Chapter 123: Defeat the British and Capture Guangzhou
Upon hearing this, Edson immediately nodded in agreement and turned around to prepare to carry out the order.
But at this moment, a shell came.
The shell hit Uncle He's body with a bang. The terrible kinetic energy carried by the shell directly tore his body apart, turning it into a piece of broken limbs.
The blood sprayed all over Edson's head and face. Half of his large intestine was thrown on his face. The slippery touch made Edson open his mouth and vomit...
With the death of Uncle He, the British army, which was surrounded, also collapsed.
British soldiers spontaneously raised white flags and waved them desperately, as if they were afraid that the Restoration Army would not see them.
I, the British celestial soldier, am also a human being, so I will naturally feel fear when facing death.
In addition, they do not have the Oriental mentality of sacrificing their lives for justice when in trouble. When they are in desperate situations, they will naturally choose to surrender to save their lives.
……
"Grand Commander, we won! Our army won!"
A communications soldier rode at full speed to Li Yi and told him the good news.
Upon hearing this, Li Yi was overjoyed and a smile appeared on his face involuntarily, and then he asked.
"Tell me in detail, what are the results of our army's battle?"
Upon hearing this, the communications soldier began to speak while panting and adjusting his breathing.
"In reply to the Grand Admiral, our army has won both the naval and land battles."
"In terms of land warfare, our army has completely wiped out the invading British barbarians and killed their main general in battle. The remaining British barbarians have all surrendered."
"As for the naval battle, although our army failed to completely annihilate the British fleet, we successfully repelled the invading British and even sank the British flagship, as well as several armed merchant ships and rocket sampans. The results were also quite fruitful."
Hearing this, the joy on Li Yi's face became more obvious. He clapped his hands and laughed, then spoke with some pride.
"Since the Opium War ten years ago, many Chinese people have said that the British are incredibly powerful, their ships and guns are beyond imagination, and they are absolutely impossible to defeat."
"But from what I have seen, the British are nothing but chickens and dogs!"
"The Qing demons may be afraid of the British, but my Restoration Army is not afraid of them!"
Li Yi is really happy now, and his happiness is visibly visible.
Because he knew that with this record of fighting against the British, even if he, Li Yi, was defeated in the future, he would still be regarded as a national hero in the history books of later generations.
After being happy, Li Yi continued.
"Pass the order down and inform all the troops of this good news, so that the soldiers can all be happy together..."
"Then give me some extra strength to defeat the Qing monster in front of me!"
"Go charge into Guangzhou City!"
With a wave of Li Yi's hand, the military order was issued, and the morale of the Restoration Army was greatly boosted, and they launched an offensive against the Qing demons in front of them.
……
In the Qing army camp, Mutteen and other Qing high-ranking officers also received news of the British army's defeat.
"This...how is this possible?"
"They are the British. Even the Qing Dynasty is no match for them. How could they possibly defeat the British with just the Taiping?..."
Muttern was so frightened that he almost collapsed to the ground.
Bai Gui, who was standing by, also had a distraught look on his face and muttered.
"This...this is impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Ye Mingchen also looked pale and muttered.
"It's over. Even the British have been defeated. Guangzhou is now undefendable..."
They were all stunned by the news of the British defeat.
At the same time, the morale of the lower-level soldiers of the Qing army was low, and their faces were filled with dejection and despair.
The reason why they had the courage to go out of the city and fight the bandits was because they were encouraged by the British aid.
Or it can also be said that he is relying on the power of his master.
If the British had not come to help, even if they had the courage, these Qing troops would not dare to leave the city and fight the Restoration Army in the field.
But now, the British have been defeated by the bandits. One can imagine how low the morale of the Qing army is now.
Just at this moment, a fast horse suddenly came galloping with news.
"Report! Repay!"
"Your Excellency the Governor and General, the secret society in Guangzhou has rebelled..."
When Mutten heard this, he felt as if he was struck by lightning.
It's over, it's over!
There were secret societies rebelling inside Guangzhou, and bandits invading from outside. In addition, the British, whom he relied on as the Great Wall, were defeated. Guangzhou was now really no longer defensible.
Muten didn't dare to think about how he would explain to the court if the Eight Banners in Guangzhou were massacred...
……
Although the secret societies in Guangzhou City agreed to support the Restoration Army in the war, the British suddenly got involved.
The leaders of the secret societies were also unsure and did not dare to act rashly. They just secretly sabotaged the Qing army in Guangzhou city.
However, as the news of the Restoration Army's victory over the British in the Huangpu area came, the secret societies naturally did not hesitate and immediately launched an uprising.
They attacked the gates of Guangzhou from the inside out, and then rushed towards the rear of the Qing army.
After a fierce battle, the Qing army was immediately defeated by the double attack from the Restoration Army and the Guangzhou secret society.
The Restoration Army took advantage of the situation and rushed into the city of Guangzhou, and were invincible!
Under the protection of his personal soldiers, Muten and his companions hastily fled towards the city of Guangzhou...
……
Hong Kong, Governor's Palace!
The British Governor of Hong Kong, Sir John Smith, slumped on the sofa, his eyes full of disbelief.
"Our army was defeated."
"How is it possible that we were defeated by a rebel army?!"
Wenhan murmured, and before he knew it, a layer of fine beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead.
Wenhan knew that the situation in the Far East was going to be troublesome!
It was only through the Opium War that Britain managed to open a gap in the closed door of the ancient Eastern Empire.
After this battle, this gap may be closed to Britain again...
As an envoy and governor-general, he has no way to explain to the Queen and both the Houses of Parliament.
Taking a deep breath, Wenhan found it hard to calm down.
After hesitating for a long time, Wenhan spoke.
"Ask Bao Ling and Rodel to come see me!"
Wenhan gave the order, and soon Bao Ling and Rodel came to pay a visit.
"Meet His Excellency the Governor."
The two said in unison.
Wenhan nodded slightly, first asked the two to sit down, and then spoke.
"I'm sure you guys are already aware of the Guangzhou battle."
"Our fleet was defeated, and our land forces were even annihilated by the rebels. After this battle, the Qing Dynasty may not be able to hold out for much longer, and Guangzhou will change hands soon."
"By then, the rebels will dominate Guangzhou."
"This is not good news for Britain."
"But this is the fact, and we are forced to accept it."
"So, I need you, Rodel, and Bao Ling to go to the rebels again, negotiate with them, and discuss the release of our prisoners of war..."
Bao Ling and Rodel looked at each other, somewhat embarrassed, but still spoke together.
"Your Excellency the Governor, we promise to complete the mission."
Seeing this, Wen Han nodded with satisfaction and said, "Remember, this time you two go to the rebels together and make sure to persuade them to release our prisoners of war."
"Especially those captured British native soldiers!"
"Britain does not have many native soldiers in the Far East. We must not allow them to suffer too many casualties..."
As for Indians?
Haha, are Indians considered human beings?
At least in Wenhan, Indians are not considered human beings.
Upon hearing this, Bao Ling and Rodel nodded in agreement, then took their leave and left, preparing to go to Guangzhou again.
After Bao Ling and Rodel left, Wenhan picked up the coffee cup and prepared to take a sip, but as soon as he picked up the cup, his hands couldn't help shaking.
With a thud, the cup fell on the marble floor and shattered into pieces in an instant.
The scalding coffee spilled all over the floor, even wetting Wenhan's trouser legs.
Wenhan still underestimated the impact of the defeat in Guangzhou on himself.
……
Guangzhou city was broken, but Li Yi did not enter the city immediately.
The reason is very simple. Now the city of Guangzhou is in chaos. The remnants of the Qing army, secret societies, militia, the Restoration Army, the remnants of the Eight Banners, all kinds of forces are mixed together, and there is still resistance in all directions of the city. It is a time of chaos.
Li Yi is a little afraid of death, so he will not risk entering the city at this time.
Even if he wanted to enter the city, he would wait until the Restoration Army had completely taken control of the situation in the city and order in Guangzhou was restored.
He will set off!
Before this, Li Yi still stayed outside the city of Guangzhou.
But he was not idle either. Instead, he led a team to visit the wounded soldiers' camp.
During the Battle of Guangzhou, the Restoration Army was faced with enemies on both sides, and fierce battles broke out with the British and Qing troops at the same time.
Although both sides achieved victory, they also suffered heavy casualties, and the wounded camp was once again filled with wailing wounded soldiers.
Li Yi patted the shoulder of a wounded soldier of the Restoration Army who had lost a leg, and comforted him in a gentle voice.
"Take good care of your injuries and don't worry about anything. This governor still needs you, and the Restoration Army still needs you."
Upon hearing this, the wounded soldier spoke with tears in his eyes and a choked voice.
"General, my legs are gone, and I am disabled. I can't go to the battlefield. What use am I?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yi waved his hand and said.
"You just lost a leg. Who says you are useless? Aren't both of your arms still there? Eating and writing are no problem."
"The military is currently in need of a group of clerks who can write and do math in the logistics department. During this time when you are recovering from your injuries, you can learn some writing and math. When you are well, you can continue to serve the military in the logistics department."
Upon hearing this, the wounded soldier suddenly felt that life was full of hope again and nodded vigorously.
"Don't worry, Grand Commander. I will definitely not let you down."
Another wounded soldier who had lost an arm couldn't help but ask.
"Grand Commander, what about me? I lost my right arm. I'm afraid I can't even eat or write..."
Li Yi still said with a gentle smile.
"During the Guangzhou battle, our army captured a lot of Qing prisoners of war. Many of them were so addicted to opium that they were already disabled. They are definitely not fit to serve as soldiers."
"I plan to send them to labor reform, and at the same time, they will have to build bridges, pave roads, open mountains and mine. When the time comes, you will be the supervisor."
"Just watch over those Qing monsters and let them do their work properly. Don't delay even a single move."
Upon hearing this, the wounded soldier nodded vigorously and looked at Li Yi with a fanatical expression.
Seeing this, Li Yi spoke loudly to others.
"All the injured brothers don't need to worry about the future, just take good care of your injuries."
"Once you have recovered from your injuries, the army will have a place for you."
"Even if you are injured and can't do anything, don't worry. I promise today that I will support you for the rest of your lives."
"As long as my Restoration Army exists, I will never stop providing food, clothing and daily necessities for everyone."
"This is the promise I made to you guys! You can all supervise together."
As soon as Li Yi finished speaking, the gloomy atmosphere in the wounded camp suddenly disappeared, and a cheer rang out.
"Long live the Grand Commander, long live the Restoration Army!"
"Long live the Grand Commander, long live the Restoration Army!"
"..."
The eyes of these wounded soldiers were full of fanaticism when they looked at Li Yi.
This was their Grand Commander, the man for whom they had died.
Even though they were injured or even disabled, he did not abandon them.
Being loyal to such a leader is worth it even if it means risking one's life.
Li Yi finished his inspection and left the wounded camp, and a fast horse came towards him.
"Grand Commander, except for the Manchu city, the entire Guangzhou has been controlled by our army, but the Guangzhou Eight Banners in the city are still resisting stubbornly."
"They occupied the entire city and held their ground, confronting our army."
Luo Dagang rode his horse all the way to Li Yi, dismounted swiftly, and began to report.
Hearing this, Li Yi couldn't help but think about it. After a moment, he made a decision.
"Send people to persuade the eight banners in the city to surrender."
"Tell them that if they surrender voluntarily, I will consider sparing their lives, but if they resist to the end, after the whole city is captured, everyone in the Eight Banners will be killed."
Of course, when Li Yi said about sparing their lives, he did not mean simply letting them go.
Instead, they planned to hold a public trial of the Eight Banners, and then kill those who should be killed and send those who should not be killed to labor camps.
In this way, we can squeeze out their surplus value!
Although it would be satisfying to kill them all in one go, it would only satisfy your anger and would not maximize your benefits.
Although the number of the Eight Banners in Guangzhou is not more than that of the Eight Banners in Jiangning, it is still more than 10,000 people.
Among them are many strong laborers and women of childbearing age.
It would be a shame to kill them all!
Besides, killing all the Eight Banners would not be conducive to unity.
Don’t say anything that is not conducive to unity!
Upon hearing this, Luo Dagang clasped his fists and left.
Li Yi continued to patrol the military camp outside the city, and soon it became dark.
At night, after dinner, Li Yi began to plan his actions after retaking Guangzhou in the military tent.
The first and most important thing must be the confiscation of property of the Eight Banners and the Thirteen Hongs.
One of them occupied Guangzhou for 200 years and sucked the fat of the people of Guangdong for 200 years, and the other was known as the Southern Treasury of the Emperor. Both of them are real fat sheep.
The kind that's fat and greasy.
Li Yi definitely won’t let them go!
As long as they raid the Eight Banners and Thirteen Hongs in Guangzhou, the Restoration Army will definitely make a fortune, and they will probably not be short of money and food in the next few years.
Secondly, regarding the governance of Guangzhou, Li Yi needs Guangzhou to restore order and stability as soon as possible, and then pave the way for his own "reform and opening up" in Guangzhou.
The maritime ban must be abolished, and the border relocation and maritime ban imposed by the Qing Dynasty must be abolished even more. In today's world, the West has already begun the industrial revolution and has almost surpassed the East in all aspects.
Under such circumstances, the only way to save the country and the nation is to open our doors to foreign exchanges, learn from the West and discard its dross, and absorb its advanced experience in social development.
If we continue to close our country to the outside world, we will end up in a dead end.
As a time traveler, no one understands this better than Li Yi.
Rather than being forced to open its doors to the outside world by others, Li Yi hopes that China in this era can take the initiative to open its doors to the outside world and conduct external exchanges.
We cannot just let others come in, we also have to go out and actively learn the advanced experience of the West, and then use it to feed back to ourselves.
Learn from the barbarians and use their skills to control them!
(End of this chapter)