The post road began to gradually turn from the sea to the inland, and they walked for a long time. He Rubin saw that the sun was already setting in the west, and it was estimated that it was already Shenchu time. He looked around, and there were undulating hills and mountains in the distance. Not far from the post road was
There was a hill with lush vegetation. He picked up the reins of his horse and rode to a hillside next to the post road. His soldiers and generals quickly followed.
He was riding a Mongolian horse, which was very impressive. The saddle, bridle and stirrups were all made of brass. Before setting off, the soldiers had polished them to a shiny shine, which was very dazzling in the sunlight. He held the reins with his left hand.
, holding the whip in his right hand, looking at the people, horses and flags advancing continuously around him, a feeling of satisfaction filled his heart.
"General Tang Shen!" he shouted.
"The humble general is here!"
"How far is it from Chengmai?"
"Reporting to Lord Zhentai, there are still thirty miles." Tang Yunwen crossed his hands on his horse and said, "This place is called Shishan."
He Rubin took a look at the hill, which was about a hundred feet away from the post road. It was a good place to control the post road. If the bandits ambush people here, he would have to go through a hard fight to pass. But just now
Tan Ma has already come to explore, and there is no ambush here.
"Kun thieves don't know soldiers." He Rubin commented, "If we set up a camp here and send people to guard it, our army must capture this mountain before we can continue to advance."
"What the Lord said is absolutely true." Chang Qingyun's face was covered with dust and his buttocks hurt, but he still followed He Rubin's headquarters and was not in the old camp. He just hoped that he could say a few words and show off at such a time.
His knowledge and "diligence and loyalty" attitude.
"The terrain here is important. Set up a grain platform here!" He Rubin ordered.
The strategy set for the campaign was to encircle a long siege. The supply of military food for more than 20,000 people was a very important matter. The most convenient sea transportation was blocked by the "strong ships and fast artillery" of the Kun thieves, so land transportation was ignored.
Distance is always quite difficult, especially the condition of the post roads in Hainan is really bad. It is very difficult to rely on the civilian men sent from the army to carry carts and push them hundreds of miles to deliver food. Therefore, the Ming army adopted the method of setting up food supplies section by section.
Taiwan, a layer-by-layer transfer model.
Shishan has certain terrain advantages and the road is moderate, making it one of the best places to set up a grain transfer platform.
Immediately, he ordered a Qian general to lead 500 soldiers to set up camp here and build a grain platform to be responsible for transporting grain. He also planned to set up a second grain transshipment platform in Chengmai County after the siege of Chengmai was lifted. This way, four or five people would be quarantined every
A grain platform was set up ten miles away and soldiers were stationed to guard it. Not only could grain and grass be continuously transported to the army, but it could also ensure the safety of his retreat.
The army then camped in Shishan. There were troops of bandits outside Chengmai County. He Rubin decided to rest here for one night so that the soldiers could recharge their batteries and return to Chengmai tomorrow. In case the hungry and tired army could not resist the soldiers who were waiting for work.
Kun thief, if we fight a small defeat under the city, it will have a very bad impact on our morale.
"Tomorrow afternoon, our army will arrive at the gate of Chengmai County." He Rubin said to the generals and staff at the evening meeting, "According to the Chengmaitang report, the bandits have built an earthen fence below the city and set up a camp.
, with about 2,000 troops and artillery, the defense must be strong. Our army must take it down in one go without any setbacks!"
"Here!" All the generals agreed loudly.
Zhao Ruyi said: "Local officials conceal their faults and only outplay their merits, but all the rebels and bandits will exaggerate ten times or dozens of times. Even if there are more than 2,000 people in his stronghold, most of them are ordinary people who are holding them hostage. Our soldiers will definitely be able to defeat them in one go."
.”
"What your Excellency said is absolutely true. However, caution is still the priority." He Rubin asked the Chinese Army Guard Ye Zhengfang, "General Ye, please bring the latest Tang newspaper from Chengmai."
Ye Zhengfang said: "Reporting to your lord, the Tongbao from Chengmai has not arrived for three or four days. I am afraid that the bandits have surrounded the whole city and cut off traffic."
"You have to be more cautious like this!" He Rubin felt a little uneasy in his heart, "We will send more scouts tomorrow!"
The sun was shining brightly above my head.
General Zhongxiao of the Foreign Affairs Commission took off his helmet that was hot from the sun countless times. He stopped his horse under the shade of a tree on the side of the road, and several cavalrymen followed him.
"Master! Why don't you leave?" one of his brothers asked.
"What the hell, it's so hot. This damn place! Let's talk after a while!" Zhong Xiao cursed. His armor was not only hot but also heavy under the sun, and the areas where the leather was connected continued to emit a disgusting stench.
He was ordered to lead a few brothers to act as scouts to investigate and find out the enemy's situation at any time.
He felt better after taking off his helmet. He not only sighed. This battle was really a difficult thing. Not to mention the fear, the march alone cost him half his life.
"Commander, please come and get this small helmet." A soldier named Xu next to him said flatteringly.
"Okay, let's go on." Zhong Xiao threw the helmet into his hand, "I'm going to relax quickly! I can't even find anyone to ask for a drink of water in this damn place."
They had already drank all the water they had brought with them. For a while, there was no place to replenish the water.
"There is water here." Xu Qinbing quickly handed over a bamboo tube, "I brought a few more before I went out today. You are our backbone, we can't make any mistakes."
"What a capable boy!" Zhong Xiao praised. Several other soldiers secretly cursed him for being shameless - this man usually always wore a smiling face and served the boss respectfully and comfortably as if he were his master.
I gained a lot of benefits for myself.
Zhong Xiao's small group of cavalry separated from the main team, left the post road, and set out to patrol south to detect any signs of enemy activity.
They walked for more than ten miles in one breath. Along the way, except for a few common people working in the farmland occasionally, they didn't see anyone. He wanted to arrest a few common people for questioning, but the common people
As soon as he saw the officers and soldiers wearing armor, he immediately rolled away and ran away. It was difficult to catch up with the horses in the paddy fields, so he was so angry that he cursed his mother.
Since he couldn't catch the people for questioning, he had no choice but to lead his brothers and ride forward slowly. After being used to the densely populated Guangdong, when he arrived in Hainan, he felt that it was extremely desolate. There were uncultivated wastelands everywhere, and there were few villages along the way.
When we arrived at several villages, the people inside had already escaped with their weaklings.
"There is no sign of the thieves!" Zhong Xiao scolded, "They are probably all eating, drinking and having fun in the shop right now, and the girl is sleeping!"
"The boss is right!" the soldier named Xu agreed, "Wherever the thieves dare to come out to fight, they just dare to set off firearms from a distance."
"Let's go and take a look at the woods on the hill over there!" Zhong Xiao felt much more energetic after drinking some water.
"500 meters to the southeast at 4 o'clock, there are five enemy cavalry! They are moving northwest!" A scout who was observing from a big tree reported in a low voice.
Chen Sigen was already a little asleep - when he heard the report, he slowly turned and moved to the observation position. He and three scouts had been lurking in the hidden trench on this hill since last night to observe the surrounding areas.
movement.
The order given to him is to eliminate all officers and soldiers with less than ten people who appear within their patrol range. Suspicious characters can be hunted down even if they are not in officer uniforms.
Due to the lack of mobility, the special reconnaissance team can only rely on two legs for shield patrol. Although the physical strength and endurance of the special reconnaissance team are several times that of ordinary people, it is still quite laborious to intercept a small group of reconnaissance cavalry in a wide area.
.
Bei Wei decided to adopt a fragmentation and lump-sum system, dividing the shielded area into pieces. Every four people formed a team, and each two teams were responsible for a small area. The two teams took turns to carry out latent squatting and armed patrols. Each team used walkie-talkies to keep in touch with each other.
contact and report the situation at any time. If the distance is far beyond the fire range of the SKS rifle or there are many officers and soldiers, their movements will only be reported, and a special mobile team will deal with them - the mobile team uses motorcycles and installations
It is composed of an agricultural vehicle equipped with a machine gun.
Chen Sigen and his men chose a commanding height here and set up an observation post. A soldier observed the surrounding situation with a telescope in the branches and leaves at the top of the big tree.
He took out his telescope and observed according to the sentry's instructions: there were indeed five Ming Army cavalry walking over listlessly 500 meters away. Their armor, helmets and sabers hanging on the saddles all indicated their identities.
"Don't worry, they are coming towards us, put them 100 meters away and then fire." Chen Sigen ordered, "Notify the people of Team 1! Tell them to pay attention."
Seeing that the five cavalry enemies had reached less than 100 meters away from him, Chen Sigen made a "prepare to shoot" gesture. Then he pulled the SKS in his hand to his eyes and carefully aimed at the leading knight who looked like an officer.
Just when Zhong Xiao was looking into the distance again, a crisp gunshot sounded in his ears.
A bullet flew past his ear, and Zhong Xiao was shocked: There was a bandit ambushing him here! He didn't dare to think too much at the moment, and quickly turned his horse's head, preparing to escape.
At this time, several more gunshots rang out, and the two cavalrymen beside him fell off their horses. Xu Qinbing, who was still talking in a long way just now, was lying on the ground. The back of his head was half uncovered, and his blood and brain fluid were flowing out.
Zhong Xiao was so frightened that he almost fell off his horse.
"Let's go!" He lowered his body, hugged the horse's neck, and whipped the horse's butt.
"Bastard!" Chen Sigen cursed, quickly adjusted half the secret position, and pulled the trigger again.
The bullet accurately hit Zhong Xiao's shoulder blade, causing his body to rush forward. The bullet came out of his mouth, and the huge impact tore off half of his jaw. The body fell from the horse.
Into the mud.
The other two cavalrymen turned their horses' heads in panic and fled for their lives. The bullets soon caught up with them, and the two men were shot one after another and fell off their horses.
"What a pity!" Chen Sigen looked at the two empty-saddled horses and couldn't help but cursed. These are rare Mongolian horses in the local area!
"Quickly, pull the horses back and pull the bodies into the ditch!" He then ordered, "Report, five Ming army reconnaissance riders have been eliminated in area B12."
The special reconnaissance team shielded the Ming army's detective horses, causing the officers and soldiers to quickly lose all information. He Rubin sent several groups of detective horses in succession, but none of them came back. After walking for more than ten miles in this way, none of the detective horses came back. He Rubin
Feeling bad, he ordered the entire army to stop advancing.
"How far is it from Chengmai County?"
The answer was that there was still twelve miles to go. He Rubin felt hesitant. From his experience, the sudden disappearance of his pond horse meant that the enemy's reconnaissance cavalry was also actively active, trying its best to prevent him from being aware of the opponent's movements.
It seems that the enemy does not intend to be besieged by him in Lingao, but is preparing to fight with him at the foot of Chengmai County.
"This Kun thief is not easy to deal with." He felt a little worried for the first time. Didn't the Kun thief have no cavalry? It was impossible for infantry alone to wipe out all the exploring horses he sent without returning any of them.
The generals are all waiting for his order. It will get dark in another hour and a half. The 20,000 troops and baggage are still on the way. If they cannot reach Chengmai before dark, they will have to camp on the spot - time does not allow him
hesitate.
"General Tong!" he ordered, "you immediately send 300 cavalry to Chengmai, and another 500 infantrymen to follow. Set up a stronghold outside Chengmai County before dark to meet the army!"
Tong Yizhen saw the commander's solemn expression and knew that there was a dangerous force at this moment. He immediately sent General He Zhanran to lead 300 cavalry and galloped towards Chengmai County. Just in case, he did not send 500 infantry, but personally
He led his servants and a thousand infantry to follow.
The special reconnaissance team members of Ye Mengyan's detachment who were serving as a shield on the post road saw more than 300 cavalry coming down the post road. They knew that their small force of four people in a team could not resist, so they immediately moved out of the way to let the cavalry pass.
.
"The enemy troops are coming. There are three to four hundred cavalry!" Ye Mengyan shouted on the walkie-talkie, "There is a lot of smoke and dust behind, and there are troops coming."
"Don't get entangled with them. The whole team will harass and shoot while exiting the shielded area. Let the enemy go to the county seat!"
"clear!"
Ye Mengyan raised his SKS rifle and pulled the trigger at the cavalry galloping on the road, and then the team members around him opened fire one after another.
Amidst the shrill gunfire, cavalrymen were constantly shot and fell off their horses. This sudden shooting shocked He Zhanran, because he saw no sign of anyone firing a cannon. But from the gunfire, he knew that there were not many people on the other side, with at most three or four.
The ten men must have been there to harass and delay his troops from advancing. He shouted, "Follow me!" He immediately headed straight towards Chengmai County, ignoring the fact that some people were shot and fell off their horses.
Three or four squads of Ye Mengyan's detachment fired from both sides of the road, causing He Zhanran to leave more than 20 riders on the post road. Ye Mengyan originally wanted to make another ambush, but the infantry of the Ming army behind him had already rushed over from all over the mountains and plains.
Yi Zhen heard the gunshots in front and judged that the enemy troops had spread out. He ordered the infantry to spread out and form a formation, and he personally led dozens of servants on horseback to rush forward.
Ye Mengyan originally thought that the enemy was nothing more than that, vulnerable to SKS rifles. Now he saw the infantry of the Ming army coming all over the ground, with flags and banners fluttering, and swords and guns like a forest. His heart beat wildly, mother!
This is so spectacular! I thought there would be a machine gun here but I was afraid it wouldn’t be able to hold it – there were too many people!
"Quick! Retreat!" At that moment, he ordered the entire unit to retreat. He raised his SKS-D rifle without aiming, and emptied a 20-round magazine at the Ming army that was coming after him, and quickly went down into the ditch to escape.
The retreat route of the special reconnaissance team was surveyed in advance, and the terrain was used as much as possible to avoid the enemy's pursuit. Since the weapons used by the special reconnaissance team fired smokeless bullets, and all members were equipped with camouflage uniforms, the Ming army was very
It is difficult to identify their location in the wilderness.
Tong Yizhen's men lost more than a dozen people in the last blocking shot by Ye Mengyan's team, including one of his generals who was also killed. The enemy's traceless shooting made him very frightened. But the men behind him kept coming.
When the crowd came, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and lead his troops towards the county seat.
He Rubin heard the gunshots and shouts of death in front, and knew that the forwards had joined the enemy, so he quickly ordered Li Guang, the guerrilla who commanded the standard-making battalion, to quickly lead the standard-setting battalion to rush for reinforcements. He personally led his servants and Zhenbiao to respond from behind.
"Tell General Yan to hold down the troops behind him and move forward slowly. Don't mess up the position yourself first!"
The rear team not only had a large amount of baggage, but also local warriors and local Japanese troops. These troops were very unreliable and would flee if they wavered at the slightest moment. So he paid special attention to them. After passing the order, he personally took his servants with him.
Follow Li Guang's troops forward.
He Zhanran's cavalry was the first to arrive outside the south gate of Chengmai and occupied the empty stronghold abandoned by You Huhu. The light infantry who had been performing automatic shooting outside the city gates had withdrawn from their positions and retreated to the camp in the northwest of the city.
He Zhanran saw that more than 300 infantrymen were retreating, and they had only gone less than two or three miles, so he quickly led the cavalry to charge towards them.
The 1st Light Infantry Company of the 1st Infantry Battalion commanded by Yang Zeng was the first to withdraw from the position, but the 5th Light Infantry was delayed for more than ten minutes in receiving the order. Yang Zeng, who served as the *** commander under the city, responded to the 5th Battalion's
The light infantry waited for a while on the way, but was bitten by the Ming army's rapidly approaching cavalry.
Seeing the cavalry rolling in, Yang Zeng immediately drew his command knife and shouted an order: "Fix bayonets! Form a square formation!"
The snare drum beat rapidly.
The 1st Light Infantry Company, which was retreating, immediately turned around and stood in front. The 5th Light Infantry Company was divided into two, with half of the soldiers on the left and right. The 3rd Light Infantry Company turned its back to them.
Yang Zeng found that there were not enough infantry on the left and right wings. He was afraid that the firepower of the two wings would be too weak and the enemy would break through. He immediately ordered the companies in front and behind to allocate a platoon to the two wings.
Because the number of people was relatively small, the phalanx was simply arranged into three deep columns on each side. The first column knelt in front of them with one leg, pointing their rifles with bayonets upwards. The two columns behind held their rifles straight, ready to fire at any time.
This series of maneuvers only took less than three minutes. The enemy had already rushed to the front of the square formation in an instant. The full-speed impact of the cavalry made the soldiers who had been trained in countless infantry and cavalry confrontations begin to waver.
At this critical moment, Yang Zeng shouted: "The ruler returns to 0!" His command knife slashed downwards, "Fire!"