1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 51 I am the Heavenly Father, Huohua!
Nearly a thousand members of the God's Church, filled with anxiety, gathered at Fengmen'ao in Zijing Mountain.

The arrests of Feng Yunshan and Hong Xiuquan dealt a heavy blow to the thriving God Society.

God will face the most significant crisis since the beginning of His existence.

Chaos is the ladder up.

At this critical moment, Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing, the charcoal burners who were highly respected among the congregation, keenly sensed an opportunity.

Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui exchanged a glance, and Xiao Chaogui understood and nodded decisively.

Suddenly, Yang Xiuqing, who reeked of sulfur, slammed his head against the offering table, causing his head to bleed profusely.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the congregation, Yang Xiuqing then performed a series of feats in public: stepping on a ladder of knives and a pit of fire, grasping a red-hot chain, holding gunpowder in her mouth, and pricking her tongue with a needle.

The leaders, both big and small, who came to discuss how to break out of the prison were either completely bewildered or horrified.

Weren't we here to discuss how to break into prison and rescue Mr. Feng and Leader Hong? What's going on here?
A large bump had already appeared on his forehead. Feeling dizzy and lightheaded, Yang Xiuqing saw that the time was almost right. He trembled all over, foamed at the mouth, and suddenly let out a loud shout.

"I am the Heavenly Father, Huohua!"

The leaders of various God's Societies from all over Zijing Mountain looked at each other, bewildered.

"Welcome to the Heavenly Father, God, descending to earth!"

Having made preparations in advance, Xiao Chaogui, along with Lin Fengxiang, Li Kaifang, Ji Wenyuan, Huang Tianshen, and others, armed with spears, forks, knives, and axes, all knelt down on one knee before Yang Xiuqing.

When Xiao Chaogui and others knelt down, some of the bewildered leaders of the God Society, out of blind obedience, followed suit and knelt down without thinking.

"The Heavenly Father, God the Emperor, has descended to earth. Why do you not worship him? Do you despise the Heavenly Father?!"

Seeing that some people still refused to kneel, Xiao Chaogui, who was half-kneeling, gripped his spear tightly, slammed it into the ground, and glared angrily.

Lin Fengxiang, Li Kaifang, Ji Wenyuan, Huang Tianshen and others also glared at the stubborn believers who refused to kneel down and welcome the Heavenly Father to earth.

Under the pressure, the remaining members of the congregation who were standing eventually knelt down.

"Welcome to the Heavenly Father, God, descending to earth!"

The sounds of welcoming the Heavenly Father to earth resounded throughout Fengmen'ao.

"Heavenly Father, the cult leader has been captured by the Qing demons, what should we do?"

Xiao Chaogui asked Yang Xiuqing for instructions.

“A thousand years ago, my eldest son Jesus suffered on the cross to redeem the world from sin.”

Xiuquan and Yunshan are also my sons. Since I sent Xiuquan and Yunshan to the mortal realm to redeem you, to cleanse you of your sins, and to vanquish demons and monsters, they too shall suffer.

Yang Xiuqing answered Xiao Chaogui's questions with indistinct and intermittent babbling.

Most members of the God Society have heard the story of Jesus' crucifixion and suffering.

After hearing the "Heavenly Father's" explanation, the congregation suddenly realized that the all-knowing and all-powerful "Heavenly Father" had known about this matter all along, and that the fact that the leader and Mr. Feng had been taken away by the Qing demons was because they were suffering on their behalf.

Since they have God's protection, what are they panicking about?
Everything is the arrangement of the "Heavenly Father," and everything is within the "Heavenly Father's" calculation.

With people's hearts settled, Yang Xiuqing spoke again: "You must remember that suffering is a test for you. Only those who are devout and resolute can be redeemed and ascend to heaven to enjoy happiness."

"Heavenly Father, do Xiuquan and Yunshan still have brothers in the mortal world?" Xiao Chaogui continued to echo Yang Xiuqing.

"Xiuqing and Chaogui are Xiuquan and Yunshan's mortal brothers, and also my children," said Yang Xiuqing, who was possessed by the Heavenly Father.

"When will the suffering of Xiuquan and Yunshan end?" Xiao Chaogui asked.

“Grandpa! You have suffered, come down and tell them.” Yang Xiuqing said, stroking Xiao Chaogui’s head and nodding slightly.

"Your Excellency is a rare person of piety and steadfast will. I will borrow your Heavenly Brother's body to convey my message from your mortal form."

"I'm tired, I'm going back to heaven!"

This time, it was Xiao Chaogui's turn to convulse and foam at the mouth. "I am your elder brother, Jesus!"

Plain lanterns and white banners have been hung at the charcoal burning site in Honglianping.

Lu Qian, the deputy leader of the group, was too badly injured and ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

The death toll at the Honglianping charcoal burning site has risen from four to five.

With a heavy heart, Peng Gang personally washed and dressed the five fallen young men in clean and presentable clothes for their burial.

"Master, five coffins and five tombstones are ready. The time is almost up, and we can begin the encoffining."

For more than three months, Qin the carpenter earned a lot of money from Peng Gang by building sheds, hulling earth, making bellows, and crafting wooden cannons. However, this was the only money Qin the carpenter was unwilling to earn.

These young men who died had all assisted Qin the carpenter when he was building the shed two months ago, and he had even taught Lu Wanli some basic carpentry skills.

Just a few days ago, he was a lively and healthy young man, and now he's gone...

Peng Gang nodded and said to the nineteen young men who had just finished taking a hot shower and changed into new clothes, "Take one last look at them, pay your respects and observe a moment of silence, and remember their faces and names. It was their deaths that brought us life."

The nineteen young men lined up according to their groups and bid farewell to their comrades one by one.

Peng Gang silently wrote down the names of the victims in a notebook and marked the date of their sacrifice.

He didn't want these children to leave without a trace, without leaving any memory.

Lu Qian, a sixteen-year-old boy from Qingfeng Village, Guixian County, Xunzhou Prefecture, Guangxi.

Meng Shisheng was a seventeen-year-old boy from Qishixu, Guixian County, Xunzhou Prefecture, Guangxi.

Lu Wanli, a seventeen-year-old boy from Shilong Village, Guixian County, Xunzhou Prefecture, Guangxi.

Qiu Changgui, a native of Daxu, Guixian County, Xunzhou Prefecture, Guangxi, was sixteen years old.

Zhang Youcai, a fifteen-year-old boy from Danzhu, Pingnan County, Xunzhou Prefecture, Guangxi.

All five men died on the sixth day of the fifth month of the twenty-eighth year of the Daoguang reign (1848) in a self-defense counterattack against the boat troops of Zhang Zhao of the Heaven and Earth Society.

After arranging the funeral, Peng Gang planned three large sheds and three charcoal kilns in the charcoal burning yard, intending to expand the three groups and make up for the vacancies in the first and second groups caused by the sacrifice of personnel.

Just as Peng Gang was working on expanding the charcoal burning plant, Shi Dakai and his group of about thirty people arrived at Honglianping carrying large bags and small baskets.

"Why do you look so anxious? What happened?" Peng Gang asked.

The Shi family members all looked anxious, not like they had come to Honglianping specifically to visit him.

Peng Gang guessed that something big must have happened to God.

"Mr. Feng and Master Hong are in trouble; they've been arrested by the authorities," Shi Dakai said, panting as he unloaded a full basket of salt.

Feng Yunshan is a calm and steady person, not someone who is easily agitated.

Since arriving in Guangxi to preach Christianity, Feng Yunshan has always adhered to a strategy of keeping a low profile and avoiding direct conflict with the government.

In 1848, the God Society was still weak. It had fewer people than the Heaven and Earth Society in Guangxi, and even fewer money. It also lacked the ability to directly confront the government.

The Tiandihui (Heaven and Earth Society) is currently causing a great disturbance in Guangxi, with branches spread throughout Xunzhou, Wuzhou, Liuzhou and other places, and it is vaguely capable of attacking large market towns and county seats.

At this time, the Heaven and Earth Society was the biggest threat to Guangxi and Guangdong. The God Society should have taken advantage of the fact that the government's attention was drawn to the Heaven and Earth Society and used the Heaven and Earth Society as cover to continue to develop stealthily.

Feng Yunshan couldn't possibly be unaware of this principle.

How could it have suddenly been taken away by the government?
"Please sit down and speak slowly."

Peng Gang was startled and asked Peng Min to pour Shi Dakai a bowl of hot tea to quench his thirst, while he helped Shi Dakai sit on a wooden stool to catch his breath.

"The government was busy suppressing the boat troops at Jiangkouwei a few days ago, so how could they have the spare energy to arrest Master Hong and Mr. Feng?"

(End of this chapter)