224 GOD's CHINESE SON I beseech you,our second elder brother,to pardon this younger brother's crime and permit this younger brother to memorialize straightforwardly.If apparel were insufficient,then it would be necessary to make up more;but if it is said it is sufficient,it will be better to delay the making up of more, and then we can see the second elder brother's virtues of economy and love of man.Why should our younger brother Zheng [the North King]memori- alize on the necessity of constantly making up more clothing? Faced by these conflicting claims,the Heavenly King praises Yang,saying: Brother [Yang XiulQing!You are certainly what the ancients called a bold and outspoken minister.And you,brother Zheng,although you may have a sincere regard for your elder brother,are not so straightforward and open in your statements as our brother Qing;for which he is to be much more commended.Later,in the reign of the Young Monarch,all who are minis- ters should imitate the example of our brother Qing in speaking straightfor- wardly as he has done this day:thus will they fulfill their duty as ministers.26 The humiliation of Marquis Qin is more indirect,but after he and the East and North Kings have been treated to a banquet by the Heavenly King,in honor of their presence at God's visit,he is firmly reminded by Hong that he is not in the inner circle of Hong Xiuquan's"brothers"and that such special grace,rare already,will not be repeated once Hong Xiu- quan has departed this world,for Qin is,and will remain,only a"minis- ter”and not a king..27 This distancing of Qin does not however mean that Yang accords North King Wei the same kingly dignities he claims for himself,any more than he does Shi Dakai,the Wing King,who in any case is away most of the time directing the western campaign and poses no current threat to Yang.What Yang has done,with Hong's apparent agreement,is structure an inner "family"of four brothers,with Jesus the eldest,Hong Xiuquan the second,and Yang himself the fourth.(The third place in this sequence was either allotted to the South King,Feng Yunshan,now safely dead,or to Hong's eldest son,Tiangui,still only four years old.)28 In an abbreviated history of the Taiping movement and its beliefs,written by two of Yang Xiuqing's close advisers and issued on his personal orders in 1854,Yang is described as being "personally ordered by the Heavenly Father to descend into the world,to become the Senior Assistant and the Chief of Staff of the Heavenly Kingdom,to save the hungry and redeem the sick, and to rule the younger brothers and sisters of all nations throughout the world."29 In the same text Yang's "Holiness"is distinguished from the224 GOD’ s CHINEsE S0N I bcsccch you,our sccond cldcr brothcr,to pardon this youngcr brothcr’ s crilllc and pcrluit this youngcr brothcr to mcmoriahzc straightf° r、vardly,If apparcl lxrcrc insu± hcicnt,thcn it、^/ould bC ncccssary to makc up morc;but if it is said it is sufhcicnt,it xL/ill bc bcttcr to dclay thc making up of rn° re, and thcn v/c can scc thc sccond cldcr brothcr’ s virtucs of ccon° llly and lovc of man Why should our youngcr brothcr zhcng[thc North Kingl mCm° ri￾ahzc on thc ncccssity of c° nstandy making up morc clothingP Faccd by thcsc connicting cIai1η s,thc Hcavcnly King praiscs Yang,saying: Br° thcr1Yang Xiu]Qing!You arc ccrtainly what thc ancicn“ called a bold and。 utspokcn ministcr And you,br° thcr Zhcng,a1though you may havc a sinccrc rcgard for your cldcr brothcr,arc not so straightforⅥ `ard and° pcn in your statcmcnts as our brothcr Qing tor which hc is to bc much morc colmlncndcd.Latcr,in thc rcign ofthc Y° ung Monarch,all Ⅵ`ho arc Ⅱ1inis￾tcrs should in1itatc thc cxamplc of our br° thcr Qing in spcaking straight1or- 、vardly as hc has d。 nc this day;thus、vill thcy ful丘 ll thcir duty as rninistcrs26 Thc humiliation of Marquis Qin is morc indircct,but aftcr hc and thc East and North XLings havc bccn trcatcd to a banquct by thc Hcavcnly X1ing,in honor of thcir prcscncc at Crod’ s visit,hc is nr∏ 11y rc∏1indcd by Hong that hc is notin thc inncr circlc of Hong Xiuquan’ s“ brothcrs” and that such spccial gracc,rarc alrcady,、 v⒒l not bc rcpcatcd oncc Hong Xiu￾quan has dcpartcd this w。 rld,br Qin is,and will rcmain,only a“ minis一 tcr’ and not a king,7 This distancing of Qin doCs not howcvcr mcan that Yang accords North King VVcithc samc kin掣 y dignities hc d缸 ms for himscls any m° rc than hc docs Shi Dakai,thc Wing King,、 vho in any casc is a、 vay most of thc tirnc dirccting thc wcstcrn Campaign and poscs no cufrcnt thrcat to ′、r冫 ang.What Yang has donc,with Hong’ s apparcnt agrccmcnt,is structurc an inncr“ 勤mily” of%ur br°thcrs,with Jcsus thC cIdcst,Hong Xiuquan thc sccond,and Yang hilnsclfthc fourth,(Thc third placc in this scqucncc was cithcr allottcd to thc South】 《ing,Fcng Yunshan,now safcly dcad,or to Hong’ s cldcst son,Tiangui,still only f0ur ycars old,)2:In an abbrcviatcd history of thc Taiping movcmcnt and its bchcfs,writtcn by t、 ∧/o of Yang Xiuqing’ s closc adviscrs and issucd on his pcrsonal ordcrs in1854,Yang is dcscribcd as bcing “pcrsonally ordcfcd by thc Hcavcnly Fathcr to dcsccnd into thc、vorld,to bcc。 mc thc Scnior Assistant and thc Chicf° f Staff of thc Hcavcnly Kingdon△ ,to saVC thc hungry and rcdccn△ thc sick, and to rulc thc youngcr brothcrs and sistcrs of all nati° ns thr°ughout thc wOrId.’ ’29 In thC samc tcxt Yang’ s “Hohncss’ ’ is distinguishcd froΠ 1 thc