1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 64 Strategy to break the situation
In the Lingnan region, the practice of shamanism was prevalent, and cases of spirit possession were common.

Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing were not the first to seize power in the name of the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother descending to earth.

At the beginning of the God Society, when its power structure was still unclear.

Some opportunistic members of the God Society had done this before Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing.

However, among the many opportunistic people who practice the practice of subjugating servants.

Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing were undoubtedly the most capable, technically skilled, and adept at choosing their timing.

Without solid skills, even the best techniques for summoning servants will not win people's hearts.

If Hong Xiuquan and Feng Yunshan had engaged in the practice of subjugating servants while in the Zijing Mountain area, they would certainly not have acknowledged Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing's status as Heavenly Brother and Heavenly Father.

In fact, Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing, especially Xiao Chaogui, already had considerable power and a high status within the God Worshippers' Society before they were forced to serve as servants.

The claim that they rose to the top of the God Society's power after becoming servants is putting the cart before the horse and reversing the cause-and-effect relationship.

However, it is an indisputable fact that after the Heavenly Brother and Heavenly Father descended to earth, their positions within the God Society were strengthened and consolidated, and they gradually surpassed Feng Yunshan.

The fact that Feng Yunshan, who was later enfeoffed as the Prince of Yong'an, was willing to remain under the command of Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui shows that Feng Yunshan was not someone who clung to power or lacked a sense of the bigger picture.

But they could only watch helplessly as Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing reaped the benefits of the God Society they had created, and the power structure they had painstakingly built was broken, plunging the God Society into chaos and infighting.

It's unrealistic to say that Feng Yunshan had no emotional fluctuations and could willingly and calmly accept all of this.

Feng Yunshan came to Peng Gang mostly to complain to Peng Gang and hear Peng Gang's insightful opinions on the matter.

After all, both of them were intellectuals, and they should have more in common than Xiao Yang and his companion.

Feng Yunshan had already heard about Peng Gang's solo trip to the county government office, where he not only rescued him from the Guiping County prison but also obtained the position of Zijingshan gang leader. Now, he was sharpening his knives against the Mengchong Wang family.

Feng Yunshan now looks at Peng Gang with new respect and no longer thinks of him as the helpless young boy who needed to actively ask to join the church to receive God's blessing just a few months ago.

Ordinary young scholars wouldn't tremble before a county magistrate; they'd be lucky if they could even speak clearly, let alone try to get someone out of the magistrate's hands or buy their way into office.

“That’s not right, Mr. Feng. The precedent of God sending servants was not set by Xiuqing and Chaogui,” Peng Gang said.

"That being said, if everyone imitates those two, the God Society will sooner or later follow in the footsteps of the Heaven and Earth Society." Feng Yunshan also admitted that Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui were not the instigators of the God Society's use of servants. Before Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui, he had already witnessed many incidents of the society attempting to use servants to seize power.

Feng Yunshan is currently most worried about two issues.

Firstly, there was the fear that God would create another batch of Yang Xiuqings and Xiao Chaoguis.

Secondly, he lost the power to write and interpret scriptures, which he had previously held firmly in his hands.

Although Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui were not highly educated, they were both very shrewd, especially Yang Xiuqing.

Many members of the God Worshippers Church now believe that Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui have the power to be possessed by the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother. They do not need to be literate; the words they speak when they are possessed are irrefutable truths.

After all, when they were sent down, they spoke as God's Father, Brother, Mother, and Sister-in-law, and what they said was God's will.

Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui's actions were utterly unsportsmanlike, catching Feng Yunshan off guard and leaving him unsure how to break the deadlock.

For the leader of a religious organization, losing the power to write and interpret scriptures is undoubtedly extremely devastating.

Feng Yunshan knew this from the beginning.

This is also why Feng Yunshan didn't pay much attention to the illiterate Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing at first.

He believed that although the two were very capable, they were not enough to pose a substantial threat to his position as the number one person after the leader of the sect, Feng Yunshan.

"It's not difficult for Mr. Feng to avoid the emergence of another Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui. Chaogui and Xiuqing have the ability to be possessed by the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother, but in the end, they still need to rely on the name of the Heavenly Father descending to earth."

"The cult leader is the second son of the Heavenly Father on Earth. Has the cult leader returned?" Peng Gang did not say it outright, but gave Feng Yunshan a hint.

Feng Yunshan wanted to end the chaos of the Zijingshan congregation fighting for power in the name of God and stop the damage in time. There was a way, but the key to breaking the deadlock lay with Hong Xiuquan.

Feng Yunshan was a smart man, and after Peng Gang's reminder, he quickly realized what was going on.

He realized that he had acted impulsively and lost his composure in the chaos. He had to be reminded by Peng Gang to understand such a simple truth.

Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui needed the possession of the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother, while Hong Xiuquan was the second son of God Huohua, who was recognized by the congregation from the beginning.

As the second son of God and a member of the divine family, he naturally recognizes the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother in Heaven.

The identities of Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui as Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother need to be mutually verified.

However, the authentication between the two of them is far less authoritative and convincing than the personal authentication of Hong Xiuquan, the second son of the Heavenly Father who ignited the mortal world.

Although smashing the Mengchong Ganwang Temple was a miscalculation by Hong and Feng.

However, no irreparable damage was caused.

The reputations of Hong and Feng within the association were not significantly damaged.

If Feng Yunshan can build an armed force that is no less capable than those of Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing, it is not impossible for him to regain his status as the number one figure in the God Society before his arrest.

Moreover, Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing were both partners and competitors; they were not a united front.

Both men are ambitious, and Yang Xiuqing doesn't seem like the type to remain subservient to Xiao Chaogui for long.

“The leader should still be in Guangzhou. I will immediately send someone to welcome him to Guangxi to clean up the mess.”

In the midst of the conversation, Feng Yunshan was already pondering whether, after bringing Hong Xiuquan back, he should have Hong Xiuquan acknowledge Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui's identities as the incarnations of the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother, or deny them as he had done in the past. After much deliberation, Feng Yunshan decided that for the sake of the greater good, it would be best to acknowledge Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui's identities as the incarnations of the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother.

Superstition is rampant in Guangxi Province. If the identity of the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother as incarnations of God is widely recognized, it will benefit the spread of the God Worshippers Society.

Furthermore, Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui are not ordinary leaders. If we fall out with them, God will lose most of the followers in the Zijingshan area.

Currently, two-thirds of the God Worshippers' members are located in Zijing Mountain. Losing this group of members would have a devastating and unbearable impact on the God Worshippers' society.

"Mr. Feng, does our God Society have any skilled blacksmiths or craftsmen who are good at making muskets?"

After offering advice to Feng Yunshan, Peng Gang took the opportunity to ask Feng Yunshan for some craftsmen who knew how to make firearms.

In Guangxi, many people privately possessed homemade guns. In the early stages of the Jintian Uprising, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom mainly sourced its firearms from two sources.

One is that it was purchased and seized from the pro-independence camp.

Secondly, the firearms were made by craftsmen within the God Society. These homemade firearms were not limited to muskets, but also included iron cannons.

Feng Yunshan was the most popular and well-connected person in the God Society, and should know some skilled firearm makers.

The muskets purchased from Huang Zhenyue were too complicated in design and of poor quality; they were only suitable for temporary use.

The long-term cost is too high, timely replenishment is difficult, and the pressure on logistics is too great, making it an unsustainable solution.

The Green Standard Army's muskets couldn't be fitted with bayonets, so they had to mix half of their riflemen and half of their shield and mace operators to handle close combat. This shortcoming was even more unacceptable to Peng Gang than the quality issues with the muskets themselves.

“There are some craftsmen in the guild. If you can provide them with a livelihood, I will persuade them to settle down in Honglianping.” Feng Yunshan pondered for a moment, nodded slightly, and agreed to Peng Gang’s request.

After Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing finalized their plan to take action against the Wang family of Mengchong in mid-July, Yang Xiuqing sent his trusted confidant Chen Chengrong to Honglianping to deliver a message to Peng Gang.

This short, stocky, and quick-witted man from Teng County, Guangxi, with a touch of cunning, told Peng Gang.

The Wang brothers of Zijing have three main branches of power, the strongest of which is undoubtedly the main branch of the Wang family in Mengchong, namely Wang Zuoxin's branch.

The other two branches are Wang Zuoxin's cousins, Wang Dagui and Wang Dazuo.

The fortified estates of Wang Dagui's family were all located in Mengchong, while the fortified estates of Wang Dazuo were located in Dachong.

Wang Dagui and Wang Dazuo had both followed Wang Zuoxin in organizing local militias and served as militia leaders. They had their own armed forces and their strength should not be underestimated.

Although Wang Dagui and Wang Dazuo had far fewer men than Wang Zuoxin, they still numbered around a hundred.

According to Yang Xiuqing's plan, considering that Peng Gang didn't have many people under his command.

Peng Gang does not need to participate in the main attack in Mengchong. The main attack in Mengchong against Wang Zuoxin and Wang Dagui will be the responsibility of Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing.

Peng Gang was in charge of attacking Wang Dazuo's armed force in Dachong.

Regardless of whether Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing intended to seize the Mengchong Wang family's main estate's money and grain for themselves.

From a purely military perspective, Yang Xiuqing's plan was quite reasonable.

The Wang family has been operating in Zijing Mountain for generations, making them a powerful and deeply rooted family with the background of local militias. Their strength is actually not much inferior to that of the God Society.

Roughly estimated, the Wang family could mobilize eight or nine hundred men, and Wang Zuoxin had purchased and accumulated firearms during his tenure as the director of the Zijingshan gang.

Although the God Worship Society in the Zijingshan area has now grown to a size of more than five or six thousand people.

However, the majority of the God Society members were elderly, weak, women, and children; the number of able-bodied men who could actually be mobilized to fight was only around two thousand.

Otherwise, God's Society wouldn't have been constantly suppressed by the Wang family in the Zijing Mountain area.

The Wang family had already heard the news, and the three Wang brothers, who usually acted arrogantly and domineeringly in Zijing Mountain, all retreated into the fortified village.

This battle will be a small-scale siege warfare. In a siege warfare, two thousand men are fighting against eight or nine hundred men, and they also lack heavy artillery, so they don't actually have a significant advantage.

Peng Gang asked Chen Chengrong, Yang Xiuqing, and Xiao Chaogui whether they had blocked all the major exits of the Mengchong area.

Chen Chengrong replied that a month ago, Yang Xiuqing had already discussed with Xiao Chaogui and sealed off the key passes in and out of Mengchong area to prevent the Wang family from sending money to Guiping City to communicate with them.

It must be said that Yang Xiuqing's planning and execution abilities are quite impressive.

Of course, Chen Chengrong also has a very good memory.

Despite his limited education, Chen Chengrong was able to memorize so much complex information and present it logically and systematically.

This is not something an ordinary coachman could do; Chen Chengrong certainly had extraordinary abilities.

No wonder Yang Xiuqing trusted Chen Chengrong and entrusted him with such an important task.

Peng Gang took out two taels of silver from his sleeve as a running fee for Chen Chengrong, and told Chen Chengrong to go back and tell Yang Xiuqing that he would obey Yang Xiuqing's arrangement and go to fight Dachong, while Mengchong would be left to Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing.

For this operation, money and supplies are secondary; Peng Gang has no shortage of money and supplies, but what he lacks is practical experience.

There are 120 people in 10 groups at the Honglianping charcoal burning plantation.

Only twenty people had real combat experience, and most of the team members had not yet experienced the tempering of real combat, even low-intensity melee.

Wang Dazuo's branch of the Wang family, whose numbers are roughly the same as Peng Gang's, is neither strong nor weak, making it suitable for training and testing the results of training exercises.

(End of this chapter)