Chapter 478 - Autumn Levy (Part 33)
In the past, Huang Binkun wouldn't have hesitated to cuff such a clueless underling across the face—a lesson in which way the doors of Huang Family Stronghold opened. But lately, Huang Binkun had grown skittish. The Australians' strange arts had plunged him into a state of perpetual anxiety. Now when he and Li Xiaopeng spoke, they did so in whispers. This had drawn a scolding from Instructor Wang at the County Academy just yesterday: "Skulking about!"
What gnawed at him most was his meeting with Gou Chengxuan. At the County Academy, he encountered Lai Xiao nearly every day, diligently studying while periodically receiving knuckle-raps on the head.
Every time he recalled how Fu He's private conversation with those three fall-guys at the teahouse had been recorded and played back by the Australians, Huang Binkun trembled at the thought that his own discussion with Gou Chengxuan might also be known to them.
Yet seeing Lai Xiao still alive and well—not shipped off to Nanbo to sift sand—suggested the matter probably remained unexposed. Besides, he hadn't actually discussed any concrete schemes with Gou Chengxuan at the time. Still, any plan to ally with Gou Chengxuan would have to be shelved—the timing wasn't right.
Preoccupied with these thoughts, Huang Binkun wandered the county streets. With considerable difficulty, he located the wife of an acquainted clerk in the city. The woman nervously informed him: most of the yamen runners and clerks had recently been taken away by the Australians. Not just them—their families had been taken as well.
"...It was all done secretly at night, house by house. Men, women, old and young—not one spared..." The woman remained visibly shaken. "Who knows what methods they used—silently, strings of people were led away."
"Where were they taken?"
"Who knows? Perhaps to the labor education camp. Fortunately, my husband has always treated people decently..." The woman lapsed into rambling.
Huang Binkun listened patiently to her account, then pressed for details about the changes at the yamen.
From her, he learned the general outline of personnel changes. She made clear that many outsiders had been brought in to fill positions—quite unusual, since clerks were typically connected by blood or marriage.
This only confirmed Huang Binkun's suspicions: the Baldies were directly placing their own people in the county yamen! Such audacity! Yet he himself was powerless to intervene—if the officials didn't care, what could a mere xiucai do?
While Huang Binkun fretted in secret, the gentry and major households were privately celebrating, almost ready to break out the wine. Setting aside the grain collection and land surveying troubles, having the Australians sweep away the clerks who had tyrannized and extorted them for so long—regardless of ulterior motives—was clearly a good deed.
But the joy proved short-lived. Soon, Liu Dalin received an "Administrative Appeal Response." This novel term was unfamiliar to everyone. Opening it, they found a vernacular reply to the grain households' petition.
The response addressed each of the petition's three demands with clarity:
On the first point—to cease "land surveying"—the response stated: clarifying land measurements was a reasonable and fair basis for grain levy collection. In the past, "Household Clerks" and "grain runners" had colluded in corruption, privately altering tax registers, both harassing and harming the people. If grain households were law-abiding citizens, they had nothing to fear from this "measure benefiting both nation and people."
"So land surveying is still going ahead?" Several relatives staying at the Liu residence were greatly alarmed.
Liu Dalin gestured for silence and continued reading.
The petition's second point had demanded the abolition of grain tax "contracting," requesting a "return to old customs." The response declared that grain contracting was inherently abusive. Accordingly, the county had permanently prohibited "contract households" and "grain runners," replacing them with a specialized agency—the "Grain Collection Bureau"—to handle these matters.
The final point was "severely punishing the villains." This needed little elaboration—Chen Minggang had already been stripped of his Household Clerk position. Not only that, but he and his entire family had vanished without a trace. The response nevertheless acknowledged "poor personnel choices" and stated that matters had been "seriously dealt with."
The document was handwritten in quite good calligraphy—probably by some literate person. Everyone in the county knew the Australians' brushwork was atrociously poor.
Liu Dalin fell into deep contemplation. Though the response was written entirely in simplified characters and vernacular—flaws by traditional standards—these could not overshadow its virtues. The entire document contained not a single superfluous or empty phrase. Every point raised in the petition received a specific reply—nothing evaded, nothing concealed. Agreement or disagreement was clearly explained. This manner of handling affairs was truly remarkable!
Though Liu Dalin had never held office, he had witnessed plenty of bureaucratic practice. In the Great Ming's administration, such petitions might receive replies, but they would either be outright rejections or strings of hollow platitudes. Even for urgent matters, officials would merely prevaricate. If evasion proved impossible, they would put on official airs to intimidate petitioners. If the petitioners were gentry or similar personages, some yamen secretary might emerge to offer meaningless placating words. If they were ordinary commoners, they'd receive a thrashing from the runners—and might even face charges.
The Australians' administration is a hundred times superior to the Great Ming's! Liu Dalin thought, then immediately felt uneasy about harboring such a thought. Suppressing his inner turmoil, he turned to his relatives.
"Land surveying is still happening?! What shall we do?" Someone was panicking.
"Nothing to be done." Liu Dalin had lost much of his appetite for this fight. "The Australians are determined to proceed." He spoke slowly. "In principle, their reasoning isn't wrong. The current grain levy system is truly riddled with abuses, causing the people no small harm."
"Your Lordship! We who have long lived in the countryside naturally understand the abuses. But if they thoroughly survey the land, what livelihood will we have left?"
Liu Dalin felt some distaste for this relative—at least he had a jinshi kinsman under whose name he could register land to evade taxes. What of the common people without power or influence? Had they not managed to survive somehow? Liu Dalin was, after all, a great Confucian who understood principles. He knew that the corruption of grain levies was largely due to the gentry's abuse of their tax-exempt privileges.
If the Australians could truly clarify the county's land situation and achieve more equitable taxation, the common folk might finally catch their breath.
He was still pondering when a doorman announced: Huang Binkun had come to call.
"Please show him in." Huang Binkun was one of those who had co-signed the petition. Now that a response had arrived, he naturally needed to be informed—as did the other signatories. This task could be delegated to Huang Binkun.
"...Uncle! Surveying and clarifying land and taxes is something even the court doesn't dare undertake lightly—it may be a measure benefiting the nation and people, but imperial grace and blessings never reach the common folk!" Huang Binkun spoke urgently after hearing Liu Dalin's thoughts.
"That's precisely my concern as well." Liu Dalin knew Huang Binkun spoke truly. In his reading, he had sensed that whenever dynasties throughout history had tried to reform some abuse or benefit the people, the reforms always seemed to make things worse.
"Even if the Australians truly intend to serve the people," Huang Binkun pressed, "land surveying and tax clarification are matters of enormous complexity. In the past, Chen Minggang used this very pretext to harm the people, causing no small suffering. Now that we've finally rid ourselves of Chen Minggang, if surveying continues without him, who's to say some Li Minggang or Wang Minggang won't take his place?"
Liu Dalin nodded, knowing Huang Binkun was right. However noble the intentions from above, they couldn't withstand those below who handled implementation—good deeds became bad ones. Could the Australians escape this pattern? He had no confidence.
"Very well. I'll speak to the Australians again. This land surveying business should be postponed."
"Uncle, you are truly a benefactor to all the gentry and common people of the county." Huang Binkun hastily placed a tall hat on him.
"Originally I had no wish to involve myself in such matters." Liu Dalin sighed. "But since this concerns the people's livelihoods, I must once again venture into the fray."
Since the Australians intended to remain in Lingao for some years, their conduct suggested they would inevitably have to govern the people. For the sake of his native land, he would "educate" the Australians somewhat in the principles of governance, lest they make similar mistakes.
He ordered someone to submit a calling card at the East Gate Market management office, requesting a meeting with Xiong Buyou.
Xiong Buyou, however, wasn't at the East Gate Market office. As Director of the County Station Office, he was stationed in the county seat and visited the yamen almost daily—the takeover work had entered its detailed phase, requiring comprehensive inventory and cleanup. Much remained to be done. When he received a phone call reporting that the jinshi Liu wished to see him, he knew it was likely lobbying to "exempt the land survey"—what landlords feared most. This old fellow really was stubborn. Worthy of being a spokesman for the landlord class.
Having Liu come to the County Station Office wouldn't be appropriate—the place was too chaotic for receiving guests. Better to pay him a visit.
"...Chief Xiong—" Liu Dalin used the common form of address for Australians.
"Please, just call me Xiong Buyou." Xiong Buyou studied with care this jinshi whom everyone—whether local natives or the Executive Committee—considered a treasure. He noticed that while Liu's frame was somewhat frail, his eyes were remarkably keen.
"This student has come today regarding the land survey matter."
Here it comes, Xiong Buyou thought. Let's see what you have to say.
"The land survey disturbs the people excessively. I plead with you to rescind your decision. The people of Lingao will be eternally grateful!"
Right from the start, speaking on behalf of all Lingao's people. Xiong Buyou felt somewhat annoyed. He countered: "Land surveying is meant to clarify tax burdens and equalize the people's obligations. How does this constitute disturbing the people?"
"Since your distinguished company has come to Lingao, professing to protect the territory and keep the peace, surely you understand: protecting territory is easy, but keeping peace is the hardest thing in the world." Liu Dalin assumed a lecturing posture. "Your forces—with their firearms, cannon, and iron ships—are unmatched in three hundred years. But nurturing the people is not the work of a single day."
The moment Xiong Buyou heard this, irritation prickled beneath his skin. But as the officer responsible for external liaison—essentially a diplomat—he had to maintain some composure. He merely adopted an expression of attentive listening.
(End of Chapter)