Chapter 170 Peng Yuju fights against Qilin Ao
Bao Chaodun stopped advancing, and Lai Wenguang and Ren Zhu were at peace for a while. They led the remaining troops and entered Henan again. However, it was already a severe winter in Henan, and it was very difficult to raise funds for thousands of miles. Lai Wenguang had no choice but to lead his soldiers back to the Hubei region. They drove Qishui and Huangmei from the east of Macheng, chopping green bamboos and roasting them to make utensils.
King Renzhu of Lu was worried and said: How can we attack the enemy with such bamboo spears and wooden spears?
Lai Wenguang also sighed and said: After three years of crossing the Black River, it is rare for the army to decline to this point. Our army marched eastward to avoid the Ting and Huai demon armies, which is really an expedient measure; Peng Yuju's army of six thousand demon demons Chasing all the way, not leaving even an inch, we cannot gain a foothold here unless we kill this monster.
Ren Zhu said: "Zundian quickly found a place to set up an ambush. I used bamboo spears and wooden spears to show weakness and lure the enemy, looking for opportunities to encircle and annihilate them."
Lai Wenguang said: The area around Liushen Port and Xitan Au is full of swamps, mire, and trees, which can be a place for ambush.
Peng Yuju pursued for more than a month, and finally captured Ren Zhu's troops in Qishui. As soon as the two armies engaged, Ren Zhu turned his horse and ran away, while Peng Yuju chased after him.
Admiral Luo Chaoyun advised: The thieves have repeatedly circled our army, Master Daotai, please do not take any risks!
Peng Youguang, the commander-in-chief, also said: The thieves are all fighting and riding, but I have many infantry. If we hold on for a long time and stagger along, it will do more harm than good.
Peng Yuju said: In the two battles of Yinlong River and Fengle River, the thieves lost more than half of their troops, their military uniforms were lost, and all their baggage was gone. If the remaining soldiers and horses, bamboo spears and wooden spears are abandoned without killing them, I will hate them forever! Send my order quickly, and the army will pursue them day and night. Anyone who captures or kills Lai or any bandit will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver.
On March 23, 1867, Governor Peng Yuju led 6,000 Xiang brave men to pursue them to the Liushen Port and Xitan Ao areas of Qishui. It was early morning, the fog was thick, and there was only a sound of cannon. Lai Wenguang and Ren Zhufen led thousands of cavalry, one on the left and one on the right, to swarm in.
Peng Yuju was fearful but not afraid, and ordered all his troops in a hurry. He would shoot and fire cannons from a distance, and chop and poke with swords and spears when he was close. However, the fog was thick and it was difficult to tell at a close distance. The Hunan Army's guns and artillery fired east and west, missing all. Thousands of bamboo spears and wooden spears from the Nian army came whizzing at them like arrows off the string. The Hunan army was caught off guard and fell to the ground one after another.
Er'er fought hand to hand, and the commander-in-chief Peng Youguang and the admiral Luo Chaoyun died in battle. Peng Yuju hurriedly retreated to Qilin'ao to block the mud, and the men and horses fell. The Nian Army cavalry pursued them and wrapped them up layer by layer. Yuju and his Taoist member Ge Chenglin were all killed. Beheaded. The general died, the Hunan army was defeated, more than a dozen admirals and generals were killed, and their bodies were laid for fifteen miles, and the six thousand soldiers of Xinxiang were completely wiped out.
Peng Yuju died in the battle, and those who survived were too depressed to fight again. Zeng Guoquan was angry and reprimanded Bao Chao for being too sluggish to move forward and delaying the military plan. According to the law, Bao Chao should be executed.
Bao Chao was also angry and replied: Bao has been in the army for more than ten years, fought more than 500 battles, and been wounded more than a hundred times. In the recent World War II, he suffered two more injuries. A dying person does not need to follow the rules!
Guo Songlin was injured, Peng Yuju died, Bao Chao rebelled, and Zeng Guoquan was disheartened, so he decided to quit.
When Zeng Guofan heard about it, he wrote a letter to urge him: Brother Yuan is around, but he has been having trouble running the army recently. In the defeat on February 18th, except for Xingnan and Baowu, five battalion officers died, and even more soldiers died. Chun Ting was at odds with his younger brother again. As luck would have it, thousands of crossbows were fired, and younger brother Yuan was eager to retreat. , Yu Yi's reputation has been greatly damaged at this time, and there is no reason to retreat suddenly. He must bear the humiliation and bear the burden, grit his teeth and do it. When the military affairs turn around and people's words subside, he will make plans to retreat again. He writes a letter to persuade his brother, hoping that he will listen.
In these troubled times, all those with high positions, great names, and powerful people are in danger. I entered Jinling City on March 6th, and I was extremely vigilant, always fearing that I would be exposed to great violence. It is difficult to predict when disasters will come, but if you don't be greedy for money, don't take tricks, don't sell your reputation, and don't be arrogant, you can bridge the gap.
After the great victory at Liushen Port, the morale of the Eastern Nien Army was restored. Lai Wenguang, Ren Zhu and others discussed with each other for a long time and decided to return to Zhongxiang Jiukou Town and forcefully cross the Han River into Sichuan.
The Eastern Nian Army marched westward from the Qishui River again, surging all the way and was unstoppable. Hubei Governor Zeng Guofan had no troops to mobilize. In desperation, he quickly returned to Hankou and asked Zuo Zongtang for help.
Zuo and Zongtang met each other, and after some pleasantries, Zuo Zongtang said: I firmly believe that the ninth brother is far more talented than the first brother. However, the Ji camp has been dismantled, and it is difficult to sing alone. What can I do?
Zeng Guoquan said: The past is over. People are in the rivers and lakes, and they can't help themselves. It is urgent, so I ask Brother Zuo to help. Bao Chunting's troops are stationed in Fancheng. I have written to him more than ten times, asking him to go to Yangzi and Shuanghe, but there has been no interception at all. However, Bao Chunting refused to send troops, causing thieves to overflow from Yangzi. It is really hateful!
Zuo Zongtang said: "Bao Chao is an ordinary man, which is a waste of opportunity!" Lai Wenguang and Zhang Zongyu are two of the same forces. Lai Ni is in power, which brings a lot of disadvantages to me but no benefit. Furthermore, the Ninth Brother's matter is something to the left, so my department will immediately go north.
Zeng Guoquan said: Brother Zuo, does he have a way to eliminate rebellion?
Zuo Zongtang said: "In the battle of Yinlonghe, if the Ting and Ming armies work together, the matter will be accomplished!" Ninth brother, don't be impatient. Within three months, Bao Chao will recover from his injuries, Ming's army will be revived, and he will be able to annihilate Lai Ni. Our unit aims at Shaanxi and Gansu, crosses the Yangtze River and drives north, slowly advances into clever battles, and assists the Nine Brothers from afar.
Zeng Guoquan said: Hearing that Bao Chao was injured and a spear penetrated his chest, he was afraid that he would not be able to survive. After Xingnan died, Zeng was despairing of all his thoughts. At the right time, he returned to Xiangxiang Heye Pond to plant rice and mulberry trees.
Zuo Zongtang said: Ninth brother is joking. Ninth brother has made great achievements in recovering Jinling. The Lai and Zhang bandits have no fixed place to live, nowhere to go, and lack of supplies. In time, they will be completely wiped out. Ninth brother can bear it. treat. Mingjun has been resting for more than a month, has his combat strength been restored? Will Ding's army and Wu Yi's army go south? Where are you now? Bao Chunting cannot fight, but the generals under his command are like clouds, and they can all gallop on the battlefield. Brother Ninth must write to Li Hongzhang and Bao Chunting that only by exerting all their strength can we annihilate the bandits Lai and Ren.
After Zeng Guoquan left, Zuo Zongtang told Wang Baixin, a famous scholar in Hubei, that the war in eastern Hubei was urgent and had to be launched; Liu Dian and Gao Liansheng's second army did not know when they would arrive.
Wang Baixin said: Commander Zuo no longer needs to wait, drive north slowly to relieve the current difficulties. After the Yinlong River War, Ting, Huai, and Xiang had deep grievances, and the three tribes fought on their own, which led to Peng Yuju's death in the battle. From this point of view, the war between Hubei and Henan will be difficult to end within this year. Commander Zuo went north to scare thieves with his arrogance. Don't wade into the muddy waters of Ting, Huai, and Xiang, lest you make wedding clothes for others.
Zuo Zongtang said: I will immediately lead my army to the north to guard Tongguan and control the road to Henan; Liu Dian's army will leave Zijingguan and control the Nian bandits' road from Henan to Hubei; Gao Liansheng's army will go up the Han River and go from Yunyang He went to Suanyang and blocked Nian from entering Sichuan from Hanzhong.
Wang Bai thought: The affairs of Qin are not only about fierce battles, but also about strategic management and far-reaching plans. If you want to achieve it, you must pay attention to the three things to ensure that there will be no trouble for a hundred years. First, don’t seek a quick war, and don’t push for a hasty war. You must eat enough soldiers to be able to attack. Secondly, if the thieves are especially shrewd, they must be punished; however, they cannot be punished all the time. If they are afraid and want to be appeased, they can be appeased as much as possible. Third, listen to the establishment of mixed villages and do not mix with the Han people; remove the good people of the other people, make them more independent, and restrain them so that they will not cause trouble.
Zuo Zongtang said: "Master's teachings, Zongtang should remember them carefully; entering the Qin Dynasty to fight the chaos is destined to be difficult." Last year, Xi Nian went west from Xuzhou, bypassed Tongguan and Shangzhou, crossed the Qinling Mountains, and headed towards Huayin. Liu Rong's army in Longzhou and Fenzhou failed to intercept it, and were defeated by the Nian army in Huazhou, with more than 700 casualties. In December, Xi'an was forced to attack Xi'an. Qiao Songnian, the governor of Shaanxi, was at odds with Liu Rong. The thirty battalions of the Chu army under his command were unable to maintain food and pay, and the soldiers had no fighting spirit, so they were defeated again. The Nian bandits gallop erratically and are good at riding, while the gangsters sit on the ground and stand firm, and are familiar with the people's power. Neither of them can be wiped out in one day. Zongtang intended to enter Shaanxi to suppress bandits, first twisting and then mixing, first Qin and then Long.
After Zongtang finished speaking, he wrote to Luo Bingzhang, the governor of Sichuan, saying: At a time when the Nian army in Hubei was rampant, the Hubei official army was defeated many times. Our army is here, in addition to training, but also to hold on; once we move away, the overall situation will be worried; however, Shaanxi and Gansu have no choice but to attack. Everyone knows that raising wages and food in Gansu is the most difficult problem in the world. Zongtang immediately asked the emperor to set up a bureau to collect donations in order to recruit people and help with food and wages. Sichuan and Shu are adjacent to Qinlong. If the rebellion is overflowing, it will bring disaster to the heaven. I hope you can quickly raise food and wages to save Qinlong.
Zuo Zongtang led his army northward and arrived at Fancheng on May 11. He saw that Bao Chao's face was swarthy, his limbs were cold, and his symptoms were confirmed. Zongtang felt pity for him.
Bao Chao urgently held Zongtang's hand and looked at each other without saying anything, except for tears.
Li Hongzhang was worried when he heard that Peng Yuju had died in the battle and that the New Hunan Army was almost completely destroyed. He asked Pan Dingxin urgently: What is the combat effectiveness of Li Zhaoqing's Wu Yi Army after merging Shanqing and Wendelek's cavalry?
Pan Dingxin said: Report to Commander Li, Zhaoqing was strict and thoughtful in the army, followed the law in battle, shared the joys and sorrows with the soldiers, won the hearts of the soldiers, and won every battle.
Li Hongzhang said: Di Gong also praised Zhaoqing for his excellent courage and intelligence, and that he was worthy of such a great appointment. However, Hezhang also served in the army for many years, often taking the lead in battles. The bandits in the south of the Yangtze River were wiped out, and he retired to his hometown in seclusion after his meritorious service.
Pan Dingxin said: Li Shuai avoids suspicion and refuses to report him, which is a disgrace to Brother Hezhang's ambition to make progress.
Li Hongzhang said: "Digong Di has said many times that our two families are too prosperous, people are afraid of ghosts, there are crises everywhere, and there are always dangers." Apart from the four words of hard work and loyalty, there is no other way to serve the country and no way to protect the family.
Pan Dingxin said: "Li Shuai was overly concerned, but the remnant will not be destroyed, and the disaster will not come. Even if the remnant is destroyed, there will still be foreign barbarians." The Ting, Ming, and Xiang tribes are all in decline. Should our troops quickly go south to pursue the besiegers and rebel bandits?
Li Hongzhang said: No! If you fail to swim across the Han River, the thieves will return. Bao Chaoting's army and Liu Mingchuan's army fought fiercely continuously, losing 30% to 40% of their troops. Dozens of admirals, generals, deputy generals, and staff generals were killed. Before the combat power of Ting's and Ming's armies was restored, all ministries must not act rashly.
