Chapter 5: Token

If a dispute arises, who should take the lead and who should play a supporting role? The Red Turban Army is not the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army; a central commissioner cannot simply seize control of the entire Soviet area.

Over there, Liu Chang spoke in a clear voice: "In order to present the sacred object, we must first invite the elders and fellow townspeople of Yueqing City to serve as witnesses"

Beneath the Prime Minister is the Inspection Department, which consists of thirty-six inspectors. Although it may seem that there are many, with thirty-six members, they have largely been excluded from the core leadership of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. However, most of the inspectors are significant military leaders. Notable figures who have held the position of inspector include Meng De'en, Lin Fengxiang, Li Xiucheng, and Li Yucheng, all of whom are renowned generals commanding substantial forces in the Heavenly Kingdom.

Qu Zhenhan was truly both surprised and delighted: "Is this really true?"

He is also unwilling to have an imperial envoy descend from the heavens, overshadowing him as the Grand Marshal. Even if Liu Chang could present the tokens of the Heavenly King or the Eastern King, he would not mind giving him a good beating.

Liu Chang patted his chest and said: "General Qu, rest assured, I did not come to Zhedong to undermine you this time, but I am willing to serve as a small soldier in front of the Hongjun army. If this matter succeeds, General Qu, just assign me a few personal guards!"

Liu Chang nodded respectfully, having already unzipped the bag with great reverence. He took a glance at the notebook inside and said, "Very well! Let us find a secluded place, dress appropriately, light incense, and then respectfully invite the divine object!"

This statement struck at the very heart of Qu Zhenhan, whose greatest concern was the military provisions and salaries for the entire Red Turban Army. Although he was a local tyrant, running a sauce and miscellaneous goods shop and possessing some properties, his wealth was limited. The expenses incurred from opening a dyeing workshop to produce flags had already depleted his entire fortune. Fortunately, a student who was wholeheartedly intent on becoming an emperor sponsored him with a sum of money; otherwise, he would have declared bankruptcy even before the uprising began.

After finishing his words, Liu Chang clasped his hands together and asked again: "Now that the Red Turban Army has entered Yueqing, is there no concern regarding military provisions and pay?"

Liu Chang also realized that his remarks about the inspection were somewhat flawed; the thirty-six inspections before the court were not merely minor officials as he had imagined, but rather individuals of significant stature.

Rebellion is an endeavor that involves immense risk and high stakes; it is the exclusive domain of individuals like Li Shimin and Yang Jian, who are both affluent and powerful. Figures such as Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang, who rose from humble beginnings, are certainly exceptions to this rule

Therefore, he blurted out: "Is there any way for Inspector Liu?"

One catty is sixteen taels, so six thousand taels is nearly four hundred catties. Even if this bag were filled entirely with gold, it would still not amount to six thousand taels of military pay

Certainly, the title of Chancellor has become the fastest demotion in the Heavenly Kingdom. After the Tianjing Incident, in order to stabilize public sentiment, several hundred Chancellors were appointed in one go. Later, this practice became even more rampant. To strengthen leadership, ten Chancellors were established for every five hundred people, meaning there was one Chancellor for every fifty individuals

Jin Peiquan, fearing to embarrass himself in front of everyone, immediately asked, "Could I have the opportunity to see it first with Commander Qu?"

Jin Peiquan's expression changed dramatically, and Qu Zhenhan's face darkened as well: "The Heavenly King has sent Liu Jiandian to join in this righteous cause, which is indeed a fortunate event. However, does Liu Jiandian possess any token from the Heavenly King or the Eastern King?"

He appeared very calm on the surface, yet deep within, he was experiencing endless turmoil. He clearly understood that whether he could seize a bit of power might hinge on whether he could break through this current barrier and the books.

He is grateful that he purchased a laptop with an exceptionally long standby time

Liu Chang is indeed surrounded by too many questions. To say nothing of other matters, his peculiar attire and unusual hairstyle have already given him away. Moreover, his knowledge of the domestic situation is quite limited, and there are always some inconsistencies in his speech. Therefore, Jin Peiquan, as Qu Zhenhan's strategist, directly pointed out these doubts.

Liu Chang patted his notebook bag again and smiled, saying: "Do not rush, this token was requested by the Heavenly Father himself and possesses extraordinary capabilities, how could it be summoned so casually!"

However, he and Qu Zhenhan never understood that Liu Chang had empty hands, with only a black shoulder bag on his shoulder. How could he conjure up several months' worth of military salaries and provisions for the Red Turban Army? It should be noted that the Red Turban Army consists of no fewer than 1,500 to 1,600 men. Even if we calculate based on a requirement of four taels of silver per person per month, he would need to produce 6,000 taels of silver.

He remembers clearly that at Yang Zi's house, the notebook's battery was fully charged, and now it still has about seven to eight hours of power left. He must utilize these six to seven hours to achieve maximum effectiveness

Jin Peiquan also spoke up, saying: "Liu, can this divine object produce silver?"

The Inspector Jian is a significant figure in the heavenly realm, commanding at least several thousand or even tens of thousands of troops. However, although the Red Turban Army has entered Yueqing City, they consist of only three camps, totaling just over one thousand men. The Heavenly King has dispatched this Inspector Liu; where should Qu Zhenhan position himself?

Impressionism is unreliable; in fact, Li Xiucheng's testimony states that "Guan Xiao" is not a supervisory position, but rather a command role one level lower than supervision. In reality, this command position held significant status in the Heavenly Kingdom. After the Tianjing Incident, the young leaders who were elected to establish the overall situation, such as Li Shixian and Li Yucheng, were at that time merely in command roles.

Beneath the princes and the national religion lies the position of the Prime Minister. The Yong'an system only had left and right Prime Ministers. By the time the capital was established in Tianjing, it had evolved into the six officials of spring and autumn, with the Prime Minister's role expanding. Within less than a year, the six officials were further divided into four ranks: primary, secondary, and their respective deputies, resulting in a total of twenty-four Prime Ministers. However, by the fourth year of the Xianfeng era, the title of Prime Minister still held significant weight, with many leaders of the Heavenly Kingdom, such as Zeng Tianyang and Luo Dagang, often holding the title of Prime Minister.

Could this Liu inspector possess any earth-shattering abilities

Liu Chang replied: "Rest assured, Commander Qu, this divine artifact was sent down by the Heavenly Father. Its power is immense, and it will ensure several months' worth of military supplies and provisions within half a day."

At the beginning of the uprising, Qu Zhenhan had already exhausted his mind over military salaries and provisions. The officials forced the people to revolt, and the majority of the Red Turban Army consisted of starving tenants from the eastern township of Leqing, who were even unable to procure a single weapon for self-defense, resorting instead to using farming tools as weapons. From the very start, they found themselves in extreme economic hardship. To address this, Qu Zhenhan reassured them that once they captured Leqing City, everything would improve.

He has made up his mind. Although the Red Turban Army was appointed by the Eastern King Yang Xiuqing, it is nothing but a dream to think that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom can easily send someone to take it away. Those who achieve great things do not choose their means, and when the time comes, it will only be unfortunate for this Inspector Liu.

At this time in Tianjing, the Eastern King Yang Xiucheng held absolute power, while the Heavenly King Hong Xiuquan rarely made public appearances. The civil and military officials of the Heavenly Kingdom had little opportunity to meet Hong Xiuquan, to the extent that Qing Dynasty officials reported that Hong Xiuquan was merely a nonexistent figure. Liu Chang's answer left Jin Peiquan and Tushu unable to find any fault.

I am from Teng County, and I followed the Wing King during the Jintian Brigade, so I can be considered an old comrade. Liu Chang replied appropriately: "I have lived in the Heavenly King's residence for many years, so it is normal for you not to know my name."

Under the thirty-six checkpoints, there are also seventy-two routes of command, one hundred generals, and ninety-five supervisors, along with one hundred military inspectors. However, during Jin Peiquan's time in Tianjing, he mostly interacted with figures such as traveling commanders and military inspectors. Little did he expect that the Heavenly Kingdom would actually send such a significant person over.

The results have come out. Although a considerable amount of property was seized, most of it consisted of superficial wealth such as vases, paintings, and land deeds. The Red Turban Army remains empty-handed, and Qu Zhenhan himself has expressed considerable grievances.

This small temple of the Red Turban Army cannot afford such a great deity

However, capturing Leqing City did not bring any economic improvement to the Red Turban Army. Since they had boasted about performing acts of benevolence and causing no harm, once they entered the city, the Red Turban Army naturally could not impose any levies on the residents. They could only find ways to extract a sum from the homes of corrupt officials like Deputy General Yao and County Magistrate Kang.

According to the official system of the Heavenly Kingdom during this period, the first ranks were the various princes and national clans, but these were mostly nominal titles with little actual status, unless they also held the title of military advisor. Throughout the entire era of the Heavenly Kingdom, the position of military advisor can be said to be the most valuable title. There were a total of 2,700 princes, while there were only about 14 military advisors, among which were the three symbolic military advisors: the Young Eastern King, the Young Western King, and the Young Southern King.

Jin Peiquan was still filled with suspicion: "When I was in Tianjing, why did I never see Liu Jian Dian? Liu Jian Dian is an old brother from Guangxi? And the books"

However, he did not back down; instead, he smiled slightly and said: "Naturally, there is a token bestowed by the Heavenly King. Commander Qu and Mr. Jin can rest assured. The Heavenly King sent me to Zhejiang East to fully assist the Hong Army in their uprising. Commander Qu, if you have any orders, just give them to me."

As for the location of the inspection, one can gauge its significance from Jin Peiquan's exclamation: "But isn't it one of the thirty-six inspections in front of the palace?"

He had heard in Tianjing City about the descent of the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother, and upon further inquiry, it was merely a trick played by Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuqing. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom has countless benefits, but the worship of God is not one of them; rather, it resembles a heretical cult akin to the White Lotus sect.

As a local tycoon, he was somewhat well-informed and was aware of many tricks used by shamans and Taoist priests to invoke deities. He was half-convinced by Liu Chang's words, yet ultimately limited in his understanding and held superstitious beliefs, harboring a glimmer of hope: "If I can secure a month's worth of military pay and provisions, this commander is willing to heed your words and follow your advice"

He has made it; he can be considered a person of significance! If he had not succeeded, perhaps Qu Zhenhan would have regarded him as a traitor of the Qing Dynasty and executed him. Therefore, he patted the notebook bag on his shoulder: "The token is right here; later, I will let General Qu witness the prowess of the Heavenly King!"

Liu Chang was not familiar with the official system of the Heavenly Kingdom. The reason he claimed to hold the position of inspector was that he had a vague impression from Li Xiucheng's testimony, in which Li Xiucheng mentioned during the Tianjing Incident that he was "at that time a minor official," suggesting that he seemed to have held the position of inspector.

As for his claim of having participated in the Jintian Corps and being a genuine brother from Guangxi, although Jin Peiquan had his doubts, he could not possibly rush to Tianjing to verify the origins of this Liu Jian. He could only inquire about the crucial point: "Where is the token of the Heavenly King?"