Only at this moment did Zhu Ci realize it was somewhat inconvenient that he hadn't brought a telescope.
A blunder, a blunder; he was still lacking experience, or rather, he had forgotten that he didn't have a telescope in his hands.
To be fair, monocular telescopes had actually already appeared, but they were simply too expensive for ordinary people to access.
Zhu Ci narrowed his eyes and said, "Let's go, we'll find a way to cross the river."
According to the intelligence he had received previously, the Qing Army had originally sent about a hundred thousand troops for the Southward Advance, but as they traveled, local officials and soldiers surrendered along the way; after incorporating Li Chengdong and Liu Zeqing, their total number reached two hundred thousand.
Of course, a large portion of these two hundred thousand must have been logistics and transport personnel; there were probably not even a hundred thousand actual soldiers on the front lines.
But even if there were only one or two thousand, it wouldn't be very realistic to have him lead two hundred men to fight to the death against the Qing Army.
Unless a deus ex machina suddenly dropped an intelligent unmanned missile system from the sky for him, or dropped tanks and cannons, but even then, it wouldn't work because he wouldn't know how to use them.
So Zhu Ci decided to strike their Wuzhen Chao-ha!
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: Once I free my hands, I will deal with every single official in Yangzhou, one by one! An evil kitty galloping on a horse. jpg
Happy Women's Day~ This chapter also has red envelopes dropping~
Next update tomorrow morning at six o'clock
Chapter 84
Wuzhen Chao-ha was a unit formed by Hong Taiji, meaning heavy troops; it referred to a unit composed of Han Chinese people who operated heavy cannons, was also the predecessor of the later Firearms Battalion.
After Dodo crossed the river, he did not attack the city immediately because he was waiting for the Hongyi Cannon.
The Hongyi Cannon itself is too heavy and inconvenient to transport, so it must be in the rear. If Zhu Ci's guess is correct, these cannons should still be on the road at this very moment.
Zhu Ci did not know the Qing Army's transport routes, but by analyzing several of their key nodes during the Southward Advance, he could deduce that they must be taking the route from Sizhou to the Huai River, utilizing both land and water transport, with water transport being the primary method.
If the route is known, it can be blocked; even if it can't be blocked, the ships can be blown up to delay them.
It sounds easier said than done, but in actual practice, there are flaws everywhere.
First of all, the Qing Army's protection of the ships is extremely thorough; they basically have guards and sentries every few steps. It is almost impossible to sneakily sabotage the ships and make a clean getaway.
Zhu Ci crouched in the bushes and mentally simulated the problems he might encounter during a direct assault on the port. The biggest issue would likely be how to intercept the enemy's communications to prevent Dodo from reinforcing so quickly.
However, no matter how much he calculated, there was still a fifty percent chance that he would be left here forever.
Zhu Ci put down the tree branch and said, "Act according to the original plan. During tonight's raid, it is very likely that none of us will make it back. However, just as I said before we set out, we will not abandon the wounded and will do our best to treat them. For those who are disabled, I guarantee they will have no worries about food or clothing. For those who fall in battle, their families will receive pensions, you yourselves will be enshrined in the Martyrs' Ancestral Hall, your descendants will receive preferential treatment."
After he finished speaking, he took a deep breath, looked at these soldiers he had trained himself, after a long silence, said, "Let's go!"
No one recoiled; before they had even set out, they already knew what kind of situation they might face.
Zhu Ci and the others made their way along the banks of the Huai River toward the port. From a distance, they saw the area brightly lit, with boats passing back and forth on both sides, clearly transporting supplies.
The Qing Army's patrol parties were not large, with each squad consisting of only ten men; they did not hide, but instead went straight up to take them out if they encountered them.
In the dead of night, they wore black and had undergone special training, making them very difficult to detect; by the time they were spotted, they were already being choked, unable to make even a sound.
However, Zhu Ci knew that such smoothness would be brief; once the Qing Army discovered a patrol squad was missing, they would immediately launch a defensive counterattack.
Zhu Ci's luck was perhaps quite good, because by the time they were discovered, they were only about three hundred zhang—roughly one thousand meters—from the port, which was already within the range of the Rocket strikes.
He stopped hiding and immediately shouted, "Prepare to fire!"
As he spoke, he took off the longbow he was carrying on his back and began to shoot arrows.
To be honest, his archery was actually a complete mess; after all, he had never practiced it. When he released the arrow, he didn't even know where it would fly, it might not even be as accurate as a Single-shot Rocket.
But it didn't matter; he was using Exploding Arrows, so no matter where they hit, as long as they exploded, it was fine.
Even if it fails to hit anyone, it can still serve as a deterrent.
So when he drew his bow and nocked an arrow, the Qing Army directly in front of him instinctively slowed their pace to dodge.
As a result, when his arrow was released, the ones opposite him realized they were unharmed, but the comrades beside them suffered the consequences.
Zhu Ci stood at the very front and laughed, "Heh, didn't see that coming, did you?"
He continued to shoot arrows as he spoke; the Qing Army had slowed their pace where the explosion had just occurred, but this time, the explosion hit the group right in the middle.
And at this moment, a Swarm of Bees had already been ignited, sweeping directly across the Qing Army.
The Qing Army opposite them babbled and shouted, but Zhu Ci.. Zhu Ci didn't understand a single word.
After all, they were still speaking Manchu at this time, though the opposing forces did not consist entirely of the Qing Army; there were also Ming Army soldiers who had surrendered.
Then he heard someone shout, "Firearms! They're firearms! Quick, quickly report this to the General of State Stabilization!"
The General of State Stabilization.. that must be Dodo.
Zhu Ci immediately said, "Mobile squad, follow me! You must intercept them.. Wait, don't you think the sound of the water is a bit loud?"
Zhu Ci instinctively looked toward the river channel; even the fighting and explosions on their side failed to mask the thundering sound of rushing water, which was inherently wrong.
This section of the Huai River is usually quite calm; otherwise, a pier wouldn't have been built here, but this sound.. something isn't right.
A flood! There's a flood! Run!
Hearing this heart-wrenching scream, Zhu Ci made a decisive call: "Ignite all the remaining rockets and aim them at the riverbanks to explode; don't bother saving them! Discard any supplies that cannot be carried! Move!"
At this moment, Zhu Ci felt fortunate that he had brought the Flying Eagle Squad, as they were the only cavalry unit under his command.
It was just that during this ambush, he was temporarily using the Flying Eagle Squad as infantry and had left the horses elsewhere; for now.. forget everything else and just run!
Fortunately, they fled quickly enough, fortunately, Zhu Ci had already planned to flee at the first opportunity, the horses were not tied too far away.
After Zhu Ci and everyone else mounted their horses, he immediately said, "Go, let's intercept their messenger."
Although they failed to blow up the ship or destroy the Hongyi Cannon, the sudden flood was still enough to give them a hard time.
The later the news Dodo receives, the more severe the Qing Army's losses will be.
Of course, Zhu Ci also had the idea of taking advantage of the chaos to reap some benefits; with the Qing Army in such a state of panic, they were completely unable to organize any effective resistance, he felt it wouldn't be worth it if he didn't take the opportunity to kill a few of them.
Although the Swarm of Bees was ignited because they were too large to flee easily, they still had Exploding Arrows and Grenades on them.
Regardless of anything else, the power of the Grenades was quite significant. The Qing Army was busy fleeing the flood, never expecting that a King of Hell would be here to take advantage of the chaos.
However, after Zhu Ci and the others threw two-thirds of the grenades, they retreated; the flood did not care which side you were on, attacking everyone indiscriminately.
Life is more important, run quickly!
It wasn't until Zhu Ci had escaped at least fifty li that he could finally catch his breath.
The soldiers of the Flying Eagle Squad were all exhausted; once they stopped, they couldn't help but burst into laughter as they looked at each other's disheveled appearances.
Zhu Ci laughed along with them.
Bringing back every single person was something worth being happy about.
Jiang Quan couldn't help but ask, "How could the Huai River suddenly flood?"
Zhao Jia shook his head. "I don't know. Logically speaking, the spring floods should have already passed, it's not yet time for the summer floods."
They spoke and then looked toward Zhu Ci.
Zhu Ci thought to himself, "How should I know? If I knew, I wouldn't have brought you all here."
The floodwaters breaking the dam were terrifying; one wrong move and his entire squad would be wiped out.
However, for the sake of his own prestige, Zhu Ci spoke solemnly, "The Tartars act with cruelty, which goes against the harmony of Heaven; this is a warning from Heaven to them. As the saying goes, those who commit many injustices will surely bring ruin upon themselves. You must also remember that no matter where you go in the future, you must not kill innocents or rob the people."
It was the perfect opportunity to provide some ideological education; whenever times turn chaotic, social order and morality inevitably crumble.
Most armies nowadays just start looting the moment they enter a city. Never mind entering a city—just look at Zuo Liangyu; before he even starts an uprising, he burns, kills, loots the very cities he is stationed in.
If Zhu Ci does not handle ideological education well, he's afraid his subordinates won't be much better.
They returned to the camp, after Li Cheng saw that Zhu Ci had returned safely, his heart finally settled from its state of high tension.
After returning to the camp, Zhu Ci asked, "Is everyone here?"
Li Cheng said immediately, "Almost everyone is here; there are now five thousand men on standby."
Zhu Ci asked, "Did the scouts find out how many men Dodo has arrived with?"
Based on their military camps, the scouts estimate there are nearly ten thousand.
Five thousand and nearly ten thousand.. we can go for it.
Zhu Ci said, "Get everything ready; we will raid the camp tomorrow night."
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: No, why is it suddenly flooding? Is this the time for flooding? A cat frantically paddling its four paws. jpg
Next update at noon~
Chapter 85
Jiang Quan followed behind Zhu Ci and asked, "Young Master, why must it be at night?"
Zhu Ci unstrapped the bow and quiver and handed them to him, saying leisurely, "Because the Tartars might not be able to see at night."
Zhu Ci was taking a gamble; he remembered that many people in ancient times suffered from night blindness, especially during times of chaos.
The Qing Army's living conditions were not great before they entered the pass, they haven't had the chance to improve even after entering the pass, or rather, the low-ranking soldiers haven't had the chance to improve.
But the people under Zhu Ci's command were well-fed and well-cared for; except for this latest batch of recruits who might not have been fully settled in yet, the first few thousand were all well-provided for.
The enemy is strong and we are weak, so we must naturally play to our own strengths.
However, Dodo was a battle-hardened veteran and seemed to have anticipated that someone might raid the camp.
When Zhu Ci led his men in the charge, the opponent was clearly already prepared.
Of course, it was also possible that Dodo had long anticipated that reinforcements would launch a surprise attack on Yangzhou, so he had remained in a state of constant vigilance.
It was just that Dodo had not expected the reinforcements to actually possess firearms.
Standing in the center of the main camp, Dodo frowned as he listened to the military reports from below: "Firearms? Where did they get firearms?"