Chapter 179: Shandong Tax Bank Robbery (V)
After finishing the trade with Spain, the team transported thousands of tons of goods on the road. The people who saw Huo Chong's team had complicated expressions, but many children followed the team to watch. For them, the long dragon they had never seen before was so novel, and the objects on the cars were even more interesting.
For the escort team, the seven Spaniards were the more interesting ones. Not to mention their appearance, their Spanish beards alone were surprising.
Huo Chong didn't know Spanish, and the few words he could speak were all from American TV series about drug lords. Fortunately, the leader knew a little Chinese, so they started to communicate. These gunners were all gunners on the ship, and from the sound of their skills, they were not gunners in the regular army. They were just guys with experience in firing cannons. Huo Chong was very disappointed.
When the large group of troops returned to the county seat of Muping County, they received news that the troops to control key points in the west and south had already set out. Huo Chong was a little conflicted. If possible, he really wanted to let the troops participate in the land reform.
But if we don't occupy some key points and set up the most basic perimeter alert and defense system, we won't be able to effectively prepare for the next battle. It's really regrettable.
At this time, the westward troops were advancing according to the plan. Although Zichuan County was nominally the seat of the Han regime, on the other hand, Zichuan County next to Jinan was also the front line. It was just that there were mountainous areas between it and Jinan, and the road was difficult to travel.
To the west of Zibo County is Laiwu. Laiwu is part of the Yimeng Mountains, but the area is actually a basin. It has always been a battleground for military strategists. The "Battle of Changshao" in junior high school textbooks, which is the battle described in the ancient text that left the classic ironic phrase "those who eat meat are vulgar", broke out here.
As for the "Battle of Laiwu" in the Liberation War which had not yet broken out, it was also an extremely important battle in the entire early stage of Shandong.
At this time, a troop of about 400 people was approaching Laiwu. This number was insignificant compared to the current 600,000-800,000 Qing troops, but the current field troops of the Han regime were at most 4,000. One tenth of the troops was by no means insignificant to the Han regime.
The leader of the troops was Huo Chong's sixth apprentice brother Liu Shiwang. After crossing mountains and ridges for several days, Laiwu County had already appeared in sight. As the troops approached, the county also noticed the presence of the Han army. There was a panic outside the city, and the county gates slowly closed, and the defenders had already appeared on the top of the city.
Arriving at the foot of the city, the Han army set up their attack positions, deployed artillery, and assembled ladders. During this gap, they also sent people to shout at the city. Liu Shiwang touched the small notebook in his pocket, but did not take it out.
Fighting on Huo Chong's side was really interesting. It had nothing to do with the duels in storytelling. There was a whole set of methods for how to march, how to set up camp, and how to arrange positions. Commanders all needed to memorize their own set of methods.
Now Liu Shiwang no longer needs to take out the small notebook to check each one, these things have begun to be arranged naturally. But if he doesn't touch the small notebook in his hand, Liu Shiwang feels uneasy.
Then people at the foot of the city shouted with megaphones: "Listen up, people on the city. We Han troops don't like to kill people. If you surrender, we will naturally spare your lives. You don't have to be afraid of the county magistrate in the city. If you want to be loyal to the Qing Tartars, if you want to hang yourself, we will give you a rope! If you want to drink medicine, we will give you a bottle! If you don't want to die and dare not go back, we will put you in jail and give you food. We won't make things difficult for you, the county magistrate..."
Liu Shiwang almost laughed out loud when he heard this. The things described in these words had all happened before. One by one, he had either experienced them or had been told about them by other brothers in the participating troops at the post-war summary meeting.
There's something inexplicably funny about just describing the truth in such light-hearted words .
The Han troops attacking the city found the shouting particularly interesting, but the defenders on the city walls felt completely different. Seeing the Han army wearing captured armor, setting up artillery, and preparing ladders, they were clearly ready to fight. They also heard the people shouting the different results of several response methods to the city walls, which made everyone lose even the thought of an unexpected event. This panic is indescribable.
Finally, everyone's eyes fell on a few people. These people were all dressed as soldiers, nothing special about them. Under the gaze of everyone, they were forced to speak, "Master Huo...keeps his word. If he says so, we will pull the people to the top of the city to defend the city, and he will kill people. He will really kill people."
After saying this, one of them couldn't help but shudder. The others were only captured once, but this brother was captured twice. In the first and second encirclement and suppression campaigns ordered by the court, he first participated in the one commanded by the former Shandong Governor Li Shude, and after being released, he participated in the one in Jinan City. He was really very experienced.
After hearing this, the other defenders were also scared. The total number of soldiers and horses left in Laiwu County was no more than 40, and including the yamen runners and the county magistrate, the total number was less than 50.
In peaceful times, this number of people would be enough to scare the county. However, this was not a peaceful time, and there were hundreds of people under the city.
The county magistrate was also on the city wall at this time. After he learned about the defeat of the government army in the Battle of Jinan, he realized that it was only a matter of time for Huo Chong to attack Laiwu. At this time, the content of the shouting by the people under the city was clear and complete, and the selection was quite generous, which surprised him.
How could a group of thieves have such strength? The county magistrate couldn't understand it at all. The county magistrate was a Jinshi, and the county magistrate was usually a Juren or a donated official. This county magistrate was a donated official. Seeing that the thieves gradually arranged their formation under the city, the county magistrate no longer dared to stay on the city and shouted to the group in front of him: "You wait to defend the city! I'll wait for you in the county government to beat back the thieves."
Having said that, he ran down the city.
When the county magistrate disappeared without a trace, the brothers on the city wall looked at each other, and some of them went to see whether the county magistrate had gone far.
After watching for a while, the man came back and whispered to everyone, "The county magistrate is really gone."
After exchanging glances among the crowd, his eyes finally fell on the experienced released prisoners.
Under tremendous pressure, this experienced guy finally chose his final opinion based on his experience, "Mr. Huo speaks, and I listen."
At this point, there was nothing more to say. Someone had already run to the battlements to quietly communicate with the Han troops under the city.
Not long after, after the Han troops fired a few cannons and shots, they began to erect ladders.
Surrender, occupy the city walls, open the gates, all in one go. In half a day, Laiwu City had changed hands and became a city under the management of the Han army.
