1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 288 The Northern King's Word is as Good as Gold
Amidst the watchful eyes of the crowd, the lids of several camphor wood chests were opened.

The camphor wood box contained no gold or silver jewelry, only stacks of land deeds, land contracts, loan receipts, and stamps endorsed by the Qing government, all bound together with hemp twine.

Each deed was stamped with a bright red seal and a scarlet handprint. Peng Gang grabbed a handful of deeds and showed them to the crowd below the city.

In the past, each sheet of paper could weigh down a family for generations, as heavy as Mount Tai. But now, in Peng Gang's hands, it's as light as a feather.

"All the land deeds in Jiangxia County, and the promissory notes for the usurious loans are here!" Peng Gang's voice suddenly rose.

"The Beidian Qingtian Team has completed the survey of all the fields in the county! According to the 'Land to the Tiller' Law, all fields in the land shall be cultivated by all people in the land! Regardless of gender or age, land shall be allocated according to the individual!"

After speaking, Peng Gang threw the deeds in his hand into the air, then took the torch that had been prepared in advance from Huang Dabiao, and in front of everyone, lit the deeds in the camphor wood boxes placed on the battlements one by one.

"These are the evidence of how the local tyrants and bullies of Jiangxia County colluded with the Manchu barbarians to bleed the people dry! Today, they are all burned and no longer count!" Peng Gang's voice cut through the crackling flames, resolute and unwavering.

"The old deeds have been burned! All those who receive land today will be issued new certificates by the Northern Palace! The land follows the person, becoming an eternal hereditary property! They will forever have the right to cultivate the land!"

Flames soared into the sky, mercilessly devouring the paper. The red ink twisted, charred, and turned to ashes in the flames.

The heat wave hit them, making Peng Gang and his guards' cheeks burn, but no one took a step back.

Everyone stared intently at the few leaping flames.

"Long live the Northern King!"

"Land to the tiller! Long live the land!"

Accompanied by the heat of the flames, a deafening roar erupted from below the city.

The roar was like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami, dispelling the winter gloom and soaring straight into the sky.

Even the branches of those old locust trees near the city gate, which had been charred black by fire before the Taiping Army attacked Wuchang, were trembling.

Not far away, the rolling waves of the Yangtze River seemed to surge and roar in response to this earth-shattering shout.

After the crowd had been chanting "Long live the Emperor!" for several minutes, Peng Gang gestured to quiet the crowd, then led the shouts: "Expel the Tartars! Restore China! Equalize land ownership!"

Initially, only those in the front row who could hear Peng Gang shouting joined him in shouting.

Soon, the soaring sound, like ripples on the water, slowly spread to the entire crowd.

Almost everyone was chanting these twelve catchy words on repeat.

This is exactly the effect Peng Gang wanted.

He wanted to imprint the idea that expelling the Tartars would restore China, and that after restoring China, people would be able to share in the land, into everyone's heart.

After showing his face to the public and shouting slogans, Peng Gang ordered the firing of salutes and firecrackers, announcing the official start of land redistribution.

The Jiangxia Qingtian Team members, members of various battalions of the Northern Palace, and three teams of soldiers from the Northern Palace responsible for maintaining order in the equal distribution of land were all ready.

One team carried draft books and blank books, another team carried rosters, and a third team carried brand-new, perfectly planed wooden plaques and writing implements.

The three teams quickly dispersed into the crowd, dividing the land equally among the members of the Beidian Temple and the local farmers of Jiangxia County who had completed the registration, according to the standards in the "Guidelines for the Equal Distribution of Land and Reservoirs".

The first land to be allocated was in the suburbs of Wuchang city. Most of the land in the suburbs of Wuchang city was farmland, including many vegetable plots with high economic value.

Wuchang was a large city with a huge demand for vegetables. The most valuable farmland near Wuchang was not paddy fields, but vegetable fields.

According to the "Guidelines for the Equal Distribution of Farmland and Reservoirs", one mu of ordinary suburban vegetable land is equivalent to three mu of superior first-class paddy fields.

These fields were mainly allocated to the Northern Palace soldiers who had made great contributions and their families.

Liu Dian, the head of the third group of maps of Jiangxia Qingtian Team, unfolded the booklet and read aloud in Mandarin with a Hunan accent: "Liang Dahe's family has five members. They are granted two and a half mu of vegetable land in Nanyuan Village, nine and two mu of first-class paddy fields, six and eight mu of second-class paddy fields, and five and six mu of third-class paddy fields."
The Li Huang family, consisting of four people, was granted two and a half mu of vegetable land in Nanyuan Village, seven and a half mu of first-class paddy fields, and three and a half mu of second-class paddy fields...

After reading out the names, Liu Dian immediately filled out the field markers and led the families on the list to the edge of the field to plant the markers.

As if reciting a familiar story, they pointed out the boundaries of the land to each family that had been allocated a plot, patiently explaining where their land extended from and to the edge.

“Our land! Our land!” Liang Dahe clutched the land plaque, still carrying the scent of wood, tightly, his rough fingers stroking the three characters “Liang Dahe” over and over again, as if trying to confirm that this was not a dream.

"Son! You can focus on fighting on the front lines. Our family has been allocated land! It's top-quality vegetable gardens and paddy fields! Our whole family's livelihood is secured now!"

They were allocated so much land, and it was all good land. This was something they could never have dreamed of, as their whole family in Wuxuan, Guangxi, worked odd jobs and were always hungry.

After all, in Guangxi, even having a few full meals during a bumper harvest is a luxury.

Liang Dahe joined the Northern Party while drinking porridge at a porridge stall in front of the county government office during the Northern Party's occupation of Wuxuan County. He felt that the Northern Party was very similar to the righteous army described by storytellers, and was very different from the Heaven and Earth Society, which had rebelled in the past.

His two sons are now serving in the Northern Palace, stationed at the Yuezhou front.

Initially, Liang Dahe only had the idea of ​​making a living and surviving one day at a time in the chaotic world.

When Peng Gang was in Guangxi, he promised them that once he established a base area, he would distribute land to them.

Liang Dahe believed Peng Gang's words. The Northern King was a man of his word and always kept his promises; he had never gone back on his word to them.

But he always felt that this day might be far away. After all, throughout history, few rebels have succeeded and many have failed. Liang Dahe always felt that he would not live to see that day.

Unexpectedly, this day came so quickly. Their family was so lucky that they all followed Peng Gang safely from Pingzaishan and traveled all the way to Wuchang.

Li Huangshi knelt on the cold, muddy ground, clutching the plaque bearing her and her son's names. She pressed the wooden plaque tightly to her chest, and tears streamed down her face like broken beads, falling onto the characters on the plaque and leaving dark water stains.

She looked up at the leaden sky, tears streaming down her face, and let out a blood-curdling cry: "My lord! Did you see that! His Highness the Northern King has allocated land to our family! Gou'er has land! He has land—!"

Compared to Liang Dahe's family, Li Huangshi's family was not so lucky.

The Li Huang family are elderly people who have followed Peng Gang since the Pingzaishan period.

At that time, the Heaven and Earth Society was causing a great disturbance in Guixian County. Zhang Jiaxiang attacked and looted the city, killing many people, including the Qiu family.

The Li Huang family, who worked as charcoal burners in Lianhua Mountain, heard that Peng Tuandong in Pingzaishan was recruiting charcoal burners, so they crossed the Qianjiang River to seek refuge with Peng Gang.

During the Battle of Dongxiang, her husband charged ahead of Xiang Rong's Chu army, killing three Zhengan soldiers with his spear and capturing a mountain-splitting cannon.

Unfortunately, during the pursuit of the Chu army and Zhengan troops, her husband was hit by Qing artillery fire and was seriously wounded. He did not survive, leaving behind a widow and her children.

When the land was being distributed equally, Li Huangshi was worried that since there were no men in her family, the palace would be biased in the distribution of the land.

In retrospect, my worries were completely unnecessary.

The palace not only showed no favoritism, but also took good care of their family. They were included in the first batch of land distribution and were directly assigned to Nanyuan Village on the outskirts of Wuchang.

Madam Li wiped away her tears and said earnestly to Gou'er, "Gou'er, you must remember His Highness the Northern King's kindness. Without the Northern King, our family would probably have starved to death in Xunzhou Prefecture long ago. In a few years, when you grow up to be sixteen, you will be like your father, serving as a holy soldier for the Northern King and helping him conquer the country."

The dog bit its lip and nodded firmly.

After the land distribution in Nanyuan Village was completed, Mo Yanwang, the former manager of Beidian and now the director of the Nanyuan Village Farmers' Association, came to the residence of Li Huangshi's family to look for Li Huangshi.

It was called a residence, but it was actually just a tent that they had brought from the temple to serve as a temporary dwelling.

It's not that the palace is unwilling to part with the residences on the outskirts of Wuchang City.

Before the Taiping Army attacked Wuchang, Chang Dachun, the Qing Dynasty's governor of Hubei, burned down all the residential houses in the outer city of Wuchang.

During the days since the main force of the Northern Palace moved to Wuchang, most of their time has been spent clearing up the ruins outside Wuchang city. It has only just been completed.

Of the houses in Nanyuan Village, only one or two out of ten remain. The few relatively intact houses are reserved for public use, leaving no houses to be distributed.

"Dog's mother, is the banner I asked you to make the other day finished?" Mo Yanwang asked Li Huangshi.

"Yes!" Li Huangshi hurriedly responded. As she spoke, she took out a brocade banner with embroidered words and handed it to Mo Yanwang for inspection.

"It's done. The Farmers' Association specifically instructed us to do this, so how could we dare to neglect it? We embroidered it exactly as written on the paper. Director Mo, please take a look."

The Mo family still owns 9.4 mu of barren land and 4.2 mu of camellia oil forest in Guixian County. Before the Mo family fell into ruin, Mo Yanwang had studied in a private school for a few years and could read.

He took the banner and carefully examined the words embroidered on it.

By imperial decree of the Northern King, sacred fields are granted to all people.

Heeding the benevolent heart of the Northern King, he relieved the people from their dire straits.

We are grateful for the grace of the King of the North, who is six thousand years old, and for the hard work of the Qingtian team.

Respectfully informing the farmers of Nanyuan Village, Jiangxia County, who have recently acquired sacred land.

"Not bad, not bad, Doggy's mother's needlework is truly superb. No wonder the military robes she made were so sought after when she was in the women's camp, and she was able to accumulate so many work points," Mo Yanwang praised.

"Can work point cards be exchanged for grain?" Li Huangshi couldn't help but ask when the topic of work point cards came up.

"The Holy Treasury just issued a notice that work points cards can be exchanged not only for grain but also for money. In a few days, when the Farmers' Credit Union is established, you can exchange them directly at the Jiangxia County branch," Mo Yanwang reminded him.

"You must keep it safe, it's all money, not paper."

"Thank you for the reminder, Director Mo." Madam Li thanked Mo Yanwang.

“I know your family situation. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, just come to the Farmers’ Association. The Northern King has ordered that the Farmers’ Association should take good care of the widows and orphans of the martyrs,” Mo Yanwang said.

"You and your son should take the banner and come with me. The fields in our Nanyuan Village have already been distributed. Liu Tuzheng and the others are going to the next village to distribute fields early tomorrow morning. If you are late, the banner will not be delivered."

After speaking, Mo Yanwang, along with Li Huangshi and her son, organized the villagers and brought them a banner, two baskets of eggs, and eight or nine fresh grass carp and silver carp to the Qingtian team's residence.

After a long day of work, Liu Dian and several other members of the third group of the Qingtian team were cooking a quick meal, their hands and legs aching from exhaustion, before heading to the next village to distribute land the next day.

When they suddenly saw several hundred people rushing in, Liu Dian and the others were startled.

They subconsciously assumed it was due to unequal land distribution, causing dissatisfaction among the villagers who were about to cause trouble.

Clearing fields is a lucrative but also dangerous post, especially in places where the people are known for their fierce and unruly nature.

Liu Dian's hometown, Ningxiang, is such a place. In the past, when he participated in the large and small field clearing in Ningxiang County, Liu Dian often caused villagers to block him in the village.

It wasn't until I clearly saw that the villagers had come with a banner made of red cloth with yellow characters, and the banner was embroidered with the edict of the Northern King.
A fair and impartial land survey ensures that all receive the Emperor's grace. A selfless land survey provides proof of the sacred land's existence.
His hard work for the people is evident in the fields. His dedication, traversing dew and frost, brings blessings to Jiangxia.

Liu Dian and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They came to thank them, not to cause trouble.

"Gentlemen...gentlemen of the Qingtian Team!" Mo Yanwang led the way, bowing deeply to Liu Dian and the others. "We...we common folk don't know any fancy words!"

Currently, there is a shortage of officials everywhere under the jurisdiction of the Northern Palace. These young men from the Qingtian Team are all educated people, and many of them are students. As long as they do not make mistakes, they will most likely become officials in the future. After thinking it over, Mo Yanwang felt that it would be more appropriate to call these young men "little adults" for the time being.

As he spoke, Mo Yanwang suddenly raised his head, and turbid tears welled up in his eyes, winding down his deeply lined old face: "The steps taken by the Jiangxia Qingtian team to measure the land were accurate! The hands you used to hold the abacus and pen were clean! The boundary markers you drove into the fields for us were precise. We just wanted to come and thank you, young masters."

Li Huangshi, leading her dog, bowed deeply to Liu Dian and the others: "Just for the sake of 'fairness'! We...we came specifically to thank the young adults of the Qingtian team. You young adults...you've worked hard!"

Before he finished speaking, the entire group of villagers from Nanyuan Village who had just acquired land bowed deeply to Liu Dian and his companions, like ears of rice blown down by the wind.

Although it was Peng Gang who arranged for the farmers' association directors to express their gratitude to the Jiangxia Qingtian team.

But the villagers who were allocated farmland and ponds were genuinely grateful to the members of the Jiangxia Qingtian Team.

If the Jiangxia land clearing team hadn't worked tirelessly day and night to survey and register the land, completing the land clearing task assigned to them by Peng Gang ahead of schedule, the new and old villagers of Nanyuan Village wouldn't have been able to allocate land so quickly and catch up with the spring plowing next year.

Liu Dian and the others stood there dumbfounded, their hearts filled with mixed feelings. In the past, when the local villagers in Qingtian, Xinning, didn't take advantage of the absence of the yamen runners protecting them to spit on them, throw stones at them, and curse their ancestors for eighteen generations. They would be lucky if the villagers didn't do this.

This was the first time that Liu Dian and the others had received such warm and heartfelt thanks from Qingtian, despite having done so many times before.

Perhaps this is the difference between clearing the fields for whom.

Liu Dian and the others were so excited that they didn't know how to respond to the simple and warm hospitality of the villagers of Nanyuan Village.

Firstly, I had no experience in this area, and secondly, I didn't know whether I should accept the gifts that the villagers of Nanyuan Village had sincerely offered me.

They could certainly accept the banner, but Liu Dian and his men were hesitant to accept food such as eggs, fresh fish, and vegetables, fearing that this would give others a handle against them and affect their future careers.

Furthermore, the families of these Hunan students were also allocated houses in Wuchang City as they wished. In accordance with the standards for military dependents, each family was granted vegetable plots and fertile land in Wuchang City, and they were properly settled.

Their family's livelihood was secured. Although they weren't extremely wealthy, their situation was much better than in Hunan.

Many of the impoverished scholars who were living in poverty in Hunan found their living standards improved after the land was distributed, even compared to their hometown in Hunan.

Liu Dian subconsciously looked at the dozen or so Northern Palace Holy Soldiers who had been responsible for protecting their safety and prayed to them for help.

The group leader nodded to Liu Dian and the others: "We can't refuse the villagers' hospitality. Liu Tuzheng, you should lead your men. I will report this matter to His Highness truthfully."

"In that case, Team Leader Wang, Director Mo, let's enjoy this food together tonight." Liu Dian accepted the banner from Li Huangshi, and the other members of the Qingtian team also accepted the food given by the villagers of Nanyuan Village.

Mo Yanwang instructed several skilled cooks to prepare the food he brought to entertain Liu Dian and his companions, as well as the tax police officers who were responsible for ensuring their safety and had contributed to the land redistribution.

(End of this chapter)