About a few hundred miles west from the San Antonio Mission, on the other side of the Rio Grande, is the important border town of Del Rio in the Southern Continent.
Strictly speaking, the Rio Grande passes through Del Rio, with the north and south occupying half, facing each other across the river.
The Westerners built a railway between the two a long time ago, using steam trains to transport troops from San Antonio to San Antonio in just a few hundred miles.
After the war broke out between the two sides, the Holy See quickly gathered its troops through the railway, and according to the plan, crossed the Rio Grande and launched an attack on the Tawanting garrison on the other side.
The two sides fought fiercely for three days and two nights, and finally Tawantin's army withdrew from Del Rio.
The Holy Court troops occupied Del Rio, and the former Tawantin command post became the Holy Court's command post.
Two steam carriages without horses drove into the gate of the command post. Can a carriage without horses still be called a carriage? Of course, just like a road without horses can still be called a road.
Two officers in general uniforms stepped off the steam carriage, the badges on their chests shining brightly in the sun.
The two had obviously known each other for a long time. They greeted each other warmly as soon as they got out of the car and seemed to be complimenting each other.
"This time in the battle of Del Rio, your First Artillery Division took the lead."
"The natives are the natives. They have outdated minds and are only qualified to fight with bows and arrows. Even with the help of the Easterners, they still do not understand the significance of mechanized legion operations. Their combat concepts are an era behind ours. The Battle of Del Rio is an example.
.”
Both generals were very ambitious.
They walked into the command post building and met Cardinal Robert Abraham, who summoned them, in a room on the third floor.
Facing Robert, who was wearing a priest's uniform, the two generals became respectful.
"I just took office not long ago and am not yet familiar with the specific responsibilities. You two are responsible for commanding this critical battle of Del Rio and are familiar with the combat situation, so I invite you two to come over and understand the specific situation." Although Robert is
He is a priest, but he is more like a traditional military aristocrat, with a stern and resolute face and gray temples.
The two generals were like two soldiers, standing straight.
Robert put his hands behind his back and looked out the window. "This time we captured Del Rio. What were your respective casualties?"
The two generals looked at each other, and the general from the infantry division was the first to speak: "Our infantry division has a full strength of 18,000 people, and the reduction in this battle is about 5,000 people."
Another general from the artillery division said, "Our artillery
The casualties of the military division were not large, but the ammunition consumption was very large."
There was not much expression change on Robbit's face reflected in the glass window. "In your opinion, what are the casualties in Tawanting?"
The artillery general responded first, "The casualties should be more than 8,000."
Robert was noncommittal and asked, "Do you think Tawantin's abandonment of Del Rio was a passive retreat? Or was it an active strategic retreat?"
After all, the infantry general is fighting on the front line, and his understanding is relatively clear. "We tried to pursue, but encountered a fierce blockade, so I think it should not be a passive retreat, but an active strategic retreat."
The artillery general disagreed, "Whether it's a passive retreat or an active retreat, it's nothing to worry about. Our last careless defeat gave Tawanting wrong confidence, so he dared to provoke us without overestimating his capabilities. But they didn't
What we know is that after the steam revolution, our combat concepts have undergone earth-shaking changes. Mechanized combat is by no means comparable to flesh and blood. Their self-proclaimed firm will will be ruthlessly crushed by our steel torrent."
Robert turned around and said, "Very well."
…
Tawantin's army retreated to Monclova, where they organized a defensive line.
Qi Xuansu and Huangfuji also came here.
The two also met the chief military officer who had just withdrawn from Del Rio - because it was Xidaomen who rebuilt Tawanting's military system, it used the military system of the Central Plains, which was very similar to the Daxuan court.
The chief military officer also complained, "If we were to fight hand-to-hand, my soldiers would not only not be afraid of the Westerners, but they would even have the upper hand. The key is that the Westerners' artillery fire was too fierce. An artillery division is damn well equipped."
It doesn't make sense to fire three hundred heavy artillery pieces. A salvo fired, and three hundred shells were shot down. It was immediately a sea of fire, comparable to the alchemist battalion and the priest group. And their airship troops, condescending, first threw
After throwing the bombs, use the machine cannon to shoot them. Only with these things can those young soldiers dare to attack them."
Another general officer also said, "This kind of urban assault battle is no better than field battle. The power of artillery is infinitely amplified. We can't hide when we defend the city. But our artillery can't compare with others, so we have to be passively beaten. We
We need artillery so much. There is also an airship, which is also a problem. When can our airship be put into combat?"
Huangfu
Ji is a knowledgeable soldier and reassured the two of them, "The problem of artillery can be solved soon. Master Gong Da has already gathered scattered artillery from various places to form a large-scale artillery group, with unified dispatch and unified command. It is expected that there will be more than a thousand artillery pieces."
.As for the issue of the flying boat, we have to wait a little longer."
After seeing off the two general officers, Huangfuji said to Qi Xuansu, "We don't have the advantage to begin with. We are barely evenly matched. Hu En Chawen also leaked all the intelligence about the border army. The loss of Del Rio was also
It’s expected.”
Qi Xuansu said, "I am not trying to increase the enemy's prestige. This kind of firepower is probably slightly better than the Taoist army on the Fenglin Prefecture battlefield. No wonder the Holy Court is so arrogant, saying that it only considers the cost of the war and does not consider the victory of the war."
Negative problem.”
Huangfu Jidao said, "The key is the issue of the cost of war. The Holy Court fought so smoothly because it poured out artillery shells regardless of the cost. But these shells did not fall from the sky, they were produced by factories and cost money. The Holy Court
How long the inventory and finances can support it is a question. Don't underestimate those Western businessmen. They don't care about the overall situation. If you really push them, they dare to rebel. So this time the Holy Court wants to quickly
The battle will be won quickly, but for us, it will be dragged out into a protracted battle. It is like two people running. The Holy Court ran very fast at the beginning and exerted great force, but it is inevitable that it will be weak later."
Qi Xuansu nodded in agreement and said, "This is what we have to do. We need to understand the financial situation of the Holy Court and don't be bluffed by their tricks."
Huangfu sighed, "It's a pity that Sun Zhongnu's rebellion caused great damage to our intelligence network in the northern continent, and many things became very troublesome."
Qi Xuansu said, "Things must be viewed from both sides. We also caught the 'Ape God' and launched a comprehensive investigation. The Holy Court is now looking at it with both eyes."
Huangfu Ji joked, "After all, they are talents who came out of Wanxiang Dao Palace. Their theories are very solid, unlike wild people like us."
Qi Xuansu couldn't help but sigh after hearing this, "Wanxiang Dao Palace."
"Why, are you resentful?" Huangfu was a little curious, "Logically speaking, this is your root, it shouldn't be."
Qi Xuansu said, "I don't have to worry about my business. Chen sesame has rotten millet. The key is the child's business."
"The child was bullied?" Huangfuji was not very shocked. Some things spread far and wide, and it was inevitable that they would be distorted. Strictly speaking, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were quasi-Taoist couples, but from the perspective of the Southern Continent, they were just Taoists.
couple, so Huangfu is extremely aligned
It's not surprising that Xuan Su has a child.
Qi Xuansu nodded, "That's it for now."
Huangfuji became more and more curious, "As far as I know, that Zhang family sibling is not a soft-tempered person. People in Yujing say that she acts domineeringly and never wants to suffer losses. With her here, can such a thing happen?"
Qi Xuansu said, "She is probably confused because she cares. She became a mother for the first time, so she was a little timid and lost her sense of proportion. In addition, she was also very busy, had limited energy, and was under a lot of pressure, so she finally lost her footing.
Back then, my mother told me that a man can only handle things after he has a wife and children, and it seems that she was the same way. I talked to her once, and she felt that the children should not be involved. For the sake of the children, she had to give in. But now
It seems to me that we are already involved. The more we retreat, the more others advance. In short, when the war is over, I have to go back and deal with this matter."
Huangfu smiled and said, "If possible, I can go there with you. I have long wanted to visit the famous Wanxiang Taoist Palace."
Qi Xuansu laughed it off.
While the two were talking, a director of Juesheng Church came in and reported to them, "Master Huangfu, Master Qi, we have just intercepted the encrypted message sent by the San Antonio Mission to St. York."
Huangfuji took the paper for copying and deciphering the message, browsed it quickly, and handed it to Qi Xuansu, "Whatever you say, they really have a problem with cost. San Antonio has already begun to urge the supply of ammunition to St. York. It seems that their
The inventory is not sufficient.”
Qi Xuansu took it and read it, "But this also reflects from the side that the Holy Court wants to promote a strategic decisive battle as soon as possible and decide the outcome in one battle."
Huangfu smiled coldly, "Then we can't do what he wants. War costs the most money, and the Holy Court's style of play is an expert in burning money. In the past, they could make up for the shortfall by looting, and not only did they not lose money.
, they can even make a fortune, and naturally their morale will be high. Now they are attacking our important towns and reducing them to ruins everywhere, leaving nothing behind. At the same time, they themselves have also suffered heavy losses. As long as we resolutely do not cede territory or pay compensation,
It depends on how long they can hold on."
Xidaomen dares to expand the situation, not because it is overestimating its capabilities, but naturally has some confidence. As long as it can bear the three axes of the Holy Court, it can take advantage.
The key is how to block this extremely fast three-axe. When the Holy Court defeated the three great empires in the New World, they didn't even use up three axes. Usually, one ax can end the war. This is where the Holy Court's arrogance comes from.