Chapter 163 Zuo Zongtang cleanses the Kingdom of Heaven (2)
The war between Fujian and Guangdong has been undecided, and the Nian bandits in the north have been wreaking havoc. The empress dowagers of the two palaces are very worried.
The Empress Dowager Cixi said: Zuo Zongtang begged his neighbors, but Ruilin and Guo Songtao failed to intercept them, causing the rebel bandits to invade eastern Guangdong and southern Jiangxi. Shen Baozhen, the governor of Jiangxi, insisted on returning to his hometown, and his return was as fast as an arrow; the southern country was in chaos and chaos.
Empress Dowager Ci'an said: "The two capitals of Guangdong have been destroyed. The remaining evil is just the reflection of the setting sun, a short-lived flower in the pan, don't worry too much." When Shen Baozhen and Ding You resigned, they were allowed to do so according to the regulations.
Empress Dowager Cixi said: Zeng Guofan went north to suppress the rebellion, Li Hongzhang supervised Liangjiang, and Liu Changyou went to Shandong to fight the rebellion. All the capable officers had important responsibilities. Who can shoulder the responsibility for the land of Jiangxi?
Prince Gong Yixin said: "To report to the Queen Mother, I thought that Liu Kunyi of the Guangxi vassal, who had suppressed bandits in Jiangxi for three years and was familiar with both people and land, could take on this responsibility."
Empress Dowager Ci'an said: Liu Kunyi followed Liu Changyou, the governor of Zhili, to assist Jiangxi, Hunan and Guangxi, and made outstanding achievements. During Liu Chenchangyou's absence, Liu Kunyi was also able to act alone and frequently destroyed powerful enemies.
Empress Dowager Cixi said: The Central Plains of Henan and Shandong are vast and boundless, and it will take time to exterminate the Nian bandits. At the junction of Fujian and Guangdong, there are mountains and valleys, and it is close to the ocean. It is really a corner, and the bandits of Wang Ni are confined there. Here, it is really a self-destruction. An edict was sent quickly: Liu Kunyi was promoted to the post of governor of Jiangxi. Liu Chenkunyi must rush to Jiangxi and conspire with Zuo Chen Zongtang, Bao Chen Chunting and others to wipe out the remnants of Guangdong's rebellion.
As soon as Liu Kun received the order, he did not dare to neglect. He dressed lightly and accompanied him. He arrived in Nanchang in January. After completing the handover with Shen Baozhen, he rushed to the border between Jiangxi and Guangdong to make plans nearby.
As soon as Liu Kun inspected the battle situation, he immediately ordered: Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Fujian are adjacent to each other and intersect with each other. Xi Baotian, the governor of Jiangxi, Lou Yunqing, the named admiral, etc., must not use the land as a prison or arbitrarily divide the territory. The two troops must rush into Jiaoling, Guangdong. To the west, they joined Zuo Kejing's Fujian army and Guo Zhongcheng's Guangdong army to intercept them and prevent the thieves from entering Jiangxi. Zhou Kuanshi, the admiral of Hunan, guarded Changning and other places, and protected the depths of Jiangxi as a backup.
Wang Haiyang's 100,000 troops were stationed alone in Jiaoling for three months. They were short of food and supplies, and everyone was in panic.
Wang Haiyang said to the heavenly general Hu Yongxiang: "You cannot stay here for a long time. My brother is attacking Chengguan Port to contain the demon army. I will lead the main force and accompany King Huang Penghou's troops to attack the old camp of Kang Guoqi Yao'er Gao Si at night and completely annihilate his army. I will attack from the east and attack from the west." Turn into Pingyuan; take a short rest and then the army enters Jiangxi.
Hu Yongxiang said: Can we make a big splash?
Wang Haiyang said: People talk too much, just give the king Huang Penghou a secret order. Huang is very brave and takes the lead in every battle. People call him the little tiger. This battle is of vital importance and must be carried out without fail. I will select three thousand flag bearers from each battalion, charge forward, and behead the Kangguoqi.
Hu Yongxiang said: Is Huang Penghou reliable?
Wang Haiyang said: I ordered him to charge into the battle. If he informs, he will seek his own death. Furthermore, if he refuses, he will definitely shrink back. I will take advantage of the chaos and kill him.
King Huang Penghou received the order and immediately sent someone to inform Taoist Kang Guoqi without hesitation.
When Kang Guoqi was informed, he immediately ordered the army at Chengguan Port to hold firm and not move. Guoqi personally led the main army and set up an ambush at Gaosi.
On September 3, 1865, King Kang Wang Haiyang, King Huang Penghou, Wang Zong Wang Dali, and 20,000 military governors attacked Gaosi at night. As soon as they approached the city wall, they were ambushed. Wang Dali was unprepared and was killed on the spot. Wang Haiyang and Huang Penghou were both wounded in the battle and retreated in panic.
Zuo Zongtang was overjoyed when he heard the news, and immediately ordered all the ministries to move their camps and advance. He also ordered all ministries to be no more than thirty miles away from the Jiaoling city wall. He also ordered Liu Dian to advance to Zhaxiaba and lead all the troops on the front line.
