Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 157 Bombardment of Hengyang
Precisely because of the increase in military strength, the number of military affairs Zeng Guofan needs to deal with every day is also increasing rapidly.

This makes him have no time to rest during this period.

Zeng Guofan was both in pain and happy!

He was happy because as the size of the Hunan Braves continued to expand, Zeng Guofan became more and more confident that he could wipe out the Taiping Rebellion, serve the Qing Dynasty, and complete the task assigned to him by the Emperor.

The pain is because Zeng Guofan's reputation has not been very good in recent times...

Because Zeng Guofan had to deal with military affairs during this period and was unable to go home to attend his mother's funeral, he was scolded for being unfilial.

Because of the large-scale killing of surrendered soldiers after the Battle of Laohuling some time ago, Zeng Guofan was accused of being inhumane.

Also because of killing prisoners, Zeng Guofan accepted the surrender and then killed the prisoners, and was accused of being unfaithful and unjust.

Loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, and trustworthiness were all gone in an instant. For a scholar like Zeng Guofan who valued reputation above all else, it must have been extremely painful.

Zeng Guofan was busy dealing with military affairs and approved a list of new officers, which were to be sent to the military camp.

Before he could move, footsteps were heard outside.

Hunan Governor Luo Bingzhang walked in from outside with an anxious look on his face.

"Master Zeng, Master Zeng, something terrible has happened!"

"The Tang bandits in the south have sent troops to attack the north, and now the bandits have reached Hengyang."

"Hunan is in danger, the Qing Dynasty is in danger!"

Upon hearing this, Zeng Guofan raised his head instantly, his face full of solemnity.

"Are you serious? What's going on?"

Luo Bingzhang heard this and said with a serious expression.

"How dare I deceive you with this matter?"

"In early April, the Tang bandits sent troops from Guangzhou. At the end of April, the Tang bandits' army reached Shaozhou, and then attacked Hunan from Shaozhou."

"In just over ten days, we captured Yizhang, Chenzhou, Yongxing and other prefectures, and reached the city of Hengyang."

"Hengyang is in danger of collapse at any time!"

Zeng Guofan realized the seriousness of the matter after hearing this. He thought that after he defeated Hong Xiujiao's troops, the situation faced by the Qing Dynasty in the south would be better.

Unexpectedly, the Tang bandits suddenly launched a northern expedition!
If this happens, the situation in the south will change again.

Zeng Guofan took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and then hurriedly greeted him.

"quick!"

"Lord Luo, please immediately pass on my military order and summon all my generals to come here to discuss matters."

"The Tang thieves are invading the north, Hunan is in danger!"

Luo Bingzhang heard this and said immediately.

"Don't worry, Lord Zeng. I have already sent someone to notify the generals."

Zeng Guofan nodded and ordered someone to hang the map in the conference room. While waiting for someone, he stood in front of the map and studied it.

Looking at the direction of the Tang army's advance on the map, Zeng Guofan's expression became more and more solemn.

Apart from Yizhang, Chenzhou, Yongxing, Leiyang, Hengyang...

The Tang army was clearly heading towards Changsha along the Chenjiang River, Leishui River, and Xiangjiang River.

This also shows that the Tang army's northern expedition this time was by no means as simple as capturing a few prefectures.

Instead, it came directly to Changsha and the entire Hunan Province!

But this was absolutely unacceptable to Zeng Guofan.

His current official position is the Minister of Hunan Militia. The task given to him by the Qing court is to return to Hunan, organize militia, and then assist the imperial army in suppressing the Taiping rebels who occupied Jiangning.

In other words, Hunan is Zeng Guofan’s foundation!
Now the Hunan Army has not yet been fully formed. If the Tang army marches north and captures Hunan, all the previous efforts made by Zeng Guofan will be in vain.

After all, he couldn't expect that Hunan, which was occupied by the Tang Dynasty, would provide financial and manpower support for Zeng Guofan to form militia and serve the Qing Dynasty, right?

Even if the gentry had the intention, they would certainly not be able to organize a militia.

It is no secret that the Tang Dynasty distributed land to the poor.

No matter how prestigious the gentry are, it is impossible for them to persuade the poor to give up their land and families and serve the Qing Dynasty, right?

I wouldn’t even dare to think of this in my dreams!
Therefore, Zeng Guofan absolutely could not accept the fact that Hunan was captured by the Tang army.

He must find a way to repel the invasion of the Tang bandits this time!
Zeng Guofan didn't have to wait long before several generals of the Qing army in Hunan arrived at the conference room.

All the generals saluted Zeng Guofan.

"This humble general pays respect to Master Zeng!"

Zeng Guofan waved his hand and signaled the generals to take their seats.

After all the generals were seated, Zeng Guofan began to speak.

"I just received the latest news that the Tang bandits in Guangdong have sent troops to the north."

"Over the course of more than ten days, the enemy troops successively broke through Yizhang, Chenzhou, Yongxing, Leiyang and other prefectures, and were approaching the city of Hengyang."

"This officer estimates that Hengyang will not be able to hold out for much longer before it falls into the hands of the thieves."

"Once Hengyang falls, the enemy troops will surely march straight into the heart of Hunan, and even threaten Changsha."

"This is something that neither I nor any of you can accept!"

"I called all the generals here to discuss the fight against the bandits."

"Generals, please speak up!"

Zeng Guofan was good at politics, but he had no talent in military affairs.

The Hunan Army's early style of "building strong camps and fighting stupid battles" was created by Zeng Guofan.

Therefore, Zeng Guofan was not prepared to interfere in other people's affairs.

Just leave professional matters to professionals.

When it comes to leading troops in battle, these generals are definitely better than Zeng Guofan.

After Zeng Guofan finished speaking, Jiang Zhongyuan spoke.

"Master Zeng, the enemy troops are invading Hunan this time. Judging from the speed of their advance, they must be alone and deep into the enemy's territory."

"If the Qing Dynasty wants to repel the enemy, we can launch a blocking attack on the front battlefield while sending elite troops to launch a surprise attack to cut off the enemy's food supply."

"As long as our army can cut off the enemy's food supply, the enemy will collapse without a fight."

"By then, the imperial court will have hope of not only preserving Hunan, but also counterattacking and recovering Guangdong."

Although the soldiers under Jiang Zhongyuan were Chu soldiers rather than Xiang soldiers, he was from Xinning, Hunan, and he had experienced life and death together with everyone in the battle of Laohuling.

Therefore, Jiang Zhongyuan has been accepted by the Xiangyong Group and regarded as one of their own.

In this situation, Jiang Zhongyuan, who has rich combat experience, would naturally step forward and offer suggestions.

Upon hearing this, Zeng Guofan showed a thoughtful expression and then asked.

"Commander Jiang is right."

"But where should our army stop the enemy, and how can we cut off the enemy's food supply?"

After the Battle of Laohuling, Tazibu, who was promoted by Zeng Guofan to deputy general of the Hunan Green Camp, stood up and spoke.

"Sir Zeng, I think we can build deep trenches and fortifications outside Changsha City, and wait for the enemy troops to come and attack us."

"At the same time, we can also dispatch elite troops to bypass Baoqing Prefecture and Yongzhou Prefecture and launch a surprise attack to recapture Hengyang. While cutting off the enemy's food supply, we can also cut off their route back."

"In order to wipe out the bandits in Hunan!"

Zeng Guofan frowned when he heard this.

"If we release the bandits outside Changsha, will it cause panic among the Hunan gentry? Will it cause unrest among the people?"

Zeng Guofan didn't care whether people's hearts were restless or not.

But the problem is that the Hunan Brave Army he led relied on the gentry and common people of Hunan.

Once the people of Hunan are in turmoil, it will soon turn into unrest in the military, with disastrous consequences!
Luo Bingzhang heard this and spoke.

"Sir Zeng, I don't think so." "Although the Tang bandits' policy of distributing land took care of the common people, it also greatly offended the gentry."

"As long as Changsha is not lost, the gentry will not lose confidence in the Qing Dynasty. In order to protect their own land, they will certainly fully support the government in fighting against the bandits."

"As long as the hearts of the gentry are not disturbed, the morale of the Hunan Army will not be disturbed!"

Zeng Guofan also looked thoughtful when he heard this.

"In that case, it would be a good move for us to let the enemy soldiers go outside Changsha City before fighting them."

After taking a deep breath, Zeng Guofan made the decision.

"In that case, let's just settle it!"

Afterwards, the Qing army continued to discuss the specific details of the battle.

……

Outside Hengyang City!

The Tang army deployed its battle formation and prepared to attack the city.

The densely packed army formation appeared as a black mass, stretching as far as the eye could see.

As the saying goes, once a person exceeds ten thousand, there are no boundaries.

At this time, there were more than ten thousand Tang troops outside Hengyang City.
There were 40,000 to 50,000 combat soldiers alone.

Together with the civilian laborers who followed the army, the number of Tang troops outside Hengyang City reached an astonishing 100,000.

An army of this size deployed across the plains would be a terrifying sight.

A fast horse galloped past the front of the Tang army, all the way to Li Yi, then dismounted and began to report.

"Report!"

"Your Majesty, the Qing demons in Hengyang City not only resisted the Heavenly Soldiers and refused to surrender, but also had the audacity to kill our army's messenger."

"Please make the decision, Your Majesty!"

Facing Hengyang City, although the Tang army had the advantage of artillery fire, in order to minimize the number of casualties in the army, Li Yi still did not rashly send the army to attack the city.

Instead, he sent envoys to persuade the enemy to surrender, hoping to take Hengyang without bloodshed.

Unexpectedly, the Qing army in Hengyang was so ruthless. Not only did they refuse to surrender, they even dared to kill his envoy.

Li Yi put down the telescope he had been holding, withdrew his gaze from the direction of Hengyang City, and then spoke in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Since the Hengyang Qingyao are seeking death, why shouldn't our army help them?"

"Pass the order and start attacking the city!"

"Tell the troops that I will have dinner in Hengyang City tonight."

Upon hearing this, the communications soldier beside Li Yi immediately clasped his fists in response.

Then, the flag orders in the Tang army began to change, and the dull sound of war drums resounded throughout the battlefield.

At the same time, horses galloped out and rushed to convey Li Yi's military orders to various units of the Tang army.

"All gun crews, get ready, start test firing!"

A burst of shouting rang out from the Tang army’s artillery position.

A small number of gunners received orders and began to prepare for the test firing. Some loaded their guns and some aimed, ready to unleash a barrage of fire on the city of Hengyang.

Soon, several test artillery pieces were ready to fire.

The next moment, the roar of heavy artillery resounded throughout the battlefield.

boom! boom! boom!
A ten-jin cannon, a fifteen-jin cannon, a twenty-jin cannon, and a 50-caliber breech-loading rifled cannon fired from the front and back.

The air was filled with smoke, and the gun barrel moved backwards suddenly under the action of recoil. The black shell flew out of the barrel and headed towards the Hengyang city wall!

With several roars in succession, the shells hit the Hengyang city wall heavily and then embedded themselves into the wall.

Spider-web-like cracks spread out in all directions with the impact point as the center.

Brick and stone debris fell down with a rustling sound!

The quality of the Tang army's gunners was quite good. Several test cannons did not miss the target and successfully hit the top of Hengyang City.

The main reason for achieving such a high hit rate is that the Tang army's gunners are basically veterans who have been fed with a large amount of live ammunition.

In addition, they now use auxiliary aiming devices such as artillery gauges and artillery tables, and have standardized the artillery operation process.

The accuracy of the artillery fire is naturally not bad!

The shells fired from the breech-loading rifled cannon were even more accurate and hit the Hengyang city gate tower accurately.

Then, amid a violent explosion, a cloud of yellow smoke rose from the top of Hengyang City, and half of the city gate tower was directly blown down.

Compared with smoothbore cannon, the accuracy of rifled cannon is naturally higher.

After the test firing, the Tang army's artillery group began to officially deliver firepower.

Boom boom! Boom boom boom!

The thunderous roar of heavy artillery resounded throughout the battlefield.

Amid the smoke, shells continued to pour towards Hengyang City, as if to wipe Hengyang City out from this world.

At the same time, rocket launchers were dragged to the battlefield.

The sound of breaking through the air continued to be heard!
The rocket cut through the sky, dragging a long tail of flame as it fell towards Hengyang City.

Although rockets have a fast firing rate, their accuracy is always a problem.

A large number of rockets leaped over the top of Hengyang City and fired into the city.

Rumbling explosions continued to sound, with faint flames rising into the sky, and the riots in Hengyang City began to spread rapidly.

The Tang army's bombardment continued.

The performance of those breech-loading rifled cannons on the battlefield was truly amazing. Not only was their firing rate extremely fast, but one breech-loading cannon could make the sound of three or five muzzle-loading cannons firing together.

Moreover, the accuracy of the artillery fire was extremely high. Under the guidance of the hot air balloon floating in the sky, the Qing army in Hengyang City could be accurately struck.

……

The enemy soldiers outside the city launched a fierce artillery attack. Heavy artillery shells hit the walls of Hengyang one after another, causing the walls to shake slightly.

A cannonball passed close to the top of the city wall, smashing the battlements to pieces.

Bao Chao watched helplessly as his captain was hit on the head by a flying brick and stone. In an instant, his head exploded like a rotten watermelon.

Red and white were flying everywhere!
The Qing troops on the city wall were in a panic.

Having lost the restraint of their superiors, these Qing troops began to spontaneously want to leave the city to avoid the artillery fire.

"Don't worry! Don't worry!"

"Don't show your head. Follow behind the crowd. Be careful not to be spotted by the dogs of the supervision team."

Bao Chao whispered to several of his men around him.

Upon hearing this, his men all nodded vigorously.

A group of people followed their boss, whose cat was too listless to walk, and walked towards the city with the flow of people.

But just as they were walking down the city path, they saw several explosive bombs flying over the city wall and landing among the Qing troops who were the first to go down the city.

The next moment, Bao Chao saw a flash of fire before his eyes and thick yellow smoke rising.

Immediately, there was a rumbling sound of explosion.

The shock wave spread out in all directions, carrying with it broken limbs and blood.

Bao Chao and others who were still on the horse trail on the city wall were knocked down by the shock wave, their eyes went dark and they almost fainted.

It took Bao Chao a long time to come back to his senses and he stood up by holding the wall.

When I looked up, I saw blood everywhere.

Broken limbs and arms mixed with broken bones and rotten flesh were scattered everywhere, and the stench of internal organs and blood mixed with gunpowder smoke filled the air.

Even though Bao Chao had followed Xiang Rong into Guangxi to fight and had experienced many battles before, he was still stunned in place, staring blankly at the scene before him...

(End of this chapter)