Chapter 98: The First Battle

“I will cross the Bani Temple and attack Huai De Mansion! May 19th—this is already decided.”
Li Weiye could tolerate no such humiliation: “Dr. Wei, you will serve as my vanguard and then become a marshal!”
He had firm confidence in his troops. With just a few shots followed by a determined assault, the Black Flag Army would collapse. After all, they had captured Nanding City, defended by thousands of soldiers, with only four men injured.
Moreover, he had sufficient troops at his disposal. Major Dr. Wei saluted and said, “I am willing to be your Murat.”
Starting from May 16th, aside from sending a request for reinforcements to Major Mei Yi stationed at Haifang, Li Weiye ceased all fierce combat operations. He prepared to cross the Paper Bridge on May 19th and strike directly at Huai De Mansion, delivering a fatal blow to the Black Flag Army.
Yet the Black Flag Army also had spies inside the city, quite influential ones at that. Two Chinese servants might endure French scolding, but they could not help loving their country or tying their fate to that of the Black Flag Army.
While serving a high-ranking French officer, they accidentally obtained crucial intelligence: “On the morning of May 19th, the Qing troops will launch a full-scale attack.”
When Liu Yongfu’s command received this information, there was widespread celebration. Whether it was Liu Yongfu, Wu Fengdian, or Liu Yu, they all knew Li Weiye would suffer a heavy defeat this time.
“Commander Liu is right! It must be the Paper Bridge!” Yang Zhenen, the commander of the Right Battalion, clapped his hands and said, “Yalou, you defeated An Ye in the last battle. This time, let me be the one to defeat Li Weiye!”
He volunteered eagerly, and Liu Yongfu smiled and said, “Good! Only you can pull it off.”
Yang Zhenen replied, “Let our Right Battalion engage the French at the Paper Bridge. General, rest assured—though I can’t promise much else, I’ll ensure the French suffer heavy losses right in front of my troops.”
Liu Yongfu, though illiterate, was very sensible. “Zhenen, it’s good that your Right Battalion is so eager to fight, but its strength is weak. It’s better to follow the usual procedure.”
The Right Battalion had only 300 men, and among all their firearms, there were only 40 Snider rifles. It was the weakest battalion in the Black Flag Army. Yet it had one thing in common: determination. “The Right Battalion is willing to take the lead in battle.”
By tradition, the strongest unit, Huang Shouzhong’s Front Battalion, should go first. But now, the strongest unit was the Xiliu Infantry Regiment. Liu Yongfu never expected Yang Zhenen to be so determined. “Let Jin Chen’s Front Battalion go first. Its forces are stronger, and you can provide support later.”
Liu Yu, watching Yang Zhenen’s enthusiasm, felt uneasy. In history, Yang Zhenen had died in this very battle. He stepped forward and said, “Let the Crow Battalion engage first, with the Right Battalion providing support.”
Yang Zhenen shook his head. “Don’t underestimate our Right Battalion despite its small size. We have 300 brave men, plus 40 fast rifles. We’re fully confident in taking on this task. Let our Front Battalion take the lead in battle.”
He spoke with great enthusiasm. Seeing that he couldn’t persuade him, Liu Yongfu said, “Then be careful when fighting the French. Don’t rush, or you’ll suffer losses.”

Upon hearing these words, Yang Zhenen let out a long sigh before giving a fist salute to the officers: “To still be able to endure these foreigners is beyond human limits! Even if I die, I am willing to serve as the vanguard.” Tears streamed down his face as he continued, “Brothers, it was I, Yang Zhenen, who led the troops in shelling the concession. But I never expected the French to be so insane as to unleash fire on the villages where we operated, burning them to the ground and killing hundreds of people! Even beasts wouldn’t do such a thing.” His tears flowed uncontrollably. He had commanded the shelling of the Hanoi concession to harass the French, but those villages had nothing to do with the Black Flag Army. What he hadn’t expected was that wherever they operated, the French would mercilessly open fire and massacre everyone, burning the villages to ashes, killing anyone they saw—no matter right or wrong. Thinking of those villagers lying in blood made even this tough man cry. “Even if I die, I will still serve as the vanguard. I only wish to kill a few of these beast-like men as soon as possible. And there’s one more thing…” He knelt before Liu Yongfu and the officers: “Anyone who committed injustice back then, alive or dead, I want to use them as sacrifices for the innocent who were killed. Please, General and brothers, help me achieve this.” Liu Yongfu nodded in agreement. “Alright! Be very careful.” May 19, 1883. Midnight. Li Weiyeh’s reinforcements were approaching Hanoi via various sea routes, and Li Weiyeh had already gotten up. Standing in front of him was Major Wei Yi: “Today is the day we will achieve victory.” “Well said!” Li Weiyeh was full of confidence. “We have won glorious victories in Hanoi and Nanning.” In Hanoi and Nanning, they had fewer troops and faced more enemies, while the Black Flag Army before them was nothing but a group of mercenaries. “Still, I’ll be cautious. I’ll bring the Hotchkiss five-barreled machine gun.” This gun, capable of firing sixty rounds per minute, was the most powerful weapon in his arsenal. Li Weiyeh believed no Eastern army could withstand continuous bombardment with explosive shells for five minutes. Moreover, he had a powerful army of eight hundred soldiers, including four hundred fifty Frenchmen and three hundred fifty well-trained Vietnamese. In the Hanoi concession, his remaining forces numbered less than three hundred Frenchmen and some Vietnamese. Even these Vietnamese included Annamese native infantry who had served in the French army for years, Tonkin native infantry whom Li Weiyeh had personally trained and commanded, winning many battles, and some Catholic militias equipped with Remington rifles. Even the weakest of these Catholic militias, armed with Remington rifles, could easily defeat any Vietnamese army. With such a powerful army, victory was inevitable. He patted Wei Yi’s shoulder. “The god of war will be on the side of those with superior weapons.” Before three o’clock, even though the wake-up call hadn’t sounded yet, the highly disciplined French soldiers had already gotten up. Yet the barracks were silent. At this moment, all the “butchers” had turned into proper French gentlemen, slowly sipping their last cups of coffee, elegant and calm.

This was their habit—no matter if Waterloo lay ahead, every French soldier must maintain such gentlemanly demeanor. After inspecting the troops for a week, Li Weiyeh concluded that he could secure victory in this battle. At 3:45 a.m., just as dawn broke, there was no need for noise; the troops had already gathered by the river, still completely silent. Each soldier was equipped with a hundred rounds of ammunition, and to prevent being too late when returning to the concession, they also prepared dry rations, including fresh meat, shochu, and quinine, along with a pot of slightly sour tea to quench their thirst. The officers, following Major Wei Yi’s instructions, gave their men pre-battle reminders: “Fire only when the enemy is within 400 meters and you’re confident. Every soldier is strictly forbidden from wasting ammunition.” Li Weiyeh felt everything was under his control; he even admired his own brilliance. Since his troops came from three different groups—navy sailors and landing companies from large warships, marines, and native infantry—he disbanded all units to form an vanguard, main force, and rear guard, each consisting of three groups. It was clear now that his command was flawless, and his troops were perfectly equipped. He was confident he could capture Shanxi City that day and then return to Hanoi for afternoon tea. Everyone waited for Colonel Li Weiyeh’s final speech. Standing before eight hundred soldiers, he said, “Soldiers, I must say that the best way to deal with Vietnamese and Chinese people is by using force! This is the strongest army to appear in the Tokyo region ever; it will surely win!” The eight hundred soldiers listened silently as Li Weiyeh continued, “Today’s battle will determine whether the Tokyo region belongs to civilized people or barbarians. This is a holy war—we are fighting against barbarians and pagans.” “Since we are fighting against those damned barbarians and pagans, today’s battle…” The old colonel stretched out his words with impressive momentum, “No prisoners! No prisoners at all. Any enemy who dares to resist us may be killed without restraint!” The eight hundred officers and soldiers understood their mission. Li Weiyeh issued his final orders under the still-starry sky: “It’s 4 a.m. Now, set out and eliminate every barbarian. Leave no prisoners! Let them remember this day forever!” At that moment, the Black Flag Army launched its full assault. Yang Zhen’en’s right wing formed up on the right side of Zhiqiao, ready to engage the French forces first; Wu Fengdian’s left wing formed up on the left side of Zhiqiao, ready to flank the French as soon as the battle began; Huang Shouzhong’s front wing formed up in front of Huaidefu Village, ready to advance on Zhongcun upon hearing gunfire; Liu Yongfu led the rear wing and personal guards to form up outside Huaidefu City as the reserve force. The entire main force of the Xiliu Infantry Regiment, including the strongest Xiliu Battalion, was positioned far to the right of Yang Zhen’en. Liu Yu stood there and announced his battle orders to all officers: “In this battle, we must annihilate all of Li Weiyeh’s invading forces. So once the guns fire, we will immediately attack in the direction of the Guandi Temple, cutting them off completely and wiping them out.”

Even the best-quality Xiliu Infantry Regiment could not compare in quality to the French forces. At that moment, applause and cheers rang out continuously. Liu Yu said to all the officers, “No matter how many troops Li Weiyeh sends, we must make him leave every single soldier behind! Even every horse must be ours.” After saying this, he looked at the Southern Cross, his heart filled with hope for victory.

Li Weiyeh’s French forces were advancing rapidly. Even their native Tokyo infantry and Catholic militia, who had undergone months of formal training and numerous battles, were a reliable force.

It wasn’t until 5:15 that the entire force briefly halted: “A minute’s rest—to pay tribute to the Bani Temple!”

The Paper Bridge was in sight!

Li Weiyeh and Captain Wei removed their military hats: “Tribute to Anye and the Bani Temple!”

Yet the commander of the vanguard still didn’t know what this place was. Soon, he sent someone to ask, “Why have we stopped? When will we set off?”

There was a dilapidated small temple by the roadside, and both the French and the Vietnamese began to pay tribute to this Bani Temple.

On the map of the Xiliu Regiment, this was the most important location, marked as “Guan Di Temple.” Liu Yu’s battle orders clearly stated, “Once combat begins, launch an immediate full-scale attack on Guan Di Temple. Seize it at all costs and cut off the enemy on the Paper Bridge side.”

But in the French, it was called the Bani Temple. Ten years earlier, Anye’s expedition was attacked and annihilated here by the Black Flag Army. Lieutenant Bani, the deputy of Captain Anye, died inside this Guan Di Temple, which is why the French called it the Bani Temple.

A hundred meters ahead of the Bani Temple lay the Paper Bridge—a rather magnificent wooden bridge, but there was no water beneath it; it was a dried-up river.

Ten years ago, Anye’s troops, after crossing the bridge, were immediately attacked by the Black Flag Army’s firepower and suffered defeat.

However, Colonel Li Weiyeh only felt sorrow over Captain Anye’s sacrifice, but he also harbored a romantic notion: “If Anye hadn’t died, then Vietnam’s conqueror wouldn’t belong to Li Weiyeh.”

“Rest is over—move forward!”

He looked at the wooden bridge, still filled with romantic feelings. But he never expected to come under fire on that bridge.

History would not repeat itself. He didn’t think the Black Flag Army would be so foolish as to set up an ambush twice in the same place, especially since the vanguard commander would carry out a search mission.

But he forgot—thanks to his order to split the forces, the vanguard consisted not only of soldiers from three landing companies and many Catholic militia members but also of Captain Santi, the finance officer of the Villa. He served as company commander merely because of his rank.

Captain Santi led the native infantry and sailors who had landed onto the Paper Bridge and headed toward the opposite shore. He slightly dispersed the formation: “We can capture Shanxi City today!”

“Bang! Bang! Bang!” Almost as soon as he finished speaking, three hundred rifles from the right battalion fired simultaneously, unleashing a torrent of bullets: “Ah!…”

The soldiers on the paper bridge were completely exposed to enemy fire. It was just a little past five in the morning, and Yang Zhenen was now directing the soldiers of the Right Camp to fire with full force, causing heavy casualties. The paper bridge was covered in blood, and some French soldiers had to rely on corpses and the wounded as barriers.

“Form battle formations! Form battle formations!”

Captain Santi, the finance officer, finally realized the grave mistake he had made. Dozens of soldiers on the bridge were either killed or wounded, crying out in pain, while their own forces continued to be under enemy fire.

“Form battle formations!”

Under the hail of bullets, the French immediately formed their ranks. Although they were marines and sailors from warships, their infantry were quite skilled and reacted almost instantly.

Fierce gunfights erupted between the two sides. Amidst the gunfire, an infantry platoon quickly took control of the embankment on the side of the paper bridge and opened fire on Yang Zhenen’s Right Camp, putting significant pressure on the Black Flag Army.

Li Weiyeh also came to his senses and ordered loudly, “Support! Send Mai Shang’s platoon over, and have the artillery prepare to bombard!”

The main force immediately sent a platoon to join the battle, and at that moment, the French fire regained the upper hand.

Although they had 300 soldiers, they only had 40 rapid-fire rifles, while the French had 200 rifles—Gras 1878, Gras 1874, and Remington. Each of these rifles was more powerful than the Snider rifles, not to mention that the Right Camp was mainly equipped with flintlock guns and muskets.

Yang Zhenen quickly realized that the side of the paper bridge was not the best place to fight and retreat. Seeing the piles of red breeches, he said triumphantly, “Retreat! Teach them another lesson!”

Li Weiyeh almost immediately sent Colonel Wei, the medical commander, to oversee the battle: “Eliminate all these bandits! The main force will provide immediate support. They have only a few rapid-fire rifles—finish them off.”

At that moment, the Right Camp retreated slightly, moving to the village of Xia Anjue behind them, where they had carefully constructed defensive fortifications that could inflict even greater casualties on the French. Behind Anjue Village was Zhong Village, and according to the pre-battle plan, the front camp would advance toward Zhong Village first.

Yang Zhenen was full of confidence in this.

On the other side of the paper bridge, the French finally recovered from the surprise attack. Instead of using the dangerous bridge, they started advancing directly from the dried-up riverbed. But Colonel Li Weiyeh suffered a heavy blow: “21 killed, including 9 Frenchmen, and 11 seriously wounded, half of them French.”

In history, the Right Camp, with only 40 rapid-fire rifles, had already caused heavy casualties to the French during this attack—7 Frenchmen killed on the spot, and one Frenchman sent to Hanoi died immediately from his injuries. Now, with 40 rapid-fire rifles, they were causing even greater losses to the French.

This also angered Colonel Li Weiyeh. He was a romantic poet, a genius playwright, and an excellent novelist, but by no means an excellent commander: “Full-scale attack! Order! The 65mm artillery should take position 100 meters in front of the paper bridge and start bombardment! Send two platoons to support them!”

The troops in blue upper garments and red breeches had already crossed the paper bridge; they were the most eye-catching presence at all times. The right wing opened fire with various weapons—from flintlock guns and muskets to Snider rifles—while reinforcements consisted of two French platoons and some indigenous infantry.

The entire morning was filled with smoke from black powder. The right wing clearly held a favorable position, using bamboo groves, houses, and earthen mounds to create a solid defensive stance. Even though the French had a numerical advantage, they were held back by the firepower of the Snider rifles on the embankment.

“Boom!” That was the sound of 65-mm cannons—excellent field guns—that began bombarding Yang Zhen’en’s right wing. The two cannons fired continuously, quickly prompting cheers from the French soldiers. The indigenous infantry then became even more courageous, even charging ahead of the French.

The troops at the front had crossed the embankment of the paper bridge, but one platoon had shifted its attack from Xia’anjue Village. They now faced new French forces in Zhong Village, which was manned by Huang Shouzhong’s vanguard unit. The gunfight between the two sides was intense. Soon, the French realized that the Black Flag Army in Zhong Village was stronger, and more indigenous infantry were sent there.

On the side of Bani Temple, not only were the artillery positions set up, but an officer also led a small group to take cover in a small temple 150 meters away from the paper bridge.

But Li Weiyeh was furious. He raised his cane and ordered loudly, “Frenchmen! Cross the river! The artillery, cross the river!”

Instead of successfully dealing with the vanguard of the Black Flag Army, they allowed the main force of the Black Flag Army to deploy in Zhong Village, leaving Li Weiyeh unprepared. It should be noted that capturing Nanding had only cost them four wounded soldiers, but the losses now were unbearable: “Frenchmen, follow me across the river! Artillery! Fire at close range—be ready to cross at any moment! Just like Napoleon in Toulon!”

An officer shouted over the gunfire, “This isn’t cautious enough. The bridge is too narrow. If things go wrong, retreating the artillery will cause chaos.”

Li Weiyeh roared back through the gunfire, “Order your troops to cross the river and wipe them out completely!”

Colonel Li Weiyeh raised his cane again. He had to be as brave as Emperor Napoleon, using the artillery’s close-range fire to launch a fierce attack: “Frenchmen, advance!”

More and more French troops crossed the paper bridge. Especially after the artillery bombardment, the indigenous infantry and Catholic militias became extremely brave, even fanatical, putting increasing pressure on the defenders of Xia’anjue Village.

In history, due to weaker firearms, Yang Zhen’en’s Xia’anjue Village hadn’t held out long. But in this timeline, thanks to a certain number of Snider rifles, the battle for Xia’anjue Village still hadn’t been resolved.

Wounded soldiers continued to be brought back from the other side of the bridge. Meanwhile, the 65-mm cannons were now positioned on the riverbank and firing. These cannons were highly destructive against fortifications, and their gunners were seasoned professionals with precise shooting—almost hitting every shot. This not only boosted the French morale but also caused heavy casualties among the defenders.

What’s more important is the enemy right in front of them. Right now, Yang Zhenen is bearing the heaviest pressure on behalf of the entire Black Flag Army. At least 350 to 600 enemy soldiers are attacking them head-on, and the casualties in the right wing are increasing steadily.
Captain Santi, who serves as the finance officer, company commander of the landing unit, and leader of the vanguard, now commands with much greater maturity. He directs troops from different units to launch attacks from various directions, coordinating with artillery to suppress the defenders’ firepower.
Yet he glances worriedly at the battle ahead, where about 70 to 80 infantrymen are fighting against hundreds of Black Flag Army soldiers. For now, they can only defend themselves. If they fail to turn the tide, it will surely lead to disaster.
Although he is a finance officer, that doesn’t mean he lacks courage. Standing amidst the hail of bullets, he shouts, “Soldiers, these are just bullets! Follow me! Charge with bayonets!”
The bullets from the enemy didn’t bring him down, and Captain Santi bravely leads the infantry in an assault.
Li Weiyeh, on the other side of the paper bridge, notices this and slams his cane on the ground, shouting, “These are true French men! They can win this battle! Artillery, prepare to cross the bridge! Eliminate them all!”