Fu Ji, Qin Li and others besieged Tongcheng, and Li Xiucheng gradually became unable to support him.
Shi Dakai lost Tongcheng and Anqing also lost its flanking barrier. He urgently ordered Chen Shizhang to lead three thousand troops to go out to the capital for rescue; he also ordered Chen Yucheng's 20,000 troops to travel north from Ningguo and fly to Tongcheng.
On January 6, 1857, Chen Yucheng sent troops to Songyang, and Li Xiucheng arrived in a hurry for discussions.
Li Xiucheng said: "Twenty thousand demon soldiers are all around Butong City. It is very difficult to attack forcefully."
Chen Yucheng said: "The Qing Yao is powerful, so we immediately ask for help in Anqing. Your troops will hold fast and rely on the main force of the demons. Our troops will attack Wuwei, Dongguan, Chaoxian, Luzhou, and Lujiang. It's all true and false. Xu, those who attack the demon must save it, and chaos the demon's deployment, then return to Tongcheng, gather reinforcements from Anqing, attack from inside and outside, and defeat this evildoer."
Chen Yucheng suspected that the troops were along the way of Tong and Cong, so he led the main force eastward along the river, attacking Wuwei first, then occupied Cangtou and Yuncao towns, captured Huangluohe, gathered Chen Shizhang's troops, and directed his troops towards Dongguan and Chaoxian.
Fuji was shocked and hurriedly divided the troops surrounding Tongcheng to rescue Wuwei, Dongguan and Chaoxian.
Before the reinforcements from the Qing Dynasty arrived, Chen Yucheng had already broken through Dongguan, reached Chao County, and advanced towards Xiage Town.
Xia Ge is a hundred miles away from Luzhou, and Luzhou only has three hundred soldiers. The success or failure of Luzhou is crucial to the overall situation. Fuji personally leads a thousand soldiers, and Tong leads the team to rush to the rescue. He also ordered the general Song Rui to go to Sanhe Town to defend Luzhou.
Unexpectedly, Chen Yucheng's attack direction changed again, pointing west to Lujiang River.
Fu Ji had no choice but to order reinforcements from his deputy general Bao Yunzhu, who sent 200 troops to station in Lujiang. Zheng Kuishi also ordered guerrilla Yu Chengjiao to lead 2,000 troops to assist Lu.
The residents of Lujiang suffered from the war, and most of them fled. There was not even a grain of rice in the city. The Qingyong plundered in groups. The people were angry and attacked in groups, killing many of them.
More than ten thousand Taiping troops surrounded Lujiang and attacked day and night for three consecutive days. The Qingyong who defended the city gradually became unable to support himself. On the night of January 31, the Taiping Army took advantage of the night to advance from the east gate of Yuancheng and captured the Lujiang River. Chen Yucheng suddenly went south again, raided Doudou and captured Yu Chengjiao's tribe, killing the garrison Hong Zhong and the capital commander Peng Wanyi. Bao Yunzhu and Yu Yunjiao were unable to survive and fled Sanlipu.
Lujiang was lost, and Qin Dingsan and Zheng Kuishi were attacked from both sides and were left alone. Qin and Zheng wanted to withdraw from the siege and divide their troops, march north to the Lujiang River, support Bao and Yu, and move closer to Luzhou.
Emperor Xianfeng refused and ordered: "Withdrawing from the siege would be unprofitable. Moving the camp would seem like retreating. If we divide our forces, we might be left alone." Wait until Hao Guangjia's troops arrive in Shucheng and open up the food road before deciding where to go.
After the order was issued, Emperor Xianfeng received an urgent report from Ye Mingchen, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi: the British and barbarians used the excuse that the "Treaty of Nanjing" had expired for twelve years and extravagantly requested to revise the treaty, but their requests were repeatedly rejected; so the "Yaro" ship incident suddenly Attack Guangzhou. The weak ministers were afraid of provoking a provocation and would compromise and give in blindly, which led to the defeat of the army. When the British barbarians entered the city, the ministers resisted them with the bravery of the people. Inside and outside the city, there were red banners on every banner, promising to kill the barbarians. They shared the same hatred with the enemy, but the barbarians could not support themselves and retreated. When war and peace are urgent, respect the holy will. However, given the current situation, I silently thought that I would be defeated in a struggle with the barbarians. Since I was afraid of being frustrated and damaging my authority, or of being severely punished by destroying my head and setting up a situation, it was better to listen to what they did and hide my shortcomings. He also secretly speculated that the Yi people were interested in trade and were in love with the wealth of Guangdong, but they were not afraid of the fierceness of the Guangdong people. He wants to be at peace with the people of Cantonese, but he may not dare to go to any lengths to exterminate himself. This is always his intention.
Emperor Xianfeng looked at this and sighed in despair, and warned Ye Mingchen: Failure to win is a worry, and it will also harm the country. If we win, the barbarians will surely come to take revenge. When the Central Plains is not at peace, how can there be another turmoil along the coast? When faced with a dilemma, it is always advisable to think long and hard to resolve the situation. We can neither accommodate ourselves nor stop looking at the present, nor can we abandon ourselves and resume external provocations. If he is still arrogant, he must not compromise and negotiate for peace, just like the elders' plan to harm the country.
Tongcheng, Anhui. Before Hao Guangjia's troops arrived, Chen Yucheng personally led three armies to attack Tongcheng from Luting. Li Xiucheng also fought his way out of the city. South of Tongcheng, Anqing's reinforcements rushed to attack Qin and Zheng's backs. .
Qin Dingsan and Zheng Kuishi were surrounded on three sides and responded to their calls, so they decided to unite their troops and retreat through the mountain path. Qin and Zheng used their advance as a retreat. They all attacked Wushigang and half of their troops entered Luhong Mountain. At sunset, they formed a team again, looking for a guide, packing food and traveling at the same time. After doing this over and over again, he retreated.
Chen Yucheng saw through it and led his troops to pursue him. The Qing soldiers were starving and dispersed one after another. Chen Yucheng pursued to Sansanlipu, broke through four battalions, and killed a thousand people under Shaan'an Town's commander-in-chief Hao Guangjia. Zheng Kuishi fled to Luzhou, and Qin Dingsan retreated to Zhongmeihe. Chen Yucheng took advantage of the victory to capture Lu'an and Shucheng, and the vanguard advanced to Shouzhou City.
Jin Guangjin, the magistrate of Shouzhou, was unable to resist the attack and ordered the cavalry to station at Dongjin Ferry outside the city as a horn.
Chen Yucheng led an army of 20,000 to encircle the city on all sides. They attacked the city more frequently and clashed all night. They used ladders to climb the city and dug into the ground to blow up the wall. Shouzhou is in danger.
Jinguang Jin was in trouble, so he asked for help and asked his soldiers to rescue him quickly. He also ordered his soldiers to pour out of the east gate at night, making a desperate move and launching a massive counterattack.
Chen Yucheng fought and won consecutive battles and was sleeping soundly. He suddenly woke up and hurriedly challenged the enemy, resulting in a defeat.
Anhui's land was completely lost, and Fu Ji had no choice but to spread it out: Anhui Province was in ruins, and hungry people were everywhere. They should be incited and wantonly along the way. He also colluded with the Nian bandits to control hundreds of thousands of people, wandering and changing. Each of our armies is guarding key areas, and it is difficult to separate them. All the soldiers in Lujun were collected, but their weapons and equipment were incomplete. After the new setback, it is feared that the military's power will be difficult to regain. According to reports, there are tens of thousands of bandits and they are scheduled to attack Luzhou from Shucheng, Sanhe and Chaoxian within a few days. No matter how sharp he is, or how tired I am of attacking, or barely resisting, there is nothing to rely on. Even if the soldiers sacrifice their lives, they will be surrounded and surrounded by four directions, and the food will be exhausted to help the orphans, which will lead to the same fate of Taotong Camp. Moreover, Lu'an can be reached by one river from Linhuai. If they are taken advantage of and occupied, the key to the Huaihe River will be lost, and there will be no way to pass the arms and wages. I'm afraid that the Lu camp will be trapped in the heart of Gai and collapse without a fight. Xu, Yang, Huai, and Si will also be shocked. Moreover, the Nian bandits are ganging up on each other at the intersection of Ying and Huo, and it is inevitable that they will collude with each other.
After the blessings and relief were completed, he again asked for an order to open a vacancy for the sick.
Emperor Xianfeng issued a stern edict: Are we at the end of the road? I have ordered Ningguo and Hubei to immediately go to help your land, and wages and money have also been sent to you repeatedly by the Ministry of Household Affairs. In addition, Shengbao has already entered Anhui Province.
I am happy that the official Shengbao has been restored to the position of deputy capital commander. Immediately led the army to advance to Huaibei to suppress Niu. In one month, they defeated Fangjiaji, Wulongji, Liugouji, Sanhejian, Huoqiu, and beheaded Wei Lanqi, the Nien head, at Zhengyang Pass.
Emperor Xianfeng expressed his condolences and rewarded the winner with a top-notch crown.
Hechun spent two months, repeatedly attacking Jurong and Lishui, but failed. Feeling bored, he complained angrily: "There are many thieves in Li and Lishui, many fierce people gather here, and the ground is vast." If you find out that there are rumors that someone is scurrying around during this time, you should take strict precautions and attack them urgently.
Emperor Xianfeng rebuked: Jurong and Lishui are no more than small counties. It's time to contain our army, and divide other parties to cause trouble. In Anhui Province, Chao, Wu, Shu, and Liu fell one after another. The thieves were only a few dozen miles away from Luzhou, and the situation was extremely tight. The thieves from Chizhou and Wuhu are spying on Huining, and Zhejiang's defense is also under heavy pressure. Your 50,000-strong army could not advance to Jinling; Shi Ni was able to settle in the city and arrange it calmly. The thieves are becoming more and more threatening, and the officers and soldiers are almost overwhelmed. Day after day, Yiyuhudi! You were able to supervise the divisions in Anhui before, and General Zhang Guoliang was also known as a brave man. Why could only two towns be conquered after a long time? According to reports today, there were still many captures and beheads in the battle of Lishui, but the battle in Jurong was still not effective. Immediately, he ordered the officers and soldiers to use both strategy and bravery to capture the two cities first so that they could move to Jinling. Don't delay matters any longer and delay the overall situation. Hubei Fu Linyi, it is urgent to send troops eastward to support Anhui.
He Chun had no choice but to say again: "Long live my emperor, my servant is incompetent and has delayed the military plan. I forgive my servant for having the courage to perform." The camps in Jurong, Zhenjiang, and Lishui are estimated to have 47,000 officers and soldiers, and they need 230,000 yuan of silver per month to pay for it. The monthly Xieji silver from Jiangxi is 40,000 taels, the Zhejiang Xieji silver is 60,000 taels, and the Guangdong Xieji silver is 100,000 taels. If the money from Guangdong has not arrived, Jiangsu will provide the funds. In April of the fifth year, Jiangxi was harassed by thieves and was not cleared. While Guangdong's monthly salary is 100,000, this year it only released 130,000 twice in August. At present, there is only a Shanghai customs fee of 50,000 taels per month, and the Jiangsu vassal has raised 40,000 taels of silver. Zhejiang's 60,000 people were already over in July, which is not enough but still too many. By the end of this month, a total of 700,000 silver will be needed, and there will be a steady stream of luck. Otherwise, how can we survive if our soldiers are brave enough to be fed? Clothes have run out, there is no means to keep out the cold, I have toiled all day long, and I lie down hungry. Now we are moving our camp forward, and the attack and suppression campaign is at a critical time. The soldiers have no time to spare for a day, and their pay lasts for three months. It was the middle of winter, and the wind and frost were biting, causing people to charge to defend themselves against aggression, but also making them cry out for hunger and cry out against the cold. When strong people make noises, they have words to use as excuses; when prudent people weep and cry, they feel sad for no reason. If you use your best strength, you will be unable to do anything; if you block the situation, you will be unable to bear it. Encouraged by many sources, there is no way to fight if you are too exhausted; even if you try to find ways to achieve success, there is no way to do it. It's the end of the year in a blink of an eye. It seems that we are hungry and cold, and we are sincere and sad, and our hearts are distracted, and our breathing becomes trouble. Worrying about me at midnight makes me lose all my sleep and food!
Emperor Xianfeng was shocked: With a small amount of military pay, the governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Province was in charge of Fusi, but he wanted to shirk responsibility and was stubborn, but he became unbreakable. Yi Liang came to Beijing immediately. He Guiqing, the governor of Liangjiang, wrote a supplementary teaching, and He Jun, the chief envoy of Jiangsu, wrote the original work. Dexing'a, the Qin minister in the north of the Yangtze River, said that the method of attack is to recruit the boat masters and attack them at the same time. In this way, it is possible to conquer Guazhou; otherwise, food and wages will be wasted, and no progress will be made for another year. There was a decree before, and I ordered Hubei to appease and support Anhui Province; now I have another decree, and Hubei will not let it down.
Dexing'a has been attacking Guazhou for half a year. Although they advanced by land and water, they could not gain an inch of land. They had no choice but to report: "The strength of the officers and soldiers lies in fighting vigorously. The rebels only know how to defend. The fiercer my attack, the deeper the hideout of the thieves." Guazhou rebels have been in the cave for three years. The ditches and walls are being built day by day, and they are close to the base and form a branch of the river. The slaves repeatedly attacked to the death, but still resented the fact that Haokuan's thieves were hiding and could not sweep the hole to capture the canal. The army in Yangying camp is extremely short of pay. Last month there was not enough pay, and this month there is even less money. The Ministry of Finance allocates money to various provinces, but there is no money left to spend. Nine out of ten allocations are empty. Despite the repeated urgings from the ministry, it was still delayed and ignored.
