Chapter 184: Breakthrough (Part 1)

“Unconditional surrender?”
Gubao never expected Liu Yu’s reply to be so harsh. “What else did he say?”
Although the French forces had suffered heavy defeats several times on the battlefield, they still retained their military dignity. Surrendering unconditionally to the enemy in a meaningless manner was something they could not do. “I won’t repeat the tragedy of Sedan…”
Inside Hanoi City, the French still had a brigade-sized force. Though most of their troops had been severely damaged, he was confident that a whole brigade could hold Hanoi without any problem.
“Liu Yu, the supreme commander of the Black Flag Army, informs the French commander: Given that your forces have suffered devastating defeats in several battles, especially in the battle of Shanxi, where tens of thousands were killed or wounded, and yet again in yesterday’s battle, with thousands more dying and unable to return home, our troops are now at the gates of the city and can capture it at any moment…”
The military envoy relayed Liu Yu’s surrender terms, even more stringent than those of the Treaty of Nanjing: “After you open the city gates, officers may retain their uniforms and rank insignia, and may also keep personal cold weapons for self-defense. I, the Black Flag Army, guarantee the safety of all officers and soldiers’ lives and property…”
But the tone at the end was extremely strict: “You must reply by 5 p.m. If not, we will launch a full-scale attack, causing widespread destruction—your fault!”
“5 p.m.?” Gubao took out his pocket watch. It was 3:50 p.m. The Black Flag Army had given him just a little over an hour. “Gentlemen? What are your opinions?”
Below him were a group of French senior commanders, including Colonel Ailmen, who had barely escaped the Black Flag Army. They all let out a loud roar that seemed to shake the rooftops: “We will fight to the end!”
Even Ailmen pounded the table vigorously. “We must fight to the end! To the end!”
“Hold on! Hold on!” That was their unified cry.
Ailmen’s morale was extremely high. As soon as he returned to Hanoi that morning, he faced accusations from everyone—accusations that were undoubtedly justified.
But Ailmen was a proud yet fragile man. Before being brought before a military court, he resolved to prove his innocence through outstanding performance. “We still have thousands of soldiers, dozens of cannons, ample ammunition, and support from naval forces. What reason do we have not to keep fighting?”
“Fight on! Keep fighting and teach these shameless bandits a lesson!”
Gubao checked his watch. It was 4 p.m. There was only one hour left before the Black Flag Army’s deadline. He felt like going mad.
Over a decade earlier, he had been captured by the Prussian army in Sedan, but soon, due to changing circumstances, he became a French officer suppressing communards.
He believed he wouldn’t be treated any worse by the Black Flag Army than in the Prussian camp. But what he needed to know was whether they should continue fighting.

This war could no longer be continued; after two devastating battles, he understood this clearly.
The Black Flag Army was a formidable opponent—possessing large numbers of infantry and artillery units, familiar with the Vietnamese terrain, with capable commanders and decent-quality infantry. They were first-rate in the East and could barely be considered second-rate in the West.
After the recent defeat at Elmina, France would abandon any plans to maintain a colony in Annam and withdraw swiftly from this cursed land of bloodshed.
But to surrender fate to the enemy without firing a single shot was something he could not tolerate. As Elmina had clearly pointed out, there were every favorable conditions for conducting a defensive battle in Hanoi.
A year earlier, the Black Flag Army had besieged Hanoi with considerable forces but was defeated thanks to the outstanding leadership of Colonel Bissell. Now, as they besieged Hanoi again, Gobat was confident he could repeat such a miracle.
But the question was: Was it worth repeating such a miracle?
He turned to Elmina and asked, “How many losses have we suffered in this battle?”
His tone was filled with deep sorrow, even a hint of blame. Elmina lowered her head, too afraid to answer his question.
Another officer said with a bitter smile, “We haven’t yet counted, but almost the entire two brigades are gone! Completely gone—Dang Phong has also been lost!”
What they didn’t say was the extent of the French forces’ losses. They weren’t concerned about the losses of Annamese indigenous infantry, as those could be replenished no matter how many were lost; even indigenous infantry from Cochinchina could be recruited.
But the losses of Algerian indigenous infantry and the Foreign Legion were issues the Army Ministry had to address. Once such units were depleted, it was extremely difficult to replace them. And this time, thousands of soldiers from both types had been killed or wounded.
Yet the biggest problem was the losses among French troops. In previous battles, including the Battle of Shanxi, the French had managed to keep their “low losses” record among French citizens. But under Elmina’s outstanding leadership, even this unbreakable record was shattered.
Although the exact number of losses was unknown, the most optimistic estimate was that over two thousand French citizens had died. In a pessimistic scenario, it could exceed five thousand.
Though the French lost three hundred thousand men in the first week of World War I, that didn’t mean they could bear the loss of thousands of French citizens in an ordinary “battle” in a colony.
At this thought, Gobat hesitated. He felt that continuing the battle would result in even more French citizens dying.
“Even if we win this defensive battle, will the Cabinet continue the war?”
He seemed somewhat discomposed. “The war is no longer under our control.”
Elmina stood up, protesting against such wavering thoughts. “Commander, France is invincible!”
“France has suffered defeats before,” another officer protested. “But it should not have a record of surrendering without fighting in this glorious era.”

“France will not continue this war any longer!” an old officer continued at the table. “This will be the last battle of this war! But I think our sacrifices will not be in vain.”
Gubao understood what he meant: “Orders: from now on, evacuate the wounded and women. Our sacrifices will not be in vain.”
Just then, a shrill scream ripped through the air, and the ground trembled slightly.
The Black Flag Army had struck.