In March 1842, the reinforcements from Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu finally arrived in Suzhou, and General Yang Wei's general Yijing immediately entered Zhejiang.
Zang Yuqing, an aide, said: "The Zhejiang army has suffered repeated defeats, and the morale of the army has been dispersed. I will kill the admiral Yu Buyun to calm people's hearts. The barbarian ships have strong artillery and are not suitable for head-on confrontation. They can spread scattered troops widely, and they will fight on their own, regardless of the location." , wait on the road, kill barbarians when they see them, and burn them when they encounter ships; when the time is right, use all your strength to counterattack, or you may have a chance of victory."
Yijing said: "Why should our regular army be scattered in pieces? We will counterattack in three directions and encircle each other one by one. The northern route will be along Daishan Mountain to attack Dinghai, the middle route will be from Dabao Mountain in Cixi to attack Zhenhai, and the south route will be from Yuyao to attack Ningbo. Additional support troops will be sent to check for leaks and fill in the gaps."
Emperor Daoguang praised: "My monarch and his ministers are celebrating the new year together, and we look forward to God's blessing and quick performance of skin skills. You and others should be encouraged and cautious, and work together to lead the southeast, promote the power of our country and destroy the rebels."
Just before the battlefield, Yi Jing was restless, so he went to the Guandi Temple in West Lake to make a wish, and he cast a fortune teller, which said: If you don't meet the tiger head, who calls you, who will keep you safe in the whole family? Tiger belongs to Yin, and this year is the year of Renyin. This month is Yin month, and the day after tomorrow is Yin day. Tiger eats sheep, and sheep are foreigners. Yijing made a prompt decision: in Siyin period, he pretended to be a tiger and attacked the barbarians.
At Yinshi on March 10, 1842, Yijing ordered an attack. Within three hours, all three armies were defeated. The British army counterattacked and Cixi fell.
Yijing reported: After half a year of planning, although hundreds of barbarian chiefs were killed and several barbarian boats burned, the attack was ineffective. Please call on more powerful troops to help.
Emperor Daoguang commented: This seems to be quite certain, but things always go against expectations. Things are already here, why not add more! Can we ensure success if we continue the campaign?
Liu Yunke, the governor of Zhejiang Province, reported that the soldiers were defeated in Cixi and the situation was extremely dangerous. I would like to report the actual situation from Yi Gong and pray for the Holy Spirit.
After investigating this, they mobilized brave soldiers from various provinces, but they were frustrated twice and their energy was completely gone. The soldiers in other places who have not yet engaged in battle are also discouraged after hearing the defeat. If they want to use it again, it will be difficult to revive it, which is why they are worried.
Now that it is difficult to hold all the troops together, it seems appropriate to mobilize them separately. However, the northwest provinces are far away from Zhejiang. They cannot arrive together until April or May. The rebellion and arrogance are already extreme. They may not be able to stay still as they did last time. Things are urgent. , how can we wait far beyond April and May, when the strength of the soldiers in each province is mixed. Just as the Shouchun soldiers dispatched by Zhejiang Province for the first time were extremely capable and brave, and the physical strength, materials and skills of the second dispatch were completely different from the first, the situation in other provinces will also be the same. If we continue to dispatch the troops, we may fear that To no avail. There are two things I am worried about.
The essence of this backfire weapon is not only the cannon, but also its rocket fireballs, which are extremely violent and irresistible. My soldiers, with their flesh and blood, can withstand this poisonous flame. When approaching the battle, the enemy should first use firearms from a distance. If only hundreds of our soldiers were injured by them, the rest would naturally disintegrate. Although he has skills and courage, he has nothing to do. There are three things I am worried about.
The commentator originally said that the land battle should not last long, but in the two years that we should attack the cities, they were all on land, and they could climb over the mountains. There were traitors to guide them, and the routes were more familiar to our soldiers than ours. Their plots and tricks are always beyond my preparedness, making it extremely difficult for me to guard against them. I have four worries.
Water battles are especially familiar to this enemy. If I want to control his death, I must find a strategy to win at sea. If we attack only by land, no matter whether our master and disciples are harassed and defeated now, we cannot win, even if we are lucky enough to win the battle in the future, if it is time to board a boat and escape, I have neither a refined boatman nor a strong warship, so I can only Looking at the ocean and sighing. If the flames are not extinguished, there will be endless troubles. There are five things that I am worried about.
The last time he was in Dinghai, he spent more than half a year, and now he has been in Ningbo and other places for several months. He used small letters and small favors to win people's hearts, so that even wealthy people would not be seduced by him. Even the most scoundrels were accused of being traitors by him. , happy to try our best. Even if there are people who are unwilling to obey, they still live in peace with each other because the disobedience is not insulting. Instead, they sent large troops to suppress the enemy. They first stationed Bingyong in Ningbo and Cixi. Now they were detected by Gaini, and all the houses where Bingyong once lived were destroyed with artillery fire. All the people were destroyed because of their eagerness for public justice. From now on, everyone is afraid of disaster, but who is willing to use his life? As time goes by, it is feared that the traitors will not be the only ones who have the ears and eyes for this rebellion. There are six things that I am worried about.
The soldiers were defeated repeatedly. The enemy was arrogant and we were discouraged. Not only was it difficult to attack Qi, but it was also extremely difficult to defend. I'm afraid that wherever I go, I won't be able to complete it. Zhapu is the throat of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and the provincial capital is a fundamental and important place, which is particularly important. At present, there are more than 6,000 brave soldiers stationed in Zhapu. However, the soldiers of this province and the bravery of Fujian Province are not enough to rely on. The soldiers of Shaanxi, Gansu and other places are few and far between. The provincial capital is more than a hundred miles away from Jianshan, and the road is long. The number of brave soldiers is not as good as that of Zhapu. The argument is that the water in Jianshan Pass is shallow and sandy, so there is nothing to worry about. A cedar boat can reach everywhere regardless of the depth of the water. Moreover, the spring tide is getting longer and the water is filling up, so a cedar boat can also be used. Drive in. At this time, people were shaken and morale was low. Although the governor led the civil and military forces to try their best to calm down, everyone was frightened. It is completely different from the previous peace and tranquility. If a few boats against the enemy suddenly scurry inward, the whole city will be in an uproar and collapse without a fight. Moreover, I have heard that recently there have been unemployed vagabonds who are trying to plunder. Some of them do not regard those who should be rebellious as internal offenders as fearful, but regard those who should be rebellious as internal offenders as rejoicing. This is common in Shaoxing, Jiaxing and other prefectures, and it is inevitable even in other provinces. People's hearts are like this, and they can work together to defend it. There are seven things that I am worried about.
Zhejiang Province's harvest in the past ten years is admittedly meager, but there are still gains in areas that have not suffered disasters. However, there are canals for collecting grain, which have not been completed for more than several months, and some of them are less than half collected, which is really unprecedented. This is all due to the unfavorable atmosphere, half of the Huahu people have been displaced, half of them are waiting and watching, and then they are unwilling to accept the situation and refuse to respond. Now that the army has been defeated again, it is even more difficult to urge the troops. Understanding the situation will inevitably lead to delays, and the inability of Diding Nanmi to recruit troops can be deduced by analogy. Moreover, if there are police in Zhapu, the Second Prefecture of Susong in Jiang Province will inevitably be shocked. There are many restrictions on not only harvesting grain, but also fearing that the ship's movement will be hindered. There are eight things that I am worried about.
Last winter in the counties of Hangzhou, Huzhou, Shaoxing and other prefectures, bandits gathered to rob and loot with great violence. Although there was a sudden snowstorm in November, it was actually because they were supposed to cause trouble. The bandits knew that the local officials could not take care of everything, so they despised it. act violently. The ministers and ministers suppressed them in many ways, both civil and military, and gave them both power and favor. They were just disbanded. The main criminals had not yet captured all the prisoners. When the people's hearts are shaken, it is difficult to guarantee that they will not be incited by each other, and they will disperse and reunite. After the snowstorm last year, many spring flowers were not planted, and the prices of existing rice, wheat, and vegetables were increasing day by day, making it difficult for ordinary people to live. Even if the previous traitors failed to gather together, there would be no other unscrupulous people taking advantage of the opportunity. There are nine things that I am worried about.
Since the rebellion, the seven coastal provinces have also been severely affected. There have been rumors that the rebellion has caused nuisance in Tianjin and Shanghai. It is difficult to guarantee that it will not be successful. The generals and governors of all provinces have taken precautions and taken precautions as closely as possible. However, based on the mistakes made in Zhejiang Province before and after, I dare not say that other provinces are safe. If there is another disaster, it will be a great loss to the country. And he ordered the rebels not to disturb him again. If the Zhejiang people cannot stop their troops for one day, the other provinces will not be able to prepare for the day. One month's defense expenses for seven provinces are estimated to be huge. There is no time to prepare, so the expenses are difficult to calculate. There are ten things I am worried about.
All these ten problems are inevitable and insurmountable worries. If we do not plan for them in advance, the country will not be able to make mistakes again and again. The minister is sick, his body is as thick as a pillar, his heart is burning with anxiety, he cannot sleep or eat, and his thoughts are tossing and turning, but he has no good plan. The general is now going to Haining Prefecture to inspect the situation in Haikou. Counselor Wen Wei is staying in Shaoxing Fucheng to coordinate the defense ahead. The generals and others seem to have no definite opinion on what preparations should be made in the future. When Chen Wo was born, if he did not present the true situation directly to the Holy Lord, and if he failed to defend the city in the future, he would be a sinner even if his body was shattered into pieces. Emperor Fuqi thought that the situation in Zhejiang Province was in crisis, so he decided to take action alone, and ordered the generals and others to adapt to the situation and compromise. If Zhejiang Province recovers from danger, the whole world will also benefit from it.
Yilibu is a man who is loyal to the country and has no desire for success and fame. This is the only person I have ever seen in my life. At this time of national crisis, can we come back to worry about the situation?
Emperor Daoguang read the performance and said, "What you have played is not for nothing. What does Mu Qing mean?"
Mu Zhang and Anonuo didn't respond, but told him about the Yellow River bursting its banks in Henan.
Emperor Daoguang said: Wang Dingqing is in Henan, I am safe. According to my order, General Qiying of Shengjing quickly went to Beijing.
Qiying arrived in Beijing and discussed secretly with Emperor Daoguang for more than ten days, deciding to suppress them first and then provide support.
On April 2, 1842, Emperor Daoguang ordered Qiying to be the Imperial Envoy and General of Hangzhou, and Qi Shen to be the Counselor. He was awarded the seventh-grade title of Yilibu, and the three of them entered Zhejiang together. He also asked Yijing whether he was sure of his campaign. When the foreigners send letters, they need to find ways to restrain the invaders and so on.
Yi Jingzou said: The number of soldiers in eastern Zhejiang has exceeded 30,000, and they may be able to regroup.
The Qing army gathered more and more, and the British naval commander Baga and the army commander Guo Fu did not dare to neglect, and quickly informed Pu Dingcha who was far away in Xiangang. However, Pu Dingcha did not want to fight hard, so he sent an order to temporarily abandon Ningbo and Zhenhai and attack Hangzhou Bay. Zhapu, an important town and the gateway to Jiangsu and Zhejiang, then marched north to Jiaxing, along Suzhou, Wuxi, and Changzhou, attacked Zhenjiang, captured Nanjing, and cut off the important grain canal.
The imperial envoy Qi Ying has arrived, and General Yijing is not happy about showing off his power. Where will he be? Fighting and killing the enemy on the front line? Suddenly I heard that the British troops had withdrawn. Yijing was overjoyed and reported quickly: The army conquered Ningbo, the barbarians fled to Zhenhai, many barbarian ships were burned, and many rebels were killed and wounded.
Emperor Daoguang also said happily: If the rebels are punished by this punishment, they will be frightened and courageous. They hope to take advantage of the victory to attack and drive the enemy into the sea to achieve unparalleled achievements. Qiying was transferred to Guangzhou General and rushed to Guangdong to look for opportunities to defeat Xiangang.
