After carefully asking the messenger sent by Liu Lichuan about the situation on the front line, Wu Chaoyue found that he had somewhat misunderstood Liu Lichuan, and the counterattack on Zhenjiang was not the idea of Yang Wending and Liu Lichuan, but the masterpiece of Xiang Rong, the master of Qincha, and Deng Shaoliang, the new governor of Jiangnan, and it was a tactical plan approved by the Holy Decree of Emperor Xianfeng, and the Qing army of Jiangyin also had to act in accordance with the order.

But it is not completely wronged Liu Lichuan, Wu Chaoyue has long repeatedly emphasized the importance of Jiangyin to the rear of Shanghai, in the case that Xiang Rong and Deng Shaoliang and others did not name Shanghai regimental training to participate in the war, the greedy Liu Lichuan did not consult Wu Chaoyue at all, and agreed to help Yang Wending counterattack Zhenjiang, and brazenly reached out to Wu Chaoyue to ask for bullets and grenades, and used the precious silver of the old Wu family to fight for him to earn an official position.

Restricted by the transportation conditions, even the descendants of Lian Yong could not be fully armed, Wu Chaoyue of course did not want to give Liu Lichuan half a bullet, and at the same time, Wu Chaoyue did not want Liu Jiajun to participate in the Zhenjiang counterattack, but he couldn't make up his mind whether Liu Lichuan should be explicitly stopped from participating in the war, and he hesitated for a long time.

Fortunately, Wu Chaoyue now has a fairly reliable staff member Zhao Liewen, and someone has already discussed the matter, and after calling Zhao Liewen to explain the situation, Zhao Liewen also immediately told Wu Chaoyue: "Comfort Ting, this matter cannot be objected to, let alone use a public order to prohibit Liu Lichuan from participating in the war." Although Liu Lichuan is your subordinate, behind him is now standing in Jiangsu Governor Yang Wending, if you openly prohibit Liu Lichuan from participating in the war, not only will you give people and handles, but also fail to counterattack Zhenjiang in the future, maybe the big black pot of Zhenjiang's fiasco will have to be borne by you. ”

Wu Chaoyue frowned and nodded, and said with a distressed expression: "I know this." If I resolutely do not allow Liu Lichuan to participate in the war, then the counterattack on Zhenjiang will fail in the future. Yang Wending and Deng Shaoliang will definitely bite the bullet, saying that it is because I pull their hind legs. They were defeated. But if I agree to let Liu Lichuan participate in the war, if Zhenjiang can't be defeated, and I lose this army that can barely hold Jiangyin, then my trouble will definitely be even greater. ”

"It's not that Zhenjiang can't be defeated, but it's definitely impossible to take it down." Zhao Liewen was shocked and said: "In the eyes of the foolish brother, the Zhenjiang counterattack that the imperial court decided to launch this time was completely the result of the emperor's blind command of the imperial court, Xiang Rong shirking his responsibility, and Deng Shaoliang driving the ducks to the shelves, and there was no chance of winning. Before the war began, it was already doomed to a crushing defeat. ”

I have long found that Zhao Liewen is not very kind to see Emperor Xianfeng and the Manchu court, Wu Chaoyue was not the slightest surprise at Zhao Liewen's words, Zhao Liewen was arrogant, and said: "Comfort Ting, Xiang Rongtun soldiers and filial piety guards, establish a Jiangnan camp twenty miles east of Jiangning City, do you think he is really to attack the main force of Changmao to recover Jiangning?" On the contrary, he did so in fact the most brilliant passive fear. Dodge the decisive battle with the main force of Longhair! ”

Here we must introduce the situation of Xiang Rong and the Qing army's Jiangnan battalion, as mentioned earlier, because of the repeated persecution of Emperor Xianfeng, Xiang Rong was forced to march into Jiangpu with 50,000 Qing troops. And Yang Xiuqing, out of strategic considerations, chose to take the initiative to retreat and hand over Jiangpu County, so that Xiang Rongbai could choose a credit for recovering Jiangpu. Then Xiang Rong crossed the Yangtze River south under the persecution of Emperor Xianfeng. The detour touched Xiaolingwei, and he fought two small battles with the Taiping army in the field. Then Yang Xiuqing didn't know what medicine he had taken wrong, and suddenly chose to retreat to defend the city. Xiang Rong also took the opportunity to set up camp in Xiaoling Wei'an Camp and established the Jiangnan Camp, which is famous in history.

Then, a very absurd scene happened, in the case of Nanjing's nest being directly threatened by Xiang Rong, the Taiping army on the one hand with the winged king Shi Dakai as the commander of the western expedition, sent troops to counterattack the upper cities such as Taipingfu, Wuhu and Anqing, and on the other hand, with Li Kaifang and Ji Wenyuan as the Northern Expeditionary Army, through Liuhe and Chuzhou to attack Fengyang, the two ways of dividing the troops are ignoring the nearby Jiangnan camp. Xiang Rong, on the other hand, shouted slogans to recapture Nanjing and restore Jiangning, while at the same time he was at peace with the Jiangning Taiping Army twenty miles away, and did not invade each other.

Getting back to the point, after listening to Zhao Liewen's question, Wu Chaoyue, who had long been full of doubts about this, immediately asked: "Xiang Rong established the Jiangnan camp and confronted the main force of Long Mao, but it was actually to be passive and afraid of war?" What does this mean? ”

"Xiang Rong and Hong Yang have a tacit understanding!" Zhao Liewen was even more astonishing, and said: "Foolish brother doesn't dare to say that Xiang Rong and Hong Yang are secretly colluding, but they can be sure that they have a tacit understanding!" Hong Yang rebelled and acquiesced to Xiang Rong's troops and filial piety, asked Xiang Rong to give an explanation to the imperial court, and also made the imperial court dare not mobilize Xiang Rong's army; Xiang Rong acquiesced to Hong Yangfa's rebellious expansion of territory, specializing in expanding the territory of the imperial court's empty forces, mutual benefit, and everyone was happy! ”

Zhao Liewen's analysis once shocked and surprised Wu Chaoyue, but after careful consideration, Wu Chaoyue found that this was by no means alarmist, and the current situation was indeed very beneficial to both the Taiping Army and Xiang Rong. The Taiping army only needs to show a little strength to contain Xiang Rong's main force and take the opportunity to free up their hands to expand the territory; And Xiang Rong only needs to be stationed in Xiaolingwei to give an explanation to the Manchu court, and he no longer has to worry about being forced by Emperor Xianfeng to take risks and fight a decisive battle with the Taiping army three times a day - such a happy thing, if Xiang Rong has no tacit understanding and no deal with the Taiping army, I am afraid that he will not even believe in ghosts.

Seeing that Wu Chaoyue had already recognized his analysis, Zhao Liewen continued: "The so-called Zhenjiang counterattack is actually the product of a tacit understanding between Xiang Rong and Hong Yang! In the current situation, the ghost knows that Zhenjiang cannot be defeated, but Xiang Rong asked to launch a Zhenjiang counterattack, the purpose of which is nothing more than to give an explanation to the imperial court, so that the imperial court feels that even if he does not move, it is equally important, at least let Changmao not spare his hand to reinforce Zhenjiang. ”

"But in reality? The battle of Zhenjiang is not for him to fight for Rong, it is someone else's responsibility to lose the battle, and it is Deng Shaoliang and others who are useless. But if a miracle really happened so that Deng Shaoliang laid down Zhenjiang, the credit would definitely be indispensable to him Xiangrong! Advance can be attacked and retreated, no matter whether he wins or loses, he is invincible to Xiang Rong, Xiang Rong's wishful thinking of Lord Qincha, is really admirable! ”

"It's really impressive." Wu Chaoyue nodded, sincerely admired, and then gritted his teeth and said, "But this bastard pit has made me suffer." Originally, as long as Yang Wending and Liu Lichuan held Jiangyin, I could sit back and relax in Shanghai. Now Xiang Rong, an old bastard, forced Yang Wending to counterattack Zhenjiang. I'm in big trouble. ”

"It's a big problem." Zhao Liewen's views on this were both the same and very different, and said: "But comfort pavilion. I don't think what you need to worry about is the loss of Liu Lichuan's army, nor the survival of Jiangyin. In my opinion, Liu Lichuan's Lian Yong and Jiangyin will not encounter any danger. ”

Seeing Wu Chaoyue looking at himself suspiciously, Zhao Liewen explained: "Weiting, don't underestimate our Lord Futai Yang, Daoguang has been a Jinshi for thirteen years, and it only took seventeen years to climb from a six-grade chief to the position of a provincial governor and a feudal official, how can he be good at his peers?" Xiang Rong's wishful thinking, can he see through it or not? Take 10,000 steps back and say, even if Yang Wending can't see through Xiang Rong's true intentions. With his old man's temper and character, how could he really fight to the end with the army and long-haired, and would rather die than retreat? ”

Thinking of Yang Wending's glorious history of running from Jiangning to Zhenjiang, and from Zhenjiang to Jiaoshan to Jiangyin, Wu Chaoyue also nodded emphatically and agreed with Zhao Liewen's analysis. And Zhao Liewen said: "From this, I dare to conclude that even if Yang Wending is forced by the court and the emperor to participate in the counterattack on Zhenjiang, he will inevitably try his best to steal and play tricks, and try to avoid fighting head-on with Changmao." At the slightest disturbance, he would immediately flee back to Jiangyin with his army. So in my opinion, you can't worry about the safety of Jiangyin and Liu Lichuan Lianyong, you should really be worried. is another point that is more important! ”

"Another more important point?" Wu Chaoyue was stunned, and after a little calculation, Wu Chaoyue blurted out: "I was also forced to participate in the counterattack on Zhenjiang!" ”

"Not bad. That's what you should be most worried about! Zhao Liewen was categorical. He also said: "Although Xiang Rong does not have the right to mobilize our army to Zhenjiang to participate in the war, Yang Wending has this power. If he, the governor of Jiangsu, orders you, the Ning Zhen Patrol Road, to lead the army to Zhenjiang to participate in the war, will you go or not? ”

Wu Chaoyue frowned, and then he realized that what he should be most worried about was actually this-if Governor Yang Wending ordered his subordinates to lead the army to Zhenjiang to participate in the battle in an official document, what excuse would he use to refuse to participate in this inevitable battle? The sergeant has not yet been trained and matured, and there is not enough weapons and ammunition, will Yang Wending listen to these excuses? Will the Manchu court and the Wild Boar Pi IX Xianfeng the Great listen?

Worried, Wu Chaoyue could only quickly ask Zhao Liewen: "Since this is the case, how to deal with it?" ”

"Take precautions, bow to Yang Wending and seek peace, and seek to establish an alliance of interests with him." Zhao Liewen replied very simply, and then said quickly: "Weiting, I know that your Wu family and Yang Wending have a holiday, and it must be a shame for you to bow your head to him and ask for peace." But in the officialdom, it will be for the sake of the officials, even if it is not the same father-killing enemy, you can work together, but I don't know if you can do this. ”

Zhao Liewen underestimated some Wu Chaoyue on this point, Wu Chaoyue is a hedgehog, but Wu Chaoyue understands the truth of which is more important than anyone else. So Wu Chaoyue didn't even blink his eyelids, and immediately said: "This is no problem, Yang Wending is my boss and my elder, what is the loss of face to bow to him?" I don't have a problem, I just don't know if there will be a problem with Yang Wending. ”

"Yang Wending won't have a problem there." Zhao Liewen replied without thinking about it: "You forgot about Weiting, before you offered to send reinforcements to Yang Wending to help him defend Jiangyin, he not only agreed, but also leaned on the reinforcements you sent as the Great Wall, which is enough to show that Yang Wending is a person who knows the importance clearly." Therefore, as long as you bow to him and let him know that it is also beneficial for him to accept your bow and make peace, then he will never refuse. ”

"So how?" Wu Chaoyue hurriedly asked again.

"Let me go to Jiangyin and bow to Yang Wending for you to make peace." Zhao Liewen replied: "I told him to his face, as long as he doesn't force you into the Zhenjiang battlefield, when the Zhenjiang counterattack fails and he is forced to retreat to Jiangyin, if Changmao chases after him, you will definitely send troops to help him, do your best to help him win a battle, and give an explanation to the imperial court!" ”

"Will Yang Wending agree?" Wu Chaoyue asked uneasily.

"He'll say yes!" Zhao Liewen replied categorically, and said: "This Zhenjiang counterattack was planned and launched by Xiang Rong, and the new Jiangnan Governor Deng Shaoliang served as the commander-in-chief of the front, and there was a high top when the sky fell, Yang Wending would not worry that the imperial court would use him as a scapechalist after the defeat of Zhenjiang, all he needed to worry about was that Changmao chased after him and chose Jiangyin as the next target." You promised to help him defend Jiangyin with all his might. is on his appetite, with his old treacherous slippery. It is impossible not to say yes! ”

felt that Zhao Liewen's analysis was very reasonable, and Wu Chaoyue didn't even blink his eyelids. immediately said: "Huifu, then trouble you to make a hard trip, I will give you 10,000 taels of silver, at your disposal." ”

"Thank you for your trust."

Zhao Liewen gave up his hand, and was indeed very excited about Wu Chaoyue's trust and obedience to him, Wu Chaoyue waved his hand and said with a smile: "It's wrong, I thank you, right?" With you Huifu here, the officialdom is a thing. I don't have to worry about it anymore! ”

…………

was expected by Zhao Liewen, when he rushed to Jiangyin on behalf of Wu Chaoyue to negotiate with Yang Wending secretly, although the notoriously cautious Yang Wending made it difficult for him, he finally accepted the six thousand taels of silver offered by Zhao Liewen's hands, nodded and promised to establish an offensive and defensive alliance with Wu Chaoyue, and promised never to recruit Wu Chaoyue to Zhenjiang to participate in this defeated battle. When Zhao Liewen was overjoyed and thanked him, Yang Wending said again: "Don't be in a hurry to thank you, Master Zhao, there is no basis for what you say." Does Wu Daotai still have to come up with something practical to guarantee? ”

Zhao Liewen was stunned, and said in his heart that your old man has already accepted six thousand taels of silver, don't you think it's enough? After a little more thought, Zhao Liewen also misunderstood Yang Wending's meaning. Then he cautiously asked: "Lord Futai, is it enough to double the festival worship that year?" ”

"Master Zhao misunderstood." Yang Wending said with a smile: "Wu Daotai built an army to train soldiers, bought guns and guns and hoarded grain and grass. It is precisely when money is needed everywhere, how can this official bear to add a burden to him in this regard? Do you want him to double the New Year's service? ”

"Don't you want silver?" No matter how smart Zhao Liewen is, he can't guess Yang Wending's true intentions this time. He could only ask more carefully: "Then Lord Futai, what do you want Wu Daotai to do?" ”

"When the official was chatting with Liu Lichuan and Liu Lianguan. Listening to Liu Lianguan's words, Wu Daotai not only has no marriage match so far, but also has not even been engaged in family affairs. Yang Wending smiled more easily, and also smiled extremely treacherously, and said: "The old man has a granddaughter, who is thirteen this year, which is about the same age as Wu Daotai...... ”

Zhao Liewen is considered to have completely convinced Yang Wending, the old fox, and he admires the long-term vision of this old fox - Wu Chaoyue has become a four-grade Taoist platform at the age of eighteen, and he can fight well and have a promising future, it is a potential stock that can be met but not sought, Yang Wending forced Wu Chaoyue to marry his granddaughter, not only for the glory and wealth of his descendants, but also more justifiably send Wu Chaoyue for his use, the wishful thinking of killing two birds with one stone, can not be worse than another old fox Xiangrong!

Knowing that Yang Wending's wishful thinking had no choice, he was asking for help, and Zhao Liewen could only reply stubbornly: "Lord Futai, the matter is serious, please forgive the student for not daring to make decisions for the comfort pavilion, the student can only truthfully report this matter to Wu Daotai and ask him to make his own decision." ”

"It's okay, you go back and tell Wu Daotai, the old man is waiting for his good news." Yang Wending, who is known for his cautious eyes, rarely showed generosity, nodded and agreed, and could wait patiently for Wu Chaoyue's reply.

Yang Wending did this on a whim, Yang Wending found an excuse to run out of the city first during the Jiangning War, and Yang Wending abandoned the city again during the Zhenjiang War, in fact, the Xianfeng Emperor had already issued an order to arrest Yang Wending for punishment, all because Wu Chaoyue sent troops to help Yang Wending keep Jiangyin and barely won a battle, and also captured a Taiping army general, Xianfeng Emperor changed Yang Wending to a punishment of three levels to be retained.

At that time, Yang Wending actually wanted to conclude an alliance of interests with Wu Chaoyue, but because he had too much time with the old Wu family before, Yang Wending really couldn't pull his son to take the initiative to bow his head to the old Wu family and ask for peace, and now since Wu Chaoyue was forced by the situation to take the initiative to extend an olive branch to Yang Wending, Yang Wending of course had to seize the opportunity to sell the power in his hand for a good price, and take the opportunity to conclude a stronger in-law relationship with Wu Chaoyue.

…………

As a traverser, Wu Chaoyue certainly couldn't accept marrying a girl who didn't even know what she looked like as a daughter-in-law, and he couldn't bear to crush a little Luoli who was thirteen years old and was actually only twelve years old at most. So after hearing Yang Wending's request brought back by Zhao Liewen, Wu Chaoyue was dumbfounded on the spot, maybe he didn't dare to make a decision for a long time, and hesitated to the end, Wu Chaoyue had no choice but to take the big method of procrastination, gritted his teeth and said: "Wait and see, wait and see, maybe you don't need to get to that step." ”

The ideal is full of reality and bones, and the cruel truth soon completely shattered Wu Chaoyue's dream, in the case that the discerning people are not optimistic, the Qing army's counterattack on Zhenjiang finally unfolded vigorously, according to the dispatch of the minister Xiang Rong, the new governor of Jiangnan, Deng Shaoliang, led 8,000 Qing troops from the Jiangnan camp and attacked eastward by land, the general army and Chun commanded 3,000 water divisions to advance from the waterway, and Jingkou deputy capital Wenyi led 2,000 Qing troops from Danyang to the north, Yang Wending also led more than 2,500 soldiers from Jiangyin to swim upstream, and cooperated with all the soldiers and horses to attack Zhenjiang City on all sides! And then......

Then, as a matter of course, the division was defeated! Deng Shaoliang, the commander-in-chief of the Qing army's front, led the army to meet with the literary and artistic division at the Gantang Bridge, and found out that the Taiping Army's Zhenjiang garrison Luo Xuan divided his troops to defend Guazhou, and the troops in Zhenjiang City were relatively empty, Deng Shaoliang and the literary and artistic greed waved his division forward, and as a result, he was ambushed by the Taiping Army, taking advantage of the opportunity of the Taiping Army and the Qing Army to fight in Guanyin Mountain, the Taiping Army ambushed in the woods of Puding Mountain suddenly killed, attacked the back of the Qing Army, the Qing Army was defeated and left, and was beheaded by the Taiping Army More than 300 people.

Then, according to the agreement, the general army of Hechun and the general army, who should attack Guazhou Island, naturally reported to the imperial court, saying that the Taiping army was heavily guarded in the area of Zhenjiang and Guazhou, and there were many forts, and there was no opportunity to take advantage of it to find an opportunity to advance, and the Qing army's naval division could only be forced to retreat to the old Jiangkou. And Yang Wending Yang Futai was even more slippery, as soon as he received the news, he immediately hid on Jiangxin Island in Taipingzhou, under the pretext that he could not get in touch with Deng Shaoliang and other departments, and refused to take a step forward to Zhenjiang, and even slept on the boat, ready to run to Jiangyin at any time.

Under such circumstances, Xiang Rong, the lord of the Qincha, and Deng Shaoliang, the commander-in-chief of the front line, the governor of Jiangnan, naturally remembered the famous general Wu Chaoyue of the Qing Dynasty, although they did not have the right to directly send Wu Chaoyue to lead the army to Zhenjiang to participate in the war, but they also unanimously forced Yang Wending, who had this power, to order Wu Chaoyue to be requisitioned to the front line to participate in the war. Yang Wending, while casually explaining the training and weapons issues for Wu Chaoyue, sent someone to send letters from Xiang Rong, Deng Shaoliang and others to Shanghai with a smile, so that Wu Chaoyue could make his own decision.

Of course, Wu Chaoyue understood what Yang Wending meant - if he didn't agree to marry his granddaughter today, Yang Wending would be unable to withstand the pressure of Xiang Rong and Deng Shaoliang tomorrow, so he ordered Wu Chaoyue to be recruited to Zhenjiang to participate in this battle that was bound to be lost! Under duress, Wu Chaoyue had no choice but to instruct Zhao Liewen with tears in his eyes: "Huifu, write back to Yang Wending for me and tell him that I will immediately send someone to his Dingyuan hometown to ask his granddaughter for marriage." ”

"Comfort Pavilion, decided?" Zhao Liewen smiled bitterly and asked, "Are you really going to marry Yang Futai's granddaughter?" ”

"Anyway, you want to marry, just marry." Wu Chaoyue said with a sad face: "My grandfather also forced me to marry a wife and marry all day long, rather than asking him to force me to marry someone I haven't seen, it is better to use it for me to do business for myself." ”

Seeing Wu Chaoyue's painful expression like a dead father, Zhao Liewen didn't dare to laugh, so he could only hurriedly write a letter for Wu Chaoyue to help Wu Chaoyue agree to accept Yang Wending's blackmail. Wu Chaoyue looked up to the sky and sighed, "Creation makes people, I didn't expect that I would sacrifice hue this day, and I didn't expect that my lifelong happiness would be ruined by my own hands!" ”

"God forbid, I hope that Yang Wending's granddaughter is passable, not too beautiful, as long as she can get by. Jesus bless, Amitabha. (To be continued.) )