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.1218 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 coordina￾tor 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 mcr￾chants 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 initia￾tivc.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