Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 40 Xiang Rong: You can just pull out a sheep, right?
As for the question of whether the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was worried that after they captured Xunzhou, the Qing army would approach and they would have to face direct military pressure from the Qing army?

How should I put it, I am definitely worried.

But after careful consideration, everyone is still willing to take a gamble.

At worst, they could just retreat back to the Zijing Mountain area after the Qing army arrived.

No problem!

We are all from Xunzhou. Is it possible that we cannot outrun the Qing army and those outsiders in our home turf?

Upon hearing this, Feng Yunshan immediately stood up and spoke.

"The leader is wise!"

Seeing this, everyone said in unison.

"The leader is wise!"

……

In Liuzhou city, the imperial commissioner’s headquarters.

After Lin Zexu passed away, his successor, Imperial Commissioner Li Xingyuan, stood in front of a map of the entire Guangxi region with a solemn look on his face.

On the map in front of him, the specific movements of the bandits in Guangxi were marked in detail.

Especially the area near Xunzhou Prefecture has been highlighted.

Nowadays, the entire Guangxi region is in the midst of war.

He had just received a military report from Xunzhou.

First, Li Dianyuan, deputy general of Xunzhou Association, led his troops to suppress the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom bandits, but they were defeated in Shanren Village, and the Xunzhou Association led by him was almost wiped out.

Then, in order to prevent the spread of the bandits' power, Zhou Fengqi, the Guizhou general who was sent to Xunzhou, made a prompt decision and led his troops to destroy the bandits' nest in Jintian Village.

But after he led his troops to leave Xunzhou, the bandits suddenly raided the Xunzhou Prefecture which was short of troops.

Although Xunzhou was safe in the end, Zhou Fengqi suffered a defeat in his haste to lead his troops back for support.

Even Qingjiang deputy general Iktanbu was unfortunately killed in battle while guarding the rear of the army.

The series of bad news made Li Xingyuan realize how difficult it was to deal with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom bandit group.

He began to consider whether to let Guangxi Governor Xiang Rong take his Sichuan and Hunan troops to reinforce the battle in Xunzhou.

Xiang Rong was the governor of Guangxi, but his subordinates were soldiers from Sichuan and Hunan.

This may sound abstract, but it is not.

Because Xiang Rong's position in the Qing court was that of a typical fire captain.

He was originally the governor of Sichuan, but because a peasant uprising broke out in Hunan, he was transferred from Sichuan to Hunan to quell the rebellion.

After the rebellion was successfully suppressed, Xiang Rong was transferred to the post of governor of Guyuan, preparing to go to the northwest to suppress the rebellion.

But before he could set out to take up his post, rebellions broke out again in Guangxi, and the Guangxi Governor Zheng Zuchen was unable to control the situation. Xiang Rong had always enjoyed prestige among the generals.

Therefore, Emperor Xianfeng transferred him from the governor of Guyuan to the governor of Guangxi, and sent him to Guangxi to quell the rebellion.

Therefore, the main force of the troops under Xiang Rong, the governor of Guangxi, are soldiers from Sichuan and Hunan.

Just as Li Xingyuan was lost in thought, footsteps were heard outside the hall.

Immediately there was a notification.

"Report! Report to the Imperial Envoy!"

"Urgent report from the Xunzhou prefect!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xingyuan withdrew his attention from the map in front of him, and his heart sank.

Xunzhou prefecture urgent report...

Is there going to be any damn trouble in Xunzhou again?

Li Xingyuan looked at the personal soldier who came to report the news and asked with a frown.

"What happened in Xunzhou again?"

Upon hearing this, the personal soldier reported while panting.

"Reply...Reply to the Imperial Envoy, Xunzhou Prefect Cai Bingwen sent someone to report that Taiping Heavenly Kingdom bandits have infiltrated Xunzhou City to assassinate."

"Guizhou General Zhou Fengqi was unfortunately killed!"

"The Guizhou soldiers in Xunzhou City have lost their organization and are in complete disarray."

"The prefect of Xunzhou would like to ask the imperial commissioner to send troops to reinforce Xunzhou as soon as possible to stabilize the situation in Xunzhou."

When Li Xingyuan heard this, the expression on his face changed.

"What?" "Zhou Fengqi was assassinated?"

In just a moment, Li Xingyuan realized the seriousness of the matter.

Taking a deep breath, Li Xingyuan spoke.

"Quick, send someone to invite Admiral Xiang over!"

Zhou Fengqi was assassinated, the Guizhou soldiers lost control, and the situation in Xunzhou was in chaos.

Li Xingyuan knew clearly that if he could not reinforce Xunzhou as soon as possible.

Then Xunzhou is very likely to fall into the hands of thieves.

Once a city was captured by bandits, the court would certainly hold him, the imperial envoy, accountable.

Li Xingyuan doesn't want to be stripped of his official title and demoted to the lowest position at his old age.

Soon, Li Xingyuan's personal soldiers invited Guangxi Governor Xiang Rong to come over.

Xiang Rong walked into the hall in a hurry and asked with a serious expression.

"Your Excellency, has the news been confirmed? Was Zhou Fengqi really assassinated?"

Li Xingyuan nodded.

"It's an urgent report from Xunzhou prefect Cai Bingwen, so it shouldn't be false."

"First, the deputy general of Xunzhou died in battle, and then the general of Guizhou was assassinated. Now Xunzhou City is really empty."

"Admiral Shang, I hope you can lead your troops to reinforce Xunzhou as soon as possible to stabilize the situation in Xunzhou and protect Xunzhou."

Xiang Rong heard this, but did not agree immediately, but just said.

"Your Excellency, I led my troops from Sichuan to Hunan. As soon as I put down Li Yuanfa's rebellion in Hunan, I led my troops to Guangxi without stopping."

"First, the soldiers under my command marched a thousand miles, then fought hard to suppress the rebellion, and finally marched a thousand miles again. Now the morale of the army is exhausted."

"Plus, it's almost the end of the year, and the soldiers are not in the mood for war. I'm afraid they need to rest for a while before they can go into the battlefield to suppress the bandits."

"I hope the Imperial Envoy will understand!"

Xiang Rong couldn't help but complain in his heart, the damn Qing court just wanted to take advantage of him, right?

The donkeys in the production team cannot be worked to death without being allowed to rest, right?

Li Xingyuan felt unhappy when he heard this.

But since he still needed Xiang Rong, he did not lose his temper and continued to speak in a gentle voice.

"This imperial envoy knows that the soldiers under the command of the admiral are working hard, but the situation in Xunzhou really cannot be delayed."

"How about this, Admiral Xiang, tell the soldiers to grit their teeth, hold on, and move the camp to Xunzhou."

"I didn't tell Admiral Xiang to start suppressing the bandits as soon as he arrives in Xunzhou, right? When the army arrives in Xunzhou, they can also rest and recuperate in Xunzhou!"

"This imperial envoy knows that this matter is difficult. Please ask the admiral to help you overcome it."

What Li Xingyuan needs now is not Xiang Rong to start suppressing the bandits immediately, but he needs him to stabilize the situation in Xunzhou, which is the most important thing.

As long as Xiang Rong led his troops to Xunzhou, it would be a great deterrent to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

The situation in Xunzhou naturally stabilized.

As for the matter of suppressing bandits?

There is actually no rush.

The rebels in Guangxi have been causing trouble for several months now, and the emperor has long been numb to it. As long as the provincial capitals are not captured by the rebels, he doesn't care if the trouble continues for another month or two.

Xiang Rong heard this and still said nothing.

It's just that it's obvious that his opposition is not as resolute as before.

Seeing this, Li Xingyuan gritted his teeth and said.

"How about this, as long as Admiral Xiang can lead his troops to station in Xunzhou, I will come forward to seek a reward from the court for the Admiral's troops, so that they can have a good new year."

"how?"

Xiang Rong was obviously moved when he heard this, and he immediately knelt on one knee.

"I will obey your orders!"

"For the sake of the Qing Dynasty and the imperial court, the soldiers will be able to overcome any hardship or difficulty!"

Please collect, read and vote for me!



(End of this chapter)