"Dear friends from the press," Xiang Xiaoqiang appeared at the door of the command vehicle. He looked at his pocket watch first and then said to the following, "Brothers only have ten minutes to answer a few questions. The battle is very fierce right now, and the front is decided every minute.
Regarding the life and death of our soldiers, I really can’t spare any extra time, friends, please forgive me!”
The sound of gunfire continued to be heard in the distance, and occasionally artillery shells fired by the Qing army fell nearby. Although the caliber was not large, it still seemed like the ground was shaking, raising tall pillars of sand and soil. A large circle surrounded the front of the command vehicle.
The reporters were so frightened that they shrunk and some even had sand on their top hats. Although these reporters were bold and dedicated, most of them were reporting on the battlefield for the first time and were both nervous and excited.
In order not to appear too arrogant, Xiang Xiaoqiang got off the command vehicle. Immediately, four bodyguards stood on both sides, concentrating on protecting Xiang Xiaoqiang.
After several more flashes of white smoke, a reporter rushed to ask:
"General Xiang, this time our Ming army takes the initiative to attack Pukou. What is the main goal? How big is the scale of the battle? How long will it last?"
"These three questions of yours all involve military secrets..." Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at the disappointed expressions on the reporters' faces and smiled again, "...but friends, it is so dangerous to cross the river. In order not to disappoint the public and you,
Brother, you can give me a brief explanation."
Dozens of reporters were immediately smiling again, waiting with cameras and notebooks.
"This military operation," Xiang Xiaoqiang said loudly, "has only one main purpose, which is to annihilate the Qing army in Pukou. As we all know, a few days ago, the Qing puppet emperor had issued a warning to "capture Nanjing on New Year's Eve and spend time at the Nanjing Palace."
But unfortunately, we did not allow him to realize it... So, this morning, he once again made the bold statement of 'capture Nanjing on the first day of the new year and go to the Nanjing Palace to spend the second year of the new year'..."
The reporters couldn't help laughing and started laughing. Xiang Xiaoqiang also smiled and continued:
"But the current war situation seems that this second rhetoric cannot be realized. Our counterattack operation is to annihilate the Qing army on the other side of Nanjing and completely eliminate the possibility of the Qing army attacking Nanjing, so as to prevent the Qing puppet emperor from talking anymore."
We captured Nanjing on the second day of the Lunar New Year and spent the third day of the Lunar New Year at the Nanjing Palace'..."
The reporters laughed even harder. They laughed and remembered, and they were very happy to hear such words that attracted readers. The photographers behind him seized the opportunity and kept capturing General Xiang chatting and laughing.
Many reporters directly wrote down alternative titles: "While chatting and laughing with the feather fan towel, the Qing captives were wiped out in ashes", "New Battle of Chibi: Look at me Koto Yumiiro", "Ryukyu Prince Consort is good at fighting"...
"The second question," Xiang Xiaoqiang added, "is the scale of the battle. Although I cannot provide you with the detailed strength of our army, brothers, I can tell you that we have captured 150,000 Qing troops so far. And the number of soldiers above the Yangtze River is
I believe everyone has seen the air battle. You can estimate the scale of the battle by yourself. The third question is time. It is difficult to say how long this battle will last, but it is certain that it will not be long. We must fight it quickly.
...Well, if you send the report to the museum now, how long will it take to get the report?"
The reporters looked at each other, and then one reporter said:
"It will be seven o'clock in the evening at the earliest to catch the evening paper."
Xiang Xiaoqiang said with a smile:
"Well, you can say that, the battle should be over before the newspapers come out... Haha, you see, there is no need to keep this secret."
The reporters burst into laughter, not knowing whether he was half-truth or a joke.
Another reporter rushed to ask:
"General Xiang, I heard that the Qinglu Emperor is still in Pukou Town, and Pukou is surrounded by our army. Does that mean that we can hope to capture the Qinglu Emperor this time?"
This issue attracted so much attention that none of the reporters interrupted, they all stared at Xiang Xiaoqiang and listened with bated breath.
Xiang Xiaoqiang thought for a while and said:
"If you ask whether it is 'hopeful', it is indeed 'hopeful'. There is hope. As you said, there are currently 30,000 to 40,000 Qing troops in Pukou Town, including the Qing Emperor, who have all been pocketed by us.
.But can we capture the Qinglu Emperor? I say there is only hope. Because we only blocked two ends and did not encircle him on all sides. The Laoshan Mountains northwest of Pukou are not high and not dangerous. A small group of people can definitely do it.
Turn over. I don't think the Qinglu Emperor will live and die with Pukou. At the last moment, he should be protected by his guards and escape over the mountain. Of course, it is not impossible to catch him, but he has to be very lucky.
"
The reporters lowered their heads and took notes for a while, and then someone asked again:
"General Xiang, it is said that five armies were dispatched this time. With such a large force, why can't they be surrounded on all sides?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled and said:
"Well, there are five group armies. It seems that someone in our headquarters has not kept his mouth shut. But fortunately, it is not a high-level person. If you are a high-level person, you will know that there are not five group armies, but just some elites drawn from each of the five group armies.
I'm sorry to say the specific number of troops. The current capacity of the pontoon bridge on the river is limited and we are not allowed to send large troops over. Our troops do not allow for encirclement on all sides. Because the Qing Dynasty troops in Jiangbei still have an absolute advantage, we must use a large number of troops.
Be alert in three directions: east, west, and north to prevent being surrounded by Qing captives.
"... From the time this plan was set up, capturing the Qing emperor was not the goal. Our goal is to annihilate the Qing army in Pukou and defend Nanjing. We cannot use our participation in the counterattack station just to capture a Qing emperor.
Brothers' lives are at risk. In my personal opinion, no matter how noble the Qinglu Emperor is, he is far inferior to the most ordinary soldier of our Ming Dynasty."
The flashbulb flashed "bang bang", and many reporters present applauded. Among the soldiers watching the excitement around, many officers and soldiers were also very moved and shouted loudly.
"General Xiang," a female reporter said, holding up a notebook, "there are rumors in the outside world that your fiancée, Miss Shangxiu, is a Ryukyu princess. What do you think?"
Here we are! Finally asked this question! Xiang Xiaoqiang was still taking a chance, thinking that "war reporters" would only ask questions related to the war! It turns out that what the public is most interested in is always celebrity gossip, especially when it comes to "princess"
"This kind of topic.
Xiang Xiaoqiang sweated a little. He was most afraid of reporters asking if Xiu Xiu was a princess, because he really didn't know how to answer. According to his own judgment, 90% of Xiu Xiu was the illegitimate daughter of the King of Ryukyu, but
Xiuxiu obviously didn't want to admit it. In addition to the reason of "illegitimate daughter", she also had resentment towards the family in Prince Shang's Mansion and didn't want to have anything to do with them.
This is what Xiang Xiaoqiang doesn’t understand the most. If in later generations, she was born into a royal family and had a noble bloodline, what a glorious thing it would be! A girl who knew that she was the illegitimate daughter of a certain king would have already filed lawsuits, published books, and done other things.
Programs, writing blogs, and interviews, he was trying to gain fame and fortune like crazy. However, Xiuxiu not only refused to get involved, but also regarded it as a pain and avoided it. Now everyone from Xiang Xiaoqiang to Qiu Qiu to the people in the headquarters are paying attention.
Don't bring up this topic in front of Xiuxiu.
Xiang Xiaoqiang pondered for a moment and said cautiously:
"Brothers have also heard of this kind of legend. But to be honest, Miss Shang and I are in love with each other and have entered into a marriage contract. I don't care whether she is a princess or an ordinary woman. I have not asked her to confirm this rumor. Because I personally think
, Miss Shang is just an ordinary woman, there is no need to ask. Think about it, a girl serving on a submarine, a second lieutenant communications officer, and an ordinary adjutant in the headquarters, how likely is it that she is the 'Ryukyu Princess'?
?”
The reporters were dissatisfied and asked:
"General Xiang, have you really not asked her?"
"General Xiang, do you want Miss Shang to be a princess?"
"Xiang General..."
Xiang Xiaoqiang was worried, and he was so anxious that he said in a disgusting way:
"Everyone, do me a favor. There is something I have wanted to say to Miss Shang for a long time, but I have never had the courage... Just borrow your newspapers and help me convey this sentence to Miss Shang! ... That is: Don't care about Miss Shang.
Whether she is a princess or an ordinary woman, she will always be the princess in my heart."
"ah……"
"Wow……"
The spotlight flashed, and the reporters exclaimed with envy. They were all satisfied, and they all immersed themselves in writing down this disgusting sentence. A new title was thought of: "To express my love to the general on the battlefield, Princess Shang read the newspaper and saw the true love"...
Xiang Xiaoqiang seized the opportunity and said:
"Everyone, I forgive you for not answering this topic anymore... You braved the artillery fire to cross the river to find out information for the people... The people are definitely more concerned about this battle than I am about someone's fiancée...
Time is running out, so please hurry up and ask more useful questions."
The reporters all knew what was going on and the main purpose of their risky crossing of the river. They stopped dwelling on the topic of "Ryukyu Princess" and started asking about the war again.
Several reporters asked a few more questions, including the bombing of Manchu and Qing airports, the air battle, and the bombing of Pukou. Another reporter asked a more professional question, asking about the difference between dive bombers and previous bombers...
When asked about the bombing, the issue of civilian casualties was naturally brought up. Xiang Xiaoqiang seized the opportunity and said gloomily:
"Everyone, we now have absolute air superiority. We have dive bombers, and we also have a large number of heavy artillery. These can easily kill the Qing army in the town. However, I have just ordered that these are not allowed to be used. Our
The soldiers are fighting hand-to-hand with the Qing captives from room to room, and are taking their lives. Do you know why?"
Several reporters asked:
"what?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang's face became more and more gloomy, and he said in pain:
"Before today, I only knew that the Qing Dynasty was corrupt and cruel, and the people in the North were suffering a lot, but to what extent we couldn't imagine. It wasn't until we arrived here today that we knew there was such a government in the world! And
Such a heinous thing!...Everyone, come on, brothers, I will take you to interview the refugees..."
A large group of reporters immediately carried tripod spotlights and rushed to follow Xiang Xiaoqiang and rushed to the pile of refugees next to them. They were all very excited and knew intuitively that there was something good.
…
An hour later, the shocked and excited reporters quickly wrote a press release, and Xiang Xiaoqiang generously provided them with two radio stations so that they could send the press release to the library immediately.
Soon, the Nanjing correspondents of ten newspapers and two radio stations in Nanming, as well as the Times, the New York Times, the New York Herald Tribune, and the Yomiuri Shimbun, also published their respective manuscripts.
Sent directly back to the home country headquarters.
…
At one o'clock in the afternoon, Li Guoliang called Xiang Xiaoqiang and reported that the vanguard of the Qing army on the other side of Ma'anshan was still ten kilometers away from the outskirts of Pukou. According to the reconnaissance plane report, the long march on the ground could not be seen to the end, with multiple parallel columns.
Moving forward, no fewer than 20 divisions have formed a column. In addition, there are 30-50 divisions at the assembly area on the other side of Ma'anshan, moving into formation.
To the east of Pukou, the Qing army on the other side of Zhenjiang was also advancing. The marching column consisted of no less than 30 divisions, and the leading troops were still 25 kilometers away from Pukou.
"Come so fast!"
Xiang Xiaoqiang stood up and looked at the alarm clock on the table. According to this marching speed, he would fight the Qing reinforcements at six or seven o'clock in the evening, and he would be surrounded any later. He glanced at the map:
"Where did the attack go?"
Li Gensheng immediately marked several times on the map:
"Sir, the west route has captured the headquarters compound, and the east route is blocked by the small river in the town, making it impossible to cross for a while. Now the three Eight Banner Divisions have their backs against the river, desperately resisting our west route offensive.
They still occupy this small area in the center of the town, about two or three square kilometers."
Xiang Xiaoqiang picked up the compass, compared it with the river on the map, then used a triangle to measure the number, and multiplied it by the scale. His eyes widened:
"Why, this inconspicuous river is more than thirty meters wide?"
Li Gensheng smiled bitterly and said:
"You see it as inconspicuous because it is placed on the edge of the Yangtze River. In fact, it is about the same width as our outer Qinhuai River. Our eastward offensive can only go so far. If we don't build a bridge, the tanks will definitely be blocked. If we build a bridge,
, the casualties were too great.”
Xiang Xiaoqiang stared at the map and frowned:
"What about the West Road? There is no reason for us to stagnate."
Li Gensheng looked unbearable and sighed:
"The Qinglu are almost using the people as shields now. Every time they evacuate a house, they will take away the people in that house and let the people suffer casualties along with them. You ordered to stop the bombing and shelling. It seems that the Qinglu are arresting
We have reached our weak point. They know this, so we are restrained and do not dare to attack by force."
"Damn it!" Xiang Xiaoqiang punched the map table and cursed through gritted teeth, "Have you ever seen anything more shameless than this, ah?...Take your own people as hostages to stop the enemy's attack!...We
You're still so mean, I'm so blocked! Oh my god!"
Li Gensheng hesitated for a while and said carefully:
"Sir, we have occupied two-thirds of Pukou Town..."
"Um."
"We have also captured the 200,000 Qing troops in Pukou and annihilated 160,000 to 70,000..."
"What's the matter?"
Li Gensheng coughed twice and said:
"Sir, what I want from my subordinates is that it is no longer interesting to fight against the remaining 20,000 to 30,000 Qing troops... Our goal of this 'New Year's greeting operation' has basically been achieved. Do we want to start our troops here? It can also reduce casualties."
Xiang Xiaoqiang glanced at him and didn't answer, just asked:
"How is the traffic on the river now?"
Li Gensheng replied:
"Back to your lord, on the side of Shogunate Mountain, two pontoon bridges have been erected, and the third one is being built. On our side, two pontoons have been erected, and the third one is being built. In this way, plus the original three, we have a total of
Seven. It is estimated that the two buildings will be completed within two hours."
"Very good. How are the prisoners of war doing?"
"Sir, all seven pontoon bridges are working hard to transport prisoners of war, and almost half of them have been transported. The Pukou pier we occupied still has many intact assault boats and many tugboats on it, and a large number of ships are now being shipped.
If everything goes well, all the prisoners will be transported to the east coast within three hours."
Xiang Xiaoqiang groaned and ordered:
"Order to speed up. We don't have much time. Once there is a border, we must give priority to ensuring that all our troops are withdrawn. We won't be able to transport all the prisoners... It doesn't matter."
Li Gensheng shuddered and asked:
"What do you mean, sir...?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang looked up at him and said calmly:
"Of course, leave it here. What else do you want to do?"
Li Gensheng breathed a sigh of relief:
"My lord is talking about...My lord, what should I do with the seized weapons?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang thought about it and said:
"Prioritize heavy weapons, heavy howitzers, anti-aircraft guns, anti-tank guns, etc., and transport them back in good condition. Qinglu's artillery is still good. Secondly, better light weapons, light and heavy machine guns, also select the good ones and transport them back.
As for the hundreds of thousands of rifles... put them at the end and transport them when there is time, and when it is too late, pour gasoline on them and burn them."
"Your Majesty's arrangement is very reasonable."
"I will destroy the areas that have been captured as much as possible. Except for private houses. Especially the train stations and docks. No intact buildings are allowed to be left. I will blow up all the rails in the train stations. Burn all the warehouse areas."
"yes."
After giving the destruction order to Xiaoqiang, he lowered his head and thought. Li Gensheng was right. The purpose of this battle was basically achieved. The remaining 20,000 to 38,000 banner divisions were smelly and hard, and were hidden among the masses, making it difficult to chew.
It can be said that the only one with some value is Emperor Guangwu. But it is difficult to say whether he can be captured. It is likely that another 20,000 to 30,000 Ming troops and 10,000 to 20,000 people will die and occupy the town, only to find that Emperor Guangwu
He had already run away over the mountains.
It can be said that this military operation was profitable until the attack on the town in the morning. But after that, the casualties began to increase sharply, and losses began to occur. So far, in general, it is still profitable. But if the attack continues, it will not be known in the end.
Of course, this is a war, not a business, and cannot be measured by losses and profits alone. But the problem is that this operation has only one determination: to annihilate the Qing army in Pukou. And this has been basically achieved.
Moreover, this operation was not meant to be a tough battle. The five group army commanders were willing to follow him here because they wanted to make great achievements and defeat the weak dogs instead of chewing the hard bones. Now the 200,000 Qing troops in Pukou have been annihilated.
85%, whether or not the remaining 25% is eliminated will not make much difference in the credit book. Moreover, the price to be paid for this 25% is greater than the original 85%.
Many times.
...Of course, if you want to catch Emperor Guangwu, it will be worth the price. What nice words you say to reporters is another matter. But the question is, after paying a huge price, can you catch him?
Those five group army commanders were the first generals to fight with them and obey their commands. This is the first time that they must fight comfortably and "earn" a lot of money, gaining both fame and fortune.
.After this example is set, more generals will be willing to obey their own restraints. Only then can the edict in their hands be fulfilled as soon as possible.
"Rooted."
he said.
"grown ups?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang closed his eyes and thought for a while, then said:
"Your suggestion is very good, I will prepare a class."
"Your Excellency is wise!"
Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled and said:
"But it doesn't mean that everyone should follow suit. There needs to be some explanation. Are those reporters still there? Tell them to follow me without fear of death, and I will take them to the front line for interviews."
Li Gensheng was shocked and said:
"Sir? This is too dangerous!"
Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled and said:
"Let them take more photos to see how the Qing captives use the common people as shields. Let the whole world know that I am teaching Xiaoqiang now, not because I dare not fight a tough battle, but because I want to love and protect the people."
Li Gensheng thought for a moment and understood immediately. He also said:
"Sir, you should give His Majesty a call and tell him about the situation here. It would be best if His Majesty could personally issue the order. This is the safest way."
Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled and said:
"You are right... In addition, hasn't the Pukou headquarters compound been taken down? I also want to visit the old place again and go to the small building near Pukou's sticky pole. It would be best to pick up a few souvenirs...
You know, that’s where I met Qiu Qiu and Shangxiu.”