The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 168 Crossing the Xiangjiang River

The last day of the tenth month in the lunar calendar.

When it was getting dark, dozens of open boats of various sizes appeared on the river near the pier of Xialang Town on the north bank of the Xiangjiang River and gradually approached the pier.

Sai Shang'a had just got off the boat when new open boats arrived one after another behind him, filling up the berths along the river. The head of the gentry in Xialang Town, Master Niu, had already put on the uniform of a seventh-rank official and was directing one or two hundred women to set up dozens of large pots beside the dock, with bursts of meaty aroma rising from the pots.

All the shops near Xialang Pier were closed. This small town on the bank of Xiangjiang River had been surrounded by the Taiping Army for the past month or so. Fortunately, the town's master Niu was knowledgeable about military affairs and took in a group of gentry who had fled from Zhuzhou, Muyun City, Huilongtang and other places, so they finally had some self-protection power.

Of course, the preservation of the small town of Xialang was also related to the slackness of the Taiping Army after it broke through Changsha and the centrifugal tendency of the kings (angels).

After taking Changsha, the angel Luo Yaoguo moved into the former Hunan Governor's Office and lived a life like a king. He was also preparing to marry Su Sanniang, the first female general of the Heavenly Kingdom. He was not interested in eliminating the strongholds along the Xiangjiang River that were still in the hands of the Qing army or militia.

After the Western King Xiao Chaogui was defeated by Zeng Guofan, Huang Shijie, Zhang Guoliang, Zhu Sunyi and others in Xiangxiang and lost three thousand elite troops of the old Guangxi army, he lost his former fighting spirit. It took him almost a month to fight for the small town of Lukou, and he has not yet taken it down.

A group of Qing army admirals, generals, lieutenant generals and lieutenant generals were already waiting at the Xialang Wharf. When they saw Sai Shang'a, they immediately came over to greet him.

Xiang Rong, who was deeply trusted by Sai Shang'a, reported: "Zhongtang, it is confirmed that Lukou Town was captured by the Guangdong bandits. The Guangdong bandits' pseudo-Western King Xiao Chaogui's troops attacked the city for more than 20 days and suffered heavy losses. They are currently repairing. In addition, there is news that Xiao Chaogui has gone to Changsha to attend the wedding of the pseudo-angel Luo Yaoguo."

Sai Shang'a looked to the north. Lukou was none of his business. Senggelinqin had told him that his task was to take Yisuhe City, Xialang and Xinzhen. Now Yisuhe City and Xialang had been taken, and the only thing missing was a new town across the Xiangjiang River from Xiangtan County.

As long as the Xiangtan County and Xinshi Town were in their hands, the Qing army would be able to control a large bend in the Xiangjiang River between Xiangtan, Xinshi, Xialang and Yisuhu City, and then use this "large bend" as a stronghold to cut off the land transportation line between Changsha and Zhuzhou.

Thinking of this, Sai Shang'a asked, "Who will occupy the new town?"

"The general will go where he wishes!"

The one who stood up was the Hunan governor Bao Qibao. The Hunan Green Camp under his command was almost wiped out. Of course, his life was not easy as a governor, so he had to be more proactive!

"Okay!" Sai Shang'a nodded gently, "Then I'll have to trouble General Bao." He paused, and then said, "Have General Cheng of Xiangtan sent out scouts to patrol north along the Xiangjiang River?"

"Not sure." Xiang Rong said, "Cheng Zhijun hasn't sent anyone to contact us yet."

"Then send someone over to talk to him immediately," Sai Shang'a ordered.

"Yes." Xiang Rong responded.

Sai Shang'a added, "Xinran, General Bao, General Qin and I will be on the east bank of the Xiang River, and General Liu and General Sun will be on the west bank. In addition, the floating bridge on the Xiang River must be built as soon as possible, otherwise the troops will be blocked by the Xiang River and it will be difficult to respond. If things go wrong, they will be defeated one by one by the Guangdong bandits."

"Don't worry, Prime Minister. I will arrange for my men to build a floating bridge tomorrow, and it will be completed in three days at most." Xiang Rong promised, patting his chest.

Sai Shang'a nodded, a worried look on his old face, and whispered, "Hurry up! Two military commanders, three generals, a governor, and an imperial envoy. Plus the militias in Xiangtan, Yisuhe, Xialuo, etc., more than 20,000 people, are separated on both sides of the Xiangjiang River and cannot respond in time. I am always worried!"

South of Changsha City, on the east bank of the Xiangjiang River, is Muyun City.

A floating bridge was about to be finished. The busy Taiping soldiers and the local militiamen of Muyun City were gathered at the bridgeheads on both sides of the floating bridge, desperately tying and tying, and knocking non-stop. This was the crossing where the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's Upper First Army and Upper Second Army led by Luo Yaoguo and Su Sanniang "crossed the Xiangjiang River for the first time".

According to the battle plan prepared by Luo Yaoguo and Su Sanniang for Senggelinqin, Senggelinqin's 20,000 to 30,000 troops would be deployed in four strongholds on both sides of the Xiangjiang River. Before the floating bridge connecting Xiangtan-Xinzhen and Xialang-Yisuhe City was built, these four strongholds could be easily defeated one by one.

As long as Luo Yaoguo, Su Sanniang's upper army and Xiao Chaogui's vanguard army can build the pontoon bridge before Senggelinqin, the initiative will be in the hands of the Taiping Army!
And this floating bridge must have been built quickly by the Taiping Army!
The reason was simple. The area around Muyun City had already implemented the land distribution policy, and a branch of the God Worshipping Society had been established. Farmers' associations and chambers of commerce had also been set up. There was also a group of diehard Taiping Army members and the militia they controlled.

So at Luo Yaoguo's command, they began to prepare for building a floating bridge!

By the time Luo Yaoguo and Su Sanniang led 16,000 elite troops from the First and Second Armies to quietly withdraw from Changsha at night and marched to Muyun City, the pontoon bridge had been almost built under the supervision of Wang Yan, the head of the Hunan-Jiangxi Border Hall of the God Worshipping Society.

Not only was the pontoon bridge almost built, but the Hunan-Jiangxi Border General Hall also helped prepare the dry food needed by the First and Second Armies and various equipment for attacking Xiangtan County.

I have to say, it is so comfortable to fight a war with the support of the working people!

When Luo Yaoguo was sighing in his heart, there was a sudden cheer from the front of the floating bridge, and then he heard Wang Yan's voice: "Teacher, the bridge is ready!"

Luo Yaoguo looked back at his fiancée Su Sanniang. This heroic female general seemed to have been waiting for this voice. She immediately clasped her fists towards Luo Yaoguo and said with a smile, "Your Highness, let Sanniang clear the way for you!"

Seeing Luo Yaoguo nodded, she whipped the warhorse under her crotch hard, and under the protection of several female soldiers, she was the first to step onto the pontoon bridge.

Luo Yaoguo looked at her agile back rising and falling on the horse's back, smiled with satisfaction, and rode his horse onto the floating bridge under the protection of Yu Mieqing, Xiang Xun and others.

Following the orders of Li Shoucheng, Zeng Tianyang, He Damei and other generals, large groups of soldiers rushed to the bridgehead, crossed the surging Xiangjiang River, and headed straight for the Xiangtan city wall under the warm afternoon sun!

The Heavenly Kingdom’s army, 16,000 holy men and women, will cross the Xiangjiang River today!
To the west of Lukou Town, a bridge spans the Xiangjiang River!
"I am so proud that I laugh at the waves, my blood is hotter than the sun, my courage is like iron and my bones are like steel, my mind is as broad as a thousand miles and my vision is as long as a thousand miles, I vow to work hard and become a good man"

At the same time, countless Taiping Army soldiers were singing exciting lyrics and striding across the Xiangjiang River on the pontoon bridge.

And in the middle of this army crossing the river, a royal flag with the inscription "The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, also the chief military advisor and commander of the front army, King Xiao of the West" was fluttering in the wind!

The one riding under the king's flag was none other than the Western King Xiao Chaogui himself! Ever since the "well-thought-out" Luo Tianshi had predicted that Changsha was the place where he would die, he had learned to keep a low profile. He no longer rode in his sedan chair carried by sixteen people, but rode a horse instead. He also no longer wore the eye-catching yellow dragon robe, but wore a red robe and red scarf like the personal soldiers around him, so that it would be difficult for the enemy to find him.

At this time, he had already arrived at the north bank of the Xiangjiang River under the escort of thousands of personal guards. Standing on a high slope, he looked at the first and second armies, which were strong and powerful, marching northward in a mighty manner. He felt so proud in his heart!

Several light cavalrymen crossed the floating bridge over the Xiang River and galloped towards Xiao Chaogui's royal flag. When they got close, they exchanged commands with one of Xiao Chaogui's personal soldiers before dismounting. They walked forward, knelt on one knee, took out an envelope, raised it with both hands and said, "Report to the Eighth Thousand Years Old Western King, the Lukou Palace forwarded the transfer letter to the Hengyang Southern Palace!"

Zeng Shuiyuan, the guard beside Xiao Chaogui, dismounted and took the letter from Southern King Feng Yunshan that the cavalry had brought. He tore open the seal, took out the letter inside, unfolded it, and said to Xiao Chaogui with a smile, "The Western King, the Heavenly King, the Eastern King, the Northern King, and the Wing King led 60,000 male and female holy soldiers and came all the way north along the Xiangjiang River. The vanguard has already passed Hengyang County!"

Xiao Chaogui laughed when he heard this, and said to Zeng Shuiyuan: "Shuiyuan, write a memorial in my name and tell the Heavenly King and the Eastern King that the main force of the Qing demons has arrived in the Xiangtan area and will soon fall into the encirclement that my eighth brother and I have prepared for them. There is no escape!

After this battle, Hunan and Hubei will definitely belong to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom."

(End of this chapter)