One
In 1860, there were only 4 years left before the fall of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. However, due to the outstanding performance of the two rising stars, Li Xiucheng, the King of Zhong, and Chen Yucheng, the King of England, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom actually showed signs of returning to the light.
In this year, Li Xiucheng and Chen Yu attacked the Qing army's Jiangnan camp in one go, temporarily relieving the huge threat facing Tianjing. After that, they counterattacked and took the initiative to attack, rushing headlong into the prosperous and rich Jiangnan region. First, it captured the important town of Suzhou and established Sufu Province in Suzhou; then it marched south into Zhejiang, capturing the zhejiang capital of Hangzhou for the first time.
Lee So-sung
When the city of Hangzhou was breached, Luo Zundian, the governor of Zhejiang, committed suicide by swallowing medicine with his wife and daughter.
After Luo Zundian's death, Wang Youling, the envoy of Zhejiang Province, worked closely with the viceroy Zhang Yuliang to repel the Taiping army and retake Hangzhou. He Guiqing, the governor of Liangjiang, immediately sent a message to the imperial court, asked Wang Youling for merit, and recommended him to serve as the governor of Zhejiang. The Xianfeng Emperor did not comment. He Guiqing immediately went on another recital and continued to recommend Wang Youling. The Xianfeng Emperor was a little angry, and replied, "Erdan, do you know that there is a king with an ear?" He Guiqing was not discouraged, and the third time he played, he still recommended Wang Youling. The Xianfeng Emperor was overwhelmed and had no choice but to appoint Wang Youling as the governor of Zhejiang.
Xianfeng Emperor
Why was He Guiqing so attentive to recommending Wang Youling? Because they have unusual feelings.
Two
Wang Youling (王有灵; pinyin: Wáng Youling, Wang Youling, Literally, Bárīng Yình, Déâtre) was a houguan (侯官; present-day Fuzhou, Fujian) was born in 1810. Wang Youling's father was named Wang Xie, who had served as a magistrate in Yunnan, Sichuan and other places, and had a good reputation for honesty and honesty. Wang Youling did not like to do eight shares of articles, so Wang Xie donated him an official position as a salt ambassador. In 1839, the first year of the outbreak of the First Opium War, Wang Youling reported to the bureaucracy, made a bit of a point, and was immediately assigned to Zhejiang, successively serving as Xinchang, Yin county, Zhenhai, Renhe and other counties, Dinghai Tongzhi, Huzhou prefect, Hangzhou prefect and other posts.
Generally speaking, officials like Wang Youling, who obtained official positions by donations, belonged to a different kind in the official arena, were looked down upon by officials who came from the rank of jinshi, and their chances of promotion were far less than those of the latter. However, Wang Youling was lucky. When he was the prefect of Hangzhou, the governor of Zhejiang appointed a nobleman, He Guiqing.
He Guiqing was a native of Yunnan, poor in his early years, and received help from Wang Youling's father, Wang Xie. Wang Xie asked He Guiqing and Wang Youling to study together, and the two had the same friendship. After He Guiqing became the governor of Zhejiang, he took good care of Wang Youling and recommended him to serve as an envoy for salt transportation and an envoy for Zhejiang. In 1857, He Guiqing was promoted to governor of Liangjiang, and recommended Wang Youling as an envoy to Zhejiang, responsible for raising military salaries and other matters.
The far right is Why Guiqing
Therefore, when there was a vacancy in the governor of Zhejiang, He Guiqing would recommend Wang Youling to the Xianfeng Emperor at all costs.
Three
After Wang Youling became the governor of Zhejiang as he wished, the military situation in Zhejiang was still very urgent. The Taiping Army may be transferred at any time and besiege Hangzhou for the second time.
Therefore, the most urgent task at the moment is to actively prepare for war and prepare for the defense of Hangzhou. However, by 1861, the military situation in Zhejiang showed no signs of easing, but became more urgent. The Taiping Army occupied Jiaxing, Zhuji, Yuhang, Shaoxing and other places, cutting off The grain routes of Hangzhou and making Hangzhou an isolated city. What was even more fatal was that He Guiqing, as the governor of Liangjiang, was stationed in Changzhou and also faced the attack of the Taiping Army, so Zhang Yuliang was transferred to defend Changzhou, and the defense of Hangzhou appeared empty.
In October of that year, the Taiping Army did indeed attack Hangzhou in a big way. Hangzhou is in danger.
Under these circumstances, Wang Youling could only report to the imperial court, requesting urgent reinforcements to defend Hangzhou. Of course, the Qing court did not want Hangzhou to fall into the hands of the Taiping Army, so he ordered Zeng Guofan to send an army to Zhejiang to reinforce Wang Youling.
Zeng Guofan
Zeng Guofan was attacking Anqing with all his might, and unable to separate himself, he sent Zuo Zongtang to lead the Chu army to Zhejiang. However, because Zeng Guofan had contradictions with He Guiqing and Wang Youling, and the fall of Hangzhou was a foregone conclusion, zuo Zongtang was ordered not to rush to Zhejiang. Wang Youling was trapped in Hangzhou, waiting for reinforcements, but only led the entire city to fight in blood and hold the city.
Four
On December 29, 1861, the Taiping Army finally broke through Hangzhou after the last onslaught.
Taiping Army
Wang Youling had long been mentally prepared for the fall of Hangzhou. He did not hesitate to take out a piece of white cloth, hanged himself in Zhejiang Province, patrolled Yamen, and martyred himself at the age of 52.
Wang Youling served as an official in Zhejiang for many years and had a good reputation. He built water conservancy projects, eliminated accumulated defects, mediated disputes, and did a lot of practical things for the people. When Li Xiucheng, the loyal king of the Taiping Army, heard the news of his death in battle, he was grateful for his loyalty and sent someone to bury his body. Wang Youling's hometown is located in Fujian, a long distance away. Li Xiucheng specially sent 500 of Wang Youling's soldiers to escort his coffin back to his hometown in Fujian for burial.
The Qing court also commended Wang Youling's death, gave him the title of "Zhuang" (Magnificent), entered the Zhaozhong Ancestral Hall, and established special shrines in Fujian and Zhejiang to commemorate the local officials and people.