On June 24, Li Dianyuan, deputy general of the Xunzhou Association of Guangxi, led his officers and soldiers to encircle and suppress the God worship association of Pingnan Huazhou. Because of a sudden attack, the God worship association of Pingnan Huazhou was unprepared and caught off guard. The leader was Hu Yihuang. Seeing that the situation was not good, he fled in a hurry.

Under the great victory, Li Dianyuan did not take the God worship club seriously at all. He learned that the God worship club was in Jintian, and then led his troops to Jintian to fight.

When Hong Xiuquan heard the news, he urgently summoned the nearby congregation and issued a regiment camp order, and ordered the regiment camps in various places to gather in Jintian, worshipping God's congregation to form an army according to the region, which is called the regiment camp.

On the 27th, under the leadership of Yang Xiuqing, the Jintian Troupe Camp set up ambushes in Jintian and Xinwei in three ways to meet the enemy. Li Dianyuan, who was arrogant and lightly advanced, defeated and fled. In this battle, he killed one thousand generals and two generals, and worshipped God to boost morale.

The news spread, the Baisha Troupe Camp led by Shi Dakai and Qin Rigang, the Bobai Troupe Camp led by Lai Shiju and Huang Wenjin, the Xinyi Troupe Camp led by Ling Caijin brothers, and the Huazhou Troupe Camp led by Hu Yihuang and Meng Deen accelerated to gather in Jintian.

Li Dianyuan, who was defeated, lost his face, gathered the remaining troops, gathered local groups to train, and worked with the seventh battalion of Qianyong, the general of Zhenyuan Town, Guizhou, stationed in Guiping, and the 4,000 troops rushed to Jintian again.

God worships God to build fortifications on both sides of the Caicun River and defend them layer by layer. There was a fierce battle between the two sides. The Qing army was defeated and more than half of the casualties were killed. Iktanbu, deputy general of the Qingjiang Association, was killed. Qianzong Tian Jishou, general Pan Jibang, Yang Wanfu, Liu Honghai and other military officers were killed more than ten times.

In the battle of Caicunjiang, the reputation of the God-Worship Association was completely promoted, greatly boosted and boosted the morale of the troupe camp, and also initially showed the combat power of the God-Worship Association. Many Hakka armed forces and Tiandihui armed forces, and the Qinglian Cult armed forces came to the scene after hearing the news.

Taking advantage of the power of two great battles and two victories, Hong Xiuquan officially announced that he would raise an army to fight against the Qing Dynasty. Hong Xiuquan called himself Taiping Allah, and the army composed of believers was called Taiping Army.

The prefect of Xunzhou, Liu Jizu, was shocked, frightened and panicked, and did not dare to hide anything at all. He immediately reported to the governor of Guangxi Zheng Zuchen in 800 miles.

Guangzhou Xiguan, Leiyuan, Changle Bookstore.

Bao Shichen put down the information in his hand and was very impressed by Yi Zhizu. As expected, he said everything that Taiping Army had strong combat power, and it was not the local Eight Banners Green Camp that could compete with him. After pondering for a moment, he said: "Hong Xiuquan called himself Taiping Lord, and the believers called Taiping Army. This is actually a king. Unlike ordinary bandits, he is a "thief who steals the title" who wants to compete with the Qing Dynasty for the world.

Although he has a great ambition, he is too impatient. At this time, he will inevitably force the local government to mobilize elite troops and generals to suppress them with all their might. It is not worth the loss."

Yi Zhizu lit a cigarette and said slowly: "There are disadvantages and there are advantages. Being king is conducive to winning and uniting people's hearts and enhancing appeal. The situation in Guangxi is chaotic, and there are many small-scale armed forces. If you weigh the trade-offs, the benefits may be greater than the disadvantages."

"It's still the big shopkeeper who saw it thoroughly." Bao Shichen smiled and paused, then continued: "At this time when the old and new changes, it is not a bad thing to make the Taiping Army go toss and attract the attention of the court."

The reason is this, but I am afraid that the Taiping Army will be too hard, and the economy will be damaged by several provinces, and countless people will die. Although the imperial court was seriously injured, Yuan Qi could not avoid major losses. However, thinking about Daoguang's attitude towards Yuan Qi over and over again, the best choice at present is to let the Taiping Army go to trouble. After Daoguang dies, let's see who inherits the throne.

As the two were talking, Lin Meilian came in to report: "Yi Zeng, the Nanyang Navy, is looking for a meeting outside."

Yi Zeng actually came? Yi Zhizu was a little surprised. He ordered the Guangdong Navy to carry out two delivery times, only 5,000 at a time, for the sake of preventing and stabilizing Luzon. Logically, Yi Zeng, as the commander of the conquest of the South China Sea, should be staying in Manila. Why did the next group of people set off first?

"Please come in." Yi Zhizu said and stood up, but Bao Shichen was unwilling to meet Yi Zeng, so he stood up and said, "I'm avoiding it."

Yi Zeng, dressed in navy summer clothes, walked into the yard with a slim stride. When he looked up, he saw Yi Zhizu standing on the steps outside the door and quickly speeding up his steps. He arrived at the scene and stood attentively and saluted: "Student Yi Zeng, I have seen the principal."

Principal? Yi Zhizuo couldn't help but be stunned. Generally, only those who came from Yuan Qiyixue called him the principal. Not much is known in the Navy, because in public, they are called military gates, and they are called this only when they are alone.

Seeing Yi Zhizu, Yi Zeng said quickly: "I am a student from the Naval Academy. The principal should not disagree with this student."

Yi Zhizu is indeed the president of two naval academies in Guangzhou and Shanghai. He couldn't help but smile and said, "Why should Jing Beizi be so humble?" He said, and reached out to give in and said, "Please—."

"Principal, please——." Yi Zeng quickly gave in and said, "This time, the promotion of Beizi is entirely due to the principal's support."

This is true. Yi Quezure is lazy and polite. When he entered the house and sat down, he said, "Is the emperor giving an order to form a Beiyang Navy?"

Seeing that he guessed this point, Yi Zeng secretly admired him and smiled, "I can't hide it from the principal." Then he lowered his smile and said seriously: "The students are still self-aware, so come and ask the principal to give advice."

What tips are there? The boy is here to ask for money, people, weapons, and warships. Yi Jing is very clear, but he pretends to be confused and asks, "What is the most fundamental difference between the navy and the army, do you know?"

Yi Zeng was stunned. I don’t know why he suddenly asked this. After thinking about it, he was confused and immediately said, “I’m stupid, please give me some advice.”

"The navy is essentially an offensive army." Yi Zhizu said slowly: "The purpose of Western countries in setting up navals is for the long-distance expedition. The purpose of our navies is also for the near-shore and long-distance expeditions."

Yi Zeng naturally understood this, because the purpose of the imperial court to establish the Beiyang Navy was to defend and protect the capital. This means that Yi Zhizu would not strongly support the Beiyang Navy at all. After pondering for a moment, he asked: "Tianjin is the gateway to the capital, and there is no danger to guard. What should be the main focus on coastal defense?"

"Nature is a shore cannon." Yi Zhizu said without thinking: "Instead of investing limited financial resources on the Beiyang Navy, it is better to throw it at the Dagukou Fort. If you have been in the navy for a long time, you should understand that the ratio of shore cannons to naval cannons is one to six."

One port cannon is comparable to six naval cannons. Yi Zeng has also heard of this theory. Even if he hits a snake and goes on the stick, "Dagukou Fort is as famous as Humen Fort, but the caliber and quantity of guns are simply not comparable to Humen Fort..."

"You don't have to worry about artillery." Yi Zhizu said: "One can be purchased from the West, and the other Yuanqi's military factory is also trying to build artillery and researching improved artillery performance. Within three to five years, it will definitely be able to manufacture artillery independently. At that time, a large number of artillery can be provided to strengthen Tianjin's coastal defense."

Within three to five years, this time was not long, but the problem was that the court planned to establish the Beiyang Navy, which was also a factor in preventing the Nanyang Navy. However, Yi Zeng did not dare to say this and immediately said tactfully: "The Beiyang Navy cannot rely on only a few training ships to support the storefront."

Yi Zhizu smiled and said, "The imperial court planned to build the Beiyang Navy with the purpose of strengthening the coastal defense of the capital. The Nanyang Navy will naturally not be rude. When the Java war is over, a certain number of warships will be allocated to the Beiyang Navy."

Yi Zeng came here today, with the main purpose of the warship. The court is now so poor that it is impossible to allocate large amounts of money to the Beiyang Navy. If you want a warship, you can only make the idea of ​​the Nanyang Navy. After hearing Yi Zhizu's statement, he didn't say much. After all, the Java war has not stopped, so he dared not force it, and immediately said: "Thank you, Principal, for sympathy."

After pondering for a little, Yi Zhizu said: "At present, sailing warships are facing elimination, naval guns are also in the process of renewal, and the navy also needs a large amount of ammunition for daily training. We cannot rely on Guangzhou and Shanghai in everything. Tianjin should speed up military construction and strive to produce weapons and ammunition on its own."

Yi Zeng bowed slightly and said, "Although Tianjin has developed in the past two years, its foundation is very weak, and the military industry is even more blank. Students are in charge of Beiyang, and I hope the principal will give strong support."

Yi Zhizu nodded and said, "You don't need to worry about this. Tianjin is the northern industrial base, port, fort construction, and industrial infrastructure that Yuanqi strongly supports. Yuanqi will spare no effort to support it." As he said, he changed his mind, "What is the situation in Luzon now?"

Yi Zeng hurriedly said respectfully: "Students stationed in Luzon, and everything follows the principal's instructions. Now the gentry of Luzon and the wealthy landlords and the indigenous families of Spain have been uprooted. The people assigned to the land now support the imperial court."

Yi Zhizu nodded slightly and said, "The situation in Nanyang is not stable at present. Spain and the Netherlands are very likely to be unwilling to lose these two colonies in the East and will jointly invade. The purpose of taking these measures is to win the hearts of the people. After all, the two countries have been entrenched in Nanyang for hundreds of years, so they have to be careful of their cooperation.

In addition, Luzon and Java are hanging overseas, with many islands, which are not as easy as the mainland for governance. If you want to completely incorporate them into the Qing Dynasty, there are only two methods: slaughtering all the indigenous peoples or treating them well. No matter which method is used, you must immigrate in large quantities.

The Nanyang has a suitable climate and fertile land. It can be harvested for three or even four seasons a year by planting rice. However, it is not suitable for storing and storing grain. Once developed, it will be the largest granary in the Qing Dynasty. Even if there will be such a serious disaster like this year in the future, it will not be afraid.

Furthermore, when Luzon and Java established provinces, they must focus on military and political affairs. Civil affairs must regard immigration and assimilation of indigenous people as their first priority, and they will always be responsible for it..."

Yi Zeng knew very well that he was not saying this to him, but wanted to use his mouth to tell Daoguang, and immediately remembered it with all his heart.

Guangxi, Guilin, Guangxi Governor's Office, signing house.

Zheng Zuchen, the 66-year-old and sick governor of Guangxi, leaned on the back of the chair and raised his face slightly. He was born in the tenth year of Jiaqing and had been in the officialdom for more than 40 years. He was a master of scattering. He had always deceived his superiors and concealed his subordinates, not complaining about good news, and had a "beautiful reputation" that only whitewashed in the officialdom of Guangdong and Guangxi.

Guangxi has not been peaceful in recent years, with famines and congregations everywhere, and fighting has become a trend. However, the governor of Guangxi has been doing everything in peace and stability. The trick is to embellish the peace.

Xunzhou magistrate Liu Jizu Feizhang urgently reported that Guiping Jintian worshipped the God Cult to buy Western firearms, and his intentions were ulterior motives. The bandit leader Hong Xiuquan called himself Taiping Allah, and the believers called Taiping Army. Xunzhou Green Camp went to encircle and suppress the enemy. He was defeated Xinxu and then defeated Caicunjiang. The Qingjiang Association deputy general Yiketanbu was killed, and more than ten military officers below Qianzong Tian Jishou were killed.

There is no doubt that this is a bandit who is different from ordinary bandits, and has good combat power. However, he did not attach much importance to it. The reason is very simple. Although the worship of God is not bad and there are many congregations, he did not capture the city. He just fought and quarreled in the countryside. It is not a big deal. There are many congregations in Guangxi, and there are not many more worshiping God, and there are not many less. What he fears most is that the congregations conquered the city, which is the most difficult thing to hide.

However, after all, there are so many military generals who have died, so the worship of God will still have to be wiped out as soon as possible. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain after the court to ask questions. It is not easy to let go of the general, but it is really difficult to excuse the deputy general who died in battle.

After thinking for a while, he wrote a letter to the Guangxi Admiral Min Zhengfeng stationed in Liuzhou Prefecture, urging him to send troops to Xunzhou to encircle and suppress the Guiping bandits as soon as possible.

As for Hong Xiuquan calling himself Taiping Allah and the believers calling him Taiping Army, he didn't take it seriously at all. These days, there are so many folk sects. There are many people who have become kings and emperors, and most of them are closed in the mountains or on the kangs. The reason for being kings and emperors is nothing more than to win more foolish people to strengthen the power of the sect or make money. He has seen more ways of seeing this, so it is not surprising.

Another thing that attracted him attention was another thing - selling Western firearms. In fact, a congregation sold a large number of Western firearms in Guangxi. He dared not ignore this matter. Guangxi is now in chaos. If a large number of Western firearms poured into Guangxi, what would be the consequences?

Then, he sent a letter to Xunzhou Prefecture, and asked the prefect Liu Jizu to thoroughly investigate the trafficking of Western firearms, Li Dianyuan, deputy general of Xunzhou Association, and Zhou Fengqi, general of Zhenyuan Town, Guizhou, to do his best to assist Guangxi Admiral Min Zhengfeng to eliminate the bandits of the God-worshiping Association.

The Guangxi officialdom was slow to react, and Hong Xiuquan of Jintian was also not impatient and won two consecutive victories. The Taiping Army, which absorbed a large number of armed forces, did not use this rare period of time to take advantage of the victory to attack, expand the territory and capture the city, but began to rectify the Taiping Army.

For all forces who came to serve, Hong Xiuquan's principle was that all teams that joined the Taiping Army must accept the belief in worshiping God and be bound by the rules of the canon. This can be said to be very harsh, which is equivalent to requiring everyone to change their ranks. Except for Luo Dagang's unit and becoming the backbone, the other teams gradually left.

The Taiping Army, which was in a good situation, did not rush to take any military action. Instead, it began to prepare a grand and festive birthday celebration in Jintian Village - Hong Xiuquan's 37th birthday.
Chapter completed!