should be around five thousand, less will not help, too much, the mountain roads are difficult to travel, and the supplies cannot keep up." If this point of strength wants to contain our army, it is simply impossible, so there is only one purpose, to attract our attention, and what the Japanese army really wants to attack should be the forward Delentaibu.

If we take the initiative to attack, we will be in the hands of the Japanese people, but if we retreat, the Japanese people will be forced to go out of the mountains to pursue. ”

Yi Xun nodded thoughtfully, the situation in the mountains is complicated, and they are not familiar with it, they can attract the Japanese army to the plains, and it is more conducive to giving full play to the advantages of the Eight Banners New Army, especially the advantages of weapons, whether it is rifles or artillery, the power in the mountains is greatly reduced, however, it is a little difficult to say whether the other party's judgment is accurate.

After a slight groan, he said: "With the rapid destruction of Changzhou and Satsuma, the Japanese people should be very aware of the combat strength of our army, and they should take the initiative to attack on a large scale, so they don't worry about taking the initiative to attack, and ...... casualties are too large?" ”

"They know very well that this is a war to destroy the country, where can they take care of the casualties and fight small?" "For them, there are only two choices, either surrender or resist ....... with all their might. ”

Yi Xun followed the conversation and said, "What if the Japanese country chooses to surrender? ”

"Yi Guocheng will not accept surrender!" Monk Lingqin said without thinking: "He mentioned this to me, the disadvantages of accepting surrender are too great, and it is possible to become independent again in the future, what he needs is to permanently incorporate the Japanese State into my Qing Dynasty territory, and he doesn't want to repeat the mistakes of Annan's repeated surrenders and rebellions, Yuan Qi's expedition to Southeast Asian countries, has he ever accepted surrender?" ”

Hearing this, Yi Xun said noncommittally: "Yi Guocheng's ambition is really not ordinary. ”

There is no doubt that Yi Zhizu is ambitious, but Seng Lingqin also doesn't know what Yi Zhixiang really thinks, and he is unwilling to talk about this topic, so he immediately stood up and said: "I have to make a good deployment, if we are caught off guard by the Japanese army, we will lose our face." ”

The Changlu Department of the Third Regiment of the Shenji Battalion retreated and retreated fifty miles back again to camp, and the Japanese army did not move for three consecutive days, and Yi Xun began to doubt whether Seng Lingqin's judgment was correct, but because of the prestige and face of the other party, he did not have any doubts, and secretly told himself to calm down and wait for two more days.

On the morning ......of the fourth day, Yi Xun couldn't help but say: "The Japanese army knows very well in their hearts that the combat strength of the two armies is very different, and they may not struggle in vain. ”

Monk Greenqin glanced at him and said, "Seventh Master shouldn't be good at fishing?" Fighting a war is similar to fishing, you must be good at catching fighters, but also be good at waiting for fighters, and you have to be patient. Northwest expansion, Yi Guocheng can wait for several years in order to wait for fighters, how many days have we waited for this one? ”

Hearing this, Yi Xun hurriedly asked: "The Northwest has been holding its troops for a long time, is it to wait for the fighters?" ”

"Not bad." Monk Lingqin said: "Originally, Yiguo City was planned to take advantage of the outbreak of the Austro-Prussian War and Britain had no time to take care of Asia to expand, but the Austro-Prussian War ended too quickly, so I had to press it down and wait for the next opportunity." ”

Yi Xun said suspiciously: "How many years will it take?" If there is no longer a large-scale war in Europe, will it wait forever? ”

"It seems that the Seventh Master doesn't know why Yuan Qi chose to cut down the widows at this time." Monk Lingqin lit a cigarette, and then said slowly: "Yi Guocheng judged that Europe was not far from the outbreak of the next large-scale war, and the movement to overthrow the Japanese was surging, so he decided to solve the Japanese state first, and then free up his hands to run the northwest ...... with all his might." ”

Before he finished speaking, a communications officer hurriedly came in and reported aloud: "Report ——, Changlu's call." ”

"Reading ——。" Monk Greenqin said in a deep voice.

"About 5,000 Japanese troops are rapidly advancing towards the battalion of the headquarters, is it sniping on the spot? Or continue to retreat? Please instruct! ”

Monk Greenqin said without thinking: "Stick to the spot!" ”

"How dare the Japanese army touch a stone with an egg?" Yi Xun breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, and his tone was a little relaxed, "The monk king is worthy of being battle-hardened for a long time, and the enemy is like a god. ”

"Don't dare to be an enemy like a god." Monk Greenqin humbly said, and then ordered: "Send a report to Delentai, and continue to expand the search range in the east, west, and north directions!" After speaking, he looked at Yi Xun and said, "Delentai, I don't worry, I have to personally supervise the formation, and the seventh master is in the center to dispatch and command." ”

According to the judgment of Seng Greenqin, the Delentai Department is the main target of the Japanese army, and it is naturally better for Monk Greenqin to personally go to supervise the formation, and Yi Xun is not polite, and he said: "The monk king can rest assured, keep in touch at any time." ”

The Delentai Department is subordinate to the forward battalion, but because of the burning and driving of the Japanese people along the way, the marching speed is also slow, plus the stop and go all the way, at this time it also arrived at the Osaka Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture bordering Hikata, however, Osaka is not far from Kyoto, only more than 100 miles, and the Hiraka is signed in the middle of the two.

Monk Lingqin galloped on his horse, and in the afternoon he rushed to the forward camp, and when he arrived at the big tent, he got off the dwarf horse with his legs, and complained: "This hellish place, both men and horses, are on the short side. ”

Delentai, who came to greet him, said with a smile: "This horse is a little shorter, but it is not easy to be frightened, and it is quite suitable for carrying military supplies." ”

Monk Greenqin casually handed over the horse whip to the guards, strode into the big tent, and said, "Haven't detected the traces of the Japanese army yet?" ”

"Go back to the prince." Delentai hurriedly said: "In the direction of Kyoto in the northeast, the Japanese army is very well prepared, and the sentinel will encounter the ....... of the Japanese army twenty miles forward. ”

Monk Lingqin said in a deep voice: "Your sentry is not the opponent of the Japanese army sentry?" ”

"Go back to the prince." Delentai bowed slightly and said: "There are many groups of homeless people along the way, and the Japanese army sentry is very cunning, mixed with the homeless people....... and his subordinates have lost more than ten sentry sentries. ”

"The sentinels of the forward battalion are really rich." Monk Greenqin sneered, paused, and then he said in a deep voice: "Kill!" Fight your way out of no man's land! ”

"Subordinates obey!" Delentai hurriedly stood up and saluted loudly.

"And!" Monk Lingqin said in a deep voice: "Strengthen vigilance, especially at night, beware of night attacks. ”

"Subordinates obey!"

In the case of the huge difference in combat power between the two sides, he will also take a night attack, after all, at night, it is difficult for the guns to exert their due power, and another one, Yi Zhizhi also reminded him again and again, especially to beware of the night attack of the Japanese army, which made him pay more attention.

After a little rest for half an hour, Monk Greenqin inspected the deployment of the camp accompanied by a group of officers of the forward battalion, the forward battalion had more than 12,000 people, and the establishment was at the division level, but only two regiments were stationed in the army.

After turning around, Monk Lingqin always felt that something was missing, and after pondering, he said, "Why didn't you see the artillery position?" ”

Artillery positions? Delentai couldn't help but snort, secretly wondering if he was confused, right? There is an artillery regiment at the first level of the Yuanqi New Army Division, but our Eight Banners New Army does not talk about the artillery regiment, not even the artillery battalion, but as soon as he thought about it, he reacted, and the other party asked about the mortar company supported by Yuanqi, and hurriedly said: "Lord Wang, mortars do not need to be positionally ........" ”

Monk Greenqin glanced at him and said, "You think I came here empty-handed?" I dispatched two artillery batteries to come over to support, hurry up, build an artillery position, don't wait until people steal the camp at night, and then rush to prepare. ”

Seeing the monk Lingqin mentioned the night attack twice in succession, Delentai hesitated and said, "The enemy will really steal the camp?" ”

"Eight or nine is not far from ten!" Monk Lingqin dropped a sentence and strode back to the camp.

Soon after dark, Monk Greenqin went to bed early, no one slept well for several days, and he tossed on the horse for more than an hour during the day, he snored loudly as soon as he fell asleep, and the officers who had never saluted the actual battle were still a little nervous, and they all relaxed when they heard his thunderous snoring.

At about three o'clock in the morning, it was the time to sleep, but suddenly several gunshots rang out one after another, the silence of the night, the crisp gunshots were particularly harsh, and the sharp whistle resounded throughout the entire battalion.

As soon as the gunshot rang out, he woke up, turned over, grabbed a piece of clothing and rushed out of the tent, and said loudly: "Flares!" ”

Before his words fell, three flares had already burst out in the low sky, and then a messy gunfire rang out, and the gunshots he heard were so messy that he couldn't help frowning, after all, he was a recruit who had never seen blood and had never experienced actual combat, and it was inevitable that he would panic when he was about to fight.

He immediately hurried to the big tent, he entered the tent with his front foot, and Delentai followed in with his back foot, and reported: "Lord, there are many enemies, I am afraid that there are tens of thousands of ........" ”

"If you can't see it in the dark, don't scare yourself." Monk Lingqin scolded angrily, and then said: "Even if there are tens of thousands, there is no need to panic, they have been on the road all night, we are waiting for work, and the weapons and equipment are not a little bit stronger, and it is no problem to be ten with one." ”

As he spoke, he said sharply, "Why haven't you heard the sound of the cannon yet?" ”

Hearing this, Delentai smiled bitterly and said, "Those artillerymen don't listen to our command. ”

"It's not that I don't listen to you, because you're laymen." Monk Greenqin paused slightly, and said, "I don't need you to accompany me here, and I will command all the departments to quickly enter the pre-designated position." Saying that, he raised his wrist and looked at his watch, it had been three minutes, and the cannon had not yet sounded, and he was a little anxious in his heart, and said, "Go out and have a look." ”

One after another, the flares and the money were blooming in the air one after another, illuminating the entire west side of the camp as if it were daylight, and the gunfire gradually changed from sparse and messy to dense, which made Monk Lingqin relax a little, even if he was indiscriminate, the dense gunfire could stabilize the morale of the army.

However, at this time, the most stable thing was the artillery, and he rushed straight to the improvised artillery position out of the big tent, and before he arrived, he saw a fire rising in the distance, followed by a dense explosion.

Three mortars and 36 guns, as soon as the cannon was fired, the sound of artillery was endless, the explosion of "boom" was endless, and even the sound of gunfire was suppressed, listening to the sound of this cannon, Seng Greenqin waited for the time in his heart, and secretly rejoiced, fortunately, two mortar companies were transferred over, such a dense and fierce artillery is enough to greatly stabilize the morale of the army and boost morale, for recruits who have not experienced actual combat, there is artillery support and no artillery support, it is completely a world of difference.