Chapter 94: April 25th

With his encouragement, everyone—whether officers or ordinary soldiers—eruaded in a thunderous cheer at that moment: “Long live the Xiliu Camp! Long live the Xiliu Infantry Regiment!”
Their enthusiasm was so great that no further urging was needed; it came purely from the heart: “We are an unbreakable unit! The Xiliu Infantry Regiment!”
The Xiliu Infantry Regiment was the name of Xiliu Camp’s first field regiment, composed of three full-strength infantry battalions of 600 men each, along with attached units such as artillery, engineers, communications, and others. This large regiment of 2,300 men represented the culmination of Liu Yu’s five years of hard work.
More importantly, above the infantry battalions were established combined units, enabling coordinated combat among infantry, engineers, artillery, logistics troops, and communications units—a significant leap in Chinese military history.
After this recruitment drive, many new units emerged within Xiliu Camp. One infantry brigade was stationed in each of the provinces of Xuan Guang and Xing Hua, while in Shanxi, in addition to the main force of the infrastructure engineering battalion and some scattered units, there was also a newly formed 300-man battalion responsible for defending the entire province. The overall reserve force consisted of a three-company infantry battalion directly under Liu Yu’s command, ready to advance to Danfeng Prefecture after the Xiliu Infantry Regiment.
Despite these units, it must be admitted that the essence of Xiliu Camp’s five years of hard work was largely concentrated in the Xiliu Infantry Regiment. This regiment boasted the oldest soldiers, the strongest firearms, and the most capable commanders.
Even the newly established third infantry battalion had many veterans who had fought in major battles. Its battalion commander, Cai Yunnan, was filled with enthusiasm: “Our Hanhai Battalion must now strive to match our two senior brothers. Our goal is simply to claim the first merit in recapturing Hanoi.”
He had participated in dozens of combat simulations between the Black Flag Army and the French forces. Everyone agreed that Hanoi must be recaptured before French reinforcements arrived, and Li Weiyeh’s forces must be completely annihilated. Otherwise, with Hanoi as a base, the French could continuously send troops, putting Xiliu Camp at a severe disadvantage.
After all, the combined strength of Xiliu Camp and the Black Flag Army totaled just over 4,000 men, while the French could deploy tens of thousands of troops in Tonkin. It was for this reason that Cai Yunnan, though polite, spoke with great determination: “Hanhai Battalion is merely a temporary name for our unit. Soldiers, our goal is…”
Almost all the officers of the Hanhai Battalion were veterans of Xiliu Camp, and they responded in unison: “Hanoi Battalion!”
“Hanoi Battalion!”
…
April 25th.
It was an ordinary day, but Colonel Li Weiyeh felt restless.
A veteran of the Mexican War, he knew well that this was a kind of military intuition.
The night was so silent that no sound could be heard, yet Li Weiyeh could clearly hear the ticking of his pocket watch. He couldn’t sleep.
Looking up at the window, which was pitch black, he lit the kerosene lamp. Checking his watch, he saw it was already past midnight.

Today is April 25, 1883. Though nearing retirement age, the poet still harbored much romance. He knew reinforcements were on the way, and he felt like the hero of a chivalric novel—only to glance back at the mirror. His hair was gray; he had aged. This was the last time he could serve the French nation. Yet he longed to become a general, so he could serve in the army for a few more years. Lost in thought, he couldn’t sleep and unconsciously put on his military uniform. It had to be admitted that as an old colonel, Li Weiye looked so handsome in the mirror that he resembled a thirty-year-old young major. He said to himself, “How nice it would be if I were still thirty!” Even when on patrol, he dressed neatly; his colonel’s uniform fit him as if tailored for him. But when he opened the door, he saw Major Wei Yi: “Major Wei Yi, what’s the matter?” Li Weiye felt sad seeing Wei Yi’s youthful appearance, yet he saw in this young commander a reflection of his own dreams: “If he can’t become a general by thirty, he will at least die honorably in battle!” Major Wei Yi asked the old colonel with concern, “Colonel, you’re up too? Sir, I think something’s not right with the Black Flag Army.” The recent activities of the Xiliu Camp indeed seemed strange, but both Li Weiye and Wei Yi were merely soldiers. They could only detect faint clues from Liu Yu’s stockpiling of supplies, but they were still far from the truth. Yet Li Weiye faintly sensed the truth: “It’s war, real war!” It was completely dark—the darkest moment of the day. Wearing red horse pants, Li Weiye patrolled among his soldiers in the night wind. “I know war is coming. I’ve been waiting for this.” Major Wei Yi asked, “What do we need to prepare?” “Everything is ready!” Li Weiye felt at ease. Even if he died in battle, he still believed this young major was trustworthy. “This is our war.” He received no response from the darkness, but Li Weiye could sense the awe of the night: “I am the conqueror of this nation. I hope history will record me this way.” The young Major Wei Yi blushed slightly. “Yes, Colonel. I’m at your service.” Facing the night wind, Li Weiye lit a cigar. “There’s no need to fear. We will bring victory.” He had strong confidence—not based on himself or his troops, but on the entire French nation. Conquering this prosperous country was the will of the whole French people. “Relax, major!” He took a deep drag from his cigar. “This is a straightforward expedition. As you know, the government has agreed to send reinforcements—three thousand French soldiers, all excellent Marines, great young men, just like you.” Wei Yi also lit a cigarette. “I’ll work well with them.”

“I firmly believe it!” Li Weiye said to the night sky, “In Hanoi, we have many of the most advanced rapid-fire cannons, especially our 37-mm Hotchkiss machine guns. Have you ever commanded one?”
“Amazing! It can fire sixty shells per minute—one shell per second! Just as good as the Marines!” Major Wei loved these machine guns; they were the best cannons in the world. “With just one cannon, firing for a minute alone, you can turn a thousand bandits into corpses. I adore such five-barreled machine guns.”
“That’s right! We have the best cannons. Besides the 37-mm machine guns, we also have many powerful cannons!” Li Weiye was full of confidence. “There are 65-mm deck guns, 40-mm artillery pieces. We also have the finest inland ships, equipped with the best Gras 1878 rifles. Even the indigenous infantry are armed with 1874-style rifles. But more importantly—”
He pointed at Major Wei. “I have you, the best men of France! Believe me, you will become generals and marshals!”
Major Wei’s confidence was also ignited. “Excellent! I will lead my battalion to be the first to storm the stronghold of the Liu gang!”
Just moments ago, Major Wei had also assessed the French forces. In the Hanoi area, including the sailors who had landed, Li Weiye commanded about 550 French soldiers and several inland warships. In addition, he had two indigenous infantry companies of around 200 soldiers, a group of about 200 Catholic militia members, and 50 colonial police.
In other words, it was a force of 1,000 highly equipped and combat-effective soldiers. Major Wei could already imagine himself receiving the surrender of the bandits under the military flag.
But Li Weiye smiled. “I hope… I hope I can have enough patience to hold Hanoi!”
As the enemies in this timeline had become stronger, Li Weiye had become even more cautious. “I believe that 1,000 French soldiers, even facing an attack from 10,000 rebels, will still be able to defend Hanoi. I just need to do that. When reinforcements arrive, it will be the end of the Black Flag bandits.”
He patted Major Wei on the shoulder. “Only by surviving can you become a marshal!”
What he thought was exactly what Liu Yu feared.
Even if the main forces of the Black Flag Army and the Xiliu Camp joined forces—4,500 troops in total—to attack Hanoi, defended by 1,000 French soldiers, it would still be an extremely difficult task with a high chance of failure.
However, Liu Yu didn’t have time to think carefully about this. It was a grim night.
Company Commander Liu Suiyun reported seriously, “Everything is under control—the six ships ready to leave at the dock.”
Liu Yu also glanced at the dock. The Shanxi Dock was much busier than usual, all because of Liu Yu’s massive purchases.
Currently, twelve cargo ships were unloading at the Shanxi Dock. Nine of these ships were steam cargo ships normally flying the French flag and registered in France, their owners being French firms.

Additionally, the three ships were also cargo ships related to France. Besides those, there were some smaller merchant ships. Liu Yu glanced at his watch and said to Liu Suiyun, “Don’t let them escape!”
“Not a single one will get away!” Liu Suiyun said confidently. “Company Commander Sima Tai is watching at the dock, waiting for orders!”
All the officers had already checked the time once last night, using Liu Yu’s pocket watch as a reference. Liu Yu watched the second hand tick by until it reached midnight on the 25th.
“The time has come!”
“The time has come!”
Liu Suiyun also grew excited. “The war has begun!”
The night breeze brought a rare coolness to Vietnam. Neither he nor Liu Yu could see any movement, but he could sense the intense battles unfolding behind the scenes.
It was now time for the Xiliu Camp to declare war on the French.
The war had begun. All the French ships at the dock, along with their crew, cargo, and everything else, were legitimate spoils of war for the Black Flag Army.
Spoils of war meant the Xiliu Camp could dispose of everything at will. But without those cargo ships, the French would be deprived of their ability to reinforce their forces.
At the Shanxi dock, there were a total of twelve inland steamships with a combined tonnage of 3,700 tons. Downstream in Shanxi, the sentries of the Xiliu Camp had already taken control of two steam cargo ships under various pretexts.
According to the plan, three French ships carrying cargo would arrive in Shanxi the next morning. As soon as they entered Shanxi territory, they would be seized immediately.
This was a perfect operation. The value of these steam cargo ships was far beyond ordinary goods. While accompanying Liu Yu, Liu Suiyun said, “In total, we’ll cause the French to lose hundreds of thousands of francs.”
Where Liu Yu couldn’t see, the soldiers of the Xiliu Infantry Regiment had already begun their action. Commanding this operation was Sima Tai, the second-in-command of the Xiliu Camp, who now also served as both deputy commander and company commander.
He personally led the bayoneted infantry in a majestic charge onto one steam cargo ship after another, shouting loudly, “Inspection! Inspection!”
There were only one or two French people on these steam ships; most of the crew were Vietnamese, Malays, and Chinese. When they saw soldiers from the Black Flag Army flooding onto all the ships and taking control of all key positions, the fierce-looking officers declared, “Inspection! Inspection!”
Several of the ships had already sold their cargo and were ready to set sail downstream. But due to unpaid debts or other reasons created by the Xiliu Camp, they had stayed in Shanxi for a few more days. Seeing these terrifying soldiers, they knew trouble was coming. “What do you want?”
Sima Tai took great pleasure in the foreigners’ panicked expressions. He shouted, “We’ve just received a report from Hanoi Customs. This ship is French, registered in France, but it isn’t flying the French flag. We suspect it was stolen by pirates and modified into a British ship…”
“We’re here to inspect you pirates on behalf of France!”
The French sailors still maintained their pride in the face of the bayonets. “You’re committing crimes! You’re robbers! You’re scoundrels!”

“Seize them!” Sima Tai said arrogantly, “Your pride won’t last long!”
As for the ships that weren’t French, they too fell into the hands of the Xiliu Camp. Liu Yu had already prepared IOUs for them: “These ×× ships are now seized, valued at ×× ten thousand yuan, to be paid after the war ends.”
If they won the war, Liu Yu would provide some compensation; if they lost, the Xiliu Camp wouldn’t exist anymore—so what was the point of paying back that money?
“Twelve steamships are now under our control!”
“All the crew members have been locked up in cells, and our own crew has taken over them!”
“Two more steamships downstream are under our control.”
One good news after another came in from the docks. In the first round of this unannounced battle, the Xiliu Camp emerged victorious!
Liu Suiyun said excitedly, “If we can assemble a crew for one ship and attract some of the captured sailors to join our team, the results will be even better!”
According to the mobilization plan, just one or two armed ships converted from steam cargo ships could give them a significant advantage upstream in the Red River. These ships could easily transport troops and supplies, allowing free movement from Hanoi all the way upstream to Baosheng.
The Xiliu Camp had already received a promise from the Black Flag Army, which had a certain number of sailors and many smoothbore cannons. Although they couldn’t outmatch French warships in battle, such a fleet could provide fire support and help transport troops ashore.
Thinking of this, Liu Suiyun said, “My Xiliu’s strength has grown even more! This is our new naval camp!”
Liu Yu shook his head. “No! This isn’t a naval camp.”
“It’s a new navy!” Liu Yu thought of that once-mighty fleet of East Asia, filled with stories of blood and tears. “This is the beginning of our new navy!”
He couldn’t change that old fleet, but he could create a new navy for New China.
Yes, a navy for New China.
August 25, 1883. 5 a.m.
In Vietnam, it was considered excellent weather—daylight had fully broken. Officers and soldiers of the Black Flag Army stood beneath their battle flags, including those from the Xiliu Camp.
Liu Yongfu had just learned that the war had begun and that their side had already achieved a complete victory. This news boosted his confidence among his soldiers.
In front of him stood four thousand Black Flag Army soldiers, including the units he personally led, as well as the Xiliu Camp and Qianying Camp that were affiliated with the Black Flag Army. It was the first time he had inspected so many soldiers.
All of them were well-rested and eager for Liu Yongfu’s first order. To their south lay the ever-flowing Red River, and seventy li eastward was the city of Hanoi.
A true man should be like this—standing before battle flags, seeing soldiers full of vigor. Liu Yongfu felt intoxicated.
Beside him was Tang Jingsong, a sixth-rank official, who was delighted to see things progressing as he had planned. “Let them defend the far lands and spread their fame across thousands of miles!”
Below them were the battalion officers, all dressed in brand-new military uniforms, waiting for this day to arrive.

This day marked the arrival of war. When war came, everyone felt relieved, as if a weight had been lifted from their hearts. But they had no idea how many in their ranks would not see victory, nor did they comprehend the brutality of modern warfare. Over there, Yang Zhenen whispered, “Feng Dian? I heard their Xiliu Camp has built quite a few steam warships. Should we get one to support our left flank?” Liu Yongfu, hearing this, became even more excited. He quietly rebuked, “That isn’t Liu Yu’s private property.” For a long time, he had been a hero on land, but now it was time to dominate the seas. He clearly remembered Liu Yu’s heroic tone when he said, “This is the navy of New China, not my personal property.” Liu Yu did not consider these captured ships as his private property or personal asset; instead, he planned to hand them all over: “With the combined efforts of our Black Flag camps, we must establish a new navy!” Since Liu Yu was so generous, Liu Yongfu naturally could not be stingy either. His Black Flag Army had many sailors, many of whom had experience operating steam cargo ships, and he planned to contribute all these resources selflessly. He didn’t know what a new navy entailed, but he believed, “This will be the most spirited and dynamic unit in our Black Flag Army.”