Jiang Zhongyuan was wounded and entered the city, inspected the battle situation, and said anxiously to Zhang Liangji: "If the thief can't attack for a long time, he will cross the Jiangxi River, and the dragon on the west bank of the Xiangjiang River will return to the pool, so he must occupy it quickly." ”

Zuo Zongtang also said: "Longhuitan is easy to defend and difficult to attack, occupy this can cut off the thief's escape and catch turtles in the urn; Time is running out, and troops must be dispatched to seize it. ”

Zhang Liangji said: "I'm tired of crossing the river to the military gate to block the thieves." Ladies and gentlemen, I received an edict yesterday: The former Ding Wei servant Lang Zeng Guofan is familiar with the local people in Hunan. According to the decree of Fu Chuan, he was ordered to help him handle the affairs of the villagers in the province and the search for bandits, and Yi Bi would do his best to live up to the appointment. Ladies and gentlemen, if we don't do anything to suppress it, we will all withdraw. ”

Xiang Rong said: "The saint hates us indisputably!" Longhui Lake is far away! The Art of War: Half-crossing and attacking. If the thieves are all crossed, it will be too late. I intend to rely on Changsha City, the first attack on the land and water, intercept the thieves for two sections, and encircle and annihilate on both sides of the Xiangjiang River. ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "I have less than 20,000 soldiers, 50,000 thieves, the net is small and the fish is big, and I can't wrap it in my pocket; Capture Longhui Pond, we are in danger to defend, the fishing line is long, let the fish struggle, wait for its exhaustion, gather and annihilate. ”

Bao Qibao said: "Isn't it just a long line to catch a big fish, it is easy to talk on paper, the line is too long, and the fish swallow the bait, what should I do?" ”

Jiang Zhongyuan said: "Don't talk nonsense! I would like to go. ”

Zhang Liangji said: "No, Brother Minqiao's leg injury has not healed, and Changsha City cannot be without justice." ”

Zhang Liangji consulted Xu Guangjin, the minister of the Qin Mission, and made it clear the importance of crossing the river to resist the enemy.

Xu Guangjin replied: Garrison Xiangtan, prevent thieves from fleeing, and then calamity to Guizhou and Guangdong, the top priority.

Zuo Zongtang said: "The minister of the Qin mission has been wandering for two months, and he has arrived in Xiangtan, but now he is stagnant, and he is afraid of the enemy like a tiger!" Saishang Ashang is in the army, Xu is not coming, and Sai Ke is temperate to glory. ”

Zhang Liangji visited Saishana in person, and said that Xiang Rong could not take on this responsibility.

Saizanne to the Rong camp, frankly said the weight of returning to Longtan.

Xiang Rong said: "Lord Sai, I have only 6,000 soldiers and horses, can I stop 50,000 thieves?" Zuo Zongtang, a scholar with a bad scene, a clever tongue, caused me to die! ”

Sai Shang said: "How about giving you another 4,000 men and horses to garrison Yuelu Mountain and soothe the enemy's back?" ”

Xiang Rong said: "My lord's order, I can't help but obey, and when I clean up, I will immediately pull out the camp and cross the river." ”

Before Xiang Rong could clean up, Shi Dakai had forcibly crossed the Xiangjiang River, occupied the water and land continents, built pontoon bridges, and made the east and west banks one, and then captured the Elephant Trunk Dam and Longhui Lake in the west of the river.

The retreat was opened, Yang Xiuqing no longer cared about him, and tried his best to attack the south gate; Qin Rigang led the earth camp, at Kuixing Tower and Tianxin Lake, and buried the medicine deeply, broke through the city wall, and swarmed in.

Jiang Zhongyuan, Deng Shaoliang, Qu Tenglong and others each led their troops and horses to resist stubbornly. Deng Shaoliang's left arm was wounded by a cannonball, bleeding nonstop, Shaoliang didn't realize it, standing on the ruins, holding a knife in his right hand, killing many people; Qu Tenglong waved his knife to resist, led a group of Miao soldiers, and slashed more than 300 people; The Taiping army was afraid and retreated.

Zuo Zongtang beat gongs and drums, and the city was full of notices: Whoever throws a stone to the gap will get a thousand yuan, two stones and one tael; The thief is ineffective. The people came one after another with stones, and the gap was filled in an instant.

Changsha Chenggu, Zhang Liangji supervised Xiang Rong to wash the west bank of the Xiangjiang River, or he would be impeached, Xiang Rong did not dare to slack off, and ordered Hechun and Zhang Guoliang to garrison Yuelu Mountain, and led 3,000 elite soldiers to attack Shuiluzhou, wanting to intercept the Taiping Army's east-west alliance.

Shi Dakai secretly hid his main force in the woods in the south of Shuiluzhou. Xiang Rong was not careful, and then entered the ambush circle, 3,000 soldiers and horses, and most of them were lost.

At the head of Changsha City, Zuo Zongtang and Jiang Zhongyuan personally watched the destruction of the Xiang army, and they were all trembling and frightened.

Zuo Zongtang said: "Xiang Rong was defeated, and there was no army to cross the river; The thieves are rampant, and they can be destroyed overnight. ”

Jiang Zhongyuan said: "Ji Gaoyu, several times to kill the thief, always lost to that shortfall, when my leg injury heals, I will shoot the thief again." ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "In two years, the adverse climate has been completed, and the Eight Banners and the Green Camp can no longer be controlled. The Holy Lord had already decreed that each village and township should be a group exercise, so that all the people should be led by the fair and resourceful men of the gentlemen, and the dangerous places should be formed into a village, and the scattered households in the plains and wilderness would be merged into the village; The junction of all prefectures and counties and the junction of neighboring provinces are all in danger, and the village is firmly defended. If the thief arrives, he will enter the village to protect himself and take advantage of the attack; If the thief retreats, the village will intercept and kill without exhaustive pursuit. Shengshang Qin ordered Zeng Guofan and other forty regiments to train ministers, train the villagers, and find another way out! ”

Jiang Zhongyuan said: "A soldier cannot be made in a day, and distant water cannot quench the thirst of the near, so we don't have to let the thief sit big." ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "Rebellion is wrapped up in 50,000 people, and Brother Minqiao is difficult to support alone, so this must be considered in the long run." ”

Xiang Rong retreated to the camp, and He Chun and Zhang Guoliang hurriedly came to appease.

Xiang Rong said: "It is a common thing to lose many battles, but it is a pity that I have lost more than a thousand brothers. The siege of the city has been going on for more than two months, and if it cannot be conquered for a long time, it will find another way out. Governor Zhang listened to the scholars and said that the thieves were criminals; Xu Qincha stayed in Xiangtan, and the bandits fled south. ”

Zhang Guoliang said: "Hong Yang took the pontoon bridge for more than a month, and he didn't cross it completely, could it be a form? ”

He Chun said: "Previously, Fa rebelled from Jintian and fled from Xunjiang to Jintian, and then fled from Xiangzhou to Jintian, and there were no rules and uncertainties. ”

Xiang Rong pondered for a long time, took a long breath, and said: "Send more careful work to find out the movements of thieves." ”

The water and land continent won a great victory, Shi Dakai was heroic, and wanted to dump the soldiers on the west bank and destroy the glory in Yuelu Mountain.

Yang Xiuqing said: "The siege of the city for 80 days, repeated attacks, no need to attack again; Xiang Demon Lao'er, his fighting skills are too dull, and he doesn't care about it. I mean, the south strikes the north, and the sword points to Wuchang. ”

On December 1, 1852, when the night was dark and the wind was fierce, Yang Xiuqing sent a number of squads to attack the south, and led the main force to cross the river from the pontoon bridge, bypassing Xiangrong Daying, and entering Ningxiang in the west.

Xiang Rong was mistaken by the appearance, thinking that Hong and Yang Nan were channeling, and led the main force to Xiangtan, but did not see a single pawn of the Taiping army, and when he returned to Changsha, the Taiping army had arrived at the city of Yiyang.

Changsha was encircled, and Pan Duo, the political envoy, reported the good news, and said: Changsha City cheered and shook the sky, and hurriedly looked north to the military gate.

Zhang Liangji sighed: "The thief has fallen into a desperate situation, according to Minqiao and Ji Gaoyi, the soldiers will return to the pool, or be annihilated in one fell swoop!" Now, the thieves have broken through to the north, and we have no chance! I have sinned deeply, I am ashamed of the Holy Grace and the people, how can I be happy? Xiang Xinran knew his mistake and atoned for his sins. ”

On the same day, Emperor Xianfeng issued another edict: Xu Guangjin, the minister of the Qin Mission, Chang Dachun, the governor of Hubei, Bole Gongwu, the governor of Hubei, Taiyong, the general of Jingzhou, and the deputy commander of the right wing, were to fortify the key passes in the vicinity, and they must not be neglected in the slightest, causing thieves to enter by taking advantage of the room. Xu Guangjin must arrive in Chu to check the situation, and must not let it spread again. The bandits who entered Changsha were attacked and suppressed by our soldiers, intending to flee north, and they must be found out in advance. Its land and water vessels must also be ordered to be cleaned up, so that the bandits do not take the opportunity to rob them, so that it will be even more difficult to catch them off guard as they go north. Jingyue is a key gateway to the north of Chu, and it must not be neglected a little.

Xu Guangjin received the order, did not postpone it again, and quickly went north.