Chapter 73: Reunion

Lü Yizhong’s bedroom was located in a small, separate courtyard within the Huifu Street residence. This courtyard was originally intended for distinguished guests from out of town. Besides the main courtyard, there were two side courtyards, east and west. Lü Yizhong lived in the west courtyard. The room was comfortably furnished, and he had servants to attend to him, but he could not leave. He was under house arrest in this small world. Looking out from the window of the main room, he saw a small courtyard with some flowers and trees.

His mood was somewhat gloomy. The return to Guangzhou was like a godsend for Lü Yizhong, who had already despaired of ever returning to the mainland. Most of the advisors captured in the Battle of Chengmai had been ransomed after the peace agreement was reached. Apart from a few poor scholars whose families were far away and who had no friends in Guangdong, the prisoner-of-war camp was now empty. However, Lü Yizhong had never dared to write a letter asking his family to send ransom money. It wasn’t until his wife, seeing that others had returned one after another while there was no news of her husband, sent a family servant with money to Hainan Island to search for him that he was finally found.

Lü Yizhong dared not return. During his interrogation, he had revealed everything he knew about the Guangdong officialdom and military. That in itself was not a major issue—almost every captive had confessed everything they knew. But because he was afraid of death and wanted to curry favor with the “Australian rebels,” he had not only written a letter to the Governor-General suggesting they sue for peace but had also said some things he shouldn’t have during the interrogation. If even a hint of this leaked out upon his return, even if the court did not punish him, he would be reviled by the scholar-gentry as a “traitor.”

The Governor-General was gone, and he had lost his most powerful backer in the officialdom. If the court decided to punish someone for the defeat in Qiongzhou, Lü Yizhong would be the perfect scapegoat, with ready-made charges. Since he had no backer, the fleeing military commanders could frame him however they pleased.

Moreover, the “Australian rebels” had no intention of letting him go. Although they allowed his family to send him money and belongings, they never mentioned his release. Even the family servant his wife sent to serve him was sent back.

This time, a transmigrator “talked” to him, asking him to accompany Guo Yi’s party back to Guangzhou and serve the Australians from then on. Lü Yizhong did not dare to refuse. He knew very well what the Australians held over him. Once these things were revealed, even if the court did not pursue the matter, he would be instantly ruined. For someone who relied on his status as a scholar and official for a living, ruin was a terrifying prospect, especially since he had a tongjinshi degree and had served as a prefect in two posts! To put it mildly, it was “shameless”; to put it harshly, it was “betraying the emperor’s grace.”

Therefore, he could only obediently follow Guo Yi, quietly return to Guangzhou, and prepare to serve as Guo Yi’s advisor—or more accurately, as a liaison between the Guangzhou Station and the government. Before leaving, the Australians had made it very clear to him that the Guangzhou government would not pursue his case. As long as he honestly served as an intermediary, neither the Australians nor the government would harm him.

“…But if you get any other ideas, not only will we not tolerate you, but I’m afraid even the Governor will not be pleased to see you,” the “Australian rebel” who came to talk to him threatened bluntly.

“Yes, yes, I understand!” Lü Yizhong nodded repeatedly. “I have no ulterior motives! Heaven can be my witness!”

The Australians provided him with clothing and luggage and returned the money and belongings his wife had sent him for his use. However, all his personal servants were appointed by the Australians. In a state of fear and gloom, Lü Yizhong embarked on the journey back to Guangzhou.

On the boat back to Guangzhou, Guo Yi was quite polite. He would occasionally send him some fruit and sometimes invite him to eat and drink tea together. Seeing this young man from overseas, who just last year had been so deferential and obsequious before him, using flattering smiles and lavish gifts to curry his favor in exchange for a few words or a casually written note, now become his “master,” while he himself had to put on a smiling face, Lü Yizhong’s mood was very gloomy. However, with his years of experience in the officialdom, he could easily overcome this sense of loss. His main concern was his future.

A career in officialdom was out of the question. Originally, after a few years as an advisor to Governor-General Wang, he could have been recommended for another post, possibly as a circuit intendant. At the very least, he could have secured a prefect position in the prosperous regions of Guangdong and Guangxi. A few terms in office would have been enough to provide for the rest of his life and for his descendants. But now, that was no longer possible.

As for becoming an advisor again, his current reputation made that difficult. There were already rumors that the main culprit for Governor-General Wang’s rash military expedition and the disastrous defeat in Qiongzhou was a group of his advisors who, for their own fame and fortune, had instigated the Governor-General to go to war. This rumor was not concocted by the intelligence department; there were plenty of officials in Guangdong eager to shirk responsibility. With the Governor-General gone, his out-of-favor advisors were naturally the best scapegoats.

Therefore, all the former advisors of the Governor-General’s staff were in a state of disgrace. Apart from a few who were hired by other officials, most had scattered and left Guangdong. Lü Yizhong, as a former confidant of the Governor-General and with the stigma of having been “captured in the rebel’s lair,” was even less likely to be sought after.

“It is said, ‘To starve to death is a small matter, but to lose one’s integrity is a great one.’ How true!” Lü Yizhong said sorrowfully. Since he had already lost his integrity, the only options were suicide or, if he wanted to live well, to “sell out.” Having reached this conclusion, as if burning his boats, he finally felt a little more at ease.

“Even if the ‘Australian rebels’ are unable to hold on to Guangzhou one day, they can still secure the island of Qiongzhou. At worst, I can move my whole family south and live out the rest of my days on the island!”

Lü Yizhong had witnessed the current standard of living and prosperity in Lingao. If he had to spend the rest of his life there, it would not be a bad choice.

Upon arriving in Guangzhou, Guo Yi did not assign him any tasks. He only instructed him to write a letter home to report his safety and to rest at the Huifu Street residence. For several days after that, he was not summoned. In the boring wait, his resolve to sell himself out began to waver, and he became suspicious again, fearing that the Australians had no intention of using him in an important capacity. This made his mood very low.

Just as he was feeling bored, a voice called out from the doorway:

“Master!”

The person who came was the male servant the Australians had assigned to him. Lü Yizhong knew he was most likely a spy sent to watch him. He asked, “What is it?”

“Master Guo asked me to deliver this. He said, ‘Please have a look at this for the next two days, Master.’ Also, he would like to invite you to go out with him tomorrow to pay a visit. Please be prepared.”

The servant brought the newly published Jinshen (Gentry Roster) from the bookstore, copies of the Dibao (official gazette) from the yamen, and some copies of memorials collected from various channels. He flipped through them; almost all the memorials from the major officials of this province and Guangxi from the past few months had been copied.

Lü Yizhong knew this was for him to grasp the basic situation in Guangdong and at the court, to serve as an advisor to Guo Yi. It seemed the Australians might still have an important role for him. Thinking of this, his gloomy mood improved slightly.

The next day, Guo Yi took Lü Yizhong in two inconspicuous small sedan chairs to the Lotus Vihara on Henan Island. This was the place where Gao Ju had represented Li Fengjie in peace talks with the navy’s Pearl River detachment. He was going there to meet with Li Xijue to discuss the aftermath.

Li Xijue had originally been part of the Governor-General’s staff. Although he was quite capable and had been recommended to the Governor’s staff to participate in confidential matters, holding a position of some importance, he was not fully trusted. Li Fengjie’s assignment of “Australian affairs” to him was like handing him a hot potato. In all of Guangdong’s officialdom, one could still find a few people who could handle affairs with the “Red-Haired” (Dutch) or the “Fulangji” (Portuguese), but there was no one who could handle “Australian affairs.”

Li Xijue was the official responsible for liaising with the Australians, and his first task was “restitution and compensation.” Although he was not an official, he was still Li Fengjie’s advisor. Even though everyone was well aware of his identity, it was not convenient for him to have too much public contact with the Guangzhou Station.

Li Xijue was not fully aware of the agreement reached between his master and the Australians, but what little he knew was enough to get him branded a “traitor.” So he had to be especially careful. For safety, the two sides agreed to meet at the Lotus Vihara on Henan Island, which was not far from the city but relatively secluded.

Li Xijue and Lü Yizhong were reunited in this place. Both were somewhat embarrassed. They had once worked together in the Governor-General’s staff, planning how to deal with the Australians. Now, they were both dealing with the Australians, facilitating their affairs. It felt as if fate was playing a trick on them.

Embarrassment aside, business had to be done. In their meeting, they formally agreed that Lü Yizhong would be the liaison for the Australians and Li Xijue would be the liaison for the government. All negotiations and arrangements would be handled by the two of them.

For the time being, the Lotus Vihara would serve as their meeting place. A new, more suitable location would be found later.

The Guangdong government guaranteed the personal and property safety of Lü Yizhong and his family.

After the administrative agreements, the next issue was land acquisition—for the “Guangzhou Great World” project. In modern terms, it was about getting a piece of land approved for commercial real estate development.

Even in the Ming Dynasty, such a large-scale purchase of land for commercial development was a sensitive matter, especially just outside Guangzhou city! This was not just a matter of money. Without the overt and covert support of the local government, it would be very difficult to carry out large-scale real estate development.

Furthermore, although the Ming officials were greedy, they were not stupid. They could figure out with their toes what the “Great World” outside Guangzhou was really about.

“This is not easy to handle…” Li Xijue drew in a sharp breath. “Although you are allowed to freely purchase land in Guangdong, to buy so much land right here in Guangzhou city, I’m afraid, I’m afraid…” He couldn’t think of a specific reason and finally just said, “It’s difficult.”