Chapter 203: Breaking Through (Part 2)

Below Zhennan Pass.
The sun shone brightly—perfect weather for military operations.
The Black Flag Army had never entered this area on a large scale, yet its officers were well-accustomed to this formidable pass: “Move the artillery positions another 500 meters forward!”
“Clear the firing range according to the plan!”
Before the war broke out, the Black Flag Army organized two staff trips each year, covering every mountain and valley in Vietnam as well as most of Guangxi.
They had detailed maps drawn by themselves, even more precise than those kept by the Qing local government, allowing them to know every detail of Zhennan Pass’s defenses.
“One day—let’s take this place in just one day!”
Cai Yunnan unbuttoned one of his shirt buttons. “Brother Chenglin, since we’re fighting together this time, you’ll have to give way to your younger brother!”
Ye Chenglin smiled. “The first to break through the pass will surely be Sima Tai’s brigade!”
But Cai Yunnan glanced at the imposing pass before saying, “Who knows! Many of our troops want to be the first battalion to enter Zhennan Pass!”
As the battle continued, the sense of honor among the troops grew stronger. No one wanted to hold back during the attack. So, after a brief rest, the Black Flag Army concentrated its forces at the front line and launched their assault under the sunlight.
It wasn’t the massive tidal wave of attacks seen by the Qing forces in Taiyuan. Instead, the Black Flag Army used standard small-unit tactics, with each squad acting as the vanguard, carrying explosive devices of various sizes never seen by the Qing forces.
Following the vanguard were carefully selected assault companies, which launched their attack under artillery cover: “Take Zhennan Pass and raise our Xiliu battle flag!”
What met them were rifle bullets and various types of shells fired from dense defensive fortifications—similar to the resistance the Black Flag Army faced in the battle of Taiyuan.
Soon, the battle intensified, and Liu Yu encountered unexpected developments: “What… three more battalions of Chaoyong troops? When was this intelligence obtained? Why wasn’t it reported earlier?”
The spy from the Flower Sect said aggrievedly, “This is intelligence we received just yesterday. We rushed it here immediately. These three battalions of Chaoyong troops arrived at Zhennan Pass the day before yesterday…”
Three battalions of Chaoyong troops? Not too many, not too few—but at a critical moment, they could provide significant support to the Qing defenders at Zhennan Pass. “Including the local militia, how many troops does the enemy have at Zhennan Pass now?”
Liu Suiyun, who had come from Shanxi, gave a rough estimate: “Over ten thousand…”
Liu Yu cursed, “Damn it!”
The fighting grew fiercer as both sides fired all kinds of firearms, from the most advanced to the most outdated. Su Yuanchun said solemnly, “Let the Chaoyong troops charge ahead in a moment.”
The Chaoyong troops were mostly natives of Chaozhou, Guangdong. These three battalions, totaling over 1,200 men, had been recruited by Governor-General Zhang Zhidong to resist the French. By the time they arrived at Zhennan Pass, the Black Flag Army had already reached the pass itself. Yet this turned out to be a relief for Su Yuanchun.

When Su Yuanchun broke out of the siege in Taiyuan, he had only over thirty men with him. Along the way, he gathered and organized more troops, eventually amassing several hundred. By the time they reached Zhenan Pass, Pan Dingxin had already withdrawn, leaving him with just over three thousand men. However, local counties had assembled local militia, plus another two thousand troops from Guiyang who came to reinforce them, allowing them to stabilize their position. Though mostly a ragtag group, only these three battalions of Chao soldiers were fit for battle. People at the time said, “In provinces like Chaozhou in Guangdong, the population is dense, and the people are fierce by nature. Many unemployed and wandering people seek livelihoods in other provinces, often in large groups.” Thus, despite lacking training, the Chao soldiers were still capable of fighting. Su Yuanchun had no time to worry about anything else—he said, “The black bandits are advancing fiercely; it all depends on you all!” By then, dark smoke billowed in front of the battlefield. Although the Black Flag Army had only deployed six assault regiments, the Qing army had already abandoned two lines of defense and been retreating continuously. The local militia filling in the defense lines were panicked by the Black Flag Army’s fierce attacks. Some of them had participated in wars during the Taiping Rebellion, but they were completely unaccustomed to modern warfare. A few cannon shells, rifle fire, and bayonet charges forced them to retreat step by step. The Black Flag Army then added another six regiments, leaving them utterly helpless. “Chao battalions, follow me!” With no other choice, Su Yuanchun committed his entire reserve force within less than an hour of the battle starting. The three Chao battalions, along with two infantry battalions still capable of fighting, were sent forward under his command. Zhenan Pass, a famous pass with a thousand-year history, became formidable at this moment. Even the Black Flag Army, which had just defeated the French, felt the pressure. A total of fourteen infantry regiments were deployed, but they only managed to tear a gap in the Qing army’s defenses in a few areas; on many fronts, the Qing army even launched counterattacks. As battle flags, cannons, and battalion commanders appeared repeatedly, Su Yuanchun shouted, “Brothers, if we win this time, each of you will get a real position as a commander or general—definitely not just a nominal one!” Without an elite guard unit, Su Yuanchun simply opened eight chests of silver and said, “This is the private silver I’ve accumulated over the years. I’m giving it to you all as pay now—fight hard!” The morale of the Qing army soared. Since Zhenan Pass was a strong fortress, they held their ground with their solid fortifications. The fourteen infantry regiments of the Black Flag Army still hadn’t achieved a decisive victory. Some of the retreating local militia saw an opportunity to gain fame and returned to the battlefield. Liu Yu watched the battlefield through a telescope and said, “Without those three Chao battalions, we could have taken Zhenan Pass by now!” His words were obviously meant to praise the Chao soldiers. Sima Tai simply said, “Commander, let the Xiliu Battalion take charge!” Liu Yu nodded and ordered, “Send one infantry brigade to attack! We must win this battle decisively!” Pan Dingxin, who was observing from the sidelines, spoke up, “Commander Liu, Su Yuanchun is my former subordinate, and many of the troops defending this city are also my former subordinates. Could I allow them to surrender?”

Liu Yu did not refuse him outright. He simply said to Sima Tai, “Let Pan Fu accompany the Xiliu Infantry Camp. Let Su Yuanchun know that if he does not surrender, today will be the day of his destruction!”
Pan Dingxin nodded. Liu Yu was treating him as a disposable piece—useful if needed, but not a significant loss otherwise. Yet for Pan Dingxin, this was the most crucial decision: “Whether he surrenders or not, I, Pan Dingxin, am willing to follow the commander out of the pass!”
Liu Yu replied, “Once we capture Zhenan Pass, we’ll meet again in Guilin!”