1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 195 The Book of Sages Goes Wrong

"Prefect Cao said that these religious bandits are convinced of the foreigners' heretical religion and cannot tolerate any gods or Buddhas other than foreign deities. They do not allow us to believe in Buddhism and recite scriptures. This time, these religious bandits have come to our Xiangshan Temple to destroy Buddhism!"

The two sides had a falling out, and Hongjue shouted angrily.

"You traitorous cultists are unworthy to enter the pure land of my Buddhist temple! If you dare to enter without permission, you are making an enemy of the Buddha! Disciples! Protect the Buddhist temple! Reject the cultists!"
"The cultists want to destroy Buddhism and eradicate the Dharma; I will show them that Buddhism cannot be insulted!"

No sooner had the abbot finished speaking than a group of bare-chested monks pushed open the mountain gate and charged down the stone steps.

These monks, wielding knives, spears, long wooden clubs, machetes, and pestles, charged forward shouting and fighting like a swarm of bees.

"It's like an ant trying to shake a tree," Peng Gang said dismissively.

These monks are truly foolish; they believe everything Cao Xiepei says.

Peng Gang had chased and fought thousands of Qing soldiers, so he naturally didn't take a mere two or three hundred monks seriously.

Two or three hundred monks provoke more than seven hundred elite soldiers of the Left Army who have fought their way through blood and fire; it's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Battalion Commander Lu Qin had already set up the formation. He stood on a pile of rocks, squinting at the group of overconfident monks at the mountain gate, and calmly waved his command flag to give the order: "Form ranks, first company, second company, volley four rounds."

As the drums sounded, the musketeers of the first and second companies lined up in four rows, holding their guns and standing at attention in front of the mountain road.

Although the monks of Xiangshan Temple did not know much about firearms, their original determination to protect Buddhism and resist religious bandits wavered somewhat in the face of the Zuo army's menacing formation.

At the order of Battalion Commander Lu Qin, the first platoon of musketeers knelt down and fired their guns. The sound of flint and matchlock igniting the guns crackled and popped, and in the next instant, a cacophony of gunfire erupted.

Smoke and blood mist erupted in front of the mountain gate!
The monks of Xiangshan Temple immediately screamed in agony. In just one volley of gunfire, more than forty monks were hit and fell to the ground, some with their cheeks slashed, others with their chests blown open, their blood splattering on their fellow monks' robes.

Before the monks of Xiangshan Temple could even finish their exclamations, the second rank of musketeers had already swiftly stepped forward, aiming their muskets at the panicked monks who were running in all directions, either pulling the trigger or gripping the musket shaft to fire.

Another series of loud explosions, sparks flying, and smoke billowing up, saw more than twenty monks guarding the mountain gate collapse to the ground, writhing in agony, their intestines and blood flowing freely, their deaths gruesome.

The surviving monks were terrified by the sight; some lost control of their bladders and stood frozen in place, while others fled back into the temple.

The monks of Xiangshan Temple, who were just shouting to protect Buddhism and resist the religious bandits, couldn't even withstand two volleys of gunfire from the First Battalion.

Peng Gang ordered Lu Qin to enter the temple and arrest all the remaining monks, and to search Xiangshan Temple.

He couldn't believe the monks at Xiangshan Temple were so clean, given their rosy complexions during such a year of great disaster.

Before long, apart from the seventy-two monks who were killed or wounded by muskets near the mountain gate, Abbot Hongjue was riddled with bullets.

Two hundred and fifty monks, including the four chief monks and eight deacons, were captured, detained, and interrogated.

"If we had known the monks at Xiangshan Temple were so rich, we would have brought less food and more gunpowder."

After interrogating the monks of Xiangshan Temple and conducting a cursory search of the temple, Lu Qin excitedly went to the Hall of Amitabha Buddha to find Peng Gang.

"The temple's granary has at least three or four thousand shi of grain, mostly rice. No wonder these bald monks are so fat."

"Did you find any silver?" Peng Gang asked, looking up.

These monks are indeed not clean. The prestigious Chan Buddhist temple in southern Hunan is actually engaged in usury.

These monks not only enjoyed the annual offering of 1,200 shi of rice from the people of the whole prefecture, but also owned more than 2,000 mu of temple land, collecting 70-80% of the land rent and living a life of luxury.

Of the more than 300 monks, only about 60 are actually engaged in religious activities.

The temple also housed hundreds of slaves, both men and women, who were all bankrupt farmers from the entire prefecture. Some were tenants who couldn't repay their high-interest loans to Xiangshan Temple, while others were tenants who couldn't pay their rent for the temple's land, and thus became slaves.

Even more shockingly, twenty-two boxes of ghee were found in the temple, enough to open a ghee shop.

"The more we search, the more money we find. We're still counting it, but I estimate it's around 30,000 to 40,000 taels," Lu Qin sighed.

"It's amazing that such a small prefecture like Quanzhou could support such a large temple. The monks said that Cao Xiepei, the prefect of Quanzhou, often came to Xiangshan Temple to burn incense and listen to sutras. He alone donated more than two thousand taels of silver for incense."

After setting up the three battalions in various locations on Xiangshan Mountain, Xie Bin, who was in charge of monitoring the movements of the Chu troops to the north, came to report the situation to Peng Gang.

Hearing Peng Gang and Lu Qin's conversation, Xie Bin couldn't help but interject, "The parents of a state, instead of caring about the people, are asking about gods and Buddhas. They've read all the classics but haven't learned anything."

"Has Chu Yong made any moves?" Peng Gang turned to Xie Bin and asked.

"His Highness the Northern King is indeed a prophet; Chu Yong is indeed driving wooden stakes into the river near Suoyi Ferry and Shuitang Bay," Xie Bin reported.

"The main force of the Chu army is stationed on a high ground called Lion Ridge on the left bank of Shuitang Bay, and cannons have been set up on Lion Ridge with their muzzles all pointing towards the river."

"The Third Battalion will continue to monitor Chu Yong and report his situation to me at any time," Peng Gang instructed Xie Bin.

On the western city wall of Quanzhou, the wind was picking up.

On the city wall, Cao Xie, the prefect of Quanzhou, stood behind the parapet, holding a telescope, gazing intently at Xiangshan Temple, two miles away. In the telescope, the temple gate appeared broken.

Inside the temple, the red flags of the short-haired cult bandits fluttered prominently, standing straight under the eaves where the plaque that read "All Laws Return to One" once hung.

Cao Xiepei's expression was solemn, his brows furrowed. He slowly put down the bronze mirror and remained silent for a long time.

Behind him, Commander Wu Changxian whispered, "My lord... Xiangshan Temple... I'm afraid it can't be defended."

“It’s not that we couldn’t hold it, it’s that we’ve already lost it.” Cao Xiepei’s voice was low and hoarse.

"The short-haired rebels were well-disciplined and moved like flowing water. Their muskets were fired in three rows, like clouds of fire, which showed their proficiency with firearms, which was incomparable to ordinary bandits."

Although the monks of Xiangshan Temple were a rabble, they were still over three hundred able-bodied men. They couldn't even last a single exchange; in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, all three hundred-plus young monks were killed and captured by the Short-Haired Cult bandits. No wonder even General Xiang repeatedly suffered defeats at the hands of these bandits.

At this point, Cao Xiepei paused, a fierce glint appearing in his eyes: "The Short-Haired Cult is strong and well-equipped, and its leader, Peng Gang, is quite a courageous man. With the fall of Xiangshan Temple today, the cult will soon attack Quanzhou City. Wudu Commandery, you and I must be prepared for a fierce battle."

Cao Xiepei did not know the purpose of the short-haired cult bandits attacking Xiangshan Temple.

Whether it was purely to find a camp to garrison troops, or whether the cultists attacked Xiangshan Temple to establish their authority and intimidate the garrison in Quanzhou City, remains to be seen.

However, Cao Xiepei was still shaken by the fact that the short-haired cult bandits had subdued the three hundred monks of Xiangshan Temple in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Wu Changxian, the commander standing to the side, also looked worried, his heart filled with unease, and he felt pessimistic about the future of Quanzhou City.

Wu Changxian hesitated for a moment, then boldly asked, "Lord Cao... if the bandit army attacks tomorrow morning, our forces number only a little over a thousand. Can we hold them off?"

Cao Xiepei replied resolutely, “Military Commander! We both have the responsibility to defend this land. We must defend it even if we cannot! If we do not defend it, more than 200,000 people in the entire prefecture will have nowhere to be buried; if we do not defend it, how can I, Cao Xiepei, explain myself to the Emperor?”

At this point, Cao Xiepei paused, then reassured Wu Changxian, "Imperial Envoy Li is in charge of the overall situation. If the entire prefecture falls, he will have difficulty explaining himself to the Emperor. Jiang Zhongyuan is a disciplined and loyal general; he will certainly not stand idly by and do not offer assistance."

I have dispatched light boats and swift horses, traveling day and night to Yongzhou, requesting Imperial Envoy Li to immediately send troops to reinforce Quanzhou. Furthermore, Jiang Zhongyuan's two thousand Chu warriors from the north provide external support to contain the short-haired rebels. As long as we work together with one heart and mind, and the soldiers and civilians within the city are united, we will surely be able to defend Quanzhou!

Cao Xiepei's words were half true and half false, and could not fool a shrewd person.

But it was more than enough to fool the naive Wuchang.

Li Xingyuan, who was stationed in Yongzhou in southern Hunan, was an imperial envoy responsible for suppressing bandits and defending the territory.

If Quanzhou City falls, Hunan's gateway will be wide open, and Li Xingyuan will have difficulty explaining himself to Emperor Xianfeng.

Li Xingyuan will send troops to rescue Quanzhou, even if it's just for show or to go through the motions. He will still send troops to Quanzhou to show the outside world that he has sent troops to rescue Quanzhou.

Whether or not the rescue was successful is another matter entirely.

As for Jiang Zhongyuan, he most likely won't bring Chu Yong into the city to support Cao Xiepei in defending it. At most, he'll keep some of the cult bandits occupied near Suoyi Ferry and Shuitang Bay.

"So, can Quanzhou City be defended?" After hearing Cao Xiepei's words, Wu Changxian gained a little more confidence.

Cao Xiepei patted Wu Changxian on the shoulder, took a deep breath, and slowly swept his gaze across the streetlights of Quanzhou under the night sky. He said to Wu Changxian earnestly, "We must hold out for a full month. If reinforcements do not arrive after a month, I will personally go to the city walls to take command and fight."

If, unfortunately, the short-haired cult bandits breach the city walls, I, Cao Xiepei, will not choose to live in disgrace. On the day the rebels scale the walls, I will personally confront them and repay His Majesty's great kindness with my death!

Cao Xiepei's impassioned words stirred up the fervor in Wuchang: "This humble official is willing to live and die with the entire city of Wuchang!"

Cao Xiepei nodded in satisfaction. This was exactly the attitude Wu Changxian wanted: "We are both officials appointed by the court. At this critical moment, we dare not slacken our efforts in the slightest."

The Japanese official will continue to issue proclamations to the gentry and households in the city, stating that the entire city is in danger and every household has the responsibility to defend it. The official will personally supervise the recruitment of militia, the procurement of firearms and gunpowder, and the construction of barricades.

"I will also have the students from the state school form teams to guard the alleys with the city's strong and brave men. If the city truly falls, I would rather see the students die on the walls and in the alleys of the entire state than see them groveling and begging for mercy from those short-haired religious bandits who believe in the heretical teachings of foreigners."

Zuo Jun was not short of gunpowder. On the second day after he was stationed at Xiangshan Temple, Peng Gang ordered Liang Zhen to command the mountain-splitting artillery company to use the mountain-splitting artillery to engage the Qing army garrison in Quanzhou City.

Firstly, the artillery bombardment was intended to intimidate the Qing troops defending the entire city, and secondly, it was intended to deplete the city's gunpowder reserves.

However, the mountain-splitting cannon was not designed for siege warfare, and its range and power were very limited.

The Qing artillery returned fire from the city walls, gaining an advantage in range.

After a day of shelling, the effect was not significant.

As night fell, the shelling ceased, even though Liang Zhen, the company commander of the mountain-splitting artillery company, wished he could unleash all the ammunition he had brought onto the walls of Quanzhou City and bring glory by collapsing the walls.

However, Liang Zhen had to admit that even if the sixteen mountain-splitting cannons carried by the mountain-splitting artillery company were used up, it was not certain that they could blast a breach in the sturdy city wall of Quanzhou, even a small one.

Liang Zhen returned to Xiangshan Temple and reported to Peng Gang: "Your Highness, the city walls of Quanzhou are covered with a layer of bricks. The shells from the mountain cannons are like tickling the walls. If we want to collapse the city walls of Quanzhou, I'm afraid we'll have to send out Commander Chen's heavy artillery company!"

(End of this chapter)