1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 276 A King's Word Is Not a Jest (Revised)

To control the books is to control power.

Since the uprising began, Peng Gang had always occupied the government offices of every city he captured, searching through official registers to collect taxes and grain, and teaching his students to read the Qing government's registers and understand how the Qing government offices operated.

Peng Gang's temporary headquarters in Wuchang was set up in the Jiangxia County government office, and all the official registers of Jiangxia County, including the fish-scale register, were in Peng Gang's hands.

As for some of the private books, Peng Yi obtained them by exchanging grain with other Taiping soldiers when he set up a stall near Hanyang Gate to buy rare books and treasures in Wuchang.

Few people in the Taiping army were literate. It was said that the Northern Palace set up a stall near Hanyang Gate to collect books, and they would exchange any kind of book for food.

"If Your Highness can give me your full support, I, Zuo, am willing to serve you with utmost loyalty!" Zuo Zongtang stood up and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Peng Gang, indicating that he would be willing to take on the task as long as Peng Gang supported him.

"This matter is of great importance, concerning the very survival of our Northern Palace. I have done my utmost to assist you, sir. If you encounter any difficulties in implementing the 'Land Law for the Tillers,' you may come directly to me."

"With Mr. Zuo leading the charge, I'm relieved. I've heard that Mr. Zuo and Mr. Wang have brought many scholars from Hunan. These scholars have risked their families to come and serve me, but I haven't met them yet," Peng Gang said.

"Mr. Zuo led the way and showed me to their residence."

The implementation of the Land Ownership Act begins with land surveying, which requires the formation of a land survey team.

A complete land survey team consists of the head of the team, the surveyor, the scribe, the statistician, and the accountant.

Peng Gang planned to select candidates for the Qian School from among the third cohort of trainees and the students brought by Zuo Zongtang and Wang Quan.

Hanyang City was not large. After riding slowly for a short while, Peng Gang arrived at the camp of the Hunan students near Nanji Gate.

When Zuo Zongtang and Wang Quan first met Peng Gang, their students were somewhat surprised, astonished by the young age of the "Northern King".

Zuo Zongtang and Wang Quan's students were not very old, mostly around twenty or thirty years old.

At the age of thirty, Liu Dian was already considered one of the older students.

Peng Gang, who was just over twenty, was younger than most of Zuo Zongtang and Wang Quan's students.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Northern King."

As the students from Hunan bowed to Peng Gang, they couldn't help but glance at him out of the corner of their eyes with curiosity.

"Get up," Peng Gang said, gesturing with his hand slightly.

Although Zuo Zongtang and Wang Quan's students had a scholarly air about them, they were humble yet assertive, and spoke with ease, clearly having been trained and had done their jobs.

Not a bookworm who spends all his time immersed in his study, oblivious to the world around him, and only focused on reading the classics.

Most of Zuo Zongtang and Wang Quan's students came from families that were not well-off; they were mostly small landlords, rich peasants, or even commoners.

Some worked as servants in the county's six branches to support their families, some served as county secretaries, and some were leaders of local militias. The tutors supplemented their income as a means of earning a living.

Along the way from Xunzhou to Hanyang and Hankou, Peng Gang met many scholars.

This was the first time Peng Gang had ever seen such a group of students and preparatory students gathered together, full of energy and spirit.

After the ceremony, Wang Xutao cupped his hands in greeting to Peng Gang and asked, "If I may be so bold as to ask, how long will the Northern King's order to separate men and women into different camps be in effect?"

Wang Xutao was born into a fishing family in Yiyang. His family had been fishing for generations, and it wasn't until his father's generation that the family's financial situation improved.

Thanks to the savings accumulated by his ancestors, Wang Xutao was able to begin his studies, enter the county school, and later study at Yuelu Academy and Chengnan Academy, becoming a disciple of Zuo Zongtang.

Wang Xutao was originally a minor leader in the Yiyang Water Braves militia.

Wei Changhui and Shi Dakai stormed into Yiyang County, and Wang Xutao's cavalry was scattered. He then fled back to his hometown to seek refuge, planning to become a private tutor at home to live out his remaining years after the Taiping rebels left.

After much hesitation, he finally went to Liuzhuang in Xiangyin to visit Zuo Zongtang after receiving his invitation.

The other students from Hunan echoed Wang Xutao's sentiments, saying they shared the same question.

Peng Gang set an example by keeping men and women in separate camps throughout the palace. Each camp had ample supplies, with no shortage of food or clothing, and each camp had the opportunity to visit their families once a month.

Zuo Zongtang and Wang Quan's students had no complaints about the arrangement of separate camps for men and women.

Their only concern was how long this separate camp order would last and when they would be able to live with their families.

They wanted a clearer answer from Peng Gang.

In order to have the opportunity to put all my lifelong learning to use, and in order to win a bright future.

They can tolerate short-term separation from their families.

No one can accept living apart from their family for an extended period of time.

"At most half a month." Peng Gang gave a relatively conservative timeframe to reassure the students from Hunan.

"The order to separate men and women into different camps is merely a temporary measure during the transition of battles. When the time is right, I will cancel it accordingly."

All the halls are ready, and they will follow Yang Xiuqing down the river to Jiangnan in the next few days.

Once Yang Xiuqing and his group leave Wuchang, Peng Gang can gradually distribute land to the deserted city of Wuchang and properly resettle the soldiers and civilians from the North Palace.

The two-week deadline he gave was already considered conservative.

Upon receiving a positive answer, the Hunan students present finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Standing in front of the students from Hunan, Liu Dian hesitated, about to ask Peng Gang when and what positions he would assign them.

Peng Gang spoke first: "I have long heard that scholars from Hunan value learning for governing the world and benefiting the people. They not only study the Four Books and Five Classics, but also actively learn practical subjects such as geography, military administration, agriculture, and water conservancy. I just don't know how much real knowledge you have acquired from the academy, and whether you have disgraced the names of Mr. Zuo and Mr. Wang."

Upon hearing this, the hot-blooded young students from Hunan erupted in a commotion, expressing their strong dissatisfaction.

Not all scholars in Hunan are fortunate enough to be able to study at renowned academies such as Yuelu Academy and Chengnan Academy.

Even fewer scholars were fortunate enough to become disciples of renowned teachers like Zuo Zongtang and Wang Quan.

The Hunanese students in front of Peng Gang possessed both qualities, and being young, they were inevitably somewhat arrogant.

"Does Your Highness think we are wasting our time at the academy?" Liu Dian was the first to object.

"If Your Highness doubts our lack of expertise, I am willing to exchange skills with you! You may choose from geography, military administration, agriculture, and water conservancy!" Zhou Yisheng, Zuo Zongtang's brother-in-law, believed that he had received Zuo Zongtang's true teachings and was a top geography master in Hunan. He also had a good grasp of military administration, agriculture, and water conservancy. He expressed his desire to exchange skills with Peng Gang.

“Your Highness may question us, but please do not look down on our teacher,” Wang Xutao said.

“Ru Chong (Zhou Yisheng, courtesy name Ru Chong), don’t humiliate yourself. I discussed His Highness’s scholarship with him when I was in Hengzhou Prefecture. You all read His Highness’s writings at Liuzhuang. How have I taught you? The sea of ​​learning is boundless, there are always people more knowledgeable than you, and mountains beyond mountains.” Zuo Zongtang glared at Zhou Yisheng, his words intended for Zhou Yisheng as well as for the other students.

This was the first time these students had met Peng Gang, and Zuo Zongtang did not want his students to leave a bad impression on Peng Gang, so that they would be neglected or even sidelined.

As soon as Zuo Zongtang finished speaking, his students fell silent, except for a few of Wang Quan's students who were still whispering among themselves.

"Mr. Zuo once wrote a couplet under his tutelage. The first line reads, 'He owns no land, yet his heart is concerned for the world.'" Peng Gang suddenly raised his voice.

"I now own millions of acres of land in Wuchang and Hanyang. I wonder if any of you have the ability to survey and redistribute it equally to benefit the soldiers and civilians under your jurisdiction. If any of you truly possess the ability to govern the country and benefit the people, why should I hesitate to give up the official positions in Wuchang and Hanyang?"

The Qing court couldn't provide you with a place to utilize your lifelong learning, but I will! The Qing court couldn't offer you official positions, but I will!

Peng Gang wasn't making empty promises to the students from Hunan in front of him.

After Yang Xiuqing and his men withdrew, parts of Wuchang, Hanyang, Huangzhou, and Yuezhou prefectures were under the actual control of the Northern Palace. Many official positions were vacant, and Peng Gang's own students alone could not fill all the vacancies.

Peng Gang's students excelled in military administration; even the third cohort of students were trained as reserve officers, but they lacked experience in administration.

Many of Zuo Zongtang and Wang Quan had served as staff members for county officials or held positions in the six departments of the county government, giving them extensive experience in local administration.

Both can learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses, and explore and learn from each other.

"Is this really true?" The students from Hunan had bright eyes, eager to try it out.

Human energy is limited, and those who are good at writing formal essays and are also proficient in many practical subjects are ultimately a minority.

Not to mention Zuo Zongtang's students, even Zuo Zongtang himself was not good at the eight-legged essay. His teacher He Xiling commented on Zuo Zongtang's exam paper: "The writing is good, but the sentiment does not conform to the formula."

Zuo Zongtang's academic degree was not obtained through conventional means.

Because his parents passed away one after another and he had to observe mourning, Zuo Zongtang missed the provincial examination for obtaining the qualification of a student. He borrowed 108 taels of silver from relatives and friends through the method of "donating a student status" to purchase the qualification of a student of the Imperial Academy (a regular student status), thus bypassing the status of a student and directly participating in the provincial examination.

The imperial examination for the 50th birthday of Emperor Daoguang.

If it weren't for the special order from the court to have the chief examiner Xu Faji review all the missing papers to prevent any talent from being overlooked, and the sudden death of the deputy chief examiner Hu Jian, Xu Faji would have been forced to review more than 5,000 missing papers on his own and select six people from them.

Furthermore, if it weren't for the chief examiner Xu Faji's preference for practical essays, and the fact that Wu Rongguang, the then governor of Hunan, endorsed and guaranteed Zuo Zongtang's paper, Zuo Zongtang's paper would have been difficult to be recognized, and he would have been selected as the top candidate among the six supplementary candidates.

Zuo Zongtang's success in passing the imperial examination was due to a combination of his own hard skills, connections, and luck.

Not everyone has the exceptional abilities, connections, and luck of Zuo Zongtang.

The number of positions available through regular imperial examinations was limited, and buying an official position was not something that most of the Hunanese students, who came from humble backgrounds, could afford or obtain.

The official vacancies were very attractive to these students from Hunan.

If it weren't for the unforeseen events of the Taiping Rebellion and the Northern Palace, most of them, no matter how well they studied, would have had little opportunity to use their talents and would have been destined for a mediocre and unremarkable life.

"A king's word is his bond!" Peng Gang's response was as resounding as gold.

"Anyone willing to participate in the land survey and equal distribution, and to implement the 'Land Law of Wuchang Prefecture and Hanyang County, which grants land to the tillers,' to benefit the people of the world, may apply. I have always been meritocratic, and those who can handle the land survey and equal distribution quickly and properly will be selected for official positions."

"We are willing to serve His Highness the Northern King!" The excited students from Hunan responded in unison.

"Good! With such a heart, why worry about not being able to return to our hometown of Hunan, accomplish a great and earth-shattering feat, benefit the people, go down in history, and bring glory to our ancestors!" Peng Gang shouted.

After speaking, Peng Gang instructed Li Ruzhao to distribute the "Land Law of Wuchang Prefecture and Hanyang County on the Ownership of Land by Farmers" to the Hunan students.

Let them understand the upcoming work content first.

Immediately, Peng Gang interviewed each of the 110 students of Zuo Zongtang and Wang Quan, and got a rough understanding of them.

Five people were selected to join the Northern Prince's staff and trained under his tutelage.

Peng Gang, together with Zuo Zongtang, assigned the remaining people to jobs such as mapmaker, archer, scribe, and calculator, based on their respective skills, and then trained them in groups.

After assigning jobs to the students from Hunan, Peng Gang selected forty students from the third cohort of students at their school. Guo Kuntao and Wang Dalei trained them so that they could participate in the land survey in Jiangxia County.

The following day, Peng Gang crossed the river to the Eastern King's Mansion in Wuchang City to meet Yang Xiuqing.

Ships traveling down the river are of utmost importance, and all the palaces attach great importance to searching for boats and forming naval forces.

The other halls, including the West Hall which arrived late.

After arriving in the three towns of Wuhan, they successively established their own naval forces.

Boats lined both banks of the Yangtze River near the three towns of Wuhan.

The boats of the North Palace were moored on the north bank of the Yangtze River, while the boats of the other palaces were moored on the south bank.

The boats of the various palace naval camps were mostly civilian boats that were requisitioned and purchased, as well as captured grain transport boats and official boats.

However, the mooring of ships on the south bank was more chaotic compared to that on the north bank.

The naval forces of the Northern Palace were established relatively early, and when they were in Guangxi, the Northern Palace troops relied heavily on waterways and boats for their movements.

The fleet management and navigation experience they have accumulated is far richer than that of other palace naval forces that have been established for a shorter period of time.

Therefore, the fleet on the north bank was relatively orderly.

Although the ships used by the Northern Palace and other palace navies were based on civilian ships and grain transport ships, the Northern Palace naval forces had distinct warships, grain ships, supply ships, and troop transport ships according to their different functions.

The warships were specially modified and reinforced in places such as Lingling, Hengyang, Hanyang, and Hankou, and were equipped with firearms such as mountain cannons and muskets. They were in relatively good condition.

The warships were specifically tasked with fighting against the Qing army's naval forces and protecting supply convoys and troop transport ships carrying combat personnel.

The ships in other palaces did not distinguish between warships, supply ships, and baggage ships. When needed, they were all loaded with provisions; when needed for battle, they were all loaded with warships. The training and management of the navy were rather rudimentary.

Upon arriving at Yang Xiuqing's residence and meeting Yang Xiuqing, Peng Gang explained his purpose to her.

Yang Xiuqing was quite surprised to hear that Peng Gang was going to stay in Wuhan.

Yang Xiuqing originally intended for Wei Changhui to remain at the Baling-Wuhan three-town defense line to be responsible for the rearguard action.

Behind them, there were still over 100,000 Qing soldiers in Changsha Prefecture. Staying behind to defend the three towns of Baling and Wuhan was no easy task.

Wei Changhui was quite resistant to Yang Xiuqing's arrangements.

Firstly, he wanted to take the Prince Consort to the prosperous Jiangnan region to enjoy a life of luxury as soon as possible.

Secondly, the auxiliary hall alone was weak and unable to withstand the offensive of the main force of the Qing army in Hunan.

Yang Xiuqing did not have high hopes for Wei Changhui to defend the three towns of Wuhan. He only hoped that Wei Changhui could delay the Qing army pursuing them before they captured Nanjing.

Even so, Wei Changhui still had complaints.

Yang Xiuqing is troubled by this matter.

This cannot be blamed on Wei Changhui, as the assistant commander did not have much experience in independent operations.

Even when attacking Baoqing Prefecture, the Auxiliary Hall fought alongside Shi Dakai's Wing Hall.

Even if Hunan Governor Luo Bingzhang was unwilling to lead the Changsha troops to follow Sai Shang'a in pursuing the Taiping Army, the number of soldiers Sai Shang'a could muster on his own was still considerable.

Moreover, there might be Qing troops under the command of Xu Guangjin, Zhou Tianjue, and Xiang Rong behind them.

It was indeed a bit difficult for Wei Changhui to lead a contingent of troops to guard the three towns of Baling and Wuhan.

"Seventh Brother, are you really going to stay and guard the three towns of Wuhan?" Yang Xiuqing asked repeatedly.

"The Qing devils will inevitably take the Yangtze River waterway. The Yangtze River is wide in the Wuhan area, and it is difficult to block it with land-based fortifications alone. We need a strong naval force to stop the Qing devils in Hunan from pursuing our main force. Who else but us can stay and defend the Wuhan area?" Peng Gang said with an air of duty.

"But the North Palace is facing some difficulties, and I hope that Fourth Brother can lend a helping hand."

(End of this chapter)