Chapter 165 Zeng Guofan painted a river circle (2)
Imperial edicts came one after another, and Zeng Guofan quickly invited Li Hongzhang to discuss the matter of going north to suppress the rebellion.
Li Hongzhang said: "The grace and power of the two palaces are combined, and it is difficult for my mentor to get off the tiger!"
Zeng Guofan said: Shaoquan has always been involved in military affairs. He left Hunan and Huaihe bravely to prevent the north and south. Once the overall situation is stabilized, he can still expedition to other places. Shaoquan's knowledge of Jing internal invaders and fending off foreign aggression is not as good as mine!
Li Hongzhang said: "My mentor climbed high and looked into the distance. He retreated bravely from the rapids. Hongzhang only cares about petty profits and feels ashamed of himself."
Zeng Guofan said: Shaoquan is polite, but the bandit cavalry is surging. The only good way to control it is to use silence to stop the bandits. We can garrison heavy troops in the four towns of Linhuai in Anhui, Zhoukou in Henan, Xuzhou in Jiangsu, and Jining in Shandong. This can be done with certainty. Soldiers can control the unpredictable bandits; when one province is in emergency, three provinces will provide support.
Li Hongzhang said: What my teacher said makes sense.
Zeng Guofan said: In addition to the fortification of important towns, the cavalry should track, clear the fields and inspect the fairies, and strengthen the walls to clear the fields. If the thieves run away, they can use the Yellow River in the north, the Huaihe River in the south, and the Shahe River and Jialu River in the west. They can draw a circle around the river, dig out the Hao River for defense, strangle their cavalry, and look for opportunities to gather and annihilate them.
Li Hongzhang said: The siege of the Huahe River required a large number of soldiers. The courage of Hongzhang's command was originally given by the teacher. The teacher can use it at will.
Zeng Guofan said: The flood is over and the Nian bandits are gone. These horse thieves can be said to be the afterglow of the setting sun. They flicker for a few seconds and then go out. Don't worry too much. In the 10th year of Xianfeng's reign, the Anqing Ordnance Institute was established to imitate steam engines, steamers, foreign guns and cannons. In three or four years, it was slightly successful. Last year, it moved to Jinling. I wanted to do something big, but it was difficult to violate the holy will. . Can Shao Tsuen's Jiangnan Machinery Manufacturing Bureau manufacture cannons?
Li Hongzhang said: "To inform my mentor, I visited a foreigner who sold an iron factory. I have purchased it and are now trying to make a copper cannon."
Zeng Guofan said: There is nothing in the foreigners' ships, cannons or firearms that is not without workmanship. You must seek the way to self-improvement, and learn how to use ship artillery as your starting point. By then, with foreign guns and cannons in hand, there is no need to worry about destroying the bandits! Liu Mingchuan's army, how powerful is it?
Li Hongzhang said: To inform my mentor, the Liu tribe was ordered to help the monks suppress the Terror. I ordered his camera to move, and he is now resting and waiting for orders. His tribe has more than ten thousand soldiers, more than four thousand foreign guns, and more than one hundred foreign cannons. It has jurisdiction over the left and right sides. The three armies of the center and the right have six battalions each, plus artillery battalions and guard battalions, totaling twenty battalions. After years of suppressing bandits, their combat effectiveness is acceptable.
Zeng Guofan said: Mingjun waited and watched to avoid making wedding clothes for others; however, the monk king was defeated in Caozhou, and the third province was also dismissed. This is our fault. The Nian bandit cavalry was rampant, and Sheng's army and Shu's army were mostly troops. Ming's army was unable to support itself. Guo Songlin suppressed bandits in southern Guangdong. Who knows when he will triumph?
Li Hongzhang said: "Guo Zimei's bravery is no less than that of Cheng Fangzhong. I will immediately send my message to Zuo Kejing. If the war in southern Guangdong slows down, I will quickly urge Songzi Camp to return to suppress the war."
Zeng Guofan said: Guo Songlin has taken the lead in battles since he joined the army. In the sixth year of Xianfeng, Yuanfu's Jizi camp fought fiercely at Sanqutan. Guo Songlin fell into the battle first and defeated Shidakai's rebel bandit army. After that, he entered Shanghai and fought with the puppet loyal king Li Xiucheng. After three days of fighting, hundreds of thousands of thieves were defeated; in another battle at Changshu, the thieves' camp at the mouth of Sanhe was destroyed.
Li Hongzhang said: The two armies of Guo and Cheng were gifts from his mentor Hua Gun. When Hongzhang first arrived in Shanghai, it was all thanks to the support of the two armies. It is difficult to repay the kindness of the spring, so Hongzhang could only devote himself to helping his mentor to eliminate the remnants of the enemy.
That night, Zeng Guofan wrote to Zeng Guoquan: Brother Yuan, Ruwu, received the imperial edict to lead his troops north to Shandong to suppress Ni on the third day of the Lunar New Year. During the period of hesitation, the two palaces sent edicts repeatedly.
Everyone in the 16th Battalion of Jinling was tired of fighting, and it was not until the eighth day of the Lunar New Year that we agreed that more than 3,000 people from Renziying, Junziying, Jinziying, Yuziying, and Xingziying would follow me in the northern expedition.
I thought about it again and again, and asked Liu Songshan to send an army to join the expedition. In addition, the commander-in-chief Yi Kaijun volunteered and asked to join the battle, and I agreed.
All told, I led 9,000 Xiangyong men and 22,000 Huaiyong men. In addition to Zhang Shusheng, Liu Mingchuan, and Zhou Shengbo, I also sent Pan Dingxin 5,000 men to Tianjin by ship.
We already have enough infantry, we just need to add cavalry. If the thieves do not cross the Yellow River, it will not be very difficult to suppress them. Once they cross, they will be in a hurry, with thousands of eyes hanging on them, and thousands of voices deriding them. At that time, I will be overwhelmed with things to do, and it will be very easy to make mistakes in the midst of chaos.
In the edict, Yuan's brother was urged twice to go out to serve in the mountain. Yesterday, he also received an edict and urged his brother to go to Beijing again.
Brother Yuan was once a high-ranking official in the border area, and he was also a minister who had made meritorious service and received titles. His etiquette was a little better, so he didn't need to take it lightly. His condition was still serious, and all the difficulties were suddenly arduous.
I have completed the handover with Li Shaoquan and are scheduled to set off to visit the north on the 25th. Since then, we have become further and further away from each other, and we can no longer use special messengers to deliver letters, but letters home three times a month will be delivered by the post office.
On July 12, 1865, Zeng Guofan's troops left Jinling and went north to suppress the Nian River, that is, they crossed the Yangtze River. The Hunan generals were not accustomed to the soil and water of the north and were unwilling to follow. Liu Songshan, the commander-in-chief of Suzhou Town, joined forces and led his troops to cross the Yangtze River. Jiang; the army advanced to Linhuai, and the three battalions of Xiangyong hesitated due to lack of pay and resources. Liu Songshan killed several people immediately, and the morale of the army was determined.
Zeng Guofan sighed: Liu Songshan has repeatedly turned the tide from collapse, and he is a true national scholar. However, Xiang Yong left his hometown and longed to return home after a long period of service. If he did not provide effective comfort, the issue of wage and provocation would never come to an end. Yuanfu has repeatedly thought that all the troops in Jinling should withdraw early, and he has great ideas.
Peng Yulin said: "Commander Di, if the Hunan army is completely eliminated, how can we defend against thieves?" The flood has been extinguished, and it is just a mess, without a climate. The current situation can be said to be booming, so be careful not to belittle yourself.
Zeng Guofan laughed and said: Although my bones are strong, I cannot withstand hard work. For many years, my troops have been accustomed to fighting in a tough stronghold. The Nian thieves have become rogues and will never be dealt with. I will just take it one day at a time. This is only for brother Xueqin, please do not speak to anyone else.
Peng Yulin said: "Commander Di was deeply afraid of his superior power, so he retreated bravely."
Zeng Guofan said: It doesn’t stop there! Our army is six or seven months in arrears with pay, and the price of rice is high. Many people in the camp live on porridge. They are always worried about lack of food, worried about collapse, and are deeply afraid that they will not be able to accomplish this feat. Xueqin's benevolent brother did not want to be a governor of Anhui, but asked to resign as governor of Cao. My benevolent brother is indifferent to honor and profit, and I am not as good as him.
Peng Yulin said: "Qi is a commander-in-chief. He has a humble position in the Navy. He has been exposed to wind and waves all year round. Although he was seriously ill, he never moved to the shore for a day. He is not familiar with the administration of the canal and is pedantic and impatient. He will not be able to deal with others." Two words of governor , nothing can be done about it. When Di Shuai went north to suppress the war, he was bound to take care of everything, every detail. However, Yulin believed that Di Shuai did not have to do everything personally and cover every aspect. It was common sense that Di Shuai was short of money and pay, and changes would occur over time. Di Shuai must report to the court quickly to prevent danger.
Zeng Guofan said: How can the imperial court have time to deal with such a trivial matter? From March to now, in the edicts I have received, the chief minister of military and military affairs has the three characters "Prince of Political Affairs", which is very surprising. In the past, everyone had these three characters, even when Prince Gong was on sick leave, he still had them, if not for the great changes in life and death. , then he will be expelled and will not be able to hear about the Privy Council's important affairs! This matter is extremely relevant and terrifying.
Peng Yulin said: When a woman heads a house, her house collapses. In the reign of Chief Xin, without the strong support of Prince Gong, it is not yet known who will die.
Zeng Guofan said: The power of Su Liu is as powerful as the thunder; but God's will is in the two palaces, what can be done? If I am Yiliu, I will also help the two palaces. It is normal for the two palaces to test their skills when Guangdong is in reverse and Kan is determined. Brother Commander Xue Qinren led the navy to secure the Yangtze River. I immediately sent an order. Liu Songshan, the commander-in-chief of Suzhou Town, temporarily commanded the Xiangyong battalions, and together with Zhang Shusheng, Liu Mingchuan, and Zhou Shengbo, all Huaiyong troops, marched northward to encircle and annihilate the Nien bandits.
