On September 25, 1853, Shi Dakai was ordered by Yang Xiuqing to enter Anqing with Hu Yihuang, Shi Xiangzhen and Zeng Tianyang, set up township officials, Zhang Bang and the people, supervised the repair of the river embankment, and pacified Li Shu.

Hu Yihuang said: "Anhui people all say: In the past, thousands of miles were not left, and they did not do the things of establishing officials and reassuring the people. Today, in Anqing, this move was made. ”

Shi Dakai said: "Abandon the battle, do what the rogue does." Anqing is the place of thoroughfare, the west can reach the south, Wu Erchang, the north can go up to Luzhou, Fengyang, down the river, can go directly to Tianjing Suchang. My meaning: Shi Xiangzhen, Wei Jun, Lin Qirong, etc., along the west of the river, through Hubei. The rest of the soldiers built earthen camps, built forts to protect the city, built walls and dredging walls, and installed forts for long-term planning. ”

Shi Xiangzhen led the order, supervised 10,000 people, took 1,000 boats, first attacked Hukou, then fought Jiujiang, and then Kewuxue, and arrived at Tianjia Town, an important town in eastern Hubei on October 2.

Wei Jun said: "Tianjia Town, Banbi Mountain, and Fuchikou are horns of each other. I intend to attack Fuchikou first, seize half of the mountain, install cannons, and choke the Yangtze River waterway; Then, land and water were at the same time, and Tianjia Town was at your fingertips. ”

Shi Xiangzhen said: "Yes." ”

Shi and Wei Bing came to Tianjia Town, and Zhang Liangji, the acting governor of Huguang, was panicked and wanted to go to the overseer in person.

Zuo Zongtang said: "Don't go alone! Last month, the governor of Shandong was appointed as the governor of Shandong, and he did not go to the post for a long time, in order to wait for the new governor. Lord Wu Zhenfu is coming soon, and Lord Guo has asked Jiang Luoqiao, Tang Shuyi, and Lao Guangtai to join hands to help; A small Tianjia town, two according to the inspection and the same knowledge, it is enough! Adults don't have to put themselves at risk. ”

Zhang Liangji said: "Tianjia Town, sandwiched between two mountains, the land is dangerous and the water is urgent, the key to the Chu River can be stifled by the thief army?" ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "Jiang Minqiao does not prevent Nanchang, but it can be strangled." Today, Jiang soldiers exhausted Nanchang, and Tianjia Town was broken at the touch of a button. Adults can be stationed in Wuchang, this city wall is steep, high and thick, can stifle thieves in March. ”

Zhang Liangji sighed: "Soldiers and disasters are one after another, and every time the war is handed over, Changsha, Wuchang, and Tianjia Town, every time. If you can't mess up, how can you not disperse. ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "The saint is thousands of miles away, and he knows the war in Huguang, but there is no difference between Man and Han. Today's Hubei Governor Chonglun, villain, and troublesome. I don't know about this business, and I can't solve the case, but I am happy to accept it for the hand. The adults went to Lu Renfu, and this guy was very important. If the court and the lord use the minister to suppress the thief, I and Minqiao will assist, how can the thief be rampant here. ”

Zhang Liangji sighed again: "The villain is difficult to raise, and the holy will is difficult, I only hope that Lord Wu will come." Lord Wu is forbidden to smoke outside, and Lin Gong looks at the world together, which can solve this crisis. ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "If Lin Gong is here, there will be such chaos in the world." I will soon go south to Hunan Province, wear cloth clothes again, and become a farmer again. The twist of the bandits is prosperous, the north road is bumpy, and Lord Wanwang takes care. ”

On October 7, 1853, Wei Jun led his army to land at Fuchikou and seize Banbi Mountain.

Jiang Zhongyuan received the news, rushed out of Nanchang, led 2,000 Chu Yong to help, the army was slow, Zhongyuan personally led 50 personal soldiers, arrived first, and took half of the mountain, no.

The Taiping army was condescending and opened artillery to block the Yangtze River waterway. The Qingshui army collapsed first, and the army followed. Shi Xiangzhen and Wei Jun took advantage of the situation to besiege Tianjia Town, using both swords and guns, and rockets and artillery fired in unison. Xu Fengyu of Hubei Grain Road couldn't put out the fire, and the commander couldn't respond, so he waved a knife and killed himself; Of the more than 10,000 Qing troops, only Jiang Zhongyuan's army was freed.

Tianjia Town was lost, the door of Hubei was opened, and within five days, the Taiping army went down to Huangzhou, Qizhou, Hankou, and Hanyang, and the troops came to Wuchang City. Wuchang City was closed day and night, and the residents were shocked overnight.

Hunan Governor Luo Bingzhang was also shocked and urgently ordered Zou Shouzhang's right army to move to Yuezhou and respond to Wuchang.

Zeng Guofan did not allow it, and ordered Zou Shouzhang to be stationed in situ, and said that Liuyang choked the east of Changsha, and did not dare to move.

Luo Bingzhang scolded Zeng Guofan for being mediocre and ignoring the overall situation.

Wang Xin was not angry and knelt down to say goodbye to Luo Zenan.

Luo Zenan said: "Zeng Gong swept away the old traces and established a new one, which is beyond the reach of my generation." If you go alone, you will be alone and in danger, and you will be destroyed by the bandits! ”

Wang Xin said: "Zeng Gong is slow and leisurely, incompatible with me, my will has been decided!" ”

When Zeng Guofan heard this, he urgently sent Guo Songtao to dissuade him.

Wang Xin said: "This is not for me!" I am sorry for my teacher! My teacher only has one ear for Luo Luoshan. My teacher, continue to fall for thousands of years, open up the hazel of my way, advocate the Ming Peerless Learning, understand current affairs, learn to be knowledgeable, rare in the world, and sincere for the common people. Follow the sluggish Zeng's family, let the years go old, succumb! Zeng's thoughts, I am out of place, farewell today, never see each other again. ”

Luo Zenan begged to see Zeng Guofan, and said: "Don't blame me, my lord, Wang Xin's son." Reading books, poor sages and righteousness, tasting books and words on the wall, saying: Standing on the surface of all things, looking down on everything, the reason is self-evident, and the measure is self-mysterious; All life and death, blessing and misfortune, are not counted. What do you compare with such a shaft? ”

Zeng Guofan said: "Wang Xinzhigao, if I block it again, the liver and gallbladder will become Chu Yue." Only for Brother Luo Shan, if the king is in trouble, he will save him. ”

Luo Zenan went with peace of mind.

Zeng Guofan suddenly consulted Wu Wenrong, the governor of Huguang, and said: "Wang Xin's son, with a high heart and talent, has repeatedly missed the fighter plane, and it is absolutely unusable. ”

Jiang Zhongyuan is not Zeng Guofan, and when he heard that Wuchang was in an emergency, he hurriedly said to Jiang Zhongji: "Five years ago, I was the county governor of Xiushui, Zhejiang, and my mother died of illness and had no money to bury. Fortunately, Wu Gong rescued five hundred silver taels. We can die, but Lord Wu Gong Zhenfu must not be hurt in the slightest. Immediately gather Chu Yong and save each other desperately. ”

Jiang Zhongji said: "My emperor decrees that I should go to Jiangying to help with military affairs; The Jiang battalion has thick soldiers and can show its ambitions. ”

Jiang Zhongji said: "Xiang Rong's skills are dull, and he is not worth sharing. Wuchang is the place of victory, keep Wuchang, go straight downstream, can figure Jinling. ”

The Taiping army was under the city of Wuchang, and the governor of Hubei, Chonglun, was frightened, and said in a panic: "The city is empty, the salary is lacking, and it is difficult to hold on, so it is better to camp outside the city to resist the thieves." ”

Wu Wenrong, the governor of Huguang, slashed the case with a sword, and shouted: "I look at Wuchang, the city is wide and the wall is high, and it is enough to hold it for two months." Moved out of the city, and died in an instant. If you don't believe it, you can taste it. "After that, move to the end of the city, and motivate the generals.

Three days later, Jiang Zhongyuan led his troops to arrive, and Wu Wenrong burst into tears.

Jiang Zhongyuan knelt down to worship Wen Rong and said: "The act of aiding the public is actually a combination of public and private; Five years ago, I was helped by the public, and my mother entered her homeland and settled down, and I never forgot this grace. ”

Wu Wenrong sighed and said: "Virtuous as Jiang Gong, can you make your mother unable to be buried?" The generals of the world are as fierce as Jiang Gong, why do you make thieves rebel like this! ”

Shi Xiangzhen besieged the city for ten days and repeatedly attacked. Shi Dakai then ordered him to collect all the grain materials, load the baggage, and retreat to Huangzhou.

Wuchang siege was resolved, Jiang Zhongyuan said to Wu Wenrong: "Although the thief goes, he will definitely come back, and the adults can have a strategy to defend against the enemy." ”

Wu Wenrong said: "I have played Hu Linyi, the prefect of Liping, and Wang Guocai, the general of Qingzhou, to help in the war, and Zeng Guofanyi, the minister of Hunan assistant regimental training, has also helped. As soon as Zeng, Hu, and Wang arrived, they attacked together. Yesterday, I received a consultation from Hunan Fu Luo Bingzhang and wanted to transfer Wang Xinxiang to help. Is Wang Xinzhi brave? ”

Jiang Zhongyuan said: "The Dian people are talented in the kingdom, first suppress the bandits, and then suppress the long hair in the Great Yellow River and Yong'an Prefecture, which is very useful and useful; Hu Runzhi is in Qiandi, hoeing bandits and catching thieves, courageous and knowledgeable, training bravely on weekdays, imitating Qi Jiguang into the law and adapting it. Brave less than six hundred, all are sharp and resolute, one can be ten; In the past three years, the bandits in the four prefectures, six prefectures and thirteen counties of Guizhou Province have been pacified, and everyone thinks that they are gods. Runzhi to Hubei, Jingxiang can be guaranteed. Wang Xin, young and old, wise and resourceful, has many benefits. ”

Wu Wenrong sighed and said: "The times are thorny, the traitors are in trouble in the south and Chuxiang, and the north is attacking Henan, Lu, Jin, Hebei, and Zhili. ”

Jiang Zhongyuan said: "Don't worry, adults, thieves are grassy coles, and it will be difficult to succeed in the end; The army of thieves marching north, alone, the so-called lone army going deep, will become a desperate bet, a loss, and all will lose. ”