Chapter 171 Self-Strengthening Army

In order to suppress the Taiping Rebellion and wipe out the Nian Army, the Qing government drew forces from all over the country, and the military forces in Shaanxi and Gansu were completely drained.

The consequence was that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was destroyed and Shaanxi and Gansu were abolished.

Now, the 18th Battalion headed by Bai Yanhu, the remnants of the Taiping Army, the remnants of the Nian Army, and the militia rebellion have risen up. The Ili Province under the jurisdiction of the Governor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu has been invaded by the small Central Asian country of Kokand, and the situation is a mess.

In order to pacify Shaanxi and Gansu, the Qing government sent two imperial envoys to lead troops into Shaanxi.

Shengbao killed innocent people to claim credit, and robbed the common people, so he was sentenced to death by the two Empress Dowagers.

Duolong'a was really capable. He had basically pacified Shaanxi and was preparing to march into Gansu and attack Dongzhiyuan, the stronghold of the Eighteen Major Camps.

As a result, Brother Duolong'a had extremely bad luck. He was hit by a stray bullet when he was trying to deal with the bandit Lan Dashun who were entering Shaanxi from Sichuan before sending troops to Gansu.

After Duolong'a's death, all kinds of evil spirits emerged again, and the situation in Shaanxi and Gansu was like a prairie fire. The Qing court was really anxious, and this time it gritted its teeth and prepared to send the Huai Army over.

Shao Quanzhong rolled his eyes. The imperial court had worked tirelessly and finally sent him to Shaanxi and Gansu.

However, the credit for entering Nanjing had already been taken. After the demise of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the task of encircling and suppressing the remaining Taiping Army in Jiangnan would definitely be the responsibility of the local Hunan Army, Chu Army, and Shanghai Army, and he himself would have no say in it.

I would not go even if I could help. I did not have that much merit, and the Hunan Army would be disbanded soon. It would be meaningless to go and grab the food that would soon be eaten up.

Now Shaanxi and Gansu have become new hot spots. If you go to Shaanxi and Gansu, not only can you keep the establishment, but you can also expand it if you operate it properly.

Shao Quanzhong stepped forward and said, "Foster father, I am willing to lead the troops into Shaanxi as a vanguard. Please help me with food supplies. When I have established a peaceful place in Shaanxi and Gansu, I will invite you to come and govern."

Qiao Songnian stroked his beard and smiled. He was the governor of the grain transport system and also in charge of the grain stations in the south and north of the Yangtze River. Supervising grain production and governing the local areas were what he was best at.

The Guangdong bandits were pacified and he was granted the title of nobility as he wished. It seemed that this was not the limit and his cooperation with his adopted son Shao Quanzhong could continue.

Zhang Zhidong interrupted, "Last time the court planned to send the Huai Army into Shaanxi, we stopped in Tongbai because we couldn't transport food. This time the Huai Army is going to Shaanxi to fight, combat effectiveness is not a problem, the key is to have enough food."

This makes sense. The Huai Army had captured Chen Yucheng and Nanjing. No matter how powerful the bandits in Shaanxi were, they could not be stronger than the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. They could definitely win the war, but they needed food.

Zhang Zhidong looked confident. "Because of the last time the troops entered Tongbai, the Huai Army Intelligence Department has already extended its tentacles into Shaanxi to gather information. Now we are not completely in the dark. When Duolong'a's troops entered Shaanxi, the food and grass were transported from Xiangyang along the Han River to Xiaojiangkou, and then along the tributary Danshui to Longjuzhai in Shangzhou, Shaanxi. Longjuzhai is only 280 miles away from Xi'an, and land transportation is very convenient. Lord Qiao can continue to use this route."

Lord Qiao knew about this without Zhang Zhidong's reminder. This involved communicating with the Hunan Army in Hubei and borrowing the passage to transport grain. He was now a provincial governor on par with Zeng Guofan, so it was his duty to communicate about this matter.

He knew more, "Once our Huai Army takes over the 800-li Guanzhong area, food will no longer be a problem after an autumn harvest."

Qiao Songnian, Shao Quanzhong and Zhang Zhidong have already begun to study the specific operations of the Huai Army's entry into Shaanxi. Does An Dehai, who has been left aside, have anything else to do?

The young eunuch walked up to Zhang Zhidong and looked him up and down. "As expected of a top scholar, you have a plan in mind. The court has another assignment for you. You can't follow the Huai Army into Shaanxi."

Shao Quanzhong sighed, "Brother Xiaoda has a great future, and the Huai Army can no longer accommodate him. Let's work closely together in the future." All good things must come to an end. Zhang Zhidong was too talented, a genuine Hanlin, and had a large number of court officials backing him up. His promotion speed was definitely the fastest in the Qing Dynasty.

After taking Nanjing, he was appointed Governor of Henan, which meant he was a colleague of the same rank as himself and could no longer be his military advisor.

Zhang Zhidong was not pretentious. He had received a quick letter from his cousin Zhang Zhiwan in advance and had already determined his own development direction.

He bowed to Shao Quanzhong and whispered in Shao Quanzhong's ear to avoid being heard by the eunuch An, "Zhang is in charge of Henan affairs. He wants to imitate the Huai Army to build a self-strengthening army in Henan to pacify the remaining Guangdong and Nian bandits roaming in Henan. I dare to ask the lord for 200 elite Huai Army soldiers as the backbone of the army. From now on, I will always follow the lord's lead."

This means that his subordinates have become another warlord, but they still recognize him as their lord. After the development, the Self-Strengthening Army is considered to be a hardcore Shao faction force.

An Dehai stared at Zhang Zhidong with a smile, "Lord Qiao was promoted to the Governor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu. The position of Governor-General of the Grain Transport was given to Zhang Zhiwan by the court. The monk king died in battle, and Yuan Jiasan retired due to illness and has now passed away. The court no longer has a strong pillar in the north. You Zhang brothers, the court will have to rely on you more in the future."

Zhang Zhiwan served as the Governor of the Grand Canal and provided support in the rear, while Zhang Zhidong served as the Governor of Henan and established a new army to fight in the front. This was simply a replica of the successful path of Qiao Songnian and his son Shao Quanzhong.

Zhang Zhidong was full of confidence that he would be able to fill the vacancies left by Senggelinqin's death and Yuan Jiasan's death, and become one of the pillars of the court with a bright future.

After delivering the imperial edict, An Dehai left in a hurry. He had to take a fast boat to Anqing immediately to pass on the imperial edict of rewarding the Hunan Army before the end of the month.

This time, Shao Quanzhong doesn't need to pay for the Cheng Yi, Lord Qiao will.

Lord Qiao has always been a favorite in the court. He was able to become the Governor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu. He knew how to welcome and see off guests better than Shao Quanzhong. When An Dehai left, his face was full of smiles.

After An Dehai left, the Huai Army was disbanded and would head to the northwest after the holiday. Now they should seize the time to reunite with their families.

Just as Le Xiucai turned around and was about to leave, he felt someone patted his shoulder.

When he turned around, he shuddered. The person who patted him on the shoulder was the newly promoted first-class baron Wu Wenxi.

The experience of being beaten by Wu Wenxi last time was deeply engraved in his mind. Le Xiucai turned around and was about to run away, but Wu Wenxi grabbed him with a smile.

"My dear nephew, you have been promoted to the prefect of Xi'an. You will soon be taking up your post with the Huai Army. You won't be able to stay in Hailing for a few days. I will host a banquet at the Zhe Garden tonight to congratulate you on your promotion. You must come."

My dear nephew? Why is Lord Wu suddenly so kind to me?
Le Sen slapped his bald head and thought, "Shit, he has been so busy with the logistics and intelligence of the Huai Army that he accidentally forgot that he is now a fourth-rank prefect who was awarded the title of Jinshi.

Lord Wu had been a fourth-rank Daotai before, and now his achievements were only one step away from Daotai. Moreover, he was only in his twenties, and as long as he followed Shao Quanzhong, his future would be limitless.

I was so busy in the military camp every day that I neglected why I joined the army and forgot my original intention.

Seeing Le Sen's stupid look, Wu Wenxi shook his head helplessly, "My dear nephew, you can't keep this bald head in the future."

Seeing Wu Wenxi turn around and walk away, Le Sen stood there for a while. Suddenly, his vision went dark, he leaned back and fainted.

(End of this chapter)

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