Zeng Guofan woke up slowly, and he had already heard the sound of killing in the south of the city, the east of the city and the north of the city. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info he looked at several brothers and friends around him, and asked, "The Cantonese thieves have already entered the city?" ”

Liu Rong, a friend beside him, hurriedly comforted: "Disheng, you can rest assured, the Yue thieves are preparing to attack the city, and Bao Chao, Taqibu, Xuyi, and Fengshan have already led troops to kill the enemy and defend the city." But he did not answer positively.

Zeng Guofan and Liu Rong have been friends for many years, and when they heard it, they naturally understood that his words were insincere to hide themselves. It seems that the Cantonese thieves have invaded the city!

Originally, it was thought that the defense of Wuchang City should be impregnable by filling all the holes dug by the long-haired thieves in the past and demolishing all the houses within a mile or two outside the city. In addition, he asked the battalion officers to carefully train the Hunan army, and collected the money of the squires everywhere to pay the salaries of the soldiers of the Hunan army.

Unexpectedly, what Zeng Guofan never expected was that there was chaos in the place where he was most proud: more than one-third of the soldiers in each battalion fled, and the rest had no intention of fighting. On the contrary, the newly recruited soldiers in the Wuchang area did not escape, but Zeng Guofan knew that these soldiers had not yet been trained, and they were just a rabble.

The hometown soldiers who poured all their energy into Dali abandoned themselves and fled secretly, which really made Zeng Guofan's heart like ashes. His heart was bitter, and a voice shouted frantically: "Heaven is unfair! If the Cantonese thieves had not captured Hengzhou and Changsha so early, if they had not occupied the area of their hometown Xiangxiang, and if they had given Zeng a certain or two more years to train his troops well, why not! ”

Zeng Guofan had a sense of powerlessness for Feng Yunshan, the Cantonese thief chief who assassinated him, suppressed him everywhere, and did not give him the slightest chance, and felt a desire to cry without tears.

He couldn't help but whisper: "Since the country is born, how can Yunshan be born?" ”

Zeng Guoquan didn't understand, but Liu Rong understood the meaning of Zeng Guofan's words, but she couldn't comfort her, so she had to pat Zeng Guofan's shoulder.

Zeng Guofan looked at Liu Rong, this old friend from the same township has been helping him from beginning to end, he failed to give him the slightest official position, but now he is still burdened by him.

Thinking of another old friend Guo Songtao, he couldn't help but smile bitterly at Liu Rong: "Meng Rong, you still don't have Guo Bochen's vision!" He took the first step to see through the general trend of the world and defected to the Ming Lord! ”

Liu Rong snorted coldly: "The fallacy of purifying life, it's just a thief, how can you say that the master is clear?" Guo Bochen and Zuo Jigao were also forced by the situation and were forced to be helpless. However, they are committed to thieves, and in the future, they will be scolded by history books and future generations, and their hometown will be disgraced. ”

"Hey, the history books are written by those in power, if the Cantonese thief holds the authority of the world, who dares to scold? I'm afraid that I will become a hero from the dragon by then! Zeng Guofan sighed.

At this time, there was a fierce shouting and killing sound from the direction of Zhongxiao Gate and Binyang Gate in the east of the city. A dense volley of gunfire rang out, and the sound seemed to be approaching the governor's office.

Zeng Guohua ran over with a few Xiangyong and said hurriedly: "Big brother, Qinglin, the governor of the northern part of the paste, actually led more than 200 cronies, followed by Liuyang Ying and others, and fled out of the city from Wushengmen. ”

Everyone's faces changed, and they all scolded Qinglin, who was greedy for life and afraid of death, while hurriedly urging Zeng Guofan to hurry up and find a way to retreat north!

Zeng Guoquan said even more anxiously: "Brother, don't say more." You protect your brother, I will lead people to break through, go out of the trench in the northeast of the city, enter Shahu, and let Yang Zaifu there lead the sailors to escort the brother to escape from Wuchang Mansion. ”

When Zeng Guofan heard this, he knew that the thieves had invaded the city and there was nothing to defend, so he stretched out his hand to stop Zeng Guoquan and lamented: "Wuchang is over!" The Qing Dynasty is also over! Unexpectedly, I was in the prime of life, but I had achieved nothing in my studies, nothing was promised in virtue, and I was extremely ashamed of my parents. ”

Liu Rong on the side was also sad when she heard this, and persuaded: "Brother Disheng, don't think too much!" Now the Cantonese thieves have only begun to attack the city, although Wuchang City can not be defended, but it can be prepared early, and I will wait to go to Macheng first, retreat to Gwangju and the mall, and then try to counterattack. ”

"Meng Rong, forget it! I'm tired too. At this point, I can see that the number of Qing Qi is exhausted, and no matter how much I help, it is in vain. It's ridiculous that I pride myself on knowing people, but I haven't seen through what the soldiers in my hometown need yet! boasts of his loyalty to the country, but he has no courage to fight to the death. That's it, Meng Rong, Yuanpu, you let Chunting and them all collect their troops, the Yue thieves have already broken through the city gate, and it is only in vain to resist them, not to mention that those are our hometown disciples, so don't let them increase the casualties in vain. ”

Everyone was silent, knowing that what Zeng Guofan said was also the truth. There are not many Hunan troops in Wuchang City, and now the entire Hunan army has no intention of fighting with the Cantonese thieves, and when the city gate is opened, it is bound to be defeated, and then resist, but it is just to delay the time of complete defeat with the lives of the soldiers.

Then, Zeng Guofan splashed ink, first wrote a suicide note to the imperial court, and then wrote a suicide note to his son, handed it to Zeng Guoquan, and said: "Yuanpu, you are strong in force, so you will lead a team of soldiers, break out, and hand over this folding to the imperial court, which is also my last contribution to the imperial court." As for the suicide note, if Ji Ze and Ji Hong can survive, they will be handed over to them, if they are unlucky, it will naturally be over. ”

Zeng Guoquan was shocked when he heard this, tears welled up, and he cried: "Brother, you listen to your brother, I will fight to the death to protect you and kill you!" ”

Zeng Guohua, Zeng Guobao, Liu Rong and others also burst into tears, and cried and persuaded: "Just rush out!" How can a husband have no fighting spirit and kill himself? ”

Zeng Guofan's eyes were blank: "What if you have fighting spirit?" Now it's tired! Don't persuade me again! ”

After saying that, he suddenly lifted the robe from his side waist, revealing a short sword, brushed the ground and drew the short sword, and slashed at his neck with a wave of his hand.

Zeng Guoquan on the side had a quick eye, and pounced on Zeng Guofan when he pulled out his short sword, grabbed the sharp blade, and cried: "Brother, don't!" He clenched the blade of his sword tightly, and his hands were bleeding profusely.

Everyone also rushed forward one after another, clinging to Zeng Guofan.

At this moment, the earth-shattering killing cry came, it turned out that the city was officially broken by the Cantonese thieves, and a large number of thieves killed into the streets and alleys of Wuchang City, and the sound seemed to rush towards the governor's mansion.

Zeng Guoquan was in a hurry, and suddenly heard that the door of the Governor's Mansion was slammed open, he was startled, thinking that the Cantonese thief had come in, and was about to lead people out, when he suddenly heard someone shouting: "Lord Futai, Lord Futai, Wuchang City has fallen, and I will come to protect you and kill you." ”

However, it was Bao Chao and Taqibu who led nearly 1,000 Hunan soldiers to rush into the governor's palace. They knew that Wuchang was no longer able to return to the sky, so they prepared to defend Zeng Guofan's withdrawal from Wuchang.

When Zeng Guoquan heard this, his eyes turned red suddenly, and he slammed his fist into Zeng Guofan's arm, and the short sword he was holding was immediately released. He cried out, "Brother, the situation is urgent, offended!" After speaking, he locked Zeng Guofan's arms tightly, let the soldiers next to him take off his trouser belt, tied Zeng Guofan to death, and regardless of Zeng Guofan's whining and screaming, he personally carried Zeng Guofan on his back, rode on a war horse, joined Bao Chao and Taqib, and rushed to the north of the city.

Not far from the governor's yamen, I arrived at Baiyuntai, and suddenly there was no movement in front of me.

Zeng Guoquan looked up, but saw that the streets and alleys in front of him were densely filled with several rows of thieves, all wearing gray standard clothes, the first row was holding shields and card knives, and the back rows were all long muskets, aiming at himself gloomily, making Zeng Guoquan behind the crowd feel cold in his back.

Bao Chao took the lead, leading more than 100 horsemen on horseback, holding shields and spears, and rushed towards the opposite side.

I only heard the other party shouting in unison: "Surrender and die!" ”

Bao Chao ignored it, accelerated and rushed forward, and before he could take seventy steps, he heard a dense and fierce gunfire from the opposite side.

Suddenly, Zeng Guoquan and the rest of the Hunan army looked stupid!

I saw Bao Chao and more than 30 riders rushing in front, their whole bodies were like a sieve, and they didn't even scream, and they fell heavily to the ground.

The remaining dozens of riders grabbed the reins one after another, not daring to rush again.

At this time, Zeng Guoquan suddenly found that a large area of fire was also lit up behind him, and when he looked back, his heart sank. I saw that thousands of thieves surrounded them, and all their nearly 1,000 Hunan troops were blocked and besieged.

Immediately afterwards, the surrounding streets and alleys were constantly lit up by fire, and thousands of thieves surrounded Zeng Guofan and his gang with sophisticated foreign guns, and shouted in unison: "Capture Zeng alive and shave his head, surrender and don't kill!" Capture Zeng alive and shave his head, surrender and don't kill! ”

Zeng Guoquan's face is like ashes.

"Yuanpu, let me down!" Zeng Guofan shouted fiercely at Zeng Guoquan. Zeng Guoquan was shocked, and he didn't dare to say more, so he asked people to help untie Zeng Guofan and help him get off the horse.

Zeng Guofan shook off Zeng Guoquan and Zeng Guohua and others who were supporting him, strode to the front, turned around suddenly, and said to the soldiers of the Hunan army who were besieged in the street: "Soldiers, you are all soldiers of Xiangbei in central Hunan Province, and they were all recruited by someone from my Zeng, and Guofan can't stand everyone!" Now Zeng suffered this defeat and deserved to die. But you still have parents, wives, children, and brothers and sisters at home, so you still have to live well! ”

"Now, I command you, all surrender, lay down your weapons, and do not resist!" Zeng Guofan suddenly ordered the road.

Zeng Guoquan and Taqibu on the side shouted when they heard this: "Brother, if you die, I'll accompany you to rush out!" ”

"Lord Futai, no! Defend you and kill you! ”

Zeng Guofan turned around suddenly, slapped Zeng Guoquan in the face, and shouted, "Enough, it's useless." Don't harm these hometown children anymore! ”

He stared at Taqib again, stopped speaking, turned around and shouted in the direction of the Yue thief: "I don't know which general is in charge of the front?" Zeng Guofan, the governor of the southern part of the Qing Dynasty and the assistant minister of the regimental training of Huguang and Guangxi provinces, is willing to lead the soldiers of the Hunan army to surrender to the holy country, and beg the general to give the brothers a way to live! ”