Chapter 398: The aftermath
In order to transport the property seized by the militia out of the city as quickly as possible, the headquarters even ordered the temporary recruitment of thousands of civilians from the city to act as porters to supplement the transportation capacity. Hundreds of civilians lined up in a long line to load various items in the imperial city into boxes one by one, and then transported them to the riverside outside the city for loading on ships. It looked like ants moving.
"I have to say, it feels good to be a conqueror!" Yan Chujie stood on the wall of the imperial city and said with pride.
Since the establishment of the Hai Han Militia, although they have gone through several large and small battles, this is the first time they have conquered a city of the size of Hue. The city of Hoi An that was captured last year was only about 100 square meters in size in comparison. The imperial city in Hue is slightly larger, and its defensive facilities and means are completely incomparable to Hue. The capture of Hue City can be regarded as the first truly significant battle in the history of militia warfare.
"We have to move quickly. Those North Vietnamese guys won't keep watching outside the city. They should be entering the city soon." Wang Tom reminded him from the side.
Tao Donglai raised his hand and looked at the time: "It is now two o'clock in the afternoon. The report half an hour ago said that the fighting outside the city is almost over. But I guess they still need a little time to deal with the prisoners. Tom, you take Two companies go to the west gate. If the North Vietnamese army intends to enter the city and stop them first, say that we are chasing fugitives in the city... In short, you can make your own excuse and let them enter the city after five o'clock!"
"Okay, leave this black face to me to perform!" Wang Tom smiled and accepted the task.
Yan Chujie's statement is not entirely an excuse. Qian Tiandun and others are indeed leading a team to clear out the remaining South Vietnamese soldiers in the city and arrest some South Vietnamese political dignitaries who have been included in the arrest list. Although there is a group of leading parties to assist, it is not easy for the militia to find and arrest a few target persons in a large city with nearly 100,000 residents at this time of war and chaos, which is completely away from home. Moreover, there is no way to confirm which people on the list are still hiding in the city and which people have taken advantage of the chaos to escape from the city. The results of the arrest operation are not optimistic.
Of course, the main reason why the militia tried to delay the North Vietnamese army's entry into the city was to buy time to make more money. Outside almost every deep house compound, there are piles of boxes like a hill. These are the results of house raids by vigilante groups. Yan Chujie even asked Wang Tom's naval warships to give up continuing to blockade the Xiangjiang River and instead temporarily take on the task of transporting property.
“We really hit a gold mine this time!”
At this time, almost every militia soldier had similar thoughts. It was probably the first time since they were born that they had seen so much money gathered together. It was impossible to say that no one was jealous. However, Haihan military law is strict, and any behavior of embezzling loot will be severely punished. Several militiamen who were caught hiding property had their hands tied behind their backs and hung from a roadside tree for public display. Not only would they receive such physical punishment, they would also be expelled from the military and sentenced to a certain period of hard labor. The punishment was not unreasonable. Heavy.
The leading troops of the North Vietnamese Army arrived outside the west gate about half an hour after Yan Chujie gave the order. However, at this time, the west gate was already controlled by Wang Tom, who led the team. He raised the suspension bridge on the moat, despite the continuous shouting and cursing outside the city. No reaction.
This delaying tactic lasted for more than an hour. It was not until Zheng Bai came to the city in person to call for formation that Wang Tom appeared on the tower, holding an iron trumpet and shouted to Zheng Bai across the moat: "General Zheng, our troops are now in the city. The situation is quite chaotic after wiping out the remaining soldiers defending the city. In order to avoid accidentally injuring friendly forces, please stay outside the city for a while.”
Zheng Baiqiang held back his anger and said: "If you have anything to do, put down the suspension bridge first and let me cross the river later!"
"General Zheng, wait a moment. I'll go ask the headquarters for instructions first." After saying that, Wang Tom didn't wait for Zheng Bai's reply, and threw the tin trumpet to the men next to him: "Watch them. If they don't try to cross the river, , don’t worry about what they say or do outside, just call me if you need anything!”
Zheng Bai patiently waited outside the city for another half an hour. Seeing that there was no movement at all on top of the city, he couldn't help but curse. However, this kind of venting of emotions is of no use. Apart from making one's voice hoarse, it has no actual effect at all.
Seeing time passing by, Zheng Bai was thinking about whether he should break out and send troops to attack the west gate, when he heard a creaking sound from the tower, and the suspension bridge was finally lowered slowly.
Wang Tom came out with an apologetic look and greeted from a distance: "General Zheng, I'm so sorry to have delayed you for so long! Everyone from the headquarters just went to various parts of the city to supervise the battle, and I couldn't find him at the moment. After arriving, I finally asked for their opinions one by one, and then hurried back to open the door for you. "General Zheng, you are not in a hurry, are you?"
Zheng Bai thought that I was merciful for not being rushed to death here. He just snorted and said: "Your army had agreed beforehand to attack Hue City together. It would be unkind to make such an arrangement when the matter came to pass!"
Wang Tom has been around people like Yan Chujie for a long time, and his face has long been as thick as a city wall. How could he be affected by Zheng Bai's level of ridicule? He immediately defended: "Our army is just worried that after your army enters the city, because of the number Misunderstanding occurred due to unclear identification. Now that our army has given a complete Hue city with both hands, what else can General Zheng be dissatisfied about?”
Zheng Bai knew that he could not argue with these Haihan people, so he stopped arguing with Wang Tom and said with cupped hands: "I am leading the army into the city. Please send someone from your army to help to avoid misunderstandings."
"It should, it should." Wang Tom responded with a smile on his face. At this time, seven out of ten of the large families in the city had already packed up their belongings and shipped them out of the city, and all kinds of valuables in the palace were also packed into boxes and shipped out of the imperial city by category. Even the things that were too late to be shipped out of the city had already been concentrated. Arriving in the urban area actually controlled by the Haihan Militia. The North Vietnamese Army had just entered the city at this time, so there was no need to expect meat. At most, some soup would be good.
At this time, no remnants of the defenders could be seen on the main streets in the city, and calm was gradually restored in various urban areas. For ordinary people, the war was over. Even if there are still a small number of South Vietnamese soldiers hiding in the city, they no longer dare to show up rashly. Those who dare to show up will either be killed by the Haihan militia or captured and taken as prisoners. However, the day's chaotic fighting continued, and there were still obvious battle marks left in many places in the city. From time to time, the North Vietnamese troops entering the city could see the corpses of dead defenders on the roadside, or houses that were still smoking. ruins.
The first place Zheng Bai went to was of course the Imperial City, where a large number of documents related to the South Vietnamese regime were stored. Information on the status of cultivated land, population distribution, military deployment and other information under its rule was something that the North Vietnamese court must obtain, and in the Imperial City The huge wealth accumulated by the Nguyen family over the decades of being in charge of South Vietnam cannot be lost.
When he saw the intact imperial city tower, Zheng Bai was still secretly glad that he had arrived in time. Maybe the Haihan people had not had time to touch the things in the city. But when he crossed the moat and entered the imperial city, he was so frightened by what he saw that he almost fell off his horse.
About a mile directly in front of him, the towers on the other side of the imperial city had turned into a pile of rubble on the ground, and a large gap of more than ten feet long appeared in the middle of the city wall. Zheng Bai's army is also equipped with a lot of artillery produced by Haihan. He still has a relatively deep understanding of the power of this weapon. It would be very difficult to forcibly destroy such a long section of the city tower with artillery. Zheng Bai It is simply unimaginable what terrible things the Haihan people did to the imperial city during the few days they entered the city.
After arriving in the middle area of the imperial city, Zheng Baicai discovered that many palaces in the city had obvious scars from being hit by cannonballs. A large part of the roof in the southeast corner of the Qinzheng Palace was directly destroyed. This shows that the Haihan militia group had invaded the imperial city. The scenes were also very violent at times. Seeing these situations, Zheng Bai's heart sank and he no longer had too much hope for what he could gain in the imperial city.
And the result was indeed as he expected. The huge imperial city was actually empty of all ten rooms. Not to mention the gold and silver treasures, even the shelves in the royal archives were quite empty. Zheng Bai didn't know how many things the Haihan people had moved, but it was obvious that they had already made a comprehensive plan, otherwise they would not have moved all the valuable things in the imperial city on the day they attacked the imperial city.
"Although the buildings in the city are somewhat damaged, it shouldn't be a big problem to repair them. I think it's time for some old houses to be renovated." As if he was afraid that Zheng Bai was not angry enough, Yan Chujie promptly made up for it. hit. Zheng Baiqiang suppressed the anger in his heart and said: "Cannon fire has no eyesight. It is inevitable that these palaces will be damaged in the war. But doesn't General Yan feel that this imperial city is a little empty?"
Yan Chujie nodded in agreement and said: "I originally thought that although South Vietnam is a local separatist force, it should have some property at least. Unexpectedly, when I entered, I found that everything was empty and there was nothing valuable. Look, It seems like all the money was spent on the war.”
"You..." Zheng Bai was speechless at Yan Chujie's straightforward statement. The things in the palace were gone as soon as they were gone. The Haihan people refused to admit their debt. Zheng Bai had no choice but to think of nothing. He couldn't really break up with the Haihan people because of money without any evidence.
Zheng Bai was holding back this mouthful of old blood. He was so angry that he felt dizzy, and he began to stagger a little unsteadily. Seeing this, Yan Chujie quickly shouted: "Hurry up and help General Zheng! It seems that General Zheng has been overworked for days." , send General Zheng out of the city and back to camp to rest!”
The Haihan militia completely withdrew from the Imperial City the next morning and handed over control of several areas within the city and several gates in the outer city to the North Vietnamese Army. This made Zheng, who was lying in the camp outside the city, furious. Bai breathed a sigh of relief. Judging from these actions, at least the Hai Han militia has no intention of stationing in Hue city for a long time - if the Hai Han people really do this, Zheng Bai will have no way to force them away.
Of course, in addition to the good news, there is also news that makes Zheng Bai not so happy. For example, a spy reported that the Haihan people carried a large amount of items to the ships docked on the river bank outside the city that day, which was enough to load five or six cargo ships. But Zheng Bai could only listen to this kind of news. It was impossible for him to question the Haihan people about what they had shipped to the ship. Even if he asked, the Haihan people could just say "combat supplies" to get rid of it. That would just be It’s just a matter of making yourself unhappy.
Zheng Bai was lying on the hospital bed and thought about it. Although the Haihan people took the lion's share of the attack on Hue this time, North Vietnam actually achieved its strategic goals at a very low cost, with almost no casualties and material consumption. It has taken control of Hue City and captured most of the target persons in the Nguyen family, such as Nguyen Phuc Yuan, Nguyen Tong and others, who were all captured by the North Vietnamese army when they fled after the city was broken.
If the North Vietnamese Army had to fight independently to achieve such a result, Zheng Bai frankly believed that the North Vietnamese Army would probably have to fight fiercely for more than ten days under Hue City and pay thousands of casualties before they could possibly break through the outer city. As for the Imperial City, which is as strong as the outer city, Zheng Bai feels that he is not completely sure that it can be won, because at that stage of the war, the logistics supply of the North Vietnamese Army may no longer be able to support it, and the final outcome is very likely to be North Vietnam chose to withdraw its troops when it had the advantage.
Judging from this inference, the cooperation with the Haihan Militia was easy to pick up. Zheng Bai estimated that the combat funds saved alone were close to one hundred thousand taels of silver at least. The most important thing is that the Haihan people made the final decision this time, directly taking over the home base of the South Vietnamese regime. As a result, there will no longer be a formed political power in the South Vietnamese ruling area that can compete with the North Vietnamese court, and the unification of Annan is only a matter of time.
On March 28, the Hai Han militia, which had completely withdrawn from Hue City, met with Zheng Bai outside the city again to discuss some post-war aftermath matters.
"At present, we still have 2,773 South Vietnamese soldiers who chose to surrender during the siege, and 1,682 people captured during the battle. These personnel will be delivered within the next two days. To your army." Yan Chujie put down the information in his hand and added: "We have made a promise to the South Vietnamese soldiers who chose to surrender and will release them after the war. We hope that this promise can be fulfilled by your army. , which can be used to offset our military expenses for this operation in accordance with the agreement reached between our two parties before the war.”
Zheng Bai thought about it for a moment and then agreed. Keeping these prisoners in captivity would be a huge logistical burden for North Vietnam. Killing these people would bring little benefit, and most of the soldiers of the surrendered South Vietnamese army should be recruited by the North Vietnamese court. , after all, these people’s stance is not so firm, and they can still be fully recycled. As for the labor force required by the Haihan people, it is not a problem. After the war at the beginning of last year, more than half of the tens of thousands of South Vietnamese personnel captured were eventually sent to the territory of the Haihan people to do hard labor to offset military expenses. If nothing else happens, after the Annan Civil War ends, tens of thousands of South Vietnamese will be sent to Sanya to work for the Haihan people.
"One more thing. The people on this list provided various assistance during our siege, and we also promised to protect their families and property after the war. Please take a look at it, General Zheng." Yan Chujie said and handed the information to Zheng Bai.
"Are they all surnamed Ruan?" Zheng Bai saw at a glance that these dozens of names were almost all surnamed Ruan, and couldn't help but ask.
"It's because so many people named Nguyen jumped out that we were able to conquer Hue so quickly." Yan Chujie replied without any concealment.
"I see..." Zheng Bai had already figured out a lot of things when he saw the list. The Haihan people only have a few thousand troops. After they invade the city, they have to deal with the defenders, attack the imperial city, and loot homes everywhere to make money. Even if they have eight hands, they probably can't take care of it, but the Haihan people just Did it. Zheng Bai never understood the reason before, but now he finally understands. With the help of these people named Ruan, the Haihan people can probably play as easily as they do at home, and even if they raid homes, they will be more purposeful. Sex.
"Is there something difficult about General Zheng?" Yan Chujie asked proactively when he saw that Zheng Bai responded without saying anything.
"To be honest, General Yan, before I led my troops to the south, the imperial court issued a decree that all men of the Ruan family who entered the Southern Dynasty as officials would be executed. The rest were demoted to civilians, their property was confiscated, and they were exiled to Gaoping." Zheng Bai shook. Shaking the list in his hand, he said: "It is also clearly written on it. Half of them have official positions in the Southern Dynasties. How can I just sit back and ignore them?"
"The decree of the imperial court is dead, but people are alive. Hue City was successfully captured because of these people's efforts. Otherwise, you and I might still be eating ashes on the battlefield at this time, how could we sit in the tent so leisurely and discuss These things?" Yan Chujie continued to persuade Zheng Bai.
Zheng Bai shook his head and said: "I have military orders, but I am sorry that I cannot obey them!"
Yan Chujie nodded and said: "As a soldier, I understand your insistence, so let's put it another way. These are the people you want to arrest, but if these people have been captured by us, can the handling power be handed over to me? Party?”
Of course Zheng Bai understands the meaning of Yan Chujie's words - this means that no matter what you North Vietnam plans to do, these people will be protected, but now I will give you a face and set up a ladder to get you down. Just figure it out yourself.
Zheng Bai hesitated for a moment before responding this time: "These people can no longer appear in Hue... not only in Hue, but also in other places in Annam!"
"Is the concession okay?" Yan Chujie seemed to be asking for Zheng Bai's opinion, but his tone didn't seem very polite.
Zheng Bai wanted to say "no", but the two sides had signed a series of agreements on concession sovereignty last year, which clearly stipulated that all affairs within the Haihan Concession were only governed by Haihan regulations, and Annan had no right to Law enforcement within the Haihan Concession. This means that the North Vietnamese court has no right to interfere with matters within the Haihan Concession.
(End of chapter)