THE SPLIT 217 Taiping Advance to Tianjin ANGZHOU NANJING● (Nanking) LHINHIANG DAN￥AG SUZHOL Lake TalL SHANGHAI Lake HUzHoU HANGZHOU INGBO NANCHANG。 Lake HANGSH 0450 2 0 Taiwan CANTON South China Sea GREATEST EXTENT MACAD。 ●HoNG KONG OF TAIPING CONTROL
THE SPLIT 217 〓⒈ ` ∷∷ ` `∷ H ∷夂∷∷ ∷ ∮△∷∷∷ ∶~∶ 亠 Ⅱ 〓刂 ℃ 杪 〓时〓〓≡” 汀∷∴Ⅱ 〓邛 〓∷夕 丫 ` 艹礴0 裱酽 `1∶ |嗜玄 铲 ￠ V铲 尸 磨|∷ ∷ △‰ |螂 艹→吏0 《’。t F、 ∷∷⒈Ⅱ∷、-∶ ∷|∵1∶ L’Ⅱy s。 //rD‘l钅 `″ 庀 | GREATEsT ExTENT OF TAIPING CoNTROL ∷∷ 〓 `〓 ∷ ︱ 卜 }’ 冫 ˉ ∷v∷ {∷{~}' 蟾 气卢∷∷ `∷ ∷ ' 丬卩 0。 h。 NG K。xc
218 GOD'S CHINESE SON there from Hunan,just manages to hold the city's defenses intact.8 With all these massive campaigns in progress,the constant shift of vic- tories and defeats,the endless search for new recruits and supplies,the Taiping can do little toward the east of their Heavenly Capital,even though the resources there are rich.Indeed even as they threaten and hold cities hundreds of miles away,the Qing press hard upon their central base. It is all the Taiping's locally based forces can do to hold Zhenjiang,less than forty miles downriver,the key to the approaches to the Grand Canal and the Heavenly Capital;while Qing garrison armies are encamped in force in the hilly countryside just a few miles outside the walls of the Heavenly Capital,in a series of interlocking bases from which the Taiping have never had the time or resources to dislodge them.These Qing troops are so near that they are able to keep secret communications open with anti-Taiping loyalists within the city,and to enforce the rules on their own dress and customs,so that local farmers bringing their produce to the informal markets outside the city gates often still have the shaved forehead and long plait of hair mandated by their Manchu masters.? Of the surviving Taiping kings,only Shi Dakai,the Wing King,is constantly occupied in the field,directing and personally leading the dif- ferent phases of the western campaigns.The Heavenly King,Hong Xiu- quan,as spiritual leader,bestower of rewards and punishments,and ultimate supervisor,stays in his palace.Wei Changhui,the North King, acts as coordinator for the defense of the region around the Heavenly Capital,and sees to its food supplies.General administrative supervision is in the hands of the East King,Yang Xiuqing,who also acts as coordina- tor of all the military campaigns.Other Guangxi veterans,mainly from Thistle Mountain and Guiping,have mansions in the city and have been enfeoffed with noble ranks-they serve either in the field or as senior officials in the Heavenly Capital.But despite the formidable system of post stations and communications both by land and by water that the Taiping rapidly establish-with post stations ten miles apart,special bureaus to chart the weather,and couriers carrying their special seal of a flying horse surrounded by clouds,and disguising themselves as mer- chants or peasants when demon patrols are blocking the routes-the fronts change so often along with the areas controlled by the Taiping that most generals on specific campaigns have to be left a wide area of initia- tive.The river town of Wuhu,for example,some fifty miles upriver from Nanjing on the south shore of the Yangzi,and an important center for commerce and communication,changes hands eight times between 1853 and 1855 alone.1
218 GOD’ s CHINEsE S○ N thcrc from Hunan,iust managCs to hold thc0ty’ s dcfcnscs intact。 : 、、厂ith aⅡ thcsc massivc campaigns in progrcss,thc c° nstant shift of vic~ t° rics and dcfcats,thc cndlcss scarch for ncw rccruits and supphcs,thc Taiping can do httlc t0、 vard thc cast of thcir HcavcnIy Capital, cvcn though thc rcsourccs thcrc arc rich.Indccd cvcn as thcy thrcatcn and hold citics hundrcds of Π1ilcs away,thc Qing prcss hard upon thcir ccntral basc。 It is all thc Taiping’ s locally bascd forccs can do to hold zhcnjiang,lcss than forty Π1Ⅱcs downrivcf,thC kCy to thc approachcs to thc Grand Canal and thc Hcavcnly Ca,tal;whlC Qing garrison armks arc cncampcd in foKc h thc hmy c。 untrysdc just a fcw milcs outsidc thc walls of thc Hcavcnly Capital,in a scfics ofintcrlocking bascs fron△ 、vhich thc∶ Γaiping havc ncvcr had thc tirnc Or rcsourccs to dislodgc thcm。 Thcsc Qing tr。 。ps arc so ncar that thcy arc ablc to kccp sccrct corylrnunications opcn、 vith anti-Taiping loyahsts within thc city, and to cnforcc thc rulcs on thcir o、不 `n drcss and customs,so that local farmcrs bringing thcir producc to thc informal markcts outsidc thc city gatcs oftcn stiⅡ havc thc shavcd forchcad and long plait of hair rnandatcd by thcir Mahchu1nastcrs,9 Of thc surviving Taiping kings,onIy Shi Dakai, thc Wing King,is constandy occupicd in thc ficld,dirccting and pcrsonally lcading thc dif~ fcrcnt phascs of thc、 vcstcrn campaigns,Thc Hcavcnly King,Hong9【 iu一 quan, as spirituaI lcadcr, bcstowcr of rcwards and punishmcnts, and ultirnatc supcrvisor,stays in his palacc.Wci Changhui,thc North X1ing, acts as c。 ordinator for thc dcfcnsc of thc rcgion around thc Hcavcnly Capital,and sccs to its food supphcs,Gcncral adΠ 1inistrativc supcrvision isin thc hands ofthc East King,γ 'ang Xiuqing,who also acts as coordinator of aⅡ thc Π1ihtary campaigns。 Othcr CTuangxi vctcrans,rnainIy from Thisdc l!、 /1[ountain and Guiping,havc r11ansions in thc city and havc bccn cnfcoffcd 、vith noblc ranks__thcy scrvc cithcr in thc ficld or as scni° r 。m。ds|n thc HCavcnly Ca,taI,I0BLlt dcspitc tllc formdablc w虻 cm of post stations and c° ∏1rnunications both by land and by watcr that thc Taiping rapidly cstablish__with post stations tcn n1Ⅱ cs apart, spccial burcaus to chart thc wcathcr,and couricrs carrying thcir spccial scal of a nying h。 rsc surroVndcd by clouds, and disguising thcl11sclVCs as mcrchants or pcasants 、Vhcn dcmon patrols arc blocking thc routcs~ˉ thC fronts changc so oftcn along with thc arcas controllcd by thc Taiping that most gcncrals on spccinc campaigns havc to bc lcft a widc arca of initiativc.Thc rivcr town of Ⅵ7uhu,for cxamplc,somc fifty milcs upⅡ vcr from Nanjing on thc south shorc of thc Yangzi,and an important ccntcr for Co∏1111CrCc and colllrnunication,changcs hands cight tirncs bctwccn1853 and1855alonc,11
THE SPLIT 219 It is at the end of December 1853 that Yang Xiuqing changes the rules as they have begun to coalesce,and begins to speak once again publicly as the voice of God.This is the first clear move in a sequence that will take Yang himself and thousands of other Taiping followers to their death. The timing and the precise motivation for the change are ambiguous.The news from the northern expedition is bad but not yet disastrous,and Yang has ordered massive reinforcements to move north from Yangzhou;the western expedition has temporarily stalled,but has already achieved remarkable successes;and the French have visited Nanjing on the Cassini and left again without making any offers of support despite Taiping encouragement. The visitation is announced abruptly,in the middle of a working day, after the North King and other senior officials have conferred with Yang about their administrative duties.Four of Yang's palace women officials, with their assistants,are the only ones with him,and it is to these women that God first speaks through Yang's mouth.God's message to these women is that Hong Xiuquan,the Heavenly King,has grown both harsh and indulgent with his power:harsh to the women who serve in atten- dance on him,and indulgent to his son the Young Monarch,now four years old.In particular,four of the palace women who work for the Heav- enly King-the message names them individually-should be released from their palace duties with Hong and sent to live instead in the palace complex of Yang,the East King.Their duties could be taken over by any of Hong's other palace women.By the time the North King and the other Taiping officials arrive,God has returned to Heaven,so kneeling they receive the message from the women of the court.In a second swift visit through Yang,this time at the court of Hong Xiuquan,God orders the Heavenly King to receive forty blows of the rod for his derelictions.Only when Hong prostrates himself to receive the blows does God forgive him and return to Heaven.12 The charges of harshness and indulgence are then discussed by Yang Xiuqing:the Young Monarch,Hong's four-year-old son,is self-indulgent and willful-he plays in the rain,despite the possible harm,and that must be stopped.He smashes presents that he is given,and that too must cease, lest as a ruler in the future he abuse the people.3 The harshness to the women has also taken various forms:when palace women dig an orna- mental pool for Hong,he treats it as a general might a military operation, ordering them to work through rain or snow.The concubines have been allowed to sneer at and scold the women officials,preventing them from doing their duty in the palace,and when the women officials are attending
THE sPLIT 219 Itis at thc cnd of Dcccmbcr1853that γ 冫ang Xiuqing changcs thc rulcs 三s thcy havc bcgun to coalcscc,and bcgins to spcak oncc again pubhcly as 1hc voicc of God,This is thc nrst cIcar rnovc in a scqucncc that、 vⅡl takc 、 ˉ ang hirnsclf and thousands of othcr Taiping follo、 vcrs to thcir dcath l hc tirning and thc prccisc rnotivation for thc changc arc ambiguous.Thc △C`Vs from thc northcrn cxpcdition is bad but n。 t yct disastrous,and Yang ias Ordcrcd massivc rcinforccmcnts to moVc north frolyl Yangzhou;thc △cstCrn CXpcdition has tcmporarⅡ y stallcd, but has alrcady achicvcd rcmarkablc succcsscs;and thc Frcnch havc visitcd Naniing on thc C夕 “ '`2丿 三nd lCft again without making any o￡ ￡crs of support dCspitc Taiping :ncouragcmcnt。 Thc visitaoon is announccd abrupdy,in thc∏ 1iddlc of a、 vorking day, =rtcr thc North I(ing and othcr scnior ofscials havc confcrrcd、 vith Yang 三bout thcir adrninistrativc dutics。 Four of Yang’ s palacc、 vomcn offIcials, 、ith thcir assistants,arc thc only oncs with hirn,and it is to thcsc、 vomCn that God srst spcaks through Yang’ s mouth。 CJod’ s mcssagc to thCsC 、vomcn is that Hong Xiuquan,thc Hcavcnly】 (ing,has gro、 vn both harsh jnd indulgcnt with his polx/cr:harsh to thc、 vomcn who scrvc in attcndancc On hirn,and indulgcnt to his son thc Young Monarch,no、 v four )Cars old· In particular,four ofthc palacc、 vomCn、Vho work forthc Hcav- :nly King— —thc mcssagc namcs thcn△ individually— —should bc rclcascd from thcir palacc dutics、 vith Hong and scnt to livc instcad in thc palacc :omplcx of Yang,thc East I《 ing.Thcir dutics could bc takcn ovcr by any of Hong’ s othcr palacc、 vomcn.By thc tirnc thc North I《Ling and thc othcr Taiping ofscials arrivc,(jod has rcturncd to Hcavcn,so kncchng thcy rcccivc thc mcssagc f1· om thc womcn ofthC court。 In a sccond swift visit through Yang,this tirnc at thc court of Hong Xiuquan,(jod ordcrs thc Hcavcnly King to rcccivc forty bloⅥ/s of thc rod for his dcrchctions.Only “hcn Hong prostratcs hirnsclf to rcccivc thc blows docs CJod forgivc hirn and rcturn to Hcavcn,2 Thc chargcs of harshncss and indulgcncc arc thcn discusscd by γ 厂ang Xiuqing:thc Young NIonarch,Hong’ s four-ycar一old son,is sclf-indulgcnt and、vⅡ lful——hc plays in thc rain,dcspitc thc possiblc harn1,and that rnust bc stoppcd.Hc smashcs prcscnts that hc is givcn,and that too must ccasc, lcst as a rulcr in thc futurc hc abusc thc pcoplc,13'Γ hc harshncss to thc `vomcn has also takcn various forms: 、vhcn palacc womcn dig an ornamcntal pool for I△ong,hc trcats it as a gcncral rnight a rnⅡ itary opcration, ordcring thcnn t0、 vork through rain or snoⅥ /,Thc concubincs havc bccn allo、vcd to snccr at and scold thc、 vomcn ofscials,prcvcnting thcn△ from d° ing thcir duty in thc palacc,and、 vhcn thc womcn ofncials arc attcnding