Chapter 473 - Autumn Levy (Part 28)
He went on to explain the advantages of having a grain trading company manage the county treasury. First, the accounts would be clear and transparent, eliminating the problems of warehouse clerks embezzling and keeping multiple sets of books. Warehouse clerks counted as "public functionaries" who formed cliques and alliances. Even if a magistrate wanted to discipline them, he would have to worry about repercussions. With a grain trading company as intermediary, the relationship became purely commercial—one was one and two was two, with no need for excessive concerns.
Second, income and expenditure would be separated, making the flow of finances clear and unambiguous, not easily manipulated by clerks. Moreover, the grain trading company would disburse funds solely upon the magistrate's written orders, making embezzlement by others virtually impossible.
Third, with the grain trading company handling collections, many abuses associated with the grain warehouse during tax season could be eliminated—a measure that would both benefit the people and earn popular gratitude.
Grain taxes required tribute rice, but beyond that, all manner of additional exactions occurred at the time of payment. This was where the grain warehouse's profits lay. Everyone from warehouse clerks down to granary stewards and inspectors took their cut. The simplest method was nitpicking about rice quality when accepting payments. Rice quality was assessed by visual inspection alone, with no objective standards, leaving ample room for fault-finding. Without appropriate "courtesies," they would claim the rice was too varied in type, or insufficiently dried, and refuse to accept it.
Grain households unable to submit their grain had no choice but to wait around in the county seat. As days stretched on, they lost time from their work and had to spend on food and lodging. Thus grain households could only meekly comply.
"...Take the autumn grain, for instance. Grain households could submit directly to the grain trading company, sparing them all the various extortions of the granary clerks. Wouldn't that be an achievement that wins Your Excellency the people's hearts?"
"And you're saying that your company handling collections wouldn't result in the same abuses? Are every one of you Australians saints? Even if you're all sages, there's no guarantee your subordinates wouldn't engage in such practices." Wu Mingjin grew quite agitated. The events of recent days had greatly wounded his pride. His sense of responsibility as a local official with a duty to "defend his territory" suddenly flared up.
"Master Wu has served as a local official for some time and has surely witnessed many such abuses," Yan Ming said calmly. "We wouldn't presume to claim the word 'saint.' However, our conduct in this county over the past year is plain for all to see. No need for sworn promises—facts speak louder than words."
Wu Mingjin didn't understand what "facts speak louder than words" meant, but over the past year, the transmigrators had indeed proven true to their word and decisive in action. They hadn't harmed a hair on the common people's heads; they bought and sold at fair prices. Even when convening gentry and major households for their "reasonable burden" assessments, everything was conducted cleanly, with no instances of officers extorting bribes on the side. Wu Mingjin had seen and heard plenty of this, knew it to be true, and found himself momentarily without rebuttal.
Seeing him at a loss for words, Yan Ming proceeded to explain the specifics in detail. In essence, the county would no longer manage the grain warehouse. Only one or two clerks would be retained solely for registering and recording transactions. Actual storage, collection, and disbursement would all be handled by Delong.
Tax payments from grain households would be submitted directly at Delong Grain Trading Company's counter, where personnel from the yamen's Household Office would be stationed to issue grain tallies on the spot.
All collected taxes—whether grain or silver—would be deposited into a business account that the county yamen would open at Delong. Thereafter, whenever the county needed to draw funds or grain, they would simply write a check and present it at Delong for withdrawal.
Delong would also provide the county yamen with a line of credit. Within certain limits, even if the account had no balance, funds could be temporarily advanced and repaid later at Delong's posted interest rates—at preferential terms, of course.
Besides the county yamen's main account, individual departments could also open accounts—provided the magistrate approved. The County Academy, for instance, already had a dedicated account at Delong.
As for the county's tribute remittances, a single check from the county would authorize Delong to handle delivery to the various destinations—naturally for a small handling fee, though far more economical than the past system of payments and extortions.
Wu Mingjin felt deeply conflicted. The proposal sounded quite good. But this way, all of the county's financial flows would fall entirely into Australian hands—something he absolutely could not and dared not agree to. What if the Australians suddenly decamped one day and vanished? Whom would he approach to recover the treasury's funds and grain?
Yan Ming, seeing his reluctance to respond, assumed he was worried about his annual customary income. He therefore hinted that the regular perquisites the officials received from the grain levy would not be reduced by a single wen, and could even be remitted to the gentlemen's hometowns.
This offer the county magistrate firmly refused. No matter how eloquently Yan Ming argued, he could not persuade Wu Mingjin to agree.
Yan Ming returned to Wu De, crestfallen, to report.
"This was to be expected," Wu De said. "This kind of risk he probably doesn't want to run." He thought for a moment. "Whether he agrees or not, he'll have to agree anyway." He summoned Xiong Buyou and handed him a stack of documents.
"Go talk to Wang Zhaomin. Show him a few of these. Let him play the role of persuader!"
"Since we have material on Wu Mingjin, why not just hand it to me directly—I could make him submit on the spot." Yan Ming didn't understand.
"Wu Mingjin isn't your typical greedy fool of an official. He still has a bit of backbone. If you confront him with this directly and force his hand, he might react badly and refuse out of shame. Working through Wang Zhaomin gives him face and makes things easier to handle."
"I see."
"Threatening people into doing things requires finesse—especially with local officials like this, who've been 'little emperors' since ancient times, accustomed to arrogance. If an ordinary commoner pressures them from above, they might fly into a rage and do something extreme. So the more cards you hold, the more room you must leave for maneuver. Otherwise, if they decide to break the pot, you'll get nothing—and might even suffer for it."
"Ah De, you really have a lot of tricks up your sleeve. Truly someone who's been through the bureaucratic mill!"
"Ha!" Wu De laughed. "I hardly count as having been through it. I've just observed and summarized a bit of experience. Just wait for Xiong Buyou's good news."
The matter was quickly settled. After seeing the documents Xiong Buyou brought, Wang Zhaomin's face immediately changed color. Early the next morning, Xiong Buyou, who had been resting at the yamen, was summoned by Secretary Wang.
"His Excellency has given instructions. The grain and silver warehouses of the county treasury will both be assigned to Delong for agency management," Wang Zhaomin said. "This took a great deal of persuading on my part!"
"Much obliged to Secretary Wang." Xiong Buyou offered a compliment and smoothly pressed an envelope into his hand.
"That's not necessary." Wang Zhaomin declined, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "This sort of thing is truly difficult! You've put me in a hard position—in the future, such matters of forcing people's hands would be better handled by yourselves."
"Secretary Wang is simply someone who gets things done because of his abilities..." Xiong Buyou pushed the envelope forward again anyway. Since taking a concubine, Secretary Wang had found his stamina somewhat lacking, and his expenses had also increased substantially—who could have predicted all the novelties at East Gate Market that women loved! The Political Security operations division had also planted an informant near Wang Zhaomin's concubine, and from time to time she led the young woman into consumer spending. Secretary Wang had accordingly tumbled into the "circulation coupon trap."
Seeing Wang Zhaomin no longer refusing, Xiong Buyou continued: "Since Delong is now managing the county treasury, we hope Secretary Wang will continue to look after our humble establishment." He gestured for him to open the envelope.
Wang Zhaomin opened it to find a refined hardcover passbook and a small buffalo-horn seal inside. Wang Zhaomin was from Southern Zhili and had traveled widely. He recognized this as a deposit passbook; the small seal was for stamping when depositing and withdrawing. Such passbooks typically recognized the seal rather than the person.
He opened it and saw the words "Zhao Ji" written in neat regular script on the cover. Below was already recorded a deposit of one thousand yuan in grain circulation coupons. This was his share of the benefits.
Not a bad haul at all! Wang Zhaomin thought. The Australian perfume and lipstick and nail polish his young wife had been wanting could probably all be bought now. And his beloved Lanling wine—previously unavailable locally—had recently appeared for sale at East Gate Market.
He couldn't help but smile. There was another passbook and seal in the envelope; without opening it, he knew it was for His Excellency. Though the Australians' methods were somewhat rough at times, they were also thoughtful where it counted—particularly in not putting their intermediaries in difficult positions. Wang Zhaomin rather appreciated this.
"Too kind."
"Where there's official business, there are expenses. That's the standard protocol of officialdom, isn't it? How much would be needed, do you think?" Xiong Buyou was applying lessons from social dynamics lectures he'd attended on bureaucratic hidden rules.
"Heh, Brother Xiong has been in the Great Ming long enough to adapt to local customs." Wang Zhaomin said with a smile. "Under ordinary circumstances, if someone else wanted to get this done, it wouldn't be possible without spending a thousand taels of silver. Originally, just Chen Minggang alone would have required at least a hundred taels in 'facilitation fees' before things could proceed smoothly. But now..."
Now, those clerks who would have demanded bribes had either been arrested or were utterly cowed. That money no longer needed to be spent.
"There's only so much in one pot of porridge. If too many people are ladling from it, everyone goes short."
"Exactly right." Wang Zhaomin had expended considerable breath persuading Wu Mingjin today. Now, hearing Xiong Buyou's implication that they could continue "ladling porridge" in the future—and ladle even more—his spirits lifted considerably. He remembered something and asked:
"Does Delong have affiliate branches in Qiongzhou or Guangzhou, or plans to establish branches there?"
"We certainly intend to establish branches. For now, banknotes issued in those places are honored at major affiliated merchant establishments."
"Can large-sum remittances be handled?"
"Up to thirty or fifty thousand taels, yes."
"That's more than sufficient." Wang Zhaomin nodded but didn't say why he asked. He rose and said, "Please come to my study!"
The so-called study didn't contain a single book. By the window stood a desk bearing, besides writing brushes and inkstones, only an abacus and account ledgers. Beside it was an extremely sturdy wooden cabinet with a lock. He opened it and took out a presentation box. From the box, he extracted a sheet of paper and handed it to Xiong Buyou.
"I've prepared everything for Master Xiong. Fill in Delong's company name, then find a merchant to act as guarantor, and Delong can begin managing the county treasury."
(End of Chapter)