In June 1863 Qing Gen. Bao Chao took Jiufu Island () and the Taiping Army lost control of the entire northern shore of the Yangtze. Imperial Gen. Bao Chao subsequently led his force across the river and camped on the southern bank outside the Shence () Gate of Nanking. In September Zeng Guofan's younger brother, Gen. Zeng Guoquan, attacked and took the Shangfang Bridge () region southeast of the city and the Jiangdong Bridge () region to the southwest. Zeng Guoquan continued his quest in the suburbs of Nanking, and by early November had succeeded in taking regions including Shangfang Gate (), Gaoqiao Gate (), Shuangqiao Gate (), Qiqiaoweng (), Muling () Pass and Zhonghe Bridge (). The Taiping Army had therefore lost all of its positions in the southwestern part of the Purple Mountain. By mid-November regions including Chunhua (), Jiexi (), Longdu (), Hushu, Sancha Town () had fallen under the Qing army's control. At the same time the Imperial navy commanded by Imperial Adm. Peng Yulin () and his deputy, Yang Yuebin (杨岳斌, also known as Yang Zaifu 杨载福), took important regions including Gaochun and Eastern Dam (Dong Ba 东坝) with the help of Bao Chao's forces. By late November the Taiping garrison at Lishui had surrendered to the Qing army. As a result, the Taiping army was evicted from the region within 50 miles of Nanking. On November 25, Zeng Guoquan and his subordinate, Gen. Xiao Qingyan (), deployed troops at the Ming Xiaoling. The only links to the outside left were the Shence and Taiping Gates.