1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 281 Are we doomed?

The Qing army was already poorly trained and lacked discipline.

Having left the waterways, the Qing army, relying on their own two feet to traverse mountains and valleys, suffered greatly along the way, and their complaints were widespread.

The Qing army that set out from Liuyang in Changsha Prefecture consisted of 30,000 soldiers from Shaanxi and Gansu.

Upon arriving in Pingxiang, Sai Shang'a counted the number of soldiers and found that there were less than 20,000 soldiers left in Pingxiang.

More than 10,000 Shaanxi and Gansu soldiers either deserted or fell behind.

Sai Shang'a had no choice but to stay in Pingxiang temporarily to gather the straggling soldiers.

Upon entering Pingxiang County, Sai Shang'a looked around with a worried expression at the sparsely populated troops. Every now and then, he could see Qing soldiers splitting mats on the ground in public and eagerly lighting opium pipes to puff out clouds of smoke.

If it weren't for the fact that the regional officials in Jiangnan and Emperor Xianfeng had been constantly urging him to pursue and suppress the bandits in western Guangdong since the bandits captured Wuchang more than three months ago, he would have been in a different situation.

Sai Shang'a really didn't want to leave the relatively safe Hunan province.

A few months ago, the situation in Hunan was in a terrible state, but at least in some areas, such as Xinning in southern Hunan and Changsha Prefecture, the local militias were well organized and could be used.

The defense of Changsha also relied heavily on the local Hunan militia and civilian militia who fought bravely.

In Jiangxi, a land that has enjoyed peace and prosperity for a long time, the local militias were organized in a way that is hard to describe in a few words.

The reasons for this include the lack of far-sighted officials like Jiang Zhongyuan in Jiangxi, and the fact that when Li Yuanfa's Tiandihui (Heaven and Earth Society) launched an uprising in southern Hunan, they seized the opportunity to train through battle and forge a strong and brave force.

The fact that Jiangxi's militia training was lifted later than Hunan's is inextricably linked to the fact that Jiangxi's local officials were complacent and inactive.

Emperor Xianfeng believed that lifting the restrictions on local militias in Hunan and Guangxi provinces would be enough to deal with the Taiping Rebellion, and he had no prior intention of lifting the restrictions on local militias in other provinces.

The Qing court, from the central government in the capital to the local authorities, had absolutely no contingency plan for the Taiping army to leave Hunan and advance eastward into Hubei and even the Jiangnan region.

The restrictions on local militias in Jiangxi were not lifted until the Taiping Army captured Wuchang, which was just over three months ago.

Unfortunately, it was too late by then. The situation in Jiangxi was not like that in Hunan. In just over three months, the officials and gentry in Jiangxi were simply unable to organize a decent local militia.

The fact that the Taiping army was able to quickly capture Jiujiang, Hukou, and Pengze by sailing down the Yangtze River demonstrates that the local militias in Jiangxi had not been established at all during those three months.

“Your Excellency, although the main force of the bandits in western Guangdong has already moved east, they have not abandoned the cities they have already captured. Jiujiang is defended by Shi Xiangzhen, and the three towns of Wuhan are personally guarded by Peng Gang, the leader of the short-haired bandits. Neither of these two are easy to deal with, especially Peng Gang’s short-haired army,” said Fu Cheng, the general of Xi’an Town, advising Sai Shang’a.

"If we rashly send troops into Jiangxi, we risk being attacked from both sides. Should we reconsider and plan our next move?"

Having barely entered Jiangxi territory and not even seen a trace of the Taiping Army, Fu Cheng was already feeling somewhat apprehensive. He worried that the Shaanxi-Gansu troops would be caught in a pincer attack by both the Taiping and Taiping rebels in Jiangxi, finding themselves in grave danger.

"Let's discuss this further?" Sai Shang'a's face darkened. He glared at Fu Cheng and said coldly, "You and the Ebilun sword that the master bestowed upon me, let's discuss this further!"

Upon hearing the words "Ebilun Knife," Fu Cheng immediately fell silent.

There was no room for discussion on sending troops to pursue and suppress the bandits in western Guangdong; it could not be planned for the long term.

However, Sai Shang'a also felt that it was not a good idea to always rely on his own two legs to chase after the bandits in western Guangdong.

Regardless of whether they could catch up with the bandits from western Guangdong by foot alone, if they encountered the bandits halfway, they would have no chance to turn the tide in the midst of a hasty battle.

Upon entering the Pingxiang County government office, Sai Shang'a, who was worried, called over Li Mengqun, who was dressed in white mourning clothes.

"This humble servant greets Lord Sai."

Li Mengqun was summoned to the West Flower Hall and bowed to Sai Shang'a, who was sitting upright on the table.

Zhou Tianjue handled the superior-subordinate relationship very poorly, and not only did martial artists like Qin Dingsan and Zhou Fengqi refuse to continue following him.

Even civil officials like Li Mengqun were unwilling to continue serving Zhou Tianjue.

When news of the fall of Wuchang and the death of Li Qinggu, Li Mengqun's father, reached Changsha Prefecture, Li Mengqun left Zhou Tianjue under the pretext of mourning his father and prepared to return to his hometown in Henan.

Sai Shang'a thought Li Mengqun was a rare talent, and upon learning of this, he persuaded Li Mengqun to serve under him.

Sai Shang'a had real power and sincerity, and Li Mengqun also wanted to avenge his father. He pretended to decline for a while, but then entered Sai Shang'a's camp as a registered prefect.

"Young Master, please rise quickly." Sai Shang A Xu raised his hand, gesturing for Li Mengqun to get up.

"I heard that Shaoqiao organized local militias when he was in Guangxi. Shaoqiao is young and promising, so I think his ability to organize local militias is no less than that of Jiang Zhongyuan and Luo Zenan."

"Your Excellency flatters me. Although I have organized local militias in Guangxi, they have never fought any real battles and have few victories. How can they be compared to the Chu and Xiang militias of Jiang Zhongyuan and Luo Zenan? The Chu and Xiang militias have actually fought hard battles against the most cunning and fierce bandits among the Fai rebels," Li Mengqun said very modestly.

Although Li Mengqun had a high opinion of himself, he admitted that the militia he brought from Guangxi was indeed inferior to those brought by Jiang Zhongyuan and Luo Zenan.

"So what if Jiang Zhongyuan and Luo Zenan can train militias? Their vision is still too narrow. They are unwilling to fight outside Hunan and only have Hunan in their hearts. They will never achieve great things," Sai Shang'a scoffed.

Sai Shang'a got angry when he heard the names Jiang Zhongyuan and Luo Zenan.

When Sai Shang'a left Hunan.

Considering the impressive performance of the Chu and Xiang soldiers, who were capable of field battles, I originally intended to take them out of Hunan to fight and pursue the Taiping army that was heading east.

However, Jiang Zhongyuan and Luo Zenan both chose to stay in Hunan with Luo Bingzhang to prevent the bandits in western Guangdong from returning to Hunan.

Li Mengqun remained silent and did not comment on the matter. He simply looked up and asked, "Did Your Excellency summon me for questioning regarding the militia?"

Li Mengqun had little contact with Luo Zenan and knew very little about him.

Li Mengqun had some dealings with Jiang Zhongyuan when he was in Guangxi, and he knew Jiang Zhongyuan fairly well.

Jiang Zhongyuan's reluctance to fight alongside Sai Shang'a outside Hunan was not solely due to his attachment to his hometown in Hunan and his fear that the bandits in western Guangdong might launch a counterattack and retake Hunan.

Sai Shang'a's over-reliance on the Shaanxi-Gansu troops and underestimation of other deployments was also an important reason.

Back in Changsha, Wang Lin, the general of the Henan-Hebei garrison, sent away 5,000 Henan soldiers without batting an eye.

They, including Jiang Zhongyuan, saw everything clearly from the west wall of Changsha.

It was only natural that Jiang Zhongyuan was unwilling to follow Sai Shang'a out of Hunan and let Chu Yong serve as cannon fodder for Sai Shang'a's Shaanxi and Gansu soldiers, since Chu Yong were all Jiang Zhongyuan's fellow townsmen.

“The Shaanxi and Gansu troops are all land forces, while Jiangxi is covered by a dense network of waterways. If we want to wipe out the remaining bandits from western Guangdong who are still in Jiangxi, we absolutely cannot do without naval troops and soldiers,” Sai Shang’a nodded slightly and said.

"Since Shaoqiao had experience in training soldiers, he went to Nanchang first to recruit and train water soldiers."

Sai Shang'a wanted Li Mengqun to go to Nanchang first to recruit and train a naval force to support the Shaanxi-Gansu troops in their march and pursuit of the Taiping Army, and to serve as auxiliary troops.

At present, the most suitable person under his command to train water soldiers is none other than Li Mengqun, who has experience in training soldiers.

Faced with the great opportunity offered by Sai Shang'a, Li Mengqun, who had long followed Jiang Zhongyuan's example and cultivated a strong and courageous heart, was initially intrigued. However, after hesitating for a moment, Li Mengqun's gaze gradually dimmed, and he declined, saying, "Your Excellency, I am not from Jiangxi, and I am currently only a registered prefect. I am afraid I am not up to the task."

When Li Mengqun first arrived in Jiangxi, he had no connections whatsoever.

They don't even have the money and supplies needed to train a naval force, let alone a strong one capable of holding their own against the bandits of western Guangdong. They probably can't even muster an ordinary local militia. "I won't let you go to Nanchang alone to train naval warriors just because of a few words," Sai Shang'a said to Li Mengqun as he wrote the letter.

"I will first allocate 50,000 taels of silver to you for recruiting and training naval warriors in Nanchang. As for the necessary provisions, I will write to Governor Zhang in Nanchang and ask him to assist you in making arrangements."

Jiangxi Governor Zhang Fei was unable to withstand the advance of the rebels in western Guangdong, resulting in the fall of Jiujiang. He has now retreated to the provincial capital, Nanchang.

Jiujiang was an important town in Jiangxi. If Jiujiang fell, the best outcome for Zhang Fei would be to be dismissed from his post but retain his original position.

The Jiangxi garrison was unreliable, and it was unrealistic for Zhang Fei to rely on the local Green Standard Army militia in Jiangxi to recapture Jiujiang.

Currently, only his Shaanxi-Gansu troops in Jiangxi have a chance to recapture Jiujiang.

Sai Shang'a believed that his letter would keep Zhang Fei in check, and that Zhang Fei would not dare to interfere in the matter of training Jiangxi's water warriors.

"Since Your Excellency values ​​me so highly, how could I dare not obey?" Li Mengqun accepted the task of training water soldiers in Nanchang.

Sai Shang'a had already made his point clear, offering to delegate authority, provide financial assistance, and even contacting the governor of Jiangxi.

If he continues to refuse to share the burden for the middle-aged man, then Li Mengqun is simply being unreasonable.

Meanwhile, the Northern Army, which remained in the three towns of Wuhan, swept through the remaining Qing territory in Wuchang and Huangzhou like autumn leaves being swept away by the wind.

Huangmei County, located at the junction of Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangxi provinces, is within the territory of Huangzhou Prefecture.

The clerk, Chen Kerang, rushed into the county government office in a panic, panting as he approached Yang Xun, the magistrate of Huangmei County, and cried out, "Your Honor! Your Honor! Something terrible has happened! Disaster is imminent!"

Yang Xun, who had only led the people of Huangmei County back to the county town from the mountains a few days ago, was constantly on edge.

Startled by Chen Kerang's words, Yang Xun jumped up from his armchair as if electrocuted and asked, "How dare you be so rash! Catch your breath before you speak! Have the Taiping Rebellion in Jiujiang invaded our county again?"

"It's not the Taiping rebels from Jiujiang attacking," Chen Kerang said, panting. "It's the Taiping rebels, the Taiping rebels are attacking! Master, shall we go into the mountains to take refuge like last time?"

This was not the first time the Taiping Army had attacked Huangmei County.

When Yang Fuqing attacked Jiujiang, he sent Yang Yingqing with 2,000 troops from the Eastern Palace to attack Huangmei County.

However, Yang Xun reacted quickly, leading the county residents to flee north into the mountains with their grain, thus escaping the disaster.

It wasn't until Yang Yingqing withdrew from Huangmei County and went to Jiujiang to join the main force that Yang Xun led the people of Huangmei County back to the county.

Although the main force of the Taiping Army continued to advance eastward, a small number of troops were left to garrison Dehua, the capital of Jiujiang Prefecture.

Huangmei County is only 80 li away from Dehua, the capital of Jiujiang Prefecture. It would only take a day or two for the Taiping Army in Jiujiang to attack Huangmei County. Yang Xun was worried that the Taiping Army would once again invade Huangmei County.

Since returning to Huangmei County, Yang Xun has spent every day in fear and anxiety, without a single day of peace.

"Escape? The Taiping rebels have emptied the county's grain reserves. Are we supposed to go into the mountains and starve?" Yang Xun rolled his eyes at Chen Kerang.

The reason he was able to lead the people of Huangmei County into the mountains to take refuge last time was because they still had food reserves, which allowed them to survive in the mountains for a while.

The official granary in Huangmei County is now empty, and the grain stored by the wealthy households in the county is also completely depleted. Going into the mountains would be a dead end.

"How about we run to Anhui?" Chen Kerang suggested, suddenly having an idea.

Huangmei County is surrounded by mountains to the north, Jiujiang to the south is inhabited by long-haired rebels, and short-haired rebels come from the three towns of Wuhan to the west.

Looking around, only Anhui in the east might still be a viable option.

“The Taiping rebels have already surrounded Anqing, the capital of Anhui Province. Anhui is not safe either.” Yang Xun shook his head repeatedly.

Jiang Wenqing, the governor of Anhui, was a member of the Plain White Banner of the Han Army. He had a terrible reputation as an official and was unfamiliar with military affairs. He was promoted to governor entirely because of his strong connections.

Not to mention comparing him to Luo Bingzhang, the governor of Hunan, even Zhou Tianjue is far superior to Jiang Wenqing.

With the fall of Anqing, it's only a matter of time before the situation in Anhui deteriorates.

Anqing is the next Wuchang, not the next Guilin or Changsha.

Yang Xun was able to understand this point.

"Master, is there really no way out for us?" Chen Kerang looked at Yang Xun with hopeful eyes, waiting for Yang Xun to make a decision.

"Are you sure the troops coming from the west are short-haired and not long-haired? You didn't see wrong?" Yang Xun pondered for a moment before confirming with Chen Kerang.

"The short-haired clothes and hairstyle are completely different from the long-haired ones. I'm not old and my eyesight isn't failing me, so how could I be mistaken?" Chen Kerang recalled for a moment and answered with great certainty.

"I understand." Yang Xun nodded and said, "I am the local official, and I have the responsibility to protect the land and its people. You are just my advisor, and you are only employed by me. You should go back to Shaoxing. I will take care of the affairs of Huangmei County."

“My lord is in trouble, how can I abandon him?” Chen Kerang shook his head and said, “If I abandon him, and my reputation spreads, which gentleman will be willing to hire me in the future?”

Yang Xun treated Chen Kerang well. Although Chen Kerang was the only capable advisor among Yang Xun's staff, Yang Xun did not put all the burdens on him and treat him as a hands-off magistrate. He was also able to handle official business himself and was a rare and good employer.

Chen Kerang felt that abandoning Yang Xun and leaving at this time was extremely unkind.

Yang Xun kept confirming with Chen Kerang whether the enemy coming from the west was the short-haired Mao, and also reminded Chen Kerang that it seemed they had another way to survive.

Speaking of which, Dong Weng and Peng Gang, the leader of the short-haired bandits, were on good terms.

Yang Xun's eyes sharpened. He dismissed his attendants and stared intently at Chen Kerang: "If I subdue the short-haired man, will you follow me?"

Huangmei County is located at the junction of Hubei, Anhui and Jiangxi provinces.

In the south there are the long-haired rebels of Jiujiang, and in the west there are the short-haired rebels of the three towns of Wuhan.

Being in such a troublesome place, you can't hide forever, and hiding indefinitely isn't a solution.

The decision to prune the short hairs was not a whim of Yang Xun.

The Green Standard Army in Huangmei County had long since fled, and the local militia couldn't even muster two hundred men; they certainly couldn't hold out.

If we can't defend Huangmei County, we might lose our official hats and even our heads.

If we surrender to the Taiping rebels, they will kill anyone they see, so it's likely we'll meet with more bad luck than good.

After much deliberation, to save himself and the lives of the people of Huangmei County, the only way out was to surrender to the Maoist regime and hand over the city.

Yang Xun believed that he had not offended Peng Gang when he was the magistrate of Guiping County.

The Qing officials captured by Peng Gang had decent reputations and were not entirely corrupt. For example, Liu Zuosu, the magistrate of Wuxuan County, and Tao Enpei, the prefect of Hengzhou Prefecture, were not executed.

Yang Xun felt that whether he was in Guiping or Huangmei, his reputation as an official was not good, but it was not terrible either.

Peng Gang shouldn't have gone so far as to take the lives of his entire family.

(End of this chapter)