Taqibu camped outside Xiangtan City and reported urgently to Zeng Guofan: Our troops will ambush when they hear the artillery, and advance as soon as the artillery stops. We will advance several times, and we will fight bloody battles, but we can still hold on. However, the main force of the bandit army has arrived in Xiangtan, hoping for immediate reinforcements.
Zeng Guofan received the complaint and urgently summoned everyone for discussion.
Zuo Zongtang said: "The thief's intentions are obvious. Lin Ni is taking Xiangtan as the axis, surrounding Changsha in the north and Hengzhou in the south. He wants to decide the world in one battle! I will also clear the way back from the south and then the north. The first is to solidify the foundation.”
Chen Shijie said: "First go north and then south. If the stalemate lasts for a long time, Xiao Xiang will be in chaos. Now we can only know that troops are aiding Xiangtan, which means it will not be beneficial. We still have to maintain balance and permanence in order to make another move. If we ignore the fundamentals and only try to make progress, If you lose, you will all die!"
Peng Yulin and Wang Kaiyun also attached.
Zuo Zongtang said to Wang Kaiyun: "You are quite knowledgeable in your short life."
Zeng Guofan said: "Jiang Zhongji led four thousand land troops, and Peng Yulin led five battalions of the navy to immediately go south to aid Xiangtan. I led the rest of the army to the rear. There is no room for loss in this battle. If defeated, not only the provincial capital will be left alone, but it will be difficult to survive. Heng, The Yong, Chen, Gui and two Guangdong bandits heard the news and responded, returning from the chaos. The overall situation in the southeast is unimaginable."
The armies of Jiang Zhongji and Peng Yulin had just left, and the Jinggang regiment came to report that there were only 700 Taiping remnants left in Jinggang.
Zeng Guofan counted with his fingers and realized that this statement was true. He thought to himself: They all say that the south leads in the opposite direction, so why not look north? Then I wanted to supervise the army to go there in person, attack the north and lead the south, and adjust the forests and return to defense, so as to break the siege of Xiangtan.
Li Yuandu, an aide, said: "The best soldiers have mobilized to suppress Xiangtan. Sooner or later, the news of victory will come. We should hold on here and don't move lightly."
Zeng Guofan said: We are moving on both land and water, 2000 against 700, like an eagle beating a rabbit.
Li Yuandu was helpless and secretly whispered to Zhang Shoulin: Don't leave Di Gong around.
On April 27, 1854, Zeng Guofan led the warship 40 to Jinggang. The navy was ordered to attack first. Unexpectedly, the southwest wind picked up and the warship could not sail close to the west bank. Xiang Yong then ordered the trackers to pull it closer.
Shi Xiangzhen saw it clearly, beheaded the tracker, and led his boat to get close to fight. The Shi Army's more than two hundred charcoal boats and fishing boats turned around and fought as fast as arrows; the Hunan Army's warships had huge cannons with towering barrels that could not hit the boats in front. Seeing that the navy was about to collapse, Zeng Guofan urgently ordered the land army to attack. The soldiers fought bravely to cross the pontoon bridge. The pontoon bridge was built with doors and bed planks, but it was overwhelmed. There were many people and the bridge collapsed. Two hundred Xiang brave men fell into the water and died.
The Taiping Army took advantage of the situation and counterattacked. When the Hunan army collapsed, Zeng Guofan raised his command flag high and shouted: "Anyone who crosses the flag will be killed."
The Hunan army was defeated like a mountain and retreated around the flag. The vassal state could not stop killing two people. Seeing the defeat of the land army, the navy also fled ashore. Most of the more than forty warships were damaged. Zeng Guofan, with his beard and beard spread out, was so ashamed that he committed suicide by diving into the water. He was rescued by Zhang Shoulin.
When Li Yuandu heard about it, he quickly comforted him and said, "Don't worry, Commander Di! Although this army is defeated, we can rely on the army of Tazhiting, Luoluoshan, and the navy of Yang Hou'an and Peng Xuelin."
The defeat of Jinggang shook Changsha. Officials, gentry, and the people panicked, and some even fled to the countryside with their families and money.
Bao Qibao, the governor of Hunan, loudly cursed: "The Zeng family has wasted the people and money, brought bandits into Hunan, and attracted wolves into the house. I order the four gates to be closed immediately to prevent weak officials and bad soldiers from entering our city of Changsha."
Xu Youren, the chief envoy of Hunan Province, gritted his teeth and said: "The defeated general will never find a grain of rice from me."
Tao Enpei, the inspector-general of Hunan Province, was promoted to the chief envoy of Shanxi Province. He was very interested and immediately clamored for impeachment.
Luo Bingzhang, the governor of Hunan, lamented: "Why worry about fighting each other! Why worry about fighting each other! Zeng Gong's loyalty to the country cannot be judged by victory or defeat in a short period of time. Alas, this defeat not only depletes the province and city, it will be difficult to survive for a long time, that is, Guangdong and Jiangxi , Guizhou provinces will also suffer greatly."
Zuo Zongtang said: "Don't worry, gentlemen. Victory and defeat are common matters for military strategists. Zeng Guofan's Xiangyong did not leave even one of the ten soldiers, so it is not a big deal. I will go to Zeng's place quickly to find out what's going on."
Zuo Zongtang lowered himself out of the city and went straight into Xiangying. But seeing Zeng Guofan with unkempt hair and disheveled face, he was sitting by the Zong River, intending to die.
Zuo Zongtang said: "Brother Di Sheng, if we go away, we will be worse than piglets! Victory or defeat is a common thing for military strategists. My brother, Xiangyong, has not left even one of them in ten years. Do you regret leaving?"
Zeng Guofan said: "If I make mistakes, one death will not be enough to cover up my guilt; if I fail to realize my ambition, I will never rest in peace for eternity."
Zuo Zongtang said: "If it's too late, let's stop talking about it. Don't talk about it again forever. Just pick up the sword and kill the traitor, and then you will get rid of a lifetime of hatred!"
Zeng Guofan didn't say a word. He only asked someone to bring a pen and paper to write down the number of artillery, ammunition, pills, and ordnance stored one by one, and asked Zuo Zongtang to check it on his behalf. Suddenly he said angrily: "I invited you three times and five times, but you actually relied on Governor Luo. How high-minded? How far-reaching are your ambitions? Did you lower the city to watch my joke? The city is strong and the walls are high, but you didn't break it?"
Zuo Zongtang said: "I am in Hunan, and the soldiers are harassing and thieves are clamoring. If there is a slight difference, the people in the city will be killed. In the world today, I am the only one who relies on my brother. If I leave, my sin will be serious. I have persuaded Luo Fu to decide on Hunan internally and provide foreign aid. Brother Zeng. I, Hu Runzhi, will sacrifice my life to help my brother. The three of us will become tigers. Brother Di, do you believe what I say?"
Zeng Guofan was slightly pleased and said: "Ji Gaocheng Mansion is in Dingtian, and a hundred soldiers are worth ten thousand. I will knock out my teeth and swallow my blood. I don't have to worry anymore!"
Zuo Zongtang said: "That's very good."
Zeng Guofan said: "Tao Enpei and Xu Youren were both recommended by Luo Bingzhang. Are the three sons plus a leopard working together against me?"
Zuo Zongtang said: "Of course! Once Changsha is broken, my life and that of my four sons will be wiped out, so I deeply hate it. If my brother wins a great victory, the people of Chu will smile like flowers and bow their heads in congratulations."
Hearing Zongtang's words, the vassal state felt comforted.
Five days later, Zeng Guobao pushed open the door and shouted: "Great victory in Xiangtan! Great victory in Xiangtan!"
Zeng Guofan thought it was a lie and waved his hand casually: "Seriously?"
Zeng Guobao said: "Taqi sent troops to Xiangtan, took the lead, and defeated the bandits in the forest. The thieves were unable to recover and closed the city to defend. Our navy arrived, hundreds of ships and thousands of cannons, shooting fire and burning the ships. At that time, the north wind was very strong, and the wind was setting fire to them. , caught the ship as soon as it met, and burned six or seven hundred pirate ships from Mao to the end. The thieves had long hair and short hair, drifting by the waves, their red scarves and yellow scarves went up and down with the waves, the water temperature on the shore was ocher, they all returned to catastrophe, water wars and fire attacks, there was no It’s such a joy to be like this. The Lin bandits opened the city to fight, and General Tower was mighty. He fought nine battles in six days, nine battles and nine victories, and wiped out 20,000 enemies. The Lin bandits escaped with only four riders."
Zeng Guofan stood there in silence for a long time, then suddenly cried out: "Ancestors bless ancestors, bless you! The sky has eyes, the sky has eyes!"
After the great victory in Xiangtan, the governor of Hunan, the chief envoy, the inspector general, the admiral and other officials were surprised and came to the outside of Changsha City, holding hands and cheering, and supported Zeng into the city.
Luo Bingzhang said: "My lord, Zeng, has been through all the hardships. My lord also said before: Most of the things done in the province are invaded by officials and Yuezu. As the head of the Hunan officials, Xiaoyin is a little obstructed. Don't worry about my duties, Lord Zeng."
Zeng Guofan said: "Master Zhongcheng is too polite, but the provincial garrison is weak. I ignored the overall situation and led Xiang to bravely leave. It is really selfish. From now on, you and I will work together and there will be no more differences."
The chief envoy Xu Youren said: "Master Zeng owes Hengzhou Prefecture one hundred thousand silver taels, and the vassal treasury will make up for it immediately."
That night, Zuo Zongtang invited Hu Linyi to a banquet, and Hu Linyi strongly invited Zeng Guofan.
Zuo Zongtang said: "Mr. Zeng, you are too rustic, too short of talent, and you don't know how to fight. Without Ta Qibu, we would have won the victory over Xiangtan, and there would have been withered bones in the tomb."
Hu Linyi said: "How about asking the Cantonese bandits?"
Zuo Zongtang laughed and said: "Then it's cheap to be reborn once."
The three of them sat down, Zongtang called Lin Yi brother, and Lin Yi called Zongtang Zhang.
Zeng Guofan laughed and said: "Jinling Hongyang falsely claimed that all men in the world are brothers, and Runzhi went against the thieves. It is admirable and admirable. I heard that Brother Ji Gao entered the thieves' den alone, but the thieves are all brothers?"
Zuo Zongtang said: "How can we be like this if we are all brothers? They are like flies and dogs, deceiving the world and stealing their reputation, they are like a pack of tigers and wolves."
Hu Linyi said: "It's not just tigers and wolves. In the southwestern half of the wall, where thieves have passed, white bones are exposed and thousands of households are deserted. The prosperous place in the past is a place where ghosts and demons live. Now that Wuchang is in an emergency, I wish I could raise my gun immediately."
Zeng Guofan said: "I think back then, if my master Wu Wenrong didn't leave the city wall easily, it would be a great situation. If he cares about Chonglun badly, we can wait for that day."
Hu Linyi said: "Wu Gong and Lin Gong look at each other. All the talents who have made a difference in the world have gone, and the world is full of chaos, but the rest of them sigh. For three years, the two lakes in Hubei have been in chaos, and they have gathered here."
Zuo Zongtang said: "For half a year after the new Fu Qinglin took over, Chonglun could not leave Hubei and repeatedly obstructed him. The governor of Huguang, Taiyong, feared the enemy like a tiger and supported his troops to protect himself. He stayed in De'an and refused to take office. Wuchang was already dead. .”
Zeng Guofan said: "Shi Xiangzhen defended Yuezhou, blocked my eastward aid, and threatened to attack Changsha in Qiuliang. Lin Shaozhang occupied Changde and Taoyuan, and the forwards had arrived in Jingzhou, blocking Guanwen from going south. He diverted his troops to rescue the emergency, which did not help the situation; he rushed out of the city, and the Xiang region was formed. null."
Zuo Zongtang said: "It is a waste of time to add ships, cannons, increase bravery and train troops. I want Wuchang not to be destroyed and the troops not to advance quickly, so as not to make wedding clothes for others."
Hu Linyi said: "The bandits in Guizhou are in groups of hundreds, and they gather and disperse at random. They are really bandits. The bandits here have the courage to fight against the tripod and the talent to steal the country. If they are not organized properly, the weather will change. I only have six hundred in the district. Bravery and bravery are just a drop in the ocean."
Zeng Guofan said: "Runzhi is the quintessence of the country. A hundred soldiers are worth ten thousand. How about I organize the army in Changsha and give you two thousand brave soldiers? In the battle of Jinggang, I learned that soldiers are more valuable than large numbers. Moving slowly is of great benefit." "
Hu Linyi said: "Thank you, brother Disheng. Brother has a thunderbolt method and a thunderbolt heart. The navy division only has 2,000 men from the victorious division in Xiangtan, and the land division has only 3,000 men from the Taqibu tribe. Guobao's army was actually abolished. Zhu Sunyi of Xiangxiang, a pioneer in practicing bravery, was also expelled, and your heart is as strong as iron."
Zeng Guofan said: "You must practice what you say, and do what you order. The fittest will survive, regardless of relatives or strangers. Zeng Guobao's mind wandered before the war, Zhu Sunyi's Ningxiang shrank, and his two sons were not generals. Taqibu, Chu Ruhang, Xia Luan, Li Mengqun, Yang Zaifu, Peng Yu Lin and others are calm in the face of battle and fierce in attack. They are all generals. I ordered you to commend them, and I promoted them. The victory of Xiangtan seemed to be the bravery of the Hunan army, but it was actually due to the power of the barbarian artillery. I have asked the governor of Guangdong to come again. Purchased 700 barbarian artillery pieces, and consulted with the Guangdong general Chen Huilong to lead the navy to come to the rescue. Taoist Li Mengqun went to Guangxi to recruit 2,000 water braves, and also arrived in Hunan recently. The two battalions of Luo Zenan and Li Xubin also set off from Hengzhou. Arrive soon. When everything is ready, we will march eastward to Wuchang. Tomorrow, I will report to my emperor and make it clear that for the loss of Jinggang, I will bow my head and wait for the crime."
On that day, the vassal of the country said: "I am a humble minister, I am lonely and angry, but I am not wise enough." Although Xiangtan won great victories in succession, killing ten thousand thieves, burning more than a thousand ships, annihilating large groups, and conquered the county town. But in the next battle at Jinggang, the discipline and principles were not kept tight and the ties were not solid, which led to the collapse. This was a fallacy. However, knowing the benefits of advancing lightly and not predicting the place of retreat is a mistake. It is the third fallacy to drive away the bravery without the courage of the battle array and suddenly block the fierce thieves who have fought hundreds of battles. One battalion is slightly defeated and the whole army's energy is taken away. It cannot be used unless it is brave. It is because the minister is not good at training and tries it out. The more anxious the minister is to seek results, the more perverse his management becomes. In the battle of Jinggang, because of the great victory of Xiangtan on land and water, I wanted to attack the enemy at the same time to destroy the nest of thieves, so that the thieves could not look after each other. Who would have expected this failure? I endured the shame and lived an ignoble life, while bowing my head and waiting for the crime, and at the same time eager to make amends.
Luo Bingzhang, the governor of Hunan Province, also said: In this land and water campaign against Xiangtan, nearly ten thousand thieves were killed, and the flags and weapons obtained were useless. In addition to being beheaded by the formation, the number of thieves killed by water or fire was extremely large. Approximately tens of thousands of people were plundered and dispersed.
Emperor Xianfeng issued an edict: Zengchen Guofan personally led the navy to suppress Jinggang. Although he made some small gains, the wind and water were strong, and the Russian ships were burned, resulting in the collapse of many brave soldiers. Zeng Guofan asked for a severe punishment, and he really deserved the blame. When Gu Nian Xiangtan was completely victorious, Shui Yong made great efforts. He was dismissed from his post in order to avoid being punished. For small defeats, he was punished slightly, and he treated illnesses and saved people. Zeng Chen still supervised and bravely suppressed thieves, and his crimes were punished. Hunan Admiral Bao Qibao has not led his troops out of the province since the thieves fled to Hunan. He has repeatedly reported military affairs, only to the rank and file meeting. It seems that this person is incompetent, which is really a huge responsibility. Bao Qibao was dismissed from his post immediately, and all Hunan admiral's printing offices were appointed, and Taqibu was appointed temporary agent. At present, there are only more than 4,000 brave men on land and water. If we lead you eastward, we may be too weak. With that, we can repair more warships and recruit water warriors, and we should see improvement in a month or two. If you can be sure of it, it is not difficult to turn defeat into success. At present, the bandits from northern Chu have returned to De'an, and the thieves from Suizhou have also returned to Wuhan. Hubei Province is in urgent need of help. The governor and other officials should order all the land and water armies to quickly annihilate this group of defeated bandits, and can also send reinforcements. Wuchang takes the overall situation into consideration. During the great victory in Xiangtan, Zeng Chen and his vassal vassals practiced bravery and performed meritorious deeds. As soon as they were appointed, they were given the title of single officer. All civil and military officials in Hunan, starting from the level of Fu, were authorized to dispatch them if military affairs were urgently needed.
