Forty-eight years of Qianlong

Chapter 643 The Northern Navy’s Spring Offensive
When everything in the south of the Yangtze River has begun to recover, the grass grows and the warblers fly, and the spring in the outer northeast has just sprouted.

Although the rhododendrons in the field began to reveal the haze before the migratory birds returned, the Heilongjiang, Songhua River, Nenjiang, and Wusuli River basins are still frozen for thousands of miles, and there is no sign of thawing.The cold wind from Siberia has not yet receded, and the howling cold wind swept across the mountains and plains, bringing up layers of fallen leaves in the mountains and forests.However, careful people at this time will find that the buds growing on the branches are rising tenaciously, and the buds are about to come out, and another season of alternation of old and new has arrived!

On the night of March 3, under the unified command of Wu Siyu, the two infantry regiments and two mortar battalions of the Northern Navy stationed on the west bank of the Rafa River were divided into two routes, north and south. Advance to the preset attack position on the south bank of the Han River.

Tens of thousands of feet walked quickly on the narrow path between the mountains and forests. No one spoke. Apart from the sound of rapid breathing in the team, there was the sound of faster and faster footsteps and the clattering and rubbing of gravel on the ground.When the regiments left Changbai Mountain, everyone's pace immediately became fast.

Xu Funan, the new cultural teacher of the [-]rd Battalion and [-]nd Company of the [-]th Regiment, marched in the team like everyone else, his legs rolling forward like wheels.Panting heavily, besides the rifle and bullets, he was carrying dry food bags, backpacks, grenades, water bottles and so on.Although the squad leader around him offered to help several times, he refused all of them.

"No, it doesn't matter! Run, just run and sweat!" He snatched the rifle that had been snatched by the other party back to his shoulder, and said panting while walking fast.This move made all the complaints and weird words around him disappear.

Now everyone in the North Navy's staff knows that it is really painful to be an adjutant or a bodyguard for Zhao Xin, and Xu Funan has been no exception for the past two years.The boss would often throw his subordinates aside, and then disappear without a trace, and when he reappeared after a few days, he had already plunged thousands of miles away.

However, Xu Funan did not bring up the matter of leaving the army, but Zhao Xin's opinion.As one of his most trusted subordinates, Zhao Xin felt that Xu Funan had to go down to train for a period of time, and he could be promoted when he gained combat achievements.Shen Xuan was a little worried at first when she learned about it, but after three months, seeing that Xu Funan, who had returned from vacation, was obviously much stronger, she dispelled her worries.

Xu Funan's company is a recruit company, which was only formed last summer, and he has been here since the beginning.Some of the soldiers came from Jiaodong, some from Sichuan and Zhili, and some of them were veterans.After half a year of recruit training, he came to the front line of the Rafa River last winter to replace the garrison.

Even though he was walking under the starlight at night, he could still clearly see that the team at this time had gone through a winter's training and was much more orderly and majestic than it was half a year ago.

During the break on the way, he leaned next to Li Quan, the company commander, and said softly: "Commander, we feel that our company is much stronger than it was half a year ago."

"It's hard to say! Whether it's steel or iron, soil or stone, it depends on how the battle is fought.

"After marching for so long, the soldiers are still in high spirits."

"Just after the new year, everyone is fat and fat, and the mood is of course high!"

"Xiao Xu, I heard that you went back to get engaged during the Chinese New Year? Is the girl willing to let you go to the front line?"

"There's nothing to be reluctant about." A playful and beautiful figure appeared in front of Xu Funan's eyes, and a warm feeling rose in his heart.

"Our teacher Xu's unmarried daughter-in-law is so beautiful! Just like the fairy girl in the New Year picture." A platoon leader next to her suddenly interjected and smiled.

Xu Funan strangled the long neck of the row, and the guy frowned and tilted his mouth, and hurriedly said: "Ouch~~! I can't take it! I can't take it!"

Xu Funan let go, Li Quan smiled and said, "Xiao Xu, where is your little lady from?"

"Xiangyang, Hubei."

You guessed it right, 19-year-old Xu Funan and 16-year-old Wang Cong'er got engaged years ago, which made Wan Zao's son Wan Haiyang very frustrated, but Wang Cong'er didn't like Wan's fool at all.The whole matter was proposed by Fang Hua and Zhao Xin, who couldn't bear Wang Cong'er's mother's nagging all day long, so after a lot of poking around, they finally chose Xu Funan.

First of all, Xu Funan's parents are gone, and there is only one younger brother, Wang Cong'er, who is married and is the master of the family, and doesn't have to serve his in-laws; moreover, Zhao Xin and his wife treat the Xu family brothers as their own family members, and Shen Xuan treats these two children like relatives. Like his younger brother, Xu Funan had also been Zhao Xin's adjutant, and he would definitely not run away when he became a general or a prime minister in the future.

Zhao Xin also intends to deepen his relationship with Fanghua through marriage.This person has been in Beihai Town for many years, he does not fight or grab, he does things dullly, and he has brought out several students. He is really a rare talent.

Xu Funan was naturally very willing, and Wang Cong'er also reluctantly agreed.When they were studying in the past, the two often brought Wan Haiyang and Xu Shounan to make troubles everywhere.Many small animals on the mountains around Beihai Town turned into barbecue meat and entered Wang Cong'er's stomach, Xu Funan was among them.

Although the two were engaged, but because Wang Cong'er was not yet eighteen and was currently studying in Deli's administrative school, Zhao Xin and Fang Hua agreed to wait until the other party passed before holding a wedding, and Xu Shounan could also take advantage of this time Get some training in the army.

After more than five hours of long-distance rapid march, Xu Funan's [-]th regiment arrived at the predetermined location at dawn.The checkpoints and fortresses of the Qing army along the way were wiped out by the reconnaissance company that set off in advance.Amidst the howling of mortar shells and bullets, the officers and soldiers of the Qing army panicked and did not resist at all. From time to time along the way, they could see the baggage and flags dropped by the Qing army when they fled.

After the reconnaissance company arrived at the predetermined position, it advanced five kilometers in one breath, defeated a battalion head of more than a thousand people of the Qing army, and seized a small hill with a wide view.

At nine o'clock in the morning, when the Qing army on the Jilin defense line was at a loss and the generals in the city were ignorant, following Wu Siyu's order in the walkie-talkie, 32 mortars took the lead in attacking Dasang Ula and Jilin City. The Qing army's positions outside started shelling, and the diffuse smoke soon eclipsed the sunlight covered by the forts on the Qing army's defense line.

Almost at the same time, Li Rui, who was in charge of commanding the troops on the northern front, also issued an order, and tens of thousands of northern marines divided into four groups and rushed straight to the city of Morgan.When the vanguard of the Northern Navy appeared five miles outside the city of Mergen, the more than 3000 Qing troops stationed here were all stunned.

"Reporting to the military gate! The North Sea Pirates are already ten miles east of the city, and they are coming all over the mountains and plains. There may be thousands of troops!"

The deputy governor, Eredombu, boldly shouted angrily: "Nonsense! There are less than 500 Northern Sea Pirates in Heilongjiang City, how can there be tens of thousands!"

As soon as the words fell, there was a loud "boom" outside, and Eredombu's legs trembled in fright, and he almost sat down on the chair.In the battle with the Russian army at Karen Mountain that year, he suffered a lot from the opponent's explosive bullets.

Not long after, the subordinates came to report that a bomb from the North Sea Pirate fell on the edge of the oar tower at the east gate of the city, killing three Qing army shotgunners on the spot, and the flying sawdust made the others howl.

Immediately afterwards, Zuo Ling who was stationed at the east gate sent someone to report that thousands of northern navy had appeared three miles outside the east gate.Eledombu felt something was wrong at this time, and hurriedly took his generals and soldiers to the oar tower at the east gate to check.

Like most of the cities built by the Qing Dynasty in the Northeast, the city of Mergen is made of wood and filled with rammed earth. The city is divided into inner and outer city structures with a circumference of ten miles, and scull towers are built on the wooden walls of the outer city. for defense.This kind of city wall can block solid bullets, but it can't do it when encountering flowering bullets, let alone the shells of the Beihai Navy.

Some people say that the Manchu and Qing Dynasties can use brick walls, why do they have to use wooden walls.Not to mention that this requires a lot of manpower and firewood, just building brick kilns and burning bricks is a technical job, and in addition, a lot of manpower has to be conscripted to build the city wall, which is simply not something hundreds or thousands of people can do.

It is said that Ered Mubu didn't even need a telescope when he went to the scull tower, and he felt a thud in his heart. He saw the North Navy in dark green coats dotted all over the wilderness from the northeast to the southeast; based on his years of experience in commanding troops, The number of opponents is at least 2000.

At this time, the Qing army on the city wall was almost scared to pee, thinking that the North Sea pirates really think highly of us.Their prince only used 600 people to fight Rakshasa in Aihui City, but thousands of people came to fight us!
Eredombu was about to aim and fire the Shenwei Invincible General's guns on the two forts at the east gate, when someone came to report that northern pirates had also appeared in the direction of the north gate and west gate.

God!Eredombu really panicked now, the Nen River is frozen, and it is impossible to escape by boat.If you flee from the south gate with your men, let alone whether the North Sea pirates will chase them or not, in this weather, even if they arrive in Qiqihar, there will not be many left.

At this moment, a thought suddenly popped up in his mind, why not surrender?
The main reason why he thinks this way is that Beihai Town has not treated the border residents of all ethnic groups outside the customs harshly in recent years, and treats them equally.After taking Heilongjiang City that year, some of the injured Qing troops were recruited to join the Beihai Navy.In addition, he also heard that all those who stubbornly resist and refuse to surrender will be sent to the bitter leaf island in the far east to work as coolies after being captured.

Thinking of this, he took two deep breaths to make himself look less nervous, and then looked at the generals around him.Who would have thought that the assistant leader, assistant leader and even the shotgunners under his command were all looking at him eagerly, their eyes revealing their longing for life
End bird!

On March 3, Eredmubu, the defender of Mergen City and the deputy commander of Manchuria with the Lantern Banner, led more than 26 soldiers and civilians in the city to surrender. .

On April 4th, the two battalions of the Northern Navy marched forward at a speed of 5 miles per day for more than [-] miles, crossed the still frozen Numin River and Alun River, a tributary of the Nen River, and headed towards Qiqihar at a distance of [-] miles. Crossing the Nen River to the east, he blocked all five gates of Qiqihar City with lightning speed.

At this time, the Heilongjiang general stationed here by the Qing court had been replaced by Du Erjia.This man was a captive of the Northern Navy in the 50th year of Qianlong, and was later redeemed by the Qing court with gold along with Fukang'an.

Although this person belongs to the clan, he is the grandson of Yongde, Yongde's Ama is the ninth elder brother Yinzhen who made trouble with Yongzheng.So, after returning to Beijing, Qianlong deeply hated him for his ineffectiveness in suppressing bandits as General Jilin, and gave Beihai Town a chance to be strong, so he planned to "strangle the prison" according to the law, and hand over the clan's mansion to confine his sons and grandchildren. He was dismissed and sent to the Shengjing Army to serve.

Incidentally, the history of Du Erjia also ended badly.In the tenth year of Jiaqing, he was ordered by Jiaqing to take him to the tomb of his ancestors and hang himself because he was a minister in charge of affairs in Xining.

Ordinarily, Du Erjia should have been finished in this life, but who knew that after Fukang'an took Qing Gui's place in Jilin, he picked him up and picked him out again.We must know that among the senior generals of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties, there were not many who had fought against Beihai Town and who were also familiar with the situation in the Northeast.Based on the idea of ​​using waste, Qianlong let him take the blame and make meritorious service, and succeeded Hengxiu, who was also in the clan, as the general of Heilongjiang.

Originally, Du Erjia could not escape death, who would have thought that he could turn around, but even so, he was still very tormented.After the Northern Navy took Kulun with a thunderbolt the year before last, the Qing army from Qiqihar to Morgan and then to Hulunbuyur became panicked all day long.At that time, Du Erjia thought that Beihai Town would fight Qiqihar next.

Unexpectedly, after they finished fighting Khalkha, they suddenly stopped, and then Fukang'an was transferred to fight Gurkha. At the same time, there was news from the capital, which made Du Erjia think that he had escaped. .

When he learned that Bei Haijun had blocked all the way out of the city, he angrily scolded Zhao Xin for being dishonest.

For Durga, surrender was out of the question.Not to mention that he is a direct descendant of Nurhachi, he dare not surrender even for the safety of his descendants.He immediately ordered the gates of the city to be strictly guarded, and the forts in the city were in full battle. If the Beihai Navy approached, they would fire all the guns.

In addition, he asked his subordinates to demolish several shops, and blocked the four city gates with wood and stones, leaving only Nanxun Gate in the south.At the same time, the whole city was mobilized, and all men, regardless of age, were given bows, arrows, knives and guns, making it clear that the whole city's soldiers and civilians would be buried with him.

To say that Qiqihar still has quite a lot of artillery, including 27 artillery pieces including the four Shenwei Invincible General Cannons, and is also equipped with flowering ammunition made by the Ministry of Industry.In addition, since the Ninggu Pagoda was lost, the Qing government trained a large number of gunners in Jilin and stationed them in various garrison cities.

The problem is that the Beihai Navy will not head-on at all. They built a position five miles away from the city gate, and then released the drone.

The soldiers and civilians in Qiqihar have never seen this before!The drone buzzed a few times, and immediately panicked the people in the city. Some people were so frightened that they even lost their knives and guns, knelt on the ground and kowtowed.During the period, although Du Erjia ordered his shotgun soldiers to fire on the drone, but the range was really limited, and even Mao couldn't hit it.

On the night of April 4, Du Erjia ordered his generals to lead 6 people out of the city to attack the position outside the south gate. The buttocks were beaten repeatedly, and the casualties were heavy. Less than 1000 people fled back to the city.

　These two rivers both originate from Changbai Mountain and flow into Songhua River from east to west.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)