Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 225: Tight in front, tight in the back! (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival)
Zhang Lexing couldn't help but be shocked when he heard this.

It is said that the King of the Tang Dynasty has always been clear about rewards and punishments, generous, and never stingy with his subordinates.

Looking back now, it is indeed true.

I had just defected to the Tang Dynasty and hadn't had time to do anything, but the reward had already come.

If I can really make some achievements, how much reward can I get?

It’s unimaginable!
He is truly a wise and holy ruler!

With a sentimental mood, Zhang Lexing bowed in front of Li Yi and said.

"How dare I disobey your orders?"

Li Yi said with a smile.

"very good."

"Next, the main force of the imperial court will launch an expedition to the east."

"In order to prevent the Qing army in Anhui from making any unusual moves, we need Brigade Commander Zhang to make more efforts and lead the army to launch operations in Anhui and Jiangsu."

"Hargue the Qing army's rear and food supply routes, and support our army's initiative to march eastward."

"As for the specific action plan, it will be decided by your family and Anhui Recruiting Envoy Chen Chengrong. The court will not give remote control."

“I wonder if I can do that?”

Li Yi's arrangement for the Nian Army was very simple. He did not need the Nian Army, who had just surrendered, to overcome difficulties and fight hard battles with the Qing Army.

As long as they can use their mobility advantage to harass Anhui and Jiangsu, cut off the Grand Canal, and threaten the Qing army's food supply, that will be enough.

The Nian Army in Jiangbei harassed the Qing army's food supply routes.

If the Small Knife Society in Jiangnan could be successfully recruited by the Tang Dynasty, they could then harass the Qing army's food supply routes in Jiangnan.

So, before the Eastern Expedition even started, the Tang Dynasty had already won half the battle.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lexing immediately clasped his fists.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. With me here, I will not allow even a single soldier or a single grain of food from the Qing army to cross the river to Jiangnan."

Li Yi smiled and nodded, then said.

"If the Tang Dynasty can achieve a complete victory in this Eastern Expedition, I will definitely reward your family."

Li Yi began to paint a rosy picture for Zhang Lexing.

Of course, he is not a black-hearted capitalist who only makes promises but does not deliver them.

Li Yi is really willing to make cakes for his subordinates.

Considering the reward that Li Yi had given him before, Zhang Lexing naturally believed in Li Yi's promise.

Now Zhang Lexing really recognizes Li Yi from the bottom of his heart.

He felt that it might be a good choice to abandon his unnecessary fantasies, follow such a person, and conquer the world with him.

……

Li Yi arrived in Jiujiang at the end of August and stayed in Jiujiang for more than ten days.

While the army was resting, he continued to meet with Tang army generals and local officials.

It greatly stabilized the morale of the people in Jiangxi, which had just been conquered!
Afterwards, Li Yi did not stay in Jiujiang for long, but led the main force of the Tang army to move eastward, along the Yangtze River, and headed towards the south of the Yangtze River.

Target, Jiangning!
It’s not that Li Yi doesn’t want to stay in Jiangxi longer and experience the cultural atmosphere of Jiangxi, but he doesn’t have the time.

According to the information Li Yi has received, the new Crusaders organized by the British have already set out from Europe for some time, and they will arrive in East Asia in half a year at most.

Before that, Li Yi must knock out the main force of the Qing court in Jiangnan, and then lead his troops back to defend Guangzhou and prepare to fight against the foreigners. There is really not much time to waste.

The Tang army's eastern expedition had two main purposes.

The first was that Li Yi had to knock out the Qing court’s main force in Jiangnan before the so-called “New Crusade” of the foreigners arrived in the Far East.

In order to prevent foreigners from colluding with the Qing government and bringing trouble to themselves.

The second is to regain the place where the Heavenly Kingdom was destroyed and take up the banner of being the leader of the anti-Qing forces in the world.

If Li Yi wants to achieve these two goals, Jiang Ning is a point that cannot be avoided.

The reason is simple: Jiangning’s political status is too important.

This city was once the southern capital of the former Ming Dynasty, the place where Comrade Lao Zhu started his career, and is truly the number one city in the South.

From an economic perspective, Guangzhou, with the support of the opening of maritime trade, may not be much worse than Jiangning.

But when it comes to political status, Guangzhou is far from comparable to Jiangning.

Only by taking over one of the two capitals of the north and the south can one be considered to have stepped onto the chessboard of the world and be qualified to compete for the throne of the world.

This is something that is recognized by everyone in the world!
If Li Yi wanted to replace the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's previous position as the leader of the anti-Qing forces in the world and to regain the ground where the Heavenly Kingdom was destroyed from the Qing court, he had to capture Jiangning first.

If the Qing government does not want the world situation, which had finally improved slightly, to take a sharp turn for the worse again, it cannot give up Jiangning either.

Therefore, Jiangning City will most likely be the main battlefield of the Tang Army's Eastern Expedition!
……

Luzhou, Anhui.

Lu Xianji, an official from Anhui and the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works of the Qing Dynasty, wrote to Emperor Xianfeng, requesting to return to Anhui to organize militia and prepare to participate in the suppression of bandits.

Xianfeng felt that the situation in the south was complicated and Anhui was in danger under the attack of the Tang army, so he approved Lu Xianji's request and ordered him to return home with his men to organize militia.

Among Lu Xianji's entourage, there was a man with thin cheeks, bright eyes, and beautiful beard, who looked very imposing.

But the zombie costume and the pig tail behind his head made him look less majestic and impressive.

This man's name was Li Hongzhang, also from Anhui, and was one of Lu Xianji's aides.

When the team arrived outside Luzhou City, Anhui Governor Fu Ji, Provincial Governor Zhao Yuming and others came out of the city to greet them.

Fu Ji took a few steps forward and said.

"Master Lu is finally here."

"The situation in Anhui is really critical now. Now that Lord Lu is here, I can breathe a sigh of relief."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xianji asked.

"Why do you say that, Master Fu? Is the current situation in Anhui really so critical?"

Fu Ji nodded and said.

"Hey, Lord Lu, you don't know, I just received the latest news that the Tang thief's false king Li Yi personally led the main force of the Tang thieves from Guangzhou to Jiujiang."

"I guess his purpose seems to be to prepare to continue the expedition to the east."

"At that time, Anqing, Chizhou and other places in Anhui will be the first to bear the brunt. With the current military strength in Anhui, I am afraid that I will not be able to resist the Tang thieves' eastward expedition..."

Originally, the Anhui governor's residence should have been in Anqing, but Fu Ji was afraid of death, so he used the excuse of welcoming Lu Xianji and went directly from Anqing to Luzhou to hide.

As for what to do in Anqing?
Of course it was a grand event!

Fu Ji would rather desert the battlefield and be dismissed and investigated by the court than fall into the hands of thieves.

Lu Xianji was stunned at first, then asked.

"Where are the main forces of the imperial court in Jiangnan? Didn't Lord Fu ask for help from Jiangnan?"

Lu Xianji is really too tired to complain now.

No, the main force of the Qing Dynasty is still in Jiangnan. If the Tang bandits come to invade, you should ask for help.

Why are you running away without asking for help?

If Anqing is lost again, we will have to suffer the consequences together with you!
Fu Ji said, shaking his head.

"I have already requested assistance. Governor Yiliang ordered Zhang Guoliang from the Jiangnan Camp to lead his troops to reinforce the war in Anhui."

"But the army should still be on the way!"

Hearing this, Lu Xianji became even more confused.

No, since the imperial court has sent reinforcements, why are you running away? Go back to Anqing and defend the city!

"Why is Lord Fu in Luzhou today?"

Lu Xianji asked in a rather tactful way. Fu Ji said without any shame.

"Aren't I here to greet Lord Lu?"

The governor Zhao Yuming standing by also looked helpless.

What can he do when he encounters such a shameless superior who is afraid of death and loves life?
What else could he do?
He is also desperate!

As for letting Zhao Yuming go to Anqing instead of Fu Ji?
Why? His residence as the governor is in Luzhou. It is legitimate for him to stay in Luzhou. Why would he go to Anqing to die?

Even the Manchu Fu Ji doesn't care about the safety of Anqing, so why should Zhao Yuming, a Han Chinese, bother about it?
Lu Xianji's mouth twitched, but he still spoke.

"I think it would be better for Lord Fu to stay in Anqing."

"If the governor is not at the station, once the Tang bandits continue to invade the east and kill Anqing, Anqing will be in danger..."

Fu Ji heard this and waved his hand.

"It's okay, it's okay. I have entrusted the defense of Anqing to Anqing General Huang Yingsong. With General Huang here, there will be no problem in Anqing."

"Lord Lu has just arrived in Luzhou and is not familiar with Anhui affairs. I will first help Lord Lu get familiar with Anhui affairs, and then it will not be too late to return to Anqing."

Fu Ji's shamelessness almost made Li Hongzhang and others who were following behind Lu Xianji laugh.

However, due to their superiors' authority, they could only hold back their laughter and dared not show it.

Just as a few people were talking, a team of fast horses came running from a distance.

A messenger dismounted in front of Fu Ji, bowed, and reported loudly.

"Report!"

"Your Excellency the Governor, urgent news from Anqing."

"Tang thieves, the main force of the Tang thieves set out from Jiujiang and headed eastward. Now they are less than 200 miles away from Anqing!"

When Fu Ji heard this, the expression on his face changed immediately.

Lu Xianji, Zhao Yuming and others all looked at Fu Ji, as if urging Fu Ji to make a decision as soon as possible.

Fu Ji's mouth opened, then he spoke.

"Although the Tang thieves are coming, Anqing City is strong and well-protected, so I think it shouldn't be a problem in the short term."

"How about this, I will set off now and go to Jiangnan in person to ask for help from the Governor-General of Liangjiang and the Monk King."

"As for the defense of Anqing and the safety of Anhui, I will leave it to you gentlemen!"

"You are all loyal and good people of the Qing Dynasty. I believe you will not refuse, right?"

Li Hongzhang: “…”

It’s hard to say whether we are loyal subjects of the Qing Dynasty, but you are definitely not…

……

Feng Zicai rode on horseback, gazing at Huangshiji in the distance with a melancholy look in his eyes.

During this Eastern Expedition, his Fifth Division was ordered to serve as the vanguard of the army, capture Huangshiji, and open up a channel for the main force of the Tang army to attack Anqing.

Although Huangshiji is on the south bank of the Yangtze River, its geographical location is quite important because it can control the Yangtze River waterway.

If the Tang army wanted to continue advancing eastward along the river, Huangshiji had to be captured.

A scout ran up to Feng Zicai and began to report.

"Report, Commander, our scouts have found out that the Qing army's garrison near Huangshiji is mainly divided into two parts."

"The main force is stationed at the Huangshiji military camp, and a detachment is stationed on Jiangxin Island. Both divisions have artillery batteries, which can form a pincer attack and block the Yangtze River waterway..."

(PS: The name of the island in the middle of the river corresponding to Huangshiji is Jiangxinzhou. This is not a typo.)
Feng Zicai nodded slightly and then spoke.

"Okay, tell all our troops to prepare to attack the Qing army camp in Huangshiji."

"In addition, send someone to report to the headquarters and request that our navy fleet launch an offensive towards Jiangxinzhou when our army captures Huangshiji to support our attack."

Feng Zicai quickly made arrangements, and one cannon after another was unloaded from the ships transporting supplies, and then towed to the front line by human and animal power.

At the same time, the Tang army's infantry began to reorganize their formation and prepared to launch an offensive.

……

Cuiyun Tower in Anqing City.

Cuiyun Tower is the best restaurant in Anqing City, and dignitaries and scholars come here frequently every day.

And it also comes with many special services, there are delicacies from land and sea, fine wines and delicacies, singing and dancing, and gentle and beautiful girls to serve you.

It is more like a club than a restaurant.

In terms of enjoying life, it can be said that everything is available.

The only downside is that it's a bit pricey.

This place spends money like water.

In a private room on the second floor of Cuiyun Tower, the fat and big-eared grain transport officer He Qi was drinking and eating meat.

After a while, his mouth was full of oil.

He Qi picked up the wine glass and toasted Ma He, a personal soldier of Anqing General Huang Yingsong, and then spoke.

"Don't worry, Brother Ma. I have already prepared the monthly salary for the general."

"Please count!"

As he spoke, he took out a cloth bag from his arms and handed it to Mach opposite him.

There is a stack of silver bills in the cloth bag!
They are all bills from Shanxi merchants' money houses, hard currency that can be exchanged on sight.

Mach tore off a chicken leg and stuffed it into his mouth. He took the silver bill while eating. After counting the money briefly, Mach frowned and said.

"Master He, the count is wrong. Why is there two hundred taels missing?"

He Qi was the grain transport officer in the army, responsible for contacting the Jiangnan side and accepting military rations transported by the court to Anqing.

A large amount of military rations passed through his hands, and it goes without saying how much profit there was. Naturally, He Qi would not let it go.

Of course, He Qi only earned his money through hard work, and the bulk of the money went to his superiors.

Otherwise, as a grain transport officer, he would not be able to do such a big thing as embezzling and reselling military rations.

He Qi heard this and said with a wry smile.

"Brother Ma, you may not know that the military rations shipped to Anqing this month are less than last month. This is what I have tried my best to raise."

"It's not that we can't have more, but if there are more, there might be chaos in the army..."

Although He Qi embezzled and resold military rations, he knew that he could not sell too much and had to leave enough for the people.

Otherwise, the soldiers under you will rebel because they are hungry.

At that time, he might be forced to take the blame for reselling military rations.

It is even possible that his own head would be chopped off to appease the military.

Although this is not unfair to him.

But he was not the only one who resold military rations, and even the bulk of the profits did not come from him.

Why should he be the only one to bear such a huge pot?
He Qi is not stupid, so he would naturally not do such a thing of killing the chicken to get the eggs.

Mach on the opposite side frowned when he heard this.

"How could this happen? How come the rations are so low?"

He Qi said with a wry smile.

"I heard that it was the birthday of Liangjiang Governor Yiliang, and many officials in Jiangnan had to raise money for birthday gifts, so they deducted part of the military rations..."

……

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, family!

Today is Mid-Autumn Festival, I was a bit busy and didn't have time to write, so there is only one chapter. (This chapter is a draft)
Also, I will resume updating from tomorrow, and I will try my best to pay off the overdue updates this month...

(End of this chapter)