Chapter 13 Chapter Seven (1-1)

In June of the first year of Tongzhi, Zuo Zongtang finally entered Jiangsu and Zhejiang from Anhui. From Quzhou to Yanzhou, he gradually progressed along a beautiful Fuchun River. It's Fuyang. Shaoxing and Xiaoshan on the other side of Hangzhou had already been taken back by troops led by two foreign generals, Dekebei and Thulue Deke, from the Changjie Army and Chang'an Army that had fought from Ningbo.Three-quarters of Zhejiang has been recovered, but the most affluent west of Zhejiang, that is, the prefectures of Hang, Jia and Hu, are still in the hands of the Taiping Army. In March of the second year of Tongzhi, Zuo Zongtang was promoted to governor of Fujian and Zhejiang. He had a higher official position than Li Hongzhang, but his situation was more difficult than Li Hongzhang.At that time, Li Hongzhang had captured Suzhou and Wuxi. Logically speaking, he should attack Changzhou all the way to Nanjing, but then he would have to compete with "Zeng Jiushuai" - Zeng Guoquan.Li Hongzhang was well versed in eunuch skills and refused to do the stupid thing of offending the Zeng brothers, but he thought Zuo Zongtang might as well bully him, so Liu Bingzhang, who was born in Hanlin, was sent from Jinshuiloutai to recover Pinghu, Zhapu, and Haiyan in Zhejiang, and he also sent Cheng Xueqi to attack Jiaxing from Wujiang.The rich land in western Zhejiang fell into the hands of the Huai army, not only received a large amount of luggage from the Taiping army, but also appointed county magistrates in Zhejiang as the governor of Jiangsu.Zuo Zongtang, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang and the governor of Zhejiang, almost fell ill from anger.

It's just that hatred is useless, and the only way to regain power is to regain the lost ground. Therefore, Zuo Zongtang went from Yanzhou to the front line to personally supervise Jiang Yifeng, the chief of the Zhejiang feudal clan who was attacking Hangzhou, and attacked with all his strength.At that time, the long hairs in Hangzhou strengthened the power of Yuhang in the west, and the battalion was more than forty miles away, mobilizing heavy troops to defend.This deployment is very clever, because Hangzhou and Yuhang are united, and the government and army cannot encircle them. Hangzhou can still get relief. The relief comes from Jiaxing and Huzhou to the north of Yuhang. As long as it is well defended, it can be supported for a year or two.

Therefore, Zuo Zongtang wholeheartedly planned to cut off the passage between Yuhang and Hangzhou, turning one line into two points, just like playing Go, he would no longer have two eyes, but two solitons.Reluctantly, there are long hairs, deep trenches and high fortifications, and the officers and soldiers can only focus on the west and south sides. After several battles, although there are gains, it will not help the overall situation. So someone who was familiar with the terrain in western Zhejiang suggested that the army should go around the northwest of Yuhang and capture a place called Pingyao.It is located in the north of Yuhang and south of Deqing, where the East and West Tiaoxi Rivers meet.And there are two land routes leading to two famous mountains in Zhejiang, one in the north, leading to Mogan Mountain, and the other in the northwest leading to Tianmu Mountain.If Pingyao is captured, the support of the two counties of Jiahu will be blocked, and the grain roads between Hangzhou and Yuhang will be cut off, and the long-haired army will be shaken, and they will collapse without a fight.

This is a good plan, but judging from the actual situation, it is close to an armistice on paper, because the long-haired heavy troops are gathered in the area of ​​Pingyao, and the officers and soldiers make a detour to attack. It can be seen.Zuo Zongtang was excited at first, but after careful planning, he sighed in disbelief. He still adopted a solid strategy of advancing gradually, breaking the first base, making some progress, and finally it will come naturally. In the smoky and fierce battle, the year is coming to an end.On this day, Jiang Yifeng's camp stationed outside Yongjin Gate suddenly came to see a young man, who said his surname was Zhang, and he had an urgent military situation, and wanted to see the "Fantai".

The guard general saw that this man surnamed Zhang was very handsome, and he looked like a young man between his brows. He liked him, so he informed him and said good things about him, so Jiang Yifeng immediately received him.The person surnamed Zhang is an ordinary person, but he bowed his head and refused to pay respects, and at the same time demanded that he not talk with others in secret. Jiang Yifeng was an old man, so he ordered someone to search his body first, and it was confirmed that no murder weapon was hidden, so he began to talk to him alone. "My surname is Zhang. I have an official document, please read it first, Mr. Fantai."

Jiang Yifeng took over the official business and took a look. There was a big seal of "Jiangsu Governor's Office" on it, so he paid attention to it.After reading it, he asked happily: "It turns out that the father and son are loyal ministers, and they ambushed in Hangzhou to serve as internal support for the army. That's great! Excuse me, do you have any good news today?" This person is Xiao Zhang, and he did bring good news. This good news is not in Hangzhou, but it is closely related to Hangzhou.He first asked: "Does your lord know Haining's long-haired leader?"

"I know! Isn't it some 'Wei Wang' Cai Yuanlong?" "Yes!" Xiao Zhang replied: "Cai Yuanlong has long wanted to abandon the darkness and turn to the light. I have also put in a lot of effort. Now I have finally persuaded him and decided to surrender the city." "Excellent, excellent!" Jiang Yifeng was very happy. "As soon as Haining surrendered, the connection between Jiaxing and Hangzhou was cut off. He really surrendered sincerely. I asked the governor to play a memorial to protect him as a high-ranking official." "He doesn't care about being a high-ranking official. He wants to lead troops. That's one condition."

Jiang Yifeng couldn't agree to this condition, "Leading troops?" He hesitated and said, "That's up to the governor to decide." "I understand." Xiao Zhang was young and straightforward, and said straight to the point: "I'm just afraid that he will pretend to surrender, and if he leads soldiers, he will turn against him. Isn't it?" "You just need to understand." Jiang Yifeng said: "After the recovery of Suzhou, how did the Huai army and Changmao fight against each other? You always know!" The murder of Li Hongzhang and Cheng Xueqi was known to almost the whole country, how could Xiao Zhang not know about it? "I know too well!" he said, "My lord, you are leading the army, so you must not be cowardly. If a poisonous snake bites you, you will be afraid of a rope. Cai's name is not a poisonous snake, but a rope.

Pick up this rope and it can come in handy.Don't miss the opportunity to bury our painstaking efforts, there are still two or three years of hard work. " These words are powerful.Jiang Yifeng couldn't be tempted, and he couldn't help asking—there were a lot of things to ask, but the most important ones were: "You said he has a great use; what is his use?" "He can fight for your lord, from Haining to the north, to fight Tongxiang, Jiaxing, and Huzhou." Xiao Zhang asked: "My lord, you can understand it by looking at the map; you need one less soldier like this now."

It was the first time for Jiang Yifeng to enter Zhejiang, and he traveled northward from Quzhou; he really didn't know much about the geography north of Hangzhou.So following Xiao Zhang's suggestion, I really took a map to look at.After seeing this, I felt that Xiao Zhang's words had weight. The situation seen on the map is very obvious.With Hangzhou as the center, it extends westward to Yuhang. It is the defense line held by the Taiping Army. It blocks the officers and soldiers and cannot go beyond the provincial capital to the north. Haiyan and Zhapu in the hands of the so-called "Soviet Army".

"This is what is really called beyond reach!" Xiao Zhang pointed to the map and said, "My lord, there are only two roads for your army to reach Haining. To the west, then to the east. There is no need to "extrude the coffin from the top of the city". The other is a waterway, disembarking from Xiaoshan, and crossing the Qiantang River. This road is very convenient, and it takes two hours to arrive. Unfortunately, my lord , Your navy is just a few wooden boats that are 'pulled', and they can't stand a shot on the shore with long hair." The words were so blunt that even Jiang Yifeng, who was rude and uneducated, felt a little harsh.But I have to admit that his analysis is straightforward and hits the point, and I feel that I have benefited a lot. "My lord, let me say one more thing. I am from Zhejiang, so of course I will help the officers and soldiers in Zhejiang. If your lord is half-hearted and wants to restore our Zhejiang as soon as possible, then I will have to take advantage of others." Jiang Yifeng was taken aback, and after savoring it carefully for a while, he realized that there was a lot of meaning in his words, and asked anxiously, "Why do you call it 'cheap people'?" "It's cheaper for the Huai Army, and it's cheaper for Li Futai of Jiangsu." Xiao Zhang said, "It's much more convenient and less troublesome for someone surnamed Cai to surrender to Haiyan." This was advice and a warning, and it struck Jiang Yifeng's heart at once. Think about Haining's long-haired dedicating the city to the Huai army, attacking Jiaxing from the north and the south, Jiaxing once, Xike Huzhou, sweeping across the fertile soil north of Hangzhou, then Li Hongzhang's momentum will be restored? "Okay, okay! Listen to you." Jiang Yifeng held Xiao Zhang's shoulders tightly, thought for a long time with his eyes wide open, and asked a sentence: "My brother! How do I know it's a rope, not a poisonous snake?" ?” Xiao Zhang smiled slightly: "I will be the bet, and I will bet on you voluntarily. If the surname Cai is a poisonous snake, and it bites you in turn, I will give away my life." With such a clear and resolute expression, Jiang Yifeng no longer had any doubts, and at the same time treated Xiao Zhang differently, and called someone to order to prepare good wine and food.The army is in turmoil and the population is desolate. Where can we get good food?Most of the domestic animals are wild dogs, but the wild dogs eat the human flesh piled up on the ground, their eyes are red, and they look like wolves.In the end, I had to kill a horse. Stewed horse meat and fried horse liver made up eight dishes in total, but they all tasted the same.However, Shaoxing has long been recovered, and good wine is not difficult to find. Jiang Yifeng naturally wants to explore further after discussing the wine. "The surname Cai, whose real name is Cai Yuanji, has surrendered this time and wants to restore his real name. He is also from Hunan, Hunan Yueyang. "Xiao Zhang suddenly asked: "Does your lord know about the Wangdusi of the Haining Camp in the past?" " Jiang Yifeng knew a Wangdusi named Wang Xixun.Due to ineffective combat, Zuo Zongtang took a strict part in the book and was ordered to dismiss him for investigation.Wang Xixun was afraid of losing his head, so he didn't dare to go to the case. Zuo Zongtang also left him there because he was in the west of Zhejiang and his military affairs were embarrassing, so he couldn't be apprehended.Similar situations exist everywhere, and it is not surprising that we have to wait for the current situation to calm down before calculating the general account. When Jiang Yifeng heard Xiao Zhang suddenly mentioning this person, he immediately replied: "I have never seen this Wangdusi; I only know him. Don’t dare to show your face. Could it be, could it be that he went to Long Mao?” "No, no! At this moment, how can anyone vote for Changmao? My lord just got it wrong. Cai Yuanji was willing to surrender, and Wang Dusi deserved a lot of credit. To know the ins and outs, we have to start with him." When Xiao Zhang mentioned Wang Xixun, he couldn't stop mentioning another person: Sun Xiangtai.It turned out that Wang Xixun was also "on the threshold". He lost his official position and wanted to be investigated. He had no way out, so he quietly went to Sun Xiangtai.Sun Xiangtai got acquainted with the boss of Songjiang, and the boss of Songjiang got acquainted with Zhu Daqi.At that time, after the tragic death of Sister Aqiao, Zhu Daqi was in a gloomy mood and was too lazy to make progress. It was not until the second year, that is, the spring of the second year of Tongzhi, that he began to revive his ambition. Zhang also invited to meet in Shanghai, and together with Sun Ziqing and Songjiang Boss, discussed together, and proceeded separately according to the original plan, trying to help Zuo Zongtang's army and recover Zhejiang. After the chat, Sun Xiangtai accidentally mentioned Wang Xixun, saying that he and Cai Yuanji were friends from the same township, and they had been friends since they were young.Wang Xixun, on the other hand, joined the Hunan Army, was promoted through meritorious service, and was sent to Zhejiang to serve as the acting capital of the Haining camp. Now that he has lost his position, fortunately Sun Xiangtai can rely on him, otherwise, he would have voted for Cai Yuanji. Cai Yuanji is a general under Tan Shaoguang.Zhu Daqi thought to himself, wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to draw Cai Yuanji over through Wang Xixun's relationship?This thought stopped, so she asked Sun Xiangtai to ask Wang Xixun to go to Shanghai again, to report what she had seen, thinking that it was a good opportunity for Wang Xixun to pay off his crimes, and persuaded him to do his best. Wang Xixun readily complied.But in a situation like this, it is never advisable to worry about it. He must wait for the opportunity, and the opportunity is rare.Because Cai Yuanji originally fought with Tan Shaoguang in Shanghai, and soon transferred to Suzhou, it was difficult to meet him, so how can we talk about persuading him to surrender? The opportunity finally approached, Cai Yuanji was transferred to guard Haining, and named "King".Wang Xixun disguised himself and went back to the place he used to travel to, where he met Cai Yuanji. At this time, Changmao, as long as he is a little brainy, has a feeling of "no tricks".Therefore, Wang Xixun did not need to spend too much effort to persuade Cai Yuanji and decided to surrender.He didn't have any conditions, he just wanted to save his life and survive.He needs money for his life, and of course he has to take away his personal savings.Besides, he didn't want to be an official, let alone lead soldiers. So Wang Xixun returned to Shanghai by the secret road excitedly, and went to make further contact with Zhu Daqi.Unexpectedly, at this time, news came that Suzhou was restored and Li Hongzhang killed and surrendered.Wang Xixun stumbled and sighed, Sun Ziqing, Songjiang Boss, Liu Bucai and Xiao Zhang looked at each other, all of them thought that success was on the verge of failure, and with the lessons learned from the bloody "Eight Chieftains Parallel Punishment", Cai Yuanji must have changed his mind. "Otherwise!" Only Zhu Daqi had a different opinion, "That's the only way, the surname Cai has only one way to go: surrender to Zhejiang. This truth cannot be explained clearly in a few words." He asked the boss of Songjiang: "Fifth brother, what are you doing?" Walk with me. Will you?" "Where?" "To Haining. We won't go ashore, but meet Cai on the boat." "I'm afraid that the surname Cai will treat it as a Hongmen banquet and refuse to come!" Sun Ziqing interjected. "There is a way. But you have to wrong Wang Dusi and be a guarantor there." "Yes! I'll be there with Wang Dusi." Liu Bucai asked Wang Xixun, "How is it?" "It's definitely possible. But what about boats?" Wang Xixun said, "The sea in this area is now under martial law. People's boats can't get through at all." "Don't worry about that." Sun Ziqing said, "I'll use my brain." Before Wang Xixun mentioned the boat, Sun Ziqing had a plan in mind.A part of Chang Jie's army is still stationed in the area of ​​Shaoxing. Their supplies are purchased by themselves, and ships often go directly to Shanghai.Sun Ziqing also made a deal with Chang Jiejun, and he could get the flag document, which proved that it was Chang Jiejun's procurement ship.When the boat arrives at the Qiantang River, it is very convenient to stop at the south bank or the north bank, that is Haining. As soon as this plan was announced, no one disapproved, but Zhu Daqi specified that sandboats should still be used.There are only five or six people in total, and the round trip by light boat is fast and easy, so why use a sand boat?Asked Zhu Daqi, he smiled and refused to answer; only said "the future will make sense". ＊＊＊ In two days, everything was arranged.On the third day, sail out to sea, turn west, pass Yupanyang into the bay, pass Haiyan, and not far from Ganpu, you will arrive at Haining. It was Wang Xixun and Liu Bucai who went ashore, holding a paper issued by Cai Yuanji, and they easily met him.Sure enough, Cai Yuanji's attitude changed drastically, and he was stern and suspicious. When Wang Xixun introduced Liu Bucai, he didn't even look straight at him. "Old Cai, I know what you're thinking. There are good and bad people, and we can't generalize. This time we have a total of six people, and Zhu Jian and his good friends are all on the same boat. In this kind of weather, if things turn over Ships, all die! Lao Cai, you think, what is the purpose of taking such a risk? It is to show you the truth." This last sentence moved Cai Yuanji, and his face softened, "Then, tell me! How is the matter?" Cai Yuanji asked: "You changed me, please think about it, I can still go with you ?" "You must go with us." Wang Xixun said, "I can't explain the truth. Would you like to meet with Zhu Guan?" Talking about why Zhu Daqi couldn't go ashore to meet Cai Yuanji, but asked him to disembark to meet?This is a big question that is difficult to explain satisfactorily.When Wang Xixun hesitated to answer, Liu Bucai was quick-witted and spoke first. "Brother Cai, please forgive me at this level. Someone Zhu believes in you, Brother Cai, but you have to be on guard. What to guard against? It's not good for him to guard against spies here." Cai Yuanji's face suddenly changed, "Spies!" He pointed his halberd and asked, "Where did the spies come from?" Liu Bucai remained calm, and replied slowly, "He's from Suzhou." "You said that Li Hongzhang had spies here?" "I dare not say it. But Zhu must be on guard." This sentence confused Cai Yuanji, "Do you want to guard against Li Hongzhang? Then," he doesn't know how to express it?After thinking for a while, he asked Wang Xixun with difficulty: "What's going on? Who are you joining me for?" "He came to connect for Zhejiang." Liu Bucai rushed to answer: "Who did the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang release? You always know! Zuo Zhitai entrusted Zhu, and Zhu entrusted our old king. This is such a rule. As for the people from Suzhou, why does Zhu want to guard against them? This is a long story. It is best to ask you to get off the boat and talk. Your brother will understand when Zhu said everything. gone." "You mean," Cai Yuanji asked, "Zuo Zongtang and Li Hongzhang are at odds with each other, so you two are in conflict?" "It's not like water and fire. Anyway, if you fight a battle, you must strive for merit. In a word, meeting someone like Zhu has a great relationship with your brother. Don't make mistakes." "Yes." Wang Xixun said calmly, "Why did I invite this brother Liu? He is Zhu Jian's close relative, he changed his position and stayed here with me.The lives of the three of us are tied together. If you are in danger, the two of us will be killed or cut by your subordinates!Don't you believe it yet? " Hearing these words, Cai Yuanji's expression completely changed, he calmed down and became very kind, "Okay!" He said calmly, "I don't need to be polite, I will definitely change the general. How can I get there?" "We'll take you to the beach, and you go there in a small sampan, and we'll still go back to your camp." Wang Xixun said, "But you have to find a comfortable place for us. You may meet with Zhu Guan. Talk to him all night, but then we have to stay here all night. In such a cold day, the place to sleep is not comfortable, and you will get sick." Cai Yuanji didn't show any expression, and called in a guard to tell him, "Send these two to live in the Chen family's garden. Choose the most exquisite place there and place them there. If you tell them what these two have to say, you must do it." The Chen Family Garden is the famous "An Lan Garden". Qianlong visited his home four times during his southern tour, so there is a ridiculous but sensational legend: Emperor Qianlong was originally the blood of the Chen family, and Sejong had a The concubine "pretended to have a belly", and when she was due to give birth at full term, she held the Chen family's newborn baby and thought it was Qianlong.Of course, this was caused by Emperor Qianlong's swaying of pen and ink.There are two plaques in Anlan Garden, one is called "Airi Hall" and the other is called "Chunhui Hall". There will be such a ridiculous legend attached. Of course, Wang and Liu first wanted to send Cai Yuanji to the seaside, that is, by the pond—— A stone pond was built during the Qianlong period to prevent waves and tides, so that the people of one side can live and work in peace.The small sampan was tied by the pond. Cai Yuanji got off the boat and sailed straight to the sheltered bay. The boss of Songjiang watched from the sandboat, found the small sampan, and told Zhu Daqi and Sun Ziqing to get up on the bow to meet him. The four guests and the host are strangers to each other, and suddenly discussing such a big matter about how many people's blessings and blessings, it is not an ordinary meeting, and there is no need to be polite.Zhu Daqi waited for Cai Yuanji to board the boat and signed up by himself, as did Songjiang Boss and Sun Ziqing. "I'm Cai Yuanji. Please rest assured that the two friends are placed in the garden of the Chen family." Hearing this, he knew that Cai Yuanji had no malicious intentions, Zhu Daqi felt relieved, extended the guests into the middle cabin, waited for the offering of cigarettes and tea, and after the accompanying male servant withdrew, he first said: "There are only four of us in the cabin. Those who are relevant will not come over to eavesdrop. Master Cai, shall we set up incense candles and make an oath that we will be on the same boat, and we will share misfortune and fortune?" "No need. As long as my brother can remove the suspicion in my heart, I will naturally listen to you." "This is very true. Swearing and swearing may not be reliable. Didn't Mr. Cheng burn incense with the 'eight' to make an oath, and there are foreigners to testify?" This is where Zhu Daqi is so clever. He knew that Cai Yuanji's biggest suspicion was nothing more than the murder of Suzhou, so before he could open his mouth, Cai Yuanji immediately had the idea: This person is different from Cheng Xueqi! "Master Cai, the two armies are facing each other. Whether it's a war or a peace, the first thing to consider is the stakes. Feelings are fake, and gambling and punishment are even more deceitful tricks. We took the risk to come here in this kind of weather, because we have a certainty, the interests are clear, and it is beneficial to you, Mr. Cai.As long as you make it clear, you naturally know what path to take?What you said just now is the same as ours.This must be a good deal. " "Brother, these few words are clear and hearty. Alright, let's get straight to the point!" "Yes!" Zhu Daqi said: "But there is one level, I want to make it clear first. If you say something deep and true, it sounds a bit harsh, and the usual tone can't be changed. You call it an official and an army" "Demon", we call you "long hair", and blurt out later, it is not intentional, so don't be angry." "No. Don't worry." "That's good. Let me ask Mr. Cai first. If you refuse to come, then you have a plan and an opinion. For example, I believe that your 'king of heaven' can hold on, and Li Xiucheng can solve the siege of Nanjing?" Cai Yuanji shook his head, and only answered with one word: "No!" "It's time to talk about plans. If you refuse to come, are you planning to fight to the death with the officers and soldiers?" "That's meaningless. It's nothing more than ordinary people suffering!" "So you are willing to come here for the sake of the people! Master Cai, this is a good thing for you to accumulate virtue. We will help you. "Zhu Daqi continued, "It's actually helping the people and helping ourselves.To be honest, once the incident in Suzhou came out, we were the ones who were most anxious. " "Why?" "It's just because you will definitely become wary and try to deal with a big event, but it won't work if you talk about it. In fact, the situation is quite different.If Mr. Cai, you are connecting with the Jiangsu side, I dare not say what will happen in the future. As for joining the Zhejiang side, I can take my life and property to ensure that you will be happy.This is why the stakes are different. " The benefits are different, depending on the situation.Zhu Daqi first pointed out the situation of Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang for Cai Yuanji. On the contrary, Li Shun and Zuo Zongtang were against each other. It is hopeful and unattainable, and I just sit back and watch Li Hongzhang's infringement, but I can only be anxious. Under such a situation, if someone can help him in a place beyond his reach, regaining the territory of Zhejiang and repelling the invasion of the Soviet army, wouldn't it be Zuo Zongtang's wish. "This is the so-called equality of interests. Mr. Cai, the Zuozhi army must reuse you. As for Li Zhongcheng of Jiangsu, he has plenty of soldiers, and he can fight without you. He wants you to lead soldiers, but he wants to guard against you. When interests conflict, things will happen." It's not good. Besides, when Cheng Xueqi killed those eight people, there were heavy troops, and he took precautions. If the Zuo Zhijun wants to kill you, can he do it? How many soldiers should be sent to guard? Can these soldiers be sent over? , he has already captured Hangzhou."