Chapter 179: The Battle Begins (Part 1)

“Cheers! To General Nigri!”
Nigri couldn’t hide his excitement. “Cheers! To Lady Ermingarde’s composure.”
He had rushed to the headquarters meeting without even taking time to rest, while Gobba and his commanders welcomed Nigri with a glass of wine, saying, “We’ve been waiting for you like wives waiting for their husbands to return.”
The arrival of Nigri’s brigade gave the French forces a decisive advantage in the Hanoi area. “This is our best chance yet.”
Even without Ermingarde’s explanation, Nigri, a renowned Algerian general, was well aware of the excellent situation ahead.
The Black Flag Army had dispatched large forces to the south and Taiyuan, reducing their strength by nearly ten infantry battalions. Meanwhile, the French had three complete infantry brigades. Although the Black Flag Army had captured some strongholds in the past two days, they were now extremely exhausted with heavy casualties.
“I am willing to serve as one of General Nigri’s subordinates in this glorious battle. It will be the most memorable experience of my military career.”
Ermingarde positioned himself very carefully. He was merely a colonel who had been promoted exceptionally, lacking the experience to compare with Nigri. Thus, Nigri would bear the responsibility of commanding all French forces, with one of his brigades serving as the main force in this battle.
At the thought of this, his tension eased slightly. It was his first time commanding such a large-scale battle.
In his previous military career, he had only commanded battles at the level of infantry companies, with his highest position being a commander of a light infantry battalion in Africa. But now he had to command an entire brigade—seven thousand soldiers.
Since the Black Flag Army launched its attack, his palms had been sweaty. He even wondered if Napoleon had been as nervous during his invasion of Russia.
“You’re the best. You were the top graduate of the Saint-Cyr Military Academy. You’re the greatest,” he encouraged himself, yet he still felt uneasy.
Rising from the position of a battalion commander to the top commander of a brigade, he had to face issues he had never considered before. He tried his best to ensure everything was flawless.
But the more he tried, the more anxious he became. It wasn’t until Nigri arrived at the headquarters that his unease finally subsided.
With such an experienced major general as the supreme commander, defeat seemed unlikely.
He could finally taste the wine and experience the flavor of power. If it weren’t for war, it might have taken him another fifteen years to reach this position.
Thank you, Goddess of War! Yet his joy was shadowed by concerns. He could only calm down and listen attentively to every word of General Nigri: “I will assemble my troops tonight and launch the attack early tomorrow morning. We’ll use a combined land and sea attack, aiming to end the battle by morning…”

These were the key points he had previously proposed; Nigri merely repeated them, but Colonel Ermingga unconsciously engraved them in his heart: “These are instructions. Following them, I definitely won’t make any mistakes.” Yet the unease and turmoil in his heart went unnoticed by Guoba and the others, who even thought it was just excitement before the great battle. “Colonel, don’t get too excited. We will achieve a glorious victory.” Although the French had said the same thing in previous battles, now Nigri and all the French believed they had all the advantages and couldn’t think of any reason for failure. Though not as strong as their full force in the Shanxi campaign, tomorrow’s battle was the kind of field fight the French most welcomed, rather than the protracted offensive battles that had given them so much trouble. They were confident they could handle the Black Flag Army with artillery and firepower and seize positions with their dispersed bayonet formations. “What if we fail?” That was the only thought in Ermingga’s mind. Like him, Liu Suiyun was also pondering this question: “What if we can’t hold out tomorrow?” “What else can we do?” Liu Suiyun said in front of Ye Chenglin, “Tomorrow, we’ll use up all our ammunition. Don’t be timid. If we lose this battle, what other choice do we have but to follow Chenglin into the mountains in Shizhou?” “If that’s the case, it’s better to fight bravely and use up all our ammunition.” Ye Chenglin, an experienced general, had doubts about Liu Yu’s plan but felt that Liu Yu’s confidence must stem from deep reasons. “Commander, if we deploy so many battalions tomorrow and lose, I, Ye Chenglin, also don’t want to go back to Shizhou to hide in the mountains. I’ll just sacrifice my life for you.” Liu Yu pointed at the map and said, “The Ermingga Brigade is the enemy’s main force. Nigri came from afar, his troops are tired, and his forces are few. So tomorrow, we’re determined to strike first at Ermingga, take him down in one fell swoop, and then expand our offensive to eliminate Nigri’s brigade.” These two infantry brigades were the right-hand arms of the French in the Tokyo region. Without them, the French in Tokyo would be nothing but remnants of their forces. Liu Suiyun no longer insisted on his own view: “The Ermingga Brigade has a large force. Shouldn’t we strike them hard first?” “Give them a sugar cube, then bring out the knife.” Liu Yu had long heard of Ermingga’s reputation: “We’re not afraid of them being tough; we’re afraid they’ll retreat. How’s the morale of each battalion?” Ye Chenglin spoke up, “With the commander personally overseeing the battle, and it being such a crucial fight that determines the fate of our Black Flag Army, who isn’t full of fighting spirit?” Just then, a messenger came over and saluted, “Commander, there’s new military intelligence from Shunhua.” “Hm?” Liu Yu opened the report and shook his head. “Liu Yongfu failed in Central Annam. What a pity—all my efforts were in vain.” “What happened?” “It’s not anything serious. Just some setbacks. The troops are still strong, but there were heavy casualties. They can recover after a half-month of rest. I originally planned to deliver a three-pronged strike against the French.”

The battles in Central Cochinchina are intensifying, but they no longer matter to the overall outcome. As long as Annam and Hanoi are conquered with a decisive victory, everything will be in hand. If the soldiers on both sides, who have been fighting near Huế for days and nights, heard such an assessment, it might lead to mutiny—but the truth is undeniable: no matter how fierce the battles between China and Vietnam are, the real battlefield that determines the war’s outcome lies at Liu Yu’s feet. This is the decisive battle.