1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 292 The gentry of Hanyang, unite!

"Throughout history, those who govern the country have relied on scholars and local worthies who have read the classics," said Gao Duo, a landlord who had come from Huanglingji, with a cold, sarcastic tone.

"Does Peng traitor really think he can govern the world with his bunch of illiterate peasants?"

Gao Duo's situation was similar to Hu Zaoyan's. He also owned land in places like Jinkou Town in Jiangxia County, and the Gao family also owned land in places like Jinkou Town in Jiangxia County. These lands were also confiscated by the Northern Palace and distributed to members of the Northern Palace and farmers in Jiangxia County.

The difference is that the Gao family has its own shipping guild and is one of the major ship owners in Hanyang Prefecture. They used to monopolize the transportation of grain and accumulated considerable wealth.

Because Gao Duo hid his silver well, when the Northern Palace passed Huanglingji, the Gao family wisely handed over some riverboats to the Northern Palace. The Gao family still has a fortune of forty to fifty thousand taels of silver.

In terms of wealth and power, Gao Duo was stronger than the Wang Shukun family in Caidian.

However, Gao Duo knew that the Northern Palace was not easy to deal with, so he chose to keep a low profile and not take the lead. Instead, he joined other surviving gentry from Hanyang County to elect the Wang family of Caidian to power, using them to probe the Northern Palace's strength and attitude.

Peng Gang was surrounded not only by peasants, but also by about a hundred students from Hunan. The Beidian School also taught people to read.

Excluding the students and those from the Northern Palace, including Yang Xun, there was one Jinshi and three Juren.

Otherwise, how could the land redistribution in Jiangxia County have been carried out?

On the contrary, these local gentry of Hanyang, the local scholars and officials who had passed the imperial examinations, were either killed or fled. Now, not a single one of them could be found.

However, influenced by their anger and desire to belittle the Northern Palace, they selectively ignored these facts.

"We must teach that bastard Peng Gang a lesson, let him know that the local gentry of Hanyang Prefecture are not so easy to deal with! They are not as spineless as those cowards from Jiangxia County!"

Qi Tonglin, a local gentry from Hanchuan County who came to Caidian to join in the fun, didn't mind making things worse and added fuel to the fire.

"Although I am from Hanchuan County, Hanyang and Hanchuan counties share the same mountains and rivers, and the same moon and sky. When a neighboring county is in trouble, our Qi family of Hanchuan has no reason to stand idly by. Our Qi family is willing to contribute 1,700 taels of silver to help the virtuous people of Hanyang organize a self-defense force to resist the tyranny of Peng!"

After speaking, Qi Tonglin waved to two robust Qi family members outside the Wang family ancestral hall.

Two members of the Qi family carried in a heavy wooden box, which they opened in front of everyone, revealing it to be full of snow-white silver ingots.

Most of the gentry from Hanyang Prefecture attending the meeting at the Wang Family Ancestral Hall were middle-class gentry. For most of them, 1,700 taels of silver was a considerable sum.

Qi Tonglin had seen the "Law on Land Ownership for Tillers in Jiangxia County and Hanyang County" posted by the Northern Palace in Jiangxia County. Although the decree clearly stated that the law on land ownership for tillers was only implemented in Jiangxia County and Hanyang County, it did not mention Hanchuan County.

Qi Tonglin understood the principle that if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.

Hanchuan County and Hanyang County are closely interdependent.

After the land clearing and redistribution in Jiangxia and Hanyang counties are completed, the next county to be redistributed will likely be Hanchuan County, which is adjacent to Hanyang and connected to the Han River.

"Brother Qi is so righteous!" Hu Zaoyan praised Qi Tonglin repeatedly for his righteousness. "Seventeen hundred taels of silver could buy quite a few good sandbar plots!"

Other local gentry from Hanyang County also gave Qi Tonglin a thumbs up: "Well done, Brother Qi!"

"I, Li, am ashamed of my inferiority!"

"It is the duty of all the virtuous people of Hanyang Prefecture to resist the tyranny of Peng!"

Qi Tonglin accepted the praise from the local gentry of Hanyang County, then looked at Wang Shukun, waiting for Wang Shukun to speak.

Qi Tonglin looked at Wang Shukun, and the other gentry of Hanyang Prefecture also cast expectant glances at Wang Shukun, waiting for him to make a decision.

Wang Shukun knew that Qi Tonglin was stirring up trouble, and he also knew that the Gao Duo family in Huanglingji wanted them to be the first to speak out and test Peng Gang's attitude and reaction, so that they could then change their tune depending on the wind.

The bigger the storm, the more valuable the fish. Wang Shukun was willing to stand at the forefront and take the lead as the head of the local gentry in Hanyang County. He was also taking a gamble, hoping to use this incident to make the Wang family famous in Hanyang Prefecture and even the entire Hubei gentry circle, and to make the Wang family a top family in Hanyang.

"Of course we must resist Peng's tyranny. How can we allow him to hand over the family fortune that our ancestors have worked so hard to build up with just a single decree?"

After pondering for a long time, Wang Shukun raised his withered hand, took a deep drag on his pipe, and slowly began to speak.

"But we must be strategic in resisting Peng’s tyranny. It is true that Peng is cruel and inhumane, but it is also true that his Northern Palace rebels are strong and well-equipped. Even the government troops are no match for those rebels."

Our hastily assembled local militia has little chance of winning against those seasoned rebels who have fought hard battles and emerged from the crucible of swords, guns, and cannons. To use our weaknesses to attack the rebels' strengths is truly unwise.

Fighting with force is a poor strategy; it should only be used as a last resort.

Wang Shukun, whose son had been a leader in the Hanyang County militia, knew very well the strength of the Beidian armed forces and the original strength of the Hanyang County militia.

If things really escalate to the point of armed conflict, the Wang family will not fare well and will gain nothing.

Wang Shukun never considered Bei Dian to be an easy opponent.

When the Northern Palace first entered Hanyang City, Wang Shukun tried to get some of the Wang family's collateral relatives to join the Northern Palace as soldiers, and selected several beautiful women from the Wang family to marry officers of the Northern Palace.

However, without exception, Wang Shukun's strategies had no effect on the North Palace.

"Brother Wang, are you perhaps afraid and considering backing down?" Qi Tonglin frowned upon hearing this and provoked him.

"How can we make that scoundrel Peng back down without resorting to force?"

Qi Tonglin was willing to grit his teeth and take out 1,700 taels of real gold and silver in the hope that the gentry of Hanyang County would rally their strength and use force to obstruct the Northern Palace from implementing its so-called "land to the tiller" policy in Hanyang County, and make the Northern Palace pay the price in Hanyang County.

This would make the Northern Prince think twice before implementing the policy of "land to the tiller" in Hanchuan County, thus securing more favorable terms for himself and the local gentry of Hanchuan County. If the gentry of Hanyang County, led by Wang Shukun, did not muster the courage to confront the Northern Prince, their 1,700 taels of silver would be nothing more than a waste.

However, Wang Shukun was over sixty years old and long past the age of youthful vigor. Qi Tonglin's provocation had no effect on Wang Shukun.

"To make that scoundrel Peng back down, we can not only use force, but also reason and strategy," Wang Shukun said calmly.

"Isn't Peng the traitor taking care of the peasants and giving them land? Let's have those peasants in Hanyang County put pressure on Peng the traitor. Starting today, we'll take back all the land that's been rented out. We'd rather leave it fallow than let the peasants in Hanyang have no land to cultivate. Let them go and make trouble for Peng the traitor!"

"As long as we, the gentry of Hanyang, unite as one and prevent the Northern Emperor from taking a single grain of rice from Hanyang, then when the rebel Peng has no food to feed his army, won't he be begging us to help him pay the grain?"

Imperial power did not extend to the county level; paying taxes and grain duties had always been the trump card in the hands of local gentry.

This is also the source of Wang Shukun's confidence to stand at the forefront and lead the resistance against the Northern Palace's implementation of the "Land to the Tillers Law" in Hanyang City.

Jiangxia County needed grain for land reclamation, and Peng Gang also needed grain to support his army.

As long as the Northern Palace doesn't pay its share of grain, and the grain reserves run out, Wang Shukun doesn't believe Peng Gang would still dare to insist on implementing his absurd policy of distributing land to peasants in Hanyang.

Wang Shukun paused for a moment, then added, "Of course, the local militia should still be trained in preparation for any eventuality."

Although Peng Dehuai has the land registers of Hanyang, as long as we work together and prevent those so-called "land clearing teams" from going to the countryside to clear and register the land, let's see what Peng Dehuai has to offer to the peasants for land redistribution.

To ensure everything went smoothly, Wang Shukun made thorough preparations.

On the one hand, they used methods to pressure the local peasants who rented land in Hanyang to attack the Northern Palace; on the other hand, they threatened not to pay taxes. Finally, they trained local militia as a precaution to deal with the land clearing team.

Although the local militia couldn't defeat the regular army of the Northern Palace, Wang Shukun felt he could handle the task of dealing with the Qingtian troops who were obstructing the Qingtian forces.

After hearing Wang Shukun's words, Qi Tonglin's expression softened slightly.

If Wang Shukun is willing to take the lead in opposing Peng Gang's "Land to the Tillers Law," then the money that the Qi family contributed won't have been wasted.

“Brother Wang is right. Old ginger is spicier.” Gao Duo felt that what Wang Shukun said made sense.

Even at their strongest before the war, the local militia of Hanyang County were no match for the Northern Palace army, let alone the hastily organized local militia they are now.

Resisting with force is definitely a poor strategy.

It would be a wise strategy to avoid resorting to force and completely severing ties, instead focusing on the source of the Northern Palace's supplies to force Peng Gang to back down and wait for the government troops to recapture Hanyang.

"Since you all trust me and have elected me as your leader, I will certainly live up to your expectations and work for the well-being of the people of Hanyang."

But let me make this clear from the start: the policy of resisting Peng's "Land to the Tillers Law" concerns the life and death of each of our families and clans, and we share both glory and loss. We must advance and retreat together.

If anyone secretly covets petty gains and colludes with thieves, don't blame me, Wang, for disregarding past friendships; such a fate awaits!

After speaking, Wang Shukun stood up and, in full view of everyone, forcefully slammed the porcelain teacup in front of him onto the floor tiles of the Wang Family Ancestral Hall.

With a crisp cracking sound, the porcelain teacup shattered into pieces.

After the meeting, Wang Shukun, still full of ambition despite his age, did not rest.

On the one hand, he sent people to contact the surviving gentry in other counties and prefectures of Hanyang Prefecture, such as Hanchuan, Huangpi, Xiaogan, and Mianyang, in an attempt to unite the gentry of the whole prefecture to resist Peng Gang's "Land to the Tillers Law" and hoped to get the support of the gentry in other counties and prefectures.

On one hand, they sent people to gather intelligence on the Northern Palace's garrison in Hanyang Prefecture and contacted the surrounding areas, especially the Qing government troops in Hunan, to express that the local gentry were willing to cooperate with the government troops from within and without, to welcome the royal army with food and drink, and to completely drive the Northern Palace forces out of Hanyang Prefecture.

After all, the real solution was for the government troops to recapture Hanyang.

At that time, let alone not cutting off flesh and distributing land to the peasants of Hanyang, the fertile land obtained by the wealthy families of Hanyang Prefecture by the Northern Palace will also be in the pockets of these local gentry.
Thinking of this, Wang Shukun hoped even more that the Qing government's troops could recapture Hanyang Prefecture as soon as possible, so that the people of Hanyang Prefecture could once again enjoy the boundless imperial grace of the Qing emperor.

The land redistribution in Jiangxia County was nearing its end, and Liu Rong also intended to step down to preside over the administrative school.

Overjoyed by the double blessing, Zuo Zongtang returned to his residence on the front street and gathered the accurate map of Jiangxia County that he had drawn while overseeing the pacification work in Jiangxia County. He then went to see Peng Gang to present it as a gift.

Like him, Peng Gang values ​​geography and will surely appreciate this gift.

Zuo Zongtang lived on Wuchang City Front Street, where government offices were scattered throughout the city.

After Bei Dian took control of Wuchang City, in order to save expenses, he did not build new government offices on a large scale, but continued to use the old government offices of the Qing Dynasty. He simply changed the nameplate of the old government offices to conduct business.

To facilitate their work, the military and political officials of the North Palace were mostly housed in residences near the front street.

Zuo Zongtang took the map of Jiangxia County, mounted the horse that Peng Gang had given him, and before he had gone a few steps, he bumped into Guo Kuntao, the newly appointed magistrate of Jiangxia County, who was wearing a blue round-necked robe with wide sleeves and a black gauze hat, riding a horse from the direction of the Northern Prince's Mansion.

"Zhongyi!" Zuo Zongtang called out to Guo Kuntao.

Peng Gang himself almost never rode in a sedan chair, preferring to travel on horseback.

Rewarding meritorious military and political officials of the Northern Palace with riding gear was a high-level honor bestowed by the Northern Palace.

Following the example set by their superiors, and also to flaunt the Northern King's gifts, the military and political officials of the Northern Palace preferred to travel by horse-drawn horses or oxcarts, and rarely rode in sedan chairs.

"So it's Ji Gao." Guo Kuntao, his mind preoccupied and his face full of worry, looked up and saw that it was Zuo Zongtang who called his name. He raised his hand and bowed to Zuo Zongtang.

(End of this chapter)