Chapter 171: Winning Hearts and Minds

“A woman’s view!” Luo Tianqiu cursed inwardly, but he didn’t say it out loud. The first lady’s family was also quite a powerful local gentry. And she was usually a virtuous wife. With the chaotic situation outside, the first priority was “family harmony.” He just shook his head and said, “Now is the time to win people’s hearts. If you talk about taking their land and sealing their houses, aren’t you afraid these bumpkins will become collaborators for the Kun thieves!”

The first lady thought about it and had to agree, sighing resentfully. She instructed the maids to set the table and ate with him. A tiered box held eight kinds of side dishes for wine, and there were another six dishes for the meal. The first lady poured Luo Tianqiu a cup of wine. The wine was “Guoshi Wushuang,” which he had asked someone to buy from Guangzhou. Luo Tianqiu liked this pure and mellow distilled spirit—it had no impurities and a rich, smooth flavor. It was bottled in a clear crystal bottle, which was pleasing to the eye. The first lady also used this wine to soak medicinal herbs.

“There’s not much of this wine left. I asked the steward to buy more, but he said the distillery in Guangzhou has been shut down by the government. Life is getting more and more chaotic,” the first lady said, her complaints resurfacing as she saw him drinking.

Luo Tianqiu smiled. “That distillery belongs to the Kun thieves, so of course it had to be shut down.”

“The Kun thieves’? Isn’t it the Aussies’?”

“The Kun thieves are the Aussies, and the Aussies are the Kun thieves.”

“Good heavens! Isn’t the famous Pei Xiuli in Guangzhou a foreign woman? But everyone says she’s very beautiful…”

“Well, the Aussies can be considered a kind of Chinese, I suppose,” Luo Tianqiu had heard a lot about the origins of the Kun thieves, or Aussies, during his socializing in the county seat these past few days. “They claim to be descendants of the Song Dynasty after the Battle of Yashan. I heard that one of their leaders, surnamed Wen, is a descendant of Prime Minister Wen.”

“Then aren’t they descendants of loyal ministers?” the first lady said in surprise.

“If they are truly descendants of the Song people from Yashan, then of course they are all descendants of loyal ministers. To follow the young emperor across the sea to a barren land, leaving their homes and possessions behind, how could they not be loyal ministers?” Luo Tianqiu had heard a lot about the Aussies’ origins, and with a cup of wine in him, he was in the mood to talk. “It’s just that they are loyal ministers of the Song Dynasty, and have nothing to do with our current dynasty.”

“Loyal ministers are always good people…” The first lady had not read much, and her concepts were all from plays and storybooks.

Luo Tianqiu sighed heavily. “The Aussies have occupied Lingao and are now besieging Qiongzhou. They have also broken through Humen. It won’t be long before they reach Guangzhou! It’s best if they don’t come here…”

The first lady couldn’t quite wrap her head around the fact that the Aussies, who could make so many good things, were also the legendary Kun thieves, who were said to be as murderous as hemp, whose cannons were as powerful as thunder and could destroy anything, and who were half-demons. She had a great fondness for the various things made by the Aussies, and now hearing that they were also the evil Kun thieves, she felt it was a great pity.

“It would be great if the Aussies were willing to accept an offer of amnesty. I think the court should just give them that small place, Ling… whatever it’s called. The Portuguese are living in Haojing, aren’t they?”

Luo Tianqiu thought this was actually an ideal solution, but unfortunately, the people in power at court would not agree. He said vaguely, “The Kun thieves have come with ill intentions. I’m afraid things are not that simple.”

After lunch, the first lady originally wanted a concubine to attend to him for his midday nap. But Luo Tianqiu couldn’t sleep. The Kun thieves’ attack was imminent, and he had to be fully prepared. Moreover, the autumn harvest had begun, and the matter of collecting rent would soon be on the agenda. There were also household affairs to attend to.

“I’ll go to the outer courtyard and take a look first,” Luo Tianqiu said after washing his face, and headed for the outer residence.

The place where he handled household affairs was called “Zhangmao Hall.” The doors of the three-bay hall were all open, and outside was a courtyard paved with green stone slabs. Several of his housekeepers, stewards, and accountants stood respectfully in the hall, waiting for his instructions.

Luo Tianqiu did not look at the prepared account books, nor did he ask any questions. He just said, “Let’s go to the rent collection courtyard!”

The Luo family’s rent collection courtyard was very large. The surrounding walls, like those of the other courtyards, were all made of brick and stone. The walls and gatehouse were very high—this was to prevent enemies from setting fires. The rent collection courtyard was full of things like rice, husks, bran, and straw, which could easily be set on fire. High walls were a necessary precaution. The gatehouse was thick, with two thick, iron-clad gates, reinforced with a log as thick as a bowl. They couldn’t be broken down with axes or clubs. There was a small attic above the gate, and in case of need, the retainers could climb up and shoot through the loopholes. In times of famine, when the peasants rose up in rebellion against rent, or when bandits entered the town, the gates would be closed, and the courtyard walls would be defended with bows, arrows, and three-eyed muskets. A few hundred people could not break in.

Not only the rent collection courtyard, but all the Luo family’s courtyards were built to this standard. After all the gates were closed, the Luo family compound was like a city within a city. The various courtyards of the Luo family were connected by covered walkways. At dawn, the inner gates in the walkways would be opened, and the whole compound would become one. After dark, all the gates would be locked, and each courtyard would be a world of its own.

Luo Tianqiu passed through the covered walkway and came to the rent collection courtyard. The gate of the courtyard was open, and in the middle was a large open space paved with bricks and stones, but it was empty at the moment—it was not yet time to pay the rent. Around the courtyard were rows of houses, where the accountants of the rent collection courtyard worked and lived. In the center was the place for inspecting the rent, a three-bay open hall with a canopy, with several large scales in front. Baskets, brooms, and straw bags were piled up like mountains, all prepared for the rent collection.

Luo Tianqiu looked around and felt satisfied. The people handling the affairs were diligent. He nodded in satisfaction and went to the backyard.

The backyard of the rent collection courtyard was where the grain and straw were stored. The granaries were all neat and clean. Luo Tianqiu asked how much grain was left from last year. He had his own accounts in his head, and when the steward reported a number that was roughly the same as he remembered, he was satisfied. Luo Tianqiu randomly asked someone to open a granary to check the numbers and see if the accounts and the stock matched, and to see if there were any discrepancies in the type and quality of the stored grain.

He found that there were obvious problems with several of the granaries. The total amount of grain was correct, but the grain was very old—he remembered that when he inspected this batch of grain last year, it was not so severely aged. Luo Tianqiu sneered. Needless to say, they were playing the old trick of substitution. He glanced at the several people who were bowing and following behind him. The phrase “a dog can’t change its ways” suddenly came to his mind. Who among these people had not received great favor from him? Some even had a “special relationship” with him—Sun Yulin, the steward of these few granaries, had originally been his study boy and catamite. He had been very fond of this “Little Yu’er” back then, and their intimacy had surpassed that of a husband and wife. Later, when “Little Yu’er” grew older, he was given this cushy job in the granary. In less than five years, the once handsome young man had become fat and coarse, and he had also learned the skill of embezzling from his post!

Luo Tianqiu did not expose him on the spot. He was a sinister and ruthless person, but he never easily revealed his true thoughts. In the past two years, he had not been as strict with his subordinates as before—if the water is too clear, there will be no fish. Moreover, the world was gradually becoming chaotic, and being too harsh on his servants would only invite resentment from petty people. If someone were to have malicious intentions and collude with bandits to act as an inside man, the consequences would be very serious.

He had to deal with this matter secretly. He made up his mind but remained silent. Then he wanted to go to the west side courtyard of the rent collection courtyard.

“Master, what are you going to do there? It’s dirty and smelly…” the housekeeper asked in surprise.

“Just to take a look,” Luo Tianqiu said simply.

The west side courtyard was officially called the “Interrogation Office,” but it was actually the Luo family’s private prison and court. Tenant farmers and common people who couldn’t pay their rent or debts would be taken here to be tortured and imprisoned.

The gate of the west side courtyard was small and locked. Several retainers armed with swords and clubs sat at the entrance. Seeing the master arrive, they quickly opened the tightly closed gate, and the steward inside also rushed out to greet him.

The courtyard was large, and in the surrounding servant quarters were over a hundred people who owed rent and debts. Some were weeping, and some were moaning in pain.

In the middle of the courtyard, a man was tied to a torture stool, his buttocks and thighs covered in blood, and he was wailing loudly. A few broken bamboo boards were scattered on the ground. Two or three bare-chested retainers were sitting on the side, drinking water.

Luo Tianqiu usually didn’t bother with such matters, but the situation was different now. The Kun thieves were close at hand, and there were so many people imprisoned in his own house. If any of their family members were to have malicious thoughts and entice the Kun thieves to attack Sanliangshi, it would be a problem.

“What’s the matter with this man?”

“To answer you, Master! This is Hao Shengke. He didn’t pay his full rent last year and signed a promissory note. He still hasn’t paid it this year. We asked him to have his wife work in the mansion for a few years to pay off the debt, but he claimed he had already divorced her—isn’t this clearly deceiving the master…” the steward said, cursing viciously. “He played dead after a few strokes!”

“Master, I wouldn’t dare…” Hao Shengke, seeing that it was Master Luo, was scared out of his wits. People had been beaten to death on the spot in this west side courtyard before. It was not impossible that this Master Luo would turn ruthless and order a severe punishment. Even if he wasn’t beaten to death, he would be half-crippled. He ignored the pain and wailed for mercy. “It’s not that I intentionally resisted paying, but my old mother was seriously ill last year, and I fell into debt! I beg you, Master, to give me a few more months. I will definitely pay it all back, with interest…”

“Is it Hao Shengke? Forget it. He’s been a tenant for several generations,” Luo Tianqiu said slowly. “You did it to treat your old mother’s illness, which is a filial act! I will make an exception. This beating will be considered as payment for your old debt.” He gestured to the steward. “Clean him up and let him go back!”

The steward was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and quickly ordered someone to untie the man from the torture stool.

“You’re a lucky bastard! The master is in a good mood today!”

Hao Shengke was stunned. He didn’t come to his senses until he was put on the ground and kicked by the steward. He quickly kowtowed a few times and was led away.

“Clear out the people in this west side courtyard,” Luo Tianqiu ordered the steward. “Release all those whose cases are not serious.”