. Since the end of 1853, Zhang Lexing accepted Lai Hanying's suggestion and began to use the small twists that were scattered everywhere as big twists, and then selected the general leader of the full twists from each stock. After half a year of preparation, the Nian Party gathered in the Zhihe River to celebrate the world, announced the uprising, and gave up the name of "Big Han" that he had imagined before. He officially accepted the title of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's Self-Defense Forces. Zhang Lexing was publicly elected as the commander-in-chief of the Self-Defense Forces.

The Anhui Provincial Self-Defense Army was divided into five flags below. Zhang Lexing himself was the chief leader of the yellow flag, Gong Deshu was the chief leader of the white flag, Hou Wei was the chief leader of the red flag, Wang Guansan was the chief leader of the black flag, and Han Wan was the chief leader of the blue flag. Five sides were set up under the five flags, and each side was divided into chiefs, with thousands of people in the small flags, tens of thousands of people, and all were nearly 100,000.

Judging from the marching disciplines announced by Zhang Lexing for the common abide by each flag at the beginning, this army itself is different from other homeless armies:

1. Wherever the soldiers arrived, the defiled and misogynistic woman was immediately killed.

2. Rape the young child and behead him immediately.

3. Those who plunder women and young children who hide and do not offer sacrifices will be beheaded immediately.

4. Those who do not obey the orders and restrain themselves will be killed.

5. The young man who dared to refuse the leader to behead him without reason.

6. When they were in battle, they deliberately leaked their food, and went to the countryside to find money and property. Those who were lewd and women were killed.

7. Those who have no orders to win food without permission shall be killed.

8. Those who escape privately when facing the enemy shall be killed.

Nine, get up and listen to three sounds of cannons gather together; before the cannon is set, the cannon is set, and then the cannon is set.

Ten, those who set fire in the camp privately killed them.

Eleven, those who deliberately descend on the road will be killed.

Twelve, each guards guarding the cannon chariots on the road, and the one who walks first and then walks forty sticks. One, the camp is set off, the door is changed, and the line is arranged in turn; those who make mistakes are changed forty sticks.

Thirteen, if anyone in the camp has no reason to hurt someone’s life, one life will be borne.

Fourteen, I stayed at a friend's house, but I didn't eat food, but took a piece of food, and had a stick for forty.

Fifteenth, those who spread rumors privately were killed.

Sixteen, falsely report military information and conviction.

Seventeen, those who guard the camp will act rashly.

Eighteen, those who win wars will receive guns, books and medicines, and will be assigned to public use; those who own privately will be convicted according to the law.

After the army was formed, although the Self-Defense Army firmly adhered to the idea of ​​independence from beginning to end, the Self-Defense Army's Merits Department was not in active cooperation with the Tianjun combat. In the vast areas north of the Huai River, Zhang Lexing not only adopted an active and proactive strategy, thus restraining the back of a large number of Qing troops, but also favorably supported the development and consolidation of the base areas south of the Huai River.

After the Tianjun suffered a major setback in Shouchun, Wei Changhui gave up the battle for initiative on the battlefield, hoping to accumulate strength in order to start again in the future. He regards the activities of the Self-Defense Army in Huaibei as a chance to regain his own rehabilitation, and at the same time he is thinking about completely collecting the army under his command. When the Self-Defense Army still refused to cross the Huai River south, Wei Changhui simply used the excuse of being unable to look around and watched the gradually disadvantaged Self-Defense Army fight hard under the encirclement and suppression of a large number of Qing troops.

In a year, Wei Changhui's Pingwan Army recovered its vitality, with a population of 150,000, but the Self-Defense Army had nearly 200,000 troops when it was prosperous, and only more than 10,000 were left. Wang Guansan, Han Wan and other general leaders were also killed one after another. Faced with the Man Qingxin Army that began to enter the battlefield in Huaibei, they had to retreat across the Huaihe River.

Despite this, the Heavenly Dynasty still gave them a high evaluation. Zhang Lexing was summoned by the Heavenly King and the East King in Tianjing, and also met Ning Wang, who was called the god of heaven, and witnessed the earth-shaking changes in Tianjing with his own eyes. Whether it was the Heavenly King or the East King, they praised their contributions to the Heavenly Dynasty. The East King repeatedly stated that the Self-Defense Army was the younger brother-in-law of the people of Anhui Province and the hope of the people of Anhui Province. Although the Self-Defense Army was temporarily frustrated, it should not be discouraged and should continue to struggle and develop and grow in the war. In order to train reserve generals for the Self-Defense Army, the East King also specially gave him dozens of places to study at the Red Army University, and repeatedly told him that the most loyal and reliable and outstanding young generals should be sent to the Red Army University to study.

The Celestial Empire did not regard the Self-Defense Force as an outsider.

However, in Luzhou, the panic thought that the self-defense army had already had in the Celestial Empire quickly gained the upper hand. This tired army, who had been struggling for a long time, was not placed in the rear for necessary remediation, but was always arranged on the front line outside Luzhou to take on the heavy responsibility of fighting with the Qing army again. Liu Naixin, chief of staff of the Pingwan Army, asked Zhang Lexing to persuade Zhang Lexing many times, persuaded Zhang Lexing to give up the name of the Anhui Provincial Self-Defense Army and called it, only in this way would the people in the base area be willing to serve them, otherwise they would not be able to replenish their troops.

It is obvious that the King of Northern wanted to annex their independent armed forces and break the previous pattern of obeying the order but not obeying the propaganda. As the commander of the Self-Defense Army, Zhang Lexing, as the commander of the Self-Defense Army, had a account in his heart since the alliance. Since he gave up the title of "Big Han" expected by the banner masters and accepted the leadership of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, he would have to completely integrate into the Heavenly Kingdom sooner or later. Whether to withdraw the Self-Defense Army's number is completely different for him. Even if he retains it, he will not continue as before. In Tianjin, he saw hope for the future. Without the system and careful political strategies of the Celestial Dynasty, he could not overthrow the Qing regime, which had been under nearly two hundred years of foundation with just one arm.

However, he knew better that as the army under his command, he had not completely gotten rid of the idea of ​​the past when the army reached its peak. Even when the people reached their peak, they still maintained the usual style of "living for the people, and going out to be the people". They had to produce their farming needs to be slack, and they fought only when the farming was busy. Their erratic guerrilla warfare was their specialty.

Now, Zhang Lexing can tolerate the treatment of his stepmother, but his soldiers are constantly complaining. He goes back to his hometown and would rather die in battle than stay and be cowardly. This kind of thought that he would gain the upper hand in the unstable self-defense army for a while.

Faced with this severe situation, Zhang Lexing's original idea of ​​not understanding the cancellation of the Self-Defense Forces disappeared. If he wanted to truly achieve great achievements, the Self-Defense Forces could not be retained. This army that is more important than loving his hometown, and it would not be more generous to stay. Many people nominally love their hometown, but in fact they are just personal hedonism in their minds. He first found Gong Deshu.

Gong Deshu, the leader of the Baiqi General, who was born in poverty and knew the history of books, was born with photophobia and often squint during the day, so people gave him the nickname "Gong Zai Shu". Don't underestimate this "Gong Zai Shu". He is not only resourceful, but perhaps because of his eyes during the day, his eyes are particularly sharp at night, and stealing camps and robbing villages is his specialty. After the old base area Zhiheji was finally lost, Zhang Lexing accepted his suggestion and led the remnants of the Self-Defense Army to work tirelessly, east and west, breaking through the four blockades of the Qing army, and dragging the head of the Manchu Hebei Town General Chong'an, who was reluctant to leave, and went all the way to Zhangou on the bank of the Xifei River.

The arrogant Chong'an pursued him for more than ten days, and his troops were trapped. Zhang Lexing, who thought that there was a big river blocking him and then pursued him, had already reached a desperate situation. As long as he had a good rest for one night, he could completely solve the major troubles in the court in Huaibei. Unexpectedly, in his eyes, he had never stopped for more than ten days, and was a self-defense army that fled in a panic, but at night, he divided into four groups to kill him and shot him back. As the saying goes, put it to death, it was Gong Deshu who used a plan. The Self-Defense Army surrounded Chong'an's defenseless 5,000 troops from all sides. Before the sky was dawn, except for a few Qing troops who escaped and disappeared, most of the Qing army, including Chong'an, were annihilated. Under the decline, the Self-Defense Army achieved a rare and huge victory, which boosted the morale of the army. It also created a great opportunity for the Self-Defense Army to move south smoothly.

Gong Deshu is not only a military genius, but also has political vision. As early as the beginning of the uprising, he insisted on relying completely and accepting the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's proposition. He was Zhang Lexing's rare excellent assistant, and he was also a backbone he could not lack when he was unable to grasp the problem.

Gong Deshu also felt the same about Zhang Lexing’s concerns and thoughts.

"Master, it's not enough to do if you don't seriously rectify the current army." Gong Deshu looked at the guard who came to pour tea and left the door, and said with concern, "The problem now is no longer a problem of someone leaving."

"Why, do you have any other news?" Zhang Lexing stopped the cup of books that he sent to his mouth.

"Yeah." Gong Deshu nodded affirmatively, "General Li Zhaoshou, who had just arrived in Chuzhou, and Liu Yongjing, the Blue Banner, and others were leaving enthusiastically. It is said that they are planning some secret activities that are ulterior motives."

"This..." Zhang Lexing's hand holding the cup book subconsciously shook, and the hot water overflowing from the cup book made him shudder. He knew the character of the new leader of the Blue Banner Liu Yongjing. This nicknamed Hungry Wolf Liu Yongjing is a person who is determined to be king and dominate and enjoy wealth. A folk song is circulated in his hometown Shunhe, which is enough to illustrate everything about this person: "The hungry wolf competes in the court, and it is completely defeated by the guard Quelong. The Eastern Palace Lady is a beautiful girl.

Miss Cai, the Queen of the West Palace Dai Xiuying." At present, among the people who were leaving the flags, Liu Yongjing and others were the favorites. The blue flag was the strongest force in the self-defense army, whether in the past or now. Badouling is the defense ground for the blue flag and the white flag. Among the nearly 6,000 soldiers, 4,000 are subordinates of the blue flag. Once they have abnormal movements, it will not only affect the defense in the Badouling area, but will also bring a fatal blow to the self-defense army.
Chapter completed!