Chapter 46: Slaughter

  Sanhe Town, Xiang Army.

  "Sir, the long-haired rebels are too strong, it's better for us to retreat and defend Tongcheng. With Tongcheng's strength, we can also resist the long-haired rebels and help General Du attack Anqing." Many generals within the Xiang Army had already realized that the chances of winning this battle were slim.

  Li Xubin is forty years old, at the height of his career. Since joining the army, Li Xubin has captured more than 40 cities and fought in over 600 battles, never suffering a defeat. Therefore, although he is fierce and brave, he is also arrogant and looks down on others.

  When the minister suggested that he retreat, Li Xubin angrily said: "Since I took up arms, I only know how to advance, not retreat. Even if I die in battle, it is my duty as a general. Tomorrow I will definitely break through his strongholds, and only then can I rest."

  The multitude seeing him speak thus, did not dare to say another word.

  "Tomorrow, we will capture Sanhe and then take Luzhou. By the time General Wu has taken Anqing, I will have taken care of the rest. We will support each other like pincers. Once Zeng Guofan's army enters Anhui, the province can be pacified." Li Xubin had always been at the forefront since he took command of his troops, and his guiding principle was "advance without retreat".

  "The long-haired rebels fear my reputation, so although they have a large army, they dare not advance. We should take advantage of this opportunity to attack the long-haired bandits at Jinyu Town first. This place is where the Four-eyed Dog is stationed, with about 30,000 bandits. Tomorrow night, we will divide our troops into three routes and launch a surprise attack, breaking through the Four-eyed Dog's defenses."

  "Li Xiucheng is over thirty miles away from here, and he can't get here within two hours. After we've defeated the Long Hair bandits in Jinniu Town, Li Xiucheng will definitely be afraid and retreat to defend Luzhou. We'll take advantage of the situation and launch a surprise attack. The Long Hair bandits are initially defeated, their army is in disarray, and Luzhou can't be defended either. Our army will then make a concerted effort to pacify Anhui and push the Long Hair bandits back to Jiangning." Li Xiubin said loudly.

  The generals heard this arrangement and also felt that there was still a chance of winning, and they were overjoyed in their hearts, and replied in unison: "Obey the military order"

  Jīn Niú Town, Taiping Army.

  Chen Yucheng sat in the center of the large tent, with dozens of generals standing on both sides. Chen Yucheng had a pair of scars under his eyes, which was why Li Xubin called him "Four-eyed Dog".

  "Li Xubin is indeed brave, and it's normal for the other generals to be afraid. However, a few days ago, the Loyal King and the Attending King have already led an army of one million to reinforce us, our military strength is twenty times that of the enemy, what is there to fear?" Chen Yucheng asked.

  The Taiping Army generals all blushed with shame at these words, but no one dared to volunteer for battle. After all, Li Xubin was notorious for being reckless and fearless, and no one had the courage to face him in combat.

  Chen Yucheng sighed and said, "This battle cannot be delayed. If the main force of the Xiang Army returns from Jiangxi to reinforce, our advantage will disappear. Since no one is willing to take the initiative to fight, I will personally command the army tomorrow night."

  The crowd heard that Chen Yucheng was going to take the field in person, and they all breathed a sigh of relief. Chen Yucheng also sent soldiers to inform Li Xiucheng at Baishi Mountain of the time for the uprising, agreeing to attack Li Xubin together.

  On the evening of November 15, 1858 (the eighth year of Xianfeng), Li Xu Bin made a desperate move and dispatched all seven battalions from his eleven battalions to launch a surprise attack on Jinniu Town under the cover of night.

  Unfortunately, Chen Yucheng also had this idea. On the evening of November 15th, Chen Yucheng took advantage of the night to launch a surprise attack on Sanhe Town.

  On November 11th, in the early morning hours, between Sanhe Town and Jinniu Town, near Fanjia Du Wang's ancestral hall, two ambushing troops encountered each other.

  Although it is said that the brave will win when they meet on a narrow road, this is under the condition of equal numbers. At present, the Xiang Army has less than 4,000 men, while the Taiping Army has as many as 30,000 men; when the two armies clash, the outcome is self-evident.

  Seeing this situation, Chen Yucheng was overjoyed and immediately ordered that the attack should not be too fierce, leaving some room for maneuver for the Xiang Army. Chen Yucheng himself led the remaining 20,000 troops to prepare to cut off the Xiang Army's retreat route and completely annihilate the enemy.

  Li Xubin was waiting for news in the camp at this time, and when he received the report, he was shocked and his face turned pale.

  "I didn't even inform the foreign gun squad, only my trusted generals knew about this sneak attack. How did that four-eyed dog also choose to send troops today?" Li Xubin roared in his tent.

  "Don't worry, sir. Although the vanguard has clashed with the enemy head-on, their momentum is weak and our side hasn't shown any signs of defeat yet," the reporting general said.

  "What? You mean our army can still fight another battle?" Li Xubin hastily asked.

  "They are all veteran brothers, with many battles under their belt. Although the enemy is numerous, they are not afraid. Currently, both sides are locked in a stalemate, with neither gaining the upper hand."

  Li Xubin paced back and forth in the military tent, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. At this time, if he let his brothers retreat, the Longhairs would take advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack, and it was unknown how many brothers would die. Moreover, Sanhe Town would not be able to stand firm and would have to withdraw to Shucheng, Tongcheng line.

  After thinking for a while, Li Xubin stamped his foot and roared: "Since I joined the army, I have never retreated, today is no exception"

  As he spoke, he sat back in the general's chair and shouted: "Little school, go to Qianren Bridge Li Mingfeng Li Daren's place for help, be sure to explain the crisis here." The little school received the order and left. Li Xubin said again: "All generals listen to orders, the whole army is fully equipped, go rescue the trapped brothers. We three Xiang sons, want to live together, want to die together."

  The crowd of generals thundered in unison, shouting: "Brothers of Sanxiang, we will live together and die together!"

  Near Wang's Ancestral Hall.

  Chen Yucheng ordered 10,000 Taiping soldiers to engage the Xiang Army in a diversionary tactic, while he led the main force to encircle the Xiang Army from behind. By the time Li Xiubin arrived, the Xiang Army was already completely surrounded.

  Misfortunes never come singly. By now it was already the hour of Chen, and although the night had retreated, a thick fog had risen. This thick fog made it impossible for Li Xubin's troops, who had just arrived, to accurately judge the overall situation. They saw the Longhairs and hacked at them, but did not know that they were gradually falling into an encirclement.

  At this time, the Chinese also gradually recognized the importance of firearms in war. Therefore, both the Xiang Army and the Taiping Army were equipped with guns and artillery, but they used their own manufactured guns and cannons.

  Since the Manchu entered the pass, China's firearms have been stagnant. The level of gun technology at this time is exactly the same as it was three hundred years ago, which was introduced by Western missionaries during the late Ming dynasty. The current musket has an effective range of 200 steps, more than 100 steps longer than a bow and arrow, but its price is dozens of times higher than that of a bow and arrow. Moreover, loading gunpowder is difficult, so firearms are still not the main combat tool.

  A thick fog enveloped everything, making it impossible to see even a few feet ahead. The sounds of drums and horns filled the air, but friend and foe were hard to distinguish. Both the Xiang Army and the Taiping Army abandoned their firearms and engaged in close combat with cold steel. This battle was truly one of blood flowing like rivers, with the vanguard of the Xiang Army almost completely annihilated, while the Taiping Army also suffered thousands of casualties.

  As the noon approached, the thick fog lifted, and Li Xiu-bin appeared, only to find that nearly half of his own troops had been killed or wounded. Suddenly a cannon shot rang out, and shouts of "Kill!" came from the east. Li Xiu-bin looked over and saw that it was Li Xiucheng who had come to their aid.

  Only saw flags fluttering, horses neighing and people shouting, the long hairs were endless, Li Xubin only felt a mouthful of fresh blood suffocating in his heart.

  "General, Wu Dingguo has also launched a charge!" said a general beside him. Wu Dingguo was the leader of the Taiping Army garrisoned in Sanhe Town.

  At this time, Li Xubin was surrounded by three Taiping Army troops, and victory was no longer possible. Li Xubin let out a long sigh and reluctantly ordered "return to camp". Li Xubin pulled the reins of his horse and rushed back urgently.