Chapter 42 Zeng Guofan refused to send troops

The war in Luzhou was indecisive for a long time, and Emperor Xianfeng issued another edict: Zeng Guofan's regiment trained all battalions and the armies of Jiangnan and Jiangbei camps, regardless of near and far, they must divide their troops and gallop to Luzhou, and those who neglect will be severely punished.

Prince Gong Yixin said: "Hong Yang has been in business for three years, and the more he sits, the bigger he becomes, and he has been repeatedly suppressed; Although the war in Luzhou is related to the overall situation, it is the gain and loss of one place. Jiang Zhongyuan won or turned the situation around, but the defeat did not fall deeper and deeper. As the saying goes, if you stay in the green mountains, you are not afraid of no firewood, and our emperor must make long-term calculations. ”

Emperor Xianfeng also knew that Luzhou was difficult to protect, and told Jiang Zhongyuan again: If the matter is urgent, Luzhou can be lost, and Qing must not die. He also sent an urgent order to Zeng Guofan with 600 li: I will send troops to rescue Wuchang on the 3rd and 5th, but I will not come. I will return to Luzhou immediately, don't know what to do!

Zeng Guofan connected to the holy decree of aiding Lu, and said to the generals: "Rebellion has become a climate, and the Eight Banners and Green Camp are no longer able to respond." The flames of war will not be extinguished for five years, and it may be possible for ten years. Whether the Hunan army succeeds or not is a matter of the overall situation, and it is not allowed to take into account the personal friendship of friends and friends, that is, the instructions of the monarch's father's edict, although sometimes they dare not rebel. After half a year of training, Lu Shiwu has no worries, there are Luo Luoshan and his disciples, and he has been in actual combat; Tazib, I look at it again and again, and it is indeed a talent. Only the water division, Chu Ruhang Lian Yong, Xia Luan shipbuilding, Yang Zaifu, Peng Yulin's new recruitment, Guangxi Li Mengqun's new arrival, everything begins, without actual combat, I am deeply worried. The hairiness is not abundant, and it is not allowed to fly high. Rather than having no merit in the future, and being guilty of deceitful speech; It is better to state the truth at this time, and the sin of being afraid of not moving forward. ”

Guo Songtao said: "Wu Hengzhou practices Lu Yong, Xiangtan practices Shui Yong, everything has just opened, and there is no chance of winning in a hurry." ”

Chen Shijie said: "The lonely army is deep, and the soldiers are taboo. Huangzhou, Qizhou, Jiujiang, Hukou, and Pengze are all occupied by thieves, and Hengyang Luzhou, thousands of miles away, poured troops to rescue each other, the back road is blocked, and the overall situation is passive. ”

Zeng Guofan said: "Zhang Zhongcheng and Zuo Jigao left Hunan and I was forced to retreat to Hengyang. The country has been eroded to this point, and Luo Bingzhang, Bao Qibao and others still think that one mountain cannot tolerate two tigers. Hunan Governor Bao Qi Leopard Department, Wu Ben from the garrison above, no one did not lose their conscience. Zuo Zongtang, idle endowment Xiangshang, the best among the people, I will use it. I have been invited three times, please ask Yunxian to run again. ”

Guo Songtao said: "I heard that Luo Bingzhang also invited Zuo Zongtang. ”

Zeng Guofan said: "Good birds choose trees to perch. Zuo Ji is high, high! If you don't look north with Zhang Shiqing, you may be afraid of variables; If you don't rely on Zeng, I'm afraid that I can't stir up wind and thunder. Politely rejected Jiang Minqiao, Minqiao was strong, and he would never return. People in the world, who are like Jiang Minqiao! Jin Ge Iron Horse, alone in front of the front, licking blood from the knife edge, advancing without retreating. I wish Brother Minqiao the best of luck repeatedly. Minqiao is so, I don't love life and death, yesterday, I to'thief rebellion, must be four provinces to defend together; The ship's cannon is not in order, and it cannot be hastily arranged'. Death is death, and it is left to the will of God! ”

Luo Zenan said: "Since the holy will, can there be a countermeasure?" The saint is urgent, to save or not to save, in a thought. One refusal is already a deception of the king, and the adult's three refusals, the war subsides, and the disaster will also affect the body. ”

Zeng Guofan said: "Even if the disaster hits the body, I will not waver!" Today, the enemy travels back and forth between the north and south of Dongting Lake, and the cost is 200,000 yuan. Above the Jiujiang River, thousands of miles are like washing, so why recruit the people in a hurry, hold the brittle weapon, and walk 3,000 miles to be the strong tiger and wolf millions? Jiang Minqiao means, it is difficult to calm down the rebels without water. Brother Luo Shan's intention: If you want to take Jiujiang, you must first set Wuchang; If you want to settle Wuchang, first map the friendship of Yue and Hubei. succeeded, strategically built, led the army eastward, captured Jiujiang, and occupied Anqing; Anqing was gained, and Jinling was also lost and regained. Min Qiao and Brother Luo, I am solid. After that, he swore to march and fight. In this calculation, Luzhou, the city outside the calculation, had to be abandoned. I don't know what Mr. Ji Gao means, I will repair another book and respectfully invite Mr. Zuo to come out of the mountain. ”

After the words of the national domain, he consulted Zuo Zongtang again: The younger brother is short-sighted, and it is difficult to support independence, so he wants to beg for the yellow crown left and right, and beg me, and turn to the matter of practicing bravery. Furthermore, it is not about Mr. Yu before. Mr. wants to be deaf, Mr. is deaf, I can't cure it, Mr. wants to be blind, Mr. Ren is blind, I can't chisel it.

Zeng Guo was disobedient, and Emperor Xianfeng angrily reprimanded: Anhui is in urgent need of aid, don't be paranoid. I know that you can still inspire the conscience of heaven, so I specially ordered you to go to the aid to help the eyebrows. Watching your performance, you are directly responsible for the military affairs of the four provinces, and you can ask what your talent is? No? On weekdays, he is cautious, thinking that there is no one who is out of his right, and when it comes to things, it is very good to be able to live up to his words, if he is slightly involved in Emperor Zhang, will he not laugh at the world? Try to rush to help, if you can be one step earlier, you will get one step of benefit. Thou shalt be able to bear heavy responsibilities on your own, and thou shalt not be more than those who are fearful. When the words come out of your mouth, you will be able to do what you say, and you will see it.

Emperor Xianfeng was furious, and he reverted to glory: immediately attack Jinling, in order to divide the thief's power, or he will be severely punished.

Xiang Rong received the order, deliberated again and again, and said: Weichen recently investigated, in Jinling City, there are only more than 1,000 real thieves in Guangxi, only 5,000 or 6,000 people in Hunan, and the rest of Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, and Jiangnan are about 30,000 people. Weichen should take advantage of the emptiness of the thief's situation, declare the northwest, judge the success of our army, and go straight to the southeast.

Yuan Jiasan, the minister of the military department and Huaibei Suppression, received the order and said: Since ancient times, the way to resist the enemy is not to prevent and suppress, but it must be able to suppress and then be able to defend, and the so-called can fight and then defend. Cantonese bandits are harassing several provinces, and the emperor has no place to raise troops and salaries without prevention, and there is no place to prevent it, what is it? If the ground is scattered, it is difficult to defend, and it is difficult to support the troops. The army has been prosperous for several years, and it has not been heard of gathering the guards from all over the country to fight to the death with the Guangdong thieves, and there are police in one corner, and the four corners are preparing for defense, and the left and right are weak, and the thieves are there, and they are in vain. It is also useless to discuss the lost ones on the same day. This is a mistake for those who do not say anything about it.

Emperor Xianfeng sighed: I don't know, but the sores are everywhere, and I can't stop it, and I can't prevent it!

Emperor Xianfeng sighed for a long time, and then went to glory: the current situation, the thieves of Yangzhou have fled for a long time, and the thieves of Jinling have no reason to flee themselves. Xiang Rongzhu guards the Purple Mountain, claiming to be in the southeast, and does not know that if he can attack hard, the thief will be afraid and look back, not only can the south not be able to run Su Chang, but also how can the north disturb Huaiqi. This principle that everyone knows, how can Xiang Rong not know it! Nowadays, the banditry in Zhenjiang is particularly poor, why do they block things and do not attack them? If you attack to the death, the thieves from all over the country will return to take care of it, and you should get the opportunity to fight to the death with the thieves!

The Qing Emperor ordered strictly, Xiang Rong did not dare to be resentful, and ordered Fuxing and Zhang Guoliang to attack the right, Qin Dingsan and De'an in the center, Jishun and Ming Antai to attack the left, and the soldiers were divided into three ways to attack Chaoyangmen; He also ordered Deng Shaoliang to lead an army to ambush Ming Xiaoling in order to maneuver.

On January 2, 1854, Xiang Rongbing went to the foot of Jinling City, grabbed over the ditch, set up a ladder, and climbed up. Wei Changhui hurriedly ordered the sergeants to fire bullets and arrows and throw bricks and stones to stop the attack. Xiang Rong attacked for two days, but did not touch the city walls.

On the 3rd, a group of 5,000 Taiping troops made a detour from behind Mingling Mountain to intercept the Xiang army. Seeing this, Deng Shaoliang rushed to battle, and Xiang Rong also divided his troops to assist, and the Taiping army was defeated and retreated into the city.