The battlefield of Jingbei is staggered, Xiangyang, Fancheng, Gucheng, Laohekou, Tongbai and other places, Zeng Guofan deployed heavy troops, held the danger, and won the Central Plains to win the world, Xiangfan "north through Ru Road, west with Qinshu, south of the lake, east view of Guanyue", the strategic position of the danger, has always been a place for soldiers.

Guarding Xiangyang is Bao Chao, the arm of Zeng Guofan, and it is also the only remaining backbone of Zeng Guofan's new army, and the new army in Xiangfan is the backbone of Bao Chao's army, and it is also one of the most fierce branches of the Hunan army.

Bao Chao is not only brave, but also good use of brains, in the past years and the Taiping Army when fighting, the creation of a hollow phalanx, serial marksmanship, once broke Chen Yu into the department, now more and more contact with firearms, Bao Chao is a wide range of famous craftsmen, at the end of last year to create a "jumping mine", this kind of mine is an iron cast round mine into the wooden cabinet, the lower part of the wooden cabinet is filled with gunpowder, connected to the mine fuse, the wooden cabinet is equipped with a firing device. When using, bury the wooden cabinet in the ground first, and place a rollover next to the wooden cabinet to connect with the ignition device in the cabinet. Once the enemy mistakenly overturns the car and pulls the ignition device, the gunpowder will explode, and the mines in the cabinet can be thrown seven or eight feet high on the ground and explode in the air, and its killing range can reach a radius of dozens of zhang, which is extremely powerful.

Before the Spring Festival, Bao Chao used this kind of thunder to hit the Pingyuan Army, and then defeated and annihilated thousands of people, although it was only later that this army was the auxiliary militia musket team of the Pingyuan Army, but this victory was undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the Hunan army on the battlefield in Hubei.

Bao Chao also became famous, and was given the title of "Botong Ebaturu" by the Six Kings, promoted to the governor of Hubei, and was awarded the title of first-class viscount and Yiyun cavalry captain.

Ordered Bao Chao to guard Xiangyang and guard the danger, Zeng Guofan was extremely relieved.

Bao Chao's Admiral Yamen was temporarily set up in the courtyard of a large family in Xiangyang, and the original owner was driven to a partial house, and he was not given a penny.

Bao Chao is known for his ruthlessness, his eyes are like poisonous snakes, staring at people is chilling, killing people and setting fire in the past, doing all kinds of evil, the thunder army slaughtered the city, and it is really no different from animals.

Many people in Xiangyang know that he is just occupying a house now, and he has not found an excuse to kill all the people, and the owner of the house has already burned incense and worshiped the Buddha.

The war in Hubei is tight, although there is no sign of the Pingyuan Army Brigade in the Xiangfan area, but the gate of Xiangyang City is closed, every day only at noon on the first hour of the hour, the inspection of pedestrians is very strict, now it is noon, an old lady carrying a vegetable basket was forcibly searched by the soldiers, the vegetable basket was also thrown aside, and the green vegetables in the basket were trampled by the officers and soldiers guarding the city.

The villagers who lined up in the long line behind them all looked at this scene with angry faces, but they dared not speak out.

In Xiangyang City, there are few pedestrians on the street, and on the most prosperous long street in the past, the wind blows, and the long wooden signboard creaks, which is a different kind of desolation.

The teahouse in front of the Admiral Xingyuan is perhaps the most vibrant place in the whole city, a small wooden building on the second floor, and a Sanwentang on the first floor, as the name suggests, the lobby, a bowl of hot tea for Sanwen money.

In the lobby, there are many officials of the Admiral's Yamen, and on this precarious autumn, the tea guests in the teahouse, even if they talk, keep their voices to the lowest, as if they are afraid of being heard by others.

I heard that because of the outbreak of the war between the north and the south, the provincial examination began last winter, and now the 860 people who have been admitted have gathered in Jinling to prepare for the final palace examination.

When it comes to the Southern Imperial Examination, Zhang Yougong scoffs at it, and he simply doesn't know what to say.

His colleagues were very respectful, his face was full of envy, and he lowered his voice and said: "Chengxuan, let me tell you something from my heart, if I am in the southern country, I can be named a person, it can be a hundred times stronger than being a secretary in the Admiral's Mansion, we will be a secretary for a lifetime, but it is also a small official, people, the official and the official can be promoted as an official." If you want to say that's right, you said that this yamen, isn't it all us little officials who do things? ”

Zhang Yougong blinked his eyes, didn't speak, the Tao is not the same, you actually said such a rebellious thing, wait for me to tell the big handsome, see if you still want your rotten mouth.

Zhang Yougong got up to say goodbye, and Dr. Tea ran over with a smile and said, "Master, Sheng Yu ten dollars." ”

Zhang Yougong's triangular eyes glared, and he scolded: "The things that don't open your eyes are tired of being lively, right?" ”

The shopkeeper hurriedly ran over, stretched out his hand and slapped the guy, and said to Zhang Yougong with a smile: "Third master, he is new, he is new, you don't have the same knowledge as him, you look at my face, look at my face-!" ”

Zhang Yougong rolled his eyes and walked out of the teahouse with a scolding.

The shopkeeper spat on his back and went back to the counter.

The sun was blazing outside, Zhang Yougong had just come out of the teahouse, and his waist was suddenly hit by a hard object, and when he turned around, he saw a big man in a cloth shirt standing behind him, sweating and stinking, glaring and scolding: "Get out!" ”

But the big man grinned and snorted.

Zhang Yougong looked under him, and immediately gasped, but on his waist, it was a jet-black revolver, he had seen this thing, and he pulled the trigger, but the rockery could blast half of it.

"Master, don't, don't be kidding, which battalion are you the military master?" Zhang Yougong smiled, his brain turned, wondering whether he had offended the military master in the Thunder Army.

"Borrow a step to speak." Dahan still smiled.

Zhang Yougong cried with a sad face and followed him into the narrow alley.

…… When the gunshot rang out very suddenly, Bao Chao was drinking with Xinna's concubine in the back office, he couldn't remember how many women he had possessed, there were twenty or thirty concubines alone, and he would give them away when he was tired of playing, women, in his eyes, were no different from cats and dogs, and they were even inferior to a yellow-haired dog he had raised for many years.

"What's going on?" Bao Chao shouted outside.

The door was suddenly kicked open, and several big men rushed in, without saying a word, the long and short guns in their hands were aimed at Bao Chao.

Bao Chao didn't even have time to react, there were several more blood holes in his chest, the concubine screamed, and then she was shot in the forehead, screaming and falling.

The first joint operation between the Special Ground Service Regiment of the Pingyuan Army and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In the throat town of Jiangbei, almost all of the internal affairs offices have intelligence groups that have been operating for many years, and Xiangyang can be said to be the most successful intelligence point, and its internal line has even infiltrated the governor's mansion, and there are two intelligence officers in the kitchen.

The Army Service Regiment also developed an armed organization in Xiangfan, and a few months ago, more than 100 members of the Army Service Corps entered Xiangyang Mansion in disguise.

Using the inside line of the Admiral's Mansion, using Zhang Yougong, the No. 1 person in the signing room, poison and ecstasy took turns, and the Lu Qin Regiment rushed into the Admiral's Mansion almost effortlessly.

The decapitation operation, the Flying Tigers only used it once against the Taiping Army, but now, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, coupled with the preparation for more than several months, the weapons are more sophisticated, the individual soldiers are sharper, and the use is becoming more and more sophisticated. Bao Chao was completely unprepared, and was immediately hit by a blow.

Inside the city, the gunfire was like rain, and after the city gate was opened, the heavy infantry commando of the land service regiment, which had already been ambushed outside the city, was like a sharp knife, and it was fiercely inserted into Xiangyang City.

1,500 heavy infantry, each equipped with a new type of Guangzhou-made, improved bridge clamp ammunition supply efficiency, 8mm caliber, maximum effective range of 1200 meters, compared with the prototype gun, the accuracy and accuracy have been partially improved, the firepower is more fierce, and the ammunition supply failure rate is also greatly reduced.

The 1,500 heavy infantry rushed into the city with special bullet belts, steel helmets, and a cold air.

In the fierce gunfire, although the three assault teams were fiercely resisted by the Thunder Army, they advanced extremely fast, and the sudden blow, and then waited for the news of Bao Chao's death, and the Thunder Army in the city immediately lost all their fighting spirit and fled one after another.

Almost overnight, Xiangyang City changed its flag, and when Xiangyang changed hands, the news of Bao Chao's death reached the big tent of Zeng Guo at the mouth of Danjiang, and the Shenbao and Harwich Divisions, which had already been mobilized overnight, almost completed the siege of Zeng Guo's Domain.

Losing the barrier on the eastern flank, Zeng Guofan made a decision and immediately ordered the whole army to retreat, which avoided the catastrophe.

However, on the way to the west, he still encountered the second infantry regiment of the Harwich Division, which arrived first in a rapid march, and in a fierce battle, Zeng Guofan led the remnants to break through the siege, retreated hundreds of miles, and retreated to Xi'an.

The thunder army of the dragons in the Xiangfan area, which was leaderless like a frightened bird, was divided and surrounded and annihilated by the Shenbao Department, and the remnants fled into Dabie Mountain.

At this point, the Southern Dynasty recovered the entire territory of Hubei, and the former troops of the Harwich Department pointed directly at Shaanxi.

At the time of the fierce battle in Jingbei, Zheng Zewu also launched an offensive against Seng Lingqin, which was actually more of a containment, lest it rush west to aid Zeng Guofan.

At the same time, 40 infantry and artillery battalions of Su Hongniang's department pressed into the Shandong battlefield.

The battle of Xiangfan for the shock of the north can be described as unprecedented, the success of the beheading operation of the elite heavy infantry of the Southern Dynasty directly led to the victory of the whole campaign after paying a very small price, the Hunan army suffered the first fatal blow in the south of the Yangtze River, this is the second time in the Hubei battlefield, and it is difficult to recover the vitality.

The six kings of Yanjing City also knew this, and from then on, the original Hunan army was no longer a force that the imperial court could rely on.

Subsequently, the regent of the Southern Dynasty issued a letter to the whole country, calling on the governors of the provinces to take care of the situation, and those who rebelled in battle, who were not guilty of the past and stubbornly resisted to the end, would be severely judged by the Southern Kingdom.

Not long after, Li Songjie, the prefect of Hanzhong in Shaanxi, led the battalion to surrender, raised the dragon flag of the Southern Dynasty, and swore allegiance to the Southern Dynasty. Immediately, Sichuanjing, Baoning, Longan, Songfan and other state capitals and counties followed suit.

The governor of Sichuan, Zeng Wangyan, wrote a secret letter to Ye Zhao, and Zhao Sanbao forwarded a telegram to Ye Zhao, proposing the conditions for the uprising, retaining his command of the Green Camp, and continuing to serve as the governor of Sichuan.

Ye Zhao thought about it again and again, and then sent a telegram to Zhao Sanbao to order him to attack Chengdu.

Although Zeng Wangyan is a benchmark, it is a benchmark for the governors of all provinces, which can induce them to break away from the northern camp, and it is better to break down the divide and rule in the future than to make a pot of porridge everywhere now, and the general trend of the world is certain, and it is easy to clean them up.

However, the Western Expeditionary Corps is in Sichuan, and it is naturally the safest to calm Xichuan in one go, and if it is said that before the formation of the Western Expeditionary Corps, Zeng Wangyan proposed this condition to surrender, which is acceptable.

In April 1862, Zhao Sanbao's troops came to the city of Chengdu.

(To be continued)