Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 230 He Chun: This is called a strategic shift!
The battle of Anqing City ended, and Li Yi left a small number of troops to garrison Anqing and protect the army's food supply.

He personally led the main force of the Tang army to continue advancing eastward along the Yangtze River and heading south of the Yangtze River.

As the Tang army marched eastward, after the fall of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the Jiangnan region, which had finally been stable for a period of time, was once again shrouded in the shadow of war.

……

At the same time, Zhang Guoliang led his troops through Tongling and advanced to Chizhou, less than a hundred miles away from the Anqing front line.

Just when Zhang Guoliang ordered the Qing army to rest temporarily in Chizhou, bad news from Anqing and Luzhou reached him one after another.

Inside the military tent, Zhang Guoliang was reading the military newspaper with a calm expression.

In front of him, He Chun, Xiang Jixiong, Deng Shaoliang and others took their seats, with solemn expressions on their faces.

Zhang Guoliang took a deep breath, closed the battle report in his hand, and then said.

"The latest news is that Anqing and Luzhou have been lost. After taking Anqing, the main force of the Tang bandits continued their march eastward and are now very close to Chizhou."

"Generals, please discuss this. What should our army do next?"

After Zhang Guoliang finished speaking, He Chun couldn't help but ask.

"Admiral Zhang, the loss of Anqing was within our expectations, but what happened to Luzhou?"

"Could it be that while the main force of the Tang thieves was heading east, they also sent a small force to attack Luzhou?"

In Hechun's opinion, the Tang army is now gathering its main forces along the Yangtze River, clearly intending to emulate the previous Taiping Army, go down the river to the east, and capture the south of the Yangtze River.

Under such circumstances, how could they send troops to attack Luzhou?
Hechun couldn't understand this.

Zhang Guoliang heard this and opened his mouth and said.

"Your Excellency, you don't know that it was not the main force of the Tang bandits that captured Luzhou, but the Nian bandits who were recruited by the Tang bandits."

He Chun became even more confused after hearing this.

"Nian bandits? How did the Nian bandits capture Luzhou?"

In Hechun's inherent impression, the Nian Army was just a group of bandits.

There are many cavalrymen, so the mobility may be good.

But the ability to attack is extremely poor!
He didn't think that a group of Nian bandits were capable of capturing the fortified city of Luzhou.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Guoliang almost couldn't help but curse out loud.

But when he thought of Fu Ji's identity as a Manchu, he finally suppressed his anger. He handed the military report in his hand to He Chun with hesitation, and then said.

"You and the adults can see for yourself!"

He Chun looked a little doubtful, but still took the military newspaper and started reading it.

Then, the next moment, the doubt on Haru's face was completely replaced by anger.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

"Fu Ji is ruining the country, Fu Ji is ruining the country!"

"And Zhao Yuming, Lu Xianji, and Li Hongzhang are all traitors, a group of cowardly traitors who dared to betray the Qing Dynasty. I curse them to die miserably!"

While He Chun was yelling angrily, he finally understood why Zhang Guoliang hesitated to speak just now.

This Fu Ji is really a piece of shit.

But it was inappropriate for Zhang Guoliang, a Han Chinese, to curse Fu Ji, a Manchu.

After cursing, Hechun's anger subsided a little.

But he asked anyway.

"With Anqing and Luzhou both lost, Anhui will no longer be able to hinder the Tang thieves' eastward expedition."

"Should we continue to defend Chizhou and resist the Tang thieves, or withdraw our troops back to Jiangning as soon as possible? We should make a decision soon."

Having just scolded Fu Ji, He Chun now also wants to run away.

The main force of the Tang bandits marched eastwards, and Huangshiji and Anqing combined could not hold out for a single day. I'm afraid Chizhou won't be much better off.

In He Chun's opinion, if they continued to stay in Chizhou, they would probably not be able to stop the Tang army for too long.

In this case, wouldn't it be a waste for them to stay in Chizhou?

So, Hechun wanted to run away.

However, in Hechun's opinion, his escape was different from Fu Ji's.

Fu Ji was afraid of death and abandoned the city and fled.

But he was preparing to escape with his army.

Well, this is called a strategic shift, preserving strength, which is naturally different from abandoning the city and fleeing.

Zhang Guoliang heard this and nodded slightly.

"We are heading west this time to reinforce Anqing."

"But now that Anqing has been lost, there is no need for us to continue to march westward for reinforcements."

"Withdrawing to Jiangnan to join the main force of the army and prepare for war is naturally the best option."

Zhang Guoliang also had the idea of ​​running away.

In his opinion, the main force of the Tang army was heading east this time, while they were only a detachment of the Qing army. Not only would they not be able to gain an advantage in a fight, but they would also be easily defeated by the Tang army.

In this case, withdrawing to Jiangnan, preserving strength and joining the main force of the army is naturally the best option.

The two of them subconsciously turned their eyes to Xiang Jixiong, Deng Shaoliang and others.

It seemed to be asking for their opinions.

Xiang Jixiong nodded slightly.

"Your Excellency, the Admiral, the Imperial Envoy is wise."

"For our army today, withdrawing troops is indeed the best option."

Deng Shaoliang also echoed it.

Zhang Guoliang nodded and said.

"Order the entire army to rest in Chizhou for one night, then go down the river to the east and withdraw to Jiangnan. There must be no mistakes."

Upon hearing this, all the generals in the Jiangnan camp bowed in agreement.

He Chun and others took their leave and went to prepare for the withdrawal of troops.

Zhang Guoliang was also buried in his desk, preparing to write a military newspaper to report to the Jiangnan side on the current specific battle situation in Anhui.

Let Yiliang and Senggelinqin and others in Jiangnan prepare to welcome the Tang army's eastward march...

Just as Zhang Guoliang was buried in his desk writing a military report, a personal soldier came in to report.

"General, there is someone outside the camp claiming to be your old friend and wants to see you."

Hearing this, Zhang Guoliang put down the brush in his hand, then looked up and asked.

"Really? I have old friends in Anhui? How come this admiral doesn't know about this?"

"Did the visitor tell me his name and origin?"

Upon hearing this, the personal soldier nodded and said.

"If you tell me about this, I will tell you that he claims to be the big boss of Gaoyao, Guangdong..."

Zhang Guoliang couldn't help but frown when he heard this.

Zhang Guoliang was from Gaoyao, Guangdong. Before he was recruited by the Qing government, his original name was Zhang Jiaxiang and his nickname was Big-Headed Sheep.

Damn, you told him his nickname in person, right?
However, after hearing this, Zhang Guoliang was certain that the person who came should really be an old acquaintance of his.

Otherwise, not many people would know the nickname Big-Headed Sheep.

After frowning for a while, Zhang Guoliang spoke.

"Bring people in!"

The personal guard responded and then left.

Soon, he brought a wealthy middle-aged man into Zhang Guoliang's military tent.

Of course, not Luo Dagang.

Although Luo Dagang had a friendship with Zhang Guoliang, he is now a senior member of the Tang Dynasty's General Staff after all, and he still understands the principle that a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall.

No matter how stubborn he was, he would not risk his own life to persuade Zhang Guoliang to surrender.

This is not called bravery, this is called stupidity.

If he was killed or detained by Zhang Guoliang, the impact would be too great. It would be enough to send an envoy with Luo Dagang's handwritten letter to persuade him to surrender.

After the man entered the military tent, Zhang Guoliang drew out his sword with a clang, placed it horizontally on the table in front of him, and asked in a cold voice.

"Who are you? Why do you claim to be an old friend of this admiral?"

"I don't remember having an old friend like you!"

After hearing this person tell him his former nickname, Zhang Guoliang thought it was really an old friend of his.

But as soon as they met, he realized that it was a bullshit old friend and he didn't know the other person at all.

Zhang Guoliang realized that he had been tricked and became angry, with murderous intent in his heart.

However, facing the murderous Zhang Guoliang, Wang Shou had a very good psychological quality. He was not panicked at all. He just bowed and said with a smile.

"Admiral Zhang, please don't be angry."

"I am not an old friend of the Admiral, but I am here today on behalf of an old friend to say hello to the Admiral."

Zhang Guoliang snorted coldly when he heard this.

"Don't keep me in suspense. If you have something to say, just say it."

"If this admiral knew you were playing a trick on me, I would make sure you were in a life or death dilemma!"

Wang Shou said with a smile.

"I came from the west and brought a letter to you, Lord Admiral. Please read it."

As he spoke, Wang Shou handed the handwritten letter from Luo Dagang that he had brought with him to Zhang Guoliang's personal soldiers.

Zhang Guoliang took the letter from his personal soldier and began to read it.

However, as he flipped through the letters, his brows furrowed deeply.

After a moment, Zhang Guoliang threw the letter he had just read on the table in front of him and said with his eyes wide open.

"Okay, so you are the Tang thief, here on behalf of that thief Luo Dagang."

"You have come to the admiral's camp. Aren't you afraid of death?"

Wang Shou shook his head and said.

"When two countries are at war, they do not kill envoys. This has been a rule since ancient times."

"I have long heard that you, the Admiral, are a hero. How could you do something that would be laughed at?"

Wang Shou praised Zhang Guoliang to death with just one sentence.

This made Zhang Guoliang, who originally wanted to order his men to take him out and behead him, temporarily restrain his murderous intent.

Seeing that Zhang Guoliang's complexion had improved slightly, Wang Shou continued.

"Why are you speaking so harshly, Admiral? Commander Luo ordered me to deliver this personal letter because we have worked together before and he wanted to give you a chance to turn from evil to good."

"Your Excellency the Admiral should be grateful!"

Zhang Guoliang said coldly.

"Why? Luo Dagang wanted to drag me down with him after he became a thief, and I should thank him?"

Wang Shou said.

"That's natural!"

"My king personally led the main force of the Tang Dynasty to the east. Anqing fell in half a day, and Luzhou surrendered immediately. Who in the world can stop us?"

"When my army marches eastward, the main force of the Qing demons in Jiangnan will be destroyed, and Nanjing will also change hands."

"By then, Jiangnan will be our Tang Dynasty's in the blink of an eye, and the demise of the Qing monsters will only be a matter of time."

"Now that Director Luo has given the Admiral a chance to turn from evil to good, shouldn't the Admiral be grateful?"

Zhang Guoliang sneered when he heard this.

"You are a very confident thief."

"But I might as well tell you that since I have been recruited by the imperial court and have received great favor from the country, how could I easily go back on my word?"

"The Tang thieves sent people to persuade this admiral to surrender, but they made a wrong calculation."

Wang Shou instantly grasped the lack of confidence in the Qing army in Zhang Guoliang's words.

If Zhang Guoliang was confident that the Qing army could win the battle in Jiangnan, then what he should have said in response to Wang Shou's persuasion to surrender was that the Qing army would surely win, rather than saying that he "was deeply indebted to the country and would never change his ways."

Wang Shou organized his thoughts and continued.

"It seems that the Admiral has no confidence in whether the Qing army can win this battle."

"In this case, why not turn to the light as soon as possible?"

"If you care about your reputation, then you don't have to do that."

"Your Excellency is a Han Chinese. As a Han Chinese, 'expelling the Tartars and restoring China' is a national cause. Your Excellency is acting in a righteous way and abandoning blind loyalty. Who in the world would not praise you?"

"On the contrary, if you continue to be loyal to the Qing demons and keep the money and become a traitor, you will be infamous forever."

"I guess the Admiral doesn't want his descendants to be pointed at and called traitors in the future, right?"

No matter how well the Qing court whitewashed itself, it could not change its essence as a foreign regime.

In such a regime, the Han people will never be treated as their own people.

It was still easy to deal with when the country was at its peak.

However, once its national power declined slightly, it would be natural for the Han people under it to become disloyal.

Otherwise, how did the Southeast Mutual Protection come about?

The same is true today. The Qing court is clearly losing its advantage in the south. How can the local Han officials not have some ideas?

Once the Han officials had an idea, "expelling the Tartars and restoring China" would be their best excuse.

The same is true for Zhang Guoliang.

After hearing what Wang Shou said, the expression on Zhang Guoliang's face froze, obviously his secrets had been revealed.

Because now he really has no confidence in the war in Jiangnan.

The reason is simple: Anqing was defeated too quickly.

Only half a day!

You know, this time the Tang army's eastern expedition is different from the last Taiping army's eastern expedition.

The last time the Taiping Army marched eastward, they caught the Qing army off guard.

The Qing army had no time to deploy defenses along the Yangtze River, so the Taiping Army killed them all the way to the south of the Yangtze River.

However, this time the Tang army's eastern expedition was a different situation.

When the Tang army was on its first phase of the expedition to the east, the Qing army received the news and began to deploy troops along the Yangtze River, strengthening the defenses of important cities such as Jiujiang and Anqing.

Knowing that Li Yi led the main force of the Tang army to launch the second phase of the Eastern Expedition, during this period of time, the Qing army was almost always preparing for war and strengthening the defense along the Yangtze River.

But even so, Anqing was captured in a short time. How could Zhang Guoliang not feel frightened?
This was also the reason why he decided to lead his troops back to Jiangnan as soon as he received the news of the fall of Anqing.

It’s not that Zhang Guoliang didn’t want to defend Chizhou any longer, but he knew that he couldn’t defend it, and staying in Chizhou would be seeking death.

After listening to Wang Shou's persuasion to surrender, Zhang Guoliang snorted coldly.

"Thief, leave quickly and don't disturb our army's morale."

"If you keep making noise, I will chop off your head as a sacrifice today."

After saying this, Zhang Guoliang ordered his personal soldiers to drive Wang Shou out of the Qing army camp.

Although Wang Shou was driven out of the military camp, he was not disappointed.

On the contrary, I am in a very good mood!

Because he understood that although Zhang Guoliang flatly rejected his surrender on the surface, his attitude had actually softened.

And leave a hook for the next negotiation!

Otherwise, the one who left the Qing army camp today would not be Wang Shou, but Wang Shou’s corpse.

As long as the Qing army suffers another defeat on the battlefield, Zhang Guoliang will most likely choose to turn against his allies and surrender to the Tang Dynasty!
……

PS: I marked the chapter wrong yesterday. It should be the sixth chapter, but I marked it as the fifth chapter.

However, since I marked it wrong, I will just follow the wrong one. I owe ten chapters in total, and I have paid back five chapters (actually six chapters). I still have five chapters to pay back, and I will definitely pay them off this month.

(End of this chapter)