216 GOD'S CHINESE SON haps it might have succeeded,and the criminals'province been renamed. But it is matched by a parallel campaign to the west,planned and executed on a similar scale;swiftly,also,this western campaign splits into two,as part of the army fights for a strategic base in Anhui province,on the northern shore of the Yangzi River,while the other part moves upriver to recapture Wuchang city,and extend the Taiping river and supply lines to China's southern hinterland.This Wuchang campaign then subdivides, as one group of Taiping armies regains,loses,and recaptures yet again the city of Wuchang,while others push southward into Hunan,seeking once more to seize Changsha.This Hunan campaign splits in its turn,as General Shi Dakai swings south to attack Jiangxi province,southwest of the Heavenly Capital. Some of these campaigns succeed and some do not:Changsha cannot be taken,nor can Hunan be held,for the gentry of Hunan have learned in full measure how to recruit,train,and pay militia armies,while Zeng Guofan,a Confucian scholar-bureaucrat at home to mourn his parents, joins forces with the reinstated governor Luo Bingzhang,and by integra- ting their land and naval forces slowly build a formidable fighting force. Wuchang,however,is recaptured by the Taiping general Chen Yucheng, aged eighteen at the time,nephew to a senior Taiping veteran but already a brilliant military strategist.The city becomes their inland base,easy of access up the Yangzi River from the Heavenly Capital.6 In Anhui province,the battles swirl for years around the strategic city of Luzhou,held for a time by another gentry leader,Jiang Zhongyuan, hero of Suoyi ford,promoted for his valor to be Anhui governor.The Taiping seize the city at last,having developed a new strategy of digging double tunnels one above the other,and lining them with explosives attached to time-spaced fuses.After the first explodes,the Qing defenders rush to mend the gaping holes,and are just completing their repairs as the second explosives fire,killing the wall menders and reopening a gap- ing hole through which the Taiping charge.Jiang commits suicide.But though the Taiping hold Luzhou stubbornly for twenty-two months,until November 1855,they are at last starved out,betrayed,and stormed.?In Jiangxi province,Shi Dakai links up his forces with tens of thousands of Triad Society troops who have been fighting for possession of Canton city and,though failing in that endeavor,have escaped northward up the river Gan.Uniting these various armies,and receiving clear support from the local people,Shi makes most of the province a center of Taiping govern- ment and a rich source of food supplies,save for a small circle of land around the city of Nanchang on Poyang Lake,where Zeng Guofan,sent216 GOD’ s CHINEsE SON hsps it rnight havc succccdcd,and thc crirninals’ provincc bccn rcnamcd, Butitis rnatchcd by a parallcl campaign t。 thc wcst,planncd and cxccutcd on a sirnⅡ ar scaIc;sⅥ /i丘ly,also,this、 vcstcrn campaign sphts into two,as part of thc ar1η y nghts for a stratcgic basc in Anhui pr° vincc, on thc northcrn shorc of thc Yangzi Rivcr,xx/hilc thc° thcr part Iuovcs uprivcr to rccapturc Wuchang city,and cxtcnd thc Taiping rivcr and supply lincs to China’ s southcrn hintcrland.This Wuchang campaign thcn subdividcs, as onc group of Taiping ar∏1ics rcgains,l° scs,and rCcapturcs yct again thc city of Wuchang,whⅡc Othcrs push sOuth、 vard into Hunan,sccking oncc1η orc to scizc Changsha。 This Hunan campaign sphts in its turn,as Gcncral Shi Dakai swings south to attack Jiangxi provincc,southwcst of thc Hcavcnly Capita1. Somc of thcsc campaigns succccd and somc do not∶ Changsha cann° t bc takcn,n° r can Hunan bc hcld,f° r thc gcntry of Hunan havc lcarncd in full lucasurc ho、 v to rCCruit,train,and pay l△ lilitia arlllics,、 vhⅡ C ZCng Guofan, a Confucian scholar~burcaucrat at homc to mourn his parcnts, joins forccs with thc rcinstatcd govcrn。 r Luo Bingzhang,and by intcgra￾tlng thcir land and naval forccs slowly buⅡ d a forn1idablc fighting forcc.5 、、厂uchang,howcvcr,is rccapturcd by thc Taiping gcncral Chcn、 'uchcng, agcd cightccn at thc tirnc,ncphc、 ^/to a scnior∶Γaiping vctcran but alrcady a brⅡ hant rn"itary stratcgist,Thc city bccomcs thcir inland basc,casy of acccss up thc Yangzi Rivcr frolll thc Hcavcnly Capita1.6 In Anhui provincc,thc batdcs s、 ⌒`irl for ycars around thc stratcgic city of Luzhou,hcld for a tirnc by anothcr gcntry lcadcr,Jiang Zh° ngyuan, hcro of Suoyi ford,promotcd f° r his valor to bc Anhui govcrnor, Thc Taiping scizc thc city at last,having dcvclopcd a ncw stratcgy of digging doublc tunncls Onc abovc thc Othcr, and hning thcm vxrith cxplosivcs attachcd to timc-spaccd fLlscs.A± tcr thc nrst cxplodcs,thc Qing dcfcndcrs rush to mcnd thc gaping holcs,and arc just complcting thcir rcpairs as thc sccond cxplosivcs firc,knhng thc、 vaⅡ mcndcrs and rcopcning a gap￾ing holc through which thc Taiping chargc.Jiang co∏ 1111its suicidc,But though thc'Γaiping hold Luzhou stubbornly for tⅥ/cnty-two rnonths,until Novcmbcr 1855,thcy arc at Iast starVcd out,bctraycd,and stormcd.7In Jiangxi pr。 vincc,Shi Dakai links up his forccs、 vith tcns of thousands of △ ′riad Socicty trOops、vho havc bccn nghting fc)r posscssi° n of Canton city and,though faⅡ ing in that cndcavor,havc cscapcd north、vard up thc rivcr Gan,Uniting thcsc various arla,ics,and rccciving clcar support from thc local pcoplc,Shi rnakcs n10st ofthc provincc a ccntcr of∶Γaiping govcrn￾mcnt and a rich sOurcc of food supphcs,savc for a small circlc°f land around thc city of Nanchang on Poyang Lakc,、 vhcrc Zcng CTu° 免n,scnt