Preface
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, there was a famous commander of the Hunan army comparable to Zeng Guofan, who disabled the Taiping army in a battle, and was promoted to the ninth rank in two years. This famous general's military exploits are remarkable, his heroic deeds are remarkable, and his military talent is even more remarkable.
He was as famous as Zeng Guofan, not only showed outstanding command skills on the battlefield, but also achieved enviable official promotions in politics.
What kind of strategic wisdom and military mystery is hidden behind this story? Who is this figure who left a brilliant record on the battlefield?
The origin of the Hunan army
In the second year of Xianfeng, Zeng Guofan was ordered to form the Hunan Army, which later went down in history. However, behind the scenes of the creation of the Hunan Army, there is another person who appears from time to time, and he is Jiang Zhongyuan, a fellow villager and friend of Zeng Guofan.
Jiang Zhongyuan and Zeng Guofan are both from Hunan, and the two have known each other since childhood, and they participated in the palace examination in the capital in the same year. Although only Zeng Guofan was promoted, this did not affect the friendship between the two. On the contrary, they maintained close contact through letters, discussing and exchanging views with each other on matters of state.
When Zeng Guofan was ordered to form the Hunan army, Jiang Zhongyuan gave strong support and suggestions. He not only provided Zeng Guofan with a thousand Chu Yong, but also persuaded Zeng Guofan to form a water division many times, and the latter also frankly said that the creation of the Hunan Army Water Division was inseparable from Jiang Zhongyuan's contribution. The relationship between the two can be described as working together to make suggestions for the Qing Dynasty.
Although Zeng Guofan was the commander of the Hunan army, Jiang Zhongyuan's role in it was equally important. He not only provided manpower and advice for the establishment of the Hunan army, but also made great contributions in the subsequent battles. It can be said that without Jiang Zhongyuan, the road to the creation of the Hunan army would have been tortuous, and the fate of the Qing Dynasty would be unpredictable.
Rui Rebellion
Although Jiang Zhongyuan was not selected, he has always cherished the ambition of serving the country. He had already foreseen the threat of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and in order to defend his family and country, he trained young children in his hometown and formed a militia. This is not only to protect the homeland, but also to prepare for the upcoming big war.
The opportunity was not long in coming. At the instigation of their leader, the Yao people in the Xinning area took advantage of the remnants of the previous dynasty to rekindle a wave of rebellion. When the rebels attacked the city, the local officers and soldiers were defeated and retreated, and the magistrate had no choice but to turn to Jiang Zhongyuan for help.
Jiang Zhongyuan quickly gathered the militia, personally commanded the commander, and smashed the Yao people's nest. After a hard battle, the leader of the rebels was finally brought to justice on the spot, and the turmoil was completely quelled. This outstanding performance not only made Jiang Zhongyuan famous, but also attracted the attention of his superiors.
With this record, Jiang Zhongyuan was soon promoted to the magistrate. This is undoubtedly a huge breakthrough for an ordinary scholar who has not been promoted. But for Jiang Zhongyuan, this is just the beginning, he still has greater ambitions and ideals, that is, to contribute to the Qing Dynasty and sweep away internal and external troubles.
Battle of Guangxi
The threat from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was growing day by day, and Jiang Zhongyuan knew that it would be difficult for his hometown militia to deal with it alone. So, he returned to his hometown again to recruit, and this time more than 1,000 people joined. This heroic division was the predecessor of the later Hunan Army.
In the third year of Xianfeng, Jiang Zhongyuan led Chu Yong to the front line in Guangxi. In the Cormorant Island area, he defeated the Taiping army three times, forcing Hong Xiuquan to abandon the attack on Guilin and turn north. This series of battles not only made the Taiping army suffer, but also greatly boosted the morale of the Qing army.
In the battle of Lingyidu, Jiang Zhongyuan made brilliant achievements. He personally commanded and besieged the Taiping Legion on the Xiang River. After a fierce battle, Jiang Zhongyuan finally launched a decisive blow, completely destroying more than 300 warships of the Taiping army.
This disastrous victory not only greatly damaged the vitality of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, but also seriously injured Feng Yunshan, one of its founders, and finally died. In the face of this heavy blow, the Taiping army all held a grudge against Jiang Zhongyuan. The Qing Dynasty, on the other hand, was inspired by Jiang Zhongyuan's bravery and finally saw hope of turning the tide of the war.
Governor of Anhui
The merit was high, and the imperial court gave Jiang Zhongyuan's talent a very high evaluation. In just two years, Jiang Zhongyuan, who was originally just a small sesame official, rose all the way up, and was finally entrusted with the important task of governor of Anhui. He can be said to be the fastest promoted general in the late Qing Dynasty.
This kind of rapid promotion is a great affirmation of Jiang Zhongyuan's military talent. In that turbulent era, it was not easy to be promoted from a small county magistrate to the position of governor of Anhui in a short period of time. This not only illustrates Jiang Zhongyuan's outstanding performance, but also reflects the high trust of the imperial court in him.
As the governor of Anhui, Jiang Zhongyuan undoubtedly bears heavy responsibilities. He must always be vigilant against the attack of the Taiping army. At the same time, it is also necessary to maintain local law and order and ensure that the people live and work in peace and contentment. This is a huge challenge for a newly promoted official.
But Jiang Zhongyuan did not disappoint the imperial court. With a high sense of responsibility and outstanding military talent, he stabilized the situation in Anhui and won precious time for the Qing Dynasty. It can be said that it was his heroic performance that allowed the momentum of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to be contained in this region and laid the foundation for the eventual pacification movement.
Heroic sacrifice
No one thought that Jiang Zhongyuan's life would come to an end. In the autumn of the third year of Xianfeng, Luzhou (now Hefei) was besieged by the Taiping Army. In order to be rescued as soon as possible, the prefect in the city actually lied to Jiang Zhongyuan, claiming that the city had sufficient troops and abundant food and grass.
As soon as Jiang Zhongyuan arrived in Luzhou, he found that he had been deceived. But he did not blame, but did his best to hold on to the city. Unfortunately, the reinforcements were intercepted outside the city, and the other generals hesitated, and Jiang Zhongyuan's situation fell into a dilemma.
A month later, Luzhou was in an emergency, and the ammunition was exhausted. At this juncture, the lying prefect actually surrendered to the Taiping army, which is outrageous! Although Jiang Zhongyuan was under heavy siege, he would rather die than give in, and resolutely refused to surrender.
Finally, in a deafening explosion, the Taiping army entered the city. Jiang Zhongyuan led the rest of his troops to fight the enemy to the death on the sluice bridge. His body had already been stained red with blood, and his guards persuaded him to surrender, but Jiang Zhongyuan would rather die than bow to the enemy.
At this moment, Jiang Zhongyuan suddenly jumped into the water and left this world forever. A hero died in this way, but his name will always be remembered.
epilogue
Although Jiang Zhongyuan's life was short and brilliant, his contribution to the Qing Dynasty is undeniable. It was his battle side by side with Zeng Guofan that allowed the creation of the Hunan army, the ace army, and it was his heroic performance in Guangxi and Anhui that caused the Taiping army to be in chaos and laid the foundation for the final pacification movement.
It can be said that without Jiang Zhongyuan, the road to the creation of the Hunan army would have been much more tortuous, and the threat of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom might have been difficult to contain. Therefore, Jiang Zhongyuan is not only an outstanding soldier, but also a hero of the Qing Dynasty, and his name should be recorded side by side with Zeng Guofan in the annals of history.
It was with such generals that the Qing Dynasty was able to tide over the difficulties in the turmoil and finally move towards rejuvenation. Although Jiang Zhongyuan's sacrifice is sad, his name will forever be engraved on the monument of history.