220 GOD'S CHINESE SON to such details as repairing palace rooms or sweeping the protected inner gardens,the Heavenly King is always criticizing and interfering,terroriz- ing those who work for him.In his anger,too,Hong has kicked or other- wise punished his royal concubines,even when they are pregnant. However serious their crimes,none should be disciplined by violent means until her time is up and the child is born.4 These are the East King's elaborations of God's words,but on this and another occasion two days later he gives his own related thoughts,couched in the form of a "loyal memorial"from a concerned minister rather than as the direct commands of God.Yet it is clear that Hong is expected to respond to Yang as if Yang's own words were God's.In the running of the Taiping kingdom,the most important change is that Yang now arro- gates to himself the power to decide all cases that might call for the death penalty.Yang also would refer back to Hong Xiuquan those cases in which clemency might be granted.Thus Hong's"naturally severe disposi- tion"and tendency to order"wrongful executions"would be mitigated by Yang's sensitivity to "unredressed grievances"that would linger in the Heavenly Capital if people were "hastily put to death."The result of this new arrangement would be that"the Heavenly Father's intent in fostering human life will be eternally displayed,and the spirit of gentleness and tranquility will be handed down through all eternity."5 On two other matters in the same December meetings Yang overturns previous decisions of Hong Xiuquan,both seeming inconsequential,but each cutting,in some way,at the heart of Taiping practice or belief.One is an appeal to Hong to lessen the severity of prohibitions of"family visits" among those loyal Taiping women followers who"forgot their homes for their country,and forgot themselves for the public good."The "single- minded devotion"of such loyalists should be rewarded by allowing them "home visits"once every twenty or thirty days,or maybe every Sabbath, so they can see to their children,attend to their elderly in-laws,and"serve their husbands."6 As to the world of ritual and pomp,here also changes should be made.Dragons,for example,with their ritual implications of imperial glory and grandeur,should be separated out from"demons"with whom they have been indiscriminately lumped by Hong Xiuquan as Heavenly King,in his passion for extirpating demons.Yang states that dragon palaces,dragon robes,and dragon vessels are all honorable,and should not be confused with the devil serpent of the Eastern Sea and his demon minions,who betray the souls of men.17 This discussion-or conflict-over ritual goes back to the roots of the formation of the God-worshipers in Thistle Mountain,or perhaps earlier220 GOD’ s CHINEsE S0N to such dctaⅡ s as rcpairing palacc rooms or s、 vccping thc protcctCd inncr gardcns,thc Hcavcnly King is always criticizing and intcrfcring,tcrroriz￾ing th° sc、vho Work for hirn,In his angcr,too,Hong has kickcd or othcr~ 、visc punishcd his royal concubincs, cvcn 、VhCn thcy are prcgnant。 Ho、vcvcr scrious thcir crirncs,nonc should bc disciphncd by violcnt rncans until hcr till△ c is up and thc child is bofn。 14 Thcsc arc thc East King’s claborations of God’ sw° rds,but on this and anothcr occasion t、 vo days latcr hc givcs his0、 vn rclatcd thoughts,c° uChcd in thc form ofa‘ ‘loyal rncm° riar’ fr。 m a conccrncd rninistcr rathcr than as thc dircct cornlllands of CJod。 γ 产ct it is clcar that Hong is cxpcctcd to rcspond to γ'ang as if、'ang’ so、vn words、 vcrc CJod’ s.In thc running of thc Taiping kin岔dom,thc mostimportant changc is that Yang now aHo￾gatcs to hirnsclf thc po、 vcr to dccidc all cascs that rnight caⅡ for thc dcath pcnalty. Yang also would rcfcr back to H° ng Xiuquan th°sc cascs in which clcmcncy rnight bc grantcd。 Thus Hong’ s‘ ‘naturally scvcrc disposi￾tion” and tcndcncy to ordcr“ 、vrongful cxccutions’ ’would bc rnitigatcd by 、‘ang’ s scnsitivity to “unrcdrcsscd gricvanccs’ ’ that Would hngcr in thc Hcavcnly Capital if pcoplc、 vcrc‘‘hastⅡ y put to dcath,” ∶Γhc rcsult of this ncw arrangcmcnt、vould bc that“ thc Hcavcnly Fathcr’s intcnt in fostcring human lifc 、vⅡ l bc ctcrnaⅡy displaycd,and thc spirit of gcntlcncss and tranquⅡity wⅡ l bc handcd do、 vn through all ctcrnity'’ 15 On two othcr rnattcrs in thc samc Dcccmbcr rncctings Yang ovcrturns prcvious dccisions of I△ ong Xiuquan,both sccΠ1ing inc° nscqucn0al,but cach cutting,in somc way,at thc hcart of Taiping practicc Or bchcf(Dnc is an appcalto Hong to lcsscn thc scvcrity of prohibitions of“ faΠ1ily visits” among thosc loyal1Γ aiping、vomcn follo、 vcrs、Vho‘ ‘f。 rgot thcir homcs for thcir country,and forgot thcmsclvcs for thc pubhc go° d” Thc‘‘singlc- ∏1indcd dcvotion” ofsuch l° yahsts sh。 uId bc rc、vardcd by allowing thcm “h°mc visits” °ncc cvcry twcnty or thirty days,。 r maybc cvcry Sabbath, s° thcy can scc to thcir Childrcn,attcnd to thcir cldcrly in~laⅥ/s,and“scrvc thcir husbands” I6z⒋ s to thc、vorld of ritual and pomp,hcrc als° changcs should bc madc。 Dragons,for cxamplc,、 vith thcir ritual imphcations of irnpcrial glory and grandcur,should bc scparatcd out from“ dcm°ns’ ’、vith 、vh°r11 thcy havc bccn indiscrirninatcly lumpcd by Hong Xiuquan as HcavcnIy King,in his passi° n for cxtirpating dcmons. γ'ang statcs that drag°n palaccs,dragon robcs,and dragon vcsscls arC all hon° rablc,and should not bc confuscd、 vith thc dcvⅡ scrpcnt of thc Eastcrn Sca and his dcmon Π1inions,who bctray thc souls ofrncn.17 This discussion~_or connict__。 vcr ritual gocs back to thc roots of thc formation ofthc God~、vorshipcrs in Thistlc Mountain,or pcrhaps ca亡 hcr