The four first- and second-rank Manchu officials on the Chu Wangdai are undoubtedly the four scapegoating people in Wuchang Fucheng today - one has been dismissed from the post of Governor of Huguang, Cheng Cai, one has been dismissed from the post of Hubei Admiral Shuangfu, and the other has not taken up his post. Chang Dachun, the governor of Shanxi, and Bole Gongwu, the admiral of Hunan who has not left for his post... none of them are serious serving Hubei officials!
However, it is not the worst thing that no serious senior officials from Hubei Province have taken up their posts. The worst thing is that the garrison force in Wuchang Prefecture is seriously insufficient.
Originally, there should be 3,000 pacesetters from the Governor of Huguang, 2,000 pacesetters from the General Soldier of Wuchang Town, 1,500 pacesetters from the Governor of Hubei, and a total of 6,500 pacesetters from the Green Battalion in Wuchang Mansion.
But before, Cheng Cai went to Hunan to block the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and took away three thousand of his pacesetters. Basically, he never came back!
Shuangfu took another 3,000 people with him when he went to support Hunan on the order of Monk Gelinqin. Among them, 1,500 were the soldiers he brought from Xiangyang to raise the standard, and the remaining 1,500 were soldiers from Wuchang Town. The Wuchang General Soldier was also taken away together. This group of troops followed Cheng Zicai after running away from Changsha and were overtaken by Luo Yaoguo's army in Yuezhou Prefecture. They suffered heavy losses. When they fled back to Wuchang, there were less than a thousand people. Even the Wuchang Town General The soldiers are all gone, and I don’t know whether he became a loyal martyr or was arrested by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
In other words, there are only Chang Dachun's 1,500 people in Wuchang City now, more than 1,000 people who followed Cheng Cai, Sun Yingzhao, Shuangfu and some scattered troops, and together they can barely manage Strong enough for three thousand people.
Cheng Cai and Chang Dachun, who returned to Wuchang, discussed it and divided the three thousand people into three. They were temporarily led by Shuangfu, Bole Gongwu and Sun Yingzhao, who had protected Governor Cheng from Xiangtan all the way back to Wuchang. .
With this small number of troops, even a fool knows that Wuchang Fucheng cannot be defended! However, Cheng Cai still had some illusions before, always thinking that Zhang Liangji would definitely lead troops to Wuchang to take over the defense - this man asked him to be Hunan's commander last time The governor was procrastinating and couldn't take office. He walked for several months before arriving in Lizhou. But after all, he came from Yunnan and Guizhou, and the journey was quite long. But this time he was from Lizhou to Wuchang, and it only took one or two days to take a fast boat. Damn it, it should come faster than the long-haired army, right?
In addition, Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, and Jiang Zhongyuan should have produced many Xiangyong. These Xiangyong should also be under the control of the Governor of Huguang. It should be okay for Zhang Liangji to bring thousands of Xiangyong to Wuchang, right?
So Cheng Cai gritted his teeth and stayed in Wuchang Prefecture, hoping that Zhang Liangji would come to take over as soon as possible so that he could escape unharmed and return to Nanchang Prefecture in Jiangxi Province to take care of his old age. Cheng Cai is seventy years old this year and is the fourth official. Ten years. Unlike most Han people who are "officials", he is lucky in both officialdom and wealth!
He was able to take twenty-seven exams and top eighteen in the palace exams. Then he became a concubine of the Hanlin Academy, editor, director of the Ministry of Etiquette, military machine Zhang Jing, and supervisory censor. Later, he was sent to Lanzhou Road in Gansu Province. Not long after he took office, he met Zhang The Geer Rebellion was another military exploit.
After Zhang Ge's death, he became completely prosperous. Not only did he promote the inspector general, but he was also quickly transferred from the miserable Gansu to Guangdong. Then he went to Guangdong, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, and Guangdong, and worked all the way from the inspector general to Jiangsu. Governor, Governor of Guangdong, and also acted as Governor of Liangjiang for a period of time! During the Opium War, he succeeded Yi Liang as Governor of Guangdong. After the war, he promoted Governor of Water Transport and acted as Governor of Jiangsu... and now he is Governor of Huguang!
Just look at the officials he held and you will know how much money he has made over the past ten years!
Now he has no idea of ​​"progress". As long as he can return to his hometown of Nanchang safely, everything will be fine... But why is it so difficult to achieve such a small wish?
"Father, Father... Mr. Sun said that he has something urgent to see you!"
Cheng Cai, who had just returned to the Governor's Yamen and was sitting in his study anxiously, suddenly heard the voice of his youngest son Cheng Fupei, and then he remembered that he still had a pair of children who had not left Wuchang Prefecture!
Especially his youngest daughter Lingnan, whom he got when he was the chief envoy in Guangdong. She was only twenty-eight years old, and she was a slim girl. She was also a talented girl who knew all kinds of music, chess, calligraphy and painting. This would still be possible if she fell into Changmao's hands. Is it ok?
"Fupei, you and the little girl are leaving right away..." Cheng Roucai hurriedly said to his son. "Father, if you want to leave, let's go together!"
Cheng Zicai's son seemed to be a filial son. While talking to his father, he handed over Sun Yingzhao's invitation and whispered: "Father, there is something in the invitation..."
"Things?" Cheng Cai raised his head and glanced at his handsome son, finding a joyful expression on his face, "Bank notes? What time is it now? What's the use of that?"
"Sir, it's better than a banknote. You'll know when you see it!"
"Better than a banknote?" Cheng Zicai took the invitation and opened it, "This is... inside is a piece of letter paper with very sloppy handwriting.
"This is a letter to the army! The child has been inspected by the master. It is handwritten!" "What is it written?" Cheng Wei asked.
"The one who wants money! The one who asks for money from the bank in Hankou to redeem his life... Sir, have you seen Mr. Sun?" "Quick, let him in!"
"yes!" ..
"Sir, Xiang Junmen, General Liu, Saitang and others... were burned to death outside the Chao Zong Gate in Changsha City. They are all loyal to the Qing Dynasty now!"
In the study room, Cheng Cai was confused by Sun Yingzhao's words. He looked at the retired commander-in-chief of Yongzhou Town with his presbyopic eyes and saw a happy face, which made him even more confused.
"Mr. Sun, why are you so happy? Do you have a grudge against Xiang Xinran?"
"Beizhi and Xiangjunmen have no grudges," Sun Yingzhao shook his head and said with a smile, "But Beizhi knew that Xiangjunmen was cheating his death!"
Of course Xiang Rong is really dead, he was burned into cokes, and he cannot die anymore.
But before he was sent to Hong Xiuquan, he had already written a letter asking for money to redeem his life. This letter was sent to Wuchang Fucheng by the Taiping Army's secret hall and handed over to Sun Yingzhao.
Moreover, the person who sent the letter also told Sun Yingzhao, Xiang Rong, and Liu Changqing that they had cheated their lives! Sun Yingzhao was convinced of this.
"Fake death?" Cheng Zicai was startled, "Didn't he get captured by Changmao?"
"Got it!" Sun Yingzhao said with a smile, "But money can make all the difference. As long as you have the money, you can fake your death like a golden cicada escaping from its shell! Sir... how about you do one too?"
"That's bullying the emperor!" Cheng Zicai was startled and lowered his voice and said, "Then Saitang, Mr. Liu..."
"Zai Tang is really dead, burned alive, he is truly loyal!" Sun Yingzhao said with a smile, "Mr. Liu, like Xiang Junmen, faked his death and escaped, and he should be on his way back to his hometown in Gansu now! Sir, the angel master of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom said that I will make you a living loyal martyr for one hundred thousand taels, and you will not be able to help me keep it!"
"One hundred thousand taels..."
"Father, one hundred thousand taels is not expensive, let's do it!"
One hundred thousand taels is extremely expensive for an official like Wang Kueyi.
But for Cheng Zicai, it's really a small amount of money. He has worked for all the fat jobs in Guangdong and Jiangsu! If you don't want him to be greedy for a million or two, do you still have the nerve to say that you are an upright official?
Cheng Zicai looked at Sun Yingzhao with suspicion: "Mr. Sun, how did Xiang Xinran's letter get into your hands?"
"To be honest, sir," Sun Yingzhao smiled, "Xiaguan... has secretly communicated with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom a long time ago! Otherwise, how could Xiaguan escape from the Taiping Army's encirclement?" "What?" Cheng Zicai took a breath. ,"That Feng Zicai..."
Feng Zicai led a battalion of soldiers to protect the Governor's Yamen!
Sun Yingzhao said with a smile: "He defected to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom earlier than Xiaguan, and those people under him are all in the Taiping Army's secret hall! Xianguan and sir, you made it clear...your governor's office is now in the Taiping Army's secret hall. It’s under control!”
Well, there are three thousand defenders in total, and another thousand may be Taiping troops, and five hundred of them are still "protecting" the Governor of Huguang! Can this still be fought?
Just when Cheng Zicai didn't know what to do, Shuangfu, the retired admiral of Hubei Province, suddenly "thrown himself into a trap"! And he also brought Cheng Zicai incredible news.
"What? Bole Gongwu led his Goshiha out of the city to Hanyang to fight against the long-haired army?" Cheng Cai asked with eyes wide open, "He doesn't want his life? There are at least tens of thousands of long-haired people in Jiangbei, and his Goshiha How many people are there in Hacai?”
"It's okay," Sun Yingzhao on the side said with a smile, "We have agreed that he will also be a living loyal hero of the Qing Dynasty! I gave him 20,000 taels... and kept it safe. When the time comes, I will hang the veteran's head higher. It belongs to him. If you make up a more heroic story for him, the emperor may even give him a posthumous posthumous post! Cheng Zhijun, Shuangjunmen, you also want to be a loyal hero? You two can do it together, and we will accept you in total. One hundred thousand taels."
This is "buy one get one free"!
Cheng Zicai looked back at Shuangfu, and saw that the admiral's face, which belonged to the Zhengbai Banner of Manchuria, was already full of joy: "Do it, do it...we will do it! Mr. Sun, do you really have the connections? Don't lie. us..."
Sun Yingzhao smiled and said: "Don't worry! It's all on me! You two should pack up quickly and leave tonight!"
Cheng Zicai suddenly frowned and said, "Leaving tonight? Yes, where can we go? After the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom captures Wuchang, is it likely that they will soon march into Jiangxi?"
"Go to Shanghai." Sun Yingzhao said, "The Taiping Angel said that there is a foreign concession in Shanghai. If you hide in it, even if the Taiping Army goes, you won't be touched. If that doesn't work, you can still take a boat. You are escaping to Guangdong! Sir, why not arrange for Feng Nangan to escort you on board the ship to Shanghai!"
"Don't forget me!" Shuangfu said immediately, "I'm going to Shanghai too!"
Cheng Zicai looked at Sun Yingzhao: "What about you? Mr. Sun, where are you going?"
Chapter completed!