Tuqing: My first love was Cixi

Chapter 209: Another bad news for the emperor! Su Yi wins! Decisive battle

Regarding the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Su Yi's emotions were very complicated.

First, it certainly cannot perish now.

Because now Su Yi is the local government, and the people in the imperial court are the central government. In many cases, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was Su Yi's shield, and it was also a sword that could be used.

Moreover, in the next gambling plan, Tianjing will also be a very huge source of profit for Suyi Jiujiang Economic Experimental Zone.

In the past year, Su Yi had put a lot of effort into cultivating the market in Tianjing, just to make a lot of money.

In the future, after Su Yi enters the center, he will still need to eliminate the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to gain merit.

But a lot of the time, it's really hard to control.

As Su Yi opened fire on a large area on the Yangtze River, he sank Taiping warships and seized a large number of material transport ships.

The entire Tianjing was completely furious and felt betrayed.

Next, the entire Tianjing senior management held discussions again.

The intelligence work of the Taiping Army was undoubtedly outrageous.

Chen Yucheng said: "It is precisely because of this that we need to go to the Eastern Expedition. Most of our land is on the north of the Yangtze River, and Tianjing is on the south of the Yangtze River. All supplies rely on the Yangtze River waterway. As long as Suzhou is captured, Zhejiang can become one with Tianjing and receive a steady stream of supplies."

As a result, the foreign fleet passed by Zhoushan for several days, and Tianjing did not receive any information. They thought that the foreigners and Su Yi were having a big fight in Zhoushan.

In fact, at this time, Su Yi's main force of five thousand. Wang Youling's 15,000 people from Zhejiang have returned by boat as quickly as possible.

If he sees an opportunity, he pounces on it like a wild dog.

..............................

In the end, Hong Xiuquan decided: "Fight!"

"Fight to the death, fight to the death!" Chen Yucheng roared: "Su Yi has a navy, we also have a navy, send the navy to fight to the death with Su Yi."

Originally, it was decided to dispatch only 60,000 troops to attack Suzhou, but now the number was increased to 80,000.

It was clearly agreed that within two years, the Taiping Army would not be allowed to attack Suzhou again.

Su Yi's firing completely cut off Tianjing's supply.

"beat!"

The question is whether to attack Shanghai after conquering Suzhou.

This made Hong Renli so angry that he almost vomited blood.

The whole Tianjing did not stop the pace of war.

Su Yi's Yangtze River Fleet and the Taiping Navy's navy went to war.

Ever since.

"In addition, by capturing Shanghai and Zhejiang, we can gain access to the sea and no longer have to worry about being attacked on the Yangtze River waterway."

And Hong Rengan also fully supported taking advantage of the opportunity when Su Yi went to war with the foreigners to directly capture Suzhou, capture Zhejiang, and gain access to the sea, so that he could have more exchanges with the foreigners and get support from the Western powers.

Chen Yucheng said: "After taking Suzhou, we should take Shanghai. This is the richest city."

The Yangtze River waterway, which had been quiet for almost two years, was once again in flames of war.

Lin Shaozhang asked: "What will happen to Beijing's supplies that day?"

Hong Rengan said: "Shanghai cannot be attacked, otherwise it will completely offend the foreigners."

Damn Tianjing, damn Hong Xiuquan.

The Taiping Army is still gathering here, and Su Yi's army over there is approaching Changzhou.

Li Xiucheng: "The strategy of the Eastern Expedition cannot be changed. Su Yi only has one Jiujiang. Do we have to give up the Eastern Expedition as soon as he opens fire on the Yangtze River?"

Ignore Su Yi's blackmail in the Yangtze River. Not only will he fight, but he will fight hard.

There is also no contract spirit.

Shi Dakai said: "Su Yi's main force is now in Zhoushan, Zhejiang, and he may have already fought a fierce battle with the foreigners. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity must not be missed. Taking Suzhou and then entering Zhejiang is our only choice. "

how to respond?

"beat!"

And with Tianjing's order, gunpowder smoke also filled the Yangtze River waterway.

Of course, the Taiping Army captured Changzhou and Wuxi not long ago, looted a lot, and obtained relatively large supplies, so they can still survive now.

As a result, after being instigated by the foreigners, the war in Zhejiang has not started yet, but you in Tianjing can't wait to start.

The foreigners swore to Hong Rengan that they would attack Zhoushan and eliminate Su Yi's main force, so that the Taiping Army could attack Suzhou and Zhejiang with peace of mind.

So a series of quarrels ensued.

The battle between foreigners and Su Yi finally happened once in a lifetime.

In short, at this time, the entire Tianjing senior management agreed that they should seize this opportunity and win Suzhou and Zhejiang.

The entire Taiping Army in the eastern part of Tianjing covered the sky and the sun.

The entire Tianjing City has almost no production and relies entirely on external supplies. The Yangtze River waterway is its lifeblood.

There is no war in Zhoushan.

Going west along the Qiantang River, turning into the Jiangnan Canal and entering Taihu Lake, the speed has reached its extreme.

"Hurry up!"

Under the officer's order, the main force of Su Yi's new army landed from the big ship as quickly as possible.

Wang Youling's Zhejiang army was much slower.

After completing the login.

Twenty thousand troops rushed directly towards Changzhou.

According to the previous secret agreement, the number of Taiping troops east of Tianjing must not exceed 10,000.

Therefore, at this time, the Taiping Army's garrison in Changzhou was less than 10,000, because they had to divide their troops to garrison Danyang.

Twenty thousand troops were running wildly while waiting for orders.

Soldiers are valuable and quick, and the army must wait for orders, rather than orders waiting for the army.

Less than a few miles away from Changzhou.

The order has arrived.

"The commander-in-chief has orders to recapture Changzhou!"

"The commander-in-chief has orders to recapture Changzhou!"

The commander-in-chief Wang Shiqing shouted: "Obey!"

Su Yi was very decisive. After he opened fire in the Yangtze River, he waited for the decision from Tianjing whether to cease the war or continue the Eastern Expedition.

As soon as Hong Xiuquan's order to continue the Eastern Expedition came out, Su Yi faced two choices.

Either use war to prevent war, or use assassination to prevent war.

It is difficult to assassinate Hong Xiuquan, but it is not difficult to assassinate Hong Rengan.

Su Yi thought for a few minutes and decided to stop the war with war.

Do not resort to assassination unless absolutely necessary.

Didn’t your Taiping Army break the contract? Aren't we going to gather an army to attack Suzhou?

Don't be shameless.

Stop dreaming about conquering Suzhou, or even Changzhou, Wuxi, and Danyang that you previously occupied.

The last time, the Taiping Army sent nearly 100,000 troops and suffered countless casualties. They broke through the Jiangnan camp and captured Danyang, Changzhou, and Wuxi.

This time they broke the contract, which completely angered Su Yi.

Then let you lose more and take back all that was given to you before.

I'll beat you so hard!

Moreover, Su Yi gave Wang Shiqing a death order. Changzhou must be captured within one day, without any reason!

Because it is less than three hundred miles from Tianjing to Changzhou.

At the speed of the Taiping Army, it would take about six or seven days.

But Su Yi couldn't give him six or seven days. He was going to beat Tianjing thoroughly this time.

An hour later!

Twenty thousand troops came to the city and took a short rest.

With an order: "The army attacks the city!"

Su Yi's 5,000 troops and Zhejiang Province's 15,000 troops began to attack Changzhou City!

at the same time!

Li Qi rushed into Suzhou and met Xu Youren, the governor of Jiangsu.

"My Lord Governor, my Lord wants you to send troops to recover Danyang!"

"I must teach Fa Ni a harsh lesson."

After more than half a year of rest and recruitment of troops from other places, the Suzhou garrison barely recovered to a strength of 20,000.

After receiving Su Yi's personal letter, Jiangsu Governor Xu Youren ordered Feng Zicai to lead 10,000 people to attack Danyang.

Feng Zicai led 10,000 troops, boarded the fleet, and headed north along the canal.

Changzhou, Danyang, and Zhenjiang are all on the canal.

Time!

On the Yangtze River, war roared.

Su Yi's Yangtze River Fleet fought against the Taiping Navy.

In Changzhou City, two armies fought.

At this time, more than a thousand people who Zeng Guofan had promised to support Suzhou were still languishing on the way.

Xu Youren also had a naval force, red single warships hired from Guangdong merchants. These warships were initially under the control of Jiangsu Governor Gilhang'a, and later came under the command of He Guiqing, the Governor of Liangjiang.

After He Guiqing died, the red single fleet was controlled by Xu Youren again.

After hesitating for a while, Xu Youren ordered this red single fleet to escort Feng Zicai's army after landing, and immediately went north along the canal into the Yangtze River, joining Su Yi's Yangtze River fleet, and fighting against the Fa Nishui Division.

This is the power of allies!

When Su Yi saved Suzhou and Zhoushan, he tried his best.

At this time, there was a big battle, and Wang Youling and Xu Youren also tried their best.

Tian Yugong, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, did not have many troops in his hands. The thousands of troops he sent were still in Zhoushan at this time to prevent the foreigners from returning.

Although the foreigners left, there are still nearly 20,000 troops in Zhoushan.

........................

Fuzhou!

Tian Yugong, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, became a national hero and gained astonishing fame.

However, he still controlled part of the military power at this time, and a considerable part of the Fujian army still obeyed the orders of the original Fuzhou generals and Fujian admirals.

His foundation in Fujian is relatively shallow, unlike Xu Youren and Wang Youling.

However, Tian Yugong received the allegiance of another armed force.

Led by Zhu Sanniang and others, the Heaven and Earth Association and the local Party Party formed a powerful team.

When the Xiamen Church Incident occurred, tens of thousands of people including the Tiandihui, the White Lotus Sect, and local powerful men gathered to surround the consulate and the governor's office.

Tian Yugong went on a hunger strike to protest. At the last moment, he saved the dignity of the nation, made the foreigners compromise and admit their mistakes, and saved several innocent people who had been slandered and convicted, and his reputation reached the extreme.

After the matter was settled, the tens of thousands of people dispersed.

However, the core strength of three to four thousand people was retained. With the help of Su Yi's intelligence office, this group of people transformed into the Fujian regiment training army and were loyal to Tian Yugong.

With the help of this army, Tian Yugong continued to seize power and infiltrated the original army in the province.

Moreover, with the support of Tian Yugong, the scale of this regiment's military training continued to expand.

This is also Su Yi's plan.

The Green Camp Army belonged to the imperial court, and all generals were appointed by the imperial court.

But regiment training belongs to the minister of regiment training.

This is to allow Tian Yugong to control an army in the shortest possible time, which can be of great use at critical moments.

........................

Beijing!

"Eight hundred miles is urgent, eight hundred miles is urgent!"

After several days of running around, the battle report from the Shandong governor was finally sent to the capital.

The emperor and courtiers once again received this huge bad news.

The foreign fleet attacked Yantai, but only half a day later, Yantai fell.

The emperor was hit hard again.

"Where's Zhoushan? Where's Zhoushan?"

"Did Zhoushan fall?" the emperor asked angrily.

No one answered him.

But soon, the good news from Zhejiang Governor Wang Youling was about to come to Beijing.

It was also an eight-hundred-mile expedited trip and started a few days earlier than the governor of Shandong, but it was still a long way away after all.

Just over an hour later!

"Eight hundred miles urgent, good news from Zhoushan!"

"Wang Youling, the governor of Zhejiang, reported that our army forced back the foreign fleet in Zhoushan."

Heart-breaking!

The emperor was furious again.

Directly overturn the previous case.

"boom!"

There was a loud noise.

The quality of this rosewood case is so good that there are no cracks even after being hit on the ground so hard.

Is Count Elgin crazy?

Why not attack Zhoushan? Why not hit Su Yi?

Didn't it mean that he and Su Yi were the real enemies?

And the war was completely undeclared.

Last time at least a messenger was sent to Beijing to issue an ultimatum, and then troops were sent to capture Guangzhou.

Moreover, when attacking Dagukou, we first sent a fleet to surround it, and sent an envoy with a five-day deadline.

Now... don't say anything, just capture Yantai.

Originally, he wanted to use a borrowed knife to kill people and let Count Elgin attack Su Yi?

Why didn't you fight?

Are you here to hit me again?

You don't even think about it, considering Count Elgin's personal emotions, he certainly hates Su Yi even more.

But from the standpoint of the British and the Congress, it was completely directed against the Qing emperor.

All the anger was directed at the emperor alone.

Even for the British Council, it is a shame.

Over and over again, broken promises.

After the treaty was negotiated and the troops retreated, the Qing emperor immediately broke the treaty.

Then, troops were sent out, attacks were made, and treaties were negotiated.

But not long after, the contracts began to be broken again.

What are you doing? What the hell are you doing?

Are you kidding me?

So this time the British decided to fight to the end.

Anger could not solve the problem. After getting completely angry, the emperor calmed down.

At this time, more than a year had passed since the last battle at Dagukou.

"Fellow ministers, what should we do next?"

"Fight or talk?"

Sushun said: "Your Majesty, unless we can talk about letting Count Elgin attack Su Yi, any negotiation is meaningless."

It makes no sense anymore.

What to talk about?

Isn’t it just the ministers from several countries who came to Beijing? Isn’t Tianjin used as a treaty port?

Isn’t it that foreign businessmen can do business and travel in mainland China? Isn’t it just that foreigners enjoy missionary rights in treaty port cities?

I kept breaking the contract before, wasn’t it because I couldn’t agree to the first two terms? Will the emperor never tolerate foreigners entering Beijing?

Du Han said: "Your Majesty, the last time the seven southern provinces attacked the imperial court, didn't they mean that they signed a treaty that was a loss of power and humiliating the country? If we talk about it again, I'm afraid they will spread throughout the world, causing the imperial court to lose its face and dignity once again."

Kuang Yuan said: "Your Majesty, in fact, dealing with foreigners and Su Yi has become a thing now."

Prince Hui Mianyu said: "Yes, one thing!"

The Seven Provinces Alliance was established in the name of opposing the Tianjin Treaty, protecting the Yangtze River waterway, protecting the people in the south, and preventing the recurrence of the Xiamen Mission Incident.

Sushun said: "If the imperial court upholds this great righteousness, then the seven southern provinces will also lose this great righteousness!"

"As long as this battle with the foreigners is won, the imperial court will have absolute justice, and the problem of the alliance of the seven southern provinces will be solved directly."

The emperor fell silent.

In fact, after the seven provinces in the south publicly bombarded the imperial court to lose power and humiliate the country, and asked to kill Guiliang and Yishan, the imperial court lost its justice.

It also lost the initiative to solve the seven southern provinces.

The only way is to regain justice.

How to regain justice?

Completely negate the Tianjin Treaty, completely deny the Aihun Treaty, and resolutely go to war with the foreigners.

In this way, people's hearts are instantly inspired and righteousness is at hand.

But at the thought of going to war with foreigners, Emperor Xianfeng was frightened and could not help but tremble.

After a long while, the emperor said hoarsely: "Can we win?"

Sushun said: "Your Majesty, in fact, we almost won the Battle of Dagukou last year. Ronglu's new army fought very well and suffered a lot from the foreigners at first. The reason why they were suddenly defeated later was completely Because the coach Tan Tingxiang collapsed and ran away, the war situation collapsed."

Du Han said: "Yes, Tan Tingxiang, the incompetent coach, brought down the entire army."

Sushun said: "Look at Zhoushan this time. Su Yi and Wang Youling deployed tens of thousands of troops to garrison Zhoushan, making Elgin avoid fighting in the end. This shows that foreigners are not invincible."

"Your Majesty, this time let Seng Gelinqin be the commander-in-chief and Ronglu be the deputy commander-in-chief. The soldiers will fight to the death and the probability of winning is very high!"

Du Han said: "Your Majesty, this time, we have no retreat."

"If we win this battle, we can completely eliminate Su Yi and solve the troubles in the seven southern provinces."

"Fight!" Prince Hui Mianyu said: "Your Majesty, if we surrender without a fight, the majesty of the imperial court will be shattered and the central government will be in danger. If we win, all difficulties will be overcome."

All the important officials present supported the fight.

Historically, the imperial court also decided to fight at this time.

In this world, they even have no choice, because the seven southern provinces suppress people with their righteousness.

Moreover, in the eyes of the Qing court, the foreigners' compromise on the Xiamen missionary case and their avoidance of Zhoushan also showed some weakness.

The emperor said: "Summon monks Gelinqin and Ronglu to Beijing immediately!"

"Whoo!"

Qin ran as fast as he could to Tianjin and summoned Monk Wang and Ronglu.

The ministers knew that the emperor had roughly made up his mind, and now they wanted to ask these two generals whether this battle could be won, and wanted to get the final guarantee of confidence.

..............................

Enter the harem!

The emperor asked: "Do you think we should fight this time?"

Concubine Yi said: "Hit!"

The emperor was still slightly surprised, because every time he came to Concubine Yi, he got an absolute answer without any ambiguity.

Concubine Yi said: "Your Majesty, everyone in the world is watching! If we don't fight this battle, the seven southern provinces will become more alienated and even more critical of the imperial court."

"Not only must we fight, but we must fight hard, with momentum and dignity."

"Your Majesty, although the previous Ming Dynasty was not a good example, you still managed to win the hearts of Emperor Chongzhen and the Son of Heaven for hundreds of years, and you will be called the Fierce Emperor in future generations."

As soon as these words came out, Concubine Yi immediately regretted her words and spoke openly again.

"And our current situation is much better than that of Emperor Chongzhen. Except for one or two provinces that have been occupied by rebels, the seven southern provinces do not dare to openly disobey the imperial court. Besides, there is no way that foreigners will seize the throne of the Qing Dynasty from me."

"No matter how this battle ends, as long as I show my Qing Dynasty's bravery, I can suppress the people of the world."

There was something in Concubine Yi's words that made the emperor very uncomfortable, especially the use of Chongzhen as a metaphor, which disgusted him.

However, Emperor Xianfeng was also used to it.

The woman in front of her is like this, smart and sharp.

Inadvertently, words can sting.

But the emperor also thought that what she said was right, and it was not enough to suppress people's hearts without fighting.

Suddenly, Concubine Yi said: "Your Majesty, and this battle may not be unwinnable. The last battle at Dagukou was almost won."

This point is consistent with Sushun and others.

The emperor was also puzzled. The woman in front of him had the same views as Sushun, but both sides were in the same boat.

Sushun warned the emperor more than once that Concubine Yi was ambitious and might become a disaster, so he asked the emperor to make plans in advance.

Concubine Yi has also been alluding to the Sushun party, which blocks the sky and the sun, and has no opponents in the court, fearing that it will deceive the emperor.

The emperor listened every time, but it didn't take long for him to forget these words again.

For him, although Concubine Yi and Sushun were mortal enemies, they both attached themselves to him as the emperor, had no intention of disobeying them, and tried their best to please them.

How does Su Yi look like a traitor? Only disobedience.

Du Han also said something that reached the emperor's heart. As long as the foreigners were defeated, the imperial court would be able to grasp the great cause.

The alliance between the seven southern provinces can be broken down, and Su Yi can be dealt with.

Concubine Yi suddenly said: "Your Majesty, once you decide to fight, you must make a big noise! ​​You must publicize it."

"In addition, you can also order Su Yi to send troops to support."

"If he doesn't come, justice will be lost!"

The emperor listened and nodded.

..............................

at the same time!

On the Changzhou battlefield.

It was finally confirmed that the Taiping Army defenders in Changzhou were not 10,000, but 7,000, because there were still 3,000 in Danyang.

Wang Shiqing led 5,000 new troops, and Zhejiang's 15,000 troops used three times the force to kill the Changzhou Taiping defenders by surprise.

Su Yi's order was to capture Changzhou within twenty-four hours.

But under an almost crazy siege.

Under the continuous charge of the death squads.

Nine hours after the siege!

There was a shocking loud noise.

The city gate of Changzhou was blown down, and Su Yi and the Zhejiang Allied Forces entered Changzhou.

Then fierce street fighting took place in the city.

This was also the first time that Su Yi's new army faced street fighting.

Facts have proved that accurate shooting and advanced rifles have a huge advantage in street fighting.

Seven hours later!

The remnants of the Taiping Army in Changzhou fled, the Battle of Changzhou ended, and Su Yi's side achieved a brilliant victory.

Next, more than 10,000 Zhejiang troops defended Changzhou.

Wang Shiqing led more than 4,000 new troops to continue to pursue the remnants of the Taiping Army and attack Danyang.

At this time, Su Yi's new army's strong endurance and physical strength showed up because of good food, good nutrition, and high-intensity training.

From Changzhou, they pursued and killed them all the way to Danyang. The Taiping Army's garrison in Danyang was less than 3,000 people.

After pursuing Danyang City, after a short rest, the more than 4,000 new troops directly began to attack Danyang City.

It is very, very dangerous to attack Danyang City at this time, because it is only less than 200 miles from Tianjing to Danyang.

The main force of the Taiping Army would be able to arrive by marching in three days.

When Su Yi and the Zhejiang coalition attack Changzhou, Changzhou will report to Tianjing as quickly as possible, and Tianjing will immediately send a large army to support Changzhou and Danyang.

If you are not careful, you will be attacked from both inside and outside, and the entire army will be destroyed.

Therefore, the time left for Wang Shiqing to attack Danyang City was definitely less than a day.

At this time, the 10,000 reinforcements sent by Xu Youren, led by Feng Zicai, were still halfway there.

Therefore, the ultimate test of the new army began.

The next day, it was just dawn.

More than 4,000 new troops had just rested for seven hours.

Wang Shiqing ordered the attack on Danyang City.

He could even clearly calculate how long the rebel army was away from Danyang City at this time.

How far away are the rebellious cavalry?

If Danyang cannot be captured within twelve hours, he will retreat immediately, otherwise he will make dumplings.

Thus, the extremely fierce siege of Danyang began!

After experiencing the siege of Yangzhou and the siege of Changzhou, Su Yi's new army faced the most difficult siege with the smallest strength advantage.

This is the biggest test for Su Yi's new army.

Four thousand five hundred men attacked the fortified city defended by 3200 Taiping troops.

And this time!

The eight thousand cavalry of the Taiping Army are still one hundred and thirty miles away from Danyang City.

The Taiping Army's tens of thousands of troops are still 160 miles away from Danyang City.

Jiangsu Governor Xu Youren's 10,000 reinforcements were still on the canal, still a hundred miles away from Danyang City.

This is not the biggest battle of Su Yi's new army, it is only a small and medium-sized battle at best.

But this is the most critical and urgent battle.

Completely racing against time, racing against death.

It was at this time that Su Yi's new army unleashed its most terrifying combat effectiveness.

Four hours later!

Su Yi's new army led by Wang Shiqing broke through Danyang City.

This was an even more brilliant victory, a miracle.

And this time!

The cavalry forward of the Taiping Army was only less than twenty miles away from Danyang City.

When they rushed to Danyang City, they found that the flags on the city had changed.

The Taiping generals were extremely angry and deliberately ordered a direct attack on the city.

But a cavalry siege?

The firepower of Su Yi's new army is so fierce, how can you attack the city with just a few thousand cavalry?

As a result, they retreated twenty miles and camped, waiting for the main reinforcements.

Another two hours passed!

Ten thousand reinforcements led by Feng Zicai came along the canal to the outside of Danyang City. Guarded by red ships, they landed behind Danyang City.

The Taiping cavalry came to harass several times, but they were all repelled by Su Yi's new army in Danyang City.

A few hours later!

Ten thousand reinforcements led by Feng Zicai completed the landing and entered Danyang City!

At this point, Danyang's defenders were nearly 14,000 strong.

Su Yi's new army took advantage of his military skills and speed to the extreme.

A perfect time difference.

Over there, Tianjing thought that when the main force of Su Yi's new army was fighting the foreigners in Zhoushan, Zhejiang, they had already taken the boat to fight back to the battlefield in Jiangsu as quickly as possible.

When Tianjing reaffirmed the resolution of the Eastern Expedition and assembled an army of 80,000.

Su Yi's new army and the Zhejiang Allied Forces have begun to attack Changzhou.

In more than ten hours, Changzhou was captured.

Within forty hours, Danyang was captured.

At this time, the main force of the Taiping Army, which numbered tens of thousands, was still halfway there.

Just two to three hundred miles away, just such a short time difference, Su Yi caught him.

Taking advantage of Changzhou and Danyang's weakest moments, they captured the two cities with lightning speed.

........................

After covering Feng Zicai's army successfully entering Danyang City, Jiangsu Governor Xu Youren's red single warship fleet continued north along the canal to the Yangtze River to support Su Yi's Yangtze River Fleet.

On the Yangtze River, Su Yi's fleet and the navy of the Taiping Army had been fighting fiercely for several days and nights.

Although his Yangtze River ship is small in scale and hired, Britain is a naval power after all. A second- and third-tier fleet still has a strong advantage against the Taiping Navy.

Although the Taiping Navy had more ships and even more artillery pieces.

But in addition to being fierce at the beginning, after a few hours of fierce fighting, they were at a disadvantage.

Next, Su Yi's fleet chased them all the way.

Then, the red single fleet of Jiangsu Governor Xu Youren arrived, and Su Yi's Yangtze River Fleet attacked front and back, constantly besieging and killing the main force of the Taiping Navy.

Finally, the main naval force of the Taiping Army was annihilated on the Yangtze River near Zhenjiang.

Then, the two fleets went directly south along the canal without stopping, rushing to the battlefields of Danyang and Changzhou.

Because these two cities are on the edge of the canal, the naval guns of the two fleets can support the land battlefield.

at the same time!

Jiangsu Governor Xu Youren ordered Jiangnan Admiral Zhang Guoliang to lead an army of 5,000 men to support Su Yi's Changzhou battlefield.

Because everything happened so fast, Xu Youren didn't know that Changzhou had been captured. He felt that this might be a fierce battle, and he also knew that Changzhou would be captured before the rebellious reinforcements arrived, so he made a desperate move and sent the last force to come. Support the Changzhou battlefield.

However, there are only 20,000 people in Suzhou City. Feng Zicai first took away 10,000 people, and then Zhang Guoliang took away 5,000 people.

As a result, Xu Youren only had 5,000 people to guard Suzhou.

Xu Youren said that the rebel army could not fly over and five thousand defenders were enough. The key was to help Su Yi and the Zhejiang army capture Changzhou and Danyang.

So Zhang Guoliang could only obey the order, lead his army to leave Suzhou, and come to support the Changzhou battlefield.

As a result, halfway through, we encountered a team reporting victory. Changzhou had already won.

Therefore, Zhang Guoliang changed his direction and led 5,000 troops to Wuxi.

In the secret agreement, Wuxi was a buffer zone and neither side was allowed to send troops into it.

But now, the Taiping Army violated the secret agreement and started the Eastern Expedition again, so Su Yi no longer has to abide by it.

So, in just a few days.

Su Yi's southern provinces successively recovered Changzhou, Danyang, and Wuxi.

Three more days have passed!

The first part of the Taiping reinforcements, a total of 30,000 people, has arrived at the Changzhou battlefield.

But at this time, Su Yi's Yangtze River Fleet and Xu Youren's red single warship fleet had also rushed to Changzhou along the canal.

Chen Yucheng did not dare to act rashly.

Instead, they continued to wait for reinforcements.

The situation at this time seemed very strange.

The most important Changzhou had only 10,000 defenders, and it was the Zhejiang army with weak combat effectiveness.

On the contrary, Danyang, a small town that is not very important, has a population of nearly 15,000.

In Wuxi City, there are 5,000 people from Zhang Guoliang.

Wuxi and Danyang are only a few dozen miles away from Changzhou. The three cities' defenders total 30,000 people, forming a horn-like force.

Moreover, the three cities are all beside the canal.

Su Yi's powerful fleet can support any battlefield at any time.

The next day! The 1,300 reinforcements from the Hunan Army that set out from Hubei finally arrived in Changzhou belatedly.

Su Yi's army returned to Changzhou from Zhoushan in just a few days.

But it took Zeng Guofan's Hunan Army more than half a month to set off from Wuchang, which was really outrageous.

The route you take is also a waterway, and it is the Yangtze River waterway plus a section of canal.

But, it’s better to come, it’s better than not coming.

Thirteen hundred Hunan troops, protected by the fleet, entered Changzhou City.

Chen Yucheng's side was still waiting for reinforcements.

On that side, the Taiping Army continued to enter the Changzhou battlefield, and more and more troops were assembled.

Thirty thousand, forty thousand, fifty thousand, sixty thousand.

Another three days passed!

On Su Yi's side, Wei Jun led eight thousand Ganzhen Green Camp troops into the Changzhou battlefield.

Su Yi did not control the Green Camp troops in Jiangxi. The only ones he could command were Wei Jun's two or three thousand men.

Because Wei Jun was a surrendered general of the Taiping Army, he could only follow Su Yi closely.

The entire Ganzhen Green Camp obeyed the orders of the Hunan Army. This was the tacit understanding between Su Yi and Hu Linyi.

The commander-in-chief of Ganzhen at this time was Luo Zenan, a general of the Hunan Army.

Some time ago, Acting Jiangxi Governor Shen Baozhen ordered the Ganzhen Green Camp to send troops. Hu Linyi was immediately in a dilemma.

reject? Then fall out with Su Yi.

agree? Not very willingly.

However, after thinking about it for a moment, the more troops there are on the Changzhou battlefield, the more the main force of the Taiping Army will be contained. It would be more advantageous for the Hunan Army to attack Anqing, so Jiangxi Chief Envoy Hu Linyi finally gave in.

At this point, the Changzhou garrison exceeded 20,000 people.

In the entire Changzhou battlefield, Su Yi's army numbered almost 40,000, plus two fleets.

A few more days!

All reinforcements from the Taiping Army arrived at the Changzhou battlefield, totaling 80,000 people.

At this point, the decisive battle is imminent.

The total strength of both sides exceeds 120,000.

In Hubei and Luzhou, the Hunan Army's four armies, totaling 60,000 people, have been assembled.

Zeng Guofan waited quietly.

As soon as the decisive battle between Su Yi and the Taiping Army broke out on the Changzhou battlefield, Zeng Guofan immediately ordered an army of 60,000 to attack Anqing.

The battle to recapture Anqing officially began.

Damn foreigners, damn Count Elgin.

As soon as this person arrived in China, he caused such turmoil.

Originally, I was waiting for the decisive battle between you and the Qing court, and I was waiting for you to directly attack Dagukou.

As a result, the decisive battle in the north has not yet broken out.

The decisive battle in the south is about to break out.

If a war breaks out in Anqing, the strength of both sides in the entire battlefield in the south may reach more than 200,000, or even more than 300,000.

Idiot Hong Rengan.

Idiot Hong Xiuquan.

As soon as they are incited by foreigners, they really can't wait to start a war, but when a fool plays chess, it is still chess, and the whole body is affected by one move.

At this time, both sides set up their positions.

Then, all eyes were focused on Tianjing.

Waiting for Hong Xiuquan's decision, should we still fight?

Do you want to fight? Then stay with me until the end.

....................................

At this time, the northern court!

Seng Gelinqin and Ronglu came to Beijing.

The emperor asked: "If we fight, can we win?"

Seng Gelinqin said: "Your Majesty, you can win!"

"A year has passed since the last battle at Dagukou. We have carried out comprehensive maintenance on the fort at Dagukou, upgraded the artillery, and replaced some artillery."

"This time, I will personally be the commander-in-chief of the Dagukou battlefield. I swear that the foreigners will never retreat unless they step on my corpse. Tan Tingxiang's scandal will never happen again."

The Minister of Supervision of the New Army, Admiral of Zhili, Ronglu said: "Your Majesty, after a year of expansion and rest, the number of Tianjin New Army has reached nearly 7,000, which is different from that of that day. I am confident that I can fight this battle." win!"

For the emperor, there was no choice.

Now, Tianjin's head coach and assistant coach have expressed their determination to win.

As a result, the emperor slammed the table and said, "Then beat him!"

........................

The combined fleet led by Count Elgin took a few days' rest after capturing Yantai.

Then, go up along the Bohai Sea.

A few days later, the coalition fleet arrived at Dalian Bay.

There was also no declaration of war, no messenger, just open fire.

The defenders of Dalian Bay put up tenacious resistance.

However, it still cannot change the outcome.

The next day, Dalian Bay fell.

At this point, the British and French forces officially blocked the Bohai Bay.

Although Basharli repeatedly told Count Elgin that the Qing government did not have a strong navy, so there was no need to attack Dalian and Yantai, and there was no need to block the Bohai Bay. Instead, they should attack Dagukou directly and be caught off guard.

The Qing government could not be allowed to improve its defenses, nor could it be allowed to improve its garrison.

But Earl Elgin refused to listen and still followed his battle plan.

After capturing Yantai and Dalian, some defenders were left behind.

Then, he led the combined fleet and marines towards Tianjin.

....................................

The next day there will be a meeting!

After a long period of deliberation.

The entire court has unified its will, and today's meeting is just a formality.

It was a large-scale war mobilization rally.

"I invite you to fight!"

"I invite you to fight!"

"I invite you to fight!"

Above the court, all the ministers and important ministers came out one after another to request the court to start a war.

Then Emperor Xianfeng became impassioned.

"My intention is over!"

"Do not recognize the Treaty of Aihun and the Treaty of Tianjin."

"For the people of the world, for the country and the country!"

"Formal battle!"

"Seng Gelinqin!"

Prince Horqin came out, dressed in armor, knelt down on one knee and said: "My servant is here!"

"Ronglu!" the emperor shouted loudly.

Ronglu, who was also dressed in military uniform, knelt down on one knee and said, "I'm here, my servant!"

"I order you two, as the commander-in-chief and deputy commander-in-chief, to fight the foreign barbarians to the end!"

"If the foreign barbarians do not retreat, they will continue to fight for a day!"

"The slave obeys the order!"

All the civil and military officials knelt down and said: "Long live the emperor, long live, long live the emperor!"

"The Emperor is victorious!"

"The Qing Dynasty will be victorious!"

Then, Seng Gelinqin and Ronglu left the palace in uniform, got on their horses, and headed outside Desheng Gate.

At this time, there were already thousands of cavalrymen at Deshengmen, lined up neatly.

Tens of thousands of people from the capital gathered to watch.

A grand expedition ceremony will be held here.

After Seng Gelinqin and Ronglu came out of Deshengmen, magnificent music sounded.

Prince Hui, Prince Dun, and Prince Chun came out to the high platform.

Prince Hui Mianyu took out the imperial edict and read the emperor's declaration of war.

Although as in history, the Qing court chose to go to war.

But what was slightly different was that this time the court was more determined, and in order to fight for justice, the court adopted a more ambitious posture.

This edict and this battle statement were also written with great heroic spirit.

After hearing this, all the people shouted loudly.

"The Qing Dynasty will be victorious, and the Emperor will be victorious!"

Prince Hui handed over the imperial edict to Seng Gelinqin and also handed over Shang Fang's sword to him.

"Two marshals, the court is waiting for your triumphant return."

"The people of the capital are waiting for your triumphant return."

"All peoples in the world are waiting for your triumphant victory!"

Seng Gelinqin and Ronglu bowed down and said: "If you don't defeat the enemy, you will never return it!"

Then, in the eyes of everyone.

The two commanders led a thousand cavalry towards the Tianjin battlefield.

Of course, these thousand cavalry are only symbolic.

The real army has already been displayed on the Dagukou battlefield.

....................................

Seng Gelinqin and Ronglu returned to the battlefield of Dagukou again.

He read out the emperor's decree in front of all the defenders, and then shouted loudly: "If we win this battle, we will honor our ancestors and be rich and powerful."

"If we lose this battle, our reputation will be ruined!"

"Everyone in the world is watching us."

"The Immortal God is watching over us."

"The ancestors are watching us."

"The Emperor is watching us!"

"Fight to the bitter end with the foreigners!"

All the troops shouted: "Fight the foreign barbarians to the bitter end!"

The battlefield of Dagukou is full of fighting spirit!

..............................

Three days later!

Off the coast of Tianjin, a black spot appeared.

The second, the third, the fourth...

Immediately afterwards, the huge combined fleet appeared in everyone's sight.

finally come.

The defenders at Dagukou took a deep breath when they saw this scene.

Ronglu narrowed his eyes.

He was also a witness to the Battle of Dagukou last year.

This time the scale of the foreign combined fleet was obviously larger than last year.

It is conceivable that there will be more foreign troops landing.

However, compared with last year, the defenders at Dagukou were also very different.

Combined Fleet Commander He Bo and Rear Admiral Sima Migeli looked at each other and couldn't help but think of Bashar's admonition.

Earl Elgin, the supreme commander of the British Empire in the Far East, picked up his telescope and looked at the defenders at Dagukou.

"Gentlemen, the Qing troops in Dagukou seem to be more numerous than last year, and they seem to have a little more will."

"But don't forget, when we attacked Yantai and Dalian, they had similar expressions on their faces."

"How is the result?"

"These two places were directly attacked by us in less than a day."

"Whether our Marines are sweating or not, I'm not sure."

"Since the Trade War more than ten years ago, our British Empire and our allies have won victory after victory on this land, each time more brilliant and even more incredible."

"Then today's battle will be no exception!"

"So, enjoy your war!"

The representative of the French Empire next to him said: "My lord, do we need to send an envoy to declare war?"

The previous attacks on Yantai and Dalian were considered undeclared wars because they were so angry.

Earl Elgin nodded and said: "Then go."

Then, the coalition fleet sent a small boat and an envoy to officially land at Dagukou.

Britain, France, the United States, and Russia formally declared war on Qing army commander Seng Gelinqin.

Seng Gelinqin, on behalf of the Qing court, officially fought!

After the two sides declare war!

The commander of the coalition fleet officially announced the opening of fire!

The naval guns of the combined fleet fired fiercely.

The Qing army's Dagukou Fort fired back fiercely.

At this point, the second Battle of Dagukou broke out!

The decisive battle between foreigners and the Qing court broke out.

..............................

at the same time!

After several days of running around, Chao Tingqin used the fastest speed to arrive at Jiujiang along the canal and the Yangtze River, and read the emperor's oral edict to Su Yi.

"Su Yi, I have vetoed the Treaty of Aihui and the Treaty of Tianjin. I have decided to go to war with the foreign barbarians. Can you support it?"

Su Yi said: "Of course I support it!"

Then, the imperial envoy took out the imperial edict and said loudly: "The emperor has ordered Su Yi to lead the fleet and go north to support and defeat the foreign barbarians. I admire this!"

..............................

Note: The number of words in this chapter is almost equal to the usual two chapters.

I went down to eat. Does my benefactor still have the monthly ticket? Can you give it to me? I kowtow to thank you!

(End of this chapter)