The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 492 Yang Xiuqing, do you know your guilt? (Request subscription, request votes)
Nan Ben Inako rushed to Haizhou City in a hurry, carrying "Hong Xiuquan's imperial edict" and escorted by a team of Nian Army cavalry. This small city on the coast of the Yellow Sea had lost its former tranquility and became a hot place.

Outside the west gate of Haizhou, a large camp that can accommodate 30,000 to 40,000 people is being built in full swing. The laborers from the nearby countryside and Shandong, holding greasy and fragrant bread in their hands, stuffed them into their mouths, crowded together, and surrounded them in three layers. The foreman shouted at the top of his voice: "Go to the Qiangwei River Wharf later to carry large bags. You will be paid ten copper coins for each bag, and you will also be given two large meat buns when you are done. They are full of meat! Who wants to go?"

Although the Rose River looks inconspicuous, it is a small river that connects to Haizhou Bay. It has good navigability and can accommodate small steamers and flat-bottomed boats. As soon as Zhu Ba landed in Haizhou Bay with a division of the Third Army, he immediately asked the accompanying British engineer to command the Taiping Army engineers to build a floating dock at the mouth of the Rose River that could dock the "Geely" ship of more than 2,000 tons.

When Luo Yaoguo arrived in Haizhou with the other two divisions of the Third Army, he also brought some small steamers and flat-bottomed boats with him, and started running on the Qiangwei River, directly opening up the water transport channel from Haizhou Bay to Shaodian Town, west of Haizhou City, at the junction of Haizhou and Xuzhou. Shaodian Town is not far from the Grand Canal in Suqian County, Xuzhou. Although the two rivers cannot be dug through due to terrain problems, as long as the iron-clad wooden tracks are laid, the small train can run. In this way, the coal and iron produced in Xuzhou can be transported to Shanghai at a low cost. In the future, when conditions are better, maybe a railway can be built between Xuzhou and Haizhou Bay. Anyway, once the Taiping Army comes, the lives of the people in Huaibei will be better and better!
However, the best news for the people in Huaibei is that the Yellow River will change its course in June and July this year and flow into the sea from Shandong! The Yellow River has been running rampant in Huaibei and Huaibei for seven or eight hundred years, and now it is going to "move". Isn't this a great thing that has fallen from the sky?

But the question is, it was only the end of January, how did King Luo Wu know that the Yellow River would change its course in June or July? Was he a master of divination, or did he eavesdrop on the whispers of God?

A group of people gathered in front of the signboard outside the west gate of Haizhou City, discussing something one after another.

"The Yellow River changes its course in June and July. How did the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom know about this now?"

"That's easy. It must be their Heavenly Father or Heavenly Brother who sent down the message!"

"Is this true? Can the higher-ups send a message specifically to King Luo Wu?"

"Will the outcome be clear in June or July? It has been more than 700 years since the Yellow River took over the Huai River and flowed into the sea!"

"Oh, the Taiping Army's master and his wife are here."

Someone was sharp-eyed and saw Daozi and his men coming. Although the Taiping Army in Haizhou were all very polite and their military discipline was much better than that of the Qing army, the common people were still a little nervous when they saw these people fighting all the way from Guangxi. So when Daozi arrived, the crowd dispersed immediately.

Daozi saw a crowd of people gathered in front of the sign from a distance, and her curiosity was immediately aroused, so she wanted to join in the fun. When she approached, everyone had run away. She simply got off her horse and walked to the sign to take a look. Wow, she was so scared that cold sweats broke out on her back! Luo Yaoguo actually knew about the Yellow River diversion several months in advance!

Daozi knew that Luo Yaoguo was not the kind of person who talked nonsense. He made this public, which meant he was risking his "divine power". If the Yellow River did not change its course, his reputation as an "angel" would be at least half destroyed. And how could he just guess the Yellow River's change of course? Although the Yellow River had floods every year and there were signs of change of course, it had been more than 700 years since the Huai River flowed into the sea, so there must have been signs of change of course for hundreds of years, and it had been like this year after year. The probability that Luo Yaoguo would guess that the Yellow River would change its course in June or July this year was extremely low.

Therefore, there is only one truth. Luo Yaoguo must have contacted his Heavenly Brother Ji Du! In this way, he should also know the news of Hong Xiuquan's death.
Haizhou was the headquarters of Wu King Luo Yaoguo.

Daozi followed Zeng Jiumei through many twists and turns, like walking in a maze, and soon arrived outside a heavily guarded courtyard. Wow! Standing at the gate of the courtyard were two burly Taiping soldiers with thick faces, like two small mountains. There was a sign hanging on the eaves of the door, with two crooked characters "torture room" engraved on it, which was creepy.

Zeng Jiumei said to Daozi with a smile: "Sister Daozi, King Wu is in there. I have to search you first before I can take you in."

Daozi had handed over his weapons when he entered the camp. This woman was also a stubborn person. After knowing that Luo Yaoguo had contacted Ji Du, she didn't run away quickly, but rushed in to die. Since she came to die, she naturally didn't think about assassination. If Zeng Jiumei wanted to search her body, then she could search it.

After searching her, Zeng Jiumei was quite polite. She made a gesture of invitation and said, "Sister Daozi, please." Then she led Daozi into the yard. There were only a few prison vans in the yard, empty and empty. This so-called torture room was actually a hall for interrogating prisoners, and it was a secret hall directly under Luo Yaoguo.

As soon as Daozi walked into the lobby, he saw eight big characters written in black ink on a white wall: "Leniency to those who confess, severity to those who resist." Then he looked again and saw Luo Yaoguo sitting behind a desk below the characters, with Hong Daquan standing next to him with his arms folded.

After Zeng Jiumei led Daozi into the torture room, she didn't stay long. She bowed to Luo Yaoguo and left, closing the door behind her.

Daozi knelt down respectfully in front of Luo Yaoguo and kowtowed three times, with her forehead pressed tightly against the floor. Her pious look was beyond words: "Daozi respectfully wishes King Wu a long life." Hong Daquan's voice suddenly popped up: "King Wu, this woman is like this, stubborn and very pious. If you accept her, I guarantee she will be devoted to you."

Luo Yaoguo looked at Daozi who was prostrating on the ground and said slowly, "Daozi, Brother Tian just told me... the Second Master has passed away! You, knew about this a long time ago, right?"

Daozi shuddered and replied, "Yes! Daozi watched the king pass away with his own eyes, but could do nothing. I only wished I could die in his place!"

"So you lied to me about the emperor's decree?" Luo Yaoguo said coldly, "Do you know what crime this is?"

"Death penalty!" Daozi said, "It should be...death by slow slicing!"

"You are not afraid of death," Luo Yaoguo said, "because you think that after you die, your soul will go to heaven and you will be able to see the king of heaven, right?"

"Yes!" Daozi answered honestly.

"You think too much!" Luo Yaoguo sneered, "You've offended Brother Tian, ​​and you still want to go to heaven?"

Daozi shuddered: "Isn't lingchi enough to atone for the sin?"

Luo Yaoguo was grumbling in his heart. This religious fanatic really wasn't afraid of pain! But he said coldly, "Lingchi is just a punishment, not atonement. After being cut into pieces, you will still go to hell! If you want to go to heaven after death, you must... I plead with Brother Tian for you."

"You want me to betray the King of the East? But he is also... the son of God!" Daozi's voice was a little trembling.

"He is not!" Luo Yaoguo said firmly, "The Heavenly King is the Son of Heavenly Father, and I am the disciple and adopted son of Heavenly Father. The King of the East, the King of the West, the King of the South, the King of the North, the King of Wings, and the Queen of the West are just disciples of the Virgin Mary, just like Mary. So the Heavenly King can write "The True Testament", and I can write "The Book of Prophets" and "The Theory of Heaven", but they can't write any scriptures at all."

Although Hong Xiuquan was not very good at administration, military strategy, and intelligence, his religious theory was really amazing! Yang Xiuqing, Feng Yunshan, Xiao Chaogui and others combined could not compare to him. The brothers from Guangdong and Guangxi in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom were so brave and courageous because they really believed in "going to heaven". In the final analysis, they were fooled by Hong Xiuquan's religious theory.

Luo Yaoguo's skill in performing shaman dances seems to be no worse than Hong Xiuquan's... It seems that he chose the wrong career in "heaven". He should not study history, but theology! He can definitely learn to chant scriptures, tell fortunes, and look at feng shui. He can definitely find a good job!

Daozi was originally very superstitious. After being fooled by Luo Yaoguo, she was immediately convinced. Her voice was trembling: "Daozi, I am willing to go through fire and water for His Royal Highness the King of Wu! I only hope that His Royal Highness the King of Wu can say a few good words for me in front of Brother Tian!"

"Okay, okay." Luo Yaoguo nodded, "But you have to do me a favor!"

Daozi got hope and immediately shouted, "Your Highness, King Wu, just tell me what you want me to do. I will do it even if it means I'm torn to pieces!"

Luo Yaoguo's face turned cold, and he said in a deep voice: "Go back to the East King and be my spy. Also, tell the East King that I have contacted Brother Tian, ​​and Brother Tian and the King of Heaven had another fight in heaven, and Brother Tian was injured even more seriously! But he still suppressed the King of Heaven. Tell him not to think about it, and honestly go to the meeting of kings and explain why he concealed the news of the King of Heaven's death from us. Also, the King of Heaven ascended to heaven because of his failure to protect him, and this is a serious sin!"

"I understand. I will go and talk to His Majesty the King of the East right away."

(End of this chapter)