1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 133 The Elderly but Still Vigorous Zhou Tianjue [Third Update]

"When reporting military affairs, you should address him as the army commander or general!" Peng Gang said solemnly.

"Yes, General!" Huang Bingxian quickly corrected himself.

"You guys, based on the enemy and our situation on the sand table and the intelligence we currently have, draft a battle plan against the Qing army at Sanlixu. I'm only giving you forty-eight hours," Peng Gang gave the task to his five staff officers.

Of course, Peng Gang will definitely review the final battle plan himself, and he may not adopt all of their submitted battle plans.

In just two days, Peng Gang didn't expect these five greenhorns with no experience to come up with a rigorous, feasible, and detailed battle plan.

Peng Gang asked them to develop a battle plan against the Qing army at Sanlixu, simply to give them a chance to practice.

Considering that these staff officers had not previously written operational plans.

Peng Gang did not force anyone to do anything. Based on his experience in writing copy in his previous life, he drafted an outline of the battle plan, which clearly stated the overall battle objectives: to eliminate the Qing army training in Wuxuan County, to seize the enemy's food and supplies in Sanlixu, and to eliminate the enemy's threat to the eastern gateway of our Zijingshan base.

The remaining tasks include enemy and friendly situation assessment (enemy situation analysis, friendly situation analysis, and theater environment analysis).

Operational plans and deployments (operational concepts, troop deployments, phased plans).

Logistics support, command and coordination, potential risks and countermeasures, and a brief operational map.

These contents were then filled in by the five staff officers according to the framework provided by Peng Gang, turning the writing task into a fill-in-the-blank question, so that they would not be clueless and at a loss for where to start.

These students were all trained by Peng Gang, and he knew their level well.

They were to obey Peng Gang's orders to command a company or a battalion to carry out a clearly defined military mission.

They definitely have that ability.

As for independently formulating and implementing combat plans, no one currently possesses this capability.

Even Luo Dagang and Xie Bin, who were capable of fighting independently in the Zuo army, relied more on their rich experience in combat.

Their combat objectives were relatively clear, but the entire combat process was basically a matter of fighting wherever they happened to go, without any obvious planning, especially for Luo Dagang, who came from humble backgrounds.

For example, five days ago, when Tian Fang, nicknamed "Big Carp," harassed the base, Luo Dagang only thought about driving Tian Fang away from the base.

If a detailed battle plan could be formulated to counter the invasion of Tian Fang's base, it would be possible to annihilate half of Tian Fang's Xunzhou Prefecture naval forces.

It is still possible to inflict greater damage on the half of the Xunzhou Prefecture naval force under Tian Fang's command.

When Peng Gang asked them to develop a battle plan, the five staff officers scratched their heads, completely bewildered.

Only after Peng Gang gave them a ready-made outline did the expressions on the faces of the five staff officers gradually relax.

In the forty-eight hours that the staff officers in the General Staff were developing the operational plan.

Peng Gang was not idle either. He also formulated his own battle plan and transported the weapons and ammunition needed for the battle to Dongxiang along the path in the opposite river valley in advance.

As for combat supplies, due to their large quantity, land transportation was difficult.

After much deliberation, Peng Gang sent a scout to Dongxiang to inquire whether Lin Qirong, the battalion commander of the central army stationed there, could borrow the central army's stored grain first, and return it in full after the battle was over.

Lin Qirong was aware of the relationship between Peng Gang and Yang Xiuqing.

Peng Gang's plan to attack Sanlixu was also to eliminate the threat posed by the outskirts of Dongxiang; he was helping them.

Lin Qirong understood this principle, so he agreed and informed Yang Xiuqing about it.

On the third day, the five staff officers of the General Staff submitted their reports.

Seeing his students' masterpieces, Peng Gang was both amused and exasperated.

Their battle plans were not only rudimentary and crude, but apart from Huang Bingxian and Qiu Zhongmin, the other battle plans were riddled with typos and grammatical errors.

Five staff officers from the General Staff Department had previously been responsible for updating the sand table, and three of them had accompanied Peng Gang in attacking Wuxuan and had purchased supplies at Sanlixu.

Their analyses of the enemy situation, our own situation, and the theater environment were passable; setting aside their writing skills, they were all above average.

In other aspects, apart from Zhang Ze's battle plan and deployment and Qiu Zhongmin's logistical support, which were barely passable, everything else was appalling.

Peng Gang handed over his own operational plan to five staff officers so they could compare, learn from, and revise their own plans.

In fact, Peng Gang never attended a military academy, let alone served as a staff officer.

His operational plan was rather amateurish, based on his experience writing event plans as a class monitor during his university years and his many years of copywriting experience working at the Development and Reform Bureau.

Although it's amateurish, it's certainly more reliable than the battle plan written by these five "staff members" who don't even have a junior high school education.

That's not entirely accurate either. Huang Bingxian and Qiu Zhongmin received excellent private tutoring, so their Chinese language skills were certainly at the level of middle school students.

Mid-January 1850.

The newly appointed 75-year-old Guangxi governor, Zhou Tianjue, accompanied by Qin Dingsan, the Guizhou garrison commander-in-chief, led 300 Guizhou soldiers, 500 Yunnan soldiers, 300 Zhuang soldiers, and 200 Yao soldiers from Liuzhou to Wuxuan by boat.

In a short time, a large number of troops gathered in Wuxuan.

This includes 1,200 Guizhou soldiers, 500 Zhuang soldiers, and 400 Yao soldiers under the command of Li Rui, the general of Guzhou Town in Guizhou, who arrived in Wuxuan earlier, as well as 800 Wuxuan militiamen under Li Mengqun.

The Qing army in Wuxuan now consists of 1,500 Guizhou soldiers, 500 Yunnan soldiers, 800 Zhuangyong (a type of brave soldier), 600 Yaoyong (a type of brave soldier), and 800 local militia members.

The total strength was as high as 4,200 men.

Li Mengqun waited early at the Wuxuan South Gate Wharf for the arrival of the newly appointed Guangxi Governor Zhou Tianjue and Guizhou General Qin Dingsan.

Li Mengqun felt that this scene was somewhat familiar. The same location, the same act of picking someone up, reminded him of an old friend who had also come from Liuzhou.

Unfortunately, Li Mengqun never had the chance to see that old friend whom he found repulsive and annoying again.

"This humble servant, Li Mengqun, greets Your Excellency Governor! And pays respects to Commander-in-Chief Qin!"

When the governor's entourage arrived, Li Mengqun led the officials and gentry of Wuxuan County to kneel and welcome the governor's entourage. As for Qin Dingsan's general's entourage, they also made a token gesture.

"Get up, everyone." Zhou Tianjue lifted the sedan curtain, gesturing for Li Mengqun and the others to rise.

Li Mengqun glanced briefly at the troops that Zhou Tianjue and Qin Dingsan had brought from Liuzhou and found that the number of soldiers they brought was not large, and they did not have the banner of the Liuzhou Green Standard Army.

Li Mengqun couldn't help but ask, "Your Excellency, the Green Standard Army from Liuzhou is still on its way. Haven't they arrived yet?"

Although the Qing army suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Dateng Gorge, with even the Guangxi governor losing his life, the performance of the Guilin-Liuzhou troops was still commendable.

Li Mengqun had met with the Guizhou soldiers under Li Rui, the general of Guzhou Town, and his impression of them was that they were not as good as Li Dianyuan's Xunzhou Green Standard Army.

Therefore, Li Mengqun had high expectations for the Guiliu soldiers.

The Green Standard Army in Guilin Prefecture is needed to cooperate with Xiang Rong's Chu army in suppressing the remnants of Chen Yagui's forces, so it cannot be mobilized for the time being.

The Heaven and Earth Society in Liuzhou isn't causing too much trouble, so surely they can send one or two battalions of Liuzhou soldiers to help in the battle.

Li Mengqun thought to himself.

Upon hearing the words "Liuzhou Xie," Zhou Tianjue's expression turned extremely ugly. He snorted coldly and did not answer Li Mengqun's question.

Following behind Zhou Tianjue's sedan chair, Qin Dingsan lowered his voice and explained the situation to Li Mengqun: "The Liuzhou Green Standard Army is afraid of the God Society bandits, who are as fierce as tigers. They are unwilling to come to Xunzhou to suppress bandits with Governor Zhou, citing the need to prevent the Tusi rebellion and the Liuzhou Heaven and Earth Society."

"Are the Green Standard Army soldiers in Liuzhou really that unruly? Even the governor couldn't mobilize them?" Li Mengqun asked in surprise.

"Actually, it's not that there's no way to transfer them. The Green Standard Army soldiers of Liuzhou said they would go with the governor to Xunzhou Prefecture to suppress bandits as long as the back pay was paid. But the imperial court's rations and pay haven't come through yet, have they? The governor is still angry about this. From now on, don't mention the name Liuzhou in front of the governor," Qin Dingsan explained.

Qin Dingsan only told half of what he said. He did not tell Li Mengqun that Zhou Tianjue had killed a captain, four lieutenants, and five clerks in order to coerce the Liuzhou soldiers to go to Wuxuan with him during his time at the Liuzhou headquarters, which caused a mutiny in Liuzhou.

"Thank you for your guidance, General Qin!" Li Mengqun thanked Qin Dingsan, indicating that he had learned a lot.

After thanking Qin Dingsan, Li Mengqun hurriedly caught up with Zhou Tianjue's sedan chair and handed him a letter.

This letter was entrusted by Xiang Rong, who was still besieging Chen Yagui in Guilin Prefecture, to Li Mengqun and others to be delivered by Zhou Tianjue in Wuxuan.

Xiang Rong was illiterate, so this letter was actually dictated by Xiang Rong and written down by his assistant.

In the Qing Dynasty's Green Standard Army, there were many illiterate admirals and generals, and admirals like Zhang Bilu, who were literate and skilled in both literature and military affairs, were few and far between.

In his letter, Xiang Rong told Zhou Tianjue that his Chu army and Zhengan troops would soon quell Chen Yagui in Guilin Prefecture.

Xiang Rong earnestly requested Zhou Tianjue to wait for him in Wuxuan, so that the Chu army and the Qian army could join forces to jointly suppress the God Society bandits in Zijing Mountain and Pingzai Mountain.

After reading Xiang Rong's letter, Zhou Tianjue made no comment.

Li Mengqun sensed something was amiss and leaned closer to the sedan chair, saying, "Your Excellency, I have prepared a banquet in the city to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey."

"What's the point of welcoming guests or washing away the dust?" Zhou Tianjue said coldly. "The situation in western Guangdong has deteriorated to this point, and I have no appetite or interest whatsoever."

"Then please, Your Excellency, enter the city and stay overnight. I will tell you about the situation of the God Society cultists," Li Mengqun bowed and invited Zhou Tianjue to enter the city and stay overnight.

He thought that Zhou Tianjue was an old man, and he had come all the way from Liuzhou, so he must be exhausted and needed to rest.

The matter of suppressing the bandits can be discussed together when Xiang Rong arrives.

But Li Mengqun was wrong. Zhou Tianjue showed no sign of resting and seemed to have more energy than Li Mengqun, a young man in his early twenties.

"I already knew about the situation of the God Society bandits when I was in Liuzhou. Instead of entering the city, go directly to Dongxiang. I am going to Dongxiang to suppress the bandits!" Zhou Tianjue was old and vigorous, and directly mobilized his troops to go to Dongxiang to suppress the bandits.

"Leave 100 Green Standard Army soldiers and 100 local militia to defend Wuxuan County. You should also gather your own troops and accompany me to the eastern countryside to suppress the bandits!"

Despite his age, Zhou Tianjue has an even louder voice.

The Wuxuan militia around Li Mengqun had just been dealt with by Qin Richang's gang not long ago, and he still remembered it vividly.

They had long heard that the Catholic Church bandits at Zijing Mountain and Pingzai Mountain were even more ferocious than those at Longshan Mountain and Lianhua Mountain.

Zhou Tianjue and Qin Dingsan did not bring many troops, so how could they dare to go to Dongxiang with the Guizhou army to provoke the Taiping army?
The militia of Wuxuan were immediately terrified and burst into tears. They blocked the governor's entourage, knelt down, and begged Zhou Tianjue not to go to Dongxiang.

Li Mengqun was also stunned by Zhou Tianjue's decision. This was the kind of behavior a 75-year-old man should have.
Even the groom in his newlywed chamber wasn't as impatient as Zhou Tianjue.

Qin Dingsan had heard of the Taiping Army's reputation when he was in Liuzhou, and he was somewhat intimidated. He dared not underestimate the enemy and advance rashly. He cautiously stepped forward and said to Zhou Tianjue, "Your Excellency, the soldiers are exhausted from their journey. Why don't we rest in Wuxuan City first before heading to Dongxiang?"

Li Mengqun also stepped forward to persuade him, "Yes, Your Excellency, the Prime Minister Xiang will arrive in Wuxuan soon, and a few more days won't make a difference in the campaign to suppress the religious bandits."

Li Mengqun had fought against the Taiping Army and knew that the God's Society was not like the Heaven and Earth Society and would not be so easy to wipe out.

He was still relatively supportive of Xiang Rong's strategy: to wait until the Guizhou and Hubei armies joined forces before advancing towards Dongxiang.

This approach is more prudent and increases the chances of success.

“The God Society bandits have captured Pingnan City, and their main force is busy indulging in debauchery there. Their strongholds in Zijing Mountain and Pingzai Mountain must be empty.” Zhou Tianjue also had his reasons.

"Now is the perfect time to strike at the heart of the problem and destroy the God Society's stronghold in one fell swoop."

Zhou Tianjue was a notorious cruel official during the Jiaqing and Daoguang reigns. In the 23rd year of Daoguang's reign (1843), he was criticized by the ministry for repeatedly abusing punishments and failing to supervise his subordinates. He had no choice but to submit a memorial requesting to resign.

This departure lasted for a full seven years.

He is over seventy years old; let alone seven years, it's uncertain whether he will even live for seven months.

Now that he has finally been reinstated through the recommendation of an old friend, Zhou Tianjue cherishes every moment and doesn't want to wait a moment longer.

"Your Excellency," Li Mengqun was about to persuade him again.

Zhou Tianjue had already raised his hand to stop Li Mengqun, his attitude very firm: "Stop talking. Anyone who disobeys this governor's decree will be executed without mercy!"

If Zheng Zuchen had said this, Li Mengqun wouldn't have felt any pressure.

Zheng Zuchen was a kind and generous man, a very popular superior in the Qing Dynasty officialdom, and had an excellent reputation.

Zheng Zuchen said that the execution was at most for deterrence purposes, and that he would not actually be executed; at most, he would be given a beating.

Zhou Tianjue was a notorious cruel official during the Jiaqing and Daoguang reigns. He never hesitated to kill people, and when he said he would execute someone, he really would.

Neither Li Mengqun nor Qin Dingsan dared to disregard Zhou Tianjue's words.

Helpless, the two of them could only appease the unwilling soldiers and villagers, and decide to take it one step at a time, and go to Sanli Market first to make further plans.

The accompanying soldiers and militia, intimidated by Zhou Tianjue's tyranny, had no choice but to follow him cautiously towards the east.

　Thanks to book friend 20210301104143920514 for the reward!
　　The historical Zhou Tianjue was even more outrageous than this, and I've already stopped writing about him.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)