North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 249 The Difficulty of Rebellion

"Mr. Li...where should we, the Taiping Army, go...?"

Faced with such a crucial question from Feng Yunshan, Azu pondered for a long time before finally shaking his head silently.

"Mr. Feng, I'm sorry, but no matter what, the Taiping Army could not escape its ultimate fate of defeat!"

Ah Zu said in a deep voice, "Even if we in California fully supported the Taiping Army and helped you drive out the Manchus and seize the country, you still can't hold onto this country!"

"At best, you are just another Li Zicheng... or even worse than Li Zicheng!"

"At least, before Li Zicheng entered the capital, his army was disciplined and rarely harassed the people. He even opened granaries to distribute grain, which won the hearts of the people."

"That's why Li Zicheng was able to advance all the way from Shaanxi to the capital, and most of the passes and cities along the way surrendered without a fight!"

"On the other hand, the Taiping Army, by taking large numbers of people hostage, harassed the whole country. Moreover, it completely denied the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, and vilified Confucianism as demons, thus losing the hearts of scholars all over the country."

As the saying goes, "He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world!"

"You are so unpopular, and with your internal strife and power struggles, if you were to seize power, not only would you not be able to hold your position, but it would also be a misfortune for the world!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Yunshan fell into deep despair and couldn't utter a single word for a long time!
Finally, it was Ah Zu who broke the silence: "Mr. Feng, the Taiping Army, as a force, was fundamentally flawed and beyond saving."

"However, the existence of the Taiping Army was not meaningless. At the very least, you shook the foundation of the Qing Dynasty's rule and set a precedent for the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty by force, providing a lesson for later generations."

"Moreover, the Taiping Army also cultivates a large number of military and political talents, such as Mr. Feng, and Shi Dakai...!"

“Talents like Mr. Feng are extremely rare. It would be a great pity to watch you die at the hands of the Manchus.”

"I believe that there are many talented people like Mr. Feng in the Taiping Army."

"If we want to overthrow the rule of the Qing Dynasty and finally seize and consolidate our power, we need talents like Mr. Feng."

Feng Yunshan somewhat understood what his ancestor meant.

"Mr. Li, do you mean that you are unwilling to help the Taiping Army, but are willing to help certain individuals within the Taiping Army?"

Azu nodded: "Of course I hope to recruit talents like Shi Dakai and Mr. Feng to my side, no matter the cost."

"So, as early as three years ago, I started writing to Shi Dakai, trying to recruit him to California."

“Mr. Feng, you are just as good!” Azu continued, “A person of your talent, who can oversee the military and political affairs of a region, and who possesses both loyalty and courage, wisdom and magnanimity, is one of the few in the world!”

"If Mr. Feng is willing, he is welcome to stay in California, and I will certainly entrust him with important responsibilities!"

Azu paused for a moment, then waved his hand, dismissing all his guards and soldiers from the room. Only Feng Yunshan and Shi Dakai remained.

Then, for the first time, he revealed his long-term plan to outsiders.

"California is just our starting point, but it is by no means our end!"

"According to my plan, I will surely be able to seize half of America within five years!"

"What...?" Upon hearing this, Feng Yunshan and Shi Dakai were both taken aback.

Azu calmly continued, "Taking half of America is not our end point, but merely the foundation of our hegemony."

"Within ten years, we will surely be able to reclaim China, overthrow the Manchu Qing dynasty in one fell swoop, and rebuild our Han dynasty!"

As he spoke, Azu's gaze became deep and ethereal: "Mr. Feng, since you have personally inspected my navy and army, you should know that what I say is absolutely true!"

"We don't lack money, weapons, or ships; the only thing we lack is people!"

"With enough population, I can easily build an army of hundreds of thousands. At that time, whether it's America or the Qing Dynasty, who can stop me?"

Azu continued, "In today's world, technology is advancing rapidly and ideas are becoming increasingly enlightened. The old system of dynastic rule that our ancestors established is no longer viable."

"The new China we are building is neither the same as the one of our ancestors, nor is it entirely the same as the one of the West."

"What we need to do is combine the strengths of the East and the West to create a brand new democracy, freedom, and republic!"

"A brand new democracy, freedom, and republic...!"

Feng Yunshan kept repeating these words in his mouth, but he didn't understand their true meaning.

He simply took the words literally and felt that they were so beautiful and attractive.

Azu knew Feng Yunshan's level and vision, so he gave him a brief explanation.

After a long while, Feng Yunshan finally understood the meaning of those words and fell into deep thought again.

For him, this set of ideas is too advanced, and it may take him a long time to figure it out.

So, Azu then sent his guards to his courtyard to fetch several books for Feng Yunshan.

A moment later, the guards placed a stack of books in front of Feng Yunshan.

These books include The Spirit of the Laws, The Social Contract, and Democracy in America!
Ah Zu patted the books lightly: "Mr. Feng, you must carefully study these books before you can truly understand which path our future should take!" "Your Taiping Army, although holding the simple ideal of 'the world belongs to all,' is completely ignorant of how to do it and how to make it a reality, which led them to embark on the wrong path from the very beginning."

"After reading these books, perhaps you can find the answer."

Upon hearing this, Feng Yunshan's eyes, which had been filled with near despair, instantly brightened.

Seeing his expression, Azu couldn't help but smile slightly: "Mr. Feng, are you thinking that once you've learned this, you can go back to China and use the ideas in the book to reform the Taiping Army?"

Feng Yunshan glared at Azu: "What? Is it not allowed?"

Azu smiled and shook his head: "Mr. Feng, even if you learn it completely and figure it out thoroughly, do you think anyone in the Taiping Army would accept this?"

"this……!"

In Feng Yunshan's mind, the faces of the core high-ranking figures in the Taiping Army flashed by one by one.

Finally, he realized with dismay that the young man in front of him had already calculated everything!
Even Feng Yunshan himself, who had just come into contact with this system, found it difficult to accept, let alone the others in the Taiping Army.

Hong? Yang Xiuqing? Xiao Chaogui? Wei Changhui...?
None of them can be relied upon!

If this approach were used to reform the Taiping Army, it would be tantamount to completely overturning all of the Taiping Army's programs and beliefs!

Doing that would be tantamount to courting death and only hastening your demise!

Ah Zu continued, “Mr. Feng, you can rest assured to pursue your studies here. Whatever books you want to read or whom you want to consult, I will fully support you.”

“If you understand it thoroughly and think that it is feasible to reform the Taiping Army in this way, then I will definitely not stop you, and I will even arrange a ship to send you back to China safely.”

“When Mr. Feng finds himself with nowhere to go in China, California will always be open to you.”

"In short, Mr. Feng is free to come and go in California."

While admiring the governor's magnanimity, Feng Yunshan couldn't help but compare him to the cult leader Hong.

Don’t be afraid of not knowing the goods, be afraid of comparing goods!

Upon comparison, Feng Yunshan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

There are always people more capable than you!

I used to be so short-sighted!
Upon realizing this, Feng Yunshan couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Li, is it true that you said you would take half of America in five years, drive out the Qing invaders within ten years, and rebuild the Han dynasty's land?"

Azu nodded emphatically: "You can ask Shi Dakai when I've ever broken my word?"

Shi Dakai, who had been listening quietly, interjected at the opportune moment: "Mr. Feng, my boss always keeps his word! Moreover... every word my boss has said has ultimately become a reality!"

"Since the boss said it's a five-year or ten-year agreement, then it's absolutely achievable!"

Feng Yunshan turned his head to look at Shi Dakai, who had a serious expression on his face.

Feng Yunshan knew very well the character and personality of his younger brother, Shi Dakai.

Feng Yunshan absolutely believed what Shi Dakai said.

Feng Yunshan remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Mr. Li, I'm new here and my mind is in complete turmoil..."

"Hahaha!" Azu laughed, "I was too impatient. Enough said, enough said, let's eat...!"

By the time the three of them picked up their chopsticks again, the dishes on the table had already gone cold.

They had to have all the dishes reheated before the three of them could finish this long dinner.

……

When Shi Dakai saw Azu out of the courtyard, he couldn't help but whisper, "Boss, Mr. Feng is the greatest talent in the Taiping Army. If we keep him here, he will definitely be of great help to our cause."

Azu smiled and nodded: "I know!"

"But it seems to you, boss... that you don't necessarily intend to keep Mr. Feng?"

Azu replied, “The God Worshipping Society and the Taiping Army are the fruits of Mr. Feng’s labor over the years. It is no exaggeration to say that he personally created most of the God Worshipping Society and the Taiping Army.”

"Given Mr. Feng's unwavering will, how could he so easily give up the foundation he has built through so much hard work and countless difficulties in such a short period of time?"

"Although I managed to dissuade Mr. Feng with my words, given his stubbornness, he will absolutely not give up until he hits the Yellow River, and he will not turn back until he hits the south wall... even after hitting the wall, he will not turn back!"

"Sigh...!" Azu sighed softly, "So, this Mr. Feng will most likely have to go back. Until reality completely shatters all his dreams...!"

"That will be the time for us to truly recruit Mr. Feng."

Shi Dakai understood: "If that's the case, why did you give Mr. Feng so many books? If Mr. Feng can really figure them out, what if the Taiping Army achieves great success...!"

"Hehe!" Azu laughed, "You think you can achieve great things just by reading a few books? Dakai, you underestimate the difficulty of rebellion!"

(End of this chapter)