Historically, they were able to hold Jiujiang for more than six years, and they were surrounded by the Hunan army for more than a year without food and aid and refused to surrender, and the quality and will of the officers and men of the Taiping Army in Jiujiang are naturally commendable. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

It is precisely because of this that even on the night of Chinese New Year's Eve on the Chinese New Year's Eve, when the family should have been reunited and happy at night, the Taiping Army officers and soldiers in Jiujiang still did not relax their vigilance, so the Qing army had just begun to dig the tunnel at the south gate with all its might, and was immediately discovered by the Taiping Army soldiers in the listening urn, and they were immediately reported to Luo Outline and Lin Qirong, who were pacifying the soldiers battalion by battalion.

The Qing army chose to launch an attack on Chinese New Year's Eve, which did not surprise Luo Outline and Lin Qirong, but what shocked Luo Outline and Lin Qirong was that the location of the Qing army's tunnel confirmed by the listening urn was less than twenty steps away from the Jiujiang City Wall! That is to say, as long as the Qing army excavates and prepares with all its strength overnight, then in the second half of the night, or tomorrow morning at the latest, the Qing army will be able to bury the gunpowder under the city wall and detonate it!

"What does Chen Tianfa eat? Why did you dig the tunnel of the Qing Demon so close before you found out? What did you do earlier? ”

"Prime Minister Qin, this matter should have nothing to do with General Chen, I have inspected the south gate several times, and there has been no movement in the urn, I can testify to this. If I'm not mistaken, the Qing Demon should use a small hoe and shovel to dig slowly and make as little noise as possible, so our listening urns have become decorations. ”

After listening to Lin Qirong's analysis, he felt reasonable, and Luo Xuan didn't care about the crime of delaying the military plane by Chen Tianfa, the guard general of the South Gate, but hurriedly led Lin Qirong and other generals to the south gate of Jiujiang, went to the front line to preside over the overall situation, and at the same time urgently ordered the soil camp to be dispatched and rushed to the South Gate to wait for his life.

Just after the end of the day, Luo Xuan and others successfully arrived at the scene of the incident, listening to the sound of excavation in the urn has long been clearly audible, and the frequency is dense, it is obvious that the Qing army is determined to put the tunnel at the foot of the city wall tonight. Coming to this judgment, Luo Xuan didn't dare to slack off, and hurriedly asked the Tuying Camp Officer: "Are you sure that before the Qing Demon digs the tunnel under the city wall, let our tunnel connect to the Qing Demon Tunnel?" ”

"Back to the prime minister, the distance is too close, it's too late." The Tuying Battalion Officer replied, "If it is connected when the Qing Demon installs the gunpowder pack, there may be some hope." ”

"Then do it right away!"

Luo Xuan waved his hand and ordered, and the Taiping Army lecturer who came in a hurry also immediately waved his hoe and iron drill, and worked hard to dig the tunnel in the pre-explored position, and at the same time, the other soldiers of the earth camp also immediately prepared firewood bellows and other things to fill with smoke. However, Luo Xuan did not dare to pin all his hopes on the soldiers of the earth camp, and hurriedly ordered the defenders of the south gate to rush to build the fortifications in the city, and prepare necessary items such as earth, stone sandbags and Saimen knife carts, so that the Qing army's tunnel blasting could be used to repair the city wall and plug the gap.

"Prime Minister Luo, we should mobilize another elite army as a reserve and prepare more gunpowder packs." Lin Qirong suggested: "If the Qing Demon really blows up the city wall first, we will use a gunpowder bag to blow up the Qing Demon while rushing to repair the city wall." ”

"You're in charge of this." Luo Xuan trusted Lin Qirong's ability to lead troops, and instructed: "The gunpowder bag should be protected from fire, don't be ignited in advance by the rocket demon fire of the Qing Demon like in the lake." ”

Lin Qirong agreed, immediately returned to the garrison of his own army, and organized the elite of his descendants to come over to help the defenders of the South Gate. Luo Xuan was very careful to send a fast boat to Qin Rigang at Hukou to send a letter to him to prepare for the rescue, and on the other hand, he sent people to strengthen the monitoring of the tunnel in the southeast corner of Jiujiang, beware of the Qing army also digging the tunnel overnight to go straight to the bottom of the city wall. Then Luo Xuan personally climbed the wall of the south gate to observe the movement of the Qing army's camp.

The flying snowflakes and the dark night brought a lot of trouble to Luo Outline's prying eyes, and after holding a monocular and looking at it for a long time, Luo Outline did not find any abnormal behavior on the part of the Qing army, but the more this was the case, the more uneasy Luo Outline felt in his heart, and faintly felt that there was a feeling that the mountain rain was about to come and the wind was full of buildings.

Suddenly, Luo Outline felt that something seemed to be wrong, but what was wrong, Luo Outline couldn't figure it out for a while......

………………

In fact, even if Luo Xuan could detect that something was wrong, it was too late, and under the cover of snowflakes and night, Cao Yanzhong's division of the Third Corps of the Wu Army, which had already been dispatched at two o'clock, had already marched along the deep trench dug by the Hunan army before, and quietly returned to the east gate of Jiujiang, preparing to implement the blasting and siege plan explained by Zuo Zongtang. -- By the way, the trench surrounded Jiujiang by the Hunan army was two zhang deep and wide! (Historical data)

Coincidentally, when he was in Tianjin, the general of the Wu army who was responsible for blowing up the city gate with blasting tactics happened to be Cao Yanzhong, and under the familiar road, Cao Yanzhong was naturally handy in command, first divided the 100-person assault team into five teams, and took turns to step forward in order, and then ordered Liu Mingchuan to lead the inscription battalion, which was good at street fighting and close combat, to take the lead in crossing the trench and lining up to serve as the siege vanguard. The remaining three battalions of Wu soldiers continued to hide in the trenches left by the Hunan army, doing their best to avoid being detected by the Taiping army in advance.

After all this was arranged, the five demolition teams immediately attacked one after another, and quietly touched the city of Jiujiang under the cover of night, and at this moment there were still few lights on the east gate of Jiujiang, although there were several patrols constantly patrolling back and forth in the city, but the sky was too dark and the snowflakes were too big, so until the five Wu army demolition teams touched the stone bridge of the moat and hid in the light and darkness under the city, the Taiping army had not yet discovered the existence of the Wu army.

The first demolition team quickly put the sturdy wooden box filled with picric acid explosives under the east gate, ignited the fuse and immediately fled to a distance to squat down to avoid the shock wave, the lead quickly burned to the end, and the picric acid explosive immediately made an earth-shattering loud noise.

"Boom!"

"Boom! Bang! Bang! Thundered! ”

At the same time that the outer gate of the east gate of Jiujiang turned into powder, a loud noise was heard from the direction of the east gate, and hundreds of Qing army forts between Tuanyupo in the east and Jingxing Lake in the west also lit the artillery fuse one after another, and shot a solid cannonball and a few flowering cannonballs into Jiujiang City.

Zuo Zongtang's hand didn't seem to have any effect, the explosion sound was too obvious in the dark night, and the explosion sound at the east gate was obviously ahead of the Qing army's fort, so even if the Qing army covered the Wu army's surprise attack on the east gate with artillery, when he heard the first explosion from the east gate, Luo Xuan immediately understood that the east gate was dangerous, and immediately understood that something was wrong there - if the Qing army really wanted to use the tunnel to blast and attack the city, it would not step up digging the tunnel in the dead of night, so that the self-army would know their plans first!

"Damn Qing Demon, it's too cunning! Quick, quick, tell Lin Qirong to go to reinforce the East Gate immediately! On the south side of the gate, another army will be transferred here to supplement the defense! Return to the Prime Minister's Mansion, send an order to the whole army, immediately assemble and prepare for war, and all the generals will go to the Prime Minister's Mansion to wait for orders! ”

Zuo Zongtang, who likes to compare himself to Zhuge Liang, is indeed full of tricks, and Luo Outline probably never dreamed that the Wu army's surprise attack on the East Gate and the Qing army's sudden large-scale bombardment of Jiujiang City are actually covering Zuo Zongtang's real killer feature!

Hearing the sound of the explosion, the last tunnel of the Qing army in the southeast corner of Jiujiang immediately began to dig with all its might!

As a result, the cannon roared, people shouted horses, and the listening urn buried by the Taiping army in the southeast corner of Jiujiang completely lost its effect, and naturally there was no way to find out that the third tunnel of the Qing army was rapidly approaching the city of Jiujiang............

The situation is too chaotic, let's take a look at the situation at the east gate of Jiujiang, the incident happened too suddenly, and the soldiers of Li Tiankai, the defender of the east gate of the Taiping Army, were caught off guard and didn't even have time to put down the jack gate in the urn city, and the second blasting team of the Wu army had already rushed into the urn city, and almost flew the wooden box full of bitter acid under the door of the second gate in the urn city, and quickly escaped with the lead, and after another loud bang, the second gate of the east city of Jiujiang also turned into a sawdust state again.

It was also at this time that the soldiers of the Taiping Army, who had just woken up from a dream, finally remembered to put down the inner and outer two jack gates, and at the same time threw torches into the urn city to illuminate them, looking for traces of the enemy. However, after the jack gate landed, the third blasting group of the Wu army immediately stepped forward, so the technique was reapplied to blast with picric acid gunpowder, and easily blew up the first jack gate of the Taiping army.

As a result, it was only when the Fourth Demolition Group of the Wu Army went to blow up the last jack gate of the east gate of Jiujiang that the Taiping soldiers in the city remembered to shoot at the city gate and open fire, killing and wounding a few Wu soldiers, but the Wu soldiers were already prepared, while squatting and crawling to avoid bullets, they returned fire with a revolver that could fire continuously, covering the blaster to crawl forward, and brought the powder box to the jack gate to ignite.

Still expected by Zuo Zongtang, although there is a sharp weapon of picric acid gunpowder, but because the blaster needs to retreat and escape after igniting the fuse, the gunpowder box is temporarily unprotected, and a sharp-eyed Taiping soldier preemptively saw the lead that was braving sparks, and rushed up at the risk of being shot and broken bones, stretched out his hand from the gap in the jack gate, and cut the fuse, temporarily keeping the last jack gate of the east gate of Jiujiang.

The only thing Zuo Zongtang didn't expect was the reaction of the Wu Jun Demoman, seeing that the fuse was cut off, the well-trained Wu Jun Demoman immediately adopted the second plan - throwing multiple picric grenades into the explosive box one after another!

In the violent explosion, the picric acid flame that can be attached to the steel and burn almost instantly reignited the fuse, and after another deafening loud noise, the last jack gate at the east gate of Jiujiang also lost its effect, and was blown up in all directions, flying all over the sky.

At the same time, the vanguard of the Wu army led by Liu Mingchuan had also launched a charge attack, striding across the moat on the stone bridge across the river, shouting and rushing into the east gate of Jiujiang, where there was not much scum left, and rushing through the urn city under the rain of bullets and bullets, and rushed into Jiujiang City. Cao Yanzhong, who was behind, also immediately led the main force of the Wu army out of the trench, opened up a regrouped queue outside the city, and prepared to follow Liu Ming's army into the city.

After the news of the successful blasting of the East Gate was delivered to Zuo Zongtang, Zuo Zongtang, who had been watching the battle with Yang Wending in the camp on the high ground, only raised his eyebrows, and then said to himself: "I didn't expect it to go so smoothly, no wonder it is known as a constant victory and undefeated, Wu Xiaozi does have a set of training soldiers, and he is more than ten times stronger than his teacher." However, it's a pity that Cao Yanzhong still can't get the first credit. ”

"Mr. Ji Gao, why?" Yang Wending next to him asked curiously.

"Street fighting." The battle went smoothly and he was in a good mood, Zuo Zongtang explained casually, and said: "Changmao has been entrenched in Jiujiang for so long, and he must have built a large number of street fortifications in the city, the city gate is too narrow, it is inconvenient to invest troops in the city, and the highest point of the city wall is controlled by Changmao, Cao Yanzhong wants to enter the city in one fell swoop to achieve the first feat, it is more difficult than ascending to the sky." ”

"Then you deliberately sent Cao Yanzhong there?" Yang Wending muttered aggrievedly in his heart, and said secretly: "This time, the elite lineage of the old husband and grandson-in-law, the casualties will not be small." ”

Seeing Yang Wending's grievances, Zuo Zongtang added: "Yang Daotai, you must be worried about General Cao's casualties, right?" But I also have no way, except for the Hubei New Army, which has guaranteed combat effectiveness, no one in the other armies under your command can afford to carry this burden, and I can trust them to let them gnaw hard bones. ”

After that, Zuo Zongtang thought about it for a while, and ordered Xiao Qijiang to send two battalions of Chu Yong to help Cao Yanzhong, and told Hu Zhonghe, Xiao Qijiang's deputy who led the team: "After you go to the East Gate, you temporarily accept Cao Yanzhong's command and ask him to send your army into the city to participate in the battle at an appropriate time." I also told him clearly that I am not asking you to take the credit for him, but that he is under too much pressure, and that although there may be reinforcements from the mouth of the lake from time to time, he must leave sufficient troops as reserves, as well as to protect the rear and flanks. ”

After Hu Zhonghe took the order and left, Zuo Zongtang sat down again, picked up the tea bowl and said to Yang Wending: "Yang Daotai, you don't need to stand and watch all the time, take a proper rest, the battle in Jiujiang is only the beginning now, and no one knows when it will end." Besides, there is no water battlefield to be seen here. ”

…………

The water battlefield is indeed about to start, just after receiving the clipper warning from Luo Xuan, Qin Rigang has already ordered all the main forces of the Taiping Army's naval divisions to board the ship to prepare for battle, although Lai Guiying has already taken the main force of the Taiping Army's land division to the south to attack Raozhou Mansion, the Taiping Army officers and soldiers of Shizhenji's department are also fully prepared for war at the same time, ready to board the boat and cross the river to reinforce the Jiujiang battlefield at any time.

At this time, Qin Rigang naturally thought of the suggestion made by Luo Gang two days ago, his eyes just rolled, Qin Rigang immediately ordered to immediately arrange a fake troop transport fleet, and ordered Wei Jun to lead a small team to protect the fake troop transport ship and set off immediately, sailing to Jiujiang to lure the Wu army sailor to make a big move, and also told Wei Jun: "Remember, it is of course best to directly lure out a sailor who surpasses the little demon, if the Qing demon is too cunning and only sends the Qing Demon Sailor from Xiaochikou to attack, it doesn't matter much, you immediately go up and entangle the Qing Demon Sailor, The troop transport ship disarmed and attacked the Qing Demon's Xiaochikou Water Battalion, not giving the Qing Demon a chance to withdraw to Xiaochikou to protect itself, forcing the Wu Demon Water Division to send troops to rescue them. As long as the Wu Demon Water Master is dispatched, I will immediately personally lead the main force to help you. ”

After Wei Jun took the order and left, Qin Rigang instructed Shi Zhenji again: "General Shi, if it really comes to the time when you have to cross the lake for reinforcements, your army will land in the area of the Sansheng Temple in Gaojia Village, where the Jiangjiawan camp of the Qing Demon has bypassed, although it is still a little far from Jiujiang, but the water flow is slow and suitable for ships to dock, and there is our Meijiazhou garrison artillery cover in the north, which is the safest." ”

Shi Zhenji nodded in agreement, and Qin Rigang turned his gaze to the west again, and said to himself: "Luo Xuan, Lin Qirong, fight for some anger, even if you fight in the streets, you have to resist it." As long as I can deceive the sailor who surpasses the little demon, even if you lose the battle on land, I can calmly return to the master to save you across the river. ”

…………

The Taiping Army's fake troop transport fleet that took the lead successfully deceived the Qing army's water reconnaissance boats, and just seeing those long dragon boats with extremely deep drafts and slow speeds, the Qing army's sailor scouts immediately decided that they were Taiping troop carriers, and immediately reported the situation to Zuo Zongtang.

Knowing that the Taiping Army was transporting troops across the river, Zuo Zongtang remained silent, patiently just waiting for the follow-up report on the water, but Yang Wending, the nominal coach next to him, was impatient, and immediately said to Zuo Zongtang: "Mr. Ji Gao, should you let Bao Chao's sailors dispatch?" The long-haired troops are transported across the river, and even if our sailors only sink a few, they can kill a lot of long-haired troops? ”

"Don't worry, wait." Zuo Zongtang shook his head quietly, and knocked on Erlang's leg before picking up the fragrant tea, as if he didn't take the increasingly fierce battle at the east gate of Jiujiang and the approach of enemy reinforcements to heart.

In the end, after confirming that the Taiping Army's troop transport fleet had crossed Meijiazhou and moved westward, Zuo Zongtang put down Erlang's legs, which had been shaking, and said with a smile: "It's really fake, but it's okay, you divide your troops by yourself, and I will be more sure this time." ”

"What's fake?" Yang Wending asked suspiciously: "Mr. Ji Gao, what are you saying is fake?" ”

"Of course it's saying that the long-haired troop carrier fleet is fake." Zuo Zongtang smiled very happily and said: "We have stationed a green battalion in Jiangjiawan, blocking the road from Yangjiachang to Jiujiang, if Changmao wants to transport troops across the river for reinforcements, the most ideal landing place is the area from Sansheng Temple to Chenjiatang, or directly land outside the north gate of Jiujiang and directly enter the city to participate in the battle." ”

"Now that the Changmao troops in Jiujiang City are sufficient, they don't need Hukou Changmao to enter the city for reinforcements, and they have deliberately abandoned another most suitable landing site, isn't their troop transport fleet fake? Running to Yujiayuan and Pengjiawan to land, Changmao is not afraid that before their reinforcements finish getting off the ship, the fast artillery of the Hubei New Army will already hit their heads? ”

"What are you doing with a fake troop convoy?" Yang Wending asked even more suspiciously.

"Yang Daotai, it's so tiring to talk to you." Zuo Zongtang sighed and said: "The purpose of the fake troop transport fleet sent by the long hair is of course to deceive our sailors, and it is of course best to be able to deceive our main sailors in Shanjiazhou, and the main force of the long-haired sailors will be dispatched, as long as Wu Chaoyue's Fubiao sailors are killed, the right to control the river in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River will be all theirs, and it is worth it to lose Jiujiang." ”

"If you can't deceive Wu Chaoyue's Fubiao sailors, you can also deceive Bao Chao's sailors, throw the sandbags and stones loaded on the long dragon boat, the tow boat and the fast crab boat into the river, and the troop transport ship will immediately become a warship, and with the long-haired small plucking fleet, you will be able to form an absolute advantage over Bao Chao immediately.

It was rare to patiently explain to Yang Wending carefully, and then Zuo Zongtang didn't care whether Yang Wending understood it or not, and immediately instructed the water messenger: "Go and give Bao Chao an order, continue to close the camp, confirm that the second troop transport fleet that found Changmao has received a signal from the south bank, and immediately send troops to raid Changmao's second troop transport fleet!" That's the real troop carrier! (To be continued.) )