Chapter 139 Li Xiucheng besieged Yuhuatai (2)
Chen Kunshu, Huang Wenjin, and Hu Dingwen fought repeatedly to no avail. The loyal king Li Xiucheng was very worried and asked Chen Kun to attack the important pass of Jinzhu Pass and cut off the grain road. Huang Wenjin and Hu Dingwen temporarily abandoned the waterway and joined forces with Yang Fuqing, Lai Wenhong, Liu Guanfang, and Gu. The Longxian tribe jointly attacked Ningjun and competed for southern Anhui.
Huang Wenjin and Hu Dingwen received the order and immediately went south. On October 13, they arrived in Shuiyang and attacked Xinhezhuang. The army stretched for hundreds of miles and reached the west of Ningguo. Yang Fuqing also sent troops out of Jianping and reached the east of Ningguo City.
On the same day, Li Xiucheng led an army of 300,000 troops, starting from Fangshan in the east and reaching Banqiao in the west, and besieged the Zeng Guoquan and Zeng Guobao camps with all their strength.
Zeng Guoquan resisted tenaciously and fought for one day. He urgently ordered his troops: The situation in the military camp this year is different from that in the past. It is actually suffering from illness. This time, he will defend the camp and build trench walls. He will offer a heavy reward for those who are not sick and who have recovered. Teams of two or three. The thieves' firearms were a hundred times more advantageous to us, and they also used cannons to attack the base, and there were as many as 20,000 foreign guns. The thieves rely on the abundance of powerful firearms. If they go out to kill them, they are only a little sure of it. However, our army only has three or four men in each shed who can produce strong weapons. Can Yu Shou go out to suppress it? When it comes to going out, firstly, if Yong is ill for too long and too long, the gun team will have to gather together to form a line. They may not have the same will and skills, so it is difficult to be strong and energetic; secondly, dig a trench and consolidate it, it will be easy to leave the team and collect it. It is also very difficult for the troops to move forward; the troops on the third side have penetrated deeply, and there are no large soldiers within three hundred miles to divide the thieves' power. In the battle of Anqing, Duo Gong, Li Gong, and Bao Gong were all on the periphery, and they had Commander Run to control them, so they could advance and retreat freely. I’m really in embarrassment now! For the present plan, we can only reduce the camp to protect ourselves and kill the thieves in the corner. I quickly pass on my order, and all the soldiers in each camp who bravely kill the thieves and work hard to dredge and build forts will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver.
After Zeng Guoquan finished his order, he told Zeng Guofan again: The relationship between thieves is completely different from what it used to be. Chief Zha Zhong and others met in Suzhou to learn about the elites of each group. They first gathered at Jinling Road and poured out the Western firearms obtained from Suzhou and Hangzhou. They gathered them together on one branch, planning to swallow up our army and consolidate the puppet nest.
The next day, Xiucheng issued an order to attack again, and Zhang Wang Lin Shaozhang also led his troops out of the city to assist in the battle. The two armies faced each other from the north and the south. They fought for a day and suffered more than a thousand casualties without touching the base.
On the third day, Xiucheng sent more than ten thousand troops to forcefully cross the Jiajiang River and besiege Jiangxinzhou.
With the road to food and wages cut off, Zeng Guoquan was frightened and urgently ordered Zeng Guobao, Peng Yuju, Zhang Shiri, Zuo Chuangui, etc. to quickly reinforce Jiangxinzhou to ensure a smooth flow of luck.
Zeng Guobao and others marched into Jiangxinzhou, built more than a dozen forts overnight, and fought fiercely for six days and nights, resulting in numerous casualties. Lieutenant General Zuo Chuangui died in the battle, and everyone was panicked.
Taoist priest Peng Yuju and deputy general Zhang Shiri both said: The enemy is outnumbered and we are outnumbered. As the stalemate continues for a long time, our army will become weaker and weaker. If we can fight back desperately, there may be a turning point.
Zeng Guobao said yes.
On October 18, 1862, Peng Yuju and Zhang Shiri led an army of 2,000 soldiers across the country, breaking through four bases in a row.
The Taiping Army was caught off guard and their offensive was frustrated. Li Xiucheng assessed the situation and decided to focus on Zeng Guoquan's army on the east road.
On that day, Xiucheng came to Fangshan in person to supervise the battle. He only listened to an order, and the cannons flew together like locusts, exploding with a loud bang, which was shocking. After the sound of artillery, the Taiping troops held up the shield and the negative plate, and ants swarmed and snaked, approaching the Hunan camp.
Zeng Guoquan commanded each battalion. From a distance, he fired artillery and bombarded them. When he was close, he fired guns in turns. When he was closer, he fired arrows and stabbed them with swords and spears.
The two armies fought for six days, suffering casualties on each other and remaining at a stalemate.
On the 23rd, Li Shixian, the servant king, led an army of 40,000 to attack from Zhejiang. Xiucheng felt refreshed both physically and mentally. He then supervised the entire army and devoted all his strength to the siege.
Zeng Guoquan held on and resisted, but he was trapped and horses were exhausted, and dangers abounded. When Zeng Guobao heard about it, he quickly led an army and galloped to help.
Zeng Guobao said: The thieves used box boards to solidify the earth in the middle, and lined up the trench sides. They openly guarded the cannons above, dug underground tunnels below, or used gunpowder to blast in.
Zeng Guoquan said: "I have sent an order to build a new wall inside the trench wall, and add grass, wood, sulfur and saltpeter inside the two walls. The outer wall will be broken, and you can still stand on the inner layer. Then the thieves will be burned away and it will be stable." That’s it.
Zeng Guobao asked: How is the morale of the soldiers?
Zeng Guoquan said: There is a huge reward, who doesn't try his best!
Zeng Guobao said: Under a heavy reward, there must be a brave man. However, if the stalemate lasts longer, the reward will become greater, the casualties will become greater, and the pension will become greater. I am afraid that I will not be able to make ends meet.
Zeng Guoquan said: "It doesn't matter. If the city is destroyed, there will be a surplus."
Zeng Guobao said: If you want to seize Anqing, the sky will be angry and people will complain; I want to slaughter Sanhe Town, pay homage to my brother's soul, and learn from General Cheng, which will almost become an enemy; can I repeat this way?
Zeng Guoquan said: If we do not follow this path, the morale of the army will be dispersed. Once the morale of the army is dispersed, we will perish. It is not too late to capture Jinling, make up for the deficit, and then rectify military discipline.
After the battle, the Zeng brothers reported back to Zeng Guofan: The military here is getting tighter and tighter every day, and there are many thieves killed by gunfire and burned with fire eggs. It is not as good as the former to kill, the latter to continue to advance, relying on their foreign guns and cannons to be numerous and powerful, and defeating the enemy's momentum. Our army is already tired and exhausted.
In Jinzhuguan, Peng Yulin engaged Chen Kunshu in battle. The victory was mixed, and he was worried about Ningguo. He also reported to Zeng Guofan: The bandit army is approaching Ningjun, and Zhang Yunlan is unable to support it alone. Commander Peng should quickly send an army to attack Xinhezhuang. The thieves are sent to retreat. We would rather prevent the grain from flowing and the upper reaches will be unobstructed.
When Zeng Guofan received the report, he said worriedly: "The warnings are coming, just like in the stormy waves, the danger on the south bank of the river is really like a pile of eggs. If there is any negligence, they may go up to Jiangxi or sneak across to the north bank, which is all a matter of intention." At this time, there are many difficulties in all directions, but we should try our best to protect Jiangxi, the two lakes and northern Anhui, and return to the old outlook of winter, which is also a great blessing.
Zhao Liewen said: "Commander Di, there is no need to be pessimistic. After the war in Anqing, my strength suddenly increased, while the thieves' strength decreased." The thief was attacked from three sides this time. It was really a life-and-death battle, and the light that came back was also dazzling.
Zeng Guofan smiled bitterly and said: The thieves attacked Jinzhuguan and Ningguo from the side, but they actually attacked Yuhuatai as the main attack. Five days ago, I sent an order for Bao Chunting to rush to Ningguo to coordinate the defense of Ningjun. When the situation in Ning County slowed down, Bao Chao immediately led an army to assist Yuhuatai; Zuo Zongtang quickly sent Jiang Yili's army to southern Anhui to assist in the defense of Ning County; Li Hongzhang quickly sent Cheng Xueqi's army to rush along the waterway to assist Jinling. I don’t know where the people from all walks of life are now?
Zhao Liewen said: Bao Chao is very ill and may not be able to rush there.
Zeng Guofan said: "If you pass on my order again, Bao Chunting must come to Ningjun in person to stabilize the morale of the army, no matter whether the itching is severe or not." From my point of view, can Yuanfu get a complete victory by holding on to Yuhuatai?
Zhao Liewen said: "Nine commanders use defense as offense. They have experience in defense and have repeatedly defeated strong thieves, so there should be no serious problems."
Zeng Guofan said: There may be a gap in the hundred meters, so I will transfer the third battalion of Liang Meicai from Luzhou to guard Wuhu. Wang Kesheng will be promoted to the third battalion and rush from Wuhu to Jinling; the deputy and middle battalions of Anqing Lake Patrol will rush down to support Jinzhu Pass. I want to send my brother to Yuhuatai in person to check for any leaks and make up for them. How about that?
Zhao Liewen said: "I am a scholar and not good at battles; however, the Commander-in-Chief has asked me to do so even if I die!" I will go to Shanghai immediately, settle a private matter, and then help the Nine Marshals.
Zeng Guofan said: "The safety and security of Jinzhu Pass is of great importance. I will go by boat and watch Peng Xueqin's march and battle." The main forces of the rebels are all in Zhejiang. Zuo Zongtang has launched an army in Quzhou, and Jiang Yili's troops may not be able to go to Anhui. I hope Bao Chunting will show his courage again and consolidate the defense of Ning County. When I arrived in Shanghai, I negotiated with Li Shaoquan as soon as possible and dispatched Cheng Xueqi's troops to help Jinling.
