Zhang Guoliang on the side of the official road in Liling led more than 100 people to greet him here, and when he saw Chu Yongxing coming, his clothes were ragged like a military army called Huazi, and several thousand generals under him couldn't help but chuckle.

Most of Zhang Guoliang's subordinates were born the same as Zhang Guoliang himself, they used to be bandits from the Guangdong Tiandihui, and now they have become officials and soldiers, and they have always been despised by other officials and soldiers. All the generals and officials were holding their breath, and now when they saw Chu Yong, who was even less like an official than himself, they naturally chuckled.

Smelling a chuckle, Zhang Guoliang's face was full of beard and shaking, and he wanted to scold a few words with a tiger face, but he didn't want to say a thousand generals behind him: "Brothers, don't underestimate these Hunan people, watching them march, they are known to be a strong army, not to mention that Lord Jiang and others came from afar to help, how can you despise them?" It won't look good later. ”

Zhang Guoliang looked sideways, but the person who spoke was Feng Zicai, the general manager of his subordinates, this Feng Zicai was a native of Qinzhou, Guangdong, the word Nangan, the number Cuiting, the ancestral home of Bobai, his father Feng Wengui and his mother Huang died early, and the young Feng Zicai had to walk into difficult times alone, and had done carpentry, escorted the cattle gang in Qinlian, and even lived on the streets, being bullied. It is precisely because of this experience that he has practiced a good martial arts. Subsequently, Feng Zicai followed the Heaven and Earth Gathering in Guangxi to raise an uprising, but the righteous army was quickly extinguished, Feng Zicai defected to the official army, and was recruited to the command of Zhang Guoliang, the first fierce general of Rong's subordinates.

Zhang Guoliang grinned, and then reprimanded with a straight face: "Nangan said that your words are too polite, and it is not a good man to laugh at others behind your back, there is a kind of wait to invite them to fight, you can laugh again, if you can't do it, you will obediently submit to Lao Tzu, don't fucking like a girl all day long, chirping crookedly behind your back!" Although Zhang Guoliang was a guerrilla at the moment, he still couldn't get rid of the habit of the rivers and lakes, and after a scolding, his subordinates didn't dare to laugh anymore.

Seeing Jiang Zhongyuan and others approaching, Zhang Guoliang took his subordinates to greet him, and after the generals on both sides saluted each other, Zhang Guoliang hahadaxiao said: "Minqiao Gong has worked hard from afar, and the brothers are finally looking forward to reinforcements." Speaking from the heart, if you send someone else, my old Zhang is not very relieved, now it is Minqiao Gong who is leading the troops, and my old Zhang has one hundred and twenty hearts. ”

Jiang Zhongyuan knew that he was born recklessly and liked to go straight, but he also liked Zhang Guoliang's righteousness in the rivers and lakes, Jiang Zhongyuan himself was often chivalrous, so he was able to practice the regiment as a Confucian general, and then hugged his fist and said: "The palace ministers are polite, although they have been fighting side by side before, but they have suffered from the chaos of the war, and they have no chance to have a drink with the palace ministers, which is a pity, now we can not only drink together, but also kill thieves together!" ”

Zhang Guoliang was overjoyed, this Jiang Zhongyuan did not seem to have the sour and rotten atmosphere of ordinary civil officials and Confucian generals, and it was very much to his liking, and he was hahadaxiao at the moment to lead Chu Yong into the city.

When he arrived in the city, Zhang Guoliang ordered his subordinates to take out pigs and cattle to slaughter, reward Chu Yong, and personally set up a banquet in the county government to entertain Jiang Zhongyuan, Jiang Zhongji, Liu Changyou and other Chu Yong generals.

After three rounds of drinking, the generals talked very happily, talking about the current war, Zhang Guoliang was drunk and misty, and hiccuped: "Lord Jiang, how is Lord Jiang (referring to Xu Guangjin) going to suppress?" The long-haired thief is guarding Changsha, and now he is out of the team to the south, and my old Zhang seems to be quite strange. ”

Jiang Zhongyuan nodded and said: "Yes, it is really incomprehensible that the long-haired thieves suddenly went south, the cities of the South Road were ravaged by them, there was no food and money for them to loot, and the population loss was also quite heavy, what good is it for them to go south?" When he came, the people of Taiwan had also discussed many times, and they always felt that the long-haired thief going south was a false shot, and the real intention was to enter Jiangxi Province eastward. ”

Liu Changyou echoed his words and said: "Yes, there is a big river in the north, and Zhang Liangji Futai soldiers and horses to block the defense, Guizhou Province in the west is barren, and there are large armies stationed in Liangguang in the south, and the most likely is to enter Jiangxi Province in the east." Jiangxi Province is rich, and the long-haired thieves will definitely go eastward. ”

Zhang Guoliang frowned and said: "It's a pity that the master of Taiwan is still standing in Youxian County at the moment, and it is time to enter Liling and Liuyang to block the defense as early as possible." ”

Jiang Zhongyuan bowed slightly: "The Lord of Taiwan also has some concerns, most of the abandoned weapons, grain, and baggage of the army on my South Road are all in Hengzhou, and the brigade of Xiangjunmen has only recovered Chenzhou and arrived in Leiyang. ”

Zhang Guoliang hahadaxiao said: "The long-haired thief didn't eat the bear's heart and leopard gall, the official and military brigades are all on the south road, do they dare to go south?" My old Zhang thought that Changmao would definitely march eastward, and maybe in a few days he would raise troops to attack! ”

Jiang Zhongyuan said in a deep voice: "What Lord Tai means is that if Changmao really dares to come and defend Liling with Lord Zhang, as long as we guard it for a few days, the reinforcements of the Youxian Brigade will come, and we will definitely be able to suppress the thieves under the city." ”

While he was talking, Zhang Guoliang's subordinates had a horse to come back and report urgently, saying that the long-haired thieves in Xiangtan had more than 10,000 soldiers and horses crossing Xiangshui and coming to Liling.

Zhang Guoliang took the case, and hahadaxiao said: "Good thief, it's really here, Lord Jiang, let's prepare to meet the enemy!" ”

Jiang Zhongyuan was much more careful, stood up and said: "Quickly send someone to inquire about the news of Liuyang, if the long-haired thief really wants to enter Jiangxi Province eastward, it will definitely be attacked by both directions, if there is also a long-haired thief army attacking in Liuyang, then you can tell the master of Taiwan that the long-haired thief is really going eastward!" ”

Zhang Guoliang knew Jiang Zhongyuan's talent, and his official position was higher than his own, so he didn't have a chance to agree at the moment, and immediately sent someone to Liuyang to inquire about the news. The two also agreed that Jiang Zhongyuan would lead the troops to garrison the important places outside the city, and burn down the houses outside the city to prevent them from being used as a camp by long-haired thieves.

More than 10,000 soldiers and horses of the Taiping army Lai Hanying came to the east very quickly, divided into two roads, north and south, Zeng Lichang, Chen Renbao, Xu Zongyang led 5,000 soldiers to the south road, along the south bank of the Lujiang River, and the north road relied on Han Ying's personal leadership, leading Yang Fuqing, Lin Shaozhang and 5,000 soldiers on the north bank of the Lujiang River.

Liling City is not big, but the geographical location is very important, in ancient times it was the throat of Wu Chu, and now it is the gateway to the east of Xiangdong, and it is Jiangxi to the east. Like Changsha City, Liling is also a city of mountains, waters, continents and cities. The West Mountain, the Lujiang River, and the Zhuangyuanzhou in the river surround Liling City in a semicircle.

Hearing that the long-haired soldiers were divided into two ways to kill Liling, Jiang Zhongyuan and Liu Changyou also divided the troops into two routes, and each commander was stationed in more than 700 people to guard the important places outside the city. Liu Changyou's troops were stationed in the east of the city, Jiang Zhongyuan guarded the west mountain in the southwest, and the pontoon bridge on the land continent was controlled by the river.

Zeng Lichang, Chen Renbao, and Xu Zongyang led their troops to the south of Liling City, and saw that the Qing army was still rushing to build the Xishan camp, so they went out to attack the Qing army, intending to seize important places.

Jiang Zhongyuan didn't expect the Taiping army to come so quickly, Chu Yong was still rushing to build a barracks, so he immediately ordered the front team to resist, and the rear team to build a base to fight.

Zeng Lichang knew that Chu Yong was strong, but he bullied Jiang Zhongyuan with few soldiers, intending to defeat Jiang Zhongyuan with a single pressure. The Taiping army pressed on the whole line, Jiang Zhongyuan couldn't resist, almost wanted to be defeated and retreated, Zhang Guoliang led the soldiers in the city to cross the water and land continent to kill the Taiping army's side, and after spraying guns and fire pots violently attacked the Taiping army's side, Zeng Lichang and others couldn't resist, and led the troops to retreat to Lei Gongling before gaining a firm foothold.

The situation on the north road was similar, Lai Hanying went out to pounce on the Qing army camp in Zhaiziling, and was beaten back by artillery fire on the ridge and the city, so he had to stick to the line of Gaoling and Shiziling. The Qing army controlled the land and water continents, sandwiching the Green River, and the Taiping army was never able to completely encircle Liling City.

That night, Liuyang sent back news that the long-haired thieves also had a large team to attack Liuyang, and the Liuyang Tiandi would be bandit Zhou Guoyu led his troops to attack, and the situation was critical. After Zhang Guoliang and Jiang Zhongyuan discussed, they immediately sent people to Youxian County for help, once Liuyang is lost, the long-haired thief may go south to Liling, if Liling is lost, the passage to the east into Jiangxi Province will be completely opened, from the perspective of the long-haired troops, this time it is really going eastward.

When the news reached Youxian, Xu Guangjin was shocked and immediately convened the generals to discuss. Today, the Qing army in Youxian County has more than 26,000 people from Changlu, Deliang, Qin Dingsan, Li Mengqun, Dutong Kailong'a, Guangxi Governor Fuxing and other departments, and more than 5,000 people from the Spring Department to guard Hengzhou, and more than 8,000 people from the old fox Xiangrong are still in Leiyang. In the face of the offensive of the Taiping army, Xu Guangjin had to order the armies of Youxian County to quickly go north to reinforce Liuyang and Liling, and let Xiang Rong and Hechun Town defend Hengzhou. It's not that he doesn't want to mobilize Xiang Rong's troops to go north to help, it's just that Xiang Rong, the old fox, has always been at odds with the minister, when Sai Shang'a led the army before, he had said that he was sick and refused to send troops, so that Sai Shang'a had to coax and scare him to send troops, and the court was also strict to apply for punishment, or the threat of demotion and retention, so that he could obey his orders. There is nothing to do with the Qing court in this way, the generals who can fight are really limited, and they have to rely on arrogant generals like Xiang Rong.

Just a day after Xu Guangjin led his troops north, Xiang Rong also got the news and convened the generals to discuss the matter.

After telling the current military situation, Xiao Fengchun, a veteran of the Qing army, said: "Lord Tai ordered me to cooperate with the town to defend Hengzhou, but Hengzhou has Lord Hechun to guard it, and Changmao intends to go eastward, Changsha must be empty. ”

Du Si Ji Shengmai also said: "Yes, Junmen, now that the long ** is running, just following the old road to recover Changsha, the reward of the imperial court will not be able to escape." For a while, the generals clamored to go north to recover Changsha.

Xiang Rong raised his hand to stop the restlessness of the generals, and said slowly with a gloomy national face: "Xu Zhitai, Hechun Shouhengzhou, we are in Zuihou, at the moment we are a strange soldier who can influence the situation of the war, not to mention whether the long-haired thief wants to go east, I don't think it maybe!" Although there are more than 5,000 people in Hengzhou and Chun to guard, but Hechun has never been good at fighting, if the long-haired eastward advance is fake, and it is true to go straight to Hengzhou, then how can it be good? It must be known that Hengzhou has a large amount of grain, money, and baggage, which is also an important place, although Hechun is at odds with us, but we can't lose Hengzhou. We did not move, and continued to wait for news in Leiyang, if the long-haired thief really wanted to go east, Xu Zhitai would definitely feel that the troops were insufficient, at that time Changmao and Xu Zhengtai were exhausted, and we just went north to clean up the mess. If the long-haired thief comes to Hengzhou, we will wait for this kid Hechun to speak out for help, and then go north to help, and let this kid know that we are powerful! Xiang Rong is a native of Daning, Sichuan, and most of his subordinates are fellow villagers, and the generals laughed together after hearing this.

Xiao Yungui, who was far away on Hengzhou Avenue and waved his army south, didn't know that because of the internal struggle of the Qing army, Xiang Rongbu did not go north, and his troops with Hengzhou and Chunbu reached more than 13,000 people, and Xiao Yungui only had more than 10,000 people in his hands, and the troops were not superior.