Chapter 180 Zuo Zongtang put an end to the chaos in Shaanxi and Gansu (1)
On September 24, 1868, Zuo Zongtang went to Beijing to pay homage and bowed.
Empress Dowager Cixi said: Zhang Zongyu rebelled against the bandits, did he drown?
Zuo Zongtang said: To report to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, no one has been seen alive or dead, and no body has been seen. It is like a stone sinking into the sea, and it is difficult to find it.
Empress Dowager Ci'an said: In the past, when Jinling was restored, everyone was happy, but Zuo Qing insisted on his own opinion. Afterwards, it was verified that the hypocritical young rebel had really escaped. Zuo Qing is cautious in dealing with matters and will never be attached to others. Extraordinary achievements must be treated by extraordinary people. Our great Qing Dynasty is lucky to have Zuo Qing.
Zuo Zongtang said: "To the emperor and the empress dowager, the friendship between people and ministers is to share the country's worries and relieve the people's difficulties. It is advisable to speak out and speak the truth, and it is not necessary to be obedient. I ask the empress dowager to give me some time, and I will definitely arrest Zhang Ni and bring him to justice."
Empress Dowager Cixi said: Zuo Chen is upright and upright, which is the blessing of the Qing Dynasty! Zuo Chen does not need to worry about Zhang Ni's life or death. Ding Baozhen, Ying Han, Li Henian and others will investigate closely. During the civil strife in Shaanxi and Gansu, Qin officials talked a lot about using the Han to control the fennel and protecting the Han to suppress the fennel. What did Zuo Chen think?
Zuo Zongtang said: "I would like to report to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager that the feud between Shaanxi, Gansu, Han and Hui happened in a subtle way, and it was due to the frequent quarrels that had occurred, which led to this catastrophe." Now, if we blindly suppress them, no matter whether we kill them all or not, we will have endless troubles. Furthermore, since the Tang Dynasty, fennels have been mixed in China and have thrived for thousands of years. They have long been separated into one category. How can they be killed in one day without leaving any roots? The people of the Han and Fen tribes all belong to the same country. Regardless of whether they are Fen or Han, they can only distinguish between the good and the bad.
Empress Dowager Cixi said: "Suppression and appeasement at the same time, gentle yet strong, only Zuo Chen did it." After Fa Ni was destroyed, Ni Ni was also destroyed in four years. Can the chaos of Fen Ni be quelled in three years?
Zuo Zongtang said: "To inform the Queen Mother, Guanlong is far away and it is difficult to maintain food and salary. It will take five years to complete it." Yang Yuebin, Mu Tushan, Liu Rong, Cao Zhengwan, Tao Maolin, etc. were repeatedly defeated due to lack of pay.
Empress Dowager Cixi said: Even if there is a lack of pay, Zuo Chen must negotiate with the Ministry of Household Affairs and the governors of various provinces to raise money widely, and must not repeat the mistakes of Yang, Liu, Cao, Tao and others; Zuo Chen's troops marched into Shaanxi and Gansu , we must move from east to west, pay close attention to Shanxi's defense, and do not allow bandits to escape and disturb the capital again. This trip is destined to be full of troubles, and I hope Zuo Chen can take care of himself.
Zuo Zongtang said: "I have reported this to the Empress Dowager, and I immediately ordered Liu Songshan and Zhang Yao to enter the Jin Dynasty immediately to stop the thieves who invaded the east." Liu Rong and Qiao Songnian were at odds with each other. They led the thirty battalions of the Chu army. They had no dedicated commander and the soldiers had no fighting spirit. They were taken advantage of by thieves and suffered a disastrous defeat at Baqiao. Liu Rong's improper command is an unmitigated crime; Qiao Songnian's slow supply and delay of military aircraft are also deplorable.
Empress Dowager Cixi said: Baqiao was defeated, Qiao Songnian impeached Liu Rong because of his bad military discipline, and it was useless to stay in Shaanxi; Liu Rong counter-impeached Qiao Songnian because he did not understand military tactics and was hampered in everything. The important ministers in Xinjiang do not want to join hands with each other, but stay contented with the wall. An Neng can win! Shaanxi was an important area in the western frontier of the Qing Dynasty, and Zuo Chen thought who was worthy of the important task.
Zuo Zongtang said: According to the Empress Dowager, Liu Dian, the Inspector-General of Gansu Province, joined the army as a county student in the first year of Xianfeng. Only with such integrity can he be able to change the times, be powerful and capable of taking on great responsibilities.
The Empress Dowager Cixi said: Zuo Chen's words were written in jade letters, and they were quickly transmitted to the imperial edict. Qiao Songnian, the governor of Shaanxi Province, had been sick frequently and begged for leave, so he was allowed to return to his hometown to recuperate. The post of governor of Shaanxi Province was temporarily filled by Liu Dian, the governor of Gansu Province. The civil unrest in Shaanxi and Gansu has been going on for seven years. Duolong'a, Duxing'a, Yang Yuebin, Mu Tushan, Liu Rong, Qiao Songnian, etc. have been able to suppress it repeatedly, which is indeed a thorny issue. Zuo Chen, as an imperial minister, is in charge of the military, political and civil affairs of Shaanxi and Gansu. He must work with the governor Mu Tushan, the governor Liu Dian and others to do their best to capture the traitors and punish the thieves.
Zuo Zongtang received the order to express his gratitude and led the Western Expedition Army from Hebei to Henan, via Mengjin, crossed the Yellow River, and arrived in Xi'an on November 26, 1868. Liu Dian, the acting governor of Shaanxi, Gao Liansheng, the governor of Gansu, and Huang Ding, the Taoist priest, arrived immediately after hearing the news.
Zuo Zongtang said: I moved from the capital to oversee Guanlong. There are people who worry about things on my behalf, there are people who are happy, there are people who have expected this matter, and there are people who blame it for a long time without success. I don't care. There must be someone to do everything in the world. , the country cannot be without Shaanxi and Gansu, and Shaanxi and Gansu cannot be without the governor. How can it be easy for a scholar to serve as a governor for several years and to take refuge?
Liu Diandao: Commander Zuo knows military affairs well and can do anything. However, he suppresses the bandits again, pays attention to the civil affairs, takes care of the aftermath, gathers the exiles, raises herders, and pays for the casualties. All of this consumes a lot of money, and the armies are all in debt to each other. The salary is also a huge amount. I dare to ask Commander Zuo, can my emperor reward me with enough silver when I return from the capital this time?
Zuo Zongtang said: "Lack of pay and fatigue of soldiers is the most stubborn disease. Let's not discuss it now!" Dong Fuxiang's ability has turned around, and he has been paying attention to it. The overall situation must start from the northeast, and the Dong Ni bandits must be defeated first. I immediately ordered Lei Zhengwan, the admiral of Shaanxi Province, to strictly guard the Pingliang and Guyuan lines and try to prevent Dong Ni from fleeing westward.
Liu Diandao: Report to Commander Zuo, Zhang Ni has been destroyed, Commander Zuo's plan is half done after first twisting! Dong Fuxiang is different from Niu and Zhuhui. Zuo Shuai should classify the methods and focus on caressing.
Zuo Zongtang said: Brother Ke'an, now that you have been promoted to Xianqi, please don't say anything more. Just asking for help will get twice the result with half the effort. From the Qin Dynasty across the Yellow River to the Jin Dynasty and invaded the capital, it was Li Zicheng who was far away and Zhang Zongyu who was close by. Dong Ni Fuxiang took 200,000 people with him, reaching Suide in the east, Guyuan in the west, Yan'an in the south, and Yikezhao League in the north, spanning thousands of miles. If it scurries into Jin from the east and brings disaster to the capital, it will cause the greatest harm and must be eliminated first. Before I entered the Qin Dynasty, I ordered Liu Songshan and Zhang Yao to garrison Yongning and Xinzhou in Jin Dynasty to block Dong Ni's eastward advance. When the time was right, Liu Zhang quickly stepped on the ice and marched westward to surround and execute Dong Ni. Bai Yanhu and the rebels of Longdi Ma Zhifen were scattered in the four fields. After wiping out Dong Ni, Bai Yanhu of Longdong, Ma Hualong of Jinjibao in northeast Longnan, Ma Zhan'ao of Hezhou in southeast Longnan, Ma Guiyuan of Xining in central Longxi, and Ma Zhan'ao of Longxi Ma Wenlu of Suzhou can also be defeated one by one.
Gao Liansheng said: "I have informed Commander Zuo that I will immediately lead my troops to the north to encircle and annihilate Dong Fuxiang's rebel bandits, and open up a passage to the west to Dong Zhiyuan to encircle and annihilate Bai Yanhu's rebel bandits."
Zuo Zongtang said: Liu Songshan and Zhang Yao besieged Dong Fuxiang. Brother Guomu sent his troops out of Yijun, in the middle of the president's road, to monitor Bai Yanhu and beyond, to prevent Dong Fuxiang from going south against the bandits. Dong Fuxiang, who went astray, is different from Zhuma and Bai. He is fierce and brave, likes to help people in a hurry, and he does not kill recklessly. I have ordered Liu Songshan and Zhang Yao to deal with this rebellion, suppress and appease them.
Huang Ding said: "I report to Commander Zuo that Dong Fuxiang, Bai Yanhu, Ma Hualong and others are all Fen people. They depend on each other and are difficult to tame."
Zuo Zongtang said: In the first year of Tongzhi, in the land of Shaanxi and Gansu, Han people fought with weapons and blood flowed; Dong Fuxiang summoned Han people to form a militia to defend Sangzi. In Anhua, Wang Aichen was afraid of his disloyalty, so he cleverly organized a banquet at Hongmen, imprisoned him in a cage, and poured boiling water on his head. Dong Fuxiang escaped by chance and killed Wang Aichen. The officials forced the people to rebel, which was self-defeating, and together with Bai Yanhu, Ma Hualong, It is normal for Zhang Zongyu and other traitors to occasionally have connections with each other. In the first year of Xianfeng, Zuo Mou was alone to spy on thieves, and he and Yi Nishi were chatting and laughing happily.
Liu Dian said: Zuo Shuai is well versed in military affairs and knows military strategies, but Liu Dian is beyond his reach. He can't say anything about it, and he bows to the ground. It's not a pity. The civil unrest in Shaanxi and Gansu resulted in millions of casualties. The hatred between all parties is deep and may be difficult to bridge.
Zuo Zongtang said: If Dong Fuxiang is stubborn and stubborn, take him as the leader to serve as a warning to others! My intention is that our troops will be divided into three groups, from east to west, first from the north and then from the south, to encircle and annihilate the rebel bandits one by one. On the north road, Liu Songshan and Zhang Yao completed their army reorganization. They immediately divided their troops into two groups and quietly entered the Qin Dynasty. Liu came from Suide from east to west, Zhang from Yulin from north to south, and quickly entered the town of Jingbao. On the middle road, Gao Liansheng left Yijun, Wei Guangtao left Fu County, and Huang Ding moved from Baoji to Binzhou. The three departments cooperated with each other and attacked step by step to prevent Dong Fuxiang from going south against the bandits. They closely monitored Bai Yanhu's movements against the bandits. On the south road, Wu Shimai and Li Yao marched westward from Longzhou and Baoji to stop the bandits from invading Sichuan and Shu; in addition, Li Huishi was stationed in Baoji, Zhang Yueling was stationed in Longzhou, Yu Bulian was stationed in Qianyang, and Liu Dian was stationed in Xi'an to protect the army. Way back.
