The stone tablet was suddenly lost, and Taihu and Huoshan were trapped again. Chen Yucheng was so impatient that he pretended to cross the Yangtze River from the east and west Liangshan to attack in the south. He also sent his army to the south to cross Wuhu, attack from the west and east, and pretended to attack the long siege of Tianjing.
He Chun urgently ordered Zhang Guoliang to go south to deal with it, and ordered Xiong Tianxi and Zhang Yuliang to lead the newly recruited troops to bravely return to protect Changwei.
The claim to the south was successful, and Chen Yucheng personally led the main force to attack Li Ruozhu's tribe from the north in an attempt to break the siege of Liuhe. However, the long-term attack failed, and Yucheng regained his claim to the east.
On October 8, 1859, Xuyi and Tianchang garrison received Chen Yucheng's military order, poured out of the city wall, and marched south to Ganquan Mountain, twenty miles away from Yangzhou. On the 11th, Liu Xuanlin led tens of thousands of horses and troops from Situ Temple to Wayaopu, from northwest to southeast, straight to Bo Wantou and Wutai Mountain barracks, approaching the northwest gates of Yangzhou. Chen Yucheng personally led his troops to Sancha River and controlled the southeast of Yangzhou.
Yangzhou was in emergency, and He Chun urgently ordered the guerrilla Hukun Yang troops to cross the river to provide assistance. He also ordered the registered general and deputy general Zhang Weibang to lead 5,000 soldiers to bravely return to Yangjun at night. Li Ruozhu, the Minister of Jiangbei Assistant Affairs Bureau, also sent two thousand troops to help Yangzhou.
The claim to the east was successful again, and Chen Yucheng once again ordered the Taiping Army in Ganquan Mountain to detour through the small road to attack Chen Banqiao and look at Li Ruozhu's Liuhe camp. Yucheng personally led the main force to conquer Hongshan Kiln in one fell swoop and cut off Li Jun's retreat route. Then gather the whole army and encircle Li Ruozhu's tribe.
While the siege of Yucheng was in full swing, news came from Tianjing that Wei Junchizhou had rebelled and surrendered, and Li Xiucheng was decreed to be the loyal king.
Chen Yucheng said: The prediction of the King of Heaven has been half fulfilled. A slap in the face and a jujube made Li Xiucheng calm down. Xiucheng, Shixian, and Fuqing can resist Wei Jun's rebels, and we only need to concentrate on besieging Li Yao.
Li Ruozhu's voice was interrupted, He Chun was shocked, and he urgently ordered Zhang Weibang to help Liuhe; he also ordered the guerrilla commander Zeng Bingzhong to lead the navy to the Baimiao River to attack the waterway; and then ordered Feng Zicai to lead a thousand troops to Liuhe, and the president went on his own. Reinforcements.
Chen Yucheng surrounded the point for reinforcements and ordered all his troops to attack in separate ways from Hongshan Kiln. He also ordered Supervisor Liu Xuanlin to lead the main force to copy Feng Zicai's retreat. Feng Zicai was defeated and retreated to the riverside, relying on the navy to protect himself.
Li Ruozhu repeatedly tried to break through the encirclement, but failed. After half a month, the food, goods and medicine were exhausted, so he killed the horses to eat. After three days, the horses were exhausted. The soldiers were hungry and exhausted, so they grabbed rancid water to eat. Some of the brave soldiers died of starvation. Ruozhu knew that he would die, so he prepared his legacy and waited silently for death. Guerrilla Zhan Qilun is unwilling to tie up his hands, so he reports to Ruozhu that he may be able to escape under the guise of rebelling against the bandits. Ruozhu accepted Zhanyi and took dozens of soldiers to escape from the siege.
Hu Linyi heard that Zeng Guofan said: "Chen thieves surrounded Li Ruozhu, and they could not break through after several battles." The thieves suddenly sent a group of soldiers and horses to the edge of Yangzhou city. Yangzhou was in urgent need, so Li Ruozhu divided his troops and went there. The thieves rushed to attack Li Ruozhu's stronghold and were surrounded.
Zeng Guofan said: "Chen's thieves are quick to sneak in when they see a crack, and their bravery is erratic. If we engage in a battle with this thieves, we can only fight in a dead camp!" Yesterday, I received a report from Yang Zaifu, saying that Wei Jun in Chizhou had no less than tens of thousands of troops. He surrendered on September 27 this year, handed over hundreds of counterfeit seals, and dispatched his troops to capture Wuhu at the appointed time. He redeemed himself with meritorious service. The matter was so serious that Yang Zaifu did not dare to start the memorial for fear of fraud. He promised to use gunboats to assist him. After he was successful, he began to ask for the memorial.
Hu Linyi said: Four years ago, I shot a book into Wuchang to persuade him to surrender. However, he has no regrets and is willing to die. Four years later, with no other options, he surrendered. Wei Jun is a man with a heart of stone, so this move must have been carefully thought out and there is absolutely no deception.
Zeng Guofan said: "I have ordered Yang Zaifu to send General Li Chengmou and General Qian Li Chucai to Chizhou to assist him."
Hu Linyi said: "So, Chizhou and Wuhu all belong to me." This matter is no small matter, and Peng Yulin's troops should also go to Xiang to help. Li Xuyi, Xiao Qijiang, and Zhang Yunlan were delayed in arriving, and the war in northern Anhui could only be postponed again and again.
Zeng Guofan said: "Southern Anhui will be restored soon. Please runzhi immediately order Peng Bu to go." My emperor has repeatedly ordered us to attack Anhui and enter the Soviet Union. I have drafted a rough draft. I would like to ask Runzhi to observe and correct it, and then sign the official document and issue it.
Hu Linyi said: "How dare you, how dare you? Brother Di's essay is full of insights and insights. If you add a word, you will become fatter. If you lose a word, you will lose weight."
On November 12, 1859, Zeng Guofan, Hu Linyi, and the official joint officials declared: Hong Xiuquan occupied Jinling, Chen Yucheng occupied Anqing, privately owned Zhengshuo, pretended to be a prince, and was a thief who stole the title. Shi Dakai and others traveled from Zhejiang to Fujian, to Jiangsu, to Hunan, to Guangxi, and they were like thieves. Gong and Zhang Zhu's twisters have many strands, and their division and union are unpredictable, making them look like thieves. Since the civil strife in Hongyang and the victory of Zhenjiang, the fierce flames of Jinling's rebels have faded for a long time. Chen Yucheng has been traveling to the north of the Yangtze River, colluding with the Nian bandits, and repeatedly defeating our division in Luzhou, Pukou, Sanhe and other places, thus causing the erosion of northern Anhui to become more and more widespread, and the south of the Yangtze River to be destroyed. The thieves have endless food. If you want to clear all the roads, you must first attack Jinling. After Jinling is defeated, the overall situation will be boosted. Then the soldiers of the Jiangnan camp can be divided into several provinces, and their wages can be divided into several places. If you want to break Jinling, you must first station heavy troops in Chuhe, and then you can go to the outer screen of Jiangning and cut off the grain road from Wuhu. If you want to garrison troops in Chuhe, you must first encircle Anqing to break Chen Ni's lair; you must also attack Luzhou to attack Chen Ni and rescue him. Cheng can besiege two places and capture nearby counties. We should be prepared to use more strength. Not only do we not dare to rush northward to Qiyu, we also dare not go eastward to Jiangpu and Liuhe. The thief who stole the account did not try his best to protect his roots.
After Guofan and Lin Yi were cleared, it was reported that Li Xuyi's troops had arrived in Yuezhou. Hu Linyi said happily: Within ten days, Li Xi'an's army will definitely arrive. I immediately ordered Yu Jichang to lead an army of five thousand to attack Qianshan Tiantang Town. This place stretches for two hundred miles, with thousands of mountains and thin mountains. It is dangerous on the outside and barren in the middle. Follow the southeast to Shuihou Ridge to Qianshan, and follow the east to Longjing Pass to reach Tongcheng. Follow the east and slightly north to get out of Xiaotian Zeshu City, and then north to Huoshan Mountain, which is the Ao District in northern Anhui. The rebels don't know that it is a natural danger and there are few defensive troops. Our garrison is strong and can be a transfer place for the large army.
Zeng Guofan said: Xiao Qijiang and Zhang Yunlan have not arrived yet, and we do not have enough troops. We will fight again later.
Hu Linyi said: "Ding You will be safe at home. Yuan Jiasan can control the Jianghuai River. There is no danger for our north for the time being." Chen Yucheng had been fighting for a long time, and his troops were almost exhausted. I occupy Tiantang Town, occupy the terrain, wait for work in leisure, and wait for the rebels.
Zeng Guofan said: "Since the battle in Runzhi, I will go to Huangmei to coordinate the offensive and defensive matters."
Hu Linyi said: "Chen Ni leads the army and is erratic. Brother Di can order Yuanfu to cross north. One is to protect Brother Di nearby, and the other is to sharpen Yuanfu's ambition." Although Yuanfu is small, he can conduct battles calmly and is good at both offense and defense, so he can be of great use.
Zeng Guofan said: "I don't know about Runzhi, but Yuanfu is busy. Every time he comes to a city, he must take leave and return to his hometown to buy land and build a house." I don't know where it is, but thanks to my and Runzhi's command, others are leading the army, and Lao Jiu, even if he has nine heads, is far away from him.
Hu Linyi smiled and said: Yuanfu's behavior is actually human nature. Returning to his hometown in rich clothes and honoring his ancestors are also people's long-cherished wish. However, you and I are both miserable people, and we cannot do things that please ourselves.
Zeng Guofan said: Those who plan for great things must first focus on the pattern. When Laojiu bought land and built a house, he became a wealthy man and was incompatible with us. From Runzhi's perspective, if Chen Ni attacks Taihu, how will he respond?
Hu Linyi said: Xiaochiyi Station in the east of Taihu City runs from east to west, passing through Qianshan and Tongcheng to Luzhou in the east, and passing through Susong in the west to Hubei Province. It has always been a battleground for military strategists. If the Chen thieves arrived, Tang Xunfang would continue to besiege the city. Bao Chao would enter Zha Xiaochiyi, and Duolong'a and Jiang Ning would occupy the left and right camps. They would fight to the death for ten days. Brother Di and Li Xuyi would then chase them away to ensure victory. How about joining Zhen Qian's army and sending his brother to protect him?
Zeng Guofan said, "It's impossible. Although Guo Bao and I are close brothers, as we relax, Guo Bao becomes farther and farther away from me."
Zeng Guofan said goodbye to Hu Linyi with a sad look on his face. Zhao Liewen asked why. The vassal of the country said: "Everyone has come out from under me, but how can they all return to Duke Hu?" The same goes for Guohua and Guobao.
Zhao Liewen said: "Everyone has private interests. If you can't get an official position or get rich, what will you do if you don't leave?"
Zeng Guofan said: What should I do?
Zhao Liewen said: You can't benefit alone, and you will lose if you stand alone; you can't plan with everyone, and there are different opinions, and it's difficult to agree on one thing. He who gathers the private parts of many people can become the public servant of one person. When you raise your arms and call out, those who respond will gather, which is a sign of momentum; when wealth is gathered, people disperse, and when wealth is dispersed, people gather, this is for profit. Everyone in the world is a snob, and I am among them.
Zeng Guofan said: It is clear that listening to your words is better than reading ten years of books.
Yu Jichang took Hu Linyi's military order and captured Tiantang Town on November 20, 1859.
On the 21st, Li Xuyi led nine thousand Xiangyong troops and arrived in Huangzhou; both Guofan and Lin Yi were very happy. The next day, Guofan got up and rushed to Huangmei. Hu Linyi and Li Xuyi's troops marched eastward to Qizhou and attacked Chen Deyuan. They immediately ordered the troops not to take the dangerous city lightly, which would only increase casualties;
Zeng Guofan and Hu Linyi joined forces to attack Anhui. Chen Yucheng did not dare to neglect, so he gathered the entire army and attacked Yangzhou again. He also ordered Vice President Tima Ronghe to lead a powerful force to cross the river and attack Jinzhu Pass and Moling Pass, copying the Jiangnan Camp; Li Shixian was then ordered to attack Huangchi and harass the Jiangnan camp.
He Chun complained endlessly and ordered Li Ruozhu and Ma Dezhao to guard Yangzhou strictly and not to leave lightly; Feng Zicai rushed to Guazhou; Liu Jisan guarded the long wall of Jinling South Road and Moling Pass; Zheng Kuishi guarded Gaochun and Dongba.
The Admiral of Guyuan, Ma Dezhao, refused to defend himself and led an army out of the city to attack, destroying more than ten Taiping Army fortresses in one battle.
Liu Xuanlin said: Ma Dezhao is a demon who is brave and brave, and Yangcheng is difficult to defeat. Wei Jun's generals Huang Wenjin, Gu Longxian, Liu Guanfang, Lai Wenhong, etc. were reported to have drunkenly drank away their spirits. They suddenly woke up and resolutely decided to attack Chizhou together.
Chen Yucheng said: "Wei Jun will betray his relatives and leave, and Chizhou will be defeated sooner or later." We besiege Yangcheng. If we can break it, we will break it. If we can't break it, we don't need to use force. The army drove eastward and attacked Liangpu, saving Xiucheng from water and fire and breaking the siege of Tianjing. Ma Ronghe's troops attacked Moling Pass again to contain Hechun's main force.
On November 15, 1859, Chen Yucheng personally led the main force back to Pukou and surrounded Zhou Tianpei's army.
Hechun was frightened and urgently ordered Zhang Yuliang to lead his troops to rush to the rescue; the next day, he ordered Zhang Guoliang to go north to command the war between Liangpu and Pupu.
Chen Yucheng also dispatched troops and generals, and 20,000 soldiers and civilians from Tianchang and Liuhe marched south to join the Liangpu battlefield. On the 21st, Yucheng gathered the entire army and attacked Zhou Tianpei's camp at night.
Tianpei was not yet thirty years old and was very brave. After seven days of bloody fighting, only five or six of the fifty-six forts were left. Seeing that there was no hope of holding on, Tianpei personally led the remaining troops to attack in different directions. Yucheng fought and retreated, but Tianpei chased him further and further until he entered Yucheng's preset ambush, and they were all surrounded and killed. Zhang Guoliang's reinforcements arrived and the war was over; Guoliang was defeated and retreated angrily.
He Chun heard that he sent Feng Zicai's troops to help.
Yucheng killed Tianpei, relieved Pukou, gathered Li Xiucheng's troops, attacked Jiangpu again, built a fortress on the mountain, and surrounded Zhang Guoliang's camp on three sides.
Zhang Guoliang was fearless and, together with Feng Zicai, attacked Chen Yucheng's camp day and night. On November 30, Zhang Yuliang led his troops to arrive. Zhang Guoliang, who was ready to kill, personally led his troops, threw grass and mosses, and charged with smoke.
Chen Yucheng refused to attack and sat firmly in the middle of the army. He only ordered the artillery, stone and arrows to be fired as much as he wanted. Guoliang attacked from behind, unable to gain a foothold, and the casualties doubled. Chief Minister Bao Ting also died midway. Guoliang did not dare to attack again and hurriedly withdrew his troops to defend the Yushan camp. He also sent Zhang Yuliang to lead his troops back to protect Jiangpu County.
Zhang Guoliang withdrew his troops, but Chen Yucheng counterattacked, but failed. He then turned to attack Jiangpu, built many camp camps in secret, set up forts to bombard the city day and night, and dug tunnels behind the camps in order to buy goods and explosives to blow up the city.
Zhang Yuliang carried on for four days to protect the city wall. That night, Yuliang sent troops to lower the city, throwing spray cannons and rockets, burning wooden cards, and destroying tunnels. The Taiping troops were unprepared and abandoned their camp and fled.
Chen Yucheng mobilized his troops to attack again, but suddenly received a detective report: Huoshan County and Tiantang Town were again captured by Zeng Guofan, Hu Linyi, and Weng Tongshu, and Taihu, Luzhou, Anqing, Shucheng, and Tongcheng were in emergency.
Chen Yucheng then told Li Xiucheng: Anhui Province is an important land for grain supplies in the Kingdom of Heaven and cannot be lost. Tiantang Town is an important strategic point on all roads and must be recaptured. I have killed the two demons Zeng and Hu, and then I will come to help my brother.
Li Xiucheng said: Wei Jun rebelled and surrendered, Wannan was weak, Yang Fuqing had too much time to take care of himself, and Li Shixian was unable to attack He Chun Yao'er. I can handle Jiangpu here. If my brother leaves, the kingdom of heaven will be in danger!
Chen Yucheng said: I have left 10,000 troops, enough for three months. After three months, I have conquered northern Anhui.
