Xiangtan was victorious, Emperor Xianfeng was very happy, and said: "Zeng Chenguo Domain, save the southwest half of the wall!" ”

Prince Gong Yixin said: "Xiaoxiang is temporarily safe, but Zeng Lichang's 30,000 rebel bandits crossed the Yellow River and trapped Jinxiang and other places, intending to flee north. Since to Shandong to pass through the county, there is no hindrance, such as into the realm of no one, the current army to Li Guanzhuang, 20 miles away from Linqing, only 300 miles away from Fucheng Lin Li bandits, the two thieves converge, the future is endless. ”

Emperor Xianfeng said: "Monk Greenqin, Shengbao two members, encircled Lin Fengxiang, Li Kaifang two thieves, Duliu, Jinghai in March, Shucheng in January, Fucheng has been more than a month, I don't know when the two members will survive!" Linqing is in a hurry, and I have ordered Shengbao to go south to rebel. This monk Grinqin was extremely disappointed. ”

Yixin said: "The monk commanded 20,000 soldiers, and he was useless for half a year, and he was not worthy of his name; Winning the southern expedition to the north, traveling thousands of miles, it is actually difficult to live under the fame. ”

Emperor Xianfeng sighed: "Hechun and Fuji circled Luzhou for half a year, and Xiang Rong and Qishan besieged Jinling for a year, but they all worked in vain. Monk Greenqin Lao Cheng is serious, the victory is full of energy, last month the two ministers joined forces to kill the rebel Ji Wenyuan, if there are no two, the Beijing master can be safe? Huaibei Yuan Jiasan, won many battles, slashed countless bandits, and the new has entered Linhuai. The prosperity of the military spirit overshadowed the Xiangyong of the Zeng State Domain. Yuan Jiasanxin has recently been sparse: Luzhou lives in the hinterland of Jiangbei, and is trapped in more than ten prefectures and counties, Luzhou is not restrained, and the defense troops of Jiangbei are not controlled, and the Chu division cannot rush Jiangning to the east; The veterans of the two divisions of Hechun and Fuji were tired, and it was difficult to work. ”

Yixin said: "Yuan Jiasanzhen is a talent that can be created. ”

Emperor Xianfeng said: "I ordered Yuan, He, and Fulian to play and handle the military affairs of Anhui at their discretion, and Hechun and Fujilian impeached Yuan Jiasan to insist on his own opinion, and there was no way to hold the title, and said that Yuan Zhu guarded Linhuai, whitewashed the military situation, intercepted the salary without permission, and sold the fat himself. The veterans of Hechun and Fuji Divisions are tired, and there is no big mistake. Yuan Jia won three consecutive victories, and his heart was high-spirited. I will hand over the ministry to deal with it strictly. ”

Yixin said: "I am afraid that it is inappropriate to replace the meritorious general. ”

Emperor Xianfeng said: "If there is no fault, if there is one, it will be played, and if there is none, it will be encouraged." ”

After speaking, Emperor Xianfeng also instructed the monk Greenqin: The walls and tree fences of the Fucheng military camp have been arranged layer by layer, and they have been more than a month. Why did the rebels rush out without hindrance, so they ordered the camp to be burned, and they reached the outside of Hao, and they resisted and did not return. It was a day after day that the long encirclement was completely ineffective, and what the officers and men of its defense were doing was really hateful. Now it should be reversed and swooped out repeatedly, all to the southeast, apparently wanting to escape from Jingzhou, Dezhou and other places, and colluding with thieves from the south. If you can't do it quickly, you will be helpless to see how difficult it is to do it with manpower. If we can't get all the thieves back, I can punish you for a felony.

Monk Greenqin received the order and sighed: "It is difficult to go to the army to fight and conspire, and surrender without a fight!" ”

The commander of the horse team and the first-class guard in front of the emperor Du Xing said: "Prince Qiyu, I thought that I could get the thief out of the camp, and I led the horse team to circle and punish him." ”

Monk Greenqin said: "Thieves are all fierce generals, how easy it is to talk about!" Quickly hire a man, dig Changhao, set up cannons, and kill the thieves. ”

Lin Fengxiang guarded Fucheng for more than a month, lacked food and medicine, and was unable to continue, so he pulled out the camp to break through and retreated south to Lianzhen.

Monk Greenqin led the generals, and the re-generals surrounded the town.

Shengbao was edicted, led 7,000 soldiers and horses, Shunfu City went south, and arrived at Zhengjiakou in two days.

Shengbao said: Zhengjiakou is Dezhou Qianlu in the east and Qinghe County in the west, which is actually a concise area. If the minister actually gave up Zhengjiakou and went to Linqing, if the thief gave up Linqing and went around the north road, and there was no soldier in the middle, the thief could still go north and collude with the thieves of Fucheng, and the trouble would be deeper.

Emperor Xianfeng did not allow it, but still ordered Shengbao to go to Linqing urgently.

Shengbao resumed two days, rushed to the north of Linqing City, and stationed in Liujiazhuang. Zhang Liangji, the governor of Shandong, and Chongen, the political envoy of Shandong, rushed to discuss the matter.

Zhang Liangji said: "Linqing is the throat of land and water, the canal is important, and the land is rich. If the thief captures it, there will be no harm in it. I have given an order, the city and the village, the strong wall is clear, to wait for the thief army; The thieves attacked and plundered without yielding, and within a decade, 40,000 thieves ran out of food, and they were trapped without a fight! ”

Chong'en said: "Yesterday, the thieves attacked Linqing, fierce and abnormal, fortunately the army of the Qincha Lord arrived, otherwise Linqing would be in danger!" ”

Sheng Bao said: "The thieves rebelled against thirty or forty thousand people, if they fled north, we couldn't stop them." I have sent 800 troops into the city to defend them. The top priority is to protect Linqing first. Linqing must not be lost, this city is connected to the canal on three sides, and there is the Zhanghe River in the southwest to pass the great name, if this place is lost, there are not 40,000 or 50,000 officers and soldiers can not be encircled. ”

After all the matters were discussed, Shengbao said: Check the grain in the customs outside the Qing City, and I heard that the thieves and police have moved into the city, and there are not many people who have not been transported in. How can the tens of thousands of people last long? Now there are officers and soldiers in the east and north, and there is no way to feed the adversary, but the southwest is empty, and it is difficult to cut off their help. However, there is little food in the nearby villages, and it is difficult to feed tens of thousands of people. If there is a lack of food inside, and if he is attacked from the outside, he will inevitably flee.

When the Shengbao army came, Zeng Lichang, the chief general of the Taiping Army and the prime minister of Xia Guanzheng, was also worried, and said: "We set out from Anqing in the first month, and we arrived here in two months. After the capture of Linqing, raise enough food, drink and eat, and then go north. Fucheng is 300 miles away, and the army will arrive in four days. ”

Chen Shibao, deputy prime minister of Xia Guan, said: "The houses outside the south gate of Linqing are all occupied by me, and now we are building a wooden city, installing cannons, and shelling tomorrow, overnight." ”

Xu Zongyang, the deputy prime minister of the winter official, said: "The demon child of Shengbao has arrived, and there are thousands of demon soldiers here. I have 40,000 people, many new soldiers, the good and the bad are uneven, and if there are twists and turns, there will be waves. It is the best policy to go around and go north and join Lin Li. ”

Zeng Lichang said: "Brother Xu is reasonable, but the Qing Demon is strong and clear, and my 40,000 army has a shortage of food and drink. The city of Linqing must be attacked! I order: Dig nine feet into the ground, cross under the trench dug by the demon, dig to the root of the city, fill it with goods, and blow up the wall to attack the city. ”

The next day, Zeng Lichang ordered a general attack, two thunders, the city wall collapsed, Zeng's army poured in, cut down every person, and robbed things when they saw them. For a time, in Linqing City, the sound of killing, fire, and crying were mixed, and the sound spread more than ten miles away.

Shengbao heard this, supervised the rescue of the soldiers, and suddenly the south wind was strong, and the Zeng army took the opportunity to shoot arrows and raise sand, and Shengbao was difficult to gain a foothold and was forced to retreat.

Zeng Lichang captured the inner city, killed Zhang Jigong of Zhizhou, counted the supplies, and was disappointed. The treasury has been burned down, and all the food and equipment, the gold and the treasure and medicine have turned to ashes.

Chen Shibao sighed: "Ten days of work, this empty city." The north road wins and protects the way, everything is empty in the south, our army is hungry, how is it good? ”

Zeng Lichang said: "You can't stay here for a long time, immediately cross the canal west, turn north, and join Lin Li." ”

Xu Zongyang said: "Although I have 40,000 people, the old brothers of Tianjing, but five or six thousand people, the newly attached people, have no discipline, after the city is broken, they are intended to be captive, and now they have nothing to gain, and it is difficult not to change." ”

Chen Shibao said: "Tomorrow, the army will be reorganized, and those who do not obey the general's orders will be killed!" ”

Zeng Lichang said: "Brothers are defeated. Haosheng appeased the leader of Xinna, and worked together to destroy the demon child. ”

Lichang worked hard and lobbied for three days, and the people's hearts were determined. Lichang sighed and let people set up a pontoon bridge, crossed the canal to the west, and entered Fucheng in the north.

Shengbao got revenge and ordered the pontoon bridge to be burned. Zeng Lichang took it again, and Shengbao burned again. Lichangfu smuggled at night and was ambushed again.

Shengbao said Zhang Liangji: "The thief intends to cross west and go north, and I will stop this way; On the south road, to show that there are no soldiers, our horse team is strong, and the order is lured to rush to it, and it is ambushed. The code of bandits is difficult to attack, but it is easy to control. ”

Zeng Lichang was defeated in three battles, the army was in turmoil, the new pawn rate was in an uproar, and he ran south of the city, and Lichang was weak and single, and he could not be restrained, and he had to stumble to obey it.

Shengbao overseers pursued, first fought Li Guanzhuang, and then fought Qingshui Town, defeating more than 10,000 Zeng troops.

That night, Zeng Lichang personally led a thousand horsemen, carrying goods and medicine bags, and raided the Shengbao camp. Where the goods and medicines sounded, the smoke covered the sky, and the sound was like the ground cracking, and it was broken with a drum. Shengbao was caught off guard and retreated in a hurry.

Zeng Lichang insisted on taking advantage of the victory to advance north.

Chen Shibao said: "The defeat is like a mountain, this is the battle of returning to the light, and it is really an opportunity to withdraw!" ”

Xu Zongyang also attached.

Zeng Lichang said: "In this case, retreat quickly." ”

Chen Shibao smiled and said: "The new defeat of the Qing demon will not dare to come, the horses are tired, and it is okay to camp for a while." ”

Zeng Lichang cried and persuaded again, but no one listened.

The next day, the Shengbaozhen Brigade arrived again, the Zeng army was defeated, and the new annexes were scattered. Zeng Lichang retreated to the Mankou branch river, when the Yellow River was diverted, the swamp was muddy and wrapped in feet, people and horses could not move quickly, the river rose in vain, it was difficult, Zeng Lichang ordered the people to retreat first, since the introduction of the number of cavalry palaces, the victory of the soldiers arrived, Lichang fought with guns, exhausted, and the prancing horse ran into the Yellow River.

In January, the 40,000 army of Zeng Lichang was defeated, and Emperor Xianfeng was happy, and the edict said: Shengbao Yongyi, reward the prince Shaobao, and return to Lianzhen as soon as possible, and join the monk Greenqin to completely annihilate the Lin Li thief army.

Shengbao was proud of the spring breeze, laughing to the town, and the feeling of pleasure was overflowing.

Monk Greenqin greeted him personally and treated him with admiration; The state of envy, such as the Ameng of Wuxia, Shibei has just been three days.

Sheng Bao said: "You and I really join forces, why don't you worry about the thief!" ”

Monk Greenqin said: "Lianzhen is low-lying, I have flown to consult the Fuchen of Shandong, quickly lead the water of the canal, and flood the rebels. ”

Lin Fengxiang was confined to Lianzhen for more than 20 days, and the food resources were gradually lacking, so Li Kaifang said: "You must choose another place, you can lead the demon soldiers, and you can also use it as a support." ”

Li Kaifang responded to the order, led 700 troops, galloped 300 miles south, and captured the county seat of Gaotang.

Shengbao said to the monk Greenqin: "You and I are divided into two roads, Erlian Town, and I Gaotang." Even if the town is down, Gao Tang Bike. ”

Monk Greenqin said: "The thieves are fierce, be careful." ”

Emperor Xianfeng heard that Lin Li divided his troops, and he liked to tell the monk and win: the rebellion has been divided, regardless of the beginning and the end, it is the time when the sky is false and I destroy the thief. If you don't attack tightly, when the thieves who have been out return to Lianzhen, the thieves who have connected the town or the south will collude, no matter how much they are coerced, it will be tricky to suppress it, and it will be delayed for time.