Chapter 103: Artillery Fire

Coastal Defense.
“We may have to withdraw from Hanoi temporarily,” said none other than Major General Mei Yi. “I can’t provide much support for military operations in Hanoi.”
As the commander of the Chinese Sea Fleet, Major General Mei Yi could still offer significant support, but he was filled with pessimism. “The attack by tens of thousands of Black Flag troops is extremely difficult to deal with. We should find another breakthrough point.”
Advancing deep into the Red River was not something Major General Mei Yi was skilled at. His Chinese Sea Fleet had many large warships, from ironclads to cruisers, but none of them were suitable for combat in the Red River.
He turned his attention southward. “I think we can launch a successful attack from Thanh Hóa and then retake Hanoi.”
At this thought, excitement surged within Major General Mei Yi. “This is the best opportunity for me to become a rear admiral.”
Unlike Major General Mei Yi’s hesitation regarding support operations, Governor-General of Indochina, Qin Chong, sat at his desk and asked, “Are you ready?”
A major immediately replied, “The Dou Lak has already transported Company 37 of the Marine Corps, 125 Annamese indigenous infantrymen, 46 sailors, and 38 Marines returning from leave. If nothing goes wrong, they will arrive in Hanoi soon!”
Governor-General Qin Chong had sent not only these reinforcements to Hanoi but had also taken decisive actions prior to this reinforcement, even without notifying Major General Mei Yi in time. At this moment, the governor-general acted like a gambler who had lost everything, betting all his chips on Hanoi.
“That’s not enough. Pass on my orders: mobilize a 500-man infantry battalion and an artillery company with four guns from the colonies. Set out immediately once they’re assembled!” Qin Chong’s gaze was sharp. “By any means necessary, get them to Hanoi as quickly as possible.”
The major asked, “No orders from Paris needed? This isn’t a legitimate operation.”
Governor-General Qin Chong shook his head. “This will be a legitimate authorization. Paris will fully support my actions!”
He was glad he had become governor-general of Indochina in 1883, rather than in the humiliating year of 1873.
In 1873, France, having just lost the Franco-Prussian War, had little influence over Annam. Thus, the failure of the Li Weiye expedition only resulted in a nominal protectorate status. But 1883 was a year of revenge.
An experienced naval colonel, a promising young major battalion commander, many outstanding French officers, along with hundreds of French youths and countless Annamites loyal to France and its God—their deaths could provoke the greatest outrage in the country.
The failure of the Li Weiye expedition would surely dominate the front pages of republican newspapers for a long time. Illegal attacks on French troops on legitimate patrols would prompt the republican parliament to pass resolutions to send more troops to Tonkin immediately.

Behind him stood a world’s foremost power, a nation capable of mobilizing millions of the best soldiers, which would greatly facilitate all his actions in Vietnam. He had advantages that even his predecessors had not possessed—whether it was an infantry brigade, an infantry division, or even an army of a hundred thousand, the parliament would immediately agree to his demands.

At the thought of this, Governor Qin Chong already had in mind the additional troops he wanted to request from the interior. With this in mind, he said to the major, “You go to Hanoi as well. Since this shameless attack, the outcome of this war has already been determined.”

Although there would still be hardships, setbacks, and fierce battles, France had already won this war starting with this shameless attack.

Governor Qin Chong was full of confidence in himself, unaware of the kind of opponent he would face.

The sunset in Hanoi was so brilliant that even the soldiers of the Black Flag Army thought of the blood spilling on the battlefield.

Liu Yongfu stood on the freshly cleaned battlefield and shouted to his soldiers, “Soldiers of the Black Flag Army, today is the most glorious day of my life. We have just defeated the arrogant French commander Li Weiyeh—we have achieved a perfect victory!”

Every officer and soldier of the Black Flag Army was filled with great enthusiasm for such a victory. Though there were sacrifices and painful costs, this kind of annihilating battle, especially one that dealt such a heavy blow to the French, was something they had never experienced before.

Liu Yongfu said toward the brilliant sunset in the distance, “We also paid a painful price. Officer Yang Zhenen died heroically, and many soldiers were killed or injured, but they will forever live in my heart.”

As he spoke, Liu Yongfu waved his hand toward the setting sun, and Liu Yu witnessed a magnificent scene he would never forget in his life.

So many heads! Countless heads treated with lime—some of pure French descent, others of Vietnamese traitors—they were hung on trees along the road behind Liu Yongfu. “Soldiers, I use these to honor our fallen comrades,” he said.

“Officer Yang Zhenen asked me to avenge all the French who slaughtered civilians north of Beining River. Now I can tell his spirit in heaven that I, Liu Yongfu, have done it!”

Along both sides of the long road, heads of Frenchmen and Vietnamese traitors hung there for everyone to see, showcasing France’s utter humiliation. “These Frenchmen traveled thousands of miles in an attempt to invade Vietnam and then conquer our great China. I, Liu Yongfu, may not be well-educated, but I know what shame is!”

“Now they have received their due punishment!”

Along the entire stretch of road, the same scene repeated itself—heads hung on trees, declaring the victory of the Black Flag Army to all. “In a few days, I will bury these heads in the ground and let passersby trample on them! This is the fate of the French invaders!”

The Black Flag Army cheered again and again: “Long live! Long live!”

Liu Yu was also extremely excited. He knew that on the battlefield, the Black Flag Army and the Xiliu Camp had taken in nearly a hundred captives, but most of them were seriously injured and unconscious. Neither side had the resources to treat them, so the Black Flag Army simply executed all the seriously injured with bayonets, while the Xiliu Camp was slightly more humane by digging a large pit for them.

After all, although this battle had wiped out most of the 800 French troops, their own losses were also heavy—over 240 dead and wounded among the Black Flag Army, with the Right Camp suffering the most. The Xiliu Camp achieved the greatest success in the battle but also lost 140 men.

If judged solely by casualties, the French did not suffer too much, but the problem was that Li Weiyeh’s forces were almost completely annihilated. After the battle, the Black Flag Army and the Xiliu Camp completely controlled the battlefield. As a result, aside from a few who escaped, the French left nothing behind. The Black Flag Army not only seized supplies but also had most of their wounded able to return to the battlefield after treatment.

Yet, 380 dead and wounded already kept the dressing stations and field hospitals extremely busy. It was the first time the Black Flag Army had faced such heavy losses—this number was almost 10% of their total combat force, leaving them with no capacity to care for the seriously injured captives.

Among the remaining captives, the Xiliu Camp was particularly interested in the artillerymen and kept a few of them. But as for all French captives from the banks of the Beining River, Liu Yu faithfully kept his promise to Yang Zhenen.

With heads piling up like trees and the setting sun glowing like blood, at this moment Liu Yu felt the truth behind the saying “a general’s fame comes at the cost of countless bones.” He had only one realization: The victors deserve no condemnation!

Liu Yongfu pointed at the faintly visible city of Hanoi: “The French are still entrenched in Hanoi. Soldiers, go and take their heads so they’ll remember this moment!”

“Take their heads!”

The 3,000 soldiers of the Black Flag Army charged toward Hanoi City, their morale high.

The soldiers of the Hanhai Camp were even more excited, with French or Vietnamese traitor heads hanging along the roads on both sides of them. That night, they would fight again. Cai Yunnan shouted loudly, “Soldiers of the Hanhai Camp, follow me and kill the foreigners!”

“Kill the foreigners!”

The officers and soldiers replied in unison, “We are… the Hanoi Camp!”

“Hanoi Camp!” It was only then that Cai Yunnan truly felt what great joy meant: “We must be the Hanoi Camp!”

He had originally been just the leader of a local secret society in Haiyang, appearing imposing but actually surrounded by troubles. But today, commanding 600 soldiers and holding power over the land made him understand what true masculinity was.

He didn’t repeat Li Weiyeh’s mistake. While forming battle formations, he also sent out several search teams. Soon, the vanguard platoon returned with dozens of exhausted people: “Company commander, these are the people of Hanoi!”

Upon seeing Cai Yunnan, those people from Hanoi knelt before him: “General, please save tens of thousands of people in Hanoi!”

“Tens of thousands of residents in Hanoi are waiting for your troops to enter the city. Please lead your troops in quickly!”

“Hurry! Those heartless French thieves are setting the city on fire!”

Cai Yunnan looked up and saw that the sky over the city had turned red, even more brilliant than the setting sun.

It was the French setting fires!

More and more residents of Hanoi came to seek help: “Now that the imperial troops have arrived, please enter Shenglong immediately, drive out the French invaders, and restore peace to Hanoi!” They knelt on the ground, crying nonstop, including some Europeans: “I’m British. I hope you can protect my property!” The fire was fierce. Countless Hanoi residents cried, while soldiers loaded bayonets on their rifles, waiting for Cai Yunan’s orders. Cai Yunan took a deep breath and made his decision: “Hanhai Battalion! Enter the city—put out the fire!!!” It was a massive fire, one far beyond the intent of those who started it. This fire was the result of a unanimous vote by all French officers in Hanoi, who decided that there were too many houses near the concession, allowing the Black Flag Army to infiltrate easily, so all thatched houses within 200 meters of the concession had to be burned down. Military democracy is one of the worst forms of democracy. Captain Bisset, under pressure, could only allow his men to burn down all houses within 200 meters of the concession. Even the originator of this idea never expected the fire to spread so rapidly. Once lit, the fire was out of anyone’s control. Historically, it burned down the entire city of Hanoi, leaving only the concession intact. In this timeline, the fire also had astonishing power, completely beyond the French’ expectations. Their fire divided Hanoi into two opposing sides: the concession and its enemies. Hanoi had always been indifferent or even hostile toward the Black Flag Army, but now even Catholics and some Europeans welcomed the Hanhai Battalion to enter the city and help put out the fire. No one dared to ambush the Black Flag Army, or they would be killed on the spot by the angry residents. In the afternoon, more people flocked into the Hanoi concession. After the fire broke out, the Catholics inside the concession began to leave—it was their home. Once inside Hanoi City, both Cai Yunan and Wu Fengdian knew that a night attack was impossible that night: “Use a small force to monitor the concession; the rest should start putting out the fire!” There were a few French troops observing the fire in the streets, but upon seeing the Black Flag Army’s flags, they retreated to the concession without firing a shot, watching as the Black Flag Army fought the flames. Hanoi was made up of highly flammable wooden buildings. Cai Yunan said bluntly, “Demolish them!” The fire still raged, but these French officers accomplished what Liu Yongfu had failed to do in twenty years—they won the hearts of the Hanoi people for the Black Flag Army. Even though the Black Flag Army had bombarded Hanoi City with artillery for nights without success, these French officers helped them burn down a quarter of the city. What an extraordinary achievement! The Poles, with their absolute military democracy, led Europe’s most powerful nation to destruction, and now these Frenchmen also had the Hanoi people putting out the fire while desperately advising the Black Flag Army. After all, this was the most conservative city in North Vietnam, often described as “a place without a king for a long time.” Yet even Cai Yunan himself didn’t expect to gain such easy support from the Hanoi citizens. Thank you, Frenchmen!

Any normal inhabitant of Hanoi would hold no goodwill toward foreigners who set fire to their homes, burning down their houses and property. In another timeline, the French used force to suppress this invisible resistance. But in this timeline, the Black Flag Army’s strength surpassed that of the French, and they even sent many troops to help the people of Hanoi put out the fires, saving many homes—these were the saviors of Hanoi. Thus, from time to time, someone would come to report: “Sir, the French have sent a boat from downstream, right on the Bac Ninh River.” A boat? Cai Yunnan immediately thought of the information reported by Liu Yu—could it be the half company sent by Mei Yi? If so, the French regular forces in Hanoi would number five and a half companies, causing him a great deal of trouble. He didn’t know that the half company of reinforcements sent by Major Mei Yi had already arrived, and their presence gave Captain Bissel, the temporary highest commander in Hanoi, great confidence. “Lieutenant, I am Captain Bissel, the highest commander in Hanoi. From now on, you will follow my orders.” The reinforcements were two Annamese native infantry companies. Unlike the newly recruited Tonkin natives, these Vietnamese were reliable fighters. In the battle at Paper Bridge, these Vietnamese serving in Indochina’s colonies fought almost to the end. These two companies were dispatched under the order of Governor Phan Khiem Chung from four Annamese native infantry companies stationed in Nam Dinh to provide support. With these two combat-effective companies, Captain Bissel became extremely confident. “Even if a hundred thousand Black Flag Army soldiers attack our concession, I’m confident I can defend this city!” he said to the officers who valued democracy. “We will definitely be able to hold this city!” On the surface, he only had 900 regular soldiers (including many recruits) and a few hundred irregular troops, even less than Li Weiye’s forces when he attacked Paper Bridge. But the key was that he only needed to defend. Li Weiye was annihilated in an offensive, while the defending side had an advantage in firepower, and poorly trained soldiers were less likely to collapse in defensive battles. As long as the core forces remained, they could hold out. After all, the Hanoi concession was equipped with many fortifications, making it almost impossible for the Black Flag Army to break through them. Moreover, on the river, several inland gunboats from the Indochina fleet provided fire support, their artillery equivalent to two artillery battalions. If necessary, the sailors could also disembark to join the land battle. Additionally, these 900 regular soldiers were equipped far better than the Black Flag Army, with numerous rapid-fire rifles and breech-loading steel guns. Even if the Black Flag Army used the same mass warfare tactics as at Paper Bridge, he was confident he could defeat them using his superior firepower. It was at this moment of Captain Bissel’s confidence that a howling sound came from the blazing sea ahead, followed by two solid projectiles fired toward the concession. The naval captain paid no attention to this harassment, but the next moment his expression changed drastically as he stared at the river. Liu Yu immediately received Cai Yunnan’s report: “Do we need more artillery?” “Company Commander Cai wants to add one more of the 65-mm guns we captured!”

Although they temporarily exchanged a 65-mm cannon with Huang Shouzhong, the 65-mm cannon remains Liu Yu’s most powerful direct-fire weapon. Unlike those green-painted and cast-iron cannons, this steel cannon is the standard weapon of the French army and is just as formidable even when used by foreign armies. However, after capturing it, the gunners were not familiar with this type of cannon, and some equipment was missing, making it less useful than the 60-mm mortars. At longer distances, the chances of hitting targets were virtually zero, and the ammunition was even more of a problem. With only 39 shells for the two cannons, Liu Yu issued a strict order: except in special circumstances, every shot had to be controlled by him personally. Regarding such cannon deployment, he had to ask why: “I’ll send in two more 60-mm mortars as reinforcements!” Currently, the Xiliu Infantry Regiment had four battalion-owned mortars as its only firearms. But Cai Yunnan requested something different: “Our battalion commander can send in two more 82-mm mortars.” Thus, Liu Yu asked again, “Are you really that confident in attacking those warships? I’ll go myself!” Earlier, Cai Yunnan had sent someone to report to Liu Yu that an enemy transport ship had arrived at the concession dock and had not yet fired its engines, making it an ideal target for an attack. Apart from borrowing cannons from allied battalions, they urgently needed an additional 65-mm steel cannon. But when Liu Yu arrived on the opposite side of the concession, he had to admit that it was indeed the best target. Even across the river, the intense heat from the fires in the concession could be felt, and the French fires turned the entire area around the concession into a lit-up zone, turning the warships on the river into the most prominent targets. Over there, Cai Yunnan smiled happily and said, “I’ve borrowed the artillery from all the battalions!” In addition to the 60-mm mortars from the Xiliu Infantry Regiment’s battalions, the best artillery from all the Hei Qi Army battalions was gathered on this side of the river. Aside from a few local cannons, many were obsolete Western front-loading cannons, including 12-pound and 6-pound cannons, with many bronze cannons—rare treasures in Vietnam. Thanks to the cover of houses along the river, the French fleet was unaware of these cannons. They simply kept their steam engines running, with all sailors on standby. Normally, these cannons posed little threat to those warships, but the intense lighting made them stand out as the main targets. Due to their limited tonnage, these inland warships and transport ships could only provide partial protection. Even if their own side fired solid projectiles, they could still pose a threat to exposed personnel. This was indeed the best target. The river wasn’t very wide, allowing for quite accurate attacks even with rifles from the bank, let alone using those front-loading cannons and warships in a cannon duel. “Thank you!” Liu Yu said, shaking Wu Fengdian’s hand. “Your cannons are not very mobile; you might suffer some losses.” “We’ll engage in a cannon duel!” Wu Fengdian was optimistic. “At this distance, we can still kill them even in a cannon duel!” Indeed, the damage to the artillery units wasn’t a major concern. The real worry was a situation like the Battle of Shanxi, where French warships relied on advanced cannons to overwhelm the Hei Qi Army’s artillery from a distance. Now, both Huang Shouzhong and Wu Fengdian saw this as a great opportunity.

Although no loot was obtained from sinking the warships, destroying their ships was equivalent to cutting off a limb of the French forces. Huang Shouzhong said excitedly, “If we destroy their ships, our front camp can easily take care of those five companies in the concession!”
Seeing the dense array of artillery pieces, everyone was thrilled. Although the French artillery was powerful, with sixty large and small guns on our side, it should be more than enough to give the French a hard time—even our infantry could teach them a lesson.
Liu Yu forced himself to stay calm. “Once my communication unit sets up the phone line, those artillery pieces will be even more effective. It only takes half an hour!”
He then said to Cai Yunnan, “I’ll follow your advice. Bring in a 65-mm gun that can fire three shells!”
It was 11 p.m.
The massive fire that had burned down a quarter of Hanoi City still raged on. Three warships of various sizes and a transport ship were moored at the concession’s docks, ready to launch an attack at any moment.
Several warships patrolling the river were about to return, giving these gunboats a chance to cool off.
The sailors on these inland gunboats were drenched in sweat from the heat, wishing they could take off their uniforms, but they had to maintain their military appearance. They waited for the cool night breeze.
What awaited them was another kind of heat.
Standing on the riverbank, Cai Yunnan shouted into the phone, “Artillery! Artillery—fire!”