Chapter 212: Annihilation (Part 1)

In fact, the total collapse of the Hunan defense line came sooner than anyone had expected. By the time Wu Dacheng resolved to withdraw without fighting, Wang Debang had already indicated such a possibility.

Wang Debang was a defeated general of the Black Flag Army. From Northern Vietnam, Qiongshan, Zhenan Pass to Guilin, he had witnessed the Black Flag Army’s successes along the way. Yet despite repeated defeats, his reputation as a renowned general of the Chu Army only grew stronger, and the troops under his command grew larger—indicating that he was successful in certain aspects as well.

Thus, Wu Dacheng made up his mind, and Wang Debang agreed to the plan of withdrawing first.

Since Zeng Guofan established the Hunan Army by following the principles outlined in The New Book of Military Tactics, the army had always adopted a cautious approach to marching speed—limiting itself to 30 or 40 li per day—before setting up camps to defend against enemy attacks. This strategy, known as “building strong camps and fighting stubborn battles,” meant they rarely attempted to annihilate the enemy in open battles. Instead, such tasks were often entrusted to units considered brutal and lacking in discipline, such as the Hunan Army relying on Bao Chao, the Huai Army on Cheng Xueqi, and the Monk King Army on Chen Guorui.

This tradition continued into the modern Hunan Army, which regarded Zeng Guofan’s methods as sacred teachings—marching exactly 30 li per day, never more, and immediately setting up camps for protection once the distance was covered.

But Wang Debang was determined to abandon this approach. As soon as he left the camp, he gathered his trusted subordinates and said, “Governor Wu is leading the army back to Changsha. We must leave immediately and try to be the first—ignore the other units!”

Wang Debang had originally been the rear guard of the entire army, so turning the rear troops into the vanguard was not difficult. Moreover, he was resolute: “Our cannons and supplies are all stored in Changsha. We only have some heavy baggage now—ignore it and carry only light loads to move quickly…”

Before the other Hunan Army units could react, Wang Debang had already led 4,000 so-called “combat-ready soldiers” in a rapid advance, marching at a speed of 100 li per day toward Changsha while seizing food along the way.

It was not until the next morning that the main force of the Hunan Army gradually learned of the order to retreat to Changsha. They were all disheartened, fearing that the Black Flag Army would pursue them.

But as they turned back, they encountered serious problems. Wang Debang’s troops had already passed through those areas, thinking that since they were to be abandoned, they might as well take whatever they could. Some conscripted men, others gathered food supplies, and still others were tasked with taking away mules to facilitate the army’s retreat—resulting in the plundering of resources from countless villages along the way.

As a result, this army of over ten thousand people faced shortages of food. Worse still, many of its members were from Xiangxiang. They had set out with the ambition of achieving high ranks, but upon turning back, their morale collapsed. Many simply discarded their uniforms and took their weapons home.

Along the way, the army suffered dozens of gunfire attacks and small-scale assaults, causing heavy losses to some units. But the next day brought even worse news. A battalion on the left flank was attacked by a large group of enemies. Judging from their numbers and weapons, these were not rebels but local militia forces assembled together.

The volunteer troops fired their muskets in rapid succession, causing forty to fifty casualties among the infantry battalion. The battalion officers immediately sent people to communicate: “We mistook you! We mistook you! We are the official army! We are the official army!” In response, a barrage of musket fire came their way: “That’s exactly who we’re targeting—you damned official troops!” Since Wang Cong’er launched the Yuanjiao rebellion, the volunteer troops had been the last line of defense for the Qing Dynasty. The Green Standard Army, the Eight Banners, and even the Hunan-Huai Army might all become corrupt one day, but only the volunteer troops remained vibrant. These local armed forces shared common interests with the Qing Dynasty and were eager to suppress peasant uprisings. Whether it was the Yuanjiao rebellion, the Taiping Rebellion, or the Nian Rebellion, they fought fiercely against the volunteer troops day and night. In fact, both the Hunan Army and the Huai Army originated from volunteer forces, evolving from local armed groups into military organizations. Yet today, right under Wu Dacheng’s eyes, volunteer troops openly attacked the official army, making Wu Dacheng realize the situation was dire and urging him to speed up the retreat. Regardless, this army of over ten thousand men was still the strongest feudal military force in Hunan. Relying on their numerical and firepower advantages, they managed to break through a defensive line. But troubles lay ahead—there was no food for the troops, and the local gentry who had once welcomed the official army were nowhere to be seen. Even if a few were found, they greeted them coldly: “What use does the Qing Dynasty have for you? What use does it have?” The supplies prepared to welcome the victorious official army had also been secretly hidden, intended for the Black Flag Army. For the Qing troops, however, the biggest problem was the relentless attacks from the enemy. In fact, they couldn’t even figure out who the enemy really was. Wu Dacheng felt everything had gone mad—local militias, volunteer troops, and secret societies attacked this vulnerable official army in every possible and impossible place, with isolated stragglers becoming their primary targets. Once separated from the main force, death was inevitable. Yet these local militias and secret societies often attacked each other as well, leaving him utterly confused. For the Qing army, whose original marching capacity was only thirty to forty kilometers per day, facing dozens or even hundreds of attacks daily was a nightmare. Some battalions would be attacked as soon as they stepped forward, allowing them to cover only five or six kilometers in a day. The army’s supplies dwindled rapidly. The Suigong Army once had hundreds of vehicles of all sizes, requiring more than a dozen villages to set up camp. Now, with more supplies lost and fewer troops left, this well-equipped army revealed its true nature—becoming the weakest of all. As the saying goes, the army reflects its commander. Wu Dacheng’s Suigong Army’s actual capabilities were exposed in this chaos. Originally unable to fit into a dozen villages, they now couldn’t even fill one. If things continued like this, perhaps even a single courtyard would be enough to house them. The more attacks they faced, the more Wu Dacheng realized how dire the situation in Hunan was—retreating north was necessary. If even central Hunan had fallen to such a state, advancing south to southern Hunan would be utterly futile.

On the contrary, the further north they went, the more there were local militias and volunteers loyal to the Qing Dynasty. Yet distant fire could not quench immediate thirst, and these militias and volunteers were struggling to survive themselves—he did not understand that most of their rebellions were acts of desperation. Since he had resolved to retreat north, no amount of enemies could stop him, and four days later, Wu Dacheng finally brought his troops back to Changsha. Yet this once-mighty army had yet to fire a single shot at the Black Flag Army and was now almost completely defeated.