Section 8, Counterattack (1)

The Eighth Team of Long Qian is currently without tasks and is still in a state of rest. In the battle of Zhangjiazhuang, the Eighth Team suffered seventeen fatalities and twenty-seven injuries. After returning to the mountain, four of the injured subsequently died. Now, the number of combat-ready soldiers in the Eighth Team is less than one hundred. However, the condition of their weapons has improved due to the spoils of war; the Eighth Team now possesses seventy-six various long guns, with an average of forty-five rounds of ammunition per gun. With the outbreak of hostilities, the mountain stronghold has decided not to reclaim the captured ammunition. The condition of their weapons has improved due to the spoils of war; the Eighth Team now possesses seventy-six various long guns, with an average of forty-five rounds of ammunition per gun. With the outbreak of hostilities, the mountain stronghold has decided not to reclaim the captured ammunition.

"It is a cannon." Long Qian focused and listened carefully, "It's nothing, they are far away from here. They are shelling the building."

Sun Deming appeared quite assertive in front of several others, but the battles at Zhangjiazhuang and Louzi had stripped him of his arrogance. He no longer dared to underestimate the combat effectiveness of this elite government army. If the threat of the cannons could not be eliminated, the fall of Tianmen was only a matter of time. In his view, his elder brother's decision was correct. Thus, he said, "This is good. I think we should arrange for the second brother's men to be stationed at Tianmen. Even if we have to retreat, we must have someone to cover our backs."

Without mentioning that Sun Deming's Fifth Team was preparing for a night raid to occupy the building, Sun Dewang immediately summoned his guard captain, Qiu Zhicheng, to find Nong Mengfu

Tonight, the imperial troops will surely be on guard Liu Yucai pondered It will not be easy to launch a surprise attack

After breakfast, the two teams, Team 2 and Team 4, gathered in the square in front of Guangming Temple. The chief leader, Sun Dewang, personally addressed the brothers of both teams who were about to set out, which served to boost their morale. The teams then set off under the leadership of Zhou Huanan.

At this moment, the hour of You has passed, and several leaders have reached a consensus and dispersed. Sun Dewang left his younger brother, Sun Deming, and expressed his true thoughts. Since the government troops have gathered in the western route, a direct confrontation would only lead to one outcome: depleting the wealth we have accumulated over many years. It is not easy for us to gather this little capital, so it would be better to withdraw. We should break through to the eastern route and then move towards Feixian, avoiding the government troops' momentum. After they have retreated, we can assess the situation and return.

Sun Dewang did not oppose; under the flickering candlelight, his expression fluctuated between dark and light. He did not express his thoughts, but inside he was filled with regret, wishing he had withdrawn from Mengshan earlier. The Yimeng Mountains stretch for eight hundred miles, offering ample space. With several thousand troops at his disposal, where could he not go? Now that he is being targeted by the government forces, retreating is no longer so easy.

Long Qian's drill lasted for the entire morning, after which he brought the eight squads back to the barracks. Long Qian noticed that his soldiers were in a stable mood, even chatting and laughing during lunch. The battle of Zhangjiazhuang further solidified Long Qian's authority within the unit, and the squad leaders and section leaders completely trusted their captain.

Preparations for the secret evacuation of the stronghold began here, while Sun Deming gathered the fifth team, which had not been deployed since the start of the campaign, to launch a surprise attack on the government troops occupying the frontline positions. Sun Deming's objective was to destroy the artillery that posed a significant threat to the stronghold, so he collected all the gunpowder from the stronghold and handed it over to the fifth team. The fifth team remained on standby until midnight before departing from the old camp, making their way towards the stronghold via Tianmen. The road down from Tianmen had already been bombarded during the day, and the charred trees still emitted a burnt smell, heightening the soldiers' tension. The scenes of fierce battles during the day had spread throughout the mountain, and the heavy casualties suffered by the second and fourth infantry teams, which had failed to hold the stronghold, added to the soldiers' concerns about the attack planned for that night.

The sun set early, and after the government troops occupied the frontline positions of the building, they also came to a halt. Due to their absolute advantage in firepower, the government troops would not engage in night combat

"My goodness, what a loud noise!" Jiang Yun was pulled up by Long Qian, still feeling a lingering fear.

The peril of Tianmen is far greater than that of the tower; the government troops' artillery is not easily movable, and they must attack us uphill all the way. As long as we are not afraid of death, the government troops will not be able to breach the natural defenses of Tianmen

"Do not speak of those useless things, what good are they!" Sun Dewang's voice was somber, "Old Three, how long do you think we can hold out if the government troops bring artillery?"

After lunch, Long Qian did not rest and went to Guangming Temple to visit the wounded soldiers in his unit. There, he heard intense gunfire coming from the northwest, signaling that the siege battle had officially begun. After checking on the injured, Long Qian hurriedly returned to Duoduo Village with his guard Jiang Yun. On the way, they suddenly heard a dull, thunderous sound, which startled Jiang Yun, causing him to scream and crouch down, holding his head.

Because Sun Deming arrived at the Louzi position at the onset of the battle and witnessed the power of the government forces' artillery firsthand, with his testimony, Sun Dewang did not blame Zhou Huanan for the retreat but instead convened the team leaders to discuss the suddenly tense situation

Although the terrain of Tianmen and the building is steep, it is primarily composed of rock, making it unrealistic to excavate all the anti-shell holes. Long Qian considered that once his troops were deployed, he would adopt the tactical principle of "light forces in the front and heavy forces in the rear, with heavy firepower in the front and light firepower in the rear." He aimed to minimize troop deployment at the front and place the reserves in the rear, ensuring a swift and powerful counterattack. Therefore, all rifles were assigned to soldiers with good marksmanship and strong will. Long Qian also repeatedly emphasized the essentials of counterattacks, highlighting the importance of close combat during these engagements. In any case, he expressed everything he had thought of. As for the silver and promissory notes, Long Qian collected them all, stating that at this time, no one was allowed to seek pleasure in the brothels; the money would be distributed after the battle was over.

Two platoons held their positions in the building for only one and a half hours

Therefore, your suggestion of a night raid tonight is correct. Do not give the second group the impression that we, as brothers, are conserving our strength to let them fight desperately against the government troops. However, do remain vigilant, as firearms do not discriminate. I will have Nong Mengfu prepare for the evacuation. You may go now

"That's fine, Lao San, please pay attention to your safety. If things don't go well, retreat; don't force it. As long as the green mountains remain, there is no fear of not having firewood to burn," Sun Dewang advised.

"We must destroy those cannons; I will lead a team to kill them tonight!" Sun Deming said with resentment. Not long ago, the explosive scene at the Louzi position seemed to still be vivid in his mind; with one cannon shot, several brothers were instantly reduced to nothing but bones.

The mountain path was winding, with hundreds of people crowded on it. Unbeknownst to who was overly tense, a rifle accidentally discharged as it struck the rocky ground, the gunfire echoing far into the silent night. Sun Deming, who was at the rear, shouted angrily, "Who fired? I will chop him down!" At this moment, they were less than two hundred steps from the building, still needing to navigate a sharp turn. However, the gunfire from the slope at the turn drowned out Sun Deming's furious curses. Immediately, someone in the ranks was hit, letting out a sharp scream. The bandits in front quickly dropped to the ground on the path, and some began to fire back blindly. Sun Deming, still at the rear, shouted angrily, "Who fired? I will chop him down!" At this moment, they were less than two hundred steps from the building, still needing to navigate a sharp turn. However, the gunfire from the slope at the turn drowned out Sun Deming's furious curses. Immediately, someone in the ranks was hit, letting out a sharp scream. The bandits in front quickly dropped to the ground on the path, and some began to fire back blindly.

At that bend, there was a sentry post established by the government troops, originally intended merely to serve as a lookout to buy time for the main position. Two rapid-fire guns managed to suppress a troop of about one hundred soldiers, rendering them unable to move on the mountain path

At this point, the contest between the bandits of Mengshan Village and the Right Army of the Wuwei has determined a victor. A few thousand disorganized individuals may manage to confront the already decayed and utterly ineffective Green Standard troops, but they stand no chance against the newly formed imperial army, which has undergone years of training and is equipped with modern weaponry. For instance, the surprise attack tonight, while not devoid of strategic merit, lacked tactical coherence. Firstly, there was an issue with troop selection; in warfare, the number of attackers should be determined by the situation, rather than executing every mission with a complete unit. Secondly, the choice of route is crucial; one must strike unexpectedly. If elite troops are selected, abandoning the main roads to traverse mountains and launch an attack from an unforeseen direction could increase the chances of success. Furthermore, reconnaissance has been indispensable on the battlefield throughout history. Sun Deming recklessly launched an attack without even clarifying the enemy's artillery positions, making failure inevitable.

Considering that his Eighth Brigade would certainly be engaged in the upcoming defensive battle, Long Qian concentrated the brigade in the mountainous area south of Duoduo Zhai, explaining and demonstrating the essentials of ambush warfare using maps and diagrams. He personally dug a single-soldier artillery pit to demonstrate to the soldiers. Acknowledging that very few officers and soldiers in the Eighth Brigade had experienced the power of artillery, Long Qian took cotton from an old cotton-padded jacket and fashioned it into earplugs to prevent panic and disorder from the deafening explosions of shells. He patiently taught the soldiers various small tips, such as the necessity of keeping their mouths open during enemy artillery bombardments to alleviate pressure on their eardrums.

In the Battle of Zhangjiazai, the Eighth Division seized more than a dozen hand grenades. Long Qian decided to personally use these grenades in order to maximize their effectiveness

Qiu Zhicheng's cavalry unit consists of about one hundred individuals, all of whom are the most trusted subordinates of Sun Dewang. They are well-equipped and skilled in marksmanship, serving as the private armed force within the private bandit group of Mengshan Village. This is also a characteristic of the military under China's thousands of years of feudal system, where commanders often prefer to maintain private soldiers who are absolutely loyal to them.

"Old Five, this time we may need to avoid the spotlight. Let's keep a low profile for now. I will hand over Qiu Zhicheng to you for your use, so make preparations quickly. Only take the essentials; as for the rest, distribute what you can to the lower ranks, and burn what cannot be distributed. We must not leave anything for the government troops. Be careful not to let any news leak out; if people's hearts are scattered, things will become troublesome," Sun Deming instructed.

After a night of deliberation, the leaders decided that the fourth chief, Zhou Huannan, would lead the second and fourth teams to construct fortifications in the vicinity of the building for defense. Meanwhile, Sun Deming would lead auxiliary troops to establish a second line of defense at Tianmen, located less than two miles away. However, Long Qian did not receive the news of the army's breakout.

The hastily executed ambush, which was not meticulously prepared, ended up being a failure.

Half an hour later, the auxiliary soldiers gathered in a disorganized manner, bringing their tools, and followed Sun Deming, who was riding a horse, to Tianmen.

"We cannot just sit and wait for our doom!" Sun Deming resolved, "I will lead the Fifth Team to launch a surprise attack at midnight, catching them off guard."

Sun Deming, seeing that the surprise attack had already failed, and coupled with his brother's earlier decision to withdraw from Mengshan, lost his fighting spirit. Realizing the futility of the surprise attack, he simply issued the order to retreat and abandon the books. The fifth team left behind three corpses and hurriedly retreated back to Tianmen

That evening, several leaders gathered once again to discuss and unanimously approved the decision to withdraw from the stronghold to avoid the enemy's sharp edge. Due to the need for time to organize the thousands of people, especially the women and supplies of the old camp, it was decided that Liu Yucai would personally command the defense of Tianmen the following day, in order to gain at least one day for the retreat of the old camp

"The sound is not terrifying; what is terrifying is its lethality." Long Qian gazed in the direction of the building, beginning to worry about teams two and four led by Zhou Huanan

In the afternoon, Long Qian was summoned to the Guangming Temple camp, where he learned that the Louzi frontline had been breached, and the captains of the Fourth Team had been killed. The Second and Fourth Infantry Companies completely collapsed under the fierce bombardment of the imperial army's artillery. Sun Deming, overseeing the fortifications at Tianmen, led the Seventh Team in a desperate counterattack, driving the imperial troops that had invaded the Louzi position back down the mountain. However, they soon succumbed again to the intense artillery fire. In desperation, Sun Deming and Zhou Huanan abandoned the shattered Louzi position and retreated to Tianmen.

The time for the retreat is set for tomorrow morning.

The meeting has always been held in the main hall of Guangming Temple. The candles have not yet been lit, and the light in the hall is quite dim. Long Qian stands by the door, gazing at the chief seated in the main position, feeling that Sun Dewang seems to have aged considerably within a single day.

"Shameless scoundrel, if you have the guts, let's settle this with real weapons!" Sun Deming had a white cloth wrapped around his head, likely indicating a head injury.

Several leaders studied the retreat route and decided to descend via the eastern road. Although this route is not as easy to traverse as the western road, it is still passable for vehicles and horses, and is relatively familiar. The order of the breakout is as follows: Sun Deming will lead the seventh and fifth teams as the vanguard, followed by the cavalry, then the old camp guard protecting the families of the old camp, and finally the first, second, third, and fourth infantry teams, which have suffered significant casualties, retreating with the wounded. The complete sixth team and the eighth team, which is still relatively intact under Long Qian, will serve as the rear guard for blocking and counterattacking, with the sixth team operating in the morning and the eighth team in the afternoon. The eighth team must hold its position until after midnight tomorrow before it can withdraw.