Chapter 204: Guilin (Part 2)

After many ups and downs in the political arena—once a prisoner, then a military commander—Xu Yanxu had only one thought: “I was promoted because of the Black Flag Army, and I fell because of it. Now, I’m reinstated again because of them. Enough… it’s all just mutual destruction!”

A third-rank official beside him shouted, “Those Black Flag scoundrels are nothing but remnants of bandits. Now they dare to rise up in rebellion again, trapping over thirty thousand people in our county, including officials and civilians. Thinking of the bloodshed in China’s past only fuels our righteous anger… I, Li Bingheng, swear to fight to the death against these traitors!”

This man was also a renowned official of the late Qing Dynasty, serving as the governor of Guangxi. Surnamed Li and named Bingheng, he was known for his integrity. “I have twenty thousand troops in the provincial capital, with ample food and supplies. How could I fear these mere Black Flag bandits?”

He was full of confidence, seemingly certain of victory—there were precedents. In the past, when the Taiping Rebellion started in Jintian, they were invincible but halted outside Guilin City, struggling for days before retreating in disarray under the pressure of the Qing forces.

Today’s situation was ten times worse than before. As the governor of Guangxi, Li Bingheng was even more confident in victory. “Fellow officials, look—these Black Flag invaders number only twenty or thirty thousand. In our city, we have twenty thousand troops from the Green Standard Army, trained soldiers, local militia, and civilian groups. We also have famous generals like Zhao Wo and Wang Debang. We have enough food for a hundred days and three hundred thousand taels of silver for supplies…”

He spoke confidently, “When the time comes, we can mobilize the citizens of the city to join the battle. Even if the invaders number a million, Guilin will remain impregnable!”

His confidence even convinced Xu Yanxu. In warfare, having sufficient food and supplies was crucial. With adequate funding and provisions, everything would be manageable. Moreover, as the capital of Guangxi, Guilin had many advantages. There were numerous imported guns and cannons in stock, along with ample ammunition. Since the battle began, Wang Debang had led a few thousand troops into the city, along with defected soldiers from various places.including more than ten new battalions, the total force exceeded twenty thousand.

Li Bingheng declared loudly, “Fellow officials, we have twenty thousand troops at our disposal, yet we sit idly while the invaders wreak havoc in the province. We fail to take the initiative to attack them. This is truly…”

In his eyes, the Black Flag Army was nothing but ants that could be crushed underfoot. Meanwhile, Wang Debang stood up. “Your Excellency’s words align perfectly with my thoughts. I’ve fought against the Black Flag Army in over twenty battles, winning most of them. Though forced to retreat to the provincial capital due to their numerical superiority, I know they’re not a real threat!”

Full of enthusiasm, Wang Debang said, “Your Excellencies, I am willing to lead elite troops out of the city to engage the invaders in a decisive battle. But before going, I ask you to provide the troops with sufficient food and supplies, as well as more weapons…”

Upon returning to Guilin, Wang Debang’s first move was to act unilaterally—he freed Xu Yanxu, Zhao Wo, and others who were supposed to be sent to the capital, restoring them to their positions.

Throughout the Qing Dynasty, this was the first time someone as bold as Wang Debang had acted in such a way. A former governor reinstating himself unilaterally was almost tantamount to a mutiny. But with the situation changing rapidly and the Black Flag Army already at the gates of Guilin, the local officials had no choice but to accept reality.

After all, Wang Debang commanded the most powerful military force in Guilin. Although Xu Yanxu’s reinstatement went against established procedures, with the Black Flag Army now at the gates of the Western Province and Governor Pan Dingxin captured by the rebels, civil and military officials could only manage to get through this crisis for now.
“I’ll lead six thousand brave soldiers out of the city to fight guerrilla warfare, aiming to annihilate the enemy forces!”
Wang Debang was already terrified of the Black Flag Army. He knew well that defending the city would likely end in disaster, so it was better to seize the opportunity to build strength. With just a few thousand troops, he could go anywhere in the world. By then, he would even have enough resources to return to Hunan and establish his own rule.
“Great!” Li Bingheng blurted out, “General Wang is truly a famous general of Chu!”
“Well…” Xu Yanxu hesitated for a while, “I’m not sure…”
He couldn’t discern Wang Debang’s true intentions. Without those six thousand elite troops, although there were some old soldiers in the city, they seemed hardly useful. “Perhaps…”
Just as he was undecided, someone reported, “Your Excellency the Governor, and all the lords… Three thousand five hundred brave soldiers have been sent from the Eastern Province to reinforce us. They’ll arrive in the city tomorrow!”
“Then everything depends on General Wang!”
……
“Commander, the enemy forces in Guilin City have been identified!”
The map in the Black Flag Army’s hands was even more detailed than those held by the Qing forces. Liu Yu carefully examined the map. “How many troops?”
“About the same as those at Zhenan Pass. There are roughly over ten thousand enemy troops inside and outside the city, but most are local militia who aren’t fit for a major battle. According to the latest intelligence, the enemy has moved Wang Debang’s forces outside Guilin to launch a flanking attack on us. The defending forces inside the city are less than ten thousand!”
“Leave it to our Crow Camp!” Ye Chenglin rushed to say, “Although the enemy has the advantage of city walls, our two regiments will try to take them down as soon as possible while advancing!”
Liu Yu frowned tightly. “I’ve prepared a thousand coffins!”
He clenched his fist. “No matter what the cost, Guilin must be taken! If we can’t take Guilin, you all can go back to Vietnam and hide in the mountains with me!”
……
“Everything’s ready! Take Guilin City in one strike!”
After preparing their artillery, the two infantry battalions launched their attack along the planned direction.
The infantry spreading out in a skirmish line didn’t advance far before encountering the Qing forces’ firepower network. “Damn it, there are so many firing positions…”
The firing positions destroyed in the previous artillery bombardment revived, and the Qing forces unleashed countless firearms at the infantry lines. Immediate crossfire ensued.
The attacking infantry suffered casualties and had to halt their advance, using obstacles to fight. “Snipers! Snipers! Eliminate the artillery positions in the front left!”
“Artillery! Artillery! Destroy those firing positions!”
But the Qing forces’ firepower grew increasingly intense. The two infantry battalions involved in the battle were already understaffed, with another company pulled out as a reserve, leaving them severely underpowered and facing increasingly fierce combat.
“The casualties have exceeded sixty!” Although the Qing forces’ losses were six or seven times those of the Black Flag Army, this wasn’t a favorable exchange ratio for them.

The old infantry battalion of the Black Flag Army demonstrated considerable combat strength. Despite suffering heavy losses, they fought calmly and methodically. Since it was impossible to capture positions while on the move, they made use of their superior firepower while advancing. In less than half an hour, they had taken control of several Qing army positions outside the city. But for them, this attack was just beginning. “Bring up the field guns! Neutralize their firepower!”