Chapter 451 - Autumn Levy (Part 6)
Thinking of Gou Family Manor's fate, Huang Binkun couldn't suppress a shiver. Third Brother had perished at the Baldies' hands—were they now coming to exterminate the entire household?
He recalled how, just a few days earlier, his father had suddenly dispatched his eldest brother and nephew to the prefectural city to purchase land and establish a new estate, taking along a considerable sum of silver. He had been puzzled at the time—the family hadn't planned on acquiring land, and his eldest brother, who served as captain of the village militia, rarely departed the estate, let alone for such an extended period. Could his father have already prepared for the worst, arranging a fallback position for the Huang family in the prefectural city?
A cold sweat broke out across his body. He ventured cautiously, "Father, should we perhaps reinforce the village walls..."
After the defeat at Bairren Rapids, though Huang Shoutong had been wounded, he had maintained constant vigilance over his family's defenses, ever guarding against Baldy retaliation. Over several months, the walls had been raised higher, watchtowers added, and cannons and matchlocks procured from the mainland. Large quantities of gunpowder and shot had been manufactured and stockpiled. Grain reserves had been laid in, and several new wells dug.
The militiamen had stood on high alert day and night, and this tense state had persisted for quite some time—only easing after the Lingao Political Consultative Conference concluded.
Since his son's return with a report on the conference, the old man had paid less attention to Huang Family Village's defenses, concerning himself only with ordinary threats like bandits and pirates. Huang Binkun also understood that no matter how thoroughly the village walls were reinforced, they couldn't withstand the Baldies' artillery. If they wished to destroy his family, they could do so whenever they pleased.
The sensation of being a fish on someone else's chopping block proved deeply unpleasant. The Huang father and son had spent months secretly discussing how to respond to the Baldies.
Retracting their claws and lying low was naturally the best immediate choice, yet they believed the Baldies would never let them escape. The only long-term solution was to bring in government troops for a campaign of extermination—only then could the matter be settled once and for all.
The government troops of this prefecture were, in theory, stationed throughout the island. The county even possessed a garrison. But the only force truly capable of fighting was the two thousand or so soldiers at Baisha Naval Station under the Qiongzhou Maritime Defense Command.
Though the Huang father and son were highly esteemed within the county, they remained ultimately just rural strongmen. Forget General Tang of Qiongshan—he wouldn't grant them the time of day—even the local garrison officers couldn't be bothered with them. Huang Shoutong had endured their disdain since his youth.
No ability whatsoever, yet each of them considered themselves above everyone else. Incompetent themselves, they refused to permit others to demonstrate ability either. Unwilling to accomplish anything, yet perpetually scrambling for credit. This was the conclusion Huang Shoutong had reached after decades of cooperation with government troops. Apart from their passable courage when suppressing Li uprisings—where the enemy was armed with nothing but bamboo and wooden implements—their performance in all other circumstances remained truly uninspiring.
Even if General Tang committed his entire force, they would prove no match for these Baldies. Exterminating them would require a province-wide joint campaign, mobilizing four to six thousand crack troops and two to three hundred warships. Huang Shoutong was startled by his own estimate—wouldn't that necessitate mustering at least ten or twenty thousand men?
This lay far beyond Huang Shoutong's capabilities. And so the matter had cooled.
Now, with his own family about to become the chicken slaughtered to warn the monkeys, the Huang father and son found themselves revisiting the issue.
"Reinforcing the walls is pointless," Huang Shoutong declared. "We must petition for government troops to mount a campaign."
"That's a formidable undertaking—" Huang Binkun had considered this before but hadn't been able to devise any effective method for mobilizing the military.
"Acting alone, we certainly cannot accomplish it. But what about all the gentry of the county together?" Huang Shoutong proposed. "They wish to conduct a land survey now, don't they? Will the major gentry households agree? If we coordinate behind the scenes, we might be able to organize everyone to submit a joint petition."
A joint petition from the county's entire gentry, dispatched to the provincial capital—that would constitute no small matter. Whether the Governor-General or the Provincial Governor, they would have to respond somehow. If supported by lobbying efforts, the campaign might actually materialize.
"Your son will set about making arrangements at once!" Huang Binkun, being young, was eager to act the moment he glimpsed hope.
"Wait." Huang Shoutong restrained him. "Not so hastily. At present, people haven't yet witnessed the Baldies' true colors. Many probably haven't awakened and are contemplating simply bowing their heads and enduring. Once Old Eight and his crew have thrown Lingao into complete chaos and stirred up universal outrage, everyone's resolve will naturally harden."
"Father's guidance is wise!"
"Also, starting tomorrow, you should resume attending the county school. Listen to what the students are saying and do some agitating while you're at it. If all the county's scholars were also to submit a petition, the matter would become still more certain."
"Very well. After I return to the county seat, I'll pay a visit to Master Liu," Huang Shoutong instructed. "Inquire about his thoughts—with Master Liu, you may speak directly. He may not own much land himself, but there's likely a considerable amount registered under his name on others' behalf. He cannot remain uninvolved in this."
"Your son understands."
"Zhang Youfu should also be visited several times."
"That man has sold himself heart and soul to the Baldies. What purpose would visiting him serve..."
"Hmph—Zhang Youfu is an old fox; he may not truly have sold himself. We don't expect his assistance anyway—he's close to the Baldies, so by visiting him frequently, you can probe for information."
All the grain households in the county, at least those of any size, spent these days in chaos. As soon as darkness fell, the heads of households would gather under lamplight, whispering together about strategies for the land survey. Treasures that had been dug up were now buried again. Some families hastily sent people to purchase passage to Qiongshan, rushing their trunks and luggage off to relatives in Qiongshan or neighboring counties.
Suddenly, tickets on the Gao Guang shipping line became hot commodities. This anomaly was immediately reported to the Political Security General Administration via both the Harbor Office and the shipping company. Ran Yao didn't dare neglect the matter and quickly dispatched investigators.
"Capital flight?" Wu De glanced at Zhou Botao, who had rushed over to report.
"Precisely. Ever since the grain notices went out, the grain households throughout the county have been in an uproar. There's a serious problem with assets being transferred to other counties."
"Hmm, let them transfer." Wu De was unperturbed. "They can't take the land with them anyway. As for silver and copper coins—we don't particularly care about those."
"You mean—"
"Their voluntary departure from Lingao isn't a bad thing for us." Wu De glanced at the report.
The major households couldn't take their land or their farmhands and tenants with them. The land and population left behind would naturally become their property. Unfortunately, most people would probably hold firm—but that was acceptable too. Let Chen Minggang and his crew thoroughly stir things up and apply some pressure.
"Damn—so you had this maneuver planned all along? A disguised land reform?"
"Not at all. It isn't land reform." Wu De shook his head. "This is merely a side effect." He then inquired, "Is the surveillance report ready?"
"It is." Zhou Botao produced several sheets of paper.
"Anything significant?"
"There's one item you'll certainly find interesting," Zhou Botao said. "Huang Binkun—the son of Huang Shoutong, the militia leader who fought us last year—has returned to the county school."
"Ah, that venerable fellow who charged magnificently across the ditch and managed to hold on for a few minutes before tumbling from his horse." Wu De still remembered him—the old man had left quite an impression on the transmigrators. "I recall he didn't perish."
"He was wounded and fled, then lay low afterward. At the Consultative Conference, he sent his second son—this same Huang Binkun—as his representative. Whether on the Reasonable Burden or bandit suppression, his attitude has been quite cooperative."
"And then?"
Zhou Botao handed over the Huang family's dossier. "It appears the old fox is scheming behind the scenes."
Wu De opened the surveillance report as Zhou Botao explained: "Huang Binkun claims to be attending the county school, but he's only an additional scholar. Since the school's restoration, he had never appeared—until now. His sudden presence is highly suspicious."
The report detailed how, upon arriving in the county seat, he had immediately paid calls on several of the leading gentry, as well as visiting Liu Dalin—the two had conversed for nearly two hours. An informant developed among the school's menial staff also reported that during every break, Huang Binkun deliberately steered conversations with fellow students toward the autumn levy.
"Highly suspicious indeed."
"Moreover, the Huang family should be classified among the most dangerous 'reactionary elements,'" Zhou Botao stated matter-of-factly. "According to Zhang Youfu's exposé, Huang Shoutong and Liu Dalin were the most active in taking hostile action after D-Day. And the Huang family harbors a personal vendetta against us—his third son was killed by Guo Yi. So Huang Binkun's current activities are very likely part of some ulterior scheme."
"Then keep watching him and see what he's planning." Wu De smiled. "Actually, I wouldn't mind if a few 'loyal martyrs' emerged from among the major households."
"You're not dealing with him now?"
"Just maintain surveillance. Don't let him cause trouble. At present, we're targeting the clerks—the gentry's turn hasn't arrived yet."
After disposing of Chen Minggang and his gang of clerks, the next step would be to deal with a few disobedient major households as a warning to others. This was the Executive Committee's established objective. Boiling the frog slowly—one at a time.
"How is the work on Zhou Qi progressing?"
"The rumors have been disseminated, and we have someone watching him," Zhou Botao reported. "We haven't discovered anything between Zhou Qi and Qiuhong yet..."
"No scandal? Then fabricate one!"
"Well—" Zhou Botao understood his meaning, but execution wouldn't be simple. The ancients weren't fools. If the frame-up was too crude, people wouldn't believe it. "Let me consider it carefully."
"Make haste. Zhou Qi and his master have been working separately quite frequently lately. Now is the perfect moment to plant evidence." Wu De intended to create a serious rift between Zhou Qi and his master, then recruit him.
One purpose of recruiting Zhou Qi was to employ him as a consultant. The old tax collection system harbored all manner of abuses and cheating methods—trade secrets invisible no matter how many historical records one studied. Zhou Qi had followed Chen Minggang for more than a decade; he surely possessed substantial knowledge in this domain.
Another purpose was to have him provide exposés when the clerks were brought to account. As Chen Minggang's senior apprentice, Zhou Qi undoubtedly knew plenty of dirty secrets about the clerical class—excellent material for destroying their reputations. People generally connected private morality with public conduct. A private scandal could not only destroy someone but also transform their downfall into a spectacle the masses would relish.
(End of Chapter)