Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

On the way, Liu Ye observed Ding Xianda who had just surrendered. This guy was not very old, only in his twenties. He was able to become the commander of a battalion in the Nian Army. His ability was definitely extraordinary, especially since he had no backing in the Nian Army. You must know that the Nian Army was not the Qing Army. As long as you could flatter and cling to the powerful, you could rise to the top.

Liu Ye instructed Zhu Hai and others to chat more with Ding Xianda, but he himself could observe more from the side to see whether this person could be reused.

"Ding Xianda, tell me about the Nian Army. We've been stationed in the capital area for a long time. We've fought many battles with the foreign devils, but we've only had this one encounter with the Nian Army. Hehe..."

Gao Qi, who was walking side by side with him, smiled at Ding Xianda.

Ding Xianda took a deep breath and replied, "General Gao, I followed the Nian Army for five years, and in between I spent a year in the Taiping Army. Neither the Nian Army nor the Taiping Army was ever going to be anything significant. The only reason I stayed with them for so long was just to make a living. People always have to fill their stomachs first!"

"Oh, why were both the Nian Army and the Taiping Army ineffective? Even if the Nian Army was ineffective, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was not weak. At its peak, its troops were already close to Baoding Prefecture!"

Ding Xianda smiled bitterly and said, "General, you are testing me. The Nian Army cannot achieve anything. First, it has never established a stable base. Sanhejian, although it is the heartland of the Nian Army, is only a town after all. Without a stable base, it lacks a stable supply of money and food. It is impossible to gain the full support of the people by simply relying on looting. Secondly, although the Nian Army is led by Zhang Lexing, its management is chaotic and each unit acts independently. It is like a pile of loose sand. It can win battles, but once it encounters difficulties, it will surely scatter like monkeys when the tree falls. Without strong leadership, it is difficult for it to compete with the Qing army in the long run!"

Liu Ye's ears immediately perked up. This guy really had some knowledge. This was not a shortcoming that an ordinary junior officer could see!

Ding Xianda went on to say, "I did propose to the leader of the Blue Banner the idea of ​​rectifying the Nian Army, but I was too weak to speak my mind, and no one paid any attention to me. Besides, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom did establish a solid base, but unfortunately, after establishing their capital in Tianjing, those princes became drunk and dreaming. Look at the Eastern King, he married countless wives, and the Heavenly King was even more so. As the ancients said, 'Born in sorrow and die in comfort.' Their debauchery has wiped out their ambitions, so how can they compete for the Central Plains? Now, of the five leaders, the Southern King and the Western King died young, the Eastern King and the Northern King were executed, and the Wing King fled to Sichuan. They are only relying on Li Xiucheng and Chen Yucheng to support the country. On the other hand, Zeng Guofan has many advisers and brave generals, and his power is growing. If the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom cannot make major changes, its demise will not be far away!"

"Born in sorrow and die in comfort..."

Liu Ye asked, "Ding Xianda, have you ever been educated?"

Ding Xianda quickly bowed and said, "Your Excellency, I attended a private school for a few years when I was young. I often enjoyed the storytelling artists singing drums, so I know some of the stories!"

Liu Ye nodded, secretly admiring in his heart that this person was a man who knew how to make progress. Even if he had not read many books, he had such insights. He was many times better than those fortune-telling scholars.

Liu Ye smiled and said, "Okay, not bad. You are a man who knows how to make progress. Then tell me, why did the Nian Army collapse so quickly after our previous battle?"

Ding Xianda replied, "Your Excellency, I dare to say that first, your cavalry is highly disciplined and charges in unison, something the Nian Army simply cannot match. Second, your army is incredibly fierce and aggressive, and when two forces meet, the brave prevail. Moreover, they excel at coordinating forces. Even though the Nian Army outnumbers them, they are unable to withstand them. Third, it's your firearms. Hundreds of muskets firing simultaneously are simply not something the Nian Army can withstand. A few rounds of fire would completely destroy their morale. How could you possibly defeat the enemy?"

Liu Ye nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile: "Good, very good, you have insights, Ding Xianda, even with your insights, this governor will accept you. Just work hard under my command, and you will achieve great things in the future!"

Ding Xianda was overjoyed. It had been five or six days since he surrendered, but the governor had never mentioned him. Now that the entrance was opened, he was a real Qing army!

Liu Ye continued, "Ding Xianda, although the name is good, it was used in the Nian Army after all, and you were a general. If you join the army, I'm afraid it will arouse suspicion. Why don't you choose a different name? At the same time, it can be regarded as a change of heart."

Ding Xianda said respectfully, "Your Excellency, there's actually no need to come up with a new name. I already have one, but I used it when I was in my hometown. It's a good opportunity to use it again."

Oh?

Liu Ye was a little surprised. There was another name?

"what name?"

"Your Excellency, my other name is Ruchang!"

"Ruchang? Ding Ruchang?"

Liu Ye murmured, suddenly, Liu Ye suddenly pulled the warhorse, Ding Ruchang, could it be the later admiral of the Beiyang Fleet?

"Ding Xianda, where are you from?"

"Your Excellency, my ancestral home is from Fengyang, Anhui. I later followed my father to Chao County and settled there, where I grew up..."

really!

Isn't that Ding Ruchang from Fengyang, Anhui? Judging from his age, there's no doubt about it!

This is the future famous general of the Huai Army and the leader of the Beiyang Navy!

Although history has mixed opinions about Ding Ruchang, as a soldier, Liu Ye knows that Ding Ruchang is definitely a rare talent and a rare general! Otherwise, Li Hongzhang would not have handed over the Beiyang Fleet, which he relied on as a great wall, to Ding Ruchang. However, things are unpredictable. During the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the court's wavering policies, the lack of military funds, and Li Hongzhang's conservative maritime strategy were all factors that led to Ding Ruchang's defeat. If the role was different, the Japanese Navy might not be Ding Ruchang's opponent!

I found a treasure, damn it, I really found a treasure!

In the previous era, Ding Ruchang was able to teach himself. Now that he is following by his side and learning by example, it is almost certain that he will shine in the future. This is even more important than Zuo Baogui!

"Ding Ruchang, Ding Ruchang, haha, what a good name, what a good name! I like this name! Hahaha!"

Liu Ye laughed heartily, looking up at the sky. The faces of the brothers around him were filled with shock. It was just a name, but our Futai Lord was so excited? What the hell!