1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 280 Jiangxia Qingtian
After half a month of reorganization, the four newly formed provisional regiments successively entered service.

The enlistment of four provisional regiments alleviated Peng Gang's predicament of insufficient troops.

Of the four newly formed provisional regiments, the Eighth Provisional Regiment was deployed by Peng Gang to Yuezhou Prefecture to assist in the defense of the Yangtze River defense line of the three towns of Baling and Wuhan, and to guard the two important military towns along the river, Baling City and Linxiang County.

The Provisional Ninth Regiment was split into four battalions, which were assigned to defend four prefectures and counties within the territory of Hanyang Prefecture: Mianyang Prefecture, Hanchuan Prefecture, Xiaogan Prefecture, and Huangpi Prefecture.

The Provisional 10th Regiment was also split into four battalions, responsible for capturing and defending the four counties of Tongcheng, Chongyang, Puqi and Tongshan in the southwest of Wuchang Prefecture.

The 11th Provisional Regiment was responsible for assisting in the defense of the three towns of Wuhan.

By this point, Peng Gang had used his ten regiments, comprising over 30,000 relatively elite and skilled troops, to complete control over most of the areas within the four prefectures of Yuezhou, Wuchang, Hanyang, and Huangzhou.

The three towns of Wuhan were thus able to gain a certain strategic depth.

Although some units, such as the Provisional 10th Regiment, have only followed the 3rd Regiment to Tongcheng and Tongshan counties, news of the formal capture of Tongcheng and Tongshan counties has not yet reached Wuchang.

However, the Qing army in Hunan suffered heavy losses after Luo Dagang, Qin Rigang, and Wei Zhijun captured two large camps in Yuezhou Prefecture.

So far, the Qing troops in Hunan have not made any major moves, nor have they shown any signs of entering Hubei to fight.

As long as the Qing troops from Hunan do not enter Hubei territory, Peng Gang's left wing will have no rivals within Hubei.

It's only a matter of time before we take over Tongcheng and Tongshan counties in the southern mountainous area of ​​Wuchang Prefecture.

Having completed the reorganization of the four provisional regiments, and with no imminent military threat from the outside, Peng Gang shifted his focus to domestic affairs.

After training, 110 students of Zuo Zongtang and Wang Quan, along with 40 students from Peng Gang's third cohort, gradually mastered the procedures and techniques for land surveying.

Land surveying is a systematic project.

Training the survey team is only one part of the process, not the whole thing.

Supporting work, including but not limited to manufacturing surveying tools such as bows for land surveying, marking labels for marking land information, and logistical and security support for the surveying team, is also being prepared intensively during the training period of the surveying team.

One hundred and fifty people were responsible for surveying and measuring the fields within the boundaries of Jiangxia County, and there were no local powerful families interfering with the surveying work.

Liu Dian, a versatile player who had served as a map maker, archer, and calculator in his hometown of Hunan, felt he had never fought such a generous and easy Qingtian battle.

It should be noted that in the past, the small teams of land surveyors in Ningxiang County, consisting of only a handful of people, were responsible for surveying and measuring all the fields in the county.

Even with the crude land surveying method that combined self-surveying by farmers with official land allocation, several people were involved in the surveying of a county.

This means that the owners had to first mark the land information (name, boundaries, tenants, etc.) with a sign, and then the government would send archers to conduct random checks and verifications. In a day, they could only survey less than a hundred plots of land.

Before training the field survey team, Peng Gang promised these students from Hunan that he would conduct a field survey in groups.

The group that performs the land survey work the fastest and best will be given priority for promotion and a substantive post.

Liu Dian felt that these conditions were tailor-made for him.

Among all the students in Hunan, Liu Dian was the most experienced in land surveying.

Thinking of this, Liu Dian couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The hardships of the past have not been in vain. The Liu family has finally made it to his generation, and now they have a chance to rise above their circumstances.

Inside the main hall of the Education Bureau, Zuo Zongtang, having finished his last land survey lesson for the students, noticed Liu Dian grinning foolishly to the side. He couldn't help but look at Liu Dian and ask, "Liu Dian, it seems you're quite confident about the land survey?"

Liu Dian composed himself and bowed deeply to Zuo Zongtang: "I received much instruction from you at Yuelu Academy and Chengnan Academy in the past. After returning to my hometown, I have never missed a single land survey in the county, and I have not disgraced you. It is not an exaggeration of me, but if we are talking about land surveying, I am confident that I will win first place, gain the favor of His Highness the Prince of the North, and bring glory to you."

"Winning first place isn't so easy. Clearing the fields is a team effort, not a solo endeavor," Zuo Zongtang reminded Liu Dian before hurrying away from the Education Bureau.

Before he had even left the main hall of the Education Bureau, a young man of sixteen or seventeen, wearing a student uniform with a cross-collar, caught up with him, bowed to Zuo Zongtang, and said, "Mr. Zuo, I have a question that I would like to ask you."

Zuo Zongtang stopped in his tracks, looking with great fondness at the young man in front of him who was not ashamed to ask questions.

The young men in the Education Bureau wearing school uniforms with cross-collar collars were mostly trainees from the third cohort of the Qingtian training program.

Zuo Zongtang recognized the student asking the question; he was from Xiangzhou, Guangxi, and his given name was Tan Shaoguang. Zuo's army joined Zuo's army while passing through Xiangzhou.

Tan Shaoguang studied under Peng Gang for over a year. He was intelligent and eager to learn, and achieved good grades, especially in mathematics. He was selected to participate in the land clearing work in Jiangxia County.

"Go ahead and ask," Zuo Zongtang gestured for Tan Shaoguang to ask.

With Zuo Zongtang's permission, Tan Shaoguang took out his notebook from his collar and, while flipping through the notebook, said: "Sir once said that Jiangxia County has many lakes and beaches, and the land surveying needs to be divided into water fields, mountain fields, and reed fields."

In water towns and mountain villages, the boundaries of fields are fixed, and rice is mostly grown there, so disputes are less frequent and land surveying is easier. However, students always find it quite troublesome to survey reed fields, even though there are reed fields in their hometown of Xiangzhou.

Like Jiangxia County, Xiangzhou's reed fields are also divided into three types: reclaimable reed fields that can be converted into paddy fields after silting up; grass-harvesting reed fields that are used specifically for cutting grass and fertilizing the fields; and firewood reed fields that use reeds as fuel.

Landowners who could cultivate reed fields often concealed their claims to avoid being taxed. Landowners who stored reeds for hay often contested the right to cut the hay and refused to pay the reed tax. Reed fields used for firewood were categorized according to "reed density," but archers often made hasty determinations with only a glance, resulting in significant errors and causing many landowners to complain.

There were also folk methods of concealing water, deliberately flooding reed fields during the rainy season to disguise them as bodies of water and evade taxes. Another method was the use of reed barriers, where reeds were densely planted along the edges of fields to prevent archers from entering the silted-up areas to clear the fields.

"Does the gentleman have a solution to the problems in Ashida?"

The sandbars bordering the lake and river are where the people make a living by planting reeds, and these are called reed fields.

Compared to ordinary fields, reed fields are in a state of constant flux.

The surveying of reed fields and the collection of taxes from reed fields have always been major problems.

"You know so much about this place, did your family used to own reed fields?" Zuo Zongtang asked Tan Shaoguang with a smile.

“Some in the clan,” Tan Shaoguang replied, scratching his head.

"If you are asking about the drawbacks of land surveying, this question is easy to answer. You can measure the reed fields after the reeds are cut in winter."

If you are asking how to solve the problems associated with the reed-based system.

There are essentially two methods: checking the records of land collapses and destructions over the years, confirming the ownership of newly silted land, and converting the land value into cash.

However, all of this requires frequent surveying, ideally one survey per year, and one verification per year. Zuo Zongtang said earnestly.

"It is up to people to make a difference. The Qing court's officials in charge of land surveying were extremely perfunctory in their work, treating the five-year land survey as a joke, which led to numerous problems with the land tax and widespread public resentment. Not to mention the annual land survey. You should take this as a warning. The bows in your hands are not only measuring the land, but also your own conscience and the hearts of the people."

Tan Shaoguang wrote down Zuo Zongtang's words one by one, nodded as if he understood something, and said: "When I was in Xiangzhou, every time the land was surveyed, there was a quota. The land surveyors, archers, and even their families had to be bribed and carefully served in order to keep a few acres of poor reed fields to make a living. Even if it was a 100-acre survey every five years, there were still complaints. If it was a 100-acre survey every year, I'm afraid all the reed field owners would not be able to survive."

The student was well-instructed, thanks to Mr. Xie's guidance. After leaving the Education Bureau, Zuo Zongtang rode his horse to the front of the Northern Prince's Mansion, dismounted, and stepped into the mansion, where he happened to see Peng Gang inspecting bows in the signing room.

This bow is not the same as that bow. The bow here refers to a wooden tool used for measuring land. It has a handle and is roughly bow-shaped, hence the name "step bow".

The distance between the two feet in a step is generally five ying chi (a unit of length), while in most areas of Jiangnan it is six chi (another unit of length).

In Peng Gang's view, the bow used for measuring land in the Qing Dynasty was more like a fixed compass.

This time, Peng Gang plans to form fifteen field survey teams to clear the land in Jiangxia County. Each team will be equipped with two bows, one for normal use and one as a spare.

The Qing government's stockpile of bows was not only insufficient in quantity to meet demand, but also of questionable quality.

Most of the bows stored in the county government offices were loose, rotten, and of great error.

These inferior bows are clearly unacceptable to the needs of the new dynasty's refined governance.

Peng Gang then ordered Qin, the carpenter at the arsenal, to personally oversee the manufacture of thirty-six infantry bows for use in land surveying.

There are no technical difficulties in making a bow; as long as you get the precision right, any carpenter can make one.

In just a few days, Qin the carpenter led the carpenters at the arsenal to produce thirty-six infantry bows and deliver them to Peng Gang.

"Have all these bows been checked against the bow stones?"

Zuo Zongtang picked up a bow and examined it carefully. He was somewhat relieved to see that each bow had the name of the craftsman who made it, the date of manufacture, and the serial number engraved on its body.

The bow-calibrating stone was used to calibrate the bow. According to the regulations of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the bow had to be calibrated with the stone before it was put into use to ensure fairness.

Of course, the original intention of the regulations is good. As for whether the regulations can be implemented in the absence of effective supervision, it all depends on how much conscience the enforcers have left.

"How could I dare to present it to His Highness the Northern King for his review without having examined it myself?" Qin Yisen assured everyone in the signing room, patting his chest.

“I personally inspected each of these thirty-six bows, one by one. If there is even the slightest difference, come and hold me accountable. I rely on these bows to distribute my land.”

"How is the training of those young men going?" Peng Gang asked Zuo Zongtang as he turned to look at him, inquiring about the training progress of Zuo Zongtang's survey team.

"They are all a group of smart and hardworking young men who learn quickly. Moreover, some of them have participated in land surveying in their hometowns, so they can be put to good use," Zuo Zongtang nodded and said.

"It's already mid-October. Before next year's spring planting, we must complete the field survey in at least two counties. The year's plan starts in spring, so we must not delay next year's spring planting," Peng Gang said earnestly.

To properly resettle most of the soldiers and civilians in Beidian, it is necessary to conduct a land survey in at least two counties.

Most of the farmland in Wuchang Prefecture is currently abandoned and unclaimed. It is necessary to resettle the Beidian Army before the spring planting so that they can have a harvest next year and pay taxes as usual the year after, without having to rely entirely on the imperial treasury for sustenance.

Most of the population of Wuchang Prefecture had been taken away by Yang Xiuqing and his group. The land survey in Wuchang Prefecture was mostly unclaimed land, so the survey was relatively easy.

Since Hanyang Prefecture had previously been under the actual control of the Northern Palace, most of its population was preserved. Recently, with the situation in the three towns of Wuhan stabilizing, the Hanyang people who had fled have gradually returned to Hanyang Prefecture.

The subsequent land survey in Hanyang Prefecture would certainly encounter far greater resistance and require far more time and effort than that in Wuchang Prefecture.

The land redistribution in Wuchang Prefecture should be done as quickly as possible.

"If we follow the Qing Dynasty's precedent, surveying and mapping the land in a county, organizing preparations, measuring the acreage, compiling registers and calculations, and finally approving and issuing certificates—if these procedures can be completed in two years, it would be considered fast. The local officials are capable and efficient," Zuo Zongtang said confidently.

"However, our young men are energetic, there are many of them, and they all have a strong desire to get things done. We don't have as many lengthy procedures as the Qing Dynasty."

"Thank you for your kind words, sir," Peng Gang said, casually flipping through the fish-scale register of Jiangxia County.

The following day, the work of surveying and measuring the land officially began.

The 150 young men from Hunan and Guangxi who participated in this land survey were divided into 15 groups.

To ensure the efficiency of the field clearing team, Peng Gang not only equipped each team with two mules to transport supplies, but also saved their physical strength.

Each clearing team was also equipped with a group of soldiers from the tax police battalion to ensure their personal safety and assist them in clearing the fields.

Each member of the Qingtian group was also given two cotton cross-collar uniforms with the character "田" sewn on them for easy identification.

The Qingtian group, composed of four groups of trainees from the third cohort, has the youngest average age, consisting mostly of young people aged sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen.

A few young men, still childlike at heart, put on their brand-new cotton uniforms and received the bows and tags that Qingtian needed.

Using a bow as a bow and a tag as an arrow, they pretended to be archers and started playing around.

“Let’s play a game. I’ll be the Heavenly Army archer, and you’ll be the Qing Army soldier.”

"Why should I dress up as a Qing soldier? I want to dress up as a Heavenly Army archer!"

"You play the Qing soldier first, and I'll play the Qing soldier next time."

"Watch out for the arrow! Whoosh!"

"Ouch! I've been hit by an arrow!"

"You've had your fun, now it's my turn!"

"What are you doing? If you want to play, go back to the school!"

Only after being stopped by Wang Dalei and Guo Kuntao did these mischievous young men quiet down.

Zuo Zongtang and Guo Kuntao divided the land survey area for each land survey team on the map of Jiangxia County. Each land survey team, escorted by the tax police battalion guards, went to their respective work areas and began the land survey work in an orderly manner.

The main force of the Taiping army made extremely smooth progress, within just half a month.

Down the Yangtze River, the main force of the Taiping army, advancing by both land and water, reached Jiujiang and successively captured riverside cities such as Hukou, Pengze, Wangjiang, and Dongliu.

They advanced triumphantly, as if entering an uninhabited land, marching from Jiangxi into Anhui and reaching the outskirts of Anqing, the provincial capital of Anhui.

For a time, half of Jiangnan was shaken.

Faced with the Taiping Army's fierce and swift offensive, several provinces in Jiangnan couldn't even muster a single mobile force, and could only passively take hits and flee at the mere sight of them.

Sai Shang'a, who held a large army, was forced to retreat to Shangsha Prefecture because the two Qing army camps in Yuezhou Prefecture were occupied by the Taiping Army, and the Yangtze River waterway from Baling to Wuhan was blocked by the Taiping Army.

Faced with urgent requests for help from all sides, the anxious Sai Shang'a had no choice but to abandon the waterway and take the land route. He traveled from Liuyang in Changsha Prefecture, through Chaling Pass at the border of Hunan and Jiangxi, to Pingxiang. In Pingxiang, he reorganized his troops and marched eastward without stopping, attempting to follow and pursue the main force of the Taiping Army.

(End of this chapter)