The sudden heavy rainstorm made the evacuation operation in Longyan Township extremely difficult. It was estimated that the evacuation operation could last for only five days for a full seven days.

The evacuation operation of Longyan Township is the largest evacuation operation of the Taiping Army in Xiangshan. The evacuation personnel include the former Houying campers placed in Longyan Township, as well as local people and new immigrants. The number of people reached more than 10,000, and most of them are the elderly, weak, women and children.

In advance, in order to prevent accidents, Duke Xiang of Song came to command the evacuation operation in person. In order to ensure the success of the evacuation operation, Zhou Shixiang also transferred 1,000 reserve troops from the rear to assist. In addition, the security team of Longyan Township and a guard stationed in Longyan Township, the left camp of the infantry army stationed in Longyan Township, had more than 2,000 troops undertaking the evacuation operation.

Based on the time of the Qing army's march, Zhou Shixiang and Song Xianggong were optimistic about the evacuation operation because they had already launched the evacuation operation in front of the Qing army and retreated to Xinhui nearby, with the possibility of failure very low. Who knew that human calculations were not as good as heaven's calculations. A sudden heavy rain interrupted the evacuation operation, which cast a shadow of failure in this evacuation operation.

There are only more than 7,000 elderly, weak, women and children who have successfully evacuated to the beach, and more than 4,000 are still on the way to the Tan River. Some of them may never see Tan Jiang again.

The situation was not optimistic. The Qing army had approached Longyan Township three days ago. The guard of the left camp of the infantry army had fought with their vanguard. Due to the wind and rain, the Qing army stopped moving forward, allowing Duke Xiang of Song to try to withdraw more people. However, the wind today was much stronger than yesterday, and it was a typhoon. The Xinhui Navy on the other side of the river could not drive the ships over in this strong wind, which made thousands of elderly, weak and weak women and children have to wait helplessly on the empty and unobstructed riverside. They had to wait until the wind stopped. There was no way.

The rain is still falling and the wind is still blowing.

The elderly, weak, women and children were huddled together on the beach. The thin and already wet clothes made them tremble. The only places that could cover the wind and rain were already crowded with children. Looking along the river, they were densely packed with people. From time to time, the cry of babies sounded, making Duke Xiang of Song feel confused. He felt a heartbroken and painful.

In the afternoon, the security team heard bad news. A battalion of Qing troops braved the wind and rain to raid the Taiping Army behind the guards. In the wind and rain, the hundreds of families leading the troops were forced to retreat. But the green camp soldiers were clenched and were now less than a few miles away from the riverside.

How many miles away from the riverside?!

Duke Xiang of Song became nervous. He knew very well that once the Qing army rushed to the riverside, what would be the consequences? Even if these Qing army had only a few dozen people, it would instantly turn the river beach into a hell on earth. Those women and children would trample on each other because of panic and trampling on each other and would throw themselves into the river because of fear...

Duke Xiang of Song could not imagine the consequences of letting the Qing army approach. He asked someone to find the brigade commander who was preparing for the troops, Qianhu Yu Shizhong.

Yu Shizhong's ancestors were once a side general under General Qi Jiguang, and he was stationed in Jinshan Guards to prepare for Japanese devils. In the first year of Hongguang, Yu Shizhong followed the Ming army that refused to surrender and rushed south. He first entered Fujian to join Emperor Longwu, and then fled to Guangdong to join Emperor Shaowu. When Guangzhou City was broken in the first year of Yongli, he led some subordinates to run from Guangzhou City to Stanley Island in Xin'an County. Later, Stanley Island was captured by the Green Camp soldiers in Xin'an. He led the remaining troops to escape into Wutong Mountain and continue to fight against the Qing Dynasty.

Zhang Dachang, the magistrate of Xin'an appointed by the Qing court, once sent people to the mountains to persuade Yu Shizhong to surrender, promising that as long as he brought people out to surrender, he could not only save his life, but also recommend him as the guard of the green camp in Xin'an County. However, Zhang Dachang's several persuasions for surrender were rejected by Yu Shizhong. He asked the people who persuaded surrender to tell Zhang Dachang that his grandfather followed General Qi to fight Japanese pirates and kill Tartars, and died under the sword of the Mongols, and his father died under the sword of the Jin soldiers in Hunhe. In his generation, he would never insult his ancestors! He wanted him to surrender to the Tartars, but he had no gate. He was born a Han man and died a Han ghost! (Author's note: Schizhao, later generations of Hong Kong)

...........

After the Taiping Army captured Xiangshan, Zhou Shixiang sent people to recruit the remaining Ming army scattered near Xiangshan. After hearing the news, Yu Shizhong led his remaining troops out of the mountain to cross the sea at night to reach the Qianshanzhai. He contacted the Taiping Army general Jiang He who was stationed in the village and was willing to lead his troops to be reorganized into the Taiping Army.

When Jiang He saw that the three or four hundred soldiers under Yu Shizhong were dressed in rags, it seemed that they had not eaten for a long time and had not many weapons. He just thought they were ordinary Ming troops and looked down upon them. However, when Yu Shizhong asked Jiang He to see how his subordinates practiced, Jiang He immediately put away his contempt.

Yu Shizhong's three or four hundred men were trained according to the military training methods of the Qi family army back then. Although there were few people, although they were not full, and although they did not have many weapons, once they practiced, Jiang He felt the breath of a strong soldier.

Jiang He took Yu Shizhong and his subordinates without saying a word on the spot, and asked Yu to be the brigade commander under his command, adding the title of Thousand Households. After the appointment was reported, Zhou Shixiang readily approved it.

After learning that the three Qing army was forcing Xiangshan, the Taiping Army also made a general mobilization. Jiang He led all the reserve troops in the front mountain village to Xiangshan to stand by. After learning that he was asked to send a Deli troops to Longyan Township to assist Duke Xiang of Song to evacuate the people, the first person that Jiang He had in mind was Yu Shizhong.

When Duke Xiang of Song saw Yu Shizhong, the other party was soaked, but no matter how strong the wind and rain were, he still stood and talked instead of squatting down.

After hearing the situation of Duke Xiang of Song, Yu Shizhong was silent for a moment and gathered the 1,000 soldiers he brought together.

"There was news from behind that the Qing soldiers caught up with us, only a few miles away from here. The brothers from the left camp of the infantry were dragging them, but this Qing soldiers were very fierce and had more people than them, so I'm afraid they won't be able to stop them for long. Lord Song discussed with me, and no matter what, the Qing soldiers should not be allowed to rush here, otherwise the women and children here would be all over. So I need you to follow me to block the Tartars."

In the wind and rain, 1,000 reserve soldiers held the spear in their hands tightly, no one spoke, nor were they shaken. Like their thousand households, they let the rain hit their cheeks.

"Set off!"

Yu Shizhong turned around and took the lead in walking in front of him without a word.

Not long after Yu Shizhong's troops set out, He Bao, the head of Longyan Township, gathered the township security team and the security teams of each village. He looked closely at the security team members standing under the storm and let the raindrops hit his eyes.

"The men of the Taiping Army have fought with Qing Yao for your wife and children. I ask you, are you embarrassed to let them fight for your wife and children, but you hide here by yourself?"

"Country leader, stop talking, let's fight the Tartars now!" a security guard shouted with a red face.

"Everyone is a man, so how can you ask someone to protect your wife? Everyone said, "Would we go?"

"Go, I won't go if I raise a bitch!"

"As long as we can keep our women and children alive, I will not be wronged even if I die!"

"Let's go, everyone will go and kill the Tartars with the Taiping men!"

"Let's go and kill the Tartars!"

“…”

"Then don't stop here, the village chief, I'll go with you!"

He Bao said, looking at Duke Xiang of Song who was staring at him, and bowed deeply: "Mr. Song, you have all these women and children left to you."

Duke Xiang of Song did not speak or nodded, but just looked at them quietly.
Chapter completed!