Chapter 148 Cheng Xueqi kills and surrenders in Suzhou (1)
Before Li Xiucheng entered Suzhou, Cheng Xueqi and Gordon had teamed up to besiege Suzhou for seven days. The Taiping Army resisted stubbornly and Cheng and Ge suffered heavy casualties.
Gordon was unwilling to attack again and told Li Hongzhang: On November 27th and November 29th, in the two battles outside the city, more than 180 people were killed and injured in our unit, and many British officers were killed or injured. My adjutant Kegen Sir, he is also dead. In the battle outside the city, there are still such casualties. If the city is attacked, the casualties will be even greater. You cannot hope that I can capture Suzhou. The Taiping Army can defeat us as long as it resists a little on that seven-yard-long bridge. Therefore, I sincerely hope that Li Futai will stop fighting and take over the city peacefully.
Li Hongzhang asked: What does Fang Zhong mean?
Cheng Xueqi said: There is no greater virtue than subduing the enemy's troops without fighting, and seizing the enemy's city without fighting!
Li Hongzhang asked: Is there any general in Suzhou who is willing to surrender?
Gordon said: One month ago, Bai Qiwen and 34 others surrendered to me...
Li Hongzhang interrupted Gordon and said angrily: Bai Qiwen beat my officials and defected to the Guangdong rebels. He is a rat and a rat. According to the laws of the Qing Dynasty, this person should be executed.
Gordon said: Mr. Futai, people in your country have a saying that everyone is mortal, either lighter than a feather or heavier than Mount Tai. Bai Qiwen is as light as a feather, and life and death has nothing to do with the overall situation. Everyone who surrendered said that the rebels had different ideas and many people were willing to surrender. Gao Yongkuan, the king of Na, was not on good terms with Tan Shaoguang, the king of Mu, and Gao Yongkuan had long wanted to surrender.
Li Hongzhang said: Gao Yongkuan is from Hubei and not an old rebel from Guangdong and Guangxi. Does Fang Zhong know him?
Cheng Xueqi said: If it is a one-sided relationship, I will send someone to discuss it secretly.
Li Hongzhang said: In the past, Zheng Guokui killed people with his sword and drove away the salt tyrants. He became a salt lord and led his own army to fight against the Yue Ni. When Su City was destroyed, he was captured by thieves and lived with the thieves for half a year. He heard that he and Gao thieves had become brothers with different surnames.
Cheng Xueqi said: Report to Li Shuai that Kui Ziying was decisive in killing and made many military exploits, all because of Zheng Guokui's good leadership; I will send Zheng Guokui to discuss secretly.
Li Hongzhang said: Zheng Guokui is not only bohemian, but also has a chivalrous heart. This trip may be successful.
Zheng Guokui was ordered to disguise himself, sneak into Suzhou City, and meet Gao Yongkuan.
Gao Yongkuan said: But sincerely?
Zheng Guokui said: There is absolutely no difference of opinion! Our emperor decrees that those who can sincerely surrender before the city is conquered will be allowed to surrender regardless of how long they have been a thief. After surrendering the weapons and horses, they were ordered to accompany them to suppress the thieves. If there is anyone who is unwilling to accompany the camp, he will immediately order the local officials to send him back to his hometown or place him properly so that he will not lose his place.
Gao Yongkuan said: If we surrender, there are three conditions. First, we must leave half of the city to garrison our soldiers. 2. Set up twenty battalions and pay them. 3. To guarantee the positions of general and deputy general. The above three items are indispensable.
Zheng Guokui said: "Brother Gao's wish, I will report it immediately." You and I are brothers. Let me put it bluntly. Brother Gao's conditions are too harsh and may not be feasible. Cheng Fangzhong killed people like nothing and squandered money like water. This man never acted according to common sense when fighting. The Hunan Army had more than 10,000 soldiers and over 100 generals. Li Futai stood out, which shows that he had sharp eyesight and skill, and was good at dancing. He was the best among people. Jing, can Brother Gao deal with it?
Gao Yongkuan said: "If you don't agree, there is no one else but Zhan Er!" We have an army of 100,000, but your 20,000 are not enough, and we have a fortified city, so why be afraid!
Zheng Guokui said: "Brother Gao, don't joke. Li Xiucheng's army of 200,000 has also been wiped out." We, the people of the Qing Dynasty, are all about human relations in everything, but foreigners don't. Foreigners only look at right and wrong, and they also value contracts. Besides, Gordon was the first to mention this matter. Why didn't Brother Gao ask Gordon to be the guarantee?
Gao Yongkuan said: The Qing Dynasty is afraid of foreigners, and Gordon will guarantee that this can be done. Brother Zheng quickly reported back and we will discuss it again at Yangcheng Lake.
After Zheng Guokui left, Gao Yongkuan immediately summoned his confidants to discuss the matter of dedicating the city.
Kang Wang Wang Anjun, Bi Wang Wu Guiwen, Ning Wang Zhou Wenjia, Tianjiang Fan Qifa, Zhang Dazhou, Wang Huaiwu, Wang Youwei, etc. all said: Su City will be broken sooner or later, it is better to surrender.
Gao Yongkuan said: If we are united, we will succeed.
On November 28, 1864, King Kang Wang Anjun went to Yangcheng Lake and asked Cheng Xueqi: Can you agree to the three terms we proposed?
Cheng Xueqi said: "I have reported to Li Futai, and Mr. Futai has also made an invitation. There should be no objections when the imperial court appoints people." Cutting off the heads of Li Xiucheng and Tan Shaoguang and surrendering to the city will ensure high-ranking officials a good salary.
Wang Anjun said: The loyalty of the king is as great as a mountain, and we cannot bear to hurt each other. Tan Shaoguang believed that people in the Three Rivers and Two Lakes could not be relied on, and he would bully them every time he spoke. We can send Mr. Tan’s head as a gift to meet him.
Cheng Xueqi said: "Without delay, tomorrow I will attack the Great Wall of Stone Barrier outside Loumen. Chief Mu will go to rescue. You and others will isolate them outside the city, join forces with our army inside and outside, and break the city in one fell swoop."
Wang Anjun said: "Yes, I will go back to make arrangements."
Wang Anjun returned to Suzhou and planned the night with Gao Yongkuan and others. At dawn, Suzhou City suddenly started to roar with gongs and drums, and there was a huge crowd.
Gao Yongkuan, Wang Anjun and others were shocked and asked: Where did the sound come from?
After a while, spies came to report that the loyal king Li Xiucheng was defeated in Wuxi and retreated into Su City with 30,000 troops.
Gao Yongkuan said: If you don't do it, you'll end up cooking in one pot.
Wang Anjun said: "If we attack the stone barrier tomorrow, Li Xiucheng will definitely order us to fight. If I resist the order, Li and Tan will become suspicious."
Gao Yongkuan said: What's the use of being suspicious? The pictures have been exhausted, and we can only fight with swords and guns.
Wang Anjun said: Li and Tan have sixty thousand people, which is about the same as me. When chaos breaks out, Li Xiucheng raises his arms and shouts, can I restrain my subordinates?
Gao Yongkuan said: Then look at my eyes and act accordingly.
On November 29, Cheng Xueqi and Gordon separately besieged Suzhou as agreed yesterday.
Li Xiucheng immediately ordered Gao Yongkuan to divide his troops and attack.
Gao Yongkuan said: "We are stationed at Chang, Xu, Pan and Qi gates, but we don't have enough troops. If we attack, we may be taken advantage of by Cheng Yao." Our army is newly defeated and its morale is unstable, so we can only defend the city wall.
Gao Yongkuan disobeyed military orders, and Li Xiucheng did not use force. He and Tan Shaoguang led an army of 10,000 people and went out of the city to fight.
Cheng Xueqi and Gordon divided their troops into four groups and besieged Yue Hao. Li and Tan fought fiercely for a day, but were unable to catch up and hurriedly returned to the city.
Li Xiucheng said: The camps outside the city are all occupied by demons, and Suzhou is in danger; Gao Yongkuan and others have rebelled against our military orders, and their intentions need to be investigated.
Tan Shaoguang said: "I just found out that yesterday, Kang Wang Wang Anjun left the city privately and disappeared without a trace."
Li Xiucheng said: "Summon all the generals quickly, have wine in the palace, and discuss city defense."
That night, all the generals of the Taiping Army gathered at Prince Zhong's Mansion. Li Xiucheng told Wang Anjun: When they attacked Hangzhou, Brother Kang personally led a death squad. He climbed the city wall without avoiding the bullets, and captured the demon leader of Mi Xingchao. The demon army began to collapse, and Hangzhou was captured. In terms of merit, Brother Kang was the first One.
Wang Anjun said: Su City is surrounded by monsters on all sides. We are unable to fight effectively, and we have failed His Royal Highness. How dare we mention our past bravery again.
Xiu Chengdao: Do you still ride on the war horse you gave me as a gift to your brother?
Wang Anjun said.
Xiucheng said again: "With all due respect, I want to abandon Suzhou and Tianjing, send all the troops out, return to Guangdong and Guangxi, and pursue great causes again."
Tan Shaoguang refused and said: "Zhongdian, leave now, I will fight to the end with blood."
Gao Yongkuan also refused, saying: "The rogue bandits and partial troops are wandering around, and they will surely follow in the footsteps of Yidian."
Xiucheng sighed and said: We brothers, the kingdom of heaven has fallen to this point, and I can't force it. Everyone has his own ambitions, and after drinking this wine, each cherishes it.
