Luo Zenan, who retreated from Tianjia Town, moved closer to Zeng Guofan in Jiangxi as planned, but because he was intercepted by Chen Yucheng all the way, he arrived in Jiangxi after a full month. Zeng Guofan's attack on Jiujiang was delayed, and Lin Qirong took advantage of this gap to enter Jiujiang and took over the Taiping defenders here with Yang Xiaoshan's warrant.

After Shi Dakai received the news, he was very tacitly stationed in Meijiazhou, the confluence of Poyang Lake and the Yangtze River, and Yang Xiaoshan led the naval army to enter the lake mouth opposite Meijiazhou, and the two coincidentally saw the key to this battle, that is, Poyang Lake.

A single card on both sides of Meijiazhou and Hukou blocked Zeng Guofan's attempt to enter Poyang Lake, and Poyang Lake was the source of food for the Western Expeditionary Army, and with this stable rear, the Taiping army could firmly hold this place and block the route of the Qing army's attempt to enter Anhui.

The arrival of Yang Xiaoshan put tremendous pressure on Zeng Guofan, and all kinds of earth drainage cities were erected on the main roads of water and land, and the camps along the coast were one after another. There is only one reason why Yang Xiaoshan bothered to build so many fortifications, his naval army was not as good as Zeng Guofan.

Since Tang Zhengcai joined, the Taiping Army's naval army has improved several grades, but after leaving Wuchang to Nanjing, it has not been able to build a more powerful fleet. The sailors of Zeng Guofan were specially built, with large ships and small boats, forming a complete combat system, which was built for the Taiping army.

Yang Xiaoshan tried to attack several times and found that Zeng Guofan's warships were equipped with foreign cannons, and their firepower was extremely fierce, and they were escorted by small boats, so it was difficult for other ships to get close. If it was to fight with ships alone, the Taiping army would definitely suffer a big loss.

Therefore, Yang Xiaoshan adopted the strategy of joint defense by land and water, with camps on land, checkpoints on water, forts at checkpoints, and other gunboats to cover. If you control Poyang Lake, you are ready to fight with Zeng Guofan and fight a defensive counterattack.

Zeng Guofan first attacked Jiujiang with heavy troops, Lin Qirong was very powerful, he commanded the defenders to strengthen the city defense, and his personal battalion easily did not use foreign guns, only when it was very dangerous. So the Qing army thought for a long time that this was no different from carrying a gun. This is because Lin Qirong is afraid that the Qing army will know the power of foreign guns, and then find a way to crack it. Second, because the city has been defended for a long time, Lin Qirong is worried that there will not be enough ammunition.

Not only that, Lin Qirong also hid some small boats in the inland rivers, whenever the Qing army was lax, these small boats would row over, and some Qing warships with low defense in the Yangtze River, as long as they were not prepared enough, they were ignited and destroyed by Lin Qirong's men.

Lin Qirong's defensive counterattack was impressive, Peng Yuqi was annoyed, he was bent on catching Lin Qirong's boat, but Lin didn't give him this opportunity at all, his boat was never placed by the Yangtze River, so Peng Yuqi had nowhere to start.

Yang Xiaoshan originally temporarily asked Lin Qirong to defend Jiujiang, and when he arrived, he planned to take over the defense, but seeing that Lin Qirong was doing a very good job, he felt that he had infinite potential, and he was just exercising him, and he should be a malleable talent.

Zeng Guofan saw that Jiujiang couldn't take it for a while, so he asked Peng Yuqi's army to cross Jiujiang to the mouth of Poyang Lake to see if he could open a gap here.

But at this time, Meijiazhou has been made into an iron barrel by Shi Dakai, which was originally a barren land, Shi Dakai built a camp here for two miles, built a camp, and set up a fort, turning a place that originally did not even have a city into a barrier that was difficult to cross.

Peng Yuqi sought a decisive battle on the water, but the Taiping army's defense was very targeted, that is, not to fight him, hoping to consume them on land.

Zeng Guofan was a little anxious, at first he was full of confidence, and felt that his navy was invincible in the world, but he was locked here by the Taiping Army's Jiujiang, Meijiazhou, and Hukou three gates, and there was almost no progress for more than two months. Moreover, Yang Xiaoshan, Shi Dakai, and Lin Qirong had a tacit understanding that as long as the main force of Zeng Guofan was transferred, the Taiping troops on the other two sides would attack the defenders left by the Qing army. The Hunan defenders of Jiujiang were almost killed by Lin Qirong's counterattack.

The Hunan army camp is rarely silent, and they used to compete with each other for merit, but now they are complaining. The land and water blame each other, and the atmosphere of great unity is gone.

Zeng Guofan couldn't stand it anymore, and slapped the table: "Don't complain, tell me one by one what caused the current predicament." ”

"My lord, these Jiujiang, Meijiazhou, and Hukou all have grain and grass support from Poyang Lake, we will fight hard and suffer losses, and we can't surround them, only by entering Poyang Lake and cutting off their grain routes, can we capture their cities along the Yangtze River." Peng Yuqi suggested.

"Poyang Lake is not so easy to enter, and the shores of the lake mouth are already controlled by Changmao's hands. If we rush in, I'm afraid that there will be no return, then Poyang Lake is a pocket array, and we have to guard against it. "Luo Zenan is still very powerful, and he saw the special topography of Poyang Lake.

"My lord, this Poyang Lake not only provides food and grass for the bandits, but also builds ships by the lake. Our spies came to report that there are hundreds of ships under construction in this Poyang Lake, and we have to guard against it. Peng Yuqi insisted.

Peng Yuqi didn't talk nonsense, Yang Xiaoshan knew that his navy was in a weak position, so he asked Tang Zhengcai to build warships here in Poyang Lake day and night, and the template for shipbuilding was the warships of the Hunan army, intending to use his spear to overcome his shield.

Zeng Guofan stood up and sat down again, his mood was very complicated, the situation along the Yangtze River had not been opened for a long time, and the governor of Jiangxi had already planned to reduce his military salary and food support. He also made a small report to the emperor, saying that he raised his own dignity and used the Taiping army to fatten his army.

Zeng Guofan is difficult to tell, but he knows that the time given to him by the imperial court is running out, and he must come up with certain achievements in the short term to prove himself, otherwise it will be very detrimental to his career if he is not dead or alive.

"Luo Zenan, you continue to stay in Jiujiang, try to cut off the connection between Jiujiang and Meijiazhou and Hukou, and don't let them support each other." Zeng Guofan prepared to launch a full-scale attack on the Taiping Western Expeditionary Army.

"Hu Linyi, you deal with Shi Dakai in Meijiazhou, and at the same time see if you can attract the warship he is defending to the river." Zeng Guofan felt that he had to take care of Poyang Lake, let it develop, and the strength of the long-haired navy would one day surpass him.

"Peng Yuqi, you lead the naval army to attack Hukou, strive to engage their main force, and prevent them from supporting Meijiazhou. As long as the Taiping army's sailors are severely damaged, we will enter Poyang Lake and sweep their supply lines, and by that time, there will be no obstacles on the Yangtze River. "Zeng Guofan gave the final order to bloom at three o'clock at the same time.

On the Yangtze River, the Hunan army and the Taiping army are finally going to have the final decisive battle, who will kill the deer? In fact, neither side is sure of victory. 10