The sky was overcast, the cold winter rain was dripping, and after nightfall, the cold wind blew all night, and after getting up the next day, the roads inside and outside Xing'an Town were full of ice crystals formed after the freezing rain, but the whole Xing'an Town was wrapped in a thin layer of ice crystals, and the roads, branches, and roofs were everywhere.

Zhang Wenxiang wore military shoes with thatched soles wrapped around his feet, and barely slipped on the icy road, but he looked at the ice crystals in his eyes and said to Li Desi, the staff officer next to him, with great concern: "I didn't expect that the winter rain would turn into winter rain overnight, not only the weather was a lot colder, but it was also very inconvenient to travel, so that all departments could concentrate on solving the icing problem on the road, and at the same time, they should also pay attention to cold protection and warmth." ”

Zheng Yantuo, a trainer of the Third Division, added: "At the same time, we must also let the troops pay attention to collecting thatch for anti-slip soles, so that there should be an enemy situation today, so that the front-line troops can be ready for battle." ”

Staff Officer Li Desi took the staff officers of each department to handle it separately after receiving the order loudly, and after a few staff officers left, Zhang Wenxiang sneered and said: "Lao Zheng, this night of freezing rain, do you think the Qing Demon will still advance according to the original marching speed?" It would be good if they didn't camp on the spot and rest for a few days. ”

Zheng Yandao smiled slightly and said: "Don't underestimate Peng Yulin, although the Qing army of Changde under him does not have the elite of the Zhenxiao soldiers, but Peng Yulin can block several attacks of the Wing King in Changde, which also shows this person's ability, and it is still not to be taken lightly." Although the king of the west asked us to let the Changde Qing army return to the north, we must also be ready for battle. ”

Zhang Wenxiang snorted, but the old face was still long. A punch slammed into the trunk of the tree beside him, and the ice crystals on the trunk trembled and fell down, "I don't know what medicine is sold in Xiwang's gourd." 30,000 Qing troops, we are letting the enemy go! ”

Zheng Yandao frowned, swept away the ice crystal debris on his shoulder, and said, "Have you thought about it for a few days and still haven't understood the true intention of this order?" I told you yesterday that fighting a war must be considered in conjunction with political factors, and we cannot blindly think only about destroying the enemy. ”

Zhang Wenxiang rubbed his temples and said, "Come on, I've thought about it for a night, but I still can't think of this twisting and turning political factor, so don't go around the bush." Tell me about it, or I'm going to go crazy. ”

Zheng Yan tugged at the scarlet cloak and pressed his hand on the saber. Slowly pulled out the sword, and drew a few times on the icy ground with the tip of the sword, and after a while, several place names such as Wuchang and Changde appeared on the ground, Zheng Yantuo pointed to Wuchang and said: "Now the base camp of the Wing King is here." ”

Zhang Wenxiang was a little confused. He nodded and said, "What does the Wing King have to do with us letting Peng Yulin go back to Changde in Wuchang?" At this point, his face changed slightly. Whispered: "What do you mean ......"

Zheng Yantuo nodded meaningfully and said in a low voice: "Now the Yiwang is in Wuchang, the Qing Demon Hu Linyi in the north has been appointed as the governor of Hubei, sitting in Jingzhou Mansion, the south is Xiangyong of Zeng Guofan, and the west is Zhang Liangji and Peng Yulin of Changde. If Peng Yulin's 30,000 troops were wiped out in Guangxi, King Yi could take advantage of the situation to attack Changde Mansion and break the situation of being surrounded on three sides. ”

Zhang Wenxiang said thoughtfully: "Zeng Guofan's navy was exhausted last year, and now our army controls the water rights of the Yangtze River. The Wing King sent troops to fight Changde, and Zeng Guofan would not dare to send troops to the rescue. Once the Yiwang breaks through Changde, he can go north to surround Jingzhou, or he can go south to Xiangdi Baoqing and other state capitals, and the strategic space will be greatly loosened. ”

Zheng Yantuo hummed and said: "The king of the west doesn't want to see the king of the wings continue to expand his territory, the best result is that the king of the wings and the Qing army surrounded on three sides maintain a balance of power, which is why we will fight the two Guangyungui first this year, and not Hunan." ”

Zhang Wenxiang sighed and said: "It turns out that this is the political factor you said." Zheng Yantuo drew the sword in his hand a few more times and said: "After the two vast lands are recovered in Guilin, our army is already determined to win, but the king of the west seems to be afraid that after Peng Yulin's department is wiped out, if the king of wings does not send troops, then the Hunan land is the dominant family of Zeng Guofan, and the king of the west does not want this to happen." ”

Zhang Wenxiang nodded and said: "It is true that it is quite difficult for us to digest the two vast lands at the moment, if Zeng Guofan or Wing King occupies Zhang Liangji's territory, it will be an opportunity for potential opponents to take the opportunity to expand their territory, and in the future, both Wing King and Zeng Guofan will be a difficult opponent." ”

"Secondly, although Peng Yulin's 30,000 horses are weak in combat, but more than 10,000 people in our infantry regiment of one division will still have to spend some effort to solve them, if we surround 30,000 Qing troops in northern Guibei, and the Qing court will send troops to rescue them regardless of a single qiē, then the war in Guangxi will become more complicated, so the advantages of letting them go back outweigh the disadvantages."

After listening to Zheng Yantuo's words, Zhang Wenxiang let out a sigh of relief and said with a wry smile: "The King of the West is worthy of being the King of the West, take a step and see more than ten steps, or Lao Zheng, you can guess the mind of the King of the West." ”

Zheng Yantuo smiled slightly and said, "I just guessed a little, but I always think that the King of the West may have other intentions in this matter......

On the forward position of the Taiping Army outside Xing'an Town, Cao Fuan, commander of the third company of the second battalion of the third regiment, was looking at the propaganda page in the army, only to see that it was written that the Tianjing condolence group went to the front line to visit the soldiers and soldiers, and in the future, he would go deep into various units to express his condolences. I was wondering in my heart, what is this condolence group here to express my thanks?

"Company commander, the people from the reconnaissance squad are back, and the Qing Demon Striker has arrived three miles away!" A company staff officer ran over and whispered.

Cao Fuan hurriedly put away the propaganda paper and said loudly: "Brothers, prepare to fight, no one is allowed to shoot without my order!" Remember, the demons didn't attack us, and no one was allowed to fight back! ”

The sound of military trumpets and shouts rang out in all directions, and the officers and men of the Taiping Army in the entire position immediately began to prepare for the battle. Half an hour later, I saw a group of Qing troops appear in the field of vision, they were about a thousand steps away from the position of the Taiping army, and they were walking on the official road frozen by the freezing rain.

"Company commander, why don't we let our artillery fire a few shots, you can see that the army is dense, and a dozen of them will be killed in one shot!" The deputy company commander leaned over and whispered.

Cao Fuan said angrily: "Go, go, today's military order is to be on alert, there is no combat mission, the staff officer has repeatedly explained, and those who fire without an order will be shot!" Are you a kid who has a long life? ”

The deputy company commander was choked, lying on the trench and looking at the Qing army marching in line with some unwillingness, gritted his teeth and said: "We are letting the enemy go!" ”

Cao Fuan said angrily: "Who the hell doesn't know that he is letting go of the enemy, you have the ability to find the battalion staff officer and say it, don't bother Lao Tzu!" ”

Soon Peng Yulin's handsome flag appeared in front of the soldiers of the Taiping Army, and the deputy company commander said happily: "Company commander, let's shoot a cannon, just shoot a cannon, the gunners of our battalion are still aiming very accurately, and one shot will definitely kill this Qing Demon general!" ”

Cao Fuan said angrily: "Do you still have military discipline and military orders?" It's all said that you are not allowed to fire a single shot without an order! ”

It seems that the Qing army marching on the opposite side also noticed that there were a large number of Taiping troops on the Taiping army's position, and they were also a little nervous and vigilant to advance, but their doubts were quickly dispelled, and thousands of Qing troops passed, and the Taiping army still did not shoot and fire.

Gradually, the Qing soldiers began to grow bolder, and some of them began to laugh and curse at the Taiping army's position, and even more than a dozen Qing soldiers went to the official road to pee on the Taiping army's position.

The deputy company commander was so angry that he stood up and shouted at the Qing army: "Dog Qing Demon, go back to Hunan and eat chili peppers!" Then shouted to the Taiping soldiers in the trenches: "Get up the fuck, let's pee back!" ”

So the two sides started a war of urine and scolding, and the scolding words on both sides began to escalate gradually, "Dog long hair!" Hide in the trenches and be a rat! "Dog Qing Demon! Go back and continue to be the minions of the clear dog! "You Chen Yucheng are four-eyed dogs!" "Fart! Peng Yulin is the lackey who escaped back with his tail between his legs! ”

This absurd scolding war gradually began to escalate, starting from the scale of more than ten people to the scale of dozens or hundreds of people, and began to strive to overpower each other in volume, and then began to escalate undisciplined because of the insult to the main generals of both sides.

"Your dog King Xi will only hide in Tianjing to play with women!" "The two little widows in your capital will seduce the eunuchs all day long!" "Immortal Banban, there's a kind of come over and fight!" "Hang that mother! There's a kind of you coming! Cao Fuan watched these energetic soldiers screaming and scolding with some helplessness, as if this could also vent the anger in his heart.

After a while, Cao Fuan, a student soldier who was born in a show, really couldn't listen to it, and it was really insulting, so he got up and shouted: "Scold and beg, we are benevolent and righteous teachers, not Qiu Ba with dirty words!" Come, let's sing the military song together! Let those dogs and demons see our military might! ”

All the soldiers responded loudly together, and the song of the Taiping Army Song of the West Hall was first heard from the position of the third company: "Forward!" Forward! Forward! Our team is like the sun, stepping on the land of the motherland, carrying the hope of the nation, we are an invincible force, we are the children of the nation, we are the armed forces of the nation, never fearless, never give in, fight bravely, until the enemy is wiped out, the banner of heaven flutters high......" A mighty and majestic military song was sung, more and more Taiping soldiers put down the scolding words, joined the chorus team, and the loud and sonorous military song quickly suppressed the scolding of the Qing army.

Under the banner of Peng Zishuai, Peng Yulin listened to the whole Taiping army song on his horse in a daze, and was speechless for a long time, and only muttered after a while: "It turns out that this is the reason why the Taiping Army is invincible, they claim to be the children of the nation......

followed Peng Yulin's gloomy order: "Let all departments move forward quickly, and don't fight with long-haired entanglement!" In this way, the 30,000 Qing troops returned north in the scolding battle.

A few days later, Peng Yulin led his troops back to Yong'an Prefecture, and his 30,000 soldiers rested on the spot first, Peng Yulin, Yu Wanqing, Li Mengqun and other generals hurriedly wrote down the battle situation into a recital and official documents, and sent them to the capital and Changde respectively, waiting for the orders of the capital and Changde.

After a few more days, without waiting for the orders of the generals in the capital and Changde, they waited for more than a dozen Qing prisoners released by the Taiping army, and they brought back the corpses of Jiang Zhongyuan and several other Qing officers...... (To be continued......)