On October 29, 1853, Lin Fengxiang led his army to capture Jinghai via Qingxian County. The forwards advanced to Duliu Town and Yangliuqing, and the city of Tianjin was within easy reach.
Emperor Xianfeng was panic-stricken and ordered the officials in Tianjin to stand firm and wait for help. People were still in the city, but the city was lost and people died. Anyone who leaves the city without authorization will be killed. The re-instruction was successful and the follow-up was carried out quickly. Then he ordered Seng Gelinqin to rush to Tianjin immediately.
Xie Zicheng, the magistrate of Tianjin, said: "The thieves slaughtered Cangzhou, and the women and children were not left behind. If Tianjin is destroyed, we, our parents, relatives, and friends will all be killed. Who can be willing to become fish and meat! There is a straight entrance to the west of the city, where thieves must pass when entering Tianjin. I have already We have recruited more than a thousand men, dug a long moat, wrapped it in mats with earth, and built a fort. It will be completed in a few days."
Teke, the commander-in-chief of Tianjin Town, sighed: "The city has a large number of soldiers, eight hundred men, and we can't defend it. How can we rely on it to fight?"
Changlu Yanzheng Wenqian said: "Don't forget when we are on the platform, we have already recruited 4,000 soldiers, and 600 soldiers from Dagukou have also come to help."
Yang Pei, Changlu's salt transport envoy, said: "I have raised five hundred spears, and my Lu regiment will fight to the death to defend Jin."
Liang Baochang, the minister who co-organized the regiment training, said: "I have hired Baiyangdian Yanhu to lie in the southeast of Shaozhikou to prevent thieves from crossing in the shallow water."
Xie Zicheng said: "The thieves have arrived in Duliu. We will fight to the death. Tomorrow we will all go and speak frankly to prevent the thieves from entering Tianjin."
At noon on the 30th, Li Kaifang led the front troops to attack Shangzhikou and fired artillery from across Hao. The Qing soldiers had no support and retreated one after another. Xie Zicheng shouted to stop and fired the cannon. Tekeshen was unable to retreat any further, so he ordered his troops to fight back bravely. Governor Yang Pei led the reed regiment, raised their guns and fired together. More than a thousand civilians also used hoes instead of spears and cheered.
Unable to attack, the Taiping troops ran eastward along the embankment and encountered wild geese in the water. They thought they were kind people and shouted for help. Yanhu pretended to respond and pushed the boat forward. A few meters away, a gong sounded and a volley of guns fired. The Taiping troops were caught off guard, fell to the ground one after another, and collapsed.
After a brief defeat, Li Kaifang did not dare to fight again, so he transported the wood stored in the wood factories in Duliu Town, as well as door panels, boxes, millstones, stone slabs and other items of residents to a place about eight miles away from Jingyi along the South Canal and set up shop. It was built into a wooden fort, with earth inside, and six gates arranged in rows, as a defensive plan.
On the afternoon of the 30th, Shengbao chased to Jinghai. The next day, Xiling'a and Shanlu arrived. Shengbao scolded Xi and Shan for being slow, and angrily picked them both up. Then the troops divided into two groups and attacked Jinghai County.
Lin Fengxiang was defeated and entered the city to defend.
The next day, Lin Fengxiang mobilized his troops to fight from the south gate of Jinghai. Governor Shengbao led the entire army and tried his best to counterattack. After a fierce battle for half a day, Weilu and Mingqing, the deputy commanders of the capital, retreated due to injuries. Shengbao saw that his troops were exhausted and quickly retreated.
Sheng Bao failed in the pursuit and was afraid of being held accountable. He wrote: "This time I am pursuing the rebel bandits from Shenzhou. In order to drive the invaders from the north, I will go from Hejian to Qingxian and other places in order to speed up." Along the way there were rivers, and the states and counties were ravaged by thieves. There was no way to find soldiers and horses, and there was no food and rice. The soldiers were carrying heavy loads and wading in shallow water, and they were exhausted and exhausted. It was extremely difficult. When he was stationed outside Jinghai City, nearby villages were either captured by thieves or flooded. The troops and horses have been without food and grass for three days.
Emperor Xianfeng issued an edict: The direction of the thieves has been revealed, and the Senggelingqin tribe must defeat the enemy and reach Tianjin! Pursuing, encircling, and intercepting various units should arrive at Tianjin within two days at the latest. Any violation will result in severe punishment by the unit.
Seng Gelinqin accepted the order and without further delay, personally led the army to Yangcun.
On November 5, 1853, Shengbao arrived in Tianjin by boat and negotiated with Wen Qian, Tekeshen and others for half a day. He ordered General Wen Dai to lead 500 troops to station in Wuqingtuo in the northwest of Duliu to prevent thieves from digging up the embankment and fleeing northward. He also ordered Xiling'a and Shanlu to attack Jinghai together. Shengbao led his main force to Liangwangzhuang to choke Duliu and Yangliuqing's enemies.
Te Keshen said: "Prince Monk has strong soldiers and horses, what maneuver will he use?"
Shengbao said: "I have received the message. The commander of the army, Da Hong'a, the minister Qingqi, the deputy commander Songyu, Tong Jian and others will arrive soon. The monk counselor also led his troops to Wang Qingtuo to support us. "
When Lin Fengxiang heard that the monk soldiers had arrived, he split his troops into two and set up more than ten camps between Jinghai and Duliu, colluding with Li Kaifang's troops to act as a liaison.
On November 11, Dahong Azhi, the commander of the guard army, led two thousand troops to attack Duliu. Li Kaifang relied on the earthen wall, opened fire and fired back covertly. Shengbao personally fired the 8,000-jin cannon. After the bombardment, Shengbao ordered Qingqi and Songyu to divide their troops into two groups and attack together from the east and west banks of the canal. Li Kaifang divided his troops to resist the enemy. Seeing the setback on the east road, Shengbao personally led the Eight Banners cavalry to reinforce, and ordered Tong Jian to carry a bronze cannon and shoot with his camera.
Li Kaifang was attacked on many sides and was unable to balance the situation, so he retreated into the city in defeat.
Victory guarantees the first victory, Xishu: The thieves saw that we had no cavalry, so hundreds of cavalry emerged from the east. They came out of the deep forest and rushed into the center of Hezhou, hoping to surround the Tianjin teams. The momentum was very fierce. . The slave saw the traitor flag approaching on the east embankment, and personally led more than 200 horse teams from Jilin and Heilongjiang. They formed a troop and galloped eastward to attack. Because the horses had not arrived and could not attack, they bravely covered the enemy on foot, and the thieves were invincible. When soldiers from Hezhou and Tianjin saw the support of the slave supervisors, they also attacked with all their strength and shot to death a thief wearing a yellow jacket. The thief was outnumbered and ran back and forth.
Emperor Xianfeng also said happily: When the crisis comes, the generals of each battalion will be as brave as you, and they will not be able to defeat the bandits. It can be seen that all the soldiers are dispatched to win people, and it also shows your sincerity. Xiangfu can inspire their hearts. They are all so brave, they are brave enough to go out to the sky to challenge them. A special black fox-leg mandarin jacket, a pair of large coral bean purses, and a pair of collars. Hai Tengyun, the pacesetter at Gubeikou, was the first to rush into the forest and shot the thief holding the flag to death, causing a spear wound in his hand. Shide from the Foreign Affairs Commission shot the thief who was sitting in a sedan chair with his gun. They were all commendable for their bravery and were rewarded. The sixth grade crown wears and rewards blue feathers.
The victory will be rewarded, and the attack will be even more intense. The troops will be divided into three groups, and the second attack will be the only one. Shengbao personally led the way and attacked from the south. Dahong'a led the second battalion of Jianrui and Firearms to attack sideways and assist. The Tomin Arma team galloped to the east. Tong Jian and Song Yu also led their troops to respond. Li Kaifang fought in Kaicheng and suffered heavy casualties and was forced to retreat. Sheng Bao failed to attack Mucheng three times, so he turned to attack Jinghai.
Lin Fengxiang learned of this and sent a strong team to sneak out of the south gate and attack from behind.
Shengbao saw through it and ordered Kong Guangshun, the deputy commander of the capital, to attack. The two armies fought for two days and were at a stalemate.
On November 24, 1853, Shengbao attacked Duliu again. He first bombarded him with 8,000-jin cannons, crossed the first trench, and then used his guns to clear the way to the second trench. Shengbao beat drums to cheer, and the soldiers approached bravely. The third trench, however, saw that the stakes became denser and the trench surface became wider. Risking to get close to the base, artillery fire was flying, making it difficult to gain a foothold. With no choice but to win, he sounded the gong and retreated his troops.
On the 27th, Shengbao made a sneak attack in the fog, but found nothing.
Emperor Xianfeng issued an edict: After one month of fighting against thieves, little progress has been made. Anxious to ensure victory, he encouraged the soldiers to attack vigorously, and to eliminate the bandits within ten days without any further delay. When it's time to buck the trend and think about things, you must make arrangements everywhere and strictly intercept them. Nowadays, the weather is cold and the water is freezing, and everywhere is accessible. If the key passes are cut through ice, the thieves will have no way to escape, and the suppression will be easier to succeed.
Shengbao got the order and attacked Duliu again, but the artillery fire was not extinguished; Lin Fengxiang had already sent troops out of Jinghai to raid Shengbao's retreat. The Qing army was attacked from both sides and was in chaos. Shengbao ordered Dahong'a to attack Li Kaifang, and he personally led the Jianrui battalion to attack Lin Fengxiang's retreat, using matchlocks, rifles, and divine cannons. Lin Fengxiang was shot in the calf and had to retreat.
Shengbao also did not pursue him. He smiled bitterly and said: "The two thieves Lin and Li are quite powerful. It will be difficult to destroy the thieves within ten days."
On that day, the Xiling'a and Shanlu military camps were suddenly flooded by floods, almost swamping the country. Xiling A sent people to investigate and found out that it was Lin Fengxiang who broke the embankment and released water. Xiling'a had no choice but to move to the south of Jinghai City. When Shengbao learned of this, he sent a thousand troops to garrison Yangzhuang to fill the void. They also hired civilian men to dig water trenches to prevent Lin's army from breaking through.
On December 22, 1853, during the winter solstice, Li Kaifang walked to Yumu City and sighed: "The pioneer of the Kingdom of Heaven has been stuck in this wooden box for two months. I hate it!"
Ji Wenyuan said: "The wind is raging, the sky is cold and the ground is freezing. My bare feet are thin and the clothes are still covered with ice. I have just been walking for a few days, and my clothes are stained with blood. Food is getting scarce. Wars are still frequent. I am embarrassed and painful. I am extremely miserable."
Li Kaifang said sadly, "Even in this situation, I have no words to retreat. Brothers in the Kingdom of Heaven value love and righteousness! I have a plan to kill the demon head."
Ji Wenyuan said: "I would like to hear the details..."
The next day, in the northwest of Duliu Wood City, the wooden door opened, and there were soldiers in ragged clothes, scattered in all directions, in an endless stream. The minister, Qingqi, investigated the situation and reported it to Shengbao. Shengbao came to inspect it in person, and then gathered the main force to attack. Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the inner camp, he was trapped in a heavy siege.
After successfully mobilizing the tiger, Li Kaifang personally led the main force out of the south gate and attacked Tong Jian's barracks. Tong Jian hurriedly ordered his troops to fire back artillery. After hearing the news, Xie Zicheng, the prefect of Tianjin, and Dahong'a, the commander of the army, came to the rescue.
Li Kaifang pretended to be defeated and retreated. Tong Jian went to the edge of Haogou on Pegasus and pulled the overlapping plates in an attempt to cut off Li's return. Unexpectedly, the board was frozen in ice water and could not be pulled out in a hurry. Tong Jian dismounted his horse to urge him, but his feet slipped. Li Kaifang rushed to the scene and beheaded Tong Jian. Xie Zicheng came to help, but was also shelled, fell off his horse and died. Seeing that the situation was not good, Dahong'a retreated on his own. The brave soldiers fled when they saw Da, and they also broke up. The four 400-pound divine artillery pieces were also abandoned.
Shengbao fought his way out of the siege and angrily scolded Dahong'a for ignoring Paoze and retreating from the battle.
Dahong'a ridiculed Shengbao for his incompetent command and for leaving his post without permission, and was immediately impeached.
Emperor Xianfeng said: "If you look at your heart in the middle of the night to protect yourself, you should also know how to feel fear." Since the Ni bandits took over Duliu and Jinghai, they have reported repeatedly, and their words are reserved and complacent. Previously, our troops accidentally fell into an ice pit, causing many losses. However, in this engagement, most of our troops were killed and the artillery position was lost. As a commander-in-chief, this minister had no arrangements when he left the camp. When something happened, he left the camp and went elsewhere, blaming others. How could he convince the soldiers? Seng Gelinqin stayed in Tianjin for two months and did not see anyone in person. Is this reasonable? Shengbao ordered you to station yourself at the Sixth Prefecture, an important place in Duliu, but you have repeatedly failed to move forward. What do you think?
Seng Gelinqin reported: In the situation of the enemy's advance, although our troops have been out for days, they are not as treacherous as they should be. When our troops go to attack, they must first hold firm to detect the slackness of our troops and wait for an opening before moving out. I think we should defy the odds and wait for the hard work. It seems difficult for our soldiers to attack like this. According to Shengbao's memorial, the Sixth Mansion is an important place for Duliu, so I ordered my ministers to move the troops forward according to the terrain. The terrain of Cha Duliu is covered by ice water except for the camp on the east side which can be attacked. The Sixth Mansion has only a few feet of wide embankment. Although there are places where water falls, the ground is narrow, making it difficult to camp. Kuang Chen moved his camp to the Sixth Mansion and joined forces with Shengbao to attack and suppress the enemy. The thieves were running northward and were chasing after them. Because Wang Qingtuo was still strangled to stop the thieves from fleeing north.
After sparring, Seng Gelinqin secretly consulted the victor: besiege but not attack, camp step by step, bombard with heavy artillery, cut off food and water, and kill the rebels.
After a three-month stalemate, the Taiping troops ran out of ammunition and food, and suffered numerous illnesses and injuries due to frostbite. Lin Fengxiang had no choice but to retreat to the river, cut down trees to fortify the city, dredge ditches to store water, and hold on to Shucheng, waiting for reinforcements.
Seng Gelinqin said: "If you run away, there will be no trace, and if you escape, there will be no trace. If you wander like this, you will die. I only need to draw the ground as a prison, encircle and bombard them, and repeat the cycle to annihilate the thieves."
Shengbao said: "My emperor has repeatedly ordered us to attack with all our strength, and to fight quickly and decisively. I'm afraid it's inappropriate to act against the order."
Seng Gelinqin said: "I will be outside, and I will not accept your orders. Once you leave the nest, there will be gaps. If the thief is lucky enough to escape again, tigers will enter the mountains and forests, and dragons will roam the lakes and seas. We will have nothing to do! Lin and Li are both fierce tigers. The thieves have gone through hundreds of battles and thousands of blows, but you and I are safe. It is really a blessing from God! If you act too hastily and are defeated on all sides, you will be unorganized and uncontrollable; if you don't take advantage of the momentum to attack, you may be able to rest."
Shengbao sighed and said: "The thieves are just small bandits. They may attack a few times, but there is no chance of winning. Attack them every day and make them lose their food and become confused. I can do something good."
