1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 141 Offensive and defensive changes
Eastern Front.

As Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu led 9,000 Guangdong Green Standard Army, Dongyong, Chaoyong, and Fujianyong into Guangxi.

The troops under the command of Cheng An, the assistant commander of Wuzhou, and the troops under the command of Sheng Jun, the deputy commander of Nanning, totaling 1,500 Guangxi Green Standard Army soldiers, were transferred to assist in the defense of Xunzhou Prefecture.

Ulantai, the deputy military governor of Guangdong, led 1,500 Eight Banner soldiers, 3,500 Guangdong Green Standard Army soldiers, and Dongyong soldiers to provide reinforcements.

Guangxi Governor Zhang Bilu led 1,000 Sichuan soldiers and 2,000 Guizhou soldiers to the rescue.

In addition, there were local garrison troops in Xunzhou Prefecture.

The Qing army on the eastern front had grown to over 24,000 men.

On the eastern front, the main force of the Taiping army no longer had a numerical advantage over the Qing army.

After the main force of the Taiping Army withdrew from Pingnan County, it also lost control of the plains on both sides of the Xunjiang River in Pingnan County.

At this time, the area controlled by the Taiping Army was roughly the same as during the Tuanyingling period.

The Taiping army constructed a defensive line along the natural waterways of the Siwang River and the Nanmu River, with Jiangkouwei as the center, to confront the Qing army, which outnumbered them twice as many.

On the surface, the main force of the Taiping Army did this in order to hold onto the last prosperous area under their control: the Xinwei Plain.

In fact, they learned a painful lesson from Pingnan County.

The Taiping army, having learned its lesson, had already decided to abandon the Xinwei Plain area, including Jiangkouwei and Xinwei.

This show of confrontation with the Qing army was actually a cover for the evacuation of the elderly, women, and children from Jintian Village and Xinwei to the Zijing Mountain area, as well as the transfer of supplies, in preparation for future plans.

The Taiping army's camp was set up in Jintian, and the elderly, women and children who came with them were also settled in Jintian and Xinwei, which is near Jintian.

Since its inception, the God Worshippers movement in the Jintian and Xinwei areas has expanded to over 70,000 members.

Ensuring the orderly transfer of such a large number of people and such a massive amount of supplies into Zijing Mountain will take time.

The Taiping army's leadership also realized that with the influx of foreign troops into Guangxi, the Qing army's combat effectiveness had greatly improved compared to the past.

The old tactic of attacking and capturing strongholds was no longer applicable, and the Taiping Army needed to change its tactics and shift from offense to defense.

When Zhang Bilu, the Guangxi governor, arrived in Guiping City late, Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu, accompanied by his second son Lin Congyi and his staff, was on a boat observing the Taiping army's defenses and the surrounding mountains and rivers.

In the evening, Lin Zexu, despite his illness, returned to Guiping City. The two, one a civil official and the other a military officer, shared similar fates and were responsible for overseeing the "bandit suppression" campaign in Guangxi. Finally, they met in the West Flower Hall of the Guiping City government office.

Liu Jizu, the prefect of Xunzhou Prefecture, and Li Mengqun, who had come from Wuxuan to report on the bandit situation, had been waiting for Lin Zexu for a long time in the west flower hall of the prefectural government office.

Upon seeing Lin Zexu enter Xihua Hall, supported by his son Lin Congyi, everyone hurriedly rose to greet him, saying, "Lord Lin."

With sunken eyes and a face full of deep wrinkles, Zhang Bilu spoke in a heavy Sichuan accent: "Lord Lin, the God Society is not like the Heaven and Earth Society. Even I, the Governor of Guangxi, was forced to take a detour by them."

Ten years ago, when Zhang Bilu entered Guangdong to fight against the British, Lin Zexu was transferred away before Zhang Bilu even arrived in Guangzhou.

The fact that he was unable to work with Lin Zexu to resist the foreign invaders was a lifelong regret for Zhang Bilu.

Unexpectedly, when they were nearing the end of their lives and suffering from serious illnesses, they were both reinstated and sent to western Guangdong to suppress bandits, leaving their hometown for thousands of miles.

"Did Zhang Bilu encounter cult bandits on the road?" Lin Zexu also respectfully addressed Zhang Bilu as "Lord Zhang," not by his official title.

As a man of outstanding military achievements during the Jiaqing and Daoguang reigns, and a man of both literary and military talent, Zhang Bilu deserves to be called "Lord Zhang" by Lin Zexu.

"It wasn't exactly an interception; we just happened to encounter a group of thugs with disheveled hair and no queues in Longshan. They attacked any government troops they saw," Zhang Bilu said, shaking his head helplessly.

He knew about the bandits in Longshan and Lianhuashan.

Knowing full well that there were bandits in the mountains, Zhang Bilu's decision to venture into the bandit-infested area was not due to recklessness or stubbornness.

Zhang Bilu was accompanied by one thousand Sichuan soldiers and two thousand Guizhou soldiers.

These soldiers were all his old subordinates whom Emperor Xianfeng had authorized to select to suppress bandits in Guangxi. They were veterans of many battles and had followed him in suppressing bandits and pacifying local chieftains in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other places.

With these old subordinates accompanying him, Zhang Bilu felt that the bandits of Longshan and Lianhuashan could not do anything to him, and he might even be able to wipe out the religious bandits entrenched in Longshan and Lianhuashan along the way, giving Lin Zexu a "gift" upon meeting him.

Unexpectedly, the fighting power and tactical skills of these religious bandits far exceeded expectations. The Longshan religious bandits held their ground in a strategic location, and the veteran Green Standard Army soldiers he brought were unable to gain any advantage from them.

Zhang Bilu had no choice but to cut his losses and bypass Longshan and Lianhuashan to reach Guiping City.

"The cult bandits that General Zhang encountered in Longshan were the Long-haired cult bandits under Qin Richang of your county," Li Mengqun said, seeing that he finally had a chance to interject.

However, out of consideration for Zhang Bilu, Li Mengqun did not directly point out that what Zhang Bilu encountered in Longshan was what he considered to be "bandits".

Hearing that Li Mengqun could directly name the leaders of the religious bandits entrenched in the Longshan and Lianhuashan areas.

Lin Zexu couldn't help but glance at Li Mengqun again.

He had been in Guiping City for five days and had repeatedly inquired with local officials and Green Standard Army officers about the situation of the God God Society bandits.

Unfortunately, local officials and Green Standard Army officers did nothing and knew very little about the religious bandits.

Lin Zexu interrogated all forty-odd religious bandits captured on the road to Wulantai and Jiangzhongyuan, but obtained very limited information.

At present, Lin Zexu only knew that the leaders of the God Society were Wei Zheng from Jintian Village, Peng Gang from Pingzaishan, and Feng Yunshan, a wandering schoolteacher from Huaxian County, Guangdong.

As for who the bandit leader was, Lin Zexu did not know.

"Do you know who the leader of the God Society is? Tell me in detail." Lin Zexu looked at this eager young man with some anticipation, hoping that he could bring him a surprise.

Li Mengqun then presented Lin Zexu with what he knew about the difference between the long-haired and short-haired rebels, as well as his belief that the leader of the God Society was Peng Gang of Pingzaishan, along with the battle report that Xiang Rong had asked him to deliver.

To prove his point, Li Mengqun even handed over the captured homemade short-haired weapons to Lin Zexu for inspection.

After hearing Li Mengqun's words and seeing what Li Mengqun had brought, Lin Zexu became even more confused.

Li Mengqun's analysis was well-reasoned and supported by physical evidence, with even Xiang Rong able to testify on his behalf.

However, Lin Zexu also had his own judgment.

Before their uprising, the God God Society bandits gathered in Jintian Village, and the people of Pingnan County also said that the God God Society bandits had conferred some kind of Heavenly King title in Pingnan County.

Lin Zexu had also asked his staff to inquire about Peng Gang. Peng Gang had been living in Pingnan Mountain for a long time, and he was not in Pingnan County when the God Society bandits were crowned kings.

Based on the information gathered, Lin Zexu believed that the leader of the God Society bandits was the one who proclaimed himself Heavenly King in Pingnan County.

Although Lin Zexu did not know who the Heavenly King of the God Society was, he was certain that this Heavenly King was not Peng Gang of Pingzaishan.

Peng Gang had long remained outside the main force of the Jintian bandits, and was not present when the Heavenly King was enfeoffed in Pingnan City, so he could not possibly be the leader of the religious bandits. Lin Zexu carefully read Xiang Rong's report of victory.

How could Lin Zexu, who had long served as a high-ranking official in charge of a region, not know how much exaggeration was in the battle reports of the Green Standard Army officers?
Based on his years of experience dealing with the pro-independence camp, Lin Zexu eliminated the exaggerated claims made by Xiang Rong and concluded that Xiang Rong's victory in the Taicun-Zhangzhong Bridge battle was not a major victory, and at best, it was a Pyrrhic victory.

He glanced at the map on the desk.

Xiang Rong could exaggerate casualties and kills, but he couldn't exaggerate the current garrison locations of the Chu army and Zhengan troops.

If what Xiang Rong said is true, the Chu army and the Zhengan soldiers will achieve a great victory over Peng Gang's God Society bandits.

At this time, the Chu army and Zhengan troops should have been stationed in Sanlixu or even Dongxiang, not at Zhangzhongqiao, which is 30 or 40 miles away from the Dongxiang stronghold of the religious bandits.

Although Lin Zexu did not consider Peng Gang's short-haired rebels to be the main bandits, he had heard of the fighting capabilities of the Chu army and the Zhengan soldiers.

The fact that Peng Gang's short-haired rebels were able to defeat Xiang Rong's Chu army and Zhengan soldiers shows that their strength must be extraordinary and should not be underestimated.

Lin Zexu was more inclined to believe that Peng Gang was a powerful figure within the God Society, rather than its leader.

“The short-haired rebels under Peng Gang are different from other rebel groups. They are skilled in making and using firearms, and their firearms are even better than those of the government troops. I have long heard that the firearms soldiers in Guangdong are the best in the southern border region, and Commander Wu is the most skilled in firearms among the Eight Banners. I humbly request that Lin Qin send an elite firearms battalion to Wuxuan to subdue the enemy,” Li Mengqun suggested.

For well-known reasons, the imperial court attached great importance to heavy artillery, a powerful military weapon.

Xiang Rong's Chu army belonged to the Green Standard Army system. Without special authorization, they could only be equipped with small cannons such as mountain-splitting guns, and heavy artillery was rare in the army.

Ulantai was different. He belonged to the Eight Banners system and was not subject to any restrictions in this regard. Moreover, he liked to study and tinker with firearms.

Li Mengqun heard that Ulantai had brought a lot of heavy artillery with him when he entered Guangxi, and hoped that Lin Zexu could transfer some of the heavy artillery to deal with the short-haired religious bandits in the Dongxiang area who were good at firearms.

Lin Zexu did not immediately agree, but said, "I will consider this matter. Magistrate Li, please stay here for a while. I still have many questions about the God Society bandits."

Although Li Mengqun comes from a prominent family, he is currently only a minor seventh-rank county magistrate.

Li Mengqun was very excited to have the opportunity to speak privately with the Imperial Envoy about the cult bandits. He quickly cupped his hands and said, "This humble servant will obey Your Majesty's command."

Liu Jizu, the prefect of Xunzhou, who had been unable to get a word in edgewise, glanced at Li Mengqun with great envy.

What incredible luck this kid had to get Qin Envoy Lin to stay behind for a private talk.

"The God Society is not like the Heaven and Earth Society. The God Society is based in a strategic location and is well-trained and capable in battle. A hasty attack is probably not the best strategy. Does Lord Lin have a plan to deal with them?"

After discussing the question of who the leader of the God Society was, Zhang Bilu returned to the main topic and inquired about Lin Zexu's strategy for dealing with the enemy.

When Zhang Bilu arrived, he had fought against Qin Richang's Taiping army and had a preliminary understanding of the Taiping army's strength.

The God Society bandits were extremely powerful and well-trained, far surpassing ordinary bandits and rebellious chieftains.

As a seasoned veteran of the Green Camp, Zhang Bilu was well aware of the situation of the Green Camp and local militias in various regions. Given the current circumstances, the hope of quickly eliminating the God Society was slim, and he had to find another strategy.

“What Zhang Gong said makes sense. The God Society bandits hold a strategic position and are difficult to annihilate in a short time. The best strategy now is to nibble them down. The strategic and dangerous positions held by the God Society bandits are nothing more than Zijing Mountain and Pingzai Mountain.”

Lin Zexu ordered Lin Congyi to bring the map on the table closer, and then painstakingly pointed to it and explained his thoughts.

"Our army only needs to drive the God Society bandits into Zijing Mountain and Pingzai Mountain, deploy heavy troops and heavy artillery to block the key passes leading out of the mountains and the Qianjiang River waterway, cutting off their route of plunder, leaving the bandits without food, salt, gunpowder, or lead bullets. Once they are exhausted and worn out, we can annihilate them in one fell swoop. We can also divide and resolve the situation, and those who can be recruited to serve the court can be recruited. Those who are unwilling to be recruited can be annihilated by heavy troops."

Although the rebels looted a considerable amount of grain from Pingnan, their followers numbered in the tens of thousands, and they were running out of resources. This amount of grain would not last long.

When they run out of ammunition and food, the strategic advantage they rely on will also become their prison. The rugged terrain of Zijing Mountain and Pingzai Mountain can not only block our entry, but also trap them themselves.

During his five days in Guiping, Lin Zexu saw all the places he could see, including the terrain around Zijing Mountain and Pingzai Mountain.

He had also learned quite a bit about the situation of the religious bandits in Xunzhou Prefecture.

Aside from the Christian bandits under Peng Gang on the western front, whom Lin Zexu had not yet clashed with, he had already dealt with the other Catholic Church bandits deployed by him.

Based on his combat experience over the years, Lin Zexu believed that God would teach the bandits to be brave and fearless, and especially skilled in close combat.

Although the soldiers brought by Lin Zexu were the elite of the Qing army in the south, some of them were barely capable of close combat, such as the rattan shield soldiers, Dongyong, Chaoyong, and Chuyong from Fujian.

However, the number of Qing troops skilled in close combat was still too small to be sufficient.

Lin Zexu decided to play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses, taking advantage of the Qing army's superior long-range weapons and logistical supplies to directly seal off the religious bandits in Zijing Mountain and Pingzai Mountain.

They waited until he was trapped and died, to prevent the God Society cult members from spreading elsewhere.

Of course, the prerequisite for realizing Lin Zexu's strategy was to capture the Xinwei Plain, which was being fiercely defended by the Catholic Church bandits on the eastern front.

The goal is to eliminate the Catholic Church bandits entrenched in Longshan and Lianhuashan on the southern front. This will allow for complete control and blockade of the Qianjiang waterway, severing the connection between the Catholic Church bandits in Pingzaishan and Guixian County.

In this way, Lin Zexu's strategy of containment and gradual encroachment could be effective.

“This plan is not without merit.” Zhang Bilu nodded slightly, but Lin Zexu’s plan was too expensive and time-consuming. Zhang Bilu was worried that the Qing court, or rather the young emperor in the Forbidden City in Beijing, would not be able to keep his composure.

"With 30,000 to 40,000 troops gathering in Xunzhou Prefecture, our army's monthly food and salary expenses are also considerable. Lord Lin, can the imperial court afford to wait? What if someone in the court impeaches you?"

The question raised by Zhang Bilu was exactly what Lin Zexu was most worried about.

While the open attacks of the God Worshippers in Xunzhou Prefecture were easy to defend against, the hidden arrows from the imperial court were much harder to guard against.

The decisive factor in whether or not the religious and secret society bandits in western Guangdong could be suppressed did not lie with him, the imperial commissioner.

And Emperor Xianfeng in the Forbidden City of Beijing.

Lin Zexu's biggest worry was that Emperor Xianfeng would be like his father, constantly changing his orders, eager for quick results, and lacking sufficient patience and determination.

"I will handle things on the imperial side. Lord Zhang once led the naval forces. I wonder if Lord Zhang would be willing to condescend to expand and command the Xunzhou Prefecture naval forces, so as to cut off the religious bandits' water supply routes?" Lin Zexu asked Zhang Bilu.

At present, a large army is gathered in Xunzhou Prefecture, and there is no shortage of generals like Lin Zexu in the army.

What he lacks is a naval commander.

Xunzhou Prefecture has a dense network of waterways, so it is impossible to blockade the God Society bandits by land alone without a water blockade.

Although Liu Jizu established the Xunzhou Prefecture Naval Camp based on the boatmen he had recruited.

However, facts have proven that Liu Jizu's naval force, which he formed using the bandits who had been appeased, was unable to control and blockade the Qianjiang waterway.

"As long as the provisions and pay are in place, I'll take care of the naval affairs," Zhang Bilu agreed.

(End of this chapter)