Chapter 1093 - Mister Beishan
Despite this favorable development, Wang Daochun remained a lurking danger. Consequently, Senator LĂĽ had been charged with another mission: eliminating anyone who might prove detrimental to Sun Yuanhua and the Northbound Detachment.
In the chaos of fierce urban defensive battles, it was perfectly natural for high-ranking officials visiting the front lines to be killed in action. During the Defense of Laizhou, Xu Congzhi had fallen to cannon fire. Among the Special Reconnaissance Team members in the Laizhou Detachment were snipers entrusted with this secret mission, prepared to carry out necessary "targeted eliminations" as circumstances dictated.
Red firecracker debris littered the ground, quickly churned by pedestrians and horses into part of the black mud lining the roadside. Though recent years had brought poor harvests—natural disasters, military chaos, banditry, and Eastern Barbarian invasions, with ill tidings pouring in from every direction—the New Year atmosphere persisted. Beijing remained the capital, the finest place in the realm, and the markets were still lively. These were the days of the Lantern Festival, and the streets teemed with bustling crowds, scholars and ladies drifting like clouds. Only the refugees and beggars sprawled everywhere cast a gloomy pall over the festive scene.
Leng Ningyun sat in his sedan chair, returning to the business house outside Qianmen. He had spent these days making calls—visiting both commercial partners and contacts relevant to his mission. His financial expansion plans had been temporarily shelved.
Ensuring Sun Yuanhua's survival was no longer especially difficult. Sun had escaped in time, clearing himself of suspicion of having joined the rebels. Still, judging from the current state of affairs, retaining his official position presented considerable difficulty.
After Sun Yuanhua assumed the Dengzhou and Laizhou governorship, he had—according to late Ming official circle conventions—watched his reputation plummet. From the Supervising Secretaries and Censors of various sections to sundry members of the Qingliu faction, impeachment memorials rained down incessantly, painting him as an unpardonable villain. Every minor matter was magnified to absurd extremes. Freedom of speech reached unprecedented heights; from the Grand Secretaries of the Grand Secretariat to dispatched regional high officials, none escaped being savaged by the speech officials. The Chongzhen reign saw fifty-one Grand Secretaries—and while the Emperor's own personality flaws certainly contributed, the constant noise from outside had seriously affected his judgment.
To remain steadfast in one's assessment of a person amidst such a cacophony of condemnation required exceptional fortitude. Perhaps only Yang Sichang had achieved it. Hong Chengchou might also be counted, though his final hasty dispatch of troops to relieve Jinzhou could not be entirely divorced from fear that court "public opinion" and the Qingliu might sway the Emperor.
Ultimately, it could be said that during the Chongzhen reign, nearly every minister of competence who dared accept responsibility was destroyed by this bizarre atmosphere of "freedom of speech."
During his training at the "Farm," Leng Ningyun had been repeatedly cautioned to monitor the "public opinion" of the speech officials. This force could not only sway the Emperor's judgment but also generate a powerful climate of partisan attack within the court, silencing dissenters.
Most terrifying of all, this public opinion was often "politically correct," occupying the moral high ground so thoroughly that even the Emperor found it difficult to rebut. The Qingliu's public opinion effectively controlled court administration to a considerable degree, contributing to the ultimate tragedy of the Great Ming.
In the end, the Chongzhen Emperor would rather sit and await death in Beijing than relocate the capital to Nanjing. He dared not even secretly send the Crown Prince away, forfeiting the last opportunity for a backup plan. This outcome, it must be said, was largely produced by the "politically correct" public opinion of the Qingliu.
"They open their mouths proclaiming they act for the country and the people, full of awe-inspiring righteousness—yet in reality, they prove to be male thieves and female whores!" Leng Ningyun, knowing the subsequent course of history, understood that many of these late Ming civil officials with their astonishingly "correct" values had failed to maintain their integrity in later years. Quite a few had even become slaves of three surnames. Looking at their current faces, he found them utterly contemptible.
Leng Ningyun had just visited an important personage—one whose status was not high, even quite low: a domestic slave. Yet in the capital, he was a resounding figure. Many court officials had to address him respectfully as "Mister Beishan."
This particular domestic slave was no ordinary servant. Even Eunuch Yang, whom Leng Ningyun had always regarded as an imposing figure, displayed politeness—even excessive courtesy—when meeting this man.
This was none other than the personal servant of Zhang Yixian, the current Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial within the palace.
Starting in the fourth year of Chongzhen, the practice of dispatching inner palace eunuchs as army supervisors—previously abolished—had been restored, and eunuch power was rising once again. Among them, Zhang Yixian, who controlled the Directorate of Ceremonial, enjoyed the greatest imperial favor. Proficient in calculation and possessing economic talent, he had been ordered by the Emperor to audit the income and expenditure of both the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works. A special official office called the "Superintendent of Revenue and Works" had even been established for him, wielding authority comparable to a Governor-General among external officials. People in the capital likened this to Tu Wenfu during the era of the Nine Thousand Years—Wei Zhongxian. Consequently, the appointment had stirred considerable controversy at court since the end of the previous year. Officials of the original Ministries of Revenue and Works in particular felt shamed at the prospect of serving under a eunuch and had submitted memorial after memorial arguing strenuously against it.
However, Leng Ningyun knew that civil officials would not change the Emperor's mind on this matter. Thus he had unhesitatingly accepted Wu Kaidi's suggestion to approach Zhang Yixian through Eunuch Yang.
Zhang Yixian was a palace favorite and now served as Superintendent of Revenue and Works. Not only was his status elevated, but his affairs were exceedingly demanding. Forget a mere merchant like Leng Ningyun—even a eunuch like Eunuch Yang, who lingered on the periphery of court power's core, could not easily secure an audience.
Fortunately, power exists to be rented. This had been true since ancient times. Since the principal lacked time and energy, naturally a coterie of confidants handled such matters on his behalf. "Mister Beishan" was the domestic slave Zhang Yixian employed specifically for this purpose.
Leng Ningyun had considered going directly to Xu Guangqi, Zhou Yanru, and others. However, his own status was awkward; moreover, among the Grand Secretaries, both Zhou Yanru and Xu Guangqi were staunch supporters of Sun Yuanhua. Xu Guangqi's son was related to Sun Yuanhua by marriage, and Zhou Yanru had personally championed Sun's appointment as governor—having received lavish gifts of sable furs, gold, and pearls in return. Sun Yuanhua himself had long since dispatched emissaries to seek connections and cultivate these channels. Rather than expending excessive effort himself, it was better to exert influence quietly and provide supplementary support.
By comparison, the eunuch channel proved far more convenient. Upon hearing his request, Eunuch Yang appeared surprised but did not refuse. After inspecting the precious gifts presented, he pondered briefly and sent a young eunuch to escort Leng Ningyun to Young Eunuch Yang.
Young Eunuch Yang then conducted him to "Mister Beishan's" residence. This establishment was quite imposing—no less grand than Eunuch Yang's own. The gatehouse overflowed with all manner of people waiting to be received, including many officials. Leng Ningyun warmed a cold bench for nearly two hours before obtaining an audience. Judging from the envious glances of others, being seen within two hours was certainly thanks to the two Eunuch Yangs.
Leng Ningyun continued his principal work in Beijing: kowtowing and spending money. After presenting a batch of rare "Australian treasures," Mister Beishan listened to his request, then very politely served tea to see him out.
Though he had met the man and spent the money, Leng Ningyun had no idea whether it would prove effective. The "Australian treasures" he had gifted, while not rare in Lingao, commanded a value in the Great Ming of nearly three thousand taels of silver—an enormous sum! When Zhou Yanru was reinstated and reentered the Grand Secretariat, his entire court maneuvering budget had amounted to only ten thousand taels.
Using "treasures" worth three thousand taels to help Sun Yuanhua retain his official position was truly no small investment. Should the effort fail, although he was acting under orders, he would inevitably leave an impression of "ineffective handling of affairs."
"What do you make of this matter?" Though Leng Ningyun was determined to reduce his reliance on Wu Kaidi, he could not help but ask the man, who stood attending him inside the sedan chair.
Wu Kaidi was silent for a moment. "Fifty-fifty."
"That low?" Leng Ningyun always felt that anything with less than eighty percent certainty was essentially doomed.
"The Master wishes to protect Sun Huodong," Wu Kaidi whispered. "Entrusting the inner minister Zhang alone is insufficient; the outer court must also be attended to."
"I know that. I'm asking whether the inner minister Zhang will actually render us this favor."
"Master may rest assured. Since Mister Beishan accepted your card and the gift list, it indicates that the inner minister Zhang harbors no taboo regarding this matter—otherwise, you likely would not have laid eyes on Mister Beishan at all."
"So the inner minister Zhang has agreed?"
"Whether he agrees or not, he must also wait to see how the situation develops." Wu Kaidi's voice dropped lower still.
This meant nothing was settled. Leng Ningyun sighed inwardly. Yet he also understood that the Zhang Yixian channel could only accomplish so much. The next step was to explore other avenues.
Leng Ningyun's sedan chair returned to the Beijing Branch of Delong Bank outside Qianmen. The premises had originally been a pawnshop, and after conversion to a bank, they had largely retained the original layout. Only the screen wall bearing the massive character "Pawn" had been removed from the entrance, replaced by a gold-lettered plaque above the main door reading "Delong Bank." Below was a three-bay frontage, with only the central bay opened as the main gate. Inside, stone counters and iron bars were visible. Those who drew closer could hear the indistinct sounds of abacus beads and voices. Glass skylights installed in the roof flooded the interior with light, but iron bars were everywhere—even the ceiling was constructed of iron bars. Security measures were very much in place.
Seven or eight clerks worked busily behind the counter. This was the storefront of Delong's Beijing Branch. The counter's business was straightforward: deposits and withdrawals, inter-branch remittances, and small loans. Volume was modest, but profits remained stable, sufficient to cover all the bank's expenses. Adjacent to the storefront counter was a small courtyard specifically designated for receiving wealthier and higher-status guests.
Normally, upon returning from outside, Leng Ningyun would first make a circuit of the storefront to check for problems. Today, however, he had no mind for it. He ordered the bearers to carry the sedan in through the side door by the bank's main gate, directly through to the moon gate of the inner residence, then led his confidants immediately into the inner study courtyard dedicated to handling confidential matters.
(End of Chapter)