Gangnam in spring is beautiful. All things revive, spring returns to the earth, and the willow tree pulls out her tender green branches.

There is also the dripping spring rain, like a quiet girl, quietly weaving a tulle like smoke. The spring rain in the south of the Yangtze River and the gentle wind gently sprinkled from the misty sky like flowing hair.

The wind carries the rain, and the rain carries the wind.

On the shore of Xuanwu Lake, rows of willow trees are hidden in the drizzle, as if they have disappeared into the fog. At this time of year, it is the time when Gao Jin and Gao Zhaode are in high spirits, and he loves the beautiful Jiangnan in the spring rain.

As the governor of Liangjiang, as the fourth son of Gao Shuming, the general soldier of Liangzhou, the nephew of Gao Bin, a scholar, and the cousin of Emperor Huixian's concubine, Gao Jin's preference is the vane of Liangjiang officialdom. During Gao Jin's tenure in the past two years, there will always be some more garden buildings on the shore of Xuanwu Lake from time to time, such as rebuilding the lake temple, adding the lake pavilion, the Daxian Tower, the Guanyin Pavilion, the lotus hall and so on. [Xuanwu Lake was called Yuanwu Lake in the Manchu Qing Dynasty, because it was necessary to avoid Kang Mazi's Xuanzi]

But in the spring of this year, the spring of the 33rd year of Qianlong, Gao Jin no longer had the intention of visiting Xuanwu Lake. Because Chen Ming's army had already broken through Penghu County, it was only one step away from Anqing, the capital of Anhui Province. And more than 10,000 horses led by Huang Zhenggang, the governor of Jiangnan, with the Jiangsu Green Camp as the main force, are still a few hundred miles away from Anqing.

Gao Jin is afraid that the old thing about the fall of Wuchang will fall on his head. The former governor of Huguang died completely in vain, and the imperial court did not have any preferential treatment at all, if it weren't for the many activities of the Ilgen Jueluo clan in Beijing, it is likely that he would not even have a nickname. Gao Jin is also sixty-three years old this year, only two years younger than Dingchang, but he doesn't want to end up so miserable.

Jiangning General Rong Bao had already supervised the flag soldiers of Fu Liangsuo, the deputy commander of Jingkou in Jiangning's garrison in the Eight Banners, and arrived at Guichi with the water and land Ding Yong of Susong Town and Fushan Town, but Gao Jin had been in Jiangning City for many years and knew very well about the combat effectiveness of Jiangning Banner Soldiers and soldiers and horses in Susong and Fushan Towns.

Jiangnan is too rich and too comfortable. The market is prosperous, the atmosphere is extravagant, and the iron-clad army will rust and rot in this nest of wealth and nobility in a short time. In order to ensure the combat effectiveness of the garrison of the Eight Banners, the Qing court repeatedly ordered the reorganization of the army, and even required the garrison of the Eight Banners in Jiangning to send a part of the flag soldiers to Maoshan every year for a siege drill, and the two deputy commanders of Jingkou and Jiangning, as well as the general himself, all went there. However, it was not an egg.

In the spring of the 33rd year of Qianlong, when the situation was becoming increasingly tense, Gao Jin had already sent a report to Beijing, asking for the re-enlistment of more than 3,300 people from the Han Army Banner stationed in Jingkou [Zhenjiang], not to say that these 3,300 people should re-enlist, but to re-enlist them.

In the 28th year of Qianlong, the Qing court forcibly ordered more than 3,300 Han military banners stationed in Jingkou to raise the flag, and 2,000 people from the Mongolian Eight Banners in Jiangning City were transferred to Jingkou. This incident caused a lot of waves at that time, but no matter how big the waves were, they couldn't withstand the erosion of time, and they were calm after 30 years of Qianlong. Now that Jiangnan is being shrouded in the clouds of war, Gao Jin thought of the 3,300 Han army again.

Chen Ming's army crossed Jiujiang and Hukou without attacking, but first took the town of Madao in the east of Pengze County. Then he returned to Jiangzhong Island in the Yangtze River channel in Pengze County, and landed at Furong Dun in the west of the county seat, where he landed with soldiers in small boats.

The main forces of the Jiangxi Green Battalion were concentrated in Jiujiang and Hukou, and there were only a few people in Pengze County who practiced bravery, and in the face of the killing of the Fu Han army, they all resisted. Chen Ming landed a large army at Furong Dun and swept the county seat of Pengze, then attacked Hukou in a big way.

Gao Jin is now worried about the Battle of Hukou.

If Chen Ming wins the battle of Hukou, Jiangxi will be commissioned. The main force of the green battalions of Jiujiang Town and Nangan Town in Jiangxi Province is on the Jiujiang line at Hukou, including three water division battalions. They were also blocked west of Anqing by the Fu Han army. Don't worry about the Hankou Naval Division Battalion in Hubei and the Yueyang Naval Division Battalion in Hunan being driven to the south of the Yangtze River.

And if Chen Ming can't win at Hukou, it is certain that he will definitely go down the river to capture Anqing and southern Anhui. This is a greater threat to Jiangnan, and his Gao Jin's blow is no less than the loss of Hukou. Anqing is the provincial capital of Anhui.

Again, in the first month of this year, Zhejiang suddenly made a braid-cutting case.

Wu Dongming and Guo Tingxiu, stonemasons in Deqing County, Zhejiang, contracted a project to build a city bridge, and everything went smoothly at the beginning. By the end of the month, the project had begun the arduous work of driving wooden piles into the river, which was difficult due to the high water level. At this time, a rumor began to spread widely in the local area: the pile under the city bridge can be laid by wrapping the pile with human hair, if the woman's hair is used, it will cause the woman's hair loss, and if the hair is tightly tied with a few soybeans, it can cause children's acne. At the same time, some people made up lyrics and spread them everywhere: "Monk Stonemason, you call yourself to be, first let the monk die, then let the stonemason die, go home early, and top the bridge by yourself." Immediately, strange things happened around Deqing County, hundreds of people had their braids cut, and people were afraid. And this turmoil quickly spread from Zhejiang to southern Jiangsu. People have legends that some people want to cut the braids of 10,000 people, dementor the soul to build a bridge, cut the horses with paper, glue into the braids, chant a spell to get some blood, people and horses can walk, can take people's property, and even hook people's souls.

In the 33rd year of Qianlong, Jiangnan was shrouded in the clouds of war, because of the Jingzhou banner people, the foundation of Manchu rule has been shaken, and in this case, the significance of the braiding case is extraordinary. The vast number of lower-class people in Jiangnan were naturally convinced of such rumors related to witchcraft. Because rumors about paper people and paper horses have three attractions for the public: first, they can ingest other people's property; second, it can be used as a talisman; Three can kill.

When Gao Jin heard about this, his first reaction was to report it to Beijing, but he was stopped by the staff around him. The staff reminded him to think about the emperor's mood at this time, and the impact of braiding on Manchu rule. This kind of thing, he'd better not pick on the point.

The current Hangzhou general in Hangzhou City is still there, and this is a genuine full man. Didn't he report it to Beijing, otherwise the Gao family would have passed the news to Gao Jin a long time ago.

The official criteria for judging witchcraft or sorcery in the past dynasties of China were mainly based on whether it was rebellious, and anyone who rebelled against the government and the imperial court was demonic magic. And cutting people's hair braids under the Manchu rule, which was clearly anti-Qing. Most of the advocates of the people's uprisings in Chinese history adopted such means as bonfires, fox chirping, and fortune diagrams. If this matter is reported, it will set off a big case.

If it is a peaceful year, a big case will be a big case. Isn't it peaceful now?

"What is the identity of Degong? The Governor of Liangjiang also served as the governor of Jiangsu and then the governor of Heyun, and was in charge of the military, government, and grain. high power, loyalty to the emperor and the Qing Dynasty, can be seen every day.

Now that Chen is reversing the attack, Degong is sleepless at night, worried about the war, and has time to worry about other things? ”

……

The eyes turned to Jiangxi.

Hukou, as long as you know a little bit about the geography of China, you know where this place is and what important geographical advantages it has. China's largest river (Yangtze River) and China's largest freshwater lake (Poyang Lake) converge here, with Jiujiang River in the west and Xiaogushan in the east as the throat of Anqing; The north side of the river, the south of the Po Lake, since ancient times for the soldiers to fight. It is the starting line of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and is the "north gate of Jiangxi water", "the key to the rivers and lakes, and the thoroughfare of the three provinces".

Here, before and after the Battle of Poyang Lake, and after the Battle of Hukou Jiujiang, Zhu Yuanzhang, Chen Youliang, Shi Dakai, Zeng Guofan, one by one, around this land staged more and more wonderful pictures. When the Republic of China was established, Li Liejun swore in Hukou, and finally the battle of Madanghukou when Japan invaded China. It's all around the land.

Now what Chen Ming wants to do is also to conquer this land, his army and the Jiangxi Green Battalion guarding Hukou, in Chenjiaqiao, in Tangshan, in Longshan, Judge's Point, Shuangfengjian, in Shishan, Laotai Mountain, Yanpo Mountain, you attack and block, you come and go, and they have fought again and again.

Two or three battles a day is a low intensity, the peak of the fifth day of the second month, Longshan, Judge's Tip, Shuangfeng Peak, the Fu Han Army and the Jiangxi Green Battalion fought nine battles in one day. In frequent and fierce battles, it took Chen Ming four days to completely defeat the Hukou defenders and capture the county seat of Hukou.

The 4,000 soldiers who went north, together with Ding Yong in southern Gan, and the two battalions of soldiers who guarded Nanyang City, were defeated by the Fuhan army.

Now the only obstacle in front of Chen Ming is Jiujiang.

There are only these two military towns in Jiangxi, Jiujiang Town made every effort to defend Jiujiang Mansion, and handed over the mouth of the lake on the opposite bank to Nangan Town, which was guarded by soldiers and horses from the north. Now Nangan Town is in a mess at Hukou, if it weren't for geographical restrictions, it would be difficult for even the remnants of Nangan Town to run.

In this way, Chen Ming's enemy was left with only Jiujiang on the opposite bank.

At this time, Chen Ming remembered the Hukou Battle between the Taiping Army and the Hunan Army in history, the Taiping Army, which had been defeated for half a year, destroyed the Hunan Army's naval division, and Zeng Guofan, who had been beaten, had to jump into the river.

The situation in that war does not apply now. Because there is no substantial difference between the surface vessels of the enemy and ours.

In the Battle of Hukou, the Hunan army sailors used fast crabs and long dragons as large warships as the driving force, which were used to carry baggage, food, eating utensils, beds, etc. Equipped with heavy artillery, suitable for central command, but the hull is bulky and ineffective; The other is a light and flexible sampan, which is convenient for impact and fighting, but it is inconvenient for food, lodging and camping, and must be combined with each other to rely on each other to have combat effectiveness. Shi Dakai saw the opportunity, took advantage of the terrain of Hukou and his own arrangement, dismembered the Hunan army's naval division in one fell swoop, added birds to the wings, and removed the feet like insects, laying the most solid foundation for the Taiping army's defeat to victory in this battle.

But none of this is suitable for the war in front of us. The surface ships of the Fu Han Army are like the sailors of the Taiping Army in history, almost all of them are rebuilt by civilian ships, or even not rebuilt, and they are directly used by civilian ships. The load is small, and only the Tiger Squat Cannon can be placed. And the bluffing boats and sentinel boats of the Qing soldiers are also the eldest brother, not to mention the second brother, they are also classified into the category of civilian ships.

The warships on both sides are of the same level, and none of them have the function of carrying heavy artillery, which highlights the solidity of the Qing army's defense in Hukou and Meijiazhou. The Jiangxi government invested a huge amount of manpower and material resources in it regardless of the cost, and built a large wooden bowl [wooden row] and a small bamboo bowl in the mouth. But that's not the point, and it's not very useful. Because the spacing between the mouth of the lake is too small. The focus of the Qing army's arrangement was the series of mountains and mountains outside Jiujiang City on the west bank of Hukou: Lion Mountain, Ash Mountain, Maoshan Mountain, Niutou Mountain, Tuan Mountain, Dashan, Qingshanzui, Jigongling, etc., all of which had the Green Camp militia set up camps, placed artillery positions, and also set up two wooden cities on the edge of Meijiazhou. High and station, etc., the blast hole is three layers, and the surrounding is densely arranged. Outside the camp, the wooden stakes and bamboo sticks are widely distributed for more than ten zhang, and the trenches are threefold, and the big wood is used to build a frame horizontally and obliquely, and the iron thistle terrestris is nailed on it.

Without heavy artillery fire, such a fortification would have been difficult to overcome. The mountains are not high, but they are very close to each other, only three or four miles away, and only one or two miles away, and it is convenient to support each other, as if a chain firmly guards Meijiazhou to Poyang Lake along the Dagutang.

The Qing soldiers in Jiangxi were not afraid that the Han army would attack the east bank of Hukou and move south, not to mention how far the distance between the east bank of Hukou and Nanchang was, just a waste of time, and Chen Ming could not afford it. The Jiangnan Green Battalion is rushing towards Anqing for reinforcements, and if the Fu Han army really goes south to Nanchang, it will not be able to hit the Jiangxi provincial capital, and more than 10,000 reinforcements will arrive in Anqing. The current situation is most favorable to the Fu Han army, and the emptiness of Anqing and southern Anhui is the emptiness. Moreover, Chen Ming's army still has a thin tail hanging in Hubei, and there are hundreds of large and small ships on the river outside the mouth of the lake, carrying most of the money, grain, and material harvest of the Fu Han army in Hubei, which must not be discarded.

The Fu Han army then went around Poyang dialect from the east bank to fight Nanchang, did this mean that Chen Ming took the initiative to divide his team into three parts? Is Chen Ming mentally disabled? From the way to death.

It is in this regard that the Qing soldiers in Jiujiang are not even afraid that after Chen Ming breaks the Hukou water card, he will abandon Jiujiang Mansion and go south by water to threaten Nanchang.

Because the waterway at the mouth of the lake is too narrow and too narrow. After Chen Ming led his army south to Poyang, the Qing army could completely block the Hukou waterway with a shipwreck. Someone in the Jiangxi officialdom had put forward this opinion before, but this trick was the Dafa of Heavenly Demon Disintegration that killed 1,000 enemies and damaged 800 themselves, and no one dared to use it lightly. (To be continued.) )