1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 306 A Game Changing in the Game
The Russell & Co. building at No. 9 The Bund, Shanghai.

Kim Neng-hyung, the American consul in Shanghai and a key partner of this long-established American trading company, was reviewing Russell & Co.'s latest shipment invoices while smoking a Havana cigar.

When his gaze fell on the tea section, he couldn't help but frown.

Constrained by limited capital and the isolationist policies pursued by successive U.S. governments, the focus of U.S. foreign policy has been on the Americas, resulting in limited support for Russell & Co.'s commercial interests in the Far East.

Despite the visionary leadership of Russell & Co., who moved the company's headquarters from Guangzhou to No. 9 on the Bund in Shanghai in 1846, Russell & Co. briefly enjoyed the benefits of pioneering development in the early days of Shanghai's opening to foreign trade.

However, individual foresight can never match the advantages of a system.

At present, Jardine Matheson & Co. has been suppressed in Shanghai by British-owned trading companies such as Jardine Matheson and Jardine Matheson & Co.

British trading companies had a systemic advantage over American and even French trading companies, encompassing capital, logistics, and even military strength, making them difficult for American trading companies to challenge.

Once British capital began to seriously enter a certain field, even though Jin Nengheng was already one of the most outstanding merchants among the foreign firms in Shanghai and had great foresight, his individual outstanding advantages were difficult to compete with the British foreign firms that had advantages in all aspects.

As Jin Nengheng watched helplessly as Russell & Co. gradually declined in Shanghai, he became increasingly anxious.

Damn it, Russell & Co. was completely suppressed by British trading companies in Guangzhou, and it was still suppressed by them in Shanghai. Wasn't Russell & Co.'s trip to Shanghai a waste?

Russell & Co. was engaged in cross-border trade between Guangzhou and Shanghai and Boston. Its main business was Chinese tea, raw silk and Turkish opium.

Tea was the most profitable business and was the most valued business by the partners of the trading company.

Due to the sudden outbreak of war and the pressure from British trading companies, even if Russell & Co. offered high prices, it was difficult to purchase enough tea.

Jin Nengheng once had the idea of ​​avoiding the sharp edge of British trading companies and opening a branch in Fuzhou, a port that British trading companies had not yet focused on, to directly purchase tea from Wuyi Mountain in Fujian.

However, considering the circumstances faced by Russell & Co. in pioneering the land from Guangzhou to Shanghai, Kim Neng-hyung worried that Russell & Co. would follow in Shanghai's footsteps if it went to Fuzhou to pioneer the land, ultimately benefiting the British.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Kim Nung-hyung's trusted assistant, Smith, strode into his office.

Unlike his usual nonchalant demeanor, Smith's eyes sparkled with an irrepressible excitement today.

"Sir, I think you need to take a look at this immediately."

Without any pleasantries, Smith went straight to the point, placing a letter on his large desk.

Looking puzzled, Kim Nung-hyung raised his eyes, picked up the letter, and quickly scanned it.

At first, his expression was as languid as ever, but soon his back straightened slightly, and he forgot to flick the ash off the cigar he was holding.

The letter was accompanied by English text. Although there were a few spelling and grammatical errors in the English, Kim Nung-hyung was able to understand the letter, signed by Peng Gang, the Northern King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, relatively easily by referring to the original Chinese text.

This Northern King was not only interested in readily available weaponry, but also had a keen interest in steam engines, ships, metalworking machine tools, metallurgical and casting equipment, mechanical engineering, chemical metallurgical technology classics, and even textbooks for mathematics, physics, and chemistry, as well as corresponding teaching instruments.

After reading the letter, Kim Nung-hyung's heart raced.

This is a strategic cooperation at the national level.

If a cooperation can be reached, Russell & Co. will be the first to explore the Yangtze River hinterland market of this ancient empire, a market that even the British have never set foot in.

Even the United States, behind Russell & Co., could not necessarily gain a foothold in the Far East market, caught between Britain and France.

"The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom? The Qing rebels who occupied Jiangning, as mentioned by Wu Jianzhang, the Shanghai Daotai?" Jin Nengheng's voice was filled with disbelief and surprise, yet he remained vigilant.

"Smith, are you sure the person who contacted you was one of their key figures? Or is it a scam?"

“I swear by God that this is absolutely true, sir,” Smith said, quickening his pace and speaking with great certainty.

"I was introduced to this person through Chen Alin of the Small Swords Society. I had many pleasant collaborations with him, and Chen Alin is a trustworthy person. He introduced me to a man named Tang Zhengcai. This man's speech and demeanor were far from those of an ordinary bandit. He was extremely knowledgeable about Western firearms and was shrewd and decisive in bargaining."

More importantly, the Northern King behind him is incredibly powerful, and his first order will take all of our weapons! Moreover, he revealed that this is just the beginning; they need to establish a long-term, stable supply channel, as well as the things mentioned in the letter.

However, he felt that my status was too low and my power too limited, and that I was not qualified or authorized to finalize this cooperation. He hoped that our Russell & Co. could send a higher-ranking person to Wuchang to discuss this cooperation with his Northern King in person.

Kim Nung-hyung's breathing became slightly heavier. He got up and walked to the huge window, gazing at the British warships and merchant ships flying the Union Jack and the flag of the British East India Company on the Huangpu River.

Jin Nengheng had heard of Wuchang; it was an important inland city located in the heart of the Yangtze River.

There, you won't find those imposing British warships and merchant ships.

"They...want to contact even higher-ranking figures?" Kim Nung-hyung asked.

Although Kim Nung-hyung was only the acting vice consul of the United States in Shanghai, the U.S. Department of State was not very concerned about China affairs and did not appoint a formal consul to Shanghai.

Among American diplomats in the Shanghai area of ​​higher rank than Smith, only Kim Neng-hyung was qualified.

“Yes, sir!” Smith’s voice was a little hoarse with excitement.

"Tang Zhengcai has promised to convey our wishes to his leader, Peng Gang, the Northern King. They also seem interested in establishing contact with the outside world. This is a window, sir, a huge window that the British haven't been able to get involved in yet!"

"Peng Gang, the Northern King of Wuchang. Such an important and unprecedented cooperation should indeed be discussed face-to-face by at least myself, and even by His Excellency Masali, the Minister of our country to my country..."

At this point, a sharp glint flashed in Kim Nung-hyung's eyes. He suddenly turned around, and cigar ash fell in a flurry.

"Those British! Palmerston and those London gentlemen always see us Americans as country cousins ​​following the Royal Navy and their East India Company, scavenging their scraps in the Far East. All our policies toward China must follow their lead, and they must be the first to taste all the benefits!"

Kim Nung-hyung's tone gradually rose, carrying a long-suppressed sense of humiliation and the ecstatic joy of suddenly seeing an opportunity.

"But now, our opportunity has arrived! A regime that controls a large area of ​​the Yangtze River, dares to challenge the Qing Dynasty's rule, and desperately needs external support has reached out to us! This is a golden opportunity for the United States of America to establish direct contact with a potential new Chinese regime!"

He strode back to the table and tapped Peng Gang's letter heavily with his finger.

"This is not just a business deal involving tens or hundreds of thousands of taels of silver in arms, Smith! It's a strategic pivot! If the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom ultimately succeeds in replacing the Qing Dynasty, we will become their most important Western partner, and the commercial privileges and political influence our country will gain in the Far East will be immeasurable! Even if they ultimately fail, in the process of this cooperation, we can still obtain huge profits through arms and trade, and become deeply involved in Chinese affairs, instead of being forever excluded from the British table!"

Kim Nung-hyung's gaze was intense. He took a deep drag on his cigar, exhaling thick smoke, and issued orders to Smith like a brigadier general on the front lines.

"Smith, you've done a fantastic job! Exceeded my expectations! Get moving! First, meet all their demands! Use our best goods at the fairest price to complete this deal as quickly as possible and build trust! Even if we suffer a slight loss, we must get this arms deal done in front of the British and French. Practice makes perfect; for our first transaction, conceding a few small profits isn't an insurmountable loss."

Secondly, in my informal capacity as the American Consul in Shanghai, and through Russell & Co., I expressed our sincerest desire for cooperation. I told them that we highly valued our relationship with the Heavenly Kingdom and eagerly anticipated a more in-depth meeting with His Highness the Northern King.

Third, we will bring Mr. Tang to our Russell & Co. firm and treat him with the highest honors. We will also find him some beautiful girls to prevent him from coming into contact with the British and French.

Fourth, closely monitor the movements of the British and French. This matter must be kept strictly confidential; at least for now, we must not let the British and French get any idea of ​​it!

Fifth, prepare a detailed report immediately, which I will present to His Excellency Minister to China, Mascharley, as quickly as possible. We must let Washington know that we are about to play a pivotal game in the Far East, independent of Britain, a game that could potentially change the global landscape!

Smith, his face flushed with excitement at Kim Neng-hyung's vehement response and grand strategic vision, exclaimed, "Understood, sir! I'll get right on it!"

Kim Neng-hyung walked to the liquor cabinet, poured two glasses of brandy, and handed one to Smith.

“To the future of America in the Far East,” Kim Nung-hyung raised his glass, his eyes burning, “and to no longer drink the scraps left by the British, cheers, Smith.”

Inside the residence of Wang Quan, a successor of the Chuanshan School of thought, in Wuchang, Hubei.

The old plum trees in the courtyard still had some snow left, and a faint fragrance of plum blossoms floated in the air.

Peng Gang, who was being pulled by Wang Quan to discuss the philosophy of Wang Chuanshan, sat opposite Wang Quan across a tea table.

"When I first read the last book of Chuanshan, it was like seeing a lamp in the dark, and I was deeply moved by his distinction between Chinese and barbarians and his awe-inspiring sense of national righteousness; upon rereading it, I was deeply impressed by his historical view that combined reason and power and kept pace with the times; and upon careful consideration recently, I have come to realize that his theory of integrating knowledge and action and applying it to practical use is a good remedy for the ills of the times," Peng Gang said succinctly.

Wang Quan nodded slightly, but persisted, "Your Highness, could you please elaborate?"

Peng Gang's gaze swept over the rugged artificial hill in the courtyard. After a moment of contemplation, he organized his thoughts and began to speak: "Master Chuanshan's scholarship is as vast as the ocean. I have only scratched the surface and have not been able to study it in detail. I will attempt to speak on this matter, and I hope that Elder Wang will not laugh at me."

Master Chuanshan said that things must be updated to keep pace with the times, and laws must change as circumstances change. In my humble opinion, Master Chuanshan's updating was not merely patching up the flaws, but rather breaking down the old and establishing the new. This has been the case with every dynastic change.

Furthermore, the essential principle of Chuanshan's philosophy lies in the mutual support and application of knowledge and action. To know without acting is empty talk, like Zhao Kuo, who was well-versed in military strategy but never went into battle; to act without understanding is blind action, inevitably leading astray.

Peng Gang has only recently read a little of Wang Fuzhi's "The Collected Works of Wang Fuzhi" and has no profound insights into it, after all, he is not an academic and has no intention of doing so.

Wang Quan was well aware that Peng Gang was preoccupied with military and political affairs, and that his expertise lay in geography and foreign affairs, not in the scholarship of Chuanshan. He also had no time to bury himself in his study and delve into the "Posthumous Writings of Chuanshan" like his disciples.

Wang Quan's purpose in discussing their Wang family's academic traditions with Peng Gang was to test whether Peng Gang had read or understood the theories of Wang Chuanshan.

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, and that further discussion would be seen as Wang Quan being ignorant and impolite, Wang Quan then spoke up, saying, "Your Highness's 'Proclamation to Punish the Manchu Tartars' issued in Hunan demonstrates 'knowledge'; Your Highness's establishment and implementation of the 'Land to the Tillers Law' with swift and decisive measures, balancing wealth and poverty, raising troops and funds, and bringing peace to the world, demonstrates 'action'."

Your Highness's actions are a concrete manifestation of the practical application of the principles advocated by Master Chuanshan, truly putting the teachings of the sages into practice and rescuing the people from their dire straits.

In the end, it's the Confucian scholar who speaks the most beautiful words and whose flattery sounds the most pleasant.

Looking at Wang Quan, who, despite being over sixty, still sat upright like a pine tree, Peng Gang explained part of his purpose: "Mr. Wang, you flatter me. I wish to establish a teachers' college to train teachers and teach the people under my jurisdiction to read and write. I would like to ask Mr. Wang for a piece of his calligraphy."

Peng Gang plans to establish three schools soon, including the Wuchang Military Academy, to continue supplying the army with high-quality junior and mid-level officers.

Secondly, it served as an administrative school to train officials.

The third was a teachers' college to train teachers for literacy education.

The military academy was established during Ping Zai Shan's time and has already held three sessions. A small number of students from the third session are still studying there, and Peng Gang is currently recruiting and selecting students for the fourth session.

The Liu brothers, Liu Rong and Liu Rong, were also willing to serve as lecturers at the Administrative Academy to train Peng Gang to become officials with basic administrative skills.

As for the teachers' college, Peng Gang's purpose in establishing it was to train teachers who could teach people to read and write and do basic math to be responsible for literacy education, not to train high-level teachers. The students who were still in the third phase of the college and had been trained for two years were barely competent enough.

The military academy, which had already been established, was located at Yuemachang.

Peng Gang selected sites for the administrative school and the normal school in the suburbs of Wuchang.

Peng Gang came to see Wang Quan this time hoping to obtain a piece of calligraphy to be used as a signboard for the teachers' college.

Although the influence of the Chuanshan School in Hubei was not as great as that in Hunan, the Chuanshan School still had a certain influence in Hubei because of the integration of Hunan and Hubei.

"Your Highness is too kind to this old man. It is my honor that Your Highness likes my calligraphy. There is no question of asking for it." Wang Quan was willing to follow Peng Gang from Hengzhou to Wuchang, hoping to promote the Wang family's scholarship through Peng Gang, so he was naturally very happy to mention the calligraphy.

"What inscription would Your Highness like me to write?"

"A teacher should be learned and upright," Peng Gang said after thinking for a moment.

"A teacher should be learned and upright." Wang Quan recited it softly a few times, nodded and said, "This is exactly what a teacher should do. Please, Your Highness, come to the study."

Wang Quan got up and led Peng Gang to the desk in the study.

In the past, all the inscriptions were written by Wang Quan's sons and grandsons who served him by grinding ink, but today Wang Quan did not call his sons and grandsons.

Although Wang Quan buried himself in his study and devoted his life to studying the knowledge left by his ancestors, he was not an old, pedantic scholar who was oblivious to the world around him.

Zuo Zongtang and his wife did their best to help arrange the marriage between his granddaughter and the Prince of the North.

Today, the Northern King has made a rare visit. We must seize this opportunity.

Wang Quan had two unmarried granddaughters, Wang Yunheng and Wang Yunshi, both daughters of Wang Quan's deceased eldest son. One was eighteen years old and the other was sixteen.

Wang Quan didn't know Peng Gang's preferences, or which of his granddaughters he would prefer. After much deliberation, he decided to call both granddaughters over so that Peng Gang could have a look at them before making a decision.

Thinking of this, Wang Quan suddenly seemed to remember something and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me, I am old and frail, and my hands tremble easily. My two granddaughters are always meticulous, and their calligraphy has some of the style of Wang Chuanshan. Would it be alright if they served me with their brushes and ground the ink?"

As he spoke, Wang Quan's gaze seemed to casually glance at the corridor outside the window, and then he gave a barely perceptible nod to the old servant standing at the door.

“Mr. Wang is the host, and I am the guest. I will follow the host’s lead,” Peng Gang said with a smile.

Wang Quan was more adept at handling things than Peng Gang had expected, saving Peng Gang the trouble of speaking up.

(End of this chapter)