Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 69 Senggelinqin Dies
As the news of Zheng Guohui's acceptance by Prince Gong spread, the mansion outside the front gate became increasingly lively. Court officials came one after another to submit invitations and ask for a meeting, including some who were quite powerful.

A few days

While Zheng Guohui was busy socializing with a group of Beijing officials, he delivered 6 taels of silver and more than ten carts of Jiangnan specialties to the villa next to Prince Gong's mansion, and soon received the good news he had been expecting.

Rumors
Prince Gong arranged a marriage for the legitimate daughter of Li Hanzhang, the governor of Hunan, to Zheng Guohui, the deputy general of Jiangnan who had recently arrived in Beijing. The old lady of the Li family had already agreed to the marriage and exchanged their birth dates.

Hunan Governor Li Hanzhang was still in office and had no idea that his beloved daughter had been betrothed.

However, there was another person in charge of the Li Mansion in the capital. Li Hongzhang, the Governor-General of Liangjiang, had arrived in Beijing for more than ten days. It was natural and reasonable for him to make this important decision on behalf of his niece. There was nothing wrong with it.

The big house outside the front gate

"Your Excellency the General, Prince Gong's palace has urgently summoned you and ordered you to go and see him immediately." Hu Zuqing stepped forward to report.

"Oh... who's here to deliver the message?"

"It's a eunuch named Hou, who looks very anxious and wants you to see him immediately."

"Then please be kind and receive me. I'll change my clothes and be right back. It won't take long."

"As you command, General."

Zheng Guohui quickly stood up, said sorry and said they would talk again another day, then turned around and hurried away.

Opposite him were Zhang Peilun, the Right Assistant Minister of the Chancellery, and Chen He, the Censor, who had come to visit. Both of them changed color when they heard his words, and their eyes met involuntarily.

They didn't expect that Zheng Guohui was so highly regarded by Prince Gong.

Zheng Xin, the chief advisor, came hurriedly, bowed repeatedly to the two adults with an apologetic look, and escorted them all the way to the door of the mansion with great courtesy.

Not long

Zheng Guohui mounted his horse and hurried out, taking only two mounted followers with him.

When they arrived at Prince Gong's mansion, someone was already waiting at the door. Seeing Zheng Guohui's arrival, he led them to a side hall off the main hall, where more than a dozen court officials were already waiting with solemn expressions.

Zheng Guohui walked lightly into the side hall. A tall, middle-aged court official standing at the top glanced at him, his eyes lit up, and he nodded slightly.

This man was wearing the official robe of a first-rank civil servant, with a deep gaze and calm and measured manners. He was Zheng Guohui's future uncle-in-law, Li Hongzhang, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi.

I had been planning to go and meet you, but who knew I would meet you here.

The Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi was a civil official of the second rank, according to court convention;

As a frontier minister, the governor is generally awarded the titles of Prince's Junior Tutor, Prince's Junior Protector, Right Inspector of the Inspectorate, etc., and is responsible for supervising local officials.

A quick glance around

In the side hall there were five important court officials wearing the official uniforms of first-rank civil officials. Zheng Guohui could roughly guess who they were based on their facial features, but he didn't recognize any of them.

After more than two weeks in Beijing, I have gotten to know some officials from the six ministries, including those from 3rd to 6th rank, but there are fewer heavyweight officials above that.

After all, the time is still short and the foundation is insufficient!

The side hall was filled with high-ranking officials of the imperial court, including two Grand Councillors. They all looked solemn and even sad. The atmosphere was extremely depressing, making one's scalp tingle.

Zheng Guohui didn't know what was going on, but it was obvious that this was not the time for small talk.

He returned the salute with respect, then stood obediently behind a group of ministers, acting like a coward.

Before long, seven or eight more court officials arrived one after another. Many of them were still adjusting their court robes after entering the hall, and were obviously in a hurry.

There were footsteps coming from the side hall. A chief eunuch wearing a dragon robe and followed by four young eunuchs walked into the side hall, took a look, and then spoke loudly.

"My lords, almost everyone who should have arrived has arrived. We will not wait for those who haven't. Please follow me into Yin'an Palace to meet the king. Let's go."

"Haha... Thank you, Steward Wu." Prince Gong's Mansion was the most luxurious prince's mansion in the Qing Dynasty. It had seven main Yin'an Halls, five rear halls, seven side halls and several auxiliary halls. The hall was paved with glazed tiles, majestic and magnificent, with flying eaves and beams, full of royal style.

Officials from both the civil and military classes entered in turn and took their places on each side.

Beneath the magnificent golden dragon throne above the Yin'an Hall, a chief eunuch in a python robe stood on each side of the steps, looking expressionlessly at the two rows of officials.

Any misconduct will lead to complaints.

Then, the eunuch announcing the ceremony loudly chanted, "All ministers, be silent. The regent, Prince Gong, has arrived! Welcome!"

"Your humble servant wishes His Majesty a thousand years of life, a thousand years of life, a thousand thousand years of life!"

"Without courtesy, I will give you a seat."

Prince Gong Yixin walked to the throne at the top and forced a warm smile, but the sadness on his brow could not be dispelled.

"Thank you, Your Highness, for the honor of a seat." The ministers bowed and then sat down on the brocade stools in two rows.

Meetings in the Yin'an Hall were different from court sessions in the Forbidden City, and those who came were all high-ranking civil and military officials, so two rows of brocade stools had already been arranged on both sides of the Yin'an Hall, and everyone could just sit down.

If you want to speak, you must stand up, bow, and get permission before you can speak.

Prince Gong Yixin stood before the throne and looked around at the ministers. After hesitating for a moment, he sighed heavily and said in a tone full of sorrow;
"The capital had just received an urgent military report from 600 miles away: Senggelinbi, the Khorchin prince who led the elite Manchu and Mongolian cavalry to encircle and suppress the Nian bandits, had fallen into a treacherous trap set by the enemy chieftain and was trapped in Gaolouzhai, Caozhou (now Heze City).

On the evening of May 5, Senggelinqin led a small number of followers to break out at the risk of their lives. When they reached Wujiadian, northwest of Caozhou, he was seriously injured and fell off his horse, and unfortunately died on the battlefield.

How sad... Heaven and earth are weeping together, the court has lost another pillar and important official.

Military News
The fleet of Jiangnan Admiral Fuzhu Hong'a, which was on its way to Beijing to attend the funeral, was attacked by the Nian bandits while passing through Zibo. He was unfortunately killed, causing the court to lose another important official.

At this difficult time, all the ministers must work together to turn the tide.

Stabilize the government, appease the people, and overcome the difficulties together.

The current situation is turbulent, and this is a challenge our dynasty has not faced in the more than 200 years since entering the Pass..."

Prince Gong Yixin hadn't finished speaking when all the civil and military officials were shocked and were already buzzing with discussion. Several Manchu officials were already in tears, crying and shouting;
"How could this be... God is destroying our Qing Dynasty!"

"It's over, it's all over. The elites of my Zhuosuotu clan have all perished in this battle. From now on, the old are old, the young are young, and there is no one to succeed us!"

"What can we do? The Monk King leads the last elite Manchu and Mongolian troops in the capital. This defeat is like a replay of the tragic scene after the battle between the two Khojas during the Qianlong Emperor's reign, when every household flew white banners and the entire city mourned. How miserable!"

The Yin'an Hall was instantly in chaos, which showed that the news was so shocking that all the important officials of the court could not hold it in.

Who is Senggelinqin, Prince of Khorchin?
During the Daoguang period, this man was a pillar of the imperial court. He was awarded the three-eyed peacock feather for his outstanding military achievements and was favored by the emperor.

Since the imperial court entered the pass

By the Tongzhi period, ten dynasties had passed, but only seven important court officials had been awarded the three-eyed peacock feather, and each of them was a minister with outstanding merits.

To date
Prince Senggelinqin of Khorchin is as famous as Zeng Guofan, who was famous for suppressing the Taiping Rebellion in the south, and they are known as "Zeng in the South and Seng in the North".

Among the Manchu and Mongolian ministers, there was Senggelinqin, and among the Han ministers, there was Zeng Guofan. They were recognized by the court as the white jade pillars supporting the sky and the purple gold beams bridging the sea, and they were both the pillars of the court.

During the Northern Expedition of the Taiping Army, Senggelinqin led his army to fight against the Taiping Army and broke through the wooden city of Donglian Town. The Taiping Army risked their lives to fight back, but Senggelinqin wiped them out and captured the Northern Expedition commander Lin Fengxiang alive.

In June, the bandit Li Kaifang's troops were wiped out in Fengguantun, Shandong, and Li Kaifang was captured alive.

Lin Fengxiang and Li Kaifang were both fierce generals of the Taiping rebels, brave and good at fighting. Senggelinqin fought hundreds of battles, big and small, in two years and wiped out all the rebels without a single one escaping. Therefore, his reputation shook the country.

Later in 1860, Khorchin Prince Senggelinqin led his army to fight against the invaders. The British and French forces fought bloody battles at Dagukou and Baliqiao. Although they were unfortunately defeated, the sharpness of Western artillery fire was beyond human control.

Battle of Dagu
In the first year of the Tongzhi reign (1862), Senggelinqin led Mongolian cavalry and troops from five provinces to defeat the Nian Army many times. He captured the surrender of more than Nian Army soldiers at Heishifu in Huoshan, eastern Hubei, and dispersed more than of them. The army also suffered heavy losses in this battle.

(End of this chapter)