Chapter 94: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 94 Reversal

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Deng Ruzuo's attack targets were not only the breaches in the city wall; cloud ladders were also his main focus.

More than twenty cloud ladders were thrown into the battlefield, and under the cover of night, over a dozen finally leaned against the city wall; Lv Muzhi could even hear the creaking sound of enemies stepping on the cloud ladders.

Enemies began climbing onto the city head via the cloud ladders, more and more enemy troops arrived, and the scope of close-quarters combat continued to expand.

Lv Muzhi had to join the close-quarters combat as well; just as he stabbed down an enemy soldier climbing onto the machicolation, he was threatened on the side by another enemy wielding a broadsword.

The two fought back and forth, battling with their lives on the line.

The fighting around them was even more chaotic and bloody, with someone falling every second; although the city wall was five meters wide, it now felt cramped.

Lv Muzhi estimated that the enemy forces committed to combat in Nanchang City tonight numbered over twenty thousand.

Besieged on all sides, the southern city wall attacked by Deng Ruzuo was the most dangerous; the breach at the southeast corner had already forced Lv Muzhi to divert many soldiers to defend it, and the enemy fought fearlessly to the death.

Soldiers from both sides grappled together, using bayonets, rifle butts, and even their teeth and fists for the most primitive slaughter.

The defending troops were already at an absolute disadvantage in numbers, and after successive bloody battles they were utterly exhausted.

As more and more enemy troops surged onto the city wall, a thunderous cry of battle suddenly came from the northern direction.

Xue Yue, covered in gunpowder smoke and carrying a rifle, personally led over two hundred fresh troops that could be drawn from the northern city wall defenders, charging fiercely along the city wall!

"Regiment Commander Lv, hold on! Xue Yue is here!"

Xue Yue roared, charging into the enemy ranks first, and used a bolt-action rifle to shoot down an enemy soldier entangled with the defending troops.

"Regiment Commander Xue!" Lv Muzhi's spirits lifted, and he fiercely drove back the enemy before him.

"No idle talk, first kill all these Beiyang dogs!" Xue Yue drew another bolt-action rifle from his waist and threw it into Lv Muzhi's hand.

With the addition of Xue Yue's fresh troops, the defenders' morale soared, and they engaged in a brutal struggle for every inch of ground with the enemy on the city head.

Once again, they pushed the enemy's assault off the city wall.

Fighting until dawn, every inch of the city wall was soaked with blood, corpses from both sides mixed together, piled up like mountains.

However, the enemy seemed to have no intention of stopping; Deng Ruzuo gritted his teeth, not allowing his subordinates to retreat a single step, and began brewing the next wave of attack.

"No retreating! So many have already died; organize the attack again—the enemy can't hold out much longer!"

"Commander Deng, this is already the ninth attack..." the Staff Officer reminded him.

Deng Ruzuo refused to let up: "I said, even by piling up bodies we must take this city; if we retreat now, how do we account for the brothers who died? The enemy can't hold out much longer!"

On the city wall, Lv Muzhi looked toward Xue Yue and said gratefully: "Thank you, Regiment Commander Xue; my northern city defense also needs to come over for rescue."

"It's only right; the assault team you sent helped me deal with the enemy's artillery, and my city wall situation is much better than yours, with less pressure."

"The enemy still refuses to withdraw; Regiment Commander Xue, you should return to your own position. After dawn, visibility will be much better, and my side can hold out."

Xue Yue nodded: "If that's the case, take care; I'll lead the troops back to defend."

Lv Muzhi watched Xue Yue's departing back, then looked at the corpses strewn across the city wall.

Checking casualties, after days of fierce fighting, the entire regiment had lost over half its men.

Looking down below the city wall, it was full of Beiyang soldiers' corpses wrapped in yellow cloth.

"Muzi, the enemy is launching another attack," Song Xilian said, though his voice was already growing hoarse.

The enemy surged up like waves all night and retreated like waves; this had repeated many times, and Lv Muzhi's subordinates, including himself, had long grown accustomed to it—nothing more than adding some casualties, just drive the enemy back.

When Lv Muzhi's subordinates were all killed, this Nanchang City would soon be gone too.

Boom—boom!

The two cannons mounted on the city head began firing shells; these were the artillery left behind by Wang Bolin that couldn't be taken away, and without them, Nanchang City would be even harder to defend.

"Prepare for combat; Du Yuming, take men to defend the breach; Song Xilian and I will watch the southern city wall; notify Guan Linzhen and Zhang Fei to keep watch over Zhangjiang Gate on the western city wall!"

Niuhang Station, Northern Expedition Army Second Division artillery position.

Liu Zhi put down his binoculars, his eyes bloodshot, but his expression was much more relaxed than last night.

He had just directed troops to repel another fierce attack by Xie Hongxun's division and held the position.

Deputy Division Commander and Fourth Regiment Commander Chen Jicheng quickly walked into the command post, looking somewhat delighted.

"Division Commander, good news from Zhangshu to the south! The Second Army and Third Army have succeeded, advancing rapidly, and are now mopping up remaining enemies; the vanguard is expected to reach the foot of Nanchang City at the earliest tonight, at the latest by dawn tomorrow!"

"Good, we've finally waited for this! Lv Muzhi and Xue Yue's regiments must have suffered heavy casualties; if they don't come to Nanchang City soon, it will be gone!"

Liu Zhi stood with hands on his hips, took a deep breath: "But we can't just count on others; our side can't be idle either. Xie Hongxun's division, after days of attrition, is at the end of its strength."

"I've communicated with Cheng Qian; one division of his Sixth Army has successfully outflanked and taken Lehua Town, cutting off the Nanxun Railway and blocking Xie Hongxun's rear;"

"In the Jiujiang area, Li Zongren's Seventh Army is engaged in a bloody battle with Sun Chuanfang, tying down many enemies."

Chen Jicheng sensed the opportunity: "Then the time has come! The enemy troops at the Jiujiang headquarters are tied down by the Seventh Army; we can ignore that part of the enemy;"

"Our forces and Cheng Qian's forces will attack Xie Hongxun's division head-on from north and south, completely clearing the enemies on the west bank of the Gan River, to support the Nanchang defense battle on the east bank!"

"Exactly my meaning; Communications Officer, go call Hu Gongnan over!" Liu Zhi ordered decisively.

Hu Gongnan came running to Liu Zhi shortly after: "Division Commander Liu!"

Liu Zhi said: "Hu Gongnan, although you withdrew from Nanchang City without orders, you didn't disappear like Wang Bolin and Sun Yuanlang, but chose to come here to assist in the battle. Now the remnants of the First Division and the Second Division are all under my command; I have an important task for you!"

Hu Gongnan had long been waiting for a chance to redeem himself, and didn't want his reputation to be laughed at along with Wang Bolin and Sun Yuanlang, so he immediately declared: "I guarantee completion of the mission!"

"Now I order: the remnants abandoned by Sun Yuanlang are to be merged into Hu Gongnan's Second Regiment, with Regiment Commander Hu Gongnan in unified command, and together with Chen Jicheng's Fourth Regiment, fiercely attack Xie Hongxun's position from the front!"

"My Second Division's Fifth Regiment will outflank and attack Xie Hongxun's left wing! The Sixth Regiment will serve as the reserve, ready to join combat at any time to expand the victory!"

"Notify Cheng Qian's Sixth Army; ask him to advance south from Lehua Town at ten o'clock in the morning, attack Xie Hongxun's rear, and support my offensive!"

Orders were quickly relayed; after receiving the order, Hu Gongnan responded actively and immediately set about integrating troops, preparing to join the attack.

Liu Zhi looked at Nanchang City on the opposite bank: "We must hold out... This is not just a city, but also the Principal's face...

"Order all artillery to change their aim, concentrate firepower, and bombard Deng Ruzuo's division attacking Nanchang City!"

"Division Commander Liu, our shells are almost gone!" Chen Jicheng reminded him.

Liu Zhi shook his head: "Nanchang City is almost gone too. Unexpectedly, Deng Ruzuo's subordinates are so tenacious; since last night, the attacks have not stopped for a moment. Xie Hongxun's division is already ours. Once we devour Xie Hongxun's division and block the Nanlu Railway Line, we will cut off the enemy's retreat route;

as long as Nanchang City remains, we can restrain Deng Ruzuo, Zheng Junyan, and Yang Genghe on the East Bank of Gan River. By then, when the Second Army and Third Army from Zhangshu press forward, let's see where they can hide!"