Chapter 143: Zuo Zongtang captures Jinhua

After Zuo Zongtang marched into Zhejiang, conquered Kaihua, Sui'an, Shouchang, Yanzhou, and Chuzhou, and held on to the front line of Longyou, Tangxi, and Lanxi with the Taiping army, and the progress slowed down.

Zuo Zongtang Road: Yanzhou Shangtong Anhui Nanhui, Ning two counties, up to Hangzhou, the situation is particularly serious, this city has been obtained, the rebels only rely on Longyou, Tangxi, Lanxi three cities to defend Jinhua; However, the three cities were protected in one, and the attack was very difficult, and the deputy general He Wanhua, the capital division Li Jinrong, and the guerrilla Peng Yongshou were killed in battle, and the soldiers suffered more than 1,000 casualties.

Zhejiang's political envoy Jiang Yili said: The rebel bandits are heavily armed on the front line of Longyou, Tangxi, and Lanxi, and they have become a three-star arch moon. Zuo Shuaizhi first demolished the fence, and then conquered the town, which was a good strategy to break the enemy. However, without flowering cannons, the city will be broken with only the flesh, and the casualties will be heavy. I intend to send heavy troops, divide and surround them, and wait for the thieves to run out of food, and not attack themselves.

Zuo Zongtang said: The chieftain left Zhejiang, the rebels had no leader, the more urgent my offensive, the more panicked the rebels, and when the people were panicked, they used more means to recruit and surrender, and surrendered the soldiers without a fight, which was very good.

Jiang Yili said: Qi Yu Zuo Shuai, I don't know anything, when I am using troops today, I suddenly dismissed Li Yuandu's 6,000 people, who did this move of cutting off his arms? Li Yuandu started at the beginning of the military boom, and after a hundred battles, there was no merit and hard work.

Zuo Zongtang smiled and said: Zeng Dilao, the governor of Liangjiang, and the minister of Qincha. At the beginning of the military boom, Xiangquan and Shiquan belonged to Luoluo Mountain; Kailin and Kaihua are both Wang Pushan brothers; Ke'an Ningxiang practiced, early cleansing of the old years. At the beginning of the army's prosperity, the three-way army of the old man was gathered here.

Liu Dian was very ashamed, embarrassed and laughed, and said: Xiangyong's merit is half the world, and tracing its source, the merit of the first thing is none other than Zhu Sun Yigong; Luo Luo Shanshi and Wang Pushan Gong complement each other. However, Di Shuai ruled the army with an iron fist, and Zhu Gong was also laid off due to defeat.

Zuo Zongtang said: Zhu Shiqiao Yuezhou fled, Ningxiang was defeated, and he was naturally laid off. Li Ciqing repeatedly saved the lives of the elderly, although he failed miserably in Huizhou, the elderly were not severely punished; However, Li Ciqing recruited courage without authorization, changed the court, and said that I would not allow the old! Li Ciqing was behind the thieves at the end of Pingjiang and Tongcheng, and after the thieves went, he was almost shameless in recovering the city. was impeached and removed from office by Di Lao, and handed over to me as an envoy, but when the war was critical, he didn't do his best! I will protect it, what excuse is there?

Taoist Yang Changjun said: Qi Yu Zuo Shuai, Chang Jun thinks that there is no need to throw stones if he does not protect him.

Zuo Zongtang said: Brother Shiquan, Li Yuandu has 6,000 people, confined to the land of rivers and mountains, I can't move, I have to do it!

Jiang Yili smiled miserably and said: Zuo Shuai and Di Shuai work together to squeeze, even if they are iron men, they will be shattered.

Zuo Zongtang sighed: Brother Xiangquan is as anxious as an ox, and I am stubborn like a donkey, so I deeply cherish each other. The world is absolutely done, and there are no twists and turns. If Li Yuandu uses 6,000 people to save Suzhou and Hangzhou from fire and water, then Jiangqi will be appointed, who can impeach? Our troops entered Zhejiang, and we were defeated repeatedly, and others did not impeach us, and we dispersed. The army attacked Zhejiang, and it was urgent to send orders to all armies, wait for the day, besiege the city, and kill thieves to make meritorious contributions.

Jiang Yili said: Previously, Di Shuai transferred my newly recruited courage to aid southern Anhui, but Zuo Shuai did not allow it, but he was afraid that there would be twists and turns.

Zuo Zongtang said: Di Lao transferred the Ting Army to Yuhuatai, Xiangquan to southern Anhui, and drew the east to supplement the west, and the move of rights and interests was not very beneficial. Ten years of military prosperity, the army of Hunan and Chu Jinghua were all gathered in Zeng Yuanfu; Zeng Yuanfu 30,000 people, forced the city to camp, built a fortress, built April, since the water could not enter, solid as gold. According to last month's battle report, Zeng Yuanfu held out for 46 days, destroying more than 1,000 enemies, and only wounding himself; The name of Tietong is well deserved.

When the king Li Shixian left Zhejiang to aid Beijing, he ordered Liu Zhenghong, a Tianan, to supervise 50,000 troops and defend the Jinhua city wall; Pitian general Li Shangyang, Chen Tingxiang, and Tan Xing, the leader of the Heaven and Earth Society, three 100,000 troops, guarded the first line of Tangxi, Longyou, and Lanxi, and strangled Jinhua; Tan Fu and Tan Tiyuan, the leaders of the Heaven and Earth Society, guarded Yanzhou and Chuzhou respectively, and protected the two wings of Jinhua; Baotianyi Huang Chengzhong and Jintianyi Fan Ruzeng led the army of eastern Zhejiang to support at any time.

The king parted and replied to the main general Li Shangyang: Forty days later, I will lead the main army and return to attack together.

Although Li Shangyang, the general of Pitian, was the main general, he was not good at fighting and defending, and the Chu army was approaching, and Shang Yang was panicked; When the king left Zhejiang, Shang Yang was even more panicked; Yanzhou and Chuzhou fell, and Shangyangzhou was in a panic, and urgently asked for help from Liu Zhenghong, Fan Ruzeng, Huang Chengzhong, etc.

Liu Zhenghong replied: Jinhua is the residence of His Royal Highness the King, how can it be easier than going!

Fan Ruzeng was even more disdainful, saying that Huang Chengzhong said: Li Shangyang, who has no wisdom and bravery, has a small setback, and loses his liver and gallbladder; Previously attacked Wenzhou, marched to Shabu Street, and was unstoppable by the people's regiment, this combat power, how can I lead an army of 100,000!

Huang Chengzhong said: Shang Yang has the same surname as the palace, and the palace is the same sect, so he relies on it.

Jiang Yili and Gao Liansheng Chu army were attacking urgently, Li Shangyang begged hard, and Huang Chengzhong and Fan Ruzeng were unmoved. The Tangxi, Longyou, and Lanxi fronts are in jeopardy.

On February 8, 1863, Zhang Chenggong, the general of Lanxi, did not dare to fight again, and with 500 troops, he rebelled against Liu Dian's Chu army.

Zuo Zongtang was overjoyed, that is, he gave Zhang Chenggong a high-ranking official Houlu, and the army under him was rewarded for three days.

Tang Xi's guard Peng Yulan was envious and sent people to beg for surrender. Jiang Yili ordered Peng Yulan to act on the camera.

Peng Yulan comprehended, so she invited Li Shangyang, the main general of Tangxi, to have dinner together, and after being full of wine and food, Peng Yulan said: Dare to ask His Royal Highness King Zong, can there be a good way to resist the enemy.

Li Shangyang sighed: The edict of the king of heaven has not been issued, how can the brother say this! This soldier is coming to the city, and there are no reinforcements, and Tangcheng will be broken sooner or later.

Peng Yulan said: The city is broken and ambushed, wagging the tail and begging for mercy, it is not the husband's doing; With a counterattack, the blade burst into flames, and the head was thrown, which was also a pleasure!

Li Shangyang said: If Brother Peng has a strategy to break the enemy, it doesn't hurt to say it.

Peng Yulan said: I want to follow Zhang Chengcheng after success, fake surrender to the demon, see the right time, and behead Jiang Yili's demon dog's head!

Li Shangyang said: Bitter meat deceives, and hides a knife in a smile, this matter is done.

Peng Yulan said: Please ask His Royal Highness King Zong, send a secret person, follow me to make an appointment with Jiang, and find an opportunity to kill him.

Li Shangyang said: If you can kill Jiang, you will be the first meritorious.

Peng Yulan immediately went to Jiang Yili's place to plan and negotiate, and decided to set up a banquet in Hongmen.

Li Shangyang was also not suspicious of deceit, and personally led seven cronies to the banquet, but was captured by Jiang Yili without a drop of wine.

The commander was captured, the Taiping army no longer had the fighting spirit, and within four days, Tangxi, Lanxi, and Longyou were all broken by the Chu army.

On March 2, Jiang Yili personally led an army of 5,000 to attack the city of Jinhua.

Jinhua guard general Liu Zhenghong urgently consulted Huang Chengzhong and Fan Ruzeng: Fan Huang's two brothers met like a meeting, and Zhongdian attacked Shanghai for three years, losing more than 10,000 troops, and gaining nothing. The second brother attacked Ningbo, and he got it with one blow; Recovered in Cixi, fought fiercely against the army, and killed the demon Huaer. The combat power of the generals of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the second brother Huang Fan is the most. Tang, Lan, and Long have been lost, the demon army is in the city, Jinhua is in danger, please ask the second brother to raise troops to rescue Yu Yi.

Fan Ruzeng received the consultation, saying that Huang Chengzhong said: Quyan Tanglong is lost, Jinhua is also a lonely city, rescue or not, sooner or later it will be broken.

Huang Chengzhong said: A small number of soldiers disturbed the attack, and it was a barrier.

Fan and Huang saw that they were dead and could not be saved, and Liu Zhenghong hurriedly asked Li Shixian for help. Shixian asked to return to Zhejiang, and Hong Xiuquan strictly stopped it. There was no food and grass inside, no rescuers outside, and Liu Zhenghong did not defend hard, fought perfunctory battles, and retreated from the city.

Jinhua Deke, Zhejiang West Survey, Zuo Zongtang was unexpected, overjoyed.

When Zeng Guofan heard this, he was also happy, and said: Zuo Jigao led the troops to win the party, repeatedly regained the lost territory, and in time, he will bravely champion the army.

Ouyang Zhaoxiong smiled and said: If Zuo Jigao is re-elected, won't he be on par with Di Shuai! Li Shaoquan's four ministers of trade are also superb. Our emperor decreed that Di Shuai could control the officials and generals below the governors of the four provinces, so that Zuo Li would not take advantage of Huang to go.

Zeng Guofan said: Annihilate the rebellion of Guangdong, I am cloth, what's the matter! The 200,000 troops of the loyal chieftain crossed the river and attacked, the land of northern Anhui, the soldiers were in the sky, if Peng Yulin and others could not be defeated, the catastrophe of Anhui and Hubei would definitely return.