Chapter 207: Setting Out (Part 2)

The Qing troops from Guangdong and Hunan had been probing repeatedly for days, with spies and vanguards moving at full speed in an attempt to uncover the Black Flag Army’s next move. Even Hubei had added twenty more battalions.

As for the crucial position of Hunan governor, vital to the fate of the dynasty, the Qing Dynasty could not afford to be careless. They appointed a general widely regarded as an expert in military affairs. This general was from Hunan, had a good relationship with the local military commanders, and had trained strong troops in Jilin. He was considered a rare talent in the country, highly skilled in military strategy, and led seven newly trained elite battalions. Together with the existing Hunan troops, he entered Hunan under Governor Wu, resulting in a powerful military force.

Yet neither of these two fronts seemed capable of withstanding a full-scale attack by the Black Flag Army. They hoped to divert the enemy’s force eastward and also expected Guizhou to cut off the Black Flag Army from behind. But everyone knew that Guizhou’s troops were the weakest in the country. In the past, Guizhou’s green standard troops, numbering a thousand, fought against the Taiping Army, only to be utterly defeated by just seven Taiping soldiers in a desperate charge. During the Taiping Rebellion, there were many instances of troops scattering, but such a humiliating defeat was unprecedented.

Since relying on Guizhou was out of the question, hope was placed on the Sichuan warriors. They immediately urged the central government to order the Sichuan governor to send more elite troops to fight outside the province’s borders. However, the decision-making power lay with Liu Yu. That day, all the key generals of the Black Flag Army had gathered, except for those remaining in Vietnam like Liu Yongfu.

“I’d like to inform you all first—that we had several friendly discussions with Mr. Craig from Oriental Bank of Commerce. We had a pleasant conversation, but we differ on a few issues!” Liu Yu said straightforwardly. “Mr. Craig insists that we withdraw from China-Vietnam and make Hanoi neutral. That’s absolutely unacceptable!”

Liu Suiyun echoed Liu Yu’s words: “This is the territory we’ve fought hard to gain. Although we’ve now broken through into Guangxi, Vietnam remains our base. We have tens of thousands of troops across Vietnam, strong and well-equipped. We’re on the verge of capturing Saigon and restoring all of Vietnam. We certainly can’t accept France’s terms!”

Liu Yu continued, “We can accept some of Mr. Craig’s conditions, such as making Haiphong neutral and recognizing France’s special interests in Vietnam, but our bottom line must not be compromised!”

“That’s right!” Huang Shouzhong said bluntly. “To take Hanoi, we sacrificed thousands of men. Now, giving it up or making it neutral would mean losing all our face!”

Ye Chenglin agreed with him: “We can make some adjustments in China-Vietnam, but Hanoi and entire North Vietnam are our rear base—there’s no way we can compromise on that!”

At present, Guangxi could only be considered an unstable rear base that would take a long time to stabilize. In contrast, the Black Flag Army considered China-Vietnam to be their key strategic area.

For the Black Flag Army, their current operations are on a large scale, and South Vietnam can be sacrificed as a bargaining chip. In fact, by giving up South Vietnam, four infantry brigades, including those led by Liu Yongfu, along with over ten thousand combat troops, could be withdrawn. On the China-Vietnam front, at least one to two infantry brigades could also be freed up. The troops from North Vietnam are relatively new, but maintaining a siege of Haiphong without attacking is not a problem. The Black Flag Army’s current option is to abandon the entire southern front. To compensate for France’s pre-war and post-war losses, the Black Flag Bank could issue a series of 15-year bonds, but France must provide equivalent compensation for the Black Flag Army’s losses. Craig agreed to the Black Flag Army’s demands during negotiations. To ensure a temporary ceasefire, he even allowed them to use the Red River route to transport military supplies. In return, the Black Flag Army temporarily halted its attacks in South Vietnam and even withdrew from some areas, forming a mixed unit to advance northward. This mixed unit has now reached near Lang Son and is ready to enter Guangxi. However, there is significant disagreement over compensation. The Black Flag Army wants France to pay as much as possible, while Craig’s bottom line is no compensation, though France could offer a favorable franc loan worth tens of millions of francs. The most critical issue is that Craig refuses to let the Black Flag Bank issue the bonds, insisting that BNP Paribas handle them, and he even proposed several more favorable terms. Many of these terms are detrimental to France’s interests but beneficial to BNP Paribas. The Black Flag Army, in turn, is willing to sacrifice Vietnam’s interests in exchange. But Craig’s negotiation terms are much higher than at the start of talks—simply because the Black Flag Army is embroiled in war with the Qing Dynasty. Although his demands softened after capturing Guilin, overall, he still wants the Black Flag Army to completely withdraw from South Vietnam and China-Vietnam, with North Vietnam remaining neutral. Liu Yu continued, “The reason Craig puts forward such conditions is simple: our strength isn’t enough. If we controlled two provinces and had the power to resist the Qing, he would surely be willing to help us. There are few things in this world that add extra value!” Ye Chenglin laughed, “Commander, be honest—we’re ready to go, waiting for your orders. If you order us east, we’ll go east; if north, we’ll follow!” Sima Tai interjected, “You’re right. We’ll just follow you! Even if you take us through mountain valleys in the west, we brothers are willing to go!” Pan Dingxin cautiously added, “That’s true. I’ll serve as your subordinate—whenever you give the order, I’ll follow you!” Liu Yu smiled, “That’s great! Really great!” He continued, “Guizhou is indeed a threat, but sending too many troops isn’t a good idea either.” He said to Liu Suiyun, “Order the Paper Bridge Battalion to form a mixed unit and march into Guizhou, with an additional artillery company, a supply platoon, and an engineering platoon… Hmm, add four more Maxim machine guns from the newly arrived supplies…”

He thought for a moment and said to Huang Shouzhong, “Give them a full set of officers for a regiment, from infantry squads up to the regimental level—leave it to you…”
Huang Shouzhong also lacked officers, but he knew this was the best chance to expand his influence. “I guarantee I’ll complete the task!”
In any case, he was eager to have such a unit with a strong Huang Shouzhong influence, even if it was part of a subordinate force. Then Liu Yu continued, “There are different opinions among us regarding the main attack direction. Now I have a personal suggestion…”