Black Flag Army

Chapter 165: The Black Hat Army Attacks

Chief of Staff Zhang Shusheng said: "There are more than a dozen cities in the Balkhash Lake area. The White Guards cannot defend only Balkhash Fortress. According to intelligence, there are only 50,000 enemy troops in Balkhash Fortress at most. Other troops are defending other cities, so there are battles to be fought in other places. There is no need to fight over Balkhash Fortress."

Zhu Anbang, the commander of the First Division, said, "Chief of Staff! Is the intelligence accurate this time?"

The last time he attacked Kurchu, due to intelligence errors, more than 10,000 people attacked a city defended by more than 30,000 people. His First Division suffered a great loss and was still in shock.

Zhang Shusheng said with a serious expression: "This mission is carried out by the reconnaissance battalion of the special forces regiment directly under the army. They disguised themselves as White Guards and went deep into the Balkhash Fort to conduct meticulous investigations. They also checked and verified the information they obtained with the data provided by the Balkhash intelligence station one by one. This will be repeated many times to ensure that there will be no mistakes!" His voice was sonorous and powerful, full of firmness and confidence.

Liu Zhendong stood up, looking at the map with a firm gaze, and said: "Kulchu must be guarded by sufficient military forces! We must not take it lightly! Don't forget that there is a cunning and fierce Black Hat Army entrenched in the southern city of Suiye! If this group of horse bandits suddenly attacks while we are attacking Balkhash Castle with all our strength and sends a large army to capture Kulchu, then wouldn't the victory that thousands of our good brothers have gained with their lives be ruined in vain? This is absolutely not possible! No matter what, we must defend the strategic location of Kulchu!"

Zhang Shusheng said: "According to the reliable intelligence we received from Suiye City, Shagubai, the King of Haohan and the Commander-in-Chief of the Black Hat Army, does have this intention. At present, he is fully mobilizing the military forces of the whole country. Obviously, in Shagubai's eyes, the Zaisan Lake area should belong to him."

Zhang Shusheng frowned, his tone becoming heavier: "This land has been our country's territory since ancient times, but the Haohan Kingdom has always been eyeing it covetously. Now it is openly mobilizing troops and attempting to forcibly occupy the Zaisan Lake area. If the Black Hat Army comes, they will be beaten to a bloody pulp in the Zaisan Lake area!" After saying that, he clenched his fists tightly.

Everyone around nodded in agreement, their emotions were high. They knew that the upcoming war was related to national interests and national dignity, and they were all ready to join the battle and defend their country at any time.

Wu Chunlei said: "How about this! The First Army will leave three divisions to guard the Zaisan Lake area, and the rest of the army will attack the Balkhash Lake area."

Liu Zhendong said with a sharp gaze: "The situation we are facing now is quite tricky. If the number of troops left behind is too small, we will definitely not be able to resist the aggressive 100,000 Black Hat Army; but if too many troops are left behind, it will have an adverse effect on the main force's attack on the Balkhash Lake area. After all, there are also 100,000 White Guards in the Balkhash Lake area. Now I have an idea. I propose to first send three divisions as vanguard troops to march to the Balkhash Lake area and create an illusion that the main force has already launched a full-scale attack. At the same time, the rest of the troops will quietly ambush and wait for the Black Hat Army to fall into the trap. Once the Black Hat Army misjudges the situation and takes the opportunity to attack, our twelve divisions that have been ambushed in advance can immediately attack across the board, surround the enemy and catch them off guard! In this way, we will be able to severely damage the enemy and win this battle!"

Liu Zhendong's suggestion was supported by everyone, and Wu Chunlei also thought this method was good! So the army was redeployed. The three divisions of the First Army raised the banner of twelve divisions and stretched the troops out to the Balkhash River area with drums and gongs. Nine divisions of the other troops were ambushed, and only three divisions were openly guarding the three cities in the Zaisan Lake area.

Just the next morning when the three divisions of the First Army had just set out on their journey, the intelligence group in Suiye City, which was responsible for collecting intelligence, sent an urgent secret report like a gust of wind - the Black Hat Army had already been dispatched! At the same time, the reconnaissance planes sent by the Air Force also detected a large number of cavalrymen in the enemy city galloping towards us at lightning speed. This astonishing discovery made them extremely anxious, and they hurriedly delivered this key intelligence back to the headquarters by airdrop.

Wu Chunlei looked at the intelligence that had just been delivered to him, and couldn't help but frowned and said, "They are coming with bad intentions! It is reported that the enemy army has about 70,000 elite cavalry, but the number is still less than we originally estimated. I didn't expect that the commander of the army would be a young woman of only twenty years old - Helen. This commander-in-chief named Sha Gubai is really discerning and employs talents in an unconventional way!" His words revealed a hint of surprise at the enemy's strength and command ability.

Liu Zhendong smiled teasingly and said softly, "This Helen has the same name as the peerless beauty Helen in Greek mythology. Does she also possess stunning looks and charm? Maybe she is really as gorgeous and beautiful as the rumors say!" His eyes revealed a hint of curiosity and expectation, as if he couldn't wait to meet this person named Helen and find out her true style.

In fact, it was not only Wu Chunlei who was shocked. Even the deputy commander of the Black Hat Army, Beyangu, and the chief of staff, Feisha, were furious. You know, Helen was indeed beautiful and charming, and as Shagubo's mistress, she was doted on. However, how could appearance alone be the reason for being qualified for the position of commander? How could war be treated as a joke! But Shagubo really acted in this way. When Beyangu and Feisha received this order, they were dumbfounded and unbelievable.

Feisha frowned and looked at Beiyangudao, with a hint of dissatisfaction and anxiety in his tone, he said: "We have been marching for seven hours in a row! The soldiers are all exhausted and panting, and even the strong horses look very tired. We can't go on like this. Not only have we not had time to eat breakfast, but it's almost noon. If we don't find a place for everyone to rest and fill their stomachs, I'm afraid the journey ahead will be even more difficult! You are the deputy commander! At this time, shouldn't you take the initiative to stand up and remind Commander Helen?" As he spoke, he gently patted Beiyangudao's shoulder with his hand, his eyes full of expectation and trust.

Beyangu said with a look of horror: "I dare not go! If you want to go, go by yourself. The female commander knows nothing about many military matters, but she is famous for her bad temper. She only shows her gentle side when facing the commander-in-chief, and to anyone else, she is simply a fierce woman. If I really go to her and tell her, she will scold me severely!" As he spoke, he waved his hands repeatedly, indicating that he was determined not to go. It seemed that as long as he thought about the possible reaction of the female commander, he felt creepy and terrified.

Feisha shouted angrily: "I'll go! We have so many battle-hardened and experienced generals here, but now they have to listen to orders from a woman who knows nothing about military affairs. What kind of war is this? If the enemies on the opposite side knew about this, they would probably laugh their heads off!" As he spoke, he stomped his feet hard, as if he had endless resentment in his heart that needed to be vented.

Feisha clenched his teeth, urged his horse on, and galloped towards Helen's extremely luxurious carriage.

As the commander of the army, Helen seemed to have no sense of sharing the hardships and hardship with her soldiers. She chose to lie comfortably in the huge and golden carriage, as if war was just a game to her. The interior of the carriage was as luxurious as a palace. Not only was there a spacious and soft bed for her to rest, but there were also bookshelves, snack cabinets filled with all kinds of delicacies, and beverage cabinets filled with drinks beside the bed. What was even more shocking was that there were four young and beautiful female guards serving her closely.

Feisha took a deep breath, mustered all his courage and walked to the front of the carriage, shouting: "Commander, please allow the soldiers to rest for a while! They have been marching for seven hours straight and are exhausted both physically and mentally!"

However, Helen only glanced at him indifferently, her eyes revealing an undisguised displeasure. She said with her red lips slightly parted: "Can't you useless people even bear this little bit of hardship? War waits for no one, only by persisting can we win!"

Facing Helen's cold and ruthless response, Feisha could not help but feel a surge of anger in his heart, but he still suppressed his anger and continued to plead: "Commander, the soldiers are also human beings! Long-term fatigue will affect their combat effectiveness. If they are not given proper rest time, I am afraid the consequences will be disastrous..."

"Feisha! You are such an extremely stupid chief of staff! Don't you even understand such a simple truth as "speed is of the essence"? In this cruel and ruthless war period, every minute and every second is a crucial moment to determine victory or defeat. Our soldiers must learn to adapt to all kinds of difficult and harsh environments and conditions, and must not give up or surrender easily because of a little insignificant fatigue. What's the big deal about skipping one or two meals? You won't starve to death!" Helen shouted with her eyes wide open, her voice was deafening, as if she was going to overturn the entire carriage tent. Her sharp eyes like a sword were fixed on Feisha, causing the latter to tremble all over, and a layer of fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Feisha wanted to say something else, but Helen said sternly: "As the chief of staff, you cannot endure the same hardships as the soldiers, and you are committing crimes and seriously interfering with the marching plan. You can no longer be the chief of staff. I now announce that you are relieved of your position as chief of staff. Someone, come here!"

A team of tall armed guards came over immediately, and the captain of the guard asked, "What do you want, Commander?"

Helen said, "Take away the pistol of former Chief of Staff Feisha and put him in solitary confinement in the baggage camp for three days. Then inform the commander of the Third Division, Yazov, that he has been promoted to Chief of Staff and he must report to me immediately."

Yazov was a handsome man with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes and a handsome face, just like a handsome man who walked out of a painting. Commander-in-Chief Shagub was nearly 70 years old, with wrinkles all over his face. Helen was naturally unwilling to be devoted to such an old man and be his mistress. So she started looking for a new love early, and selected several young and handsome guys as her "reserve army" in case of emergency. Among them, Yazov was one of them that made her quite moved.

After the news of Feisha's dismissal and confinement spread, no one dared to oppose Helen's order. The army continued to advance, and the soldiers endured hunger and fatigue. When the cavalry entered the Sarai Desert, more and more soldiers fell behind due to hunger and fatigue. Many horses began to foam at the mouth and fell to the ground. The cavalry hugged their horses and cried. Helen realized that something was wrong and was about to order a rest when suddenly the roar of an airplane came from the sky.

The experienced deputy commander Beyangu hurriedly shouted: "Enemy bombers are coming, everyone quickly disperse, don't crowd together!"

But the army was in chaos, and few people listened to him. As bombs fell one by one, with loud "boom boom boom" sounds, the black hat soldiers were thrown off their horses, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and then the black flag army appeared in all four directions.

The commander-in-chief Wu Chunlei originally planned to ambush the Black Hat Army near Alakol Lake, but after the intelligence personnel who mixed in the Black Hat Army sent him the latest intelligence, he immediately realized that the enemy commander was a fool, and immediately moved the ambush area forward to the Sary Desert, taking advantage of the enemy's fatigue to inflict heavy damage on it. At this time, ambushes were everywhere, and the Black Hat Army was in a desperate situation.

Deputy Commander Beyangu shouted, "Don't panic, everyone! Follow me!"

Beyangu rode on a horse, wielding a saber in his hand, and led a fierce cavalry unit to rush towards the Black Flag Army's position like a tiger descending from a mountain. They were so aggressive that they seemed to want to defeat the Black Flag Army in one fell swoop.

However, what greeted them was a dense mass of yellow pocket mines. There was a thunderous explosion, and the cavalry were instantly blown over, with heavy casualties. The originally surging charge was disintegrated by this sudden explosion in the blink of an eye.

Then, the Black Flag Army opened fire with all its weapons. Rocket launchers whizzed at the enemy, mortars made dull noises, and machine guns spewed out dense flames, knocking down the cavalry who had escaped the mine bombing.

In this chaos, Deputy Commander Beyangu became the target of public criticism. Liu Zhendong held a sniper rifle and aimed at him steadily. With a crisp gunshot, the bullet hit Beyangu's chest accurately. He screamed, lost his balance, and fell heavily from the horse's back.

At the last moment of his life, Beyanggu used all his strength to say to the captain of the guard who came to protect him: "The commander is incompetent and the army is exhausted!" After that, he took his last breath and closed his eyes forever.

This last word was filled with endless grief and helplessness, as if condemning the incompetent decision-making of a certain senior general, which led to the innocent deaths of many soldiers. And this once majestic deputy commander ultimately failed to escape the arrangement of fate and became a victim of the war.

Helen panicked, realizing that her mistake had led to serious consequences. In the chaos, she tried to organize resistance, but the army had completely collapsed. She knew it was over, so she asked the driver to turn the horse around and flee, but there were Black Flag Army in all four directions, so she couldn't run away at all. The golden carriage was very eye-catching in the crowd, and more and more Black Flag Army surrounded it. Wu Chunlei had learned from the captives that the enemy commander was in the car and ordered to capture them alive. If it weren't for this order, Helen would have been shot to death long ago.