After Luzhou was secured, Yang Xiuqing ordered Xia Guan and Deputy Prime Minister Zeng Lichang, Enshou Prime Minister Chen Shibao, and Dong Guan and Deputy Prime Minister Xu Zongyang to command eight thousand troops and march north to Zhili to support Lin Fengxiang and Li Kaifang. Then he ordered Wei Jun, Qiuguan and Zeng Tianyang, the prime minister, to quickly enter Hubei, join Shi Xiangzhen, and then attack Wuchang.
Wei Jun and Zeng Tianyang were ordered to supervise 20,000 troops. They went up the river and arrived in Huangzhou on January 20, 1854. When reinforcements arrived, Shi Xiangzhen was filled with joy.
Zeng Tianyang said: "I am new to slaying the Jiang Yao, and my troops are at full strength. Are we going to take advantage of the victory and attack Wuchang?"
Shi Xiangzhen said: "In the middle of winter, it is extremely cold, which is not conducive to mobilizing troops. We need to take a break and see clearly the demon's movements."
Wei Jun also attached.
When the army pressed on the territory, Chong Lun, the governor of Hubei, told Wu Wenrong, the governor of Huguang: "Sir Wu, I made a covenant with the Holy Heart and went down to the public to watch. After more than a month in Hubei, I have not seen you use your skills to kill the thieves. You just sit and guard Wuchang. This can last forever." ? The thieves are in Huangzhou, just around the corner, and they can attack at any time. What can you do to defend yourself against the enemy?"
Wu Wenrong said: "I have sent Hu Linyi to lead Guizhou Yong to come for reinforcements, and Zeng Guofan's navy will be ready in the near future. At that time, we can combine the power of Chu and attack by land and water to destroy the thieves in Jingxiang. Reinforcements have not yet arrived, so it is not advisable to go out lightly. . If Master Chong has a clever trick to kill the enemy, feel free to use it."
Chong Lun said: "My emperor has repeatedly ordered us to go out of the city to engage in battle, but Mr. Wu has repeatedly postponed it. What do you want?"
Wu Wenrong said: "When the Guizhou and Hunan armies arrive, what's wrong with closing the attack?"
Chonglun remained silent, and said in annoyance: Hubei currently has tens of thousands of soldiers. In addition to defending the city and camping at key passes outside the city, there are still thousands more who can go out. If all the ships and artillery in Hunan and Guangxi arrive, the road is far away. I'm afraid it will take some time. Most of the thieves went to Anhui. Nowadays, there are only a few clowns in Chu. There are also bandits who pretend to be robbers. There are not many long-haired old thieves. If thousands of officers and soldiers are sent together with the existing gunboats, a land and water attack will be enough to crush them. Wu Wenrong closed the city and sat guard all day long, unable to do anything. The brave soldiers all came forward and willingly went to kill the thieves, but Wu was not allowed to go. I don't know what their intentions were and what their heart was!
Emperor Xianfeng was furious when he heard the memorial, and ordered Wu Wenrong to say: He blindly stood on the defensive without any intention of moving forward, and ignored the overall situation. How can he be sincere? The situation in Jingxiang was serious, so I came to divide the work. I immediately asked Chonglun to make proper arrangements for all provincial capital defense matters. Wu Wenrong personally led the officers and soldiers out of the city to supervise the war. If it was delayed again, he would be dismissed from his post and questioned.
Wu Wenrong hated Chonglun Zhiyin and was so moved by the holy will that he sent troops in anger.
After hearing the news, Zeng Guofan urged: "Although there is a strict decree and censure, my master should still make a bitter statement, and prepare to say that the advance and suppression will not be effective, and it will only weaken his reputation. I will offend him for this, and make plans for my master's loyalty and uprightness." This Zang can be revealed to the world with peace of mind."
Wu Wenrong replied: "I intend to stand firm and wait for you to go east. I will join Lin Yi and Qian Yong to stop the attack. This is the right thing to do. Now that I am forced by others, there is no time to wait. I have been favored by the country. How can I be willing to die?" If you die to serve your country, there will be no hope of return. The armies on land and water that you have trained must wait until you have a little bit of confidence, and then you can go out to meet the enemy. You cannot lead me to the east for my own sake. The overall situation in the southeast depends on you alone, and you must be cautious. , I am afraid that there will be no successor in the future, since I and you are in different places."
Zeng Guofan read the article in silence and was speechless for a long time.
Luo Zenan and Guo Songtao both said: "If I don't save Jiangmin Qiao, I will be scolded by the whole of Hunan; the soldiers will also be disloyal. Wuchang is close at hand. If this is broken, Xiaoxiang will not be saved."
Zeng Guofan said: "The rainbow penetrates Jing Ke's heart, and those who see it think it is lustful and thin it; the blood of Chang Hong turns blue, and those who see it think it is a solid stone and abandon it. My heart is not like a rock. Today's soldiers have not been trained yet, and they are all out of the nest. It collapses like the tide recedes, all things are in vain; the family and the country are complete."
Luo Bingzhang, the governor of Hunan, also looked sad and said to Admiral Bao Qibao: "Zeng Guofan was so cruel that he did not save Jiang Zhongyuan and Wu Wenrong. I gave Wang Xin 3,000 troops, but Wu Governor intercepted them. If Wuchang is lost, disaster will surely spread to Hunan. Look where Zeng Si will flee! I have invited Zuo Zongtang several times, but he still doesn't want to see you. Send the coin to the mountain, and urge him again. Don't get tired of him, and stop until he moves."
On January 29, 1854, Wu Wenrong personally led four thousand soldiers out of Wuchang and garrisoned the city. It was the middle of winter, with heavy snowfall, and the soldiers bravely demolished civilian houses to provide food for them. In a short time, all the houses within dozens of miles were destroyed, but there was still insufficient food, and both the soldiers and the people complained.
Wu Wenrong sighed and said: "We didn't want the people to fight for profit, but we rushed out in a hurry and lacked all the resources!"
Hubei Inspector Tang Shuyi said: "This place is only more than 20 miles away from Huangzhou. The thieves are about to reverse course. If Master Tai makes a mistake, it will be difficult for Jingxiang to recover. Please return to Wuchang as soon as possible."
Wu Wenrong said: "Don't talk to each other anymore. I am a soldier. Brother Zifang guards the waterway, and I guard the city. You and I work together on land and water, and we share life and death!"
Tang Shuyi said: "Although you and I are old, we are both men. A man only seeks a little sincerity in his work. He will be a great man in life, but he will die like a prime minister in the river!"
On the night of February 7th, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s Lunar New Year, fireworks filled the sky in Huangzhou City. Shi Xiangzhen, Wei Jun, Zeng Tianyang, Chen Yucheng and others burned incense and paper, and the whole world celebrated.
Wu Wenrong was unprepared for the attack and ordered his troops to attack at night. However, as soon as the battle took place, Lian Yong fled first, followed by the officers and soldiers. Wen Rong couldn't stop it and defended the city.
Shi Xiangzhen, the emperor of the country, said: "Wu Wenrong, the demon, knows nothing about soldiers. The city is blocked by rivers and ravines, and it is surrounded by water on three sides. It is a desperate situation. Eleven large camps were re-established, and they were arranged in parallel, which violated the taboos of military strategists. Wu Yao did not Death is not allowed by heaven! I and Wei Guozong attacked head-on, but Prime Minister Zeng surrounded him and set it on fire. Wu Yao will surely collapse."
On February 12, there was heavy snowfall and muddy roads. Shi Xiangzhen ignored it and launched a general attack. The Qing army's camp was burned, they were attacked at the front and rear, and they collapsed immediately after the battle. In less than two hours, all four thousand Qing troops fled. Wu Wenrong, the governor of Huguang, Deliang, the commander-in-chief, and Cai Runshen, the prefect, all died in the rebellion. The land army was defeated, and Tang Shuyi was unable to fight again, so he led the navy to Jinkou for temporary refuge. The Taiping Army moved up the river and captured Hankou and Hanyang without any effort. On the 16th, Shi Xiangzhen led his army to Wuchang City again.
The Taiping Army invaded Hubei Province for the third time, and Emperor Xianfeng issued an urgent order: Hunan Governor Luo Bingzhang selected elite soldiers and Hunan Assistant League Training Minister Zeng Guofan to lead the gunboats and arrive in Hubei in the near future to silence the thieves. Jiangxi Governor Chen Qimai sent all the gunboats out of Jiujiang. Select a key area, cut off the route of the thieves, connect with Zeng Guofan's momentum, and attack from above and below; hereby confer Jingzhou General Taiyong as the governor of Huguang, and the official document of the governor will take over as the Jingzhou general; Hubei Xuezheng Qinglin is the governor of Hubei, the former governor of Hubei Chong Lun temporarily stayed in Hubei to assist in military affairs. The rebels have entered Hubei in large numbers, and Lu County is empty. Fuji and Hechun must work together to cut off the rebel bandits Hu Yihuang.
Qi Chengyan, the minister of Taipu Temple, said: The thieves are spreading in the southeastern half of the wall, so we can only take them slowly; the thieves in Shucheng are at the end of their powerful crossbows, and they must be completely wiped out. I heard that when the two thieves Lin Fengxiang and Li Kaifang escaped from Duliu, they were crawling on the snowy ground, with their legs and feet cracked. Although it now occupies Shucheng and other villages, its power is exhausted. I think that the people who are threatening to obey can be appeased if they can, which is also a way to draw firewood from the bottom of the cauldron. Those who are not appeased should attack in time and not miss the opportunity. Soldiers and horses in the north like cold and hate heat. As the weather gets warmer in the future, people and horses are prone to diseases. If the southern thieves come again, it will be even more difficult to be caught off guard. The tactics of thieves depend entirely on the wooden city and earth fortifications. How the former Zhanduliu deployed it, the thieves in Shucheng can also be approximated.
Emperor Xianfeng accepted Qi's wishes and again told monks Gelinqin and Shengbao: The minister and other commanders and soldiers have been chasing and suppressing the bandit generals for twenty days, always saying that they are waiting for cannons, and the delay is delayed day by day. When will it be finished? Moreover, Shucheng and other villages are very different from Duliu who can stay in the corner for a long time, so why can't they approach the bandit base? Should we go back and build a wooden city? The minister and others hid and did not hear about it. The two armies from the east and west are divided and advancing, and those who are counterattacking have to be supported by separate units in Shucheng. Where is this minister and other so-called outsmarters?
Seng Gelinqin and Shengbao accepted the order and attacked Shucheng again. Lin Fengxiang and Li Kaifang were unable to escape. Seng Gelinqin ordered Xiling'a to attack from the front, and then led his troops to attack Shucheng. Shengbao also supervised the attack from the southwest. Approaching the city wall, cannons were fired. Qing soldiers fell to the ground one after another. After the sound of cannons, Lin Fengxiang personally led 2,000 soldiers and went out of the city to meet them. The monks were defeated and retreated.
That night, Lin Fengxiang and Li Kaifang led their troops to raid the firearms camp, beheaded Gong Nechun, the chief counselor, and captured countless goods and medicines.
Monk and Sheng were shocked and did not dare to attack again. They fired guns and cannons nearby and dug long trenches, covered with antlers and trees, to prevent Lin and Li from breaking through.
Lin Fengxiang and Li Kaifang had their troops in the city for more than a month. They ran out of food and drink, so they had to break through again and march south to Fucheng.
Seng Gelinqin and Shengbao hurriedly broke out of camp, followed closely, and surrounded them again.
Fuji and Hechun did not slack off after receiving the order, and besieged Luzhou without rest day and night. Hu Yihuang was unable to support himself and asked Tianjing for help.
Lin Fengxiang and Li Kaifang were trapped, Luzhou was in emergency, and Yang Xiuqing was anxious. Wu Ruxiao was urgently ordered to take over Zhenjiang, and Luo Goutou led his troops to assist Anhui. Shi Dakai and Wei Changhui were urgently summoned to discuss the matter of northern aid.
Wei Changhui said: "To report to His Highness the King of the East, Zeng Lichang's troops have crossed the Yellow River north at Baojialou, Feng County, and are now dividing their troops into three groups to advance into Shandong."
Yang Xiuqing said: "I also know this."
Shi Dakai said: "His Royal Highness the East King, Zeng Lichang has few soldiers. Even if he joins Lin Li, it will be a drop in the bucket. I would like to ask His Highness the East King to issue an edict and order Lin Fengxiang and others to return south to rest and recuperate."
Yang Xiuqing pondered for a long time and said: "Zeng Lichang fought through thorns all the way and crossed the Yellow River to Shandong in one month. He is really a general. If he can join Lin Li, he will be full of vitality. Shi Xiangzhen, Wei Jun and others besieged Wuchang. If they can If you succeed, the Kingdom of Heaven will be secured.”
Shi Xiangzhen and others repeatedly attacked Wuchang but failed, so they divided their troops into three groups. Wei Jun and Shi Fengkui continued to attack Wuchang.
Zeng Tianyang and Chen Yucheng's troops moved to attack central and western Hubei. Within one month, they advanced 600 miles and defeated Xiaogan, Yunmeng, Anlu and Yichang.
Shi Xiangzhen attacked Jinkou, sank Tang Shuyi's ship, and completely annihilated the Hubei Navy. In the next forty days, he galloped 800 miles, captured Yuezhou, Xiangyin, Jinggang, and Ningxiang, and advanced towards Changsha.
