There is no such thing as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras

Chapter 55: After one wave, another wave arises

The area west of Hubei had been devastated, while there was no fighting to the east of Hubei. However, when Huiling fled to Wuchang, the people here also suffered greatly.

Because Hui Ling had "broken through" all the way in Jingzhou, Jingzhou Prefecture had now become the territory of the rebels, and Wuchang was very close to Jingzhou. As the governor of Hubei, a member of the Eight Banners nobles, and someone who had fought a battle with the rebels, it was natural for Hui Ling to recruit soldiers to fight against the rebels.

Recruiting soldiers to fight against bandits? At first glance, it seems reasonable.

The Governor of Hubei, who came from an aristocratic family of the Eight Banners, was able to take the initiative to take up the banner of recruiting soldiers and suppressing bandits at such a critical time. Even if this were put in the capital and judged in front of Emperor Qianlong, he would only be praised and encouraged. How could there be any accountability?
But the problem was that the governor (provincial governor) left behind in Wuchang Prefecture was named Chen Wangzhi.

Who is this Chen Wangzhi?
A folk song from the Wuchang area puts it this way: "Bi doesn't care, Fu wants to die, Chen is upside down...Bi is like a bat, its body unmoving, only sucking up the insects and ants it passes by. Fu is like a wolf or a tiger, even humans cannot escape it. Chen is like a rat or a borer, burrowing into holes and eating away things without anyone knowing."

These two folk songs are both obscure and straightforward. The so-called "Bi Bu Guan" refers to Bi Yuan, the governor of Huguang, while "Fu Si Yao" refers to Fu Ning, the former governor of Hubei. The last "Chen Dao Bao" is no surprise, and it refers to Chen Wangzhi, the governor of Hubei.

Before Hui Ling came to Hubei, these three had already colluded with each other and acted in collusion, causing the entire Hubei province to follow suit and cause public resentment.

Now Hui Ling has returned to Wuchang, and as soon as he came back, he ordered the recruitment of soldiers to suppress the bandits in the name of governor. This gave the governor Chen Wangzhi a good excuse to exploit the people.

Previously, a Miao rebellion broke out in Hunan, affecting Yunnan and Guizhou. Bi Yuan and Hui Ling, the two immediate superiors, went to the front line in Changde to suppress the bandits, and went to Jingzhou to manage military supplies. This was a serious matter, and even Chen Wangzhi did not dare to neglect it at this time.

If even he, the governor, didn't reach out to take it, how could the officials under him take it?

After nearly a year of this, these Hubei officials are almost going crazy.

Now, the governor has finally returned, and as soon as he came back, he brought them a sumptuous feast.

What? You said Jingzhou Prefecture was lost, that's none of their business!

Jingzhou is lost, and the responsibility lies entirely with the Jingzhou prefect. The imperial army will recapture Jingzhou, and the local officials of other prefectures and cities just need to manage their own little piece of land.

I haven't embezzled much money for most of the year, and my sleeves are empty, like a stream of fresh air. If I don't seize the time and get some, what will I use to build relationships, curry favor with superiors, and clear channels at the end of the year?
The area west of Hubei was in chaos due to the White Lotus Sect, while the area east of Hubei was under the rule of the government, but there was no sign of "peace and prosperity". Officials and runners could be seen everywhere in various prefectures, cities and counties, exploiting the people under their rule under the pretext of recruiting soldiers to fight against the bandits.

Because too many people were abused by the officials and had no way to appeal, they could only abandon their land on a large scale, and either become refugees or flee into the mountains to become mountain dwellers.

That’s not all. Don’t think that you don’t have to pay taxes or be exploited just because you become a refugee or a mountain dweller.

Unable to squeeze money out of the common people, officials and officials began to stir up trouble, shifting their targets to the refugees who lived in shanties and those who lived in seclusion in the mountains. They would regularly patrol the mountains, posing as "grain interception officers," and exploit the villagers. Using the name of the government, they strictly prohibited the mixing of shanties with refugees. All shanties had to pay a tax, and those who could not pay had their shanties demolished and were forced to work as forced laborers. Those with children were sold directly to prostitutes.

In short, don't return empty-handed.

Even if a beggar comes, he can't leave unless he squeezes out two ounces of oil.

As a result, the areas east of Hubei, which had already been burdened with heavy taxes for suppressing the Miao people, now had to send more troops to suppress the White Lotus rebels.

……

Xianning County, Ma'anshan Town (this Ma'anshan is not that Ma'anshan).

A large number of refugees were gathered in the shantytown outside the town in a daze.

On the makeshift stage, a man with his chest bare and thin clothes stood on the stage and preached loudly.

"My fellow villagers, this damn government really won't give us a way out!"

"Last year, the government came to our town to increase taxes, saying it was because the Miao people in Hunan rebelled, so the court wanted money to suppress them. Let me be frank with you all here. Hunan's trivial affairs have nothing to do with us in Hubei. Why should we in Hubei have to share the responsibility just because the Miao people in Hunan rebelled?"

After these words were spoken, they instantly resonated with many people.

Most of the refugees who gathered here were local residents. Those who really came from other provinces were either driven away or fled to Jingzhou to make a living, because they heard that they could get land and survive if they went to Jingzhou Prefecture.

"Boss Wang is right. Why should we in Hubei bear the brunt of Hunan's chaos? It's not fair!"

"Sixth Son is right, the county magistrates are just messing around!"

"My family used to be like that. We were living well, but suddenly the government came with the levy and the imperial court wanted to quash the crops in Hunan. We had to borrow grain from the landlords, and in the end we lost all our land, and my wife ran away."

"Your wife just ran away. My family couldn't pay the increased taxes imposed by the government, so my father starved to death to save food." "And me, my brother was captured by the government and forced to work as a soldier. The land and grain were taken away by the landlord, and even my sister was sold!"

"..."

A group of people were talking to each other. At first, only the refugees in the shacks were talking, but gradually even the local people who came over to watch started talking about their own experiences.

For some unknown reason, this rally turned into a grievance meeting for the refugees.

To be honest, judging from this point of view alone, the fact that he was able to hold a grievance meeting makes this Boss Wang look more like a serious rebel than Nie Yu.

Of course, things cannot be really calculated in this way, because Nie Yu did not hold a grievance meeting. Firstly, most of the refugees under his command came from other places. Secondly, compared with letting the people complain, what he gave was more practical. He directly avenged the grudges, brought them to justice, and then distributed land and reduced taxes to restore production.

After several operations, the people are more willing to accept this more tangible benefit that gives them hope for the future than to sue the suffering congress.

Back to earlier, Boss Wang, who organized the rally, was very patient. He waited until the refugees in the audience had finished speaking before he spoke again: "You've caused your own troubles, so you've got to clean up after yourself. This is a principle that even a six-year-old child in the village knows. And those damn government officials, the imperial court, and those high-ranking officials don't care about the lives of us peasants."

"What's this about Hunan being in turmoil and Hubei being asked to share the burden? It's nothing more than the officials, the imperial court, and the government deliberately trying to make money. And now they're saying there's a White Lotus rebel in Jingzhou, and they want us to share the burden to suppress them?"

"What a joke! How could we peasants not know what the rebels in Jingzhou were like? They were good rebels who could get land, and even refugees could get several acres of high-quality paddy fields. Yet the officials want us to share the responsibility and go and suppress the good rebels in Jingzhou. Isn't this because they don't care about us peasants having a chance to survive?"

Anyone present who has read an education can tell that Boss Wang is trying to change the concept. No matter how well the rebels do, it is still a business that will cost them their heads.

But the refugees watching the rally below the stage didn’t understand!

These people cannot read a single word and are all illiterate. They don’t even know about the current rally. If the government gets to know about it, they might be considered to be plotting a rebellion.

The Qing Dynasty took strict precautions in this regard and even cancelled the Lantern Festival holiday.

Seeing the anger of the refugees in the audience ignited by him, Boss Wang knew it was almost over, so he said, "My fellow villagers, I, Wang Yang, am just like you. I used to have a few acres of land. We weren't rich, but we could make a living. But this damn government is so cruel. After so many levies, my parents starved to death, and even my brothers and sisters fled and were separated. Now I don't know whether they are alive or dead."

"We were originally planning to go to Jingzhou to join the rebels, but the damn government has closed the checkpoints and won't let us refugees cross the border."

"I've thought about it. The damn government wants me dead anyway, so there's nothing to be afraid of. I might as well be like that Jingzhou rebel and rebel against him!"

After three consecutive "damn it", Boss Wang finally revealed his true intentions.

Seeing the refugees in the audience immediately show fear when they heard about the rebellion, Boss Wang struck while the iron was hot and said, "Don't be afraid, fellow villagers. Our current situation, as those scholars say, is that we are all alone. If one person eats, the whole family will not be hungry. Besides, the New Year is approaching, and you should know better than us what those officials are like!"

"Since we have no chance of survival anyway, why not give him a try? The White Lotus rebels were able to kill the prefect, and even the governor was beaten and fled in panic. I don't think this damn Tartar government is that scary."

"The worst that can happen is that the rebellion fails, leaving a scar on the bottom of your head, but you'll still be a brave man twenty years from now. But if it succeeds, then none of you brothers here will have enough to eat, and you might even have the chance to become an official."

"Those who are willing to work with us, please stand up. We won't force those who are unwilling. You will starve to death anyway, so why not rebel before you die? At least you can have a full meal and live a glorious life!"

After this speech, several people stood up on the spot.

Well, they are all “insiders” arranged by Boss Wang.

I have to say that Boss Wang is quite capable and has accurately grasped the herd mentality of these refugees. Rebellion is such a big thing, and no matter how clearly you explain it, they will be afraid. But if someone can take the lead, then others will not be afraid.

First, a few of "our own people" took the lead and stood up, and then the bravest among the refugees. As the number of people increased, soon all the refugees gathered at the scene stood up and were willing to follow Boss Wang.

The rebel team was formed like this!

Boss Wang acted quickly, and it could be said that he had planned it long ago. He assembled his team during the day, and in the evening he led his men to rob wealthy families.

In just a few days, all the landlords and wealthy families in Ma'anshan Town were wiped out.

All their property was looted and their stored food was taken out to recruit more refugees to join their rebel team.

After several waves of this, the news quickly spread to Wuchang City.

For a moment, the city was shaken!
(End of this chapter)