The Taiping Army did not learn about the trench defense fortifications. Although they were layered across and down, they were not curved, but straight lines. In order to prevent cavalry charges, the width of the trenches was a bit outrageous. As for the hidden artillery, there were no such things as single bunkers. If you encounter intensive artillery attacks from mountain howitzers that can be shot in a curve, you can imagine casualties.

The trenches were immediately in a mess. The officers and soldiers who had never experienced such terrifying artillery bombardment were like frightened rabbits, running around in fear, and they all wanted to escape from the hell-like position as soon as possible. No one believed that the trenches could avoid shelling. The huge explosion, the pungent smell of gunpowder, and the dust in the sky could not stop them from running wildly.

Looking at this scene in a daze, his face turned extremely pale in an instant, and he didn't even notice that his lips were bleeding. He felt a deep sense of powerlessness in his heart. He couldn't fight this battle, and he didn't even have the chance to fight back. This was just a fool to bully people with artillery!

The deafening sound of cannons came one after another, and the shelling continued to extend backwards. Amid the loud charge, the infantry, who had already been ready to charge with a musket with a shaky bayonet, launched a tide-like charge. Almost as the sound of cannons stopped, the blue crowd had already flowed through the two trenches in front and arrived under the earthen wall built by the Taiping Army.

Seeing this, Chen Hongming put down the telescope in his hand, it felt boring. It was simply a strong man fighting with a three-year-old doll. He even felt like he was not defeated. "It's not on the same level at all. It's still Feng Renxuan who is lucky and has the chance to fight with the Russians."

Yan Yangtian ignored him and held up a telescope to observe the situation on the battlefield carefully. Although he had an absolute advantage, he did not dare to be careless. After all, the Taiping Army was a long-standing battle formation. If something really happened, he had no place to put his face.

On the battlefield, the words "Stop the gun and don't kill!" were shouted "Stop the gun!" on the battlefield, and the Taiping Army, who were shocked by the bombardment, were at a loss by the sound of explosions, and they were at a loss. They didn't know whether to surrender or continue to resist.

Lin Tianyang, who fought on the city wall, was also hesitant. He knew very well that if he continued to fight, there would be only one result - the entire army was destroyed! But when he ordered the surrender, he couldn't say it. The military commander Hou Yicheng was already panicked at this time. He didn't expect that the artillery of the Yuanqi New Army was so powerful. He hurriedly begged: "General, retreat, Yuezhou is still relying on the command of the general."

Yin Tianyang knew that if he didn't retreat, he would have no chance. After gritting his teeth, he said in a deep voice: "Order surrender." After saying that, he quickly turned around and got down from the city wall. At this moment, he understood very clearly that since he could not escape, why did they die in vain? There were many old brothers he brought from Guangxi below.

A white flag was quickly raised from the head of Chenglingji City. Yin Tianyang and his men boarded several cliffs at the dock and hurriedly rowed to the other side of the river. Fortunately, the heavy artillery on the river bank did not fire, and it seemed that they had not noticed these cliffs at all.

Seeing the white flag rising above the city wall, Yan Yangtian put down his telescope and said in a deep voice: "Send an order, let them put the telegram into the city as soon as possible."

Because of the Taiping Army, neither Hunan nor Guangxi had a telegram line. This time, the army was in the fight, Yi Zhizu ordered the engineering team to follow the army and lay the telegrams wherever the army went. After all, there is nothing faster and more convenient to transmit information than telegrams.

"It's so convenient to have this telegram." Chen Hongming smiled and said, "After setting up a notice, my fleet will come as soon as possible."

The frightened Yin Tianyang rushed back to Yuezhou City as fast as possible and immediately ordered the evacuation. Not only the Yuezhou defenders evacuated, but the water camp of Dongting Lake also evacuated with him. Yin Tianyang knew very well that after controlling Chenglingji and Yuezhou, the Yangtze River Navy fleet would soon go up the river. Once the Yangtze River Navy fleet entered Dongting Lake, the warships of the water camp were no match for those mobile and flexible steam gunboats that could move forward and retreat freely.

The next day, Yan Yangtian led a large army to recover Yuezhou without bloodshed, and the Yangtze River Navy fleet also set sail from Wuchang and quickly climbed up the river.

After receiving the telegram to report the victory, Yi Zhizu just glanced at it and ordered indifferently: "Forward Wuchang, the capital."

After receiving the telegram to recover Yuezhou, Hunan Governor Zhang Liangji was very happy and hurried to the Governor General's Office to ask for the meeting with the Governor General of Huguang Qishan. After the Taiping Army occupied Hunan, he, the governor of Hunan, was nominal and was not as good as a prefect in Wuchang City. Now that Yuezhou is recovering, he is naturally tempted. It is a good place to open Lika!

Qishan could roughly guess Zhang Liangji's intention. When he saw him coming in to greet him, he smiled and said, "Brother Caichen can be regarded as guarding the clouds and seeing the moon bright."

After hearing this, Zhang Liangji felt aroused. In recent years, he, the governor, has been so cowardly. He has no money and no one. Now he finally saw hope. He pondered for a moment and bowed: "Sir, the navy and the navy cannot be stationed in Yuezhou for a long time. The officials want to go to Yuezhou to appease the people."

To appease the people? Qishan sneered secretly. Although he understood his situation, he was too anxious. After pondering for a moment, he said: "I remember the emperor's Daoming issued an imperial edict a few days ago?"

How could Zhang Liangji not remember the decree that inspired the governors of the Southeast provinces? In the decree, Xianfeng not only expanded the military and financial power of the local governors, but also the right to prosecute! After a little thought, he said: "The subordinates are stupid, please give me advice."

Qishan slowly twisted his long beard under his jaw and said, "The restoration of Hunan is mainly based on the Nanyang Navy and the Yangtze River Navy. Yuan Qi has opposed the establishment of Lika in the Yangtze River in various provinces. Brother Caichen should have heard of it? Besides, the governor of Yuezhou Prefecture, can Brother Caichen have suitable candidates for recommendation?"

What does it mean to be the candidate for the magistrate of Yuezhou Prefecture? Zhang Liangji thought about it and felt very disappointed. If he didn't set up a liter card in Yuezhou, where would he get the money? If he couldn't recommend officials, how could he get the investment? He is still a decoration? After hesitating, he said: "Hunan has been poisoned for a long time, and even if he is restored, it will be full of devastations and everything is in trouble."

Qi Shan glanced at him and said coldly: "Now the saints in Yiguo City are in great detail. Every book is accurate. Brother Caichen might as well go to Qingshan Town to test it."

What is the correct one book? Is it impeachment? Zhang Liangji immediately cried and cried. After a few years of hardship, he finally saw hope, but it was shattered in an instant. However, he was still unwilling to give up and immediately bowed: "Xiaoguan will go to Qingshan Town now."

Qishan sighed inwardly and said, "Brother Caichen will not go empty-handed when he wins in Yuezhou?"

Zhang Liangji was stunned. He had been working as an empty-tube governor for several years, so how could he pay the money to reward the army? After a change of mind, he said, "The prince and the Taiwan Master will go there too?"

Restoring Yuezhou, Mian Yu and Huguang Governor Qi Shan, who were the general, naturally did not fail to express their feelings. The next day, they brought a lot of food, pigs, cattle, sheep, chicken, duck, fish and eggs to Qingshan Town to reward the army. However, as soon as they docked at the Qingshan Town Wharf, the Yangtze River Navy General Wuchang Town General Guan Yousheng came to report, and Yi Zhizuo took a boat back to Shanghai half an hour ago.

At this critical moment, Yi Zhizu actually rushed back to Shanghai. Mian Yu and his party couldn't help but look at each other. Could it be that something big happened? Qi Shan quickly asked, "What happened?"

Guan Yousheng said: "Mr. I should have sent you a telegram, and I vaguely heard that it is a diplomatic matter."

Diplomacy? Mian You's heart was shocked. It could not be that the court signed a contract with Citigroup was exposed? If this is the case, it would be troublesome. Will Yi Zhizu withdraw his troops in anger?

On the steam gunboats heading east along the river, Yi Zhizuo sorted out his thoughts over and over again. It was naturally no small matter that could make him return to Shanghai at this critical moment. When Manila called, he found that twenty-five warships of the British and French Combined Fleet headed north through the South China Sea, with unknown purpose.

To be honest, he is now puzzled. Britain and France have declared war on Russia. At this time, he should have no time to take care of the Far East. Why would the British and French joint fleet suddenly appear in the Far East?

What made him even more worried was that he smelled the smoke of the Second Opium War. He suspected that the sudden appearance of the British-French joint fleet was purely deterrent by force. Not long ago, he received a telegram that the three countries of Britain, France and the United States jointly submitted a letter of nationality to the Zongli Yamen in Nanyang, and made a request for amendment on the grounds that the Treaty of Jiangning had been signed for twelve years - China was opened up, foreign ministers were stationed in Beijing, traded in the Yangtze River, and the opium trade was legalized.

For such an unreasonable request, his call was: resolute and decisive, without leaving any room for maneuver!

He remembered very clearly that the fuse of the Second Opium War was that Britain and France proposed to revise the treaty, but the Qing court refused. Originally, he thought that with the emergence of Yuan Qi and the establishment of the South China Sea Navy, the Second Opium War would not break out. Now it seems that he seems to treat himself too much!

If the British and French joint fleet suddenly appeared to show off its military power, it means that Britain and France did not take the South China Sea fleet seriously at all. For him, this was a slap in the face, and what made him even more incredible was that Citigroup was actually involved, so how could he feel? This was not just a slap in the face, but even a mace was used!

If the Second Opium War broke out? What does it mean for Yuan Qi? He could not and could not tolerate the British and French coalition forces reaching the capital! But the current scale of the Nanyang Navy is indeed far behind the naval strength of Britain and France. Not to mention the British and French coalition forces, even the British navy, the Nanyang Navy is no match! Could it be that after so many years of struggle, it still cannot be changed?

When the ship passed Taiping Prefecture, Yi Zhizu received another telegram - the Beiyang Navy Zaizhao newspaper: Muravyov led 75 ships, carrying a thousand Cossack soldiers, and broke into Heilongjiang.

After reading this telegram, Yi Zhizu was even more confused. Muravyov was not unfamiliar with him. This person was the governor of Tsarist Russia's "Eastern Siberia". Logically speaking, Russia should be deeply trapped in the quagmire of the Crimean War. Why do you have the leisure to challenge the bottom line of the Qing Dynasty? Are you not afraid of angering the Qing Dynasty?

No matter what the situation is, the bottom line cannot be trampled! Yi Zhizu called back immediately - if the Beiyang Navy did not dare to go north to expel the Russians who invaded Heilongjiang, the Nanyang Fleet would send a fleet north without hesitation. The territory of the Qing Dynasty will fight for an inch of land!

When the ship arrived in Jiangning, Zai Zhao called back - hoping that the Nanyang Navy would send a fleet north to assist the Beiyang Navy to go north to expel the Russian fleet that invaded Heilongjiang.

Seeing this telegram, Yi Zhizu was speechless. It was obvious that the Beiyang Navy was afraid that the fleet would lead to the emptiness of Tianjin's troops when it headed north, but now where did the British and French fleet go north and what was its purpose? He didn't know at all, but he was sure that there was no major war in Tianjin at this time! In other words, the British and French fleet would not appear in Tianjin!

In this case, how dare you send the Nanyang Fleet to Heilongjiang north? Fortunately, you have arrived in Jiangning and it doesn’t take long to arrive in Shanghai by train. He decided to figure out the situation first.

As soon as Yi Zhizu returned to Shanghai, Wu Changqing and Yan Shikuan rushed over immediately. After a little greeting, Yi Zhizu asked directly: "Is the situation of Bao Ling, the new ambassador to China and the governor of Hong Kong, clear?"

"The shopkeeper should have some impression of him." Wu Changqing said slowly: "This person is 62 years old. He has been a member of the British House of Representatives. He has been a member of the British House of Representatives in Guangzhou for 29 years. He can speak Cantonese. He went to Hong Kong as acting commercial director in the second year of Xianfeng. In April this year, he was promoted to Hong Kong Governor and also served as commander of the British Army in Hong Kong, lieutenant general, plenipotentiary representative of China and business supervisor. He can be regarded as a Chinese official."

After a pause, he continued: "This man advocated free trade. When he was elected as a member of parliament, he promoted natural human rights and claimed to be a enthusiastic advocate of peace. However, during his time in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, he tried his best to get the British into Guangzhou City."

Although Guangzhou is a four-port trading port, foreigners have never been allowed to enter Guangzhou City. They are only allowed to live and open factories in commercial areas outside the city. For this reason, there are many conflicts between the local governor and the British. The Nanyang Zongli Yamen turned a blind eye to this and ignored it. Although the Shanghai county is open to all foreigners, foreigners are also not allowed to settle down and set up factories in the county. The reason is very simple and it is easy to cause trouble.

After hearing Wu Changqing's words, Yi Zhizu naturally remembered who this Baoling was. John Bo W Rig, a bad old man, said that he had seen him several times, but he didn't expect that the old man would still be on the post. He pondered for a moment and said, "Please ask him to come to the house to talk with me."

Yan Shikuan quickly got up and went out to Lin Meilian. Yi Zhizuo lit a cigarette and said in a voice: "What's going on with the amendment of the treaty for twelve years?"

After hearing this, Wu Changqing smiled and said, "The Jiangning Treaty was personally reviewed by the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper forgot that one of them is different - the situations of each person are different, and there may be some slight modifications in all trade and sea surfaces. It should be sent to the two countries to handle the fair treatment after twelve years."
Chapter completed!