Chapter 2533: Baojia

When the Senate first landed on Hainan, Lingao County held only tens of thousands of people, and the entire island numbered no more than two or three hundred thousand. Years of careful management had made suppressing bandits relatively straightforward. The population growth that followed came entirely under Senate direction—newcomers were settled into standardized administrative villages with tight oversight. Such control was simply not replicable in newly occupied mainland territories.

These methods had emerged from unique circumstances. Attempting to transplant them to Guangdong was clearly beyond their current capabilities. According to social surveys and historical estimates, Guangdong and Guangxi together held some thirteen or fourteen million people. The Pearl River Delta alone concentrated several million. Even if every cadre on Hainan were relocated to the delta, there would never be enough to go around.

In mainland natural villages—particularly those in the Pearl River Delta—residents typically shared a single surname, or at most two or three. Outsiders were routinely excluded from village governance. Planting informants proved nearly impossible. As a result, the government could never obtain timely intelligence about affairs within village boundaries.

What the Senate controlled most thoroughly in the Pearl River Delta were the Tanka villages. After abolishing their debased status, the Tanka people were permitted to come ashore and build permanent homes. Under Municipal Government guidance, many newly-formed Tanka villages had emerged. These were managed uniformly according to the Hainan administrative model, ensuring both smooth transmission of government decrees and a firm grasp on grassroots affairs.

By controlling these newly established villages, the Senate had planted its own informants between the scattered natural villages in certain areas. Tanka household registration effectively curtailed the activities of water bandits throughout the Pearl River system. The notorious Four Surnames Water Bandits, once rampant across these waters, had lost their foundation for survival after the Tanka went ashore and registered. Under sustained pressure, they had been completely eliminated. Ships were now rarely intercepted or plundered on open water.

It was an undeniable fact that Tanka people had been the main source of water bandits across the Pearl River basin. The Four Surnames Water Bandits who once terrorized the rivers were all of Tanka origin. Their vast numbers and drifting lifestyle had made them "unstable factors" that every dynasty found impossible to manage.

Abolishing their debased status and settling them in villages had finally integrated them into the normal social order. Recruiting "professionals" from among their ranks—pilots and sailors brought into "the system"—had created a stabilizing force within the Tanka community. The numbers weren't large, but their influence was significant.

It was this strategy of bringing the Tanka ashore that had allowed Liu Xiang to sweep away the major water bandit gangs of the Pearl River basin so quickly. A brilliant move indeed.

As for the pirates unique to the Fujian and Guangdong coasts, they had largely ceased to exist. Once the Senate's Navy dominated the seas and even notorious pirates like Liu Xiang the bandit—distinct from Prefect Liu Xiang—had defected to the Senate, smaller pirate bands found themselves with nowhere left to operate.

Land bandits had similarly declined. The Senate's sweeping reforms and rectification of corrupt clerks had broken up the old networks of official-bandit collusion. Public security had improved markedly.

Still, Zhang Xiao knew that complete elimination of banditry was impossible. Even in the old timeline, the nineties had required "Strike Hard" campaigns. Social problems had to be addressed at their roots. The common people of this land had always been easy to govern—provided they could survive, they would not rise up in rebellion.

All problems, traced to their source, were economic problems. Yet Zhang Xiao's ability to intervene in economic matters was limited; such things depended mainly on project investments from the Planning Academy. What he could do was little more than the ancient refrain of "encouraging agriculture and sericulture"—striving to boost agricultural production.

In the days since taking office, as he familiarized himself with the county's situation, Zhang Xiao had noticed a problem that most people overlooked: the Nanhai county seat lay within the walls of Guangzhou Prefecture City, practically at the edge of its own territory. The situation resembled Shunde's, but was even more extreme. Having the county seat situated in a corner of the jurisdiction made governing the whole territory exceedingly difficult. In Jiujiang, far from the Nanhai county seat, and in the Longshan area, far from Shunde's seat, locals even had a saying: "Jiujiang doesn't recognize Nan, Two Longs don't recognize Shun."

Shortly after the Republic of China was established, various attached counties had moved their governments out of the prefecture cities to find new seats, or simply built new cities entirely. Clearly, people of that era had already recognized this flaw. After the Reform and Opening Up, a second wave of attached counties separated and established new districts.

If Nanhai County were to move out, where would be suitable? Geographically, the most logical choice was Foshan Fort. But Foshan had been designated a "Demonstration Management Zone" and would inevitably become its own county in due course.

What about simply moving to Jiujiang? Hmph—since you refuse to recognize Nan, I'll just move the county seat to your doorstep. Let's see you ignore it then.

Effectively controlling the remote areas within county borders while maintaining good public security—this would be no easy task.

These thoughts prompted Zhang Xiao to seek historical perspective. He turned to Wei Bifu: "If you were a magistrate in the previous dynasty, what strategies would you have employed to suppress bandits?"

Wei Bifu answered readily: "In this humble one's opinion, the Baojia Law should be strictly enforced. That means implementing Baojia registration for each Bao and Jia—branding the stern of every boat with its Bao and Jia number, the owner's name, and county of origin. The hull or bow should be painted in identifying colors visible from a distance. Detailed household registers must be created in duplicate: one submitted to the authorities, one kept by the Bao Chief for periodic inspection. Boats would only be permitted to work the waters during daylight hours. Come evening, they must gather and moor at their designated port. If any boat commits a crime or ventures out at night without permission, the Jia Chief and the eight other boats in that Jia may report it to the Bao Chief, who will jointly remand the offenders to the authorities. If nine boats conceal wrongdoing for each other and the Bao Chief reports them, all nine boats are punished together. If the Bao Chief conceals everything and it comes to light through other means, the Bao Chief bears collective liability."

Wei Bifu's response drew silent criticism from Zhang Xiao: It seems Wang Yangming's 'Ten-Family Tablet Law' really was the only option available in ancient times.

The Baojia Law had served as a cornerstone of social governance since the Song Dynasty, persisting all the way to the Republic of China. Wang Yangming, despite his reputation as a Neo-Confucian master who repeatedly taught people to "establish sincerity," had arrived at a different understanding when confronted with the intractable lawlessness of certain populations. He came to embrace the truth that "Warfare is the Way of Deception." Chicken soup for the soul in one hand, political maneuvering in the other—one could not practice benevolent governance toward those who refused to be governed. When Wang Yangming toured Southern Gan as Grand Coordinator, one of the first measures he issued upon taking office became famous throughout his military career: the Ten-Family Tablet Law Proclamation to Elders and Children of Various Prefectures. Its content matched exactly what Wei Bifu had described. The inspections required answers to specific questions: Who is missing from which household tonight? Where did they go? For what purpose? When will they return? Who is extra in which household tonight? Who is this person? Where did they come from? What are they doing here? If one family violated the law, all ten families shared the punishment.

Seeing Zhang Xiao remain silent, Wei Bifu continued: "River and sea bandits are mostly treacherous fishermen. They appear and disappear across vast waters and flood plains, scouting for lone vessels, striking with impunity before sailing away on the wind. When government pursuit presses too close, they sink their plunder and resume the guise of innocent fishermen. Then there are the scheming net boats—fishing in the harbor by day, slipping out to raid by night. It's the same everywhere, a great harm to the people. Implementing the Baojia Law allows fishing households to supervise one another, bringing these drifters under surveillance and control while denying foreign vessels any place to hide."

Zhang Xiao had studied Yu Chenglong's methods for governing banditry in the Taihu Lake basin during the Qing Dynasty. He offered his own assessment: "Organizing boats into Bao is only one aspect. The Senate's approach of settling the Tanka people into administrative villages has largely resolved the fisherman problem. But goods stolen by water bandits must eventually be converted to silver and coin in towns on dry land. Inspection of those who harbor criminals along the riverbanks must also be strengthened. Nanhai County lies in the delta region with its dense network of waterways—which essentially means incorporating all residents into the Baojia system. The Ming Dynasty likely already promoted such measures, but these regulations require Bao and Jia Chiefs of high caliber who are both diligent and attentive. Guangdong prefectures and counties let everything slide. I've seen lawsuits in the former courtyard drag on for five or six years before resolution. Without persistent pressure, such regulations amount to nothing more than wastepaper."

Yu Chenglong had also promoted decrees organizing and registering Baojia for fishermen and villagers in the Taihu region. Yet robbery cases there did not decrease afterward—in fact, they increased during the Yongzheng reign. Clearly, enforcement had been unsatisfactory. Most likely, the decree was never properly implemented at all.

Still, by the standards of Ming officials, recognizing even this much about governing river and sea bandits marked Wei Bifu as a capable administrator. Zhang Xiao's point about execution touched a raw nerve. Wei Bifu bowed his head in acknowledgment: "The Chief observes every detail. These are accumulated malpractices from the previous dynasty. Even with heaven-spanning abilities, nothing could be done."

Having sat for too long, Zhang Xiao felt the ache in his lower back. He rose and stretched. "Isn't that why the Senate came? We're here to do only three things: Fairness! No wait—Transformation! Transformation! Transformation!"

"The Chief possesses such ambition—truly a blessing for the ten thousand people. This humble one's admiration for the Chief flows like the surging river, endless and unceasing..." Wei Bifu gushed.

Zhang Xiao paid no attention to the flattery. He was calculating: this place was indeed tangled in multifarious affairs. He would need to visit the countryside in person. To succeed his predecessor properly, he had to follow the "Pareto Principle"—continue eighty percent of existing policies while innovating on the remaining twenty. Time to see how he would fare.

After concluding their discussion, Wei Bifu immediately requested leave from the Municipal Government and traveled to Jiujiang Fort. Huang Xiyin had waited anxiously for days, practically wearing out his eyes watching for news. When Wei Bifu suddenly appeared with an invitation, joy descended upon him like a gift from heaven. With minimal preparation, he followed Wei Bifu to Guangzhou to meet Zhang Xiao.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhang Xiao inquired about his background.

"Reporting to the Chief: this student passed the Jinshi examination in the Xinwei year of Chongzhen 4. After two years of observing administration, I was appointed Magistrate of Nanhai..."

"That's quite a rapid promotion!" Zhang Xiao was somewhat surprised. From what he knew, the period between passing Jinshi and receiving an actual appointment could range from two or three years to ten or twenty for Qing scholars. Some Jinshi remained candidates their entire lives without ever obtaining a post. Ming scholars were far fewer in number than their Qing counterparts, but even so, Magistrate Huang's advancement had been remarkably swift.

"I'm embarrassed to say," Huang Xiyin demurred. "Just fortunate timing."

"Since you served as Nanhai Magistrate for all those years, your understanding of county administration and local conditions must far exceed Councilor Wei's. Now that I've come here as the Parent Official of Nanhai County, I hope you'll offer your guidance and counsel."

(End of Chapter)