1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 232 King He controls the West Palace

The major cities in southern Hunan have been captured, except for the Western Palace and Southern Palace, where the troops have not occupied medium and large cities and are in short supply of food and military supplies.

The other palaces of the Taiping Army had relatively abundant food and supplies.

Overall, the Taiping Army's logistical problems have been alleviated at this stage, and the situation is not as tense as it was when they withdrew from Guilin.

After occupying the major cities in southern Hunan, the Taiping army focused its efforts on recruiting soldiers, collecting grain and silver, and temporarily halted its military offensive.

The Taiping army and the Qing army thus entered a brief stalemate.

Compared to the Taiping Army's smooth three-pronged advance, each force had a clear objective.

During this period, the Qing army's deployment was chaotic and its objectives were unclear.

Strategically speaking, the Qing army was still in a state of encirclement of the Taiping army during this period.

There were three main Qing army groups around the Hunan region controlled by the Taiping Army.

One of them is the Sai Shang'a and Luo Bingzhang Corps, which is currently stationed in Changsha and gathering troops.

One of them was Zhou Tianjue's Xiang Rong Corps, which had pursued the Taiping Army all the way from Guilin to the city of Quanzhou.

The last one is the Guangdong Army Corps of Xu Guangjin, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, which has a very weak presence and participation, but does exist.

Although the Qing court's imperial commissioner, Sai Shang'a, had arrived in Changsha to coordinate the various armies to suppress the Taiping Army.

Due to geographical barriers and the differing intentions of the various commanders, Sai Shang'a, despite wielding the Ebilun sword and being a Manchu, was granted significant power by Emperor Xianfeng, who bestowed upon him the authority to control the troops of the four provinces of Hunan, Guangxi, Hubei, and Guangdong.

However, Saishana could not effectively command all the various factions.

The various Qing army corps continued to fight independently.

In fact, after Lin Zexu, neither Li Xingyuan nor Sai Shang'a, whether constrained by objective reasons or limited by their personal abilities, were able to effectively integrate the troops of various provinces and unify command and dispatch.

Sai Shang'a himself waited in Changsha for various forces to gather in Changsha, hoping to complete the troop assembly and then engage in a decisive battle with the Taiping Army.

The Zhou Tianjue and Xiang Rong corps were one of the more proactive Qing army corps.

The situation in southern Hunan was dire, and Quanzhou City remained unconquered after a prolonged siege.

Xiang Rong was worried that Emperor Xianfeng would blame him and take his anger out on him, so he stripped him of his official hat and made him a nominal admiral.

After discussing with Zhou Tianjue, he dispatched generals Qin Dingsan, He Chun, Zhang Guoliang, and Xiang Jixiong to lead a detachment of 5,000 men eastward, pretending to pursue and harass Yang Xiuqing's Eastern Palace troops.

Commanders Zhou Tianjue and Xiang Rong continued their relentless attack on Quanzhou City.

As for Xu Guangjin, he remained unchanged, obeying orders but not commands, minding his own business, and stationed himself in Shaozhou Prefecture in northern Guangdong, remaining unmoved to prevent the Taiping Army from moving south into Guangdong. He had no intention of taking the initiative to go north to attack the Taiping Army.

Meanwhile, undercurrents were also surging within the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Xiao Chaogui died in the prime of his life, and his death was too sudden. He had never considered the issue of succession before his death.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's nominal second main hall, but in reality its third, thus fell into a brief power vacuum.

Yang Xiuqing was greatly surprised to learn that Xiao Chaogui had died in battle at the gates of Changsha.

Surprised and anxious, Yang Xiuqing was extremely worried.

The core generals of the West Palace are all under the control of the North Palace in Hengzhou Prefecture.

If Peng Gang were to win over the core generals of the West Palace to the North Palace, it would be tantamount to absorbing most of the West Palace's strength.

The Northern Palace was already strong, and the absorption of the already formidable Western Palace troops would be a disaster for the Eastern Palace.

Yang Xiuqing dared not delay for a moment and quickly issued an edict in the name of the Heavenly Father, temporarily placing the troops in charge of the Western Palace.

Luo Dagang has already made contact with Zeng Shuiyuan, Lin Fengxiang, Li Kaifang and other core generals of the Western Palace.

The generals of the West Palace were all very loyal to Xiao Chaogui and had no intention of serving in another palace.

Peng Gang received the imperial decree to temporarily manage the troops of the West Palace from the East Palace even earlier than Zeng Shuiyuan, Lin Fengxiang, Li Kaifang, and others.

Since being taken away from Daxu by Chen Xingwang, Liu Bingwen has no way back.

During this time, Liu Bingwen wrote letters to his former students, inviting those he had taught in Xunzhou Prefecture to join him in starting a business and making a name for themselves. He also sought to understand the political structure of the Heavenly Kingdom and serve as a consultant and advisor to Peng Gang.

On a sunny afternoon, Liu Bingwen brought his son to the yamen to meet Peng Gang.

Since his entire family was already tied to Peng Gang's rebellious ship, he had no choice but to follow Peng Gang to the bitter end. He might as well save face and find a job for his son, Liu Sijin, under Peng Gang's wing.

Peng Gang received Liu Bingwen and his son in Xihua Hall and offered Liu Bingwen a seat.

When Peng Gang saw that Liu Bingwen had brought his son along, he understood Liu Bingwen's intentions. He arranged a clerical job for Liu Sijin, then dismissed everyone else, leaving only Liu Bingwen in the West Flower Hall, and showed Liu Bingwen the Heavenly Father's edict issued by Yang Xiuqing.

"The Eastern King is acting arbitrarily and his temporary control of the Western Palace troops is merely a stopgap measure. Sooner or later, he will annex the Western Palace troops," Liu Bingwen said after carefully putting down the Heavenly Father's edict.

"If the East Palace merges with the West Palace, the North Palace will not have an easy time. Do you have a solution?"

“Yes, there is one. I would like to propose that Xiao Youhe, the son of the Western King, be made the Western King, and that the Heavenly King oversee the Western Palace. However, Xiao Youhe not only lacks early talent, but is also as naive as ever. The Heavenly King also seems to have little interest in the military power of the Western Palace,” Peng Gang said.

"Furthermore, the Eastern King has the power to be possessed by the Heavenly Father and the authority to control all other kings. If I were the only one to request the appointment of a new Western King, the Eastern King would certainly not accept it."

Zeng Shuiyuan, Lin Fengxiang, Li Kaifang and other core generals of the West Palace had no intention of relying on other palaces, which naturally included the East Palace.

Of all the people in the Heavenly Kingdom's palaces, apart from the South Palace, the West Palace had the closest and most intimate relationship with Hong Xiuquan.

Peng Gang couldn't understand Hong Xiuquan's thought process. With Xiao Chaogui dead in battle, Hong Xiuquan had every opportunity to legitimately rely on the Western Palace troops as his trusted confidants.

Yang Xiuqing was already showing signs of acting unilaterally. Even if we take a step back, Hong Xiuquan shouldn't have done nothing and allowed Yang Xiuqing to easily dismantle and annex the West Palace.

“This move is perfectly legitimate and feasible. I heard that the Eastern King publicly punished the Auxiliary King and the Wing King in Quanzhou City as a form of discipline. It was called discipline, but it was really just to establish his authority,” Liu Bingwen said.

"Although the Auxiliary King and the Wing King made some mistakes during the retreat, it was not entirely their fault, and they did not deserve such punishment. The entire army was stranded under the walls of Guilin, wasting money and supplies. Does the Eastern King bear no responsibility at all? The decision of whether to stay or retreat does not lie with the Auxiliary King and the Wing King, but with the Eastern King."

The Eastern King publicly punished them but not himself; this went too far. While the Assistant King and the Wing King outwardly accepted the punishment, they may well harbor some resentment.

"Sir, would you be willing to act as my intermediary and make a trip to Shaoyang, the capital of Baoqing Prefecture?" Peng Gang asked.

If he could persuade Wei Changhui and Shi Dakai to stand on his side and jointly request that Xiao Youhe be made the Western King and the master of the Western Palace.

Even if Yang Xiuqing was extremely autocratic, he could disregard the opinion of one king, but he would have to carefully consider the opinions of three or even four kings.

"I can persuade the Wing King, but I'm not so sure about the Auxiliary King," Liu Bingwen said with a smile. "However, to accomplish this, the support of the Auxiliary King and the Wing King isn't enough; we also need the support of the generals of the Western Palace, preferably."

"It would be best to get hold of the King of the West's dying words," Peng Gang said, finishing Liu Bingwen's sentence.

Xiao Chaogui was an illiterate, uneducated man, and his last words could only be a verbal will.

The last people to see Xiao Chaogui were Zeng Shuiyuan, Lin Fengxiang, and Li Kaifang. As long as the three of them insisted that Xiao Chaogui had said before his death that Xiao Youhe should inherit the Western Palace, no one else could say anything. The next day, around noon, Lin Fengxiang rushed to Lingling to visit Peng Gang.

Lin Fengxiang came to Lingling for two reasons: first, to shamelessly ask Peng Gang for some grain and fodder on behalf of Xidian; and second, to probe Peng Gang's attitude toward Xidian in person.

The Western Palace forces consisted not only of three thousand elite troops, but also over forty thousand members from other units.

These people have gradually entered the territory of Hengzhou Prefecture and have been settled in Leijia Town, forty miles south of Hengshan County.

Xiao Chaogui was too reckless and arrogant, and did not consider what would happen to the more than 40,000 mouths in the Western Palace if they failed to reach Changsha quickly.

With Changsha still unconquered, the immediate problem has become ensuring the food supply for the more than 40,000 people in the Western Palace.

Although they withdrew from Changsha back to Hengzhou Prefecture, Zeng Shuiyuan, Lin Fengxiang and others did not rest. They divided their troops and attacked to capture some towns and cities and obtain some food and provisions.

However, the major cities in Hengzhou Prefecture with abundant grain reserves had already been captured by the Northern Palace. The grain that Zeng Shuiyuan, Lin Fengxiang, and others could obtain was relatively limited, which was just a drop in the ocean compared to the needs of more than 40,000 people.

Moreover, Lin Fengxiang and others also wanted to recruit soldiers in Hunan and needed more provisions.

"Lin Fengxiang, Inspector of the West Palace, pays respects to His Highness the Six Thousand Years Old King of the North. May His Highness live a thousand years! May His Highness live a thousand years!"

Upon arriving at the West Flower Hall, where Peng Gang worked, Lin Fengxiang immediately bowed deeply.

Peng Gang raised his hand slightly and asked directly, "Get up. What brings Inspector Lin here so suddenly?"

"The West Palace is running low on provisions, so we've come to buy some," Lin Fengxiang replied.

Lin Fengxiang had previously bought grain from Luo Dagang, but Lin Fengxiang wanted to buy too much grain, and Luo Dagang couldn't make the decision. So he told Lin Fengxiang to come directly to Peng Gang.

"Is it really just about buying grain?" Peng Gang asked casually.

"Your Highness the Northern King has keen insight. Has Your Highness received the Heavenly Father's decree from Your Highness the Eastern King?" Lin Fengxiang asked.

"The Eastern King has issued many edicts from the Heavenly Father. I wonder which edict Lin Inspector is referring to?" Peng Gang asked knowingly, intending to provoke Lin Fengxiang.

"It's the Heavenly Father's decree that the Eastern King temporarily took charge of the Western Palace's troops." Lin Fengxiang already seemed somewhat anxious.

"I have received it." Peng Gang nodded slightly, indicating that he had received Yang Xiuqing's divine decree, but he did not rush to express his opinion on the matter.

Yang Xiuqing's desire to annex the Western Palace is obvious, and now the Western Palace generals like Lin Fengxiang and Zeng Shuiyuan are more anxious than Peng Gang.

Of course, Yang Xiuqing was also very anxious, and everyone was eager to get started.

Unlike in history, Yang Xiuqing skipped the process of appointing a young Western King this time and, in the name of the Heavenly Father, requested to temporarily take control of the Western Palace troops.

The rapid growth of the North Palace must have given Yang Xiuqing a greater sense of crisis and urgency.

"His Highness the Western King still has offspring, and the Western Palace's troops are temporarily under the command of the Eastern Palace, which seems to be against regulations." After hesitating for a long time, Lin Fengxiang finally gritted his teeth and spoke up to clarify the matter.

Although Yang Xiuqing held a superior position, even higher than the deceased King of the West.

The troops in the West Palace were temporarily placed under the command of the troops in the East Palace, which didn't seem like a bad choice.

But Yang Xiuqing's favoritism was undisguised.

Expecting Yang Xiuqing to be impartial is like trying to boil water to make ice.

If the West Palace were to truly merge into the East Palace, it wouldn't be a bad thing for the ordinary soldiers of the West Palace, but it would certainly not be a good thing for the generals of the West Palace.

As outsiders from other halls, not only Yang Xiuqing, but also Yang Fuqing, Chen Chengrong, Lin Qirong and others might not accept them into the core circle of the East Hall.

Furthermore, in the Western Palace, Lin Fengxiang and his ilk were powerful figures whose status was second only to Xiao Chaogui, the Western King.

Now that they've been incorporated into the East Palace, they'll not only have to be subservient to others and act according to their wishes, but it's also uncertain whether Yang Xiuqing will strip them of their military power.

Yang Xiuqing had no shortage of talented generals under his command; what he wanted were the soldiers of the Western Palace, not its generals.

“That may be true, but this is the will of our Heavenly Father, Huo Hua, and we, his mortal sons, cannot disobey him,” Peng Gang said calmly. “Unless…”

"Unless what?" Lin Fengxiang hurriedly asked.

"Before Brother Tian took the Western King back to Heaven, did he give any special instructions or entrustments?" Peng Gang asked, looking up at Lin Fengxiang.

Lin Fengxiang hesitated for a moment, then quickly realized: "Yes, yes, yes. Before returning to Heaven, the Western King specifically instructed that the Western Palace be handed over to the Western Heir."

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom had a rather elaborate system of rites. According to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's system of rites, the eldest son of each king was called "Successor King". The Western Successor King was Xiao Youhe, the eldest son of the Western King Xiao Chaogui.

"The Western Heir is young and innocent. Did the Western King give any other instructions?" Peng Gang pressed. "The Western Heir often accompanies the Heavenly King, and the Heavenly King is very fond of him. Did the Western King ask the Heavenly King to take care of the Western Heir?"

The words had already been said to this extent, and even Lin Fengxiang, who was straightforward, could understand them.

Lin Fengxiang breathed a sigh of relief. He had originally thought that the Northern King and the Eastern King shared the same idea and also wanted to get their hands on the Western Palace.

After all, Peng Gang had previously asked Luo Dagang to sound them out.

Lin Fengxiang felt ashamed of his idea of ​​using the Eastern King to guide the Northern King, as the Northern King's integrity was far superior to that of the Eastern King.

The Heavenly King is the common ruler of all kings, but he has no direct troops under his command. The situation is completely different when the Western Palace is temporarily under the Heavenly King's control versus when it is temporarily under the Eastern King's control.

Lin Fengxiang's only concern was that the Heavenly King had never commanded troops, and the Eastern King was eyeing the Western Palace's forces. Faced with the pressure from the Eastern King, could the Heavenly King handle the Western Palace's military power and withstand the pressure from the Eastern King?

"I've confessed, I've confessed," Lin Fengxiang nodded vigorously.

Regardless of whether the Heavenly King can handle it, the most urgent task is to protect the West Palace. Other matters can be considered later.

Lin Fengxiang has already stated that he does not want Yang Xiuqing to temporarily manage the West Palace.

Peng Gang then summoned Liu Bingwen and asked him to make a trip to Shaoyang, the capital of Baoqing Prefecture, to discuss the matter with Wei Changhui and Shi Dakai.

Their interests were aligned on the matter of not wanting Yang Xiuqing to annex the Western Palace.

Wei Changhui used to rely on Xiao Chaogui for protection, but with Xiao Chaogui gone, Wei Changhui lost his backer.

If Yang Xiuqing were to swallow up the Western Palace troops again, it would be like adding insult to injury for Wei Changhui, and Wei Changhui would never want such a thing to happen.

Shi Dakai and Peng Gang were both from Guixian County, but neither of them belonged to the Guiping Gang, the core of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. They were just sticking together for mutual support.

As for Feng Yunshan, he was one with Hong Xiuquan.

Feng Yunshan is too laid-back and likes to be a nice guy, so the strength of the South Palace is slightly inferior to that of the other palaces.

If Hong Xiuquan could temporarily take control, even if it was only nominally in charge of the Western Palace troops, it would still strengthen the relationship between Hong and Feng.

Feng Yunshan had no reason to object.

(End of this chapter)