Chapter 1733: Killing to Establish Authority
Liu Xiang's voice cut like ice. "The peace of Guangzhou is guarded by my Senate. You—a city fox and social rat, scum of the public gate—dare claim you keep the peace? Go tell that to the King of Hell and the people you've killed. Take him down!"
Since ancient times, clerks and runners have been ruthless and fickle by nature. Hearing Liu Xiang's words, Zhao Xian hesitated no longer and immediately shouted: "Master Bi, sorry about this!" He threw the chain over Bi Wusu's head, locked it, and dragged him from the hall.
Bi Wusu struggled with all his might, watching his disciples and grand-disciples either keep silent as winter cicadas or stand frozen like wooden chickens. Not a single one rose to defend him. He caught the eye of a Japanese samurai in a bright red surcoat, grinning at him with a mouthful of uneven teeth—as if mocking him. A chill rose from his spine and spread throughout his body. He saw himself being dragged ever closer to the public desk. When this rash young man shouted "Drag him down and behead him," no one in Guangzhou City would dare plead for him! The realization hit like awakening from a dream: without the Great Ming, he was nothing. In an instant, shaking like a sieve, he dropped to his knees with a thump. Cold sweat and tears streamed down his face as words tumbled out: "I beg... beg Your Excellency to look at... look at... look at..." He said "look at" several times before realizing he had no friendship with Lord Liu to invoke. His mind raced. "...Look at the sake of this lowly one serving Shopkeeper Guo in the past. Raise... raise your noble hand high... This lowly one had eyes but no pupils and offended Your Excellency's tiger prestige. I deserve to die ten thousand times."
Another stir rippled through the clerks. Bi Wusu—usually tyrannical, sinister, ruthless, treating murder for money as routine—was now bound in chains, kneeling on the ground, begging for his life with tears and snot streaming. The contrast was staggering.
Liu Xiang smiled coldly. "Shopkeeper Guo doesn't need your concern." His voice turned stern. "Take him down!"
Several Detective Brigade runners, their fear dispelled by his pathetic display, pounced like wolves and tigers. They bound Bi Wusu firmly with rope and stuffed a hemp gag into his mouth. He was pressed down under the eaves to await disposal.
LĂĽ Yizhong watched with pounding heart, understanding that Liu Xiang was "killing the monkey to scare the chickens." This was the only way to rectify such "cunning clerks." Gathering himself, he read out the names one by one:
"Zhu Huifei! Zhai Shini! Zhang Dejin! Gao Chenfeng!"... With each name LĂĽ Yizhong chanted, the Detective Brigade arrested by name, pulling them from the queue, binding them with rope, gagging them with hemp. They knelt in dense rows under the corridor eaves.
The atmosphere in the yamen solidified. These thousand-plus runners normally shouted and bossed people around, acting like petty tyrants. None had ever witnessed such a display. Seeing people pulled from the queue one by one and bound, everyone felt their calves cramp and blood drain from their faces. Some simply fainted from terror.
More than a hundred people were on the list. Most were caught. For those who hadn't appeared for roll call, the Detective Brigade sent teams to find them. Reports came in one after another—some caught, some not. Liu Xiang didn't inquire about details, only ordered those still at large to be listed for red warrants.
At this point, several detective team members returned. Wu Duoduo led a team to arrest the fast-class runner Bu Dailu—a man of many crimes who had colluded with bandits outside the city in countless kidnappings, accumulating vast wealth. Knowing his guilt was severe, he hadn't dared attend roll call.
Wu Duoduo approached and reported: "Your Excellency, Bu Dailu is not at home. His family says he went out last night and hasn't returned. His whereabouts are unknown."
Liu Xiang nodded. "I actually know his whereabouts."
At these words, Wu Duoduo and his men all trembled. Two National Army soldiers pushed Bu Dailu, bound tightly, out from behind.
Wu Duoduo and the others went pale with fright, collapsed to the ground, and kowtowed frantically.
"Come! Search!"
At Liu Xiang's order, several bailiffs hurried over and pinned them down. In moments, several Delong bank notes were found on Wu Duoduo and another runner named Lu Rui—totaling a full five hundred taels.
Liu Xiang examined them, nodded, and sighed. "I've long heard of clerks' wealth—shocking to hear, astonishing to see. Now I understand how the saying goes: fishing for money even in a pot of oil." He addressed the kowtowing Wu and Lu below. "I originally thought you two had committed little evil in your usual duties and still retained some conscience. It seems I lacked the eyes to judge people. Mister Lü!"
LĂĽ Yizhong knew lives were about to be taken to establish authority. He hurried up and responded: "This lowly official is here!"
"What crimes have Wu Duoduo and the others committed according to the 'Counter-Insurgency Law'?"
"Replying to the Chief: accepting bribes and privately releasing wanted criminals—a capital crime!"
"Wu Duoduo and Lu Rui accepted bribes to secure release. The two who accompanied them were unaware of this and are exempted from punishment."
"Where is the executioner?!" His sudden shout made the surrounding bailiffs' hearts skip. They responded in unison, almost as conditioned reflex: "Summon the executioner!"
The yamen executioners stepped forward. They naturally had their own "customary fees" in daily life, but the words "great evil" didn't apply to them. Considering themselves "technical personnel," they had assumed they'd be fine. Now, hearing Lord Liu wanted to carry out an execution, they gathered their focus and answered the summons.
"Push Wu Duoduo and Lu Rui out to be beheaded. Execute on the spot!"
"Yes!"
The executioners responded in unison, pulled Wu and Lu from the ground, bound them in an instant, and pushed them out. These two had been "Detective Team Members" newly promoted by the Senate mere moments ago—now transformed into condemned prisoners. Wu, Lu, and the others cried to heaven and earth, begging repeatedly: "Shouldn't have been blinded by silver! Beg Your Excellency for a chance to reform!"
Liu Xiang was unmoved. "I already gave the opportunity." In the atmosphere of extreme terror, he spoke slowly: "Execute!"
Three cannon shots sounded outside. After a while, an executioner entered holding two human heads on a tray. He half-knelt at the bottom of the steps and raised them: "Your Excellency, please verify the execution!"
Liu Xiang glanced at the dripping bloody heads. Nausea washed over him. Looking away to regulate his breathing and calm his nerves, he saw the clerks and runners below were all deathly pale. Slowly, he said: "Hang them outside the gate as a warning!"
Watching the heads carried out, Liu Xiang breathed a sigh of relief. "Since you have all pledged loyalty to the Great Song and the Senate, you must work diligently and harbor no selfish thoughts. Otherwise, Wu and Lu are your examples!"
The clerks below, dazed by this cascade of events, had been scared witless—their three souls and seven spirits scattered, numb to all sensation. When a soft question came, they trembled together like autumn grass struck by sudden wind. In a palpitation and shudder, those in front dropped to their knees with a thump, muttering indistinctly. Seeing them kneel, those behind followed suit, until a black mass of people were all prostrate.
Liu Xiang saw this round of arrests and executions had achieved its desired effect. He announced that all arrested persons would be imprisoned pending interrogation—the Planning Institute still wanted to extract value from them—and as for the others, from today forward they were subordinates of the Australians.
"Tomorrow the Great Army enters the city. Perform your duties wholeheartedly. Let me see who is most eager to please." Liu Xiang smiled. "Promotions will follow in due course."
Below, a hundred voices echoed as one: "Thank you, Your Excellency!"
After roll call ended, Liu Xiang instructed that notices be posted throughout the city, ordering any runners and clerks who hadn't reported to do so within three days. Those failing to report would be considered "in hiding," and once caught, treated as "enemy spies."
Those who came forward registered on the spot. First they filled out "Former Personnel Registration Forms," then had their photos taken for the files. This registration used cameras newly developed by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Because magnesium powder was difficult to process, several photography lights had been specially equipped to ensure photo quality.
After photographing and registration, they were asked to write self-statements. Those who were illiterate had others write for them, ensuring everyone had a documented file. After filing was complete, their intentions were solicited. Those unwilling to continue serving signed and fingerprinted pre-printed "Letters of Resignation from Service" on the spot, then received certificates to become commoners.
Since runner status carried tax exemption benefits, quite a few people had purchased "white member" status without actually serving. Most of this group now resigned.
Those willing to continue serving, whether regulars or white members, first recited an oath of allegiance to the Senate, then had their heads shaved. After shaving, they were assigned to various departments according to their previous duties.
Three Classes personnel were received by the city and county police bureaus. They weren't given police ranks but uniformly incorporated into the Detective Brigade as auxiliary security personnel. Household Department clerks, grain runners, river office ambassadors, and tax collectors were mostly assigned to the tax department... Those who truly didn't fit anywhere were first assigned to the Comprehensive Governance Office for general use.
According to Liu Xiang's policy, all positions in the new Guangzhou Municipal Government were filled by naturalized citizen cadres from the Northbound Detachment, with important posts also held by naturalized citizen cadres. Surrendered personnel served only as auxiliaries. They uniformly wore old Great Ming public uniforms but switched to brownish-yellow copper basin hats—pressed from mixed paper pulp—and wore blue armbands on their arms with department names written in Song typeface. On their chests and backs, like soldiers, a large character "Assist" was printed in Song typeface.
Liu Xiang required all personnel—whether formal cadres or "auxiliary personnel"—to be issued work IDs with photos and fingerprints.
Having addressed the old personnel's whereabouts, the next step was establishing new institutions. Though the Senate had accepted the clerks of old Guangzhou's one prefecture and two counties, they had no intention of following the prefectural and county yamen's organizational structure. That system was too simple and wholly unsuited to the Senate's governing needs.
The newly established Guangzhou Municipal Government was located in the Great Ming Guangzhou Prefectural Yamen, with two districts beneath it: Nanhai District and Panyu District. Administrative divisions remained roughly the same.
Given the startup phase, the institutional setup under the municipal government was deliberately simple: only the Municipal Government Office, Police Bureau, Tax Bureau, Civil Affairs Bureau, and a Comprehensive Governance Office handling miscellaneous matters. The district governments of Nanhai and Panyu were structured similarly.
(End of this chapter)