Chapter 439 - Clerks
Lingao's commodity economy remained woefully underdeveloped. Silver circulated rarely, making its price relatively high while grain prices stayed low. Collecting taxes in silver inevitably meant extracting far more grain than the nominal amount. The price differential between incoming and outgoing seemed minute on any single transaction, but when accumulated, the figures became enormous.
The total taxable official land in Lingao amounted to 1,660 qing and 98 mu. At 9 li per mu, the levy would reach roughly 15,000 taels of silver. Though some land was taxed at 4 li and certain parcels were exempt, the total would still approach 10,000 taels—an almost unbearable burden for such a small county.
Consequently, when grain collection season arrived, silver prices would surge. This created a huge burden not only for grain-paying households but also for the county administration itself. In earlier times, before the surcharges, paying the grain tax had been somewhat manageable. But ever since the first Liao Supplies surcharge at the end of the Wanli reign, the county yamen had been forced to urge tax collection and gather silver, running themselves ragged in the process.
What made the situation most difficult for Wu Mingjin and his staff was Lingao's remoteness—far from the emperor's reach—which severely limited the yamen's authority. Never mind the county gentry; even ordinary local landlords who had built forts for self-protection paid their taxes rather arbitrarily. The government simply couldn't press too hard. As for the countless "hidden fields" reclaimed privately, they were impossible to enumerate.
In the past, relying on Wu Mingjin's methods and Wang Zhaomin's tireless efforts, Lingao's autumn tax could at least be completed on schedule. Last year, though the Australians had arrived, they hadn't interfered much with autumn tax collection, so the task was managed. Later, though a "Reasonable Burden" was implemented, that had nothing to do with the county yamen.
This year's situation, however, was subtly different. The Australians were now openly reclaiming wasteland and planting crops themselves. This gave Wang Zhaomin considerable hidden worry.
What worry? This brings us to "proxy registration"—guiji. To evade government taxes, some families would "cast themselves under a master," registering their land under the name of a landlord with an examination degree or power. In principle, Ming dynasty tax exemptions had clear regulations: officials of certain ranks were exempt for specified amounts, juren for their amount, shengyuan for theirs. But actual practice often wildly exceeded these rules. Lingao was no exception. The county had few degree-holding gentry but many powerful landlords. "Proxy registering" under such landlords wasn't legally tax-exempt, yet the county yamen—bound by the basic principle that local officials shouldn't offend influential households—often turned a blind eye to the discrepancies. Generally speaking, both sides managed to get by.
Now, however, the Australians stood as the most powerful household in all of Lingao County. If they openly refused to pay a single grain of rice and the county yamen proved helpless against them, many small and medium landlords—even independent farmers watching from the sidelines—might cast themselves under their protection. Lingao's autumn tax revenues would shrink dramatically. This portended disaster for both Wu Mingjin and Wang Zhaomin—affecting not only the Magistrate's performance evaluation but also both their pockets. For local officials, the benefits from floating collection and tax surcharges represented reliable, risk-free income.
After much deliberation, Wang Zhaomin proposed that the only path forward was to negotiate with the Australians and ask them to set an example by paying taxes. Judging from the Australians' behavior over the past year, they didn't wish to make enemies of the Great Ming government and were sometimes even willing to spend money to buy a favorable image. If the price was right, perhaps they wouldn't refuse outright.
How could Xiong Buyou know his calculations? He was pondering what the other party actually wanted.
"This county's grain tax is quite light," Wang Zhaomin said quickly, seeing him appear to deliberate. "The official levy is only three dou five sheng per mu. For your several thousand mu of land, Bairen Village need only start with a tax assessment for five hundred mu."
Xiong Buyou shook his head. "Private Secretary Wang, I must report this matter to the Executive Committee before I can give you a reply."
"Naturally." Wang Zhaomin was delighted to see there was room for discussion and thanked him repeatedly. Were it not for his firm knowledge that these Hair Bandits were impervious to oil and salt, he probably would have promised substantial benefits on the spot.
Xiong Buyou reported to Wu De immediately upon returning. The matter aroused Wu De's keen attention, and the Executive Committee convened at once to discuss.
"This is a gift delivered right to our door!" Wen Desi beamed with delight. "I was wondering how to persuade them, and here they've come to us first!"
"That's not quite the same thing, is it?" Ma Qianzhu immediately objected. "He wants us to pay grain tax, not asking us to collect it."
"Though it's not identical, Wang Zhaomin has revealed his hand," Wen Desi said, employing a vulgar metaphor.
"Originally, we had no idea how much pressure Lingao County faced regarding grain collection. Now it's clear their pressure is enormous." Wen Desi analyzed the situation. "Judging from Wang Zhaomin's request, it exposes serious difficulties in the Lingao County Yamen's grain collection."
Where there were difficulties, the Crossing Group had opportunities.
However, they remained completely in the dark about the precise nature of these difficulties. Before taking the next step, they needed to understand the county yamen's cards.
For such information, the most direct approach was naturally to consult the clerk of the "Revenue Section" in the county yamen.
But this was far from easy. The county yamen had the "Three Classes and Six Rooms." The leaders of these three classes and the clerks of the six rooms were notoriously difficult to handle. Only the clerks truly understood the grassroots workings of every yamen, large and small—this was their "capital." The real situation, the keys and tricks of the trade, were secrets never shared with outsiders. Though no written rule mandated "hereditary" clerkships, an invisible father-to-son transmission formed just such a custom. These people were all seasoned officials, intimately familiar with government business and thoroughly versed in worldly wisdom and bureaucratic philosophy. The Transmigrators could neither control nor buy them off. The Executive Committee's policy toward this group was to appease them temporarily for their usefulness, then purge them thoroughly once the time was ripe.
The Revenue Section clerk in Lingao County was named Chen Minggang—a local. It was said his ancestors had served as clerks in Lingao County since the Song dynasty. His family held many secret books passed down through generations, and his knowledge of county affairs was encyclopedic. Everyone had to show him respect; he was a figure who could actually get things done locally. The Gou brothers had run wild in Lingao for years, and Chen Minggang had profited handsomely from the arrangement.
Actually, in Ran Yao's assessment, gangs like the Gou brothers might seem clamorous and powerful for a time, but eradicating them wasn't particularly difficult—once they fell, their followers scattered. Figures like Chen Minggang, with their deep roots and extensive networks, were the true "invisible black hands behind the scenes."
Within the county administration, Chen Minggang was an indispensable favorite. That Wang Zhaomin could collect the autumn grain year after year owed much to his assistance. In fact, whether a magistrate could establish a good working relationship with the Revenue Section clerk directly determined whether his tenure would proceed smoothly.
Therefore, even Wang Zhaomin, a powerful figure in the county, had to address him affectionately as "Old Eight" upon meeting—Chen Minggang ranked eighth in his generation. The nickname implied familiarity without standing on ceremony.
Because the Revenue Section clerk controlled the county's entire tax apparatus, he was an extremely critical figure. Wu De had long sought to win him over, sending Xiong Buyou to socialize with him on several occasions. Lin Baiguang had also made overtures. The results were uniformly unsatisfying.
Chen Minggang wasn't an upright man, nor could he be said to hold any particular principles. His attitude was slippery to the extreme. Toward the Transmigrators, he strove to be perfunctory in every way. Whatever request or matter arose, he never delayed, nor did he demand the customary fees—he gave one hundred and twenty percent face. But whenever critical issues came up, especially regarding land quantities and tax burdens, he played dumb, saying half and hiding half, sometimes simply rambling in obscure terminology until the Transmigrators left utterly baffled.
In the Political Security Bureau's files, Chen Minggang had accumulated abundant black materials. He was considered one of the most reviled clerks in the county—guilty of even more heinous crimes than the Punishment Section clerk. Zhang Xingjiao particularly hated this man. After all, his family's ruin had begun precisely with the Revenue Section colluding with the Gou brothers to execute the scheme of "property gone, tax remains."
For now, however, the Transmigrators still needed to use him. Xiong Buyou immediately sent someone to prepare an invitation card, requesting Chen Minggang's presence at the teahouse across from the county yamen.
Generally speaking, the street before the county yamen was always the busiest place in any county seat, and a few businesses like teahouses invariably operated opposite the yamen. Here, "scribes" with government-issued "stamps" wrote petitions and complaints as a profession, and experienced pettifoggers who could work all angles nested in the teahouse awaiting customers or seeking business opportunities. Yamen clerks, runners, long-term attendants, and private secretaries of all types used this place as well—to exchange information, negotiate, collude in fraud, and haggle with the outside world. For anyone wanting to get things done at the county yamen, this was the best window.
Lingao was a small county without so many schemes, but the general situation was much the same, just on a smaller scale. Though the teahouse was modest, it existed.
Xiong Buyou was already a "celebrity" in the county. Who didn't know he was the Australians' main liaison with local authorities? As soon as he arrived at the shop, a waiter immediately led him to a private room in the back.
The private room was extremely small—just a table and a few chairs fit inside. The tea wasn't necessarily fine quality. But then, people came to drink tea mainly to discuss business; the tea itself was secondary.
When Xiong Buyou dealt with county clerks, he generally met them here. The familiar environment put the clerks at ease. Additionally, the Executive Committee had another consideration: they didn't want to summon clerks directly to Bairen City for secret talks, lest outsiders think the Crossing Group maintained too deep a relationship with local officials. This teahouse, the customary venue for "negotiation tea" and "talking terms," was more suitable.
Before long, Chen Minggang arrived. He was nearly fifty, with a dark complexion and a slightly stout figure. Constrained by his status, his attire wasn't particularly splendid, though the material and workmanship were clearly exquisite. He carried a Sichuan fan in one hand.
The waiter led him inside. Chen Minggang's attitude toward the Transmigrators could only be described as respectful and submissive; he bowed each time they met.
"No need for ceremony—sit, sit!" Xiong Buyou gestured.
Notes:
1. The Liao Supplies surcharge in the 2nd year of Chongzhen was 9 li, though it varied slightly by region. Not explored in detail here.
2. I couldn't find the exact Liao Supplies surcharge for Lingao. Calculating directly using Lingao's taxable acreage here is necessarily imprecise. I found a figure for Yancheng County in Huai'an Prefecture: Liao Supplies in the 3rd year of Tianqi were 23,000 taels. Yancheng wasn't an economically developed area, but certainly more prosperous than Lingao.
3. The tax of three dou five sheng represents the average Ming dynasty level. Checking Qiongzhou Prefecture's levy standards, there are eighteen grades. Three dou five sheng is most common, so I used this figure.