Chapter 106 Ling Shiba: I will definitely help out!
There are three relatively important pieces of information in the confession.
First, the Taiping Army captured Changsha, and the situation in Hunan under the Qing government was critical.
Second, the imperial commissioner Céshang'a was dismissed, and the Qing court intended to dispatch the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Xu Guangjin, to the north to Hunan to take over Céshang'a's post as imperial commissioner and continue to encircle and suppress the Taiping Army.
Third, Guangdong is currently short of military forces.
Xu Guangjin mobilized the troops of Deqing, Zhaoqing and other prefectures along the West River to Wuzhou to participate in the war, and the results are self-evident.
The provincial capitals of Deqing and Zhaoqing are basically deserted cities nowadays.
In the huge city of Guangzhou, there were only more than 10,000 defenders, and they had to be dispersed and stationed in various artillery positions at the mouth of the Pearl River.
Although Guangzhou is not a ghost town, it is not much better either.
Well, although the Eight Banners in Guangzhou still had thousands of soldiers, neither Li Yi nor Xu Guangjin took these trash seriously.
Eight Banners?
Haha, I’m afraid the current Eight Banners can’t even defeat the local militia.
For Li Yi, the third piece of news is the most valuable.
If Li Yi led his troops eastward at this time, there is a great possibility that he could capture Guangzhou in one fell swoop and establish the situation in Guangdong and Guangxi.
What Li Yi is considering now is whether to go east to Guangzhou immediately.
If there were no emergencies in Pingnan, Xinyi and Yulinzhou, Li Yi would not hesitate at all to go east to Guangdong immediately.
But the problem is that the wars in Pingnan, Xinyi and Yulinzhou are now critical.
Li Yi really couldn't make up his mind, so he ignored the wars in these three directions and headed directly east to Guangzhou.
But if he returned to support Pingnan, Xinyi and other places first, Li Yi was worried that the Qing army in Guangzhou would take this opportunity to transfer troops from various places to strengthen the defense.
In this case, it might not be so easy for the Restoration Army to capture Guangzhou after moving eastward.
And this is exactly what Li Yi is struggling with now.
After thinking for a long time, Li Yi made up his mind and said.
"Pass on my order and have Li Sheng, Wang An, and Zhao Xiang come to see me immediately."
Soon, Li Sheng, Wang An and Zhao Xiang came to Li Yi one after another.
Although it was late at night, the three of them had not yet gone to bed. As soon as Li Yi sent someone to summon them, they rushed to meet him as soon as possible.
When all three of them arrived, Li Yi raised his hand to motion for them to sit down, and then began to speak.
"In the Battle of Wuzhou, our army achieved great results. Not only did we defeat the main force of the Qing army in Guangdong in one fell swoop, but we also captured Xu Guangjin, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi."
"It can be said to be a great victory! After this battle, I think our names will spread all over the world. By then, even that demon chieftain Xianfeng of the Qing Dynasty will tremble at the mere mention of our names."
After Li Yi finished speaking, several people laughed together, and their emotions were very excited.
Obviously, everyone was very excited about the victory in the Battle of Wuzhou.
When the laughter stopped, Li Yi continued.
"After a brief interrogation of Xu Guangjin, this Governor received a piece of very important news."
"Guangdong is currently short of troops, and the provincial capital Guangzhou only has 10,000 troops stationed there."
"That is to say, if our army marches eastward in large numbers at this time, there is a good chance that we can capture Guangzhou in one battle and stabilize the situation in Guangdong and Guangxi."
Upon hearing this, the three of them looked at each other, and there seemed to be flames burning in their eyes.
Because they all realized what it would mean once the Restoration Army took over Guangdong and Guangxi.
By then, relying on the human and material resources of Guangdong and Guangxi, it would be no longer just talk for the Restoration Army to dominate the world.
But it will really become possible!
However, after Li Yi finished saying this, he changed the subject and continued.
"But the problem is that at the same time, the battle lines in Pingnan, Xinyi, and Yulinzhou are also in crisis."
"If our army ignores the war situation in these three areas and directly marches east to Guangzhou, then the rear area of our Restoration Army may be invaded by war."
"This is something that this Governor and the Restoration Army cannot accept!"
"Therefore, my decision is to first return to support the wars on the three fronts of Pingnan, Xinyi, and Yulin, and then head east after the wars on the three fronts are settled."
If Li Yi is a bandit now, he has no stable base.
Then, he might choose to go east to Guangzhou without hesitation and capture Guangzhou, the first city in the south, to gain wealth and fame.
At worst, if you win you’ll become famous, and if you lose you’ll start all over again.
But the problem is that Li Yi is no longer a bandit now.
He has established a fairly mature military industrial production system in Cenxi.
He also carried out large-scale land distribution work in Cenxi, Tengxian, Pingnan, Xunzhou and other places.
It can be said that Li Yi has now taken root!
Moreover, with the Taiping Army in front to attract attention, Li Yi only needs to develop steadily.
Strategic adventure is not suitable for Li Yi now!
After speaking, Li Yi looked at the three people and then spoke.
"Tomorrow, the three of you will lead your troops to support the battle in the rear of our army."
"Wang An will lead his troops westward along the Xijiang River to Pingnan to reinforce the battle in Pingnan and recapture Xunzhou which was occupied by the Qing monsters."
"Li Sheng will lead his troops south along the Xiujiang River to reinforce the battle in the direction of Yulin Prefecture. We do not seek to capture Yulin Prefecture in one fell swoop, but to capture Rong County first and establish a defense line in Rong County to protect Cenxi."
"Then Zhao Xiang will lead his troops to march along the Longdi River to reinforce the battle in Xinyi. We will capture Xinyi for me and completely resolve the threat to the east of Cenxi."
"No mistakes!"
As soon as Li Yi finished speaking, the three of them stood up and clasped their fists.
"The last general takes command!"
Li Yi hesitated for a moment, his face turned cold and he continued.
"For those gentry who colluded with the Qing demons and betrayed our Restoration Army, no matter who they are or what their identities are, there is no need to show any mercy."
"We must wipe out their entire clan to prevent future troubles!"
The reason why the Restoration Army lost Xunzhou this time was ultimately because the gentry of Xunzhou colluded with the Qing army, and with internal and external support, they broke through the city of Xunzhou.
Otherwise, it would never have come to this!
This time, Li Yi really hated those traitorous gentry, and he also saw through the character of these gentry.
Know that they are a bunch of despicable people. The nicer and gentler you are to them, the more they will look down on you and the more they will go against you. The Ming Dynasty is the most typical example.
But if you kill them cruelly, they will instead obey you and be loyal to you to the fullest.
For example, my Qing Dynasty.
In the early and middle periods, there were various cases of property confiscation, extermination of clans, and literary inquisitions, and the gentry were treated with no mercy at all. However, the gentry were quite loyal to the Qing Dynasty.
After realizing this, it was impossible for Li Yi to show mercy to the gentry anymore.
If you want the gentry to obey you, it is useless to rely on appeasement, you still have to rely on killing!
Upon hearing this, the three of them clasped their fists again and accepted the order.
After explaining all this, Li Yi waved his hand to dismiss the three people, and then prepared to rest.
……
Xinyi, Daliao.
Inside the camp of Ling Shiba's troops, everyone gathered in the Juyi Hall.
Ling Shiba looked around and spoke.
"Brothers, I just received the latest news that the main force of the Qing demons in Guangdong, led by the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Xu Guangjin, advanced westward along the Xijiang River and entered Guangxi to fight."
"Right now, the Grand Commander Li of the Restoration Army is leading his troops in Wuzhou, preparing for a decisive battle with the main force of the Qing demons in Guangdong."
"We are brothers in arms in the Restoration Army fighting against the Qing Dynasty. How can we just sit there and watch?"
"No matter who is attacking Qing Yao, I, Ling Shiba, will definitely lend a hand!"
Ling family's third son, Ling Twenty-four, heard this and spoke hesitantly.
"Brother, this time the Qing demons have gathered a large number of troops in Xinyi, and our righteous army is in a precarious situation."
"If the Qing demons hadn't gone to deal with the Restoration Army, we might have been destroyed by the Qing demons."
"It has only been a short time since the siege of Daliao was lifted. If we take the initiative to fight the demons now, wouldn't that be courting disaster?"
Ling Twenty-Four obviously didn't want to get involved in this matter.
Ling Shiba heard this and spoke.
"Do you want to listen to what bullshit you are saying?"
"Last time, we were besieged in Daliao by the Qing demons. It was only thanks to the reinforcements from the Restoration Army that the Qing demons were able to lift the siege of Daliao, giving us a chance to catch our breath."
"How can we just sit there and watch the Restoration Army being surrounded this time?"
"Besides, who do you think will be the next target of the Qing Yao after it wipes out the Restoration Army of Pinghe Village?"
When Ling Twenty-four heard this, a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
Ling Shiba continued to speak and gave the answer.
"Who else could it be but us?"
"If we don't help the Restoration Army now, who will come to help us next time the Qing army besieges Daliao with heavy troops?"
Ling Twenty-four heard this and continued to speak.
"But brother, you just rejected the recruitment of the Restoration Army some time ago and almost broke off relations with them."
"Even if we help them now, they may not appreciate it. No one knows whether the Restoration Army will lend a helping hand when we are surrounded next time."
Upon hearing this, Ling Shiba spoke with a complicated expression.
"I was too arbitrary last time."
"I thought that General Li of the Restoration Army had betrayed the Heavenly Kingdom by leaving it, but I never thought that there was another hidden reason behind the death of the Southern King."
"If I have the chance, I will personally go and apologize to that Grand Commander Li. This time, my help can be regarded as my gift to him..."
The reason why Ling Shiba refused the recruitment of the Restoration Army last time was that he was besieged in Daliao by heavy Qing troops at that time. It was relatively isolated and he didn't know much about the news from the outside world.
I didn't know that Li Yi deliberately spread the news that Feng Yunshan was suspected to have been framed to death by Xiao Chaogui.
Although the envoy of the Restoration Army mentioned this matter to him, Ling Shiba did not believe it.
Therefore, he sternly rejected the recruitment of Li Yi, who he considered a traitor. However, as Daliao was relieved, Ling Shiba also received news from other places that Feng Yunshan was framed by Xiao Chaogui and died in battle under Yong'an City.
In Ling Shiba's opinion, the Restoration Army's envoy might have lied to him, but it couldn't be that so many people were lying to him, right?
But the truth is, this is just a rumor.
But because so many people are spreading it, the rumor naturally becomes the so-called "truth."
The reason why this rumor spread so widely was because Li Yi fanned the flames.
The second reason is that this rumor is explosive and conspiratorial enough, and the more explosive and conspiratorial a rumor is, the easier it is to spread.
Some people will even take the initiative to spread it!
Then, Ling Shiba's attitude began to soften.
Well, because he is also Feng Yunshan’s man.
The reason why Ling Shiba joined the God Worshipping Society was because he was recruited by Feng Yunshan.
Now that Feng Yunshan is dead, and there is a great possibility that he was murdered by Xiao Chaogui, Ling Shiba naturally cannot remain indifferent.
So, after a long period of careful consideration, Ling Shiba finally made a decision that he would move closer to the Restoration Army.
Now that Feng Yunshan is dead, he and Li Yi, two of Feng Yunshan's old subordinates, naturally have to band together for warmth.
Well, Li Yi would never have thought that Lao Feng had been dead for such a long time, but he could still benefit from Lao Feng’s blood.
Upon hearing this, Ling Twenty-four's attitude began to soften and he spoke.
"I listen to big brother!"
Seeing this, the others also expressed their opinions.
"Listen to big brother!"
Upon hearing this, Ling Shiba immediately gave orders.
"good very good!"
"From now on, order the entire army to prepare for war and prepare to raid Xinyi County."
"I just received news that the Qing demons who invaded Cenxi this time have all their logistical supplies stored in Xinyi. If we can capture Xinyi, the Qing demons will definitely withdraw."
"Then the siege of Pinghe Village can be lifted!"
Upon hearing this, everyone responded in unison.
Then, Ling Shiba continued to give instructions.
"Send someone to contact Chen Er, Wu San and others, and invite them to join forces to defeat the Qing monsters!"
……
Outside Pingnan County!
Qing army camp.
Si'en General Qin Huaiyuan sat in the main seat with a solemn expression.
"Although the number of bandits in Pingnan County is small, they are quite stubborn and resilient."
"It's really strange, why are these bandits so tenacious?"
It was he who was the Qing army general who joined forces with the gentry of Xunzhou to capture Xunzhou.
However, Qin Huaiyuan originally thought that after recaptured Xunzhou, he could go down the river smoothly and attack the enemy's lair directly.
Unexpectedly, after taking the capital city of Xunzhou, they were hindered by the small county town of Pingnan.
He led his troops to attack Pingnan County several times, but failed to break through.
There were even several times when our soldiers rushed to the top of Pingnan City, but were driven down by the bandits.
What the hell is going on!
Upon hearing this, Cai Bingwen spoke with a thoughtful look on his face.
"General Qin, in my opinion, it may be because the bandits distributed land to the rioters in Pingnan County."
"Those rebels who followed the bandits will not fear death when fighting, and Pingnan County will be able to withstand the attack of our imperial army."
Well, Cai Bingwen is still alive.
After the Restoration Army captured Xunzhou, they failed to capture him.
Relying on his rich experience in escaping, Cai Bingwen took advantage of the chaos to escape from Xunzhou City and fled to Si'en Prefecture.
The collusion between the Qing army and the gentry of Xunzhou, which led to the fall of Xunzhou, was orchestrated by him and his advisor Sun He.
Upon hearing this, Qin Huaiyuan nodded in agreement and then spoke.
"What Magistrate Cai said makes sense."
"If that's the case, how can our army capture Pingnan?"
"If our army's front is blocked by Pingnan County, how can we attack the bandits' lair?"
Upon hearing this, Cai Bingwen stopped talking and lowered his head to think.
Sun He on the side spoke up.
"Your Excellency the Prefect and the General, I have a plan that may work."
Upon hearing this, Qin Huaiyuan immediately turned around and asked.
"Tell me!"
Sun He showed a creepy sneer on his face and spoke.
"The students' idea is that our army might be able to temporarily halt its offensive against Pingnan County."
"Instead, they sent troops to sweep the villages and towns around Pingnan County, and killed all the rioters who had surrendered to the bandits."
"Aren't most of the bandits from the rioters in Pingnan County? I don't believe they can watch their relatives being killed and remain indifferent."
"As long as we kill enough people, the bandits in Pingnan County will definitely not be able to sit still."
"As long as the enemy soldiers leave the city, Pingnan County will be taken."
Qin Huaiyuan did not agree immediately after hearing this.
He just stroked his chin and thought.
Cai Bingwen looked at Sun He deeply.
How poisonous!
I never realized before that my master was so vicious!
You know, Pingnan County is also under the jurisdiction of Xunzhou, and the people of Pingnan are from Xunzhou like him, so they are all from the same hometown.
This guy is so cruel even to his fellow countrymen!
It's really chilling!
However, Cai Bingwen likes it.
Who said Sun He’s poison was only aimed at the bandits?
Qin Huaiyuan nodded when he heard this.
"Well, that's a good idea!"
As he spoke, he was ready to call for help.
But at this moment, a report was heard outside the military tent.
"Report! To the Magistrate Cai, to the General, someone has arrived from the provincial capital."
Upon hearing this, Cai Bingwen and Qin Huaiyuan looked at each other and then spoke.
"Please invite the person in quickly!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the soldier outside the tent responded with a "yeah" and turned away.
Not long after, he came back and came to the outside of the military tent with a team of officials from the provincial capital.
Cai Bingwen and Qin Huaiyuan walked out of the military tent and prepared to welcome them.
The leading official, who was wearing an official robe and a fourth-rank hat, looked around and asked.
"Which one is Xunzhou prefect Cai Bingwen?"
Upon hearing this, Cai Bingwen stood up and spoke.
"My name is Cai Bingwen. May I ask what this gentleman wants to see me about?"
The official glanced at Cai Bingwen, then spoke with a tone of pity.
"The Emperor has issued an order that Xunzhou Prefect Cai Bingwen is incompetent and has deceived his superiors and subordinates, which has led to Xunzhou giving rise to the Taiping rebels, and causing Xunzhou to fall into the hands of the rebels. He is ordered to be dismissed from his post, investigated, and brought to the capital to be punished."
"I will temporarily take over the post of Xunzhou prefect."
Because the fall of Xunzhou was not a big deal.
Therefore, the message was not delivered over an expedited journey of eight hundred miles, but was sent to the capital by ordinary express horses.
By the time the capital received the news of the fall of Xunzhou, almost a month had passed.
It took two months after Xunzhou fell for the emperor to receive the news and issue an order to punish Cai Bingwen before the order was sent to Guangxi.
At this time, although Cai Bingwen had regained Xunzhou, the emperor had already issued an order to imprison him.
It’s too late to withdraw!
I guess the court never thought that Cai Bingwen could actually take Xunzhou back.
Therefore, the official who came to convey the imperial edict looked at Cai Bingwen with some pity in his eyes.
Cai Bingwen was also a little dumbfounded when he heard this.
Poor old Cai, Xunzhou was lost, and he, as the prefect, had to work hard to find a way to fight it back.
Unexpectedly, the benefits were plucked by the latecomers!
And he himself will even be imprisoned...
Damn it, what is this?
……
PS: This chapter is 5,000 words long.
I took my grandma to the city hospital this morning and accompanied her for checkups. I went home in the afternoon. I really can't code much, so this is all I have for today.
The 8,000-word update will resume tomorrow!
(End of this chapter)