On June 21, 1840, Yilu led 4,000 troops and arrived at the sea of Macau on 3 74-gun battleships, 5 cruisers, 8 frigates, and 4 steam gunboats. Brothers Yilu and Yilu met and drank and chatted. rapport.
Yilu said: "We have endured all the hardships for more than ten years, and now we can finally raise our eyebrows. Now the ships will approach Humen and start bombarding them with artillery."
Yilu said: "There are three instructions from Palmerston. First, Guangzhou should be maintained as it is for the time being. Second, Dinghai must be occupied quickly. Third, a letter should be sent to the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty as soon as possible. I think it is fastest to send it northward by land from Guangzhou."
Yi Lu said: "Previously, Thirteen Lines handed it over on my behalf, but now they are facing each other with guns and cannons. He hates it to the core, and the Cantonese people will never convey it."
Yilu said: "My mighty fleet is everywhere, and the Qing people will be shattered to pieces. I am sure my brother will show off this evil spirit. I will go north to capture Zhoushan Island, advance to Dagukou, and directly negotiate with the Qing emperor. Here, one more cruiser will be left. , completely block it.”
On June 30, Yilu led 13 warships, 3 armed steamers, 1 troop ship, and 27 transport ships, and marched northward.
As the war spread to the north, Zexu did not dare to neglect, and quickly reported to Emperor Daoguang. He also flew to Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Zhili, Shandong and other provinces to prevent it as a whole. He also consulted Yiliang again: "Yesterday, the copy of the barbaric post sent by Xin'an has been presented to the public. I would like to order the county to submit the application in red and white, so that people can report it. Otherwise, everyone will see it in advance, and it may be forwarded to others, and there will be no way to explain it. It's a cover-up. At this moment, the situation has returned to blocking the cargo ship, and this move is the most vicious. For those working in the mainland, it will be unbearable if they stop for a few days. Thousands of things, such as the titles of Lord Deitai, are also It saves trouble and I will show you your respect."
Yiliang did not dare to be negligent when he received Xu's speech. He immediately met with Zexu to discuss it at midnight. The two of them met and said: Long live my emperor. As expected, the Ruyi ship sailed to Tianjin to seek trade. If you listen respectfully to Chen's words, can you give me the order? The governor of Zhili Province investigated and handled Amesh's case, and escorted the messenger from the inland river to Guangdong station by station for processing. If the poems submitted involve ministers, etc., I only ask the imperial ministers to send ministers to Guangdong to investigate and deal with it.
The main force of the British fleet moved northward to Guangdong Province. Commander Smith of the Guangdong Fleet led 3 warships and 1 armed steamer to continue to blockade the Pearl River Estuary.
Zexu was worried that at this time of year, the south wind was raging, making it difficult for the navy to sail. We have to pay attention at all times, and as soon as we get an opportunity, we will release the fleet overseas and launch a massive attack. He also purchased several barbarian ships from American businessmen, equipped with many barbarian cannons. The largest one was equipped with 36 barbarian cannons.
On July 2, the British warships arrived in the waters of Fujian. Yilu ordered the battleship Browndy and a transport ship to blockade the Xiamen port, and sent another ship to guard the Taiwan Strait; Yilu led the main force to attack Zhejiang.
On the 3rd, the battleship Blondie hoisted the white flag and entered the port for contacts. The Qing army in Xiamen received the strict defense order from Deng Ting, but refused.
The captain of the USS Blondie ordered: Send the letter first. If the letter fails, the guns will be directed at each other.
The British army's small boat forcibly docked, but the Qing army couldn't stop shouting, so they fired a volley of guns and arrows, and three British men fell into the water. Captain Blondie was annoyed and ordered a bombardment. After one round of artillery fire, the Qing army suffered more than 30 casualties and 20 civilian houses were blown into ruins. Qing garrison Chen Guangfu fired back, and more than thirty shells roared out. Brandy saw that the situation was not good and retreated. That night, hundreds of Qing troops armed with rocket fire cans and spray cannons boarded camouflaged warships and advanced for a sneak attack. After a fierce battle for three hours, the stern of Brandy's ship caught fire and then retreated.
Taiwan Military Commander Yao Ying and Taiwan Town Commander-in-Chief Da Hong Ah saw that the Ying ship was approaching the surface of Ma Zongjie and ordered the navy to intercept it quickly. Yao Ying recruited more brave men and ordered the leaders of each village to practice their voluntary bravery, so that if the police were called, half of them would guard the village and half of them would be ready to be called upon. He also accepted the Navy Master Qi Laowang's reward, strictly guarded the port, and set up ambushes according to dangers; he might also use tricks to lure him to run aground and then capture him; he would never easily engage in a decisive battle with the barbarians at sea. Wang Delu recruited three hundred elite soldiers and stationed in Penghu. Yao Ying and Dahong A went to 17 coastal ports in person, one from the south and the other from the north, to inspect and deploy defenses one by one.
On July 4, the main force of British ships arrived in the waters of Zhoushan, Zhejiang.
Zhang Chaofa, the commander-in-chief of the Dinghai Division, disagreed and said: "The wind blows the boats, it is a common thing, there is no need to be surprised."
Suddenly I saw countless barbarian boats. Zhang Zongbing frowned, and Er said happily: "Barbarian ships cannot be traded in Guangdong, so we gathered them here. This will become a big wharf. I am always making money and it is increasing day by day."
After three years as a magistrate, he spent hundreds of thousands of silver in vain; Zhang Chaofa often hated that he was just a general soldier and his money was always small.
When the British ship approached, Zhang Chaofa realized that he was not a friend. An urgent report was sent to Yao Huaixiang, the magistrate of Dinghai County. Huaixiang said: "Come closer to see what is true."
Chaofafu.
Yao Huaixiang said: "For a long time in my life, the army and the people have not been in uniform, and the situation is in danger. As a local official, I must show my fearlessness!" He and Luo Jiangong, a guerrilla from the Zhongying camp, boarded the battleship USS Willis and asked why we were attacked. Clear territory?
Commander of the British Navy, Lord Boehmer, said: "By order of Her Majesty the Queen of England, I am leading my navy and army sergeants to occupy this place and its islands. If you surrender, you will be spared the killing. Otherwise, we will use force against you. There is a 24-hour time limit. Please make your decision as soon as possible."
As the war approached, Yao Huaixiang decided to close the city and wait for help. Then he called Zhang Chaofa and said, "You and I will join forces to tide over the difficulties together."
Zhang Chaofa said: "The city is not my responsibility. Those outside are responsible for fighting. Even if we are defeated, we cannot enter. If we are inside, we are responsible for defending. Even if we are defeated, we cannot get out."
Due to the limitations of his power and authority, Yao Huaixiang could not force him, so he had to summon soldiers and brave people to deploy defenses briefly and hastily.
The barbarian boats violated the territory with their guns, and Wu Ergong, the governor of Zhejiang Province, wrote on his forehead: The minister and his minister Zhu Tingbiao inspected back and forth. In total, there were more than 260 navy ships in the outer sea. In addition to being equipped with fishing rods and driving factories to repair various ships, they arrived The large rice boats and the other boats were kept together, and the number of survivors was as high as a hundred. They were connected with each other and were sufficient for use. Among the weapons for sea defense, artillery is the first priority. According to statistics from each battalion, there are more than 450 red cannons and 18 Western artillery pieces, ranging in weight from four to five thousand kilograms to four to five hundred kilograms. The most serious ones were moved to defend seaports, while the lighter ones were used in warships. At that time, there was a cannon that had rusted on its body over time and had been ordered to be simmered and washed. There are still more than 800 mountain-splitting cannons, all of which are useful. In addition, the weapons and equipment are also fully equipped, so that the ship's equipment is in order and can be prepared for any danger. Today, I read Yi's book, and the words were very wild and arrogant. Why did Zhang Chaofa, the town official, deliver it so quickly and accurately? The barbarian ships were cruising in the ocean. Why should they be allowed to go ashore since they had led troops to guard against the blockage.
At two o'clock in the afternoon on July 5, when the deadline expired, Böhme ordered an attack, and the four battleships' hundred-battle guns aimed at the Qingshui Division and fired wildly.
Zhang Chaofa fired back, but there was a huge disparity in strength between the two sides. The Qingshui Division collapsed at the first touch. Chaofa was shot in the left buttock, and the Qingshui Division retreated to Zhenhai. The British troops landed, occupied the coastal defense forts, and bombarded the city all night. In the early morning of the 6th, the east gate was broken, and British troops poured in and plundered wantonly. The Qing army collapsed, and Yao Huaixiang threw himself into a pool and died in the city.
On July 14, Lin Zexu was shocked when he received Wuer Gong'e's request for help. Then he met Yiliang and said with emotion: "This province has already superimposed the Guangdong Province's speech. We are all prepared, so how can we avoid danger? In this way, I am just waiting for punishment."
After Xu said this, he discussed with Yiliang the matter of restoring Dinghai and hurriedly reported: The barbarians dare to gather in Dinghai and act recklessly. It is clear that this place is isolated in the sea and they hope to occupy it as a nest, so they will be entangled with each other. If you make an appointment, you will have a treacherous plot. Dinghai County has just been occupied, and the people in the city fled in a hurry. However, there are more than 100,000 residents in each village for more than 200 miles around the county. Since the barbarians are on the shore, they must be killed by everyone, regardless of whether they are soldiers or civilians. The barbarians were all given heavy rewards based on the heads they presented. Just like the sound of a tree, the barbarians will be driven away.
After that, Xu Shu was anxious to convey this idea to Zhejiang.
