Chapter 153: Li Hongzhang conquers Changzhou

Zeng Guoquan received the book, that is, looking for Bao Chao, and conveyed Zeng Guofan's intentions one by one.

Bao Chaodao: Thank you for your concern, I will raise enough food and lead my troops into Jiangxi to pursue rebellion.

Zeng Guoquan said: From Bao Shuai's point of view, when will the chaos in the southeast be decided?

Bao Chaodao: Li Shaoquan besieged Changzhou, and the thieves broke the connection; Brother Yuanfu conquered Jinling, and the overall situation was decided.

Zeng Guoquan said: Suzhou and Hangzhou are both keen, and I also hope that Jinling will break quickly. However, the volume of Hong's rebellion is not comparable to all thieves, and Jinling City is not comparable to other cities. I don't expect it to be fast, but I want it to be stable.

Bao Chaodao: It is also necessary to win steadily. In this way, Li Shaoquan's capture of Changzhou has been the key to breaking the Jinling dilemma.

Zeng Guoquan said: However, Bao Shuai entered Jiangxi and choked the thief's grain route, which is also the key to defeating the enemy. I immediately sent a letter to Brother Di and told Bao Shuai to lead the army into Jiangxi in a few days.

Zeng Guofan heard Bao Chao's approval, felt comfortable, and replied to Zeng Guoquan: Hubei is very frightened. The weather is gloomy and cold, and I am deeply worried about not having a catastrophe, but I want to get more than 100,000 gold every month in addition to rice, so that the brother army and the Bao army will not break up. Hello by the way.

In a few days, Zeng Guofan wrote again: Chaozhou, Danyang, and Changzhou have not been defeated, so the Bao army can not move lightly, and the Zhejiang group will also rescue Jinling from Dongba, Danyang and other places. Hereby, I sent a letter to meet with my brother, telling Peng, Liu, Xiao, and Zhang Zhu to accumulate sharp energy, which is specially designed for the use of the thieves after fighting the city thieves.

Good things are grinding, since ancient times. That is, the negligence of the East Dam and the small setback of Bao Jun did not start an unintentional eventuality. Although there is something to do, the younger brother army is still as safe as Mount Tai, and he is an iron man.

Since the recovery of Suzhou and Hangzhou, everyone looks forward to the speed of Jinling. I don't expect it to be fast, but to be stable. Therefore, he sent a letter dozens of times, and the general admonition was to speed up his brother's desire, and Gai knew that Hongwei was not comparable to thieves, and Jinling was not comparable to other cities.

In these places, my brother must have the determination and determination to hope that the elder brother will stand still and be in order. When Kevik is coming, there will be a big turmoil, if my brother breaks the tunnel, and wait for the big storm to pass, then take action, it is not too late.

I am worried about the fear that my brother will be anxious and sick for quick results, and I am afraid that the battalions will storm the tunnels and damage the elite, but there will be no way to help the thieves. Brother Qi body I mean, steady and cautious. As for the younger brother's silver rice, it will be perfunctory before September.

In addition, Li Shaoquan's army attacked very fiercely at close range, so that Cheng Fangzhong and He Antai died in Jiaxing, and Guo Songlin, Teng Siwu, and Gordon were wounded in Liyang and Jintan.

Under the heavy reward, there will be brave men; Under a long attack, there will be casualties; Brother should remember deeply. Hello by the way.

Ouyang Zhaoxiong, a guest of the scene, said: Zhao Liewen came to consult, and the army under the command of Yan Jiushuai has nearly 40,000, and he has been stationed in a corner for a long time, and his fatigue is fully revealed; The body of a soldier and a tiger and a wolf, do not keep them in captivity.

Zeng Guofan said: Huifu's words are bad! The armies around my Jinling, the former resisted the fortified city, and then refused to help the thieves, and waited for the day after day, what is the captive army?

Ouyang Zhaoxiong said: Don't be annoyed, Zhao Liewen's words are also true; Li Shaoquan and Zuo Jigao's army, fighting day by day, stacked the city walls; If the army under the command of the nine marshals does not complain, isn't it really that they have been kept in captivity for a long time and are fattening themselves to be slaughtered?

Zeng Guofan said: The mourning soldiers will win, and the resentful soldiers may be scattered. Now 100 miles away from Jinling City, such as Zhenjiang, Dongba, Lishui, Jinzhuguan, there are heavy troops stationed, Yixing, Liyang two counties and the Soviet army to recover, foreign aid will be extinct, there is not much grain and rice, if this strong city is overcome, there will not be a large number of thieves to escape. The edict of urging the attack on Jinling, one after another, was too annoying, and I played it to deal with the two palaces.

The Empress Dowager Cixi received Zeng Guofan's recital and said: Zeng Guofan's performance was played half a year ago, Jinling is a city, and the face is arranged, and there is a serious danger. Kefu Jiu Huanzhou, Jiangdong Bridge several passes, southwest side, has been for me; Kefu Seven Bridges Urn, Moling Pass and other passes, the southeast side, also for me to have; Xiao Qingyan's department, entering the filial piety of the Lingwei and operating the north of the city, has become a situation of encirclement. Zeng Guoquan's soldiers have been under the city for nearly two years, only besieging but not attacking, waiting for the thief to hang himself?

Prince Gong Yixin said: Zeng Guoquan was stationed in Yuhuatai, there was a strong city in front of him, and there were thieves in the back, which is also true; Last year, Zeng Guoquan and Li Zhixiu became an army of 300,000 thieves, and it was not easy to fight for more than a month.

Empress Dowager Cixi said: Guangdong has been in turmoil for more than ten years, except for one day, the country will be at peace one step earlier, and the people of Li will be healthy for a while. Zeng Guofan's foreign aid will be starved of food and rice, it should be Changzhou, Huzhou, Danyang three cities are not ke, still and Jinling city thieves communicate, quickly pass the order, Li Hongzhang, Zuo Zongtang two ministers and Zhenjiang Feng general Zicai, do not delay, be sure to do your best, Xunke three cities, and then go to Jinling, together with the annihilation of Hong Li rebels.

Zuo Zongtang received the order and was discussing the siege of Huzhou with Jiang Yili, Liu Dian, Yang Changjun, Gao Liansheng and others.

Zuo Zongtang said: Guangdong rebels everywhere, killing and robbing, doing all kinds of evil; This person is different from the ordinary, he does not disturb the village, and protects the rich gentry, please hurry.

Deng Guangming went straight into the military tent and did not pay homage, but said: Deng Mou's foreign gun team is willing to surrender and so on.

Yang Changjun said: Since it is a surrender, why not pay homage to Zuo Shuai, Er Yi is stern, and it seems that he is insincere.

Deng Guangming said: If you fall, you will fall, if you fight, if you die, you will die, you will accept it, and it will be decided in a word, why do you need to bow three times and bow nine times.

Zuo Zongtang said: Zhun Er surrendered, I will play the invitation, give you the title of Sanpindu, and quickly besiege Huzhou with me.

Li Hongzhang received the order, that is, ordered Li Hezhang, Liu Mingchuan, Guo Songlin, Zhang Shusheng, etc., to report as soon as possible, and Xunke Changzhou.

Li Hezhang said: I didn't seek speed before, but I sought safety, which was to echo the Jinling Zeng Department; Why are you so energetic now?

Li Hongzhang said: In the past, Di Shuai did not seek miraculous achievements, but sought stability, because he was afraid of going to the public and making mistakes with the public; Today, outside the two palaces, our army has risen, and it is advisable to work hard to recover this city; If it is blindly postponed, the military will be exhausted, and who knows when it will rise again.

Liu Ming preached: Our army has been attacking for half a year, encroaching step by step, and Changcheng has been isolated; Although there are more than 100,000 thieves, there are only four or five thousand old thieves in Guangxi; After surrounding the moon for more than a month, the rebels ran out of ammunition and food, and they were self-defeating; If you want to get it quickly, the foreign gun team can open the cannons and collapse the city wall, and all the departments of our army will carry out a general attack, and the city will be broken.

Li Hongzhang said: The third brother of the province is reasonable, and the various ministries are quickly prepared, and ten days later, they will besiege Changzhou.

On that day, Li Hongzhang and Li Hezhang visited Gordon with 50,000 yuan in silver, a number of heavy gifts, and pious faces.

Gordon tasted the Chinese world at first glance, and was surprised and flattered, and said: I am determined to help Mr. Futai and break through the city of Changzhou.

Li Hongzhang said: In the city of Changzhou, there are thousands of old thieves in the two Guangdong, brave and good at fighting, if I don't kill it, it will kill me, after the city is broken, kill it all.

Gordon said: Battlefield killing, you live and die, I live and you die, but it doesn't hurt to kill.

On May 10, Governor Gordon led a foreign gun team to bombard Changzhou, bombarding four or five city walls for two consecutive days. All units of the Huai army swarmed in, fighting in the streets for a day, capturing 10,000 people under Wang Chen Kunshu, Zuo Wang Huang and Jin.

Changzhou Deke, Li Hongzhang immediately ordered Liu Mingchuan and Guo Songlin to attack Danyang non-stop.

The Danyang Taiping Army swore not to retreat, and after a fierce battle, the whole army was annihilated.