Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 85 Xiang Rong: I have mastered the essence of the skills of reporting victory!

Under the help of the time traveler Li Yi, the Taiping Army was still trapped in Dongxiang after the Battle of Dahuangjiangkou, but they quickly broke through successfully.

Then, they did not wander around Xiangzhou and Zijing Mountain areas. Instead, after breaking out from Dongxiang, they headed straight to Yong'an.

Later, after the Taiping Army captured Yong'an City, the situation became even more complicated.

The establishment of Yong'an system turned into the enthronement of the king of Yong'an.

Due to the short time they stayed in Yong'an, the Taiping Army simply conferred titles on the five kings of the east, west, south and north wings in Yong'an, but did not have time to complete the establishment of the system.

For example, the establishment of the Holy Treasury system, the promulgation of the Heavenly Calendar, and the Taiping Ritual System were not implemented in time.

But what surprised and complicated Li Yi the most was Feng Yunshan’s sacrifice.

The reason is simple: Feng Yunshan died too hastily!

In history, Feng Yunshan was seriously injured by the artillery fire of the Qing army in Quanzhou City when the Taiping Army passed through Quanzhou on its way to Hunan. He was later ambushed and killed in the Battle of Suoyidu.

As the first of the Five Kings to die in battle in the history of the Taiping Rebellion, his death was quite hasty.

No one could have imagined beforehand that Feng Yunshan would be killed in the small city of Quanzhou!

Li Yi still thought that his time travel could change Feng Yunshan's fate.

Unexpectedly, Feng Yunshan's death this time was even more hasty!
He didn't even reach the city of Quanzhou. He was killed just as the Taiping Army broke out from Yong'an.

Of course, this is not a bad thing for Li Yi.

Feng Yunshan was Li Yi's benefactor in the Taiping Army. In the eyes of many people, Feng Yunshan's promotion and appreciation of Li Yi played a crucial role in Li Yi's success in the Taiping Army.

If Feng Yunshan had not died, it would have been difficult for Li Yi to break away from the Taiping Army and establish his own regime.

Otherwise, you will inevitably be called ungrateful!
Now that Feng Yunshan died in the battle of Yong'an, Li Yi has also been freed from the only moral restraint that the Taiping Army had on him.

Next, whether to choose to break away from the Taiping Army and establish independence depends entirely on Li Yi’s own choice.

Thinking of this, Li Yi raised the teacup in his hand, poured the tea in the cup onto the ground, and said silently in his heart.

"Sir, please go ahead. I will fulfill your last wish for you!"

"When the mountains and rivers are restored and the evil spirits are completely wiped out, I will definitely bring the head of the Tartar demon chieftain and personally pay homage to you at your grave!"

Of course, what we are talking about here is Feng Yunshan’s last wish to fight against the Qing Dynasty.

As for the matter of establishing the kingdom of heaven on earth, Li Yi declined the offer. He really had no good feelings towards God and Jesus.

After offering sacrifices to Feng Yunshan from afar, Li Yi put the matter behind him and continued to deal with the military and government affairs at hand.

Since the Taiping Army has already headed north, it is time for Li Yi to take action as well!

……

The Qing army camp outside Yong'an City.

The atmosphere in the entire camp was gloomy and depressing.

Although after the long-haired bandits broke out of Yong'an, they successfully recaptured the city of Yong'an.

But this was not something to be happy about for the Qing army generals.

Because of the Battle of Yong'an, the Qing army was defeated so badly!
After the Taiping Army successfully broke through from the direction of Gusuchong, the Qing army immediately launched a pursuit and successfully caught up with the Taiping Army's rear troops, killing more than 2,000 people in the Taiping Army's rear troops.

Well, Feng Yunshan was accidentally surrounded and sacrificed in this battle.

But before the Qing army could rejoice over their victory for long, when the pursuers reached the Dadong Mountain area, the Taiping Army ambushes sprang up from all sides, and the Qing army's vanguard, which had advanced most forward, was completely wiped out.

Four generals at the rank of general were killed in the battle.

From the general to the officers at all levels and the soldiers killed in battle, the total number was three thousand.

This defeat was much more tragic than the last time the Qing army was ambushed in Xiangzhou.

Li Xingyuan slowly exhaled and said with a wry smile.

"The long-haired bandits broke out of Yong'an and fled north, and our army was ambushed and defeated at Dadong Mountain. The situation in Guangxi is likely to deteriorate further."

"What should we do if the emperor asks for punishment?"

They had just been reprimanded by the court, and this happened.

By then, the court might suspect that the bandits broke through because they were dissatisfied with the court's reprimands and therefore allowed the bandits to break through.

Even if these people don't have this intention, they can't help but be suspicious of the court.

By then, if the emperor really believed the slander of the treacherous ministers in the court, he would blame them.

Then Li Xingyuan would not simply be dismissed and sent home.

Maybe you will be forced to get a lifetime experience ticket for the natural scenery of the Northwest!
That would really be the end of his life!
After Li Xingyuan finished speaking, Xiang Rong on the side spoke.

"Your Excellency, when we report the battle of Yong'an to the court, we can say that the battle of Yong'an was taken by our army on its own initiative, not by the bandits themselves breaking out."

"Moreover, our army successfully killed the fake king in the battle to recapture Yong'an, and the bandit soldiers were defeated and fled."

"As for the casualties suffered by our troops in the ambush at Dadong Mountain, it is best to just briefly mention it and not mention it further."

"What do you think?"

Well, this is the little trick of reporting victory that Xiang Rong learned from Xunzhou prefect Cai Bingwen.

Looking at it now, it can be said that he has mastered the essence of the skill of reporting victory!

The same thing, if described in a different order, will have completely opposite meanings.

If they told the truth about this matter, it would be difficult for them to explain to the court.

But if the word order could be changed when reporting to the court, the result would be completely opposite.

Then they would not only be innocent but also meritorious.

After all, their achievements in recapture of Yong'an and killing the fake Taiping king were real.

It's just that there were more casualties in the process...

As for the specific situation on the battlefield, as long as they reach a consensus and tell a unified story, Guangxi is a place far away and the court has no way of verifying it.

Li Xingyuan was shocked when he heard this.

I was about to say that this was deceiving the king, but I quickly realized it.

This is indeed deceiving the king, but if I don't deceive the king, I will be able to get a lifetime experience ticket for the natural scenery of the Northwest.

After weighing the pros and cons, Li Xingyuan finally nodded and said.

"What the admiral said makes sense."

"Just follow this advice and report your victory to the court!"

"When the time comes, we can focus more on retaking Yong'an and killing the fake long-haired king."

"In this case, we should be able to give an explanation to the court!"

When everyone heard this, they all bowed in agreement.

After discussing the matter, Li Xingyuan continued to ask.

"After the battle of Yong'an, the long-haired bandits fled northwards with unknown purpose. We must not allow them to continue to spread and corrupt. Otherwise, how can we be worthy of the court and the trust of the emperor?"

"How should we suppress the bandits next? Let's discuss what we want to do!"

After he finished speaking, Xiang Rong was still the first to speak.

"To reply to the Imperial Envoy, if we go north from Yong'an and pass through Pingle and Yangshuo, we will reach Guilin, the capital of Guangxi Province."

"I guess the bandits went north to Guilin."

Xiang Rong is a veteran after all, and when he really gets serious, his sense of war is quite sharp.

Li Xingyuan looked a little nervous when he heard this.

"Guilin?!"

"The main forces of the imperial court in Guangxi are now in our hands. Although Guilin is the provincial capital, its defenses are weak."

"Once the enemy soldiers arrive, Guilin will be in danger!"

Upon seeing this, Xiang Rong stepped forward and spoke.

"Your Excellency, I request that you bring a group of elite soldiers to help Guilin. I am willing to guarantee with my life that Guilin will not be lost. Otherwise, I will bring my head to you!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xingyuan's eyes lit up again and he immediately made the decision.

"That's fine!"

"Admiral Xiang, you must lead a group of elite troops to rush to Guilin to ensure its safety. I will lead the main force of the army and set off soon." "When the time comes, you and I will join forces inside and outside the city of Guilin to defeat the long-haired bandits!"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Rong immediately bowed and accepted the order.

He immediately took his leave and returned to his own camp, where he assembled an elite force of about a thousand men and prepared to rush to the aid of the provincial capital Guilin.

Before leaving, Xiang Rong sternly warned his son Xiang Jixiong to lead the main force of the army to obey the orders of the imperial envoy wholeheartedly and not to be indecisive or procrastinate.

Otherwise, he will have to ask Jixiong!

The reason why the Taiping Army was able to break out of Yong'an a few days ago had a lot to do with the Qing army's deliberate letting them go.

The person stationed in Gusuchong happened to be Xiang Jixiong.

Xiang Jixiong was already dissatisfied with the court's reprimands to Xiang Rong. When he saw that the Taiping Army was about to break through the encirclement from Gusu, he did not lead his troops to resist at all, but just gave up.

As soon as the Taiping Army arrived, he was the first to run away.

After the main general Xiang Jixiong fled, the Qing army stationed in Gusuchong was naturally defeated by the Taiping Army immediately.

Then, the Taiping Army successfully broke out from Yong'an!

Otherwise, if Xiang Jixiong had guarded Gusuchong with all his heart, he might have been able to hold out until the arrival of reinforcements from the Qing army.

By then, it would be truly unknown whether the Taiping Army could successfully break through!

The Qing army was ambushed in Dadong Mountain and suffered heavy losses afterwards, which was actually related to this.

If Xiang Rong had not wanted to clean up the mess his son had caused, he would have led his troops to pursue the Taiping Army fleeing northward too fiercely, and ended up running headlong into the Taiping Army's encirclement.

The defeat at Dadong Mountain might not necessarily happen!

Xiang Jixiong knew that he had caused a big trouble and dared not disobey his father, so he could only agree meekly.

……

The second day of May in the first year of Emperor Xianfeng’s reign in the Qing Dynasty is auspicious and suitable for marriage, but avoid breaking ground or traveling far.

This day was the wedding day of Li Yi and Luo Caiyu, and the whole Guiyi Town was hung with bright red silk cloths.

A long buffet was set up outside the door of Li's mansion. People passing by could sit down and eat and drink at will as long as they said a few auspicious words.

There are also tables in the mansion.

All the generals of Li's army put down their current work today and rushed to Li's Mansion to attend Li Yi's wedding banquet.

Everyone raised their glasses to toast, wishing Li Yi and Luo Caiyu a happy marriage and a son soon.

In the lobby, the wedding ceremony had ended. Li Yi held Luo Caiyu's hand and came to Zhao to offer her tea.

"Mom, please have some tea!"

Luo Caiyu said with a slightly trembling voice.

After such a long time, she finally got her wish and married the person she loved, and she was very excited.

Zhao reached out to take the tea from Luo Caiyu and said.

"Okay, okay! Caiyu, you are such a good daughter-in-law to your mother!"

After saying this, Zhao looked at Li Yi with burning eyes.

"Yier, as a woman, I don't want to get involved in what your men do outside, and I have no way to get involved."

"But I don't care what you want to do, the incense of my Li family cannot be cut off."

"Since you and Caiyu are already married, you two should get busy as soon as possible. I am still waiting to have a grandson!"

Li Yi didn't feel embarrassed when he heard this.

Just smiled and said.

"Don't worry, mother. We will work hard."

As he spoke, he gently pinched Luo Caiyu's soft breasts.

Listening to Li Yi's words and actions, Luo Caiyu's face under the veil had already turned red with shame.

After serving tea, Li Yi ordered people to send Luo Caiyu back to the bridal chamber, while he himself held up a glass of wine and drank with the senior leaders of the Li family army, accepting their congratulations.

Wang An was drunk. He put his arm around Zhao Ke's shoulder and talked incessantly.

"Before Old Li died, he held my hand and asked me to take care of Li Yi."

"Now Li Yi has over 10,000 soldiers and is married with a family. Even in the afterlife, I will be able to give an explanation to Old Li."

“Hey, as his brother, I didn’t… didn’t let him down… hehehe…”

As he was talking, Wang An lay down on the table and fell into a deep sleep.

Apart from Zhao, Wang An was the most excited about Li Yi's marriage.

Fan Xiyuan, Ye Zhisheng and others also raised their glasses frequently, with genuine smiles on their faces.

The reason for this is very simple.

To conquer the world, you can't do it alone.

Now that Li Yi is the leader of a faction, he urgently needs an heir to provide a guarantee for everyone's future.

Then, everyone can follow him wholeheartedly to conquer the world.

Otherwise, if something happened to Li Yi, they would have no one to support even if they wanted to.

Isn't this horse riding funny?

The banquet was over, and Li Yi returned to the bridal chamber, reeking of alcohol.

Luo Caiyu was sitting on the edge of the bed with her veil covering her head. She felt a little nervous and her hands subconsciously fiddled with the hem of her wedding dress.

Li Yi pushed the door open and walked in front of Luo Caiyu.

He gently lifted the veil covering her head, stared at his bride with burning eyes, and spoke.

"My lady, it's getting late, let's take a rest..."

"Yes! I will listen to my husband."

Luo Caiyu responded softly, her voice full of shyness.

The spring breeze blew a few times, and after a night of hard work, when Li Yi woke up, it was already bright.

He turned his head and saw Luo Caiyu's sleeping face, and couldn't help but lean over and give her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

The beauty was awakened by Li Yi's actions, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Li Yi's tender eyes.

The two looked at each other, and soon, she turned away shyly.

"You and I are already married, why are you still shy?"

"What didn't I see last night?"

When Luo Caiyu heard this, a hint of dullness appeared on her pretty, slightly dark face.

"Oh, my husband, you bully me, I won't allow it."

"I asked you to turn off the lights last night, but you refused. I was so embarrassed..."

Li Yi spoke sweet words lovingly.

"Turn off the lights, and I can't see your face clearly."

"I want to keep your most beautiful appearance in my heart forever."

When Luo Caiyu heard this, her heart started beating uncontrollably.

Li Yi's eyes were really beautiful, big and bright, shining like stars. Once Luo Caiyu met his eyes, she couldn't look away.

Seeing this, Li Yi started to tease.

"Okay, okay, my lady, please get dressed quickly. We still have to go and greet mother later."

Luo Caiyu nodded.

"Yes, yes, I will get up now. If mother knew that I stayed in bed on the first day of my marriage, I'm afraid she would laugh at me."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi waved his hand and said.

"That's not the case. My mother probably hopes that you two can stay together for a few more times so that she can give birth to a big fat grandson as soon as possible..."

"Ha ha!"

I’ll post one chapter first, the next one will be in the evening, there will definitely be more!
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(End of this chapter)