Chapter 75: Dong Mingdang

“It is not entirely certain he cannot be won over to our cause,” Lin Zunxiu mused. “The court is in turmoil. If he were to step forward now, the court would surely grant him a future.”

Liang Cunhou nodded but said nothing, seemingly lost in thought. Lin Zunxiu waited respectfully. On the surface, the Lin and Liang families were merely merchant and powerful patron. In secret, their ties ran deep. The true financial backer of the Lin family’s restaurant was none other than the Liangs. Theirs was a relationship that had the reality of master and servant, if not the name.

After a long silence, Liang Cunhou finally spoke. “Let us set this matter aside for now. For the moment, continue to cultivate him. Is he not on good terms with the Australians? You can use him to learn more of their affairs.”

“I understand.”

“From now on, conduct your business and your life as you always have. If there is a need, I will send for you. If you must see me, go to the Fangchun Courtyard and find Yue Wan. She will pass on your message, and I will make the arrangements,” Young Master Liang instructed. “I will be living in seclusion for a time.”

“Is Miss Yue Wan reliable?” Lin Zunxiu asked, a flicker of worry in his eyes.

“Her entire family is in my hands,” Liang Cunhou said. Just then, a figure flashed past the wall. Lin Zunxiu, his conscience already pricked, cried out, “Who goes there?”

“Your servant, Suiyu…”

A tall maidservant entered, bearing a green jade plate laden with fruit.

“Do not be alarmed,” Liang Cunhou said. “Those who have defected to my side are permitted only to serve in the outer courtyard. The servants in the inner courtyard are from families who have served mine for generations. Those who can enter this chamber are loyal retainers, men and women I would trust with my life. No word from the outside enters, and no word from within leaves.”

As he finished speaking, Suiyu knelt and kowtowed. “Thank you, Young Master.”

Liang Cunhou gave a slight gesture, and the maid withdrew. Lin Zunxiu offered his praise, “Brother Liang’s management of his household is truly masterful…” The words felt clumsy as soon as they left his mouth. Managing a household was a woman’s domain; to praise a reclusive Juren master for it bordered on mockery.

Liang Cunhou, however, seemed unbothered. “Family and state,” he said lightly, “are one and the same. As the saying goes, ‘If you cannot sweep a single room, how can you sweep the world?’ If a man cannot manage his own house, how can he serve the court and the country? I rule my household by military law. There are but two principles in managing subordinates. The first is strictness. It matters not if you are new or old, favored or not. If you err, you will face the family law. The second is benevolence. Those who work in my mansion receive a monthly salary and rations two or three times that of servants outside. Their families are well-provided for, the old are cared for, the young are educated. If a servant falls ill, I find them a doctor. If they pass away, I provide a coffin and a burial plot. Manage a household thus, and you need not worry that your people will not be convinced, that they will not be willing to die for you.”

“The Young Master possesses great talent,” Lin Zunxiu said, his tone a mixture of flattery and genuine admiration.

Liang Cunhou offered a faint smile. “You may go.”

After seeing Lin Zunxiu off, his personal book-boy approached and whispered in his ear. Liang Cunhou nodded. “It is not appropriate for me to involve myself in this. Ask Master Mai to speak with him.”

The Guangzhou Prefectural Yamen—now the Guangzhou Special City Municipal Government building—was ablaze with light. The staff of the new government worked tirelessly. Liu Xiang’s office was illuminated by a gasoline lamp brought from their old world, casting a bright, even glow over the entire room.

The large rosewood desk was buried under mountains of documents. Liu Xiang had been so consumed these past few days, he felt like a spinning top: arranging receptions, delegating tasks, securing assets and archives. There was an endless stream of papers to approve and people to see. He rose at the fifth watch and slept past midnight, and his face had grown gaunt.

He heard the second watch being struck on the tower outside. Guangzhou still followed the old ways of timekeeping: morning bells and evening drums, a cannon at noon, and watches struck through the night. A strict curfew was in effect, preventing any mischief under the cover of darkness. Streetlights and public clocks, those two staples of a modern city, were absent. Liu Xiang put down his red and blue pencils and rose to stretch. He had just finished reading Lin Baiguang’s “Implementation Plan for the Rectification of Public Security in Guangzhou.”

As the former head of the Guangzhou Urban Work Department, Lin Baiguang was intimately familiar with the city’s basic situation. Upon entering the city, he had been appointed Director of the Guangzhou Comprehensive Governance Office, a department that handled everything from city appearance and sanitation to public order.

In the report and its thick appendix, Liu Xiang saw a litany of problems flagged as “in urgent need of resolution.” It was an all-encompassing list, touching upon issues that deeply affected the citizens’ daily lives: transportation, sanitation, public security. The urban ills of the 21st century were all present in 17th-century Guangzhou. The original government of one prefecture and two counties had managed the city with a light, almost laissez-faire, touch. Many of these problems had festered for decades, even centuries.

“It’s not easy being a mayor,” Liu Xiang sighed, rubbing his temples. He resolved to meet with Lin Baiguang the next day. They would select a few pressing issues that were relatively simple to solve but would create a great public sensation. It would showcase the efficiency of the new municipal government and give the citizens of Guangzhou a taste of a “new dynasty, new atmosphere.”

Guo Xi’er entered. “Chief, the midnight snack is ready. Shall I bring it in?”

“Bring it in.” Liu Xiang’s stomach felt empty. “I’ll eat, read for a while longer, and then rest.”

As he ate the white porridge Guo Xi’er had brought, a thought struck him. “Is that Dong Mingdang asleep? If not, have her come and see me.”

He had been working ceaselessly and had had no time to see her. Finishing his work a little earlier today, he remembered her request.

Truthfully, he cared little for the “hidden Ming officials” she claimed she could expose. A count had revealed a few provincial-level officials unaccounted for, but Liu Xiang was not overly concerned. First, they were of little use now. Second, he had faith in the Senate’s security apparatus. If they were still in the city, they would be found sooner or later. The upcoming household registration check would surely force them into the open. But this young girl’s desperate attempts to see him had piqued his curiosity.

Now, he scrutinized the woman brought before him. She entered gracefully, kowtowed, and then stood before him. Her eyes were lowered, but not in the shy, ninety-degree bow of a young woman of this era meeting a strange man. She was not in mourning. Her clothes, though of a plain color, were exquisite, and her hair was neatly combed. She did not look at all like a daughter who had just lost her father.

Surprised, Liu Xiang asked, “You are Dong Mingdang?”

“I am,” she replied, her voice clear and pleasant, her answer crisp. It made a good impression on him. He studied her more closely. She was not tall, but her figure was well-proportioned. She had a delicate, melon-seed-shaped face, free of makeup, and was possessed of a quiet beauty.

“I hear you wish to expose the whereabouts of officials in the city,” Liu Xiang said slowly. “You have seen me now. You may tell me everything.”

Dong Mingdang said, “In truth, I do not know the whereabouts of any hidden officials.”

Liu Xiang was stunned. Guo Xi’er’s face was a mask of disbelief. No one had ever dared to deceive the Chief so brazenly. The fate of those who did was often not death, but a slow, torturous end in a mine worse than any hell. This girl is so bold! A sour, bloated feeling spread through Guo Xi’er’s lower abdomen; she suddenly felt the urge to urinate. She deeply regretted having interceded for this girl.

Though Guo Xi’er had studied at Fangcaodi for several years and had been trained in the maid program for months, she could not stop herself from dropping to her knees with a thud. “I deserve to die!”

“Get up! This has nothing to do with you!” Liu Xiang snapped. He turned back to Dong Mingdang. “Since you do not know, why did you claim otherwise? This is a military matter. It is no joke.”

“If I had not claimed to have urgent military intelligence, how could Your Excellency have deigned to see a humble girl like myself?” Dong Mingdang said, her head bowed respectfully.

Liu Xiang nodded. “You have seen me. If you have something important to say, then say it. As for your father’s funeral, you need not worry. We will make proper arrangements. You and your mother will also be cared for.”

“I thank Your Excellency for your kindness. But I did not ask to see you for this matter. I came to offer my service to the Great Song,” Dong Mingdang said respectfully.

Liu Xiang hesitated. He wanted to ask her to repeat herself but thought better of it. He had seen many men and women take the initiative to join the Senate over the years, but never in circumstances like these.

“Miss Dong, you have a national and a personal grievance with our Great Song Senate. Yet you offer to serve us. How can we possibly believe you?”

Dong Mingdang nodded. “Your Excellency is right. It defies both reason and sentiment. Even if it were true, you would not dare to use such a heartless person. But Old Master Dong was not my father.”

It turned out that Dong Mingdang was a stepdaughter. Her family had been minor gentry in Shandong. When Old Master Dong was a county magistrate in Henan, he coveted her mother’s beauty. He colluded with bandits to have her father’s entire family murdered, then snatched her mother away as a concubine. She had been a young girl at the time. At her mother’s desperate plea, she was allowed to be brought along and was raised as Old Master Dong’s adopted daughter.

Liu Xiang was incredulous. The story was too bizarre. He pondered it in silence. Dong Mingdang continued, “I know Your Excellency does not believe me. My mother’s word would likely mean little. But most of the Dong family’s servants are still here. His long-time follower, Dong De, who helped the tyrant in his evil deeds, is still alive. You can send for him, interrogate him, and ask if a single word I have spoken is false.”

“Whether what you say is true or false,” Liu Xiang said, “to serve the Senate, you must go through the proper procedures. It is not something I can decide with a single word.” He thought for a moment. “I am not being dismissive. My Senate operates differently from the Great Ming. Everything is done by rules and regulations, not by the whim of one person. If you truly wish to join the Great Song, in a few days, my Senate will be recruiting talented individuals in Guangzhou, regardless of gender. As long as you pass the review, you will become a naturalized citizen.”