1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 351 Support and Assistance in Battle
Peng Gang did not go to receive Yang Xiuqing's imperial edict. Instead, he leaned back, took a sip of the warm tea beside him, and gestured to Huang Bingxian to read it.

"Yes." Huang Bingxian responded, deftly removing the sealing wax, unfolding the high-quality imperial edict, clearing his throat, and reading the edict in a clear and steady tone.

"Heavenly Father, Heavenly Brother, Heavenly King, Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, comforts the Holy Spirit, Feng He, the Master who redeems the sick, the Left Assistant, the Righteous Military Advisor, the Eastern King Yang, and this edict is given to Brother Peng Gang."

After reading Yang Xiuqing's lengthy and somewhat bizarre titles, the main text of the edict was drawn like a sharp sword, full of accusatory tone and commanding manner, consistent with Yang Xiuqing's consistent style after he seized power.

"According to recent military reports from Jiangxi, the strategic passes of Hukou and Pengze have fallen into the hands of the Qing devils! This is a great disgrace to the Heavenly Kingdom and a shame to you, the soldiers on the western expedition!"

Shi Xiangzhen, the garrison commander of Hukou, commanded several thousand elite troops, yet failed to hold Yingyue, losing his army and territory. His crime is unforgivable!
Lin Qirong, the garrison commander of Pengze, was so close yet failed to provide adequate reinforcements. He was cowardly and fearful of the enemy, and has truly failed to live up to the King's high expectations!
Prince Yi, Shi Dakai, stationed in Anqing, oversaw all military affairs of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in Jiangxi and Anhui. His mismanagement and incompetence in supervising the battles led to the loss of key passes and the opening of the gates to Nanjing. He is undoubtedly to blame!

In the imperial edict, Yang Xiuqing vented his anger over the loss of Hukou and Pengze without asking any questions, targeting a series of generals from the Wing Hall to the East Hall. Even the Wing King Shi Dakai was not spared, and was directly called out by name, without even being given the title of "brother".

To be fair, Shi Dakai, Shi Xiangzhen, Lin Qirong, and others bear responsibility for the losses in Hukou and Pengze, but the blame cannot be entirely placed on them.

Last year, Sai Shang'a's Qing army had been holed up in Changsha in Hunan, and its main force had not been lost. Moreover, Sai Shang'a's Qing army was an elite force with a large number of soldiers, and it was originally intended to block the Taiping army.

This time, Jiangxi Governor Zhang Fei mobilized the entire province of Jiangxi to assist Sai Shang'a in attacking Hukou and Jiujiang, with elite Jiangxi militias such as Li Mengqun's Ganyong and Liu Yuxun's Jiangjun being deployed.

The Wing Hall bore the heavy responsibility of defending the two provinces of Anhui and Jiangxi, guarding the main force of the Qing army with the strength of a single hall. In addition, Shi Xiangzhen and others implemented a system of separate halls for men and women in Hukou and Pengze.

Hukou and Pengze were relatively prosperous places. From local gentry and merchants to peddlers and laborers, no one liked the Taiping Army's ways, nor did they want to fight alongside them. As a result, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was not popular in these two places.

As for Lin Qirong, who was guarding Pengze, Yang Xiuqing's harsh and impolite words to Lin Qirong were quite rare, which showed his anger.

Lin Qirong was actually more wronged than Shi Xiangzhen. At least Shi Xiangzhen had stayed in Hukou for a few months and was familiar with the local situation.

Lin Qirong had barely arrived when the Qing army was already at the city gates.

Although it is true that Yang Xiuqing allocated 5,000 Taiping soldiers to Lin Qirong, only 1,000 of them were veterans from Guangxi and Hunan, and not all of them were top-tier soldiers.

The remaining soldiers were all newly recruited soldiers from the Jiangnan region, whose fighting strength was questionable. Lin Qirong even had to use ropes and chains to tie these new soldiers to the city wall before they would be willing to defend the city.

Even so, Pengze County held out for a month and a half under the relentless attacks of tens of thousands of Qing troops, more than half a month longer than Hukou. The Qing army also suffered significantly more casualties in the attack on Pengze than in Hukou.

Lin Qirong's achievements are already quite remarkable. Even Peng Gang, an outsider, felt that Yang Xiuqing's words to Lin Qirong were too harsh. If Lin Qirong were truly afraid of the enemy, Pengze would not have been able to hold out for so long.

Furthermore, the Qing army from Jiangxi had not yet reached Anhui territory, and the two sides were still locked in fierce fighting at Madang Town. It was premature for Yang Xiuqing to claim that the gates of Tianjing were wide open at this point.

If we're really talking about the gates of Tianjing being opened wide, it wasn't the gates in Shi Dakai's direction that were opened first.

After the Northern Expeditionary Army left Anhui, Li Jiaduan, the Minister of Militia in Anhui, and Qin Dingsan, the Governor of Anhui, recaptured Chuzhou and occupied Pukou, which was across the river from the capital, Tianjing.

The main forces of the Qing army, led by Yang Dianbang, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, and Yang Yizeng, the Grand Canal Conservation Commissioner, have gradually moved south to Gaoyou Prefecture and are getting closer and closer to Yangzhou City.

The Qing troops in these two places were much closer to Nanjing than the Qing troops near Madang Town.

However, Yang Xiuqing did not mention this matter at all.

The loss of Hukou and Pengze was the responsibility of Shi Xiangzhen and Lin Qirong. But whose responsibility was it for abandoning Chuzhou and Fengcheng and losing Pukou, which was across the river from Tianjing City?
Of course, Yang Xiuqing's rebuke of Shi Dakai, Shi Xiangzhen, and Lin Qirong was merely an appetizer; the main point of the edict was what followed. Huang Bingxian paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the next part of the edict, and read aloud: "My brother Peng Gang, now that you have achieved victory in your western expedition, fully controlling the two lakes, and with your troops and armor sufficient, it is time to press on eastward to complete your campaign. From the date you receive this edict, you are hereby ordered to immediately mobilize the elite land and naval forces of the three towns of Wuhan, and proceed eastward in a timely manner to join forces with Shi Dakai, striving to recover Hukou and Pengze, sweep away the Qing forces on the western front, and secure the upper reaches of Nanjing. Any delay will be punished according to military law!"

After reading the imperial edict, Huang Bingxian gently placed it on the sandalwood table in front of Peng Gang, and the West Flower Hall fell into a deathly silence.

This edict was not the first edict issued to Peng Gang upon his triumphant return from the western expedition.

Previously, Peng Gang's return to the three towns of Wuhan after his western expedition without consulting Yang Xiuqing or continuing the attack on Changsha had already displeased Yang Xiuqing. Yang Xiuqing had issued an imperial edict ordering Peng Gang to continue the western expedition, capture Changsha, and annihilate the main force of the Qing army in Hunan.

Considering the actual situation, Peng Gang did not carry out Yang Xiuqing's order to attack Changsha. Yang Xiuqing had already expressed his dissatisfaction with Peng Gang in the previous imperial edict.

Zuo Zongtang, who was reviewing reports on the land clearing efforts from various regions in the Xihua Hall to understand the progress, frowned deeply upon hearing the imperial edict. Liu Rong, who had come to recommend new candidates for land clearing teams to Zuo Zongtang, subconsciously touched the bridge of her nose.

After a long silence, Peng Gang slowly spoke: "The sudden loss of Hukou and Pengze, the key to the river defense, has indeed shaken Tianjing. It is understandable that His Highness the Eastern King is anxious."

Peng Gang first assessed the severity of the loss of Hukou and Pengze, but then changed the subject, saying, "However, Shi Xiangzhen's troops fought hard for many days and suffered heavy casualties; Lin Qirong also reinforced Hukou several times and successfully covered Shi Xiangzhen's troops' breakout. When returning to defend Pengze, Lin Qirong held Pengze for more than a month with his exhausted and depleted troops, which was also hard work."

"The Wing King, stationed in Anqing, had to contend with the enemy in northern Anhui while also supporting Jiangxi. He was stretched thin and exerted himself to the utmost. His Highness the Eastern King's rebuke is perhaps too harsh."

Zuo Zongtang nodded and said, "Our army has fought across thousands of miles to finally pacify northern Hunan. The soldiers are exhausted and urgently need rest; military supplies and provisions have suffered heavy losses; and gunpowder and cannons urgently need replenishment. These are the most important things."

As he spoke, Zuo Zongtang rose and walked to the map on the shelf, pointing heavily at the large newly annexed area in northern Hunan: "In these prefectures and counties, the officials are not loyal, the people are not settled, and local militias are swarming in. If we rashly withdraw our main force to the east at this time, our rear will be left vulnerable, and unrest will inevitably break out! At that time, I fear that before Hukou is recovered, a crisis will arise in the two lakes region!"

Hubei and Jiangxi are closely linked, and Zuo Zongtang agreed to provide some assistance to the Jiangxi battlefield within his capabilities. However, he did not agree with the idea of ​​using all his strength to recapture Hukou and Pengze, which were heavily guarded by the Qing army.

Firstly, the two main forces of the Northern Palace were to be used: one to monitor and contain the main Qing army force in Changsha, and the other to be stationed in the three towns of Wuhan, guarding the local areas for stability and promoting land reform and equal distribution of land.

To recapture Hukou and Pengze, at least 20,000 troops would be needed.

The 20,000 troops could not be squeezed out; they could only be drawn from the Yuelu Mountain camp, the three towns of Wuhan, and troops stationed in various localities.

Secondly, Yang Xiuqing has a history of using others to do his dirty work, weakening other palaces, and strengthening the East Palace.

Yang Xiuqing poached Feng Yunshan's men, leaving Hu Yihuang in Tianjing, making it difficult for Feng Yunshan and Qin Rigang to conquer with their weakened forces. It's hard to say that Yang Xiuqing didn't have such intentions when urging Peng Gang to take Changsha and recapture Hukou and Pengze.

Peng Gang said, "Fu Cheng and Liu Yuxun have heavily guarded the fortified city of Hukou. Even if we manage to capture it by chance, how many lives of men from Guangxi and Hunan will be lost? His Highness the Eastern King is far away in Tianjing and can disregard this debt. But I, Peng Gang, cannot disregard it."

Peng Gang gritted his teeth, determined that if he fought regardless of the cost, he could definitely take Hukou. But once he took it, defending Hukou would mean facing attacks from both sides. He would have to deal with the Qing army's invasion from Nanchang upstream and the Qing army's reinforcements from Pengze downstream.

At that time, Peng Gang would be embroiled in a protracted war with the Qing army in Jiangxi, a losing proposition. Peng Gang looked at Huang Bingxian: "But His Highness Prince Yi must be under immense pressure in Wangjiang, Anhui. If the situation in Jiangxi completely collapses, Wuchang will also find it difficult to remain unscathed. The principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold' must be understood. Bingxian!"

"Your subordinate is here!" Huang Bingxian immediately straightened up.

Peng Gang quickened his pace and made a decision: "First, in my name, write a letter to His Highness Prince Yi and the brothers on the front lines in Anqing. The words must be sincere, informing them that the soldiers of the three towns of Wuhan feel the same way and will never sit idly by while Prince Yi's brothers fight against the powerful enemy alone."

Secondly, the Sixth Regiment was to dispatch one steamship and fifty swift warships, including the Crab and Long Dragon, equipped with ample gunpowder and ammunition, to set sail from the Dehua area of ​​Jiujiang, specifically to patrol and harass, attack Qing army transport fleets, and strike their riverside outposts, so that the Qing navy would not be at peace and its flanks would be constantly threatened.

Third, I order Cheng Dashun, the commander of the Fourth Regiment stationed in Dehua County, Jiujiang Prefecture, to select bold and meticulous scouts and elite soldiers to form three or four elite companies to infiltrate Jianchang County in Nankang Prefecture and Nanchang Prefecture, specifically to raid the Green Standard Army's outposts and patrol posts in Jianchang and Nanchang, preventing the Qing army in Nanchang from having any peace. If the Qing army in Nanchang shows any unusual activity or signs of heading north to Dehua, Jiujiang, report to me immediately.”

"Remember," Peng Gang emphasized, enunciating each word clearly, "our strategy is to harass and contain, to provide support and assistance, not to engage in a decisive battle. The aim is to alleviate the pressure on Prince Yi and his forces, delay the Qing army's offensive, and buy us time to consolidate our power in Hunan and reorganize our army! The determination of the frontline commanders is to handle the situation; we can fight, but we cannot engage in reckless battles!"

"Understood! Our army's main task in Jiangxi is to harass and assist in the battle!" Huang Bingxian repeated.

By taking this action, the Northern King not only fulfilled the righteousness of the Heavenly Kingdom Alliance and avoided giving others an excuse to sit idly by and not come to the rescue, but also kept the intensity of the war within a range that the Northern Palace could accept at present.

After dealing with recent military and political affairs, the most important thing next is this year's Enko.

The first and foremost task in scientific expeditions is setting exam questions.

To prevent too many students from dropping out of the exam, Peng Gang decided that the first exam would be the eight-legged essay, which was something the scholars were good at.

After careful consideration, Peng Gang decided to grant the scholars a certain degree of autonomy in their choices, and presented them with three questions to choose from.

The first question is from Mencius, Book 1, King Hui of Liang: "A benevolent government must begin with the proper demarcation of land boundaries. If the boundaries are not properly demarcated, the land will be unequal, and the grain and salaries will be uneven."

The second question was: "The Book of Changes, Hexagram 64, Revolution: The revolution of Tang and Wu was in accordance with Heaven and responded to the people."

The third question is from the Analects, Book 8: "Even if the barbarians have a ruler, it is not as good as the Chinese having no ruler."

Clearly, these three questions, in addition to assessing the scholars' writing skills and knowledge of classical texts, were also a test of Peng Gang's political leanings.

The scholars were asked to reflect on and express their views regarding the current priorities of the Northern Palace's governance, its core anti-Qing ideology, and the source of its legitimacy.

This also makes it easier to clearly distinguish the scholars' expertise and inclinations from their chosen topics, whether to keep them as writers or to send them to local positions for practical work, thus providing a reference for subsequent appointments based on their talents.

The topics of policy essays, mathematics, geography, and agricultural administration were jointly set by Peng Gang and Zuo Zongtang.

The questions for Qian Gu were set by Chen Kerang, who came from Qian Gu's background, and reviewed and revised by Peng Gang.

The criminal case questions were set by Zhao Xiulian, who came from a background as a criminal case advisor, and were also personally reviewed and revised by Peng Gang.

The examination venue, in accordance with old customs, was set at the Wuchang Examination Hall (later the site of Wuchang Experimental Middle School) at the southern foot of Phoenix Mountain in the northern part of Wuchang City. During the examination period, the Beidian government provided meals for all candidates.

Considering the cool autumn weather, the candidates would stay at the Wuchang Prefectural School and Jiangxia County School. The bedding that Peng Gang gave them could be taken into the examination area after it was inspected and found to be in good condition. It would then be given to the candidates after the examination.

Before the two provinces separated in the first year of the Yongzheng reign (1723), students from Hubei and Hunan took the provincial examinations at the Wuchang Examination Hall.

After the examinations were held separately in the two locations, the Wuchang Examination Hall remained the venue for the Hubei provincial examinations.

Because the Wuchang Examination Hall previously needed to accommodate the provincial examinations of scholars from Hunan and Hubei, the examination cubicles (small examination rooms) were designed with ample capacity.

Although Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuqing caused minor damage to the examination hall during their occupation of Wuchang, after Peng Gang's repairs, the Wuchang Examination Hall could still accommodate tens of thousands of people taking the exam at the same time.

There were only 1,800 candidates participating in the Northern Examination this time. This was even after Peng Gang lowered the examination standards, making no requirements on past academic achievements or occupations, and requiring only literacy.

On September 15th, at the beginning of Chenshi (7:00 AM), the scholars who were to take the northern examination arrived early at the gate of the Wuchang Examination Hall, where soldiers from the training camp were on guard to maintain order.

The atmosphere at the Wuchang Examination Hall was solemn, and the candidates lined up under the guidance of the guards to await the search.

After a rigorous search, they took their seats according to their examination number tags. The writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones on the table were all uniformly distributed by the officials of the Northern Palace.

When the North Palace Attendant entered the hall carrying the examination scroll bearing the seal of the Northern King, he loudly announced the classic texts and three examination questions. The students were to choose one and explain it, and submit their papers at this time the next day.

A slight commotion arose in the audience. Many scholars wore expressions of surprise and contemplation.

The choice of three options broke the familiar pattern of the imperial examination system and surprised them.

As for the time allotted in one day, it was a bit tight, but not so tight that the exam wouldn't be completed.

After all, the exam only tested the eight-legged essay style, not the interpretation of the Five Classics.

As for policy questions (discussions), although they are tested, it wasn't mentioned that they would be tested today.

As the candidates hesitated, a tall examination board was erected, displaying three questions.

The scholars began whispering among themselves, trying to figure out what the question setter was thinking, and weighing which question they should choose.

Logically speaking, the first question is often the one that the question setter values ​​the most, and there are also rumors that the Northern King reveres the Second Sage even more than the Sage himself.

The first question was taken from Mencius, and it's highly likely that the Northern King himself set it.

After some deliberation, most of the candidates chose the first question and began to carefully conceive and draft their answers in their examination cells.

(End of this chapter)