Chapter 184 Zuo Zongtang is fearless in the face of danger (2)
The Empress Dowager Cixi took up the report and said angrily: Yuan Baoheng was so light as a hair, and he was presumptuous in talking nonsense. He sent tens of thousands of brave men to the Jianghuai River and put them in a place where nothing happened, just wasting their money.
Empress Dowager Ci'an said: It has been more than four years since Aqubai, a member of the Kokand Khanate, invaded Xinjiang. This counter-invasion and occupation of southern Xinjiang was an attempt to form the pseudo-Hongfu Khanate. It is also appropriate for Li Hongzhang to enter Xinjiang to quell the rebellion.
Prince Gong Yi Xin said: "To report to the Emperor, the Queen Mother, and the Queen Mother, the servants thought that when Li Hongzhang and the Huai tribe entered Xinjiang, the Hexi Corridor was the only entrance; the Jinjibao, Hezhou, and Suzhou fennel bandits were not destroyed, and they entered Xinjiang." Very difficult.
The Empress Dowager Cixi said: "Quickly pass on the decree. Within this year, Zuo Zongtang must capture Jinji Fort and completely annihilate Ma Hualong's bandits. After the year, he will move to Ganlong and open the way to Xinjiang." Li Hongzhang's Huai tribe protected the rear route, checked for leaks and filled up the gaps to prepare for any danger.
In mid-April 1870, Li Hongzhang entered Shaanxi and saw that Qinlong was calm and calm. Hongzhang couldn't laugh or cry, so he said to Zhou Sheng: "Ji Sou is really a first-class person; there are bandits in Beishan, and I have to go to encircle and suppress them as quickly as possible."
Zhou Sheng preached: Reporting to Li Shuai, I found out under the mark that there are only a hundred thieves in Beishan, so there is no need to mobilize troops.
Li Hongzhang said: We are here to take over the Zuo army and replace it. However, if the Zuo army is not defeated, what can we do? Xin Ru temporarily went to Beishan to suppress the bandits in order to seal the reputation of Youyou.
Zhou Sheng preached: Report to Li Shuai. Li Shuai once said in the past that the generals of the Hunan Army despised all Huai tribes. Like young men who want to compete with their ancestors for supremacy, they can only open their doors through a decisive battle. However, since the battle of Yinlong River, the newcomers from Wuhuai and Huaihe have been on top, and they have been able to defeat every attack and defeat. Our army alone can suppress this chaos. At this moment, Wuhuai does not need to attack aggressively, nor does it need to be cautious and rely on others.
Li Hongzhang said: The salary is so bad! Are you brave enough to surpass Ting's army? A strong pole is easy to break, a strong pole is humiliating, it will never change! What was gained was lost in the east. Over the past few years, the Zuo army has been fighting in the north and south, spending millions of money every year. Ji Sou is trapped in the officialdom, can he make full use of it? We are nitpicking, and the two palaces are aware of everything. Mingjun will also arrive by then, and it will be easy to replace him.
Zhou Sheng preached: When Wuhuai entered the Qin Dynasty, not only the Zuo army, but also Ma Hualong from Jinjibao and Ma Zhan'ao from Hezhou were also very afraid. Invisibly, they had secretly aided the Zuo army. The sign was that Liu Mingchuan's Ming army should not enter for the time being. Qin.
Li Hongzhang said: Soldiers are a major event for the country, the place of life and death, and the way to survival! The war is changing rapidly, and the opportunity to fight is lost at the slightest moment. How can we leave our position empty? Please pass on my order quickly, Liu Ming will pass on the Ming army, and it is advisable to enter Qin as soon as possible.
The Huai army entered Qin in a large scale, and the left army came again to the fort. Ma Hualong was frightened and hurriedly ordered his troops in Shaanxi and Gansu to return to aid quickly. He wrote to Liu Jintang again to express his condolences.
His son Ma Yaobang said: With such uncertainty, people's hearts are completely lost!
Ma Hualong said: The food supplies in the fort are almost exhausted. Within half a year, we will all die of hunger. You will follow me personally to Liu Ying and hand over your horses, swords and guns as a token of sincerity.
Ma Yaobang said: "I observe in ten months, Liu Jintang attacks and defends at will, and he is also a mediocre general." If he agrees, I will secretly launch a secret attack on Yongning Cave, cooperate with the returning armies inside and outside, and then fight to the death. The war will remain in a stalemate, and the situation will become a peace situation.
Ma Hualong said: If Liu Jintang opens one side of the net, all the people in Jinji Fort can be protected; if our troops sneak attack on Yongning Cave, it will be successful. If not, it will be said that Shaanxi acted recklessly. At the beginning of spring planting, don't miss farming. I will beg you to give me a corner of Wuzhongbao and Banqiao to plow the fields and plant rice.
Ma Hualong and Ma Yaobang bowed their heads to beg for help, but Liu Jintang was not suspicious and allowed the farmers to open dikes to release water, plow the fields and plant rice; old, young, women and children came out of the fort to look for food.
Huang Wanyou asked why, Jintang said: "The trapped beasts are still fighting, what about humans?" The Ma family and his son went back on their word, wandering around, begging for help, farming, or making sneak attacks. It was all possible. We waited for the cunning rabbit.
In the next few days, Liu Jintang, Huang Wanyou, Dong Fuxiang and others set up an ambush and decoy attack, and captured more than a thousand armed and fierce people.
Zongtang was very happy when he heard the news and told Liu Diandao, the governor of Shaanxi Province: "Liu Jintang has captured Wang Hong, the rebel leader of the militia, which is very satisfying. I will order Huang Ding, Lei Zhengwan, Zhou Shaolian and others not to attack Jinji Fort for the time being. The most urgent task is to consolidate the original source." On the way back, eliminate the anti-water militia in Majiahe and completely cut off the horse thieves' external relations.
Liu Diandao: Agubo is marching to the southern frontier, and the British and Russian barbarians are ready to make a move. The two palaces are eager for success, so they order Li Hongzhang to march into Shangzhou. Li Huai only needs an imperial edict to replace us. Zuo Shuai's sudden attack at this moment may cause confusion.
Zuo Zongtang said: The two palaces rose with bare hands and stood with curtains hanging. They are definitely not ordinary people. The chaos in Shaanxi, Gansu and Fen has lasted for more than eight years, so we must choose a sure-fire strategy to eliminate this century-old problem. Immediately, he ordered all the troops to clear the rear routes, separate and attack the Jinji Fort, and do not rush to attack. It was also like washing the old men, dredging the two roads, encircling them without attacking, and forcing Ma Hualong's bandit troops to land.
Liu Diandao: I am reporting to Commander Zuo that last month the thieves harassed the Qin Dynasty. I am physically and mentally exhausted and can no longer support myself. For fear of delaying the military aircraft, I submitted my resignation yesterday to Shu. Now I am here to tell you. I hope Commander Zuo will understand me.
Zongtang said: "Ke'an Li replaced Tao Jiang, retreating in order to advance, Zuo is very grateful. My brother returned to Chutian and cultivated his character quickly. After that, he conquered the city and captured the territory. It was thanks to my brother's strength."
On that day, Zong Tangshu said: On April 28, Liu Jintang, Huang Wanyou, Dong Fuxiang and others surrounded and suppressed Gan Hui's big and small leaders and more than a thousand soldiers, and killed them all together. I will report the general situation truthfully.
Nimu Wang Hong is a huge rebel in Lingzhou, Yang is in harmony with the army, and Yin is in collusion with Shaanxi and Ganjihui. There is no excuse for his love crime. This time we captured him and rectified the law, and annihilated all the leaders who shared the same evil, which was very satisfying.
The horses, horses, and eight strongholds were all leveled to eliminate the problems of elbows and armpits, which was enough to scare the old thieves. Liu Jintang and others handled the situation very well. When they saw the army was ordered to advance north, Yang immediately conspired with Shaan'an Huangdao of the Camp Office to control the thieves.
When the power of thieves is declining, it is not difficult to eliminate them with a single blow. However, there is no reason why rebel thieves will never be destroyed, and there is absolutely no reason to kill them all. According to the wishes of the minister, if a person who sincerely surrenders and seeks appeasement is given a death-free passport and repatriated to his original place, and there is no other violation, the local officials are not allowed to drag the old case and deny him the opportunity to reform.
