Chapter 169: The Xiang-Huai Dispute
Chapter 169: The Xiang-Huai Dispute
"You traitors to heaven!"
Hmm? What's the concept?
Zhang Jigen turned around suddenly and saw the bearded Skywalker and a dozen Wudang disciples behind him.
Tian Xing did not know Zhang Jigeng, but Zhang Jigeng knew him. When Tian Xing was chatting and laughing with Hong Xiuquan, he was just a last general of the Heavenly Kingdom who did not even have a seat in the distance.
How could this hardcore anti-traitor and fierce bandit appear in the Huai Army camp? Zhang Jigeng was full of questions. Then he shouted, "There are anti-traitors here——"
The rebel waved his hand, and fifty manual machine guns and fifty Williams rapid-fire cannons stretched out their black muzzles from the tents not far away.
These advanced weapons were not used at all during the attack on Nanjing. Now is the time to test their abilities.
Intensive gunfire rang out, and blood and flesh flew everywhere on the training ground. Zhang Jigen's last thought was, "Governor Shao, there are traitors in the Huai Army... "
Then there was a loud thud, and the Shen Ce Gate flew into the sky. The pre-buried gunpowder "accidentally" exploded, and hundreds of warriors who were removing the gunpowder were buried underground.
At this point, there was no doubt that the Huai Army had been “fighting hard” at Shence Gate for several months.
The Xingzi Battalion, which had not appeared, began to clean up the training ground. The Xingzi Battalion had almost no military achievements to show for it, but its officials were always promoted and they were always rewarded after the war. They followed Tian Xing and specialized in doing the dirty work.
Shao Quanzhong was very kind. At least Tian Xing showed up. These real traitors of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom could definitely leave peacefully and die without injustice. Before the execution, they drank wine and ate meat, and died like a full ghost.
Compared with what Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang did, Shao Quanzhong can definitely be called a great philanthropist.
…………
Three days later, two fast horses entered the capital from Yongding Gate at the same time and galloped on the streets of the capital.
The messenger in the uniform of the New Army shouted repeatedly, "Good news! Eight hundred miles of urgent work! The Huai Army took the lead in attacking Nanjing, beheaded the fake Xin Wang Hong Renfa, the fake Yong Wang Hong Renda, and the Guangdong bandits are destroyed!"
The messenger in the uniform of the Hunan Army shouted, "Good news! Express delivery from 800 miles away! The Hunan Army was the first to attack the Jinling Palace City, and the Guangdong bandits were annihilated!"
The common people in the capital were running around in panic, dodging the galloping horses, all with a look of excitement on their faces, "The Taiping rebels have been destroyed?"
Immediately, some smart people started to gossip, "The late emperor said that whoever enters Jinling first will be crowned king. So Qiao Songnian has copied him and will be crowned king, right?"
Someone immediately retorted, "Haven't you heard that the first to enter the palace were the Hunan Army? After all, taking down the fake imperial palace is the most important thing. I think this prince is Zeng Guofan's."
The man in front was not convinced, "Did you hear clearly just now? The Huai Army killed two long-haired princes, but the Xiang Army didn't get anything. Did Hong Xiuquan get away? I think the Huai Army must have fought hard, and the Xiang Army took advantage of it."
"No, I heard that the Hunan Army had more soldiers, more than 100,000, while the Huai Army had only more than 10,000. The credit must go to the Hunan Army."
"That's not necessarily true. There are more long-haired people, but having more people doesn't necessarily mean we can win."
Everybody was talking about it, saying all kinds of things, all of them acting as if they knew more than the Grand Councilor and that they had the final say on behalf of the Qing Dynasty.
"Humph!"
The old man spoke in a dignified manner, "At the time of the late emperor, the British and French invaders entered Beijing, and the Taiping rebels were running all over the world. The late emperor fled to Rehe for refuge, and the Qing Dynasty looked like it was going to end. The late emperor was anxious, so he allowed the prince to go out. Now the situation of our Qing Dynasty is very good, and most likely, the prince is gone."
"The emperor has golden lips and jade teeth. Can you take back what you said?"
"It's not the emperor who has the final say now. Our Great Qing Empire is now ruled by two old women. Isn't it normal for old women to have no say?"
"Hush! You're killing yourself! They're called East Buddha and West Buddha."
The nonsense that the common people talk about in private is ignored by everyone, and it obviously doesn't count. But the bigwigs of the Grand Council, who really have the final say, actually think about this issue in the same way as the common people. The two messengers on the fast horses boasted about their achievements all the way, dismounted at Chengtian Gate, and ran into the palace at the same time, delivering the victory report to Longzong Gate.
Ahem, Chengtian Gate was renamed during the Shunzhi period, but it’s safer to call it Chengtian Gate…
The Grand Council had ended its get off work at eight in the morning, but when such great news came in, Prince Gong, the leader, immediately called back all the ministers to work overtime.
Wenxiang, Baojun and Cao Yuying arrived one after another, and Li Tangjie came running.
The Grand Council has a superstitious tradition that every number six means disaster, and there have basically always been only five of them.
These big men who ruled the Qing Dynasty were first of all excited. Regardless of other things, the Guangdong bandits, who had been a major threat to the court, were finally eliminated.
Then I started to have a headache. How should I reward them?
If the late emperor's promise is fulfilled, whoever enters Nanjing first will be crowned king, then Qiao Songnian's title as king will be undisputed.
But can the Hunan Army do it? There were hundreds of thousands of Hunan Army soldiers besieging Nanjing, while the Huai Army only had more than 10,000 soldiers. Moreover, the Huai Army rose later, while the Hunan Army had always been the main force.
However, although the Hunan Army broke into the palace first, they did not capture the two bandit leaders, Li Xiucheng and Hong Tianguifu. They seized the fake treasury of the Guangdong bandits, but only reported the seizure of 200,000 taels. They were too greedy and deserved death.
Taking the Battle of Nanjing alone as an example, the number of Taiping heads reported and verified by both sides was almost the same, which shows that the intensity of the fighting on both sides was similar.
According to Qiao Songnian's report, although there were only 16,000 Huai Army soldiers participating in the war, they were constantly reinforced from the rear. Basically, only the officers were left in the entire Huai Army, and the soldiers under them were all replaced by new ones.
What should we do? Should we confer titles on two princes? In fact, the bigwigs of the Grand Council all believed that the previous emperor's promise of conferring titles was a "disorderly order" made in a desperate situation. We could disobey the order, but it was too outrageous for a Han Chinese to confer titles on a different surname...
.......
Shao Quanzhong submitted another memorial at a normal speed, asking the court for reward and posthumous honor for Zhang Jigeng, a former "famous general" of the Guangdong bandits who had rebelled against the righteous cause but unfortunately encountered the remnants of the Guangdong bandits and died heroically.
General Zhang, you have to thank me, otherwise who would know who you are? Now you are famous in history, three generations of your descendants can inherit the title, rest in peace.
There is a saying that the more you know, the faster you die. It is true.
The Huai Army and the Hunan Army failed in their attempt to "attack" the pseudo palace and directly withdrew from Nanjing, leaving the Hunan Army to massacre the city.
Zeng Guoquan was furious because he failed to get the silver and had to vent his anger on Nanjing. Shao Quanzhong could not stop this and turned a blind eye.
This time, Shao Quanzhong reported the achievements to all his key subordinates, and they will definitely be rewarded handsomely.
Since the soldiers could not be promoted, Shao Quanzhong personally presided over the meeting that day and lavishly rewarded the soldiers, with money being distributed like water.
The next day, the Huai Army withdrew directly from Nanjing. They did not reach their base in Fengyang, but disbanded when they reached Hailing.
Thank you all for your hard work. We will take a half-month holiday.
The Fengyang base no longer needs to be closely guarded. The most confidential ice cellar is now empty, and the military merit points have been cleared. Soon, they will become official positions for the backbones of the Huai Army.
So during this holiday, even those who were looking after the house in Fengyang were not there, and everyone received their rewards and went home to reunite with their families.
Shao Quanzhong returned to Hailing for a vacation. He did not see Lord Qiao or talk to his parents and wife in detail. Instead, he sent a telegram directly to Liao Rong in London.
"Haichang, hurry up and get warships for your Nanyang Navy. The more advanced the better. Buy as many as you need. I have the money!"
(End of this chapter)