Chapter 212: Complete Disintegration (Part 2)

Without firing a single shot, they were almost completely scattered—this is still a polite way of putting it. To put it bluntly, it was a complete defeat.
Since the campaign began, aside from Wang Debang who had withdrawn earlier, the Xiang Army lost almost all of its heavy equipment and supplies, suffering even greater losses in terms of troops.
At the start of the campaign, there were 210,000 combat soldiers and 3,000 support personnel. By the time they retreated to Changsha, only 8,000 people remained in total—3,500 of whom were Wang Debang’s troops who had withdrawn earlier. Of the remaining 21,000, only about 5,000 made it back.
Such a high rate of loss is unacceptable in any era. Many new and old units were eliminated as a result. What’s more disheartening is that they didn’t understand why they lost until after the defeat.
Military historians on the side of the Black Flag Army summarized Wu Dacheng’s failure well: “It must be noted that although the commander’s military decision was seen as a reckless gamble—attacking about 300 enemy battalions in Hunan and Hubei provinces with just 40 companies—it turned out that the commander had a wise vision. Wu Dacheng’s forces were indeed weak…”
“But even weak enemies cannot be underestimated. The biggest mistake made by Wu Dacheng’s forces was advancing out of Changsha with their main forces before fully understanding our deployment, attempting to engage us in a decisive battle. When they realized the situation was changing, their plans shifted repeatedly, and they eventually retreated in panic to Changsha, suffering unprecedented losses…”
“We can assume that if Wu Dacheng’s forces had ignored the losses and forced their way into southern Hunan to fight us, our army would have lost at least 10 to 20 companies, while the enemy’s losses would not have exceeded those incurred by Wu Dacheng’s forced retreat!”
“More importantly, the change in morale among the troops and the public due to Wu Dacheng’s foolish retreat, although it caused difficulties for our army in subsequent anti-bandit operations, accelerated the liberation of Changsha…”
“Therefore, we must emphasize that the Hunan-Hubei war was a special case under unique military circumstances, but there are still many lessons to be learned from it…”
Meanwhile, while Wu Dacheng was retreating in panic to Changsha, Liu Yu received good news: the Jing Shi Yi Detachment had arrived.
The Jing Shi Yi Detachment consisted of 17 companies, formed from troops who had retreated from South Vietnam and northern Vietnam. Its size was roughly equivalent to an enhanced regiment, and its combat companies had experienced battles against France, giving them strong combat capabilities.
In Liu Yu’s initial plans, this detachment was to be stationed in Guangxi as a reserve force and for anti-bandit operations, while he would lead 32 companies to attack Hunan and Hubei. But due to changing circumstances, this detachment was deployed to the Hunan battlefield earlier than planned.
“The Jing Shi Yi Detachment has arrived! We can now advance north with confidence!” Although Liu Suiyun had conflicts with Jing Shi Yi, he knew that this enhanced detachment of 17 companies could change the entire battlefield dynamics.
Moreover, the rapid changes in central and northern Hunan left these military advisors stunned. All they could think was that the situation was changing too fast.
“With the Jing Shi Yi Detachment here, how many companies do we have now?”

“Ninety regiments, including two newly formed reserve brigades…” It was precisely because of such glorious victories that the Black Flag Army’s strength had greatly increased. There were two complete newly formed infantry regiments in the rear, while various regiments on the front line were reorganized into battalions, battalions into companies, and companies into regiments, leading to rapid growth in troop numbers. Although the sources of troops were complex—ranging from volunteers from Hunan, former Xiang Army soldiers who joined voluntarily after being captured, to local warlords who willingly joined and then wanted to disband their units—the expansion still relied mainly on the Black Flag Army. Liu Yu had complete control over these ninety regiments, with their officers being the old cadres of the Black Flag Army! “Good! Ninety regiments! The force has doubled!” Liu Yu said to Liu Suiyun, “Jingshiyi also needs to expand. He has seventeen regiments now, right? I’ll give him five days to increase his strength to twenty-eight regiments, two full brigades. But he must fend for himself in terms of officers and weapons!” Liu Suiyun continued, “Also… the volunteer army formed by the Huajian Sect is about to enter Hunan!” The so-called volunteer army of the Huajian Sect was actually composed of the sect’s most elite warrior guards. Initially, it formed one battalion, but in reality, it consisted of just one reinforced regiment, created by drawing half of the warrior guards. Some elders in the sect opposed this, believing it was a too risky gamble, but the sect leader and other female cadres saw it as the best opportunity. If successful, the Huajian Sect would gain a significant advantage over Christianity in China. Thus, this volunteer battalion broke through Zhenan Pass almost simultaneously with the Black Flag Army. In subsequent battles in Guangxi, it mainly took on defensive roles. With the Black Flag Army’s approval, it recruited new recruits and added some old believers, expanding into a regiment. Taking advantage of this opportunity to enter Hunan, this so-called “Huajian Volunteer Regiment” was further expanded into a brigade, though its size remained pitifully small—only two infantry battalions, one reconnaissance company, and one artillery company, with a total strength of just over six hundred men. Despite their small size, this force was highly effective in pacifying local areas and carrying out defensive tasks. They performed admirably in several battles in Guangxi, annihilating several scattered local militia groups. “Hmm, allow them to increase their strength by another two hundred men so they can handle our rear defenses and free up our troops!” Both the arrival of Jingshiyi’s detachment and the Huajian Sect greatly strengthened the Black Flag Army. It was clear now that Liu Yu’s ambitions extended beyond Changsha to the farther-away Wuhan. “To drink from the Yangtze River”—that was his bold vow. Many thought it impossible for him to lead forty infantry regiments to Wuhan, but now, the opportunity was right before them. “Excluding those needed for defense, we now have at least sixty regiments that can charge straight for Changsha!” Liu Suiyun didn’t understand Liu Yu’s thoughts. “Sixty regiments—conquering Changsha is definitely no problem!” “No! We can’t limit our sights to Changsha. Wu Dacheng is no longer a threat!” Liu Yu pointed to Wuhan on the map. “Tell the soldiers I’ll treat them to Wuhan fish!”

Marching on Wuhan—just thinking about it made Liu Suiyun’s blood boil as well. “Commander, do you mean that after capturing Changsha, we won’t rest but continue advancing north?”
“That’s right! I’ve told the soldiers that all we need to do is… move forward toward the sound of gunfire!”