Chapter 703 - Undercurrents in the Provincial Capital

Though he sat in a sedan of cool bamboo strips, though a comely young servant fanned him inside, though Li Fengjie had just consumed a cup of chilled plum broth, he still found the heat insufferable. His official robe felt smothering and heavy. He couldn't wait to remove it, freshen up, and relax.

He had just returned from White Goose Pool—from attending a banquet. Held in a restaurant by the Pool, the gathering was nominally a "summer literary soirée," complete with elegant diversions like composing poetry, discussing literature, and listening to songs. But the true topic of discussion had been how to "offer tribute" and buy peace.

The principal guests were local gentry wielding power and influence. The state of war with the crop-heads and the subsequent catastrophic defeat had made the provincial capital's elite extremely anxious. Their concerns ranged from the pleasurable—Ziming Tower, that money-pit of delights, had shuttered, and Australian goods had gradually vanished from the market, greatly diminishing the quality of life for lords, ladies, young masters, and misses alike.

But this was secondary. The Lingao economic entity's multifaceted influence on Guangdong's economy, combined with their long use of Guangzhou as a procurement window, had spawned countless upstream and downstream industries across the province that depended directly or indirectly on the Lingao system.

As a trade hub, Guangzhou was home to innumerable people profiting from the Lingao-Guangdong industrial and trade chain. The current hostility had dealt these profit channels a severe blow—nobody was making money anymore. The upstream suppliers for Lingao's industrial system had been hit especially hard, losing their export opportunities entirely.

Nearly a hundred smelting works had closed across Guangdong, throwing masses of workers out of jobs. Firms that had transported coal, timber, grain, and other raw materials also suffered heavy losses.

Even downstream retailers felt the pain of losing their supply source. Australian goods had skyrocketed in price, but few merchants had stockpiled large inventories. Even those with sufficient stock found sales dropping as prices rose.

Beyond the inconveniences to daily life and commercial losses, the gentry were deeply dissatisfied with Wang Zunde's actions. Liu Xiang—that sea bandit who constantly harassed the coasts, plundering ships and extorting ransoms—remained beyond official reach. Yet the Australians, who had peacefully traded in Lingao and provided excellent goods, were targeted for eradication? To the gentry, this was sheer foolishness—"rashly provoking border conflict." Many were secretly encouraging officials from the province serving at the capital to act within the Censorate and among supervising officials, preparing to impeach him.

In the provincial capital, anonymous broadsheets and pamphlets were spreading, intensifying the resentment. Many yamens, government offices, and gentry residences found broadsheets secretly slipped through their gates. Some were even posted on major streets. The information in them not only enraged the gentry but stirred up the common people as well. Rumors ran wild.

At this rate, the Two-Guangs Governor's replacement was only a matter of time. Li Fengjie had begun eyeing the position. But he knew very well that Xiong Wencao would challenge him for it—and Xiong Wencao enjoyed far greater imperial favor.

From every angle, Old Xiong had better prospects for the governor-generalship. After careful consideration, Li Fengjie decided his only viable approach was to pursue rapid appeasement of the Australians. This carried certain risks, but would greatly please Guangzhou's gentry and merchant populace. Even if he couldn't secure the governor-generalship, he might at least preserve his position as Provincial Governor.

His advisors also believed from a military standpoint that continuing to "suppress" was hopeless. Reports from defeated troops and dispatches from across Hainan made clear that Australian military power far exceeded their estimates—a formidable and terrifying enemy. Moreover, this enemy possessed a mighty naval force. They could burst into the Pearl River at any moment and conduct devastating raids on the wealthy Pearl Delta region.

Li Fengjie's sedan arrived at the Provincial Governor's yamen. After dismounting, he proceeded directly to his study—a quiet place for deliberating with his staff.

Servants helped him remove his official robes and cap, replacing them with soft silk garments and a commoner's cap. Water was brought for him to wash. Soon, someone served cool tea. His favorite fruit shaved ice was gone forever, now that Ziming Tower had shut down.

Li Fengjie drank his tea and casually examined the various documents his personal attendant had brought.

On the desk lay the latest broadsheets circulating in the city. Their content varied wildly, but all targeted Wang Zunde and his circle of advisors and trusted associates. The source was obvious—either Wang's enemies or fabrications by the Australians.

Many broadsheets described in detail how Wang Zunde had schemed to launch the war against the Australians; how Tian Da had used the consort family's influence to extort bribes everywhere, ultimately shaking down even the Purple Firm, forcing Director Guo and others to flee... The detail and vivid dialogue could only have been written by someone who had witnessed it all firsthand.

Another category of broadsheets was obviously Australian-made: written entirely in vernacular, using simplified characters, beautifully printed, and bound into small book-like volumes. The content varied. Some exposed scandals and dark secrets concerning Wang Zunde's advisors, servants, and confidants—Li Fengjie thought the Australians were clever: Wang Zunde's personal virtue and reputation in official circles were quite good; defaming him with scandals would be difficult. But his associates weren't so clean. Other broadsheets consisted of lurid descriptions of imperial relatives' various anecdotes and boudoir intimacies, with details so vivid and titillating that reading them made one's blood race—like reading novels. Quite entertaining indeed. Some broadsheets were even serialized, with volumes one, two, and so forth, leaving readers hungry for the next installment. Many people secretly exchanged broadsheets, and some even made private copies or reprints.

The Australian broadsheets thus became popular reading material and spiritual nourishment for Guangzhou's citizens. Even high officials like Li Fengjie found them fascinating. He had no interest in the explicit content that captivated commoners, but eagerly devoured any "truths" that occasionally leaked through the pamphlets.

This specialized propaganda campaign resulted from collaboration between the External Intelligence Bureau and the "Publishing Guidance Group." The Publishing Leadership Group had organized a batch of transmigrators to copy, paste, and adapt these pamphlets from computer files. The pamphlets were printed in modern "pocket book" dimensions for easy carrying. The Guangzhou Station's remaining personnel continuously distributed them through various channels.

Several newly collected Australian broadsheets sat on the desk. As Provincial Governor of Guangdong, the Governor's yamen received priority attention from the External Intelligence Bureau; the latest pamphlets were delivered here first.

Li Fengjie instructed his servants to summon several trusted advisors. He picked up an Australian broadsheet. The titles were quite striking: "The So-Called 'Great Victory at Tuen Mun' as Seen from the Portuguese Court's Secret Archives"; "Former Ming Corporal Reveals the Inside Story of Recovering Penghu in the Tianqi Reign."

"The Australians certainly keep up with current events!" he mused to himself, planning to read more later.

On the desk also lay several fresh dispatches. He opened one and read a few lines. His expression changed immediately.

Just as Guangdong officialdom was engaged in frequent, private probes and discussions about appeasement, news arrived that the crop-heads had landed on Hong Kong Island. Next came the dispatch reporting their clean and efficient annihilation of Zheng Bao's gang at Lantau. And Liu Xiang's men suddenly fleeing made the crop-heads' image even more terrifying—even that fearsome, famous Liu the Boss had vanished before them.

Thus, Li Fengjie and his colleagues' fond hope that Liu Xiang and the crop-heads would fight each other for control of the Pearl River Estuary, letting "bandits attack bandits," was utterly dashed. The Australians were prepared to open fire on anyone who stood in their way. Liu Xiang, meanwhile, wasn't about to exhaust his strength fighting over the Pearl River Estuary when there were softer targets to squeeze.

Between the Lingdingyang and Huangpu, no force worth mentioning could resist a crop-head offensive. If they chose, they could sail straight to White Goose Pool and strut about as masters of the entire Pearl River.

"Your Excellency! The matter of appeasement can brook no delay," He Chengzong said, setting down the dispatch, his face full of worry. Though merely a xiucai, He Chengzong was highly valued by Li Fengjie, serving as the "strategist" in his secretariat.

According to the dispatches, after building their fort on Hong Kong Island and eliminating Zheng Bao, the Australian warships had been "knocking at the gates" of the Pearl River Estuary, particularly patrolling the Lingdingyang and taking depth soundings—apparently intending to enter the Pearl River. If they sent their great iron ship into the river and bombarded Guangzhou with their legendarily fearsome cannons, not only would the region collapse beyond recovery, but Li Fengjie's official career would be finished.

"But simply pursuing appeasement alone is unlikely to succeed," Li Fengjie said. He would prefer having some force capable of checking the Australians—to prevent them from growing too dominant and acting ever more recklessly.

Li Fengjie had originally placed his hopes on Liu Xiang defending his own territory. After Liu Xiang fled, he turned his attention to the Foulangji at Macau.

Because of commercial interests, the Portuguese had always been deeply concerned about maritime security at the Pearl River Estuary. They had a tradition of and commitment to protecting their trade. If he pointed out to them how a war between the Ming and the Australians would affect trade, the Portuguese would certainly dispatch ships to protect the estuary.

Li Fengjie had received reports from the county deputy specifically responsible for Macau: The Portuguese currently had four large vessels in Macau's harbor—all three-masted galleon-type ships. Each mounted 32 cannons. In terms of size, they exceeded all current crop-head vessels except for that great iron ship. The Portuguese also had several smaller two-masted vessels, each mounting 12 cannons.

(End of Chapter)