In Feng Yunshan's view, the biggest threat to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was actually that its leader Hong Xiuquan had insufficient abilities.
There has never been a founding emperor so shoddy since ancient times!
Hong Xiuquan's abilities are not just lacking compared to Zhu Yuanzhang; they are far inferior to Li Zicheng as well. At least Li Zicheng managed to lead his troops into Beijing and force the death of Emperor Chongzhen. Try making Hong Tianwang command an army?
Fortunately, there were two able men like Feng Yunshan and Yang Xiuqing to help him. One helped to revive the anti-governmental organization known as the Heavenly Emperor Cult, while the other integrated a group of Zijing mountain miners and rural farmers in Guangxi into a disciplined, capable army that could win battles.
This way, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom inevitably falls into a situation of two, three, or even four emperors ruling under one country!
When the situation is precarious, the second, third, and fourth rulers can still unite to survive. However, once the situation turns favorable, such as after breaking through the southern camp that threatened the safety of Tianjing, Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuqing's brotherly feelings would come to an end.
After losing Feng Yunshan and Xiao Chaogui, eliminating Yang Xiuqing and Wei Changgui, and forcing Shi Daikai to leave, the weakened Taiping Heavenly Kingdom under Hong Xiuquan, the incompetent ruler, can there still be any future?
And Hong Xiuquan killing Yang Xiuqing was the king of heaven killing the "Heavenly Father." Wouldn't the faith of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom collapse as a result?
Although Feng Yunshan did not see the history after the Tianjing Incident, he was still able to predict the ultimate outcome of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
However, this pattern of one country with multiple rulers seems unlikely to be changed by just adding the three men like Xiao Chaogui, Feng Yunshan, and Luo YaoGuo. In the first place, there was already Yang Dong Wang managing Hong Xiuquan. If there were an additional King of the West, South King, and Archangel, it would only make things more intense.
Thinking of this, Feng Yunshan's expression became increasingly ugly.
"Sister Feng," Luo Yao Guo, having put away the "treasure phone," now began to discuss with Feng Yunshan how to save the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, "Do you think that our biggest mistake in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was having too many rulers and that the abilities of the Heavenly King were not sufficient?"
Feng Yunshan was taken aback and replied, "Isn't that so?"
"No, not at all!" Luo Yao Guo shook his head, "Big Brother San, actually the biggest mistake we made in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was that once the army was mobilized for peace, the Heavenly Father's party disappeared!"
"What do you mean by 'the army mobilized for peace, and the Heavenly Father's party is gone'?" Feng Yunshan was puzzled.
Luo Yao Guo emphasized his tone: "It means that when the Taiping army was mobilized in Jin Tián, the Heavenly Emperor Cult disappeared... It is gone!"
"Eighth Brother," Feng Yunshan disagreed with Luo Yao Guo's opinion, "This Heavenly Emperor Cult has already become the Taiping Army. How can we say it's gone?"
Luo Yao Guo shook his head, "But isn't the Heavenly Emperor Cult different from the Taiping Army?"
Feng Yunshan asked with a puzzled look, "Isn't that so?"
"Of course not!"
Luo Yao Guo explained thoughtfully, "What should the Heavenly Emperor Cult be doing?"
It was to spread the teachings of the Heavenly Emperor, develop its followers, and lead the Heavenly Emperor army and anti-Qing loyalists to work together to create a world where everyone had food to eat, clothing to wear, land to farm, and books to read!"
Feng Yunshan was taken aback by what he had heard.
If the Heavenly Emperor Cult can do all that, then what is the point of having Hong Xiuquan?
"Old eighth......" Feng Yunshan asked in a low voice, "Is this...... the will of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother?"
Luo Yao Guo nodded and added, "In order to achieve the goals of the Heavenly Emperor Cult, we must turn it into a secret society that can tightly control all men and women holy soldiers, ordinary citizens, various industries and trades, cities and villages!"
"Even the rural countryside?" Feng Yunshan asked. "Is that not too much control?"
Luo Yao Guo asked, "Big Brother San, do you know about the saying that since ancient times, the imperial power does not reach the countryside? Now, even the Qing dynasty's power is like that. The imperial power is in charge of government offices within the city. Outside of the city, it is respected by local gentry. Most of the local gentry in China are educated in Confucianism and willing to cooperate with foreign powers as traitors!"
Our Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is to establish a world where everyone has land to farm, and all things are equal. Even just the policy of equitable distribution of land will make these traitorous gentry consider me their dead enemy. How much more so when the teachings of the Heavenly Emperor differ greatly from those of Confucius and Mencius!"
If the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom cannot use the Heavenly Emperor Society to compete with these gentry for rural areas, then even if we can conquer some cities in the future, it will be a situation where 'the Heavenly Father does not descend to the countryside,' and outside the cities, it will all be territory controlled by Han traitorous gentry. How can that work?
Big Brother San, think about it. When our Taiping army was in Yanyang, wasn't it 'the Heavenly Father does not descend to the countryside'? The countryside outside Yanyang was mostly controlled by the Qing demons' dogs, the local gentry. Is our Heavenly Kingdom just confined to the city walls like a cage?"
"Yes......" Feng Yunshan nodded, gritting his teeth and said, "All of this is the fault of Chou demon, Xiang demon, Wu demon, Qin demon! Wherever we go, they follow us!"
"Not entirely!" Luo Yao Guo said, "This is because Big Brother San you haven't managed the Heavenly Emperor Cult well enough! If there are secret chapters of the Heavenly Emperor Cult throughout the four rural areas of Yanyang, and even in the armies of Zhou Tianzhu, Xiang Rong, Wan Hang Tai, and Qin Dingsan...... how can they survive outside Yanyang city?"
"But how can the Heavenly Emperor Cult be the same as the Land and Heaven Society?" Feng Yunshan frowned.
Luo Yao Guo smiled bitterly. He knew that the Heavenly Emperor Cult looked down upon the Land and Heaven Society, thinking it was made up of a motley crew with a loose organization, and not capable of great things... To some extent, that was true as well!
But Sun Zixiang was also a brother of the Hongmen!
"How? Am I wrong?" Feng Yunshan noticed the change in Luo Yao Guo's expression and asked further.
"Not entirely!" Luo Yao Guo shook his head, "If the branches and sub-chapters of the Heavenly Emperor Cult are spread throughout the four directions, we must be inclusive and collectivistic. There will inevitably be some mixed people, both good and bad. Moreover, we must recruit many frustrated scholars... But as long as we stick to our principles, we won't make the same mistakes as the Heaven and Earth Society!"
"What point?" Feng Yunshan asked.
"Equal distribution of land!" Luo Yao Guo emphasized, "It must be truly implemented, not just talked about without action!"
Only by equalizing land distribution can those who are loyal to the Qing demons, the traitorous gentry, be truly eradicated!
Only by equalizing land distribution, the poor peasants who follow us to overthrow the traitorous gentry and receive land will truly believe that our Heavenly Emperor Cult is to build a human Heavenly Kingdom where everyone has food to eat, clothing to wear, and books to read!"
And any member of the Heavenly Emperor Cult who is willing to join us in promoting the equal distribution of land, regardless of their background, whether they have joined the Land and Heaven Society, or whether they have studied Confucian and Mencius texts, is a reliable follower of the Heavenly Emperor Cult!
As long as the Han traitorous gentry who support the Qing demons are eradicated, as long as the poor peasants are willing to follow the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and as long as the party members of the Heavenly Emperor Cult can implement the equal distribution of land... Then, our country will be invincible, and the Qing demons will be no match for us!"
"Good!" Feng Yunshan suddenly shouted out loudly, then pulled Luo Yao Guo's hand and said, "Young Brother Eight, I must admit that brother has been thinking the same way as you about equal distribution of land! These days, brother has been preparing a document called the 'Field System of the Heavenly Kingdom,' which I plan to implement once we arrive at Little Paradise!"
Apparently, the "Field System of the Heavenly Kingdom" was established by Feng Yunshan before his death! Luo Yao Guo looked at the King of the South in front of him, and his eyes also expressed admiration.
The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement, with the "Field System of the Heavenly Kingdom" and the "New Articles for National Governance," can be said to have stood at the peak of all Chinese farmer rebellions throughout history.
It is a steep lead!
All those who are familiar with history know that the combination of the "Field System of the Heavenly Kingdom" and the "New Articles for National Governance" provides a solution that is quite close to the "standard answer."
And it was Feng Yunshan and Hong Rengan who presented this standard answer!
However, while Feng Yunshan presented the first half of the "standard answer" - the "Field System of the Heavenly Kingdom," history did not give him the opportunity to implement and gradually modify and improve it. Feng Yunshan was "erased" before he could do so. Without the foundation of the "Field System of the Heavenly Kingdom," Hong Rengan's "New Articles for National Governance" ultimately became just a sigh......
And Luo Yao Guo now provides the method to execute this standard answer: rely on the secret society rather than the King!
From now on, the Heavenly King can truly sleep soundly, and the world will be handled and managed by the Heavenly Emperor Society!
