Chapter 2606: Sangyuan Enclosure
Hou Wenyong had been thoroughly dispirited of late. He had risen through the secretarial ranks, and his appointment to the top position in the "Most Important County" had been arranged by Chief Ma to burnish his credentials. But before he could settle into the role or achieve anything of note, Chief Liu transferred him to serve as Secretary-General for Little Chief Zhang. It was dressed up as "putting talents to their best use," but the moment Big Chief Zhang arrived, Nanhai County became someone else's concern entirely. Just like that, Hou Wenyong found himself right back where he started.
One day, Hou Qing came to visit him at his residence—her only relative in the area. Seeing the weight on his mind, she asked what troubled him.
Hou Wenyong confided his worries. Hou Qing listened, then said gently, "Brother, you're still young. This setback is nothing. In the previous dynasty, attaining a Xiucai title at your age would have been considered a blessing upon our Hou ancestors. I often hear Chief Lin say that one should 'observe broadly but absorb selectively, accumulate deeply but release gradually.' Everyone in the system knows you were Chief Ma's personal secretary. Rising too quickly to a high position isn't necessarily good for you. Shortly after Chief Zhang took office, he arranged for people from every department to rotate through grassroots assignments. Both Ah Liang and I are on the list. The fact that you never pursued such experience while in office suggests your abilities and judgment still need refinement. If the opportunity arises, I think you should volunteer for a few years of training at the grassroots level."
Hou Wenyong's expression soured. "When we first entered the city, everything was in chaos. There were so many matters to handle every day—I simply couldn't spare time for grassroots work."
Hou Qing shook her head. As a woman, her instincts were naturally more discerning, and being considerably older than Hou Wenyong, she possessed far greater maturity.
"Whether you went to the grassroots or not isn't the point," she said. "Why are you still dwelling on this? Look at your superiors, look at everyone around you—they're all Chiefs. You, a minor cadre without Chief Ma there to back you up, how could you possibly coordinate all these powerful figures? Push too hard and you offend people; hold back too much and nothing gets done. That kind of perfectly calibrated touch takes decades to develop. Listen to your sister—settle your heart and temper yourself properly."
Hou Wenyong considered her words and recognized the truth in them. His spirits lifted somewhat.
Hou Qing continued, "I notice you're not getting any younger. In the old days, a man your age would already have children old enough to run errands at the market. They say 'start a family and build a career'—family first, then career. If I come across a suitable match, I'll arrange an introduction for you."
"Sister, I'm in no hurry," Hou Wenyong replied. "What about you? When do you and Brother Liang plan to make it official?"
A flush rose to Hou Qing's cheeks. "That depends on him."
A week later, two Dafa boats were moored at Tianzi Wharf in Guangzhou. More than a dozen Nanhai County cadres had assembled there, with a BattĹŤtai National Army squad providing security.
Zhang Xiao checked the Glock pistol he had just maintained and secured three spare magazines on his person. The National Army escort was reassuring enough, but having this old companion at his side gave him greater peace of mind.
Holstering the pistol, Zhang Xiao issued the order: "Depart!"
The steam boilers roared to life with their rhythmic chug, belching thick black smoke that trailed behind the Dafa boats like dark ribbons, gradually dispersing in the breeze. The two-vessel inspection fleet made its first stop at the Foshan Economic Development Zone, where they visited the Little Senators interning there. After replenishing their coal supplies, they entered the Shunde Waterway and proceeded south through Jiujiang Creek, passing through the boat lock at the East Enclosure of Sangyuan Enclosure near Xiqiao Mountain.
With two Senators traveling alongside a dozen key cadres, the security arrangements were substantial. Beyond the BattĹŤtai National Army, the General Bureau of Senator Guards had also dispatched agents.
Given the Senate's shallow roots in rural areas, the force Zhang Xiao had assembled for this journey was admittedly excessive. He had originally wanted to borrow two experimental 82mm mortars from the Fubo Army. These weapons offered exceptional mobility even without pack animals, relying solely on human portage. Most village houses in the countryside had thatched or tiled roofs with poor resistance to mortar shells. The vertical trajectory of the explosive rounds made them devastatingly effective against exposed personnel and could arc over walls to strike targets sheltering within fortifications.
However, Zhu Mingxia vetoed the request. Even if the mortars were lent to the National Army, the soldiers wouldn't know how to operate them. Better to bring two 12-pound mountain howitzers, which the National Army could actually use. The greatest rural threat was bandits, and mountain howitzers could fire directly or be loaded with canister shot—essentially giant shotguns capable of repelling attacks from hundreds of bandits. Perfectly practical.
But when Zhang Xiao explained their destination, Zhu Mingxia reconsidered. Both Jiujiang and Longjiang were watery regions where mountain howitzers would be virtually immobile. In the end, they settled on a different solution: a batch of Minié rifles that the Fubo Army had phased out would replace the Nanyang rifles carried by the accompanying Battōtai troops. The only difference between these two weapons was rifling, but the gap in accuracy was immense. Additionally, the special agents from the General Bureau of Senator Guards were all equipped with the new 1637 breech-loading rifles. Zhu Mingxia personally guaranteed that with such firepower, even without artillery, any bandits foolish enough to attack would deeply regret it.
The Army, Marines, and Navy sailors had long since adopted Minié rifles, which suffered from several drawbacks: excessive caliber that compromised ballistic performance, barrels too long for convenient loading (the prototype Enfield P1853 featured a 99cm barrel), and paper-wrapped ammunition vulnerable to dampness. Modified Hall breech-loading rifles had failed to fully address these deficiencies. With stable copper supplies now secured through their monopoly of the Japan copper trade, designing a new rifle using copper-cased fixed ammunition became a top priority.
In 1635, two groups within the Weapon Design Bureau proposed competing designs: Plan 1, a trapdoor action modeled on the Springfield M1873, and Plan 2, a falling-block action inspired by the Martini-Henry. While the Senate focused on the Two Guangs Strategy, both groups developed prototype guns adapted to various experimental ammunition. When test results were reviewed, military officials concluded that Plan 2 was decisively superior in rate of fire and reliability. The Planning Academy, however, favored Plan 1 because it could be converted from existing Minié rifles. As the Two Guangs campaign concluded and the Senate turned to strengthening the National Army and consolidating newly acquired territories, the phased-out Minié rifles were either converted into Nanyang rifles for National Army garrison squadrons or delivered directly to mobile squadrons. Plan 1 thus lost its advantage, and Plan 2 was officially adopted as the Type 1637 breech-loading rifle.
This weapon fired Type 1637 10x61mm R black powder cartridges. From its 72cm barrel, the rounds achieved a muzzle velocity of 485 meters per second. The standard projectile was a 338-grain (21.9g) hardened lead alloy bullet. Equipped with Metford rifling, the rifle maintained excellent accuracy out to 600 meters. Because certain army officers remained obsessed with bayonet fighting and worried that a shorter barrel would compromise close-quarters effectiveness, the gun was issued with an extended bayonet. In practice, however, soldiers reported that the new rifle's faster rate of fire (a theoretical maximum of 20 rounds per minute, with an actual combat rate around 12) and devastating firepower meant bayonet engagements occurred far less frequently.
The Type 1637 rifle became the undisputed primary infantry weapon throughout the southward operations, the Northern Expedition War, and the mainland strategy of the 1640s. No other weapon in the Australian Song light arms system matched its breadth of use or longevity of service. Even after homeland forces had fully transitioned to smokeless powder semi-automatic and automatic weapons, garrison troops in distant colonies on the other side of the globe were still hand-casting bullets for the rugged, reliable Type 1637 rifles in their hands.
Zhang Xiao stood at the bow, wind in his face, savoring his liberation from the weight of official duties. Xiqiao Mountain rose two kilometers away, clearly visible whenever he looked up. The scene reminded him of a poem he had encountered while organizing documents—written by Zhan Ruoshui during his time lecturing at Xiqiao Mountain:
Spring stirs Qiao Lake, and the waters quicken, Water embracing Qiao Lake like a city wall. The withered old man sits alone on Cloud Peak, Ninety-six summits bright beneath the moon.
The Xiqiao Mountain that Zhan Ruoshui had beheld during the Jiajing era bore little resemblance to what later generations would see. When Zhan wrote of the mountain being "surrounded by great seas on all sides," development within the Sangyuan Enclosure was still in its early stages, and vast stretches of water remained within its bounds. Jiujiang Creek, the main north-south waterway through Jiujiang, had been impressively wide during the Ming Dynasty—historical records explicitly noted it measured twenty-eight zhang across. In later generations, relentless development would cause the river to silt up as buildings multiplied, shrinking it to a modest channel.
Regrettably, more than seventy years had elapsed since Zhan Ruoshui's time. Land reclamation within the Sangyuan Enclosure had progressed considerably, and Zhang Xiao could no longer glimpse the expansive waters the scholar had once admired.
Along their route, civilian boats of every description came and went through countless branching creeks. Farmers labored along the banks, sweating under the sun. Hearing the distinctive clamor of the Dafa boats, the local inhabitants turned to watch Zhang Xiao's fleet pass, as though taking his measure. Zhang Xiao couldn't resist waving to them.
"Jiayu, do you know when the Sangyuan Enclosure was built?" Zhang Xiao asked.
Zhang Jiayu hadn't expected the question. Being from Dongguan, he naturally knew nothing about a dike enclosure in Nanhai County. "I'm ashamed to admit I have no idea," he replied.
"Councilor Huang?" Zhang Xiao turned to Huang Xiyin.
"To answer the Chief—the Sangyuan Enclosure was first constructed during the Huizong reign of the National Dynasty, giving it a history of more than five hundred years." As a former magistrate, water conservancy had been among his responsibilities, so Huang Xiyin was naturally familiar with this vital infrastructure within his former jurisdiction.
"The National Dynasty?" Zhang Xiao was momentarily confused. The materials he had reviewed clearly indicated construction began in the Northern Song era—where did "National Dynasty" and Huizong come from? Only after a few moments did realization dawn. Of course—"National Dynasty" means "Great Song"! Meanwhile, here he was, a Grand Song Senator, casually throwing around terms like "Northern Song" and "Southern Song."
Such awareness! Such linguistic precision! If he hadn't been working alongside the Senate, matching wits with genuine Ming scholars, he'd have been duped without even realizing it.
"Correct," Zhang Xiao said, recovering smoothly. "Water conservancy is the foundation of agriculture, and agriculture is the foundation of the state. The Sangyuan Enclosure is divided into East and West sections. During the Song Dynasty—that is, the National Dynasty—the West Enclosure extended from Feie Yi in Sanshui to the junction at Ganshu Niushan, while the East Enclosure ran from Jizan Lianggu Dun to the end of Longjiang River at Peng Enclosure. The entire system stretched more than twelve thousand zhang, protecting 1,500 qing of farmland. When first constructed, the enclosure consisted merely of packed mud, standing only four or five chi high. Because the local terrain slopes from northwest to southeast, the Sangyuan Enclosure functioned as an open system during the Song era. Back then, the downstream coastal sandbars had not yet accumulated significantly, making drainage easy. At the Daoliu Harbor and Longjiang Jiao water outlets in the southeastern corner of the dike, no sluice gates were installed to block flow. Instead, water inside the enclosure and water from the river were allowed to intermingle freely, following the natural gradient rather than fighting the current. This represents true ancestral wisdom."
(End of Chapter)