Chen Yucheng moved to the north of Anhui Province, and Li Xiucheng hung alone at Pukou, unable to support a single tree. He crossed south three times and faced King Chen Tianwang and King Qian: He Yao is fierce and the siege of Beijing is difficult; he must attack the empty areas of Lake and Hangzhou and attack his back. He will definitely return to rescue Hu and Hang. As soon as he withdraws his troops and goes far away, he will go back to save himself. He will definitely get good results.
Hong Xiuquan said: If the monster is prepared and attacks thousands of miles away, wouldn’t it be in vain? I am very relieved that the five brothers Yang Fuqing, Liu Guanfang, Huang Wenjin, Gu Longxian, and Lai Wenhong worked together to drive Wei Jun Yaonii and regain Chizhou. Quickly pass on my order: The Yang brothers will be promoted to the auxiliary king, the Liu brothers will be promoted to the chief general of the right army, the Huang brothers will be promoted to the chief general of the south, the ancient brothers will be promoted to the chief assistant general of the right army, and the Lai brothers will be promoted to the chief minister of the right army. This heavenly king has clear rewards and punishments, and you will be rewarded for your merits!
After Xiuquan finished speaking, he suddenly fell asleep again. Er woke up and said again: "Master Meng has sent a sign. What the loyal compatriots said is very reasonable. Maybe you can give it a try."
Hong Rengan said: Heavenly Father has given us a message. We don’t need to think twice. We have to attack long distances, surround Wei and rescue Zhao, and attack halfway. For thousands of years, we have tried and failed.
Hong Xiuquan said: "Both brothers say yes, that's it." However, if the loyal compatriots withdraw their defenses, Jiusuzhou will be lost, and Jiangbei will be in danger again; the British compatriots are deadlocked in Taihu, and they are unable to cope; Yuan Yaoshan has fallen into Huaiyuan and defeated Linhuai. Jiangbei, Wanbei, and Huainan are all in danger. I can only rely on my loyal brothers, Yang brothers, and other brothers to support Jiangnan!
Hong Rengan said: Wei Ni was expelled, Chizhou was regained, Jiangnan soldiers and horses were strong, and the Zhongwang brothers gathered together to assist the three armies of Qing, Shixian, and Guanfang. They must rescue the demon and they will definitely succeed.
Li Xiucheng said: "Inform the King of Heaven, King Qian, Weichen and Shixian, disguised as tasseled hats and uniforms, and sneaked into Hangzhou and Huzhou. When Chun Yao'er and Chun Yaoer separated their forces for rescue, we immediately returned to the army and besieged the Jiangnan camp."
In early February 1860, Li Xiucheng went to Wuhu and summoned Yang Fuqing, Li Shixian, Liu Guanfang, and Huang Wenjin to discuss attacking Hangzhou.
Li Xiucheng said: I ran thousands of miles to attack Zhejiang and Hangzhou. In fact, I surrounded Wei and rescued Zhao. I mobilized the demons and divided the troops. Then I gathered the entire army, destroyed the Jiang camp, and completely wiped out He Chun Yao'er. I have consulted with the King of England, and the matter in northern Anhui has been decided, and we will fight across the river.
Yang Fuqing said: "Southern Anhui and western Zhejiang are both places of four battles. If I attack a city, thousands of monsters will swarm." Previously, Shi Dakai laid siege to Quzhou, and before March fell, no fur was obtained from Hangzhou.
Li Shixian said: Shi Dakai besieged Quzhou with great momentum; before the battle was over, demon soldiers swarmed in; so there was nothing possible. The three provinces of Jingxian, Ningguo, and Huizhou were handed over, and each party had different powers. I found every opportunity to do everything.
Li Xiucheng said: The key to the battle is to conquer Hangzhou; Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang and a source of income, and the monster must be saved.
Huang Wenjin said: What should we do if it becomes a stalemate?
Li Xiucheng said: If there is a stalemate, we will immediately withdraw our troops and look for opportunities to fight again. I led the main force, moved forward in concealment, and secretly captured Hangzhou. When Heyao discovered it, I had already returned to the division when he was dispatching his troops. My intention is that the two brothers Li Shixian and Liu Guanfang will join forces to fight in southern Anhui with great fanfare and mobilize Zhang Fu and Zhou Tian to accept the demon army; I will then enter Guangde and take Hangzhou. Two brothers, Yang Fuqing and Huang Wenjin, organized a small battle to contain the enemy.
Li Shixian said: "If you attack it, you will save it, so that's a good thing. However, it is also a lone army advancing rashly. The road back is blocked, and there is more danger than good."
Li Xiucheng said: Guangde is the land of Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, connecting Changxing and Anji of Zhejiang Province to the east, Huizhou and Langxi to the west, Liyang and Yixing of Jiangsu Province to the north, and Ningguo, Shuidong and Yangtan to the south; In fact, it is a must for military strategists and a key point of attack and defense. Once I occupy this place, I will send an army to defend it to the death.
On February 10, 1860, Li Xiucheng ordered Ying Tianyi Li Yuan to pretend to attack Nanling, and then ordered the left army commander Li Shixian and the right army commander Liu Guanfang to jointly attack Jingxian County. Xiucheng took charge of the main force and waited in cover for battle.
On the 17th, Liu Guanfang and Li Shixian teamed up to conquer Jingxian County, and on the 20th, they conquered Jingde again. Liu and Li were victorious in World War II. Li Xiucheng was very happy and ordered the two to divide their forces, one to attack Huizhou and the other to attack Ningguo.
On February 22, Li Shixian captured Ningguo County, and Liu Guanfang captured Taiping and Jixi. Zhou Tianshou, the admiral of Hunan, and Zhang Fu, the left deputy censor, hurriedly checked for leaks and filled the vacancies, and dispatched troops and generals.
Governor Li Xiucheng led the main force, took the opportunity to march eastward, bypassed Ningguo County from Shuidong, galloped for two days and nights, and captured Guangde in one fell swoop.
Guangde was suddenly lost. He Chun, He Guiqing, Luo Zundian, Zhou Tianshou, and Zhang Fu were all frightened, and they quickly mobilized troops for reinforcements. He Chun ordered Zhejiang Admiral Zheng Kuishi to lead 4,000 troops from Gaochun south to Guangde; he also ordered deputy general Zeng Bingzhong and staff general Luo Xixian to lead 3,000 troops to advance by land and water along Suzhou and Changzhou and rush to Huzhou. Zhou Tian was consulted and asked Zhang Fu to transfer the nearby generals and rush to Qianqiu Pass. He also sent his younger brother and general Zhou Tianfu to lead 4,000 troops to Zha Si'an and control the east of Guangde. Luo Zundian, the governor of Zhejiang, quickly ordered General Li Dingtai to lead his troops into Anji to guard the southern line of Guangde. He also sent an army to Dusong Pass to control the entrance to Hangzhou. He further advised Zhang Fu to strictly guard Qianqiu Pass.
Qing troops gathered around Guangde, and Li Xiucheng was not afraid. He personally led his generals Tan Shaoguang, Lu Shunde, and Wu Dingcai to attack Si'an, hoping to break through and attack Hangzhou. Li Shixian also led an army to march eastward along Ningguo and captured Anji in one fell swoop.
Li Dingtai, the commander-in-chief of Quzhou Town, led the reinforcements to Anji City. He did not dare to attack rashly, so he turned to Meixi and relied on Si'an to protect himself. Li Dingtaifu arrived at Meizhen. Before the fort was built, he was attacked by Li Shixian. Dingtaifu was caught off guard and fled to Huzhou. Shixian did not pursue him, but sent his army north to assist Xiucheng and besieged Si'an. Zhou Tianfu was unable to defeat him and fled to Huzhou. The Li brothers joined forces and conquered Hongxingqiao Town again, marching into Changxing, a short distance from Huzhou.
Li Xiucheng told Li Shixian: I will leave Chen Kunshu and Chen Bingwen to guard Guangde as a follow-up response; my brother will build up momentum and attack Huzhou; I will lead the main force to surprise Hangzhou.
Li Shixian said: "The demon can only loosen the pass, but one man can hold the pass and ten thousand men cannot open it. How can I break through?"
Li Xiucheng said: "I quietly drove south, passing through Mogan Mountain and Tianmu Mountain, and reached the city of Hangzhou." My brother's attack on Huzhou became more and more powerful, and I became more successful.
On March 7, 1860, Li Shixian led 20,000 troops to besiege Huzhou. Li Dingtai and Zhou Tianfu were both defeated generals under Shi Xian and did not dare to fight. They only sent troops and horses to resist in the city.
Huzhou was in a hurry. The Imperial Envoy He Chun and the Governor of Liangjiang He Guiqing held long discussions. They all thought that Li Xiucheng would cross Taihu Lake and attack southern Jiangsu. He Chun urgently ordered Zhang Yuliang, the admiral and commander-in-chief, to lead four thousand troops to aid Huzhou; he also ordered Zheng Kuishi to transfer to Yixing and take care of Liyang. Li Ruozhu was then ordered to lead four thousand troops to Changzhou; another two thousand troops were mobilized from Yangzhou and rushed to southern Jiangsu; they were all returned to He Guiqing's control. He Guiqing urgently ordered Wang Youling, the feudal lord, and Cai Yingdou, the feudal lord, to go to Jiapu Town to secure the key to southern Jiangsu. Zhang Fu, the censor of the left deputy capital, also knew the importance of southern Jiangsu. He also sent the general Mi Xingchao and the general Yuan Guoxiang with six thousand troops to advance by land and water to assist Huzhou. He also dispatched the general soldier Rao Tingxuan of Gannan Town to march from Quzhou to Yan State, camera support.
Luo Zundian, the governor of Zhejiang, did not attach great importance to Huzhou and sent two thousand troops to Dusong Pass to protect Hangzhou.
He Guiqing, the governor of Liangjiang, reprimanded him for defending rather than fighting, and for defending the near but not the far.
He Chun repeatedly mobilized troops and generals, and was anxious. He reported: The troops to besiege Jinling were already insufficient, and more than 9,000 troops had been sent out. Now the two provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang were shocked at the same time. The overall situation in the southeast was at stake, so they had to be mobilized again and again to put them first. Urgent.
Emperor Xianfeng first reprimanded those in the south of the Yangtze River: The troops dispatched must not fall behind, and the Zhejiang defense troops must not rely on their bravery. They must intercept quickly and do not disturb the mature areas. He also reprimanded Luo Zundian: We should not use useful soldiers as a defensive strategy. We should always intercept them head-on to prevent them from escaping, and the common people can protect the perfect area.
When He Chun and others mobilized troops to reinforce Huzhou, Li Xiucheng had already supervised the main force, marched across the Mogan and Tianmu mountains, and sneaked to the city of Hangzhou in five days.
Luo Zundian, the governor of Zhejiang, urgently requested Zeng Guofan, Hu Linyi, He Chun, He Guiqing, Zhang Fu, Zhou Tianshou, etc. to rush for help.
Zeng Guofan received the advice and said to Hu Linyi: "Thousands of miles away, even if the bird is flying, it may not be able to slow down the emergency."
Hu Linyi sighed and said: In such a situation, Luo Zundian is hopeless! When Hu Xingren took office as the governor of Zhejiang, He Guiqing denounced Zhejiang as a dark place. Which one? Hu Xingren once supervised the operations of the grain station for Brother Di, so why should he be regarded as a passerby? Luo Zundian was once under my command, so He must regard Luo as a thorn in his side. He once said: The southeastern half seems to be something I cannot support. If the brave soldiers of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces are controlled by one person, they will be able to quickly perform skin skills. Now that the time has come, how could He miss it?
Zeng Guofan said: In the fifth year of Xianfeng, I ordered Guo Songtao to raise wages for Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but He Guiqing did not give any. In the sixth year of Xianfeng, Li Yuandu's army defeated Fuzhou. He Guiqing was afraid that we would not leave, so he rushed to play. Our Zhangshu Town was defeated, so why did we repeatedly say that Zhejiang was harmed by neighboring feudal states? Jiangyou mistakenly thought of Zeng Disheng's cowardice, and actually sat back and watched, unable to do anything. He Guiqing's words are all to suppress us; the rebels are wreaking havoc and we are destroyed, is it beneficial? He Guiqing's chicken intestines and dog's belly are not enough. His words and deeds are even inferior to those of his disciple Li Zhaoshou.
Hu Linyi said: Li Zhaoshou was double-dealing and extremely despicable, but he repeatedly resorted to recruiting and surrendering. Recently, he recruited more than 10,000 Quanjiao thieves to rebel. The four-eyed dog has given up on northern Anhui and went to attack Zhaoshou. I can use my hands and feet to attack the city and seize the territory, and besiege Anqing.
Zeng Guofan laughed and said: Li Zhaoshou is self-respecting in his troops, and is arrogant and lawless. He is from the west of Chuzhou and belongs to the Five Rivers in the north. They are all gates and towns, and the herdsmen cannot govern the people. I feel ashamed just thinking about how despicable this person is; not to mention letting go and doing things, it will only make my heart and liver torture. However, relying on victory and protection, Zhaoshou gradually became powerful.
Hu Linyi said: If you are proud of your life, who will not forget it? He Guiqing relied on the two military ministers Qi Zuozao and Peng Yunzhang, and he became domineering. Fengyang Miao Peilin, relying on his victory, in the name of Yunian, built high walls, hoarded grains, supported hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and did whatever he wanted! The world is in chaos, and the hozen appears!
Zeng Guofan sighed: Our position only depends on the rise of the Cantonese bandits and the desire to be submissive.
Hu Linyi said: When you are prosperous, you should think about it when it is bad, and when you are on the field, you should think about it when you are off. Xiao is a powerful official, and we all have casual acquaintances with him. We work hard, but we work hard, regardless of the harvest.
Zeng Guofan said: "Whether I am the emperor or a great rebel, I will let the wind and clouds rise, but I will be calm and gentle." I immediately ordered Zeng Guoquan to fly across northern Anhui, organize the army and weapons, sharpen swords, and compete for Anqing.
He Chun received Luo Zundian's request for assistance and urgently ordered Zhang Yuliang, the commander-in-chief of Barkol, to fly to Hangzhou.
Zhang Yuliang received the order and rushed to Zhejiang Province. On March 16, he went to Changzhou and paid a visit to He Guiqing, the governor of Liangjiang as usual.
He Guiqing said: The thieves' counterattack in Hangzhou is really a false shot; southern Jiangsu is an important offensive and defensive area. When Brother Zhang arrives in Suzhou, he must check for leaks and fill in the gaps to consolidate the defense of Suzhou City. The city wall of Hangzhou is strong and it will be difficult to defeat the rebels for a while. The defense of Suzhou city is stable, so it will not be too late for Brother Zhang to come to Hangzhou's aid again.
Zhang Yuliang said: "I will always remember the palace protection instructions."
After Zhang Yuliang left, He Guiqing reported: The troops to aid Zhejiang were sent from Jiangsu, Quzhou, and Ningguo. In Zhejiang Province, there were also troops from Li Dingtai and Zhongsun Mao, with equal official ranks but different orders. Wei Chen asked He Chun to take charge of Zhejiang's military affairs, and Zhang Yuliang commanded the troops supporting Zhejiang. All the officers and soldiers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Huizhou, and Ningxia were attentive to the arrangements, and the power of common affairs was unified. They did not have to go into many political affairs, and they were indecisive, which delayed the overall situation.
Emperor Xianfeng wrote it and played it accurately, but time waits for no one. On March 19, the Taiping Army blew down the city wall of Hangzhou and poured into the outer city. After two days of fierce fighting, they killed more than 2,000 people under the command of Luo Zundian, the governor of Zhejiang, and then besieged the inner city. Hangzhou General Ruichang defended the city wall and resisted to the death.
On the 23rd, Governor Zhang Yuliang led reinforcements to the city of Hangzhou. Seeing this, Li Xiucheng stopped attacking the enemy, planted a flag as a suspicion, and evacuated overnight, turning to Yuhang. On the 29th, he captured Lin'an, raised funds and grain, followed the route he had taken, climbed Tianmu Mountain again, and conquered Xiaofeng City again. On April 4, Xiucheng led his army to Guangde again, and immediately consulted the two kings Ying and Fu, and ordered the generals of the armies to gather in Guangde to discuss the war.
Within seven days, in addition to the King of England, various military commanders arrived one after another.
