Chapter 149 Li Hezhang conquers Wuxi
Li Hongzhang broke the contract and surrendered. Gordon was so angry that he rushed into Suzhou City with a gun, but Cheng Xue stopped him.
Gordon sternly rebuked: The day before yesterday, I broke an arrow and swore an oath, but today I am lying and telling lies, instigating killing and surrender, and setting up troops to rob. You have betrayed your trust and will not die well! If you have the guts, draw your gun and fight me in a duel. If you don't have the guts, call Li Hongzhang out quickly.
Cheng Xueqi is poor in reasoning and has no words to argue.
Gordon was nowhere to be found. Still angry, he fired three shots at Li Hongzhang's chair and walked away.
Li Hongzhang said angrily: Gordon relied on the strength of his ship and the power of his guns, and humiliated me in the name of benevolence, trust, etiquette, and justice.
Feng Guifen, the guest of the curtain, said: Since the Opium War, the barbarians have become arrogant. This is unprecedented anger since the beginning of the world. Anyone with a bloody mind will be furious.
Li Hongzhang said: Gordon is just the tip of the iceberg! If things in the world are poor, they will change, and if they change, they will be unified. If they remain unchanged, they will not be able to rely on both war and defense, and harmony will not last long.
Feng Guifen said: Lin Gong Zexu and Wei Gong Yuanda both said that they must learn the skills of the barbarians and learn from the barbarians in order to control the barbarians. I think that only by making, self-cultivation, and self-use of the barbarians' sharp weapons can our Qing Dynasty be able to stand on its own, otherwise it will be the meat of the world. .
Li Hongzhang said: Our equipment is far different from Gordon's foreign gun team. It is more than enough to pacify China, but not enough to resist foreign enemies. To govern a country, one must strengthen oneself. Self-improvement is based on military training, and military training is based on making weapons. If we can strengthen ourselves, we can be at peace with each other.
Feng Guifen said: "Although Gao and others surrendered, they were good at demarcating territory, carrying guns and cannons, stacking rocks and setting traps, and not shaving their heads. They deserved to die."
Li Hongzhang said: The killing and surrender of Suzhou was indeed a mistake. The Huazi camp had no military discipline. It took the lead in looting and could not stop it. Wu Yufen was not strict in supervising the troops and was temporarily dismissed from his post. Zheng Guokui claimed that he had broken the promise, cried and refused to eat, and refused to take credit for his resignation. This trend could not last long, so he was still named as the general soldier.
Feng Guifen said: When the two armies are fighting, life and death are matters of fate; the war is about to extinguish, but Shan has to obey. Cheng Xueqi committed suicide without authorization, and Li Shuai should also restrain him; otherwise, he would become arrogant and forgetful.
Li Hongzhang sighed and said: Cheng Fangzhong borrowed his strength to get money from troubled waters. Since I started, the water has been overturned and it is difficult to recover it. I will go up to the two palaces, and I will let you go as I please.
Feng Guifen said: Gordon has led the victorious army back to Kunshan. Li Shuai has a way to stop him.
Li Hongzhang said: The city of Suzhou was destroyed, but Gordon didn't get a share of the pie, so of course he was angry. If you have money, you can push the wheels, and I will send someone to Shanghai to discuss the matter with the British consul in detail. Magri, the artillery instructor of Chunzi Camp, and the British man has a good personal relationship with Gordon, so I will ask him to accompany him. Yin went to Kunshan to lobby.
Feng Guifen said: The war in Suzhou has been extinguished. From now on, we can focus on Wuxi. Jiquan is powerful and Xicheng will be captured soon.
Li Hongzhang said: Ji Quan came to report, Guo Songlin entered the south gate, Zhang Shusheng entered the east gate, Zhou Shengbo entered the north gate, the navy arrived at the West Gate Bridge, Liu Mingchuan cut across the link between Wuxi and Changzhou, Wuxi can be broken in a day.
Feng Guifen said: "The ancients said that a city must be besieged. Our army is surrounded from all sides. Huang Zilong, the Chao chief, is still fighting with his trapped beasts. Xicheng is conquered, and it is a tragic victory!"
Li Hongzhang sighed and said: Gordon made an appointment with wealth, and Chief Chao sent envoys back and forth with the intention of surrendering. Now that Gao and others are dead, Gordon retreats, and Chao must be as hard as iron. There is no other way, but to die!
Li Hongzhang killed Suzhou and surrendered, and Li Hezhang besieged the city on all sides. Huang Zilong, the king of Chaozhou, was extremely angry and said to his son Huang Demao: There is no way out, but to fight to the death!
Huang Demao said: Zhongdian has led his army to attack Wanshou Bridge, Chen Kunshu has also left Changzhou, and the two troops are attacking Liu Mingchuan's demon tribe. If they succeed, Wu and Chang can connect, and the situation may change.
Huang Zilong said: "The overall situation is in decline. Last month, Li Xiucheng, Chen Kunshu and the Jintan, Yixing, and Danyang allied forces of 100,000 were unable to win a single victory. We can only defend the city wall and be loyal to the Kingdom of Heaven." Send my order quickly, build earthen cities along the four gates, canals, and bridges, build forts and camps, place artillery, and fight to the death with the monsters.
Suzhou was won without a fight, but Wuxi could not be captured for a long time. Li Hezhang was impatient and ordered all his troops to work together and attack for three days and nights.
Wuxi was in danger. Huang Zilong hurriedly sent tens of thousands of troops and thousands of ships to sail out of the west gate. He launched a counterattack and fought for a day, and the entire army was destroyed.
Li Hezhang took the opportunity to launch a general attack. The Huai army troops climbed up the city and broke through the city walls. More than 10,000 people were killed. Huang Zilong and his son were both captured alive.
Wuxi was defeated, Hongzhang was very happy and said: Wuxi has always been rich and prosperous. When the Chao chiefs arrived, they did not arrest their tribesmen. The city and the countryside were disturbed, as if they were being burned, and everything was unbearable. I sent my military order to quickly send Huang Zilong and his son to the public, and to warn others.
Feng Guifen said: With such an offensive, Changzhou will be conquered within a month, and Jinling is not far away.
Li Hongzhang said: Zeng Yuanfu besieged Jinling and Zuo Jigao besieged Hangzhou, but they were unable to defeat them for more than half a year. Commander Di Zeng said that it is most pleasant to see the flowers half-opened and to be slightly drunk. Our troops should also slow down the offensive and echo Zeng. ,Left. Immediately pass on my order, Li Hezhang, Liu Mingchuan, Guo Songlin, etc. immediately enter Changzhou, postpone the attack, and trap and kill the enemy. Cheng Xueqi and Li Chaobin's navy attacked Pingwang in the west, cutting off the connection between Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Without my military order, they were not allowed to enter Zhejiang by force.
Li Hongzhang conquered Suzhou and Wuxi. Empress Dowager Cixi was very happy and said: "There is no disagreement in killing and surrendering. It is very agreeable." The most important thing in governing a country is self-improvement, the most important thing in self-improvement is military training, and the most important thing in military training is making weapons. If we can strengthen ourselves, we can be at peace with each other. Li Chen's memorial is very insightful.
Prince Gong Yixin said: Li Hongzhang made a prompt decision and deserves a commendation. If the kings are not beheaded, our army will be outnumbered in Su City and the thieves will move in the opposite direction, and our army will be massacred.
The scholar Wo Renque said: The way to build a country is to respect etiquette and righteousness rather than power and strategy; the fundamental purpose is not in skills but in people's hearts; using loyalty as armor and etiquette as weapons can withstand foreign aggression.
Empress Dowager Cixi said: Loyalty, trust, etiquette, and justice are no longer enough. Opium is a harmful thing. Our country is burned, but foreigners are firing guns at me, forcing me to pay compensation for ceding land. What loyalty, etiquette, and justice can there be? Gordon held a gun to hold an important minister of the Qing Dynasty hostage, which was also extremely vicious.
Yi Xin said: "To report to the Queen Mother, this slave thinks that Gordon is an Englishman and the Guangdong rebellion has not been eliminated, so he cannot be forced." Hurd, the General Taxation Department of Shanghai Customs, has good relations with our country and can be ordered to mediate peace talks.
Empress Dowager Cixi said: The world is bustling with people, all for the benefit of others; giving more money can summon gods and ghosts.
Yi Xin said: Zeng Guofan sent a report to investigate the city of Jinling and arrange it in every possible way. It is very dangerous to occupy. Since we conquered the Jiusuzhou and Jiangdong Bridge passes, we already have the southwest side; now we have also conquered the Seven Bridges Weng Pass, Moling Pass and other passes, and we have the southeast side as well. Now Xiao Qingyan is ordered to join his team to attack Xiaoling Guard and manage the north of the city, gradually forming an encirclement situation.
Empress Dowager Cixi said: Of the three ministers Li Hongzhang, Zeng Guoquan, and Zuo Zongtang, Li Hongzhang was the only one who attacked fiercely and was rewarded with the title of Prince Shaobao. Miao rebelled against Peilin, and attacked our cities in Fengyang, Dingyuan, Shouzhou, Mengcheng and other cities in recent times and repeatedly. Seng Gelinqin and Tang Xunfang combined to suppress them. Is it easy?
Yixin said: Tang Xunfang's troops have conquered Huaiyuan and killed more than ten thousand bandits; the armies of Seng Gelinqin, Fu Zhenbang, Chen Guorui and Wang Wanqing are fighting to the death with Miao thieves in Mengcheng.
The Empress Dowager Cixi said: "Quickly tell Monk Gelinqin, Miao Peilin is a capricious person. There is no need to be merciful. This thief must be killed and Miao's troubles must be eradicated."
