After 1840, British industrial products began to invade the Qing Dynasty, which led to economic chaos in the Qing Dynasty. A large number of people became slaves, beggars and refugees, and a series of social problems began to appear. The chaotic social economy, coupled with official corruption and nepotism. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement and a series of great people's uprisings came into being.
In the era of superstitious theocracy, Hong Xiuquan gave the people a kind of courage to resist, and he attracted countless followers with the concept of "one family under the world". In the early days of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement, the Qing Dynasty mobilized almost all its troops, but it still did not stop the momentum of the Taitian Army. It was not until the Yong ying system was established that Zeng Guofan was empowered by the Qing court.
The territory occupied by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in its heyday
1the heavy rain in July, 864, Zeng Guofan will never forget. Heavy rain is like opening a hole in the sky, and the water of the Milky Way pours down. At this time, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom has reached the last moment, and Nanjing City has been out of food for many days. Two years of fighting will finally be known.
More than ten years of chaos will finally come to an end in Zeng Guofan's hands. When Zeng Guofan was in mourning at home, he was ordered to organize a group to be fearless in times of crisis, so as to keep the Qing Dynasty alive. Zeng Guofan knew that after the destruction of Nanjing, Xiangzi would no longer exist. He knew that rabbits died and dogs boiled. This is the last carnival of Xiang army and their last feast.
They are all soldiers who came out to fight with themselves, and they are their fellow villagers. Many of them in the army are their friends, acquaintances, relatives and friends. It is because of this kinship that the Xiang army formed this well-organized, orderly advance and retreat, and powerful offensive army.
Zeng Guofan knew that the essence of Xiang was mercenaries, and besides protecting the environment and the people, it was for money.
Xiang army is too poor, and they are all farmers' children. For them, Zhongjun is too far away. The purpose of being a soldier is nothing more than exchanging your life for money.
At the beginning, the Qing court also promised to provide military pay, but in the end it became a dead letter. The treatment of Xiang has always been the highest, and the salary is three times that of the Eight Banners. Item has been in arrears for a long time. Where did the money come from?
Dongzheng reimbursement bureau? The military expenditure raised is only nine Niu Yi Mao. In the end, Zeng Guofan could only look to ordinary people, and Nanjing was their ultimate goal. The Xiang army, which persisted for two years, finally ushered in the final bloody battle in July.
1864, 19 In July, the Xiang army invaded Nanjing. At this time, Nanjing was an isolated city, with only 1 10,000 Taiping troops and 20,000 ordinary people.
After Xiang army entered the city, they met with desperate resistance from Taiping Army, and they fought a bitter street battle. The backbone soldiers of Taiping Army exhausted their last strength and fell in a pool of blood.
After entering the city, all Xiang troops are doing one thing, that is, robbing. This is not the first robbery, but they all know that this is the last one. This time, all the soldiers can take part, including office workers, even the sick and wounded, and they all rob the city.
Zhao Liewen wrote in his diary "Living in Peace": Nine times out of ten people who died along the street were old people. Those who have children under two or three years old also think it is a game, crawling on the road. None of the women under the age of 40 were injured, or were they dozens of knives? .
"The Complete Works of Tan Sitong" wrote: Thirty-two years later, Tan Sitong visited Nanjing and heard about it? (Xiang Jun) When the city was breached, everyone was killed and the house was burned down. The children were involved in Xiangjun, and Jinling was always poor. So far, my father said, there is still a deep resentment?
Some civil servants are unwilling to rob themselves because of their face, so they buy the property and antiques robbed by soldiers at low prices.
Zeng Guofan witnessed soldiers killing ordinary people, even his own brother participated in it, and transported the looted property back to his hometown with a big ship. Soldiers go home to buy houses and land through looted property.
It is not the first time he has seen such a scene, but there is nothing he can do. Being a soldier is for money, and the court owes soldiers money and wants them killed. He couldn't make the soldiers obey the discipline on his own and serve the Qing court for free. All he can do is silently watch these soldiers do their disgraceful things.
At this point, he can't stop the soldiers from going crazy. In the document submitted to the court, he wrote helplessly:? I am also puzzled that Hong Xiuquan has managed Nanjing for many years, but he has never left any treasure.
He knows how much blame he will bear after this war, even though people all over the world are calling him. Have you shaved your head? He can only bear it silently, because he made up his mind from the beginning to be loyal to the monarch and patriotic.
As the tombstone next to his tombstone says:? Make a decision before moving, as heavy as a mountain. All generals, though far away from the public, abide by the constraints? .
Is he bent on becoming the A Xiang Army? No money, not afraid of death? However, how could he lead the troops in one hand and make the item of 1000000 become a bad person with no money and no food?
In the face of Nanjing City and the final massacre of soldiers, he tried to stop it, but he could do nothing.