Chapter 7: Weize (Seven)

As for Feng Yanshan himself, he is, in fact, the true promoter of the God Worshipping Society in Guangxi. Hong Tiangwang is the leader responsible for the compilation of scriptures, while Feng Yanshan undoubtedly serves as the operational pope. The Eastern King, Yang Xiuqing, currently holds the position of the "military advisor" overseeing the various kings. This Eastern King, who should be more secular in nature, has surprisingly engaged in "religious methods with Chinese characteristics" in the face of the God Worshipping Society, which he originally had no opportunity to intervene in. Tiangwang Hong Xiuchuan claims to be the second son of the Heavenly Father and the reincarnation of Jesus' brother. Yang Xiuqing claims to be possessed by the Heavenly Father, and whenever the Heavenly Father is present, Yang Xiuqing becomes Hong Xiuchuan's "father," possessing a divine authority that surpasses that of Hong Xiuchuan.

Lin Fengxiang immediately returned to report, and in the afternoon, more than twenty brothers responsible for transportation arrived. Before long, distant shouts of battle and the sounds of gunfire were heard. Wei Ze, having fought for three months, could tell from the sounds that the gunfire was mostly coming from the Qing army, while the Taiping army only fired occasionally, and not a single cannon had been fired from their side

The commander of the Northern Barracks, Xiang Rong, and the commander of the Southern Barracks, Ulan Tai, were thoroughly defeated by the Taiping Army at Guancun Ridge, leading to Xiang Rong's immediate dismissal. It was only after the Taiping Army captured Yong'an that Xiang Rong was reinstated. Since his reinstatement, Xiang Rong changed his previous mistakes, abandoning the strategy of engaging the Taiping Army in full-scale field battles and instead implementing positional warfare. He personally led a team to forcibly relocate the Qing Army's Northern Barracks from Gupai, which was 30 li away from the Taiping Army, to Longyantang, which was 15 li away from the Taiping Army. Since his reinstatement, Xiang Rong changed his previous mistakes, abandoning the strategy of engaging the Taiping Army in full-scale field battles and instead implementing positional warfare. He personally led a team to forcibly relocate the Qing Army's Northern Barracks from Gupai, which was 30 li away from the Taiping Army, to Longyantang, which was 15 li away from the Taiping Army

For someone like Wei Ze, who is anti-religious, stripping away the absurdity brought about by religious means, he actually agrees with this political tactic. Upon realizing that he inadvertently managed to assist Yang Xiuching, Wei Ze felt quite pleased in his heart

What? Not only did Wei Ze widen his eyes in surprise, but his subordinates were also taken aback. At this moment, it had been ten days since they left Yong'an City, and everyone was unaware that such a significant change had occurred in Yong'an City.

Having personally inspected the bags of confiscated items brought back by Wei Ze and his team, Lin Fengxiang grasped Wei Ze's hand and said excitedly: "Wei Sima, you have truly worked hard! With these items, there is hope for defending the city"

Seeing Wei Ze's actions, Zhang Yingchen immediately became anxious. Among the Taiping Army, apart from the Heavenly King, the four kings of the east, west, south, and north hold the greatest power. The Eastern King, Yang Xiuching, was appointed as the military advisor, leading the other kings. The Southern King, Feng Yunshan, is a figure of power second only to the Eastern King. Wei Ze's tone and demeanor were quite respectful, yet there was an implicit disbelief in the Southern King within his words. Zhang Yingchen couldn't help but feel a sense of sweat forming in his heart. Wei Ze's tone and demeanor were quite respectful, yet there was an implicit disbelief in the Southern King within his words. Zhang Yingchen couldn't help but feel a sense of sweat forming in his heart

On the way to Dongwangfu, Feng Yunshan informed Wei Ze that yesterday afternoon "Heavenly Father descended" and addressed the Taiping Army, stating that the current predicament would soon be overcome. He urged the Taiping Army to learn from the various kings and to strive to defeat the enemy in pursuit of victory. Today, Wei Ze has returned with the spoils of war, which suggests that the morale of the Taiping Army must have been greatly boosted.

Although he was happy, Feng Yunshan's thoughts were still on military affairs. After praising Wei Ze, Feng Yunshan turned to the person beside him and commanded, "Immediately send these salt and gunpowder to the Holy Treasury"

Regardless of how many people sincerely believe in the possession of the Heavenly Father, Yang Xiuching carries out her tasks with consistency. After each possession when she delivers the "Supreme Instructions," Yang Xiuching always takes a moment to rest, to demonstrate that the possession by the Heavenly Father imposes a considerable burden on the body of an ordinary person. At this moment, Yang Xiuching is in the process of "resting and recovering"

The brothers who came to provide support were aware that Wei Ze and his group had already exhausted their strength along the way, so they did not let Wei Ze and the others carry the seized supplies any longer. Instead, each member of the support troops carried over twenty pounds of goods, running for about an hour over several miles. Along the way, more than fifty brothers joined in to assist. The pace of the march quickened significantly, and the group of over a hundred finally arrived at the foot of Yong'an City just as darkness was about to fall.

The Taiping Army's defense system in Yong'an did not simply rely on the city walls of Yong'an for protection; they also occupied several strongholds outside the city. One of the key strategic points to the north was Hongmiao.

However, King Nan, Feng Yunshan, was not angry at all. He simply laughed heartily and said, "I was just too pleased to think about this matter. In this way, I will go with Brother Wei to meet King Dong and clarify this matter in person"

Along the way, Wei Ze repeatedly spoke about the consequences of not consuming salt, and when traveling with Wei Ze and the others, everyone seemed to be the same. It was not yet apparent. In recent days, everyone has had enough salt to eat every day, and there was even preserved meat. Compared to the brothers in the city, their physical strength surprisingly did not fall behind. Zhang Yingchen has already fully confirmed Wei Ze's contribution this time.

Wei Ze sent Zhang Yingchen and two brothers back to Yong'an City to report, while he led a large troop on the march. Although carrying numerous supplies, the journey back took less than three days, compared to the six days it took to arrive. After all, when they set out, everyone was exploring and had to clear the path along the way, whereas on the return trip, they only needed to hurry along the road. They traveled by day and rested at night, and finally arrived at the meeting point agreed upon by Wei Ze and Zhang Yingchen on the morning of February 12.

"We have to wait until dark," Lin Fengxiang replied regretfully. "After Wei Sima deployed his troops, Xiang Rong moved his camp forward again, and at this point, he has almost pushed to the vicinity of Hongmiao."

Although there was little expression on his face, Wei Ze could hardly contain his laughter. In the past, he had a significant obstacle regarding the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, which was the issue of the Worship of God sect. As an ordinary youth of the new China, Wei Ze was a staunch anti-religionist. However, it was precisely due to his anti-religious beliefs that Wei Ze soon discovered that the Heavenly King Hong Xiuquan, who rarely made appearances and preferred to write light verse to expound his doctrines, might genuinely believe in the Worship of God sect he founded. None of the other kings of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom believed in the Worship of God sect. For instance, the well-known Yiwang Shi Dakai in later generations had an attitude towards the Worship of God sect that could only be described as nearly publicly opposing it with drums and gongs.

The two conversed for a while longer, inevitably bringing up the recent military affairs. Regarding the Qing army tightening their encirclement, Wei Ze was rather unconcerned. Observing Feng Yunshan's heavy expression, Wei Ze smiled and said: "Southern King, Xiang Rong and Ulan Tai are merely our defeated foes. To defeat them, we only need to lure them into open battle as we did before. If we lead the Qing army through the mountains a few times, their eagerness to defeat us will only make them more reckless. At this moment, setting an ambush will surely allow us to annihilate them in one fell swoop."

After listening, Feng Yunshan asked: "What if the Qing demons do not pursue our troops leaving the city, but instead take advantage of the city's defenses being weak to intensify their siege on Yong'an?"

Since Feng Yunshan has said this, Wei Ze has nothing more to say. He ordered his subordinates to return to the camp to rest, and followed the Southern King Feng Yunshan into the city.

This is excellent! We shall await the orders from Master Lin. Upon learning that a large force is coming to assist, Wei Ze let out a sigh of relief

This time, Xiang Rong's relocation not only brought him closer to the Taiping Army but also cut off the route for Wei Ze and his team to return to Yong'an. Even though there is still a path available at the moment, there is no guarantee when they might encounter a patrol from the Qing army. Wei Ze and his companions each carried forty pounds of seized supplies, and after several days of continuous marching and battles without rest, their physical strength had already reached its limit. If they were discovered and attacked by a Qing patrol, it would be impossible to transport the seized supplies back. It is feared that they might not even be able to preserve their own lives.

Lin Fengxiang briefly introduced the situation to Wei Ze. Shortly after Wei Ze and his group left Yong'an City, Xiang Rong relocated his camp again, pushing the Qing army's northern camp to a distance of seven to eight miles from the city wall, in front of Hongmiao.

Wei Ze had met Lin Fengxiang before, and the two had even fought together before Wei Ze's crossing and possession, making them acquaintances. Upon seeing that it was actually Lin Fengxiang who had come in person, Wei Ze understood the high command of the Taiping Army's level of importance attached to this batch of confiscated goods

On the way back, everyone hurried their march, as their families were still in Yong'an. They had been out for seven days, and the thought of returning to Yong'an City with so many spoils and receiving rewards, especially the reunion with their families, made everyone eager to return home.

When Zhang Yingchen arrived at the city gates, he was almost out of breath. However, Zhang Yingchen noticed that despite his long trek, he was not any slower than the brothers who had come to meet him halfway. Among the brothers who had come to meet him, a few also suffered from cramps while running.

Seeing Wei Ze and the others so shocked, Lin Fengxiang smiled and said: "Brothers, there is no need to worry for the time being. Before I came out, the Southern King had already ordered the Wing King to go to Hongmiao. As long as I send someone to report to the Wing King, he will naturally send troops to engage Xiang Rong across from Hongmiao. Additionally, a team of brothers will come to assist in transporting these spoils back to the city."

Seeing a prominent figure like Feng Yunshan personally come to greet him, Zhang Yingchen was filled with excitement. However, the Southern King Feng Yunshan was preoccupied with official duties and did not offer much praise to the meritorious subjects, which left Zhang Yingchen feeling somewhat disappointed. Just as he was feeling unhappy, he saw Wei Ze step forward and say to Feng Yunshan: "Southern King, I am here on behalf of the Eastern King. It is only right for the Southern King to send these captured items to the Sacred Repository. However, I kindly request that the Southern King assign a brother to accompany me to meet the Eastern King, so that I may report back and explain to the Eastern King upon my return." Zhang Yingchen then saw Wei Ze step forward and say to Feng Yunshan: "Southern King, I am here on behalf of the Eastern King. It is only right for the Southern King to send these captured items to the Sacred Repository. However, I kindly request that the Southern King assign a brother to accompany me to meet the Eastern King, so that I may report back and explain to the Eastern King upon my return."

Upon arriving at the northern city gate, it was observed that numerous Taiping army soldiers were stationed both on and below the city walls. It seemed that the news had spread quite rapidly. What surprised Wei Ze was that among the crowd stood a prince clad in a yellow robe, who was none other than Feng Yunshan, the Southern King responsible for the city's defense.

Wei Ze replied: "Then let us simply abandon the defense of Yong'an. As long as we eliminate all the Qing demons pursuing us, retaking Yong'an City will be as easy as turning over our hands. Why must we be concerned about the gains and losses of this city and land?"

After the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom captured Yong'an City, they established a system and conferred titles to four kings in the east, west, south, and north, as well as to Wing King Shi Dakai. The Southern King Feng Yunshan was a figure of great importance, second only to the Eastern King Yang Xiuqing. The fact that Feng Yunshan personally came to welcome him indicated that the hardships of securing the captured supplies had garnered the attention of the higher-ups, which made Wei Ze feel somewhat proud. Stepping forward, Wei Ze took the initiative to pay his respects, saying, "Subordinate Wei Ze pays his respects to the Southern King." Feng Yunshan merely responded casually and headed straight for the captured supplies. After confirming that the bags brought in contained salt and gunpowder, Feng Yunshan turned back to Wei Ze and said, "Brother Wei has indeed made a great contribution!"

Hearing these exciting words, Wei Ze felt a shiver in his heart. Had the situation of the Taiping Army reached a point where even Lin Fengxiang felt it was unsustainable? However, Wei Ze did not point this out. He smiled and said, "With Sima Lin personally providing support, we can naturally return with ease. Has Sima Lin already arranged the route for our return? Why don't we set off now?"

However, this is not a concern for Wei Ze and the others. Lin Fengxiang led the transport troops, carrying their supplies and departing. The convoy avoided the battlefield where both sides were engaged in combat and hurried towards Yong'an City.

Waiting for Wei Ze at the convergence point was not only Zhang Yingchen, but also a contingent of two troops dispatched from within the city, led by none other than Lin Fengxiang, the imperial guard of the Taiping Army. Lin Fengxiang was also one of the 40 old brothers from the Jintian Uprising, and at this time held the official title of Sima, while also serving as the imperial guard for Hong Xiuquan. Although his official rank was the same as Wei Ze's, his status was considerably higher than that of Wei Ze.

"Why must one be concerned about the gains and losses of this city and land... heh." After listening, Feng Yunshan merely smiled and said nothing further. The various kings of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom resided together, with their royal residences located in several large houses near the government office of Yong'an City. Yong'an City is not large; in the time it took to speak, the two had already arrived at the entrance of the East King’s residence. The South King, Feng Yunshan, did not comment on Wei Ze's views; he led Wei Ze directly into the East King’s residence. Yong'an City is not large; in the time it took to speak, the two had already arrived at the entrance of the East King’s residence. The South King, Feng Yunshan, did not comment on Wei Ze's views; he led Wei Ze directly into the East King’s residence.