The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 167 You are all cannon fodder!

"Your Highness! We are already in Qiyang County. The brothers who are leading the way have already seen the flags of the troops setting up camp on the north bank of the Xiangjiang River. We are here!"

Several riders on fast horses came back from the front at a rapid speed. The riders were all sweating profusely, with their sleeves rolled up high, and they reported to Senggelinqin repeatedly.

The large group of people led by Senggelinqin were resting on the ground. Most of the Eight Banner soldiers from Jingzhou were lying on the official road smoking opium, and their short and thin war horses were led by their slaves to a nearby stream to drink water and wash. Only the more than 100 Mongolian men who followed Senggelinqin all the way from the Horqin grassland still looked strong and took care of their short and strong Mongolian war horses.

Senggelinqin himself was of course very energetic. He was the only "real Baturu" among the highest leaders of the Qing Dynasty. He was truly skilled in archery and horse riding, and had superb martial arts. He could even sleep on horseback, and travel for days and nights. The 600-li march from Xiangyin to Qiyang was nothing to Senggelinqin - it was not a 600-li march without sleep for days and nights, but just a 100-li march a day.

Moreover, it was already the end of the tenth month of the lunar calendar, and it was already early winter. The climate in central Hunan was cool and pleasant, which was most suitable for marching. From Xiangyin to Qiyang, we were not marching in enemy territory, but in the Qing-controlled area. Along the way, local governments provided food, accommodation, and plenty of foreign cigarettes!

Under these conditions, how difficult is it to travel a hundred miles in a day?
However, one-third of the "elite troops" of the Eight Banners of Jingzhou could not keep up with the team. Of the 2,000 regular men, 2,000 men-in-waiting and servants, a total of 4,000 people, there were only 2,600 to 2,700 left when they set out from Xiangyin. Among the more than 1,000 people who fell behind, half fell behind on the day of departure from Xiangyin, and most of them fell behind because they could not ride horses.

The guards of the Jingzhou Eight Banners Cavalry were not good at riding horses! As soon as Senggelinqin led the team to run, they fell off the saddle one after another.

As for the remaining hundreds of people, they fell behind one after another because they could not endure the hardship of the days' march. They could not even handle the hundred-mile march a day, with horses to ride on, slaves to serve them, and government officials to entertain them along the way. How could they pretend to be invincible heavenly soldiers to scare the Green Camp and the militia?
But Senggelinqin was not an ignorant person. He knew what the so-called Eight Banners were. That was why he had to travel 600 miles with 2,000 Eight Banners soldiers from Jingzhou.

If he wanted to embarrass himself, he would have to lose the battle along the 600-mile journey, but he must not lose it in front of the Green Camp soldiers and militiamen under Sai Shang'a's command. Otherwise, how could he use the "elite force" of the Eight Banners stationed in Jingzhou to intimidate them?

Although the corruption of the Eight Banners Army was no secret in the Qing Dynasty, it is not entirely true that the might of the Tiger Army 200 years ago has disappeared. After all, no rebellious Han army has ever defeated a large-scale cavalry force with the Eight Banners "True Heavenly Soldiers" as its main force!

Since the Eight Banners Cavalry had not yet been severely punished by the Han people, Senggelinqin could still hang out this two-hundred-year-old tiger skin to scare the Green Camp and militia on the Hunan front, and coax them to the front line to be cannon fodder.

As for how to use this cannon fodder, he had to think about it carefully.
Sitting by the official road, chewing some pickled beef jerky, he repeatedly played out in his mind the upcoming war that would determine the fate of the Qing dynasty.

Hearing the scout's report, Senggelinqin did not rush to get his Eight Banners soldiers to get up and march. Instead, he turned around and said to a handsome deputy governor who was leading the Eight Banners cavalry from Jingzhou to the south: "Xiufeng, let the brothers have a good rest. Make sure they eat and drink enough, and smoke enough foreign cigarettes!

Also, when we form the team later, tell the top-ranking minions to march in front and put on their padded armor and helmets. We must show the majesty of the Eight Banners Heavenly Soldiers!"

This deputy governor had an official face, with a full forehead, thick eyebrows, big eyes, fair skin, a high nose bridge, and a neatly trimmed goatee. His name was also good, "Guan Wen", which sounded like an official. But his surname was a bit bad, "Wang Jia", which was not an authentic Manchu surname, but a surname changed by the Han people after they took over the banner.

His original surname was Wang, but he changed it to Wang Jia after becoming a bannerman.

If Zeng Guofan had raised the banner, he would have been "Zeng Jia". Unfortunately, Zeng Guofan was never "Zeng Jia. Guofan" until his death, and Guan Wen was more capable than Zeng Guofan in reincarnation. He was born as a bondservant of Zeng Guofan, who was unattainable, and a bondservant of the Plain White Banner, which was the emperor's bondservant!
"twitter!"

Wang Jia. Guanwen bowed and said nothing flattering. He immediately stood up and trotted to greet the Eight Banners soldiers below. He was in his fifties, but his agility and spirit were unmatched by the Eight Banners soldiers in their twenties. And his spirit was not supported by foreign cigarettes, which he did not like at all.

Seeing his spirited appearance, Senggelinqin nodded with satisfaction - the Qing Dynasty needed such a hero, and after this battle, he should be promoted to General of Jingzhou.

About two hours later, He Chun, Xiang Rong, Bao Qibao, Qin Dingsan, Sun Yingzhao, Liu Changqing, Jiang Zhongyuan and others, who had been waiting outside their own camp until their legs were sore, finally saw the two thousand Eight Banners troops approaching slowly!

Finally here!
Several Han army leaders looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief - it was only a distance of more than ten miles, but it took two hours! Just now they thought that the monk king and the deputy commander-in-chief had lost their way and ran to Lingling!

Hunan Governor Bao Qibao even asked his Goshaha to look for him at the intersection of Lingling - but he couldn't go to Lingling!

Xiao Chaogui and Luo Yaoguo in the north were extremely vicious and killed officers and soldiers without blinking an eye. Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuqing in the south were also not easy to deal with. If Senggelinqin's two thousand Eight Banners soldiers rushed into them, they might all become loyal martyrs. Now that they finally saw the Eight Banners soldiers coming slowly, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hurry up, go and inform Sai Zhongtang!"

Bao Qibao quickly ordered Geshiha beside him to inform the imperial envoy Sai Shang'a. Sai Shang'a was the real imperial envoy, and Senggelinqin was only an assistant minister, so there was no reason for him to welcome the assistant, so he just waited in the central army tent.

Just when General Bao's Goshaha went to ask for help, more than 2,000 Eight Banners troops under Senggelinqin finally appeared in the sight of Xiang Rong, Bao Qibao, Qin Dingsan, Sun Yingzhao, Liu Changqing, Jiang Zhongyuan, He Chun and others!

Each of them wore cotton armor, a spear helmet on their head, carried a musket on their back, and carried a saber and a bow and arrow. They held a spear in one hand and the reins in the other. They lined up in a column and advanced slowly. Everyone was holding a gag. Apart from the sound of horse hooves, there was no other sound. It was extremely quiet!
There were dozens of military flags fluttering in the wind in the team, and from a distance, they exuded a murderous aura.

Several Han military officers who had always looked down upon the Eight Banners soldiers were shocked when they saw this scene - this Senggelinqin was quite good at acting, who knew what would happen if he met the Northern Army of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom?
The Angel of Peace Luo Yaoguo and the King of the West Xiao Chaogui were both extremely vicious. It was said that there was also a Bull Demon King who swallowed Tongguan Assistant General Yin Lipei alive!

A group of Qing Dynasty's "famous generals" all had a bad feeling when they thought about going north to fight against Luo Tianshi, King Xiao Xi, and Bull Demon King.

"Sai Zhongtang, do you understand what the emperor means?"

In Sai Shang'a's central military tent, the Imperial Envoy Sai Shang'a was holding a letter from the court in his hand, reading it over and over again.

The imperial edict was not sent openly, that is, the so-called secret edict or imperial edict, which could only be read by people designated by the emperor. The imperial edict held by Sai Shang'a was only visible to him and Senggelinqin, and the others in the big tent could only stare blankly.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor is truly gracious!"

After reading Xianfeng's secret decree, Sai Shang'a let out a long sigh and clasped his fists towards the air.

Senggelinqin nodded and said, "Zhongtang, how should we fight the next battle?"

Seeing that Senggelinqin was stuck in the middle of his words, Sai Shang'a immediately understood and clasped his fists, saying, "I am just a scholar, and I have been losing my mind after many battles. I will follow your orders, Your Majesty."

Senggelinqin smiled and nodded, saying, "Since the Lord Prime Minister said so, I will make arrangements on your behalf."

"Thank you very much." Sai Shang'a stroked his beard and smiled.

Senggelinqin stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Then I will make the arrangements. This time our targets are Xiangtan, Yisuhe City, Xialuo, and Xinzhen. As long as we occupy these four points, we can cut off the connection between Changsha and Zhuzhou!
Among them, Cheng Zhijun has already led his troops to Xiangtan County, and we should stop at Yisuhe City, Xialuo, and Xinzhen. Sai Zhongtang, please take the trouble to lead General Xiang, General Bao, General Liu, General Sun, and General Qin to go first, and I, Prefect Jiang, and General He will follow with heavy artillery. How about that? "

Sai Shang'a frowned slightly and thought: "Although I have many admirals, generals, and a prefect who leads troops, I don't actually have that many soldiers! The two military commanders have 5,000 and 3,000 men respectively, and the four generals together have less than 10,000. Jiang Zhongyuan, the alternate prefect, has annexed the 2,000 militias of Lingling County and recruited a group of new soldiers from his hometown Xinning. Now he has 4,000 to 5,000 people, plus my own 2,000 standard soldiers. The total is 25,000 people. Senggelinqin brought more than 2,000 people, which is only 27,000 people.

This isn't a large army, is there any need to divide it into two teams? If we divide the army, it will be weaker."

"Okay, I'll follow your orders, Your Highness." Sai Shang'a had some objections in his heart, but he had to obey Senggelinqin for the sake of face.

Because that’s what was written in Emperor Xianfeng’s secret decree!
He continued to serve as the imperial commissioner, but he had to listen to the orders of the assistant minister Senggelinqin!
"Okay!" Senggelinqin nodded. "Saizhongtang, you will lead your troops to set off tomorrow. You must reach Yisuhe City, Xialuo and Xinzhen within seven days. After you arrive, divide your troops and build fortresses to wait for the arrival of my rear army."

(End of this chapter)