Chapter 189 Zuo Zongtang pacifies Guanlong (2)
Zuo Zongtang observed the battle situation and urgently ordered Wang Debang, the chief envoy of Fujian Province, to lead his own military camp to rush for reinforcements.
At the beginning of October, Wang Debang and his 5th battalion marched around the Kangjiaya battlefield, crossed the Didao pontoon bridge along the meandering road, and stormed the fennel base at the head of Heishan Mountain. The armies of Fu Xianzong and Yang Shijun also came out in full force. The Fen army was defeated and abandoned the base.
Xu Wenxiu and Liu Mingdeng took the opportunity to swim across the Tao River, joined forces with Wang Debang, Fu Xianzong, and Yang Shijun to capture the important Sanjiaji in Hexi.
Zuo Zongtang was so happy that he ordered Fu Xianzong and Yang Shijun to besiege Taizi Temple; Xu Xiuwen, Wang Debang, and Liu Mingdeng attacked Dadongxiang along the river. The two armies succeeded and attacked Hezhou together.
The five armies attacked according to the order and fought fiercely for more than a month, making little progress. Zuo Zongtang ordered Chen Shi, the commander-in-chief of the battalion, to swim across the Tao River and control the armies nearby.
In late November, Chen Shi arrived at Sanjiaji and summoned the generals to discuss the attack.
Chen Shi said: Winter is coming, such a stalemate is not good for me. The soldiers are very quick. How about leaving Dadongxiang temporarily and attacking Taizi Temple together?
Wang Debang said: "My 30,000-strong army is stationed alone on the west bank of the Tao River. It is really a fight with our backs against the water." Gathering troops in one place can lead to nowhere. Dongjiashan is the gateway to and from Taizi Temple. Our troops divided into two groups to attack points and provide reinforcements, and marched together.
On the 28th, the three armies of Fu Xianzong, Yang Shijun, and Xu Wenxiu camped step by step and attacked repeatedly, gradually approaching the top of Dongjiashan Mountain. Various tribes rushed to help, but were blocked by Wang Debang and Liu Mingdeng's troops. It's early in the morning. Fu Xianzong and others captured Dongjiashan.
Dongjiashan was lost and the Prince Temple was in danger. Ma Zhan'ao felt sad and said: Xinlupo to the east of the Prince Temple and Dangchuanpu to the south are both dangerous places and must be protected with death. Ma Haiyan and the Seventh Imam each led 500 elite soldiers and quickly went to build forts to delay the demon army's offensive.
Fu Xianzong, Yang Shijun, Xu Wenxiu, Liu Mingdeng and others also knew that the gains and losses of Xinlupo and Dangchuanpu were crucial to the overall situation. The four armies divided into two groups and fought bloody battles for three days and nights before capturing them again.
Seeing the stagnation and hopelessness, Ma Zhan'ao urgently ordered Ma Wuzhen to lead 1,000 troops to counterattack the Sanjiaji.
The top three troops were in a hurry, and Chen Shi did not dare to neglect, so he ordered Wang Debang, Xu Wenxiu, and Liu Mingdeng to come back for reinforcements.
Xu Wenxiu and others had just withdrawn from Taizi Temple, and troops from Monigou, Xunhua, Miragou and other places came in droves.
Fu Xianzong and Yang Shijun were not afraid, and the soldiers stormed the Prince's Temple without stopping for three days.
The fiercer Fu and Yang's offensive became, the more anxious Hezhou's commander-in-chief, Zhan Ao, became more and more anxious. All of them decided to retreat to Xixiang and make further plans.
Ma Zhan'ao said: "The demons in the Qing Dynasty are all from Xiangchu, and they are especially intolerant of cold. It will benefit me at this time. The war has been going on for nearly half a year. I will be tired after fighting for a long time. I am tired and the demons are also tired. The demons live in a foreign land and are not accustomed to the soil and water. This is a benefit for me." . If the war is stagnant, a sudden retreat will lead to collapse; the enemy is strong and we are weak, so we should attack instead of defend. This opportunity will benefit me. Those who have these three advantages but do not use them to their fullest extent will act recklessly as a warrior!
Ma Haiyan, an Orion hunter in Hezhou, said: If we say we retreat, the people will collapse; if we take the lead, we will defeat wherever we go.
On the night of January 11, 1872, Ma Haiyan led 500 elite soldiers, captured Xinlupo, and built three ice barriers between the Qing army's Zhenwei and front right camps.
At dawn, Ma Zhan'ao personally led a thousand elite troops to capture four small villages including Lannigou near Xinlupo, forming a horn with Ma Haiyan's three ice barriers.
Fu Xianzong was shocked. He hurriedly ordered his troops to launch a cannon blast. However, the cannon hit the ice and immediately slipped.
Fu Xianzong was frightened and urgently reported to Zuo Zongtang: Xinlupo's defense camp was weak and urgently needed reinforcements.
Yang Shijun was frightened when he heard the news, and reported to Zuo Zongtang: The bandits are fierce and cunning, and he begged to send more reinforcements to clear the food channels. The secret agent came to report that the bandits had increased by tens of thousands, and they were heading straight for Dangchuanpu.
Zuo Zongtang was disdainful and said: "The military situation is unpredictable, how can we be rigid?" The thieves are now concentrated in Dadong Township and Taizi Temple. Admiral Fu should work hard to suppress the thieves in order to seize key areas and kill the thieves.
My former minister ordered Admiral Fu to join forces with Admiral Yang to attack Taizi Temple. Admiral Xu and Wang Fansi went to wipe out Dadongxiang along the river. They have all been informed of their respective actions.
He still looked up and said in front of him, and the discussion was handled quickly. The bandit force in Xinlupo area is relatively light. Since Admiral Fu has left the camp to garrison, there should be nothing to worry about.
As for Admiral Yang's report that the number of thieves increased by tens of thousands, there were indeed tens of thousands of thieves. Why did Xu and Liu's armies conquer Xinlupo on the 29th, while Admiral Yang and Admiral Fu captured Dangchuanpu and did not capture many more?
Admiral Yang's claim as a secret agent, he knows that he is not a thief, but he is lying and may become more rampant. I believe it! Why bother with the fierce flames of thieves and damage your own prestige? If Admiral Fu gathers a crowd to fight, he will be brave, but if he fights alone, he will be timid; if Admiral Yang encounters a small enemy, he will be brave, but if he encounters a big enemy, he will be timid.
Fu Xianzong accepted Zuo Zongtang's instructions, smiled sadly, and fought again. However, after more than ten attacks and more than a hundred casualties, the stone and ice castle could not be destroyed.
Fu Xianzong was furious. He personally held the command flag and charged forward. Ma Haiyan saw it clearly and fired a gun. Fu Xianzong suddenly threw himself on the ground.
Fu Xianzong died, and the Hubei army was in panic. Ma Zhan'ao took the opportunity to betray him and copied from behind. The Hubei army was in chaos and scattered.
Chen Shi, the general manager of the battalion, urgently ordered Xu Wenxiu to temporarily command the Hubei army to reverse the decline.
Xu Wenxiu, the named admiral and commander-in-chief of Gaozhou Town, received the order, quickly crossed Dongjiashan, collected the defeated troops, joined Yang Shijun's troops, defeated the four small villages in Shannigou in one fell swoop, and then attacked the ice barrier. They fought fiercely for two days, resulting in numerous casualties.
Peng Guozhong, the registered admiral, said: Our Hubei tribe has repeatedly attacked Fennibing Barrier. Fu Junmen was killed, two generals were wounded, the deputy general, staff general, and guerrillas were all killed and wounded. More than half of the soldiers were killed and wounded. We can no longer fight.
Yang Shijun, the admiral of Hezhou, said: "The fennel is crossing the ice barrier, and our food route is blocked. If we don't eat for three days, our army will collapse."
Xu Wenxiu said: Since we can no longer fight, we must retreat one by one to guard against a surprise attack from Hui Ni. The Hubei army will withdraw first, and I will lead my own camp to seize the rear.
In the early morning of February 19, the armies retreated slowly. At noon, a strong wind suddenly broke out and the sky was filled with sand.
Ma Zhan'ao gave an order, and all the troops came out of the fortress and screamed.
The Hubei army was frightened when they heard the sound, and they ran like wolves and pigs. The morale of the army was shaken, and the soldiers were running away. Xu Wenxiu was unable to stop him, so he led his troops to the camp, abandoned the base and fought hand-to-hand. He was hit by three spears and his blood spread on the battlefield.
In the battle of Taizi Temple, the Qing army lost two admirals, six generals, four lieutenants, three generals, three guerrillas, five generals, one garrison, one chief, and one general. There were even more casualties among the soldiers. .
When Zuo Zongtang heard about it, he beat his chest and said regretfully: Zuo didn't know what the three armies were not capable of, so he called it an advance, and he defeated my army!
That night, Zongtang reported: There was a battle at Xinlupo and Dangchuanpu, and the pro-military camp, Liangfu, Zongyue and other camps were identified, and the admiral Fu Xianzong's troops were killed in the battle. The soldiers and civil and military officers and gentry who died in Didao totaled two thousand. Nine hundred and eighty-seven people, all of whom sacrificed their lives for the country, petitioned for permission to build a Zhaozhong Temple in Didao City, with Fu Xianzong as the main worshiper, and the other civil and military officers and soldiers who were brave enough to set up memorial tablets as companions. Please order the place. Officials offered sacrifices in the Spring and Autumn Period.
The two palaces took over and ordered: "I have recently heard that the army's advance to the east of Xinlupo failed to capture the bandits, and there were many casualties. Some of the leaders died in battle, and some are missing. Now all the armies are retreating to the Gaojiaji area." , many military uniforms in the tents were lost, brave men also fled, and food transportation from Didao to Gongchang was still blocked. If this situation is true, the thieves will regain their strength, the army will be weakened, and food and salary will not be saved, and the future will be unspeakable!
Zuo Zongtang had been planning to besiege Hezhou for a long time. When the situation was urgent, he must have carefully planned how to rectify the war and guard the areas to clear the grain roads. However, the thieves in Hezhou have strong bases and the terrain is steep, so the troops led by Governor Zuo Zongtang should advance cautiously.
