The plan could never keep up with the changes, and in Weeser's original plan, the troops had to be modified with at least fifteen hundred flint guns. After striking Zhang Guoliang's troops on September 17, the Qing army, which had been approaching Yongxing, began to retreat and fled to Xingning, nearly 100 miles away. After the battle in which 1,000 people beat 4,000 people, the Taiping army frightened Chang Lu, the commander-in-chief of the Qing army's eastern front. The reconnaissance troops reconnoitred everywhere, and now there were no Qing troops at all within 50 miles, and Yongxing could easily train his troops at his own pace and build weapons.

But on September 21, Yang Xiuqing sent someone to summon Wei Ze to Chenzhou. There was no Qing army around, and Wei Ze was quite easy along the way. But when he entered the Tianwang Mansion in the Yamen of Chenzhou, Wei Ze learned the news that the Western King Xiao Chaogui was shot. Xiao Chaogui raided Changsha and was about to succeed.

But I never expected that on September 12, when Xiao Chaogui went to Miao Peak in the south of Changsha City to build a fort, and observed the enemy situation of the Qing army on Miao Peak, the Qing army defending the city opened heavy fire on Miao Peak, which was very close to the south of the city. Xiao Chaogui, the king of the West, was hit by a lead in the upper breast part of his chest and was fatally injured.

When the news reached Chenzhou, the upper echelons of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom were shaken. When Yong'an was established, the four kings of the southeast, northwest, and wings, these powerful factions formed the core leadership of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Feng Yunshan is generally respected by everyone, and Xiao Chaogui is even more accustomed to fighting, but it has not been a year since the king of the south ascended to heaven, and the king of the west was mortally wounded. Although Zeng Shuiyuan, who took over the command, did not dare to say it directly, it can be seen from his recital that the king of the west is already more auspicious.

Hong Xiuquan was also really anxious, just by looking at his flustered look, he could know that his heart was in a mess at this time. Wei Ze and Xiao Chaogui had been together for a few days, and he could know why Hong Xiuquan was flustered. Xiao Chaogui, the king of the West, was a general in the Taiping army whose status was no less than that of Yang Xiuqing, and if Feng Yunshan, the king of the South, was an important figure who had surpassed Yang Xiuqing in terms of political influence, then Xiao Chaogui's military ability and administrative influence were by no means below Yang Xiuqing.

Just spent a few days with Xiao Chaogui, and Xiao Chaogui's words left a deep impression on Wei Ze. "Adults are not comfortable, they are not adults, the more they suffer, the more majestic they are!" Even though he was extremely disgusted with Hong Xiuquan's feudal style in his heart, Wei Ze still felt that even if he looked at Xiao Chaogui's face, there was no need to be angry with Hong Xiuquan now, so he would first compromise for the great cause of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Hearing the news of Xiao Chaogui's serious injury, Wei Zexian no longer needed to think about Hong Xiuquan. In other words, if Wei Ze could not fully fall to Yang Xiuqing for the time being while Xiao Chaogui was still there, Wei Ze would no longer have any other choice at this time.

Although Yang Xiuqing was also a little nervous, she looked much calmer than Hong Xiuquan. After telling the generals the news of the Xiwang cannon, Yang Xiuqing first looked around at the generals, and then said: "We are going to leave Chenzhou and Yongxing now and lead the team to Changsha. In any case, Changsha must be defeated! ”

This is not a consultation, but an order. Before Xiao Chaogui had an accident, Yang Xiuqing could only be regarded as the first person in the military and political system of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Now that Feng Yunshan ascended to heaven and Xiao Chaogui was about to ascend to heaven, Yang Xiuqing was undoubtedly the real first person in Taiping Tian's politics. Wei Changhui, the king of the north, and Shi Dakai, the winged king, are certainly one of the five kings of Yong'an, but they cannot be compared with Yang Xiuqing at all.

Wei Ze immediately got up and said, "In this case, your subordinates please be the vanguard of the whole army!" ”

Listening to Wei Ze's voluntary words, Yang Xiuqing didn't ask for other people's opinions at all, he said: "Prime Minister Wei! You first send a thousand men to Changsha to help in the war, and you yourself will lead the troops to the rear of the palace. ”

Wei Ze immediately replied: "After the subordinates are willing to bring a thousand brothers, the other soldiers and horses will immediately go out to occupy the cities along the way to Changsha. Prepare the rest and food for the Chinese army. so that the army can rush to Changsha as much as possible. ”

Yang Xiuqing pondered slightly for a moment, and after assessing whether Wei Ze had achieved these abilities, Yang Xiuqing replied: "That's very good!" Then Prime Minister Wei will go and prepare now. ”

Wei Ze said goodbye to Yang Xiuqing, and then to Hong Xiuquan, and then immediately left the Tianwang Mansion and led the team back to Yongxing. During the whole process, Yang Xiuqing did not ask Hong Xiuquan what he meant, and Wei Ze did not ask Hong Xiuquan what he meant.

At this time, the blacksmith shop had made a total of 18oo leaf springs, and the carpenters were making slow progress, only making 8oo new gun mounts, and Wei Ze ordered the General Staff to immediately make a military plan and prepare the whole army to go north. Hearing the news that the Western King Xiao Chaogui was seriously injured, everyone was frightened.

Before they could say anything discouraged, Wei Ze said angrily: "The East King is still here, and I'm not dead!" What are you afraid of?! ”

This rebuke suppressed the troops, and everyone obeyed Wei Ze's order and began to prepare for the north. No one noticed that Wei Ze only mentioned the East King and himself, and did not mention the Heavenly King Hong Xiuquan at all, let alone the Northern King Wei Changhui and the Wing King Shi Dakai.

The blacksmith department of the logistics department had produced enough parts, and Weeser simply ordered them to start building iron hoops and stop producing leaf springs. The military plan was also formulated quickly, Wei Ze led the first division to the rear of the palace, and Wei Changrong and Hu Chenghe led the main force north. The troops marched along the route of the Western King Xiao Chaogui to the north, leaving a thousand brothers in each city. The 4,000 brothers occupied the four cities first, and when the front of the brigade arrived, the troops handed over the management of the cities and began to march quickly, and the whole army advanced in this way to ensure that the Taiping army could put its strength on the march as much as possible.

Three days later, on September 24, the main force of the Taiping Army in Chenzhou arrived in Yongxing, and the 1st Division led by Wei Ze also received the last more than 200 modified flint guns. Wei Ze gave up Yongxing and led his troops south to search for the pursuing troops of the Qing army.

On this march, Weeser's General Staff was in charge of all the marches, and the overall march was extremely fast. Originally, Xiao Chaogui led 3,000 elites and arrived in Changsha from Chenzhou in 2o days. The main force of the Taiping Army in Chenzhou, with nearly 40,000 people, arrived in Changsha in 16 days.

In the battle report obtained by Emperor Xianfeng, the Qing army described the main force of the Taiping army as heading north.

“…… The Cantonese bandits were guarded by the whole army of the Cantonese bandits, and their headquarters were erratic, and wherever the officers and troops went, the Cantonese bandits all arrived in advance and fought with the officials and troops. As soon as the Cantonese bandit brigade was cleared, the Cantonese bandits fled immediately. The officers and soldiers couldn't catch up...... The various teams of the officers and troops engaged the Cantonese bandits, but the Cantonese bandit brigade didn't need to worry about anything else, but only used the marching ......"

As for the Shu Yue bandits, whom Emperor Xianfeng attaches great importance to, he finally has a lot of detailed information at this time," ...... Bundle Cantonese bandits, all dressed with vertical collars, a piece of red cloth sewn on each side of the neckline, and the shoulders and arms are sealed with yellow pattern cloth on a white background. It is bundled, with a small crown of cowhide, the crown is only a few inches, can not block the wind and rain, when it is a thing that is manifested by bandits......"

"Shu Yue bandits are the elite of the Yue bandits, every battle with drums and trumpets as an order, the queue is forward, and there are pressure soldiers to their backs with spears, a slight retreat, and they will not be forgiven, so they fight with the official army, although they die, they dare not retreat......"

"The name of the Cantonese bandit is Wei Changrong, and he is the younger brother ......of the Cantonese bandit Wei Changhui."

Emperor Xianfeng clearly saw a fact from these movements, that is, the Qing army commanded by Cezanne did not stop the Taiping army at all, and allowed the Taiping army to calmly run all the way from Chenzhou to Changsha City. No matter what "merit" these people had in inquiring about the matter of the Yue bandits, Emperor Xianfeng had no intention of rewarding them at all.

The Taiping army rebelled from Jintian, Guangxi, and after more than a year of encirclement and suppression by the imperial court's soldiers and horses, it has changed from a few thousand people to tens of thousands of horses, but now Shi Shiran is going straight to Changsha. Xianfeng was furious at this group of Qing troops who did not dare to attack at all, and he strictly ordered all armies to fight against the Taiping army, and on the other hand, he mobilized troops and horses from all over the country to go to Changsha to encircle and suppress the Taiping army, and in any case he wanted to annihilate the Taiping army in Changsha.

On 12 January, the main force of the Taiping army arrived outside Changsha and joined Zeng Shuiyuan, who had succeeded the command of Xiao Chaogui, the king of the West.

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