"Master Futai, please spare me! The matter of burning your gun workshop was done by Hong Xiuquan and Li Xiucheng, which had nothing to do with the young man and had nothing to do with the young man! The young man did not participate! I only found out later!"

"...The two sneak attacks on your camp were done by my brother-in-law on the back of Li Xiucheng. The first time it was my brother-in-law who was obsessed with the wickedness. He was scolded by Li Xiucheng and was shocked by the lard. He took the wrong medicine to win back his face. He dared to attack your camp with courage. But he didn't expect that Li Xiucheng's big hairy virtuous jealousy. When my brother-in-law got the move, not only did he not give a reward, but he also blamed my brother-in-law for pulling Gao Yongkuan to send troops without authorization, and said that he could take down Sanlintang. It was all Gao Yongkuan's credit..."

"...My brother-in-law was so angry that he was amazed and attacked Bailianjing alone last night. He thought that Li Xiucheng's traitor decided to send troops this morning and attack your seven camps in seven directions. My brother-in-law sent troops to attack Bailianjing without authorization, which not only disrupted Li Xiucheng's plan to let Chen Kunshu fight Bailianjing, but also reminded you to make you prepared."

"... Huang Huazi and my brother-in-law are fellow townsmen and have always had a good relationship. He secretly sent someone to send a letter to my brother-in-law, saying that Li Xiucheng's big long-haired hair is going to let my brother-in-law take all the responsibility alone and blame the places where Qibao and Luojiagang are unable to be defeated, and I advised my brother-in-law to take the initiative to apologize to Li Xiucheng as soon as possible and reduce the crime."

"...My brother-in-law knows Li Xiucheng than Huang Huazi, knows how cruel Li Xiucheng's heart is, and knows that continuing the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom will definitely be a dead end, so he has become determined to surrender to you to save your life. But he is afraid that you will not believe it, and he is even more afraid that you will blame him for being ordered to burn your gun workshop. So he sent the young man to ask for directions first and let the young man be hostage, so that Lord Futai, you know the sincerity of my brother-in-law's surrender."

As he explained frightenedly, Lu Shunde's brother-in-law Lu Jixiang kowtowed again and said, "My Lord Futai, my brother-in-law really regrets his plans to surrender. As long as you agree, he will surrender immediately and make meritorious service for you who killed Li Xiucheng's traitor. Please give me a lot of money to you, Lord Futai, give me this opportunity and my brother-in-law this opportunity."

He specifically explained that the lobby where the candles were lit brightly. Zhou Tenghu's tired but still bright eyes were also staring at Lu Jixiang, paying close attention to all the subtle expressions of Lu Jixiang. He found that no matter how he looked, he didn't seem to be lying, and his words and attitudes were very sincere. He seemed to be a hostage for Lu Shunde and begging for surrender.

However, the more this happens, the less Zhou Tenghu dared to take it lightly. Jin Anqing next to him dared not believe it easily. He also asked, "Lu Jixiang, what is your sister and your brother-in-law's relationship recently?"

"What is my sister and my brother-in-law's relationship?" Lu Jixiang was stunned by Jin Anqing's question, but he answered truthfully: "Go to Master Jin, my sister and my brother-in-law have always had a good relationship. I heard from my sister that she and her brother-in-law only quarrel occasionally at most, and have never fought. My brother-in-law's two sons are also born to my sister."

"What should you do after your brother-in-law surrenders to us, your sister, your nephew, and other family members?" Jin Anqing asked another key question.

"Don't worry, Lord Jin, my brother-in-law has already considered this." Lu Jixiang quickly replied: "Lu Rirong, who is now staying in Songjiang Mansion, is my brother-in-law's cousin. It is always reliable to connect with blood. If Lord Jin Zhou Futai, you promise to let my brother-in-law surrender, my brother-in-law will tell Lu Rirong his decision immediately and advise Lu Rirong to surrender with the army. It is of course the best to dedicate Songjiang Mansion to you. If you can't protect Songjiang Mansion, let Lu Rirong lead my sister and others to Shanghai."

Jin Anqing stopped saying a word, but just looked at Zhou Tenghu, and muttered in his heart, "Either it's really surrendering, or it's a death."

After instructing the guards to take Lu Jixiang down for the time being, Jin Anqing spoke again and said, "Taofu, I think it's better to try my luck and promise to let Lu Shunde surrender, but before surrender, he must show greater sincerity."

Zhou Tenghu pondered for a moment, then said: "In addition to Lu Shunde, Changmao also has three thieves who commanded troops in Pudong, Gao Yongkuan, Chen Kunshu and Zhong Wanxin. He asked Lu Jixiang to take the message back to Lu Shunde. If you want to surrender, we can agree to his conditions, but at least one of the three big long hairs has to be sent to prove his sincerity!"

"Isn't it a bit too wasteful?" Jin Anqing felt that Zhou Tenghu's conditions were too relaxed and said, "Please give up a big hair like Lu Shunde. If you seize the opportunity, it is not without hope. It is not without hope to completely reverse the entire Pudong battle?"

"You can't take risks." Zhou Tenghu shook his head flatly and said, "As long as Lu Shunde can surrender, help us kill one or two Pudong Da Changmao, create chaos for Pudong's Changmao's army, and crack down on the morale of Changmao's military. If you are not greedy, it will be a big trouble to fall into the Changmao's trap."

Knowing that Zhou Tenghu was just to be cautious, Jin Anqing did not insist, and even made up for Zhou Tenghu: "We should also understand that Lu Shunde, we only accept his surrender during the day. At night, even if he runs to our camp and kneels, we will only shoot him."

Zhou Tenghu nodded, waved Jin Anqing to go down and act according to the plan, and then said in his heart: "I hope it is true. We need a turning point to boost morale."

…………

Lu Jixiang returned with a message. The war in Pudong had basically ended, but the battle on the battlefield in Puxi was still in full swing. The Taiping Army, with strong troops, continued to rotate troops to attack Nanxiang, Qibao, Huacao and Luojiagang of the Wu army. Among them, only Qibao Wu army had a slightly better situation. The main force of a battalion was strong and the main elite of a battalion could be as stable as Mount Tai. However, the other three battlefields were in a row and were as dangerous as if they were exhausted.

The most critical situation was of course the Nanxiang battlefield. In order to save precious bitter and sour weapons, the guard general of Nanxiang Wu army Chen Jingsheng had to lead the second-line army under his command to defend against the enemy with old front-mounted guns. The firepower was too weak and it was unable to effectively suppress the Taiping Army's charge, giving the Taiping Army many opportunities for close combat. The Taiping Army, responsible for attacking Nanxiang, not only surpassed the Wu army's Chen Jingsheng's troops in terms of melee capabilities and battlefield experience, but also had a certain advantage in equipment. It was at the upper hand in both close combat and long-range combat, and relied on its absolute advantage in military strength to suppress the Nanxiang Wu army, causing huge casualties to the Nanxiang Wu army. Unless Zhou Tenghu could send elite reinforcements to Nanxiang, the loss of the Nanxiang camp was basically a foregone conclusion.

The situation in Luojiagang and Huacao was not better. Although the Taiping Army that attacked these two Wu army strongholds was not particularly elite, due to the different degree of importance, the Shanghai Wu army guarding these two strongholds were also second-line troops, and their equipment and combat effectiveness were not very strong, and they had even stockpiled less bitter sour weapons for emergency rescue. So after storming for nearly a day and night, these two strongholds also sought help one after another, shaking.

When the sky was clear the next day, the situation was even more critical. First, a messenger from Nanxiang reported that the bitter and sour weapons had been used up and the casualties had exceeded 40%. Then Luojiagang also sent bad news, saying that the guard Su Youfu was killed by the stray bullet. Although Su Youfu's deputy stepped forward in time to shoulder the heavy burden, the morale of the military had been severely damaged, and the casualties of the army had reached nearly 40%. If reinforcements were not obtained, it was only a matter of time before the loss was lost.

"Is it to shrink the defense line? Or send troops to reinforce and stabilize the periphery?"

Although he was the de facto teacher of Zhao Liewen, the second-person Wu army, Zhou Tenghu's personality and temper were far less likely than his brother-in-law to be stolen. After hesitating next to the sand table of the map for a long time, Zhou Tenghu still chose to be cautious and cautious, ordering to voluntarily abandon the Luojiagang stronghold, and allowing the Huacao defenders to retreat on their own when they could not stand it, and withdraw all the soldiers from both places to Wangjia Temple, shrinking the Puxi defense line that has been maintained to this day.

"Master, what should I do with Nanxiang?" Deng Siyuan asked.

"Tell Chen Jingsheng to stay for another day." Zhou Tenghu replied expressionlessly: "Tonight we will abandon the camp and break through, and withdraw back to Jiangqiao to wait for our orders."

Although I knew very well that the second-line troops of the two battalions under Chen Jingsheng might not be able to survive this day, Deng Siyuan didn't say much, but just nodded silently to accept it. Zhou Tenghu was also heartbroken and said to himself: "Sorry, Nanxiang soldiers, I have an elite reserve team, but I can't send it to you. I have to borrow your lives to consume more hairy elites and foreign guns, cannons and ammunition."

After making this painful decision, Zhou Tenghu naturally remembered the incident when Lu Shunde sent someone to surrender last night, and hoped in his heart, "I hope I will really surrender. Even if I can't change the strength of strength, it can also damage Changmao's morale, disrupt Changmao's overall plan, and help me draw troops from the Eastern Front to reinforce the Western Front."

The ideal is full, and the reality is very skinny. At noon, a very unexpected news suddenly came and the scout reported that the Taiping Army of Lu Shunde was heading towards the Huangpu River floating bridge, as if it was to move to the Pudong battlefield. Zhou Tenghu was extremely surprised when he heard the news and quickly ordered to carefully find out the reason.

He has been confronting Lu Shunde's troops in Songjiang Prefecture for many years. The Wu army in Shanghai naturally bribed and installed inside the Lu Shunde army. Although he could not get in touch with the tactical secrets of the Lu Shunde army, it was easy to find out the reason for the transfer of the army. So just confirmed that the Lu Shunde army crossed the Huangpu River and drove to Puxi. Wei Wencheng, the spy leader of the Wu army in Shanghai, personally sent the news and reported: "My Lord Futai, the reason why Lu Shunde's long hair went to Puxi was found out. It was Li Xiucheng's personal order to ask Lu Shunde to make meritorious service in Puxi and directly accept Li Xiucheng's order to dispatch it."
Chapter completed!