Chapter 216: Feeding the Horses (Part 2)

A large Qing army unit wearing uniform coats trudged lazily southward. Officers and soldiers slowed their pace deliberately, afraid of arriving at the battlefield too early. At first glance, the troops appeared well-organized—everything was new: new rifles, rapid-fire guns purchased from Hong Kong, and uniforms and horses that had just been washed. But upon closer inspection, it was clear that there was a lack of experience beneath this new appearance. It was a brand-new force, with both officers and soldiers being newcomers; few among them had any prior combat experience.

When they set out from Wuhan, countless family members had cried their way along dozens of miles, dampening the soldiers’ ambitions with their tears. Unfamiliar with the horrors of battle, they trembled with fear. They were reluctant to march quickly, as arriving at the battlefield a day early meant losing a day’s pay and taking on extra risks. Besides, why should they risk their young lives to serve the officials?

Yet things never went as planned. As they moved slowly forward, suddenly, countless screams, howls, and roars came from the opposite side! The sound of fighting was deafening. The Black Flag Army threw twenty companies from their flanking force into battle at once, including two machine gun companies, two artillery companies, and one heavy mortar company. With fierce cries, they charged at the demoralized Qing troops.

“Fire!” Almost as soon as the Qing forces spotted the Black Flag Army’s willow-leaf flags, their artillery began suppressing fire. The two artillery companies deployed immediately, targeting the long marching column ahead: “2,500 meters ahead—full power!”

Sharp shells screamed through the air, scattering shrapnel everywhere. A single shell could bury an entire battalion of Qing soldiers under fire, leaving them motionless, while the flying bullets caused massive casualties.

“Machine guns—overfire!”

The machine gun fire completely overwhelmed the enemy’s defenses. Although the enemy had six battalion fronts, totaling over 2,300 soldiers, twelve imported German Krupp rapid-fire guns, and more than 1,600 newly acquired Italian rifles, no one dared resist. The relentless fire shattered any attempt at organized resistance, knocking down rows of soldiers in the dense crowd and causing the unprepared Qing forces to collapse completely. In fact, after the initial barrage, the Black Flag Army’s machine guns switched to short bursts.

Yet even in such a situation, the Qing forces still didn’t understand what was happening. They knew the Black Flag Army was attacking from the south and that eight battalions of Hubei troops and over a dozen battalions of Hunan troops were holding the front line while they rushed to reinforce them. In their minds, the road ahead was still under the control of the Qing Dynasty. They had no idea where the Black Flag Army had come from or where their allies were.

Before they could even think properly, they found the Black Flag Army’s gleaming bayonets pointing at them. Accompanied by deafening stabbing sounds, the rifles pierced two rows of soldiers, making the Qing forces fully realize the situation: “We surrender! We surrender!”

“Surrender! Surrender!”

The six battalions of Hubei troops, mostly new recruits, knelt on the ground like an avalanche, crying and begging for mercy: “We surrender! We surrender!” It was only then that the Black Flag Army realized they were also carrying twelve brand-new Krupp field guns—excellent weapons rarely seen even by the Black Flag Army. Yet these twelve field guns had not fired a single shot yet; together with thirty thousand shells, they were all handed over to the Black Flag Army. As for the rest of the weapons and equipment, they were indeed of good quality according to the Black Flag Army’s standards. However, the Ji Battalion of these six battalions was completely annihilated by the Black Flag Army in just twenty minutes, with only a dozen people managing to escape. Deng Putao inspected the newly captured field guns and rifles, immediately writing orders while saying, “I really owe a debt of gratitude to the leaders in Wuhan for sending me two artillery companies and the equipment of an entire infantry regiment!” The newly formed artillery companies used some Qing prisoners as crew, but the gunners were all experienced members of the Black Flag Army. Two infantry battalions were left behind to guard the prisoners, while the remaining twenty-some companies launched a counterattack. The eighth battalion of Hubei troops, still foolishly stationed in place, only then realized they were surrounded. Just as they tried to retreat, the Black Flag Army launched a preemptive attack, trapping them at their defensive lines. This time, the Black Flag Army went all out, deploying an entire infantry battalion to wipe out their entire battalion. In this one-on-one clash, their entire infantry battalion was annihilated, a result that terrified the remaining seven battalions of Hubei troops, who no longer dared speak of annihilating the Black Flag Army and prepared to flee. But what met them was an unprecedentedly intense firepower—four artillery companies, one mortar company, two heavy machine gun companies, along with 60-mm mortars belonging to each company, all waiting for them. The seven-plus battalions of Hubei troops had advanced only a few hundred meters when they were overwhelmed by a torrential barrage of fire. Officers couldn’t find their soldiers, and soldiers couldn’t find their officers; their command structure completely collapsed. They fled in chaos, with cries, screams, and sobs filling the air amidst the explosions. After their breakout attempt was utterly ruined, the Black Flag Army began sweeping the battlefield under cover of heavy machine gun fire. The Qing troops no longer had the courage to shoot and could only cry amidst the piles of corpses. By now, most of the Qing troops south of the Yangtze River had been wiped out. Excluding the dozen or so battalions of Hunan troops that had withdrawn earlier, nearly thirty battalions of Hubei troops had been annihilated. But greater tragedy lay ahead for them. With no other choice, crossing the Yangtze River was the only option for these remaining Qing troops, yet they couldn’t find a single boat. Whether it was the regular troops, the Green Standard Army, or the Eight Banners, everyone was crowded along the Yangtze River, but no boats were available for evacuation. When they asked fishermen, they received only one answer: “All the boats were seized by Wang Debang and burned!” To prevent pursuit by the Black Flag Army, Wang Debang took drastic measures during the crossing—he not only seized all boats on the Yangtze River but also burned many of them. Many of the remaining riverboats belonged to foreign shipping companies, beyond the Qing troops’ reach.

But as a result, not only were thousands of Qing troops stranded in the Jiangnan region, but the wealth and supplies needed to cross the river also piled up by the riverbank, eagerly awaiting a small boat to come from the other side. Tens of thousands of people crowded by the riverbank, shouting loudly; some even fired their guns randomly, creating complete chaos. Yet no boats could be found. Some people rushed into the water to swim to the other side, while more cried, “Where is the boat? Where is the boat?” Before boats arrived, the Black Flag Army’s cannons, equipped with bayonets, had already begun firing.