late Qing Dynasty arrest

Zuo Zongtang knew that it would be more difficult to deal with the Hui army and the Nian army after they were united, so he told the Qing court Chen Fanglue: "The patients who are suffering today are the Nian bandits. In terms of terrain, the Central Plains is the most important, and Guanlong is the least important; From the perspective of suppressing bandits, the suppression should be urgent, and the suppression should be delayed; from the perspective of the order of deployment of troops, if you want to calm the western frontier, you must first clear the hinterland, and then the guest army will have no worries about the future, and the payment will be free from the trouble of being in the middle."

He also said: "When entering Shaanxi, you must first clear the thieves outside the customs. When entering Gansu, you must first clear the thieves in Shaanxi. When stationing troops in Lanzhou, you must first clear the thieves from all walks of life. Suppressing, you can avoid the danger of being held back."

The core of this strategy is "twisting first and then returning", "first Qin and then Long", and the key is "not to let twisting return to momentum".

In July, nearly 7 Chu troops under Zuo Zongtang arrived in Shaanxi from Fancheng, Hubei in three routes.In accordance with its established policy of "twisting first and returning later", the old Hunan army under Liu Songshan, the Anhui army under Guo Baochang, the Hunan army under Liu Houji, and the newly arrived Chu army under Gao Liansheng, who entered Shaanxi in advance, totaled [-] More than [-] people from the Chu army under Liu Dian and the Sichuan army under Huang Ding stationed in the Shaanxi-Gansu border to deal with the Hui uprising army.

The rest of the Chu army, more than [-] people, were stationed in Fengxiang, Yijun, Huazhou, Huayin, Weinan, Lintong and other places to support the various armies, and became "a division that also seeks to recover the twist."The West Nian Army saw through Zuo Zongtang's plot, quickly jumped out of the encirclement, and with the cooperation of the Muslim Army, marched towards northern Shaanxi.At the same time, the Shaanxi-Gansu Hui uprising army continued to enter Shaanxi from Gansu, and joined forces with the Western Nian Army to fight against the Qing Dynasty.

From October to November, the Western Nian Army and the Hui Army won victories over cities such as Ansai, Yanchuan, and Suide in Shaanxi.Zuo Zongtang was so exhausted that he had to play "Ask for Strict Discussion".

However, due to reasons such as differences in ethnic and religious beliefs, the alliance between the Hui uprising army and the Nian army failed to develop further, and has been in a loose state of "separation and reunion". There is neither a unified organizational form nor centralized leadership, nor There is no long-term plan to fight together.

Moreover, because the leadership of the Hui army was in the hands of the upper-class nobles, the Hui army rejected the Nian army because of their strong and narrow nationalist ideology.Mutual attacks and killings between the Hui army and the Xi Nian army occurred from time to time, which made the Hui army and the Xi Nian army seem to be at odds with each other.

Later, in order to rescue the Eastern Nian Army, the West Nian Army crossed the Yellow River from Hukou in the east of Yichuan and entered Shanxi. The Hui uprising army was at a disadvantage in fighting alone in Shaanxi.

Zuo Zongtang led the main force of the Qing army into Jin to pursue the Nian army. Under the siege of several groups of troops, Zhang Zongyu, the leader of the Nian army, committed suicide by throwing himself into the river. Most of the Nian army was wiped out, and only a small part of the Nian army remained in Gansu.

At this time, Zuo Zongtang returned to Xi'an after taking part in the suppression of the Western Nian Army. He believed that the overall situation in Shaanxi was settled, so he stepped up the purges in Gansu.

First, rectify the troops.

In addition to the Chu army under Zuo Zongtang, there were Liu Songshan’s old Hunan army, Guo Baochang’s Anhui army, Huang Ding’s Sichuan army, etc.; The establishment is very inconsistent. Some are called the First Battalion, but there are actually only two or three hundred people, and some have as many as several times.In order to be uniform, Zuo Zongtang ordered that the weak be eliminated, and all be rectified according to the establishment of the Chu army, and all be under his command.At the same time, in Shaanxi and Gansu, new recruits and leftover women were recruited on the spot to seduce the world-Jiangshan Hongyanding.The Chu army under the direct control of Zuo Zongtang and Liu Dian has 300 infantry battalions and 55 cavalry battalions, with a total of about 3 people.

Second, lure the hungry people to surrender.

After the Western Nien Army withdrew from Shaanxi and most of the Hui uprising army moved to Gansu, the hungry people's armed forces led by Dong Fuxiang were still active in northern Shaanxi, posing a great threat to the Qing army.Dong Fuxiang was connected with both Jinjibao and Dong Zhiyuan's Hui uprising army, which was a major obstacle for Zuo Zongtang to attack Gansu.Therefore, Zuo Zongtang stationed an army in Yulin, Suide, and Yanchang each to cut off Dong Fuxiang's eastward crossing of the Yellow River; he also sent Liu Songshan to lead his troops across the Yellow River from Shanxi, westward from Suide, and approached Jingbao, Dong Fuxiang's base. .Liu Songshan lured Dong Fuxiang to surrender by buying Dong Fuxiang's father, Dong Shiyou.

Liu Songshan recruited more than [-] people, selected the best and strongest from them, and compiled them into "Dong Zi San Battalion" according to the establishment of the Chu army, with Dong Fuxiang, Zhang Jun, and Li Shuangliang each leading a battalion.Dong Fuxiang's surrender not only caused the Hui uprising army to lose an allied army, but also directly threatened the safety of Jinjibao and Dong Zhiyuan.

Third, reform the taxation mechanism.

In the Shaanxi-Gansu region, following the practice of Fujian, the establishment of merchant goods tax, that is, commodity tax.According to the value of the goods, charge [-]%.

Recruit clean and honest gentry to manage the bureau, and the amount of commodity tax expenditure will be announced every month.The General Administration was set up to be managed by Yu Lin, the prefect of Xi'an, and the tax revenue was transferred to the Military Supplies Bureau.

The taxation system eliminates the long-standing disadvantages of grain grain. The original grain grain was floated and collected by officials privately, and it was stipulated that six taels of silver should be paid per stone of millet.

However, the price of local grain has plummeted. At that time, a stone of grain was only worth four hundred renminbi, and only [-] renminbi could be exchanged for one tael of silver.Peasants exchanged millet for money, and then exchanged money for silver, and finished paying grain, suffering unspeakably.For a family with an annual income of [-] shi of millet, it takes one-third of the millet to pay the public grain equivalent to silver, so the arrears accumulate day by day.

Zuo Zongtang ordered all states and counties to abolish the old regulations, and according to the regulations stipulated by the Ministry of Households, pay three taels of silver per shigu, including four taels of land, one tael or three taels of rice, and one tael or three taels of military supplies. Every shiguzi will receive an additional four qian to be used by the county.Zuo Zongtang asked all localities to increase or decrease the quota according to their own income.

This method not only reduces the burden on farmers, but also increases fiscal revenue.Zuo Zongtang, an agriculturalist, saw the shortcomings of water transport and commercial taxation, and the effective reforms brought agriculture and commerce in the Shaanxi-Gansu region back to life.

Taxation and farming are Zuo Zongtang's strengths. As for the military industry he founded, it has become a heavy burden for the court. Hu Xueyan always asks Hu Xueyan to borrow money from foreign firms for him, which is also a major drawback of his official position.

Zuo Zongtang, Han nationality, styled Jigao, nicknamed Xiangshang Nongren.He is over 50 years old and has a thick mustache.When I was young, I tried repeatedly and failed. Who can bear those goldfish eyes, squinting at people.Zuo Zongtang prides himself on his talents, there is no one he admires in the world, he has a weird temper, and he is unique in the officialdom.When the Tianping Heavenly Kingdom was rampant, it won the reputation of "the country cannot live without Hunan for a day, and Hunan cannot live without Zuo Zongtang for a day".

Even his mentor, Zeng Guofan, wanted to give in to him. When he was full-fledged, even Zeng Guofan couldn't get used to it. He wrote a letter criticizing Zeng Guofan, and even later the two had a quarrel.

Zuo Zongtang never took bribes, and his family was rich and powerful when he was not an official.It's not that he is rich himself, his family is poor, and the 20-year-old youth has not yet married.Instead, Bilian recruited relatives and married Zhou Yiduan, a talented woman surnamed Zhou from Xiangtan County, Hunan Province, and became her son-in-law.After marriage, the couple hibernates in the "Guizaitang" to sing poems, talk about scriptures and history.Another study of Fang Yuxue and agronomy.I have spent 13 years full of ups and downs and failed in three trials.These 13 years are also the 13 years in which he has laid a solid foundation and is ready to go.

The chaos of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom gave Zuo Zongtang a place to use his skills. With his superb commanding skills and extraordinary vision, he became a hot commander, governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and minister of military aircraft from Hu Linyi's staff.

Zuo Zongtang is racking his brains for funds, and the government seals are sealed at the end of the year, and the salaries of the Chu Army and Hunan Army in the second half of the year have not yet been allocated by the court.This is also a common practice. The imperial court never distributes the army's salary according to the amount of the military register, and pays according to nine months' salary at most.The rules made by the Ministry of War made Zuo Zongtang feel helpless. His soldiers were more than the numbers on the roster.

"It's difficult! Let's do it the old way." Thinking of paying for the dead soldiers of various ministries, Zuo Zongtang was in no good mood for Ruixue to sign up for the New Year, and he lamented his bitter experience to Wei Guangtao, a member of the Pingqingjing Gudao under his command.

"Marshal, no matter how difficult it is, the new year is coming. The generals are tired all the way. Good wine and good food must be prepared. I will arrange for the beautiful bodyguards of the end of the world first." He was transferred from Hunan to Shaanxi and Gansu by Zuo Zongtang to implement the new tax reform policy.

Zuo Zongtang thought of this, and he felt annoyed, and asked: "Wei Daotai, where is that escort, Li Guolou, now? Why don't I even have any news about him? Doesn't he need to send the news quickly?"

Taoist Wei Guangtao showed a wry smile, and replied: "Marshal, don't mention that escort envoy Li Guolou, who thinks he has made contributions to the country. He regards state property as private property. I sent a message to ask him the specific number of materials, but he was vague. A batch, to perfuse me. Instead, we want us in Shaanxi to provide him with food and lodging for 2200 people, and feed for 1000 cattle and horses. This kind of official documents are not uncommon, and I have never seen such an arrogant official.”

"Hey, he's here to ask for military merits. The title of baron is just waiting for him. If he doesn't satisfy his selfish desires, he will strangle me. I will be as virtuous as Li Hongzhang. I won't ask him." Zuo Zongtang said decisively, The deputy sky is not afraid, and the earth is not afraid.

Wei Guangtao's square face was filled with sorrow, and he stroked his beard and said, "Marshal, the imperial court has some criticisms about our borrowing from foreigners. That Li Guolou also said that the customs' tariff rights should be returned to the national treasury, and no longer give local tariff mortgages. Guarantee to foreign companies. I'm afraid he will really do it to vent his anger."

Zuo Zongtang used troops in the west and spent a lot of money, often worth more than one million silver.The Ministry of Household Affairs was unable to continue, and the "Fukang Bank" of the official businessman Hu Xueyan came forward to borrow money from several foreign banks and banks such as the "Standard Chartered Bank of the United Kingdom".If all the customs duties and lijin of the local customs are nationalized, as the local governor, it means that a large piece of financial subsidies will be lost, and even the active money will be gone.

Wei Guangtao warned Zuo Zongtang and Li Guolou that the consequences of falling out were terrible. If you don't give him fruit to eat, he won't make you feel better. Everyone broke up.If Li Guolou was not given a chance to be made a baron, he would definitely retaliate, and there was definitely more than one method. He stood in the hall and could stir up trouble without incident.

Zuo Zongtang looked at the huge model of the Shaanxi-Gansu region, with too many responsibilities on his shoulders, and that perverse and domineering face gradually became peaceful.He knows how to be flexible, and he also pays filial piety to eunuchs when he comes to Beijing. He will never forget the birthday gifts of the empress dowagers of the two palaces.He is also a disciple of Prince Gong Yixin, and also belongs to the Westernization School.

People from one faction also invaded each other, and the Qing Dynasty had an ancestral system that "no military merits cannot be knighted".That's why Li Guolou was so vicious that he brought nearly a thousand soldiers to escort the military supplies, and his tricks of deliberately making things difficult for Zuo Zongtang had already been exhausted.

Zuo Zongtang pondered for a long time, the ups and downs of his mind calmed down, showing a mature and prudent expression, he stroked his beard and said: "Wei Daotai's words are reasonable. Tan Hualang is dedicated to serving the country, and this commander should encourage him. Send a message to Chief Minister Lin, escort Make Li Guolou's food and grass properly arranged. Then send an official letter to Li Guolou, asking him to deliver the supplies directly to Dong Zhiyuan's front line and hand them over to Xu Zhanbiao's headquarters in the Guoyong Camp. The war is urgent. The most important thing is to let the soldiers see the power of the invincible Shenwei Cannon as soon as possible."

"The commander-in-chief handed over so many military supplies to Xu Zhanbiao's troops. I'm afraid that other troops will cause trouble." Wei Guangtao couldn't believe it.

"Hey, Wei Daotai, you don't understand this. It's better for Sichuan rats to attack fortresses. If you want Xu Zhanbiao's troops to die, you have to treat them as your own. Only in this way will Li Guolou not be sold at a big sale, and you can buy them everywhere in Shanxi. , I will bring you a batch of military supplies to perfuse you. Now he is looking at my statement, I will give him face, and then he will not make things difficult for me by putting more emphasis on coastal defense than frontier defense on the imported materials from Prussia. Intestines, there are only a few tricks, you have to learn."

The fortresses on the high slopes of the loess and the topography of the Longdong area restricted the Qing army from launching a large-scale offensive. It took all the fortresses and military barriers to fill with life and climbing fortifications.The small and nimble mountain man "Chuan Mouse" has been an expert in mountain warfare since ancient times, so this time Dong Zhiyuan's frontline commander was handed over to Xu Zhanbiao, the general of the Sichuan Army.

Wei Guangtao smiled and said: "The commander is still brilliant, Li Guolou is just a clown, the prime minister can punt a boat in his stomach, and he is not as knowledgeable as him."

Zuo Zongtang's old face couldn't help but smile. The strategic layout has already been understood, and small groups of troops will be interspersed in winter, so as not to give the enemy a chance to escape.In the spring, soldiers suppressed the border and recovered Dong Zhiyuan in one fell swoop.