The anti-Qing movement began with the looting of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

Chapter 304 Iron-Blooded Youth League

"Get lost! I've walked enough today, I'm going to rest!"

"Get out of here, you dog! Who do you think you are, daring to yell at me like that! Yi Gu is still my servant!"

The Manchu nobles cursed and drove away Yigu's personal guards!

"Sigh! Forget it! Let's order to set up camp!" Yi Gu had no choice but to give the order to set up camp.

Soon the army scattered in disarray, and the bondsers began gathering firewood, starting fires, and boiling water to serve their masters.

The camp was in complete chaos and didn't quiet down until well past midnight!

The next morning, Yi Gu urged them for a long time, and the sun was high in the sky before the army finally set off again, albeit reluctantly.

The rebels' movements quickly reached Jiang Shan's hands. "Heh! This is what you call an army? It seems our tactics are still too conservative!" Jiang Shan shook his head.

"Commander, these Eight Banner soldiers are no match for us! But those Mongol cavalrymen are still quite capable of fighting," the chief of staff nodded and reminded him.

Their primary task was to protect the food supplies, baggage, and weapons; eliminating the enemy was not their mission.

"I know!" Jiang Shan nodded. He was also a meticulous person, but having spent so much time in the army, he had developed a more heroic spirit.

Another seven or eight days passed, and just as the 1st Cavalry Division was getting impatient, the rebel army finally arrived at Tukrik.

The sound of horses' hooves thundered, and yellow sand filled the sky. It is said that when people are numerous, there is no end in sight; when 20,000 cavalrymen charged in, they naturally possessed a powerful aura.

Perhaps fearing that the people in the town would flee, 20,000 Mongol cavalrymen were the first to attack and surround Tukrik.

"Chief of Staff, what do you think of these Mongol cavalry?" As the yellow sand cleared, a seemingly endless line of cavalry appeared before them. Jiang Shan stood atop a watchtower, looking through binoculars as he asked Zhu Zishan beside him.

"They look fierce on the surface, but it's all just for show. They're lax in discipline and have outdated weapons!" Zhu Zishan shook his head and said.

"Your Highness, just give the order, and I'll lead my troops in and slaughter all those Han people! What are we waiting for, Manchus!" A Mongol general pointed his whip at the town and said arrogantly.

"You think the Han Chinese army is so weak? How did they defeat hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops? Don't be hasty! Let the Manchus try first!" Lerji rebuked the general.

Lerji had also been on the throne for decades, firmly holding the upper hand over the other three kings, so he was certainly not a good-for-nothing.

This mission was originally to assist the Manchus in the war, so it was natural for the Manchus to take the lead.

Although the trench on the other side was only two or three meters wide, there was a low wall about one person high on the other side. If a cavalry attack were to be launched, crossing the trench would not be a problem, but crossing the low wall would obviously be difficult.

Then the low wall will be the death ground for our cavalry! These Han people are really treacherous! Lerji curled the corner of his mouth.

"Send the order to retreat two miles and set up camp, just surround the town!" Lerji turned his horse around and led his men away.

"These Mongols are cunning too, they didn't even bother to try?" Jiang Shan shook his head.

"The Mongols are not good at attacking fortified positions. They're all old foxes. They're good at fighting when things are going well, but they definitely won't pull chestnuts out of the fire for the Manchus!" Zhu Zishan curled his lip.

"Ah! I'm going downstairs to take a nap. I probably won't be able to get up today!" Jiang Shan yawned, shook his head, and went downstairs.

Zhou Shunda gripped his rifle and climbed the last low wall, his palms sweating. Although he had always wanted to go to the battlefield, now that he was actually here, his legs trembled uncontrollably, and he felt an urge to urinate.

All the able-bodied men and guards of the caravans were organized into a militia, totaling more than 1,200 people.

Zhou Shunda took the position of regimental commander without hesitation. The army sent instructors to help them streamline their organization and gave them a few days of intensive training. They were able to assist the army in combat, albeit barely.

"The Mongols just retreated like that? Why didn't they attack?" Zhou Shunda asked, puzzled, as he watched the Mongols slowly retreat.

"Who knows! Maybe they've been on a long march and want to rest first. Or maybe the cavalry isn't suited for siege warfare and they're waiting for the infantry to follow." A lieutenant colonel next to him shook his head.

"Damn it, these Mongols are such cowards. I was even thinking of firing a couple of shots and taking a few down!" Zhou Shunda secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but outwardly remained nonchalant.

The two sides remained at peace thereafter. The Mongols simply sent cavalry to monitor the town, while the main force set up camp two miles away.

It was four o'clock in the afternoon when the main force of the Eight Banners army finally arrived. Upon receiving the news, Jiang Shan climbed the watchtower again.

"Haha! They dare to attack us!" Jiang Shan laughed as he saw the Manchu army, looking like displaced refugees, staggering through the binoculars.

Chief of Staff Zhu Zishan also shook his head. This was the first time he had encountered a well-organized Eight Banners army. He was extremely disappointed! No wonder His Majesty overthrew the Qing Dynasty so quickly; with an army like this, it would be strange if the dynasty didn't perish.

"Let's go, Chief of Staff! Do you think those Eight Banners troops can still launch an attack today?" Jiang Shan smiled, shook his head, and walked away, with Zhu Zhishan following behind. It seemed they could get a good night's sleep tonight.

When the Eight Banners army arrived, the Mongol cavalry yielded the front to them and retreated to the other three sides.

The Eight Banners army was in complete disarray, taking two or three hours just to set up camp. This was quite an eye-opener for the officers and soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division opposite them.

"Ah! I'm going downstairs for a smoke, you guys keep an eye on things." Shen Weiguo yawned, shook his head, walked to the side, sat down, took out a cigarette, and lit it.

I wonder how Brother Shi Jian and the others are doing? I ran into Brother Shi a few days ago and that's when he found out where the brothers were.

That's right, Shen Weiguo also came from the General's Mansion's youth group. Of course, this "Iron-Blooded Youth Group" was a name they gave themselves in private.

These 108 men secretly swore to protect His Majesty and the royal family with their blood and lives, to repay His Majesty's kindness in raising them!