Creel looked at the thick smoke billowing from the sea and was completely stunned. He did not expect this result.
He thought about many outcomes. The best one was that the No. 1 battleship forced the Qing army to surrender and then integrated the opponent's army; the second was that the Qing army refused to surrender, but would not open fire and cause trouble; the third was that the opponent charged into the sea around the battleship. Firing warning shots, or even targeting warships with a small number of shells to attack, were all within Creel's acceptance range.
However, Creel never expected that such a dense bombardment would bombard a battleship, causing it to sink in an instant. This result caught Creel off guard.
The billowing smoke was like a slap on Creel's face.
"Your Majesty Lieutenant General, what should we do now?" Sabans asked.
Creel asked: "Revenge, you must take revenge."
Saibans said: "Your Excellency, Lieutenant General, we came to Penghu Island for a purpose. We want to discuss matters with the US military guard Amor on Penghu Island. Your order to start a war with the Qing army has already involved us and complicated the situation. , Not to mention the destruction of the No. 1 battleship, if we lose our army after a war with the other party's army, how will we negotiate with the US military next? Without sufficient strength to support the negotiation, the negotiation will be restricted. Furthermore, If Li Zhen's army defeats the US military, and our relationship with Li Zhen becomes irreversible, what will we do then? We did not participate in the war, so we cannot be dragged into it."
After hearing this, Creel frowned. His plan was to take advantage of the battle between the Qing army and the US military on the island to force Li Zhen's warships to surrender. Unexpectedly, he encountered a difficult situation and the situation became complicated.
"Your Majesty Lieutenant General, there are troops on the island."
When Saipans saw the army appearing on the island, he immediately reminded him.
Creel heard the sound and went out, and the dark soldiers immediately appeared in his sight, but he could not see the specific situation of the army on the island.
He picked up the telescope and looked at the situation on the island through the telescope.
At this time, the army under Li Zhen became clear. Through the appearance of the army and the appearance of the army generals, Creelton immediately had a bad premonition, because this army was not an army that had been attacked at all. The appearance of a defeated army is an army with extremely strong combat effectiveness.
The most important thing is that this army is full of fighting spirit, which makes Creel feel embarrassed.
"withdraw."
Creel, not a man for dilly-dallying, gave the order immediately.
All the warships turned around and began to withdraw.
Li Zhen came with his army and saw thick smoke billowing from the sea. He felt a little nervous. But when he saw the warships on his side lined up neatly, he felt relieved again, especially after seeing the British warships docked at sea. Withdrawing, I felt even more relaxed.
Soon, the two armies merged.
Su Lei got off the flagship, came to Li Zhen and saluted: "Your Majesty."
Li Zhen said: "What happens when a battleship burns?"
Su Lei told the story in detail, without adding or subtracting, and without exaggerating.
After hearing this, Li Zhen was very happy, patted Su Lei on the shoulder, and praised: "Very good, very well done, you have courage, young man has courage, facing foreigners, we must not be timid at any time, the two armies are narrow When we meet on the road, no matter whether we can win or not, we must show our sharp swords. This is the true nature of a man. Do your best, I am optimistic about you."
"yes."
Su Lei was very excited when he heard Li Zhen's words of praise.
Li Zhen changed the subject and said: "Instruct all the soldiers on the battleship to remain vigilant at all times to prevent the retreating British warships from killing a carbine. We are leading the army into battle. We must be cautious at all times and do not let the British warships retreat because of trivial matters.
Ignore it."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your teaching."
Su Lei immediately turned around, looked at his commander, and ordered: "The prince is very satisfied with our performance and spoke highly of it, saying that the brothers are courageous and capable, but we must guard against arrogance and impetuosity.
, the more victorious you are, the more you must be humble and prudent, pass on my order, let all soldiers perform their duties, and continue to be vigilant."
"yes."
A regimental leader nodded, responded respectfully, and then went to deliver the order.
Li Zhen stood aside and admired Su Lei even more.
Conveying orders flexibly is a skill that adapts to circumstances.
Li Zhen changed the subject, looked at Zheng Zaoru, and said seriously: "The task of clearing out the US soldiers on the Penghu Islands is handed over to Zheng Zaoru. Zheng Zaoru will be responsible. If anyone is missing, you can ask Zuo Zongtang. We have a five-day deadline to clear them all. This is
Our springboard to Taiwan is also our foothold. We must ensure absolute stability. At the same time, we must have good relations with the local people. We cannot drive away the US military, and we act as the US military. This is absolutely not allowed.
."
"yes."
Zheng Zaoru went to Zuo Zongtang for assistance, and then brought a brigade of soldiers to prepare for the five-day purge work.
Li Zhen looked at Zuo Zongtang and Zeng Guofan and said: "Brother Ji Gao and Brother Bohan, although we have achieved a staged victory now, we still have to renovate on the Penghu Islands for a few days. During this period, it does not mean that the two
There is nothing to do. On the contrary, your task is very important. You must prepare for the next stage and collect information about the US military and the British troops arriving in Taiwan. This is necessary information for the next stage, so be prepared."
"yes."
Zeng Guofan and Zuo Zongtang responded at the same time, both looking extremely serious.
…
Taiwan Island, Kaohsiung.
Because Kaohsiung has port resources that can accommodate U.S. warships, it has become the base camp for the U.S. military. Most of the U.S. troops are concentrated here. News of Amor's defeat quickly spread back to Kaohsiung, and U.S. commander Essent
After hearing the news, everyone was stunned for a long time. I didn't expect the result to be like this.
In the first battle, the entire army was destroyed, but Li Zhen's army was hardly affected.
Such a result made Essent angry.
The army of the United States of America unexpectedly failed. Essent summoned the generals stationed in Kaohsiung City and said in a deep voice: "Kriel failed in this battle. Tell me what you think."
"Marshal, let me say a few words." As soon as Essent finished speaking, a middle-aged man with gray hair said: "First of all, Creel was defeated and killed. This is a great shame for the American army. I suggest that the entire army be notified.
, let all the soldiers and generals in the army take a warning, and secondly, mobilize the army to prepare for battle with Li Zhen's army and take revenge."
"I agree."
"I second the motion."
…
Every general agreed with the idea of attacking Li Zhen. While these people were talking to each other, Essent's guards quickly ran in, came to Essent's side, and whispered: "Marshal, Li Zhen."
Zhen's army is heading toward Kaohsiung."
"Oh, Li Zhen is here."
Essent stood up suddenly and said loudly: "Li Zhen is here. It's time for us to take revenge. Cheer up and prepare the soldiers under your command to fight."
Everyone agreed in unison and discussed the next strategy before they dispersed.
ps: Second update, call it a day; I can’t stand it any longer, let me take a break.