Luzhou was in an emergency, and Jiang Zhongyuan, the governor of Anhui, urgently consulted Zeng Guofan and Luo Bingzhang to ask for help; He also led 2,000 troops from Hankou to help.

Zhongyuan left, and Wu Wenrong, the governor of Huguang, was teary-eyed, and said: "Runzhi has not arrived, Minqiao is going again, how can Wuchang guard?" ”

Jiang Zhongyuan said: "Don't worry, my lord, Wuchang is strong and can be guarded for March." At that time, Hu Linyi arrived early, and the gunboats of the Zeng State Naval Division were also completed. I can save Luzhou, go up the river, and work together to destroy the thief in this thoroughfare. ”

On December 5, 1853, Jiang Zhongyuan arrived in Lu'an, Anhui Province, and fought for months. I didn't want to be in a coma and had a high fever.

Liu Yujiao, the political envoy of Anhui, heard that Jiang Zhongyuan had arrived, and sent people in the starry night to present the governor's seal.

Jiang Zhongyuan smiled when he saw Yin, and his illness was half better. Regardless of the obstacles, he immediately supervised and marched bravely. On the 10th, it finally arrived in Luzhou City.

Jiang Zhongyuan looked at the city and inspected the generals, and shouted angrily: "India and China are holding letters, saying that the soldiers are sufficient, the salary is abundant, the city is solid, and the heart is united, and the four are not true today, what is the intention?" ”

Hu Yuanwei, the prefect of Luzhou, said: "The letter is my work, although it is a lie, but in today's world, this Luzhou, the foundation of Anhui, only adults can protect it." Previously, adults Bao Guilin, Bao Changsha, Bao Nanchang, Bao Tianjia Town, and Bao Wuchang all made wedding clothes for others. The city of Luzhou, which is protected today, is the city of our own families and adults. With the temperament of an adult, that is, there is no soldier in Luzhou, that is, the adult is alone, and he also comes generously. ”

Jiang Zhongyuan said: "I know in my heart, and I know in my heart; Today's Luzhou is full of dangers. Hong Yang is a traitor, no longer abandons with the occupation, and all the places he occupies are sent officials to serve as officials, and the people's hearts have been captured. The soldier of the stone, who has experienced a hundred battles, has become iron. Luzhou, the city wall is not very solid, the officials and the people have not been at war for a long time, although the new to the provincial leader, compared with Nanchang, Wuchang, Changsha, etc., this name is not true. We must join hands and work together to kill the thief. There are seven gates in Luzhou City, the West Gate of Water, the Great West Gate, the front of the enemy's soldiers, I guard myself. The Great East Gate, the material passage behind me, Governor Hu's eyes are fast and can be guarded. The rest of the North Gate, South Gate, Desheng Gate, and Xiaodong Gate, the political envoys Liu Yuzhen, Li Benren, the deputy general Song'an, and the Dusi Dai Wenlan were guarded by troops. I am not a villain, nor am I a gentleman. All the gates you guard, all the armies under your jurisdiction, I have sent Chu Yong to investigate. or yin or yang, dark or light; Those who secretly collaborate with the enemy, retreat from battle, spread rumors, and deceive people's minds will all be killed. ”

On the same day, Jiang Zhongyuan received Zeng Guofan's reply: Brother Minqiao has ordered his brother Dachuan to bring Yong 1,000 into the province yesterday, and he will be ordered to go to Anhui as soon as possible, in case of the needs of your minions. The remaining 5,000 must be completed by ship and artillery, and the land and water will be used together.

The friends of the province and the meaning of Pushan all want to rush out of the army. Brother foolishly thinks that Luzhou is really an urgent need, and it must be abandoned; Wuchang is a place to fight, to protect this, controllable Jinling, solid Jingxiang portal, through the two Guangchuan Shu Road.

This time, the country was summoned by Chu Province to go east, one for the four provinces to defend together, and the other to help your clarification. The boat division is rich in ships and artillery, and the generals on land are angry and angry, thinking of not returning for three years, for a hundred battles and difficult trips, how can it be a child's play to become an army, a sudden out, the people are all rabble, the name of the instrument is bitter, the ship is less than two hundred, the cannon is less than five hundred, such as the sea dustpan beans, the sunspot landing, even if it can reach Anhui Province quickly, what is the matter?

It is a contemptible and foolish opinion, and it is necessary to prepare 200 war ships, supplemented by 7 or 800 civilian ships carrying goods, more than 1,000 large and small cannons, 4,000 water braves, and 6,000 land yongs. Otherwise, it is called the Daxing Volunteer Brigade, and it is really waiting for the Japanese to watch the scene, and it is not worth the ears of the Fang family.

I know that your Excellency is looking forward to this courage, but it is useless to be quick and prepared. In addition, Hanlin edited Li Hongzhang, there is a lot of talent available, if you have something to fight, you can take it with you.

Jiang Zhongyuan sighed: There are very few personal friendships. A thousand soldiers are really the face of the sea with dustpans and sunspots, what is the use of me? I only seize the day, make a desperate bet, let it go, whether it is right or wrong, no need to say it. Zeng's forbearance and ruthlessness, the pillar of the family, the important weapon of the country, I don't know when it happened.

Zhongyuan sighed, and said: Long live my emperor, long live, long live, long live, the south bank of the Yangtze River flows eastward, down to Wuhu, hundreds of miles near the river, and the thief ship can be anchored anywhere, that is, it can go ashore anywhere. The cities on the north bank, from the Wangjiang River to the Hezhou River, are more than 600 miles along the river, and they cannot be prevented. Among them, the most important point is Dongguan, and Yushan and Zhang Yintang led only 2,200 soldiers. Seeing the people who were intimidated in Lu County, only the ministers brought more than 700 Sichuan soldiers, Kaihua Yong, Guangyong and 2,000 newly recruited braves in Lu'an, 600 Li Hongzhangyong and thousands of newly recruited Yong by Liu Yujiao. And the first set of people still have to try to coach in order to be effective.

As for the soldiers' salaries, there was no money left in the domain, and the Dongguan soldiers were in arrears for more than 20 days. The 60,000 taels of silver brought by the ministers were only more than 30,000 taels left, in addition to the rations issued to the soldiers of Yunnan, Sichuan, Kai, and Guangzhou in November, and more than 20,000 taels of pots, tents, and equipment. If the rations of the newly recruited brave soldiers such as Dongguan Bingyong and Liu Yujun are all replenished, there is not much left, and there is no equipment for guarding the city in the city, and the rice and grain in the city are insufficient, and the lead pills are short. If you want to do it one by one, you can't be caught off guard.

Moreover, the thickness of the ear city of each gate of Lujun County is less than three feet, less than one zhang high, and it is not connected to the city, so it is especially difficult to defend. Now that the weather is getting cold, I am afraid that the soldiers will be brave for a long time. And the minister's illness has not yet recovered, and I am afraid that I will not be able to support it for a long time. Wan Wangwu Huang, the edict to supervise the generals in various places, come to the aid of the stars, and protect Lu County, that is, to curb the road of thieves to the north.

Emperor Xianfeng saw that he was sparse and strict: Wu Wenrong, the governor of Huguang, and the soldiers of Jiang Zhongyuan who were left in Hubei were brave, and all went to Lu, so as not to delay; Shu Xing'a, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, quickly supervised the troops of Chenzhou to the south and responded to Luzhou; was transported to the governor of Fuji, and immediately Yangzhou went to aid Luzhou; Jiangnan Admiral Hechun, that is, returned south from Xuzhou and rushed to Luzhou; Jiangxi, Shandong, and Henan provinces quickly adjusted their salaries; Jiang Chen judged the situation and could also intercept 150,000 taels of silver from the Guangdong Liberation Department.

Emperor Xianfeng finished his edict, and said that Prince Gong Yixin said: "Jiang Zhongyuan and Zhou Tianjue are all loyal and brave people, Jiang Ning is trapped, Tianjue please strangle the Yellow River and the thieves to the north, and then wave the army to clear the Huaibei twist bandits, and capture the first Lu Yaoling." If Tianjue is still there, waving his army to the south, Chu Yong of Huijiang Zhongyuan, why not worry about Luzhou! I ordered Yuan Jiasan to move his army south to aid Luzhou; Yuan twisted the first Zhang Mao to entrench between Huaiyuan and Mengcheng, and refused. Yuan Jiasan, how is it? ”

Yixin said: "Yuan Jiasan took over Zhou Tianjue's army, and fought the first battle in Bozhou Gaogong Temple, a great victory; and the battle standard was laid, and the twisted head Deng Dajun and more than 2,000 bandits were captured. Since then, Huaibei has been determined. Yuan Jiasan is a person who can be of great use. ”

Emperor Xianfeng said: "The top priority is to save the Zhongyuan army, that is, if you can't save an army, you can save one of them!" Yuan Jiasan stubbornly defended himself, and I was extremely disappointed. ”

On December 12, 1853, Hu Yihuang led the army to Luzhou, along the seven gates of the ring city, built a wooden city and built an earthen fortress, and set up a liaison between them.

Zeng Tianyang said: "Jiang Demon Zhongyuan, not to be underestimated. This demon sticks to Nanchang in March, and we have repeatedly attacked this, and we must think about it in the long run. ”

Hu Yihuang said: "I can think about it in the long run, I can't attack it for a long time, and in all directions, the Qing demon reinforcements have flocked to me, and I have been surrounded outside the city of Luzhou." Encircle the point to send reinforcements, quickly destroy the demon before the breakthrough, and cut off its contact. Yushan, the chief soldier of Shouchun Town, and Yin Debu, the chief soldier of Lu'an Town, have arrived outside the Gongchen Gate, and they will kill two demons and kill chickens and monkeys. ”

Zeng Tianyang said: "I have 10,000 soldiers, and half of the siege is gone; There are 2,000 soldiers in Yushan, and 1,000 in Yindebu; I'm single. ”

Hu Yihuang said: "These two are a drizzle, first jade and then sound, and then attack." ”

On the 18th, Hu Yihuang gathered troops and surrounded Yushan with 2,000 Qing troops. The next day, he surrounded Yin Debu, who was afraid of going to Yushan and fled in battle.

Two battles and two victories, Hu Wei swept the sky, and the rest of the Qing army hesitated.