Chapter 143: Planning the Decisive Battle

Through his telescope, Liu Yu could clearly see that in the chest-deep water, soldiers from both sides were fighting desperately in a grim bloody battle.deadly bayonets, blades, and gun barrels were embedded in each other’s chests.
The soldiers on both sides showed great courage, showing no fear as they threw themselves into this bloody struggle. Soldiers from three countries shouted angrily in three different languages, their anger and groans turning the muddy yellow water red with blood.
Major Beijie’s blue uniform had turned purple from so much blood. From time to time, someone would fall silently into the mud. Yet beside him still fluttered a tricolor flag, with officers standing side by side shouting, “Move closer to me!”
Major Beijie displayed astonishing bravery. He rushed toward Captain Deng, whose uniform had also changed color from blood, and personally grabbed a rifle with a bayonet attached.
“Fight!” Captain Deng was equally fearless. “Soldiers of the front battalion, follow me!”
The bodies of both sides floated on the water’s surface, and a fierce melee erupted centered around the two commanders…
Five minutes later, both sides cried out slogans filled with sorrow.
“Major Beijie has fallen in battle!”
“Vengeance for Captain Deng!”
The brief close combat finally ended. The ground was covered with the corpses of soldiers from both sides. Even those who survived did not want to recall the battle.
The front battalion was forced to retreat under the pressure of bayonets. The French were better trained in close combat; their bayonet skills were more formidable than those of the front battalion, which relied solely on courage. They pursued the front battalion and seized a fortress and a parapet.
But none of the French soldiers had the courage to pursue further. Instead, they cried bitterly, cursing in two languages.
Major Beijie’s body was carried out. A company commander pressed his forehead tightly, crying, “My company!”
His uniform was also stained purple with blood. In the recent battle, his company had been almost wiped out. Aside from the barely alive wounded, only seventeen men remained on the battlefield. “Signal officer, tell the commander that Company 26 has completed its most difficult mission. We are now on the Black Flag Army’s positions…”
“Out of 103 soldiers in the honorable Company 26, about 65 died in battle.”
Other companies also suffered heavy losses. A few infantrymen tried to leap out of the fortress to pursue the Black Flag Army, but they faced intense crossfire.
The Black Flag Army had extensive experience in fortification. They had built solid positions behind the embankments, equipped with trenches, parapets, barbed wires, ditches, and bunkers to create layered defenses.
The French main force had initially pushed forward using the advance troops’ charge, employing a strategy of combining infantry and artillery to support their attacks. Yet against these layered defenses, they still encountered a formidable opponent.
Cries of grief filled both sides of the battlefield. Soldiers from both sides arranged their commanders’ bodies and changed their uniforms as darkness fell.

The French troops had been fighting in the water for several hours, with severe shortages of ammunition, so they gradually retreated to the Great Buddha Temple to rest and prepare for further combat the next day. Meanwhile, the Black Flag Army on the front line adjusted their positions, abandoning some overly exposed strongholds, and also slowly withdrew to the second line of defense under the cover of darkness.
…
Liu Yu felt immense regret at such a battle from a distance. Although many French soldiers were killed or wounded, they had managed to break through the defenses of the front camp. Such a dense formation was something any military commander would prefer to avoid. Despite the distance, the Xiliu Camp and the Black Flag Army achieved significant results—almost half of the infantry who participated in the assault were killed or wounded. But if only they had a heavy machine gun; then the front camp wouldn’t have fallen.
“Our artillery is still inferior to the French,” Sima Tai remarked beside him.
Today, the French artillery fired at close range. Although they suffered heavy losses from mortars and snipers, they still achieved great success, even suppressing the Black Flag Army’s small mortars. The timely arrival of the French main force prevented their side from launching a full-scale attack, allowing them to annihilate all the attacking French troops. These were all lessons and experiences worth learning. Liu Yu sighed deeply, “We are progressing, and so are the French, at a rapid pace. Sima, let’s go see Captain Deng one last time.”
“Captain Deng died gloriously, and the front camp also suffered heavy losses,” Sima Tai said as they walked. “He was a true hero.”
The same name, the same sacrifice for the country. In another timeline, the deeds of Deng Shichang had been forgotten, but Liu Yu remembered his name. “Sima, if we get the chance, we must remember Captain Deng’s name.”
It started raining again, and the sky was terrifyingly gloomy. Walking in the mud, one could easily fall at any moment. Sima Tai asked another question, “When is our Xiliu Camp ready to attack?”
Among the Black Flag Army, each camp had a different meaning. Just as the name of the Crow Camp symbolized enemy disaster, whenever the Xiliu Camp raised their battle flag, it signified the final battle and complete victory.
In today’s battle, over two hundred soldiers in the front camp were killed or wounded, and many experienced veterans were lost. Tomorrow, they would likely face a less intense fight. Yet Liu Yu deliberately preserved the Xiliu Camp and the two new recruit camps for today.
Sima Tai understood his intention—it meant tomorrow would be the day that decided victory or defeat.
Liu Yu nodded. “Tomorrow morning, be ready at any time.”
Just then, an officer rushed from the front camp, his face wet with rain and tears. “Commander, when will our gunboat team attack?”
“Wait!” Liu Yu didn’t want to use his trump card too early—it was his last ace in water battles.
“But we won today’s fight against the French!”
He wasn’t referring to the land battles but to the naval artillery duel that had begun that morning. Infantry were the main force in this battle, but the French small fleet was actually the first enemy force to engage in combat—and they were also the most disgraceful troops.

From early morning, the French sent a large number of ships to position themselves behind Danfeng’s forces, anchoring them in the Zuo Feng River near Shanxi Avenue, in an attempt to bombard the Black Flag Army’s infantry and ships and prevent them from retreating after defeat. They even participated in the bombardment of the Great Buddha Temple, but as they fired, they were suddenly subjected to fierce artillery fire from the Black Flag Army, prompting the French ships to return fire immediately. At first, they thought it was the Black Flag Army’s artillery positions, but after two hours of fighting, they realized their opponents were armed gunboats—armed vessels converted from steam merchant ships. Yi Shui, a brave naval officer who had participated in the ambush of French gunboats under Commander Deng, was also involved in this battle. They hid their gunboats in a small river connecting Danfeng River and Zuo Feng River. Protected by the riverbanks, the two sides exchanged fire across them. Only when the French forces approached did the two armed gunboats begin firing, while the nearby Wuliye Battalion also launched attacks with rifles. The fighting across the riverbanks was not very effective, but undeniably, the Black Flag Army’s navy had the upper hand, preventing the French ships from supporting their ground forces. With heavy rain and poor visibility, it was difficult to assess the accuracy of either side’s bombardment. The French initially used five gunboats for the attack, adding three more after noon. Yet, neither side managed to hit their targets effectively. Although the solid projectiles fired by the Black Flag Army posed little threat to the French ships, the French also had few successful hits. The battle continued until evening, lasting eight hours. Two of the Black Flag Army’s muzzle-loading cannons became inoperable, but two French ships were also damaged. In the end, both sides were exhausted and had to cease fighting. For Yi Shui and the naval officers, however, it was a clear victory: “We will avenge Commander Deng tomorrow.” He estimated that if mine boats had been used today, they might have managed to sink one or two French ships. But Liu Yu knew well that the mine boats were not yet well-trained. He said, “Tomorrow, your navy must still suppress the enemy’s surface ships. If they fire even one shell at our ground forces, it will be a failure on our part toward Commander Deng.” “Hmm!” Yi Shui, who came from the front battalion, nodded. “Commander, we’re leaving!”
……
Central Annam. Under the same heavy rain, there were faces filled with joy. The two troops hugged and jumped for joy, with some even sitting happily in the water, shouting, “Brothers from the Hanhai Battalion, is there anything to eat?” After a long march, Liu Suiyun’s detachment successfully rejoined the Hanhai Battalion, and now, the tension they had endured finally eased. They had been on edge throughout their journey—only 300 combatants and 200 recruits, yet they had to protect thousands of unarmed people, numerous mules and ox carts, and many wounded. They were unsure whether the French would pursue them after entering Hue, so they had to march as fast as possible. Yet, even at such a fast pace, it seemed difficult to escape the French forces determined to catch up.

But now things are fine; everyone’s face is filled with joy. Liu Suiyun took Cai Yunnan’s hand and quietly shared what they had gained in Shunhua. Cai Yunnan’s face showed surprise and confusion: “So much gold and silver? Then our commander won’t have to worry anymore.”
“Sigh, with the country already lost, they still left so much gold and silver behind for us—what a foolish ruler.” Cai Yunnan seemed quite relaxed: “I have 450 men here, and there are two reinforced platoons controlling key points in the rear. Even if Gubao comes after us personally, we’re not afraid together.”
Liu Suiyun was overjoyed. Although this attack on Shunhua didn’t achieve their original goal, the gains were enormous. Four million taels of silver would last the Black Flag Army for a long time—with such money, any problem could be solved.
Cai Yunnan then asked another question: “I heard you left some troops in Shunhua?”
“A deputy platoon leader, a squad, and some seriously injured soldiers. I gave them the designation of an independent unit.”
“That’s it?” Cai Yunnan was dissatisfied: “The situation in Shunhua now is perfect for taking advantage of chaos.”
Liu Suiyun was well aware of this: “But I didn’t have many troops at the time, and I still had to escort so much supplies back to Shanxi. How about this: lend me a company commander and a squad, and I’ll pull another squad to go south together.”
“That’s too few!” Cai Yunnan was still not satisfied: “Central Cochinchina is too vast. When the French entered Hanoi, we made a huge mistake by not intervening under the circumstances. We must have strong cadres and troops to take control.”
Central Cochinchina makes up one-third of the region; although it’s the heartland ruled by the Nguyễn dynasty, now Emperor Hòa Hảo and the royal family have fled to Hoàng Sơn, Gubao has entered Shunhua, and the Black Flag Army plans to establish another small dynasty in the area near Northern Cochinchina. It’s a complete mess.
Now, as long as a strong force enters Central Cochinchina, takes the opportunity to establish a base, and recruits new soldiers, they can quickly build up an army.
“If we control just a few provinces in Northern Cochinchina, we can support many battalions. With Central Cochinchina’s resources, it’s no problem to sustain a small regiment!” Cai Yunnan, who knew Central Cochinchina better than Liu Suiyun, added: “If done well, we can support two regiments.”
Liu Suiyun, though quick-witted, was now worried about another issue: “We do need to send troops, but we need strong cadres. Otherwise, it will just become another fiefdom.”
Only then did Cai Yunnan understand why Liu Suiyun wasn’t very enthusiastic about this matter. What he said made sense—Central Cochinchina is too far from Shanxi, and it’s easy for a second center to emerge, leading to uncontrollable problems and countless troubles for them.
They were well aware that once Zeng Guofan had given nine battalions to Li Hongzhang—a once-in-a-lifetime event in the history of the Hunan Army—only for him to use them in Shanghai to raise funds for the Hunan Army, inadvertently creating its greatest enemy.
Central Cochinchina must be led by a strong cadre, at least someone like Liu Suiyun or Cai Yunnan—a core leader—who must also remain absolutely loyal to Liu Yu. Moreover, the same battalion members cannot be assigned to different positions.

Faced with this choice, Cai Yunan could only raise his hands in resignation: “Fine! I’ll assign a reinforced platoon and a deputy company commander. You pick some more men from your side. With such a favorable situation, we must not miss it.”
Liu Suiyun also didn’t dare decide such a major issue: “It will only cause trouble for the commander. I have many new recruits here, and many of them have fled along the way, wanting to go home. I’ll assign more of them and send a few experienced veterans with them.”
…
Major General Guoba stood in front of the palace in Thanh Hóa, watching the heavy rains typical of Vietnam.
Several officers breathed a sigh of relief—the Black Flag Army had finally retreated. Yet it wasn’t until three days later that they entered Thanh Hóa. During that time, a small rear guard unit of the Black Flag Army disguised itself as the main force and emptied all the warehouses.
But what was important was that they had captured a country’s capital, which seemed to indicate that the war was coming to an end. However, Major General Guoba didn’t think so. He said to his staff officer, “Has Paris approved my plan?”
“Yes, General. You will command all the naval and land forces in the Tonkin region.”
“Hmm!” Major General Guoba thought of a new enemy. He said to himself, “It’s time to remove another obstacle.”
That obstacle was Commissioner-General Heroumont. When General Boisdeffre was still in charge, they had joined forces. But now that Boisdeffre had been recalled to France, this was the perfect opportunity to defeat Heroumont. He had prepared many hidden tactics to deal with the commissioner-general as soon as possible.
The commissioner-general was just one obstacle; the Black Flag Army and the Qing troops stationed in Bắc Ninh were the real threats.
In history, when General Boisdeffre was recalled to France, Major General Guoba took full control of France’s naval and land forces in the Far East. He successfully drove out Heroumont, captured Shanxi from the Black Flag Army, and easily defeated the Qing troops in Bắc Ninh. Followed by a series of victories—from Mã Giang to Taiwan—he was the backbone of France’s success in the Sino-French War.
He had received news that General Boisdeffre was planning another attack, but he wasn’t optimistic about it. The reason was simple: Boisdeffre lacked sufficient troops.
The battles near Thanh Hóa forced him to admit bitterly that although Boisdeffre was a flawed general, he performed quite well. His own battles near Thanh Hóa had been utterly humiliating.
To achieve victory, he needed more troops, more artillery, more ammunition, and more funding. He knew that reinforcements from France itself were limited, but he also knew France had a very powerful force that wasn’t part of the domestic army or colonial troops—the French Foreign Legion. This unit had performed exceptionally well in the Mexican War. So Major General Guoba had already estimated how many troops he would need for a full-scale attack on Shanxi.
In history, he had used 6,000 troops, mainly French and Algerian soldiers, with only 800 Vietnamese irregulars. But now Major General Guoba knew clearly that to defeat the Black Flag Army, he needed to overwhelm them in numbers.
They couldn’t afford any major defeats, while France had unlimited reserves.

Six thousand French troops from the home country, two Algerian infantry regiments, two Foreign Legion units, sixty cannons, a stronger fleet than before, along with fifty Annamite and Japanese infantry companies, would surely ensure victory in this war.
It is September 1st, and he hopes to move all troops into position within two months, then capture Shanxi City, achieving a glorious victory that would crush the Black Flag Army. In history, it was such glorious victories that changed the course of the Sino-French War.
If such a powerful French force still failed to achieve a glorious victory, General Guibaud would have only one painful and difficult choice: to end the war.
“I do not want the blood of too many French soldiers to be shed needlessly on this foreign land.”
That is the full duty of a commander.