Chapter 2216 - A Silver Tongue

"Very well. Since he's so sincere, I won't beat around the bush." Wang Chuyi's scheme was also Peng Shou'an's suggestion. "You and Sun Dabiao both understand: the Yonghua Yao have been restless lately, and Dalang Market is the key pass into Yonghua territory. If there's no strong garrison there, I won't be able to sleep at night..."

Zhang Tianbo was stunned. He understood perfectly what the County Magistrate meant: he wanted to station troops in Dalang Market!

Once the National Army moved in, within ten days to half a month, Dalang Market would change hands. Sun Dabiao's toll station—his license to print money—would be gone forever. Without income, which brother would stick with him? His life and death would hang on a word from County Magistrate Wang.

This "pulling the fuel from under the cauldron" move was devastating! Zhang Tianbo cursed inwardly. That little whelp Bi Xuansheng had called it exactly!

What if they refused? County Magistrate Wang now had a legitimate pretext. The moment the county dispatched troops, the Yonghua National Army wouldn't even need to move—one order from the Australians, and the Yao, who had suffered years of extortion at Sun Dabiao's hands, would swarm out to help!

Zhang Tianbo silently cursed Feng Haijiao's "lack of loyalty"—this was forcing Sun Dabiao onto the boat!

Just the day after the attack, while Sun Dabiao was tearing his hair out and raging, word came that "Second Master Feng has sent an envoy."

"TNND—just the man I wanted to find, and he delivers himself!" Sun Dabiao was seething. His men at the checkpoint had all been trussed up and dumped in a ravine. Once found and untied, they explained: "Second Master Feng's people brought wine and meat. We ate, and then we all fell asleep."

Sun Dabiao flew into a towering fury, cursing Feng Haijiao as "disloyal," "despicable," an "utter scoundrel." This was blatantly dumping a chamber-pot on his head!

"Grab every one of them and tie them up!" Sun Dabiao bellowed. "I won't see them! Tomorrow morning, ship them all to the county!"

His men hastened to dissuade him: After all, Second Master Feng was a sworn brother. However bad official matters got, they mustn't spoil brotherly bonds. Besides, these were low-ranking men, following orders—not their fault.

"Fine—let him explain himself first! Bring him up!"

The envoy was none other than Bi Xuansheng. Though he wore a composed expression, his robe was drenched with sweat beneath: this time he truly had his head tied to his belt! Worse, he had volunteered for the mission!

Attacking the supply convoy had been his idea. Now that it was done, the aftermath naturally fell to him—otherwise Feng Haijiao would never let him off. Of course, if he failed to smooth things over, Sun Dabiao would probably chop off his head right here and now, saving Feng Haijiao the trouble.

In the end, all he could do was console himself with "fortune favors the bold." Still, Bi Xuansheng was no armchair strategist; he reckoned his odds at seven or eight out of ten.

Steeling himself, he followed the guards into the hall. Seeing Sun Dabiao glaring at him with murderous intent, his heart went cold; the bravado he had mustered evaporated seventy or eighty percent. His knees buckled; he dropped to the floor and kowtowed. "This student, Bi Xuansheng, pays respects to Master Sun."

"So you're that dick of a secretary my brother Sea-Dragon just hired." Sun Dabiao neither returned the greeting nor told him to rise. He sneered.

"Yes, this student." Bi Xuansheng saw no invitation to stand. He started to get up on his own—but one glance at that ferocious glare sent him straight back to his knees.

Sun Dabiao roared, "That fine work Feng Haijiao did! What does he have to say for himself?!"

"Please don't be angry, Master Sun," Bi Xuansheng said, bracing himself. "I've come today to offer congratulations."

"Congratulations?!" Sun Dabiao was taken aback; then he sneered. "Did Feng Haijiao send you here to mock me?"

"I wouldn't dare..." Bi Xuansheng hastily bobbed his head. "I have a document here. Master Sun will understand once he sees it." He drew a cloth-wrapped bundle from his robe.

An attendant took it and presented it. Sun Dabiao opened it—a commission, filled in with his name and three generations of ancestors. The title: Right-Flank Bazong of Yangshan.

"This was obtained by Master Feng, who petitioned Master Zhan to secure it from Governor-General Xiong on your behalf," Bi Xuansheng said. "With this, you become a bona fide imperial officer. Is that not cause for congratulations?"

"Bullshit! I'm already a Song official—who wants your worthless scrap!" Sun Dabiao said—but he didn't put the commission down. He turned it over and over, examining it repeatedly.

Bi Xuansheng saw there was hope. He pressed on. "Master Sun! This Ming commission is a proper, legally issued document. With it, you are an imperial officer recognized in all eighteen provinces under heaven. As for this 'Song'—they haven't even taken all of Guangdong..."

These words struck home. Seeing he had Sun's attention, Bi Xuansheng continued. "Even within Guangdong, fires burn everywhere. The Hair-Clippers have stout ships and fierce guns, true—but they are few and thinly spread. Though made of iron, how many nails can they forge? When the imperial armies return, I doubt they can hold..."

"Bullshit—if Ming is so powerful, why has Xiong Wencan crawled off to Guangxi like a turtle?!"

Bi Xuansheng remained unruffled. "Master Sun, please calm yourself. It's true the Governor-General is currently sheltering in Guangxi, biding his time while the Hair-Clippers' edge is sharpest. But this is only temporary! Ming is the legitimate dynasty; it commands the resources of the realm and the hearts of the people. The present setback is merely a momentary lapse, exploited by the Hair-Clippers. Once Governor-General Xiong regroups and reorganizes, he will naturally recover the lost territories. Remember the She-An Rebellion—it engulfed Sichuan and Guizhou, shook the empire. Was it not more formidable than the Hair-Clippers? Yet in the end, the chieftains' heads were taken." He paused. "Sooner or later, the court will deal with the Hair-Clipper rebellion in Guangdong. When hundreds of thousands of imperial troops cross the Five Ridges and descend southward, the Hair-Clippers won't mind—they can sail off to some foreign shore. But you, Master Sun, with your household and ancestral estate—what becomes of you?"

Sun Dabiao began to fidget. In truth, these doubts had never been far from his mind. But he was only a backwoods strongman; news reached him slowly, and he knew little of "the greater picture." He couldn't synthesize the information. A literate man like Bi Xuansheng, with even a modest "big-picture" perspective, could easily overwhelm him with information and win his confidence—the same approach that had worked on Feng Haijiao.

"My household and estate are none of Feng Haijiao's concern," Sun Dabiao said, steadying himself with a sneer. "Some fine brother—dumping a chamber-pot on my head! I'm grateful for his kindness. Forget waiting for the imperial army—the Hair-Clippers will wipe out my ancestral estate any day now!"

"Master Sun! Since antiquity, loyalty and family cannot both be served. It's true Second Master Feng acted rashly this time. But looking at the big picture, he was actually helping you..."

"Bullshit!" Sun Dabiao glared. "Explain how he was 'helping' me. If you can't make sense of it, I'll help you first!"

Bi Xuansheng swallowed hard, but he now felt he had the measure of his opponent. He lowered his head. "Master Sun, you don't want to offend the Hair-Clippers. Second Master Feng understands that. Accepting the Australian pacification, playing along to bide your time—Second Master Feng has nothing to say about that. But surely you realize: the notion you're hiding in your heart—the Hair-Clippers can read it clear as day. They're ignoring it only because they're overstretched and can't be bothered with you for now."

"You think you need to teach me that?"

"Of course not." Bi Xuansheng nodded hastily. "This is nothing this humble one would presume to 'teach.' But has Master Sun considered? Once the Hair-Clippers catch their breath, will they tolerate you? When they swept the greenwood in Qiongzhou, they never once offered 'pacification.'"

Seeing Sun Dabiao fall silent, Bi Xuansheng pressed on. "Besides, your ancestral estate is right here in Dalang Market. And Dalang Market is the gateway to Yonghua Yao territory. Even if you let the Hair-Clippers pass freely, they'd rather hold it themselves. With this prime ground under your control, will the Hair-Clippers let you keep it? Sooner or later they'll force you out. When that day comes, do you give it up—or not?"

"Shut up!" Sun Dabiao bellowed. That last thrust had pierced his most vulnerable spot. Titles, pacifications, the court, legitimacy—none of it mattered as much as Dalang Market! For generations, his family had toiled, bled, and fought the Yao and local rivals to seize this ground. How could he simply hand it over?

If he lost Dalang Market, he couldn't even hope to be a comfortable rich man! He fixed his bulging, bloodshot eyes on Bi Xuansheng. "How do you know the Hair-Clippers want my Dalang Market?"

By now Bi Xuansheng was ninety percent certain. He rose to his feet and said, "Dalang Market is the corridor into the Yao territories. The Hair-Clippers place great stock in the Yao—they seem to regard winning them over as a mission." He described how Huang Chao had pardoned the Eight Pai Yao at Lianzhou and elsewhere. "...With such intentions, how can the Hair-Clippers tolerate you holding this vital pass? The Yonghua Yao have long resented your salt monopoly at Dalang Market. Who knows how many complaints they've filed with the Hair-Clippers—saying the Yonghua Yao were driven to rebellion by you..."

Sun Dabiao's neck swelled with fury. Bi Xuansheng's words struck at the very root of his existence.

"...Think about it, Master Sun: the moment the Australians take Dalang Market, they can move in and out of the Yao territories at will—and they can use your head to curry favor with the Yao. Why wouldn't they?"

"Enough!" Sun Dabiao paced the hall like a cornered beast, circling several times. Then he strode up to Bi Xuansheng, grabbed him by the collar, and fixed him with blood-red eyes. "You're trying to intimidate me! I won't fall for your tricks!"

By now, Bi Xuansheng had seen through Sun Dabiao. He gave a cold laugh. "This student would never dare intimidate anyone! If Master Sun doesn't believe me, just ask the militiamen who helped deal with the Hair-Clipper supply convoy yesterday: was there salt on those carts? And what was that salt going to be used for in Yonghua? Does Master Sun still want to play dumb and deceive himself?!"

(End of Chapter)