1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 72 The Mouse in the Bellows
Chen Kerang had learned about the Wang family's background in the county.

When Wang Dazuo was the leader of the local militia, he had about a hundred men under his command and occupied a lot of land, so it's impossible that he only had this little bit of grain stored up.

The silver deposits were not much different from Chen Kerang's estimates.

This kid is quite sensible.

"That's too little," Chen Kerang said, taking a sip of tea to quench his thirst.

"You also know about the flooding of the Xunjiang River. Not only did many people die, but the Heaven and Earth Society also took this opportunity to recruit refugees on a large scale, and many refugees joined the Heaven and Earth Society."

Prefect Gu was furious. Magistrate Yang was doing things right under Prefect Gu's nose. I'm only telling you this because you're a member of the militia that Magistrate Yang promoted.

I hope you can understand Magistrate Yang's difficulties and share his burdens.

The reason people are anxious is because too many refugees have joined the Heaven and Earth Society, not because too many people have starved to death.

Chen Kerang spoke in a very flattering way, making it seem as if Peng Gang, the chairman of the Zijingshan Group, was being rewarded by Yang Xun.

This Zijingshan Group Chairman was clearly bought with real money.

“The Wang family’s money and grain are concentrated in their main residence in Mengchong. There are at least 40,000 to 50,000 disaster victims on both sides of the Xunjiang River. The grain obtained from Wang Dazuo is less than 300 shi, which is barely enough to cope with 40,000 to 50,000 disaster victims for three days,” Peng Gang said to Chen Kerang after returning to his seat.

Peng Gang's influence in Guiping is very shallow. Yang Xun is the one who can protect him in Guiping and is willing to do so. If Yang Xun is dismissed due to poor disaster relief, it will definitely not be a good thing for him.

Wang Zuoxin serves as a cautionary tale.

"So we need to take down Wangjiawei Fortress in Mengchong as soon as possible! Three hundred shi isn't enough, three thousand shi will suffice." Chen Kerang gave Peng Gang the bottom line.

"The autumn harvest is just over a month away, and the county magistrate is trying to lower grain prices. Once the prices come down, the disaster victims will be able to catch their breath, and so will you and I."

Three thousand bushels of grain? You actually know that the autumn harvest is still more than a month away?

Wang Zuoxin owns four to five thousand mu of land in the Zijingshan area. After the autumn harvest, the Wang family had just received the rent and might be able to produce three thousand shi of grain.

We certainly can't produce it now. Besides, if all the grain is given to Yang Xun, what will happen to the God Society?
“Wang Zuoxin’s family isn’t the only wealthy family in the county. The county magistrate is in trouble, but none of the other wealthy families have offered any assistance?” Peng Gang muttered.

"To be honest, the price of grain on both sides of the Xunjiang River is now six or seven taels of silver per shi (a unit of dry measure)," Chen Kerang said through gritted teeth.

"The wealthy Tujia families near Guiping City are all short-sighted misers. The county magistrate had to swallow his pride and personally visit them to persuade them to donate grain. He said all the right things, wore himself out, and begged and pleaded, but he only managed to get 230 shi of grain, barely enough to give the disaster victims a breather."

These are forty or fifty thousand disaster victims. If they all join the Heaven and Earth Society, how can those wealthy families expect to have a good life?

On the Mengchong side, Xiao Chaogui and Yang Xiuqing's plan, after a full twenty days of fierce attacks, finally broke through Wangjiawei Fortress in Mengchong after exhausting all the gunpowder in the God Society's stockpile and suffering nearly three hundred casualties.

Watching the fortress fall before their very eyes, the charcoal burners howled as they poured into it one after another, and the Wang family's five-generation legacy crumbled overnight.

Completely despondent and unable to bear the sight, Wang Zuoxin swallowed gold and committed suicide with tears in his eyes.

As Peng Gang predicted, Wang Zuoxin's grain reserves were far less than 3,000 shi. Including various grains and the grain reserves of the grain shops in Mengchong, Sanjiang, Xinwei, and Jiangkouwei, the reserves amounted to only 1,740 shi.

In terms of money, including the copper coins and broken silver found in the Fushou Ointment Shop run by the Wang family, there were a total of 11,340 taels of silver (copper coins have been converted into silver) and 148 taels of gold.

The fact that a poor place like Zijingshan could support a family with ten thousand taels of silver demonstrates how deeply the Wang Zuoxin family exploited the people of Zijingshan and how thriving the Fushougao (a type of tonic) shop was.

Wang Zuoxin's other cousin, Wang Dagui, was arrested by the God's Church half a month ago, and the money and provisions he received were about one-tenth of Wang Zuoxin's.

These funds and provisions have already been used by God, distributed among the people, and not a single grain of silver remains.

"Wang Zuoxin deserved to die! With so much money, he only offered three hundred taels as a gift to the county magistrate!" Upon learning that the Wang family had more than ten thousand taels of silver in their coffers, yet only offered a paltry three hundred taels to Yang Xun, Chen Kerang felt that Wang Zuoxin deserved to die.

To some extent, Wang Zuoxin did indeed die because of his stinginess. If Wang Zuoxin had given more than a thousand taels as a gift, Peng Gang wouldn't have gotten the position of director of the Zijingshan gang.

Wang Zuoxin guessed that Yang Xun, like his predecessor Wang Lie, wouldn't last more than a year or two and wouldn't be able to extend his influence to Zijing Mountain.

That makes sense. Without Peng Gang and the God Society as variables, the magistrate of Guiping County wouldn't have been able to extend his reach into Zijing Mountain.

Xiao Chaogui was very displeased when he saw Peng Gang bringing government officials to Mengchong, clearly there to reap the benefits.

Peng Gang was also helpless. Chen Kerang came on behalf of Yang Xun, and their meal at the Wang family's house was with Yang Xun's tacit approval. Peng Gang couldn't stop Chen Kerang from coming to Mengchong.

Besides, he was also a victim.

Yang Xun took 60% of the money and grain he had received, in exchange for a promise that the county would not impose grain levies on the four villages of Dachong, Shanbatang, Fulukou, and Mushan this year.

Even this was something Peng Gang had to fight hard for.

Upon arriving at the fortified village of Mengchong, Chen Kerang learned that the God Society had already divided up Wang Dagui's money and grain, which enraged him greatly.

Even the smallest mosquito is still meat!
"Considering that you were also eliminating a menace for the county magistrate, even though many people were killed, you will receive 20% of Wang Zuoxin's assets and grain. The county magistrate and I are magnanimous people, and the county will not hold your private division of Wang Dagui's assets and grain against you," Chen Kerang said in an unyielding tone.

He knew he wouldn't be able to complete the task Yang Xun assigned him—to bring back three thousand shi of grain to Guiping. But bringing back more silver would at least give Yang Xun an explanation.

"A lackey of the government!"

Xiao Chaogui cursed under his breath.

This outburst was directed at both Chen Kerang and Peng Gang.

Xiao Chaogui was not very familiar with the inside story and thought that Chen Kerang was brought to Mengchong by Peng Gang, who wanted to take advantage of the government's power to divide the money and grain that they had worked so hard to win.

Seeing that Xiao Chaogui was about to lose his temper, Yang Xiuqing quickly pulled him back and gave him a look, signaling him to calm down.

“Twenty percent. That’s too little.” Yang Xiuqing shook his head and said, “The members who have made meritorious contributions should be rewarded, and the members who died or were wounded should also be compensated. To put it another way, we also spent a lot of money and food to attack the Wang family’s fortress this time.”

Yang Xiuqing's words were true; in order to take over the Wang family this time, Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui had emptied their entire fortune.

They cannot accept taking only 20%.

Chen Kerang was adamant and refused to budge an inch. However, the God Society misunderstood him, leaving Peng Gang caught in the middle, suffering from both sides.

Peng Gang pulled Xiao Chaogui, Yang Xiuqing, and Wei Zheng (Wei Changhui) to the back room to discuss: "Yang Xun is in a hurry for money and food for disaster relief, which is also a good opportunity for our God Church to promote itself and develop new followers."

Xiao Chaogui remained cold and unfriendly towards Peng Gang, and Wei Changhui followed suit, also disliking Peng Gang.

Yang Xiuqing had met Peng Gang in Guiping and knew Peng Gang's character well. Among the three, Yang Xiuqing treated Peng Gang the best.

Chen Kerang had met Feng Yunshan before. Since it was inconvenient for Feng Yunshan to show himself in the front hall, he caught a glimpse of Peng Gang lifting the curtain and leading Xiao Chaogui, Yang Xiuqing, and Wei Zheng into the back hall. Feng Yunshan also came over.

Feng Yunshan had just overheard their conversation in the back room.

Feng Yunshan also expressed his inability to accept a share of only 20%.

“You’re well-read and understand the ways of the powerful,” Xiao Chaogui scoffed. “Most treacherous people are scholars who have colluded with the government and have likely already sold our God Society for a good price.”

"Mr. Feng is also a scholar. Is he also a heartless person?" Yang Xiuqing felt that Xiao Chaogui's words were too harsh and hurtful.

Not to mention that they have no evidence to prove that Peng Gang colluded with the government.

When Feng Yunshan was arrested, Peng Gang spent money and used all his connections to get him out of the county jail. The opportunity to eat at the Wang family's house was also secured by Peng Gang.

Based on these two achievements, even if Peng Gang joined the association later and was not from Guiping County, Xiao Chaogui should not have treated Peng Gang in this way.

"He is him, and Mr. Feng is Mr. Feng. They cannot be compared."

Xiao Chaogui contributed the most to the attack on Mengchong Fortress, but his men also suffered the most casualties.

He had originally planned to take advantage of the Wang family's money and supplies to recruit soldiers and expand his manpower.

Xiao Chaogui was furious and indignant that the Wang family's wealth, which he had not expected to be in his hands, was about to be divided up by 80%.

"That's just how Chao Gui is, don't take it to heart." Feng Yunshan looked at Peng Gang, "What are your plans?"

(End of this chapter)