Chapter 1636 - Master of Banditology
Huang Binkun found himself momentarily at a loss for words. Indeed—what were the Hair-bandits scheming? To become emperors themselves? Though the Hair-bandits held little territory, occupying the whole of Qiongzhou Prefecture still amounted to a considerable domain. If they intended to rebel, with their warships and cannons, sweeping through half of China would pose no difficulty. Government troops were certainly no match.
If one claimed they sought to change the dynasty and vie for the Central Plains—well, ever since they bombarded Humen and bloodied Zhongzuo, any armed force on the Mainland would crumble before them like rotten wood. Though the Hair-bandit army did not appear numerous, once they charged into Guangdong and raised the banner high, assembling an army of hundreds of thousands would be a matter of moments. In these times, so long as there were army pay and grain, there was no shortage of desperate people willing to eat military rations and become soldiers.
Yet they simply remained on that island of Qiongzhou, tirelessly building roads, stringing iron wires, clearing wasteland for cultivation, managing water conservancy, recruiting exiles, establishing schools... transforming a desolate pirates' island until it flourished. Not only that, they seemed to take pleasure in such work, and created countless peculiar so-called "Australian gadgets"—which in Huang Binkun's view were simply pointless, squandering money and grain for nothing.
He pondered for a long time before saying: "I believe they want to build a 'New Australia'!"
"New Australia?!" Several voices exclaimed in surprise.
"Precisely!" The more Huang Binkun considered it, the more certain he became that his guess was correct. He recounted his observations and thoughts one by one. Everyone listened with great care.
Though their understanding of the Australians could be considered extensive, most of it derived from Australian books, periodicals, and rumors. They lacked the firsthand experience of someone like Huang Binkun who had lived in Lingao for years and could regularly encounter True Hair-Bandits. Now hearing his words, they were both surprised and delighted.
"Ships, cannons, and machines are, in the final analysis, merely ingenious objects. Possessing them adds luster; lacking them does not undermine the larger picture." Huang Binkun spoke with conviction. "If you say they wish to vie for dominion over the realm, why print these Australian studies books to scatter across the land? This younger brother dwells in Qiongzhou, watching the common people gradually adopting Australian laws, growing accustomed to new Australian terms, flocking ever more eagerly to Australian customs. Hair-people clothing has actually become the fashion. What children sing in idle moments are also Hair-people nursery rhymes..."
"Transforming the civilized with the barbarian!" Young Master Liang said softly.
"Exactly!" Huang Binkun struck his fan heavily. "As for the claim that Australians are descendants of the Great Song—I absolutely do not believe it. What reason would descendants of the Great Song have to alter their own attire and abandon the Great Song's dress and headgear? Apart from uttering a few phrases like 'Our Great Song' and 'Australian Temporary Court,' they neither avoid the names of the Great Song's emperors of past dynasties nor employ the Great Song's institutions and regulations."
"The so-called transforming the civilized with the barbarian is merely wishful thinking." Lin Zunxiu laughed.
Everyone nodded. Lin Zunxiu then posed many questions about the Australians. Compared to the exotic-curiosities type questions most scholars had asked at the banquet, Scholar Lin's inquiries mostly concerned the institutions and regulations the Australians implemented in Qiongzhou and their strategies for governing the realm. The themes were not only clear but also possessed depth. Some questions far exceeded the bounds of Huang Binkun's knowledge.
As the conversation grew animated, Lin Zunxiu exchanged a glance with Liang Cunhou, and Liang Cunhou nodded. Scholar Lin said: "Brother Huang, please follow me."
The group rose to their feet. Lin Zunxiu led the way to the backyard, where a small two-story building stood alone in the middle of the courtyard, attached to no surrounding structures. Huang Binkun wondered silently: What manner of arrangement is this?
Lin Zunxiu drew a key from his sleeve and unlocked the building door. The first floor contained only some large water vats, all filled with clear water. In the center stood a staircase. Huang Binkun suddenly realized: It's a library.
The group climbed the stairs. Sure enough, the second floor was lined entirely with bookshelves, piled with various books. Huang Binkun vaguely sensed something different—then understood: This collection consists solely of Australian books!
Huang Binkun had witnessed the scale of the Australians' libraries. In terms of size, this collection counted for little. Yet for a scholar's villa to actually house so many Australian books—this was truly a first.
Lin Zunxiu said: "Whenever Australian books appear on the market, I instruct servants to collect them as thoroughly as possible. Even their storybooks and novels are not overlooked. It's merely that the collection is a jumble of quality—fish and dragons mingled, mud and sand falling together. I don't know which are useful and which are not. Since Brother Huang comes from Lingao, I shall need to ask Brother Huang for considerable guidance."
Huang Binkun surveyed the collection. It truly had everything. From various "magazines," "pictorials," and "readers" he had seen in Guangzhou bookstores, to "textbooks" only available in Lingao—one could say it lacked nothing. In the corner stood another shelf piled with items he knew intimately: Lingao Times—nearly every gentry household in Lingao subscribed to a copy to study the Australians' policy directions.
"Lingao Times!" He could not help exclaiming, striding quickly to the bookshelf.
The newspapers were stacked neatly by month and date. However, judging from the paper's freshness, they did not seem frequently read.
"This is the Australian court gazette I specially commissioned Owner Guo to purchase from Lingao," Liang Cunhou said. "He sends it to me once a month. Looking at the dates on it—is it published daily?"
"Exactly!" Huang Binkun said. "What they call a daily newspaper. One sheet is issued every day." He rubbed the paper. "This newspaper contains a great deal of substance!"
"Please enlighten us, Brother Huang!" The eyes of several men revealed keen interest. They knew this newspaper was equivalent to the Australians' "court gazette." Reading court gazettes to discern the court's direction was an ancient practice. Yet they had absolutely no concept of how the Australians' "court" operated or how to interpret it. Moreover, this Australian court gazette was filled with sundry matters—from astronomy and geography above to agricultural seasons and farming below, and even everyday street life. Everything was included. Discerning the "direction" from it proved genuinely difficult.
Huang Binkun felt quite proud—among the gentry in Lingao, there was already a certain understanding of how to judge what the Australians probably intended from the Lingao Times. He pulled out an old newspaper at random.
The headline on the front page read: Maintaining Maritime Trade Order is the Senate's Unshirkable Responsibility.
"Gentlemen, please observe. What does this article signify?"
Several people read it through. The article mixed narrative and commentary, saying nothing more than that maritime trade order must be stable and secure, so that it could benefit the livelihoods and prosperity of nations along the coast—and similar sentiments.
"I cannot discern anything," Wu Ming spoke up. "I think it's merely the sea power the Australians advocate constantly."
Huang Binkun nodded, flipped to the second page, and pointed to an article there. "Read this one as well."
The title read: Quanzhou Prefecture Brews Tragedy Again—A Maritime Merchant's Entire Family Commits Suicide. The article recounted how a certain maritime merchant's ship was intercepted by Zheng Zhilong for failing to purchase the Zheng family's trade command flag. Ship and cargo were all confiscated. The ruined merchant lost his entire fortune, and his whole family took their own lives.
The group fell silent, pondering. Huang Binkun then flipped to another section, where there appeared yet another article: What Limits the Reach of Huaxia Maritime Merchants.
"...And this one: European Nations Navigation Record (Serialized)."
"These?" Several pairs of puzzled eyes turned to Huang Binkun—though they grasped something, they felt a layer of separation remained.
Huang Binkun pointed at the date. "This paper was issued three months before the Australians attacked Zhongzuo and decisively defeated Zheng Zhilong..."
"So that's it! So that's the connection!" Scholar Shi was greatly excited. "Brother Huang has truly awakened the dreamer with a single word!"
"You flatter me!" Huang Binkun said. "From this newspaper, one can not only discern the direction of the Hair-bandits'... the Australians' court affairs, but also perceive other matters. The subtleties are endless."
"In the future, we shall need Brother Huang to provide much guidance!" Lin Zunxiu was also greatly pleased. "Brother Huang is truly the Number One Talent in Bandit Affairs! Meeting you today, we must drink deep."
By the mottled bamboo grove, in the Bamboo Pavilion, the group talked freely, heart to heart. The western sky gradually shifted from bright to crimson. Finally, the setting sun broke through the clouds and, in the last moment before sinking behind the western mountains, revealed its fiery red face. The afterglow dyed Baiyun Mountain entirely red, portending that tomorrow would be a fine day.
Lin Zunxiu beckoned to the servant outside the window. When the man entered, he instructed: "Prepare a banquet. Tonight, I intend to drink with my brothers until we drop!"
A few days after returning from the Bamboo Pavilion, Huang Binkun found he had obscurely become a "Bandit Affairs Talent" and a "Banditology Master." Visitors to the inn arrived in an endless stream each day, and the inn's entrance resembled a marketplace—a situation that made him most uneasy. Fortunately, with Liang Cunhou's assistance, he soon moved out of the inn and took temporary lodgings in a temple within the city. The environment there was quiet and the accommodations elegant. Lin Zunxiu also sent a handsome pageboy to attend to his daily needs. His days passed contentedly.
It was only that the list of civil and military officials and advisors who had participated in the campaign against the Hair-bandits years ago—which he had asked Young Master Liang to help locate—yielded no results after he quietly visited several individuals. Upon entering their homes, hearing he hailed from Lingao, they politely invited him in; the gatekeepers did not even request tips. But after entering and conversing face-to-face with the masters, they merely exchanged a few pleasantries before seeing him off. Though servants called the following day to present local products, no further interest was expressed.
Huang Binkun had struck another soft wall this day and walked back in a foul mood. It was already time to light lamps. Though the great port of Guangzhou had no curfew, few pedestrians walked the roads. On the way back to his lodgings, Huang Binkun constantly sensed someone following him. One alley away from the temple, he glimpsed a figure flash at the corner—they seemed to have a weapon in hand.
Huang Binkun's mind raced as he prepared to bypass this small alley and take the long way around. But the moment he turned, two dark figures sprang from the corner, swinging clubs at his head.
Fortunately, Huang Binkun had suppressed bandits and seen battle before. He was agile and quick-witted. He easily dodged the club aimed at his head, punched the attacker square in the face, kicked another away, and turned to flee—only to see three more men running toward him with clubs raised.
The five surrounded Huang Binkun. He observed that all wore scholar's robes, yet their skin was dark and their arm muscles slightly bulging—clearly men who had done farm work. One of them shouted loudly: "Hair-bandit! Stop right there!"
(End of Chapter)