The situation in North Korea became increasingly serious. On July 18, Yuan Shikai sent an urgent telegram to return to China to report on the situation in North Korea. The court was shocked and ordered Li Hongzhang to increase his troops to North Korea immediately. After Yuan Shikai sent a report, he made up a civilian on the 19th and returned to China by boat from the Japanese landing site of Incheon.

Li Hongzhang did not dare to neglect his slightness and urgently recruited more than 1,000 elite merchant ships and army soldiers to hire British Gaosheng, Feijing, Airen, and the cruisers Jiyuan, Guangyi, and gunships Caojiang to escort.

The Japanese spies were soon informed of Li Hongzhang's dispatch of troops, and they also sent a report to Japan. After receiving the news from the "Base Camp", they immediately went to the near Yashan Bay to find fighter jets.

While sending troops, Li Hongzhang called Ye Zhichao Yashan: "The Japanese soldiers come to Ya to spy on it, but they can ignore it. The reinforcements are already on the road. Everything is waiting for the reinforcements to arrive and they are in action. Do not provoke yourself first."

After receiving the message, Ye Zhichao said, "It's great, Lord Zhongtang has sent reinforcements."

"What's good! The Japanese scouts have visited nearby many times to check the terrain, but Lord Zhongtang ordered not to fight!"

"Mr. Gongting, Lord Zhongtang is also for our own good. Our troops are less than 3,000 now, and the telegram sent by Yuan Shikai said that there were more than 10,000 Japanese troops in the Koreas." Ye Zhichao said.

"This matter has never happened in ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad. The enemy went to the military camp to investigate, but could not annihilate it! Now Japan has launched a large-scale increase in troops in Korea, and the intention of going to war with our Qing Dynasty is obvious. I heard that the Japanese army is still equipped with single shots, and we should take the initiative to attack with the advantage of equipment. Yashan has no danger to defend. If the Japanese army mobilizes a large number of artillery to attack, the consequences will be unimaginable!" Nie Shicheng said angrily.

"I originally thought I was just coming to quell the rebellion, so I didn't bring too much ammunition, and the ammunition stored was not enough to attack. The baggage was just transported off the ship today. After two days, when the reinforcements arrived, we will not be afraid of Japan!" Ye Zhichao said.

"Oh, I have to do this," Nie Shicheng sighed, "but Yashan has no danger to defend, and we need to plan a retreat to prevent the Japanese army from attacking suddenly."

"This... we should plan a way out." Ye Zhichao thought for a while and said.

After the two convened the generals to discuss, they decided that if the Japanese army invaded, they could first retreat to Chenghuanyi and Gongzhou. Chenghuanyi was located in the southeast of Pingze County, Chungcheong Province, Korea. It is the important place for Seoul to Tianan and the north and south of Quanzhou. It is surrounded by hills and the rivers on both sides of the Ancheng River are densely covered with swamps. The terrain is complex and easy to defend and difficult to attack. Gongzhou is located in the south of Chenghuan, with mountains and rivers facing the river. It is also a key place for military attacks and defenses.

In the early morning of July 23, 1894, Japanese troops raided the Seoul Palace, held North Korea's King Lee Hee (Korea Gojong), disbanded North Korea's pro-China government, supported the king's biological father, Xingsheng Daewonjun, Lee Eyeong, who came to power to regent, and established a pro-Japanese puppet government with Kim Hongji as the actual head. The Japanese envoy Kim Hongji's cabinet cut off relations with the Qing Dynasty and "entrusted" the Japanese army to expel the Qing army stationed in North Korea.

After Japan obtained the "commission" of North Korea, Major General Yoshima Oshima led 4,000 people to Yashan, but because the artillery had not yet kept up, it did not attack rashly.

"Report to the General General, and found that the Japanese troops were heading towards Yashan."

"What?!" Nie Shicheng was shocked. He didn't expect that the Japanese army had indeed come. Before the two sides declared war, Seoul might have fallen.

"How many people are there when the Japanese army came?" Just as dawn, Ye Zhichao came out and asked before he was ready to wear his clothes.

“There are about 5,000 people.”

"5000! Seoul is probably already in the hands of the Japanese!" Nie Shicheng said.

"What should we do?" Ye Zhichao said panic.

"I first generate a power to the court, saying that Seoul has been occupied by the Japanese army, and now the Japanese army is heading towards Yashan."

"Yes!" the messenger said immediately.

"We will first garrison Chenghuanyi and Gongzhou as planned. I guess reinforcements will arrive today. We must stop the Japanese army from entering Yashan. I will lead two thousand people to station Chenghuanyi to block the Japanese army. Shuqing, you will bring one thousand people to Gongzhou as support."

Ye Zhichao, who had just put on his clothes, heard that he wanted to be a supporter and hurriedly said, "Okay! OK!"

The two then led their troops to Chenghuanyi and Gongzhou.

After Nie Shicheng's troops arrived in Chenghuan, more than 2,000 people immediately built fortifications, divided into left and right wings. The left wing was deployed in the Niuxili Highland about 2 kilometers northwest of Chenghuan, and concentrated its main artillery fire and troops to block the Japanese army's road from Chenghuan to Yashan. The right wing was in the Yuefeng Mountain area, and its troops were relatively weak.

Unfortunately, time is tight, the fortress is poorly constructed and the fortifications are not strong. The so-called fortress is nothing more than a square chest wall building on hilly and high ground. The walls are extremely thin, with only six or seven centimeters thick earth walls on the upper part, which not only cannot withstand shell bombings, but even the Murata 22-year-old rifle bullets used by the Japanese army are very easy to penetrate.

In fact, the elite troops sent to North Korea by Japan have been replaced with ammunition rifles, and only second-class troops and logistics troops are in use for single-load guns.

Murata's 22-year-old rifle adopts a 5-round ammunition compartment design and launches the popular 7.92mm caliber pointed bullets in Europe. At this time, the pointed bullets have been widely used, but the design of the warhead is flat-bottomed, which is naturally not as good as Qin Ge's cone-bottomed warhead, let alone the boat-type sniper special bomb.

Although it is not as good as Qin Ge's bullet, it is a round-headed bullet used by the Qing army. Its initial velocity and penetration are stronger than those of the Qing army.

At this time, the Jiyuan cruiser and the Guangyi torpedo cruiser were waiting and responding to the Gaosheng and Caojiang.

"Sir, Gaosheng and Caojiang are here." The observer said.

"It was half an hour later than the original time." Fang Boqian said a little dissatisfied.

First mate Shen Shouchang said: "The two ships are full of loads, so it is normal not to walk fast, it is a little late."

When the Takae approached, the observer suddenly shouted: "I found that three Japanese ships are Yoshino, Langsu and Akitsu!"

"What?! Hurry up, load each gun, but don't fire it first!" Fang Boqian said hurriedly.

Tianjin.

"What? The Japanese army has occupied Seoul and headed towards Yashan?! When will the telegram be?" Li Hongzhang said loudly after listening to someone's telegram.

"Sir, it was the telegram sent by General Nie at 5:50."

"Oh no, Gaosheng and Caojiang may have just arrived in Yashan Bay!"

;
Chapter completed!