A Romantic Detective in the Qing Dynasty [Complete] - 12

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Chapter Twenty-One: Burning the Russian Soldiers

Li Bingheng also left in a hurry, worried about whether the tank units could withstand the enemy's three-pronged attack! Before leaving, I held his hand and said, "These two battles have established the Qing Dynasty's status as a great power, but we must fight one battle at a time, and each battle must be fought well so that we can shake off the humiliating history of the past! You must make it clear to the soldiers that we cannot, and will not, be the slightest bit careless or negligent towards the enemy now or in the future. We must be as cautious as walking on thin ice, and fight each battle with utmost care!"

Li Bingheng nodded: "These battles have gone too smoothly now, and I'm afraid the soldiers will become complacent. I will definitely focus on educating them in this regard!"

I said, "Russia's aggression against China is no less than Japan's. We must make everyone fight them with full hatred and kill them without leaving a single survivor!"

Li Bingheng nodded: "Not only them, but also Britain and France, we will not let them off!"

I stood outside the tent watching the receding vehicles, my heart surging with emotion. I was born on the banks of the Heilongjiang River. From a young age, I was constantly told about the history of my motherland being bullied by Russia. After entering university, I learned that Tsarist Russia, and indeed its successor states, had always made plundering our assets and coveting our territory their fundamental national policy! Russia's desire to destroy us has never died!

Not to mention that when their regime was unstable, they promised to abolish the unequal treaties with China, but once their power was consolidated, they reneged on their promises and tried every means to sever Mongolia from China, making it their vassal state; even during World War II, when they touted internationalism, after invading Northeast China, they not only burned, killed, and raped women, but also profited immensely from China's national crisis, looting machinery and equipment from many factories in Northeast China, and taking everything that could be plundered! Starting in August, they built a pontoon bridge across the Heihe River, hauling goods back day and night until the following summer. Finally, they even seized the railway tracks from Bei'an to Heihe and the ships on the Heilongjiang River, and destroyed several bridges! As for Russia, I don't know why, but some people seem oblivious to their ugly covetousness towards our country! Some even prioritize temporary peace and acknowledge those unequal treaties! I truly don't know if they're confused or just inherently spineless. In this respect, I think they're even inferior to Zuo Zongtang! I greatly admire Zuo Zongtang; under such difficult circumstances, he defeated the Yaqub Beg clique and drove out the Russians—truly the greatest hero of our Qing Dynasty! It's a pity I arrived too late; I didn't witness Zuo Zongtang's victory in Xinjiang, which greatly enhanced our national prestige and severely dampened Russia's arrogance! Today I'm here, and I'm going to let those Russians taste the fist of the Chinese! Although it's too early to talk about recovering lost territory, I must reclaim Vladivostok! China cannot be without its own major northern port! We cannot lose this sharp sword that controls the rise of Japan!

Thinking of this, I'm eager to fight. I clench my fists secretly; this battle must be fought well, and we absolutely cannot let the victory we've gained slip away!

Suddenly, a thought struck me: "This is bad! Haibo's strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao' might be another blunder!"

The enemy has been away from Khabarovsk for over a day now. Even if they turn back, it will take them two days. And in three days, reinforcements from the mainland will reach Khabarovsk. It seems highly likely that he won't turn back to rescue Khabarovsk, but will continue advancing, leaving the task of rescuing Khabarovsk to reinforcements from the mainland! That would make our game extremely dangerous. Haibo's actions, besides exposing his fleet, would yield nothing! Moreover, the pressure on Changxu is immense. It's incredibly difficult for him to withstand repeated attacks from 30,000 men with only a few thousand!

I immediately sent another urgent telegram to Haibo, ordering him to halt his operations immediately! At the same time, I informed Changxu of our changes. A short while later, Haibo replied. His fleet had already begun its operation, but thankfully it hadn't crossed the river chasm and had already retreated. Changxu, who was on the road, also sent a telegram: "I would rather die on the battlefield than let the enemy's attack be stopped!"

Reading Changxu's reply, I couldn't stop my tears from flowing. I knew that he was truly determined to die this time. Originally, the army commander Zhao Guosheng wanted to stay and fight on the northern front, but he forced Zhao Guosheng to go to the southern front. He said, "You are still young, and the Qing Dynasty cannot do without you. I am old, and I have already seen the Qing Dynasty begin to prosper, and I am content! Let my old bones contribute to the rise of the Qing Dynasty!"

I was worried about the battlefield there, so I immediately transferred an army from Mudanjiang and ordered them to rush to the front line north of Xingkai Lake day and night.

My sleepiness vanished completely. Thinking about the battlefield situation at Changxu, I was extremely anxious and immediately issued the order: "Break camp immediately, catch up with Changxu, and join the fierce battle in Xingkai Lake!"

Back in my tent, Min'er and Catherine were already undressed and waiting for me. I kissed them both and said, "We can't sleep tonight. We have to set off tonight! The fighting is too intense at the front. I, the emperor, can't hide away, indulging in women and enjoying affection; I can't be a tyrant!"

Min'er didn't say anything, but Catherine's eyes were filled with sorrow. I hugged her and kissed her, kneading her perfectly firm breasts, then patted her little... "I'm sorry," Pipi said, "we can't be all lovey-dovey today. Come with me, and we'll reunite in Vladivostok. I'll throw you a grand candlelight ball there! You can have some fun on our warship and see the Chinese sea!"

She thought for a moment and said, "I'd better go back to Beijing! Don't worry, I won't interfere in your war with Dad! I'll wait for you in Beijing. Whether you win or lose, you'll always be my hero, my Alexander the Great. I'm waiting for you, and my virginity will definitely be yours!"

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.

I held her tightly in my arms, and we kissed passionately until Li Xianglin's soldiers came to dismantle the tent, at which point we reluctantly parted.

Afraid something might happen to her, and also afraid she might reveal my whereabouts to the enemy, I sent a platoon of soldiers to take her to Dongning, and then had the troops there send someone to escort her back to Beijing.

She reluctantly mounted her horse, clinging to me and crying her eyes out. No matter how Min'er tried to persuade her to stay, she resolutely refused. She said, "I won't get involved, but I can't watch you chase my father's soldiers all over the mountains! I can't accept this cruel reality! Giving myself to the Chinese emperor is already a heinous crime; to follow him to kill Russian soldiers would be going too far!"

I understood her feelings; it was truly an unbearable choice for her. I patted her shoulder and said, "Take care of yourself. We'll have a chance to meet again. By then, the storm between China and Russia will have passed, and you can decide your own future!"

She nodded, choking back tears, and said, "I'll wait for that day!"

Only after she was far away did I lead my troops towards the northern battlefield.

Because we were a cavalry unit, although we were in a hurry, we could only move slowly, stopping frequently. It wasn't until dawn on the third day that we entered the Far East. We saw the wounded and dead soldiers being pulled from the battlefield, and we also saw the vast logistical support army formed by our motherland moving forward.

The Changxu army had split into two forces. One branch headed south, having already joined forces with the central army and was advancing towards Vladivostok. The other branch, the main force, was engaged in a fierce battle with the approaching enemy reinforcements on the northern front. Judging from the wounded and dead soldiers, I already knew how intense the battle was.

We galloped north along a long mountain gully, which we hadn't reached even after traveling for most of the day, but we could already hear the sounds of gunfire ahead.

I urged the cavalry to speed up, but we hadn't gone far when we were drawn away by two noisy villagers.

"I just wanted to have a few puffs of tobacco, and you're making such a fuss as soon as I took out my pipe. Is it worth it?"

"Didn't you see how thick the grass is here? And the wind is so strong. One puff of your tobacco could set this whole patch of grass on fire. We can't run away, we can't hide . Aren't you just causing trouble? You should at least have some sense before smoking! You're here to support the front lines, not to cause trouble for the troops. Don't be so reckless!

" "Is it that serious? You're just being bluff!"

"Not serious? Look at this ditch, it stretches for miles. If it catches fire, nobody can escape!"

I was taken aback, reined in my horse, looked around, and a surge of joy welled up inside me!

The ravine was overgrown with weeds, rustling in the autumn wind. Walking on the main road felt like floating on a turbulent, yellow sea. On either side were towering, impassable mountains, steep, smooth, and barren of grass. The more I looked, the more excited I became. Finally, I dismounted and crawled into the grass. When I emerged, covered in thorns and with several tears in my clothes, Min'er, who was with me, was disheveled! Li Xianglin watched us laughing, looking at the grassy area and then at us, puzzled, wondering what had happened.

Since we were close to the battlefield, I asked Li Xianglin to send someone to summon Changxu and several division and army commanders for an on-the-spot military meeting.

After the communications soldier left, Min'er and I took branches and began drawing and piling up mounds of earth and sandbags on the ground, simulating the battle situation.

Only after the meeting attendees arrived did I smile, put down the branch I was holding, dust off my hands, and excitedly say, "Zhuge Liang burned Bowang Slope and defeated Cao Cao's 100,000 troops. Let's break through his 30,000 armored soldiers first!"

The meeting attendees arrived one after another, including Commander Zhao of the 27th Army from the Heilongjiang Military Region and several of his division commanders.

Changxu, seeing me, exclaimed in surprise, "My God, what are you doing here? It's too dangerous here! The enemy is increasing in number, and the enemy coming from Khabarovsk will be here in another hour or two. We've already lost several hilltops at Baihua Ridge, and we're about to collapse. Why are you still here? Make arrangements quickly, and then you should leave! The Qing Dynasty can't do without you!"

I smiled and said, "Don't say that! Our Chinese army never gives up! I don't believe we can't hold out! If we really can't hold out, then we'll retreat! Let the bears into the mountains; I really want to have a roasted bear paw!"

Changxu was stunned. I said, "Perfect timing!" "Commander Zhao from the district has also arrived. You should lead them to fight this battle well. Consort Min will explain the battle plan to you."

Min'er immediately began speaking in front of the sandbags and mounds we had just simulated: "Now the enemy is eager to relieve the army in Vladivostok that we have besieged. They will rush up regardless of everything. We can take advantage of this mentality, abandon Birch Ridge, and let the enemy into this Calabash Valley. After the enemy comes in, we will take back Birch Ridge, close the gate, set a big fire in Calabash Valley, and you can all treat His Majesty to a meal of roasted bear paws!" As

soon as Min'er finished speaking, Changxu and several generals looked at each other and then burst into laughter.

Min'er then assigned tasks to each unit, and finally said to Commander Zhao, "The task of closing the gates at Dongpo and Baihualing is entrusted to you. You must quickly enter the positions from here, and be discreet and fast. It's 2:20 PM now, you have two hours to get into the positions!"

Commander Zhao immediately saluted and said, "Yes, sir! We guarantee to enter the positions on time! We guarantee to win this battle!"

His local military unit, which usually never gets to fight abroad, was overjoyed to have this opportunity. He cherished it greatly, and he really wanted to show off his strength and establish the prestige of their army!

"My lord, the task of guarding the west slope and the south gate is now yours. You will hold them off at Baihua Ridge for a while longer. Once the enemy troops arrive at Khabarovsk, you will immediately begin your retreat. During this time, you must move the majority of your troops to the west slope and conceal them here! Once enemy reinforcements arrive, your troops must retreat swiftly, making it appear to the enemy that you are fleeing in disarray, abandoning your armor and weapons! Once this force has retreated to Xiaolang Mountain, it will enter the defensive position, blocking the enemy's southward escape route, and await Your Majesty's orders! Your Majesty will fire three red, green, and yellow signal flares here. You will immediately launch incendiary bombs at the surrounded enemy! Remember, if the enemy doesn't climb the mountain or try to escape, don't rush to attack. Let the fire do its work! Does everyone understand their mission?" Min'er asked.

"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.

I stood up and said, “Alright, let’s do as Minfei says! In this battle, we’ll use the power of nature to decisively defeat the Russian army. To put it nicely, we’ll call it ‘Burning Calabash Valley,’ but to put it bluntly, we’ll call it ‘Cooking Polar Bears in Calabash Valley!’ Everyone must display their exceptional ability to endure hardship and fight, and resolutely, thoroughly, and cleanly annihilate this group of Russian soldiers! We won’t let a single invader escape back to Russia, nor will we let a single deserter slip into Vladivostok! After entering the positions, don’t forget to clear away any burning debris around you, lest you set fire to your own camp and burn your own backside!”

Everyone laughed at this.

After the meeting, each unit quickly entered its own positions, and we also went up the eastern slope of the mountain.

At 5:50 PM, Chinese soldiers began to appear hastily retreating below our mountain, throwing their backpacks and discarded guns by the roadside as they left. At

6:10 PM, the Russian cavalry arrived, riding arrogantly on their horses, their gleaming sabers held high in front of their chests, indeed displaying a rather imposing air.

Next came the Russian infantry. They had probably suffered greatly in the Long March; they walked listlessly, clearly defeated soldiers. However, this group was quite greedy. They snatched up anything the Long March soldiers had discarded, sometimes even fighting over a single backpack, and even the officers couldn't be intimidated.

Next came the Russian artillery. They had quite a few cannons, each pulled by eight horses, moving very slowly. I knew that this area, a grassland between two mountains and a ravine, was extremely dry. It hadn't rained for several days; if it rained again, they would be stuck!

Finally, there was the supplies—the food and supplies for the men and horses were all here, along with ammunition and pay. This couldn't be burned, so I immediately arranged for a team to intercept them!

I knew the enemy was completely trapped, so I ordered Min'er to fire three signal flares.

Before the flares even landed, the ravine was already a sea of fire.

Flames roared, tongues of fire leaping dozens of meters high, crackling and popping.

The Russian troops immediately erupted into chaos, fleeing in a frantic retreat. Horsemen, carts, and disorganized men raced and cried through the thick smoke and flames. Some, realizing the danger, began charging towards the hilltop, but the steep slopes made climbing extremely difficult, and the relentless hail of bullets forced them to tumble down the mountain in droves.

The frenzied Cossacks began their counterattack, but a long, arduous firestorm claimed countless lives. Those who reached the foot of Birch Ridge were exhausted and riddled with wounds, lacking the courage to advance.

Yet, in this life-or-death situation, the Russian soldiers still charged towards Birch Ridge, but the situation worsened. The hilltop was occupied by the Chinese army, a tight blockade that made it impossible to cross. The surrounding fires relentlessly scorched their bodies, and death had already seized the exhausted Russian troops.

A few, with a clear head, ran towards the burning embers, and though suffocated by the smoke, they managed to survive.

The fire was completely extinguished by the next morning. Of the 30,000 Russian troops, only 11,000 remained, all with blisters on their faces and covered in soot!

We lost more than 300 men in this battle, and that was during the looting of supplies. But it was worth it. We brought back 100,000 taels of silver and 800,000 dan of grain, solving the logistics problem for Changxu all at once!

Looking at this horrific scene, I couldn't help but feel nauseous. Without waiting for the soldiers to clean up the battlefield, I led the guard regiment toward Vladivostok.

Before leaving, I told Changxu, "Immediately gather and bury all the dead Russian soldiers, and send the prisoners back to China. Let them receive proper medical treatment and be treated well! It was the Tsar who formulated the policy of aggression, not them! Send the troops of the Heilongjiang Military Region back immediately, and let them take the prisoners! They need to go back quickly; the defense there is not easy either! You must immediately send heavy troops to guard Baihua Ridge. Although after this battle, they may not dare to attack again, a prolonged stalemate is inevitable!"

Just then, a major naval battle broke out in the Sea of Japan.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Raging Seas

Commander Sa Zhenbing of the Far East Fleet, leading the ships Longnu, Zhenwo, and Zhenyi on a mission to lure the enemy, circled Vladivostok for two days. The Russian Pacific Fleet hadn't shown itself, causing Sa Zhenbing to become increasingly anxious, pacing back and forth in his cabin.

However, Shufei, sitting in the bridge with binoculars, watching the Vladivostok harbor, remained calm and focused, her eyes fixed on the ships entering and leaving the port.

Suddenly, she put down her binoculars and said to Sa Zhenbing, "Commander Sa, what do you think of forcing them to come out to sea? We should immediately blockade the port, prohibiting any ships from entering and preventing any supplies from entering Vladivostok! Inspect all departing ships and arrest all military personnel! We've already cut off their land transportation; if we cut off their sea transportation as well, they'll definitely jump out!"

Sa Zhenbing happily replied, "Good move! If we can't lure them out, we'll force them out!"

He immediately ordered the Zhenwo and Zhenyi to head out of the harbor to intercept ships, and ordered ships intending to enter the port to detour to Wonsan Port to await orders.

Russian Pacific Fleet Commander Rozhestvinsky originally planned to send 3,000 soldiers to Razin to reinforce the besieged Russian troops. However, due to the rapid advance of the Chinese army, which had already reached the outskirts of Vladivostok and whose forces had been almost completely annihilated, he and Russian Commander-in-Chief Kuropatkin decided to hold Vladivostok and await reinforcements.

For the past few days, a Chinese fleet of three warships had been patrolling outside the port. Normally, Rozhestvinsky would have wiped them out long ago, but Kuropatkin said, "A moment of impatience will ruin a great plan. Let them go; you all prepare for battle! I suspect they are looking for an opportunity to attack our port. Because you are here, they won't succeed. They should withdraw in a couple more days!"

He had no choice but to suppress his anger and simply ordered all fleets to maintain first-level combat readiness.

But the Chinese warships went further, intercepting ships entering and leaving the port. They sent all the ships entering the port away

and thoroughly searched the ships leaving, seizing several soldiers escorting important antiques to His Majesty the Tsar, along with the antiques themselves. This enraged Rozhestvinsky, who immediately ordered all his warships to fire and attack the Chinese warships!

The Zhenwo and Zhenyi ships seized eight ships in one go and escorted them towards Yuanshan Port, while the Longnu remained stationed outside the port, monitoring the warships inside. Sa Zhenbing noticed the warships in the harbor were starting up fires, knowing they were about to move. He immediately informed Consort Shu, who laughed and said, "That hotheaded donkey will do anything. Let's heat him up a bit more, make him jump even higher! You fire a couple of shots at his fleet, and I reckon we'll drag this mad donkey out!"

The Longnu's forward main gun could strike targets 80 nautical miles away, and it was currently within range. Sa Zhenbing immediately ordered them to fire a few shots at Rozhestvinsky's flagship, the "Suvorov," to give them a reason to pursue.

"Boom!" A shell exploded a few meters from the "Suvorov," sending a huge column of water crashing onto the foredeck, drenching the soldiers who were preparing to weigh anchor. One soldier, too close to the ship, was hit and thrown into the sea, disappearing into the surging waves.

Before the soldiers could even comprehend what was happening, another shell exploded on the foredeck, shattering the barrel of the forward main gun and smashing it onto the command cabin. Rozhestvinsky was startled; he hid under the table for a while before emerging and hastily ordering, "Set sail and pursue! Sink the Chinese warships!"

The Russian Pacific Fleet was finally drawn out. Three battleships, four cruisers, and four torpedo boats of the Russian Pacific Fleet filed out of the harbor, charging menacingly towards Long Nu.

Long Nu immediately approached the Zhenwo and Zhenyi ships and the eight seized vessels, all speeding towards Yuanshan.

Rozhestvinsky, already disoriented by the bombardment, immediately ordered the fleet to form a T-shape and pursue the Chinese fleet.

Long Nu returned fire while simultaneously covering the convoy's retreat southward.

The battleship Oslavia, eager to seize the initiative, pulled ahead of the other ships and charged at full speed. Long Nu began to return fire, its powerful cannons immediately engulfing the Oslavia, thick smoke billowing from it. But it continued its advance, its guns raining down on Long Nu!

A shell struck Long Nu's foredeck, igniting a fire. Several soldiers risked their lives to quickly extinguish the blaze. Long Nu's former main gunner, Cui Yong, was consumed by rage. He quickly aimed at the enemy ship and shouted, "For the Chinese people on the north bank of the Heilongjiang River, fire hard! Fire!"

Shells, filled with hatred, flew towards the enemy ship. With a deafening roar, armor-piercing shells struck the enemy's boiler room, sending plumes of smoke into the air, followed by an explosion, and flames engulfed the entire Oslavia.

The other enemy ships, no longer able to pursue, rushed to the Oslavia's aid.

Seeing the Zhenwo and Zhenyi escorting eight ships away, Rozhestvinsky hurriedly ordered the remaining warships to continue the pursuit, abandoning the battleship Oslabia, which was already incapacitated, into the sea.

The two fleets began a race across the ocean. Due to the slower speed of the merchant ships, the Russian Pacific Fleet gradually closed in.

Suddenly, Rozhestvinsky realized the situation was dire. On their way, they discovered two battleships, three cruisers, and four torpedo boats had cut off their retreat.

He knew that now it was a fight or not! But he had to pick on the weakest link; he had to find someone to take the fall! Compared to the newly arrived fleet, the one escorting the merchant ships was obviously the weakest. He immediately ordered the Longnu and Zhenwo/Zhenyi to open fire!

Seeing the fighting begin, the merchant ships immediately accelerated and fled.

Both the Zhenwo and Zhenyi ships were hit by several enemy shells, and fires broke out on their decks. However, the sailors of both ships fearlessly rushed to extinguish the flames while fiercely returning fire. The

Russian cruiser Vasilyev, which had been protecting the flagship, was hit in the ammunition magazine by a shell from the Zhenyi. Explosions and cries filled the air, and moments later, the large ship suddenly veered upside down, burning like a giant wax candle in the sea, before slowly sinking.

The enemy battleship "Great Sisoy," realizing the danger, hurriedly approached the flagship "Suvorov," but was hit again by Longnu. An armor-piercing shell penetrated the rudder compartment and entered the engine room, where it exploded, tearing a large hole in the ship. Water surged into the hull, and the ship soon rose up, now standing proudly on either side of the flagship, a truly bizarre situation!

Four enemy torpedo boats rushed to protect the flagship, launching a series of torpedoes. However, these torpedoes were immediately destroyed by several Chinese torpedo boats. One Russian torpedo boat, being too close, was caught in the crossfire and was blown up by a torpedo, sinking to the bottom of the sea!

Rozhestvinsky hurriedly ordered a retreat, but the main fleet that had just arrived would not allow them to escape. They immediately blocked their escape route and displayed flags ordering their surrender. With no other choice, Rozhestvinsky had to issue the order to surrender. Thus, one damaged Russian battleship, two cruisers, and three torpedo boats became Chinese spoils of war.

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Battle of Iron and Blood

Min'er and I rushed to Li Bingheng's tent. After paying our respects, Li Bingheng happily said, "Your Majesty's fire has completely stunned Kuropatkin. He was hoping those reinforcements would help him out, but now he has no hope left and is just fighting us to the death!"

Fei'er was also there. After leaving Korea, my women divided their tasks: Shu'er went to the ship, Yu'er went to Busan in the south to help with the liberation of that ancient temple, and Fei'er came to the outskirts of Vladivostok. She said she should contribute more to the liberation of Vladivostok. Now, seeing me, she said regretfully, "Burning the polar bear must have been spectacular. Min'er got to see it, but I missed it! Now the enemy in Vladivostok is even more confused, truly helpless!"

I said seriously, "That's why this battle is even harder. They're like rabbits that have been provoked to bite!"

Li Bingheng said, "They currently have 30,000 troops in the city. They've also urgently expanded their forces in the last two days, recruiting an additional 23,000, bringing the total to 53,000. Now, all the armies have converged here, totaling 84,000 men. They've surrounded Vladivostok on three sides, and the Far East Fleet has blockaded the port. Because they're worried about the threat from the twelve artillery batteries on the east and west sides, they haven't gotten too close, but the forward main guns of the three battleships can still fire at the enemy positions inside the city."

Fei'er took my arm and said, "Come on, let's go for a walk. It's so dark and cold inside the tent; it's better outside." "Great!"

Stepping out of the tent, I looked at the fields of soybeans and corn and said happily, "Because we've advanced quickly, their autumn crops haven't been harvested yet. Plus, they've been procuring provisions for their troops who went to Korea twice. It's safe to say that the city's food supplies are running low; they can't withstand our siege! This will force them to come out and grab food. We should use the food to lure them out of the city, then engage their main force in a decisive battle outside the city and annihilate them!"

Fei'er said happily, "We were just thinking about how to lure them out to fight! If we can force them out, that would save us a lot of trouble! But this field of soybeans and corn..." "How can they possibly steal our crops? Let them harvest them? They'd be terrified we'd beat them; they wouldn't dare come even if it meant their lives!"

Li Bingheng also said, "Letting them harvest the crops is probably unrealistic! Wouldn't that just give us an opportunity to attack them?"

I said, "Of course they wouldn't dare harvest them, but if we harvest them, take the spoils, and store them nearby to lure them in, I'm sure they'd come and steal them!"

Li Bingheng: "But the surrounding area is still controlled by enemy artillery positions. Shouldn't we take them out first? Otherwise, they won't let us harvest properly." "!"

I thought for a moment and said, "Don't take them out yet. With these forts holding them up, they dare to come out. Without these forts, they won't dare to leave the city! We can harvest at night, so the enemy won't know!"

Li Bingheng immediately went to assign the grain harvesting task. Fei'er, Min'er, and I returned to the main tent, opened the newly made map by Li Bingheng, and looked at the enemy forts marked on the map. We had to take them out to complete the task of trapping the enemy, but we couldn't take them out too early, lest the enemy huddle in the city and cause too many casualties when we attacked the city! I thought about it for a long time and decided to find out the location of the enemy forts first and assign the task of taking them out to our artillerymen!

On the night of September 25th, the crescent moon, shaped like a small spoon, lingered in the sky for a while before disappearing. The earth was so dark that it was impossible to see anything across the way. That very night, our troops and the civilians who had come to support the front lines worked tirelessly, harvesting all the crops in the surrounding area. The harvest was then piled up in a village called Yaodiyingzi, east of Vladivostok. Using rollers and manual winnowing, the grain was threshed, bagged, and stacked together like a high mountain, visible from afar.

Kuropatkin was now truly anxious about the food problem. Two consecutive deployments of troops to North Korea had depleted his grain reserves. He had hoped to replenish his supplies by sea from the interior, but the Chinese fleet had blockaded the port, effectively cutting off their only supply route!

What would a city of 100,000 people and tens of thousands of garrison soldiers eat? This had become his biggest problem! Due to the temperature, crops in this area generally cannot be harvested until after October, and are not ready to eat until November. The troops hastily retreated into the city, bringing only three to five days' worth of rations. With the Chinese army surrounding the city, it was uncertain when they would be able to withdraw. Even without fighting, hunger alone would force the Russian army to surrender!

He climbed to the top floor of the tallest building in the city, St. Nicholas Church, and used binoculars to look at the mountain-like stacks of grain in the east of the city, planning how to turn this grain into reserves.

On the night of the 29th, Kuropatkin sent 5,000 men to launch a sudden large-scale offensive in the west of the city, seemingly poised to break through the encirclement and escape. Li Gang's troops fought back fiercely, repelling the enemy's attacks time and again. Just then, more than 20,000 Russian troops suddenly rushed towards Yaodiyingzi Village, the grain storage area in the east of the city, launching a powerful offensive against the Chinese defenders there with the ferocity of a tiger descending from the mountain.

The Chinese army fiercely resisted the repeated assaults of the Russian army, who left behind wave after wave of corpses. Finally, with the support of artillery fire from the city's flanks, they drove the Chinese army away and seized the mountain of grain.

Kuropatkin, waiting for orders in St. Nicholas Church, saw three fires rising in the east and breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank goodness, the grain is finally in our hands! Vladivostok (the name the invaders gave to Haishenwai) is saved!"

But his joy was premature. When his soldiers loaded the grain onto the wagons, they discovered the sacks were incredibly light, easily lifted with one hand. Upon opening them, they found only bean and corn stalks.

The division commander, Polakoyev, who had led the raid, was stunned. He immediately ordered, "Retreat immediately! We've fallen for a Chinese trick! This is definitely a trap!"

But it was too late! Before he could finish speaking, his messenger stumbled in, shouting, "Kidaye (Chinese), Kidaye (Chinese), Kidaye (Chinese)'s ironclad weapons have cut off our way back to the city!"

Polakoyev, surprisingly calm, immediately ordered, "The rear guard becomes the vanguard, fight our way back into the city!"

But typing is easier said than done!

Before they could even move, a deafening barrage of artillery fire erupted. Polakoyev and his soldiers were startled and hastily sought cover. But the artillery fire continued for a long time without landing a single shell.

Completely bewildered, they scrambled to their feet and looked around, only to discover that the Russian garrison's artillery positions on both sides of the city were engulfed in flames, billowing with thick smoke and flames, like a dozen giant candles burning in the darkness! He knew the positions were destroyed! Polakoyev realized the situation was even more dire, and he immediately organized his troops to charge towards the army that had cut off their retreat.

Cutting off their retreat was a Chinese tank force. Russia didn't have tanks yet, and seeing these massive steel behemoths rumbling forward, spewing flames, the soldiers were stunned!

Polakoyev urged his soldiers forward, and the Russian soldiers, displaying their bravery, charged at the tanks, firing their guns, stabbing with bayonets, and slashing with swords!

The tanks ignored them, twisting their bodies, crushing the soldiers in front.

The tanks' flames were even more intense, sending swathes of men rolling on the ground.

The Russian soldiers were terrified and ran for their lives.

Polakoyev's first charge had thus collapsed!

Polakoyev looked at the dark, metallic thing and ordered, "Get bundles of grenades and blast its legs!"

The Russian soldiers immediately gathered all their grenades and sent men charging towards the monster. However, Chinese soldiers were following behind, preventing them from getting close. Those who charged were shot down by Chinese machine guns half a mile away, collapsing to the ground with their grenades, never to rise again. The

Chinese artillery joined in, shells exploding incessantly among the Russian soldiers. Because of the dense concentration of men, every shell felled a face; Yaodi Camp became a battlefield for the Russian soldiers.

Polakoyev knew that only by rushing into the city could they escape this bloody massacre. He immediately ordered his soldiers to charge forward in waves!

With their tenacity, they finally managed to disable over a dozen tanks, but new tanks immediately filled the gaps, and the bullets from the Chinese soldiers behind the tanks became even more intense, making it difficult for them to get any closer. Enraged

by the artillery shells flying from the sky, the tanks blocking their path, and the barrage of fire from Chinese soldiers pressing in from behind, Polakoyev drew his sword and led the charge!

With an officer leading the charge, the Russian soldiers went berserk, rushing forward with ferocious speed, grenades flying everywhere, one batch falling only to be replaced by another, but in the end they were still blocked by the tanks, unable to advance an inch!

As dawn broke, the original force of 20,000 men was dwindling. The Russian soldiers had retreated into the villages, where they held out in makeshift mud houses.

Upon hearing that fighting had reignited in the direction of Yaodiyingzi, Kuropatkin's heart clenched. He knew they had fallen into a Chinese trap. He suddenly remembered that in battle, food was the most precious commodity; how could the Chinese be so careless as to let him plunder it? Had he made the biggest fool of all?

He hastily ordered his troops to regroup, only to discover that nearly half of the force that had launched the feint attack on the west gate had been wiped out. Now he had only about 25,000 men left. He also knew that all the surrounding artillery positions had fallen into Chinese hands. From the mountains to the east and west, they could clearly see and control everything in the city! Without artillery support, the Chinese fleet had already entered the harbor, cannons pointed directly at their heads!

One wrong move, and the whole game was lost! He knew that Vladivostok was already in the hands of the Chinese!

As dawn broke, he climbed to the rooftop and looked towards Yaodiyingzi. Gunfire still echoed there; he knew they were still holding out! But could he go to their aid? Not only were the Chinese tanks blocking the roads, but two-thirds of his soldiers were hastily armed; they trembled at the sound of gunfire. Who could they possibly rescue?

Holding the city was a miracle, thanks to the Virgin Mary's blessing. Rescuing people? Dream on!

Suddenly, he saw a troop rush out of the village, fighting fiercely until they broke through the Chinese lines and ran towards the city. Wow, seven or eight thousand men! Heaven was on his side!

Overjoyed, he immediately ordered the east gate opened. He ran out of the church and led his troops towards the east gate. He had to bring these soldiers back quickly! He desperately needed them; these were all seasoned veterans. In battle, they might not be ten men each, but they were far superior to these hastily conscripted soldiers!

These men ran incredibly fast, fighting as they ran. Their Russian uniforms were tattered and worn, their faces and heads covered in soot and mud! They had barely escaped death; it wasn't easy!

This unit reached the East Gate, turned their guns on the Russian soldiers, and quickly stormed into the city, seizing one high point after another.

The East Gate had fallen, and thousands of Chinese troops poured in. Kuropatkin then realized that the group he had just encountered were Chinese in disguise; in his haste, he hadn't been able to distinguish the real from the fake! Street

fighting broke out in the city. Faced with the surging tide of Chinese soldiers, the hastily recruited soldiers, seeing the situation, stripped off their uniforms, threw down their guns, and hid in their homes, refusing to come out.

The Cossacks fought their way back, protecting Kuropatkin until they reached St. Nicholas Church.

The Chinese army quickly occupied the city's high ground and gradually tightened the encirclement.

Now, the Russian troops were hiding in houses, firing sniper shots from behind, which slowed the Chinese advance!

Li Bingheng ordered, "Pull the enemy out house by house, don't leave any loose ends!"

Pulling the enemy out house by house was extremely difficult! They were in the shadows, we were in the open, and the soldiers suffered many losses. Seeing this, I decided to simply send tanks to finish them off!

The soldiers drove in high-powered tanks, braving enemy sniper fire, and with a powerful push, the houses collapsed with a deafening roar, crushing the Russian soldiers inside who screamed in terror, unable to escape, trapped underneath. Using

the same method, by noon, only St. Nicholas Church remained in Vladivostok.

The enemy at Yaodi Camp, originally left to lull the enemy in the city, had now served no purpose, and I immediately ordered them to be quickly eliminated!

The village consisted of dilapidated mud houses; to minimize troop losses, I simply ordered tanks to rush in and eliminate them. As for the villagers' homes, the soldiers could help rebuild them after the battle!

Polakoyev had initially intended to hold out using these houses, but now realizing he had no other option, he ordered the remaining few thousand men to surrender.

Seeing the thick walls of the St. Nicholas Church, I ordered it to be surrounded and ignored.

Vladivostok was back in the embrace of the motherland. I immediately ordered the soldiers to clean up the battlefield, gather the dead soldiers, and pack them into white bags for transport back home.

Li Bingheng had a tally done: over 4,300 soldiers had sacrificed their lives in liberating this land; adding those who died in the Korean War, the total was close to 10,000!

Seeing these once-lively soldiers now resting in foreign soil filled me with unease, but war is always cruel, and there was nothing we could do about it! If we avoided command errors and minimized the bloodshed, that would be good enough!

But it was gratifying that our motherland's treasure port was finally back; this good news should be shared with the people of our country immediately! I immediately had Fei'er send a telegram to Li Hongzhang, instructing him to handle the compensation for the fallen soldiers.

Li Hongzhang replied shortly after, saying that we should have a grand celebration, right at the Temple of Heaven. He invited me and my wives to join him, and I could decide the date.

I thought for a moment and replied, "Celebration is appropriate, as it's a momentous occasion to uphold national prestige and boost morale! But not yet. We must press our advantage and not be complacent like Xiang Yu! We must march on Japan and teach that scoundrel Mutsuhito a lesson! Let him know that China is something Japan can never defeat!"

Li Hongzhang then telegraphed again, his excitement now overflowing. He said, "I want to go to Vladivostok to see the major port we were forced to cede, and to experience the joy of victory! Lan'er also wants to go; she regrets it now, wishing she had given way to the good guys and allowed the country to suffer such a long delay!"

I thought for a moment and said to Fei'er, "Tell them immediately not to come now. The enemy hasn't been eliminated yet, and they could be ambushed at any moment! I don't want the enemy to get away with this!"

After saying that, I headed towards St. Nicholas Church.

The soldiers had completely surrounded the church, and the enemy was still firing sniper shots from inside, keeping our soldiers hidden in their bunkers and preventing them from showing themselves. I looked at the church through the periscope and said to Li Bingheng, "Don't let them get cocky. This is Chinese territory; we don't care about their churches. Bomb them flat!" Li Bingheng

had been wanting to bombard it for a while, and upon hearing my suggestion, he immediately called Huang Jianxun on the Longteng warship to open fire on St. Nicholas Church!

A few minutes after the call, a shell landed on the roof of St. Nicholas Church, instantly destroying the bell tower!

A white flag was immediately raised inside the church, and Li Bingheng hurriedly called Huang Jianxun, ordering him to stop shelling. But the church was still hit by two more shells, causing screams and cries of agony inside, and the Russian soldiers ran out, hands raised and heads in their hands.

Leaving Li Bingheng in Vladivostok to handle the northern defenses of the Far East and the recovery of various regions, Fei'er, Shu'er, Min'er, and I, along with Longteng and three Zhen-class warships, headed towards Busan!

Chapter Twenty-Four: Gunfire at the

Ancient Temple Fei'er, Yu'er, Min'er, and I arrived in Busan with four warships, just in time to meet Yan'er, Zhen'er, and Xue'er, who had also arrived. Queen Min, along with a group of civil and military officials, had also arrived in Busan. Yu'er, who was preparing to attack Beomeosa Temple on Geumjeong Mountain, was overjoyed to see us all arrive. She hugged her sisters and kissed them passionately. After arranging for them to go to the bathroom to wash up, and seeing that no one was around, she immediately hugged and kissed me happily, then nestled in my arms and reported on their preparations. Their plans were threefold:

first, a night attack, sneaking up Geumjeong Mountain under cover of darkness and launching a surprise attack; second, to lure the enemy out like we did in Vladivostok, then annihilate them; and third, to disguise themselves as pilgrims and launch a surprise attack on the Japanese devils! They still haven't decided which method to take. They feel that neither is safe, yet both offer some hope, and they can't decide for the time being. After

she finished speaking, she stared at me with wide eyes, waiting for me to make a decision for her.

I kneaded her plump breasts and laughed, "None of these methods will work! You know, since they're determined to guard Fanyu Temple, they'll be extremely vigilant. Going at night or in disguise won't work; you'll only fall into their trap! Disguising yourself as a pilgrim is even more illogical. They've already blocked the mountain roads; do you think they'd let you go to offer incense and pray? Even if they let you go, they'd search and guard you closely, leaving you no chance! My little darling, let's think of another way!"

She was already panting from my kneading and couldn't say anything more. She reached out to tear off my clothes. Just then, my wives returned, and they pulled me into the inner room, giving me a frenzied orgasm, making me climax several times. Waaah, my life is so miserable!

But after several rounds of this, I felt invigorated and completely refreshed!

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and it's absolutely true. Today is my big reunion with all my wives; of course, I have to go wild!

Yan'er, Xue'er, and Zhen'er, having been separated for so long, were suddenly experiencing the joy of separation again, and they went crazy shouting and yelling, which really made the little girls laugh.

After we'd had our fun, I lay on the bed with my two wives in my arms. We started talking about attacking Fanyu Temple. Min Ciying said, "If all else fails, we should just fire the cannons! We can't let these bastards stay there!"

Yan'er, still attached to me, wiggled her little bottom and said, "We absolutely can't fire the cannons. Not only will we leave a bad impression on the people, but Yingmei will also be attacked by the opposition, giving them leverage. It's not worth it! I always felt that there shouldn't be only one way up Mount Hua; there must be other paths!"

Her phrase "there's only one way up Mount Hua" left my wives bewildered, but her next sentence greatly inspired them. Yu'er, hurriedly getting dressed, said, "Big sister is right. I'll go ask around; maybe there's a second secret path to the top, like the one Minmei encountered!"

I laughed, "Don't always dream about such good things. But what Yan'er said..." "That makes perfect sense. No mountain has only one path, but even if it does, it's probably an extremely difficult one! The greater the difficulty, the less attention the enemy will pay. This is the most feasible route for us to attack Fanyu Temple. We must be prepared to overcome countless difficulties!"

Yu'er came over and kissed me, saying, "I understand. Just wait to hear Yu'er's good news!"

She drifted away like a gust of wind. I patted Yan'er and said, "Get up, we need to go take a look. Now that the various armies have arrived one after another, the attack on the Japanese mainland must begin!"

Yan'er reluctantly got up, saying as she dressed, "It's probably too early to attack the Japanese mainland, but we must take back Ryukyu immediately. We can't let it be a springboard for the Japanese invasion of Taiwan anymore!"

I immediately thought of Diaoyu Island, that small island that the Japanese have always coveted. Isn't it precisely because it's close to Ryukyu that the Japanese have tried so hard to include it in their territory? We absolutely cannot let the Japanese get their hands on those huge oil fields on the seabed!

As I dressed, I asked, "Zhen'er, are you planning to expand your business to Busan?"

Zhen'er, still dressed, leaned closer to me, intending to answer my question. However, because she had just weaned her child, she accidentally squeezed her breast, and a stream of milky white milk splattered all over my face, making everyone laugh uproariously. The two older wives simply pressed me down on the bed, and with the help of the children, they forced Zhen'er to put her nipple in my mouth, squeezing a mouthful of milk onto me. Mmm, it was fragrant and sweet, very delicious! I simply gulped it down, and Zhen'er's face flushed with desire, her little bottom wriggling, and she kept humming through her nose. The wives were all dizzy from drinking so much milk. Yan'er, Fei'er, Ying'er, and Xue'er wouldn't have it anymore and insisted that I also suckle their breasts for a while. Not only did my mouth smell of milk, but I was also forced to do a few rounds of "three cultivation techniques," making the whole room a scene of spring!

After we'd had our fill of laughter and merriment, we went to the council hall. Yan'er unfurled a large map of Ryukyu and Japan that she'd brought and hung it on the wall.

I looked at it and exclaimed, "Wow! It's so detailed! It even shows small hills and streams, and they're all marked with elevations. It's incredibly useful for troop deployment! This is far superior to the one Sheng Bao had someone else make!

" I said excitedly, "Where did you get such a treasure? You should have known I was going to fight the Japanese!"

Yan'er replied, "You're really making a mountain out of a molehill. This was redrawn by Wei Liangbin, the son of our former ambassador to Japan, Huang Zunxian, and Wei Yuan, based on Huang Zunxian's 'History of Japan' and Wei Yuan's 'Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms.' We also compiled 'World Geography' and 'The Prosperity of a Strong Nation' based on 'Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms,' which are now used as textbooks in military academies!"

Wei Yuan had poured years of effort into compiling China's first 60-volume work on world history and geography, "Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms," which introduced the history, geography, and politics of various countries, and also covered science and technology, shipbuilding, weaponry, and military training methods. In his book, he put forward the idea of "learning from the barbarians' superior techniques to control them," which indeed had a profound and thought-provoking effect on China, a country that often considers itself a great power.

Wei Yuan witnessed firsthand the corruption of the Qing Dynasty's politics and believed that those hypocritical officials were the root cause of the country's various crises and the people's suffering. One of his poems reads: "A second investigation, a third investigation, new and old accounts piled up like hemp. Previous losses not made up for subsequent losses, and in the blink of an eye, a fourth investigation is imminent. May I ask when the deficit began? Half due to grain transport fees, half due to levies. The more the fees increase, the more expensive the silver becomes; the more the people owe, the more strained the tax system becomes. Are there no tax collectors? There are only those who urge taxes, but no one to provide relief. Alas! The difficulty of urging taxes is harder than ascending to heaven, the difficulty of making up for losses is harder than blocking a great river. I wish to be a lowly official

like Pengze, learning from Liu Xiang's Huainan strategy, only to find that being an official in Jingyang and Zhichuan is easy." The poem vividly depicts the rampant corruption of officials urging taxes, revealing the severity of the Qing Dynasty's official corruption, the depth of the people's suffering, and the poet's deep sorrow and indignation. If the father was like this, I wonder if his son inherited his legacy?

I hurriedly asked, "What's this Wei Liangbin like?"

Yan'er said, "He's a graduate of Cambridge University in England, majoring in mechanical engineering. Now he's helped Zhen'er build a Longxiang Machine Tool Factory and is the factory manager there! The equipment in our several arsenals is all made by him, and the quality is quite good! But he's too thin and weak, like a woman. I advised him to practice martial arts, but he just laughed!"

I said happily, "Okay, I'll definitely go see these two when I get back! Come on, let's take a look at the key points of our next attack! Yan'er, tell me, where would be more advantageous for us to attack?"

Yan'er pointed with a small stick and said, "Now our naval power has an absolute advantage. In the long run, Ryukyu must be taken back as soon as possible to avoid future troubles!"

I knew she was referring to the Diaoyu Islands and the East China Sea oil fields, as well as the security of Taiwan. I nodded in agreement.

She continued, "This is not only about reclaiming our territory, but also about resolving our first island chain issue. For China to become a world power, it must venture beyond the Pacific Ocean and control the key fortresses of the East China Sea! Therefore, Taiwan must be developed, Vladivostok must be consolidated, Jeju Island must be strengthened, and Ryukyu and Kyushu must also be incorporated into the Qing Dynasty's territory! Forming an ironclad island chain, making it the first line of defense for our Great Qing, and forcing Lushun and Weihai, the gateways protecting Beijing and Tianjin, to give way to this island chain! Let this island chain become the cornerstone for our expansion into the world! So that our inland areas can have a better environment for development!"

Shu'er nodded in agreement.

Yan'er, in high spirits, handed the baton to Shu'er: "Come on, little girl, tell me how to attack!"

Shu'er dared not take the baton. She knew that Empress Yan was exceptionally intelligent. She had heard me say many times that the five-year recovery was largely due to Empress Yan's planning, Empress Fei's pragmatic talent, Consort Zhen's management skills, and Consort Xue's ruthless achievements, which led to the Qing Dynasty's current state. Therefore, she dared not show off her skills in front of Empress Yan.

But Yan'er had long heard of Shu'er's military talent and wanted to see her abilities, so she insisted that Shu'er speak. I smiled and nodded to Shu'er.

Seeing that I had agreed, Shu'er took the baton, stood at the front, pointed to the map, and said, "Because we have already occupied Vladivostok, Jeju, and Busan, the Japanese army has lost its outer defenses! They will now be focusing all their efforts on defending the Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Osaka, and Yokohama line on the main island to protect Kyoto and Tokyo! They will have little time to attend to Ryukyu, and with their navy nearly depleted, they dare not go to sea. This is our golden opportunity to liberate Ryukyu. We must quickly dispatch our fleet to resolve the Ryukyu issue, and then move to Jiuzhaigou..." "Kyushu Island, land at Nobeoka, occupy Kyushu, and end this war between China and Japan!"

I was stunned. "Why don't we advance any further?"

Shu'er smiled. "You should ask Sister Zhen'er first!"

Zhen'er smiled at me and said, "Before I came here, I allocated another 20 million taels of silver to Premier Li, but that will only allow us to support the war for another ten days. Moreover, my company is already experiencing cash flow problems, and we are no longer able to continue fighting!"

I knew the finances were tight, but I didn't expect them to be this bad. I slumped down on the bench.

Zhen'er continued, "Premier Li also said that Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, and other countries have jointly requested that we not attack the Japanese mainland. Moreover, Britain has made unusual moves in India, and France in Vietnam, and they are very likely to take advantage of the situation! He is worried that our economy will not be able to support a two- or three-front war!"

I nodded and said to Shu'er, "Go on!"

Shu'er said, "To achieve this goal, we should launch a feint attack on Fukuoka from Busan and a feint attack on Honshu Island from Vladivostok to tie down enemy forces. Our East China Sea Fleet will depart from Keelung, Taiwan, and quickly send troops to Okinawa to liberate it. Then, a portion of our fleet will feign an attack on Kagoshima, while the majority will land at Nobeoka and advance towards Kagoshima. At the same time, troops will depart from Busan to form a pincer attack with the troops landing at Nobeoka, quickly occupying the entire Kyushu region. Then, we can make it appear as if we are advancing towards the main island. We can even deploy our fleet overseas to Yokohama and bombard Tokyo and Yokohama. At that point, Japan should start making empty threats, and Britain, France, and Germany should also intervene." "Stop! Let's give them face, take the opportunity to force Japan to sign a ceasefire treaty, pay reparations, and end this war!"

Yan'er clapped her hands happily, "Good! No wonder His Majesty values you so much! I'll just add one more thing: from now on, we'll completely blockade all of Japan's sea routes, cutting off all their food and war supplies! Japan is a country that relies on imported food and military supplies to support its war. If we blockade them, they will panic and lose their will to fight!"

Shu'er added, "The idea of fighting for another ten days should only be known between my wife and me. We must not let outsiders know. We need to mobilize our soldiers for a long-term war, and at the same time, we need to make our supplies look impressive so that the Japanese can't figure out our strength!"

I said, "Good, let's proceed according to Empress Yan and Consort Shu's plan! Everyone, please supplement this plan, and then we'll hold a meeting to deploy the plans. The battle will be scheduled for 4:00 AM the day after tomorrow."

As my wives and I were discussing the plan, gunshots suddenly rang out outside. We rushed out and found that the gunshots were coming from the direction of Fanyu Temple. I hurriedly summoned Li Xianglin and ordered him to investigate. He returned shortly after: "Your Majesty, Consort Yu led her men to infiltrate Beomosa Temple! Commander Cui Jiyong has already led his men to attack from the front. Beomosa Temple is practically captured!"

I was startled: "This little girl has gone mad! She's gone into enemy territory! I wonder if she's injured?"

I quickly said, "Immediately assemble the guard regiment and come with me to escort Consort Yu!"

Beomosa Temple, located at the foot of Geumjeongsan Mountain north of Busan, was built in the late 7th century and is Busan's oldest temple, a central hub of Zen Buddhism. Originally, it comprised 36 large temples, but these were unfortunately destroyed during the Imjin War. Rebuilt in 1717, the Daeungjeon Hall was particularly exquisite and magnificent, considered a masterpiece of Joseon Dynasty architecture. The temple still retains 7 halls, 2 pavilions, 3 large gates, 11 hermitages, and the original three-story stone pagoda, among many other historical sites. A gate supported by four stone pillars symbolizes all the laws of the universe; it is said that entering this gate allows one to forget all worldly troubles. The temple is built on Mount Jinjing, accessible only by a winding and treacherous mountain path, easy to defend and difficult to attack. This is why Brigade Commander Nogi Maresuke chose this place as his headquarters, and why Commander Cui Jiyong has been hesitant to remove this thorn in his side.

It seems Yu'er definitely didn't go up from the front; how did he climb the mountain? This truly worries me!

My wives noticed my worry and followed me up the mountain.

The gunfire on the mountain had mostly subsided; I knew the Japanese army had been wiped out, and Yu'er had succeeded. But what about her? I was frantic, running and stumbling towards Jinjing Mountain. Li Xianglin, fearing something might happen to me, kept saying as we ran, "Consort Yu will be alright. If something happens to her, we won't be able to take the mountain!"

I ignored him and continued running as fast as I could. Later, only Yan'er and Fei'er were still following behind me; the others had been left far behind.

When I reached the temple, I found soldiers cleaning up the battlefield. I hurriedly asked, "Have you seen Consort Yu?"

The soldier shook his head. "No, I haven't seen her. This is a battlefield. War keeps women away. Why would the Consort come?"

Because I was wearing a military uniform, he didn't recognize me, so he ignored me and busied himself with cleaning up the battlefield. But his statement that he hadn't seen any women made me even more worried about Yu'er's safety. I hurriedly flew towards the Great Buddha Hall.

Inside the main hall, enemy corpses were being cleared out. Cui Jiyong and a soldier with his back to me were talking. I went in and immediately asked, "Jiyong, have you seen Consort Yu?"

Cui Jiyong was taken aback and immediately said, "Oh dear, I completely forgot about that. We didn't see Consort Yu when we came up. Did she not come?"

I immediately became furious: "Cui Jiyong, let me tell you, even if you conquered the entire Fanyu Kingdom, let alone Fanyu Temple, if you lose my Consort Yu, I will strip you of all your honors! Your achievements cannot outweigh the losses you have caused!" After

I finished speaking, Cui Jiyong... Yong chuckled and turned to the soldier carrying me, saying, "I told you not to go, but you insisted! Luckily nothing happened. If something had, I'd be beheaded at the Meridian Gate!" The soldier turned and lunged

at me. I saw it was Yu'er, grabbed her, swung her around, and said, "You're too bold! Who told you to come up here by yourself?"

Yu'er smiled and said, "Who said I came up by myself? I led three hundred warriors up here! Look, Uncle Park Jin-cheol even showed us the way!" She pointed to an old man with white hair and beard beside her.

Although the old man's hair and beard were white, he was very energetic, with a ruddy complexion and prominent temples. He looked like a legendary old hero with superhuman martial arts skills! I hurriedly bowed to the old man, saying, "Thank you for your help, sir!"

The old man smiled, waved his hand, and said repeatedly, "China and Korea are one family! You are fighting the Japanese pirates, how could I not do my best! Besides, even the female general has climbed up, why shouldn't I?"

Only then did I realize that Yu'er had climbed up the cliff behind her with the old man's help. Now I was terrified; if I had slipped, it would have been too late for regrets!

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Roar of the Dragon

At midnight on October 5, 1894, I ordered the implementation of the offensive codenamed "The Roar of the Dragon." At four in the morning, my Beiyang Fleet suddenly launched a powerful offensive against the Japanese forces on Tsushima Island. Artillery fire covered all the Japanese positions on the island. Under the cover of artillery fire, my 122nd Division swiftly landed on the beachhead of Tsushima Island and rapidly advanced into its depths.

At the same time, after my Fuzhou fleet bombarded the Goto Islands for a short while, the 123rd Division landed on the beach of Fujiang and quickly eliminated the Japanese forward positions. Then it began to advance into the depths, continuously clearing the Japanese positions on the five islands.

At 5:30 AM, the Far East Fleet, which had just arrived, immediately bombarded Sado Island with artillery fire. The massive cannons of the "Dragon Soaring" and "Dragon Fury" blasted the enemy's forward positions, sending rocks and dust flying and causing

cries of agony. Then, the 132nd and 131st Divisions simultaneously landed on the east and west sides of the island and began their advance towards Aikawa Town! Emperor Mutsuhito of Japan had never taken Emperor Guangxu seriously. His minister, after meeting with Guangxu, described him to him: a man who stammered, hunched over, timidly sitting on the imperial bed, looking around aimlessly, like a drowning man clutching at a straw, or a coward fearing someone was about to kill him! What ambition could such a cowardly and pathetic fellow possibly have? What could he possibly accomplish? Therefore, when he heard that Guangxu had replaced Empress Dowager Cixi, Mutsuhito was particularly pleased, believing that Heaven had created a golden opportunity for the Great Japanese Empire to annex China! Therefore, he went to great lengths to launch the Korean War, only to be repeatedly defeated by China's Guangxu Emperor! Unconvinced, he promised to jointly partition Korea and urged Russia to send troops there. However, Russia proved even more vulnerable, becoming bogged down in Korea, losing Vladivostok, and losing its Pacific Fleet. Knowing that China would not give up easily and would attack the Japanese mainland, he immediately lobbied Britain, France, and Germany to pressure China into withdrawing its troops. Simultaneously, he began to consolidate his forces, deploying heavy troops along the lines of Shimonoseki to Matsue; Aomori to Niigata; Mito to Yokohama; and in Okinawa, Ohara, and Nase in the Ryukyu Islands.

By the 6th, China had completely controlled Tsushima Island, the Goto Islands, and Sado Island, and began bombarding the Japanese mainland and Kyushu.

The sudden Chinese military offensive on three islands and the bombardment of Kyushu and Honshu made Emperor Meiji realize that China's objective was to land on Honshu and destroy Japan, which greatly alarmed him! He immediately disrupted his original plans, withdrawing most of his troops from the three Ryukyu islands to strengthen defenses around Tokyo.

On the evening of the 6th, the Chinese Fuzhou Fleet suddenly turned south, covering the 113th and 114th Divisions' rapid capture of Tanegashima, Kuchikojima, Nakanoshima, and Yakushima in the ōsumi Islands, cutting off Japan's connection with Ryukyu, and beginning to bombard Japanese fortifications on Kagoshima.

Then, the Chinese East China Sea Fleet suddenly appeared off Okinawa. After an hour of bombardment, ten large troop transport ships began rapidly transporting Chinese soldiers to Okinawa via landing craft. The Chinese 141st and 142nd Divisions landed on Okinawa and began advancing towards the capital. The battle to liberate Ryukyu had officially begun!

The Ryukyu Islands were originally Chinese territory. The earliest Chinese historical records refer to this area as Liuqiu, meaning that the archipelago floats on the sea like a dragon. In Chinese, "Liu" means "a stone with luster," and "Qiu" means a perfectly polished jade; thus, Ryukyu refers to this string of islands resembling a luminous jade. The islands under the Ryukyu Kingdom are scattered across a thousand kilometers of sea from south to north, covering an area even larger than Japan's Honshu. From Yonaguni Island, the westernmost island of Okinawa, Taiwan can be seen on a clear day. The southernmost island, Hateruma Island, even overlaps with Taiwan in location, making its geographical position extremely important. Ryukyu has always been an independent state, but it has been deeply influenced by China. Through tributary relations and investiture agreements with my country, successive Ryukyu kings established close diplomatic and trade relations, and were strongly influenced by Chinese culture, especially the customs and traditions of the people of Fuzhou, through these frequent trade exchanges. During the reign of Emperor Taizu of Ming, the Ryukyu King formally paid tribute to the imperial court, accepting Chinese protection and investiture. He sent numerous students to learn and absorb the civilization and culture of the Central Plains, becoming a tributary state of my country, like Korea, Vietnam, and Burma. Later, the Satsuma Domain of Japan, much like the Japanese pirates who raided the Chinese coast, used force to coerce Ryukyu into becoming a vassal state of Japan. After encountering resistance, the Satsuma Domain sent Shimazu Iehisa to invade Ryukyu, capturing the Ryukyu King and placing troops under Japanese control to oversee Ryukyu's internal affairs for forty-five years. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi, the Ryukyu King finally broke free from the control of the Satsuma Domain. Grateful for the imperial favor of China, he proactively sent envoys to China to request investiture. Emperor Kangxi then bestowed upon the Ryukyu King the title of King Shoshi, stipulating that he would pay tribute every two years. For over two centuries afterward, the Ryukyu Kingdom paid tribute continuously, adopting Chinese reign titles and continuing the cultural practices of the Han and Tang dynasties. In terms of bloodline, the Ryukyu people are a branch of the Chinese nation. During the Ryukyu Kingdom period, the Ryukyu people practiced Buddhism and Confucianism. The Ryukyu language is similar to Minnan (Hokkien), and the Ryukyu people learned Chinese, using Chinese characters. Their culture, diet, and lifestyle were very similar to those of mainland China, and they governed their territory according to the Chinese political system. Therefore, from a cultural perspective, Ryukyu culture is also a branch of Chinese culture. In 1872, Japan invaded Ryukyu. In 1879, Japan imprisoned the last Ryukyu king, Sho Tai, in Tokyo and renamed Ryukyu Okinawa. The Qing government protested Japan's actions diplomatically, but to no avail. Alas, weak nations have no diplomacy!

Japan's garrison in Okinawa was already small, originally intended to bolster defenses with the presence of the Japanese fleet. However, due to the annihilation of most of the fleet and the recent emergency redeployment of a large portion of its forces, the number of Japanese troops on the Ryukyu Islands has dwindled to less than 5,000, scattered across a dozen outposts. Even within Okinawa City, the combined forces number less than 3,000. Now, with the Chinese army pressing in, they know their 3,000 soldiers are no match for the Chinese forces. But in this life-or-death situation, they have no choice but to adopt a defensive posture.

But how can an egg break a rock? Under the relentless offensive of the Chinese army, the Japanese positions on the outskirts of Okinawa quickly crumbled! By 6:00 AM on the 7th, the Chinese army had completely surrounded the capital, Okinawa.

Emperor Mutsuhito of Japan was completely bewildered: "Emperor Guangxu's tricks were all a facade; he actually wanted Ryukyu! But is it too late to send troops now? Besides, the seas are now under his control; can we even send troops? Now I know Guangxu is not someone to be trifled with, but it's too late! I have no chance to turn things around! If God gave me a few more years, I would fight him again; I refuse to believe I can't defeat him!" However, he still knew the importance of Ryukyu to Japan. It was a protective barrier for the Japanese archipelago, originally Chinese territory, acquired through manipulation from Empress Dowager Cixi. Now lost, it was likely gone forever! Therefore, he hurriedly dispatched 10,000 men, three warships, four torpedo boats, and twenty transport ships from Miyazaki to reinforce Nase on Amami Oshima.

The ships were immediately pursued by a Chinese submarine. Despite the Japanese warships continuously launching underwater torpedoes and firing cannons, half of the transport ships were lost, and one of the three warships capsized.

The town of Nase was defended by only 1,000 Japanese soldiers. Now, with the addition of 5,000 reinforcements, two warships, and four torpedo boats, the Japanese felt much more confident. However, attacking the Chinese army on Okinawa with such a small force was like moths to a flame, with little chance of victory. Therefore, Brigade Commander Tanaka Honichi decided to hold Amami Island, turning it into a dagger thrust into the heart of the Chinese army!

Holding Okinawa was the deputy brigade commander of the Japanese 4th Mixed Brigade, Oshima Keizo. He had originally hoped for reinforcements from the Japanese mainland, but seeing no such reinforcements, he withdrew his troops into Okinawa Castle and confiscated all the food supplies for military rations.

When the local Okinawan people surrounded his headquarters to protest the Japanese control of the food supplies, he ordered his troops to open fire on the protesters, yelling, "These are all Chinese spies! Kill them! Kill one less! Kill one, and we Japanese soldiers will have one more ration!" The frenzied

massacre resulted in the deaths of over 2,000 Ryukyuans, turning the area in front of the headquarters into a river of blood.

On the night of the 8th, over 800 Ryukyuans risked their lives to escape Okinawa Castle, finding my tent and weeping about the brutality of the Japanese army!

Enraged, I smashed a table in front of me with my fist and shouted, "Immediately issue the order for a general offensive on Okinawa Castle! Liberate the Ryukyuan people and severely punish the Japanese invaders! Tell all soldiers that all Japanese soldiers captured in Okinawa Castle should be handed over to the Ryukyuan people for trial!"

As soon as the order for the general offensive was given, a deluge of artillery fire instantly leveled all the enemy's painstakingly constructed fortifications. Then, the Chinese army launched its assault, quickly breaking through all four gates and surrounding the headquarters of the Japanese deputy brigade commander, Oshima Keizo,

in just one hour. Ryukyuan Castle erupted in jubilation. The Ryukyuan people flooded the streets, chasing after stragglers of the Japanese army, slicing their flesh into pieces with knives and throwing them to their dogs.

The Ryukyuan people even spontaneously organized themselves to deliver tea and rations to their own troops.

Looking at the Japanese troops stubbornly resisting inside the headquarters building, they said, "Why don't we just fire a cannon at them and blast those bastards?"

"This building belongs to my family. Even if it collapses, it's better than letting them kill us! Bomb them!"

"These Japanese wolves have caused us so much suffering! Bomb them!"

Faced with the pleas of the Ryukyu people, I ordered all artillery fire to be concentrated on the headquarters!

Immediately, dozens of cannons roared in unison, and the building collapsed under the barrage. The Japanese soldiers inside screamed in agony. A few dozen survivors fled, but they encountered an even more horrific scene. Ignoring the collapsing building and our soldiers' warnings, the Ryukyu people rushed forward, tearing and stabbing the fleeing soldiers to pieces in moments. Ryukyu

City was liberated, but the Ryukyu people had gone mad. They searched the streets for Japanese soldiers, tearing and killing them at will. Of the more than a thousand Japanese soldiers who had survived the bombardment, not a single one survived!

This was retribution for the Japanese invaders' inhumane atrocities, and the inevitable end of their invasion of another country!

The people of Ryukyu were overjoyed. The streets were filled with the traditional Chinese folk dance, Yangko, and banners proclaiming "Ryukyu is home!" Hundreds of representatives from the city came to my lodgings, strongly demanding that Ryukyu be incorporated into China. They wanted to be Chinese citizens forever and never again be isolated overseas!

I understood their feelings, but I didn't immediately respond. I said, "Ryukyu is only our vassal state. We have an obligation to protect Ryukyu. Whether or not Ryukyu can be incorporated into China, we need to invite your King Shō Tai back so he can decide!"

They still disagreed, kneeling on the ground and refusing to rise. Finally, I said, "This matter cannot be decided by a few people, nor by the people of this one city. It must be decided by all the people of Ryukyu! Let's wait for your king to return and let everyone decide together! But no matter what, Ryukyu will never again be occupied by the Japanese devils!"

Only then did they reluctantly leave.

After liberating the Ryukyu Islands, the army quickly liberated the other islands. By October 9th, only Nase Town on ōshima Island remained in Japanese hands.

Facing the mighty Chinese army, Tanaka Honichi knew his fate, but he could only hold out to the bitter end!

Mutsuhito already knew the situation in Ryukyu, but he was helpless. He could only order Tanaka Honichi to defend Oshima to the death, turning it into a thorn in the side of Ryukyu. When the opportunity arose, Japan could use this one point to seize Ryukyu, Taiwan, and most of China! They had managed to seize Ryukyu for so many years with nothing; with Oshima in hand, it would be easy to continue!

I saw that half the time had passed, and we couldn't afford to delay any longer. I ordered Li Gang's troops to continue their fierce attack on Nase Town, and simultaneously ordered the East China Sea Fleet and Ma Yukun's forces to launch an attack on Nobeoka!

Li Gang had long wanted to attack the Japanese mainland, but this time he failed, which enraged him. He jumped up and down, cursing Tanaka Honichi: "You bastard, you think you're right just because you're hiding in your den? I'm not Li Gang if I do

n't bomb your den flat!" He ordered his rocket artillery regiment to bombard Tanaka Honichi's headquarters, obliterating the small building of its bricks.

Tanaka Honichi was lucky; he was inspecting the front-line defenses that day and escaped the bombardment. However, the rest of his headquarters were not so lucky; they all met their demise. Nevertheless,

Li Gang's front-line positions suffered significant losses. Enemy artillery couldn't reach the Chinese rocket positions, so they rained shells down on Li Gang's forward positions, causing numerous casualties and creating a large breach in the defenses.

Enraged, Li Gang switched the artillery fire to the enemy's front lines. The artillery fire continued to spread forward, and Chinese tank units followed suit, breaching Tanaka Honichi's defensive line and allowing Chinese troops to storm into the town of Nase.

Li Gang's Independent 1st Regiment fought the fiercest, charging directly to the enemy's artillery positions and wiping out over 300 artillerymen before turning their guns on the enemy.

Seeing the loss of their artillery positions, Tanaka Honichi knew the situation was hopeless. He led his remaining troops into a building, where he continued to command the Japanese resistance.

Because the Japanese already knew what was happening in Ryukyu Castle, their resistance was exceptionally fierce, and the street fighting was exceptionally brutal.

Sometimes a single street or house would be fought over and changed hands several times. Hand-to-hand combat frequently broke out; when bayonets bent, soldiers would use rifle butts, their hands, and their teeth to strike each other. The number of dead and wounded on both sides was rapidly increasing.

Seeing the heavy casualties among my soldiers, I immediately ordered Li Gang to halt the attack and withdraw the troops to safety.

I observed that the enemy had been compressed into a small urban area, so I decided to concentrate artillery fire for a saturation bombardment before sending the tanks in.

The tanks, with their combined fire and pressure, quickly broke through the enemy's last line of defense. After suffering heavy casualties, the enemy retreated into several buildings to continue their resistance.

I immediately ordered the tanks to withdraw as well, and then commanded the artillery to bombard those buildings. By the afternoon of the 10th, the sound of gunfire had ceased in the city.

Before I could even order my soldiers to search for the remaining enemy, the people of Ryukyu had already begun searching door-to-door. However, no one reported the results to me. Li Gang simply said, "The Japanese resistance was fierce; we didn't capture a single prisoner!"

I knew that it was once again the people who had helped eliminate those vicious invaders.

What you sow, you reap; the Japanese government's policy of being an enemy of the people of Asia had led them to their doom.

Ryukyu returned to the embrace of its motherland, and the people were immersed in a sea of joy. The entire island held a three-day celebration, and everywhere became a sea of jubilation.

But I had no time to enjoy this happiness, as I sailed with the East China Sea Fleet towards Nobeoka Town on Kyushu Island.

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