Zeng Guofan's memorial arrived in Beijing, and Emperor Xianfeng asked Sushun.
Sushun said: "Chen Qimai has neglected his duties, arrest him immediately!"
Emperor Xianfeng said: "It is extremely rash to break someone down! Chen Qimai also participated in Zeng Guofan's plundering."
Sushun said: "Zeng Guofan's army was a hundred times stronger than Chen's. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary methods. If Zeng's words are like pearls, my emperor will kill decisively; if the white jade has flaws, it can be used to make Zeng's handle."
Emperor Xianfeng said: "If Xiang Rong had the wisdom and power of Zeng Guofan, how could the Jinling rebels survive at this time!"
Sushun said: "Xiang Rong's heart is broad and broad, taking into account everywhere and everywhere. He can gather troops and specialize in Wuhu. He can win Wuhu. He can protect Su Chang in the east and connect Zeng Guofan and Chu Yong in the west. Xiang Rong's memorial has been mentioned. and; but execution is insufficient.”
Emperor Xianfeng sighed: "Xiang Rong is indeed loyal and brave, but he can only lead three thousand soldiers and horses. Do I have any good generals among my people?"
Sushun said: "Both Seng Gelinqin and Shengbao are talented people. The monk is careful and steady, and Shengbao is full of pride when he wins. The deputy capital of Jingkou, Du Xing'a, is also like Seng Gelinqin, who loves his soldiers like his son, is loyal, brave and strong, but It can be of great use.”
Emperor Xianfeng said: "How is Wenjun?"
Sushun said: "In the past, eight thousand Hui people were killed in the Baoshan tragedy. Public opinion was boiling, and the Yunnan region was full of thorns. Wenjun said that Lin Zexu "distinguishes the good from the bad, regardless of the Hui Han."
Emperor Xianfeng nodded and said: "Chen Qimai is making mistakes and being stubborn. He is really neglecting his kindness and neglecting his duties." Yun Guangchen, regardless of the merits, tortured and abused him, and he also deliberately flattered him. Chen Qimai was dismissed immediately, and Yun Guangchen was dismissed first, leaving them to the new governor Wen Jun to investigate and deal with them. After the governor took office, he was about to strictly investigate all the circumstances involved in Zeng Guofan's involvement, one by one, and record the facts according to the facts. The deputy capital of Jingkou was Du Xing'a, who, together with his colleagues, led Duolong'a, and led the victorious army to aid Wuchang in the south. Xiangrong, the southern camp, must again order the land and sea soldiers to besiege Wuhu and recover within a time limit; then march into Jiujiang and join Zeng Guofan's army.
Xiang Rong received the order and immediately ordered Wu Quanmei and Deng Shaoliang to concentrate on besieging Wuhu.
Deng and Wu received the order, raised five thousand troops, advanced by land and water, and suddenly attacked Wuhu. Luo DaGang came to supervise the battle in person, and a cannon flew in, hitting his tibia. Luo DaGang was in unbearable pain and could no longer carry it, so he withdrew his troops from Tianjing, delayed for two months, and died in Ningcheng. Xiuquan was grateful for his bravery and pursued the title of King Fen.
Luo Gang died and Wuhu was weakened. Yang Xiuqing ordered Luzhou defender Zhou Shengkun to retreat one by one and cross the river in batches to support Wuhu.
Luzhou gentry went to Guangyuan. When they heard that the Taiping troops had retreated, they sent a secret report to Hechun: "Set fire as a signal, and the city should be destroyed inside." He Chun and Fu Ji decided not to delay the matter and launched a sneak attack overnight to capture Luzhou.
When Chen Qimai resigned, Chen Shijie sighed: "When someone falls, Wen Jun takes care of him. My emperor is a little too deep!"
Zeng Guofan laughed and said: "You can steal a chicken, but you can't get the feathers. This is really worthless. The cunning rabbit will die and the running dog will cook the flying bird, and the good bow will be hidden. The ancients are honest and don't deceive. Then pass on Taqibu, attack Hukou, and open up the rivers and lakes. Union."
Taqibu attacked Jiujiang in September and suffered more than a thousand casualties. He was unable to defeat the enemy after repeated attacks. He sighed: "This is a strong city, how can it suddenly fall?"
Lieutenant General Zhou Fengshan said: "Take a step back for now, and follow Commander Di's wishes to attack Hukou. We may be successful."
Taqi preached: "If you take a step back, the sea and the sky will be vast. How can I not know that Hukou is a small city and Jiujiang is related to the overall situation. My emperor's hope and commander-in-chief's earnestness will not allow us to retreat even if we die!"
On that day, Taqibu and Zhou Fengshan attacked Jiujiang again. Before the battle, Taqibu suddenly said: General Zhou, people say that they become gods after a hundred battles, but I am deadlocked in a hundred battles. How can I not hate you! After saying this, he was in a daze for a moment, then suddenly spurted out a burst of hot blood and fell to the ground.
When Ta Qi was dispatched, Zeng Guofan lost all hope and cried: "General Ta is sincere, kind, brave, caring for the young and old, willing to carry weak soldiers, and willing to rescue people in battle. His ancient strategy is the same as that of Cao Wuhui. General Ta is gone, and I have lost my arm." Chen Juncheng, where is Juncheng? Long time no see."
Staff officer Liu Rong said: "Chen Shijie heard about the civil unrest in Guiyang and missed his mother very much. He has been away for half a month. I said goodbye and the commander-in-chief was busy with everything, or it may have passed by in a flash."
Zeng Guofan said: "Guo Yunxian raised his salary, but there was no sound for two months. Zeng was incompetent and wasted the three armies."
The war was at a stalemate, and Luo Zenan was worried and wrote to Zeng Guofan: Jiujiang is approaching Jiangning and is also containing Wuchang, so the thieves are fighting for it with all their strength. Attack Yiyang, support Guangxin, follow Xin's underwater Pengli, and copy our division's right; hold Yining, guard Meiling, follow Xiu's underwater Poyang Lake, and copy our division's left. Now that the two places have been pacified, the gates of Jiujiang are gradually solidified, but Tongcheng and other places in Hubei are surrounded by bandits. Yining and Wuning in Jiangxi and Pingjiang and Baling in Hubei will never have a peaceful sleep. If you want to control the fate of Jiujiang, you should go down from Wuchang; if you want to break the siege of Wuchang, you should go in from Chong and Tong. For the current plan, we should use the Hukou Division and the Jiujiang Land Division to intercept the pirates on and off the ship, and select a strong force to sweep Chong and pass them into Wuchang, from Wuchang to Jiujiang. The overall situation in the southeast has turned around.
Zeng Guofan replied: I am in charge of the Neihu Navy, which uses Poyang Lake as its nest. Occasionally, I go out to the river to suppress bandits, but only one-third of the force is used to fight fiercely with the bandits. To suppress the upper reaches, they will cruise in Jiujiang, Wuxue, Tianjia Town and other places. If the advantage is good, they will fight for a long time, but if it is not good, they will retreat to the nest of Poyang Lake. When suppressing the lower reaches, they cruised in Pengze, Wangjiang, Anqing and other places, and did not go within 200 miles of the mouth of the lake. If the advantage is good, they will fight for a long time, but if the disadvantage is not good, they will also retreat to Poyang Lake. If done in this way, the river route between the bandits in Wuhan upstream and the bandits in Jinling downstream will be blocked by our soldiers for a section, and the force will not be able to pass through, which is enough to control the thieves' lives.
Not long after, Luo Zenan came to Nankang in person and told Zeng Guofan in earnest: "The general trend in the southeast is especially in Wuchang. If we get Wuchang, we can control Jiangnan and Anhui, and Jiangxi will also be shielded. Attacking Jiujiang is like sitting in an urn. Japan and thieves Fighting is not beneficial to the overall situation. Please lead your troops from Yining out of Chongyang to assist Wuchang and lead the army eastward to gain a strategic position. Then the Neihu Navy, with access to the Outer River, attacks Jiujiang. grasp."
Zeng Guofan said: "Tazhi Pavilion disappeared in Xun City. If Brother Luo Shan goes to Wuchang and the rebels in Jiangxi rebel, who will destroy it? The city at Hukou is bounded by water on three sides. If we break through at this point, the inner lake and the outer river will be captured. If we work together, the energy will flow naturally! Li Yuandu and Xiao Jiesan, attack the lake immediately! Brother Luo Shan can sit back and watch the battle, or he can come and command."
Luo Zenan sighed: "The thieves occupy Wuchang at the top, Jiujiang in the middle, and Anqing, Wuhu, and Jinling below. Since the mouth of Hukou is destroyed, they only have one city!"
On September 4, 1855, Xiao Jiesan and Li Yuandu advanced by land and water, and then attacked Hukou.
Li Yuandu's troops were divided into three groups, first breaking through Daling, Huangtu Ridge, and Xiaoling, and then entered the outer city, setting fire to the drug store, and Hukou was covered in smoke for a while.
When Xiao Jie saw the Lu Division besieging Shizhong Mountain from a distance, he became more energetic and took the lead with one ship, advancing rapidly. Huang Wenjin saw it clearly and ordered his sergeant to aim and bombard him. Xiao Jie was hit three times and died on the spot. The navy was frightened and the offensive suddenly slowed down. Li Yuandu led the army to engage in battle for two days and one night. After being exhausted, he retreated to Suguandu.
Zeng Guofan cried: "The battalion officer Xiao Jiesan occupied Poyang Lake alone and managed to hold on to the crisis for several months with his own efforts. Now that he is dead, I have lost an arm."
Liu Rong, an aide, said: "We have fought fiercely for half a year, but have gained very little. We are tired and are about to leave, so we need to find another way out. The army marches westward, joins Hu and Li, and captures Wuchang; then it goes back down the river, one by one, it is different."
Zeng Guofan said: "I once ordered Taqibu to turn to attack Hukou, but Taqibu failed; I asked Luoluoshan to attack it, and Luo Gu left and right talked about him. After a long period of time, people's hearts are not as good as before. I sent Peng Xueqin to come and take charge. Neihu Navy, I wonder if you have arrived?"
Liu Rong said: "Hunan and Jiangxi are thousands of miles apart, and it takes time to come and go. Commander Di Shuai's will of Hukou, there is no need to be ambiguous, and he immediately ordered Luo Zenan to attack it. Luo Luo Mountain is loyal and brave, and he must attack it himself."
Zeng Guofan sighed: "Maybe you can give it a try!"
Luo Zenan led the army and launched an attack by land and water. They fought bloody battles for many days but could not win.
