1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 173 Disunity and Divide
"Reporting to the commander, Zhang Jiaxiang, the assistant commander of Xunzhou, requests an audience and is waiting outside the tent. Shall we grant him an audience?"

The Chu army's personal guards entered the commander's tent to ask Xiang Rong for instructions.

Xiang Rong gave a soft "hmm" but did not immediately summon Zhang Jiaxiang into the tent.

He chose to let Zhang Jiaxiang cool off for now.

Although Xiang Rong had been in Guangxi for a long time, he spent his early days in Guilin Prefecture suppressing the Heaven and Earth Society, and his middle period in Wuxuan. It was only after his defeat half a month ago that he fled to Guiping in disgrace.

Xiang Rong had little contact with the Green Camp of Xunzhou Brigade, and he had little impression of the ordinary Xunzhou Brigade commander.

But Zhang Jiaxiang was no ordinary Green Standard Army officer; he was a bandit leader from the Heaven and Earth Society in southern Xinjiang who had been recruited. Xiang Rong had heard of Zhang Jiaxiang's name before.

Zhang Jiaxiang had some remnants of the Heaven and Earth Society under his command, who were known for their ruthlessness and viciousness.

Although Zhang Jiaxiang had been recruited by the imperial court for eight or nine months and had obtained the actual post of Assistant Commander of Xunzhou.

However, due to his poor family background and the fact that Guangxi had no shortage of soldiers after Lin Zexu entered the country, Zhang Jiaxiang was never able to be given an important position.

Zhang Jiaxiang was originally with Li Dianyuan.

Now that Li Dianyuan is dead and Zhang Jiaxiang is not well-regarded in Xunzhou, he has no choice but to find a new master who can provide him with protection, give him important positions, and provide him with opportunities.

In the past, the Heaven and Earth Society, which had been appeased, would have looked down on Xiang Rong.

This moment, that moment.

After being thwarted three times by the short-haired cult bandits, Xiang Rong lost half of his Chu army and Zhengan soldiers.

It is true that Lin Zexu gave him 2,300 Fujian soldiers and 2,500 Chaozhou soldiers before his death.

However, Xiang Rong's current elite troops are relatively weak and cannot control the Fujian and Chaozhou militias.

Recruiting soldiers and revitalizing the Chu army from Hunan will take time.

Recruiting some capable soldiers and generals locally in Xunzhou Prefecture would be a good strategy.

Xiang Rong raised his head slightly and said in a calm tone, "Let him in."

Before long, the sound of the curtain being opened rang out, and a man of medium to upper height with a slightly hunched back slowly entered the command tent.

Zhang Jiaxiang was no longer the ruthless bandit he once was. He stepped forward, bowed to Xiang Rong, and spoke in a steady and powerful voice: "Your subordinate Zhang Jiaxiang greets Commander Xiang."

"The Xunzhou Green Standard Army and the Chu Army are not under each other's command, so how can there be a superior-subordinate relationship between us?" Xiang Rong asked unhurriedly.

"Why aren't you staying put in Xunzhou? What are you doing here looking for me?"

Zhang Jiaxiang gave a bitter smile and said bluntly, "General Xiang, you may not know this, but although I surrendered to the court long ago, I came from the Heaven and Earth Society and my background is not good. Many civil and military officials in Guiping suspect that I have surrendered in name only, saying that 'the bandits in the mountains cannot be trusted.' They have hindered me at every turn. I have been under pacification for nearly a year, but I only hold a nominal position with no troops or power, and I am hindered in everything."

At this point, Zhang Jiaxiang paused, looked up and stared directly at Xiang Rong. There was no flattery in his eyes, but rather a hint of resentment: "I have tried to put myself in their shoes and have been careful in everything I say and do, never crossing the line. But in the end, I am nothing more than a bandit and rebel with a history of crimes. In their eyes, I am not even as good as a mediocre general who bought his position with a clean background."

Xiang Rong's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't express his opinion. He just looked at Zhang Jiaxiang calmly and said in a cold voice, "You've got quite the nerve! With such self-importance, do you think you're not an incompetent general?"

"Whether I am mediocre or not, the general will give me a chance, and I will know once I try." Zhang Jiaxiang straightened his chest, his eyes burning as he looked directly at Xiang Rong.

"So you came to see me because you think this official doesn't care about background?" Xiang Rong frowned and asked.

Zhang Jiaxiang bowed slightly and said, word by word, "I have come to visit General Xiang not to complain, but because I understand the situation clearly. With Lord Lin and Lord Zhang gone, the only person who can support the overall situation in Guangxi right now is General Xiang."

General Xiang is single-handedly holding the Chu army together, and this is a time when talent is most needed. I am no useless subordinate; I can command fierce soldiers, navigate mountain paths, and defeat enemy camps. I only ask that the General give me a chance; I am willing to earn my reputation through merit, and dare not presume to ask for official rank or favor.

Zhang Jiaxiang's flattery made Xiang Rong feel very comfortable.

"Since you have this intention, I will give you a chance," Xiang Rong said with a slight nod.

"Thank you for taking me in, General Xiang!" Zhang Jiaxiang was overjoyed that Xiang Rong was willing to take him in. Following Xiang Rong was definitely better than following Li Dianyuan or Liu Jizu.

"Please request the military commander to bestow a new name upon me!"

Zhang Jiaxiang did not want people to think of him as the infamous bandit leader of the Heaven and Earth Society in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions when they mentioned his name in the future.

He wanted to sever ties with his past as Zhang Jiaxiang and took this opportunity to ask Xiang Rongwei to give him a new name.

Xiang Rong hesitated for a moment, then picked up his pen and wrote the character "Zhang" crookedly on the paper. He had long forgotten how to write the next two characters.

He had no choice but to ask his advisors how to write the characters for "national pillar" in the phrase "pillar of the nation".

The staff member next to him quickly added the two characters "Guo Liang" to the paper.

After finishing writing, Xiang Rong handed the paper to Zhang Jiaxiang and said, "Now that you have been appeased, you should turn over a new leaf and start anew. I hope you can become a pillar of the Qing Dynasty. From now on, you will be called Zhang Guoliang."

"Thank you, General Xiang, for taking me in and bestowing upon me this name! From this day forward, I shall be called Zhang Guoliang, and I will certainly live up to your expectations!" Zhang Guoliang was overjoyed and hurriedly took the paper with his new name written on it from Xiang Rong's hand.

Zhang Guoliang was quite familiar with the situation in Xunzhou Prefecture. After recruiting Zhang Guoliang as a new general, Xiang Rong immediately instructed Zhang Guoliang to recruit soldiers and expand his strength in Xunzhou Prefecture.

After recruiting soldiers, Xiang Rong used the pretext of carrying out the dying wish of the imperial envoy.

With Zhang Guoliang, who was familiar with Guangxi, as their guide, they hurriedly marched to Guilin to ensure the safety of the provincial capital.

Jiang Zhongyuan's Chu troops also marched north towards Guilin.

Unlike Xiang Rong, Jiang Zhongyuan went north to Guilin not only to carry out Lin Zexu's dying wish but also to block the God Society bandits within Guangxi.

Jiang Zhongyuan also harbored the ambition to protect his hometown.

Jiang Zhongyuan is from Hunan Province, specifically from Xinning County, which borders northern Guangxi.

Once the Taiping army entered Hunan via the Hunan-Guangxi Corridor, there was a high probability that they would enter Jiang Zhongyuan's hometown.

Whether from a public or personal emotional perspective.

Jiang Zhongyuan did not want the Taiping Army to enter Guangxi.

"Zhongxin wrote that the Short-haired Mao want us to pay 3,000 shi of grain, 100 shi of salt, and 10,000 taels of silver to ransom Zhongxin and Chu Yong, who has fallen into their hands. We haven't replied yet, and I'm afraid that if we wait too long, the Short-haired Mao will do something bad to Zhongxin and the others." During a rest stop on the march, Jiang Zhongshu, who was preoccupied with her cousin Jiang Zhongxin, said to Jiang Zhongyuan in a low voice.

Jiang Zhongyuan's face darkened. This younger brother of his really knew how to bring up the most sensitive topics.

This matter has always been a source of anxiety for Jiang Zhongyuan.

Short Mao demanded that Jiang Zhongyuan exchange grain, salt, and silver for Jiang Zhongxin and the captured Chu soldiers.

Although Short Hair is greedy and wants a lot of things.

However, the Jiang family was a powerful clan in southern Hunan. They had earned a considerable amount of money and provisions during their campaigns in Guangxi. By gritting their teeth and scraping together enough, and by having Jiang Zhongjun train fewer local militia, they could barely manage to raise enough.

Jiang Zhongyuan delayed replying to Peng Gang on this matter, thus avoiding the issue of Jiang Zhongxin and the captured Chu Yong.

The issue wasn't the large amount of money and supplies Peng Gang demanded, but rather that if he actually used those funds to exchange for Jiang Zhongxin and the captured Chu soldiers, it would inevitably be seen as aiding the enemy, giving them ammunition and giving them grounds for criticism.

Jiang Zhongyuan is currently at a crucial stage in his official career. He is a Han Chinese who has passed the imperial examination and is leading local militia.

Any stain would be fatal to Jiang Zhongyuan.

Although Lin Zexu preserved Jiang Zhongyuan's title of prefect before his death, it was merely a nominal title, not a real position, and far from Jiang Zhongyuan's desired goal.

They simply rescued Jiang Zhongxin and his men from the short-haired rebels without paying them any money or supplies.

Once this matter spreads, the people of Chu will inevitably feel that Jiang Zhongyuan is heartless and ungrateful, which will be very disadvantageous for recruiting and leading soldiers in the future.

Perhaps this is what short hair hopes for.

Thinking of this, Jiang Zhongyuan felt an intense hatred for the leader of the short-haired gang.

Before rescuing Jiang Zhongxin and the others, Jiang Zhongyuan had no choice but to temporarily suppress the news and keep the matter quiet to avoid affecting Chu Yong's morale.

“Zhongxin and the others must be saved, but not in this way.” Jiang Zhongyuan looked around and, seeing that no one was around, whispered to Jiang Zhongshu.

"If we grant permission to the short-haired rebels and transport so much money and grain to them, with so many people watching, it's bound to get out. If this reaches the ears of the imperial court, what will they think of us?"

"Then how should we save them?" Jiang Zhongshu asked in return.

"We'll exchange them with Shorthair when we capture prisoners of the cult later," Jiang Zhongyuan said after thinking for a moment.

Jiang Zhongshu believed that this was Jiang Zhongyuan's true inner thought.

They had fought against the Short Hairs at Bogong'ao, and they had no chance of winning against them.

Not to mention capturing short-haired religious bandits and exchanging them for prisoners.

As for the long-haired rebels, they were easier to defeat than the short-haired rebels. Chu Yong had captured hundreds of long-haired rebel prisoners.

Jiang Zhongyuan was referring to capturing prisoners of the cult, not capturing prisoners of the short-haired cult and exchanging them for prisoners.

This shows that Jiang Zhongyuan had seriously considered this matter and was not just making excuses.

Xiang Rong had just led the Chu army, Zhengan soldiers, Fujian soldiers, and Chaozhou soldiers away from Guiping.

Jiang Zhongyuan followed Chu Yong away as well.

Not only was Zhou Tianjue furious about Xiang Rong and Jiang Zhongyuan's unauthorized troop movements away from Guiping, but Xu Guangjin, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, who was stationed in Zhaoqing, was also extremely indignant about it.

Before his death, Lin Zexu only said that the God Society bandits would most likely head north.

The short-haired one moved, but the long-haired one hadn't made a move yet, making it difficult to predict where the long-haired one intended to go next.

While it's unlikely that religious bandits would move east to Guangdong, it doesn't mean it's impossible.

According to Xu Guangjin, one of the leaders of the cult was originally from Huaxian County, Guangdong Province.

What if he has the idea of ​​returning home in glory?

Despite Xu Guangjin's repeated disregard for Guangxi's pleas for assistance over the years, he has acted selfishly and at the expense of his neighbors.

However, this did not prevent Xu Guangjin from accusing Xiang Rong, Jiang Zhongyuan, and others of leaving Guiping without authorization, disregarding the overall situation, and submitting a memorial impeaching Xiang Rong.

In later terms, this was double standards.

Criticism is criticism, and criticism is criticism.

However, Xu Guangjin remained firmly seated in Zhaoqing Prefecture, unmoved, showing no intention whatsoever of entering Guangxi to suppress the bandits.

They still kept ripping off Ling Shiba in Daliao, Xinyi, and were afraid that if they took Ling Shiba away, they wouldn't have enough reason to stay in Guangdong.

Xu Guangjin was the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, and had the power to control the military and political affairs of Guangxi.

If Xu Guangjin were willing to lead Guangdong troops into Guangxi, given his prestige as Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, he could take over the military and political affairs of Guangxi from Lin Zexu. Temporarily managing Guangxi's military and political affairs until the arrival of the new Imperial Commissioner would prevent the Qing troops in Guiping from becoming disloyal.

By integrating the military forces of Guangdong and Guangxi, even if we cannot completely wipe out the Taiping Army, we can at least achieve something.

Unfortunately, Xu Guangjin was not Lin Zexu; he lacked the awareness that "if it benefits the country, I will risk my life; how can I avoid danger for personal gain?"

Even now, Xu Guangjin still holds the idea of ​​only sweeping the snow inside Guangdong Gate.

After the troops were divided, the Qing army forces in the Guiping area were severely weakened.

Zhou Tianjue repeatedly tried to lead his troops into Zijing Mountain to suppress the Taiping rebels, but no one responded. He became furious and enraged several times, but it was all to no avail.

Zhou Tianjue had no powerful loyal troops by his side, his reputation was bad, and he had little money and supplies. No army listened to him.

As the situation continued to deteriorate, Zhou Tianjue had no choice but to summon Liu Jizu and Li Mengqun to discuss countermeasures.

After learning information about several leaders of the God Society from Li Mengqun, Zhou Tianjue came up with a plan.

(End of this chapter)