Chapter 9: Weize

Shi Dakai saw that Yang Xiuching and Feng Yunshan had already completed the mobilization of their subordinates. Although he was not necessarily pleased in his heart, he did not say much and instead stood up to take his leave. Yang Xiuching invited Shi Dakai to dine together, but Shi Dakai replied, "I will return to eat with my troops."

Feng Yunshan spoke very sincerely and adopted a humble demeanor. However, Shi Dakai could not help but turn cold, as each king of the Taiping Army had their own plans. Shi Dakai had no interest or affection for the God Worshipping Society, yet he was granted the title of Wing King, a position far superior to many predecessors who had made significant contributions to the society. The main reason for this was that Shi Dakai led over 4,000 people to join the Taiping Army, which accounted for more than 20% of its total strength. Naturally, Shi Dakai's subordinates belonged entirely to him, while Yang Xiuqing's subordinates were under his full management. In this traditional model where soldiers belong to their generals, it was quite inappropriate for Feng Yunshan to directly request troops from Yang Xiuqing.

Since Yang Xiuching understood Feng Yunshan's intentions, he was also well aware that it would be difficult for him to refuse. Given that refusal was not an option, Yang Xiuching, who was usually adept at befriending heroes of the jianghu, smiled brightly and said, "Southern King, in that case, I will complete the reinforcements for Wei Ze's subordinates tomorrow and deliver him along with his subordinates to you."

Wei Ze did not believe that the suggestions he made to Dong Wang Yang Xiuqing and others could be approved; a strategic proposal put forward by a newly promoted junior officer was simply not likely to be taken seriously

Under Feng Yunshan's command, the most lacking element was precisely the kind of generals capable of independent operations. Seeing that Yang Xiuqing was about to promote Wei Ze, Feng Yunshan had no choice but to immediately make a request to Yang Xiuqing. This was because Feng Yunshan believed that Wei Ze would certainly achieve even greater merits; at present, Wei Ze was merely a newly promoted company commander. If Wei Ze were to be promoted to brigade commander or even division commander, it would be impossible for Feng Yunshan to request personnel from Yang Xiuqing.

The Heavenly King said: Heavenly Brother, who is the military advisor during the time of peace?

Regardless of how the masses perceive the worship of God, the upper echelons of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom are quite clear about it. Even though Hong Xiuquan's father in heaven, "God Yahweh," and "Christ Jesus" have manifested themselves on earth, the Western King, Xiao Chaogui, who was possessed by Jesus, still stated that the Southern King, Feng Yanshan, who was not possessed, is still more reliable than "Heavenly Father" Yang Xiuqing. Even within the governance of Yong'an, where the Eastern King Yang Xiuqing was granted the title of Nine Thousand Years and appointed as the chief military strategist, overseeing the affairs of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Feng Yanshan remains a figure capable of standing on equal footing with Yang Xiuqing. The Southern King Feng Yanshan, who was not possessed, is still more reliable than "Heavenly Father" Yang Xiuqing. Even within the governance of Yong'an, where the Eastern King Yang Xiuqing was granted the title of Nine Thousand Years and appointed as the chief military strategist, overseeing the affairs of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Feng Yanshan remains a figure capable of standing on equal footing with Yang Xiuqing. The Southern King Feng Yanshan controls the "Holy Treasury," holding significant logistical power within the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. This authority alone is enough to prevent the Eastern King Yang Xiuqing from becoming dominant.

After leaving Yang Xiuching's palace, Feng Yunshan initially intended to summon Wei Ze. However, after some consideration, he abandoned this plan. After all, Wei Ze was a subordinate of the Eastern King, Yang Xiuching. Even if he were to recruit Wei Ze now, there was no need to hastily summon him for an audience. Doing so would only make Wei Ze think that Feng Yunshan lacked depth. Since the matter was already settled, it would be better to wait for Wei Ze to come to him for a visit.

Heavenly Brother Day: Feng Yunshan, Yang Xiuqing, and Xiao Chaogui are all military strategists! Hong Xiuquan's biological brother, the sun is you, the moon is your wife. Feng Yunshan has three stars in his background, Yang Xiuqing also has three stars, and Xiao Chaogui has two stars. Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui are like two phoenixes facing the sun!

A few days after confirming Xiao Chaogui's identity as "Heavenly Brother" Christ, Hong Xiuquan had another conversation with Xiao Chaogui

On November 19, 1848, Xiang Chao Gui was also "possessed." It was a very interesting Chinese-style public "spirit possession." On November 19, 1848, Xiang Chao Gui pretended to be the heavenly brother Jesus descending to earth and had a conversation with Hong Xiuquan

At the end of the meeting, Feng Yunshan said to Yang Xiuqing: "Dong Wang, I would like to ask you for a person."

Although Hong Xiuquan was obsessed with religion, it does not mean that the leaders of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom truly believed in Jehovah and Jesus Christ. In 1847, Yang Xiuqing called upon the congregation by claiming to be the "incarnation of the Heavenly Father"

The Heavenly King said: I recognize my younger brother

Feng Yunshan did not expect Yang Xiuqing to be so straightforward, and he quickly replied: "Then I thank the Eastern King very much"

Yang Xiucheng understood that this was Shi Dakai's style; Shi Dakai would not cook for himself alone, but would always eat the same meal with his followers. Therefore, Yang Xiucheng no longer tried to keep Shi Dakai. Shi Dakai cupped his hands in salute to Yang Xiucheng and then left the Eastern King’s residence

Heavenly Brother Christ said to the Heavenly King: Hong Xiuquan, do you recognize me?

When Wei Ze seized the artillery position, Feng Yunshan noticed this young man. During the recent raid on the Qing dynasty's grain convoy, Feng Yunshan learned that Wei Ze was able to carve out a path in the desolate mountains and wilderness. Particularly, Wei Ze's remark, "Why must we be concerned about the gains and losses of this city or that place?" profoundly moved Feng Yunshan. Although Wei Ze's words were not particularly remarkable, in the days leading up to the breakout, the princes had held meetings among themselves and discussed the matter with several mid-level generals. The mid-level generals had not been able to propose any better suggestions. Compared to the suggestions from these generals, Wei Ze also did not offer any good advice, but the perspective from which Wei Ze viewed the problem greatly appealed to Feng Yunshan. Thus, he began to entertain the thought of bringing Wei Ze into his fold.

The current issue is where to go after leaving Yong'an. The Qing army has gathered nearly 50,000 troops to besiege the Taiping army, whose true core combat strength is only about 10,000 troops, while their families number over 10,000. Once they leave the state city of Yong'an, the 10,000 Taiping soldiers will face a decisive field battle against the several tens of thousands of Qing troops, and there seems to be no possibility of victory. Given this, the Taiping army can only adopt their previous tactics, launching decisive strikes against the separated Qing forces in field battles. Ultimately, where to go and what route to take have become the focal points of recent discussions among the senior leadership of the Taiping army.

After Wei Ze left the Eastern Prince's Mansion, Yang Xiuching, Feng Yunshan, and Shi Dakai continued to discuss the future strategy of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Wei Ze's spoils were beneficial for the Taiping Army, which was suffering from a shortage of ammunition and salt, but it was hardly a cause for great joy. Over a thousand pounds of supplies could not fundamentally change the current predicament of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Even if Wei Ze successfully attacked the Qing army's grain convoy again, the plundered supplies would not be able to resolve the difficulties faced by the Taiping Army. Yang Xiuching was not concerned at all about what kind of results Wei Ze could achieve.

Feng Yunshan did not stay at Yang Xiucheng's place for a meal either. He was very pleased to be able to request a fierce general like Wei Ze from Yang Xiucheng. Among the kings of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the Eastern King Yang Xiucheng was the most esteemed, having been granted the title of Nine Thousand Years. More importantly, Yang Xiucheng was the chief military strategist of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the highest commander of all its armies. Feng Yunshan was also required to obey Yang Xiucheng's military orders. Feng Yunshan had always been responsible for the practical missionary work of the God Worshipping Society. The Heavenly King Hong Xiuquan believed himself to be the second son of the Heavenly Father and the reincarnation of Jesus' biological brother. For Hong Xiuquan, he originally intended to establish a new religion. It was Feng Yunshan who transformed the God Worshipping Society from a religious organization into a rebel organization, establishing the rules of the God Worshipping Society and uniting many followers under the same banner, which was Feng Yunshan's greatest contribution to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It was Feng Yunshan who transformed the God Worshipping Society from a religious organization into a rebel organization, establishing the rules of the God Worshipping Society and uniting many followers under the same banner, which was Feng Yunshan's greatest contribution to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

Yang Xiuching remained silent, fully understanding Feng Yunshan's thoughts. Yang Xiuching, hailing from a charcoal-burning background, had a wide network and gathered heroes from the Three Mountains and Five Peaks under his command. Xiao Chaogui, on the other hand, was a leader among miners, with subordinates who were resolute and courageous. The harsh living conditions in Guangxi had indeed forced many exceptional individuals to emerge. As a native of Guangdong, most of Feng Yunshan's subordinates were congregants gathered during the missionary period. In terms of combat and command capabilities, Feng Yunshan's subordinates were relatively weak within the Taiping Army. The military system established in Yong'an stipulated that promotions were based on military merit. Young officers like Wei Ze, who showed promise, had 25 subordinates who were all old brothers from Guangxi in the Taiping Army, which was quite beneficial for Feng Yunshan.

However, Feng Yunshan was not entirely unprepared. Although the combat effectiveness of his troops was lacking, their numbers were not inferior to those of the Eastern King Yang Xiuching. Feng Yunshan had made careful calculations and planned to assign a weaker unit to be led by Wei Ze. Since Wei Ze volunteered to raid the Qing army's supply lines, having more men would allow for greater plunder. Feng Yunshan recruited Wei Ze because he demonstrated the ability to lead troops in battle. If Wei Ze were to fail in commanding the troops effectively, Feng Yunshan hoped it would not be due to his failure to utilize his personnel properly, and he certainly did not wish for Wei Ze to fail due to a lack of sufficient forces.

I wish to have Brother Wei Ze. "Feng Yunshan said calmly, "Brother Wei is brave and skilled in battle. Last time, he and seven other brothers captured eight forts in a row, and this time, with more than twenty men, they defeated a supply convoy of over two hundred Qing demons. Among my subordinates, I lack such fierce generals. I ask the Eastern King to transfer Brother Wei to my command. May I ask if the Eastern King can agree to this request?

After all, as the actual pope of the God-worshipping religion, Feng Yunshan has never been someone who would trip up his subordinates

As for Wei Ze's proposal to emphasize Yong'an City and resolve the Qing army's strategy in field battles, Yang Xiucheng did not find it necessary to discuss. The encirclement of the Qing army grew tighter by the day, and the upper echelons of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom had gradually reached a consensus on future strategies; it was absolutely unacceptable to hold Yong'an City at all costs. In last year's battles, the Taiping army repeatedly inflicted heavy defeats on the Qing army in field engagements, with the commanders of these battles primarily being the Eastern King, Yang Xiucheng. Since the upper echelons of the Taiping army had essentially confirmed this tactic, it was quite meaningless for Wei Ze to express agreement or disagreement.

At this moment, Yang Xiuqing readily provided assistance to others, even promising to replenish Wei Ze's subordinates. Feng Yunshan was in a very good mood

"What kind of person do you want?" Yang Xiuqing had roughly guessed what Feng Yunshan was looking for. For Wei Ze, a mere Sima, to express his views on strategy in front of the princes, it was clear that Feng Yunshan had laid quite a bit of groundwork.

After much discussion, we still cannot come up with a more detailed and specific execution strategy. Currently, the most viable direction for a breakthrough is to the east. However, even if we manage to annihilate the Qing army after the breakthrough, there is still no consensus among the upper echelons of the Taiping army on how to proceed next