1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 56 Yang Xiuqing

“He is my classmate and good brother, and also a member of our Catholic Church. Mr. Feng personally baptized him into the church,” Shi Dakai introduced.

"I am Peng Gang from your county. I have met Brother Xiuqing!" Peng Gang greeted Yang Xiuqing.

Shi Dakai is the head of the God Worshippers Association in Guixian County and has already risen to a high position in the God Worshippers Association.

Within the God Society, only Yang Xiuqing deserves to be called "Brother Xiuqing" by Shi Dakai.

Peng Gang looked Yang Xiuqing up and down with curiosity. Yang Xiuqing came from an extremely poor background. He lost his father at the age of five and his mother at the age of nine. He was raised by his uncle and made a living by burning charcoal and farming in the mountains from a young age.

Although Yang Xiuqing is only twenty-five years old, his back is already slightly hunched, like an old pine tree roughened by the mountain wind, making him look like someone who is over thirty and rather old.

Yang Xiuqing's cheekbones were as jagged as carved rocks, his skin and flesh were yellowed from the smoke of charcoal, his knuckles were as thick as tree roots, and the calluses on his palms were so thick they could crush walnuts. Only his eyes were black and bright, full of spirit, like two grains of iron sand that had been quenched and could spark at the slightest touch.

Of course, what attracted the most attention was the large swelling on Yang Xiuqing's forehead, which could also be said to be the medal of Yang Xiuqing's successful seizure of power.

The practice of shamanism is prevalent in the Lingnan region, especially in Guangxi province.

Guiping County has a strong belief in gods and ghosts, and various kinds of witchcraft exist there.

The skill of spirit possession has a specific name in folk tradition: "spirit possession." It is deeply believed in by all ethnic groups, including the Hakka, Zhuang, and Yao, and is very popular in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions.

There are even people who specialize in summoning servants, but it is usually women and children who do this job, and they are called witches, fairy witches, or servants.

Before a servant is brought into the household, an acrobatic performance is required to enhance the spectacle and make the act more convincing.

One essential part of the process is kowtowing.

It's not enough to just bang your head once or twice; you have to bang it until you get a big bump on your forehead. There's a folk saying that the bigger the bump, the more effective it is.

Peng Gang was unsure whether Yang Xiuqing had been a servant in her childhood.

One thing is certain: Yang Xiuqing's skill in summoning servants was quite profound and professional, even comparable to that of witch doctors and servants who made a living from it; otherwise, it would have been difficult for her to convince the public.

"To be baptized and converted to Christianity by Mr. Feng himself must be extraordinary!" Yang Xiuqing returned the greeting.

Although she was just a mountain dweller with little education, Yang Xiuqing had a delicate heart and keen insight.

This is what sets Yang Xiuqing apart from other charcoal burners, and it's why Yang Xiuqing was able to stand out.

Taking advantage of the God Society's leaderless state, he decisively joined forces with Xiao Chaogui to stabilize the situation and quickly became the second most powerful figure in the God Society, second only to Xiao Chaogui.

After getting to know each other, Yang Xiuqing invited Peng Gang and Shi Dakai to dinner and drinks.

Xie Bin then went to Huang Zhenyue to help Peng Gang and his group find a way to get things done.

Yang Xiuqing was the kind of person who would spend an ounce of silver on a friend without batting an eye if he had one ounce of silver in his pocket; he was very generous. He often entertained chivalrous men, using the money he earned from selling charcoal to carry bamboo tubes to the market to buy wine, which he would then use to treat his guests upon his return.

Of the three, Yang Xiuqing was the one with the worst economic conditions.

Yang Xiuqing insisted on hosting, taking Peng Gang and Shi Dakai to a relatively upscale and prestigious restaurant for dinner and drinks.

Peng Gang and Shi Dakai let Yang Xiuqing have his way, knowing that with Yang Xiuqing's personality, if you don't let him pay the bill, or if you suggest going to a cheaper, lower-end tavern, he will get angry and feel that you are not straightforward enough and look down on him, Yang Xiuqing.

"Brother Xiuqing, when I entered the city, the gatekeeper at the north gate told me that many charcoal burners have recently entered Guiping City. Are these charcoal burners all members of the God Worshippers Society?"

In the midst of their drinking and conversation, Peng Gang mentioned what he had overheard from the gatekeeper when he entered the city.

Feng Yunshan was detained in the Guiping County jail, and Yang Xiuqing also appeared in Guiping City. It was no coincidence that so many charcoal burners entered the city at this time.

"After all, he's an educated gentleman; his mind is much more refined than that of us roughnecks."

Compared to Xiao Chaogui, Yang Xiuqing was much friendlier towards intellectuals. He nodded slightly in acknowledgment that many charcoal burners in Guiping City were now members of the God Worshippers Society.

"One should always be prepared for both possibilities. I don't know whether this newly appointed county magistrate prefers a soft approach or a hard one."

If he's responsive to gentle persuasion, that's best; but if he prefers a tougher approach, then I, Yang Xiuqing, will give him the tough one!
The charcoal burners of Zijing Mountain may not have much else, but they have plenty of miserable lives.

"As long as we can unite as one, the government might not dare to openly favor Wang Zuoxin and severely punish Mr. Feng according to Wang Zuoxin's wishes."

Yang Xiuqing spoke with conviction, comparing the face of Wang Zuoxin, a wealthy household in Zijingshan, to the thousands of Zijingshan charcoal burners who had stirred up trouble.

The magistrate of Guiping County could easily weigh the pros and cons if he wasn't completely muddled.

It's truly remarkable that Yang Xiuqing, a genuine charcoal burner, possesses such shrewdness and execution ability.

Peng Gang inquired about Hong Xiuquan's situation from Yang Xiuqing and learned that Hong Xiuquan had been redeemed by Yang Xiuqing from Wang Ji, the patrol inspector of the Dahuang River, and had already set off for Guangzhou. Peng Gang and Shi Dakai were astonished by Hong Xiuquan's actions. "The leader of the sect said that according to the Jiangning Treaty, the spread of the God-worshipping sect in the interior is permitted. He is going to reason with the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Qiying, and ask him to issue an imperial edict to the magistrate of Guiping County, releasing Mr. Feng," Yang Xiuqing said meaningfully, putting down his cup and chopsticks.

Peng Gang couldn't recall whether the Jiangning Agreement or the subsequent supplementary agreements contained clauses allowing the spread of Christianity in mainland China.

Moreover, even if such a clause existed, it was tailor-made for foreigners and had nothing to do with Hong Xiuquan.

Even if there is a connection, are the Catholic Church founded by Hung and Fung the same as Christianity?
Even for Peng Gang, getting an audience with the magistrate of Guiping County was incredibly difficult.

The Governor-General of Guangdong was a high-ranking official of the second rank, a powerful regional governor. How could Hong Xiuquan, a mere student who had repeatedly failed the imperial examinations, possibly meet him at will?
Hong Xiuquan was a man of great ambition but little talent, who was all talk and no action, and who would try to escape at the slightest setback.

Peng Gang didn't know what kind of spell Hong Xiuquan had cast on Feng Yunshan that made Feng Yunshan, who had been tricked by him several times, still so devoted to him.

This was not the first time Hong Xiuquan had abandoned Feng Yunshan. Four years earlier, Hong Xiuquan had found the life of preaching in Guangxi too austere and abandoned Feng Yunshan to return to Guangzhou.

When Feng Yunshan was arrested, Hong Xiuquan, just like four years ago, returned to Guangzhou without looking back.

If Hong Xiuquan truly wanted to rescue Feng Yunshan, he could have gone directly to Gu Yuankai, the prefect of Xunzhou Prefecture in Guiping City, and obtained an imperial edict ordering the Guiping magistrate to release him.

If you think Gu Yuankai isn't important enough, going to Guilin, the provincial capital, to find Zheng Zuchen, the governor of Guangxi, is more reliable and practical than going to Guangzhou to find Qiying.

Moreover, Qi Ying had recently been transferred back to the capital, and the current Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi is Xu Guangjin.

If Hong Xiuquan had stayed in Guangxi, even if his contribution to rescuing Feng Yunshan was minimal, there would still have been a chance to accomplish something.

But by leaving, he essentially handed over the highest power of the God Society to Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing, two powerful figures from Zijing Mountain.

After they had almost finished eating, Xie Bin brought Peng Gang some good news: Huang Zhenyue was willing to take Peng Gang to the county government office to meet Yang Xun, the magistrate of Guiping County.

But it's too late today, we'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Upon hearing this good news, Peng Gang, Yang Xiuqing, and Shi Dakai were all delighted and thanked Xie Bin profusely.

In the evening, Peng Gang found an inn in Guiping City to stay at and asked Yang Xiuqing for a set of the Yuandao Trilogy to review and study, in order to confirm that the pamphlets distributed by the God Society did not contain any rebellious content.

The next day, around 10 a.m., Peng Gang, carrying gold and silver and the Yuandao Trilogy, met Huang Zhenyue, the commander of the Xunzhou Left Battalion, under the guidance of Xie Bin.

Before leaving, Yang Xiuqing handed over the silver charcoal she was carrying to Peng Gang.

Peng Gang, understanding the hardships faced by the charcoal burners, had already spent two qian of silver on a meal and drinks yesterday, and had no reason to ask Yang Xiuqing to spend any more money.

He then refused Yang Xiuqing's money and told Yang Xiuqing to keep the silver for other uses.

Out of respect for Xie Bin, Huang Zhenyue accepted another five taels of silver from Peng Gang and happily led him to the Guiping County Government Office.

We walked along the bumpy, muddy, and dirty road to the Guiping County Government Office.

This was the first time Peng Gang had seen a county government office from the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty.

The Guiping County Government Office did not have the grand and imposing image of a government office in stereotypes; instead, it exuded an air of decay and decay.

The first thing that catches the eye is the blue brick screen wall in front of the county government office, with a crooked, ugly crack resembling a centipede on it.

Moss crawled out from the cracks in the bricks, eroding the four large characters "清正廉明" (clean, upright, and honest) until they were barely visible.

The two vermilion doors had long since faded to a dark brown, and the door studs were rusted black, resembling a forehead with festering sores. The mythical beast crouching on the eaves was missing half a horn, and its remaining stone eye was filled with bird droppings, emitting a foul stench.

"This is a restricted area of ​​the county government; unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering!" The sleepy-eyed gatekeeper instinctively reached out to stop someone from entering the county government office.

"Are you blind?! Am I just a nobody?!" Huang Zhenyue shouted, waking the half-asleep gatekeeper.

The constable recognized Huang Zhenyue and quickly slapped himself to apologize: "So it's Huang Durong! I was blind, please forgive me."

Wang Jun, the guerrilla commander of the right battalion, has been killed by Luo Dagang, and the new commander of the right battalion has not yet taken office.

Huang Zhenyue is now a Green Standard Army officer in Xunzhou, second only to Li Dianyuan in rank.

The bailiff dared not offend Huang Zhenyue, so he gave the gatekeeper a wink and let Huang Zhenyue and his party cut in line to enter the county government office.

Not only can you enter through the main gate, you can also cut in line.

Peng Gang felt that the five taels of silver were well spent and not a loss.

　The dilapidated state of local government offices in the Qing Dynasty was commonplace during the Daoguang reign. Zhang Jixing (1800-1878), a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) of the ninth year of Daoguang's reign, served successively as prefect, circuit intendant, provincial judge, and provincial treasurer. According to his book "Records of Official Life in the Daoguang and Xianfeng Reigns," written based on his personal observations, prefectures and counties were in dire need of funds, to the point that they were on the verge of collapse. The beams and pillars of the county government offices were rotten and decayed, and every time ceremonies were held on the first and fifteenth of the month, there was a fear that they would fall over.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)