1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 340 Wuchang is not Guangzhou
The Qing government had lost the three towns of Wuhan, and Jingzhou was in ruins.

The new generation of military and political leaders in Hubei, including Governor Chonglun, Assistant Commissioner of Local Militia Luo Raodian, and Admiral Bao Qibao, all chose to focus their efforts on Xiangyang.

Xiangyang had become the de facto provincial capital of the Qing Dynasty's remaining territory in Hubei.

As for the defense of Jingzhou, neither Chong Lun, Luo Raodian, nor Bao Qibao paid much attention to it.

It's not that Chonglun, Luo Raodian, and Bao Qibao were all fools who didn't realize the importance of Jingzhou, but rather that they were simply powerless to do so.

The most elite Green Standard Army of Yunyang Town in Hubei Province was transferred to Guangxi in 1849 (the 29th year of the Daoguang Emperor's reign) to help suppress the "Guangdong Western God Society bandits". Last year, with the fall of the Yuezhou City South Camp and the Xinqiang River Camp, the entire army was wiped out, and even Zhou Fengqi, the general of Yunyang Town, lost his life in Yuezhou.

In the subsequent battles of Wuchang and Mancheng in Jingzhou, the main forces of the Green Standard Army and Eight Banners in southeastern Hubei and the Jianghan Plain were wiped out, severely weakening the Green Standard Army and Eight Banners in Hubei.

The Eight Banners troops in Hubei, in particular, were completely wiped out, with not a single soldier left behind.

With the excellent source of soldiers in Yunyang Prefecture in northwestern Hubei as their backing, training troops and establishing militias in Xiangyang was the best option that Chonglun, Luo Raodian, Bao Qibao, and others could make.

Jiangling City was only defended by a Green Standard Army transferred from Weichang Camp in the neighboring Yichang Town, along with more than 1,600 local militia recruited from Jingzhou, and had no strong city walls to rely on.

Before Lu Qin and Xie Bin's 9,000-strong western expeditionary force could even reach the city of the general, the Jingzhou militia stationed in Jiangling City collapsed and fled back to their hometowns.

The Green Standard Army soldiers of Weichang Camp performed slightly better. Seeing that the short-haired army was powerful and that Jiangling City was in ruins and difficult to defend, they fled west by boat, retreating all the way to Donghu Lake in Yichang Prefecture.

After capturing Jiangling City, Lu Qin and Xie Bin left a battalion to garrison Jiangling, while the remaining troops continued to advance westward along the Yangtze River, easily capturing the county towns of Songzi, Zhijiang, and Yidu along the Yangtze River, and stationing their troops under the city of Donghu in Yichang Prefecture.

In the early Qing Dynasty, Donghu City was the seat of Yiling Prefecture. In the fifth year of the Shunzhi reign, due to the taboo against the character "Yi" by the Manchus, it was renamed Yiling Prefecture. In the thirteenth year of the Yongzheng reign, it was upgraded to Yichang Prefecture, and Yiling County was renamed Donghu County, which remains the name today.

The seat of Yichang Prefecture was located in Donghu County. The location of Donghu City during the Qing Dynasty is now within the Xiling District of Yichang City, and it governed two prefectures and five counties.

The development level of southwestern Hubei is relatively low. The most significant feature of the cities in southwestern Hubei compared with cities in other parts of Hubei Province is their small size.

Although Donghu City was a prefectural city, its urban area was only 0.56 square kilometers.

The only thing that Nie Guangluan, the prefect of Yichang, and Zhang Desheng, the general of Yichang, could be thankful for was that the city walls of Donghu were intact and the garrison was still relatively strong.

Donghu City already had two battalions of several hundred Green Standard Army soldiers stationed there, namely the Central Camp and the Right Camp of Yichang Town. In addition, the Weichang Camp, which had been withdrawn from Jiangling City to Yichang, brought together 1,300 to 1,400 Green Standard Army soldiers in Donghu, Yichang Prefecture.

Including the nearly two thousand militia and civilians assembled by Nie Guangluan, the prefect of Yichang, the number of soldiers in Donghu City was not small, totaling about three thousand.

Compared to the ruined Jiangling City, Donghu City can still be defended.

After a feint attack, it was determined that the city of Yichang, Donghu, could not be captured as quickly as other city walls.

After discussing it, Lu Qin and Xie Bin decided to use the method of siege by digging tunnels, blowing up the city walls of Donghu City, and then attacking the city.

After half a month, a section of the city wall near the South Gate was finally breached by explosives. Under the cover of artillery fire, the soldiers of the Western Expedition stormed into Donghu City from near the South Gate. Nie Guangluan, the prefect of Yichang, and Zhang Desheng, the general of Yichang Town, were killed in battle and committed suicide, respectively.

Lu Qin and Xie Bin's western expeditionary force successfully captured Donghu, the seat of Yichang Prefecture, bringing the western expedition to a successful conclusion.

News of the great victory in the western expedition and the triumphant return of King Peng of the North had already spread throughout the three towns of Wuhan, the core territory ruled by the Northern Palace.

The city walls, docks, and streets of Wuhan were already filled with surging crowds and deafening noise.

On the vast expanse of the Yangtze River, the first thing that catches the eye of the people of Wuhan is those several majestic steam paddlewheel ships. The huge paddlewheels creak and groan as they plow through the vast blue waves, and the Northern King flag flying high on the masts flutters wildly in the river wind.

Having seen many steam paddle steamers, the people of Wuhan have gradually become accustomed to these giant, wheeled ships that emit smoke, and are no longer as alarmed as they were when they first saw them.

Following closely behind the paddle steamers were various warships captured from the Hunan Army and the Qing army, as well as countless light and nimble speedboats and sampans, their sails forming a forest that stretched for miles, almost covering the entire river surface.

On the command deck of the Jiangxia, Peng Gang, dressed in military uniform with a black cloak billowing in the wind, stood.

Generals Huang Dabiao, Huang Bingxian, Zhang Ze, and others stood with their hands on their swords beside Peng Gang, their faces beaming with joy and pride as they watched the grand welcoming scene.

The area around Hanyangmen and Pinghumen in Wuchang was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder.

An elderly man with white hair, supported by his children and grandchildren, eagerly awaited the arrival of his boat. A young child rode on his father's shoulders, waving wildflowers he had picked from who-knows-where. Peng Gang's boat slowly approached.

The cheers of "Long live the Northern King! The Holy Weapon is mighty!" were like thunderclaps, soaring straight into the sky.

Many ordinary people spontaneously set up incense tables along the riverbank, offering water and rice wine to express their respect and gratitude to the victorious soldiers in the simplest way.

Jiangxia County and Hanyang County, where the three towns of Wuhan are located, have completed land reform. Both the original Beidian family members and the local farmers have been allocated land and exempted from taxes for one year.

Even for merchants, although the Northern Palace still collected commercial taxes from the three towns of Wuhan, and the nominal commercial taxes of the Northern Palace were actually slightly higher than those of the Qing government.

However, the tax collectors of the Northern Palace all came from the Northern Palace Sacred Treasury, and were more honest than the tax collectors of the Qing Dynasty. They publicly announced how much commercial tax to collect, and actually collected that amount. As a result, the commercial tax burden of merchants in the three towns of Wuhan, especially those in Hankou, was lighter.

In addition, Peng Gang directly opened up export channels for local silk, porcelain, and tea in Hubei. Local silk, porcelain, and tea products could be exported without going through Shanghai merchants. Instead, he acted as a middleman, purchasing silk, porcelain, and tea products from merchants in other places and making a profit from the price difference.

Their lives were far better than when the Qing Dynasty was in power.

In Wuhan's three towns, the traditional four social classes of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, apart from some scholars, are all living better lives than before Peng Gang arrived.

The peasantry, in particular, benefited the most.

They genuinely hoped that Peng Gang could establish a foothold in the three towns of Wuhan for a long time and did not want the Qing army to return.

After all, only if Peng Gang's Northern Palace regime exists for a long time can the land they have acquired be guaranteed to belong to them.

If the Qing army were to attack, not only would the land they had been allocated be taken away, but the Qing court would certainly have to settle scores with them.

Not only along the riverbanks near Hanyangmen and Pinghumen in Wuchang, but also at Parrot Island in Hanyang and the wharf in Hankou, the area was packed with onlookers.

Dockworkers, merchants, boatmen, and everyone else temporarily put down their work and flocked to the riverbank to witness the triumphant return of the Northern King and the Northern Palace's holy army. Firecrackers crackled and popped from every dock, and red paper scraps rained down, contrasting beautifully with the yellow banners fluttering in the sky.

The victorious soldiers waved to the shore from the deck, their faces covered in dust but their spirits high.

On the British warship HMS Lily, British Consul Alcock and Jardine Matheson, a senior representative of Jardine Matheson who had just completed a business trip from Hankou, stood side by side on the command deck of the Lily, gazing at the scene of the carnival in which the three towns of Wuhan were deserted and filled with cheers.

The shouts of "Long live the Northern King!" could even be faintly heard.

This heartfelt patronage and the spontaneously organized grand celebrations stood in stark contrast to the apathy, decay, and lifelessness of the cities under Qing government rule in Aleksandr and Matheson.

This was a sight they had never seen before.

After the Battle of Jinggang, the members of the French and American missions who had accompanied them to observe the battle had already returned to Wuchang and planned to build the Wuchang Consulate on the land that Peng Gang had granted them for lease.

Aleksandr had learned from exchanges with members of the French and American missions who were accompanying him that Peng Gang's western expedition had been very successful, defeating several thousand Qing troops and capturing at least three times the size of Wales, or even larger, new territories.

Gazing at the paddle steamers belching black smoke on the river, and the vast array of inland river oarsmen and small boats following closely behind, their sails like a forest.

Martin took a big gulp of wine, but even the amber-colored liquor couldn't quell the dryness in his throat and the frustration in his heart.

“Consul, look at all this! We were so foolish back then! Good heavens.” Martin finally lost his composure. He put down his wine glass, his fingers gripping the cold railing tightly until his knuckles turned white.

"We...we made a huge, strategic mistake, Consul. We were blinded by the lure of opium and silver, clinging to treaties signed with the Qing court that they themselves were powerless to enforce! We thought this Peng Gang was just another poorly equipped, short-sighted rebel."

Alcock's face was even more somber than the brandy in his glass. As a professional diplomat, Alcock sensed the threat and potential of this emerging power far more clearly than Matthias.

“It’s not just a mistake, it’s a serious misjudgment.” Ali Guo frowned, lowered his proud head—a rare occurrence—and admitted his dereliction of duty.

“We have seen a rising army with signs of modernization. Their fleet formation and the level of organization of the people on shore are definitely not the ordinary bandits and outlaws that Wu Jianzhang described. Perhaps the group in Jiangning is, but this one in Wuchang is definitely not.”

In retrospect, our insistence that Peng Gang guarantee the opium trade, even making it a prerequisite for recognition and aid, was indeed a miscalculation!

He recalled his previous unpleasant encounters with Peng Gang, where Peng Gang displayed extreme aversion to the opium trade and scoffed at their trade demands—scenes that seemed vivid in his mind.

“And now?” Madishen sighed.

“We originally had the opportunity to become Peng Gang’s earliest and most powerful international friend, and we hoped to obtain mining rights, railway construction rights, and even more favorable tariff agreements under his rule! But now, in his eyes, we are probably no different from those foreign devils who support the Qing Dynasty, as Jiangning believes!”

"It's too late to say all this now. At a crucial moment in his expansion of power, we did not provide any support, but instead stood against him because of the opium issue and trade tariff disputes. This Northern King does not seem to be a forgetful or easily compromised person."

Aleksandr paused, then continued, “We must immediately report to His Excellency the Minister in detail everything that has happened here. We need to reassess our policy toward China, at least our policy toward this Northern King. Perhaps it will be more costly to engage with him again now than the first time, but it is better than waiting until he completely controls the Yangtze River basin and we are completely excluded.”

Ma Dichen sighed dejectedly, gazing out the window at the triumphant army and the bustling three towns of Wuhan, and murmured, "The price... Yes, investments made at the wrong time always come at a premium. I just hope it's not too late to make amends. Fortunately, the Qing officials in Nanchang, Jiangxi, are willing to contact us. Perhaps we can make up for some of the losses we lost in Wuchang there."

Although Matthias and his group did not gain any substantial benefits from Peng Gang, and they had no vested interests in the Yangtze River inland area before, in the eyes of Matthias, Alcock and others, the French and Americans signed lucrative trade contracts with Peng Gang, while they, the English, did not, which was a loss.

Just as Aleksandr and Matthias were pouring out their grievances, an unusual commotion coming from the direction of the dock interrupted their thoughts.

What began as a heated argument and a woman's screams quickly escalated into shouts and fighting.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert rushed up to the command deck, panting and nervously reporting to Alcock: "Your Excellency! Something terrible has happened! Just now, three of our Madras guards from Shanghai slipped out of the dock and mingled with the Chinese celebrating on the shore. They... they were caught red-handed harassing local women, and now the enraged Chinese are chasing them to the dock! The crowd is growing larger and larger!"

"Fuck! It's those useless Indians again! Do they think this is Sanyuanli in Guangzhou?!" Upon hearing this, Ali Guo's face changed drastically, and he cursed loudly.

"Damn Indians, they can't control their crotches and anuses anywhere!"

Madison peered out onto the dock and saw chaos. Three Madras guards with white turbans wrapped around their heads were running in a disheveled state toward a small British boat moored on the shore. Behind them were hundreds of angry Wuchang citizens wielding sticks, carrying poles, and even stones.

Everyone's face was filled with offended anger, and they roared, "Beat the foreigners!" and "Catch those beasts!"

The crowds surged, emotions ran high, and more and more people joined the chase.

To make matters worse, the sailors on the small boat, as well as several other British Indian soldiers on the dock, immediately and habitually raised their rifles and pistols, pointing the dark muzzles at the surging crowd.

They tried to rely on their past experience in the Far East, thinking that a few gunshots would be enough to disperse these ignorant and weak Far Eastern mobs.

"Stop! Don't fire! Don't fire! Anyone who dares to fire, I'll dismiss them from their post!"

Alec roared almost hoarsely at the small British boat, his bulging beer belly trembling violently with extreme anger and fear.

At this sensitive and critical moment, under the noses of Peng Gang's tens of thousands of victorious troops, and amidst the intense xenophobic atmosphere among the military and civilians of Wuhan, any bloodshed targeting local civilians would be catastrophic and irreversible.

This would not only solidify their image as foreign devils and demons, but could also invite direct military intervention from the Northern Army, with unimaginable consequences!

He whirled around and yelled at Robert and Matthias, “Robert! Damn it! Quick! Bring them back! Remember, don’t shoot! Matthias! Send someone to the Wuchang authorities immediately to explain that this was just a few individuals’ misconduct and that we will deal with it seriously! Arrest those three damned idiots and lock them up in solitary confinement! Shout to the crowd that you will punish them severely, and that you must calm them down no matter what! Also, ask the Wuchang garrison around us for help and request that they come forward to maintain order and ensure our safety.”

Looking at the tense situation on the dock, at the angry Chinese faces, and then at the endless crowds on the riverbank, an unprecedented fear welled up in Martin's heart.

As Madison disembarked, he muttered, "Fuck! Fuck! Damn Indians! I'm afraid I won't even be able to keep my seat on the platform now!"

Those who were welcoming the French and American delegations, including Peng Gangmin, Chad, Masali, and Jin Nengheng, at the Hanyangmen Wharf, couldn't help but curse and complain that the English couldn't even control their Indian lackeys.

The local people in Wuchang and Hankou don't know anything about Englishmen, Frenchmen, Americans, or Indians.

In their eyes, anyone who looks different from them is a foreigner.

Although this matter had nothing to do with the personnel of the French and American missions, the local people couldn't care less.

If this matter is not handled properly, it will definitely affect the missionary and business activities of the French and American missionaries in Hankou, and even the normal activities of the staff of the consulate in Wuchang.

(End of this chapter)