1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 270 Heavenly Kingdom Strategy
The journey from Hanyang to Jiangling, the capital of Jingzhou, is 600 li by water and 500 li by land, a considerable distance.

Gathering intelligence on Jiangling City is not something that can be done overnight.

While the intelligence agency was gathering intelligence on Jiangling City, Peng Gang did not intend to leave his subordinates idle in Hanyang and Hankou.

Although Jiangling is far away, the county towns on both sides of the Han River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, are close by.

The county closest to Hanyang City is Hanchuan County, located on the north bank of the Han River within the territory of Hanyang Prefecture.

Although the Han River from Hanyang to Hanchuan is winding, the entire route is only about 140 li (approximately 70 kilometers).

Even going against the current only takes two or three days.

Peng Gang selected Lu Qin's regiment and ordered Lu Qin to lead the regiment, along with two battalions from the Seventh Regiment (engineering regiment), westward upriver to attack Hanchuan.

The Qing troops in Hanchuan County were very pragmatic.

The capital city of Hanyang and the provincial capital of Wuchang could not withstand the long-haired and short-haired guerrillas.

What can a small county like Hanchuan do to stop this?

Upon learning that the short-haired rebels in Hanyang had sailed north along the Han River, the Qing soldiers in Hanchuan County abandoned Hanchuan and fled overnight.

Lu Qin took Hanchuan County in just two and a half days and was waiting for Peng Gang's further instructions.

Bei Dian conquered cities and territories along the way, and was invincible. As long as Peng Gang wanted to attack a city, he could take it, except for Ma Ping, the prefectural city of Liuzhou.

Peng Gang no longer felt a sense of accomplishment after taking over a county.

Peng Gang ordered Lu Qin to leave a battalion in Hanchuan to exploit wealthy households, collect grain and fodder, and purchase boats.

The remaining troops continued westward against the current, attacking Mianyang Prefecture and Qianjiang County in order to open up the transportation line to Jiangling, the capital of Jingzhou Prefecture, and pave the way for the subsequent attack on Mancheng, Jingzhou.

Yang Xiuqing, who was in Wuchang, learned that Peng Gang had easily captured Hanchuan County in less than three days, and based on this, he believed that the Qing army in Hubei was extremely incompetent.

Therefore, Yang Fuqing was dispatched to lead 3,000 men from the East Palace and 2,000 men from the East Palace rear, totaling 5,000 men, to sail down the Yangtze River and directly attack Huanggang, the capital of Huangzhou Prefecture.

The Mid-Autumn Festival was on August 15th, which was half a month after Lu Qin was dispatched to attack Hanchuan City.

The intelligence bureau's Qiu Ersao, Liu Tongwei, and others finally presented the intelligence they had gathered about Jiangling City, the capital of Jingzhou Prefecture, to Peng Gang's desk.

The city walls of Jiangling are intact and without any damage.

The person in charge of the defense of Jiangling City was Tai Yong, a 62-year-old general from Jingzhou, who belonged to the Manchu Plain White Banner.

Tai Yong's past record is mediocre, with no outstanding political achievements or military exploits; he is a typical mediocre person from the Manchu Eight Banners.

He was able to become the General of Jingzhou solely because of his lineage from the Upper Three Banners and his seniority. He had never even wiped out bandits, so he was nothing to fear.

Although the general of Jingzhou is not worth mentioning, the defense of Jiangling City is quite strong. As the location of the Eight Banners garrison, Jiangling City has many heavy cannons, but the Eight Banners artillerymen are not skilled.

The number of troops stationed in Jiangling City was greater than that in Wuchang.

The main force of the Jiangling City garrison consisted of 4,000 Eight Banner soldiers, all of whom were stationed in Manchu City, Jingzhou.

There were two battalions: the Jingzhou City Garrison Battalion and the Jingzhou Naval Battalion. They were auxiliary units that assisted the Eight Banners troops stationed in the area, totaling only about five or six hundred people.

The number of militia members in the local militia is currently unknown.

Given the current state of Jiangling, the capital of Jingzhou Prefecture, Peng Gang believes that as long as there are no Qing reinforcements, taking Jiangling and completely erasing the entire city of Jingzhou from the map is not a problem.

Peng Gang, carrying the information gathered by the intelligence bureau, crossed the river under the escort of Huang Dabiao and headed to the Eastern Prince's Mansion in Wuchang City.

Go and talk to Yang Xiuqing about his plan to attack Jingzhou, and at the same time, find out Yang Xiuqing's attitude towards the three towns of Wuhan, as well as Yang Xiuqing's next strategic plan.

With the three towns of Wuhan under siege, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom had gained momentum, and Peng Gang's influence had grown significantly.

His political demands and propositions, apart from the one of opposing the Qing and eliminating the Manchus, were consistent with those of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

The remaining political demands and propositions were far removed from those of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and were difficult to reconcile.

There's not much point in continuing to get involved with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Regardless of Yang Xiuqing's next strategic plan, Peng Gang must establish an independent base of his own as the foundation for overthrowing the Manchu Qing regime.

The Taiping Rebellion's bandit tactics alone could only shake the foundations of the Qing Dynasty's rule, but could not overthrow it.

Half a month later, I came to Wuchang again and took the same route.

The situation in Wuchang is quite different from what it was half a month ago.

Peng Gang's most direct impression of Wuchang today is that all industries are in decline and it lacks the lively atmosphere that a big city should have.

Only two or three out of ten shops in the city remain open for business.

Apart from Taiping soldiers, few Wuchang residents were out and about on the streets.

This presents a stark contrast to Hanyang and Hankou, which are separated by a river and where all production and commercial activities continue as usual.

As soon as Peng Gang entered Hanyang Gate, he saw Lin Qirong, the inspector of the East Palace, arrive at the gate of a rather impressive mansion next to the Yellow Crane Tower.

The banner hanging at the entrance, with the character "民" (civilian) written on it, was taken down and replaced with a banner with the character "兵" (soldier) written on it.

Immediately afterward, Lin Qirong led a group of people from the East Palace into the mansion.

Peng Gang looked around and saw that the houses and shops on both sides of the street all had a number hanging in front of their doors.

Most of the banners had the character "兵" (soldier) written on them, while only a few had the character "民" (civilian).

As Peng Gang was looking around, he heard the sounds of something being rummaged through and cries coming from inside the house.

He couldn't help but glance into the courtyard a few more times.

A dozen or so eunuchs from the East Palace were seen rummaging through boxes and cabinets in the courtyard, searching for supplies.

Books, paintings, jewelry, antiques, Western clocks, and other items were discarded like worn-out shoes and scattered all over the ground.

These people in the East Hall only care about things like gold, silver, firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, cloth, books, antiques, and rare treasures, which are of little use to them. They don't even bother to glance at the East Hall plaques in the courtyard.

"Inspector Lin!" Peng Gang called out to Lin Qirong in the courtyard.

When Lin Qirong heard someone call his name, Lin Jiandian, he instinctively turned around and saw that it was Peng Gang calling him. He hurriedly went out to greet Peng Gang: "So it's His Highness the Northern King! Greetings, His Highness the Northern King!"

Peng Gang, mounted on his horse, pointed to the banner with the character "soldier" written on it in front of the gate and asked Lin Qirong, "Inspector Lin, what does the character 'soldier' ​​on this banner mean? And why did you just replace the banner with the character 'civilian'?"

"Your Highness the Northern King may not know this, but the Eastern King issued an order ten days ago that anyone in Wuchang who is unwilling to join the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom can be exempted from entering the palace by offering tribute," Lin Qirong explained to Peng Gang.

It turned out that ten days ago, with the help of some unsuccessful students in Wuchang, Yang Xiuqing completed the registration of the residents of Wuchang City.

Because there were wealthy families in Wuchang who were unwilling to be coerced into joining the Taiping Army, nor were they willing to give up their money.

Yang Xiuqing was furious and implemented a policy that allowed those who paid tribute to return to their original professions.

Those who paid tribute were given a cloth with the character "民" (civilian) to hang in front of their door, indicating that they had paid tribute to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and did not need to enter the palace or join the army; they could continue to live as ordinary citizens.

Those who had no money or goods to offer tribute, or who were unwilling to offer tribute, were given a military badge, and all their family members were conscripted into the military, and their houses were confiscated.

"This family doesn't seem like one that can't afford to pay tribute. Or is it one that refuses to pay tribute?" Peng Gang glanced at the books, antiques, and rare treasures scattered on the ground and asked.

“We have to pay tribute every five days. This family paid their tribute last time, but they can’t afford to pay this time,” Lin Qirong patiently explained to Peng Gang.

"The Eastern King only wants tribute items that can be eaten, worn, and used; he doesn't want any of these things on the ground, as they cannot be used as tribute."

Tribute was paid every five days.
Yang Xiuqing was determined to drag the entire population of Wuchang into the Taiping Army.

This allowed the Taiping army to rapidly expand its numbers in a short period of time.

However, these citizens had never experienced battle, and many of them had acquired vagrant or street-smart habits.

In addition, wealthy merchants and gentry from Wuchang were also drawn into the Taiping army, and these people were even more hostile to the Taiping army.

Yang Xiuqing's indiscriminate coercion without any discernment was unwise.

This move not only failed to enhance the strength of the Taiping Army, but also reduced its purity, and increased the difficulty of management and logistical burden.

"Inspector Lin, we, the Northern Palace, are willing to exchange these things with you in the form of grain and cloth," Peng Gang said, pointing with the whip in his hand at the books, antiques, and rare treasures scattered on the ground.

The Yangtze River basin was prosperous, and the Taiping Army discarded it like worn-out shoes. They felt that these books, antiques and rare treasures, which they considered worthless, were easy to sell.

The Taiping army lacked people who were good at economics and adaptable; their vision was ultimately too narrow.

The books, antiques, and rare treasures collected by wealthy and powerful families in Wuchang City could fetch no less money than the money the Taiping Army directly plundered from Wuchang City, provided they found buyers and opened up sales channels.

Moreover, these books, antiques, and rare treasures are small in size, valuable, and more convenient to carry. "If His Highness the Northern King likes them, these things can be given to him. There's no need to talk about exchanging them," Lin Qirong said nonchalantly.

“It would be better to exchange grain and cloth with you. I would also like to ask Inspector Lin to spread the word to all the halls that you can take these unwanted items outside Hanyang Gate to the North Hall to exchange them for grain and cloth. I will send people to set up a stall outside Hanyang Gate to collect them. It’s a cash exchange.” Peng Gang said.

He didn't want the books, antiques, and rare treasures collected by individual households.

He wanted all the books, antiques, and rare treasures in the entire city of Wuchang.

The Northern Palace occupied Hankou, the largest town and the central hub for supplies in Hubei. They had no shortage of grain and cloth, and exchanging cheap grain and cloth with other palaces for valuable books, antiques, and rare treasures was an extremely profitable business.

"okay."

Lin Qirong responded and instructed the servants of the East Palace to quickly pick up all the books, antiques, and rare treasures on the ground, pack them into boxes, and take them to the North Palace outside Hanyang Gate to exchange them for grain and cloth.

After bidding farewell to Lin Qirong, Peng Gang continued eastward along Qian Street, heading towards the Eastern Prince's Mansion.

Qianjie Street was the main thoroughfare of Wuchang City, and the people who lived on Qianjie Street were either rich or noble.

It has been more than a year and eight months since the decree establishing separate camps for men and women was issued.

The Taiping army practiced asceticism and strictly controlled matters between men and women, even prohibiting secret meetings between husband and wife.

Can primal human instincts be suppressed so easily? Moreover, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's kings were unable to set an example by their own actions.

In the past, the Taiping soldiers could only relieve their physiological needs among their brothers.

Now, when you move to a big city, the pampered children of wealthy families are a better alternative to your rough-and-tumble brothers.

Driven by instinctual desires, senior military officers would naturally not let go of this golden opportunity.

Inside the Eastern King's Palace, Yang Xiuqing, Hong Xiuquan, Feng Yunshan, Wei Changhui, Shi Dakai, and a group of strategists were gathered together discussing where to establish the capital and what would be a small paradise.

Upon Peng Gang's arrival, Hong Xiuquan offered him a seat and invited him to join the discussion.

Peng Gang lifted his robe and sat down, listening to their discussion.

Unlike in the past, each prince now has several advisors standing behind him, more or less.

Most of these advisors were disillusioned scholars from Hubei who had recently joined the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom; many were local students or students who had completed their studies at the primary school level.

There were none who passed the provincial examination or the imperial examination.

The Zhou Li (Rites of Zhou) states in the section on the Minister of Earth and Minister of Education, that the depth of the soil should be measured using the method of the earth gnomon, and the shadow of the sun should be adjusted to find the center of the earth.

When the sun shines south, the days are short and it is hot. When the sun shines north, the days are long and it is cold. When the sun shines east, the days are evening and it is windy. When the sun shines west, the days are morning and it is cloudy.

The distance from the sun to the zenith is one foot and five inches, which is called the center of the earth, where heaven and earth meet, where the four seasons intersect, where wind and rain converge, and where yin and yang are in harmony.

When establishing a state, a gnomon is used to mark its territory and define its boundaries.

The capital should be located in the heart of the land, and the heart of our Chinese civilization is ancient Chang'an, now Xi'an.

Feng Yunshan, who revered the Zhou rites, cited classical texts and believed that Xi'an, located in the center of the earth, should be the capital.

"Guanzhong is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and has the natural defenses of Xiaohan Pass. Qin built its empire on the eight hundred li of Qin land, and we can also use Xi'an as our base."

Feng Yunshan's idea of ​​making Xi'an the capital gave Peng Gang a very unreliable feeling.

Furthermore, Xi'an today is not the same as Xi'an in the Qin Dynasty.

Qin faced the scattered and uncoordinated six states east of the Hangu Pass. When Qin swept through the six states, it not only controlled the Qin territory but also had the Ba and Shu regions as its granary.

With Xi'an as the capital, the country not only had to contend with the Manchu Qing regime, which was still in a state of unification, but also with the forces in the Northwest.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was a religious regime, with its capital in Xi'an, so its biggest enemy was not the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

Moreover, Xi'an Prefecture at that time was not particularly wealthy, and its resources were not abundant.

"Why not make Wuchang a mini-paradise?" Wei Changhui thought that Wuchang, which was already there, was quite good.

Both Wuchang Prefecture and Hanyang Prefecture were wealthy and prosperous prefectures.

Most of Yuezhou Prefecture on the shore of Dongting Lake, northern Changsha Prefecture, and Wuling, the capital of Changde Prefecture, were still under the control of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, which could protect the three towns of Wuhan.

Peng Gang also thought it was a good idea. Although setting the capital in Wuchang was not a wise move, if the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom used Wuchang as a small paradise, it could help them contain the Qing army in the Hunan and Hubei areas.

He could then go directly down the river to the south of the Yangtze River and establish his base there.

With the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom upstream to contain the Qing army, Peng Gang would face much less pressure downstream.

Peng Gang turned his head to look at Yang Xiuqing, wanting to hear what profound insights Yang Xiuqing had to offer.

Despite the discussions, the only person who could actually determine the future of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was Yang Xiuqing, who held supreme military and political power.

“We now have over ten thousand boats, why should we abandon the easy path and seek the difficult one, abandon the near path and seek the far one, and take Xi’an as a small paradise? I have heard that the Northwest is even poorer than our Guangxi. How can Xi’an, as a small paradise, support so many of us?” Yang Xiuqing shook his head and successively rejected the views of Feng Yunshan and Wei Changhui.

"Wuqiang is a strategic location connecting nine provinces, and it is vulnerable to attacks from all sides. Wuqiang is not easy to defend. It can be held and defended, but it should not be turned into a small paradise."

"Why not strike at the heart of the enemy and sweep north to wipe out the Qing devils' lair in the capital?" Hong Xiuquan advocated taking a one-step approach, directly attacking the capital and unifying the world.

“The capital is far away, and besides, it is the lair of the evil Xianfeng, where the Qing forces are the most numerous. It cannot be taken in a day or two. Furthermore, besieging a strong city for a long time is not our Heavenly Army’s forte. It is not a safe option.” Yang Xiuqing still shook his head, believing that Hong Xiuquan’s idea of ​​directly attacking the capital was too risky and radical.

A strategist from Henan Province chimed in, proposing the idea of ​​establishing the capital in Luoyang and using the Heluo region as a base, citing the Northern Song Dynasty as an example, but few responded.

"Fourth Brother, where do you think would be the best place to be a little paradise?" Shi Dakai turned his head to look at Yang Xiuqing, wanting to hear Yang Xiuqing's thoughts.

"Jiangning is a strategically important and advantageous location, with the Yangtze River acting as a natural barrier, which enabled Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, to establish his imperial dynasty."

The demonic lineage of the Qing Dynasty lies in the Grand Canal, and Jiangnan is the wealthiest region in the world, a major tax-paying area.

Of the eight provinces along the Grand Canal, Jiangsu and Zhejiang were the richest and most important, and the key nodes of the canal transport were located here.

If they occupy Jiangnan and cut off the Qing Dynasty's financial resources, the Qing Dynasty will be half dead.

The taxes levied on Suzhou far exceed those of the entire Guangxi region, enough to support us.

Yang Xiuqing rested his chin on his hand, pondered for a moment, and then expressed his thoughts.

"With Jiangning as our little paradise, we can take the money and grain from Jiangnan for our heavenly kingdom. By taking control of Jiangning and utilizing the water network and canals of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, we can launch northern expeditions, western expeditions, and southern campaigns. Why should we worry about the stability of the world?"
In my opinion, we should take advantage of the Yangtze River, advance directly, follow the river to capture fortresses, abandon key points, focus on Jiangning, and establish it as our base.

Of all the strategic ideas and plans of the princes, Yang Xiuqing's strategy was undoubtedly the most brilliant and feasible.

If the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom had truly implemented this strategic vision, it might have been able to contend for the Central Plains and establish its rule over the entire country.

Unfortunately, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom lacked talent skilled in internal affairs and economic management.

From beginning to end, they pursued a policy of predatory expansion, abandoning cities they plundered. This bandit mentality persisted until the fall of the Heavenly Kingdom.

Without a solid rear, sufficient strategic depth, and a strong material base as support.

Yang Xiuqing's strategic plan of establishing a base in Jiangning and launching northern, western, and southern expeditions was ultimately unrealistic and unlikely to succeed.

After a heated debate, Yang Xiuqing's strategy ultimately prevailed.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's decision-makers determined a strategic policy of following the river to attack fortresses, abandoning key points, and focusing their efforts on Nanjing.

After the meeting, Peng Gang stayed behind alone and told Yang Xiuqing about his idea of ​​eliminating the Mancheng in Jingzhou to clear away any worries for Wuchang and Jiangning. He also gave Yang Xiuqing a detailed account of the current situation in Jiangling, the capital of Jingzhou Prefecture.

"You ordered Luo Dagang to halt his troops in Yuezhou Prefecture and await orders, while sending Lu Qin westward to conquer Hanchuan and other places, all in order to attack Jiangling, right?" Yang Xiuqing listened patiently to Peng Gang's explanation, pondered for a moment, and then expressed his opinion.

"Although attacking Jiangling, the capital of Jingzhou Prefecture, is not on the way, the entire city is in Jingzhou. If you want to attack Jiangling, I support you. The troops of the West Palace are still in Yuezhou Prefecture, and Wei Jun's troops of the Auxiliary Palace are still in Wuling, the capital of Changde Prefecture. They are closer to Jingzhou. Since you want to attack, the three palaces should join forces to attack Jiangling and wipe out the entire city of Jingzhou."

Yang Xiuqing supported Peng Gang's plan to eliminate Mancheng in Jingzhou, believing that eliminating Mancheng would not only protect Wuqiang, but also protect strategic locations in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, such as Jiangning, which they planned to capture in the future.

The politically charged act of clearing out the Manchu city could also deter the Qing court and boost the confidence of Han people across the country in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Yang Xiuqing is currently drawing all the people of the Wuchang area into the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, requisitioning boats, converting them into warships, and preparing to capture Jiangning. He will not leave Wuchang in the short term.

Sending a detachment to attack Jingzhou would allow the main force in Wuchang to provide support even in the event of unforeseen circumstances, making the risk manageable.

"Fourth Brother is wise!"

Yang Xiuqing agreed to Peng Gang's request to attack Mancheng in Jingzhou and was willing to send troops from the Western Palace to join forces with the Northern Palace in the attack, which pleased Peng Gang greatly.

"A swift and decisive battle is needed to capture Jingzhou and Mancheng quickly, without any delay," Yang Xiuqing said with a slight nod.

While supporting the plan, Yang Xiuqing did not want some of the troops from the North, West, and Auxiliary Palaces to remain in Jingzhou Prefecture for too long, lest any unforeseen events occur that would affect the subsequent plan to march east and attack Jiangning.

"I will certainly live up to Fourth Brother's expectations!" Peng Gang replied confidently.

(End of this chapter)