background
1In September, 856, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom suffered from infighting and the situation took a turn for the worse. 1859, Hong Rengan, who studied western things, came to Tianjing from Hongkong, and Hong Xiuquan made him a strategist and king. Hong Rengan understood that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom needed reform to save the political power, so he submitted a new chapter on senior minister to Hong Xiuquan that year.
content
Senior minister's new chapter advocates strengthening centralization in politics; Economically, it advocates the establishment of industrial and mining transportation; In improving society, we advocate the development of culture, health and welfare undertakings and get rid of bad habits; The law advocates the reform of the penal system. It is a general plan for governing the country, but it is not the policy agenda of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The book (the version approved by Hong Xiuquan) was not listed in the General Catalogue of Imperial Letters, but was only approved for publication and circulation in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
Impact and evaluation
Due to the social unrest at that time, the suggestions put forward in Senior Minister's New Chapter were not implemented, and other important figures in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom did not attach importance to the book. After Li Xiucheng, a loyal monarch, was captured by the Qing army, the records of the Qing side said: "Mr. Li disdains reading books compiled by the pseudo-king." Zhao Liewen, Zeng Guofan's assistant, read the new chapter of Senior Minister and praised him: "Yu Yi is the most proficient ... You are not a thief after reading this book."