Jin Tianfang slaughtered, and Bai Lu began to levy.

Wang Shifei is not happy to fight, and his son is Shen Jiabing.

The sea air invaded the south, and the wind swept the north.

Don't sell Lu Longsai, and invite the name of Lin Pavilion.

Tang Dynasty: Chen Ziang "Sending the Book Zuolang Cui Rong and Others from the Liang King's Eastern Expedition"

- I'm the dividing line -

On the second day of February, in the spring flood when the dragon raised its head, all parts of the country began to welcome the god of Mangshen and whip the spring ox at the same time. The sails of the Taiping Navy and its affiliated boat divisions gathered in Jiangling were like clouds, and they followed the rolling river tide and fast wind for more than ten miles, heading straight for the downstream Jianghuai.

However, the first to make the most direct response and linkage was the territory of the Eyue Observation Mission, one of the 48 feudal towns of Yuan Yuan and Jiangbei, located in the territory of Qizhou, Huangzhou, Anzhou, and Chuzhou, which were entrenched in the former rebel army.

They voluntarily turned their banners against each other, and sent people to grovel to the passing Taiping transport boats, and sent large quantities of money, grain, husbands and horses on the spot, and even sent a symbolic small number of men and horses to join the eastern crusade.

Of course, after receiving the response (disguised recognition) of the Taiping Army, more people took advantage of this momentum and wind direction to initiate and devote themselves to the attack on other remaining remnants of the official army and local Tuan forces in the territory.

And on the south bank of the Great River, with the fast horse messengers galloping past with suona and beating the drum board, the mobilization and assembly orders spread by the wind generally; The people who were organized in a short period of time from the nearby camps and fields also led the transport carts and horses, and gathered all kinds of tools and hedgehogs at the key points and nodes along the main road along the river.

In the sound of the trumpet, sweat was like rain, and the assembly points and camps at intervals of thirty or fifty miles were repaired in full swing, so that the subsequent arrival of the army could be used as a relay ready-made site. And prepare meals and hot soup, dock and replenish firewood, carbon clothing and other materials on the spot.

Once the army had marched, these temporary camps were further strengthened, repaired, and built, and turned into grain yards (military stations) for transporting grain and grass between cities. Combined with the existing local arm plate signal, a logistics support line with relatively convenient transportation and smooth information has quickly taken shape in a short period of time.

And even after the end of the war, these places did not need to be completely abandoned and demolished, but could be further renovated and expanded into new post houses and bazaars for the needs of subsequent private travel and trade exchanges.

Therefore, the main force of the Taiping Eastern Expeditionary Army, which set out from Gangneung by land, can be said to be in a light state of a large number of mules and horses for transportation and waterway consignment of baggage equipment, and was able to repair and replace them in a relay manner along the way, and steadily maintained a relatively high-intensity rapid marching speed.

Therefore, from the mighty army of Jiangling through Fuzhou to Yuezhou, and then to Ezhou; It only took two days and one night; It took a day and a half to follow the riverside avenue from Ezhou, all the way through Chizhou and Xuanzhou, and finally arrive at the easternmost control area of Runzhou (now Zhenjiang).

Of course, along with this process, there is also the Jiangbei area that has been alarmed, and the continuous beacon fires can be seen day and night.

At this time, the naval warships that arrived first had already merged with the local naval divisions stationed on wheel; Deterrent patrols, interceptions, and blockades began, from Dantu/Jiangdu across the river to Langshan Town, Hushuzhou (now Nantong, Jiangsu), at the mouth of the sea.

This time, in addition to using most of the surface forces of the Fifth Army and its attached boat divisions (river combat units); There are also four main combat battalions in the "Changcong" sequence of the First Army in Xiangyang, which are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th;

The three battalions of the Third Army in Hunan were in the sequence of the second, third, and sixth in the third army, and the two battalions in Shannan that were subordinate to the second and fourth of the Fourth Army were replaced from Jiangxi through the Lingnan transfer to the north to change defenses, and the two full-fledged battalions of the sixth army in the second and fifth divisions were replaced.

Because it is mainly needed to fight in the water network area where the rivers in the south of the Yangtze River are developed; Therefore, the cavalry of the Second Army was not brought with them, but mainly the mounted infantry was the main force, and only two ranger/light cavalry battalions were recruited.

One of the battalions remained in the main position to standby, and the other battalion was reinforced in the form of brigades and teams; It is necessary to scout horses, patrol and patrol guards. Most of the rest of the cavalry remained in Jingxiang as a general reserve for emergency mobility.

Finally, there are three battalions and five garrison battalions in the local Runzhou garrison area in Jiangdong, as well as some peripheral auxiliary establishments, which are about five or six thousand people.

Therefore, this time, in addition to the garrison battalions that provide support and maintain order in the rear, and the auxiliary sequences such as (local) garrison regiments and patrol units, the number of main (combat) battalions directly participating in the battle alone has reached 16, or more than 20,000 horses.

Coupled with the garrison battalions that provided cooperation in Runzhou and the boat divisions that could enter the inland rivers to assist in the battle, it was a real army of 34,000. Compared with when he assisted Huang Chao's main formation in the expedition to Jiangdong and Huainan, it seems that the quantity has not increased much, but in terms of quality, it has already far outcome.

This is because more than half of the battalions have initially realized the relative mobility of mounted infantry or mule-horse-drawn carts, and the proportion of individual firearms thrown and long-range strike firearms in each battalion has also been greatly increased.

In addition, there are two ways to assist and contain the bias division; One route was led by Cheng Dayan, the right general of the Eighth Army, who was sitting in Jiangxi Province, to assemble and advance from Poyang City, Raozhou, southern Jiangxi, and along the Le'an River to cross the lead and Yushan mountains of Xinzhou (now Shangrao, Jiangxi) and attack Quzhou;

In the end, it had a round with the remnants of the Fujian army under the control of Qian Gumei in Wenzhou, and formed a strategic presence in southeastern Zhejiang that could threaten Kuozhou (now Kuocang, Zhejiang) and Wuzhou (Jinhua, Zhejiang), and retreat to seek Fujian.

On the other hand, starting from Guangfu, the patrol sailors outside the mountains were the mainstay, and the cantonment stronghold in Ryukyu (Taiwan) was used as an assembly and transit, waiting for an opportunity to attack and harass Taiwan, Ming, Vietnam, Hangzhou, Suzhou and other areas along the eastern coast of Zhejiang; Thought it was a means of containment in the flanks and rear.

If the numbers of these land and water foot workers are combined, it is a real army of 50,000; In addition, there are reservists assembled in the states along the rear, and almost every state can provide at least one or two supplementary battalions as support for the subsequent war.

Therefore, if this mobilization capacity is placed in the other forces of the same era, it can be called an "army of 80,000" or even a "army of 100,000" together with the people who have made up a number of people in the rear.

Therefore, when Zhou Huai'an's large Chinese military ship arrived at the foot of the shogunate mountain between Jiangning City and Dantu and began to review the military formations that stretched for several miles along the coast, Luo Yin, Yang Shigu, and even Lu Yan, Han Hao, Li Shicheng and other subordinates who arrived on the same ship had already made several corresponding poems.

is like Luo Yin, so he made a song "Sitting on the Soldiers of the Eastern Crusade"

"The long river crosses Pixiu at night, and the soldiers are like clouds and hugs upstream.

The general can wield a white feather fan, and the king does not love sable fur.

Twelve Guanshan Qi homeland, a hundred years of territory Han Shenzhou.

The sleepless frost moon smells the fighting, and looks at the bullfighting from the Maotang. ”

There is also a poem "Inscription on the Eastern Expedition" by Qu Chengyu, a general of the Seventh Army:

"Grab Yao Qi points, Long Yuqin Sixth Division.

went out to gallop and didn't have time to tell his wife and children.

Relatives and friends sent me off, and I couldn't say anything.

Death and life are not compassionate about national affairs. ”

Even the ship's consultant monk Xuzhong also made a poem: "Records of the Eastern Expedition"

"The smell of the old man is deep and stable, and the rest of the children are aware of the collision.

The smoke and clouds are in a thousand forms, swallowing the five lakes and three rivers.

If you hear the sun and look at the world, look down on the wells and not my country.

The husband went out and smiled, and when he returned from laughing, his heart dropped. ”

For Zhou Huai'an, it is inevitably a little touching. At least with these natural praises, this time I finally don't have to think about the same as at the beginning, I have to rack my brains to show off everywhere, and I will brag about myself with the famous sentences of the later generations.

It's the so-called want to pretend to be forced, but there are not many people who can appreciate it.,You can only find the helplessness of finding a sense of identity in your own sister.,Who can understand and inform it in this era.。

- I'm the dividing line -

In Hailing County, Jiangbei, a group of Huainan generals who rushed to the local area and were waiting for the battle, also watched the movement on the other side with ugly faces, while listening to the report of the spies who had absconded:

"The thief army on the other side is noisy, the sword banner is like a forest and I don't know how many, just on the river, that is, the sail is cloudy and covers the sun, stretching for dozens of miles without seeing the beginning and the end."

Then there was a Huainan general who rushed over from Hezhou (now Hexian County, Anhui), and Chen Heng, the soldier and horse envoy of the Chaohu Water Army, said:

"What is even more terrifying and inexplicable is that this army of Taiping thieves arrived in Xuanrun from Gangneung, only a little later than the messenger who galloped back from the north bank. If you sneak into Huaishang with all your might, who can resist for a moment. ”

"Since he has nothing to take in Jiangbei, maybe his intention is not in my Huainan. And just to take Jiangdong with all his heart? ”

There are also people who have a fluke to say, but it is Yao Guili, the deputy envoy of the Shengrui Army, one of the four armies of the Huainan camp.

"No matter what, I have to make it clear that the prince will know again."

In the end, Yu Gongchu, the highest-ranking Huainan general on the scene, was holding his beard.

In addition, at any cost, additional manpower was dispatched, and the idea was to cross the river at night to find out the situation. Then he dispatched the boat division to make a detour overseas to Su Chang, and Xiao Yu and the joint place echoed it. ”

"It is not easy for me to maintain a good situation in Huainan for a long time, and it is definitely not enough to just watch the fire from the other side. If the Taiping thief easily gains power in Jiangdong, I'm afraid that it will either turn his head or my Huainan's elbow and armpit will be in serious trouble. ”

Of course, he still has unfinished intentions, but he can't talk about it in public, but can only tacit it things in the left and near.

Because, it is said that it is in the land of Huaixi, west of the Tongbai Mountains, and between the land of Kanto where Henan and Hebei are located; The imperial court did not lose its ability to control the local government, had no troops to use and used, and had no money, food, and officials to pacify the localities and restore order.

Therefore, it is now in ruins and the order is broken, and it is allowed to be between the cracks and buffers of various bandit armies, feudal towns, and wars; There are also places where homeless groups, local tyrants, and bandits form villages to protect themselves, annex each other, and beggar-thy-neighbor.

Therefore, this famous Gao Linggong for most of his life, although he raised 70,000 troops in Huainan, the strongest force in the southeast, and sat back and watched the imperial court fall, he also preserved the partial security pattern on their side in disguise; Let these generals be able to be the recipients of power in their respective jurisdictions.

Regardless of whether that Gao Linggong really sneaked into the immortal cultivation and didn't care about mundane affairs, or whether he used this to escape the world and get rid of the constraints and orders of the imperial court, except for a few diehards who still thought about the imperial court, not many people wanted to shake and change this status quo.

What's more, now there is Qin Zongquan from Caizhou in Huaishang in the north, and Liu Hanhong's troops in Gwangju have been attacking and invading one after another.