Chapter 2216
Thousands of merchants meet as the sun sets, and the spring breeze and wine mix. Yangzhou is located at the intersection of the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal, so it has naturally become a turnover center for the circulation of materials from the north to the south. In addition, it later became the center of the salt industry in the world. Countless wealth came here from all over the world, creating the long-term development of this city. Prosperity.
There are thousands of shops in Yangzhou City, and the floating population entering and leaving the city every day is also a huge number. Caravans composed of multiple carriages are not uncommon in this city, so Dai Yingda's motorcade passed through the streets There's not much that stands out either.
Of course, Lu Kangtai's men are still clinging to the rear and refusing to give up, but at this time the initiative has been lost. They cannot predict the route of this convoy, and they cannot clear the field in advance. If they want to take action on this bustling street, they will inevitably It will cause chaos in the city. When the time comes, people will flee in all directions, and it will be difficult for the musketeers to get a good shooting vision. On the contrary, it may provide excellent cover for the opponent to escape.
Lu Kangtai went around in a circle, and after Gao Yongshou left, he also got into a carriage and followed Dai Yingda's motorcade. All information feedback from the front is continuously sent to this mobile command center.
"The convoy drove into Wenchang Road, heading towards Fuya!"
"The convoy changed direction near the government office and headed south!"
"The convoy turned into Jingzhong Lane and headed towards Xianhe Temple!"
"The convoy has passed the gate of Xianhe Temple, then turned into Zanhua Lane and headed east!"
The target ahead kept changing its direction of travel, and the several deployments Lu Kangtai made in advance to predict the opponent's route were all cleverly avoided by the opponent.
If this was all a coincidence, Lu Kangtai would definitely not believe it. It was obvious that someone in the opponent's convoy who was very familiar with the city's environment was constantly giving instructions to change the route. This is equivalent to the opponent predicting Lu Kangtai's prediction, causing Lu Kangtai's instructions to fall behind step by step, and it is impossible to form a block on the opponent's route.
The other party arranged such professionals in advance to direct the convoy's route. This was completely in response to Lu Kangtai's deployment. Lu Kangtai knew that his action plan would not be leaked in advance, which could only mean that the other party was superior and the arrangements made were able to defeat Lu Kangtai's deployment in every possible way.
This gave Lu Kangtai a very strong sense of frustration. He had always felt that he had no choice but to always overwhelm his opponents. It was only a matter of time before he won the top seven surnames. But now his actions are controlled by others. Even he always felt that The very stable government connections seem to have become loose.
"Boss, what should we do next?"
Seeing that Lu Kangtai was speechless for a long time, his subordinates had no choice but to ask him for instructions on what to do next. The convoy was marching in the city non-stop. If the orders here were slow at one step, they would be slower at every step. If it was delayed for a while, the other party might be able to get out of the city safely.
Lu Kangtai came back from his thoughts, knowing that he could not accurately predict the opponent's route, and it was not an option to follow the opponent's butt, so he could only bet on the opponent's necessary route to return to Daijiazhuang. Road, gather people in advance, so that there may be a chance to fight.
"They changed routes many times, but they were still heading south to guard the city gates and water gates in the south of the city! When they found out which city gate they were near, they tried to create some trouble and slow down the speed of the convoy leaving the city. Others rushed as quickly as possible Gather outside the city gate and try to intercept them before they board the boat to cross the river!”
After Lu Kangtai issued the order, he immediately set off for the south of the city. He wanted to leave the city first so that he could direct the interception operation on the front line. As long as there are no government officials nearby to interfere, he will order the interception of Dai Yingda's convoy.
The convoy turned left and right in the city, seemingly taking a lot of detours, but it was very smooth and did not encounter any obstacles on the way. Although there were people from the other side following the convoy, the convoy kept moving forward without leaving any chance for them to take action.
"Boss Dai is really good at arranging this guide. It seems that our trip out of the city is much easier than expected!" Seeing that we are getting closer and closer to Yijiang Gate, Yuan Tao's mood became slightly more relaxed, and he followed the people in the carriage. Dai Yingda started talking. He originally thought that even if Gao Yongshou intervened, Lu Kangtai would still take risks in the city, but the retreat route arranged by Lin Zhong should have effectively interfered with the opponent's deployment, making it impossible to intercept in the city.
Dai Yingda said: "Lin Zhong has lived in Yangzhou City for twenty years. He walks through the streets every day and is very familiar with this city. Even if Lu Kangtai can make plans, in terms of familiarity with the environment, nothing can compare with him. Lin Zhong?”
Dai Yingda's tone was full of pride. This chess piece had been placed in Yangzhou City for twenty years and had rarely been used. But on today's mission, the role played by Lin Zhong was worth all the resources invested in it over the years.
Yuan Tao said: "Boss Dai has secretly deployed a lot of people in Yangzhou City, right?"
Dai Yingda smiled and said: "The manpower deployed in the city are all like Lin Zhong. They can only complete some auxiliary tasks, but they cannot perform combat tasks like an army like the brothers of Shopkeeper Yuan. As follows: To be able to escape Yangzhou City intact, Shopkeeper Yuan naturally takes the first place!”
Dai Yingda's compliment also greatly benefited Yuan Tao. Just as he was about to respond, a subordinate outside the car reported in a low voice: "Boss, there is only half a mile to Yijiangmen!"
Yuan Tao said to Dai Yingda: "The last part of the trip may be the most dangerous. I will go outside the car to be on guard. If I don't give instructions, Boss Dai must not show up on his own. Remember this!"
Dai Yingda knew that what Yuan Tao said was not alarmist, so he clasped his fists and said, "Then there will be shopkeeper Lao Yuan!" Yuan Tao got out of the car and immediately issued new instructions. Although Yijiang Gate is right in front of us, this does not mean that the other side will give up the attack on the convoy. Before crossing the canal, emergencies may occur at any moment.
In addition to the grooms who need to be familiar with the road conditions and a few of Dai Yingda's personal soldiers, the other dozens of people in this convoy are all members of the Golden Shield. Yuan Tao knew that this trip was extremely dangerous, so he asked everyone to bring muskets. There were five guns hidden in each carriage. If he was attacked, he would use the carriage as a cover to organize a counterattack on the spot.
The carriage that Dai Yingda was riding in was originally his exclusive vehicle. The carriage had been specially reinforced to be able to block musket fire from a certain distance, so Yuan Tao specifically told him not to leave the carriage easily to avoid exposing his target and attracting opponents. Focus fire attack.
When approaching Yijiang Gate, there was a sudden traffic jam ahead. Yuan Tao ordered people to go check it out. The reward was that the axle of a carriage out of the city in front suddenly broke, and the carriage fell sideways at the gate of the city, just in time to cover the narrow Yijiang Gate. It's blocked. At this time, pedestrians entering and leaving the city could barely pass, and carriages could not get out no matter what. However, the soldiers guarding the city gate are already clearing the road, and they should be able to pass after a while.
"It won't be blocked sooner or later. We will be blocked when we get to the city gate..." Yuan Tao thinks this is too coincidental, but at this time it is no longer convenient to change the route and find another way out of the city, because he has arranged in advance to meet at the canal outside the city. The ships and manpower are just outside Yijiang Gate. At this time, one move affects the whole body, which will be very inconvenient to execute and will only take more time.
Yuan Tao made a decisive decision and immediately ordered: "Send someone out of the city alone to prepare the ferry for departure, and the response personnel outside the city are ready to fight!"
Although Yuan Tao could not confirm whether the sudden car accident was arranged by his opponent, the delay caused by it would obviously create an opportunity for his opponent to mobilize his troops. Considering that there are still many soldiers guarding the city at the city gate ahead, Yuan Tao thinks that the other side should not take action here, so the most dangerous place may be the less than 100-foot journey to the canal dock after leaving the city.
After waiting anxiously for a while, the passage at the city gate was finally cleared, and the caravans of cars and horses blocked inside and outside the city gate began to move again. Yuan Tao got off the carriage and walked slowly beside the carriage. His right hand, which was covered by his trousers, had already grasped the revolver at his waist. He brought out all the five revolvers he applied for from the military for this operation today. Five armed guards, including himself, were surrounding Dai Yinda's carriage. Once someone wanted to rush close, they could use revolvers to intercept and kill the opponent at close range.
However, there are very few revolvers in the Haihan Army. Yuan Tao has only touched them a few times. Several of his men only temporarily learned how to use this weapon to fire before setting off. It can be said that they have no such weapons. practical experience. Therefore, for the sake of safety, everyone also carries a short knife. If the pistol cannot be used, they can only fight closely with cold weapons.
The convoy slowly passed through the Yijiang Gate, but leaving the city did not let them breathe a sigh of relief. In the open area outside the city gate, many people were staring at them eagerly, and many of them had sticks wrapped in linen around them. Yuan Tao realized that the items wrapped there were most likely muskets.
After all the convoys left the city, Yuan Tao saw that the people around him were starting to move, and he was very decisive at the moment. He immediately grabbed the copper whistle hanging around his neck and blew it. This was the signal to enter the battle state. As soon as the Golden Shield troops heard the whistle, they immediately drew their muskets from the carriage beside them according to the predetermined battle plan, assembled in groups of five, and aimed their guns at the nearby crowd together.
For Yuan Tao, protecting Dai Yingda and returning to Daijiazhuang safely is the top priority at the moment. As for whether to take the initiative to take force during this period, he does not have as many scruples as Lu Kangtai. Even if you kill someone, you don't have to worry about the government liquidating you afterwards.
Most of Jindun and others were veterans who had been on the battlefield, and their actual combat experience was much stronger than that of Lu Kangtai's militia. Now they had the upper hand, and the opponent's response was obviously chaotic. Some people wanted to continue pretending to be passers-by and wait for the opportunity, but some people thought that the battle had already begun, and immediately began to hurriedly show off their weapons and prepare to fight. There were countless passers-by who saw both sides showing off their weapons, realized that the chaos was coming, and shouted to the sky People fled in all directions, and the scene suddenly became chaotic.
Lu Kangtai, who was not far away, was obviously not prepared for this. He did not expect that the opponent would take the initiative to fight without hesitation after leaving the city. When he gave the order, he was already a beat behind the opponent.
At this time, the people with the Golden Shield had already opened fire, targeting those nearby who had just revealed their weapons. Although a group of five people were shooting at scattered targets, due to the extremely close distance, this first round of strikes still achieved quite good results. Suddenly, many people fell to the ground in all directions.
The sound of gunshots immediately caused greater chaos. The people who had not noticed the movement at first realized that someone was fighting outside the city gate, and more people fled in all directions.
But other caravans that were originally in front of Dai Yingda's motorcade stopped after being frightened. The grooms all shrank into the motorcade to avoid the fighting, which blocked most of their route. Yuan Tao had to order the convoy to bypass the carriages and horses in front and move closer to the canal dock as soon as possible.
It was not until the second round of shooting by the Golden Shield men that Lu Kangtai's men finally recovered and began to organize a counterattack with the help of surrounding obstacles. The newly trained musketry team under Lu Kangtai also went into battle today. However, this team had almost no actual combat experience and was caught off guard by the opponent just after the exchange of fire. Several musketeers were in a hurry and were beaten into pieces by the golden shield's concentrated fire before they could even set up their guns.
Although Lu Kangtai is quite good at large-scale layout, his experience in commanding battles on the front line may not be as good as that of a general in the army. After all, he has no military experience and has never personally participated in combat. Half of the tactics he masters come from the military books he has read, usually from the words and deeds of his previous militia instructors. Now that he really took action, Lu Kangtai realized that the little skills he had learned seemed not enough to deal with the chaotic situation in front of him.
How many guns does the opponent have, which vehicle is the target person in, whether there are armed personnel of the opponent at the dock ready to respond, is the opponent trying to escape, or is he trying to lure out all of his own armed forces to carry out an extermination, in the chaos All kinds of questions flooded into Lu Kangtai's mind, and he didn't know which one to take care of first.
And at this time, he had to give instructions to his panicked subordinates, otherwise these people might hide behind various bunkers until the other party boarded the ship safely and left.
"Intercept them! Kill one and get a hundred taels of silver! Kill them!" Lu Kangtai himself was a little confused and could only issue such unstructured orders and let his men fight for the bounty.
Of course, this kind of order will stimulate the desperadoes under him, but the problem is that after losing the unified tactics, it is difficult for these people to form a joint force in their separate attacks. Instead, it is more like spreading out to kill the other party. None of the dozen desperadoes who tried to rush nearby were spared. They all fell to the ground amid the chaotic gunfire. They didn't even know where the bullets they were hit came from. Maybe some of the stray bullets came from behind. It’s hard to tell who was the accomplice who opened fire indiscriminately.
(End of chapter)