Luanzhou Kaiping Coal Mine.

Hu Liao, Hannagan, Zhang Yi, and Fan Xianpei stood in the snowstorm for days, stepping on knee-deep snow, and climbed to the top of a small hill in Geng's camp, looking at Tangshan City ten miles to the southwest.

The snow was falling, obscuring all vision, and only the darkness of the night.

However, the faint red in the dark night sky seemed to indicate a lot of problems, not a violent fire, this kind of wind and snow could not transmit the light of the fire over there.

"Boom-"

The sound of artillery in the southwest direction was like thunder, striking in everyone's eardrums, and also smashing into everyone's hearts.

At the beginning, the first cannon sounded, and the generals in the coal mine thought that it was whose house was setting off the artillery nearby, but when the continuous artillery started, the generals knew that it was actually the Japanese army that was coming, and it was attacking Tangshan.

Jiangsu Alternate Dao, the Ministry of Works, Zhili Rehe Mining Supervisor, Kaiping Coal Mine General Office Zhang Yi, trembling in fright while sending a report to Jinmen, and Jinsheng Camp Hu Liao, Hannagen, and the mine garrison guerrilla battalion officer Fan Xianpei, climbed the mountain and looked into the distance.

"I propose that troops be sent immediately to reinforce the town of Qiaoshan; With our 4,500 elite soldiers here, plus 13,000 troops in Qiaoshan Town, we will definitely be able to defeat the Japanese army! ”

Hannagan was sunk by the Japanese merchant ship when he was on the Gosheng, and was forced to almost drown in a wooden plank before swimming to the shores of Asan before swimming to the shores of Asan with a plank.

"Never!"

At this time, Zhang Yi, who did not know that the telegraph line had already been cut by Japanese engineers, jumped up in a hurry when he heard it, and stopped loudly:

"This Kaiping coal mine is our Beiyang's golden chicken, and there is no city wall around to protect it, once the army marches south and is taken the opportunity to sneak in and destroy, it is a great disaster! I have sent a telegram to the Governor Yamen, Governor-General, please be patient. ”

"Besides, it's dark outside now, and the snow is deep, who knows how many Japanese soldiers are hiding, in case they enter the encirclement and fall into the trap, it's too late to regret it!"

Fan Xianpei, who is responsible for guarding the Kaiping Coal Mine, has already become fat and big-eared in these years of comfort, and he is half tired and half dead when he just climbs this hill, where does he still have the courage and physical strength to fight the Japanese army, and he hurriedly opened his mouth to dissuade him.

Hu Liao looked at the heavy snow in the sky, listened to the fierce artillery fire in the southwest, and his heart was also trembling, and he compromised: "Then wait until dawn, send a sentry to investigate, and then make a long-term plan." ”

After the discussion, the generals returned to the mining camp tremblingly, and soon the shelling from the southwest completely stopped.

The people in the Kaiping Coal Mine stayed up all night, worrying about whether the Japanese would suspend their attacks, or if they had already taken Tangshan City?

If the attack is suspended, reinforcements will have to be sent tomorrow, just think about it, this warm and thick quilt suddenly becomes as cold as lying in the snow, making people shiver from the bone marrow.

But if the Japanese take Tangshan City, and think that the next step is Kaiping Coal Mine, it will be a great disaster!

It was night, and the generals of Kaiping tossed and turned, and they couldn't sleep at night.

When the sky was slightly white, and the heavy snow finally began to stop slowly, I received a report from Tanma that the Japanese army had all crossed the Tang River and was marching westward.

All the generals took a long breath of turbid air that had been saved all night, and their hearts suddenly relaxed.

However, in my heart, there was a voice roaring, rolling and stirring, 'The Japanese are going west to fight the Jingshi!' ’

It's just that no one dares to say it, or even show it implicitly.

I don't know, the generals can also use the excuse of 'coal mine land, which needs to be guarded', and stand still.

But if someone tells the truth, the Kaiping army of more than 4,000 troops will only have to pursue the road of fighting to the death, otherwise when the autumn is settled, everyone will be dead.

At a critical time, in order to protect themselves, everyone must learn to be 'rare and confused'!

Tangshan City, West Sanli.

Youpeng in Shanxian rode on a war horse and walked slowly with a group of staff officers from the military headquarters.

"In last night's battle, more than 300 soldiers were killed and seriously wounded, and no less than 6,000 Qing troops were killed, more than 6,000 prisoners were captured as coolies, and a large number of rapid shots were obtained; The Qing army, which was trained by four or five thousand foreigners hiding in Kaiping, did not even dare to show their heads. ”

Youpeng of Shanxian said confidently: "Gentlemen, the road ahead is already a smooth road, the only thing we have to do is to trap Yanjing City before the emperor of the Qing Kingdom escapes!" ”

"Yu—"

A war horse pulling military rations, because of too much force on the snow, stepped on the horse's hooves, neighed and fell, and was broken off its right hoof by its huge body, and could not stand up by bouncing on the snow.

"Yaga! You slackers, bastards! ”

A baggage commander ran over angrily, and the leather whip in his hand was headless and brainlessly whipped towards the soldiers of the seven Jinsheng battalions in charge of the cart.

"Ahh

"Don't fight, beg for mercy, ah-"

Beat a few Qing prisoners, rolling on the snow and howling for mercy.

"Yaga! How dare you damage the Empire's precious military horses? The conscience is greatly bad! ”

The captain of the Fifth Brigade of the Heavy Soldiers, Captain Erlang Shaozuo, ordered loudly: "Shoot them all as a warning for laziness!" ”

"Bang, bang, bang—"

After more than a dozen gunshots, the six Qing prisoners were killed by the Japanese and discarded in the snow as a warning to the rest of the Qing prisoners.

Seeing this scene, Shan County Youpeng smiled slightly, not only did not care at all, but showed a hint of approval.

He glanced up at the sky, the clouds were already much thinner, and the bright colors outside the sky could be revealed, and the snowflakes in the sky were also much sparse, and it was estimated that the snow would stop today.

Youpeng of Shanxian ordered loudly to the staff officers around him: "The heavy snow can stop today, order all departments to speed up the journey, and within 4 days, the troops must arrive at Cuipingshan Town in the south of Jizhou!" ”

Ludong, Weihai Weijun Port off the coast.

Hashidate, Itsukushima, Matsushima, Chiyoda, Yoshino, Naniwa, Takachiho, Akitsuzu, Yaeyama, Fuso, Hiei, Kongo, Takao, Yamato, Musashi, Tenryu, Kaimon, Katsuragi, Chikushi, Tsukushi, Atago, Maya, Oshima, Chokai, a total of 23 warships of various types.

Kitty Hawk, 1st to 9th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 22nd, 23rd torpedo boats.

Sagamimaru, Saikyo Maru, Edo Maru, Ise Maru, Kyoyo Maru, Mankoku Maru, Enoe Maru, Seyo Maru, Kagoshima Maru, Yamaguchi Maru, Kanshu Maru, Miike Maru, Toyohashi Maru, Shinbata Maru, Ariaki Maru, Soya Maru, Hyogo Maru, Ogura Maru, Tateyama Maru, a total of nineteen transport ships.

Densely blocked in the outer waters of Weihai Weijun Port, staring at the Weihai Weijun Port covered in silver and full of guns.

Prince Akihito Komatsumiya, Kuroki Yuzhen, Okuho Gong, Oji Yasumi, Ito Shoyu, Sameshima Rengui, Dewa Shigeto, Hinataka Zhuang, Togo Heihachiro -

At this time, a group of Japanese army generals were in the command room of the Hashidate, arguing and discussing the next Ludong campaign.

At three o'clock this morning, the Kitty Hawk brought back from Dalian Bay an edict from the emperor of the Hiroshima base camp agreeing to launch the Ludong Campaign.

At present, the difference between the generals lies in the fact that they should directly attack Weihaiwei with all their might, and at the same time, the army will forcibly land and operate nearby.

Or the navy moved to the nearby coast, avoiding the sharp edge of the Weihaiwei Qing army's artillery group, first covering the landing of the army, then the army attacked from behind Weihaiwei, and the navy attacked from the front of the harbor.

These two plans have been arguing for a long time and half of the night yesterday, and the generals of the sea and land have different opinions with each other, and no one can convince anyone.

"We don't have so much time to argue uselessly here; The situation of the First Army is unknown now, and all we have to do now is to capture Weihaiwei as quickly as possible! ”

Prince Akihito Komatsumiya looked around at the sea and land generals, and said in a deep voice: "The sea and land staff officers will form a temporary staff headquarters and make an attack and landing plan; All ships and armies immediately prepare to attack Weihaiwei early tomorrow morning! This battle must be fought down! ”

"Hey!"

In the war room, all the generals shouted in unison.

At this time, the battle at Shanhaiguan had just started again.