Chapter 35: The Aftermath

The rescue operation provided endless conversation topics for the bored transmigrators, injecting a shot of excitement into the long and tedious preparations. Every evening after work, the participants were cornered and asked to recount the story they had already told hundreds of times. Bei Wei, Ran Yao, and Lin Shenhe shone like three new stars rising in the night sky. Everywhere they went, people greeted them, and even strangers would approach them like old brothers.

After a thorough medical examination, the doctors concluded that Wen Desi, who had been brought to the hospital with great care by many, was healthier than anyone else. Although he had lost some items, they were insignificant. The most valuable were Director Wen’s anti-stab vest and stun gun. Some romantically imagined the vest becoming a legendary “celestial silk armor,” while others fantastically suggested the Executive Committee should mass-produce and sell them for ten thousand taels of silver apiece.

The mood in the Executive Committee, however, was not so optimistic. Of course, they weren’t worried about any legendary armor or the stun gun. The vest couldn’t stop a bullet, and the stun gun was just a plastic shell once its battery died. They were concerned about the information uncovered by the kidnapping.

The items found on the dead bandits were a motley collection of silver, copper coins, flint, and tobacco pouches. The most valuable item was a letter. Its content was unremarkable: simple greetings and inquiries about whether entrusted goods had been sold. But the signature was “Respectfully, Zhou Rui of Min’an.”

If it weren’t for the presence of Yu E’shui, a young history graduate student from the capital, this letter might have been overlooked. After reading it, Yu informed the committee that this Zhou Rui of Min’an was likely an “adopted son” of Zheng Cai, a cousin (or by some accounts, a nephew) of the infamous Zheng Zhilong.

The “adopted son” system was a common business practice among Chinese maritime merchants at the time. Sea trade was risky, so powerful families would raise these “adopted sons” to brave the waves and conduct trade, while their own biological sons could enjoy the profits at home. Some became “adopted sons” due to debt. These men had low social status, effectively serving as commercial semi-slaves—lifelong professional managers who weren’t allowed to switch employers. The Zheng family maintained a large number of such “professional managers.” Zheng Tai, who later became a famous finance official under Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong), was also one such adopted son.

Zheng Cai, in modern terms, held a major leadership position within the Zheng Zhilong group for a long time. Although he was from a collateral branch of the Zheng family, after Zheng Zhilong surrendered to the Qing and was taken away, the Zheng group was left leaderless. Zheng Cai managed to establish his own faction, retreating to Xiamen to contend with Zheng Chenggong. His power was considerable.

The fact that the bandit leader had a letter from one of the Zheng family’s professional managers, combined with other information indicating they were from the southern Fujian region, made the shadow of Zheng Zhilong loom large and clear.

To have made an enemy of the Zheng family, the largest maritime group in late Ming and early Qing China, before they had even officially begun their venture, was not a pleasant prospect.

Yu E’shui told the worried committee members that they were worrying unnecessarily. The seas off Guangdong and Fujian in the late Ming were teeming with pirates. Besides the Zheng group, historians could name at least a dozen other major pirate/merchant gangs. There were also countless smaller, nameless pirates and sea merchants who would turn to piracy whenever an opportunity for profit arose, not to mention the Dutch, English, and Portuguese… it was a paradise of jungle law. For the transmigrators to establish a foothold on Hainan, they would have to subdue all of them. Who they made an enemy of, and whether it was sooner or later, would ultimately amount to the same thing. These merchant-pirates didn’t care if you were an enemy or not; if there was money to be made, they would get involved. If you were weak, you would be robbed. Peaceful trade relations were built entirely on the foundation of mutual military deterrence. Therefore, this fight wasn’t a bad thing. At the very least, it showed them that the transmigrators were not to be trifled with, which might make them less reckless in the future.

Despite this reasoning, the Executive Committee still placed the Guangzhou outpost on high alert to guard against possible retaliation from the Zheng family. They renovated the living quarters, installed bars and security doors, and stockpiled a number of fire extinguishers.

Xiao Zishan paid a visit to Gao Ju and roughly informed him of what had happened. Master Gao was astonished—he had never expected the Australian sea merchants to have such capabilities, cleanly resolving the matter in a place where they were complete strangers. After the incident occurred, although he had provided sedan chairs and mule carts at Xiao Zishan’s request, he had been holding back, unwilling to offer his full assistance. His original plan was to wait for the ransom note to arrive and for them to beg for his help, allowing him to earn a huge favor.

He never imagined this group of Australian sea merchants would be so formidable! He was filled with regret. When Xiao Zishan asked for his help, he agreed immediately and profusely.

Citing the residence’s vulnerability to attack after the incident, Xiao Zishan proposed buying another house. Gao Ju had no choice but to agree. Fortunately, he was still handling the purchase, so it seemed the Australians hadn’t lost their trust in him. He beat his chest and promised to even pay for the house himself—as a gift to calm Master Wen’s nerves. Xiao Zishan repeated, “This won’t set a precedent, this won’t set a precedent,” as he graciously accepted.

Then, Master Gao produced a list and handed it to Xiao Zishan.

He opened it and read: ten thousand paper-rolled cigarettes, two hundred nickel-silver lighters, thirty goose-egg-sized mirrors, two hundred powder-case mirrors, two full-length dressing mirrors, and an assortment of other novel Australian goods.

“What is this?”

“Alas!” Master Gao sighed, a pained expression on his face. “It’s a small tribute from me to someone in the capital. It’s urgent. Can you, my brother, deliver it within ten days?”

“Of course, of course,” Xiao Zishan readily agreed. These weren’t rare items. Apart from the cigarettes, the rest could be sourced from a small commodities market. But this was no small tribute; in terms of trade value, Master Gao would have to pay nearly twenty thousand taels of silver. Who was this powerful person?

Xiao Zishan thought that if he could establish a connection with such a powerful figure through Master Gao, it could be useful in the future. He deliberately said, “We will naturally bring some novel items. I wonder what hobbies the great official in the court has? If we cater to his tastes, wouldn’t that be even better?”

“Thank you, my worthy brother,” Master Gao said with a bitter smile. “Novel goods are a must, of course, but these items are what they specifically requested.”

So damn corrupt, Xiao Zishan cursed inwardly. Not only accepting bribes but soliciting them, and even specifying what they wanted.

“But why do they need so many?” he asked, feigning surprise.

“It’s not that many. The two in the palace, the twenty-four offices, the grand secretaries of the cabinet…” Gao Ju muttered before stopping himself. “I forgot you are not a subject of the Great Ming. It might be hard for you to understand all this.”

Xiao Zishan listened carefully. The level of this gift-giving was indeed high. Did Gao Ju have such powerful connections? He decided to probe a little and asked in a low voice, “Could this official who made the list be the Nine Thousand Year Old?”

Gao Ju was startled. He quickly looked around, and seeing no one else, he whispered back:

“Be careful with your words! It’s not the Director of the Eastern Depot, but another one.” He then asked, “How do you know the title of the Nine Thousand Year Old?”

“Having been in the Great Ming for so long, I’ve learned a thing or two about its affairs,” Xiao Zishan said, putting on a profound expression that suggested, “I know more than I let on,” to whet his appetite.

Gao Ju took the bait. “Brother, you know what kind of business I’m in,” he sighed. “The reason this business has been able to operate peacefully until now is all thanks to a Eunuch Yang in the palace.”

He then briefly explained his relationship with Eunuch Yang. In short, Eunuch Yang was his backer. He naturally didn’t mention the part about sharing the profits, but Xiao Zishan could easily imagine it—any Chinese person could understand such a relationship, even if you claimed it was a purely platonic friendship.

“But now, Eunuch Yang’s position in the palace is not what it used to be,” Gao Ju whispered, his voice as low as a mosquito’s buzz. “He is not favored by the Director of the Eastern Depot.”

“So this batch of goods is to win back favor?”

“I wouldn’t dare say win favor. Burning incense in all directions and praying for peace is the best I can hope for.” Gao Ju wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Eunuch Yang and I are in the same boat. No matter the cost, I must do my best to serve him.”

“I understand, brother.”

“There is one more matter I need your help with, brother,” Gao Ju said, cupping his hands.

“Of course, of course.” Xiao Zishan thought, His expression is so sincere, his tone so earnest. Is he going to ask to borrow money?!

“Recently, I have a difficult matter, and my funds may be tight…”

Damn it, what you fear is what you get. Xiao Zishan was still nodding and smiling, but his smile began to stiffen.

“…I would like to trouble you, my worthy brother, to persuade the other Australian shopkeepers to switch to a monthly payment settlement. If you can arrange this, I will be eternally grateful and will reward you separately.”

So he wants credit, and he’s even trying to bribe me, Xiao Zishan thought. Gao Ju’s request wasn’t unreasonable in any era. Most 21st-century companies would be dreaming: monthly settlement was a godsend when 60-day terms were the norm, and Taiwanese merchants were pushing for 120 days. In the early 17th-19th centuries, foreign merchants trading in China often had to wait one or two years after entrusting their goods to Chinese merchants to get paid, and often they wouldn’t get paid at all, leading to many trade disputes.

The problem was that their trans-temporal trade was aimed at raising funds as quickly as possible. Extending credit would increase the instability of their collections, and the Executive Committee was unlikely to agree.

He suddenly realized that, from the beginning of the conversation, Master Gao had been manipulating it, using his curiosity to steer the topic step-by-step to this point—this old fox!

“Is this very difficult for you, my worthy brother?” Gao Ju saw the change in his expression and knew it would be a hard sell.

“This matter requires careful consideration.” Since it had come to this, he had to play along. “But if we are to extend credit, there must be a clear reason, so we can evaluate whether it’s feasible.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Gao Ju told him everything about Yang Tianliang coming to Guangzhou and discussing the construction of a living shrine for the Nine Thousand Year Old.

“The living shrine itself would have been manageable. Five thousand taels of silver would have been enough. But Eunuch Yang wants it to be ‘grand and magnificent’ and wants to mobilize the merchants and citizens of Guangzhou. The total cost, inside and out, will likely be no less than seventy or eighty thousand taels.” Gao Ju’s face twitched, clearly in extreme pain at the thought of the expense.

Xiao Zishan’s knowledge of the Nine Thousand Year Old’s living shrines came entirely from the middle school text “The Five Man Grave Stone.” He had no idea if a living shrine for Wei Zhongxian had ever been built in Guangzhou, nor was he interested. However, this matter needed to be reported to the Executive Committee as soon as possible, so Yu E’shui could see if there was any value to be exploited.