Chapter 1072 - Defending Laizhou
To issue his first commercial loan, Leng Ningyun had invested considerable effort. He conducted a comprehensive credit investigation on the merchant—his past business status, credit history, and assets.
In seventeenth-century Beijing, no specialized private investigation agencies existed, and the government's control over personal information fell far short of later generations. All such intelligence had to be unearthed by Wu Kaidi and his men.
I need to expand my investigative capacity, Leng Ningyun reflected. In the twenty-first century, a bank can hire an investigation company. In the seventeenth century, I have to run one myself.
The investigation company need not be subordinate to Delong, he reasoned. It could operate entirely according to the concept of a "tertiary industry." If problems arose, he could immediately distance himself.
While on the subject—he also needed a security team. Currently, the bank's security fell under the Qipwei Capital Head Office; they had dispatched four nursing home guards to sit in the shop and keep watch at night. Leng Ningyun remained uneasy. Is this number too few? Moreover, the weapons the escorts carry are quite simple—in my eyes, they have virtually no deterrent value.
He returned to his study amid these scattered thoughts. On the table lay cash flow charts and various diagrams—all drawn by his own hand. Delong's business was quiet enough that he had ample time for professional work in this area.
The loan figures looked rather poor on the report—recent months had seen mainly micro-loans. Leng Ningyun sighed. Compared to the Shanxi merchants who wielded enormous power in the Capital, his own activities fell far short, ten thousand eight thousand li from his vision.
For Delong's Beijing Branch, Leng Ningyun had developed a complete conceptual framework. In his original design, soliciting savings and commercial loans were merely the first steps. Delong's work in Beijing would not only compete with the Shanxi merchants for loans and deposits but would also eventually enter the nascent insurance industry—including the mutual funds and joint-stock systems he had once envisioned in Lingao, however impractical. But in terms of lending, especially official loans, a breakthrough was essential! Leng Ningyun had even contemplated entering the national debt business of the Great Ming government.
His plan had received strong support from Senators in the finance and economic system, but to the Industrial Party led by Director Ma, these were nothing more than "crooked ways and wicked paths." In Morning Star—the theoretical journal edited and published by the Propaganda Department—he had once read an article titled "Be Vigilant Against Virtual Economy Bubbles" written by some cadre Senator. It called for vigilance against engaging in "virtual economy" in financial and economic fields, lest it destroy the "large economic environment." The article criticized various financial businesses one by one—all except insurance. Though Leng Ningyun considered most of the content "layman's nonsense taken for granted after reading a few books," it represented a powerful anti-financial current of thought within the Senate.
By comparison, the voice of his own system remained too weak. Senators controlling finance and economics were generally low-key, showing little enthusiasm for developing financial products and businesses, mainly serving as "accountants."
His work in Beijing served two purposes: first, to achieve actual economic benefits and results; second, to increase the prestige of himself and other financially-oriented Senators.
Wu Kaidi ran around the city all day and returned to the bank that evening to report.
He had visited more than a dozen government yamen and lingered in tea houses frequented by yamen clerks and officials' long-term followers. The general news: word of Kong Youde's capture of Dengzhou had already appeared in the Dibao. The Court was questioning Shandong Governor Yu Dacheng about the whereabouts of Sun Yuanhua and other Dengzhou-Laizhou officials, demanding an immediate response.
"...Yu Dacheng hasn't replied yet. They say the Emperor is furious about this—repeatedly calling Yu Dacheng 'incompetent'..." Wu Kaidi spoke vividly, as though he had personally witnessed the Chongzhen Emperor saying this—reminding Leng Ningyun of taxi drivers in Beijing from another era.
"What are the officials of various factions saying?"
"Minister Xiong of the Ministry of War remains unchanged—still strongly advocating appeasement," Wu Kaidi said. "Though Grand Secretary Xu and Grand Secretary Zhou haven't said much, everyone senses they favor appeasement as well. Sun Yuanhua is, after all, Grand Secretary Xu's man."
In general, though Dengzhou had already fallen, Court opinion still leaned toward "appeasement."
"Who advocates suppression?" Leng Ningyun asked.
"The most radical is Li Jizhong, a Director in the Bureau of Operations at the Ministry of War. He once opposed Minister Xiong's appeasement theory during a ministry meeting, demanding that elite troops be transferred from Liaodong for suppression. I heard they parted on bad terms. Director Li Jizhong will likely leave his post soon."
He listed additional names, and Leng Ningyun noted a few—personal reminders. Wu Kaidi would write a detailed report covering specifics.
"What are people saying about Sun Yuanhua at Court?"
"No one has good words, but Governor Sun's fate remains uncertain. Even those who wish to impeach him have no target. If he truly died for the country in Dengzhou, wouldn't impeaching him just hand ammunition to their opponents?"
Leng Ningyun thought: Once news reaches the Capital that Sun Yuanhua has arrived in Laizhou, he'll face fierce artillery fire.
He examined the Dibao Wu Kaidi had brought. He had received specialized training in ancient Chinese for reading the Capital Gazette. Still, though the memorials' writing style was not exactly elegant, neither was it ancient vernacular—reading it proved a struggle.
"Summon the advisor later."
Leng Ningyun employed several advisors to help handle documents. For content in the Dibao especially, he often relied on their explanations. These advisors were not naturalized citizens, so they dealt only with affairs and never participated in secret matters.
Impeachment would come not only from Sun Yuanhua's direct political opponents. The various factions dissatisfied with Xu Guangqi, Zhou Yanru, Xiong Mingyu, and even the Liaodong clique would use this incident as ammunition to attack their rivals. The situation Sun Yuanhua faced looked exceedingly grim.
Protecting him from harm appeared extraordinarily difficult. Leng Ningyun felt troubled unknowingly. This task is too hard!
Yet to prove his worth, he had to handle things properly. Anyone could manage easy tasks.
After reflection, he concluded he still had to work through the eunuchs. What is the eunuchs' current inclination? Wu Kaidi reported that he had specially visited the residences of Old Eunuch Yang, Junior Eunuch Yang, and several other eunuchs with whom he regularly dealt, chatting with familiar little eunuchs and servants to test the "Inner Ministers'" views.
Overall, Sun Yuanhua had no bad reputation among the eunuchs—he was generally smooth in his official dealings and conduct, and he was not a member of the Donglin Party, handling the eunuchs reasonably well. Though no great friendship existed, at least there were no signs of enmity.
In that case, maneuvering would be much easier. As they say, Leng Ningyun thought, things that can be settled with money are not difficult things.
After further consideration, Leng Ningyun decided to continue gathering intelligence for a few days while telegraphing "Center" that he planned to use Eunuch Yang's channel to seek help from Wang Dehua and others. This would require using some special "Australian goods" in stock as gifts for bribery. He requested Center's approval.
While Leng Ningyun racked his brains in Beijing considering how to assist Sun Yuanhua, Sun Yuanhua had already settled many matters in Laizhou.
First came organizing Laizhou's defense. Laizhou Prefect Zhu Wannian was decisive and capable. In the original historical trajectory, Zhu Wannian had contributed greatly to Laizhou's defense. In the end, he was lured into a trap and captured by the rebels, eventually dying in Dengzhou. Now that Sun Yuanhua had escaped, Zhu Wannian had his pillar of support. Under Sun's direction, he immediately strengthened Laizhou's defenses. Magistrate Hong of Ye County was also quite capable. Laizhou's defensive posture improved dramatically.
The most critical figure was Shandong Regional Inspector Wang Daochun. This man had held a "suppression" stance from the beginning. Sun Yuanhua visited him immediately after his escape, declaring that he had suddenly repented and was now determined upon "painful suppression."
Thus Wang Daochun—who had bitterly criticized Sun Yuanhua's "appeasement" policy throughout the Dengzhou-Laizhou Incident and was himself a Censor—became Sun's ally. At least until the situation stabilized, he would cease impeaching the Sun Yuanhua now presiding over counter-insurgency operations.
The Engine Forward Command estimated that once Sun Yuanhua reached Laizhou and assumed the posture of "painful suppression," his previously passive situation would improve substantially. Especially officials who harbored deep hatred for the rebels would shift their attitudes toward him to some degree.
Sun Yuanhua's second step was rapid visits to local gentry. The gentry were not only wealthy but commanded significant local influence—some were themselves leaders of village militia, local power brokers with grain, pay, and soldiers. In ancient society, securing the support of local gentry was crucial to defending any city.
Though Laizhou was not wealthy, Ye County—the head county—possessed some notable rural officials: Jia Yuxiang, the former Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Left, and Zhang Xin, a Jinshi of Tianqi's fifth year, were both locals.
Sun Yuanhua visited them individually and received their support. Zhang Xin especially, whose family possessed abundant assets, immediately expressed willingness to donate a substantial sum to recruit village braves and reward soldiers.
Next, Sun summoned the students of the Prefecture School and County School, calling on them to work together in preparing for the city's defense.
The city's garrison, however, was limited—only three thousand men, some of whom were merely drilling troops of the local Guard. Fortunately, Laizhou Guard also contained some Tartar troops—Daguan Bing—descendants of Semu military personnel from the Yuan Dynasty. Tartar troop combat effectiveness had traditionally been relatively strong in the Ming Dynasty.
But Sun Yuanhua knew too well that this military strength could scarcely withstand a rebel assault. He understood intimately the troops he had personally built, equipped, and trained. No army in Great Ming was as proficient with firearms—not to mention that Dengzhou City was filled to bursting with firearms and gunpowder, the fruit of years of painstaking effort.
Except for elite border troops transferred from Liaodong, the various armies distributed across Zhili and Shandong were simply no match for the rebels. Forget field battles—even defending a city might fail.
(End of Chapter)