1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 303 It's not that I can't, but that I won't.

Although Yang Xiuqing, Feng Yunshan and others did not reveal any information about the Northern Expedition to Youyan or the Southern Expedition to Zhejiang in their letters, the Wing Palace troops stationed in the nearby Jiujiang, Hukou and Pengze areas of Jiangxi also did not report any news of the Northern Expedition to Youyan or the Southern Expedition to Zhejiang.

However, based on Peng Gang's understanding of Yang Xiuqing and the course of history...

Peng Gang was not entirely certain whether Yang Xiuqing and others had any intention of moving south to Zhejiang.

After all, the main force of the Taiping Army had already cut off the two vital waterway routes of Zhenjiang and Yangzhou, and Yang Xiuqing's goal of cutting off the Qing government's waterway transport had been achieved.

For well-known reasons, Zhenjiang and Yangzhou were not connected by sea.

With the two vital waterway routes of Zhenjiang and Yangzhou blocked, it became difficult to transport Zhejiang's taxes to the capital.

Zhejiang lacked a strong army capable of threatening the Taiping Army, making it a situation where fighting was optional.

The Northern Expedition to Youyan was of great political significance, as it concerned whether the Qing Dynasty's rule could be overthrown. It was a highly probable event, with the only uncertainties being the selection of the expedition leaders, the methods of the expedition, and the route of advance.

Historically, the Taiping Army's first Northern Expedition and Western Expedition were almost simultaneous.

Since Yang Xiuqing had already proposed Peng Gang's westward expedition to Changsha and northward campaign against Youyan, it must have been under discussion, put on the agenda, or even already in the preparation stage.

The main force of the Taiping army captured Tianjing, Zhenjiang, and Yangzhou, while Peng Gang and Shi Dakai occupied Hubei, Jiangxi, and Anhui upstream to protect Tianjing.

Tianjing was no longer in immediate danger, and there were no Qing army camps nearby to hinder it.

Compared to the northern part of the city of Wuhan, the main force of the Taiping army near Nanjing had a much larger force, and the enemy was weaker.

Failing to utilize surplus field forces for strategic maneuver, to expand territory, and to wipe out the Qing dynasty's stronghold in Beijing would be a double waste of both excellent opportunities and manpower.

Furthermore, the Qing government's regular army in the south, the Green Standard Army and the Eight Banners, which were officially paid military units, had been decimated by the Taiping Army. Currently, the main force and source of soldiers for the Qing government's regular army were in the north.

Only by launching a northern expedition against Youyan and opening up a battlefield outside Tianjing could the Qing army in the north be contained from the south, thus ensuring the safety of Tianjing, the "little paradise."

Even from the perspective of a regime that had been confined to the south of the Yangtze River, and based on the strategic defensive concept of "defending the Yangtze River and therefore the Huai River," Yang Xiuqing would at least have had to send troops north of the Yangtze River to create a strategic buffer zone for Tianjing (Nanjing) in the north.

"It's still hard to say whether the Eastern King and his forces will send troops south to attack Zhejiang. Given the Eastern King's style of doing things, a northern expedition against Youyan is a foregone conclusion. The only difference is who will be sent, how many troops will be sent, and whether it will be a slow or quick campaign," Peng Gang said after pondering for a long time.

“If the Eastern King and his forces continue to launch attacks and seize territory, the Qing court might dispatch troops from Hunan to block them. This would be a good thing for us,” Zuo Zongtang nodded and said.

"I have just taken the liberty of reading the letter from the Southern King. It seems that the Southern King has some complaints about the Eastern King's establishment of the Office of Hundred Crafts, which is directly managed by the Eastern Palace."

The Southern King is a kind and honest man, so for the Eastern King to harbor resentment towards him, he must have gone too far in this matter. To take out his anger on both kings upon first entering Tianjing was truly unwise.

The princes in Tianjing have grudges against each other, and the Eastern Prince, wanting some peace and quiet, might send one of his princes south to conquer Hangzhou. If Hangzhou is captured, the Qing troops in Zhejiang will no longer be able to threaten Tianjing, and besides, Hangzhou still has the Manchu city to fight.

Zuo Zongtang knew that the Heavenly Kingdom's sacred treasury had always been managed by Wei Changhui's subordinates. The Ministry of Works was cutting off Wei Changhui's power, and it had cut right off Wei Changhui's vital artery.

Even if the Eastern King's unilateral decision was made out of consideration for the overall situation and the Kingdom of Heaven, this move was still too hasty.

Yang Xiuqing wasn't very magnanimous; he had some tolerance for others, but not much.

Zuo Zongtang believed that the main force of the Taiping Army would not only launch a northern expedition to Youyan, but would also choose one of Wei Changhui and Feng Yunshan to go south to Zhejiang in the name of the Heavenly Father, so as to further consolidate and strengthen his position in the central government of the Heavenly Kingdom.

Peng Gang is nominally still a member of the Shentian family, and he, Yang Xiuqing, and Feng Yunshan are brothers who descended from the celestial realm.

Such words, which are detrimental to brotherhood, would not be dared to be spoken by ordinary staff members even if they understood them; only Zuo Zongtang dared to say them.

Peng Gang admired Zuo Zongtang's fearless and straightforward spirit.

"Mr. Zuo, how is the land reform in Hanyang progressing?" Peng Gang asked Zuo Zongtang about the progress of the land reform in Hanyang. "Even if we work overtime, can we finish it before this year's spring planting?"

The land reform in Hanyang involves this year's military recruitment and next year's taxes, making it the most urgent matter for the Northern Palace at present.

This matter was personally led and supervised by Zuo Zongtang.

Even if Peng Gang wanted to, he could squeeze every last drop of manpower out of Jiangxia County and still produce around 20,000 decent, loyal soldiers.

However, this move is undoubtedly a fatal blow to Jiangxia County, affecting its production recovery and tax revenue next year.

You can't have your cake and eat it too. Unless it's a last resort and you're at your wit's end, Peng Gang won't consider exploiting the manpower of Jiangxia County, the only county that has completed land reform.

"Hanyang is not Jiangxia. The land survey is not even halfway done yet. It is almost impossible to complete the land survey of the entire county of Hanyang before spring plowing." Zuo Zongtang shook his head very decisively and looked up at the bright moon that had already risen above the treetops.

"After tonight, it will be the sixth day of the first lunar month. Spring plowing in Hanyang will take place between the second and third months of the lunar calendar. However, the gentry in Hanyang are not cooperating, and almost every village and town has to use iron-fisted methods, even with swords, to forcibly implement Your Highness's fundamental policy. Spring plowing also takes time. Even if I had three heads and six arms, I would never be able to complete the clearing of the fields in Hanyang before spring plowing."

The members of the Hanyang Qingtian team are now being treated like donkeys, working from dawn till dusk, with their eyes open and closed, and even dreaming about Qingtian.

Although the members of Kiyota Team are all young and in the prime of their lives, young people's energy is also limited.

The Kiyota team members have reached their limit in terms of workload and cannot continue to increase it.

"Then let's clear as much land as possible. Before spring planting, let's clear half of Hanyang County if we can. It's better than the whole county being left uncultivated," Peng Gang said after thinking for a moment.

"Very well, Hanyang County is a major grain-producing county, and the grain produced in half of the county is equivalent to the grain produced in one or two ordinary counties," Zuo Zongtang agreed.

"I will go to Hanyang to oversee this matter immediately."

“One more night won’t make a difference, sir. Please get some rest tonight. Tang Zheng wrote that the arsenal has successfully manufactured two heavy cannons and will be test-firing them at the riverbank tomorrow. Sir, please come with me to Hanyang tomorrow to join in the fun,” Peng Gang said.

Peng Gang had not attacked any major cities of the Qing army for more than four months, nor had he launched any major battles against the Qing army during this period.

Without a major war, it would be difficult to capture the heavy artillery that the Qing court regarded as a vital national asset.

For the past four months, the only source of heavy artillery for the North Palace has been three heavy cannons weighing over 1,700 jin (approximately 500 kg) from the Wu-Zhou period, which were unearthed by Luo Dagang during an archaeological excavation in Yuezhou.

The journey from Guangxi to the three towns of Wuhan was marked by frequent and intense battles.

The heavy artillery captured during the early Battle of Dongxiang in Guangxi has gradually worn out. Currently, most of the heavy artillery used by the Beidian Heavy Artillery Battalion consists of heavy artillery captured in the Battle of Changsha Shuiluzhou, as well as Wu Zhou cannons that Shi Dakai either sent or left in Baling.

Peng Gang is no longer a bandit, and relying solely on spoils cannot meet the Northern Palace's enormous demand for firearms.

Since Yang Xiuqing and his group took some of the craftsmen from the Qing government's Hubei Arsenal, Peng Gang incorporated them into the Beidian Arsenal, set up workshops on land at the foot of Guishan Mountain in Hanyang, and began to try to manufacture heavy artillery to meet military needs.

"Then I, Zuo, will accompany Your Highness to Hanyang tomorrow to join in the fun," Zuo Zongtang said with a smile.

After Zuo Zongtang left, Peng Gang summoned his maternal uncle Xiao Guoda and Wei Shoushan, an old man who had worked for his family in Qingfeng Village and during the Pingzaishan period, to a private meeting.

Wei Shoushan spent half his life working as a charcoal burner and the other half farming.

During the war, Wei Shoushan, like Peng Gang's second and fifth uncles, was a key leader of the old, weak, women and children's battalion in Beidian.

"Uncle, Uncle Shoushan, how was your New Year this year?" Peng Gang asked, inviting Xiao Guoda and Wei Shoushan to sit down.

"I've lived most of my life and never had such a good New Year. In the past, the New Year was just a hurdle to overcome, but now it's a real New Year," Wei Shoushan said excitedly, rubbing his hands together.

In the old society, rent and interest were usually collected before the Lunar New Year.

For ordinary people, celebrating the Lunar New Year is like passing through a hurdle; to happily enjoy the festival year after year is a luxury for them.

As veterans of the Pingzaishan Honglianping period, Wei Shoushan and Xiao Guoda were allocated houses on Qianjie Street in Wuchang City and vegetable gardens and fertile fields on the outskirts of the city.

This was a situation that Wei Shoushan, who had rented a few acres of barren land a few years ago and barely made ends meet, could never have imagined for Xiao Guoda, whose ancestors had made a living by clearing mountains to grow indigo and burn charcoal, and who had never even tasted a few ounces of lard in his entire life.

"Your Highness summoned us, is there some task to assign us?" Xiao Guoda asked directly.

Xiao Guoda may be straightforward, but he still has a sense of propriety.

Peng Gang used to call him "uncle" to show his closeness, but now he dares not call Peng Gang "nephew" in front of others anymore.

"Commander Chang has stabilized the situation in Daye. Daye has many iron mines, and iron is needed for arsenals to manufacture guns and cannons, and even for making farm tools," Peng Gang said to Xiao Guoda and Wei Shoushan. "You two go to Daye and take charge of the mining affairs there."

During the Qing Dynasty, Daye was a county under the jurisdiction of Wuchang Prefecture. Located southeast of Wuchang City, it was known as a "hundred-mile stretch of gold-rich land" and a "treasure trove of Jiangnan." The area is rich in mineral resources.

The most famous of these was the Daye Iron Mine, from which the iron ore for the Hanyang Ironworks, established by Zhang Zhidong, came from.

The iron ore in Daye is mainly magnetite, with an average grade of about 53.8%. It is often associated with copper, cobalt and other minerals and is a rare high-grade iron ore in China.

Daye's gold and silver deposits are also the best in Hubei.

Besides metallic mineral deposits, Daye also boasts astonishing reserves of non-metallic minerals such as limestone, fluorite, and wollastonite.

Developing the mineral deposits of Daye not only allows us to extract iron from Daye to make guns and cannons and to forge agricultural tools, but also allows us to extract copper from Daye to mint coins, achieving two goals at once.

The only drawback is that although coal is produced in Daye, the vast majority of the coal in Daye is anthracite or white coal, which is not suitable for iron smelting, rather than bituminous coal or coking coal, which can be refined into high-quality coke.

Diesel coal has low volatile matter and poor caking properties, making it difficult to produce high-quality coke that meets the requirements of modern blast furnace smelting.

It is not feasible to refine Hubei iron ore from Hubei coal. If Hubei iron ore is to be refined, Jiangxi coal must be used. The coal from Pingxiang, Jiangxi is suitable for coking.

However, Peng Gang is now lacking not only steel, but also pig iron.

When the Taiping army passed through Hubei, apart from leaving some farm tools at Peng Gang's request, they took away almost all the metal they saw and found.

Even if Peng Gang doesn't yet have the technology to build a modern steel plant and produce steel on a large scale, he should first establish a large-scale public ironworks to meet basic military and civilian needs.

“But I still have a military post, and my battalion is still stationed in Huangpi County.” Xiao Guoda looked troubled, unable to let go of his troops.

Xiao Guoda is the only one of Peng Gang's uncles who holds a military position. He is currently the battalion commander of the 1st Battalion of the 4th Regiment, stationed in Huangpi County.

When Peng Gang first arrived in Pingzaishan, he had the idea of ​​drawing an S-class general's badge from among his uncles.

Unfortunately, ideals are often grand, but reality is often harsh.

Peng Gang's uncles were both honest charcoal burners, and his two older uncles had neither the ability nor the inclination to lead troops.

Although my uncle Xiao Guoda was bolder, he had the desire to join the army.

He was brave but lacked wisdom; he could only be said to be a good general, not a worthy one.

Among Peng Gang's relatives and friends, it seems that his second brother, Peng Yong, is the one with the most talent for leading troops into battle.

“The people in the mining area are known for their fierce and valiant nature. A battalion that is always victorious can easily stay in the county town and city of Daye, but it's difficult to govern the mines. The reason I've called you here is to have you lead the 1st Battalion of the 4th Regiment to the Daye mining area after the New Year. Daye is more important than Huangpi,” Peng Gang said.

"I have my own ideas about the defense of Huangpi County, and I will send someone else to be in charge."

"There's no need to wait until after the New Year. I'll set off at dawn tomorrow to return to Huangpi, gather my troops, and march to Daye." Upon hearing Peng Gang say that Daye was more important than Huangpi, the troubled look on Xiao Guoda's face immediately vanished.

"What a hasty move! Moving the camp is a major event, how can you be so impatient and hasty?" Peng Gang rolled his eyes at the anxious Xiao Guoda. "If you take the 1st Battalion of the 4th Regiment away now, won't Huangpi County become an empty county? Wait until after the 15th, when the new battalion moves into Huangpi and the defense is handed over, before heading to Daye."

The next morning, after breakfast, Peng Gang and Zuo Zongtang left through Hanyang Gate and took a ferry from the ferry crossing outside Hanyang Gate to the Hanyang Arsenal located on Guishan Mountain in Hanyang on the opposite bank of the Yangtze River.

It was called an arsenal, but it was actually just an expansion and upgrade of the small weapons workshop that was originally located in Pingzai Mountain into a large weapons workshop. It had a larger area, more craftsmen, more weapons production, and more strict and mature management. It was not an arsenal in the modern sense.

Upon entering the factory, Peng Gang was greeted by more than 600 craftsmen and apprentices who had cut off their queues and were now sporting stubble.

Among the hundreds of craftsmen and apprentices before him, a few were old men from the Pingzai Mountain period, while most of the craftsmen he recruited along the way were from the Hubei Military Equipment Bureau, whom he had poached from Yang Xiuqing, the Eastern King.

When Peng Gang personally visited the arsenal, he saw a burning passion in the eyes of the craftsmen who had been exploited, discriminated against, frustrated, and struggling to make a living in the former Hubei Arsenal of the Qing Dynasty.

After Peng Gang took control of Wuchang and abolished the system of separate camps for men and women, the original artisan camps were also abolished and incorporated into the Hanyang Ironworks and Arsenal.

The ironworks were responsible for smelting iron. The best iron was then handed over to the arsenal for forging weapons.

The iron that was left over from the arsenal was sold to blacksmith shops in Hanyang and Hankou to make agricultural tools such as plows, hoes, and sickles; cooking utensils such as iron pots, spatulas, fire tongs, furnace bridges, kitchen knives, bone cleavers, and iron hooks; and daily necessities made of iron such as scissors, sewing needles, iron locks, and angle iron.

At present, the biggest customers of blacksmith shops in Hanyang and Hankou are farmers' associations in Jiangxia County and people from both old and new Jiangxia County who have been allocated land and resettlement allowances.

The apprentices at the Hanyang Ironworks and Arsenal had their food, clothing, and lodging arranged by the factories. They were not only provided with plenty of food every day, but also had three meals a day, allowing them to have an extra lunch compared to ordinary families.

The North Palace was neither corrupt nor greedy; not only was food and drink provided, but every penny of silver also fell into their hands.

The notice stated that the amount to be paid would be exactly what was written on it. Ordinary craftsmen could receive two taels and two mace of wages per month, while ordinary apprentices would receive one tael and one mace.

This was something they would never have dared to imagine when they were working at the Qing Dynasty's Ordnance Bureau.

"Your Highness's sudden visit caught us off guard, and we hope Your Highness will forgive us." Upon hearing that Peng Gang had personally come to inspect the arsenal, Tang Zheng, the second-in-command during the Lianhua Village arsenal and the artisan camp period, was both surprised and delighted. He hurriedly put down his work and went out to greet him and apologize.

"Where's the cannon?" Peng Gang asked, his hands behind his back.

"I estimate that it has already been towed to the riverbank, and my subordinates are preparing gunpowder for test firing."

"Is the medicine ready?"

"It's ready."

"Now that everything is ready, take me to the riverbank to see the cannons."

Tang Zheng, carrying the newly prepared gunpowder for the test firing, led the way, taking Peng Gang to the riverbank to watch the cannons.

Peng Gang rode his leopard-patterned horse to the Yangtze River, where he saw more than twenty strong men shouting as they dragged the two enormous, two-thousand-pound vehicles to the riverbank.

Including the two other heavy cannons of vastly different sizes that had already been towed to the riverbank, there were now four heavy cannons on the banks of the Yangtze River.

"Those two cannons were unearthed by General Luo from the ponds and marshes of Yuezhou Prefecture. They date back to the Wu and Zhou dynasties. General Luo brought three cannons to our arsenal for repair, but unfortunately, our skills are not up to par. We only managed to repair two of them. The remaining one could not be repaired and had to be melted down to smelt copper and iron," Tang Zheng said.

Although Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuqing had already bestowed upon Luo Dagang the title of Marquis Fentian, the people in the Northern Palace still habitually referred to him as General.

The North Palace has heavy artillery, and Peng Gang has seen plenty of it, but this time is different. The heavy artillery he's going to see this time is one he produced himself, and it has special significance.

Peng Gang's excitement was palpable as he leaned closer to the cannon and examined it closely.

The cannon, nearly ten feet long, required two strong men to encircle it, and its heavy weight pressed the hardwood gun carriage deep into the mud and sand of the riverbank.

The cannon barrel is not a solid black, but rather a deep and layered dark gold color under the dim winter light.

This is the unique texture of high-quality bronze after being smelted at a thousand degrees and carefully proportioned. The surface of the cannon body exudes a dark, warm metallic luster, which is completely different from the iron cannons of the Qing army that were made of impure materials and had a dull and mottled color.

The cannon walls are incredibly thick. Looking from the muzzle, the walls are as wide as four fingers held together, gradually increasing in thickness outwards until they reach their thickest point in the gun barrel chamber, giving one a sense of security.

The cannon barrel is not smooth and without any material; three wrought iron reinforcing hoops, each more than a hand's width wide, tightly bind the cannon body like giant pythons.

The iron hoops were polished to a relatively smooth finish, and their color differed from the bronze base of the cannon, presenting a cold, dark gray-black hue. The surface of the hoops also retained subtle hammer marks left from the forging process.

The edge of the cannon muzzle was polished to be very smooth and flat, forming a perfect circular opening, and there was almost no stickiness when you touched it.

The breech section is even more robust and thick, where the powder chamber bears the greatest pressure. The ignition port is thinner than a chopstick, and the hole is drilled smoothly and straight, demonstrating that the craftsmen in the arsenal have put a lot of effort into making the cannon over the past three months.

If craftsmen are given the working environment and treatment they deserve, treated as human beings, given sufficient budgets, not pressured excessively, and not skimped on materials, even if they use old techniques, Chinese cannon makers in the mid-19th century could still produce decent cannons.

"The cannon barrel is cast evenly and tightly, with hardly any air bubbles or sand holes. This quality of cannon is not only comparable to the heavy cannons used by the Qing army in Changsha, but it is also difficult for the cannons produced by the Qing court's imperial workshops in Beijing to match it!" Zuo Zongtang said, stroking the smooth cannon barrel that had almost no resistance.

“The Hunan Arsenal and the Imperial Workshops of the Qing government would not actually pay the craftsmen more than two taels of silver a month. Even if Emperor Xianfeng was willing to use good materials to make cannons, his subordinates would not be so willing. The materials would probably be stolen long before they even reached the Imperial Workshops,” Peng Gang laughed.

"Talk is cheap; let's see the real skill through a few demonstrations."

(End of this chapter)