Chapter 450 - Autumn Levy (Part 5)
"Third Uncle! This is surely another new extortion scheme Old Eight has concocted!" One of his clan nephews, Liu Guangbiao, could no longer contain himself.
Liu Guangbiao had studied business in the prefectural city. He could work an abacus, maintain accounts, and understood various commercial practices—in Lingao, this made him quite an accomplished talent. The Liu family had brought him back to serve as general accountant, managing the family's properties.
Liu Youren said nothing. That Chen Minggang was seizing this opportunity for extortion went without saying. The question was whether the Australians actually intended to conduct a land survey. Was this merely a ploy to intimidate everyone into paying more "Reasonable Burden," or did they genuinely wish to ascertain the county's full land holdings and make a fresh start, as one would following a dynastic change?
The difference was enormous. If it was merely intimidation, the countermeasure was simple enough: pay Chen Minggang an additional bribe, allow him to report an extra hundred mu or so, and contribute a bit more in taxes. But if the latter, things would become far more troublesome.
Liu Youren had always been a man of firm opinions, yet now he found himself in a quandary. The Australians weren't like the government. They were a more efficient, decisive group that actually dared to accomplish things—he had perceived this clearly long ago. Even "good officials" like Wu Mingjin, when they attempted to accomplish something in the county, had never succeeded. The Australians, however, announced they would do something and then did it, driving through countless difficult undertakings. It would hardly be surprising if they truly intended to conduct a thorough county-wide land survey and population census.
The old methods of dealing with officials and bandits wouldn't work on them. Taking a hard line—the Australians weren't afraid of massacring entire households and would probably welcome the opportunity. Taking a soft approach—the Australians were remarkably incorruptible, immune to monetary bribes.
What exactly did the Australians want? Liu Youren pondered. If they truly intended to survey the land, perhaps the wisest choice was to honestly report his family's holdings. As for land registered under his family's name on behalf of others, that could wait. But if this was all mere bluster, his candor would only benefit the clerks while earning him ridicule—and that embarrassment he could not afford.
"What did Master Zhang say?" he inquired. Master Zhang referred to the middleman Zhang Youfu.
"He said he went to inquire, but Chief Wu, who's handling the matter, wasn't at home. No one else is managing it, and no one knows anything."
"Not at home." Liu Youren chewed over these words. "Really not at home?" he murmured. These people were truly unfathomable.
"The Tiandihui's—agri—agri—"
"Agricultural technician," Liu Guangbiao supplied.
"Yes—has Master Xun arrived yet?" Master Xun was Xun Suji. Because agricultural specialists were in short supply, and he possessed good expertise in vegetable cultivation, the Tiandihui had hired him as a part-time agricultural technician—following special training, of course. Tiandihui representatives now carried a mystical aura in the eyes of Lingao's common folk, so Ye Yuming preferred employing even half-trained transmigrators rather than native agricultural technicians. It resembled how, in the early days of Reform and Opening Up, everyone had especially trusted foreign goods.
"He only comes on the third days."
Liu Youren calculated—still seven or eight days until his next visit—and felt somewhat disappointed. When Xun Suji arrived, he could attempt to probe for information about what was happening on the inside, to catch some hint of their intentions.
Unfortunately, ordinary inducements held no interest for them. Liu Youren sighed once more over the transmigrators' bulletproof dedication to honest governance. Officials with authority who refused bribes—this truly required adjustment.
Liu Guangbiao was perceptive; he knew the family head was fretting over this matter. He had long harbored an idea and now sensed the moment was ripe.
"Third Uncle!" Liu Guangbiao spoke carefully. "Meilan from the Fourth Branch is getting on in years. She's tall and sturdy, and hasn't been able to find a suitable husband—"
"Ah!" Liu Youren immediately understood what his nephew was suggesting. If the path of money was blocked, perhaps women might work. He had long heard that women were scarce among the Australians, and many of them had no recourse but to watch "secret shadow plays" to relieve themselves...
Liu Youren had previously considered offering Master Xun a maidservant as a token of appreciation. But reflecting on the maidservants of Liu Family Village—unlike the bondmaids of wealthy urban households, these were of peasant origin, toiling all day with rough hands and feet and sun-darkened skin—Master Xun had never displayed the slightest interest in any of them.
By comparison, marrying off one of the clan's own daughters would serve better. A maidservant was ultimately an outsider; once married, she would hold the status of a slave, commanding neither position nor respect. But if they actually became in-laws with Xun Suji, he would be obligated to look after his wife's natal family.
Liu Meilan was a girl from the Fourth Branch who, having grown tall and robust, had always been mocked—utterly lacking any feminine charm. At nineteen, she still had no suitor. This clan grandniece was worth considering. Her branch held a low position within the clan; even if unwilling, they wouldn't dare refuse.
Liu Youren nodded. The cost would be minimal: Meilan's family belonged to a distant branch. Even if the Australians were later defeated by the government, the main family wouldn't be too heavily implicated. She was a pawn they could afford to sacrifice.
"Good. Go speak with her father." Liu Youren made up his mind.
"Yes." Liu Guangbiao was secretly pleased. He harbored another, darker agenda. Liu Meilan had once offended him over a matter involving the collection of memorial rice, and he had long desired revenge.
Hmph, this time I'll throw you into the fire pit to taste hot wax. Liu Guangbiao had heard from a native at the East Gate Market who had witnessed the Australians' "secret shadow plays" that they were extremely depraved in the bedroom: they liked to bind women like rice dumplings and subject them to various tortures, even dripping hot candle wax or oil onto their naked bodies...
Liu Youren knew nothing of his nephew's dark thoughts. After deliberating a while longer, he said, "Prepare a visiting card for tomorrow. Invite Zhou Qi over."
"Not invite Eighth Master Chen himself?"
"I fear I cannot command his presence these days." Liu Youren explained. "Zhou Qi is his senior apprentice—his word carries the same weight."
"See Eighth Master Chen out," Huang Shoutong called.
"Oh no, no—please don't trouble yourself, Master Huang—" Chen Minggang's face was wreathed in smiles as he departed with his retinue.
Huang Shoutong watched them exit through the courtyard gate, then addressed his steward. "Have his underlings all been taken care of?"
"Yes, Master," the steward replied. "Each received three hundred wen for 'shoe money,' plus a meal with wine."
"Good, you may go." Huang Shoutong coughed. His second son, Huang Binkun, hurried over to support him. Since being wounded in the counter-attack battle the previous year, Huang Shoutong's health had declined considerably.
"It's nothing." He waved it off and inquired, "Why haven't you been attending lessons at the county school lately?"
"Your son isn't a stipendiary scholar—I was never required to attend regularly anyway."
"That won't do." Huang Shoutong shook his head. "You're still a xiucai. You should at least earn a juren degree to bring glory to the family."
Huang Binkun smiled bitterly. "Father, you know as well as I do that in the two hundred and some years since the founding of the Great Ming, this entire county hasn't produced ten juren. Your son probably doesn't possess that kind of fortune."
Huang Shoutong shook his head. "Though luck counts for much in the examination hall, you mustn't grow too dispirited." He returned to the hall in the inner courtyard and seated himself. "Right now the county is in turmoil because of the Australians, and everyone is distracted from their studies. The more things are like this, the harder you must work at your lessons, lest you let them go to waste..."
Huang Binkun had expected his father to discuss the Australians' land survey and autumn levy with him. Instead, the opening consisted of a lengthy lecture about studying diligently—he couldn't help wondering if his father was becoming somewhat senile.
"Father!" he couldn't help interjecting. "This autumn levy matter—what do you intend to do?"
"Hmph, these Baldy-bandits—their treasonous hearts stand fully exposed." Huang Shoutong struck the table in anger. "A land survey—is that something they're qualified to conduct?!"
"Father, how should we respond?"
"There's something mysterious at work here." Huang Shoutong mused. "What manner of Australian enchantment has Old Eight swallowed to make him so eager to stir things up for the Baldies?" He snorted. "Does he imagine the realm now belongs to the Baldies? That all principles of Heaven and law have ceased to exist?"
"These clerks and runners are nothing but profit-seekers. Father needn't work himself into anger over them."
"The land survey business is merely a feint on Old Eight's part." Huang Shoutong pronounced. "He harbors no true intention of surveying any land. He's using this pretext to pressure everyone into paying more taxes, so he can both please the Australians and enrich himself."
"Yes, that was my assessment as well. The Baldies were probably talked into it by Old Eight, imagining they could collect more grain. Today, Old Eight proved quite flexible in his talk. I was considering offering him some additional private benefit, adding a few dozen shi to the Reasonable Burden allocated to our village..."
"No—the land survey may be a feint, but the matter isn't that simple." Huang Shoutong waved dismissively. "Do you believe the Baldies are people who would allow themselves to be manipulated by the likes of Old Eight?"
"Then what are they after?"
"Grain and taxes are probably not their main objective," Huang Binkun reasoned aloud. "Consider this—how much profit can Lingao truly offer? Besides, if they wanted to levy grain, they could simply have the liaison officer issue the order, and what village would dare refuse? Why go through Old Eight and create unnecessary complications? Their true intentions lie elsewhere."
"Could they be using this opportunity to—"
"Kill the chicken to frighten the monkey!" Huang Shoutong's face turned grim. "Using this land survey as an opportunity to establish their authority! I reckon the small households will emerge unscathed this time—not merely unscathed, but probably even benefiting. For major households like ours, however, this hurdle will not be easy to surmount."
Huang Binkun immediately grew tense. Speaking of which major household in Lingao the Baldies despised most, his own family and Liu Dalin were probably tied for first place. In the past—when opposing the Baldies—one had schemed while the other had personally charged into battle. The Baldies surely harbored bitter resentment. But Liu Dalin possessed the distinction of being "the county's only jinshi," commanding extremely high prestige—even the Baldies had to show him some deference. The reopening of the Jasmine Pavilion Academy demonstrated that Liu Dalin was a primary target of their wooing efforts. In contrast, his own family presented an excellent target.
(End of Chapter)