It took another ten days before Li Jingxiao led a large army to arrive outside Anxi Prefecture.
At this time, a lot of money was spent on paying the expenses of the peasants and eating horse chews along the way.
Fortunately, we added a lot in Shaanxi and Gansu along the way.
At this time, Zuo Zongtang was sitting in the big tent and continued to write letters to Hu Xueyan, making sure to collect some food.
The food shortage here is very serious.
At this time, Zuo Zongtang's subordinate Xia Zhikuan came to report Zuo Zongtang again.
"Report, Marshal, there is a troop coming from ten miles away, and they are fighting for their identity as the captain of the heroic cavalry."
Zuo Zongtang: "Hahaha, I didn't expect Li Hongzhang's son would really dare to come. I actually underestimate him."
"Come when you come. It's impossible for me to greet you in person, right?"
Xia Zhikuan: "This...this..."
"What the hell, let it go quickly..."
"Commander, I can't guarantee that. You really have to greet me personally."
Zuo Zongtang glared.
"What did you say?"
"Back to the Commander-in-Chief, Captain Xiaoqi has brought hundreds of thousands of stones of food this time, as well as many large boxes that must be silver."
"What, hundreds of thousands of stones of food?"
"Yes, Marshal, I have seen with my own eyes that the team is huge and there are quite a few people."
"Let's go and take a look. This is a good thing. If there are really hundreds of thousands of stones of food, this will solve my urgent need."
"Commander please!"
The two of them walked towards the city gate.
When we came to the city gate tower, we saw loess flying all over the sky outside, and we saw that a large group of people were coming.
The one at the front was the flag of Li Jingxiao, the captain of the heroic cavalry.
This heroic cavalry captain is an official in the capital, and his arrival in the northwest was specially arranged by the Queen Mother.
The morale of the soldiers here was also boosted by the arrival of this force.
Zuo Zongtang looked at this spectacular motorcade and grinned.
"Okay, okay, I didn't expect it, I really didn't expect it."
"He Li Hongzhang has such a good son."
"Whoever comes, open the city gate and I will greet you personally."
Xia Zhikuan complained in his heart, "Don't you want to welcome me?"
As expected, humans cannot escape the law of true fragrance.
Li Jingxiao rode at the front, showing no sign of fatigue.
Although he has traveled such a long way, it is nothing to him.
The more than a thousand people under his command are also very motivated.
Zuo Zongtang looked at the leader and muttered in his heart, "What a handsome young man. He has a good appearance and a good body shape. At first glance, he is a brave and strategic commander."
Zuo Zongtang became more and more satisfied as he watched.
It's a pity that my daughter is older and doesn't match Li Jingxiao. It's a pity, it's a pity.
Li Jingxiao saw someone in front of him greeting him. The leader was an old man in his sixties.
No need to guess, it must be Zuo Zongtang.
Li Jingxiao rushed forward quickly.
The dozen or so people following behind also quickened their pace and rushed forward.
Li Jingxiao came to Zuo Zongtang and knelt down on one knee.
"Li Jingxiao, the heroic cavalry captain, has come to assist Marshal Zuo in regaining Xinjiang in accordance with the orders of the empress dowagers of the two palaces and the emperor."
Li Jingxiao can say that this worship is sincere.
Zuo Zongtang deserves the respect of all of us. It can be said that without Zuo Zongtang, eating honeydew melons would mainly depend on imports.
But Zuo Zongtang's life was not ideal in the end.
Zuo Zongtang took two steps forward and came to Li Jingxiao.
"Hahaha, get up quickly."
Zuo Zongtang personally helped Li Jingxiao up.
This time he found that Li Jingxiao was really capable.
The calluses on the hands, the muscles on the body, and the strong physique.
As an old man, he can feel it as soon as he gets started.
"Hahaha, Shaoquan has a good son."
"Thank you Marshal for the compliment. Before leaving, my father asked the boy to say hello to Marshal Zuo for him."
"Hahaha, okay, I'm very fine, let him not worry about me."
"This time you are here, the number of people in the court who say bad things about me may be reduced by at least half."
"Li Jingxiao smiled awkwardly."
It is obvious that Zuo Zongtang is talking about his old rival Li Hongzhang.
Zuo Zongtang came from the Hunan Army, and Li Hongzhang established his own Huai Army.
The Hunan Army and the Huai Army are both independent, although Li Hongzhang nominally respects Zeng Guofan as his teacher.
In fact, there is constant secret fighting and friction below.
Many people are dissatisfied with why Li Hongzhang climbed so fast.
Their Hunan Army is not as good as their Huai Army.
But they did not think carefully about it. The Huai Army defeated the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in Nanjing City, and the Nian Army was destroyed by Li Hongzhang.
The Hunan Army has been giving away lives and doing things to make a profit at a loss.
There is nothing unjustifiable about Li Hongzhang picking off the fruits of victory.
"As for the commander-in-chief, since I came to this northwest, I am destined to stand on the same line as the commander-in-chief."
"Everything we say that is not nice is a grasshopper on a rope."
"I came here with only one goal, to regain Xinjiang."
"I'm not here to get gold plating. Why should I come here to get gold plating?"
"Yeah, yeah, I really believe you. I heard about you winning the top prize this time."
"It's amazing. If Xinjiang is recovered, you, Li Jingxiao, can take more than half of the credit."
Originally, the historical recovery of Xinjiang was postponed to 1876, but now because of Li Jingxiao, the recovery of Xinjiang will be carried out five years earlier.
The current Aguba has not yet taken root in Xinjiang, so it is the best time to eliminate him.
"Jingxiao, how many supplies did you bring this time?"
At this time, the entire army had arrived at the city gate.
Zuo Zongtang's eyes widened.
"Come back to the commander-in-chief, this time the general has brought five million taels of silver and three hundred and fifty thousand shi of grain. This is after taking into account what has been eaten and used up."
Zuo Zongtang took a long breath of hot breath.
"It's incredible, hahaha, God help me. With your supplies, why worry about Xinjiang not being able to take them back?"
"Now even if Hu Xueyan cannot borrow money from the foreign devils, I can still use the supplies you sent, plus the supplies we already have, to regain Xinjiang."
"By the way, how did you get so many supplies?"
"Come back to the Marshal, I paid for it out of my own pocket due to my humble position, plus I borrowed a lot from Beverly Bank, and I also had the help of the squire to raise funds along the way."
"I've heard of this Beverly Bank. It seems that you two have shares, right?"
"Come back to the commander-in-chief, I will only have a small share of the stock, and what I do is good things that benefit the country and the people."
"Well, I can't control this, and it's not under my control, but he can lend me so much money, and I really appreciate him."
"When the time comes, you give me the IOU, and the borrowed money will still have to be repaid. I, Zuo Zongtang, will remember this kindness."
"It's the commander-in-chief."
After speaking, Li Jingxiao asked someone to give the IOU to Zuo Zongtang's people.
Then Zuo Zongtang asked someone to receive the supplies.
The peasants all paid their travel expenses and returned the same way.
Zuo Zongtang also went to look inside the supplies.
Boxes of silver are really genuine.
It's all official silver.
In addition, the grains are millet, rice, corn flour, sorghum rice flour, etc.
Zuo Zongtang carefully opened a few bags and looked at them.
Happy from ear to ear.
He was simply too happy. These grains, combined with his previous grain reserves, would basically enable the army to live frugally for a year.
If Hu Xueyan could get some more from somewhere, he would really have enough food to start a war with Agubai.
"Come here, put the grain and money into the warehouse and send heavy troops to guard it."
"yes!"
