Chapter 133: Li Hongzhang Begins to Settle

The queen mother of the two palaces has repeatedly heard the good news, and the mood is very refreshing, and she is happy to tell Zeng Guofan: Qingyang County has been restored, and now it has conquered the five cities of Shidai, Taiping, Jingxian, Fanchang and Nanling, and the defense of Huijun North Road can be relieved a little, and can attack Ningguo in the south, and return to Wuhu and Taiping in the east. Then meet the land and water armies, first recover Wuhu, and then capture Taiping, for the plan of attacking Jinling, the West Liang Mountain Pass has been captured by the official army on the north bank, and its East Liang Mountain is also a key pass on the south bank, and send troops to take advantage of the situation to recover, the Shushui Division can go down the east along the river, from the Wutai River to Jinling.

Zeng Guofan received the order and urgently ordered Zeng Guoquan's troops to immediately cross south, meet with Peng Yulin's sailors, and capture Jinzhu Pass.

After the order of the national domain, he was afraid that Peng Yulin and Zeng Guoquan would be absent-minded and delay the fighter, so he consulted Peng Zeng again: occupy Jinzhu Pass, and cut off the gas of Jinling and Wuhu; Second, the water division opened up the grain road of Jing County and Ningguo; The three thieves were surrounded on all sides; Fourth, it is said that the boat can reach Suzhou by crossing the East Dam.

Staff member Zhao Liewen said: Yuan Fu is a natural talent, and he also knows the weight of the Golden Pillar Pass, so there is no need to rush the handsome.

Zeng Guofan said: Taking advantage of the fact that the thieves in Jinling have not arrived, it is also a pleasure to seize this pass quickly, and then defend it with danger. Zuo Zongtang came to consult, saying that Yang Zhifu Qing seemed to have the intention of dividing troops into Zhejiang. The left side was attacked on both sides, so it could only stop troops in Quzhou, and wait for Jiang Yili and Liu Peiyuan's troops to arrive, and then attack.

Staff member Ouyang Zhaoxiong said: Li Hongzhang came to consult, saying that Shanghai is fertile, and the officials and people despise the ragged Huai army.

Zhao Liewen smiled and said: I am like the people of Shanghai, and I am also ashamed.

Ouyang Zhaoxiong said: Li Shaoquan is talented and worthy of a great responsibility; Shanghainese people judge people by their appearance, which is lamentable and hateful.

Zeng Guofan said: Although Shaoquan is difficult to share hardships, he has profound knowledge, does not waver, and makes decisions wisely. I have gone to the two palaces, with Xue Huanzhu guarding Shanghai, the division is exhausted, and I ask Shaoquan to act as the governor of Jiangsu, I don't know what the two palaces mean?

Zhao Liewen said: Li Shaoquanfu went to Shanghai, but he didn't get an inch, and it is difficult to predict whether he will be able to touch the seal.

The Empress Dowager of the Two Palaces received Zeng Guofan's recital and asked Li Hongzhang to sign the fold, and urgently summoned the ministers to discuss it.

Minister of Military Aircraft, Imperial Shi Wenxiang, the Governor of Jiangsu, guarded Shanghai for two years, and hundreds of battles and thieves could not go straight to the city, relying on the power of Xue Huan and the generals to intercept it. Recently, it has broken through Wangjia Temple and Longzhu Nunnery, and completely solved the siege of Songjiang. If there is a change of generals, the morale of the army will fluctuate, and if there are a few twists and turns, Shanghai may be even more turbulent.

Prince Gong Yixun also attached, and said: Xue Huan said that since the Soviet Union and Zhejiang have borrowed teachers to help suppress it, it is said that foreigners are fearful, and they don't know that the strength of foreigners is transferred, and if the troops are not thick, they are light, and those who want to borrow their strength but cannot. Even if there is a lack of courage and talent in leading soldiers, only in the reward, the meaning of warning is shown; Make them strive to be self-reliant, and help each other with foreign soldiers. Walben Wu Xu and others hired to teach and practice soldiers, if they become a strong team and return to my dispatch, how bad is it! Since five victories in five battles, there is a vague meaning of unrestrained; And every battle must be rewarded, and the ravines are not easy to surplus. Wu Xu and others still thought that the Great Wall could be relied on; It seems that those who control foreign countries should be manipulated by me, but if they tacitly control them to dissolve their rebellious spirit, they can be used without being harmed.

Empress Dowager Ci'an said: Xue Huan's words are very insightful.

Empress Dowager Cixi said: However, Zeng Guofan said that Xue Huan was stationed in Shanghai, and he was paid more than 200,000 yuan a month, so he could not specialize in thieves all the way. Jiangsu exists, but Zhenjiang and Yangzhou are still victorious. Last year, Guang Yong was banned, and the trusted Zeng Bingzhong, Feng Rikun and other departments were half of Guang Yong. Zeng Bingzhong's courage to plunder foreign ships, Feng Rikun's courage to besiege and kill the gentry in Jinshan. Since the Soviet Union and Chang fell, the people gathered in Shanghai, and the people were floating in things. Whenever there is a bad commission, the rate is obtained by the camp; or in the midst of indiscriminateness, the law of plotting position. Shanghai is prosperous, and the books, calligraphy and paintings of Suzhou are sold from among the thieves, and Xue Huan set up a calligraphy and painting bureau to buy famous works. It is rumored that Xue Huan traveled to Beijing in the ninth year of the year, and there was a case of losing money. In Beijing, there is a feeling of giving bereavement. Xue Huan stole a corner of peace, and the discussion was complicated. In the area of wealth in Suzhou Province, the atmosphere of thieves is blazing; I'm afraid I'm not up to the task. If Zeng Chen's words are true, then Xue Huan and others will guard Shanghai and be at a loss; Officials are competing and entertaining antiques, is it done by Jiangqi?

Yi Xun said: The emperor, the queen mother, the queen mother, the queen mother, the slave think that the gains and losses of Shanghai are related to the overall situation of the rejuvenation of Jiangnan, and it is necessary to thoroughly investigate Xue and other generals.

Empress Dowager Cixi said: The meaning of the palace, Li Hongzhang is the acting governor of Jiangsu. Xue Huan has meritorious service as a thief, and he is the minister of trade with his head, and has full authority to handle the trade affairs of Belgium. The province of Jiangsu has been occupied for a long time, and only Shanghai and a corner of Jiangbei remain. If Feng Rikun and others really neglect their duties and help thieves, Shanghai's military affairs will never improve. That is, Zeng Chenguo secretly consulted the department and asked him to pay attention to the visit, such as Feng Rikun and others who acted recklessly, the minister immediately passed the decree on the one hand, and heard the news on the other.

Empress Dowager Ci'an said: This is a link between the previous and the next, and it is desirable to mark the new and remove the different. Since then, Li Hongzhang's army, Xue Huan's army, Wall's victorious army, and the Anglo-French alliance have joined forces to encircle and win.

Empress Dowager Cixi said: Li Xiucheng went against his head, and the war in Shanghai will be repeated. Tell Xue Huan, Li Hongzhang, etc., don't worry about the sky, don't sit back and relax; Be cautious and fearless in battle.

In early April 1862, Li Hongzhang accompanied the 13th Battalion of Huai Bingfu to Shanghai.

Hongzhang disagreed, and quickly summoned the generals and said: Since April, Xue Huanlu's battalion, Huaer's foreign soldiers, the British and French coalition forces have linked the Wangjia Temple and Longzhu Nunnery in Huxi, and Zhoupu in Pudong, so the will is satisfied, and there is no self in his eyes; The military nobles can fight, and wait for me to break the enemy's deterrence.

Generals Cheng Xueqi and Guo Songlin sought battle.

Li Hongzhang did not allow it, and said: When I first arrived, training troops and learning war is the foundation of my life. Xue Huan, Huaer, He Bo, Shi Di Fuli and others are jointly attacking Jiading, and we may as well watch the battle from the wall. Chuan Wu will order that our army stationed in Zhoupu should be based on the base and guard the camp, and do not go out lightly.

On April 27, more than 4,000 people from the Anglo-French coalition army and the victorious army of Wall attacked the Taiping army camp of Nanxiang and Crane Snake Mountain on the periphery of Jiading; Xiong Zhaozhou, the deputy general of the Qing army, led 3,000 troops to fight in coordination. Li Hengsong's cavalry and Zeng Bingzhong's sailors entered Qingpu; Generals Lin Congwen and Jiang De attacked Huangdu and Luodian; as a containment.

The Chinese and foreign coalition forces fought fiercely for three days and broke through the Nanxiang defense line of the Taiping Army. On May 1, the coalition army gathered more than 30 heavy artillery pieces and bombarded the city wall of Jiading, and the Taiping army suffered more than 1,000 casualties.

On May 11, the Chinese and foreign coalition forces attacked Qingpu County again, and 30 field guns, fired in unison, collapsed the city wall, and broke into the city.

The Taiping army fought in the streets for a day, lost more than half of its troops, and then broke through and retreated.

On May 15, the prefect Li Qingchen led 5,000 troops and 500 British and French troops to besiege Taicang.

Jiading and Qingpu were lost, Taicang was precarious, Li Xiucheng palpitated, and quickly dispatched troops from all over the country to reinforce Taicang.

On May 17, 1862, Li Xiucheng personally led 10,000 elite soldiers, joined more than 100,000 reinforcements from all over the country, and outflanked the Qing army and foreign soldiers besieging Taicang. After a fierce battle, he killed more than 5,000 people under the chief general Li Qingchen, deputy generals Wang Guoan, Liang Anbang, and Zhou Shiqian.

Xue Huan mourned and quickly went to Huaiying, saying that Li Hongzhang said: The public is caressing, please send troops as soon as possible to protect Shanghai.

Li Hongzhang said: Ordered to protect the city, but also!

However, after Xue Huan said goodbye, Hongzhang said to the generals: All the armies of our battalion, within a month, those who say that there is a big battle, behead! Watching the battle for days, thousands of foreign soldiers, guns and cannons are concurrent, and they are all over the place, and their landing and flowering bombs are also true magic skills. And the long-pole muskets of our battalion, the small guns that carry the cannons, are light and heavy, and there is no difference. Can you win against the enemy in this way? Quickly pass on my order, and each battalion will quickly send special personnel to raise more money and purchase foreigners' guns and artillery to strengthen our army.

After Hongzhang's order, he consulted Zeng Guofan again: Hongzhang went to Shanghai, repaired the camp Junhao, and the soldiers were brave and did not smoke and plunder, all of which were said to be the commander's military appearance that had never been seen since the use of troops in Soviet Province. Hongzhang only followed this approach, fought steadily and steadily, and planned to turn over the battalion rules and regulations to the Shanghai army. Translate the words of exhortation and give them to the subordinates. Translate the love folk song and dissolve the song, and paste it all over the city and countryside to tell the people of the army and the people among the thieves. This is the New Deal. Those who can learn for Buddhism are fortunate to be famous. In addition, if Guo Yunxian had nothing to do, he implored his teacher to go to Shanghai to manage the grain and Taiwan operations, and Hongzhang thanked him.