Chapter 148: Raising the Standard of Righteousness

On the pink bed, a thrilling encounter had just come to an end.
Liu Yu leaned back comfortably against the pillow, while Sister Teresa sat on him once again, feeling as though her entire body had been pierced—tingling and numb. The pleasure that had just faded overwhelmed her once more, leaving her at the mercy of those sensations as she moved up and down violently. Their bodily fluids made their lower bodies misty with moisture.
On the other hand, Luo Yanqiu clamped her full breasts tightly around Liu Yu’s head, making it difficult for him to breathe—but he enjoyed it.
Liu Yu let out a loud cry of pleasure as he bit at Luo Yanqiu’s nipples, his thighs moving vigorously. Sister Teresa began to mutter nonsense, unaware of where she was.
“I can’t take it anymore… Husband, I can’t…”
……
After prolonged intimacy, Sister Teresa knelt on the bed, carefully cleaning Liu Yu with her mouth, while Luo Yanqiu gave him long kisses, greedily seeking his favor.
Liu Yu patted her buttocks gently. Luo Yanqiu wisely positioned herself alongside Sister Teresa, feeling his heat.
The earlier passion had left Liu Yu sweating all over, but he also felt much more relaxed. He kissed Sister Teresa’s cheek before saying, “You must be under a lot of pressure too, right?”
“Mm?” Sister Teresa rested her head on his chest, gently licking his small nipples. She remained silent but looked satisfied.
Liu Yu knew well that the French hadn’t launched a major attack on the Black Flag Army recently, so the Flower Between Sect was under immense pressure. With only 500 warrior-priests, 400 auxiliary troops, and 300 independent soldiers, they were no match for the French forces.
Yet they were also aware that Liu Yu faced even greater pressure—he could face a full-scale French attack at any time. All they asked for were some mortars and rifle bullets. But Liu Yu just stared at the ceiling.
He said, “We’re husband and wife now—there’s nothing we can’t share. Although it’s difficult, I’ll do my best to provide you with as much support as possible.”
“Husband,” Luo Yanqiu said softly, “if we win this battle, shouldn’t the Flower Between Sect follow you to Central Vietnam to expand our teachings?”
Liu Yu pondered for a moment. “You need to be prepared. Not only will we go to Central Vietnam, but we’ll also go inside Zhen Nan Pass.”
Hanoi.
The largest city in Northern Vietnam now enjoyed an unnatural level of prosperity. Every adult man in the city was either in the army or serving it.
French soldiers carrying francs could be seen everywhere on the streets. They often spent their overseas pay in taverns and brothels, but they didn’t care—after being confined on ships for so long, they deserved to have some fun.
The port was the busiest part of Hanoi, with several steam merchant ships, gunboats, and transport ships docking every hour, bringing waves of soldiers and supplies from Toulon, Haiphong, Saigon, Hong Kong, and even distant French colonies.

What really shocked the people of Hanoi a few days ago was when several thousand men with skin darker than ink rushed down from the docks, all carrying a fierce demeanor. It was only later that people learned these black men were Hui Muslims, yet they still went to taverns and got completely drunk, ignoring Islamic law completely. Even on the least busy days, a company of French soldiers would arrive, and at times, three transports would dock at once, dropping two or three thousand French and black soldiers. Now, the residents of Hanoi suspect there are more soldiers in the city than residents.

As time went on, however, the citizens noticed prices soaring continuously. Thousands of soldiers spent money recklessly, treating it as if it meant nothing. Even with military controls in place, prices kept rising unchecked. How could they not go up? Most production in the city had stopped, as all able-bodied workers were serving in the French army, and even many young women were conscripted to build fortifications. Centered around the French Concession, the French built one of the largest fortress networks in the Far East, with countless bunkers, trenches, communication ditches, and watchtowers, all occupied by troops. At the outermost layer were indigenous troops commanded by French officers, followed by Algerian infantry as the core defense force, along with mobile French troops.

Since Gobat took office, the fortifications built had greatly improved security in Hanoi. No one threw grenades at barracks in the city anymore, nor were there rows of soldiers attacked in the city. Even within ten miles outside the city, it was under complete French control. From Hanoi to the Four Pillars Temple and Danphong County, French troops were stationed, ensuring good security. Not long ago, the Bissell garrison at the Danphong Giant Buddha Temple even repelled an attack by the Black Flag Army.

“As of today, we have ten thousand troops in the Hanoi area,” Commissioner Hormann said excitedly to Gobat. “We can launch an attack.”

“No! We still need to wait for reinforcements. Paris just told me that the reinforcements I requested are about to land at Toulon Port.”

Hormann disagreed, saying, “Major General, I don’t agree with you. We already have over fifteen thousand strong troops in the Tokyo area, while the Black Flag Army has at most ten thousand. We can easily defeat them.”

After Pothuau was recalled to France, Hormann and Gobat remained allies, but their relationship soon strained due to differences over power distribution and military strategy. Hormann focused more on financial matters. Now, nearly eighty thousand troops from the homeland had arrived in Vietnam, all units lost in battles had been replenished, and many new units had arrived as well. The Black Flag Army had suffered irreparable losses in all battles—now was the time to strike.

After all, waging war four thousand kilometers from home, though on a small scale, required France to spend enormous amounts of money constantly to support its troops, especially after the large-scale troop deployment. Hormann found the expenses to be almost astronomical.

From Le Myre de Vilers’ arrival in Hanoi to Puginier’s departure, France spent less than 20 million francs on this war, and much of the expenditure did not require funding from the state treasury; instead, it was covered by captured spoils and confiscated customs revenues. During Le Myre de Vilers’ tenure, expenses were roughly balanced, while under Puginier, under normal circumstances, only 2 million francs were needed per month unless there was a major battle with the Black Flag Army.

However, when large numbers of reinforcements from mainland France arrived in Vietnam, the war’s costs soared dramatically. Every bullet, shell, and supply item, aside from some purchased in Hong Kong, almost always required the use of valuable ocean-going ship tonnage. Now, a shipload of supplies had to be brought back from Haiphong or Saigon every day to meet the army’s enormous needs.

In less than a month since General Gourgaud took command, France had already spent nearly 10 million francs on military expenses. Although much of this was spent on transporting troops and supplies, if this trend continued, the 150 million francs military budget limit would be exceeded within a few months. The army now required over 100,000 francs per day in expenses. It was for this reason that Gourgaud firmly believed, “We should end this war; we already have enough troops.”

“The setbacks we suffered in Hue, along with General Puginier’s lessons, clearly show us that we are facing a powerful enemy. Although the Black Flag Army has suffered heavy losses, they still have at least 10,000 soldiers, and some reports say around 15,000. I must have sufficient forces to completely defeat them.”

Unlike Gourgaud’s aggressive views, Gourgaud maintained a rather conservative and cautious attitude. He built numerous outposts and fortifications, gradually expanding the occupied area, focusing mainly on dealing with the Black Flag Army’s forward units and the Hoa Kien sect, which engaged in guerrilla warfare in the flanks. Now, there was no activity by the Black Flag Army or the Hoa Kien sect within more than ten miles of Hanoi; they were forced to operate in more remote areas.

They constantly sent units of about a company to search within two or three kilometers of their strongholds. When they encountered small groups of the Black Flag Army, they would attack immediately; if they faced larger forces, they would retreat to their strongholds for reinforcements. In particular, the garrison at Bithynia sent a French platoon, an indigenous infantry company, several Catholic militia members, and one or two cannons to search near Danphong every day, causing significant losses to the Black Flag Army’s small units.

But Gourgaud believed that this tactic of expanding territory gradually would not even reach Shanxi by next year. Moreover, groups like the Hoa Kien sect and Shen Sheng’s independent battalions could withdraw from French-controlled areas to regroup even after suffering some losses, and then rejoin combat a few days later. “What we need is a decisive battle. I hope to capture Shanxi in early October; we have enough troops.”

“I must wait for reinforcements. Paris has sent me another Algerian infantry regiment, three battalions of marines, six artillery companies and one engineering battalion from the army, plus two regiments from the Foreign Legion. We also need to expand our indigenous infantry forces. These troops are already on their way or about to arrive by ship. I must wait for them to get here.”

Goubau gave his assurance: “All troops will arrive in Annam by the end of October. By then, the Europeans and Algerians among the land forces will reach the 15,000 men Paris promised us. We will complete our rest at the beginning of November and start the attack in mid-November.”
“I am the chief envoy of France in the Tokyo region, directly responsible to the cabinet and parliament. I believe I have the authority to ask you to begin operations a month and a half earlier.”
“You don’t have such authority,” Goubau said with a hint of sympathy. “There’s a telegram from Paris. You’re to return to the country to report. Would you like to see it?”
A fierce glint appeared in Horromand’s eyes. He hadn’t expected to be recalled to the country just as he was about to reap the rewards, and moreover, it was a subordinate who informed him of this. “When was the telegram received?”
“Two hours ago, sir. I have friends in Paris,” Goubau said warmly, shaking Horromand’s hand. “I will continue your mission and complete the conquest of Vietnam.”
Horromand felt like tearing Goubau to pieces, but in the end he merely patted the Frenchman’s shoulder. “Thank you! I can tolerate betrayal and hidden attacks, but I will never allow any failure in the cause of the Republic.”
“I will report to Paris that mid-November is the best time to start attacking Shanxi. However, I must point out that according to the current intelligence, the Black Flag Army is using this opportunity to replenish their severely weakened forces. The Qing troops in Bắc Ninh have also recently supplied them with many rapid-fire rifles and ammunition. Delaying the attack by a month and a half could have fatal consequences.”
“Thank you for your understanding. I will repay my friends and the Republic with a victory. All orders issued by you, including the order to disband the Yellow Flag Army you just prepared to issue, will be carried out.”
“Thank you, Major General.” In return for Goubau’s courtesy, Horromand also showed gentlemanly behavior. “I wish you success!”
Just as Horromand was disheartened, gunshots were heard outside. It was a burst of gunfire right from the start, causing Goubau to frown. “What’s going on?”
Under the military control of 10,000 troops, gunshots from the Black Flag Army could no longer be heard inside Hanoi—something Goubau was very proud of. But now, the Black Flag Army had actually entered the vicinity of Hanoi.
Alarms sounded, along with sharp whistles. Groups of men in blue uniforms immediately set out. Before long, Horromand, who was about to leave, received the bad news he didn’t want to hear: “The Yellow Flag Army has rebelled.”
“Good luck. I must return to Haiphong immediately to handle the handover procedures, Major General.” Horromand didn’t want to pay attention to such a minor setback. “They’re just a bunch of hired Chinese bandits. You can easily deal with them.”
Goubau also felt no sympathy for the Yellow Flag Army, who had once fought under the tricolor flag. He was only worried about excessive losses in troops. “Send an Algerian battalion over. Those African barbarian killers are excellent fighters.”

He didn’t need to worry about any unexpected situations—after all, most of the Yellow Flag Army were new recruits with low morale, so they should be easily dealt with. But ten minutes later, some terrible news made him uneasy: “I’ll personally lead a battalion there.” According to the report, the rebel Yellow Flag Army had attacked the convoy responsible for supplying the Besseix garrison, and the convoy seemed to have suffered heavy losses. He knew that Hanoi sent supplies to the Besseix garrison once a week, escorted by a French lieutenant and a few convoy soldiers, along with two squads of Annamese infantry. However, due to the possibility of attacks from the Black Flag Army, the Yellow Flag Army always sent a company to escort them. Today’s convoy seemed to have set off just in the early morning, accompanied by a company of the Yellow Flag Army, who even saluted Gobat when they left. “My God… I hope they haven’t suffered too much damage.” But the brutal scene shattered the naval major’s hopes—dozens of corpses lay scattered on the riverbank, and the Yellow Flag Army had already vanished. A captain stammered, “The entire convoy was killed; only two were seriously injured and survived among the corpses!” “Damn those Yellow Flag Army!” All the French wanted to send those rebels to the guillotine. But after the brief battle, the Yellow Flag Army had already begun their victorious retreat, seizing all the supplies, wagons, and wounded, and fleeing toward Shanxi. “Order a continued pursuit! Don’t fear encountering large forces of the Black Flag Army—avenge those who died.” All the French were killed on the spot; their dark blue uniforms turned purple from blood. The captain reported the losses to the major: “One lieutenant, eight soldiers, eighteen indigenous soldiers, and twenty-two Annamese laborers were killed—this is the greatest loss the convoy has suffered in Vietnam.” “We must avenge them!” The Yellow Flag Army fled straight toward Shanxi City. Clearly, they had already made contact with the Black Flag Army. The troops sent to pursue them were quickly attacked, suffering heavy casualties. The deeper they went, the more casualties there were, and the more enemies appeared. Thus, the French quickly retreated to their original position: “The Black Flag Army must have deployed at least two infantry battalions to support the rebels.” “Damn it!” Gobat knew that the outcome of this battle wasn’t just the death of nine Frenchmen. Those four hundred Yellow Flag Army members had four hundred Remington rifles and twenty thousand bullets. Their rebellion would provide the Black Flag Army with substantial arms and manpower, which would greatly disadvantage them in the general attack to come in a month and a half. “We must avenge our comrades!” Seeing the entire convoy destroyed, Gobat suddenly remembered something: “What was the convoy carrying for Major Besseix?” A captain who rushed over thought for a moment before saying, “It must be flour, rice, and salt—they need to be replenished every week.”

Unlike Orientals who prefer to eat rice, flour is the staple food of the French, so they had to purchase flour from Hong Kong to supply their troops, which relieved Gobat somewhat.
But another lieutenant said, “They should also have some ammunition replenished; Major Bissell engaged in several fierce battles last week.”
The safest way of transportation was by water, but to bring soldiers, equipment, and supplies from the homeland to Hanoi, all the ships in the small fleet were busy making trips from Haiphong to Hanoi every day, leaving Gobat with no choice but to send supplies to Major Bissell’s garrison by land.
“It would be troublesome if we lost the 1874 and 1878 rifle bullets; the enemy has many of our captured rifles but lacks ammunition.”
But Gobat couldn’t indulge in such illusions: “Investigate immediately—check with Major Bissell and the warehouse.”
Soon, bad news came from Danphong: “Due to the heavy losses in last week’s battles, we need to supply 3,000 rounds of 1878-style rifle bullets to the French soldiers, 1,500 rounds of 1874-style rifle bullets to the native infantry, and an additional 500 rounds of Remington rifle bullets to the Yellow Flag Army.”
“That’s terrible!” Gobat felt extremely unlucky today—the supply convoy was completely destroyed, nine French officers and soldiers were killed, and 5,000 rounds of ammunition were lost.
But he didn’t know that worse was to come. A lieutenant rushed in from the Hanoi main warehouse, panicked: “General, something serious has happened!”