1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 287 Equal Distribution of Farmland and Reservoirs
"We don't need to take too much silver, but we need to take out more money for hanging." Peng Gang said after thinking for a while, "Let's take out 250,000 taels of silver first, which is equivalent to 750,000 taels of silver for hanging."

Diaoqian refers to copper coins. Although China has earned a huge amount of silver through trade surpluses over the past four hundred years since the mid-Ming Dynasty, the copper coins are still valuable.

However, the silver flowing in from overseas was mainly concentrated in the southeastern coastal trading ports and the capital's financial system.

The silver that flowed in entered the official treasury and wealthy classes through foreign trade merchants and tax channels, becoming hoards for high-ranking officials and nobles, and basically did not participate in market circulation.

Although both the Ming and Qing dynasties were known as silver empires, ordinary people still had to struggle to survive within the square holes of copper coins.

Ordinary people used copper coins for daily life, and only used silver for paying taxes or large transactions.

The agricultural credit union founded by Peng Gang mainly served small-scale farmers, tenant farmers, and hired laborers.

Allocating all funds in silver would actually be inconvenient.

“Ordinary families usually use money for funeral expenses, so it’s more convenient to allocate more money for funeral expenses.” Peng Yi nodded, agreeing with this arrangement. He then asked about the resettlement allowance for military families, “Will the resettlement allowance for military families be drawn from this million taels of silver?”

Peng Gang had previously discussed the issue of resettlement allowances for the personnel of the North Palace with Peng Yi.

The conclusion reached was that each military dependent would receive three taels of silver, one shi of rice, and two shi of coarse grains, while each non-military dependent would receive two taels of silver, one shi of rice, and one shi of coarse grains.

To help those who followed them from the North Palace through the pioneering period and settle down in Hubei.

The number of people registered in the North Palace is nearly 200,000. Apart from the 30,000 soldiers on duty, the remaining 150,000 to 160,000 are mostly military dependents.

If this money were taken from the one million taels of start-up capital for establishing the agricultural credit union, there probably wouldn't be much left.

"The resettlement allowance will come from the Holy Treasury, and the one million taels of silver from the Agricultural Credit Union will be used," Peng Gang said to Peng Yi.

"The Holy Treasury has provided supplies to our Northern Palace personnel for nearly two years. The Holy Treasury has a high reputation among our Northern Palace members, and everyone in the Northern Palace trusts the Holy Treasury. We must make good use of this advantage to establish the Farmers' Credit Union and benefit the people. This is the 'Farmers' Credit Union Articles of Association.' Take a look and see if there are any additions, modifications, or improvements."

As he spoke, Peng Gang handed the draft of the "Articles of Association of the Farmers' Credit Union" to Peng Yi for review.

Peng Yi lowered his head and carefully read the "Articles of Association of the Farmers' Credit Union" drafted by Peng Gang:
Our company is a credit union affiliated with the National Farmers' Association, specializing in the financial adjustment of the Farmers' Association, and is responsible for storing grain for stable sales and providing loans to farmers.

Our cooperative has one general manager, two deputy managers, one chief treasurer, two deputy treasurers, one chief accountant, two deputy accountants, and two directors and supervisors on duty for the year. Each county and township branch has a general manager, deputy manager, treasurer, accountant, and two directors and supervisors on duty for the year.

The annual allocation of one million taels of silver from the Imperial Treasury in the Northern Palace was used as the base silver. In years of famine, interest was waived, while in years of plenty, the annual interest rate was five percent.

Accumulate grain and store silver: Farmers are encouraged to store one dou of grain each year, which can be converted into silver at the market price of that year, for example, one qian of silver, and a storage certificate will be issued.

Lump-sum deposit and lump-sum loan: A deposit of ten taels can be used to borrow up to twenty taels, limited to production purposes.

Out of curiosity, Xiao Guoying and others gathered around Peng Yi to read the "Articles of Association of the Farmers' Credit Union".

Unfortunately, Xiao Guoying and the others came from humble backgrounds. Although they had learned some characters and arithmetic from Peng Gang since 1848, they were still struggling.

However, their level of education was relatively limited, and they could only get a general idea of ​​the "Articles of Association of the Farmers' Credit Union" in Peng Yi's hands.

As for arithmetic, he was quite proficient in it because he frequently handled money and grain.

Xiao Guoying and Xiao Guowei even learned how to use an abacus.

"Don't just focus on the 'Farmers' Association Credit Union Articles of Association,' I've also drafted the Farmers' Association's articles of association." Peng Gang waved his hand, signaling Li Ruzhao to distribute the "Concise Articles of Association of the Farmers' Association" to the attendees in Xihua Hall.

Considering the varying educational levels of the attendees, Peng Gang asked Li Ruzhao to read the "Concise Articles of Association of the Farmers' Association" aloud to everyone:

This association was established by imperial decree of the Northern King and named the Agricultural Association. It has branches in each prefecture and in each state and county, serving as a hub for the public welfare of the agricultural sector in all prefectures and states.

The purpose of this association is to enlighten people, improve planting methods, unite the efforts of the community, and seek common benefits. All farmers in this area are protected and guided by this association.

Membership Qualifications and Membership Categories:
Board of Directors: Elected by local farmers and approved by the prefectural or county government, with one director elected for every 10,000 people.

Members: Self-cultivating farmers, permanent tenant farmers, and hired farmers who do not intentionally refuse to pay taxes are all eligible to join. All members have the right to elect members.

Observers: Non-farmers may become observers through the introduction and guarantee of at least thirty regular members. Observers pay an annual membership fee of one tael and are issued a certificate, which allows them to purchase products produced by the Farmers' Association and sell them for profit. Observers have no power of election and cannot serve as directors of the association. Violators will be severely punished.

Those with notorious misconduct, those who owe money or grain, those with questionable backgrounds, those who do not cut their queues, those who secretly collude with the Qing government, and those whose female relatives still have bound feet after the Xinhai year (1851) are not allowed to join the association or be introduced as observers, even if they meet the requirements.

Division of responsibilities:

Each county shall have one chief magistrate to oversee the entire association and liaise with the government.

The general affairs are decided by mutual recommendation among the board members, reported to the county magistrate, and then appointed as the head of the council.

Three assistants are appointed to assist in the affairs of the farmers' association and to be in charge of various matters within the association.

The clerks are appointed by the prime minister and are responsible for handling official documents, accounting, and general affairs.

The board of directors has the power to decide on board affairs, audit accounts, and mediate disputes.

Meeting Procedures:

Regular meetings: annual meetings held in February and August, with local officials attending and giving instructions.

Special meetings: In the event of disasters, pests, sudden changes in grain prices, etc., the Prime Minister shall report to the local officials in his jurisdiction to convene such meetings.

Resolution: Meeting affairs shall be decided by a majority vote of the board members, and disputed matters shall be submitted to the local magistrate for adjudication.

After everyone had read and heard the two drafts of the charter, Peng Gang asked them to raise any questions or suggestions for improving the charter on the spot.

“There are many single men in the army who do not have families, especially the officers who have graduated from military academies. If we allocate land to them, what will happen if there is no one to cultivate it?” Xiao Guoying asked.

Some soldiers and most officers of the Left Army, especially the senior officers who came from the academy, are currently single.

For example, Xiao Guoying's son, Xiao Maoling, is unmarried. These people are currently serving in the military, and even if they were allocated land, no one would cultivate it.

“There are prisoners of war in the POW camp. We can hire prisoners of war and have them farm after they have been reformed,” Peng Gang said after a moment’s thought.

The prisoner-of-war camps also contained a large number of Qing army prisoners. In the battle of Yuezhou Prefecture alone, which broke through the Qing army's camp, the Taiping army captured more than 4,600 people.

Qin Rigang and Wei Zhijun found it too troublesome to carry Qing army prisoners on the march, so they left these prisoners in the North Palace.

The Qing soldiers in Hunan were mostly elite Qing troops, and the majority were young and strong men, a high-quality and capable workforce.

Hubei is densely populated, so Peng Gang only worries about the lack of farmland, not the lack of labor to farm it.

"Any other objections?" Peng Gang asked, looking around at everyone.

“The managers, treasurers, and accountants of the Farmers’ Credit Union all need to be literate and able to do math. The Holy Treasury can spare some people, but if too many people are transferred, it will inevitably affect the work of the Holy Treasury,” Peng Yi said, expressing his concern.

The North Hall was relatively friendly to intellectuals, and it attracted the most middle- and lower-level intellectuals among all the halls.

Even so, the North Hall was still too large.

The staff of the Holy Treasury, including those trained in the North Temple Academy, the tax police, and the intellectuals from Guangxi and Hunan who had come to the North Temple, were barely enough to serve the needs of the people.

The establishment of the Farmers' Credit Union requires more than just two or three people; if too many are drawn from the staff, it will inevitably affect the normal operation of the North Hall.

Chen Xingwang's previous move to take away a company from the tax police camp to rectify the commercial tax in Hankou has already increased the workload of the Shengku.

“When we were in Guangxi, didn’t the Eastern King send twenty-four women from Cangwu? These women are all literate and good at math, and there are several daughters of merchants who are good at accounting. They would be perfect for setting up agricultural credit unions for the Holy Treasury.” Peng Gang racked his brains and remembered the twenty-four women from Cangwu that Yang Xiuqing had originally sent to him in Guangxi to be the Northern King’s consorts.

The women from these wealthy families in Cangwu were already well-educated, and during their nearly two years in the women's camp, Peng Min taught them arithmetic, and many of them became more literate than the students in the third phase of the academy. Peng Gang was planning to cancel the nearly two-year-old order of separating men and women into separate camps when distributing the land.

It would be just right to place them in the farmers' credit union.

"But they are women, and beautiful young women at that. Is it appropriate to have them work at the farmers' credit union?" Peng Yi hesitated.

“Aren’t young women good enough? With them as the pillars of the farmers’ credit union, those old men will be eager to go there during the off-season. With so many people coming and going, why worry about the farmers’ credit union not being established?” Peng Gang laughed.

After everyone agreed, Peng Gang adjourned the meeting and spoke with Xiao Guoying alone.

Xiao Guoying inquired, "What are your instructions, Your Highness?"

"When the fields and ponds were being distributed, the Hunan students and third-term trainees from the Qingtian team would also be there to organize the people to make some banners and prepare some food to express their gratitude to them in person."

The Jiangxia Qingtian team performed well, so Peng Gang decided to reward them and satisfy the emotional needs of the team members.

These Hunanese students who were willing to risk moving their entire families to seek refuge at the Northern Palace were not from wealthy or noble families, but they were still able to make ends meet in their hometowns.

Many of them came to join Peng Gang because they were inspired by Zuo Zongtang and Wang Quan, dissatisfied with the status quo, and wanted to make a difference. They were ambitious people.

Peng Gang needed to give these young Hunan students something that the Qing court couldn't provide, to satisfy their emotional needs, and to keep them firmly by his side.

"I'll go back and prepare now," Xiao Guoying said, nodding in understanding.

After Xiao Guoying left, Peng Gang wrote a letter and list for purchasing arms in both Chinese and English.

Tang Zhengcai, a former merchant, was sent to Shanghai to contact Western arms dealers to purchase weapons and machinery.

The Qing government's naval forces on the Yangtze River were weak and incapable of fighting. Currently, the entire Yangtze River waterway from Baling to Jiangning was under the control of the Taiping Army. With the Yangtze River waterway unobstructed, there was no hindrance to transporting military supplies from the coast to the three towns of Wuhan. This was an opportune time to purchase military supplies.

November 5, 1851.

Peng Gang officially issued a proclamation abolishing the order that had been in effect for nearly two years to separate men and women into different camps, allowing the members of Xubeidian to reunite as family units and live together.

This is to prepare for the subsequent equal distribution of land and the resumption of production.

As soon as the notice was published, couples, siblings, fathers and daughters, mothers and sons embraced and wept.

Among them, the elderly man from Beidian, who had followed Peng Gang since Guangxi, was the most emotional.

In Hunan, the longest separation between those who joined the Beidian Temple and their families was no more than one year.

The elderly in Beidian, Guangxi, especially those in Xunzhou Prefecture, have been separated from their female relatives for almost two years.

Peng Gang also took his younger sister Peng Min, who had been placed in the women's camp and was being cared for by Su San Niang and Qiu Er Sao, back to the inner residence of the Northern Prince's Mansion.

At the same time as abolishing the order for separate camps for men and women, notices were issued for the establishment of the Agricultural Association, the Agricultural Association Credit Union, and its branches and sub-branches in Jiangxia County.

The people in the North Hall, and even the farmers from Jiangxia County who had not yet entered the hall, were all full of expectations for the upcoming equal distribution of farmland and ponds.

Xiao Guoying, the general director of the Farmers' Association, has already announced that all farmers from Jiangxia County who return to their hometowns to farm will be eligible to participate.

Whether they were self-cultivating farmers, tenant farmers, or hired laborers, they could all receive land according to half the standard of the North Temple personnel, which was five acres of medium-sized land per person, and they were also eligible to join the Farmers' Association as members.

November 15th.

Peng Gang officially appointed Guo Kuntao as the magistrate of Jiangxia County, to act as the county's administrative official.

At the same time, the school was renovated and departments were established, and students from Hunan and the third cohort of trainees were selected to form the government team of Jiangxia County.

The Bureau of Personnel was abolished and replaced by the Department of Civil Affairs, which comprehensively managed county administration. It partially took over the personnel and document functions of the original Bureau of Personnel and added functions such as household registration management and relief.

The household registration office was abolished and replaced by a finance department, which was responsible for the county's financial affairs, including land tax, donations, accounting, and cashiering.

The ceremonial office was abolished and replaced with an office dedicated to promoting literacy and education in the county.

The workshops were abolished and replaced by the Department of Industry Promotion, which was responsible for public works and promoting agriculture and sericulture in the county.

The military barracks and criminal detention center were abolished and replaced by a security team dedicated to maintaining order in the county. The Jiangxia County Security Team was formed by drawing personnel from retired veterans with minor injuries and from the reserve force.

Unlike the Qing government, the chief officials of each branch of the government were all local powerful families who served as clerks.

The head of the first team of the fourth section of Beidian County was a legitimate official personally appointed by Peng Gang. If he performed well in the assessment, he would have the opportunity to be promoted to county magistrate.

November 20th.

After the land survey in Jiangxia County was completed and the draft register was finished, Peng Gang ordered the formal implementation of the "Land to the Tillers" law in Jiangxia County, distributing land and ponds equally to some members of the Northern Palace and farmers in Jiangxia County who were still willing to farm.

The next morning, outside Binyang Gate in the east of Wuchang City.

The frost clinging to the tips of the withered grass had not yet melted into water droplets, but the area near Binyang Gate was already bustling with people.

A dense crowd filled the open space outside Binyang Gate.

Charcoal burners, miners, tenant farmers, long-term and short-term laborers, and boat people from the Northern Palace, dressed in their traditional hand-over robes, eagerly looked towards the Binyang Gate tower, waiting for their leader to appear.

A conspicuous apricot-yellow banner of the Northern King stands on the city tower. The banner flutters in the cold wind, and the seven powerful characters on the banner, "Peng, Northern King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom," are as if carved by a knife and axe.

Amidst the intense attention of the crowd, Peng Gang ascended the city wall and appeared under the banner of the Northern King.

Peng Gang was still wearing his usual indigo-blue round-necked cotton robe, the only difference being that he had changed into a new robe to celebrate this auspicious day.

Peng Gang leaned against the battlements, gazing down at the endless line of Northern Palace members who had followed him from Guangxi and Hunan to Wuchang. He was filled with surging emotions and boundless pride.

More than three years ago, he was an unknown charcoal burner in the mountains of Guangxi.

He is now a powerful figure who commands tens of thousands of troops.

"Fellow citizens!" Peng Gang addressed the seemingly endless crowd, his voice not loud, yet it drowned out the commotion below the city. His Mandarin, tinged with a Guangxi accent, clearly reached the ears of the members of the North Hall in the front row.

"Thanks to the concerted efforts of the soldiers on the front lines and everyone else, the four prefectures of Wuchang, Hanyang, Huangzhou, and Yuezhou have been liberated! The land beneath our feet no longer belongs to the Aisin Gioro clan, nor to any other master; it is the land that you brothers fought for with your lives to provide us with food and clothing!"
I once promised you all that whoever follows me will expel the Tartars, restore China, equalize land ownership, and ensure that everyone in the world has land to cultivate and is well-fed and clothed. Today, I am here to fulfill that promise!

Silence reigned below the city gate. The members of the Northern Palace looked on in bewilderment, their eyes filled with excitement and disbelief. They looked up at the imposing figure on the city wall and clenched their frostbitten hands.

Most of them had rented land for generations; the land belonged to the landlord, their lives belonged to the landlord, and the debts owed by loan sharks were unresolved for generations.

Owning their own land, being self-reliant, and living a comfortable life has always been an unattainable dream for them.

Now I can finally have a piece of land that belongs to me?
Many members of the Northern Palace felt like they were dreaming and couldn't help but pinch themselves hard.

The real pain told them that it was indeed true.

They finally had land that belonged to them.

“Unboxing!”

Peng Gang broke the silence with a wave of his hand.

Several soldiers from the North Hall Training Battalion, dressed in indigo cross-collar military uniforms, carried several camphor wood boxes.

(End of this chapter)