Chapter 249: The Autumn Levy (Part 14)

The matter of a way out was something Zhou Qi had thought about before. But when Gou Buli said this, he immediately became alert. He couldn’t help but glance at the other man and tentatively asked, “I wonder what kind of way out?”

Gou Buli no longer concealed his intentions and whispered, “Don’t you want to one day become the clerk of this county?”

Zhou Qi was about to say that his master had three sons and it would never be his turn, but he immediately realized, with Gou Buli’s status, what ability did he have to say such a thing? Someone must be pulling the strings behind the scenes.

The matter was of great importance. Zhou Qi became cautious. “A man strives to rise higher. How could I not want it!”

“As long as you have this thought, it’s good.” Gou Buli then quietly revealed the Australians’ intention to have him take over as the new Household Office clerk.

“How is that possible!” Zhou Qi shook his head repeatedly after hearing this. “Don’t you know that being the Household Office clerk is all about having the Fish-Scale Register? If my master is unwilling to pass the register to me, it’s useless even if I become the clerk!”

“You don’t have to worry about that. The Australians are very capable. Do you think they can’t handle such a small matter?” Gou Buli’s small eyes blinked.

Zhou Qi nodded. “The Australians aren’t so kind as to let me be the clerk for no reason. There must be some conditions, right?”

Gou Buli smiled and nodded. “Brother Qi is straightforward! Actually, there are no conditions. As the saying goes, a new emperor brings new ministers. Now, in Lingao, the Australians have the final say. They hope to replace everyone in the yamen with their own people, so it’s easier to give orders…”

“How can I be considered one of their own people—” Zhou Qi said doubtfully.

“Hehe, let’s speak frankly,” Gou Buli’s eyes gleamed. “If the Australians weren’t completely ignorant about tax collection and the Fish-Scale Register, would it be your turn to be the Household Office clerk? This is an opportunity! You mustn’t miss it!”

Zhou Qi fell silent. The arrival of the Australians was indeed an opportunity! Right now, in the county, if one just bowed before their strange half-length cloth boots and sold oneself out, one could surely gain some benefits. Now, they were taking the initiative to recruit him, and the position of Household Office clerk they offered was truly tempting.

But Zhou Qi didn’t dare to agree. First, if he did this, he would be “betraying his master and breaking the code,” becoming a heinous criminal among the yamen clerks. Second, given his master’s personality, it was impossible for him to voluntarily step down. He would have to be forced to abdicate by the Australians. There would surely be a lot of trouble in the future.

“Don’t you worry,” Gou Buli seemed to know what he was afraid of. “Your master, when the time comes, will naturally be willing,” he made a malicious gesture. “You are his eldest apprentice. If you take his position, no one will have anything to say.”

Zhou Qi’s heart pounded. The first thing to do to become a yamen clerk was to discard one’s conscience, so what would happen to his master didn’t stir any emotional waves in him. He was only worried about the consequences.

“He still has sons. How could it be my turn? Don’t forget, Justice Office Clerk Zhang Shi is their uncle!” he shook his head repeatedly. “Besides, my master has many tax enforcers under him. They might not all obey me.”

“Whether they obey you or not depends on your ability. Otherwise, why would the Australians want you? The Australians are not your real father,” Gou Buli said bluntly. “As for the Zhang brothers, you don’t have to worry. It will be taken care of for you.”

This was a clear message that the Australians would “protect him.” No matter how ruthless the Zhang brothers were, they couldn’t be more ruthless than the Australians.

Zhou Qi hesitated for a moment, then said very carefully, “Brother Gou! We are both from this place. Let me say something frank—do you think these Australians can last long?”

Gou Buli smiled. “Whether they last long or not, you will be the ‘Household Office Clerk’ of the Great Ming’s Lingao county yamen. What does it have to do with anything!”

Zhou Qi’s mind was suddenly clear. That’s right! This was not some “false post,” but a proper “established clerkship.” Whether the Australians were here or not, it was all the same! As long as he seized this opportunity and used the Australians’ power to manage things well in the next few years, and cleaned up the people who were an eyesore, even if the government troops returned, he would still be sitting firmly in this position!

If he was a piece of mud that couldn’t be plastered on the wall, then he would naturally have to obediently step aside. But Zhou Qi didn’t think he was any worse than his master. He had always felt that Chen Minggang had only gotten to this position because he came from a family of hereditary Household Office clerks. He himself was only at a disadvantage because of his birth.

However, this was a major matter, and he still had to consider it carefully. He cupped his hands. “Brother Gou, please go back and tell the Australian chiefs: I still need to think about this matter.”

“Good, you think it over carefully,” Gou Buli didn’t rush him. “It’s not too late to give me an answer in a few days.” He added, “I have tea downstairs every morning.”

The Welfare Society Restaurant, like those in later generations, had started a “morning tea” business. Although they lacked flour and could only make simple rice flour pastries for now, the place was bustling with customers every morning.

Zhou Qi had no more appetite for food or drink and went on his way. Gou Buli continued to eat and drink alone in the private room. A moment later, the door curtain was lifted, and Zhou Botao walked in. He was dressed like a wealthy merchant. Gou Buli reported the contents of the conversation in detail. In fact, Zhou Botao had already listened in the restaurant’s listening room, but since they were speaking in the Lingao dialect, he hadn’t understood it very well. He would have to have it translated and transcribed by a specialist back at the office.

“…Zhou Qi is tempted, but he’s afraid his peers won’t tolerate him…”

“Peers?”

“That is, the yamen clerks. Zhou Qi is an outsider, after all. If Chen Minggang had clearly given him the position, no one would have anything to say. Even if the chiefs strongly support him, his position won’t be stable.”

“This position was never meant to be easy to get,” Zhou Botao said with a smile, a mysterious remark.

“Yes,” Gou Buli didn’t know what the chief was planning, but it was clearly not with good intentions. “…He’s also worried about the attitude of the Zhang brothers. Those two have no kind words for him, and they are the uncles of Chen Minggang’s sons. If they want to give him a hard time, he won’t be able to take it.”

Zhou Botao seemed uninterested in this and asked again, “Do you think he has anything to do with Qiuhong?”

Gou Buli laughed. “He wouldn’t dare, even if you beat him to death! Old Eighth is very serious about his women. Touching his woman is like touching his ancestral graves. If Zhou Qi had dared to do that, he would have died seventeen or eighteen times already.”

Huang Bingkun’s petition finally had some progress. He had spent a lot of time talking with the large households in the city and nearby. After learning that Liu Dalin was willing to come forward and negotiate with the Australians, the heads of the various families became much bolder. As long as someone was willing to take the lead, the Chinese people were very happy to follow and make a fuss, especially when it concerned their own interests. Everyone expressed their willingness to sign the petition jointly. In his conversations, Huang Bingkun also tried to gauge the large households’ attitude towards the ‘Kunzei’—most of them expressed dissatisfaction with the Australians’ “poor choice of personnel,” but they didn’t say much else. Huang Bingkun tried to hint that Chen Minggang was just a pawn and that the real intention behind the land survey and extortion was the Australians’. To his surprise, the other party would either change the subject or simply fall silent. There was no particularly agitated reaction. This greatly disappointed Huang Bingkun. In the past, whenever the county yamen tried to do anything, big or small, there would always be large households who strongly opposed it. A few years ago, when they wanted to repair the ever-normal granary, a few powerful large households in the county had caused a big fuss, forcing the matter to be dropped.

“Now they’re so obedient! They really won’t cry until they see the coffin!” Huang Bingkun cursed inwardly. But at least he had persuaded them to sign the petition jointly, which was a good achievement.

He finished his day’s work and returned to the county school. For convenience, he didn’t live in the student quarters with janitors but in the courtyard of the “Archery Field.” Archery was one of the “Six Arts” of the Rites of Zhou, so the county school also had this facility, though it had been in disrepair for many years. Huang Bingkun lived here with his two page boys.

Just as he arrived, Li Xiaopeng came looking for him. He said he had persuaded a dozen more classmates to sign the petition.

“These few have disliked the Australians for a while, but their families are strict, so they didn’t dare to speak up,” Li Xiaopeng said. “Now that I’ve told them Mr. Liu is coming forward, their families won’t stay out of it, so they’ve agreed. But they have to send someone back to ask for permission first.”

Huang Bingkun said, “In a few days, I’ll visit their homes again, and they will all surely agree.”

“There are also a few poor ones,” Li Xiaopeng said. “They’re just greedy for the Australians’ few circulation coupons. I promised them some benefits, and they finally relented. As long as everyone is willing to sign jointly, they will also sign.”

Huang Bingkun had thought Li Xiaopeng was just a dandy, but he was surprised to see he was quite capable when he got down to business. He had achieved in half a day what Huang Bingkun had failed to do after talking until he was hoarse. It was truly impressive.

“Good, I’ll have to trouble you with this matter,” Huang Bingkun said. “Mr. Liu is our backer. Tell everyone not to be afraid—the Australians also hold Mr. Liu in high regard.”

The news of Huang Bingkun secretly uniting the large households to submit a petition soon reached Chen Minggang’s ears.

“Hmph, these scholars are really bored,” Chen Minggang said angrily.

Angry or not, the matter had to be dealt with. The scholars had official titles. One or two poor scholars were nothing, but a group of them was hard to deal with, not to mention they had pulled Liu Dalin in as their banner.

Liu Dalin’s stock had been rising with the Australians recently. If he came forward to speak for the landowners, and with a group of noisy scholars, the Australians would have to make some kind of gesture—wouldn’t that ruin his plans?

He couldn’t and didn’t dare to deal with Liu Dalin; Chen Minggang knew this very well. But Liu Dalin had no ability to act; he was just a statue being carried out. The key to the matter was Huang Bingkun.

A snake can’t move without a head. As long as Huang Bingkun was stopped from running around for this, the matter of the joint petition would come to nothing.