Chapter 2269: Visit from Dachang Rice Shop
The next day, Yi Haoran met Song Ming at the Dragon Mother Temple. The young general no longer possessed the spirited, heroic bearing of a few months ago. He appeared aged and haggard, standing beneath the temple steps indistinguishable from the countless souls who came to offer incense and seek solace in troubled times.
Song Ming and Yi Haoran shared a bond forged in life and death on Bang Mountain. When they met, they dispensed with pleasantries. Yi Haoran went straight to the point, laying out his plan.
"...This matter is of great consequence, and the risks are extreme. If the General is unwilling to participate, I won't press the issue."
Song Ming waved his hand and whispered: "Sir, why speak such words? We eat the Lord's grain; we strive to kill his enemies. Dying in battle, wrapped in horsehide—that is our proper end."
Yi Haoran's heart warmed. Turmoil truly reveals loyal subjects. The ancients did not deceive.
Song Ming explained that he and his remaining men—a few dozen in all—were hiding in a ruined temple in a mountain hollow at the eastern foot of White Cloud Mountain, less than ten li from Wuzhou.
Forty-seven soldiers under his command. Not many, but all elite combat troops—both his personal soldiers and the "New Army" house guards that Jiang Suo had once commanded, gathered together after the rout. Their weapons and armor were complete, and they possessed some firearms as well.
In those times, possessing nearly fifty fully armored and equipped personal soldiers and house guards represented serious combat power—enough to charge enemy formations and seize victory.
"...Though close to Wuzhou, it's a secluded mountain spot. We've been lying low here, and it's been quiet enough."
"What about provisions? I heard from Zhang Yong that you've been relying entirely on wealthy households to 'assist.' That's not sustainable long-term."
Since ancient times, an army without provisions is unstable. Though Song Ming had few subordinates, their monthly needs were not insignificant. Depending solely on nearby wealthy households, over time they would inevitably become a burden—and wealthy people would do anything to rid themselves of burdens.
"That's exactly what worries me." Song Ming nodded. "As the old saying goes, rabbits don't graze near their own burrow—every Jianghu man knows this. So I don't dare demand too much from the surrounding area, to avoid provoking trouble. We can only send men far afield to forage."
Foraging was robbery. Among the various armies in the late Ming, this was considered normal—nothing unusual. Yi Haoran wasn't surprised, though he remained concerned. "You have few men, and you have to travel far to forage. A big haul is fine, but a small one won't even cover the road rations. If you lose any brothers in the process, that's a serious loss."
"You're right, Sir. But for now, it's all we can do." Song Ming sighed. "If only we had some merit to our name—things wouldn't be so difficult."
In truth, he had long considered gathering his remnants and retreating to Hunan. But the officialdom of the Two Guangs had collapsed; Xiong Wencan and the other high officials had vanished. Retreating to Hunan, he would have nowhere to settle—he might even be expelled or eliminated by local militia. This was also the main reason Song Ming was willing to follow Yi Haoran into danger.
Yi Haoran understood implicitly. They agreed on methods of contact, then parted ways.
Yi Haoran was different from bureaucrats—he wouldn't deliberate endlessly without reaching a decision, nor look backward and forward in indecision. If he had been that sort, he would have died on the flight from Liaodong years ago. Leaving the Dragon Mother Temple, he went directly into the city to gather the latest news about the Taipings.
The Taipings had erected a newspaper reading board in front of the Wuzhou Municipal Government, posting the Lingao Times, Yangcheng Express, and a local paper called Wuzhou Highlights. Except for Wuzhou Highlights, the other two arrived only every few days, so the newspapers weren't updated daily but rather once every seven days.
Yi Haoran visited the board regularly, with no purpose except to track Taiping movements. For a man trapped in Wuzhou, these three newspapers were his only current news source. From the eighteen provinces under heaven to all of Guangdong and even Wuzhou itself, everything was covered—extremely convenient.
He couldn't quite understand why the Taipings distributed these things to commoners and the masses. These people weren't officials or merchants; most would never travel farther than their county or prefecture seat in their entire lives. Even if literate and informed about the Imperial Court and distant places—what use was it?
Regardless of Australian intentions, Yi Haoran had to admit that Taiping news was both accurate and fast. Compared to the Ming's official news sources like Residence Reports and Pond Reports, it was practically instantaneous. And the comprehensive "news" in the papers gave him a rare perspective for grasping the overall situation.
As matters stood, though the Taipings had occupied Guangdong and eyed Guangxi covetously, their hold was unstable, with alarms sounding everywhere. The situation remained unsettled. Judging from the endless convoys of boats traveling the Xijiang and Guijiang rivers, the Taipings were using waterways to shuttle troops about for suppression operations—apparently running themselves ragged. Right now, Taiping military strength in Wuzhou was stretched thin. An excellent opportunity to strike!
He studied the news of riots everywhere with leisurely satisfaction, secretly rejoicing. Suddenly a voice spoke beside his ear: "Mr. Yi!"
The voice was very familiar. Startled, Yi Haoran turned—it was indeed Ah Chun. He relaxed. "Why aren't you at the shop?"
"The Madam sent me on an errand." Ah Chun said. "Mr. Hao, didn't you go out to collect debts? What brings you to the city?"
Yi Haoran had claimed he was going to a certain town to collect accounts—lately he went out for "debt collection" almost daily. No one minded; after all, there was no work at the shop. Each trip might at least bring back some payment, which was always good for business.
"Couldn't collect the accounts. It was still early, so I came back into the city to walk around and relax." Yi Haoran replied calmly.
"The Advisor certainly has leisure. In these chaotic times, the Madam told us to stay off the streets unless necessary. When you go outside the city to collect debts, be careful too. I hear floating corpses have been drifting down the river these past days—all said to be robbery victims killed by bandits."
"I'm aware." Yi Haoran smiled. "What errand did the Madam send you on?"
"What else? Just asking the Master to hurry home." Ah Chun's face showed indifference. "The Master is never home. Nobody's managing the shop. Look—finally a traveling merchant shows up wanting to do business, but the shopkeeper's gone out again. Only the Madam and Concubine Wen are home..."
Luo Yangming essentially left at dawn and returned after dark. Not only Li Wensheng but even Ding A-tao was full of complaints about him. Yi Haoran didn't comment. "In that case, go deliver your message. I'll head back first to receive the guest."
"Good—please go quickly, Advisor. The Madam must be anxious!"
Yi Haoran couldn't spare time to read newspapers any longer. He hurried back to the shop. At the door, he found Wen Yun looking around anxiously. Seeing him return, she patted her chest in relief. "Thank heaven and earth—finally a man is back! Not a single man at home, and then a guest shows up."
Yi Haoran smiled. "Doesn't Ah Chun count as a man?"
"What kind of man is Ah Chun? He's even a few years younger than me." Wen Yun's face showed disdain. "If the Madam hadn't forbidden me to go out, I'd rather have gone to find the Master myself..."
"Where's the guest? Let me chat with him for a moment." Yi Haoran set down his umbrella and ledger.
"In the reception room behind the accounting room." Wen Yun said. "He's been sitting there all alone and parched. The Madam won't let me attend to him—only allowed a cup of tea to be sent. We can't just leave him sitting there like that, so I asked Old Mama Kong from the kitchen to wait on him outside."
"Go tell the Madam that I'll entertain him for a while. The Master will return shortly."
"That's a relief!" Wen Yun patted her chest. "Otherwise the Madam would scold me again!"
Yi Haoran wondered: "The Master's not home—why would the Madam scold you?"
Wen Yun said: "The Madam says I'm useless—can't keep the Master's heart..."
Yi Haoran smiled. "You're being blamed unfairly. The Master goes out on serious business, not for romance."
"Wrongly blamed and still scolded!" Wen Yun pouted and went inside.
Yi Haoran entered the reception room—called a "reception room," it was really just a small wing room used for receiving customers, furnished simply. A middle-aged man sat upright in one of the official's hat chairs.
Judging from his exquisite yet understated attire, he was a successful businessman. Yi Haoran didn't dare neglect him and cupped his hands in greeting. "Sir..."
The visitor had been waiting in the reception room for quite some time. Not only had he failed to see Luo Yangming, but no one had even come out to greet him properly. Yet his responsibilities prevented him from simply leaving in a huff. He had grown rather irritable. Suddenly seeing a middle-aged scholar emerge to greet him, he rose to return the courtesy.
"Please, the honor is mine. My humble surname is Zhu, given name Fuyuan. I'm a representative of Dachang Rice Shop..."
"Oh, the Dachang Rice Shop of Guangzhou?" Yi Haoran said.
Zhu Fuyuan blinked. "Sir knows our establishment?"
Yi Haoran silently cursed his own talkativeness. Wasn't this admitting he had been in Guangzhou? He hastily covered: "Your distinguished shop's reputation precedes it—I've heard of it, heard of it."
"Oh..."
Fearing further questions, Yi Haoran quickly introduced himself. "My humble surname is Hao, given name Ran. I'm the accountant here. The Master and the shopkeeper are both out at the moment. Someone has been sent to notify them. Would Master Zhu be so kind as to wait a little longer?"
"Of course, of course." Zhu Fuyuan drew a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I came specifically to see Master Luo. Waiting a bit longer is no trouble."
This piqued Yi Haoran's interest. From conversations with Li Wensheng and others, he had some idea of Luo Yangming's background. He wasn't a major Wuzhou merchant—just a mid-sized operator handling local rice and grain business.
Wuzhou's rice shops typically purchased from Guangxi and sold to Guangdong. But Yuxin's Guangdong operations extended only as far as Sanshui at most. Neither Li Wensheng nor Ding A-tao had ever mentioned any dealings with Guangzhou rice merchants. Moreover, Dachang was renowned in Guangzhou. Though Yi Haoran didn't know if they had Taiping capital behind them, it was no secret in Guangzhou that Dachang was deeply entangled with the Taipings.
A representative from a Guangzhou rice shop with Taiping connections, traveling specifically to Wuzhou to see Luo Yangming—a man he'd never had business dealings with before. What exactly was the purpose?
Intending to fish for information, he played the attentive host. Seeing sweat beading continuously on his guest's forehead, he ordered Old Mama Kong to bring herbal tea and specially sent out melons and fruit to help cool him down. Then he engaged him in casual conversation about Wuzhou's local customs and conditions.
Next Update: Volume 7 - Guangzhou Governance Part 473 (End of Chapter)