Zeng Guofan goes to war to defend a fixed universe – and nearly drowns proving how unfixed his own place in it actually is. Across a single year, Hunan's most unlikely general brutally finds out that he is indeed no warrior, and consequentially must rebuild a river fleet from nothing... all while the Taiping's own capital is spared only my a mix-up with the date. By December, the Yangtze has changed hands – and a nervous throne has just learned exactly how dangerous a loyal army, and the man who built it, can become... and exactly how briefly gratitude lasts.
**Time Period Covered:**
Feb. – Dec. 1854 CE
**Major Historical Figures:**
**Taiping Heavenly Kingdom:**
Hong Xiuquan, the Heavenly King \[1814–1864]
Yang Xiuqing, the East King \[c. 1821–1856]
Wei Changhui, the North King \[1823–1856]
Qin Rigang, the Yan King \[1821–1856]
Shi Dakai, the Wing King \[1831–1863]
**Qing Dynasty:**
The Xianfeng Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Yinzhu) \[r. 1850–1861]
Zeng Guofan, founder of the Xiang Army \[1811–1872]
Taqibu, Manchu commander of the Xiang Army's land forces \[d. 1855]
Peng Yulin, co-founder of the Xiang Army's naval forces \[1816–1890]
Zhang Shoulin, aide who pulled Zeng Guofan from the Xiang River at Jinggang
**Major Sources Cited:**
Michael, Franz, and Chang Chung-li. *The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents, Vol. I.*
Platt, Stephen R. *Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom.*
Spence, Jonathan D. *God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan.*
Kuhn, Philip A. "The Taiping Rebellion." *The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 10.*
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