When Zeng Guofan accepted the imperial edict to unify Zhejiang, he burst into tears and immediately wrote: "The Holy Grace is so great that I ordered my ministers to stay in mourning for the rest of the year, and ordered Qi to recover, so as to avoid the responsibility of escaping from the world." A gratitude pillow is beyond words. Wei Chen immediately gave orders: Xiao Qijiang, Zhang Yunlan, Wang Kaihua and others were stationed in Hekou Town, Qianshan. As soon as the ministers arrived, they immediately entered Zhejiang. The heart has already flown before Guanshan, thousands of miles of military planes can arrive in one day. The weak body is dull, and the sun will come out immediately.
When Emperor Xianfeng heard about it, he was delighted: You have been ordered to go as soon as possible. This shows that you care about the overall situation and are loyal and brave.
When the vassal state came to Changsha, Zuo Zongtang greeted him and said: "I respect the auspiciousness of the recent situation, and I am very happy and comforted." If I don't respect my followers for a year, I will be suspicious of my brother. I think and feel sad, my family and country are here, why should I hold on to them with anger! The two rebels are in conflict, Shi Dakai is not interested in Zhejiang and Gansu, what do you think?
Guofan said: My words are absolutely correct. Yesterday I received a letter from Guo Tsuen, saying that my brother was very concerned and thanked him. My brother's extravagant words may seem like personal friendship, but they are actually for the sake of the country! Resigning hastily will result in loss of employment. Over the past year, I have been frustrated with many things, depressed in my chest, and suffered from insomnia. The old itching has been suppressed. There is nothing more boring in life than this.
Zongtang said, "Brother is suffering from two illnesses. I have a few pills. Take them quickly. I'll wait and see the effect and give them to you."
With just a few words, Guofan suddenly felt a warm current rushing over him and sighed: If I don't always disobey, it will be better than ten thousand pills of good medicine. After lying dormant for a year, I learned more about Huang Lao's teachings, changed hardness into softness, combined hardness and softness, and became more practical and practical. It is also like Runzhi, who is loyal to the official like a brother, treats Duolong's brother kindly, serves Xubin's old mother like a relative, and pours tens of thousands of gold into the generals like water. In this way, there will be no treason and rebellion, and Exiang will be prosperous.
Zuo Zongtang said: Hu Runzhi is beautiful in all directions, and they are all for the national good, but there is nothing special about her own family. I am as violent as thunder, and my brother is gentle and gentle as water, both of you and I are good at it. Don't imitate others and paint tigers like dogs.
The state vassals laughed and said goodbye to Zongtang. They were polite to Luo Bingzhang, the governor of Hunan, and headed north to Wuchang.
After Zeng Guofan said goodbye, Luo Bingzhang said: Zeng Di's experience in knowing people is beyond the past and present. He may encounter it in the dust and think it is a great weapon at first sight; However, upon closer inspection, it does seem pedantic.
Zuo Zongtang laughed and said: "Looking at him as dull and rotten, he looks like an old Confucian, but in fact he is extremely sophisticated. Mr. Futai, please do not be deceived by him." There is another person who is pedantic, boring and rotten. Fan Xie, the commander-in-chief of Yongzhou Town, is ridiculed by the commander-in-chief of the sedan chair. He neglects his duties, does not plan to fight and defend, and drinks and has fun every day. He is more than pedantic, dull and rotten!
Luo Bingzhang said: Huang Wenchen, the prefect of Yongzhou, has repeatedly said that Fan is stupid. I will find out immediately and impeach him.
Zuo Zongtang said: This person is a distant relative of Lake Governor Wen, so you must be cautious.
Luo Bingzhang said: I don't look at his words, only his actions. If there is solid evidence, he will be impeached immediately.
Hu Linyi, the governor of Hubei Province, heard that Zeng Guofan had arrived, killed chickens and sheep, and entertained him lavishly. After three drinks, Lin Yi smiled and asked, "Commander Di is passing through Changsha, are you kidding Mr. Zuo?"
Zeng Guofan laughed and said: "Runzhi has come to see you, I am not the commander-in-chief, but your brother." There is nothing to say about the trip to Changsha. Zuo Jigao was joking but not abusive.
Hu Linyi sighed: Zuo Gong is proud of his talent, but I try to persuade him to make a profit, but he will suffer a loss. Fortunately, my brother Di has the capacity to store it.
Zeng Guofan felt ashamed and said: Along the way, Xiaoxiang, Chutian, and Jingran became peaceful, thanks to the power of brother and Ji Gao. My brother raised an army of 60,000 soldiers in the barren area of Hubei Province, and the monthly cost was as much as 400,000 yuan. However, the merchants and people were not in ruins, and the officials were ineffective. This was all due to my careful and silent operation. When I occupied Nankang, the masses were suspicious and insulted, and the rivers filled with tears. Now that I have been idle for another year, without my brother and Ji Gao’s strong recommendation, Xiangxiang will be lost!
Hu Linyi said: The world is corrupt, relying on the support of two or three of us. Brother Di used his "Call to the Cantonese Bandits" to fight against Xiangtan in the first battle, Yueyang in the second battle, Wuchang in the third battle, Tianzhen again, and Xun, Hu, Po, and Nan. Without brothers, there would be no Chuxiang today. As the saying goes, brother Di planted a tree to enjoy the shade.
Zeng Guofan said: Runzhi is polite. Shi Nida Kai, still brave?
Hu Linyi said: The thieves are attacking Jinling, and the soldiers and generals are disloyal. They are not as good as before.
Zeng Guofan stayed in Hubei for seven days, and had a heart-to-heart talk with Hu Linyi. After running out of conversational resources, he left for Jiangxi. Stopping at Lanxi, Li Xubin, Peng Yulin, Zeng Guohua, Li Xuyi, Tang Xunfang and others came one after another.
Zeng Guofan said to Li Xubin: If we attack Anqing, will it be as strong as nine soldiers and strong horses?
Li Xubin said: Prepare your troops with strength, be prepared for the danger, and fight to the death! The two elite battalions of Zhu Pinlong and Tang Yixun will be dispatched by Commander Di immediately. Zhu Pinlong and Tang Yixun obey the order! Only stay by Mr. Zeng's side and never stay away.
Zeng Guofan said: Thank you Rujiu. After three years of fierce fighting, the situation has gradually become clearer, and the dead words can no longer be spoken. It was an established strategy to attack Anqing with a large army. Anqing is the main trunk of the tree, and its side branches and leaves, such as Shucheng, Tongcheng, Lujiang, Taihu, etc., should be cut off one by one. Shu, Tong, Lu, Tai and other cities are all based around Chaohu Lake and are determined to advance in Jiu. They must rely on the sharpness of the navy and avoid taking risks alone. I arrived in Nanchang to secure the rear for my brother and others as reinforcement. Dingjiu, Wen Fu is as close as a family. After fighting, do you watch the wind, admire the moon and eat wine?
Zeng Guohua said with a smile: My brother traveled from Hunan to Hubei, along Hubei to Jiangxi, and along Jiangxi to Zhejiang. After this journey, the war has been decided before reaching Quzhou!
Zeng Guofan said: The war in Zhejiang is really about people who are anxious and cannot eat hot tofu. Whoever is anxious will eat it.
Shi Dakai's offensive became more urgent, and the Zhejiang region became increasingly dangerous. Li Dingtai, the commander-in-chief of Jiujiang Town, was very anxious. After entering Yanzhou Prefecture in Zhejiang Province and Zha Yangxi Ferry, he joined forces with Duan Guangqing, the Zhejiang Division Commander, to discuss the attack on Shouchang.
Li Dingtai said: It has rained heavily for days, the roads are muddy, and the land route is unbearable.
Duan Guangqing said: "I set up a boat to prepare for a surprise attack on the Zhentai waterway."
On July 7, 1858, Li Dingtai and Duan Guangqing led 5,000 troops and 40 troops in boats. They were divided into four groups and attacked Shouchang at night. The Taiping army was unprepared and fled in panic.
Shi Dakai panicked and told Zhang Sui: "We have been attacking the Qu for three months, but we have been unable to defeat it. Now Shouchang has been lost again, and there is no hope for Yanzhou and Hangzhou. After Fuxing Yao'er has revived and raised troops to attack, reinforcements and thieves from all walks of life are coming in droves. What should we do?"
Zhang Suimou said: Shi Zhenji rebelled against his order and attacked the southeast, which led to today's critical situation. We can't wait any longer in Zhejiang. We go south to Fujian and meet Yang to assist the Qing Dynasty, and then we can move forward.
Shi Dakai sighed and said: This is the only way! My order is: The tribes in Changshan will fight and then retreat, go south to join the tribes in Jiangshan, enter Fujian in turn, and then turn to Pucheng. After the troops from Changshan and Jiangshan moved in, we immediately burned the camp and left Quzhou, rushed into Chuzhou, gathered at Longquan, and headed into Fujian.
Shi Dakai led his army to move south, and Emperor Xianfeng ordered Zhou Tianshou, Li Dingtai, Rao Tingxuan, Zhou Tianpei and others to pursue and suppress them immediately.
Zhou Tian received the memorial and said: If Shi Ni peeps at Fujian Province, I will join Qi Ling to send troops from Jiujiang, Li Dingtai from Xianxiaguan, Qingrui from Yanping, and I will attack Pucheng from Longquan and suppress them on all sides.
Just after Zeng Guofan arrived in Nanchang, Qi Ling, the governor of Jiangxi, asked urgently: Mr. Zeng, Shi Ni is running from southern Zhejiang, are you following him?
The vassal said: Before the edict arrives, I dare not act rashly. In one year, the stone traveled against the current for 20 or 30 cities, attacking western Jiangxi in the morning, reaching eastern Jiangxi in the evening, returning to western Zhejiang at night, and entering northern Fujian in the morning. It was erratic and unsteady, with no foundation in its settlement. It did not harm the people deeply and was not something to be afraid of. . Zhejiang holds the Canghai Sea to the east, and the mountains of Fujian spread out. The troops in the two provinces have not developed, and they will retreat if they rebel. You and I will try our best to wipe out the remaining bandits in Jiangxi first. Last year, my dear brother Guo Quan was promoted to Tongzhi. The feudal lord would like to thank you here.
Qiling said: Master Zeng, please don't say thank you. In the ninth and tenth months of last year, Zhou Fengshan's Fengzi camp collapsed, Wang Xin died of illness, Liu Tenghong died in battle, Liu Changyou and Xiao Qijiang surrounded Linjiang, but failed after repeated battles. Jiangxi was in decline for a while, and Yuan Fu arrived, integrated all the armies, and encircled Ji'an again. He tried his best to stop the three rebellions of Shi Zhenji, Yang Fuqing, and Shi Dakai. He killed countless thieves and turned the tide. He was still grateful.
Guofan said: The main force of Shi Ni entered Fujian from Zhejiang. The rebels here are in the void. We should gather our troops and attack Fuzhou, Fujian and Ji'an fiercely. If Fuzhou and Fujian are destroyed, the stone thieves will have no rear; if Ji'an is destroyed again, Ruizhou, Linjiang, Nanchang, and Yuanzhou will become one continuous area, and the stone thieves will no longer have a way out. For the main march of the army, I composed "Love Folk Song", "Disbandment Song" and "Don't Run Away". Please correct me.
