novelSusiti Chapter 110 Before Hong Xiuquan, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's Heavenly King, the second son o
Chapter 110 Before Hong Xiuquan, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's Heavenly King, the second son o
Chapter 110 Before Hong Xiuquan, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's Heavenly King, the second son of God, Jesus' brother, Melchizedek.
"stop!"
At the critical moment, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar.
Several fast horses galloped from the direction of the city and stopped abruptly at the dock. The leader was dressed in a plain yellow robe and wore a horned hat; he was tall and slender.
He roared, "How dare you lay a hand on the Heavenly King's brother? Lay it down!"
Upon hearing this, many of the hundreds of naval soldiers on the dock lowered their weapons. However, some soldiers looked towards the leading group of swordsmen from the Eastern Prince's Mansion.
The leader of the card-wielding men snorted coldly upon hearing this, and said sarcastically, "The Heavenly King's Mansion has quite the airs of officialdom."
"I see you're quite the arrogant official from the Eastern Prince's Mansion!"
The man's gaze swept across the crowd, and he shouted sternly, "A few mere swordsmen from the Eastern Prince's Mansion, the stuff of two sergeant commanders, dare to lead troops to attack the Heavenly King's cousin? Do they have a death wish?!"
The lead swordsman's eyes flashed with anger upon hearing this insult, but he quickly regained his composure: "Brother of the Heavenly King? This Lord of the Imperial Clan, you're too late."
"Unfortunately, Chen Chengxuan, acting on the edict of the Eastern King, has already invited the official to the Eastern King's residence after verifying his identity."
He grinned and said sarcastically, "Why don't you go to the Eastern Prince's residence and invite him?"
The master's face darkened; he hadn't expected to be a step too late.
As for going to the Eastern Prince's Mansion to ask for help? Are you kidding me?
Just last year, Huang Yukun, the Prime Minister of the Ministry of Justice, clashed with the King of the East while handling a case. As a result, he was severely beaten with three hundred strokes of the cane by the King of the East, stripped of his marquis title, and demoted to a common soldier.
He's just a small clerk; going there would be suicide.
Fortunately, he still has a chance to make amends.
"I see."
The head of the court said calmly, "Then you may step aside. I'm taking the people on the ship to the Heavenly King's Palace."
"No!"
The swordsman bluntly refused: "Lord Zhangchao, we and the naval soldiers are following the rules to inspect the cargo on the ship, but these madmen are refusing to allow it and even speaking rudely to my Eastern Prince's Mansion."
"If you take it away, what will become of the Eastern Prince's Mansion's reputation?"
"So what?"
The master waved his hand at the gate and led several riders forward. The soldiers blocking the way automatically parted in fear of his power, like Moses parting the sea.
As he rode past the leader of the swordsmen, he said contemptuously, "It's one thing for your superior, Chengxuan, to say such things, but what are you, a mere swordsman, to dare to speak ill of the Eastern Prince's Mansion?"
Upon hearing this, the card-wielding men's expressions shifted, a mixture of resentment and anger. But in the end, they simply waved their hands resentfully and led their men away.
Upon seeing this, the soldiers of the naval camp felt as if they had been granted a pardon and dared not linger, immediately going on patrol.
Zhang Chaomen, on horseback, bowed to the crowd aboard the Chengfeng and said, "Gentlemen, you have been frightened. I am Chen Jinshui, and I hold the position of Zhang Chaomen of the Heavenly King's Palace."
"Guests are welcome. It is our Heavenly Kingdom's fault for failing to properly entertain you, righteous men who brought the Heavenly King's cousin to Tianjing. We hope you will forgive us."
Rong Hong returned the greeting and said, "So it is Chen Zhangchao. I am Rong Hong, a good friend of Ren Gan. This is Hong Wu, the captain of this ship and our guard."
Chen Jinshui nodded and continued, "His Majesty the Heavenly King was overjoyed to hear of my cousin's arrival and specially ordered me to come and invite you all to the Heavenly King's Palace for a chat."
Hongwu and Rong Hong exchanged a glance, and Hongwu nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, Manager Chen."
Chen Jinshui glanced at the Chengfeng again and asked, "Is there anything important on board? If so, I'll have someone keep an eye on it, and I guarantee nothing will be missing."
Hongwu said, "There are some weapons we brought on board that we intend to sell to the Heavenly Kingdom. My men will be on board watching over them, and we will decide what to do with them after Mr. Hong comes out of the Eastern King's Mansion."
However, it's fine if Master Chen wants to send someone up.
Chen Jinshui nodded, then turned and gave a few instructions to the guards from the Heavenly King's Palace who were following behind him. Two guards immediately dismounted and stood by the gangplank, guarding the boat.
He pointed to the two fine horses and said, "Please mount your horses and follow me."
Rong Hong and Hongwu mounted their horses and followed Chen Jinshui, riding towards the Heavenly King's Palace in the center of Tianjing.
The streets of Tianjing were wider than Hongwu had imagined, but they lacked the prosperity that would match their width.
The buildings on both sides were mostly government offices and military camps, with a few shops occasionally visible, but all were closed. There weren't many pedestrians on the street, mostly soldiers wearing red headscarves, and a few civilians who hurried by.
Not long after they started walking, a magnificent complex of buildings suddenly came into Hongwu's view.
Heavenly King's Mansion.
This place was originally the residence of the Viceroy of Liangjiang during the Qing Dynasty, and its history can be traced back to the Prince of Han's Mansion during the Ming Dynasty. Now, after being expanded by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, its scale is far greater than before. It covers an area of more than ten square miles and is divided into inner and outer sections.
As they continued forward, the Heavenly King's Palace drew ever closer.
Chen Jinshui led them around the screen wall, dismounted at the dismounting sign, handed the horses to the attendants there, dismissed the guards following behind, and slowly said, "We have arrived at the Heavenly King's Palace. You two righteous men, remember to be careful with your words. It would be best to leave your weapons here for the time being."
Hongwu pulled out two revolvers and a hunting knife from his waist, and then several throwing knives from his pocket. Just when Chen Jinshui and Rong Hong thought they were done for, he pulled out a small knife from his shoe.
"It's normal for bodyguards to carry a lot of weapons for self-defense," Rong Hong coughed and explained.
Chen Jinshui's lips twitched, and he looked at the soldiers beside him: "Take the two righteous men to the small house next door and search them thoroughly."
After some trouble, the three of them finally continued on their way.
After passing the Heavenly Father Platform and crossing the Five Dragon Bridge, the outer city's main gate appeared before Hongwu.
The main gate was extremely tall and imposing. Hanging above it was a yellow silk banner over ten feet long, with twenty large characters written in vermilion ink: "All officials, large and small, must stop here. Entry is only permitted with an imperial edict; otherwise, you will be hidden in the snow and clouds."
Zeng Tai, who was admiring the scenery, asked, "Hongwu, what do those three characters 'Snow Clouds' mean?"
Hongwu answered calmly, his voice reflecting his true feelings: "Your Majesty, it means to be hacked to death and chopped into mincemeat. According to the rules of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, anyone who enters the palace without an imperial edict will be executed without mercy."
Chen Jinshui continued walking, leading them through numerous gates and solemn female officials, finally stopping in front of a magnificent hall.
The Golden Dragon Hall, also known as the Temple of the True God, the Father God.
The hall is several meters high, with a hipped roof and double eaves. The roof is covered with yellow glazed tiles that shimmer in the sunlight. The hall door is slightly ajar, and one can vaguely see that the beams inside are also gleaming with gold and painted with dragons and phoenixes.
Two rows of guards stood before the hall, dressed in yellow vests and holding long spears, motionless like statues.
"You really know how to enjoy yourself."
Zeng Tai looked at the palace, clicked his tongue, and said sarcastically, "This second son of God has probably long forgotten his original intention that 'all men are brothers and all women are sisters.'"
Hongwu asked himself, "My lord, have you forgotten?"
Zeng Tai scoffed, "Do you think I'm some kind of country bumpkin?"
His tone became serious, and he said, word by word, "My original intentions were threefold: the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the transformation of the entire Pacific Ocean into a bathing basin for the Han people, and the advancement of technology to interstellar travel."
Before these things are finished, I won't indulge in any external desires. Of course, gluttony doesn't count.
Chen Jinshui gestured for the two to wait outside the hall, while he entered the hall through a side door to report.
Outside the hall, the two did not wait long before a tall palace guard approached and announced loudly, "The Heavenly King has decreed: Summon the American merchants Yung Wing and Hongwu to the hall for an audience!"
Hongwu and Rong Hong straightened their clothes and stepped inside.
The hall was extremely spacious, with rows of gilded beams and pillars. On the steps stood a massive dragon throne. Seated on the throne was a man.
The man was about four years old, tall, and had a round face. He wore a yellow satin robe embroidered with nine dragons, and a pure gold crown with pearl tassels hanging from it, covering half of his face.
It was none other than Hong Xiuquan, the Heavenly King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the second son of God, the brother of Jesus, Melchizedek, and the second son of God.
Hongwu and Rong Hong walked into the hall and paid their respects according to the rules of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
"Rong Hong pays his respects to the Heavenly King."
"Hongwu pays respects to the Heavenly King."
Hong Xiuquan didn't speak immediately, but instead peered at them through the gaps in his crown. After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse: "You are the American merchants who brought Ren Kai to Tianjing?"
Yung Wing replied, "Your Majesty, that's right. When we passed through Hong Kong, we learned that Your Majesty's cousin was teaching there, so we made this deal."
"A deal? What deal?"
Rong Hong said, "We brought him to Tianjing, and he promised to take us to see the Heavenly King and sell firearms for us."
Hong Xiuquan became interested and continued to ask, "What kind of firearms?"
As a king, he was indeed somewhat concerned about firearms.
Since the Taiping Rebellion began, it has focused on guns and cannons. In addition to establishing arsenals such as the Cannon Manufacturing Office, the Powder Manufacturing Office, and the Lead Coating Office to manufacture guns, cannons, and gunpowder, it also sent people to contact various foreign firms and spend large sums of money to purchase foreign guns and cannons.
Hong Wu said, "A thousand breech-loading rifles, five machine guns, and three hundred thousand rounds of metal ammunition were all made by Chinese people in the United States. Their power and range are the best in the world."
"To put it bluntly, what the foreigners sold to the Heavenly Kingdom before was all garbage compared to this."
"Oh? Did you bring it?"
Upon hearing this, Hong Xiuquan's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward slightly.
This person came across the sea. Since he dared to make such a boast in front of me, it means he must have some confidence, and his firearms must also have something unique about them.
"on board."
Hong Wu said, "Originally, I wanted Mr. Hong to deliver it to the Heavenly King. But Mr. Hong was taken away by the people from the Eastern King's Mansion, so the item was left on a boat at the dock."
Hong Xiuquan's expression darkened slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.
He turned to Chen Jinshui, who was standing not far away serving him: "Pass down the order, have Yue Jiang lead the female soldiers to the dock and transport all the firearms from the ship to the Heavenly King's Palace. Be quick and don't alert too many people."
"By the decree of the Heavenly King, may he live ten thousand years."
Chen Jinshui responded and began to back away.
He hadn't gone far when Hong Xiuquan called him back: "Wait, and call Hanying again. He knows Rengan, so have him bring Rengan back."
Han Ying refers to Lai Han Ying, the brother-in-law of the Heavenly King, who currently serves as the Minister of Rites in the Eastern Palace.
Chen Jinshui was taken aback: "Your Majesty, without an imperial decree, I'm afraid the Eastern Prince's Mansion will not release the person."
"Then take my decree to the Eastern Prince's residence!"
Hong Xiuquan's voice turned cold. "Rengan is my cousin, an elder of the God Worshipping Society, who has come all the way from Hong Kong. It is a good thing that the Eastern King is hosting a banquet for him, but we brothers have not seen each other for a long time, and I want to see my younger brother first. The Eastern King will not refuse this reason."
As soon as he finished speaking, the female official serving the Heavenly King immediately began to draft the imperial edict.
Meanwhile, at the Eastern Prince's Mansion.
When Lai Hanying arrived at the Eastern Prince's Mansion, Yang Xiuqing and Hong Rengan were walking and chatting in the back garden, the atmosphere was harmonious. The back garden was filled with lush rockeries, flowing water, and many flowers in full bloom, their fragrance filling the air.
"Qianyi, your idea of a new chapter in governance is excellent."
Yang Xiuqing was a thin, dark-skinned middle-aged man wearing a yellow satin robe embroidered with eight dragons, and he had a smile on his face.
"Establishing railways, steamships, banks, and newspapers; implementing a patent system; reforming social customs—every word of it makes sense. Would you like to come to my Eastern Palace? I can certainly offer you the position of Minister of Works."
Hong Rengan looked extremely apprehensive and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "I have not accomplished anything yet, how dare I accept the position of Minister?"
Inwardly, however, he cursed: "Do you think I don't know you want to put me under your command? Minister of Works? It sounds nice, but there are twelve ministers in one Ministry of Works, and their positions are equivalent to inspectors. They have no real power whatsoever. It would be a miracle if they could get anything done."
Yang Xiuqing laughed heartily and said, "Don't underestimate yourself. You're an old member of the God Worshipping Society, and you've learned a lot about Western things in Hong Kong. You have a broad perspective and are more than qualified to be the Minister of Works."
He narrowed his eyes and said softly, "Or do you think this position is too low-ranking and you look down on it?"
Hong Rengan broke out in a cold sweat on the spot. He tried to remain calm and was about to speak when he suddenly heard someone rushing in, shouting, "Your humble servant Lai Hanying has come to pay his respects to His Majesty the Eastern King!"
"Imperial brother-in-law is here?"
Yang Xiuqing temporarily let Hong Rengan go and looked at Lai Hanying, who was rushing towards her. "Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Your Majesty, the Eastern King, this is the Heavenly King's decree."
Lai Hanying nodded slightly to Hong Rengan, then took out an apricot-yellow edict and said, "By the holy decree of the Heavenly Father, Heavenly Brother, and Heavenly King, I hereby order that since we have not seen each other for a long time, I miss you dearly. Please invite Hong Rengan to the Golden Dragon Hall of the Heavenly King's Palace immediately to fulfill my longing."
Yang Xiuqing's expression remained unchanged. After a few seconds of silence, he nodded: "Since the Heavenly King misses his cousin, then let's end this banquet here."
He turned to look at Hong Rengan and said, "Qianyi, what I just said still stands. Whenever you want to come, the doors of the East Palace are always open for you."
With that, he waved his hand and said, "See them out!"
Hong Rengan bowed to Yang Xiuqing: "I will remember the Eastern King's kindness. I will come to express my gratitude again another day."
Yang Xiuqing stood under the tree, watching their figures disappear behind the moon gate, his smile gradually fading. He ripped off a flower branch beside him, scattering petals all over the ground, his face turning completely grim.
"You're asking for it!"
"A new chapter in governance? Opening up channels for free speech, judicial independence? Childish nonsense! You think I'd let you accomplish that?!"
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