Chapter 2608: Where the Stars Are

During the late Ming Dynasty, Nanhai County was divided into six Patrol Divisions: Jinli, Wudoukou, Shen'an, Sanjiang, Huangding, and Jiangpu. Each division maintained one Inspector and fifty conscripted bowmen. The Wudoukou Patrol Division operated from Pingzhou Fort, twenty li from Foshan, while Jiangpu—the division closest to Jiujiang, also known as Ding'an Stockade—was headquartered at Longjiang Fort nearby.

Since the Senate had assumed control of the Great Ming Dynasty's governance in the Two Guangs, the Patrol Divisions' functions had been absorbed by the National Army and township police stations. The National Army garrisoned the county seat and key Patrol Division locations, while grassroots police stations were established across the remaining divisions and larger market towns.

For this inspection, Zhang Xiao had given strict orders against advance notification along their route. His reasoning was twofold: first, to prevent local officials from preparing rehearsed presentations; second, to minimize disruption to grassroots operations. Given the limited numbers and stretched capabilities of the Senate's local cadres, an additional "inspection visit" would only throw their work into disarray.

"Woo woo..." The steamship's whistle pierced the clouds. The Dafa boat glided slowly toward the docks at Li Hai Market.

It happened to be market day at Jiujiang Great Market. The villagers there were accustomed to watching Australian steamship fleets pass along the river, but this was the first time in recent memory that one had actually docked at Jiujiang. Drawn by the ear-splitting whistle, they drifted toward the market entrance to investigate.

Battōtai soldiers armed with Minié rifles jogged down the gangway at their captain's command and formed ranks along the shore. Their imposing presence dampened the villagers' curiosity—no one dared approach. Zhang Xiao and his companions disembarked under escort from special agents of the General Bureau of Senator Guards.

"Wonder who these people are..." someone murmured.

"Keep your voice down!" Whispered exchanges rippled through the crowd.

Zhang Xiao felt suddenly as though he were entering hostile territory. The atmosphere troubled him. Clearing his throat, he called out to the villagers, "Fellow countrymen, there's no cause for alarm! I am Zhang Xiao, the new Nanhai Magistrate appointed by the Grand Song Senate. I've come to understand the conditions of the people..."

As Zhang Xiao continued his address, the crowd stared back with blank incomprehension. Zhang Jiayu leaned in and reminded him, "Chief, Lingnan dialects change from village to village. Perhaps I should translate?"

Just as Zhang Jiayu prepared to speak, sharp police whistles shrieked from behind the crowd. Five short-haired men in Australian police uniforms pushed through the throng, batons in one hand and revolvers in the other. These grassroots officers had clearly assumed some emergency was underway.

Though the police didn't recognize Zhang Xiao, the bearing of the group before them was unmistakably distinguished, and they traveled with a National Army escort. The sharp-eyed among them soon spotted their direct superior within the inspection team. The leading officer—a short, sturdy man—immediately holstered his weapon, snapped to attention, delivered a crisp Fubo Army salute, and announced, "Mo Yu, Director of Jiujiang Market Police Station, sends regards to the Chief!"

The other policemen followed suit. Observing their crooked salutes and ill-fitting uniforms, Zhang Xiao suppressed a sigh. He signaled them at ease and said, "Comrades, you've worked hard! We're attracting too much attention like this. Let's get settled first, then talk."

Mo Yu led his officers to clear a path, guiding the sizeable inspection team toward the police station.

Though Jiujiang Market was considered a major trading center, it paled beside the prosperity of Guangzhou City and Foshan. No inn here could accommodate such a large party, so the inspection team had brought marching tents. They selected a suitable site at the market's edge, and soon a fully functional campsite of considerable scale took shape.

Once settled, Zhang Jiayu sat on the camp bed in his small tent, looking dejected. Throughout the journey, Chief Zhang had inquired about nothing but water conservancy and agriculture. Just when he'd finally seen an opportunity to contribute his local knowledge, the police had interrupted. The old saying proved true: a scholar without purpose is utterly useless.

Feeling stifled, he ducked out of his tent for a walk around the camp.

Zhao Hening had just finished arranging her belongings and emerged from her tent to find Zhang Jiayu looking downcast. She approached him. "What's got you looking so glum, handsome?"

At the sight of her, Zhang Jiayu's heart quickened. He lowered his head slightly and offered a small bow. "I'd prided myself on being a local, well-versed in the people's circumstances. Yet throughout our journey, I've failed to resolve any of the Chief's concerns. Truly, I'm ashamed."

Zhao Hening decided he was being rather endearingly foolish. "Teacher Zhang is renowned for his breadth of knowledge," she said consolingly. "Just follow along and learn—that's all."

"Miss Zhao speaks wisely!" Zhang Jiayu agreed.

Zhao Hening wrinkled her nose at the address. "I come from a poor family—none of this 'Miss' business. Just call me Hening."

"That..." After a brief hesitation, Zhang Jiayu inclined his head. "Then I shall respectfully accept, rather than decline."

"And I'll call you Jiayu!" Zhao Hening declared, characteristically unconcerned with formality.

"As you wish."

"The name Jiayu has a certain... rustic charm to it."

"Indeed, it doesn't sound as elegant as Hening."

"Of course not. Hening was the name of a palace hall in the Early Song Imperial Palace, you know..."

The distance between young men and women often closes in the blink of an eye. A handsome boy like Zhang Jiayu would inevitably become either universally despised or the object of countless girls' fantasies at Fangcao Di. Unable to resist her curiosity, Zhao Hening leaned in and asked quietly, "Jiayu, do you have a girlfriend?"

"A girlfriend?" Zhang Jiayu was unfamiliar with Fangcao Di terminology.

"A girlfriend—you know, a sweetheart." Zhao Hening giggled.

Young women of this era typically never ventured beyond the inner gates before marriage—the literal meaning of remaining in the boudoir. Apart from rare occasions like temple fairs, they had virtually no contact with men. Zhang Jiayu, having no experience with such sheltered women, couldn't fathom what Zhao Hening was getting at. "Since ancient times, marriages have been arranged through parental decree and matchmaker's counsel," he said. "I have neither career nor official rank at present, so I haven't given marriage any thought."

The Zhang family's circumstances were modest. The Senate's liberation of Guangzhou had derailed his path toward the imperial examinations, and few families were eager to arrange matches with a penniless scholar of uncertain prospects.

"How boring. You're like a block of wood," Zhao Hening muttered. Unmarried men his age were rare in this era—typically either too poor for any family to consider, or afflicted with some physical defect or frailty. She decided not to press further.

By the time the camp was fully organized, evening had descended. Throughout the afternoon, wealthy families from the surrounding area had heard that the Australians' new magistrate had brought a team of cadres into the countryside. One after another, they dispatched their most persuasive clansmen, all eager to invite this "parent official" to lodge in their mansions or ancestral halls—an opportunity to display hospitality and cultivate ties with the Australians. Zhang Xiao and Li Yao'er politely declined each invitation, citing the fatigue of travel, though they accepted the gifts of melons, fruits, fish, and poultry.

Night fell. Bonfires crackled in the camp while National Army soldiers continued their patrols. Zhang Xiao, hands clasped behind his back, gazed up at the waxing crescent moon. Having just finished assigning the next day's tasks to his cadres, he found himself too restless for sleep and wandered to the camp's edge.

Without the neon glare of cities from the old timeline, without the sulfur and nitrogen pollutants or clouds of dust from industrial smokestacks, the night sky blazed with exceptional clarity. Stars shimmered in reflection across the expanse of interconnected fish ponds, creating the illusion of standing amid a sea of light. It reminded him of childhood evenings spent gazing up at the Milky Way, lost in wonder.

"The stars tonight are beautiful," Zhang Xiao murmured to himself. Memories from his former life flickered through his mind like scenes from an old film. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a ten-hole harmonica. Moistening his lips, he began to play a melody he knew by heart.

Zhao Hening had just finished brushing her teeth when she heard the faintly melancholic tune drifting through the camp. Curiosity piqued, she slipped quietly from her tent and crept toward Zhang Jiayu's quarters, calling softly, "Jiayu! Jiayu, come with me to see."

Zhang Jiayu lifted the tent flap, surprised. "You're still awake at this hour? See what?"

"Shh... listen." Zhao Hening pressed a finger to her lips.

Crack! A sound came from nearby.

"Who's there!" Zhang Xiao spun around, one hand instinctively moving toward his holster. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he relaxed. "You two—what are you doing sneaking about?"

Zhao Hening, following the music, had accidentally snapped a dry branch underfoot. Flushing with embarrassment, she approached slowly. "Teacher, I was drawn here by such beautiful, melancholy music..."

Zhang Jiayu braced himself for a reprimand about propriety—a young man and woman wandering together outside camp at night. Instead, Zhang Xiao merely said, "Get some sleep. We're not here for leisure; there's heavy work ahead."

"Teacher, that tune was lovely. I've never heard you play it before. What's it called?" Zhao Hening asked.

"Reminiscing Jade Tune," Zhang Xiao replied with practiced indifference.

"Jade... Yu..." Zhao Hening paced thoughtfully, then stopped suddenly beside Zhang Jiayu. "Could it be this Jade?" She gestured toward him with theatrical flourish.

"Don't be ridiculous," Zhang Xiao said, feigning annoyance.

Zhang Jiayu spoke up. "The melody is wonderfully flowing, full of deep sentiment. It brings to mind the verse: 'Twenty-four bridges beneath the moonlit night—where does the jade beauty teach the flute?' Surely the Chief was thinking of someone dear."

At this, Zhao Hening's curiosity flared. "Teacher, who is this old friend of yours?"

"That's not a question for children."

"Fine, fine, keep your secrets..." Zhao Hening pouted, but quickly brightened. "Since you're in such a refined mood tonight, why not play Where the Stars Are? You taught it to us before. I'll sing!"

"Very well." Zhang Xiao agreed without hesitation.

As the harmonica's prelude began, Zhao Hening sang along: "Kimi no kage, hoshi no you ni. Asa ni tokete, kieteiku..."

Tonight's stars were a footnote to loneliness.

(End of Chapter)