The Taiping Rebellion at a Crossroads

By the summer of 1856, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom appeared unstoppable. After three years of relentless campaigning, their Western Expedition Army had secured crucial territories including eastern Hubei, Jiujiang in Jiangxi, Anqing in Anhui, and Wuchang in Hubei. The revolutionary forces had broken through the Jiangnan and Jiangbei Great Camps that had besieged their capital Tianjing (Nanjing) for over three years. Yet at this moment of apparent triumph, internal fractures within the Taiping leadership would nearly destroy the movement from within.

The Tianjing Incident, beginning with Yang Xiuqing’s demand to be named “Ten Thousand Years” (a title equal to Hong Xiuquan), followed by Wei Changhui’s bloody purge and Shi Dakai’s departure with his forces, left the rebellion crippled. As contemporary accounts described, the movement faced “no generals at court and no talent in the country.” This internal strife allowed Qing forces to regroup and reestablish their strategic camps, reversing the Taiping’s hard-won gains.

Young Generals Rise to the Challenge

In this desperate hour, Hong Xiuquan made a fateful decision to promote two young commanders: 21-year-old Chen Yucheng and 29-year-old Li Xiucheng. These men would become the twin pillars of the Taiping’s military revival. Their immediate challenge was twofold: break the Qing siege around Tianjing in the lower Yangtze while defending against Zeng Guofan’s Xiang Army’s advance toward Anqing in the middle Yangtze.

The strategic solution emerged in July 1858 at the historic Zongyang Conference in Anhui. Here, Chen Yucheng proposed innovative tactics of mobile warfare: avoiding strongpoints to strike weaknesses, encircling maneuvers, feints, and turning defense into offense. This meeting not only established Chen’s leadership but also marked a shift in Taiping strategy from frontal assaults to sophisticated operational art.

Shattering the Jiangbei Great Camp

The Zongyang strategy bore immediate fruit. Chen’s forces captured Luzhou and Dianbu, linking with Li’s army to attack the Jiangbei Great Camp under Qing commander Dexinga. The unprepared Qing forces collapsed spectacularly. Contemporary accounts describe Dexinga “worrying anxiously, moaning through the night” before abandoning his position in panic. The retreat became a rout, with Qing troops fleeing over 100 li (about 33 miles) in a single night, abandoning weapons, supplies, and even massive 9,000-jin cannons specifically cast to fight the Taiping.

This victory restored Taiping supply lines across the Yangtze, crucially stabilizing Tianjing’s defense. The commanders then divided their forces: Li secured the wealthy city of Yangzhou while Chen turned to the strategic stronghold of Liuhe, described by Qing forces as “cast in iron.”

The Iron Fortress Falls: Battle of Liuhe

Liuhe’s location north of Tianjing made it the “heart and abdomen” of northern Jiangsu’s defenses. Chen recognized its capture would force Qing naval forces from Tianjing’s vicinity, transforming the strategic situation. On October 24, 1858, Chen’s troops stormed Liuhe, killing Qing commander Wen Shaoyuan. This victory not only secured the northern flank but created conditions for future operations against the Jiangnan Great Camp.

Crisis on the Western Front: The Xiang Army Threat

Even as the eastern campaigns succeeded, the western front collapsed. The Xiang Army, under commanders like Du Xing’a, Dorong’a, Bao Chao, and Yang Zaifu, advanced toward Anqing. Most dangerously, Li Xubin’s elite force captured Taihu, Qianshan, Tongcheng, and Shucheng, approaching Sanhe Town just 50 li from Luzhou. Qing sources hailed Li Xubin as “the most prestigious of all commanders.” The Taiping garrison at Sanhe, a vital logistics hub with nine forts and massive grain stores, sent desperate pleas for help.

Masterstroke at Sanhe: Chen Yucheng’s Tactical Brilliance

Chen immediately recognized Li Xubin’s fatal error: overextension. The Xiang Army had advanced rapidly without securing its rear. Chen devised a perfect trap – encirclement followed by swift annihilation. His forces marched day and night to Sanhe while Li Xiucheng maneuvered to support him.

Chen first seized the strategic high ground at Baishi Mountain and Jinniu Town, cutting Xiang retreat routes. He then coordinated with Luzhou commander Wu Ruxiao to block reinforcements from Shucheng. By November 14, 1858, 6,000 elite Xiang troops were completely surrounded.

The final blow came on November 15 amid thick morning fog. Chen personally led an attack from the Xiang rear while Li Xiucheng pressed from Baishi Mountain and the Sanhe garrison sortied. In a masterstroke, Taiping forces breached Yangtze dikes, flooding the final escape routes. The once-invincible Li Xubin, who had captured over 40 cities in seven years, hanged himself in despair. The entire Xiang force, including Zeng Guofan’s brother Zeng Guohua, was annihilated.

Aftermath and Historical Significance

The victory’s ripple effects were immediate. Taiping forces recaptured Shucheng, Tongcheng, Qianshan, and Taihu without resistance, lifting the Anqing siege. The strategic balance in the middle Yangtze shifted decisively.

For the Qing, the defeat was catastrophic. Zeng Guofan mourned: “The defeat at Sanhe annihilated nearly 6,000 of our Hunan men. Not only has the general situation deteriorated badly, but our local morale has been crushed.” Hu Linyi lamented: “After Sanhe’s collapse, our vital energy is severely injured. The elite gathered over four years was lost in a single day… Our brave warriors and wise strategists have mostly perished.”

Chen Yucheng, just 22, was ennobled as the “Heroic King” (Ying Wang). Even his enemies acknowledged his brilliance. Zeng Guofan admitted: “Since Han and Tang times, no ‘bandit’ has been so formidable.” Folk accounts noted: “His army became strongest of all garrisons. For years he contended with Guofan, who deeply feared him.”

The 1858 campaigns demonstrated how tactical innovation and young leadership could revive a faltering revolution. Chen’s mobile warfare concepts predated similar 20th-century developments, while the Taiping’s ability to coordinate multiple armies across vast distances revealed remarkable organizational sophistication. These victories bought the Heavenly Kingdom three more years of survival, though ultimately internal divisions and Qing resilience would prevail. The story of these campaigns remains a testament to how leadership and strategy can transform even the most desperate military situations.